StemCell Therapy

Revolutionary Specialty Enzymes Transform Industries, Projected to Reach $2.2 Billion by 2031 - Billion-Dollar  EIN News

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Revolutionary Specialty Enzymes Transform Industries, Projected to Reach $2.2 Billion by 2031 - Billion-Dollar - EIN News

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A Career in Veterinary Medicine - AAVMC

Building the next generation of veterinary professionals (FCL Feb. 22, 2023)  FirstCoastNews.com WTLV-WJXX

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Building the next generation of veterinary professionals (FCL Feb. 22, 2023) - FirstCoastNews.com WTLV-WJXX

Peripheral neuropathy is a disorder of the peripheral nerves. These nerves send messages between the central nervous system, the brain and the spinal cord, and the rest of the body.

Peripheral neuropathy is a general term that describes many conditions caused by damage to the peripheral nervous system, which is responsible for sending sensory information to and from the central nervous system. For example, the peripheral nerves can tell the body when the hands are cold.

Peripheral neuropathy affects more than 20 million people in the United States. In general, the condition can cause a loss of normal nerve signals, or cause inappropriate or distorted signals.

The condition can affect a range of different nerves, so it can impact a variety of locations in different ways. It can affect a single nerve or several nerves at the same time.

Examples of peripheral neuropathy include:

Symptoms of peripheral neuropathy may vary according to the type of neuropathy. Researchers have identified 100 different types of neuropathy.

Generally, the types are classified into three categories, each with its own set of symptoms. They are:

This affects the sensory nerves, which impact the sensations of pain, touch, and temperature.

The person may have:

Especially in cases when the cause is diabetes, sensory neuropathy can also lead to foot and leg ulcers, infection, and gangrene.

This affects the muscles that the brain controls consciously.

Symptoms include:

The affects body processes that the brain controls involuntarily. Symptoms may include:

Treatment either targets the underlying cause, or it aims to provide symptomatic pain relief and prevent further damage. Treatments may include:

Medications that may help relieve symptoms, but do not cure the problem, include:

A persons choice of treatment should take into account any medications that person is taking for other conditions in order to avoid unwanted interactions.

When a persons neuropathy happens as a result of compression of a single nerve, treatment is similar regardless of which nerve is involved. The approach depends on whether the compression is fixed or transient.

A palsy of the ulnar, radial, or peroneal nerve may be temporary and reversible if a person simply avoids the cause of the nerve compression. For example, a person with ulnar nerve palsy should not lean on the affected elbow.

The person may need to rest, use heat, or take a limited course of drugs to reduce inflammation.

In carpal tunnel syndrome, conservative therapy includes splinting the wrist and taking oral or injected corticosteroid drugs.

If a single-nerve neuropathy does not respond to these measures, surgery may be an option in rare cases. Surgery may also be necessary if the nerve compression is fixed, for example when the cause is a tumor.

A doctor should consider referring a person to pain specialist or a relevant clinical specialty at any stage if:

Non-drug measures for peripheral neuropathy can include using warm or cold packs, unless heat or cold makes the symptoms worse.

Stress relief and other complementary therapies include meditation, relaxation techniques, massage, and acupuncture. These may help a person cope with pain from the condition.

Some people find that using a transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) machine helps. This device interrupts nerve messages by delivering a small electric current. Research has not confirmed the effectiveness of this treatment.

Many types of neuropathy are idiopathic, or of unknown cause, but a number of conditions can trigger the problem. These include:

Other causes can include:

Disorders of the small blood vessels can reduce blood supply to the nerves, resulting in nerve tissue damage. Certain benign tumors can also affect nerve tissue and lead to neuropathic pain.

Diabetes is the most common cause of chronic peripheral neuropathy in the U.S. About 60-70 percent of people with diabetes will have some form of damage to their sensory, motor, or autonomic nerves. Many will have foot problems and ulcers.

High blood sugar levels cause damage to the walls of the tiny blood vessels that supply oxygen and nutrients to the nerves in the ends of the hands and feet, and the essential organs in the body, such as the eyes, kidneys, and heart. Whenever skin becomes damaged, the loss of sensation further increases the risk of damage.

Peripheral neuropathy causes a variety of symptoms with many possible causes.

A doctor will usually begin by taking a persons medical history. This includes gathering information about all the symptoms, but also details about a persons life, potential environmental exposures, and any risks of infectious or neurological diseases.

The next step should be a physical and neurological exam that will help the doctor identify any nerve damage. Potential tests a doctor may perform include nerve conduction velocity (NCV) and electromyography (EMG). These tests measure nerve signal strength and electrical activity.

A doctor may also do a nerve biopsy. In cases of suspected autonomic peripheral neuropathy, a person can get a QSART test, which measures their ability to sweat.

For some types of neuropathies, like nerve compression, a person can also get a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan or a computed tomography (CT) scan. Another option is a muscle and nerve ultrasound, but this is not common.

If the doctor confirms that neuropathy is present, the doctor will look for the cause. The doctor may then send the person to get blood tests in order to check for diabetes and other potential underlying conditions.

The doctor may check for vitamin deficiencies, liver or kidney dysfunction, infections, metabolic disorders, or any immune cells that may indicate an immune disorder. In some cases, the doctor may order a test to rule out a genetic disorder.

If none of these tests can point to a cause, a doctor may conduct additional tests.

The outlook for peripheral neuropathy varies depending on the underlying cause, and which nerves have been damaged.

Some cases may improve with time if the underlying cause is treated, but in others, the damage may be permanent or gradually worsen over time.

Peripheral neuropathy describes many different conditions that damage the peripheral nervous system. Many underlying conditions can cause neuropathies, which result in impairments to a persons nerve signals.

A persons symptoms will vary depending on the affected nerves and the type of neuropathy. The condition affects more than 20 million people in the U.S.

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Peripheral neuropathy: Symptoms, causes, and treatment - Medical News Today

Different Types of Peripheral Neuropathy | Paid Content  Local 5 - weareiowa.com

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Different Types of Peripheral Neuropathy | Paid Content - Local 5 - weareiowa.com

People produce endocannabinoids similar to compounds found in marijuana that are critical to many bodily functions  The Conversation Indonesia

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People produce endocannabinoids similar to compounds found in marijuana that are critical to many bodily functions - The Conversation Indonesia

Medical condition

Childhood blindness is an important contribution to the national prevalence of the disability of blindness.[3] Blindness in children can be defined as a visual acuity of <3/60 in the eye with better vision of a child under 16 years of age.[4] This generally means that the child cannot see an object 10 feet (about 3 meters) away, that another child could see if it was 200 feet (about 60 meters) away.[5]

There are many causes of blindness in children. Blindness may be due to genetic mutations, birth defects, premature birth, nutritional deficiencies, infections, injuries, and other causes. Severe retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), cataracts, Vitamin A deficiency, measles, conjunctivitis and refractive error are also causes.[6][7]

Vitamin A deficiency is most common in developing countries where many kids experience malnourishment. This vitamin deficiency blinds hundreds of thousands of kids each year, and is a preventable cause of childhood blindness. Since vitamin A is required for rhodopsin, the photosensitive pigment in the retinol rods, its deficiency can lead to night blindness.[8]

Since 2010, globally 85% of children have been vaccinated for measles significantly reducing the number of measles cases each year. Children who have a vitamin A deficiency and measles infection can develop corneal ulcerations and keratomalacia due to immunosuppression caused by the vitamin deficiency.[8]

Newborn conjunctivitis is present at the time of birth and presents within the first 28 days of life as a severe conjunctival infection with purulent discharge. This increases the risk of corneal ulcerations and perforations that can lead to blindness. The common organisms that lead to this diagnosis include Neisseria gonorrhoea and Chlamydia trachomatis. Infected pregnant women and their partners should be treated to avoid infection of the newborn, and newborns presenting with conjunctivitis should be treated with hourly topical antibiotic drops (gentamicin). [8]

Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP) is classified by the abnormal growth of blood vessels in the retina, a process called retinal neovascularization.[9] These blood vessels may bleed or grow in the wrong direction. Bleeding can lead to the formation of scar tissue which can cause blurred vision and vision loss. If the vessels grow too far in the wrong direction, they can pull the retina away from the back of the eye this is called retinal detachment. Retinal detachment is a medical emergency that can cause permanent blindness and thus requires urgent intervention.[10]

Babies who are born prematurely (formally defined as 37 weeks of gestational age or earlier) are at higher risk of developing retinopathy of prematurity. The earlier a preterm baby is born, the greater the baby's risk of developing ROP. Blood vessels in the eye typically finish development by the time of birth. Therefore, a baby who is born early is exposed to various stimuli (oxygen, lights, temperature, etc.) that may influence how the blood vessels of the eye develop. Additional risk factors for ROP include low birth weight (3 pounds or less) and giving the baby extra oxygen following birth. If preterm infants are experiencing other health problems like anemia, vitamin E deficiency, and/or breathing problems, they are at increased risk of developing ROP.[11]

Childhood blindness has many causes.[12] Leading causes include retinopathy of prematurity, vitamin A deficiency, infectious diseases (measles, newborn conjunctivitis), retinoblastoma, and congenital conditions (cataracts and glaucoma).[13] Leber congenital amaurosis primarily affects the retina, and typically severe visual impairment begins in infancy. Mutations in Aryl hydrocarbon receptor interacting protein like-1 have been linked to Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA).[14]

The most frequently affected parts of the eyes are:[15][16]

The diagnosis of childhood blindness is done via methods to ascertain the degree of visual impairment in the affected child. Early detection is essential to provide early intervention to children. The American Academy of Ophthalmology recommend various screening methods starting in newborns and spanning throughout childhood in order to assess for childhood blindness and other ophthalmic disorders. Newborns are screened with the red reflex test performed by shining a light into the child's eyes. If a red reflex is not produced, further workups should be done to assess for congenital cataracts or retinoblastoma. From 6-12 months, children are screened at their well-child visits with the red reflex test, assessment of eye movement, and proper pupil dilation. From 1 year to 3 years of age, children often undergo a "photoscreening" test where a camera takes pictures of the child's eyes to assess for developmental abnormalities that may lead to amblyopia. Children ages 3 to 5 years of age will be assessed for proper eye alignment and visual acuity. Visual acuity is assessed with a Snellen chart with lines of letters that the child reads and helps determine visual acuity.[17]

The chemical structure of Vitamin A (one of many chemical forms)

Vitamin A deficiency is a leading cause of preventable childhood blindness, particularly in developing countries. Vitamin A deficiency is defined as a serum (blood) concentration of less than 0.70 mol/L while a severe deficiency is defined as less than 0.35 mol/L, per the Centers of Disease Control National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.[18] Vitamin A is supplied through the diet, and a deficiency often results from poor dietary intake of Vitamin A-rich foods.[19] Low dietary levels of Vitamin A can be worsened by infections that cause inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract, which prevent the body from fully absorbing Vitamin A available within digested food. Children in the United States have a recommended Vitamin A dietary allowance of at least 300 micrograms/day.[19] Good sources of Vitamin A include vegetables, such as carrots, papaya, and pumpkin.[20] Animal products, such as fish oils, as well as dairy products (milk, cheese, and yogurt) are also sources of Vitamin A.[20]

Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a cause of childhood blindness that can occur around the time of birth. Generally, measures taken to avoid preterm birth are also effective at preventing ROP. Babies delivered preterm, defined at or before 37 weeks of gestation, have incomplete development of the blood vessels supplying the retina.[21] At birth, increased exposure to oxygen from the environment and from medical interventions (such as a high flow nasal cannula) causes damage to retinal blood vessels and stunts their growth. Prevention of ROP in preterm babies involves careful monitoring of oxygen delivery to avoid excess exposure.[22] Neonatal ocular exams can help detect ROP.[23]

Whether blindness is treatable depends upon the cause.[24] Surgical intervention can be performed in cases of primary congenital glaucoma. A 2020 review found no difference between combined trabeculotomy and trabeculectomy (CTT) and routine conventional trabeculotomy, or between viscotrabeculotomy and routine conventional trabeculotomy. The review also found that the 360-degree circumferential trabeculotomy may show greater surgical success than conventional trabeculotomy but that further research with one year follow-up was needed.[25]

Braille is a universal way to learn how to read and write, for the blind.[26] A refreshable braille display is an assistive learning device that can help such children in school.[27] Schools for the blind are a form of management, however the limitations of using studies done in such schools has been recognized. Children that are enrolled presently usually developed blindness 5 or more years prior to enrollment, consequently not reflecting current possible causes.[28] About 66% of children with visual impairment also have one other disability (comorbidity), be it, intellectual disabilities, cerebral palsy, or hearing loss.[29] Eye care/screening for children within primary health care is important, as catching ocular disease issues can lead to better outcomes overall.[30]

Globally, the number children with blindness is approximately 1.4 million, representing 4% of the global blind population, and an additional 17.5 million are at risk of developing poor vision.[31] Although this number is significantly lower than the number of blind adults, the estimated economic and social burden of blindness for children is much greater due to the increase in blind years. Childhood blindness is most prevalent among children with genetic ancestry from Africa and Asia, who represent 75% of the world's affected population.[13][32] A 2014 review indicated that an estimated 238,500 children with bilateral blindness (rate 1.2/1,000) live in the Eastern Mediterranean region.[30] There is also an increase in blindness outside of developing countries due to a lack of screening and prophylactic measures to treat causes of pediatric blindness.[33]

VISION 2020 is a program launched by the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) and is supported by the WHO in 1999 that has made controlling blindness in children a high priority.[34] In addition, the IAPB and WHO coordinate "World Sight Day" on the second Thursday of October each year.[35] Starting in 2000, World Sight Day has become an opportunity to raise awareness of eye health and highlight the importance of increasing access to eye health services globally. It has also become a tool to influence governments around the world to allocate funds for blindness prevention programs and educational initiatives.

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Childhood blindness - Wikipedia

FDA Approves Syfovre (pegcetacoplan injection) for the Treatment of Geographic Atrophy, a Leading Cause of Blindness

WALTHAM, Mass., Feb. 17, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Apellis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: APLS), a global biopharmaceutical company and leader in complement, today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Syfovre (pegcetacoplan injection) for the treatment of geographic atrophy (GA) secondary to age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Syfovre is the first and only FDA-approved treatment for GA, a leading cause of blindness that impacts more than one million people in the U.S. and five million people worldwide.1,2

The approval of Syfovre is the most important event in retinal ophthalmology in more than a decade, said Eleonora Lad, M.D., Ph.D., lead investigator for the OAKS study, director of ophthalmology clinical research, associate professor of ophthalmology, Duke University Medical Center. Until now, there have been no approved therapies to offer people living with GA as their vision relentlessly declined. With Syfovre, we finally have a safe and effective GA treatment for this devastating disease, with increasing effects over time.

Today marks an extraordinary milestone for patients, the retina community, and Apellis. With its increasing effects over time and flexible dosing, we believe that Syfovre will make a meaningful difference in the lives of people with GA, said Cedric Francois, M.D., Ph.D., co-founder and chief executive officer, Apellis. GA is a complex disease that the field has spent decades trying to address, so we are humbled and proud to bring forward the first-ever treatment. Thank you to all who helped make this moment a reality.

The approval of Syfovre is based on positive results from the Phase 3 OAKS and DERBY studies at 24 months across a broad and representative population of patients. Syfovre is approved for GA patients with or without subfoveal involvement and provides dosing flexibility for patients and physicians with a dosing regimen of every 25 to 60 days. In the OAKS and DERBY studies, Syfovre reduced the rate of GA lesion growth compared to sham and demonstrated increasing treatment effects over time, with the greatest benefit (up to 36% reduction in lesion growth with monthly treatment in DERBY) occurring between months 18-24.

For the first time ever, we are celebrating the approval of a treatment for GA, said Jeff Todd, president and chief executive officer, Prevent Blindness. This is a historic and hopeful day for all GA patients and their care partners, who have been waiting for a treatment for this relentless form of vision loss.

GA is an advanced form of AMD. It is a progressive and irreversible disease caused by the growth of lesions, which destroy the retinal cells responsible for vision. The vision loss caused by GA severely impairs independence and quality of life by making it difficult to participate in daily activities. On average, it takes only 2.5 years for GA lesions to start impacting the fovea, which is responsible for central vision.3

The safety profile of Syfovre is well-demonstrated following ~12,000 injections. The most common adverse reactions ( 5%) reported in patients receiving Syfovre were ocular discomfort, neovascular AMD, vitreous floaters, and conjunctival hemorrhage.

Apellis is committed to helping patients with treatment access and support. ApellisAssist is a program designed to help Syfovre patients along their treatment journey by providing a system inclusive of insurance support, financial assistance for eligible patients, disease education, and ongoing product support. Patients and healthcare providers can call 1-888-273-5547 for more information.

Syfovre is expected to be available by the beginning of March through specialty distributors and specialty pharmacies nationwide. A marketing authorization application for Syfovre is under review by the European Medicines Agency with a decision expected in early 2024. In addition, a marketing application has been submitted to Health Canada.

About the Phase 3 OAKS and DERBY StudiesOAKS (n=637) and DERBY (n=621) are Phase 3, multicenter, randomized, double-masked, sham-controlled studies comparing the efficacy and safety of Syfovre (pegcetacoplan injection) with sham injections across a broad and representative population of patients with geographic atrophy (GA) secondary to age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The studies evaluated the efficacy of monthly and every-other-month Syfovre in patients with GA assessed by change in the total area of GA lesions from baseline as measured by fundus autofluorescence at 24 months.

Both monthly and every-other-month (EOM) Syfovre reduced the rate of GA lesion growth through 24 months compared to sham:

About Syfovre (pegcetacoplan injection) Syfovre (pegcetacoplan injection) is the first and only approved therapy for geographic atrophy (GA). By targeting C3, Syfovre is designed to provide comprehensive control of the complement cascade, part of the bodys immune system. Syfovre is approved in the United States for the treatment of GA secondary to age-related macular degeneration.

U.S. Important Safety Information for Syfovre (pegcetacoplan injection)

CONTRAINDICATIONS

WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS

ADVERSE REACTIONS

About Apellis Apellis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a global biopharmaceutical company that combines courageous science and compassion to develop life-changing therapies for some of the most challenging diseases patients face. We ushered in the first new class of complement medicine in 15 years and now have two approved medicines targeting C3. These include the first and only therapy for geographic atrophy, a leading cause of blindness around the world. With nearly a dozen clinical and pre-clinical programs underway, we believe we have only begun to unlock the potential of targeting C3 across many serious diseases. For more information, please visit http://apellis.com or follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Apellis Forward-Looking Statement Statements in this press release about future expectations, plans and prospects, as well as any other statements regarding matters that are not historical facts, may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding timing of the commercial availability of Syfovre. The words anticipate, believe, continue, could, estimate, expect, intend, may, plan, potential, predict, project, should, target, will, would and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Actual results may differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements as a result of various important factors, including whether Syfovre will be commercially available when expected; whether clinical trials of Syfovre indicate an apparent positive effect that is greater than the actual positive effect, whether Syfovre will receive approval from foreign regulatory agencies for GA when expected or at all; and other factors discussed in the Risk Factors section of Apellis Annual Report on Form 10-K with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 28, 2022 and the risks described in other filings that Apellis may make with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Any forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date hereof, and Apellis specifically disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

1 Rudnicka AR, Jarrar Z, Wormald R, et al. Age and gender variations in age-related macular degeneration prevalence in populations of European ancestry: a meta analysis. Ophthalmology 2012;119:571580.2 Wong WL, Su X, Li X, et al. Global prevalence of age-related macular degeneration and disease burden projection for 2020 and 2040: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Lancet Glob Health 2014;2:e106116.3 Lindblad AS, et al, and AREDS Research Group. Arch Ophthalmol. 2009;127(9):1168-1174.

Posted: February 2023

Syfovre (pegcetacoplan) FDA Approval History

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FDA Approves Syfovre (pegcetacoplan injection) for the Treatment of ...

Fasting may help improve immune system; 3 reasons why one should fast at least once a week or a month  Times Now

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Fasting may help improve immune system; 3 reasons why one should fast at least once a week or a month - Times Now

Alpilean Weight Loss Reviews (Legit Or Fake) Dont Try Alpine Ice Hack Diet Before You See This!  Outlook India

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Alpilean Weight Loss Reviews (Legit Or Fake) Dont Try Alpine Ice Hack Diet Before You See This! - Outlook India

Stevens Institute of Technology Professors Use Interdisciplinary Collaboration to Enhance the Field of 3D-Printed Tissues  India Education Diary

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Stevens Institute of Technology Professors Use Interdisciplinary Collaboration to Enhance the Field of 3D-Printed Tissues - India Education Diary

New study suggest people previously infected with COVID-19 could have increased risk for diabetes  CBS Los Angeles

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New study suggest people previously infected with COVID-19 could have increased risk for diabetes - CBS Los Angeles

Many are curious to know exactly what is preventive medicine? Preventive medicine is a medical specialty that focuses on the health of individuals and communities. The goal of preventive medicine is to promote health and well-being and prevent disease, disability, and death. Preventive medicine specialists must have a broad range of medical skills as well as expertise in behavioral, economic, environmental, and social sciences. A doctor of preventive medicine can help create healthier communities, save lives, and transform healthcare systems. If you are considering a career in preventive medicine, ask yourself these questions:

If your answer to any of these questions is yes, then preventive medicine may be the career path for you.

All doctors engage in a certain amount of preventive care, meaning they focus on corrective or curative care after a patient already has a disease or unhealthful condition. Preventive medicine physicians focus on disease prevention and health promotion to try to keep peopleand entire communitiesfrom getting sick.

Specialists in the field assess medical conditions and perform physical examinations, make diagnoses and develop treatment plans, evaluate health programs and policies, and use diagnostic studies and tests. They may help people quit smoking, lose weight, eat healthfully, or reduce alcohol or drug use.

Preventive medicine physicians also help ensure healthy pregnancies and safe work environments, treat depression, work in poison control, and administer vaccinations to prevent such diseases and viruses as COVID-19, influenza, measles, meningitis, polio, pneumonia, or shingles. Many physicians in this specialty have aspects of their work and its impacts on society published in a preventive medicine journal such as The American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Some preventive medicine specialists focus on the health of such people as astronauts or undersea divers who spend prolonged periods of time in extreme atmospheric environments.

What is preventive medicines overall goal? Preventive care includes the assessment of behavioral, cultural, and social influences on health, as well as:

Preventive medicine physicians may specialize in Aerospace Medicine, Occupational Medicine, or Public Health and General Preventive Medicine. Aerospace Medicine focuses on the health, performance, and safety of crew members and passengers of air and space vehicles. Occupational Medicine focuses on the physical and mental health of workers by improving the physical, social, and structural conditions of the workplace. Public Health and General Preventive Medicine focuses on promoting health and preventing disease in individuals and communities. Preventive medicine physicians may work in such fields as behavioral and mental health, environmental health, epidemiology, health systems management, infectious disease, or lifestyle medicine. Because it includes expertise in population health, preventive medicine bridges clinical practice and public health.

A preventive medicine physician must first earn a Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree or Doctor of Osteopathy (DO) degree by graduating from a four-year medical schoolsuch as the American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine (AUC School of Medicine). The doctor must then complete a three-year residency in a preventive medicine specialty, during which the resident often earns a Master of Public Health or equivalent degree. Qualified candidates are then certified by theAmerican Board of Preventive Medicine (ABPM), and they may apply for membership in the American College of Preventive Medicine. Doctors who want to subspecialize in a specific area of preventive medicine must take additional fellowship training approved by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education or the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. Fellowships last one or two years, during which preventive medicine doctors may subspecialize in:

Preventive medicine may be combined with internal or family medicine or other disciplines. Combined residencies are usually four years in length, and after successful completion of the residency, doctors may be double-boardedcertified by the ABPM and the American Board of Internal Medicine or other medical specialty board.

Public Health and General Preventive Medicine physicians may work in a clinic, government agency, hospital, medical office, public health department, or university, and some have their own private practice. Occupational Medicine physicians may work on-site with businesses, companies, or corporations. Practitioners of Aerospace Medicine or Undersea and Hyperbaric Medicine may at times work in remote locations under extreme conditions. Preventive medicine physicians often work in laboratories or with the military. A large part of the profession is dedicated to research and interpreting data, and meetings and administration tasks also absorb large amounts of time. Hours are also spent consulting with other specialists, studying, and teaching. Some preventive medicine physicians work a typical 40-hour week, while others work much more. Hours will vary according to the scope of practice or health emergencies and complications that may arise on an individual, public, or systematic level.

Because preventive medicine physicians are needed for a wide variety of health and wellness issues, they can have a tremendous impact on the individual lives of patients as well as overall community health.

Preventive medicine is an expanding field as the value of delaying or averting illness and disease becomes better appreciated. Communities, corporations, and individuals are promoting healthier lifestylesand it is more than just an interest in good health. Healthier lifestyles reduce medical expenses: it costs a lot less to prevent illness than it does to try to cure it. Like doctors in all medical fieldspreventive care physicians are an aging population. As doctors retire, there will be an increasing shortage of preventive care specialists. In July 2020, an Association of American Medical Colleges report showed that one third of United States physicians are age60 or older, and well over half57 percentare over 50 years old.

Now that you know exactly what is preventive medicine and what a physician in this specialty does, you can take the next step in your path to becoming a doctor. Take the next step on your path to becoming a preventive medicine physician: Apply for admission to AUC School of Medicine.

Related resources:

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What Is Preventive Medicine & Why Do We Need It? | AUC

What will Indian healthcare look like in 2047? Robotics, AI, biotech will shape the future  The Economic Times

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What will Indian healthcare look like in 2047? Robotics, AI, biotech will shape the future - The Economic Times

New research has shown that human mini brains can integrate with damaged rat brains to perform functions related to sight a promising step toward a future where lab-grown brain tissue can reverse blindness in people.

The challenge: If the visual cortex the part of the brain that receives and processes information from the eyes is damaged by injury or disease, a person can lose their ability to see.

We still didnt know if organoids implanted in the visual cortex would actually function like natural brain tissue.

Researchers have speculated that grafting brain organoids clumps of lab-grown cells that mimic the structure of real brain tissue onto a damaged visual cortex might give people back some or even all of their vision.

This area of study is still very new, but prior research has shown that the brains of baby rats will accept and integrate grafts from human mini brains. It was a promising sign, but we still didnt know if organoids implanted in the visual cortex would actually function like natural brain tissue.

Whats new? To find out, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania grew brain organoids in their lab for 80 days. They then grafted the clumps of cells into the brains of 46 rats that had sustained injuries to their visual cortices.

After three months, about 82% of the grafts had successfully integrated into the rats brains the lab-grown cells grew in size and number, formed synapses with the rats own neurons, and developed healthy vasculatures.

These organoid neuronswere able to adopt very specific functions of the visual cortex.

To figure out whether the human mini brains were actually becoming functioning parts of the visual cortex, the researchers used fluorescent viruses, which use synapses to travel between neurons, to map the neural network.

By injecting one of these viral tracers into the eye of the animal, we were able to trace the neuronal connections downstream from the retina, said senior author H. Isaac Chen. The tracer got all the way to the organoid.

Once they knew these specific connections had formed between the rats brains and the organoids, the researchers connected electrodes to neurons in the transplanted mini brains. Those allowed them to measure activity in the organoids while the rats were exposed to flashing lights.

We saw that a good number of neurons within the organoid responded to specific orientations of light, which gives us evidence that these organoid neurons were able to not just integrate with the visual system, but they were able to adopt very specific functions of the visual cortex, said Chen.

The caveats: While about 75% of the neurons in the rats own visual cortices responded to the light stimulation, only 20% of those in the grafted human mini brains did.

[T]here were fewer neurons that responded to light than ideal, Chen told Technology Networks. Understanding how to improve this response rate/integration is one of our primary goals for the future.

Neural tissues have the potential to rebuild areas of the injured brain.

The type of vision-impairing damage sustained by the rodents in the study isnt exactly the same type that typically causes blindness in people, either, so thats another area ripe for future study.

[W]hile the aspiration cavity we made is a brain injury of sorts, it is not a good model for conditions like traumatic brain injury and stroke, said Chen. We would like to move our transplantation studies into these types of models in the future.

Looking ahead: As is the case with all rat studies, theres a chance humans would respond to this procedure in a completely different way, so much more research is needed before anyone could try using organoids to repair brain damage in people.

The researchers believe the potential is huge, however.

Neural tissues have the potential to rebuild areas of the injured brain, said Chen. We havent worked everything out, but this is a very solid first step.

Wed love to hear from you! If you have a comment about this article or if you have a tip for a future Freethink story, please email us at [emailprotected].

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Human mini brains illuminate path to curing blindness

I dont understand why curable blindness is a thing. Why dont governments step in and help? Even if youre thinking purely from a financial standpoint its hard to see how they dont roi on taxes from people being able to work again, he wrote in another tweet.

There are plenty of reasons to be skeptical of MrBeast to varying degrees. The New York Times reported that he has berated his employees. He made anti-gay jokes on Twitter as recently as 2017, and hes a young and powerful business owner who idolizes Elon Musk. And, of course, theres the question of his intentions when creating stunt philanthropy content.

Another huge problem: MrBeast's video seems to regard disability as something that needs to be solved. He doesn't say in the video or in any of his subsequent public statements whether he consulted with the video's subjects about how they felt to have their disability treated as a problem. That's something that's been argued over in the days since the video was uploaded.

If Mr Beast TRULY wanted to do something good and TRULY cares about disabled people, he wouldnt monetize their suffering and make them tap dance on video just so he can slap it up on YouTube, healthcare advocate Kendall Brown tweeted.

See the article here:
Why Are People So Mad About MrBeast's Blindness Video?

Posted on Aug 9, 2004

Raymond V. Gilmartin '63 arrived at Union College in his parents' Ford station wagon in 1959, the first in his family to attend college. Schenectady was the farthest he'd traveled in a day from his Sayville, Long Island home.

More than four decades later, the former engineering student and award-winning athlete is at home the world over, be it partnering with the leaders of foreign nations and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation or dispensing life-saving drugs to combat HIV and AIDS in South Africa.

As chairman, president and CEO of the pharmaceutical giant Merck and Co., Gilmartin has been hailed by The Economist as a role model for the new breed of socially concerned, non-celebrity executives for his philanthropic work and for being a business leader with a social conscience.

As Gilmartin himself likes to relate with amusement, members of the investment community asked, Who IS this guy? when he moved into the top spot at Merck in 1994, the first time in a century the company had chosen a leader from outside its ranks.

Gilmartin took an unlikely path toward pharmaceutical CEO. During his years at Union a time he describes as exhilarating he studied electrical engineering; excelled in football, wrestling and lacrosse; won numerous athletic and academic prizes and also broadened his perspective by taking such courses as History of the English Novel.

Attending Union was a critical opportunity for someone from a small-town high school to have exposure to the humanities, to social and intellectual diversity, he says. It built my confidence about what I could aspire to.

He credits Union for helping him learn to balance multiple responsibilities and sort out values and priorities. Going to chemistry lab was, for example, considered a higher priority than football practice, he recalls.

After business school at Harvard and holding positions as a development engineer at Eastman Kodak (1963-66), management consultant at Arthur D. Little (1968-76) and CEO of Becton Dickinson & Co. (1976-94), Gilmartin arrived at Merck in 1994 and quickly turned his outsider status into an advantage.

He introduced a highly inclusive management style, asking his new colleagues to identify key issues and advise how they would face challenges.

That helps unleash an organization's creative talents, Gilmartin says. I focus clearly on the success of Merck and not on my success. If Merck succeeds, I'll do fine.

By concentrating on Merck's core business of developing breakthrough drugs and divesting non-drug businesses, Gilmartin has led the firm through tremendous growth, launching 17 new drugs and increasing annual revenues from $15 billion to nearly $50 billion since his arrival.

He traces this success to the philosophy stated in 1950 by Chairman George W. Merck: Medicine is for the people. It is not for the profits. The profits follow.

One of the reasons we're here at all is because of these values, Gilmartin says. Even though our mission is to discover medicines, we also have a responsibility to help people gain access to those medications.

Since 1987, before Gilmartin took the reins, Merck has donated $1 billion of the drug Mectizan to treat 30 million people annually for river blindness in sub-Sahara Africa.

Under Gilmartin's leadership, the company has continued its mission of providing medicine to those who need it most.

It has donated $100 million worth of vaccines for hepatitis and other diseases to the Global Alliance for Vaccines and committed $50 million through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Republic of Botswana to help combat AIDS in a nation where 40 percent of all adults are infected.

More than ever, the business world has an important leadership role to play in terms of closing the gap in health and other vital social issues, Gilmartin says. Not only do I think it's possible to succeed while maintaining ethical standards, I think it's the only way.

WORK: Chairman, presidentand CEO of Merck and Co.

PASSION: Fighting AIDS

FAMILY: Married to Gladys Higham; three grown children

HOME: Park Ridge, N.J.

DEGREES: B.S., electricalengineering, Union, 1963; M.B.A., Harvard, 1968; Hon. LL.D.,Union, 1999

INTERESTS: Skiing, tennis, sailing

ALUMNI ACTIVITIES: Trustee (1990-98); Trustee Board of Advisors (1988-90); class president (1984-88); ReUnion co-chairman (1988); Friend of Union Athletics

A strong supporter of Union College, Merck CEO Ray Gilmartin has attended all but one of his class ReUnions.

It's great to see what became of these brilliant and creative people who used to work on Concordiensis or be on the football fields or in the labs. I'm always impressed by the people from Union, he says.

As good as the school was when I was a student, I have seen it become stronger and stronger over the years. It's important for alumni to continue to support the school so others can have the same opportunities, or more, in college.Speaking at commencement in 1999, Gilmartin offered this advice: Climb higher. Believe in yourself. Follow your instincts. Pursue what you enjoy. He also quoted writer Tom Wolfe: The future will be nothing like you imagine.

Clearly, it's an aphorism that applies to his life.

In 1963, when I graduated from Union, I had no idea I'd ever be fortunate enough to be able to do the things in that picture, he says, referring to the photo of him dispensing drugs in Africa that appeared last year in The Economist.

Union helped me take a major step forward.

Related

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Raymond V. Gilmartin: Man with a global vision

This heartwarming video of a colorblind boy seeing color for the first time will make you cry  Indiatimes.com

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This heartwarming video of a colorblind boy seeing color for the first time will make you cry - Indiatimes.com

What Is Amyloidosis? All About The Rare Disease That Pervez Musharraf Suffered From  ABP Live

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What Is Amyloidosis? All About The Rare Disease That Pervez Musharraf Suffered From - ABP Live

OverviewWhat is blindness?

Blindness is the inability to see or a lack of vision. In the most severe cases, theres an inability to see even light. It also means that you cant correct your vision with eyeglasses, contact lenses, eye drops or other medical therapy, or surgery. Sudden vision loss is an emergency. Its important to seek immediate medical help.

You might wonder about color blindness, which is not blindness in the traditional sense. Another name for this issue is color deficiency. You perceive colors in a different way. You can inherit this condition or acquire it because of disease or damage that occurs in your retina or optic nerve. If you can only see black, white or shades of gray, you have achromatopsia.

You may also hear about preventable blindness or avoidable blindness. These terms refer to blindness that happens to people that have a diseases that is treatable but they never receive care. This often happens because of a lack of access to eye care or healthcare. For instance, people who never receive care for diabetes may develop diabetes-related retinopathy. People who dont receive care for hypertension may develop hypertensive retinopathy.

Blindness is common throughout the world and in the U.S. It can happen to anyone.

In the U.S., an estimated 3.4 million people over age 40 are legally blind. There are many more people with low vision. There are about 43 million people in the world living with blindness, according to one estimate. This number could climb to 60 million by 2050.

With complete blindness there is a lack of vision and the inability of the eye to detect light.

Symptoms that you may have while vision loss develops include:

There are many causes of blindness, including injuries, infections and medical conditions.

Eye injuries, or ocular trauma, can happen in many ways. It usually affects only one eye. Damage can result from:

Many infectious diseases can lead to vision loss and sometimes blindness. These include:

Many non-infectious diseases can cause blindness, but some in only the most severe stages of the disease. These include:

A provider will test each eye for sight, giving you a thorough eye exam. Its possible for blindness to affect only one eye.

Tests may include:

The type of treatment available depends on your condition. Providers can treat some forms of blindness with medications or glasses but cant treat other types, such as the ones where your eyes are missing or completely damaged. In these cases, your provider may recommend visual rehabilitation. The goal of vision rehabilitation is to enhance visual functioning so you can meet your visual goals and improve your quality of life. Often, this happens through low-vision training, therapy and using low-vision devices.

Treatment exists for some forms of blindness, depending on the cause and how extensive the eye damage is.

You cant prevent some types of blindness. But blindness is preventable in many cases.

Some governments and societies are working to stop blindness caused by preventable diseases, like trachoma. Theyre making medicines more available in large areas of the world.

On a personal level, there are things you can do to reduce your risk of partial or total blindness. These include:

If youre completely or partially blind, there are options. It may help to learn as much as you can about your condition.

Living with blindness affects your life and the lives of your family and friends. It affects your mobility, your ability to care for yourself or others, your employment it even affects how you relax and have fun. Some of these issues may be even more pressing for older adults.

Ask your ophthalmologist about ways of coping with low or no vision or recommendations for services that can help you. These services can include:

Get immediate medical help if you:

You probably have many questions for your provider. They may include:

A note from Cleveland Clinic

Hearing a diagnosis of blindness may bring on many emotions because of the inevitable impact on your life. Its important and practical to get whatever support you need. Members of your healthcare team are there to answer questions and help to provide tools to make sure you have the best quality of life.

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Blindness (Vision Impairment): Types, Causes and Treatment