StemCell Therapy

New Delhi: India has changed its over four-decade-old definition of blindness, bringing it in line with the WHO criteria, a step that would drastically bring down the number of people considered "blind" in the country.

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 aim of revising the definition is also to be able to generate data which can be compared with global estimates and achieve the WHO goal of reducing the blindness prevalence of India to 0.3 per cent of the total population by 2020.The notification in this regard has been issued by the Union Health Ministry.

Going by the new definition, the population of blind people in India will reduce from 1.20 crore (as per National Blindness survey 2007 data) to 80 lakh."Because of the earlier definition, we were projecting a higher figure of blind people from India at any international forum, presenting ourselves in poor light.

Image used for representational purpose only.

"Also, the data that we generated under the programme could not be compared with the global estimates as other countries were following the WHO definition," said Dr Promila Gupta, Deputy Director General of National Programme for Control of Blindness (NPCB).

Further, India has to achieve the goal set by the WHO which recommends reducing the prevalence of blindness to 0.3 percent by 2020 to achieve the elimination of avoidable blindness.

"It would have been extremely difficult to achieve the WHO goal using the earlier NPCB definition since we had been addressing an extra 4 million (40 lakh) individuals blind due to refractive errors. Whereas, by adopting the blindness criteria of WHO, India now can achieve the goal," said Professor Praveen Vashist, in-charge Community Ophthalmology at Dr R P Centre for Ophthalmic Sciences, AIIMS.

Also, the name of the scheme, 'National Programme for Control of Blindness' has been changed to 'The National Programme for Control of Blindness and Visual Impairment'.

"The programme, henceforth, will not only focus on the blind persons but also those with some kind of visual impairment. With the change in nomenclature, the number of beneficiaries will now increase to 40 million," Dr Vashist added.

The previous definition of blindness was adopted at the time of the inception of the NPCB in 1976.

"The probable reason for keeping 6 metres as the cut off distance for defining blindness in India was to include economic blindness cases which referred to a level of blindness which prevents an individual to earn his or her wages.

"In contrast, the WHO definition adopts a criteria for blindness that is which hampers the routine social interaction of a person (social blindness)," Gupta said.

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India swaps 40-yr-old definition of blindness for WHO criteria: 40 lakh people will no longer be classified 'legally ... - Firstpost

Glaucoma is the worlds leading cause of irreversible blindness. And heartbreakingly, so many cases are preventable.

Glaucoma develops slowly over the years, often without any noticeable symptoms. It describes the build-up of pressure inside the eye that pushes against the optic nerve, causing permanent damage over time.

There is no cure, and any vision lost to glaucoma cannot be reversed. But a simple, regular eye examination can make an incredible difference. Early diagnosis can help prevent any additional damage, with eye drops, medication or surgery able to control the pressure.

The risk grows greater with age. At 60, your chances of developing glaucoma will be 4 to 10 times higher than at age 40. If you have a family history of glaucoma, this risk is increased tenfold.

A new campaign called Glaucoma Aware is on a mission to unearth 150,000 Australians who face preventable blindness and dont know it. As per the campaigns recent survey results, around 60% of Australians either havent been tested or dont know if theyve been tested for glaucoma.

Consult your optometrist today, or click here to learn more.

One in two family members of Australians with advanced glaucoma are likely to show early signs of the disease.

Sue, 58, a Melbourne optometrist, knows this sadly all too well, with three out of four generations of her family affected.

Sues grandmother, Nellie, was diagnosed late in life. She was put on topical eye-drop medications, but unfortunately her glaucoma was already well established, she says.

Her glaucoma proved very difficult to control she was virtually blind by the time that she died, aged 95 in a nursing home.

Sues mother, Ellen, also got her eyes examined. Fortunately, she was diagnosed at a very early stage. shes been on topical eyedrops these last 30 odd years, and fortunately shes had good vision.

At 84 she takes no other medications and leads a very active lifestyle, including driving confidently.

Sue, keenly aware of her higher risk, gets an examination every year.

But Sue was taken by surprise when her son Daniel, also studying optometry, called with some startling news.

In the final week of his course, Daniel rang us and said the students had been checking each others intra-ocular pressures in preparation for their final practical examination, and his had been found to be unusually high.

At just 28 (an age where everybody thinks theyre bulletproof), Daniel was diagnosed with pigment dispersion syndrome an aggressive condition that can lead to glaucoma if its not treated at an early age.

Are you at risk from glaucoma? Learn more at Glaucoma Aware

Thankfully, at the time of diagnosis, Daniel showed no visual loss. He now receives regular care, and his pressures are now controlled with eye drops.

The family is optimistic he can continue life with his vision unaffected, and that in time, the pressure will subside.

Nonetheless, it was a startling wake-up call: glaucoma can affect anyone at any age. Even infants can develop the disease.

We routinely tell our patients that it should be checked every two years from the age of 40, or earlier if you have a family history, says Sue. But it certainly brought the message home to us: even at a younger age, this is something that can increase without having any awareness.

Sue believes this is particularly important for Australias over-60s. The incidence of glaucoma increase dramatically through the decades.

A lot of people self-diagnose as they get older. If they have trouble with their eyesight, they assume that its just because theyre getting older.

I think the lesson is that regular check-ups are important for everybody.

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The simple test that could prevent permanent blindness - Starts at 60

EAST SYRACUSE, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) - An East Syracuse woman went blind before she turned 30, and she turned what was once one of the worst time of her life into material for motivational speaking.

Diabetes not only took Monica Johnsons sight in 2002 it made her bedridden with nerve damage.

My first words that I had uttered were my life is over and Ill never be able to do anything ever again and that's it my life is over, she said.

She was a manager at a store at Destiny and a horse trainer before she went blind, and she was worried she would not have the same opportunities again.

I had gone from being totally sighted and working all sorts of jobs and opportunities to just to losing my sight. It started getting dark it was almost like a dimmer switch and things just starting a darker little by little by little. Over a six month period of time, on Feb. 9th I woke up and that was that was the last time I had saw daylight, Johnson said.

She said she had to move in with her parents and went into a deep depression.

Johnson said one day, she had a feeling that there is so much more to life than laying in bed and doing nothing.

Today, she lives on her own and travels the country as a motivational speaker.

She says there is no way she should be doing all she does today without the help of Aurora Central New York, an organization that helps both the vision and hearing impaired.

If youd like to get in contact with Monica Johnson, you can reach her at visionwithnosight@gmail.com.

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East Syracuse woman finds strength in her blindness: The - WSYR

A new treatment for blindness caused by diabetes is on the way, with Bicycle Therapeutics at Babraham announcing a milestone achievement.

The new treatment, for diabetic macular edema, is being devised in partnership with Belgian company ThromboGenics, which is focused on developing treatments for back of the eye disease.

Bicycles are a new class of small molecule medicines designed to overcome many of the limitations of

existing drugs.

Under the terms of the alliance, ThromboGenics has an exclusive license to undertake pre-clinical and clinical development and subsequent commercialization of a specified drug candidate; in return Bicycle receives development milestone payments and royalties on sales of products resulting from the collaboration.

Were delighted to be realizing our first candidate milestone from a Bicycle alliance and to be

advancing another Bicycle towards the clinic for the treatment of a significant disease, in this case DME, said Dr Kevin Lee, Bicycle chief executive. This achievement confirms the potential for Bicycles to be developed to address a broad range of poorly treated diseases.

We are continuing to expand our pipeline through research collaborations which will extend our reach into new therapeutic areas and allow us to explore new applications for the Bicycle platform.

This is an exciting moment in our partnership with Bicycle Therapeutics, said Dr Patrik De Haes, chief Executive of ThromboGenics NV. We believe that THR-149, a novel plasma kallikrein inhibitor, holds great promise for ophthalmology applications, expanding the range of treatment options available for people with diseases of the eye, particularly DME. We are rapidly moving towards the

clinic, and expect to begin clinical development early in 2018.

Bicycle Therapeutics is developing a new class of medicines to treat cancer and other important

diseases based on its bicyclic peptide product platform.

Bicycles are like antibodies. Their small size enables rapid and deep tissue penetration, allowing tissues and tumours to be targeted from within. Their peptidic nature provides a tuneable pharmacokinetic half-life and a renal route of clearance, thus avoiding the liver and gastrointestinal tract toxicity often seen with other drugs.

The company says it is rapidly advancing towards the clinic with its lead programmes which selectively deliver toxins to tumours. Its unique intellectual property is based on the work initiated at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge by the scientific founders of the company, Sir Gregory Winter and Professor Christian Heinis.

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New treatment for blindness - Cambridge News

Senior doctors from LVPEI said the focus of Indian eye researchers was on ocular regeneration, which involved developing methods to regenerate eye tissues.

Indian and UK executives speaking at the inaugural function of the four day UK-India Researcher Links Workshop, organised by The University of Sheffield, UK & L V Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, on Thursday at Hotel Taj Vivanta.

Hyderabad: Leading eye researchers from India and United Kingdom have agreed to join hands in an endeavour to eliminate corneal blindness.

Researchers from both the countries participated in a workshop aimed at discussing and developing innovative and scientific solutions to treat damaged corneas, at LV Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI) on Thursday.

The workshop, titled Application of innovative chemistry and bio-materials to treat corneas damaged by trauma, disease and infection featured close to 200 young researchers who were hand picked by senior eye researchers from UK and India after a thorough scrutiny of applications.

We need young scientists from both the countries who can generate unique ideas to handle corneal ailments. The workshop will establish collaborations between the two countries and nurture a generation of young scientists who can respond to ailments related to corneas, said Deputy Chief Executive, Royal Society of Chemistry, UK, Stephen Hawthorne.

Senior doctors from LVPEI said the focus of Indian eye researchers was on ocular regeneration, which involved developing methods to regenerate eye tissues. A major goal of this collaboration is to eliminate corneal blindness that will involve stem cell therapy for cornea, replacement of cells by using artificial cornea and explore 3D printing of tissues and organs for such eye defects, said Vivek Singh, Scientist, LVPEI.

The Royal Society of Chemistry and British Council through Newton Fund, are investing Rs 2.50 crore to organise Newton Researcher Links workshops for creating a platform for Indian and UK researchers.

Mei-kwei Barker, Director, British Council South India; Professor Sheila MacNeil from University of Sheffield and top researchers from LVPEI were present.

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India, UK to collaborate for treating corneal blindness - Telangana Today

Discovery of a gene in zebrafish that triggers congenital blindness could lead to new treatments for a similar disease in humans.

Asian Scientist Newsroom | April 20, 2017 | In the Lab

AsianScientist (Apr. 20, 2017) - In a study published in Scientific Reports, researchers report a zebrafish model of Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA), one of the most common causes of childhood blindness that accounts for five percent of all vision impairments.

LCA can be genetically transmitted to a child when both parents possess at least one dysfunctional copy of a gene involved in eye development. Although LCA is relatively common, the molecular mechanism behind the disease remains unclear.

Now, researchers in the Developmental Neurobiology Unit at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University (OIST) have found a similar syndrome in zebrafish. From this research, they aim to use zebrafish as a model to unravel the causes of LCA and therefore provide new leads for a treatment.

LCA affects the retina, the thin layer of tissue at the back of the eye that detects light as well as differentiates colors and communicates the information to the brain via the optic nerve. A healthy retina usually features light-sensitive cellsphotoreceptorscalled cones and rods. Cones are specialized in bright environment and detect colors while rods are used in dim light but are monochrome, which is why we see in black and white at night.

A person with LCA will display deformed or absent cones and rods. A total of 24 genesincluding a gene called Aipl1have been linked to LCA in humans and mice.

Using a genetically mutated zebrafish embryo that did not react to visual stimuli, the researchers discovered that zebrafish DNA contains two Aipl1 genes, namely Aipl1a and Aipl1b, which are active in rods and cones respectively.

The mutantcalled gold rush (gosh)presents a genetic mutation in the Aipl1b DNA sequence, and therefore losing Aipl1 activity in cone photoreceptors. Consequently, the cone photoreceptors showed a deformed morphology and sustained degeneration. Rods however were not affected, suggesting that the degeneration is cone-specific.

Probing further, the authors of the study also revealed that Aipl1 is critical for the stability of two enzymescGMP-phosphodiesterase 6 and guanylate cyclasewhich mediate phototransduction, the process of converting light into an electrical signal. Without these enzymes, the zebrafish is unable to react to light stimulus as the information is stopped in photoreceptors and fails to initiate the transmission of visual information into the brain through the optic nerve.

The research indicates that Aipl1b gene is important for visual function and maintenance of cone photoreceptors in the zebrafish. Without it, cones do not detect light stimuli and degenerate during development.

The gosh mutant is a good model for understanding the molecular and cellular mechanism of cone cell death and the pathological process of human LCA. Hopefully, this new knowledge will help to find a future cure for patients who suffer such a devastating disease as LCA, said Dr. Maria Iribarne, first author of the study.

The article can be found at: Iribarne et al. (2017) Aipl1 is Rrequired for Cone Photoreceptor Function and Survival through the Stability of Pde6c and Gc3 in Zebrafish.

Source: Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University; Photo: Shutterstock. Disclaimer: This article does not necessarily reflect the views of AsianScientist or its staff.

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Understanding Inherited Blindness Through Zebrafish Eyes - Asian Scientist Magazine

OTTAWA, Ontario--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

BioTalent Canada announced today that its animated short, Expanding Accessibility in Biotechnology, has won the Platinum Award for Motion Graphics Information at the 2017 Hermes Creative Awards, an international competition overseen by the Association of Marketing and Communications Professionals (AMCP). The award showcases the talent and creativity of marketing and communications professionals, many of whom have contributed to public service or charitable organizations.

This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170420005937/en/

Expanding Accessibility in Biotechnology was created as part of BioTalent Canadas Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) employer-awareness campaign, launched in 2016 and funded in part through the Government of Ontarios EnAbling Change Program. The campaign aims to reach and educate bio-economy employers on compliance with the new AODA accessibility standards.

As a national non-profit HR association for the Canadian biotechnology industry, BioTalent Canada works to ensure that the bio-economy has access to the talent it needs. According to research by the organization, only 7.6% of bio-economy companies had persons with disabilities on staff.

BioTalent Canadas animation seeks to increase awareness among employers on the importance of persons with disabilities as a strategically valuable labour market for Canadas biotechnology sector. Developed by eSolutions Group, the animation addresses the importance of creating an inclusive and diverse workforce, which in turn strengthens an organizations innovation.

Canadians with disabilities represent a valuable labour market, one which is under-represented in the bio-economy, says Rob Henderson, BioTalent Canadas President and CEO. It is encouraging to see an animation focused on the benefits of diversity win this award and get showcased at an international level.

Along with the animated short, BioTalent Canada is hosting events across Ontario to educate and train employers on AODAs accessibility standards and what they need to do to comply. The next event will be taking place on April 25th, in the heart of the City of Mississaugas life sciences core.

For more information on the Expanding Accessibility in Biotechnology event in Mississauga, or to register, visit BioTalent Canadas event page.

About BioTalent Canada

BioTalent Canada is the HR partner of Canadas bio-economy. As an HR expert and national non-profit organization, BioTalent Canada focuses on building partnerships and skills for Canadas bio-economy to ensure the industry has access to job-ready people. Through projects, research and product development BioTalent Canada connects employers with job seekers, delivers human resource information and skills development tools so the industry can focus on strengthening Canadas biotech business. For more information, please visit biotalent.ca.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170420005937/en/

MULTIMEDIA AVAILABLE:http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170420005937/en/

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BioTalent Canada's Animation to Promote Accessibility in Biotechnology Honoured with Award - Yahoo Finance

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

The Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO) today announced education program session titles and speakers for the 2017 BIO World Congress on Industrial Biotechnology. The education program features seven diverse content tracks with speakers from around the world over three days of the conference. The worlds largest industrial biotechnology and partnering event will be held July 23-26, 2017 at the Palais des congrs de Montral in Montral, Qubec, Canada.

Brent Erickson, executive vice president of BIOs Industrial & Environmental Section, stated, BIOs 2017 World Congress will feature the most diverse group of speakers and presenters in the conferences history, with scientists and executives from start-up companies, investors from the finance sector, consumer product manufacturers and government officials from across Canada, Europe, the United States and Asia. The education program and partnering system provide a unique forum for conference attendees to share the latest advances in renewable chemicals, synthetic biology, enzymes, food ingredients, fragrances, flavors, cosmetics, biofuels and biorefineries, agricultural crops and biobased materials.

Sessions featuring Renewable Chemicals and Biobased Materials include:

A Revolution in Biobased Products and Packaging Wed. July 26, 11:45 am

Renewable Chemicals and Thermoplastics for Performance Materials Mon. July 24, 10:30 AM

Scaling Novel and Innovative Processes for Commercialization Mon. July 24, 1:45 PM

Meeting Brand Owner and Retailer Demand for Green Chemicals, Materials, and Products Wed. July 26, 10:30 AM

Industrial Synergies and the Circular Economy Wed. July 26, 10:30 AM

All programs at the 2017 BIO World Congress on Industrial Biotechnology are open to members of the media. Complimentary media registration is available to editors and reporters working full time for print, broadcast or web publications with valid press credentials.

For more information on the conference please visit https://www.bio.org/events/bio-world-congress. For assistance, please contact worldcongress@bio.org.

About BIO

BIO is the world's largest trade association representing biotechnology companies, academic institutions, state biotechnology centers and related organizations across the United States and in more than 30 other nations. BIO members are involved in the research and development of innovative healthcare, agricultural, industrial and environmental biotechnology products. BIO also produces the BIO International Convention, the worlds largest gathering of the biotechnology industry, along with industry-leading investor and partnering meetings held around the world. BIOtechNOW is BIO's blog chronicling innovations transforming our world and the BIO Newsletter is the organizations bi-weekly email newsletter. Subscribe to the BIO Newsletter.

Upcoming BIO Events

BIO International Convention June 19-22, 2017 San Diego, Calif.

BIO World Congress on Industrial Biotechnology July 23-26, 2017 Montreal, Canada

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170420005149/en/

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BIO Announces Educational Sessions for 2017 BIO World Congress on Industrial Biotechnology - Yahoo Finance

NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwired - April 19, 2017) - Planda Biotechnology (PLPL) recently presented investors with its outlook for 2017 and a number of milestones that the company plans to accomplish in 2017. Planda's plans are certainly aggressive and representative of the new Chief Operating Officer (COO) -- someone we feel is ideally suited to move the company forward. It didn't take long at all for the new COO, Callum Cottrell-Duffield, to put his stamp on the company's future.

Three weeks ago Planda named Callum Cottrell-Duffield as its new COO, a role that will have him running the day-to-day operations of the company. In the time since being named COO, he has put together a plan to not only get Planda back on track, but to also move it aggressively into the future. With Planda shifting from purely a research and development biotechnology company to a company that is more focused on operations and sales, Callum Cottrell-Duffield is the ideal person to run Planda's day-to-day activity.

After all, he has been there from the beginning where he helped to prepare the company's 8,000-acre tea estate to grow, harvest and produce Planda's signature product, the highly bioavailable Phytofare Catechin Complex. Last year when that signature product was available for mass production and ready to market on a much broader scale, it was Callum Cottrell-Duffield who led the company's sales and marketing team. He has traveled throughout Africa, the United States, Europe, Asia and South America to tell the Planda story, and he has become the face of the company to the industry and to the large buyers who are either current clients or interested in developing a relationship with Planda worldwide.

In the company's latest news release, the COO highlighted several areas where he expects to see improvement and areas where Planda can realize growth. Among those items, Callum Cottrell-Duffield said that he (i) has placed getting the company "current" with its SEC filings at the top of his agenda, (ii) expects to increase production and to continue growing sales with Planda's existing customers as well as gaining traction in the market, which should lead to the addition of new customers all in an effort to make Planda cash flow positive and profitable by the end of 2017, (iii) recently signed a financing agreement that will provide the necessary capital to see the company through until it becomes cash flow positive.

With the appointment of Callum Cottrell-Duffield to COO, the company's CEO, Roger Baylis-Duffield, can now focus his efforts as a scientist on spearheading the company's clinical trials and developing new products for Planda to market. In the company's research and development efforts, the CEO will be busy with a number of major studies this year.

According to the COO, Planda's work in the clinic will include:

Additionally, Planda has granted a research license to Protext Mobility to develop pharmaceutical applications involving Phytofare. Protext will be conducting a human study using Phytofare to regulate glucose levels in Type 2 diabetics as well as, taking over the research to establish a platform for producing non-psychoactive Cannabis. Planda states that the plan for Protext is to produce a Phytofare complex containing bioavailable cannabinoids, cannabinoid acids, and polyphenols that will be formulated into an oral delivery system.

Needless to say, with success in these studies, these are all areas where Planda could develop much-needed products that could, in turn, drastically improve the company's bottom line. For a full look into the COO's agenda for 2017, read Planda's latest news release here:

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/plandai-biotechnology-chief-operating-officer-162043100.html

About Stock Market Media Group

Stock Market Media Group is a Content Development IR firm offering a platform for corporate stories to unfold in the media with research reports, corporate videos, CEO interviews and feature news articles.

We may from time to time include our own opinions about our featured companies, their businesses, markets and opportunities. Any opinions we may offer are solely our own, and are made in reliance upon our rights under the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, and are provided solely for the general opinionated discussion of our readers and viewers. Our opinions should not be considered to be complete, precise, accurate, or current investment advice, or construed or interpreted as research. Any investment decisions you may make concerning any company are solely your responsibility based on your own due diligence. Our publications are provided only as an informational aid. We encourage you to invest carefully and read the investor information available at the web site of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission at: http://www.sec.gov. We also recommend as a general rule, that before investing in any securities you consult with a professional financial planner or advisor, and you should conduct a complete and independent investigation before investing in any security after prudent consideration of all pertinent risks.

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We are not a registered broker, dealer, analyst, or adviser. We hold no investment licenses and may not sell, offer to sell or offer to buy any security. Our publications are not a recommendation to buy or sell a security.

Section 17(b) of the 1933 Securities and Exchange Act requires publishers who distribute information about publicly traded securities for compensation, to disclose who paid them, the amount, and the type of payment. In order to be in full compliance with the Securities Act of 1933, Section 17(b), we are disclosing that SMMG is compensated $5,000 per month by Plandai Biotechnology for content development. Neither SMMG nor anyone associated with it owns shares in PLPL.

For more information: http://www.stockmarketmediagroup.com.

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Plandai Biotechnology Sets Aggressive Agenda for 2017 - Yahoo Finance

By Ruthie Hawkins

Over 54 million people, about 23 percent of all adults in the United States, suffer from arthritis, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports.

According to research, the risks for arthritis is not equal among men and women. With the exception of gout, women have a significantly higher risk for nearly all types of arthritis and in particular osteoarthritis of the knees.

Could you have arthritis and not know? To help you return to your regularly scheduled lifestyle, here are seven signs of arthritis every woman needs to know.

1. Catching Also known as grinding, if joints like your knees or wrists feel like their tendons are tangled or catching on another, this is an early symptom of arthritis.

2. Fatigue With rheumatoid arthritis (RA), the immune system attacks the joints, in turn, leaving your body feeling fatigued. A loss of appetite, which can also induce fatigue, can also be an underlying symptom of arthritis.

3. Chronic Inflammation Flare-ups or a periodic increase in inflammation is a common symptom of rheumatoid arthritis, the Arthritis Foundation says.

4. Poor Range of Motion Less mobile than years before? Cant seem to reach for the top shelf without difficulty? These range-of-motion issueswhen accompanied with painoften point to arthritis, experts say.

5. Redness and Rash Though rare, in some cases, redness and rash may present itself, pointing to a condition called psoriatic arthritis. Red, flaky, and scaly in appearance, this inflammatory condition is incurable (but treatable) and may cause flares of joint pain, stiffness, and swelling especially in the morning hours. Even mild skin psoriasis can have a significant degree of arthritis, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) says.

6. Stiffness For many, arthritis begins with the inability to fully extend or bend a joint. Your joints may feel stiff, tight or full due to inflammation. Fortunately, experts suggest starting your day with a simple stretch session will reduce this symptom.

7. Swelling When comparing your joints, if one appears larger or puffier than the other assuming its not due to a previous injury that swelling may be indicating an underlying issue with arthritis.

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Seven Arthritis Signs Every Woman Should Know - Tri County Sentry (blog)

Editors note: Have you seen the Dogster print magazine in stores? Or in the waiting room of your vets office? This article appeared in our April-Mayissue. Subscribe to Dogster and get the bimonthly magazine delivered to your home.

It seems like yesterday I was trying to tone down Chippers leaping, sprinting and quick-turn maneuvering especially inside my home. I envied her nonstop energy. Now nearing her 14th birthday, my slow-moving Husky-Golden Retriever mix needs time to rise up from a nap and to steady her legs.

Chipper has arthritis in the spine and, like many of you with dogs dealing with arthritis, I ache emotionally each time I watch my good old dog walk gingerly, wince or let out a short yip from pain. Its tough to find specific statistics on the percentage of dogs who develop arthritis, but arthritis is more apt to strike large breed dogs like German Shepherds, Golden Retrievers and Labrador Retrievers; dogs with long backs like Dachshunds and Pembroke Welsh Corgis as well as any canine who is overweight or, worse, obese.

So, what do you do to relieve pain and mobility limitations in your arthritic dog and more importantly, what can you do to possibly even prevent this disease from showing up?

Two simple but powerful solutions: exercise and diet. By keeping your dog engaged in some form of daily exercise, you can prevent him from transforming into a canine couch potato. By not dishing up overflowing bowls of kibble and excessively heaping on treats, you can keep him from morphing into a hairy ottoman.

Research conducted in 2015 by the Association for PetObesity Prevention found that more than one half of adult dogs in the United States are overweight. Sporting extra pounds not only spurs arthritis, diabetes and heart disease but reduces the dogs life span by two to five years compared to dogs kept at healthy weights and exercised regularly.

Combining an exercise routine (like taking daily walks on level surfaces, rolling the ball during fetch sessions and swimming in safe bodies of water) with proper diet that keeps your dog at a healthy weight can positively affect the health of your dog, declared Nancy Soares, D.V.M., president of the American Animal Hospital Association and owner of the Macungie Animal Hospital in Macungie, Pennsylvania.

Dog swimming by Shutterstock

Denis Marcellin-Little, DACVS, DECVS, a certified canine rehabilitation veterinarian and associate professor of orthopedics at North Carolina State in Raleigh, added, Being overweight can certainly accelerate the progress of osteoarthritis and make mobility much more limited. Mobility is immensely important in dogs for their longevity, comfort and joy.

And heres a surprising fact: Excessive fat tissue not only packs on the pounds and impairs mobility, but these tissues (known asadipose tissues) actually secrete hormones that promote pain.

Adipose tissue is a major endocrine organ within the body that secretes hormones and other substances, and these substances secreted trigger an inflammation cascade, which brings about pain, Dr. Soares explained.

Even if your dog is diagnosed with arthritis, be it in the form of hip dysplasia, osteoarthritis of the knee or other joint, our experts assessed some tactics to ease the aches and pains:

Consult your veterinarian about the possible benefits of providing supplements like glucosamine, chondroitin and MSM to your adult dog before or at the early signs of arthritis. While most products in this category are not studied and cannot make claims regarding their efficacy, anecdotally, anti-inflammatory benefits can be seen, Dr. Soares said.

Acupuncture, therapeutic massage, hydrotherapy and laser therapy may be beneficial, but make sure theyre administered by certified professionals. Hydrotherapy is a form of exercise, so it is effective, but realistically, it is easier to take your dog on a walk than finding a place that offers an underwater treadmill, Dr. Marcellin-Little said.

Pain management medications prescribed by a veterinarian, such as anti-inflammatories and analgesics, can reduce swelling and pain in the joints, but steer clear of human medications like acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil), as they are both extremely toxic to dogs.

Yes, some dogs do well with joint replacement surgeries, but make sure the operation is performed by a board-certified orthopedic surgeon. Our pets deserve specialty treatment when advanced care is warranted, Dr. Soares said.

There is limited clinical evidence to support the expense and invasiveness of stem cell therapy, Dr. Soares said. Additional research is underway to determine the best treatment and efficacy for the best outcome.

A holistic option being hailed by veterinarians and physicians is turmeric, a powerful spice that new studies show has the ability to help lessen arthritic inflammation. Also consider adding turmeric root to your dogs diet as a preventive aid in the battle against arthritis. A little bit goes a long way (see our suggested recipe that includes turmeric root powder).

The parting message: The big three weapons in combating osteoarthritis in dogs are managing pain with medications, losing excess weight and exercising regularly to help your dog stay strong and have good joint mobility, Dr. Marcellin-Little said. Your dog will feel better and move better and, hopefully, enjoy a long, quality life.

Spices by Gina Cioli/Lumina Media

Check out this recipe for Golden Paste by Australian veterinarian Doug English (BVSc) from his website turmericlife.com.au. As always, consult with your veterinarian for best treatments for your pets specific health issue.

Ingredients:

Directions:

Continued here:
How to Relieve Arthritis Aches in Your Dog - Dogster - Dogster.com

According to recent studies, arthritis affects approximately one-third of all adult farm and ranch operations and is considered one of the leading causes of disability by customers of the U.S. Department of Agricultures AgrAbility Project. It tends to affect most ag industry workers in their hands, knees and hips mainly because these are the joints that take the most pressure.

Trauma to these joints in relation to farming and ranching occurs when jumping off tractors, being kicked by large livestock or constant bending when milking cows. It can also occur from repetitive motions such as gripping tools, walking on cement floors or locking knees when riding in vibrating machinery all day.

There is no known cure for arthritis but it can be managed so that its progress is slowed and its effects minimized. That management should begin with an arthritis team that can involve your family doctor, a rheumatologist, the pharmacist, and in some cases a physical therapist and occupational therapist. There are going to help you with the most important step which is a diagnosis and treatment program.

When it comes to farming and ranching, there are some pain management practices that you can follow to ease the burden. Some of those practices are:

Maintaining a healthy weight and lifestyle;

Quit smoking;

Avoid gripping and grasping for long periods of time;

Organize the day by ranking the days tasks in order of importance;

Use built-up handles on toolsrubber hose or washcloths can help;

Wearing quality, nonslip footwear;

Use the largest joint possible to complete a task; and

Simplify your work with labor saving devices.

These are just a few techniques that you can use to alleviate arthritis pain encountered during you daily work. For more information concerning arthritis and agriculture, research the following resources: http://www.arthritis-ag.org, http://www.agrability.org/resources/arthritis, and

http://www.arthritis.com.

Farmers and ranchers may extend productive life in agriculture if they are willing to commit to controlling their arthritis by diet, exercise, modifying their work, and respecting their limitations.

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Arthritis affects agriculture - High Plains Journal

April 20, 2017 07:00 ET | Source: David Steenblock, D.O. Inc.

SAN CLEMENTE, Calif., April 20, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- David Steenblock, an osteopathic physician based in San Clemente, CA, uses stem cells and other therapies to achieve significant and improved lifestyle outcomes for many stroke patients.

Many of our cases have demonstrated improved mobility for stroke victims who received stem cell therapy, along with other therapies, including chelation and hyperbaric oxygen, says Dr. Steenblock.

One patient who suffered a stroke several years ago, came to Dr. Steenblocks clinic to undergo the full stroke program. This included EDTA chelation, a procedure that removes heavy metals from the blood, and hyperbaric oxygen therapy, along with stem cells from his bone marrow to effect healing and restoration.

After having the bone marrow stem cells, the patients eyesight improved, and both of his knees, which hadnt been working well, were back to functioning almost normally. In addition, his hip joint went back to normal function and he believes his balance when walking has improved tremendously.

The EDTA Chelation Therapy, a treatment used to remove heavy metals from the blood, was used with hyperbaric oxygen, which can lead to significant neurologic improvements for stroke patients.

Dr. David Steenblock is a leading-edge physician in many fields of medicine, from stroke care, to acute brain trauma, to generative and cell-based medicine in the treatment of ALS, Cerebral Palsy and other chronic and degenerative diseases. For more information about Dr. Steenblocks work in stem cell therapies, visit http://www.stemcellmd.org

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David Steenblock, D.O., Uses Stem Cells and Other Therapies for ... - GlobeNewswire (press release)

The Emperor of All Maladies

Cancer is when an aberrant mutation in a cell leads it to prolifically divide, causingabnormal cell growth that can potentially spread to other parts of the body if untreated. Cancer is the second leading cause of death globally, with one in every six deaths caused by a type of cancer in 2015, leading to 8.8 million deaths.

Because different mutations can cause cancer, and cancerous cells can develop in many different parts of the body, doctors are continually coming up with different strategies for treating the disease. With each passing year, research on the topic continues to progress. From personalized vaccines to mecha-suit sperm, weve been looking inevery possible nook and cranny in hopes of finding an effective therapy that can work better than what we have today.

Currently, we use a host of methods to treat cancer, including surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, targeted therapy, hormone therapy, stem cell transplant, and precision medicine. While some cancer patients receive only one treatment, these treatments are normally used in conjunction to increase the rate of success.

Since the 1960s, our efforts in tackling cancer have progressed significantly. Patients back in the day had a five-year survival rate of around 50 percent. With the advent of these new therapies, some the most commonly diagnosed cancers in the U.S. have 5-year-survival rates at around 75 percent.

Many are hopeful that these numbers will soon improve again, with studies concluding that, of allnew cancer therapies that make it intorandomized controlled trials, at least 25 to 50 percent will improve current therapies. In fact, this might be the case for a newpotential cancer treatment that uses nanoparticles.

The next step in cancer therapies might be quietly waiting for its time in the limelight in Seattle, Washington, at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, where scientists have constructed biodegradable nanoparticles that can genetically program immune cells while inside the bodyto target cancer cells. The study was published on April 17 in Nature Nanotechnologyand focused on the effect that nanoparticle-programmed immune T cells had on leukemia in mouse models.

The nanoparticles carried genes that code for chimeric antigen receptors(CARs), which are proteins designed by scientists to help immune cells target and destroy cancer. Once the immune cells undergo this molecular modification, they turn into an army of cancer serial killers.

This new method can eliminate expensive and time-consuming steps that lag previous T cell cancer therapies. The current protocol is that theT cells are removed from the patient, genetically altered, regrown, and infused back into the patient. The biodegradable nanoparticles will eliminate the removal, regrowth, and infusion steps by accomplishing the reprogramming step over a time span of 24 to 48 hourswhile the T cells are in the body.

When the researchers compared the nanoparticle-based method to current immunotherapy methods that require the T cells to be removed, researchers noticed that leukemia-induced mice lived an additional 58 days on average when compared to the mice that received the current treatment.

While these results are exciting, the researchers are looking to make the process safer before they move into human trials. But if this new technique is approved for humans, it could have many more applications. Scientists are looking to adapt the method for diseaseslike hepatitis, HIV, or even solid tumors.

By quickly arming patients immune cells to fed off disease, this new treatment could lower healthcare costs and improve the quality of patients lives.

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In the Future, Cells Reprogrammed Inside Our Bodies Will Fight Cancer for Us - Futurism

Technology Networks

3D-printed Patch Can Help Mend a 'Broken' Heart Technology Networks In this study, researchers from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, University of Wisconsin-Madison, and University of Alabama-Birmingham used laser-based 3D-bioprinting techniques to incorporate stem cells derived from adult human heart cells on ...

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3D-printed Patch Can Help Mend a 'Broken' Heart - Technology Networks

NEW DELHI: India has changed its over four- decade-old definition of blindness, bringing it in line with the WHO criteria, a step that would drastically bring down the number of people considered "blind" in the country.

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 aim of revising the definition is also to be able to generate data which can be compared with global estimates and achieve the WHO goal of reducing the blindness prevalence of India to 0.3 per cent of the total population by 2020.

The notification in this regard has been issued by the Union Health Ministry.

Going by the new definition, the population of blind people in India will reduce from 1.20 crore (as per National Blindness survey 2007 data) to 80 lakh.

"Because of the earlier definition, we were projecting a higher figure of blind people from India at any international forum, presenting ourselves in poor light.

"Also, the data that we generated under the programme could not be compared with the global estimates as other countries were following the WHO definition," said Dr Promila Gupta, Deputy Director General of National Programme for Control of Blindness (NPCB).

Further, India has to achieve the goal set by the WHO which recommends reducing the prevalence of blindness to 0.3 per cent by 2020 to achieve the elimination of avoidable blindness.

"It would have been extremely difficult to achieve the WHO goal using the earlier NPCB definition since we had been addressing an extra 4 million (40 lakh) individuals blind due to refractive errors. Whereas, by adopting the blindness criteria of WHO, India now can achieve the goal," said Professor Praveen Vashist, in-charge Community Ophthalmology at Dr R P Centre for Ophthalmic Sciences, AIIMS.

Also, the name of the scheme, 'National Programme for Control of Blindness' has been changed to 'The National Programme for Control of Blindness and Visual Impairment'.

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India changes definition of blindness, opts for WHO criteria - Times of India

CTV Calgary Published Wednesday, April 19, 2017 11:38AM MDT Last Updated Wednesday, April 19, 2017 11:55AM MDT

Hundreds of thousands of people in the developing world are suffering from blindness or visual impairment due to a lack of one of the worlds most basic resources and a Calgary-based organization, including the efforts of one man, is trying to change that.

Rob Ohlson, the chairman for Operation Eyesight Universal, an organization dedicated to the prevention of avoidable blindness and the restoration of sight, has been going the extra mile to raise funds for his group.

He is credited with bringing in huge donations for the Washing Away Blindness campaign that aims to provide clean water to villages throughout Zambia and protect them from the devastating trachoma, a bacterial eye infection that leads to blindness.

He says he joined to celebrate the life of his father.

It was a way to celebrate his life and his career in India with the Bob Ohlson Centre for Sight Enhancement. I was just immediately struck by the impact that Operation Eyesight had.

In addition to raising money from donors, Ohlson has been matching donations and has come up with $485,000 so far.

Those funds are used to drill water wells for 24 of Zambias most vulnerable communities.

The clean water helps stop the spread of trachoma by allowing people to wash their hands and faces properly.

Brian Foster, the executive director for Operation Eyesight, says he is very happy with Ohlsons involvement.

He brings a lot of energy to the table and hes very involved with us as individuals and he pretty well knows everyone in our office hes pretty familiar with us all.

Ohlson says the work is very rewarding too, especially when it comes to seeing the change that clean, fresh water brings to an African village.

A lot of these areas are fairly dry, specifically in Zambia where were doing a lot of wells. You go back a year or two later and its just lush and green and the population is growing and its phenomenal.

For all he does to combat blindness in developing countries, Rob Ohlson is our Inspired Albertan this week.

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Albertan helping combat blindness in the developing world - CTV News

Deanna Coach Callender

Deanna Coach Callender is an inspiration. She is a lifelong resident of Minneapolis who lived a great life despite some recent health concerns, just like she did before going blind.

Callender went to grade school in Coon Rapids where, she says, No one looked like me. She then came to Minneapolis and went to Ramsey Junior High and Washburn High School. She graduated from Minneapolis Community College and St. Cloud State. She also formerly wrote for the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder (MSR).

Teaching was her passion. I retired from school teaching. I was a teacher and a girls and boys basketball coach and a girls volleyball coach at Lake Country Montessori School. Callender told MSR that she misses teaching.

That was the joy of my life, teaching and being around children. She began her career teaching high school physical education, English and health at Holy Angels [High School]. When my son went to school, I taught physical education, health and kindergarten at Kings Christian Academy and Risen Christ [School]. Callender has one son, ShirDon, who is an estimator at M.A. Mortenson Company. He is my pride and joy, of course.

Speaking about some of her firsts, she told MSR, I am the first African American female to graduate from Minnesota Military Academy, class of 1987. I also served in the military, in the national guard from 1982-1984. [I] served in the Army active duty from 1984-1991, reserves from 1994-1998.

I was [the first] African American female Greek, Delta Sigma Theta, on the campus of St. Cloud [State University]. I deactivated when I went down south because they were still segregated. My heart was broken.

Callender began losing her sight nine years ago. She has been blind in one eye for three years and almost completely blind in the other eye for about three months, So it is still kind of new to me. Initially, she was diagnosed with glaucoma. However, by the time they found out, her peripheral vision was already gone. It just progressively got worse. I could not take [eye]drops and there was nothing they could do. A couple months ago, I woke up [to experiencing] a little light coming through. I still get a little light, but I cannot see anything.

After losing her sight, Callendar said, I was probably a little distraught for about a month. Then I thought, Well, this is it. This is what it is, and I [have] to get back up and start moving. She currently is waiting on a call to get a seeing-eye dog.

Callender is a member of St. Peter A.M.E Church, a chaplain for the Minnesota Blind Veterans Association, the ambassador for the Challenged Athlete Foundation for Minnesota, and a member of the Youth Association of Blind Athletes.

I do a lot of traveling, she said. I am very much a sports enthusiast, even though I have lost my sight. I still do everything. My favorite things to do are whitewater kayaking I love doing that and skiing, tandem biking, scuba diving and goal ball [blind soccer] at the Winter Sports Clinic for disabled veterans. I have been going there for five years. Callender also likes fishing, baseball, rock climbing and bowling. I just do everything, she said. I have been on two whitewater kayaking [trips] that lasted a week at a time, one in Yellowstone River in Montana and one in the Sandwater River in Utah.

She is employed part-time at the Hennepin County Medical Center. I work as a moulage patient for the fire fighters, EMTs and first responders, as they do their training and certifying. [A moulage applies mock injuries for Emergency Response Teams and other medical personnel.] It is not every day but an on-call kind of thing. Sometimes I will work every day from nine to noon, and sometimes I will only work once a month.

The greatest thing in her life right now, she said, are the sports. The Challenged Athlete Foundation allows me to do a lot of things. They pay for a lot of my trips. They send me on a lot of trips as the ambassador. Its really is a wonderful life. Despite all the life changes she is going through, Callender plans to keep living on her own and doing various activities forever, she said adamantly. Being blind is not a big deal. [It] only makes you want to do more things.

Brandi D. Phillips welcomes readers responses to bphillips@spokesman-recorder.com.

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Sports enthusiast doesn't let blindness slow her down - MSR News Online

The Newburgh Press

Why Investors remained confident on L Brands, Inc. (LB), Puma Biotechnology, Inc. (PBYI)? StockNewsJournal Puma Biotechnology, Inc. (NASDAQ:PBYI), at its latest closing price of $36.85, it has a price-to-book ratio of 6.95, compared to an industry average at 11.13. A lower P/B ratio could mean that the stock is undervalued. This ratio also gives some idea ... Puma Biotechnology Inc (PBYI) Plunges 6.94% on April 18Equities.com Does $36.85 justifies Puma Biotechnology, Inc. (PBYI) shares?TopChronicle Orbis Allan Gray Ltd Has $1335000 Stake in Puma Biotechnology Inc (PBYI)The Cerbat Gem Market Exclusive -Markets Daily -Midway Monitor all 34 news articles »

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Why Investors remained confident on L Brands, Inc. (LB), Puma Biotechnology, Inc. (PBYI)? - StockNewsJournal

NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwired - April 19, 2017) - Planda Biotechnology (OTCQB: PLPL) recently presented investors with its outlook for 2017 and a number of milestones that the company plans to accomplish in 2017. Planda's plans are certainly aggressive and representative of the new Chief Operating Officer (COO) -- someone we feel is ideally suited to move the company forward. It didn't take long at all for the new COO, Callum Cottrell-Duffield, to put his stamp on the company's future.

Three weeks ago Planda named Callum Cottrell-Duffield as its new COO, a role that will have him running the day-to-day operations of the company. In the time since being named COO, he has put together a plan to not only get Planda back on track, but to also move it aggressively into the future. With Planda shifting from purely a research and development biotechnology company to a company that is more focused on operations and sales, Callum Cottrell-Duffield is the ideal person to run Planda's day-to-day activity.

After all, he has been there from the beginning where he helped to prepare the company's 8,000-acre tea estate to grow, harvest and produce Planda's signature product, the highly bioavailable Phytofare Catechin Complex. Last year when that signature product was available for mass production and ready to market on a much broader scale, it was Callum Cottrell-Duffield who led the company's sales and marketing team. He has traveled throughout Africa, the United States, Europe, Asia and South America to tell the Planda story, and he has become the face of the company to the industry and to the large buyers who are either current clients or interested in developing a relationship with Planda worldwide.

In the company's latest news release, the COO highlighted several areas where he expects to see improvement and areas where Planda can realize growth. Among those items, Callum Cottrell-Duffield said that he (i) has placed getting the company "current" with its SEC filings at the top of his agenda, (ii) expects to increase production and to continue growing sales with Planda's existing customers as well as gaining traction in the market, which should lead to the addition of new customers all in an effort to make Planda cash flow positive and profitable by the end of 2017, (iii) recently signed a financing agreement that will provide the necessary capital to see the company through until it becomes cash flow positive.

With the appointment of Callum Cottrell-Duffield to COO, the company's CEO, Roger Baylis-Duffield, can now focus his efforts as a scientist on spearheading the company's clinical trials and developing new products for Planda to market. In the company's research and development efforts, the CEO will be busy with a number of major studies this year.

According to the COO, Planda's work in the clinic will include:

Additionally, Planda has granted a research license to Protext Mobility to develop pharmaceutical applications involving Phytofare. Protext will be conducting a human study using Phytofare to regulate glucose levels in Type 2 diabetics as well as, taking over the research to establish a platform for producing non-psychoactive Cannabis. Planda states that the plan for Protext is to produce a Phytofare complex containing bioavailable cannabinoids, cannabinoid acids, and polyphenols that will be formulated into an oral delivery system.

Needless to say, with success in these studies, these are all areas where Planda could develop much-needed products that could, in turn, drastically improve the company's bottom line. For a full look into the COO's agenda for 2017, read Planda's latest news release here:

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/plandai-biotechnology-chief-operating-officer-162043100.html

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We may from time to time include our own opinions about our featured companies, their businesses, markets and opportunities. Any opinions we may offer are solely our own, and are made in reliance upon our rights under the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, and are provided solely for the general opinionated discussion of our readers and viewers. Our opinions should not be considered to be complete, precise, accurate, or current investment advice, or construed or interpreted as research. Any investment decisions you may make concerning any company are solely your responsibility based on your own due diligence. Our publications are provided only as an informational aid. We encourage you to invest carefully and read the investor information available at the web site of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission at: http://www.sec.gov. We also recommend as a general rule, that before investing in any securities you consult with a professional financial planner or advisor, and you should conduct a complete and independent investigation before investing in any security after prudent consideration of all pertinent risks.

We are not a registered broker, dealer, analyst, or adviser. We hold no investment licenses and may not sell, offer to sell or offer to buy any security. Our publications are not a recommendation to buy or sell a security.

Section 17(b) of the 1933 Securities and Exchange Act requires publishers who distribute information about publicly traded securities for compensation, to disclose who paid them, the amount, and the type of payment. In order to be in full compliance with the Securities Act of 1933, Section 17(b), we are disclosing that SMMG is compensated $5,000 per month by Plandai Biotechnology for content development. Neither SMMG nor anyone associated with it owns shares in PLPL.

For more information: http://www.stockmarketmediagroup.com.

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Plandai Biotechnology Sets Aggressive Agenda for 2017 - Marketwired (press release)