StemCell Therapy

Human genetic engineering is moving forward exponentially and we are still not having any meaningful societal, regulatory, or legislative conversations about whether, how, and to what extent we should permit the human genome to be altered in ways that flow down the generations.

But dont worry. The scientists assure us, when that can be done, there will (somehow) beSTRICT OVERSIGHT From the AP story:

And lots more research is needed to tell if its really safe, added Britains Lovell-Badge. He and Kahn were part of a National Academy of Sciences report earlier this year that said if germline editing ever were allowed, it should be only for serious diseases with no good alternatives and done with strict oversight.

Please!No more! When I laugh this hard it makes mystomach hurt.

Heres the problem: Strict guidelines rarely are strict and the almost never permanently protect. Theyare ignored, unenforced, or stretched over time until they, essentially, cease to exist.

Thats awful with actions such as euthanasia. But wecant let that kind of pretense rule the day withtechnologies that could prove to be among themost powerful and potentially destructive inventions in human history. Indeed, other than nuclear weapons, I cant think of a technology with more destructive potential.

Strict oversight will have to include legal limitations and clear boundaries, enforced bystiff criminalpenalties, civil remedies, and international protocols.

They wont be easy to craft and it will take significant time to work through all of the scientific and ethical conundrums.

But we havent made a beginning. If we wait until what may be able to be done actually can be done, it will be too late.

Wheres the leadership? All we have now is drift.

View original post here:
Genetic Engineering with 'Strict Guidelines?' Ha! - National Review

A coral reef takes thousands of years to build, yet can vanish in an instant.

The culprit is usuallycoral bleaching, a disease exacerbated by warming watersthat today threatens reefs around the globe. The worst recorded bleaching eventstruck the South Pacific between 2014 and 2016, when rising ocean temperatures followed by a sudden influx of warm El Nio waters traumatizedthe Great Barrier Reef.In just one seasonbleaching decimated nearly a quarter of thevast ecosystem, which once sprawled nearly 150,000 square miles through the Coral Sea.

As awful as it was, that bleaching event was a wake-up call, says Rachel Levin, a molecular biologist who recently proposed a bold technique to save these key ecosystems. Her idea, published in the journal Frontiers in Microbiology, is simple:Rather than finding healthy symbiontsto repopulate bleached coral in nature, engineer them in the lab instead.Given that this would requiretampering with nature in a significant way, the proposal is likely to stir controversial waters.

But Levin argues that with time running out for reefs worldwide, the potential value could wellbe worth the risk.

Levin studied cancer pharmacology as an undergraduate, but became fascinated by the threats facing aquatic life while dabbling in marine science courses. She was struck by the fact that, unlike in human disease research, there were far fewer researchers fighting to restore ocean health. After she graduated, she moved from California to Sydney, Australia to pursue a Ph.D. at the Center for Marine Bio-Innovation in the University of New South Wales, with the hope of applying her expertise in human disease research to corals.

In medicine, it often takes the threat of a serious disease for researchers to try a new and controversial treatment (i.e. merging two womens healthy eggs with one mans sperm to make a three-parent baby).The same holds in environmental scienceto an extent.Like a terrible disease [in] humans, when people realize how dire the situation is becoming researchers start trying to propose much more, Levin says.When it comes to saving the environment, however, there are fewer advocates willing to implementrisky, groundbreaking techniques.

When it comes to reefscrucial marine regions that harbor an astonishing amount of diversity as well as protect land massesfrom storm surges, floods and erosionthat hesitation could be fatal.

Coral bleachingis often presented as the death of coral, which is a little misleading. Actually, its the breakdown of the symbiotic union that enables a coral to thrive. The coral animal itself is like a building developer who constructs the scaffolding of a high rise apartment complex. The developer rents out each of the billions of rooms to single-celled, photosynthetic microbes called Symbiodinium.

But in this case, in exchange for a safe place to live, Symbiodinium makes food for the coral using photosynthesis. A bleached coral, by contrast, is like a deserted building. With no tenants to make their meals, the coral eventually dies.

Though bleaching can be deadly, its actually a clever evolutionary strategy of the coral. The Symbiodinium are expected to uphold their end of the bargain. But when the water gets too warm, they stop photosynthesizing. When that food goes scarce, the coral sends an eviction notice. Its like having a bad tenantyoure going to get rid of what you have and see if you can find better, Levin says.

But as the oceans continue to warm, its harder and harder to find good tenants. That means evictions can be risky. In a warming ocean, the coral animal might die before it can find any better rentersa scenario that has decimated reef ecosystems around the planet.

Levin wanted to solve this problem,by creatinga straightforward recipe for building a super-symbiont that could repopulate bleached corals and help them to persist through climate changeessentially, the perfect tenants. But she had to start small. At the time, there were so many holes and gaps that prevented us from going forward, she says. All I wanted to do was show that we could genetically engineer [Symbiodinium].

Even that would prove to be a tall order. The first challenge was that, despite being a single-celled organism, Symbiodinium has an unwieldy genome. Usually symbiotic organisms have streamlined genomes, since they rely on their hosts for most of their needs. Yet while other species have genomes of around 2 million base pairs, Symbiodiniums genome is 3 orders of magnitude larger.

Theyre humongous, Levin says. In fact, the entire human genome is only slightly less than 3 times as big as Symbiodiniums.

Even after advances in DNA sequencing made deciphering these genomes possible, scientists still had no idea what 80 percent of the genes were for. We needed to backtrack and piece together which gene was doing what in this organism, Levin says. A member of a group of phytoplankton called dinoflagellates, Symbiodinium are incredibly diverse. Levin turned her attention to two key Symbiodinium strains she could grow in her lab.

The first strain, like most Symbiodinium, was vulnerable to the high temperatures that cause coral bleaching. Turn up the heat dial a few notches, and this critter was toast. But the other strain, which had been isolated from the rare corals that live in the warmest environments,seemed to be impervious to heat. If she could figure out how these two strains wielded their genes during bleaching conditions, then she might find the genetic keys to engineering a new super-strain.

When Levin turned up the heat, she saw that the hardySymbiodinium escalated its production of antioxidants and heat shock proteins, which help repair cellular damage caused by heat. Unsurprisingly, the normal Symbiodinium didnt. Levin then turned her attention to figuring out a way to insert more copies of these crucial heat tolerating genes into the weaker Symbiodinium, thereby creating a strain adapted to live with corals from temperate regionsbut with the tools to survive warming oceans.

Getting new DNA into a dinoflagellate cell is no easy task. While tiny, these cells are protected by armored plates, two cell membranes, and a cell wall. You can get through if you push hard enough, Levin says. But then again, you might end up killing the cells. So Levin solicited help from an unlikely collaborator: a virus. After all, viruses have evolved to be able to put their genes into their hosts genomethats how they survive and reproduce, she says.

Levin isolated a virus that infected Symbiodinium, and molecularly altered it it so that it no longer killed the cells. Instead, she engineered it to be a benign delivery system for those heat tolerating genes. In her paper, Levin argues that the viruss payload could use CRISPR, the breakthrough gene editing technique that relies on a natural process used by bacteria, to cut and paste those extra genes into a region of the Symbiodiniums genome where they would be highly expressed.

It sounds straightforward enough. But messing with a living ecosystem is never simple, says says Dustin Kemp, professor of biology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham who studies the ecological impacts of climate change on coral reefs. Im very much in favor of these solutions to conserve and genetically help, says Kemp. But rebuilding reefs that have taken thousands of years to form is going to be a very daunting task.

Considering the staggering diversity of the Symbiodinium strains that live within just one coral species, even if there was a robust system for genetic modification, Kemp wonders if it would ever be possible to engineer enough different super-Symbiodinium to restore that diversity. If you clear cut an old growth forest and then go out and plant a few pine trees, is that really saving or rebuilding the forest? asks Kemp, who was not involved with the study.

But Kemp agrees that reefs are dying at an alarming rate, too fast for the natural evolution of Symbiodinium to keep up. If corals were rapidly evolving to handle [warming waters], youd think we would have seen it by now, he says.

Thomas Mock, a marine microbiologist at the University of East Anglia in the UKand a pioneer in genetically modifying phytoplankton, also points out that dinoflagellate biology is still largely enshrouded in mystery. To me this is messing around, he says. But this is how it starts usually. Provocative argument is always goodits very very challenging, but lets get started somewhere and see what we can achieve. Recently, CSIRO, the Australian governments science division, has announced that it will fund laboratories to continue researching genetic modifications in coral symbionts.

When it comes to human healthfor instance, protecting humans from devastating diseases like malaria or Zikascientists have been willing to try more drastic techniques, such as releasing mosquitoes genetically programmed to pass on lethal genes. The genetic modifications needed to save corals, Levin argues, would not be nearly as extreme. She adds that much more controlled lab testing is required before genetically modified Symbiodinium could be released into the environment to repopulate dying corals reefs.

When were talking genetically engineered, were not significantly altering these species, she says. Were not making hugely mutant things. All were trying to do is give them an extra copy of a gene they already have to help them out ... were not trying to be crazy scientists.

Read more from the original source:
A Blueprint for Genetically Engineering a Super Coral - Smithsonian

Edited human embryos. Image: OHSYU

This week, news of a major scientific breakthrough brought a debate over genetically engineering humans front and center. For the first time ever, scientists genetically engineered a human embryo on American soil in order to remove a disease-causing mutation. It was the fourth time ever that such a feat has been published on, and with the most success to date. It may still be a long way off, but it seems likely that one day we will indeed have to grapple with the sticky, complicated philosophical mess of whether, and in which cases, genetically engineering a human being is morally permissible.

On the heels of this news, on Thursday a group of 11 genetics groups released policy recommendations for whats known as germline editingor altering the human genome in such a way that those changes could be passed down to future generations. The statement, from groups including the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, said that doctors should not yet entertain implanting an altered embryo in a human womb, a step which would be against the law in the United States. But they also argued that there is no reason not to use public money to fund basic research on human germline editing, contrary to a National Institutes of Health policy that has banned funding research involving editing human embryo DNA.

Currently, there is no reason to prohibit in vitro germline genome editing on human embryos and gametes, with appropriate oversight and consent from donors, to facilitate research on the possible future clinical applications of gene editing, they wrote. There should be no prohibition on making public funds available to support this research.

Safety, ethical concerns and the impact germline editing might have on societal inequality, they wrote, would all have to be worked out before such technology is ready for the clinic.

Genetic disease, once a universal common denominator, could instead become an artifact of class, geographic location, and culture, they wrote. In turn, reduced incidence and reduced sense of shared risk could affect the resources available to individuals and families dealing with genetic conditions.

If and when embryo editing is ready for primetime, the group concluded that there would need to be a good medical reason to use such technology, as well as a transparent public debate. Some have questioned the medical necessity of embryo editing, arguing that genetic screening combined with in vitro fertilization could allow doctors to simply pick disease-free eggs to implant, achieving the same results via a method that is less morally-fraught.

In February, the National Academy of Sciences released a 261-page report that also gave a cautious green light to human gene-editing, endorsing the practice for purposes of curing disease and for basic research, but determining that uses such as creating designer babies are unethical. Other nations, like China and the UK, have forged ahead with human embryo editing for basic research, though there have been no published accounts of research past the first few days of early embryo development.

Given the way the culture, religion and regional custom impact attitudes toward genetically-engineering human life, its safe to say that this debate will not be an easy one to settle. As the policy recommendations point out, views on the matter vary drastically not just across the US, but around the world, and yet one nation making the decision to go ahead with implanting edited embryos will create a world in which that technology exists for everyone.

In the meantime, though, there are still more than a few kinks to work out in the science before were faced with these questions in the real world.

Read the original post:
Experts Call on US to Start Funding Scientists to Genetically Engineer Human Embryos - Gizmodo

The approach is generic enough that you could theoretically apply it to other flowering plants. Blue roses, anyone? There are broader possibilities, too. While the exact techniques clearly won't translate to other lifeforms, this might hint at what's required to produce blue eyes or feathers. And these color changes would be useful for more than just cosmetics. Pollinating insects tend to prefer blue, so this could help spread plant life that has trouble competing in a given habitat.

Just don't count on picking up a blue bouquet. You need a permit to sell any genetically modified organism in the US, and there's a real concern that these gene-modified flowers might spread and create havoc in local ecosystems. The research team hopes to make tweaked chrysanthemums that don't breed, but that also means you're unlikely to see them widely distributed even if they do move beyond the lab. Any public availability would likely hinge on a careful understanding of the flowers' long-term impact.

Read more:
Genetic engineering creates an unnaturally blue flower - Engadget

I regularly see comments on various social media sites from MS patients who have traveled, or who plan to travel, outside the U.S. to be treated with stem cells. Some of these patients have reported excellent results and a reversal of symptoms. Others have died. Many MS patients are frustrated with the slow stem-cell approval process in the U.S.

I wrote about this slow process in February, but just the other day someone commented on that old column, and said she was heading to Russia soon for a stem cell transplant:

They started studying it in Chicago more than 20 years ago, it is ridiculous that is still has not been approved! Boy, they keep on approving those high priced drugs that dont work and can kill you! I have been studying this and waiting for 17 years for approval in the states. I cant wait any longer, I am heading to Moscow in February to receive the treatment that I need!

But an article that recently appeared in the journal Science Translational Medicine strongly warns against this sort of thing, and what the authors call the marketing of unproven stem cell-based interventions.

Those authors are 15 scientists from seven countries. One of them is Sarah Chan of the University of Edinburgh. Quoted in a university press release, her remarks sound as if they could be directed to the MS patient who is heading to Moscow:

Many patients feel that potential cures are being held back by red tape and lengthy approval processes. Although this can be frustrating, these procedures are there to protect patients from undergoing needless treatments that could put their lives at risk.

The scientists concerns are about stem cell therapies for many diseases, not just those that are used as MS treatments. The authors call the practice of advertising therapies that arent supported by clinical research, and that are often made directly to patients, stem cell tourism.

Chan and her colleagues are calling for the World Health Organization to offer guidance on what should be considered responsible clinical use of cells and tissues, just as the WHO does for medicines and medical devices.

Stem cell therapies hold a lot of promise, Chan writes, but we need rigorous clinical trials and regulatory processes to determine whether a proposed treatment is safe, effective and better than existing treatments.

Rather than rushing through stem cell approval in the U.S., the authors call for tighter regulations on stem cell therapy advertising, especially regarding potential clinical benefits. They also think that international regulatory standards should be established for the manufacture and testing of human cell and tissue-based therapies.

Thats all well and good, but where does that leave the MS patients who need this treatment now, not five or 10 years from now? What do they say to the woman whos been waiting for 17 years and can wait no longer, so shes headed to Russia? How many more months or years of clinical trials are needed before stem cell therapies will be considered safe, effective and better than existing treatments in the United States?

Just askin.

(Youre invited to follow my personal blog at http://www.themswire.com)

***

Note:Multiple Sclerosis News Todayis strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those ofMultiple Sclerosis News Today, or its parent company, BioNews Services, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to multiple sclerosis.

Go here to see the original:
A Warning About 'Stem Cell Tourism' - Multiple Sclerosis News Today

'Fear has two meanings; forget everything and run OR face everything and rise - the choice is yours.

The latter half of this saying applies to Granard native Stephen Garland (45) who was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) back in 2015.

He had been ill for five years before finally getting to the crux of of the matter and is now fundraising with gusto so that he can access specialised treatment in Russia.

Although its 25 years since he left Ireland and set down roots in Spain and Brazil, in recent times he moved back home and now resides in Longford town with his wife Valeska Magalhes.

He played football for Granard and was president of Barcelona Gaels for five years.

Stephen has set up an online campaign - To Russia with Love and is set to bring comedy charity gigs to a whole new level over the coming months.

An events manager by trade, the Granard man has worked as a comedy and music promoter for the last 20 years, and has gotten to know many of the big names in the comedy business.

Therefore its not surprising to learn that the much loved funny man Jason Byrne has lent his support to the To Russia with Love campaign.

Byrne is now set to headline a charity fundraiser at the Longford Arms Hotel on Saturday, September 23 next.

And as Stephen pointed out, the rest of the bill is beginning to take shape and all details will appear on my page as soon as they are known.

The night is expected to include a host of other comedy personalities and there are lots of surprises in store!

Jason Byrne was one of the first acts the Granard man ever brought to Spain to help him launch professional comedy in the region.

That was 2004 and the industry has come a long way in the intervening 13 or so years.

When I let Jason know about my condition he said he would help in any way he could, added Stephen who was diagnosed just over two years ago now.

I was in a meeting with the highly regarded neurologist Professor Xavi Montalban, of CEMCAT a fantastic MS specialised institution in Barcelona, he said, recalling the day with clarity.

Unimpressed with his MRI quality at that point, Stephen engaged in further tests in the months thereafter and in June 2016 he was diagnosed with the PPMS strain of MS which is regarded as the least common type with no cure or treatment available. He says there are four types of MS including Relapsing-Remitting MS (RRMS); Secondary-Progressive MS (SPMS); Primary-Progressive MS (PPMS); Progressive-Relapsing MS (PRMS).

After an exhausting four year search for a diagnosis that has taken me thousands of kilometres within Brazil; across an ocean; back home to Ireland and then subsequently on to my other European home, Barcelona, there was relief to know what was wrong with me, finally, the son of Gerry and Roseanne added.

Stephen is also the brother of well- known Longford town businessman David.

And so now, the next step for the Granard native is Russia.

I first came across the AA Maximov Hematology and Cell Therapy Department of the National Pirogov Medical Surgical Centre which specialises in the state-of-the-art treatment of hematological, oncological and autoimmune diseases, via an editorial in the Cavan Celt newspaper, said Stephen.

This article told the story of a young man from Castleblayney in Co Monaghan - Darren Gibson - who had just recently being diagnosed with MS - RRMS the Relapsing, Remitting type and he was intent on going to Russia for Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant (HSCT).

He was seeking to raise funds, so I touched base with him and we subsequently got to know each other.

Darren as the true pioneer and the first Irish person to go to Russia has been an invaluable source of help and inspiration to me.

To date nearly 10,000 has been raised for Stephens treatment in Russia with the stakes rising by the day for much more!The target is 70,000.

Stephen says it is imperative that he gets to Russia.

While I am cognitively sound at the moment, this could all change, so this is why I need to get to Russia, he continued, before pointing out that while MS was a terrible disease, his life was moving forward nonetheless.

I need to retrain now and Im undertaking a Degree course in web development over the coming months.

I had a goal of raising 70,000 - a figure I have arrived at from several people who have made the exact same journey I am proposing, he continued before pointing out the figure represented flights and visa expenses at 5,000; HSCT, 50,000; post haematologist care, 5,000.

He says the treatment will not cure the MS but what it will do is stop it from progressing.

I am staying positive and keeping myself busy organising fundraisers so I can raise the money to get to Russia, he explained.

Stephen will also be part of the 70th anniversary of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in August where his play The Pre-Disposed will play eight nights at the Banshee Labyrinth Banqueting Hall in Edinburgh.

It will run from August 12-19 from 21:50-22:50 and centers around his own story told through three 10 minute segments with video clips included for effect.

Fundraisers to date include the Barcelona Comedy Festival Fundraiser Weekender; Granard GAA St Stephen's Day Walk and Fays Bar Christmas Prize Draw.

Im a positive guy, he adds.

My focus now is on getting to Russia for this treatment. To donate to this very worthy cause or to find out more about Stephen Garland and his campaign log onto http://www.stopmyppms.com

Donations can also be made at http://www.gofundme.com/StopGarlandsPPMS.

Continued here:
Longford Lives: From Granard to Russia in the fight against MS - Longford Leader

LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--According to the latest market study released by Technavio, the regenerative medicine market in the US is expected to grow at a CAGR of almost 24% during the forecast period.

This research report titled Regenerative Medicine Market in the US 2017-2021 provides an in-depth analysis of the market in terms of revenue and emerging market trends. This market research report also includes up to date analysis and forecasts for various market segments and all geographical regions.

The regenerative medicine market in the US is expected to grow at a rapid pace during the forecast period. The major factors that are driving the demand for regenerative products are increasing investments in R&D activities and the rising incidence of chronic diseases. Leading vendors have increased their R&D investments to develop innovative medical therapies, which is driving the overall growth of the market. M&A and strategic alliances among vendors will have a significant impact on the market growth.

This report is available at a USD 1,000 discount for a limited time only: View market snapshot before purchasing

Buy 1 Technavio report and get the second for 50% off. Buy 2 Technavio reports and get the third for free.

Technavios healthcare and life sciences research analysts categorize the regenerative medicine market in the US into the following segments by end-user. They are:

Looking for more information on this market? Request a free sample report

Technavios sample reports are free of charge and contain multiple sections of the report including the market size and forecast, drivers, challenges, trends, and more.

Hospitals

Hospitals are the key end users in the market, which form a partnership with regenerative medicine manufacturing companies to provide cell therapy and tissue scaffolds to improve patient care and treatment. The increasing number of wound treatment, craniomaxillofacial surgery, knee replacement cases, and soft tissue repair has increased the demand for cell therapy and tissue scaffolds in the market.

According to Srinivas Sashidhar, a lead orthopedics and medical devices research analyst from Technavio, Hospitals provide cell therapy in outpatient settings to reduce the cost burden on the patient. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services provides reimbursement to the hospitals based on the Current Procedural Terminology code and the type of cell or tissue scaffold product. A minimal amount is paid to the physician who performs the procedure. Most of the hospitals have budget constraints and are required to reduce medical expenses. This has made many hospitals to avoid purchasing the high-cost regenerative medicines.

ASCs

There is an increased need for monitoring chronic conditions outside hospitals. The growing focus toward offering more consumer-friendly outpatient services and locations has increased the demand for ASCs. Individuals who have received vital signs monitoring in emergency rooms will step into urgent care centers. ASCs have a limited number of suppliers.

The government in the US focuses on reducing overall hospital costs. Governments pay low reimbursements in these centers compared with hospitals, which helps in making profits. In addition, these centers offer better patient care, and people can go through the same services offered in hospitals at a lower cost, which will lead to an increase in surgical procedures in these centers, adds Srinivas.

Regenerative medicine centers

Regenerative medicine centers are certified clinics that offer healthcare services to people. These centers have specialized departments for regenerative medicine, which offer care and treatment. For instance, the Regenerative Medicine Clinic at the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute offers treatment and consultation for heart patients. For such patient pool, the clinic investigates the effect and efficiency of stem cell therapy.

Kansas Regenerative Medicine Center in the US provides stand-alone stem cell therapy. It offers autologous adipose-derived stem cell treatments. It contains multidisciplinary physicians to provide treatment to the patients. The skilled professionals conduct mini liposuction procedures to isolate and implant patients source of regenerative cells from the fat tissue.

The top vendors highlighted by Technavios research analysts in this report are:

Browse Related Reports:

About Technavio

Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focuses on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions.

With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavios report library consists of more than 10,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavios comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios.

If you are interested in more information, please contact our media team at media@technavio.com.

More:
Regenerative Medicine Market in the US - Forecasts, Segmentation, and Opportunity Assessment by Technavio - Business Wire (press release)

Shares ofChina Regenerative Medicine International Ltd (8158.HK) is moving on volatility today-0.90% or -0.002 from the open.TheHKSE listed companysaw a recent bid of0.22 on1530000 volume.

Dedicated investors often strive hard to set themselves up for success. Finding long-lasting success in the stock market may not be an easy endeavor. The mindset of a short-term trader may differ greatly from that of a long-term investor. Investors often have to be prepared for many different situations. Obtaining the proper knowledge about stocks and the investing world is typically a main goal for active traders and investors. Once the investor is armed with knowledge, they may be able to see things that others cannot. This may involve staying up to date on various fundamentals, technicals, and macro-economic conditions.

Taking a deeper look into the technical levels ofChina Regenerative Medicine International Ltd (8158.HK), we can see thatthe Williams Percent Range or 14 day Williams %R currently sits at -50.00. The Williams %R oscillates in a range from 0 to -100. A reading between 0 and -20 would point to an overbought situation. A reading from -80 to -100 would signal an oversold situation. The Williams %R was developed by Larry Williams. This is a momentum indicator that is the inverse of the Fast Stochastic Oscillator.

China Regenerative Medicine International Ltd (8158.HK) currently has a 14-day Commodity Channel Index (CCI) of -15.72. Active investors may choose to use this technical indicator as a stock evaluation tool. Used as a coincident indicator, the CCI reading above +100 would reflect strong price action which may signal an uptrend. On the flip side, a reading below -100 may signal a downtrend reflecting weak price action. Using the CCI as a leading indicator, technical analysts may use a +100 reading as an overbought signal and a -100 reading as an oversold indicator, suggesting a trend reversal.

The RSI, or Relative Strength Index, is a widely used technical momentum indicator that compares price movement over time. The RSI was created by J. Welles Wilder who was striving to measure whether or not a stock was overbought or oversold. The RSI may be useful for spotting abnormal price activity and volatility. The RSI oscillates on a scale from 0 to 100. The normal reading of a stock will fall in the range of 30 to 70. A reading over 70 would indicate that the stock is overbought, and possibly overvalued. A reading under 30 may indicate that the stock is oversold, and possibly undervalued. After a recent check, China Regenerative Medicine International Ltds 14-day RSI is currently at 44.93, the 7-day stands at 46.99, and the 3-day is sitting at 44.24.

Currently, the 14-day ADX for China Regenerative Medicine International Ltd (8158.HK) is sitting at 22.53. Generally speaking, an ADX value from 0-25 would indicate an absent or weak trend. A value of 25-50 would support a strong trend. A value of 50-75 would identify a very strong trend, and a value of 75-100 would lead to an extremely strong trend. ADX is used to gauge trend strength but not trend direction. Traders often add the Plus Directional Indicator (+DI) and Minus Directional Indicator (-DI) to identify the direction of a trend.

Excerpt from:
China Regenerative Medicine International Ltd (8158.HK) Reaches Active Mover List - Morgan Research

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Continued here:
Liposuction Scottsdale AZ | Smartlipo | Fat Transfer Phoenix

Kristin Comella, Chief Science Officer

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States, and is projected to be the third by 2020. COPD is associated with an exaggerated chronic inflammatory response causing airway abnormalities. Patients typically undergo a progression of declining lung function, characterized by an increase of cough, shortness of breath, and mucus production. Extra-pulmonary manifestations of COPD include osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease, skeletal muscle abnormalities, and depression. There is currently no cure and the manifestations can only be treated symptomatically. It afflicts more than 5% of the population in many countries and accounts for more than 600 billion in health care costs, morbidity, and mortality.

Adult stem cells are found in every part of the body and their primary role is to heal and maintain the tissue in which they reside. Stem cells are unspecialized cells capable of renewing themselves by cell division. In addition, they have the ability to differentiate into specialized cell types. Adult stem cells can be harvested from a patients own tissue, such as adipose (fat) tissue, muscle, teeth, skin or bone marrow. One of the most plentiful sources of stem cells in the body is the fat tissue. In fact, approximately 500 times more stem cells can be obtained from fat than bone marrow. Stem cells derived from a patients own fat are referred to as adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs). Adipose derived stem cells have been explored with respect to their activity in diseases involving significant inflammatory or degenerative components. More recently, adult stem cells have been identified as having the potential to reverse the effects of diseases like COPD.

The mixed population of cells that can be obtained from fat is called a stromal vascular fraction (SVF). The SVF can easily be isolated from fat tissue in approximately 30-90 minutes in a clinic setting (under local anesthesia) using a mini-lipoaspirate technique. The SVF contains all cellular elements of fat, excluding adipocytes. Tens to hundreds of millions of ADSCs can be obtained in the context of the SVF acquired from 20-200 ml of adipose tissue during this out-patient procedure. This sets the stage for their practical use at the point-of-care, in which a preparation of ASC can be provided for infusion or injection after the mini-liposuction. COPD patients who have undergone stem cell therapies often express the willingness to receive additional cell infusions if possible, due to a feeling of well-being associated with the injection. There is early evidence of feasibility and safety of infusions into the patients with COPD. In relevant studies, intravenous infusion of cultured adipose stem cells has been demonstrated to remarkably improve the onset and progression of smoke exposure-induced emphysema in rodents.

Stem cells possess enormous regenerative potential. The potential applications are virtually limitless. Patients can receive cutting edge treatments that are safe, compliant, and effective. Our team has successfully treated over 7000 patients with very few safety concerns reported. One day, stem cell treatments will be the gold standard of care for the treatment of most degenerative diseases. We are extremely encouraged by the positive patient results we are seeing from our physician-based treatments. Our hope is that stem cell therapy will provide relief and an improved quality of life for many patients. The future of medicine is here!

For additional information on Stem Cell Centers of Excellences South Miami clinic, visit http://www.stemcellcoe.com.

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Stem Cells Offer New Solutions for Lung Disease - Miami's Community Newspapers

Stem cell therapies provide an alternative to pain relievers and total joint replacement for those suffering from osteoarthritis.

Osteoarthritis plagues millions of older adults throughout the world. It is the most common type of degenerative joint disease. Commonly referred to as OA, osteoarthritis is an inevitability for many people. It occurs as the rubber-like cartilage that protects the ends of human bones gradually breaks down. It eventually leads to a situation where bones rub against one another as little, if any, cartilage remains. OA can occur in any of the body's joints. However, it is more common in the hips, knees, spine and hands.

OA sounds like a particularly gruesome condition with painful bone-on-bone contact yet hope is available. Patients currently use physical therapy, pain relievers, cortisone injections and even surgery. Scientists have recently pinpointed stem cells as a possible catalyst for OA healing.

How the Human Body Might be Able to Heal Itself

Emory Orthopaedics and Spine Center physicians made waves five years ago when they launched regenerative stem cell therapy. This is a form of treatment for OA as well as related joint maladies. It makes use of the patient's stem cells to remedy damaged tissues, minimize pain and hasten the healing process. Stem cells are taken from the patient's body with a needle. These stem cells are derived from abdominal fat and/or the hip's bone marrow. They are then placed in a centrifuge and spun in a rapid manner to generate a concentrate. This process isolates the stem cells. These cells are injected right back into the patient's compromised joint minutes later. This reapplication of stem cells catalyzes the healing process.

The use of stem cells takes about an hour and a half. The best part is it involves minimal comfort and produces few side effects for the vast majority of patients. The stem cells are taken from the patient himself in order to decrease the odds of rejection. This method of treatment has proven quite effective, helping patients enjoy a substantial improvement in joint health in as little as one month.

Stem Cells: The Darling of Regenerative Medicine

The medical community is quickly determining stem cells enhance the healing process better than other treatments. The predecessor was platelet-rich plasma for the treatment of OA and joint damage. This method debuted nearly a decade ago. Stem cell therapy launched in 2012 and has proven incredibly effective. Stem cells are highly specialized cells that can replicate themselves and potentially differentiate into different cell types for varying functions within the body.

Though there are numerous different stem cell types, those that help promote ligament, tendon and cartilage healing are referred to as mesenchymal stem cells. The human body has a substantial amount of these cells available to repair damaged tissues. Though there is minimal evidence that adding a concentration of such cells can replace joint cartilage that has been lost, they serve as important signaling cells that promote the transmission of proteins like cytokines. These are molecular harbingers that mitigate cartilage degeneration and control pain.

Advancements in stem cells might eventually make it theoptimal means of repair for cartilage cells. Such cells aredamaged due to everyday wear and tear, sports participation, obesity, andgenetics. As of now, stem cells have proven quite effective in reducing the stiffness and pain tied to OA. It is an excellent alternative to total joint replacement surgery and pain relievers.

The FDA's Take on Stem Cells

Certain medical professionals consider stem cells to be an experimental treatment. The FDA is now attempting to determine how the number of stem cell therapies should be regulated. Unfortunately, many types of insurance do not cover stem cell treatments. Stay tuned for more developments.

Excerpt from:
Healing Osteoarthritis with Stem Cells - Anti Aging News

Solar eclipse safety

SOUTHERN COLORADO, Colo. - In a little less than three weeks, the moon will cross in front of the sun, creating a total solar eclipse. While it's a sight to behold, you need to do so safely.

Millions are gearing up to see the total solar eclipse across the country. The astronomical feat happens when the sun, moon and Earth align completely. The moon's shadow falls on the earth's surface. However, only select cities across the U.S. will be the path of totality. Along this line, the stars will come out in the middle of the day.

Right here in Colorado, we'll only experience 90 percent of the eclipse. While it will be impressive, it won't be quite as life-changing as experiencing the event along the path of totality which sits to our north. If you plan on participating in the event, just remember to use ISO certified eye glasses to protect your eyesight. Never look into the sun without protection.

"When it does that, it can cause irreversible vision damage like loss of visual acuity or spots in your vision that don't go away, said optometrist Dr. Lindsay Sallecchai.

Dr. Sallecchai says it's not enough to just use your eclipse glasses, peer through the lens and call it good. In fact, your telescope or camera intensifies the sun's power, damaging your glasses and damaging your eyes as a result.

"Just because there's an eclipse doesn't mean the sun lessens in power. It's still the sun, "said Keith Barger. "It can damage your eye and even damage cameras if they're not protected."

Barger from the Space Foundation showed us how to use special filters for your telescope.

You can also put a piece of cardboard around the lens and cast a shadow onto a white sheet of paper to view the moon passing in front of the sun.

Don't forget, you can also attach your camera to the telescope to capture the phenomenon. As long as you have the filter over the telescope, you're good to go.

If you don't have the right filters for your telescope or the certified eclipse glasses, there's still another method for viewing the eclipse safely. Put a thumbtack in the middle of a paper plate. Hold it up to the sun, and cast a shadow onto a white piece of paper.

Buyers beware! Some vendors are selling counterfeit eclipse glasses that aren't certified. To find a list of approved vendors, head to our main webpage and click under the hot button.

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Solar eclipse eye safety - KRDO

Spenser Heaps, Deseret News

Dr. Jeff Pettey, associate professor of ophthalmology, speaks about the risks of viewing the upcoming solar eclipse without proper eye protection at the John A. Moran Eye Center in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, Aug. 2, 2017.

SALT LAKE CITY Dr. Jeff Pettey suggests there is an easy way for every person to determine whether their eye gear provides enough protection for viewing a solar eclipse.

"You know you have a good pair of solar eclipse glasses if you can't see anything except for if you look at the sun," Pettey, an ophthalmologist and a professor at the University of Utah, told reporters Wednesday at the John A. Moran Eye Center.

The unyielding light resistance of lenses made specifically for an eclipse only allowing in about one-millionth of the sun's rays have recently made for some amusing online reviews of those products filled with angry complaints about not being able to see, Pettey said with a wry smile.

"Unfortunately, they didn't take a moment to actually look at the sun," he cracked.

As extreme as its design is, Pettey said that eyewear as opposed to ineffective binoculars, dark sunglasses or "even five pairs of dark sunglasses" is precisely what will be needed to adequately protect the eyes of any person hoping to witness the highly anticipated solar eclipse sweeping across the continental United States on Aug. 21.

Otherwise, he said, looking directly at the sun for even as long as a few seconds can wreak havoc on a tiny part of the eye called the fovea, close to the center of the retina, that is critical for sharp vision in the midpoint of a person's gaze.

"If you damage that part of your eye, you would lose your ability to recognize faces and even your ability to recognize fine print," said Pettey, who is also director of education for the Moran Eye Center, chief of ophthalmology at Salt Lake's Veteran Affairs hospital and an official Utah Jazz team doctor. "That is the part of the eye we're worried about."

Other ways to check on eyewear suitability for a solar eclipse are looking for the International Organization for Standardization certification on the inside of the glasses and checking online to ensure the vendor is considered reputable within its particular industry.

Nina Waters, a Moran Eye Center patient, injured her left eye 18 years ago while viewing a solar eclipse in her native Russia, when she was convinced that looking through a piece of a colored glass bottle would protect her eyes.

"Somebody told me 'this is actually safe to use,' and I believed this person," recalled Waters, who now lives in Salt Lake City.

Later, she said, she had a sensation that "felt like a bee sting in my eye," but didn't know her vision would be damaged long term. Soon after, Waters forgot about it, but her vision eventually became worse and worse, until at an eye doctor appointment in the United States "years and years" after the eclipse, she learned she had a burn from the sun in her eye.

"Then I realized it (came) from that time," Waters said.

Surgery has since helped Waters overcome her sight problems to an extent, but to this day she regrets her lack of caution.

"I wish I would've never looked at the sun," she lamented.

A person whose eyes are damaged from viewing a solar eclipse may not notice any symptoms for even a few days, Pettey said. Multiple symptoms are similar to that of macular degeneration, he said.

One potential symptom is the persistent existence of a sight-blocking spot "right in the center of our vision," Pettey explained. The damage can be permanent in some cases.

Pettey said the Moran Eye Center doesn't want to discourage Utahns from viewing the eclipse, which is the first total eclipse across the continental United States since 1918. But the eye center does want to ensure people don't harm their eyes. Beginning Friday at 8:30 a.m., 1,000 free pairs of eclipse glasses will be handed out at nine Moran locations, said Elizabeth Neff, the center's spokeswoman.

Neff said glasses will be available until 5 p.m. or supplies run out in three Salt Lake City locations, as well as in Farmington, Park City, Murray, South Jordan, Riverton and Orem. There is a limit of two pairs per family.

Moran Eye Center will also sell several hundred pairs next week for $1.50 each without a per family limit, she said.

Pettey said people's curiosity about the eclipse is understandable and should be encouraged, adding that it could turn out to be "the most tweeted about event perhaps in history."

"We should take advantage of the event. ... We should all be able to look at the sun as long we have our solar eclipse glasses," Pettey said.

Still, ever conscious of her previous experience, Waters doesn't plan to take any chances. "I'm scared," she admits.

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Eye center warns against viewing eclipse without special glasses - Deseret News

Cases of blindness could treble by 2050, scientists believe.

New research from Anglia Ruskin University suggests by the middle of the century 115 million people worldwide could be blind, compared to 36 million people in 2015.

Vision impairment as a result of ageing is said to be one of the main contributors to rising eye-sight problems in our growing elderly populations.

Researchers said action was need on a global, regional and country level to slow the acceleration of vision impairment.

The study, led by Professor Rupert Bourne and funded by the Brien Holden Vision Institute, analysed the prevalence of blindness and vision impairment in 188 countries between 1990 and 2015.

Its findings revealed that 2.05 per cent of men and 2.79 per cent of women in the UK have moderate to severe eye sight problems, with 0.16 percent and 0.23 percent respectively being blind.

These Kodi add-ons are still working

Researchers estimated that as ageing populations expand, prevalence rates could see an upturn by 2020.

They predict further increases in the number of cases by 2050 if treatment is not improved with almost 115 million cases of blindness and 588 million people with moderate to severe vision impairment.

Professor Bourne, of Anglia Ruskins Vision and Eye Research Unit, said: "Even mild visual impairment can significantly impact a persons life, for example reducing their independence in many countries as it often means people are barred from driving, as well as reducing educational and economic opportunities.

ITV is looking for people with stammers to take part in documentary

"With the number of people with vision impairment accelerating, we must take action to increase our current treatment efforts at global, regional and country levels.

"Investing in these treatments has previously reaped considerable benefits, including improved quality of life, and economic benefits as people remain in work.

"Interventions for vision impairment provide some of the largest returns on investment, and are some of the most easily implemented interventions in developing regions because they are cheap, require little infrastructure and countries recover their costs as people enter back into the workforce.

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Number of blind people to TRIPLE by 2050 due to ageing population - Cambridge News

THE longtime friend of a man who was airlifted after being shot in the eye has raised 1,150 for the Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS).

Brian Cook, 64, arranged a charity clay pigeon shoot on the top of Carlton Bank in the North York Moors, on behalf of his friend Jim Harding, 63.

In October 2014, Mr Harding was working on a shoot on the Danby Estate in North Yorkshire, which has been his job for more than 30 years.

The incident happened when firing started before father-of-one Mr Harding had put on his safety glasses. One of the pellets that was fired hit him in the left eye which severed the optic nerve and damaged his vision, causing him to lose his sight in that eye.

Mr Harding, from Whitby, said: A gentlemen shot in my direction, and when I heard the shot, I wondered what was that? and then I turned round and another shot was fired and I could see it coming towards me before it hit me in the eye. It happened in an instant, and felt like when you get something caught in your eye."

I was situated two miles from the road, so this is just one example of why we need air ambulances. If we didnt have them, a lot of people probably wouldnt get to hospital in time. After ringing 999, GNAAS came in straight away and I was flown to James Cook Hospital.

Despite everyones best efforts, Mr Harding lost the sight in one eye. But he still wanted to thank GNAAS for their service, so him and his son Sam Harding, 38, asked Mr Cook to help them arrange a clay pigeon shoot to raise money for the charity.

Mr Cook, 64, said: Ive organised clay pigeon shoots in the past, so when Jim and Sam asked if I would put one together for GNAAS I obviously said yes.

My daughter has been airlifted twice after being in horse riding accidents, and its surprising how many of her riding friends have also fell and required the assistance of GNAAS.

I really appreciate the service the air ambulance provides as you never know when you are going to need it.

The clay pigeon shoot was held alongside a BBQ and a raffle, and the organisers said the event was a huge success. Plans are now being put in place to hold it annually, with the winner of each shoot getting their name put on a trophy shield.

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Benefit shoot for air ambulance after man lost an eye - The Press, York

SALEM, Ore. - With many children struggling early in their school years due to undiagnosed vision issues, a simple investment can make a world of difference for thousands of Oregon's young people.

Oregon Senate Bill 187 -- which was unanimously approved and passed by both the Oregon House and Senate and was signed into law today by Governor Kate Brown -- helps to address that issue by allocating $1 million to cover vision screenings for students in public school districts and preschools statewide.

"Nothing in a child's life is as important as good vision. It is the key to academic success, socialization and full participation in learning, creativity and thinking. Senators spoke with one voice regarding the importance of universal vision screening with the passage of SB 187," said Senate Republican Leader Ted Ferrioli, of John Day.

"We know 25% of children have undiagnosed vision problems significant enough to affect their performance in school. SB 187 helps provide treatment which can dramatically improve student achievements and graduation rates. This bill will assist in ensuring students have the tools they need to learn and succeed," said Rep. Greg Smith, of Heppner.

The new law establishes the Vision Health Account and directs the Oregon Department of Education to reimburse public schools and preschool programs for costs associated with vision screening for students.

It also allows the Oregon Department of Education to designate non-profit providers to administer the screenings and adopt administrative rules for prioritizing grants if reimbursement requests exceed the allotted amount. Gifts and outside grants can be used to supplement the account, which will include $1 million in state funding.

Vision is critical to a child's ability to learn, as 80 percent of all learning during a child's first 12 years comes through vision, according to written testimony submitted by the Oregon Optometric Physicians Association during the committee process.

That same document adds that 25 percent of school-age children have vision problems, and 60 percent of students identified as problem learners have undetected vision problems. The picture gets more bleak, according to the report, when vision problems go undiagnosed, as 70 percent of juvenile offenders have undiagnosed vision problems.

Doug Thompson, executive director of the Oregon Lions Sight & Hearing Foundation, who requested the bill, said: "The passage of this law will ensure that more Oregon students that need them will get eye exams and new eyeglasses, they will see better and read at grade level, and they will be more likely to succeed in school and graduate from high school. This is a real win for Oregon's children!"

The new law takes effect immediately.

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Oregon lawmakers invest in vision screening for students - KTVZ

Don Wolford holds the vision screening device at the County Fair

The Custer County Fair was full of exciting events and organizations this past week, including the Broken Bow Lions Club who brought its Spot Vision Screener to offer free vision screening. The screenings provide digital readings of the eyes with immediate results.

The screening is as simple as having your picture taken and is 85-90% accurate in detecting vision problems. The machine can detect problems such as corneal irregularities, farsightedness, and nearsightedness. There are 20 of these machines across the state of Nebraska. Broken Bow Lions Club treasurer Don Wolford said these screenings are possible thanks to grants received from the Lions Club International Foundation and the Nebraska Lions Foundation.

Now we have this sight machine here in Broken Bow and we wanted to bring it out to the fair and have people have their eyes checked because it doesnt take but just a few minutes, as youve seen, Wolford said.

Wolford said the organization aims to end preventable blindness for anyone who needs to take that first step in getting their eyes checked, especially kidswho can be tested as young as six months old.

If kids get past seven years of age, a lot of times you cannot correct the problem. You doctor it forever, but you cant correct the problem. If you get it early enough, a lot of times you can catch it and take care of it, Wolford said.

The free screening is not meant to replace regular eye doctor appointments as not all problems (such as glaucoma) can be detected using the Spot Vision Screener.

Anyone interested in learning more about the Lions Club and free vision screening should contact a Lions Club member such as Wolford at 308-870-2426 or Tarin Burrows at 308-870-1321.

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Lions Club Offers Free Vision Screening - Sand Hills Express

The experts at the science center say you've got to be careful with an eclipse.

Doyle Rice, USA TODAY , KING 6:47 AM. CDT August 01, 2017

Carbondale, Ill., the home of Southern Illinois University, is promoting itself as the "Eclipse Crossroads of America." (Photo: Carbondale Tourism)

Millions of Americans will flock outside Aug. 21 to gaze upward as the "Great American Eclipse" crosses the country. And they will all need eye protection.

That's because it's never safe to view the sun with the naked eye. The suns surface is so bright that if you stare at any portion of it, no matter how small, it produces enough light to permanently damage your retina.

Related:Solar lens needed for eclipse photography

Length of time doesn't matter either. Without proper eye protection, you can suffer eclipse blindness a serious injury in which the eyes retina is damaged by solar radiation within seconds of starring at the sun, according to the American Optometric Association.

Most victims eventually recover their eyesight, but some suffer permanent loss of some or all of their vision.

Solar filters, special eclipse glasses or welder's goggles must be used to view the partial eclipse. Experts suggests that one widely available filter for safe solar viewing is number 14 welder's glass.

WATCH:Prepare for the Solar Eclipse at the Planetarium's new exhibit

A partial eclipse will be visible everywhere across the nation as well as in the hours before and after a far shorter total eclipse, which will only be visible for 2-3 minutes along a 67-mile wide path from Oregon to South Carolina.

It is not safe to look at the uneclipsed or partially eclipsed sun through regular sunglasses, unfiltered telescopes or magnifiers or cameras, polarizing filters, CDs/DVDs or space blankets.

The only time it's ever safe to look at the sun is during a total eclipse, when the sun is completely behind the moon. However, holding binoculars or any other device while you're wearing your eclipse glasses or other eye protection can still cause injury because the concentrated solar rays damage the solar filter and enter your eye.

Talking Tech: Tips for capturing the solar eclipse

When the moon completely blocks the suns bright face for 2 or 3 minutes during the total eclipse, the otherwise hidden solar corona the suns outer atmosphere will become visible. Bright stars and planets will become visible as well.

"But you've got to be careful," said optometrist Myron Wasiuta. "Just before it's over, you'll see beads of light starting to form on the trailing edge. That's the sign that you need to avert your eyes. The sun can be bright enough to cause retinal damage."

USA Today

If you buy eclipse glasses, be sure that they are made by one of the five companies the American Astronomical Society has certified as safe for use. The companies are American Paper Optics, the Baader Planetarium (in Germany), Rainbow Symphony, Thousand Oaks Optical, and TSE 17.

American Paper Optics of Bartlett, Tenn., hoped to produce 100 million pairs of glasses, president John Jerit said last month, but may fall short of that goal. The company usually employs about 35 people but nearly 80 work there now.

Another tried-and-true method is with an old-school, home-made pinhole camera. Here's how to make one:

2017 USATODAY.COM

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'Eclipse blindness' is a real thing. Here's how to watch the solar eclipse safely - KSDK

Our vision is just one of those things we take for granted, until that awful moment when we start to realize it isnt as good as it used to be. The human eye is an amazingly intricate and beautiful organ, culminating millions of years of evolution to provide something that can sense tiny variations in light and project them to the brain as real-time ultra-HD images. No fancy-schmancy TV could ever hope to compete with that!

But with something so intricate and delicately balanced, theres a lot that can go wrong. Depending on a combination of your genetics and the environment you live in, your vision could begin to decline at any point in your life. After that, its regular trips to the optician and countless pairs of prescription glasses or contact lenses. Something youd definitely want to avoid, if you could.

But what if there was a way to give your eyes a much-needed vacation and improve your vision in the process? While many optometrists would scoff at the idea of simple, natural remedies for improving eyesight and halting the decline of your vision, others would disagree. Theres plenty of people out there that can attest, first hand, to the vision-supporting powers of simple daily eye-friendly routines. Heres a selection of the more popular eyesight remedies.

Ayurvedic practitioners place great faith in Triphala churna, the powdered form of a medicinal herb used for millennia in India and parts of Asia. In the literature, Triphala shows considerable promise as a general-purpose therapeutic herb, possessing antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antibacterial and anticarcinogenic properties.

Considering its many therapeutic abilities, its perhaps no wonder that Ayurvedic practitioners often recommend a Triphala eyewash, otherwise known as a tridoshic eyewash. Rather than washing out clogged or tired eyes with straight water, soak your Triphala churna overnight in a bowl with filtered water. In the morning, strain the liquid through a cheesecloth to remove any solids, then gently wash your eyes with it. This can be repeated twice a day to help relieve stress and tension in the eyes.

The history of using eye exercises for improving vision and ocular health is a long and controversial one. As early as the 1940s, eye exercises were being studied by researchers and employed by cutting-edge optometrists to correct visual impairments. This 1944 study, for example, explains how repetition is a fundamental law of biology, implying that by repeatedly performing structured eye exercises the eye can learn to improve its vision and maintain a health musculature. Jumping forward to the 1970s, scientists were still interested in this fringe practice, with many stating that eye exercises were an effective way to improve reading performance.

Today, the controversy continues, with some studies showing positive effects of these exercises on ocular motility disorders, learning disabilities, visual field defects and more. Others, however, have been unable to find any significant improvements from the practice.

To me, eye exercises do make a lot of sense. Eyes use an intricate network of muscles and nerves to expand, contract and move around within their sockets, so why wouldnt a series of carefully controlled exercises help to improve their mobility and help them stay on top of their game? This is especially true when you think about how much time we spend staring at the same spot all day at computers, books, TVs or at the road in front of us.

If youre keen to try out eye exercises for better vision, heres a few basic starting points.

Theres plenty of other eye exercise techniques that, based on anecdotal evidence at least, are a great way to improve your vision. My personal favorite is simply looking out the window at least every 20 minutes, especially if Im sitting in front of a computer. This forces the eyes to re-focus and helps alleviate pent-up tension from looking at one spot too long.

While the above remedies are certainly effective ways to ensure better vision, easily the most important thing youll ever do for your eyes is to eat nutrient-dense foods.

Getting a wide range of colorful fruits and veggies, with a particular emphasis on dark leafy greens and a good mix of herbs and spices, will provide the nutritional foundation for great eye health. Youve probably also heard your mom say that carrots help you see in the dark it turns out this old wives tale is actually not too far off the mark! Beta carotene, the antioxidant that gives carrots and other orange vegetables their color, is an important nutrient for supporting good vision and healthy eyes.

Next, getting plenty of saturated fats from sources like cold-pressed coconut oil, grass-fed butter and avocados is important for maintaining healthy eyes and reducing the detrimental effect of aging. Finally, ensuring that you get lots of omega-3 fatty acids every day is vitally important to maintaining good vision. Foods high in omega-3s include cold water fatty fish like wild salmon and sardines, and of course fermented cod liver oil.

Liivi Hess

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Soak Your Eyeballs In This For Better Vision - The Alternative Daily (blog)

Although The Jerusalem Posts reporter is seated right next to him, Abbass Abbass cannot tell his skin color, eye color or hair color. Suffering from birth from a debilitating disease of the retina he recognizes people only from their voices.

The condition is steadily getting worse. It is like tunnel vision and all the time the tunnel becomes narrower. My angle of vision disappeared. At night I cant see at all. I have to walk with someone. Even during the day time I can see less than half a meter ahead so I have to walk with someone.

Yet Abbass, 41, the director of the Nazareth-based al-Manarah Association for Arab Persons with Disabilities in Israel is decidedly one of the more upbeat persons in Israel and for that matter, the entire Middle East. He gushes with enthusiasm, especially when talking about al-Manarahs flagship project, the worlds only online library of audio books in the Arabic language.

We are hoping to translate David Grossmans When a Horse Goes into a Bar into Arabic and add it to the collection, he says. This is no idle boast since last year al-Manarah translated Amos Ozs short story collection Between Friends into Arabic and recorded it.

Now, visually impaired people throughout the Arab world can listen to it and the other 4,500 titles of the library, 95% of which are in Arabic, either through the Internet http://www.Arabcast.org or on their cellphones with an app that al-Manarah created, Arabcast.

With its slogan Close Your Eyes and Read, the library has over 50,000 unique users who access it on a daily or weekly basis. The service is free but to gain access one must furnish al-Manarah (Arabic for lighthouse) with proof of being print disabled.

Topics range from childrens books, to health education to novels and the readers come from Israel, Libya, Egypt, Gaza, Saudi Arabia and the US among other places. MK Michal Rozin (Meretz) read a childrens story in Hebrew for the library and Oz read from his latest work Judas.

Al-Manarah has a studio on site and some of the readers have home studios. Our dream is to have readers from all over the Arab world, Abbass says. He also says he dreams of President Reuven Rivlin recording a childrens story.

A picture of Helen Keller graces the al-Manarah offices and Abbass likes to quote from her that Life is either a daring adventure or nothing. His journey to establishing al-Manarah in 2005 was laced with painful experiences from his visual impairment but also achievements from being smart and motivated.

The attitude of Arab society is that people with disabilities are marginalized, the attitude is so negative generally that they dont receive the basic opportunity to be included in education in the best way and social life.

His father, a lawyer, and his mother were always supportive and he was able to excel in his studies. But he still sighs as he recalls what he went through after completing high school and going for an eye exam in Nazareth in order to be eligible for a blindness certificate.

The ophthalmologist told me my eyesight was very low and asked me what my plans are for the future. I said I got the highest grades in my class and I want to go to the Hebrew University law school. He said you cant see half a meter. People like you have to stay in a warm corner of the house and listen to the radio. My mother was crying outside the clinic and I said Mom, I promise that one day youll be so proud of your son.

This is the story of millions of people especially in Arab countries being judged without the opportunity to express themselves, he says.

It was another bitter experience, after he had earned a masters in law from the Hebrew University in 2004, that helped push him to found al-Manarah. He applied for a job as a human rights researcher at an NGO and initially received an enthusiastic response. But when he showed up for the interview and the recruiter saw he was visually impaired, he was told that the schedule is so tough and cant suit a person like you.

Abbass explained that this was a turning point. I said to myself If I am not for myself who will be for me? I thought no one is taking action so I have to. I decided to go back to my hometown and establish al-Manarah.

In Abbasss view Arab citizens of Israel with disabilities are doubly discriminated against.

Our own community is paternalistic and we are part of an Arab minority that is discriminated against. The main discrimination is in resources. While Haifa, Jerusalem and Raanana have centers for independent living for people with disabilities, Nazareth does not, he notes.

He says accessibility is poor in Arab towns and villages not only because they have smaller budgets than Jewish towns but also because the municipalities themselves do not prioritize this. He adds that the government must create more opportunities in the labor market for Arabs with disabilities and cites statistics indicating that only 10% of Israeli Arabs with disabilities are employed, compared to 52% for Israeli Jews.

As part of its outreach, al-Manarah facilitates workshops in schools so that pupils will have a positive attitude to people with disabilities. The message of the workshops, which are facilitated by people with disabilities, is that yes, there are differences between persons with disabilities and others but what they have in common is more than what they dont have in common. Both want to develop, to learn, to be included in the labor market, to have families. The message is of accepting the other, including the other.

Al-Manarahs funding comes from US-based philanthropic foundations, Arab and Jewish businesses and the Ministries of Culture and Social Services and the National Insurance Institute. Amos Oz said al-Manarah does work that is sacred. They spread literature and culture to people with disabilities. Of Abbass, he says: I consider him a friend and esteem him. Hes an idealist, very dedicated, a lover of peace and a lover of culture.

Culture Minister Miri Regev recently reduced al-Manarahs funding, but Likud MK Anat Berko is trying to reverse that decision. I decided to help them, she said.

They have a genuine desire to help people with disabilities and this is worthy of support. It doesnt matter if its in Hebrew or Arabic or any other language. Abbass Abbass impresses me as coming from a good place. He shows a lot of goodwill to help people with disabilities coming from the difficulties he himself experienced and was able to bridge, Berko explained.

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In Nazareth, blind man's vision gives boost to region's visually impaired - The Jerusalem Post