Monthly Archives: August 2017

Using barcodes to trace cell development – Medical Xpress

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August 16, 2017 Credit: CC0 Public Domain

How do the multiple different cell types in the blood develop? Scientists have been pursuing this question for a long time. According to the classical model, different developmental lines branch out like in a tree. The tree trunk is composed of stem cells and the branches are made up of various types of progenitor cells that can give rise to a number of distinct cell types. Then it further branches off into the specialized blood cells, i.e., red blood cells, blood platelets and various types of white blood cells that are part of the immune system. In recent years, however, doubts about this model have arisen.

Hans-Reimer Rodewald, a scientist at the German Cancer Research Center (Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, DKFZ) in Heidelberg, and his co-workers wanted to capture the dynamic events in blood cell formation instead of merely taking snapshots. In close collaboration with a research team led by systems biologist Thomas Hfer, the scientists have developed a new technology that enables them to precisely follow the developmental tracks of cells. To this end, they label stem cells with a kind of genetic barcode in order to be able to clearly identify their offspring later.

"Genetic barcodes have been developed and applied before, but they were based on methods that can also change cellular properties," Rodewald said. "Our barcodes are different: They can be induced tissue-specifically and directly in the genome of mice - without influencing the animals' physiological development." The basis of the new technology is the so-called Cre/loxP system that is used to rearrange or remove specially labeled DNA segments.

Weike Pei und Thorsten Feyerabend in Rodewald's team bred mice whose genomes exhibit the basic elements of the barcode. At a selected site, where no genes are encoded, it contains nine small DNA fragments from a plant called Arabidopsis thaliana. These elements are flanked by ten genetic cutting sites called IoxP sites. By administering a pharmacological agent, the matching molecular scissors called "Cre" can be activated in the animals' hematopoietic stem cells. Then code elements are randomly rearranged or cut out. "This genetic random DNA barcode generator can generate up to 1.8 million genetic barcodes and we can identify the codes that arise only once in an experiment," Hfer said.

"The mice then do the rest of the work," said Rodewald. When these specially labeled hematopoietic stem cells divide and mature, the barcodes are preserved. In collaboration with the Max Delbrck Center for Molecular Medicine, the researchers have performed comprehensive barcode analyses in order to trace an individual blood cell back to the stem cell from which it originates.

These analyses have revealed that two large developmental branches start out from the hematopoietic stem cells of the mice: In one branch, T cells and B cells of the immune system develop; in the other, red blood cells as well as various other types of white blood cells such as granulocytes and monocytes form. All these cell types can arise from a single stem cell. "Our findings show that the classical model of a hierarchical developmental tree that starts from multipotent stem cells holds true for hematopoiesis," Rodewald emphasized.

The system developed by the Heidelberg researchers can also be used for other purposes besides studying blood cell development. This strategy can basically be applied in any tissue. In the future, it might also be used for experimentally tracing the origin of leukemias and other cancers.

Explore further: Live assessment of blood formation

More information: Weike Pei et al, Polylox barcoding reveals haematopoietic stem cell fates realized in vivo, Nature (2017). DOI: 10.1038/nature23653

Since ancient times, humankind has been aware of how important blood is to life. Naturalists speculated for thousands of years on the source of the body's blood supply. For several centuries, the liver was believed to be ...

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Yenepoya University to offer biotech skill enhancement programme – Hindu Business Line

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Mangaluru, August 16:

The Centre for Systems Biology and Molecular Medicine at Yenepoya University in Mangaluru has been awarded the Biotechnology Skill Enhancement Programme (BiSEP) by the Karnataka Biotechnology and Information Technology Services (KBITS).

Addressing presspersons in Mangaluru on Wednesday, T.S. Keshava Prasad, Deputy Director of the Centre for Systems Biology and Molecular Medicine, said the centre has been awarded the BiSEP to conduct a one-year postgraduate diploma in multiomics technology. (Multiomics is an interdisciplinary subject that includes genomics, proteomics, metabolomics and proteogenomics.)

He said Yenepoya University is the only centre to offer BiSEP in multiomics technology. The centre has facilities and experts in this technology to undertake such a training programme.

Candidates for BiSEP - postgraduate diploma programme - will be selected based on their performance in the Karnataka Biotechnology Aptitude Test to be held in September. Students enrolled in the programme will be provided fellowship of Rs 10,000 a month during the course.

He said 50 per cent of the tuition fee for Karnataka students will be paid by the state government.

Students will undergo a six-month hands-on training programme in different omics platforms at the Centre for Systems Biology and Molecular Medicine. This will be followed by a six-month internship.

He said graduates and postgraduates in the field of life sciences would be equipped with necessary employable skills under BiSEP. This will help make them industry-ready in the field of genomic, proteomic and metabolomic technologies. This programme will enable supply of skilled manpower required by multinational biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, he added.

(This article was published on August 16, 2017)

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Spotlight Innovation Enters into Sponsored Research Agreement with Indiana University to Develop New Therapies for … – PR Newswire (press release)

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Geoffrey Laff, Ph.D., Spotlight Innovation's Senior Vice President of Business Development, commented, "Dr. Androphy is a prolific researcher and highly-respected thought leader. We are privileged to work with him to develop novel therapies for SMA."

Dr. Androphy is the Chair of the Department of Dermatology of Indiana University School of Medicine and has published widely in high-impact journals including Science, Nature, EMBO Molecular Medicine, Human Molecular Genetics, Journal of Virology, and Molecular Cell. He served as Vice Chair for Research of the Department of Medicine and Director of the M.D./Ph.D. Program at the University of Massachusetts Medical School where his lab characterized the disease-causing mechanism of alternative splicing of the SMN2 gene. At Indiana University School of Medicine, Dr. Androphy has used a novel, cell-based high throughput screen for compounds that increase levels of the SMN protein. This work has led to the identification of pre-clinical drug candidates for SMA.

About Spotlight Innovation Inc.

Spotlight Innovation Inc. (OTCQB: STLT) identifies and acquires rights to innovative, proprietary technologies designed to address unmet medical needs, with an emphasis on rare, emerging and neglected diseases. To find and evaluate unique opportunities, we leverage our extensive relationships with leading scientists, academic institutions and other sources. We provide value-added development capability to accelerate development progress. Whenscientifically significantbenchmarkshave been achieved, we will endeavor to partner with proven market leaders via sale, out-license or strategic alliance. For more information, visit http://www.spotlightinnovation.com or follow us on http://www.twitter.com/spotlightinno.

Forward-Looking Statements

Statements in this press release that are not purely historical are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements herein include statements regarding Spotlight Innovation's efforts to develop and commercialize various product candidates, including STL-182, and to achieve its stated benchmarks. Actual outcomes and actual results could differ materially from those in such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include risks and uncertainties, such as: the inability to finance the planned development of STL-182; the inability to hire appropriate staff to develop STL-182; unforeseen technical difficulties in developing STL-182; the inability to obtain regulatory approval for human use; competitors' therapies proving to be more effective, cheaper or otherwise more preferable; or, the inability to market a product. All of which could, among other things, delay or prevent product release, as well as other factors expressed from time to time in Spotlight Innovation's periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). As a result, this press release should be read in conjunction with Spotlight Innovation's periodic filings with the SEC. The forward-looking statements contained herein are made only as of the date of this press release and Spotlight Innovation undertakes no obligation to publicly update such forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances.

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Spotlight Innovation Enters into Sponsored Research Agreement with Indiana University to Develop New Therapies for ... - PR Newswire (press release)

New Version of CRISPR Corrects RNA Defects Linked to … – Technology Networks

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These are muscle cells from a patient with myotonic dystrophy type I, untreated (left) and treated with the RNA-targeting Cas9 system (right). The MBNL1 protein is in green, repetitive RNA in red and the cells nucleus in blue. MBNL1 is an important RNA-binding protein and its normal function is disrupted when it binds repetitive RNA. In the treated cells on the right, MBNL1 is released from the repetitive RNA. Credit: UCSD

Until recently, the CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing technique could only be used to manipulate DNA. In a 2016 study, University of California San Diego School of Medicine researchers repurposed the technique to track RNA in live cells in a method called RNA-targeting Cas9 (RCas9). In a new study, published August 10 in Cell, the team takes RCas9 a step further: they use the technique to correct molecular mistakes that lead to microsatellite repeat expansion diseases, which include myotonic dystrophy types 1 and 2, the most common form of hereditary ALS, and Huntington's disease.

This is exciting because were not only targeting the root cause of diseases for which there are no current therapies to delay progression, but weve re-engineered the CRISPR-Cas9 system in a way thats feasible to deliver it to specific tissues via a viral vector, said senior author Gene Yeo, PhD, professor of cellular and molecular medicine at UC San Diego School of Medicine.

While DNA is like the architects blueprint for a cell, RNA is the engineers interpretation of the blueprint. In the central dogma of life, genes encoded in DNA in the nucleus are transcribed into RNA and RNAs carry the message out into the cytoplasm, where they are translated to make proteins.

Microsatellite repeat expansion diseases arise because there are errant repeats in RNA sequences that are toxic to the cell, in part because they prevent production of crucial proteins. These repetitive RNAs accumulate in the nucleus or cytoplasm of cells, forming dense knots, called foci.

In this proof-of-concept study, Yeos team used RCas9 to eliminate the problem-causing RNAs associated with microsatellite repeat expansion diseases in patient-derived cells and cellular models of the diseases in the laboratory.

Normally, CRISPR-Cas9 works like this: researchers design a guide RNA to match the sequence of a specific target gene. The RNA directs the Cas9 enzyme to the desired spot in the genome, where it cuts DNA. The cell repairs the DNA break imprecisely, thus inactivating the gene, or researchers replace the section adjacent to the cut with a corrected version of the gene. RCas9 works similarly but the guide RNA directs Cas9 to an RNA molecule instead of DNA.

The researchers tested the new RCas9 system on microsatellite repeat expansion disease RNAs in the laboratory. RCas9 eliminated 95 percent or more of the RNA foci linked to myotonic dystrophy type 1 and type 2, one type of ALS and Huntington's disease. The approach also eliminated 95 percent of the aberrant repeat RNAs in myotonic dystrophy patient cells cultured in the laboratory.

Another measure of success centered on MBNL1, a protein that normally binds RNA, but is sequestered away from hundreds of its natural RNA targets by the RNA foci in myotonic dystrophy type 1. When the researchers applied RCas9, they reversed 93 percent of these dysfunctional RNA targets in patient muscle cells, and the cells ultimately resembled healthy control cells.

While this study provides the initial evidence that the approach works in the laboratory, there is a long way to go before RCas9 could be tested in patients, Yeo explained.

One bottleneck is efficient delivery of RCas9 to patient cells. Non-infectious adeno-associated viruses are commonly used in gene therapy, but they are too small to hold Cas9 to target DNA. Yeos team made a smaller version of Cas9 by deleting regions of the protein that were necessary for DNA cleavage, but dispensable for binding RNA.

The main thing we dont know yet is whether or not the viral vectors that deliver RCas9 to cells would elicit an immune response, he said. Before this could be tested in humans, we would need to test it in animal models, determine potential toxicities and evaluate long-term exposure.

To do this, Yeo and colleagues launched a spin-out company called Locana to handle the preclinical steps required for moving RCas9 from the lab to the clinic for RNA-based diseases, such as those that arise from microsatellite repeat expansions.

We are really excited about this work because we not only defined a new potential therapeutic mechanism for CRISPR-Cas9, we demonstrated how it could be used to treat an entire class of conditions for which there are no successful treatment options, said David Nelles, PhD, co-first author of the study with Ranjan Batra, PhD, both postdoctoral researchers in Yeos lab.

There are more than 20 genetic diseases caused by microsatellite expansions in different places in the genome, Batra said. Our ability to program the RCas9 system to target different repeats, combined with low risk of off-target effects, is its major strength.

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

Reference

Batra, R., Nelles, D. A., Pirie, E., Blue, S. M., Marina, R. J., Wang, H., ... & Aigner, S. (2017). Elimination of Toxic Microsatellite Repeat Expansion RNA by RNA-Targeting Cas9. Cell.

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Cybersecurity Profits Are Hiding in the Shadows – Investorplace.com

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I was really stuffed for time, and my big pipe data connection at home seemed like it had all the bandwidth of a straw. What was going on? Ah, the hell with it, I thought. I called my colleague, who was waiting for me to email an important file.

cobain86 / Pixabay

Hey, my connections a little slow. Ill send you the link via Google Docs, and you can upload the file yourself.

Little did I know that I was about to commit an act of potential corporate sabotage.

Its called shadow IT and its a key reason why cybersecurity companies will keep growing for years to come

Using an innocuous cloud service like Google Docs is just one example.

What if you regularly bring your own personal tablet to work to do company business? Or maybe youre plugging in a little thumb drive into your workstations USB port to informally transfer files in and out of your office network?

Or in a large business, someone forgets to tell the IT department about that big, new Wi-Fi printer/scanner that was installed a few months back?

Those are just a few examples of shadow IT. The more people who use a network (and the more devices and systems attached to it), the bigger the vulnerabilities.

For instance, a recent survey found that the average hospital was running more than 900 cloud services alone!

No wonder health care firms seem to fare the worst whenever a new virus or computer attack arises. As just one example among hundreds, the recent ransomware attacks that swept across Europe, Asia and the U.S. back in June disabled the digital dictation service used by hospitals in San Antonio, Texas bringing consultations, referrals and, most importantly, billing to an abrupt halt.

In another example a few years ago, Chinese hackers broke into the computer networks of one of the nations largest hospital groups, Community Health Systems, and stole the personal data records for more than 4 million patients.

Its no wonder then that in a recent survey by Beckers Hospital Review, 73% of hospitals said they would increase their spending on cybersecurity.

If we do a little math, an average hospitals yearly revenue is around $160 million. Of that, a hospital will spend roughly 2.5%, or $4 million, on IT. Multiply that figure by the 5,000 or so hospitals in the United States, and it soon adds up to a wave of new spending on cybersecurity products and services.

And bear in mind, thats only one part of the U.S. economy.

Thats why experts believe cybersecurity is on track to be a $1 trillion business by 2021. A major uptick in spending is coming down the line to the tune of 12% to 15% year-over-year growth through 2021, according to analysts.

Its also the reason why Im making cybersecurity one of the cornerstones of my Total Wealth Insider service. Our next stock picks are designed to ride the massive spending wave coming to this critical part of the global economy.

Kind regards,

Jeff L. Yastine

Editor, Total Wealth Insider

Editors Note: Bob Baumans Passport Book contains secrets for keeping your personal information safe such as the one nation that offers the highest level of personal and business privacy in the world. The essential knowledge in this book can save you from incarceration and could even save your life! To order your copy today, click here.

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6 Sides of Madonna That Explain Her Genius – Pitchfork

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In celebration of Madonnas birthday (August 16), weve deemed it Madonna Day on Pitchfork. Weve reviewed four of her classic albumsher 1983 debut, 1989s Like a Prayer, 1994s Bedtime Stories, and 1998s Ray of Lightand now we move onto the ties that bind her career.

If you were to see someone tweet the phrase Madonna is everything, you might attribute it to a very 2017 type of online hyperbole. And yes, Madonna is everything in that sense, but from a pop perspective Madonna also feels like everything because in a career spanning four decades she has attacked, absorbed, and conquered pop music from every possible angle.

When Madonnas referenced as the Queen of Reinvention, it tends to suggest the linear series of career moves, from album to album, sonic era to sonic era, hairstyle to hairstyle. In reality, her layered approach to pop domination has frequently seemed to consist of multiple Madonnas existing at the same time. Here are six of her best, key to understanding her work.

Many of Madonnas supposedly controversial songs (like 80s hit Papa Dont Preach, with its subtext of abortion) are now more clearly identified as feminist statements or expressions of self, but thats not to say Madonna has never deliberately courted outright controversy.

Its easy to mock the quaint 80s reaction to the lyrics of Like A Virgin, but its also fair to say that if a mainstream 2017 pop actAriana Grande, for instancereleased the video Madonna made for Like A Prayer, all hell would still break loose. That video tackled religion, race, and sex, with scenes depicting murder, burning crosses, and Madonna with stigmata-esque wounds. It led to predictable complaints from the American Family Association, a denouncement by the Vatican, and a $5 million Pepsi ad campaign being benched. It would have been disingenuous of Madonna to feign surprise at the reaction. And she didnt. Her response? Art should be controversial, and that's all there is to it.

Madonna upped the ante on her next formal album, 1992s Erotica, and its accompanying artifacts, including the boundary-breaking Justify My Love video and a coffee table book called Sex, whose main shock value these days involves the inclusion of Vanilla Ice. Fast-forward to 2017, after decades of refusing to be silenced: Live on CNN from the Womens March on Washington, Madonna delivered a passionate speech about change, sacrifice, rebellion, the tyranny of Trump, and the power of love. There was more, of course: To our detractors that insist this march will never add up to anything: fuck you. Fuck. You. Not great news for CNNs switchboard but a fair point, well made.

When Madonna descended on New York in 1978, shed just dropped out of a University of Michigan dance scholarship and was hell-bent on making it as a professional dancer. So, spoiler alert, shes not averse to tripping the light fantastic, as her 1983 debut proved out the gate. Her discography is full of floorfillers, and she holds the record for the most No. 1 singles on Billboards Dance/Club Songs Chart, even if some of those chart-topping trackslike the various mixes of the poignant gender-role assessment What It Feels Like For A Girlmake for a somewhat complex shimmy.

Peppered throughout Madonnas career are more direct hints at what it might be like to actuallyimagine this!go dancing with Madonna. She likes to boogie woogie, this much we know from Music. On the 2000 album track Impressive Instant, Madonna reveals that her skills extend to both rhumba and samba (though bear in mind this was also the song where she declared, I like to singy singy singy like a bird on a wingy wingy wingy, so theres that). Most significantly, Madonnas belief in the dance floor as a sacred space is described in Vogue with words some will find as inspiring in 2017 as listeners almost three decades ago did: When all else fails and you long to be something better than you are today, I know a place where you can get awayit's called a dance floor.

Released a few years earlier, True Blue album cut Wheres The Party was ostensibly a song about going out and losing control after a week at work. Madonna wistfully recalls that as a child she couldnt wait to get older, before acknowledging that getting older hasnt been everything shed hoped, then looking ahead to the future: Don't want to grow old too fast, dont want to let the system get me down. Like some of the best pop songs, its about living in the moment, even if the importance of doing so only makes sense in the context of what came before, and what will come in the future. Which leads us to

Madonna looked closer to home on another time-shifting track, This Used to Be My Playground from A League of Their Own, with further songs like Oh Father and Live To Tell also looking back on Madonnas upbringing with themes of defiance, resolve, and closure.

A more literal timepiece motif emerged during the 2000s, when the lead singles from two successive Madonna albums each began with the sound of a clock ticking. In the first, 2005s Abba-sampling behemoth Hung Up, the ticking clock was inspired by producer Stuart Prices earlier remix of Gwen Stefanis What You Waiting For, and was followed by Madonnas observation that time goes by so slowly for those who wait, those who run seem to have all the fun.

By 2008, it was Timbaland administering the ticks on 4 Minutes, rather improbably Madonnas second most-streamed song on Spotify. That songs lyrics (We only got four minutes to save the world grab a boy, then grab a girl) suggested procreation-based speed dating, but Madonna later explained that they hinged on living on borrowed time essentially, and people are becoming much more aware of the environment and how we're destroying the planet. Madonna may have overestimated the urgency but, well, that clocks still ticking.

The are various words we might use to describe Madonnas film career, one of the more generous being lengthy. Since the 80s, Madonnas screen credits have prompted a series of musical contributions whose quality has frequently, often mercifully, failed to correlate with that of the actual movie.

Were one to assemble those alongside songs contributed to films in which Madonna didnt even appear, youd have one of the modern pop eras most surreal career retrospectives. It would include glossy pop jam Whos That Girl, wistful ballad-banger Ill Remember (from a dreadful Joe Pesci-Brendan Fraser vehicle), the William Orbit-produced, Austin Powers-soundtracking Beautiful Stranger, a peculiar cover of American Pie featuring Rupert Everett, the slightly mind-boggling Hanky Panky" (and the rest of her *Dick Tracy* companion LP), futuristic Bond theme Die Another Day, and (on a technicality) Into the Groove.

By law, that compilation would also need to include Madonnas take on Dont Cry For Me Argentina, but not the version she sang in Evita. Instead wed have the castanet-strewn, 100 percent spectacular, seven-minute remix, for which Madonna recorded brand new vocals and a second chorus entirely in Spanish. Sadly, some may say criminally, this definitive version of Dont Cry For Me Argentina is unavailable on streaming services, but it does live on via YouTube.

Treat with deep suspicion anybody who links lyrical substance to low tempo. That said, while Madonna has definitely explored the extremes of human emotion via dance floor smashes, some of her most profound thoughts have arrived within her most elegant songs. On her wildly underrated American Life album, Nothing Fails boasts a tempo that barely reaches the status of mid, but for a truly downbeat masterpiece, try Ray Of Lights Drowned World/Substitute For Love, a prelude to a reflective and immersive album whose sonic departure made it the riskiest move in a career built on the avoidance of safe decisions. Its there that we found Madonna, whod previously sung plenty about being a daughter, singing for the first time about being a parent (via sparse lullaby Little Star) while also, on mesmerizing album closer Mer Girl, reflecting on the death of her own mother.

Madonna undoubtedly defined the role of sex in modern pop, but just as prominentlyin songs as diverse as Take A Bow, Get Together, and Borderlineare themes of romance, heartbreak, and optimism. The thing is, Madonna told Rolling Stone regarding 2015s Living For Love, lots of people write about being in love and being happy or they write about having a broken heart and being inconsolable. But nobody writes about having a broken heart and being hopeful and triumphant afterwards. I didn't want to share the sentiment of being a victim. This scenario devastated me, but it just made me stronger.

The survival spirit of Living for Love came to life in an unexpected way. One of the songs first performances took place at the 2015 Brit Awards, where, at a key moment, a dancer tugged Madonnas cloak. The garment should have billowed away to reveal Madonnas full performance outfit, but the clasp jammed. Madonna was abruptly yanked off the stage platform but was back on her feet within seconds, singing lines like, Lifted me up, and watched me stumble after the heartache, Im gonna carry on. She finished the song, conjuring a live TV victory where others would have conceded defeat.

The aftermath was Madonna in excelsis: She didnt block the performances upload to the Brits YouTube channel. She didnt hide the imperfection or pretend it had not happened. In fact, within a week, the full performance was on her official VEVO channel, where it remains. Elsewhere on Rebel Heart, Madonna sings, Im only humanwhich is true, of course. Madonna definitely is a human beingshe just happens to be one whose remarkable longevity and multifaceted creativity justify her reputation as the Queen of Pop.

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6 Sides of Madonna That Explain Her Genius - Pitchfork

‘Micromotors’ alter your gut’s chemistry to safely deliver medicine – Engadget

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Conventionally, the medication used to treat maladies like ulcers or bacterial infections, have to be administered alongside a secondary compound known as proton pump inhibitors. These chemicals temporarily halt the production of stomach acid, allowing the medicine to do its work without being destroyed. However, long term use of PPIs can make matters much worse, from headaches and fatigue to anxiety and depression.

UCSD's "micromotors" are made up of a titanium dioxide protective shell surrounding a spherical magnesium core. Above the TiO2 layer is a layer of antibiotic medication and above that,is another layer made up of a positively-charged polymer that helps the motor stick to the gut wall.

Now here's the really cool part. These motors use the stomach's own acid as a fuel source. The magnesium layer reacts to the gastric acid to generate a stream of hydrogen bubbles to produce thrust, while also reducing the amount of acid present. Once the stomach's pH hits the correct level, the motors release their medication and finish dissolving.

These devices are still in the early days of their development so don't expect to have your antibiotics squirming through your belly for a few years yet at least.

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'Micromotors' alter your gut's chemistry to safely deliver medicine - Engadget

Washington Redskins Charitable Foundation & Inova Sports Medicine To Host High School Coaches Clinic – Redskins.com

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EASY TWEET: .@RedskinsCR & @InovaHealth to host free clinic for 100 high school football coaches

LOUDOUN COUNTY, Va. The Washington Redskins Charitable Foundation will host the Washington Redskins High School Coaches Clinic presented by Inova Sports Medicine on Friday, Aug. 18 from 11 a.m. 1:15 p.m. The clinic will take place at the Inova Sports Performance Center at Redskins Park where participants will be able to watch walk-through in the indoor practice facility followed by a panel discussion in the auditorium and lunch in the Redskins dining room.

Approximately 100 high school coaches from Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia are expected to participate in the clinic, which includes a panel discussion led by Voice of the Washington Redskins Larry Michael. Panelists will be Redskins coaches including Offensive Coordinator Matt Cavanaugh, Defensive Coordinator Greg Manusky and Special Teams Coordinator Ben Kotwica. Redskins Senior Vice President of Player Personnel, Doug Williams, and EXOS Performance Director of Pro Sports, Brent Callaway, will headline the keynote speaker portion of the clinic. Special guests will include Redskins President Bruce Allen and Head Coach Jay Gruden.

The annual Washington Redskins High School Coaches Clinic presented by Inova Sports Medicine provides coaches with information on player health and safety, character development and how to build a successful program on and off the field.

Media availability for the Washington Redskins High School Coaches Clinic will begin at 11:30 a.m. (the start of the speaking portion). Media interested in attending the event should contact Tish Carmona of Redskins Public Relations at carmonat@redskins.com or 703-726-7077 to obtain a credential.

For more information on the Washington Redskins Charitable Foundations programs and events or to donate, visit http://www.redskins.com/community or follow the Foundation on Twitter at @RedskinsCR or Instagram at @RedskinsGiveBack.

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NIH gives nod to Vibrent Health for precision medicine work – Healthcare IT News

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Vibrent Health's cloud-based precision medicine platform has gained authority to operate from the National Institutes of Health, a certification that it meets federal privacy and security standards and paving the way for the company's work on the landmark research cohort that will fuel the Precision Medicine Initiative

"This ATO certification marks a significant milestone for Vibrent in its journey to power the next generation of personalized medicine," said the company's CEO Praduman Jain, in a statement.

Vibrent's SaaS platform combines genomic information with data from electronic health records, medical devices, wearables and more.

[Also:NIH All of Us program gearing up for 'precision engagement,' Eric Dishman says]

It will be the technology around which the All of Us Research Program will be based as the precision medicine project works to enroll more than one million participants in its cohort to understand how genomics, lifestyle, behavioral, and environmental factors impact an individuals health.

In addition to NIH, Vibrent's technology is at use at Johns Hopkins, Stanford, the U.S. Veterans Administration, UnitedHealth Group and Medtronic.

For the ATO certification, the company worked with Coalfire, a third-party assessment organization, to develop security plans, policies, procedures, scanning, SSP, and pen testing, per FISMA risk management framework, to ensure the integrity of its platform, officials said. Coalfire confirmed that Vibrent Health has the necessary operational and technical controls in place to provide a secure environment for federal systems, bureaus, departments, and their supporting entities.

Twitter:@MikeMiliardHITN Email the writer: mike.miliard@himssmedia.com

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NIH gives nod to Vibrent Health for precision medicine work - Healthcare IT News

Oly Ortho’s Sports Medicine Team Keeps Thurston County Moving – ThurstonTalk

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Every three months a group of highly trained sports medicine doctors, primary care physicians, chiropractors, physical therapists and athletic trainers gather to discuss the latest literature and best practices in the field of Sports Medicine. These healthcare professionals work together to make sure their patients are receiving cutting edge care. You may think that this type of high level care and collaboration is only available in major metropolitan areas. However, this is all happening right here in Thurston County at Olympia Orthopaedic Associates.

As the field of orthopaedics becomes more specialized, so does Olympia Orthopaedic Associates. They have expanded their clinic to meet the needs of our growing, active community. There are now many subspecialty clinics within the organization to serve a diverse patient population. Two examples of Centers of Excellence found within the group are the Foot and Ankle Clinic and the Hand, Wrist and Elbow Center. Another specialized area is run by the Sports Medicine team, including both operative and non-surgical practitioners. Dr. Femiano and Dr. Hamblin have both completed fellowships in sports medicine and their commitment to continued education ensures that they are actively learning the newest procedures and techniques.

One example of their cutting-edge treatment is the use of ultrasound guidance to administer a PRP or cortisone injection, providing relief and keeping athletes moving. The clinic is also very close to providing stem cell injections which can play a significant role in reducing inflammation in knee and hip joints. Read more about PRP injections at OOA here.

We are providing a multi-disciplinary, community based program, explains Rebecca McClinon, OOA Sports Medicine Program Coordinator. OOA provides surgical and non-surgical solutions to many of the orthopaedic issues affecting everyone from student athletes and ultra marathoners to the weekend warrior. When there is a more appropriate course, OOA can reach out their community partners as well. Working in partnership with local chiropractors, athletic trainers and physical therapists, we have created an umbrella of care for the physically active in the community, shares McClinon.

As a fellow weekend warrior, I know that many people will delay seeking care for their aches and pains. Runners and bikers fear that a visit to the doctor may result in a diagnosis that sidelines their activities. Fortunately, at OOA, that is not necessarily the case. The physicians and staff are active individuals as well and understand that staying in the game is important to patients. Whenever possible, a less invasive techniques can be used to treat an injury or alleviate pain. A tennis elbow or the common Achilles tendinitis can be relieved with a Tenex procedure completed right in the office. A small incision is made and a vibrating burr, a brush like instrument, removes the scar tissue and creates a rapid healing response.

In the case where surgery becomes necessary, Dr. Bradley Christ and Dr. Trent McKay have been specially trained in both minimally invasive arthroscopic treatment of key areas such as shoulders and knees as well as full replacement joint surgeries.

In addition to treating patients in the OOA clinic, Drs. Hamblin and Femiano are heavily involved in the community. They provide sports medicine services to the athletic departments of South Puget Sound Community College, Saint Martins University, The Evergreen State College and local area high schools.

Each Friday night, OOA Sports Medicine physicians provide coverage for all three stadiums in our area. There is an doctor on site at every high school football game. As the parent of a student athlete, that commitment to our youth is particularly important.

Area high school and college athletes also benefit from the low-cost/no-cost sports physicals that OOA provides. We partnered with TOGETHER!, Tumwater Family Practice, Providence Tumwater Valley Physical Therapy, Providence Sports Medicine, St. Peter Family Medicine, Tumwater Vision, Tumwater School District Health and Wellness Department and local school districts to provide these free sports physicals to as many students as possible, explains McClinon. On one Tuesday evening at a local high school gym they completed 250 physicals in just three hours. Tumwater soccer player Sarah shares, It was really fast and fun. We went to different stations to be tested and it saved my parents time and money, so we really appreciated the opportunity.

OOA extends that community outreach to area events such as the Black Hills Triathlon and the Capital City Marathon as well. OOA also plans to collaborate with local school districts in their Unified Sports program. Currently providing soccer and basketball, Unified Sports joins students with and without disabilities on the same athletic team. OOA is dedicated to supporting these programs that provide social inclusion for all student athletes.

From community support to cutting-edge techniques and treatments, the team at Olympia Orthopaedic Associates Sports Medicine Clinic are ready to help Thurston County citizens enjoy a Life in Motion.

For more information on the Sports Medicine Clinic at OOA visit their website http://www.olyortho.com

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Ranch Medicine subject of talk at Phippen Museum – The Daily Courier

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Local author and historian Jody Drake will present On the Arizona Frontier: Ranch Medicine at 1 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 19, at the Phippen Museum. The talk is free with museum admission, and will cover what frontier families had to deal with when doctors werent available.

Many early residents learned that local plants and other resources held the answer for curing different illnesses. Chew a little willow bark for a headache, make a tea rich in vitamin C with pine needles, and close up cuts with spider webs. These and other home remedies were commonplace on the Arizona frontier.

Drake has performed throughout the state and her first-person presentations mix the rich stories of the West with an enchanting combination of humor and fact. She also will explore the fascinating contents often included in the typical frontier medical bag, allowing attendees to take an in-depth look at some of the tools and instruments used in late 1800s Arizona.

The Phippen Museum is located at 4701 Highway 89. For more information, call 928-778-1385 or visit http://www.phippenartmuseum.org.

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100 years after legislators barred WSU from starting medical school, WSU’s first class of medical students start … – The Spokesman-Review

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UPDATED: Tue., Aug. 15, 2017, 11:10 p.m.

When Washington State University opens the doors to its first class of medical students Wednesday, many of them wont know and most may not care about the political maneuvering that first made this day difficult, and then made it possible.

Just over two years ago, it wouldnt even have been legal for WSU to have its own medical school.

A 1917 law gave the University of Washington the sole authority to operate a medical school in the state, a result of the Legislature settling a turf war over academic majors between the schools in Seattle and Pullman. The state had only so much money to spend on its public colleges, and wasnt about to pay for duplicating expensive programs. UW got architecture, law, journalism and aeronautical engineering; what was then Washington State College got veterinary medicine, almost anything related to agriculture and rural life.

A medical school, when one was built, would be exclusively the right of UW, the law said in another section. That didnt happen for another 28 years, when the Legislature came up with $3.7 million for the university to set up schools of medicine and dentistry as World War II was ending.

That law stayed on the books, and UW School of Medicine expanded as Washington grew. The fact that it was the only medical school at a public university in Washington probably didnt seem so strange because the nearby states of Wyoming, Alaska, Montana and Idaho had none at all. In the 1960s, the university set up a cooperative arrangement with those states to educate their med students as well in a program called WWAMI, which takes its acronym from the first letters of the five states.

WWAMI had a presence in Pullman for years, but in the 1990s, local leaders began angling for expanded medical education in Spokane to complement one of the citys biggest growth industries, health care. One problem was they didnt have a place to put it.

Todays new medical students may look around and marvel at the grassy hillsides and river walkways of Riverpoint campus, but should realize that 25 years ago that was just a stretch of debris-strewn rail lines between Gonzaga University and Trent Avenue. The area began to change when local leaders persuaded the Legislature to build the Spokane Intercollegiate Research and Technology Institute, which was a cooperative effort between local public and private colleges. The state later built classrooms nearby for WSU and Eastern Washington University.

In 2006, WSU broke ground on a new Intercollegiate College of Nursing at Riverpoint, moving the coordinated nurses training from its old quarters near Spokane Falls Community College.

Five years later, city leaders had a new ask: a building for medical students at Riverpoint. While it was often called a med school by locals, its official title was the Biomedical and Science Center.

That was late 2011. The state still was trying to recover from the recession, and the $70 million structure wasnt in then-Gov. Christine Gregoires early budget proposal. But WSU President Elson Floyd made the hard sell and Spokane had some powerful allies in the Legislature, including then-Senate Majority Leader Lisa Brown, a Spokane Democrat whose district included Riverpoint. The final capital budget had $35 million for the building, with the understanding that the next year, the state wouldnt walk away from the project halfway through, and the rest of the money would be in the 2013-15 capital budget. It was.

Brown retired at the end of 2012 and took the job of chancellor at WSU-Spokane.

Before that building was complete, however, friction between WSU and UW got hot enough to start a brush fire.

For the 2013 school year, UW was given enough money to send 20 medical students to WWAMI in Spokane; it sent 17. Floyd said UW didnt recruit enough students to fill the slots. UW President Michael Young said the school could only find 17 students who wanted to go to Spokane. Floyd countered that if UW wouldnt cooperate, WSU would start its own medical school.

Good luck, said Young, adding that Floyd didnt know how a medical school is run. What came to be known as the medical school Apple Cup was on.

Gov. Jay Inslee a Husky alum married to a Cougar alum tried to stay out of the rivalry, and wrote a budget in late 2014 that didnt have new money for either medical school. He let the universities make their pitches to the legislative committees that would write the final budgets.

Although UW had plans to eventually have a new class of 80 med students each year at WWAMI in Spokane, it was Floyd who put on the full-court press starting in January 2015 for WSU to have its own medical school. He made repeated trips to Olympia, wowed lawmakers during committee hearings and charmed them in private meetings. He slowly made inroads into the strong support UW traditionally has from Seattle-area legislators, and his pitch for a new school with a different system to train doctors for family medicine and rural practice resonated with those from rural areas who were seeing a shortage of health care practitioners. It would be part of an overall strategy that included more medical residencies in rural hospitals and clinics and more financial aid for students who would practice in those areas.

Floyd also had some powerful allies like Mark Schoesler, the Ritzville Republican whose district includes the Pullman campus and parts of Spokane County and who by then was Senate majority leader.

When the Legislature held hearings on rewriting the 1917 law, UW said it didnt object to the change as long as money for the new school didnt come out of the WWAMI budget and hurt that program.

In March 2015, the Legislature passed a bill that gave WSU the legal authority although not the money to have its own medical school. In legislative budgets that were released a few weeks later, UW was allotted $9.7 million to expand WWAMI in Spokane and WSU was given $8 million over the next two years to cover the costs of seeking accreditation and getting ready for its first class of med students.

On April 1 of that year, Floyd, Brown and a group of smiling legislators stood behind Inslee as he signed the WSU medical school authorizing bill. There were cheers all around, but the loudest were for Floyd.

Two months later, university officials announced Floyd was taking a leave of absence to battle colon cancer. He would lose that battle before the end of the month.

In what may have been the easiest decision of the 2015 session, the Legislature moved within days to name the new medical school for Floyd.

UW would later break off its arrangements with WSU for WWAMI and enter into an agreement with nearby Gonzaga University. The competition for funding has decreased slightly as the need for doctors the two schools can produce has increased. The states 2017-19 operating budget has a total of $15 million for medical education in Spokane between the two schools.

Based on plans for the two programs, Spokane could go from having no medical school at the beginning of this decade to at least 240 med students in two schools at the end of it.

Updated: Aug. 15, 2017, 11:10 p.m.

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100 years after legislators barred WSU from starting medical school, WSU's first class of medical students start ... - The Spokesman-Review

Report shows a 30% increase in number of Dell Medical School residents working in Travis County – Community Impact Newspaper

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The number of medical residents working in Austin-area clinics and hospitals has grown by more than 30 percent since voters approved the creation of Dell Medical School in 2012, according to the programs Community Benefit Report.

The annual report, which was jointly created by Dell Medical School and Travis Countys health district, Central Health, found an increasing presence of Central Texas medical students and residents in clinics and hospitals serving low-income communities.

Here are some ways Dell Medical residents have affected the community:

Dell Medical School said these improvements in community health care are a result of the tax increase Travis County voters approved in 2012, which funded the creation of Dell Medical School.

This communitys vote really was visionary, Dell Medical School Dean Dr. Clay Johnston said in a news release. Its exciting to see that vision becoming a reality, and its thrilling that so many people across our community are part of that process.

Although Travis County voters approved the tax increase that led to the annual $35 million investment from the Community Care Collaborativethe nonprofit partnership between the two entitiesthere have been a few vocal critics of the investment.

At a public forum hosted by Germane Solutions, an independent consultancy forum conducting a performance review of Travis County Health District, residents said Central Health incorrectly uses taxpayer money.

Attorney Fred Lewis said state law dictates that Central Healthwhich he says has a mission to provide health care to poor peopleis not allowed to spend taxpayer money on medical education.

But Greg Hartman, Seton Healthcares chief of External and Academic Affairs, said the investment actually does fund a better quality of life for all Central Texans.

Our partnership with Dell Med and Central Health is based on innovationnot just innovative health care breakthroughs, but also novel ways to collaborate and bring community resources together to improve the quality of life in Central Texas, he said.

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Liberty Tunnel overnight closures to continue through Thursday – Tribune-Review

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Liberty Tunnel overnight closures to continue through Thursday - Tribune-Review

Liberty County joins together for Peace Initiative – WSAV-TV

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HINESVILLE, Ga. (WSAV) The Liberty County branch of the NAACP and the Liberty County Minority Chamber held a Peace Initiative on Tuesday Aug. 15 in Hinesville.

The event was held in response to the deadly rally in Charlottesville. In a letter to community leaders, the NAACP said the prayer vigil was to let the people of Liberty County know they stand for peace and unity. The letter went on to say while the event wont completely stop the nations issues, it does show willingness to come together.

Graylan Quarterman, president of the Liberty County NAACP said, They did not ask for the tragedy or the folks that came to their community to divide their community. They could easily get on a plane on a train or a bus and come to our community and try to divide us. But as long as we continue to have the conversation that unity is important and sympathizing with those who are less fortunate than us we will stay strong in Liberty County.

The Liberty County NAACP will also hold a mass community meeting to discuss race, religion and politics. That meeting will take place next Sunday, Aug. 27 at 6 p.m. at Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church.

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Liberty Center fiscal officer retires – Defiance Crescent News (subscription)

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LIBERTY CENTER Tuesdays Liberty Center Village Council meeting marked the end of an era for fiscal officer Sally McEwen. It was the last council meeting in her 33-year career, and Friday is her last day in office.

The office of clerk-treasurer was an elected position when McEwen began with the village. In 2002, a new state law gave municipalities the option of appointing a fiscal officer rather than have the elected office. Liberty Center made the switch, and McEwen was hired. Her retirement plans include spending more time with her grandchildren.

Kris Carico, current water clerk, has been chosen to follow McEwen in the fiscal officer position.

Marissa Dooley was approved at Tuesdays meeting as the new water clerk. Caricos position is effective Friday, Dooleys will begin tomorrow.

Moving on, council approved an increase in appropriations of $2,500 for the cemetery fund. Mayor Max Fetterman said the increase reflects the amount of work being done there.

Fetterman also announced that Mosquito Dunks have been made available for distribution at the village offices. Placed in standing water, the dunks are said to kill mosquito larvae for 30 days or more.

He also advised that village residents may notice replacement work on some radio read water meters. Meters marked with either blue flags or blue paint have been damaged, allowing standing water in the pits, and are being replaced at no cost to the village.

In village projects, Fetterman said the application process for the Issue II funding for improvements on Young Street, Edison Lane, and West Cherry Street is moving forward. He also discussed the need for a sewer vac, which is considered by village workers to be more useful than a backhoe. It is costly, with used units at $50,000 and a new unit at $300,000 or more.

Henry County CIC has requested a meeting Aug. 23 at 3 p.m. with all township and village officials.

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Libertarian Party to White nationalists: Get out – Central Florida News 13

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By Christie Zizo, Digital Media Producer Last Updated: Tuesday, August 15, 2017, 7:28 PM EDT ORLANDO --

The National Libertarian Party says it stands for freedom for all, but it won't stand for white nationalists.

The party, considered the fastest growing third party in the country, issued a statement Tuesday asking any white nationalists who belong to the party to leave.

"There is no room for racists and bigots in the Libertarian Party," said Libertarian National Committee executive director Wes Benedict. "If there are white nationalists who inappropriately are members of the Libertarian Party, I ask them to submit their resignations today. We dont want them to associate with the Libertarian Party, and we dont want their money. Im not expecting many resignations, because our membership already knows this well."

Benedict says the Libertarian Party supports civil liberties, regardless of ethnicity, religion, gender or sexual orientation. The party also believes in open borders, racial diversity and free trade -- things he says white nationalists abhor.

The statement comes in the wake of a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville that turned violent as protesters engaged with some counterprotesters and one suspected white nationalist drove his car into a crowd of counterprotesters, killing one and injuring 19.

Among the headliners of that "Unite the Right" Rally was Augustus Invictus, who ran for U.S. Senate as a Libertarian in 2016.

At the time his candidacy caused a stir. Florida Libertarian Party Chairman Adrian Wyllie resigned his post because he believed Invictus was a white nationalist who believed in eugenics wanted to start a civil war. Invictus denied the charge.

On Invictus' Twitter account, he describes himself as "the Most Dangerous Libertarian in America."

Invictus announced he was leaving the Libertarians in July for the Republican Party. He announced Tuesday he is running as a Republican candidate for Senate in Florida in 2018, though his name does not yet show up in the listing on the Florida Division of Elections website.

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George Smith: Life on Maine islands is inspiring – Kennebec Journal & Morning Sentinel

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Maine islands are very special but challenging places to live year-round. In the last 100 years weve gone from 300 to just 15 year-round island communities.

So were especially fortunate to have the Island Institute, which focuses much of its attention on island issues and challenges. I love the institutes regular Working Waterfront newspaper, which I receive online, and I learned a lot from their interesting stories in the new edition of their magazine, Island Journal.

In the new edition, I particularly enjoyed Howie Montenkos astonishing photos, using a technique known as light painting. He assembles a crew of islanders at dusk to shine handheld flashlights that paint the scene with light while Monteko creates a long-exposure photo. They are absolutely stunning.

The list of island challenges is lengthy, from no broadband and extremely high energy costs to rising tides and warming oceans to maintaining schools and year-round jobs. Thankfully, the Island Institute is working on all of these challenges.

Ive been intrigued by some of their initiatives to bring efficient energy to the islands. Their Energy Planning for Island Communities Initiative is providing technical resources and tools to communities to help achieve their clean energy goals.

In July of last year experts from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory met with energy leaders and community members on Isle au Haut and Monhegan islands to learn about their priorities and identify cost-effective ways for those islands to transition to clean energy systems. Island Institute also crated the Spark! Fund, a competitive grant program providing awards of up to $2,000 for island and coastal energy projects.

The institutes Aquaculture Business Development Program is helping aspiring seaweed and shellfish farmers get started. Nine new businesses were launched in the first year of this program. In the next five years they expect this project to have an $8.3 million impact on Maines economy.

And I have a friend working in Frenchboro on Long Island as an Island Fellow. The institute has many fellows working on our islands in a variety of jobs and projects, including schools, energy efficiency, town management, fire and safety, elder care, and more.

Their educational programs are very important, including Outer Islands Teaching and Learning Collaborative, scholarships and Island Scholars Network, and Distance Learning Technology. In the latter program, they partnered with tech company EPlus in 2009 and again in 2014 to secure significant USDA-Rural Development grant funds to install cutting-edge teleconferencing and video recording equipment at 24 sites, including Maines island and remote coastal schools and other rural coastal community schools in Alaska and St. John, Virgin Islands. The equipment allows for highly interactive networking among students and connects them to resources at universities and other educational organizations. Wonderful!

Maines islands are life-changing places for many. If you read the Travelin Maine(rs) columns that Linda and I write, you know we love Monhegan island. In the new edition of the Island Journal, theres a great interview with Mott Feibusch, a young man who first visited Monhegan in the summer of 1990 and moved there to live year-round in 2015. When asked if he had a favorite story or memory of Maine, this is what Mott said.

I visited Monhegan for the first time in winter about 10 years ago. I made frames and painted with the artist Ted Tihansky for a couple of weeks. During that time, there was a blizzard on the island, and we ate fresh shrimp from a five-gallon bucket. We also had a Valentines dinner for 12 people, hiked out to Burnt Head and painted the moon rising on found pieces of tile, made bracelets of discarded copper pipe, and torched sculptures and frames chasing an aesthetic unique to Ted. It was a great introduction to the community I had known from only one perspective. Without that experience, I wouldnt be the person I am today.

Today, Mott is the islands third assessor and assistant fire chief. He works for the power company, pours beer at the islands wonderful brewery, and owns a woodworking business. With his partner, Carley Mayhew, Monhegans postmaster, Mott is now roasting coffee, hoping to turn that into a year-round business. Yup, year-round residency on our islands requires lots of jobs.

You can learn more about the Island Institute at http://www.islandinstitute.org. Prepare to be inspired.

George Smith is a writer and TV talk show host. He can be reached at 34 Blake Hill Road, Mount Vernon 04352, or [emailprotected] Read more of Smiths writings at http://www.georgesmithmaine.com.

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Trust’s solution to Orkney islands abandoned houses – BBC News

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BBC News
Trust's solution to Orkney islands abandoned houses
BBC News
The housing charity Shelter Scotland says Orkney has one of the highest proportions of empty homes in Scotland, taking population into account. Orkney Islands Council has just become the first Scots island authority to appoint an Empty Homes Officer.

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Loved wife and mother dies in Cook Islands – Stuff.co.nz

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Last updated22:30, August 16 2017

Sunday Star-Times

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade is aware of the death of a New Zealander in the Cook Islands.

A much loved Waikato wife and mother has died in the Cook Islands.

Michelle Robertson, aged 37, died while in Rarotonga on Saturday, August 5.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade is aware of the death of a New Zealander in the Cook Islands.

"The Ministry is unable to provide information about the matter due to privacy considerations," a MFAT spokesperson said.

READ MORE:Auckland woman dies after horse-riding accident while on honeymoon in Vanuatu

"Goodbyes hurt the most, when the story was not finished," a funeral notice printed in the Waikato Times said.

Robertson was farewelled in a funeral service held at St Peter's Catholic Church in Cambridge on Wednesday, August 16, followed by a private cremation.

-Stuff

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