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Dr. Kashef Ijaz

Gregory Noland

By Gregory S. Noland, Director, River Blindness Elimination Program, and Dr. Kashef Ijaz, Vice President-Health, The Carter Center

World Sight Day is the second Thursday in October, and we at The Carter Center and our country offices are doing our part to preserve vision in vulnerable populations through our robust river blindness and trachoma programs.

In our August column, Kelly Callahan, director, Trachoma Control Program, described the programs accomplishments, so this column will concentrate on our River Blindness Elimination Program.

River blindness, also known as onchocerciasis, is a parasitic infection that can cause intense itching, skin discoloration, rashes, and eye disease that often leads to permanent blindness. The parasite is spread by the bites of infected black flies that breed in rapidly flowing rivers.

About 20.9 million people are infected with the parasite, with more than 240 million at risk of the disease in sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, and Yemen.

The Carter Center currently works to eliminate river blindness in Brazil,Ethiopia,Nigeria,Sudan,Uganda, andVenezuela. Together with the respective ministries of health and partners, the Centers Onchocerciasis Elimination Program for the Americas has eliminated river blindness transmission in Colombia (2013),Ecuador (2014),Mexico (2015), andGuatemala (2016) the only four countries in the world to achieve this status.

The Carter Center assists the national ministries of health to eliminate river blindness through health education and mass drug administration (MDA) of the medicine Mectizan, donated by Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, New Jersey. Mectizan kills the parasite larvae in the human body, preventing blindness and skin disease in infected persons and stopping the transmission of the parasite to others.

We and our partners have made major progress against river blindness in Uganda.

Fred Matalocu, 65, is old enough to remember how river blindness (onchocerciasis) once devastated his community in northwest Ugandas Moyo district. Because of the unbearable itching, disfiguring skin damage, and crippling vision loss caused by the infection, people had to stop farming near the rushing rivers and streams in the area. And it affected him directly.

I have suffered from river blindness by scratching my body, he says. Some people used rough objects [to scratch themselves] as if their fingernails were insufficient objects such as dried maize cobs or sharp stones.

Ugandas Ministry of Health and The Carter Center (as the River Blindness Foundation until 1996) commenced activities in Moyo in 1993 in hopes of controlling onchocerciasis; elimination was not considered possible at that time. However, in 2007, Uganda boldly shifted its river blindness programs goal from mere control to elimination, and significant progress has followed.

Now, after years of treatments with Mectizan, the entire Madi-Mid North focus, including Moyo, has reached the status of transmission interruption suspected a major step toward elimination. In fact, the entire country is on track for elimination of onchocerciasis transmission within the next few years a feat that no country in Africa has yet achieved.

We believe all people deserve to be free of preventable diseases, and if things go according to plan, the people of Uganda soon will be free of this one.

Read this article:
As World Sight Day Nears, River Blindness is Fading - SaportaReport

In the leadup to World Sight Day, global eye care nonprofit Orbis International and UC Davis Health announce the launch today of a two-week training project on board the Flying Eye Hospital a fully accredited ophthalmic teaching hospital on board a plane.

According to a news release,Orbis's clinical staff and Volunteer Faculty (medical experts) along with UC Davis Medical Health physicians and staff will share their knowledge with nearly 50 ophthalmologists, ophthalmology residents, nurses, and biomedical engineers fromBolivia,Chile, andPeru, helping them build skills to fight avoidable blindness in their communities.

Orbis noted in the news release that the ophthalmologists and ophthalmology residents participating in the training will hone their skills using leading-edge ophthalmic surgical simulation training technology on the Flying Eye Hospital, which is currently at Moffett Federal Airfield, inMountain View, California.

The nurses and biomedical engineers will have hands-on training at the UC Davis Health Center for Simulation and Education Enhancement, a state-of-the-art facility focused on supporting interprofessional medical education and research activities, inSacramento, California. Simulation training allows the visiting eye care teams to grow their confidence in a training environment before moving on to real-life surgical procedures.

"Orbis has a long history of training eye care professionals inLatin America. After delivering virtual trainings throughout the pandemic in the region, we are thrilled to host participants once again for in-person training on board the Flying Eye Hospital," Derek Hodkey, president and CEO of Orbis International, said in a news release. "This project represents a wonderful opportunity to provide quality hands-on training through simulation as a means to fight against avoidable blindness around the world."

David Lubarsky, MD, MBA, CEO of UC Davis Health, pointed out that at UC Davis Health, they are committed to health equity and successful outcomes for patients everywhere.

As a nationally ranked teaching hospital, an important part of what we do is share our treatment techniques and medical research with other providers, he said in the statement. This partnership with Orbis will provide training to improve eye health and help prevent blindness in places where access to care is limited, and providers can't easily make it toCalifornia. We're excited about sharing our expertise in this way and taking the training to places where it will help patients around the globe."

Learning surgical skills for cataract removal will be a major focus of the training for the ophthalmologists and ophthalmology residents. Cataracts are the leading cause of blindness inBoliviaandPerudespite being treatable with an operation that can take as little as ten to fifteen minutes. Participants will also learn to treat other conditions that threaten vision, including glaucoma and macular degeneration, respectively the second- and third-most common causes of blindness inBoliviaandPeru. A select group of these participants, who are already highly experienced ophthalmologists, will also participate in a train-the-trainer course, which will deepen their ability to train the next generation of eye care professionals. This helps ensure ongoing continuity of and local access to eye care in their home countries.

Nurses will train in simulated emergency scenarios, patient recovery, operating room procedures and sterilization practices. In addition, nurses will receive an orientation to eye banking and get hands-on experience evaluating corneal tissue at Sierra Donor Services Eye Bank. Senior nurses will also participate in a train-the-trainer course integrated into the nursing training program. Biomedical engineers and technicians will train in ophthalmic equipment maintenance and repair. Part of this training will include a workshop hosted by biomedical engineers from Alcon,a long-time supporter of Orbis.

Forty Years of Innovation at Orbis

This year, Orbis is celebrating 40 yearssince the Flying Eye Hospital took its first flight. Since 1982, three generations of the Flying Eye Hospital have taken training to eye care teams in over 95 countries around the world. In 2020, Orbis reimagined in-person Flying Eye Hospital trainings as virtual ones to ensure that eye care teams could still access critical training safely during the pandemic. Orbis reached nine countries in 2020 and 34 countries in 2021 through virtual Flying Eye Hospital projects. As the plane has returned to in-person programming, the virtual model Orbis developed is being used in conjunction with in-person training, a concept known as "blended learning," to ensure that participants can maximize the time with their mentors, continue their education after the plane leaves and more.

Globally, 1.1 billion people live with vision loss, and 90% of cases are completely avoidable. Nine out of ten people with vision loss live in low- and middle-income countries, where quality eye care is often difficult, sometimes impossible, to access. An effective, lasting solution to this challenge is to ensure that eye care professionals in such countries can access quality ophthalmic training, building the skills they need to provide quality eye care to patients in their communities.

Over the past four decades, Orbis has conducted tens of millions of eye screenings and performed eye surgeries and laser treatments for hundreds of thousands of patients. Orbis has also trained hundreds of thousands of eye care professionals at all levels, including tens of thousands of medical doctors. The people Orbis trains go on to provide sight-saving care in their communities and, in many cases, go on to train eye care professionals themselves.

Read more from the original source:
World Sight Day: Orbis, UC Davis team up to train eye care teams from Latin America to fight avoidable blindness - Ophthalmology Times

Act 1 Intentional blindness?

How else to explain the GOPs reaction last week after a Daily Beast report that Herschel Walker, running for the Senate as an abortion opponent, paid for a woman to have an abortion?

Even as the former football star denied it, Walkers son called him a liar. He has four kids, four different women. Wasnt in the house raising one of them, tweeted Walkers son, Christian. [H]ow dare you lie and act as though youre some moral, Christian, upright man.

The GOP response to this embarrassing elephant in their room was intentional blindness.

Republicans stand with him, said Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.), head of the National Republican Senatorial Committee. So much for opposition to abortion if it means losing a Senate seat.

Act 2 More Intentional blindness?

How else to explain the silence among Senate Republicans when former President Trump said Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) had a death wish, before throwing a racist barb at McConnells wife?

Not one of McConnells Senate colleagues opened their mouths to stand by him and condemn Trump. None opened their eyes to Trumps threat and racism.

Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) was a lonely voice among Republicans in Congress, noting that Trumps words could lead to violence against the Republican leader of the Senate. She labeled his attack on McConnells wife absolutely despicable.

Cheney also noted her partys intentional blindness. How it could be that nobody in my party will say thats unacceptable, she asked.

The Wall Street Journals conservative editorial page noticed the chilling GOP silence.

The death wish rhetoric is ugly even by Mr. Trumps standards and deserves to be condemnedIts all too easy to imagine some fanatic taking Mr. Trump seriously and literally, and attempting to kill Mr. McConnell.

Act 3 Intentional blindness is now a pandemic?

Republicans running in the midterms are now required to close their eyes to the nearly two-year-old reality that a Democrat, President Biden, won the 2020 election. Blind eyes are now a sign of party loyalty.

Last week, data and polling website FiveThirtyEight ran a chilling headline: 60 Percent of Americans will have an election denier on the ballot this fall

Out of 552 total Republican nominees running for office, we found 200 who fully denied the legitimacy of the 2020 election. These candidates either clearly stated that the election was stolen from Trump or took legal action to overturn the results, such as voting not to certify election results or joining lawsuits that sought to overturn the election, the sites staff wrote.

Opinion polls put the share of Republican voters who refuse to accept Biden as a legitimate president at around 70 percent.

Similarly, The Washington Post reported last week that a majority of Republican nominees on the ballot this November for the House, Senate and key statewide offices 299 in all have denied or questioned the outcome of the last presidential election.

One politics professor, Larry Jacobs of the University of Minnesota, told the Post that mistrust of elections and the intentional undermining of their legitimacy is a disease that is spreading through our political process and its implications are very profound.

Jacobs thinking is supported by Pew Research polling. In August, Pew found 51 percent of Republicans say they like political leaders who assert [Trump won in 2020] compared with 17 percent who dislike such leaders.

Many of the Republican candidates running on intentional blindness will be sworn in as members of Congress in January 2023. Their presence on Capitol Hill will give more energy to claims of election fraud which have been proven false in courts, by intelligence experts and repeated audits.

Once in Congress, their next act of intentional blindness might be to try and reverse the outcome of the 2024 presidential election if they dont win.

A Yahoo! News/YouGov poll released in late September shows that among self-described Trump voters from 2020, just 33 percent say candidates should agree in advance to accept the results in this falls elections.

Trumps refusal to concede the 2020 election and baseless claims of voter fraud have proven damaging to the GOP in the recent past.

When he introduced the Big Lie about the 2020 election being stolen, it depressed Republican turnout in Senate run-off elections in Georgia two months later. Two Democrats won, costing Republicans the Senate majority.

The final act in this story of Republicans blinding themselves has yet to be written.

In the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale about a naked king parading through the streets as if he had dazzling clothes, it took a child to get people to open their eyes. He shouted out that the king had no clothes.

Here is hoping that there is a daring child to open Republican eyes.

Juan Williams is an author, and a political analyst for Fox News Channel.

See original here:
Juan Williams: The GOPs epidemic of intentional blindness - The Hill

The King has praised Malawi for its remarkable success in eliminating the infectious disease trachoma which causes blindness.

Charles paid tribute to the hard work, dedication and commitment that led to the breakthrough, in a message to the countrys president, Lazarus Chakwera.

The Countess of Wessex is visiting Malawi to celebrate the achievement and has attended a dinner marking the milestone, before joining guests at Malawis national World Sight Day celebrations on Thursday.

The King said in his message: This is a remarkable success, and a true testament to all those whose hard work, dedication and commitment has led to Malawi becoming the first country in Southern Africa to eliminate this devastating, neglected tropical disease as a public health issue.

Tackling avoidable blindness across the Commonwealth was a cause close to the heart of my beloved mother.

Indeed, the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust, set up in 2012 to create an enduring legacy for her, took the elimination of trachoma as a major part of its mission.

I am particularly proud that Malawi is the first country supported by the Trust to reach the extraordinary milestone of trachoma elimination.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) announced a few weeks ago it had validated Malawis elimination of trachoma as a public health issue, making it the fourth country in WHOs African Region after Ghana (June 2018), Gambia (April 2021) and Togo (May 2022) to achieve this significant milestone.

Sophie is visiting Malawi in her role as a global ambassador for the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness, and as former vice patron of the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust.

Charles went on to say: The commitment made by so many Commonwealth leaders at the Malaria and Neglected Tropical Diseases summit in Kigali a few months ago gives me great encouragement that other countries will be inspired by your achievement and, thus, redouble their efforts to eliminate trachoma along with other such diseases.

The rest is here:
Charles pays tribute to Malawi's elimination of disease causing blindness - Express & Star

Frank Bruni has seen many people and places over the last quarter-century as a correspondent and columnist for the New York Times.

Because of a rare vision disorder, he now lives with the knowledge that soon he may not see anything.

Bruni, 57, writes about taming that anxiety, and about aging and the hard-earned wisdom it brings, in The Beauty of Dusk, On Vision Lost and Found. On Friday, he kicked off the ninth Morristown Festival of Books in a free-wheeling, often humorous conversation with MSNBC anchor Katy Tur.

If you focus on all the bad that can happen that will become your life, that fear, that paralysis. What have you accomplished? Bruni said during the hour-long keynote at the Mayo Performing Arts Center, where he also touched on politics, the pitfalls of social media, the process of writing, and the pressures of college admissions.

The festival and its junior spinoff, KidFest, continue all day Saturday, Oct. 8, 2022, with free talks in downtown churches and the library by 60 authors. Tickets are $60 for the closing session with best-selling author James Patterson (Blowback).

Bruni awakened one morning in late 2017 with blurry vision in his right eye. Doctors told him a rare stroke had cut off blood to an optic nerve, rendering that eye functionally blind. They warned of a 20 percent chance the same thing could happen in his left eye.

For months, he faced the dawn with anxiety: Would he wake up blind?

A pair of clinical trials were dead ends. One study involved a series of injections directly into his faulty eyeball. Clamped eyelids kept him from blinking.

So you feel like youre Malcolm McDowell in A Clockwork Orange, Bruni recounted, to laughter from the large crowd.

The Beauty of Dusk offers examples of people persevering despite major disabilities a limb lost in wartime, early-onset Parkinsons disease, blindness. Many times we avoid asking individuals about their afflictions, out of politeness or concerns about making them uncomfortable. These are missed opportunities for insights, according to Bruni, who discovered that people were eager to share their stories for his book.

Gradually, he adopted a sunny view of his situation.

I think for a lot of us, there is a zone in which we can choose to be more positive or negative, Bruni said.

You can decide to be angry, and legitimately so. Where does that get you? You can decide to do a tally of all the things that are unavailable to youWhere does that get you? Or you can say, What do I have left?'

Driving at night has become problematic, and parallel parking is out. Reading can be a struggle. Yet Bruni knows things could be worse.

How lucky am I, or any of us who have vision disabilities, to be living at a moment in time when you can control the font size of just about everything?

Bruni said he even scammed the Times into sending him to a Greek island, the source of one of his trial drugs.

Bruni became a media professor at Duke University last year. He has covered the White House, the Persian Gulf War, and the AIDS crisis. Times assignments included Rome bureau chief, restaurant critic, and columnist; he also has appeared regularly on CNN and taught at Princeton. The Beauty of Dusk is his fifth book.

His most popular work, Where You Go Is Not Who Youll Be, took aim at college admissions.

I think weve done a hideous disservice to young people by changing their middle school and high school experiences into this terrifying period whereeverything they do is passed through the prism of how this will look to a bunch of strangers in Princeton, New Jersey, Bruni said.

Its really parents who have to change this, stop telling their kids that this school is better than that school because it rejects more people.

Fielding audience questions, Bruni and Tur who on Saturday will discuss her second book, Rough Draft agreed that writing is hard.

I kind of hate it, said Tur, 38, who anchors MSNBCs Katy Tur Reports. Her advice: Let the words cascade, then start pruning.

Although Bruni once banged out an Ivanka Trump column in 20 minutes, other pieces could take hours, he said. I dont have a process. Just a lot of hope and a keyboard.

When words dont come, he advised pausing. Take a run. Take a showerhave a cocktail.

Bruni and Tur said they dread man on the street interviews. They also admitted suffering from Imposter Syndrome, described by Tur as the fear that interview subjects will think youre an idiot.

Both were critical of social media. Blasted repeatedly by President Trump, Tur turned off her Twitter account before publishing her best-seller Unbelievable, My Front-Row Seat to the Craziest Campaign in American History.

Its a liberating feeling to release yourself from that jail, she said. It can ruin you. In reality, Twitter is a very small portion of the population who have not-representative opinions about most issues.

It was supposed to be a means and a tool of connection, and its become an agent of division, Bruni added. People use social media to hunker down deeper and more consistently in their own micro-tribes.

Most importantly, a young listener wanted to know how Bruni, a University of North Carolina graduate, feels about teaching at archrival Duke. Bruni got booed for that new affiliation while delivering a commencement address at his alma mater.

When the Tar Heels play the Blue Devils in basketball, Im Switzerland, Bruni insisted.

I view it all with anthropological curiosity.

MORE ABOUT THE 2022 MORRISTOWN FESTIVAL OF BOOKS

Originally posted here:
Coping with calamity: Former NYT columnist Frank Bruni on blindness and vision, at Morristown book fest keynote - Morristown Green

Express News Service

CHENNAI: It was during the pandemic that FM RadioCity received a call from Suresh, a weaver describing his tough fight with cataract and a plea for help as his profession depended on his vision. Providing a solution to the problem, Dr Mohan Rajan, chairman and medical director, Rajan Eye Care Hospital, collaborated with RadioCity and provided free checkup and treatment to the weaver. This initiative that began for Suresh has now extended as the Weavers Vision Project, serving 10,000 weavers in the silk belt ofthe state.

Service for a lifetime

Celebrating World Sight Day 2022 at the Rajan Eye Care Hospital, T Nagar, organised by Chennai Vision Charitable Trust and Rotary Rajan Eye Bank, the event witnessed the distribution of privilege cards to the weavers of Thiruvannamalai, Kanchipuram, Cheyyar, Vellore and Arani. Dr Vishnu Prasad, MP, gave the cards to almost 300 weavers, and applauded the initiative. The privilege cards will authorise the weavers to get free consultations, retino surgery, glasses and other eye health services, free for their entire life, said Dr Mohan. He also educated the audience on the importance of eyesight and the awareness of eye related problems. India contributes to 1/5th of the global blindness with 25 million people affected by blindness. If a kid loses his/her eyesight, he or she will lose 33 working years. For adults it is eight years of loss of working years, he explained.

Initiatives through years

The event also shed light on the fact that India is the largest producer of blindness, cataract disease and children with blindness in the world. Even though there is the case of curable blindness due to various reasons like cracker injury, diapetic retinopathy, short-sightedness or long-sightedness, the doctors confirmed that most people arent aware of the treatment they had to undergo and the various schemes available for reducing the economic burden on these treatments. Providing a solution to the array of problems, Rajan Eye Care started their eye bank in 1991.

With several ambassadors, the project has reached millions of people and the institution continues to spread awareness on corneal blindness and the importance of eye donation. In 2005 their initiative, Blind Free India - A Reality, started organising eye donation rallies every year, reiterating the slogan, Daanathil siranthathu Kandanam, Kankale erikartheerkal, puthaikartherkal (The greatest donation is eye donation, dont bury or burn them).

The hospital also took the tertiary eye care services to the rural doorstep. Now, the latest initiative empowering the weaving community aims to create a better future for them and provide help to a major part of the working sector of the country. Guest of honour, Dr Nandakumar N, district governor, R.I Dist 3232, summed up, We need to support weavers and understand that their job is a seasonal play and requires a lot of effort. With collaborations like this, we can provide help to more people.

Read more from the original source:
Sighting solutions in a world of vision for weavers - The New Indian Express

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MONTREAL, Oct. 13, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Quebecers will have access to better glaucoma care thanks to one intrepid ophthalmologist. Dr. Hady Saheb, a glaucoma specialist at the MUHCs McGill Academic Eye Centre (MAEC), pledged to run 50km while blindfolded to raise $40,000 for the MUHC Foundation in support of glaucoma care. With the help of a sighted guide, he completed his run and raised $40,000 the process.

I treat patients who have become blind or have a medical condition that could cause vision loss.Blindness is one of the most devastating conditions a patient can live through, and glaucoma is one of the leading causes of blindness in Canada and worldwide. With better awareness we can prevent blindness. I ran blindfolded because I wanted to put myself in the shoes of those who live with vision loss and blindness, and better understand their struggles and fears.

Dr. Hady Saheb, Glaucoma specialist and ophthalmologist, McGill Academic Eye Centre, McGill University Health Centre

Dr. Saheb completed his final 5km on Friday, October 7th with supporters looking on. He hopes that his run will raise awareness of glaucoma and encourage more people to have regular eye exams. The funds raised will support equipment and programs to help individuals living with glaucoma, vision loss and blindness receive the very best care.

We are inspired by Dr. Sahebs determination and empathy. He already provides life-changing care in his clinic every day, but he went the extra milequite literallyto ensure the well-being of his patients. We are grateful to him for his support of the MUHC Foundation, which will in turn provide important resources to the McGill Academic Eye Centre.

Julie Quenneville, President and CEO, McGill University Health Centre Foundation

Glaucoma is one of the leading causes of blindness for people over 60 years of age. The most common form is caused by a build-up of pressure in the eye. The pressure damages the optic nerve, leading to vision loss or blindness. Most frightening of all, glaucoma can develop without warning signs, putting more individuals at risk. Thanks to Dr. Saheb, fewer Quebecers will experience blindness as a result of glaucoma.

About the McGill University Health Centre Foundation

The McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) Foundation raises funds to support excellence in patient care, research and teaching at the McGill University Health Centre, one of the top university hospitals in Canada. Our Dream Big Campaign to change the course of lives and medicine is raising millions of dollars to solve humanitys deadliest puzzles: infectious diseases; end cancer as a life-threatening illness; fix broken hearts through innovative cardiac care; detect the silent killersovarian and endometrial cancersearly; create the best skilled health care teams in Canada; and much more. We are rallying our entire community to solve the worlds most complex health care challenges.

Tarah Schwartz Director, Communications & MarketingMcGill University Health Centre Foundation [emailprotected]

Kelly AlbertSenior Communications OfficerMcGill University Health Centre Foundation [emailprotected]

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/bc9096a3-9224-40c2-ad20-54c1e72492f2

Blindfold Run raises $40 000 for the MUHC Foundation

Dr. Hady Saheb and Dr. Sherin Al-Safadi

Read this article:
Blindfold run raises $40,000 for the MUHC Foundation to support glaucoma care at the MUHC - StreetInsider.com

MacKenzie Scott is known for her philanthropy. If fact, shes rewriting the philanthropy playbook.

Makes sense in a way. She is an author.

When Scott and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos divorced in 2019, she instantly became one of the richest people in the world. Shortly thereafter she declared her intention to donate her entire fortune approximately $38 billion to charity. She seems to be right on track.

Scott eclipsed the $12 billion mark in lifetime donations earlier this year. Shes already donated to more than 1,200 organizations. Her philanthropy efforts havent skipped a beat since the recent announcement that she filed for divorce from her second husband.

VisionSpring announced today it is the most recent recipient of Scotts charity. The nonprofit accepted a $15 million gift from Scott. The money will go toward the organizations new initiative Livelihoods in Focus, a $70 million effort to correct the vision of more than 6 million people by 2030.

VisionSprings mission is to bring affordable eyewear to some of the poorest areas in the world. Scotts donation is believed to be the largest single private donation toward addressing the eyecare needs of individuals in poverty.

VisionSpring said it will focus on low-income tea, coffee, cocoa and artisan workers in India, Bangladesh, Ghana, Kenya and Uganda. To donate to VisionSpring click on this link.

World Sight Day is observed around the world every second Thursday in the month of October. Lions Club International started the observance in 2000 as part of its annual SightFirst campaign to fight blindness. The International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) joined the initiative that year as well.

It has become a global day of awareness and giving for those in need of adequate eyecare.

The INVISION Magazine e-mail inbox is proof. Weve received numerous correspondences highlighting World Sight Day-centric initiatives.

It truly is inspiring.

The World Council of Optometry (WCO) joined forces with IAPB to promote their #loveYourEyes campaign. The goal was to get 5 million eye tests pledged globally from September 13 to October 13. That impressive number was eclipsed with a day to spare.

Warby Parker has teamed with Jonas Philanthropies to address vision disability with the Warby Parker Pupils Project. The initiative, which began in 2015, gives children access to proper vision care by taking vision screenings and eye exams to their classrooms. It is taking place in New York City, Washington, D.C., Baltimore, California and Pennsylvania. Warby Parker is known for its buy a pair give a pair that gives glasses to individuals in need. Jonas Philanthropies in 2016 launchedJonas Childrens Vision Careto prevent blindness and treat vision disorders.

SightSavers is marking World Sight Day 2022 with a new Eye Health Equals campaign along with a manifesto for change directed at world governments. The non-profit works on preventable blindness in more than 30 counties, primarily in Africa and Asia. The group is calling on world governments to:

And, lastly, dont forget that the IAPB World Sight Day 2022 Photo Competition continues through Oct. 22. It is open to both amateur and professional photographers. Submitted images should capture what it means to have healthy vision. Photos will be judged in five categories: Your Eyes, Health for All, Everyone Everywhere, Hope, and Eye-Sights. You can submit your photos by following this link.

The rest is here:
MacKenzie Scott Donates $15M to Address the Eyecare Needs of the Impoverished - InvisionMag

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Longevity Investors Conference brought together high level scientists, clinicians and investors who all agreed on one big goal: Bringing the concept of longevity to life. Longevity experts and visionaries joined the conference, such as George Church, professor of genetics at Harvard Medical School; Aubrey de Grey, chief of science offices at SENS Research Foundation; Brian Kennedy, director at Center for Healthy Longevity and professor of the biochemistry and physiology departments at National University of Singapore; Charles Brenner from Alfred E. Mann Family Foundation and chair of diabetes and cancer metabolism at Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope; Christian Angermayer, founder of Apeiron Investment Group; Eric Verdin, president and CEO of Buck Institute for Research on Ageing; Nir Barzilai, director of the Institute for Ageing Research at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine; Michael Greve, founder of Forever Healthy Foundation; Evelyne Yehudit Bischof, associate professor, internal medicine specialist and longevity physician at Human Longevity Inc.; Alex Zhavoronkov, founder and CEO of Insilico Medicine; Phil Newman, founder of First Longevity and editor-in-chief at Longevity.Technology; Wei-Wu He, executive chairman at Human Longevity Inc., chairman and CEO of CASI Pharmaceuticals Inc. and chairman and founder of Genetron Health; and many more.

Longevity Investors Conference, being the most exclusive conference for longevity investors, brought together over 130 investors from around the globe. The investors as well as the speakers had the chance to see the Startup Showcase that took place on Day One of the conference in partnership with Phil Newman from Longevity Technology. The Startup Showcase provided the chance to some of the most promising longevity startups to present their work and ideas, such as Tom Weldon, founder, chairman and CEO of Ponce De Leon Health; Nikolina Lauc, co-founder and CEO of GlycanAge; Stan Watowich, founder and interim CEO of Ridgeline Therapeutics; Owen Phillips, CEO of BrainKey; Nika Pintar, co-founder and CEO of Ani Biome; and Bruno Balen co-founder of Ani Biome.

The venue, Le Grand Bellevue Hotel in Gstaad, recently rated the Hotel of the Year by Swiss media, was privatized for the LIC guests ensuring an exclusive networking experience. There were many networking opportunities over the course of the two days during the networking dinners and lunches and especially during coffee breaks and receptions held in the Longevity Lounge, where guests could get the exclusive chance to experience the latest trends in longevity therapies and treatments from exhibitors.

The ending of the Longevity Investors Conference was marked by a gala dinner, during which the Maximon Longevity Prize Award Ceremony took place. Elisabeth Roider, partner and chief scientific and medical officer at Maximon explained from a scientific point of view that translation efforts from computational biology to wet lab approaches to clinical trials are needed on the way. Many small steps will be required while the big picture should be in place. The prize is especially important, as it highlights the effort that is needed to identify safe and new ways to target ageing, the need for large clinical trials, which investigate the effect of interventions on ageing, and the importance of mental health, platforms and AI in future longevity medicine.

Marc Bernegger, one of the driving forces behind the conference, said: There are more and more traditional investors joining the longevity space, which creates massive investment opportunities. The special setup of this years conference enables not only knowledge exchange but also effective community-building, which is very unique for the industry and has never happened before to this extent. Berneggers partner and LIC co-founder, Dr. Tobias Reichmuth, added: The longevity industry will be one of the biggest investment opportunities over the next decade, expected to be worth at least $600 billion by 2025. It is experiencing a great momentum, and this is the ideal time to use it in favor of educating and spreading the information to investors. In an ocean of scientific-oriented conferences, a professional and global investor-focused longevity conference such as LIC provides an opportunity for the industrys top investors and innovators to get acquainted with recent developments and breakthroughs.

The next Longevity Investors Conference will be held in the Autumn of 2023. Participation is open for registration on the website.

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The Longevity Investors Conference Gstaad brought together longevity experts and deep-pocketed investors - Cointelegraph

The quest to slow down ageing and have healthier and longer lives is ongoing. And its not just about living to 120.

Some scientific research suggests that in years to come, we will have therapeutics that will help us foresee age-related diseases like diabetes and cancer as well as neurodegenerative diseases and prevent them. Other scientific breakthroughs on animals have shown that it may also be possible to add years to our fertility window, stop our hair from turning grey and perhaps even vaccinate ourselves against ageing.

However, until the answer to that billion-dollar question is found, there is a lot we can do to trick the ageing process, say researchers, startups and investors.

In 2021, about $1.9bn globally was invested in the longevity sector. That number is set to increase both because various clinical trials are getting results and because theres an increased interest among investors in the space.

As with many healthtech trends, longevity is yet to get the same recognition in Europe as it has in the US. Still, with the global longevity market projected to reach $44bn by 2030, Europe and the UK and Switzerland in particular is waking up.

So, apart from the more well-known startups like TreeFrog Therapeutics and Rejuveron, which are the other longevity startups to watch? And what problems are they solving?

Founded: 2020, by Maria Blasco and Ftima Bosch (University of Barcelona spinoff)

One of the key reasons we age is the protective caps at the end of our chromosomes, called telomeres, shortening over time. When they fully disintegrate, it causes our DNA to become damaged. Telomere Therapeutics is developing a telomerase gene therapy that counteracts telomere shortening and can treat age-related diseases.

Funding: Undisclosed amount by Spanish Invivo Ventures

Founded: 2018 by Alex Schueller, James McCully, Pedro del Nido and Sitaram Emani

Age-related deterioration of the mitochondria in our cells is associated with an array of conditions, such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, Parkinsons and Alzheimers. Researchers have recently discovered that this process can be reversed with cellular energisers such as Lipo Glutathione, Lipo CoQ10, Lipo Apigenin and Lipo Resveratrol that help restore and preserve mitochondrial function. Cellvie is working on a way of transplanting mitochondria directly into compromised cells.

Funding: $5m in a seed round in 2021 from German investor KIZOO Technology Capital.

Founded: 2018 by Guido Kroemer, James Peyer, and Sebastian Brunemeier within Apollo Ventures company builder

Autophagy is a natural process in which the bodys cells clean out any damaged or unnecessary components. However, more and more evidence suggests that autophagic dysfunction is a cause of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimers and Parkinsons. By restoring autophagy in such diseased cells Samsara says it can remove the misfolded protein. However, its still in the pre-clinical phase.

Funding: $10m Series A in 2021 by global longevity VC Apollo Health Ventures, Swiss Korify Capital and US-based Longevitytech Fund

Founded: 2020 by Lorna Harries, Ben Lee and Kirsty Semple (spinout from University of Exeter)

As we age, more and more of our cells stop dividing and become senescent, or zombie cells. These cells dont die but are major contributors to age-related illnesses such as cancer, dementia and cardiovascular disease. Seniscas treatment rejuvenates these cells. The spinout is developing a treatment through senotherapeutic interventions that target the senescent cells. By restoring the splicing factor a protein to how it is in younger cells, Senisca hopes to turn back the ageing clock in old cells.

Funding: 2m in seed funding by US-based APEX ventures and the local UK investor VC QantX in June 2022

Founded: 2017 by Jens Gruber and Herbert Stadler

Senescence and other biological processes such as cell development, growth and repair are helped by the main actors of intercellular communications exosomes. The signals from exosomes can either stimulate or suppress immune responses. Curexsys is focused on the work to develop and manufacture exosomes in clinical quality for regenerative medicine and anti-ageing therapies.

Funding: 8.2m Series A in 2020 by the German pharmaceutical Sartorius

Founded: 2017 by Espen Riskedal and Karl Trygve Kalleberg

Testing your blood for biomarkers (such as cholesterol level and haemoglobin) has become increasingly popular and is also one way to understand your individual longevity. So what are the biomarkers to look out for if you are destined for a long healthy life? Age Labs is a Norwegian molecular diagnostics company that discovers, develops and commercialises diagnostic tests for the early detection of age-related diseases. It also has a biological age predictor.

Funding: In total $2m, including a $1m pre-seed round in 2020 by Norwegian Skyfall Ventures and Aleap.

Founded: 2017 by Ann Belin

When we reach our 50s our muscles start losing their functions and mass. This is called chronic sarcopenia and it contributes to an increased risk of disability, falls and fractures. Rejuvenate has a screening platform that investigates dysregulated pathways in ageing. Dysregulated pathways can occur due to mutations that cause genes and proteins to be expressed abnormally, leading to diseases. Rejuvenates first drug candidate is RJx-01, to be used in acute and chronic sarcopenia types of musculoskeletal diseases. According to the company it also has been shown to have beneficial effects in the prevention and treatment of other age-related diseases.

Funding: Rejuvenate Biomed raised its 15.7m Series B in 2021 from Zrich-based Rejuveron Life Sciences (now majority owner) and Luxembourg-based Vesalius Biocapital.

Founded: 2021 by Pascal Rode, Sophie Chabloz, Teresa Budetta

The interest in the nine hallmarks of ageing is no longer limited to the corridors of science labs, and intermediate fasting, exercise and healthy living are not enough for some people. As a result, the longevity supplement industry is growing. Products like NMN nicotinamide mononucleotide is a precursor to NAD+, the essential coenzyme and key metabolite found in every cell of the human body are increasingly popular. Supplement startup Avea believes it can optimise long-term health as well as slow and even reverse some of the signs of ageing with its products.

Funding: 2.4m seed round led by Swiss investor and startup builder Maximon

Founded: 2007 by Pierre Landolt and Patrick Aebischer

Cellvie is working on transplanting mitochondria but what if you could decrease the deterioration of the mitochondria in our cells by taking a supplement? After a decade of research and clinical trials, based on the ingredients of pomegranate juice, supplement startup Amazentis has developed its first product with a pure form of Urolithin A. The substance has been proven to help counter age-associated cellular decline and improve muscular strength.

Funding: Raised $8.9m Series C in 2018 by the Swiss corporation Nestl Health Science

Founded: 2019 by Peter Ward and Michael Geer

Humanity wants to bring longevity to the masses by helping people control what they eat and when, their exercise regime and their sleeping habits. Its developed an app that calculates customers rate of ageing and biological age by drawing on data from your smartphone and wearable devices to track biomarkers such as heart rate, step rate, sleep, activity and eating habits. Its grown to 130k users in the last 12 months.

Funding: $5m over a split seed round in 2020 and 2021 by UK- based 7percent Ventures, Estonian investor Taavet Hinrikus, US-based One Way Ventures and others

Founded: 2014 by Nora Khaldi

Peptides are strings of amino acids, which are the building blocks of proteins. Collagen peptides are commonly used in skin products to rejuvenate skin, but can peptides also prolong a healthy life? Recent research indicates that some types of peptides could be beneficial in slowing down the ageing process although, more research is needed. Using AI and peptidomics, Nuritas aims to discover bioactive peptides that can be used to optimise glucose metabolism, regain muscle strength and rejuvenate skin.

Funding: $45m Series B funding round in 2021 by US-based Cleveland Avenue, UK-based Grosvenors Wheatsheaf Group, and the European Circular Bioeconomy Fund among others.

Founded: 2021 by Rob Konrad Maciejewski and James Raaff

There are a lot of companies selling longevity supplements, checking your blood markers and biomarkers and even looking at how your DNA may be working for or against you when it comes to certain age-related diseases. But how do you put all that information together into a longevity package that is right for you? Biolytica is doing that by combining health data analytics and personalised longevity programmes. So far its focusing on healthcare professionals but it hopes to be able to offer it to everyday customers in the future.

Funding: 10m from Swiss company-builder Maximon

Mimi Billing is Sifteds Nordic correspondent. She also covers healthtech, and tweets from@MimiBilling

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Do you think ageing can be reversed? Here are 12 longevity startups to watch - Sifted

Rob Lowes starring role in the Fox series 9-1-1: Lone Star stands as only the latest capstone in a Hollywood career full of them.

And if its his last, hes had a good run more than 100 TV and film credits over a span of 43 years.

Lowe, in an interview published Friday by ET Online, credited his longevity to a force of will that led him to take risks that paid off. One of those risks was the hosting job on Saturday Night Live, a gig he said several people close to him advised him not to take.

If you want to do it a long time, be prepared to be brave and say Yes to things that maybe other people in your life are going to be worried about, Lowe, 58, advised to up-and-coming actors and other TV and film artists. I mean, I had people in my life telling me not to hostSaturday Night Live. I know today it seems like everybody does it, but there was a time when people were like, I dont know. They could make fun [of you].'

Lowe said that intuitive skills and a persevering spirit were also key.

Know that there are going to be ups and downs and talent will prevail, Lowe added. It really does. If youve got it, then you can survive the down periods of your career. Every career, it doesnt matter. Itll cycle around and keep cycling around and just keep cycling around and you just got to have your staying power.

Lowe first took the SNL leap in March 1990. During that experience, he befriended legendary cast member Mike Myers. Their relationship led Lowe to a starring role in the hit 1992 comedy Waynes World, as villainous TV producer Benjamin Oliver, and later, smaller roles in three Austin Powers films.

I love that Im still so close to Mike Myers, Lowe told ET Online. But never in a million years thinking it would lead toWaynes Worldand then toAustin Powers. You just never know where life is gonna take you.

Lowe has hosted SNL two more times, in April 1997 and October 2000. And the job, indeed, did not come without risk.

In the 2000 appearance, Lowe was signing off per tradition, surrounded on stage by the familiar smiling faces of the Saturday Night Live cast, musical guest Eminem and political activist Ralph Nader, who had made a guest appearance in the episode. Actor Brendan Fraser was also there, standing just behind Lowe. Fraser had made a brief, nonspeaking cameo in the episode, and perhaps perturbed he wasnt used for more, began repeatedly yelling Bedazzled the name of Frasers next film that would open in theaters a month later as Lowe was taking the show off air.

Ive spent many years trying to figure out what was going on with Brendan that night, Lowe said last year on his Literally! podcast. And the nearest I can come to, is that he was somehow promised a walk-on during the show, and the show ran long, and he just was like, F it, Im gonna go up and yellBedazzledbehind Rob Lowes head.

The SNL experience had also led to confusion at a critical juncture years earlier, Lowe said in the ET Online interview.

I remember I was getting married and we kept it a secret, we kept it out of the media. We were able to have a nice, sweet low-key wedding and Lorne Michaels called me to say I had to go to a preproduction meeting ofWaynes World,' Lowe said of the TV and film producerand SNL creator. He says, You need to be there. The studio needs to talk to you. And I said, Lorne, Im getting married in 20 minutes and he said, Well, maybe you can come by for dessert. That was my, Ill never forget that.

Link:
'SNL' Gig Was a Risk Rob Lowe Credits for His Longevity: 'I Had People in My Life Telling Me - TheWrap

Wellness and longevity brand Serotonin Centers announced it plans to open three new facilities in the Nashville area.

Serotonin Centers was established in Florida by 15-year fitness industry veteran Eric Casaburi, who said he noticed there weren't any businesses dedicated to helping those interested in improving and preserving their health while experiencing aging at the same time.

Serotonin Centers says it is the first franchise brand to focus focuses solely on providing anti-aging and hormone treatments.

'What I want to do is cure cancer':The patients that inspire Vanderbilt's new oncology director

Different membership tiers for wellness and longevity treatments are available, and the services include aesthetic enhancement, hormone restoration, immunity and recovery treatments, and weight control.

Recently, doctors Jody Junia and Olumuyiwa Olu Esuruoso have been added to the Serotonin team as health experts to aid with rolling out the three Nashville-area centers.

With their passion and professional backgrounds, Doctors Junia and Esuruoso will play a vital role in connecting the Serotonin brand and services to the great people of Nashville, said Casaburi.

Junia and Esuruoso said they are looking forward to utilizing their medical expertise to help customers optimize their health and quality of life.

My focus has always been on treating illnesses and finding cures for the ailments patients are suffering from, Esuruoso said. But this opportunity with Serotonin gives us the chance to work preemptively, providing people with the tools and services they need to protect their well-being and prevent a range of health-related hardships from taking hold in the first place.

In addition to the Nashville facilities, five additional Serotonin Centers have been announced in New Jersey, the first of which broke ground in Colts Neck in August. Serotonin revealed earlier this year that a franchisee had raised $6.5 million to open five centers in Orlando.

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Wellness and longevity brand Serotonin Centers to open in Nashville - Tennessean

In Costa Rica, pura vida has become much more than just a slogan; its a way of life. The popular expression, which translates to pure life, has been used by locals for decades as a casual way of saying everythings good or as a way to describe Costa Rican lifestyle and culture.

As the saying pura vida indicates, Costa Ricans certainly know a thing or two about living life to the fullest, as its the home to some of the longest-living people in the world. Nicoya, an 80-mile peninsula in Costa Rica just south of the Nicaraguan border, has been identified by longevity expert, bestselling author, and National Geographic researcher Dan Buettner as one of the five Blue Zones regionsaka the parts of the planet that are home to the oldest-living peopledue to its abundance of centenarians.

So, whats the key to healthy aging for many folks residing in the Nicoya Peninsula? Aside from maintaining a strong sense of purpose, feeling connected to their community, and moving throughout the day (as well as a number of other longevity-boosting lifestyle habits), Costa Ricans tend to consume a healthy diet comprised of a trifecta of super nutritious ingredients dubbed the three sisters, aka corn, beans, and squash. Weve gathered a few delicious, nutrient-rich three sisters recipes made with these ingredients that will bring a bit of pura vida to wherever you reside.

The three sister ingredientscorn, beans, and squashstem from the traditional Mesoamerican diet that many Nicoyan centenarians follow. People in this region tend to eat light dinners early in the evening, comprised of these simple, nutritious foods. Most meals in the Nicoya Peninsula incorporate plant-based, nutrient-dense, and protein-rich ingredients like legumes and vegetables (which make up about 21 percent of their diet), three sisters included.

According to Blue Zones research, squash, beans, and corn are grown together, eaten together, and celebrated together, as they provide a symbiotic growing relationship, as well as a complete nutritional profile. When growing, the corn provides a trellis for the beans, beans add nitrogen to the soil, and the squash shades out the weeds. Nature is incredible, right?

What's more, just like they complement and support one another as they grow in a field, the three sisters pair even more perfectly together when cooking delicious, nutrient-dense meals. Corn provides gut-healthy fiber plus tons of vitamins and phytochemicals that help combat inflammation in the body. Meanwhile, beans are rich in protein and fiber, and squash yields antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals, including vitamin A, calcium, magnesium, and a host of carotenoids. Plus, when consumed together, these plant-based foods form what's known as a complete protein, meaning they provide your body with all nine essential amino acids. And then there's the incredible versatile flavor profile of these foods; you'd be hard-pressed to find an ingredient that corn, beans, and squash don't pair with.

Ready to incorporate corn, beans, and squashthe perfect fall foodsinto your every dish? Read on for some delicious, easy to make three sisters recipes.

Photo: Veg Kitchen

While you certainly dont have to eat the three sisters ingredients together every single time, it may be one of the best ways to get the most amount of nutrients in one serving. If productivity is the name of the game, this easy three sisters stew recipe by Veg Kitchen might catch your attention. Its made with (you guessed it!) tender squash, protein-packed beans, and fresh corn and comes together in less than an hour. Aside from being a perfect hearty weeknight meal, it can also be the perfect veggie-forward side dish for Thanksgiving dinner, too.

Get the recipe: Three Sisters Stew

Photo: Simply Recipes

Just like the three sisters have the perfect symbiotic relationship when planted close to one another (as they have traits that nurture and help the others grow), this vegetarian three sisters casserole with cornbread topping recipe by Simply Recipes is a match made in heaven. Its packed with anti-inflammatory spices like chili powder and nutrient-dense greens like spinach or kale. Plus, the casserole gets finished with a delicious crunchy cornbread biscuit topping thats simply irresistible.

Get the recipe: Three Sisters Casserole with Cornbread Topping

Photo: Brand New Vegan

Fall is officially here, and that means cozy and comforting soups all season long. This simple three sisters stew recipe by Brand New Vegan can be made in just about half an hour and is just as nutrient-dense as it is delicious to eat. Aside from our favorite three sisters, this recipe also has other nutritious staple ingredients like lycopene-rich tomatoes and fiber-rich potatoes. So, the next time youre struggling with what to make for dinner (yet again), consider this dish your problem solved.

Get the recipe: Three Sisters Stew

Photo: Suwannee Rose

If your favorite cowboy caviar recipe got a major gut-healthy and protein-packed glow-up, it would definitely become this sisters harvest bowl recipe by Suwannee Rose. This delicious dish has our favorite longevity-boosting ingredients plus a healthy serving of grains (in this case, quinoa), which happens to be another one of the must-have foods Nicoyans eat on a daily basis. After all, on average, 26 percent of the Nicoyan diet is based on whole grains like quinoa. Plus, quinoa is also a great source of calcium and folate, and its full of fiber, with five grams per serving.

Get the recipe: Sisters Harvest Bowls

An herbalist shares a brain-boosting herbal shot for longevity:

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4 Recipes With Corn, Beans, and SquashThe Three Sisters Ingredients That Blue Zone Centenarians in Costa Rica Eat Every Day - Well+Good

Trump cut short '60 Minutes' interview with Lesley Stahl

President Trump cut short an interview with '60 Minutes' correspondent Lesley Stahl and has since leaked the session before its Oct. 25 airing.

USA TODAY

NEW YORK Lesley Stahl doesn't back down.

The unflappable TV journalist has been with CBSfor 50 years 31 of those as a correspondent for venerablenewsmagazine "60 Minutes." In that time, she hasbecome known for her remarkable poise and dogged pursuit of the truth,refusing to throw softball questions to contentious interview subjects such as former President Donald Trump, who memorably cut shorttheir 2020 sit-down.

"A lot of heads of state have walked out on me," says Stahl, 80, sitting at her desk on a recent rainy morning after a workout. "I'm not saying I'm proud of it, but it does signify thatI'm not afraid to ask a question that a head of state isn't going to like. I see that as my role and I see their role as being accountable for their actions, whether they're a dictator orthe head of a democracy."

Lesley Stahl: How 'Marcel'landed '60 Minutes' correspondent for the perfect cameo

'60 Minutes': Top moments from Trump's combative interview with Lesley Stahl

Half a century into her CBS career,Stahl remains as vigorous and relevant as ever. For the 55thseason of "60 Minutes" (Sundays, 7 EDT/PDT),she traveled to Taiwan to report on how people are responding to the country'sheightened threat from China. After stopping home in New York for a day to repack her suitcase, she flew to Tehran to interviewIranian President Ebrahim Raisi.

"That would have anybody flat on their back, but she manages her time unbelievably well, and then she's on to the next thing," says Bill Owens, executive producer of "60 Minutes." "There's nobody I'd rather be in a foxhole with than Lesley Stahl. She's fearless and fair and one of the hardest working people I've ever met."

Stahl was hired by CBS News in 1972 as part of the network'saffirmative action program, along with journalists Connie Chung and Bernard Shaw. As a young reporter, she cut her teeth covering the Watergate scandal and impeachment hearings of President Richard Nixon, under the tutelage of Washington bureau chief William J. Small.

"I was lucky," Stahl says. "I felt very little of what you would call discrimination because I was a woman. The boss said, 'This is an important program, and we're all getting behind it.' And when the boss says it, it's in the air."

Before joining "60 Minutes" in 1991, she was a moderator for "Face the Nation," grilling dignitaries such as the U.K.'sprime minister, Margaret Thatcher, and former Secretary of State George Shultz, after theIran-Contra affair. These and other interviews earned her areputation of being tough a label that Stahl disputes.

"The word 'tough' is interesting to me because I've always been called tough," Stahl says. "I called up my dad once and said, 'Dad, they say I'm tough.' And he said:'You're not. Tough is firing someone.You've never had to do that.' So I'm not tough my dad said so. (Laughs.)I am persistent, and it's to a fault. I will ask (a question) five times and I've been metaphorically slapped around for it."

According to Nielsen, "60 Minutes" averages 9 million viewers a week, and ended the 2021-22 TV season as the No. 1 news program. Stahl believes the newsmagazine, which launched in 1968,has maintained a consistently large audience for decades because the format hasn't changed, with in-depth segments covering a broad spectrum of topics including politics, science and the arts.

"We're old-fashioned," Stahl says. "We still try our hardest to be unbiased and give all sides. And people have comfort when they see we haven't changed that clock is still there."

Stahl is unsure whether "60 Minutes" will be around for another 55 seasons. ("I don't know if we can become something on our phone," she explains. "Our pieces are 13 to 15 minutes long.") But she has no desire to leave anytime soon.

"I climbed a mountain last year. I was very proud of that," Stahl says, recalling a "grueling" shoot withmountain gorillas in Rwanda. "I'm always kind of examining myself now: Am I less sharp? Can I do this job physically? I remember going to (one of the show's producers) and saying:'When I feel like I'm losing it, I'll come to you. I'll be the one to march in here.' And he said:'No you won't. No one ever does that.'"

Stahl won a legion of young fans this summer thanks to her meta cameo in family film"Marcel the Shell with Shoes On," in which she interviewed the animated mollusk for a spot-on recreation of a "60 Minutes" segment. In the movie, released in June, Marcel is a Stahl superfan who praises her for having "class" and blowing cases "wide open" compliments that "embarrassed" the journalist the first time she watched the film. (She now has a 3D-printed Marcel "trophy" on her desk, with a plaque reading "Lesley Stahl is fearless" a quote from the movie.)

More than a dozen family photos adornher cozy Midtown office, the same one she hashad since shestarted at "60 Minutes." Some of her 13 Emmy Awards line the bookshelves,with file boxes of research tucked away on the floor.

"The last 30 years, I've lived in this room," Stahl says."They asked me if I wanted to move, and at first I said, 'Can I have a bigger office?' And then I thought, 'Well, I can't move. All my junk is here.'"

Stahl has one daughter, Taylor, and two grandkids, ages 9 and 11. Her husband, writer Aaron Latham, diedin July at 78 after a long battle with Parkinson's disease. They met while she was a reporter covering Watergate and were married in 1977.

"Everything that's happened to me has happened while I've been here (at CBS): my marriage, my children, my grandchildren," Stahl says. "And my career is a really central part of me, so this is my whole life, really."

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Lesley Stahl on longevity of '60 Minutes': 'That clock is still there' - USA TODAY

halioua began 2020 with $5.1 million in funding. By way of thanks she sent all of her investors, including Rosen, fluffy toy puppies wearing company bandanas. She secured an office on the edge of downtown San Francisco, but the lease began in March, the same month the Bay Area became the first part of the US to enter pandemic lockdown. Her companys formative months, and first hires, took place via Zoom, Slack, and eventually socially distanced meetups. Halioua raised another $6 million and hired scientists, veterinarians, and an expert in getting new animal drugs past the FDA.

She embraced the role of dog company CEOpainting a mural of a giant German shepherd in Loyals office and ordering shirts with the slogan Save the dogs, save the world. She adopted a fluffy white husky named Wolfie, whom she has described as her cofounder and Loyals chief evangelist. Her management style, she says, was informed by her bad experiences at Oxford. When she talks to her team about her goals or beliefs, she tries to pair her statements with evidence to convince her workers that the boss is being straight with them. Even if you dont trust me, you still know this is true, she says.

Haliouas new science team, including a scientist who previously led aging research at pharma giant Regeneron, helped refine her original idea. They identified a compound they believed could be given to young dogs of the largest breeds, such as French mastiffs, to delay their accelerated aging process. They found a second compound they thought could target processes that cause cognitive decline and kidney problems in older dogs of all sizes.

As her company gained traction, Halioua noticed certain patterns in her business interactions. She tried to recruit women investors but found it difficult because there werent many to ask. When she met with investors who were men, some would try to flip a business meeting into a date, and others would confidently explain science to her that she knew inside out. Mostly she brushed off such momentsher time at Oxford had lowered her expectations of those with more power and prestige than her.

She often felt different. Describing herself as an Oxford dropout helped convince people to take her seriouslynever mind that she had left her PhD in part due to dissatisfaction with a harassment investigation, a circumstance missing from the dropout tales of archetypal boy geniuses like Mark Zuckerberg. She listened to hundreds of Silicon Valley podcasts to try to learn the industrys patois. She trained herself to smile less and wrote in a blog post aimed at women entrepreneurs: I come off as more of a grump now, but I am a grump who has the money she needs to build her company.

In the spring of 2021, Halioua published a blog post about her Oxford PhD supervisor titled The Gifts of My Harasser, leaving him nameless. She described the paradox of one of her worst experiences laying a foundation stone for her later successes by teaching her to be skeptical of social hierarchies and institutional power. Its been two years since I left. I am not broken anymore, but I still feel the cracks, she wrote. His abuse shattered my preconceived notions of how the world worked and cleared a path I otherwise never would have found.

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The Search for a Pill That Can Help Dogsand HumansLive Longer - WIRED

Supontis (PON) and Dogecoin (DOGE) are two very different coins.

One is a technical cryptocurrency created to improve the cross-chain transfer of various digital currencies like Ethereum, Binance, and Tron. The other is a meme coin that prides itself on seamless peer-to-peer transactions and a lively community.

Nonetheless, both have one thing in common. They are part of a growing change in the crypto economy that is not entirely focused on financial gain.

Because traditionally, investors immersed themselves in the crypto universe for the sole purpose of making a healthy return in the future.

And if you look at the trajectory of Bitcoin (BTC), the masses had a point. Less than one year ago, Bitcoin peaked at $67,549.74. This means that savvy investors who exchanged Bitcoin for fiat during this time walked away with a huge profit.

Indeed, the goal of making money from crypto is unlikely to cease. But its fair to say that not all crypto geeks are actively looking to withdraw their finances. In actuality, some people want a bit of crypto to remain in their wallet for trading or communal purposes.

The interesting predicament now is, which type of modern crypto will trend in the market for the longest time? Will investors continue to gravitate towards meme currencies or will more technical coins be better off in the long run?

Dogecoin is statistically the most popular meme coin of all time. At the time of writing, it is ranked number 10 on coinmarket and possesses a market cap of $7,915,648,509.

Its funny how Dogecoin started as just a meme. No one in the crypto world expected it to become so lucrative until an extremely rich and famous dude known as Elon Musk, decided to tweet about the coin in April 2019 and the rest is history.

Dogecoin undoubtedly gained a massive boost from the multi-billionaire. Nevertheless, the coin deserves credit for offering its users enough value from super fast and cheap transactions to keep them invested.

In contrast to Dogecoin, Supontis was not invented as a meme.

The cryptocurrency consists of a bridge platform that is built on the BNB Smart Chain and facilitates the cross-chain transfer of different assets. This is ideal for crypto nerds who like to seamlessly move their coins from one market to another.

But this is just the tip of the Supontis tsunami. Supontis also provides its users with a high level of security, extremely fast transactions, and low transaction costs.

Supontis quick transaction speeds are particularly notable as this allows it to compete with the likes of Dogecoin and Solana.

Final Thoughts

Supontis and Dogecoin both represent coins that deviate away from cryptocurrencys original concept.

You only need to look at Dogecoins market cap to see that it has no shortage of investors. However, the currency is experiencing a downward trend which could imply that individuals are moving away from meme coins.

Meanwhile, Supontis is still very new on the crypto scene and may have better potential. After all, with crypto on the rise, the need for easy and smooth exchange between different currencies is becoming more crucial.

If you would like further information about Supontis, check out the links below:

Presale: https://register.supontis.com

Website: http://supontis.com/

Telegram: https://t.me/SupontisTokenOfficial

Disclaimer: This is a press release post. Coinpedia does not endorse or is responsible for any content, accuracy, quality, advertising, products, or other materials on this page. Readers should do their own research before taking any actions related to the company.

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Supontis vs Dogecoin, Which Cryptocurrency Has Greater Longevity In The Market? - Coinpedia Fintech News

It is with heavy hearts that the Louisville Zoo announces the passing of female western lowland gorilla Helen.

Affectionately called the Grand Dame of the gorilla world, Helen was much celebrated at 64 years old. She long impressed Zoo fans with her big personality and longevity.

Helen had been on quality of life watch and was in natural age decline for several months. Zoo caregivers made the difficult decision to euthanize Helen Friday.

At 64, Helen enjoyed remarkably good health for most of her life, with only expected age-related arthritis and some periodontal disease. However, she recently developed increasing instability and tremors. This put her at greater risk of falling which impacted her day-to-day welfare.

A typical median life expectancy for a female zoo gorilla is about 39 years. Helens longevity is only matched by Fatou, a gorilla at Zoo Berlin that is 65 years old.

The title Grand Dame was bestowed on Helen because of her senior status and for her honored role as a mother of three, a grandmother of 17, a great-grandmother of 21, a great-great-grandmother of 8, and finally, a great-great-great-grandmother of one. Two of her progeny, Bengati (great-grandchild) and Kindi (great-great-grandchild) reside at the Louisville Zoo.

Letting go of a special gorilla like Helen is very hard, but it is often the last, best thing we can do for our animals, said Louisville Zoo Director Dan Maloney. Helens exceptional longevity is not only a testament to her personal constitution, but also to the outstanding care provided by her keeper team and the animal health care staff over these past 20 years. Helen was one of our most beloved ambassadors. Her fascination with human babies delighted families for decades. I know our friends and members will share in her loss and miss her greatly.

Helen was a legend and she deserved the best, said Louisville Zoos Senior Veterinarian Dr. Zoli Gyimesi. Besides the Zoos staff that cared for her daily, she had her own dentist, cardiologist, gynecologist, neurologist, and orthopedist/pain manager. Helen taught us much about gorillas and geriatric gorilla care.

Helen inspired us all with her longevity, added Kristen Lucas, Ph.D. and Chair of the Gorilla Species Survival Plan with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. She touched the lives of many people over the years, including those who cared for her and those who just spent time visiting her at the Zoo. She was an independent spirit as well as being an integral member of her gorilla family, and her legacy lives on.

Helen came to the Zoo in 2002 from Lincoln Park Zoo. Because she was wild born in West Africa (Cameroon), her birth year was estimated as 1958. The Louisville Zoo recognized Helens birthday annually in January to celebrate her being the oldest gorilla in North America and the second oldest gorilla in the world.

More:
Louisville Zoo says goodbye to one of world's oldest gorillas - Evening News and Tribune

As the prices of pretty much everything are creeping up,Express.co.ukspoke to a dietician about budget-friendly foods that can also boost your longevity. While theres no secret recipe for longer life, one key approach to longevity lies in staving off the precursors of chronic disease. From a lower risk of stroke to a reduced risk of heart disease, some cheap foods do this with gusto.

While its no secret that colourful fruit and veg as well as fibre-packed pulses are some of the healthiest foods out there, these longevity staples can be often taxing on your wallet.

Fortunately, Karine Patel, private dietitian and founder of Dietitian Fit & Co, has shared how to keep your budget tight and your body healthy during the ongoing cost-of-living crisis.

Patel said: Contrary to what we often hear, eating healthy doesnt need to be expensive.

You can create a multitude of healthy meals on a low budget while prolonging your lifespan.

READ MORE:The 'first noticeable' sign that cholesterol is dangerously clogging your arteries

The expert listed some of the cheapest foods you can get in the UK supermarkets, while also adding a few years onto your lifespan.

Patel said: According to a study, published by researchers at Harvard, eating three portions of vegetables and two servings of fruits daily is associated with a lower risk of premature death.

Whats more, the process of freezing doesnt strip the colourful, nutritious foods of any goodness, the expert explained.

While cheesy chips wont do much good for your arteries, theres no need to ditch potatoes altogether.

In fact, the starchy vegetable packs potassium, which can reduce your risk of a stroke and prolong your lifespan, according to the dietician.

She said: [Plus,] they are a long-lasting food, and they are usually less than 1/ kg."

Another popular side dish, rice can be bought for as little as 45p/kg and served with plenty of veggies.

Patel said: According to the Blue Zones (areas in the world where people tend to live longer lives), 65 percent of their diet consists of rice, which makes it one of the healthiest and cheapest dishes.

READ MORE:Golden milk can shorten the time it takes to fall asleep and make you sleep longer

While pasta in a rich sauce is considered pretty indulgent, switching up your regular choice for a wholewheat option could do plenty for your health.

Patel said: Wholewheat pasta is rich in fibres, and regular consumption of fibres is associated with lower risk of cardiovascular disease, which in turn reduces the risk of mortality."

Extremely cheap and so versatile, beans are an excellent source of fibre and protein.

The dietician added: They are a staple among people who live the longest lives, multiple studies suggest that consuming beans could prolong your life expectancy by multiple years.

Last but not least, tomatoes offer vitamin C, potassium, folate, as well as vitamin K.

The juicy fruit is also one of the best sources of carotenoid, an antioxidant that has been shown to protect against age-related disease.

From fragrant curries to warming stews, the expert suggested that you can make a variety of dishes perfect for winter, using these cheap ingredients.

Patel added: Always look at the unit pricing to check the price of a food for a specific unit of weight (or volume).

It helps to compare the real price difference between products. This will tell you how much youre paying per gram or kg (or ml) so you can compare packages and get the best deal.

Originally posted here:
'Prolong your lifespan': 5 'cheapest' foods that can boost longevity - Express

MINNEAPOLIS, October 12, 2022--(BUSINESS WIRE)--FOXO Technologies Inc. (NYSEAM: FOXO), a technology platform company whose products and services seek to address long-standing, core problems within the life insurance industry through epigenetic longevity science, today announced that its insurance distribution subsidiary, FOXO LIFE, recruited its first distribution partner, California-based BGA Insurance, to begin rolling out Life Insurance Designed to Keep You Alive to agents across the state. FOXO also announced the appointment of James Grauel, Jr. as Chief Distribution Officer ("CDO") of FOXO LIFE to spearhead the launch of longevity-focused life insurance products with independent agents.

FOXO LIFE is partnering with leading independent insurance agencies across the United States who share its vision and goal of modernizing the industry. Grauel joins the team with decades of experience working in the life insurance industry from both the carrier and independent agent distribution viewpoints. As CDO, Grauel will manage the development of FOXO LIFEs network of independent agents selling longevity science-powered life insurance.

"I am thrilled to join a team that is building the most exciting thing Ive seen in this industry over the course of my career," said Jim Grauel, Jr., Chief Distribution Officer of FOXO LIFE. "Creating more value for life insurance consumers by aligning their healthy longevity with the natural financial interest of life insurance carriers is an incredible and obvious innovation the industry needs."

FOXO LIFE will be holding its first agent distribution rollout events in Southern California with BGA Insurance, its first broker-general agent, who represents over 4,000 independent agents who are now able to sell life insurance products with FOXO LIFEs Longevity Report.

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"We are excited to work with FOXO LIFE to bring our agent base the opportunity to reframe the life insurance conversation from death protection, to life, health, and longevity," said Barry Zimmerman, President. "The real game changer will be when FOXO LIFE introduces saliva-based underwriting protocols to mitigate the need for blood and urine specimen collection."

FOXO LIFEs first agent recruitment events will be held:

October 19th in Huntington Beach

November 1st in San Diego

November 2nd in Los Angeles, El Segundo

November 3rd in Sacramento, Roseville

For agents interested in attending an event contact Alicia at sales@foxolife.com or 888.405.8957.

"We like to say that FOXO LIFE was created by agents, for agents," said Jon Sabes, Founder and CEO of FOXO. "This means that the products and services we are bringing to market are designed to address major industry pain points that fall most directly on agents. Making it easier and more exciting for agents to sell life insurance is our first order of business."

Todays news comes four weeks after FOXO became a publicly traded company on the New York Stock Exchange American under the symbol "FOXO" via its merger with Delwinds Insurance Acquisition Corp ("Delwinds"), valuing the combined company at an estimated enterprise value of $369 million.

About FOXO Technologies Inc. ("FOXO")

FOXO is a technology platform company focused on commercializing longevity science through products and services that serve the life insurance industry. FOXO's epigenetic technology applies AI to DNA methylation to identify molecular biomarkers of human health and aging. FOXO seeks to modernize the life insurance industry by simplifying the consumer underwriting journey with saliva-based biomarkers and enhancing life insurances consumer value proposition with the FOXO Longevity Report. For more information about FOXO, visit http://www.foxotechnologies.com. For more information about FOXO LIFE, visit http://www.foxolife.com. For investor information and updates, visit https://foxotechnologies.com/investors/.

No Offer or Solicitation

This press release shall not constitute a solicitation of a proxy, consent or authorization with respect to any securities or in respect of the proposed transaction. This communication shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any states or jurisdictions in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of such state or jurisdiction. No offering of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended or an exemption therefrom.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements for purposes of the "safe harbor" provisions under the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Any statements other than statements of historical fact contained herein, including statements as to future results of operations and financial position, planned products and services, business strategy and plans, objectives of management for future operations of FOXO, market size and growth opportunities, competitive position and technological and market trends, are forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements include, but not limited to, expectations, hopes, beliefs, intentions, plans, prospects, financial results or strategies regarding FOXO and the future held by management teams of FOXO, the future financial condition and performance of FOXO and the products and markets and expected future performance and market opportunities of FOXO. These forward-looking statements generally are identified by the words "anticipate," "believe," "could," "expect," "estimate," "future," "intend," "strategy," "may," "might," "strategy," "opportunity," "plan," project," "possible," "potential," "project," "predict," "scales," "representative of," "valuation," "should," "will," "would," "will be," "will continue," "will likely result," and similar expressions, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. Forward-looking statements are predictions, projections and other statements about future events that are based on current expectations and assumptions and, as a result, are subject to risks and uncertainties. Many factors could cause actual future events to differ materially from the forward-looking statements in this press release, including but not limited to: (i) the risk that changes in the competitive and highly regulated industries in which FOXO operates, variations in operating performance across competitors, changes in laws and regulations affecting FOXOs business, and changes in the combined capital structure, (ii) the ability to implement FOXOs business plans, forecasts, and other expectations, (iii) potential inability of FOXO to establish or maintain relationships required to advance its goals or to achieve its commercialization and development plans, (iv) the enforceability of FOXOs intellectual property, including its patents and the potential infringement on the intellectual property rights of others, and (v) the risk of downturns and a changing regulatory landscape in the highly competitive biotechnology industry or in the markets or industries in which FOXOs prospective customers operate, including the highly regulated insurance industry. The foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. Readers should carefully consider the foregoing factors and the other risks and uncertainties described in the "Risk Factors" filed with the SEC, and risks and uncertainties indicated in the Registration Statement, including those set forth under "Risk Factors" therein, and other documents filed or to be filed by FOXO from time to time with the SEC. These filings identify and address other important risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events and results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements, and FOXO assumes no obligation and do not intend to update or revise these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221012005349/en/

Contacts

Contacts / Investor Relations Cody Slach, Matthew HauschGateway Investor Relations(949) 574-3860FOXO@gatewayir.com

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FOXO Technologies Announces First Distribution Partner and Begins Product Rollout in California; Expands Executive Team With Insurance Industry Talent...