Monthly Archives: April 2020

The Church and the Plague – Medieval and Modern Times (Part three of four) – FSSPX.News

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Plague was recurrent during the middle ages and up to the industrial age. In general, for many centuries, whatever organized medical care existed in Catholic Europe was offered under Church auspices through the monasteries and religious orders.

The Black Death is the plague to which all others are usually compared. This bubonic plague that swept again throughout the world between 1347 and 1354, killing up to 40-50 % of Europes population. The mortality was such (25 million people) that many believed it to be the end of the world. Indeed, it changed the face of the European world: bereft of laborers, the value of land declined, undermining the foundations of the feudal system and easing the way for centralized monarchies. For many, religious fervor was renewed, and new manifestations of piety appeared. Others, however, reacted with a pessimism that threw them into despair or a senseless hedonism, which were in turn reflected in the arts and literature. Many others responded with random acts of violence against those thought to have caused the plague, not only Jews but also people affected by other illnesses, as well as beggars and foreigners.

Amidst that upheaval, priests stepped into sickrooms, materially and spiritually assisting the sick and the dying, knowing that they faced an unseen enemy that very likely would kill them. Nonetheless, thousands of priests took those steps anyway, risking their lives to give hope and comfort to those in pain and fear.

Widespread diseases reappeared continuously throughout the world even into our century, and every time the Churchs response was the same.

During the plague that ravaged Milan in 1567, St. Charles Borromeo was convinced that God permitted it as a punishment for the sins of the people. Still, it also offered an occasion for purification and conversion. Therefore, the decisive remedy was to be found in prayer and penance.

Because in their efforts to curb the contagion, the civil authorities had forbidden religious meetings and processions, St. Charles blamed them for putting all their trust in human means, without a thought for the divine. When frightened people quarantined themselves in their homes, he ordered the erection of crosses in the main squares and street junctions so that the people could attend Masses and public rogations from their windows.

He ministered to the sick himself and encouraged his clergy to do the same, for, where the world saw death and desolation, he saw the possibility of saving souls. Even more, he encouraged the priests, telling them that service in a time of epidemic is the stuff of martyrs. In his words, this was a desirable time now, when without the cruelty of the tyrant, without the rack, without fire, without beasts and in the complete absence of harsh tortures which are usually the most frightful to human weakness, we can obtain the crown of martyrdom.

During the plague that struck Marseille in 1720, Msgr. de Belsunce dedicated himself, personally, along with the resources of the Church, to the assistance of the sick. His words mirrored St. Charles attitude: God forbid that I abandon the people of whom I am obliged to be a father. I owe them my care and my life since I am their Pastor.

Closer to our times, the influenza pandemic of 1918-1919, also known as the Spanish Flu, is considered one of the worst pandemics in history. An estimated 50 million deaths worldwide were attributed to it, far more than the total casualties of World War I. One of its victims, Jacinta of Fatima, offered her sufferings for the conversion of souls.

In the United States, deaths from the Spanish flu have been estimated at around 675,000. In every State, all places of public gathering were closed against the spread of the disease, churches included. The ban was obeyed, although many argued that keeping the churches open would help to appease the panic and fear in which epidemic thrives.

In any case, everywhere, the Church remained at the forefront of the medical and spiritual battle against the disease. Thus, when the Board of Health of Philadelphia ordered the closing of all schools, and suspended church services until further notice, Archbishop Dennis Dougherty offered the use of archdiocesan buildings as temporary hospitals. He further enlisted all priests, non-cloistered nuns, and the lay members of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul to aid the victims of the flu.

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The Church and the Plague - Medieval and Modern Times (Part three of four) - FSSPX.News

An acclaimed Bengali pulp fiction writer turns a voyeuristic eye on the secrets of Calcutta by night – Scroll.in

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In these times of social distancing, Calcutta Nights, a recently translated crisp vintage work from 1923, beams up from the past the whole human mess of city life as we may fail to experience for a long time now enticing , contagious with its mirth, sorrow and decadence, yet ultimately safe. Calcutta-ness is both a cult and a code.

That Calcutta, totem pole of cult, is a distilled city, a Xanadu rich with local detail yet universal, contemporary yet not belonging to any particular period, a continuum of experience. No wonder then, that this wondrous city, simultaneous epicentre of renaissance, nationalism, reform movements and debauchery, should inspire city sketches, first made popular in the mid and late 19th century by the inimitable Hutum Pyachar Naksha. Decades later Hemendra Kumar Roy, prolific and popular author of detective fiction, adopted a nom de guerre to have a go at chronicling the scintillating night life of Calcutta in the 1920s.

If books were bordello windows, their sepia light beckoning, Calcutta Nights would be one such, quite literally. A salacious account of what the night unravels, the book takes you behind the scenes, reports on the microcosm of hedonism, the power plays, symbiotic relations, the intimacies of a prostitute with her regular customer, the paanwali bartering and trading with the police, the beggar, the opium-smoker. What sets this book apart is the flawed and reluctant author.

A prolific writer of detective fiction, primarily for children and young adults, Roy probably stumbled upon this diverse and rich material probably while researching for his more innocuous detective novels armed with a stout stick, he says, and at great personal risk. Against his better judgment, he writes about city la nuit, worried and embarrassed about the task at hand, the adirasa or eroticism that he has failed to avoid while raising the curtains of hell.

In his introduction, he rushes to reassure his readers that none of them will find Calcutta Nights obscene. It is, rather, written with the noble intention of sounding a warning to fathers of young girls and boys. Our Meghnad Gupta, author in hiding, is no Samuel Pepys, the veritable diarist of 17th century London who wrote himself into his salacious scenes, boasting about his own ardour and peccadilloes.

The city Roy writes about is a city of men, consumed by men. In the authors own words this book is written for an adult male audience, a sweeping exclusion that predictably rankles this reviewers entitled, liberal, feminist bourgeoise self. Said outrage is difficult to cull at first. Then, as the book shines with its vivid portrayals, the puritan author becomes part of the setting and it is possible to turn the judging gaze right back at him, to see him in all his troubled light.

Here was an author writing about hedonism at a time when the wave of nationalism was peaking, his puritan acuity often criss-crossing with an awakening of socialism. His feelings about the women he writes about swing from condescension and humble misogyny (empathetic and damning at the same time a tone often taken when writing about giants by the best of Bengali literary stars, Sarat Chandra Chatterjee included) to genuine insight.

A pacy read, the depiction is vivid and colourful. Despite his protestations the author is clearly an insider therein lies the strength and authenticity of this sketch. The description is atmospheric. Roy bring alive, with cinematic realism, the night in which owls flutter awayand gradually the swarthy ugly faces begin to peep and snoop.

And slowly Chitpur Road transforms itself weary clerks disappear, the streets are filled with the scented babus, their faces aglow with Hazeline snow seeking verandthe a belles. Kapure babus, hothat-babus, ingo- bingos, the rich, the white, the Marwari, Chinese, European women of loose morals, courtesans of Chitpur, lustful ladies of Kalighat, the poor prostitute, the wanton widow each scene, as the chapters are aptly called, presents to us a glossary of social categories.

One of the most striking sketches is that of the Bhikiripara or beggars quarters. There are fabulously sensational bits, revealing the authors Roy had translated Bam Stokers Dracula penchant for the supernatural and the fantastic. Particularly recommended are scenes from the Nimtala Crematorium and the one featuring a prostitute who beckons men into her room where a dead man lies, his throat slit open.

Translator Rajat Chaudhuri craftily balances archaic words with new ones, never upsetting the tonal authenticity of a period piece. Ultimately he strikes the right cadence the voice often changing as it travels from Chitpur bordellos to the jazzy evenings in the Anglo quarters or the dim Chinese taverns.

For its depiction of the crowded and dense interplay of lives in the Calcutta of those days, this book is a perfect curl-up for these epic-dammed solitary afternoons. A treasure trove for every city addict has been discovered.

Calcutta Nights, Hemendra Kumar Roy, translated from the Bengali by Rajat Chaudhuri, Niyogi Books

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An acclaimed Bengali pulp fiction writer turns a voyeuristic eye on the secrets of Calcutta by night - Scroll.in

Coronavirus: 5 books that open up new worlds and help you escape lockdown loneliness – YourStory

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More than a third of the worlds population is homebound as governments across the globe take unprecedented measures to quell the spread of coronavirus and flatten the curve.

This means our streets have emptied out, our theatres, malls, parks, and bars see no footfall, and generations of people used to a fast-paced life now have a lot of time on their hands and nowhere to go.

We have helped you along the way in these dark times of staying put at home, keeping healthy, and staving off anxieties. From movies and YouTube videos to diet plans and tips on keeping stress at bay, YS Weekender has you sorted. If you are still restless and perturbed by all that is happening outside your door, we suggest the best balm for the soul: books.

Picture credit: Unsplash

So here are some recommended reads that will whisk you away into worlds and times that are far different from the current one we live in:

This 1933 cosy classic is exactly what the doctor ordered for 2020. Tuck the present far into the dim recesses of your mind and slip into this early twentieth-century tale of a young socialite plucked from her city life and dropped, quite unceremoniously, into the rural English countryside.

Our heroine does not like to sit around so she takes on the mantle of fixing things not the farm or the animals, but the people. A hilarious novel, the book is punctuated with Floras funny observations, including the scorching, Nature is all very well in her place, but she must not be allowed to make things untidy.

Light and witty, this book will bring you a lot of comfort, cold or not.

As news every day in early 2020 looks more and more surreal, why not escape into a delicious work of fantasy? And from none other than the immensely talented fantasy fiction main man Brandon Sanderson himself.

Warbreaker is set in both Idrisa land of restraint and dullness, where life is hard and colourless (quite literally)and Hallandrenthe lap of luxury, hedonism, vibrancy and magic, where the gods live it up. Gods here are great men and women who returned to earth after some noble sacrifice and now live in great decadence.

Our story follows the lives of two sisters, Vivenna and Siri, who are the daughters of the king of Idris, as they set off for Hallandren. Each sister tumbles into a whole host of adventures, which includes the intriguing magic system of Breath and Colours, mercenaries who are ruthless killers, and gods who have lost their human touch and, instead, plot against each other.

This Dickensian coming-of-age tale by the great John Irving follows the lives of the quirky Berrysfather Win, mother Mary, children Frank, Franny, John, Lilly, and Egg. The family lives in and runs a hotel by converting an abandoned girls school in New Hampshire.

The Berrys live a life of laughter and adventure. John, our narrator, is nave and adores his sister Franny, who is bold and beautiful. A socially awkward Frank bonds with Lilly, who does not grow physically after a point, and little Egg who remains babyish.

Then there is their dog that is hilariously brought back to life after a taxidermy experiment and turns up in the unlikeliest places, scaring people, sometimes even to death. The novel is stuffed to the brim with entertaining characters and situations, be it the show bear and its master, a family overhaul to Vienna where Hotel New Hampshire (version 2) springs up, and its inhabitants of friendly prostitutes and radical Commies.

We have a theme, looks like: 20th century English classics = cosy comfort. Here is another gem that will give you all the feels. Dodie Smith, the author of the popular childrens novel The Hundred and One Dalmatians, spins a tale of family love and coming-of-age ruminations.

The eccentric Mortmains are living in the ruins of a dilapidated castle, trying to keep up with a genteel lifestyle even as they deal with mounting debts, leaky roofs, and broken stairs.

Narrated by daughter Cassandra, the book is a journal of the teenager, as she observes her family with clear-eyed honesty softened by plenty of love and compassion.

There is her one-hit wonder father, who suffers from writers block and sequesters himself in the tower of the castle; the bewitching stepmom Topaz, a beautiful model for artists whose quirks include moon-bathing in the nude; Rose, her sister who is a typical English beauty looking to marry rich; and Thomas, the youngest child. Their lives forever change when the Cottons, a wealthy American family, become their landlords.

We have saved the best for last. Station Eleven is a masterpiece. A slow-burn post-apocalyptic novel, it is set in the time after civilisation collapsed following a swine flu pandemic, and a scattered population tries to find its bearings.

Set 20 years after Year Zero, the year a flu wiped out most of the worlds population, we follow a motley crew of charactersa travelling group of actors and musicians called the Travelling Symphony. They come across people both good and bad, as individuals and groups are left to fend for themselves in a world ravaged by disease.

Our world is definitely not ending but this book shows how it is important to come together as a race in turbulent times. Between its pages are many lessons to be learnt set in an immersive, imaginative plot.

(Edited by Teja Lele Desai)

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

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Coronavirus: 5 books that open up new worlds and help you escape lockdown loneliness - YourStory

Playlists Curated by Hotels and Resorts That Make You Feel a World Away – AskMen

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Cooped Up Indoors? These Songs Will Transport You to a Better Place

If youre like most people, these last few weeks of social distancing have taken a serious toll on your mental and physical health.

Your old routine going to the gym, seeing friends, even commuting to work every morning has been totally disrupted, replaced by a quasi house arrest in which youre not even supposed to entertain friends.

RELATED: How to Stay Sane When Youre Cooped Up Indoors

Unless you preferred to never leave your home before this crisis, chances are youre going a bit crazy. After all, there are only so many hours you can spend playing video games, streaming the latest movies and television shows, or doing home workouts in your underwear. At a certain point, you need something to look forward to, something exciting on the horizon to make the lonely present that much more bearable.

Thankfully, a group of hotels across the world (think Jamaica, Italy, Guatemala to Iceland) have curated playlists to help transport you, imaginatively, to their beautiful locales.

Playlist: Hedo Hustle(r) - Nude Edition

After weeks and weeks of social distancing, youre going to want to release all that pent up energy, and what better way to do it than with these high-energy, highly sensuous tunes. Youve heard of music you can dance to? This is music you can twerk to.

Playlist: Hedo Hustle(r) - Prude Edition

If you love pleasure but arent about pure hedonism, thats OK, too. This list of songs is still sensuous without all that sexuality.

Playlist: Grace Bay Beach Vibes

The Turks & Caicos boast some of the worlds best beaches and bluest waters, and this playlist will have you feeling the sun while hearing the sounds of those crystal clear lapping waves.

Playlist: The Land of Eternal Spring

If you think relaxation requires salt water beaches and ocean views, you havent visited Lake Atitlan in Guatemala. Give this playlist a listen to get a sense of the sumptuousness resort vibe and the pristine beauty of its location.

Playlist: Tuscan Vibes by Il Salviatino

Tuscany is famous for its scenic beauty, but the guests of Il Salviatino, tasked with curating this playlist, didnt just evoke its majestic hills; they also captured the upbeat rhythms of nearby Firenze (Florence, for us English-speakers).

Playlist: Aruba Marriott Island Vibes

The temperature inside your apartment might rise when you bump these island jams, evocative of Arubas blue waters and golden sands. If paradise exists on earth, its probably a beach on Aruba just sayin.

Playlist: Barnsley Boot-Scootin Boogie

The South is famous for comfort food, but these tunes prove the cooking isnt the only warm and reassuring thing about Southern living. If youve never been to Georgia, youll still feel the heat with these feel-good country jams.

Playlist: Icelandic Eclectic

If sun and sand isnt your preference, you might prefer the crisp snow and endless skies of Iceland. This playlist, curated by musician and Hotel Ranga Social Media Marketing Manager Ingibjrg Fririksdttir, evokes Icelands ethereal beauty and the utter strangeness of its remote location. Enjoy!

Playlist: Caliente Caribe

The most underappreciated part of America isnt actually part of the mainland its beautiful Puerto Rico, where island beauty, Latin music and the cobblestone streets of Old San Juan have been beguiling visitors for decades. You might not be able to fly there tomorrow, but this playlist will transport you there all the same.

Whether your dream vacation destination involves sunny beaches, mountains, sand, snow or the finest wines and liquors, these playlists will evoke the best of each place, offering you a little respite from the dreariness of the quarantine and an imaginative escape to paradise.

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Playlists Curated by Hotels and Resorts That Make You Feel a World Away - AskMen

Shelf isolation: stylish reads to keep your spirits up – The Guardian

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The Mirror and the Light by Hilary Mantel

It is the present we must reckon with, observes Thomas Cromwell in the final part of Mantels trilogy. You can say that again, mate. At 900 pages, The Mirror and the Light has arrived eerily perfectly formed for the present we are reckoning with and I dont just mean that the hardback version is the perfect size for putting under your laptop to avoid double chin on Zoom calls. Cromwell is a master of optics and power dressing five centuries ahead of his time: he sees the visual messaging in every embroidered cloak and the symbolism in every jewellery love gift. Also, the square necklines are very this-season Rixo.Jess Cartner-Morley

Even if you have yet to surrender to a full day in sweatpants, life probably feels less than glamorous at the moment. What better world to get lost in, then, than one described by F Scott Fitzgerald. The Great Gatsby is the obvious choice, but if you pine after a cancelled holiday to, say, the south of France, the authors last novel is a good way to get your Riviera fashion fix. From bathing suits and corsages to the notion of dressing for dinner, there is plenty of style inspiration to stockpile.Leah Harper

If you have ever felt sheepish about having an interest in style, I urge you to read this book. It argues that clothes are far from a trivial or superficial pursuit, through potted fashion history and reflection from luminaries such as Jane Austen and Nancy Mitford. Most memorable, though, are the stories of women in horrific circumstances who have used clothing as balm; the image of a seamstress customising her fellow prisoners uniforms in Ravensbrck concentration camp during the second world war has stayed with me since I read it a decade ago. The book is a great read for where were at now joyful, hopeful and free of judgment. It seems to say: whatever makes you feel better, whatever you enjoy when life is otherwise bewildering, you should absolutely go for it. Hannah Marriott

Looking at the intergalactic fashions created by designer Larry LeGaspi is wonderfully escapist. Rick Owens, who curated this coffee table book after realising there was a LeGaspi-shaped hole in the internet, credits the designer as a big influence on his own otherworldly fashion aesthetic. Stage looks for Kiss, Labelle and Divine are just some of the treasures in this warm, magical scrapbook of 70s album covers, interviews, design sketches and backstage photos. Think Close Encounters of the Studio 54 kind.Priya Elan

If you havent read this fashion classic, now is the time, if only for the genesis chapter of the LBD: It was a warm evening, nearly summer, and she wore a slim cool black dress, black sandals, and a pearl choker. For all her chic thinness, she had an almost breakfast-cereal air of health, a soap and lemon cleanness, a rough pink darkening of the cheeks. The book that invented the Little Black Dress is full of sage style advice. Its tacky to wear diamonds before youre 40, and even thats risky. They only look right on the really old girls.Jess Cartner-Morley

If its a complete change of mood you want, look no further than Alexa Chungs 2013 memoir-cum-picture-book. This scrapbook-style collection of the kinds of images beloved by fashion Instagram Annie Hall, Anna Karina, Twiggy and, of course, Alexa herself is ideal to fill the void between Zoom dates and online yoga. A pleasant, if surface-level, dip into the world of the not-yet-designer, filled with fun soundbites such as: I am obsessed with moisturising. I am also obsessed with cigarettes so I like to think the two balance each other out. It feels surprisingly dated at times but thats not necessarily a bad thing right now. Leah Harper

I wanted to see Kim Kardashian dressed up as Big Ben. I hoped Katy Perry would use a sundial as a fascinator. But this years Met Gala, which was to take place on 4 May, has been postponed. Luckily, the set text on which red carpet outfits were to be based is still ripe for enjoyment. Orlando is a funny, surreal, exuberant novel about a poet who lives from Elizabethan times until the early 20th century. It questions the very nature of time, which feels great right now. It is also brilliant on clothes as a symbol of something hid deep beneath The man has his hand free to seize his sword, the woman must use hers to keep the satins from slipping from her shoulders. More than simply keeping us warm, Woolf argues, clothes change our view of the world and the worlds view of us, which makes me think I should raise my Google Hangouts game at some point. Hannah Marriott

Set in the frock department of an upscale Sydney department store in 1959, this book was described as a deceptively smart comic gem by The New York Times Book Review when it was first published in 1993. Hilary Mantel has said it is the book I most give as a gift to cheer people up. The sassy attitude and jazzy aesthetic will appeal to fans of The Marvellous Mrs Maisel, while its thoughtful comedy of manners delivers just the right degree of escapism.Jess Cartner-Morley

If youre after a chilling insight into modern society, look no further than Bret Easton Elliss American Psycho. Not for the faint-hearted, this bitter black comedy depicts stomach-wrenching brutality, although its main focus is the yuppie Wall Street mentality of the sharply dressed protagonist Patrick Bateman. The narrative jumps suddenly from his thrill at purchasing a new pair of A Testoni loafers to scenes of extreme violence. Bateman is obsessed with his image; from the finest clothes, as instructed in GQ, to the wealthy friends he hates, to being seen in the hottest clubs with the most attractive hardbodies he can find. Its a portrayal of dissatisfaction that arises from presenting a perfect exterior but being hollow beneath, something more apt in todays Instagram culture than ever. Not an easy read, but an engrossing one, and you will know what type of suit you can wear with cashmere socks once you are done.Peter Bevan

Audrey Withers, wartime editor of British Vogue, earned herself the nickname Austerity Withers for her gung-ho, can-do spirit. Beginning her editorship the day the blitz began in London, she achieved no mean feat in keeping the print magazine on shelves throughout the war. Vogue, she liked to say, was put to bed in a bunker like everyone else in London. This recent biography features jolly cameos from Cecil Beaton and Elizabeth David, but it is the stories of how her Vogue adapted its lifestyle to the zeitgeist, with features on growing your own vegetables and cutting your own hair, that make it perfect for today.Jess Cartner-Morley

When The Beautiful Fall came out in 2006, Karl Lagerfeld took author Alicia Drake to court for invasion of privacy. This fact should be enough to make anyone want to read the tale of Lagerfeld of fellow designer and frenemy Yves Saint Laurent from the 50s onwards. A mixture of gossip, hedonism, glamorous muses and fashion history, you will finish this with more knowledge of Parisian fashion over a key 40-year period, yes, but also an unmistakable desire to go disco dancing till the sun comes up, once quarantine is lifted. Lauren Cochrane

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Shelf isolation: stylish reads to keep your spirits up - The Guardian

Oliver Craske: Indian Sun, The Life and Music of Ravi Shankar review – a master receives masterly treatment – The Arts Desk

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Ravi Shankar was one of the giants of 20th century music. A musician, composer and teacher, he had an extraordinarily fruitful career that spanned nine decades and reached the entire world. He did more to build a bridge between the music and spirituality of India and the West than any of his contemporaries.

He is probably most widely-known known for his relationship with George Harrison and the association of the sitar with the psychedelic explorations of the 60s. There was however, a good deal more, as we discover in an outstanding, forensic and deeply sympathetic biography by Oliver Craske: the brilliantly original soundtracks for instance, he produced for Satyajit Ray and Jonathan Miller, his deep influence on Americas minimalists, not least Philip Glass, collaborations with Yehudi Menuhin and experiments with the orchestration of solo-focused Indian classical music. And most of all his revitalisation as a performer and teacher of a rich and complex musical tradition that reached back to the 16th century Mughal court and well beyond.

Craske was, in many ways, the ideal author for this first biography: he was close to Indias master musician, and collaborated with him on his vivid autobiography Raga Mala (1997). Craske is also a serious student of Hindustani vocals, and has an Indian wife. Writing such a penetrating portrait requires the ability to mirror Shankars lifelong dedication to cultural conversation, a task that is at one level impossible as with all authentic translation. And yet, this book does a great deal to bridge the gap, and describe the challenge that Raviji (as he was known to those around him) faced in choosing to connect two very different worlds: the East, where divine presence infuses all thought and action, and the West, where a more materialistic outlook has held sway for centuries. For those not so familiar with Indian music, the author includes a number of passages in which he explains the fundamentals of the raga system and the intricate rhythmic patterns or tal, as well as the universe of microtones and the art of sliding from one tone to another that is so characteristic to music from the East in general.

Raviji often spoke of a core sadness at the heart of his being

Craske deftly traces a number of interconnected threads in Shankars immensely productive and frantically busy life: his conscious mission to acquaint the world with Indian music classical and devotional, his perpetual passion for expanding the realm of his own traditions, a guilt-ridden struggle with a very complicated - yet at times joyous - personal life, and a series of long-lasting and intimate creative relationships with Western musicians, not least Yehudi Menuhin, George Harrison, and Philip Glass.

The biography stalls a little when the author takes us through year after year of tours, gigs and meetings, often without sufficient dates. There is just too much detail. Luckily, Craske is a very fluent, sober and clear writer. The book takes off when we plunge into a particular constellation of events, such as the arrival of brother Uday Shankars dance troupe in New York in the early 1930s, when Ravi played in the orchestra as a young child, or the celebrated Monterey Rock Festival in 1967, which brought to a climax Shankars emergence as a countercultural superstar, not least in the exhilarating finale to D A Pennebakers celebrated film of the event.

As a trusted friend of the family, Craske has had access to the entire Shankar archive, and interviewed just about every surviving key witness to his life, excluding Sue Jones, Norahs mother. As his widow Sukanya felt totally secure in her husbands love and devotion, this in no way precluded a thorough exploration of every aspect of Ravijis life, not least his abundant and very free relationships with a great deal of women. He was a charismatic and attractive man, not just for his looks, but because he was gentle and attentive, and had the knack for making those around him feel important, without ever resorting to flattery. Although theres a good deal that comes straight from the musicians autobiography, Craske has gone further and delved into Shankars letters not least to one of his first disciples Harihar Rao, many of which give an insight that goes beyond the mans reliance in interviews on a well-rehearsed narrative, designed to please the listener, a performance rather than a real opening onto his inner world.

Craskes central theme is a psychological one: the key to Ravi Shankars restlessness, and butterfly-like succession of relationships with women often several at the same time - lies, he argues, in childhood trauma: repeated rape in his native city of Varanasi (this is the biographys central revelation) and an almost totally absent father. He had three father-substitutes his brother the dancer and choreographer Uday, his stern but loving music teacher Allauddin Khan, and his spiritual guru Tat Baba. But he had great difficulty with his own son Shubho born of his mostly very difficult relationship to his first wife, Annapurna, his music gurus daughter. After Shubhos death, Shankar found a less equivocal substitute in George Harrison, whom he unconditionally loved.

Raviji often spoke of a core sadness at the heart of his being, a void which he spent a lifetime trying to fill with music, people and, perhaps more important, a very rich spiritual life focused on the extraordinarily powerful and apparently supernatural relationship he had with Tat Baba. Craske understands, with his heart as well as his head, the importance of a deep connection with the life of the spirit. It is perhaps this aura of spiritual aspiration that attracted people so strongly to Raviji. He lived his devotion without pretence, the spirit filled every note that he played, and this devotees focus made him very critical of those who sought hedonism in the drug experience, using his music as a soundtrack to trips that he felt were poor substitutes for authentic connection to the divine.

The inner yearning that drove Ravi Shankar fuelled his incomparable creativity a torrent of work, not always of the very highest order, as Craske demonstrates. He drove himself relentlessly, until the very end, the final twenty years of his life hardly less prolific than before, with the unstinting support of his immensely devoted and well-organised wife Sukanya. There was also his delight in his very talented daughter Anoushka, matched by a less intimate but strong relationship with his other daughter, the equally gifted Norah Jones. Paradoxically, this powerhouse of creative force was deeply vulnerable, subject to frequent periods of illness from early childhood and regularly in hospital for major interventions during the last 25 years of his life. This unusual degree of openness and sensitivity plagued him, but the wounds he carried, emotionally and physically, may have enabled the flow of new ideas and passion for exploration that never ceased until the day he died.

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Oliver Craske: Indian Sun, The Life and Music of Ravi Shankar review - a master receives masterly treatment - The Arts Desk

Beckerman column: When the toilet runs, catch it – Monmouth Daily Review Atlas

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As I was banging away on my laptop in the living room, I soon became aware of a constant swooshing sound coming from down the hall. Having been down this swooshing road before, I knew immediately what the problem was.

Our toilet was running.

Whats wrong with the toilet? asked my husband when he noticed that the toilet seemed to be flushing forever.

Its running.

I know its running, he said. Why is it running?

Maybe someone is chasing it, I said.

He rolled his eyes. Toilet paper might be in short supply, but the bad mom jokes were a plenty.

I realized, though, that we did indeed have a problem. We couldnt let a plumber come in because of the whole social distancing thing. We also couldnt let our handyman in for the same reason. I thought maybe my husband could download a copy of Plumbing for Dummies and try to fix it himself, but I suspected that he would be as good a plumber as he was an electrician which was not all that good considering hed once tried to fix a light switch, blew all the circuit breakers, and nearly burned down the house. When Id asked him how he could have screwed it up so monumentally, he simply replied, Its all in the wrist.

When the kids were little we lived in a tiny house that had one bathroom. At the time, my son had finally somewhat mastered the art of the toilet and my daughter was in the throes of potty training. It was inevitable that one day our toilet would revolt, and when it did, we couldnt get a plumber for two days. We quite literally did not have a pot to well, you know. But we did have my daughters potty. For the four of us. For two days. It actually made the idea of an outhouse look good.

The bad news now was that our kids had grown and we no longer had a potty to use. The good news was, we had a second bathroom. Still, I thought it behooved us to get the running toilet to stop running before we had another issue, like a leak, which we also wouldnt be able to get anyone in to fix for us.

The fact that the running toilet was in what we had designated as my husbands bathroom allowed me to:

a) point fingers and say it was his fault, and

b) tell him he had to find a way to fix it, and

c) stockpile air freshener in case he couldnt.

This was good in theory, but with my husbands checkered history in home repair, it seemed we had a better chance of solving the problem without causing a Noahs Ark-sized deluge if I took charge. I looked online and within minutes I found a possible solution.

Im no plumber, I said to my husband. But I suspect that the problem is the doohickey inside the thingamabob thats not working right.

He looked at me in utter confusion.

The DOOHICKEY! I repeated loudly. In there! I pointed to the tank.

He shrugged. Id seen more enthusiasm from a slug.

Argh, I said. I think we just need to do this.

I walked over to the side of the toilet, adjusted the top of the tank, and jiggled the handle. The toilet started to slow down and then went quiet.

Howd you do that? asked my husband in amazement.

I shook my hand.

Its all in the wrist.

You can follow Tracy on Twitter @TracyBeckerman and become a fan on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/LostinSuburbiaFanPage.

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Beckerman column: When the toilet runs, catch it - Monmouth Daily Review Atlas

What’s the difference between pandemic and epidemic? – ChicagoNow

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Source: Reusableart.com

As a word maven, I am enjoying something during all the stories about the novel Coronavirus pandemic. I am enjoying the use of the specific, but previously rare, word "pandemic" itself.

On the other hand, I'm reluctant to write that we're "in the middle of" a pandemic -- not because I'm worried about the word pandemic, but I'm worried about "in the middle." It always reminds me of my mother, who did a lot of sewing. When she needed to cut two things from a piece of fabric, she wanted to find the middle. To do that, she would hold one end of the fabric. I would hold the other and bring it up to her hands. Then we knew where the middle was, the same distance from both ends. Without knowing the end, how can you say we're in the middle? (I get the same way about "middle age.")

But at least I'm hearing the word pandemic, not just epidemic. My old faithful dictionary, Webster's New Twentieth Century, second edition, calls pandemic "a type of epidemic that affects large numbers, whole communities, or the majority of a place at the same time." Epidemic is "a disease prevalent in a locality, an epidemic disease; also, the rapid spreading of such a disease."

The prefix pan- is defined on Dictionary.com as "a combining form meaning all, occurring originally in loanwords from Greek (panacea; panoply), but now used freely as a general formative (panleukopenia; panorama; pantelegraph; pantheism; pantonality), and especially in terms, formed at will, implying the union of all branches of a group (Pan-Christian; Panhellenic; Pan-Slavism)."

So a pandemic is an epidemic affecting us all, or the majority of a place.

The majority of a planet, perhaps?

Margaret Serious has a page on Facebook. Stop by for a socially distanced visit.

Are you ready for something different to read? A Sustaining Book to Help and Comfort, or comments about word usage? Then subscribe today and have Margaret Serious delivered!Type your e-mail address in the box and click the "create subscription" button. My list is completely spam-free, and you can opt out at any time.

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What's the difference between pandemic and epidemic? - ChicagoNow

Coronavirus Business Tracker: How The Private Sector Is Fighting The COVID-19 Pandemic – Forbes

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Alain Mrieux, founder of BioMrieux.

Latest update: April 1, 2020, at 4:47 pm ET.

Businesses around the world are shifting into overdrive to help battle the coronavirus, providing everything from rubber gloves and ventilators to diagnostic tools and, hopefully soon, vaccines. While the pandemic continues to wreak havoc, large corporations and small businesses are developing creative solutions to halt the spread of the virus.

Just as automakers famously shifted to make tanks and planes during World War II, todays global giants LVMH, Ford and GE to name a few are retooling their production lines to help make everything from hand sanitizers to respirators. On the medical front, there are more than three dozen COVID-19 vaccines under development, a smart move considering that two out of every three vaccines for infectious diseases fail, according to a study by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Forbes will continue to update this list of private companies and how they are stepping up to fight the COVID-19 pandemic:

Testing:

Abbott Laboratories: Abbott Park, Illinois healthcare firm obtained emergency FDA authorization for its 5-minute coronavirus testing kit on March 27, with plans to start manufacturing 50,000 kits a day.

Alphabet: Through its healthcare arm Verily, Googles parent company launched a website where users can find nearby testing sites in four California counties.

Jeff Bezos.

Amazon: Jeff Bezos retail behemoth invested $20 million in the Amazon Web Services Diagnostic Initiative, which aims to speed up delivery of COVID-19 tests to the market.

BioMrieux: French biotech company, founded by billionaire Alain Mrieux,received emergency FDA approval for its subsidiarys new testing kit, which cuts testing times for the virus down to 45 minutes.

Carbon: California-based 3D printing unicorn backed by Russian tech investor Yuri Milner will soon be distributing testing swabs and face shields to hospitals in the Bay Area.

Cepheid: Sunnyvale, California molecular diagnostics company gained emergency FDA authorization for its new 45-minute COVID-19 testing kit.

Copan Diagnostics: Family-owned company located at the heart of Italys hard-hit Lombardy region makes diagnostic swabs for testing, airlifting 500,000 swabs to the U.S.

DiaSorin: Italian biotech company owned by billionaire Gustavo Denegri obtained emergency authorization from the FDA for its new 60-minute testing kit for COVID-19.

Mammoth Biosciences: South San Francisco-based biotech startup, founded by three 30 Under 30 alums, prototyped a rapid test by using the gene-editing tool Crispr to detect the disease.

Mesa Biotech: San Diego biotech business obtained FDA approval for its new 30-minute testing kit for COVID-19.

Puritan Medical Products: Maine-based diagnostic maker, one of the worlds largest makers of diagnostic swabs along with Italys Copan Diagnostics, is reportedly increasing production to make one million COVID-19 testing swabs a week.

Treatments:

AbbVie: North Chicago-based, publicly traded pharma firm is collaborating with authorities in the EU, the U.S. and China on experimental use of its HIV drug lopinavir/ritonavir to treat COVID-19.

AIM Immunotech: Florida-based pharmaceutical company announced on March 9 it would begin experimental testing of its chronic fatigue syndrome drug rintatolimod as a treatment for COVID-19 in Japan, at the National Institute of Infectious Diseases and the University of Tokyo.

Algernon Pharmaceuticals: Vancouver-based pharmaceutical firm is requesting FDA approval to begin trials of its chronic cough medication ifenprodil as a treatment for COVID-19.

AlloVir: Houston-based cell and gene therapy company is collaborating with Baylor College of Medicine to discover and develop T-cell therapies to fight COVID-19.

Apeiron Biologics: Vienna-based biotech firm started small-scale trials of its immunotherapy treatment on COVID-19 in China in February.

Ascletis: Hangzhou, China pharmaceutical company announced results of clinical trials of its antiviral drug danoprevir on COVID-19 patients in China; the small-scale study found that danoprevir combined with ritonavir is safe and well tolerated in all patients.

Bioxytran: Boston-based biotech outfit is developing a viral inhibitor to treat COVID-19.

Celltrion: South Korean healthcare firm is developing an antiviral treatment for COVID-19 as well as rapid self-testing kits that would provide results within fifteen to twenty minutes.

Cocrystal Pharma: Bothell, Washington pharma outfit is developing antivirals to treat COVID-19 using patents it recently acquired from the Kansas State University Research Foundation.

CytoDyn: Vancouver, Washington biotech firm announced preliminary results from three days of testing its antiviral drug leronlimab on COVID-19 patients in New York; the company stated in a press release that test results from the first four patients suggests immunological benefit within three days following treatment with leronlimab.

Eli Lilly: Indianapolis pharma company is partnering with Vancouver-based biotech outfit AbCellera to develop antibody-based treatments for COVID-19.

Emergent BioSolutions: Maryland drugmaker is developing treatments derived from the antibodies found in the blood of people who tested positive for the disease.

EUSA Pharma: British pharmaceutical firm initiated trials of its siltuximab antibody treatment on COVID-19 patients at the Papa Giovanni XXIII hospital in Bergamo, Italy; the company released initial data on April 1 showing that one third of patients experienced clinical improvement with reduced need for oxygen support and a further 43% saw their disease stabilise.

Fujifilm Toyama Chemical: Tokyo-based conglomerates flu drug favipiravir has shown promising results in early clinical trials on COVID-19 patients in China, and the company is investing $83 million in its biological manufacturing capabilities.

Gilead: The Californian biotech giant initiated clinical trials in March for its antiviral drug remdesivir on patients in the U.S.

Harbour BioMed: Cambridge, Massachusetts biomedical firm announced a collaboration with New Yorks Mount Sinai Health System to develop new human antibodies to treat COVID-19.

I-Mab Biopharma: Shanghai-based biopharma outfit announced it would begin clinical trials of its TJM2 antibody treatment on COVID-19 patients in the United States, with plans to expand to other countries affected by the pandemic.

ImmunoPrecise: Canadian life sciences company is teaming up with New York-based AI startup EVQLV Inc on researching antibody-based therapies and a vaccine for COVID-19.

Innovation Pharmaceuticals: Wakefield, Massachusetts biopharma firm is researching the use of its drug brilacidin part of a category of investigational new drugs called defensin mimetics, which could have antimicrobial effects as both a treatment and a vaccine for COVID-19, in separate efforts with a major U.S. university and with the Department of Health and Human Services.

ISR Immune System Regulation: Swedish immunotherapy firms subsidiary, ISR HBV, is conducting toxicological studies to determine whether its Immunolid ISR50 treatment could be used against COVID-19.

Kamada: Israeli pharmaceutical company is working on an antibody-based treatment for COVID-19 using the blood plasma of patients who recovered from the disease.

Mateon Therapeutics: Californian biopharma firm is testing a number of antiviral drugs as potential treatments for COVID-19 and is preparing to submit an application to the FDA in order to begin clinical trials on patients.

Merck KGaA: Darmstadt, Germany-based pharma multinational donated a supply of its multiple sclerosis drug interferon beta-1a to the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research in Paris for clinical trials on COVID-19 patients. The companys North American life sciences arm, MilliporeSigma, is supplying several vaccine efforts with reagents and other essential raw products for vaccine development.

Mesoblast: Australian medical firm is working with authorities in the U.S., Australia, China and Europe to evaluate the use of its remestemcel-L drug to treat COVID-19.

Mylan: Pennsylvania-based pharmaceutical firm restarted production of hydroxychloroquine, a drug used to fight lupus, malaria and arthritis, at its West Virginia factory; the drug is being tested as a treatment for COVID-19 in human trials in New York.

Pluristem Therapeutics: Haifa, Israel-based medical company is developing a cell-based therapy to treat COVID-19, announcing on March 30 it had dosed three Israeli patients under a compassionate use program, with plans to enroll more.

Leonard Schleifer.

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals: Westchester, New York biotech outfit, run by billionaires Leonard Schleifer and George Yancopoulos, is conducting clinical trials of its rheumatoid arthritis drug sarilumab, developed with French firm Sanofi, on patients in New York.

Roche: Swiss pharma titan, part-owned by billionaire Maja Oeri, is testing its arthritis drug tocilizumab to treat patients in China and received FDA approval to begin U.S. trials.

Roivant Sciences: Swiss pharma company is working with U.S. authorities to begin trials of its antibody treatment, gimsilumab, on COVID-19 patients.

Takeda: Japanese medical firm is working on hyperimmune therapy using blood plasma from previously infected patients.

Vir Biotechnology: The San Francisco-based firm is collaborating with Biogen and Chinese medical firm WuXi Biologics to manufacture antibodies that could treat the virus.

Vaccines:

AJ Vaccines: Danish vaccine developer is working on a COVID-19 vaccine that could hit the market in 2021.

Altimmune: The company is developing a novel intranasal vaccine for the coronavirus, making it one of three firms based in Gaithersburg, Maryland along with Emergent Biosolutions and Novavax thats working on treatments and vaccines for COVID-19.

Arcturus Therapeutics: San Diego-based vaccine maker is developing a COVID-19 vaccine with researchers at the Duke-National University of Singapore medical school in Singapore.

Biocad: Russian drug developer is researching a COVID-19 vaccine, with animal trials scheduled for late April.

Thomas and Andreas Struengmann.

BioNTech: German biotech firm backed by billionaire twins Thomas and Andreas Struengmann is working to develop a coronavirus vaccine in partnership with Pfizer and Fosun Pharma, chaired by billionaire Guo Guangchang.

CanSino Biologics: Tianjin, China-based pharma company isstarting clinical trials for its COVID-19 vaccine, using the vaccine technology deployed to develop the Ebola vaccine.

Codagenix: Melville, New York biotech firm is teaming up with the Serum Institute of India to develop a live-attenuated COVID-19 vaccine, which uses a live but weakened form of the virus.

Dietmar Hopp.

CureVac: German firm, funded by billionaire Dietmar Hopp and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, received $87 million from the European Commission to scale up development of its coronavirus vaccine.

Dyadic: Jupiter, Florida company is collaborating with the Israel Institute for Biological Research on both treatment and a vaccine against COVID-19, using the firms gene expression platform.

Dynavax: Emeryville, California vaccine maker is working with the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) and the University of Queensland to develop a COVID-19 vaccine.

EpiVax: Providence-based immunology firm is working with the University of Georgia and Miramar, Florida biotech outfit Generex on separate COVID-19 vaccine efforts.

ExpreS2ion: Danish biotech company received a grant of nearly $1 million from the European Union to develop a vaccine for COVID-19.

GeoVax: Atlanta-based medical company is collaborating with Wuhan-based BioVax to jointly produce a COVID-19 vaccine.

GlaxoSmithKline: British pharma titan is partnering with CEPI and Chengdu, China-based Clover Pharmaceuticals to use its pandemic vaccine adjuvant platform which boosts the immune response in patients receiving a shot to speed up development of COVID-19 vaccines.

Greffex: Houston-based genetic engineering firm is preparing to begin animal trials for its COVID-19 vaccine.

Heat Biologics: North Carolina biopharma company is developing a COVID-19 vaccine with the University of Miami.

iBio: Newark, Delaware biotech upstart is collaborating with Beijing-based CC-Pharming on the rapid development of a COVID-19 vaccine.

Inovio: Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania biotech business received $11.9 million in funding from the Department of Defense to rapidly produce a DNA vaccine for COVID-19 with drugmaker Ology Bioservices.

Johnson & Johnson: The companys pharma unit, Janssen, will start manufacturing its vaccine developed with the Department of Health and Human Services this month, with human trials set to begin by September and a public rollout hoped for early 2021. The company and the federal government are investing more than $1 billion in the vaccine effort.

Medicago: Quebec City-based biotech company received more than $7 million from the Canadian and Quebec governments to fund development of its COVID-19 vaccine.

Moderna: Massachusetts biotech company was the first tobegin human trials of its vaccine on March 16 in Seattle and could deploy it to health workers for emergency use by the fall.

Novavax: Maryland-based vaccine maker received $4 million in funding from CEPI to accelerate development of its vaccine candidates, with clinical trials expected in the late spring.

Sanofi: French medical firm is working with the federal government and Massachusetts-based Translate Bio to expedite its coronavirus vaccine, using technology previously used to develop one for SARS.

Sorrento Therapeutics: San Diego-based biotech firm is teaming up with Cambridge, MA gene therapy company SmartPharm Therapeutics to develop a gene-encoded COVID-19 vaccine; its also working with Chinese drugmaker Mabpharm on a fusion protein treatment for the disease.

Takis Biotech: Italian startup with just 25 employees is developing a vaccine with Stony Brook-based Applied DNA Sciences, with plans to begin human trials before the end of the year.

Themis Bioscience: Austrian biotech firm is part of a group, with the Institut Pasteur and the University of Pittsburgh, which received $4.9 million in initial funding from CEPI to build a COVID-19 vaccine modeled on the vaccine for measles.

Tonix Pharmaceuticals: New York-based pharma outfit is researching a potential COVID-19 vaccine based on the virus that causes horsepox.

Vaxart: San Francisco vaccine manufacturer Vaxart is working with Emergent Biosolutions to develop and manufacture an oral vaccine that can be taken as a tablet.

Vaxil: Israeli biotech startup began preclinical trials for its COVID-19 vaccine candidate.

Zydus Cadila: Indian pharma company announced it would fast-track development of a COVID-19 vaccine in February.

Protective Equipment And Sanitizer:

Anheuser-Busch InBev: The worlds largest beer company is making more than one million bottles of hand sanitizer from surplus alcohol at its breweries around the world.

Giorgio Armani.

Armani: Billionaire Giorgio Armanis luxury fashion brand converted all production at its Italian factories to manufacture single-use medical overalls on March 26.

Bacardi: The Bermuda-based spirits giant converted production at nine production facilities in Mexico, France, England, Italy, Scotland, Puerto Rico and the continental U.S. to make hand sanitizer.

BrewDog: Independent beermaker is making hand sanitizer at its distillery in Scotland.

Bulgari: The Italian luxury jeweler is manufacturing hand sanitizer with its fragrances partner, ICR, with plans to make hundreds of thousands of bottles by May.

Sandro Veronesi.

Calzedonia Group: Italian retail clothing group, owned by billionaire Sandro Veronesi, converted production at several plants in Italy and Croatia to manufacture masks and medical gowns, with initial production of 10,000 masks a day.

Cantabria Labs: Spanish health products and cosmetics firm converted production at one of its factories to make hand sanitizer.

Consomed: Tunisian mask and medical equipment maker put all of its workers, more than 70% of which are reportedly women, on quarantine inside the companys Kairouan factory to maximize production of protective gear.

Decathlon: Sporting goods empire founded by French billionaire Michel Leclercq partnered with Isinnova, a small engineering and design firm based in Italy, to convert snorkeling masks into respirators.

Diageo: The maker of Johnnie Walker whisky and Smirnoff vodka donated two million liters of ethyl alcohol, a byproduct of the distillation process, to hand sanitizer manufacturers.

Fanatics: Billionaire Michael Rubins online sportswear retailer converted its baseball jersey factory in Pennsylvania to make masks and gowns for medical workers.

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles: The multinational automaker announced on March 23 it would begin installing capacity to produce masks, which will be initially distributed in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

Fippi: Italian diapers producer worked with the Lombardy region and the Polytechnic University of Milan to convert its factory to make up to 900,000 masks a day, which will go to frontline health workers facing a devastating outbreak in the region.

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Coronavirus Business Tracker: How The Private Sector Is Fighting The COVID-19 Pandemic - Forbes

NIH researchers discover gene for rare disease of excess bone tissue growth – National Institutes of Health

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Media Advisory

Tuesday, March 31, 2020

Findings provide insight that may inform search for treatments.

Researchers at the National Institutes of Health have discovered a second gene that causes melorheostosis, a rare group of conditions involving an often painful and disfiguring overgrowth of bone tissue. The gene, SMAD3, is part of a pathway that regulates cell development and growth. The researchers are now working to develop an animal model with a mutant version of SMAD3 to test potential treatments for the condition. The study appears in the Journal of Experimental Medicine.

Melorheostosis affects about 1 in 1 million people. Its causes have long been unknown. DNA tests of blood and skin could not identify a mutation. The key to finding the gene was to biopsy the affected bone directly and compare it to unaffected bone. Earlier, the researchers used this method to discover the gene for dripping candle wax bone disease, a form of melorheostosis in which excess bone growth appears to drip from the bone surface like hot wax. In that study, mutations in the gene MAP2K1 accounted for eight cases of the disease among 15 patients.

In the current study, researchers scanned the exome the part of the genome that codes for proteins and found mutations in the affected bone. These mutations occurred during the patients lifetime rather than being inherited from parents and are not present in all the cells of the body.

The researchers found SMAD3 mutations in four of the patients who did not have mutations in MAP2K1. SMAD3 is involved in a pathway crucial for skeletal development both before and after birth. The SMAD3 mutations increase the maturation of bone-forming cells and are involved in a cellular pathway distinct from the MAPK2K1 pathway.

The study was conducted by researchers at NIHs Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases and the NIH Clinical Center, as well as the Ludwig-Boltzmann Institute of Osteology at the Hanusch Hospital in Vienna, Austria.

Senior author Joan Marini, M.D., chief of the NICHD Section on Heritable Disorders of Bone and Extracellular Matrix, is available for comment.

Kang, H. et al. Somatic SMAD3 activating mutations cause melorheostosis by upregulating the TGF-/SMAD pathway. Journal of Experimental Medicine. DOI:10.1084/jem.20191499

About the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD): NICHD leads research and training to understand human development, improve reproductive health, enhance the lives of children and adolescents, and optimize abilities for all. For more information, visit https://www.nichd.nih.gov.

About the National Institutes of Health (NIH):NIH, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit http://www.nih.gov.

NIHTurning Discovery Into Health

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NIH researchers discover gene for rare disease of excess bone tissue growth - National Institutes of Health

Novartis wins key European recommendation for gene therapy Zolgensma – Reuters

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FILE PHOTO: The company's logo is seen at a building of Swiss drugmaker Novartis in Rotkreuz, Switzerland, January 29, 2020. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann

ZURICH (Reuters) - Swiss drugmaker Novartis on Friday won a key European recommendation for its gene therapy Zolgensma against spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), clearing a hurdle for $2.1 million per patient treatment for approval in Europe within months.

The European Medicines Agencys (EMA) Committee for Human Medicines (CHMP) recommended conditional approval for Zolgensma for certain patients: those with Type 1 SMA, the severest form of the disease, or for SMA patients with up to three copies of the so-called SMN2 gene, an indicator of the diseases severity.

The EMAs conditional approval is meant to speed up access to medicines for unmet needs, based on less-complete data than normally expected.

Typically the European Commission approves medicines for use shortly after a CHMP recommendation, and Novartis is expecting a decision by June. The medicine, the worlds costliest one-time treatment at its U.S. list price, has already been approved in the United States and Japan.

Novartis is counting on the gene therapy becoming a billion-dollar-per-year seller. Zolgensma is the second treatment for SMA to be approved after Biogens Spinraza three years ago. Roche is expecting its oral drug risdiplam to win U.S. regulators blessing in May.

Reporting by John Miller; Editing by Michael Shields

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Novartis wins key European recommendation for gene therapy Zolgensma - Reuters

Scientists discover gene that increases risk of Alzheimer’s disease – UBC Faculty of Medicine

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Researchers from the University of British Columbia (UBC) and the Central South University (CSU) in China have for the first time identified a gene that increases the risk of Alzheimers disease.

Dr. Weihong Song

In the study, published recently in the journal JCI Insight, the researchers found two mutations in the gene endothelin-converting enzyme 2 (ECE2) which impaired its ability to break down amyloid beta protein. These mutations were present significantly more often in people with Alzheimers than in controlssuggesting that the genetic variants in ECE2 could be causing, or at least contributing to, Alzheimers symptoms.

Since amyloid beta protein is unique to Alzheimers disease, the majority of drug development was targeted here, says Dr. Weihong Song, who is the Canada Research Chair in Alzheimers disease, professor in the faculty of medicines department of psychiatry, Jack Brown and Family Professor, and director of UBCs Townsend Family Laboratories. If we can prevent amyloid beta protein build up or at least find a way to get rid of some of it, we could prevent and treat the disease.

Dr. Songs laboratory at UBC collaborated with Dr. Lu Shens team at Xiangya Hospital at CSU for the study. The studys lead author is Dr. Xinxin Lio who completed a joint PhD at UBC and CSU.

The scientists looked at 741 people with late-onset Alzheimers and compared them to controls. Unlike early-onset which affects people as young as 30, late-onset Alzheimers is the most common form of this disease, generally affecting individuals after the age of 65.

Dr. Xinxin Lio

Dr. Songs lab focuses their efforts on looking at the role amyloid beta protein plays in Alzheimers. Its well established that increased production (or reduced degradation) of amyloid beta protein results in the formation of neuritic plaques in the brain, which is a hallmark of Alzheimers disease neuropathology.

The team injected the mutated forms of the ECE2 gene into mice. They found mice with the mutation had increased levels of amyloid beta protein and plaque formation, and also exhibited some signs of Alzheimers such as memory loss. When they expressed the wildtype form of the gene in the mice (i.e. the non-mutated form), amyloid beta protein levels decreased and the mice recovered some of their learning and memory deficits.

These findings mean that ECE2 is a risk gene for people to develop Alzheimers later in life, says Dr. Song. Moving forward, we can try to target this gene and increase its expression as a way to treat Alzheimers.

Moving forward, we can try to target this gene and increase its expression as a way to treat Alzheimers.Dr. Weihong Song, Canada Research Chair in Alzheimers Disease

The researchers are now screening further for genetic mutations in a larger dataset as a way to validate these findings and to search for other variants in the ECE2 gene that could be contributing to Alzheimers symptoms.

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Scientists discover gene that increases risk of Alzheimer's disease - UBC Faculty of Medicine

Modalis Obtains Access to Foundational CRISPR IP – BioSpace

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TOKYO & CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Modalis Therapeutics Corporation (Modalis) today announced that the company has entered into a license agreement with Editas Medicine, Inc., under which Modalis has obtained a license to certain intellectual property that is controlled by Editas Medicine. Modalis is utilizing its proprietary epigenetic gene modulation technology, CRISPR-GNDM (Guide Nucleotide Directed Modulation), to treat patients with serious genetic disorders. Additional details including financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

"Our goal is to create CRISPR based gene therapies for genetic disorders, most of which fall into the orphan disease category. There should be no disease that is ignored because of its small patient population, and our mission to develop disease modifying treatments for these diseases reflects our belief that Every Life Deserves Attention. We are proud to be the pioneer in CRISPR based gene modulation therapy, said Haru Morita, Chief Executive Officer of Modalis.

We are pleased to establish this license agreement with Modalis Therapeutics as their mission is aligned with our mission to make transformative medicines for people living with serious diseases of unmet clinical need. CRISPR technology has many uses and applications, and we are pleased to include Modalis in our expanding portfolio of licensees so the greatest number of patients may benefit in the future from transformative medicines, said Cynthia Collins, president and chief executive officer, Editas Medicine.

About Modalis

Modalis Therapeutics is developing precision genetic medicines through epigenetic gene modulation. Founded by Osamu Nureki and leading scientists in CRISPR gene editing from University of Tokyo, Modalis is pursuing therapies for orphan genetic diseases using its proprietary CRISPR-GNDM technology which enables the locus specific modulation of gene expression or histone modification without the need for double-stranded DNA cleavage, gene editing or base editing. Modalis is focusing initially on genetic disorders caused by loss of gene regulation resulting in excess or insufficient protein production which includes more than 660 genes that are currently estimated to cause human disease due to haploinsufficiency. Headquartered in Tokyo with laboratories and facilities in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the company is backed by leading Japanese investors including Fast Track Initiative, SBI Investment, UTokyo-IPC, SMBC Venture Capital, and Mizuho Capital. For additional information, visit http://www.modalistx.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200331005248/en/

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Modalis Obtains Access to Foundational CRISPR IP - BioSpace

Scientists expanded the Capabilities of CRISPR gene editing technique – Tech Explorist

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CRISPR-Cas9, which is short for clustered, regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats and CRISPR-associated protein 9. The technique is faster, cheaper, more accurate, and more efficient than other existing genome editing methods.

For the CRISPR-Cas9 system to work, a bacterial defense protein got Cas9 seeks out an adjacent protospacer motif (PAM) that is present in the viral DNA yet not in the bacterial DNA. CRISPR-Cas9 has been harnessed for editing the human genome because such PAM sequences are also quite common in our DNA; however, genes that are not near a PAM cannot be targeted.

To conquer this problem, a team led by Benjamin P. Kleinstiver, a biochemist at MGHs Center for Genomic Medicine, engineered variations of a Cas9 protein that dont require a particular PAM to bind and cut DNA. The two new Cas9 variations, named SpG and SpRY, allow editing of DNA sequences at efficiencies not achievable with conventional CRISPR-Cas9 enzymes.

As engineered proteins target independently, they enable targeting of previously inaccessible regions of the genome.

Benjamin P. Kleinstiver, a biochemist at MGHs Center for Genomic Medicine, said,By nearly completely relaxing the requirement for the enzymes to recognize a PAM, many genome editing applications are now possible. And since almost the entire genome is targetable, one of the most exciting implications is that that the entire genome is druggable from a DNA-editing perspective.

Scientists are further planning to comprehend the function of these proteins. They also want to explore their unique capabilities for a variety of different applications.

Lead author Russell T. Walton, also of MGHs Center for Genomic Medicine, said,We have demonstrated that these new enzymes will allow researchers to generate biologically and clinically relevant genetic modifications that were previously unfeasible.

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Scientists expanded the Capabilities of CRISPR gene editing technique - Tech Explorist

NeuBase Therapeutics Announces Positive, Preclinical Data Validating its Novel Genetic Therapy PATrOL Platform – Yahoo Finance

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Demonstrates broad biodistribution, including across the blood-brain barrier into the central nervous system, and into skeletal muscle, in non-human primates (NHPs) after systemic administration

Durable and therapeutically relevant drug concentrations achieved in NHPs after single intravenous dose

Potent cell-based activity and allele-specific enrichment in patient-derived cell lines

Platform validation data supports expansion of the therapeutic pipeline into new organ systems previously unreachable with first-generation antisense oligonucleotide technology

Management to hold a conference call today at 8 a.m. ET

PITTSBURGH, March 31, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NeuBase Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq:NBSE) (NeuBase or the Company), a biotechnology company developing next-generation antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) therapies to address genetic diseases, today announced positive preclinical data from its pharmacokinetics studies in non-human primates (NHPs) and in vitro pharmacodynamics data in patient-derived cell lines. NeuBase believes these data validate the key advantages of the proprietary NeuBase peptide-nucleic acid (PNA) antisense oligonucleotide (PATrOL) platform and support the Companys decision to advance the development of its Huntingtons disease (HD) and myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) programs, as well as the potential expansion of its therapeutic pipeline into other indications.

Dr. George Church, professor of genetics at Harvard Medical School and member of the National Academy of Sciences, stated, Given the activity and broad biodistribution observed in these studies and the potential for easier target definition, I believe the PATrOL technology may have a potent impact on the future of drug development and treatment of genetic diseases.

Non-Human Primate Pharmacokinetic Study

Quantitative whole-body autoradiography was performed on NHPs.A PATrOL-enabled compound was radio-labeled, and theresulting material was injected into NHPs at 5 mg/kg via a bolus tail vein injection. At four hours, twelve hours, and seven days post-dosing, NHPs were sacrificed andsectioned into 40 m slices.Slices were exposed to autoradiography imaging plates alongside a dilution series of radioactive PNA in whole blood.Upon imaging, the dilution series enabled an analysis of the amount of compound in each of the tissues. In addition, prior to sacrifice, whole blood, urine, and feces were collected from the NHPs at specified timepoints.The major conclusions from this study include:

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Rapid uptake of compound out of the bodys circulation after systemic intravenous administration, with a half-life in circulation of approximately 1.5 hours;

Compound penetrates every organ system studied, including the central nervous system and skeletal muscle;

Compound crosses the blood-brain barrier and into the key deep brain structures, including the caudate, supporting a key capability for the development of the Companys lead program in HD; Delivery of the compound to skeletal muscle, the primary organ system that is affected in DM1;Because both HD and DM1 have manifestations outside of the primary affected organ, the broad biodistribution of the compounds may enable a potential whole-body therapeutic solution in both indications.

96% of administered compound remained in vivo after a one-week period (latest timepoint tested);Redistribution over one week after administration between organ systems enriches concentrations in key brain regions up to two-fold, including in those deep brain structures most relevant for HD;Retention of ~90% of compound concentrations achieved in skeletal muscle over the course of one-week post-single-dose administration; and

Patient-Derived Huntingtons Cell Line Pharmacodynamic Studies

Multiple Huntingtons disease candidate compounds were incubated with HD-derived cells and assayed for their toxicity and their ability to selectively knock down mutant huntingtin protein (mHTT) expression by engaging with the CAG repeat expansion in the huntingtin (HTT) gene transcript. Multi-well plates were seeded with cells and candidates were added to the culture at various concentrations.Cells were grown for three days and thereafter assayed for cell death.Cell pellets were also collected, lysed, and run on gradient SDS-PAGE gels.Following the transfer of the proteins to a membrane, the membrane was probed with anti-huntingtin and anti-beta-actin antibodies.Secondary antibodies were used to image the immunoblots.The beta-actin bands were used to normalize the amount of protein across the wells.The amounts of mutant and wild type huntingtin protein in treated cells were compared to untreated cells to determine the level of knockdown.The major conclusions from this study include:

Activity in engaging target disease-causing transcripts and knocking-down resultant malfunctioning mHTT protein levels preferentially over normal HTT protein knock-down; and

Dose limiting toxicities were not observed relative to a control either at or above the doses demonstrating activity in human cells in vitro.

In addition, PATrOL enabled compounds were generally well-tolerated in vivo after systemic administration, both after single dose administration in NHPs and multi dose administration in mice for over a month.

We believe the PATrOL platform has the potential to create drugs that are easy for patients to take at infrequent intervals after they have tested positive for a genetic disease but before symptoms emerge, said Dietrich Stephan, Ph.D., chief executive officer of NeuBase. We believe the best way to effectively manage degenerative genetic diseases is to get ahead of the disease process, and we believe that can only be achieved with early diagnosis coupled with well-tolerated, effective, and easily administered therapies.

Dr. Robert Friedlander, chief medical officer of NeuBase and member of the National Academy of Medicine, stated, An allele specific approach that can be systemically administered and cross the blood brain barrier would be an ideal drug profile for many untreatablegenetic diseases.I believe that NeuBase is moving towards realizing this goal.

The intersection of the NHP pharmacokinetic data and the in vitro patient-derived pharmacodynamic data provides a roadmap to create a pipeline of therapeutic candidates which can reach target tissues of interest after systemic administration and achieve the desired activity at that dose. NeuBase believes the data from these studies support the advancement of the Companys HD and DM1 programs into lead optimization and subsequent IND-enabling studies, as well as provide a roadmap for the future expansion of the Companys therapeutic pipeline into other indications, including oncology.

Dr. Sam Broder, former Director of the National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health and member of the National Academy of Sciences, stated, I believe that the NeuBase strategy of targeting transcripts before they become dangerous mutant proteins has the potential to deliver a dramatic improvement in our collective capabilities to effectively treat a wide range of genetic diseases, including some of the most deadly cancers, by targeting driver mutations and accelerating immunotherapy capabilities.

Conference Call

NeuBase Therapeutics, Inc. will discuss these data and next steps for development during a webcasted conference call with slides today, March 31, 2020, at 8:00 a.m. ET. The live and archived webcast of this presentation can be accessed through the IR Calendar page on the Investors section of the Companys website, http://www.neubasetherapeutics.com. The dial-in details for the call are 877-451-6152 (domestic) or +1-201-389-0879 (international), and conference ID: 13701118. The archived webcasts will be available for approximately 30 days following the presentation date.

About NeuBase Therapeutics

NeuBase Therapeutics, Inc. is developing the next generation of gene silencing therapies with its flexible, highly specific synthetic antisense oligonucleotides. The proprietary NeuBase peptide-nucleic acid (PNA) antisense oligonucleotide (PATrOL) platform is designed to permit the rapid development of targeted drugs, thereby potentially increasing the treatment opportunities for the hundreds of millions of people affected by rare genetic diseases, including those that can only be treated through accessing of secondary RNA structures. Using PATrOL technology, NeuBase aims to first tackle rare, genetic neurological disorders.

Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act. These forward-looking statements include, among other things, statements regarding the Companys goals and plans and the Companys pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics studies. These forward-looking statements are distinguished by use of words such as will, would, anticipate, expect, believe, designed, plan, or intend, the negative of these terms, and similar references to future periods. These views involve risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict and, accordingly, our actual results may differ materially from the results discussed in our forward-looking statements. Our forward-looking statements contained herein speak only as of the date of this press release. Factors or events that we cannot predict, including those described in the risk factors contained in our filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, may cause our actual results to differ from those expressed in forward-looking statements. The Company may not actually achieve the plans, carry out the intentions or meet the expectations or projections disclosed in the forward-looking statements, and you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Because such statements deal with future events and are based on the Companys current expectations, they are subject to various risks and uncertainties and actual results, performance or achievements of the Company could differ materially from those described in or implied by the statements in this press release, including: the Companys plans to develop and commercialize its product candidates; the Companys plans to commence clinical trials in Huntingtons disease and myotonic dystrophy type 1 and to potentially expand the pipeline into other indications; the utility of the preclinical data generated in existing studies performed by the Company in determining the results of potential future clinical trials and of the potential benefits of the PATrOL platform technology; the timing of initiation of the Companys planned clinical trials; the timing of the availability of data from the Companys clinical trials; the timing of any planned investigational new drug application or new drug application; the Companys plans to research, develop and commercialize its current and potential future product candidates; the clinical utility, potential benefits and market acceptance of the Companys current and potential future product candidates; the Companys commercialization, marketing and manufacturing capabilities and strategy; the Companys ability to protect its intellectual property position; and the requirement for additional capital to continue to advance these product candidates, which may not be available on favorable terms or at all, as well as those risk factors in our filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Except as otherwise required by law, the Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof, whether as a result of new information, future events or circumstances or otherwise.

NeuBase Investor Contact:Dan FerryManaging DirectorLifeSci Advisors, LLCDaniel@lifesciadvisors.comOP: (617) 535-7746

NeuBase Media Contact:Travis Kruse, Ph.D.Russo Partners, LLCtravis.kruse@russopartnersllc.comOP: (212) 845-4272

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NeuBase Therapeutics Announces Positive, Preclinical Data Validating its Novel Genetic Therapy PATrOL Platform - Yahoo Finance

SCV News | Show Us the Real Numbers – SCVNEWS.com

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Photo: Nurses singing We Need PPEs (personal protective equipment) in Oakland

Hospital healthcare professionals are dying many because they do not have adequate personal protective equipment (PPE) such as gloves, masks, gowns, shoe booties, etc.

Countless hospitals for years utilized costly public relations, touting that their facility provided the best care insurance could buy. Many of us in medicine recognized the hype.

Statistically with this crisis, I worry healthcare professionals on the front line who become infected are concealed from the public to protect the hospital reputation or cash flow.

Numbers coming from East Coast teaching hospitals reveal exposure problems, but I wonder at private and nonprofit hospitals if this data could be buried because whistleblowing doctors and nurses have been threatened and financially silenced? Add the guise of confidentiality and HIPAA rules, and self-serving administrators can easily hide serious and culpable information.

Hospital healthcare professionals must be protected, so public health departments, local governments and other regulatory authorities must undertake careful scrutiny and demand truthful statistics.

Ask: How many doctors, nurses and hospital employees have been exposed and are now positive? How many are in quarantine? What criteria were used in allowing them back to work? And so forth.

Hospitals should show us the numbers and not jeopardize indispensable front-liners who are saving lives.

Gene Uzawa Dorio, M.D., is a geriatric house-call physician who serves as president of the Los Angeles County Commission for Older Adults and Assemblyman to the California Senior Legislature. He has practiced in the Santa Clarita Valley for 32 years.

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SCV News | Show Us the Real Numbers - SCVNEWS.com

Simon says longevity of Indy 500 reign will last a few months longer – Yahoo Sports

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CORNELIUS, North Carolina When Team Penskes Simon Pagenaud won the 103rd Indianapolis 500 in 2019, he joined the likes of such legends as A.J. Foyt, Mario Andretti, Rick Mears, Helio Castroneves and current teammate Will Power.

With this years Indy 500 rescheduled from May 24 to Aug. 23 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Pagenaud is part of a group that includes Dario Resta, Floyd Davis and Mauri Rose.

These are drivers who had an extended reign as an Indianapolis 500 winner for reasons that were bigger than the race itself.

Resta won the 1916 Indianapolis 500. The race was halted for two years because of The Great War, later known as World War I. When the race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway resumed in 1919, Howdy Wilcox ended Restas extended reign.

Davis started the 1941 race in an Offenhauser owned by Lou Moore but had to give way to a relief driver on Lap 72 after car owner Lou Meyer was displeased with his driving effort. That driver was Rose, who drove the car to victory. Both drivers were listed as Indianapolis 500 winners in 1941.

That was on May 30, 1941. On Dec. 7 came the attack on Pearl Harbor that brought the United States into World War II.

Indianapolis Motor Speedway was shuttered from 1942-1945. Tony Hulman purchased the decaying facility from former owner Eddie Rickenbacker in November 1945.

The Indianapolis 500 returned on May 30, 1946 with George Robson winning the race.

It has been the centerpiece sporting event on Memorial Day or Memorial Day Weekend ever since, with the exceptions of 1973, 1986 and 1997 when rain moved it to later in the week. In 1986, it was held on Saturday of the next weekend when rain prohibited running it on Memorial Day Monday or Tuesday of that week.

Bobby Rahal was the winner in 86.

Rose became a three-time champion with victories in 1947 and 1948 to supplement his relief driver victory in 1941.

When Pagenaud was told of the reasons his reign as Indy 500 winner would last longer than normal, he didnt find it a reason to celebrate by any means.

After all, whether they are world wars or a worldwide pandemic, the Indy 500 has been delayed by grim events in human history.

Well, those are not very fun events, Pagenaud told NBCSports.com last week from his home on Lake Norman in North Carolina. But Im glad we have been able to find a date for the biggest race in the world. Im glad we are going to be able to run it safely. The health of people was the main focus here. Im glad it was announced because it will take away a lot of stress from the teams and fans on expectations.

Its awesome to see the way IndyCar has rescheduled the whole year. Well go racing in June and in August. Its exciting because its a good time to go racing. Its an exciting day in such a tough time.

Pagenaud is a popular Frenchman who came to the United States after a successful road racing career in Europe to find his next challenge in racing. Since joining IndyCar, he has won a series championship in 2016 and the Indianapolis 500 in 2019.

Pagenaud, his wife Hailey, and their prized son a Jack Russell Terrier named Norman played it safe on March 13 after the season-opening Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg was canceled (it since has been revived with the hopes of being a season finale in October).

On Friday of St. Pete, I decided to drive home to contain myself to make sure I wasnt going to get the virus or contaminate someone if I was the carrier, Pagenaud said. We went home and have been isolated since. The nice thing is I have a gym set up; I have my simulator here. I have everything I need to stay in touch with my family, and friends and my trainer. Ive been working out just like any other week. Its just a longer one. Its like the race at Indianapolis last year, its a reset.

I know where I need to be and how I need to be mentally and physically.

At this point, Im more ready than ever.

His family, however, remains in France, and he has concern for his loved ones that are fighting the pandemic across the Atlantic Ocean.

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Im very concerned for my family, Pagenaud said. My sister lives very close to Italy in the south of France. That is a big concern as well as my nephew. Ive been in touch with them. My dad owns a supermarket in my hometown in France, and he is on the frontline as well waking up every day at 4 a.m. and coming home at 8 p.m. to keep his troops in great form.

It was a concern. It still is. My mom is in Paris, too. Hopefully, everybody is in good health and staying in good health. We pray for everybody on this Earth. Hopefully, we get out of it as soon as possible and go on to enjoy our business and our lives.

As much of the world is on lockdown, including major parts of the United States, the dream of one day returning to normalcy is the bright spot that keeps people going. That is why Pagenaud continues his strenuous physical workouts at home with the dream of taking a drink from the traditional Bottle of Milk that goes to the Indy 500 winner.

That milk should taste just as good in August as it does at the end of May.

It might be a little warmer, but the goal is to still try it, Pagenaud said. Im excited to try to get a second crown. At this point, I want to go racing and experience another year like I just experienced. Im ready to go racing, and I know the whole team is ready to go. Its pretty awesome news that we are going to run the race in August.

Once Pagenaud puts on his helmet and flips down the visor, it will be Race Day at the Indy 500, no matter if it is in May or in August.

The approach will be the same, but different temperature might change the car and the way it is going to handle in the heat of August in Indianapolis, Pagenaud said. Its going to be a different race for different reasons, but in May we have had some hot Indianapolis 500s and some colder ones. We will adapt. That is what we do in racing.

Most importantly, we are going to have a great show.

IndyCar officials hope to start the season on May 30 with the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix doubleheader. That is predicated on if the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is under control by then. IndyCar, led by new owner Roger Penske, along with Penske Entertainment CEO Mark Miles, IndyCar President Jay Frye and Indianapolis Motor Speedway President Doug Boles, created a revised schedule for 2020.

Its impressive, Pagenaud said. Its a tough situation to be in for IndyCar. There is nothing you can do. The most important thing is the health of people, of our fans and of the population. You are just being a passenger of the situation. When you have to make decisions, its really hard to know which way to go.

If the season begins as planned, IndyCar will be racing nearly every weekend with few gaps in the schedule. If successful, 14 of the 17 races on the original calendar are on the revised schedule.

Its going to be intense, Pagenaud said. This is a very physical car to drive and a very physical race series. Its so competitive. You are fighting 32 other cars that can win the race in Indianapolis and 25 or more cars in the championship this year. Its about preparation. I didnt stop training. Im fully ready for this year.

Its great to get some rest now before a fast-paced season. No problem, Im ready.

The revised schedule also has an IndyCar/NASCAR doubleheader set for July 4 as the GMR IndyCar Grand Prix was moved from May 9 to the same day as the NASCAR Xfinity Series Pennzoil 150 on the IMS road course. The Brickyard 400 will run the following day with Cup cars on the oval.

NASCAR officials have been quiet on the idea of a doubleheader while waiting to unveil their officially revised schedule. If it happens, though, it would be one of the most intriguing weekends in recent motorsports history.

Its great to see the great racing series get together like this in America, Pagenaud said. NASCAR is a huge sport and so is IndyCar. Now we are going to be racing together on the same weekend in the biggest racing location in the world.

There are so many objectives for this situation. It took the leaders of our series to get together, a lot of effort on both sides, and with NBC being our main channel, its a no-brainer. Super excited for the fans.

As the current reigning champion of the Indianapolis 500, Pagenaud has experienced all of the traditions and celebrations that go with the historic achievement. Preserving practice and a full weekend of qualifications on Aug. 15-16 was vital.

For the traditions and being a past winner, its important to keep the traditions alive, Pagenaud said. Its great because we are keeping everything alive, the traditions, everything that goes into the Indy 500. Its our biggest race in the championship and Im so, so glad we are going to run it. I was concerned we werent going to run it this year. Its fantastic news and gives me a lot of motivation because it is my No. 1 goal.

We will come out of this. This is going to change the world.

Follow Bruce Martin on Twitter at @BruceMartin_500

Simon says longevity of Indy 500 reign will last a few months longer originally appeared on NBCSports.com

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These companies are racing to roll out COVID-19 treatments – WICZ

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By Paul R. La Monica, CNN Business

Big Pharma companies and biotechs are racing to come up with an effective treatment for the Covid-19 novel coronavirus.

Several high profile companies are working on new experimental vaccines. Drug giant Johnson & Johnson is the latest to announce a promising vaccine candidate, saying on Monday that it plans human testing by September with the hopes of having more than one billion doses of a vaccine available for emergency use by early 2021.

J&J said it was partnering with the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services to produce the vaccine. Shares of J&J surged nearly 7% on the news Monday.

Many other companies are also working on vaccines, including small biotechs Moderna, Novavax and Inovio as well as Big Pharma firm Pfizer, which is partnering with Germany's BioNTech.

Shares of Moderna, Novavax, Inovio and BioNTech have all soared this year, even as the broader market has plunged due to worries about the impact of the coronavirus on the global economy. (Pfizer is down nearly 20%.)

But making and testing new vaccines may not wind up being the fastest way to treat Covid-19, says Sergey Young, founder of the Longevity Vision Fund -- a firm that invests primarily in smaller private biotechs.

Some firms are hoping that existing medications for other infectious diseases and immunological disorders can be used to tackle the global pandemic.

"This is the first time in history where companies are trying to repurpose drugs this fast, and that is exciting," Young said. "A vaccine is in the more distant future. We pray that one can come by the autumn."

Young pointed to three drugs in particular that might wind up being effective in treating symptoms of Covid-19. The first -- and the one that has gotten the most attention -- is remdesivir, a drug made by Gilead Sciences that was originally used for Ebola and other highly contagious diseases.

Officials at the World Health Organization have touted remdesivir as having the most potential to effectively treat coronavirus patients. The WHO has begun clinical tests of the drug on patients in Spain and Norway.

"Remdesivir is still an investigational medicine. We are planning for the outcome we all hope for -- that it will prove to be a safe, effective treatment -- and in the meantime we are taking the ethical, responsible approach to determining whether that is the case," said Gilead chairman and CEO Daniel O'Day in an open letter released Saturday.

Longevity Vision Fund's Young added that two other medications could be helpful in treating coronavirus as well: the HIV medication Kaletra, which is produced by AbbVIe and is a combination of the antiviral drugs lopinavir and ritonavir; and Kevzara, and a rheumatoid arthritis treatment made by biotech Regeneron and European drug titan Sanofi. (The reporter of this story owns shares of AbbVie.)

Sanofi is also working on a vaccine with BARDA funding from the US government.

Meanwhile, Chinese health officials have also been testing another rheumatoid arthritis drug -- Roche's Actemra -- on Covid-19 patients.

The hope is that one or more of these existing medications will help alleviate the worst symptoms from the coronavirus, buying more time for companies developing vaccines to come up with a longer term solution to stop the spread of the disease.

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These companies are racing to roll out COVID-19 treatments - WICZ

The New Thermaltake CyberChair E500 – Hardware – Press Release – HEXUS

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Taipei, Taiwan April 1st, 2020Thermaltake,a leading brand in PC DIY for cooling, gaming gear, and enthusiast memory solutions, proudly presents thefirst ergonomic chair CyberChair E500.An ergonomic chair is always the best choice when it comes to users who are required to sit for long hours, and the Cyber Chair E500 could be the new best choice. The CyberChair E500 is made of permeable mesh cushioning that is highly breathable, and the back structure is built with robust aluminum to extend its longevity while providing sturdy support to the human backbone. The CyberChair E500 offers high adjustability ranging from the headrest, seat depth, height adjustment, and wire-control mechanism with multi lockable positions to reach maximum comfort. Furthermore, users can relax and immerse the body with up to 117 degrees of back angle inclination. Aside from the extensive sitting positions focusing on the neck and back, the CyberChair E500 also provides multidirectional armrests that are adjustable in height and width to relieve wrist pressure and muscle strain of the forearms. Finally, the CyberChair E500 is constructed with a 5-star aluminum base, its sturdy framework is designed to support a max load of 330 lb (150 kg), with 3 wide large caster wheels that further enhances the stability whilst providing quieter operation and more significant movement.

Features of the ThermaltakeCyberChair E500:

Durable high tensile mesh

CyberChair E500has a highly breathable mesh surface with a soft touch that is easy to clean. Thermaltakes mesh surface had passed the SGS 100,000 impact fatigue tests and the California Technical Bulletin 117 flame resistance test to ensure users safety.

Headrest Adjustment

The adjustable headrest allows users to modify the height of the headrest to match the users head posture. Moreover, the front side rotation mechanism can hold the users heads from different angles.

Elastic Ergonomic Backrest

Constructed by two compartments, the upper part of the backrest aligns with the headrest providing promising head to back alignment, along with the lower part of the backrest, which is an elastic compartment that fits perfectly with the lumbar spine and all types of body shapes.

Height Adjustment

Seat height ranges from 500 mm to 600 mm (19.6 to 23.6 inches); class- 4 gas lift provides steady and secure seat height adjustments.

Elastic Control

On the right side of the Cyber Chair E500, users can twist the elastic handle to adjust the resistance feedback from the backrest, ensuring users with different weights can smoothly and safely adjust the seating angle.

Seat Depth Adjustment

The adjustable sliding seat base can travel 30 mm when the sliding mode is turned on. It can be adjusted synchronously with the tilt angle of the backrest to provide a greater rest angle for the body and create the most comfortable reclining angle in a limited amount of space.

Adjustable Backrest

The Cyber Chair E500 provides an excellent back angle tilt from 90 degrees to 117 degrees, which allows the users to adjust the backrest as needed.

Stiff Aluminum Alloy Back and Base

Using the aluminum alloy integral molding method, the CyberChair E500 brings durability, sturdiness, and elegancy to the users, and the heavy-duty 5-star aluminum base measures 700mm (27.5in) in diameter and weight support up to 150kg (331lb).

Availability, Warranty, and Pricing

Thermaltake CyberChair E500 ergonomic chair will be available for purchase in April 2020 via the Thermaltake worldwide network of authorized retailers and distributors. It is backed by a two-year warranty and supported by the Thermaltake worldwide customer service and technical support network. For up-to-date pricing of the chassis, please refer to the Thermaltake website or contact your local Thermaltake sales or PR representative.

For more details on ThermaltakeCyberChair E500 Ergonomic Chair, please visit:

https://www.thermaltake.com/cyberchair-e500.html

Where to Buy:

CyberChair E500 ergonomic chair on TT Premium

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Thermaltake official website and community websites:

Thermaltake official website:

http://www.thermaltake.com

Thermaltake Tt Community:

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Thermaltake product video link:

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Thermaltake Facebook Fan Page:

https://www.facebook.com/ThermaltakeInc

For further information about Thermaltake Technology, please visitwww.thermaltake.com/default.htm, or contact our customer support at 0800-266-818.

About Thermaltake

Thermaltake Technology was established in 1999, and has been marketed to the world under the Thermaltake brand name ever since. Thermaltake first specialized in air cooling, successfully launching the worlds first turbine cooler, the Golden Orb. With the mission to Deliver the perfect user experience,Thermaltake has since then become the leading brand in computer hardware & peripherals in thePC DIY marketand the number one choice forPC DIY enthusiastsworldwide.

Key 3 stands for Thermaltakes 3 main product lines:case, power, and cooler. Thermaltake started with cooling products, and with time branched into case and power supplies. Thermaltakesinnovationhas allowed the brand to createunique, aggressive, vivid, and stylishproducts. With strengths in innovation and complete product lines, Thermaltake ventured into thecasemodmarket to providemodderscasemod total solutions.

The Key 3 Spirit represents Thermaltakes promise toward its users; the promise to provide products that displayQuality Performance & Reliability. The Key 3 Spirit is the foundation for all Thermaltake products, and is the reason for Thermaltakes continuous success worldwideOfficial website :www.thermaltake.com

About TT Premium

TT Premium.com, the most comprehensive liquid-cooling and modding online shopping experience. The platform is designed to provide exceptional high-end products and services to customers worldwide.Thermaltake TT Premiumincludes several case modding products that support VR (Virtual Reality) gaming systems.Thermaltake TT Premiumis the best high-end liquid cooling and case modding solutions shopping platform that provides client-tailored services and secure processing, to meet all user expectations. All products follow Thermaltakes core values of Excellent Quality, Unique Design, Diverse Combinations, and Boundless Creativity.Thermaltake TT Premium has expanded its footprint to over 100 countries and territories by creating a seamless network connecting 5 major markets; the United States, Europe, Australia, Taiwan, and China of seamless networking.

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The New Thermaltake CyberChair E500 - Hardware - Press Release - HEXUS

An Exclusive Preview Of Miraval Berkshires, The Highly Anticipated Wellness Resort Opening In June – Forbes

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James Baigrie

If youre anything like me, it isnt so far-fetched to be counting down the days until Miraval Berkshires opens in June. But while all the amenities of the celebrated wellness resort (with sister locations in Tuscan and Austin) are unquestionably exemplary, its the Life in Balance Spa Im looking forward to the most.

Though I understand the necessity of social distancing, its human touch Im missing a great deal lately especially in the name of care and healing. Whether its a deep tissue massage, brightening facial, or restorative Reiki, I believe hands are fundamental to our overall well-being. And when it comes to offering best-in-class treatments, ranging from the traditional to cutting-edge, few places do it better than Miravals Life in Balance Spas.

Miraval

You can credit Simon Marxer, vice president of spa and wellbeing for Miraval Group, for much of that. While many spas are chasing trends and promoting hype, Marxer instead looks for longevity. Its alwaysbeen Miravals priority to create trends, instead of following them, he says. The best practice is offering wellness options that are supported by science, and that our staff is passionate about.

Ahead, Marxer discusses how the Berkshires spa will differ from its sister properties, the inspiration for an exclusive new treatment, and what else you should experience during your first visit.

Ken Hayden Photography

Miravals spas are a huge draw with their diverse programming. (I tried Chi Nei Tsang at your Arizona property incredible.) What's going to be new and different about the spa atMiravalBerkshires?

Marxer: It will be the largest spa in the Miravalportfolio at 29,000 square feet, with 28 treatment rooms. Of course, the spa will feature signature Miraval treatments such as Vasudhara (with a dedicated indoor pool) and Naga Thai. But the menu will also feature new treatments that were developed in partnership with leading natural beauty brand Naturopathica like Tula, a service exclusive to Miraval.

Can you tell us a little more about this treatment, and why teamed up with Naturopathica?

Marxer: The inspiration for Tula was not only to provide a unique experience but also one utilizing a combination of bodywork and other mindfulness elements to ground the individual, and inspire a sense of wellbeing. The service begins with a breath work ritual and incorporates a hand-crafted sliver of jade thats used to glide over the individuals meridians (a series of vital life-energy pathways) with subtle, restorative pressure. Gua sha-inspired techniques open energy channels, stimulate circulation, relax muscles, and resolve tension.

When partnering with a brand, we look for a truly organic connection as we want to ensure their mission aligns with that ofMiraval. Naturopathica has consistently drawn on the benefits of holistic healing practices and herbal remedies to create innovative skincare offerings and spa treatments. Similiarly, Miravals spa treatments focus on healing and are rooted in the natural flora and fauna of the resorts location. Also, bothMiravaland Naturopathica prioritize the wellbeing of the individual, so the partnership felt very natural.

Aside from this treatment, what else would you recommend for first-time visitors?

Marxer: Id recommend the Sacred Sounds Massage. This meditative service combines the benefits of aromatherapy, breath work, and vibrational sound therapy with a full-body relaxation massage. The healing resonance of thoughtfully placed Himalayan sound bowls promotes balance and relaxation, while ginger root oil combines with rosemary to calm inflammation. Its truly a transformational and balancing treatment.

What wellness and spa trends have you noticed so far for the year?

Marxer: I see a rise in tech and workplace burnout, causing a greater need for wellness retreats to help combat it. Were in the process of developing a Work (Life) in Balance curriculum featuring programs that address the issues of work burnout, and help our guests find balance between their home and office.

The conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity.

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An Exclusive Preview Of Miraval Berkshires, The Highly Anticipated Wellness Resort Opening In June - Forbes