BBC News | 'I bought Bitcoins in 2011 - now they're worth 19000' BBC News "For years critics have said Bitcoin will never last - that its value will drop, that it will never be adopted, and even that it's some kind of ponzi scheme," he told Newsbeat. "Today's all time high is another example of how, year on year, Bitcoin is ... |
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'I bought Bitcoins in 2011 - now they're worth 19000' - BBC News
MOREHEAD West Carter's Ben Jordan chatted easily with University of Kentucky pitching coach Jim Belanger in a hallway in the bowels of Johnson Arena on Thursday evening.
Jordan is Lexington-bound after this school year to toss the horsehide for the Wildcats, but the Comets senior will remain a basketball player for at least a few more days thanks in large part to his performance in the 16th Region Tournament quarterfinals.
Jordan dropped in 29 points and 11 rebounds, including four dunks in the final 3:03, and Hadyn Roe notched 25 points and 13 boards as West Carter topped Greenup County, 80-64.
The Comets enjoyed a 43-22 rebounding advantage and a 54-32 edge on points in the paint. Jordan scored 15.1 points more than his season per-game average to lead that effort.
"Whenever he gets to running the floor and playing like that, that's just a huge emotional boost for us," West Carter coach Jeremy Webb said of Jordan. "Whenever he's playing like that, our guys feed off that energy."
The Comets won their first region tournament game since 2012 -- when West Carter's senior class was in seventh grade.
"We've worked really hard to get here," Comets senior guard Dalton Roark said, "and it just means a whole lot."
Roark worked really hard Thursday, too. He scored 10 points and was one of three Comets who shadowed Musketeers stud shooter Gage Hughes. Dalton Brown and Rodney Evans also spent time guarding Hughes.
Hughes scored 45 and 40 points in the teams' first two meetings this season, which they split. He finished with 15 on Thursday, 13 of which he scored in the second half. Hughes averaged 29.0 per game coming in.
"We knew if (Hughes didn't have) a good game that they wouldn't get into any kind of offense," Roark said. "That was our game plan coming out, and it just helped us get in the flow of the game."
The Musketeers led, 15-14, at the end of the first quarter on Jherrell Jackson's bucket down low. But the Comets started the second frame on a 9-0 run, begun by Jordan's and-1 and capped on Evans' putback at the 5:47 mark of the second period. Greenup County was never even again.
Musketeers coach Harold Tackett said West Carter's emphasis on taking Hughes away was no surprise. Greenup County got 28 points from Mike Hubbert, but the Musketeers were at a height disadvantage inside and didn't shoot well enough from the perimeter (4-for-21) to overcome it, Tackett said.
"I think with a matchup like (West Carter's) size, compared to mostly guards, you've gotta knock down the outside shot, and we really struggled from the field tonight," Tackett said. "We're really good when we knock down the outside shot, but we tend to struggle against big teams when we're not knocking down the outside shot."
Greenup County did surge late in the second quarter to within 30-28 on Hubbert's and-1. But West Carter was up seven by halftime as Ethan Adkins converted a putback with 22 seconds to go in the second.
The Comets shot 57.4 percent from the field for the game and 71.4 percent in the fourth quarter. That total was aided by four late Jordan dunks, the first off a pretty alley-oop from Brown.
"It's hard to come back from that," Jordan said. "It's exciting, gets the crowd into it, and it's a big momentum swing, and to get it going back like that several times, it's good for our team and atmosphere."
W. CARTERFGFTREBTP
B. Jordan13-173-71129
Roark5-90-0210
Roe10-155-61325
Adkins3-62-218
Brown2-70-064
Evans2-60-014
Johnson0-10-010
Glancy0-00-000
Skaggs0-00-000
Team8
TOTALS35-6110-154380
FG Pct.: 57.4. FT Pct.: 66.7. 3-pointers: 0-7 (Roark 0-1, Roe 0-1, Brown 0-4, Johnson 0-1). PF: 18. Fouled out: None. Turnovers: 9.
GREENUP CO.FGFTREBTP
Jackson4-60-089
Hubbert9-1910-12528
Keeton2-90-015
Hughes5-144-5315
Lanning2-70-025
Walker0-00-000
Nelson1-20-012
Reed0-00-000
Raby0-00-000
Robinson0-00-000
Johnson0-00-000
Thomas0-00-010
Team1
TOTALS23-5714-172264
FG Pct.: 40.4. FT Pct.: 82.4. 3-pointers: 4-21 (Jackson 1-1, Lanning 1-4, Keeton 1-7, Hughes 1-8, Hubbert 0-1). PF: 12. Fouled out: Jackson. Turnovers: 6.
W. CARTER14221925--80 GREENUP CO.15141817--64
Officials: Jason Reineke, Tony Pompilio and Michael Romes.
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Forbes | A Newly Discovered Asteroid Has Started To Look Like A Comet Forbes Traditionally the difference between comets and asteroids is simple. Comets form tails of gas and dust when they are near the Sun, and asteroids do not. But as ... This Asteroid Broke In Half, and Then Both Halves Grew Tails Like ... |
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A Newly Discovered Asteroid Has Started To Look Like A Comet - Forbes
Emily Kesel
Last February, the Marionville Comets upset top-seeded Crane on its home court to claim the district title in a dramatic and intense game. This year, Marionville was the number one seed, having lost only three games all season and firing on all cylinders with one game left to repeat as champions. The Comet faithful, decked out in beach gear and filling the Galena gym, was ready to celebrate another win over the Pirates.
But Crane was determined to avenge last season's loss, and so they did. The Comets' title defense hopes came to an end last Friday with a heartbreaking 50-49 overtime loss to the second-seeded Pirates, ending the season earlier than Coach Ted Young and his team would have hoped.
The game began very much in Crane's favor, as the Pirates took the early lead on a three-pointer and led by as many as four points before Marionville finally scored its first field goal at the 4:50 mark.
The Comets would tie the game at seven briefly, but another Crane trey gave the lower seed the 10-7 lead. By the end of the first period, the Comets trailed 16-9.
Marionville would score the first points of the second quarter on a three by sophomore Josh Goodman. The Comets outscored Crane in the period and brought themselves to within three points of the lead, but the Pirates still maintained a slight advantage of 26-23 at halftime.
The Comets carried the momentum of the second quarter into the third, tying the game on the first possession on a trey by senior Aaron Head. Crane would answer with a bucket to retake the lead, but senior Levi Doyle hit his own three-pointer to give Marionville its first lead of the game moments later. After a low-scoring third quarter, the Comets led 31-30.
Just over a minute into the fourth period, Goodman increased the Marionville lead to three with a steal and layup, but Crane would tie the game at 35 two minutes later.
The fourth quarter passed in much the same fashion, with the teams trading blows and the lead never more than two points at a time. With 37 seconds to go and the game tied at 41, Coach Young called a timeout, instructing his team to stall and wait for a last-second shot to win the game.
Unfortunately, that shot would not be possible, as an offensive foul gave the Pirates the ball with less than five seconds remaining. After their own timeout, the Pirates attempted their own last-second shot, but the attempt was short and the teams regrouped before a four-minute overtime period.
Crane would score the first five points in overtime to take a 46-41 lead before a pair of free throws by senior Brandon Horn cut it to a three-point advantage. On the ensuing Crane possession, Horn stole the ball and broke away for a layup but missed and then fouled the rebounding Pirate player, who made both free throws to make it 48-43.
With just over a minute remaining, a Doyle trey from the corner cut the lead to 48-46, and another 30 seconds later gave the Comets a 49-48 advantage. Crane, though, would take back the lead on a basket with 16 seconds remaining.
The clock continued to run as the Comets looked desperately for an open shot to win the game but none was to be found, and a last-ditch effort by senior Cole Brown missed the mark, giving the Pirates the upset victory.
Goodman led the Marionville offense with 13 points off the bench, while Doyle followed with 12 points. Head added nine, while Horn scored six and junior Ryan Mayberry added five. Brown and senior Nick Dean each contributed two.
The Comets finished the year with an impressive overall record of 24-4, including a 5-1 record in the MidLakes Conference. Five seniors on the team will be lost due to graduation (Head, Horn, Brown, Doyle and Dean), but several important contributors are likely to return next season, including Goodman, Mayberry and starting sophomore guard Gavin Stanton.
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A nameless comet races to certain death.
Sun watchers at the US Naval Research Laboratory spotted a so-called "sungrazing comet" heading toward its imminent doom on Friday. The newly spotted comet doesn't yet have a name, and it might never get one as it may cease to exist very soon.
"This comet will not survive," NRL astrophysicist Karl Battams wrote on Twitter. "It'll vaporize loooong before it even nears the solar surface."
Sungrazers are exactly what they sound like: comets that pass very close to the sun on their trips through the inner solar system, often disintegrating in the process.
You can actually watch this new comet's final hours in near real time via NASA's Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO). To use the interactive SOHO movie theater tool to follow the comet's suicidal path, just go to this link, choose "LASCO C3" in the "image type" field and "1024" for your resolution, and enter "10" under "latest n images." Then press search. You can also play around with different start and end dates if you're reading this long after March 3.
The resulting time-lapse shows the comet in the lower left flying towards the sun and oblivion. The sun is actually blocked out in the image by an occulter disk that's seen as a dark blue circle, which is what allows nearby objects to be seen by the observatory.
You can also see Mercury hanging out on the right. There's about a 12-minute gap between each frame.
Happy trails you brave space snowball, we barely knew you. Then again, maybe that's better as things don't often end up well when comets try to shake hands with the Earth.
Crowd Control: A crowdsourced science fiction novel written by CNET readers.
Solving for XX: The industry seeks to overcome outdated ideas about "women in tech.
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See a comet racing toward the sun -- and its own demise - CNET - CNET
JEFFERSON CITY ---- Cottey's 2016-17 basketball campaign ended Thursday night in the semifinals of the NJCAA Division II Region 16 Tournament semifinals, as the fourth-seeded Comets were downed 80-56 by the top-seeded St. Louis Community College Lady Archers .
"I can't begin to express the appreciation I have for this sophomore class," Cottey head coach Stephanie Beason said. "They'll be a difficult group for us to replace, for numerous reason."
Cottey (8-13) was able to stay close early, as the Comets trailed 16-15 at the conclusion of the first quarter, before the Lady Archers grabbed a 28-25 halftime advantage.
Led by sophomore guard-forward Shamara Glover, St. Louis turned up the heat, outscoring Cottey 28-19 in the third quarter, as the Lady Archers went on top 56-44.
St. Louis then pulled away in the final frame, doubling up Cottey 24-12 for the final 24-point margin. Glover tallied a game-high 19 points on 6-of-13 shooting from the field, to go along with seven rebounds. The Lady Archers' point guard Ellisha Davis added 16 points, five rebounds, and three assists.
For Cottey, freshman guard Destiney Teniente finished with a team-high 18 points while knocking down four 3-pointers. Teniente also registered four rebounds and three assists. Comets' leading scorer Kelsey Acton was held to six points (2-of-12 FG, 1-7 3-Pt). Meanwhile, sophomore Kasey Acton and freshman Malory Moles chipped in 10 pointa apiece. The Comets shot just 37 percent from the field as a team (22-of-60).
The Lady Archers pounded Cottey on the glass, outrebounding the Comets 53-31 as Lady Archers' 5-foot-10 forward Chrishana Wilson hit the glass for a game-high 14 rebounds.
Play-in game
The Comets hammered Wentworth Military Academy 79-39 in Tuesday night's home play-in game.
"We did a great job playing as a team this evening," Beason said. "It was also nice to send the sophomores off with a win on their last opportunity to play on their home court."
Cottey opened the game on a 28-10 extended run, before grabbing a 37-18 halftime lead. Cottey's lead swelled to 30 after three quarters of play, as the Comets soared to victory.
Cottey's well-balanced offensive attack was led by sophomores Kelsey Acton and Cheyenne Ortiz. The guard-center duo combined for 35 points, while Teniente pitched in with 11.
Returning players
The Comets are tentatively scheduled to return: Teniente, Moles, Katey Story, Alex Alvarez, and Kim Robles for the 2017-2018 season.
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Comets conclude season with Region 16 tourney loss - Nevada Herald
Video One: We quickly ran through what ended up being a very successful week for the Utica Comets. Why did we brush over their sweep? It's because Wednesday brought with it an important day in both the NHL and the AHL.
Video Two: Comets forward Wacey Hamilton dropped by the studio for his interview. The team's alternate captain explained his current role with the team, and how the mentor mentee (yes it's a word) process works within the Comets organization.
Video Three: Wacey Hamilton stuck around for another list of questions. We learned how he got his name, and more importantly what's going on with his high knee post goal celebration. (PS don't expect anything groundbreaking on this).
Video Four: We wrapped up the show with a look at the Comets' upcoming schedule. Plus, Andy Zilch showed off his keen eye for research as he explained what the NHL trade deadline did for the other teams in the North Division.
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Dennis Garcia
RANDLEMAN Gill Butler said his Randleman High School varsity softball team has been working very hard on hitting and it sure showed on a chilly Thursday night against Asheboro High School. Hallie Chisholm hit a grand slam to break a tie in the fifth inning and the Tigers would add three more runs that frame in rolling to a 12-3 nonleague win over the Blue Comets. Randleman evens its record at 1-1 on the season while it was the season opener for the Blue Comets, who are now under the direction of Ricky Martinez. While both teams struggled in the field each team committed six errors the Tigers were able to overcome those miscues as they banged out nine hits while taking advantage of the AHS mistakes. All three of the Blue Comets runs were unearned. We have been working on hitting a lot and we are in an in-season weight-lifting program, said Butler, who is in his first year at the RHS helm. It paid off tonight. We have seen two good pitchers so far and tonight we were able to catch up to her.
After the Blue Comets scored a pair of unearned runs in the fifth to tie the game at 3-3, RHS struck for seven runs on four hits. AHS committed three errors in the inning which made all the runs unearned. We just need to keep working, said Martinez, who spent the past seven seasons at SWR. It was our first game and we saw some things we need to work on. With one out, a pair of errors put Chloe Hicks and Courtney Lineberry on base before Megan Cottrell walked to load the bases. Chisholm hit the first pitch she saw over the left-field fence and cleared the bases, giving the Tigers a 7-3 lead. That was a big hit and we went up there with more confidence, Butler said. Singles by Carley Hughes and Karrie Price and another error re-loaded the bases for RHS and Lauren Fruitt ripped a three-run triple to make it 10-3. Hughes, who had three hits in the game, added a two-run homer in the sixth. Lineberry earned the win on the mound as she allowed just three hits over the first six innings and a total of five in the game. She walked four and fanned 11. I dont think we were as aggressive at the plate as we need to be, Martinez said. Were going to get better. AHS scored once in the first on two walks, an error and a RBI ground out from Adrianna Butler. RHS took a 3-1 lead in the third when Fruitt doubled, Lineberry walked and Cottrell delivered a two-run double before scoring on an error. AHS scored twice without a hit in the fifth with one scoring on an error and Saylor Wyland driving in one with a grounder. Five different players had one hit each for Asheboro, while Hughes had three and Fruitt and Price had two each for the Tigers.
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Yes, Valeant has a safety warning weighing down new psoriasis med Siliq as it prepares to enter the market. But its got another issue, too: the fact that its going up against some major spenders in the field.
When it launches, Siliq will take on fellow IL-17 meds Cosentyx from Novartis and Taltz from Eli Lilly, but it will also have to contend with the anti-TNF giantsAbbVies Humira included. As Wells Fargo analyst David Maris pointed out last month in a note to clients, the Illinois pharma spent $357 million on Humira advertising in 2015 alone.
It also regularly tops pharmas TV ad spending list, shelling out $35 million in January, according to tracker iSpot.tv.
That could be a problem for a company in financial straits as dire as Valeants; the debt-laden company has been plagued by default concerns since last year, thanks to years of debt-fueled M&A dealmaking under former skipper J. Michael Pearson.
And while the company plans to keep itsSG&A spending in 2017 between $2.6 billion and $2.7 billion, its got some other key priorities this year, too: Its planning to relaunch flopped female libido drug Addyi, and its expanding its primary care sales force for lead med Xifaxan in the wake of canceled GI unit deal talks with Japans Takeda.
The financial concerns add to the safety burden Valeant is already facing with its psoriasis newcomer. The med comes along with a black-box warning on suicide risks and a substantial risk-managing program, under which physicians and pharmacies will have to be certified toprescribe and dispensethe med and patients will have to signinformed consent agreements before taking it.
All things considered, we believeSiliqis a sub-competitive drug in a competitive market that Valeant cannot afford to compete in, Maris wrote following the products February FDA approval.
Valeants management, though, thinks Siliq can stand out from the crowd based on its clinical benefits. As CEO Joseph Papa told investors on the companys Q4 conference call, Siliqunlike its IL-17 peersis a receptor-blocker, and when you can actually block the receptor, you tend to get a better, a quicker response and also a response that is more durable.
And some analysts agree. Siliqoffers differentiation on efficacy parameters relative to competitors, Barclays Doug Tsao wrote to clients, noting that though Valeant is splitting profits down the middle with developer AstraZeneca, the 90% profit margins and relatively concentrated prescriber base makeSiliqan attractive opportunity even if Valeant can get 5% to 10% market share.
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Does Valeant have the ad dollars to keep Siliq competitive in psoriasis? - FiercePharma
J&J has reaped the final harvest of Phase III data it is taking to regulators in search of a blockbuster approval for their psoriasis contender guselkumab.
J&J is widely expected to use this latest batch of reliably positive data to clean up on major approvals at the FDA and EMA. But its favorable late-stage comparisons with Humira may not count for so much these days, as the pharma giant is bringing up the rear of a parade of new drugs that got to the market first.
Novartis Cosentyx got out ahead 18 months ago and the Swiss pharma giant has followed with 4-year data tracking a solid success 43.5% in keeping skin cleared over the long haul. Eli Lilly backed its new drug Taltz in a major campaign last fall. And then Valeant ambled across the finish line with brodalumab now dubbed Siliq two weeks ago. Their drug, picked up at a discount from a disappointed AstraZeneca, also comes with a black box warning on suicidal thinking that will almost certainly squeeze its slice of the market down to a sliver.
Now comes J&J, a global powerhouse, with a contender it believes is already positioned for success.
As we saw in the first Phase III, VOYAGE 1, guselkumab handily outscored a placebo on two measures of complete or near-complete skin clearance in VOYAGE 2. And once again their IL-23 drug slapped aside Humira, with guselkumab versus adalimumab achieving an IGA 0/1 score of 84% versus 67.7% and a PASI 90 of 70% compared to 46.8%, respectively.
The results were remarkably similar, which is what you want to see, Philippe Szapary, VP for dermatology and gastroenterology in J&Js Immunology Clinical Development unit, tells me about his Phase III studies.Its very reassuring to see such amazing consistency.
J&Js third Phase III study looking at patients transferred to guselkumab after an inadequate response to their other psoriasis drug Stelara also looked good. The statement notes:
Patients who switched to guselkumab consistently showed greater improvement in their psoriasis between weeks 28 and 40, compared with patients who continued to receive Stelara, having twice as many office visits with at least a 2 point improvement in IGA from week 16, the studys primary endpoint, and an IGA score of 0 or 1.
J&J gained a new approval for Stelara last fall, adding Crohns to the label as the company looked to keep its performance in blockbuster territory. The new Navigate study also positions J&J to keep about 30% of psoriasis patients who dont respond well to Stelara in the fold, so to speak.
Investigators also reaped a satisfying profile on safety, with a somewhat better set of data on adverse effects compared to Humira, which remains a big player in this field as AbbVie continues to fight off biosimilar competition. There is also one more psoriasis drug waiting in the wings. Sun Pharma gained control of Mercks MK-3222, but it isnt expected to hit the market anytime soon.
The next step is to keep gathering data with extension studies that will take the 1800 patients enrolled for VOYAGE 1 and 2 out about five years. With a target lying upstream of IL-17 and TNF, he adds, investigators are hopeful that guselkumab will continue to perform well against competition long after it arrives on the market.
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Outstanding Educator in Psoriatic Disease, Joel M. Gelfand, M.D., MSCE.Joel M. Gelfand is Professor of Dermatology and of Epidemiology at the University of Pennsylvania. He is a board-certified dermatologist whose clinical work focuses on general dermatology and psoriasis. He has created a multi-disciplinary approach to the care of psoriasis patients at Penn through his recruitment and mentoring of a rheumatologist and cardiologist who now specialize in systemic complications of psoriasis.
Outstanding Physician-Clinician, Alexa Boer Kimball, M.D., M.P.H Alexa Boer Kimball, M.D., M.P.H. is the president and chief executive officer of Harvard Medical Faculty Physicians, an academic multi-specialty group employing more than 1,200 full-time Harvard Medical School faculty members and 450 physicians in the community. She is also President of the Beth Israel Deaconess Care Organization Physician LLC, which maintains a membership of approximately 2500 physicians, and a Professor of Dermatology at Harvard Medical School.
Dr. Kimball is an international expert on psoriasis and hidradenitis suppurativa who has published more than 250 peer-reviewed scientific papers and 100 Questions and Answers about Psoriasis, which has been translated into Spanish, Greek and Korean. In 2016 she was named Mentor of the Year by the Women's Dermatologic Society.
Health Professional Volunteer of the Year Craig F. Teller, MDCraig F. Teller, MD, is a native Houstonian and has been practicing dermatology since 1995. Board certified by the American Board of Dermatology and a fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology, Dr. Teller holds an academic appointment as Clinical Instructor of Dermatology in family medicine at Baylor College of Medicine as well as Clinical Instructor of Dermatology at the University of Texas Medical School in Houston. Dr. Teller is being recognized for his efforts and promotion of the NPF mission and key initiatives at the local division with strong contributions and support of the overall NPF goals and objectives.
Outstanding Allied Health, Lakshi Aldredge, MSN, ANP-BCMs. Lakshi Aldredge is a nurse practitioner who has practiced at the Portland VA Medical Center for the past 22 years, the last eight years in the medical Dermatology Service. Aldredge is being recognized for her outstanding achievements in improving psoriatic disease clinical practice and the quality of life of her patients. She is actively involved in the day-to-day clinical care of her patients and is nationally known for her exceptional clinical knowledge and expertise.
Aldredge is the past President of the national Dermatology Nurses' Association (DNA) and is the current Chair of the Nurse Practitioner Society of the DNA. She is on the Advisory board of Dermatology World, is an Associate Editor of Psoriasis Forum, the peer-reviewed journal of the National Psoriasis Foundation, as well as a member of the Editorial Board of the Journal of the Dermatology Nurses' Association.
Over the last 50 years, the National Psoriasis Foundation (NPF) has become the world's leading nonprofit patient advocacy organization fighting for individuals with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. NPF leads this fight by driving efforts for a cure and improving the lives of the more than 8 million Americans affected by this chronic disease. To date, NPF has funded more than $15 million in research grants and fellowships, and to commemorate 50 years, NPF plans to raise an additional $2 million for early scientific career research programs in 2017 alone. Each year, NPF strives to support, educate and advocate on behalf of more individuals living with or caring for someone with the disease than ever before. As part of that effort, NPF established the Patient Navigation Center to offer personalized assistance to everyone with psoriasis or psoriatic arthritis. Join our community today and help drive discovery and create community for all living with psoriatic disease.
To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/national-psoriasis-foundation-2016-medical-professional-awards-winners-300416249.html
SOURCE National Psoriasis Foundation
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National Psoriasis Foundation 2016 Medical Professional Awards Winners - PR Newswire (press release)
WEDNESDAY, March 1, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- People with autoimmune diseases -- conditions that cause a person's immune system to turn against the body -- appear to have an increased risk of developing dementia, a new British study suggests.
Researchers found that 18 out of 25 different autoimmune diseases, such as lupus, psoriasis or multiple sclerosis, "showed a statistically significant association with dementia," said study co-author Dr. Michael Goldacre. He's a professor of public health at the University of Oxford.
But Goldacre and other experts stressed that the study didn't prove that autoimmune diseases cause dementia. The research only showed that these conditions are associated with a higher risk of dementia.
Specifically, the study found that people with multiple sclerosis appeared to have nearly double the risk of dementia. Psoriasis was associated with a 29 percent increased risk of dementia. Lupus was linked to a 46 percent increased risk, and rheumatoid arthritis with a 13 percent increased risk. Crohn's disease was associated with a 10 percent increased risk.
"How do [autoimmune diseases] affect the brain? We don't know, although others have suggested that chronic inflammation, possibly autoimmune effects, or possibly both, may have a role in Alzheimer's," Goldacre said.
For this study, the researchers reviewed information from more than 1.8 million people in England. All had been admitted to a hospital with an autoimmune disease between 1998 and 2012.
Compared with people admitted for other causes, patients admitted for treatment of an autoimmune disorder were 20 percent more likely to wind up back at the hospital later with dementia, the researchers found.
However, when researchers broke down their findings by type of dementia, they found that autoimmune diseases only increased the risk of Alzheimer's disease by about 6 percent.
The autoimmune diseases had a much stronger impact on the risk of vascular dementia. The risk of vascular dementia was 28 percent higher in people with autoimmune diseases. People with vascular dementia experience a decline in their thinking skills due to conditions that block or reduce blood flow to the brain, starving brain cells of oxygen and nutrients.
This apparent increased risk for vascular dementia could be caused by the effect of autoimmune diseases on the circulatory system, the researchers said. The study also found that people with an autoimmune disease were 53 percent more likely to be hospitalized for heart disease. Those with an autoimmune disease were also 46 percent more likely to have a stroke.
The link between vascular dementia and autoimmune diseases is "something new," said James Hendrix. He's the director of global science initiatives for the Alzheimer's Association, based in Chicago.
This link could implicate chronic inflammation as a potential cause of progressive dementia, he said.
Hendrix explained that a person with a sprained ankle experiences inflammation and swelling as the immune system responds to their injury. If the inflammation continues for an extended period, that person could wind up with joint damage and arthritis.
"We are starting to think neuron inflammation is similar," Hendrix said.
Both Hendrix and Goldacre noted that the study is observational, so it couldn't prove a direct cause-and-effect link. In addition, Goldacre said the size of the associations they found was small, and should be taken "more as a message for interested researchers than for interested patients."
Dr. Walter Rocca is a professor of epidemiology and neurology with the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. He said the findings are "important" but may be limited by the fact that the researchers focused solely on people admitted to the hospital with an autoimmune disorder.
"The concern is that many persons affected by an autoimmune disease may never need to be admitted to a hospital, and many persons affected by dementia may not need to be hospitalized," Rocca said.
"This incomplete capture [of information] may cause a distortion of the findings," he added.
Rocca also pointed out that the 25 autoimmune diseases considered in the study are very different from each other. For example, some attack the joints or the endocrine glands, while others -- like multiple sclerosis -- may directly affect the brain.
Findings from the study were published March 1 in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health.
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Immune Disorders Such as MS, Psoriasis May Be Tied to Dementia ... - Helena Independent Record
Mark Lebwohl, MD, reviews efficacy of new biologics for psoriasis Healio ORLANDO, Fla. New biologics for psoriasis have achieved high levels of skin clearance in short-term and long-term trials that would have been unexpected a few years ago, according to a presentation at the American Academy of Dermatology Annual ... |
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Mark Lebwohl, MD, reviews efficacy of new biologics for psoriasis - Healio
Over the last 20 years, Ive traveled across six continents, 42 states, 84 countries and more than 500 cities -- mostly for free. Here are my top five tips for you to travel for free (or almost) while building your business or career:
Before you quit to start your business, apply for jobs that pay you to travel and rack up points. One of my first criteria for applying for a job is whether I am working with clients or team members in another region.
My first job out of college entailed meeting with key influencers to launch products in every major city in the U.S. Thats 30 states conquered in one year, along with 200,000 frequent flyer miles, which paid for my first trip to Italy and France. Now, I have more than 500,000 miles at my disposal for business trips to pitch my startups.
Related: How to (Legally) Deduct Your Next Business Trip
My next job required regular meetings with strategic partner companies in Germany and Denmark. Rather than randomly picking airlines when I traveled, I chose the Star Alliance network with a hub at Newark Airport. This enabled me to fly direct from my home base in New York for meetings in Frankfurt and Copenhagen, or any other destination. I was able to keep accumulating points using my Star Alliance membership across member airlines.
To choose between Star Alliance, OneWorld, SkyTeam or AsiaMiles, find the ones that flies most to the region you are focused on conquering. By choosing Star Alliance partners, I was able to keep accumulating points in one account and "level up" to platinum elite levels for free upgrades, executive lounge access and bonus points (100 to 200 percent more).
This applied at my next four global jobs, when I was flying more to Asia or the Middle East. I was still able to choose flights from the top two most extensive airline networks, OneWorld and Star Alliance, and earn upgrades on almost every flight. Loyalty certainly has its privileges.
Related: 11 Strategies for More Efficient Business Travel
Every business and reimbursable travel expense should be charged on the credit card with the most valuable and versatile membership points. For example, American Express Gold allows you to transfer points to airlines or hotels clubs or to buy tickets directly using your membership points. Some credit cards, like British Airways or Chase Sapphire Reserve, offered a launch bonus of100,000 points and no/reduced fee for the first year; these points are worth a few trips to Europe or Asia. More than eight years later, I still havent used up all my points from these bonuses yet.
Chase Sapphire Reserve has the added bonus of a $300 travel credit per year, $100 off the Global Entry application fee and complimentary access to more than 900 airport executive lounges with Priority Pass Select,all of which offsetits higher annual fee. Along with the 100,000 points bonus, that's worth over $2,100! Always jump on those launch incentives.
Related: 3 Ways to Travel the World for Free through Entrepreneurship
Most of the time, flights are more expensive coming home on Friday because everyone else wants to go home as well. Take the following Monday off and fly home off-peak or on a red-eye on Sunday. This way, you can visit a neighboring country or city over the weekend or fly a low-cost regional airline to some place you havent been yet. Using points for regional flights is much cheaper than from your home base.
For example, flights on British Airways all throughout Europe to its Asian neighbors can be as low as 5,000 to10,000 points. When I was a management consultant working in the Middle East, instead of expensing the weekend in the hotel there, I chose to use my Avios points (earned on my British Airways credit card and flights) to fly to and stay in Sri Lanka, Dubai, Egypt, Maldives, Jordan, Oman and Lebanon for free or much cheaper than flying from New York.
Related: 10 Ways to Save Time and Money while Traveling for Business
Many airlines offer free stopovers in their hub city. According to the airline rules, you can stay one to fivedays without additional fees in Iceland on Icelandair, Hong Kong on Cathay Pacific, Dubai on Emirates or London on British Airways. Typically, you can see most of the major sites in 48 hours in those cities. In Iceland, the Blue Lagoon has a 10-minute bus shuttle to take you from the airport to the famous milky blue hot springs for a massage while floating on a foam mat -- and it gets you back in time for your flight five to eight hours later.
For subsequent trips, you can use your points to book aflight to another country during the stopover period. For example, Macau, Tokyo, Osaka, Taipei, Kaohsiung and Singapore are easily accessible for the weekend from Hong Kong during the stopover. Hong Kong has a convenient Airport Express check-in that enables you to send your bags onto your flight 24 hours in advance while you take a ferry to Macau for the rest of the day and then another ferry straight to the airport.
On my way to Bali, I chose Korean Airlines, which enabled me to stop over in Seoul and enjoy a spa day, Korean barbecue, walking tour of the old town and karaoke, for 24 hours before continuing my journey.
While these may be whirlwind opportunities to see nearby countries, youll get a pretty good sense of whether you want to go back. With the points you are accumulating on business, you can always go back for personal vacations for free. Through all these ways, the world can be conquered for free, one point at a time!
Grace Lee is a world traveler, serial entrepreneur, healthcare advisor, business strategy designer and life coach. She founded WishPoints, Inc. to help you travel freely and Health Enovation, Inc. to help entrepreneurs and executives with s...
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How to Travel the World for Free (or Cheaply) While Building Your Business - Entrepreneur
New York Times | EU Lawmakers Call for End to Visa-Free Travel for Americans New York Times In the vote on Thursday, European lawmakers played tit-for-tat in their dispute with the United States, demanding restrictions on American travelers unless the Trump administration lifts travel requirements for citizens of Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus ... The European Union Announces the End of Visa-Free Travel European Parliament votes to end visa-free travel for Americans Europe business humming, but ending visa-free travel would hurt |
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EU Lawmakers Call for End to Visa-Free Travel for Americans - New York Times
If there's one thing better than drinking tons of beer and traveling all summer like it's your damn job, it's getting paid for drinking tons of beer and traveling all summer because it is your job. Believe it or not, that's actually possible now thanks to a new internship that will pay you thousands of dollars to travel the world, drink beer, and tell your stories on social media this summer. Yes, really.
World of Beer, a Florida-based chain of more 70 craft beer taverns, announced Wednesday that it's currently looking for three "Drink It" interns who will be tasked with visiting numerous breweries across the country and abroad, tasting all sorts of beer, attending major beer events and festivals, and sharing live updates from the boozy adventure via social media, according to the official job description. Although it's not a longterm job with a salary or traditional benefits, like last year, the internship last four months and World of Beer will pay you $12,000 and cover all your travel expenses. Oh, and there will be plenty of free beer, of course.
"The selected Drink It Interns will be World of Beer narrators, capturing content from around the country and the world and sharing it back via WOB social media channels to fans, bringing fresh stories and new insights in the world of brew traveling," the company said. "The interns will be reporting on a behind-the-scenes look at the beer industry, covering brewery and WOB events, while gaining real-world experience in a professional field that offers limitless possibilities."
To apply for the spectacularly sudsy internship, follow the instructions detailed on World of Beer's website(HERE)and submit your application before the March 26th deadline. The most important part of your application, however, is submitting a one-minute video in which you share your passion for beer, or the story of your life-changing beer experience, or an ode to your all-time favorite beer -- something that showcases your personality and makes you stand out. Hannah Davis, World of Beer's Director of Brand Marketing, offered this advice:
"That passion for beer has to come through really strong in the initial video, but that doesnt mean you have to be an expert," she said. "[Applicants] should be able to tell a story. I want to learn something in the video, so they should catch our eye and be memorable."
The best applicants will be called in for a live interview before a panel of"beer-lebrity judges" that World of Beer will be hosting at its outposts in nine cities (see the full list on its website) across the US on April 8. As a bonus, customers at these locations will receive a free beer for voting for their favorite applicant. World of Beer said it doesn't matter if you're still in college, a recent graduate, or even a full-time grown-up, just as long as you're at least 21, from the US, and able to work part-time.
World of Beer plans to officially select the three interns in late April. If you're lucky enough to get the job, you'll set off on your beer-soaked journey across the world in the weeks after that, and with any luck, you'll come back with expert-level beer knowledge, insane stories to tell, and all the industry experience you'll need to land your next beer-related dream job. Oh, and probably a hangover.
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Tony Merevick is Cities News Editor at Thrillist and wonders: does drinking beer on the job count as getting paid to drink beer? Send news tips to news@thrillist.com and follow him on Twitter @tonymerevick.
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This Beer Company Will Pay You $12000 To Travel and Drink Beer All Summer - Thrillist
Getting paid to travel is basically the dream, but getting paid to travel and drink beer is an even better gig, if you can swing it.
The bar chain World of Beer is currently hiring three people to explore breweries and beer culture across the globe, all while documenting their adventures on the brand's social media channels. The ideal "Drink It Interns" love meeting new people, hitting the road and of course drinking lots and lots of booze. A background in blogging, photography and video doesn't hurt, either.
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Last season's interns visited Berlin, Prague and Dublin as part of their tour, so a knowledge of pilsners and stouts could literally take you around the world, all on WOB's dime. Plus, the position pays out cool $12,000 for "working" from May through August. That said, a die-hard IPA fan would probably take this job for free.
If ditching everything for an alcohol-fueled summer sounds right up your alley, you have until March 26 to apply. Candidates need to fill out a short application and create a one-minute video demonstrating they're up for the task. WOB will then select a lucky group for in-person interviews at franchise locations around the country.
Good luck!
[h/t Travel + Leisure]
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This Company Wants to Pay You $12000 to Drink and Travel the World - HouseBeautiful.com (blog)
Thursday, she spoke to a crowd in the Chalberg Theatre at Central Lakes College, as part of the college's Cultural Thursday series, about her experiences. She visited 41 countries in three years, traveling from southeast Asia through Dubai to Eastern Europe, South Africa and South America.
One of Allene's guiding principles on her trip was the idea that a good attitude, surrounded by gratitude, can help you get along with anyone in the world. Throughout her journey, she said, she was welcomed with open arms and generosity by those she met.
"This is one big, beautiful world," Allene said. "And despite what you hear in the news and the media these days, it's safer than you know."
Allene's first foray into world travel came at the age of 17, when she joined her parents on a cruise through the Greek Islands, drove the coast of what was then Yugoslavia and then flew out of Rome. As of today, she's visited 67 countries and can't wait to visit more. Some of the destinations she's looking forward to include Russia, Poland, Sweden, Norway and more of the African continent.
"I would go tomorrow," Allene said.
Allene's mother died in 2012, and on March 2, 2013, Allene started her journey with a flight to Japan. Through the Worldwide Organization of Organic Farming, she stayed with a Japanese woman for two weeks in exchange for helping her with her farm. Allene's host was expecting a more seasoned farmhand, so Allene had to work hard to prove she could do the work.
"She and I became very good friends," Allene said.
Allene spent about a month in each country and didn't commit to a travel schedule. She stayed in hostels, hotel rooms and tents, as well as with anyone she might know who lived abroad.
"I also used every lead that I ever got," Allene said. "If somebody had any lead for me, I just went with it."
Allene was involved in the Community Colleges for International Development program when it still existed at CLC. On her travels, she was able to meet up with six students who had studied at CLC. She met former students in Ireland, South Africa and New Delhi, India, where she had them take her to the slums.
"These children and these people, they just blew my mind," Allene said. "They were so giving, so wonderful, so beautiful."
Allene met a travel photographer friend in New Delhi and accompanied him on a five-week-long photoshoot in northern India, Tibet and Nepal. The photographer's mission was to document the large monasteries in the region, which included extensive driving on treacherous mountain roads. By chance, they got to see the Dalai Lama speak in northern India on this excursion.
Some of Allene's magical travel moments included flying over Mount Everest, going through a packed tollbooth in India, seeing a tribe of long-necked people in Burma and going on a safari in Africa. A friend took her to Thaipusam, a Hindu festival in Malaysia she later learned 1.5 million people had attended.
Only twice in three years did Allene get scared, she said. Once was in Laos while riding a bicycle when a man on a motorbike rode up alongside her and tried to steal her purse. The other time was in Beijing when she met two friendly, English-speaking women who tried to stick her with a bill at a teahouse.
The food on Allene's journey was unusual, she said, and confirmed people around the world eat bugs. She ate beetles, heavily seasoned with spices, in Thailand, and drank coffee in Indonesia made from beans excreted by an animal. She loved going to food markets because she truly didn't know what she was going to see. Toilets throughout the world ranged from Japanese thrones with numerous buttons to outhouses made from nothing more than a hole in the ground, Allene said. On her travels, Allene relied on hand signals and smiles to communicate, she said. Some of the best interactions she had were with people who didn't speak English.
People often ask Allene which country she visited on her trip was her favorite, she said. Her response is she loved every place and embraced them all. If pushed, though, she said her favorite place was Vietnam, because she grew up during the Vietnam War and wasn't sure how she would be received there.
"They were so grateful that I was in their country and they welcomed me with open arms," Allene said.
Allene ended up with reverse culture shock upon her return to the Brainerd lakes area. She was shocked by the numerous product options in stores and lamented how easily things are disposed of in America.
"I felt like I had been in a coma for three years," Allene said. "So much had changed and nothing had changed."
To take advantage of her love of travel, Allene started her own world travel consultant company, World Enterprises LLC, known as Claudia Around the World Tours. According to the company's website, she focuses on small group travel to exotic destinations.
"What I would like to encourage you to do is to go as far away as you can, for as long as you can," Allene said. "And embrace this different culture."
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* All treatments performed at Lung Institute utilize autologous stem cells, meaning those derived from a patient's own body. No fetal or embryonic stem cells are utilized in Lung Institute's procedures. Lung Institute aims to improve patients' quality of life and help them breathe easier through the use of autologous stem cell therapy. To learn more about how stem cells work for lung disease, click here.
All claims made regarding the efficacy of Lung Institute's treatments as they pertain to pulmonary conditions are based solely on anecdotal support collected by Lung Institute. Individual conditions, treatment and outcomes may vary and are not necessarily indicative of future results. Testimonial participation is voluntary. Lung Institute does not pay for or script patient testimonials.
Under current FDA guidelines and regulations 1271.10 and 1271.15, the Lung Institute complies with all necessary requirements for operation. Any individual who accesses Lung Institute's website for information is encouraged to speak with his or her primary physician for treatment suggestions and conclusive evidence. All information on this site should be used for educational and informational use only.
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Stem Cell Therapy share
Painful discs in the neck or low back are common causes of severe back pain and disability. Historically, therapies did not exist to regenerate the degenerative process in a vertebral disc, often leaving surgical intervention as the only option if other non-operative treatment options have failed. In selected patients, we now have hopes of better ways to treat spinal disease. Regenerative therapies for the spine are the future for spinal treatments. We are excited to offer innovative techniques as new and improved ways to try to heal spinal problems without having to undergo surgery. Regenerative therapy options hold wonderful healing potential and represent the future of modern medicine.
In the United States alone, more than 400,000 lumbar discectomies and 500,000 spinal fusions are performed each year for symptoms related to lumbar disc degeneration. The ability to get these to heal without surgery has been a long-term goal of many patients and physicians alike.At Virginia Spine Institute, we are working to promote healing without surgery. Virginia Spine Institute continues to be on the forefront of treatment options and is proud to offer stem cell therapy treatments for patients as part of ourcomprehensive non-operative treatment options.
We obtain a patients own stem cells by aspirating tissue from the patient's hip bone or from their fat cells. These cells are centrifuged down to identify and separate specific primitive cells that will help heal tissues. Stem cells are theninjected into the disc, stimulating healing of the disc by using these primitive blood cells to stimulate regeneration of the collagen within the disc. We are excited to report improvements in our patients treated with stem cells.
What are Stem Cells?
Stem cells are undifferentiated cells that have the potential to become specialized types of cells. Stem cells can be categorized as embryonic stem cells or adult stem cells.Embryonic stem cells are derived from a human fetus; there are many ethical concerns with embryonic stem cells, and these are not used in our practice.
Adult stem cells are derived from adults, sometimes obtained from your very own body! Adult stem cells are further divided into different categories. For example, the types of adult stem cells we use to treat musculoskeletal issues are known as mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). These are multi-potent cells that can differentiate into bone cells, cartilage cells, or fat cells. Its important to note that they cannot differentiate into any other type of cell.
The human body has multiple storage sites for stem cells to repair degenerated and injured structures. We have found that obtaining stem cells from the hip bone (iliac bone) is easily performed within minutes and, in most cases, is a fairly painless procedure for the patient. The stem cells are obtained from your own bone marrow; just minutes later, they are used for treatment.
This procedure is done in our office and starts with the patient lying face down on the examination table. The skin is first numbed with a novocaine solution. After that, the cortex of the hip bone (iliac bone) is numbed. Next, under x-ray (fluoroscopic) guidance, a special needle is advanced through the bone to the cortex of your hip bone into the bone marrow. The liquid marrow - which contains the stem cells - is then withdrawn into a syringe. Finally, the needle is removed, and a small bandage is placed where the needle was inserted.
After the procedure, the syringe of stem cells is taken to the lab and placed in a specialized machine called a centrifuge. The centrifuge spins the bone marrow solution and stem cells are separated from the non-useful cells. The concentrated stem cells are then transferred to a new syringe. Now, the stem cells are ready for the treatment.
Not all patients will be a candidate for these disc regeneration procedures. For those whom are ideal candidates, this provides great hope with reduction in pain and improved quality of life without the need for major surgery. We are excited about these great advances in health care and look forward to helping you live pain free.
Stem cell injections are most commonly used for treatment of the following conditions:
The area of injury is first identified using ultrasound or fluoroscopy. The area is then sterilized, and the skin above the area is numbed with a novocaine-type solution. Using ultrasound or fluoroscopic guidance, the needle is guided to the area of injury, and the stem cell solution is injected. All the regenerative injections performed at our practice are performed under image guidance with ultrasound or fluoroscopy to confirm accurate placement of the stem cells.
The risks depend on the area being treated; however, there is always a potential risk of an injection causing infection, bleeding, or nerve damage. It is important to note that there is no risk of allergic reaction since you are using your own stem cells. At Virginia Spine Institute we always recommended the safest and most efficient procedures for our patients, however, your physician will review any possible risks associated with this treatment prior to administering.
The benefit is usually seen approximately two to three months after the whole treatment protocol has completed; however, you may start to notice the benefit sooner than this.
In most cases, patients respond very well to just one treatment; however, the patient may require two to three injections. We never perform more than three injections within a span of 12 months.
Virginia Spine Institute is part of an ongoing FDA clinical trial study and now also offers stem cell therapy to patients not enrolled in the study. This pioneering cell therapy, currently under investigation by our physicians, shows promise in restoring the structure of degenerating discs and alleviating pain after other non-operative treatments have failed.
The clinical trial uses NuQu (made by ISTO Technologies, Inc) to attempt to restore a damaged disc to save the disc and prevent further degeneration. NuQu is composed of culture-expanded juvenile cartilage cells (stem cells) in a protein-based carrier. These cells have been proven to have far greater regenerative potential than adult cartilage-forming cells based upon preliminary investigations.
After evaluating hundreds of patients for the FDA trial comparing these cartilage forming stem cells to a saline placebo, the spinal experts at Virginia Spine Institute were able to enroll 5 patients in the study. Although early results have been promising, the evaluation will not be complete until a full year passes after the injection.
Although NuQu is an early-stage, cell-based therapy aimed at treating the cause of back pain associated with degenerating discs, we remain optimistic that it has the potential to cure this disease. This pioneering cell therapy, currently under investigation by our physicians, shows promise in restoring the structure of degenerating discs and alleviating pain after other non-operative treatments have failed and before surgery even becomes a consideration.
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