Psoriasis causes and known triggers | National Psoriasis …

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Scientists believe that at least 10 percent of people inherit one or more of the genes that could eventually lead to psoriasis. However, only 2 percent to 3 percent of the population develops the disease. Researchers believe that for a person to develop psoriasis, that person must have a combination of the genes that cause psoriasis and be exposed to specific external factors known as triggers.

Genes control everything about a person, from height to eye color. When genes are working normally, the body and its cells function normally. When a misstep occurs in the way a gene works, a genetic disease such as psoriasis may result.

Research into the genetics of psoriasis didnt begin until the early 1970s. Recently, it has exploded in scope, thanks to improvements in medical and genetic technology, and increased funding.

In 2006, the Foundation began collecting DNA samples for the National Psoriasis Victor Henschel BioBank. The BioBank is slated to be the worlds largest collection of psoriasis-related DNA in the world available to qualified researchers. The first BioBank DNA samples were released to researchers in 2010.

Scientists have now identified about 25 genetic variants that make a person more likely to develop psoriatic disease. At the University of Michigan, Dr. J.T. Elder and his team of researchers have identified several areas on the human genome where more than one gene may be involved in psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis.

At the University of California-San Francisco, Dr. Wilson Liao is using new genetic sequencing technology to find rare "trigger genes" that may be the leading causes of psoriasis in certain individuals.

Working with DNA samples from a large family that includes many people with psoriasis, Anne Bowcock, Ph.D., a professor of genetics at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, has identified a gene mutation known as CARD14 that when triggered leads to plaque psoriasis.

At the University of Utah, Drs. Gerald Krueger and Kristina Callis Duffin have carefully catalogued the psoriasis of more than 1,200 patients. By comparing the genes of each individual to the way psoriasis shows up on his or her body, the team hopes to understand which genes are involved in specific types of disease.

Using a NPF Discovery grant, British researcher Francesca Capon found that a mutation to the gene called IL36RN might be involved in the three forms of pustular psoriasis.

Psoriasis triggers are not universal. What may cause one person's psoriasis to become active, may not affect another. Established psoriasis triggers include:

Stress can cause psoriasis to flare for the first time or aggravate existing psoriasis. Relaxation and stress reduction may help prevent stress from impacting psoriasis.

Psoriasis can appear in areas of the skin that have been injured or traumatized. This is called the Koebner [KEB-ner] phenomenon. Vaccinations, sunburns and scratches can all trigger a Koebner response. The Koebner phenomenon can be treated if it is caught early enough.

Certain medications are associated with triggering psoriasis, including:

Anything that can affect the immune system can affect psoriasis. In particular, streptococcus infection (strep throat) is associated with guttate psoriasis. Strep throat often is triggers the first onset of guttate psoriasis in children. You may experience a flare-up following an earache, bronchitis, tonsillitis or a respiratory infection, too.

It's not unusual for someone to have an active psoriasis flare with no strep throat symptoms. Talk with your doctor about getting a strep throat test if your psoriasis flares.

Although scientifically unproven, some people with psoriasis suspect that allergies, diet and weather trigger their psoriasis.

NPF's Patient Navigation Center is the world's first, personalized support center for psoriatic disease. Our Patient Navigatorscan answer your questions about flare-ups,help you better manage your symptoms and support your journey to a healthy life with psoriasis.

For free and confidential assistance, contact our Patient Navigators

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Psoriasis causes and known triggers | National Psoriasis ...

10 Ways to Treat Psoriasis at Home – Healthline

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Treating psoriasis

Psoriasis is a recurring autoimmune disorder characterized by red, flaky patches on the skin. Even though it affects your skin, psoriasis actually begins deep inside, in your immune system. It comes from your T cells, a type of white blood cell. T cells are designed to protect the body from infection and disease. When these cells mistakenly become active and set off other immune responses, it can lead to psoriasis symptoms.

Even though there is no cure, many treatments exist to ease the symptoms of psoriasis. Here are 10 ways to manage mild symptoms from the comfort of your home.

Dietary supplements may help ease psoriasis symptoms from the inside. Fish oil, vitamin D, milk thistle, aloe vera, Oregon grape, and evening primrose oil have been reported to help ease mild symptoms of psoriasis, according to the National Psoriasis Foundation. It's important to only take supplements that dont interfere with other pre-existing conditions you may have.

Use a humidifier to keep the air in your home or office moist. It can prevent dry skin before it starts. Sensitive skin moisturizers are also great at keeping your skin supple and from forming plaques.

Most soaps and perfumes have dyes and other chemicals in them that may irritate your skin. Sure, they can make you smell great but they also can inflame psoriasis. Avoid such products when you can, or choose those with sensitive skin labels.

Diet may play a role in managing psoriasis. Eliminating red meat and fatty snacks may help reduce flare-ups that can be triggered by such foods. Cold water fish, seeds, nuts, and omega-3 fatty acids are known for their ability to reduce inflammation. This can be helpful for managing psoriasis symptoms. Olive oil may also have soothing benefits when applied topically to the skin. Try massaging a few tablespoons on your scalp to help loosen troublesome plaques during your next shower.

Hot water may be an irritant for your skin. However, a lukewarm bath with Epsom salt, mineral oil, milk, or olive oil can soothe the itching and infiltrate scales and plaques. Moisturize immediately after your bath for double benefits.

During light therapy, a doctor will shine ultraviolet light on the skin. This type of therapy often requires consistent and frequent sessions. It should be noted that tanning beds are not a means of achieving light therapy. Too much sunlight can actually worsen psoriasis. This procedure should always be done under the supervision of your doctor.

Any chronic condition like psoriasis can be a source of stress. This can often turn into a vicious cycle when stress itself can worsen psoriasis symptoms. In addition to reducing stress whenever possible, consider incorporating stress-reducing practices such as yoga and meditation.

Alcohol is a trigger for many people who have psoriasis. A study from Brigham and Womens Hospital and Harvard Medical School found an increased risk of psoriasis among women who drank nonlight beer. Those who drank at least five nonlight beers per week were nearly twice as likely to develop psoriasis, when compared to women who didnt drink.

Herbs are commonly used to treat many conditions. Turmeric has been found to help minimize psoriasis flare-ups. It can be taken in pill or supplement form or sprinkled on your food. Talk to your doctor about the potential benefits for you. The FDA-approved dosage of turmeric is 1.5 to 3.0 grams per day.

Avoid tobacco. Smoking may increase your risk of psoriasis. If you already have psoriasis, it can also make your symptoms more severe.

There isnt a single answer for keeping the symptoms of psoriasis at bay. What works for one person may not work for another. Some treatment options may have negative side effects for pre-existing conditions other than psoriasis. It is important to remember that while these home remedies for psoriasis my help with mild cases, prescription therapy is required for refractory or more severe cases. Talk to your doctor before seeking treatment on your own.

Were unable to offer personal health advice, but weve partnered with trusted telehealth provider Amwell, who can connect you with a doctor. Try Amwell telehealth for $1 by using the code HEALTHLINE.

If you're facing a medical emergency, call your local emergency services immediately, or visit the nearest emergency room or urgent care center.

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CMO Samsung BioLogics Inks Deal to Manufacture Plaque Psoriasis Inhibitor – Pharmaceutical Processing

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Sun Pharma and Samsung BioLogics announce strategic manufacturing tie-up for tildrakizumab.

Sun Pharmaand Samsung BioLogics announced a strategic long-term manufacturing agreement for tildrakizumab. The agreement was entered into by Sun Pharma's wholly owned subsidiary and Samsung BioLogics. According to the agreement, Sun Pharma has appointed Samsung BioLogics to manufacture tildrakizumab, an investigational IL-23p19 inhibitor being evaluated for the treatment of moderate to severe plaque psoriasis.

Filings for the novel investigational biologic was accepted for review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in May and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) in March. The agreement was signed at Samsung BioLogics' headquarters in Incheon,South Korea. The approximate value of the contract will be $55.5 million. Other financial details of the agreement were confidential.

"Samsung BioLogics is a globally renowned CMO. Through this partnership we will leverage Samsung's manufacturing knowledge and world class quality systems to provide high quality products for the tildrakizumab pipeline,"Kirti Ganorkar, global headportfolio management and business development atSun Pharma, said.

Tildrakizumab is an investigational humanized, anti-IL-23p19 monoclonal antibody designed to selectively block the cytokine IL-23. With this precise targeting, tildrakizumab has the potential to help control the pathogenic cells responsible for the inflammatory process of psoriasis with limited impact on the rest of the immune system.

Phase-3 tildrakizumab data provide further evidence for the role of the IL-23 pathway in helping to control the inflammatory process of psoriasis. The regulatory filings associated with tildrakizumab have been accepted for review by the FDA and EMA.

A Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. wholly owned subsidiary received worldwide rights to tildrakizumab from Merck, known as MSD outsidethe United StatesandCanada, in 2014. Funded by a Sun Pharma subsidiary, Merck is responsible for the completion of Phase-3 trials in patients with mild-to-moderate plaque psoriasis and, as appropriate, submission of a Biologics License Application to the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Merck is also responsible for manufacturing finished goods to support Sun Pharma's initial product launch.

Post-approval in the U.S., Sun Pharma will be responsible for all other regulatory activities, including subsequent submissions, pharmacovigilance, post approval studies, manufacturing and commercialization of the approved product. Sun Pharma will also be responsible for all regulatory, pharmacovigilance, post approval studies, manufacturing and commercialization of approved products for all non-U.S. markets. Merck is eligible to receive milestone payments and royalties on sales of tildrakizumab.

(Source: PR Newswire)

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Novartis’ psoriasis drug gets label boost – pharmaphorum

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Novartis could gain further traction in the psoriasis drug market after European regulators granted a label update showing the firms Cosentyx clears skin better than Johnson & Johnsons rival, Stelara.

Europes CHMP scientific committee approved the label update for Cosentyx (secukinumab), the first interleukin-17A approved to treat psoriasis.

Sales of Cosentyx, which is injected every four weeks, are mounting and the drug looks set to achieve blockbuster status, with sales expected to peak at around $4 billion.

But the market is highly competitive, with a range of disease modifying drugs available and Stelara establishing itself as a mainstay treatment.

Results of the CLEAR study showing Cosentyx is better at clearing skin than Stelara first emerged at the European Academy of Dermatology and Venerology (EADV) conference in October.

Data presented at the congress in Vienna, showed Cosentyx is significantly superior to J&Js Stelara (ustekinumab)in delivering long-lasting skin clearance in psoriasis over 52 weeks.

Further data published at the congress also showed long-lasting clear or almost clear skin in the vast majority of patients, with a favourable safety profile over four years.

Almost all response rates are maintained from year one to year four, according to data.

The four-year data was based on assessments using the Psoriasis Area Severity Index (PASI) 90 (almost clear skin), and PASI 100 (clear skin).

The label update also includes data on the treatment of scalp psoriasis, a particularly difficult form of the disease to treat as activity is often maintained through hair care, scratching and shampooing.

Vas Narasimhan, Novartis chief medical officer, said: We are continually investigating new areas for Cosentyx to significantly enhance patients quality of life, such as scalp psoriasis.

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Novartis' psoriasis drug gets label boost - pharmaphorum

Walter Mittelholzer: Aviator’s rare photos reveal a bygone world – CNN

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(CNN) Drones are everywhere these days, and so are the bird's-eye photos they take of cityscapes and countrysides. But when Swiss aviator Walter Mittelholzer took to the skies in the 1920s and '30s, armed with a camera and a restless spirit of adventure, aerial photography was largely unheard of.

Mittelholzer blazed a trail as he soared over the mountains of Switzerland, and later the entire length of Africa, documenting his travels through pioneering photography both from the air and on the ground.

As he traversed the skies, the pilot captured stunning never-seen-before shots of the pyramids of Giza and spectacular panoramas of the Saharan desert. His sometimes controversial images offer an unparalleled aerial perspective on the Middle East and Africa in the early 20th century.

Mittelholzer photographed aerial views of landscapes across the world -- including Mokattam's hilly plateau near Cairo, Egypt.

This text -- the sixth volume in Scheidegger & Spiess's Pictorial Worlds series -- reproduces 200 of Mittelholzer's most striking and historically significant images.

"Mittelholzer founded an enterprise for aerial photographs," the book's author, Kaspar Surber, tells CNN Travel. "He took pictures of the Alps, of cities and industrial enterprises. The aerial photographs changed the established visual habits."

Surber uses the images to investigate Mittelholzer's legacy, charting the rise of a prototype media magnate.

Mittelholzer photographed countries across the world -- including the pyramids of Giza in Egypt.

In 1926-7, Mittelholzer famously conducted the first north-south flight across Africa -- becoming a household name in the process. A few years later, he became the first person to fly over Mount Kilimanjaro

"He was quite an early media entrepreneur," the book's co-editor, Michael Gasser, tells CNN Travel. "He became interested in photography when he was very young ... Then he learned how to fly and then he combined those new techniques."

Mittelholzer visited Syria -- and photographed the 13th century citadel of Aleppo in 1925.

Particularly striking to modern-day eyes are Mittelholzer's photos of Syria. The aviator visited Aleppo in 1925 and photographed the 13th century Citadel. One of the oldest fortresses in the world, the Citadel has been badly damaged in the ongoing Syrian Civil War.

The book examines Mittelholzer's controversial perception of Africa.

The book also critically examines Mittelholzer's trips to Africa with a contemporary eye. The pilot, says Gasser, saw the continent through an explicitly colonial, racist lens.

"This colonial gaze, you can actually see it in many of these photographs," he says.

Surber agrees -- adding that Mittelholzer saw his plane as a "symbol of civilization" -- to be positioned in direct contrast with the countries he was visiting. Surber's book shines a light on this problematic aspect of Mittelholzer's work and this period of history.

"I hope that readers will understand that Switzerland -- being a country without colonies itself -- still has a colonial past," he says. "This is the story that Mittelholzer's pictures tell."

Mittelholzer was an early media mastermind.

The text also examines Mittelholzer as a prototype media magnate.

"He was a very active man, and he had many businesses side by side," says Gasser. "Very early on ... he took those aerial photographs and he was selling them to people who wanted to have an aerial photograph of their home or their company or whatever -- in pre-Google Earth days!"

Mittelholzer even owned a film company. "He was a truly skilful media entrepreneur, who spread his images through all channels possible," adds Serber.

In 1929, Mittelholzer became the first person to fly over Mount Kilimanjaro -- en route, he flew over Mount Kibo (pictured here).

Mittelholzer's lifework paints a picture of a flawed but fascinating figure. A trailblazer in the world of aviation photography and mass media, Mittelholzer was in many ways forward thinking, but in other ways a definite product of his time.

Nevertheless, the images are a trove of rare aerial perspectives.

"These images are not only of an outstanding photographic quality," says Gasser. "They are also very rich visual sources, telling a lot about Mittelholzer's perception of the Middle East and Africa and the way he used visual media to promote and finance his expeditions."

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New York Times travel business offers ‘trip of a lifetime’ but is it ethical? – Chicago Tribune

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It's the trip of a lifetime - around the world in 26 days, with stops in nine countries. Just 50 people will travel on this guided tour next year via a private Boeing 757 to places like Marrakesh, Easter Island and Reykjavik, Iceland.

The price: $135,000 per person.

And that's not all. Those who make the journey will be accompanied on various legs by journalists from the New York Times. The newspaper is organizing and promoting the package, which it calls "Around the World by Private Jet: Cultures in Transformation." Among those scheduled to join the traveling party are Times' Washington bureau chief Elisabeth Bumiller, op-ed columnist Nicholas Kristof and Publisher Arthur O. Sulzberger Jr.

The super-luxe journey and other Times-sponsored travel packages are a lucrative source of income for the paper at a time when news organizations are under increasing financial pressure. The round-the-world trip - which could gross as much as $6.7 million - is part of a range of products and services designed to "monetize" the Times' brand name, from $100 tote bags to event sponsorships. Other news organizations, including The Washington Post, which sells T-shirts and other merchandise, engage in the practice.

But the Times' trips raise a question among journalism ethics experts about ethics and access: Is the Times effectively selling its journalists to private interests? Could, for example, corporate lobbyists or political operatives sign on and seek to influence the Times' coverage?

Although the question is largely theoretical, the issue has come up before in a somewhat different context. In 2009, The Washington Post aborted an effort to produce "salons," or small private dinners that would bring together the newspaper's top editors and publisher with government officials and industry lobbyists. The off-the-record dinners were to be sponsored by individuals or corporations willing to pay anywhere from $25,000 to $250,000.

Media reports about The Post's plans triggered a public outcry. Critics said the paper was violating its own principles by peddling its journalists to vested interests and cutting its readers out of the dinner party. The acrimony prompted the paper to back away from the idea before it was ever implemented.

The Times' round-the-world excursion is by far the most elaborate and expensive package it markets using its journalists as a lure. But it also offers other packages under its Times Journeys brand for those with somewhat less disposable income.

For example, a 13-day cruise in October around Southeast Asia aboard a "megayacht," as an online brochure describes it, starts at $10,790 per person, not including international airfare to the trip's embarkation point. The cruise features lectures on "Donald Trump's grand economic plan" by Gretchen Morgenson, the Times' assistant business editor and a Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist.

Prices for a 15-day cruise around Scandinavia featuring columnist Maureen Dowd and chief Washington correspondent Carl Hulse start at $5,129 for an interior cabin. The fare rises to $16,489 per person for a "pinnacle" suite on the tour, which the Times is marketing as "Fjords, Falls and Foreign Affairs."

Times spokeswoman Danielle Rhoades Ha said the paper's travel packages are "educational travel experiences" and that its journalists don't engage in any reporting or writing while abroad or afloat.

"We see no comparison to The Washington Post's much-criticized concept to host private parties that were marketed as having the potential to alter political debates by interacting with elected officials, policyakers and others," she said.

On the other hand: The Times doesn't control who signs up. The passenger manifest isn't screened, she said.

That means the Times "essentially gives unrestricted access to some of the paper's best-known journalists and names," said Andrew Seaman, the chairman of the ethics committee for the Society of Professional Journalists and a reporter for Reuters.

Said Seaman: "No matter what safeguards the paper puts in place, it looks like a bunch of journalists flying off to far corners of the world with incredibly wealthy people. Of course, it looks like that, because that's what it is."

Even without an actual conflict, the arrangement is bound to raise questions, he said. "An already skeptical public is left wondering if the paper may give preferential treatment to the person who just gave a very large chunk of change to their news organization. I don't think that's the question the Times or any news organization wants floating around in the world."

But Indira Lahkshmanan, an ethicist at the Poynter Institute, a journalism-education organization, points out that other news organizations have long sponsored private travel packages without ethical repercussions. For example, PBS NewsHour anchor Judy Woodruff is the featured attraction for a 10-night cruise to Alaska in August that costs between $7,300 and $20,000 per person. National Geographic and NPR have also used their journalists to attract travelers.

"More than anything, it raises a sad commentary on the state of our business, that there's a need for newspapers and news organizations to raise money like this," Lahkshmanan said. "This is another high-end way to make money."

Times Executive Editor Dean Baquet declined to comment, as did several Times journalists who are participating in one of the paper's "Journeys." But others at the paper doubted that their involvement raised any ethical concerns.

Veteran reporter Adam Nagourney said his last trip - a 12-day cruise around the Greek islands and Turkey in 2015 - involved about 60 to 70 people, most of whom were "intensely interested in current events and TheTimes." Much of the shipboard conversation, he said, was about how the paper operates, how decisions are made and who makes them ("It's like, 'You know Maureen Dowd!" he said).

Nagourney, who is featured on a Times cruise around the Gulf of Mexico in late November, added, "I get (this enthusiasm) completely. I would be one of those people if I didn't work here. ... But movers and shakers? Advertisers? People trying to get access to influence things? Honestly, I did not find that at all."

In her only comment, Dowd wrote via email, "I'm not involved in that pricey plane trip one. I did a normal boat one. You should ask one of those people."

Morgenson, who will participate in her first trip this year, said the Times' travel packages are "quite different" from The Post's aborted "salons." The Post's concept was designed to "connect people in power like lobbyists in intimate settings," she said. "The Times Journeys seem focused on the reader."

Morgenson added that no one has to buy an expensive travel package to reach her. "I'm accessible to anyone who has a phone or an email address," she said.

Still, Seaman, the journalism-ethics maven, said it might be time for the Times to stay home.

"My suggestion would be to skip Easter Island, Iceland and wherever else these trips may go," he said. "The Times and other news organizations should send journalists to communities around the United States to teach them what responsible journalism is, how it's made and why it's important."

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New York Times travel business offers 'trip of a lifetime' but is it ethical? - Chicago Tribune

Soar Above a Stunning Blue Bay on the World’s Largest Over-water Zip Line – Travel+Leisure

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Attention adventure lovers: Its time to head to Acapulco.

The coastal Mexican city is home to XTASEA, the largest over-water zip line in the world. The line, which opened in March, extends for more than a mile across Puerto Marquez Bay and reaches speeds of up to 75 mph at an altitude of 328 feet.

XTASEA promises to be one of Acapulcos main tourist attractions and we have great hopes that it will be a success for the destination, Pedro Haces, president of the Acapulco Destination Marketing Office, said in a statement. Haces additionally noted that the over-the-top zip line is simply one part of the recently announced billion-dollar investment aimed at enhancing the destinations tourism offerings.

Beyond the zip line, the plan also includes a massive renovation of the iconic Pierre Mundo Imperial and Princess Mundo Imperial resorts and several new amenities, including the Spa Tlalli and Turtle Dunes Golf Clubhouse. And, to help accommodate all the new guests, the investment will also cover the construction of the Hotel Prince by Mundo Imperial and the Hotel Marqus Boutique, among other properties.

Moreover, the plan includes the construction of the Diamante Retirement Homes, a new Princess Medical Center, a premium shopping center, an eco-amusement park called Aventura Guerrero, a new tennis stadium, security towers, and Princess University. All the individual projects are slated for completion between 2017 and 2022.

Acapulco will also welcome a new $30-million airport terminal, which will increase airport capacity by another 1.3 million passengers. The terminal will be opening in 2018.

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Soar Above a Stunning Blue Bay on the World's Largest Over-water Zip Line - Travel+Leisure

We Combined Our Travel Photos From Opposite Sides Of The World, And What We Found Was Unreal – HuffPost

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Over the past two years we have been exploring our planet, and trust us when we tell you that weve seen some incredible places. Beautiful places. Places we never knew existed until we reached them and dragged our jaws along. Weve been hot beyond boiling and cold beyond freezing. Weve had perfect sunsets, more than perfect sunrises, gloomy and cloudy days, and days where the sun didnt go down #GottaLoveScandinavia

Now, 40 countries and 70 flights later, we have returned home with magical, life-changing memories...and 14,000 photographs. Yes, four-teen-THOUSAND.

Below you will see our collection of fantasy images (that we created after sifting through said 14,000 snaps) that will (hopefully) prove, that despite all our differences, living thousands of miles apart, places around the world are actually very similar, if you really take the time to look. If anything, we hope you walk away from this collection thinking, how lucky we are, to call this planet, home.

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@HOWFARFROMHOME ON INSTAGRAM

@HOWFARFROMHOME ON INSTAGRAM

@HOWFARFROMHOME ON INSTAGRAM

@HOWFARFROMHOME ON INSTAGRAM

@HOWFARFROMHOME ON INSTAGRAM

@HOWFARFROMHOME ON INSTAGRAM

@HOWFARFROMHOME ON INSTAGRAM

@HOWFARFROMHOME ON INSTAGRAM

@HOWFARFROMHOME ON INSTAGRAM

@HOWFARFROMHOME ON INSTAGRAM

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We Combined Our Travel Photos From Opposite Sides Of The World, And What We Found Was Unreal - HuffPost

Texas A&M judo coach: Help Team USA travel to Taiwan for the World University Games – Bryan-College Station Eagle

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Texas A&M University judo coach Bob Perez is asking the public to help young athletes and staff traveling to the World University Games in Taipei, Taiwan, next month.

Perez, head coach for A&M's judo team since 1993, was voted coach of the year and elected to serve as team manager for the annual games. Perez said that the team is made up of 14 young athletes from colleges and universities from across the U.S., as well as two staff members. Though none of the judokas -- athletes who compete in judo -- are from A&M this year, Perez said the young athletes need to raise the majority of the money themselves to make it to the competition.

"This is the Olympics for the college students," Perez said. "This is the future of the Olympic sports."

Perez said having to raise money takes away from the time students could be training for the competition and puts a strain on their financial situations, since they have to front the cost of traveling themselves.

The athletes need to raise between $2,600 and $3,000 each for the trip, depending on the cost of airfare, Perez said.

Perez said judokas don't get the same funding as more popular American sports such as basketball or track and field, putting a financial burden on the athletes.

"If it's not very popular in the U.S., they just don't get the funding. Unfortunately, that's where judo stands," he said.

Perez said that this competition could be the highest level at which some of these judokas compete, though he's hesitant to say that as a coach because "you always want to make sure we give them a positive outlook for their sports future."

The 14 judokas fronted the cost of their trip and will be reimbursed based on the money raised for the Taiwan tournament.

Perez said the need for these athletes to fund their own trip helps the public remember that "sports aren't just football, basketball and baseball. We've got all these other sports here."

Those asking for public donations to fund their trips are "still athletes," Perez said, because "they still train hard, but they don't have the same financial support."

The National Collegiate Judo Association started a GoFundMe page to help raise funds for the team. To donate, go to http://www.gofundme.com/JudoWUG2017.

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Texas A&M judo coach: Help Team USA travel to Taiwan for the World University Games - Bryan-College Station Eagle

Three thumbs up to this 3D-printed prosthetic thumb – New Atlas

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We've all had a moment where an extra pair of hands would have been incredibly useful, but who has ever wondered what they could do with just an extra thumb? London-based designer Danielle Clode not only wondered, but went on to build one. Her 3D-printed, foot-controlled, Third Thumb offers an insight into how prosthetics can do more than just replace disabled limbs, but actually extend our natural abilities.

Danielle Clode created the Third Thumb as her Masters graduate project at the Royal College of Art in London. This human hand extension is centered around a hinge-based thumb, 3D-printed out of a flexible filament called Ninjaflex.

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The thumb is strapped to a hand and powered by a motor that sits like a small watch on the wearer's wrist. The thumb is then controlled by two pressure sensors that sit under a person's feet and connect up wirelessly via Bluetooth.

Clode's intent with the design was to alter people's perception of prosthetics. She wants the design to allow people to see prosthetics as more than simple limb or body replacements, but rather as devices that can extend our potential abilities.

"When we start to extend our abilities, and when we reframe prosthetics as extensions, then we start to shift the focus from 'fixing' disability, to extending ability," Clode writes on her website.

A video accompanying the project illustrates a variety of everyday tasks that the Third Thumb could potentially benefit. From scrolling through pages on a tablet to playing guitar where the extra thumb could open up entire new chords, the extra thumb certainly offers wonderfully strange and new ways to interact with ordinary objects.

The design is obviously just a concept, although the working prototype is notably well-realized. Clode has developed a couple of different aesthetic pathways for the device, from the obviously functional piece to a more jewelry-orientated design.

As we move towards a transhuman future, ideas like this offer a fascinating glimpse at how augmented bodies could allow us to achieve physical feats that were previously impossible.

Take a look at the Third Thumb in action in the video below.

Source: Dani Clode Design

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Researchers explore DNA folding, cellular packing with supercomputer simulations – Phys.Org

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July 6, 2017 Sequence-specific, twist-induced, kinked elastic configurations, generated by molecular dynamics simulations on supercomputers at the Texas Advanced Computing Center, help explain how long strands of DNA can fit in small spaces. Credit: Christopher G. Myers, B. Montgomery Pettitt, University of Texas Medical Branch

A biological mystery lies at the center of each of our cells, namely: how one meter of DNA can be wadded up into the space of a micron (or one millionth of a meter) within each nucleus of our body.

The nuclei of human cells are not even the most crowded biological place that we know of. Some bactiophagesviruses that infect and replicate within a bacteriumhave even more concentrated DNA.

"How does it get in there?" B. Montgomery (Monte) Pettitt, a biochemist and professor at the University of Texas Medical Branch, asks. "It's a charged polymer. How does it overcome the repulsion at its liquid crystalline density? How much order and disorder is allowed, and how does this play a role in nucleic acids?"

Using the Stampede and Lonestar5 supercomputers at The University of Texas at Austin's Texas Advanced Computing Center (TACC), Pettitt investigates how phages' DNA folds into hyper-confined spaces.

Writing in the June 2017 issue of the Journal of Computational Chemistry, he explained how DNA may overcome both electrostatic repulsion and its natural stiffness.

The key to doing so? Kinks.

The introduction of sharp twists or curves into configurations of DNA packaged within a spherical envelope significantly reduces the overall energies and pressures of the molecule, according to Pettitt.

He and his collaborators used a model that deforms and kinks the DNA every 24 base pairs, which is close to the average length that is predicted from the phage's DNA sequence. The introduction of such persistent defects not only reduces the total bending energy of confined DNA, but also reduces the electrostatic component of the energy and pressure.

"We show that a broad ensemble of polymer configurations is consistent with the structural data," he and collaborator Christopher Myers, also of University of Texas Medical Branch, wrote.

Insights like these cannot be gained strictly in the lab. They require supercomputers that serve as molecular microscopes, charting the movement of atoms and atomic bonds at length- and time-scales that are not feasible to study with physical experiments alone.

"In the field of molecular biology, there's a wonderful interplay between theory, experiment and simulation," Pettitt said. "We take parameters of experiments and see if they agree with the simulations and theories. This becomes the scientific method for how we now advance our hypotheses."

Problems like the ones Pettitt is interested in cannot be solved on a desktop computer or a typical campus cluster, but require hundreds of computer processors working in parallel to mimic the minute movements and physical forces of molecules in a cell.

Pettitt is able to access TACC's supercomputers in part because of a unique program known as the Journal of Computational Chemistry initiative, which makes TACC's computing resources, expertise and training available to researchers within the University of Texas Systems' 14 institutions.

"Computational research, like that of Dr. Pettitt, which seeks to bridge our understanding of physical, chemical, and ultimately biological phenomena, involves so many calculations that it's only really approachable on large supercomputers like TACC's Stampede or Lonestar5 systems," said Brian Beck, a life sciences researcher at TACC.

"Having TACC supercomputing resources available is critical to this style of research," Pettitt said.

FINDING THE ORDER IN DISORDERED PROTEINS

Another phenomenon that has long interested Pettitt is the behavior of Intrinsically Disordered Proteins (IDPs) and intrinsically disordered domains, where parts of a protein have a disordered shape.

Unlike crystals or the highly-packed DNA in viruses, which have distinct, rigid shapes, IDPs "fold up into a gooey mess," according to Pettitt. And yet they're critical for all forms of life.

It is believed that in eukaryotes (organisms whose cells have complex substructures like nuclei), roughly 30 percent of proteins have an intrinsically disordered domain. More than 60 percent of proteins involved in cell signaling (molecular processes that take signals from outside the cell or across cells that tell the cell what behaviors to turn on and off in response) have disordered domains. Similarly, 80 percent of cancer-related signaling proteins have IDP regions - making them important molecules to understand.

Among the IDPs Pettitt and his group are studying are nuclear transcription factors. These molecules control the expression of genes and have a signaling domain that is rich in the flexible amino acid, glycine.

The folding of the nuclear transcription factor signaling domain is not brought about by hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic effects, like most protein molecules, according to Pettitt. Rather, when the longer molecules find too many glycines in a space, they go beyond their solubility and start associating with each other in unusual ways.

"It's like adding too much sugar in your tea," Pettitt explains. "It won't get any sweeter. The sugar must fall out of solution and find a partner - precipitating into a lump."

Writing in Protein Science in 2015, he described molecular simulations performed on Stampede that helped to explain how and why IDPs collapse into globule-like structures.

The simulations calculated the forces from carbonyl (CO) dipole-dipole interactionsattractions between the positive end of one polar molecule and the negative end of another polar molecule. He determined that these interactions are more important in the collapse and aggregation of long strands of glycine than the formation of H-bonds.

"Given that the backbone is a feature of all proteins, CO interactions may also play a role in proteins of nontrivial sequence where structure is eventually determined by interior packing and the stabilizing effects of H-bonds and CO-CO interactions," he concluded.

The research was enabled by an allocation of compute time on Stampede through the Extreme Science and Engineering Discovery Environment (XSEDE) which is supported by the National Science Foundation.

Pettitt, a long-time champion of supercomputing, doesn't only use TACC resources himself. He encourages other scholars, including his colleagues at the Sealy Center for Structural Biology and Molecular Biophysics, to use supercomputers as well.

"Advanced computing is important for data analysis and data refinement from experiments, X-ray and electron microscopy, and informatics," he says. "All of these problems have big data processing issues that can be addressed using advanced computing."

When it comes to uncovering the mysteries of biology on the tiniest scales, nothing quite beats a giant supercomputer.

Explore further: Rosetta online server that includes everyone

More information: Christopher G. Myers et al, Phage-like packing structures with mean field sequence dependence, Journal of Computational Chemistry (2017). DOI: 10.1002/jcc.24727

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Researchers explore DNA folding, cellular packing with supercomputer simulations - Phys.Org

Stem cell therapies: medical experts call for strict international rules – The Guardian

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Stem cells have long been used to treat blood cancers and some immune diseases. But some doctors are offering stem cell treatments for diseases still under clinical trial. Photograph: Mauricio Lima/AFP/Getty Images

Medical and legal experts from around the world have united to call for more stringent regulation of stem cell therapies to prevent people pursuing unproven and potentially deadly treatments overseas.

In a perspective piece for the US journal Science Translational Medicine, 15 experts from countries including the UK, the US, Canada, Belgium, Italy and Japan wrote that national efforts alone would not be enough to counter an industry offering unproven treatments to vulnerable patients.

Stem cell-based interventions are classified under diverse and potentially incompatible national regulatory frameworks, the authors wrote.

Approaches for international regulation not only need to develop consistent rules over the commercialisation of medical practices and products but also need to give them teeth by developing cross-border partnerships for compliance.

Stem cells found in bone marrow and umbilical cord blood have long been used to successfully treat blood cancers including leukaemia and some immune diseases. But those are among the few proven treatments. Legitimate and ethics-approved clinical trials by academic centres are also occurring, exploring the potential of stem cells to treat a wider range of diseases.

But some doctors are directly offering to the general public stem cell treatments for diseases still under clinical trial or for which no evidence exists and for which the safety and efficacy is as yet unproven.

Deaths as a result of stem cell treatments have already occurred. In 2013 Sheila Drysdale died in a New South Wales nursing home after undergoing an unproven liposuction stem-cell therapy at a western Sydney clinic. Following Drysldales death, her doctor, Ralph Bright, gave a statement to police in which he claimed that stem-cell treatment could improve comorbidities and that stem cells could move from joints to other parts of the body to improve disease in distant sites including lungs and brain, vision, mentation and pain.

In his report into Drysdales death, the coroner Hugh Dillon wrote that he could not say what motivated Dr Bright to perform this unproven, dubious procedure on Sheila Drysdale.

But regardless of his motivation, Dr Brights performance as a medical practitioner was, for the reasons outlined above, poor and resulted in Sheila Drysdales death.

The Medical Council of NSW investigated Bright and placed a number of restrictions on his right to practice. Bright is still authorised to practise stem cell therapy for patients with osteoarthritis or who are taking part in research studies approved by an ethics committee. He is also still allowed to treat patients returning for remaining injections of stored cells.

In 2013 a Queensland woman, Kellie van Meurs, died when she travelled to Russia to undergo stem-cell treatment for a rare neurological disorder. She died of a heart attack as a result.

Australias drug regulator, the Therapeutic Goods Administration, last year sought feedback on the regulation of autologous stem-cell therapies but is yet to publish those submissions. A TGA spokeswoman said the Administration was still examining the options for changes to the legislation to reflect public and industry views. The TGA currently considers autologous treatments, which involve treating someone with their own tissue or cells, to be a therapeutic good and, therefore, does not regulate them. Stem cells used for medical practice and therapeutic purposes are covered by different regulatory frameworks.

Associate Professor Megan Munsie, a University of Melbourne stem cell scientist and a co-author of the paper, said: The idea that stem cells are magical holds court in the community, along with this idea the advances in treatment are being held up by red tape.

Unethical health practitioners exploited this, she said, along with the vulnerability of patients with difficult-to-treat or incurable conditions.

There is a precedent for international regulation of this industry because regulations already exist around drugs the way they are manufactured, she said.

This could be extended to the regulation to the stem cell and tissue-based therapies. This international stance would then force or encourage stronger local regulations.

There have been successful efforts by scientists to push back against unscrupulous doctors. In Italy scientists and regulators highlighted the unproven yet government-subsidised treatments being offered by the entrepreneur Davide Vannoni and fought to stop him. He was convicted of criminal charges but the sentence was later suspended.

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Stem cell therapies: medical experts call for strict international rules - The Guardian

Photo-responsive protein hydrogels as agent for controlled stem cell/protein release – Phys.Org

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July 6, 2017 Material design empowered by protein sequence space. Credit: Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, HKUST

Hydrogels, noted for their biomimetic properties, are the leading materials for biomedical applications, such as drug delivery and stem cell therapy. Traditional hydrogels made up of either synthetic polymers or natural biomolecules often serve as passive scaffolds for molecular or cellular species, which render these materials unable to fully recapitulate the dynamic signaling involved in biological processes, such as cell/tissue development.

Photo-responsive hydrogels are of particular interest to material scientists, because light is regarded as an ideal tool to control molecules or cell behavior with high spatiotemporal precision and little invasiveness. The major challenge for scientist is how to assemble these complex globular proteins into supramolecular architectures efficiently while preserving their function.

In a recent research, a group of scientists from The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology created a B12-dependent light-sensing hydrogel by covalently stitching together the photoreceptor C-terminal adenosylcobalamin binding domain (CarHC) proteins under mild conditions. This direct assembly of stimuli-responsive proteins into hydrogels represents a versatile solution for designing "smart" materials and opens up enormous opportunities for future material biology.

The findings were published in the journal PNAS on June 6, 2017.

"In our research, we were able to create an entirely recombinant protein-based light-sensitive hydrogels by covalently assembling the CarHC photoreceptor proteins using genetically encoded SpyTag-SpyCatcher chemistry," said Fei Sun, author of the paper and assistant professor at HKUST's department of chemical and biomolecular engineering. "The AdoB12-dependent CarHC tetramerization has been shown to be essential for the formation of an elastic hydrogel in the dark, which can undergo a rapid gel-sol transition caused by light-induced CarHC disassembly."

"The resulting hydrogel composed of physically self-assembled CarHC polymers exhibited a rapid gel-sol transition on light exposure, which enabled the facile release/recovery of 3T3 fibroblasts and human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) from 3D cultures while maintaining their viability." Sun added. "Given the growing demand for creating stimuli-responsive "smart" hydrogels, the direct assembly of stimuli-responsive proteins into hydrogels represents a versatile strategy for designing dynamically tunable materials."

Explore further: Investigating folding stability and dynamics of proteins

More information: Ri Wang et al, B12-dependent photoresponsive protein hydrogels for controlled stem cell/protein release, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2017). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1621350114

Journal reference: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

Provided by: Hong Kong University of Science and Technology

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Photo-responsive protein hydrogels as agent for controlled stem cell/protein release - Phys.Org

Stem cell therapies breaking barriers – Guardian (blog)

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Stem cell therapies breaking barriers - Guardian (blog)

Las Brujas Radio Champions Spirituality for Political Empowerment. – East Bay Express

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Local DJ Namaste Shawty, also known as NoNo, plays tracks by underground artists, focusing on female rappers and punk artists, [anything] with a message to empower ourselves. Shes joined by two co-hosts: Oakland rapper Queens D. Light and activist Imani Atlantic, whos currently pursuing a PhD in microbiology at UC Berkeley. Over less than two hours, the women open up about a variety of topics, from mental health and social justice to sex, witchcraft, race, and pop culture.

Las Brujas Radio is gaining popularity in an internet landscape thats increasingly receptive to occult and pre-Christian religious influences. You may have noticed an uptick in friends discussing their astrology signs or paying attention to the phases of the moon. This cultural infatuation is spurred in part by content circulated on platforms like Tumblr and Instagram, where mystics can share their practices with increasingly wider audiences.

For Las Brujas, the emphasis is on witchcraft as a mode for self-care and healing. Most episodes focus on a specific political or social issue. In addition to sharing their own perspectives on a given topic, the women highlight tools to help their listeners cope, from rituals and spiritual texts to services available in the community.

As Atlantic articulated it, the shows mission is twofold: To connect folks, our homies who have businesses or art projects, and to speak on our own experiences and not have it be whitewashed, not have a man tell us what our stories are.

Thats especially crucial when many of the non-Christian rituals gaining popularity are also being co-opted and whitewashed. Expensive ayahuasca retreats, for example, cater to predominantly white audiences. Las Brujas aims to reclaim these rituals for women of color and other groups that historically were persecuted for practicing them.

All of the women mention the energy of the Earth, nature, and the cosmos as important for their spiritual development, and the show incorporates customs from a variety of sources. One recent episode featured a ritual calling on the power of Ra, the ancient Egyptian sun god, and on their latest episode, NoNo started the show by reading a formal affirmation that was intended to break contracts with outside energy that wasnt serving her.

Affirming yourself is something that people have to do every day in the face of oppression, Queens explained. She emphasized that while some rituals require special knowledge or preparation, others are daily practices that many people engage in without even realizing. We wanted to make it so that its not taboo to talk about ritual, she added.

In a previous episode, all three hosts found that they start their mornings with the same custom that gets them ready for the day. We found out we all be dancing in the mirror, said Queens. We be dancing naked in the mirror in the morning, and thats part of our personal rituals that we didnt even know we had in common.

In addition to destigmatizing witchcraft, one major cornerstone of the shows activism involves publicizing resources: giving shout outs to fundraisers going on, publicizing events in the community, and highlighting organizations and programs that listeners may not know about. In their latest episode, Las Brujas highlighted the birth services and doula training program offered by Oakland womb practitioner Sumi Franklin.

Much of Franklins work focuses on queer families and families of color, and the hosts talked with her about issues facing these communities throughout the birthing process, from gaps in insurance coverage to the legal thicket of queer parenting rights. Queens, who was eight months pregnant at the time of the show, answered questions from listeners and addressed some common myths about pregnancy.

This emphasis on audience participation, on making the conversation comfortable and accessible to their listeners, allows the women to bring up urgent social issues in a way that isnt draining. And by destigmatizing spiritual practices that have helped them cope, Las Brujas empowers their listeners with healing techniques that help them take on these issues.

As NoNo put it, Were saying fuck you to mainstream media and creating our own outlet to express ourselves and create a sense of community.

Las Brujas Radio is recorded monthly. To find out when the next show will happen, check Instagram.com/LasBrujasRadio. To listen to previous episodes, visit Soundcloud.com/NamasteShawty/Sets/Las-Brujas-Radio.

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Las Brujas Radio Champions Spirituality for Political Empowerment. - East Bay Express

Spirituality amidst nature – The Statesman

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The five of us, all in our 20s, recently went for a trip to Uttarakhand in North India. Our prime destination was the holy city, Haridwar, where we reached a day later than expected after being delayed for 26 hours due to fog. We spend the first day sleeping like babies after a tiresome train journey.

The next day we planned to contact a local guide who would help us take a stroll around the city. It felt amazing as we spent the evening by the beautiful Ganges and observed the people around. There were kids attracting the coins thrown into the river as offerings with magnets. People floated flowers on leaf bowls and incense sticks on the water, making it look like a river of lights.

This and the sandhya-arati(evening prayer) performed by the priests at dusk were the most satisfying sights in the three week trip. They were a treat for the eyes. At Haridwar, we visited the Patanjali Yogpeeth, which is not only Indias but probably the worlds largest yoga institutes.

We went around the legendary temples mentioned in ancient Hindu scriptures like the Adi Badri, which appealed the most. Another was the Surkanda Devi temple, one of the 51 Shakti Peethas located high in the peaks of a mountain. Legend has it that because of the steep climb and the time it takes to reach the temple only a selected few, blessed with divinity, could make it to the top.

The Mansa Devi temple was comparatively easier to reach, but both could not be covered on the same day. Haridwar is a moderately congested city like Kolkata. However, one can spend days just observing the beauty of this city. Rishikesh was also a part of our trip.

There we visited the famous suspension bridges like the Ram jhula and the Lakshman jhula over the Ganges which remains crowded all day. We travelled to Kankhal with which our Haridwar tour came to an end. Next. we started for the extremely beautiful town of Mussoorie.

The hill station was still in a mood of celebrating the New Year. It seemed a different place in terms of culture and weather.

It is much cooler and more beautiful in resemblance to the other northeast Indian cities. Often known as the Raat ki Rani, it really lives up to the name! The lights all around during the night, makes the city glitter like golden ink smeared on black paper. We were left mesmerised to have seen such an amazing sight for the first time. The next day we visited the Gun Hill and from there we went to Dhanaulti.

In the evening we went around shopping for souvenirs and gifts for home. As we looked around the market, beautiful Garwali folk music was being played which sounded light and pleasant to the ears. We expected to catch a glimpse of Ruskin Bond at a cafe he is heard of usually visiting and meeting his fans, but was deprived he couldnt come that day. We hired a car from Mussoorie to Dehradun.

This city was special to us because of its strategic and military importance. We first hit the streets of Moti bazar where second hand army gear was available for sale as well as many other things ranging from daily-use products to clothes. I was delighted to have bought a beautiful World War II British Army dagger replica, of robust construction and good quality.

After taking a stroll around for some more time and tasting the street food of the city, we called it a day. Next morning, we went to the Rajaji National Park which is a lovely tiger and wildlife reserve, Robbers Cave and the Clock Tower. That was the end of our trip.

The next we boarded the train from Dehradun station, rich with colonial extravaganza. We began our journey back to home with lot of memories.

Coordinator, Ex-St Mary's Dumdum

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Spirituality amidst nature - The Statesman

‘Storytime’ with Drag Queens at Boston Public Library is not Fiction … – CBN News

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The Boston Public Library is coming under fire after hosting a "Drag Queen Story Time" event for young children.

On June 29, the library brought in the "The Boston Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence" - a group of drag queens who dress as Catholic Nuns for a "storytime" with young children.

The Boston Public Library facebook page put up a photo of the event.

Two days before the event on June 27, a picture was posted by the "Children's Library, Boston Public Library" Facebook page.

The photo's caption says "Let's end Pride Month with a drag... drag queen storytime, that is! Join us on Thursday, June 29th at 3:30 for another visit from the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence."

Robert P. George, a Princeton University professor and director of the James Madison Program in American Ideas and Institutions says it is dangerous using the state to promote ideas that defy normal ideas about gender.

"Sexual liberationism is also a militant religion that wishes to harness the coercive power of the state to enforce its doctrines (down to policing language, such as male and female pronouns, and cleansing whole professions of people who refuse to bow to its gods)," George said.

"Every day it demonstrates a willingness to wield that power mercilessly against those persons and institutions who have the temerity to challenge its hegemony," he also said.

He adds that the incident "was a catechism classan indoctrination sessionin the religion of sexual liberation."

The photo posted on June 29 has been shared over 800 times, and has received over 700 comments.

"This is totally inappropriate to be exposing young kids to" said one user.

"I find this mockery of my Catholic faith quite offensive. This is bald-faced bigotry and hatred and the library is allowing it. Disgraceful!" commented another according to Lifesite News.

June 29 is the day on which the Catholic Church observes the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul. The feast is a celebration honoring Peter's and Paul's acts of martyrdom.

Last year, on June 10, the library hosted an event called "Jujubee Story Time." It's invitation read in part, "Join drag queen Jujubee for stories, songs, and fun as the library kicks off our celebration of the Pride Parade."

The Boston Public Library released a statement Wednesday which said, "Boston Public Library reviews all feedback and comments we receive on our programming, which helps to inform future program selection for our patrons."

"The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence," are self-dubbed "queer nuns," based out of San Francisco.

They claim to "use humor and irreverent wit to expose the forces of bigotry, complacency and guilt that chain the human spirit," and say they are "devoted" to "promoting human rights, respect for diversity and spiritual enlightenment."

"As for the 'Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence,' the anti-Catholic bigotry on display in their mocking of nuns and Christian morality is blatant," said George.

"Just imagine the outcry if, instead of Catholic nuns, the mockery was aimed at immigrants, African-Americans, Asians, Latinos, handicapped people, Buddhists, Muslims; or, indeed, self-identified 'gay' or 'transgendered individuals.' It would be deafening," he said.

"But because the targets are Catholic sisters and Christian morality, what we get from the media is silence."

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'Storytime' with Drag Queens at Boston Public Library is not Fiction ... - CBN News

In Raucous Comedy Bad Jews, A Patriarch’s Death Triggers A Bitter Struggle For A Family Heirloom – Capital Public Radio News

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The new comedy at Capital Stage is titled Bad Jews, and it explores the nasty things relatives say to each other following the death of a family patriarch.

The show is quite funny, even as it puts manipulative behavior and nasty name calling at center stage. The premise behind this tense comedy is that an old grandfather a Holocaust survivor has just died, and now a battle royale is beginning over who will inherit a prized family heirloom with religious significance.

To make matters worse, the 20-something relatives in this play really dont like each other. Theres a young guy named Liam who hates the way his cousin Daphna implies that shes more religious than the others. Liam gets so nerved up that he can barely talk.

Liam: "You just watch. Any time theres a prayer, or praying, shell get this look on her face, like Im above all of you, like Im on this spiritual enlightenment plane, way above "

Daphna, for her part, does not approve of Liams blonde girlfriend, Melody, who isnt Jewish. And when Daphna and Melody sit down for a chat, Daphne comes on strong with dismissive put-downs.

Daphna: "Well I will tell you why that is, and the reason why that is, and the reason that families like the one YOU come from can even live in Delaware, is that all those native peoples were slaughtered So that people who look like you, and pray like you, and reproduce like you, could live in peaceful suburban housing developments with bookshelves filled with the King James Bible and Nicholas Sparks novels and Eat. Pray. Love. Probably your favorite book! But no Howard Zinn. Am I right, or am I right?

Daphna also dishes family details regarding her cousin.

Daphna: "Has Liam ever told you his Hebrew name?"

Melody: "His Hebrew name? I dont think so?"

Daphna: "Oh my God (laughs). Shlomo!"

These antagonistic relatives know all too well how to push each others buttons. To make matters worse, they are crammed together in a very small Manhattan apartment, so everyone can hear every insult, even from the bathroom.

Soon, Daphna and Liam are blasting each other, and this comedy of confinement becomes a demolition derby of denunciation. The rising outrage and abundant profanity are played for comic effect. But when the show ends and it runs just 90 minutes you feel bruised and breathless from the intensity.

Actress Tara Sissom, whos generally been seen in comic parts, shows more dramatic range than weve seen before, while Bay Area actor Jeremy Kahn, a newcomer to Sacramento, does equally well as the manipulative Liam.

Bad Jews is a high-strung comedy staged as verbal combat with no holds barred, with religious implications. Its a solid show, but its not exactly light-hearted summer fare. Steel yourself for cut-downs and conflict onstage, if you decide to go.

The Capital Stage production of Bad Jews continues through July 23.

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In Raucous Comedy Bad Jews, A Patriarch's Death Triggers A Bitter Struggle For A Family Heirloom - Capital Public Radio News

Thomas to Lecture on International Space Station on Saturday at WNC – WNC News

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Posted: July 5, 2017

On a clear night, its often visible from Earth. For nearly 20 years, this inhabited satellite has served as a research laboratory for crew members experiments in physics, astronomy, biology, meteorology and human biology.

Yes, the International Space Station in low Earth orbit has been a marvel of science. Originally created, in part, to serve as a staging base for future missions to the Moon and Mars, the ISS now has many uses.

This Saturday, individuals can learn more about the ISS during a Mike Thomas lecture on Saturday, July 8 at Western Nevada Colleges Jack C. Davis Observatory.

The free lecture starts at 7:30 p.m.

Thomas is a science and history lecture guru in Northern Nevada. He has provided lectures at the observatory for more than a decade.

On Saturday nights when lectures arent scheduled, the observatory is open to the public from dusk to 11 p.m. Better known as Star Parties, these gatherings enable the Western Nevada Astronomical Society to convene people with an interest in astronomy.

The lectures and Star Parties are free and open to the public.

The observatory is located at 2699 Van Patten Drive in Carson City.

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Thomas to Lecture on International Space Station on Saturday at WNC - WNC News

500000 pieces of space junk whirl around Earth: How this fast-moving debris poses risks to spacecraft, crew – AccuWeather.com

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For more than 50 years, humans have been breaking the tether of Earth's gravity and launching objects into space, but remnants of these stellar explorations are left circling the planet, posing a risk to future missions.

At the moment, NASA has tracked more than 500,000 pieces of orbital debris, or space junk, trapped by gravity and traveling at speeds up to 17,500 miles per hour.

"NASA uses the term 'orbital debris' to describe human-made debris in Earth orbit and uses the term 'space debris' for orbital debris and micrometeoroids, which come from asteroids and comets," Chief of NASAs Orbital Debris Program J.C. Liou said.

Orbital debris can consist of anything such as flecks of paint or bits of metal from spacecraft to larger debris like entire defunct satellites. Each day at least one piece of debris plummets back to Earth, according to NASA.

Astronauts aboard the International Space Station took this image of southern Scandinavia just before midnight under a full moon. (Photo/NASA)

"In general, orbital debris dominates the near-Earth environment below about 4,000 km altitude," Liou added.

Most debris burns up during atmospheric reentries. However, some satellite components have survived the reentry process and landed on the ground, Liou said.

Some examples include a propellant tank of a Delta 2 launch vehicle, which landed near Georgetown, Texas, in January 1997.

"Fortunately, no injuries or property damage due to debris reentries have been reported," he said.

In space, however, some of the smallest pieces of debris pose the most significant risks to both crew and spacecraft, Liou said.

"According to a recent NASA independent study, orbital debris in the millimeter-sized regime represents the highest penetration risk to most uncrewed spacecraft," Liou said.

The International Space Station is much better protected against orbital debris than uncrewed spacecraft, he added, stating that the space station's modules are equipped with debris impact protection shields. These modules are protected against orbital debris about 1 cm and smaller.

"However, when astronauts are conducting a spacewalk outside the ISS, orbital debris as small as 0.3 mm can penetrate certain portions of the suits the astronauts are wearing," Liou added.

Orbital space debris depicted in low Earth orbit. (Image/NASA)

In order to mitigate the risk that orbital debris poses to both spacecraft and crew, NASA conducts observations and has guidelines in place to maneuver around it.

"For the space situational awareness and orbital debris community, 'tracking' means using sensors to detect objects, conduct routine follow-up observations and then use the data to develop and update objects orbits on a regular basis," Liou said.

The orbits of these tracked objects can then be used for assessments and potential collision avoidance maneuver operations.

The U.S. Joint Space Operations Center (JSpOC), uses its global sensor network to track objects about 10 cm and larger in low Earth orbit, the region below 2,000 km altitude.

For objects ranging 1 meter and larger in geosynchronous orbit, or the region around a 36,000 km altitude, NASA uses different ground-based radars, telescopes and space-based data to make observations.

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While 500,000 pieces of orbital debris is the estimated quantity of objects that are 1 cm or larger, other smaller pieces may be too tiny to be tracked by JSpOC. Even though these pieces are smaller, they are still large enough to pose a threat to human spacecraft and robotic missions, according to Liou.

"For orbital debris 1 mm and larger, the population is on the order of 100,000,000," Liou said, citing debris larger than 0.3 mm is still a major safety concern.

In April, Liou gave a lecture during the European Conference on Space Debris to address some of the latest advancements and goals for the future in detecting and mitigating the risk posed by orbital debris.

The agency intends on advancing its research by conducting statistical surveys in both low Earth orbit and in geosynchronous orbit. However, there is currently no on-site data for particles below 0.3 mm at altitudes beyond 600 km. At the moment, NASA operates nearly 20 missions between 600 km and 1,000 km altitudes.

According to Liou, one of the main goals is to reach full autonomous operations for routine geosynchronous orbit debris surveys by 2019.

This will expand the measurement coverage and improve modeling capabilities in order to provide better risk assessments for future missions.

Liou said cooperation with the U.S. and international communities can improve mitigation efforts from global orbital debris.

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500000 pieces of space junk whirl around Earth: How this fast-moving debris poses risks to spacecraft, crew - AccuWeather.com