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Islands wins on road to clinch berth in Elite Eight – Savannah Morning News

Posted on February 24, 2017 by Danzig

GAINESVILLE A highly efficient Islands squad built up a comfortable lead that was never relinquished inside East Halls gymnasium Thursday as the Sharks rolled to an 89-62 win over East Hall, a No. 1 seed and the Region 7-3A champion.

East Halls season ended at the hands of what coach Joe Dix called the best offensive team they faced all season in the second round of the GHSA Class 3A state tournament.

Islands moves on to play at Liberty County, which won its second-round game decisively 105-62 over Coahulla Creek, in the state quarterfinals next week.

When you got kids that know the game, it makes my job much easier, Islands coach Karl DeMasi said. Its a godsend to have kids who are gifted physically and mentally. They know the game.

The Sharks built a 23-point advantage before intermission, and at one point led by as much as 29 in the third period.

After East Hall turned it over on the opening possession, the Sharks vaulted ahead on a 14-4 run ignited by back-to-back 3s from Hugh Durham grandson of the former University of Georgia mens basketball coach with the same name and Trae Broadnax, the son of Savannah State coach Horace Broadnax.

A 3-pointer by East Halls Luke Holtzclaw cut it to seven with 3:17 left in the quarter, but the Sharks built it back to 24-10.

Broadnax, a 6-foot-4 sophomore, had a game-high 27 points 17 in the first half, for Islands. Seniors Justin Cave and Justin Cutter also scored in the double digits with 16 and 11 points, respectively. Cave was strong throughout, adding a pair of dunks his first a one-handed jam in traffic to stretch the Sharks lead to 25 during the second quarter.

DeMasi noted that Broadnax had eight assists, Cave (12 rebounds) had six assists and the team had 22 after 23 in their first-round playoff game at Worth County.

Were just playing well, were playing as a team, DeMasi said. Thats all I can ask the boys to do. Theyre sharing the basketball.

Islands depth was a key factor as the Sharks got 15 points and 10 rebounds off the bench.

Meanwhile the Vikings just never caught their stride. They converted just 33 percent of their attempts from the floor, only after being held at a near standstill for the first two quarters.

DeMasi said the biggest focus was to halt the attack of East Halls big three senior Mahki Brown, Sedrion Morse and Luke Cooper and they were successful at stopping two.

Brown scored a team-high 14 points all hard earned and added five boards. Morse and Cooper were held to no field goals in the first half for East Hall. Morse notched five points in the second half to finish with 10, while Cooper managed one basket and missed his mark on all five 3-point attempts.

We knew that was their big three. We knew we had to stop them, and they did a great job defensively, said DeMasi. To hold (East Hall) to 22 points in the first half is, thats what I am really proud of. Were hot at the right time.

The Vikings were also outrebounded 29-21 and turned it over 11 times against a Sharks team that never let up.

We dug ourselves in a hole, and against a team at that level, you cant dig a hole. Theyll bury you, added Dix.

ISLANDS (89)

Mosley 2, Trae Broadnax 27, Edwards 4, Cabrera 6, Jaylen Cave 5, Durham 6, DeLoach 4, Newman 2, Walker 6, Justin Cave 16, Justin Cutter 11.

EAST HALL (62)

Buffington 3, Dowdy 1, Martinez 2, Evans 6, Sedreon Morse 10, Cooper 2, Campbell 6, Rider 8, Holtzclaw 6, Dixon 3, Vance 1, Mahki Brown 14.

IHS|24|21|19|26||89

EH|10|12|20|19||62

RecordsIslands 19-9, EH 21-8.

Islands wins on road to clinch berth in Elite Eight - Savannah Morning News

Cancer Genetics India Partners with CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology to Organize the 2nd Annual Next … – P&T Community

Posted on February 24, 2017 by Danzig

Cancer Genetics India Partners with CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology to Organize the 2nd Annual Next ...
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The objective of the conference is to provide recent updates and discuss the impact of diverse yet relevant applications of NGS and bioinformatics on key research areas such as agri-genomics, onco-genomics, microbiology, and human genetics. The opening ...

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Cancer Genetics India Partners with CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology to Organize the 2nd Annual Next ... - P&T Community

Vice President Pence downplays concerns over disruptions to health care – Yahoo News

Posted on February 24, 2017 by Danzig

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. Vice President Mike Pence dismissed concerns Thursday about the pace of Republican plans to repeal and replace the health care law passed by Democrats under President Barack Obama, promising an orderly transition to a new system.

Despite all the fear-mongering from the left, make no mistake about it. Well have an orderly transition to a better health care system, Pence said at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference.

It was the only comment by Pence in a 20-minute speech that went beyond boilerplate rhetoric and touched on challenges facing the new administration. Nonetheless, the crowd of conservative activists greeted him with warm applause.

Pences comments came on the same day that former House Speaker John Boehner, a Republican, said Republicans would not repeal Obamacare.

All this happy talk that went on in November and December and January about repeal, repeal, repeal. I started laughing because if you pass repeal without replace, first, anything that happens is your fault. You broke it, Boehner said in a speech to the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society in Orlando, Fla.

And so far, there does not appear to be much consensus among Republicans on how to replace Obamacare. Trump himself has made wildly contradictory comments on when new legislation would be introduced, and on what it would look like.

Just a month ago Trump promised insurance for everybody, which is at odds with the plan congressional Republicans are working on.

Concerns over changes to the health care system have sparked raucous town hall meetings around the country with Republican members of Congress.

One of the biggest obstacles to repealing Obamacare is concern over what will happen to the millions of people who have been covered under an expansion of Medicaid included in the law. Trump and House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., are in talks with governors to find a way to avoid losing coverage for those people. Trump will meet Friday at the White House to discuss the Medicaid issue with Ohio Gov. John Kasich, a Republican with whom he has clashed repeatedly.

Vice President Mike Pence speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference. (Photo: Susan Walsh/AP)

Slideshow: Scenes from CPAC 2017 >>> _____

Support for 2010 health care law reaches new high – Pew Research Center

Posted on February 24, 2017 by Danzig

With congressional Republicans discussing proposals to replace the Affordable Care Act, public support for the 2010 health carelaw has reached its highest level on record.

Currently, 54% approve of the health care law passed seven years ago by Barack Obama and Congress, while 43% disapprove, according to a national Pew Research Center survey conducted Feb. 7-12 among 1,503 adults.

Throughout the laws history, opinions about the Affordable Care Act have tended to be more negative than positive or, less frequently, divided. As recently as December, about as many approved (48%) as disapproved (47%) of the law.

The new survey finds that when those who disapprove of the law are asked about what should happen to it now, more want GOP congressional leaders to focus their efforts on modifying the law than on getting rid of it. One-in-four adults want Republican leaders to modify the law, while 17% want them to get rid of it entirely.

As in the past, there are deep partisan divisions over the health care law. Democrats overwhelmingly support the law, with 85% expressing approval. Among independents, about half (53%) approve of the health care law, while 45% disapprove. By contrast, Republicans broadly disapprove of the law (89%); just 10% express approval.

Republicans who disapprove of the health care law are divided on whether GOP congressional leaders should modify the health care law or get rid of it entirely. Nearly equal shares say Republican leaders in Congress should focus their efforts on modifying the law (42%) and focus on getting rid of it entirely (44%).

Among independents, nearly twice as many say Republican leaders should focus on modifying the law rather than scrapping it (29% vs. 15%).

Independents have grown in their support of the health care law in the past year. As was the case in December, about half (53%) now approve of the Affordable Care Act. In October, shortly before the election, 41% of independents approved of the law.

About three-quarters of Democratic-leaning independents (78%) support the health care law, little changed from December, but up 14 percentage points since October (from 64%). Opinions of Republican-leaning independents have shown less change; currently, 22% favor the law.

Democratic support for the law, which dipped in December, has increased 12 points since then (from 73% to 85%). There has been little recent change in Republicans views of the health care law.

Younger adults are more likely than older people to approve of the health care law. Today, by about two-to-one, those younger than 30 approve (65% approve vs. 31% disapprove). In October, opinion among young people was more evenly divided (51% approve vs. 45% disapprove). Since then, support also has increased among those ages 50 to 64 (52% now, 40% then).

Postgraduates continue to express broad approval of the health care law: About two-thirds (68%) approve today, which is little changed from October. Among college graduates, a majority today expresses approval of the law (58%) on par with the share who approved in December (56%), but up 10 points from before the election. In October, college graduates were divided; as many approved as disapproved (48% each).

Among whites, the educational divide is even wider. A 64% majority of white postgraduates approve of the law, equal to the share that expressed approval in October. White college graduates today have ticked up in their support for the health care law: About half (52%) currently approve, compared with 41% in October.

But among whites with some college experience or less education, a majority (62%) disapproves of the Affordable Care Act, compared with just about a third who approve (36%). In October, 30% approved of the law.

Note: Survey methodology can be found here, and topline can be found here (PDF).

Topics: Barack Obama, Domestic Affairs and Policy, Health Care, Political Issue Priorities, U.S. Political Parties

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Support for 2010 health care law reaches new high - Pew Research Center

When it comes to health care reform, innovation will matter more than politics – Michigan Radio

Posted on February 24, 2017 by Danzig

The Next Idea

With all the talk of reforming health care, what if we are missing the bigger picture?

What if all this emotional debate about whether to dismantle the Affordable Care Act, otherwise known as Obamacare, was a waste of time?

In 2013, I was asked to give a TED Talk in Washington, D.C. to coincide with the rollout of the Affordable Care Act. I was to follow the Surgeon General; the Director of the National Institutes of Health; and a well-known Harvard Business School professor, among others.

I immediately said, No thanks! I didnt want to be like Frank Gorshin, the impersonator who came on the Ed Sullivan Show right after the Beatles made their American debut. After some cajoling, I agreed to do the event with the stipulation that I could invite a panel of health care innovators and pretend to be Oprah.

Surprisingly, they agreed.

Top innovators from Google, AT&T, Lockheed Martin, and Qualcomm joined me in a very pleasant, non-confrontational discussion about how health care was being changed from the outside in.

We discussed the use of smart phones to perform physical exams in record time for less than $15, diagnosis of diseases like river blindness with the addition of a cheap lens attachment for handheld devices, crowdfunding the discoveries of new drugs, and using open-source informatics to create inexpensive and customized therapies, and more.

In the weeks that followed, I received a few polite but passive-aggressive emails from people I took to be seasoned physicians. The message was usually the same. You dont understand how we do things because you are not a doctor.

I also received several emails from medical students and residents. Their messages went something like this: The attending physicians in my medical center are terrified of new technology, please send help.

Finally, I received numerous inquiries from young entrepreneurs who wanted to be outside-in innovators themselves. Most of them were looking for moral support, industry connections, and large amounts of cash.

"While we are lobbying and legislating the future of health care in America, innovators are creating the products and services that will largely determine what that future looks like."

It was clear that all three groups belonged to the same health care ecosystem but with much more eco and much less system.

What has been conspicuously absent from the discussion about reforming health care is the role innovation is playing in making it better, faster and cheaper. While we are lobbying and legislating the future of health care in America, innovators are creating the products and services that will largely determine what that future looks like.

Ideally, doctors would be leading the effort, but they are falling behind the pace of the innovators. The irony is that health care is great at developing timely new therapies but terrible at operationalizing them. Its a difficult balancing act. We expect our physicians to follow the rules so that we get predictable results. But if we dont give them room to try new things, innovators will come from somewhere else.

Over the past few years Ive been working with some of the leading medical institutions to teach students and physicians how to make innovation happen from the outside-in. The results have been promising so far, but there is much more to do before we see any real impact on the availability and affordability of health care. Its future will obviously be affected by the decisions of our elected representatives - but the ideas coming from these outside-innovators may matter more in the end.

Jeff DeGraffis a clinical professor of business administration at the University of Michigan Ross School of Business.

Jeff DeGraff's essay on Stateside.

The Next Idea is Michigan Radios project devoted to new innovations and ideas that will change our state.

Join the conversation on Twitter or Facebook, or let us know your Next Idea here.

(Subscribe to The Next Idea podcast on iTunes, or with this RSS link.)

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When it comes to health care reform, innovation will matter more than politics - Michigan Radio

Trust the states we’ll deliver on healthcare – The Hill (blog)

Posted on February 24, 2017 by Danzig

Elections have consequences. Americans are reminded of that today, just as they were eight years ago.

This week, I will travel to Washington D.C. for my first National Governors Association meeting as Indianas chief executive. Ill be armed with plenty of Indiana examples to support what my colleagues from around the country already know: The greatest victories to emerge from the last decade came from the states, and they were accomplished in spite of an increasingly prescriptive and expansive federal government.

Our Healthy Indiana Plan (HIP) is now the go-to model of consumer-driven healthcare for states in the Midwest and beyond. Long before ObamaCare, Governor Mitch Daniels and his team developed this program aimed at transforming patients from passive recipients of healthcare into active participants in their health.

Later, with a looming unsustainable Medicaid expansion on the horizon, then-Governor Mike PenceMike (Michael) Richard PencePence takes victory lap at CPAC: This is our time Pence: Democrats' Obamacare promises were 'fake news' Conservatives to Congress: Get moving MORE battled the federal bureaucracy in Washington for permission to grow the program responsibly and free from as many strings as possible. After two years of wading through unnecessary federal roadblocks, HIP 2.0 was born, and today 400,000 low-income Hoosiers are contributing to their healthcare costs while healthy behaviors continually improve.

HIP 2.0 members who contribute to their health care costs are more likely to seek preventative care, less likely to visit emergency rooms, and more likely to report high levels of satisfaction than those who do not. With such strong outcomes, I have petitioned the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to allow Indiana to maintain HIP 2.0 and to use it as a vehicle to expand drug addiction and mental health treatment options, reduce smoking rates, and incentivize healthier behaviors.

Indianas HIP 2.0 program works because it is built by Hoosiers for Hoosiers a true skin-in-the-game approach that reflects the core values of personal responsibility and fiscal discipline intrinsic to our communities.

Our state has applied the same home-grown approach to education, empowering families to choose the best educational fit for their children whether thats a traditional public school, a quality charter school, or private school. These school choice programs garner much attention, of course, but we also have taken important steps to recruit and keep great teachers in high-need subjects and communities while increasing education funding to record levels.

There are also times Indiana has elected to replace federal funding with state funds to ease burdensome federal restrictions. Transportation is a prime example. Indiana provided $150 million in grants to local communities to pursue the projects they need most unbound by state or federal limits. Similarly, Indiana leveraged the power of public-private partnerships to complete two bridges over the Ohio River, connecting Indiana and Kentucky.

In essence, rather than adhering to a formulaic approach, our states leaders listen to families and communities to design programs flexible enough to meet the needs of Hoosiers in every part of the state. The same is true across state government in Indiana. With our affordable housing strategies, environmental permitting, workforce development and training, and so much more, we have sought every opportunity to partner with the federal government while staying true to the unique needs of our citizens.

The skepticism, and sometimes outright pushback, experienced from the federal government in the past eight years has been considerable, but states like Indiana have found solutions to their biggest problems anyway. We are committed to being as responsive as possible to the families and employers we serve, and I, like my two predecessors, understand that Washingtons one size most certainly does not fit all.

Indiana is not alone in its desire for the freedom to solve problems our own way. States are tired of unnecessary federal obstinacy against innovation and new approaches. Ignited by a decade of overreach and emboldened by a new administration eager to decentralize power, states are surging backlearning from each other and building strategies that address their needs.

In the months and years ahead, I look forward to partnering with the Trump-Pence Administration and Congress to give states the flexibility they need to act on behalf of their citizens to solve problems quickly and more effectively.

Eric Holcomb is the 51st Governor of Indiana. He is a veteran of the United States Navy, was a trusted advisor to both Governor Mitch Daniels and U.S. Senator Dan CoatsDan CoatsDNI official challenges reports of low morale in intelligence community Trust the states we'll deliver on healthcare Trump's pick for intel chief to get hearing next week MORE, and most recently served as Lt. Governor with then-Governor, current-Vice President Mike Pence.

The views expressed by contributors are their own and are not the views of The Hill.

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Trust the states we'll deliver on healthcare - The Hill (blog)

2017 Health Care Heroes finalist: Barbara Terry – Cincinnati Business Courier

Posted on February 24, 2017 by Danzig

Cincinnati Business Courier

2017 Health Care Heroes finalist: Barbara Terry
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2017 Health Care Heroes finalist: Barbara Terry - Cincinnati Business Courier

Why Former Tech Execs Are Leaving Google And Twitter To Start Health Care Companies – Fast Company

Posted on February 24, 2017 by Danzig

When Stephanie Tilenius, a former senior executive at eBay and Google, decided to start a health-coaching app, many in her network were incredulous. "Everyone thought I was crazy," she recalls. "Some people loved that I wanted to do something to help others, but a lot socially ostracized me."

For many entrepreneurs, the health sector offers an enticing opportunitywith strings attached. It's an estimated $3 trillion market and is still dominated by a cadre of traditional players. But many in the technology sector have shied away from the industry after witnessing many high-profile failures and realizing that change doesn't happen quickly. "Silicon Valley operators and investors see that health care needs better technology," explains veteran health IT consultant Ben Rooks. "But they learn quickly that health care isn't about radical disruption; it's about slow evolution."

Despite the challenges, a small but growing group of former technologists from companies like Google and Twitter are in it for the long haul. In many cases, their motivations are deeply personal: A family member lost to chronic disease, or a brush with the broken health care system. I spoke to four former tech executives about their reasons for moving into health care, the cultural differences between the two sectors, and the challenges they've faced along the way.

"Because patients deserve better than a seven-minute visit."Stephanie Tilenius, former VP of commerce and payments at Google and former GM and VP at eBay and PayPal

Stephanie Tilenius started her career at e-commerce companies like eBay and PayPal, and eventually ascended the ranks to become a senior vice president at Google. But prior to joining eBay in 2001, she spent a few years at an online drugstore called PlanetRx. That early experience in health care had a lasting impact on Tilenius. When her father got sick, she felt an even stronger pull to quit her steady tech job to make an impact in the sector. "My father had multiple chronic conditions and went from doctor to doctor," she recalls.

Stephanie Tilenius[Photo: courtesy of Vida]

These days, she is the CEO of a startup called Vida, which provides virtual care for patients with chronic ailments. Before starting the company, Tilenius reflected on her father's need for "continuous care," which would involve all of his care providers communicating with him and each other between office visits. Tilenius believes his heart attack could have been avoided, or at least delayed, if he had received better care than a "seven-minute visit, in which all his doctors would all just tell him to change his diet."

Unlike many of her peers in health tech, she made a point of working closely with medical centers that were already developing clinically validated programs for treating patients with chronic disease like diabetes, depression, and hypertension. She started Vida to make these programs more accessible by shifting some of the components online, and connecting patients with virtual health coaches to inspire long-term behavioral changes.

At first, many friends and acquaintances in her network couldn't understand why she'd leave a successful career in tech to start a health company that would likely grow and monetize at a slow pace. "People didn't understand why I would leave a senior role and money on the table," she says. "In Silicon Valley, it's about hypergrowth, and if you're not doing that, then there's something wrong." Likewise, many in health care were skeptical about technologists moving into their own complex sector. Tilenius believes that she'll ultimately show her detractors on both sides that new platforms will emerge in health care, starting with mobile and cloud, and that companies like Vida will be at the forefront. Ultimately, she asks, "Don't you want us crazy Googlers to help people by building companies and taking risks?"

"It's a quest for purpose."Katie Jacobs Stanton, former VP of global media for Twitter, and Othman Laraki, former VP of product management at Twitter and former product manager at Google

For Othman Laraki, the CEO of Color Genomics, the migration of technologists to health care is inevitable as the so-called "internet generation" ages and their priorities change. Laraki's company offers a $249 test to screen people for gene mutations associated with various cancers. Laraki says he left a job in product management, in part because he learned that he is a carrier of one of these mutations. He also found through his research that those with an early awareness of their disease risks can take proactive and preventative steps. "Color started with a simple question," he recalls. "Is this test something that could benefit my family as well as other families out there?"

The shift to health care hasn't been easy. One of the key differences between the two sectors, he explains, is the criteria for success. "In tech, [the adage] is kind of true that 'if you build it, they will come'," he says. "In health care, the quality of the product is like No. 10 on the list." Other factors are more important, such as price, privacy, patient safety, relationships with key industry stakeholders, and so on. Laraki is confident, however, that this will slowly start to change with more data flowing in health care and the trend toward consumerization.

Othman Laraki[Photo: courtesy of Color Genomics, Inc.]

In the meantime, he says that Color Genomics has been able to get an edge on its rivals, in part due to the technology background of its founders. As an example, the company started out by pricing its product in a unique way. The founders made the test affordable enough for most patients to pay out of pocket. "It was unusual, but an effective way to reach a lot of people." Most gene-testing companies will instead choose to work with insurance companies to maximize revenue, often at the expense of its patients. By iterating continually on the product, a talent acquired at Google, Laraki says the company was also able to cut the time it took to develop a fully compliant in-house lab from the expected one year to just three months.

The response among those in the tech community to Color has been mixed. "I get a lot of, 'That's interesting,' or, 'Huh?' says Laraki. But he and Chief Marketing Officer Katie Jacobs Stanton say that many of those same people want to get involved when they simply explain the opportunity. For Jacobs Stanton, the decision to join Color came after she watched her brother and father battle cancer. But she also had practical reasons for coming on board: "I follow the three-principal model," she says. "Who are the people? What is the product? Could I help?" Jacobs Stanton, who is also an investor in Color, joined the company only after being convinced on all three fronts.

"I wanted to build something of everlasting value."David Vivero, former vice president of rentals for Zillow

David Vivero recalls a not-too-distant past prior to the Affordable Care Act in which a person with a chronic medical condition, himself included, could be denied health insurance. Things may have changed on that front, but many people still feel regularly dissatisfied with their experience in health care. That prompted Vivero to start a company geared to consumers and patients (most health companies are business-to-business). "I wouldn't say it hit me like an epiphany," he says. "I started with an image of a single page that could be a window into an important health decision, and then it evolved." For Vivero, another motivator came after he became a parent: "Now, having a child, I wanted to build something of everlasting value."

Vivero's startup Amino aims to provide transparency for patients on physician quality and price so they can make more informed decisions. One of the challenges for Vivero has been to convince veteran health technologists that there's a route to make money through consumers, he says. Aware that many companies have tried and failed to improve transparency, some industry experts are skeptical about his chances. "The first movers tend to have arrows in their backs," he explains.

But Vivero is convinced that technologists have a good shot at improving some aspect of the health experience if they stay humble and bring in experienced medical advisers. He says many entrepreneurs fall into the trap of eyeing the multitrillion-dollar opportunity and casting their net too wide without realizing that one sliver of the industry could be worth hundreds of millions. "When you are out there speaking with the bluster of a typical Silicon Valley entrepreneur, try to modulate it," he advises would-be founders. "Start with empathy, and a desire to get it right for each individual user."

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Why Former Tech Execs Are Leaving Google And Twitter To Start Health Care Companies - Fast Company

Healthcare firms plan to increase security spending | CSO Online – CSO Online

Posted on February 24, 2017 by Danzig

By Maria Korolov

Contributing Writer, CSO | Feb 23, 2017 5:30 AM PT

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After several high-profile breaches over the past couple of years, the healthcare industry plans to increase its spending on IT security more than other sectors.

According to a survey released this Tuesday, 81 percent of U.S. healthcare companies plan to increase security spending this year, compared to an overall industry average of 73 percent.

The spending intent is significantly higher than last year, when only 60 percent of healthcare firms planned to increase security spending.

The higher interest in improving security is likely due to a combination of increased awareness of both data breaches and risks of ransomware, as well as increased regulatory oversight, said Jim DeLorenzo, solutions marketing manager at Thales e-Security, which produced the report.

"They get increased attention as protectors of data that is so essential to everybody's lives," he said.

But while healthcare breaches can be very high profile and dramatic, the actual incidence rate is lower than in other industries.

Only 18 percent of global healthcare companies said they had a breach in the past 12 months, the lowest of any vertical. By comparison, 43 percent of companies in the retail sector reported that they had a breach.

Part of the reason could be that the health care records marketplace is becoming saturated. With more than 110 million healthcare records breached in 2015 alone, the medical information of nearly half of all Americans is already available on the black market.

Meanwhile, regulators are coming down harder on healthcare companies than ever before, said DeLorenzo.

The Office of Civil Rights under the Department of Health and Human Services is the agency that enforces compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

The regulators have previously indicated that they will be conducting more audits, and are now getting serious, he said.

"You're actually seeing some actual penalties being assessed," he said.

For example, earlier this month, the Children's Medical Center of Dallas agreed to a $3.2 million settlement for ignoring security recommendations and not encrypting patient records. And the Memorial Healthcare System paid a $5.5 million settlement for its data breaches, the Department of Health and Human Services announced last week.

Compliance is the single biggest driver of U.S. healthcare security spending, said DeLorenzo.

According to the report, 57 percent of U.S. respondents said that compliance is their top spending driver -- compared to just 20 percent globally.

"We're a compliance-driven marketplace here," he said. "Especially compared to other countries that have government-run healthcare systems."

When it comes to allocating their spending, 69 percent of U.S. healthcare companies said that they planned to increase spending on network security. Analysis and correlation tools were in second place, with 62 percent of respondents planning to increase spending in this area.

Maria Korolov has been covering emerging technology and emerging markets for the past 20 years.

Liberal Vermont tests the waters on GOP health care overhaul – USA TODAY

Posted on February 24, 2017 by Danzig

Steven Findlay, Kaiser Health News 4:41 p.m. ET Feb. 23, 2017

Phil Scott, a Republican candidate in the Vermont 2016 gubernatorial race, speaks during a forum held by the Brattleboro Area Chamber of Commerce at the American Legion in Brattleboro Vt., on June 28, 2016. (Photo: Kristopher Radder, Brattleboro Reformer, via AP)

Tiny and very blue Vermont could be at the leading edge of the health reforms envisioned by the Trump administration and a Republican Congress.

The Green Mountain State, population around 626,000, got a broad waiver last October from the federal government to redesign how its health care is delivered and paid for.The statewide experiment aims to test new payment systems, prevent unnecessary treatments, constrain overall growth in the cost of services and drugs, and address public health problems such as opioid abuse.

The six-year initiative an outgrowth of a failed attempt by Vermont a few years ago to adopt a single-payer plan for all residents could eventually encompass almost all of its 16 hospitals, 1,933 doctors and 70%of its population, including workers insured through their jobs and people covered under Medicare and Medicaid.

The Obama administration approved the experiment, but it fits the Republican mold for one way the Affordable Care Act could be replaced or significantly modified. The Trump administration and lawmakers in Congress have signaled that they want to allow states more flexibility to test ways to do what Vermont is doing possibly even in the short-term before Republicans come to an agreement about the future of the ACA.

Two Republican senators, Bill Cassidy of Louisiana and Susan Collins of Maine, introduced legislation in January that would permit individual states to design their own health reforms and keep provisions of the health law intact.

Coincidentally, the ACA contains a provision that allows states to launch such experiments starting this year, as long as they meet the ACAs overall goals for coverage expansions and consumer protections. One possible scenario, then, is that the Trump administration and Congress would agree to retain a version of that provision modified to make it easier for states to experiment, experts say.

Its a very reasonable approach, especially if it looks as if Congress cant agree on an immediate replacement plan, said Stuart Butler, a senior fellow in economics and health policy at the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C. States have long been the laboratories for social change and policy reform, and I think many governors, Republican and Democrat, would welcome this opportunity.

Chris Jennings, a longtime health policy adviser to Bill and Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, said Democratic states also may be amenable. Theres a long way to go on this and there are downsides for example, what would state legislatures actually do but it looks like it will be a meaningful debate.

We Want To Simplify How Things Work

Al Gobeille, Vermonts secretary of Human Services and a Republican serving under newly elected Republican Gov. Phil Scott, said the hope is that the Trump administration will preserve the states initiative.

We are doing what [the Republicans] seem to be talking about, said Gobeille, who owns a restaurant company in the state. We want to simplify how things work, with both coverage and access to care. We want to enhance competition and we want to lower cost growth even as we improve quality.

Scott and Gobeille this month announced the formal launch of the programs pilot phase. In 2017, 30,000 of the states roughly 190,000 Medicaid patients will get care, under a set budget, through an organization called OneCare Vermont. OneCares network of hospitals and doctors already provide care to about 100,000 Vermonters.

The state will give OneCare $93 million, in monthly payments, for the care of the 30,000 Medicaid patients $3,100 per person. If OneCare spends more than $93 million, the company will absorb the loss. If OneCare spends less than that amount, the company and the state share the savings.

This tests the concept of a global budget and streamlined payment which incentivizes better care, says Todd Moore, OneCares CEO. We may be a small state but we are trying a big thing. If it works, many states are likely to stand up and take notice.

Moore added that patients will be informed they are part of the program and can seek redress with the states Department of Human Services if they feel their care is stinted in any way.

In announcing the pilot program, Gov. Scott said that if its successful the experiment will be expanded in 2018 and beyond to encompass the rest of the Medicaid population, Medicare beneficiaries and people who have insurance through private employers and on their own, including through Vermont Health Connect, the states Obamacare insurance exchange. Additional hospitals, doctors and other providers would become involved, likely under the umbrella of OneCare Vermont.

Medicaid covers almost 30%of Vermont residents, Medicare covers 21%, and the rest have either private insurance, coverage through the VA or Tricare (military) or are uninsured. About 4%of Vermonters were uninsured in 2015, one of the lowest rates in the nation.

Under the terms of Vermonts contract with the Obama administration, the target for the states maximum overall cost increase in health spending would be 3.5%per year from 2018 to 2022 thats twopercentage points lower than the annual 5.6%average increase in health care spending nationally the federal government projectsbetween this year and 2025.

Success or failure will also be assessed based on population health and quality of care measures. For example, the plan calls for a reduction of substance abuse deaths by at least 10%by 2022. Likewise, the plan sets a target for not more than a 1%rise statewide in the number of people with chronic diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure and COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease). The allowance for the slight increase takes account of the states aging population.

The number of people with ready access to a primary care physician will also be evaluated, with a target of 90%of residents by 2022.

A Shift From Fee For Service

To make all this work, almost every doctor and hospital would have to join OneCare Vermont or create their own accountable care organizations, or ACOs. In these organizations, providers agree to work together to improve and coordinate care and reduce spending under a set budget.

ACOs are also set up to allow payers to gradually shift to global per-patient payment, or other simplified forms of payment, and abandon traditional fee-for-service payment. Fee-for-service payment in medicine is widely viewed as providing incentives for excessive and wasteful care, as well as fraudulent billing. Both the Affordable Care Act and a 2015 law setting up an incentive-payment system in Medicare for doctors take major steps to test whether ACOs and alternative payment systems improve the efficiency and quality of care.

Vermonts initiative builds on those efforts.

Some in Vermont are skeptical the experiment will work well, however. Paul Reiss is a family doctor in Williston and chief medical officer for HealthFirst, Vermonts largest independent practice association. HealthFirst represents (but does not own or operate) 66 doctor groups with 250 doctors, physician assistants and nurses. Reiss said the states largest hospital system the University of Vermont Medical Center dominates health care in parts of state.

We are fearful that much of a restricted pot of money will still go mostly to that company, baking in the inefficiencies of a bloated hospital budget, and not be deployed equitably to the front lines of patient care across the state, Reiss said.

The University of Vermont Medical Center vigorously denied that its budget was bloated. Moore, who is affiliated with the hospital as well as being OneCare Vermonts CEO, said: Statewide data do not confirm those assertions. The medical center is, in fact, a strong leader in ushering in a value-based system for Vermont.

Scott, in announcing the launch of the pilot phase this month, said if it does not work this year, the state would consider terminating the experiment early.

Kaiser Health News, a nonprofit health newsroom whose stories appear in news outlets nationwide, is an editorially independent part of the Kaiser Family Foundation.

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Liberal Vermont tests the waters on GOP health care overhaul - USA TODAY

Sorting out risk genes for brain development disorders – Medical Xpress

Posted on February 24, 2017 by Danzig

February 23, 2017 A laboratory at UW Medicine in Seattle where DNA research is underway to better understand genetic risks of disease. Credit: Clare McLean

Gene discovery research is uncovering new information about similarities and differences underlying various neurodevelopmental disorders.

These are a wide-ranging collection of conditions that affect the brain. They include autism, intellectual impairments, developmental delays, attention deficits, tic disorders and language difficulties.

To better understand how gene-disrupting mutations contribute to the biology of neurodevelopmental disorders, researchers recently conducted a large, international, multi-institutional study.

More than 11,700 affected individuals and nearly 2,800 control subjects underwent targeted DNA sequencing of 208 suspected disease-risk genes. The candidate genes were chosen based on previously published studies.

By looking at greater numbers of cases and using a reliable yet inexpensive molecular inversion probe, the project team wanted to measure the statistical significance of individual, implicated genes.

Their results are reported in Nature Genetics. The study leaders were Holly A. F. Stessman, Bo Xiong and Bradley P. Coe, of the genome sciences laboratory of Evan Eichler at the University of Washington School of Medicine and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. Stessman is now at Creighton University.

Their samples were collected through the Autism Spectrum/Intellectual Disability 15-center network spanning seven countries and four continents. An advantage of this collection, the researchers said, is the ability to check back on a large fraction of cases to try to relate genetic results to clinical findings.

In their study population, the researchers associated 91 genes with the risk of a neurodevelopmental disorder. These included 38 genes not previously suspected of playing a role. Based on some of the family studies, however, mutations even in two or more of the risk genes may not be necessary or sufficient to cause disease.

Of the 91 genes, 25 were linked with forms of autism without intellectual disability. The scientists also described a gene network that appeared to be related to high-functioning autism. Individuals with this form of autism have average to above average intelligence, but may struggle in learning to talk, interact socially, or manage anxiety and sensory overload.

While observing that some genes were more closely associated with autism and others with intellectual or developmental impairments, the researchers found that most of the genes implicated were mutated in both conditions. This result reinforces the substantial overlap among these conditions in their underlying genetics and observable characteristics.

"Most of these genes are clearly risk factors for neurodevelopmental disorders in a broad sense," the researchers explained. "But analysis of both the genetic and subsequent patient follow-up data did single out some genes with a statistical bias towards autism spectrum disorder, rather than an intellectual disability or developmental delay."

Additional findings suggest that less severe mutations may be behind autism that is not accompanied by intellectual disability.

By following up with patients, the researchers could start to assess the newly discovered mutations. Such clinical information is important in determining how the genes might function, and how their disruption might lead to specific traits or symptoms.

In addition to looking at the overall severity of each neurodevelopmental disorder present, the scientists also summarized other features such as seizures, head size, and congenital abnormalities.

The researchers did in fact observe patterns from combining clinical and genetic data. They partitioned those genes most strongly associated with autism, and those more related to developmental disabilities.

Although the overall numbers were low, several autism risk genes appeared predominantly in males, including some detected exclusively in males who had autism without intellectual impairment.

To obtain additional evidence for how risk genes might affect behavior and nervous system function, the researchers investigated 21 genes in fruit fly models. They wanted to see if any of the mutations disrupted a fundamental form of learninggrowing accustomed to harmless stimuli.

Problems with the neuronal mechanisms behind habituation are thought to account for some autism features, such as inability to filter sensory input. The fruit fly studies showed habituation deficits from several of the gene mutations under review, thereby providing additional evidence that they may have a role in cognitive function.

Numerous grants and other funding from government agencies and private foundations in several countries supported this research.

"The scientists are continuing this project and are eager to work with interested families," said Raphael Bernier, associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences and clinical director of the Seattle Children's Autism Center and associate director of the UW Center on Human Development and Disability.

Explore further: Genetic cause identified for previously unrecognized developmental disorder

More information: Holly A F Stessman et al, Targeted sequencing identifies 91 neurodevelopmental-disorder risk genes with autism and developmental-disability biases, Nature Genetics (2017). DOI: 10.1038/ng.3792

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Sorting out risk genes for brain development disorders - Medical Xpress

New Type of Genetic Mutation Identified in Cancer | Newsroom … – Cornell Chronicle

Posted on February 24, 2017 by Danzig

A newly discovered type of genetic mutation that occurs frequently in cancer cells may provide clues about the diseases origins and offer new therapeutic targets, according to new research from Weill Cornell Medicine and the New York Genome Center.

Using next-generation sequencing technology, scientists have previously traced cancers roots to mutations that disrupt the sequence of proteins. As a result, the cell either creates hyperactive or dysfunctional versions of proteins, or fails to produce them at all, leading to cancer. Now, a study published Jan. 12 in Cell illuminates a possible new type of driver of the disease: small (one-50 letter) insertions or deletions of DNA sequence, also called indels, in regions of the genome that do not code for protein.

Dr. Marcin Imielinski Photo credit: John Abbott

Those non-coding regions are still important because they contain sequences that affect how genes are regulated, which is critical for normal cell development, said lead author Dr. Marcin Imielinski, an assistant professor of pathology and laboratory medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine and a core member at the New York Genome Center. We already know they are biologically important. The question is whether they can impact cancer development.

In the study,Dr.Imielinski and his colleagues analyzed sequencing data from several publically available databases of tumor samples, focusing on the 98 percent of the genome that does not code for protein. They initially looked at lung adenocarcinoma, the most common type of lung cancer, and found that the most frequent indel-mutated regions in their genomes landed in genes encoding surfactant proteins. Though these genes are essential for healthy lung function, they had not previously been associated with lung cancer. However, they are highly and specifically expressed by the cell type that gives rise to lung adenocarcinoma.

The researchers then looked at the genomes of 12 other cancer types and found similar patterns in liver, stomach and thyroid tumors. In each cancer, noncoding indels clustered in genes that are critical to organ function, but had not been associated with the cancer, said Dr. Imielinski, who is also an assistant professor of computational genomics in theHRH Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud Institute for Computational Biomedicineand a member of theSandra and Edward Meyer Cancer Centerat Weill Cornell Medicine.

This image shows genetic mutations (blue) in the context of their surrounding DNA sequence, highlighting a sequence motif (red) that Dr. Imielinski discovered.

Most strikingly, these non-coding indels are very common, occurring in 20-50 percent of the associated cancers. They occur as frequently as the most famous cancer-causing mutations, said Dr. Imielinski, who is a paid consultant for the company 10X Genomics, which sells devices and technology to analyze genetic information. Any gene or any sequence that mutated at this frequency has been shown to play a causal role in cancer. That would be an exciting outcome, if we can prove it.

Even if these mutations are not shown to cause cancer, they can be used in the future to improve cancer diagnosis and treatment. These mutations can be biomarkers that help us to diagnose a cancer early, or they could be used to pinpoint a primary cancer when there are metastases and we cant find the original cancer, Dr. Imielinski said. There are a lot of potential clinical implications from these findings.

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New Type of Genetic Mutation Identified in Cancer | Newsroom ... - Cornell Chronicle

Direct-to-consumer genomics: Harmful or empowering? – Medical Xpress

Posted on February 24, 2017 by Danzig

February 23, 2017 Joel Eissenberg, Ph.D., is professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at Saint Louis University. Credit: Saint Louis University

Thanks to recent scientific advances and plunging costs in genetic sequencing, consumers now can order simple, inexpensive, mail-in genetic tests to learn more about health risks, inherited traits and ancestry. But, is it a good idea to bypass your doctor's office when it comes to interpreting health risks?

New technology means grappling with new questions of ethics, best practices and access to information. In an article published in Missouri Medicine, Joel Eissenberg, Ph.D., professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at Saint Louis University, explores questions that stem from these advances, which have the effect of separating the physician-patient relationship from access to new personal health data.

Some companies offer DNA tests via a mail-in saliva sample. Once the sample is tested, the company provides consumers with a report showing whether they are a carrier for any of over 35 diseases, as well as information about traits and ancestry. Participants might learn, for example, that they carry a genetic variation for cystic fibrosis or hereditary hearing loss. Carriers may pass along these genetic variations to a child, who could develop the condition if both parents carry and pass on the variation.

Other tests might find that a consumer carries a genetic variation that increases the risk of breast cancer or Alzheimer's disease. In the case of breast cancer, preventive measures, like regular screening via mammography or preventive surgery, may offer a chance to limit the risk of developing cancer. On the other hand, there is no proven medical treatment for Alzheimer's disease.

In the article, Eissenberg notes several areas of concern for consumers as they attempt to interpret their personal information without the help of a physician or genetic counselor, including a limited understanding of genetics, confusion about disease risk and anxiety caused by new information in the absence of guidance from a medical professional.

Eissenberg concludes, however, that individuals should be able to access their own personal genome data.

"In an open society, maximizing autonomy is a virtue," Eissenberg said. "Knowledge is power."

He notes that, in many ways, we've already moved along the path of patient-initiated testing, with digital thermometers, blood pressure cuffs, blood sugar monitors and pregnancy testing kits that give the public direct access to health information.

In theory, understanding genetic risk could help guide life decisions, such as encouraging regular cancer screenings, a healthy diet and exercise to offset some genetic risks for some illnesses. (Though, some research has found that communicating DNA-based disease risk has little or no effect on smoking and physical activity.)

"At its best, direct-to-consumer genomics testing could eventually become like other forms of home medical testing - another way for people to take personal control of their health and wellness," Eissenberg said.

At the same time, he urges caution in how these tests are marketed, noting that currently they are not able to offer useful predictions or recommendations for many diseases.

"Today, however, genomics testing to assess risk for complex diseases rests on a weak foundation of clinical validation. Thus, in most cases, genomics data cannot serve as a guide to action."

Finally, while Eissenberg does not believe medical paternalism is warranted in restricting access to direct-to-consumer tests, he shares several instances in which consumers may benefit from consulting with their physician or a genetic counselor: to prepare for adverse news, to help interpret risk, to prescribe a risk response and to counsel caution in over interpretation.

But the bottom line?

"It is important to stress that genetic risk is not the same as genetic destiny," Eissenberg said.

Explore further: Customers who receive genetic health data not alarmed by results, find information useful

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Direct-to-consumer genomics: Harmful or empowering? - Medical Xpress

Silent force behind U.Va. genetic engineering – University of Virginia The Cavalier Daily

Posted on February 24, 2017 by Danzig

CRISPR technology offers potential for genetic manipulation by Kpakpando Anyanwu | Feb 23 2017 | 02/23/17 1:32am

Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats offer the potential to manipulate specific DNA sequences or entire genomes. At the University, use of this technology specifically focuses on practical significance.

[CRISPR] describes a DNA sequence pattern which was first reported in E. coli in 1987, but the acronym was not introduced until 2002 along with Cas (CRISPR-associated proteins), Assoc. Medical Prof. Wenhao Xu said in an email to the Cavalier Daily. The function of CRISPR/Cas was revealed in 2005 as the acquired immunity against viruses in prokaryotes. The system was reconstructed in a test tube as a tool for programmable genome editing in a landmark publication in 2012. Quickly, the system was shown to work effectively in both human cell lines and mice.

Xus focus with CRISPR has been intensively concentrated in the Genetically Engineered Murine Model core.

The GEMM began to adopt the CRISPR technology only one week after the [2012] publication on mice and made the first CRISPR mouse at U.Va. eight weeks after, Xu said. We have now successfully generated more than 100 CRISPR mice including knockouts and knock-ins.

CRISPR enables engineers to use mice as primary models mimicking both human structure and function that can then be used to study human diseases.

Following a process of differentiation, cells are typically fated to remain in specific organs and serve a particular function. Stem cells retain the potential to develop into different cell types. A distinct characteristic of CRISPR is its ability to change a cells fate.

In our body, we have about 200 different cell types and they all come from single cells called rhizomes, Asst. Medical Prof. Mazhar Adli said. Stem cells basically differentiate, and become all sorts of different cells in our body.

The Adli lab focuses on understanding genome-level regulation in development, specifically researching cancer pathogenesis and treatment. Use of the CRISPR/CAS9 system and the genetic manipulation it allows provide a means of monitoring cellular state transitions during normal and malignant development.

Due to its extensive use and benefits in the field of genetic engineering, CRISPR is regarded as an advanced system with the potential to alter the future of the medical field.

CRISPR is now becoming a widely-used technology tool for research and clinical trials, Adli said.

At the University, the technology offers insight into the relationship between genes, cells and disease facilitating the discovery of new ways for the improvement of health.

Genetic engineering is not new, and yet the CRISPR as a powerful and precise genome editing tool holds a tremendous promise for understanding and treating many human genetic disorders in the future, Xu said.

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Silent force behind U.Va. genetic engineering - University of Virginia The Cavalier Daily

Mice Glowing Like Fireflies Show That New Gene Therapy Process … – Scope (blog)

Posted on February 24, 2017 by Danzig

Glowing thighs were reason for a celebration recently among Stanford researchers working on a new process for gene therapy. Through a collaborative effort led by Christopher Contag, PhD, professor of pediatrics and of microbiology and immunology;Robert Waymouth, PhD, professor of chemistry; and Paul Wender, PhD, professor of chemistry, the researchers developed a new way to deliver a type of RNA into cells to instruct the creation of proteins.

Their technique, detailed in a paper in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, led to successful expression in mice of the proteins that make a firefly glow and may bring us one step closer to the creation of individualized therapeutics from a persons own cells.

Waymouth, in a Stanford press release, characterized their excitement:

Its almost a childlike enthusiasm we have for this. The code for an insect protein is put into an animal and that protein is not only synthesized in the cells but its folded and it becomes fully functional, capable of emitting light.

Accomplishing this feat involved two distinct challenges: getting a type of RNA called mRNA from a firefly into a mouses cells and giving it the freedom to create proteins once inside. Already, the researchers knew that positively charged transport molecules, polycations, can carry mRNA, which is negatively charged, across the cell membrane. The problem with past attempts to use polycations is they dont let go of the mRNA after the crossing, limiting its ability to lead to protein production.

The Stanford technique, called charge-altering releasable transporters (CARTs), avoids this issue with a clever transformation, explained Wender:

What distinguishes this polycation approach from the others, which often fail, is the others dont change from polycations to anything else. Whereas, the ones that were working with will change from polycations to neutral small molecules. That mechanism is really unprecedented.

The change to neutral small molecules means their creation biodegrades inside the cell, detaches from the mRNA, and is eventually excreted from the body. This, along with the fact that mRNAs effects are temporary, makes this technique especially appealing for vaccination, where it could instruct our bodies to put up an immune response and then dissolve, leaving no trace of foreign materials. The researchers are also hoping to apply CARTs to another genetic messenger that could lead to more permanent effects.

Previously: Stanford researcher details structure of sugar transporter called SWEETand Special delivery: Discovery of viral receptor bodes better gene therapy Photo by L.A. Cicero

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Mice Glowing Like Fireflies Show That New Gene Therapy Process ... - Scope (blog)

The Futurist: Marketing redefined – Marketing Interactive

Posted on February 24, 2017 by Danzig

Having been in marketing in various capacities over the past two over decades, I can safely say the function has evolved dramatically especially in the past few years. The change is of course largely attributed to the digital revolution which has closed the distance between brand and customer but with the multitude of channels of communication available also means the marketers job just got a lot more complex and to be effective, you will need to truly grasp integration.

Apart from that, transparency between brand and customer has definitely deepened and brands have huge opportunities today to differentiate if insights are well collected and analysed. These are the current realities, but what holds for the future of marketing? Here is my take:

1) Driver of change

Gone are the days where marketing is just a team that looks into advertising and media buys. Whilst that part of the job remains essential, the role of marketing certainly does not stop there. Today, the customer journey crosses so many departments, in U Mobile our customers journey runs through I.T. department for payment, to network for coverage quality to regulatory division for issues such as mobile parental control, so marketing is no longer just about ensuring good customer service in store or online, the function needs to adopt a more end to end mindset.

Ultimately, marketers are the ones with customers insights and hence are the ones who are able to support the rest of the divisions with the relevant information so that the customer journey will be seamless and consistent. I work very closely with the CTO to ensure networks are being rolled out at locations that matter to our customers. Before the new network is rolled out, I would have already had a conversation with the chief sales officer on sales strategy. Hence, to be an effective support and driver of customer related changes, marketers really need to be knowledgeable of the business and the priorities of the various divisions so that trust will be gained and cooperation achieved.

2) Make innovation central

Today product and service life cycles have shortened dramatically as customers are way more discerning. To build meaningful and impactful relationships with customers, brands really need to be one step ahead to provide for a need before the customer even acknowledges that need. A lot of my time is spent driving innovation, and aligning the innovation with the companys overall strategy and growth objectives. Moving ahead, innovation will need to move a lot faster and with greater frequency.

Competition can catch up really fast and so in order to innovate well, marketers need to mine data intelligently and by always asking the right questions.

3) Be data smart

In all my previous points, I mentioned the essential role of data and how it is the facts that will drive change and innovation. However, I am the first to admit that the sheer amount of data available today makes effective collection, analysis and application challenging. To ensure the data is well used, the marketer of the future will really need to be well versed in data analytics technologies and be clear on how to integrate the various technologies so that there will not be duplication of effort and results are not taken in isolation and solutions applied without context.

Marketers of the future will not only need to be a specialist in their field but they also play a critical role in connecting the dots throughout the organisation so that customers may have a truly satisfying end to end customer experience.

Much has indeed changed in the marketing world and landscape, but some things do remain, whether you are a marketer today or in 2025, you need to be passionate, gung ho, and enjoy being different and always bold. You can make a difference with data, but you can only make history if you tip it over with foresight.

The author of the article is Jasmine Lee, CMO,U Mobile Marketing Redefined

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The Futurist: Marketing redefined - Marketing Interactive

How Leaders Dream Boldly to Bring New Futures to Life – Singularity Hub

Posted on February 24, 2017 by Danzig

This article is part of a new series exploring the skills leaders must learn to make the most of rapid change in an increasingly disruptive world. The first article in the series, How the Most Successful Leaders Will Thrive in an Exponential World, broadly outlines four critical leadership skillsfuturist, technologist, innovator, and humanitarianand how they work together.

Today's post, part two in the series, takes a more detailed look at leaders as futurists. Upcoming articles will explore leaders as technologists, innovators, and humanitarians.

Science fiction writer William Gibson famously once said, The future is already here, its just unevenly distributed. As leaders, how do we embrace the elements of the future that are here, and the ones that are just around the corner? By thinking more like a futurist.

In times of increasing change and complexity, it can be difficult to envision bold new futures with any certainty. Our go-to strategies for thinking about the future typically start with the elements that are known, such as projecting out historic results to future performance, analyzing existing competitors, or focusing on executing near-term results.

Whats missing are systematic approaches to understanding and taking advantage of the unknown. This is why leaders need to embrace skills, practices and behaviors of futurists.

Futurists dont have secret powers to predict the future. They dont have a Magic 8 Ball or special basket of fortune-cookie predictions. Rather, futurists discipline themselves to question the status quo. They regularly scan external trends, adjacent industries and underlying forces. They consider diverse perspectives. And they boldly tell stories about the future before all of the data is available to back it up.

Weve been trained to think of the future as a linear extension of what we know, typically imagining change as a 10 percent improvement (or decline) from what we see around us.

We think we have a better understanding of the future than we do. Our implicit views about the future are so ingrained in business plans, financial models, and strategy conversations that leaders often dont take the time to articulate underlying assumptions. When they do, they may discover plans rely on variables that are far from given and perhaps not the only options.

The future lives in a very broad set of possibilities, and these can unfold surprisingly quickly.

Technological, environmental and political changes will likely disrupt your business. How can you prepare for a different, even unimaginable world that will arrive faster than projected?

This is where methods commonly employed by futurists can help you strengthen your plans. Disciplined methods of strategic foresight systematically scan, analyze, probe and project the future beyond what we intuitively think might be possible.

The first step is identifying the most important and uncertain macro forces shaping your business. These can usually be divided into five broad categories: social, technological, economic, environmental and political. (Tip: Recall these with the acronym STEEP.)

Under each of these categories, there are a number of driving forces and external variables that might lead to very different futures.

An insurance company, for example, might track variables related to the extension of human life (social), technologies disrupting treatment of chronic health conditions (technology), the rate of change from traditional employer-driven work arrangements to more independent gig jobs (economic), the frequency and impact of natural disasters (environmental), and the governments stance toward regulation and potential new laws (political).

Once these high-impact variables are identified and prioritized, futurists gather diverse inputs to establish a range of how the variables are likely to play out over time. The further ahead they go, the wider the range of possibilities.

Futurists call this the cone of possibilitiesand carefully organize their forecasts into four buckets.

Although these futures stem from a common set of identified variables, the derived outcomes are significantly different.

This can be an enlightening strategic exercise for leaders: Is your organization overemphasizing its preferred future and neglecting the full range of possible futures? If so, perhaps there isnt enough hedging of investments. Does your organization default to the plausible future? Consider broadening the view by investigating new technologies, adjacent industries and early startups to inform alternative strategic options.

Paul Saffo, Singularity Universitys Chair of Futures Studies and Foresight, repeatedly warns us that sacred cows make the best burgers. A quick way to make your organization more future-focused is by asking team members to dive into their networks and scout for evidence related to the key variables youve outlined and post them on an analog or digital wall.

Once youve identified your preferred future, you can start to identify key activities and milestones that would help create that future.

Backcasting is the act of imagining a preferred future and then stepping backward toward the present, repeatedly probing what has to happen to enable each step.

Backcasting is anchored in an aspirational future state rather than being constrained by limitations of the current state. This allows people to create their own richly detailed stories of the future and leads naturally to the discussion: How can our product/service do that?

To dream up bold, new possibilities, try imagining an outcome 10 times better, cheaper, or more impactful than what exists today. What if, for example, we all had access to personalized artificial intelligence wellness care providers through emotional robots? Or what if the majority of our transportation services were provided by autonomous vehicles?

Now step backward from each vision to discover whats needed to turn it into reality.

Like forecasting, backcasting can be improved by seeking diverse input. For example, consider carving out a few hours in a company-wide meeting to craft headlines from the future. Just a few hours of collaboration can spark new thinking and ignite fresh ideas. Such exercises can also fuel interdisciplinary engagement and encourage a sense of collective responsibility.

Dont be afraid to get creative and even ditch the PowerPoint slides. Lowes Innovation Labs director Kyle Nel uses narrative driven innovation to imagine new futures. To jumpstart his efforts, Nel brought in science fiction writers and illustrators to create comic books that showcased possible alternatives stretching far beyond smaller, incremental changes, helping the company's leadership concretely imagine and visualize the Lowes store of the future.

One of the most challenging aspects of practicing the skills of a futurist is getting comfortable with the reality that we simply cannot predict the future. For many senior leaders, this is deeply unsettling. How can we possibly make big bets on the future without all the facts and data?

Most of us are uncomfortable with ambiguity and uncertainty. Boldly looking ahead elicits doubt, fear, and anxiety emotions wed rather hold in check. We can learn to overcome our discomfort with the unknown, and even begin to revel in it, by continuously pushing ourselves to learn new things and seek out new experiences and people.

We are all capable of becoming better futurists. In doing so, we not only architect hope of new possibilities, we also build more flexible, adaptive and resilient organizations in the process.

Image Credit: Zoe Brinkley

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How Leaders Dream Boldly to Bring New Futures to Life - Singularity Hub

A Company Has Finally Said They Will Bring Real Wireless Charging – Futurism

Posted on February 24, 2017 by Danzig

In Brief

Tech start-up Yank Tech, named after its founder Josh Yank, wants to deliver the first wireless charger that can REALLY wirelessly charge your device. The company set up an Indiegogo campaign to fund their endeavor, and has already far exceeded their$25,000 goal.

The MotherBoxpromises to provide wireless charging of your Android or iOS devices at a rate of two to ten watts, depending on the devices distance from the MotherBox. The device itself looks like a mini soccer ball, and does need to remain plugged in. The company is also offering a smaller battery-operated version that does not need constant power. Also, your device must be fitted with a receiver via its USB charging port.

While the product does have its limitations, this could be the first step in widespread wireless charging for devices. As more devices are joining the Internet of Things, and connecting us in unprecedented ways, traditional wires and plugs are not going to be enough to power the sheer number of devices.

You can reserve your MotherBox via the Indiegogo campaign today, taking advantage of an extended early bird special for $79. The first shipments are scheduled to begin in September of this year.

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A Company Has Finally Said They Will Bring Real Wireless Charging - Futurism

Brian Cox: The LHC Disproves the Existence of Ghosts and the Paranormal – Futurism

Posted on February 24, 2017 by Danzig

In Brief

Looks like the Ghostbusters have some competition, and its renowned physicistand science communicator Brian Cox. But rather than bust some ghosts, it looks like hes more in the business of destroying the idea of the paranormal entirely. He wasnt justlooking to spread some knowledge to the4 in 10 Americans who believe in ghosts, though he was sharing a simple conclusion he has reached by working with the Large Hadron Collider (LHC).

The LHC is the largest and most powerful particle accelerator that humanity has ever built. Itfeatures a ring 27 kilometers (16 miles) long with superconducting magnets and accelerating structures specifically built to boost the energy of particles that scientists hope to study. Within the accelerator, two high-energy beams are forced to collide from opposite directions at speeds close to the speed of light. Agood analogy for this would be firing two needles toward each other from 10 kilometers (6 miles) apart with a precision that makes sure they meet halfway.

Over 10,000 scientists and engineers from over 100 countries work together at this structure below the France-Switzerland border to help us learn aboutthe fundamental properties of physics. They testdifferent properties of elementary particles, and thus far, they have learned about particle decay, found hints of new particles, and reexamined what we know about the Big Bang. Its from this evidence-based research that Brain Cox believes he can dismiss the existence of the paranormal entirely.

Brian Cox made the claim during a recent broadcast of BBC Radio Fours The Infinite Monkey Cage that focused on the intersection of science and the paranormal:

If we want some sort of pattern that carries information about our living cells to persist then we must specify precisely what medium carries that pattern and how it interacts with the matter particles out of which our bodies are made. We must, in other words, invent an extension to the Standard Model of Particle Physics that has escaped detection at the Large Hadron Collider. Thats almost inconceivable at the energy scales typical of the particle interactions in our bodies.

Neil deGrasse Tyson, who was also on the show, went on to press him for a clarification: If I understand what you just declared, you just asserted that CERN, the European Center for Nuclear Research, disproved the existence of ghosts. Cox replied with a simple Yes.

Coxs point relies heavily on the LHCs ability to pick up the tiniest bursts of energy found in particle collisions. That mean that any energy signatures from paranormal entities should be easy to detect. Thus far, no such evidence has been found. Does this mean that you can no longer enjoy horror movies? No, it just means you dont have to be scared.

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Brian Cox: The LHC Disproves the Existence of Ghosts and the Paranormal - Futurism

Mark Cuban: Universal Basic Income Is One of the Worst Possible Responses to Automation – Futurism

Posted on February 24, 2017 by Danzig

In Brief

When business mogul Mark Cuban tweeted his concerns over the imminent unemployment that could stem from increased automation, Scott Santens assumed that the Dallas Mavericks owner was out to support universal basic income (UBI). Santens, a UBI advocate, replied to Cubans tweet, welcoming Cubaninto Team #Basicincome. Cuban, however, flat out responded by saying that he wasnt in favor of UBI. I think its one of the worst possible responses, he replied to Santens.

In the above conversation, Santens tried to convince Cuban of the merits of a UBI program. One of the arguments he put forward is what he calls the entrepreneurial effect of basic income. Cuban replied, saying that he has spent a lot of time looking at [UBI]. I dont see those countries [running a basic income program] as being apples to apples. Cuban also said that there are existing safety net programs today that need to be more efficient so more money can be distributed with far less overhead.

Under a UBI program, citizens receive a fixed, regular income from the government regardless of their financial background, employment status, or other qualities. The only qualification is that the recipients are citizens, and typically that they are of legal adult age. One reason behind testing a basic income program, proponents argue, is that it offers a better alternative to existing social welfare programs. Santens told Cuban that current welfare programs create disincentives for people to seek jobs. Cuban said its something that can be fixed.

UBI isnt a new idea. Recent concerns over job displacement due to automation, however, have given the UBI discussion a new spark. UBI advocates include economists from various countries and some of the tech industrys top leaders.

As of today, there are also several pilot programs running basic income setups. Theres one in Finland, one in Kenya through a charity organization called GiveDirectly, and there is even one thats blockchain-based courtesy of Grantcoin.

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Mark Cuban: Universal Basic Income Is One of the Worst Possible Responses to Automation - Futurism

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