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Fountain of youth? The science behind living longer – KGUN

Posted on November 21, 2020 by Prof Baldwin

Lets face it: life expectancy in the U.S. is an issue. Ranked 39th in the world at 78.93 years, Americans life expectancy lingers behind dozens of comparable countries (take Japans 84.67 years). As if this trend werent hard enough to navigate on its own, the Coronavirus pandemic has taken over 200,000 American lives and age is among the top risk factors for severe illness.

Americans are feeling overwhelmed. The pandemic has thrown their lives off track physically, mentally, and emotionally. A recent survey shows 8 out of 10 Americans have changed their eating habits; theyre snacking more and moving less. 80% of mothers are dealing with mild to high levels of anxiety around COVID its keeping 23% of moms up all night.

With no end in sight to the pandemic, Americans are desperate for advice on how to adjust and find ways to live their best life. American longevity expert Dr. Brian Kennedy is famous for his research in the biology of aging. Hes a visionary, translating research discoveries into new ways of delaying, detecting, and preventing human aging and associated diseases. Dr. Kennedy is joining viewers virtually from Singapore to give them knowledge and tools as they seek to find harmony, balance, and longevity amid the chaos.

Dr. Brian Kennedy will share key insights with viewers, and discuss the three top factors to increasing longevity:

Sleep for success: Did you know that sleep and longevity are directly related and can affect memory and immunity? Deep, consistent sleep is tied to good health and too little of it may end up shortening your life. Researchers say that every 5% reduction in REM sleep increases mortality rates by 13% to 17% among middle-age and older adults.

Human Connection is Key: Social isolation and feelings of loneliness have become widespread issues in the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic. Studies show loneliness and weak social connections are associated with a reduction in lifespan, and are as lethal as smoking 15 cigarettes per day. Recently, researchers found links between poor physical and mental health outcomes and major risk factors like social isolation, especially in older adult populations. In general, Dr. Kennedy will explain why social connection is so important to our emotional health and overall longevity and will share ways to stay connected despite distance.

Mindfulness over matter: One of the most essential aspects to preserving and enhancing your health is mindfulness the ability to be fully present in the moment. Studies have linked quieter brains with longer lifespans. Dr. Kennedy will explain that mindfulness isnt just about observing the thoughts in your brain it also includes practices like forgiveness and time in nature that benefit emotional and physical health, and can reduce symptoms of stress and anxiety. Dr. Kennedy will share his tips and favorite reads on the subject.

The Science of Eating and Moving: Americans say the pandemic has thrown their eating habits out of whack. A recent survey shows Americans are snacking more and thinking about food more than usual. Dr. Kennedy believes a combination of proper nutrition and exercise leads to increased energy, mental clarity, and longevity. He will share how overall wellness and longevity can be positively impacted by eating foods that give your body the nutrients it needs to function at its best. Additionally, Dr. Kennedy will explain how periods of fasting can allow the body to rest and reset, and benefit processes in the body including cell rejuvenation.

About Dr. Brian Kennedy:Dr. Brian Kennedy is internationally recognized for his research in the basic biology of aging and as a visionary committed to translating research discoveries into new ways of delaying, detecting, and preventing human aging and associated diseases. He is a Professor in the Departments of Biochemistry and Physiology at National University Singapore and Director of the Centre for Healthy Longevity in the National University Health System. From 2010 to 2016 he was the President and CEO of the Buck Institute for Research on Aging. Currently he remains as a Professor at the Institute. Dr. Kennedy also has an adjunct appointment at the USC Davis School of Gerontology. He is also actively involved biotechnology companies, serving in consulting and board capacities, as well as Scientific Director of Affirmative Health. Dr. Kennedy is on the Board of Directors for L-Nutra, Inc. and serves as a Co-Editor-In-Chief at Aging Cell.

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Fountain of youth? The science behind living longer - KGUN

Larry Hunter, former Ann Arbor council member and Black Panther, dies at 69 – MLive.com

Posted on November 23, 2020 by Prof Baldwin

ANN ARBOR, MI Larry Hunter, a social activist who served 12 years on Ann Arbors City Council and advocated for human rights and affordable housing and fought racial discrimination and segregation, died Nov. 12.

He was 69.

Hunter was a Democratic 1st Ward representative from 1982 to 1994 and served as mayor pro tem under both Democratic and Republican mayors.

At last weeks council meeting, 1st Ward representative Jeff Hayner observed a moment of silence for the late city leader, calling him a king among men who will be missed.

Born in 1951, Hunter, one of 14 siblings, grew up in a public housing project and lived in both the Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti areas.

He became politically active at an early age, organizing walkouts at Pioneer High School as a Black Student Union leader, and joined the Black Panther Party and participated in marches and demonstrations against injustice.

He made his first run for public office in 1982 as a 30-year-old former city employee and 18-year resident of Ann Arbor, unseating three-term incumbent Earl Greene.

At the time, Hunter lived at 610 N. Fifth Ave. in a historically Black neighborhood just north of downtown.

Hunter, an anti-death penalty advocate with the American Friends Service Committee, a Quaker organization, lost in eight of 11 precincts in his first run, but scored heavily in the three precincts that included predominantly Black neighborhoods, The Ann Arbor News reported in 1982.

In a win that somewhat surprised his opponent, he outpolled Greene 70-25 at the Ann Arbor Community Center, 97-35 at the Arrowwood Hills Cooperative and 127-37 at Mack School.

We reached the grass roots, Hunter said. People have traditionally written off Arrowwood, but we didnt.

Prior to being elected, Hunter spent several years working with Ann Arbors public housing and Model Cities youth programs.

He also was on the board of the Community Skills Center, where he once recalled we managed to save a lot of kids and return them to the Ann Arbor Public Schools system. He also served as director of the Ypsilanti Resource Center.

These are some of the most difficult times in Ann Arbors history, Hunter wrote during his 1982 campaign, calling attention to revenue challenges, business losses and declining human services.

However, after many years of grassroots involvement in this community, I know that solutions will be found and that we will prevail and prosper, he said. This is because Ann Arbors greatest asset is its people and the unique human environment they have generated. Now more than ever, we need to mobilize their energies to solve our problems through active participation in the process of city government.

He advocated for holding the line on property tax increases wherever possible, while addressing neighborhood needs. He called for aggressive leadership to ensure the continuation of essential human services by the public sector.

Hunter also thought economic regeneration, along with carefully planned growth, should be among the citys top goals, pursued through broad-based community involvement.

On the campaign trail in 1982, he vowed to give careful consideration to the concept of a Downtown Development Authority, which City Council created during his first term. In November 1982, council adopted a downtown development and tax-increment financing plan to combat urban decline and revitalize downtown.

Hunter vowed to work with downtown businesses to advance equitable measures to improve the business environment and create jobs.

He quickly rose to party leadership after knocking off Greene, an old-guard Democrat, and was known for a blunt and sometimes rambling speaking style, engaging opponents in bitter debate while providing sage political advice for his allies, The News reported.

In a 7-3 vote described as a symbolic blow against apartheid in 1985, Hunter won support for a resolution to divest stock the city held $19 million in city pension funds in companies doing business in South Africa. He carried a Divest Now sign as he marched with protesters in front of city hall beforehand.

In an endorsement in 1990, The News called Hunter a consistent, thoughtful voice for the 1st Ward and a council member who worked skillfully behind the scenes.

He is a respected and knowledgeable politician, whose contributions to the community are numerous, The News wrote, saying one of his strongest traits was his willingness to compromise and find consensus, such as his work with Mayor Jerry Jernigan and other Republicans to assist the Ann Arbor YMCA with building additional housing.

Hunter has put his longevity to good use by taking strong leadership positions on major issues without neglecting the benefits of compromise, The News wrote. He also has represented his district with sensitivity, continues to press for affirmative action and articulates a vision of the city that includes affordable housing.

Few at city hall had a better grasp of the issues or better knowledge of the workings of government than Hunter, The News said.

In January 1991, Hunter, then 39, was arrested by Washtenaw County sheriffs deputies following a traffic stop on Michigan Avenue in Ypsilanti, an arrest he and his Democratic colleagues argued amounted to racial harassment.

White deputies who made the arrest alleged Hunter assaulted a deputy after the car in which he was a passenger was stopped because of a broken tail light.

Deputies also arrested the driver, 46-year-old Raymond Chauncey, an Ann Arbor human rights investigator and 21-year employee of the city.

Both men were jailed for about seven hours, according to news reports.

Hunter said the next morning there was absolutely no basis for the arrest and he questioned why deputies asked him for ID and searched him. He said his hand accidentally brushed a deputy while he was being searched and another deputy laughed and said, Thats assault.

The prosecutors office later determined there was not enough evidence for an assault charge.

Deputies claimed Hunter initially did not produce ID when requested and slapped and pushed away a deputys hand three times, and they searched him because he made a rapid movement to his pocket. Hunter maintained he initially didnt identify himself because he wasnt accused of a crime and was asserting his legal rights.

Hunter and Chauncey filed complaints against the sheriffs office alleging they were harassed because they were Black, and the sheriffs office launched an internal investigation.

Ray and I were subjected to brutality and incarceration and received overtly racist treatment by some deputies, Hunter said. It is not a crime to be born as an African American.

City Council Member Ann Marie Coleman, who represented the 1st Ward with Hunter, said she was truly outraged, while Liz Brater, D-3rd Ward, said she was very disturbed.

Everyone reports that when they have a tail light out and theyre stopped by the police, they get a warning, Coleman said. Im speechless that they did all they did with Mr. Chauncey and Mr. Hunter.

Weeks later, Republican Sheriff Ronald Schebil exonerated his deputies, saying they did nothing wrong.

There was probable cause to stop the vehicle, arrest the occupants and detain them at the correctional facility, he said in a news release.

Hunter called the finding an outrage and vowed to file a lawsuit for false arrest, false imprisonment and racial harassment.

He said he and Chauncey were not allowed to call attorneys while they were jailed until they pointed out two white men who also were jailed were given access to a phone.

Sabra Briere, a former 1st Ward council member, recalled this past week how Hunters arrest became a prime example of racial harassment by police when she was president of the Washtenaw County branch of the ACLU in the 1990s.

That was one of the things that people used when the ACLU was looking at driving while Black issues ... and its still an issue, Briere said. It is a shame it happened.

In 1993, as Ann Arbors longest-serving council member, Hunter announced he would not seek another term, saying 12 years is enough. He instead threw his support behind Pat Vereen-Dixon, manager of the Arrowwood Hills housing cooperative, who ran in the citys first November election and became the first Black woman on council.

Hunter later went on to earn a law degree and got involved in supporting lawsuits for fair housing and other issues in Washington, D.C.

Two years ago, while he was in town from D.C., he participated in a 74-minute video interview about his life as part of the Living Oral History Project, a partnership between the Ann Arbor District Library and the African American Cultural and Historical Museum of Washtenaw County.

He recalled his early life, how he became politically active, how he was a conscientious objector during the Vietnam War and his involvement with the Black Panthers, which he called the first Black mans book club.

He also offered some advice to the younger generation to stay in school and never fall behind on getting an education.

But my most important thing is be yourself and learn how to stand up and fight, he said. And if you get knocked down, you get back up and you keep fighting.

Briere said shes saddened by Hunters loss. She considered him a fighter for human rights and those with lesser means.

Hunter was probably concerned about national issues more than some were comfortable with locally, Briere said.

What Larry was, was a good spokesperson for all politics is local ... think globally, act locally, she said. Those were things that he was always doing.

Global Precision Medicine Software Market (COVID-19 Analysis) Industry Insights, Drivers, Top Trends, Global Analysis And Forecast to 2026 -…

Posted on October 28, 2020 by Prof Baldwin

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At Syndicate Market Research, we provide reports about a range of industries such as healthcare & pharma, automotive, IT, insurance, security, packaging, electronics & semiconductors, medical devices, food & beverage, software & services, manufacturing & construction, defense aerospace, agriculture, consumer goods & retailing, and so on. Every aspect of the market is covered in the report along with its regional data. Syndicate Market Research committed to the requirements of our clients, offering tailored solutions best suitable for strategy development and execution to get substantial results. Above this, we will be available for our clients 247.

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Why this duo is opening a fitness studio in Jupiter during the pandemic – Palm Beach Post

Posted on November 2, 2020 by Prof Baldwin

Sam Howard|Palm Beach Post

JUPITER Between coronaviruslockdowns, consumer worries and the daunting task of keeping things clean, now might seem like an odd time to open a gym.

But Josh Werner and Zachery Eggen see an opportunity for the concept they're bringing to Jupiter. They plan to open a fitness studio called MADabolic during the first quarter of 2021 at 901 W.Indiantown Road in Pennock Square plaza. It will be MADabolic's first location in Florida.

The franchise co-owners say MADabolic's philosophy built around an emphasis on quality, strength-driven intervals is one that should translate well to the pandemic era, when sanitation is aconsumer priority.

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The studio's training floor will be 2,600 square feet, which should give members in classesplenty of room to spread out, Werner said. They can book up to 25 people per class, he said.

The space is one ofthe largest in MADabolic's portfolio, which Eggen said was appealing when it came time to shop around for a location. The programcenters on rotating between different stations, with enough time for equipment to bewiped down in between, Wernersaid.

"They'll have their own space," he said."So that kind of helps attack that COVID situation a lot of gyms are running into."

Werner, 35, said he and Eggen first started looking into owning a MADabolic franchise in March.He called it a calculated risk, but one he feels good about based on MADabolic's safety measures andmarket demand should other gyms close. People are going to crave human connection, Werner reasoned, and he's trying to build a close knit culture at MADabolic.

More: Gardens McDonald's reopens dining room after $450,000 contemporary renovation

"Are we taking a risk? Hell yeah, we're taking a risk," the Jupiter resident said. "But to achieve anything in life, you have to take a risk."

Eggen, 34, added that the company, based in North Carolina, has long made it a protocol for each facility to be deep-cleaned every night.

The company's philosophy toward fitness is "more is not better, better is better," Eggen said. That means focusing on the quality of reps rather than quantity.

Group classes typically consist of five stations each day two strength movements, one athletic movement and a cardio movement, Werner said.

Both Werner and Eggen have a history in the local fitness industry. Werner said he owned a Crossfit gym in the area from 2011 to 2016.

"For me, I want to create an enthusiasm and a love for taking care of yourself in the same way I have found it to be life-changing and transforming," Eggen said.

They also said they don't want prospective customers to be intimidated.

Eggen said the programis designed to meet people at their skill levels. There will be a nutritional component, too, Werner said, that emphasizes a healthy and sustainable relationship with food.

"It's all about longevity," Eggen said. "This program is about creating long-term health."

They say they hope the new gymwill be the start of somethinglong-lasting, as well.

Thelocation will likely employ five or six people to start, Werner said. The fitness studio will be open seven days a week, with five or six classes a day offered on weekdays and two or three on the weekend in the beginning, Werner said.

The first 100 memberships will be available for $128 a month, Werner said. Then the monthly price will jump to $178.

"We know the Jupiter area very well," Werner said."We both have a really strong following here. Plus our objective ... is to own multiple of these. It's a franchise system and we want to scale with it."

showard@pbpost.com

@SamuelHHoward

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Why this duo is opening a fitness studio in Jupiter during the pandemic - Palm Beach Post

Genomic Biomarker Market 2020 | Know the Latest COVID19 Impact Analysis And Strategies of Key Players: Bio-Rad, Beckman Coulter, Myriad Genetics,…

Posted on September 28, 2020 by Prof Baldwin

Latest research report, titled Global Genomic Biomarker Market Insights, Forecast to 2025. this report included a special section on the Impact of COVID-19. Also, Genomic Biomarker Market (By major Key Players, By Types, By Applications, and Leading Regions) Segments outlook, Business assessment, Competition scenario and Trends .The report also gives 360-degree overview of the competitive landscape of the industries. SWOT analysis has been used to understand the strength, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats in front of the businesses. Moreover, it offers highly accurate estimations on the CAGR, market share, and market size of key regions and countries. Players can use this study to explore untapped Genomic Biomarker markets to extend their reach and create sales opportunities.

Top Key players profiled in the report include:Bio-Rad, Beckman Coulter, Myriad Genetics, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Roche, QIAGEN, Epigenomics, Almac, Pfizer, Human Longevity, ValiRx, Personalis, Eagle Genomics, Empire Genomics, Agilent, Illumina and More

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Market Segment By Type:OncologyCardiologyNeurologyNephrology

Market Segment By Application:HospitalsDiagnostic and research laboratories

Regions Covered in the Global Genomic Biomarker Market: The Middle East and Africa (GCC Countries and Egypt) North America (the United States, Mexico, and Canada) South America (Brazil etc.) Europe (Turkey, Germany, Russia UK, Italy, France, etc.) Asia-Pacific (Vietnam, China, Malaysia, Japan, Philippines, Korea, Thailand, India, Indonesia, and Australia)

Years Considered to Estimate the Market Size:History Year: 2015-2019Base Year: 2019Estimated Year: 2020Forecast Year: 2020-2025

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In Togo, There Is Nowhere to Hide – The New York Times

Posted on October 6, 2020 by Prof Baldwin

This is an article from World Review: The State of Democracy, a special section that examines global policy and affairs through the perspectives of thought leaders and commentators, and is published in conjunction with the annual Athens Democracy Forum.

In recent years a handful of African countries, including Sudan and Algeria, have said goodbye to longstanding authoritarian rulers, creating openings, however small, for democratic change.

The West African nation of Togo, however, remains firmly under the thumb of a military-backed regime that of the Gnassingbe family, the longest-ruling dynasty on the continent. In recent years, the regime has fully embraced the tactics of digital repression to extend its longevity, outflanking (for now) an increasingly emboldened community of online activists.

The citizens of Togo, a country of roughly eight million people between Ghana to the west and Benin to the east, have lived for more than 50 years under a brutal dictatorship. The nations military regime came to power in 1967, with the installation of the armys chief of staff, Gnassingbe Eyadema, as president. Mr. Eyadema died in 2005, bringing to an end a ruthless 38-year reign marked by widespread human rights abuses. In the months after Mr. Eyademas death, the military-backed candidacy of his son, Faure Gnassingbe, proved victorious in an election marred by serious fraud allegations.

The generations of Togolese activists who had fought the dictatorship of Gnassingbe the First hoped his passing would bring an end to the nations tyranny, paving the way for a brighter democratic future. Instead, Mr. Eyademas death, in February 2005, and the election of his son in April led only to horrific violence: Between 400 and 500 people were killed during those months, with thousands more wounded, according to a United Nations report.

In response to the arrival of Gnassingbe the Second, a new generation of activists came to the fore. The internet was their most powerful tool, and as internet penetration in Togo grew, so did the democratic resistance movement.

I was one of those activists, and like many of my fellow dissidents I have felt empowered in the years since Mr. Gnassingbes rise by the ability to denounce the government its corruption and gangsterism on social media. You may rule over Togo with no accountability, I wrote in a 2014 Facebook post, addressing the administration, but we citizens rule over the internet, and we will hold you accountable.

Unfortunately, the Gnassingbe government isnt keen on any form of resistance, whether in the streets or online. (Mr. Gnassingbe was re-elected in 2010 and 2015 amid accusations of fraud by Togos opposition.) In fact, in recent years it has become increasingly obvious that we underestimated the governments ability to adapt its repressive methods to the digital world.

In the late summer of 2017, major protests quickly spread across the country in support of the oppositions demands that President Gnassingbe resign and that term limits, abolished by his father in 2002, be reinstated. During the monthslong demonstrations, tens of thousands of protesters chanted Faure Must Go, a slogan coined by an activist movement that I co-founded in 2011 with other young Togolese dissidents living in and outside the country. The Faure Must Go movement relied on decentralized digital organizing, which helped many of us maintain our anonymity, protecting us from direct physical repression by leaders.

However, the governments response to the 2017 protests made it clear that we werent as secure as we had thought. In September, the regime shut down the internet for nine days. In the ensuing months, hundreds of protesters were arrested and several were killed, including a 9-year-old boy, according to Amnesty International.

During this time, we received information suggesting that some activists had been arrested and tortured by the government based on evidence gleaned from private conversations that had taken place on WhatsApp, the encrypted messaging app. This gave us a strong hint that the government was spying on us, thus destroying our anonymity as online activists and putting our own security and that of our family members in jeopardy. I was in contact with some of the imprisoned activists for months; many were subsequently forced to flee the country or to go into hiding.

Thanks to a 2018 investigation by Citizen Lab, a cybersecurity research group based at the University of Toronto, we later discovered that a spyware program known as Pegasus was likely being used by the Togolese government to target smartphone users in the country. We believe the regime has used this program to attack the electronic devices of Togolese dissidents.

Pegasus is a product of the NSO Group, an Israeli company that has sold the surveillance technology to numerous governments around the world, solely, the company said, to aid in the fight against terrorism and crime. However, multiple allegations have emerged that the governments in question, some of them with poor human rights records, have also used NSO spyware to target activists, journalists and other civil society leaders. NSO is essentially selling arms to authoritarian governments, fueling abuse and oppression as it puts profits before human dignity.

By late 2018, the Togolese regime had managed to consolidate power by repressing protests and by organizing parliamentary elections under dubious conditions (which the opposition boycotted). It also passed a new cybersecurity law curtailing freedom of expression. As a result of the elections, President Gnassingbe gained the control he needed in Parliament to modify the constitution in his favor: A law passed in 2019 reinstituted the term limits eliminated by his father a major demand of the opposition but it did so while ignoring the three terms Mr. Gnassingbe had already served, potentially allowing him to rule Togo until 2030.

Other West African leaders, including Alpha Cond of Guinea and Alassane Ouattara of Ivory Coast, have recently followed in Mr. Gnassingbes footsteps by claiming that constitutional changes within their countries have essentially reset the term-limit clock to zero. (It is perhaps no surprise that the 2018 Citizen Lab report found potential Pegasus infections in Ivory Coast.)

When Mr. Gnassingbe ran for a fourth term in February 2020, the opposition had only a microscopic chance of winning. The regime, which retained control of the legislature, barred election monitoring groups from operating in Togo and deployed security forces across the country. Mr. Gnassingbe declared victory with 72 percent of the vote, surpassing his percentages in the 2005, 2010 and 2015 elections, amid further allegations of fraud made by the opposition.

Recent investigations by Citizen Lab and others have revealed that yet more government critics in Togo, including prominent Catholic leaders, have been targeted by NSO surveillance software, as part of an attempt to monitor their conversations and movements. The government seems to have succeeded at maintaining its grip on power in the face of mass protests. The Gnassingbe dynasty, in power for over a half-century, continues.

Yet the thirst for democracy in Togo is stronger than ever. The resistance must now go beyond holding authoritarian regimes accountable and demand that tech companies like NSO also be held responsible for the resources they provide to these governments.

The Togolese regime is ignoring a crucial truth: The internet has given the younger generation a taste of freedom and once people know what it feels like to be free, they can no longer be held in bondage indefinitely.

Farida Nabourema is the executive director of the Togolese Civil League, a nongovernmental organization promoting democracy and the rule of law in Togo, and the spokesperson for the Faure Must Go movement.

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In Togo, There Is Nowhere to Hide - The New York Times

HENNESSY CELEBRATES 150 YEARS OF XO WITH CARAFE DESIGNED BY FRANK GEHRY – Forbes Africa

Posted on October 8, 2020 by Prof Baldwin

The story of Hennessy X.O for the past 150 years has been that of an odyssey. An odyssey that began in Cognac in 1870 before taking on the world and sharing the greatness of its blend with different cultures, from East to West.

The extra old cognac, intended for the inner circle of Maurice Hennessy and cellar master, Emile Fillioux, has become the emblematic blend of the Maison, defining an entire family of cognacs and setting the standard for excellence that lives to this day.

To commemorate Hennessy X.Os 150th year, the Iconic cognac maker unveiled its collaboration with Frank Gehry, one of the most important architects of our age, famed for always being open to experimentation and defying categorization.

Inspired by the Charente River and the multi-faceted experience of the blend, Gehry has created an X.O masterpiece carafe that reflects the iconic and meaningful stature of Hennessy X.O to celebrate this milestone. According to Gehry, he had to immerse himself within the history and creativity involved in Hennessy X.O At first it sounds mystical, but then you go there (Cognac), and experience all that goes into its creation, you see the location on the Charente River, and theres something magical about it. A common feature of Frank Gehry designs is the need to establish presence. It was important to me that it is handmade. Every step in creating Hennessy is handmade, and I wanted everyone to understand how special it is. I tried to create something that has feeling. To take the enormous amount of feeling that goes into making this cognac- all the people involved, all the history involved and express it so somebody who picks up a bottle gets a sense of all that gravitas. Its sort of a symbol of beauty and human expression, that can be transferred forever. Whenever you pick up the bottle, you are curious about the cognac.

The choice of materials for the Anniversary bottles are glass and bronze. The glass sculpture cracks beautifully when removed from the oven and the bronze mold is handmade, so that when the carafe is held, it is able to evoke emotions from all the centuries past.

Mr. Gehry identifies Hennessy as a powerful brand that has existed for a very long time, a symbol that resonates the joy and expression of a lot of people making something beautiful. He describes his collaboration as the very specialness of making art, especially with a brand with integrity. Cognac making is an art, and this contribution of love and attention is to add joy to lives, even in the smallest way. Hennessy X.O is the cognac for every occasion. Its timelessness means that it exists in a realm beyond fashion

Mr. Gehry recognizes the contribution of taste, smell and feeling to the inspiration for his design All you have to do is open the cap and smell the liquid. This is testament to the multisensorial experience which has been parsed into seven distinct chapters that flow seamlessly into one another. While these perceptions tend to vary depending on each persons individual palate and understanding, they typically unfold as sweet notes, flowing flame, rising heat, chocolate lull, spicy edge, wooden crunches and an infinite echo.

The leader in Cognac, the Maison Hennessy has shined around the world with its exceptional blends for more than 250 years. Built on founder Richard Hennessys spirit of conquest, the brand is present in more than 160 countries.

Based in the heart of the Charente region, Hennessy is also a steadfast pillar of the regional economy, the standard-bearer for a sector rich in expertise. The Houses success and longevity are rooted in the excellence of its cognacs, each of which is born of a unique process of transmission from generation to generation.

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HENNESSY CELEBRATES 150 YEARS OF XO WITH CARAFE DESIGNED BY FRANK GEHRY - Forbes Africa

Impact of COVID-19 on Global AI Medicine Software Market Size, Share, Segmentations and Forecast 2026 by Industry Key Players, Solutions and…

Posted on September 28, 2020 by Prof Baldwin

Overview for AI Medicine Software Market Helps in providing scope and definitions, Key Findings, Growth Drivers, and Various Dynamics.

AI Medicine Software Market Data and Acquisition Research Study with Trends and Opportunities 2019-2024The study of AI Medicine Software market is a compilation of the market of AI Medicine Software broken down into its entirety on the basis of types, application, trends and opportunities, mergers and acquisitions, drivers and restraints, and a global outreach. The detailed study also offers a board interpretation of the AI Medicine Software industry from a variety of data points that are collected through reputable and verified sources. Furthermore, the study sheds a lights on a market interpretations on a global scale which is further distributed through distribution channels, generated incomes sources and a marginalized market space where most trade occurs.

Along with a generalized market study, the report also consists of the risks that are often neglected when it comes to the AI Medicine Software industry in a comprehensive manner. The study is also divided in an analytical space where the forecast is predicted through a primary and secondary research methodologies along with an in-house model.

Download PDF Sample of AI Medicine Software Market report @ https://hongchunresearch.com/request-a-sample/83107

Key players in the global AI Medicine Software market covered in Chapter 4:Tempus Labs, Inc.Flatiron Health, Inc.Gene42, Inc.Sunquest Information Systems Inc2bPrecise LLCNantHealth, IncIBM Watson GroupHuman Longevity, Inc.N-of-One, Inc.Translational Software, IncSOPHiA GENETICS SASyapse, Inc.LifeOmic Health, LLCPierianDx, IncFabric GenomicsFoundation Medicine, Inc.Koninklijke Philips N.V.

In Chapter 11 and 13.3, on the basis of types, the AI Medicine Software market from 2015 to 2026 is primarily split into:Machine LearningNatural Language ProcessingOthers

In Chapter 12 and 13.4, on the basis of applications, the AI Medicine Software market from 2015 to 2026 covers:Drug DiscoveryPrecision MedicineOthers

Geographically, the detailed analysis of consumption, revenue, market share and growth rate, historic and forecast (2015-2026) of the following regions are covered in Chapter 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 13:North America (Covered in Chapter 6 and 13)United StatesCanadaMexicoEurope (Covered in Chapter 7 and 13)GermanyUKFranceItalySpainRussiaOthersAsia-Pacific (Covered in Chapter 8 and 13)ChinaJapanSouth KoreaAustraliaIndiaSoutheast AsiaOthersMiddle East and Africa (Covered in Chapter 9 and 13)Saudi ArabiaUAEEgyptNigeriaSouth AfricaOthersSouth America (Covered in Chapter 10 and 13)BrazilArgentinaColumbiaChileOthers

For a global outreach, the AI Medicine Software study also classifies the market into a global distribution where key market demographics are established based on the majority of the market share. The following markets that are often considered for establishing a global outreach are North America, Europe, Asia, and the Rest of the World. Depending on the study, the following markets are often interchanged, added, or excluded as certain markets only adhere to certain products and needs.

Here is a short glance at what the study actually encompasses:Study includes strategic developments, latest product launches, regional growth markers and mergers & acquisitionsRevenue, cost price, capacity & utilizations, import/export rates and market shareForecast predictions are generated from analytical data sources and calculated through a series of in-house processes.

However, based on requirements, this report could be customized for specific regions and countries.

Brief about AI Medicine Software Market Report with [emailprotected] https://hongchunresearch.com/report/ai-medicine-software-market-size-2020-2026-83107

Some Point of Table of Content:

Chapter One: Report Overview

Chapter Two: Global Market Growth Trends

Chapter Three: Value Chain of AI Medicine Software Market

Chapter Four: Players Profiles

Chapter Five: Global AI Medicine Software Market Analysis by Regions

Chapter Six: North America AI Medicine Software Market Analysis by Countries

Chapter Seven: Europe AI Medicine Software Market Analysis by Countries

Chapter Eight: Asia-Pacific AI Medicine Software Market Analysis by Countries

Chapter Nine: Middle East and Africa AI Medicine Software Market Analysis by Countries

Chapter Ten: South America AI Medicine Software Market Analysis by Countries

Chapter Eleven: Global AI Medicine Software Market Segment by Types

Chapter Twelve: Global AI Medicine Software Market Segment by Applications 12.1 Global AI Medicine Software Sales, Revenue and Market Share by Applications (2015-2020) 12.1.1 Global AI Medicine Software Sales and Market Share by Applications (2015-2020) 12.1.2 Global AI Medicine Software Revenue and Market Share by Applications (2015-2020) 12.2 Drug Discovery Sales, Revenue and Growth Rate (2015-2020) 12.3 Precision Medicine Sales, Revenue and Growth Rate (2015-2020) 12.4 Others Sales, Revenue and Growth Rate (2015-2020)

Chapter Thirteen: AI Medicine Software Market Forecast by Regions (2020-2026) continued

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List of tablesList of Tables and Figures Table Global AI Medicine Software Market Size Growth Rate by Type (2020-2026) Figure Global AI Medicine Software Market Share by Type in 2019 & 2026 Figure Machine Learning Features Figure Natural Language Processing Features Figure Others Features Table Global AI Medicine Software Market Size Growth by Application (2020-2026) Figure Global AI Medicine Software Market Share by Application in 2019 & 2026 Figure Drug Discovery Description Figure Precision Medicine Description Figure Others Description Figure Global COVID-19 Status Overview Table Influence of COVID-19 Outbreak on AI Medicine Software Industry Development Table SWOT Analysis Figure Porters Five Forces Analysis Figure Global AI Medicine Software Market Size and Growth Rate 2015-2026 Table Industry News Table Industry Policies Figure Value Chain Status of AI Medicine Software Figure Production Process of AI Medicine Software Figure Manufacturing Cost Structure of AI Medicine Software Figure Major Company Analysis (by Business Distribution Base, by Product Type) Table Downstream Major Customer Analysis (by Region) Table Tempus Labs, Inc. Profile Table Tempus Labs, Inc. Production, Value, Price, Gross Margin 2015-2020 Table Flatiron Health, Inc. Profile Table Flatiron Health, Inc. Production, Value, Price, Gross Margin 2015-2020 Table Gene42, Inc. Profile Table Gene42, Inc. Production, Value, Price, Gross Margin 2015-2020 Table Sunquest Information Systems Inc Profile Table Sunquest Information Systems Inc Production, Value, Price, Gross Margin 2015-2020 Table 2bPrecise LLC Profile Table 2bPrecise LLC Production, Value, Price, Gross Margin 2015-2020 Table NantHealth, Inc Profile Table NantHealth, Inc Production, Value, Price, Gross Margin 2015-2020 Table IBM Watson Group Profile Table IBM Watson Group Production, Value, Price, Gross Margin 2015-2020 Table Human Longevity, Inc. Profile Table Human Longevity, Inc. Production, Value, Price, Gross Margin 2015-2020 Table N-of-One, Inc. Profile Table N-of-One, Inc. Production, Value, Price, Gross Margin 2015-2020 Table Translational Software, Inc Profile Table Translational Software, Inc Production, Value, Price, Gross Margin 2015-2020 Table SOPHiA GENETICS SA Profile Table SOPHiA GENETICS SA Production, Value, Price, Gross Margin 2015-2020 Table Syapse, Inc. Profile Table Syapse, Inc. Production, Value, Price, Gross Margin 2015-2020 Table LifeOmic Health, LLC Profile Table LifeOmic Health, LLC Production, Value, Price, Gross Margin 2015-2020 Table PierianDx, Inc Profile Table PierianDx, Inc Production, Value, Price, Gross Margin 2015-2020 Table Fabric Genomics Profile Table Fabric Genomics Production, Value, Price, Gross Margin 2015-2020 Table Foundation Medicine, Inc. Profile Table Foundation Medicine, Inc. Production, Value, Price, Gross Margin 2015-2020 Table Koninklijke Philips N.V. Profile Table Koninklijke Philips N.V. Production, Value, Price, Gross Margin 2015-2020 Figure Global AI Medicine Software Sales and Growth Rate (2015-2020) Figure Global AI Medicine Software Revenue ($) and Growth (2015-2020) Table Global AI Medicine Software Sales by Regions (2015-2020) Table Global AI Medicine Software Sales Market Share by Regions (2015-2020) Table Global AI Medicine Software Revenue ($) by Regions (2015-2020) Table Global AI Medicine Software Revenue Market Share by Regions (2015-2020) Table Global AI Medicine Software Revenue Market Share by Regions in 2015 Table Global AI Medicine Software Revenue Market Share by Regions in 2019 Figure North America AI Medicine Software Sales and Growth Rate (2015-2020) Figure Europe AI Medicine Software Sales and Growth Rate (2015-2020) Figure Asia-Pacific AI Medicine Software Sales and Growth Rate (2015-2020) Figure Middle East and Africa AI Medicine Software Sales and Growth Rate (2015-2020) Figure South America AI Medicine Software Sales and Growth Rate (2015-2020) Figure North America AI Medicine Software Revenue ($) and Growth (2015-2020) Table North America AI Medicine Software Sales by Countries (2015-2020) Table North America AI Medicine Software Sales Market Share by Countries (2015-2020) Figure North America AI Medicine Software Sales Market Share by Countries in 2015 Figure North America AI Medicine Software Sales Market Share by Countries in 2019 Table North America AI Medicine Software Revenue ($) by Countries (2015-2020) Table North America AI Medicine Software Revenue Market Share by Countries (2015-2020) Figure North America AI Medicine Software Revenue Market Share by Countries in 2015 Figure North America AI Medicine Software Revenue Market Share by Countries in 2019 Figure United States AI Medicine Software Sales and Growth Rate (2015-2020) Figure Canada AI Medicine Software Sales and Growth Rate (2015-2020) Figure Mexico AI Medicine Software Sales and Growth (2015-2020) Figure Europe AI Medicine Software Revenue ($) Growth (2015-2020) Table Europe AI Medicine Software Sales by Countries (2015-2020) Table Europe AI Medicine Software Sales Market Share by Countries (2015-2020) Figure Europe AI Medicine Software Sales Market Share by Countries in 2015 Figure Europe AI Medicine Software Sales Market Share by Countries in 2019 Table Europe AI Medicine Software Revenue ($) by Countries (2015-2020) Table Europe AI Medicine Software Revenue Market Share by Countries (2015-2020) Figure Europe AI Medicine Software Revenue Market Share by Countries in 2015 Figure Europe AI Medicine Software Revenue Market Share by Countries in 2019 Figure Germany AI Medicine Software Sales and Growth Rate (2015-2020) Figure UK AI Medicine Software Sales and Growth Rate (2015-2020) Figure France AI Medicine Software Sales and Growth Rate (2015-2020) Figure Italy AI Medicine Software Sales and Growth Rate (2015-2020) Figure Spain AI Medicine Software Sales and Growth Rate (2015-2020) Figure Russia AI Medicine Software Sales and Growth Rate (2015-2020) Figure Asia-Pacific AI Medicine Software Revenue ($) and Growth (2015-2020) Table Asia-Pacific AI Medicine Software Sales by Countries (2015-2020) Table Asia-Pacific AI Medicine Software Sales Market Share by Countries (2015-2020) Figure Asia-Pacific AI Medicine Software Sales Market Share by Countries in 2015 Figure Asia-Pacific AI Medicine Software Sales Market Share by Countries in 2019 Table Asia-Pacific AI Medicine Software Revenue ($) by Countries (2015-2020) Table Asia-Pacific AI Medicine Software Revenue Market Share by Countries (2015-2020) Figure Asia-Pacific AI Medicine Software Revenue Market Share by Countries in 2015 Figure Asia-Pacific AI Medicine Software Revenue Market Share by Countries in 2019 Figure China AI Medicine Software Sales and Growth Rate (2015-2020) Figure Japan AI Medicine Software Sales and Growth Rate (2015-2020) Figure South Korea AI Medicine Software Sales and Growth Rate (2015-2020) Figure Australia AI Medicine Software Sales and Growth Rate (2015-2020) Figure India AI Medicine Software Sales and Growth Rate (2015-2020) Figure Southeast Asia AI Medicine Software Sales and Growth Rate (2015-2020) Figure Middle East and Africa AI Medicine Software Revenue ($) and Growth (2015-2020) continued

About HongChun Research: HongChun Research main aim is to assist our clients in order to give a detailed perspective on the current market trends and build long-lasting connections with our clientele. Our studies are designed to provide solid quantitative facts combined with strategic industrial insights that are acquired from proprietary sources and an in-house model.

Contact Details: Jennifer GrayManager Global Sales+ 852 8170 0792[emailprotected]

NOTE: Our report does take into account the impact of coronavirus pandemic and dedicates qualitative as well as quantitative sections of information within the report that emphasizes the impact of COVID-19.

As this pandemic is ongoing and leading to dynamic shifts in stocks and businesses worldwide, we take into account the current condition and forecast the market data taking into consideration the micro and macroeconomic factors that will be affected by the pandemic.

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Impact of COVID-19 on Global AI Medicine Software Market Size, Share, Segmentations and Forecast 2026 by Industry Key Players, Solutions and...

Can You Boost Your Metabolism? Here’s What the Science Says – Discover Magazine

Posted on September 28, 2020 by Prof Baldwin

Michal Mor hopes that one day, checking metabolism could be as routine as brushing your teeth. The vision is that everyone manages lifestyle based on their unique metabolism, she says. Its this metric that will help us live longer and healthier.

In May, Mor and her twin sister Merav both of them Ironman competitors with doctorates in psychology launched Lumen. The device, they say, helps users track and hack their metabolism. Its a simple concept: Breathe into the small black device, no bigger than an asthma inhaler, and receive a status report on what's called your metabolic flexibility. Then use that information to make lifestyle changes to boost performance and see an uptick in health.

The gadget has arrived among rising clamour from biohackers, intermittent fasting aficionados and rival tech developers (such as ketosis tracker Keyto) that insist the secret to a long, healthy life boils down to one major thing: our metabolism.

Are they right?

Loosely speaking, metabolism refers to the bodily processes that supply us with energy. These collective processes are designed to move primarily between two major states: absorptive (fed) and postabsorptive (fasting). In the former, usually after a meal, the body burns carbohydrates from food and stores excess as glycogen for later use. In the latter, it burns this stored fuel instead. (There is a third state, starvation, but it only occurs where the body is deprived of nutrients for an extended period of time and begins to break down muscle.) Metabolic flexibility is the term used to describe the efficiency and speed with which you move between the two states.

Despite throwing up 42 million search results on Google and acting as the main talking point at biohacking summits the world over, the concept of metabolic flexibility has only been circulating for about two decades. In 1999, endocrinologist David E. Kelley compared the effects of an overnight fast on lean versus obese patients. Leaner people, he found, adapted far more quickly, their bodies promptly switching to a postabsorptive state. Obese patients didnt adapt nearly as fast they were metabolically inflexible.

In the years since Kelley coined the term, its become very sexy, says Eric Ravussin, director of the Nutrition Obesity Research Center at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center. In fact, its been adopted as a sort of shorthand for optimal health. Red hot chilies, ice-cold showers and endless cups of green tea are just a few of the hacks recommended online by people who argue we can push our metabolism more efficiently between these two states to achieve goals in weight loss, exercise and overall health.

As Kelleys initial discovery would suggest, there is evidence of a link between metabolic flexibility and both weight management and exercise. A 2019 paper published in Cell Metabolism found the bodys ability to switch between fuels in response to the composition of diet was linked to a susceptibility to weight gain. And a review published in the same journal two years earlier highlighted evidence that efficiently matching fuel availability with metabolic machinery could help boost athletic performance.

But Merav Mor, and other advocates, go far beyond metabolic flexibility as a tool for weight loss or shaving a few seconds off a 100-meter sprint. They claim that it can help create a stronger immune system, improve sleep and boost longevity.

The science doesnt back up these broader health claims, though, says Ravussin. Not least because a robust human study would take 100 years, he points out. The only indicators we have of a link between metabolic flexibility and longevity right now are in mice. A 2015 review in Nature Cell Biology confirmed that studies have shown calorie restriction in mice can improve metabolic flexibility and increase lifespan.

It's like any other kind of bright, shiny object, says Susan Roberts, lead scientist of the Energy Metabolism Team at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging. Something new comes into science, and it sounds so attractive we think that maybe it's the solution to everybody's problem. But does metabolic flexibility account for 1 percent of health? 50 percent? 0.01 percent? That, for me, remains the question.

The other question is, what can we do about it?

The creators of Lumen say we all have the capacity to hack metabolic flexibility for optimal health. Its devices provide users with a metabolic level based on the composition of a single breath, or whats known as respiratory quotient (RQ). The idea is that when our metabolism is in a postabsorptive or fasted state, less carbon dioxide is released. Holding your breath for 10 seconds before exhaling into the device, Lumen say, captures this RQ and gives an accurate reading on your current metabolic state.

The premise is that a healthy body is one that relies on fat stores in the morning, says Mor. If the device detects this postabsorptive state first thing, then youre on the right track. If not, Lumen recommends lifestyle changes around sleep, exercise or diet, that help you improve it for next time. Easy.

Or is it?

There are links between lifestyle factors and metabolic performance. Sleep deprivation can damage overall metabolic health, for instance, while regular exercise can help prevent diseases linked to metabolism, such as type 2 diabetes.

But our ability to hack metabolism is limited. Your metabolism is mostly determined by your body composition and your genetic background, says Ravussin. Back in the 90s, Ravussin studied Pima Indians living in Arizona over an eight year period a group with the second highest prevalence of obesity in the world. Genes, he discovered, were crucial.

Even [which] Mor accepts that factors such as age and historic activity levels play into the extent to which you can tinker with metabolism. But theres no question about seeing improvement, she says.

For Roberts, of all the various ways we can boost health, painstakingly tracking metabolism isnt where she would focus efforts now. We need another couple of years of studies and then maybe it'll prove to be important, she says. But at this point, there are more important things. Do you eat junk food? Do you eat late at night? Do you stop eating at 6 p.m. and give your stomach time to recover? These are areas with really good evidence. This is all just a bit premature.

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Can You Boost Your Metabolism? Here's What the Science Says - Discover Magazine

A Russian-born startup based in Singapore uses AI to penetrate the mysteries of human longevity – bne IntelliNews

Posted on September 9, 2020 by Prof Baldwin

Can artificial intelligence and machine learning help mankind address diseases related to ageing, and delay mortality? Gero, a Singaporean company with Russian roots, believes so. To address this biological and technological challenge, Gero has teamed up with the National University of Singapore, conducting experiments involving aged animals, reports East-West Digital News (EWDN).

These works demonstrated mortality delay (life-extension) and functional improvements after a single experimental treatment, says Gero.

Gero believes this new drug could enable patients to recover after a stroke and help cancer patients in their fight against accelerated ageing resulting from chemotherapy. Geros platform is also used to develop drugs in other areas including potential therapies for Covid-19.

Commenting on Gero, Dr. Nir Barzilai said that their research provides answers to the most important practical questions and translates the received knowledge into medical technologies to combat ageing. A professor of medicine and genetics, Dr. Nir Barzilai is director and leading aging researcher at the Einstein-Institute for Aging Research in New York City.

The company has just secured $2.2mn from an investor pool led by Belarusian fund Bulba Ventures. Gero previously raised more than $5mn, including through an undisclosed seed round in May last year, which also involved Bulba.

8 years of R&D Founded in Russia in 2012, Gero initially pursued a larger goal developing a computational technology to facilitate the discovery of small drug molecules.

We identified a series of drug candidates in-house and via partnerships, company founder Peter Fedichev told East-West Digital News.

For example, Fedichevs team identified a small molecule inhibitor of novel HIV targets as well as inhibitors for proteinprotein interactions TLR4 antagonist.

The company created a spinoff dedicated to metabolic reprogramming of neurons in excitotoxicity conditions. Another project to be announced later this year was developed with a leading US university, said Fedichev.

During these years, Gero also studied ways to use AI/ML approaches to tackle ageing.

This field became the exclusive focus of the startup in 2015. Gero gained access to large biobanks, aiming to develop next-gen modeling platforms for anti-aging targets and aging biomarkers identification.

We discovered and tested multiple life-extending interventions based on the predictive capacities of our platform, said Fedichev.

While the most promising therapeutic modalities in this field are currently under development, experiments with mice were prerequisites for future clinical trials. Such experiments were first conducted in France, then at the National University of Singapore at a much larger scale.

A single shot provides the systemic rejuvenation and mortality delay (life- extension), which is a definitive milestone for drug discovery AI, Fedichev told EWDN.

In 2019, the team published a research paper in Nature Research Journal about the application of machine learning techniques to big omics data as a means to discover anti-aging drugs. This became one of the most popular papers in the field of cell and molecular biology, notes Fedichev.

Asias anti-ageing appeal Why didnt Gero pursue its development from Russia? Fedichev points several reasons for moving to Singapore three years ago: First, this is a great place for doing business, and some of our investors were familiar with the jurisdiction. Second, we started a critically-important collaboration with the National University of Singapore. Finally, says Fedichev, it appears that the Singaporean government is ahead of the curve when it comes to ageing. It is very aggressive in tackling the related [health and wellness] challenges. The Singaporean authorities fund cutting-edge projects in this field, and contemplate innovative clinical trial strategies. Thus, Singapore is asserting itself at the forefront of ageing science and biotech developments, believes Fedichev. Asia is going to be hit hard by a silver tsunami, he notes, with 250mn senior citizens by 2025 in China only.

In 2016, researchers from Oxford Economics and AARP estimated the volume of the annual US longevity market alone at $7.1 trillion. They forecast that by 2032 this figure will almost double to $13.5 trillion.

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A Russian-born startup based in Singapore uses AI to penetrate the mysteries of human longevity - bne IntelliNews

The Three Main Benefits of Ecotourism and How to Promote It – TravelPulse

Posted on September 11, 2020 by Prof Baldwin

Although traveling to new places and experiencing new adventures is a great way to see the world, it is no secret that there are negative environmental effects of mass tourism. As you begin to think about your next vacation, perhaps look into a lower-impact alternative to mass tourism, which is ecotourism.

Ecotourism is a carefully curated way to see fragile, undisturbed natural areas of nature. By partaking in ecotourism and helping to conserve parts of nature and wildlife, you have the opportunity to witness magnificent, once in a lifetime nature scenes up close and personal.

In efforts to push a safer, more eco-friendly mode of tourism, here are some of the benefits of seeing unique, and oftentimes threatened, natural environments through ecotourism.

Exposure

One of the great perks of taking an ecotourism-focused adventure is that you are exposed to new, less popular aspects of nature. Although traveling to incredibly popular sight-seeing destinations and visiting highly-visible attractions or monuments is exciting, there is so much else to see and explore.

Through ecotourism, you have the chance to see some of the most unique environments and view nature closer than ever. These types of excursions are much more exciting than viewing animals at your local zoo.

You may be able to see wildlife up close and within their wild, natural habitat, which isnt something you are able to experience every day. Ecotourism takes you along vast seascapes, wildlife habitats, and more, to view nature through an environmentally low-impact medium. With that being said, not only do you get to see nature from a new lens, but you also help to conserve many of the animals and habitats that are threatened or unprotected.

One example of ecotourism that aims to expose travelers to an abundance of magic is by experiencing bioluminescence. During the warmer months on the east coast of the U.S., there are many opportunities to see majestic sea life. On the shores of Florida, bioluminescent sea life lights up the dark water, exposing you to a once in a lifetime view of a glowing ocean.

Bioluminescence is a chemical process that permits living sea life to create light within their bodies. When the water is obstructed through wave creation or splashing from humans, the seawater begins to glow bright neon blue. This type of interactive experience exposes you to a side of nature that you may not otherwise get to witness.

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Education

As you partake in ecotourism excursions, you can also receive an abundance of information educating you on topics pertaining to that areas wildlife and natural environments. For instance, you will see nature as it currently stands, as well as learn vital information on how to properly interact with wildlife and preserve these ecosystems.

Observing animals within a zoo environment does not always provide accurate insight into an animals daily life. Much of the animal culture within zoos are artificial. For instance, arctic penguin exhibits are usually not in climate-controlled areas where you can see them play on glaciers. Although zoos do a heap of good by protecting endangered animals, many animals endure stress from not being in the wild or having ample social interactions with other members of their species.

This takes away from witnessing authentic animal behavior within nature. By partaking in ecotourism, you can view animals that havent been displaced and also gather greater insight on how various species have become endangered, as well as how you can help.

As you travel, there is nothing like witnessing animals within their own wild environments where they are fully immersed in their own culture. Through these eco-tourism excursions, you are invited to submerge yourself within an animals environment and experience a small part of their daily lives.

Protection

By interacting with a natural environment through an ecotourism lens, you have the opportunity to leave it better than you found it. As a viewer and wildlife lover, ecotourism provides you with an outlet to minimize the negative impacts of tourism on these natural environments and protect what is left.

For example, you can transition from merely observing to positively interacting with these environments through participatory cleanup.

Alongside the provided education about how to conserve these environments, participatory cleanup is a great way to interact with nature on a personal level, all while ensuring that this environment and its wildlife can thrive. This can be demonstrated by cleaning up trash off the beaches and out of the ocean in efforts to prevent wildlife from dying as a result of human impact.

This acts as a way to protect species who oftentimes cannot differentiate between what is food and what is a plastic straw. By witnessing the impacts of humans on the environment while being in a proper wildlife setting, you can gather a comprehensive perspective and push to protect these habitats with proper knowledge and understanding.

Through exposure and education, we can work to protect wildlife spaces and ensure a better future for wildlife and their respective environments.

Human impact plays a large role in the longevity of the lifespans of wild animals and with your help, you can decrease the negative impacts and allow for a higher quality of life for these animals. As you begin to plan your next excursion, perhaps consider these benefits to ecotourism and push to protect the wildlife of that area. Take this opportunity to educate yourself, and your loved ones, on the many ways that animal harm can be prevented and how we can best conserve these natural areas.

Josh Myers is the owner of Florida Adventurer, a bioluminescence kayaking company. Josh is extremely passionate about ecotourism and the wildlife he interacts with on a daily basis. In order to further educate tourists around ecotourism, Josh ensures that each individual on his tours understands why and how to protect the indigenous animals that they encounter and how to conserve the natural area where he operates.

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The Three Main Benefits of Ecotourism and How to Promote It - TravelPulse

Remembering the Work of GN Ramachandran and Others in the Time of COVID-19 – The Wire Science

Posted on August 29, 2020 by Prof Baldwin

G.N. Ramachandran. Photo: Current Science, vol. 80, no. 8, April 2001/fair use.

The whole world is reeling under the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The safest way out depends on manufacturing an effective vaccine. Many vaccine candidates are currently in different stages of clinical trials. A quick scan of the list suggests over half the candidates are attempting to use the novel coronaviruss spike protein to generate immunity, so getting its structure right is critical.

G.N. Ramachandrans work from the 1960s is notable in this regard. I was first introduced to his influence on structural biology as a graduate student and have always wished he were better known outside this niche field. His work has guided the design of protein-based vaccines and therapeutics touching everyday life. However, his isnt a household name even in India.

Ramachandran began his academic career as a student of electrical engineering at the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru. He was soon pulled into the physics department by C.V. Raman, who said, I am admitting Ramachandran into my department as he is a bit too bright to be in yours.

Under Raman, Ramachandran began research into the field of optics and X-ray topography. After graduation, he earned a PhD at the University of Cambridge, in the laboratory of Lawrence Bragg. He focused on X-ray crystallography, a technique used to analyse the structures of proteins.

Around the same time, the American physicist Linus Pauling was conducting groundbreaking work on the nature and structure of proteins. Paulings teaching and writings had a great influence on Ramachandran. So when the latter became a professor of physics at the University of Madras in 1952, he set up an X-ray crystallography laboratory to study biological structures.

Proteins are made of long-chain polymers called polypeptides. There can be one or multiple polypeptide chains that come together to form a protein. The novel coronaviruss spike protein comprises three identical peptide chains. Each chain consists of repeating units called amino acids. The chain folds into intricate shapes or motifs, such as helices and sheets. These shapes are significant; misfolded proteins often give rise to debilitating diseases.

The long orange region in the spike protein is the alpha helix and the pink region is a beta sheet. Mixing and matching of motifs form different protein structures required to ensure the protein performs its function. In this case, the spike proteins overall structure helps to bind with a protein on the surface of cells in the human nose and mouth.

The order of amino acids within a peptide chain dictates how it will fold. Amino acids take their name from the nitrogen-containing molecule (amino) on one end and the carbonyl group (acid) on the other, with a connecting carbon atom in the middle (C). The differences between amino acids come from a third part, called the side chain (R), which attaches to the central carbon atom.

In the mid-20th century, the idea of firing beams of X-rays at molecules to elucidate their structure based on how they diffracted the beams was new. In 1951, Pauling, Robert Corey and Herman Branson published their descriptions of the alpha helix and beta sheet motifs. Ramachandran wanted to continue this work, and chose to study the structure of collagen first.

Collagen is protein found abundantly in the human body: it makes up the bulk of our skin, cartilage and connective tissues. Together with his postdoctoral fellow, Gopinath Kartha, Ramachandran proposed a triple helix structure for collagen also called the Madras helix. However, Alexander Rich and Francis Crick contested this idea because they thought this structure allowed little space between atoms than was compatible with the prevailing understanding of chemistry.

This set Ramachandran and his colleagues C. Ramakrishnan and V. Sasisekharan on the path to further understand and describe the structures of polypeptide chains. They conducted a survey of the crystal structures available to determine how close two atoms could approach, and thus deduce the permissible interatomic distances within a polypeptide chain.

They also found that in a chain, each amino acid can only rotate around two bonds. Based on this they characterised two angles phi (), the angle between the nitrogen atom and the central carbon atom, and psi (), the angle between the carbonyl carbon atom and the central carbon. The figure below shows the two angles.

Now, they could plot all possible combinations of these angles within a given polypeptide sequence against each other, and eliminate any combination that violated the interatomic contact limits. And voila! They managed to reduce a messy biological problem to simple considerations in elementary mathematics.

The resulting Ramachandran plot changed how biochemists studied molecules of interest and unraveled complicated biological processes. Its a plot with phi on one axis and psi on the other. At a glance, the graph revealed islands of possible combinations separated by seas of impossible structures. If a molecules angles pulled it into the sea, biochemists would know it couldnt exist in the body and follow the laws of physical chemistry at the same time.

More broadly, biochemists today can quickly understand which structures are possible and which arent, and compare known and unknown structures in an intuitive manner. The Ramachandran plot has also become an elegant way to introduce students to protein structural biology and help them understand how structure and function are related to each other.

When Ramachandran died in 2001, at the age of 78, the tributes flooded in. One in particular, by Janet Thornton, published in an obituary by Easwara Subramanian, went thus:

I have never met Professor Ramachandran, but his contribution ranks with Paulings discovery of the -helix. It never fails to excite me, when I see the Ramachandran plot and realise how much of the beauty and order of protein structures is encapsulated by this plot. I also think that this major discovery highlights the importance of clear thought and vision that do not always need expensive equipment and huge teams of people.

The plots remarkable longevity is unsurprising given its endless significance in protein structural biology. It is vital that researchers independently validate different biological structures so that others who use those biological objects, like proteins, to develop drugs and vaccines can be sure they know the structure well enough. There exist a variety of algorithms that can check a structures accuracy using updated Ramachandran plots.

When they need to check the structure of an unknown protein, researchers compare data obtained from crystallographic studies and from theoretical calculations. The more the plots match, the more confident scientists can be that their structure is the right one.

Ramachandrans life is a testament to the power of curiosity, intellect and determination. Science education can be biased in favour of assigning credit to individuals, often white men of the West, over groups. In fact, science is an inherently collaborative endeavour, with each generation building on the work of previous ones. So just as we celebrate Ramachandrans life and work, lets also celebrate the lives and work of his students and collaborators who together helped advance the science of protein structural biology such that it has risen to the occasion in our present crisis as well.

Deepika Calidas is a biochemist. Her last position was as a postdoctoral fellow at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.

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Remembering the Work of GN Ramachandran and Others in the Time of COVID-19 - The Wire Science

Award-winning Austrian supplement containing "spermidine" is now available to consumers in the US – Newswise

Posted on September 9, 2020 by Prof Baldwin

DENVER, Sept. 9, 2020 /PRNewswire/ --TLL The Longevity Labs GmbH, an Austrian-based life sciences company, and its wholly-owned, US subsidiary, Longevity Labs Inc., announce the market-launch of sales in the US of its award-winning dietary supplement,spermidineLIFE.spermidineLIFE is the world's first naturally extracted and clinically tested dietary supplement to promote cellular renewal. The active ingredient, spermidine, is considered key to slowing down the cellular aging process.

Until recently, fasting has been considered the most efficient method to trigger the critical cellular renewal process, called "autophagy;" however, European aging scientists have discovered that autophagy is also triggered through a substance found in the human body, called spermidine. As the body ages, spermidine levels decrease, along with the self-renewing power of its cells. In search of a way to offset the effects of decreasing spermidine levels, Longevity Labs developed a method to isolate spermidine from plants (wheat germ) and to make it available to humans as a dietary supplement -spermidineLIFE.

TLL The Longevity Labs GmbH ("TLL") launched its first flagship product,spermidineLIFE in the EU 2019, bringing the first commercially available, safety-tested, lab-verified, spermidine-rich supplement to the global market. Quickly becoming a phenomenon in Austria and Germany, in September 2020, TLL has begun distribution ofspermidineLIFE in the United States, through its subsidiary, Longevity Labs Inc., via its US website atwww.spermidinelife.us.

"We began with a common vision to support healthy aging. Spermidine was completely unknown in Austria but the scientific research, quality of our product and its effectiveness convinced the public.spermidineLIFE was voted one of the top 3 OTC product innovations in Austria in 2019 and interest has only continued to grow worldwide," says Vedran Bijelac, CEO of Longevity Labs Inc and Director of Sales and Marketing of TLL.

"We are proud to be the first scientifically tested and naturally-extracted spermidine supplement," says Daniel Dietz, COO of Longevity Labs Inc. "Not only do we want to present the health benefits of spermidine to the American population, we also want to find additional research partners. We are already working with more than 10 research institutions in Europe but the opportunity to work with top US scientists is very exciting."

spermidineLIFE is naturally extracted from European non-GMO wheat germ using TLL's proprietary extraction process in its state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Graz, Austria.spermidineLIFE is lab-tested to ensure consistently rich spermidine content and has been tested for safety and tolerability in humans.

spermidineLIFE is available to consumers via its website via a monthly subscription model starting at $99. The supplement will also be available for one or more monthly package orders starting at $109. Wholesale pricing is available for practitioners.

For additional information or questions, please contactcontact@spermidinelife.com.

For more information aboutspermidineLIFE or to place an order, please visitwww.spermidinelife.us.

About TLL The Longevity Labs, GmbHTLL The Longevity Labs, GmbH is based in Graz, Austria. With the goal of translating scientific findings into natural solutions for a longer and healthier life, TLL worked with european university research partners to develop its novel productspermidineLIFE, with EU sales launching in 2019 and expanding worldwide. TLL continues to perform best-in-class research on life-extending products and services to bring to the global marketplace. For more information, visitwww.spermidinelife.com(global) orwww.spermidinelife.us(United States).

No governmental agency has reviewed, approved or disapproved the content of this news release.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

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Award-winning Austrian supplement containing "spermidine" is now available to consumers in the US - Newswise

The Dream Is Over – KNPR

Posted on August 21, 2020 by Prof Baldwin

A global nightmare put an end toLe Rve, French for The Dream. But the aquatic revue at Wynn Las Vegas had a charmed life for most of its 15 years, provided you could keep up with that ever-shifting quality people associate with their own dreams.

Granted, you dont expect a lot of solid footing in a water show, where the audience surrounded the high-divers and the acrobatics staged in and above a pool. And only in Las Vegas would we already have one.

When it opened in 2005,Le Rvewas initially dismissed as a bungled knock-off of Cirque du SoleilsO. But on it ran, rarely sitting still as it worked to distance itself. The hotel was always announcing some new addition or revision, with a lot of chefs in the kitchen. And some of the most specific decisions, down to the music and costumes, were made by the chef who had a whole company to oversee: hotel namesake Steve Wynn.

August 14 brought the news thatLe Rvewould remain closed even after the COVID-19 pandemic subsides, ending another old-Vegas anomaly: The show was 100 percent owned by Wynn Resorts, and its cast and crew were hotel employees. That didnt mean much to ticket-buyers, unless they stepped back to notice that nearly every other theater space in town was leased to independent producers who took on most of the risk. But its also a likely explanation for why the hotel chose not to wait out the pandemic.

Brian Burke was the shows artistic director for six years, and is now a producer on NBCsAmericas Got Talent. He says that compared to California, Nevada officials havent done a good job of coordinating a reopening plan with its entertainment industry. You cant buy a show ticket, but you can sit down in the restaurant next to theLe Rvetheater and have dinner, he notes. If a show isnt even allowed to test whether it could, say, run three times a day for a one-third capacity house, Nobody can sustain paying people for that long.

It takes a good memory now to recall times so good the Strip could havetwomultimillion-dollar aquatic shows, and the biggest challenge was trying to make them stand apart from one another.Le Rvewasnt supposed to be a direct competitor ofO. It evolved from plans for a short outdoor water show to be staged several times a day, and the original $12 million budget was a fraction of Cirques. But it evolved into more of what people expected it to be, a schizophrenic mix of what was then expected of Cirque-era Vegas, and the restless ambition of Steve Wynn and former Cirque director Franco Dragone.

People were dumping money down the street atKA(the Cirque show that cost at least $165 million), and Franco wanted to make a human-based show, Burke recalls. But Wynn pumped at least another $25 million more into makingLe Rvelighter and brighter. His obsession some would call it micromanaging with the aquacade hearkened back to an earlier, pre-corporate era of Las Vegas, when properties were defined by their entertainment and the colorful figures in charge of it.

Wynn and Dragone had already transformed the Strip with CirquesMystereandO, but their relationship was, well, complicated, and for a time Dragone was out of the picture altogether. I prefer Cezanne, and he loves Matisse, Dragone once explained.

Changes came early and often, starting with a quick and drastic overhaul in the week after Dragone shocked some patrons of a charity premiere by showing them pregnant women doing belly flops and fishing nets dredging up eerie reminders of another global catastrophe the previous years giant tsunami. (I am not the same man I was in 98, Dragone explained. I have seen 9/11. I have seen the Iraq war, Katrina. Yes,Le Rveis darker, but why not?). And it was still being tweaked by yet another creative hand, Broadway director Philip McKinley, almost up to the week in February 2018 when Wynn resigned as chairman of his company amid accusations of sexual misconduct.

The friction sort of became the gold in a way, Burke says now. Those guys are dreamers, theyre big thinkers, and I feel the influence of working with them.

Le Rvewas sure sexier than its Cirque counterpart, once it settled into a storyline focused on the erotic longings of a beautiful dreamer, as the old song goes. "It's very hard to take the Cirque references out," Wynn noted in late 2007, as he explored new corners of pop culture by recruiting Maksim Chmerkovskiy, ofDancing with the Stars, to add ballroom dancing to the aquatic mix.

Everyone was there as a collective, and even though it was run by a corporate entity, it was intimate, personal, hands-on, Burke says. It was a family environment, and everyone really believed in it. Everybody didnt become a number. And thats why people have such passion about the fact that it closed.

The price of longevity is becoming just another fixture on the Strips landscape, one that locals tend to forget until visitors came to town. But, unlike the faded showgirl opusJubilee, no one no one imaginedLe Rvewould close after only 15 years.Jubileewas another rare hotel-owned production, and its closing was said to owe less to the waning appeal of showgirls than the desire to get all those cast and crew members off the hotel payroll. It wouldnt be wild speculation to wonder if, once the pandemic is over, an outside producer maybe even one named Dragone would turn the spigots back on and stage a new show on the water.

My ultimate hope would be that the pandemic ends, and Franco and I would be the ones to get to do the newLe Rve, Burke says. We dont just want to go in like a vulture, but its like a piece of your soul and your heart is there.

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The Dream Is Over - KNPR

From stem cells to islets hope for treatment of type 1 diabetes – News – The University of Sydney

Posted on August 21, 2020 by Prof Baldwin

According to Professor Liddle, this study used stem cells derived from human umbilical vein and human fat that were re-programmed to generate human islet-like organoids (HILOs).

Pancreatic islets are regions in the pancreas responsible for the production of hormones and insulin.

Pancreatic islets contain multiple cell types, not just insulin-producing beta cells. The research team created three-dimensional HILOs that not only include beta-like cells (the cells that produce, store and release insulin in the islets of the pancreas), but also other supporting cell types found in normal islets, said Professor Liddle.

Under the microscope, and using gene sequencing analysis, we are able to show that the three-dimensional HILOs are very similar to human islets. When the HILOs are transplanted into diabetic mice, they secrete insulin when blood glucose levels are high, just as normal islets would.

While human pancreatic islet transplantation has been a major advancement in treating severe cases of type 1 diabetes, the availability, quality and limited cellular longevity of this approach limits its application.

Pancreatic islet transplantation currently involves implanting insulin-producing islet cells from a deceased human donor into the liver of a person with type 1 diabetes. When successful, the procedure can control blood glucose levels, reduce the frequency and severity of hypoglycaemic episodes and potentially eliminate the need for regular insulin injections. A number of transplants are usually needed, and immunosuppressant drugs to prevent the immune system from attacking the transplanted cells are also required.

While the procedure is now funded by the Australian Government, pancreatic islet transplantation is currently limited to people with severely unstable type 1 diabetes, particularly those for whom insulin therapy alone is not effective and who experience recurrent and severe hypoglycaemic episodes.

Professor Philip OConnell is Executive Director at The Westmead Institute for Medical Research and pioneered pancreatic islet transplantation in Australia. Almost 20-years ago, he led Australias first pancreatic islet transplantation trials at Westmead Hospital and The Westmead Institute for Medical Research. Today, he continues his research, aiming to improve this procedure and develop islet transplantation as a mainstream treatment for type 1 diabetes.

Professor OConnell, who was not involved in this research study, said, Pancreatic islet transplantation has saved hundreds of lives around the globe however, it has its limitations. For example, pancreatic islets are taken from deceased donors, and the wait for donor islets can be lengthy. Once donor islets are obtained, not all are suitable for transplantation.

This research indicates the potential to alleviate some of these issues. Stem cells derived from readily available human tissues can be expanded then re-programmed into potentially unlimited numbers of islets that are suitable for transplantation.

4 Reasons To Use Cannabis For Treating Women’s Health Issues – Longevity LIVE

Posted on November 7, 2020 by Prof Baldwin

Specific dietary changes, like including natural supplements, can help in enhancing sexual energy in women. Aphrodisiacs are the foods, drinks, or drugs that help increase female libido. Cannabis is another such natural aphrodisiac that can help increase womens libido. Cannabis can also help in reducing the pain during penetration experienced by some women.

According to a study, women who ate cannabis experienced two times higher sex drives, with satisfactory orgasms than those with irregular cannabis usage. Cannabis interacts with endocannabinoids in the body, which help regulate sexual function. Women can use cannabis as an aphrodisiac in many ways. Earlier, people used to take it in the form of a beverage, but today, there are many different consumption methods. Women can also use cannabis as lubricants, helping in reducing pain during sex.

Mental health disorders affect both men and women, but theyre more severe in women. Various factors like career, family responsibility, and abuse are significant causes of mental issues in women. The most common mental illness in women is depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia, often challenging to diagnose.

According to an article, cannabis has antidepressant traits that help decrease anxiety and depression in women. The depletion of serotonin in the brain leads to depression. However, taking cannabis in low doses helps release serotonin, which causes anti-depressant effects. This can help in alleviating stress and anxiety, as well as assisting in doing day-to-day activities.

These are some of the benefits of cannabis for women. Research states that one should always use cannabis from low doses to reap the right health benefits. Buy cannabis products from reputed shops that will provide authentic cannabis products. Make sure to check the THC and CBD content in the product to understand the dosage. You may need to think twice if you have any medical condition or are taking any medication. If you fall into either of these groups, make sure to consult a health professional before starting cannabis.

Denson, T. F., & Earleywine, M. (2006). Decreased depression in marijuana users.Addictive behaviors,31(4), 738742. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2005.05.052

Lynn, B. K., Lpez, J. D., Miller, C., Thompson, J., & Campian, E. C. (2019). The Relationship between Marijuana Use Prior to Sex and Sexual Function in Women.Sexual medicine,7(2), 192197. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esxm.2019.01.003

Olh, A., Tth, B. I., Borbr, I., Sugawara, K., et al. (2014). Cannabidiol exerts sebostatic and antiinflammatory effects on human sebocytes. The Journal of clinical investigation,124(9), 37133724. https://doi.org/10.1172/JCI64628

Movie Review: ‘The Old Guard’ | The Harvard Press | Features | Feature Articles – Harvard Press

Posted on August 6, 2020 by Prof Baldwin

Directed by: Gina Prince-BythewoodStarring: Charlize Theron, KiKi Layne, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Harry MellingAvailable on NetflixRated R, 125 minutes

The war in Afghanistan is already the longest military conflict in American history, but human memories are short, and its hard to comprehend 19 years of continuous war. Halfway through The Old Guard, an action thriller with a supernatural twist, whose two hours are otherwise full of gunfights and fistfights and swordfights and double-crosses and for-the-greater-good clichs, a young woman quietly puts the wars terrible longevity into focus. The young woman, Nile, explains that her father was killed in action when she was 11; she herself is now a U.S. Marine, fighting in the same war.

Charlize Theron and KiKiLayne star in The Old Guard. (Courtesy photo)

However, she wont be killed in action; as she has just discovered, shes immortal. The Old Guard is a literal title, referring to a band of immortal supersoldiers, some of whom are hundreds, if not thousands, of years old. Led by Andy (Charlize Theron, Mad Max: Fury Road), the groups existence is a perfect secret, their deeds throughout history, from the Crusades to the Civil War, going without notice. This is by design; in previous eras, members of their ranks have been accused of witchcraft and tortured to insanity, so while their lonely way of life is hard, its better than the alternative.

The biggest threat facing the Old Guard these days comes in the form of Big Pharma, specifically a twitchy young CEO, Steven Merrick (Harry Melling, Harry Potter). Helped by a former CIA agent, Copley (Chiwetel Ejiofor, Children of Men), Merrick sends paramilitary squads to ensnare the immortals, hoping to experiment on their bodies and maybe make a few cool billions by synthesizing their genetic material. Sensing the danger theyre in, Andy urges the group to lie low.

Then Nile (KiKi Layne, If Beale Street Could Talk) comes along. New to immortality and unable to comprehend her situation, Nile has questions, but the answers she needs are answers Andy cant give her. When she asks why this small group has been granted immortality, the others cant say with any certainty. When they plot revenge on Copley, Nile stops to ask why others have to die. The next youngest member of the group is over two hundred years old; with a fresh young face in their ranks, the Old Guard is forced, for the first time in centuries, to reckon with the unique advantage they have over mortals.

These moral and philosophical questions arent uninteresting, but what impact these questions have is flattened and diluted by the scripts constant stream of bland dialogue. Are you praying? God doesnt exist, Andy scoffs at Nile on the same day theyve met; This is about science, not profits, Copley pleads impotently when Merrick reveals his true intentions; We dont have all the answers, but we do have purpose, Andy philosophizes in a rambling monologue. The Old Guard is full of lines like these, lines meant to evoke simultaneously the gravitas of superhero movies and the conviction of a political speech. But with understated performances from nearly every member of the cast, these musings, offered in the movies quieter scenes, are unconvincing.

Luckily, quiet scenes are relatively rare; this is an action movie, after all, and a well-designed one at that. Director Gina Prince-Bythewood (Love & Basketball) crafts blistering fight scenes that show off a wide variety of fighting styles, developing characters through wordless choreography. Action movies with high body counts often make us roll our eyes at the absurd scale of their carnage, but The Old Guard homes in on the act of killing, reminding us that death is deeply personal.

What makes The Old Guard linger, though, is the subtle parallel it draws between history and the zeitgeist of this fraught moment in time. Despite its dull dialogue, the movie still articulates an analogy between the eternal violence that haunts Andy and the violence Nile has known throughout her much shorter life. There are historical patterns, the waves that rise and fall over centuries, and then there are the patterns we observe within the smaller span of our lifetimes. Nile may have only ever known wartime, but she still balks when Andy warns her of everlasting cycles of violence. The Old Guard is a violent movie in the tradition of other violent movies, but it challenges us to imagine what it would take to break out of our old habits.

Danny Eisenberg grew up in Harvard and has been reviewing movies for the Harvard Press since 2010. He lives and works in Denver, Colorado.

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Movie Review: 'The Old Guard' | The Harvard Press | Features | Feature Articles - Harvard Press

7 Signs Your Business Will Succeed – Forbes

Posted on September 28, 2020 by Prof Baldwin

In the United States, 45% of businesses dont make it past five years. 65% dont make it past ten years. Yet everyone who ever starts a business backs themselves to beat the odds. Optimism can be blind and naivety can be bliss, but is it possible to predict if a business will become a roaring success or a damp squib of a failure?

7 signs your business will succeed

The trajectory is only partly defined by the idea, the rest is in the execution of the idea. The quality of the execution is shaped by the doers. The leader and the designers and the marketers. The rest is up to market forces and ability to adapt. Heres how to know if your business will succeed.

Start a business because theres a need for what you sell. Consider yourself a success only when you have paying customers. Being propped up by grants or investment but securing no customers is a giant band-aid just waiting to be ripped off. When pressed for an answer, do people say yes?

Projections and forecasts arent real, neither are polite nods of encouragement or speculative expressions of interest. Only fully settled revenue is a real indication of demand and therefore survival.

If customers are buying, are they coming back for more? Are they bringing their friends and telling the world? The value of word-of-mouth is that every new customer is worth five. It sends your marketing cost-per-acquisition way down and leads to that beautiful hockey stick line of growth.

Its easy to sell something to someone once. Repeat custom and referral are the real tests of quality and longevity. Products that are meh and experiences that dont delight wont be talked about. The space will be filled with small talk and whatevers in the news. Iterate and improve until youre remarkable.

What does the future hold? No one knows exactly, but you can take an educated guess. Exploring trends in technology, human behaviour, politics and population can uncover future scenarios for the way well live. How does your business stack up in each one?

When self-driving cars are mainstream, who will be in the running? When weve had enough of global warming, which companies will be left in the past? When were all living until were 150, who will represent the future?

But even short-term developments can render a promising business worthless. Relying on another platforms API or a legislation loophole is like building a house on a foundation of sand. Forging a company prepared for the long term can guarantee outlasting the competition and being an ultimate success.

When youre at capacity, what gives? Costs continue to rise, the same number of hours are in each day, but youre running about like a headless chicken charging exactly the same. Something has to break, and itll probably be you.

Businesses that succeed remove bottlenecks. They draft in help; they strengthen processes and they automate what they can. They innovate to drive down costs and they build a solid reputation to put upward pressure on prices. Bigger margins equal security and room to invest in further scale.

7 signs your business will succeed

Trophy cabinets filled with silverware represent achievement. A healthy bank balance and a happy team signal success. But imagine if, for every challenge we overcame, we received a similar token. A certificate to everyone who survived a recession, a medal to those who overcame an incident or grew past an obstacle.

Wed likely remember them much easier, recall what was learned, and never make the same mistake again. Learning from mistakes is just as much a success indicator as lengthy runs of victory. It builds resilience and knowledge and a solid foundation. Which lessons are etched in your memory and are you only making new mistakes?

Good news travels fast. If youre onto something good, people will copy you. No one wants to imitate failure, so it can only be a good sign. Let them try. Others being in your market will help to validate it. Having longevity in the field will serve you well.

Let the newbies think its easy and dont let them distract you off course. Obsessing over what theyre doing will direct your energy to the wrong place. Fascination with another company only makes them seem more prevalent. It keeps you both playing small, leads you down the wrong path and ignores the bigger picture. Imitators are good, imitation is not.

The biggest indication of a business succeeding is the people within it being committed to doing so. Being prepared for a bumpy ride and ready to enjoy it. Relishing the opportunity to implement new ideas and see them through to completion. If youre putting everything you have into something making it, how can it not? If youre going to make something a success no matter what it takes, it surely will.

You can sense conviction in someones demeanour. You can detect commitment from their stories. Wandering eyes and conflicting priorities dont equal longevity and profit, but fully committing leads to the stars aligning and everything, somehow, falling into place.

Whilst there are no dead certs, these seven indicators will get you pretty close to knowing. Whether or not your business succeeds is in your complete control.

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7 Signs Your Business Will Succeed - Forbes

Kamala Harris featured on cover of Elle magazine’s November issue | TheHill – The Hill

Posted on October 6, 2020 by Prof Baldwin

Democratic vice presidential nominee Sen. Kamala HarrisKamala HarrisRepublican COVID-19 outbreak rocks the 2020 race VP debate to install plexiglass between Pence and Harris Growing White House coronavirus infections highlight debate safety concerns MORE (D-Calif.) ison the cover for Elle magazines November issue, in which the senator participates in a broad interview spanning racial inequality, her upbringing and President TrumpDonald John TrumpState Department revokes visa of Giuliani-linked Ukrainian ally: report White House Gift Shop selling 'Trump Defeats COVID' commemorative coin Biden says he should not have called Trump a clown in first debate MORE.

In her interview with journalist Ashley Ford, Harris starts off by discussing her experience attending a civil rights march in Oakland, Calif., where she was born, as a child. At the time, Harris had been in a stroller with her parents, both activists who immigrated from Jamaica and India, and had fallen out at one point.

Eventually, Harris said her parents, who had continued marching afterward, noticed her absence and returned to get her.

My mother tells the story about how Im fussing, and shes like, Baby, what do you want? What do you need? And I just looked at her and I said, Fweedom, she said.

During her childhood, Harris, who also previously served as a former prosecutor and later as attorney general of California before becoming the second Black woman and first South Asian-American to become U.S. senator in 2017, said there was no question that you had to dedicate yourself to fighting for justice on some level or another.

That the measure of you is so much bigger than you; its the impact you have, its what you do in service to others, Harris, whose godmother, Mary Lewis, also helped establish San Francisco State University's Black studies department, continued. And thats how I was raised. I was raised that it is not about charity and benevolence, its about your duty. No ones going to congratulate you for itits what youre supposed to do.

Ford also pressed the senator on her meaning of justice in the interview, to which, Harris responded: "Its about freedom, its about equality, its about dignity. When you achieve equality, and freedom, and fairness, its not because I grant it to you. Its because you fought for it because it is your right.

This is not about benevolence or charity; it is about every human beings God-given right. What do we collectively do to fight for that? Thats what justice represents to meits about empowerment of the people, said Harris, who is also the first Black woman and Indian American to run as vice president on a major party presidential ticket.

As protests against racism and police brutality continue in parts of the country fromspring, summer and into fall following the police killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and other Black Americans, Harris vowed in the interviewtokeepsupportingthe brilliance of the Black Lives Matter movement.

What I hope and pray is that we can get to a point where, through what are undoubtedly difficult conversations, we confront the real history of America, Harris said. Doing it in a way that is motivated by love, but also is fully honest.

Harris credited optimism during the interview as the fuel driving every fight she has been in and said her motivation comes from believing in what can be unburdened by what has been.

John LewisJohn LewisHow to fight the onslaught of election disinformation The House's stake in filibuster reform Hillicon Valley: Productivity, fatigue, cybersecurity emerge as top concerns amid pandemic | Facebook critics launch alternative oversight board | Google to temporarily bar election ads after polls close MORE, the dearly departed, like many others shed blood on that bridge. Because he really believed in what could be. It will often feel like [we are only] against something, but the motivation that carries us through, with any longevity, is knowing what were fighting for, the senator told the magazine.

She also spoke briefly about Trump during the interview while discussing the night she was elected senator in California years back.

In every one of my elections, part of our routine is we do a small friends-and-family dinner before we go to the campaign night celebration, she told the magazine.

When it became clearer that night that Trump was going to win the election, Harris recalled a conversation she had with her godson.

My godson, Alexander, who was seven years old at the time, came up to me, crying, and said, Auntie Kamala, theyre not going to let that man win, are they? And you know the babies in your life I held him, she said.

I mean, it still brings me pain to remember how he felt, and what it made me feel, which is that I needed to protect this child. I had one way, in my mind, I thought the evening would go. And then there was the way it turned out. And so by the time I took the stage, I had ripped up my notes, and all I had was Alexander in my heart. And I took the podium and I said, I intend to fight. I intend to fight, she said.

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Kamala Harris featured on cover of Elle magazine's November issue | TheHill - The Hill

"The first stage was be a functional human again, and open the door with the keys" – SportsJOE.ie

Posted on October 28, 2020 by Prof Baldwin

The word went around about Cian Healy, back in 2007, that there was a young lad in the Leinster set-up that had pretty much lifted ALL the weights. He was bulling about his peers, in training, and his coaches felt he would get more out of sessions with the senior squad.

Healy was 19 when he made his senior Leinster debut and he added 13 more appearances the following season, 2007/08, before nailing down the No.1 jersey in 2009 as he helped his province to their first ever European Cup. There was talk of him being a possible bolter for the Lions Tour to South Africa but he missed out on that fun and had to wait until Australia came to Croke Park, later that year, to make his Test debut.

"The whole occasion," recalls Healy of his debut, "just class to be playing in Croker. There were so many big names in our team which kind of shocked me a bit. I was young and cocky and confident in myself, and I got a bit of slagging for it. But some of that confidence goes a long way.

"I remember Paulie [O'Connell] tapped me down a ball from a kick-off and that was my one outstanding memory of that game, I got a bit of a run off it."

He got a bit of a run in the Test XV too as, over the next five years, he started 46 of his 48 Test appearances, excelled at the 2011 World Cup, made the 2013 Lions squad and won his first Six Nations title in 2014.

2015 was the year where that run was brought to a jarring halt. He had already dealt with bad hamstring and ankle injuries, in the previous years, but he went in for neck surgery not long after the 2015 Six Nations. The Clontarf prop was left without the use of his right arm due to nerve damage and, he once recalled, his retirement and insurance papers were all signed and ready to send off before that year's World Cup.

He began to get feeling and sensation back in his arm, though, and he held off on ending his career at the age of 27. Now, days away from what will be his 100th Test appearance for Ireland, Healy spoke about his journey back from the brink.

"Eventually, it was broken down into so many stages. The first stage of that was be a functional human again and open the door with the keys, and stuff like that.

"Each time I became capable of something Id work on another new standard that I could work on, something else more achievable. Id build through them and keep progressing though those goals to get into the international team again. And then get to the standard of the international team. Then it was a constant drive for fitness and getting my standards up because rugby keeps moving on."

Asked what was the secret to his longevity, Healy was quick to pay credit to the team of people around him at his province, and support from those close to him.

"I've relied on a lot and rehab coaches and physios to bring me back from the brink," Cian Healy says. "They do it day in and day out for other players, and everyone requires these people at some stage to drag them back from injuries or tough places. So a lot of it stems from that.

"And a bit of a drive, personally. Im not that type of person to settle down too easily and roll over, so a bit of that as well."

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"The first stage was be a functional human again, and open the door with the keys" - SportsJOE.ie

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