Author Archives: ev1

Cyborgs Among Us – AUGUSTMAN

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Amber Case, an American cyborg anthropologist, argued in a 2011 TED Talk that every time you look at a computer screen or use one of your cell phone devices, you are, in fact, being a cyborg.

Based on the traditional definition of a cyborg, shes not wrong. A 1960 paper on space travel defined a cyborg as an organism to which exogenous components have been added for the purpose of adapting to new environments.What is humanitys current environment then? Already, our constant exposure to technological devices and online social platforms puts us a world apart from say, 25 years ago. Navigating this new landscape using exogenous components, which must count our smartphones, laptops and tablets (they are more a part of us now than we may admit), solidifies the standing that we just might be the cyborgs we had read about as children.

While Human 2.0 can already be argued as the average human in a modern city, armed with a smartphone and constantly hooked up to the Internet as the new stream of consciousness, Human 3.0 has already arrived in reality. The new HUMAN+ exhibition at Marina Bay Sands Artscience Museum attempts to shed a little more light on our eventual evolution. Attending the opening weekend of the exhibition was the worlds first officially recognised human cyborg, Neil Harbisson.

The contemporary artist was born with an extreme form of colour blindness that resulted in him seeing only in greyscale. In 2003, he embarked on a project to implant an antenna in his skull that uses audible vibrations to report information to him. Harbisson now hears in colour and paints sounds. In a sense, his antenna (or eye-borg as he calls it) allows him a man-made synaesthesic experience. Harbisson has used his standing as the first cyborg to speak up for the rights of other such humans, who have incorporated technology into their bodies. He founded the Cyborg Foundation alongside fellow artist and collaborator, Moon Ribas (whose online seismic sensor implant lets her feel the vibrations of earthquakes across the world), to represent and fight for the rights of other cyborgs.

It begs the question, of course to what end are humans allowed to upgrade themselves so to speak?

As it stands, many cybernetic implants these days are catered to amputees and the disabled, helping them to live like able-bodied persons on a daily basis aiding them in performing tasks they would otherwise be unable to do. The ethics behind, say, an abled man building an exoskeleton for himself is, however, debatable. For where then does human end and cyborg start? And where does cyborg end and robot start?

As Honor Harger, executive director of ArtScience Museum puts it, Our perception of what it means to be human has been transformed by science and technology. Advances in genetic engineering, biotechnology and nanotechnology that not long ago seemed purely science fiction are now real. Cyborgs, superhumans and clones are alive among us today. What does it mean to be human now? Should we continue to embrace modifications to our minds, bodies and daily lives, or are there boundaries we should never overstep?

With the rapid progress of AI technology and robotics, the gap between human and cyborg is fast diminishing and like any new social norm, should be questioned thoroughly. I, for one, stand on the side of evolution manmade evolution, that is.

HUMAN+ runs at the Artscience Museum till 15 Oct

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Cyborgs Among Us - AUGUSTMAN

Sort Out Chemical Storage For Your Shop – Hackaday

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There is one constant in the world of hardware hackers workshops, be they a private workshop in your garage or a public hackspace, and it goes something like this:

Everybodys a safety expert in whatever it is they are working with, right up until the accident.

In other words, it is very tempting to harbour a cavalier attitude to something that either you are familiar with or the hazards of which you do not understand, and this breeds an environment in which mishaps become a distinct possibility.

As hardware people, we are familiar with basic tool safety or electrical safety. The chances are that weve had it drummed into us at some time in our growing up, by a lab supervisor, a workshop teacher, or a parent. That you as readers and I as writer have survived this long is testament enough to the success of that education. But what about those areas in which we may not have received such an education, those things which we either encounter rarely or seem harmless enough that their safety neednt be our concern? Chemicals, for example: everything from glue through solvents and soldering consumables to PCB chemicals and even paint. It all seems safe enough, what could possibly go wrong? The answer to that question is probably something most of us would prefer never to find out, so its worth looking in to how a well-run workshop can manage its chemicals in as safe a manner as possible.

This might seem like something so obvious as to go without saying, but when you acquire a chemical, read its instruction sheet. It will have one somewhere in its packaging, or if not then there will be one available for download on its manufacturers web site. On it you will find all the information you should need about its likely hazards, how it should be used, and how it should be stored. From this information you can decide the most appropriate course of action for you to take with whatever the chemical is.

It can be easy to amass a variety of tins, jars, bottles, and tubes of random chemicals over a lifetime of tinkering. Over time it can also be easy to lose track of exactly what your collection contains. Labels fade and drop off, you lose track of where you put that bottle, and you no longer know what youve got.

In some jurisdictions there is a legal requirement for commercial organisations to maintain an inventory of their chemical stocks. Though it might seem onerous, this is a worthwhile practice for any workshop even when it is not required by law. It doesnt have to be anything fancy, just a simple notebook will do, because it really helps to have some idea what you have. If something does cause an accident then knowing something about the likely source can help you a lot in terms of how you might deal with it.

This comes back to the earlier point about reading the data sheet. On it youll find details of how the product should be stored. If you are lucky it is an inert, non-corrosive and non-toxic solid that gives off no fumes and which you can store anywhere with impunity. Its far more likely though that it will contain a solvent that gives off fumes, be flammable, an oxidising agent, or any one of a number of other hazards. You should therefore think not just about how it should be stored, but what it should be stored alongside.

Just as one example, its most likely that the majority of workshop chemicals will be of the variety containing a flammable solvent. These should be stored in a fireproof cabinet sitting in a spill tray, to both contain any fires within the cabinet and to contain any liquid spills. You might think that this would be a safe place to also store any other chemicals, but since each has its own requirements that might not be the case. Oxidising agents for example should not be stored alongside flammable solvents.

As a final point,UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES should chemicals be stored in the same place as food, such as a shared refrigerator. This might seem an obvious thing to say, but in communal workshops such as a hackspace it seems that there is always a member who considers that this restriction does not apply to them. If you are on the board of such a space, bin the chemical in question and ban the member. Its far easier to do that than to deal with the police when someone is poisoned.

You might think that if you have a list of what youve got, and its all stored appropriately, that would be enough. But there is always scope for a disparity to creep in, someone puts something in the wrong cupboard, or fails to enter it in the book. Therefore you should undertake the tedious task once in a while of running an inventory. Check what you have in your inventory with what you have in your stores, and adjust accordingly.

Find the appropriate place to dispose of your chemicals. Robert Kaufmann/FEMA Photo Library [Public domain].There will always come a moment when some chemical or other has outlived its usefulness, at which point it must be disposed of. The data sheet will tell you the appropriate place to dispose of it, and you should follow its advice. If you are lucky it will be something you can simply toss in the garbage, if not you may have to find your local chemical disposal point. Some common chemicals we might find in our workshops will especially need proper disposal, for example spent PCB etchant, in which the copper salts are particularly toxic to fish.

There is little use in having a carefully planned system for managing your chemicals if it is not universally adhered to. Particularly in a shared space there will always be users who consider their qualifications to be such that the system does not apply to them, it is imperative that you ensure that all users treat it with due respect. If necessary institute a system for your shared space in which access to the chemicals is only gained after suitable training has been passed, and be prepared to wield the threat of removal of the privilege for those who fail to adhere to it.

We are fortunate in the world of hardware hackers and makers, that for most of us the chemicals we are likely to encounter will be an order of magnitude safer than those you might encounter in for example a chemistry lab. But we still encounter significant hazards, for example anyone with a 3D printer might care to look at the effects of an acetone fire. It is hoped that the points above should give us all a starting point for safe handling and storage of the chemicals in our workshops. After all, wed all prefer to spend more time making things than explaining to fire officers exactly what the person theyre going in to rescue might have been using.

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Sort Out Chemical Storage For Your Shop - Hackaday

Step back and behold the explosive chemistry that gives fireworks their color – Quartz

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Whether youve been celebrating in Canada (Canada Day, July 1), the US (Independence Day, July 4), France (Bastille Day, July 14), or anywhere else in the world, you can surely appreciate the fact that fireworks are a display of chemistry at its finest.

Generally, fireworks have two main components: pea-sized salt pellets for the colorful explosions, and black powder to shoot those pellets into the sky. These are encased in a cardboard shell with a fuse in the middle.

The black powder is the more abundant of the two materials that make up the firework, filling up a pocket at the bottom, as well as a pocket in the middle of the package, that will shoot out the colorful metal. The original formula created by the Chinese in the 7th century actually used honey as a fuel source (discovered purely by luck) along with sulphur and potassium nitrate, to drive the explosion upwards, according to Andy Brunning, a chemistry teacher based in Cambridge, UK. These days, pyrotechnicians fill modern fireworks with charcoal instead of the original sweet ingredient.

Varying the amount of black powder in each of these sections can alter how far your explosion shoots into the sky, how far it explodes outwards, as well as how hot the pellets get.

The pellets that generate color are tiny balls of chemical salt. These salts are different metal and nonmetal compounds bonded together by a superstrong hold between the positively-charged metal and the negatively-charged nonmetal components.

The nonmetals are usually chemicals like nitrogen or chlorine with oxygen attached to them, and can work as another source of oxygen for the burning explosion, or can enhance its color.

The metal is responsible for each of these colors. Different chemical elements heated to a high temperature get rid of this energy by producing very specific wavelengths of light, John Conkling, a retired chemist formerly at Washington College in Maryland, explains for the American Chemical Society:

The metals used in these salt pellets are made up of atoms with electrons floating around them. Usually, these electrons hang out as close as they can to the nucleus. But when you add energy to these atoms, as you do when you heat up powder, these electrons become excited and get pushed farther and farther away. The amount of heat energy needed to push these electrons away varies for each metal. Electrons dont like being far away from the nucleus, so they bounce back down as soon as they can. When they do, they release the same amount of energy applied to them, but in the form of a unique wavelength of light instead, as Scientific American explains.

Some metals can generate multiple colors, depending on how hot they get. We see these different light wavelengths as different colors.

Heres the full list of colors you can make from metals or metal oxides, courtesy of Brunning:

The fireworks that light up the night are usually elaborate combinations of metals and black powders. Pyrotechnicians have even begun to play around with making quiet fireworks (paywall), so that children, dogs, or anyone else spooked by sudden loud bangs can enjoy the visual displays.

Next time you celebrate with fireworks, you can give a nod of thanks to the chemistry at workjust please be careful while youre at it.

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Step back and behold the explosive chemistry that gives fireworks their color - Quartz

Former bantam teammates Comtois and Morand hope to find chemistry with the Ducks – Los Angeles Times

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Ever since they were teammates as 12-year-olds on a bantam team, Maxime Comtois and Antoine Morand have shared a clairvoyance.

In that unspoken chemistry that is unique to hockey, they clicked when they were put on a line together.

I dont have to look for him, Comtois said. I know hes going to be there.

Growing up in Quebec, the French-speaking province in Canada, they were best friends, and their sixth sense surfaced off the ice last month before the NHL draft.

Coming into Chicago and the weekend, we talked to each other and we said, Wouldnt it be cool if we got drafted by the same team? Morand said. The chances were very thin, but we got lucky and were here together.

In a twist of circumstance and perhaps fate, both were drafted by the Ducks, Comtois with the 50th pick and Morand with the 60th. Ten picks apart for players who grew up 10 minutes from each other, from a bantam team, Grenadiers Chateauguay, to the Ducks.

The two were bombarded by French-Canadian media, but Comtois cut his scrum short.

I stopped all my interviews to wait for him to come, Comtois said.

The Ducks were aware of the duos friendship through their Eastern Canada scout Stephane Pilotte, whose son scouts junior teams in that area. But Martin Madden, director of professional and amateur scouting for the Ducks, said the players compatibility wasnt a factor.

Not at all, Madden said. It just happened. We liked both for different reasons.

Theres a reason for their chemistry because both slot into familiar, ying-yang hockey types. Comtois, at 6 feet 2 and 200 pounds, has the size to play down low and in the corners at left wing. He is physical and edgy and patterns his game after defensive specialist Patrice Bergeron of the Boston Bruins, as well as Ducks center Ryan Getzlaf.

Morand, listed at 5-10 and 178 pounds, is a finesse playmaker with good hockey vision and instincts at center. They were put on the same line for the Ducks development camp scrimmage. Comtois wore jersey No. 53, Morand No. 54.

Were different on the ice, Morand said. We dont have the same personality, but were a good mix together.

Morand said that hes more reserved, but a quiet confidence serves him well at crucial times.

Antoine was one of our best interviews at the combine, Madden said. You never know with kids facing 10 scouts in that interview room. But he showed lots of poise.

Comtois is probably more of a type-A personality. Both players are easygoing yet ambitious, and they leaned on each other when they were separated, at 16, on different teams in junior hockey. Comtois played for the Victoriaville Tigres and Morand for Acadie-Bathurst of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.

It was a new challenge at a new level, and they tackled it with the help of text messages and FaceTime chats.

Youngest guys in the league, Comtois said. You have to try to kind of think the game the right way so we stayed connected. Even last year, I had a little bit of a tough season, so I stayed connected with him. Talking about anything else than hockey just helped me to get through that.

Projected as a potential 50-goal scorer, Comtois finished with 22 goals in 64 games last season. Hed had a good showing for Canada in a series against Russia and at the Memorial Cup, so his slow start was a bit puzzling.

But thats behind Comtois. He got a glimpse of the next chapter of his and Morands career at development camp, where they skated under the Ducks banners and were awed by seeing former Ducks defenseman Scott Niedermayer, who works in player development.

Fourteen years ago, the Ducks had enormous success with a center and wing drafted within 10 picks of each other who became synonymous with chemistry. Getzlaf was chosen 19th and Corey Perry 28th in the 2003 draft.

Both became franchise cornerstones.

No one is harboring those kinds of aspirations for Comtois and Morand, but the two can dream about achieving their ultimate goal together.

I think its possible that we both play in the NHL one day, Comtois said. If its not this year, were going to find a way to make it next year.

sports@latimes.com

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Former bantam teammates Comtois and Morand hope to find chemistry with the Ducks - Los Angeles Times

UI med school appoints 2 Carle doctors as clinical directors – Champaign/Urbana News-Gazette

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Photo by: Carle Illinois College of Medicine

Jarrod Almaroad

Image

URBANA The new Carle Illinois College of Medicine is rounding out its executive team, appointing two physicians to direct the clinical side of the operation.

The college announced Thursday that Dr. Blair Rowitz will be associate dean for clinical affairs, after serving in the job on an interim basis since November.

Dr. Jarrod Almaroad, a Carle anesthesiologist and associate medical director of perioperative services, will be the first permanent director of clinical science for the engineering-based college of medicine.

Rowitz will oversee clinical partnerships to allow the integration of the college's research and academic activities into the patient-care side of the operation. The role is crucial to the college's goal of transforming regional health care delivery and innovation, officials said in announcing the news.

Almaroad will be the principal administrative officer for clinical science, guiding it into an academic department within the college. He will manage the clinical side of the engineering-based M.D. degree curriculum, including students' experiences working with physicians and patients in clinical settings and the involvement of physician-educators.

"Dr. Rowitz and Dr. Almaroad have the right expertise to oversee these crucial areas for the Carle Illinois College of Medicine," said Dr. Matthew Gibb, chief medical officer for the Carle health system.

Gibb called Rowitz "a skilled clinician, a valued administrator and trusted mentor to many." And Almaroad has a unique perspective as a physician and provider directly involved with many disciplines of care, he said.

Rowitz, a Carle surgeon, researcher and UI faculty member, holds faculty appointments in the Department of Nutritional Sciences and the UI College of Medicine's regional campus in Champaign-Urbana. He is also medical director of surgical services at Carle.

King Li, dean for the new medical school, said their leadership will be "critical to training the first generation of physician-innovators who will re-engineer the delivery of health care."

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UI med school appoints 2 Carle doctors as clinical directors - Champaign/Urbana News-Gazette

Brody to push ahead with plans to expand medical school class sizes – WNCT

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GREENVILLE, N.C. (WNCT) Following the passage of the new state budget, Brody School of Medicine officials are encouraged by the emphasis state lawmakers are putting on expanding medical education in the state.

Brody will continue to receive $8 million a year to help cover the cost of training and teaching future doctors. But, that money doesnt cover the cost needed to fulfill one of the biggest future goals of the school expanding class sizes.

There are not enough physicians today to take care of our population, and that will only get worse in the years ahead, said Interim Dean Dr. Nicholas Benson.

Benson said the school remains committed to moving towards growing class sizes. This year, they will add one or two additional spots, bringing the total size up to 82 students.

That increase, that very minimal increase, is not going to be able to really make a positive impact on the healthcare of people across the state, Benson said.

To make that bigger impact, Benson said classes must be expanded much further. The goal for Brody is to have classes expand from the current 80 students a year, to 120 students.

Benson said he was encouraged to see the General Assembly set aside $1 million for UNCs Medical School to expand their current facility.

In order to expand Brodys class sizes, Benson said they would need to hire additional instructors, and also construct a new building, which would cost millions of dollars and take years to complete.

Another obstacle to overcome is the lack of residency and fellowship spots in the East.

Were lagging behind because were younger, said Dr. Herb Garrison, the Associate Dean for Graduate Medical Education.

Whereas medical schools at Duke and UNC have between 750 and 1,000 residency and fellowship spots, Greenville only has around 400. Garrison said you cant bring on more students until you have a place for them to train following graduation.

He wants to expand the number of spots in the East for one simple reason.

Youre more likely to stay where you train, so thats why keeping them here is more likely, he said.

Improving access to care in the East is one of the big driving factors in wanting to expand in the first place. Garrison was excited that in the new budget, the General Assembly allotted money to expand residency programs in rural areas.

If you train in a rural areas for two years, you get to know the community and you become part of the community, youre more likely to stay in that community and thats what we really want to see, he said.

Rep. Greg Murphy (R-Pitt) said he requested and additional $2.5 million for Brody in the new budget to help cover planning cost for an expansion. However, that money was not put in to the finalized budget.

Benson said local fundraising efforts to start getting money in line for a new building have already begun. He hopes to continue receiving support from the state moving forward.

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Brody to push ahead with plans to expand medical school class sizes - WNCT

Comic-Con: ‘Black Panther’, ‘Logan’, ‘Cloak & Dagger’ Composers Set For Superhero Music Panel – Deadline

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The composers behind some of the biggest superhero blockbuster films and fan-fave TV series are headed to Comic-Con for Costa Communications fifth annual Musical Anatomy of a Superhero panel. The event will take place on Thursday, July 20 at the Hilton Bayfronts Indigo Ballroom at 10am.

Composers will expound on their process and challenges in creating the musical voices behind the superheroes, as well as on collaborating with directors and producers. The panel event also will include unreleased clips of upcoming projects.

This years panelists include Oscar nominated and Emmy winning composer Mark Isham, who is composing the music for Freeforms upcoming Marvel series Cloak & Dagger.A reminder to die-hardOnce Upon a Timeattendees, Isham also writes the music for that show.

Two-time Oscar nominee Marco Beltrami (Logan, The Wolverine,Lucifer)will also be on hand. Swedish composer Ludwig Goransson will provide insight into Marvels upcoming February feature releaseBlack Pantherand MGM/Annapurnas reboot ofDeath Wish. Also on the panel:Emmy-nominated composer Brian Tyler, who wrote the music forAvengers: Age of Ultron, Power Rangers, The Mummy; David Russo, (Gotham,Nikita,The Tomorrow People);and Lorne Balfe (The Lego Batman Movie, the upcoming Warner Bros./Skydance picGeostorm).Costa Communications chief Ray Costa will be moderating the session.

Previous composers at Musical Anatomy includeChristophe Beck(Ant-Man, Frozen),Tyler Bates(Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2),Blake Neely(Arrow, Super Girl, The Flash),John Powell(the Bourne Franchise, Hancock),Tom Junkie XL Holkenborg(Deadpool, Mad Max: Fury Road),John Ottman(X-Men: Apocalypse, Superman Returns),andJohn Debney(Iron Man 2).

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Comic-Con: 'Black Panther', 'Logan', 'Cloak & Dagger' Composers Set For Superhero Music Panel - Deadline

Anatomy of a Goal: Manneh’s long-range strike – Massive Report

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Welcome to the Anatomy of a Goal, where each week we dissect one goal (or near goal) from the previous weeks Columbus Crew SC match.

For match 20 of the 2017 MLS Season, we take a look at Kekuta Mannehs 58th minute long-range blast that put Crew SC up 1-0 as part of their 1-0 win over Minnesota United.

Heres a look at the finish from the Columbus winger.

Both teams struggled to get going for much of this match, with the Black & Gold recording only four shots before Mannehs goal. Crew SCs 3-4-3 formation, without both Justin Meram and Federico Higuain, lacked the creative force that Columbus typically relies on to provide quality chances. Minnesota started the second half well, forcing Zack Steffen to make two saves in the early part of the half.

Mannehs game-winner began off a Loon turnover, with Jukka Raitala arguably playing the ball off of his arm. Playing in the middle of the back three, Alex Crognale picks up the turnover and immediately has multiple passing options: a quick pass to Josh Williams, a pass downfield to Wil Trapp, a pass further downfield to (an offscreen) Mohammed Abu or a,very short pass to Lalas Abubakar.

Crognale spots Abu down the field and opts to slot the ball to the Ghanian midfielder.

Abu, with space to turn, quickly plays the ball to his captain to start off the counterattack.

With the ball and space to work, Trapp has multiple options: a quick pass to Hector Jimenez on the wing, carry the ball forward until defensive pressure arrives, a pass downfield to Manneh, or a quick pass back to Abu.

Notice Ibsons positioning during this play. Ibson, standing in the middle of Trapps decision tree, is blocking Trapps passing angle to Manneh. Ibson is also the closest defender to Trapp, but will decide not to engage with Columbus captain.

Trapp decides to carry the ball downfield. As he does, the midfielder still has the option to pass to Jimenez on his right and now a clear passing lane to Manneh has emerged. Ibson has barely moved, so Trapp decides to continue to carry the ball downfield.

After covering about 25 yards, Trapp is finally approaching defensive pressure from Minnesota midfielder Kevin Venegas. Venegas is forced to cover Trapp because both Ibson and Sam Cronin have failed to do so. Seeing Venegas shift to the player he should be marking, Cronin rushes toward Manneh. This defensive slip by the Loons will provide Trapp with a quick window to slot the ball onto the feet of Manneh.

Trapp makes the pass to Manneh as Cronin sprints toward the winger. Manneh will briefly hold the ball at his feet rather than continue his motion forward.

With the ball at his feet, and Cronin sprinting to catch up, Manneh will do a quick turn that uses the momentum of the Loon midfielder as a way to create space.

As you can see in the above video, Manneh waits for Cronin to arrive and then quickly spins away, sending Cronin six or seven yards passed and setting Manneh into the open field.

After completing his turn, Manneh finds himself with yards of space and available passes to Jimenez and Ethan Finlay. Manneh will carry the ball forward to look for defensive pressure.

As the Black & Gold winger heads toward the goal, and with Cronin scrambling to get back into a defensive position, Mannehs available passing options are Jimenez (to his right) and Finlay (straight ahead). Additionally, Manneh can carry the ball toward goal until pressure arrives.

Cronin doesnt arrive in time and neither do any of the other Loon defenders. So, Manneh decides to take a shot from about 25 yards out... and youll have to wait to see if he scores (spoiler alert: he does).

The question this shot, and subsequent goal, ask is why didnt one of Uniteds deep-lying defenders step up to help Cronin and challenge Manneh. The answer to that question is Finlay.

The above video shows Finlay quickly run from the corner of the semicircle to the middle of the top of the 18-yard-box. In doing this, Finlay occupies both Minnesota defenders, preventing either from stepping up to defend Manneh and opening up a lane for the shot and subsequent goal.

Just after the Crew SC match at Atlanta, Gregg Berhalter commented on the importance of Finlay to Crew SCs success. Even without touching the ball, Finlay is instrumental in creating the space necessary for Mannehs shot and goal. Lets look at Finlays movement and impact on this play.

As he enters the frame, Finlay is defended by Justin Davis. The defender likely sees Jimenez running unmarked on his left and is hesitant to totally follow Finlays run, which would open up space for Manneh to head right.

Finlay can either run into the channel between Davis and Joseph Greenspan or he can continue his run across the face of Greenspan.

Finlay continues across the channel and into the path of Greenspan. As Finlay runs along the offside line, while staying onside, the rest of the play will hinge on Greenspans next decision. If Greenspan decides to step to Manneh, Finlay will be open for a quick through pass. If Greenspan sticks with Finlay, Manneh will have the opportunity to shoot or continue in on goal.

Greenspan, slowed by Finlay, sticks with Columbuss right winger. Davis moves toward Manneh, closing his path to the right.

As Greenspan shifts toward Manneh, the Crew SC winger decides to take his shot on goal. Mannehs shot will slot right into the space just vacated by Greenspan.

The star in the above image represents Finlays starting spot in this section of his run. Notice how much space and time he creates for Manneh just by making a simple five-yard run across the face of two defenders.

And Mannehs shot finds the back of the net.

Findings:

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Anatomy of a Goal: Manneh's long-range strike - Massive Report

4 Limiting Phrases To Cut Out & Uplevel Our Lives – HuffPost

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Words become our world. The way we speak to ourselves, to others, our loved ones and our pets, have a powerful impact. Just recently, I was in a hospital learning integrative medicine and being surrounded by the most brilliant artists and philosophers, who also happen to be doctors from around the world. It was intense and challenging to take in, but the environment was grand. They spoke of changing the world, projects theyre working on, patients theyve helped heal from incurable diseases, theories of health and wellness, living to their highest potential. I was moved to create, write, get to doing on all the projects I had in my heart. And then I returned to the real world.

Within one week of being back home, I noticed how down our society is on itself, its people and how contagious that negativity can be. The phrases come in different shapes and sizes, intensities and languages, but I could feel a downgrade each time I heard them. These four phrases are the ones Ive heard the most, though I believe there are a ton more. Check them out, see if youre guilty of uttering them and commit to make a change.

Im Sorry: We live in a society of sorries. Im not referring to the heartfelt apology that emerges when youve wronged or truly hurt someone. Im talking about the Im sorry to bother you or Im sorry, I didnt know this restaurant was closed. There is even something called the Sorry Syndrome and it affects women more than men, as we are nurturers who want to please everyone. Sorry is engrained in us from early on, since niceness equals likability. Saying sorry too often can make us appear submissive, leaving space for people to take advantage of us. It can also lower our self-worth and justify others actions. Some of the main reasons for Sorry Syndrome is lack of self-esteem, self-doubt, seeking outside approval and powerlessness. There are many other reasons that sorry emerges, but these are the main ones. If you want to change, start by tallying up the amount of times you say sorry in a day. Then recognize when it comes and ask yourself if its is valid. If not, attempt to find the right words to relay your message. If you bump into someone say excuse me, rather than Im sorry. If your roommate takes out the trash because you forgot, just say thank you and go on with your day. Being a chronic apologizer, I know how much of a challenge it can be, but like everything else, just make the decision, stick to it and keep on trying.

I Cant: As a gymnast, I would have to do 20 pushups if I ever uttered the words I cant. That expectation motivated me to change quickly and is something that Ive carried with me to this day. You can do anything is one of my life mottos. Watch your words and see how often you choose to say I cant over what you really mean. If you dont want to do something, then say that. Its a lie otherwise. Start telling the truth and it shall set you free. You can actually do anything you choose to do, so start there, replace I cant with I choose not to. Or train your brain to try with how can I. It is super uncomfortable at first, but super powerful once you get into the rhythm.

Its Hard: It is unbelievable how many times Ive heard this one in the past week. Particularly from myself. I keep saying Its hard to lead and do a 10-day Real Food Reset, when there are so many good restaurants. Hard was living with my father when he had Alzheimers or getting through PA school after being assaulted at gun point. Those things were truly hard, but I did it. Weve all overcome hardships and lived to tell about it. Hearing this from mothers who want to stop drinking alcohol, I say, Youve given birth, youve raised children (youve been a single mom, in an abusive relationship, etc.), but giving up the bottle is hard? They usually laugh and realize the silliness of that statement. If youve identified something as hard, celebrate your willingness for the challenge. Then make a choice, ask for help, figure it out and dont give up until you do. Or do give up and start over. No one is keeping tabs on you except for you.

I Dont Know: I always respond to this one with you do know, because I truly believe we always do know. The more you say this phrase, the more you brain believes it. Its a safe phrase, like the rest of these. This one may be the most detrimental because it knocks your intuition. Intuition is something that should be honored, not pushed aside. We also say this when we want to be accepted or fit in. Fear is another one. We sometimes say I dont know because were afraid to make a choice or decision. Try using Ill find out, why dont we ask [name or the internet] or Im going to meditate on this and get back to you or Its really none of your business, so Im not going to answer you. We often say it at the end of a story when we dont have a conclusion or were seeking for advice without an outright question. In this case, Ill reiterate, you do know, you just have to believe it.

The way we talk to ourselves is one of the most determining factors to success, which is why Im crazy about the words I choose. So much of our lives and challenges are about perspective. Our brains cannot decipher between real and imagined, so when we use these phrases and negative words, our mind believes them. Our mind believes everything we feed it, so provide it with overflowing plates of possibility, hope, positivity and love.

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MCI order on signing med reports causes stir- The New Indian Express – The New Indian Express

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BENGALURU:A communication by the Medical Council of India saying that only those who have registered with MCI and state medical councils will be allowed to sign on medical reports has received opposition from the hospital sector. This recent decision by MCI will keep all pathologists and those with MSc or MD in biochemistry, microbiology, medical microbiology away from signing certificates, health and medical reports.

At present, MSc and PhD holders in medical microbiology, medical biochemistry, life sciences, applied biology, cutogenetics and biotechnology are allowed to sign medical test reports. But this new decision by MCI will restrict MSc and PhD holders to only teaching. A senior professor of a medical college in the city said, These are allied sciences and MCI cant restrict them to teaching. If MCI says only those registered with MCI can sign health and medical reports, then only MBBS doctors can sign. These pathology lab reports are system generated and they dont need an MBBS holder to sign them, said another senior pathologist.

Many in the sector have raised the issue with Union health minister J P Nadda on Twitter and some have even asked HRD minister Prakash Javadekar to remove MSc in biochemistry and microbiology courses from the purview of U GC.

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At the ripe age of 23, Crystal Vander Zanden is a newly minted CSU Ph.D. – Source

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Most college students finish their undergraduate degrees around the age of 22. But Crystal Vander Zanden isnt most students.

The 23-year-old Arizona native is leaving Colorado State University a newly minted Ph.D. in biochemistry the youngest ever from the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

The soft-spoken, unassuming Vander Zanden defended her Ph.D. thesis in June, and is now packing up her apartment in Fort Collins after spending six years working toward her doctorate. In the fall, she will begin a National Institutes of Health-fundedpostdoctoral fellowshipat the University of New Mexico. There, shell conduct research on biophysical characterization of Alzheimers Disease-related protein aggregation, while also teaching courses at a local community college.

Growing up in Glendale, Arizona, Vander Zanden was home-schooled an environment in which she quickly advanced at her own pace. At age 8, she asked her mother if she could enroll in a biology course. After passing an entrance exam, Vander Zanden took her first college-level course at Glendale Community College, at the age of 9. At age 13, she graduated from Glendale High School.

She went on to Nebraskas Doane University (then Doane College), majoring in biochemistry. She was a student researcher in the lab of Assistant Professor Erin Wilson, studying the biochemical properties of protein adsorption in bone. While in college, her family mom, stepdad and younger siblings all moved to Nebraska.

Choosing CSU to pursue a Ph.D. was a no-brainer for Vander Zanden, who was 17 when she visited Fort Collins for the first time and interviewed for the graduate program. She fell in love with campus, and with the small, close-knit biochemistry department. She chose CSU over two other Ph.D. programs.

People were laid back, but still doing fantastic science, she said.

Before she turned 18, Vander Zanden began her Ph.D. under the mentorship of Professor Shing Ho. With Ho, she learned how to think as an independent scientist, to come up with her own questions, and to figure out whats interesting about the data youve just collected.

Her Ph.D. examined the mechanics and functions of a DNA marker called hydroxymethylcytosine. The marker plays an important role in DNA recombination, the process by which damaged DNA fixes itself.

Ho said when Vander Zanden first joined his lab, she was put on a project about halogen bonding. Soon after, he asked her to change focus to the new study on which she would eventually write her thesis for determining hydroxymethylcytosines role in recombination. This switch required Vander Zanden to learn techniques Hos lab was not expert in, and to create an entirely new research direction.

It took determination and real courage as a scientist to take this leap of faith, and I could not imagine any other student of her age, or any age, taking on such a challenge, Ho said.

A compassionate individual and a source of intellectual and emotional support for many, Vander Zanden has earned the respect of students, faculty and others around her, Ho said. It has been a genuine honor to have played a part in helping Crystal find her passion in science and in teaching these past six years.

During her time at CSU, Vander Zanden received a National Institutes of Health pre-doctoral fellowship, and also received the College of Natural Sciences Graduate Student Excellence in Teaching Award. At the time, Vander Zanden was a teaching assistant in two courses, including physical biochemistry among the most challenging of undergraduate courses for biochemistry majors.

Vander Zanden said she routinely had 10 or more students crammed into her graduate student space during office hours. And it was through these types of experiences that she discovered how much she enjoys teaching.

It was an awesome thing to teach students until they actually understood something, and they felt empowered within themselves, Vander Zanden said.

She is also not one to take education and the opportunities she has embraced lightly.

Education is one of the only means we have in our society to do better than our parents, she said. Its an amazing thing and I want to be a part of that.

When Vander Zanden first applied to the Ph.D. program at CSU, her mom came with her, because Vander Zanden was not technically an adult. Besides some minor social setbacks with being under the legal drinking age for most of her time here, being younger has not been a major factor, with her peers or her students.

Though, driving was an issue in undergrad, she recalls. I was able to drive the same year everyone in my class was able to drink.

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At the ripe age of 23, Crystal Vander Zanden is a newly minted CSU Ph.D. - Source

Endocrine disrupters: potentially harmful chemicals for human hormones – Medical Xpress

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July 5, 2017

Potentially harmful chemicals which can interfere with the normal functioning of human hormones are known as endocrine disruptors (EDs).

These mostly manmade substances can cause a range of health problems.

EU member states Tuesday approved a European Commission list of criteria to help identify endocrine disruptors in products used to protect farm animals and plants from disease and insectsa move seen as a step toward a regulatory system on EDs.

Following is some background:

What is the endocrine system?

The body's endocrine tissuesin the ovaries and testes, as well as the adrenal, pituitary and thyroid glandsproduce hormones that are secreted into the bloodstream to control and coordinate a range of critical body functions.

These hormones help regulate energy levels, reproduction, growth, development, as well as our response to stress and injury.

What are endocrine disrupters?

The term endocrine disrupter comes from a 1992 study by US epidemiologist Theo Colborn on the effects of chemical products on hormones.

According to the World Health Organization, an endocrine disruptor is a substance (or a mixture of substances) which disrupts the functions of the hormonal system and consequently is harmful to human health and reproduction, including at very weak levels of exposure.

How do EDs work?

From animal studies, researchers have learned that endocrine disruptors can mimic naturally occurring hormones such as the female sex hormone oestrogen, and the male hormone androgen.

They bind to a receptor within a human cell and block the natural hormone from binding to it. This blocks normal signalling, causing malfunctions within the body.

Disruptors can also influence the way natural hormones and their receptors are made and controlled, for example, altering the metabolism of the liver.

Where are EDs found?

Everywhere. People are exposed to hormone-disrupting chemicals through everyday products including food and drink, medications, pesticides, cosmetics, plastics, detergents, flame retardants, and toysto name a few.

They can even be found in air and dust and can enter our bodies via the skin, breathing, drinking or eating. These chemicals can also be transferred from a woman to her child via the placenta or breast milk.

There are thousands of chemicals that canalone or in combination with otherspotentially disturb our hormonal and immune systems.

What are the impacts?

The suspect compounds have been linked to altered reproductive function in males and females, increased incidence of breast cancer, disturbance of the nervous and immune systems, abnormal growth, and stunted development in children.

The endocrine disrupting capacity of some chemicalsthe pesticide DDT, dioxins and toxic compounds called PCBsare well known, but for thousands of others the impacts are still unproven. While many molecules have been individually tested for safety, few studies have examined how they interact with others.

Impactsincluding spontaneous sex changeshave also been observed in amphibians exposed to synthetic hormones, such as oestrogen, in their water.

Concrete examples?

Bisphenol A (BPA) is used in large quantities to produce polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins. The US National Toxicology Program (NTP) has expressed "some concern" for impacts at current levels of exposure on the brain, behaviour, and prostate glands of foetuses, infants and children.

Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) is a mass-produced chemical widely used in consumer food packaging, some children's products, and some PVC medical devices. The NTP has said it might pose a risk to human development, especially in critically ill male infants.

Sources: US National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, World Health Organization.

Explore further: EU closes in on hormone-disrupting chemicals

2017 AFP

The European Union set broad criteria Wednesday for identifying potentially harmful chemicals which can interfere with the normal functioning of human hormones and cause a range of health problems.

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Educated women are freezing their eggs because of ‘missing men’ – New York Post

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Women with masters degrees and doctorates are freezing their eggs because there are not enough educated men in the world, according to a new study.

Researchers interviewed 150 women who were having their eggs frozen at eight clinics in the US and Israel between June 2014 and August 2016. More than 80 percent of participants had college degrees.

Of the 114 US participants, 47 percent had a masters degree and 34 percent had an MD, PhD or the equivalent. The findings were recently presented at the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology conference in Geneva. They have not yet been submitted to an academic journal.

There is a major gap they are literally missing men, Marcia Inhorn, lead author of the study and a professor at Yale, said at the conference. There are not enough college graduates for them. In simple terms, this is about an oversupply of educated women.

The term missing men was adopted from Chinas leftover women single women over the age of 27 who are considered by Chinese society to have missed their shot at marriage. Except that missing men refers to the lack of men with a college or higher degree.

Inhorn said their findings challenge the idea that women are freezing their eggs merely to prioritize their careers. Many of the women told researchers that the men theyd met were too intimidated by their success, uneducated or were not interested in starting a family.

The study also found that there are 38 percent more educated women than men in New York City. The gender disparity increases to 81 percent in Miami and 49 percent in Washington, DC.

As of fall 2014, 55 percent of all US undergraduates enrolled in a four-year college were women, according to data from the federal Education Department.

It wasnt their education and careers that had stood in the way, Inhorn said in an email to The Post. It was their inability to find an educated partner along the way.

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Educated women are freezing their eggs because of 'missing men' - New York Post

Grey goo – Wikipedia

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Grey goo (also spelled gray goo) is a hypothetical end-of-the-world scenario involving molecular nanotechnology in which out-of-control self-replicating robots consume all biomass on Earth while building more of themselves,[1][2] a scenario that has been called ecophagy ("eating the environment", more literally "eating the habitation").[3] The original idea assumed machines were designed to have this capability, while popularizations have assumed that machines might somehow gain this capability by accident.

Self-replicating machines of the macroscopic variety were originally described by mathematician John von Neumann, and are sometimes referred to as von Neumann machines or clanking replicators. The term gray goo was coined by nanotechnology pioneer Eric Drexler in his 1986 book Engines of Creation.[4] In 2004 he stated, "I wish I had never used the term 'gray goo'."[5]Engines of Creation mentions "gray goo" in two paragraphs and a note, while the popularized idea of gray goo was first publicized in a mass-circulation magazine, Omni, in November 1986.[6]

The term was first used by molecular nanotechnology pioneer Eric Drexler in his book Engines of Creation (1986). In Chapter 4, Engines Of Abundance, Drexler illustrates both exponential growth and inherent limits (not gray goo) by describing nanomachines that can function only if given special raw materials:

Imagine such a replicator floating in a bottle of chemicals, making copies of itselfthe first replicator assembles a copy in one thousand seconds, the two replicators then build two more in the next thousand seconds, the four build another four, and the eight build another eight. At the end of ten hours, there are not thirty-six new replicators, but over 68 billion. In less than a day, they would weigh a ton; in less than two days, they would outweigh the Earth; in another four hours, they would exceed the mass of the Sun and all the planets combinedif the bottle of chemicals hadn't run dry long before.

According to Drexler, the term was popularized by an article in science fiction magazine Omni, which also popularized the term nanotechnology in the same issue. Drexler says arms control is a far greater issue than grey goo "nanobugs".[7]

In a History Channel broadcast, a contrasting idea (a kind of gray goo) is referred to in a futuristic doomsday scenario: "In a common practice, billions of nanobots are released to clean up an oil spill off the coast of Louisiana. However, due to a programming error, the nanobots devour all carbon based objects, instead of just the hydrocarbons of the oil. The nanobots destroy everything, all the while, replicating themselves. Within days, the planet is turned to dust."[8]

Drexler describes gray goo in Chapter 11 of Engines Of Creation:

Early assembler-based replicators could beat the most advanced modern organisms. 'Plants' with 'leaves' no more efficient than today's solar cells could out-compete real plants, crowding the biosphere with an inedible foliage. Tough, omnivorous 'bacteria' could out-compete real bacteria: they could spread like blowing pollen, replicate swiftly, and reduce the biosphere to dust in a matter of days. Dangerous replicators could easily be too tough, small, and rapidly spreading to stopat least if we made no preparation. We have trouble enough controlling viruses and fruit flies.

Drexler notes that the geometric growth made possible by self-replication is inherently limited by the availability of suitable raw materials.

Drexler used the term "gray goo" not to indicate color or texture, but to emphasize the difference between "superiority" in terms of human values and "superiority" in terms of competitive success:

Though masses of uncontrolled replicators need not be grey or gooey, the term "grey goo" emphasizes that replicators able to obliterate life might be less inspiring than a single species of crabgrass. They might be "superior" in an evolutionary sense, but this need not make them valuable.

Bill Joy, one of the founders of Sun Microsystems, discussed some of the problems with pursuing this technology in his now-famous 2000 article in Wired magazine, titled "Why the Future Doesn't Need Us". In direct response to Joy's concerns, the first quantitative technical analysis of the ecophagy scenario was published in 2000 by nanomedicine pioneer Robert Freitas.[3]

Drexler more recently conceded that there is no need to build anything that even resembles a potential runaway replicator. This would avoid the problem entirely. In a paper in the journal Nanotechnology, he argues that self-replicating machines are needlessly complex and inefficient. His 1992 technical book on advanced nanotechnologies Nanosystems: Molecular Machinery, Manufacturing, and Computation[9] describes manufacturing systems that are desktop-scale factories with specialized machines in fixed locations and conveyor belts to move parts from place to place. None of these measures would prevent a party from creating a weaponized grey goo, were such a thing possible.

Prince Charles called upon the British Royal Society to investigate the "enormous environmental and social risks" of nanotechnology in a planned report, leading to much media commentary on gray goo. The Royal Society's report on nanoscience was released on 29 July 2004, and declared the possibility of self-replicating machines to lie too far in the future to be of concern to regulators.[10]

More recent analysis in the paper titled Safe Exponential Manufacturing from the Institute of Physics (co-written by Chris Phoenix, Director of Research of the Center for Responsible Nanotechnology, and Eric Drexler), shows that the danger of grey goo is far less likely than originally thought.[11] However, other long-term major risks to society and the environment from nanotechnology have been identified.[12] Drexler has made a somewhat public effort to retract his grey goo hypothesis, in an effort to focus the debate on more realistic threats associated with knowledge-enabled nanoterrorism and other misuses.[13]

In Safe Exponential Manufacturing, which was published in a 2004 issue of Nanotechnology, it was suggested that creating manufacturing systems with the ability to self-replicate by the use of their own energy sources would not be needed.[14] The Foresight Institute also recommended embedding controls in the molecular machines. These controls would be able to prevent anyone from purposely abusing nanotechnology, and therefore avoid the grey goo scenario.[15]

Grey goo is a useful construct for considering low-probability, high-impact outcomes from emerging technologies. Thus, it is a useful tool in the ethics of technology. Daniel A. Vallero[16] applied it as a worst-case scenario thought experiment for technologists contemplating possible risks from advancing a technology. This requires that a decision tree or event tree include even extremely low probability events if such events may have an extremely negative and irreversible consequence, i.e. application of the precautionary principle. Dianne Irving[17] admonishes that "any error in science will have a rippling effect....". Vallero adapted this reference to chaos theory to emerging technologies, wherein slight permutations of initial conditions can lead to unforeseen and profoundly negative downstream effects, for which the technologist and the new technology's proponents must be held accountable.

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‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Star Jesse Williams Fighting Estranged Wife Over … – TMZ.com

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Jesse Williams' hopes for an amicable divorce just went down the toilet ... he's now in a nasty custody fight with his estranged wife.

The "Grey's Anatomy" star filed docs saying he went above and beyond to informally handle custody issues withAryn Drake-Lee. Jesse filed for divorce back in April and we were told things were civil. But Jesse says it's now turned into a legal war.

In docs obtained by TMZ, Jesse's asking to get more time with 3-year-old Sadie and 2-year-old Maceo, claiming Aryn only lets him see them shy of 3 hours a day and she refuses to allow sleepovers.

Jesse says he rented a home less than 3 miles from Aryn's home so he could be close to the kids. To prove he's a hands-on dad, Jesse listed their nicknames and their favorite food -- mac & cheese for "Sadie Munchkin" and "anything we put in front of 'Mace.'"

Still ... Jesse says Aryn's made things impossible so he's asking the judge to step in and issue a formal custody agreement.

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Noxxon/MSD start testing of immunoncologic combo – European Biotechnology

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Last December, Noxxon Pharma AG signed an agreement with Merck & Co./MSD to evaluate the synergistic potential of NOXA1/2 and pembrolizumab immune cancer therapy. Now, the companies have kicked off a Phase I/II study in patients with pancreatic and colorectal cancer.

The study conducted at the National Center for Tumor Diseases in Heidelberg (Germany) will investigate the impact of NOX-A12 (olaptesed pegol) as a monotherapy on immune cell infiltration into tumors. In addition, Noxxon and Merck & Co will assess safety and efficacy of NOX-A12 in combination with Keytruda (pembrolizumab), Merck & Co./MSDs programmed death receptor-1 (PD-1) immune checkpoint-blocking antibody drug.

The open-label trial (NCT03168139) is composed of two parts: patients will receive NOX-A12 monotherapy for two weeks, followed by combination therapy of NOX-A12 plus pembrolizumab for up to two years. 20 patients will be enroled: 10 patients for each metastatic pancreas and colorectal cancer.

The design of the clinical trial was a collaborative effort between NOXXON and MSD. Part 1 of the study, in which patients will receive NOX-A12 monotherapy for up to two weeks, will evaluate immune infiltrate changes within the tumor microenvironment induced by CXCL12 inhibition with NOX-A12 by comparing pre- and post-treatment biopsy specimens as well as the safety and tolerability of NOX-A12 in patients with metastatic (stage IV) colorectal and pancreatic cancer. Part 2 of the study, in which NOX-A12 is to be combined with Keytruda, will assess the safety and tolerability of the combination in addition to the efficacy of treatment. Top-line data for all 20 patients from part 1 is expected to be available in Q2/2018, and initial response-rate data in Q4/2018.

NOX-A12 inhibits CXCL12, a key tumor microenvironment chemokine and a stem cell migration factor. The chemokine that acts by binding to to CXCR4 and CXCR7 may be a key partner for a wide range of IO (immuno-oncology) agents. Noxxon has generated promising pre-clinical and clinical data, including animal data showing synergy with a checkpoint inhibitor, as well as recent phase 2a trials in multiple myeloma and a second hematological cancer that showed a safety profile that supports further development and first signs of efficacy. The company said that its study will position the drug to be combined with multiple classes of IO approaches including those acting on or through T cells and/or NK cells.

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Noxxon/MSD start testing of immunoncologic combo - European Biotechnology

Seventure debuts in Japan with microbiome investment – European … – European Biotechnology

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Venture capitalist Seventure Partners announced that it has participated in a US$13m financing of Japanese biotech company Anaeropharma Science. The investment is made from Seventures Health for Life Capital investment vehicle.

Anaeropharma Science is based in Tokyo. It develops novel genetically enhanced bacteria to fight tumours. The companys lead product APS001F is based on an obligate anaerobic bacterium. Bifidobacterium longum can only proliferate in the hypoxic core of solid tumours, where it secretes the enzyme cytosine deaminase turning a systemically administered prodrug into a cytotoxic agent, which hollows out the tumour from the inside. The company is currently conducting a Phase Ib/IIa trial of APS001F in patients with advanced solid tumours in the USA. Lead investor Seventure points out that the investment of US$13.2m (11.6m) will strengthen a Japanese leader in the microbiome sector. Anaeropharma will use the financing to accelerate the development of multiple programmes based on its proprietary platform technology.

Seventure Partners invests alongside Novartis Pharma and Japanese investors Shinsei Corporate Investment Limited, Innovation Network Corporation of Japan and Mitsubishi UFJ Capital. This is Seventures first investment in a Japanese company, the Paris-based venture capital firm declared. There is a huge market opportunity for novel treatments that harness the specific capabilities of microbiome-derived bacteria. Anaeropharma Science is developing a pioneering approach to the cancer therapy, which may powerfully complement other axes of modern oncology research, said Isabelle de Cremoux, CEO and Managing Partner of Seventure Partners. The Companys innovative R&D is a great fit for our Health For Life Capital investment vehicle. Eric de La Fortelle, Venture Partner at Seventure Partners, will have a Board observer seat in the company.

In the life sciences, Seventure focuses on four areas of interest, including the investment topic microbiome, nutrition, foodtech and personalised medicine. Investments can range between 500k and 10m per round, or up to 20m per company, from early to late stage.

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Seventure debuts in Japan with microbiome investment - European ... - European Biotechnology

Dad’s age affects IVF results as much as mum’s: study – Hindustan Times

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Increasing age in men affects their chances of becoming a father as much as it affects a womans chances of getting pregnant , a new study has found.

Since men do not undergo a predictable and detectable decline in their fertility like women, female age was been considered the dominant indicator of a couples chance of conception, whether natural or assisted.

A new study of IVF couples at the Harvard Medical School shows quite clearly that live-birth outcome are clearly affected by the age of the male partner.

Also, in certain younger women where the effect of age is less potent, the chances of a live birth can be lowered if the man is much older.

Our study found an independent effect of male age on the cumulative incidence of live birth, said investigator Dr Laura Dodge from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, who presented the study on Tuesday at the Annual Meeting of European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) in Geneva.

The study was an analysis of all IVF cycles performed at a large IVF centre in the Boston region between 2000 and 2014, a total of almost 19,000 cycles performed in 7753 couples.

The female partners in these cycles were stratified according to four age bands: under 30, 30-35 years, 35-40 years, and 40-42. Men were stratified into these same four age bands, with an additional band of 42 and over.

As expected, the cumulative live birth rate (measured from up to six cycles of treatment) was lowest in those couples where the female partner was in the 40-42 age band, and in this group the age of the male partner had no impact, demonstrating the dominant detrimental effect of female age.

However, within the other bands of female age, the cumulative incidence of live birth was significantly affected by male partner age and was found to decline as the man grew older.

For example, in couples with a female partner aged under 30, a male partner aged 40-42 was associated with a significantly lower cumulative birth rate (46%) than a male partner aged 30-35 (73%). Similarly, in couples with a female partner aged 35-40 years live birth rates were higher with a younger than with an older male partner.

In natural conception, increasing male age is associated with a decreased incidence of pregnancy, increased time to pregnancy, and increased risk of miscarriage.

The mechanisms though unclear, may include impaired semen parameters, increased DNA damage in sperm, and epigenetic alterations in sperm that affect fertilisation, implantation, or embryo development.

Most preconception advice for men focuses on semen quality, though studies suggest that this likely cannot fully ameliorate the effects of male reproductive ageing. So in the absence of clear evidence of the mechanisms, the best preconception advice we can offer is to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

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Genome Engineering Market: Leading Players Need to Focus on Product Innovation to Maintain their Prominence – Edition Truth

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A new study by Transparency Market Research indicates that the degree of competitive rivalry in genome engineering rivalry market is likely to remain moderate over the forecast period owing to the presence of a limited number of international and regional players. Sigma-Aldrich Corporation, Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., and Sangamo Biosciences Inc. are among the prominent revenue contributors to the market. The entry of small regional players in the arena is prompting global players to pay high attention to product innovation.

To develop innovative, technologically advanced and differentiated products, the leading companies are banking on agreements with laboratories and research institutes and pouring funds into ongoing research and development projects, says the author of the report. The global market for Genome Engineering is anticipated to reach a valuation of US$7.21 bn by 2023 from US$2.30 bn in 2015, expanding at a remarkable CAGR of 14.2% from 2015 to 2023.

North America to Remain Ahead through 2023, thanks to Upswing in Research and Development Activities

By end user, the market will be dominated by the biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies throughout the forecast period. The growth of the segment can be attributed to the rising use of genome engineering technologies in drug discovery and therapeutics. North America will continue to be the frontrunner in the global arena until 2023, rising to a valuation of US$3.68 bn. The widening applications of genome engineering resulting from the increasing research and development activities are contributing to the growth of the region. Asia Pacific will be the most promising regional market, thanks to the increasing government incentives.

Increasing Funding by Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Organizations to Augment Genome Engineering Market

Pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies worldwide are increasingly realizing the need for advanced gene editing technologies for detecting genetic anomalies. As a result, the number of research and development activities is rising at a significant pace. Large organizations are focusing towards cell mutation to curb genetic and cell diseases. To encourage the development of technologies relating to gene editing, pharmaceutical companies are either funding ongoing projects of medical firms or entering into a collaboration with them, says a TMR analyst. Therefore, the increasing research and development activities in the field of gene editing is paving for genome engineered techniques.

The growing investments by governments and non-government organizations in genome research and technological advancements along with the funding by pharmaceutical and biotechnology are providing a fillip to the global genome engineering market.

Rising Opposition on Ethical Grounds to Hamper Growth Prospects

Over the past few years, genetic engineering has received a lot of opposition on ethical grounds from several health, social, and religious organizations. According to the U.S. National Institute of Health (NIH), genetic engineering of human embryos leads to complications in human genes and has, therefore, prohibited its funding. In addition, various social organizations are persistent about the ban of genetic engineering as the alteration in animal genes can adversely affect the genetic makeup of the coming generations of the animal along with hampering the lifespan of the genetically engineered animal.

Along with the rising ethical concerns, the stringent regulatory framework for the approval of genetic modifications in plants, animals, and human genome are acting as a major bottleneck in the growth of the global genome engineering market. Nevertheless, the growing adoption of genome engineering technologies in agriculture for crop improvement is opening new avenues for players in the market.

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Genome Engineering Market: Leading Players Need to Focus on Product Innovation to Maintain their Prominence - Edition Truth

Is Getting Genetically Engineered a Human Right? – Futurism

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In BriefCRISPR technology is transforming biomedical research and isat the heart of numerous recent discoveries but if no one can payfor treatments it produces, how will we make use of it? Expertshave a range of ideas to solve this knotty problem. Paying For Cures

CRISPR, a gene editing tool, is at the heart of numerous new medical treatments and technologies. Some of the incredible uses of CRISPR weve seen in the past year alone include editing phagesto kill antibiotic-resistant bacteria; targeting cancers command centerin mice, boosting survival rates from 0 to 100 percent; repairing the gene defects that cause sickle cell disease; and copying the T-cells of naturally HIV-immune individuals.

However, even as CRISPR moves toward clinical trials and practical use, its future remains unclear. This is due to the extreme cost of CRISPR treatments; most people simply cannot afford them, and whether insurance carriers will pay the tab is uncertain. Some insurance companies have already implemented no coverage policies for gene therapies; the American healthcare system is ever-changing, and its seeming increasingly likely that these extremely expensive therapies might be out of reach even for people with insurance.

StatNews reports that oncologist and author Dr. Siddhartha Mukherjee, who wrote the bestseller Emperor of All Maladies, told the American Society of Clinical Oncology in spring that the world would soon be divided into the rich who can afford personalized cancer treatment and the poor who cannot. The case of Glybera, a gene therapy infamously called the most expensive drug in the world, adds more credence to this concern. At a whopping $1.4 million per patient, Glybera was sold only once in Germany, abandoned in the EU, and never came to the US market due to its cost.

Much of the issue arises as we try to treat and cure rare diseases, which the United States defines as diseases that affect fewer than 200,000 people and the European Union defines as one that affects fewer than 1 in 2,000 people. However, cumulatively, rare diseases effect an estimated 25 to 30 million Americans, and there could be up to7,000 rare diseases.

The tension comes at the nexus between multiple market forces: drug companies who want to invest in research and profit from their investment; insurance companies who must maximize profit for shareholders while insuring as many people as possible; governments and leaders with different policies about intervention into the system; scientists who may have independent interest in conducting research but must find a way to fund it; and patients (some with insurance, some without) who are interested or, in some cases, desperate for treatments and cures. How to relieve the tension and allow science to progress in the best way for the most people is a difficult question, but various experts have ideas.

University of Alberta law and policy expert Tania Bubela suggests toStatNews that insurers should be allowed to reimburse drug companies for gene therapies before they receive FDA approval, requiring them to amass more data before increasing drug costs to full price. Another partial solution might be to grant CRISPR licenses one gene at a time rather than issuing exclusive patents on tools like CRISPR. Other creative intellectual property strategies have been proposed by the Rare Genomics Institute. Pediatric oncologist Stuart Orkin and Phillip Reilly, a Third Rock Ventures partner, along with FDA commissioner Scott Gottlieb, advocate for spreading insurer payments to companies out over years of time contingent upon the drugs continued performance, a sort of annuities structure; this would recognize the value in paying for even expensive drugs rather than years of care and treatment for expensive diseases.

Some form of government intervention is probably inevitable, according to most experts. The US Orphan Drug Act, for example, facilitates the development of treatments and drugs for rare diseases; Orkin and Reilly argue that funds from the Act could pay for gene therapies. The 2009 Biologics Price Competition and Innovation Act made generic biologics, called biosimilars, possible. However, generic forms of CRISPR are not likely to come for decades. Where does this leave us?

StatNews writer Jim Kozubek frames the ultimate issue, suggesting two possible outcomes. One of two things will happen: either we will embrace a national health care system with broad access but that severely limits expensive new drugs, gene therapies, and CRISPR-based biologics; or these treatments will be available to only the wealthiest among us who can pay for them, a dystopian vision which is perverse but perhaps more realistic considering the pressures for a return on investment.

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Is Getting Genetically Engineered a Human Right? - Futurism