StemCell Therapy

The government won't say the words 'climate change' and 'fires' in the same sentence.

A great deal of NSW is currently on fire. It is Spring.

Usually that kind of environmental devastation begins, at worst, in Summer. So many blazes, particularly at this time of year, is worryingly out of the ordinary.

Of course, we all knew that something like this was coming. Weve been warned for decades that climate change was set to increase the number of freak weather events, and that the drought would continue to dry out our natural woodlands, making blazes inevitable.

But just try telling that to Australias politicians. After all, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Prime Minister Scott Morrison have spent every hour since the blazes began vehemently attempting to deny any link between the destruction and climate change.

According to them, its not right to politicise the blazes. Instead, we should simply mourn a problem while obstinately, repeatedly ignoring its causes.

Its enough to make you weep. Or, at least, thanks to those folks over at SBSsThe Feed, to weep while bitterly laughing.

Yep,The Feed have dusted off their best yellow wig, and filmed a sketch lampooning the governments almost pathological inability to say the words climate change and fire in the same sentence.

Beginning with an itemised list of the public figures that have gone on the record to draw the line between environmental collapse and our changing climate, the sketch descends into pure, hysterical surreality, as the governments obstinance slowly morphs into straight-up denial.

Watch it through your tears here:

Read the rest here:
NSW Fires: 'The Feed' Blasts Government's Blindness On Climate Change - Junkee

Leave a Legacy SupplementChai Brady speaks to Sightsavers about the devastating diseases and blindness they combat

Easily treated diseases that are now quickly tackled in the Western world with readily available medicines are still a scourge in developing countries, with blindness being one of the devastating outcomes.

Charlie Lamson, CEO of Sightsavers, told The Irish Catholic that it wasnt so long ago that countries like Ireland were struggling with diseases, such as Trachoma, easily treatable at its early stage with antibiotics.

Returning from Senegal recently, Mr Lamson saw first-hand the effects of Trachoma, and how the horrific disease develops. Working in over 30 countries the charity assist communities, governments and train local staff who will stay in the country helping those in need.

The way we work is a collaborative approach, the country office works with local partners and then works with the ministry of health, so a lot of what were doing is based on working directly with the countries, Mr Lamson says.

Were not just flying in, doing all this great stuff, and then flying out again. Its very much about working with government ministries to create genuine change in the way that they approach the challenges they have.

In 2018 the charity carried out more than 16 million eye examinations across the countries in which they work, and distributed more than 113 million treatments to prevent and treat debilitating diseases.

Sightsavers first programmes began in the 1950s, starting in Kenya, Uganda, Ghana, Malawi, Zimbabwe and Nigeria, with several other African countries following in the next two decades.

In the 1960s and 70s this was expanded into Asia with their first projects in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. The charity also continued to extend their work across Africa. More recently, their work in Yemen began in 2018.

Their work in Sri Lanka came to an end in 2016, which was the first time the charity finished working in a country as they were satisfied that they eye care services they set up would continue without them.

Mentioning Francis Ford Coppolas film, The Godfather Part II, when fictional character Vito Corleones eyes are checked for Trachoma before he enters New York from Sicily, Mr Lamson says this is an example of how the Western world was once challenged with the disease.

All of the support thats provided to older people through a wealthy society, a modern economy, if you were to remove all of that and then find yourself in a very poor economy without any of those structures in place its very devastating.

Trachoma is the worlds leading infectious cause of blindness, and is part of a group of conditions known as neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). Much like conjunctivitis it starts as a bacterial infection, but if it is not treated it can become unbearable.

Over time it causes scarring to the eyelid that pulls the eyelashes inward, so with every blink they scrape against the eye. This advanced form is called trichiasis and is so intensely painful that people afflicted resort to pulling out their eyelashes due to the agony of blinking.

The disease thrives where there are water shortages, poor sanitation and infestations of flies. Its caused byrepeated infection with bacteriaknown as chamydia trachomatis, and it spreads through contact with infected flies and via hands, clothes or bedding that have been in contact with an infected person.

Mr Lamson says they are working on a campaign called The End is in Sight, which endeavours to eliminate the disease by 2025. Currently there are still 44 countries that count the disease as a public health problem.

We train ophthalmologists, ophthalmic surgeons, ophthalmic nurses, were working with ministries of health around things like budgeting and long term planning, all of these, he says.

The result of this will be a trained medical professional from the country who will stay there and continue to work with people. In addition to training, they provide expertise and medical equipment, with Mr Lamson saying the model is based on true sustainable development.

***

Trachoma is not the only disease the charity is combatting. River blindness is a parasitic infection spread by flies near fast flowing rivers and can cause severe irritation, itching and even blindness if the infection is not treated.

Mr Lamson says: Were not working directly with river blindness in Senegal, although we do see it for example in Ghana. One of my colleagues was down there and has unbelievable stories.

You see a whole village river blindness can affect up to 70% of a community when it really takes hold, and 40 years ago that would be the case. She visited a community in Ghana and was interviewing seniors within the community. She interviewed about five or six people, all of them were blind as a result of river blindness.

The community his colleague visited had to abandon their former village to move further away from the river, due to the prevalence of river blindness.

The community was dying, the young people all moving away, you were left with a lot of visually impaired seniors in the community so it was devastating, to see the pictures and hear her talk about it, he says.

River blindness is interesting because it can take years for it to manifest before it then starts to manifest in the eye and cause vision loss.

When someone is bitten by the flies, larvae invade the body and develop into worms that can live for 15 years. Female worms produce thousands of microscopic larvae each day known as microfilariae which spread through the body and can be passed on to others. When the microfilariae die, they cause a reaction leading to immense irritation, inflammation and itching. If the larvae travel to the eyes, it can cause irreversible sight loss.

As well as pain, blindness and the associated stigma, river blindness forces people to move away from fertile river valleys where the disease is prevalent. As a result, they can struggle to find suitable areas to farm or grow crops, pushing families and communities into poverty.

However, treatment is relatively cheap, with Mr Lamson saying 50 can protect 1,000 people from river blindness. The medication comes in the form of tablets and a simple method used to gauge the height of a person informs what dose someone should be given.

Almost all of usare going to be disabled, and the majority are going to face that disability when we get to that age in our lives, when were older

The instrument is called a dose pole, which is tall and colourful, with each colour having dots representing how many tablets should be given depending on a persons height.

For example if a person is 172cm, the dose pole would be placed beside them and would show they need three tablets. Due to some community members being wary of the medicines, Mr Lamson explains, having community directed distributors (CDDs) is a huge benefit.

People from within the community are each given a dose pole, which is easy to use regardless of literacy levels, and they can be trained and subsequently trusted to treat other members of the community properly.

The added benefit is the distributors are nominated by their local community and are therefore ideally placed to deliver the medication as they understand the communitys dynamics and customs, enabling Sightsavers to deliver aid to those who need help the most and ensure that people in the most poor or remote areas are treated.

***

One of the most vital parts of the charitys ability to continue with these, and other life-changing initiatives is through their legacy donations.

Legacy donations are critical, its a huge part of our work. Oftentimes a legacy giftwe can use in the areas that we need it most, which is really important, says Mr Lamson.

Its such a personal form of support for us. We recently have a number of legacy gifts come through and weve ended up getting some absolutely incredible letters from the family who are talking about the person who had passed away and how this was important for them, in that they had wanted to do something and they had chosen us because they had known something about us. Or theyd been giving to us for years as a regular donor, and theyd receive our correspondence.

A lot of what were trying to do is tell people about what it is that were doing. Whats wonderful to me is that a lot of people feel moved by that enough and trusting enough of the work that were doing.

Reflecting on the disparity of opportunity and affluence between the Western world and developing countries such as the ones the charity works with in West Africa, Mr Lamson says since he started with Sightsavers two years ago it really struck him how eye glasses in Senegal are not common the percentage of people who have them is extremely low and in rural communities its almost zero.

I do a fair number of presentations and things like that, and if Im sitting with an audience, and I were to ask everyone to take off their glasses, half the audience wouldnt be able to see the presentation, he said.

You think about the impact of eye glasses, how we take them so much for granted, and if you were suddenly to say none of us could have eye glasses the impact on our lives at a personal level, on the community where we live, on the whole functioning of our society. If you were to remove the capacity of people who need eye glasses to get through the day thats a big one.

Almost all of us at some point in our lives are going to be disabled, and the majority are going to face that disability when we get to that age in our lives, when were older.

Sightsavers also do large amounts of work to promote inclusive societies for the disabled, whether in education, employment, healthcare or politics.

In Senegal the charitys inclusive education pilot project was launched in three schools in Dakar in 2014. Part of this was to work with the General Directorate of Social Action to provide scholarships to blind students, they also give financial assistance to parents, translate textbooks to braille, adapt school facilities, certify children as visually impaired and provide eye care through the Senegal eye care programme, including low vision aids, braille and referrals for treatment such as cataract surgery, to name a few.

If youre talking about an underdeveloped economy like Senegal, where you have 54% illiteracy and then you throw on top of that those who are disabled, or have a vision impairment then you really are at the end of the line there, so were trying to work with those guys, Mr Lamson added.

While Sightsavers work in a variety of countries across the world, at times some communities and societies are in greater need of immediate action to mitigate harm. Legacy donations, Mr Lamson explains, help the charity to pour resources and initiate positive change quickly; protecting eyes against blindness and disease and combatting exclusion because of disability.

Related

See the rest here:
An end to Trachoma blindness is in sight - The Irish Catholic

Brittany Howards new album, Jaime, is her first solo effort. The project takes its name and inspiration from her older sister, who died in 1998 after a battle with retinoblastoma, a disease Howard herself has dealt with, causing partial blindness in one eye.

The singer, now 31, was inspired by her sister to write poetry and play music. And she has made a life of it.

After two hugely successful albums with Alabama Shakes, Howard who plays Denver on November 14 and Boulder on November 15 has blossomed with Jaime, which is genre-defying, powerful and at times downright funky and fun.

Westword caught up with her to discuss her tour and the new album.

Westword: I saw this video of you saying how excited you are about this tour, and as the camera zoomed out, you were getting a mani and a pedi at the same time.

Brittany Howard: [Laughs.] Oh, yeah, sometimes that happens. You know, we treat ourselves every once in a while.

How important is it to have a sense of humor on the road, with all the stress?

Massively important. Otherwise, who knows what could happen? Its super-important for anyones well-being.

Have you discovered the things on the road, over the years, that you should absolutely do and absolutely not do?

You should absolutely not go out every night after a show. Absolutely do drink lots of water and make sure you sleep a lot.

Youve played in Colorado quite a bit. Do you have a specific feeling about the area?

Yeah, the crowds are usually pretty cool in Denver; theyre a real chill, laid-back, cool bunch of open-minded people.

What was it like opening for Neil Young at Red Rocks?

That was one of my favorite shows ever. I got to meet Mr. Young and talk some. It was really cool.

The new album is obviously your first solo record. What were the biggest differences writing and recording as Brittany Howard rather than as Alabama Shakes?

Just the freedom to make whatever choices I want, whether theyre good choices or bad choices. Its just fun to make those choices and get to paint my own picture how I envision it, how I hear it. I think thats been the biggest difference, just steering my own ship. Touring, its been interesting because I play less guitar when Im on stage, so Ive been really exploring what its like to just be so open to a crowd when Im on stage. Its been new and cool.

I heard you were a big fan of AC/DC growing up. How did you discover that place where Bon Scott might meet Aretha Franklin or Nina Simone?

I think the cross-section would be just performing from a real place. You know, theres a difference between just performing and making tons of dough, and being a performer because your spirit needs to do it. I think thats the difference between something good and something great.

There seems to be a parallel between your new album and the new records by Sturgill Simpson and also St. Paul and the Broken Bones. These artists who come from a rootsy background and are now just shattering boundaries. How did you get to that place where virtually anything can be a Brittany Howard song?

I mean, Ive never liked musical boundaries, just because it puts a limit on what you can do creatively. If its fun to do a little concept record or whatever, then do it. If its fun to mix and match everything youve heard before, do it.

How do you carry where you come from with you on stage every night, and writing? How much Alabama do you keep with you?

Well, its always ingrained in me. I think, for me, I feel pretty empowered to come from Alabama, just because the history is so radical and challenging. For me, just existing came from overcoming those things, so Im very much proud to be an Alabamian and just stand on stage and say, Yeah, this is me. Im a pretty radical person, and I come from a place thats considered so conservative, backwards. But guess what? Im from there, so can it be all that you think it is? Its kind of neat in a way to be this sort of un-elected ambassador.

Do you feel like a role model for young black women who might not have seen a black woman with a guitar fronting a rock band before?

I could see how someone would think like that, just because Im different to see on a stage as far as media goes. You dont usually see someone who looks like me doing what I do. I think thats cool. Its something that I definitely wouldve appreciated, being younger, seeing something like that and being like, Oh, thats me! I have options for what I can do with my life. Its not up to anything I see on television. On the other hand, Im just walking around like everybody else; its not like I behave or act according to what anybody made for me. I think Im really just being the best self I can be for myself. If that inspires other people, then awesome. I really want them to do the same thing.

The new album was inspired by your late sister. Do you feel her presence on stage every night as you play these songs?

Yeah, I do especially when Im tired and I need a little extra strength. But then, also its a kind of everyday relationship when you lose somebody close to you. It doesnt mean theyre gone. Its not really how it works. Its not like the movies, you know? That presence is always with you, always trying to get you through whatever youre trying to get through. I live my life in my sisters presence and memory, so of course when I made this record, it only made sense to just say Thank you, you know?

Your favorite song with her was Dont Worry Be Happy, by Bobby McFerrin. Since she passed away, what new music have you heard that you think you would have bonded over?

I dont know probably anything I liked. She had really good taste. Im not sure if she wouldve gone the pop way or more the avant-garde way. Its hard to say.

So many people have heard you sing Hold On," and sometimes during powerful, trying times in their lives. Its an empowering statement, but it prompts the question, just how do you hold on?

I guess its different in every situation. I think a massive part of it is giving yourself a break, and feeling whatever it is youre going through. Just experience that and sit with that, knowing its not going to kill you to feel sad, or to feel down for a moment, because happiness is always kinda coming around. Its never permanent. Youre not alone in that, and its just a normal part of being a human being. Things can get easier. And also, I really believe things work out the way theyre meant to if we kinda stay out of the way, so to speak. Things sort themselves out eventually, no matter how painful the experience might be. I think you just gotta remember that and stand in awe of that, that we all have something to offer.

Brittany Howard, with Georgia Anne Muldrow, plays at 8 p.m. Thursday, November 14, at the Ogden Theatre. 935 East Colfax Avenue. For tickets and more information, go to ogdentheatre.com. Howard and Muldrow also play at 8:30 p.m. Friday, November 15, at the Boulder Theater, 14th Street, Boulder. For tickets and more information, go to bouldertheater.com.

Pittsburgh native Adam Perry is a cyclist, drummer and University of Pittsburgh and Naropa University alum. He lives in Boulder and has written for Westword since 2008.

Read the rest here:
Brittany Howard on Freedom and Taking a Break From Alabama Shakes - Westword

MOVIES

9:41 AM PST 11/6/2019byJohn DeFore

You've heard of face-blindness, the phenomenon in which a patient can't recognize the person in front of her without resorting to clues like the stranger's voice and clothing. That's an unbelievable but real affliction. But what about person-blindness, in which someone becomes completely unable to see a specific person in her life, or even to sense them in any other way? Buying into that unlikely conceit is the first of several tough hurdles to appreciating Love Is Blind, Monty Whitebloom and Andy Delaney's romance about a lovely, lonely girl who can't see how many people adore her. A pretty fable (the directors made music videos in the 1990s for the Spice Girls and Paula Abdul) that drowns in its own preciousness, it might have remained unreleased if not for a familiar cast including Matthew Broderick and Chloe Sevigny as the heroine's parents.

As far as Shannon Tarbet's Bessie knows, she only has one surviving parent, Broderick's Murray. She thinks her mother died long ago, and that Murray's continuing references to her are caused by dementia linked to Parkinson's disease. Sevigny's Carolyn calmly deals with being ignored, describing her daughter as a nutcase and seeming to know, deep down, that she caused this delusion herself by being a lousy mother.

If that sounds like a shaky assumption to make about a mental disorder, Jennifer Schuur's screenplay is even less convincing in its approach to autism. Bess has long been seeing a psychotherapist (Benjamin Walker's Farmer Smithson) who describes himself as "on the spectrum," and much of his behavior here is dubious. For instance, if those on the spectrum typically value rules as a way of navigating the world, it's unlikely Farmer would be unperturbed by the sexual advances his patient makes toward him. One often feels that autism is just another set-dressing quirk here, much like the silly decor (stacks of books used as an architectural feature, walls full of antique mirrors) in Farmer's office.

Romance-wise, Farmer is just the preordained loser of the film's contrived romantic triangle. Bess' real soulmate is, naturally (?), the only person other than her mother she can't see. Russell (Aidan Turner, of the Hobbit trilogy) is a rumpled hunk currently doing demolition work next door to Farmer's office. The pic presents him as suicidal, but again, his yearning for non-existence is just a useful romantic conceit, an adolescent way of indicating these two troubled souls were made for each other. Farmer takes Russell on as a patient and suggests Bess should start group therapy with him, talking to the stranger as if he were an invisible friend. After a while, she's able to hear the supportive things he says to her.

Occasionally, Whitebloom and Delaney seem to be influenced by an auteur who came to prominence around the time they started their careers: Hal Hartley, whose art house-beloved first films (set, like this one, just a commuter-train ride outside Manhattan) paired unlikely couples and didn't require conventionally realistic performances from their casts. If that's the case, they've missed the lessons those offbeat but thoughtful films had to teach. Here, affectation seems to be valued for its own sake, and love is something more talked about than understood.

Production company: LocomotiveDistributor: Uncork'd EntertainmentCast: Shannon Tarbet, Aidan Turner, Matthew Broderick, Chloe Sevigny, Benjamin WalkerDirectors: Monty Whitebloom, Andy DelaneyScreenwriter: Jennifer SchuurProducers: Alexis Alexanian, Lucy Barzun Donnelly, Alexandra PerryExecutive producers: Lottie Cooper, Peter Friedlander, Christopher GrayDirector of photography: Monty WhitebloomProduction designer: Javiera VarasCostume designer: Olivia MoriEditor: Alex KopitCasting directors: James Calleri, Erica Jensen

93 minutes

Go here to see the original:
'Love Is Blind' Review - Hollywood Reporter

The Kenya Society for the Blind has urged the government to set aside more funds towards the prevention of avoidable blindness in Kenya.

Out of the 10 million, blindness arises due to preventable and treatable conditions such as trachoma, diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma, among others. There is also a rising increase of cases of blindness from lifestyle diseases such as diabetes.

The Kenya Society for the Blind Chairman Mr. Samson Waweru said that over 750,000 Kenyans are visually impaired with an additional 331,000 being totally blind.

Of the ten million people at risk, about 7.5 Million are infected. We as a Society and other players in the visual impairment space only have a capacity to reach out to 1,700,00 people per year. More services ranging from simple eye screening and treatment of common eye ailments are needed to reduce and prevent blindness. 80 percent of those cases at risk are preventable, meaning four out of five people who are blind right now in Kenya dont have to be. They are blind because the eye care services did not reach them in time while others simply cannot access medical care. Said Mr. Waweru.

According to the World Health Organization World Report on Vision, at least 2.2 billion people globally have a vision impairment or blindness, of whom at least 1 billion have a vision impairment that could have been prevented or has yet to be addressed.

Since its inception in 1956, The Society has supported more than two million Kenyans living with visual disabilities through the promotion of their welfare, education, training and employment while assisting in the prevention and alleviation of blindness.

See the rest here:
Government urged to set aside funds towards prevention of blindness in Kenya - HapaKenya

FLORIDA

One of thebiggest astronomy events of the yearwill take place Monday. Its an event so rare that it wont happen again until 2032.

People across North America, South America, Europe, Africa and western Asia will be able to see Mercury pass directly between the Earth and the sun in an astronomical alignment known as a transit.

Transits happen only a few times per century and provide a unique opportunity to see a planet glide across the face of the sun.

People will have a few hours to observe the event, which starts at 7:30 a.m. EST and lasts until 1:00 p.m. EST. That means for people in the western time zones, the transit will already be underway when the sun comes up.

Similar to a total solar eclipse, spectators will need a solar filter to shield their eyes from the harmful rays from the sun. Looking at the sun without a solar filter can lead to permanent eye damage and, in some cases, blindness.

However, onlookers will need more than just a solar filter to see the Mercury transit.

Because Mercury is so small from our perspective on Earth, youll need binoculars or a telescope with a Sun filter to see it,NASA said.

It is imperative to have a certified solar filter on the part of the telescope where light enters. Wearing solar filters, such as solar eclipse glasses, and looking into the eyepiece of a telescope that is not outfitted with a filter of its own can still lead to irreversible eye damage.

The American Astronomical Society (AAS) says that the filters should comply with theISO 12312-2 international safety standard. This number should appear with the filters original packaging or on the filter itself.

People will need not only the right equipment to see the Mercury transit but also cloud-free weather.

The best viewing conditions will be across the central and southwestern United States where clear skies will lead to an uninterrupted field of vision.

Meanwhile, disruptive clouds may obscure the sun across much of the Pacific Northwest, Deep South and East Coast.

People that cannot see the Mercury transit for themselves due to poor weather canwatch the event live.

Folks that miss Mondays event will have to wait more than a decade for the next opportunity to see a Mercury transit, with the next one taking place on Nov. 13, 2032.

There is an even longer wait for the next Venus transit, which is sometimes referred to as a twice in a lifetime event.

Venus transits come in pairs that are separated by an extended period of time. Most recently, there were a pair of Venus transits on June 8, 2004, and June 5, 2012, with the next pair not taking place until Dec. 10, 2117, and Dec. 8, 2125.

For more information on the Mercury Transit, visit the 2019 Mercury Transit website here.

Follow this link:
Rare Mercury transit happens Monday; When to watch and how to protect your eyes - Wink News

I never thought I had it in me to become one of those crazy dog people. And then, in the spring of my freshman year, a three pound, all-black, three-quarter-Shih-Tzu-one-quarter-Yorkie puppy named Annie became my third sister.

I watched through FaceTime the night my family brought her home. My parents laid with Annie on the basement floor, near the stairs that, 16 years earlier, their first dog Tiffany a Shih Tzu that accompanied them from their first apartment to the birth of all three of their children fell down in her cataract-induced blindness. She died after a one-way trip to the vet. Both my mother and I were allergic, two kids were away at college and the imprint of Tiffanys paws had not yet faded from our carpet. Nevertheless, we welcomed a new dog into the family. And as I like to say it was the best thing to happen to the Krebs household since I was born.

But why? Why does this little now-13-pound salt-and-pepper animal make us so happy? Maybe its because she triggers our parental instincts. Maybe its because shes adorable, and maybe its because shes just so adorable. There are so many reasons why dogs make us happy. But frankly, we focus on the wrong ones.

Were nearing finals, so its only a matter of time before packs of golden retrievers are paraded through Bass Library as a 15-minute stress panacea. Its only a matter of time before cringe-inducing print-outs, adorned with a pup, Impact font and an Uncle-Sam-esque you can do it message line the walls of computer rooms. Its only a matter of time before a pre-packaged doggie yoga secularized meditation program pops up in the Good Life Center sandbox and cures us of all our problems forever.

At Yale, dogs have been instrumentalized as an agent and symbol of the corporate wellness industrial complex. But wait, what is the corporate wellness industrial complex anyway? And what does it have to do with our perfect little pooches? Let me explain.

Corporate wellness thrives on a categorical division of happiness, the belief that we can divvy ourselves up into little boxes our careers, relationships, impact, physical health, mental health, happiness, etc. Its everywhere, and its defined by a fundamental contradiction: the simultaneous belief that these boxes never touch, that the bad of one can never contaminate the good of another. And yet, the good of one box can make up for the bad of another box.

Its the same division that allows us to pat our friends on the back with the other hand on the hilt of a dagger, to give contemporary imperialists lifetime achievement awards because theyre actually really nice in person, to meditate before our interviews with sweatshop management firms. It is the version of happiness that believes we should change neither the things that make us miserable on a societal level nor our undying commitments to those things, but rather how efficiently we go about fulfilling those commitments. It has the moral and intellectual consistency of canine excrement.

But, seriously, on the topic of canine excrement. I was in flip flops, gym shorts and my sisters winter jacket. It was freezing and beginning to rain, but Annie didnt seem to mind. I was taking her out so she could use the bathroom, and she was hell bent on doing anything but. She pranced around the yard, smelled the grass shed smelled a thousand times before, rolled on her favorite tennis ball and looked at me like I was an idiot when I started talking to her, begging her to please, just please do her business.

Then it hit me. I, Eric Krebs, Yale University student, opinion columnist, self-centered rising star extraordinaire in all my intelligence and glory, was at the total mercy of a dog. The little creature that lives in my house, eats entire bowls of taco meat off the kitchen table and doesnt even read my column.

And I couldnt have been happier.

See, dogs force us to place our centers of gravity beyond ourselves. They force us out of bed when they want to play, they force us out of the house when they want to walk, and they force us to reconsider what we consider important. Amidst the breathing exercises, the gratefulness exercises and the exercise exercises, corporate wellness holds the atomized individual to be the fundamental unit of existence. The question, then, is confined to what you do with this autonomy. Of course, when we are atomized, we are most efficient. Were ready to up and leave for a job offer, were ready to isolate ourselves in pursuit of perfection, were all self-contained trees who can choose exactly when and where our branches reach out and touch other trees.

But thats not how trees work. This is something that I think both the corporate wellness and anti-corporate wellness crowds get wrong. The corporate wellness camp likes to think that were autonomous actors that are fundamentally rational, the anti-corporate wellness camp likes to think that were autonomous actors that are fundamentally emotional. Neither are totally wrong, but neither are right. We like to tell ourselves we are so much more than Yale and its metrics for success. Yes, we are more than Yale but were also less than it, so much smaller than its buildings and books and trees. And thats okay. Trees need more than branches. Trees need the forest lest the soil erodes.

Happiness does not come from 15-minute puppy study breaks. Happiness is not derived from self-centered, autonomous scheduling. Happiness is the ability to vest our centers of gravity beyond ourselves, not in one thing but in many. To care for the little animals that live in our houses and make us smile even if we dont know why. To care for the people who make us laugh and make life worth living. To care for the world around us the world that belongs to us, the world that we belong to.

Even the strongest trees sometimes face a storm and lose a branch or two. So, dont worry when your branches fall and hit the ground, you beautiful, solid redwood. A dog just might come along and find the stick of a lifetime.

ERIC KREBS is a junior in Jonathan Edwards College. His column runs on alternate Mondays. Contact him at eric.krebs@yale.edu.

Read the original here:
KREBS: This is your dog on wellness - Yale Daily News

OLYMPIC boxing legend Nicola Adams has retired at the age of 37.

The Lioness hangs up her gloves with an undefeated record and as the current WBO flyweight world champion.

3

Adams, who was born in Leeds, became the first openly LGBT athlete to win an Olympic boxing gold medal when she took top spot at London 2012.

And she repeated the feat at Rio 2016 - the same year she won the World Championships.

She penned an open letter to her local newspaper, the Yorkshire Evening Post, in which she revealed that continuing her in-ring career risked "irreparable damage and permanent vision loss".

Adams, whose last fight was in September, wrote: "I'm immensely honoured to have represented our country - to win double Olympic gold medals and then the WBO championship belt is a dream come true," she wrote.

"But it's not without taking its toll on my body, and aside from the expected aches and pains, I've been advised that any further impact to my eye would most likely lead to irreparable damage and permanent vision loss.

"It has been an honour to compete on the global stage, and it has been a privilege to fight against such remarkable athletes.

I'm immensely honoured... but boxing has taken its toll on my body

Whilst I am proud of my achievements, the unwavering belief from everyone in my corner is something I will appreciate for the rest of my life.

"To my wonderful team, I would not be the fighter I am today without your encouragement and understanding - what you have taught me goes beyond the ring.

Particularly special thanks go to the wonderful Alwyn Belcher, my coach and personal mentor of many years.

"Hanging up my gloves was always going to hard, but I have never felt luckier and I'm so immensely proud of how far the sport has come."

Adams won the vacant WBO belt against Isabel Milan in 2018, less than 18 months after he first professional bout, and bows out with an unbeaten professional record of five wins and one draw.

3

3

Live Blog

fighting talk Boxing news LIVE - All the latest news and updates

Revealed

PAUL OUT ALL THE STOPS KSI vs Logan Paul sold more pay-per-views than AJ's defeat to Ruiz

ED SCRATCHER Ed Sheeran lookalike 'tricks the world' during KSI's win over Logan Paul

NO JOSHING Haye urges Joshua to copy Lewis in Ruiz rematch - despite war of words

CLOONEY TUNES Fury says he is mistaken for George Clooney and Brad Pitt 'all the time'

LO BLOW Saunders and Canelo 'hold talks' over fight - but GGG trilogy could come first

She was also a nominee for the BBC Sports Personality award in 2012.

Adams, who once worked as an extra on Coronation Street and Eastenders, was awarded an OBE in the 2017 New Year Honours.

She was described as a "trailblazer, history-maker and legend" by Team GB.

Read this article:
Olympic boxing legend Nicola Adams retires aged 37 over blindness fears as undefeated world flyweight champion - The Sun

Cataract is the principal cause of blindness for people above 50 years in India, according to the National Blindness and Visual Impairment Survey of India (2015-19), adding that barriers to accessing treatment include the following no one to accompany [the patient], seasonal preferences, and financial constraints.

Among men, the most important barriers are financial constraints (31%) and local reasons (21.5%).

Among women, local reasons (23.1%) and financial constraints (21.2%) were the most important barriers.

Cataract is the cause for 66.2% cases of blindness, 80.7% cases of severe visual impairment, and 70.2% cases of moderate visual impairment in the age group.

Also, blindness is more pronounced among illiterate (3.23%) than literates (0.43%) and more prevalent in the rural population (2.14%) than urban (1.80%).

What makes this worse for India is the fact that approximately 93% of cases of blindness and 96.2% visual impairment cases in this age group were avoidable.

Of all the avoidable causes, more than half were treatable, found the survey.

The survey was conducted by Dr. Rajendra Prasad Centre for Opthalmic Sciences, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, for Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

The survey was conducted in 31 districts of 24 States in the country.

Financial constraint was found to be the biggest barrier in accessing a cataract surgery with this being a reason for 22.1% blindness cases and lack of awareness was behind 18.4% cases, who did not feel any need of the surgery, the survey noted.

You have reached your limit for free articles this month.

Register to The Hindu for free and get unlimited access for 30 days.

Find mobile-friendly version of articles from the day's newspaper in one easy-to-read list.

Enjoy reading our articles without intrusion from advertisements.

A select list of articles that match your interests and tastes.

Move smoothly between articles as our pages load instantly.

A one-stop-shop for seeing the latest updates, and managing your preferences.

We brief you on the latest and most important developments, three times a day.

*Our Digital Subscription plans do not currently include the e-paper ,crossword, iPhone, iPad mobile applications and print. Our plans enhance your reading experience.

Read more from the original source:
Cataract major cause of blindness above 50 - The Hindu

The sun was shining with a chill in the air as beep baseball teams from all over Texas gathered Saturday at Moore MST Magnet School in Tyler for the 11th annual Great Texas Shoot Out, an event intended to raise awareness for breast cancer and blindness.

Beep baseball is a form of baseball for those who are blind or visually impaired. There are six fielders and two bases that are randomly triggered by an operator. When the batter hits the ball, they must run to the base that is beeping before a fielder picks up the ball. If they get to the base first, the batting team gets a run. Just like traditional baseball, each team gets three outs per inning, but each batter gets four strikes per at-bat in beep baseball.

The Tyler Tigers, in conjunction with the National Beep Baseball Association, hosted the tournament to raise funds for the Susan G. Komen foundation and help pay for their trip to the Beep Baseball World Series in Ames, Iowa, happening in July 2020.

Texas teams from Austin, Bryan-College Station, Dallas/Fort Worth and Houston came out to participate and support the cause in recognition of breast cancer and Blind Awareness Day.

During opening ceremonies, Tracy Sawyer was named the 2019 Breast Cancer Queen, John Ingram was crowned the 2019 Shoot Out King and Tatyana Contreras, 12, was deemed the 2019 KOOL (Kids of the League) Kid.

Members of the Tyler Lions Club also presented the Tyler Tigers with a $1,000 check donation.

Tyler Lions Club Member Rip Duncan threw out the ceremonial first pitch, Contreras hit the ceremonial first ball and the games began.

Once in the swing of things, players from every team showed support for one another during each play and fun was had by all.

Originally posted here:
Tyler Tigers raise awareness of breast cancer and blindness with beep baseball tournament - Tyler Morning Telegraph

(The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.)

Michele McDonnall, Mississippi State University and Jennifer L. Cmar, Mississippi State University

(THE CONVERSATION) Communities across the world observe White Cane Day on Oct. 15 to recognize the contributions of people with blindness and low vision and to promote equal opportunities. The day was first observed in the U.S. in 1964, when Congress passed a law to increase awareness about the white canes role in promoting independent, safe travel for people with blindness or low vision.

More than 7.5 million Americans, or 2.4% of the population, are blind or have low vision. Some people are born with blindness or low vision, but most people acquire vision loss, often at older ages. Researchers estimate that the incidence of blindness and low vision will rise rapidly through 2050 as the population ages.

As researchers who study issues related to blindness and low vision, we are interested in how society, its institutions, businesses and individuals currently perceive members of this population and how these perceptions may influence opportunities, particularly in terms of employment.

How the world has changed

Since passage of that law 55 years ago, the world we live in has changed drastically. Advances in technology have significantly changed our everyday lives, and much progress in accessibility and inclusivity has occurred. Federal laws that protect people with disabilities from employment discrimination have been passed, and many companies have since adopted inclusive hiring practices.

Assistive technology such as screen readers and screen magnifiers improve access to information and jobs. Built-in accessibility features in mainstream technologies are increasingly common. Accessible transportation options are continually evolving, including ride-hailing services and autonomous vehicles.

These changes and innovations have increased opportunities and reduced some barriers for people who are blind or those who have low vision (for simplicity, we will use the term blind going forward).

Ongoing employment challenges

One thing that has not changed for many people who are blind is lack of access to the workforce. This is true for people with all types of disabilities, hence the celebration of National Disability Employment Awareness Month in October. Our team of researchers at the National Research and Training Center on Blindness and Low Vision is addressing this issue for people who are blind.

The large disparities in employment rates that have historically existed for people who are blind still exist today. The most recent data from the American Community Survey indicates that 44.2% of people who are blind are employed and 10% are unemployed. This compares to an employment rate of 77.2% and unemployment rate of 4.8% for people without disabilities.

Why does employment continue to be a challenge for so many people who are blind? It may be that perceptions about the capabilities of the population have not changed.

Employer perceptions about blind people

One of the most common barriers to employment for people who are blind is negative employer attitudes. In several studies conducted between 2012 and 2017 with almost 1,000 employers, we measured employer attitudes and knowledge about how blind people can perform basic job functions. We included a measure of explicit (self-reported) attitudes toward individuals who are blind as employees and a measure of implicit attitudes about the competence of people who are blind. Implicit attitudes refer to subconscious beliefs or stereotypes that a person may hold but not be aware of and thus would be unable to report.

Our research with employers revealed the following:

-

Employer knowledge is limited about how people who are blind can perform basic job tasks.

-

Self-reported attitudes vary widely among employers, from extremely negative to completely positive, but on average they fall in the middle, or neutral, range of our attitude measure.

-

Implicit attitudes also vary, but on average are strongly negative, indicating that employers tend to automatically associate competence with sighted people and incompetence with blind people.

-

Knowing how blind people can perform job tasks is related to more positive self-reported and implicit attitudes.

-

More positive self-reported employer attitudes are associated with a greater likelihood of hiring someone who is blind.

Our results verify the importance of employer attitudes toward blind people because of the association between attitudes and hiring. We know that knowledge is associated with more positive employer attitudes, but that knowledge is lacking among employers, and presumably among society in general. One potential avenue to improve employer attitudes is through increasing knowledge about how people who are blind function on the job. Most employers likely assume that a blind person cannot perform many essential job functions when in reality this is incorrect.

People who are blind can perform most jobs that sighted people can. There are not jobs for blind people, rather, most occupations in the economy are available to this population, given appropriate accommodations. You might be surprised to learn that people who are blind work in a variety of jobs.

They are architects, artists, auto mechanics, fashion designers, engineers, scientists, physicians and judges. Many jobs previously unavailable to people who are blind are now accessible thanks to advances in technology.

What people can do to open up opportunities

Many employers have inaccessible job application sites, and people who are blind have filed lawsuits regarding their inability to use a screen reader to access job-related information on websites. Giving this group of people equal access to learn about and apply for any job of interest is an important first step. Employers should make all digital information related to jobs accessible, including the application process. Accessibility is not difficult, and much support is available for this effort.

In addition, employers and society in general should learn about how people who are blind can perform tasks for which sighted people rely on their vision. This is one of the best ways to change perceptions. Attending your local White Cane Day event is a great opportunity to learn about this population. Events such as this and National Disability Employment Awareness Month are important to increase awareness about the capabilities of people who are blind and the employment challenges they continue to face.

[ Youre smart and curious about the world. So are The Conversations authors and editors. You can read us daily by subscribing to our newsletter. ]

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here: http://theconversation.com/blind-people-have-increased-opportunities-but-employers-perceptions-are-still-a-barrier-124977.

Originally posted here:
Blind people have increased opportunities, but employers perceptions are still a barrier - The Edwardsville Intelligencer

New Delhi: The estimated prevalence of blindness in India has reduced by approximately 47% in last 12 years, while untreated cataract continue to be leading cause of blindness, a government survey has revealed.

According to the National Blindness and Visually Impaired Survey (2019) released by Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan on Thursday, the estimated blindness has came down to 0.36% from 1% in 2006-2007since the last survey. According to the survey report,the visual impairment has come down by 51.9% to 2.55% as a compared to 2010.

As per the survey report, the maximum prevalence of blindness was seen in age group of above 80 (11.6%), followed by 70-79 age group (4.1%), 60-69 age group (1.6%) and 50-59 age group (0.5%). The survey noted that the most of the blindness (92.9%) and visual impairment (96.2%)cases were due to avoidable causes.

The current survey was conducted between 2015 and 2018 by Dr Rajendra Prasad Centre for Ophthalmic Sciences of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi in association with ministry of health and family welfare. The survey covered over 93,000 people aged equal and above 50 years using Rapid Assessment of Avoidable Blindness (RAAB) method in 31 districts of 24 states and Union Territories.

People suffering from blindness have reduced from 12 million in 2006-07 to 4.8 million in 2019. This indicates that the country is close to achieving the World Health Organizations (WHO) goal of reducing it to 0.3% of the total population by 2020," said Harsh Vardhan.

This is 47% decline and the findings of the current survey are for blindness as defined to be vision of less than 3/60 in the better eye.The WHO had set the goal of lowering the prevalence of visual impairment by 25% by 2019 as compared to 2010 levels," he said.

India changed its over four-decade-old definition of blindness in 2017, bringing it in line with the WHO criteria. According to the new definition, a person who is unable to count fingers from a distance of three metres would be considered "blind" as against the earlier stipulation of six metres, which was adopted in 1976.

The survey also revealed that in 66.2% cases the cause of blindness was untreated cataract. The survey found a higher prevalence of blindness in illiterates i.e. 3.23% in comparison to 0.43% among 10 pass and above. Further the report noting a rural urban divide, said that blindness was more prevalent in rural population i.e. 2.14% as compared to 1.80% in rural population.

Blindness was found to be lowest in Thrissur district in Kerala and in Thoubal district in Manipur whereas Bijnor distirct in Uttar Pradesh witnessed the highest prevalence. The house-to-house survey was designed to generate representative data for the sampled districts as well as for India. An additional survey was conducted between 0-49 years age group in Jan-Feb 2019 and covered 18,000 people in six districts across various regions of India," Promila Gupta, Principal Consultant, National Programme for Control of Blindness, Ministry of Health said.

"The results of both surveys, in 0-49 age group and in equal and above 50 years population, were used to estimate the prevalence of blindness and visual impairment in India across all age group," she said.

Link:
Estimates of blindness reduced by 47% in 12 years: Govt survey - Livemint

Sleep apnea linked to blindness in diabetic patients

New York, Oct 15 (IANS) Severe sleep apnea is a risk factor for developing diabetic macular edema, a complication of diabetes that can cause vision loss or blindness, a study said.

For the study, the research team looked at the data from all patients diagnosed over an 8-year period at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital in Taiwan.

"Based on the results, we hope that more medical professionals will approach sleep apnea as a risk factor for diabetic macular edema," said study researcher Juifan Chiang from Taiwan.

This condition is called ''Diabetic Retinopathy'' and is a leading cause of blindness in the US.

Diabetic macular edema is more difficult to treat in patients with severe sleep apnea, the researchers said.

When diabetics have poor control over the blood sugar levels, tiny blood vessels at the back of the eye can become damaged.

Sometimes, tiny bulges protrude from the blood vessels, leaking fluid and blood into the retina. This fluid can cause swelling or edema in an area of the retina that allows us to see clearly.

According to the researchers, sleep apnea may contribute to the development and worsening of Diabetic Retinopathy by increasing insulin resistance, elevating inflammation and raising blood pressure, all of which can damage the blood vessels at the back of the eye.

They found the rate of severe sleep apnea was significantly higher in patients with diabetic macular edema compared with those without diabetic macular edema (80.6 per cent vs. 45.5 per cent).

They also found that the worse their sleep apnea was, the worse their macular edema.

Severe sleep apnea was also more prevalent in patients who needed more treatment to control their macular edema.

The study was presented at the 123rd Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology in the US.

--IANS

bu/ar/kr

Disclaimer :- This story has not been edited by Outlook staff and is auto-generated from news agency feeds. Source: IANS

The rest is here:
Sleep apnea linked to blindness in diabetic patients - Outlook India

In an effort to prevent post-operative vision loss, Dr. David Anschel is on a mission to convince hospitals to adopt his invention.

Its not common for patients to lose their vision after surgery. But when it happens, its devastating. Of the 2 million spine, brain and cardiac surgeries performed each year, 3,500 result in whats known as post-operative vision loss, or POVL.

Thats according to research by Dr. David Anschel, who is board-certified in neurology, clinical neurophysiology and epilepsy and currently heads up the Comprehensive Epilepsy Center of Long Island at St. Charles Hospital in Port Jefferson. Through his company, Rocky Point-based Anschel Technology, he has invented SightSaver, an FDA-approved and patented device that monitors the visual system during surgery and helps reduce the risk of POVL. To hospitals across the country, Anschel is pitching SightSaver as an upgrade to the system they might already have in place, claiming his device is more comfortable, more hygienic and more reliable. And, he said, the device has already been used on hundreds of patients across the country. Anschel spoke with LIBN about the process and what compelled him to become an inventor.

Is there a direct connection between your medical specializations and your invention?

I have a sub-specialization in clinical neurophysiology including intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring. I was serving on the faculty of Stony Brook University Hospital as its director of intraoperative monitoring when I made the decision to develop a better solution for monitoring the visual system during surgery. This involves monitoring and preserving the integrity of the nervous system during surgery. In 2006, my patient went blind during spine surgery and I wanted to find a way to prevent this horrible complication.

That must have been terrible. What is the process of developing such an invention?

After my patient went blind, I tried using the various products on the market at that time for monitoring vision function during surgery, but they did not provide good results. I then began making modifications to some of the off-the-shelf products, which ultimately led to my inventing a new solution the SightSaver, to prevent blindness, which is nearly the worst possible surgical complication, second only to death.

Is there a specific problem that SightSaver addresses?

Post-operative visual loss, or POVL. Many people have no idea that the risk of vision loss during surgery exists. This is particularly true for the over 2 million higher risk operations performed in the U.S. each year. It is not fully understood why some patients become blind during non-intracranial surgeries, but we do know that most are due to optic nerve ischemia [damage of the optic nerve that caused by a blockage of its blood supply, according to Merck Manuals]. The SightSaver helps prevent potential vision loss through better detection and intervention using visual evoked potentials, which is a highly sensitive method for detecting optic nerve dysfunction such as ischemia.

Do certain surgeries pose a higher risk of potential vision loss?

Certain brain and ocular procedures are the highest risk. Additionally, cardiac and spine surgery each are associated with much higher rates of POVL than other non-ocular procedures. However, POVL can occur in a wide range of surgeries, from joint replacements and peripheral vascular to rhinoplasty and certain urological and gynecological procedures using robotics.

What do you tell hospitals as to why they should choose your device over what they are currently using in their surgical units?

SightSaver may help prevent the second worst possible surgical complication. The risks posed by SightSaver appear to be negligible, with a minimal additional cost, which should be recovered likely at a profit by the hospital. These would seem compelling enough reasons for hospitals to explore a better way to monitor the visual system during surgery. For the hospitals across the nation who have already been using the SightSaver on hundreds of patients, I think its value proposition has been demonstrated.

You mention profits, but would your device play a role in helping contain healthcare costs?

The costs of blindness are tremendous. Each case of prevented blindness represents an enormous savings to our healthcare system and allows that person to remain a more productive member of society.

Tell us about what its like to pitch your device in regions where there is a broad selection of high quality hospitals and other healthcare providers?

Competition encourages innovation and implementation of new treatments, so it is very important. Unfortunately, the trend in this country is towards a more centralized and less innovative environment. Thats why in presenting the SightSaver my first outreach within a hospital is to its surgeons, neurologists and anesthesiologists, because their primary focus is on their patients and not on maintaining the status quo.

Did you always want to be a doctor or do you believe there was always an inventor inside you that possibly could have taken you down another career path?

I have always been a curious person and interested in science. Over time, I eventually focused on medicine, but could see myself shifting paths at some point. Where that path may lead, I dont know yet.

What advice do you have for other inventors as they seek to secure FDA approval?

Be persistent and try to lead each step of the process, but dont be afraid to seek help. I did work with a design engineer on the product design and an electrical engineer on the circuitry. Once the device was produced, I subjected it to clinical trials leading to research abstracts attesting to its performance efficacy [and] presented at scientific conferences and ultimately peer-reviewed publications.

Read the original post:
Executive Profile: Dr. David Anschel - Long Island Business News

President of the St. Kitts Society for the Blind, Mr Rockliffe Bowen, has on behalf of the executive and members of the society thanked the St. Kitts (Basseterre) Lions Club for remembering and positively engaging persons with disabilities at a beach picnic celebration Saturday at the Anchorage in Frigate Bay.

I want to say on behalf of our executive how appreciative we are in the Lions Club remembering us, because too many times we feel left out and we feel that nobody is studying us, he said. But I must say that the Lions Club they have come forward and they have put on this wonderful beach picnic for us and we must give our sincere thanks to them.

I must say thanks on behalf of both organisations, to the St. Kitts Basseterre Lions Club for the invitation they have extended to us by providing this wonderful food and everything that we are partaking of, Bowen, who is also the Vice President of the McKnight Community Centre-based St. Kitts and Nevis Association for Persons with Disabilities, added.

October is observed as the Blindness Awareness Month and Lions Clubs worldwide celebrate the blind in the month according to the President of the St. Kitts (Basseterre) Lions Club, Ms. Charmaine Pemberton. World Sight Day was observed on Thursday and this years call to action was Vision First!

Today we are here with the members from the St. Kitts Society for the Blind having a picnic out for them, said Ms Pemberton. Every year we do this picnic, bring out the blind to socialise with us, and have some fun, play dominos, cards we do games, we do swimming. This morning went on a walk from the Cenotaph and we are now here at the beach having fun.

The walk, themed Journey for Sight, started at 6 a.m. from the Cenotaph at the War Memorial in Fortlands, down on the Bay Road, on to Sandown Road, left to Pond Road, straight up Cayon Street via Greenlands, left to Burden Street, and back to the Cenotaph. In the afternoon they assembled under a large tent on the beach at the Anchorage in Frigate Bay where they had a sumptuous meal, played dominos and others swam in the sea.

The St. Kitts (Basseterre) Lions Club will also make a presentation Tuesday to the St. Kitts Society for the Blind and the St. Kitts and Nevis Association for Persons with Disabilities at the McKnight Community Centre. According to Ms Pemberton the presentation will include dominos and cards in braille for their enjoyment, and braille books for their reading.

Members of the McKnight Community Centre-based St. Kitts and Nevis Association for Persons with Disabilities are sponsored by the government of St. Kitts and Nevis agency, Skills Training Empowerment Programme (STEP).

Also I want to say thanks to the persons who showed up here this afternoon to participate in this social event, members of both organisations, the St. Kitts Society for the Blind and the St. Kitts and Nevis Association for Persons with Disabilities which is located at the McKnight Community Centre, Bowen said.

Others present and who helped out included St. Kitts (Basseterre) Lions Clubs 2ndVice President Ms. Heather Grant; Secretary Ms. Toshie Davis; Past President Ms. Adora Warner; and members of the club.

View post:
Lions Club honours visually impaired in celebration of Blindness Awareness Month - The St. Kitts-Nevis Observer

Benjamin Yerxa, chief executive of the Foundation Fighting Blindness, said results from a recent clinical trial represented a major step forward for sufferers of a degenerative disease called retinitis pigmentosa

A leading non-profit group funding research into treatments for retinal degenerative diseases has hailed as major step forward a potential therapy developed by ().

The comments from Benjamin Yerxa, chief executive of the Foundation Fighting Blindness, followed the presentation of data from a phase I/IIa clinical study by trial investigator Pravin Dugel.

He has been working on ReNeurons human retinal progenitor (hRPC) stem cell line, which has shown early promiseimproving, or stabilising clarity of vision in people with the degenerative disease retinitis pigmentosa.

Dugel's address to the American Academy of Ophthalmology Annual Meeting in San Francisco was based on the latest results from the clinical assessment of the drug candidate, published on October 2.

After the presentation, Yerxa said: "We're excited by the progress of ReNeuron's hRPC therapy.

From the Foundation's perspective, any gain in vision, or even stabilisation, is a major step forward for patients with RP as currently it is a condition where progressive loss of vision leads to blindness."

Earlier this month ReNeuron said it had seen rapid and profound results in the first three patients of the second phase of clinical studies of its human retinal progenitor cells.

The phase IIa trials saw noticeable improvements in visual acuity as measured by the number of letters that could be read on a standard eye chart.

Six months after treatment there was a mean improvement of 18.5 letters per treated eye, with a mean improvement of 12 letters per treated eye after nine months, whereas inexorable disease progression is the norm for this disease.

With total of 22 patients now treated and the study still ongoing, ReNeuron said the efficacy in subsequent patients was seen but at a lower rate and magnitude, with improvement in visual acuity ranging from +5 to +11 letters in the treated eye three months after treatment.

I believe that we are seeing a clear signal of efficacy in this patient population where any gain in vision, let alone the levels seen in some of these patients, is so hard to come by and so very much appreciated," said Dr Pravin Dugel, managing partner at Retinal Consultants of Arizona and clinical professor at the Roski Eye Institute in Los Angeles.

Read the original post:
ReNeuron cell-based treatment hailed by leading non-profit group funding research into treatments for retinal degenerative diseases - Proactive...

A phase I/II trial run by the Dutch company ProQR has found that its RNA therapy could significantly improve the vision of people with Lebers congenital amaurosis, a rare genetic disease for which there is no treatment.

The RNA drug, called sepofarsen, is designed to treat people with a specific mutation in a gene called CEP290. This mutation causes the RNA transcript of the gene to have the wrong three-dimensional structure, blocking its translation into a protein. This, in turn, causes vision loss in the first few years of life.

Sepofarsen is an RNA molecule that specifically binds to the faulty RNA transcript to stabilize its structure and allow the retinal cells to produce the protein.

In a phase I/II trial run in the US and Belgium, the RNA drug significantly improved the vision of children and adults with this condition over a 1-year period.

In some cases the patients vision improved to a level that could be deemed life-changing, said Stephen Russell, a professor at the University of Iowa and principal investigator of the study.

The effects of the drug were stronger on patients that had a certain level of visual acuity to start with. These are ultimately the target population of ProQR, which is already running a phase II/III study that will follow the response of 30 patients over the course of 2 years. Results from that trial are expected in 2021 and will inform whether the FDA and the EMA approve the drug or not.

The main goal of the phase I/II trial was to determine the safety of sepofarsen. While the treatment caused cataracts in eight out of 11 patients, all of those who underwent lens replacement surgery recovered their vision. Other side effects of the drug on the eye were manageable with additional treatments.

There are hundreds of different genetic mutations that cause blindness. The rarity of each of these conditions individually has meant that many of them have no treatment available. In recent years, gene therapy has become an option to treat some of these conditions; the first was Luxturna, approved in 2017. Another approach that has only entered the first clinical trial this year is CRISPR gene editing, which is being carried out by Editas Medicine and Allergan.

In contrast, ProQRs RNA drug could provide an alternative approach that does not involve a permanent change in the DNA of retinal cells. The drug is instead delivered to the eye via injection every 6 months.

Still, each of these new treatments can only address one specific mutation of the many causing blindness. As all these new technologies are developed, together they could eventually provide solutions covering a wide range of these mutations.

More:
RNA Therapy Improves Vision in Untreatable Genetic... - Labiotech.eu

Contact: Emily Damm

Starkville Mayor Lynn Spruill, center, signed a proclamation on Sept. 24 to designate Oct. 15 as White Cane Awareness Day, affirming the significant role that persons with disabilities have in the local community and recognizing the white cane as a tool of independence. Looking on were representatives from MSUs National Research and Training Center on Blindness and Low Vision, Delta Gamma sorority, MSU Disability Support Services and local community members. The NRTC will host activities in honor of the occasion on MSUs Drill Field Oct. 15. (Photo by Emily Damm)

Mississippi States National Research and Training Center on Blindness and Low Vision is celebrating White Cane Awareness Day Oct. 15 and is inviting members of the university and local community to a range of activities on the Drill Field.

An informational booth from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. will feature:

The MSU sorority Delta Gamma, which supports the philanthropy Service for Sight, has partnered with NRTC to lead the obstacle course, which participants will complete with simulator glasses or blindfolds. In case of rain, the event will move to the first floor of the Colvard Student Union.

In September, Starkville Mayor Lynn Spruill signed a proclamation to designate Oct. 15 as White Cane Awareness Day, affirming the significant role that persons with disabilities have in the local community and recognizing the white cane as a tool of independence.

This celebration started in 1964 when Congress adopted a joint resolution designating Oct. 15 as White Cane Safety Day. This day helped motorists and cyclists learn about the laws that affected people with blindnesslike stopping at crosswalks when they notice someone with a white cane. It has since been transformed from solely an awareness day to a celebration of the ways that people with disabilities contribute to society.

For more information, contact Emily Damm, NRTC Communications Specialist, at 662-325-6695.

Here is the original post:
National Research and Training Center on Blindness and Low Vision hosts White Cane Awareness Day at MSU - Mississippi State Newsroom

By Express News Service

HYDERABAD:Prevalence of blindness and visual impairment is one of the highest in Telangana, as inferred from the National blindness and visual impairment survey in India report, released by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Thursday.

The survey was conducted by AIIMS, New Delhi. 31 districts from 24 States and Union Territories were selected and 3,000 people from each district 3,000 people were surveyed. From Telangana, the erstwhile Warangal district was selected.

The survey reports that the prevalence of blindness was second highest in Warangal among the 31 districts, with a prevalence rate of 3.47 per cent, whereas the prevalence of visual impairment was 20.31 pc. The district with highest prevalence of blindness and visual impairment was Bijnor in Uttar Pradesh (3.67 and 21.82 per cent) respectively.

The survey was undertaken in Telangana in 2016, before the start of the States Kanti Velugu programme. The major reason behind people losing vision was found to be untreated cataract in 66.2 percent cases, and refractive error in 70.6 percent cases.

See the article here:
Prevalence of blindness, visual impairment high in Telangana - The New Indian Express

Last Updated On 10 October,201906:48 pm

In Pakistan, 2.2 million people are affected by blindness.

LAHORE (Web Desk) - World Sight Day is being observed across the world today to create awareness about the need to pay attention on vision impairment and blindness. This years theme is - Vision First.

In Pakistan 2.2 million people are affected by blindness while 20 million people are facing weakness of eyesight. Pakistan has also fallen on number three in the list of countries having more blind people.

Medical experts opine that the garbage in the metropolis city of Karachi is the main reason behind the vision impairment problems in the city.An eye expert said unnecessary use of electronic instruments can affect eyesight and only way to protect our self from such disease is to take care of our self by having healthy food.

Every year this day strives to create awareness about the need to give the necessary attention to eye care. International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness plans the world sight day each year. World Sight Day 2019 motivates people to pledge to take an eye exam and encourage others for the same. The theme for this year is - "vision first". This theme highlights the importance of an eye exam to prevent any possible eye disorder.

The target set by this year is to end eye disease by 2020.

Initially started by the Lions Club International Foundation as part of the Sight First campaign in the year 2000, World Sight Day is now coordinated by the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) under the VISION 2020 global initiative which aims to promote a world in which nobody is needlessly visually impaired.

The main aims of World Sight Day include:

To Raise public awareness of issues surrounding blindness and visual impairment.

To influence Governments, and in particular Health Ministers to participate in and donate funds to blindness prevention programmes.

To educate about blindness prevention.

To generate support for Vision 2020 programme and activities.

Across the world, events include seminars, donation drives rallies and online events. There is also an annual World Sight Day photography competition which is open to photographers both amateur and professional, anywhere in the world.

The rest is here:
World Sight Day observed to create awareness about vision impairment, blindness - Dunya News