Falcon 9 rocket arrives on pad 39A for sunrise Starlink launch this weekend Spaceflight Now – Spaceflight Now

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A Falcon 9 rocket rolls out to pad 39A Thursday for the next launch of SpaceX Starlink satellites. Credit: Spaceflight Now

SpaceX plans to deploy the next group of Starlink internet relay spacecraft Sunday with a liftoff on top of a Falcon 9 rocket from NASAs Kennedy Space Center, the companys fourth satellite launch of the month.

The two-stage Falcon 9 launcher emerged from its hangar at the Florida spaceport Thursday and rolled up the ramp to pad 39A, where SpaceX will raise the 229-foot-tall (70-meter) rocket vertical for a test-firing as soon as Friday.

The hold-down firing of the rockets nine Merlin 1D main engines will last several seconds.

The test, which SpaceX calls a static fire, was part of every Falcon 9 launch campaign for nearly a decade. But SpaceX did not perform a static fire before its last four missions as teams try to cut the time required between Falcon 9 flights from SpaceXs two launch pads on Floridas Space Coast.

Assuming a good test-firing Friday, SpaceX is expected to press ahead with launch of the Falcon 9 rocket Sunday. There is an instantaneous launch opportunity at 7:02 a.m. EST (1202 GMT), about 10 minutes before sunrise Sunday.

The Falcon 9 will launch with the next batch of approximately 60 Starlink satellites, adding more capacity and coverage to SpaceXs burgeoning broadband network.

Warning notices to pilots and mariners previously indicated the launch was scheduled Saturday morning, but sources said Thursday the flight was delayed to Sunday.

Forecasters from the U.S. Space Forces 45th Weather Squadron predict an 80% chance of good weather Sunday. The primary weather concern Sunday will be with the possibility of violating the cumulus cloud rule.

A high pressure ridge is forecast to begin moving away from Central Florida this weekend, allowing a low pressure system and a cold front to move into the Mid-Atlantic states north of Florida.

The spaceport will be within the warm, prefrontal regime during the launch window, the weather team wrote Thursday. Clouds will be thicker and more abundant than Saturday, but the vast majority will be too low-topped to create lightning launch commit criteria concerns. Southwesterly winds will increase to 15-20 miles per hour (up to 200 feet) in response to the tightening pressure gradient. The primary concern during the backup window will be the cumulus cloud rule.

If the Starlink mission takes off Sunday, SpaceX will close out January with four Falcon 9 launches, keeping pace with the companys goal of launching more than 40 Falcon flights in 2021.

A Falcon 9 rocket took off Jan. 7 from pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station with the Turkish-owned Turksat 5A communications satellite. SpaceX launched 60 Starlink satellites Jan. 20 from pad 39A, then launched a rideshare mission Sunday on a Falcon 9 with a record-setting payload of 143 small satellites from U.S. and international customers.

SpaceX, founded and led by billionaire Elon Musk, will have more than 1,000 Starlink nodes in orbit with the roughly 60 more Starlink spacecraft set to launch Sunday. The company has launched 1,025 Starlink satellites to date, but some of the spacecraft were either prototypes or failed after launch, and are no longer in orbit, according to Jonathan McDowell, an astronomerat theHarvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics who tracks global satellite and launch activity.

SpaceX says the Starlink network is providing preliminary low-latency internet service to users in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom through a beta testing program. Commercial service will begin after SpaceX has its initial network of around 1,584 satellites in orbit, including spares.

The quarter-ton Starlink satellites are built by SpaceX technicians and engineers in Redmond, Washington.

The initial block of Starlink satellites, including the 60 launching this weekend, fly in mid-inclination orbits tilted 53 degrees to the equator. They fly at an altitude of 341 miles, or 550 kilometers, to provide broadband coverage over nearly all of the populated world.

SpaceX plans to launch more Starlink satellites into polar orbit to enable global coverage for maritime and aviation customers, including the U.S. military. The company has regulatory approval to launch around 12,000 Starlink satellites.

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Falcon 9 rocket arrives on pad 39A for sunrise Starlink launch this weekend Spaceflight Now - Spaceflight Now

SpaceX announces plans for first all-civilian space flight to benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital – CBS News

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Jared Isaacman, a wealthy businessman and pilot, is chartering a four-seat SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule for what will be the first fully commercial, non-government piloted flight to orbit, SpaceX and the entrepreneur announced Monday. The mission will benefit St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

The flight, named Inspiration4, will be commanded by Isaacman, 37, who is reserving two seats for St. Jude and one for an entrepreneur who will be selected in an independently judged competition.

One of the St. Jude seats will be awarded to a frontline health care worker and the other to the winner of a national fundraising campaign that will attempt to raise $200 million for the famed research center. Isaacman promised diversity, indicating a female health care worker has already been selected.

"St. Jude's mission is not about rockets or space exploration, it's about treating some of the most heart wrenching conditions that any parent could imagine," Isaacman said during a teleconference with SpaceX founder Elon Musk. "And if we're going to continue making advances up there in space, then we have an obligation to do the same down here on Earth.

"So one seat will go to a frontline health care worker and the other will be awarded through a national fundraising campaign that begins today and runs through the month of February. Our goal is to raise over $200 million, and I'm contributing the first $100 million to this great effort."

He also said he will cover applicable tax obligations for the selected health care worker.

Said Musk: "This is a stepping stone on the way towards providing access to space for all."

"Things necessarily start off real expensive, because it's new technology at low volume, low production rates," he said. "And so we actually need people who are willing and able to pay the high prices initially, in order to make it affordable, long term, for everyone."

Asked if he ever intends to fly in space aboard a Crew Dragon himself at some point, he said "I will be on a flight one day, but not this one."

The Inspiration4 mission will be unveiled to the public during the SuperBowl with a first quarter television commercial calling attention to St. Jude and the fund-raising initiative.

Unlike a mission announced last week in which Houston-based Axiom Space plans to send four private citizens to the International Space Station during an eight-day mission, Isaacman's flight has no destination other than low-Earth orbit.

After circling the globe for several days, the capsule is expected to plunge back to Earth and splash down in the Atlantic Ocean near Cape Canaveral. All four crew members will undergo medical screening and receive extensive training in spacecraft procedures and emergency operations.

"SpaceX is targeting no earlier than the fourth quarter of this year for Falcon 9's launch of Inspiration4, the world's first all-commercial astronaut mission to orbit from historic Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center," SpaceX said on its website.

"Jared Isaacman, founder and CEO of Shift4 Payments, is donating the three seats alongside him aboard Dragon to individuals from the general public who will be announced in the weeks ahead."

Isaacman said the three seats he is donating will be given to crew members selected to represent the "mission pillars" of leadership, hope, generosity and prosperity.

"The big focus is what we aim to raise for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, but look at every one of the crew members and what they represent in terms of the mission pillars," Isaacman said.

The front-line health care worker will represent hope while someone making a significant donation to St. June will be showing generosity. An entrepreneur selected in a national competition will represent prosperity.

"The three crew members we're selecting come from everyday walks of life, including a front-line health care worker who's committed to helping kids fight cancer," Isaacman said. "Someone who visits our mission website and makes a donation, and an aspiring entrepreneur building a business. And what they don't know is that 30 days from now they're going to get fitted for a spacesuit."

SpaceX's ability to launch private space missions is rooted in NASA's drive to encourage development of commercial spacecraft to ferry astronauts to and from the International Space Station, ending the agency's sole reliance on Russia for post-shuttle space transportation.

In 2014, after a series of competitions, NASA announced that Boeing and SpaceX would share $6.8 billion to develop independent space taxis, the first new U.S. crewed spacecraft since the 1970s.

Under a $2.6 billion contract, SpaceX built a crewed version of its Dragon cargo ship that rides into orbit atop the company's Falcon 9 rocket. Boeing's Starliner was developed under a $4.2 billion contract and relies on United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rockets.

SpaceX launched a piloted test flight to the space station last May and the first operational flight last October. Boeing's first piloted mission is expected later this year.

Unlike past piloted spacecraft that were built to NASA specifications and were owned and operated by the government, Boeing and SpaceX retained ownership of the new "commercial crew" ships and both companies are free to launch non-government missions.

The cost of a non-NASA seat aboard the Crew Dragon has not been revealed, but it is reportedly in the neighborhood of $55 million per "ticket."

The Axiom flight to the space station will be commanded by former astronaut Mike Lopez-Alegria, now an Axiom vice president. His crewmates are American entrepreneur Larry Connor, Canadian businessman Mark Pathy and Israeli entrepreneur Eytan Stibbe.

Actor Tom Cruise is also rumored to be considering a space flight as part of a movie venture, but no details have emerged.

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SpaceX announces plans for first all-civilian space flight to benefit St. Jude Children's Research Hospital - CBS News

Virpil Controls review: Theres a new challenger in the world of flight sticks and throttles – Polygon

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You can blame Microsoft Flight Simulator for the flight stick shortage were experiencing. Logitech, Thrustmaster, and many of the big name manufacturers are out of stock everywhere you look. What little product is actually available even used equipment is going for wildly inflated prices. Still other manufacturers are taking pre-orders, and then banging out new units as quickly as they can. So whats a budding flight or space sim enthusiast to do?

My advice, of course, is to give the scalpers a wide berth. If youre stuck on Microsoft Flight Simulator especially the big commercial airliners give Honeycomb Aeronautical a try. If youre playing a more hardcore flight simulator, like something from the DCS World portfolio, you probably already know about VKB. Its high-end equipment is currently in stock. But, if youre looking to spend a relatively modest amount of money on a more general purpose device something that might work with terrestrial and space flight I recommend you take a look at Virpil Controls, a small European company that is doing some really remarkable work.

And, just like everyone else, Virpils stuff is on backorder as well. Nevertheless, late last year Virpil sent along a selection of its most popular flight gear. Ive been taking it for a test drive on my custom-built flight rig. So far Im extremely impressed.

My favorite set of kit is called the Virpil Constellation Alpha, which, when coupled with a throttle, does an admirable job of controlling commercial aircraft. It has plenty of hat switches, plus an assortment of triggers that are perfect for games in the IL-2 Sturmovik family or other high-end simulations. Its also mostly plastic, but in a good way. It feels more robust than the Logitech X-52 and X-56, but lighter than the all-metal Thrustmaster Warthog.

The Virpil Constellation Alpha also comes in a left-handed variant. That means you can easily arrange for a much more complex dual-stick set-up. Also known as a hand-on-stick-and-stick (HOSAS) setup, I found that it completely changed the flight experience in both Star Citizens Persistent Universe and Elite Dangerous.

Explaining the difference is difficult to do with words. Previously I had played spaceflight simulation games with a single stick and throttle, which is known as a hands-on-throttle-and-stick (HOTAS) setup. Swapping out the throttle for another stick meant that I had to constantly hold the left-hand stick forward to maintain forward thrust. But, by pulling back on that stick I had easy access to reverse thrust, which makes slowing down and changing directions in space a lot snappier. The right-hand stick still has complete control of pitch and yaw, while rudder pedals handle roll. But now Im able to use the two sticks twist axes to handle strafing (right) and moving up and down (left). Previously, those functions sat on a tiny hat switch on my throttle.

After a few hours of HOSAS practice, I suddenly found myself with much more precise and immediate control over my virtual spaceships than ever before. Vectors which had previously been relegated to the keyboard or tiny hat switches were now integrated into the joysticks themselves. I could hit the gas on the main thruster to accelerate forward, rotate my ship in place, then roll left while also moving slightly down and sliding to the right all at the same time. The impact was especially prominent in Star Citizen, which has much faster ships and far more aggressive combat. HOSAS made me a harder target to hit, and helped to improve my own aim especially with fixed weapons.

Better still, the Constellations side-mounted thumbsticks mean that you can actually navigate on foot without ever taking your hands off the joysticks. That made the experience in Star Citizen, which features a surprising amount of walking, much more enjoyable. It will also likely have the same kind of impact when Elite Dangerous: Odyssey launches later this year, adding first-person, on-foot gameplay to that spacefaring game.

Another highlight for me were Virpils Ace Interceptor Rudder Pedals. Ive had a pretty good experience with the Thrustmaster TPR Pendular Rudder Pedals for the last few years, but they hang from a large central column that takes up a lot of space in my office. Virpil pedals are much, much lower to the floor and accommodate a wider stance which, as a 66 man, I greatly appreciate. Ace pedals also have a much better mounting solution, in my opinion, compared to the TPR pedals. Out of the box, Virpils large, grippy rubber feet stay put on most surfaces. You can also remove about an inch of height from the pedals, stripping off the rubber feet and the entire lower frame, to attach them directly to a custom flight seat.

While the input devices alone are excellent, Virpil also has a line of surprisingly affordable custom mounting solutions. For around $70 you can get the Virpil Desk Mount V3-S. It features a dead-simple clamp with an adjustable bite, which you can dial in to firmly grasp the edge of your desk surface and hold fast. They release quickly, making storage a breeze. Theyre also beautifully powder coated, and come with all the bolts you need to make the attachment to the Constellation. The V3-S also opens the door to additional customization options, including mounts that hang a keyboard, mouse pad, additional button boxes, and more all off of the same clamp.

Note that youll need two of the Desk Mount V3-S devices for a HOSAS solution using the Virpil Constellation sticks, which brings the price of accessories up to $140. If you go with a HOTAS solution instead, making use of one of Virpils fully-customizable throttle boxes, youll need a slightly larger version of the clamp and a special adapter plate. That brings the price for a full HOTAS mounting solution closer to $180.

Overall, Im smitten with these Virpil controls. They strike a good balance between price point and feature set, sitting comfortably in between classics like the Logitech X-52 and the Thrustmaster T16000, and higher end products from Thrustmaster and VKB. They also have just the right amount of heft to them, and feel like a substantial upgrade to the kinds of flight sticks Ive been using for the last decade.

There are a few caveats, however.

First, the documentation on these products ranges from awful to non-existent. Even basic assembly drove me out to YouTube where I spent hours freeze-framing foreign language unboxing videos to find out which screw goes where. When it comes to calibration and programming, you will similarly need to find your own way with the community of users on YouTube and on message boards as Virpil offers next to no help in getting things squared away.

Second, know that the current incarnation of the Virpil throttle box may simply be too much for most users. It has about twice as many buttons as Microsoft Windows recognizes on a game controller, which means youll need to take some extra time to get it tuned before you hop into a game. If youre going HOTAS, Id recommend getting something from Thrustmaster instead.

Also, I did notice some defective materials in the batch of products that I received. The non-marking pads on the mounting hardware, for instance, began to slide off after several weeks of continuous use. I also had several screw heads shatter as I attempted to remove them, either due to being made from weak metal or being gummed up with too much thread locking paste.

With those limitations in mind, I still cant help but recommend Virpil. After nearly a decade of watching modest, incremental improvements in the space its nice to see a manufacturer innovating with their flight sticks. Theres even a line of collective grips on the way, which will be perfect for the new helicopters coming to DCS World and Microsoft Flight Simulator in the not-to-distant future.

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Virpil Controls review: Theres a new challenger in the world of flight sticks and throttles - Polygon

OWF drops IWF election candidates from "unethical" role and rebuts criticism – Insidethegames.biz

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The Oceania Weightlifting Federation (OWF) has responded to claims of "unethical behaviour" by dropping a proposal to involve a candidate for the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) elections in voting procedures at regional level.

One official from Fiji said the Pacific island nations were being treated as "performing idiots" and, by being required to vote by email, "would be denied a secret ballot which is the cornerstone of a fair election".

Another from Samoa said there was a "risk of mistrust and questionable practices" at a time when "we all know about the IOCs [International Olympic Committee] concerns over issues of questionable governance and transparency".

Paul Coffa, general secretary of the OWF, denied accusations of poor governance and said there was no intention to give anybody from the IWF a platform.

"It is a pity that politics and mistrust is getting involved with the OWF," Coffa told insidethegames.

"Never before has this happened.

"The OWF has a brilliant record in promoting the sport, in anti-doping - 14 years without any violations - credibility, and transparency."

Coffa wrote to member federations last week to outline plans for OWF elections to be held by email, over three days.

The proposed date is "by the end of February", two months earlier than previously listed, and about a month before the IWF elections.

The alternative would be to delay the elections, which are already nearly a year overdue because of the coronavirus pandemic, "until such time as we can all meet and have the electoral congress face to face".

Coffa said an OWF Board meeting, which was also attended by the IWF general secretary Mohamed Jaloud and vice-president Nicu Vlad, decided unanimously to propose that the Oceania elections be conducted by email.

Delegates votes would be emailed directly to three scrutineers - Andrew Minogue, chief executive of the Pacific Games Council and vice-chair of the IWFs Independent Disciplinary and Ethics Commission, Jaloud, and Jose Quinones, an IWF Board member and president of the Pan American Weightlifting Federation.

Jaloud is a candidate in the IWF elections, which are due to be held on March 26-27, as is Vlad.

Quinones has an IWF Board seat as President of a continental federation.

Coffas brother, Sam, 85, who is President of the Australian Weightlifting Federation, sits on the IWF Board and is believed to be another election candidate.

The proposed involvement of IWF electoral candidates in Oceanias procedures was seen as unethical by several member federations.

Coffa said, "It was simply a recommendation.

"Obviously as we see there is quite a bit of non-trust in these individuals by some member countries, so we have reviewed this and will be recommending to the Executive Board that we utilise an independent company to conduct the elections.

"And we will investigate with them as to whether it can be done by both email and online in order to ensure that every Pacific country is given equal opportunity to cast their vote in a democratic and secure manner."

Fiji, Samoa, Tonga and Marshall Islands have all opposed the plan to vote by email, and other federations among the OWFs 22 members are believed to be against the idea.

Coffa said, "So far we have received replies from more countries who are in favour to vote by email."

The elections could yet be delayed until whenever the Oceania Championships take place in Nauru, probably after the Olympic Games which are due to be in late July and early August.

The unhappy federations also complained of poor governance at the OWF, which has planned to hold the elections without first dealing with other business.

"The annual report and audited financial statements as well as other information as requested through properly filed motions for the Congress must be presented and be open to scrutiny by the delegates, before the elections," said Atma Maharaj of Weightlifting Fiji.

"The candidates for the incoming Executive Board, including those responsible for the affairs of the OWF for the past several years, must be fully scrutinised before the vote can take place.

"There is a considerable degree of anger in Oceania that our membership are being taken as the IWF and OWFs performing idiots, who can be brought out of our box when required to tick a ballot or two, and then returned.

"There is zero appetite for the OWF Congress and its elections to be allowed to be used as a platform, by any individual or groups for their own personal gain or advantage towards their own candidature for the IWF elections.

"A huge governance and integrity issue is confidentiality.

"Elections should be made by secret vote, but - according to the proposal - members shall send their votes by mail to IWF officials who might be candidates or political allies of Oceania officials, which is ridiculous."

Maharaj, life member and former President of Weightlifting Fiji, has been delegated to oversee governance matters relating to the IWF and OWF.

"There has been no explanation why this is happening," he added.

"Its not clear to us why the OWF would even have a meeting with IWF officials regarding an alternative proposal [to an online Congress]."

Coffa said, "The invitation to these IWF officials to attend the meeting was not for them to use it as a platform for their own personal gains."

Jaloud, Vlad and Sam Coffa had been invited to the past two OWF Board meetings "basically for the Board to get information first-hand in relation to the Olympic Games and qualification events, and pertaining to the Commonwealth Games, in order for the OWF to be updated as to exactly what is happening".

Vlad and Sam Coffa are joint technical delegates for weightlifting at Tokyo 2020.

Maharaj said any discussions on the format of the overdue Congress, which should have taken place last April, was a matter only for Oceanias member federations.

"It alarms me because there is the grave possibility that some of those attending may have major conflicts of interest."

Jerry Wallwork, President of the Samoa Weightlifting Federation, said in his reply to Coffas letter, "We all know about the IOCs concerns over issues of questionable governance and transparency.

"And yet, we are now proposing to bring in further risk of mistrust and questionable practices that would result in future discord and instability in our region.

"With all due respect, the panel you have recommended as scrutineers should have no affiliation or association with any office holders or members, that may taint or affect the carriage of justice and fairness."

He said the scrutineers "must be clear of any perceived conflict of interest".

Wallwork said the OWF Board was clearly "incompetent" as it had failed to organise an online Congress, as it was prompted to do by member federations over the past six months.

Michael Bloomfield, president of the Tonga Weightlifting Federation, said the proposed email election was neither transparent nor independent in fact or in appearance".

Coffas letter said that a virtual meeting would not work because of connectivity problems in some of the worlds most remote nations, a view countered by Terry Sasser, secretary general of the Marshall Islands Weightlifting Federation and its National Olympic Committee.

Sasser, who coached his daughter Mattie - now a United States lifter - at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, said virtual platforms had been used "with great success" for a three-day meeting of National Olympic Committees, and by a number of other sports.

He added, "The world needs to see that weightlifting is addressing its governance and transparency issues."

Sasser said the OWF should appoint independent scrutineers, which it will now do, and that the first step towards transparency should be giving national federations the chance to voice their opinion during a virtual meeting, not by email.

Della Shaw-Elder, President of Weightlifting Fiji, said that no votes should be taken until an annual report and audited financial statements had been circulated to all members.

"We must know if we are voting for credible candidates," she said.

Coffa, who has been elected unopposed as general secretary since he first took the role in 1992, said, "Especially in the last 12 months, so many new projects have been implemented in our region There has been more money injected in 2020 than ever before.

"And most important, Oceania has been praised by the IWF for having come up with so many initiatives - including praise from those same people who are complaining now.

"Annual reports and audited financial statements have always been presented and adopted.

"Today the OWF has never been in a better financial position since its inception back in 1980.

"And no-one has been a full-time paid employee of the OWF working in the office - everything has been done on a voluntary basis."

Coffa has coached hundreds of medallists in international competition since he set up the Oceania Weightlifting Institute in Nauru in the 1990s.

"In 1994 when I moved to Nauru, there were only a few lifters scattered across the Pacific islands.

"And at no cost to them I spent 26 years of my life developing weightlifting in the Pacific and their lifters have won many, many medals.

"Now that the sport is booming and has very strong Pacific island contenders on the international platform, we are all of a sudden incompetent?"

On the subject of the format for voting, Coffa said, "Last year indeed one or two countries questioned whether the OWF should have its elections online, and we responded by saying that we know there are difficulties with some of the member federations and their access to good internet signals.

"The board is not arrogant and it does take notice of those member countries who experience these difficulties.

"Online virtual is very difficult, as quite a few countries will not be able to either link in or stay on.

"We have experienced this quite a few times, with our online tournaments and even our own executive board meetings."

Neither Marcus Stephen, President of the OWF and an IWF Board member, nor Minogue, who was not contactable until after the change of plan involving scrutineers, wished to comment.

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OWF drops IWF election candidates from "unethical" role and rebuts criticism - Insidethegames.biz

Best new hotels opening in Asia and Oceania in 2021 – The Week UK

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Some of the worlds most stylish hotels and resorts are opening in 2021 - theyre just waiting for guests to come and experience the plush surroundings.

From ryokans in Japan to paradise islands in the Maldives, we pick out the most luxurious new places you can stay in this year in Asia and Oceania.

1

Australia

From its upstart hipster roots in Portland, Oregon, the artsy Ace Hotel brand has now been reshaping the look of mid-range digs for 20 years, says Mark OFlaherty inThe Daily Telegraph. The brand arrives in Australia towards the end of this year, bringing the usual mix of artisanal coffee, seasonal cocktails and in-room turntables to a new 19-storey, 264-room tower in Sydney. The building is already a landmark in the Surry Hills neighbourhood of the city, which has gone from being a laid-back eastern suburb to a hub for food and design. As we have come to expect from the team behind the Ace Hotel brand, it is working with local designers to create something unique. The rooftop bar and restaurant promise to be quite the sun-drenched scene.

2

Japan

Azumi Setoda is the first hotel of a new brand inspired by traditional Japanese inns known as ryokan, says Claire Wrathall in the Financial Times. It is set to open in March on the island of Ikuchijima in Japans Seto Inland Sea, in a splendid 19th-century building that was once the home of a powerful shipping family. The building has been restored and converted to accommodate 18 suites and four duplexes, each with its own garden or balcony, by Kyoto-based Shiro Miura, an expert in sukiya, a style of architecture dating back to the 16th century that strives to balance the elements. Rather than focus on luxury, the concepts at the heart of Azumi Setoda are culture, community, arts and food. Hence the neighbouring yabune, or public bathhouse, is intended for locals as much as guests. Rates start from 560.

3

Maldives

This 100-villa resort on the beaches of the North Mal Atoll will welcome its first guests from Q2 2021. Villas are built across four paradise islands, all with ocean and lagoon views of the crystal-clear waters. Each villa will be cared for by a dedicated Aris Meeha, or personal host, to tailor guests journey and look after their every need. Guests will be able to dine at seven different restaurants, as well as enjoy treatments at The Ritz-Carlton Spa.

4

Maldives

Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi has unveiled the largest private island in the archipelagic state. The ultra exclusive destination spans 32,000sqm in the heart of the Indian Ocean and is only a 40-minute journey from Mal on the resorts Princess yachts or via a 15-minute seaplane flight. The sprawling estate accommodates 24 guests across two-, three- and four-bedroomed residences, placed across the islands private beach and overwater. The private island also comes with its own dedicated culinary team.

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Best new hotels opening in Asia and Oceania in 2021 - The Week UK

AIBA first virtual continental forum to be held in Africa – Insidethegames.biz

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The International Boxing Association (AIBA) has announced details of its first virtual continental forum of 2021, due to be held in Africa on February 7.

Although the AIBA Board of Directors and representatives of various National Federations will join the event virtually, AIBAs President Umar Kremlev will visit Nairobi in Kenya for the forum.

African Boxing Confederation (AFBC) President Mohamed Moustahsane, who served as Interim President of AIBA before being beaten by Kremlev in the governing body's Presidential election in December 2020, described Kremlevs visit as a "unique opportunity" for the continent.

The 2021 African forum is scheduled to be the first of five AIBA forums this year - with the organisation hopeful of holding one on each continent.

"Unfortunately, last year, because of the pandemic situation we conducted only three [forums] - in America, Oceania, and Asia, and the other two, Europe and Africa were cancelled," said Kremlev.

"This year, because of the ongoing situation, we will organise everything virtually, so everybody can participate.

"We will come to Africa to know what we can improve on the continent, in every single country."

On the agenda for the African forum are presentations of the new AIBA committees and competition calendar, the AIBA development plan for national federations, the organisations communication strategy, anti-doping seminars, a legal team report and question and answer sessions.

"I will be very pleased to welcome President Umar Kremlev in African land," said Moustahsane.

"He will experience the African climate and our way of living and see the difficulties we are facing. I am sure that together we will find a way to solve it.

"This is the first time when AIBA President comes to Africa for a forum to discuss issues openly with African National Federations.

"It is very good that Mr. Kremlev will be present and will discuss directly with AIBA member countries his plans and projects, will listen to the continental challenges and will see the African particularities.

"This is the best way to work together, improving relationships and cooperation. Development always goes through dialogue.

"Im sure we will succeed in implementing our projects for the development of boxing on the continent and in a short time improve African boxing at all levels."

Last year AIBA held continental forums in Amman, Jordan for Asia, in Natadola, Fiji for Oceania and in Panama City, Panama for the Americas.

Due to the coronavirus situation scheduled continental forums in Assisi, Italy for Europe and Casablanca, Morocco for Africa did not take place in 2020.

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A New Army Task Force in Oceania – United States Army

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By SSG Solomon NavarroJanuary 28, 2021

Task Force Oceania (TF Oceania) consists of Soldiers from all components of the U.S. Army; active-duty, Army Reserve and National Guard, with the purpose of engaging and cultivating meaningful and lasting relationships in Oceania. Oceania is an area of the Pacific that includes Australia and neighboring Pacific Island countries.TF Oceania is headquartered at the 9th Mission Support Command at Fort Shafter Flats, Hawaii, and consists of a company-sized headquarters element and two-Soldier country teams that provides consistent supporting presence throughout Oceania. The teams are comprised of a civil affairs trained officer and a non-commissioned officer having cultural or linguistic ties to Oceania country. At the moment, we have our Soldiers in three island countries, Timor-Leste, Palau, and Papua New Guinea, and in key liaison positions with our partners and allies across the Pacific theater said Lt. Col Igor Dubinsky, TF Oceania deputy commander.The original intent of having civil aairs and culturally related Soldiers deploy to these countries was to work with the civilian population to collaborate and develop solutions to the specific issues these nations are dealing with, said Dubinsky. However, from the time the task force was conceived to present-day, the world has been drastically changed due to the COVID-19 global pandemic. With this change, so has our engagement strategy.The countries that call Oceania home may be small, but hold significant strategic importance for the U.S. and its allies in the region, said Dubinsky.The two-soldier country teams are civil aairs trained and will work with the State Department and host-nation governments to execute senior leader engagements and facilitate exercises, conferences, humanitarian assistance and disaster response planning.U.S. Indo-Pacific Command is using a whole of government approach in designing, reviewing, and implementing Overseas Humanitarian, Disaster, and Civic Aid funded minimum cost projects. To date they have completed 204 projects worth $17.4M. These and future projects will provide medical supplies, hand washing stations, generators, tents to house medical supplies, portable toilets and cleaning supplies, said Dubinsky.For Col. Blaise Zandoli, TF Oceania commander, the reasons for being in Oceania are many but the most important is the human-to-human connection around shared values.The U.S. has strong historical ties with Oceania dating to at least WWII. These countries share fundamental values around democracy and a spiritual approach to human existence that embeds respect for the individual within a strong social context. Our shared values and mutually beneficial practical connections make the partnership between the U.S. and Pacific Island countries a natural fit, explained Zandoli.Task Force Oceania demonstrates how the Army remains committed to our global partners and ready for any challenge. Protective measures to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 are being taken to operate in the region.

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Stem Cell Therapy Market Size to Reach USD 5,040 Million by 2028 | Rising Public-Private Investments and Developing Regulatory Framework for Stem Cell…

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Vancouver, British Columbia, Jan. 29, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Stem Cell Therapy Market Size to Reach USD 5,040 Million by 2028 | Rising Public-Private Investments and Developing Regulatory Framework for Stem Cell Therapeutics will be the Key Factor Driving the Industry Growth, States Emergen Research

The global stem cell therapy market size was valued at USD 342.7 Million in 2019 and is anticipated to reach USD 3,693.6 Million by 2027 at a CAGR of 36.2%, over the forecast period, according to most recent analysis by Emergen Research.

Growing prevalence of chronic diseases will drive the growth of the stem cell therapy market. Increased investment in research activities, development of advanced genetic techniques, and rise in public-private partnership will contribute to the growth of the stem cell therapy market.

Stem cells are used to improve health and manage disease. The growing popularity of regenerative medicine has encouraged the growth of stem cell therapy market. Regenerative medicines are used to replace, repair, and regenerate tissues affected by disease, injury, and aging process. Regenerative medicines are used in research to find a cure for diabetes, Parkinson's, and Alzheimer's disease.

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However, ethical concerns regarding embryonic stem cells and less developed research infrastructure will hinder the stem cell therapy market's growth.

Companies Profiled in Stem Cell Therapy Market Research Report:

Virgin Health Bank, Celgene Corporation, ReNeuron Group plc, Biovault Family, Precious Cells International Ltd., Mesoblast Ltd., Opexa Therapeutics, Inc., Caladrius, Neuralstem, Inc., and Pluristem.

Key Highlights of Report

Check Our Prices@ https://www.emergenresearch.com/select-license/83Emergen Research has segmented the global stem cell therapy market in terms of type, application, end-users, and region:

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ProgenCell – Stem Cell Therapies offers an updated Stem Cell Therapy for Anti Aging Protocol – PR Web

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SAN DIEGO (PRWEB) January 29, 2021

ProgenCell Stem Cell Therapies announced an updated stem cell therapy for anti aging or healthy aging protocol. A Comprehensive protocol developed by the more than 12 years of experience in the field of Regenerative Medicine and the most rigorous scientific protocols, and overseen by an Independent Review Board (IRB) composed by prominent figures in medicine and scientific research.

The Anti Aging Stem Cell Treatment Protocol is performed administering stem cells intravenously with a previous and strict regimen of multivitamins, minerals and hormones and a subsequent nutritional and vitamin support.

This updated protocol has been developed thanks to the information we have been able to compile, analyze and research, allowing us to determine the dosage of the vitamins. Hormones and nutrients administered according to each patients context, added Dr. Jorge Luis Gavio ProgenCells Medical Director. ProgenCells stem cell research center has an in-house laboratory and adjacent medical facility, which not only sets us apart as an institution, it also gives us the scientific platform to upgrade our protocols, he continued.

To date, ProgenCell Stem Cell Therapies has been offering stem cell therapy in Mexico successfully with a wide range of protocolos designed specifically for many conditions including Parkinsons Disease, Multiple Sclerosis, Retinitis Pigmentosa, and arthritis just to name a few.

Stem cell therapy for anti aging at ProgenCell Stem Cell Therapies is offered by board certified and fully licensed doctors, and every case is overseed by an Independent Review Board, with a scientific and Ethics Committee.

The treatments at ProgenCell Stem Cells comply with quality assurance standards that exceed those recommended by the FDA (Federal Drug Administration), and all protocols are registered and audited by COFEPRIS (the mexican government agency with jurisdiction).

The process of becoming a ProgenCell Patient for Anti Aging Stem Cell Therapy Protocol starts with a free virtual consultation with a Regenerative Medicine Scientific Liaison who will guide you through the process and establish a health route map. After the treatment is booked, a patient concierge works with each international patient on travel logistics, to live the full ProgenCel Experience.

For more information on stem cell therapy for anti aging and to obtain a free consultation, call (888) 443-6235 or visit http://www.progencell.com to learn more.

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Stem Cell Therapy Market 2021: Global Key Players, Trends, Share, Industry Size, Segmentation, Forecast To 2027 KSU | The Sentinel Newspaper – KSU |…

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Stem Cell Therapy Market is valued at USD 9.32 Billion in 2018 and expected to reach USD 16.51 Billion by 2025 with the CAGR of 8.5% over the forecast period.

Rising prevalence of chronic diseases, increasing spend on research & development and increasing collaboration between industry and academia driving the growth of stem cell therapy market.

Scope of Stem Cell Therapy Market-

Stem cells therapy also known as regenerative medicine therapy, stem-cell therapy is the use of stem cells to prevent or treat the condition or disease. Stem cell are the special type of cells those differentiated from other type of cell into two defining characteristics including the ability to differentiate into a specialized adult cell type and perpetual self-renewal. Under the appropriate conditions in the body or a laboratory stem cells are capable to build every tissue called daughter cells in the human body; hence these cells have great potential for future therapeutic uses in tissue regeneration and repair. Among stem cell pluripotent are the type of cell that can become any cell in the adult body, and multipotent type of cell are restricted to becoming a more limited population of cells.

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The stem cell therapy has been used to treat people with conditions including leukemia and lymphoma, however this is the only form of stem-cell therapy which is widely practiced. Prochymal are another stem-cell therapy was conditionally approved in Canada in 2012 for the treatment of acute graft-vs-host disease in children those are not responding to steroids. Nevertheless, hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is the only established therapy using stem cells. This therapy involves the bone marrow transplantation.

Stem cell therapy market report is segmented based on type, therapeutic application, cell source and by regional & country level. Based upon type, stem cell therapy market is classified into allogeneic stem cell therapy market and autologous market.

Stem Cell Therapy Companies:

Stem cell therapy market report covers prominent players like,

Based upon therapeutic application, stem cell therapy market is classified into musculoskeletal disorders, wounds and injuries, cardiovascular diseases, surgeries, gastrointestinal diseases and other applications. Based upon cell source, stem cell therapy market is classified into adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells, bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells, cord blood/embryonic stem cells and other cell sources

The regions covered in this stem cell therapy market report are North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Rest of the World. On the basis of country level, market of stem cell therapy is sub divided into U.S., Mexico, Canada, U.K., France, Germany, Italy, China, Japan, India, South East Asia, GCC, Africa, etc.

Stem Cell Therapy Market Segmentation

By Type

Allogeneic Stem Cell Therapy Market, By Application

Autologous Market, By Application

By Therapeutic Application

By Cell Source

Stem Cell Therapy Market Dynamics

Rising spend on research and development activities in the research institutes and biotech industries driving the growth of the stem cell therapy market during the forecast period. For instance, in January 2010, U. S. based Augusta University initiated Phase I clinical trial to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of a single, autologous cord blood stem infusion for treatment of cerebral palsy in children. The study is estimated to complete in July 2020. Additionally, increasing prevalence of chronic diseases creating the demand of stem cell therapy. For instance, as per the international diabetes federation, in 2019, around 463 million population across the world were living with diabetes; by 2045 it is expected to rise around 700 million. Among all 79% of population with diabetes were living in low- and middle-income countries. These all factors are fuelling the growth of market over the forecast period. On the other flip, probabilities of getting success is less in the therapeutics by stem cell may restrain the growth of market. Nevertheless, Advancement of technologies and government initiative to encourage research in stem cell therapy expected to create lucrative opportunity in stem cell therapy market over the forecast period.

Stem Cell Therapy Market Regional Analysis

North America is dominating the stem cell therapy market due increasing adoption rate of novel stem cell therapies fueling the growth of market in the region. Additionally, favorable government initiatives have encouraging the regional market growth. For instance, government of Canada has initiated Strategic Innovation Fund Program, in which gov will invests in research activities carried out for stem cell therapies. In addition, good reimbursing scheme in the region helping patient to spend more on health. Above mentioned factors are expected to drive the North America over the forecast period.

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Cell and Gene Therapy Firms Gear up to Revolutionize Manufacturing – Labiotech.eu

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With the rising demand for cell and gene therapies, the need for manufacturing innovation has never been higher. A surge of deals and expansions in the last year is fuelling the push to truly make these therapies widely available and affordable.

Cell and gene therapies offer huge potential to treat a wide range of diseases including cancer, neurological, and genetic diseases. They have even shown promise to treat the symptoms of Covid-19.

The amount of academic and early-stage biotech research in this area has skyrocketed over the last few years. According to the Alliance for Regenerative Medicine, there are currently 1,220 ongoing clinical trials in this space, 152 of which are at phase III. Despite the global pandemic, investment in this area is also at a record high around the world, with the equivalent of 15.7B invested in 2020, a figure double that of 2019.

But research alone cannot get these complex treatments to patients. The sharp discrepancy between the high number of products in early-stage development and the still very small number that have made it onto the market, as well as their cost, speaks to the impact and importance of cost-effective and scalable manufacturing, Ryan Cawood, CEO of Oxgene (previously Oxford Genetics), told me. Oxgene is a UK biotech aiming to improve manufacturing for cell and gene therapies.

To meet this challenge, cell and gene therapy producers are exploding into motion. With 2021 only just getting started, weve seen manufacturing deals between Vigeneron and Daiichi Sankyo, Sirion Biotech and Cellectis, and Cevec and Biogen. The giant Thermo Fisher Scientific absorbed the Belgian viral vector producer Henogen for 724M. And CDMO heavyweights like Cognate BioServices and Polyplus Transfection have announced expansions to their manufacturing capacity.

Thedifficulties with manufacturing the recently approved Covid-19 mRNA vaccines in high enough quantities has really highlighted the importance of having a solid manufacturing strategy in place. This lesson applies equally to companies trying to take cell and gene therapies to market.

Stuck in the first generation

Despite the huge increase in development of cell and gene therapies over the past couple of years, manufacturing technology for these therapies is largely still at the first-generation stage. This can make scaling up a challenge.

Often cell and gene therapy manufacturing processes are highly manual stemming from the early academic or process development stage and, without adequate technology solutions available currently, these processes often remain this way through clinical trials and then into commercial manufacturing, said Jason Foster, CEO of Ori Biotech, a London- and New Jersey-based company focusing on cell and gene therapy manufacturing.

These first-generation processes cause manufacturing to be expensive, highly variable and low-throughput, which reduces the ability of patients to access these potentially life-saving therapies.

Another problem common to all bio-based therapeutics is that any product sourced from a live cell or a component of one is subject to a lot more variation than a simpler pharmaceutical product.

Most gene therapies are built on viruses found in nature. They have not evolved for very high productivity in a large-scale, animal component-free bioreactor, said Cawood.

The more complicated the biologic becomes, the more parts of it require optimization, and the more analytics you require.

According to Kevin Alessandri, the cofounder and CEO/CTO of the French company TreeFrog Therapeutics, there is also a lot of waste in cell therapy manufacturing.

Yields are impaired by high cell death at every passage, and genetic alterations inevitably arise, said Alessandri. When it comes to producing commercial batches to treat thousands of patients, scaling out 2D cell culture processes is far too expensive and poses batch-to-batch reproducibility issues.

While many in the industry are now turning to bioreactors to produce cells on a bigger scale, this is also not without problems. Impeller-induced shear stress is damaging the cells, thus negatively impacting cell viability and triggering undesired genetic mutations, explained Alessandri.

Taking manufacturing up a gear

What are companies in this space doing to make scaling up cell and gene therapies easier, quicker, and cheaper?

Ori Biotech raised24.8M in Series A funding in October last year to develop an automated and robotic manufacturing system to minimize the number of manual steps needed to produce a given cell or gene therapy. This speeds up the process as well as making it more accurate. Another advantage of the technology is that it can tailor the production capacity according to demand.

This is impossible to do in most current processes, which involve manual tube welding and transfers from flask to bag to bigger bag to bioreactor, said Foster, adding that this increases cost and variability while constraining throughput. Oris technology, in contrast, could take years off the production timeline and cut costs by as much as 80%.

London-based Synthace is one of several companies trying to improve advanced therapeutic manufacturing by developing software and computer systems to optimize the process, rather than industrial machinery.

Peter Crane, Corporate Strategy Manager for the company, said that in-depth data analysis and planning before starting the manufacturing process can make a big difference to outcomes, and that connected software can help make this task easier.

The best way to remove some of the risk associated with biomanufacturing of these products is to solve as many problems as possible before manufacturing.

In addition to making the process quicker, cheaper, and more accurate, computing tools can also help with quality control and tracking. In cell therapy manufacturing, especially autologous products, line of sight around electronic batch records, as well as the vein-to-vein supply chain, is incredibly important, emphasized Crane.

Another company specifically focusing on logistics and quality control is the Cardiff- and San Francisco-based TrakCel, which nailed deals with Ori Biotech in February and the UKs National Health Service in November.

The company TreeFrog Therapeutics works with cell encapsulation technology to improve quality and reduce waste, albeit from a more mechanical viewpoint. The company launched an industrial demonstration plant in June last year, followed by two co-development deals with undisclosed big pharma partners.

Encapsulated stem cells spontaneously self-organize in an in vivo-like 3D conformation promoting fast and homogeneous growth, as well as genomic stability, said Alessandri. The resulting 3D stem cell colony can then be differentiated in the capsule into functional microtissues ready for transplantation.

With our technology, which is based on high-throughput microfluidics capable of generating over 1,000 capsules per second, it becomes possible to expand and differentiate stem cells at a large scale, in industrial bioreactors, with best-in-class cell quality and reduced operating costs.

Oxgene has a focus on scaling up production for manufacturers. In September, the company launched a technology to scale up manufacturing of viral vector production with less contamination and a 40-fold improvement in yield compared to current methods. Oxgenes expertise with viral vectors also prompted a collaboration deal in April with the CDMO Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies.

Innovation in new manufacturing technologies just hasnt kept pace with the level of discovery around genetic disease and potential avenues open to treat them, or even development of the viral vectors themselves, said Cawood. This is definitely changing though.

Enter the second generation of manufacturing

Cell and gene therapy manufacturing is definitely hot right now, boosted by increased needs from biotech and pharma companies developing Covid-19 vaccines and therapies, and by notable increases in investment.

Huge advances in gene and cell therapies over the last few years, such as the approval of the eye gene therapy Luxturna and the first CAR T-cell therapies, mean the demand for new manufacturing technologies has also increased exponentially.

A lot of very promising programs are now in the pipeline, and patients are waiting for their approval, said Alessandri. Industry urgently needs robust manufacturing technology, capable of serving millions of patients.

European biotechs are busy developing second-generation technologies to allow easier and cheaper scale up, producing higher quality products with less waste. They could start to phase out first-generation methods very soon.

The realm of cell manufacturing in industrial and food biotech is also likely to see big breakthroughs in the coming years. Earlier this month, for instance, the nutrition and health giant Royal DSM set up a lab in the Netherlands dedicated to applying artificial intelligence (AI) to the challenge of growing microbial strains at a commercial scale.

Rapid improvements in advanced computing options such as AI and machine learning technology, as well as robotics, are already having an effect on the industry, but this will only get bigger as time goes on.

Cover image from Elena Resko. Body text image from Shutterstock

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Stem Cell Recruitment Therapy Registration Awarded by U.S. Patent & Trademark Office for Russell Health – MDJOnline.com

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WILLOWBROOK, Ill., Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ --Based in Willowbrook, Illinois, Russell Health, a national marketer and distributor of specialty medical products and services, has recently been issued company trademark registrations from the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

Russell Health, Inc., a leading regenerative medicine company, announced today the United States Patent and Trademark Officehas issued registrations for the company's trademarks - Stem Cell Recruitment Therapy (Reg. No. 6,109,514) and Stem Cell Recruitment Facial (Reg. No. 6,218,705), signifying that the company has met the stringent United States standards for exclusively applying its trademarks to the company's products.

Media Approved Quote:"Being a leader in regenerative medicine, we have made it a priority to invest in our Intellectual Property and trademarks across our company. We are excited at the Patent Office's decision to award us with two highly valuable registered trademarks. We are planning to expand our Stem Cell Recruitment Therapy and Stem Cell Recruitment Facial brands nationwide." (Ryan Salvino, CEO)

About Russell Health: Russell Health is a national marketer and distributor of specialty medical products and services. Together with our partners and suppliers, we work to provide innovative life-changing and sustaining products and therapies to patients and healthcare providers around the world. Russell Health and its partners have distributed regenerative therapy products nationwide and achieved profound clinical outcomes in multiple therapeutic areas including cosmetics, wound care, pain management, podiatry, orthopedics, ocular and gynecology. Our knowledge of national markets combined with our strong industry relationships, our location and our relevant industry experience make us highly effective at building sales channels that deliver great results. We pride ourselves in having a high level of integrity and being a trusted partner and advisor to our practitioners, manufacturers and patients. These trademarks exclusively distinguish our fine products and services from those of other products in the industry.Customers can always count on Russell Health for the best quality specialty medical and regenerative products solutions in a variety of specialty areas.

Disclaimer

Stem Cell Recruitment (SCR), Stem Cell Recruitment Therapy (SCRT), Stem Cell Recruitment Facial ,DermaFlo, OrthoFactor and Vivaderm are trademarks of Russell Health, Inc. The treatments described on thismarketing are not considered to be standard of care for any condition or disease. SCR, SCRT, SCR Facial andVivaderm attempt to utilize acellular, minimally manipulated tissue allografts and are comprised of tissue allograftcomponents intended for homologous use to supplement tissue. These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA.This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Results may vary.

Visit Russell Health online to learn more about Stem Cell Recruitment Therapy. For media inquiries or to contact the Russell Health team directly. Please visit http://www.russellhealth.comor email marketing@russellhealth.com.

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Veronica BennettPhone: 312-919-1896Email: marketing@russellhealth.com

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Animal Stem Cell Therapy Consumption Market Report By Application, Type, Top Companies, Growth, Regional Outlook, and Forecast to 2027 Murphy’s…

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New Jersey, United States,- Animal Stem Cell Therapy Consumption Market Report, published by Market Research Intellect, provides an industry assessment of the Animal Stem Cell Therapy Consumption market covering the most important factors driving the growth of the Animal Stem Cell Therapy Consumption industry. Animal Stem Cell Therapy Consumptions latest market research report contains an extensive analysis of micro and macroeconomic indicators affecting the development of the global market in the forecast period 2020-2027.

The current trends of the Animal Stem Cell Therapy Consumption market, combined with broad growth opportunities, key drivers, constraints, challenges and other important aspects, are detailed in the Animal Stem Cell Therapy Consumption market report. Additionally, the report makes many development prospects for key players involved in the Animal Stem Cell Therapy Consumption industry taking into account various market dynamics.

The Global Animal Stem Cell Therapy Consumption Market is growing at a faster pace with substantial growth rates over the last few years and is estimated that the market will grow significantly in the forecasted period i.e. 2020 to 2027.

The latest report is the most recent study providing a 360-degree coverage of the Animal Stem Cell Therapy Consumption industry facing the negative economic impacts of the COVID-19 outbreak from earlier this year.

Overview of the Animal Stem Cell Therapy Consumption Report:

The Animal Stem Cell Therapy Consumption market has been broadly segmented to allow readers a deeper understanding of the different aspects and attributes of the market. The market size of new entrants and existing companies was assessed using a variety of analytical tools including SWOT analysis, investment assessment, and Porters Five Forces Analysis. Additionally, as part of the study, report authors assessed the financial position of leading companies operating in the industry. They provided important insights into gross profit margin, revenue sharing, sales volume, operating costs, individual growth rates, and many other financial metrics of these competitors.

Animal Stem Cell Therapy Consumption Market Report Scope

What key bits of knowledge does the Animal Stem Cell Therapy Consumption statistical surveying give?

Past and current income insights of the Animal Stem Cell Therapy Consumption market players investigated at local level. Individual profiling of significant partners. Analysis of the Animal Stem Cell Therapy Consumption market size based on item type and end use type. Accurate Animal Stem Cell Therapy Consumption market estimate in numbers and percent rates. Demand prospect of individual sections shrouded in the Animal Stem Cell Therapy Consumption report.

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1. What are the restrictions hindering the advancement of Animal Stem Cell Therapy Consumption market? 2. Why are the end shoppers getting more slanted towards elective Animal Stem Cell Therapy Consumption market items? 3. How is the Animal Stem Cell Therapy Consumption market expected to shape, in the following septennial? 4. What methodologies are being designated by the significant players of the Animal Stem Cell Therapy Consumption market to get an edge over the opposition? 5. What methods are being utilized by the set up players of the Animal Stem Cell Therapy Consumption market to remain in front of the opposition?

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Animal Stem Cell Therapy Consumption Market Report By Application, Type, Top Companies, Growth, Regional Outlook, and Forecast to 2027 Murphy's...

Vertex Announces FDA Clearance of Investigational New Drug (IND) Application for VX-880, a Novel Cell Therapy for the Treatment of Type 1 Diabetes…

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BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (Nasdaq: VRTX) today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared the IND, enabling the company to proceed with initiating a clinical trial for VX-880, an investigational stem cell-derived, fully differentiated pancreatic islet cell therapy to treat T1D. Vertex plans to initiate a Phase 1/2 clinical trial in the first half of 2021 in patients who have T1D with impaired hypoglycemic awareness and severe hypoglycemia.

As we celebrate the 100th anniversary of the discovery of insulin this year, we are excited to bring a first-in-class cell therapy to the clinic with the potential to meaningfully impact people living with T1D, said Bastiano Sanna, Ph.D., Executive Vice President and Chief of Cell and Genetic Therapies at Vertex. We look forward to getting our clinical program underway and testing our unique approach of replacing pancreatic islet cells, which are destroyed in people with type 1 diabetes, with our stem cell-derived fully differentiated insulin-producing pancreatic islet cells.

About VX-880VX-880, formerly known as STx-02, is an investigational allogeneic human stem cell-derived islet cell therapy that is being evaluated for patients who have T1D with impaired hypoglycemic awareness and severe hypoglycemia. VX-880 has the potential to restore the bodys ability to regulate glucose levels by restoring pancreatic islet cell function, including insulin production.

The VX-880 clinical trial will involve an infusion of fully differentiated, functional islet cells, as well as the chronic administration of concomitant immunosuppressive therapy, to protect the islet cells from immune rejection.

About the Phase 1/2 Clinical TrialThe clinical trial is a Phase 1/2, single-arm, open-label study in subjects who have T1D with impaired hypoglycemic awareness and severe hypoglycemia. This will be a sequential, multi-part clinical trial to evaluate the safety and efficacy of different doses of VX-880. Approximately 17 patients will be enrolled in the clinical trial.

About Type 1 DiabetesT1D results from the autoimmune destruction of insulin-producing islet cells in the pancreas, leading to loss of insulin production and impairment of blood glucose control. The absence of insulin leads to abnormalities in how the body processes nutrients, leading to high blood glucose levels. High blood glucose can lead to diabetic ketoacidosis and over time, to complications such as kidney disease/failure, eye disease (including vision loss), heart disease, stroke, nerve damage and even death. Due to the limitations and complexities of insulin delivery systems, it can be difficult to achieve and maintain balance in glucose control in patients with T1D. Hypoglycemia remains a critical limiting factor in glycemic management, and severe hypoglycemia can cause loss of consciousness, coma, seizures, injury, and can be fatal.

There are currently limited treatment options beyond insulin for the management of T1D.

About VertexVertex is a global biotechnology company that invests in scientific innovation to create transformative medicines for people with serious diseases. The company has multiple approved medicines that treat the underlying cause of cystic fibrosis (CF) a rare, life-threatening genetic disease and has several ongoing clinical and research programs in CF. Beyond CF, Vertex has a robust pipeline of investigational small molecule medicines in other serious diseases where it has deep insight into causal human biology, including pain, alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency and APOL1-mediated kidney diseases. In addition, Vertex has a rapidly expanding pipeline of cell and genetic therapies for diseases such as sickle cell disease, beta thalassemia, Duchenne muscular dystrophy and type 1 diabetes mellitus.

Founded in 1989 in Cambridge, Mass., Vertex's global headquarters is now located in Boston's Innovation District and its international headquarters is in London. Additionally, the company has research and development sites and commercial offices in North America, Europe, Australia and Latin America. Vertex is consistently recognized as one of the industry's top places to work, including 11 consecutive years on Science magazine's Top Employers list and a best place to work for LGBTQ equality by the Human Rights Campaign. For company updates and to learn more about Vertex's history of innovation, visit http://www.vrtx.com or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and Instagram.

Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking StatementsThis press release contains forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including, without limitation, statements made by Bastiano Sanna, Ph.D., in this press release, statements regarding the development, plans and expectations for our T1D pipeline program, including our plans to initiate a Phase 1/2 clinical trial in people with T1D and expected timeline of our clinical trials, statements regarding patient enrollment and dosing, statements regarding potential clinical trial results and anticipated benefits of VX-880, and our plans to provide further updates on our T1D pipeline program. While Vertex believes the forward-looking statements contained in this press release are accurate, these forward-looking statements represent the company's beliefs only as of the date of this press release and there are a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Those risks and uncertainties include, among other things, that the FDA may not approve our IND, that data from a limited number of patients may not be indicative of final clinical trial results, that data from the company's development programs may not support registration or further development due to safety, efficacy or other reasons, that the COVID-19 pandemic may impact the status or progress of our clinical trials, and other risks listed under the heading Risk Factors in Vertex's most recent annual report and subsequent quarterly reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission at http://www.sec.gov and available through the company's website at http://www.vrtx.com. You should not place undue reliance on these statements. Vertex disclaims any obligation to update the information contained in this press release as new information becomes available.

(VRTX-GEN)

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Vertex Announces FDA Clearance of Investigational New Drug (IND) Application for VX-880, a Novel Cell Therapy for the Treatment of Type 1 Diabetes...

Dancing on Ice’s Colin Jackson to get stem cell op as he’s got ‘knees of 85-year-old’ – Irish Mirror

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At the age of 53, Dancing On Ice favourite Colin Jackson looks every inch the super-fit Olympian.

But the sporting icons winning smile as he skates with partner Klabera Komini hides a world of pain.

Because today, 110m hurdles hero Colin tells how track stardom has left him with the knees of an octogenarian.

The former world record holder is in constant agony, struggles to get out of his car and fears he could even end up in a wheelchair.

But he is now facing his biggest hurdle of all stem cell therapy to repair his damaged knees.

Colin says the treatment, which will begin next week, is the last roll of the dice to avoid joint replacement surgery.

Im in constant pain but you learn to live it with it, says the 1988 Olympic silver medallist and former World Champion hurdler.

Ive got the body of a man in his mid-30s but the knees of a man in his mid-80s. Ive had seven operations on my knees already four on the right knee and three on the left knee.

"I just cant face any more.

My knees lock up after long car journeys, and getting in and out of the bath is awkward.

It takes me ages to get going in the morning.

Colins glittering career left him with extensive damage to his kneecaps, cartilage, ligaments and tendons and he also has a degenerative condition that can make it difficult to get out of bed, let alone skate.

He needs to do a string of warm-up exercises every morning and has to take paracetamol and ibuprofen before every rink training session.

But Colin, a runner-up on Strictly Come Dancing in 2005, reckons his mental toughness is getting him through his sessions on the ice.

His family tried to talk him out of appearing on the hit ITV show, fearing he could suffer life-changing injuries if he falls.

But the will to win that once shot Colin to athletics stardom shone through.

I dont believe my knees will hamper my progress on the show, he says. That may sound contradictory because I am in pain, but Im in pain every day anyway, whether Im on the show or not.

My family is worried and just keep telling me to be careful but Im just not built that way. I love the challenge.

Right now, Ill compete and worry about things afterwards.

Colin is pinning all his hopes on starting the stem cell therapy and says hes praying for a miracle.

Its definitely the last roll of the dice to avoid knee replacement surgery somewhere down the line, he says.

Otherwise I will have to have more surgery at some stage. There is no doubt about that.

Im praying for a miracle because I really dont want knee replacements and I dont want to be in a wheelchair.

I want to be able to walk down the street when Im older. As part of his treatment, the BBC athletics commentator will have one million stem cells injected into each knee and more cells delivered afterwards via an IV drip.

The first session to prepare his body for the jabs will take place at Harley Street Stem Cell Clinic in London next week. Overall, it will cost him 25,000.

Colin is being treated by Dr Aamer Khan, who has specialised in the remarkable therapy since 2009.

Dr Khan said: Human stem cells are able to develop into different cell types that can be used to replace damaged tissue all over the body. They can drastically improve an individuals overall quality of life by reducing pain.

Colins condition will get worse if untreated and joint replacement is a real possibility if the therapy doesnt work. If it does, however, Colin could feel improvements in just four weeks and the full benefit after 12.

In the meantime, he plans to keep going for as long as he possibly can on Dancing On Ice a show notorious for falls and injuries.

So far this series, two professional skaters have been hospitalised because of training injuries and celeb contestant Denise van Outen dislocated her shoulder.

But Colin knows hes no longer the young athlete who thought nothing of pushing himself to the limit during his career.

When you are young, you dont worry about it, he says.

But when you get older, you realise the grief you have caused yourself. On a good day, the pain level is three out of 10 but on a bad day its a 10.

Being down on my knees is painful and I have to be careful with twisting and turning. But I still work out, I still go to the gym and do yoga and Pilates because I dont want to give in to it.

Before I train I will take ibuprofen so I dont exacerbate the problem.

But Im worried about walking on the pavement when its icy out, so I must be completely mad to be doing Dancing On Ice!

Colin says he was aware of what was coming during his career. I knew my knees were going to be a problem but I hadnt started to feel it until I got into my 50s, he says.

I still want an outdoor life. I still want to ski and go snowboarding. Im terrified my lifestyle will be badly affected but also that the everyday things might become difficult.

Colin says that these days, he cant even contemplate the sport that made him famous.

I couldnt clear a hurdle. Forget it. My knees wont let me, he says.

Ive attempted some small hurdles but the next day, my knees were really killing me. I just cant do those things any more.

When Dr Khan told me he may be able to help just before Christmas, I said, Lets give it a go. Ive got nothing to lose.

But this is a degenerative problem and there is huge potential I could end up in a wheelchair without a knee replacement or if the stem cell therapy doesnt work.

Colin realises people will probably think he is crazy for doing Dancing On Ice when the consequences of a fall could be so serious for him.

But he says: I feel that the other parts of my body are strong.

Being an athlete, Ive had so much treatment, injections and surgeries and still competed and had to perform so I am in the same mindset for Dancing On Ice. Its not new to me.

Every day as an athlete, I would perform with injuries and then hobble into bed but then go out the next day and do it all again.

It is something built into you when you have competed at the highest level, but Im not a fool.

Im not going to be like I was at 21 after the treatment, but if I can get 10% better, thats a huge amount of pain relief.

If the therapy doesnt work and Dr Khan says, Stop going to the gym, stop skiing and snowboarding because they are going to wear out your knees, then that would be difficult.

Its on my mind because being sedentary is not a good thing for me.

Its going to be a bitter pill if it comes to that but Im just praying the stem cells work their miracle.

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Dancing on Ice's Colin Jackson to get stem cell op as he's got 'knees of 85-year-old' - Irish Mirror

Advanced Pancreatic Cancer Pipeline Therapeutics and Analysis, 2021 – GlobeNewswire

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Las Vegas, USA, Feb. 01, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Advanced Pancreatic Cancer Pipeline Therapeutics and Analysis, 2021

ERYtech Pharma, GlaxoSmithKline, Galera Therapeutics, Propanc and several other key companies are set to transform the Advanced Pancreatic Cancer Pipeline landscape in the coming years.

DelveInsights, Advanced Pancreatic Cancer Pipeline Insights, 2021 report provides comprehensive insights about 100+ companies and 100+ pipeline drugs in the Advanced Pancreatic Cancer pipeline landscape. It comprises Advanced Pancreatic Cancer pipeline drug profiles, including clinical and non-clinical stage products. It also includes the Advanced Pancreatic Cancer therapeutics assessment by product type, stage, route of administration, and molecule type, and further highlights the inactive Advanced Pancreatic Cancer pipeline products.

Key Advanced Pancreatic Cancer Pipeline Report Highlights

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Advanced Pancreatic Cancer means cancer has spread from where it started or has come back sometime after treatment (recurrence). Advanced Pancreatic Cancer Treatment is usually chemotherapy. Chemotherapy travels via the bloodstream to reach cancer cells, which are in many places throughout the body. This treatment may reduce the tumors or impede their growth and may benefit patients to live longer.

Advanced Pancreatic Cancer Pipeline Therapeutics

The lead product candidate, Eryaspase consists of L-asparaginase encapsulated inside donor-derived red blood cells, targets the cancer cells altered asparagine and glutamine metabolism. Eryaspase is in phase III clinical development for the second-line pancreatic cancer treatment and in phase II for first-line triple-negative breast cancer treatment. Leveraging its proprietary ERYCAPS platform that utilises a novel technology to encapsulate drug substances inside red blood cells, ERYtech develops a pipeline of product candidates for patients with high unmet medical needs.

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Key Questions regarding Current Advanced Pancreatic Cancer Treatment Landscape and Emerging Therapies Answered in the Pipeline Report

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Advanced Pancreatic Cancer Pipeline Therapeutics and Analysis, 2021 - GlobeNewswire

How Do We Regain Trust in Institutions? – The New York Times

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MISTRUSTWhy Losing Faith in Institutions Provides the Tools to Transform ThemBy Ethan Zuckerman

In his new book, Mistrust, Ethan Zuckerman takes us on a kaleidoscopic tour of everyone from Gandhi to Bitcoin enthusiasts, Brexit voters to Black Lives Matter activists people and groups whom he calls insurrectionists because they are trying to overthrow or work around what has been a worldwide decline in social trust. Fighting this erosion from another direction are the institutionalists, those who seek to bolster trust and prevent any further crumbling.

Zuckerman, the former director of the M.I.T. Center for Civic Media, writes with the tone of a sobered-up insurrectionist whos come to see in Donald Trump, QAnon and antimask activists the dark side of a society in which all trust is lost and anything goes. Rather than liberation, Zuckerman correctly explains, this systematic distrust has proved to be a blessing for authoritarians around the world who have only further undermined traditional arbiters of truth (say, journalists) in order to open the way to their own propaganda. He offers the particularly absurdist example that in Vladimir Putins Russia, so all-encompassing is the leaders control that many Russians see the mere fact that a dissident leader like Alexey Navalny hasnt been murdered (yet) as evidence that he doesnt represent a real opposition force.

Its clear Zuckerman hasnt abandoned his insurrectionist sympathies for those trying to work outside a system they see as irreparably broken. He writes sympathetically about plainly loopy ideas like seasteading (the libertarian fantasy of building floating communities outside the reach of established states) and using the same blockchain technology that powers cryptocurrency to establish new virtual nation-states.

But he seems to find most promising those activists with more conventionally progressive politics who embrace new tactics. He offers the fascinating story of the Association for the Empowerment of Workers and Peasants in India, along with the more familiar tales of Bryan Stevenson and the success of digital activists in reshaping coverage of law enforcement.

One of his big examples is the Black Lives Matter movement. Citing research from his former lab at M.I.T., he notes that after Michael Browns death and the protests in Ferguson, police killings of people of color were 11 times more likely to receive media coverage than deaths that preceded Browns. Media stories also became far more likely to cover a story not as an isolated incident but as part of a pattern of police violence against people of color.

Zuckermans heroes have what he calls strong internal efficacy (they believe they can do things) but low external efficacy (they think political leaders dont care about them). So they operate outside the system, pressuring retailers to change their approach to selling firearms, decentralizing institutions or shifting media coverage.

#MeToo is a different kind of movement, he writes. Sexual assault and harassment have been illegal for years, so its main demands are for changes not in law but in norms.

This feels like an unsatisfactory effort to rebrand failure as success. The social media phenomenon revealed that conduct short of assault but still deeply troubling to its victims is fairly widespread in American life. And nothing fundamentally changed no alteration to legal liability rules for employers, managers or bystanders, for example to redress that situation. I hope that norms have changed, but theres no clear evidence that they really have. Much-deserved Pulitzer Prizes were won, but crack investigative journalists exposing predators one by one is a not a viable fix.

This is where Zuckerman himself lands when considering the coronavirus pandemic and where he illustrates best the limits of the insurrectionists: Actual functioning institutions became indispensable, and couldnt simply be worked around with internal efficacy and digital savvy.

Recounting a conversation with the activist Eli Pariser, Zuckerman proclaims himself a resurrectionist who believes that we need institutions that deserve our passionate support and defense, and if the institutions we rely on now do not clear that bar, we need to demand new ones that take their place. That seems correct and sensible, though it perhaps raises the question of what the point was in introducing the dichotomy in the first place.

Zuckerman concludes his book by saying that we are likely to find that institutions fail when we no longer recognize ourselves as a single nation, when we no longer feel responsibility for or obligation to our fellow citizens.

Out of context, one could imagine that flowing from the pen of Stephen Miller as part of a denunciation of globalist preoccupation with asylum seekers and the perfidious work of the 1619 Project in tearing down our common culture. In the course of a book that praises the protests that halted Trumps zero tolerance immigration initiative and casually tosses off an endorsement of Ta-Nehisi Coatess case for reparations, Im quite sure thats not what he means. But in many respects the divide between a call for unity that can be read as nationalistic and one that can be understood as cosmopolitan is the real split in the world today.

Another way of thinking about institutional trust is precisely in terms of that divide.

Major institutions have long been led primarily by the members of an educated elite. But its only over the past generation or so that college graduates with cosmopolitan attitudes have become a large enough share of the population that educated peoples sensibilities could be a force in mass politics. Consequently, today institutional leaders face meaningful pressure often from some of the young, college-educated activists whom Zuckerman valorizes like David Hogg, fighting for gun control, and Alicia Garza of Black Lives Matter to use their power to reflect and act on those views. But when they yield, they face fierce backlash from a populist right rooted in the cultural sensibilities of older, whiter, generally less-educated people.

Meanwhile, there are those who feel caught between these worldviews: the working-class people of color who largely eschew left-wing radical chic and feel the pull of things like patriotism and traditional gender norms without wanting to hop on a right-wing bandwagon inflected with racism and indifference to the material needs of the lower class. These are precisely the people with the least direct access to media attention or the political process. They are the ones, more than the insurrectionists of left or right, that institutional leaders need to find a way to better serve if they want to preserve their power and restore their legitimacy.

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How Do We Regain Trust in Institutions? - The New York Times

Swedish film festival to screen on remote island for audience of one – Reuters

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STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Scandinavias biggest film festival is going ahead this year despite the coronavirus pandemic, but will be hosted on an isolated island and admit only one attendee - a healthcare worker, selected from 12,000 applicants.

Swedish nurse and film fan Lisa Enroth was chosen to be the 2021 Gothenburg Film Festivals castaway who will spend a week on the remote island of Pater Noster watching film after film.

In healthcare I seem to have spent ages listening, testing and consoling. I feel like Im drained of energy, Enroth said.

Pater Noster, on the boundary of a dense archipelago offSwedens west coat, is known for its lighthouse.

The wind, the sea, the possibility of being part of a totally different kind of reality for a week all this is really attractive, said Enroth, who will keep a daily video diary that will appear on the festivals website.

The festivals CEO Mirja Wester said: It feels particularly right to be able to give this unique experience to one of the many heroes of the healthcare system who are all working so hard against COVID-19.

Reporting by Colm Fulton; Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky

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Swedish film festival to screen on remote island for audience of one - Reuters

Tropical Snowstorm Drops 12"+ on Hawaii Island – Weatherboy

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A snowboarder takes a break and soaks in the view of a snowy Hawaii atop Mauna Kea. Maui appears in the distance with the clouds. Image: Weatherboy

Not to be outdone by the incredible atmospheric river event that dumped more than 7 feet of snow in the Sierra Nevada earlier this week or the potential of blizzard-like conditions in the Mid Atlantic beginning this weekend, Hawaii got in on the wintertime weather action with its own snowstorm this week.While most people dont associate the tropical paradise Hawaii is known for with snow, theyre surprised to learn that it does snow in the winter due to the elevation of these volcanic peaks. Mauna Kea is the highest of the bunch at 13,803 feet. Mauis Haleakala is much lower at 10,023 feet. Because of that difference, Hawaii Island will see snow more frequently than the lower Maui Island. Just one storm last January dropped 2-3 feet of snow on Hawaii Island and created snow drifts that were far deeper.

On Sunday, the National Weather Service in Honolulu on the island of Oahu, which is responsible for issuing forecasts and advisories for the entire Aloha State, issued a Winter Storm Watch for Hawaii Islands Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa, the two highest volcanoes on the Big Island. Eventually, winter storm warning conditions appeared by Monday night, dumping more than a foot of snow some locals refer to as pineapple powder. Strong, gusty winds of more than 30 mph also whipped up the snow, creating white-out conditions in the areas being impacted by the heavy snow.

While heavy snow fell on the freezing cold higher elevations of Hawaii, soaking rains flooded portions of Hawaii, especially the eastern side of the island where bands of heavy rain marched through off the tropical Pacific. Glenwood recorded 7.82 within 24 hours while Mountain View saw 7.33; 7 fell in Kapapala Ranch while 6.99 of rain was recorded at the USGS gauge at Saddle Quarry.

While crews cleared roads of flood related debris on Tuesday, a snow removal crew got busy on Mauna Kea. While the site is visited by tourists, Hawaiian cultural practitioners, and of course, winter sports enthusiasts in the winter, the area just below the summit of Mauna Kea is home to some of the most powerful and advanced telescopes on Earth. To make sure technicians and related astronomers have access to the facilities on the mountain, crews work diligently to plow and blow the snow off the roads.

The Hawaiian landscape, dotted with telescopes of different types and sizes, saw a fresh 1-2 feet of snow this week. With the access road now plowed out, winter sports fans had a full day to play in what locals refer to as pineapple powder. #HIwx pic.twitter.com/AAVirCfcIw

the Weatherboy (@theWeatherboy) January 29, 2021

By Wednesday morning, most of the roads to and around the summit were clear of snow, giving members of the astronomy community the chance to drive up nearly 14,000 feet to work in the sky. However, freezing fog and light snow shower activity returned later in the day, forcing rangers that patrol the mountain to close down the access road to visitors once again.

On Thursday, with clear blue skies over Hawaiis Big Island and clear, dry roads available to the summit, the mountain was once again open to visitors.

While many visitors simply looked around in awe of the wintry beauty and were busy taking pictures and shooting video, sports enthusiasts of different skill sets took to the slopes to enjoy the snow.

Near a small plowed-out parking area close to the summit, families brought their children to sled around a 20 gentle slope. Beginner skiers and snowboarders also used this bunny hill to get acclimated to sliding around in the snow and the altitude. At altitudes greater than 9,000 feet, altitude sickness could become problematic to even the most physically fit people.

About two dozen snowboarders and a few skiers took to the slopes, gliding down the snow-covered volcanic terrain around the telescopes at Mauna Keas peak on Thursday afternoon. Captain Cook, Hawaiis Tai Johnson tells us hell try to come to the peak and snowboard for the 1 or 2 big winter snowstorms that hit the area. Also an avid surfer of the Kona side surf spots, Johnson says its also possible to surf and snowboard in the same day. Its a lot to go from the beach all the way to almost 14,000 feet, which will do a number on you. He adds, But you can totally go surfing and come back here when its slushier in the evening.

There is no infrastructure to support winter sports: no restrooms, no lodge, no equipment rentals, and no lifts. Locals take pick-up trucks to the summit and give each other rides back up the snowboardable slopes.

We call it the local lift; its a free lift; its hitch-hiking with your thumb, Johnson said. And its friendly enough where everyone will give you a ride. He already enjoyed 20 rides down and up the mountain and says he can go down and up upwards of 50 times a day as long as his knees hold up.

Beyond shuttling snowboarders and skiers around the summit slopes, the pick-up trucks also come in handy to haul snow to lower elevations. Because of the high altitude, not everyone can handle the thin air where the snow falls. And with typical Hawaiian outfits consisting of slippers and shorts, many dont have any winter attire appropriate for the summit where temperatures may only top out in the 20s on snow-covered days. Because of this, many will load up their trucks with snow and haul it down to waiting friends and family in warmer locations on the island. While the temperatures was near 30 during our visit at the summit, temperatures were in the low 80s on Hawaiis sunny beaches.

In this weeks storm, both Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa were covered in snow. While the roads at the summit are improved to normal highway standards on Mauna Kea to deal with the astronomy related traffic there, the same isnt true for Mauna Loa. Mauna Loa, known as the worlds largest active volcano, is located across from Mauna Kea on Hawaiis Big Island. While its larger in volume than Mauna Kea, its a tad bit shorter, standing up at 13,678 feet compared to Mauna Keas 13,803. Because Mauna Loa is an active volcano and Mauna Kea isnt, there isnt much in the way of buildings or telescopes on it. While there are science stations and the HI-SEAS Lunar / Mars simulating lab are on Mauna Loa, a single narrow road rides up the slope and it stops short of the summit. With poor access to the snow there, it doesnt have the same draw as Mauna Kea does.

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Tropical Snowstorm Drops 12"+ on Hawaii Island - Weatherboy

London’s Retired Tube Trains Live on an Island – Atlas Obscura

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Though it lies just a few miles off Englands southern coast, the curious, diamond-shaped Isle of Wight seems to exist in another era entirely. Once a beloved vacation destination for Victorian visitors, the island still reachable only by boat from the mainlandremains a British family holiday favorite that capitalizes on the kitschy seaside charm of yesteryear.

But the end of an era on the Isle of Wight is approaching. The islands train line, whose rolling stock has consisted exclusively of former London Underground carriages from the 1930s, is undergoing its biggest transformation in a generation.

Taken out of service in London in 1988, these Tube cars were moved to the Isle of Wights Island Line to see out their final days, which made them Britains oldest passenger trains in regular operation. But after 82 years of service, the time for retirement has come. In true Isle of Wight style, the decade dial is stuck somewhere in the past. From April 2021, the Island Lines vintage 1930s fleet will be replaced with new trainsformer Tube carriages from the 1980s.

The Island Line is not a museum and yet was operated by trains that are several decades older than can be found anywhere else on the network, and older even than much of the stock on many heritage railways, says Richard Long, author of Ryde Rail: A History of Tube Trains on the Isle of Wight.

The use of London Underground trains on the Isle of Wight can be traced back to a single tunnel. The island was one of the last places in the country to operate steam trains, which ran until 1967. As part of the electrification overhaul, the trackbed in a tunnel in Ryde, at the lines northern end, was raised to prevent flooding. This seemingly minor change decreased the clearance of the tunnel by 10 inches, meaning British Rails standard-size trains would no longer fit through. Seeking smaller alternatives, the government found the perfect option in a place where space is at a premium: the London Underground. The 1938 trainsClass 483 Electric Multiple Units, to give them their proper post-Underground namewere the second set of former Tube cars introduced to the Isle of Wight; the first Tube trains used on the Island from 1967 to 1992 were called Standard Stock, built in the 1920s.

With bright bauxite-red livery, metal- and teak-trimmed interiors and manual tip-out windows, the 1938 carriages were classic Art Deco. But soon style would be swapped for stamina.

The 38 Stock is the last train that you might describe as pretty inside, says Chris Nix, Assistant Director for Collections and Engagement at the London Transport Museum. Im going to get hate mail for saying that. After this generation of Tube trains, he says, a lot of the fixtures and fittings become more functional and are designed to stand up to abuse rather than being attractive.

Before arriving on the Isle of Wight, the Class 483s were refurbished and stripped of some of their original ornate features to make them more durable. But if you missed the chance to ride in one of the 1930s carriages on the Isle of Wight, the London Transport Museum is home to the best remaining example, acquired with the original Art Deco fixtures in situ, including waxy wooden floors, brooding forest-green interiors, ventilation grilles with swirling loops around a London Underground bullseye roundel, and shovel glass lamps, so named for the shape of the light cover. The Museum also has a four-car set at its depot in Acton, west London, which occasionally runs on heritage outings.

Some of the 38 Stock thats pulled from the Isle of Wights line could end up on the scrap heap. Others may join a heritage railway line northeast of London. And one will join the museum of the Isle of Wight Steam Railway, the islands only other train service.

We expect that it will be a popular addition, and that, in time, our visitors will be able to enjoy traveling aboard a 483 on the Island once again, says Steve Backhouse, general manager of the Isle of Wight Steam Railway. The unit will spend most of its time as a museum exhibit; however, we hope that it can run on the line during special events.

The Isle of Wight hasnt had any brand new trains since the 1800s, but thanks to a 26 million ($36 million) investment, former Tube trains from the late 1970s and early 1980s will soon arrive on the Island Line. Vivarail, a British company that designs and manufactures trains, has refurbished the carriages to make them more than just hand-me-downs. The updated D Stock will bring in free wi-fi, USB charging and, most importantly, a more reliable service.

Its sad to see the 38s go, but you can see that they are really tired now, and bless them, they need to be retired, Nix says. Its sweet that three generations of Tube trains have gone on their holidays and will see out their retirement running on the Isle of Wight.

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London's Retired Tube Trains Live on an Island - Atlas Obscura