StemCell Therapy

Have you ever wondered why the world doesn't go black every time you blink? Or how incompetent people can seem so confident in their abilities? Or what all that plastic in the ocean means for our food?

These students have answers.

For our first-ever STEM Writing Contest, The Learning Network teamed up with Science News to challenge teenagers to choose a STEM-related question, concept or issue that interested them and, in 500 words or fewer, explain it to a general audience in a clear and engaging way.

We received 1,618 entries touching on topics in medicine and psychology, chemistry and biology, geometry and astronomy. Of those, our judges, including science reporters from The New York Times and science educators across the country, selected 44 finalists eight winners, 14 runners-up and 22 honorable mentions whom we are listing below.

Were never quite sure what to expect with a new contest like this one, but we hoped students would take to this task with a spirit of inquiry and discovery. And they did.

One of our winners told us she was inspired to study antlike microrobots after noticing the anthills dominating her backyard. Another wanted to know what caused the sleep apnea so many of her friends and family suffered from. A runner-up questioned what made spicy foods, a staple of her Mexican heritage, so appealing.

To find answers, they scoured news articles and scientific journals, interviewed experts and even performed their own experiments.

But what set our winners apart wasnt just what they wrote about or the evidence they drew on to support it it was the way they skillfully explained their topics so a general audience could understand them. This was a writing contest, after all. With engaging hooks, relatable analogies, clever metaphors and a strong sense of voice, these writers not only helped translate complex subjects; they also made them enjoyable to read.

But dont take our word for it. Were publishing the eight winning essays in full and you can read them for yourselves by clicking on the links to their work below. We hope, like us, youll learn something new and have fun doing it.

Thank you to all the students who participated and congratulations to all our finalists. If you have feedback on this contest, please write to us at LNFeedback@nytimes.com. And dont forget about our 10-week Summer Reading Contest, which begins June 12.

Telomeres Turning Back the Biological Clock by Hubert Chen

The Promise of Hot Garbage by Michael Dekhtyar

The Death of Classical Geometry by Elias Leventhal

Egg Stem Cells May Mean the Creation of New Eggs After Birth by Erin Li

How the Phishermen of Today Cast Their Lines by Amy Liu

Far-off Galaxy Collision Foretells the Tail of Our Future by Diya Naik

Gravitational Waves and General Relativity by Maximilian Niebur

A New Hope for Bees: Genetically Modified Gut Bacteria by Eva Panin

A Zombie Apocalypse? by Tisya Raina

Is it the End for the Silver Bullet? by Jia Cheng Anthony Shen

Sizzling Steaks and Crusty Bread: The Science of the Maillard Reaction by Victoria Tong

Black Holes: The Universes Biggest Subwoofers by Will

Can We Really Heal Ourselves? Demystifying Placebos by Phoebe Yu

Could Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicles Be the Future of Transportation? by Quinn Alami

What Are the Effects of Delaying School Start Times on Teens? by Aylin Ardali

Should We Trust Our Memories? by Jessie Gaither

No, Amazon Does Not Produce 20% of the Worlds Oxygen. Our Breath Is a Gift From the Wanderers-on-the-Oceans by Devanshi Guglani

Using Rat Urine and Chewing Gum Science Could Thwart Climate Change by Kwangjun Jung

Must-Fix-It: Energy Poverty by Logan Kim

The Science Behind Tattoos by Julia Luyk

The Future of Cancer Imaging Lies in The Starry Night Under the Sea by Camilla Martinez

How Microbes Decide Whether We Live or Die by Gus Morrill

The Unexpected Legacy of Our Digital Founding Fathers by Ellee Nakamura

Forensics Fiction? The Reliability of Facts in Our Courtrooms by Mackenzie Pavlik

How Caffeine Can Help You Stick to Your New Years Resolutions for Longer by Joshua Pixley

Premature Glaucoma by Marina Lupercio Sanchez

The Rusty Patched Bumblebee: A Ticking Time Bomb by Erin Saunders

Marshmallow Experiment True or All Fluff? by Rose Sawilowsky

The Magic Behind Flu Vaccines Secret Weapons Against Influenza Virus in the Everlasting Arms Race by Yihan Shen

Making Toilets Sustainable by Ana-Maria Skaricic

Keeping You in the Loop About Your Poop by Kenna Sondhelm

Learning? Sleep On It. by Heather Szczesniak

The Effects of Noise Pollution on Marine Wildlife by Hadley Weathers

Why Gray Matter, Matters: Inside the Brain of a Psychopath by Paige Williams

Being Sustainable After Death by Tiffany Wu

From The Learning Network: Jeremy Engle, Michael Gonchar and Natalie Proulx

Other judges, including science educators from schools and education organizations around the country: Victoria Bampoh, Amanda Christy Brown, Terianne Hall, Annissa Hambouz, Meghan Hess, Shira Katz, Allison Lee, Simon Levien, Keith Meatto, Mariam Naraine, Dawn Parker, Melissa Slater and Vanessa Vieux

More:
Bacteria Bombs, Fat Tongues and Microrobots: The Winners of Our STEM Writing Contest - The New York Times

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), cardiovascular disease, specifically ischemic heart disease, is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Cardiovascular diseases result in an estimated 17.9 million deaths each year. This is about 31% of all deaths worldwide (1). Medical researchers are continually working on ways to reduce those numbers, including the development of new technologies to combat premature deaths from cardiovascular diseases. This article will focus, in particular, on the value of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) in cardiac research.

iPSCs are a type of pluripotent stem cell. These are master cells that can differentiate into any cell or tissue the body needs. They are generated directly from somatic cells through ectopic expression of various transcription factors, such as

Theyve become key tools to model biological processes, particularly in cell types that are difficult to access from living donors. Many research laboratories are working to enhance reprogramming efficiency by testing different cocktails of transcription factors.

iPSCs have become essential in a number of different research fields, including cardiac research.

They are a valuable and advantageous technologic development for two main reasons:

Most people have heard of embryonic stem cells, which are one variation of pluripotent cells. Like iPSCs, they can be used to replace or restore tissues that have been damaged.

The problem is that embryonic stem cells are only found in preimplantation stage embryos (3). Whereas iPSCs are adult cells that have been genetically modified to work like embryonic stem cells. Thus, the term, inducedpluripotent stem cells.

The development of iPSCs was helpful because embryos are not needed. This reduces the controversy surrounding the creation and use of stem cells. Further, iPSCs from human donors are also more compatible with patients than animal iPSCs, making them even closer to their embryonic cousins.

The Japanese inventor of iPSCs, Professor Shinya Yamanaka earned a Nobel Prize in 2012 for the discovery that mature cells can be reprogrammed to become pluripotent. (4) The Prize was awarded to Dr. Yamanaka because of the significant medical and research implications this technology holds.

iPSCs hold a lot of promise for transplantation medicine. Further, they are highly useful in drug development and modeling of diseases.

iPSCs may become important in transplantation medicine because the tissues developed from them are a nearly identical match to the cell donors. This can potentially reduce the chances of rejection by the immune system (5).

In the future, and with enough research, it is highly possible that researchers may be able to perfect the iPSC technology so that it can efficiently reprogram cells and repair damaged tissues throughout the body.

iPSCs forgo the need for embryos and can be made to match specific patients. This makes them extremely useful in both research and medicine.

Every individual with damaged or diseased tissues could have their own pluripotent stem cells created to replace or repair them. Of course, more research is needed before that becomes a reality. To date, the use of iPSCs in therapeutic transplants has been very limited.

One of the most significant areas where iPSCs are currently being used is in cardiac research. With appropriate nutrients and inducers, iPSC can be programmed to differentiate into any cell type of the body, including cardiomyocyte. This heart-specific cell can then serve as a great model for therapeutic drug screening or assay development.

Another notable application of iPSCs in cardiac research is optical mapping technology. Optical mapping technology employs high-speed cameras and fluorescence microscopy to examines the etiology and therapy of cardiac arrhythmias in a patient-like environment. This is typically done by looking into electrical properties of multicellular cardiac preparations., e.g. action potential or calcium transient, at high spatiotemporal resolution (6).

Optical mapping technology can correctly record or acquire data from iPSCs. iPSCs are also useful in mimicking a patients cardiomyocytes with their specific behaviors, resulting in more reliable and quality data of cardiac diseases.

iPSCs are vital tools in cardiac research for the following reasons:

iPSCs are patient-specific because they are 100% genetically identical with their donors. This genomic make-up allows researchers to study patients pathology further and develop therapeutic agents for treating their cardiac diseases.

Induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (iPSC-CMs), help researchers predict the cardiotoxicity of drugs like with widely used chemotherapy reagents (10). Predictions like this were close to impossible before iPSC technology entered the research game.

iPSCs really come into play with their ability to model diseases. Because iPSCs are genetic matches to their living donors, they are uniquely useful for the study of genetic cardiac diseases like monogenic disorders. iPSCs help researchers understand how disease genotypes at the genetic level manifest as phenotypes at the cellular level (5).

Long QT syndrome, a condition that affects the repolarization of a patients heart after a heartbeat, is a notable example of iPSC-based disease modeling (7). This syndrome has been successfully modeled using iPSCs and is an excellent model for other promising target diseases (7).

Long QT syndrome is not the only disease that has been modeled by iPSCs. Other cardiac diseases like Barth syndrome-associated cardiomyopathy and drug-induced kidney glomerular injuries have been modeled as well (8).

The advent of iPSC technology has created a wealth of new opportunities and applications in cardiovascular research and treatments. In the near future, researchers hope that iPSC-derived therapies will be an option for thousands, if not millions of patients worldwide.

More from this author: The Promising Future of Nanomedicine and Nanoparticles

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What is the Value of iPSC Technology in Cardiac... - The Doctor Weighs In

Dublin, May 05, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Cell Expansion Market to 2027 - Global Analysis and Forecasts By Product; Cell Type; Application; End User, and Geography" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global cell expansion market is projected to reach US$ 42,837.11 Mn in 2027 from US$ 11,929.43 Mn in 2018. The cell expansion market is expected to grow with a CAGR of 15.6% from 2019-2027.

Driving factors include increasing adoption of regenerative medicines, rising prevalence of cancer. However, the risk contamination during cell expansion is expected to hamper the market during the forecast period.

Cancer is one of the major cause of human death worldwide. In recent years, the cases of cancer have been increasing tremendously and the trend is anticipated to remain the same in the upcoming years. According to the World Health Organization in 2018, approximately 9.6 million deaths across the globe were due to cancer. Furthermore, the National Cancer Institute predicted that in 2018, approximately 1,735,350 new cancer cases would be diagnosed in the US.

Changes in lifestyle have resulted in more exposure to oncogenic factors. Cancer can be cured if diagnosed and treated at an initial stage. Cancer sequencing using next-generation sequencing (NGS) methods provides more information. Additionally, cell expansion related procedures also aids in research, diagnostics and treatment of cancer.

Furthermore, Asia Pacific region is also facing the problem of the growing prevalence of cancer. The top 15 countries with Cancer prevalence are Japan, Taiwan, Singapore, South Korea, Malaysia, Thailand, China, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Indonesia, Mongolia, India, Laos, and Cambodia. According to the National Institute of Cancer Prevention and Research (NICPR), in 2018, in India, total deaths due to cancer were 784,821.

The global Cell Expansion market is segmented by product, cell type, application, end user. Based on product, the cell expansion market is segmented into consumables and instruments. In 2018, the consumables accounted for the largest market share in the global cell expansion market by product. These consumables are essential components of any laboratory experiment hence they are expected to witness significant growth during the forecast period. Based on cell type, the cell expansion market has been segmented into human cell and animal cell. Furthermore based on application the cell expansion market has been segmented into Regenerative Medicine And Stem Cell Research, Cancer And Cell-Based Research and Other Applications. Based in end user market is segmented into Biopharmaceutical And Biotechnology Companies, Research Institutes, cell banks and others.

Some of the essential primary and secondary sources included in the report are the National Institute of Cancer Prevention and Research (NICPR), Association for Management Education and Development, Center for Cancer Research, International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR), American Association of Blood Banks (AABB), National Institute of Cancer Prevention and Research and others.

Reasons to Buy

Key Topics Covered:

1. Introduction

2. Cell Expansion Market - Key Takeaways

3. Research Methodology

4. Cell Expansion- Market Landscape4.1 Overview4.2 PEST Analysis4.3 Expert Opinions

5. Global Cell Expansion Market - Key Market Dynamics5.1 Key Market Drivers5.1.1 Increasing Adoption of Regenerative Medicines5.1.2 Rising Prevalence of Cancer5.2 Key Restraints5.2.1 Risk Contamination During Cell Expansion5.3 Key Opportunity5.3.1 Middle Income Countries Creating Development Opportunities5.4 Future Trend5.4.1 Consistent Research in Drug Discovery Activities5.5 Impact Analysis

6. Cell Expansion Market - Global Analysis6.1 Global Cell Expansion Market Revenue Forecasts And Analysis6.2 Global Cell Expansion Market, By Geography - Forecasts And Analysis6.3 Market Positioning Of Key Players

7. Cell Expansion Market - Revenue And Forecasts To 2027 - Product7.1 Overview7.2 Global Cell Expansion Market, by Product , 2018 & 2027 (% Share)7.3 Consumables7.3.1 Overview7.3.2 Global Consumables Market Revenue and Forecast to 2027 (US$ Mn)7.3.3 Reagents, Media & Serum7.3.3.1 Overview7.3.3.2 Global Reagents, Media & Serum Market Revenue and Forecast to 2027 (US$ Mn)7.3.4 Disposables7.3.4.1 Overview7.3.4.2 Global Disposables Market Revenue and Forecast to 2027 (US$ Mn)7.3.4.3 Culture Tissue Flasks7.3.4.3.1 Overview7.3.4.3.2 Global Culture Tissue Flasks Market Revenue and Forecast to 2027 (US$ Mn)7.3.4.4 Bioreactor Accessories7.3.4.4.1 Overview7.3.4.4.2 Global Bioreactor Accessories Market Revenue and Forecast to 2027 (US$ Mn)7.3.4.5 Other Disposables7.3.4.5.1 Overview7.3.4.5.2 Global Other Disposables Market Revenue and Forecast to 2027 (US$ Mn)7.4 Instruments7.4.1 Overview7.4.2 Global Instruments Market Revenue and Forecast to 2027 (US$ Mn)7.4.3 Cell Expansion Supporting Equipment7.4.3.1 Overview7.4.3.2 Global Cell Expansion Supporting Equipment Market Revenue and Forecast to 2027 (US$ Mn)7.4.4 Bioreactors7.4.4.1 Overview7.4.4.2 Global Bioreactors Market Revenue and Forecast to 2027 (US$ Mn)7.4.5 Automated Cell Expansion Systems7.4.5.1 Overview7.4.5.2 Global Automated Cell Expansion Systems Market Revenue and Forecast to 2027 (US$ Mn)

8. Cell Expansion Market Analysis and Forecasts to 2027 - Cell Type8.1 Overview8.2 Global Cell Expansion Market, by Cell Type, 2018 & 2027 (% Share)8.3 Human Cells8.3.1 Overview8.3.2 Global Human Cell Market Revenue and Forecast to 2027 (US$ Mn)8.3.3 Adult Stem Cells8.3.3.1 Overview8.3.3.2 Global Adult Stem Cells Market Revenue and Forecast to 2027 (US$ Mn)8.3.4 Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells8.3.4.1 Overview8.3.4.2 Global Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Market Revenue and Forecast to 2027 (US$ Mn)8.3.5 Embryonic Stem Cells8.3.5.1 Overview8.3.5.2 Global Embryonic Stem Cells Market Revenue and Forecast to 2027 (US$ Mn)8.3.6 Differentiated Cells8.3.6.1 Overview8.3.6.2 Global Differentiated Cells Market Revenue and Forecast to 2027 (US$ Mn)8.4 Animal Cells8.4.1 Overview8.4.2 Global Animal Cell Market Revenue and Forecast to 2027 (US$ Mn)

9. Cell Expansion Market Analysis And Forecasts To 2027 - Application9.1 Overview9.2 Global Cell Expansion Market Share by Application 2018 & 2027 (%)9.3 Regenerative Medicine And Stem Cell Research9.3.1 Overview9.3.2 Global Regenerative Medicine And Stem Cell Research Market Revenue and Forecast to 2027 (US$ Mn)9.4 Cancer And Cell-Based Research9.4.1 Overview9.4.2 Global Cancer And Cell-Based research Market Revenue and Forecast to 2027 (US$ Mn)9.5 Other Applications9.5.1 Overview9.5.2 Global Other Applications Market Revenue and Forecast to 2027 (US$ Mn)

10. Cell Expansion Market Analysis And Forecasts To 2027 - End User10.1 Overview10.2 Global Cell Expansion Market Share by End User 2018 & 2027 (%)10.3 Biopharmaceutical And Biotechnology Companies10.3.1 Overview10.3.2 Global Biopharmaceutical And Biotechnology Companies Market Revenue and Forecast to 2027 (US$ Mn)10.4 Research Institutes10.4.1 Overview10.4.2 Global Research Institutes Market Revenue and Forecast to 2027 (US$ Mn)10.5 Cell Banks10.5.1 Overview10.5.2 Global Cell Banks Market Revenue and Forecast to 2027 (US$ Mn)10.6 Other End Users10.6.1 Overview10.6.2 Global Other End Users Market Revenue and Forecast to 2027 (US$ Mn)

11. Cell Expansion Market - Geographic Analysis11.1 North America Cell Expansion Market, Revenue and Forecast to 202711.2 Europe Cell Expansion Market, Revenue and Forecast to 202711.3 APAC Cell Expansion Market, Revenue and Forecast to 202711.4 MEA Cell Expansion Market, Revenue and Forecast to 202711.5 South and Central America Cell Expansion Market, Revenue and Forecast to 2027

12. Cell Expansion Market - Industry Landscape12.1 Overview12.2 Growth Strategies In The Cell Expansion Market, 2017-201912.3 Organic Growth Strategies12.3.1 Overview12.3.1.1 Recent Organic Developments By Players In The Cell Expansion Market12.4 Inorganic Growth Strategies12.4.1 Overview12.4.2 Recent Developments By Players In The Cell Expansion Market

13. Global Cell Expansion Market-Key Company Profiles13.1 BD13.1.1 Key Facts13.1.2 Business Description13.1.3 Financial Overview13.1.4 Product Portfolio13.1.5 SWOT Analysis13.1.6 Key Developments13.2 Merck KGaA13.3 Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc.13.4 Terumo Corporation13.5 General Electric Company13.6 Corning Incorporated13.7 Miltenyi Biotec13.8 Danaher13.9 Lonza13.10 STEMCELL Technologies, Inc.

14. Appendix14.1 About the Publisher14.2 Glossary Of Terms

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/hjxwqh

Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research.

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Insights on the Worldwide Cell Expansion Industry to 2027 - Analysis and Forecasts - GlobeNewswire

A team of doctors and researchers at the Abu Dhabi Stem Cell Center (ADSCC) administered the treatment in the UAE to 73 COVID-19 patients, who were all successfully treated and cured, without any immediate side effects, according to a statement by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) health ministry from 1 May.

The process involved a minimally invasive method where the patients stem cells are extracted, activated and turned into fine mist to be inhaled into the lungs. This was done in addition to the conventional treatment and is expected to work by supporting the established protocol of management of symptoms.

The ministry said in the statement, It is hypothesised to have its therapeutic effect by regenerating lung cells and modulating the immune response to keep it from overreacting to the COVID-19 infection and causing further damage to healthy cells.

The treatment has successfully undergone the initial phase of clinical trials, demonstrating its safety, and further trials for its efficiency are ongoing; expected to be completed in a couple of weeks.

Dr Fatima al-Kaabi, head of haematology and oncology at the Sheikh Khalifa Medical City in the UAE, told CNBC, Its very early to say at this stage. If all went well, this could reach the market in three months, she added.

Going further back, a pilot study in China on seven COVID-19 patients found that intravenous infusions of donor mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) - multipotent stem cells - improved patient outcomes and helped all of them recover. An Israeli pharmaceutical company, Pluristem Therapeutics, also tested stem cells in seven critical hospitalized patients and found positive results.

Additionally, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved MSC use in extremely sick COVID-19 patients under expanded access compassionate use on 5 April according to a report in The Scientist, even though the experts seemed divided on the logic on which the investigative treatment may have worked.

A hospital in New York tried the therapy as an experiment on 12 patients, 10 of whom were able to come off ventilators, reports CBS news. The Australian regenerative medicine company Mesoblast has also announced a 300-person trial for its stem cell therapy remestemcel-L (which was used in the New York trial) to determine whether it will work on patients suffering with severe lung inflammation.

Currently, there are over 20 active stem cell trials for COVID-19, most focusing on the use of MSCs.

Continued here:
Stem Cell Treatment for COVID-19; Doctors Divided on Its Scope - The Quint

Thalassemia is a type of inherited blood disorder. It is passed from parents to children through genes. This disorder involves lack of oxygen-carrying protein called hemoglobin (an important part of red blood cells). When there is insufficiency of hemoglobin in the body, the red blood cells dont function properly. It also reduces the life of RBC, which means fewer healthy RBC travel in the blood.

RBC carries oxygen to all the cells of the body. Oxygen acts as food, which is used by cells to function. Shortage of healthy RBC means shortage in supply of oxygen to all other cells of the body. This may lead to lethargy in a person. The person may feel tired, weak or short of breath. This condition is termed as Anaemia.

People with thalassemia may suffer from mild or acute Anaemia. Acute Anaemia can be very severe and can lead to damage of major organs. It can even cause death.

Thalassemia major babies are born to parents who are carriers of thalassemia gene. According to rough estimates, each year some 10000 babies are born in India with thalassemia. Best way to prevent or eliminate thalassemia is screening of all pregnant women between 9 to 12 weeks.

Thalassemia is diagnosed through blood tests which include doing a complete blood count (CBC) and special hemoglobin tests. Through a sample of blood, CBC measures the amount of hemoglobin and the different kind of blood cells, such as red blood cells. Hemoglobin tests measure the types of hemoglobin in blood.

Moderate and acute thalassemia is usually diagnosed in childhood. This is because signs and symptoms, such as acute Anemia usually occur at an early age of 2 years. People who have mild form of thalassemia may get diagnosed after a routine blood test, as it will detect if they have anemia.

Here's Dr. Rahul Bhargava, Director and Head, Hematology, Haemato- Oncology and Bone Marrow Transplant, Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Gurugram has to say about the treatments:

Blood Transfusion

Treatment of thalassemia major relies on regular blood transfusion at regular intervals, to keep Hb above 9 gm. percent. It will help prevent form short stature and other skeletal and facial deformities. Recurrent lifelong blood transfusion since 6 months of birth is necessary.

Iron Chelation Therapy

With transfusion comes the problem of iron deposition, as each blood transfusion lead to incremental iron deposition in various tissues like pituitary gland liver and heart leading to early death. So along with transfusion patient also needs iron chelation therapy. It can be either oral (defriprone and defreseirox) or IV desferoxmine. Serum ferritin is one of the surrogate markers of iron overload in thalassemia patients. It needs to be done every 3 months. Gov.s efforts of providing free blood products and iron chelators is bearing fruits as life expectancy has shown an upward trend.

Bone Marrow or Stem Cell Transplant

As it is commonly known, bone marrow or stem cell transplant is the only curative modality for thalassemia. If done at an early age, 80 percent patients can be cured. Source of stem cell could be either brother or sister whose HLA is a complete match. Otherwise fully matched HLA donor can be tried in various international registries. This process is called as match unrelated donor transplant.

Gene Therapy

Gene therapy is gaining lot of traction in field of hemoglobinopathies. It has shown remarkable result with minimum toxicities and sustained haemoglobin production in various trials. There has been no major risk of cancer or other late effects.

We have come a long way and probably this decade will bring the much awaited cheers to thalassaemics. Till then in India, prevention is the only strategy to reduce the burden on already stretched health care system.

Better rate of blood transfusion

Regular Blood screening has significantly impacted reduction of infections due to blood transfusion

Significant improvement in treatment

Bone Marrow Transplant and Stem cell transplantation has led to patients having a good quality of life

Read more| 10 things to keep in mind while travelling with Asthma

Read more here:
World Thalassemia Day: All you need to know from the expert - India Today

FDA Approves AstraZenecas Farxiga for Heart Failure in Adults with Reduced Ejection Fraction

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced on Tuesday that it has approved dapagliflozin, also known under the brand name Farxiga, for the treatment of heart failure in adults with reduced ejection fraction. The drug can potentially reduce the risk of cardiovascular death and hospitalization for heart failure.

AstraZenecas Farxiga is now the first in its drug class of sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors to be approved to treat adults with the New York Heart Associations functional class II-IV heart failure with reduced ejection fraction. AstraZeneca was granted with the approval of Farxiga related to heart failure by the FDA.

In a clinical trial, Farxiga appeared to improve survival and reduce the need for hospitalization in adults with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction.

To determine the efficacy of the drug, researchers looked at the number of instances of cardiovascular death, hospitalization for heart failure and urgent heart failure visits. Some trial participants were given a once-daily dose of 10mg of Farxiga, while others were given a placebo. After approximately 18 months, those who were given Farxiga had fewer cardiovascular deaths, hospitalizations for heart failure and urgent heart failure visits compared to their counterparts.

Heart failure is a serious health condition that contributes to one in eight deaths in the U.S. and impacts nearly 6.5 million Americans, said Norman Stockbridge, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Division of Cardiology and Nephrology in the FDAs Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. This approval provides patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction an additional treatment option that can improve survival and reduce the need for hospitalization.

Farxiga can cause side effects including dehydration, urinary tract infections and genetical yeast infections. It can also potentially result in serious cases of necrotizing fasciitis of the perineum in people with diabetes and low blood sugar when combined with insulin.

On Tuesday, BioCardia, Inc. also announced positive preclinical datasupporting its new drug application for anti-inflammatory cell therapy for heart failure. BioCardias allogenic neurokinin 1 receptor positive mesenchymal stem cell (NK1R+ MSC) therapy appeared to improve heart function in a study. NK1R+ MSC is being marketed under the name CardiALLO.

Alexanderstock23 / Shutterstock

Researchers looked at 26 animals treated with both low dose and high dose CardiALLO in their study. Echocardiographic measures of cardiac ejection fraction, fractional shortening and cardiac outflow all notably improved in the animals.

In light of these positive data on our allogenic NK1R+ MSC therapy, we expect to meet our internal timeline to complete our submission to the FDA for our first indication for CardiALLO, and potentially receive IND acceptance by the end of the second quarter, said BioCardia Chief Scientific Officer Ian McNiece, PhD. The MSCs that were studied are subtypes of MSC that we have delivered previously in our co-sponsored trials, which we believe have enhanced potency over MSC generated from unselected bone marrow cells. We look forward to seeing additional data from this animal study that are currently being analyzed, including histology and pathology of the heart and lungs.

BioCardia also intends to submit an IND for the use of NK1R+ MSC delivered via intravenous infusion for the treatment of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome caused by COVID-19.

Approximately 6.5 million adults in the U.S. are living with heart failure, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Protection. In 2017, it was a contributing cause of death in one out of eight people.

Excerpt from:
FDA Approves AstraZeneca's Farxiga for Heart Failure in Adults with Reduced Ejection Fraction - PharmaLive

A mum-of-three and driving instructor who has died after a year-long battle with leukaemia was described by her heartbroken family as "the most gentle soul."

Sara Ashbrook fought courageously against the most severe form of blood cancer and managed to get through the first 100 days following a complex stem cell transplant.

That came from a 21-year-old person in Holland after the bone marrow was flown over to the UK - and the first three months after her operation were hailed a success.

The 48-year-old needed to be injected daily with medication, but one of the drugs triggered her cholesterol to dangerously rise, and she was diagnosed with pancreatitis.

Married Mrs Ashbrook, who lived in Latchford, Warrington, was left in agony and was she was rushed into the Royal Liverpool Hospital, at the end of January.

The Radio 1 fan was struggling to breathe so she was placed in an induced coma for 10 days but she survived that, and was gradually weaned off a ventilator.

Her condition had been so concerning that, at one stage, Mrs Ashbrook thought she had been kidnapped, her daughter Zoe Robinson said, and taken hostage.

"She didn't know who we were at one point," the 28-year-old added.

In mid-February, Mrs Ashbrook suffered a cardiac arrest and "died for two minutes."

But despite surviving this, the grandma-of-four, who also had two stepchildren, picked up various infections, including sepsis, and it eventually proved too much.

She died on April 11, surrounded by her heartbroken family, who were at her bedside during her last moments, wearing personal protective equipment because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Zoe told the ECHO: "Mum was a driving instructor for eight years and she fell in love with it.

"She was the most gentle soul, she really was, when in hospital she used to take chocolates and cakes in for the nurses.

"Mum was a really good model for her kids, myself, Declan, 26, and Connor, 20.

"She raised money for charities and always put everybody in front of her, no matter what their needs."

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Just before lockdown, Zoe fell pregnant which meant she was unable to visit her mum in Liverpool due to the infection risk.

Sara's devoted husband Ste, 43, had displayed coronavirus symptoms so also had to stay away, while Mrs Ashbrook's parents, over 70, were in the same heartbreaking position.

Zoe's husband was the only person able to go into the Liverpool hospital, before the whole family, who had been resorting to Face Time calls to see her, were eventually allowed to be with Mrs Ashbrook at the end.

Her funeral took place seven days ago, with very limited numbers permissible.

Relatives were only able to sit together if they lived in the same house, and there was no funeral car or a wake.

Zoe added: "Her death has hit us very badly.

If you have been affected by any of the details mentioned in this story there are people who can help you.

Most people grieve when they lose something or someone important to them.

The way grief affects you depends on lots of things, including what kind of loss you have suffered, your upbringing, your beliefs or religion, your age, your relationships, and your physical and mental health.

Grieving is a totally normal process but there are way to get help if you need support.

Your GP is a good place to start. They can give you advice about other support services, refer you to a counsellor, or prescribe medication if needed.

Or you can contact support organisations directly, such as Cruse Bereavement Care (0808 808 1677) Samaritans (116 123) or Love Jasmine.

"I've had fertility issues over the last eight years, but my mum always stuck by me throughout that.

"For all of us, it's really difficult.

"My heart is shattered.

Follow Luke on Twitter here

You can read more of his stories here

Email him at luke.traynor@reachplc.com or call 0151 330 5051 if you want to share any news, stories or updates.

Keep up to date with the latest breaking Liverpool news here

Like the ECHO News Facebook page here and follow @LivEchoNews on Twitter

"Mum will always by my inspiration."

To help with the family's bid to raise money to fight leukaemia, you can contribute here towards the University of Liverpool's pancreatic cancer fund.

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'Inspirational' mum-of-three and 'gentle soul' dies after year-long leukaemia battle - Liverpool Echo

Researchers are learning more about how to diagnose and better treat blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm, a rare cancer that often presents with skin manifestations, according to a review published March 2020 in Current Opinion in Hematology.1

Blastic plasmacytoid dendritic neoplasm patients have suffered historically poor outcomes. Years ago, doctors were limited to treating these patients primarily with intensive chemotherapy regimens used to treat acute myeloid leukemia or acute lymphoblastic leukemia patients.

But in 2018, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved tagraxofusp-erzs (Elzonris, Stemline).

Tagraxofusp-erz is the first approved drug indicated specifically for blastic plasmacytoid dendritic neoplasm, and its use is recommended in the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology.Newer targeted agents to treat the hematologic malignancy are in the pipeline.

Notable changes in recent years

The World Health Organization (WHO) named blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm (BPDCN) and classified it under acute myeloid leukemia and related precursor neoplasms in 2008. Some eight years later, WHO established BPDCN as a distinct entity.

Just how many people have BPDCN isnt clear. But it is thought that there are about 0.04 cases of the cancer per 100,000 people. And about three in four patients are older men.

Derived from plasmacytoid dendritic cells, BPDCN generally is an aggressive disease. It presents clinically on the skin in about nine out of every 10 cases. Skin lesions tend to be asymptomatic, often appearing as bruise-like lesions, plaques or nodules, according to the paper.

While a small percentage of patients will present with skin disease only, most show signs of BPDCN in the bone marrow, lymph nodes or visceral organs. Rarely, patients will have no cutaneous evidence and instead present with the leukemic phase of the cancer. About 30% of patients also have central nervous system involvement.

Flow cytometry to determine the immunophenotype is an essential component of diagnosing [blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm], the author wrote.

CD123, an interleukin-3 receptor alpha, is over expressed in nearly all BPDCN cases. These cancer cells also may be positive for CD4, CD56, CD303 or TCL1, according to the paper.

Some authors have found a recurrent MYC gene rearrangement in these patients. That particular genetic aberration is associated with an older age at diagnosis and worse prognosis.

Treatment is evolving

Unfortunately, doctors have to rely largely on retrospective studies looking at BPDCN treatment options.Those studies suggest that BPDCN, generally, responds better to acute lymphoblastic leukemia regimens compared to acute myeloid leukemia treatment options. However, most responses to these regimens are transient, the author reported.

Retrospective studies suggest allogeneic stem cell transplant for eligible patients in their first remission offer the highest overall survival rates, including 3- and 4-year overall survival rates ranging from 74% to 82%.Tagraxofusp-erzs targets CD123. It consists of recombinant human interleukin-3 fused to a truncated diphtheria toxin, according to the paper.

Binding the drug to CD123 on the cell surface leads to cellular internalization of the diphtheria toxin, which ultimately leads to inhibition of protein synthesis and cell death, the author wrote.

In a phase I/II clinical trial of 44 untreated or relapsed/refractory BPDCN patients, 21 of 29 previously untreated patients achieved complete remission and 13 of those went on to have a stem cell transplant. Overall response rate of the 15 patients with relapsed/refractory BPDCN was 67% with tagraxofusp-erzs, with an average overall survival of 8.5 months.

Eighteen of the 44 patients studied developed the most critical treatment-related adverse event, capillary leak syndrome. Two patients died from capillary leak syndrome during the study.Researchers are studying investigational agents aimed at treating BPDCN. These include IMGN632, a humanized antibody-drug conjugate with an anti-CD123 monoclonal antibody conjugated to a DNA-alkylating payload, the author wrote.

Researchers are evaluating the safety and efficacy of treating CD123-positive malignancies including BPDCN with the monoclonal antibody targeting CD123 and CD3 XmAb14045.

Venetoclax, a BCL-2 inhibitor, is yet another agent in the pipeline for BPDCN patients.

as knowledge is gained on the molecular changes that occur in [blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm], this will ideally lead to more targeted and effective therapies in the years to come, the author wrote.

Disclosures:

Kendra Sweet, MD, has received honoraria from Stemline Therapeutics.

References:

1 Sweet K. Blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm: diagnosis, manifestations, and treatment. Curr Opin Hematol. 2020;27(2):103-107.

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Investigational agents to treat hematologic malignancy in pipeline - Dermatology Times

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The "Global Virus Testing Kits Market By Test Type (DFA, Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)-Based Tests, Agglutination Assays, Solid-Phase Assays, Others), By Virus Type, By Genetic Information (DNA, RNA), By End User, By Region, Forecast & Opportunities, 2025" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The Global Virus Testing Kits Market is expected to grow at a robust CAGR during the forecast period owing to the increasing consumer preference towards self-diagnosis techniques. Additionally, leading companies continuously invest in the research and development sector for the development of novel kits for viral diseases. These above-mentioned factors play a major role in propelling the growth of the virus testing kits market, globally. However, virus testing kits are expensive which might hamper the growth of the market.

The global market for virus testing kits is segmented into test type, virus type, genetic information, end-user, company and region. Based on virus type, the market can be segregated into coronavirus, influenza, hepatitis, HIV, measles, smallpox, dengue, ebola, rota virus, SARS, MERS and others. The coronavirus segment is expected to register the highest growth on the back of outbreak of pandemic caused by this virus.

Based on regional analysis, the market is divided into five regions, Asia-Pacific, Europe, North America, South America and Middle East & Africa. In 2019, North America held the largest market share as the leading companies present in the region keep on launching new products.

Abbott Laboratories, Autobio Diagnostics Co., Ltd., Beckman Coulter, Inc., Becton, Dickinson and Company, BioMerieux SA, Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc., Bundi International Diagnostics Ltd., CerTest Biotec, S.L., CorisBioconcept SPRL, F. Hoffman La Roche, Ltd., Hologic Inc., Luminex Corporation, Merck & Co., Inc., Mylan NV, Nectar Lifesciences Ltd., PerkinElmer, Inc., Qiagen NV, Quidel Corporation, Siemens Healthineers AG, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc., etc., are some of the major leading players in the virus testing kits market, globally.

Objective of the Study:

Key Topics Covered:

1. Product Overview

2. Research Methodology

3. Executive Summary

4. Voice of Customer

5. Global Virus Testing Kits Market Outlook

5.1. Market Size & Forecast

5.1.1. By Value

5.2. Market Share & Forecast

5.2.1. By Test Type (Direct Fluorescent Antibody Tests (DFA), Lateral Flow Tests (Immunochromatographic Assays), Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)-Based Tests, Agglutination Assays, Solid-Phase Assays)

5.2.2. By Virus Type (Coronavirus, Influenza, Hepatitis, HIV, Measles, Smallpox, Dengue, Ebola, Rota Virus, SARS, MERS, Others)

5.2.3. By Genetic Information (DNA, RNA)

5.2.4. By End User (Diagnostic & Clinical Laboratories, Academic & Research Institutes, Contract Research Organizations, And Others)

5.2.5. By Company (2019)

5.2.6. By Region (Asia-Pacific, Europe, North America, South America, Middle East & Africa)

5.3. Market Attractiveness Index

6. Asia-Pacific Virus Testing Kits Market Outlook

7. Europe Virus Testing Kits Market Outlook

8. North America Virus Testing Kits Market Outlook

9. South America Virus Testing Kits Market Outlook

10. Middle East and Africa Virus Testing Kits Market Outlook

11. Market Dynamics

11.1. Drivers

11.2. Challenges

12. Market Trends & Developments

13. Clinical Trials

14. Competitive Landscape

14.1. Abbott Laboratories

14.2. Autobio Diagnostics Co., Ltd.

14.3. Beckman Coulter, Inc.

14.4. Becton, Dickinson and Company

14.5. BioMerieux SA

14.6. Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc.

14.7. Bundi International Diagnostics Ltd.

14.8. CerTest Biotec, S.L.

14.9. CorisBioconcept SPRL

14.10. F. Hoffman La Roche, Ltd.

14.11. Hologic Inc.

14.12. Luminex Corporation

14.13. Merck & Co., Inc.

14.14. Mylan NV

14.15. Nectar Lifesciences Ltd.

14.16. PerkinElmer, Inc.

14.17. Qiagen NV

14.18. Quidel Corporation

14.19. Siemens Healthineers AG

14.20. Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc.

15. Strategic Recommendations

16. About Us & Disclaimer

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/1psjhk

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Global Virus Testing Kits Market (2019 to 2025) - By Test Type, Virus Type, Genetic Information, End-user, Region, Forecast & Opportunities -...

Using Artificial Intelligence (AI), researchers have developed a quick test to identify which people with glaucoma are at risk of rapid progression to blindness.

A new test can detect glaucoma progression 18 months earlier than the current gold standard method, said the study published in the journal Expert Review of Molecular Diagnostics.

Glaucoma, the leading global cause of irreversible blindness, affects over 60 million people, which is predicted to double by 2040 as the global population ages.

Loss of sight in glaucoma is caused by the death of cells in the retina, at the back of the eye.

Being able to diagnose glaucoma at an earlier stage, and predict its course of progression, could help people to maintain their sight, as treatment is most successful if provided at an early stage of the disease, said study first author Eduardo Normando from Imperial College London.

The test, called DARC (Detection of Apoptosing Retinal Cells), involves injecting into the bloodstream (via the arm) a fluorescent dye that attaches to retinal cells, and illuminates those that are in the process of apoptosis, a form of programmed cell death.

Also read: Earth Day 2020: Using artificial intelligence to save coral reefs

The damaged cells appear bright white when viewed in eye examinations -- the more damaged cells detected, the higher the DARC count.

One challenge with evaluating eye diseases is that specialists often disagree when viewing the same scans, so the researchers have incorporated an AI algorithm into their method.

In the Phase II clinical trial of DARC, the AI was used to assess 60 of the study participants -- 20 with glaucoma and 40 healthy control subjects.

Also read: Huawei onboards Indian firms AI-driven keyboard into AppGallery

The AI was initially trained by analysing the retinal scans (after injection of the dye) of the healthy control participants.

The AI was then tested on the glaucoma patients.

Those taking part in the AI study were followed up 18 months after the main trial period to see whether their eye health had deteriorated.

The researchers were able to accurately predict progressive glaucomatous damage 18 months before that seen with the current gold standard OCT retinal imaging technology, as every patient with a DARC count over a certain threshold was found to have progressive glaucoma at follow-up.

These results are very promising as they show DARC could be used as a biomarker when combined with the AI-aided algorithm, said lead researcher Francesca Cordeiro from University College London (UCL) Institute of Ophthalmology.

View post:
AI helps spot early signs of glaucoma progression to blindness - Hindustan Times

COLUMBIA, Md., May 5, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Foundation Fighting Blindnesshas transformed all VisionWalk in-person events scheduled to take place through June 2020, into one nationwide virtual experience taking place on Saturday, June 6, 2020. This National Virtual VisionWalk Day is a new opportunity for communities to still come together, virtually, and celebrate the Foundation's accomplishments of funding research leading to treatments and cures for blinding retinal diseases.

On June 6th, the Foundation is asking VisionWalk participants to take a walk around their block, on the treadmill, or step in spirit and show how they're celebrating using #VisionWalkStrong on social media.

"Our VisionWalks may look different this year, but our mission to find treatments and cures is unchanging," says Michele DiVincenzo, vice president, events. "We are so thankful for our VisionWalk community's continued support during these difficult times. Now more than ever, we need to stand strong together and make a difference in fighting blindness."

Throughout its 15-year history and through the generosity of more than 200,000 walkers, donors, and corporate sponsors, VisionWalk has raised more than $55 million. These funds have enabled the Foundation to continue advancing its important mission of moving vision-restoring treatments from the laboratory to the patients who need them. Vision science is making great strides today more than 38 potential treatments are in clinical trials but there is still more work to do.

Join the National Virtual VisionWalk on Saturday, June 6, 2020 by visiting, VisionWalk.org.Together, we step closer to fighting blindness.

For more information, contact Michele DiVincenzo at [emailprotected] or (847) 549-1523.

About the Foundation Fighting BlindnessEstablished in 1971, the Foundation Fighting Blindness is the world's leading private funding source for retinal degenerative disease research. The Foundation has raised more than $760 million toward its mission of accelerating research for preventing, treating, and curing blindness caused by the entire spectrum of retinal degenerative diseases including: retinitis pigmentosa, age-related macular degeneration, Usher syndrome, and Stargardt disease. Visit FightingBlindness.org for more information.

Media Contacts:

Michele DiVincenzo

Chris Adams

Vice President, Events

Vice President, Marketing & Communications

[emailprotected]

[emailprotected]

(847) 549-1523

(410) 423-0585

SOURCE Foundation Fighting Blindness

http://www.FightBlindness.org

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Foundation Fighting Blindness Announces National Virtual VisionWalk Day - PRNewswire

Express News Service

NEW DELHI:As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to rage across the world, people from all walks of life, including the differently abled, are profoundly impacted by the new normal. The Morning Standardspoke to RN Mohanty, CEO of Sightsavers India, on the kind of impact the pandemic and the subsequent lockdown have on the sight-impaired in India.

How did Sightsavers begin? What was the mission then, and has it changed since?

After being blinded in an accident at age 12, Sir John Wilson spent his life advocating for people with visual impairments. He began plans to establish a non-government organisation to address the prevention of blindness and provide rehabilitation of those whose sight couldnt be saved. And so, on January 5, 1950, the British Empire Society for the Blind, as Sightsavers was originally known, was born. Since 1966, in India, Sightsavers has been working to eliminate avoidable blindness and that the irreversibly blind people are supported adequately to lead lives of independence and dignity. Sightsavers focusses on collaborating with various state government departments to scale up operations for the three core areas of work: eye health, inclusive education and social inclusion.

How are the facilities for the sight-impaired in India, especially compared to other countries?

India is home to a third of the worlds blind population. The country has about 12 million individuals with visual impairment as against the global total of 39 million, according to a report published by the National Programme for Control of Blindness (NPCB). Despite this, when it comes to accessibility of education, healthcare and employment, the visually impaired are cut off. Only 29.16 percent of the blind in India are part of the education system as per a survey conducted by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT). The prevalence of blindness is higher among population having lower socio-economic status. Females are found to have a higher preponderance of blindness as compared to males, and the prevalence is significantly higher in rural areas.

What are some of the professions that you help the sight-impaired get into?

We work to change the attitudes of communities, schools and governments by ensuring they adopt socially inclusive policies towards people with disabilities so that they are treated with dignity and are not denied their rights to appropriate healthcare, education and income. We work to equip people with disabilities with the skills (daily living, vocational training), tools and assistance they need to earn a living and lead an independent life. Animal rearing, agriculture, small businesses, poultry farming, shops for daily needs and groceries, tailoring, teaching, and computer operators are a few of the jobs and roles that our beneficiaries undertake.

Has the ongoing pandemic brought up new hurdles for the sight-impaired?

On a global level, Sightsavers is focusing on the impact of COVID-19 on people with disabilities, who are being disproportionally affected, both in terms of potentially being more at risk and less able to access health services, and also in terms of impact on the support services they require. Activities include coordinating with partners, and if needed governments, to ensure responses to the global pandemic are inclusive of people with disabilities; taking extra precautions to safeguard staff and partners in a higher risk category of developing serious symptoms from COVID-19. We will be reviewing and updating these activities as the pandemic continues as appropriate.

How can the authorities help alleviate conditions for the sight-impaired in the pandemic?

People with disabilities may be at greater risk of contracting COVID-19 because of barriers to implementing basic hygiene measures, such as handwashing. They may have difficulty in enacting social distancing because of additional support needs, barriers to accessing public health information.People with disabilities may also be disproportionately impacted by the outbreak because of serious disruptions to the services they rely on. Hence, they need additional considerations during these times.

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INTERVIEW | Sight-impaired in India are more affected by COVID-19 pandemic: RN Mohanty - The New Indian Express

Geetha Manjunath was working in AI R&D for multinational companies such as Xerox when she got the news that a close cousin had breast cancer. A few months later, her husbands cousin also received the same diagnosis. Both women were under 45 years of age, and this came as a shock to Geetha.

Working with technology and AI for several companies operating in space of healthcare, transport, and more, Geetha felt the need to startup in the healthcare space.

The startups patented product Thermalytix is a portable, non-invasive, radiation-free, and non-contact solution for early-stage detection of breast cancer. It works by measuring the temperature of the chest region, and generating a report. . It has over 30 installations at hospitals and diagnostic centres across 10 Indian cities.

In February last year, Niramai raised $6 million funding led by Japanese VC firm Dream Incubator, Beenext, and other investors.

Founders of Niramai - Nidhi Mathur and Geetha Manjunath

The team has been working on the idea since June 2014 and collaborating with hospitals since then to collect data and develop the initial AI model. The founders started full product development and AI fine-tuning in January 2017, and got the first reference commercial installation for the end-to-end solution by September that year.

The solution aims to enable automated screening of the population by detecting likely COVID-19 infected people. It does this by checking for fever and associated respiratory diseases using Thermalytix, which uses AL algorithms over thermal images.

The screening can be done by a health worker, reducing the pressure on clinical testing. The Fever Test solution can be deployed at the entrance of any facility, including apartments, offices, malls, hospitals, and more.

The solution was pilot-tested at a biotechnology company in March 2020.

When Niramai started out, Geetha had thought of methods other than mammography. A few researchers in the US had mentioned thermography, but the founders realised that healthcare institutions did not use thermography due to the prevailing accuracy issues.

On why they chose the thermography model, Geetha explains that there are limited methods of detecting breast cancer. The most common is mammography, which tries to find malignant lumps in the breast using density differences. Geetha says it uses X-rays, and the lumps are seen as white.

Geetha says one cannot go for a mammography more than once every two years as it can cause radiation problems. Also, women under the age of 40 have denser breasts; this means the entire breast appears white in a mammography for a woman under 40.

This eliminates over 50 percent women from getting a regular breast cancer test. Also, a mammography can be extremely painful and uncomfortable.

The Niramai team developed a novel technology to identify early-stage breast abnormalities in a privacy-aware, radiation-free way that is effective for women of all age groups.

Our technology works well on women of all age groups. We provide preventative breast health screening solutions in hospitals and diagnostic centres. Since our solution is portable, age-agnostic, and has zero radiation, we can also do the test outside hospital premises and help women in rural areas as well. These benefits very effectively address the concerns and limitations for greater adoption of screening for women across all segments. Early detection saves lives, Geetha says.

The solution automatically generates detailed quantitative reports with clinical parameters and estimates the likelihood of cancer. These scores help doctors make quick and more accurate decisions.

Our first technical solution was to identify the location of the tumour in a cancer patient. Then, we thought since the solution has no side effects and can detect very small lesions, why not use it for screening all women as a preventive measure. The initial research experiments were done in my previous organisation as a side project, Geetha recalls.

Before building a complete solution, the team needed to do clinical testing on real patients and showcase results that highlighted the benefit of the solution over existing methods. Once the AI model was in place, they needed to conceptualise and develop the complete product offering.

In January 2018, the team received its first request from an NGO to buy the solution. Niramai also partnered with Karnataka Cancer Society to evolve the usage for population screening.

Geetha says the team started generating screening camp-level reports, and improvised the solution to generate triaging reports automatically in real time.

Niramai now has two different products. The first is for population screening, and gives red/yellow/green signals.This helps a camp organiser decide whether the woman needs to be sent to hospital for a detailed check. The second, for diagnostic centres, offers detailed reports that help radiologists take informed decisions.

The first product required the team to review every image for quality. An expert radiologists review was used for each and every report for almost a year to ensure this.

Meanwhile, the team also began working on increasing the accuracy of the model for automated reporting.

The Niramai founders realised they needed more technological advancements when they put the solution in the hands of health workers.This was critical as they could make many mistakes while imaging, and it was important to adhere to protocols.

We developed novel image-quality check algorithms that now enable us to give instructions to the technician on correct image capture and help with real-time report generation, which we currently use for screening camps, Geetha says.

The team continues to do clinical trials on complicated cancer cases to make the algorithms smarter so they can identify all types of cancer while reducing false alarms.

The key challenge was convincing hospitals and doctors to try the new solution. The fact that it had no side-effects helped.

Early on, the team also partnered with a radiologist to give a certified report to the hospital so that concerns about medico-legal issues were resolved. This meant getting clearance from DCGI for the test.

The team chose available off-the-shelf hardware instead of developing a thermal sensor. This gave Niramai a good start as it did not have to wait for CE or FDA clearance.

When we saw low uptake in hospital walk-ins, we started an outreach business model for screening camps in corporate offices and rural areas. That gave a jump-start in screening numbers. Competing in contests and accelerator programmes enabled us to get some visibility, public attention, and allowed networking with key hospitals, says Geetha.

Creating awareness amongst people about preventative tests to ensure wellness, particularly encouraging women to take a cancer test, was also a challenge.

The team now aims to use its patented technology to help detect other diseases.

In April 2019, Niramai announced that it would leverage Thermalytix to detect the presence of parasitic worm Onchocerca volvulus, which causes Onchocerciasis (river blindness) and significant disability. The disease is common in remote African villages, and has affected nearly 17 million people.

Niramais non-invasive method is expected to help assess the efficacy of new drugs being developed to control river blindness by killing the adult worms, and accelerate elimination of the disease. The project has raised funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

(Edited by Teja Lele Desai)

How has the coronavirus outbreak disrupted your life? And how are you dealing with it? Write to us or send us a video with subject line 'Coronavirus Disruption' to editorial@yourstory.com

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[Product Roadmap] From breast cancer to river blindness, Niramai is using tech to simplify detection - YourStory

"Flair is what marks the difference between artistry and mere competence."- William T. Riker

There are many definitions of art.

To some, it is a painting hanging on a gallery wall. To others, it's a poem. Perhaps it's the film of a favorite director, or the story of a beloved author. Similarly, there are many definitions of artist. A painter. A writer. A musician. Each one explores their respective outlet for numerous reasons, and each hopes that, in the end, they'll have brought some semblance of enjoyment to those who experience it.

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Now, while I by no means fancy myself an artist, I do see myself as a creative person. I enjoy writing and, in more recent years, I've taken to the field of photography. However, while most shutterbugs look to sunsets, landscapes and changing seasons for their inspiration, my subjects range from Starships to Vulcans and even the occasional Starfleet officer.

If you haven't guessed it by now, I'm a toy photographer one who puts a pretty big emphasis on the world of Star Trek. Since looking through the lens as it were, I've been privileged enough to work alongside the likes of Diamond Select Toys, McFarlane Toys, QMx and even CBS to bring Gene Roddenberry's wagon train to the stars to life in pictorial form.

Why do I do it, you ask? It's not for popularity or prominence. Nor is it for riches or recognition. Rather, I look to the many mysteries of the final frontier simply as a means to escape my pain.

---

I was born prematurely in the Fall of 1985. As such, the gnawing pain of cerebral palsy and the uncertainty of partial blindness have been my constant companions throughout the last 34 years. Mobility is very difficult, and I can oftentimes find myself racked with weeks worth of excruciating pain from something as simple as dancing around with my six year old daughter.

As one can imagine, I've spent a fair bit of time within the depths of despair as a result of this rather unique situation. In fact, feelings of worthlessness aren't afraid to beam down and spend time with me more often than I would like.

Where is Geordi La Forge when you need him, right? Yet, while this situation can be less than ideal, it is my time behind the lens that really allows me to cope.

Growing up, I developed an interest in pop culture. And Star Trek always held a special place in my heart. Not only did it feature a diverse crew of friends hurtling through space seeking out new life and new civilizations, but Starfleet was never above including disabled individuals on their galaxy spanning adventures.

Geordi. Nog. Pike. Picard. They all dealt with disability, pain, or trauma sometimes all three ranging from blindness to artificial parts. And yet, they all enjoyed inclusion and acceptance amongst their peers, which really struck a chord with me as I grew up. What a difference from the world I lived in! A world where you were made fun of in gym class for limping, where 'friends' stopped inviting you to parties because you just too sore to dance, or where you were beat up for wearing a leg brace. These were never problems faced by the crew of the Enterpriseand, it was a world I longed to be a part of.

As I mentioned, I eventually got into toy photography. And, it was the adventures of the Starship Enterprise that would inspire my work most of all.

At first, I was quite apprehensive to take up the hobby. After all, bad eyesight and shaky hands don't exactly bode well for someone looking to express themselves through photos. However, thanks to the unending love and support from a truly wonderful wife, I decided to push forward.

Sure, most of the initial images were terribly out of focus, and those that weren't ended up as little more than plain old glamor shots against a simple white background. But, I persevered. Eventually, my photos began to improve, and I began experimenting the more comfortable I became. Granted, I don't have a fancy camera. Nor do I have any portable lighting, or state of the art photo software. What I do have though is a three-year-old cellphone, a six-year-old tablet, and the love of a franchise that forever reminds me we can do anything we put our minds to with or without personal defects.

As I plan, prepare backdrops and sketch out ideas, I find myself distracted. Not from family, friends, or life. No, but distracted from the constant aches and pains that have plagued me these last 34 years. Yes, they are still there, but as I snapshot Kirk exploring a strange new world, they're just not as prevalent.

When I photograph, I don't think about the dull ache in my knee, or the sharp pains in my feet. Instead, those issues seem lightyears away as I instead focus on what new and exciting adventure I can send Picard, Kirk or Spock on next. At the same time, the feelings of worthlessness seem to disappear with the completion of each new project. Yes it's a hobby, but it's also an escape. A distraction that puts me right in the midst of one of the grandest adventures the galaxy has ever known.

No, I don't fancy myself an artist. Nor do I do this for popularity or prominence. Rather, I snap these pictures simply as a means to trek through the pain. That said, like any good artist, I do hope those who experience my work walk away with a semblance of joy. Because, after all, isn't that really what matters most?

Never be afraid to follow your passions. Most importantly, never allow disabilities to hold you back. Who knows? With a little inspiration, you too may soon find yourself taking to the stars!

If you are using ad-blocking software, please disable it and reload the page.

John DeQuadros is a writer and toy photographer based in Ontario, Canada. You can find a portfolio of his work on Instagram & Twitter right now @RipRocketPix

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Trekking Through the Pain - Star Trek

BY SCOTT FUQUACandidate for District AttorneyFirst Judicial District

I read Ms. Padgett-Macias letterwith some interest, and not just because I was its principal subject. It was interesting to me because it omits what I and many others consider to be the most important abilities a District Attorney must have the ability to manage and the ability to lead.

Ms. Padgett-Macias is wrong to assert that I have no criminal law experience. In my eight years at the Attorney Generals Office, I argued over 40 cases to the New Mexico Supreme Court, and several of those cases dealt with both substantive and procedural criminal law issues.

I have, though, never been a prosecutor. Until about a year and a half ago, neither had Ms. Carmack-Altwies, who spent her career as a criminal defense attorney. And learning that never having been a prosecutor disqualifies one for the office of District Attorney would come as big surprise to several District Attorneys all over the country, including Larry Krasner, elected to be Philadelphias District Attorney two years ago. Hes successfully enacted sweeping reforms in part precisely because he is not a career prosecutor and brings a fresh perspective to the job.

The example Ms. Padgett-Macias chooses to illustrate my alleged ignorance of criminal law is illuminating, though not at all for the reason she suggests. The comments with which she takes issue concerning the seizure of vehicles owned by repeat DWI offenders were made in an online forum hosted by the Santa Fe County Federation of Democratic Women. As Ms. Padgett-Macias acknowledges, the City of Santa Fe has, in fact, seized the vehicles of repeat DWI offenders. I never suggested that any such program exists in Los Alamos County (or Rio Arriba County).

Whats most puzzling about Ms. Padgett-Macias comments is her apparent disagreement with the assertion that a repeat DWI offender the number used for illustration purposes was seven offenses is struggling with alcoholism. I know, and knew at the time of my comments, that the State imposes a mandatory minimum sentence for repeat DWI offenses. But I also know that incarceration has utterly failed to address the problem. The empirical evidence is simply irrefutable if incarceration solved the problem, we wouldnt have repeat DWI offenders of this magnitude. Without treatment, nothing changes. The refusal to recognize as much amounts to willful blindness to the root cause of what Ms. Padgett-Macias correctly identifies as a scourge of this District. While Ms. Carmack-Altwies has seemed in our limited interactions to agree that repeat DWI offenders will continue to be repeat offenders without treatment, Ms. Padgett-Macias letter now leaves me unsure. If we want to keep a person with seven DWIs from getting an eighth, were fooling ourselves if we think putting him or her in jail will accomplish that goal. Decades of experience tell us that it wont, and it is too bad that Ms. Padgett-Macias and her chosen candidate dont see that. Treating repeat DWIs with the utmost seriousness and determination, to use Ms. Padgett-Macias phrase, requires making our best attempt to prevent additional DWIs by the offender. That, in turn, requires treatment. Without it, it doesnt matter how long the term of incarceration is.

But the bigger issue with Ms. Padgett-Macias letter is that it ignores entirely the most important experience the elected District Attorney must have the ability to lead and manage the office. Ms. Carmack-Altwies has spent the last approximately year and a half managing four attorneys in one division in the office. During that time, at least one attorney under her supervision was sanctioned for failing to disclose evidence to a defendant within the time required by law.

For four years I supervised approximately 18 attorneys and staff members in the Litigation Division of the New Mexico Attorney Generals Office. The division handled the Attorney Generals litigation across the entire state and achieved great results for the state and its citizens. I learned quickly that my job as a manager was to make sure that the attorneys and staff in my division knew what the litigation and policy priorities of the office were, to make sure that they had the resources they needed to do their jobs, and to then get out of the way and let them do those jobs. On this point, Ms. Carmack-Altwies seemingly disagrees, telling the audience in a candidate forum hosted by the Los Alamos chapter of the League of Women Voters that the role of the District Attorney is, essentially, to tell the other attorneys in the office how to do their jobs. That kind of micromanagement is singularly ineffective.

The office needs leadership, and specifically the kind I provided at the Attorney Generals Office. It is leadership I look forward to having the opportunity to provide at the First Judicial District Attorneys Office as well.

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UK-based investor Tej Kohli and his wifecreated a foundation to improve the health of citizens throughout the world.His philanthropic efforts are second to none, and his foundation isaggressively working to cure corneal blindness. They intend to meet their goalof finding a cure by 2035.

He is also very interested in artificial intelligence. Because of cutting edge technology like Siri and Alexa, Kohli is projecting the industry to be $150 trillion. He has invested heavily in artificial intelligence in the same way an average person might invest in the stock market. Kohli envisions artificial intelligence contributing to the cure of blindness, which will improve the health of poor countries across the world.

Kohli and hisfamily live in London, and his community outreach has been beneficial to thepeople of the United Kingdom. He has developed a career spanning many industries and positivelyinfluencing many people.

Tej Kohli hasmany passions, but his strongest interest is in finding a cure for cornealblindness. He has devoted much of the efforts of his non-profit foundationtowards this cause. But, he and his wife have also led their foundation toprovide amenities such as education to the under-privileged. His legacy andimpact on the world is far-reaching.

The Kohlis haveused their own personal money to fund their foundation, and to add to thesupport of finding a cure. Without their resources, scientists would not be asclose to finding a cure as they are.

The majority ofpeople with visual impairments and blindness are living in some of the poorestcountries in the world. Curing blindness will go a long way towards improvingthe overall health and well-being of impoverished regions. This is trulyKohlis passion. He wants to use artificial intelligence to create a cure, andhe wants to use a cure to improve the health of citizens worldwide.

No good leaderwould be complete without also working as a mentor for the next generation.Kohli has this passion for mentoring young entrepreneurs. His company, KohliVentures, leads his entrepreneur endeavors. The focus of these efforts are ontechnological companies in areas like artificial intelligence and robotics, andhe has already led several young entrepreneurs in their endeavors in thesearenas.

He is relying onhis investment in artificial intelligence to directly affect the other causeshe cares about in global health. By improving robotics and computerintelligence, that can directly correlate to improving global health andpossibly curing corneal blindness. All of Kohlis interests tie together withan overall goal of improving global matters.

By investing in artificial intelligence, Kohli hopes to curediseases, which will in turn improve the quality of life throughout the world.

Aworld traveler and true global citizen, Tej Kohli lives full-time with his wifeand two children in London. In his free time, when he can break away from hisphilanthropic efforts, he also enjoys giving back to the community in London.

BY Elliot Preece - May 6, 2020

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Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Val Sheffield is pivoting his research focus to find a way to test patients without using high demand cotton swabs.

University of Iowa Molecular Genetics Chair in the Carver College of Medicine Val Sheffield has made research breakthroughs in linking gene research and was recently named to a prestigious American research institutes class of 2020.

But amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Sheffield is pivoting his work to research an alternate way to test patients for novel coronavirus to alleviate a nationwide shortage of the parts in a COVID-19 test.

Sheffield and his team submitted a document April 1 to the FDA requesting emergency-use authorization to utilize a patient-sample collection method for COVID-19 testing.

My laboratory decided early on that we have the capability to help with [COVID-19] testing, Sheffield said. Testing is really important, but its behind where it should be because there arent enough official, FDA-approved swabs to collect samples from patients For the last month weve been trying to get FDA approval for our testing method where patients snort through the nose and spit into a tube, and the saliva sample is tested for the virus.

When the method is approved by the FDA, Sheffield said researchers can use it to test anyone. The most common coronavirus tests involve inserting a long cotton swab into a patients nostril. Sheffield anticipates beginning testing soon, with a limited number of patients in a study that will be the final step in getting FDA approval.

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds launched Test Iowa, a partnership between the state and private technology companies Domo, Qualtrics, and NomiHealth. But, the Test Iowa equipment was pending certification by the State Hygienic Lab to run tests as of Friday.

In Iowa, tests are being prioritized for those over the age of 60, with chronic health conditions, are in the hospital, or live in congregate living facilities such as a nursing home.

Iowa has tested more than 63,000 people and reported more than 10,000 cases as of Wednesday. Reynolds is using widespread testing as a signal that the state can begin the steps of reopening, seemingly going against the advice of University of Iowa researchers, who concluded that a second wave of COVID-19 cases could emerge without precautions in place.

In late April, amid his shifting work, Sheffield was elected to the 2020 class of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Sheffield began as a faculty member at the UI 30 years ago and contributes to campus clinical work and research. He started as an assistant professor and has since branched out to administrative work, instruction, and research. He served as the UI Division Director of Medical Genetics for 22 years and stepped down in January to spend more time on research.

RELATED: National registrar association awards Sarah Harris with honorary membership after 30 years at UI

Sheffield has co-authored 330 peer-reviewed scientific papers, and said he has found supportive and outstanding collaborators who have been pivotal to his researchs success in his time at the UI.

My research focuses on hereditary blindness, he said. Ive worked on identifying genes that play a role in hereditary blindness. More recently, my team and I have been focusing on figuring out mechanisms by which mutations cause disease and developing treatments.

Sheffield said that his election has reinforced his obligation to serve and help others with his science. This will continue to fuel his desire to work hard and continue to further his research, Sheffield said.

David Ginsburg, James V. Neel Distinguished university professor at the University of Michigan Medical School, is also a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He first met Sheffield at the Howard Hughes Medical Institution.

Ginsburg said Sheffields research has been crucial to developing human genetic maps. Only a few academic scientists are elected to the U.S. organization a year, and Ginsburg said Sheffields election was well deserved.

Val is a fantastic physician scientist, Ginsburg said. Hes done landmark work figuring out what gene is defective for a whole variety of different, rare genetic diseases. He was one of the real pioneers tracking down these genes. He identified where the corresponding disease gene is located in our chromosomes for about 35 diseases When I was in medical school, we only knew the responsible gene for one human disease Today, we know the gene for about 6,000 human diseases, and Val was one of the early leaders in this work.

Ginsburg said he has seen how much members of the organization can grow once theyre inducted. Sheffield will be able to continue expanding his horizons in academia when he is inducted next spring, he added.

A big part of what drives what we do in academic medicine is interaction with colleagues and the new ideas that you get when meeting, talking, and interacting with colleagues in diverse fields, he said. Thats one of the greatest things the American Academy has to offer. I know it will give Val an opportunity to expand his research and intellectual contributions to the academic enterprise.

According to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences website, the 240-year-old American Academy of Arts and Sciences was founded by John Adams and John Hancock and aims to recognize scholars and leaders in various disciplines. Sheffield joins 11 other Hawkeyes already in the organization, including UI Cardiovascular Research Chair and Professor Francois Abboud.

Abboud said Sheffield, who he has known since 1990, is an internationally recognized leader in the field of human molecular genetics and genomics as well as someone he admires.

[Sheffield] is more than a great scientist, Abboud said. Ive always been impressed by his true commitment to his patients. What drives his scientific research is his extraordinary commitment to the patients. Science is his true passion. He is a brilliant scientist and an even more remarkable person.

Excerpt from:
University of Iowa molecular genetics researcher studying COVID-19 testing methods to alleviate test shortages - UI The Daily Iowan

Photos courtesy Newark Venture Partners

Matt Smith gives a presentation on Speak2 Software's possibilities for seniors in long-term care facilities.

The COVID-19 crisis in New Jersey has create a layer of difficulty for those trying to communicate with their loved ones in long-term care facilities.

Speak2, an app-based system created by Newark-based Speak2 Software, feels it has a solution.

CEO Matt Smith said his firms technology, which takes advantage of Amazon Alexa-like technology, will enable families to easily communicate with loved ones.

The software is used at wellness community Sycamore Living in East Hanover and soon to be installed at Reformed Church Home in Old Bridge and a Sycamore Living in the Princeton area.

Smith said the technology can be a benefit long after the pandemic is over. Among other reasons, Smith said Speak2 helps connect families that struggle with technology. Its voice-activated messaging system is designed especially for those who struggle with devices or interfaces, such as blindness or physical handicaps, he said.

And Speak2s integrated voice technology integrates with a seniors address book, allowing them to connect with friends or family through voice command calls or speak-to-text functions, without the difficulty of locating or using a phone. Smith said users can ask for help and signal emergency services by simply saying so out loud no swiping, reading or screens required.

Matt Smith, CEO of Speak2 Software.

Smith, a former health care technology consultant, said he saw the need.

I noticed the struggles that some older people have with devices when my parents were aging, he said. We looked for solutions, but there were only things such as wellness portals, which werent much of a solution.

When Amazon Dot and Echo came along a device designed at a reasonable price point for consumers it didnt take long for its users to become comfortable with the technology. Soon after that, people were enjoying smart-home features such as Google Home.

Speak2 enables seniors to receive and listen to messages through voice activation. It also enables seniors to contact support staff at their facilities or from their homes.

Smith said his product has had a nice unintended consequence: increased communication from grandchildren.

Children are not always ones who will pick up the phone and call their grandparents, he said. But being able to do this by downloading our app, they can press a microphone button on the app and send well wishes or good news from the app on their phone. For example, Hey Grandpa, we won our soccer game today. Kids are much more willing to engage with an app.

Seniors receive activation notices that messages have arrived and can play them. The system also is compatible with Amazon Screens, so family and friends can send video messages.

Smith said the platform also connects to the communitys management, allowing residents to state specific issues or requests and routing commands to the intended teams or people, such as management, maintenance, nursing, etc.

Even more, it alerts families of these very same requests, so they know exactly what is going on with their loved ones. This not only enables more efficient management of resources, but it enables predictive analytics to drive better planning and staff behaviors.

The Speak2 system connects to unit thermostats, lights and electronics, eliminating the need for remotes and minimizing the risk of injury due to a fall. Seniors can also use voice commands to access entertainment through audio books or TV control and can set reminders for medications or appointments. The system can also be used to monitor movements in and out of certain areas to help track medical issues, like mobility, nutrition or lavatory visits.

Speak2 announced in April that it will be offering its voice technology platform for free to seniors living at home and in assisted living communities during the coronavirus pandemic.

Smith is eager to install his system in Old Bridge and Princeton, but state restrictions prevent him from entering those centers during the pandemic.

He said his software is ideal to use in hospitals, and it is soon to be HIPAA compliant. Amazon is in the process of making its devices HIPAA-compliant and, once that occurs (it is expected to happen by years end), Speak2 Software is positioned to conform as well.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic gripped the U.S., Reformed Church Home and Sycamore Senior Living have signed on for the free offering, receiving donated Echo Dot devices from Amazon.

Today, more than 250 seniors have access to the tech, Smith said. Regency Pacific, a national brand of senior communities, and English Meadows, a Virginia-based company with eight communities, previously rolled out Speak2 to their residents.

This has been particularly helpful at a time when most senior communities are prohibiting visitors due to health concerns, Smith said. Loneliness and mental health already impact senior citizens at disproportionate levels, so engagement during this time is critical.

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Star Wars: The Clone Wars has finally come to its end, and the final season added some expansive (and tragic) depth to the Skywalker Saga prequels. One of the most important storylines Clone Wars had left to tell was that of Ahsoka Tano, Anakin Skywalker's former padawan, and how she managed to escape Order 66 and the eradication of the Jedi Order. Clone Wars revealed that Ahsoka was locked in battle with Darth Maul up to during the events of Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, and that conflict raised a major question that Star Wars fans are now debating:

Could Ahsoka Tano have saved Anakin Skywalker from falling to the dark side, and becoming Darth Vader, and the entire Jedi Order from collapsing?

The question about Ahsoka's pivotal moment comes up in the penultimate episodes of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, "The Phantom Apprentice" and "Shattered". Ahsoka Tano had to lead the Siege of Mandalore alone, as Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi were called away to rescue Chancellor Palpatine from Count Dooku and General Grievous (as seen in the opening sequence of Revenge of the Sith). When Ahsoka confronts Maul, the dark side crimelord reveals to her that he senses his former master Darth Sidious' plan is about to be carried out, and that Anakin Skywalker is Sidious' chosen apprentice. Ahsoka doesn't believe Maul's warning, thinking it's a dark side mind-trick.

When Ahsoka eventually wins her duel with Maul, she takes him into custody. We then see a new version of a key scene from Revenge of the Sith, in which Mace Windu and Yoda and the Jedi Council begin to realize that Palpatine may be an evil threat. Clone Wars adds a scene where Ahsoka joins that same meeting mid-broadcast, and steps on into one of the most pivotal moments in the entire Skywalker Saga. Even though Yoda and Windu hint that Palpatine could be a major threat, Ahsoka chooses not to mention anything about what Maul tried to warn her about. That choice obviously has fans now debating if Ahsoka didn't let one of the darkest events in the galaxy unfold, when she could've potentially stopped it.

However, anyone who watched The Clone Wars will almost certainly argue something different. The entire point of Ahsoka's story is that she fell out with the Jedi Order because she thought they had lost their way - and as it turns out, she was right. It's been examined in everything from Star Wars Rebels to the Original Trilogy films, as surviving Jedi like Obi-Wan, Yoda, or Kanan all struggle with the hindsight that the Jedi Order got too into politics and war to see the Sith threat against them with clarity. That blindness led to the rise of the dark side across the galaxy - but it was a blindness that Ahsoka didn't share. Ahsoka stayed on her own path and followed the light, and when her former masters were either dead, hiding, or corrupted, she fought on in their place and helped steer the galaxy back into the light, and bring balance back to the Force (see: Star Wars Rebels), and apparently did so more than once (see: The Rise of Skywalker).

If the Jedi Order had listened to and trusted in Ahsoka more, it may have lasted longer.

Star Wars: The Clone Wars is now streaming on Disney+.

Disclosure: ComicBook is owned by CBS Interactive, a division of ViacomCBS.

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Star Wars: Could Ahsoka Have Saved Anakin Skywalker and the Jedi Order? - ComicBook.com

Did God send covid-19?

Some far right fundamentalist Christian pastors do claim that God sent this pestilence and blame various groups, LGBTQ people, Jews, apostate churches and the entire sinful world. Some more influential evangelical pastors like Robert Jeffress are a little more subtle but nonetheless connect this pandemic to God. Jeffress, "All natural disasters can ultimately be traced to sin." Franklin Graham doesn't think it is God's plan but, "It's because of the sin that's in the world. Man has turned his back on God." Other more moderate and liberal Christian leaders absolve God of any culpability in this pestilence or plague and say that sin has no connection to covid-19.

Some point to John 9:3 where Jesus explained that no one's sin caused a man to be born blind from birth, "...but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him." Notice that Jesus says there was a purpose for the man being born blind therefore, it must have been planned. According to God himself, blindness is not just a happenstance, "Who gives them (humans) sight or makes them blind? Is it not I, the Lord?" Exodus 4:11. Also, "I create disaster." (evil KJV) Isaiah 45:7 "I create"= present tense. In Colossians 1:16 it is Jesus who created all things visible and invisible!

God planned everything before he created the world, (1 Peter 1:20, Ephesians 1:4, 2 Timothy 1:9, 1 Corinthians 2:7 and Titus 1:2). God also controls everything to conform to his purpose. (Ephesians 1:11). God has sent pestilence on his chosen people numerous times and killed thousands, in Chapter 24 of 2 Samuel, God sent a pestilence on the people of Israel and killed 70,000 men for no good reason except that he was punishing a sin of David.

The Apostle Paul says that God makes everything work out according to his plan. Ephesians 1:11. In "The Purpose Driven Life" Pastor Rick Warren writes, "[God] planned the days of your life in advance, choosing the exact time of your birth and death. The Bible says, 'You saw me before I was born and scheduled each day of my life before I began to breathe. Every day was recorded in your Book!'" (Psalm 139:16 TLB). So, God planned and scheduled the exact time and circumstances for each covid-19 victim's birth and death,

That is the biblical truth, so help me God!

Oren Piper

Siloam Springs

Editorial on 05/06/2020

Print Headline: Letter to the Editor

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