Health care workers join in nightly protests on Portland’s streets – KGW.com

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Trained to advocate for their patients, nurses we spoke to feel called to stand up for Black lives and equality.

PORTLAND, Ore Many health care workers are among the nightly crowds of protesters.

Trained to advocate for their patients, many nurses say they feel called to stand up for Black lives and equality, and against systemic racism.

In light of George Floyd's death, registered nurse Travis Nelson couldn't sit idly by.

I realized that I could have been George Floyd. That could have been an officer's knee on my neck so it felt important to get out and bring attention to the cause of black lives matter once again, Nelson said.

More than 60 days later, he's still out there almost every single night. As a Black man and a nurse, Nelson has plenty of reasons that motivate him to do so.

Nurses become nurses because we care about people and we should care about people regardless of their skin color, Nelson said.

He stands alongside hundreds - even thousands - of other health care workers to fight back against systemic racism.

Its called systemic racism for a reason: there are systems that need to change," Nelson said. "Whether that's law enforcement and how they approach that or whether its health care and how we approach racial disparities in health care. I believe we're beginning to see some of that change but I don't want us to lose focus as a country, a state or here in Portland. We need to keep that focus on Black Lives Matter.

Over her decades-long career in ER's and ICU's, Adrienne Enghouse says she's seen inequities in access to care, health outcomes and even heard stories about employment issues.

We must fix this now and stand with our black brothers and sisters to fix it, Enghouse told KGW. That's why you see so many nurses and other health professionals doctors, techs, professionals out here because that's our training. We advocate for people all the time. And the system fails them.

Enghouse says she's looking to go a step further by using her skills as a volunteer medic at the protests, like Chris Wise.

He is using his EMT training to treat demonstrators hurt demonstrating in Portland's streets. While trying to treat people hit by tear gas, pepper spray, batons and flash bangs, he and a few other volunteer medics say they have been hit.

"Ive been shot in the leg trying to pull somebody out of tear gas. I got hit in the head last Tuesday from a tear gas canister. I still have concussion, Wise said.

They argue acts like that violate the constitution.

I believe that is in a coordinated effort to make it so we have less medics so people don't want to come out, Wise said. I'm going to be at the Justice Center as often as I can, as long as people are putting themselves in danger, as long as people are getting hurt and as long as people are firing tear gas and rubber bullets at them.

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Health care workers join in nightly protests on Portland's streets - KGW.com

We Should Be Fighting For Healthcare For Everyone, Not Taking It Away – Common Dreams

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A deadly virus has infected millions of people worldwide. Our President refuses to acknowledge this and refuses to take aggressive action to control the situation. Millions of people lack adequate healthcare coverage and cant afford a trip to the doctor. Hospital systems are overwhelmed with patients and essential workers are risking their lives and their families across the country, without access to proper PPE or hazard pay. Instead of protecting us, the Trump Administration is trying to strip health coverage from millions of its citizens.

It sounds like a dystopian movie plot, but this is our reality. In the midst of a pandemic and some federal and state officials are trying to slash healthcare coverage exactly when it is most needed.

Despite Trump's false statement that the virus just ...snuck up on us, epidemiologists warned of the coming disaster months ago. As other countries are on their way to containing the virus and carefully reopening their economies, the U.S. hit another record day of coronavirus cases. Despite Trumps claim that we would run 5 million tests a day in late April, were still only testing about 500,000 people a day. Because of the administrations failure to implement basic public health tools and its lies about the pandemic, we are falling further and further behind other countries in testing, tracing, and ensuring that all our people have the healthcare and financial safety net needed to weather the storm.

The pandemic is exposing the true cost of our for-profit healthcare system.

As COVID-19 disproportionately impacts communities of color, overwhelms our hospital systems, and shuts down businesses leading to an all time high unemployment rate, one thing remains clear: our ramshackle healthcare system is failing in the face of the pandemic. At the start of this pandemic, 87 million people were already uninsured or underinsured. That number has continued to grow as 5.4 million people and their families have lost their employer-sponsored insurance amid the crisis, which is more than in any other single year.

Additionally, immigrants were excluded from coronavirus relief enacted into law thus far and nearly 202,500 DACA recipients and approximately 131,000 TPS holders serve on the frontline of this crisis and lack access to healthcare.

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To make matters worse, Republicans from 20 states and the Trump administration are challenging the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in court and working to strip health insurance from millions of people, during a pandemic. President Trump asked the Supreme Court to strike down the entire ACA since the individual mandate penalty has been set to $0." The Supreme Court already dealt a serious blow to the ACAs protections this term by ruling that allows employers to refuse to include contraceptives in their health plans.

We should be working to ensure healthcare coverage for everyone, not taking away peoples health insurance or access to basic health care like contraceptives. Instead of trying to dismantle health care protections during a pandemic, Congressional Democrats are fighting to strengthen the ACA through H.R. 1425, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Enhancement Act, which passed in the House on June 29, 2020 with some key additional positive amendments. This legislation would significantly increase the ACAs affordability subsidies, negotiate for lower prescription drug prices, expand coverage, and strengthen protections for people with pre-existing conditions. Its a step in the right direction, but we must go further.

Congressional Progressive Caucus co-chairs Reps. Pramila Jayapal and Mark Pocan and other progressive champions successfully added positive provisions from Reps. Jayapal and Haalands Health Equity and Access under the Law (HEAL) for Immigrant Women and Families Act that would expand access to healthcare for DACA recipients. DACA recipients, especially the 27,000 DACA healthcare workers, often struggle to obtain healthcare coverage and have been excluded from other relief packages. Although the Supreme Court overturned Trumps termination of DACA, hundreds of thousands of Dreamers still face a number of challenges including accessing healthcare. The HEAL Act is crucial and would provide immigrants with some of the relief and protections they deserve, including removing the restrictive 5-year waiting period to enroll in health coverage.

In June, Democrats in the House passed the Heroes Act, a $3 trillion dollar relief package that will provide people with continued unemployment benefits, direct cash assistance, housing protections, relief for immigrants, voting rights, and more. Instead of taking up the Heroes Act or the HEAL Act, the Republican-led Senate is pushing for more corporate bailouts, resisting continuing expanded unemployment insurance, and trying to give corporations immunity from lawsuits if they recklessly endanger their workers and customers.

The pandemic is exposing the true cost of our for-profit healthcare system. As a nation, we will only be healthy if everyone has access to healthcare. The only comprehensive solution is Medicare for All. People of color are dying at disproportionate rates due to COVID-19 and although the virus does not discriminate, our healthcare system does. Dreamers and immigrants are left behind, people are unable to afford testing and treatment, and the pandemic is only getting worse. With the expiration of expanded unemployment insurance, millions facing evictions as layoffs continue, and cases, hospitalizations, and deaths surging nationwide, we need to do more, not less. Congress must take immediate action to help those in need during this crisis, and then we must build a system that could have prevented many of the issues we face today. That means fighting to achieve Medicare for All.

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We Should Be Fighting For Healthcare For Everyone, Not Taking It Away - Common Dreams

Digital health – From innovation to adoption – Healthcare IT News

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At the HIMSS APAC Malaysia Digital Health Summit session titled Digital Health - From Innovation to Adoption by guest speakers Wilson Choo (Chief Executive Officer of Sunway Medical Centre Velocity) and Dr Ng Xin Jun (Manager of Sunway Group Healthcare), both shed light on the various technological healthcare advancements made at Sunway Medical Centre Velocity (SMCV) as a case study.

At SMCV, an integration project between its patients monitoring devices and electronic medical record was developed in order to achieve a seamless and wireless transfer of patients vital signs with Early Warning Scores.

A key feature of the new implemented EMR at SMCV is its Computerized Physician Order Entry (CPOE) which allows doctors to order medicine or laboratory/ radiology services via the system whilst being able to check the status of these orders. Similarly, nurses would also be able to key in their orders for medication as well as the respective procedures which they have carried out on each patient.

Clinical Decision Support is another feature embedded within the EMR which allows healthcare providers to gain access to the drug allergies as well as medications administered to patients. This results in better healthcare decisions and effectively prevents any medication errors. A system aptly named Early Warning Score was developed for scoring the physiological measurements of patients and routinely recorded at the patients bedside. Its purpose was to allow for early identification of acutely ill patients and recorded information such as a patients temperature, systolic blood pressure and urine output.

A key success factor underlying the success of this integration project was due to the efforts of a governance committee. Frequent meetings were held every month to discuss any ambiguities or to resolve any issues within the system. Priority was given to resolve issues pertaining to patient safety and system enhancements. Relevant key stakeholders such as management personnel or members of the clinical team and vendors were brought into these meetings whenever necessary.

Digitalization and innovation was also amalgamated within the hospitals daily operations as well. Sunway Medical Centre was one of the earliest companies who adopted tele-consultation during Malaysias Movement Control Order (MCO) period (a form of countrywide lockdown due to COVID-19), which allowed patients to continue to consult doctors even when they were at home. A patient portal was also developed which facilitated the booking of appointments and retrieval of radiology results online.

Patients were also encouraged to download the hospital app on their mobile devices which allowed them to check the queues at the hospital to reduce their waiting times at the medical facility. Insurance integration is also in the works, which will enable patients to make electronic payment, billing and payment integration with major insurers. This will also provide greater transparency to patients as they will also be able to track the status of their insurance applications.

A long term direction for the hospital was also put in place with plans to include progressive initiatives to make crucial patient information more accessible and timely, even allowing doctors to have real time visibility of vital signs on their mobile devices.

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Digital health - From innovation to adoption - Healthcare IT News

A lively nursing director, an outspoken phlebotomist: US healthcare workers who died from Covid-19 – The Guardian

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Lost on the frontline is a collaboration between the Guardian and Kaiser Health News that aims to document the lives of healthcare workers in the US who die from Covid-19, and to understand why so many are falling victim to the pandemic.

Each week, were documenting new cases of healthcare workers who have died on the frontlines of the coronavirus pandemic. Here are their stories:

Chantee Mack, 44A good soul who followed her mother into healthcare

Occupation: Disease intervention specialistPlace of work: Prince Georges county health department in Cheverly, MarylandDate of death: 11 May 2020

Chantee Mack was a second mom to her younger brother Roland Mack.

Chantee, Roland and their brother Aric grew up in Prince Georges county, Maryland. Their single mother, Sue Ann Mack, a nurse, sometimes took Chantee to work, inspiring a love of healthcare.

For 19 years, Mack served the community in the county health department, where one of her jobs was to tell people the results of tests for sexually transmitted diseases.

Mack considered her mother her best friend and lived with her into adulthood, caring for her when Sue Ann became paraplegic. When her mother died a decade ago, Mack sank into a depression, but she remained committed to helping people. She hoped eventually to follow her mother into nursing.

She was a good soul, Roland said.

Family and friends believe she contracted Covid-19 from a co-worker in March when, according to union officials, personal protective equipment was not widely used and people were not routinely social distancing. Health department leaders wouldnt discuss Macks death but said the safety of workers was a top priority and workplace protections now include PPE and social distancing.

Laura Ungar

Sally Lara, 62Lab assistant spoke out about employee safety

Occupation: Lab assistant Place of work: Riverside community hospital in Riverside, CaliforniaDate of death: 8 June 2020

Sally Lara was so supportive of her daughters childhood dream of becoming an astronaut that, one summer, she took her to Kennedy Space Center, where they ate astronaut food and rode a flight simulator.

Vanessa Campos, who works in a nursing home, said that when Covid-19 hit, her mother picked up extra shifts. She pressed management about employee safety and PPE practices, encouraging her daughter to do the same.

Lara developed symptoms on Mothers Day. Campos recalled driving with her husband, tears streaming down their faces as they prayed for a miracle. The hospital staff tried everything, she said.

Riverside community hospital said in a statement it was devastated by the loss of Lara and that its focus has been on protecting our caregivers and colleagues and ensuring they have enough personal protective equipment.

Nearly a month after Lara became ill, Campos called and spoke her final words to her mother: If its your time, go peacefully. If its not your time, I need you to fight. I love you so much; thank you for fighting.

Christina Jewett

Paul Moise, 50Father of three juggled multiple jobs

Occupation: Subacute unit manager and licensed practical nursePlaces of work: Various nursing homes in New JerseyDate of death: 12 April 2020

Paul Moise had been taking online classes to further his career when the coronavirus emerged in New Jersey. Moises wife, Rose, recalled that one of the facilities where he worked, Alameda center, did not have sufficient masks. He was ordering his own, she said.

The Alameda center did not respond to requests for comment.

By early April, Moise began experiencing shortness of breath and stayed home from work without paid sick leave. His wife said he was unable to access a Covid-19 test, but the coroner confirmed the virus as his cause of death.

Rose, also a nurse, fell ill too, making it hard to care for their three, school-age children.

Moise, who was born in Haiti and loved playing soccer, worked at three assisted living centers. He was a good worker, Rose said, because he was a good team leader.

Jessica Klein

Nicanor Nick Baltazar, 60A nurse with boundless energy, he advocated for patients

Occupation: Director of nursingPlace of work: Long Island care center in Queens, New YorkDate of death: 31 March 2020

Nick Baltazar loved to sing, even when no one was around. His wife, Grace, and daughter, Abigail, often joined in. He even brought a karaoke machine to the nursing home where he worked, and he and Abigail once serenaded patients there with Endless Love.

Nick had boundless energy too. He exercised twice a day and walked to work. He was a tireless advocate for patients and his employees, often taking novice nurses under his wing.

He was known to stay up late to bake treats, like cassava cake, for co-workers, and when Abigail was studying nursing in Buffalo, her parents would pack the car with groceries and meals hed prepared for her. I would tell him, you know, there are grocery stores in Buffalo! Abigail said.

Avid gardeners, Nick and Graces last harvest was so abundant that he invited co-workers to pick peppers, tomatoes and bitter melon.

After 40 years in nursing, he planned on retiring in two more.

On 20 March, he developed a cough and fever. He tested positive for Covid-19 and died two weeks later as he waited to be admitted to the hospital.

His employer did not respond to requests for comment.

Natalie Mufson, Columbia Journalism School

Kettely Desire, 64Grandmother worked extra hours at nursing home ravaged by Covid-19

Occupation: Certified nursing assistantPlace of work: Alliance Health at West Acres in Brockton, MassachusettsDate of death: 11 April 2020

Kettely Desire had been planning a party for her granddaughters high school graduation when the coronavirus swept through the nursing home where she worked.

She became ill in late March after working a double shift, according to her son. She was hospitalized and put on a ventilator before succumbing to complications from Covid-19.

By late April, 23 staff members had tested positive for Covid-19, and 22 of the facilitys patients had died, according to the Boston Globe.

An Alliance Health spokeswoman, Kate Kahn, said the facility started having staff wear protective gear before it was mandated by the state. She added that Desire was well respected for her compassionate caregiving and professional demeanor.

Desires Facebook page reveals an enduring love for music from her native Haiti and devotion to her Brockton church, where congregants are shown dancing and singing during holiday celebrations.

JK

Norman Einhorn, 69 Brilliant eye specialist liked to party

Occupation: OptometristPlaces of work: Central New Jersey rehabilitation centersDate of death: 6 June 2020

He could talk with anybody, about anything. He could sing. He loved wine, Italian dinners and concerts: Springsteen, Madonna, Diana Ross. Always with his wife, Joy Einhorn.

He was brilliant, she said, and he also liked to party.

Norman had an optometry practice since 1983 but also worked in neuro-optometry, helping people whose illnesses or injuries impair their vision. He treated stroke patients, Special Olympic athletes and trauma victims. Its like physical therapy, Joy said, but for the eyes.

He shuttered his office in March, following state orders, but continued to see patients at three rehabilitation centers. His family believes he contracted the coronavirus at one of the centers.

Norman lost his appetite and started coughing in May. Other family members got sick, too. Norman died in the hospital about two weeks after his diagnosis.

Norman thought he had been protecting himself, Joy said, but its just so contagious.

Maureen OHagan

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A lively nursing director, an outspoken phlebotomist: US healthcare workers who died from Covid-19 - The Guardian

Healthcare workers help at homes and nursing facilities – Beloit Daily News

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BELOIT Healthcare staff charged with caring for vulnerable populations put in long hours, risked their own health and have drawn upon boundless creativity to care for others during the pandemic.

Autumn Lake Healthcare Midwest Regional Director Josh Davis commended staff at the Autumn Lake facility in Beloit, 2121 Pioneer Drive, and The Suites at Beloit, Assisted Living, 2122 Pioneer Drive.

These people left their homes and came in to take care of other peoples loved ones, Davis said.

Davis singled out Autumn Lake Administrator Sue Viken and Director of Nursing Jennifer Geske for leading up the effort to keep residents cared for and staff scheduled. They also kept up to date with all the regulations, procedures and guidelines.

It was more than a full-time job. They put in tremendous amounts of hours and communicated with residents and family members, David said. They handled it like superheroes and never did they say no.

Viken said Activity Director Leanne Sullivan came in on the weekends and off hours in order to set up video chats with residents family members and came up with creative activities. Residents did everything from sing handwashing songs, to playing Bingo and enjoying the annual picnic in their rooms.

Viken commended those at Autumn Lake as well as many in the long term care industry who came up with systems to keep people safe while continuing to admit and care for people.

During the pandemic, Beloit Health Systems At-Home Healthcare divisions workers continued to venture into peoples homes to provide a variety of medical care. Patient Care Coordinator Nancy Fiege said that with the increasing trend of more outpatient surgeries more at-home healthcare is being performed.

We all love home healthcare. Its such a unique opportunity to see patients personally and see what barriers and support they have, Fiege said. Patients can learn better ways to improve their health in their home environment.

At-Home Healthcare workers had to take safety precautions not only to keep themselves safe but to ensure they didnt transmit anything to the next five to six people they would see a day. Some home spaces were a bit small, and there were unexpected surprises sometimes. Fiege recalled one windy day in April when all the personal protective gear was flying out of a workers trunk.

Because Beloit Health Systems At-Home Healthcare is licensed in counties on both sides of the state line, workers had to keep track and learn each states rules.

Not only did workers have to attend to their patients medical needs, but had to help them emotionally.

People were more lonely because they werent getting other visitors, Fiege said.

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Healthcare workers help at homes and nursing facilities - Beloit Daily News

Govt Investments in Healthcare and Life Sciences in Europe – The National Law Review

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In the fourth installment of McDermottsHPE Europe Summer Webinar Series 2020: Whats the Impact of Recent Regulation and Government Measures on Investments in Healthcare and Life Sciences in Europe?moderator and McDermott partner Dr. Stephan Rau and industry experts Karthic Jayaraman of TPG Capital, Max Mller of Bayer, Ben Faircloth of L.E.K. Consulting and Dr. Ulrich Wandschneider, former CEO of Asklepios AG, currently at Trilantic Capital Partners and Supervisory Board member of BioNTech SE, the Nasdaq-listed developer of COVID vaccine, headquartered in Germany, discussed the impact that COVID-19 and the government measures to address it have had on investments in healthcare and life sciences in Europe.

I think its about as interesting a time as any in my last 20 years investing, said Jayaraman. People are beginning to focus a lot more on innovation, the speed of innovation and how innovation is brought to market. I think the question is, How can we continue to reward innovation, both by simplifying the process by which its made possible and how we value it?

New developments in digital health have become more and more attractive as people have had faster access to care and governments have understood that some of their regulations needed to be adjusted, added Mller.

Jayaraman agreed. There has been an acceleration of the provision of care through telehealth services and any kind of remote administration of care. Its probably been an acceleration of two-plus years collapsed into months. I also think were going to see some vigorous conversations about supply chain disruption in the political arena, and also corporate boardrooms, as we think about where we want to place our supply chains moving forward. And currently there is great interest in R&D. If you have a COVID vaccine, everybody is running to invest in it. But we need to find a way to sustain that in other areas as well, predicted Faircloth, Regulators, I think, will want to try to embed some of the lessons learned around accelerating the clinical trial process and taking some of the cost out, which will be to the advantage of e-clinical players that have technology that addresses the clinical trial process. Weve seen a significant slowdown in trial activity for trials not obviously linked to COVID-related therapeutics and potential vaccines, because trials sites such as DP clinics, hospital sites and academic sites have been inaccessible or closed. What youve seen as a result of these access problems is a move by regulators toward being more positive about technologies that encourage virtual interaction. Though it is still rather vague, there is a gradually emerging concept of virtual clinical trials.

Structurally, when it comes to investing right now, you look at it missing pieces, the gaps: physician capacity, ICU capacity, PPE, etc., Jayaraman suggested. How do we invest to make sure we have the necessary structural investments made so that we can actually respond to a pandemic if it happens again?

Beyond investment in new technologies, Faircloth also predicted an uptick in incremental M&A for some provider businesses. We see some of the older owner-manager practitioners coming out of this first element of the pandemic and perhaps deciding that now is a good time to bring forward retirement plans by a year or two. So we think there will probably be some incremental M&A opportunities for some of the stronger platforms in the more fragmented provision markets across Europe, he said.

We have to separate out some of the temporary effects of what were going through and isolate them when making any investment decisions right now, Jayaraman cautioned. And that plays itself out in a number of different ways, whether there is a level of support for provider businesses, whether businesses have more private exposure, like dentistry in the UK or outpatient centers in Germany, which are being more adversely impacted you have to isolate whats temporary and take that out of the equation, or at least you need to have an understanding and an expectation as to what that recovery will look like, whether its likely to be U-shaped, V-shaped, etc.

From the overall view, I must say that since this industry in general is also part of the solution, we will come out sooner than other industries and wont have to contend with issues and problems like those faced by the automotive or retail sectors, for example, predicted Wandschneider. We will have scenarios through which we can get out of the current economic situation. Since nobody was prepared, its very impressive how science, how business, how governments are working together to find ways out of the situation.

Its important to take measures to reduce national egoisms and be prepared to help each other more, stressed Rau. I see some tendencies there, but I dont know whether they would hold up under the types of pressures that we had some months ago.

Mller emphasized, Once we have overcome this particular crisis, we cannot fall back into old habits. It is our responsibility as industry to make sure that the lessons learned will remain in focus. But Im cautiously optimistic that the new role of science and the new way of looking at medicine and pharmaceuticals as a whole will give this sector the value it has lost over the last years, during which we talked only about cost.

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Govt Investments in Healthcare and Life Sciences in Europe - The National Law Review

Elon Musk drops details for SpaceX Mars mega-colony – CNET

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This futuristic render shows a collection of Starships hanging out on the surface of Mars. Elon Musk and SpaceX envision astronauts initially living out of the spaceships while constructing a more permanent human settlement on the Red Planet.

The first SpaceX Starship orbital prototypes aren't even built yet, but Elon Musk already has big plans for his company's spacecraft, which includes turning humans into an interplanetary species with a presence on Mars. He crunched some of the numbers he has in mind on Twitter on Thursday.

Musk doesn't just want to launch a few intrepid souls to Mars, he wants to send a whole new nation. He tossed out a goal of building 100 Starships per year to send about 100,000 people from Earth to Mars every time the planets' orbits line up favorably.

A Twitter user ran the figures and checked if Musk planned to land a million humans on Mars by 2050. "Yes," Musk replied. The SpaceX CEO has suggested this sort of Mars population number before. This new round of tweets give us some more insight into how it could be done, though "ambitious" doesn't do that timeline justice. Miraculous might be a more fitting description.

The distance between Earth and Mars gets reasonably close roughly every 26 months. Musk's vision involves loading 1,000 Starships into orbit and then sending them off over the course of a month around prime time for a minimal commute. Travelers would still be looking at spending months on board before reaching the Red Planet.

Expanse fans, rejoice. Musk saidthere will be plenty of jobs on Mars. When asked how people would be selected for the Red Planet move, Musk tweeted, "Needs to be such that anyone can go if they want, with loans available for those who don't have money." So perhaps you could pay off your SpaceX loans with a sweet terraforming gig.

In the meantime, Musk is stockpiling money for a reason. "Helping to pay for this is why I'm accumulating assets on Earth," he tweeted. His anticipated Tesla pay package should give him a nice boost.

SpaceX has a long way to go to make these concepts real. The company is currently building Starships designed to reach Earth orbit after a series of successful "hopper" prototype tests. The reusable spacecraft could have a lifespan of 20 to 30 years, enabling them to make round-trip journeys between the planets.

While no one is sure exactly what the future holds for SpaceX, Starship, humanity and Mars, it's definitely fun to speculate.

Now playing: Watch this: SpaceX aces Starhopper rocket test

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Elon Musk drops details for SpaceX Mars mega-colony - CNET

Alyssa Carson: The teenager on a mission to Mars – Siliconrepublic.com

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On a mission to become the youngest person ever in space and one of the first people on Mars, Alyssa Carson discusses her astronaut training to date.

What does it take to become an astronaut? I was fortunate enough to get some insights from one in training recently when I interviewed Alyssa Carson, also known by her Twitter handle NASA Blueberry, after she spoke at Collision From Home.

Now 18 years old, Carson has dreamed of visiting space since she was young. I got really fascinated with space and, more specifically, being an astronaut. I always thought it would be super cool and super fascinating, she said.

The idea of being able float around in space while doing science or whatever it might be really interests me. And the more I learned about space, the more interested I got in actually becoming an astronaut.

October 2016 marked a huge milestone in Carsons mission. She graduated from theAdvanced Possum Space Academy, a programme at Florida Tech for high school and undergraduate students covering atmospheric science, noctilucent cloud science, mission simulations, spaceflight and spacesuit operations, to name a few of its subjects. This made Carson the youngest person to be accepted into the programme and subsequently graduate from it, as well as certified to travel to space as an astronaut trainee.

Before that, she had taken part in countless initiatives in preparation for the day she would become ready for space. She attended Space Camp seven times and was the first person to attend all three NASA Space Camps in the world. She was selected as a Mars One ambassador, becoming one of seven people representing the mission to establish a human colony on Mars in 2030.

Its very important to talk about your dreams and tell people what youre interested in ALYSSA CARSON

With such an array of achievements, it should come as no surprise that time management has been one of her biggest challenges.

A huge challenge has really just been time management, trying to do as much as I can to pursue my dream but, at the same time, just kind of being in school and travelling as much as I do, she said. But also going to college and actually getting my degree, which is the important part.

So my life has kind of always been just a little bit of a juggle, whether thats staying in school, travelling for speaking, doing some sort of training or even just relaxing.

Achieving so much at such a young age has been a lot of hard work and keeping up, she added. I mean, especially doing as much as I have done but younger than youre supposed to, there have been a few academic challenges. Im not necessarily the most genius person in math and science, so its just been a lot of hard work and keeping up with everything you actually have to learn.

Its not every day you get to speak with a future astronaut, so I was eager to ask Carson about the things she had learned in her training so far. A lot of it, she explained, has been about pushing herself and continuing to grow.

I think a good example was when I did some water survival training, she said. So, basically, I was in a spacesuit and I had to pull myself onto a life raft.

And Ive always been, I guess, slightly lacking in upper-body strength, so this was not an easy task. Getting onto a life raft is hard enough, let alone with the extra weight of a spacesuit! And we also had this giant oxygen bottle on our leg. So it was about really pushing myself and being able to pull through.

Another challenge in her water survival training was stepping from a platform high off the ground: I feel like when I was younger, I would have really thought about it for a moment. But now I really just kind of push myself.

I was like: you know what, its gonna happen. So I just kind of did it. I looked down and completely walked off and did it probably faster than anybody else just because I was gung ho to get it over with. So Ive definitely grown in terms of being able to push myself to new levels.

Carson was surprised by her own fortitude when it came to her training, but also by the kind of skills she would need to pick up for the rigorous selection process.

As far as skills in general for becoming an astronaut, so many different skills apply, she explained. If you listen to some astronauts, theyll talk about the interview that they went through in the selection process. And sometimes theyll get asked a question like: how do you change a car tyre? Do you know how to use this type of wrench?

And some of those simple motor and fixing skills, you know, they want you to have some of those as well. So thats also pretty surprising, because its something that most people wouldnt really think of as something you need to learn to become an astronaut.

Whats next for Carson? Shes passionate about contributing to the science industry, she told me, and has chosen to major in astrobiology.

With astrobiology, I really have the opportunity to study anywhere from little bacteria to entire solar systems, she said. So the variety is really there for me to kind of pick and choose what Ill be interested in.

Her curiosity about Mars has by no means been quelled either and shes looking forward to potential missions. Im excited to possibly be able to study, like, are there any bacteria in this water that we found on Mars? And learning more about the atmosphere, the soil, the resources trying to learn as much as we can that will be of benefit.

As someone who has already spent so much of her life learning about space, Carson also had plenty of advice to share with others. When I asked her what shed love other girls and women to know about becoming an astronaut, she said: My advice would be really just start with thinking about yourself, thinking about what youre interested in, because there are so many different paths to becoming an astronaut.

And thats really the cool part about it, that you can study almost anything and then eventually apply and have a chance of getting selected. So really, just start by figuring out what career path youre interested in.

You know, I ended up choosing to go down more of a scientist path. You can also be a pilot. You can also study medicine. But there are other opportunities.

The bare minimum required for astronauts, she added, is getting your masters degree and some work experience. But see if you can find some way to build on that.

Lets say youre interested in robotics and maybe building your own robot. Have that on your rsum. Its kind of the same as any job application: you want to meet the bare minimum, but you want to have something that helps you stick out.

But while youre doing all these add-ons, its very important to talk about your dreams and tell people what youre interested in because you never really know where the opportunities are going to come from.

Someone could know someone who knows someone who can help you out. So, really, just continue to speak about your dreams and really go for it and follow them.

The rest is here:

Alyssa Carson: The teenager on a mission to Mars - Siliconrepublic.com

Netanyahu has shattered the two-state pipe dream – Gulf Today

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Israeli policemen, clad in masks due to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, escort away a woman wearing a Palestinian flag as a mask during a demonstration against the Israeli government near the prime ministers residence in Jerusalem. Agence France-Presse

He has postponed annexation, partly due to rampaging Covid-19 infections in Israel and partly due to worldwide opposition to the well publicised land grab.

The time has come to confront the result of this cowardly approach.

There is only one practical and honourable way to deal with it: revert to the one-state solution. Last week Jordanian Prime Minister Omar Razzaz said the kingdom could accept a one-state solution if Palestinians were granted equal rights with Jewish Israelis. At present Palestinian citizens of Israel are relegated to second class with fewer rights than Jewish Israelis while Palestinians living under occupation have no rights. Until now Jordan had insisted on the two-state solution involving the emergence alongside Israel of a Palestinian state in Gaza and the West Bank with East Jerusalem as its capital.

Israel has repeatedly called for Jordan to become the Palestinian state by absorbing Palestinians fleeing Israeli rule and giving citizenship to Palestinians who opt to stay on and endure apartheid under occupation. Jordan has made it absolutely clear that this is not on the cards. Jordan is no longer ready to be the dumping ground for refugees from regional wars and crises. Jordan already has a population of 10 million and not enough water and resources to sustain such a large population.

I speak of reverting to the one-state solution. It is nothing new.

As early as 1969, 20 months after Israels conquest of Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem, the Palestinian National Council, the Palestinians parliament-in-exile, meeting in Cairo chose Fatahs Yasser Arafat to head the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) and put forward the one-state option. Fatahs Nabil Shaath promoted it. The proposition was, naturally, ignored by Israel which never had any intention of giving equal rights to Palestines natives as this would mean the end of the Zionist state and the capitulation of Zionism to a pluralistic bi-national polity.

The threat of Israels annexation of up to 30 per cent of the West Bank has prompted influential opinion makers and political leaders to raise the counter-threat of the one-state solution.

Peter Beinart, a prominent US Jewish intellectual and commentator, contributed on July 8th a New York Times opinion article calling for the one-state solution. Beinart wrote, If Netanyahu fulfils his pledge to impose Israeli sovereignty in parts of the West Bank, he will just formalise a decades-old reality: in practice, Israel annexed the West Bank long ago.

Beinart argued that liberal Zionists like himself must stand up for the equal rights for the Palestinians: Its time to imagine a Jewish home that is not a Jewish state. He said that equality could be realised in a single state that includes Israel, the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem. Another option could be a confederation that allows free movement between two deeply integrated countries.

Although he warned that resistance from hardliners on both sides could be expected, he insisted that the goal of equality is now more realistic than the goal of separation. He made the point that Israel is already a bi-national state. Two peoples, roughly equal in number, live under the ultimate control of one government. Beinart concluded his essay by saying, Israel-Palestine can be a Jewish home that is also, equally, a Palestinian home. And building that home can bring liberation not just for Palestinians but for us, too.

His essay has been praised by Israelis courageous dissident columnist Gideon Levy and other Jewish opponents of Israeli apartheid and has been widely quoted in Arab publications.

A contributor to the Israeli liberal daily Haaretz and other publications, Levy had previously called for recognising and acting on the one-state solution.

He wrote in the Palestine-Israel Journal that the alternative to the two-state solution is, naturally, a one-state solution. This state has already existed ...since the 1967 war. He said, however, that the occupation and separation means this one state has two regimes, a liberal democratic one in Israel, which includes a discriminatory regime toward the Palestinian citizens of the state and a South African-style apartheid regime in the West Bank. Even the Gaza Strip is part of this one state; it is a gigantic cage in the backyard, the biggest prison in the world...

The fate of all the human beings living between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea is determined in the (Israeli) government buildings in Jerusalem and the security buildings in Tel Aviv. Thats what one state with one government looks like, period.

He contended Israelis have three alternatives. Israel can withdraw from the territories occupied in 1967 allowing the Palestinian state to emerge in order for Israel to retain both its Jewish identity and democracy. But, he said, this is almost impossible because of the hundreds of thousands of Israeli colonists.

Israel can remain Jewish but not democratic by continuing the occupation and imposing apartheid on the Palestinians. This goes against the anti-colonial zeitgeist of the 21st century. Or, Israel can opt for a single democratic state where Palestinians have equal rights. He agreed with Breitbart that Israelis have to give up on Zionism, the cherished 19th century colonialist ideology which produced Israel.

Meanwhile in the West Bank and East Jerusalem the occupation reigns.

Israeli troops continuously raid Palestinian homes in cities, towns and villages across the West Bank, arresting Palestinian boys and men. The Palestinian governor of East Jerusalem Adnan Geith is set to appear in court on Thursday.

He has been detained 17 times since his appointment by the Palestinian Authority two years ago. Last week the Israeli army smashed two Covid-19 testing centres in the West Bank and raided two Palestinian cultural institutions in East Jerusalem and detained their directors.

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Netanyahu has shattered the two-state pipe dream - Gulf Today

Practicing Medicine In The Era Of Private Equity, Venture Capital, And Public Markets – Forbes

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Healthcare delivery firms are increasingly owned by private equity, venture capital, and public ... [+] markets. Ethical operations of these firms will require new guardrails.

In the last decade, there has been a remarkable shift in ownership of healthcare delivery.Previously independent, physician-owned medical practices have been acquired by private equity firms and publicly traded corporations.The rationale for these acquisitions istypically two-fold.First, the acquiring entity can streamline cost structures and implement management practices to lower the overall cost of delivering care.Second, these firms can use their consolidated position in the marketplace to extract more favorable rates from third-party payers. In addition to private equity and publicly traded companies, venture capital firms have invested heavily in healthcare hoping to reap rewards from new models of care delivery.

Contrary to others observers of these trends, I believe thischange in ownership of healthcare is not intrinsically good or bad.There are countless examples of not-for-profit healthcare organizations behaving in predatory ways, just as there are examples of for-profit healthcare organizations operating altruistically.In addition, private capital does create opportunities to transform care delivery at scalein meaningful ways that otherwise might not otherwise receive investment.

This change in ownership does, however, create a new operating reality where the previous central tenet of healthcare deliverydoing what is best for the patientnow has a competing imperative: doing what is best for shareholders and investors.The code of professionalism taught in medical schools butts up against the fiduciary responsibility taught in business schools.I believe that publicly traded healthcare firms and their private equity counterparts must must proactively build ethical frameworks that ensure that these two imperatives conflict do not conflict.

In the past several months, I have observed several cases where these competing priorities were handled poorly.A hiring freeze was implemented in a clinical care company because of potential earnings shortfalls by its publicly-traded parentdespite clear patient need for clinical services.In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, a private equity owned home-based assessments company continued to perform non-clinical coding visits to capture more Medicare Advantage revenue.Entering a new funding cycle, a venture-backed healthcare company pushed its physicians for schedule follow-up visits earlier than needed to improve revenue and enhance the companys valuation.In each of these cases, a business imperative trumped a clinical onein each case introducing potential harm to patients for the benefit of shareholders and investors.

I believe that shareholders and investors have a longer-term interest in preserving the clinical ethics of the healthcare organizations in which they invest.There is growing momentum to limit the influence of private capital in healthcare.In California, for example, lawmakers introduced legislation requiring the State to approve any transaction in which a healthcare provider organization is being acquired by private equity.To be sure, this is a reaction to to the belief that private enterprise can not be trusted to do what is in the public interestin the way the medical profession historically has been trusted. The need for investor-backed healthcare to adopt a clear and defensible ethical framework has never been greater.I believe this framework has four parts: 1) board obligations and composition; 2) organizational structure; 3) clinical decision-making governance; and 4) compensation design.

Boards of private equity and public traded firms owning healthcare delivery assets must commit to a dual obligation to investors and shareholders and patients; and commit to the idea that when these interests are in conflict, the obligation to patients trumps others interests.Many decisions are made in organizations without adequate consideration of clinical impact because boards are not expected or empowered to consider these impacts.The monocular focus on creating shareholder value or long-term returns frees them from considering deleterious clinical impact.Enlightened boards and board members will often implicitly consider patient impactbut this is by no means an industry standard.Companies operating in healthcare must visibly and meaningfully acknowledge at the highest level that when human interests and financial interests collide, human interests will supersede financial interest in decision-making.This is a controversial notion to some who believe corporations need a single organizing objective.However, the only way investor-back healthcare will sustainably earn and maintain the public trust is to embrace this dual obligation and hierarchy.

To enable this dual obligation, companies should adopt an organizational structure in which the the chief clinical executive (often the chief medical officer) has dual reporting to the chief executive and the board.I have observed a deleterious trend where chief clinical executives are not reporting directly to the chief executives, sometimes reporting to chief operating officers or chief financial officers.I believe the enhanced primacy of clinical decision-making in these organizations demands a seat at two tablesthe organizational executive committee, leveling the chief medical officer equivalent to other corporate officers, but also a direct line to the board of directors.This structure is similar to the dual reporting many publicly traded companies adopt with other high priority areas such as compliance.The board must have direct visibility into clinical care operations in order to take responsibility for its ethical administration.This structure is not to absolve chief executive officers of their responsibilitybut to create a necessary counterbalance to the profit motive.

To further enhance the clinical sophistication of boards, organizations should consider a dedicated board position of an independent clinical director, a full-time practicing clinician or patient whose job it is to enhance the clinical perspective and decision-making of the boardand constantly ask the question how will the affect the patient. Too often, the physician voices (if any) on boards are physicians whose days in full-time clinical practice are far in the past and whose perspectives are more dominated by business considerations than clinical ones.Boards must be vigilant and thoughtful about installing a thoughtful clinical conscience in the form of a practicing physician or patient.

Clinical organizations must further adopt a governance norm that any decision that is clearly clinical in nature will ultimately be made by clinicians.To be sure, operations and finance leaders can and should provide input into clinical decisions.However, I havetoo often observed non-clinicians providing input into clinical decisions without adequate consideration of the consequences.The staffing example provided earlier is emblematic.Clinical decisions should ultimately be made by people expert in clinical care who are ultimately most capable of balancing trade-offs between business and clinical imperatives..

Finally, there must be vigilance around the design of incentives to ensure that clinical incentives payments of any kind are not tied to any potential source of harm to patientsoveruse, under-use, or misuse of clinical servicesor any imperative to enhance billing documentation (I.e. HCC coding).This may be the trickiest to implement, as companies typically use a combination of incentive payments and stock to reward performanceeach of which may be tied indirectly to decisions made by clinicians on a daily basis.Where possible,incentives must be tied most closely to clinical outcomes.

The incursion of private equity and publicly traded firms into healthcare delivery has grown increasingly controversialespecially as these firms grow in number and an increasing share of US healthcare is being delivered by entities whose stated primary obligation is to investors, not patients and communities.Private equity and public markets are not incompatible with ethical medical practice, but they do require enhanced ethical safeguards; the same might be said for large integrated delivery systems whose behaviors and business practices increasingly resemble for-profit companies more than community-based non-profits..The time is now for all types of organizations to proactively adopt frameworks to ensure that in the rush to create value our care and concern for the patient is not lostand that the ethical mores underlying the practice of medicine are not permanently compromised.

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Practicing Medicine In The Era Of Private Equity, Venture Capital, And Public Markets - Forbes

SPORTS MEDICINE:Routine needed in times that are anything but – The Times of Northwest Indiana

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The Panthers Kawann Short, an E.C. Central grad, has played a key role on the defensive line.

The big, bold and colorful mural on the outside wall of Columbus Drive Gyros hits you like a storm surge while entering the building.

Its a life-size painting of hometown hero Kawann Short, defensive tackle for the Carolina Panthers, in his No. 99 uniform and holding the Super Bowl 50 trophy triumphantly in his right hand, an event that was not to be.

Throughout Northwest Indiana, there were banners, posters and pep rallies throughout the city in support of the E.C. Central grad. Social media kept him in touch daily with the Region, as if he were standing at the corner of Chicago Avenue and Indianapolis Boulevard, taking it all in.

One particular banner stretched across Columbus Drive at Alder Street, proclaimed: East Chicago is proud of our hometown Kawann Short. We are East Chicago Super Bowl 50. Go Panthers!

That 10-by-10-foot mural at Columbus Drive Gyros was painted Jan. 28 by the artist known as Fhat Cousins, who worked on his labor of love for eight hours.

Im 6-foot, and I still have to look up at it, said restaurant owner John Troupis. Its a win-win for the city because it went viral on social media. People are always pulling up, taking pictures of it.

Kawann loved it and ended up sharing it (on social media). It lit a fire under everybody to join the celebrating.

E.C. Central and middle school football players watched the 2016 Super Bowl in the high schools mini-theater, with a pre-game video message delivered by Kawann Short.

Ive seen so much of the love coming from home. Its sincere and coming from the heart, he said by phone prior to the game. East Chicago isnt very big. It has only about 30,000 but they respect people who get out and do things with their lives.

And when you do, they gladly jump on board and support you 100 percent.

The 44th overall pick in the 2013 draft, Short went from five sacks combined over his first two seasons to an eye-popping 11 in 2105-16 a team record for defensive tackles before the NFL championship game.

But what really jumps out to students of the game is 11 sacks, 55 tackles and three forced fumbles by a 4-3 interior lineman who also is a fierce pass rusher on the edge.

Short has transformed from a player who flashed across the screen once a game to a surefire Pro Bowler.

Im just out here doing what Im doing and trying to help this team win. Its the only thing I can ask or work for, said the 6-foot-3, 315-pound Short.

Short has partnered with Athletes for Charity, HealthLinc and the East Chicago Fire and Police Departments to create academic incentives to benefit youth. Hes launched a Youth Literacy Project to deliver books and academic incentives to children in need of encouragement when it comes to reading and academic achievement.

They always come back. Theyve never forgotten about their city and thats whats so great, said Steve Segura, multimedia director of East Chicago.

Getting involved, sending a positive message, can work wonders in any environment.

Some guys play this game 16-17 years and havent been to the Super Bowl. Ive played three years and Im here, said Short, who had a video message for the citys football players watching Super Bowl 50 game at the high school:

Ive been in your position and in the same seats many years ago. I had a vision and a dream to be where I am today, Short said. East Chicago ... you guys have been behind my back 100 percent. I appreciate you guys for being there, showing love and support. Youve been amazing. Have a blessed day.

As kids, ETwaun Moore and Short often stopped at Columbus Drive Gyros for a quick bite after school. It was a popular hangout with their basketball teammates.

ETwaun was the star point guard and Kawann a power forward on the Cardinals 2006-07 team. Owner John Troupis recalled how the players, prior to sectionals, had assured him they were going to win the 4A championship.

He made a deal. Win state and its all you can eat.

The Cardinals advanced through the tourney knocking off Lowell, Munster, South Bend Adams, Valparaiso and Marion for a shot at Indianapolis North Central, featuring high school phenom Eric Gordon.

E.C. Central prevailed, 87-83.

It wasnt long after when Moore and Short, holding the trophy, led the Cardinals into Columbus Drive Gyros and said: Were really hungry!

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SPORTS MEDICINE:Routine needed in times that are anything but - The Times of Northwest Indiana

Volunteers in Medicine Hilton Head Island is counting on you to make its virtual gala a success – WJCL News

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(WJCL) - Nonprofits everywhere depend on donations to stay up and running, but unfortunately, the coronavirus has caused many to cancel major fundraising events.Now, one Hilton Head Island fundraiser is going virtual, and organizers are asking for your help to make it a success. Volunteers in Medicine Hilton Head Island works to provide health and wellness needs to the medically under-served on Hilton Head and Daufuskie Islands.The clinic is able to provide everything from internal medicine to radiology to dental care and so much more thanks to volunteers and donors.Unfortunately, one of VIMs biggest fundraisers of the year had to be canceled because of COVID-19, its Circle of Caring Gala.The gala accounts for about a quarter of a million dollars in our annual revenue budget each year. So thats just a huge gaping hole in our budget that were having to make up somehow," says SOT Ginger Allen, Director of Development for Volunteers in Medicine Hilton Head Island.That gala is now going virtual.It will include a presentation by the clinics executive director, patient testimonials and a virtual concert by island favorite Deas Guyz.Allen says now more than ever because of the coronavirus, VIMs services are a critical need.Our patients were among some of the hardest hit by this pandemic. They are already economically disadvantaged. Many of them are facing unemployment, lost wages. And they were already in a bad situation thats been made even tougher," Allen says.You can make the gala a success by becoming a donor or sponsor of the event.VIM neither seeks nor accepts any kind of government funding, so we are strictly reliant on donations from individuals and foundations. So its absolutely huge," Allen adds.Allen says VIM's services are not only beneficial to its patients; they keep the islands tourism industry going and the local economy thriving.I try to remind businesses that we really affect their bottom line because we keep employees at work, we keep them healthy, we keep them productive. We keep kids at school. And were really keeping this community strong," says Allen. If youd like to donate or sponsor the Circle of Caring Gala, click here.Right now the VIM clinic on Hilton Head is open, but by appointment only.

(WJCL) - Nonprofits everywhere depend on donations to stay up and running, but unfortunately, the coronavirus has caused many to cancel major fundraising events.

Now, one Hilton Head Island fundraiser is going virtual, and organizers are asking for your help to make it a success.

Volunteers in Medicine Hilton Head Island works to provide health and wellness needs to the medically under-served on Hilton Head and Daufuskie Islands.

The clinic is able to provide everything from internal medicine to radiology to dental care and so much more thanks to volunteers and donors.

Unfortunately, one of VIMs biggest fundraisers of the year had to be canceled because of COVID-19, its Circle of Caring Gala.

The gala accounts for about a quarter of a million dollars in our annual revenue budget each year. So thats just a huge gaping hole in our budget that were having to make up somehow," says SOT Ginger Allen, Director of Development for Volunteers in Medicine Hilton Head Island.

That gala is now going virtual.

It will include a presentation by the clinics executive director, patient testimonials and a virtual concert by island favorite Deas Guyz.

Allen says now more than ever because of the coronavirus, VIMs services are a critical need.

Our patients were among some of the hardest hit by this pandemic. They are already economically disadvantaged. Many of them are facing unemployment, lost wages. And they were already in a bad situation thats been made even tougher," Allen says.

You can make the gala a success by becoming a donor or sponsor of the event.

VIM neither seeks nor accepts any kind of government funding, so we are strictly reliant on donations from individuals and foundations. So its absolutely huge," Allen adds.

Allen says VIM's services are not only beneficial to its patients; they keep the islands tourism industry going and the local economy thriving.

I try to remind businesses that we really affect their bottom line because we keep employees at work, we keep them healthy, we keep them productive. We keep kids at school. And were really keeping this community strong," says Allen.

If youd like to donate or sponsor the Circle of Caring Gala, click here.

Right now the VIM clinic on Hilton Head is open, but by appointment only.

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Volunteers in Medicine Hilton Head Island is counting on you to make its virtual gala a success - WJCL News

Free Ayurvedic medicine to fight COVID-19 – The Hindu

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All residents of Shivamogga city will get Ayurvedic kits that will help avoid contracting COVID-19 infection, Minister for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj K.S. Eshwarappa said in Shivamogga on Monday.

As many as four lakh individuals would get free medicine, approved by the Ministry of AYUSH, worth 4 crore, he told a press conference.

Mr. Eshwarappa, who is also in-charge of Shivamogga district, said that the COVID-Surkasha team would distribute the kits. In the first phase, 85,000 families would get the kits, each one consisting of three types of medicine.

The public would be advised how to use the medicine. Beneficiaries have to produce their Aadhaar cards to obtain the kits. Representatives of local non-government organisations would be taking part in the distribution of the kits, he added.

The distribution programme would be held at Kuvempu Rangamandir in Shivamogga on Wednesday. The medicine would be first given to beneficiaries on C.L. Ramanna Road in the city the same day. Thereafter, all residents would get the kits in 10 days, he added.

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Free Ayurvedic medicine to fight COVID-19 - The Hindu

Fayez Assad | Veterinary medicine among the highest at-risk occupations for depression, suicide – TribDem.com

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In all honesty, I hesitated a lot before writing this article. Part of my hesitation is because of my personality. I am traditionally an upbeat guy. I dont like negativity it drains productivity and efficiency.

My hesitation also comes from being a man of faith. I was taught to always call on God in my time of need and not succumb to the evil chatter of the beast in my ear.

But sometimes in life, we have to go to unpleasant places and discuss unfortunate things.

Part of my hesitation also involves the current state of our world; were going through bigger challenges right now with this pandemic. But maybe I can thank this pandemic for taking me to this unpleasant place of discussing the prevalence of suicide in the veterinary field.

I believe a lot of veterinarians and veterinary staff would like to shed a light on this topic but are hesitant because there is this idea that everything we do revolves around puppies and kittens. And how can that be unpleasant?

But in fact, veterinary medicine is among the highest at-risk occupations for suicide.

According toa study published by the American Veterinary Medical Association, 24.5% of men and 36.7% ofwomen in veterinary medicine have experienced depressive episodes, accounting for 11/2 times the prevalence of U.S. adults. In addition, 14.4% of men and 19.1% ofwomen in the veterinary field have considered suicide.

More shocking, from 1979 to 2015, the rate of veterinarian death by suicide wasup to 31/2 timesas high asforthe general U.S. population.

Just as human doctors, veterinarians also spend at leastfouryears in doctoral programs.

Most veterinarians I know went to veterinary school and chose this career because of their passion for working with animals (all kinds) regardless of the monetary gain. They could have easily chosen to treat humans and make more money.

So how can performing such a pleasant job become stressful to this tragic end?

How can treating puppies and kittens bring anyone depression?

Perhaps one of the reasons is student debt. Honestly, this is a factor that deters a lot of students from entering this field, and I know several. The average student loan debt for veterinarians typically exceeds $200,000 with monthly payments of more than $2,000 on a standard 10-year repayment term. This massive debt load along with the lack of debit to income ratio makes veterinarians feel that they may never be able to achieve financial security.

Another reason that may contribute to depression among veterinarians is the long work hours. The majority of veterinarians that I personally know are general practitioners. This means that they not only treat clinical cases but also perform surgeries. Sometimes, both tasks are done in the same day with seeing appointments in the morning and then scrubbing in for surgeries in the afternoon or vice versa.

As GPs, we encounter a lot of different client personalities. The majority of our clients are appreciative of what we do and respect our time. However, I would be lying if I didnt also mention that we do come across people who do not respect our time.

This is most obvious when they do not commit to coming in for their scheduled appointments or demand that their pet be squeezed in to an already tight schedule. Because of these long hours (sometimes 12-hour days), veterinarians suffer from burnout, neglect self-care and undergo compassion fatigue.

Another reason for veterinary depression that can contribute to suicide is that fact that most veterinarians wear at the very least two hats: one of a medical professional and one of a business professional. They are on ground between veterinary medicine as a service to help injured animals and relieve their pain and sufferings and one of operating a small business that has employees, bills and operating expenses.

Talk of money in the veterinary setting is considered a deadly sin. There is an unfortunate understanding that if you ever talk about money, you will be labeled as heartless, money-hungry and other various names that I cant share here.

Exposure to euthanasia on a daily basis is another contributing factor to veterinary depression. This is by far the hardest part of the job.

Undoubtedly, our job as veterinarians is to prolong a animals lives by healing their illnesses and making them feel better. We never knew that we would also become educators and counselors by participating in end-of-life discussions.

Pet parents expect us to be strong sometimes to the point of burying our own emotions. I cant tell you how many times I have heard, I dont think I could do what you do. During those dark days, its hard to understand if that sentiment is a compliment or a criticism of our profession. In the end, we know that euthanasia is the most humane thing to do to stop the pain and suffering of an animal.

I also cannot ignore the role of social media. We are living in the age of anonymous online reviews and individuals saying whatever it is they want to say. Veterinary teams are expected to be perfect all the time. And unfortunately, like everyone else, we sometimes have bad days. If by chance we dont meet the clients expectations on that particular day, they resort to aggressive and antagonistic words sometimes even defamatory. Their words hurt more than they will ever realize.

Finally, I love what I do. If I did not, I do not think that I could spend the amount of hours I do in the office. I dont think I would be willing to tackle difficult clinical cases or perform surgeries that may have risky outcomes.

I do not think I would be willing to forgo a lot of social and family events.

With all this being said, I cannot ignore the fact that I have fellow colleagues who may be struggling and deserve a little more compassion and understanding from our communities.

We are making critical coverage of the coronavirus available for free. Please consider subscribing so we can continue to bring you the latest news and information on this developing story.

Fayez Assad, DVM, medical director at Johnstown Veterinary Associates, was born and raised in Cairo, Egypt. In 1994, he graduated from the Cairo University School of Veterinary Medicine. In 1999, Assad moved to Johnstown and attended Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine in North Grafton, Massachusetts, where he obtained his degree. Assad is an active member of AVMA, PAVMA, AAFP and AAHA. He is also a USDA-accredited veterinarian.

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Fayez Assad | Veterinary medicine among the highest at-risk occupations for depression, suicide - TribDem.com

CBD-infused coffee just might be the medicine you need to start your day – Boing Boing

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CBD-infused coffee almost sounds like the premise for a bad sitcom episode. But seriously...isnt it almost comical to consider what happens when the go-go kick of high-octane caffeine slams headlong into the calming, tranquil effects of CBD?

The reality is, it actually can be the best of both worlds situation for many CBD coffee fans. A morning cup not only kickstarts the day and propels you along like traditional coffee, but thanks to CBD, without any of the jitters or headaches that some encounter. Plus, you still get all the pain relief, anti-anxiety, and other medicinal advantages that CBD provides.

Since its definitely worth trying for yourself, you can start with some quality by sampling this Bean and Bud by Allo Rise blend.

Made from 100 percent Arabica coffee beans, this combination of elite beans with CBD is an exquisite balancing act. In order to maintain responsible and sustainable practices, Bean and Bud coffees are sourced directly from farmers, who actually use their own unique natural processes to infuse the coffee with industrial CBD without losing the grains genuine properties.

This African Essential Blend Coffee is rich, yet bold, with notable hints of raspberry and dark chocolate with no artificial flavors or additives. Meanwhile, the 8-ounce bag contains 320 mg of CBD, which many users swear serves as a near miracle elixir, providing relief for anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress, body pain, and even a better nights sleep.

If youre already someone who makes daily Starbucks runs or appreciates the soothing properties of CBD, this Bean and Bud blend might be the perfect way to see how those two worlds work together to help you navigate through your day.

Right now, you can get an 8-ounce bag of Bean and Bud by Allo Rise, good for about 40 cups of coffee, for $2 off the regular price, available now for just $29.99.

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When you used to walk through any office you would likely spot a few bobbleheads. These wobbly figurines are great fun to have around, although most celebrate people we will never meet. For something a little more personal, tryHandmade Custom Bobbleheads. These mini caricatures are sculpted and painted by skilled artisans, based on any photo []

Most people enjoy having items on their desks that convey a taste of who they are and what theyre about to visitors. Under those circumstances, could there possibly be a greater flex to show off all of your galactic ambitions than having the entire solar system on exhibit right on your desktop? Even if you []

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CBD-infused coffee just might be the medicine you need to start your day - Boing Boing

A Possible Weapon Against the Pandemic: Printing Human Tissue – The New York Times

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This article is part of our continuing Fast Forward series, which examines technological, economic, social and cultural shifts that happen as businesses evolve.

As shortages of personal protective equipment persist during the coronavirus pandemic, 3-D printing has helped to alleviate some of the gaps. But Anthony Atala, the director of the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, and his team are using the process in a more innovative way: creating tiny replicas of human organs some as small as a pinhead to test drugs to fight Covid-19.

The team is constructing miniature lungs and colons two organs particularly affected by the coronavirus then sending them overnight by courier for testing at a biosafety lab at George Mason University in Fairfax, Va. While they initially created some of the so-called organoids by hand using a pipette, they are beginning to print these at scale for research as the pandemic continues to surge.

In the past few years, Dr. Atalas institute had already printed these tiny clusters of cells to test drug efficacy against bacteria and infectious diseases like the Zika virus, but we never thought wed be considering this for a pandemic, he said. His team has the ability to print thousands an hour, he said from his lab in Winston-Salem, N.C.

The process of constructing human tissue this way is a form of bioprinting. While its use in humans is still years away, researchers are honing the methods to test drugs and, eventually, to create skin and full-size organs for transplanting. Researchers are making strides in printing skin, critical for burn victims; managing diseases like diabetes where wound healing is difficult; and for the testing of cosmetics without harming animals, or, of course, humans.

Even to us it sometimes seems like science fiction, said Akhilesh Gaharwar, who directs a cross-disciplinary lab in the biomedical engineering department at Texas A&M University that focuses on bioprinting and other approaches to regenerative medicine.

Bioprintings importance for pharmaceutical analysis is paramount now, not only for potential Covid-19 treatments, but also for testing treatments for cancer and other diseases. Dr. Atala says that the organoids allow researchers to analyze a drugs impact on an organ without the noise of an individuals metabolism.

He cited Rezulin, a popular diabetes drug recalled in 2000 after there was evidence of liver failure. His lab tested an archived version of the drug, and Dr. Atala said that within two weeks, the liver toxicity became apparent. What accounts for the difference? An organoid replicates an organ in its purest form and offers data points that might not occur in clinical trials, he said, adding that the testing is additive to, rather than in lieu of, clinical trials.

Testing on bioprinted skin or other miniature organs also can more readily determine which drugs that work in animals like rats might not perform well in people.

The 3-D models can circumvent animal testing and make the pathway stronger from the lab to the clinic, Dr. Gaharwar said. That has importance for consumer goods as well as pharmaceuticals; since 2013, the European Union, for example, has prohibited cosmetics companies from testing products on animals.

The foundation for a printed organ is known as a scaffold, made of biodegradable materials. To provide nutrition for the organoid, microscopic channels only 50 microns in diameter roughly half the size of a human hair are included in the scaffold. Once completed, the bioink, a liquid combination of cells and hydrogel that turns into gelatin, is then printed onto the scaffold like a layer cake, Dr. Atala said.

Another important part of the process is constructing blood vessels as part of the printing. Pankaj Karande, an assistant professor of chemical and biological engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, has been experimenting with skin printing since 2014 and recently had success in this step.

Using a cell known as a fibroblast, which helps with growth, along with collagen, as a scaffold, researchers at the institute printed the epidermis and dermis, the first two layers of skin. (The hypodermis is the third layer.) It turns out the skin cells dont mind being sheared, Dr. Karande said, and they could ultimately survive.

But their work hit a snag: Without incorporating blood vessels, the skin eventually sloughs off. Collaborating with Jordan Pober and W. Mark Saltzman of Yale University, they eventually succeeded in constructing all three layers of human skin as well as vasculature, or blood vessels, which Dr. Karande said was essential to the skins surviving after it had been grafted.

The three began experimenting with integrating human endothelial cells, which line blood vessels, and human pericyte cells, which surround the endothelial cells, into the skin as it was printed. Eventually, after much trial and error, they were able to integrate the blood vessels with the skin and found that connections were formed between new and existing blood vessels.

Updated July 27, 2020

While the work is preliminary tested in mice Dr. Karande said he was hopeful that the success in printing integrated skin and vasculature would set the stage for successful grafting in humans eventually.

The research, according to Dr. Karande, is painstaking and involves a lot of trial and error. We have Plan A, which we often know wont work and then we go down the list. We can often write about what works in five pages but have 5,000 pages of what didnt work, he added.

Dr. Gaharwars lab also is investigating whether human bone tissue can be printed for eventual transplantation. His hope, he says, is that in the future, patient radiographic scans can be translated into the exact shape needed for implantation, especially important in repairing craniofacial defects where the curvature needed can be difficult to recreate.

Like Dr. Gaharwar, Dr. Karande says that personalization is important. He says that his work has already shown that skin can be fabricated to match an individuals color. And, because the skin is also critical in regulating body temperature, he is also working to engineer sweat glands into the skin, along with hair follicles.

When we graft, we want to be able to recreate the full functionality of the skin, Dr. Karande said. And by using the cells from a patient, rather than a donor, the risk of rejection is minimized or eliminated altogether.

Not surprisingly, researchers are also exploring the collection of data from testing. The team at Wake Forest is partnering with the technology company Oracle to capture the data from the organoids and analyze it with artificial intelligence. The project, known generally as the body-on-a-chip system, involves printing living tissue on a microchip to allow drugs to be studied for toxicity and efficacy even before clinical trials begin. The chips can be the size of a nickel or quarter, which is big enough to hold 10 to 12 miniature organs.

We work a lot with researchers, pharmaceutical companies and biotech companies, and we are trying to seed advances as quickly as possible, analyze data and develop new drugs, said Rebecca Laborde, the master principal scientist in Oracles health sciences division. This is the most exciting project Ive worked on in a long time.

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A Possible Weapon Against the Pandemic: Printing Human Tissue - The New York Times

New project launched by the WVU School of Medicine in a partnership with the DTE Energy Foundation – WBOY.com

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MORGANTOWN, W.Va. A new project has been launched by the WVU School of Medicine in a partnership with the DTE Energy Foundation. This will allow physicians to now take to the road for the first Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Physicians Response Program.

The DTE Energy Foundation has awarded a $300,000 grant to the Department of Emergency Medicine Division of Prehospital Medicine at WVU to help establish this program. The program will allow certified physicians to respond to emergency calls and provide all the same services that the hospital has out in the field.

The development of EMS, in the past, its often focused on putting resources where there are larger communities. In doing so, they put the bulk of the resources within five minutes of a hospital, said Medical Director P.S. Martin. What were trying to do is reverse that. Were trying to take those resources actually out to the rural areas, where there may be fewer incidents, but where those resources can make the biggest difference.

Through this program, a physician-led team will work collaboratively with existing EMS resources to provide emergency medical treatment that was previously unavailable prior to arriving at hospitals. These treatments include diagnostic ultrasounds, medication/video-assisted intubations to secure patients airways, administration of blood products, procedural sedations, life-saving field amputations and more.

The vehicles will be able to provide all the same resources, and identical technology that the emergency helicopters have. This will allow easy transition if the there is a need for that. This program is already partially launched in Marion and Tucker counties. By this time next year, the goal is to have four certified physicians able to respond to calls and spread to more of the rural counties.

P.S. Martin is the Medical Director of both counties, and grew up in Thomas around the EMS station. He says now that he can help bring emergency services to the furthest point of the region, and possibly save several more lives, means everything to him.

The ability to take what Ive learned in my specialty emergency medicine, and subspecialty of EMS, to take that back to the rural communities, means the world to me. The office of EMS has clearly said if things if things continue to work well with the program, things will move quickly, said P.S. Martin. As the fellowships start up, and we get more physicians trained, I hope this spreads throughout the state of West Virginia.

In addition to enhancing patient care and research, the program will also provide important learning opportunities for health sciences students, emergency medicine residents and physicians participating in an intensive one year EMS fellowship tentatively slated to welcome its first class in 2021.

The fellowship will accept two per year, and will prepare physicians who have completed their emergency medicine residency for EMS subspecialty certification. For the full story, visit West Virginia Universitys website.

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New project launched by the WVU School of Medicine in a partnership with the DTE Energy Foundation - WBOY.com

Over 300 cases in Alberta over the weekend, no change in Medicine Hat – CHAT News Today

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The number of active cases province-wide is now 1,430, up 89 from Friday, and the number of recovered cases is 8,774, up 207. The province now has 10,390 total cases.

As we see in the case numbers, the curve is no longer flat in Alberta, said Dr. Deena Hinshaw. We all need to assess our own lives for where we are at risk of spreading or contracting the virus. All of us can make changes to our daily routines to prevent the spread of COVID.

Referencing an earlier description of hers that described the virus is like a wall of water, she said Alberta can tolerate some gradual streams of cases, as long as they stay gradual.

What we need to prevent is a scenario where the breaches get so large that we become swamped with cases that overwhelm our system. This can happen quickly if we let our guard down, Hinshaw said.

COVID is out there waiting for us to become too tired to wash our hands, too distracted to notice whether we are within two metres of someone else, too busy to stay home if we are sick or too polite to suggest we all bring our own food to a gathering.

She said not taking simple everyday precautions lets everyone down and that its in everyones control to get case numbers moving in a positive direction and that we can get back to where we were a month ago when the province moved forward with Stage 2 of relaunch when the active case numbers were low.

Every step we take as individuals to stop the spread is a step in the direction of health and safety of everyone, the chief medical officer of health said.

She encouraged the wearing of masks, especially when unable to maintain proper physical distance and in public spaces.

Asked whether the economy is being weighted more heavily than public health, Hinshaw said that health is about more than just avoidance of the virus and that a more assertive approach is being developed for businesses to remain open and keep everyone safe.

A new online assessment tool has been created by Alberta Health for those who are at higher risk of severe outcomes. The tool will help people identify their level of risk for severe outcomes and guide protection decisions.

The chief medical officer of health also announced My Health Records, a secure online portal for Albertans to see their health records and get quicker test results.

She said Alberta health is working hard to shorten the time between testing and results and connect those who have the virus or are contacts of cases to the public health teams.

The 294 cases reported today is down from the 368 reported in the three-day period last weekend.

There are 88 Albertans currently in hospital due to COVID-19, 17 of which are in ICU. Hinshaw announced eight more deaths, bringing the total to 186.

The province conducted 27,893 tests in the past 72 hours.

The South Zone has a total of 1,599 cases 1,442 recovered, an increase of 28, and 142 active, an increase of one.

There are 13 people in the zone in hospital, three of which are in ICU and there have been 16 deaths, an increase of two.

Cypress County has totalled 31 cases one new active case and 30 recovered.

The County of Forty Mile has 10 total cases, three active cases and seven recovered.

The MD of Taber has 33 total cases 17 active and 16 recovered.

Special Areas No. 2 has 10 active cases and two recovered.

Brooks has two new cases, the first in more than a week. The city now has 1,123 total cases 1,111 are recovered and three are active. Brooks has recorded nine deaths. The County of Newell is showing a total of 23 cases three active and 20 recovered.

The County of Warner has 53 total cases. There are now six active cases and 46 recovered. There has been one death in the county.

The City of Lethbridge has a total of 102 cases. Of those, 37 are listed as active and 63 recovered. The city recorded its first two COVID-19 deaths over the weekend. Lethbridge County has 25 cases, 10 active cases and 15 recovered.

The figures on alberta.ca are up-to-date as of end of day July 26, 2020.

Saskatchewan reported 31 new cases of COVID-19 today. Of those, just nine are in the South Zone. Late last week the majority of cases 24 out of 27 on Friday were in the South Zone.

According to the government, 21 of the cases reported Friday were on colonies in the southwest and west central regions. Todays update from the Saskatchewan government indicates a slowing number of cases on colonies in the south and west central regions, but also a spread around the province. The update reports that 22 of the 31 cases are from colonies in the south, central, Saskatoon and north regions.

Saskatchewan has a total of 1,209 cases, 307 considered active. There are 886 recovered cases and there have 16 COVID-19 deaths in the province.

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Over 300 cases in Alberta over the weekend, no change in Medicine Hat - CHAT News Today

Millions rely on emergency pandemic benefits for rent, food, and medicine. Now, that lifeline could disappear. – NBC News

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A $600 per week lifeline is about to run out of rope, threatening to leave millions of American families at the end of theirs.

The pandemic unemployment assistance payments, which were approved in March as part of the government's fiscal stimulus package, known as the CARES Act, are set to expire July 31. For administrative reasons, states have said the last payments will go out this weekend if the program isn't extended. Lawmakers are currently debating whether to extend the benefit, with some arguing that the size of the payments eliminates the incentive to work. Others say the benefit has been an economic lifeline for millions who lost their jobs because of the pandemic.

Sarah is a single mother from rural Texas, who asked for her last name to be withheld so her children arent embarrassed by others knowing they rely on government assistance. Earlier this year, she left her job in a densely packed call center when the employer and coworkers refused to follow standard guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on masks and social distancing, she told NBC News.

When it became evident that it would be business as usual at the call center and many of the management team were convinced it was all a hoax or being exaggerated, I left, Sarah said. Since then, one of her former colleagues has tested positive.

As badly as I need to go back to work after the extra $600 stops, I won't risk my family, Sarah told NBC News.

Now shes struggling to put food on the table and make rent, and doesnt know how shell manage when the funds for the emergency federal program extra assistance runs out. The local food bank only gives out small bags of bakery items, not enough to feed four children ranging in age from elementary to high school.

This month the Texas Health and Human Services Commission revoked her SNAP food benefits after she made $3 above the income limit, because her ex-husband had suddenly paid backdated alimony.

When Sarah contacted the agency, she got conflicting advice and was told it could take over two months to resolve her issue. After being contacted by NBC News, an agency spokesperson said they reviewed her case and found she had exceeded federally established income limits for SNAP but they've now reached out to her to let her know she will be eligible again in August.

The government benefits programs have failed the most vulnerable of us all, the working class American family, Sarah said.

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According to an analysis by The Century Foundation, an estimated 25 million Americans have benefited from the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation. The program provides additional emergency income on top of an employees regular unemployment benefits which states set at around 50 percent of a person's previous income.

The program has been criticized for being overly generous to some workers for giving them more money than they made before the pandemic. But technical restrictions in the historically underfunded state unemployment infrastructure mandated a one-size-fits-all approach in order to deliver assistance as quickly and as widely as possible.

Many of the states antiquated unemployment systems, some programmed in the obsolete programming language of COBOL, couldnt handle fine-tuning payments based on a percentage replacement for lost wages, said Chad Stone, chief economist for the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a left-leaning research and advocacy institute.

That necessitated a flat rate that would work as income replacement to meet the needs for the greatest number of workers, and their ability to keep paying their bills and purchasing.

A compensation of $600 was designed to make up the difference between the $980 average weekly earnings of employees on private payrolls in March and the $380 average amount of weekly unemployment insurance benefits.

There is consensus in Washington that federal unemployment assistance needs to be continued, but there are differences over how it should be structured.

Pandemic Unemployment Assistance is expiring and we need to respond to that, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin told CNBC in an interview on Thursday morning. We wont pay people more to stay at home than to work, but people who cant find jobs will get approximately 70 percent wage replacement.

There are no details on how that would be achieved through the current system. Either way, it may be weeks before any payments resume, as state unemployment offices especially those with the oldest systems will require time to reprogram their computers.

The need for continuation of the $600 was further highlighted on Thursday, after the Labor Department reported that more than 1.4 million workers filed new claims for state unemployment benefits last week. It's the first time in almost four months that weekly unemployment claims have risen, and marks the 18th-straight week that more than 1 million Americans have sought unemployment aid.

Tabitha Griffin, a single mother in Florida, had to shut down the cleaning business she owned when the pandemic hit. For now, she lives in a reduced-rate hotel room along with her 7-year-old daughter. If she can't afford that, they will have to sleep in her car, she told NBC News.

She has applied for federal pandemic unemployment assistance benefits, but accidentally entered one of her bank account digits wrong. She fixed it and has pleaded with the Department of Economic Opportunity, the state unemployment agency, to reissue her pay, to no avail.

When her backpay comes through, she says she will have enough to find a long-term rental.

Her attempts to contact the agency went nowhere. After being contacted by NBC News, the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity said it would look into the matter. But days later, she still hadn't heard from the agency.

To have a child and feel like you're failing them is the worst thing Ive ever felt, Griffin said.

The situation is especially critical for some unemployed workers who have been relying on the federal assistance to cover their ongoing out-of-pocket medical expenses.

Amy Leyendecker is a 46-year-old with Type 1 diabetes living in New Mexico. She needs daily doses of insulin to avoid going into a life-threatening coma. In 2018, she lost a foot to amputation after trying to ration her insulin to stretch it out. With a note from her doctor, she went on unemployment in March from her part-time cashier job after her employers encouraged anyone to do so who didnt feel safe working through the pandemic. Since then, the $600 per week has enabled her to cover her monthly medical costs.

We don't know how long this will go on, so I don't know month to month if I will be able to afford to live. This month, I am good unlike many many others. Next month? I guess we will see, Leyendecker said.

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Millions rely on emergency pandemic benefits for rent, food, and medicine. Now, that lifeline could disappear. - NBC News

Experts to discuss impact of internet and medicine on modern masculinity at major conference – Mirage News

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Experts from around the world will discuss the impact of the internet and medicine on modern masculinity at a major conference.

Researchers will debate the changing ways people are able to act on their desires and socialise, and the complex ways in which politics and biology interact.

The online event, held from August 31 to September 11, will include keynote lectures and panels on topics including the sexual politics of science, porn, hook-up apps, and how the AIDS epidemic has affected the way gay communities meet.

The free conference, open to all, will feature presentations by art historians, geographers, anthropologists, public health researchers, sociologists, media experts and cultural theorists.

Dr Joo Florncio, from the University of Exeter, who is organising the event, said: Were living in a viral world in many ways the age of memes, fake news, hacking, epidemics, ecological crisis, global migration flows, online dating, and antiretroviral drugs. This can bring both new forms of control through medication, cyber security, monitoring and surveillance systems, but it can also open up to new ways of feeling and spend time with one another other socially and intimately.

Im delighted we have such a prestigious group of researchers and experts from around the world who will come together to discuss these complex issues and I hope as many people will be able to join us virtually.

Topics discussed at the event include Viagra spam, masculinity in YouTube videos, online porn, masculinity in the Philippines, the politics behind the use of PrEP and the role of drugs on how people socially construct their masculinity, the impact of PrEP on the cultural memory of AIDS, teenage fiction and fantasies of bodily contagion.

The conference will also include the virtual launch of Dr Florncios new book Bareback Porn, Porous Masculinities, Queer Futures: The Ethics of Becoming-Pig, published by Routledge.

Keynote speakers Professor Tim Dean from the University of Illinois, Professor Susanna Paasonen from the University of Turku, and Professor John Mercer from Birmingham City University will be joined by other expert speakers based at institutions in the UK, USA, Canada, Denmark, Switzerland, the Philippines, Germany, Brazil, India, Australia, and New Zealand.

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Experts to discuss impact of internet and medicine on modern masculinity at major conference - Mirage News