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NeoGenomics Reports Revenue of $87 Million in the Second Quarter amid COVID-19 Pandemic – Yahoo Finance

Posted on July 30, 2020 by Prof Baldwin

Second-Quarter 2020 Results and Highlights:

Consolidated revenue decreased 14% to $87 million

Clinical Services revenue decreased 17% to $74 million

Pharma Services revenue increased 3% to $13 million

Pharma Services backlog increased 63% to $173 million

Financial position strengthened with $322 million net convertible note and equity offerings

Test menu expanded with suite of solid tumor liquid biopsy tests

Strategic collaboration and minority investment in Inivata established

High-capacity COVID-19 testing lab operationalized

FORT MYERS, FL / ACCESSWIRE / July 28, 2020 / NeoGenomics, Inc. (NASDAQ:NEO) (the "Company"), a leading provider of cancer-focused genetics testing services, today announced its second-quarter results for the period ended June 30, 2020.

"As expected, second quarter financial results were challenging due to the global COVID-19 crisis, which reduced both revenue and earnings," said Douglas M. VanOort, Chairman and CEO of NeoGenomics.

"Even in the midst of this pandemic, we made several strategic moves and invested in our business. We fortified our balance sheet with a successful offering of both common stock and convertible securities, we strategically invested in Inivata for access to liquid biopsy and minimal residual disease testing capabilities, we launched a suite of liquid biopsy tests, we moved forward with investments to further globalize our Pharma Services business, and we built and operationalized a high-capacity COVID-19 testing laboratory. We believe these investments will deliver both near-term and long-term growth, and that we exited the second quarter in a stronger competitive position for the future."

Second-Quarter Results

Consolidated revenue for the second quarter of 2020 was $87 million, a decrease of 14% over the same period in 2019. Clinical Services revenue decreased year-over-year by 17% to $74 million driven by a clinical test volume(1) decrease of 18%. Average revenue per clinical test ("revenue per test") remained stable at $351. Pharma Services revenue grew by 3% to $13 million compared to the second quarter of 2019, primarily due to the January 10, 2020 acquisition of the Oncology Division assets of Human Longevity, Inc. ("HLI - Oncology"). While disruptions in volume stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic reduced growth in both Divisions, there was steady improvement throughout the quarter.

Story continues

Gross profit was $28.0 million, a decline of 42.8%, compared to the second quarter of 2019. This reduction was the result of the combined effect of lower test volume due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and our decision to retain employees.

Operating expenses increased by $2 million, or 5%, compared to the second quarter of 2019, reflecting investments in informatics, growth initiatives and costs associated with the integration of HLI - Oncology.

Net loss for the quarter was $7 million compared to net income of $2 million for the second quarter of 2019.

Adjusted EBITDA(2) was negative $7 million for the quarter compared to positive $15 million in the second quarter of 2019. Adjusted Net (Loss) Income(2) was a loss of $4 million compared to income of $7 million in the second quarter of 2019.

Cash and cash equivalents, including restricted cash, was $331 million and days sales outstanding ("DSO") was 92 days at the end of the second quarter of 2020 due to the impact of COVID-19 and the distribution of revenue.

(1) Clinical tests exclude requisitions, tests, revenue and costs for Pharma Services and COVID-19 Polymerase Chain Reaction ("PCR") tests.

(2) The Company has provided adjusted financial information that has not been prepared in accordance with GAAP, including Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted Net (Loss) Income, and Adjusted Diluted EPS. Each of these measures is defined in the section of this report entitled "Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures." See also the tables reconciling such measures to their closest GAAP equivalent.

Conference Call

The Company has scheduled a webcast and conference call to discuss their first quarter results on Tuesday, July 28, 2020 at 8:30 AM EDT. Interested investors should dial (844) 602-0380 (domestic) and (862) 298-0970 (international) at least five minutes prior to the call. A replay of the conference call will be available until 8:30 AM EDT on August 11, 2020, and can be accessed by dialing (877) 481-4010 (domestic) and (919) 882-2331 (international). The playback conference ID Number is 35578. The webcast may be accessed under the Investor Relations section of our website at http://www.neogenomics.com. An archive of the webcast will be available until 08:30 AM EDT on October 28, 2020.

About NeoGenomics, Inc.

NeoGenomics, Inc. specializes in cancer genetics testing and information services. The Company provides one of the most comprehensive oncology-focused testing menus in the world for physicians to help them diagnose and treat cancer. The Company's Pharma Services Division serves pharmaceutical clients in clinical trials and drug development.

Headquartered in Fort Myers, FL, NeoGenomics operates CAP accredited and CLIA certified laboratories in Fort Myers and Tampa, Florida; Aliso Viejo, Carlsbad, Fresno and San Diego, California; Houston, Texas; Atlanta, Georgia; Nashville, Tennessee; and CAP accredited laboratories in Rolle, Switzerland, and Singapore. NeoGenomics serves the needs of pathologists, oncologists, academic centers, hospital systems, pharmaceutical firms, integrated service delivery networks, and managed care organizations throughout the United States, and pharmaceutical firms in Europe and Asia. For additional information about NeoGenomics, visit http://www.neogenomics.com/

Forward Looking Statements

Certain information contained in this press release constitutes forward-looking statements for purposes of the safe harbor provisions of The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward looking statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual future results to differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements as the result of the Company's ability to continue gaining new customers, respond to the effects of the COVID-19 outbreak, offer new types of tests, integrate its acquisitions and otherwise implement its business plan, as well as additional factors discussed under the heading "Risk Factors" and elsewhere in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on February 28, 2020. As a result, this press release should be read in conjunction with the Company's periodic filings with the SEC. In addition, it is the Company's practice to make information about the Company available by posting copies of its Company Overview Presentation from time to time on the Investor Relations section of its website at http://ir.neogenomics.com/.

Forward-looking statements represent the Company's estimates only as of the date such statements are made (unless another date is indicated) and should not be relied upon as representing the Company's estimates as of any subsequent date. While the Company may elect to update forward-looking statements at some point in the future, it specifically disclaims any obligation to do so, even if its estimates change.

For further information, please contact:

NeoGenomics, Inc.

William BonelloDirector, Investor Relations(239) 690-4238 (w)(239) 284-4314 (m)bill.bonello@neogenomics.com

NeoGenomics, Inc.CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS(In thousands)

June 30, 2020 (Unaudited)

December 31, 2019

ASSETS

Cash and cash equivalents

295,281

173,016

Accounts receivable, net

87,766

94,242

Inventories

21,627

14,405

Other current assets

14,326

9,075

Total current assets

419,000

290,738

Property and equipment (net of accumulated depreciation of $80,143 and $68,809 respectively)

83,969

64,188

Operating lease right-of-use assets

47,554

26,492

Intangible assets, net

125,821

126,640

Goodwill

210,833

198,601

Restricted cash, non-current

36,030

Prepaid lease asset

6,084

Investment in non-consolidated affiliate

13,137

Other assets

3,057

2,847

TOTAL ASSETS

945,485

709,506

LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY

Accounts payable and other current liabilities

52,746

50,091

Short-term portion of financing obligations

4,458

10,432

Short-term portion of operating leases

4,496

3,381

Total current liabilities

61,700

63,904

Long-term portion of financing obligations

1,911

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NeoGenomics Reports Revenue of $87 Million in the Second Quarter amid COVID-19 Pandemic - Yahoo Finance

Trending Now: Adrenomyeloneuropathy Treatment Market Brief Analysis and Application, Growth by 2026| Ascend Biopharmaceuticals, Novadip Biosciences,…

Posted on August 3, 2020 by Prof Baldwin

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Steroid Replacement TherapyStem Cell Transplant By the end users, this report covers the following segmentsHospitalsClinicsAmbulatory Surgical CentersOthers Competitive Landscape: The Adrenomyeloneuropathy Treatment key manufacturers in this market include:Ascend BiopharmaceuticalsNovadip BiosciencesEureka TherapeuticsHuman LongevityRegeneusAllogene TherapeuticsBioRestorative TherapiesImmatics BiotechnologiesNewLink GeneticsCytori TherapeuticsTalaris Therapeutics

Global Adrenomyeloneuropathy Treatment Market Segment By Application:

HospitalsClinicsAmbulatory Surgical CentersOthers

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TOC

1 Market Overview of Adrenomyeloneuropathy Treatment1.1 Adrenomyeloneuropathy Treatment Market Overview1.1.1 Adrenomyeloneuropathy Treatment Product Scope1.1.2 Market Status and Outlook1.2 Global Adrenomyeloneuropathy Treatment Market Size Overview by Region 2015 VS 2020 VS 20261.3 Global Adrenomyeloneuropathy Treatment Market Size by Region (2015-2026)1.4 Global Adrenomyeloneuropathy Treatment Historic Market Size by Region (2015-2020)1.5 Global Adrenomyeloneuropathy Treatment Market Size Forecast by Region (2021-2026)1.6 Key Regions Adrenomyeloneuropathy Treatment Market Size YoY Growth (2015-2026)1.6.1 North America Adrenomyeloneuropathy Treatment Market Size YoY Growth (2015-2026)1.6.2 Europe Adrenomyeloneuropathy Treatment Market Size YoY Growth (2015-2026)1.6.3 China Adrenomyeloneuropathy Treatment Market Size YoY Growth (2015-2026)1.6.4 Rest of Asia Pacific Adrenomyeloneuropathy Treatment Market Size YoY Growth (2015-2026)1.6.5 Latin America Adrenomyeloneuropathy Treatment Market Size YoY Growth (2015-2026)1.6.6 Middle East & Africa Adrenomyeloneuropathy Treatment Market Size YoY Growth (2015-2026)1.7 Coronavirus Disease 2019 (Covid-19): Adrenomyeloneuropathy Treatment Industry Impact1.7.1 How the Covid-19 is Affecting the Adrenomyeloneuropathy Treatment Industry

1.7.1.1 Adrenomyeloneuropathy Treatment Business Impact Assessment Covid-19

1.7.1.2 Supply Chain Challenges

1.7.1.3 COVID-19s Impact On Crude Oil and Refined Products1.7.2 Market Trends and Adrenomyeloneuropathy Treatment Potential Opportunities in the COVID-19 Landscape1.7.3 Measures / Proposal against Covid-19

1.7.3.1 Government Measures to Combat Covid-19 Impact

1.7.3.2 Proposal for Adrenomyeloneuropathy Treatment Players to Combat Covid-19 Impact 2 Adrenomyeloneuropathy Treatment Market Overview by Therapy2.1 Global Adrenomyeloneuropathy Treatment Market Size by Therapy: 2015 VS 2020 VS 20262.2 Global Adrenomyeloneuropathy Treatment Historic Market Size by Therapy (2015-2020)2.3 Global Adrenomyeloneuropathy Treatment Forecasted Market Size by Therapy (2021-2026)2.4 Steroid Replacement Therapy2.5 Stem Cell Transplant 3 Adrenomyeloneuropathy Treatment Market Overview by Therapy3.1 Global Adrenomyeloneuropathy Treatment Market Size by End Users: 2015 VS 2020 VS 20263.2 Global Adrenomyeloneuropathy Treatment Historic Market Size by End Users (2015-2020)3.3 Global Adrenomyeloneuropathy Treatment Forecasted Market Size by End Users (2021-2026)3.4 Hospitals3.5 Clinics3.6 Ambulatory Surgical Centers3.7 Others 4 Global Adrenomyeloneuropathy Treatment Competition Analysis by Players4.1 Global Adrenomyeloneuropathy Treatment Market Size (Million US$) by Players (2015-2020)4.2 Global Top Manufacturers by Company Type (Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 3) (based on the Revenue in Adrenomyeloneuropathy Treatment as of 2019)4.3 Date of Key Manufacturers Enter into Adrenomyeloneuropathy Treatment Market4.4 Global Top Players Adrenomyeloneuropathy Treatment Headquarters and Area Served4.5 Key Players Adrenomyeloneuropathy Treatment Product Solution and Service4.6 Competitive Status4.6.1 Adrenomyeloneuropathy Treatment Market Concentration Rate4.6.2 Mergers & Acquisitions, Expansion Plans 5 Company (Top Players) Profiles and Key Data5.1 Ascend Biopharmaceuticals5.1.1 Ascend Biopharmaceuticals Profile5.1.2 Ascend Biopharmaceuticals Main Business and Companys Total Revenue5.1.3 Ascend Biopharmaceuticals Products, Services and Solutions5.1.4 Ascend Biopharmaceuticals Revenue (US$ Million) (2015-2020)5.1.5 Ascend Biopharmaceuticals Recent Developments5.2 Novadip Biosciences5.2.1 Novadip Biosciences Profile5.2.2 Novadip Biosciences Main Business and Companys Total Revenue5.2.3 Novadip Biosciences Products, Services and Solutions5.2.4 Novadip Biosciences Revenue (US$ Million) (2015-2020)5.2.5 Novadip Biosciences Recent Developments5.3 Eureka Therapeutics5.5.1 Eureka Therapeutics Profile5.3.2 Eureka Therapeutics Main Business and Companys Total Revenue5.3.3 Eureka Therapeutics Products, Services and Solutions5.3.4 Eureka Therapeutics Revenue (US$ Million) (2015-2020)5.3.5 Human Longevity Recent Developments5.4 Human Longevity5.4.1 Human Longevity Profile5.4.2 Human Longevity Main Business and Companys Total Revenue5.4.3 Human Longevity Products, Services and Solutions5.4.4 Human Longevity Revenue (US$ Million) (2015-2020)5.4.5 Human Longevity Recent Developments5.5 Regeneus5.5.1 Regeneus Profile5.5.2 Regeneus Main Business and Companys Total Revenue5.5.3 Regeneus Products, Services and Solutions5.5.4 Regeneus Revenue (US$ Million) (2015-2020)5.5.5 Regeneus Recent Developments5.6 Allogene Therapeutics5.6.1 Allogene Therapeutics Profile5.6.2 Allogene Therapeutics Main Business and Companys Total Revenue5.6.3 Allogene Therapeutics Products, Services and Solutions5.6.4 Allogene Therapeutics Revenue (US$ Million) (2015-2020)5.6.5 Allogene Therapeutics Recent Developments5.7 BioRestorative Therapies5.7.1 BioRestorative Therapies Profile5.7.2 BioRestorative Therapies Main Business and Companys Total Revenue5.7.3 BioRestorative Therapies Products, Services and Solutions5.7.4 BioRestorative Therapies Revenue (US$ Million) (2015-2020)5.7.5 BioRestorative Therapies Recent Developments5.8 Immatics Biotechnologies5.8.1 Immatics Biotechnologies Profile5.8.2 Immatics Biotechnologies Main Business and Companys Total Revenue5.8.3 Immatics Biotechnologies Products, Services and Solutions5.8.4 Immatics Biotechnologies Revenue (US$ Million) (2015-2020)5.8.5 Immatics Biotechnologies Recent Developments5.9 NewLink Genetics5.9.1 NewLink Genetics Profile5.9.2 NewLink Genetics Main Business and Companys Total Revenue5.9.3 NewLink Genetics Products, Services and Solutions5.9.4 NewLink Genetics Revenue (US$ Million) (2015-2020)5.9.5 NewLink Genetics Recent Developments5.10 Cytori Therapeutics5.10.1 Cytori Therapeutics Profile5.10.2 Cytori Therapeutics Main Business and Companys Total Revenue5.10.3 Cytori Therapeutics Products, Services and Solutions5.10.4 Cytori Therapeutics Revenue (US$ Million) (2015-2020)5.10.5 Cytori Therapeutics Recent Developments5.11 Talaris Therapeutics5.11.1 Talaris Therapeutics Profile5.11.2 Talaris Therapeutics Main Business and Companys Total Revenue5.11.3 Talaris Therapeutics Products, Services and Solutions5.11.4 Talaris Therapeutics Revenue (US$ Million) (2015-2020)5.11.5 Talaris Therapeutics Recent Developments 6 North America Adrenomyeloneuropathy Treatment by Players and by End Users6.1 North America Adrenomyeloneuropathy Treatment Market Size and Market Share by Players (2015-2020)6.2 North America Adrenomyeloneuropathy Treatment Market Size by End Users (2015-2020) 7 Europe Adrenomyeloneuropathy Treatment by Players and by End Users7.1 Europe Adrenomyeloneuropathy Treatment Market Size and Market Share by Players (2015-2020)7.2 Europe Adrenomyeloneuropathy Treatment Market Size by End Users (2015-2020) 8 China Adrenomyeloneuropathy Treatment by Players and by End Users8.1 China Adrenomyeloneuropathy Treatment Market Size and Market Share by Players (2015-2020)8.2 China Adrenomyeloneuropathy Treatment Market Size by End Users (2015-2020) 9 Rest of Asia Pacific Adrenomyeloneuropathy Treatment by Players and by End Users9.1 Rest of Asia Pacific Adrenomyeloneuropathy Treatment Market Size and Market Share by Players (2015-2020)9.2 Rest of Asia Pacific Adrenomyeloneuropathy Treatment Market Size by End Users (2015-2020) 10 Latin America Adrenomyeloneuropathy Treatment by Players and by End Users10.1 Latin America Adrenomyeloneuropathy Treatment Market Size and Market Share by Players (2015-2020)10.2 Latin America Adrenomyeloneuropathy Treatment Market Size by End Users (2015-2020) 11 Middle East & Africa Adrenomyeloneuropathy Treatment by Players and by End Users11.1 Middle East & Africa Adrenomyeloneuropathy Treatment Market Size and Market Share by Players (2015-2020)11.2 Middle East & Africa Adrenomyeloneuropathy Treatment Market Size by End Users (2015-2020) 12 Adrenomyeloneuropathy Treatment Market Dynamics12.1 Industry Trends12.2 Market Drivers12.3 Market Challenges12.4 Porters Five Forces Analysis 13 Research Finding /Conclusion 14 Methodology and Data Source 14.1 Methodology/Research Approach14.1.1 Research Programs/Design14.1.2 Market Size Estimation14.1.3 Market Breakdown and Data Triangulation14.2 Data Source14.2.1 Secondary Sources14.2.2 Primary Sources14.3 Disclaimer14.4 Author List

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Trending Now: Adrenomyeloneuropathy Treatment Market Brief Analysis and Application, Growth by 2026| Ascend Biopharmaceuticals, Novadip Biosciences,...

Will COVID-19 Change the Way Every Generation Lives? UK Expert Offers Insight – WUKY

Posted on July 29, 2020 by Prof Baldwin

This week Dr. Greg talks with Anthony Bardo,an assistant professor with a dual appointment inHealthy Society and Populationsand theDepartment of Sociologyin theUK College of Arts and Sciences, about what a post-COVID-19 'new normal' might look like. Hebelieves its important to consider how perspectives will change. As a medical sociologist and health demographer, his research is driven by the desire to understand what contributes to quality of life across societies.

From UK Now:

From the Great Depression to the Civil Rights Movement each generation has been shaped by the national and international events that take place during their formative years.

Will the same be said for the COVID-19 pandemic?

Anthony Bardo, an assistant professor with a dual appointment inHealthy Society and Populationsand theDepartment of Sociologyin theUK College of Arts and Sciences, believes its important to consider how perspectives will change. As a medical sociologist and health demographer, his research is driven by the desire to understand what contributes to quality of life across societies.

In line with the age-old adage without your health you have nothing, scholars and politicians have recently turned to measures of health and longevity to gauge quality of life, he said. Yet, as my research has consistently shown health is only one, and not even the most important, component of quality of life.

While its difficult to predict the future, Bardos expertise and insight can help society prepare for what the world will look like months or even years from now.

And perhaps its worth considering how each generation might live their lives differently.

UKNow:The COVID-19 pandemic is changing many aspects of our lives. Can we expect some of those changes to be our new normal not just for the next few months, but years?

Bardo:Indeed, many aspects of our lives have been touched if not substantially altered.Our day-to-day behaviors, activities and routines are now shaped by mandates and policies aimed at slowing the pandemic.

Minimal Changes

Bardo:Actions tied to economic activities (e.g., shopping, work, leisure) will likely return to normal once government restrictions are lifted and community concern has diminished. However, our routines will likely continue to be shaped by a now cognizant concern for public health (e.g., hand washing, covering coughs/sneezes, isolating while sick, etc.). At first, these behaviors will likely be driven at the individual level. We may continue to see readily available sanitizing agents in public spaces, and organizations may even start to enforce sick leave policies. These circumstances beg the question, why were these fundamental functions not already ingrained in our society?

Drastic Changes

Bardo:Its apparent that improvements in quality of life are no longer closely tied to technological development. Refrigerators, washing machines, and dishwashers were certainly game changers as they allotted folks additional time for activities that were more enjoyable and/or meaningful. Yet, since the rise of the personal computer, national-level well-being has remained relatively constant.

What do we do with this new technology? We use it to purchase more things, spend more time working and less time in the physical presence of others. In a sense, weve been on a path toward social isolation for several decades by surrounding ourselves with more stuff and fewer people (at least in a physical sense).

Technological development has long been deemed the solution to enhance quality of life. It was widely thought that such advancements would ultimately lead to the good life. Now we may actually have begun recognizing that human interactions and meaningful pursuits are what we crave. Although e-commerce is at an all-time high, were not the least bit happier when packages magically appear on our doorsteps. Many are now working from home, but also yearning for some dry humor at the water cooler. Students had been begging for more online learning opportunities, but now they want nothing more than to come to campus.

Takeaway

Bardo:Im not, nor is anyone else, sure what the future holds, but if we dont take the time now to reflect on our experience, well simply continue to fall subject to the same economic forces that have made life vanillaat best.

UKNow:As unemployment persists, many are concerned about their financial future. How will COVID-19 impact career trajectories?

Bardo:A useful exercise to consider is to draw on what we now know about the long-term implications of the Great Recession and how they differ by age group.

Mid-Career (late Boomers and early Gen-Xers)

Bardo:The current pandemic has ravaged the labor market. Unlike during the Great Recession, mid-career folks may find themselves facing greater challenges compared to those on the verge of retirement. For example, the current mid-career cohort should be in their prime earning years, but they now find themselves hit with a double whammy. The Great Recession stalled their upward mobility early on. Contemporaneously, retirement and old age were reinvented in such a way to extend traditional working age (e.g., 60 is the new 50). Moreover, these shifting age norms at the latter end of the life course have major implications for younger people as well. For example, young folks increasingly find themselves in a precarious state, as adult positions and the privileges they come with continue to dwindle highlighted by a massive increase in mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression.

Relatedly, the current mid-career cohort uniquely lacks the retirement savings that previous cohorts had. This is partially due to the above noted hamper in upward mobility, but also because this mid-career cohort are grappling with increased costs of education for both themselves and their children. Many are also simultaneously supporting their adult children and aging parents, and sometimes even their grandchildren. Macroeconomic circumstances cannot, or will not, provide the same opportunities to achieve the American dream as they once did. The current pandemic only makes the future seem bleaker.

Late Boomers and early Gen-Xers have a close relationship with adversity, and they have received relatively little support along the way compared to previous cohorts. They faced numerous socioeconomic woes at critical life stages. They were children during the Oil Crisis and may have gone without during their impressionable years. They were launching their careers during the dot-com bubble, and they are much more likely to have had made career changes compared to earlier cohorts. They were finally starting to find their way during the Great Recession, and they only recently recovered to pre-Great Recession status. Given the above circumstances, its not surprising that this age group is driving the Deaths of Despair an unprecedented reversal in life expectancy because of increased mortality among whites in mid-life due to suicide and drug and alcohol abuse.

Takeaway

Bardo:In sum, the American dream certainly takes hard work and dedication, but opportunity is a prerequisite. Will opportunities abound post-pandemic? Maybe so. The more important question is, do we want the same opportunities that have provided less than an optimal quality of life?

UKNow:As teens become young adults, how might this pandemic change/shape their views on the areas below:

Higher Education

Bardo:A common strategy among young adults in response to the Great Recession was to shelter in higher education. For many this meant pursuing graduate degrees in lieu of entering the labor market after undergrad. The idea was that the recession would end, things would go back to normal and their lapse in employment would have been used to make themselves more marketable. Whether this strategy was effective remains an open question. What is clear is that the transition to adulthood has remained precarious at best, with even fewer road signs and landmarks than ever before. Moreover, the uncertainty surrounding higher education during this pandemic only adds to this dilemma what to do?

Whether to pursue higher education may seem like a relatively straightforward decision, but this decision traditionally comes at an age when timing is particularly crucial. If young adults arent in higher education making themselves more marketable (we can no longer afford to learn for the sake of learning, or maybe never have), then what will they do? Maybe they will take up low paying jobs that are now deemed essential. Or as suggested by our political leaders, they may even find something new. Regardless of what path young people choose, were likely to see another baby bust.

Family Formation

Bardo:Child rearing is a key component of family formation, and its timing in the life course has major implications for ones remaining years. Thirteen years ago, America was only coming to terms with decades-long shifts in traditional family values driven by an increase in female labor participation, two earner households and divorce rates. This is evidenced by attitude and subsequent policy shifts surrounding same-sex marriage and LGBTQ rights.

While current circumstances reflect traditional telltale signs for a baby boom (what else is there to do than Netflix and chill?), we are going to have a back-to-back baby bust (opposite of baby boom). This not only has major implications for the future trajectories of young adults themselves, but also the many institutions that were designed to serve them. Moreover, who is going to pay the taxes to support our rapidly aging population?

Social Justice

Bardo:The unique socialization of Gen-Z (the children of Gen-X) has led to increased versatility in anticipation for a bumpy road. While certainly versatile, Gen-Z is often stereotyped as being overly individualistic or even narcissistic. On the one hand, the individualistic stereotype rings true. For example, there is no cultural glue that binds this cohort together nor any that ties them to their adjacent Millennials. This is largely due to technological development and the related rise in user-generated content. On the other hand, the narcissistic stereotype couldnt be further from the truth. For example, this cohort is leading the way in terms of equality and social justice evidenced by the current protests and the Black Lives Matter movement.

Few cohorts aside from the Silent Generation have faced such levels of uncertainty during their formative years. Likely due to their formative experiences of social deprivation, Gen-Z and the Silent Generation share many characteristics. For example, the Silent Generation is often credited withforming the leadership of the Civil Rights movement. This may also be due to the circumstances of their respective parents, and the unique primary socialization they provided. The Greatest Generation enjoyed the Roaring Twenties and Gen-X soaked up the materialism of the 1980s and early '90s as young adults, and both historical periods were closely followed by turbulent times (i.e., Great Depression and Great Recession). Furthermore, both generations are characterized by a relatively high prevalence of mental health issues. Mental health was not well understood when the Silent Generation was young, but their relatively high levels of cognitive impairment likely reflects the long-term consequences of their exposure to social stressors. How might the COVID-19 pandemic impact both the immediate and long-term mental health of Gen-Z? Might the current movements come to parallel those of the Civil Rights era?

Takeaway

Bardo:Many of the issues that we face today can be linked back to the disappearing middle-class, as the social institutions that were designed to improve our lives (e.g., science, education, and medicine) have fallen under attack and those that were intended to keep us in our place (e.g., religion, marriage, and criminal justice) have simultaneously eroded. The idea of a new normal has been underway for a long time (arguably 50 years), and the current pandemic has only just thrown a wrench in these plans (e.g., What normal were we trying to achieve? Were we actually driving the train?)

UKNow:Protests across the United States are shining a spotlight on social injustice. Does COVID-19 play a role in widening social inequalities?

Bardo:We are certainly a nation divided, and the stressors of the current pandemic have heightened our awareness of our seemingly polar views. Maybe if we all took this time to come together around the common terms of our plight for the good life, we would finally recognize that we have more similarities than differences and that the only way to get there is if we stand together well, at least six feet apart for now.

More here:
Will COVID-19 Change the Way Every Generation Lives? UK Expert Offers Insight - WUKY

How To Reinvest in Communities When Reducing the Scope of Policing – Center For American Progress

Posted on July 29, 2020 by Prof Baldwin

In June 2020, amid widespread protests against systemic police brutality and misconduct against Black Americans, elected officials and the public began to seriously reconsider the role of law enforcement in U.S. society. For years, grassroots campaigns and local advocates have called for an approach to public safety that does not rely solelyor even primarilyon the police. Now, the push from activists to shrink the role of policing and invest in social services and community-based strategies is gaining national attention.

Reducing the role of policing and the criminal justice system as a whole is not a radical concept and is based on the widely acknowledged idea that the justice system has taken on an outsize role in society. For too long, American communities have allowedand in many ways mandatedthat the criminal justice system serve as the de facto response to a broad swath of social issues, from behavioral health crises to substance misuse to school discipline. Police officers are expected to address situations that they are neither trained nor equipped to handle, which can significantly exacerbate harm for civilians. In establishing a commission on law enforcement in January 2020, even Attorney General William Barr acknowledged this point, saying, [O]ur officers must confront a wave of social problems, such as homelessness, drug addiction, and mental illness problems that demand solutions beyond their authority and expertise.

The movement to shrink the role of policing and shift public safety responsibilities to other government and community institutions has similarities to a multistate initiative to divest from prisons that has attracted significant bipartisan support. Over the past decade, 35 states have participated in the Justice Reinvestment Initiative (JRI) and signed up to reduce correctional populations and budgets and reinvest in other public safety solutions. JRI has earned praise from leaders across the ideological spectrum. Among JRIs champions are Democratic Govs. Jay Inslee of Washington and Kate Brown of Oregon, Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson of Arkansas, and former Republican Govs. Nathan Deal of Georgia and Rick Perry of Texas.

The concept behind justice reinvestment could well be characterized as a defund prisons effort, as the model was originally rooted in the idea that the criminal justice system is too big and too costly and that communities can achieve safety by shifting resources toward other less punitive efforts. The JRI experience provides important lessons for communities seeking to redirect public safety dollars to public health and community-based models. Specifically, while JRI enabled some states to shift funding into community-building resources, a large percentage of savings were ultimately reinvested back into the criminal justice system. City policymakers must establish a sustainable infrastructure in order to implement and be held accountable for their commitments to invest in communities; otherwise, amorphous promises to fund community-based solutions can turn into funding for a different part of the criminal justice system or can easily be discarded altogether. This issue brief outlines three core components of the infrastructure that cities should establish for reinvesting in communities: a dedicated civilian office of public safety within the jurisdictions government structure; a regularized and in-depth process through which community leaders and representatives can participate in developing the jurisdictions public safety agenda and priorities; and a budgetary mechanism that gives the community direct control over the redirected investments.

The concept of justice reinvestment was first introduced in 2003 by Susan Tucker and Eric Cardora, justice system experts who were at the time affiliated with the Open Society Foundation. Although justice reinvestment was initially considered a radical proposal, the idea quickly took off. Several states piloted the justice reinvestment model into the mid-2000s, yielding significant reductions in correctional costs. Among the most notable early pilots was the Texas reinvestment initiative, which has been credited with saving more than $1.5 billion in prison construction costs and $340 million in annual operating expenditures since its enactment in 2007. Justice reinvestment in Texas earned support from leaders on both sides of the aisle, including then-Gov. Perry. [I]n 2007, with broad support from Republicans and Democrats alike, Texas fundamentally changed its course on criminal justice, he later said of the reforms, which are sometimes referred to simply as the Texas model. Taxpayers have saved billions because of our new approach to criminal justice, and theyre safer in their homes and on the streets.

By 2010, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) had taken note of the models impact. That year, the DOJ teamed up with the Pew Charitable Trusts to launch JRI, a public-private partnership aimed at helping state governments implement reinvestment models. With support from the DOJ, Pew Charitable Trusts, and other JRI partners, state leaders assemble a bipartisan intergovernmental working group to analyze the drivers of incarceration and correctional spending within their jurisdictions. Based on these findings, state working groups identify and implement reform strategies aimed at reducing justice system populations and costs, with the goal of reinvesting savings into evidence-informed approaches to public safety. Through JRI, states have worked to revise mandatory minimums and other sentencing guidelines, increase parole eligibility and streamline parole processes, expand good-time and earned credits, invest in substance use treatment and problem-solving courts, and undertake other reforms aimed at reducing correctional costs and populations.

In its earliest iterations, the justice reinvestment model was envisioned as a way to shift dollars away from incarceration and into low-income communities and communities of color, the latter of which have long been unfairly targeted by the criminal justice system. Racial disparities exist at every stage in the justice system. Black Americans in particular have experienced disproportionately high rates of arrest and pretrial detention, lengthier prison sentences, and significant barriers to housing and employment upon release from incarceration. In many communities of color, overcriminalization has been paired with government disinvestment in other public institutions and community-building resources. Thus, the goal of justice reinvestment according to Tucker and Cardora was to redirect a portion of correctional spending toward rebuilding the human resources and physical infrastructurethe schools, healthcare facilities, parks, and public spacesof neighborhoods devastated by high levels of incarceration. As the model evolved, however, its emphasis on community-building dissipated. In practice, states have reinvested a large percentage of the savings realized through JRI back into their criminal justice systems. JRI states reinvested $557 million between 2010 to 2017, more than one-quarter of which went toward community supervision agencies for purposes such as hiring new probation and parole officers and expanding electronic monitoring. Correctional institutions and law enforcement agencies received a combined $123 million during this time period, most of which was used to support in-prison programming. In some jurisdictions, the savings intended for reinvestment were simply absorbed into the states general fund.

Still, some jurisdictions continue to reinvest a portion of JRI funds into community-building resources. The state of Oregon, for instance, uses JRI to fund a grant program for county-level safety initiatives, including efforts to address social service needs. Between 2017 and 2019, Oregon awarded more than $6 million to support services related to housing, education, and employment; mentoring; parental skills building; and reentry. Arkansas has used JRI to divert people with behavioral health needs away from jails and into treatment. In a 2018 op-ed for Fox News, Gov. Hutchinson wrote, The Justice Reinvestment approach allowed Arkansas to become the first state in the country to create a network of crisis stabilization units. These units provide an alternative to incarceration for individuals in crisis, for whom arrest isnt always the best option, according to Gov. Hutchinson. Now officers have a place to take someone where people are trained to recognize and treat behavioral-health issues.

Communities considering how to reimagine their public safety resources should take note of JRIs successes and shortcomings. In part, JRIs failure to reinvest in impacted communities is a symptom of its failure to meaningfully engage these communities in the first place. Although JRI has built strong coalitions of state government officials, the initiative has largely neglected to carve out a role for local leaders and members of communities most affected by the justice system. Absent community engagement, JRIs reinvestment strategy has come to reflect the priorities of state-level policymakers rather than the needs of residents. What started as an initiative to move resources into low-income communities of color has resulted instead in the reinvestment of resources into police departments, wrote Zachary Norris, executive director of the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, in an article on JRIs shortcomings.

Sustainability is also a concern for JRI. Because policy reforms will not realize their full potential overnight, JRI requires a long-term commitment from stakeholders. According to an evaluation conducted by the Urban Institute, impatience over lack of immediate results could seriously jeopardize a states JRI effort. In other cases, state-level political turnover has threatened to derail JRI, particularly in states with term-limited legislatures. When JRIs legislative champions leave office, the future of the initiative may be put at risk. Beyond political factors, the sustainability of JRI also depends on funding. States must provide dedicated resources to implement justice system reforms, without which they will not successfully shrink correctional populations and costs.

To avoid these pitfalls, local governments should establish an infrastructure to partner with impacted communities and sustainably reshape cities public safety agendas. Such an infrastructure should include the following three components: a dedicated civilian office within the jurisdictions government; a regularized and in-depth process through which community leaders and representatives can participate in developing the jurisdictions public safety agenda and priorities; and a budgetary mechanism that gives the community direct control over the redirected investments.

City governments can help ensure that community-driven safety agendas receive the long-term political and financial support necessary to succeed by embedding nonpunitive safety solutions into the fabric of local government. Importantly, local leaders should avoid housing community-driven interventions within city agencies that have engendered distrust among residents or within public institutions that are not equipped to take on these roles. Instead, they should consider creating a new civilian-led office within the city government that is specifically designed to administer community-driven public safety priorities.

Richmond, California, provides a powerful example of the city governments role in advancing sustainable and effective community safety strategies. In 2007, Richmond launched the nations first Office of Neighborhood Safety (ONS), a civilian office focused on preventing violence and strengthening community well-being and safety. When the office was established, the city of Richmonds homicide rate was eight times higher than the national average. Ten years later, in 2017, the homicide rate had dropped by 80 percent. Unlike a police department or other traditional public safety agencies, an ONS is not part of the criminal justice system. Instead, it is intentionally housed within city government and staffed by civilians, many of whom are members of the communities most affected by the criminal justice system. This structure allows the ONS and its staff to build and maintain trust with residents who may distrust law enforcement or other justice system practitioners. Establishing a permanent office devoted to community-safety strategies can also protect against political turnover or lapses in funding, which can undermine the longevity of interventions.

As localities begin to rethink the role of policing, elected officials should empower residents to reshape the citys approach to public safety. Local elected leaders should look beyond traditional community engagement approaches, which often consist of a one-off community meeting or a survey rather than a long-term strategy for partnering with residents. These approaches often fail to capture the perspectives of residents most affected by the justice system, including low-income communities and communities of color. Survey data show that Americans who have been impacted by the justice system are significantly less likely to trust government, which in turn can deter civic participation and engagement with government officials. I feel like theyre not interested in what I have to say, explained one survey respondent from Charlotte, North Carolina. Others echoed this sentiment, expressing the belief that public officials were not answerable to their concerns.

Instead, cities seeking to create a community-driven safety agenda should create a permanent pathway for residents to both participate in policymaking and hold elected officials accountable for outcomes. One model for strengthening and systematizing the communitys role in public safety policymaking is NeighborhoodStat, an initiative operated by the New York City Mayors Office of Neighborhood Safety. NeighborhoodStat is a joint problem-solving process that empowers residents of high-crime public housing developments to partner with city agencies to craft a public safety agenda that is grounded in the communitys needs. The model was first implemented in 2016 as part of the Mayors Action Plan for Neighborhood Safety (MAP), a multiagency initiative to channel community-building resources into the 15 housing developments that accounted for a disproportionate amount of violent crime. As part of the NeighborhoodStat process, teams of resident leaders work with their neighbors to develop a set of key priorities for strengthening safety in their housing development; these priorities can range from expanding youth employment opportunities to cleaning up a local playground to installing outdoor lighting on sidewalks. Residents then meet directly with leadership from dozens of city agencies and community-based service providers to share their communitys safety priorities and delve into solutions that are responsive to their needs. During NeighborhoodStat meetings, city agencies make concrete commitments to support community-driven solutions and are held accountable for delivering on these promises in a timely fashion. Today, NeighborhoodStat is known as the operational centerpiece of MAP, which has contributed to meaningful crime reductions in public housing developments. According to recent evaluation data, serious felonies have dropped by 7.5 percent in participating housing developments, compared with only 3.8 percent in other developments.

Another key element for creating a community-driven safety agenda is ensuring that residents have an active role in guiding the citys budget priorities. Budgets are often referred to as moral documents that offer a window into a jurisdictions values and priorities. Unfortunately, city budgets tend to reflect the values and priorities of elected officials and well-organized interest groups rather than those of residents and community-based organizations. The mismatch between a citys budget and the needs of its residents can stem from a lack of community engagement in the budgeting process. Such was the case in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where a coalition of local advocates known as the African-American Roundtable organized the LiberateMKE campaign for budget justice in 2019. When it came to Milwaukees budgeting process, There was no one in our city government that was really working to engage anyone, let alone grassroots organizations, explained MarkasaTucker, director of the African-American Roundtable and a driving force behind the launch of LiberateMKE. The campaign began with the realization that Milwaukees budget was unjust and inequitable in regards to residents needs, Tucker explained. The residents in the heart of Milwaukee were not a part of the budget.

LiberateMKEs fight for budget justice began during the summer of 2019, when the campaign askedpeopleacross Milwaukee what they wanted to see within their citys budget. The 1,100 survey responses revealed that residents favoredinvestmentsin community-based violence prevention efforts, sustainable jobs for young people, and affordable quality housing, rather than increased investments in policing. Campaign organizers hosted workshopsforresidentsto learn how to navigatethecitybudget process, equipping them with the tools to advocatefor investments that better reflected their needs.When it came time for the citys public budget hearings in October 2019, a record number of residents turned out to voice their opinions. Whereas resident attendance at budget hearings had traditionally been sparse, residents showed up in droves and gave more than 3 1/2 hours of testimony. This has probably been the most people that we have had show up to a community hearing on the budget, Milwaukee Common Council President Ashanti Hamilton commented during the hearing. According to Tucker, residents felt empowered enough to come and face the Common Council and the mayor to talk about what they wanted. The campaign ultimately convinced the Common Council to divert $900,000 from the police budget into community-driven priorities, including funding for emergency housing and summer youth employment programming. The savings were realized in part through the elimination of 60 full-time positions upon officers retirement, as well as a $300,000 reduction in the Milwaukee Police Departments vehicle replacement budget.

As the movement to rethink policing gains momentum, more and more cities are exploring ways to redirect resources away from traditional public safety approaches and reinvest in community-based safety. Shrinking the footprint of policing is a promising first step, but it must be paired with a concerted effort to build a city government that is responsive to community safety needs. Cities now have the opportunity to learn lessons from the shortcomings of the bipartisan Justice Reinvestment Initiative that has not realized its potential for reinvestment in impacted communities. To avoid the pitfalls of JRI, cities should reshape government infrastructure to foster meaningful partnerships with residents, make long-term investments in their priorities, and sustain their visions for community safety.

Ed Chung is the vice president for Criminal Justice Reform at the Center for American Progress. Betsy Pearl is an associate director for Criminal Justice Reform at the Center.

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How To Reinvest in Communities When Reducing the Scope of Policing - Center For American Progress

Neurons are genetically programmed to have long lives – UC Riverside

Posted on July 30, 2020 by Prof Baldwin

When our neurons the principalcells of the brain die, so do we.

Most neurons are created during embryonic development and have no backup after birth.Researchers have generally believed that their survival is determined nearly extrinsically, or by outside forces, such as the tissues and cells that neurons supplywith nerve cells.

A research team led by Sika Zheng, a biomedical scientist at the University of California, Riverside, has challenged this notion and reports the continuous survival of neurons is also intrinsically programmed during development.

The study, published in the journal Neuron, identifies a mechanism the researchers say is triggered at neuron birth to intrinsically decrease a general form of cell death or apoptosis specifically in neurons. When this genetic regulation is stopped, continuous neuronal survival is disrupted and leads to the death of the animal.

An organisms survival, brain function, and fitness are dependent upon the survival of its neurons. In higher organisms, neurons control breathing, feeding, sensation, motion, memory, emotion, and cognition. They can die of many unnatural causes, such as neurodegenerative diseases, injury, infection, and trauma. Neurons are long-lived cells, but the genetic controls that enable their longevity are unknown.

Zhengs team now reports the central piece of the mechanism involved is a small piece of genetic sequence in Bak1, a pro-apoptotic gene whose activation leads to apoptosis. Bak1 expression is turned off when this small piece of genetic sequence, termed microexon, is spliced in the final Bak1 gene product. Exons are sequences that make up messenger RNA.

Apoptosis is a pathway that controls cell turnover and tissue homeostasis in all metazoans, explained Zheng, an associate professor of biomedical sciences. Most non-neural cells readily engage in apoptosis in response to intrinsic and extrinsic stress. But this cellular suicidal program needs to be reined in for neurons so that they live for many years. We now show how genetic attenuation of neuronal apoptosis takes place.

Zhengs team identified the Bak1 microexon through a large-scale analysis of expression data from human tissues, mouse tissues, human developing brains, mouse developing forebrains, and mouse developing midbrains. The team first compared neural tissues with non-neural tissues in both humans and mice to identify neural-specific exons. Then, they found cortical neurons reduce their sensitivity to apoptosis as early as neuron birth. They also found apoptosis is gradually reduced during neuronal development before neurons make connections or innervate other cells, suggesting factors other than extrinsic signals can play a role.

We show neurons transform how they regulate cell death during development, Zheng said. This is to ensure neuronal longevity, which is needed to maintain the integrity of neural circuits for brain functions.

Next, Zhengs team will study whether the identified mechanism is activated in neurodegenerative diseases and injury that cause neuronal cell death.

Zheng was joined in the research by Lin Lin and Min Zhang at UCR; Peter Stoilov at West Virginia University; and Liang Chen at the University of Southern California.

This work was supported by National Institutes of Health grants MH116220, NS104041, GM137428, and EY025536.

The research paper is titled Developmental attenuation of neuronal apoptosis by neural specific splicing of Bak1 microexon.

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Neurons are genetically programmed to have long lives - UC Riverside

Opinion: The secrets behind longevity HS Insider – Los Angeles Times

Posted on July 25, 2020 by Prof Baldwin

Throughout history, longevity and eternal life have been the ultimate goal of humanity. From the king of the ancient Chinese Qin dynasty to the European alchemists during the medieval age, countless people have devoted their lives to unveil the secrets of immortality.

Although none of such efforts have been proven to grant eternal life, nowadays, modern scientists succeeded to elongate the lifespan of simple organisms, such as worms and flies, by a considerable amount with meticulous manipulation of our genes. Among many of those studies, there have been three main methods that held their significance even in the human body.

Enzyme regulation

Most notably, the Scripps Research team discovered that the disruption of enzymatic pathways by small molecules can affect the lifespan of an organism. The team used Caenorhabditis elegans, a type of a roundworm, to test their hypothesis.

According to Benjamin Cravatt, Gilula Chair of Chemical Biology at Scripps Research, C.elegans worms were used for their experiment due to their relatively short lifespans (typically lives only a few weeks). Cravatts research involved about 100 compounds that were known to inhibit serine hydrolases in mammals.

In his experiment, Cravatt used each of the 100 molecules to block the enzymatic pathway and observed their effects on the lifespan of the C.elegans. When the team treated the worms that were 1 day into adulthood with the inhibiting compounds, they found that some of the compounds extended the average lifespan of the worm by at least 15%, according to Alice Chen, a graduate student in the Cravatt lab.

Chen elaborated that among the compounds, a carbamate compound called JZL 184, even extended the lifespan by 45% when treated at the optimal dose. Through further analysis, the team concluded that JZL 184 extended the worms lifespan by inhibiting fatty acid amide hydrolase 4(FAAH-4), which is known to break down a molecule called 2-AG, a molecule linked to aging in mammals.

Whats fascinating about this finding is that monoacylglycerol lipase was not present in C.elegans worms. MAGL usually breaks down the 2-AG molecules in mammals, but in the case of Chens experiment, FAAH-4 substituted the role of MAGL.

While the findings only apply to C.elegans worms as of now, the team stated that the FAAH-4 and 2-AG pathways will suggest a new path in extending human life.

Calorie Regulation

In addition, a research team led by David Sinclair, assistant professor of pathology at HMS, found that calorie regulation extends the lifespan of yeast cells. According to Sinclair, the PNC1 protein regulates a vitamin called nicotinamide, which is an inhibitor of the Sir2 molecule. Sinclair further hypothesized that since Sir2 typically extends the lifespan of yeast cells by stabilizing the ribosomal DNA, the regulation of nicotinamide, which is its inhibitor, will consequently prolong the organisms lifespan.

While the team believed that such a regulation process was initiated by the severe calorie restriction in yeast cells, they later discovered that calorie restriction had no impact on the Sir2 level. Thus, Sinclairs team tested the effect of the molecule NAD on PNC1 levels to confirm that NAD was responsible for altering the Sir2 level. It turned out: NAD had no effect on the PNC1 level.

Undeterred, with more in-depth analysis, the team finally reached the conclusion that nicotinamide, which is one of the products of the reaction between Sir2 and NAD, was responsible for the change in Sir2 level. Based on the correlation they found between Sir2 level and nicotinamide facilitated by calorie restriction, Sinclairs team is now investigating human genes that play the same role as PNC1, according to Harvard Medical School.

Mifepristone

Finally, the research team led by John Tower, professor of biological sciences at the University of Southern California, found that the drug mifepristone extends the lives of female flies that have mated.

Before the experiment, Tower had set a premise that the sex peptide in female flies from male flies reduces the lifespan of the female flies as it causes inflammation. In his study, he and his colleagues discovered that the drug mifepristone, also called RU-486, blocked the effects of the sex peptide during reproduction, which retained the female flies health and thus extended their lifespan.

What played the most significant role in the reaction was, according to Tower, a molecule called the Juvenile hormone.

According to Towers research team, the juvenile hormone is responsible for the growth and development of fruit flies throughout their life. The sex peptide, they elaborated, boosts the effect of the juvenile hormone, which causes harmful inflammation in the flies body and enervates the male flies by shifting the metabolic pathways.

Therefore, the inhibition of the sex peptide by mifepristone also regulates the level of juvenile hormone, consequently extending the lifespan of the flies. With their further testing of the drug on C.elegans, which has similar genes as those of humans, Tower suggested that their findings may be applicable to extending the lives of humans.

The life-extending technology is still in its burgeoning stage, as it only applies to simple organisms, such as worms and flies. However, while eternal life still seems improbable, humanity will proceed one step further to unveiling the secrets of longevity with scientists perpetual efforts.

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Opinion: The secrets behind longevity HS Insider - Los Angeles Times

Olivia de Havilland, Gone With the Wind actress and Hollywood royalty, dies at 104 – Mexico Ledger

Posted on July 26, 2020 by Prof Baldwin

Olivia de Havilland, one of the last pillars of Hollywood royalty and a contemporary of Bette Davis and Errol Flynn, died "peacefully from natural causes" Sunday at the age of 104, talent agent Jim Wilhelm told USA TODAY. Her death marks the passing of one of the last stars of classic films of the 1930s, an actress before her time in the fight for equality, and an icon who took on the studio system and won.

Best known for her sweet-natured role as Melanie Hamilton in "Gone With the Wind," the two-time Oscar winner (for 1946's "To Each His Own" and 1949's "The Heiress") will be remembered most for her beautiful diction, an air of refinement and gumption, and grace on and off camera. Outspoken and steely in real life, de Havilland starred in more than 50 films on the big and small screen from 1935 to 1988, and was known as a staunch advocate for actors rights and creative freedom in Hollywood.

Bound by the grip Warner Bros. held on her career, the 27-year-old star sued the studio in 1943, prompting a collapse of oppressive long-term contracts in Hollywood. And in the latter years of her life, the British-American actress reminded she was no pushover, making headlines by filing a lawsuit in Los Angeles over being portrayed as a gossip monger in Ryan Murphys FX show "Feud: Bette and Joan," which chronicled the longtime rivalry between actresses Davis and Joan Crawford.

She was born Olivia Mary de Havilland in 1916 in Tokyo, where her father Walter Augustus de Havilland taught English at the Imperial University and then became a patent attorney. Her mother Lilian Augusta Ruse was a stage actress educated at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, but she left her career to move to Japan with her husband.

On a family trip to California in 1919, Olivia became ill with a bronchial condition and her younger sister Joan (later to become the actress Joan Fontaine) developed pneumonia. Lilian decided to remain in California with Joan and Olivia for her daughters health. They settled in Saratoga, a suburb of San Francisco, while her father abandoned the family and returned to Japan. De Havillands mother divorced in 1925 and married George Fontaine, a strict stepfather the girls resented.

Fontaine died in 2013 at age 96. De Havilland's death was also preceded by son Benjamin Goodrich in 1991. She is survived by her daughter, Gisele Galante Chulack, son-in-law Andrew Chulack and niece Deborah Dozier Potter. Funeral arrangements will be private, Wilhelm said.

After making her Hollywood debut in a version of Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream," de Havilland - named for the Bard's "Twelfth Night" character Olivia - made an early mark opposite Flynn. In 1934, she had signed a contract with Warner Bros., who decided to pair her with the then-unknown Australian They starred a year later in "Captain Blood," a swashbuckling hit that made the two of them bonafide stars, and they made seven more movies as one of Hollywoods most memorable on-screen romantic pairings. She played Maid Marian to Flynn's title rogue in "The Adventures of Robin Hood" in 1938, and they last appeared together in 1941s "They Died With Their Boots On."

With David O. Selznicks 1939 Civil War epic "Gone With the Wind," de Havilland said at the time that having read the Margaret Mitchell novel, she knew she could bring the character of Melanie to life, and the actress' soft voice and graceful manner made her the perfect fit for a pivotal role: Melanie's indelible goodness saved Scarlett OHara (Vivien Leigh) from social ruin more than once and even touched Scarletts hard heart. Though far less showy than Scarlett, de Havillands iconic role is deeply etched in audiences hearts.

The character earned de Havilland her first Oscar nomination, for best supporting actress, but she lost to her "Wind" co-star Hattie McDaniel. De Havilland's second nod came for 1941s "Hold Back the Dawn," where she shared the best actress category with her sister, who won for "Suspicion." De Havilland took home her own best actress Oscar five years later, for her performance in "To Each His Own," and they are still the only siblings ever to have won lead acting Academy Awards.

But de Havilland and Fontaine fostered a heated competitiveness that lasted all their lives, from childhood to stardom. That rivalry rumored to have escalated into a feud where the two didnt speak was the subject of Hollywood gossip for decades.

In 2016, three years after her sister's death, de Havilland finally broke her silence on their relationship to the Associated Press: "A feud implies continuing hostile conduct between two parties. I cannot think of a single instance wherein I initiated hostile behavior." However, she added, "I can think of many occasions where my reaction to deliberately inconsiderate behavior was defensive.

In 1949, Fontaine put it differently, telling columnist Hedda Hopper: You see, in our family, Olivia was always the breadwinner, and I the no-talent, no-future little sister not good for much more than paying her share of the rent."

De Havilland referred to her sister as Dragon Lady.

"Dragon Lady, as I eventually decided to call her, was a brilliant, multi-talented person, but with an astigmatism in her perception of people and events, which often caused her to react in an unfair and even injurious way," de Havilland said in 2016.

De Havilland, who won her second best actress Oscar for "The Heiress," was also nominated for her performance in 1948s "The Snake Pit," one of the earliest films to feature a realistic portrayal of mental illness. That role also cemented her reputation for embracing flawed and unglamorous characters.

I believed in following Bette Davis example, she told the Los Angeles Times in 1988. She didn't care whether she looked good or bad. She just wanted to play complex, interesting, fascinating parts, a variety of human experience. I wanted Melanie to be just one of the images. Let's have a few others.

Being as well-received as she was both by the public and critically for her part in "Gone With the Wind," de Havilland longed for more substantial parts early in her career, particularly more serious ones than as Flynns demure leading lady, who was usually a damsel in distress. But Warner Bros. did not support her efforts. De Havilland grew increasingly frustrated by the lack of challenging roles and began to reject scripts.

While De Havilland wanted to pursue opportunities with other studios, Warner Bros. told her they added six months more to her seven-year contract for times she had been on suspension. (Legally, studios could suspend contract players for rejecting a role, then add that time to the contract period.)

At the urging of her lawyer, she sued Warner Bros., supported by the Screen Actors Guild. The case went to the Supreme Court of California and the court ruled in her favor in 1945. Known as the de Havilland Law, the landmark decision proved to be one of the most important and far-reaching legal rulings in Hollywood, reducing the power of the studios and giving greater creative freedom to actors.

Performers of that era and later benefited from her legal case, and the law won de Havilland much respect among her peers and colleagues. Fontaine was even quoted as saying Hollywood owes Olivia a great deal. But Warner Bros. circulated a punitive letter that essentially blacklisted de Havilland. She did not work for a film studio for two years until Paramount signed her in 1946.

"As soon as my victory was legally confirmed and I was free to choose the films that I made, Paramount presented me with the script of 'To Each His Own,' " playing an unwed teenage mother. This was exactly the kind of challenge for which I fought that case," she told the AP with pride in 2016.

In addition to championing actors rights, de Havilland was known for her liberal political stance. She organized a fight for control of the Independent Citizens Committee of the Arts, Sciences and Professions, which she felt was being manipulated by a small group of Communists. She failed and then resigned, triggering a wave of resignations, including that of an actor she had recruited to the group, Ronald Reagan. Even though she had very publicly worked to organize Hollywood resistance to Soviet influence, she was called to testify before the House Un-American Activities Committee in 1958 because of her vocal liberal activism.

On the personal front, de Havilland was romantically involved with Flynn, Jimmy Stewart, director John Huston and filmmaking mogul Howard Hughes, though Havilland eventually married Navy veteran and novelist Marcus Goodrich in 1946, before divorcing in 1953. They had one son, Benjamin, who died in 1991 after a battle with Hodgkins disease.

She wed French journalist Pierre Galante in 1955, moved to Paris, and had a daughter, Gisele. De Havilland's adjustment to Parisian life was recounted in her 1962 memoir "Every Frenchman Has One." The couple divorced in 1979.

De Havilland only appeared occasionally in films in the 1950s and turned down the role of Blanche Dubois (which won Leigh her second best actress Oscar) in 1951's "A Streetcar Named Desire." While some thought it had to do with the suggestive themes of the story, she said in 2006 that she declined the part because she had recently given birth to her son.

Her few film roles in the 60s included "Lady in a Cage" (1964) and "Hush Hush Sweet Charlotte" (1964). In 1965, she was the first woman to preside on a jury for the Cannes Film Festival.

De Havilland continued acting in films until the late 1970s and on television through the 1980s. She won a Golden Globe in 1987 and also earned an Emmy nomination for "Anastasia: The Mystery of Anna." And In 2009, she lent her distinctive voice to the narration of a documentary on Alzheimers disease entitled "I Remember Better When I Paint."

In her later years, she maintained perspective on her impressive longevity: All the artists I had known during the Golden Era (live) elsewhere, she said in 2016, including the after world.

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Olivia de Havilland, Gone With the Wind actress and Hollywood royalty, dies at 104 - Mexico Ledger

3 More COVID-19 Vaccines Move Toward Final Stage of Testing – Healthline

Posted on July 21, 2020 by Prof Baldwin

Three more COVID-19 investigational vaccines have been shown in early clinical trials to be generally safe and to induce an immune response in healthy volunteers.

The results of two of these studies were published online yesterday in The Lancet. One is a phase 1 and 2 trial by researchers at Oxford University with support from AstraZeneca. The other is a phase 2 trial by Chinese researchers supported by CanSino Biologics.

The third is a phase 1 and 2 study by U.S. pharmaceutical company Pfizer and German biotechnology company BioNTech. These results were published yesterday to the online preprint server medRxiv.org and have not yet been published in a peer-reviewed journal.

Deborah Fuller, PhD, a professor of microbiology at the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle, who was not involved in these studies, said the results are promising, but more research is needed.

Both groups saw the immune responses that they were hoping to see, she said, and the adverse effects werent severe enough to keep them from moving forward.

What those levels of immune responses mean, in terms of protection from SARS-CoV-2 [the coronavirus that causes COVID-19], were not going to learn until they do the phase 3 trials, she added.

The Oxford candidate vaccine induced an antibody immune response within 28 days after vaccination and a T-cell immune response within 14 days after vaccination.

These were still present 56 days after vaccination. Researchers will continue monitoring participants for at least 1 year to see how long the immune responses last.

Neutralizing antibodies at a level that could potentially neutralize the virus were detected in most people after one dose of the vaccine and in all who had a second booster dose 28 days after the first.

Only 10 people received the second dose.

Although neutralizing antibodies have been found in the plasma of people who have recovered from COVID-19, scientists dont yet know what level of antibodies will protect people against the new coronavirus.

However, Fuller says the induction of both kinds of immune responses specific for the new coronavirus is a good sign.

Theres increasing evidence to suggest that T-cell responses may play an important role in protection from SARS-CoV-2, she said.

Antibodies prime the immune system to target viruses and other invaders in the blood or lymphatic system. T cells are part of the cellular immune response and help the immune system attack infected cells.

T cells are like a backup plan, said Fuller. If you dont have sufficient antibodies to block the infection, T cells would come in and find infected cells, and eliminate them quickly.

The vaccine trial included 1,077 healthy adults aged 18 to 55 years from the United Kingdom. None of them had a history of infection with SARS-CoV-2. About half were female and over 90 percent were white.

Given the limited range of people included in the trial, its not clear how well the vaccine would perform in older adults, people with other health conditions, or ethnically and geographically diverse populations.

Mild or moderate side effects were fairly common among people given the vaccine, with fatigue or headache the most frequent. Other common side effects included pain at the injection site, muscle ache, chills, and high temperature.

Certain side effects were reduced in people who took a pain reliever before and for 24 hours after their vaccination. Side effects were also less common in people after the second dose of the vaccine.

Researchers have already begun phase 3 trials of the candidate vaccine in Brazil, South Africa, and the United Kingdom.

AstraZeneca says it has the capacity to produce 2 billion doses of the vaccine should it prove effective in later clinical trials, reports CNN.

There are 24 COVID-19 candidate vaccines in clinical trials around the world, with another 141 at earlier stages of development, according to the World Health Organization.

The phase 2 trial of the CanSino candidate vaccine showed that it was generally safe and induced an immune response.

The vaccine trial, conducted in Wuhan, China, included 508 healthy adults up to 83 years. People had not previously had COVID-19.

Researchers randomly assigned people to receive either a high or low dose of the candidate vaccine, or an inactive placebo.

Fewer people developed neutralizing antibodies than in the Oxford study 59 percent of the high-dose group and 47 percent of the low-dose group.

However, the candidate vaccine induced a T-cell response in 90 percent of the high-dose group and 88 percent of the low-dose group.

Both types of immune responses were present at 28 days.

This vaccine uses a weakened human common cold virus (adenovirus) to deliver the genetic code for the new coronavirus spike protein to the bodys cells.

The cells then produce the spike protein, which teaches the immune system to recognize that protein and fight the new coronavirus.

Fuller says many people in the world have already been exposed to the common cold virus, so they have some immune protection to it. This could interfere with the immune response generated by a vaccine that uses the adenovirus as a delivery system.

Chinese researchers saw this kind of blunted immune response in people who had pre-existing immunity to the adenovirus.

The Oxford vaccine also uses an adenovirus to deliver the new coronavirus genetic code, but it is a chimp adenovirus, so it should be less of a concern, says Fuller.

We havent been exposed to that adenovirus yet, she said, so it should have the potential to induce full immune responses.

The antibody response with the CanSino candidate vaccine was also lower in people 55 years or older. This is concerning because this age group is at higher risk of a severe form of COVID-19. Age did not affect the T-cell response.

Most adverse reactions for this candidate vaccine were mild or moderate. However, 9 percent of people in the high-dose group had a severe adverse reaction, with fever as the most common.

In an accompanying commentary published in The Lancet, Naor Bar-Zeev, PhD, and Dr. William J. Moss of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health wrote that the trials were broadly similar and promising, and the safety data reassuring.

However, Much remains unknown about these and other COVID-19 vaccines in development, they added, including longevity of response and [immune responses] in older adults or other specific groups, such as those with comorbidities who are often excluded from clinical trials, or ethnic or racial groups more severely affected by COVID-19.

Some of these answers will come from phase 3 clinical trials. In these larger studies, researchers will follow people who are vaccinated to see if they are exposed to the new coronavirus or develop COVID-19.

These studies, though, will need to include a more diverse group of volunteers.

Thats something that needs to be done in the next set of studies, to really look at whether or not youre going to be able to immunize these [other] populations, said Fuller of the Oxford vaccine. Or is this going to be a vaccine thats restricted to the healthy and the young?

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Progress in vaccine trials ‘promising’ – The Star Online

Posted on July 22, 2020 by Prof Baldwin

BEIJING: The phase-two clinical trial of the Covid-19 vaccine candidate created by the Academy of Military Medical Sciences and Chinese biotech company CanSino Biologics has found that it is safe and can induce an immune response, according to research published in The Lancet medical journal.

Also on Monday, the journal published the results of phase-one and phase-two clinical trials of a similar adenovirus vectored vaccine developed by scientists at Oxford University and biotech company AstraZeneca. That vaccine also demonstrated success in safety and potency against Covid-19.

Experts have called these results promising. However, pressing questions remain, such as the longevity of its protection, the appropriate dosage to trigger a strong immune response and whether there are host-specific differences such as age, sex or ethnicity.

These questions will be probed in larger scale phase-three trials.

An adenovirus vectored vaccine works by using a weakened common cold virus to introduce genetic material from the novel coronavirus into the human body.

This is to train the body to produce antibodies that recognise the coronavirus spike protein and fight it off.

In the phase-two trial of the Chinese vaccine, 508 people took part 253 of them receiving a high dose of the vaccine, 129 a low dose and 126 a placebo.

Ninety-five per cent of participants in the high-dose group and 91% in the low-dose group had either T-cell or antibody immune responses 28 days after receiving the vaccine.

T-cells can directly target and kill invading pathogens, making them a key part of the human immune response.

The authors emphasised, however, that no participants were exposed to the novel coronavirus after vaccination, so it is still too early to say whether the vaccine candidate can effectively protect against Covid-19 infection.

As for adverse reactions, fever, fatigue and injection-site pain were some of the noted side effects of the Chinese vaccine, though most of these reactions were mild or moderate.CanSino, the developer of the vaccine, is in talks on launching phase-three trials in several foreign countries, Qiu Dongxu, executive director and co-founder of CanSino, said at a conference on Saturday.

An accompanying editorial in The Lancet on the two latest vaccine studies called the results of the trials from China and the United Kingdom broadly similar and promising. China Daily/ANN

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Meet Moss, the detection dog helping Tassie devils find love – The Conversation AU

Posted on July 19, 2020 by Prof Baldwin

Moss bounds happily through the bush showing the usual exuberance of a young labrador. Despite this looking like play, he is on a serious mission to help fight the extinction of some of our most critically endangered species.

Moss is a detection dog in training. Unlike other detection dogs, who might sniff out drugs or explosives, hell be finding some of Victorias smallest, best camouflaged and most elusive animals.

Read more: Sit! Seek! Fly! Scientists train dogs to sniff out endangered insects

These dogs use their exceptional olfactory senses to locate everything from koalas high in the trees, desert tortoises burrowed deep under soil and even whales often more effectively than any human team could aspire to.

What makes Moss unique, however, is hell not only find endangered species in the wild, but will also be part of a larger team helping endangered species breed in captivity. These dogs will be the first in the world to do this, starting with a ground-breaking trial with Tasmanian devils.

Wildlife detection dogs are a very rare type of dog they are highly motivated, engaged and energetic, but also incredibly reliable and safe around the smallest of creatures.

And Moss is the first dog to join Zoos Victorias Detection Dog squad, a permanent group of highly trained dogs that will live at Healesville Sanctuary.

Read more: Is your dog happy? Ten common misconceptions about dog behaviour

Moss was adopted at 14 months old, after he somewhat failed at being a family pet. He is a hurricane of energy with an intelligent and playful mind. Hes thriving with a job to keep him occupied and new challenges for his busy brain.

One sign he was perfect for this program was his indifference to the free range chickens at his foster home. For obvious reasons, a dog who likes chasing chickens wouldnt be a good candidate for protecting some of Australias rarest feathered treasures.

Currently Moss is learning crucial foundational skills, and getting plenty of exposure to different environments. Equally important, he is developing a deep bond and trust with his handlers.

The detection dog-handler bond is crucial not only for his happiness, but also for working success and longevity. Research from 2018 found a strong bond between a handler and their dog dramatically improved the dogs detection results and reduced signs of stress.

Healesville Sanctuary breeds endangered Tasmanian Devils every year as part of an insurance program to support conservation and research. This program is crucial to help protect the devil following an estimated 80% decline in the wild due to a horrific transmissible cancer, Devil Facial Tumour Disease.

Read more: We developed tools to study cancer in Tasmanian devils. They could help fight disease in humans

But managing a predator thats shy, nocturnal and prefers to be left alone can be tricky.

Wildlife, including Tasmanian devils, need a hands-off approach where possible, so they can maintain natural behaviours and thrive in their environment.

In the wild, devils leave scats (faeces) at communal latrine sites and use scent for communication. Male devils can tell a female is ready to mate by smelling her scat. And we think dogs could be trained to detect this, too.

We aim to train dogs to detect an odour profile in the collected scat of female devils coming into their receptive (oestrus) periods, so we can introduce females and suitable males to breed at the optimal time. The odour profile will be further verified via laboratory analyses of hormones in the scats.

Read more: Koala-detecting dogs sniff out flaws in Australia's threatened species protection

The project will also explore whether dogs can detect pregnancy and lactation in the devils.

Currently, the best way to determine if a female has young is to look in her pouch, but our preference is to remain at a distance during this important time while females settle into being new mums.

If the dogs are able to smell a scat sample (while never coming into contact with the devil) and identify that a female is lactating with small joeys in her pouch, we can support her for example, by increasing her food while keeping a comfortable distance.

The results from this devil breeding research could offer innovative new options for endangered species breeding programs around the world.

Wildlife detection in the field means we can more accurately monitor some of our most critically endangered species, and quickly assess the impact of catastrophic events such as bushfires.

Read more: Curious kids: How far away can dogs smell and hear?

Detection dogs are the perfect intermediary between people and wildlife they can sniff out what we cant and communicate with us as a team.

And over the next few years, the Detection Dog Squad will expand to five full-time canines. They will all be selected based on their personalities rather than specific breeds, so will likely come in all shapes and sizes.

Dogs may yet go from being mans best friend to the devils best friend and beyond, all starting with a happy labrador named Moss.

This article is co-authored by Naomi Hodgens, Wildlife Detection Dog Officer at Zoos Victoria, and Dr Kim Miller, Life Sciences Manager, Conservation and Research, at Healesville Sanctuary, Zoos Victoria.

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Meet Moss, the detection dog helping Tassie devils find love - The Conversation AU

Will automation rule over human interaction thanks to the coronavirus? – BetaNews

Posted on July 20, 2020 by Prof Baldwin

Thanks to advancements in technology, the need for human interaction -- when you shop for groceries, book a taxi, order a takeaway or watch the latest blockbuster -- has gone from necessity to nice-to-have, with self-service checkouts, apps to order cabs and kebabs, and streaming services all examples of automation that have everyday use.

Despite its influence on consumer behaviors, one of the perceived downfalls of automation is the limit it has on the reliance for humans to carry out certain tasks and jobs. A debate that has, and will, rage on for quite some time. But, with the current coronavirus pandemic, will automation become more of a necessity as we come to terms with social distancing and what life might be like in the future? Here we look at the role automation could play in the fight against COVID-19 and beyond.

Will automation be best for business?

Cities and communities effectively turned into ghost towns in March when the World Health Organization reclassified coronavirus as a global pandemic. Tourist hotspots, restaurants, entertainment venues, and workplaces shut, with people instructed to stay at home.

In the UK, we saw the introduction of the job retention scheme to help ease the fears of businesses who were left to wonder how they would pay their staff and stay afloat. Originally set to last until July, the scheme has now been extended to October -- an indication that economic impacts of the virus will be felt for some time.

Its anyones guess as to whether businesses -- who rely on humans to come to work and carry out manual tasks -- will be able to survive in a post-coronavirus recession. Will it force company bigwigs to invest in automation to boost their chances of longevity and success?

A study carried out in April by auditing firm, EY, showed that almost half of bosses in 45 countries are speeding up plans to introduce automation, with the likes of Amazon and Ocado already using robots in customer fulfillment centers. A challenge that car manufacturers face is a reduction in available staff on their shop floors, which comes with health and safety concerns, and the need for new ecosystems to achieve efficient production. This may see a continued turn towards automation to aid the build of new vehicles.

Its almost inevitable that we will see an increase in automation across different industries, both during and after Covid-19. To what extent is unknown, but it could play a key role in the way we dine at restaurants, check-in to hotels, and everything else in-between.

Will we automate to help the environment?

With time more plentiful now, you may be asking yourself the question, "How has coronavirus helped the environment?". In the short-term its had a positive impact, with carbon emissions dramatically falling, creating cleaner air in the process.

You may have seen flamingos thriving off quieter roads and the cleaner air in Mumbai, and mountain goats making themselves at home in the streets of Llandundo. But, when this is all over, will our attitudes change, or will we just go back to traveling back-and-forward, pumping out carbon emissions and increasing our carbon footprint again?

If businesses are forced to look towards automation, will consumers look towards it when they choose their next car, for example? Choosing an electric vehicle over petrol or diesel means you wont need to visit the petrol station to fill up -- eliminating human interaction. Plus, youll reduce your carbon emissions to zero when driving. If you have worries over social distancing, knowing that you can e-charge your car at home -- with the right equipment -- it may sway you towards a greener lifestyle.

Year-to-date data for 2020 -- from the Society of Motor Manufacturers & Traders -- shows a 161 percent increase in the registration of fully-electric cars compared to 2019. Its a small increase, but it shows a potential shift towards a more environmentally friendly future, one that introduces an element of automation at the same time.

Manufacturers have already acknowledged this, with BMW, for example, being committed to having no less than 12 fully-electric models in their line-up over the next three-to-four years, with the German brand potentially offering an electric version of its popular 1 Series as early as 2021.

The fine balance between automation and interaction

Automation is likely to become more prominent in the coming weeks, months, and years, but striking the right balance between automation and human interaction could be key in the short-term if economies are to bounce back and communities to thrive like they did before this turned ugly.

Photo Credit: Wright Studio/Shutterstock

Thomas Bradley is a content writer at Lookers BMW.

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It’s One Of This Year’s Best Health Care ETFs And It Doesn’t Own Any Moderna – Benzinga

Posted on July 16, 2020 by Prof Baldwin

When it comes to health care exchange-traded funds in 2020, it's a case of haves and have nots.

What To Know:The health care ETF haves are those with robust exposure to Moderna (NASDAQ: MRNA), or at the very least, hefty allocations to some of the other companies pacing the coronavirus vaccine competition.

In theory, the ARK Genomic Revolution ETF (CBOE:AKRG) is a health care ETF have not. As in the fund has no exposure to Moderna, but that's not preventing the actively managed ARKG from delivering a year-to-date gain of 66.41%.

Why It's Important:Outperformance is old hat for AKRG. Over the past three years, the ETF is up 164.7%. Looked at differently, the returns of the S&P 500 Health Care Index and the Nasdaq Biotechnology Index over that same period could be combined and then doubled and the result would be a percentage that still lags ARKG.

Of course, all of that is in the past, but the long-term outlook for genomics investing is bright.

Over the last five years, we have passed key inflection points in the ability to access, manipulate, and understand the molecular building blocks of the human body, writes ARK Director of Research Brett Winton in a recent paper. The genomic age of medicine promises profound ramifications for human health and for the companies involved, among them: (i) tool providers that enable basic research, sharpen the precision of diagnostics, and guide personalized medicine; (ii) diagnostic platforms deploying data that informs the treatment of disease; (iii) and other companies deploying technology and data to create next-generation treatments and cures, increasing returns on therapeutic research and development for the first time in 20 years.

As noted above, in 2020, it's easy for investors to be seduced by health care ETFs highly levered to COVID-19 vaccines, but there's more to the ARKG story and that story extends beyond the time when the virus is a thing of the past.

ARK Invest estimates that by 2024 therapeutic pipelines and tool providers should generate hundreds of billions of dollars in the new revenue and trillions in new market capitalizations as they transition to the genomic age, notes Winton.

What's Next?There are several genomics sub-segments represented in ARKG, but one of the more compelling is Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR). CRISPR is a cornerstone of the livable drugs market.

The addressable market for living drugs in oncology could exceed $200 billion annually as they impact more types of cancer at earlier stages than historically has been the case. Enabled by gene-editing, the applications could extend well beyond oncology, impacting the longevity of human life materially, according to ARK.

Good news: CRISPR Therapeutics (NASDAQ: CRSP) is ARKG's second-largest holding at a weight of 11.28%. That stock is up almost 88% over the past 90 days.

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It's One Of This Year's Best Health Care ETFs And It Doesn't Own Any Moderna - Benzinga

Study of Over 1 Million People Finds Intriguing Link Between Iron Levels And Lifespan – ScienceAlert

Posted on July 17, 2020 by Prof Baldwin

A massive new study has found evidence that blood iron levels could play a role in influencing how long you live.

It's always important to take longevity studies with a big grain of salt, but the new research is impressive in its breadth, covering genetic information from well over 1 million people across three public databases. It also focused on three key measures of ageing: lifespan, years lived free of disease (referred to as healthspan), and making it to an extremely old age (AKA longevity).

Throughout the analysis, 10 key regions of the genome were shown to be related to these measures of long life, as were gene sets linked to how the body metabolises iron.

Put simply, having too much iron in the blood appeared to be linked to an increased risk of dying earlier.

"We are very excited by these findings as they strongly suggest that high levels of iron in the blood reduces our healthy years of life, and keeping these levels in check could prevent age-related damage," says data analyst Paul Timmers, from the University of Edinburgh in the UK.

"We speculate that our findings on iron metabolism might also start to explain why very high levels of iron-rich red meat in the diet has been linked to age-related conditions such as heart disease."

While correlation doesn't necessarily mean causation, the researchers used a statistical technique called Mendelian randomisation to reduce bias and attempt to infer causation in the data.

As the researchers note, genetics are thought to have around a 10 percent influence on lifespan and healthspan, and that can make it difficult to pick out the genes involved from all the other factors involved (like your smoking or drinking habits). With that in mind, one of the advantages of this new study is its sheer size and scope.

Five of the genetic markers the researchers found had not previously been highlighted as significant at the genome-wide level. Some, including APOE and FOXO3, have been singled out in the past as being important to the ageing process and human health.

"It is clear from the association of age-related diseases and the well-known ageing loci APOE and FOXO3 that we are capturing the human ageing process to some extent," write the researchers in their published paper.

While we're still in the early stages for investigating this association with iron metabolism, further down the line we could see the development of drugs designed to lower the levels of iron in the blood - which could potentially add extra years to our lives.

Besides genetics, blood iron is mostly controlled by diet and has already been linked to a number of age-related diseases, including Parkinson's and liver disease. It also affects our body's ability to fight off infection as we get older.

We can add this latest study to the growing evidence that 'iron overload', or not being able to break it down properly, can have an influence on how long we're likely to live, as well as how healthy we're likely to be in our later years.

"Our ultimate aim is to discover how ageing is regulated and find ways to increase health during ageing," says Joris Deelenwho studies the biology of ageing at the Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing in Germany.

"The 10 regions of the genome we have discovered that are linked to lifespan, healthspan, and longevity are all exciting candidates for further studies."

The research has been published in Nature Communications.

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Study of Over 1 Million People Finds Intriguing Link Between Iron Levels And Lifespan - ScienceAlert

When it comes to longevity, any exercise is good exercise – ASU Now

Posted on July 14, 2020 by Prof Baldwin

July 14, 2020

We all know that exercise benefits us physically, but ripped abs and a healthy heart arent the only advantages to hitting the gym. The sense of camaraderie, structure and accomplishment we get from physical activity all speak to its myriad social benefits.

But with everyone at more than arms-length these days, the social aspect of exercise is what many of us have been missing most its also what Connor Sheehan is most interested in.

An assistant professor at ASUs T. Denny Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics, Sheehan was curious to know which, if any, of the more socially oriented exercises, such as team sports, contribute to longevity.

In a paper co-authored with family and human development graduate student Longfeng Li and recently published in the journal Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, the researchers found that any exercise is beneficial, but stretching, volleyball and fitness exercises (i.e., walking, aerobics, cycling, etc.) in particular were associated with lower rates of mortality.

Connor Sheehan

It's one of the most replicated scientific facts that exercise is good for humans and helps us live longer, Sheehan said. And a lot of research has been focused on the physiological benefits. But I'm a sociologist, so I think that exercise also benefits us sociologically by giving us other things that humans need, like social contact. And of course, America is a really diverse society where people do a bunch of different exercises. So we wanted to see how those exercises stacked up against each other and which exercises led to longer life spans.

In their study, which was funded by a grant from ASUs Global Sport Institute, Sheehan and Li used data collected by the National Health Interview Survey of 26,727 American adults ages 18 to 84 to examine the effect of 15 different exercises on mortality rates. The survey participants were asked once in 1998 what type of exercise they engaged in, then followed for all-cause mortality through the end of 2015.

During 17 years of follow-up, 4,955 deaths occurred. After adjusting for such factors as demographics, socioeconomic status and health behaviors, researchers found that walking, aerobics, stretching, weight lifting and stair climbing were related to lower risks of mortality. When adjusting for engagement in all exercise types, stretching and volleyball were found to be uniquely associated with lower risks of mortality.

Their findings suggest that some types of exercise have unique benefits for longevity, but most are indistinguishable in relation to longevity.

What that means, Sheehan said, is that if you're doing any exercise, that's better than if youre doing nothing. So I think what's best is to just keep doing what you can consistently do, what you consistently enjoy doing. I wouldn't go out of your way to adjust your lifestyle to the results of this study, because it might be harder for you to stretch than to play volleyball, for instance.

One exercise they found to have a negative effect on longevity was baseball, which they presume is due to the culture of chewing tobacco associated with the sport. And surprisingly, in spite of its association with the neurodegenerative disease chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), they did not find that football was associated with increased mortality.

In addition, Sheehan and Li found that the benefits of exercise did not vary across different types of social groups, meaning any type of exercise is good for everyone.

Figure 1. Adjusted mortality odds ratio for individuals who did the exercise compared with individuals who did not do the exercise. Note: Individual types or individual categories of exercise were examined separately in Figure 1A; all types or all categories of exercise were examined together in Figure 1B. All models controlled for demographic information, socioeconomic measures and health behaviors and status. Models in Figure 1A additionally controlled for total volume of other exercises (MET-hours per week excluding the volume of the type or category of exercise that was included in the corresponding model). Courtesy of Connor Sheehan

You can promote any type of exercise and everyone gets equal benefit, Sheehan said. So exercise and engagement in sports should be foundational in promoting population health.

However, he was hesitant to state whether the studys findings support an argument for a return to in-person, community and professional sports.

You have to balance the physical risk of getting a disease that can permanently alter the health of young people with the social benefits they would be getting from team sports, he said. It's tricky.

One exercise Sheehan and Li were unable to measure that was less popular in 1998 but has quickly become a virtual favorite during quarantine is yoga.

Yoga is so good for times like these because you don't need much space, you don't need much equipment and it's good for mental health, he said.

And while it might be hard to play volleyball or basketball on Zoom, Sheehan said that whatever helps you do any exercise so that you're getting physiological and social benefits is best.

If what was driving you to go to yoga was that you were doing it with your friend, and you can now do YouTube yoga over Zoom, thats going to help bring back the social benefits with the physiological benefits, he said.

Sheehan, who has conducted research on sleep in the past, is interested in expanding on these most recent findings to see how different types of exercise affect sleep quality.

Top photo: Members of the ASU Sun Devils Womens Volleyball team on the final night of the Puerto Rico Clsico in 2018. Photo courtesy Sun Devil Athletics

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When it comes to longevity, any exercise is good exercise - ASU Now

Men Are Living Longer Than Ever. A New Age of Life Comes With New Responsibilities. – Barron’s

Posted on July 15, 2020 by Prof Baldwin

Even in the time of Covid-19, we are in the midst of a longevity revolution, living longer than ever before. Throughout 99% of human history, the average life expectancy at birth was less than 18. There have always been some 40-, 60- and even 80-year-olds, but not very many. Then, during the 19th and 20th centuries, with incredible breakthroughs in public health, antibiotics, refrigeration, pharmaceuticals, and self-care, more and more people started living longer and longer. The average life expectancy in the U.S. at birth has jumped from 35 at the time of the signing of our Declaration of Independence to 78.7 today. And due to anticipated medical breakthroughs in the next 10 years, many kids born this year will see their 150th birthdays. Already, two-thirds of all the people who ever have lived past 65 are alive today, according to research commissioned by my firm.

However, most of the way we have organized the worldand think about our livesis focused on youth. The chair youre sitting on probably was designed for the body of a young person. The wattage and brightness of many lights you use and stairs you climb are geared for the eyes and hips of the young. Even the auditory range programmed into many computers and cellphones is geared to youthful ears. When are we old? Average life expectancy was only about 45 when Germanys Otto von Bismarck, in the late 19th century, introduced the modern idea of retirement, which was set at 70. Similarly, the key roles of fathers emerged over the centuries before widespread longevity, and they principally had to do with procreating, providing, and protecting. Today, if were going to spend five, six, seven, or more decades being fathers, new roles and role models are needed.

Since Fathers Day, which like so many during this pandemic I celebrated Zoom-style with my adult children, Ive been thinking a lot about the purpose of fatherhood in this new age of aging. Im a gerontologist, psychologist, and author who has spent more than 40 years studying the longevity revolution. Ive also just turned 70. My wife and I have two fabulous kids. Our daughter Casey is 33 and lives in Los Angeles, while our son Zak is 30 and shuttles back and forth between Brooklyn and China. They are colorful, global, open-minded, and accomplished, but my wife and I dont feel as though our parenting days are done. Were not alone: Weve got friends 10 and 20 years older than us who are still involved in loving, supporting, nurturing, protectingparentingtheir children.

Due to rising longevity, we have a lot more time to be dads, far beyond procreating and child-rearing. With our longevity and our kids longevity, we have many roles to play throughout their life. Many of us will get to guide our children through childhood, young adulthood, adulthood, middlescence, even maturity. Many senior citizens today have kids who also are senior citizens.

In response to elevating longevity, a new stage of life has been emerging, the third agea concept borrowed from the European tradition of adult education.

In lifes first age, from birth to approximately 30, the primary tasks of men center on biological development, learning, partnering, and procreating. During the early years of human history, not that many people lived beyond the end of the first age. So, the thrust of society was oriented toward these most basic drives.

In the second age, from about 30 to 60, the concerns of adult life focus on the formation of family, child-rearing, and productive work.

However, a new era is unfolding, the third age, bringing new freedoms, challenges, and purposes to our roles in maturity, including fatherhood. First, with the children grown and many of lifes basic adult tasks well under way or accomplished, this less pressured, more reflective period allows further development of emotional maturity, wisdom, and ones personal sense of purpose. The third age has another appealing dimension: plenty of free time and opportunity to try new things and to contribute to society. In the next 20 years, Boomer third-agers will have 2 trillion hours of leisure time to fill.

However, last year, the average American retiree watched 49 hours of television a week. If we cut a few hours off that and gave more of ourselves to our community, everyone might be better off. The historically unique combination of longevity, time affluence, and wisdom produces the potential for elders to be seen not as social outcasts, but as a living bridge between yesterday, today, and tomorrowa critical role no other age group can perform. As men and as fathers in this third age, we need to focus not on striving to not only be youthful, but rather on being useful as well.

In our third age, perhaps we can also think about being fathers not just to our own children and grandchildren, but also to other families. Especially during this high-anxiety period, they need us to sharenot hoardour life experience and perspectives as coaches, mentors, teachers, guides, and surrogate dads and granddads. We have the opportunity to reach out to people in other neighborhoods and even other parts of the globe. Its time for older men to catch up to the moms, wives, and sisters of the world to be our best, most generous selves and become societys elders and fathers to the future. Even when Covid-related restrictions keep us at home, technologies allow us to meaningfully connect with others.

In terms of reaching their potential as role models and leaders, older fathers today rate about a C-minus. Why? Because we have allowed so much social and economic injustice on our watch. Years ago, a group of moms created MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) to save children from intoxicated drivers. Since then, mothers have led many transformative efforts. What are todays dads fighting for?

When 17-year-old Greta Thunberg first spoke out about the climate change disaster, I, as a Boomer dad, felt she was talking directly to me and other men in my generation. How could we have left the planet in such a mess? After all, its our childrens and their childrens home. When George Floyds brother spoke about his brothers killing, I felt that, as a dad, he was also talking directly to me. How could we tolerate the kind of systemic racism thats left so many Americans oppressed and damaged for so long? Shame on us for allowing so much injustice and discordance on our watch.

As I look at the older men parading as our leaders and role models now, its not pride that I feel. Many of them exhibit a shameful version of manhood, fatherhood, and elderhood. Its not honest. Its not kind. Its definitely not generative.

And what about the future? How concerned are todays fathers? What Ive seen in my 45 years of working in gerontology is that most people imagine a future in which they are still alive; beyond that, they seem far less concerned. Thats both near-sighted and self-indulgent.

Last fall, I was speaking at a conference at which the actor Harrison Ford was on the program. He spoke passionately about climate change and how we needed to get all the young people of the world to plant trees. Everyone cheered. In a private meeting with him afterward, I explained: In the United States, there are 68 million retirees, and worldwide there are one billion. Nobodys really tasked them with anything. If you had just a fraction of retirees, lets say a hundred million older men and women, planting trees in whose shade theyd never sit, it would send a different kind of a message to the world, a message about investing in and caring for the world beyond ones own years on earth. Ford smiled and said: I had never thought of that.

We need to do a far better job of showing what it means to be a mankind, strong, caring, empathetic, loving, and continually course-correcting, learning, and growing up ourselves, even though were older. The time has come to use our longevity bonus yearsthe decades well have that previous generations didntto create a different model of manhood, elderhood, and fatherhood.

Ken Dychtwald, a husband, father, psychologist, and gerontologist, is CEO of Age Wave and author of 17 books. The latest, What Retirees Want: A Holistic View of Lifes Third Age, is being published by Wiley this month.

These Were the 15 Most-Read Singularity Hub Stories of 2020 – Singularity Hub

Posted on December 26, 2020 by Prof Baldwin

Most Saturdays we post a curated collection of our favorite articles from the week. But with the year nearing its end, this Saturday and next well curate 2020 as a whole. First up, well take a look at the years most-read articles from Singularity Hub, and then next week well post some of our favorite writing from around the web.

2020 was, of course, dominated by the pandemic, politics, and social change. No surprise, then, that Hub stories on those themes were some of our most-read. Still, despite it all, science and technology kept moving as a whole.

With concern about our planet growing every year, people were hungry for news on energy breakthroughs, including construction of a fusion power plant, new battery technologies, wireless electricity, and affordable electric cars. Meanwhile, the cold reaches of outer space remained hot as ever with a wild attempt to divert an asteroid and the latest estimate of how many Earth-like planets may lurk in our galaxy. We also wrote about a surprising test of the worlds biggest computer chip, AI that partly programs itself, and a bold prediction about Moores Law from the company that got it all started. Oh, and there was a guy in a jet suit gliding up a mountainside. Just for good measure.

The Trillion-Transistor Chip That Just Left a Supercomputer in the DustJason DorrierThe team said the CS-1 completed a simulation of combustion in a power plant roughly 200 times faster than it took the Joule 2.0 supercomputer to do a similar task. The CS-1 was actually faster-than-real-time. AsCerebrus wrote in a blog post, It can tell you what is going to happen in the future faster than the laws of physics produce the same result.i

The Worlds Space Agencies Are on a Quest to Deflect a (Harmless) AsteroidJason DorrierWhile the last killer space rock dropped out of the sky with no warning, we have a few tools the dinosaurs didnt. In addition to telescopes to chart potentially hazardous asteroids, we can visit and, theoretically, divert an asteroids course before it reaches us. Now, the worlds space agencies are teaming up to take planetary defense beyond theory.

QuantumScapes New Solid-State Battery Is Twice as Energy Dense as Lithium-IonEdd GentClaims of revolutionary new battery technologies are a dime a dozen these days, but none so far have come close to knocking lithium-ion off its perch. So when battery startup QuantumScape announced in September that it had cracked the Holy Grail of battery technologya solid-state lithium metal batteryit didnt generate much buzz. Now, though, the company has released performance resultsand people are starting to pay attention.

After Coronavirus the World Will Never Be the Same. But Maybe, It Can Be Better.Vanessa Bates RamirezWere making plans for what well do when things go back to normaland banking on that happening. But what if life never fully goes back to how it was pre-coronavirus? What if this epidemic is a turning point, and after it the world is never the same? More importantlyor, at least, more optimisticallywhat if the world could come out of this crisisbetter than it was before?

Watch a Jet Suit Pilot Glide Up a Mountain in a Test for Wilderness ParamedicsJason Dorrier[Richard] Browning [has since] dialed in his invention, and in addition to a barnstorming tour, his company, Gravity Industries, has begun exploring ways his jet suit could help people. Which explains why, not too long ago, youd have found Browning gliding up a mountainside to the aid of an injured hiker in Englands Lake District. It was a trial, in partnership with the Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS), to see if a personal jet suit might be a new tool for emergency responders in wilderness areas.

You Can Buy This Electric Car for $7,999 in CaliforniaVanessa Bates RamirezA tiny electric car that costs just $4,200 has been all the rage in China this year. The Wuling Hong Guang Mini EV generated over 15,000 orders within 20 days of its release in July, and added another 35,000 to that in August, beating out Chinese orders for Tesla Model 3s in the same period. Now another small, affordable Chinese electric car is set to make its debut on American roadsCalifornian roads, to be exact.

There Could Be 300 Million (or More) Earth-Like Planets in Our GalaxyJason DorrierThe first planets discovered outside our solar system were strange, unfamiliar worlds. These were giants like Jupiter, hotter than Venus, tearing around their suns inside the orbit of Mercury. Astronomers have since discovered planets where 10,000 mile-per-hour winds whip up metallic storm clouds that rain molten iron. The diversity of extremes is captivating, and also somewhat beside the point. What were really after are more Earths.

DeepMinds Newest AI Programs Itself to Make All the Right DecisionsJason DorrierAlphabets DeepMind is taking this automation further by developing deep learning algorithms that can handle programming tasks which have been, to date, the sole domain of the worlds top computer scientists (and take them years to write). The DeepMind team described a new deep reinforcement learning algorithm that was able to discover its own value functiona critical programming rule in deep reinforcement learningfrom scratch.

New Zealand Is About to Test Long-Range Wireless Power TransmissionJason DorrierAfamous image of inventor Nikola Tesla shows him casually sitting on a chair, legs crossed, taking notesoblivious to the profusion of artificial lightning rending the air meters away. By then, Tesla and raw electricity were like an old married couple. The experiments, conducted in Colorado, led to one of Teslas most audacious proposals: To power the world without wires.

Moores Law Lives: Intel Says Chips Will Pack 50 Times More TransistorsJason DorrierThereve been many predictions that Moores Law is, finally, ending. But, perhaps also predictably, the company whose founder coined Moores Law begs to differ. In akeynote presentationat this yearsHot Chips conference, Intels chief architect, Raja Koduri, laid out a roadmap to increase transistor densitythat is, the number of transistors you can fit on a chipby a factor of 50. We firmly believe there is a lot more transistor density to come, Koduri said. The vision will play out over timemaybe a decade or morebut it will play out.i

The Secret to a Long, Healthy Life Is in the Genes of the Oldest Humans AliveShelly FanThe key to human longevity, [a global team of scientists] say, lies in the genes of centenarians. These individuals not only live over 100 years, they also rarely suffer from common age-related diseases. That is, theyre healthy up to their last minute. If evolution was a scientist, then centenarians, and the rest of us, are two experimental groups in action. Nature has already given us a genetic blueprint for healthy longevity. We just need to decode it.

6G Will Be 100 Times Faster Than 5Gand Now Theres a Chip for ItVanessa Bates RamirezThough 5Ga next-generation speed upgrade to wireless networksis scarcely up and running (and still nonexistent in many places) researchers are already working on what comes next. It lacks an official name, but theyre calling it 6G for the sake of simplicity (and hey, its tradition). 6G promises to be up to 100 times faster than 5Gfast enough to download 142 hours of Netflix in a secondbut researchers are still trying to figure out exactly how to make such ultra-speedy connections happen.

16 Ways Coronavirus May Change the Way We Look at the WorldCarin IsmThe present situation offers a choice. Either we try to piece the world back together as it was before this catastrophic occurrence, or we can use this shared event as the founding moment of a unifying global narrative. One acknowledging that underneath our badges of belonging we are all vulnerable bodies, very much dependent on each other and on systems of governance.

Construction of the Worlds Biggest Nuclear Fusion Plant Just Started in FranceEdd Gent[Nuclear fusion] produces dramatically more energy than the process of fission that weve already mastered and doesnt produce long-lived radioactive waste. It also doesnt rely on radioactive elements like uranium and plutonium for fuel, instead using abundant isotopes of hydrogen called deuterium and tritium. The only catch is that trying to contain a nuclear fusion reaction is like trying to keep the sun in a box.

The International Space Station Is Ailing. Its Replacement Will Shape the Future of Space ExplorationEdd GentHumans have now had acontinuouspresence in space for20 years thanks to the International Space Station (ISS), but the facility is unlikely to survive into the next decade.What comes nextcould shape the future of space exploration.

Image Credit:Big Dodzy / Unsplash

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Mesenchymal Stem Cells Market is Awaited to Grow at a high CAGR over the forecast period 2020 and 2026 – 3rd Watch News

Posted on July 10, 2020 by Prof Baldwin

The global Mesenchymal Stem Cells Market analysis provides pioneering landscape of market along with market augmentation history and key development involved in the industry. The report also features comprehensive research study for high growth potential industries professional survey with market analysis. Mesenchymal Stem Cells Market report helps the companies to understand the market trends and future market prospective,opportunities and articulate the critical business strategies.

Request PDF Research Report Brochure @ https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/request-pdf/720

Note: *The Download PDF brochure only consist of Table of Content, Research Framework, and Research Methodology.

The report incorporates an estimated impact of strict standards and regulations set by the government over the market in the upcoming years. The market report also comprises exhaustive research done using several analytical tools such as SWOT analysis to identify the market growth pattern.

Major Players Are:Pluristem Therapeutics, LonzaThermo, Fisher, ATCC, Bio-Techne, MilliporeSigma, Genlantis, Celprogen, Cell Applications, PromoCell GmbH, Cyagen Biosciences, Human Longevity Inc., Axol Bioscience, Cytori Therapeutics, Eutilex Co.Ltd., ID Pharma Co. Ltd., BrainStrom Cell Therapeutics, Cytori Therapeutics Inc., Neovii Biotech, Angel Biotechnology, California Stem Cell Inc., Stemcelltechnologies Inc., and Celgene Corporation Inc.

Regions & Countries Mentioned In The Mesenchymal Stem Cells Market Report:

Key Highlights of the Table of Contents:

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The global Mesenchymal Stem Cells Market has been appearing as one of the most profit-making businesses in the globe. The market has been exhibiting considerable growth figures led by raw material affluence, increasing population, expanding regions, rapid elevating demand, and advanced technologies. The report is likely to be performed vigorously in the upcoming phase, analysts predicted after studying the market at a minute level.

Various analytical tools such as SWOT, Feasibility analysis, Porters Five Forces analysis, Value Chain analysis, and Capacity utilization analysis are implemented while evaluating the Mesenchymal Stem Cells Market which certainly helps a reader to get a deeper perception of the market and its participants. Additionally, it covers a cardinal evaluation of market history, patterns, changing dynamics, market and manufacturing trends, demand and supply activities, and technological development.

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About Coherent Market Insights

Coherent Market Insights is a prominent market research and consulting firm offering action-ready syndicated research reports, custom market analysis, consulting services, and competitive analysis through various recommendations related to emerging market trends, technologies, and potential absolute dollar opportunity.

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Mesenchymal Stem Cells Market is Awaited to Grow at a high CAGR over the forecast period 2020 and 2026 - 3rd Watch News

Ascending Demand for Cellular Reprogramming Tools to Propel the Growth of the Cellular Reprogramming Tools Market Between 2020-2030 – Jewish Life News

Posted on July 10, 2020 by Prof Baldwin

A new intelligence report Cellular Reprogramming Tools Market has been recently Added to Cellular Reprogramming Tools Market Research set of top-line market research reports. Global Cellular Reprogramming Tools Market report is a meticulous comprehensive analysis of the marketplace which offers access to direct first-hand insights on the growth path of market at near term and long term. On the grounds of factual information sourced from authentic industry pros and extensive main business study, the report provides insights about the historical growth pattern of Cellular Reprogramming Tools Market and current market scenario. It then provides brief and long-term market growth projections.

Projections are purely based on the detailed analysis of key Market dynamics which are expected to influence Cellular Reprogramming Tools Market performance and also their intensity of influencing market growth over the course of assessment interval.

Request Sample Report @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.co/reports/sample/REP-GB-11499

Along with evaluation of dynamics, the report provides In-depth examination of key business trends that are expected to behave more prominently in global Cellular Reprogramming Tools Market. The study also provides valued information about the existing and upcoming growth opportunities in Cellular Reprogramming Tools Market that the key players and new market entrants can capitalize on.

Competitive Businesses And Manufacturers in global market

Key Players

Some examples of key participants operating at the global level include Celgene Corporation, BIOTIME, INC., Human Longevity Inc., Advanced Cell Technology Inc, Mesoblast, STEMCELL Technologies Inc., Osiris Therapeutics Inc., Cynata, Astellas Pharma Inc., FUJIFILM Holdings Corporation, EVOTEC, Japan Tissue Engineering Co., Ltd and some others.

The research report on cellular reprogramming tools market presents a comprehensive assessment of the market and contains thoughtful insights, facts, historical data, and statistically supported and industry-validated market data. It also contains projections using a suitable set of assumptions and methodologies. The research report on cellular reprogramming tools market provides analysis and information according to market segments such as geographies, application, and industry.

The report covers exhaust analysis on Cellular Reprogramming tools market:

Report on Cellular Reprogramming tools market includes regional analysis:

The report on cellular reprogramming tools market is a compilation of first-hand information, qualitative and quantitative assessment by industry analysts, inputs from industry experts and industry participants across the value chain. The report provides in-depth analysis of parent market trends, macro-economic indicators and governing factors along with market attractiveness as per segments. The report also maps the qualitative impact of various market factors on market segments and geographies.

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Opportunity assessment Provided in this Cellular Reprogramming Tools Market report Is important in terms of understanding the profitable areas of investment, which are the technical insights for major market players, suppliers, distributors, and other stakeholders in Cellular Reprogramming Tools Market.

In-depth global Cellular Reprogramming Tools Market taxonomy presented in this Report offers detailed insights about each of the market segments and their sub-segments, which can be categorized based on par various parameters. An exhaustive regional evaluation of international Cellular Reprogramming Tools Market breaks down international market landscape into key geographies.

Regional prognosis and country-wise evaluation of Cellular Reprogramming Tools Market Allows for the evaluation of multi-faceted performance of market in all of the crucial markets. This information intends to offer a wider scope of report to readers and identify the most applicable profitable areas in global market place.

Key Areas and Countries Covered in Global Cellular Reprogramming Tools Market Report-

Taxonomy and geographical analysis of the international Cellular Reprogramming Tools Market enables readers to see profits in existing chances and catch upcoming growth opportunities even before they approach the market location. The analysis offered in report is purely meant to unroll the economic, societal, regulatory and political situations of this marketplace specific to each area and nation, which might help prospective market entrants in Cellular Reprogramming Tools Market landscape to comprehend the nitty-gritty of target market regions and invent their strategies accordingly.

We offer tailor-made solutions to fit your requirements, request[emailprotected] https://www.futuremarketinsights.co/customization-available/REP-GB-11499

Table of Contents Covered In this Market Report Are:

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Ascending Demand for Cellular Reprogramming Tools to Propel the Growth of the Cellular Reprogramming Tools Market Between 2020-2030 - Jewish Life News

Form Meets Function: Smart Apparel and the Prosumer Markets – SportTechie

Posted on August 14, 2020 by Prof Baldwin

Smart apparel is poised to shake up the $30 billion health and fitness industryand, potentially, carve out a lucrative new market. And while the category is exploding, it remains a tough product type to get right.

Join us Wednesday, Aug. 12at 12:30 p.m. ETas we examine this rapidly growing segment of the sports tech industry.

All registrants will receive a link to watch the recording once the session concludes.

The lineup of speakers includes:

* * * * *

Human Performance: Next Level Body& Mind

Bigger. Stronger. Faster. More resilient. Athletes are constantly pushing the boundaries of whats possible, mesmerizing us not just with their exploits but also their longevity. Human sweat will always rewrite the record books, but technology is now collecting troves of data that can give athletes the best chance of success while allowing us to reverse-engineer how the elite keep evolving. From every conceivable angle, well explore whats new and next (and futuristic) when it comes to human performance on the fields of play and in everyday life. Sessions are free to attend.

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Form Meets Function: Smart Apparel and the Prosumer Markets - SportTechie

Imagine A Day Without The Arts??? – bctv.org

Posted on September 9, 2020 by Prof Baldwin

Every day, children, adults, seniors, veterans, schools, non-profits, businesses and government utilize varying art forms for entertainment, inspiration, education, therapeutically and healing. Not a day goes by that each of our own personal lives are not impacted by the arts. From listening to the radio, watching a favorite movie, dancing, crafting, playing an instrument to painting and more what would our day be without the arts???

The Arts Community has taken an active role in providing opportunities for individuals, families and communities to use art for healing, as a coping mechanism, as a tool for inspiration and to engage with social distancing. In addition, many artists (novice, amateur and professional) have turned to supporting our local health and human service organization with the creation of PPE equipment needed for their safety.

As our country begins to reopen, the reliance on arts, music, culture, entertainment and tourism will continue to see a high demand. With limited opportunities for artists and art organizations to seek financial support, many programs/services previously offered will no longer be available. A survey of Berks County arts organizations has shown that 80% of programs in 2020 have been cancelled or rescheduled and the 2021 season will be significantly impacted by financial constraints. Sadly, many of our local arts organizations will go into hibernation to rebuild for 2021 and 2022 and lean more heavily on volunteers as staff will be reduced. The loss of community and economic funds to our local community based on arts programs is well over $12 million for 2020.

To assist our local arts organizations and to keep the arts vibrant, Berks Arts has kicked off an Arts Relief Campaign to raise $300,000 in support of our arts organizations and local artists. Jim Landrigan, Treasurer of Berks Arts Board of Directors, shared that the Board has committed personally over $100,000 to the campaign. It is imperative that as a community we keep the arts strong, vibrant, accessible and available during this unprecedented time and beyond.

Keith Mooney, Berks Arts Board President, shared that the campaign has two focuses:

Since 1971, Berks Arts has been promoting and supporting the arts in Berks County. Started as an advocacy organization by a local group of artists who felt Berks County needed an agency to promote and unite all of the arts. We believe the arts improve the quality of life and are an important part of revitalization and economic growth.

We invite those who love the arts and cultural scene to join Berks Arts in addressing the urgent needs of the artists, creatives and art organizations in our community and ensuring the longevity of the arts and culture sector of Berks County. Gifts and pledges can be made on-line at http://www.berksarts.org or by calling 610-898-1930 ext. 28 to learn more about the campaign.

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