Miami Beach: One of The Hottest Destinations In the World Welcomes Art Basel 2019 – PRNewswire

Posted on by

"Art Basel is a multi-faceted, dazzling event that transforms Miami Beach each year and adds to the city's already storied reputation for art, culture and entertainment," says Steve Adkins, Chairman, Miami Beach Visitor and Convention Authority (MBVCA). "As we edge closer to the Fair and the premiere of Miami Beach's satellite art fairs, the energy and buzz in the air is palpable. Miami Beach, which is like no other place in the world, continues to be the perfect city to host Art Basel, which is like no other art fair in the world."

In addition to the main Art Basel exhibition, dozens of prestigious art fairs will expose audiences to edgy, creative and original visual and performance art. Miami Beach welcomes this year's satellite fairs including:

Design Miami/: Since 2005, Design Miami/ has become a global forum for design. Each fair brings together influential collectors, gallerists, designers, curators and critics from around the world in celebration of collectible design, design culture and commerce. Located next to the Miami Beach Convention Center it is accessible and in the heart of the action.

PULSE Miami Beach: It's their 15th anniversary and PULSE Art Fair is dedicating this edition to experienced and budding art collectors. They are inviting visitors to experience the energy of stimulating art, balanced with cocktails in hammocks and engaging conversations with friends.

SCOPE Miami Beach: Celebrating its 19th edition, SCOPE Miami welcomes 134 diverse contemporary exhibitors featuring OASIS, an experiential multidisciplinary program as well as FOCUS | ART CHINA, the new premier showcase of Chinese Contemporary Art in Miami.

AquaArtMiami: In the past 14 years, Aqua Art Miami has become a destination for prominent collectors and art aficionados to procure works by young, emerging and mid-career artists.

Art Basel has also officially partnered with a number of local hotels, encouraging residents and visitors to take advantage of special accommodation rates.

"Beyond Art Basel, visitors to Miami Beach can choose from a varied number of fabulous hotels offering Art Basel-specific deals that are sure to enhance their experience with us," notes Grisette Roque Marcos, Executive Director, MBVCA. "Visitors can also check out the trendiest, buzziest restaurant and entertainment venues Miami Beach is famous for, when in town."

Located near the Miami Beach Convention Center (MBCC), these hotels have partnered with Art Basel and will offercompetitive rates during this year's edition. Official Hotel Partners include (but are not limited to):

Beacon South Beach,book early for Art Basel now through November 30, 2019 and receive 25% off an entire stay.

South Beach Group Hotels is offering 15% offwhen guests book 4-nights or more, between 12/3/2019 and 12/9/2019. Offer includes free late check-out and a possible room upgrade.

Cadet Hotel guests will receive a 7% discount off a total stay when booking directly. Use code BASEL19.

The Culinary scene on Miami Beach is a hot one and caters to a wide variety of tastes. These are some of the newest and trendiest restaurants to sample during Art Basel:

Sushi By BouTucked away on the second floor of The Villa Casa Casuarina, in Gianni Versace's former suite, is Sushi By Bou, an exclusive sushi bar bringing experiential omakase to South Beach.

Mandrake Miamiis a sophisticated restaurant and lounge with a modern Asian menu. Here, giant turquoise doors with antiquated Chinese door knockers lead the way to a hidden Asian palace. The 5,000-square-foot space has a sushi bar, a formal dining room and a lush outdoor garden.

Led by Chef Jose Icardi, Diez y Seisis an innovative Mexican concept in the Shore Club South Beach. This indoor-outdoor spot is a tribute to Mexican Independence Day. Diners can revel in tortillas made in-house, a specialty tequila and mezcal bar, custom mezcal carts, sharing plates and more.

For more information, download the Miami Beach app at http://www.miamibeachapi.com/ and follow @ExperienceMiamiBeachon Facebook, Instagram and@EMiamiBeachonTwitter.

ABOUT MIAMI BEACH Miami Beach is an award-winning destination, with first place in the 2019, 2018 and 2017 edition of the Travvy Awards, presented by travAlliancemedia in the categories of 'Best Honeymoon Destination, U.S. & Canada', 'Best Tourism Board U.S. & Canada', and 'Best LGBTQ Destination'. Also recently named 2019 and 2018 North America's Leading Tourist Board by the World Travel Awards, and a winner in the 2018 Magellan Awards by Travel Weekly in the categories of "Best Overall Honeymoon Destination in the United States and Canada", "Best Overall Beach Destination in the United States and Canada", and "Best Overall Spa Destination in the United States and Canada" respectively. Miami Beach is a favorite destination among travelers worldwide. Renowned for its unparalleled culinary offerings, extravagant nightlife, rich culture, luxe shopping and plush hotels, Miami Beach is home to unique museums, the New World Symphony, Miami City Ballet, Miami Beach Convention Center, international festivals and art exhibitions, boat and auto shows, over 187 boutique and resort hotels and 12 public parks; it is no wonder the beautifully diverse city is one of the world's most popular vacation destinations. Boasting seven miles of breathtaking beaches, Miami Beach is easily accessible from the Port of Miami and Miami International Airport. The City of Miami Beach has been named one of the top cities worldwide for 'walkability' and is equally easy to navigate by bike or boat. Known for its year-round sunny skies, the vibrant destination has been ranked by TripAdvisor as a Top Winter Sun Vacation Rental Getaway Destination, Top Romantic Destination, Top 25 Beaches in the World and Top 25 Destinations in the U.S. Miami Beach is like no other place in the world! In 2019, the MBVCA introduced new handles on Instagram and Facebook @ExperienceMiamiBeach and on Twitter @EMiamiBeach to provide visitors with real-time information and recommendations.

SOURCE Miami Beach Visitor and Convention Authority

Read the original:

Miami Beach: One of The Hottest Destinations In the World Welcomes Art Basel 2019 - PRNewswire

At Museums Around the World, a Focus on Food – The New York Times

Posted on by

The city of Lyon, France, is hoping to cement its reputation as the cradle of French gastronomy with the opening of a new cultural gastronomy center that is being described as the first of its kind in France, and the largest of its kind in the world.

Six years in the making, the Cit Internationale de la Gastronomie de Lyon (International City of Gastronomy) opened its doors last month inside the Grand Htel-Dieu, a former hospital that dates back to the 12th century.

Spanning four floors and 43,055 square feet, the center, which cost 20 million (around $22 million), is designed to be an interactive and sensorial experience for visitors: The smell of chicken bubbling away in a casserole pot wafts through the space dedicated to traditional Lyonnaise cuisine, while a virtual exhibit recreates the sights and sounds of an open-air farmers market.

The centers opening adds to an already rich gastronomic landscape in Lyon: The city is home to Bocuse dOr, the real-life Iron Chef international cooking competition; bouchons, traditional Lyonnaise restaurants; and the celebrated chef Paul Bocuse, who died last year.

Florent Bonnetain, project director and general manager, said that the culinary center aims to draw on the buildings heritage as a former hospital by exploring the connections between food and nutrition, along with sustainability, economics and international food culture.

Were looking at the subject of gastronomy as a whole, Mr. Bonnetain said. There are thematic food museums around the world, but here we wanted to take gastronomy and approach it from a cultural and educational point of view.

Indeed, thematic museums centered around a single food item have been around for decades, be it chocolate, ice cream, French fries or ramen. Then there are the branded food museums from SPAM, Guinness, Coca-Cola or Jell-O. They can tend to be cartoonish or self-promotional, and verge on kitsch.

But in recent years, conversations around food security, climate change and public health have led to more ambitious and thoughtfully curated exhibitions around the world.

After first launching as a mobile exhibition in 2013, the Museum of Food and Drink found a permanent space in a 5,000-square-foot studio in New York City in 2015. It has explored natural and artificial flavors in the food industry, the evolution of Chinese-American restaurants and, next February, will open an exhibition on the contributions of African-American chefs, farmers and producers to food culture.

The executive director, Peter Kim, began pitching the idea in 2012, and said he was met primarily with skepticism and bewilderment. But since then, hes noticed a sea change in the museums reception, and the way people think about food, thanks to a confluence of factors: food-related public policies, immigration, media attention, climate change and growing interest inside academia.

All these things feed into each other and reinforce an understanding of food as being much more than just gustatory experience. Instead, theres an understanding that when you take a bite of something, you plug into the world every time, he said.

International media interest also helped the Disgusting Food Museum which opened last fall as a temporary exhibition in Malm, Sweden become permanent this January and organize pop-up versions globally. Despite its name, the exhibition is meant less to provoke revulsion, but to challenge peoples notions of whats edible and whats not, as one persons trash, be it maggot-infested cheese or bull testicles, could be another persons delicacy. Moreover, curators point out that changing our ideas of disgust could help us embrace more environmentally sustainable foods notably bugs and insects in the future.

In Europe in recent months, the Museum of Mankind in Paris opened the exhibition I Eat, Therefore I Am, exploring the evolutionary, ecological and cultural role of food in civilization, and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London just wrapped up Food: Bigger than the Plate, which looked at urban farming, gastronomy, politics and sustainability.

At the Cit, working kitchens, experimental laboratories and spaces for conferences and debates are designed to enrich the visitor experience. The overall concept mirrors Bordeauxs Cit du Vin, a wine museum which opened in 2016 and explores winemaking throughout civilization and also hosts industry conferences.

We know that gastronomy is a big tourist attraction for Lyon, Mr. Bonnetain said. With the museum, our hope is that visitors will be able to experience gastronomy differently here. We want to be a complementary experience to restaurants in Lyon.

Cit Internationale de la Gastronomie de Lyon; citegastronomielyon.fr/en

4 Grand Clotre du Grand Htel-Dieu, 69002 Lyon, France

Open seven days a week, except holidays, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Tickets: 12

52 PLACES AND MUCH, MUCH MORE Follow our 52 Places traveler, Sebastian Modak, on Instagram as he travels the world, and discover more Travel coverage by following us on Twitter and Facebook. And sign up for our Travel Dispatch newsletter: Each week youll receive tips on traveling smarter, stories on hot destinations and access to photos from all over the world.

See the rest here:

At Museums Around the World, a Focus on Food - The New York Times

TourRadar Announces New Marketing Solutions Division To Focus On Impactful Growth for Travel Brands and Tourism Boards – Business Wire

Posted on by

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--TourRadar, the worlds largest online marketplace for multi-day tours, announced today its new marketing solutions division, an in-house digital agency that works with the world's most inspiring travel brands and tourism bodies to deliver impactful marketing solutions on their platform. TourRadar Marketing Solutions (TMS) allows partners to access TourRadars wide audience of travelers, increasing their brands visibility to drive consideration and bookings. TMS campaigns are fully managed and produced in-house by an expert team, leveraging exclusive insights from an audience that visits TourRadar.com over 3 million times each month.

To lead the TMS division, TourRadar has hired global marketing expert, Kerstin Kraakman as Vice President of Marketing Solutions & B2B Marketing. Kraakman brings over 13 years of experience in the travel, e-commerce and technology sectors including senior roles at Google, eBay, PayPal and TravelClick.

The formation of TMS is a response to a growing need in the tourism industry. Tour operators and Destination Marketing Organizations realize marketing solutions play a pivotal role in their business success and are looking for new, innovative and scalable ways to reach globetrotters. According to a recent Skift survey of businesses in the tours and activities sector, 84% said operations play either a crucial or very important role in delivering marketing priorities, yet only 21% stated operations were very effective in achieving its outcomes.

We listened to our partners and realized we had an opportunity to help them grow their brands in a more impactful way, said Kraakman. With TourRadars experience as an industry innovator, were applying our knowledge through TMS to accelerate growth for our partners.

TMS offers a variety of different packages to help partners achieve their marketing goals while staying within their budgets. Current TMS partners include Kenya Tourism Board, Trafalgar, Intrepid Travel, Jordan Tourism Board, Travel Alberta, Europamundo, TruTravels and many others.

"From the very beginning of our partnership, TourRadar has demonstrated an ability to understand the intricacies of our own internal KPIs, and then overdeliver in a way that is wonderfully refreshing for a media partner, said David DiGregorio, the North American Representative for the Kenya Tourism Board. The team demonstrated from day one that they really cared about the work we were doing together and has remained incredibly responsive throughout the entire process."

To learn more about TourRadar Marketing Solutions and how it can help boost your sales, visit http://www.tourradar.com/tms.

Read more from the original source:

TourRadar Announces New Marketing Solutions Division To Focus On Impactful Growth for Travel Brands and Tourism Boards - Business Wire

TravelPerk named the world’s fastest growing SaaS company in 2019 SaaS 1000 – Travel Daily News International

Posted on by

BARCELONA - Business travel management platform, TravelPerk, announced that it has been recognised as the worlds fastest growing Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) company, according to the 2019 edition of SaaS Mags acclaimed ranking, the SaaS 1000.The SaaS 1000 is an annual ranking of the world's top growing SaaS companies. Using a proprietary algorithm, industry publication SaaS Mag ranks the fastest-growing SaaS companies based on hiring trends, growth indicators and the number of employees. According to this algorithm, TravelPerk has achieved 122% growth, making the company the worlds fastest growing SaaS provider over the last 12 months. TravelPerk was ranked 5th in 2018s SaaS 1000 and is one of only two European companies in the top ten in 2019.

The recognition from SaaS Mag follows a landmark year for TravelPerk. Key milestones for the business in 2019 included:

Avi Meir, CEO and co-founder of TravelPerk, said: We created TravelPerk in 2015 because we knew that business travelers needed a dramatically better experience. The industry had been dominated by outdated tech and outdated thinking and we believed there was a big opportunity for a startup that could use technology to give travelers a seamless experience while providing businesses with more control and visibility. The rapid growth we have experienced since then shows that we were right - but were not done yet. We have ambitious growth plans for 2020 and we're working on some really exciting innovations that we believe can take business travel into a new era, and drive the next stage of our company growth.

Excerpt from:

TravelPerk named the world's fastest growing SaaS company in 2019 SaaS 1000 - Travel Daily News International

Amstardam is revealed as the most tourist-friendly city in the world – Travel Daily News International

Posted on by

Leading provider of tailor-made tours, Authentic Vacations, has analysed popular destinations around the world using a number of metrics to reveal the world's most tourist-friendly cities. The cities have been analysed by a series of metrics including tourist to local ratios, airports close to the city, the quality of the local airport, overall happiness of the destination, English proficiency, how much accommodation is available, and safety. You can view the full findings here.

Theres nothing better than heading to a new city for a long weekend, business trip or family holiday and feeling welcome from the offset. A mixture of accessibility, including travelling to and from the city, as well as how welcoming the people who call it home are , all contribute to whether a city feels tourist-friendly or not. But which cities make tourists feel the most at home?

The top ten most tourist-friendly cities are below:

Amsterdam is the most tourist-friendly city in the world

With its brightly coloured, picturesque streets and abundance of history and culture, its easy to see why Amsterdam is a favourite for tourists from all over the world. However, the Dutch Capital isnt just a pretty location but also comes out on top as the most tourist-friendly city, with an overall tourist-friendly score of 70/100.

The city is also home to some of the happiest locals with a score of 14.4 out of 20, and arriving into Amsterdam will be as seamless as your stay, as Amsterdam Airport got 4.1 out of five for airport quality.

Europe is home to eight of the most tourist-friendly citiesEight European destinations are in the top 20 list for the most tourist-friendly cities including Vienna (2nd), London (4th) and Copenhagen (5th), to name a few. London scored 20/20 for accommodation in the city, with over 109,00 places for you to stay in whilst you visit, meaning whether youre looking for a night stay in Camden, or a long weekend in Chelsea, theres an abundance of rooms on offer that cater to every need.

Vienna is a favourite for romantic getaways and the locals are accustomed to this with a tourist to local ratio score of 11 out of 20, so if you get lost down one of its many cobbled streets, its likely someone will happily point you in the right direction. Similarly to Amsterdam, Copenhagen also scored highly when it comes to the locals happiness levels with a score of 15 out of 20, so visitors can expect a warm welcome when wondering its beautiful streets. In addition, Copenhagen comes out as the safest tourist-friendly city with a score of 85 out of 100, meaning you can soak up the culture and views with this in mind.

The US is home to three of the most tourist-friendly citiesTourist-friendly cities are not unique to Europe, as three of the top 20 cities featured are in the US. New York (6th), San Francisco (20th) and Chicago (13th) all placed on the list and have a huge amount to offer to visitors. New York is one of the most famous cities in the world with tourists flocking each year to see the iconic skyline, a show on Broadway or to soak up the bustling city vibe unique to the Big Apple.

San Francisco is famed for its iconic Golden Gate Bridge and skyline whilst Chicago is known for its deep-dish pizzas and the Chicago Bean, but whichever US city you choose to visit next, youll receive a warm welcome as one of their many tourists.

So, which tourist-friendly city will you visit next?

Leslie Intriago, Head of Digital Marketing at Authentic Vacations comments: Everybody is looking for something different when planning a trip to a city, from wanting some retail therapy, learning about the history and culture, or simply wanting to take in some new sights. However, we all want to feel welcome and safe in the destinations that were exploring and its great to see so many iconic cities in the top 20 most tourist-friendly cities around the world.

Its often important for tourists, especially when making a long journey, that their end destination is close to the airport, as well as there being lots of places to stay for ease and accessibility. But ultimately, its the friendly faces and knowledgeable locals that guide us along the way, that really makes our experiences abroad all the more special."

See the rest here:

Amstardam is revealed as the most tourist-friendly city in the world - Travel Daily News International

Top European cities to visit before the year ends – Travel Daily

Posted on by

2019 is quickly coming to an end, which means it is time to plan your holiday travel before it is too late!

In an effort to help, FlightHub and JustFly, two Montreal, Quebec-based online travel agencies, have put together their list of the top European cities to visit before the end of the year. So, pack your bags, grab your passport, and see which European cities are topping the charts as we approach the end of 2019.

The ancient city of Rome is a place where rich history is a gift that keeps on giving for those who love to see the world. Featuring some of the most notable landmarks on Earth, Rome is a must-see for anyone with an inclination towards travel. Some landmarks you cant miss include The Colosseum, St Peters Basilica, The Trevi Fountain and The Parthenon.

Considered one of the European Unions most beautiful cities, Krakow is a time capsule of history without the same overcrowding you may see in some of Europes other major attractions.

Beginning as a stone age settlement, Krakow has endured it all, including World War II, to remain a look into the past of Poland and European history. Krakows Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that served as the countrys political heart from 1038 to 1596, is a must-see. Some other places you cant miss in Krakow include the Wieliczka Salt Mine, Tatra Mountains and Pieskowa Skala.

London has something for everyone. History buffs can enjoy the Tower of London, sports fans can catch a football match with the local hooligans, and those who prefer urban exploration can take a ride on the famous tube public transit system.

One thing you wont find though is peace and quiet, with tens of millions of people visiting the city every year. That combined with a thriving urban population in one of the worlds biggest cities means London may not be for the traveller seeking some relaxation. Some famous sites include Buckingham Palace, The Tower of London and The British Museum.

Like Krakow, Prague is another ancient city of Europe that despite intense action during World War II retained much of its historical and cultural architecture, making it a must-see for those with a penchant for history.

One unique thing to see is the Prague Astronomical Clock. This clock was installed in 1410 and is the oldest operating clock in the world. So, what separates an astronomical clock from a regular clock? An astronomical clock can track, in addition to time, of course, the movements of the sun, the moon, zodiacal constellations, and sometimes even the locations of planets. Some other spots to see are Prague Castle and The Church of Our Lady Before Tyn.

Those looking to spend time with their special someone can find numerous romantic-type hideaways to enjoy. Those looking for some historical landmarks will find no shortage with The Notre Dame Cathedral, The Eiffel Tower, and the banks of the Seine River.

For those who love museums, Paris is of course home to one of the worlds most famous, The Louvre Museum. This museum was established in 1793 and is home to famous pieces like The Mona Lisa and the Venus De Milo among countless others. Some other things to see include The Palace at Versailles and Arc de Triomphe.

Link:

Top European cities to visit before the year ends - Travel Daily

Cornish couple convert 1k minivan into cosy home to travel the world and live off just 20 a day – The Sun

Posted on by

A CORNISH couple converted their 1,000 minivan into a cosy home to travel the world in.

They have lived out of their tiny vehicle while visiting 25 countries - surviving on just 20 a day.

15

15

15

Ben Fuery, 26 and Lucy Pinell, 24, from Hayle, Cornwall spent 10 months and 5000 transforming their 2002 LVD Convoy.

They have decorated their van with items from their trip - Indian sheets, a handwoven rug from Greece, a Mexican blanket on the bed and Thai elephant patterned curtains.

Ben used to work as a chef and Lucy used to run her own Airbnb but now work on the road as photographers and filmmakers.

Lucy said: Ben wanted to visit the Middle East and I have always wanted to see more of Europe- wed both always fancied the idea of owning and travelling in a van so it was only a matter of time until our ideas came together and we ended up buying a van.

The conversion wasnt easy as we knew basically nothing about DIY and the van wed bought was rusty, leaky and covered in tie dye spray paint, so every process was a learning curve.

As money was tight we used a lot of reclaimed and upcycled materials such as pallet wood, coffee sacks, scraps of plywood and driftwood for decoration.

Our life on the road to us feels like we are living our real lives, doing what we want to be doing and pursuing our passions, whereas when were back in the UK it feels like our lives are on hold while we save up money for the next trip.

Living in a van also enables us to save money quicker when were working, as we have no electric, water or council tax bills to pay, just diesel for the tank- all of our power is generated by solar or when driving, and we fill up our water tanks from taps or springs.

15

15

15

15

15

15

Things dont always go smoothly, though; theres always things to fix, engine maintenance to be done, and a lot of cleaning and tidying, but these are all fair trade-offs for a life on the road.

The pair are going back to their hometown to work over the summer and save some money and then they are back on the road.

They have travelled to 25 countries so far, across Europe, as East as Ukraine and as far South as Greece.

Their van has enabled them to live completely off the grid as it has a gas oven and cooker, heating and hot water, a shower, a fridge and a toilet, a solar panel on the roof, leisure batteries and big water tanks.

Their next trip will be a seven month road trip across the Balkans, including 13 countries in between and after that they will heading to Asia.

Exclusive

SICK JOKER Russell Howard slammed by mum for mocking disabled daughter's 40k access ramp

Latest

'APOCALYPTIC' Two dead as Venice hit by 2nd-worst floods ever sparking state of disaster

Exclusive

HARRY'S NO-HO-HO Harry and Meghan WON'T join the Queen for Christmas so they can 'recharge'

'PREYED ON' Primark guard raped & made girls, 15, perform sex acts as shoplift 'punishment'

IT CURED BE YOU! Mum gets all-clear from cancer & 10 minutes later wins 1m on EuroMillions

GEARED FOR WAR Corbyn plans huge fuel price hikes to force drivers to slash 60% of journeys

They added: Our van has taken us to places we couldve never imagined an LDV minibus would go and she continues to be our reliable companion on this journey.

For us, challenge is what makes life worth living, a chance to push ourselves further and build character, and although we dont always appreciate it when a situation goes wrong we always come out the other side stronger and wiser.

Our aim is to continue travelling the world, telling the stories of the people we meet and working remotely to fund our lifestyle, and as such we have big ambitions for our lives."

15

15

15

15

15

15

The rest is here:

Cornish couple convert 1k minivan into cosy home to travel the world and live off just 20 a day - The Sun

The Wrap: Tourism Malaysia partners Mafengwo to tap China’s outbound tourism market – Web In Travel

Posted on by

News Roundup: Its Malaysia in the spotlight in the run-up to Visit Malaysia 2020 with two leading players spearheading the charge to drum up arrivals to the country Tourism Malaysias partnership with Chinese travel-focused social network Mafengwo and Malaysia Airlines new promotional campaign

Destination: Tourism Malaysia partners Mafengwo to tap Chinas outbound tourism market

News that the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has downgraded Malaysias air safety rating to Category 2 (from Category 1) due to its shortcomings as an aviation regulator on the eve of Visit Malaysia 2020 has sparked fears it will have adverse impact on tourist arrivals to the country.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) has stressed the move would not affect local airlines, airports or air traffic services. However, with safety uppermost on the mind of most travellers the Category 2 questionable safety could lead to negative perception of Malaysian carriers, said an analyst in a Bloomberg report.

Regardless, tourism players in the country are still going full steam to promote the special year and aim to achieve the 2020 target of 30 million international arrivals and RM100 billion (US$24 billion) in tourism receipts.

Tourism Malaysia is in the forefront of the marketing efforts. It recently formed a partnership with China-based travel SNS (Social Networking Service) platform, Mafengwo, to boost arrivals through digitalisation and social media.

Mafengwo, popular among Chinese consumers, enables users to share travel experiences with each other. It boasts more than one million entries of user-generated travel guides and over five million ratings and reviews.

According to Mafengwos senior vicepresident Yu Zhuo, its estimated 1.3 million users have been sharing theirexperiences, travel trips and guides on their trips to Malaysia.

The platforms core product, Travel Guide, has covered more than 95% travel destinations globally with over 100 million downloads. It has also integrated booking services such as Trip, eLong, Booking and Agoda.

The collaboration will see Mafengwo help Tourism Malaysia in its pursuit of smart tourism, which the latter has identified as a key thrust to promote Malaysia to the growing independent traveller segment and cultivate the Chinese outbound tourism market.

Mafengwo will also create richer online content for Chinese travellers

With the emergence of individualised demands from users Mafengwo shall employ a point of interest (POI) system to perform content customisation aimed at providing tourist from China better service, while establishing opportunities for merchants in Malaysia, she added.

Chan Hon Mun, Tourism Malaysias deputy director of the International Promotion Division (Asia/Africa), said the partnership would give the opportunity for Malaysia to increase its share of China market from 2.94 million arrivals to a potential target of 3.48 million in 2020.

According to data from Tourism Malaysia, last year tourist arrivals from the Middle Kingdom to Malaysia totalled 2.94 million, a growth of 29% over 2017. The travellers contributed RM12.3 billion (US$2.96 billion) to the national coffers.

From January to July this year arrivals from China increased to 1.87 million from 1.76 million over the same period in 2018, an increase of 6%. This makes China the third biggest tourist source market to Malaysia after Singapore and Indonesia.

Marketing: Malaysia Airlines invites the world to Fly Malaysia

Malaysia Airlines (MAS) launched its new campaign Fly Malaysia at last weeks World Travel Market in London, funding a range of activities to promote the country in key overseas markets and hike up international arrivals.

To run until end December 2020, the campaign celebrates the countrys proud history and reaffirming the airlines status as a national icon said the carrier.

Featured as part of the promotions are Home of Hospitality videos with well-known social media influencers discussing what they love most about Malaysia. These will run concurrently to numerous social media initiatives, pushing the Fly Malaysia message out to a wider audience.

In addition, the airline will publicise the Malaysian experience in target markets around the world through travel partner cooperation, consumer activities, press visits and the launch of MH Holidays.

We have been flying passengers aroundtheworld for over 70 years, and look forward to welcoming many moreaboard in 2020 and beyond toexperience Malaysia with this campaign, saidIzham Ismail, Malaysia Airlines Group CEO.

The carrier is supporting Tourism Malaysia in an expanded partnership deal for 2020 alongside its cooperation with the Sarawak Tourism Board.

MAS is also the global airline partner for the Malaysian Healthcare Travel Council and the SuperGT racing series.

Featured image credit: Sushiman/Getty Images

View post:

The Wrap: Tourism Malaysia partners Mafengwo to tap China's outbound tourism market - Web In Travel

The Portuguese island promising to deliver instant inner karma – Irish Examiner

Posted on by

Its sunrise and my cares seem to float away as I lie on my back on a mountain in Madeira, listening to sticks gently beating on a drum, simulating the noise of rain.

My mind and spirit are being washed by a sound bath where instead of water vibrations produced on instruments, from gongs and shamanic drums, to chimes and shakers, aim to coax the brain into a relaxed, meditative state.The great outdoors brings inner calm (iStock/PA)

Immersion in beautiful sounds and vibrations can clear the chakras [centres of energy within us] and soothe the body, mind and spirit, promises Emilie Mangoni, an international yoga teacher whos conducting my yoga session, finishing with the potent auditory healing experience.

The surroundings couldnt be more peaceful an idyllic glade in the heart of the Laurissilva Forest whose origins are said to date back 20 million years.

Calm and healing experiences are what I crave and have come for. An overload of work and family problems have left me feeling low mentally and physically, and Ive escaped to this island to rescue my battered wellbeing.

The Laurissilva Forest, near Funchal, Madeira (Andre Carvalho/PA)

Unable to spare the time for a long holiday, all I have is three days to reboot my karma, which makes Madeira a lush, beautiful giant rock in the Atlantic just off the west coast of Africa the perfect destination.

Its only a three-and-a-half hour direct flight from London and is rapidly gaining a reputation as being ideal for a wellness break. It was recently named Europes leading island destination 2019 by the World Travel Awards.

Im hoping that its sub-tropical climate, spectacular mountain skylines, crystal clear waters and sandy beaches will instantly plunge me into sun-soaked serenity.

My base is the lively, cosmopolitan capital, Funchal. Facing the sea, its flanked by verdant mountains behind, and is in the southern part of the island.

On my first night, Im enveloped in elegant luxury at the uber-contemporary, Vine Hotel, located in the historic centre close to the marina.

The islands winemaking history is the inspiration for the interior design. Dark, moody settings feature materials such as volcanic rock, contrasted with rich purple fabrics, while furniture has been crafted to resemble twisted vines.

There are almost too many ways to relax, with an indoor pool, solarium and fitness centre. A spa offers a wide range of treatments, including vinotherapy: a red wine bath with antioxidant wine extracts promising skin and health benefits.

After months of no me time, its blissful to simply laze on the rooftop beside outdoor infinity pool, gazing out at the view over the bay. Wrapped in thick white towels after a long swim, I can feel my muscles relaxing and tension falling away.

Refreshed and more energised the next day, I take a two-and-a-half-hour sea trip by ferry to the tiny neighbouring island of Porto Santo.

Its dubbed Madeiras sandy little sister because of its spectacular uninterrupted 9km-long beach, which fringes its south side.

My first experience here is another therapeutic bath but in sand rather than in sound.

The renowned Hot Sand Therapy (Psamotherapy) uses the islands fine, silk sand, which is renowned for its health-boosting qualities. Rich in minerals, including calcium and magnesium, it also contains a natural anti-inflammatory, strontium.

Buried up to my neck in hot, heavy sand in a wooden bathtub. I feel cocooned and totally relaxed. My sweat apparently releases minerals from the sand which my skin can absorb.

During the 30-minute session, I doze off and reluctantly awake to extricate myself and lie on a lounger, to allow the absorption process to continue for a couple of hours, before I can shower and swim in one of the pools.

A feast for the eye and the palate (Gabrielle Fagan/PA)

Literally glowing inside and out, I leave the resort for lunch at a simple beachside caf a few kilometres away.

Its a far cry from my normal lunchtime routine a rushed sandwich at my desk. Here, I sit barefoot, listening to the sound of the waves and seabirds as I feast on freshly caught shellfish and finish with a Portuguese speciality, pasteis de nata (a custard tart).

Im able to enjoy maximum time on the island sunbathing and walking beside the shore by cutting short the length of my return journey, thanks to Binter Airlines new service, which returns me to Funchal in just 15 minutes.Gabrielle Fagan feels the sand beneath her toes on the beach at Porto Santo (Gabrielle Fagan/PA)

In the evenings, strolling through the charming Portuguese stone streets of Old Town Funchal, its fun spotting eye-catching front doors which local artists have imaginatively painted as part of a restoration project.

Whats so notable in this city is the warm, laid-back atmosphere wherever you go day or night as Madeira has long welcomed and cherished tourists. Its one of the most popular stopovers for luxury cruises.

My only stress is choosing which of the many bars and cafes to visit for a shot of Poncha a local rum mixed with honey and lemon.Front doors charmingly decorated by local artists in Funchal Old Town (Gabrielle Fagan/PA)

To gain a sense of the history of this Portugese island, theres no better place to visit than the yellow Forte Sao Tiago. It hugs the shoreline and was built in 1614 to allow the residents to watch out for pirates and potential invaders.

Within its stone ramparts nestles the Restaurant Do Forte and a gourmet dinner there by candlelight is an experience not to be missed.

Afterwards, I join locals and tourists on the forts roof to view a spectacular fireworks show, one of many which take place throughout the year as companies compete for the privilege of lighting up the sky over Funchal on New Years Eve.

Forte de Sao Tiago at sunset, an historical touristic attraction in Funchal (iStock/PA)

My final two nights are spent at the Quintinha de Sao Joao hotel, which has the old-school charm of a rather grand Madeiran home, where the highly-personalised service makes you feel like an honoured member of the family, rather than a guest.

While I could have spent hours in the landscaped gardens surrounding it, and even longer in the spa where I had a super-soothing full-body massage, I dont want to miss the opportunity for more exploring.

Landscape gardens surrounding the hotel, Quintinha de Sao Joao, Funchal (Quintinha de Sao Joao/PA)

For a birds eye view of the city, I take a 15-minute cable car ride from the Old Town, which lifts me nearly 2,000 feet up to the parish of Monte.

Its home to the intriguing Monte Palace Tropical Gardens, which boast 100,000 plant species from all over the world. Time slips by unnoticed as I wander for hours marvelling at the quirky landscape of oriental temples, Buddha statues, and ornamental gardens.

Its all interspersed with lakes where koi carp glide beneath the surface and stately black swans glide elegantly on top, and the sound of fountains is the only noise disturbing the quiet.Monte Palace Tropical Gardens, Madeira (Madeira Tourist Board/PA)

My Madeiran cocktail of two healing baths, a generous helping of sun, sea and sand, and a dose of pampering have lifted my spirits and recharged me. My island escape although brief has worked wonders on my wellbeing.

How to plan your trip

To plan your own Madeira getaway, visit madeiraallyear.com.

British Airways (britishairways.com) flies from London Gatwick to Funchal from 47 each-way, including taxes/fees/carrier charges.

Forest Yoga sessions with Emilie Mangoni start from 80/69 per person. Visitemiliemangoni.com/classes/.

Doubles at the Vine Hotel start from 120/103 per night with breakfast; doubles at Quintinha de So Joo start from 144/124 per night with breakfast.

Excerpt from:

The Portuguese island promising to deliver instant inner karma - Irish Examiner

TRAVEL: Experiencing the weird and wonderful world of The Fife Arms – Press and Journal

Posted on by

A piano plays by itself in the main reception area while a large stag with feathered wings flies over the bar.

A spider-like structure takes centre stage in the courtyard and Queen Victoria sits regal in a corner of the library.

No, this not a strange dream I had last night. This is the weird and wonderful world of The Fife Arms in Braemar.

The stunning hotel was given a dramatic makeover after being bought by Iwan and Manuela Wirth, co-presidents of Hauser & Wirth.

Officially opening in December last year, the owners have breathed new life into the 19th Century coaching inn and hotel, built by the Duke of Fife.

And we were lucky enough to enjoy a nights stay there.

From the outside, it looks fairly typical of a village hotel. But once you are through the door, it is something youve never seen before.

It is a feast for all the senses. You will feel like you are a child again walking around this hotel, stopping every couple of seconds and uttering the phrase, ooh whats that? at every turn.

Russell Sage Studio masterminded the interior design and has created a charming blend of old and new. Even with the knowledge that some of it is new, it all feels very original, like this is how it should have always looked.

I wont give it all away as part of the magic of this establishment is walking its corridors and discovering all the magical elements yourself.

There is one art piece that really stuck with me that was truly impressive. And all I will say is the artist has taken something completely ordinary, an everyday object, and turned it into something extraordinary. And you dont have to be a guest to enjoy it the hotel holds regular art tours which are also open to the wider community.

Upstairs, the 46 bedrooms have all been individually designed. We were staying in the Heather, part of the Nature and Poetry collection, which had a lovely, calm decor and artwork and objects made from natural materials including a beautiful wooden headboard.

Our night began with some cocktails in Elsas Bar and it felt like we had been transported to a scene from The Great Gatsby.

Then we headed for the main event in the stunning Clunie dining room. A large stag isnt our usual view for dinner but it is when you are staying at The Fife Arms.

For starters, I went for the Arisaig lobster and heather-smoked blue mussels while my husband tried the seared red deer haunch with sweet pea emulsion.

Like the hotel itself, my starter was an explosion for the senses. Every bite revealed something different and it was beautifully cooked. Given how quickly David finished his choice, it was safe to say he enjoyed it.

For mains, I went for the birch-smoked Highland beef fillet with coco blanc beans and David chose the west-coast halibut. The beef was cooked to order and the chargrilled taste was just unbelievable. Ive never tasted something so flavoursome. While I did miss some potatoes to go with the meal, the beans were a great accompaniment to the dish. The halibut flaked away as my husband tucked in.

We were stuffed but still managed to squeeze in some dessert by sharing a coffee and cream creation and some chocolate ice cream. Once again, the pudding was full of strong flavours that married up beautifully.

In the morning, the culinary feast continued with a hearty breakfast, complete with game sausage, and later a trip to the Flying Stag bar for a pub lunch. And yes, as the name suggests, there is a flying stag above the bar.

It was Braemars original village pub and has now been re-imagined but still very much the first stop for locals in search of a pint and pie which was evident from how busy it was on a weekday lunchtime. It had a lively atmosphere and the decor a mix of comfy armchairs and benches gave it a communal feel.

For lunch I had the beer-battered fish and chips and it was bangers and mash for David.

It may have been your typical pub grub menu, but the food was anything but. The batter was so light and fluffy and the fish just melted in my mouth.

For dessert I couldnt resist a dark chocolate brownie with elderflower ice cream, which was as incredible as it sounds.

Eventually we were able to tear ourselves away from the wonder that is The Fife Arms to explore the rest of our surroundings.

Please enable Javascript to view this gallery

There really is something for everyone in the area including hiking, fishing and stalking for the outdoor lovers and a visit to Braemar Castle for the history buffs. Nearby Ballater is also worth a trip to explore the Old Royal Station, and whisky aficionados shouldnt miss a tour around the Royal Lochnagar distillery at Crathie, by Balmoral Castle.

The rest is here:

TRAVEL: Experiencing the weird and wonderful world of The Fife Arms - Press and Journal

Welcome to the jungle: Best hotels in the wilderness revealed – Travel Daily

Posted on by

Looking for a change of scenery? Why not consider a holiday deep in the jungles and wilderness in some of the most exotic places on earth?

Hotels.com has rounded up the best jungle hotels across the world for those wanting to become their very own jungle VIP.

What better place to learn the ways of the jungle than in the largest rainforest in the world The Amazon.

Hotel Enai is located in the remote area of Las Piedras, in south-eastern Peru. This modern and stylish hotel uses traditional Peruvian artwork and design to create a light, airy space. From the hotel, guests can explore the rich biodiversity of the surrounding rainforest.

The island of Borneo is the third-largest in the world, and it is almost entirely jungle.

Just off the coast of Malaysia, it is the perfect destination for wildlife enthusiasts and one of the only places in the world to see the distinctive proboscis monkey. Stay at the Swiss-Belhotel Danum in the city of Palangkaraya, located within the Central Kalimantan area, known as one of the lungs of the world thanks to its sprawling jungles and forests.

The hotel features a beautiful outdoor pool area surrounded by palm trees, luxurious bedrooms, and a restaurant serving a spread of local and international specialities.

Ella is a small town nestled in the hill-country of Sri Lanka, where the land is rich with tea plantations, dramatic waterfalls and stunning temples. Explore the dense countryside via the many hiking trails, including routes to Little Adams Peak and Ella Rock, which offer beautiful views of the lush Sri Lankan countryside.

Stay at the Ella Jungle Resort nestled on the banks of the Kirindi Oya River and surrounded by wild jungle, where you can find your jungle feet. Choose from an Eco Jungle Chalet, Cottage or Cabin each offering spacious, breezy rooms with balconies and wake up to the sound of the nearby mountain stream.

Where better to embrace your inner jungle queen, than in Springbrook, the area of Queensland, Australia where a popular jungle reality-TV show is filmed.

Stay at OReillys Rainforest Retreat to discover the best of Springbrook; a forest wilderness, with deep canyons, cool rock creeks, and some of the oldest trees in Australia. Located within World Heritage-listed Lamington National Park, OReillys Rainforest Retreat is run by third-generation OReilly family members whose ancestors pioneered eco-tourism in Australia in 1926.

Choose from daily activities including bird walks and tree-top walks. In the evening, guests can relax in the Lost World Day Spa or dine in the tree-house bar.

Visit link:

Welcome to the jungle: Best hotels in the wilderness revealed - Travel Daily

The Best Ways to Soothe a Sore Throat – Yahoo Lifestyle

Posted on by

One of the more uncomfortable symptoms of a cold and one of the most common is a sore throat. What starts as an annoying scratch can worsen overnight, making simple tasks such as eating, drinking water and talking really painful. While you might not be able to rid yourself of pain entirely, there are a few things you can do to ease your discomfort.

Is It a Cold or the Flu? How to Tell the Difference

Gargle with salt waterGargling with salt water might seem like it would make things worse, but it could really help you feel better. The saltwater solution helps to reduce inflammation by drawing mucus out from your throat and calming swelling. To make the solution, simply combine a half-teaspoon of table salt in 8 ounces of warm water and stir until the salt dissolves. Then, gargle the solution for several seconds before spitting it out. You can repeat this throughout the day as needed.

Suck on a menthol-flavored lozengeThroat lozenges can help, too, for a few reasons. They contain menthol, which partially numbs the tissue in your throat. Additionally, they increase the amount of saliva in your mouth, which keeps your throat lubricated to prevent scraping.

Stay hydratedAbove all, when youre sick it is crucial to stay hydrated. When youre dehydrated, in addition to the other side effects of dehydration, your body cant produce enough saliva and mucus to keep your throat lubricated. This can worsen inflammation. Sip on water and other hydrating beverages all day long. In particular, you may want to try loading up on the best drinks to help fight the flu, which also work on fighting the common cold.

Drink warm tea with honeyDrinking a cup of warm tea mixed with honey can help to temporarily ease pain. The tea keeps you hydrated while also providing antioxidants, which can be anti-inflammatory and work to protect against damage from free radicals. Chamomile tea in particular, according to a review in Molecular Medicine Reports, helps to lubricate the throat and reduce inflammation. Adding a spoonful of honey can make this even more of an effective pain reliever. According to research published by Canadian Family Physician, honey can reduce throat discomfort in both children and adults. However, its crucial that you drink the tea warm, not hot. Drinking tea while its too hot will further irritate the area.

Hopefully with one of these remedies, you can feel a little better during your cold. After all, a sore throat is just one of the first symptoms youre likely to experience when you catch a cold.

Link:

The Best Ways to Soothe a Sore Throat - Yahoo Lifestyle

Weekly pick of Neuroscience news from around the world – Brain Tumour Research

Posted on by

09 November 2019

Much of the news from the annual National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) conference, held in Glasgow this week, was about being able to diagnose cancer through blood tests a liquid biopsy - and the role of AI in assisting with this. To get a full overview of what was new at conference have a lookherehowever the piece most relevant to our community is the development of anAI blood test that can spot signs of brain tumour to speed up diagnosis.

Scientific updates from Sweden and Germany below

Pharmaceutical updates from the US and Israel now;

Immunologically cold tumours, are cancers that contain few infiltrating T cells and do not provoke a strong response by the immune system. Immunologically hot tumours contain high levels of infiltrating T cells and more antigens, making them more recognizable by the immune system and more likely to trigger a strong immune response.Cancers that are classically immunologically cold include glioblastomas.

Related stories:

If you found this story interesting or helpful,sign up to our weekly e-newsand keep up to date with all the latest from Brain Tumour Research.

See the article here:

Weekly pick of Neuroscience news from around the world - Brain Tumour Research

Dr. Nancy Brown named the Long Professor of Internal Medicine – Yale News

Posted on by

Dr. Nancy Brown

Dr. Nancy J. Brown, recently appointed as the C.N.H. Long Professor of Internal Medicine, is an internationally renowned educator, investigator, and clinician. Her appointment will be effective Feb. 1, pending approval by the School of Medicine Board of Permanent Officers.

In September, Brown was named the next dean of the Yale School of Medicine. She will assume that post on Feb. 1.

A Yale College graduate, Brown is currently the Hugh Jackson Morgan Professor and chair of the Department of Medicine at Vanderbilt University.

Brown majored in molecular biophysics and biochemistry at Yale and earned her medical degree at Harvard University. After completing internship and residency programs at Vanderbilt University, she joined its faculty, engaging in both clinical care and research.

While taking on increased leadership responsibilities and mentoring scores of Vanderbilt students, residents, and fellows, Brown has led a research program in cardiovascular pharmacology, which has been continuously funded by the National Institutes of Health since 1993. Among her research contributions, she has defined the molecular mechanisms through which commonly prescribed blood pressure and diabetes drugs affect the risk of cardiovascular and kidney disease. She has continued to care for patients, especially those with resistant and secondary forms of hypertension, and to mentor the next generation of physician-scientists.

Since becoming leader of Vanderbilts Department of Medicine in 2010, Brown expanded mentorship resources for trainees and faculty members who concentrate on research and established a career development program for faculty members who focus on clinical work. During her tenure, there was an increase in the number of women and members of underrepresented groups in medicine, both on the faculty and in leadership positions.

Throughout her career, Brown has focused on medical education and mentoring career development. She founded and directed the Vanderbilt Master of Science in Clinical Investigation program to promote the advancement of patient-oriented researchers. She also developed the Elliot Newman Society to shorten time-to-independence for physician-scientists. She is an elected member of the Vanderbilt Academy for Excellence in Teaching and has received many mentorship awards.

Brown serves on a number of editorial boards and national and international scientific advisory committees, providing guidance on the development of research programs and educational initiatives. She has received numerous awards for her achievements, including election to the American Society for Clinical Investigation, the Association of American Physicians, and the National Academy of Medicine.

Read the original:

Dr. Nancy Brown named the Long Professor of Internal Medicine - Yale News

CIL Management Consultants enjoys growth in the US – Consulting.us

Posted on by

CIL Management Consultants has enjoyed rapid growth in the US since it established its US team in Chicago a year ago. The growth has been driven by new mandates for market reviews, commercial due diligence, and corporate strategy engagements to support private equity and management teams across a range of sectors.

The team has trebled in size over the past year and as a result has moved to new offices at the Citadel Center in Chicago, which provides room to grow as the firm continues to recruit experienced consultants across all sectors.

Recent projects include vendor commercial due diligence to support Leeds Equity Partners (New York) sale of Project Management Academy to Morgan Stanley Capital Partners. Project Management Academy is a provider of training and exam preparation services for project management professionals.

CIL also provided commercial due diligence to support Five Arrows Capital Partners' (New York) investment in Virginia-based Averhealth, which provides drug testing and laboratory services. Averhealth serves more than 1,800 courts and probation services across 26 states in the US.

CIL also supported Fishawack Group's acquisition of Dudnyk, providing commercial due diligence. Fishawack, backed by LDC, provides communications services to the global pharmaceutical industry. Philadelphia-based Dudnyk is an advertising agency focused on rare disease, oncology, and molecular medicine.

The consulting firm hasalso supported clients with market studies and growth strategy support across a range of other areas, including gyms, testing and inspection services, and smart building technology.

Rebecca Pigula, Principal at CIL Management Consultants, commented: CIL has enjoyed an extremely successful first 12 months in the US, providing advice to clients across a range of sectors. As a result, we are building the team to ensure that we continue to deliver the excellent service and advice that is at the heart of our business.

In a market environment where competition for prize assets is increasingly fierce, our focus on private equity, understanding of investment considerations, evidence-driven approach, and deep sector insight are all aspects that have been well-received in the US. Were looking forward to supporting our growing number of US clients to acquire and maximize the success of their portfolio companies in the years to come.

Here is the original post:

CIL Management Consultants enjoys growth in the US - Consulting.us

Moving Diagnostics Out of the Lab and Into Your Hand – Technology Networks

Posted on by

Handheld electrochemical sensors are part of the daily routine for millions of people with diabetes around the globe who monitor their blood sugar levels with electric glucometers. While such sensors have revolutionized at-home medical testing for diabetics, they have not yet been successfully applied to diagnosing other conditions. Sensors like glucometers detect glucose in blood based on the activity of an enzyme, and there are only a limited number of enzymes that can be used to sense biomarkers of human disease. An alternative detection strategy based on binding events between antibodies and their molecular targets have been investigated to expand the use of electrochemical sensors for medicine, but these sensors fall victim to the rapid accumulation of "fouling" substances from biological fluids on their conductive surfaces, which deactivate them. Existing antifouling coatings are difficult to mass-manufacture, suffer from quality and consistency issues, and are not very effective.

Now, a new diagnostic platform technology developed by researchers at the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University known as "eRapid" enables the creation of low-cost, handheld electrochemical devices that can simultaneously detect a broad range of biomarkers with high sensitivity and selectivity in complex biological fluids, using as little as a single drop of blood. The technology is described in the newest issue of Nature Nanotechnology.

"As long as an antibody exists for a given target molecule, eRapid can detect it," said co-author Pawan Jolly, Ph.D., a Senior Research Scientist at the Wyss Institute. "By solving the biofouling problem with a simple yet robust design, we are now able to easily mass-produce biochemical sensors for a wide variety of applications at low-cost."

The challenge in developing the antifouling coating was to prevent accumulation of off-target substances on the sensor's metal electrodes while still maintaining their conductivity to allow sensing of the target. After experimenting with a variety of recipes, the research team developed a simple, porous, 3D matrix consisting of bovine serum albumin (BSA) crosslinked with glutaraldehyde and supported by a network of conducting nanomaterials, such as gold nanowires or carbon nanotubes. The small pore size of the BSA matrix size-excludes proteins found in blood and plasma, and the BSA's weak negative charge prevents the strong adhesion of positively charged biomolecules onto the sensor.

When the researchers tested their nanomaterial-coated sensors in human blood serum and plasma, they retained more than 90% of their ability to detect signal even after being stored for one month in those biofluids, whereas sensors coated with best previously published anti-fouling coatings lost significant signal sensitivity when incubated for one hour, and were completely inactivated after one day.

To functionalize the coated sensors, the researchers attached antibodies to the surface of the nanomaterial coating on top of the electrode, and used a "sandwich assay" to convert the antibody binding event into a chemical signal that precipitates onto the electrode surface, thereby generating an electric signal. The magnitude of the electrical signal directly correlates to the amount of the precipitate produced, and thus to the number of target molecules bound to the antibodies, allowing the concentration of the target to be measured.

The team demonstrated the commercial utility of this approach by creating a multiplexed sensor with three separate electrodes, each coated with the BSA/gold nanowire matrix and a layer of antibodies against a specific clinically relevant target molecule: interleukin 6 (IL6), insulin, or glucagon. When they incubated the sensor with the respective target molecules in undiluted human plasma, they observed excellent electrical signals with picogram-per-mL sensitivity. Conversely, electrodes coated with a published "PEG-SAM" anti-fouling coating failed to produce distinct signals, indicating that they had been irreversibly fouled by off-target molecules in human plasma samples. In addition, the BSA/gold-nanowire-coated sensors can be washed and reused multiple times with minimal signal loss, allowing serial monitoring of biomarkers easily and at low cost.

Since then, the Wyss team has been able to detect more than a dozen different biomarkers ranging from 100 Da to 150,000 Da in size with eRapid, and they are continuing to experiment with conductive nanomaterials to optimize the electrode coating and the system's performance, as well as reduce the cost even further. They are actively exploring commercialization options for eRapid in the handheld point-of-care diagnostics space, but also hope to extend the coating and sensor technology platform to other targets and contexts, including in-hospital diagnostics, environmental toxin sensing, small molecule detection, and implantable medical devices.

Interestingly, the team - led by the Wyss Institute's Founding Director Donald Ingber, M.D., Ph.D. - did not originally set out with this goal in mind. This work began because they needed to simultaneously detect multiple biomolecules produced by various types of tissue cells growing within human Organs-on-Chips to non-invasively assess their function and inflammatory status over time. The tiny volume of liquid outflows from the chips' channels necessitated highly sensitive sensors that could also be multiplexed, which led to the creation of the current technology.

"eRapid emerged from pursuing one innovation that led to another that has the potential to transform medical diagnostics. Hopefully, this simple technology will enable great advances in our ability to develop handheld diagnostic devices that can be used at home, as well as in pharmacies, ambulances, doctor's offices, and emergency departments in the near future," said Ingber who is also the Judah Folkman Professor of Vascular Biology at Harvard Medical School and the Vascular Biology Program at Boston Children's Hospital, and Professor of Bioengineering at Harvard's John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences.

Reference:Sabat del Ro, J., Henry, O. Y. F., Jolly, P., & Ingber, D. E. (2019). An antifouling coating that enables affinity-based electrochemical biosensing in complex biological fluids. Nature Nanotechnology. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41565-019-0566-z

This article has been republished from the following materials. Note: material may have been edited for length and content. For further information, please contact the cited source.

Read more from the original source:

Moving Diagnostics Out of the Lab and Into Your Hand - Technology Networks

‘Give me the calcium!’ Tulane virus takes over cellular calcium signaling to replicate – Baylor College of Medicine News

Posted on by

Some gastrointestinal viruses need calcium. They need calcium ions to carry out several essential aspects of viral life, such as entry into host cells, genome replication and building new viruses to invade other cells. The cells invaded by viruses also use calcium. They use it as signals to regulate many of the cells own processes, but viruses can takeover cellular calcium signaling to satisfy their own needs.

This viral takeover involves, in many cases, the production of a viral protein called viroporin that acts like an ion channel redirecting cellular calcium signaling to serve viral functions. Medically important gastrointestinal viruses, such as rotavirus, require calcium for replication and use viroporins to gain control over cellular calcium signaling, but it has not been investigated whether other viruses that also cause severe gastrointestinal problems in people and animals, such as norovirus, do the same.

While she was working on her doctorate degree in the Graduate Program in Integrative Molecular and Biomedical Sciences at Baylor College of Medicine, Dr. Alicia Strtak took on the project to investigate whether Tulane virus, a calicivirus that is biologically similar to human noroviruses, required calcium for its replication. If so, how does it take over cellular calcium signaling?

Human noroviruses are the leading cause of acute gastroenteritis, a potentially life-threatening illness in every age group, said Strtak. There is great interest in developing effective therapies, but many aspects of how calicivirus, including norovirus, cause disease have not been made clear yet.

Studying norovirus has posed quite a challenge to researchers and, although much progress has been made to successfully culture it in the laboratory using human intestinal enteroid cultures, there is still much to be gained from studying other caliciviruses, such as Tulane virus, that are closely related to norovirus and are easier to study in the lab.

During this project, Strtak worked in the laboratory of Dr. Joseph Hyser, assistant professor of molecular virology & microbiology at Baylor, and used Tulane virus as a model system for norovirus.

We think that Tulane virus has features that make it a good candidate for a model of human norovirus. These viruses share biologic and genetic characteristics, for instance, both organize their genomes in the same manner, infect the same type of cells (intestinal epithelia) and cause a disease the presents in a similar way, Strtak said. In addition, Tulane virus can be grown in the lab in systems that facilitate investigation into the pathways it takes over during infection.

Strtak, Hyser and their colleagues combined cell culture, biochemistry and calcium imaging techniques to answer the following question, what are the key factors Tulane virus needs to achieve robust and efficient replication? To address the question, they focused on how Tulane virus reshaped the hosts calcium signaling during infection.

First, we discovered that Tulane virus does need intracellular calcium to replicate. Without it, the virus replicates poorly, Strtak said. We also found that the calcium came from cellular storage in the endoplasmic reticulum and, to gain access to this source of calcium, Tulane virus seemed to use its protein NS1-2.

The researchers found evidence that Tulane virus NS1-2 protein acted as a viroporin, an ion channel that disrupted cellular calcium signaling by triggering its flow from the endoplasmic reticulum, where it was stored, to the cytoplasm where viral replication took place.

Looking to determine whether norovirus might be using a similar strategy to infect epithelial cells, Strtak and her colleagues compared Tulane virus NS1-2 protein and the human norovirus protein in their ability to disrupt calcium signaling. They found that norovirus NS1-2 protein induced changes in cellular calcium signaling that were similar to those triggered by Tulane virus NS1-2 protein. (see video above)

This is the first piece of functional evidence suggesting that the function that we identified in the Tulane virus may also exist in human norovirus, Strtak said.

Viral ion channels are very difficult to identify. Strtaks work shows that with a little bit of innovation, ingenuity and willingness to explore outside the clinically relevant system, it is possible to find a suitable experimental model that enables researchers to achieve the initial broad characterization and find relevant information about complex biological systems. We hope that the information we have found here also helps other researchers who study other aspects of viral infection, said Hyser, a member of theAlkek Center for Metagenomics and Microbiome Researchand theDan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer CenteratBaylor.

Learn all the details of this work in the journal mSphere.

Other contributing authors include Jacob L. Perry, Mark N. Sharp, Alexandra L. Chang-Graham and Tibor Farkas. The authors are affiliated with one or more of the following institutions: Baylor College of Medicine, Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory and Augustana College.

Financial support was provided by National Institutes of Health grants (R01DK115507, R21AI137710, F30DK112563, DK56338 and CA125123) and Baylor College of Medicines Medical Scientist Training Program. Additional support came from the Integrative Molecular and Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program (T32GM008231), CPRIT (RP150578 and RP170719), the Dan L. Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center and the John S. Dunn Gulf Coast Consortium for Chemical Genomics.

By Ana Mara Rodrguez, Ph.D.

See the original post here:

'Give me the calcium!' Tulane virus takes over cellular calcium signaling to replicate - Baylor College of Medicine News

Approach to Personalizing Treatment of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Shows Promise in Cell Lines – Michigan Medicine

Posted on by

Next, the team tested 78 approved or investigational cancer drugs against each of the cell lines, selecting the compounds based on their effectiveness in other solid-tumor cancers. After a series of initial experiments to gauge their effectiveness, 12 of the drugs were prioritized for deeper analysis.

Among these, the research group found six drugs that showed promising results against tumors with particular molecular features suggesting the approach is a solid first step toward developing robust biomarkers of drug response in triple-negative breast cancer.

Many other breast cancer subtypes are defined by the pathways that you would use to target them for example, youd treat HER2-positive breast cancer with a HER-2 inhibitor, says senior study author Sofia Merajver, M.D., Ph.D., a professor of internal medicine and epidemiology at the U-M. Triple-negative breast cancer is defined by its lack of hormone receptors and HER2 expression, which makes it much more difficult to target. We needed to do better.

Since cancer often quickly develops resistances against individual drugs, the researchers also wanted to use their multi-omic approach to look for ideal combinations of drugs.

The idea is that if we find a marker that is particularly high in drug-resistant cells, we might be able to make the cells more responsive to treatment by adding a drug that also targets that marker, says senior study author Matthew Soellner, Ph.D., an assistant professor of internal medicine and chemistry at U-M, and an affiliate faculty member of the U-M Life Sciences Institute. Ultimately, we found we could make most of the cell lines more sensitive to our target drug it worked better than we had hoped for.

The research was supported by the National Institutes of Health (1R21CA218498), the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, Tempting Tables, The Rose Run, and the Kathy Bruk Pearce Research Fund of the U-M Rogel Cancer Center.

Additional authors include Eric J. Lachacz, Nathalie M. Vandecan, Peter J. Ulintz, Liwei Bao, John P. Lloyd, Joel A. Yates and Aki Morikawa, all of U-M.

Paper cited: Molecular determinants of drug response in TNBC cell lines, Breast Cancer Research and Treatment. DOI: 10.1007/s10549-019-05473-9

See the rest here:

Approach to Personalizing Treatment of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Shows Promise in Cell Lines - Michigan Medicine

Examining Molecular Evolution and Impact of Treatment in a Common Form of Leukemia – Newswise

Posted on by

MEDIA CONTACT

Available for logged-in reporters only

Newswise New Brunswick, N.J., November 11, 2019 Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey researcher Hossein Khiabanian, PhD, has received a $600,000 Translational Award from the V Foundation for Cancer Research to study chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) with the aim of developing research models that may help investigators better understand how CLL cells are influenced by new therapies.

The most common leukemia in the Western world, CLL starts in the bone marrow in a type of white blood cell known as B-lymphocytes. Standard chemotherapy has been successful in treating most patients; however, it is not effective for some patients with specific DNA changes in their leukemia cells. In previous work by Dr. Khiabanian and colleagues, advanced DNA sequencing uncovered mutations that changed the function of a gene called TP53. These mutations could be detected in only a few leukemia cells at initial CLL diagnosis, but would be present in a majority of cells in patients whose CLL returned after treatment with chemotherapy.

To treat such high-risk patients, new drugs have been developed that disrupt processes used by leukemia cells to interact with their environment. One of these drugs, which has shown significant activity in CLL, is ibrutinib. Similar to resistance against chemotherapy, some cells may have alterations that stop this drug from working. As a result, these cells are not killed and can result in the recurrence of CLL. As such, there is a need to better understand these mutations as well as changes in gene expression so that better treatment strategies can be developed. notes Khiabanian, who is part of Rutgers Cancer Institutes Genome Instability and Cancer Genetics Research Program and an assistant professor of pathology and laboratory medicine at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.

He adds, I am grateful for the V Foundation for Cancer Research in its support of this project, which is in line with our labs goal of designing experimental and computational methods that help characterize molecular diversity in small population of cells early in their evolution and transformation.

In this project, the Khiabanian lab will work with the Institute of Oncology Research (Bellinzona, Switzerland) as well as Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jerseys Hematologic Malignancies Program to analyze patient samples collected during treatment in a clinical trial. Highly sensitive experimental approaches will be applied to thousands of single leukemia cells to develop models that may help describe how CLL cells behave and change under new therapies.

The project period runs through October 2022.

About Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey

As New Jerseys only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, Rutgers Cancer Institute, along with its partner RWJBarnabas Health, offers the most advanced cancer treatment options including bone marrow transplantation, proton therapy, CAR T-cell therapy and complex robotic surgery. Along with clinical trials and novel therapeutics such as precision medicine and immunotherapy many of which are not widely available patients have access to these cutting-edge therapies at Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey in New Brunswick, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey at University Hospital in Newark, as well as through RWJBarnabas Health facilities.

Along with world-class treatment, which is often fueled by on-site research conducted in Rutgers Cancer Institute laboratories, patients and their families also can seek cancer preventative services and education resources throughout the Rutgers Cancer Institute and RWJBarnabas Health footprint statewide. To make a tax-deductible gift to support the Cancer Institute of New Jersey, call 848-932-8013 or visit http://www.cinj.org/giving.

###

Read the original:

Examining Molecular Evolution and Impact of Treatment in a Common Form of Leukemia - Newswise

Family treasures looted during Germanys Kristallnacht on display for the first time at Vancouver exhibition – The Globe and Mail

Posted on by

Before the Second World War, Max and Gertrud Hahn of Gttingen, Germany had a Judaica collection that was considered one of the most significant private collections in pre-war Europe, rivalling those of the Rothschild and Sassoon families.

Handout

For about 20 years, the boxes sat in the storage room of Michael Haydens Vancouver home, unopened. He had found them in a basement room behind the garden of his fathers home in Cape Town, South Africa after his sudden death in 1984. They had been shipped there, originally from Germany and had never been opened by his father either, not since the boxes had arrived after the Second World War. There were about 15 of them, all from the 1940s. The information inside would give Hayden one of the worlds foremost geneticists a new purpose in life.

I could feel the gravity of what was in there, Hayden, 67, says. I knew there was going to be a big burden and an obligation to come from opening them. And I wasnt ready. I think I was fearful too. I knew this was going to be a burden, and a very personal burden.

Gertrud and Max Raphael Hahn, Haydens grandparents, were wealthy residents of Gottingen, Germany, a university city that has been home to dozens of Nobel Prize laureates. Max ran a successful business that included a leather factory and a real estate empire; the Hahns owned about 40 per cent of the buildings in the town. They were prominent members of the Jewish community Max was president of the synagogue and deeply patriotic Germans: Max had been a senior procurement official for the German army during the First World War. And they were great collectors of art, fine furniture, antiques and a collection of Judaica that is said to have rivalled those of the Rothschilds and Sassoons.

Story continues below advertisement

At about 2 a.m. on Nov. 10, 1938, Nazis armed with axes broke into the Hahn home, smashing doors and windows, destroying their belongings and forcing Max and Gertrud half-naked into the street, while bystanders hissed and yelled, calling them filthy Jews and pig Jews. Their home was ransacked and many of their possessions were stolen.

This horrific night became known as Kristallnacht the night of broken glass a government-sanctioned series of Nazi pogroms in Germany and Austria that saw hundreds of synagogues burned, Jewish businesses destroyed and Jewish cemeteries desecrated. There were dozens or hundreds of deaths (the number is disputed) and some 30,000 Jewish men sent to prisons and concentration camps.

Max was one of them.

He was sent to jail for nearly nine months, during which much of his property, including his silver Judaica collection, was confiscated. The family also sold possessions to the local museum, under duress, as they were stripped of their wealth and livelihood.

Even while in prison, Max worked for the return of his prized Judaica items, thinking they could help fund the familys future life somewhere outside Germany. He was not successful.

There were more pressing concerns. In 1939, the Hahns managed to get their children, Rudolf and Hanni, 19 and 17, to safety in England. In early 1941, they shipped some precious items that remained, including a piano and violin, and many documents to Sweden and Switzerland for safe storage in neutral countries.

By the time Max and Gertrud tried to leave Germany themselves, later that year, it was too late. In December, 1941, they were deported by train to a concentration camp in Riga, Latvia. Gertrud, who was diabetic and without her medication, may have died on the way in the cattle cars. Its believed Max was shot in the Bikernieki Forest in March, 1942, and buried in a mass grave, like thousands of other murder victims. No records of their deaths exist.

Story continues below advertisement

Story continues below advertisement

In three-dimensional silver, Jacob's Cup depicts three scenes from the biblical story of Jacob. The date of its carving, 1757, is engraved on the base.

Handout

Michael Hayden grew up without grandparents. He had a vague notion that they had been killed during the Second World War, but he knew no details about their deaths and very little about them.

Those boxes, left unopened for all those years, held answers to questions he didnt know he had. One night in the mid-2000s, at around 3 a.m., he went down the stairs of his Vancouver home and started opening them. Hes not sure what compelled him that night. Was it his state of mind? Was he ready to confront the past? Did his curiosity finally win out over his fear? In any case, he felt ready to know more.

The containers held thousands of documents that painted a rare and urgent picture of life in Nazi Germany for a prominent Jewish family his own.

Inside, Hayden found about 50 letters sent during the war between Max and Rudolf; petitions that Max had submitted in response to anti-Semitic laws enacted by the Nazis; and photographs and lists of the art and other objects that had been stolen from the Hahns or sold under duress while under Nazi rule.

Hayden, who doesnt speak German, hired a historian who is fluent in the language to help him deal with the contents. The documents were a treasure trove of information about his family, but they also contained clues and evidence about his grandparents stolen property.

Thats when he decided he would search for it.

Story continues below advertisement

The first time Hayden visited Gottingen, it was long before he knew about the boxes or much of anything about his fathers life. He was in his 30s, travelling with his father. They visited a childhood friend of Rudolfs, who was very welcoming. It was the first time Michael had ever heard his father speak German. The man brought out a photo album from their shared childhoods. There they were as kids. Then, a few pages in, there was a photo of his fathers friend, in an SS uniform.

Since opening the boxes, Hayden has been working with the Gottingen Museum and other German institutions for several years, looking for what is left of his familys treasures. There have been a lot of obstacles restitution can be a fraught endeavour but a few dozen items have been identified as having belonged to the Hahns. Last year, in a moving ceremony, the first of these treasures was returned a remarkable silver gilt kiddush cup one of very few items of Judaica seized by the Nazis that had not been melted down for the precious metal. The cup was discovered in a basement vault at a Hamburg museum in 2018 and returned to the family last November.

I felt a sense of great triumph and justice, Hayden says. It was a great occasion to restore that and to give some respect to [my grandfather] and an item that I knew he loved and he must have handled.

In three-dimensional silver, the cup depicts three scenes from the biblical story of Jacob. The date of its carving, 1757, is engraved on the base. Theres a rude red number splashed next to it, assigned by one of its Nazi thieves.

This is one of the items being displayed for the first time at an exhibition that opened on Friday at the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre. Treasured Belongings: The Hahn Family and the Search for a Stolen Legacy includes many extraordinary items that belonged to the Hahns, including a 17th-century Passover Haggadah and precious secular art, such as an original work by the artist Max Liebermann.

The museum was interested in creating the exhibition not just because of the Hahns compelling, tragic story, but also because of the contemporary resonance. Their story is a lens through which to view reconciliation and repatriation in the aftermath of catastrophic injustice.

Story continues below advertisement

The show also includes historical context, as well as family photographs and original letters. In one, written right after Kristallnacht Nov. 11, 1938 Rudolf, writing from Hamburg, tries to comfort and encourage his mother back in Gottingen. He ends it with a quote. We will not let this get us down!

Michael Hayden is a world-renowned medical researcher who has accumulated many titles and accolades over the course of his career. He is the founder and director emeritus of the Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics at the Department of Medical Genetics at BC Childrens Hospital and the University of British Columbia, and Killam Professor and Canada Research Chair in Human Genetics and Molecular Medicine. He is one of the worlds leading experts on Huntingtons disease. He has been named to the Order of Canada, the Order of British Columbia and the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame, as well as many other honours. When I asked him about if he has unwittingly inherited characteristics from the grandparents he never knew, he paused and then said yes.

And some of it is deeply comforting. Because Im a deep collector and partly what Ive done, in the eighties I started collecting DNA and body parts from patients who died of certain genetic diseases. And I did it very methodically. Today we have the largest DNA bank and organ bank in the world that is supporting global research into Huntington disease.

He also collects other things including, similar to his grandfather, Haggadot (the books used during the Passover Seder).

What motivates Haydens quest for his familys belongings is not financial restitution or even the lost items themselves. He was eager to learn about Max and Gertrud and illuminate their identities, their individuality.

Im really driven from a perspective of wanting to rescue my grandparents from obscurity and wanting to restore them to their particularity and distinctiveness and to rescue them from complete anonymity, he says.

Story continues below advertisement

These were just two of six million, my grandparents, but for me I wanted to get away from generalizations. Im really just trying to understand: Whats the genetic legacy? Whats the legacy of courage and personality? Who were these people? And giving them a face.

Thats whats driving me. And somehow its also a search for who I am.

Treasured Belongings: The Hahn Family and the Search for a Stolen Legacy is at the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre until Nov 27, 2020.

Live your best. We have a daily Life & Arts newsletter, providing you with our latest stories on health, travel, food and culture. Sign up today.

Read the original post:

Family treasures looted during Germanys Kristallnacht on display for the first time at Vancouver exhibition - The Globe and Mail