StemCell Therapy

MELBOURNE, Australia, Dec. 02, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Molecular diagnostics company Genetic Technologies Ltd (ASX: GTG; NASDAQ: GENE, the Company), announced today that they have entered into a three-year partnership agreement with mental health company, Taliaz, for the distribution rights of their PREDICTIX products in Australia, New Zealand and the USA (Agreement).

Key Highlights

The Agreement will support GTG to expand its product offering and establish the mental health vertical by harnessing PREDICTIX, Taliazs pioneering decision-support and management platform to optimize patient treatment for mental health disorders. Starting in the field of depression, this genomic-based, Artificial Intelligence (AI) driven antidepressant selection technology, marks GTGs first foray into pharmacogenomics1.

George Muchnicki, GTGs Interim CEO stated: We are incredibly pleased to have partnered with Taliaz to bring their predictive and personalized mental health product to Australia and New Zealand. GTG are at the forefront of providing personalized and predictive products to empower patients to make informed decisions about their health. This distribution agreement is our first external product partnership and our first product within the mental health vertical. Mental health has remained at the forefront of media discussions and government initiatives within Australia, New Zealand and globally due to the ongoing social and economic impact and given the impact from the current global pandemic. We look forward to working closely with the Taliaz team to deliver their product into these markets at this critical time.

The execution of the Agreement is reliant on product regulatory clearance by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) in Australia and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the USA. Once cleared, GTG has committed to providing a minimum distribution of 8,000 tests over the initial three-year term with an associated minimum cost to GTG of $200,000 over the term, inclusive of licencing fees and a percentage based fee per test paid to Taliaz. Subject to the regulatory clearance process, GTG anticipates that PREDICTIX will be made available for sale and distribution in Australia and New Zealand in Q3 FY21 on GTGs existing Consumer Initiated Testing (CIT) platform, with end-customer pricing to be determined but anticipated to be in line with existing GTG product pricing.

PREDICTIX, developed by the private Israeli company, Taliaz, addresses the growing burden on society from depression, with 1 in 10 Americans2 and 1 in 8 Australians3 prescribed antidepressants per year. PREDICTIX enables a more accurate and rapid treatment plan for patients suffering from depression, reducingtreatment costs and the overall associated economic burden.

PREDICTIX is an algorithmic-based decision support tool that can improve todays antidepressant prescribing accuracy by 47%4. Combining DNA testing with AI, PREDICTIX empowers doctors to improve the assessment, treatment, and management of mental health disorders.

The PREDICTIX technology uses AI to analyse multiple data streams, including patients genomic, clinical history and demographic background, providing doctors with a personalized patient report. The report ranks the statistical efficacy and potential side effects of various antidepressant medication based on each patients genetic makeup andhealth record. This helps doctors optimize prescribing decisions for patients diagnosed with depressive disorder, where there is currently a long and painful trial and error period. PREDICTIX is CE-registered and commercially available in the UK, France and Israel, with the process underway for TGA approval.

Dekel Taliaz, CEO and Co-founder of Taliaz said, We are excited to partner with Genetic Technologies, world-leaders in the genetic risk assessment space. This new partnership will support rapid commercialization of PREDICTIX to help more depression sufferers in Australia, New Zealand and the USA, while adding a complementary and advanced mental health solution to GTGs growing suite of DNA tests.

The Agreement strengthens GTGs mission in creating a suite of tests to enable a holistic and predictive health assessment for patients, which can be adjusted to address the individual patient risks and needs. Establishing the first product within the mental health and pharmacogenetic space continues GTGs progress towards being able to offer a highly comprehensive suite of polygenic risk assessment tests via GTGs CIT platform and additional sales and marketing avenues as these are progressed.

This announcement was approved by the Board of Directors of Genetic Technologies Limited.

About Genetic Technologies Limited

Genetic Technologies Limited (ASX: GTG; Nasdaq: GENE) is a diversified molecular diagnostics company. GTG offers cancer predictive testing and assessment tools to help physicians proactively manage patient health. The Companys lead products GeneType for Breast Cancer for non-hereditary breast cancer and GeneType for Colorectal Cancer are clinically validated risk assessment tests and are first in class. Genetic Technologies is developing a pipeline of risk assessment products.

For more information, please visit http://www.gtglabs.com

About Taliaz

Taliaz is revolutionizing the treatment and management of mental health disorders with PREDICTIX. PREDICTIX is a CE-registered product that provides an advanced decision support software for psychiatrists and general practitioners. Harnessing artificial intelligence, PREDICTIX can enable easy, effective and rapid patient assessment, improved prescribing precision and management for a wide range of mental health conditions. Starting in the field of depression, the PREDICTIX Genetics and PREDICTIX Digital products can improve todays prescribing accuracy by up to 47%4.

For more information, please visit predictix.ai.

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Genetic Technologies Secures US and ANZ Distribution Rights for PREDICTIX - BioSpace

Washington, D.C. November 30, 2020 Today Consumer Federation of America released a new report,Marketing Direct-to-Consumer Genetic Testing: Are Consumers Getting What They Think They Are?It examines the claims direct-to-consumer (DTC) genetic testing companies make for these services, the information they provide to consumers about them, the variance of results from one company to another, the up-selling that occurs, and the companies terms of service and privacy policies. With the holidays coming up and DTC genetic testing companies promoting their services as the perfect gift, we wanted to help educate consumers about the benefits, limitations, and risks of these tests, said report author, Susan Grant, CFAs Director of Consumer Protection and Privacy. Nick Roper, Administrative and Advocacy Associate at CFA, assisted her with the research.

Conducted with a grant from the Rose Foundation, the study focused on six companies: 23andMe, Ancestry, FamilyTreeDNA, HomeDNA, LivingDNA, and MyHeritage. In order to compare the results, CFAs Grant took the basic ancestry tests from each company. We found that theres much about these tests consumers may not realize, said Grant. They need to be better informed and better protected.

What the CFA Study Found

Consumers might be surprised to know that most DTC genetic tests are not reviewed by the government before theyre marketed to confirm the claims made for them, their accuracy, or their validity, said Grant. There is a lot of helpful information on DTC genetic testing companies websites about genetics and how their services work, but were concerned that not many consumers will delve into it and assume theyll get more detailed and conclusive results than they actually will.

Recommendations

On the basis of the study, CFA made these recommendations:

DTC genetic testing companies should refrain from making specific accuracy claims.

In conjunction with the report, CFA released tips for consumers,9 Questions and Answers about DTC Genetic Testing.The full report ishere. A shorter version of the report is availablehere.

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Are Consumers Getting What They Think They Are with Genetic Testing? - YubaNet

Most camels and their cousins, alpacas and llamas, have a reputation for being somewhat irritable and belligerent; thats backed up with occasional bouts of spitting, biting and cantankerous behaviour. They have been domesticated for a few thousand years, but they still seem to have a lofty sense of dignity despite humans trying to break their spirit. The noble camel has endured being a beast of burden and even a racing animal. But becoming a dairy animal is a work in progress as patient folks who handle them have found out since they were first tamed. Humans have milked or tried to milk camels for thousands of years; the milk is particularly nutritious and a protein source in many middle east and African societies to this day. The fact that massive camel dairy operations have sprung up would indicate that camel milk is still popular within the middle easts urbanized community and has a growing interest in other parts of the world. Camel dairy operations have started up in the USA and Australia to supply new markets, but they are modest in size. The biggest hurdle is trying to turn the camel into an efficient dairy animal with ever-increasing regular milk production assisted by mechanical handling. Thats a description of the typical bovine dairy animal of today.From a dairy perspective, the camel cow is genetically 200 years behind the average bovine dairy cow. The camel is nowhere near as docile, cooperative, nor as remotely productive as a modern dairy cow. Thats the result of longtime intensive selection as none of the other milked species started out as happy, productive dairy animals. However, modern Western-style camel dairy operations are making progress through a genetic selection process, camel training and unique camel milking and handling equipment. Some of the large middle east camel dairy operations employ highly skilled professionals that guide production increases.Interestingly, a small tribal group in Northern Kenya who are highly dependent on camel milk has, through selection, created a higher milk yielding strain of camel, so it can be done. The one fast-track system to a better milking camel cow is through mass selection. In the middle east and Australia, they have access to literally hundreds of thousands of local camel cows, both wild and captive. That enables them through a process of elimination to find the one cow in a hundred that might make a good docile camel dairy cow for a commercial dairy operation. However, selection would seem to be the easy part; its the milking part where it gets more complicated. Unlike other milking species like goats, sheep and bovines, the camel does not easily let down its milk; it needs significant stimulation and then only produces at intervals. In traditional settings, the presence of a camel cows calf provides the stimulation, and a person then hand milks the cow. Considering the camels cranky nature, that alone would seem to be a dangerous and haphazard process, never mind the food safety and sanitation concerns. Clearly, that wont work in a commercial dairy operation where thousands of camels have to be milked twice a day. Hence the big sophisticated operators in the middle east have developed protocols and equipment that eliminates most calf stimulation. Still, they must be using some sort of method to keep milk production up on a regular and consistent basis. All of that would seem to be transferable to a potentially large operation in Alberta, but a reliable source of camels would be needed. The other part is the huge capital investment, one of the largest middle east dairies started with an investment of $20 million and now has over 500 employees. Granted, this large operator controls camel milk from production to processing to worldwide marketing. It must be profitable as these large operations continue to expand in the middle east. A substantial commercial camel dairy operation in North America would have some advantages. Firstly, there is seemingly a large local market to absorb camel milk. Secondly is camel feed. The big outfits in the middle east import large quantities of costly alfalfa hay and other feedstuffs from Australia and North America to provide consistent quality feed to produce a steady supply of milk. Mammals, in general, produce surplus milk only through excess fat and protein consumption. But feed and markets arent enough of an advantage its finding enough of those darned cranky camel cows to milk. More next time. Will Verboven is an ag opinion writer and ag policy advisor.

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Cranky camels make difficult dairy cows part two but technology and genetics are making some headway - Brooks Bulletin

The unique male [white] giraffe now stands aloneafter a female and her calf were killed by poachers in March.

[A] GPS tracking device, secured to one of the animals horns, will give hourly updates of his location, said the Ishaqbini Hirola Community Conservancy in a press release on [November 17].

Rangers will be able to monitor the giraffes movements in the conservancy located in Garissa County, eastern Kenya.

The giraffes grazing range has been blessed with good rains in the recent past and the abundant vegetation bodes well for the future of the white male, said Ahmed Noor, manager of the Ishaqbini Hirola Community Conservancy.

Noor thanked the Kenya Wildlife Service, Save Giraffes Now and the Northern Rangelands Trust (NRT) for their help in safeguarding wildlife species.

Our mission is to work with communities, enable them [to] be resilient, secure their livelihoods as well as protect the unique wildlife like the only known white giraffe, said Antony Wandera, senior wildlife monitoring officer at the NRT.

The male giraffe has a rare genetic trait called leucism, which results in the partial loss of pigmentation in an animal and makes it easy to spot for poachers on the arid savannah.

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Last surviving white giraffe, a genetic anomaly, fitted with GPS tracker to deter poachers - Genetic Literacy Project

1. Background

a. This Scholarship has been established to provide financial assistance to a PhD student who is undertaking research in law and genetics.

b. This Scholarship is funded by an Australian Research Council (ARC) research project.

a. The Scholarship is offered subject to the applicant having an unconditional offer of admission or being currently enrolled to study full-time in a PhD within the University of Sydney Law School.

b. Applicants must be willing to conduct research in law and genetics.

c. Applicants must hold an Honours degree (first class or second upper) or equivalent in Law.

d. Applicants must have previous research experience in Law.

a. The successful applicant will be awarded the Scholarship on the basis of:

I. academic merit,

II. area of study and/or research proposal,

III. curriculum vitae,

IV. a personal statement which demonstrates their interest in law and genetics

V. and previous research achievements, and

VI. previous research experience.

b. The successful applicant will be awarded the Scholarship on the nomination of the Sydney Law School Associate Dean (Research Education) and the relevant research supervisor(s), or their nominated delegate(s).

a. The Scholarship will provide a stipend allowance of $26,300 per annum for up to three years, subject to satisfactory academic performance.

b. The recipient may apply for an extension of the stipend allowance for up to six months.

c. Periods of study already undertaken towards the degree prior to the commencement of the Scholarship will be deducted from the maximum duration of the Scholarship excluding the potential extension period.

d. The Scholarship is for commencement in the relevant research period in which it is offered and cannot be deferred or transferred to another area of research without prior approval.

e. No other amount is payable.

f. The Scholarship and any potential extension period will be offered subject to ARC approval and the availability of funding.

a. Progression is subject to passing the annual progress review.

a. The Scholarship recipient receives up to 20 working days recreation leave each year of the Scholarship and this may be accrued. However, the student will forfeit any unused leave remaining when the Scholarship is terminated or complete. Recreation leave does not attract a leave loading and the supervisor's agreement must be obtained before leave is taken.

b. The Scholarship recipient may take up to 10 working days sick leave each year of the Scholarship and this may be accrued over the tenure of the Scholarship. Students with family responsibilities, caring for sick children or relatives, or experiencing domestic violence, may convert up to five days of their annual sick leave entitlement to carers leave on presentation of medical certificate(s). Students taking sick leave must inform their supervisor as soon as practicable.

a. The Scholarship recipient may not normally conduct research overseas within the first six months of award.

b. The Scholarship holder may conduct up to 12 months of their research outside Australia. Approval must be sought from the student's supervisor and the Sydney Law School Associate Dean (Research Education) via application to the Higher Degree by Research Administration Centre (HDRAC), and will only be granted if the research is essential for completion of the degree. All periods of overseas research are cumulative and will be counted towards a student's candidature. Students must remain enrolled full-time at the University and receive approval to count time away.

a. The Scholarship recipient cannot suspend their award within their first six months of study, unless a legislative provision applies.

b. The Scholarship recipient may apply for up to 12 months suspension of the Scholarship for any reason during the tenure of the Scholarship. Periods of Scholarship suspension are cumulative and failure to resume study after suspension will result in the award being terminated. Approval must be sought from the student's supervisor and the Sydney Law School Associate Dean (Research Education) via application to the Higher Degree by Research Administration Centre (HDRAC). Periods of study towards the degree during suspension of the Scholarship will be deducted from the maximum tenure of the Scholarship.

a. The Scholarship recipient must notify HDRAC, and their supervisor promptly of any planned changes to their enrolment including but not limited to: attendance pattern, suspension, leave of absence, withdrawal, course transfer, and candidature upgrade or downgrade. If the award holder does not provide notice of the changes identified above, the University may require repayment of any overpaid stipend.

a. The Scholarship will be terminated:

I. on resignation or withdrawal of the recipient from their research degree,

II. upon submission of the thesis or at the end of the award,

III. if the recipient ceases to be a full-time student and prior approval has not been obtained to hold the Scholarship on a part-time basis,

IV. upon the recipient having completed the maximum candidature for their degree as per the University of Sydney (Higher Degree by Research) Rule 2011 Policy,

V. if the recipient receives an alternative primary stipend scholarship. In such circumstances this Scholarship will be terminated in favour of the alternative stipend scholarship where it is of higher value,

VI. if the recipient does not resume study at the end of a period of approved leave, or

VII. If the recipient ceases to meet the eligibility requirements specified for this Scholarship, (other than during a period in which the Scholarship has been suspended or during a period of approved leave).

b. The Scholarship may also be terminated by the University before this time if, in the opinion of the University:

I. the course of study is not being carried out with competence and diligence or in accordance with the terms of this offer,

II. the student fails to maintain satisfactory progress, or

III. the student has committed misconduct or other inappropriate conduct.

c. The Scholarship will be suspended throughout the duration of any enquiry/appeal process.

d. Once the Scholarship has been terminated, it will not be reinstated unless due to University error.

a. Where during the Scholarship a student engages in misconduct, or other inappropriate conduct (either during the Scholarship or in connection with the students application and eligibility for the Scholarship), which in the opinion of the University warrants recovery of funds provided, the University may require the student to repay payments made in connection with the Scholarship. Examples of such conduct include and without limitation; academic dishonesty, research misconduct within the meaning of the Research Code of Conduct (for example, plagiarism in proposing, carrying out or reporting the results of research, or failure to declare or manage a serious conflict of interests), breach of the Code of Conduct for Students and misrepresentation in the application materials or other documentation associated with the Scholarship.

b. The University may require such repayment at any time during or after the Scholarship period. In addition, by accepting this Scholarship, the student consents to all aspects of any investigation into misconduct in connection with this Scholarship being disclosed by the University to the funding body and/or any relevant professional body.

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Postgraduate Research Scholarship in Law and Genetics - News - The University of Sydney

Rare Disease Genetic Testing Market analysis report gives clear idea about the market potential for each geographical region based on the growth rate, macroeconomic parameters, consumer buying patterns, possible future trends, and market demand and supply scenarios. Competitive analysis is the major feature of any market research report, and hence Rare Disease Genetic Testing Market report covers many points including strategic profiling of key players in the market, analyse core competencies of key players, and draw a competitive landscape for the Rare Disease Genetic Testing industry. Different components which are in charge of market development, has been analyzed clearly in this report.

A reliable Rare Disease Genetic Testing Market report conducts the market overview with respect to general market conditions, market improvement, market scenarios, development, cost and profit of the specified market regions, position and comparative pricing between major players. The report involves the market drivers and limitations which are obtained from SWOT analysis. By working with a number of steps of collecting and analysing market data, this finest Rare Disease Genetic Testing Market research report is framed with the expert team. The large scale Rare Disease Genetic Testing Market report comprises of various segments linked to Rare Disease Genetic Testing industry and market with comprehensive research and analysis.

Rare disease genetic testing market is expected to gain market growth in the forecast period of 2020 to 2027. Data Bridge Market Research analyses the market to account to grow at a CAGR of 8.30% in the above-mentioned forecast period. The increase in the facilities for patients affected by rare diseases has been directly impacting the growth of rare disease genetic testing market.

Get Free Sample Copy of the Report to understand the structure of the complete report @ https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/request-a-sample/?dbmr=global-rare-disease-genetic-testing-market

GlobalRare Disease Genetic TestingMarket Scope and Market Size

Rare disease genetic testing market is segmented on the basis of disease type, technology, specialty and end use. The growth amongst these segments will help you analyze meager growth segments in the industries, and provide the users with valuable market overview and market insights to help them in making strategic decisions for identification of core market applications.

Rare Disease Genetic Testing Market Country Level Analysis:

The countries covered in the Rare Disease Genetic Testing Market report are U.S., Canada, Mexico in North America, Germany, Poland, Ireland, Italy, U.K., France, Spain, Netherland, Belgium, Switzerland, Turkey, Russia, Rest of Europe in Europe, Japan, China, India, South Korea, New Zealand, Vietnam, Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, Rest of Asia-Pacific (APAC) in Asia-Pacific (APAC), Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Rest of South America as a part of South America, U.A.E, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Kuwait, South Africa, Rest of Middle East and Africa (MEA) as a part of Middle East and Africa (MEA).

Check Table of Contents of This Report @ https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/toc/?dbmr=global-rare-disease-genetic-testing-market

Leading Rare Disease Genetic Testing manufacturers/companies operating at both regional and global levels:

Quest Diagnostics, Inc., Centogene N.V., Eurofins Scientific, Strand Life Sciences, Ambry Genetics, PerkinElmer, Inc., Macrogen, Inc., Baylor Genetics, Color, Health Network Laboratories, L.P., Preventiongenetics, Progenity, Inc., Invitae Corporation, 3billion, Inc., Arup Laboratories, Coopersurgical, Inc., Fulgent Genetics, Myriad Genetics, Inc., Laboratory Corporation Of America Holdings and Opko Health, Inc., among other domestic and global players.

Key points of the report

Reasons for purchasing this Report

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Table Of Contents: Rare Disease Genetic Testing MarketPart 01: Executive Summary

Part 02: Scope Of The Report

Part 03: Research Methodology

Part 04: Market Landscape

Part 05: Pipeline Analysis

Part 06: Market Sizing

Part 07: Five Forces Analysis

Part 08: Market Segmentation

Part 09: Customer Landscape

Part 10: Regional Landscape

Part 11: Decision Framework

Part 12: Drivers And Challenges

Part 13: Market Trends

Part 14: Vendor Landscape

Part 15: Vendor Analysis

Part 16: Appendix

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Originally posted here:
Rare Disease Genetic Testing Market To Account To Grow At A CAGR Of 8.30% In The Forecast Period Of 2020 To 2027 | Top Companies- Quest Diagnostics,...

The information below has been supplied by dairy marketers and other industry organizations. It has not been edited, verified or endorsed by Hoards Dairyman.

New Generation Genetics is excited to welcome Lauren Hendel as U.S. Sales and Progeny Specialist effective December 1, 2020.

Lauren brings diverse experience and knowledge of the dairy genetics industry. This includes experience in marketing, daughter progeny identification and photography, customer service, and A.I. bull care, collection, and semen processing.Most recently, she worked as a Genetic Consultant in southern Wisconsin.In this role she helped customers reach their genetic goals through sire selection and mating.

Laurens passion for Brown Swiss began at a young age. Growing up, she was actively involved on her familys 400-cow dairy, near Caledonia, MN. Hendel Farms has been home to registered Brown Swiss since 1922.

Lauren has an ideal skill set for this position and will be a very valuable asset to NGG going forward, stated CEO Dan Gilbert.We are confident Breeders in the Midwest and West will benefit and appreciate working with her.

Lauren is a graduate of the University of Minnesota Twin Cities with a Bachelor of Animal Science and minor in Agricultural and Food Business Management. While there she was active in the Gopher Dairy Club, and a member of the dairy judging and dairy challenge teams.

Lauren will be working out of the home office in Fort Atkinson, WI and will be covering semen sales in the Midwest & Western regions of the USA. Lauren will also coordinate progeny photography, assist with NGG's social media platform, press releases, advertising, web site maintenanceand other office responsibilities.

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New Generation Genetics is excited to welcome Lauren Hendel as US Sales and Progeny Specialist effective December 1, 2020. - Hoard's Dairyman

Researchers inserted genes into mouse eye cells to protect and restore the optic nerve (red fibers in microscope image of healthy mouse retina, above).

By Kelly ServickDec. 2, 2020 , 5:30 PM

Do old and damaged cells remember what it was like to be young? Thats the suggestion of new study, in which scientists reprogrammed neurons in mouse eyes to make them more resistant to damage and able to regrow after injurylike the cells of younger mice. The study suggests that hallmarks of aging, and possibly the keys to reversing it, lie in the epigenome, the proteins and other compounds that decorate DNA and influence what genes are turned on or off.

The idea that aging cells hold a memory of their young epigenome is very provocative, says Maximina Yun, a regenerative biologist at the Dresden University of Technology who was not involved in the work. The new study supports that [idea], but by no means proves it, she adds. If researchers can replicate these results in other animals and explain their mechanism, she says, the work could lead to treatments in humans for age-related disease in the eye and beyond.

Epigenetic factors influence our metabolism, our susceptibility to various diseases, and even the way emotional trauma is passed through generations. Molecular biologist David Sinclair of Harvard Medical School, who has long been on the hunt for antiaging strategies, has also looked for signs of aging in the epigenome.

The big question was, is there a reset button? he says. Would cells know how to become younger and healthier?

In the new study, Sinclair and his collaborators aimed to rejuvenate cells by inserting genes that encode reprogramming factors,which regulate gene expressionthe reading of DNA to make proteins. The team chose three of the four factors scientists have used for more than 10 years to turn adult cells into induced pluripotent stem cells, which resemble the cells of an early embryo. (Exposing animals to all four factors can cause tumors.)

The team focused specifically on neurons at the back of the eye called retinal ganglion cells. These cells relay information from light-sensitive photoreceptors to the brain using long tendrillike structures called axons, which make up the optic nerve. Theres a stark divide between youth and age in these cells: An embryonic or newborn mouse can regenerate the optic nerve if it gets severed, but that ability vanishes with time.

To test whether their treatment could bring back some of that resilience, Sinclair and colleagues crushed the optic nerves of mice using forceps and injected a harmless virus into the eye carrying the genes for the three reprogramming factors. The injection prevented some damaged retinal ganglion cells from dying and even prompted some to grow new axons reaching back to the brain, the team reports today in Nature.

When the researchers looked at methylation patternsthe DNA location of chemical tags called methyl groups that regulate gene expressionthey found that changes caused by the injury resembled those in aging mouse cells. In certain parts of the genome, the treatment reversed those changes. The researchers also found that the benefits of the introduced genes depended on cells ability to alter their methylation patterns: Mice lacking certain enzymes necessary to remove methyl groups from DNA saw no benefit to the treatment.

Thats really something special, says Leonard Levin, a visual neuroscientist at McGill University. The experiments suggest how the famous and well-studied reprogramming factors restore cells. But big questions remain, he says: How do these factors cause methyl groups to be added or removed? How does that process help retinal ganglion cells?

Sinclairs team also tested the approach in mice with a condition meant to mimic glaucoma, a leading cause of age-related blindness in humans. In glaucoma, the optic nerve gets damaged, often by a buildup of pressure in the eye. Sinclair and his colleagues injected tiny beads into the animals eyes that prevented normal drainage and increased pressure, which damaged retinal ganglion cells.

Four weeks later, the animals visual acuity had declined by about 25%, as measured by a vision test in which mice move their heads to track the movement of vertical bars displayed on computer monitors. But after the genetic treatment, the animals gained back roughly half of their lost acuitythe first demonstration of restored vision in mice after this glaucomalike injury.

Still, the improvement in acuity was small, Levin notes. And, he says, the treated mice were in a relatively early stage of damage, not the state of near or total blindness that people experience when glaucoma goes untreated for years. So its too early to say whether this approach could benefit people who have lost much of their vision. Levin adds that there are already very good treatments for early-stage glaucoma to prevent vision loss with medicated eye drops or surgery to lower eye pressure.

In a final set of experiments, Sinclair and colleagues injected the reprogramming-factor genes into the eyes of 1-year-old healthy mice, roughly the mouse equivalent of middle-age. By this stage, the animals had visual acuity scores about 15% lower than their 5-month-old counterparts. Four weeks after treatment, older mice had similar acuity scores to younger ones. In their cells, the researchers saw patterns of DNA methylation and gene expression resembling those of younger animals.

In the three sets of experiments, Sinclair says, the cells seemed to respond to the reprogramming factors by fine-tuning their gene expression to match a youthful state. He sees that behavior as a hint that cells keep a record of their epigenetic past, even though its not clear how that record is stored. A company Sinclair cofounded, Life Biosciences, is developing treatments for diseases associated with aging, including glaucoma, and he says hes now planning to test the safety of this gene therapy approach in larger animals.

Yun says that as a strategy for reversing aging or treating disease, resetting the epigenome is a very difficult one. Reprogramming cells to an earlier state carries a risk of prompting uncontrolled growth and cancer.Future studies should test how the three factors affect other types of cells and tissues and confirm that reprogrammed cells maintain their youthful state long-term, she says. There are a lot of roads to be traveled.

Originally posted here:
Researchers restore lost sight in mice, offering clues to reversing aging - Science Magazine

Aging has implications for a wide range of diseases. Researchers have been looking for ways to halt the aging process for millennia, but such methods remain elusive. Scientists at Harvard Medical School have now offered a glimmer of hope that the aging clock in the eye could be reversedat least in animals.

By reprogramming the expression of three genes, the Harvard team successfully triggered mature nerve cells in mice eyes to adopt a youthful state. The method reversed glaucoma in the mice and reversed age-related vision loss in elderly mice, according to results published in Nature.

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If further studies prove out the concept, they could pave the way for therapies that employ the same approach to repair damagein other organs and possibly treat age-related diseases in humans, the team said.

The researchers focused on the Yamanaka factors, which are four transcription factorsOct4, Sox2, Klf4 and c-Myc. In a Nobel Prize-winning discovery, Shinya Yamanaka found that the factors can change the epigenomehow genes are turned on or offand can thereby transform mature cellsback to a stem cell-like state. It has been hypothesized that changes to the epigenome drive cell aging, especially a process called DNA methylation, by which methyl groups are tagged onto DNA.

Past researches have tried to use the four Yamanaka factorsto turn back the age clock in living animals, but doing so caused cells to adopt unwanted new identities and induced tumor growth.

RELATED:Restoring eyesight with genetically engineered stem cells

To test whether the approach works in living animals, the scientists used adeno-associated virus to deliver the three genes into the retina of mice with optic nerve injuries. The treatment led to a two-fold increase in the number of retinal ganglion cells, which are neurons responsible for receiving and transmitting visual information. Further analysis showed that the injury accelerated DNA methylation age, while the gene cocktail counteracted that effect.

Next the scientists tested whether the gene therapy could also work in disease settings. In a mouse model of induced glaucomawhich is a leading cause of age-related blindness in peoplethe treatment increased nerve cell electrical activity and the animals visual acuity.

But can the therapy also restore vision loss caused by natural aging? In elderly, 12-month-old mice, the gene therapy also restored ganglion cells electrical activity as well as visual acuity, the team reported.

By comparing cells from the treated micewith retinal ganglion cells from young, 5-month-old mice, the researchers found that mRNA levels of 464 genes were altered during aging, and the gene therapy reversed 90% of those changes. The scientists also noticed reversed patterns of DNA methylation, which suggests that DNA methylation is not just the marker but rather the driver behind aging.

What this tells us is the clock doesn't just represent timeit is time. If you wind the hands of the clock back, time also goes backward, the studys senior author, David Sinclair, explained in a statement.

The study marks the first time that glaucoma-induced vision loss was reversednot just slowedin living animals, according to the team.

RELATED:Reprogrammed skin cells restore sight in mouse models of retinal disease

Other researchers are also studying regenerative approaches to treating eye diseases. A research group at the Centre for Genomic Regulation in Barcelona just showed that by modifying mesenchymal stem cells to express chemokine receptors Ccr5 and Cxcr6, retinal tissue could be saved from degeneration.

The idea of reversing age-related decline in humans by epigenetic reprogramming with a gene therapy is exciting, Sinclair said. The Harvard researchers intend to do more animal work that could allow them to start clinical trials in people with glaucoma in about two years.

Our study demonstrates that it's possible to safely reverse the age of complex tissues such as the retina and restore its youthful biological function, Sinclair said. If affirmed through further studies, these findings could be transformative for the care of age-related vision diseases like glaucoma and to the fields of biology and medical therapeutics for disease at large.

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Reversing vision loss by turning back the aging clock - FierceBiotech

The study of 1,000 Canadians requiring vision correction, conducted by research firm Leger, showed that 34 per cent of Canadians requiring vision correction say their eyes feel more tired during the pandemic than they did before, which is a possible sign of digital eyestrain, a condition caused by spending too much time in front of screens. A study found the effects of long-term computer use on the eyes suggest that digital eyestrain is a form of evaporative dry eye. As a result, tears evaporate on the surface of the eye and can cause them to feel dry, tired or irritated. Despite this:

"While it's tempting to turn to streaming services and e-books for entertainment after long days of working and learning on screens, I'm seeing patients in my clinic who are suffering from sore, tired eyes as a result, which could be a sign of dry eye caused by digital eyestrain," says Dr. Shawn Moore, optometrist at Orillia Optometry. "Conditions like dry eye can also present as blurry vision, so if you're experiencing changes in your eyesight, patients still need to prioritize seeing an optometrist at this time to re-assess their vision care needs. Your eye doctor might recommend using an eye drop with lipids, like SYSTANE COMPLETE, or switching to a daily disposable contact lens featuring water gradient technology, like DAILIES TOTAL1."

In addition to dry eye and worsening vision, the survey showed that Canadians are frustrated with the inconvenience and nuisance of foggy glasses caused by wearing a mask and glasses together while running errands. Three-quarters of Canadians who wear glasses say their glasses fog up when wearing masks; 35 per cent say they adjust their glasses more when wearing them with masks; and more than half of Canadians (51 per cent) requiring vision correction wear contact lenses when going outside.

Experiencing changes with your vision during COVID-19? The following steps could help:

For more information, talk to your eye care professional to learn more about DAILIES TOTAL1 or SYSTANE COMPLETE.

Study Methodology An online survey of 1,000 Canadians who wear corrective eye wear was completed between September 22 and September 27, 2020, using Leger's online panel. For comparative purposes, a probability sample of 1000 respondents would have a margin of error of 3.1%, 19 times out of 20.

About Alcon Alcon helps people see brilliantly. As the global leader in eye care with a heritage spanning more than seven decades, Alcon offers the broadest portfolio of products to enhance sight and improve people's lives. Alcon's Surgical and Vision Care products touch the lives of more than 260 million people in over 140 countries each year living with conditions like cataracts, glaucoma, retinal diseases and refractive errors. More than 20,000 Alcon associates are enhancing the quality of life through innovative products, partnerships with eye care professionals and programs that advance access to quality eye care. For more information, visit http://www.alcon.ca.

2020 Alcon Inc. 11/20 CA-DT1-2000097

SOURCE Alcon Canada

For further information: Viktoria Kiely, Cohn & Wolfe, [emailprotected], 647.259.3273

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Many Canadians believe COVID lifestyle changes are affecting their eyes - Canada NewsWire

Since my early 20s, Ive been making spectacles of myself in a manner of speaking. During my boyhood years, my right eye had occasional encounters with things like tennis balls and a toy pistol, so my distance vision needed correction. Ive worn eyeglasses ever since. However, being nearsighted, I dont need them for things up close.

My wife is different. Thanks to recent cataract surgery, she now has near-perfect farsighted vision. Its seeing things up close that poses problems. Combined, we can boast 20:20 vision both far and near, even though lots of things havent looked all that good in 2020.

If you were to choose, which would you prefer? Flawless farsighted vision, or excellent close-up vision? In terms of physical eyesight, a good argument could be made for either. It depends on what youre wanting to do.

But spiritually speaking, Im convinced being farsighted has to be the preferred choice. The Bible affirms this over and over. Its at the heart of the Christian faith being willing to trust in things we can only see from afar, despite disheartening circumstances that might surround us.

The Scriptures abound with numerous examples of what we might call spiritual farsightedness. Jesus, speaking to the doubting disciple Thomas after he insisted on seeing visible proof of His resurrection, said, Because you have seen Me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed (John 20:29).

After suffering a series of personal losses, including his children, and wracked by painful sores over his entire body, Job declared, I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth. I myself will see him with my own eyes I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me! (Job 19:26-27).

Here are some other passages that underscore this emphasis on the value of spiritual far-sight:

So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal (2 Corinthians 4:18).

For we walk by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7).

While we wait for the blessed hope the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ (Titus 2:13).

Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is (1 John 3:2).

The 11th chapter of the book of Hebrews speaks extensively about the need for spiritual farsightedness, even when the way ahead seems dark or obscured:

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1).

By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family (Hebrews 11:7).

By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as an inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going (Hebrew 11:8).

All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance (Hebrews 11:13).

After citing other glowing examples of unwavering, unconquerable faith, the chapter reaffirms, These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect (Hebrews 11:39-40).

We find ourselves in the closing days of an unforgettable year many of us wish we could forget. What weve been seeing, up close and personal, often hasnt passed the eye test. This is all the more reason for practicing, as did the biblical patriarchs, a faith that looks not down but ahead toward a not yet seen, but promised future of joy and peace. Anticipating the time when well be experiencing the words of the old hymn, It Is Well With My Soul: when the faith shall be sight.

* * *

Robert J. Tamasy is a veteran journalist, former newspaper editor and magazine editor. Bob has written, co-authored and edited more than 15 books. These include the newly published, Marketplace Ambassadors; Business At Its Best: Timeless Wisdom from Proverbs for Todays Workplace; Tufting Legacies, The Heart of Mentoring, and Pursuing Life With a Shepherds Heart. A weekly business meditation he edits, Monday Manna, is translated into more than 20 languages and sent via email around the world by CBMC International. The address for his blog is http://www.bobtamasy.blogspot.com. His email address is btamasy@comcast.net.

The rest is here:
Bob Tamasy: Overcoming The Obstacle Of Near-Sightedness - The Chattanoogan

JOCKEY Danny Cook is fighting to save his eyesight after suffering horrific facial injuries when he was kicked by a horse.

The Jumps star needed 50 stitches to his face and suffered a broken nose and fractured eye socket following the terrifying incident last month.

2

Cook, 37, was rushed to hospital and treated for head wounds after being kicked at Market Rasen in October.

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Incredibly, he made his racing comeback on November 21 but pulled out of last Sunday's races at Carlisle after falling off Definitly Red at Newcastle on Saturday.

Cook said he chose not to ride because he cannot see properly in one eye - and could be forced to retire if it does not improve.

He told the Yorkshire Post: "I'm going to take time out to get myself sorted.

"If they operate, there's an 80 per cent chance my sight will be even worse so I need to weigh up all the options.

"Hopefully I will know more in the next week. If it doesn't get better I will not return."

Cook - who has total career earnings on the track of just under 3m - is desperate to return to racing and had been looking forward to riding again over the busy Christmas schedule.

But that is now all on hold as he waits to find out if his vision will ever return to normal.

2

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He told the Racing Post: "Ive been having trouble with my eyesight since Ive been back riding. Im going to see the specialist and try to get something sorted.

"This is the time of year when you want to race as much as you can. All the good horses are out.

"It's frustrating being off but it's a necessity because I'm not able to ride to my full capacity with only one eye."

He added: "Mentally I am good to go and I am confident and strong.

"But the vision is very much impaired when I go into a jump - it's not helping.

"I have got to look after myself. If I can't ride at my best, I must get myself sorted.

"Whatever happens I have had a good innings and hopefully it is not the end."

Cook's admission he may be forced to retire comes after fellow jockey Harry Cobden was lucky to avoid serious injury over the weekend.

He fell underneath charging horses at Newbury but was shown walking to the on-course ambulance.

And just last week Flat rider Eoin Walsh was rushed to hospital with a broken back following a fall at Chelmsford.

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Jockey Danny Cook fighting to save eyesight and career after needing 50 stitches to his face when kicked by - The Sun

Doctors point to a rising incidence in retinal vascular occlusions this year; patients also report sudden onset of double vision

Ophthalmologists have been seeing more patients with complaints of eyesight loss this year, and doctors suspect COVID-19 may have a role to play.

Doctors are relying on literature from other countries to confirm their diagnosis and suspicions. The retina is a thin layer of tissue at the back of the inside of the eye which receives light from the lens and sends it as neural signals to the brain through the optic nerve. When blood supply to the eye is hindered, the retina cannot function.

Mohan Rajan of Rajan Eye Care Hospital said he was seeing patients with loss of vision or double vision. Occlusions of the retinal blood vessels, following COVID-19 infection, have been reported. This is akin to a heart attack to a cardiologist and a stroke to a neurologist, he said.

Arteries and veins of the retina are exposed to the same pathological processes, and this affects ocular circulation as well. Patients have also reported a sudden onset of double vision and drooping of eyelids following COVID-19, due to paralysis of the nerves of the eye, he said.

Priya Sivakumar, neuro-ophthalmologist, Aravind Eye Care Hospital, Puducherry, said there had been an increase in the number of patients coming with loss of vision. Since initially testing for COVID-19 was not easily accessible, these patients were treated with steriods.

We could not test the patients for COVID-19 but suspected it as a cause because of the change in trend between last year and the current. Last year, we treated 20 patients in whom both eyes were affected.This year, from March to October, we have seen around 40 patients, she said. In her experience, the patients recovered when treated early.

Rajiv Raman, senior retina consultant, department of vitreo-retina, Sankara Nethralaya, said people recovering from COVID-19 had a tendency to form clots, which were treated using blood thinners. Occlusion (clot) in the blood vessel can occur in arteries and veins. If it occurs in an artery in the eye, the first six hours are the golden hours within which vision can be restored in some cases. In case of a vein occlusion, vision can be improved, to an extent, with treatment, but it might not return to normal, he said.

Dr. Rajiv said the hospital had not analysed its data. But in general, we are seeing more retinal vascular occlusions now. The occlusions could also be due to cardiovascular disease, diabetes or hypertension. Sankara Nethralaya, being a tertiary care centre, has been seeing many vivid recovered patients from across the country now, he added.

There seems to be more incidence of retinal vascular occlusions. There is emerging literature evidence supporting this fact.

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COVID-19 could be reason for increase in patients with eyesight loss, say doctors - The Hindu

Dry eye is a common condition during the winter season

Dry eye is a condition in which your eyes are not able to produce enough tears and fails to provide adequate lubrication to the eyes. This condition can cause symptoms like itching, redness, blurred vision, sensitivity to light, gritty sensation and discomfort in completing certain tasks. Just like your skin and other body parts, the winter season affects your eyes too. It is not a surprise that your eyes are drier during the winter season. There are several reasons behind it. Dry eyes also become quite common with the drop in temperature. We spoke to Dr. Tushar Grover, Medical Director at Vision Eye Centre, New Delhi to understand what exactly leads to an increase in the incidents of dry eye cases and how to prevent this condition.

Dr. Grover explains, "Although there are certain underlying systemic conditions such as Rheumatoid arthritis, Sjogren's syndrome or vitamin A deficiency that can lead to dry eyes in a small subset of individuals, some of the most common factors which cause dryness in otherwise healthy eyes include cold temperature, low humidity and windy weather."

Also read:Exercise Your Eyes! Reduce Eye Strain With These Expert Recommended Eye Exercises

1. One should keep eyes constantly moisturised using eye drops, artificial tears or eye ointment. You should check with your doctor once to choose the best option for you.

Use eye drops can help prevent dry eyes during the winter seasonPhoto Credit: iStock

2. Shield your eyes using UV-protected wraparound glasses or a visor hat whenever you are outdoors.

3. Keep the indoor room temperature reasonably warm and not excessively hot when using heating systems such as heaters and blowers. Also, ensure that your face doesn't directly get in the way of the heat from the appliance.

Also read:5 Nutrients You Should Not Miss To Maintain Healthy Eyesight

4. Use a humidifier indoors to retain the moisture in the room. It will also help you prevent dry skin.

5. Apply warm compresses in case of extreme discomfort or irritation in the eye because of dryness. Warm compresses also help open up the clogged Meibomian glands responsible for secreting oil or meibum which prevents evaporative dry eye.

Also read: All About Vitamin A

6. Don't ignore nutritional requirements such as vitamin A and omega-3 fatty acids and consume food items that are rich in those nutrients.

Vitamin A is responsible for ensuring healthy eyesightPhoto Credit: iStock

7. Avoid continuous use of screen-based gadgets. At the same time, try to blink more frequently.

8. Keep your body hydrated all the time by regularly taking water and other fluids. A hydrated body would also keep eyes moisturized enough.

Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.

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Dry Eyes In Winter: Follow These Expert Recommended Tips To Prevent This Condition - NDTV

A DRIVER failed an eyesight test after his car hit a pedestrian.

The DVLA revoked his licence less than anhour after the crash in Chichester this morning.

Sussex Roads Police attended the scene at about 11.30am and confirmed that there had been no serious injuries as a result of the collision.

A spokesman for the force said: "We are at the scene of a road traffic collisionin Chichester where a car hit a pedestrian.

"Thankfully, this was low speed and injuries are not serious.

"We conducted an eyesight test with the driver, which he failed.

"The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) have already revoked his licence, less than onehour after the road traffic collision."

Sussex Roads Police have been contacted for further information.

The DVLA has a list of "driving eyesight rules" on its website.

These state: "You must wear glasses or contact lenses every time you drive if you need them to meet the standards of vision for driving.

"You must tellDVLAif youve got any problem with your eyesight that affects both of your eyes, or the remaining eye if you only have one eye.

"This doesnt include being short or long sighted, or colour blind.

"You also dont need to say if youve had surgery to correct short sightedness and can meet the eyesight standards.

"You must be able to read (with glasses or contact lenses, if necessary) a car number plate made afterSeptember 1 2001 from 20 metres."

Drivers are also recquired tohave an "adequate field of vision". This can be assessed by opticians, who are also able to provide more information on the standard drivers need to meet.

Original post:
Driver fails eyesight test after hitting pedestrian with car - The Argus

4D Molecular Therapeutics raised $75 million in June to get several gene therapy programs into and through the clinic. Now, its adding a trio of executives to spearhead its work in heart, eye and lung diseases as it looks to shepherd treatments in those focus areas forward.

Robert Fishman, M.D. becomes 4Ds chief medical officer and therapeutic area head for pulmonology. He joins from Xoc Pharmaceuticals, where as chief medical officer he led phase 1 development for programs in Parkinsons disease and migraine. Before that, he headed clinical development at InterMune, overseeing the pivotal trial of Esbriet, an idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis drug now marketed by Roche.

Accelerate Biologics, Gene and Cell Therapy Product Development partnering with GenScript ProBio

GenScript ProBio is the bio-pharmaceutical CDMO segment of the worlds leading biotech company GenScript, proactively providing end-to-end service from drug discovery to commercialization with professional solutions and efficient processes to accelerate drug development for customers.

RELATED: Restoring eyesight with genetically engineered stem cells

Raphael Schiffmann, M.D., signs on as senior vice president and therapeutic area head for 4Ds cardiology stable. He was previously director of the Institute of Metabolic Disease at the Baylor Research Institute and the lead investigator of the developmental and metabolic neurology branch at the NIHs National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.

Robert Kim, M.D., joins 4D as a senior vice president and clinical therapeutic area head of ophthalmology. Hes held multiple chief medical officer roles at ViewPoint Therapeutics, Apellis Pharma and Vision Medicines, and earlier in his career worked in ophthalmology at GlaxoSmithKline, Genentech and Novartis.

The three executives arrive six months after 4D topped up its coffers with a $75 million series C round. The capital, which came two years after a $90 million B round, was earmarked to push three programs into the clinic, including two that are partnered with Roche.

Those programs include 4D-310, a treatment for Fabry disease in which patients cells accumulate a type of fat called globotriaosylceramide, and 4D-125, a treatment for the eye disease X-linked retinitis pigmentosa. Roche has the exclusive right to develop and commercialize the latter. Roche has licensed the third prospect, 4D-110, a treatment for a type of vision loss called choroideremia.

RELATED: 4D raises $90M to move gene therapies into clinical testing with AstraZeneca and Roche

The funds will also bankroll the development of 4Ds preclinical pipeline, including IND-enabling studies for 4D-710, a program in cystic fibrosis, and other candidates for neuromuscular diseases and ophthalmology.

With the addition of Robert Fishman, Raphael Schiffmann and Robert Kim to our clinical R&D leadership team, 4DMT gains not only extensive experience in clinical development and translational medicine, but also unique and specific experience within each of the initial 4DMT therapeutic areas," said 4D CEO David Kim, M.D., in a statement.

More here:
4D hires a trio of area heads as it ramps up its gene therapy pipeline - FierceBiotech

A mum was left partially blinded after she was crushed in front of her children when the skippers of two powerboats bungled a stunt turn and rammed into each other.

Jane Francis, 45, suffered catastrophic life-changing injuries that includes permanent damage to her eyesight leaving her with just 60 per cent vision.

She also sustained other serious injuries including several broken bones and a punctured lung during the accident on the Isle of May off Scotland, the Daily Record reports.

On Wednesday, Isle of May Boat Trips Ltd was fined at Dundee Sheriff Court after it admitted responsibility for the crash which happened when two skippers were carrying out a "synchronised power turn" move in July 2016.

Sheriff Alastair Carmichael said: "Jane Francis was seriously injured. Her injuries included several broken bones and a punctured lung.

"She sustained damage to her diaphragm that required surgery in 2018. The crushing injuries that she sustained caused severe damage to her eyesight which has been permanently impaired.

"She has post traumatic stress disorder as a result of the collision. The final figure is not, I stress, in any way intended to be a financial value for Jane Francis' injuries or impairment.

"There was no clear procedure in place for the skippers to follow when the synchronised power turn started to go wrong," the sheriff said.

He said the company had failed to make a suitable risk assessment, failed to provide passengers with a suitable pre-departure briefing, and failed to ensure the power turn had been properly planned.

Mrs Francis said: "My eyes suffered damage during a thoracic crush injury and I have what is called Purtscher's Retinopathy.

"This causes sight loss and damage to areas of the retina which see colour and surface detail. I have what I approximate to be about 40 per cent sight loss.

"I have no sight in the central vision of my right eye. The remaining areas across both eyes have patches of missing sight."

The court heard how she suffered catastrophic injuries during the crash when the two skippers collided while they were showing off to passengers on a cruise ship.

Mrs Francis was injured when the two Osprey rigid inflatable 12-person vessels ran into each other during a pleasure trip to view the wildlife on the Isle of May.

The court was told that the power turn was carried out to give unsuspecting passengers an "exhilarating" experience during the trip to view the birds on the island.

The court heard that the one of the skippers told passengers the manoeuvre would make people on the nearby May Princess wish they had come on the powerboat trip instead of the cruise ship.

However, when the boats completed their arc at speed they came back together closer than planned and one of the skippers swerved in the wrong direction.

Anstruther lifeboat coxswain Roy Giles, a director of the company, correctly turned his vessel in a starboard direction in accordance with maritime rules.

But Simon Chapman turned his board in a port direction and ran into the company's sister vessel, injuring Mrs Francis, who was on a day out with her husband.

The Cellardyke-based company admitted being in breach of the Merchant Shipping Act 1995 and being responsible for Mrs Francis's injury and impairment.

The company admitted that on 19 July 2016 it failed to take all reasonable steps to ensure the trip was carried out safely and failed to properly plan the power turn.

Fiscal depute Gavin Callaghan said Mrs Francis suffered several broken ribs, broke both clavicles and tore her shoulder, as well as suffering a retinopathy.

"As a result vision in both her eyes has been affected. She has a large black spot in her field of vision in her right eye and can only see light and dark in her left eye.

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"She is able to read with difficulty, a few letters at a time. She describes herself as having severe visual impairment. Diaphragm damage has affected her liver.

"She suffers PTSD and panic attacks. She is left with a fear of being somewhere that emergency vehicles find hard to access. Her memory and concentration have been affected."

Mr Callaghan said the power turn had not been explained to the passengers on the two Osprey boats, so they could not make an informed choice about whether to go on the trip.

"Simon Chapman said they would undertake manoeuvres which would make passengers on the May Princess wish they had come on this trip instead."

The prosecutor told the court that the boats should not have come within 20 metres of each other and would not have collided but for Mr Chapman's error.

Counsel for the company, Gavin Anderson, said the company no longer allowed skippers to do power turns and had taken other steps to improve on-board safety.

He said: "We wish to express the company's profound regret at causing a risk of injury and actual injury to Mrs Francis.

"The time taken from the beginning of the manoeuvre to the collision would have been no more than 15 seconds. Both skippers knew not to pass closer than 20 metres from another vessel.

"The company recognise the matter is a serious one. The company fell short of the appropriate standard. The manoeuvre which gave rise to the accident is simply not done at all now."

The company has been allowed to pay the fine at 3,000 per year.

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Mum blinded after being crushed in front of her kids in boat trip 'stunt' horror - Mirror Online

SportOther SportDANNY Cook hopes eye surgeons can save his career after being forced to give up race-riding for the time being.

Sunday, 29th November 2020, 2:01 pm

He made the decision immediately after Definitly Red, a horse integral to his career, fell in Newcastles Rehearsal Chase. He cited medical reasons for giving up two rides at Carlisle on Sunday.

Cook had returned to the saddle on November 21 just weeks after suffering a fractured eye socket in a horror fall. He required 60 stitches to facial injuries following a fall at Market Rasen in which he was kicked in the face by a pursuing horse.

But the jockey, who has built a strong association with Yorkshire trainers Sue Smith and Brian Ellison, has conceded that he is currently unable to do justice to his rides because of impaired vision during races.

Im going to take time out to get myself sorted its just one of those things, he told The Yorkshire Post.

If they operate, theres an 80 per cent chance my sight will be even worse so I need to weigh up all the options.

Hopefully, I will know more in the next week. If it doesnt get better, I will not return.

Cook denied widespread weighing room speculation that he had already chosen to retire. People are going to say what they are going to say, he went on.

Mentally, I am good to go and I am confident and strong. But the vision is very much impaired when I go into a jump its not helping.

I have got to look after myself. If I cant ride at my best, I must get myself sorted. Whatever happens, I have had a good innings and hopefully it is not the end.

Time will tell. I have just got to take time to get it right because I dont feel I am riding to the best of my ability as things stand.

Ellison said that the jockey had told him that he was finished after the ride on Definitly Red, a former winner of Wetherbys Charlie Hall Chase, at Newcastle.

The Malton trainer says the horse appears sound after a fall which saw the multiple Grade Two winner, and former Cheltenham Gold Cup contender, slither along the turf. He says Definitly Red could reappear at Christmas.

The Rehearsal Chase was ultimately won by the resurgent Yorkhill for Sandy Thomson and former Grand National-winning jockey Ryan Mania, who was recording his most significant win since he made his own comeback from retirement just over a year ago.

A multiple Grade One winner with Willie Mullins, Yorkhill had badly lost his way in the last two seasons after successive wins at the Cheltenham Festival seemingly had left him destined for greatness.

Golfing star Lee Westwood took over ownership with friend David Armstrong, from their mutual acquaintance Sir Graham Wylie, and sent him to be trained in the Scottish Borders by Thomson.

I think he just needed the personal touch theyve given him a bit of time to nurture him back to where he was, eulogised an emotional Westwood. I was at Cheltenham the day he beat Yanworth, and I got a real feel he was back to that sort of form.

His ears were pricked, he loved his jumping, and when they came at him he went away again he was even racing the loose horse at the end. I was in tears.

Champion Hurdle heroine Epatante confirmed her class by landing the Grade One Fighting Fifth Hurdle in scintillating style Micky Hammonds Cornerstone Lad, the 2019 winner, was a non-runner because of the quick ground.

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Jockey Danny Cook fighting to save eyesight and career - Yorkshire Post

Exercise brings countless benefits to the mind and body; namely burning fat and fortifying mental health. There is no shortage of studies that demonstrate its impact on longevity but knowing what to do and how much to do can seem bamboozling, particularly if you are starting out. Fortunately, you can add years to your lifespan without the need to invest in high-tech equipment or engaging in high-intensity exercise.

Research published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings extolls the benefits of brisk walking, suggesting that the straight-forward exercise can boost your longevity by years.

What's more, the finding was consistent across all body profiles.

The researchers monitored the walking habits and deaths of nearly 475,000 people, most of whom were in their 50s at the start of the study, and found that people who have a quicker walking pace lived longer than those who walked more slowly.

Brisk walking was defined by researchers as walking at least three miles per hour, or 100 steps a minute.

READ MORE:How to live longer: Cinnamon lowers risk of Alzheimers & heart disease to boost longevity

However, walking pace was self-reported by participants, who were asked to indicate whether they walked at a slow pace, steady/average pace, or brisk pace.

Participants with brisk walking paces had longer life expectancies across all categories of body mass index (BMI).

The BMI is a measure that uses your height and weight to work out if your weight is healthy.

"The survival is the same for fast walkers for a wide range of body mass index, from 20 to 40, Dr Francesco Zaccardi, a clinical epidemiologist at the University of Leicester in the United Kingdom and the studys lead researcher, told Healthline.

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"This result indicates that physical function is a stronger determinant of longevity than body mass index, and also people with high body mass index but with good fitness may survive longer, he said.

Conversely, participants with slower walking paces had shorter life expectancies across all categories of BMI.

Researchers reported that women who walked more quickly had a life span of about 87 years compared to 72 years for women who walked slowly.

Men who walked quickly had a life span of about 86 years compared to 65 years for men who walked more slowly.

That works out as a 15-year average difference for women and a 20-year average difference for men.

Exercise is integral to longevity because it provides a bulwark against obesity, which can usher in life-threatening diseases and conditions.

These include:

Obesity can also undermine your quality of life and lead to psychological problems, such as depression and low self-esteem.

In addition to exercising regularly, it is vital that you eat a healthy, balanced diet to tackle obesity.

According to the NHS, a healthy diet should consist of:

"Try to avoid foods containing high levels of salt because they can raise your blood pressure, which can be dangerous for people who are already obese," warns the the health body.

It adds: "You'll also need to check calorie information for each type of food and drink you consume to make sure you don't go over your daily limit."

The rest is here:
How to live longer: Brisk walking proven to boost longevity - how fast must you walk? - Express

Were all getting used to wearing masks, using hand sanitizer, and standing at least 1 meter apart. One industry that is hoping a new normal can breathe life back into their livelihoods is the world of travel.

Staycations have grown in popularity, which is great for the UK economy. But with tourism worth billions for countries across the globe, it is important that people are still able to see travelling abroad as a viable and safe option during unpredictable times.

In this article, we are going to discuss what the future of holidays may look like today, tomorrow, and in a post-pandemic world, as global economies get to grips with recovering from nearly a year of lockdowns and closures.

The safety of people is paramount when you consider how wildly the virus can spread. We have seen the devastation it can cause without the correct measures in place.

We know the ability to travel abroad hinges on the health of the passenger and the health of the country. This is because of infection rates, especially spikes that raise alarm bells for governments and medical professionals.

The UKs travel corridors are a way of working out which countries are deemed safe to travel to. Were in a situation where you could be in a country one night and everything is okay, to waking up and finding out youll need to quarantine for 14-days on your return.

Its the world we live in right now. Economies need to support each other. But, at the same time, it has to be a case of common sense over cash is king. Were likely to be in a position for quite some time when the rules change overnight. Hopefully, it doesnt completely deter people from booking holidays and visiting new places. That said, hopefully, you respect social distancing and other measures put in place by the country you call your own for a week or two.

Choosing where to stay when you go on holiday isnt just about the room youll sleep in. Food, drink, entertainment, and the fact its going to be full can play on your mind more than the thickness of the duvet.

But during and even for a short time after the global pandemic, a secluded area could be the ideal way to avoid busy pool areas and hungry holiday goers at the buffet. Villas and private apartments can offer luxury, sun, and the all-important peace of mind that youre able to spend time in a family bubble while socially distancing in the more vibrant areas of popular destinations.

Lockdown has given people more time to think and more opportunity to realize what is important for them. Weve seen the rise of home workouts with the likes of Joe Wicks, and now were potentially heading for a rise in wellness retreats, where seclusion and safety is the order of the day. Bali and China are home to some of the most beautiful wellness retreats in the world such as the Sangha Retreat in Yangcheng Island, Suzhou the perfect place to seek self-clarity and serenity. Such is the beauty of this retreat, especially that youll be Googling how to complete a Chinese visa application once you check out the website.

Its easy to speculate about the future of travelling abroad and what a post-pandemicor even a current pandemic holidaylooks like. But its important to remember that the travel, tourism, and cultural tourism industries have been hit hard by the virus. The fact a future can even be talked about is positive. However, the hope is that it doesnt just remain talk and that we continue to move forward with the new normal and the new way to go on holiday.

This is Longevity Live Partner Content

Thomas Bradley is a copywriter at Visa Genie. He has over seven years communications and copywriting experience, having previously worked in the financial services sector and car industry.

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What Will the Future of Holiday Travel Look Like? - Longevity LIVE - Longevity LIVE