COVID-free islands express fears over inter-island travel – EyeWitness News

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NASSAU, BAHAMAS Residents across several islands with no COVID-19 infections to date are nervous about inter-island travel, and the possibility of exposure as they try to get back to some form of normalcy.

San Salvador and Ragged Island remain the only major islands that have yet to record a case of the virus, along with Harbour Island, Spanish Wells, Long Cay, Chub Cay, and Rum Cay.

Long Island recorded its first case on Sunday.Mayaguana recorded its first two cases on Monday.

Myron Lockhart-Bain, a Ragged Island resident, told Eyewitness News yesterday that there is a level of semi-paranoia over the possibility that the island could be exposed to the virus.

He noted, however, that because things on the island have been halted since Hurricane Irma ravaged it in September 2017, there is a lower chance of exposure.

We COVID-free and we dont control that factor of it, Lockhart-Bain said.

We might just be lucky.We have the mailboat come every week. We havent been getting too many people coming to the island, or transfer through the mailboat other than three people who are living here.

And we havent had the influx of fishing boats that we usually get this time of the year.

He noted that residents on the island are trying to follow social distancing and mask-wearing protocols as best as possible among themselves, given the very small community.

There are approximately 50 residents currently living on the island.

The island still has no public school, police station, clinic, or administrators office since it was devastated by Hurricane Irma in September 2017.

San Salvador resident and fisheries officer Bruce Niro saidthat many residents on that island are happy and relieved there have been no positive cases and want to make sure the island remains COVID-free.

Niro noted that while everyone who comes to the island is required to take a COVID-19 test, residents also want assurances that those people will quarantine for 14-days as well.

Speaking to the restart of domestic travel and Bahamians visiting from other islands, Niro said: We dont want them here.

We cant stop you as a Bahamian, but we dont want you here, he said.

If you are a San Salvadorian then we cant really say anything about it. But if you are from another island, you really aint welcomed because we dont know what youre bringing in.

He urged Bahamians throughout the country to stay home, wear masks, and practice safe social distancing.

We dont want you mixing or interacting or coming here on the island, Niro continued.

We like the way it is right now.

Even for visitors where you have private airplanes or private boats, they may come here with their COVID-19 tets, but I feel they should still be quarantined for 14-days.

Niro noted that with the temporary closure of Club Med, many people on the island are now unemployed.

However, he said with the recent reopening of the restaurants, bars, and number houses, the economy is starting to move again.

Lynton Pinder, designated administrator for Spanish Wells, Harbour Island, and North Eleuthera Proper, said the residents on the untouched islands are happy but cautious.

I think everyone is concerned to be quite honest, Pinter told Eyewitness News in a recent interview.

The Bahamas is a very small country and we have friends and family all over the islands.

We hear the stories of persons who have been affected, persons that have been sending out voice notes warning others to adhere to the health and safety protocols and basically stay home.

[People] would like to see things get back to normal, however, we know its going to be a new normal for now.

We are happy but cautious.

Pinder said inter-island travel in Eleuthera continues daily with the mailboat and ferries, insisting that residents in districts such as North Eleuthera still have to get to other settlements for essential items.

You have persons who want to completely isolate, you have persons who want to open up but want very strict measures under which they are to be guided, and then you have other persons that are just wanting to get back to normal and have a free-for-all, he said.

There is a variety of emotions and the approaches are various.

He insisted however that it would be unfair to stop transportation and disenfranchise some residents from their needs.

Pinder urged residents in Eleuthera to continue to stay vigilant and follow all protocols.

You have to protect yourself in order to protect others and frontline workers.

He applauded frontline workers in North Eleuthera for the tremendous job they have done in managing mitigation efforts to stop the spread of the virus.

Last week, Prime Minister Dr. Hubert Minnis had announced an immediate seven-day lockdown of New Providence. The move was repealed one day later.

Minnis sought to defend his decision, insisting that it was being made to contain the explosion of cases on the island and prevent Family Islands with older populations from being exposed.

In just two months, the novel coronavirus has spread to nearly every major island of The Bahamas.

As of July 1, there were 104 cases of the virus dispersed across four islands New Providence with 82, Grand Bahama with eight, Bimini with 13, and Cat Cay with one case.

Grand Bahama saw a rapid rise in cases around July 14, just two weeks after the resumption of internationalcommercial carriers.

Since the country reopened its border to international travel, 2,337 COVID-19 cases have been recorded across 14 major islands with 102 cases pending locations.

Of the confirmed COVID-19 cases, 1,476 have been confirmed in New Providence, 557 in Grand Bahama, 71 in Abaco, 54 confirmed in Bimini, 20 in Exuma, 15 cases in the Berry Islands, 11 confirmed cases in Inagua, eight in Cat Island, seven in Eleuthera, seven in Acklins, three in Long Island, two in Andros, two in Crooked Island, two in Mayaguana, and 102 confirmed cases with locations pending.

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COVID-free islands express fears over inter-island travel - EyeWitness News

PAHO: Infection rates among healthcare workers alarming in region – EyeWitness News

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NASSAU, BAHAMAS Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO) Dr Carissa Etienne yesterday urged countries in the region to take necessary steps to protect healthcare workers, whose rate of infection treating patients with the novel coronavirus has been alarming.

The scale of this pandemic is unprecedented and no other group has felt this more acutely than the very men and women who make up our health workforce, Etienne said during a virtual press briefing.

Our health workers are our heroes.

They are working longer hours than ever before under more stressful conditions than any of us could imagine, often making extraordinary personal sacrifices as they risk their own safety to help patients in need.

The PAHO director pointed out that while healthcare workers make up a small percentage of populations, data reflects that almost 570,000 of them across the region have become infected and more than 2,500 have died from the virus.

In The Bahamas, at least 72 healthcare workers have been infected with COVID-19, according to data presented by the Ministry of Health.

This represents three percent of the total infections in the country.

In Canada, healthcare workers represent 25 percent of COVID-19 cases.

In the United States and Mexico, healthcare workers represent one in every seven cases.

According to Etienne, the two countries account for some 85 percent of all COVID-19 deaths among health care workers in the region.

Women, who are the majority of our health workforce, have been disproportionately affected, she said.

Nearly three-quarters of health workers diagnosed in our region with COVID-19 are women.

These numbers are alarming and they beg the question, why are so many health workers becoming infected?

She said one explanation is as several regional countries scrambled to respond to the virus, healthcare workers were directed to the outbreak response without sufficient training to protect themselves while treating infected patients.

She also said in some jurisdictions hospitalized patients who were seeking care for other conditions were exposed to the virus early on as those countries took too long to implement proper protocols.

Etienne did not name these countries, but said in Chile for example 70 percent of health workers were worried about contracting COVID-19, particularly early on in the outbreak when personal protective equipment (PPEs) dwindled and they were forced to reuse masks and other equipment.

Last month, more than 50 Princess Margaret Hospital technicians walked off the job, raising concerns over a lack of adequate supplies of PPEs.

But the Public Hospitals Authority has denied claims of insufficient PPEs, assuring supplies have never been under threat.

Asked about additional protection for healthcare workers on Tuesday, Minister of Health Renward Wells said while he did not know there was an issue among healthcare workers, other essential service workers were being challenged

He said: We are in contact with those requisite ministries seeking to ensure that the health protocols are being carried out in those essential services. You would look at an essential service like the police for instance.

You would find that police officers, they use a particular firearm, they turn that firearm in and another police officer who may come on shift or on duty will take that firearm.

So, we need to look at all those practices that we may not have taken into consideration to ensure frequently touched items are always sanitized.

Trend

According to Etienne, after months of unrelenting spread, cases have begun to stabilize in the United States and Brazil, though the two countries continue to record the highest number of new daily infections a sign that transmission remains active.

However, the PAHO director said cases in the Caribbean continue to surge.

She pointed out The Bahamas has recorded 50 percent more cases of the virus in the last two weeks.

Two weeks ago, there were 1,531 cases in The Bahamas.

Another 806 cases have been recorded since then, pushing the total to 2,337 as of Tuesday.

According to PAHO officials, the virus will remain for years to come and countries must continue to shore up healthcare capacity for this pandemic and future health crises.

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PAHO: Infection rates among healthcare workers alarming in region - EyeWitness News

Latin America & The Caribbean – Weekly Situation Update (24-30 August 2020) As of 31 August 2020 – Bahamas – ReliefWeb

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REGIONAL: COVID-19

Cases are referenced from PAHO/WHO 30 August COVID-19 Report - https://bit.ly/2O25YQw

As of 30 August, PAHO/WHO reports 7,242,000 cases and 274,394 deaths in Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as 5,433,263 recovered cases.

KEY FIGURES

7.2M CONFIRMED COVID-19 CASES IN LATIN AMERICA & THE CARIBBEAN AS OF 30 AUGUST

70% OF REPORTED COVID-19 DEATHS IN THE AMERICAS IN PEOPLE OVER 60 YEARS OLD

REGIONAL UPDATE

According to PAHO/WHO, the vast majority of COVID-19 cases reported are among people between 20 and 59 years of age, while almost 70 per cent of deaths are occurring in people over 60 years old, indicating that the younger demographics are driving the spread in the region. PAHO/WHO is concerned for the recent spike in cases in the Caribbean, which had originally avoided major outbreaks prior to resuming nonessential air travel to restart the economy; The Bahamas observed a 60 per cent increase compared to the previous week, while Sint Maarten, Trinidad and Tobago and the US Virgin Islands all reported 25 per cent increases following resumed air travel. Despite these increases in the Caribbean, PAHO/WHO note that there are encouraging signs and proof that countries have the tools to cut down on the spread of COVID-19.

These efforts include contact tracing in Argentina, The Bahamas, Guatemala, Dominica and Suriname, as well as data-driven localized approaches in Chile and Costa Rica that are leading to fewer daily cases.

SOUTH AMERICA: COVID-19

KEY FIGURES

871 DEATHS PER EVERY 1 MILLION INHABITANTS IN PERU, THE HIGHEST RATE IN THE WORLD

PERU

Peru now has the worlds highest rate of COVID-19 deaths per every 1 million inhabitants with 871, ahead of Spain, the United Kingdom, Italy, Chile and the United States. Although Peru reports more than 28,000 deaths, the National Death Information System (SINADEF) is reporting that Peru likely has more than 70,000 deaths linked to COVID-19, saying that there are thousands of deaths suspected to be due to COVID-19 that have not yet been included in Government reports.SINADEFs COVID-19 death count since March 2020 already exceeds the number of deaths recorded during Perus internal armed conflict between 1980 and 1990, which had been the deadliest period in Perus history.

ECUADOR

With transmission rates declining in 22 of its 24 provinces, Ecuador will not declare any additional state of exception after 12 September. The expiration means that the National Emergency Operations Committee (COEN) will no longer have any legal basis for imposing restrictions as response measures, such as curfews or bans on public gatherings. COEN and the Government are already urging people to take personal responsibility via a public health awareness campaign.

CENTRAL AMERICA & MEXICO: COVID-19

KEY FIGURES

80K PRIVATE SECTOR JOBS LOST IN EL SALVADOR DUE TO CONFINEMENT

EL SALVADOR

El Salvador has reported declining daily cases for more than 20 days, going from a record high 449 new cases on 9 August to below 100. Local media indicates that the number of recovered patients has been higher than the number of new cases.The downward trend comes as the country resumes activities in an economy that lost more than 80,000 private sector during confinement.End-of-year projections from a private enterprise association say that this number could reach 140,000. Rising remittances may help offset this potential impact; according to the Central Reserve Bank, July remittances totalled US$533 million, up from the $287 million received in April, indicating that Salvadorans abroad are also resuming normal work activities.

MEXICO

With more than 30 million students starting the school year through virtual classes, remote learning remains inviable for indigenous communities in the southern states of Chiapas, Guerrero and Oaxaca.Officials in Chiapas say the Governments virtual education model poses a challenge for the states 1.5 million students, as many do not have access to the required signal. Oaxaca statistics show that one in four homes do not own a television. About 65 per cent of Guerreros population lacks internet access, a number that rises as high as 90 per cent in rural areas, home to more than 600 mostly indigenous communities.

CARIBBEAN: COVID-19

KEY FIGURES

413K TOURISM WORKER LIVELIHOODS IN THE CARIBBEAN AFFECTED BY RESTRICTION MEASURES

REGIONAL

According to ILO, almost half a million Caribbean tourism workers will face hardships due to job losses and reduced working hours and salaries, all while working in increasingly precarious conditions amid the COVID-19 pandemic. On average, tourism contributes up to 33 per cent of the regions GDP, with the industry providing direct employment to some 413,000 workers in the Caribbean.

GUYANA

Guyana continues to see a worrying increase in COVID-19 cases, with authorities attributing the recent case surge to increased testing distribution across the country, especially in Regions One, Four, Seven and Nine.These regions are witnessing higher rates of infection, especially in the hinterland One and Nine regions, where indigenous communities account for 62 per cent and 89 per cent of the population, respectively. These highly impoverished communities have limited access to healthcare, water and sanitation.Despite the increased distribution resulting in increased testing outside the capital of Georgetown and its home region of Region Four, test processing will remain centralised at the National Reference Laboratory, as other regions facilities lack the capacity and technical skills.

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Latin America & The Caribbean - Weekly Situation Update (24-30 August 2020) As of 31 August 2020 - Bahamas - ReliefWeb

Spas, gyms and outdoor exercise still prohibited – Bahamas Tribune

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By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

While the Bahamas Government is slowly opening up the economy in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, spas, gyms and outdoor exercise groups are still on the prohibited list.

Joel Stubbs, president of the Bahamas Bodybuilding and Fitness Federation, expressed his concerns yesterday for the sporting events remaining closed.

Many businesses were allowed to reopen their doors to the public and of course, we were hoping that the gym doors would have opened also, Stubbs said.

Unfortunately we will have to wait a little while longer to safely enjoy something we truly love doing which is working out to keep the body healthy and fit.

Stubbs revealed that they sent letters to the Office of the Prime Minister, Attorney General, Minister of Sports, Minister of Health, Deputy Prime Minister and other Ministry of Health COVID-19 advisors requesting a meeting, gym facility inspection, viewing or some consideration from April 2020 and to date they have not had any response, acknowledgement or return calls.

Apart from the athletes and clients suffering, the rent, utilities and maintenance bills have not stopped, employees cannot be paid and their families are affected and gym owners have not been given any type of stimulus package of financial assistance, hence many may have to close their doors for good, Stubbs said.

At this junction, whereas businesses that propose a much higher risk in terms of crowding, lack of sanitation or COVID-19 protocol monitoring, closeness of one-on-one services and have no benefits of improving health have been allowed to open, we ask why in spite of all the efforts made have our gym facilities still been denied opening.

With at least 10 major gym facilities in New Providence and another five in Grand Bahama, Stubbs said to date, according to the Ministry of Health reports, there were no COVID-19 positives traced back to a gym facility, nor a gym member, trainer or owner.

In addition we see the newspaper articles highlighting the fact that obesity has risen during the COVID-19 lockdowns, many of the COVID-19 victims were in poor health and had pre-existing conditions as a result of poor fitness lifestyles and the fact that the most susceptible persons to the COVID-19 are those with weakened immune systems and poor fitness lifestyles, he stated.

Yet the gym facilities and personnel that can help to correct these national concerns and be proactive in the healing and preventative health of the Bahamian people have been forced to close, first ones to close and the last to open.

Stubbs said their plea is in no way political or intended to undermine the nations leaders or those in authority. But he said the health of a nation is the wealth of a nation and not only do gyms play a vital part to this equation, but the gym owners contribute to the local economy and their athletes have taken the islands of the Bahamas to the world.

He said all of this can still be accomplished safely obeying the rules and protocols given.

But with the gyms, including the fitness centres remaining closed, Stubbs said it would also have an adverse effect on their Novice and National Bodybuilding Championships and subsequently the Central American and Caribbean Bodybuilding Championships.

As for the Novice/Nationals, persons/athletes have been putting in the time as best they can in remaining fit and in stage competition shape so to be eligible in representing The Bahamas at this years CAC games in Bridgetown, Barbados, Stubbs said.

This comes as no surprise, we are and forever will be a power dynamic in bodybuilding in the Caribbean. The Bodybuilding and Fitness International Federation have provided guidelines in which a competition can be had with all the necessary safety protocols including distancing of athletes on stage.

Stubbs, who earned his professional a winner of the CAC Championships in 2003 in Nassau, said they saw a few competition in the month of July with a number of international competition in which all guidelines were observed and complied with.

Thats the same platform we intend to utilize here in October for our event, said Stubbs, about the projected date they had set for the Nationals. Of course, all emergency orders given and MOH Directives takes precedence.

We the executives and members are anxiously awaiting permission to get back to our third sanctuary so as to safely give persons that opportunity to gain their professional status or just simply the ability to triumphantly become victorious on the local home front amongst their pairs; whatever their desires are.

While they are still waiting on the clearance from the Ministry of Health officials to resume their activities, Stubbs indicated that they would hope that the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture will honor their financial commitment to the BBF so that they can salvage the season and be in a position to finish off the unprecedented 2020 on a strong note.

Thank you to our few sponsors, the media houses, the government and mostly to our Almighty God for keeping us through this pandemic and the ongoing times of uncertainty, Stubbs summed up. We know we are a strong people and with Gods help, wisdom and guidance, this to shall pass.

Stubbs, the uncle of Bahamian Olympic 400 metre champion, was once listed as possessing the biggest back in the world as he made a successful transformation from playing basketball after suffering an injury to competing in bodybuilding as he worked on getting through his rehabilitation.

He said as the Bahamas is one the of the regions leaders in the sport of bodybuilding and fitness and indeed many other sporting disciplines, the BBFF is still planning on attending the CAC Bodybuilding and Fitness Championships in November in Barbados with the hopes of regaining its championship form.

But he said they are hoping that they can be allowed to get their competitors back into the gyms training so that they can properly prepare themselves.

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Spas, gyms and outdoor exercise still prohibited - Bahamas Tribune

Blockchain in the Bahamas and the Future – EconoTimes

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The cryptocurrency community has been hoping for the day that they finally enter the mainstream financial world. This week saw the first occurrence of this since blockchain currency made its debut public offering back in 2009, with the Central Bank of the Bahamas including the countrys own cryptocurrency, the Sand Dollar, on their balance sheet for April. The sum that was included is relatively small, but the fact it was included is monumental and will be seen as one small step for backers of blockchain.

Weve seen a variety of reports this year stating that many banks and financial institutions across the globe are looking into blockchain projects. While these are all still very much in the testing phase, its still moving things in the right direction. Its no illusion that blockchain is making an impact on the public and gone are the days when it was considered to be an online currency used for shady transactions. Things are moving quickly.

A lack of trust between the public and government is reflected in the trust between the public and central banks. With a sharp rise in the number of ebanks offering a service that makes traditional banking norms look outdated, its no wonder cryptocurrencies are surging in popularity. Customers are wondering why they pay for transfers and are being charged fees for holding their money in a bank, when they could go to an e-bank or use a blockchain currency and handle their finances independently without charge.

The equivalent of $48,000 that was reported by the Bahaman Central Bank has caused a stir, with different bodies giving their opinion on how cryptocurrency should be reported. The lack of clarity is a global issue, with industry regulators such as the Association of Internal Certified Professional Accountants (AICPA), the Financial Standards Board (FSB), the Bank of International Settlements (BIS), and the Public Company ACcounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) trying to iron out the ambiguity that has arisen. While there are many working on this issue, its a long way away from being resolved and a blueprint being laid out accounting for cryptocurrencies.

The question for regulators is how to fit these new financial instruments into a system that has been dealing with traditional currency classifications for years. Does it make sense to categorize the varying currencies into one system and then treat them the same? As cryptocurrencies continue to grow and influence the mainstream market, as the Sand Dollar project has done, central banks need to think how they are going to handle digital currencies. From China to the Bahamas, governments are wising up and investing in the modernisation of financial systems.

But its not just banks. Weve seen a growing number of cryptocurrency trading platforms popping up online in the last couple of years. The likes of coinbase, Kraken, and Kucoin are changing the shape of the cryptocurrency landscape. Banks simply arent able to compete with Kucoin fees and the low rates applied by these online platforms. Things are moving very quickly and financial institutions need to wise up and accelerate plans for integration of cryptocurrencies.

This article does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors or management of EconoTimes

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Blockchain in the Bahamas and the Future - EconoTimes

Myers calls for paradigm shift in governance and management – EyeWitness News

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NASSAU, BAHAMAS A local businessman and governance reformer said yesterday The Bahamas desperately needs a paradigm shift in the way it is governed and managed.

Robert Myers, the Organisation for Responsible Governances (ORG) principal, underscored the impact of sustained lockdowns and travel bans implemented due to COVID-19 will take years to recover from.

He was commenting on the recently releasedfourthquarter fiscal snapshot and report.

Overall the numbers are not good at all, and frankly, worse than expected as the decline in government revenue was higher than originally estimated, Myerssaid.

The GDP decline will be equally negative and the climb back to sustainability has now been made that much harder with even less head room for any other natural disasters.We need a paradigm shift in the way the Bahamas is governed and managed, as well as a shift in what Bahamians believe the Government should be doing for them.

He continued: The Government can no longer support its artificially inflated labour cost and must determine a way to shift that burden to the private sector by creating private sector jobs and not more taxes. A paramount function of the government is to stimulate the growth and development of its people within the private sector and not within the government.

Myers noted that the destruction of livelihoods,savings and the economy, as a result of the sustained lock downs and travel bans implemented due to COVID-19will take years to recover from, even if the best possible business and economic plan were implemented today.

He said: Unfortunately, the Government has not yet implemented the employment and businessstimulusnecessary to restart the economy in any meaningful way and thus get employment moving again. They have still not improved the ease and cost of doing business.Many of the policies that need to be put in place require a shift in the culture of governance and the people.

Myers noted that the shift in the countrys governance and managementhas to come from within.

As a start, is it not time for the leadership and management of thepublicsector to start leading and dealing with these inefficiencies, corruption and largess? Collectively we must all play our part, remember, it is our country to lose and no one else is to blame, he added.

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BTC ahead of the curve on increased bandwidth demand – EyeWitness News

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NASSAU, BAHAMAS Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) executives said yesterday the company is slightly ahead of the curve on bandwidth demand, having increased network capacity by some 25 percent since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Andre Foster, the companys senior director of technology operations, told Eyewitness News that the company was doing all the right things to ensure that those persons have a reliable and efficient network to work from home and the engage virtual learning platforms due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

We were slightly ahead of the curve as it relates to bandwidth demand. We did start to see an increase in usage of our services in late July early August, Foster said.

In the last 18 months we have made a lot of investment to ensure that we have a much more stable network. We have been moving customers to our fibre to the home footprint; from our legacy network to our state-of-the art fibre to the home network which provides a tremendous amount of additional bandwidth capacity to our subscribers.

He continued: Were pleased that we are not seeing any high utilization that is causing any major congestion. Were also in the process of re-balancing our network meaning, where our capacity demands may be starting to hit certain thresholds we will move that traffic over to other parts of the network where we have capacity headroom.

Since the onset of the pandemic we added about 25 percent additional capacity and we have on order another 10 gigabytes of internet capacity. Thats servicing a combination of both our fixed and mobile networks. We are looking at another 15 percent over the current capacity. That is in the pipeline to delivered before the end of this year or sooner if the demand necessitates.

Foster noted that the company continues to deploy its fibre to the home technology.

We have also upgraded our copper networks in various areas throughout central new Providence to ensure we have a solid connection to households, he said.

Currently we sit in front of 40,000 homes with our fibre to the home footprint. We sit in front of another 10,000-12,000 with our upgraded DSL technology, so close to 50 percent of our homes have been upgraded

Over 50 percent of the network on Grand Bahama is fibre to the home. On New Providence its probably around 30 percent of the homes. Were probably nearing 50 percent of the archipelago being upgraded and every year our intention is to grow that penetration of new upgraded areas by double digits, said Foster.

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BTC ahead of the curve on increased bandwidth demand - EyeWitness News

Registrar General Department Notice Re: The Non-Profit Organizations Act – Finance and Banking – Bahamas – Mondaq News Alerts

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03 September 2020

Bahamas Financial Services Board

To print this article, all you need is to be registered or login on Mondaq.com.

Take Notice of the following:

A. Section 7 of the NPO Act, provides that a Non-ProfitOrganisation shall not carry out its operations unless it isregistered under the NPO Act;

B. Section 2 of the NPO Act defines a Non-Profit Organisation as-

"a body of persons whether incorporated or unincorporated,formed and established for the purpose of promoting public policiesor objects that are religious, charitable, educational, scientific,environmental, historical, cultural, fraternal, literary, sporting,artistic, athletic or promoting health, and whose gross annualincome or any part thereof, if any, and other income are applied tothe promotion of those objects, and there is a prohibition of anydividend or refund of contributions to its members, but excludes areligious or charitably founded school registered with the Ministryof Education, and any organisation with politicalobjectives";

C. When submitting the completed registration form for anunincorporated and incorporated Non-Profit Organisation, thefollowing must be attached to, or fully disclosed in theregistration form -

Applications for registration can be downloaded from theAttorney-General's website athttp://www.bahamas.gov.bs/attorneygeneral or the Registrar GeneralDepartment's website http://www.bahamas.gov.bs/rgd commencingMonday, 25th May, 2020. Completed forms along with supportingdocuments should be submitted to the following email address:nporganisations@bahamas.gov.bs;

D. Registration forms must be completed in full. The Registrarof Non-Profit Organisations accepts no responsibility for anyinformation that is inaccurate or incomplete;

E. Section 7 of the NPO Act provides that a person who carrieson operations without registering commits an offence and is liableon summary conviction to a fine not exceeding ten thousand dollars($10,000.00) or a term of imprisonment not exceeding one year, orto both such fine and term of imprisonment; and

F. Section 25 of the NPO Act provides further, that a financialinstitution or a designated non-financial business and professionshall not open or maintain

for a non-profit organisation unless the organisation hasregistered under the Act and presents evidence of suchregistration.

Dated this 25th day of May, 2020

The content of this article is intended to provide a generalguide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be soughtabout your specific circumstances.

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ICE Robotics Expands Offering With NSA Partnership – CleanLink

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ICE Robotics has introduced the i-Synergy Program, an extended product offering through its partnership with the National Service Alliance (NSA), according to a press release.

ICE Robotics and NSA are helping building service contractors preserve cash flow and provide members financial flexibility during uncertain times with the program, which provides predictability for businesses.

The program is a new way for building service contractors to take advantage of industry leading floor cleaning equipment and lower costs. Some benefits of the program are:

- Special pricing and flexible terms exclusive to members of NSA.

- The elimination of large upfront capital investments through the ICE Robotics Subscription Model, preserving cash flow during times of uncertainty.

- A subscription model that provides access to proactive maintenance, regular software updates, and equipment optimized with lithium ion batteries.

- Intelligent equipment equipped with fleet tracking technology and data to manage usage.

The NSA is excited for the opportunity to provide additional innovations to our members, said the alliance in a press release. "Part of joining our organization is having access to the industrys leading technology and we believe that the i-Synergy program provides a tremendous value to the contract cleaning industry.

Disclaimer: Please note that Facebook comments are posted through Facebook and cannot be approved, edited or declined by CleanLink.com. The opinions expressed in Facebook comments do not necessarily reflect those of CleanLink.com or its staff. To find out more about Facebook commenting please read the Conversation Guidelines.

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Local golf league results and upcoming tournaments around Polk County – The Ledger

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Results from golf league play around Polk County through Aug. 31 with format, date, event and winners by flight or class in alphabetical order.

Big Cypress 18-Hole Ladies, Two Best Balls, Aug. 25: Heidi Aittama/Diana Berube/Darlene Wohlers-Piper/Gail Hanus 144. Closest to pin: No. 5 - Joanne Burkemper.

Cleveland Heights Men's Wednesday, Aug. 26: Green Tee - Paul Boeh plus 1, Meese Ratley even, Lincoln Jacobs and Rick Morrison minus 1; Yellow - Matthew David plus 2, Ron Berry and Ted Thrasher tied at minus 1, Bill Griffith and Mike Rickels both at minus 3. Closest to pin: Green - Woody Blades.

Cleveland Heights Tuesday Men's, Draw and Quota Points, Aug. 25: Kevin Mimbs/Gibson James/Bob Reichert/Bennie Boutwell minus 4, Paul Pelchat/Dick Gebo/Ron Berry/Mike Rickels minus 5, Dennis Compton/Pete Selmon/Joe Albright/Walt Wilson minus 6. Closest to pin: A2 -Paul Pelchat and Kevin Mimbs; A9 - Joe Albright; C8 - Gibson James. Best Over Quota: A - Ken Warren and Dick Gebo plus 1; B - Dennis Compton plus 1; C - Mike Mimnaugh plus 3.

Hamptons Men's, Net Stroke Play, Aug. 25: A Flight - Mark Torr 52, Bill Colclaser 53, Terry Foster 54; B - Earl Kotsonis 58, Joe Schultz 61 on a match of cards over Wayne Smithson. Closest to pin: No. 3 - Bill Spivey; No. 8 - Mark Torr.

Lake Ashton Blue Man Group, Four-Player Best One Net, Aug. 26: Front 9 - Dane Somers/Darrell Saxton/Clyde Kitts/Vince Adamo 24; Mike Ferraro/Jim Fish/Bill Bothwell/Ghost 25; Steve Burrell/Larry Griffin/Jim Jameson/Jerry Getters and Chuck Hunziker/Tom Scali/Don Fuller/Fred Halde tied at 26; Back 9 - Mike Ferraro/Jim Fish/Bill Bothwell/Ghost and George Wilkinson/Steve Haynes/Bob Yeager/Norm Wirtala tied at 29; Steve Burrell/Larry Griffin/Jim Jameson/Jerry Getters 31.

Lake Ashton Ladies 18-Holers, Team Net Stableford Points, Aug. 25: Trish Kellar/Dotty Custenborder/Lynne Abbott/Kay Hwang 149, Jan Baun/Paula Elmers/Joanne McKinley/Nancy Zografos 147, Deb Nettleton/Pam Pagel/Patty Wallner/Sue Buss 141.

Lake Ashton Men's, Florida "Step-A-Side" Scramble, Aug. 26: Harry Krumrie/Ed Hansen/Don Connors/Jim Ford 54.5, Denis Lussier/Jim Capra/Mike Lavigna/Denis Mulhearn 56.3, Gary Pagel/Bob Zelazny/Randall Carpenter/Armand Favreau 57.2.

Lake Bess Friday 4 p.m. Men's Scramble, Random Team Draw, Aug. 28: Doug Wilson/Dan Petrie/Ollen Melvin minus 3. Closest to pin: No. 3 - Bill Bennet; No. 7 - Ollen Melvin.

Lake Bess Tuesday 7 a.m. Mens Scramble, Random Team Draw, Aug. 25: Hoppy Cassady/Dan Petry/Joe Gulini/Neal Mcbride minus 3. Closest to pin: No. 7 - Neal Mcbride.

Lakeland Elks Lodge 1291 Monday League, Lake Bernadette, Aug. 31: Mike Marden plus 3, Bob Lutz plus 2, Dave Norwine plus 1 on a match of cards over Ed Carley. Closest to pin: No. 6 and 11 - Bob Lutz (50/50).

Ridge Men's, Wedgewood, Aug. 27: Paul Forkner plus 4, Tom O'Connor plus 3, Bobby Lasseter, Carroll Lasseter and Elio Hernandez all at minus 1. Closest to pin: No. 4 and 8 - Gary Terrell; No. 11 - Tom O'Connor; No. 15 - Dennis Johnston.

Schalamar Creek Couples', Four-Person Scramble (9 Holes), Aug. 26: First Flight - Gordon Claffey/JoAnne Claffey/Jim Brandeberry/Linda Bushong 34, David Kelter/Kathy Kelter/Al Atwood/Sherry Hand 36.

Schalamar Creek Ladies', Mystery Hole Toss Out (9 Holes), Aug. 25: First Flight - Carol Sutton 35, Barb McLaughlin 37.

Schalamar Creek Men's, Count Best Score From A/D, Count Best Score From B/C, Add Both Scores, Aug. 24: First Flight - Clayt Liljequist/Larry Smith/Don Eby/Dan Heffelfinger 122, George Reimel/Buzz Carnes/Joe McElhenny/Paul Loftis 129.

BARTOW INDIVIDUAL POINTS, Wednesdays, nine holes, make up your own foursome, $17 ($12 green fee and cart), pays all plus scores, night specials in the lounge. Call 863-533-9183.

CLEVELAND HEIGHTS MENS, tee times available 7:30-8:30 a.m. Wednesday through Monday and Friday, groups or individuals welcome, quota points with skins optional, eight to 10 groups now play. Call Paul Boeh at 863-738-4129.

CLEVELAND HEIGHTS TUESDAY WOMENS, every Tuesday, tee times start at 8:30 a.m. Call Shirley Kalck at 863-853-9566.

HUNTINGTON HILLS TWO-ASIDE, Saturdays, 18-Hole Points Quota. Check in by 8:15 a.m. Contact Terri White at 863-5594082 oreagle-2par@aol.com.

HUNTINGTON HILLS WHY WORRY WEDNESDAYS, Nine-Hole Quota Points, 5:15 p.m. shotgun start. Contact Terri White at 863-559-4082 oreagle-2par@aol.com.

LAKELAND MENS SENIOR GOLF, 7:30 a.m. shotgun starts, play against golfers within your handicap. Call Dave Brown at 419-656-5747.

LPGA AMATEUR GOLF ASSOCIATION is looking for women and men to play in weekly Wednesday league and every other Saturday at various courses in the Winter Haven/Lakeland/Orlando and other areas. For more information, email Kathy Mannahan atpjacobs21@tampabay.rr.com.

POLO PARK MENS TUESDAY SCRAMBLE, 7:30 a.m. sign in. Random team draw. 18-Hole. For more information, call Polo Park Pro Shop at 863-424-3341.

POLO PARK MENS SATURDAY SCRAMBLE, 7:30 a.m. sign in. Random team draw. 18-Hole. For more information, call Polo Park Pro Shop at 863-424-3341.

RIDGE MENS THURSDAY QUOTA POINTS TOURNAMENTS, 7:30 a.m. tee time starts. Call Carroll Lasseter at 863-299-5350.

WEDGEWOOD THREE-MAN SCRAMBLE, nine holes; Tuesdays at 5 p.m.; call Marcus at 863-858-4451 by 2:30 p.m. to play.

WEDGEWOOD TWO-ASIDE GAME, 9 a.m. on Wednesdays and Fridays; 18-hole points game with skins and blind draw; call Marcus at 863-858-4451.

WEDGEWOOD MIXED CO-ED SCRAMBLE, 2 p.m. Thursdays. Call Marcus at 863-858-4451 by 1 p.m. to play.

E-mail results of local golf tournaments, aces and upcoming tournaments tomquinn@theledger.com; or mail to Golf News, Ledger Sports Department, P.O. Box 408, Lakeland, Fla., 33802. Include complete scores and league names. Deadline is Monday at 5 p.m.

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Local golf league results and upcoming tournaments around Polk County - The Ledger

Gardenhire: This is not right time to discuss future with Tigers – The Detroit News

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Detroit Potentially, this is the final month of Ron Gardenhires tenure as Tigers manager. His three-year contract is up at the end of this season. Not only has the pandemic cheated him out of 102 games, its also made this one of the most challenging seasons of his 40 years in professional baseball.

So, Saturday seemed as good a time as any to ask him about his future. Has he had any discussions with general manager Al Avila about his future?

No, he said. I dont typically do that during the year. Its not something Im worried about at all, to tell you the truth. I have a contract for three years. Ive not ever come close to talking about that. I dont really want to, not until the season is over.

Ron Gardenhire(Photo: Robin Buckson, Detroit News)

Avila has also not broached the subject. He and Gardenhire have had an easy, comfortable working relationship over these three years and one thing they both agree on is, no contract talk until the season ends.

Gardenhire took the job knowing the Tigers were going into a full rebuild and it was going to be his job to nurture young players and placate veterans on short contracts through the process. It seems almost cruel to ask him to bow out now, just as things are turning around and those prospects he helped bring into the system are getting to the big leagues.

On the other hand, Gardenhire is 62 and the rigors of this season have worn on him, visibly. Whether they have tempered his desire to manage beyond this contract, hes not saying right now.

Im just trying to get through this thing, he said. Its not something I am too awfully worried about either way. Ive been doing this a long, long time. Ill make the decision as we go along, toward the end of this thing.

Gardenhires son Toby was supposed to be managing the Twins Triple-A affiliate in Rochester this season. Instead, he is running the teams taxi squad in St. Paul.

Hes doing good, Ron Gardenhire said. He says he does a lot of driving back and forth to Target Field, like a taxi service. But the camp is going as good as it can go. He enjoys it. He still gets to do baseball, which is important. There are a lot of people who arent.

Toby is having the same issues the Tigers staff is having with their taxi squad thin rosters and the Groundhogs Day tedium of simulated games and live batting practice.

You just have to try and make it a little different each day, Gardenhire said. Its a challenge at times to stay focused. But hes just glad to have a job and be working every day.

The Tigers promoted right-handed pitcher Beau Burrows from Toledo to be the 29th man for the doubleheader Saturday. You never know whats going to happen, Gardenhire said. We are facing a team with a lot of good hitters. If our starters get knocked out early, then you really have to ad-lib with your pitching. We needed to make sure we were protected in that area.

Gardenhire was asked what the biggest challenge was facing the Twins lineup: One through nine, he said.

The Tigers-Twins game that was postponed Friday night will be made up as part of a straight seven-inning doubleheader on Friday, Sept. 4 at Target Field, starting at 2:10 p.m. (ET). Minnesota will be the home team for the first game and the Tigers will be the home team for the second game.

First pitch:Sunday, 1:10 p.m.

TV/radio: FSD, 97.1

RHP Kenta Maeda (4-0, 2.21), Twins: How dominant has he been thus far? Here are opponent batting averages against his top three pitches: slider, .175; change-up, .085; four-seam fastball, .115. His hard-hit rate is among the lowest in baseball 23.6 percent.

RHP Casey Mize (0-1, 7.04), Tigers: In both his starts, Mize has had trouble finding a feel for his cutter. Its a pitch needs to complement and keep hitters honest with his splitter. The Cubs were extremely patient against him, forcing him to throw 76 pitches in just 3.1 innings.

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Gardenhire: This is not right time to discuss future with Tigers - The Detroit News

Trump Had One Good Response to Covid-19. His Party Killed It. – The New York Times

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Yet in late March Congress passed, and Trump signed, the CARES Act, a huge spending bill that in important ways was just what America needed.

Now, the act was a Christmas tree bill, with something for almost everyone. Small businesses got loans that they could convert into grants if they used the money to maintain payrolls. Big businesses got loans, too. Most adults got stimulus checks, typically $1,200, in the hope that they would spend the money and hence support consumer demand.

But the really crucial element of the CARES Act was expanded aid to the unemployed. Benefits were expanded to people like gig workers who had previously fallen through the cracks, and everyone receiving benefits got an extra $600 a week.

This expansion of aid to the unemployed did double duty. It alleviated hardship, letting laid-off workers continue to pay rent and put food on the table. And it supported overall spending much more effectively than those stimulus checks, most of which were probably just saved.

Who deserves credit for this very good policy? A recent Times article describes Steven Mnuchin, the Treasury secretary, as the architect of the CARES Act and the bill as a victory for Trump. Actually, however, the crucial unemployment provisions were devised largely by Senator Ron Wyden, Democrat of Oregon, and the most you can say about Mnuchin and Trump is that they didnt reject Democratic demands that these provisions be included.

Thats something, I guess.

But Republicans hated that $600 supplement, insisting with no evidence that it discouraged workers from taking jobs. Trump appeared to agree, and perhaps buoyed by rising stocks encouraged Senate Republicans to take a hard line as key provisions of the CARES Act expired. And because Republicans refused to extend crisis aid, or make a good-faith counteroffer, the supplement expired a month ago, even though were still down 13 million jobs from where we were in February.

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Trump Had One Good Response to Covid-19. His Party Killed It. - The New York Times

Q&A with Rutgers mens basketball head coach Steve Pikiell – On The Banks

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Its early September and the season ahead for college basketball is filled with uncertainty. No schedules have been released and although on Tuesday Jon Rothstein reported that the Mens and Womens Basketball Oversight Committee will propose a start date of November 25th to the Division 1 Council, there are still many questions on what the next few months will look like.

Despite the challenges that have come with the global pandemic COVID-19, Rutgers mens basketball head coach Steve Pikiell has continued to navigate the program forward. After producing the schools first 20 win regular season campaign in 37 years, only to have their NCAA Tournament dreams dashed due to the health crisis that still remains, there is legitimate hope that the Scarlet Knights will be even better this coming season.

Rutgers returns seven of its top eight contributors from last year and welcomes a four member recruiting class that was ranked 40th nationally and 6th in the Big Ten.

I was able to discuss the current state of the program with Pikiell this week and covered topics such as how he is handling the challenges with COVID-19, the reason his players continue to grow their games despite an unusual offseason, the depth and versatility of the roster, why he is so excited about them being even better defensively, and much more. Lets tip things off here.

What has last season, this off-season and dealing with the challenges COVID-19 has brought taught you as a head coach, both on the court and off it?

I think the most important thing is the players in your program and their safety and wellness. You think about that more than ever. How many times are we washing the locker room? How are they getting into the building? You really think about the things that are important in life like your health. The safety of our student-athletes, weve never spent more time talking about how to keep them safe and healthy like we have the past 5 months. Whether it be their dorm room or cars they are driving, the gym we are in. Weve spent as much time with their health and safety as much as anything.

We've had a lot of time to spend watching film and improving that way. Im really just thankful. Ive always tried to recruit kids who love basketball and when no one is watching they are in the gym getting better. When I watch our guys workout, some were here all summer and some were at home all summer, they all got better. It goes back to having a good philosophy in the recruiting process and Im thankful for my staff. The assistant coaches for recruiting kids that really want to get better. I feel really good that our program got better even during a pandemic and thats a good sign. Its a sign of recruiting kids with those kind of core values that they love basketball. If they only had an outdoor basket to shoot on, they were fine with that. I think thats just a credit to them and their families.

How much has it helped having a strong returning core in regard to dealing with the current situation and uncertainty while preparing for the season ahead?

I think its like anything, the more you have guys that have been through it a little bit, it helps. I understand what I have in the program too. I think your first two or three years, youre always figuring stuff out as your roster changes and flips.

I know I have good leadership on the roster. I know Ive got guys that have played in big games. I know Ive got guys that know our offensive and defensive philosophies. And I know I have great kids, we really do. Our team had a 3.57 GPA last semester. Even in the middle of a pandemic with classes online and so many changes to their daily lives. They were mature enough to handle all that stuff and did a really good job academically.

Now our main job is to keep them on the same path. Keep them healthy, keep them safe and get them ready for our season.

Entering your fifth season, the program is building off success on the court and in the classroom. This offseason has seen players on the team become empowered by you to be leaders who are outspoken on issues like social injustice and COVID-19. Geo Baker and Myles Johnson were on MSNBC on Monday, for example. How has this helped strengthen the programs culture youve built?

We are proud of our guys with how they are handling all these obstacles. I love the fact that theyre outspoken and communicate well thought of ideas. Theyve attacked all the different things on the court that we need them to do. Theyve done all that and theyve kept their grades up along with the basketball things. I have a really good staff, quite honestly, and Im real thankful that I was able to keep them all again this year. We got phone calls and guys had opportunities to go to other places. I love the fact that we were able to keep our staff intact for another year.

Im proud of our guys with how theyve come through during unprecedented times in our country. I love the fact that we have some real spokesman and leaders. Geo and Myles were great Monday on MSNBC, but theyre great on on all the issues that they had to attack and these are tough issues.

How much did last seasons ending with those two big wins in the last week and then obviously the abrupt ending help to shape the teams mindset for this season and the approach going into it?

We had a great year last year but the year is over. I think they learned a lot of lessons. I think we accomplished a lot of firsts for the program. The players had to learn to play with pressure. They had to learn to play being ranked. They had to learn to play with the winning streak at home that we wanted to keep intact. And we play in the best league in the country.

I think they learned a ton of lessons last year and they got through a ton obstacles. You always hope as you get older as a program that those obstacles will help you to attack the new obstacles that are coming. Right off the bat, were preseason ranked. Thats a huge new obstacle this program hasnt had in how long? You would know that answer. (Editors note, 1978 was the last time Rutgers was ranked in the preseason polls, beginning 15th in AP Poll and 18th in Coaches Poll)

I dont talk about the past like that but I certainly know in my tenure here weve never thought about being ranked in the preseason. They have to play with new pressures and hopefully last years lessons they learned and obstacles they went through will help them with this years new obstacles that will be faced.

Last years team seemed to have a little bit of a chip on its shoulder in a good way just in terms of wanting to prove the doubters wrong. How do you approach that this year now that you are getting national respect and there are greater expectations?

The kids I recruited all play with chips on their shoulders, they always have. Theres always doubters so that wont ever change. I just want our kids to have a great season this year. Theyve worked hard to do that. Weve got to stay healthy and weve got to play together. Weve got to be really good defensively and we will in order to have a real good year. I think theyre looking forward to the challenge. I do know they love getting back in the gym. Its been a real joy for them during this pandemic to get back in our gym and facility. Getting back to workouts and watching film. Doing something that they all like has been a real blessing for them.

Were looking forward to this year and weve got good leadership and good seniors. Geo has been around. Ron Harper has been around. Jacob Young has been around. Paul Mulcahy just walked into my office, hes a veteran now. Montez Mathis had a great summer and came back improved in every area. Caleb McConnell has gained some weight, looks bigger and stronger.

I think the guys that returned got better and our freshman class is going to add size weve never had and athleticism that we havent had with a class in a long time. Its an exciting time. Hopefully, we can get organized with when the season is actually going to start and what our schedule will look like. Hopefully in the next few weeks that picture becomes a little bit clearer.

What have you been able to do with the team in workouts so far with NCAA offseason rules and policies with COVID-19? Are you on schedule with the typical start of practice for the season at the end of September?

Weve been on it all summer long. We get eight hours a week all summer long, so weve been doing that four hours in the weight room and four hours basketball wise. Theyve been on that and well continue on that until the NCAA allows us to have the twenty hours a week thats permitted in-season. I dont quite know what that date will be, but the guys have been lifting and playing pick up games. Theyve been working as usual.

And obviously thats just another challenge as a head coach in terms of it being September 1st and you dont know when the season is going to start.

Whenever the games are played, it seems unlikely fans will be able to attend. Theres a lot of talk about how great the RAC was last year and the disadvantage youd have without fans this season potentially. But isnt there a flip side with road games potentially not having the same type of difficult environment either? As a coach, does it simplify the mental approach of your team to just go out and play versus dealing with those extra kind of challenges?

You still have to play and play well, fans or no fans. The players are still really good on the other team. You dont have to fight the fan noise. If thats how we can keep these guys safe and thats the kind of challenges we have for this season, well embrace them and and be excited about those.

I would love to have our fans and that obviously made the RAC the hardest place in the country to play last season. Now our fans are going to tune in on TV and be the highest ranked in that area. Thats what I would love to have happen.

Your team plays so well off of emotion. You cant replicate the same type of environment without fans, so how do you try to tap into that with your team?

I think you can be more focused during these games now. You dont have all of these distractions. Players have distractions too. You can really get your team locked in. I think you see with the NBA and the bubble, those games are as good as theyve ever been. Those guys are locked in to the task at hand. Its going to be a challenge.

We obviously want to have as many people at all the games. Maybe by that time in November, December, January we will have a vaccine and in a better place. Im very confident we will have a season, so Im excited about that. Whatever happens I think you just have to be able to bob and weave with all the challenges that are going to come from having this kind of season. Not the normal challenges that we face every year. These are different times so theres going to be some different challenges. Youve got to be prepared and your team has got to be ready.

Something that I loved and made me laugh was your interview with Brendan Quinn of The Athletic were you said you didnt really like the defense last year, despite finishing sixth in the nation in defensive efficiency. I know youre not huge on advanced statistics, but despite that strong performance statistically speaking, where do you think you can improve defensively this year?

Weve already started. We can implement so much more stuff defensively. A big part of that is we are older. Geo is in his last year. Jacobs been here three years. Ron has played as many minutes as anybody. Myles Johnson is experienced and going into his fourth year actually with the redshirt year. We are much older and much more experienced. I think we had a lot of new pieces last year between Paul Mulcahy and Jacob playing here for the first time. Akwasi Yeboah showed up in July for the first time. I really believe our versatility defensively is something we havent even scratched the surface on.

I know what the stats said last season and I study them, but its a look thing too. Its being versatile with more options, more screen coverages, more sets in our defensive package, being able to go full court and not foul. There are so many more things we can do on that end of the floor and weve already started. I think our player versatility is going to allow us to switch some things at times, trap some things and just do some different stuff that we have never you been able to do since Ive been here. Im really looking forward to it.

Can you point out some of that versatility on the roster?

We have Oscar Palmquist who is 68 and 230 pounds who can guard the one through four. Paul Mulcahy can guard the one through four. Ron Harper Jr. can guard the two through five if we want him to, which is different. We have different pieces. I look forward to moving them around a little bit more and changing up our defenses to make us even a little harder to prepare for.

Last year one match up that was tough for you was Michigan with the three seven footers. Now that youve added a lot of height with Cliff Omoruyi and Dean Reiber, is part of the plan to utilize the size of the frontcourt along with Myles Johnson and Mamadou Doucoure to create different matchup problems?

The one thing is this year when you look at our team with our size, this is the biggest weve ever been across the board and our freshman class is huge. Dean Reiber is athletic and big. Cliff Omoruyi is athletic and big. And Oscar is athletic and big. Mawot Mag is 67 and 225 pounds, hes big. I think weve added some pieces.

I think Michigan gets you because all of their seven footers shoot threes. Theyre a little bit of a different team with their big men shooting threes, so they space you out a bit more.

We have more traditional bigs around the basket, so a little different in that way. We can go big or we can go quick and athletic. We will be able to press more and do some different things that way. I look forward to being able to use our versatility by going with some big lineups. We can put Paul out there at the point guard position at 67. We can go really big with some lineups. Ron (66) at the 2, Oskar (68) at the 3, Dean (610) at the 4 and Myles Johnson (611) at the 5. We can be really big if we want to go that way or if we think its going to help us win a game.

Offensively you made a big jump last year, but obviously there is still room for more improvement this season. You played a lot more up tempo last season. How much do you want to continue that trend and what are you focused on in terms of getting more improvement out of the offense?

We can improve. Obviously, weve got to become a better free throw shooting team. Thats really an important part of what weve tried to spend time on this summer. Weve got to make free throws and thatll improve our offense five or six more points a game. Then everyone will be saying its one of the best offenses in the league.

Thats what we need to do but I love the fact that we share the game. I think its so important to keep your core offensively. We had nine different guys lead us in scoring last year. Weve got to pass the ball and take advantage of our strengths. Weve got a lot of ball handlers. When I first took over the program, we had one ball handler. Now we have all these guys who can put it down, so its really just teaching them how to play in space and share the game. Those are things we are really focused on. If we can improve our free throw shooting and get that up into the middle of the pack, that will improve a lot of our stats like points per possession and all that stuff.

In the past youve singled out guys that have improved the most during the offseason. Is there anyone that has stuck out so far this offseason?

Honestly, I really like the jumps all of them have made. Montez Mathis has been tremendous since he has been back. His ball handing and shooting. Mamadou Doucoure has improved a great deal. I think Geo continues to get better. His body looks better. He is 202 pounds right now, so thats a great weight for him as hell lose weight during the season. Jacob Young is ready to go. Caleb has filled out and getting better. And weve added four freshmen whose bodies are good and ready to help.

We have to stay healthy and continue to play together. Weve got to get through COVID-19 and get organized with some dates coming up here, but weve been full go since June. Weve had quarantines and to deal with all that stuff, but no one has had issues with COVID-19, knock on wood. I think we got better this summer and thats what I wanted our program to do in the middle of all this during a crazy time.

How important is it for Ron Harper Jr. to continue to develop as a player for this team to take another step forward? As opponents try to take away Geo Baker once again at the end of games, does Harper need to become that 1a option behind him this season for forward progress to continue?

He is another guy thats improved a ton this summer and his body looks great. Hes really done a good job of staying healthy and has improved his jump shot. I think its really important.

Ron certainly is a really capable scorer. He can score at three levels too which is a hard thing in our league. He can post you and score, he can take you off the dribble and he can shoot the ball. Ron becomes a hard matchup.

Everyone last season tried to take the ball out of Geos hands. That will continue and has been that way for a couple years now. Geo has still found a knack in light of all that to find ways to make big plays. Hopefully, games dont come down to as many big plays this season. Hopefully, we are in a better place defensively with our program.

I think Oskar Palmquist is going to give us another guy who can score off the post, score off the dribble and score from three. I think Paul Mulcahy too. We have other guys. Jacob Young made huge plays for us down the stretch last season. He stepped up and gave us some really good minutes. He has an ability score in a lot of levels. I think Geo can do that too.

I like the fact that we are one of those teams now thats hard for opponents to say what are you going to take away from Rutgers? Theyve got enough guys and different options. We dont just need a 1A, we need a 1B, 1C, and a 1D. Foul trouble factors into the end of games. Sickness factors into the end of games. Guys not being on the floor for various reasons. You always have to be prepared for plan B, C and D. I look forward to those challenges and I think that the guys are excited for each other. If I decide to run a play at the end of the game for Ron Harper Jr., Geo would be excited for him and be the first guy to say he has the advantage here. I do also like it when Geo tells me Hey give me the ball, I have the advantage.

For continued coverage of the Rutgers mens basketball team, visit us here.

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Q&A with Rutgers mens basketball head coach Steve Pikiell - On The Banks

Cell Suicide Gene Further Linked to Immunotherapy Response – Technology Networks

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Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers have added to evidence that a gene responsible for turning off a cells natural suicide signals may also be the culprit in making breast cancer and melanoma cells resistant to therapies that use the immune system to fight cancer. A summary of the research, conducted with mice and human cells, appeared in Cell Reports.When the gene, called BIRC2, is sent into overdrive, it makes too much, or an overexpression, of protein levels. This occurs in about 40% of breast cancers, particularly the more lethal type called triple negative, and it is not known how often the gene is overexpressed in melanomas.

If further studies affirm and refine the new findings, the researchers say, BIRC2 overexpression could be a key marker for immunotherapy resistance, further advancing precision medicine efforts in this area of cancer treatment. A marker of this kind could alert clinicians to the potential need for using drugs that block the genes activity in combination with immunotherapy drugs to form a potent cocktail to kill cancer in some treatment-resistant patients. Cancer cells use many pathways to evade the immune system, so our goal is to find additional drugs in our toolbox to complement the immunotherapy drugs currently in use, says Gregg Semenza, M.D., Ph.D., the C. Michael Armstrong Professor of Genetic Medicine, Pediatrics, Oncology, Medicine, Radiation Oncology and Biological Chemistry at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and director of the Vascular Program at the Johns Hopkins Institute for Cell Engineering.

Semenza shared the 2019 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for the discovery of the gene that guides how cells adapt to low oxygen levels, a condition called hypoxia.

In 2018, Semenzas team showed that hypoxia essentially molds cancer cells into survival machines. Hypoxia prompts cancer cells to turn on three genes to help them evade the immune system by inactivating either the identification system or the eat me signal on immune cells. A cell surface protein called CD47 is the only dont eat me signal that blocks killing of cancer cells by immune cells called macrophages. Other cell surface proteins, PDL1 and CD73, block killing of cancer cells by immune cells called T lymphocytes.

These super-survivor cancer cells could explain, in part, Semenza says, why only 20% to 30% of cancer patients respond to drugs that boost the immune systems ability to target cancer cells.

For the current study, building on his basic science discoveries, Semenza and his team sorted through 325 human genes identified by researchers at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston whose protein products were overexpressed in melanoma cells and linked to processes that help cancer cells evade the immune system.

Semenzas team found that 38 of the genes are influenced by the transcription factor HIF-1, which regulates how cells adapt to hypoxia; among the 38 was BIRC2 (baculoviral IAP repeat-containing 2), already known to prevent cell suicide, or apoptosis, in essence a form of programmed cell death that is a brake on the kind of unchecked cell growth characteristic of cancer.

BIRC2 also blocks cells from secreting proteins that attract immune cells, such as T-cells and natural killer cells.

First, by studying the BIRC2 genome in human breast cancer cells, Semenzas team found that hypoxia proteins HIF1 and HIF2 bind directly to a portion of the BIRC2 gene under low oxygen conditions, identifying a direct mechanism for boosting the BIRC2 genes protein production.

Then, the research team examined how tumors developed in mice when they were injected with human breast cancer or melanoma cells genetically engineered to contain little or no BIRC2 gene expression. In mice injected with cancer cells lacking BIRC2 expression, tumors took longer to form, about three to four weeks, compared with the typical two weeks it takes to form tumors in mice.

The tumors formed by BIRC2-free cancer cells also had up to five times the level of a protein called CXCL9, the substance that attracts immune system T-cells and natural killer cells to the tumor location. The longer the tumor took to form, the more T-cells and natural killer cells were found inside the tumor.

Semenza notes that finding a plentiful number of immune cells within a tumor is a key indicator of immunotherapy success.

Next, to determine whether the immune system was critical to the stalled tumor growth they saw, Semenzas team injected the BIRC2-free melanoma and breast cancer cells into mice bred to have no functioning immune system. They found that tumors grew at the same rate, in about two weeks, as typical tumors. This suggests that the decreased tumor growth rate associated with loss of BIRC2 is dependent on recruiting T-cells and natural killer cells into the tumor, says Semenza.

Finally, Semenza and his team analyzed mice implanted with human breast cancer or melanoma tumors that either produced BIRC2 or were engineered to lack BIRC2. They gave the mice with melanoma tumors two types of immunotherapy FDA-approved for human use, and treated mice with breast tumors with one of the immunotherapy drugs. In both tumor types, the immunotherapy drugs were effective only against the tumors that lacked BIRC2.

Experimental drugs called SMAC mimetics that inactivate BIRC2 and other anti-cell suicide proteins are currently in clinical trials for certain types of cancers, but Semenza says that the drugs have not been very effective when used on their own.

These drugs might be very useful to improve the response to immunotherapy drugs in people with tumors that have high BIRC2 levels, says Semenza.Reference: Samanta D, Huang TYT, Shah R, Yang Y, Pan F, Semenza GL. BIRC2 Expression Impairs Anti-Cancer Immunity and Immunotherapy Efficacy. Cell Rep. 2020;32(8). doi:10.1016/j.celrep.2020.108073

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Genetic mutations may be linked to infertility, early menopause – Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis

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Gene in fruit flies, worms, zebrafish, mice and people may help explain some fertility issues

Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have identified a gene that plays an important role in fertility across multiple species. Pictured is a normal fruit fly ovary (left) and a fruit fly ovary with this gene dialed down (right). Male and female animals missing this gene had substantially defective reproductive organs. The study could have implications for understanding human infertility and early menopause.

A new study from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis identifies a specific genes previously unknown role in fertility. When the gene is missing in fruit flies, roundworms, zebrafish and mice, the animals are infertile or lose their fertility unusually early but appear otherwise healthy. Analyzing genetic data in people, the researchers found an association between mutations in this gene and early menopause.

The study appears Aug. 28 in the journal Science Advances.

The human gene called nuclear envelope membrane protein 1 (NEMP1) is not widely studied. In animals, mutations in the equivalent gene had been linked to impaired eye development in frogs.

The researchers who made the new discovery were not trying to study fertility at all. Rather, they were using genetic techniques to find genes involved with eye development in the early embryos of fruit flies.

We blocked some gene expression in fruit flies but found that their eyes were fine, said senior author Helen McNeill, PhD, the Larry J. Shapiro and Carol-Ann Uetake-Shapiro Professor and a BJC Investigator at the School of Medicine. So, we started trying to figure out what other problems these animals might have. They appeared healthy, but to our surprise, it turned out they were completely sterile. We found they had substantially defective reproductive organs.

Though it varied a bit by species, males and females both had fertility problems when missing this gene. And in females, the researchers found that the envelope that contains the eggs nucleus the vital compartment that holds half of an organisms chromosomes looked like a floppy balloon.

This gene is expressed throughout the body, but we didnt see this floppy balloon structure in the nuclei of any other cells, said McNeill, also a professor of developmental biology. That was a hint wed stumbled across a gene that has a specific role in fertility. We saw the impact first in flies, but we knew the proteins are shared across species. With a group of wonderful collaborators, we also knocked this gene out in worms, zebrafish and mice. Its so exciting to see that this protein that is present in many cells throughout the body has such a specific role in fertility. Its not a huge leap to suspect it has a role in people as well.

To study this floppy balloon-like nuclear envelope, the researchers used a technique called atomic force microscopy to poke a needle into the cells, first penetrating the outer membrane and then the nucleuss membrane. The amount of force required to penetrate the membranes gives scientists a measure of their stiffness. While the outer membrane was of normal stiffness, the nucleuss membrane was much softer.

Its interesting to ask whether stiffness of the nuclear envelope of the egg is also important for fertility in people, McNeill said. We know there are variants in this gene associated with early menopause. And when we studied this defect in mice, we see that their ovaries have lost the pool of egg cells that theyre born with, which determines fertility over the lifespan. So, this finding provides a potential explanation for why women with mutations in this gene might have early menopause. When you lose your stock of eggs, you go into menopause.

On the left is a normal fruit fly ovary with hundreds of developing eggs. On the right is a fruit fly ovary that is totally missing the NEMP gene. It is poorly developed and no eggs are visible.

McNeill and her colleagues suspect that the nuclear envelope has to find a balance between being pliant enough to allow the chromosomes to align as they should for reproductive purposes but stiff enough to protect them from the ovarys stressful environment. With age, ovaries develop strands of collagen with potential to create mechanical stress not present in embryonic ovaries.

If you have a softer nucleus, maybe it cant handle that environment, McNeill said. This could be the cue that triggers the death of eggs. We dont know yet, but were planning studies to address this question.

Over the course of these studies, McNeill said they found only one other problem with the mice missing this specific gene: They were anemic, meaning they lacked red blood cells.

Normal adult red blood cells lack a nucleus, McNeill said. Theres a stage when the nuclear envelope has to condense and get expelled from the young red blood cell as it develops in the bone marrow. The red blood cells in these mice arent doing this properly and die at this stage. With a floppy nuclear envelope, we think young red blood cells are not surviving in another mechanically stressful situation.

The researchers would like to investigate whether women with fertility problems have mutations in NEMP1. To help establish whether such a link is causal, they have developed human embryonic stem cells that, using CRISPR gene-editing technology, were given specific mutations in NEMP1 listed in genetic databases as associated with infertility.

We can direct these stem cells to become eggs and see what effect these mutations have on the nuclear envelope, McNeill said. Its possible there are perfectly healthy women walking around who lack the NEMP protein. If this proves to cause infertility, at the very least this knowledge could offer an explanation. If it turns out that women who lack NEMP are infertile, more research must be done before we could start asking if there are ways to fix these mutations restore NEMP, for example, or find some other way to support nuclear envelope stiffness.

This work was supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health, research grant numbers 143319, MOP-42462, PJT-148658, 153128, 156081, MOP-102546, MOP-130437, 143301, and 167279. This work also was supported, in part, by the Krembil Foundation; the Canada Research Chair program; the National Institutes of Health (NIH), grant number R01 GM100756; and NSERC Discovery grant; and the Medical Research Council, unit programme MC_UU_12015/2. Financial support also was provided by the Wellcome Senior Research Fellowship, number 095209; Core funding 092076 to the Wellcome Centre for Cell Biology; a Wellcome studentship; the Ontario Research FundsResearch Excellence Program. Proteomics work was performed at the Network Biology Collaborative Centre at the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, a facility supported by Canada Foundation for Innovation funding, by the Ontarian Government, and by the Genome Canada and Ontario Genomics, grant numbers OGI-097 and OGI-139.

Tsatskis Y, et al. The NEMP family supports metazoan fertility and nuclear envelope stiffness. Science Advances. Aug. 28, 2020.

Washington University School of Medicines 1,500 faculty physicians also are the medical staff of Barnes-Jewish and St. Louis Childrens hospitals. The School of Medicine is a leader in medical research, teaching and patient care, ranking among the top 10 medical schools in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. Through its affiliations with Barnes-Jewish and St. Louis Childrens hospitals, the School of Medicine is linked to BJC HealthCare.

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Genetic mutations may be linked to infertility, early menopause - Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis

How to use precision medicine to personalise COVID-19 treatment according to the patient’s genes – Down To Earth Magazine

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What should a precision medicine approach be in a pandemic? The gene-centric vision of precision medicine encourages people to expect individualised gene-targeted fixes

Tom Hanks and his wife, Rita Wilson, were among the earliest celebrities to catch the novel coronavirus. In an interview at the beginning of July, Hanks described how differently COVID-19 had affected each of them in March.

My wife lost her sense of taste and smell, she had severe nausea, she had a much higher fever than I did. I just had crippling body aches, he said. I was very fatigued all the time and I couldnt concentrate on anything for more than about 12 minutes.

Why does COVID-19 present such different symptoms or none at all in different people?

Preexisting conditions can only be part of the story. Hanks is over 60 and is a Type 2 diabetic, putting him in a high-risk group. Nevertheless, he survived his brush with the virus with no pneumonia and apparently without any long-lasting effects. Knowing what causes variation in different patients could help physicians tailor their treatments to individual patients an approach known as precision medicine.

In recent years, a gene-centric approach to precision medicine has been promoted as the future of medicine. It underlies the massive effort funded by the US National Institutes of Health to collect over a million DNA samples under the All of Us initiative that began in 2015.

But the imagined future did not include COVID-19. In the rush to find a COVID-19 vaccine and effective therapies, precision medicine has been insignificant. Why is this? And what are its potential contributions?

We are a physician geneticist and a philosopher of science who began a discussion about the promise and potential pitfalls of precision medicine before the arrival of COVID-19. If precision medicine is the future of medicine, then its application to pandemics generally, and COVID-19 in particular, may yet prove to be highly significant. But its role so far has been limited. Precision medicine must consider more than just genetics. It requires an integrative omic approach that must collect information from multiple sources beyond just genes and at scales ranging from molecules to society.

From genetics to microbes

Inherited diseases such as sickle cell anemia and Tay-Sachs disease follow a predictable pattern. But such direct genetic causes are perhaps the exception rather than the rule when it comes to health outcomes. Some heritable conditions for instance, psoriasis or the many forms of cancer depend on complex combinations of genes, environmental and social factors whose individual contributions to the disease are difficult to isolate. At best, the presence of certain genes constitutes a risk factor in a population but does not fully determine the outcome for an individual person carrying those genes.

The situation becomes yet more complicated for infectious diseases.

Viruses and bacteria have their own genomes that interact in complex ways with the cells in the people they infect. The genome of SARS-CoV-2 underlying COVID-19 has been extensively sequenced. Its mutations are identified and traced worldwide, helping epidemiologists understand the spread of the virus. However, the interactions between SARS-CoV-2 RNA and human DNA, and the effect on people of the viruss mutations, remain unknown.

The importance of multi-scale data

Tom Hanks and his wife caught the virus and recovered in a matter of weeks. Presumably each was infected over the course of a few minutes of exposure to another infected person, involving cellular mechanisms that operate on a timescale of milliseconds.

But the drama of their illness, and that of the many victims with far worse outcomes, is taking place in the context of a global pandemic that has already lasted months and may continue for years. People will need to adopt changes in their behavior for weeks or months at a time.

What should a precision medicine approach be in a pandemic? The gene-centric vision of precision medicine encourages people to expect individualised gene-targeted fixes. But, genes, behavior and social groups interact over multiple timescales.

To capture all the data needed for such an approach is beyond possibility in the current crisis. A nuanced approach to the COVID-19 pandemic will depend heavily on imprecise population level public health interventions: mask-wearing, social distancing and working from home. Nevertheless, there is an opportunity to begin gathering the kinds of data that would allow for a more comprehensive precision medicine approach one that is fully aware of the complex interactions between genomes and social behavior.

How to use precision medicine to understand COVID-19

With unlimited resources, a precision medicine approach would begin by analyzing the genomes of a large group of people already known to be exposed to SARS-CoV-2 yet asymptomatic, along with a similar-sized group with identified risk factors who are dying from the disease or are severely ill.

An early study of this kind by Precisionlife Ltd data mined genetic samples of 976 known COVID-19 cases. Of these, 68 high-risk genes were identified as risk factors for poor COVID-19 outcomes, with 17 of them deemed likely to be good targets for drug developments. But, as with all such statistical approaches, the full spectrum of causes underlying their association with the disease is not something the analysis provides. Other studies of this kind are appearing with increasing frequency, but there is no certainty in such fast-moving areas of science. Disentangling all the relevant factors is a process that will take months to years.

To date, precision medicine has proven better suited to inherited diseases and to diseases such as cancer, involving mutations acquired during a persons lifetime, than to infectious diseases. There are examples where susceptibility to infection can be caused by malfunction of unique genes such as the family of inherited immune disorders known as agammaglobulinemia, but these are few and far between.

Many physicians assume that most diseases involve multiple genes and are thus not amenable to a precision approach. In the absence of the kind of information needed for a multi-omic approach, there is a clear challenge and opportunity for precision medicine here: If it is to be the future of medicine, in order to complement and expand our existing knowledge and approaches, it needs to shift from its gene-centric origins toward a broader view that includes variables like proteins and metabolites. It must consider the relationships between genes and their physical manifestations on scales that range from days to decades, and from molecules to the global society.

Colin Allen, Distinguished Professor of History & Philosophy of Science, University of Pittsburgh and David Finegold, Professor, Department of Human Genetics, Pitt Public Health, University of Pittsburgh

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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How to use precision medicine to personalise COVID-19 treatment according to the patient's genes - Down To Earth Magazine

UCT professors research offers hope of treatment for sickle cell anaemia – Daily Maverick

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Normal blood cells (left) and the blood cells in sickle cell disease, which do not flow through the circulatory system smoothly. (Credit: Darryl Leja, NHGRI, CC BY 2.0)

First published by GroundUp.

A study performed in Cameroon by a University of Cape Town (UCT) professor may offer hope of treatment for people with sickle cell anaemia (SCA), a disease which affects hundreds of thousands in Africa.

Professor Ambroise Wonkam, principal investigator and director of Genetic Medicine of African Populations in the Division of Human Genetics at UCT, says though the condition was identified more than 100 years ago, a definitive treatment is still not widely available.

Sickle cell anaemia is the most serious in a group of disorders known as sickle cell disease. It is an inherited red blood cell disorder in which there arent enough healthy red blood cells to carry oxygen throughout the body. It is caused by a mutation in a single gene, responsible for production of the protein, haemoglobin. Making up 70% of the content of red blood cells, haemoglobin is essential for transporting oxygen throughout the body.

Normally, the flexible, round red blood cells move easily through blood vessels. In sickle cell anaemia, the red blood cells are shaped like sickles or crescent moons. These rigid, sticky cells can become stuck in small blood vessels, which can slow or block blood flow and oxygen to other parts of the body. (Read this for more information.)

Among the 300,000 babies that are born with the condition every year, 80% are in sub-Saharan Africa, says Wonkam. It is, in essence, an African disease.

Despite the prevalence of SCA in Africa, medical care has been less than optimal. According to Wonkam, it has been shown that, due to the lack of medical interventions, in most African settings, at least 50% of African children with SCA will die before they turn five years old.

However, the same regions of sub-Saharan Africa are also home to SCA patients who are 50 or 60 years old.

Why is it that some people who live in an environment that is not favourable in terms of healthcare access, and stressors including high temperatures, malaria and other infections manage to survive while others die at a much younger age? Wonkam asks. Our hypothesis is that these long survivors living with SCA may be protected by some genetic factors.

To test this, Wonkam and his team recruited SCA patients of 40 years or older, who had received minimal medical intervention, as well as a control group who had suffered strokes, which is one of the severe effects of SCA, and an intermediate group who were under 40 and never had a stroke. The research took place in Cameroon.

In the study, published in the journal Clinical and Translational Medicine, Wonkam and his team found genetic modifiers of long-term survival in individuals with SCA.

People who had survived longer had recurrent changes in specific genes. And patients who had strokes had a mutation in the blood coagulation pathway.

Another finding in the long-term survivor group was that they metabolised the micronutrient selenium efficiently. They also have genes that assist in keeping blood pressure low. Wonkam says that selenium supplementation is worth investigating.

Also, the study found, some patients were protected from some of the vascular complications of the disease by their ability to produce an amino acid called glutamine. Glutamine helps to protect the body against stress due to low oxygen which is one of the side effects of SCA. This ability to produce glutamine can also now be studied further as a possible treatment in other people with the disorder. Glutamine supplements could be one of the options.

It is possible that genes with recurrent mutations that we found in numerous patients provide some protection, and have become prevalent in people with SCA by natural selection. This information can be used in future in gene-modifying therapy.

Modifier genes, which change the actions of other genes, can be beneficial to the health of the patients by countering some of the negative effects of the disorder.

By identifying novel modifier genes, our research is providing additional mechanisms to explain the long-term survival, or complications such as stroke in some patients, says Wonkam.

I believe this is probably one of the landmark findings that have been performed in Africa where most of these patients live, he says. DM

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UCT professors research offers hope of treatment for sickle cell anaemia - Daily Maverick

Association of recent stressful life events with mental and physical health in the context of genomic and exposomic liability for schizophrenia – 2…

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1. Environmental liability for schizophrenia moderated the association of stressful life events with mental and physical health.

Evidence Rating Level: 2 (Good)

Schizophrenia research has elucidated the roles of environmental and genetic liability as well as stressful life events (SLEs) in schizophrenia pathogenesis. However, few studies have illustrated the interactions of these risk factors and how they impact mental and physical health. This population-based prospective cohort study investigated the prevalence, incidence, course, and consequences of psychiatric disorders in the Netherlands. A total of 6,646 (M [SD] age = 44.26 [12.54] years, 55.25% female) participants were enrolled between November 5, 2007 and July 31, 2009, being followed up with by three assessments across nine years. Follow-ups included recent SLEs and aggregate scores of environmental and genetic liabilities (polygenic risk score for schizophrenia [PRS-SCZ]; exposome score for schizophrenia [ES-SCZ]). SLEs were significantly associated with reduced mental (B = -3.68, 95% CI -4.05 to -3.32) and physical health (B = -3.22, 95% CI -3.66 to -2.79). Genetic and environmental liabilities were associated with poorer mental health (PRS-SCZ: B = -0.93, 95% CI -1.31 to -0.54; ES-SCZ: B = -3.07, 95% CI -3.35 to -2.79), with environmental liability also being associated with reduced physical health (B = -3.19, 95% CI -3.56 to -2.82). The interaction model suggested that ES-SCZ moderated the association of SLEs with physical (B = -0.64, 95% CI -1.11 to -0.17) and mental health (B = -1.08, 95% CI -1.47 to -0.69). PRS-SCZ, however, did not moderate this relationship. Overall, both genetic and environmental liabilities for schizophrenia resulted in mental health outcomes across the population. Exposure to SLEs, specifically in the context of these liabilities, were further associated with poorer health outcomes. Thus, it is important to consider the environmental factors impacting schizophrenia, such that modifiable risk factors should be targets of prevention and ongoing treatment.

Click to read the study in JAMA Psychiatry

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Finding order in the chaos of cancer mutations – Drug Target Review

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Scientists observed that different cancers undergo the same genetic mutations at similar stages of evolution, the findings could become part of an evolutionary rule book which would theoretically enable the prediction and prevention of cancers next evolutionary move.

Researchers have identified that there is an element of order to the seemingly chaotic changes to chromosomes that give tumours their heterogeneity. In their paper, the team report that mutations in the chromosomes of cancer cells happen frequently and throughout the development of a tumour; however, some are more likely to occur in the early stages of cancer development and others in the later stages, once a tumour has metastasised.

One of the difficulties in treating cancers is that the genetic make-up of tumours evolves over time. Scientists believe these changes result from errors made in DNA replication, which are more frequent in cancers due to the upregulation of various cell survival pathways and the speed with which cancer cells divide. Unfortunately, the more heterogeneous a tumour is (in other words, the greater the genetic variability of cells within a single tumour), the less likely a patient is to respond successfully to treatment, which ultimately makes recovery less likely and survival shorter.

In their paper published in Nature, researchers at the Francis Crick Institute (the Crick) and the University College London (UCL) Cancer Institute, both UK, sought to identify why these mutations occur and if there is a pattern or order to them.

In collaboration with Germanys Max Delbrck Center for Molecular Medicine, the team developed a technique that analyses multiple samples from a single tumour and used it to identify chromosomal changes in 1421 tumour samples taken from 394 patients with 22 different types of tumours.

They observed that often similar chromosomal changes had taken place in different subclones within a tumour from the same patient. Subclones are different groups of cells within a single tumour. The team found evidence of subclones evolving in parallel in samples taken from 37 percent of patients (146 patients).

The scientists also identified certain chromosomal changes that occurred in multiple tumour types at particular stages of cancer evolution, including changes that could aid in immune evasion or promote tumour growth despite a lack of oxygen.

Thomas Watkins, lead author and PhD student in the Cancer Evolution and Genome Instability Laboratory at the Crick, said: In a tumour there are lots of genetic changes taking place. The fact we saw similar chromosomal changes take hold independently within a tumour in separate subclones suggests these changes are important for the tumour and might lead to subclones with them out-competing other subclones without them.

Professor Charles Swanton, senior group leader at the Crick and UCL, Cancer Research UKs chief clinician and consultant oncologist at UCL Hospital, added: The presence of common changes supports the theory that there are a number of genetic pathways through which tumours must evolve. Identifying these would move us a step closer to writing cancers evolutionary rule book.

The studys authors also revealed that some changes were common in the early stages of a cancers development, while others were more frequent later on, after it metastasised. They added that there were certain events that acted as a catalyst for mutations; for example, whole genome doubling where every chromosome is duplicated appears to open up new evolutionary solutions for the tumour, leading to a wave of late-stage mutations.

Nicholas McGranahan, group leader of the Cancer Genome Evolution Group at the UCL Cancer Institute, commented: There was a sense of order in the mutations we identified, with different mutations likely to appear at different points. So, these changes, which may seem like chromosomal chaos, could actually be something we could predict. Of course, if you could predict them, this opens the door to scientists and doctors developing new treatments which could block these evolutionary pathways.

The team are continuing to leverage their analysis technique on samples taken from patients with lung cancer, as part of Cancer Research UKs TRACERx project. They said that they hope this will lead to new insights about the genetic changes that drive the spread of lung cancer as well as understanding what changes help these tumours to evade the immune system.

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Mustang Bio Announces Orphan Drug Designation for MB-107 for the Treatment of X-linked Severe Combined Immunodeficiency in Newly Diagnosed Infants -…

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WORCESTER, Mass., Sept. 02, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Mustang Bio, Inc. (Mustang) (NASDAQ: MBIO), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on translating todays medical breakthroughs in cell and gene therapies into potential cures for hematologic cancers, solid tumors and rare genetic diseases, today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Orphan Drug Designation to MB-107, Mustangs lentiviral gene therapy for the treatment of X-linked severe combined immunodeficiency (XSCID), also known as bubble boy disease, in newly diagnosed infants under the age of two. The FDA previously granted Rare Pediatric Disease Designation in August 2020 and Regenerative Medicine Advanced Therapy designation in August 2019 to MB-107 for the treatment of XSCID in newly diagnosed patients. Additionally, the European Medicines Agency granted Advanced Therapy Medicinal Product classification to MB-107 in April 2020.

The FDA grants Orphan Drug Designation to drugs and biologics that are intended for the safe and effective treatment, diagnosis or prevention of rare diseases or disorders that affect fewer than 200,000 people in the U.S. Orphan Drug Designation provides certain incentives, such as tax credits toward the cost of clinical trials and prescription drug user fee waivers. If a product holding Orphan Drug Designation receives the first FDA approval for the disease in which it has such designation, the product is entitled to seven years of market exclusivity, which is independent from intellectual property protection.

Manuel Litchman, M.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Mustang, said, Mustang has had a productive quarter on the regulatory front. We are very pleased to achieve another significant milestone and receive Orphan Drug Designation for MB-107 for the treatment of XSCID in newly diagnosed patients. This designation for MB-107, in addition to its Rare Pediatric Disease Designation, Regenerative Medicine Advanced Therapy designation and Advanced Therapy Medicinal Product classification, continues to enhance our regulatory pathway for a much-needed treatment option to address this devastating rare disease that affects children. We look forward to initiating our pivotal clinical programs for MB-107 in newly diagnosed infants with XSCID and MB-207 in previously transplanted patients with XSCID very soon.

MB-107 is currently being assessed in a Phase 1/2 clinical trial for XSCID in newly diagnosed infants under the age of two at St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital (St. Jude), UCSF Benioff Childrens Hospital in San Francisco and Seattle Childrens Hospital. In May 2020, Mustang submitted an investigational new drug application (IND) to the FDA to initiate a multi-center Phase 2 clinical trial of MB-107 in newly diagnosed infants with XSCID who are between two months to two years of age. The trial is expected to enroll 10 patients who, together with 15 patients enrolled in the current multi-center trial led by St. Jude, will be compared with 25 matched historical control patients who have undergone hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). The primary efficacy endpoint will be event-free survival. The initiation of this trial is expected early in the fourth quarter of 2020. Mustang is targeting topline data from this trial in the second half of 2022.

Another Phase 1/2 clinical trial for XSCID in patients over the age of two years, who have received prior HSCT, is underway at the National Institutes of Health, and Mustang expects to file an IND to the FDA to initiate a multi-center Phase 2 clinical trial in this population in the fourth quarter of 2020. This product candidate for XSCID in patients over the age of two years, who have received prior HSCT, is designated MB-207. The FDA granted a Rare Pediatric Disease Designation to MB-207 in August 2020.

About X-linked Severe Combined Immunodeficiency (XSCID)X-linked severe combined immunodeficiency is a rare genetic disorder that occurs in approximately 1 per 225,000 births. It is characterized by the absence or lack of function of key immune cells, resulting in a severely compromised immune system and death by one year of age if untreated. Patients with XSCID have no T-cells or natural killer cells. Although their B-cells are normal in number, they are not functional. As a result, XSCID patients are usually affected by severe bacterial, viral or fungal infections early in life and often present with interstitial lung disease, chronic diarrhea and failure to thrive.

The specific genetic disorder that causes XSCID is a mutation in the gene coding for the common gamma chain (c), a protein that is shared by the receptors for at least six interleukins. These interleukins and their receptors are critical for the development and differentiation of immune cells. The gene coding for c is known as IL-2 receptor gamma, or IL2RG. Because IL2RG is located on the X-chromosome, XSCID is inherited in an X-linked recessive pattern, resulting in almost all patients being male.

About Mustang BioMustang Bio, Inc. is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on translating todays medical breakthroughs in cell and gene therapies into potential cures for hematologic cancers, solid tumors and rare genetic diseases. Mustang aims to acquire rights to these technologies by licensing or otherwise acquiring an ownership interest, to fund research and development, and to outlicense or bring the technologies to market. Mustang has partnered with top medical institutions to advance the development of CAR T therapies across multiple cancers, as well as a lentiviral gene therapy for XSCID. Mustang is registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and files periodic reports with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Mustang was founded by Fortress Biotech, Inc. (NASDAQ: FBIO). For more information, visit http://www.mustangbio.com.

ForwardLooking StatementsThis press release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, each as amended. Such statements include, but are not limited to, any statements relating to our growth strategy and product development programs and any other statements that are not historical facts. Forward-looking statements are based on managements current expectations and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could negatively affect our business, operating results, financial condition and stock value. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those currently anticipated include: risks relating to our growth strategy; our ability to obtain, perform under, and maintain financing and strategic agreements and relationships; risks relating to the results of research and development activities; risks relating to the timing of starting and completing clinical trials; uncertainties relating to preclinical and clinical testing; our dependence on third-party suppliers; our ability to attract, integrate and retain key personnel; the early stage of products under development; our need for substantial additional funds; government regulation; patent and intellectual property matters; competition; as well as other risks described in our SEC filings. We expressly disclaim any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect any change in our expectations or any changes in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based, except as required by law.

Company Contacts:Jaclyn Jaffe and William BegienMustang Bio, Inc.(781) 652-4500ir@mustangbio.com

Investor Relations Contact:Daniel FerryLifeSci Advisors, LLC(617) 430-7576daniel@lifesciadvisors.com

Media Relations Contact:Tony Plohoros6 Degrees(908) 591-2839tplohoros@6degreespr.com

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Mustang Bio Announces Orphan Drug Designation for MB-107 for the Treatment of X-linked Severe Combined Immunodeficiency in Newly Diagnosed Infants -...