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Bitcoin Inches Above $2800 to Hit 5-Day High – CoinDesk

Posted on July 29, 2017 by Danzig

The price of bitcoin across global exchanges hit $2,833 today, the highest figure observed since July 23.

The five-day high comes amid what has been largely a week of stability in the price of the digital asset against the dollar. Bitcoin prices fell to a seven-day low of $2,433 on Wednesday, but have traded as high as $2,889 as recently as July 21.

Still, the fluctuations come ahead of what could emerge as a turbulent time for the price.

While bitcoin's long-raging scaling debate may soon reach a conclusion of sorts (with the integration of the Segregated Witness now scheduled for early August), it's not going to be without twists.

For one, the cryptocurrency is about to see the first large-scale fork of its live blockchain, with some miners and businesses vowing to create a separate project called Bitcoin Cash.

Already trading at $300 (though it hasn't been released), it's hard to say exactly how the move may impact prices.

Still, if the project does come to pass, those on either side of the debate may now be able to more easily move the market in their preferred direction, potentially leaving the door open for volatility ahead.

Markets image via Shutterstock

The leader in blockchain news, CoinDesk is an independent media outlet that strives for the highest journalistic standards and abides by a strict set of editorial policies. Have breaking news or a story tip to send to our journalists? Contact us at [emailprotected].

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Bitcoin Inches Above $2800 to Hit 5-Day High - CoinDesk

Alleged bitcoin fraud ‘mastermind’ sought by US held in Greek prison – Reuters

Posted on July 29, 2017 by Danzig

ATHENS (Reuters) - A Russian national suspected of masterminding a money-laundering operation using bitcoin was transferred to prison in Greece on Friday, while the United States prepares documentation to back an extradition request for him.

Russian national Alexander Vinnik, 38, is suspected of operating a digital currency exchange which was the alleged conduit for more than $4 billion in proceeds from illicit transactions.

He was arrested in northern Greece on July 25 on the basis of a U.S. warrant for his arrest and extradition.

"He has gone to a prosecutor, a jail order was issued, and he was escorted to prison today," a senior police official told Reuters.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that according to regulations the United States has a two-month window in which to submit the relevant documentation to appeals prosecutors regarding Vinnik's extradition.

Vinnik was arrested at a hotel in the Chalkidiki region. Police seized five mobile telephones, two laptops, two tablets and a router during the arrest.

Local media have reported that Vinnik denies allegations against him. It was not immediately clear if he had a lawyer.

Officials have described Vinnik in a U.S. Justice Department statement as the operator of BTC-e, an exchange used to trade the digital bitcoin currency in operation since 2011.

Vinnik, justice officials alleged, committed crimes which went beyond the lack of regulation of the bitcoin exchange he operated. They have alleged Vinnik and his firm received more than $4 billion in bitcoin, and that BTC-e 'obtained' funds from Mt Gox, a Japan-based bitcoin exchange which collapsed in 2014 after being hacked.

A 'sizeable portion' of the stolen Mt Gox funds were deposited in accounts controlled, owned and operated by BTC-e and Vinnik, the indictment said.

Mt Gox was one of the most prominent examples of how the lightly regulated digital currency could burn investors, after an estimated $450 million worth of bitcoin and $27 million in hard cash vanished when it collapsed.

Reporting By Angeliki Koutantou; Writing by Michele Kambas; Editing by Hugh Lawson

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Alleged bitcoin fraud 'mastermind' sought by US held in Greek prison - Reuters

Cryptocurrency ICOs Are Making Bitcoin Startups Richer than VCs Ever Did – Fortune

Posted on July 29, 2017 by Danzig

When initial coin offerings emerged as a new way for startups to raise money a few months ago, there was much speculationand some doubt about whether the cryptocurrency crowdfunding method could disrupt or even replace the traditional venture capital industry .

Now, the early numbers are in, and there is no question that ICOs , an unregulated form of fundraising by which companies can sell their own form of digital currency or tokens to investors, are winning this race, at least in the blockchain industry.

ICOs have now raised nearly four times as much money as bitcoin companies raised in venture capital dollars so far this year. Thats according to PitchBook, which tallied up the latest numbers: ICOs have raised almost $1.3 billion in 2017 so far, while only about $358 million in traditional VC money went to blockchain startups over the same period.

And that's at a time when venture capital is booming among blockchain companies. Last quarter was the best quarter for blockchain and bitcoin VC funding on record, more than doubling the amount raised in the first quarter and up 89% year over year, according to CBInsights.

But ICOs are growing much faster, having already raised almost six times as much this year as they raised in all of 2016.

Now, a fundraising method that you likely had never heard of until a few months ago is on track this year to exceed all prior VC investment in blockchain, which has totaled a cumulative $1.7 billion over the past eight years, PitchBook says.

To underscore just what a whirlwind trend this has become, even entrepreneurs doing their own ICOs are astonished by the craze.

At a panel discussion hosted by BlockchainDriven Thursday night, Morgan Hill, an investor at Attis Capital, announced that he was launching a new cryptocurrency hedge fund called AxionV in August. But unlike the crypto hedge fund startup MetaStable , which recently received funding from Sequoia, Andreessen Horowitz, Founders Fund, Union Square Ventures and Bessemer Venture Partners, AxionV has a different plan. It will do an ICO itself, targeting a $30 million fund, which it will then use to invest in other ICOs, Hill said.

He also told a story of another hedge fund manager in London who was planning to launch an ICO of a company that aims to put the entire Quran online, and use the new cryptocurrency to compensate people who contribute to the digitization of the religious text. Hills take: The first thing I thought was, this is categorically insane.

He later came around, he said, acknowledging religion is a very important piece of information and that the project actually does provide a huge value.

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Cryptocurrency ICOs Are Making Bitcoin Startups Richer than VCs Ever Did - Fortune

Bitcoin Investment Vehicle Adopts Open Strategy Ahead of Blockchain Fork – CoinDesk

Posted on July 29, 2017 by Danzig

The provider of a bitcoin exchange-traded note (ETN) in Sweden hassaid that it will track what the market considers to be "bitcoin" following a possible network split next week.

XBT Provider AB released a statementoutlining its plans ahead of what could be a split in the bitcoin blockchain on August 1, one pursued by the proponents of an alternative implementation called Bitcoin Cash. The first of two ETNs launched by XBT Provider went live in mid-2015 following approval by the Swedish government.

The firm said that, as the ETN holders don't actually possess any bitcoin, they won't be directly affected. But XBT Provider said it is moving proactively to protect the bitcoin holdings that the ETN tracks, steps which include safeguarding the assets themselves in the event of a chain split.

"The Guarantor's group companies have moved as much of their bitcoins held on account as is practicable in the circumstances to custodian infrastructure that will support both coins should a new coin result from the anticipated fork," the company stated.

Ultimately, the firm said it will align with whichever chain the market deems to be "bitcoin", explaining:

"The Issuer wishes to further clarify that its Certificates are designed to track "bitcoin" and not any alternative coin which results from a forking event and which shared a common transaction history prior to the fork. Therefore, the Issuer's Certificates will, after a fork, be referenced to the coin which the bitcoin community and exchanges define, and consider to be, 'bitcoin'."

This approach isn't set in stone, however, as XBT Provider will undertake a three-month observation period, during which it will wait and see which chain comes to attract the most support.

Train yard imagevia Shutterstock

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Bitcoin Investment Vehicle Adopts Open Strategy Ahead of Blockchain Fork - CoinDesk

Howard Marks says bitcoin isn’t realand we can all blame millennials for its rise – MarketWatch

Posted on July 29, 2017 by Danzig

Howard Marks has some harsh words for the bitcoin community and the rise of digital currencies, which have become all the rage lately.

Digital currencies are nothing but an unfounded fad, said the co-chairman of Oaktree Capital Management, who was among the first to sound the alarm on the 2008 financial crisis.

Bitcoin BTCUSD, -3.71% is based on a willingness to ascribe value to something that has little or none beyond what people will pay for it, wrote Marks in his latest memo to clients.

Read: Bitcoin isnt real, and markets are darn hot, warns Howard Marks

The billionaire investor believes an increasing lack of faith in fiat currencies on top of millennials love of all things virtual have allowed cryptocurrencies to emerge as a potential investment tool.

Maybe Im just a dinosaur, too technologically backward to appreciate the greatness of digital currency. But it is my firm view that the ability of these things to gain acceptance is just one more proof of the prevalence today of financial naivet, willing risk-taking and wishful thinking, he said.

Marks boasts a net worth of $2 billion, according to Forbes. His investing letters are often parsed by market participants for insightful nuggets.

He freely admits he is stumped by cryptocurrencies and says he isnt alone among savvy Wall Street investors puzzled by its rise.

But they are not real!!!!! Nobody has been able to make sense to me of these currencies, he said.

One of the biggest pitfalls of bitcoin and its digital peers, according to Marks, is that they are mostly used to buy other imaginary money or to invest in companies that will create other new currencies.

But regardless of whether bitcoin is real or not, the more important question posed by Marks is whether the digital currency is suitable for investment or if it should be treated as just another tool for speculation.

Serious investing consists of buying things because the price is attractive relative to intrinsic value, explained Marks. Speculation, on the other hand, occurs when people buy something without any consideration of its underlying value or the appropriateness of its price, solely because they think others will pay more for it in the future.

Related: What are ICOs and why is the SEC taking steps to protect investors from them?

Francisco Blanch, head of global commodities and derivatives research at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, earlier this week also stressed that for all the buzz generated by bitcoin, it still has some ways to go before it can be considered a legal tender.

Most regulated financial institutions allow their clients to borrow against financial or physical assets, but we are not aware of any major institution that takes cryptocurrency as collateral at the moment. Thus, in our view, a key step for bitcoin would be for it to become pledgeable collateral, he said.

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said cracking down on illicit activity in cybercurrencies is a focus of regulators. I share your concerns about bitcoin and others and them being used for illicit activity, said Mnuchin during congressional testimony on Thursday, referring to the recent arrest of a Russian man accused of laundering some $4 billion using bitcoins.

Meanwhile, prominent financial adviser Josh Brown, who proclaims to idolize Marks, had a bit of an existential take on the whole cryptocurrency debate.

He agrees with Marks that bitcoin isnt real and its value is based on nothing.

But so what? he asks. Nothing is real, in truth.

He goes on to argue that anything that doesnt appear in nature may not be realeven countries, religion, and currencies.

Read: Bitcoin may have reached a tipping point, now that Downtown Josh Brown just invested

Things become real enough when people begin to believe and agree that they are. The Declaration of Independence didnt make America real, it made people believe that it could be real and then will it into existence with their cooperation and their actions, said Brown.

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Howard Marks says bitcoin isn't realand we can all blame millennials for its rise - MarketWatch

Large, distant comets more common than thought: NASA | The … – The Indian Express

Posted on July 29, 2017 by Danzig

By: PTI | Washington | Published:July 27, 2017 4:21 pm Since long-period comets spend most of their time far from our area of the solar system, many will never approach the Sun in a persons lifetime. (Source: NASA)

Long period comets that take more than 200 years to make one revolution around the Sun -may be up to seven times more common than previously thought, NASA scientists say. Since long-period comets spend most of their time far from our area of the solar system, many will never approach the Sun in a persons lifetime.

Those that travel inward from the Oort Cloud a group of icy bodies beginning roughly 300 billion kilometres away from the Sun can have periods of thousands or even millions of years.

NASAs WISE spacecraft, scanning the entire sky at infrared wavelengths, has delivered new insights about the distant wanderers that are notoriously difficult to study. Scientists found that there are about seven times more long-period comets measuring at least one kilometre across than had been predicted previously.

They also found that long-period comets are on average up to twice as large as Jupiter family comets, whose orbits are shaped by Jupiters gravity and have periods of less than 20 years. Researchers also observed that in eight months, three to five times as many long-period comets passed by the Sun than had been predicted.

The number of comets speaks to the amount of material left over from the solar systems formation, said James Bauer, a research professor at the University of Maryland, College Park.

We now know that there are more relatively large chunks of ancient material coming from the Oort Cloud than we thought, said Park, lead author of the study published in the Astronomical Journal.

The Oort Cloud is too distant to be seen by current telescopes, but is thought to be a spherical distribution of small icy bodies at the outermost edge of the solar system. The density of comets within it is low, so the odds of comets colliding within it are rare.

Long-period comets that WISE observed probably got kicked out of the Oort Cloud millions of years ago. The observations were carried out during the spacecrafts primary mission before it was renamed NEOWISE and reactivated to target near-Earth objects (NEOs).

Our study is a rare look at objects perturbed out of the Oort Cloud, said Amy Mainzer, from NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory in the US.

They are the most pristine examples of what the solar system was like when it formed, said Mainzer, principal investigator of the NEOWISE mission.

The results reinforce the idea that comets that pass by the Sun more often tend to be smaller than those spending much more time away from the Sun.

That is because Jupiter family comets get more heat exposure, which causes volatile substances like water to sublimate and drag away other material from the comets surface as well.

The existence of so many more long-period comets than predicted suggests that more of them have likely impacted planets, delivering icy materials from the outer reaches of the solar system. The results will be important for assessing the likelihood of comets impacting our solar systems planets, including Earth.

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Large, distant comets more common than thought: NASA | The ... - The Indian Express

Supernova-hunting team finds comet with aid of amateur astronomer – Phys.Org

Posted on July 29, 2017 by Danzig

July 29, 2017 An image from the Magellan 6.5m telescope of the comet discovered by theAll Sky Automated Survey for Supernovae (ASAS-SN) team, which they have named ASASSN1. Credit: Image is courtesy of Nidia Morrell and Benjamin Shappee.

Carnegie's Benjamin Shappee is part of a team of scientists, including an Australian amateur astronomer, which discovered a new comet last week.

Called the All Sky Automated Survey for Supernovae (ASAS-SN), the international collaboration, which is headquartered at the Ohio State University, uses a network of eight 14-centimeter telescopes around the world to scan the visible sky every two or three nights looking for very bright supernovae.

But this time out they found something elsea comet.

Jose Prieto, a former Carnegie postdoc now a professor at Universidad Diego Portales in Chile, was the first ASAS-SN team member to notice the bright, moving object.

Prieto described the first step of the discovery: "While I was scanning the images obtained the night of July 19, I noticed this light source was different from the typical transient sources we discoverslightly extended with respect to normal stars and moving between consecutive images that were obtained within minutes of each other. Checking the catalog of known moving objectsasteroids and cometsdid not give any known object at the position of the source."

The ASAS-SN team realized the object he was looking at was most likely something unknown, which was confirmed soon afterward by additional images from one of the team's amateur astronomer members in Australia, Joseph Brimacombe.

"Comets move so fast that even being able to see it in Chile and Australia in the same night was a real challenge," said Shappee, who is a founding member of ASAS-SN. "Without Joseph's observation, the next night would have been much more difficult, since we would only have had a rough idea where to look."

Using their network of telescopes, the team followed the comet's trajectory for three days and noted it significantly brightened over this period. Then it faded slightly when they observed it again after another three days had passed. It's possible that this was due to what's called an outburst, a sudden increase in brightness caused by an ejection of dust and gas that temporarily increases the size of the envelope of material that surrounds a comet's solid, icy nucleus.

Shappee added: "comet ASASSN1 is approaching our inner Solar System right now and will be for several months. It should remain an interesting object for sky gazers the rest of the year."

Explore further: Most-luminous supernova ever discovered

A team of astronomers, including Carnegie's Benjamin Shappee, Nidia Morrell, and Ian Thompson, has discovered the most-luminous supernova ever observed, called ASAS-SN-15lh. Their findings are published in Science.

Comet 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann has experienced a breakup on its journey past the Earth on its way toward the Sun. On the night of February 12th, Slooh members using the company's telescopes in Chile were able to view the ...

Earlier this week, Slooh member Bernd Ltkenhner and Slooh astronomer Paul Cox were able to image the newly discovered Comet C/2016 R3 (Borisov) under extraordinary conditions. The comet had been close to the Sun since ...

Though not visible to the naked eye or even with binoculars, the green-tailed Comet 45P/Honda-Mrkos-Pajdusakova (HMP) did not escape the gaze of the world-renowned Arecibo Observatory. Scientists from the University of Arizona's ...

If you are away from the bustle of the city these holidays, then try your luck at spotting a faint comet in the northern sky.

It was 45 years ago when astronomer Klim Churyumov and Svetlana Gerasimenko, one of his researchers, unwittingly began a new chapter in the history of space exploration.

August 21st will bring a history-making opportunity for the entire United States. On that day, every person in the country, including Hawaii and Alaska, will have an opportunity to witness at least a partial solar eclipse ...

Carnegie's Benjamin Shappee is part of a team of scientists, including an Australian amateur astronomer, which discovered a new comet last week.

A three-man space crew from Italy, Russia and the United States on Friday arrived at the International Space Station for a five-month mission Friday.

NASA scientists have definitively detected the chemical acrylonitrile in the atmosphere of Saturn's moon Titan, a place that has long intrigued scientists investigating the chemical precursors of life.

(Phys.org)A team led by David Kipping of Columbia University has spotted what might be the first evidence of an exomoon. They have written a paper describing their findings and have uploaded it to the arXiv preprint server.

A Soyuz space capsule successfully blasted off for the International Space Station on Friday, carrying an American astronaut, a Russian cosmonaut and an Italian astronaut.

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Ryan Johnson has eye on development with Utica Comets – Uticaod – Utica Observer Dispatch

Posted on July 29, 2017 by Danzig

Ben Birnell

New Utica Comets General Manager Ryan Johnson considers it an exciting time.

Johnson, who added the front-office role to his duties this week, points to the recent flurry of activity in the organization and additions to the Comets coaching staff as reasons they're headed in the right direction.

Johnson, who has served in a player development role for the parent Vancouver Canucks since 2013, believes the slew of changes will also help the Comets be successful.

Its important for us with the environment that we have created and want to continue in Utica. Especially now, when were in a little bit of a you can call it whatever you want a rebuild, Johnson said Thursday from Thunder Bay, Ontario. Weve been stocking our shelves with prospects and trying to create competition in the organization, which weve done.

He will continue to work with Pat Conacher, who has served as the Comets director of hockey operations since 2013. Conachers team knowledge of the Comets as well as his keen eye on the ECHL are important.

It wont change much of the operations that have gone on the last couple of years, said Johnson, whose playing experience includes 710 NHL games, as well, with 181 AHL contests. I have so much respect for Pat and his experience. Its a relationship I really enjoy. Im excited to keep moving forward.

Johnsons focus will continue to be on player development, and much of his day-to-day work wont be that different as he travels to see other prospects. Last season, Johnson said he saw about half of the Comets games in person and watched others online.

I know this team extremely well, he said.

Hes also looking forward to working with the Utica coaching staff, which features new head coach Trent Cull along with also recently named associate coach Gary Agnew and Jason King, who is returning for his second season with Comets. All three are important pieces to the staff, Johnson said.

One thing we really valued with Trent was his experience in the (AHL), Johnson said. His experience was key, but also his attention to details, his organization and his focus on development throughout a season.

Johnson knows the Comets figure to have a different look from the team that finished just outside of the American Hockey Leagues postseason last season.

The organization has a logjam at both forward and defense after recent additions via free agency, trades and draft. Younger players like Jake Virtanen, Nikolay Goldobin and Joseph LaBate, who each played roles for the Comets last season, will likely get some consideration with the NHL club. Johnson is also encouraged by a young defensive group, which includes Jordan Subban and Evan McEneny.

Johnson said veteran forwards Carter Bancks, Wacey Hamilton, Darren Archibald and newly added defenseman Jaime Sifers will be among those leaned on for their experience on and off the ice. Johnson expects the Comets to see an increase in skilled players, which could lead to more production.

Weve got a lot of good young players in the organization. Some are going to compete for spots with Vancouver and some are going to end up in Utica to continue to the process of developing, said Johnson, who said discussions are ongoing about possibly adding more depth, especially at the ECHL level. When you create competition, then everybody gets better. You get better up top and they get better in Utica because there are going to be a lot of guys competing for ice time or looking for an opportunity to get up to Vancouver. We could have veteran guys who get pinched out in training camp.

Follow @OD_Birnell on Twitter or call him at 315-792-5032.

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Ryan Johnson has eye on development with Utica Comets - Uticaod - Utica Observer Dispatch

VIDEO: NASA Says Large, Distant Comets More Common Than … – SpaceCoastDaily.com

Posted on July 29, 2017 by Danzig

By NASA // July 28, 2017

ABOVE VIDEO: A crash course on comments.Comets that take more than 200 years to make one revolution around the Sun are notoriously difficult to study.Because they spend most of their time far from our area of the solar system, many long-period comets will never approach the Sun in a persons lifetime.

(NASA) Comets that take more than 200 years to make one revolution around the Sun are notoriously difficult to study.Because they spend most of their time far from our area of the solar system, many long-period comets will never approach the Sun in a persons lifetime.

In fact, those that travel inward from the Oort Cloud a group of icy bodies beginning roughly 186 billion miles (300 billion kilometers) away from the Sun can have periods of thousands or even millions of years.

NASAs WISE spacecraft, scanning the entire sky at infrared wavelengths, has delivered new insights about these distant wanderers. Scientists found that there are about seven times more long-period comets measuring at least 0.6 miles (1 kilometer) across than had been predicted previously.

They also found that long-period comets are on average up to twice as large as Jupiter family comets, whose orbits are shaped by Jupiters gravity and have periods of less than 20 years.

Researchers also observed that in eight months, three to five times as many long-period comets passed by the Sun than had been predicted. The findings are published in the Astronomical Journal.

Comets travel much faster than asteroids, and some of them are very big.

The number of comets speaks to the amount of material left over from the solar systems formation, said James Bauer, lead author of the study and now a research professor at the University of Maryland, College Park.

We now know that there are more relatively large chunks of ancient material coming from the Oort Cloud than we thought.

The Oort Cloud is too distant to be seen by current telescopes, but is thought to be a spherical distribution of small icy bodies at the outermost edge of the solar system.

The density of comets within it is low, so the odds of comets colliding within it are rare. Long-period comets that WISE observed probably got kicked out of the Oort Cloud millions of years ago.

The observations were carried out during the spacecrafts primary mission before it was renamed NEOWISE and reactivated to target near-Earth objects (NEOs).

Our study is a rare look at objects perturbed out of the Oort Cloud, said Amy Mainzer, study co-author based at NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California, and principal investigator of the NEOWISE mission.

They are the most pristine examples of what the solar system was like when it formed.

This illustration shows how scientists used data from NASAs WISE spacecraft to determine the nucleus sizes of comets. They subtracted a model of how dust and gas behave in comets in order to obtain the core size.

Astronomers already had broader estimates of how many long-period and Jupiter family comets are in our solar system, but had no good way of measuring the sizes of long-period comets.

That is because a comet has a coma, a cloud of gas and dust that appears hazy in images and obscures the cometary nucleus. But by using the WISE data showing the infrared glow of this coma, scientists were able to subtract the coma from the overall comet and estimate the nucleus sizes of these comets.

The data came from 2010 WISE observations of 95 Jupiter family comets and 56 long-period comets.

The results reinforce the idea that comets that pass by the Sun more often tend to be smaller than those spending much more time away from the Sun.

That is because Jupiter family comets get more heat exposure, which causes volatile substances like water to sublimate and drag away other material from the comets surface as well.

Our results mean theres an evolutionary difference between Jupiter family and long-period comets, Bauer said.

The existence of so many more long-period comets than predicted suggests that more of them have likely impacted planets, delivering icy materials from the outer reaches of the solar system.

Researchers also found clustering in the orbits of the long-period comets they studied, suggesting there could have been larger bodies that broke apart to form these groups.

The results will be important for assessing the likelihood of comets impacting our solar systems planets, including Earth.

Comets travel much faster than asteroids, and some of them are very big, Mainzer said. Studies like this will help us define what kind of hazard long-period comets may pose.

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Ryan Johnson adds a new Comets title as Canucks shuffle roles … – The Province

Posted on July 29, 2017 by Danzig

Some old faces are getting some new titles in the Canucks front office.

None are major, but are notable in the career paths of a least a couple. For one, Ryan Johnson is adding Utica Comets general manager to his responsibilities. The former checking centre has worked as director of player development for the Canucks since 2016. He played 210 games for the Canucks as part of a 701 game NHL career.

Johnson said Wednesday on the phone from his moms home in Thunder Bay hes really enjoyed the role hes been handed by the Canucks. He started with the teams development department in 2013; he named the director of player development in 2016.

The job had him in Utica all the time as it is.

Developing guys, that first step into pro is such a vital and tough step, he said. If theres not support its almost alienating for the kids.

To be another voice to take them away from the rink, for life in general, the first time being on your own.

The biggest thing to learn is how to be a professional. And thats not always easy, he noted.

As the player development director, his job has been about teaching players that no longer can they think they will be successful showing up on Friday night, hitting the switch and play three in three nights and then Sunday shutting it off doesnt work.

Its what you do on non-game days, he went on. The AHL schedule is much like junior or college hockey, where teams have long breaks between games.

Thats the risk for a young player, living on his own for the first time, Johnson said. You cant just coast on your skills you need to be making yourself into a better athlete, into a better player.

That means eating right. Hitting the gym. Not spending hours playing video games and eating junk food.

Its a hard lesson, but thats how it is now, with so much money on the line.

(They need to) start to realize that it has to be all encompassing, to understand how to make gains, he said. Just about every player on a professional team, after all, was for much of their hockey life the best player on the team.

The first step is learning a little humility. They think hey Ill be in the American League and Ill score 30 and then Ill be in the NHL. Instead theyve scored twice and its February and theyre thinking hey whats wrong?'

All of a sudden youre the fourth line left winger. Its almost re-learning the game of hockey, he said. The real ones seem to get it by Christmas.

Youd be amazed how many guys dont understand how to forecheck. Its the ones who really want to get there that make it.

One current young Canuck is a great example of such a player, Johnson pointed out: Brendan Gaunce.

The Canucks first rounder from 2012 had a reputation coming out of junior as a solid two-way forward, but even then there was work to do.

He was all in from the time we said go, Johnson said. From skating to working out to learning the game. His commitment to his skating program.

Now hes probably one of our best conditioned guys.

Its all about preparing players for the step up to the NHL, where the margins are even finer, the opportunities even rarer.

Johnson pointed to his own experience: he played parts of three seasons in the AHL, scoring at just under a point-per-game pace.

In the NHL, he had to accept his role would be about stopping the other teams best players.

The formula for me was the professionalism, the kind of teammate I tried to be, he said.

But that also doesnt mean he can just walk into the Comets room and announce that he knows how to get it done.

You immediately lose the player, he said. Youve got a find a different way to relate with them.

One of the things we did at our development camp is we had these guys come in Scott Walker, Sami Salo, Troy Stecher and talk about their path, and the adaptations they had to make.

Now that hes added the title of general manager, his hockey lifes certainly not going to get any simply. But he points to the team hell be working with, from head coach Trent Cull, hired in June, to holdover assistant coach Jason King and new hire Gary Agnew, to Pat Conacher, who was the Cometss GM from the teams first season in 2013. Conacher is remaining in the Comets front office.

Agnew, now Comets associate coach, coached the Syracuse Crunch in the past and as general manager and head coach of the London Knights, he was twice recognized as OHL coach of the year.

Does it change much, not really, the development side of it is very important, certainly not going to let up there, Johnson said of the dual role. Its a continuation of what Ive been doing before.

Ive got a great relationship with Pat, with logistics, how hes able to take care of stuff, the day to day sort of things, with an eye to the East Coast League, hes been big for us.

He called the search for the Comets coach, which landed them Cull, extensive.

As you can imagine, especially with where were at with prospects and building competition and if youre not comfortable with that there, youre in trouble.

It took us aback about how good he was, he added.

In the scouting department, Brett Henning has been promoted to director of pro scouting. Hed been working as a pro scout for the Canucks for the last seven seasons. Joining Henning on the staff are David Volek and Brian Chapman, who both were amateur scouts for the team.

Theres also been a big shakeup in the Canucks amateur scouting ranks, which was expected. Lucien DeBlois, Ken Cook and Mike Addessa have parted ways with the club, the Canucks said in a statement. Additionally, Harold Snepsts, a fan favourite in his playing days, has retired.

Snepsts was an amateur scout for the Canucks for 12 years. He also played for the team for 12 years and was added to the Ring of Honour in March 2011. After retiring as a player, he coached in the IHL for Peoria and San Diego and in the WHL for Portland. He also spent time as an assistant coach with the St. Louis Blues in the early 1990s.

Joining the amateur scouting team are Todd Harvey, Paul Gallagher, Doug Gasper and Vincent Montalbano.

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Ryan Johnson adds a new Comets title as Canucks shuffle roles ... - The Province

Psoriasis treatment in skin of color – ModernMedicine

Posted on July 29, 2017 by Danzig

Dr. AlexisWhen it comes to treating psoriasis in non-white patients, there is a paucity of data on differences in epidemiology, clinical presentation and approaches to treatment.

Although psoriasis appears to have a lower prevalence in non-white racial ethnic groups, including African Americans, it is by no means an uncommon or rare disease, says Andrew Alexis, M.D., chair of the department of dermatology and director of the Skin of Color Center at Mount Sinai St. Lukes and Mount Sinai West in New York City. He spoke on psoriasis at the Skin of Color Seminar Series (SOCSS) in New York City in May.

In fact, a recent study found a 1.9% prevalence rate of psoriasis in African Americans.

This is much more common than previously reported, Dr. Alexis tells Dermatology Times.

The clinical presentation of psoriasis in darker skinned individuals can vary, based primarily on the visual appearance. For example, because of the background melanin pigmentation, the erythema may look more violaceous, hyperpigmented or dark brown or gray, Dr. Alexis says. Therefore, one has to train the eye to detect psoriasis-related erythema in darker skin types.

Diagnostic pearls

Clues of psoriasis include the quality of the scale, the anatomic distribution and associated features.

There are scenarios, though, where a biopsy is needed to confirm the diagnosis of psoriasis.

I find this is more frequent in darker skin types, Dr. Alexis says.

For instance, patients with skin type VI may present with violaceous, gray, or hyperchromic scaly plaques without appreciable erythema.

In these patients, it may be difficult to distinguish the psoriasis from lichen planus, cutaneous T-cell lymphoma or sarcoidosis in some cases, Dr. Alexis says.

Therapeutic insights

For treatment, a few studies have looked at potential racial ethnic differences in safety and efficacy.

Once such study1 found comparable safety measures and efficacy outcome measures for the injectable TNF antagonist, etanercept (Enbrel, Amgen) Dr. Alexis says.

However, in the above study from the Journal of Drugs in Dermatology in 2011, racial/ethnic differences in quality-of-life impact were observed. As measured by the Dermatology Quality of Life Index (DLQI), baseline quality of life was actually worse in African American and Hispanic/Latino patients compared to Caucasians, Dr. Alexis says.

More recently, Dr. Alexis was co-author of a poster at this years SOCSS that evaluated the safety and efficacy of the recently approved biologic agent brodalumab (Siliq, Valeant), for which there was no significant racial or ethnic differences in safety or efficacy.2

Studies like this are important to understand whether there are any potential differences in safety and efficacy, particularly with biologics that are so specific in their target, Dr. Alexis says. Fortunately, we have not seen any significant differences with the studies that have been conducted thus far.

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Psoriasis treatment in skin of color - ModernMedicine

Kerry hotel wins world travel award – Irish Times

Posted on July 29, 2017 by Danzig

Sheen Falls, Kerry: one of the countrys most prestigious hotels

Sheen Falls Lodge has been named the number three Top Resort Hotel in UK & Ireland by Travel + Leisure readers in its 2017 Worlds Best Awards. The Kerry five-stars reputation for quality and outstanding customer service has helped put it on the map, establishing itself as one of the countrys most prestigious hotels. See travelandleisure.com for a full list of this years winners.

Anchors away Belfasts Titanic Quarter celebrates the reopening of the HMS Caroline this month, one of the worlds most historically significant warships. The state-of-the-art floating first World War museum is the only survivor of the Battle of Jutland considered the greatest maritime battle ever fought. Now, its been beautifully restored and welcomes visitors to experience the ship through special effects and hands-on interactive exhibits. For more see discovernorthernireland.com/belfast.

Sardinian spa Sardinias first medical spa opens this October with a focus on tailor-made programmes for guests. Choose from an anti-ageing, Thalasso detox, stay healthy or weight-loss experience for four or seven days in the Unesco world heritage site of Acquaforte. The hotel prides itself on its sublime Mediterranean fare, much of which is sourced from their on-site farm and gardens. For those looking for a wellness holiday this autumn, this is one to watch. Stay for four days with meals and treatments from 2,835, see fortevillageresort.com.

Festival spectaculars Wexford: The Enniscorthy Rockin Food Fest takes place July 31st to August 3rd combining The Vinegar Hill Battle Re-enactment, Enniscorthy Rock n Roll Town and Enniscorthy Foods Festival together into one larger than life weekend; enniscorthytourism.com

Cork: On Saturday, July 29th and Sunday 30th, #CorkLovesMusic offers an earful at the Mallow Arts Festival. Cork hip-hop legend Stevie G, The Quiet Club and folktronica outfit The Electronic Folk take over the town for a weekend of entertainment; corklovesmusic.

Roscommon: For a hands-on experience, this weekend check out Boyles Arts Fest. Therell be arts and crafts workshops for grown-ups and kids, music, drama and the rest; boylearts.com.

Get Appy Trepic: This is the first visually orientated personalised travel app, allowing users to curate and create their ideal trip and unique travel experiences. Available on the app store; trepic.co.

Rock the dock

The Marker Hotel in Dublins Grand Canal Dock is highlighting all things active this summer, with a new offering of Dockland activities. Begin with a yoga class each morning from 8am on the rooftop before refuelling with a healthy breakfast (the Paleo Amazeballs really are amazing). Explore the area on wheels with their bike and picnic package or avail of their personal run concierge service to take you on a 5km running route along the beach. If youre staying until Thursday, try the local hotspot tour with two of the Marker team, or choose from a range of walking tours the Culture Trail, Activity Trail or Food and Drink Trail and make sure to get the best out of your time there. Stay from 249, see themarkerhoteldublin.com.

Vienna: Explore the art and architecture of Vienna on a guided tour with the Institute of Culture in October, three nights, flights, hotel, transfers and tours from 699pps, instituteofculturetravel.ie, (01) 8887840.

Greenway getaway: Discover the new Greenway in Co Waterford on a two-day break to the Cliff House Hotel. Bikes, picnic and dinner one evening is from 585 for two, cliffhousehotel.ie, (024) 87800.

Cruise from Cobh: Set sail in September 2018 for 15 days and enjoy two for price of one fares from Cobh to the Mediterranean and back, 2,619, book by July 31st, 2017 Shandontravel.ie, (021)4277094.

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Kerry hotel wins world travel award - Irish Times

Climate concerns fuel more travel to fragile corners of the world – Post-Bulletin

Posted on July 29, 2017 by Danzig

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka Amid piles of dried chiles, straw baskets and ripe papaya, Jeevanti Chatuvina's wares represented by her sister modeling a gold-studded red sari, dramatic eyeliner and a perfectly coiffed chignon glamorized the weekly market found on the edge of a lagoon lush with mature mangroves about an hour's drive north of Colombo in Sri Lanka.

Her bridal beauty business, like the others at the pop-up, represents the economic link between protecting the mangroves as nurseries of the island's fish stocks, tsunami buffers and CO2 sinks and sustaining communities dependent on them.

"We can't do mangrove conservation without the people," said Anuradha "Anu" Wickramasinghe, co-founder of Sudeesa, a Sri Lanka nonprofit advocating for small-scale fishing and farming operations. It was his idea to provide business training and $100 micro-loans to some of the poorest women in coastal fishing communities in exchange for their protection of the vital ecosystem, applying a social fix to an environmental problem caused by logging, mass prawn farming and, in the northern areas, civil war. "They get training from us and seed money from Seacology."

This spring, I joined Seacology, the California-based environmental nonprofit, on one of its tours that showcase its projects. Mangrove restoration in Sri Lanka is its largest ever, with the organization donating $5 million over five years to protect more than 21,000 acres of coastal mangroves by bringing the micro-loan program to 15,000 rural women. Meeting the program's budding entrepreneurs and exploring solutions to environmental challenges with field experts were the highlights of an itinerary also filled with more tourist-friendly activities, like a walking tour of Colombo, visits to Hindu and Buddhist temples, and meals both traditional and trendy.

'Greater sense of urgency'

From the broken Paris climate pact to the collapsing ice shelf in Antarctica, climate issues have dominated recent headlines. Providing access to those front lines, the travel industry has mirrored eco-concerns with the growth of climate-focused trips.

Many of these trips are concentrated at the poles. In Greenland, for example, the number of tourists rose almost 24 percent in 2015. Last year, tourism grew by nearly 10 percent more than double the global average. American travelers represented one-third of the 34,539 travelers who visited Antarctica this past winter, according to the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators, by far the largest contingent (Chinese travelers come in second at 12 percent).

"The Arctic and the Antarctic are changing in dramatic ways, more so than anywhere on Earth," said Sven Lindblad, founder and CEO of Lindblad Expeditions, the pioneer of cruise travel to Antarctica and the Galapagos. "Clearly, there is a greater sense of urgency and interest on the part of travelers to see and understand these environments."

The travel industry contributes to carbon emissions, of course, but tour operators argue that exposure to threatened regions converts the curious to conservation. As oceanographer Jacques Cousteau once said, "People protect what they love."

"Our most significant contribution to the realm of sustainability is utilizing the experiences our travelers are having as 'Aha!' moments to come back and do more to protect the planet and our species,'" said Ted Martens, vice president of marketing and sustainability at Natural Habitat Adventures, a wildlife-focused tour company that offsets the carbon emissions of its operations by funding green technology projects.

Natural Habitat runs trips in partnership with the World Wildlife Fund that have generated $10 million since 2003 for WWF programs confronting deforestation in the Amazon and preserving orangutan habitats in Borneo, among others. Natural Habitat's six-day trips to see polar bears in Canada cost $6,195 (all rates are per person).

With World Wildlife Fund-Canada, Adventure Canada is offering an "Arctic Safari" from July 30 to Aug. 10 that explores Greenland's communities and ice fjords, from $5,995.

Some operators encourage citizen scientists to help researchers with their work. The nonprofit EarthWatch Institute runs "Climate Change at the Arctic's Edge" trips, in which travelers take water and tree core samples to measure the health of animals and plants (from $2,014 for seven days). EarthWatch Institute also offers teen-only departures.

Over the next two summers, Poseidon Expeditions will run trips to the North Pole featuring a citizen science program to collect data on sea ice thickness and melting (from $6,960 for 10 days). Data from the operator's first citizen science launch, in 2015, is already being used by the Arctic Research Consortium of the United States' Sea Ice Prediction Network.

Lindblad is celebrating its 50th anniversary in the Galapagos this summer with cruises aboard the 96-passenger National Geographic Endeavor II (10 days from $6,960) and the new National Geographic Global Explorers Program. The latter's educational activities include collecting plankton, recording wildlife sightings and earning an inflatable Zodiac boat "driver's license."

During the 2017/2018 Antarctic travel season, Abercrombie & Kent's Classic Antarctica departure Jan. 6 is devoted to "Understanding Climate Change" and features noted Antarctic researcher Dr. James McClintock (from $13,495 for 12 days).

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Climate concerns fuel more travel to fragile corners of the world - Post-Bulletin

Jamaica hosts sustainable tourism conference – Washington Times

Posted on July 29, 2017 by Danzig

Travel and tourisms economic impact around the world is, in a word, huge and its growing.

In November, the UNWTO (United National World Travel Organization), the Government of Jamaica and World Bank Group Conference on Jobs & Inclusive Growth: Partnership for Sustainable Tourism conference will be held at the Montego Bay Convention Centre in Jamaica.

The meeting is the result of the collaboration between 800 tourism decision makers from 157 countries, including the Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association, Chemonics, George Washington University and the U.N. General Assembly.

The focus of the meeting is to bring awareness that tourism, done the right way, has a tremendous capacity to create good jobs; provide opportunities for inclusion and education of minorities and young people; and contribute to preserving cultural heritage and the environment.

Done the wrong way, it can do harm.

In 2016, the UNWTO declared 2017 the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development. The group created Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that state that sustainable tourism must promote:

Inclusive and sustainable economic growth. Social inclusiveness, employment and poverty reduction. Resource efficiency, environmental protection, and climate change. Cultural values, diversity, and heritage.Mutual understanding, peace and security.

It is the economic and environmental sustainability of travel that makes the difference to the places people go. For those destinations, travel as an economic driver can only be considered truly sustainable if it generates good jobs and raises standards of living.

Sustainable travel must stimulate trade and linkages between the destination and the travel providers, respecting and protecting the natural and cultural environments that draw all those tourists in the first place.

As travelers need to be aware of their impact on destinations, tourism stakeholders, hotels, local governments, entertainment, and food and beverage providers must embrace more ecologically, socially and economically sound forms of tourism opportunties.

Jamaican Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett visited Washington, D.C., at the end of June to speak with representatives from both the government and private sectors. During his visit, he discussed the impact of tourism as an economic driver of global economies as well as a tool to reduce poverty.

Mr. Bartlett says the answer to poverty in his and other vacation destinations is to tap into those tourism dollars by providing vacationers with a more authentic experience than the box resort.

The corporate resorts are important to our tourism economy, he says. However, as a destination, we can encourage visitors to leave the resort to visit and give patronage, to the towns of Jamaica to take advantage of the many outdoor activities we offer, to learn about our agro-tourism, eco-tourism, and natural environment.

An example of tourism as an economic driver can be found at Bluefields Bay Villas, Jamaica, where visits to the schools, homes, farms and womens co-ops create a vacation experience far beyond the islands beaches and blue waters.

Located in Jamaicas Westmoreland Parish, Bluefields Bay Villas has made significant efforts to bring awareness of the community, and all it has to offer, to vacationers drawn by the resorts six, private, luxury bay-front villas.

Divided among the villas are 23 bedrooms, which translate into more than 5,000 guest nights annually with a 60 percent occupancy rate. The result is that the Jamaican-American company is able to annually invest $2 million into the Westmoreland economy.

As a Jamaican-American company, we have always been aware of our responsibility to the community of Bluefields Bay and Jamaica as a whole, said Houston Moncure, managing director of Bluefields Bay Villas.

Our entire staff of 80 persons is Jamaican, including the higher-paid management positions. We use local food to make gourmet meals, and products whenever possible that come from the community. We work with the schools to increase educational resources and infrastructure.

We are proactive about not only giving back to the community but also making sure that we help provide a framework for long-term educational and economic improvement to this gorgeous area of Jamaica.

Bluefields Bay Villas demonstrates how the public sector and private enterprise can work together to bring tourism dollars to the people and spur local development.

Another example is Adventure Canada, an expedition cruise-ship operator that collects $250 (U.S.), the Discovery Fund Fee, from passengers. Those dollars directly assist local and national organizations in social and economic community development in addition to environmental and wildlife preservation.

The support goes to nonprofit groups and grassroots initiatives.

Students on Ice is one group we are particularly proud to support, says Cedar Swan, CEO of Adventure Canada. We sponsor students, particularly the Inuit students who live in the small communities we visit, to travel outside their community, act as ambassadors to bring awareness to their home while also learning about a greater world, expanding their horizons.

For the students, it opens up what could otherwise be a very sheltered life experience and, according to Swan, lifts their spirits as it opens their horizons.

A more direct way that Adventure Canada has supported its travel routes is when, after a storm destroyed a family home in Francois, Canada, a small town accessible only by water or air, Adventure Canada donated to help the family rebuild.

Adventure Canada also creates personal experience between the towns it visits and the travelers it ferries. As the ship travels Canadian waterways, daily onboard briefs introduce travelers to the town, national park or ecologically interesting area they are visiting. The company exposes their passengers to authentic and distinct products and services, from regional food demonstrations to heritage parks and learning environments.

These efforts not only help to alleviate poverty in the places the ship visits, but also produce an authentic experience for travelers which is what travel should be about.

Jacquie Kubin is an award-winning travel and food writer and travel editor at Communities Digital News.

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Jamaica hosts sustainable tourism conference - Washington Times

Liam Payne Joins Ranks of Trans-Supportive Celebrities – PopCrush

Posted on July 29, 2017 by Danzig

Theo Wargo, Getty Images

Liam Paynehasofficially added his name to the list of celebrities who are openly and explicitly in support of trans human rights. With anInstagram post earlier today, Payne quoted Thomas Jefferson and hashtagged the image lgbtqrights.

Paynes support comes as part of the recent flood of support for trans people following President Donald Trumps declaration via Twitter, and apparently without taking the extra old-fashioned step of consulting his staff first that transgender citizens will no longer be allowed to enlist in the military. Though the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff insist that there will be no change in the militarys enlistment tactics until an official piece of legislation is passed, Trumps tweets are nonetheless a codification of hate towards trans people. It sets a dangerous precedent for whimsical lawmaking from ones own phone.

That, of course, provides ample opportunity for everyone with a platform to make sure everyone else knows that theyre a great ally. So great that they wave rainbow flags during Pride Month and are very, very against this nonsensical announcement. Even Senator John McCain can try to win some brownie points. Not as many as Payne, and certainly not as many as James Cordens musical routine, but some.

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Liam Payne Joins Ranks of Trans-Supportive Celebrities - PopCrush

UT-Austin Launches Stampede2 Most Powerful Supercomputer At Any US University (Video) – Patch.com

Posted on July 29, 2017 by Danzig

Patch.com

UT-Austin Launches Stampede2 Most Powerful Supercomputer At Any US University (Video)
Patch.com
AUSTIN, TX Stampede2 is the most powerful supercomputer at any U.S. university, one of the most powerful in the world, and is based at the University of Texas at Austin. School officials on Friday said the Texas Advanced Computer Center's launch of ...
UT launches one of the most powerful supercomputers in the worldKXAN.com

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The Big Deal About Stem Cell Therapies and Regenerative Medicine – PR Newswire (press release)

Posted on July 29, 2017 by Danzig

However, when looking at this great promise in terms of return on investment, let us be completely honest, most early stage stem cell investors have lost their shirts. We are now more than twenty years removed from the earliest commercial stem cell companies that were founded in the late 1980's, went public in the late 1990's and who were once seen as an exciting investment opportunity, but ended up being a huge disappointment.

So, should investors still be interested in regenerative medicine? After all, stem cells have largely produced failures and unregulated stem cell clinics marketing unproven therapies are taking over. The answer is a resounding yes, but the dot-com like era of regenerative medicine, which led investors to pour money into anything and anyone marketing a cell therapy is over. Investors will need to look at companies solving issues with stem cells or those taking a completely new approach.

One company that is looking to address many of the issues with stem cell therapies, as well as developing another approach to regenerative medicine is Endonovo Therapeutics, Inc. (OTCQB: ENDV). On the stem cell front, ENDV is using its Time Varying Electromagnetic Fields (TVEMF) technology, originally developed at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to expand and activate stem cells to produce more biologically potent cell therapies. However, more importantly, ENDV is developing a non-invasive medical device that would render many of the cell therapies currently under development obsolete. These devices, called Electroceuticals, harness the electrical signals that our cells and nerves use to control the immune and regenerative response to treat inflammatory and degenerative diseases. ENDV is developing this exciting technology for treating and preventing heart failure following a heart attack, to treat chronic kidney disease, peripheral artery disease and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH).

Another small biotech company like ENDV working on electric treatments for diseases is Pulse Biosciences (NASDAQ: PLSE), whose Nano-Pulse Stimulation (NPS) technology uses nano second electric pulses to illicit an immune response for the treatment of cancer. PLSE recently announced the treatment of its first patient in a study to evaluate the safety and efficacy of its novel NPS technology for seborrheic keratosis (SK) lesions. SK is one of the most common types of skin lesions, affecting more than 80 million patients in the United States. Additionally, PLSE announced that it will host its quarterly investor conference call on July 27, 2017, at 1:30 p.m. PDT / 4:30 p.m. EDT. The company will provide an update on the clinical advancement of the PulseTx[TM] System, including progress of the clinical study evaluating NPS for the treatment of seborrheic keratosis (SK), as well as the status of the 510(k) submission from earlier this year.

Another company seeking to address past pitfalls of stem cell therapies is Pluristem Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: PSTI) is a developer of placenta-based cell therapy product candidates for the treatment of multiple ischemic, inflammatory and hematologic conditions. Pluristem's products include PLX-PAD and PLX R18. The Company's PLX cells are adherent stromal cells (ASCs) that are expanded using a three dimensional (3D) process. The system utilizes a synthetic scaffold to create an artificial 3D environment where placental-derived stromal cells can grow. This process allows the cells to be expanded rapidly while remaining healthy and potent cells that can secrete therapeutic biomolecules. The Company's PLX products are administered using a standard needle and syringe. PSTI recently announced that Austria's regulatory health agency, the Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES), had cleared Pluristem to begin enrollment in Austria for its pivotal Phase III trial of PLX-PAD cells to treat critical limb ischemia.

In other stem cell news:

Cytori Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: CYTX) recently announced that its STAR study assessing its Habeo Cell Therapy for the treatment of Scleroderma had failed to meet its primary endpoint at week 24 nor any of its secondary endpoints at week 24 or week 48. On the other hand, CYTX stated that there were 'clinically meaningful' improvements in both the primary and secondary endpoints of both hand function and scleroderma-associated functional disability compared to placebo in a subgroup of patients with diffuse cutaneous scleroderma, a more severe form of the disease. The company has stated that it will continue it analysis of the data before determining its next steps.

Capricor Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: CAPR) a biotechnology company developing biological therapies for Duchenne muscular dystrophy and other rare diseases, following news that Janssen Biotech, Inc. had decided not to exercise its option to exclusively license Capricor's lead candidate CAP-1002 for the development and commercialization in the field of cardiology, announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Rare Pediatric Disease Designation to CAP-1002, Capricor's development candidate for the treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a debilitating genetic disorder characterized by progressive weakness and chronic inflammation of skeletal, heart, and respiratory muscles. The Rare Pediatric Disease Designation, as well as the Orphan Drug Designation previously granted to CAP-1002 by the FDA, covers the broad treatment of DMD. Upon receiving market approval for CAP-1002 by the FDA, Capricor would be eligible to receive a Priority Review Voucher.

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The Big Deal About Stem Cell Therapies and Regenerative Medicine - PR Newswire (press release)

Stem Cell Therapy Attacks Cancer by Targeting Unique Tissue … – R & D Magazine

Posted on July 29, 2017 by Danzig

A stem cell-based method created by University of California, Irvine scientists can selectively target and kill cancerous tissue while preventing some of the toxic side effects of chemotherapy by treating the disease in a more localized way.

Weian Zhao, associate professor of pharmaceutical sciences, and colleagues have programmed human bone marrow stem cells to identify the unique physical properties of cancerous tissue. They added a piece of code to their engineered cells so that they can detect distinctively stiff cancerous tissue, lock into it and activate therapeutics.

In a study appearing inScience Translational Medicine, the researchers report they have effectively and safely employed this stem cell-targeting system in mice to treat metastatic breast cancer that had spread to the lung. They first transplanted the engineered stem cells to let them find and settle into the tumor site where they secreted enzymes called cytosine deaminase. The mice were then administered an inactive chemotherapy called prodrug 5-flurocytosine, which was triggered into action by the tumor site enzymes.

Zhao said his team specifically focused on metastatic cancer, which comes when the disease spreads to other parts of the body. Metastatic tumors are particularly deadly and the cause of 90 percent of cancer deaths.

This is a new paradigm for cancer therapy, Zhao said. We are going in a direction that few have explored before, and we hope to offer an alternative and potentially more effective cancer treatment.

Zhao added that this stem cell-targeting approach can provide an alternative to many forms of chemotherapy, which has a number of bad side effects. While this widely used method is powerful enough to kill rapidly growing cancer cells, it also can harm healthy ones.

Our new type of treatment only targets metastatic tissue, which enables us to avoid some of conventional chemotherapys unwanted side effects, said Zhao, who is a member of the Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Sue & Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center at UCI.

This published work is focused on breast cancer metastases in the lungs, he added. However, the technology will be applicable to other metastases as well, because many solid tumors have the hallmark of being stiffer than normal tissue. This is why our system is innovative and powerful, as we dont have to spend the time to identify and develop a new genetic or protein marker for every kind of cancer.

So far, the Zhao team has done preclinical animal studies to demonstrate that the treatment works and is safe, and they hope to transition to human studies in the near future. They are currently expanding to include other type of cells, including cancer tissue-sensing, engineered immune-system T cells (called CAR-T) to treat metastasizing breast and colon cancers. They also plan to transform the technology for other diseases such as fibrosis and diabetes, which result in stiffening of otherwise healthy tissue.

Along with Zhao, UCI doctoral students Linan Liu and Shirley Zhang, are co-leading authors of the study. The National Institutes of Health, the Department of Defense, the American Cancer Society and the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine provided support.

Wine and the divine: Local Pub Theology chapter brings spirituality to the bar – Frederick News Post (subscription)

Posted on July 29, 2017 by Danzig

A pastor, a plastic surgeon and a recovering alcoholic walk into a bar.

Then they sit down, order drinks and spend the next two hours discussing and debating what it means for humans to be made in the likeness of God.

The opening line might sound like a joke, but this story doesnt end with a punch line.

This is Pub Theology, a growing movement to use bars as a safe place to spark discussion of spirituality and philosophy, according to http://www.pub theology.com. Chapters have popped up across the U.S. and Canada.

Frederick in January joined the growing number of Pub Theology meetups with a group hosted by Unity in Frederick that gathers twice a month. The Rev. Toni Fish, Unitys pastor, framed the group as an extension of Unitys belief in a church without walls, meaning that spirituality is not confined to Sunday morning services.

On a recent Tuesday, seven people sat at a long table at Vini Culture Wine Bar & Cafe in downtown Frederick, amid the sounds of other patrons chatter and laughter mixed with music played over a speaker system. Glasses of beer and wine and dishes of food adorned the table, as well as leaflets with the suggested questions for the meetings topic, available to all official Pub Theology chapters.

On that day, the topic was art what it means for humans to be created in the divine image, and what it means to be a conscious being, according to the handout. The group started with an ice-breaker question, meant to help participants get to know one another and prepare them for the more serious, thought-provoking questions that follow, according to Sarah Phillips, who co-hosts the group with Fish.

Phillips posed the first question of the day: What is your favorite way to create art? One by one, in no apparent order, the participants responded.

Pauses punctuated the first round of answers. But as the group moved into the subsequent question about the theological, social and moral implications of believing people are made in the image of God, discussion picked up.

Conversation incorporated a host of perspectives; references to Facebook memes and TED Talks juxtaposed with quotes from religious texts and academic perspectives. Was Adolf Hitler made in the image of God? How does this relate to the psychological theory of spiral dynamics? Is it hypocritical to believe that humans reflect Gods goodness and also support a criminal justice system that punishes lawbreakers?

In answering the last question, one participant, Heather Parsons, offered an explanation that seemed to strike a chord with the group. Just because youre an image of God doesnt mean youre walking in it, she said. Theres that potential in all of us. But what we do with it ...

Heather, a Clarksburg resident who came with her husband, Zak Parsons, was quiet for most of the discussion up until that point. It was only her second time attending.

Both Heather and Zak were drawn to the group for what they described as reevaluation and discovering of their faith.

Participants brought with them an array of perspectives.

Anita Goff has attended services at Unity for four years. Goff, a Frederick resident, has explored a range of religious beliefs, including Buddhism. She came to Pub Theology to better understand and more clearly define her own beliefs. Like Heather, it was her second time attending. She also stayed quiet at first, although her participation grew as the discussion progressed.

I was afraid at first, she admitted. I looked at those questions and was like, What does that mean? I dont know if Im smart enough. ... Ill let other people talk.

Though her discomfort persisted to a degree, she was resolved to continue participating. It was one of her personal goals for the year, she said.

Comfort was not a problem for Kyle Huth, a recovering alcoholic and regular attendee since the Frederick Pub Theology group started. He said the bar setting poses no threat but rather empowers him, allowing him to prove to himself that his now six-plus years of sobriety could not be broken by simply being in a bar. In fact, he calls the Pub Theology meetings his safest two hours of the week, he said, and the spiritual discussions therein similar to aspects of a 12-step program he follows are an essential part of his recovery.

Huth also attends Unity in Frederick, and Phillips is his life coach.

Phillips drew Tracey Culbertson to the group as well. Culbertson, a Frederick resident and plastic surgeon, is friends with Phillips, but has no connection to Unity. Culbertson, who described herself as a God-fearing heathen, has in the past found churches and other traditional places of worship uncomfortable, she said. The neutral setting of a wine bar appealed to her for that reason.

This is exactly what Fish hoped to accomplish when she started the local chapter. We wanted to reach out to folks who are not enthusiastic about coming to churches, to get different perspectives.

Attracting a diverse range of participants whose political and social views differ from the current bent of the group remains a continued focus, Fish added.

Everyone has unique ideas, but we get a lot of folks with the same mindset about general issues, she said. Id love to see folks who dont necessarily agree with that viewpoint ... to be part of an honest dialogue.

Follow Nancy Lavin on Twitter: @NancyKLavin.

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Wine and the divine: Local Pub Theology chapter brings spirituality to the bar - Frederick News Post (subscription)

Spiritual icons create sacred spaces in home decor – Atlanta Journal Constitution

Posted on July 29, 2017 by Danzig

Inspirational and religious imagery comes in all forms, from Hindu statues tucked into bookshelves to antique crosses displayed beside beds. These objects mean different things, depending on the individual, and when homeowners and designers use spiritual items in home decor, it makes the interiors more personal.

I enjoy the journey to find personal antiquities that I think a particular client would enjoy at times this leads to the selection of a religious symbol. It is an honor to visually tell the story of our clients lives through our aesthetics, said designer Teri Duffy of T. Duffy & Associates in Atlanta.

If youre thinking about adding a spiritual element to your home, here are three ways to do so with style.

Its important that the religious imagery in your space has a connection to your faith or inspires you in some way, designers say.

We went to Bali for a family vacation, and our whole family was very inspired by the spirituality of the Hindu religion, and the peacefulness, and we wanted to bring back a couple of pieces to reflect that, said designer Karen Shapiro of the Atlanta-based KRS Designs, who has a white limestone statue from the trip in her bathroom.

For Druid Hills homeowner Emily Cook, a collection of crosses that she and her son have bought on trips together has become an essential part of her decor. Her son, now 11, picked out the first on a trip to Mexico about four years ago, and whenever they travel, they buy another one to add to the display on a wall by their kitchen.

Theres so many stories to be told based on that wall, said Cook. So not only does it symbolize our spirituality, but it symbolizes a lot of memories.

Shapiro prefers to use antiques, like the wooden Italian cross she recently installed beside the bed in a bedroom of an Atlanta home, that resonate with her clients.

Icons and imagery can serve as messages for homeowners and guests in their daily lives. Incorporating these pieces into decor can clear mirrors of sticky notes with Scriptures and meditative phrases, leading to a less-cluttered style.

Allie Ott, who has a hand lettering and calligraphy business, said having Scripture on her walls helps keep her faith and important memories at the forefront of her thoughts. Ott paints Scriptures and religious phrases on wooden signs, something she started doing after seeing similar pieces on social media.

Sometimes the Scripture I use to create a piece marks a monumental moment in someones life or a verse they choose to symbolize something important to them, said Ott, who sells her art on Hudrydesigns.com. A lot of people will put it in a place that they can see as they walk through the door. They might hang it over their mantel as a centerpiece.

Duffy recently installed several religious pieces in Atlanta homes, including a piece of an antique altarpiece centered over a bed and a small antique Buddha statue, which she styled on a side table with coffee table books.

It just brings around a really good feeling if you believe, she said.

After finding a silver statue of a Buddha at Garden Ridge (now At Home) for $39.99, Michelle Jackson decided that Buddhas have a calming effect in her Atlanta home. She displayed four, including a ceramic buddha that sits in a zen-themed outdoor space.

Every time I look at one it just brings peace over me, said Jackson.

The statue in Shapiros bathroom reminds her of her familys trip to Bali, which she said was restorative and spiritual.

I was inspired. Hinduism is a very spiritual religion and its very calming, she said.

Shapiro suggests homeowners who want to create calming spaces use a combination of spiritual elements, textures and colors.

Every home should have a space where you can feel calm and tranquil and kind of get away from it all, she said. Dont overload the room with visual distraction.

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Spiritual icons create sacred spaces in home decor - Atlanta Journal Constitution

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