Monthly Archives: August 2017

TAT holds global medical tourism event: "Amazing Thailand Health and Wellness Tourism Showcase 2017," focusing … – Markets Insider

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BANGKOK, Aug. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Mr. NoppadonPakprot, Deputy Governorfor Tourism Products and Business,Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) presided over the Amazing Thailand Health and Wellness Tourism Showcase 2017 yesterday, which unveiled the latest "Functional & Regenerative Medicine" innovation in Thailand.

Mr. NoppadonPakprot, Deputy Governorfor Tourism Products and Business at TAT said, "Thailand has long been recognized as a world destination for medical tourism. According to a report by VISA and Oxford Economics, Thailand has once more been confirmed as one of Asia's top medical tourism destinations. Thailand now has 58 JCI-accredited hospitals, more than any other Southeast Asian country."

The Amazing Thailand Health and Wellness Tourism Showcase 2017, under the concept "Thailand: a Paradise for Longevity", showcased Thailand as a destination for longevity products and services.

Thailand has adopted the latest innovative medicine of the century: "Functional & Regenerative Medicine," the most popular health trend in the world. In fact, Thailand is the first and only country in Asia that has specialized Functional & Regenerative Medicine hospitals, namely Better Being Hospital and MALI hospital

Moreover, Thailand has become an anti-aging center in Asia with the largest number of American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine-certified medical professionals in Asia with 500 doctors.

"Recently, the government implemented new medical tourism policies extending the visitor stay period to 90 days for members of CLMV countries andTaiwan in order to accommodate medical tourists traveling to Thailand. In addition, the long-stay visa has also been extended to 10 years for 14 countries as follow: Japan, Australia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, UK, Canada and the U.S. These two recent policies should further enhance the positioning of Thailand to be a world-class medical tourism hub recognized the world over."

Mr. Noppadonnoted: "This is the 4th such event that TAT has organized, and this year we proudly present the top 44 Health and Wellness providers in Thailand. This event will display the potential of Thailand along with its plethora of health and wellness products to international awareness. It will also provide a marketing platform for Thai health and wellness providers to discuss prospective business deals with medical tourism facilitators and travel agencies from across the globe."

The one-day event highlighted why Thailand is a "Paradise for Longevity", along with holding an informative presentation on the concept of "Functional & Regenerative Medicine. In the afternoon, buyers had the chance to discuss business deals with the top 44 health and wellness providers in Thailand, including: General Hospital, Plastic Surgery Hospital, Regenerative Functional Medicine Hospital, Anti-Aging Clinic, Cosmetic & Aesthetic Clinic, Dental Clinic, Cell Therapy Clinic, and Lab Check Up, all of whom were ready to discuss prospective business deals with international buyers.

Mr. NoppadonPakprot concluded as follows: "We hope that this event will further strengthen the awareness of Thailand as the premier destination for health and wellness tourism, and that the trade event would help generate more than 500 million Baht to the Thai economy."

Ms. Jittima Udayachalerm, Director, Royal Orchid Plus Business Unit said, "Royal Orchid Plus is delighted to be part of this global medical tourism event at this time. We've created exciting marketing activities to support this project. "We've organized a special event, inviting Royal Orchid Plus Platinum and Gold members to come and get health check-ups for free, and also given them the chance to meet and buy special packages from the hospitals and clinics at the event. Additionally, we will promote an exclusive health and wellness deal to Royal Orchid Plus members through our online channels, including email, social media, and our website."

SOURCE Amazing Thailand Health and Wellness Tourism Showcase 2017

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TAT holds global medical tourism event: "Amazing Thailand Health and Wellness Tourism Showcase 2017," focusing ... - Markets Insider

If You Want to Live a Long Life, Eliminate this 1 Word From Your Vocabulary – Inc.com

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Dr. Shigeaki Hinohara died last month in Tokyo at the age of 105. Over more than a century of life, Hinohara did many things, including laying the groundwork for modern medicine in Japan and the country's reputation for longevity. He published over 150 books after turning 75 and continued to see patients until just a few months before his death.

But one thing he never did, or likely ever even considered, was to retire.

"There is no need to ever retire, but if one must, it should be a lot later than 65," Hinohara said in the Japan Times in 2009.

But don't take the advice of just one centenarian. Science also backs up the notion that we may start to die the moment we give up work or pursuing whatever our purpose or passions may be.

Studies have shown an increase in health problems following retirement and retiring can also be a detriment to your cognitive abilities.

As author Marshall Goldsmith puts it, we all want time to travel and relax, but is that really the key to fulfillment?

"I'm gonna warn you, it gets old," he says. "You need to do something that is gonna make you happy and you need to do something that is meaningful for you and you need to make sure that you do both."

If you're looking forward to retiring, it might be time to consider why. Is it because you're burned out on your current career? Maybe it's time for a change now. Why wait for some arbitrary date in the future to start getting more out of life?

Don't think you can make a living doing whatever it is you're truly passionate about? Have you really tried? Maybe it's time to get that side hustle going now. Again, why wait?

The thing is that life doesn't start when you retire. It's happening all the time, and if you're just looking forward to days of leisure in the future, you're missing it all in the present, which is where we actually live.

What's worse, you may be missing your true calling.

"Until one is 60 years old, it is easy to work for one's family and to achieve one's goals," Hinohara said. "But in our later years, we should strive to contribute to society. Since the age of 65, I have worked as a volunteer. I still put in 18 hours seven days a week and love every minute of it."

Dr. Hinohara's life story suggests that removing the r-word from your vocabulary could help extend your life. There's no guarantee that his approach will mean as long a life for you, but it certainly gives you better odds of a life well-lived.

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If You Want to Live a Long Life, Eliminate this 1 Word From Your Vocabulary - Inc.com

Physicians eager to start practice in Ottawa – The Ottawa Herald

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Greg Mast

The timing was right to add a physician to a local family practice.

Dr. Genna Siemons was looking to begin her practice after recently finishing her residency. Denise McPheron, Ottawa Family Physicians administrator, said the OFP doctors seized an opportunity to corral a young physician.

We were not looking at the time, McPheron said. The doctors had a real good feel for her. We can always use another provider in the office. There is always room for another female.

Siemons officially starts with Ottawa Family Physicians, 1418 S. Main St., Suite 5, on Sept. 1. She said the OFP physicians longevity was impressive.

I like how long everyone has been here, she said. It says a lot about the group when everyone comes and never leaves. It means something is working.

This will be Dr. Siemons first official practice.

I felt like I got great training, Siemons, who spent the past three years finishing her residency at Research Medical Center in Kansas City, Missouri, said. Dr. [Ellen] Sinclair and Dr. [John] Gollier had gone through [the same] residency program.

Family medicine was intriguing to her for several reasons.

I like [building] a relationship with my patients, she said. I like taking care of kids. This way, you get to follow people. There is enough variety. Every day is a little different. You dont have to nail yourself down into one thing. I am excited to meet all the families and patients.

McPheron said the timing of adding a female physician to the practice could not have been better with the recent opening of the urgent care clinic inside Price Chopper, 120 E. 19th St., Ottawa, and the expansion of Ransom Memorial Hospitals emergency room, 1301 S. Main St., Ottawa.

We are seeing a lot of new patients out there [at the clinic], McPheron said. The hope is to get the new patients established with her. Capture those people and keep them here in town.

McPheron said having another female physician also could draw former patients back into the fold.

We are hoping to get more of the female population back, she said. A lot of people are going out of town.

McPheron said OFP is scheduling appointments for Siemons.

We are ready for her to start, McPheron said. Call the office and we will get the schedule going.

Siemons is eager to meet perspective patients, especially mothers expecting babies, she said.

It would be ideal, Siemons said. They say your practice ages with you. I love delivering babies and OBG [Obstetrics and Gynecology] care. I like all of it.

Siemons likes the idea of being in the same group with veteran physicians.

I had no reservations coming down here, she said. We really like the town and the group. We thought it would be a good place to start.

The physician lives in Ottawa with her husband, T.J., who is an architect in Kansas City. Siemons said the lure of small community life drew them to Ottawa.

My husband and I grew up in smaller towns, Siemens said. We wanted to get back to a smaller town. We wanted a place close to Kansas City so he could keep working his job. We ventured out this way. [Ottawa] has a lot of charm...the older houses and buildings and the proximity to Lawrence and Kansas City. You get that smaller town [feel], but not far [from the bigger cities].

DR. CHRISTOPHER KOSTER

Dr. Christopher Koster will make history when he comes to town Nov. 1 as Ottawas first pediatrician.

I am very excited to bring pediatrics to Ottawa, he said Wednesday at the Ottawa Area Chamber of Commerces new educator/health professionals luncheon at Sunflower Elementary, 1325 Falcon Way, Ottawa. I have a fair amount of experience with both outpatient and inpatient care. I am really excited to get the opportunity to help a community that has not had pediatrics before.

Koster grew up in Great Bend and practiced in Lawrence with his father-in-law. He has worked at Lawrence Memorial Hospital for the past few years in pediatrics. Ottawa is similar to his hometown, and that was a big drawing card for him.

This is the size of town I started in and what made me want to do pediatrics, he said. To be getting back to that is exciting for me. It feels like home to me.

Kosters office will be in the Franklin County Office Annex, Suite 3. Koster has connections to Ransom Memorial Hospital. He knew Matt Heyn, RMHs chief executive officer, from Great Bend. Koster said his father, Larry, works in the RMH lab.

It will be fun to work with him again, Koster said. I am really excited about whats happening at Ransom Memorial. There is lots of progress. It will be fun to be a part of that.

Koster cant wait to start taking care of children one-on-one and getting to know their families, he said.

I will take care of children from birth to 18, Koster said. It is managing their healthcare. It is my job to be the medical home for kids. I will take care of everything from ear infections, flu to sports physicals.

He is married with two daughters.

Other new health officials introduced at the luncheon included Heath Wilt, cardiology; Laura Badjalimbe, internal medicine; Leonel Martinez, cardiology; Bob Green, cardiovascular; Leonel Martinez, ear, nose and throat; Sara Cunningham, Ottawa Care Clinic; Lisa Kerley and Lisa McDaniel, advanced practical nurse, Ottawa Family Physicians.

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Physicians eager to start practice in Ottawa - The Ottawa Herald

siRNA Treatment for Brain Cancer Stops Tumor Growth in Mouse Model – Technology Networks

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Early phase Northwestern Medicine research published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences has demonstrated a potential new therapeutic strategy for treating deadly glioblastoma brain tumors.

The strategy involves using lipid polymer-based nanoparticles to deliver molecules to the tumors, where the molecules shut down key cancer drivers called brain tumor-initiating cells (BTICs).

BTICs are malignant brain tumor populations that underlie the therapy resistance, recurrence and unstoppable invasion commonly encountered by glioblastoma patients after the standard treatment regimen of surgical resection, radiation and chemotherapy, explained the studys first author, Dou Yu, MD, PhD, research assistant professor of Neurological Surgery.

Using mouse models of brain tumors implanted with BTICs derived from human patients, the scientists injected nanoparticles containing small interfering RNA (siRNA) short sequences of RNA molecules that reduce the expression of specific cancer-promoting proteins directly into the tumor. In the new study, the strategy stopped tumor growth and extended survival when the therapy was administered continuously through an implanted drug infusion pump.

This major progress, although still at a conceptual stage, underscores a new direction in the pursuit of a cure for one of the most devastating medical conditions known to mankind, said Yu, who collaborated on the research with principal investigator Maciej Lesniak, MD, Michael J. Marchese Professor of Neurosurgery and chair of the Department of Neurological Surgery.

Glioblastoma is particularly difficult to treat because its genetic makeup varies from patient to patient. This new therapeutic approach would make it possible to deliver siRNAs to target multiple cancer-causing gene products simultaneously in a particular patients tumor.

In this study, the scientists tested siRNAs that target four transcription factors highly expressed in many glioblastoma tissues but not all. The therapy worked against classes of glioblastoma BTICs with high levels of those transcription factors, while other classes of the cancer did not respond.

This paints a picture for personalized glioblastoma therapy regimens based on tumor profiling, Yu said. Customized nanomedicine could target the unique genetic signatures in any specific patient and potentially lead to greater therapeutic benefits.

The strategy could also apply to other medical conditions related to the central nervous system not just brain tumors.

Degenerative neurological diseases or even psychiatric conditions could potentially be the therapeutic candidates for this multiplexed delivery platform, Yu said.

Before scientists can translate this proof-of-concept research to humans, they will need to continue refining the nanomedicine platform and evaluating its long-term safety. Still, the findings from this new research provide insight for further investigation.

Nanomedicine provides a unique opportunity to advance a therapeutic strategy for a disease without a cure. By effectively targeting brain tumor-initiating stem cells responsible for cancer recurrence, this approach opens up novel translational approaches to malignant brain cancer, Lesniak summed up.

This article has been republished frommaterialsprovided by Northwestern University. Note: material may have been edited for length and content. For further information, please contact the cited source.

Reference

Dou Yu, Omar F. Khan, Mario L. Suv, Biqin Dong, Wojciech K. Panek, Ting Xiao, Meijing Wu, Yu Han, Atique U. Ahmed, Irina V. Balyasnikova, Hao F. Zhang, Cheng Sun, Robert Langer, Daniel G. Anderson, Maciej S. Lesniak. Multiplexed RNAi therapy against brain tumor-initiating cells via lipopolymeric nanoparticle infusion delays glioblastoma progression. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2017; 201701911 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1701911114

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siRNA Treatment for Brain Cancer Stops Tumor Growth in Mouse Model - Technology Networks

This Instagram Nutrition Blogger Is Busting Myths About Healthy and Unhealthy Foods – Men's Health

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"Although Im fully aware that a handful of almonds contains lots of wonderful nutrients that would keep me fuller for longer, some days (no matter whether Im looking to gain, maintain or lose weight) Ill choose to eat sweets or a chocolate bar as a snack," she writes in the caption. "Why? Because when the majority of my diet has consisted of well-balanced food thats full of micronutrients, I have no issue eating something that's less so just because I love the taste of it."

Certainly, there's nothing wrong with having the occasional "unhealthy" snack, so long as you avoid eating it in excess, and your diet is balanced out with everyday foods like vegetables, fruit, lean protein, fish, and whole grains. Moderation is key, and it comes from diligently monitoring your intake of those occasional guilty pleasures.

The 12-Minute Kettlebell Calorie Burner:

But even when you're eating what you feel is a healthy meal, calories can still arrive from unexpected sources. Here's one comparison from Mountain that may surprise you.

The two plates look exactly the same, don't they? That's because they nearly are.

"The only differences are the percentage of fat in the meat and the oil used to cook it," says Mountain. And yet, it accounts for almost 200 extra calories. (Need help understanding the ins and outs of cooking oil? Here are some essential tips to upgrade your diet.)

So, while Mountain's advice shouldn't necessarily be taken as a recommendation for you to sneak in an extra snack, it can help you think more critically about your caloric consumption and its sources. And once you're ready to chow down, outfit your home with these 20 items that will turn your kitchen into a muscle factory.

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This Instagram Nutrition Blogger Is Busting Myths About Healthy and Unhealthy Foods - Men's Health

‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Star Jesse Williams Accused Of Violent Rages By Ex – Daily Beast

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Grey's Anatomy star Jesse Williams has been labelled a rage-fuelled individual with poor parenting skills who maintains a 'revolving door' of women and exposed his children to a terrifying road rage incident in which he threatened to kill a neighbor.

The allegations are contained in explosive court documents obtained by dailymail.com.

The allegations against Williams, 36, come from his ex-wife, Aryn Drake-Lee, 34, who divorced him in April.

The allegations are the latest salvo in a bitter custody battle over their children, aged three and one.

Drake-Lee also claims that the actor has cynically started posting photographs of his children on social media to bolster his brand.

Drake-Lee claimed the road rage incident happened on July 18. Drake-Lee claims that following argument with a neighbor, Williams 'aggressively pursued him in his car with their two children inside and allegedly threatened to kill him.

I was so alarmed that Jesse exposed our children to danger, Drake-Lee says in the filing, in which she is seeking sole custody of the children after their 14-year relationship broke down.

Drake-Lee claims Williams has had a revolving door of intimate partners since the divorce and has made no effort to keep knowledge of his multiple girlfriends from their children.

In previously filed court documents Williams set out to prove he was a doting dad by listing his kid's nicknames and favorite foods.

Drake-Lee is also unhappy that Williams now regularly posts photos of their children on social media to promote an image of himself: Jesse, a story teller by profession, appears to be trying to create some sort of fairytale parenting scenario that does not tell the complete story, the real story of parenting, she says in the filing, according to dailymail.com.

Drake-Lee is asking the court for a full-day mediation session to determine a 'path forward' between her and Williams.

When the former couple's divorce first hit the headlines, it was reported that Williams cheated on Drake-Lee with multiple women while they were married and he's been linked with his one-time co-worker, actress Minka Kelly.

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Williams has denied the cheating claims saying he always 'loved' Drake-Lee during their marriage.

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'Grey's Anatomy' Star Jesse Williams Accused Of Violent Rages By Ex - Daily Beast

Anatomy Lab Live comes to Manchester with dinner, drinks – and a live post-mortem – Manchester Evening News

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An interactive autopsy show which dissects a semi-synthetic human cadaver is coming to Manchester.

Anatomy Lab Live is a touring hands-on post-mortem suite, which serves a sumptuous two-course dinner to guests before the gory procedure begins.

After its UK tour last year the show returns bigger and better in 2018, with a string of dates including a show in the Village Hotel Ashton on January 27.

Those attending will be given mortuary wear including protective surgical hats, masks and aprons as well as scalpels, scissors, forceps and bone saws.

A team of human anatomists, medics and physiologists will accompany host and science teacher Samuel Piri as they carry out a real post-mortem.

The cadaver - known as VIVIT - is the next best thing to a real human cadaver and houses real internal organs from pigs, chosen for their anatomical similarity to humans.

Visitors will also be given a set of case notes to look over before then starting procedures for themselves, which could include a real head and brain sample, the pulmonary system, the gastrointestinal tract, or the heart and greater blood vessels.

There will also be Q&A time as the floor opens for questions from the audience.

According to organisers, this event is a high-level interactive experience for level 4 and above, and the content is aimed at those studying towards graduate professions. However, the wider public is welcome to attend and the event will allocate some anatomy pods especially for those with a general interest.

Tickets for the dinner and dissection are 79 general admission, with discounts available for students. Book online via eventbrite.co.uk .

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Anatomy Lab Live comes to Manchester with dinner, drinks - and a live post-mortem - Manchester Evening News

Patrick Dempsey Has Finally Found the TV Role Worthy of His Grey’s Anatomy Follow-Up – E! Online

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Cindy Ord/Getty Images for SiriusXM

Patrick Dempsey is ready for his TV comeback.

Two years after the actor walked away from Grey's Anatomy, killing off his beloved character Derek Shepherd in the process, Dempsey has signed on for the lead role in the upcoming Epix adaptation of the best-selling novel, The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair. Production on the 10-part event series is underway in Montreal.

In the suspenseful drama, produced by MGM Television, Dempsey will take on the title role of Harry Quebert,a literary icon who suddenly finds himself indicted for murder after the body of a young girl is found buried on his property.

The series takes place in coastal Maine and focuses on Marcus Goldman (Ben Schnetzer), a successful young novelist who had been mentored by Harry, as visiting his mentor'shome to find a cure for his writer's block as his publisher's deadline looms. Marcus' plans are suddenly upended when Harry is sensationally implicated in the cold-case murder of Nola Kellergan, a fifteen-year-old girl who has been missing for many years.

The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair also stars Happy Endings alum Damon Wayans Jr. asSgt. Perry Gahalowood, a Maine State Police investigator who is investigating the death of Kellergan, and Virginia Madsen as Tamara Quinn,the owner of a local diner who learns of a secret about Quebert.

"Jol Dicker's exquisite thriller, The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair has captivated a worldwide audience with its complicated tale of love and lies. I am thrilled that this first class ensemble cast led by Patrick Dempsey and the incomparable director Jean-Jacques Annaud, get to bring provocative page-turner to life," said Steve Stark, MGM's President, Television Production & Development.

When Dempsey shocked fans with his sudden departure from the long-running ABC soap that revitalized his career, he noted that he'd likely never sign on for a workload that a broadcast series like Grey's requires from its actors."I would commit to a show that is 10 to 12 episodes.But 24 again, Idon't know if i would do that," he told EW at the time. "It's a very hard life. It's financially rewarding but there comes a point where how much is enough, really?"

Are you looking forward to Dempsey's return to TV? Sound off in the comments below!

The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair will likely debut on Epix in 2018.

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Patrick Dempsey Has Finally Found the TV Role Worthy of His Grey's Anatomy Follow-Up - E! Online

Grey’s Anatomy: What does Shondaland’s move mean for the show’s future? – EW.com

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With Shonda Rhimes now moving Shondaland to Netflix, should fans be worried about the future of Greys Anatomy?

On Sunday, it was announced that Rhimes has signed a multi-year deal with Netflix, moving her production company from ABC to the streamer. Heres the good news: Rhimes move will not affect Greys, Scandal, How to Get Away With Murder, midseason legal entry For the People, or the upcoming Greys Anatomy spin-off. As long as those shows are on the air, they will air on ABC, and Rhimes/Shondaland will still be involved with their production.

But how much life is left in the veteran medical drama, which is heading into its 14th season this fall? ABC chief Channing Dungey had previously expressed hope that Greys would outlive NBCs stalwart medical series ER, which ran for 15 seasons. Thatd be lovely, Dungey told EW in January. Ill take even more! Honestly, I think that the show is going to continue as long as Shonda and the gang have a creative passion for telling those stories. At the moment, it feels like were full steam ahead.

ABC sources say that hope has not changed in the wake of Rhimes move. Shondaland sources, meanwhile, are confident Greys Anatomy will continue to air on ABC for a very long time to come. In other words, Greys Anatomy wont be ending any time soon.

Greys Anatomy will return with a two-hour premiere on Thursday, Sept. 28 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

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Grey's Anatomy: What does Shondaland's move mean for the show's future? - EW.com

Grey’s Anatomy Mega Buzz: Are Maggie and Jackson Actually a Thing? – TV Guide

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Now PlayingGrey's Anatomy Season 14: Who's In, Who's Out (So Far)

Welcome to Mega Buzz, your go-to place for the latest and greatest spoilers on your favorite TV shows. We know you have questions, and we have answers! If you're craving scoop on something in particular, e-mail us your question at mega_scoop@tvguide.com or drop us a line at Twitter.com/TVGuide. You can also catch up on all the latest Mega Buzz right here!

April (Sarah Drew) dropped a truth bomb that everyone but Maggie (Kelly McCreary) saw coming in the Grey's Anatomy Season 13 finale. Jackson (Jesse Williams) has the hots for the head of cardio and she's got the hots for him too. But are they ready to make the leap to coupledom? When the show returns, Maggie still isn't sure how to react to the info that April served up.

"April left Maggie with a lot of questions. Maggie having feelings, Jackson having feelings -- that was something that had literally never crossed Maggie's mind," McCreary told TV Guide. "What [we pick up] with is Maggie trying to find out if that's true or not and beyond that, none of us knows."

Um, then what's up with all the Instagram photos trying to tell fans that #jaggpril (Jackson-Maggie-April) is a real thing? Turns out the cast of Grey's Anatomy has got jokes.

"That's us trolling you. We don't know what's going on. We know how hot and bothered everyone gets about it and we are just having a good time," McCreary said. "We're f---king with you guys."

Don't worry, we didn't let McCreary off that easy. Even if Jackson and Maggie aren't immediately fogging up the on-call room windows, she knows there's potential there and wants to see what's up.

"Those two characters for all of the reasons that people don't want them to be together -- that's what makes good drama," she teased. "Whether they come together in a romantic way or in a strictly platonic way, there's a dynamic there. There's shared family. There's background that is worth exploring for character and story purposes. So yeah, I want to have scenes with him."

Grey's Anatomy returns Thursday, Sept. 28 at 8/7c on ABC.

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Grey's Anatomy Mega Buzz: Are Maggie and Jackson Actually a Thing? - TV Guide

Anatomy of a crisis: The North Korea threat – POLITICO.eu

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July 28, 2017

North Korea tests a ballistic missile experts say could reach the continental United States.

August 5, 2017

The United Nations Security Council unanimously passes sanctions on North Korean exports in response to its missile tests.

The United Nations Security Council just voted 15-0 to sanction North Korea. China and Russia voted with us. Very big financial impact!

Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 5, 2017

August 8, 2017

Trump promises Fire and Fury will meet North Korean threats.

North Korea best not make any more threats to the United States. They will be met with fire and fury like the world has never seen.

August 10, 2017

General Kim Rak Gyom, head of North Koreas strategic missile forces, outlined a plan to fire missiles into the waters around Guam and derided President Trump.

Sound dialogue is not possible with such a guy bereft of reason and only absolute force can work on him.

August 11, 2017

President Trump warns U.S. military is prepared to respond to any North Korean attack.

Military solutions are now fully in place,locked and loaded,should North Korea act unwisely. Hopefully Kim Jong Un will find another path!

Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 11, 2017

August 11, 2017

Guams Joint Information Center releases a fact sheet preparing for an imminent missile threat.

For years, North Korea has had the ability to launch short-range missiles at targets up to 800 miles away. But this year, North Korea successfully tested intermediate-range and intercontinental ballistic missiles. Experts now think the country is capable of hitting targets more than 7,000 miles away, which includes cities in the continental United States.

North Koreas nuclear program has grown under Kim Jong Un, while missile ranges have considerably expanded. Kim conducted 24 missile tests in 2016 and 14 tests already in 2017.

Only 2,100 miles southeast of North Korea, Guam is a strategic target because of its two American military bases Andersen Air Force Base and Naval Base Guam. There are 3,831 U.S. military personnel stationed there in addition to several B-1 bombers and fighter jets.

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Anatomy of a crisis: The North Korea threat - POLITICO.eu

OECS highlights outstanding Grenadian making strides in biotechnology – St. Lucia News Online

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Dr. Dwayne E. Carter,Post Doctoral Researcher, Tissue Applications.

(PRESS RELEASE) A national of Grenada, Dr. Dwayne E. Carter received his formation in the sciences at the Grenada Boys Secondary School and the T. A. Marryshow Community College in his hometown of Saint Georges.

Dwayne would later migrate to the United States to further pursue his passion for medicine and his curiosity to better understand and cure diseases that plague the human race. After years of study, Dwayne completed his doctoral training in cell biology at the University of Texas Medical Branch where he primarily focused on acute alcohol induced liver injury.

In 2016, he joined ORGANOVO Holdings Inc. as a post-doctoral researcher in liver tissue bioengineering with a focus on modeling progressive liver diseases. Throughout his graduate training, Dwayne received numerous awards for meritorious research from national scientific meetings and has two publications in peer reviewed journals.

When asked about the advice that he would give to young persons in the sub region that may be interested in an investigative science career, Dwayne said: This is a long road but the journey is worth it. A tip is to always make goals for yourself and plan strategic ways to achieve those goals.

Also be prepared to fight for what you want! Very few things are handed to you in this world, so brace yourself for times of adversity because you will inevitably be faced with challenges and the way you deal with them determines your success or failure.

At this stage in my life I consider myself a fighter, I look forward to the challenges because Ive learnt that they bring forward my best, he said.

Dr. Carter will be delivering a presentation on Modeling Human Biology, Drug Response and Progressive Liver Disease Using 3D Bioprinted Human Liver Tissue at the Committee Lecture Hall at TSRI, La Jolla, California at 7:00pm today, August 16, 2017.

ABOUT THE PRESENTATION:

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a chronic condition that originates as lipid accumulation within hepatocytes (steatosis) and progresses into nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), characterised by lipid accumulation, inflammation, oxidative stress, and fibrosis. NAFLD is now recognised as the most common cause of chronic liver disease, with a prevalence of 25% worldwide, and is projected to become the leading indication for liver transplant by 2025.

Despite decades of research in rodents and 2D cell cultures, the mechanisms of NAFLD progression, therapeutic approaches and non-invasive diagnostics are still resoundingly absent. Thus, there is a significant need for a more predictive human multicellular 3D in vitro model to study the progression of steatosis into NASH.

Using immune competent ExVive Human Liver Tissue, an in vitro 3D bioprinted liver, Dr. Carter will show preliminary data where the key features of NASH such as steatosis, fibrosis and inflammation will be modeled via nutrient overload followed by inflammatory stimulation using prototypical inducers.

ABOUT THE OECS FEATURE SERIES:

The OECS Feature Series is an initiative that seeks to feature the accomplishments of consummate professionals from OECS Member States making strides within the region and in the Diaspora.

The project highlights one outstanding OECS national per month and aims to inspire the regions youth to think big and open their minds to extraordinary possibilities through the success stories of their OECS peers.

Criteria for nominations include: being a national of an OECS Member State; possessing an academic distinction of the highest order; scientific invention; high political accomplishment (regionally and in the Diaspora); and extraordinary community or national service achieved (regionally and in the Diaspora).

This article was posted in its entirety as received by stlucianewsonline.com.This media house does not correct any spelling or grammatical error within press releases and commentaries.The views expressed therein are not necessarily those of stlucianewsonline.com, its sponsors or advertisers.

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OECS highlights outstanding Grenadian making strides in biotechnology - St. Lucia News Online

Mangaluru: Striding forward in biotechnology – Yenepoya University awarded grant – Daijiworld.com

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Daijiworld Media Network Mangaluru (ANK)

Addressing media persons here on Wednesday August 16 he said, "MultiOMICS is a highly interdisciplinary subject which includes genomics, proteomics, metabolomics and proteogenomics. Yenepoya University is one among the 18 institutions in Karnataka selected for the programme. This is the only centre to offer BiSEP course in multiOMICS technology, as it houses state-of-the-art facilities and scientists who are specialists in cutting edge technologies to undertake such training programmes.

"Centre for systems biology and molecular medicine has an advanced mass spectrometry facility with the latest generation high resolution mass spectrometer, one of the only three available in India. The trainers of this course have extensive experience in the field of OMICS technology and over the years have conducted several workshops and training sessions for researchers. Students trained by the course co-coordinators are placed in biotechnology companies such as Syngene, Thermo, Lupin and Pierian Dx and renowned institutes in countries including USA, Australia, Norway, Isreal and Singapore, he added.

Dr Arun, Dr Keshav Datta and others were present.

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Mangaluru: Striding forward in biotechnology - Yenepoya University awarded grant - Daijiworld.com

Oxford Immunotec value drops after public offering – European Biotechnology

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UK-headquartered immunodiagnostics specialist Oxford Immunotec Global plc's share value slipped by $1.31 to $16.02 after the company raised US-$40.125m on Monday in an public offering of 2.5 million ordinary shares at Nasdaq underwritten by BTIG LLC.

Oxford Immunotec said it will use the proceeds from the offering for working capital and general corporate purposes. The companys immunodiagnostic T-SPOT platform is measures immune cell responses at a single cell level and thus detects immune responses of T cells and cells of the innate immune system more sensitive than ELISA assays. According to the British company, its assays can detect an individual reacting cell in a population of 250,000 white blood cells.

Oxford Immunotecs first product, the T-SPOT.TB test, has been approved for sale in over 50 countries, including the US, the EU, Japan and China. The companys second product line is a range of assays for tick-borne diseases, such as Lyme disease, obtained through the acquisitions of Imugen and Immunetics. The company currently is seeking FDA approval for its third product line, a screening test for Babesia in donated blood. Additionally Oxford Immunotec has several assays, such T-SPOT.CMV test and the T-SPOT.PRT under development.

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Oxford Immunotec value drops after public offering - European Biotechnology

Puma Biotechnology Inc (PBYI) Shares Needle Moving 1.99% – Morgan Research

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Shares ofPuma Biotechnology Inc (PBYI) is moving on volatility today1.99% or 1.60 from the open.TheNASDAQ listed companysaw a recent bid of82.15 on627761 volume.

There are various factors to examine when looking at what spurs growth in the stock market. Many investors will monitor macro-economic factors that influence the price of shares. Some of these factors include the overall condition of the economy and market sentiment. Following the macro factors, investors may employ a top down approach when viewing the equity markets. This may include starting with a sector poised for growth and filtering down to specific stock that meet the investors criteria. Another way to approach the stock market is to view the micro-economic factors that influence stocks. This may include studying company profits, news, and the competence of overall management. Investors will often try to piece together all the different information available in order to select stocks that will have a positive impact on the long-term strength of the portfolio.

Digging deeping into the Puma Biotechnology Inc (PBYI) s technical indicators, we note that the Williams Percent Range or 14 day Williams %R currently sits at -59.16. 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.

Puma Biotechnology Inc (PBYI) currently has a 14-day Commodity Channel Index (CCI) of -34.06. 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.

Currently, the 14-day ADX for Puma Biotechnology Inc (PBYI) is sitting at 40.95. 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.

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, the 14-day RSI for Puma Biotechnology Incis currently at 45.59, the 7-day stands at 47.11, and the 3-day is sitting at 67.10.

Shares ofTiffany & Co (TIF) aremoving on volatility today1.35% or 1.19 from the open.TheNYSE listed companysaw a recent bid of 89.30 and626967shares have traded hands in the session.

Stock analysis typically falls under the two main categories of fundamental and technical. Fundamental analysis involves diving into company financials. Fundamental analysts study how the company is performing in order to determine whether or not the stock is ready to run. With this type of analysis, investors will be looking at balance sheet strength and gauging how much money the company is giving back to shareholders. After crunching all the numbers, investors can use the information to calculate ratios to help determine if the company is properly valued and worth adding to the portfolio. Technical analysis relies on charting historical stock prices in order to define trends and patterns. The buying and selling of stocks using only technical analysis typically removes any concern for how the company is fairing or even what it actually does. Some indicators that technical analysts use can be super simple and others can be highly complex. Many investors will attempt to study both technicals and fundamentals with the goal of gaining greater knowledge of where the stock has been, and where it might be going.

Taking a deeper look into the technical levels ofTiffany & Co (TIF), we can see thatthe Williams Percent Range or 14 day Williams %R currently sits at -75.72. 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.

Tiffany & Co (TIF) currently has a 14-day Commodity Channel Index (CCI) of -111.90. 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, Tiffany & Cos 14-day RSI is currently at 39.93, the 7-day stands at 36.60, and the 3-day is sitting at 42.24.

Currently, the 14-day ADX for Tiffany & Co (TIF) is sitting at 20.66. 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.

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Puma Biotechnology Inc (PBYI) Shares Needle Moving 1.99% - Morgan Research

Tracking Trends in Biotechnology – Markets Insider

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LAS VEGAS, August 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

The healthcare sector is made up of several different industries, from pharmaceuticals to biotechnology to health insurance. Making predictions in this sector can be difficult as there are many variables working with and against each other at one time. It's important to track both negative and positive trends in healthcare companies. Investors who track these trends, make the best out of their predictions.

Certain trends in healthcare an investor should track include: the aging population and their healthcare needs, personalized medicine, the global reach of certain diseases, obesity and diabetes epidemic, and of course, technological advances. All of these trends mean different things in healthcare stock. Biotech companies are working tirelessly to address specific trends in human health, identifying the companies who are working with healthcare trends is key.

Some such companies include: Endonovo Therapeutics, Inc. (OTC: ENDV), Juno Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: JUNO), Eleven Biotherapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: EBIO), Genocea Biosciences, Inc. (NASDAQ: GNCA), and TherapeuticsMD, Inc. (NYSE: TXMD)

Endonovo Therapeutics, Inc. (OTCQB: ENDV)

Market Cap: $7.3M, current share price: .028

ENDV is an innovative biotechnology company implementing a bioelectronic approach to regenerative medicine. They are addressing several healthcare trends with their electroceutical platform, which is a non-invasive, non-implantable device for treating inflammatory conditions in vital organs. Through the innovative research at ENDV, they are addressing most of the major healthcare trends by developing therapies to treat the aging population and addressing obesity and the complications that it entails, such as peripheral artery disease, heart disease, diabetic kidney disease and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Additionally, ENDV is working to address global diseases, kidney disease, and organ failure.

Tracking ENDV and their work in research and development (R&D) is something anyone interested in healthcare or biotech stocks should do. As their research correlates and ebbs and flows with healthcare trends. Some highlights regarding ENDV's R&D are below:

As ENDV moves forward and inches closer to announcing the results of their pre-clinical studies across their diverse technology platform, you'll want to stay up-to-date with their successes.

Other healthcare and biotech companies to review

Juno Therapeutics, Inc. (JUNO)

Market Cap: $3.021B, current share price: 28.30

JUNO, a clinical-stage cell immunotherapy company focused on revolutionizing medicine by re-engaging the body's immune system to treat cancer, has achieved recent milestones with its collaboration with Editas Medicine, Inc. (EDIT) This collaboration began over two years ago, the two companies are pursuing three research programs that aim to combine Editas Medicine's genome editing platform with Juno's CAR and TCR technologies.

Their most recent achievement relates to the improvement in the ability of T cells to overcome the tumor microenvironment. Editas Medicine will receive $2.5 million for achieving this milestone.

Eleven Biotherapeutics, Inc. (EBIO)

Market Cap: $35.2M, current share price: 1.425

EBIO is a late-stage clinical oncology company advancing a broad pipeline of novel product candidates based on its Targeting Protein Therapeutics (TPTs) platform. They announced this week that they'll be hosting a live conference call to announce their Q2 financial results.

This is scheduled for 8:00 a.m. ET on Monday, August 14, 2017. To access the conference call, please dial (844) 831-3025 (domestic) or (315) 625-6887 (international) at least five minutes prior to the start time and refer to conference ID 63779857.

Genocea Biosciences, Inc. (GNCA)

Market Cap: $112.74M, current share price: 3.955

Similarly to JUNO and EDITS collaboration on moving research forward regarding T cells, GNCA's lead candidate is a novel T cell-directed immunotherapy for genital herpes. Today marks a horrible day for GNCA's performance on the stock market. GNCA's shares closed down 7.42% on Thursday with a little over 600,000 shares traded. The company reported second quarter financial results this week and reported a loss of $15.4 million.

On a per share basis, this was a loss of 54 cents while Wall Street was only expecting a loss of 46 cents. Keep a lookout for this stock as its performance is expected to continue to plummet.

TherapeuticsMD, Inc. (TXMD)

Market Cap: $1.15B, current share price: 5.630

TXMD, an innovative women's healthcare company, just received a formal General Advice Letter from the FDA stating that an initial review has been completed and requesting that the Company submit the additional endometrial safety information to the NDA for TX-004HR on or before September 18, 2017.

This is great news for TXMD although they've been ranked negatively in the HealthCare Sector. Investors who seek profit from falling equity prices should target TXMD. Short interest is extremely high for TXMD with more than 20% of shares on loan.

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Tracking Trends in Biotechnology - Markets Insider

Biotechnology, Panacea To Army Worm Maize Infestation – Leadership Newspapers

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By Nkechi Isaac

Maize (also known as corn in some countries) is one of the most common and important food crops across Africa. It is widely eaten in various forms and more than 900 million Africans depend on maize every year because it is often cheaper than rice and wheat, two of the other most consumed cereals.

A report released by the IITA estimates that about 800 million tons of maize is produced worldwide every year.

According to the report, though the United States remains the worlds largest producer with 42 percent of all maize produced globally, Africa contributes significantly in this production with 6.5 percent of this volume which is still insufficient for local consumption.

Nigeria remains Africas largest producer with nearly 8 million tons per annum. It is closely followed by South Africa, Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda.

It was therefore a nightmare when Nigeria like the rest of Africa woke up to the Fall Armyworm (FAW) infestation which was rapidly spreading across the region.

Army worm is very deleterious and like the name suggests it derives its name from its feeding habits, of marching in large numbers from grasslands into crops. They strongly prefer grasses, cereals like maize, and can mercilessly eat the stem of the crop as well as the leaves.

Army worm infestation can be disastrous on the crops. It affects the yield of the crop from the stalk to the stage of maturity and is capable of destroying entire crops in a matter of weeks if it is unchecked.

Like other African countries, Nigeria woke up to a nightmare of recent army worm infestation in the region, leaving farmers worried as the pest, which has grown resistance to chemicals, wreaked havoc on newly cultivated maize farms across the country. This resulted in the severe reduction on the yield recouped by farmers on their maize field.

The Federal Government quickly waded and convened a meeting with commissioners for agriculture from the 36 states in Abuja to find ways of ameliorating the effect of the havoc and contain the infestation.

In his speech, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, said the achievement of self-sufficiency in maize production would continue to be a mirage with the pest infestation.

He said the spread of the maize disease had negatively affected the poultry industry, which largely depends on maize for the production of feeds.

The minister explained that the aim of the meeting was to brainstorm on ways of finding sustainable solutions to the army worm infestation which had ravaged maize farms in the states.

It is the state government that owns lands; so we need to tackle this problem to boost agricultural production, he said.

Ogbeh told the meeting the federal government required N2.98 billion to curb the army worm infestation of farmlands across the country, adding the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) had pledged to support the country in its fight against the army worm infestation.

However, scientists are calling on farmers to embrace biotechnology by using genetically modified crops which have been proven safe for man and the environment to permanently tackle such occurrences.

Speaking during an interview with journalists in Abuja, the country coordinator of Open Forum on Agricultural Biotechnology (OFAB), Nigeria Chapter, Dr Rose Gidado, said genetic modification, also known as genetic engineering, is a technologically advanced way to select desirable traits in crops, pointing out that while selective breeding has existed for thousands of years, modern biotechnology is more efficient and effective because seed developers are able to directly modify the genome of the crop.

The OFAB coordinator said adopting genetic modification technology to develop maize variety resistant to pest provided a lasting solution for army worm infestation, adding genetically engineered (GE) plants are selectively bred and enhanced with genes to withstand common problems that confront farmers which include maize that could survive pesticides/infestation.

Gidado, a deputy director, at the National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA) revealed that a breakthrough recorded by scientists with the development of a maize variety called Water Efficient Maize for Africa (WEMA) which has proven to resist the attacks from army worm infestations provided a lasting solution to the infestation.

She said: The lasting solution to army worm infestation on maize is the use of genetic modification technology to develop a maize variety that would be resistant to the pest, that gives a permanent solution.

She added, There is already a variety of maize called Water Efficient Maize Variety for Africa that has proven to be resistant to army worm, it has not yet been deployed to Nigeria but we are making plans.

The WEMA project is a public-private partnership to develop royalty-free African drought-tolerant white maize varieties, it also increases yield stability, protects and promotes farmers investment in best management practices.

The project which is water conserving and insect protected conventional and transgenic maize, is expected under moderate drought, to increase yields by 20-35 percent over current varieties; it is also expected to translate into additional 2 million MT of maize during drought to feed 14 to 21 million people.

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Biotechnology, Panacea To Army Worm Maize Infestation - Leadership Newspapers

How biotechnology can optimize agriculture in Nigeria – Vanguard … – Vanguard

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By Abdallah el-Kurebe

With the down turn in the global prices of oil, we now have to prospect our solid minerals. We have to return to agriculture, President Buhari to members of the Council of Saudi Arabian Chambers of Commerce and Industry.

According to the United Nations projections, the world population will be 9.8 billion people by 2050 and Nigeria which currently ranks seventh, will become the third most populous, replacing United States. It is currently about 200 million people.HARVEST: Women with baskets of tomatoes harvested from farmlands provided under the Restoring Agricultural Assets of IDPs, Returnees and Vulnerable Host Families in NorthEast Nigeria project, put together by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations; the UN Central Emergency Response Fund and the governments of Ireland, Japan and Belgium.

Since his assumption of office in May 2015, President Muhammadu Buhari has repeated said that the nations economy must be diversified to, especially Agriculture which must cease from being treated as development programme but be treated as business. Our goal will be to pursue government supported private sector agriculture value chain to make agriculture more productive, efficient and competitive.

The drastic fall of oil prices in the international market has directed the thinking of the Buhari administration to diversify the economy to, specifically agriculture and one possible means of doing this is the deployment of biotechnology.

It serves as a tool for sustainable development in agriculture and could boost food security in Nigeria. It is therefore appropriate for the country in order to boost the production of maize, cotton, rice, beans, wheat, cassava, etc to, not only meet up with our consumption needs but also for the purpose of commercialization.

Dr. Muhammad Lawan Umar, a plant breeder with Institute for Agricultural Research of Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Zaria observes that Biotechnology has made possible what was impossible for the traditional methods to make by use of the new techniques. This has become realisable, especially I advanced countries, where such technology has been adopted and it can work wonders for developing countries, like Nigeria.

He gives an example of the pod-borer resistant beans on which efforts had been made to discover the source of the resistance without success. So far, 15,000 different types of varieties have been assembled and screened in order to identify the cause of the resistance. Experts agreed that the only option is to use biotechnology, which has now identified the maruca-resistant beans. This was a global phenomenon from America down to Africa where the problem of maruca is more, he said.

Umar adds that tests have been conducted in West Africa (Ghana, Nigeria and Burkina Faso) where traits that were resistant to those insects have been identified.

Biotechnology been used to transfer the genes to farmer-specified varieties adapted to different ecology in these West African countries. We have realised four to five times increase in yields and we are moving towards commercialisation.

Secondly, biotechnology has shortened the time of developing and releasing a variety. This is done in three to four years if there are no regulatory agencies that may delay the process. With the use of molecular marker, you can select a plant at a tender stage in fact you can select a grain to see which one carries the gene or not. But with the conventional methods, we used to spend eight to nine years to develop and release a variety because we had to plant it, grow it and then harvest it before you can assess, he explained.

Adebayo Olusoji, an Agriculture Extension and Rural Development Expert with the Oyo State College of Agriculture and Technology, Igboora said that biotechnology is an innovation has done well for Nigerias cassava production. Presently, we have more than twenty genetically modified improved cassava varieties with an average yield of 25-45 tonnes per hectare.

He adds that in cassava value chain, processing of improved cassava has resulted in high quality starch, which is being exported abroad. Biotechnology has not left out annual crops like maize, soybean, etc. As we have pro-vitamin A maize, Alfa toxin free soybean, etc.

A good step is Nigerias adoption of biotechnology in agriculture through the Biotechnology Policy, which led the establishment of the National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA). And in order to address safety concerns, the National Bio-safety Management Agency (NBMA), a full-fledged agency that provides regulatory frameworks for sustainability has been established.

Prof. Lauwali Abubakar, the Director at the Centre for Agricultural and Pastoral Research of the Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto said that Nigerias population growth was against the low agricultural productivity. Our population is expanding while our agricultural production is low. We need biotechnology, which will bring multiple food production in a limited period.

Hamma Ali Kwajaffa is former President of the National Cotton Association of Nigeria (NACOTAN) and Director General at Nigerian Textile Manufacturers Association said that biotechnology could develop African cotton, especially now that the product is in completion in the international market.

Biotechnology has increased the tonnage of cotton per hectare in America, China and India and their farmers are happy with it. We have not been able to achieve one tonne per hectare in Nigeria while those using biotechnology are harvesting five tonnes per hectare. Generally, our farmers have been left out, he said.

He cited Burkina Faso as the number country in Africa that applied biotechnology on commercial level for cotton. When Nigeria starts full application of biotechnology after field trials, the story will be a different one. Biotechnology will boost our agricultural productivity in no small measure.

Thanks to biotechnology, India which was least known in agriculture became worlds largest producer of cotton; Argentina leads in the production and export of soybeans and Burkina Faso, in the last two years became Africas largest producer of BT cotton.

Therefore, Nigeria has no choice than to consider the deployment of agricultural biotechnology, especially if food insecurity is our concern against the projected population explosion.

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How biotechnology can optimize agriculture in Nigeria - Vanguard ... - Vanguard

Lungs in space: research project could lead to new lung therapeutics – Phys.Org

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Space travel can cause a lot of stress on the human body as the change in gravity, radiation and other factors creates a hostile environment. While much is known about how different parts of the body react in space, how lungs are affected by spaceflight has received little attention until now, say researchers at The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston and Houston Methodist Research Institute.

That will change, though, once their research project, which aims to grow lungs in space, reaches the International Space Station. UTMB and HMRI researchers say what they learn from the study could have real implications for astronauts, as well as those still on Earth, and could lead to future therapeutics.

"We know a lot about what happens in space to bones, muscle, the heart and the immune system, but nobody knows much about what happens to the lungs," said Joan Nichols, a professor of Internal Medicine and Microbiology and Immunology, and associate director for research and operations for the Galveston National Laboratory at UTMB. "We know that there are some problems with lungs in space flight, but that hasn't been closely looked into. We hope to find out how lung cells react to the change in gravity and the extreme space environment, and then that can help us protect astronauts in space, as well as the lungs of regular people here on Earth."

This investigation represents the third of four collaborative projects currently active at the HMRI's Center for Space Nanomedicine. The center, directed by Alessandro Grattoni, chairman and associate professor of the Department of Nanomedicine at HMRI, focuses on the investigation of nanotechnology-based strategies for medicine on Earth and in space. The research is supported by the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space, NASA and HMRI.

Scientists from UTMB and HMRI prepared bioreactor pouches that include lung progenitor and stem cells and pieces of lung scaffolding. The scaffolding is the collagen and elastin frame on which lung cells grow. Space X successfully launched the payload containing these pouches Aug. 14 on its 12th Commercial Resupply Services mission (CRS-12) from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida and is expected to arrive at the International Space Station Aug. 16. Once on the ISS, the cells are expected to grow on the scaffold in a retrofitted bioreactor.

Once the lung cells have returned to Earth, researchers will look for the development of fibrosis, the structure of the tissues and the response of immune cells, among other changes and damage that could occur to the lung cells. Lung injuries have been found to accelerate in space, and it is through close study of those cells that therapeutics hopefully could be developed.

Nichols and Dr. Joaquin Cortiella, a professor and director of the Lab of Tissue Engineering and Organ Regeneration at UTMB, have successfully grown lungs in their lab in Galveston, but now they will see if astronauts can do the same in zero gravity. Jason Sakamoto, affiliate professor and former co-chair of the Department of Nanomedicine at HMRI, has applied his novel organ decellularization process and nanotechnology-based delivery systems to support this overall lung regeneration effort.

"We have experience working with the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space to study our nanotechnologies in action on the International Space Station," Grattoni said. "However, we are extremely excited to be a part of this clinical study, since it may play a pivotal role in how we approach future space travel in terms of preserving astronaut health. What we learn during this fundamental experiment could lead to science-fiction-like medical advancements, where organ regeneration becomes a reality in both deep space and here on Earth."

Researchers at HMRI will take the results from UTMB and work on developing therapeutics that could help astronauts, as well as people on Earth.

"This exploration will provide fundamental insight for the collaborative development of cell-based therapies for autoimmune diseases, hormone deficiencies and other issues," Grattoni said.

Explore further: Image: Testing astronauts' lung health

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Lungs in space: research project could lead to new lung therapeutics - Phys.Org