StemCell Therapy

On the surface, The Impending Blindness of Billie Scott is simply a coming-of-age story, a sweet and delightful portrait of the wild and wonderful people you can encounter in your early twenties, provided youre amenable. As the title implies, the titular Billie Scott is about to go blind. That would likely panic just about anyone, but Billie has the additional complication of needing to complete ten paintings for a prestigious art gallery before a two-week deadline (imposed by her impending loss of vision) is up. So she forges ahead, out of her comfortable but claustrophobic life in a student flat and out into the world, finding people to paint as she goes.

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Zoe Thorogood, not so far in age from Billie, has created a book thats rich with detail without feeling fussy or overly refined. Theres a panel early on where the reader can see the bottom of Billies coffee mug, which features an intact UPC sticker, the sort of detail that grounds and humanizes a large and sometimes complicated story. The books backgrounds are filled with a cacophony of posters and people and mess, lending Billies adventure a tight and confined feeling, even after shes left the borders of her tiny room. The book is largely in grayscale, with swaths of one or two accent colors that change with the scenes and help set the tone for every interaction. The art is lovely but doesnt shy away from grime or the truly absurd, and the story is stronger for it.

Every character is drawn with a level of detail that tells you a lot about them from the moment they appear, but are still given space to surprise readers with their needs and motivations. Billies sketchbook fills quickly with drawings and observations about each one, guiding the reader to view them through her perspective as a young person who might not be aware of just how vulnerable she really is. Thorogood continues this delicate tightrope walk by giving Billie a supporting cast thats neither completely threatening nor saintly, but simply human. Her roommates are friendly despite her long-term avoidance of them, and her encounters throughout the book run the gamut from warm to awful: Shes embraced by a chaotic group of drunk women at a bachelorette party, but shes also robbed and assaulted. Overall, there are more people willing to come to her aid than want to take advantage of her, which feels honest to the world in which Billie lives.

Image: Zoe Thorogood

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Its clear that her navet and unwillingness to trust people are both hindrances to her safety and progress, and Thorogood navigates this complicated idea very well. Billie is granted space to really screw up and make mistakes, but also given second and third chancesopportunities to not only reevaluate and redefine her goals, but also reach them. Its a touching exploration of what it means to make art and how to find your people, and why both things are important. To quote Billies friend Rachel, its about why you should care.

Theres a period towards the end where the metaphors and imagery Thorogood has used thus far give way to something more explicit, and it veers towards preachiness. Billie herself even makes a joke about how cringe-inducing some of it is, which helps to defuse the awkwardnessbut its definitely not as graceful as the vast majority of the book. It feels like Thorogood doesnt trust the readers, or herself, enough to come to the books conclusions on their own, which is a shame; her storytelling up to that point is far more confident and deft than she seems to believe it was. Given this is her first published book, theres no doubt shell continue to hone her craft and use her skills for future projects that will surpass even this great book.

See the article here:
The Impending Blindness of Billie Scott tells a poignant story of youth, art, and purpose - The A.V. Club

TipRanks

In the investing game, its not only about what you buy; its about when you buy it. One of the most common pieces of advice thrown around the Street, buy low is touted as a tried-and-true tactic.Sure, the strategy seems simple. Stock prices naturally fluctuate on the basis of several factors like earnings results and the macro environment, amongst others, with investors trying to time the market and determine when stocks have hit a bottom. In practice, however, executing on this strategy is no easy task.On top of this, given the volatility that has ruled the markets over the last few weeks, how are investors supposed to gauge when a name is flirting with a bottom? Thats where the Wall Street pros come in.These expert stock pickers have identified three compelling tickers whose current share prices land close to their 52-week lows. Noting that each is set to take back off on an upward trajectory, the analysts see an attractive entry point. Using TipRanks database, we found out that the analyst consensus has rated all three a Strong Buy, with major upside potential also on tap.Progenity (PROG)Offering clear and actionable genetic results, Progenity specializes in providing testing services. The company started trading on Nasdaq in June and saw its shares tumbling 44% since then. With shares changing hands for $8.11, several members of the Street recommend pulling the trigger before it heats up.Piper Sandler analyst Steven Mah points out that even against the backdrop of COVID-19, PROG managed to deliver with its Q2 2020 performance. We are encouraged by the recovery in late Q2 2020 with 75,000 accessioned tests (~79,000 in Q1 2020), driven by noninvasive prenatal testing (NIPT) and carrier screening, the analyst noted. Expounding on this, Mah stated, Progenity did not provide guidance, but June test volumes of ~28,000 were strong (Q1 2020 monthly average was ~26,000) which we believe showcases the durability of its reproductive tests and the success that Progenity has in co-marketing and attaching carrier screening to the more essential NIPT. Of note, despite the pandemic disruptions, Progenity was able to maintain its leading pre-COVID test turnaround times.Additionally, health insurer Aetna is temporarily extending coverage of average-risk NIPT until year-end as a result of the pandemic, with the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) also expected to endorse average-risk in the future given its clinical utility, in Mahs opinion.Reflecting another positive, the fourth generation NIPT (single-molecule counting assay) test was able to measure fetal fraction, a key milestone according to Mah, and will continue to be developed into 2021. As the technology could potentially be applied to DNA, RNA, epigenetic markers and proteins for additional clinical applications such as oncology, the analyst is looking forward to the completion of the preeclampsia verification in Q4 2020 and a possible 2H21 launch. We believe preeclampsia (~2.3 billion serviceable market) is a major differentiator for Progenity, allowing them to cross-sell across the full-continuum of reproductive testing, the analyst added.If that wasnt enough, PROG signed its first GI Precision Medicine partnership agreement with a top-20 Pharma company in August. The Oral Biotherapeutic Delivery System (OBDS), an ingestible drug and device combination designed to precisely deliver biologics systemically through a needle-free liquid jet injection into the submucosal tissues of the small intestine, is set to be utilized as part of the collaboration. Mah commented, We believe Progenity can sign additional Pharma deals and look forward to the newsflow coming out on this front.To sum it all up, Mah said, We believe Progenity shares are undervalued given the robust recovery in the core testing business and multiple upcoming growth catalysts.To this end, Mah rates PROG an Overweight (i.e. Buy) along with a $17 price target. Should his thesis play out, a twelve-month gain of 105% could potentially be in the cards. (To watch Mahs track record, click here)Are other analysts in agreement? They are. Only Buy ratings, 4, in fact, have been issued in the last three months. Therefore, the message is clear: PROG is a Strong Buy. Given the $13.33 average price target, shares could climb 60% higher in the next year. (See PROG stock analysis on TipRanks)Tactile Systems Technology (TCMD)Developing at-home therapy devices, Tactile Systems Technology wants to provide new treatments for lymphedema, which occurs when the lymphatic system is impaired, disrupting normal transport of fluid within the body, and chronic venous insufficiency. Down 52% year-to-date, its $32.67 share price lands close to its $29.47 52-week low. Thus, with business trends improving, the Street is pounding the table.Writing for Canaccord, analyst Cecilia Furlong acknowledges that the pandemic has hampered the company, with COVID-19 weighing on both volumes and sales. In the second half of March, volumes were down 50% compared to the first half of the month, and TCMDs patient volumes in April and May remained challenged. That being said, trends started to improve at the end of May.Going forward, given the vast majority of TCMDs clinician customers practice in outpatient or office-based settings, we remain positive on TCMDs ability to demonstrate better insulation against COVID impacts and likely experience a greater bounce-back relative to overall med-tech volume trends, with TCMD further benefitting from its expanding using of technology to remotely engage with clinicians and support patients, Furlong explained.The analyst added, Furthermore, recent trends among some providers to prescribe Flexitouch (an advanced intermittent pneumatic compression device to self-manage lymphedema and nonhealing venous leg ulcers) earlier along the therapy process, as a means to reduce in-person contact, could provide upside near term, as well as potentially transition to a longer-term tailwind.On top of this, Furlong is also optimistic about new CEO Dan Reuvers and the reprioritization of the companys investment and market development efforts. TCMD will shift focus away from its acquired Airwear product line, with it redirecting investments toward its Flexitouch and Entre (a pneumatic compression device used to assist in the home management of chronic swelling and venous ulcers associated with lymphedema and chronic venous insufficiency) products.Given significant under-penetration in the lymphedema/phlebolymphedema market targeted by Flexitouch alongside the large patient population with limited treatment options today targeted by the firms Head & Neck platform, we view the combination of education and clinical data as key to further developing and penetrating these markets... Going forward, we expect management to continue to compile a broad base of clinical data to support reimbursement and drive broad adoption, Furlong commented.All of this prompted Furlong to keep a Buy rating and $62 price target on the stock. This target conveys her confidence in TCMDs ability to soar 90% in the next year. (To watch Furlongs track record, click here)In general, other analysts are on the same page. With 3 Buy ratings and 1 Hold, the word on the Street is that TCMD is a Strong Buy. The $62.33 average price target brings the upside potential to 91%. (See TCMD stock analysis on TipRanks)uniQure N.V. (QURE)Last but not least we have uniQure, which delivers curative gene therapies that could potentially transform the lives of patients. Even though shares have fallen 44% year-to-date to $40, not much higher than its 52-week low of $36.20, multiple analysts still have high hopes.Representing SVB Leerink, 5-star analyst Joseph Schwartz acknowledges that shares struggled after news broke of its collaboration and licensing agreement with CSL Behring for AMT-061, QUREs gene therapy for Hemophilia B, he argues the shareholder base turnover is likely now complete as investors and QURE shift focus to next-in-line AMT-130, its AAV5 gene therapy for Huntingtons Disease (HD).Schwartz further added, With the M&A premium now out of the stock, we see the QUREs current level as an attractive buying opportunity for those investors interested in the companys up and coming CNS gene therapies, internal manufacturing, and robust intellectual property and knowhow.Looking more closely at the agreement with CSL Behring, QURE will be tasked with the completion of the pivotal Phase 3 HOPE-B trial as well as the manufacturing process validation and manufacturing supply of AMT-061.According to management, 26-week Factor IX (FIX) data from all 54 patients enrolled in the trial remains on track, and topline data from the pivotal trial is still slated to read out by YE20. It should be mentioned that in a Phase 2b dose-confirmation study, QURE reported 41% FIX activity out to one year. Additionally, Schwartz points out that with HOPE-B progressing as planned, QURE has continued its manufacturing process validation work ahead of the anticipated BLA/MAA submissions in the U.S. and EU in 2021.On top of this, as part of the deal, QURE is eligible to receive more than $2 billion including a $450 million upfront cash payment, $1.6 billion in regulatory and commercial milestones and double-digit royalties ranging up to the low-twenties percentage of net product sales.With a strengthened cash position, QURE is well funded to rapidly advance CNS assets including AMT-130 (AAV5 gene therapy for Huntingtons Disease (HD)) and AMT-150 (AAV gene therapy for Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 3/SCA3)...We continue to believe that as QUREs CNS pipeline assets mature, the company could once again be an attractive partner to larger biopharma companies that have recently acquired many publicly traded gene therapy platforms with substantial manufacturing capabilities, Schwartz noted.Everything that QURE has going for it convinced Schwartz to reiterate an Outperform (i.e. Buy) rating. Along with the call, he attached a $67 price target, suggesting 68% upside potential from current levels. (To watch Schwartzs track record, click here)What does the rest of the Street have to say? 9 Buys and 3 Holds have been issued in the last three months, so the consensus rating is a Strong Buy. In addition, the $69.89 average price target indicates 75% upside potential. (See QURE stock analysis on TipRanks)To find good ideas for beaten-down stocks trading at attractive valuations, visit TipRanks Best Stocks to Buy, a newly launched tool that unites all of TipRanks equity insights.Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the featured analysts. The content is intended to be used for informational purposes only. It is very important to do your own analysis before making any investment.

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October Declared as Contact Lens Safety Month by Prevent Blindness to Provide Public with Information on How to Keep Eyes Healthy - Yahoo Finance

More News24 Sep 2020 | 4:20 PM

Lucknow, Sep 24 (UNI) Havells India Limited, a leading Fast-Moving Electrical Goods (FMEG) company, on Thursday announced its entry into the refrigerator segment under its consumer durable brand - Lloyd.

Kolkata, Sep 24 (UNI) To meet the diverse requirement of its Tier II and III customers, Ujjivan Small Finance Bank with a long term vision to build a better life for its people and communities announced the launch of Small Commercial Vehicle Finance.

(Rptg, correcting slug)Mumbai, Sep 24 (UNI) IndusInd Bank on Thursday slid by 7.24 pc to Rs 489.45 a major loser in 30 scrips of BSE.

Mumbai, Sep 24 (UNI) IndusInd Bank on Thursday slid by 7.24 pc to Rs 489.45 a major loser in 30 scrips of BSE.

Mumbai, Sep 24 (UNI) The BSE Sensex on Thursday slumped by 1114.82 pts to settle at 36,553.60 as selling was seen across the board amid weak Asian Market.

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Why Corneal Blindness Remains a Massive Problem in India - United News of India

The agreed statement of facts offers a template for risk teams seeking to avoid a similar fate.

The complexity of Westpac's IT systems, especially when an upgrade was needed, sits at the heart of its core failures to report millions of "international fund transfer instructions" (IFTIs). These mainly related to just two of its "corresponding banks" offshore banks that Westpac receives money from and sends money to.

The relationships are critical to allow funds to move across borders. But they contain pitfalls, especially ascertaining the identity of the source of funds and customers to which money is being sent.

AUSTRAC CEO Nicole Rose at a press conference on Thursday to discuss the Westpac settlement.Alex Ellinghausen

Westpac's "Australasian Cash Management" (ACM) arrangements allowed its corresponding banks to use Westpac's direct access to the Australian clearing system to process payments. The offshore banks liked this: it reduced costs for them, by allowing them to send "structured", or aggregated, files, which was more efficient than sending payment messages, via a system known as SWIFT, for each and every payment.

When these corresponding banks send money into Australia, they must provide Westpac with an IFTI, which Westpac has to send on to AUSTRAC. In 2010, Westpac was upgrading its systems to ensure it could provide AUSTRAC with the reports in the right format. This became the source of the drama that would unfold a decade later.

The bank failed to match the tech upgrades with different ACM arrangements it had set up for different corresponding banks. Its new systems were not properly configured.

One of these was its financial crime IT system, known as Detica, built by BAE Systems. It was the primary tool for screening customers, conducting risk assessments and reporting suspicious transactions to AUSTRAC.

But to get to AUSTRAC, files received from corresponding banks went through another system, known as WIBS. They were then converted into an IFTI format, passing through Detica via another piece of software known as an integrator, and then being processed again into an IFTI that could be uploaded to AUSTRAC.

Westpac realised it had issues with the process as far back as 2010. AUSTRAC queried its IFTI reporting process in late 2011. Westpac was in regular contact with AUSTRAC in late 2010 and early 2011, as it tried to work out a reporting solution for its "structured files".

The statement of facts suggests the bank for which Westpac failed to report the vast majority of IFTIs fell outside the scope of a technical release relating to the Detica system and this was not picked up.

Then, between August 2011 and August 2012, 15 members of Westpac's IT team left to join ANZ, taking with them the bank's corporate knowledge about the complexity of the reporting system. This prevented it setting up a proper audit process that should have ensured incoming IFTIs for two banks were actually going through to AUSTRAC. The regulator described this as "an absence of appropriate end-to-end reconciliation, assurance and oversight processes for IFTI reporting".

"Westpac did not identify that over 72 per cent of all incoming IFTIs received by Westpac for the period 5 November 2013 to 3 September 2018 had not been reported," the statement says.

"As a result of the failure to file the IFTIs on time, AUSTRAC, the ATO and other law enforcement agencies have been deprived of timely information relating to over $11 billion in international payments."

Frustratingly, there were several chances for these reporting errors to have been caught by Westpac.

For example, in July 2013, AUSTRAC recommended it perform a review of its payment instructions to see if they were not being reported to the regulator. The bank prepared a "group assurance report" but it did not catch the non-reporting.

Then, in 2016, a remediation project also failed to identify the reports were not being sent in to AUSTRAC. When the non-reporting from one of the correspondent banks was identified in 2017 by a team leader, it was not escalated to senior management for action.

It was not until 2018 that the proper level of senior management was made aware of the issues. The bank swung into action but by then, the millions of legal breaches had accumulated in dramatic fashion.

The agreed statement of facts also details the holes in Westpac's due diligence that it was obliged to conduct on its corresponding banks. While it asked them questions via a questionnaire, AUSTRAC said these weren't regular enough for higher-risk banks, while the process failed to respond to new risks emerging from the sale of new products to the corresponding banks until November 2019.

There were also issues with the reporting of outgoing IFTIs, when money was being sent from Westpac abroad. One of the products that tripped up the bank was LitePay, which was set up in August 2016 to send up to $3000 to various countries overseas. Again, a systems upgrade was the root cause of the problem.

In May 2017, a technical issue affected database replication, meaning instructions for some IFTIs were not passed between Westpac systems. Then, in November 2018, another technical issue forced internal IT support teams to manually intervene to set the payment status of each transaction, but this then prevented the automated process for completing the reports which means AUSTRAC did not receive them.

Again, the statement of facts says the bank "did not have appropriate end-to-end reconciliation, assurance and oversight processes in place to identify the IFTI reporting failures relating to the LitePay outgoing IFTIs". The issue was not identified until July last year.

And then there is the failure to heed AUSTRAC's warnings, over a six-year period, about conducting proper due diligence on specific customers showing tendencies of criminal activity.

AUSTRAC published information on child exploitation risks associated with sending frequent, low-value amounts into the Philippines and some other jurisdictions in 2013. The Attorney-General's Department did the same in 2016. Westpac was briefed by AUSTRAC in December 2016 and January 2017, about adopting the new methodology to screen for suspicious payments.

But when it launched LitePay, its detection scenarios for child exploitation risk "did not adequately reflect the guidance, and did not apply to other payment channels". It was not properly implemented until October 2019.

The bank has paid a very heavy price for its failures to action AUSTRAC's requests and its governance failures to audit and proactively identify the issues. AUSTRAC said on Thursday while its contraventions were not the result of any deliberate intention to breach the legislation, "there were opportunities to prevent and detect the non-reporting and, when it was identified, failures to escalate it".

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The tech failures that cost Westpac $1.3b - The Australian Financial Review

WRT the first LTTE today (9/12/20). The concept of white supremacy was not invented; it is a description of the way that some people fantasize about their rightful place in the world. However, this total lack of personal insight often results in similar thinking errors. I wonder if the writer believes that social injustice is also an invention?

The idea that social supremacy is earned by merit, must be similar to the way Pope Urban VIII believed when he cast Galileo into prison. I am confident that his belief that the Earth was the center of the universe helped reinforce his conceit that since he was the head of the church, then he must be the CORE of the center. Such dangerous thinking errors have a long and troubled history in human society. Willful blindness to facts will not help solve our social problems. Some insight might help.

Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.

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Letter: Willful Blindness to the Problem of White Supremacy - Arizona Daily Star

BOSTON MAN CHARGED WITH ASSAULT THAT LEFT THE VICTIM BLINDED IN ONE EYE - Andover Leader

September 23, 2020 4:30 pm EDT

It was on September 10th that the police officers responded to a call reporting an unarmed robbery of a 72-year-old man who said he was attacked on Freemont Street in Bostons Mattapan section, police said in a statement Sunday.

During the incident, a male suspect violently punched and kicked a 72-year-old victim, resulting in the permanent loss of vision in the victims left eye, police said.

Adding on to the blindness,The suspect, later identified by police as Willis McGhee, 50, of Boston, was also accused of ripping off the mans pants while trying to steal his wallet from his back pocket, police said.The victim was take to the hospital to be treated for his injuries.

On his arrest,McGhee voluntarily returned to a police station, where he was charged with unarmed robbery, assault and battery of a person over the age of 60, assault and battery by means of a dangerous weapon and mayhem, police said.

McGhee was expected to be arraigned Monday in Dorchester District Court, police said.

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BOSTON MAN CHARGED WITH ASSAULT THAT LEFT THE VICTIM BLINDED IN ONE EYE - Andover Leader

Inherited retinal diseases marketis expected to gain market growth in the forecast period of 2020 to 2027. Data Bridge Market Research analyses the market to account to an annual growth rate of 4.40% in the above-mentioned forecast period.

Inherited Retinal Diseasesmarket research report includes historic data, present and future market trends, environment, technological innovation, upcoming technologies and the technical progress in the allied industry. This market report contains extensive study about miscellaneous market segments and regions, emerging trends, major market drivers, challenges and opportunities in the market. The report has been generated with the comprehensive market insights and analysis that offers superior perspective of the market place. Market segmentation has also been carried out extensively in the Inherited Retinal Diseases Market business report based on a variety of parameters that include applications, verticals, deployment model, end user, and geography.

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The major players covered in the inherited retinal diseases market report are American Society of Gene & Cell Therapy, Spark Therapeutics, Inc., Invitae Corporation., The Choroideremia Research Foundation Inc, American Council of the Blind, Foundation Fighting Blindness, Guide Dogs for the Blind, Inc., Fighting Blindness, FIGHTING BLINDNESS CANADA, Lighthouse Guild, The RDH12 Fund For Sight, Sofia Sees Hope, Retina International, Usher Syndrome Coalition, VisionServe Alliance among other domestic and global players. Market share data is available for global, North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific (APAC), Middle East and Africa (MEA) and South America separately. DBMR analysts understand competitive strengths and provide competitive analysis for each competitor separately.

Europe is assumed to be the most lucrative inherited retinal disease market due to a relatively bigger prevalence of acquired retinal complications copulated with a higher treatment-seeking rate.

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Inherited retinal diseases market is segmented on the basis of type, treatment type and distribution channel. The growth amongst these segments will help you analyse meagre growth segments in the industries, and provide the users with valuable market overview and market insights to help them in making strategic decisions for identification of core market applications.

Based on type, inherited retinal diseases market is segmented into leber congenital amaurosis (LCA), retinitis pigmentosa, choroideremia, stargardts disease, and achromatopsia.

Inherited retinal diseases market has also been segmented based on treatment type such as gene therapy treatment, and symptomatic treatment.On the basis of distribution channel, the inherited retinal diseases market is segmented into hospital pharmacies, and retail pharmacies.

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Global Inherited Retinal Diseases Market Drivers:

he growing awareness amongst the physicians and patients regarding the benefits associated with the usage of inherited retinal diseases has been directly impacting the growth of inherited retinal diseases market.

The swelling prevalence of the acquired retinal disorders is foreseen to push the growth of inherited retinal diseases treatment market. Expanding knowledge and treatment-seeking flow is anticipated to feed the germination of the inherited retinal diseases therapy business. Emphasizing knowledge of the inherited retinal disease surgery options and analysis of the condition is moreover awaited to magnify the growth of the inherited retinal disease surgery market.

The production businesses in the inherited retinal diseases market is moreover concentrating on the gene mutation-specific way for developing innovative outputs which is anticipated to accelerate the growth of inherited retinal diseases market. Numerous companies are contracting in collaborations, businesses to perform clinical experiments to promote acquired retinal disorder medication alternatives more efficiently. These certain mentioned factors are expected to drive the market growth in the forecasted period of 2020 to 2027.

TOC of Inherited retinal diseases Market Report Contains:

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An absolute way to forecast what future holds is to comprehend the trend today!Data Bridge set forth itself as an unconventional and neoteric Market research and consulting firm with unparalleled level of resilience and integrated approaches. We are determined to unearth the best market opportunities and foster efficient information for your business to thrive in the market. Data Bridge endeavors to provide appropriate solutions to the complex business challenges and initiates an effortless decision-making process.Data bridge is an aftermath of sheer wisdom and experience which was formulated and framed in the year 2015 in Pune. We ponder into the heterogeneous markets in accord with our clients needs and scoop out the best possible solutions and detailed information about the market trends. Data Bridge delve into the markets across Asia, North America, South America, Africa to name few.Data Bridge adepts in creating satisfied clients who reckon upon our services and rely on our hard work with certitude. We are content with our glorious 99.9 % client satisfying rate.

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Global Inherited Retinal Diseases Market with Analysis, Trends-Industry Share, Size, Top Manufactures and Forecast Report 2020 to 2027||Invitae...

Few know about James Baldwin's years spent in Turkey. "I can't breathe, I have to look from the outside," he once remarked when asked why in 1961 he began visiting Istanbul on and off for a decade. Turkey offered him a space to escape from the racism and homophobia he experienced in the United States, but also to reflect more deeply on who he was.

He once reminisced about eating lunch with Turkish filmmaker Sedat Pakay and Greek actress Irene Pappas, who commented to Pakay, "Look at those eyes, 400 years of oppression in them."

The Ottoman enslavement of Greeks and Armenians and Mustafa Kemal Atatrk's genocide and expulsion of them in the early 20th century are vastly distinct phenomena from the transatlantic slave trade and Jim Crow laws in the U.S. But both of our countries have constructed myths to conceal these ugly realities that they are founded upon.

"It is, of course, in the very nature of a myth that those who are its victims and, at the same time, its perpetrators, should, by virtue of these two facts, be rendered unable to examine the myth, or even to suspect, much less recognize, that it is a myth which controls and blasts their lives."

Baldwin continues to say in his 1964 essay "Nothing Personal" that this "blindness," this willful forgetfulness of one's history and the injustices committed, is a cause of "spiritual disaster," not only for the oppressed, but even more so for the oppressor.

When I heard the news about Hagia Sophia being converted from a museum to a mosque, I instantly thought back to Baldwin's words. Turkey's insistence on denying the 400 years of enslavement, the millions of lives killed, and suppression of the Orthodox Christian community is a denial of Turkey's identity.

Turkey's culture is a rich tapestry weaving together the threads of the Seljuks and Ottomans, the Greeks, Armenians, and Turks, Christians and Muslims, people of all different shades and skin tones, leaders who have committed heinous atrocities and who have led the country to new heights. To deny any of the complexities and nuances of this history is to blind oneself to the reality of what it means to be Turkish.

I remember my first time visiting Hagia Sophia. I was with my grandfather, who was born in Istanbul to Greek and Armenian parents. This was his first time back in 35 years. He presented his native city to me with pride, tinged with a hint of anguish. He complained to me after our first night there of nightmares of being attacked for being an "infidel."

And yet, Istanbul remains his city. His mixture of Greek, Armenian and Turkish blood, his Orthodox Christian faith, has left its indelible mark on the city, and will continue to do so ... even if the majority of Armenians and Greeks were murdered, and the remainder left along with him in the '50s, and the Christians that make up less than 1% of Istanbul's population including the ecumenical patriarch continue to face restrictions.

The virtue of leaving Hagia Sophia as a museum is that it allows people to feel that complex mix of emotions pride and sadness, appreciation and shame that the space evokes. The Byzantine mosaics and Islamic calligraphy speak to the value of both religions and the ethnic groups that adhered to each, as well as the injustices that have been perpetrated throughout the centuries not only Muslim against Christian, but also Christian against Muslim and Christian against Christian (our tour guided pointed to a red mark on the wall, claiming that it was the bloody handprint of a Catholic in the Fourth Crusade).

The systemic denial of the Armenian Genocide and expulsion of Christians continues to be a point of contention to this day. I recounted the story of my great grandmother's escape from Izmir to the island of Chios during the expulsion of 1922 to a new Turkish friend I met in college, hoping that sharing this with her could be an opportunity for healing and reconciliation. "There was no genocide," she proclaimed, irritated with my presumption. "It's all propaganda from the American government."

"So then why did my great grandmother see Turkish soldiers raping and mutilating women as she was running to the port?"

"It's not the Turkish government's fault that some soldiers decided to do those things on their own."

I felt pity. Such blindness can hardly be liberating. Thus my concern for those who would be praying the following afternoon in the newly minted mosque. Can one freely commune with God Allah while being in denial of reality? Can Muslims and Christians love and dialogue with each other, seek the Mystery of the Divine together, while shielding our faces from the truth?

That Friday at 4 p.m. EST, I attended the Akathist service at my family's Greek Orthodox parish, joined spiritually by other Orthodox, Catholic, and hopefully Muslim communities, to beg God for the gifts of repentance and reconciliation, and of the honesty and courage to embrace reality, to embrace history, in all of its grace and ugliness.

During the service, I thought about Baldwin's words in "Nothing Personal." I thought about the blindness of the slave traders to their own humanity, their own need for love and intimacy, which drove them to dehumanize other human beings, and in the process, dehumanize themselves. It was their insecure attachment to wealth, power and complacency that drove them to perpetuate this lie, this false divide between brothers and sisters, by any means necessary. Baldwin recognizes, however, that this blindness, this affinity for mendacity, is not only an American phenomenon. It's a temptation that humans throughout the world are subject to.

We live by lies. And not only, for example, about race whatever, by this time, in this country, or, indeed, in the world, this word may mean but about our very natures. The lie has penetrated to our most private moments, and the most secret chambers of our hearts. Nothing more sinister can happen, in any society, to any people. And when it happens, it means that the people are caught in a kind of vacuum between their present and their past the romanticized, that is, the maligned past, and the denied and dishonored present. It is a crisis of identity. And in such a crisis, at such a pressure, it becomes absolutely indispensable to discover, or invent the two words, here, are synonyms the stranger, the barbarian, who is responsible for our confusion and our pain. Once he is driven out destroyed then we can be at peace: those questions will be gone. Of course, those questions never go, but it has always seemed much easier to murder than to change. And this is really the choice with which we are confronted now.

The prayers of the Akathist service brought me back to the roots of this blindness which are as old as the fall. But it also placed me in front of a promise, a glint of hope, that is born from entrusting our fears, sins, and woundedness to the New Adam and Eve.

The news of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's decision to convert the Kariye Museum (formerly the Holy Savior church) in Chora to a mosque brought me back to Baldwin's words. One who is determined to remain blind to reality, to perpetuate a division between us and them, must continuously strive to eliminate history. I continue to offer my prayer to the Divine Healer of wounds and to his Mother, ever more fervently, and united more deeply in solidarity with all of those whose stories face the threat of erasure from history.

[Stephen Adubato studied moral theology at Seton Hall University and currently teaches religion in New Jersey. He also blogs at Cracks in Postmodernity on the Patheos Catholic Channel.]

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James Baldwin, blindness and Hagia Sophia - National Catholic Reporter

That institutional racism has tragically been a part of our national landscape during extended periods in our history is a sad, well-established fact. Yet obsessive reminders of that negative fact and blindness to the positive institutional and individual progress achieved over the years is wrong. It is, in fact, a constant disappointment and frustration to those who refuse to adopt such a negative, pessimistic view of our nation and its people.

A recent letter from Bill Livingston (Opinions of the Readers, Sept. 10, 2020) detailed the discriminatory conditions imposed on black veterans returning after WWII. All tragically true, but ancient history. In recounting those past injustices, the implication is that nothing has changed and that we must continue to atone for the crimes of those who went before us. Throughout my 30 years of Air Force service starting in 1955, I served with innumerable productive minority members, e.g. my first wing commander, one of my fellow U-2 pilots, et al. Good grief! The current USAF Chief of Staff, General Charles Q. Brown, is African-American. Times have fundamentally changed.

In the same Opinions of the Readers column cited above, William Morton Jr. mentions he just learned about white supremacy from a recently-published book which causes him to gratuitously assert that he has a better understanding of how systemic racism works and how it is still present and firmly entrenched in many peoples lives.

Once again, our anger and disgust over the wrongs of the past should not lead us to make false, damaging assertions about the present. To do so, degrades national and societal unity on the one hand, and amounts to virtue signaling on the other.

Enough with the identity politics. Lets all march together as proud Americans!

Richard G. Woodhull Jr.

Brevard

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Fixating On The Past Corrupts The Future - The Transylvania Times

FILE PHOTO: The logo of Swiss drugmaker Novartis is pictured at the French company's headquarters in Rueil-Malmaison near Paris, France, April 22, 2020. REUTERS/Charles Platiau

ZURICH (Reuters) - Novartiss Beovu matched Regenerons Eylea in vision clarity scores for a blindness-causing eye disease, the Swiss drugmaker said on Monday, after early safety stumbles for the medicine in another condition caused disappointing early sales.

In addition to proving non-inferior to Eylea in visual acuity in diabetic macular edema (DME) patients after a year of treatment, Novartis also underscored Beovus less-frequent dosing. More than half of those who got Beovu stayed on a once-every-three-months dosing schedule, it said in a statement, with Eylea patients dosed every two months.

Novartis said it will assess next steps in getting approval for Beovu in DME.

This data confirms our strong belief in Beovu as a potential therapy for DME patients, said Dirk Sauer, who leads Novartis Pharma Ophthalmologys drug development.

Beovu was approved in February for age-related macular degeneration, another blindness causing condition, but Novartis was forced just weeks later to launch an external safety review after the American Society of Retinal Specialists (ASRS) raised concerns about rare cases of sight-threatening retinal vasculitis or retinal vascular occlusion.

While Beovu remains on sale and Novartis has promoted its favourable risk-benefit profile, the European Medicines Agency on Monday followed U.S. regulators in updating its safety label to include a special warning urging patients that experience such inflammatory events to discontinue use.

Novartis, whose Chief Financial Officer Harry Kirsch in July said the sluggish Beovu launch was among factors that weighed on sales growth, is continuing to examine the cause of such adverse events, and how best to treat them when they arise.

Reporting by John Miller; editing by Thomas Seythal

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Novartis aims to expand Beovu use after safety fears hurt launch - Reuters

Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, Regional Director WHO South-East Asia Region, felicitating the country at the virtual Regional Committee Session of WHO South-East Asia Region. and said: Myanmars multi-pronged approach promoting access to good hygiene infrastructure and clean water, strengthening eye care system, and complete community buy-in have enabled the country to ensure that people of all ages can now look towards a trachoma-free future.

Myanmar joins Nepal in the WHO South-East Asia Region and 12 countries globally to achieve this feat. Though trachoma is preventable, blindness from trachoma is irreversible. Trachoma continues to be a public health problem in 44 countries and is responsible for the blindness of about 1.9 million people.

In 1964 the Ministry of Health and Sports in Myanmar had initiated a trachoma control project with support from WHO and UNICEF. The community-based interventions to eliminate trachoma consisted of surgical treatment, topical antibiotic treatment and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) and health education promoting behavior change to decrease transmission. The program further expanded to include accessible interventions in rural areas.

In 2005, trachoma was responsible for 4% of all cases of blindness in Myanmar. By 2018, the prevalence of trachoma was down to a mere 0.008% with trachoma no longer a public health problem.

In a virtual event, the Regional Director presented a citation for trachoma elimination to Myanmars Minister of Health and Sports, Dr Myint Htwe.

Sri Lanka was felicitated for eliminations of rubella and mother-to-child transmission of HIV and Syphilis. The Regional Director presented citations for the two achievements to the Minister of Health, Nutrition and Indigenous Medicine, Ms Pavithra Wanniarachchi.

Dr Khetrapal Singh said, Strong leadership and commitment of the Government, support from partners, and the dedication and commitment of the health care workers and communities in the country have contributed to these successes in Sri Lanka.

Like Myanmar defeated trachoma, the Maldives was felicitated for eliminating rubella. On the countrys success, the Regional Director said, this commendable achievement has been possible by the strong leadership and commitment of the Government, sustained collaboration with partners, and active support of health-care workers, volunteers and communities at all levels of health services. The citation was received by Ms Aishath Samiya, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Maldives.

Home to one-fourth of the worlds population, the Region has eight flagship priority programmes eliminate measles and rubella by 2023; prevent and control non-communicable diseases through multisectoral policies and plans, with a focus on best buys; accelerate the reduction of maternal, neonatal and under-five mortality; continue progressing towards universal health coverage with a focus on human resources for health and essential medicines; further strengthen national capacity for preventing and combating antimicrobial resistance; scale-up capacity development in emergency risk management in countries; finish the task of eliminating neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) and other diseases on the verge of elimination; accelerate efforts to end TB by 2030. The Region has been making remarkable progress around the flagships and beyond.

READ THE ITALIAN ARTICLE

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Myanmar won against trachoma: the WHO congratulates for this result - Emergency-Live

Entrance to the Walt Disney Company in Burbank, Calif.(Mario Anzuoni/Reuters)Disney might be the first U.S. company to thank entities involved in perpetrating the Uyghur genocide, but its not the first to willfully ignore the situation.

When Attorney General Bill Barr spoke at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum in July, he criticized the entertainment industry for its alleged cooptation by the Chinese Communist Party. Chinese government censors dont need to say a word, because Hollywood is doing their work for them, he said.

Just two months later, a new controversy has proven him right. Disneys live-action remake of Mulan had already attracted criticism in recent months for its stars endorsement of the Hong Kong governments crackdown on pro-democracy protests. But Disneys latest PR nightmare is worse by an order of magnitude. In fact, its not about censorship: The films credits include thanks for a handful of CCP entities in the Xinjiang region, the site of Beijings ongoing genocide of the Uyghur people there.

Social-media users were the first to point out that Disney thanks the CCPs publicity department in Xinjiang, as well as agencies in the city of Turpan. Among these entities was the Turpan Municipality Public Security Bureau, which was added to a U.S. government blacklist last October for activities that are contrary to the national security or foreign policy interests of the United States. (Filming took place before its addition to the list, though.) And the CCPs Xinjiang publicity department is responsible for diffusing propaganda that convinces outsiders the genocide taking place there is anything but that.

The Mulan production team, according to a profile in Architectural Digest, visited the region prior to filming. The films director also visited in September 2017, as the Washington Posts Isaac Stone Fish notes. But just months before that trip, Chen Quanguo, Beijings top official in Xinjiang, had already began the mass-detention campaign that has since swept up well over a million people. Chens efforts amount to a systematic attempt to stamp out Turkic minorities and the Islamic faith in Xinjiang using brutal gulags, mass surveillance everywhere else, and a forced-sterilization program to drive down Uyghur birthrates (efforts that constitute genocide). Disneys partner the Turpan Security Bureau is complicit in these atrocities.

Disney has apparently turned a blind eye to all of this. Even granting the company the most generous benefit of the doubt, if the crew was unaware of what was happening in 2017, its unfathomable that such ignorance could have persisted through the beginning of the films production in 2018. Those working on the film might even have seen the camps: On Twitter, Shawn Zhang notes that if the crew took highway G312 to Shanshan desert where the filmed, they could see at least 7 re-education camps.

Disney might be the first U.S. company to thank entities involved in perpetrating the Uyghur genocide, but its not the first to willfully ignore the situation. Who can forget the revelation that McKinsey held a massive corporate retreat just four miles from one of the concentration camps? Or that the NBA operated a training center in Xinjiang that, unsurprisingly, drew its own human-rights complaints? But the most lurid examples ignore the most widespread normalization of the abuses by multinational companies: Uyghur forced labor plays a massive role in the global textile industry, allegedly implicating numerous well-known brands, such as Nike, Adidas, and Uniqlo.

In each of these cases, business leaders weighed the potential downsides of doing business with Xinjiang-based entities. Disneys decision to move forward with production shows how executives evaluated that potential tradeoff. That they are willing to accept some level of complicity in the Xinjiang genocide is not news. Just last fall, then-Disney CEO Bob Iger said that the pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong is not something we should engage in a public manner because it might harm the company.

But this episode nonetheless offers a couple of lessons. The U.S. government has made significant progress toward curtailing companies involvement in tainted supply chains. In a supply-chain business advisory issued July 1, the Trump administration warned businesses of the coming crackdown, writing that entities with business with Xinjiang ties should be aware of reputational, economic, and, in certain instances, legal, risks associated with certain types of involvement.

The Trump administration also promulgated new sanctions against a Chinese paramilitary group that facilitates forced labor, and on Monday evening, the New York Times reported that the White House was considering new rules that would effectively ban the import of all cotton and tomato products from Xinjiang.

But the U.S. governments warnings about customs enforcement and export controls dont precisely implicate companies such as Disney. Its not as if the Trump administration would prevent the company from offering Mulan for streaming and download. For companies in certain industries, the odds of their products facing heavier regulation is particularly terrifying. But while the addition of several Turpan-based government entities to the Commerce Departments blacklist would prevent companies from cooperating with them in the future, Disney could still seek partners in Xinjiang untouched by the current sanctions. The risk to companies that act similarly is merely reputational right now.

The furor over Mulan is a reminder of the other industries that can be of use to the Chinese regime. No doubt the latest Disney film is a subtle propaganda coup, showing that American producers can shoot in Xinjiang as if no genocide were taking place. And its not just film. To this day, Twitter factchecks the U.S. president, but affixes no such label to official Chinese accounts that spread propaganda whitewashing the Uyghur genocide. Chinese officials on the platform are permitted to cast doubt on the research and reputations of those who have worked to reveal the CCPs Xinjiang crimes to the rest of the world. Beijings genocide-denial campaign has a global reach and that is, in no small part, thanks to American ingenuity.

Since Mulans release this past weekend, Disneys reputation has certainly taken a hit. Disney has revealed that its willing to debase itself in pursuit of the Chinese market. But is this revelation enough to change the calculus of American businesses willing to tune out whats happening in Xinjiang? Only if consumers make Disney pay.

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Disney Should Suffer for Willful Blindness to Chinese-Government Atrocities - National Review

While there is no cure for blindness and macular degeneration, scientists have accelerated the process to find a cure by visualizing the inner workings of the eye and its diseases at the cellular level.

In an effort led by UW Medicine, researchers successfully modified the standard process of optical coherence tomography (OCT) to detect minute changes in response to light in individual photoreceptors in the living eye.

The results were published Sept. 9 in Science Advances.

We have now accelerated the life cycle of vision restoration, said lead author Vimal Prabhu Pandiyan, a ophthalmology researcherat the University of Washington School of Medicine.

The study was fundedin partby the National Eye Institutes Audacious Goals Initiative, which embraces bold ideas in helping people to see better.

The OCT modifications outlined in the study will help researchers who want to test therapiessuch as stem cells or gene therapy to treat retinal disease. They now have the tools to zoom in on the retina to evaluate whether the therapy is working.

Corresponding author Ramkumar Sabesan, a UW assistant research professor of ophthalmology, said the only wayto objectively measure the eye currently is to look at a wide retinal area. Sabesan said researchers currently can attach electrodes on the cornea but it captures a large area with around 1 million cells. Now they are talking about nanometers, or one billionth of a meter a small fraction of the size of a cell, providing orders of magnitude improvement.

Since photoreceptors are the primary cells affected in retinal generation and the target cells of many treatments, noninvasive visualization of their physiology at high resolution is invaluable, the researchers wrote.

Cone photoreceptors are the building blocks of sight, capturinglight and funneling information to the other retinal neurons. They are a key ingredient in how we process images and patterns of light falling on the retina.

Optical coherence tomography has been around since the 1990s. In this study, researchers used OCT with adaptive optics, line-scanning and phase-resolved acquisition to deliver the concept of Thomas Youngs interference to the human eye. With the ability to zoom in on the retina at high speeds, they found that cone photoreceptors deform at the scale of nanometers when they first capture light and begin the process of seeing.

As Sabesan explained: You can imagine a picture that looks visually and structurally normal. But when we interrogate the inner working of the retina at a cellular scale, we may detect a dysfunction sooner than what other modalities can do. A doctor then can prescribe medication to intervene early or follow the time-course of its repair via gene therapy or stem cell therapy in the future.

We will now have a way to see if these therapies are acting in the way they should, Sabesan said.

The study also involved researchers at Stanford University, University of California,Berkeley, and University of California, Riverside.

The study was funded by NIH grants U01EY025501, EY027941, EY029710, EY025501, and P30EY001730; Research to Prevent Blindness Career Development Award; Foundation Fighting Blindness; Murdock Charitable Trust; Burroughs Welcome Fund Careers at the Scientific Interfaces; and Unrestricted grant from the Research to Prevent Blindness.

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Seeing the eye like never before | Newsroom - UW Medicine Newsroom

A few doctors performing an eye procedure.

Portra/Getty

For the first time in the world, CRISPR, the powerful gene editing tool that can cut and paste DNA, has been used inside a human body. Scientists at the Casey Eye Institute at Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, have administered a CRISPR-based drug to treat a form of congenital blindness, according to two biotech companies that created the treatment.

This dose is truly a landmark event for science, medicine, and most of all for people suffering from eye disease, said Cynthia Collins, president and CEO of Editas Medicine, a Massachusetts-based gene editing company.

This state-of-the-art clinical trial aims to test an experimental treatment for the congenital condition known as Leber 10 congenital amaurosis. The disease is caused by a faulty gene that results in blindness from birth or during the first months of life. The evil affects one in every 40,000 children born. There is currently no approved treatment option.

The first patient in the clinical trial received a dose of the experimental drug called AGN-151587 through an injection into the eye. The idea is that the drug takes the CRISPR tool directly to the cells of the eye that are affected by the evil eye. CRISPR is able to find its way into those cells and correct the gene by editing the DNA to remove the mutation.

The editing done by CRISPR is permanent, which means that patients need a single dose of the drug.

The clinical trial is expected to involve 18 patients in total and will analyze the use of different doses of the drug, to refine how much is needed to reach the goal of reversal of blindness without causing side effects. There is little information about the first patient of this treatment; it is not known when the procedure took place.

CRISPR has also been at the center of the controversy regarding gene editing. In November 2018, Chinese scientist He Jiankui revealed that there was created the first human embryos edited with CRISPR and that resulted in the birth of twin girls. The scientific community was outraged by Hes work, which bypassed various ethical and regulatory approvals.

Scientists have been working to refine the ability of gene editing tools like CRISPR so that they can edit DNA accurately and effectively. In October of last year, a team of researchers from Harvard University presented a cutting-edge technology known as base editing the editing of bases.

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CRISPR is used for the first time within the human body - The Bulletin Time

Zomatos recent move to provide up to ten days of leave a year for its women and transgender employees while they are on their periods has created a stir. Even though the ten-day period leave does not even amount to one day a month, when periods generally occur for about four days every month, for all twelve months of the year, the move is still seen to be controversial in some quarters.

Barkha Dutts somewhat unexpected tweet on August 11, critical of Zomatos move was met with many strong disagreements and some equally strong agreements.

The views expressed in support of the move argued that some womens experiences with periods can be very painful, and the move accounts for variations in period pain experiences.

Further, some questioned the comparisons made between womens work behaviour (including leave from work behaviour) and their male counterparts. They asked why should womens work behaviour be judged according to that of male behaviour, especially when they are biologically different.

Also read: A Reminder: Periods Dont Stop During a Pandemic

Relatedly, some have implicitly or explicitly emphasised equity rather than equality. Another article has argued in support of the move, stating that women are socialised into negating and suppressing period pain, and Zomatos move is an opportunity for us to finally take womens bodies, and their (dis)comfort at the workplace, seriously.

While there is merit in all of these perspectives, I would like to add to the discussion the dimension of public infrastructure provisioning, particularly a dearth of public toilets.

Accessible and clean public toilets are few and far between in India, adding another aspect to the handling of periods. This is especially relevant to women in jobs where the workplace is on the road and doesnt quite exist as a singular specified space that comes with its amenities like that of a toilet.

While toilets have rapidly been constructed, under various government schemes such as the Swachh Bharat Mission, even in Delhi, a majority of them remain unusable or dirty, according to the governments own assessment.

The dearth of clean, accessible and safe public toilets affects all women on their periods in jobs on the road, independent of the pain levels. Womens period leave, arising from such a dearth, is then akin to forced leave, and a result of the failure of public infrastructure provisioning, the cost of which women have disproportionately been bearing.

Also read: #PeriodTalk: High Time We Challenge the Secrecy Around Menstruation

The importance of clean and usable toilets, especially during periods, is obvious, and is also documented. A 2018 NDTV report stated that nearly 23 million girls drop out of school annually in India owing to inadequate menstrual hygiene facilities, like toilets.

One criticism of Zomatos move is that by providing for leave for women, women workers are being made less attractive to hire as compared to their male counterparts, and as such the move actually disadvantages women by impeding their employment.

However, this argument completely discounts the supply-side, where period pain and difficulty in handling periods in the absence of clean and accessible toilets can be factors that discourage women from entering such jobs.

The low and dropping female labour force participation rates in India underscore the need to retain women in the workforce.

With growing urbanisation, logistics services, such as food delivery, offer an important potential area of employment for women. Taking measures which strengthen the retention of women in (logistics) jobs, such as Zomato has, is important, not for the women alone, but also for the economy, and through its positive spillover effects, for those around them (such as better nutritional outcomes of their children; lower drop-out rates from schools of brothers; and marriage at a later age of younger sisters).

Also read: The Sexual Autonomy of Indias Muslim Women Is a Political Prisoner at Best

At the end, Barkha Dutt is exceptional, in several (admirable) ways, but do we want to create such conditions that women need to be exceptional to be able to do a job? I for one cannot but welcome Zomatos move enough, if for nothing else, then to prompt a discussion on periods and the many issues intersecting with it period pain, access and awareness about menstrual hygiene, menstrual taboos, dearth of related public infrastructure seldom openly in the mainstream in India.

Gender blindness is never the same as gender equality and this move prompts us to draw the distinction.

Garima Sahai is at the University of Cambridge where she wrote her doctoral dissertation on gender and labour in India. She has previously worked on gender and labour in India at the World Bank, and during her MPhil at the University of Oxford.

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Period Leave: Gender Blindness Is Never the Same as Gender Equality - The Wire

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--According to Coherent Market Insights, the North America & Europe age-related macular degeneration therapeutics market is estimated to be valued at US$ 9,958.7 million in 2020 and is expected to exhibit a CAGR of 6.1% during the forecast period (2020-2027).

Key Trends and Analysis of the North America & Europe Age-related Macular Degeneration Therapeutics Market:

Key trends in the market are the increasing prevalence of age-related macular degeneration, the increasing number of approvals and launches of therapeutics for treatment of age-related macular degeneration, and strategic acquisitions, partnerships, and agreements by key players. These factors are expected to aid growth of the market.

According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology 2020, the prevalence of age-related macular degeneration in the U.S. is roughly 8590% dry age-related macular degeneration and 1015% wet age-related macular degeneration.

Moreover, the increasing number of approvals and launches of age-related macular degeneration therapeutics is expected to drive the market growth during the forecast period. For instance, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the Chemistry, Manufacturing and Controls (CMC) Prior-Approval Supplement (PAS) for the EYLEA (aflibercept) Injection prefilled syringe.

Furthermore, adoption of strategic acquisitions by key players is expected to propel the market growth during the forecast period. For instance, in February 2020, Gemini Therapeutics and Singapore Eye Research Institute (SERI) entered a research collaboration to expand, explore, and discover new targets for treatment of age-related macular degeneration.

Request Sample Copy of this Report @ https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/request-sample/4171

Key Market Takeaways:

The North America & Europe age-related macular degeneration therapeutics market is expected to exhibit a CAGR of 10.2% during the forecast period owing to launches of age-related macular degeneration therapeutics by market players. For instance, in October 2019, Bausch + Lomb, a subsidiary of Bausch Health Companies Inc., launched PreserVision AREDS 2 Formula mini gel eye vitamins for people with moderate to advanced age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in the U.S.

Among regions, North America is expected to hold dominant position in the market during the forecast period owing to high presence of key players such as Novartis AG, and the increasing prevalence of age-related macular degeneration. According to FIGHTING BLINDNESS CANADA, August 2018, every year, around 1.4 million Canadians over age 50 experience vision loss due to age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

Competitive Landscape:

Key players operating in the North America & Europe age-related macular degeneration therapeutics market are Novartis AG, Bayer AG, Bausch Health Companies Inc., Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc., F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG, Pfizer, Inc., and Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Inc.

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Market Segmentation:

Related Market Intelligence Report:

Verteporfin Market, by Indication (Macular Degeneration, Pathological Myopia, and Ocular Histoplasmosis), by Distribution Channel (Hospital Pharmacies, Retail Pharmacies and Online Pharmacies), and by Region (North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Africa) - Size, Share, Outlook, and Opportunity Analysis, 2020 2027

Read more: https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/ongoing-insight/verteporfin-market-4154

Eye Health Supplements Market, By Ingredient Type (Lutein and Zeaxanthin, Antioxidants, Omega-3 Fatty Acids, Coenzyme Q10, Flavonoids, Astaxanthin, Alpha-Lipoic Acid, Other Ingredients), By Indication Type (Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD), Cataract, Dry Eye Syndrome, Other Indications), By Form (Tablet, Capsule, Others), and By Region (North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, Middle East & Africa) - Size, Share, Outlook, and Opportunity Analysis, 2020 2027

Read more: https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/market-insight/eye-health-supplements-market-3791

About Us:

Coherent Market Insights is a global market intelligence and consulting organization focused on assisting our plethora of clients achieve transformational growth by helping them make critical business decisions. We are headquartered in India, having sales office at global financial capital in the U.S. and sales consultants in United Kingdom and Japan. Our client base includes players from across various business verticals in over 57 countries worldwide.

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North America & Europe Age-related Macular Degeneration Therapeutics Market to Surpass US$ 15122.8 Million by 2027, Says Coherent Market Insights...

An inspirational blind six-year-old girl has been tackling the slopes this winter.

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Tallulah doesnt need to see to shine. Source: Seven Sharp

Tallulah Mackay was born without sight.

When she was born we thought nothing, she had no reaction, but as she's gotten older, she's getting better at focussing and honing in on the minimal vision she has, mum Jess Mackay says.

This hasnt stopped the tenacious Tallulah, who this year has decided to take up skiing.

She's always been pretty rambunctious and crazy and fearless, Jess says.

The family shared plenty of images of the spirited southern six-year-old trying her hand at all sorts of activities despite her sight issues.

Check out Tallulah hitting the slopes on the South Islands Southern Alps with her family in the Seven Sharp report above.

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Inspirational six-year-old skier undeterred by blindness, tackles Southern Alps - TVNZ

Social media was briefly taken over by data purportedly showing that only 6% of Covid deaths were from the virus alone, leading some to conclude that Covids true death toll was only a small fraction of the reported 169,000 death. These claims were false. But they provide new perspective on how Americas ill health paved the way for the death of thousands of our citizens.

The Center for Disease Controls September 2 release of Covid death data generated an internet firestorm: according to the CDC, For 6% of the deaths, COVID-19 was the only cause mentioned. Ninety-four percent of Covid deaths had so-called comorbidities such as diabetes, heart disease and obesity. This led to internet claims that the true Covid death toll is just 10,000 Americans, undercutting our nationwide economic, social and educational lockdown.

In fact, doctors regularly report multiple causes of death, including factors such as respiratory failure that a Covid infection might itself have caused. Moreover, the number of excess deaths in 2020 that is, the additional deaths this year relative to what might be expected from prior years experience is similar to the 169,000 deaths for which Covid was listed as a factor.

However, the CDC data do make an important point: that Americans poor state of health, mostly related to our own lifestyles, made the U.S. dramatically more vulnerable to Covid.

To date, the United States has suffered 56 Covid-related deaths per one million Americans, a death rate more than twice that of Canada and five times that of Germany, leading to claims that the federal or state governments have mismanaged the Covid response. That may be true.

But U.S. policymakers also suffered under the handicap that Americans entered the Covid pandemic in much poorer health than citizens of other developed countries. For instance, over 27,000 U.S Covid deaths list diabetes as a comorbidity, accounting for 16% of total Covid-related fatalities. But what if instead of having the highest diabetes rate among rich countries the U.S. had the same rate as Australia, with less than half the U.S. level? The same holds for obesity, listed as a comorbidity in 4% of Covid cases. Forty percent of Americans are obese, the highest in the developed world and over twice the OECD average. U.S. death rates from heart disease are also higher than most European and Asian countries. Hypertension is listed as a comorbidity in 22% of Covid deaths. If Americans simply had the same health status as other high-income countries, it is likely that tens of thousands of lives could have been saved.

Most Covid-related comorbidities are lifestyle-related. General practitioners tell me that their Type 2 diabetes patients can tell you their weight and know how it relates to their illness. They know that by losing weight their can reduce their risk of blindness, limb amputations or death. They simply arent able to do it.

Obviously, many other issues affect Covid death rates, from preexisting factors such as population density and mobility to policy responses including testing and quarantining. But had our country been in better health when Covid hit, our death toll almost surely would have been smaller. Americans should know that, under threat from Covid, poor personal health could leave their children orphans.

Some argue for sugar taxes, but the problem goes beyond sugar alone. Americans consume about 25 percent more calories per day than Dutch citizens, for instance, while exercising less. These are difficult issues to address using the typical policy levers.

Instead, public officials could exercise the bully pulpit, just as they did with cigarette smoking. Public statements, advertising and educational campaigns slowly helped shift our culture away from smoking, such that less than 15% of Americans smoke today, versus 42% in the 1960s.

We cant do much today to reduce the comorbidities that made us so susceptible to Covid-19. But by strongly encouraging healthier lifestyles we can better prepare for the next pandemic, while improving Americans quality of life and cutting our sky-high healthcare costs.

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Americans' poor health paved the way for Covid deaths - American Enterprise Institute

Diabetes is a lifelong condition that can make you susceptible to illnesses and diseases and is caused when a persons blood sugar levels become too high. Diabetes and pre-diabetes are conditions said to affect up to fifty percent of the population of the United States. Diabetes can hinder the quality of a persons life massively. It is critical that in order to live a long, healthy life, you do not consume sugary foods all of the time, otherwise, you may end up with diabetes, which during this current global pandemic, is contributing to high mortality rates. Diabetes must not be allowed to take over your life.

Diabetes is a condition with two main types. There is type one diabetes, which is when the bodys immune system begins to attack and destroy the cells that produce insulin type one diabetes is the most dangerous and the one that can cause the most amount of problems. Type two diabetes is when your body does not produce enough insulin and the bodys cells do not react to insulin. Type two diabetes is the most commonly found type of diabetes throughout the world, with over ninety percent of cases in the United Kingdom being attributed to type two diabetes.

Before moving onto the long-term effects that diabetes can have on your body, it is first important to mention the use of oral medication in the treatment of diabetes. Oral medication can be very successful in treating cases of diabetes and is the most commonly used method of treatment. When oral medication is used in combination with exercise and a healthy lifestyle, it can be very effective. One such medication, Dulaglutide, which is sold under the Trulicity brand name, is commonly used around the world to treat type 2 diabetes and helps to keep your blood sugar in check. However, the reason that online medication specifically has been mentioned, is that in some cases it may be counterproductive and illegal. You should only order online medication for your diabetes if your doctor has recommended it to you. You must not treat yourself, as self-treatment without medical intervention can have serious consequences on your health. You will likely not be a doctor, and no matter how many blog posts or forums you have read you do not know enough to treat yourself. Self-treatment can be a detriment to your recovery and can actually hinder it.

As diabetes increases your blood sugar and makes it higher than it should be, it can cause, after many years, serious problems in your body. Diabetes can harm your eyes, your kidneys, your nerves, your heart, your skin, your blood vessels, and many other parts of your body. The long-term effects of untreated diabetes can be very damaging and cause significant side-effects that can massively hinder your quality of life and in some cases leave you paralyzed. Below you will find the long-term effects of diabetes if left untreated. Always treat your diabetes never allow it to come to what is below:

Diabetes can cause significant eye problems and can directly contribute to blindness. The first sign that diabetes is causing you problems with your eyes is that you have trouble seeing during night time and your eyes become sensitive to light if you have never experienced these before, you may be suffering from diabetes. It can also lead to blindness and is very common among untreated diabetes patients.

Those who suffer from diabetes may go on to develop nasty sores, infections, and illnesses if the sores and infections go on for too long and are not treated, you may have to have the parts affected amputated. Infection also causes pus oozing, pain, and itching, as well as inflammation.

Having diabetes means you may not be able to control your blood pressure and your cholesterol levels. This can mean you may be more susceptible to a heart attack, angina, stroke, and other heart-related conditions it can also make the blood flow from your heart to your legs and feet much more difficult, which in some cases, can result in further amputation.

The nerves within your body can become very damaged as a consequence of untreated diabetes and you can begin to feel sensations such as tingling and loss of feeling. Nerve damage in male diabetes patients can also make it harder to grow and maintain an erection. If the nerve damage goes on and becomes too severe, you may become paralyzed in the parts of your body experiencing the nerve damage.

Food digestion can be hindered when you suffer from diabetes, and you may have trouble and weakness in your bowel movements. Diabetes can be very harmful to your digestive system and can wreak absolute havoc on it. Diabetes can be a big problem when it comes to digestion.

Kidney damage is another problem commonly associated with high levels of blood sugar. Your kidneys may not work as well as they once might have and could even stop working altogether. This could result in dialysis or a kidney transplant, both of which can hinder your quality of life massively and leave you in severe pain for the rest of it.

Mental health problems have been linked to diabetes patients through studies and research. Depression and anxiety have been said to be heavily linked to diabetes and it is even said that the two conditions go hand in hand. Patients who suffer from diabetes are more likely to experience depression and anxiety than those who do not. Mental health problems, in combination with the previously mentioned conditions, can absolutely ruin your life and leave you a shadow of your former self. Rather than allowing diabetes to get this bad and completely ruin your life, seek treatment. Treatment for diabetes can consist of some simple lifestyle changes and some medication. Seek treatment and your symptoms will be reduced and you may be able to fight off diabetes.

Now, with the help of this page, you know everything that there is to know about the long-term effects of diabetes. Treatment is essential and you mustnt suffer silently with the condition as if you do you can do yourself more harm than you could possibly imagine.

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Long-Term Effects Of Diabetes To Your Body - Emagazine.com - E/The Environmental Magazine

On Dec. 26, 2004, French author Emmanuel Carrre, his girlfriend and their respective sons were vacationing at a cliff-top hotel in Sri Lanka. Their relationship was dying, and, feeling out of sorts, they decided not to go down to the beachfront scuba diving lesson theyd signed up for. It was a consequential decision, for that was the morning the tsunami hit.

A family they knew was staying on the beach. That morning the grandfather, Philippe, was reading the paper while his 4-year-old granddaughter, Juliette, happily played in the wavelets nearby. Suddenly Philippe felt himself swept up by an enormous wall of black water, pretty sure he would die, certain his granddaughter already had.

In his memoir, Carrre bears witness to the days of suffering and endurance that followed the wave. When Philippe tells his daughter and son-in-law about the death of their child, Juliettes mother, Delphine, screams. Her husband thought, "I can no longer do anything for my daughter, so I will save my wife."

Carrre had lamented that he had always been unable to love, but in those horrific days he and his girlfriend stayed with the family, searched among the corpses, enveloped the family with compassion and practical care.

He is with Delphine when they come across a woman, Ruth, who was on her honeymoon and has lost track of her husband, Tom. For two days she sat outside the hospital, not eating or sleeping, convinced that if she nodded off Tom would never emerge alive from wherever he was.

"Her determination is frightening," Carrre writes. "You can sense that shes quite close to passing to the other side, into catatonia, living death, and Delphine and I understand that our role is to prevent this."

Carrres memoir describes how a self-absorbed man is altered in crisis and develops a deep and perceptive capacity to see the struggles of others. The book is called "Lives Other Than My Own."

I thought of that book this week because the sensitive perceptiveness Carrre displays is the opposite of the blindness Donald Trump displayed in quotes reported by Jeffrey Goldberg in The Atlantic and Bob Woodward in his latest book about the administration, "Rage."

Goldberg says Trump told people that he sees the war dead as "suckers" and "losers." Trump cant seem to fathom the emotional experience of their lives their love for those they fought for, the fears they faced down, the resolve to risk their lives nonetheless.

If he cant see that, he cant understand the men and women in uniform serving around him. He cant understand the inner devotion that drives people to public service, which is supposed to be the core of his job.

The same sort of blindness is on display in the Woodward quotes. It was stupid of Trump to think he could downplay COVID-19 when he already knew it had the power of a pandemic. It was stupid to think the American people would panic if told the truth. It was stupid to talk to Woodward in the first place.

This is not an intellectual stupidity. I imagine Trumps IQ is fine. It is a moral and emotional stupidity. He blunders so often and so badly because he has a narcissists inability to get inside the hearts and minds of other people. Its a stupidity that in almost pure clinical form, flows out of his inability to feel, a stupidity of the heart.

In most times and cultures, people realized that understanding a person or situation is as much an emotional process as an analytical one. In the Bible the word "to know" covers a range of activities, from having a conversation with, to having sex with, to entering into a commitment with and much else all the different ways we come to understand each other.

St. Augustines theory of knowledge begins with emotion. Love is a focus of attention. Love is a motivation to learn more about a person. Love is a reverence for the image of God in each person.

Through his own failures, Trump illustrates by counterexample that the heart is the key to understanding. To accurately size up a human situation you have to project a certain quality of attention that is personal, gentle, respectful, intimate and affectionate more moving with and feeling into than simply observing with detachment.

Maybe I spend too much time on Twitter and in media, but I see less and less of this sort of attention in America, even amid the tragedies of 2020. Far from softening toward one another, the whole country feels even more rived, more hardened and increasingly blind to lives other than our own.

Brooks writes for The New York Times.

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Brooks: When a heart is empty, blind to the struggles of others - Austin American-Statesman