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Coming up this week: Jobs Friday, the Fed, bitcoin and more – CNBC

Posted on March 6, 2017 by Danzig

While the market will occupy itself will all sorts of news over the week, the most important comes Friday. That's the day the Bureau of Labor Statistics presents its nonfarm payrolls count for February, a number that will have broad implications.

For now, Wall Street per FactSet estimates is expecting that report to show 185,000 new jobs created during the month, and the unemployment rate down a notch to 4.7 percent. While respectable, that jobs number would represent a significant drop from the 227,000 reported in January, smashing analysts' estimates.

Some folks think the Street is in for another pleasant surprise.

Andrew Hunter, a U.S. economist at Capital Economics, figures the actual number will be closer to 240,000. The big payroll gain in January "was no fluke" he said, and a strong February reading is bolstered by a series of economic reports that show U.S. companies are gearing up to hire.

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Coming up this week: Jobs Friday, the Fed, bitcoin and more - CNBC

Comets deal Sound Tigers second straight loss – Connecticut Post – CT Post

Posted on March 6, 2017 by Danzig

After a lackluster loss Saturday, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers at least had a better effort Sunday in Utica, N.Y.

The result wasnt as good. The Comets Joseph LaBate scored with 40.1 seconds left in the second period, lifting Utica to a 2-1 win at the Aud.

We played hard, Bridgeport coach Brent Thompson said. We competed. The execution was a lot better in the second and third.

In the first, we were on our heels. We were a little slow.

That let the Comets get out to a 1-0 lead on Carter Bancks goal off LaBates setup.

Ryan Pulock answered in the second period, extending his scoring streak to seven games. Thats tied for second-longest in team history by a defenseman, one behind Chris Armstrong (2001-02).

But that was the only Sound Tigers shot of 25 to beat Thatcher Demko. The rookie goalie started for the third consecutive day and won all three, including his first professional shutout on Saturday against Albany.

Thompson wouldve liked to see his team test him more Sunday. The coach juggled both lines and defense pairings in the second half of the game, looking for a spark.

Its just a matter of shooting more and getting to the hard areas more, Thompson said. The games are going to get tighter and tighter as we get toward the playoffs.

Bridgeport has 19 games remaining, and after a comeback win Sunday over Springfield, Hershey matched Sound Tigers 73 points. Theyre tied for fourth in the Atlantic Division, though Bridgeport has two games in hand. The top four teams make the playoffs.

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton is in first place, eight points ahead of Bridgeport. Providence beat Lehigh Valley on Sunday to break a tie for second; the Bruins are four points ahead of the Sound Tigers, and the Phantoms are two points up.

After winning 15 out of 16, the Sound Tigers are 2-3-1-0 in the past six. They lost 4-3 in overtime at Rochester on Saturday after they won by the same score in overtime Thursday at Toronto to open the road trip.

mfornabaio@ctpost.com; http://twitter.com/fornabaioctp; http://blog.ctnews.com/fornabaio

COMETS 2, SOUND TIGERS 1

Bridgeport0 1 01

Utica1 1 02

First Period 1, Utica, Bancks 8 (LaBate, Hamilton), 11:41. Penalties Kearns, Bpt (boarding), 1:35; Rowe, Bpt (slashing), 8:28; LaBate, Uti (tripping), 14:42.

Second Period 2, Bridgeport, Pulock 12 (Toews, Winquist), 9:34. 3, Utica, LaBate 4 (Cassels, Robak), 19:19. Penalties Archibald, Uti (boarding), 5:09; Hamilton, Uti (boarding), 9:44; J.Holmstrom, Bpt (cross-checking), 12:50.

Third Period No scoring. Penalties None.

Shots on goal Bridgeport 5-8-1225. Utica 12-6-1028.

Power play opportunities Bridgeport 0 of 3, Utica 0 of 3.

Goaltenders Bridgeport, Halak 14-3-3 (28 shots-26 saves). Utica, Demko 14-11-4 (25-24).

Attendance 3,870. Referees Wilk, Tufts. Linesmen Dussureault, J.Brown.

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Comets deal Sound Tigers second straight loss - Connecticut Post - CT Post

Boys Basketball: Comets and Polar Bears both win – Fremont News Messenger

Posted on March 6, 2017 by Danzig

8:12 p.m. ET March 4, 2017

Genoa 48, Woodmore 38

Jacob Plantz had 12 points and Sam Sutter 11 as Genoa won the Division III sectional final at Oak Harbor.

The Comets (20-3) play Cardinal Stritch at 8 p.m. Thursday at Central Catholic.

Genoa scored eight straight points in the opening quarter but Woodmores Derek Wank hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer for a 12-10 deficit. Wank had 15 points for the Wildcats (9-15).

The Comets led 22-19 at the half and later scored seven straight for a 29-21 lead. A 12-2 run led to a 34-23 advantage after three quarters.

Genoa allowed nine buckets inside the arc.

Toledo St. Johns 48, Fremont Ross 40

Brandon Trolio had 11 points in his final game and Ross led entering the fourth quarter in the Division I sectional final at Central Catholic.

The Little Giants (7-17) lost to the fifth-ranked Titans twice by an average of 29 points in the regular season.

Taylor Druckenmiller and Alec Snodgrass are also seniors.

"Those three players are tremendous," Gedeon said. "They deserve to wear the Fremont Ross uniform and they wear it with pride.

Seeing these kids grow up, I told them in the locker room it is tough to say good-bye to quality seniors. And that is what they are."

Margaretta 60, Crestview 45

The Polar Bears sprinted to a 10-point first quarter lead and made it stand in Fridays tournament game.

Margaretta plays Edison at 6:15 p.m. Thursday at Norwalk.

The Cougars cut the deficit to seven at the half at 31-24, but the second half belonged to Margaretta.

Nick Leibacher led the way for the Bears with 18 points while Angelo Frias and Bailey Kimberlin added 15 and 10 respectively.

Sandusky 65, Bellevue 53

Bellevue put a scare into Sandusky early in this game before falling in tournament action at Willard.

The Redmen (10-14) led 12-11 after the first quarter but were not able to keep the advantage and found themselves down 28-22 as the teams went to the locker rooms. The second half was all Sandusky (19-4) as they added to their lead.

Owen Hartley led Bellevue with 17 points and Cody Snyder added 10 more.

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Boys Basketball: Comets and Polar Bears both win - Fremont News Messenger

New psoriasis treatments focus of AAD late-breaking research session – Healio

Posted on March 6, 2017 by Danzig

New psoriasis treatments focus of AAD late-breaking research session
Healio
The [psoriasis] treatments continue to get better over time, Joel M. Gelfand, MD, MSCE, FAAD, associate professor of dermatology and epidemiology at the University of Pennsylvania, who was the session co-moderator, told Healio.com/Dermatology.

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New psoriasis treatments focus of AAD late-breaking research session - Healio

New CIMZIA (certolizumab pegol) data in moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis presented at … – EconoTimes

Posted on March 6, 2017 by Danzig

New CIMZIA (certolizumab pegol) data in moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis presented at American Academy of Dermatology 2017 Annual Meeting

ORLANDO, Fla., March 04, 2017 -- UCB (Euronext:UCB) and Dermira, Inc. (NASDAQ:DERM) today announced 16-week, investigational results from the CIMPASI-1 and CIMPASI-2 Phase 3 trials at the 75th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) in Orlando, Florida.1 Results from the trials showed that CIMZIA (certolizumab pegol) demonstrated significant improvements in patients with moderate-to-severe chronic plaque psoriasis versus placebo. In addition to previously reported co-primary endpoints, new data presented in an oral presentation at AAD showed the percentage of patients who achieved 90% or greater disease improvement from baseline, as measured by the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI 90). Additionally, data analyses from the RAPID-PsA Phase 3 study were presented evaluating the long-term effect of CIMZIA in adult patients with active psoriatic arthritis (PsA).

The 16-week primary results from CIMPASI-1 and CIMPASI-2 showed that treatment with CIMZIA provided significant benefit to patients living with chronic plaque psoriasis, which is important given that the disease is historically difficult to treat and therefore requires multiple treatment options, said Alice Gottlieb, M.D., Ph.D., Professor of Dermatology, Department of Dermatology, New York Medical College, at Metropolitan Hospital and lead presenter of the data.

The CIMPASI-1 and CIMPASI-2 clinical results presented today support our belief that CIMZIA may one day benefit people living with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis, said Luis Pea, chief development officer at Dermira. We are committed to providing patients with access to a new treatment option for psoriasis that may also one day contribute to improvements in their overall quality of life.

Were pleased to present the clinical results from CIMPASI-1, CIMPASI-2, and RAPID-PsA at AAD this year, said Emmanuel Caeymaex, Head of Immunology and Executive Vice President at UCB, Immunology Patient Value Unit, UCB. At UCB, we are driven foremost by providing value to patients, and these results demonstrate the breadth of our immunology portfolio for people living with plaque psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. We look forward to continuing our partnership with Dermira to bring CIMZIA to these patients."

The results of the initial 16-week treatment period of CIMPASI-1 and CIMPASI-2 offer important insights for the potential use and the value of CIMZIA in adult patients with moderate to severe chronic plaque psoriasis. Researchers reported that CIMZIA showed clinically meaningful improvements in the PGA, PASI 75 and PASI 90 endpoints at week 16 compared to placebo at both treatment doses (400mg, 200mg).

Topline results from CIMPASI-1 and CIMPASI-2 were previously announced. The identically designed trials evaluated the percentage of patients who achieved a 75% or greater disease improvement from baseline as measured by the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI 75), as well as the percentage of patients achieving at least a two-point improvement on a five-point Physicians Global Assessment (PGA) scale to a final score representing clear or almost clear skin, each compared with placebo, at week 16.2

Researchers reported that the most frequent adverse events (AEs) in CIMPASI-1 and CIMPASI-2 through week 16 were upper respiratory tract infections, and serious AEs were infrequent. The adverse event profile across both trials appeared consistent with the adverse event profiles observed with CIMZIA in other indications.2 CIMZIA is not currently approved for the treatment of psoriasis by any regulatory authority worldwide.

CIMPASI-1 16-week Results1

CIMPASI-2 16-week Results1

Additional data reported from a key secondary endpoint also found that patients receiving the 400mg and 200 mg dose reported significant improvements in their quality of life compared to patients who received placebo only. CIMZIA showed a mean improvement from baseline in the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) score compared to placebo, at both doses in both the CIMPASI-1 (decrease of 10.2 at 400 mg and 9.3 at 200 mg vs. 3.3; p<0.001) and CIMPASI-2 (decrease of 10.0 at 400 mg and 10.4 at 200 mg vs. 3.8; p<0.001) clinical trials, at week 16.

A decrease in a patients DLQI score translates to overall improved satisfaction in the management of their skin condition. DLQI is a widely used and recognized quality of life measurement instrument frequently used across many dermatologic conditions.

RAPID-PsA Results3,4,5

Additionally, three post-hoc data analyses from the RAPID-PsA four-year open label extension study were presented, providing insight into the long-term impact of CIMZIA on psoriatic arthritis (PsA) patients. RAPID-PsA is a Phase 3, multi-center, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of CIMZIA. The results of RAPID-PsA were:

About Psoriasis

Psoriasis is a common, chronic, immune-mediated inflammatory disorder with primary involvement of the skin. It affects nearly three percent of the worlds population, or approximately 125 million people worldwide. The skin condition affects men and women of all ages and ethnicities. Psoriasis signs and symptoms can vary, but may include red patches of skin covered with silvery scales, dry, cracked skin that may bleed and thickened, pitted or ridged nails.6

About Psoriatic Arthritis

Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is a condition involving joint inflammation (arthritis) that usually occurs in combination with a skin disorder called psoriasis. Signs and symptoms of PsA include stiff, painful joints with warmth and swelling in the joints and surrounding tissues. In most people with PsA, psoriasis appears before joint problems develop. In some cases, psoriatic arthritis develops prior to the skin changes. Left untreated PsA can be a disabling disease. PsA affects an estimated 3.4 to 8 per 100,000 people. Between 6 and 42 percent of people with psoriasis develop psoriatic arthritis. Psoriasis affects nearly three percent of the worlds population, or approximately 125 million people worldwide.7,8

About Cimzia In the US Cimzia is the only Fc-free, PEGylated anti-TNF (Tumor Necrosis Factor). Cimzia has a high affinity for human TNF-alpha, selectively neutralizing the pathophysiological effects of TNF-alpha.

Cimzia is indicated for the treatment of adults with moderately to severely active rheumatoid arthritis, adults with active psoriatic arthritis (PsA), and adults with active ankylosing spondylitis (AS). In addition, it is indicated for reducing signs and symptoms of Crohn's disease and maintaining clinical response in adult patients with moderately to severely active disease who have had an inadequate response to conventional therapy. See important safety information including risk of serious bacterial, viral and fungal infections and tuberculosis below.

Important Safety Information about Cimzia in the US

Risk of Serious Infections and Malignancy

Patients treated with Cimzia are at an increased risk for developing serious infections that may lead to hospitalization or death. Most patients who developed these infections were taking concomitant immunosuppressants such as methotrexate or corticosteroids. Cimzia should be discontinued if a patient develops a serious infection or sepsis. Reported infections include:

The risks and benefits of treatment with Cimzia should be carefully considered prior to initiating therapy in patients with chronic or recurrent infection. Patients should be closely monitored for the development of signs and symptoms of infection during and after treatment with Cimzia, including the possible development of tuberculosis in patients who tested negative for latent tuberculosis infection prior to initiating therapy.

Lymphoma and other malignancies, some fatal, have been reported in children and adolescent patients treated with TNF blockers, of which Cimzia is a member. Cimzia is not indicated for use in pediatric patients.

Patients treated with Cimzia are at an increased risk for developing serious infections involving various organ systems and sites that may lead to hospitalization or death. Opportunistic infections due to bacterial, mycobacterial, invasive fungal, viral, parasitic, or other opportunistic pathogens including aspergillosis, blastomycosis, candidiasis, coccidioidomycosis, histoplasmosis, legionellosis, listeriosis, pneumocystosis and tuberculosis have been reported with TNF blockers. Patients have frequently presented with disseminated rather than localized disease.

Treatment with Cimzia should not be initiated in patients with an active infection, including clinically important localized infections. Cimzia should be discontinued if a patient develops a serious infection or sepsis. Patients greater than 65 years of age, patients with co-morbid conditions, and/or patients taking concomitant immunosuppressants (e.g., corticosteroids or methotrexate) may be at a greater risk of infection. Patients who develop a new infection during treatment with Cimzia should be closely monitored, undergo a prompt and complete diagnostic workup appropriate for immunocompromised patients, and appropriate antimicrobial therapy should be initiated. Appropriate empiric antifungal therapy should also be considered while a diagnostic workup is performed for patients who develop a serious systemic illness and reside or travel in regions where mycoses are endemic.

Malignancies

During controlled and open-labeled portions of Cimzia studies of Crohns disease and other diseases, malignancies (excluding non-melanoma skin cancer) were observed at a rate of 0.5 per 100 patient-years among 4,650 Cimzia-treated patients versus a rate of 0.6 per 100 patient-years among 1,319 placebo-treated patients. In studies of Cimzia for Crohns disease and other investigational uses, there was one case of lymphoma among 2,657 Cimzia-treated patients and one case of Hodgkin lymphoma among 1,319 placebo-treated patients. In Cimzia RA clinical trials (placebo-controlled and open label), a total of three cases of lymphoma were observed among 2,367 patients. This is approximately 2-fold higher than expected in the general population. Patients with RA, particularly those with highly active disease, are at a higher risk for the development of lymphoma. The potential role of TNF blocker therapy in the development of malignancies is not known.

Malignancies, some fatal, have been reported among children, adolescents, and young adults who received treatment with TNF-blocking agents (initiation of therapy 18 years of age), of which Cimzia is a member. Approximately half of the cases were lymphoma (including Hodgkins and non-Hodgkins lymphoma), while the other cases represented a variety of different malignancies and included rare malignancies associated with immunosuppression and malignancies not usually observed in children and adolescents. Most of the patients were receiving concomitant immunosuppressants.

Cases of acute and chronic leukemia have been reported with TNF-blocker use. Even in the absence of TNF-blocker therapy, patients with RA may be at a higher risk (approximately 2-fold) than the general population for developing leukemia.

Postmarketing cases of hepatosplenic T-cell lymphoma (HSTCL), a rare type of T-cell lymphoma that has a very aggressive disease course and is usually fatal, have been reported in patients treated with TNF blockers, including Cimzia. The majority of reported TNF blocker cases occurred in adolescent and young adult males with Crohns disease or ulcerative colitis. Almost all of these patients had received treatment with the immunosuppressants azathioprine and/or 6-mercaptopurine (6-MP) concomitantly with a TNF blocker at or prior to diagnosis. Carefully assess the risks and benefits of treatment with Cimzia, especially in these patient types.

Melanoma and Merkel cell carcinoma have been reported in patients treated with TNF-antagonists, including Cimzia. Periodic skin examinations are recommended for all patients, particularly those with risk factors for skin cancer.

Heart Failure

Cases of worsening congestive heart failure (CHF) and new onset CHF have been reported with TNF blockers. Cimzia has not been formally studied in patients with CHF. Exercise caution when using Cimzia in patients who have heart failure and monitor them carefully.

Hypersensitivity

Symptoms compatible with hypersensitivity reactions, including angioedema, dyspnea, hypotension, rash, serum sickness, and urticaria, have been reported rarely following Cimzia administration. Some of these reactions occurred after the first administration of Cimzia. If such reactions occur, discontinue further administration of Cimzia and institute appropriate therapy.

Hepatitis B Reactivation

Use of TNF blockers, including Cimzia, has been associated with reactivation of hepatitis B virus (HBV) in patients who are chronic carriers of this virus. Some cases have been fatal. Test patients for HBV infection before initiating treatment with Cimzia. Exercise caution in prescribing Cimzia for patients identified as carriers of HBV, with careful evaluation and monitoring prior to and during treatment. In patients who develop HBV reactivation, discontinue Cimzia and initiate effective anti-viral therapy with appropriate supportive treatment.

Neurologic Reactions

Use of TNF blockers, including Cimzia, has been associated with rare cases of new onset or exacerbation of clinical symptoms and/or radiographic evidence of central nervous system demyelinating disease, including multiple sclerosis, and with peripheral demyelinating disease, including Guillain-Barr syndrome. Rare cases of neurological disorders, including seizure disorder, optic neuritis, and peripheral neuropathy have been reported in patients treated with Cimzia. Exercise caution in considering the use of Cimzia in patients with these disorders.

Hematologic Reactions

Rare reports of pancytopenia, including aplastic anemia, have been reported with TNF blockers. Medically significant cytopenia (e.g., leukopenia, pancytopenia, thrombocytopenia) has been infrequently reported with Cimzia. Advise all patients to seek immediate medical attention if they develop signs and symptoms suggestive of blood dyscrasias or infection (e.g., persistent fever, bruising, bleeding, pallor) while on Cimzia. Consider discontinuation of Cimzia therapy in patients with confirmed significant hematologic abnormalities.

Drug Interactions

An increased risk of serious infections has been seen in clinical trials of other TNF blocking agents used in combination with anakinra or abatacept. Formal drug interaction studies have not been performed with rituximab or natalizumab; however, because of the nature of the adverse events seen with these combinations with TNF blocker therapy, similar toxicities may also result from the use of Cimzia in these combinations. Therefore, the combination of Cimzia with anakinra, abatacept, rituximab, or natalizumab is not recommended. Interference with certain coagulation assays has been detected in patients treated with Cimzia. There is no evidence that Cimzia therapy has an effect on in vivo coagulation. Cimzia may cause erroneously elevated aPTT assay results in patients without coagulation abnormalities.

Autoimmunity

Treatment with Cimzia may result in the formation of autoantibodies and, rarely, in the development of a lupus-like syndrome. Discontinue treatment if symptoms of lupus-like syndrome develop.

Immunizations

Do not administer live vaccines or live-attenuated vaccines concurrently with Cimzia.

Adverse Reactions

In controlled Crohns clinical trials, the most common adverse events that occurred in 5% of Cimzia patients (n=620) and more frequently than with placebo (n=614) were upper respiratory infection (20% Cimzia, 13% placebo), urinary tract infection (7% Cimzia, 6% placebo), and arthralgia (6% Cimzia, 4% placebo). The proportion of patients who discontinued treatment due to adverse reactions in the controlled clinical studies was 8% for Cimzia and 7% for placebo.

In controlled RA clinical trials, the most common adverse events that occurred in 3% of patients taking Cimzia 200 mg every other week with concomitant methotrexate (n=640) and more frequently than with placebo with concomitant methotrexate (n=324) were upper respiratory tract infection (6% Cimzia, 2% placebo), headache (5% Cimzia, 4% placebo), hypertension (5% Cimzia, 2% placebo), nasopharyngitis (5% Cimzia, 1% placebo), back pain (4% Cimzia, 1% placebo), pyrexia (3% Cimzia, 2% placebo), pharyngitis (3% Cimzia, 1% placebo), rash (3% Cimzia, 1% placebo), acute bronchitis (3% Cimzia, 1% placebo), fatigue (3% Cimzia, 2% placebo). Hypertensive adverse reactions were observed more frequently in patients receiving Cimzia than in controls. These adverse reactions occurred more frequently among patients with a baseline history of hypertension and among patients receiving concomitant corticosteroids and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Patients receiving Cimzia 400 mg as monotherapy every 4 weeks in RA controlled clinical trials had similar adverse reactions to those patients receiving Cimzia 200 mg every other week. The proportion of patients who discontinued treatment due to adverse reactions in the controlled clinical studies was 5% for Cimzia and 2.5% for placebo.

The safety profile for patients with Psoriatic Arthritis (PsA) treated with CIMZIA was similar to the safety profile seen in patients with RA and previous experience with Cimzia.

The safety profile for AS patients treated with Cimzia was similar to the safety profile seen in patients with RA.

For full prescribing information, please visit http://www.ucb.com

CIMZIA is a registered trademark of the UCB Group of Companies.

About Cimzia in the EU/EEA In the EU, Cimzia in combination with methotrexate (MTX) is indicated for the treatment of moderate to severe active RA in adult patients inadequately responsive to disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) including MTX.

Cimzia can be given as monotherapy in case of intolerance to MTX or when continued treatment with MTX is inappropriate. CIMZIA in combination with MTX is also indicated for the treatment of severe, active and progressive RA in adults not previously treated with MTX or other DMARDs.

Cimzia has been shown to reduce the rate of progression of joint damage as measured by X-ray and to improve physical function, when given in combination with MTX.

Cimzia, in combination with MTX, is also indicated for the treatment of active psoriatic arthritis in adults when the response to previous DMARD therapy has been inadequate. Cimzia can be given as monotherapy in case of intolerance to methotrexate or when continued treatment with methotrexate is inappropriate.

Cimzia is also indicated in the EU for the treatment of adult patients with severe active axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA), comprising:

Important Safety Information about Cimzia in the EU/EEA Cimzia was studied in 4,049 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in controlled and open label trials for up to 92 months. The commonly reported adverse reactions (1-10%) in clinical trials with Cimzia and post-marketing were viral infections (includes herpes, papillomavirus, influenza), bacterial infections (including abscess), rash, headache (including migraine), asthaenia, leukopaenia (including lymphopaenia, neutropaenia), eosinophilic disorder, pain (any sites), pyrexia, sensory abnormalities, hypertension, pruritus (any sites), hepatitis (including hepatic enzyme increase), injection site reactions, and nausea. Serious adverse reactions include sepsis, opportunistic infections, tuberculosis, herpes zoster, lymphoma, leukaemia, solid organ tumours, angioneurotic oedema, cardiomyopathies (includes heart failure), ischemic coronary artery disorders, pancytopaenia, hypercoagulation (including thrombophlebitis, pulmonary embolism), cerebrovascular accident, vasculitis, hepatitis/hepatopathy (includes cirrhosis), and renal impairment/nephropathy (includes nephritis). In RA controlled clinical trials, 4.4% of patients discontinued taking Cimzia due to adverse events vs. 2.7% for placebo.

Cimzia is contraindicated in patients with hypersensitivity to the active substance or any of the excipients, active tuberculosis or other severe infections such as sepsis or opportunistic infections or moderate-to-severe heart failure.

Serious infections including sepsis, tuberculosis and opportunistic infections have been reported in patients receiving Cimzia. Some of these events have been fatal. Monitor patients closely for signs and symptoms of infections including tuberculosis before, during and after treatment with Cimzia. Treatment with Cimzia must not be initiated in patients with a clinically important active infection. If an infection develops, monitor carefully and stop Cimzia if infection becomes serious. Before initiation of therapy with Cimzia, all patients must be evaluated for both active and inactive (latent) tuberculosis infection. If active tuberculosis is diagnosed prior to or during treatment, Cimzia therapy must not be initiated and must be discontinued. If latent tuberculosis is diagnosed, appropriate anti-tuberculosis therapy must be started before initiating treatment with Cimzia. Patients should be instructed to seek medical advice if signs/symptoms (e.g. persistent cough, wasting/weight loss, low grade fever, listlessness) suggestive of tuberculosis occur during or after therapy with Cimzia.

Reactivation of hepatitis B has occurred in patients receiving a TNF-antagonist including Cimzia who are chronic carriers of the virus (i.e. surface antigen positive). Some cases have had a fatal outcome. Patients should be tested for HBV infection before initiating treatment with Cimzia. Carriers of HBV who require treatment with Cimzia should be closely monitored and in the case of HBV reactivation Cimzia should be stopped and effective anti-viral therapy with appropriate supportive treatment should be initiated.

TNF antagonists including Cimzia may increase the risk of new onset or exacerbation of clinical symptoms and/or radiographic evidence of demyelinating disease; of formation of autoantibodies and uncommonly of the development of a lupus-like syndrome; of severe hypersensitivity reactions. If a patient develops any of these adverse reactions, Cimzia should be discontinued and appropriate therapy instituted.

With the current knowledge, a possible risk for the development of lymphomas, leukaemia or other malignancies in patients treated with a TNF antagonist cannot be excluded. Rare cases of neurological disorders, including seizure disorder, neuritis and peripheral neuropathy, have been reported in patients treated with Cimzia.

Adverse reactions of the hematologic system, including medically significant cytopaenia, have been infrequently reported with Cimzia. Advise all patients to seek immediate medical attention if they develop signs and symptoms suggestive of blood dyscrasias or infection (e.g., persistent fever, bruising, bleeding, pallor) while on Cimzia. Consider discontinuation of Cimzia therapy in patients with confirmed significant haematological abnormalities.

The use of Cimzia in combination with anakinra or abatacept is not recommended due to a potential increased risk of serious infections. As no data are available, Cimzia should not be administered concurrently with live vaccines. The 14-day half-life of Cimzia should be taken into consideration if a surgical procedure is planned. A patient who requires surgery while on CIMZIA should be closely monitored for infections.

Cimzia was studied in 325patients with active axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) in a placebo-controlled clinical trial for up to 30months and in 409patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) in a placebo-controlled clinical trial for up to 30months. The safety profile for axSpA and PsA patients treated with Cimzia was consistent with the safety profile in RA and previous experience with Cimzia.

Please consult the full prescribing information in relation to other side effects, full safety and prescribing information. European SmPC date of revision 15th December 2016. http://www.ema.europa.eu/docs/en_GB/document_library/EPAR_-_Product_Information/human/001037/WC500069763.pdf

REFERENCES

About Dermira

Dermira is a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to bringing biotech ingenuity to medical dermatology by delivering differentiated, new therapies to the millions of patients living with chronic skin conditions. Dermira is committed to understanding the needs of both patients and physicians and using its insight to identify and develop leading-edge medical dermatology programs. Dermiras product pipeline includes three Phase 3 product candidates that could have a profound impact on the lives of patients: glycopyrronium tosylate (formerly DRM04), in development for the treatment of primary axillary hyperhidrosis (excessive underarm sweating); CIMZIA (certolizumab pegol), in development in collaboration with UCB Pharma S.A. for the treatment of moderate-to-severe chronic plaque psoriasis; and olumacostat glasaretil, in development for the treatment of acne vulgaris. Dermira is headquartered in Menlo Park, Calif. For more information, please visit http://www.dermira.com.

In addition to filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), press releases, public conference calls and webcasts, Dermira uses its website (www.dermira.com) and LinkedIn page (https://www.linkedin.com/company/dermira-inc-) as channels of distribution of information about its company, product candidates, planned financial and other announcements, attendance at upcoming investor and industry conferences and other matters. Such information may be deemed material information and Dermira may use these channels to comply with its disclosure obligations under Regulation FD. Therefore, investors should monitor Dermiras website and LinkedIn page in addition to following its SEC filings, press releases, public conference calls and webcasts.

About UCB UCB, Brussels, Belgium (www.ucb.com) is a global biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of innovative medicines and solutions to transform the lives of people living with severe diseases of the immune system or of the central nervous system. With more than 7 700 people in approximately 40 countries, the company generated revenue of 3.9 billion in 2015. UCB is listed on Euronext Brussels (symbol: UCB). Follow us on Twitter: @UCB_news

Dermira Forward-Looking Statements The information in this press release contains forward-looking statements and information within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, which are subject to the safe harbor created by those sections. This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve substantial risks and uncertainties, including the statements that CIMZIA one day benefit patients living with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis and contribute to improvements in their overall quality of life. These statements deal with future events and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from the information expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include risks and uncertainties such as those relating to the design, implementation and outcomes of Dermiras clinical trials; the outcome of future discussions with regulatory authorities relating to the CIMZIA clinical program; Dermiras dependence on third-party clinical research organizations, manufacturers and suppliers; and Dermiras ability to continue to stay in compliance with applicable laws and regulations. You should refer to the section entitled Risk Factors set forth in Dermiras Annual Report on Form 10-K, Dermiras Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and other filingsDermiramakes with theSEC from time to time for a discussion of important factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by Dermiras forward-looking statements. Furthermore, such forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release. Dermira undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements or reasons why actual results might differ, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

UCB Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements based on current plans, estimates and beliefs of management. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are statements that could be deemed forward-looking statements, including estimates of revenues, operating margins, capital expenditures, cash, other financial information, expected legal, political, regulatory or clinical results and other such estimates and results. By their nature, such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions which could cause actual results to differ materially from those that may be implied by such forward-looking statements contained in this press release. Important factors that could result in such differences include: changes in general economic, business and competitive conditions, the inability to obtain necessary regulatory approvals or to obtain them on acceptable terms, costs associated with research and development, changes in the prospects for products in the pipeline or under development by UCB, effects of future judicial decisions or governmental investigations, product liability claims, challenges to patent protection for products or product candidates, changes in laws or regulations, exchange rate fluctuations, changes or uncertainties in tax laws or the administration of such laws and hiring and retention of its employees. UCB is providing this information as of the date of this press release and expressly disclaims any duty to update any information contained in this press release, either to confirm the actual results or to report a change in its expectations.

There is no guarantee that new product candidates in the pipeline will progress to product approval or that new indications for existing products will be developed and approved. Products or potential products which are the subject of partnerships, joint ventures or licensing collaborations may be subject to differences between the partners. Also, UCB or others could discover safety, side effects or manufacturing problems with its products after they are marketed. Moreover, sales may be impacted by international and domestic trends toward managed care and health care cost containment and the reimbursement policies imposed by third-party payers as well as legislation affecting biopharmaceutical pricing and reimbursement.

Human Life Could Be Extended Indefinitely, Study Suggests

Goosebumps, tears and tenderness: what it means to be moved

Are over-the-counter painkillers a waste of money?

Does an anomaly in the Earth's magnetic field portend a coming pole reversal?

Immunotherapy: Training the body to fight cancer

Do vegetarians live longer? Probably, but not because they're vegetarian

Could a contraceptive app be as good as the pill?

Some scientific explanations for alien abduction that aren't so out of this world

Society actually does want policies that benefit future generations

Six cosmic catastrophes that could wipe out life on Earth

Big Pharma Starts Using Cannabis For Making Drugs In Earnest

Do you need to worry if your baby has a flat head?

New CIMZIA (certolizumab pegol) data in moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis presented at ... - EconoTimes

Cimzia demonstrates efficacy at 16 weeks as psoriasis treatment – Healio

Posted on March 6, 2017 by Danzig

Cimzia demonstrates efficacy at 16 weeks as psoriasis treatment
Healio
ORLANDO, Fla. Patients treated with Cimzia reported statistically significant improvement in moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis at 16 weeks, according to research presented at a late-breaking research forum of the American Academy of Dermatology ...

World briefs: Indians fear travel to US after attacks – Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Posted on March 6, 2017 by Danzig

NEW DELHI After three high-profile attacks on Indians in the United States in 10 days two of them being investigated as possible hate crimes concerns about travel to the country are rising in India.

A Sikh man was shot in the arm Friday outside his home in the Seattle area by a man who reportedly shouted, Go back to your own country! the Seattle Times reported. The man, Deep Rai, is expected to recover; authorities are investigating the incident as a suspected hate crime.

The Seattle-area shooting follows the Feb. 22 attack on two Indian computer engineers Srinivas Kuchibhotla and Alok Madasani in a Kansas bar that left one dead and was condemned by President Donald Trump as an act of hate about a week later. On Thursday, a convenience store owner was fatally shot in South Carolina. An investigation is ongoing, but authorities said they have not seen evidence of a hate crime.

The attacks have prompted some in India seeking to visit, study or work in the United States to cancel or change their plans.

Erdogan accuses Germany

COLOGNE, Germany A series of canceled campaign rallies planned by Turkish politicians in Germany has incurred the wrath of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who Sunday accused Germany of Nazi practices.

Officials in various German localities called off planned events this week at which Turkish ministers were scheduled to rally support for an upcoming referendum that would greatly empower Mr. Erdogan and weaken Parliament.

About 1.4 million Turks living in Germany are eligible to vote in the referendum, which is set for April 16.

The Netherlands has banned a planned rally of Turks in Rotterdam later this week, and Austrian Chancellor Christian Kern Sunday called for a European Union-side wide ban on all such campaigning.

Ties between Turkey and Germany have been strained over Mr. Erdogans crackdown on opponents following the failed attempt to topple him in July.

Crisis on border

KABUL, Afghanistan Pakistan has kept its border crossings with Afghanistan sealed for more than two weeks, with thousands of Afghan visitors stranded in Pakistan and traders unable to move their vegetables and fruit across.

After a suicide bombing in Pakistans Sindh province on Feb. 16, which killed more than 80 people, the Pakistani military shut its borders with Afghanistan, saying the terrorists behind the attack had sanctuaries in the country. It also carried out cross-border shelling into Afghanistan.

Omar Zakhilwal, Afghanistans ambassador to Pakistan, said Sunday that if the border did not open soon, his government would be forced to airlift its stranded citizens.

Hunger in Venezuela

Venezuela has been teetering on the brink of political meltdown and economic collapse for months. Food shortages have now grown so severe that religious leaders are urging people to label their tossed out food for those scavenging to fill their empty stomachs.

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Banksy’s new hotel promises the "worst view in the world" – AsiaOne

Posted on March 6, 2017 by Danzig

AsiaOne

Banksy's new hotel promises the "worst view in the world"
AsiaOne
British street artist Banksy has launched a hotel boasting the "worst view in the world" in the West Bank city of Bethlehem, Friday, close to the illegal separation wall Israel has built inside the Palestinian West Bank. The hotel named the Walled Off ...
Banksy's art in West Bank hotel with world's 'worst view'Jakarta Post

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Banksy's new hotel promises the "worst view in the world" - AsiaOne

Travelling the world with cats and a dog – BBC News

Posted on March 6, 2017 by Danzig

BBC News

Travelling the world with cats and a dog
BBC News
It's 26 years since I set off to try my luck as a journalist in Moscow. I had a rucksack, a Russian phrasebook, and the expectation of adventure. What I hadn't anticipated was pets. Within a year there was an insistent scratching sound on my ...

and more »

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Travelling the world with cats and a dog - BBC News

Fujitsu to build Riken’s new deep learning supercomputer – ZDNet

Posted on March 6, 2017 by Danzig

The Riken Center for Advanced Intelligence Project in Japan has announced it will be receiving a new deep learning supercomputer next month, which will be used to accelerate research and development into the "real-world" application of artificial intelligence (AI) technology.

The system will be provided by Japanese IT giant Fujitsu, with the supercomputer's total theoretical processing performance expected to reach 4 petaflops.

The system is comprised of two server architectures, with 24 Nvidia DGX-1 servers -- each including eight of the latest NVIDIA Tesla P100 accelerators and integrated deep learning software -- and 32 Fujitsu Server PRIMERGY RX2530 M2 servers, along with a high-performance storage system, Fujitsu explained.

Fujitsu said the file system is Fujitsu Software FEFS on six Fujitsu Server PRIMERGY RX2540 M2 PC servers; eight Fujitsu Storage ETERNUS DX200 S3 storage systems; and one Fujitsu Storage ETERNUS DX100 S3 storage system to provide the IO processing demanded by deep learning analysis.

Along with the standard DGX-1 deep learning software environment provided by Nvidia in a public cloud, Fujitsu said it will also integrate a customised software environment for use in a secure on-site network.

"Nvidia DGX-1, the world's first all-in-one AI supercomputer, is designed to meet the enormous computational needs of AI researchers

"Powered by 24 DGX-1s, the Riken Center for Advanced Intelligence Project's system will be the most powerful DGX-1 customer installation in the world," said Jim McHugh, VP and general manager at Nvidia. "Its breakthrough performance will dramatically speed up deep learning research in Japan, and become a platform for solving complex problems in healthcare, manufacturing, and public safety."

The new supercomputer will be installed in Fujitsu's Yokohama datacentre, with Fujitsu to also provide Riken with R&D support when using the system.

Founded in 1917, Riken is a large research institute in Japan that boasts about 3,000 scientists over seven campuses across Japan.

The new system will be used by the Riken centre to accelerate research into AI and the development of technologies to support fields such as regenerative medicine and manufacturing, in addition to "real-world" implementation of solutions to social issues including healthcare for the elderly, management of aging infrastructure, and response to natural disasters.

Fujitsu's K computer currently installed at the Riken Advanced Institute for Computational Science in Kobe, Japan, is in the top 10 of 2016's TOP500 list of the fastest computers in the world.

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Fujitsu to build Riken's new deep learning supercomputer - ZDNet

Opinion/Commentary: Global stem cell therapy market to showcase … – The Daily Progress

Posted on March 6, 2017 by Danzig

LONDON Technavio analysts forecast the global stem cell therapy market to grow at a compound annual growth rate of close to 37 percent during the forecast period, according to their latest report.

The research study covers the present scenario and growth prospects of the global stem cell therapy market for 2017-2021. To determine the market size, the study considers revenue generated from allogenic and autogenic stem cell therapies.

The Americas are the largest regional segment of the global stem cell therapy market, responsible for generating over 56 percent of the total revenue (2016 figures). The region is expected to continue market dominance through the forecast period, driven by increasing demand for stem cell therapy products and investments into R&D.

Technavio analysts highlight the following factors as contributing to the growth of the global stem cell therapy market:

Increase in federal funding in stem cell therapy.

Sapna Jha, one of the lead research analysts at Technavio for medical imaging research, says, Many stem cell research institutes and small companies are involved in cutting-edge R&D and are yielding encouraging results. These institutions are witnessing an increased flow of investments from federal organizations, due to the realization of the importance of regenerative medicine.

The U.S. National Institutes of Health, a major funding government organization invested approximately USD 1.5 billion in stem cell research projects in 2016. Similarly, several state-level organizations such as California Institute for Regenerative Medicine has contributed USD 3 billion to stem cell research in 2014. Such funding will help various research institutes to discover and develop regenerative medicines, which will boost the global regenerative medicine market enormously.

Growing demand for personalized medicine.

The health care sector is creating a high demand for personalized medicine, which could offer game-changing opportunities for the vendors. These medicines offer treatments based on the individual characteristics, needs, and preferences, which will vastly improve the quality of health care. Individuals are increasingly banking their stem cells for future treatments. Research organizations are also extensively exploring ways to develop personalized treatments with stem cells, which could eventually erase the conventional medicine system and help in the effective treatment of various diseases such as diabetes and cancer.

Demand for development of effective drugs for cardiology and degenerative disorders.

There has been an increased demand to develop effective drugs for cardiology and degenerative disorders, for which there were no effective treatment plans before the advent of stem therapies. The discovery of possible cardiac stem cells uncovered new arenas to repair hearts injured due to acute myocardial infarction or coronary artery disease, says Sapna.

Researchers are studying and developing approximately 19 product candidates for the treatment of cardiac disorders, with eight of them in Phase III, and six in Phase II.

Technavio is a global technology research and advisory company. This report was made available through The Associated Press.

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Opinion/Commentary: Global stem cell therapy market to showcase ... - The Daily Progress

Skydiving enhances spirituality – Altus Times

Posted on March 6, 2017 by Danzig

Airman Kristian Cadalin, 97th Force Support Squadron services apprentice, floats in the air at an indoor skydiving facility Feb. 10 in Edmond. The goal of the outreach event was to give the opportunity for single airmen to reignite their spirituality while providing a fun community experience.

Courtesy photo | Airman 1st Class Cody Dowell

ALTUS AIR FORCE BASE Airmen from the base soared through the air, even though they still had a roof above their heads.

The base chapel hosted an indoor skydiving trip Feb. 10 in Edmond. The goal of the outreach event was to give the opportunity to reignite the faith of single airmen while providing a fun community experience.

The motto of this trip is to relaunch your faith, said Air Force Capt. Quanika Bynum, 97th Air Mobility Wing Chapel chaplain. It is about obtaining goals and dreams with the start of the new year, doing things that we have been afraid of. When you think about flying, you think about letting go and we are comparing it to spirituality. Letting go of the past because of fears and doubts so you can move forward. The main focus is spirituality, but the things we will be talking about here can be applied to everyday life.

The chapel staff is using resources to reach out to the airmen, planning events throughout the year for the betterment of the members on base.

The chapel plans on having outreach events quarterly for single airmen along with smaller events biweekly, Bynum said. We are trying to pull people out of their room, with the goal of building a community that is involved with one another.

The target audience for these outreach events is single airmen, but that doesnt make it exclusive to dorm residents.

There are a lot of single people on base other than just first-term airmen, but we are targeting them because we feel they need the most support on base, Bynum said. That said, younger airmen are our foundation and do most of the work on base. So I hope, with this trip, we can give some stability to their lives.

This trip and other events hosted by the chapel are free to attend and seek to better the welfare of the airmen on base.

Offering opportunities like this allows airmen to refresh their mind, Bynum said. Feeling mentally refreshed, could possibly change their perspective on how they view their job and allow them to more efficiently accomplish the mission.

This trip was a great time, Im glad that the base offers this because I wouldnt have done this on my own, said Airman 1st Class Tyler Coonce, 97th Communications Squadron radio frequency transmissions apprentice. I feel that this is a great deal because it was an opportunity to do something fun off base. I wish more people would take advantage of opportunities like this. This was my first trip that Ive been that the base has provided, but I would definitely do it again.

The chapel staff organizes trips like this to help airmen promote healthy social behavior and to be mentally ready to accomplish the mission.

The only thing the Chapel gets out of this is to see airmen grow, connect with one another and create a foundation for their lives, Bynum said. We get joy from knowing airmen are being taken care of and its not because of a job or a paycheck, its something beyond that. We would want to see that airmen are receiving care and support on a consistent level, no matter the time or location.

The base chapel successfully planned and implemented a trip to improve the morale of single airmen, allowing them to have the opportunity to reignite their faith while providing a fun community experience.for more information about upcoming events or what services the chapel provides call 580-481-7485.

http://altustimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/web1_Military-skydiving-RGB.jpgAirman Kristian Cadalin, 97th Force Support Squadron services apprentice, floats in the air at an indoor skydiving facility Feb. 10 in Edmond. The goal of the outreach event was to give the opportunity for single airmen to reignite their spirituality while providing a fun community experience. Courtesy photo | Airman 1st Class Cody Dowell

Skydiving enhances personal spirituality

Reach Airman 1st Class Cody Dowell at 580-481-7700.

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Skydiving enhances spirituality - Altus Times

Confab: Trump, Up and Down – The Weekly Standard

Posted on March 6, 2017 by Danzig

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Hosted by Eric Felten.

12:00 PM, Mar 04, 2017 | By TWS PODCAST

The Weekly Standard

Sorry, you've reached the limit on the articles you can view.

In this episode of THE WEEKLY STANDARD Confab, Michael Warren joins host Eric Felten to talk about the Trump administration's eventful week, from the high of the president's speech before Congress to the low of the Attorney General's Russia recusal. Then Chris Deaton comes by to tell us about the proliferation of city soda taxes.

This podcast can be downloaded here. Subscribe to THE WEEKLY STANDARD Confab's iTunes podcast feed here.

Web Link: http://www.weeklystandard.com/article/2007091

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Confab: Trump, Up and Down - The Weekly Standard

CNN’s ‘Believer With Reza Aslan’ could use a little more enlightenment itself – Los Angeles Times

Posted on March 6, 2017 by Danzig

Imagine something like Anthony Bourdains show Parts Unknown. Now replace Bourdain with religious scholar Reza Aslan and instead of a look at food culture, picture a glimpse of various sects, cults, rites and rituals around the globe and you have CNNs Believer With Reza Aslan.

The six-episode spiritual adventures series, premiering Sunday, focuses on groups misunderstood by majority religions; the Hindu are disgusted with the ghoulish Aghori sect in India; evangelical missionaries have labeled Haitis Vodou faith as demonic; and then theres the Hawaiian doomsday cult led by a man named JeZus.

But Believer doesnt offer as much enlightenment as its title and premise might suggest. The main problem here is that some of the chosen believers in the first few episodes are ultimately unbelievable.

Many of the groups and leaders featured here are so fringe that their bizarre philosophies and theatrics distract from Aslans main mission to demystify lesser understood faiths and find a commonality that makes us all believers in something.

The Aghori are an ascetic sect of Hinduism that rejects the caste system (good), but challenges widely held ideas about purity with post-mortem rituals such as eating human flesh (bad).

As with each episode, Aslan tries to embed with his chosen subjects and practice as they do. But in Varanasi, it leads to hanging out with three random Aghoris camped by the Ganges River who get Aslan to smear his body with the ashes of human remains and possibly even eat brain matter. He draws the line when the guru asks him to consume something else too gross to mention, and then flings it at Aslan when he refuses.

The research and scene-setting in this installment, where Aslan explains the caste system, its relation to the Hindu religion and interviews scholars and people on the street is when the show is at its best. But when it leads to him hanging out in a meditation den, lit like a rave, with an attention-seeking guru who drinks honey out of human skulls, the journey is more about sensationalism than true discovery.

In Hawaii, the Rainbow Village doomsday cult is building an ark in the middle of the jungle in anticipation of the apocalypse.

Again, the setup gives seemingly pertinent background on other doomsday cults and their leaders, including Jim Jones, David Koresh and Heavens Gate. But the group the show chooses to embed with appears more like a loose-knit hippie commune than anything else. Self-proclaimed prophet JeZus doesnt even seem all that sure of why 40 or more people have chosen to live with him in the jungle and invest in a vision that isnt much of a vision at all: Stick with him and you might survive the coming floods and destruction. Even JeZus admits his theatrical displays rants, flailing arms, word-salad revelations are oftentimes a front: If you can survive my narcissism, you can pass the test, he says.

Haiti is where the show finds its footing. Aslan breaks down the history of the Vodou religion, how it arrived with African slaves and how it mixed with the Catholic iconography of slave traders and masters. He embeds with Vodou priests and priestesses, and scenes shot during their rituals capture a deeply genuine sense of devotion and enlightenment.

Believer shows the tension between a fairly new evangelical movement in Haiti and the islands centuries-old Vodou beliefs, and how that conflict replicates some of the oppressive aspects of the island during its dark slavery years.

Aslan, a SoCal-based religion professor, became a name beyond the academic set when he published his 2013 bestseller Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth. It outraged some in conservative Christian circles because they felt a Muslim author had no place writing about Jesus.

As a host, Aslan is charismatic. But in order to make Believer more believable, the show needs to stop trying to shock and, like Bourdain does with his series, find the extraordinary in the most ordinary of people and moments.

------------

Believer With Reza Aslan

Where: CNN

When: 7 and 10 p.m. Sunday

lorraine.ali@latimes.com

@lorraineali

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CNN's 'Believer With Reza Aslan' could use a little more enlightenment itself - Los Angeles Times

Ani Choying Drolma: Nepal’s rock star nun – CNN.com – CNN

Posted on March 6, 2017 by Danzig

That, says Drolma, is an urban legend which has been amplified during the two decades in which she has been telling her incredible story to journalists around the world.

Not that her biography needs exaggeration.

Born in Nepal to Tibetan refugee parents, Drolma's rise from teenage nun to international music star is the stuff of fairytales. Her prolific philanthropic work and subsequent role as Nepal's first UNICEF national ambassador has earned her comparisons to India's Mother Theresa.

But with 12 pop albums to her name Drolma is arguably a more unusual, groundbreaking figure.

Unmarried and child-free, when Drolma, 45, drives herself around the chaotic capital of Kathmandu in her saffron robes honking her horn as her songs blast from the radio, she is defying just about every expectation of women in Nepal.

"I have been the most revolutionary person I can think of in my society," Drolma tells CNN.

She isn't exaggerating.

Drolma's father did hit her.

"Small things irritated him and he'd beat me and my mum," she says. "Today, I see it as a disease he was suffering from. But in those days we all suffered because of it."

Aged 10, full of anger and fear, Drolma resolved to become a Buddhist nun -- in Nepal, nuns are not permitted to marry or have children.

"I thought, 'If I grow up and get married that man will treat me the same way'. Domestic violence is a big problem in our society."

Her parents were approving of Drolma's decision -- "our cultural belief is that when someone becomes a nun they are going to live their life more positively" -- and three years later she was accepted by a local monastery.

Without hesitation, Drolma shed her hair, everyday clothing and birth name, Dolma Tsekyid.

"When I first got (my head) shaved I felt so free, I could feel the breeze."

Nagi Gompa monastery was located on a mountaintop in the Kathmandu Valley, and to Drolma it was "paradise".

"The whole environment there was beautiful. Everyone was kind, and I never got beaten, or had to carry my two younger brothers on my back. Or do the cleaning.

"I was given my childhood back."

Foreigners would often visit Nagi Gompa seeking spiritual enlightenment.

In 1993, American record producer Steve Tibbetts turned up at the hilltop retreat with his wife to learn meditation under Tulku Urgyen, who he described as "a greatmeditation master" and Drolma's main teacher.

On their last night, a translator at the monastery asked Tibbetts to record Drolma, then aged 22, singing.

"She sort of rolled her eyes -- 'Whois this guy with his cassette recorder?' -- took a deep breath, and sang somelines from 'Leymon Tendrel.' Iwasamazed, dumbfounded," Tibbetts says.

So dumfounded, in fact, that Tibbetts forgot to press "record".

"There's a quality in her singing that cutsto the heart of what it's like to be human," he says."That quality, that tonality, justgoes right to the centerof your chest."

Tibbetts returned a few days later and captured Drolma's voice. On returning to the US, he set her haunting Buddhist hymns to a guitar track, and sent the recording to Nepal, suggesting the pair collaborate on an album.

"Without calculation, I just did it," Drolma says, "and later on it created some kind of a miracle in my life."

While Drolma attributes her big break to Tibbetts, he is adamant the opposite is true.

"Just to be clear, she wouldn't be denied," he tells CNN, via email from the United States. "If I hadn't have met her and started her off, she would have found someone else."

The first album was called "Cho".

The vocals were recorded at the nunnery in Nepal, and Tibbetts brought on board the legendary American hit maker Joe Boyd, who has worked with Pink Floyd, Nick Drake and Billy Bragg, to produce the album.

"Cho" sold well -- although Drolma refuses to disclose the figures; "I don't think about numbers" -- and a U.S. tour was planned.

"I had two other nuns on stage with me, along with Steve and a guy on sound. We had a huge bus and we toured," she remembers. "In New York we played (Brooklyn venue) the Knitting Factory. The fans were all Americans, there wasn't a Nepali face in sight."

Along with fast food, American women were a culture shock.

"I was surprised by the independence and confidence the women there carried," she says. "They all drove. They were educated. I was inspired."

Back in Nepal, Drolma bought a computer, installed an internet connection at the monastery, and opened a bank account.

The financial resources from the tour gave Drolma the chance to realize her dreams.

In 1998, she founded the Nuns' Welfare Foundation (NWF).

Unlike at the monastery where Drolma grew up, in addition to religious teachings, the girls receive lessons in English, Nepali, mathematics, science, and computing -- subjects to prepare them for careers. Many have gone on to higher education.

"Some of the nuns later quit being nuns," she explains. "At that point, a secular education helps them survive a modern life."

"I remember (receiving) a letter from Ani after our first tour," says Tibbetts. "She said she'd realized that there was a chance to make some real money on the road and fulfill her dream of creating a school for young girls in difficult circumstances. She told me she wanted to do more tours."

In reality, Tibbetts thought "she was probably more interested in getting a jeep, or a flat somewhere in Kathmandu."

He was wrong. She did exactly "what she said she was going to do", he remembers, and she "smashed through a lot of barriers in the process:religious, cultural, patriarchal".

"I'm the first nun in Nepal sending children in nuns robes into normal colleges," Drolma tells CNN. "They've never had that type of encouragement before."

Over the next decade, Drolma made nearly an album a year: in 2002, her and Tibbetts even recorded in a cave believed to have once been home to 8th century Buddhist guruPadmasambhava.

She has performed around the world -- including to an audience of 20,000 people in Tibet last Easter -- counts superstars like Tina Turner and Tracy Chapman among her fans, and her biography "Singing For Freedom", first published in French in 2008, has been translated into 15 languages.

Drolma has used her position to benefit those less fortunate than herself.

In 2010, the NWF opened the Aarogya Foundation, which provides medical services to those with kidney problems and has successfully lobbied the government to provide free dialysis to poor people in Nepal.

"I lost my mother to kidney disease," Drolma says. "When she was suffering I took her to India twice, but I still couldn't keep her alive."

In 2011, Drolma showed her willingness to challenge the establishment when she offered sanctuary to a 21-year-old nun who had reportedly been gang raped and ostracized from her religious community.

"She is a human being like everybody else. This could have happened to anybody," Drolma said at the time.

"It could have happened to me, to my sister. The most important thing is to treat her like a human being and then later we can look into the matter of whether she is still a nun."

If Drolma risked being ostracized by speaking out she didn't seem to care.

She had long been criticized in conservative Nepal for appearing in liberal Western magazines like "Marie Claire", her love of Hindi films and her global pop career -- all deemed inappropriate for a nun.

"As a nun," Drolma says, "I'm supposed to be living in a very limited way. Nuns are not supposed to do this, to go there, to say that. They even think a nun should not sing.

"Yet I am someone who has come out and done everything to shock people."

She pauses, and moderates her comments slightly: "I mean, I never sing tragic love songs, they are all meaningful spiritual hymns."

In a patriarchal country, Drolma is unique in having achieved total independence. In Kathmandu she lives in her own flat, drives her own car, and has a successful career.

"I have never regretted my decision to become a nun," she says, with confidence. "Yes, I missed out on the complicated married life. But some married women seem to regret not being able to go here or say this.

"For me, I'm completely enjoying my freedom. In fact, I am grateful for my childhood, even for my father.

"It has all been a blessing in disguise."

Graphics by Wafa'a Ayish and Sofia Ordonez.

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Ani Choying Drolma: Nepal's rock star nun - CNN.com - CNN

Prufrock: How the Pope’s Cook Changed European Cuisine and … – The Weekly Standard

Posted on March 6, 2017 by Danzig

Reviews and News:

How the Pope's 16th-century chef revolutionized cooking: "At the time, medieval tastes still dominated elite dinner tables. In the Ancient world, the cuisine of the Mediterranean, based on bread, oil, and wine, was held up as a marker of its innate superiority over the Germanic peoples, with their supposedly barbaric fare of meat, milk, and beer. After the fall of Rome, the two traditions slowly merged until, in the late Middle Ages, the food served on the tables of the mighty across Europe was broadly similar: heavily spiced sweet-and-sour combinations, given layers of earthy complexity with great heaps of garden herbs. Many of the dishes Scappi chose to record in his magnum opus retain that sensibility, such as his recipe for an omelette made with pig's blood goat cheese, spring onion, cinnamon, clover, nutmeg, marjoram, and mintthe kind of concoction that would nowadays be considered inedible just about anywhere on earth. Yet, among these forbidding relics of the medieval world, the Opera abounds with innovation that put cookingperhaps for the first timeon a plinth next to the other creative arts."

* *

What can Walker Percy teach us about depression and suicide? "You have a right to be depressed, he says: We are born into this world as alienated from ourselves, and our division has been exacerbated by our philosophic inheritance, and the strangeness of how modern life is lived. The world itself is mad, as witnessed to by its ever-novel modes of world destruction; in such a world, to be mad is to be sane. As for anyone who is not depressed by all this, one may well be suspicious of their sanity"

* *

Ideology and the corruption of language: "Everyone talks about 'dialogue,' but very few of us have the patience or are willing to do the hard work to engage in it."

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Why are we tempted to abandon society? "Hermits appeal to us because of the allure of simplicity. The hermit's life is de-cluttered entirely from human connection or communionliving in a world without dentist appointments or small talk, distractions or annoyances. Living outside of our community, the hermit finds a necessary perspective: A God's-eye view on the hustle and bustle of the world that consumes and distracts us. Hermitage has almost always been associated with religious or spiritual enlightenmentthe purpose is never just to get away into nature but to learn from it. It's a curiously goal-oriented project, even as its practitioners often reject such thinking."

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Now Showing: A Play inside Noida cinema hall! – Times of India – Times of India

Posted on March 6, 2017 by Danzig

This Monday evening, at a multiplex in a mall in Sector 21, the audience bought the tickets, made their way inside the cinema hall, and found their seats. But instead of the opening credits on the big screen, the audience was greeted by the cast in front of the screen. It was a play being staged inside a cinema hall, in what the organisers call is a first-of-its-kind experiment.

A Noida-based theatre group, 'Actor Unveiled', staged their play 'On The Astral Plane' inside a cinema hall of a Noida multiplex. The group said that the idea to hold a play inside a cinema hall sprung from the constant complaint of Noida not having decent auditoriums for theatre. Kanu Priya, the director, said, "I had been trying to look for a proper auditorium for almost two years in Noida, and in their absence, and had to stage shows in Delhi instead. But that meant that our Noida folks and the actors' families had to travel there to see. So when I couldn't find a decent auditorium, I decided to be a little creative and that's how this idea came."

Now Showing: A Play inside Noida cinema hall! - Times of India - Times of India

China to launch space station in 2018and secure orbital dominance by 2024 – SOFREP (press release) (subscription)

Posted on March 6, 2017 by Danzig

By Alex Hollings 03.04.2017#Expert Analysis Email Share Tweet

China has announced plans to launch the core module for their own space station next year, with additional modules intended to follow soon thereafter. Once completed, Chinas space station will be smaller than the current International Space Station, but with the ISS slated for retirement in 2024, China may be the only nation with a permanent address in Earths orbit in the very near future.

The core module, named Tianhe-1, will be launched on a new rocket platform designed by the Chinese to carry extremely heavy loads into space. The March-5 heavyweight carrier rocket will also be used to deliver additional modules to the space station, including two laboratories that will dock to the sides of the primary module. The two-stage rocket is said to have a payload capacity of 25 tons for low-Earth orbit, and 14 tons for much higher missions to geostationary transfer orbit. The Chinese space agency intends to have their space station completed by 2022, two years before the International Space Station is expected to conclude its tour of duty.

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Filed Under: Expert Analysis, World News Tagged With: China, Cold War, Headline, NASA, orbital dominance, Orion, space, Space Race, SpaceX

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Alex Hollings Alex Hollings served as an active duty Marine for six and a half years before being medically retired. A college rugby player, Marine Corps football player, and avid shooter, he has competed in multiple mixed martial arts tournaments, raced exotic cars across the country and wrestled alligators in pursuit of a story to tell. His novel, "A Secondhand Hero" is currently seeking publication.

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China to launch space station in 2018and secure orbital dominance by 2024 - SOFREP (press release) (subscription)

At Goddard Space Flight Center, Scouts get a look at the future of NASA – Scouting Magazine (blog)

Posted on March 6, 2017 by Danzig

Also at Goddard, the delegates participated in some get-to-know-you games a surefire way to strengthen a team.

At NASA, the future is all about looking deeper into the past.

On the first day of the BSAs Report to the Nation trip, the delegates got a behind-the-scenes tour ofNASAs Goddard Space Flight Center, where astronomers are perfecting a new telescope thatll let them look back deeper into the history of the universe than ever before.

It isthe 25th year that Goddard has hosted thedelegates with NASA scientists volunteeringa Saturdayafternoon and eveningto entertain and educate some very gratefulScouts and Venturers.

The massive Goddard complex is probably best known for giving us the Hubble Space Telescope. But Hubble has nothing on the James Webb Space Telescope, which is set to launch in 2018. Astronomers at Goddard arehard at work replacing the 27-year-old Hubblewith the James Webb, which will be 100 times more powerful. (You can watch the construction progress live on NASAs Webb Cam.)

The Scouts tour guide wasRay Ohl, whose night jobis Cub Scout volunteerandday jobis optical physicist for NASA.

When meeting some of the BSAs best and brightest, he did what anyone would do. He put on his recruiting hat.

There arent that many Americans interesting in engineering, so go back to your packs and troops and tell them to become engineers, Ohl said. I wish I was your age right now, because thiswould be the exciting time to start a career at NASA.

Hannah Wheaton, a delegate from Virginia, asked Ohl about the new telescopes purpose.

The James Webb Space Telescope is going to focus on that BigBang question, Ohl said.

He explained that NASA doesnt have the technology to see what happened in that window after the Big Bang but before the creation of planets. The James Webbs ability to see in the infrared will unlock a window into those early days of theuniverse.

Ohl explained that the JamesWebbalso will further investigate the seven earth-sized planets whose discoverymadeheadlines last month.

Next, Ohl and two of his NASA colleagues showed the Scouts the clean room the largest of its kind in the world where the James Webb is being built.The clean room keeps dust and debris away from the James Webb, where even a speck could harmthe telescopessensitiveopticsand sensors.

Then the groupvisitedsome equipment used to test a payloadbefore itssent into orbit. The Scouts marveled at an acoustic testing room where behind doors a foot thick scientists blast sound waves at a payload using six-foot speakers. There was also a giant vacuum chamber, a centrifugethat can produce up to 30 Gs and a big table that just shakes everything around for a while.

It was remarkable, but myfavorite moment of the visit was when Ohl asked if anyone had any technical questions or is anyone interested in a career in engineering?

Now I am, said Gilberto, a delegate from Rhode Island.

Thats a great answer, Ohl said.

Find more coverage here, and follow me on Twitter: @bryanonscouting.

Photos by Michael Roytek and Randy Piland. See more photos here.

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At Goddard Space Flight Center, Scouts get a look at the future of NASA - Scouting Magazine (blog)

NASA spacecraft steers clear of Martian moon Phobos – Spaceflight Now

Posted on March 6, 2017 by Danzig

ESAs Mars Express spacecraft took this image of Phobos backdropped by the limb of Mars. Credit: ESA/DLR/FU Berlin (G. Neukum)

NASAs MAVEN spacecraft in orbit around Mars maneuvered out of the path of Phobos earlier this week after navigators predicted the spacecraft could run into the Martian moon in the near future, highlighting the challenge of tracking an international fleet of Mars probes set to double in size by 2021.

The MAVEN orbiter, in its third year studying the Martian atmosphere, performed a minor rocket burn Feb. 28 to change its speed by less than 1 mph (0.4 meters per second), NASA said, tweaking its trajectory enough to dodge a projected collision with Phobos a week later.

On its new path, MAVEN will miss the irregularly-shaped moon by around two-and-a-half minutes. The rocket burn was MAVENs first collision avoidance maneuver to move out of the way of Phobos, NASA said.

Phobos is located around 3,700 miles (6,000 kilometers) above Mars, higher than the altitude of NASAs other operational orbiters Mars Odyssey and the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. But MAVEN is positioned in an elliptical orbit, carrying it as high as 3,800 miles (about 6,100 kilometers) on each lap around the planet before skimming the Martian atmosphere at the orbits lowest point.

The elliptical paths of MAVEN, Indias Mars Orbiter Mission and the European Space Agencys Mars Express spacecraft make them often cross paths with Phobos and other probes. ESAs ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter is also flying in an oval-shaped perch, but ground controllers plan to begin maneuvering it into a lower circular orbit later this month.

Given Phoboss size the lumpy moon measures nearly 17 miles (27 kilometers) across on its longest axis NASA said MAVEN had a high probability of colliding with Phobos on Monday, March 6, without the avoidance burn. The two were predicted to arrive at their orbit crossing point within seven seconds of each other.

Adding to the conservatism of NASAs estimate, navigators at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory model Phoboss size and shape as an 18-mile (30-kilometer) sphere when scanning for collision threats.

Kudos to the JPL navigation and tracking teams for watching out for possible collisions every day of the year, and to the MAVEN spacecraft team for carrying out the maneuver flawlessly, Bruce Jakosky, MAVENs principal investigator at the University of Colorado in Boulder, said in a statement.

NASA announced in 2015 the creation of a formal collision avoidance framework called theMulti-Mission Automated Deep-Space Conjunction Assessment Process, in which experts at JPL will inform spacecraft operators around the world of possible close calls and impacts.

There are six operational orbiters currently around Mars from NASA, ESA and the Indian space agency. All of them rely, to some extent, on tracking and communications services from NASAs Deep Space Network, a group of antennas located in Calif0rnia, Spain and Australia.

NASA tracks the orbits of each spacecraft, along with the approximate location of NASAs defunct Mars Global Surveyor orbiter, to predict when they might get too close for comfort.

The Deep Space Network antennas also support NASAs Opportunity and Curiosity rovers on the Martian surface, but links with the landers are usually relayed through one of the orbiters.

The international fleet of eight active spacecraft at Mars could double by 2021.

NASA is preparing to launch its InSight lander to the red planet in May 2018, with its arrival scheduled for November of that year.

There are up to six robotic missions set for departure to Mars in mid-2020.

NASAs Mars 2020 rover, the joint European-Russian ExoMars rover, Chinas first Mars mission, Indias second Mars orbiter, the United Arab Emirates Hope orbiter, and SpaceXs commercial Red Dragon lander are all scheduled to launch in 2020 and arrive at the red planet around February 2021.

The Chinese mission includes two parts an orbiter and a rover making the total tally of spacecraft taking aim at Mars in 2021 at seven.

Fuk Li, director of JPLs Mars exploration directorate, said Feb. 22 that NASA is already planning for the numerous arrivals, and evaluating what each mission will require from the Deep Space Network.

Those missions are going in, and I believe all of them would like to have coverage as they go into the Martian system to allow them to see whats going on, Li said.

That is a non-trivial request, given the types of missions and orbiters that we have, because theyre all coming in, time-wise, close to each other, Li said in a meeting of the Mars Exploration Program Analysis Group.

The planning will likely include maneuvers to place existing orbiters on paths to fly over rover landing sites to relay signals between Earth and the Martian surface, while ensuring the spacecraft keep a safe distance from one another, according to Li.

All these missions, potentially, will also require very detailed tracking in order to do the precision navigation to make sure they are entering orbit the right way, Li said.The month of February (2021), and a few weeks before that, will be extremely hectic, but we look forward to such things because of the science that will come after that.

Each DSN antenna can track multiple spacecraft, Li said, and NASA is looking into activating all of the networks antennas for the Mars arrivals.

ESA has its own global tracking network, but with smaller antennas than NASA. The first Chinese deep space tracking station outside of China is scheduled to open in Argentina this year, and Indias only interplanetary communications facility is on its own territory, meaning some of its deep space signals will have to be routed through NASA or ESA networks.

SpaceX and the UAE have agreements with NASA to use the agencys Deep Space Network.

Its not really a data link issue, Li said. Its a navigational tracking issue that comes up.

NASA will also plan for emergencies and need to balance the extensive Mars mission requirements in early 2021 with the communications and tracking needs of probes transiting other parts of the solar system.

If you have some some problem with some Mars spacecraft as it goes into orbit, with all of these other things coming into Mars, Li said. Lets say MRO (Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter) has a problem has a safe mode what would we do? How would we react? And do we get priority over all the other missions?

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Follow Stephen Clark on Twitter: @StephenClark1.

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