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See Healthcare Innovations at HIMSS17 – Cisco Blogs (blog)

Posted on February 10, 2017 by Danzig

Cisco Blog > Healthcare

If you are one of the 40,000+ Health IT professionals planning to attend HIMSS17, you already know that few industries have seen as much disruption and as many recent changes as healthcare. Digital transformation is evolving how clinicians and healthcare organizations personalize patient engagement, deliver remote care and collaboration, and simplify clinician workflows, all while maintaining security and patient privacy.

We invite you to visit the Cisco booth (#1850) at HIMSS17 to speak with our healthcare experts and to see first-hand how technology can help you:

Build Deeper Relationships with Patients

Learn more about our patient engagement solutions.

Collaborate with Care Teams

Learn more about remote care and collaboration solutions.

Keep your Network Safe and Agile

Learn more about oursecurity solutions.

Dont miss seeing Cisco healthcare solutions that work together to address your pain points and empower healthcare innovation in your organization.

Enter for a chance to win an Apple Watch at #HIMSS17 Become a new follower of @CiscoHealth on Facebook and Twitter for your name to be entered into the sweepstakes.

HIMSS17 Education Session on Collaboration Tools If you need a break from the exhibit hall, consider attending Mobile Innovations and Telehealth in Emergency Care on Tuesday at 2:30 to hear how collaboration tools are helping the City of Houston Fire Department respond to medical emergencies and increase efficiency when serving low acuity patients. If you cant make it to this session, you can read the case study.

See you in Orlando!

See Healthcare Innovations at HIMSS17 - Cisco Blogs (blog)

Health care is not a business, but a service to life, pope says – Catholic News Service

Posted on February 10, 2017 by Danzig

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- A nation's health care system cannot be run simply as a business because human lives are at stake, Pope Francis said.

"If there is a sector in which the 'throwaway culture' demonstrates its most painful consequences, it is the health care sector," the pope told patients, medical professionals, pastors and volunteers attending a meeting sponsored by the Italian bishops' national office for health care ministry.

Anticipating the celebration Feb. 12 of the World Day of the Sick and marking the 20th anniversary of the bishops' office, the pope said Catholics obviously give thanks for the advances in medicine and technology that have enabled doctors to cure or provide better care for the sick.

He also praised medical personnel who carry out their work as "ministers of life and participants in the affectionate love of God the creator. Each day their hands touch the suffering body of Christ, and this is a great honor and a great responsibility," he said.

But, the pope said, any public policy or private initiative regarding health care that does not make the dignity of the human person its central concern "engenders attitudes that can even lead to exploitation of the misfortune of others. And this is very serious."

"Indiscriminately adopting a business model in health care, instead of optimizing resources," he said, risks treating some of the sick as disposable. "Optimizing resources means using them in an ethical way, with solidarity, and not penalizing the most fragile."

Protecting human life from the moment of conception to the moment of natural death means that "money alone cannot guide political and administrative choices" in health care, he said. And the increasing lack of health care "among the poorest segments of the population, due to lack of access to care, must leave no one indifferent."

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Health care is not a business, but a service to life, pope says - Catholic News Service

Health care program takes medical care to the community – Greenville News

Posted on February 10, 2017 by Danzig

Chuck Arnold, nurse practitioner, talks about the importance of the mobile health clinic. LAUREN PETRACCA/Staff

The GHS Mobile Health Clinic is parked in the parking lot of Long Branch Baptist Church on Thursday, February 9, 2017.(Photo: LAUREN PETRACCA/Staff)Buy Photo

As the mole on her leg began to grow and change, Gloria Kipp worried that it might be something serious.

A friend even suggested that it looked like melanoma.

But without health insurance, the Greenville woman didnt have the money to see a doctor.

One day while driving near Long Branch Baptist Church, Kipp spied a green and white bus with the words Mobile Health Clinic emblazoned on the side.

Although the image stayed in her mind, she didnt think she would qualify. But someone encouraged her to check it out.

And Im glad I did, she told The Greenville News. It was melanoma.

On the bus, which is equipped like a medical office, Kipp was seen by nurse practitioner Chuck Arnold who found the mole suspicious. And after a biopsy confirmed it was the most dangerous form of skin cancer, surgery was performed two weeks ago to remove it.

When you hear the word cancer, it hits you in the heart, she said. It could have been a lot worse.The Mobile Health Clinic is part of Greenville Health Systems Neighborhood Health Partners program, which brings health care into low-income communities whose residents often lack insurance coverage and access to medical treatment. As a result, their conditions deteriorate to the point that they can wind up in the ER or hospitalized.

The program aims to keep that from happening.

Gloria Kipp was diagnosed with melanoma at the Mobile Health Clinic, which brings health care to the uninsured in their communities. LIV OSBY / Staff

Access to care

The community health program is made up of paramedics in quick-response vehicles, a social worker, lay health workers who keep tabs on the patients and their needs, and the Mobile Health Clinic, which visits neighborhoods so patients can get health care where they live.

Since it started, along with providing care to thousands of people, it's reduced ER visits and hospitalizations and saved hundreds of thousands of dollars, said Jennifer Snow, director of accountable communities for GHS.

These patients dont have resources. They dont know how to use the system, she said. Often they have nowhere else to go but call 911 and got to the ER.

Its part of our population health effort here to make sure patients have access to the right level of care.

The community paramedics, for example, launched in February of 2015. In their first year of operation, they provided care for 70 patients, 57 of whom were classified as frequent EMS users, she said.

Through the paramedics'intervention, EMS responses among those patients dropped by 71 percent and EMS costs declined by a total of $106,480, or $1,869 per patient, Snow said.

In terms of overall utilization, the paramedic program cut hospital admissions by 44 percent, readmissions by 50 percent, ER visits by 29 percent and specialty practice visits by 28 percent.

And because the program works to link patients with a medical home, the use of primary care increased by 41 percent.

All in all, the program saved $660,986, or $9,442 per patient, Snow said.

Greenvilles uninsured

The Mobile Health Clinic sees patients at a variety of locations, including the Triune Mercy Center, Long Branch Baptist Church, the Parker Fire Department and United Ministries. Since it started a year ago, its seen 868 patients, Snow said. And while cost figures arent yet available, it has led to 31 ER diversions.

Of the patients seen on the unit, 71 percent were uninsured, 11 percent had Medicaid and 7 percent had Medicare. About 7 percent were children, 38 percent were between 19 and 44, 45 percent were between 45 and 64 and 10 percent were 65 and older.

With about 70,000 uninsured people, Greenville County has the largest number of uninsured of any county in the state, Snow said. The Neighborhood Partners program works to address the socioeconomic and other barriers they have to health care.

So in addition to offering medical care, the team provides health and insurance education and checks to see that patients are taking their medications appropriately, among other functions. Sometimes its as simple as arranging for a cab so they can get to the doctor.

The patients are typically chronically ill many with multiple conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, COPD, and mental illness, Snow said.

Some are disabled, some are not working, and some work one or more part-time or low-income jobs that dont offer insurance, or do odd jobs around their neighborhoods, leaving them unable to afford health care, she said. And that includes medications.

So a medication assistance program was just started, too.

Its very expensive if youre uninsured. And thats sometimes why patients are not compliant, she said. They have to choose between the power bill, feeding a child or getting their medication.

Caring for families

In the two years its been in existence, the program has grown to 30 employees, including the lay community health workers who logged 1,714 home visits in their first year.

The teamsare trusted because theyve been in the patients' communitieshelping them, Snow said.

Arnold, who grew up in a missionary family in Honduras, said working on the Mobile Health Clinic is a dream job.

When I saw this job available, it looked like a mission trip every day that I actually get paid for instead of paying to be on, he said. The level of need is so high.

Patients often confess that they havent been to a doctor in years because of lack of insurance, he said. Some are skeptical, thinking they will have to pay for their care somehow. But theyre all grateful to get the care they get, he said.

Kipps situation was a challenge because she needed to be seen by a specialist fast, Arnold said.

Melanomas tend to spread quickly and once they pass a critical threshold, its a very bad prognosis, he said. So we didnt want to wait. Time is life.

At first, it looked like an appointment wasnt available for three months. But Angela Lake, the unit program coordinator, hit the phones and got Kippinto one of GHSs clinics a week later.

Its a big problem with folks who dont have insurance, she said. And some people just dont know how to maneuver the system.

Chuck Arnold, nurse practitioner, works on his computer in the GHS Mobile Health Clinic in the parking lot of Long Branch Baptist Church on Thursday, February 9, 2017.(Photo: LAUREN PETRACCA/Staff)

Future growth

Kipp, 52, moved to Greenville about a year ago to live with her daughter because of a divorce. But she hasnt been able to find a job.

Shopping for insurance proved equally frustrating. She earned too little to qualify for Obamacare and since South Carolina didnt expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, she wasnt eligible for that either. The cost ofprivate market insurance removed that option.

The mole on her right calf had her worried for a couple of years. But with no insurance, she just pushed on.

Folks that arent insured dont go to the doctor. They just have to hope they get better. And many times they dont, said Arnold. Then it becomes an emergency and is harder to treat, more expensive to treat, and more suffering on the part of patient.

Along with the biopsy and surgery, Kipp, the mother of three and grandmother of five, had to have a full body skin check to rule out any other melanomas. And she has to see the doctor every three months for a year.

Last year, three quarters of the program's cost came fromgrants while GHS picked up the rest, Snow said. And shehopes to expand itto vulnerable populations in Pickens, Oconee and Laurens counties over the next two yearswhilestrengthening partnerships with other agencies and providers that tacklemental health issues and food insecurity.

The paramedic program runs Monday through Saturday and the Mobile Health Clinic, which averages six to 18 patients a day, operates Monday through Thursday.

Kipp saidhaving access to caremeans saving lives for people who have no insurance.

Our insurance is not good in America andthere are a lot of people out there who cannot afford it because Im one of them, she said.And Im sure there are people out there who have it a lot worse than I do.

For more information, go towww.ghs.org/MobileHealthClinicor https://www.ghs.org/events/nhp/.

An examination room in the GHS Mobile Health Clinic in the parking lot of Long Branch Baptist Church on Thursday, February 9, 2017.(Photo: LAUREN PETRACCA/Staff)

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Health care program takes medical care to the community - Greenville News

Consumer-Driven Healthcare Is Possible–Just Ask Indiana – Forbes

Posted on February 10, 2017 by Danzig

Forbes

Consumer-Driven Healthcare Is Possible--Just Ask Indiana
Forbes
Republicans often get dinged for asserting platitudes about creating a healthcare system that is consumer-driven and patient-centered. Sounds great, but where can we look to where this is happening? This is along the lines of what Ross Douthat, ...

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Consumer-Driven Healthcare Is Possible--Just Ask Indiana - Forbes

China aggressively challenges US lead in precision medicine – Genetic Literacy Project

Posted on February 10, 2017 by Danzig

The United States has long been the [genomic] industrys undisputed leader,but now China is emerging as Americas fiercest competitor.

Im very frustrated at how aggressively China is investing in this space while the U.S. is not moving with the same kind of purpose, said Eric Schadt, director of the Icahn Institute for Genomics and Multiscale Biology at Mount Sinai. China has established themselves as a really competitive force.

For China, the genomics revolution has been a chance to showcase its technical prowess as well as cultivate homegrown innovationTo succeed over the next generation, China hopes to emulate Western-style entrepreneurship to transform its economy.

[T]his past spring, Chinese officials launched a $9 billion investment in precision medicine, a wide-ranging initiative to not only sequence genes, but also develop customized new drugs using that data. The funding dwarfs a similar effort announced by President Obama a year ago that has an uncertain future in Trumps new administration.

The U.S. system has more dexterity and agility than the Chinese system, said [Denis Simon, executive vice chancellor of Duke Kunshan University in China]. But the learning curve in China is very powerful, and the Chinese are moving fast. The question is not if. The question is when.

The GLP aggregated and excerpted this blog/article to reflect the diversity of news, opinion, and analysis. Read full, original post:Chinas $9 billion effort to beat the U.S. in genetic testing

New method of genetic engineering indispensable tool in biotechnological applications – Science Daily

Posted on February 10, 2017 by Danzig

New method of genetic engineering indispensable tool in biotechnological applications
Science Daily
Research by Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Huimin Zhao and graduate student Behnam Enghiad at the University of Illinois is pioneering a new method of genetic engineering for basic and applied biological research and medicine.

and more »

New method of genetic engineering indispensable tool in biotechnological applications - Science Daily

Regenerative Medicine Has a Bright Future – Healthline

Posted on February 10, 2017 by Danzig

U.S. Army scientists, working with medical technology companies, have successfully tested and used products and techniques that have enabled Army surgeons to replace the severely burned skin of soldiers as well as transplant new hands and even faces.

At Duke University, researchers are studying zebra fish to learn how science and medicine might someday be able to regenerate severed human spinal cords.

These examples one already in practice and the other in the early research stages illustrate the potential that regenerative medicine offers for the future of medical care.

This research aims to go beyond easing the pain of life-threatening illnesses by changing the way diseases affect the body and then eradicating them.

The vast majority of currently available treatments for chronic and/or life-threatening diseases are palliative, Morrie Ruffin, managing director of the Alliance for Regenerative Medicine (ARM), told Healthline.

ARM, based in Washington, D.C., is considered the preeminent global advocate for regenerative and advanced therapies.

Other treatments delay disease progression and the onset of complications associated with the underlying illness, he said. Very few therapies in use today are capable of curing or significantly changing the course of disease.

Regenerative medicine has the unique ability to alter the fundamental mechanisms of disease, and thereby offer treatment options to patients where there is significant unmet medical need.

And it has the potential to address the underlying causes of disease, Ruffin said, representing a new and growing paradigm in human health.

The field encompasses a number of different technologies, including cell, gene, and tissue-based therapies.

Read more: Re-growing teeth and healing wounds without scars

With the Army breakthroughs, government investment was key.

The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) has invested more than $250 million in regenerative medicine research over the past decade in an effort to make promising technologies available to wounded service members.

Dr. Wendy Dean is medical officer for the Tissue Injury and Regenerative Medicine Project Management Office at the U.S. Army Medical Materiel Development Activity at Fort Detrick, Md., home to the Armys Medical Research and Materiel Command.

Those investments have yielded a stress-shielding surgical bandage, Embrace, to reduce scarring after surgery, Dean told Healthline. The research has also enabled tremendous progress in burn care, allowing surgeons to improve recovery from severe burns with the use of novel skin replacement strategies, such as ReCell spray-on skin, or skin substitutes such as StrataGraft. These skin replacement methods reduce or eliminate the need for donor sites, a frequent request of burn patients.

These revolutionary products were not developed by the Army, Dean said, but were supported with research funding, initially through the Armed Forces Institute of Regenerative Medicine.

The DOD also has invested in hand and face transplantation efforts for service members and civilians whose injuries are so severe that conventional reconstruction is insufficient, she said.

Dean noted that DOD funding has supported 13 hand transplants to date, including a transplant for retired Sgt. Brendan Marrocco in 2012. He was the first service member to survive quadrilateral amputations sustained in combat. The funding also supported eight face transplants.

The Armys goal is to heal those injured in battle.

Regenerative medicine is still young, but it has shown tremendous progress over the last decade, Dean said. Our mission is to make wounded warriors whole by restoring form, function, and appearance. This field offers the best hope to someday fully restore lost tissue with tissue that is structurally, functionally, and aesthetically a perfect match. It may be years before the vision is a widespread reality, but the field is well on its way.

Read more: Regenerative medicine doctor says forget the pills

At Duke University, Kenneth Poss, professor of cell biology, and director of the Regeneration Next initiative, was the senior investigator for a study of spinal cord regeneration in zebra fish.

Those findings were published in November in the journal ScienceDaily.

In my lab, we are researching genetic factors that enable regeneration of tissues such as heart and spinal in nonmammalian animals like zebra fish, Poss told Healthline. A scientist in my lab, Mayssa Mokalled, led a study finding that a gene called connective tissue growth factor [CTGF] is important for spinal cord regeneration in zebra fish after an injury that completely severs the cord.

CTGF is necessary to stimulate cells called glia to form a tissue bridge across the severed parts of the spinal cord an early step in spinal cord regeneration.

Within eight weeks, the scientists found that zebra fish regenerate a severed spinal cord, including nerve cells, and fully reverse their paralysis.

Developing techniques to treat and reverse spinal cord damage, a paralyzing and often fatal injury, is a pressing need in regenerative medicine, Poss said.

Our findings present a step toward understanding which glial cells can be encouraged to help heal the spinal cord, and how to stimulate this activity, he said. This is just the first step in many before the findings could be applied to humans.

Poss is already planning trials with mice that he hopes to start in the next few months. Mice represent an important stage in applying his latest findings, he said.

Read more: Should you store or donate your childs umbilical cord blood?

So, why is regenerative medicine important?

Regenerative medicine seeks ways to re-grow or engineer healthy tissue without the need for transplants, Poss said. On a global scale, theres a tremendous organ shortage, and transplantation is an expensive and nonpermanent solution.

Imagine the number of lives that could be improved if, for example, we could find ways to use the bodys innate healing mechanisms to regenerate heart muscle in patients that are spiraling toward heart failure after a heart attack.

Imagine how many lives could be improved if we could find interventions that restore functional spinal cord tissue and reverse paralysis.

Ruffin of ARM sees a promising future for regenerative medicine.

We will continue to see the development of additional regenerative medicine therapies for a broad number of acute and chronic, inherited and acquired diseases and disorders, he said. Therapies in this area will continue to advance along the regulatory pathway, many of which are entering phase III clinical trials this year.

In fact, in the next two years, we are anticipating a number of U.S. and E.U. approvals in the cell and gene therapy sector, including therapies that address certain types of cancers, debilitating retinal disorders, rare genetic diseases, and autoimmune conditions. We also expect to see sustained investment, which will help fuel growth and product development within this sector.

A number of cell and gene therapies and technology platforms are demonstrating real potential to address areas of significant unmet medical need, Ruffin said.

These include cell therapies for blood cancers and solid tumors; gene therapies for rare genetic diseases as well as chronic conditions; and gene editing for the precise targeting and modification of genetic material of a patients cells to cure a broad range of diseases with a single treatment.

Poss at Duke talked about the ultimate quest.

Regenerative medicine has been most successful in restoring or replacing the hematopoietic tissue that creates blood, he said.

We still lack successful regenerative therapies for most tissues, Poss said. The future of regenerative medicine the holy grail will be stimulating the regeneration of healthy tissue in patients without adding cells or manufactured tissue.

Working out the details of innate mechanisms of regeneration in animals like salamanders, zebra fish, and mice, can inform this approach, he said. So can improvement in factor delivery and genome editing applications to encourage the regeneration of healthy tissue.

Ultimately, Poss said, regenerative medicine will change the toolbox of physicians and surgeons, with major impact on outcomes of diabetes, spinal cord injuries, neurodegenerative disease, and heart failure.

ARM says the public does not realize how far the field has progressed in recent years.

Currently, there are more than 20 regenerative medicine products on the market, Ruffin said, primarily in the therapeutic areas of oncology, musculoskeletal and cardiovascular repair, and wound healing.

More than 800 clinical trials are now underway to evaluate regenerative advanced therapies in a vast array of therapeutic categories, he said.

Were seeing a significant focus on oncology, cardiovascular disease, and neurodegenerative diseases, with more than 60 percent of trials falling into one of these three categories, he added. Even though the majority of people perceive regenerative medicine as something of the future, its actually here and now.

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Regenerative Medicine Has a Bright Future - Healthline

Gene Therapy Restores Hearing Down To A Whisper, in Mice – MedicalResearch.com (blog)

Posted on February 10, 2017 by Danzig

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:

Dr. Gwenaelle Geleoc

Gwenaelle Geleoc, PhD Assistant Professor Department of Otolaryngology F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center Childrens Hospital and Harvard Medical School Boston, MA

MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?

Response: We seek to develop gene therapy to restore auditory and balance function in a mouse model of Usher syndrome. Usher syndrome is a rare genetic disorder which causes deafness, progressive blindness and in some cases balance deficits. We used a novel viral vector developed by Luk Vandenberghe and package gene sequences encoding for Ush1c and applied it to young mice suffering from Usher syndrome. These mice mimic a mutation found in patients of Acadian descent. We assessed recovery of hearing and balance function in young adult mice which had received the treatment. Otherwise deaf and dizzy, we found that the treated mice had recovered hearing down to soft sounds equivalent to a whisper and normal balance function.

MedicalResearch.com: What should readers take away from your report? Response: This work demonstrates that gene therapy treatments can efficiently restore auditory and balance function. The level of recovery that we have obtained has never been seen before. Having identified a potent vehicle and applying the treatment at the right time was crucial in our study.

MedicalResearch.com: What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this study?

Response: We need to extend this work to other deafness genes that lead to congenital or progressive deafness. The difficulty will arise when looking at genes that extend beyond the capacity of the vector we used for this study. Any gene over 5kb will not fit in our vector. Other strategies will therefore be required.

MedicalResearch.com: Is there anything else you would like to add? Response: Our goal is to advance research to develop new treatments for deafness and balance disorders. I welcome collaborations and material sharing with anyone who wish to work with us for this purpose.

MedicalResearch.com: Thank you for your contribution to the MedicalResearch.com community.

Citation:

Gwenalle S Gloc et al. Gene therapy restores auditory and vestibular function in a mouse model of Usher syndrome type 1c. Nature Biotechnology, February 2017 DOI: 10.1038/nbt.3801

Note: Content is Not intended as medical advice. Please consult your health care provider regarding your specific medical condition and questions.

More Medical Research Interviews on MedicalResearch.com

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Gene Therapy Restores Hearing Down To A Whisper, in Mice - MedicalResearch.com (blog)

Gene Therapy Biotech Founded to Save the CEO’s Daughter Goes Public in France – Labiotech.eu (blog)

Posted on February 10, 2017 by Danzig

Lysogene has raised 22.6M from its IPO on EuronextParis that will contribute to the completion of clinical trials to treat the rare genetic diseases.

Karen Aiach, CEO of Lysogene, started the company back in 2009 to develop a life-saving treatment forher daughter Ornella withSanfilippo A. This rare genetic disease severely affects the nervous system of children, who often dont reach adulthood.

No treatment beyond palliative care exists as of today, but Lysogene wants to change that. The company is developing a gene therapy toreplace thefaulty gene causing the disease. Lysogene entered the clinical stage in a record time and is now getting ready for a pivotal Phase II/III trial, the last step before commercialization.

Two-thirdsof the funds raised in its IPO will be used to support the completion of this trial, while a quarter will be invested in a Phase I/II study for GM1 gangliosidosis, another rare neurodegenerative disease. The rest will be directed towards further R&D programs.

Of note,22.6Mis close to the minimum the company was expecting to raise, with a maximum of up to39.7M. A potential reason might be that investors are waryof the small patient population that could benefit from the therapy. Only around 3,000 people worldwide have been diagnosed with Sanfilippo A.

Still, the company is backed by top VCs that seem confident in it.Of the total funds raised, 15Mcame from Lysogenes existing investors Sofinnova Partners, BpiFrance Investissement (InnoBio) and Novo A/S.

The IPO has set the companys market cap at82.1Mand will support its next steps towards commercialization. We were surprised to see it was launched in Paris rather than on the Nasdaqsince the company is very active in Boston and the US stock market is generally more welcoming for biotechs.Maybe Lysogene is saving it for a future time.

For more info, read our interview with Karen Aiach or watch her speaking in arare disease panel at Labiotech Refresh:

Images from Lysogene

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Gene Therapy Biotech Founded to Save the CEO's Daughter Goes Public in France - Labiotech.eu (blog)

The Futurist: Full speed ahead – Marketing Interactive

Posted on February 10, 2017 by Danzig

The average person will probably take about 10 minutes to read this article. During this time, an estimated $25 million would have transacted via e-commerce, 30 million search queries would have been made on Google, 40 million videos would have been uploaded on YouTube and 45 million pieces of content would have gone live on Facebook. Put simply, a lot will happen in the next 10 minutes as you sit comfortably on your sofa (preferably drinking a Nescaf), reading this. The concepts of time and speed have changed.

Not surprisingly, this has also infl uenced consumer behaviour which in turn has impacted the way we do branding. Where we once shouted brand communication, todays socially attuned consumers now demand brand conversations.

Many of us were trained as classical marketers and we would hone our skills in talking to consumers. However, in todays context, we are now required to focus instead of listening. Listening to brand conversations helps us to be more aware of what consumers are engaged in and the choices they make. This has also changed the way businesses identify areas for innovation. At Nestl, innovation has been the core of our growth, and we have long realised the secret to successful brand growth lies with our consumers. People sometimes think old companies are less able to adapt to new trends, but Nestl is stronger than ever after more than 100 years in Malaysia.

Our world today is in a constant state of fl ux. In order to survive, we have realised that we needed to grow, adapt and evolve quickly not just with technology and trends, but more importantly, with our consumers.

In 2011, the Nestl headquarters in Switzerland launched the global digital acceleration team. In March 2014, Malaysia became the fi fth country to launch its own digital acceleration team. We started by identifying strong digital natives within our marketing teams and packing them off for a nine-month mission at our Nestl headquarters. This investment in developing our people allowed us to cultivate a new generation of digital go-getters to build our brands.

Marketing and digital

With so much going on around us, its not unusual to overcomplicate or over intellectualise digital. In fact, I would argue the term digital marketing is obsolete.

Marketing is marketing and digital. While it is an important touch-point in todays context, it is but one of many touch-points within an integrated media plan. A successful marketer today is one who is able to master the complexity of orchestrating an eco-system comprising of a traditional above-the-line creative agency, sometimes a specialised digital creative agency, a media agency, a PR agency, a shopper agency and an events agency.

I believe the key to success is in developing a powerful media-neutral creative idea based on real insights, and then leveraging the power of digital in a meaningful and relevant way. After all, as marketers, we exist to delight consumers.

At Nestl Malaysia, weve even increased our investments into digital and social media in excess of 30%. By doing so, weve been able to create more personalised engagement with consumers, and better cater to their needs. We also set up an online store for our products.

Partnering with two hugely popular e-tailers, we launched our fl agship e-commerce store in October 2016 as a conscious strategy to provide a better experience of products and services, especially to cater to more health conscious consumers on the go.

There truly has never been a more exciting time to be a brand builder, especially in such a vibrant market like Malaysia.

The author of the article is Eugene Chan, director of communications and marketing, Nestle Malaysia.

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The Futurist: Full speed ahead - Marketing Interactive

Tesla Has Big Plans for 2017 – Futurism

Posted on February 10, 2017 by Danzig

Tesla in 2016

Tesla has been redefining what it means to be an advocate of sustainability since 2003. Through their innovation and technology, they have built some of the most impressive electric vehicles (EVs) ever to be on the market, carving out a new niche in the transportation industry while ensuring that they maintained a significant lead against competitors, and setting new records for quality and performance.

In 2016, they continued improving their vehicles, expanded further than car manufacturing, made significant strides in renewable energy, and moved even closer to the truly sustainable future that Elon Musk envisions for the world.

This year, Tesla announced a subtle name change that speaks volumes about where Elon Musk plans to take the company. Big pictureits not just about cars anymore; in fact, it hasnt been for a while. Elon Musk has shown that there is a lot to look forward to from Tesla.

For starters, this is the year that we will see a fully autonomous Tesla drive across the countryfrom LA to New York. After thisfeat is conquered, hopefully without incident, and once the company achieves a significant level of autonomy for their vehicles, they will be launching their own ride-hailing network.

Adding to their sedan range, the company is expected to come out with an electric semi truck, the Tesla Semi, which, according to previous reports, is already in the works. Most of their resources are still focused on bringing the Model 3to market, but assures the public that the Tesla Semi is already in early development work. However, speaking of the Model 3, it will be Teslas most affordable car to date, and the company has set production of the vehicle in mid-2017 to meet delivery targets for the end of the year.

Another recent development is the announced partnership between Tesla and Panasonic. This collaboration will have the company ramping up production of battery cells for the companys Powerwall 2 and Powerpack 2.

2017 should also be the year that Tesla makes good on its Supercharger network expansion, through which they plan to double the number of Superchargers in 2017.

On the energy front, the production of solar cells by SolarCity is underway and is on track to meet their target timeline. Also, Teslas Solar Roof Tiles, developed in collaboration with SolarCity, are expected to be completed in 2017.

A new Gigafactory is being planned for construction in Europe that will contain the production of both vehicles and batteries, and confirmation of this new site could be as soon as within the year. Tesla is also looking to reach the Indian market, which he hopes will happen towards the second half of 2017. There is even buzz of Tesla securing a manufacturing partner in China, following changes in policy, that will provide incentives for the production of new energy vehicles.

With such a lengthy list of achievements and goals, it might seem that Elon Musk has bittenoff more than he can chew. But, based on the past successes of Tesla, and the incredible progress already being made by the company, few could doubt that Musk and his colleagues will create a lot of positive change within the coming months and years.From the ever-increasing repercussions of climate change to the possibilities of privatizedspace travel, the ambitions of Tesla promise to do a lot more than just build great cars.

Chad Haga interview: Racing with freedom and joy – VeloNews (blog)

Posted on February 10, 2017 by Danzig

Chad Haga's 2016 started out with a terrible crash but ended on a high note. Photo: Caley Fretz

Chad Haga sits at the white marble counter of this Colorado coffee shop with two scars and a smile. The first scar is a reminder of Giant Alpecins training crash last January, left by the car that almost killed him on backroads near Calpe, Spain. The other scar actually its a tattoo is dedicated to his late father, who lost a six-year battle with cancer in June. The smile? He just wrapped up his best-ever cycling season with a marriage, a honeymoon, and, finally, a reset.

Haga, a hobby pianist, college-educated engineer, and man of faith, is especially introspective for a pro cyclist. We met up with him in Fort Collins, Colorado, while he was home for the holidays and discussed why this was both the best and worst season of his life.

VeloNews: Youve had things happen this season that you wouldnt wish upon anybody. How do you turn around and face a new year?

Chad Haga: Theres a lot of perspective gained from things like that, from losing a family member to an unfair cancer, to finding yourself in a ditch after getting plowed by a car. But you realize people are paying me to race my bike. Its the stupidest, best thing Ive ever heard in my life. There are a lot more important things going on in the world than bike racing, yet this is what I get to do for a living. There is a lot of freedom and joy in that. It makes you realize that this is not forever; this is now, so lets go all in.

VN: Your dad was a huge part of cycling for you. He was the one who pushed you to go all in.

CH: He was my biggest supporter; my racing was an escape for him as he battled cancer for six years. He would record all the races and watch them and keep up with them at work, so it was encouraging to have him cheering for me from afar. But even more so, his cancer is what got me into racing full time. I was on track to an engineering job, and an opportunity to race on an elite team opened up the same time as I was graduating, which was the same time he was diagnosed. He told me, I worked 27 years at this job for my retirement, and now theres no guarantee that Ill make it there. But you can race your bike now. The desk job will always be there. Go race. That was the impetus to go for it. And his death reminds me that life is short, theres no reason that it should be boring.

VN: The tattoo on your forearm suggests perspective, too.

CH: It says, Eternity gained, only life remains. I got it this summer. Its a reminder that ultimately, eternity is settled, so however this life ends, I hope it goes well, but if it ends poorly its still going to end well. So dont let fear of life hold you back. Thats some hard-earned perspective.

VN: Does that help you step into a new season? How do you get your head back in it?

CH: I guarantee were going to winter camp and were going to do sprint workouts on the same road where the crash happened. [Haga and five teammates were hospitalized after being struck head-on by a British motorist driving on the wrong side of the road.] Thats going to be tough the first couple times. But all the bad thats happened has sort of grounded me a bit in my faith. I realize Im completely powerless. Its a waste of energy to worry about another English driver coming around the corner in my lane. Im powerless. Completely powerless. Theres freedom in that. Ill do the best I can and take care of myself, but ultimately its not up to me. I let go of that worry.

VN: This year still had bright spots, though.

CH: Yeah, it was a very up and down year. I got through two grand tours in a year, finished both of them. Thats something I wanted to do. I got some results in there. The team got some results that I contributed to. Even with the setback, it felt like I was able to make a step forward in terms of where I fit in the race. Instead of being the guy who does the early work, the team is shifting me toward more significant roles. Ill be a super domestique in a grand tour for a GC rider next year. Thats encouraging.

VN: What did you learn about yourself from the crash?

CH: I can get through the hardest circumstances Ive ever encountered. Not only get back, but past it. It helps that my job is to be the best bike racer possible, so for months it was three hours of training and 21 hours of recovery. It was very focused.

VN: How long did it take to put it behind you?

CH: It was a few months. I was still having neck and shoulder issues at the Giro. Four or five months. And there are small lingering physical things, but they dont affect me on the bike.

VN: What about psychologically?

CH: Im a bit more alert, more assertive in traffic. In the peloton, sometimes the fear will click on and youll realize that if someone messes up its going to be really ugly. But you have to push those thoughts away.

VN: This is still a mostly secular sport, at least outwardly so. Youve been a bit more public about your faith lately. Why?

CH: Its a motivating factor for me. Im gaining confidence and putting it out there a bit more. When you say youre a Christian in this world you get focused in on a little bit. People wonder, which kind of Christian are we talking about here?

VN: What kind are you?

CH: Im the kind that tries to love people as were called to. To be giving and sincere and honest and trustworthy. With that on display, it keeps me focused when we have a bad moment. Ultimately, what I accomplish is a joint effort. Ill do my best and however it turns out is whatever was intended. But it requires my side, so I put myself fully into everything.

VN: By requires my side, you mean use your gift as a cyclist?

CH: Yeah. There are a lot of guys who work maybe even harder than me who never get to this point. But Ive been presented this opportunity and given these abilities and so if I squander it then its not really fair to myself or to God. What did I do with it? I want to say I made the most of it.

Continued here:

Chad Haga interview: Racing with freedom and joy - VeloNews (blog)

Ken Starr on shortlist to head Office of International Religious Freedom – Religion News Service

Posted on February 10, 2017 by Danzig

Politics By Emily McFarlan Miller | 6 hours ago

Ken Starr, former president of Baylor University, in a portrait at Founders Mall in front of Pat Neff Hall at Baylor. Photo courtesy of Robert Rogers/Baylor Marketing and Communications

(RNS) President Trump is reportedly considering naming former Baylor University President Ken Starr to headthe State Departments Office of International Religious Freedom.

The ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom monitors religious persecution and discrimination worldwide and develops programs to promote religious freedom, according to the State Department website.

The reports about possible picks for the position come a week after more than 700 religious leaders, scholars and human rights advocates signed a letter to President Trump, coordinated by the 21st Century Wilberforce Initiative, that urges him to name an ambassador-at-large in the first 100 days of his presidency.

By nominating an Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom in your first 100 days you can signal your commitment to people of faith and freedom of conscience, in a way that requires no new taxes and no new legislation while strengthening highly effective offices, it said.

Others rounding outthe short list for the position include Nina Shea and Johnnie Moore, according toForeignPolicy, which first reported the picks on Thursday (Feb. 9). Rabbi David Saperstein had served as ambassador for the last two years.

Starr is best known for his work investigating President Bill Clintons extramarital relationship with Monica Lewinsky that led to Clintons impeachment. The Baylor Board of Regents removed Starras president last yearafter an investigation into his mishandling of reports of sexual assault at the private Baptist university in Waco, Texas. He and the university laterannounced a mutual separation.

Not long afterward, he told the student newspaper, the Baylor Lariat, Im working very hard around the globe on issues of religious liberty for all persons. That was a high priority when I was privileged to serve at Baylor University.

Starr did not return requests for comment by The Dallas Morning News.

Shea is a human rights lawyer at theconservative Hudson Institute. She told Foreign Policy that she was not interested in the position and that, from her discussions,the Trump administration likely willbreak with the Obama administration on religious freedom issues.

Moore is a member of Trumps evangelical advisory board and author of Defying ISIS: Preserving Christianity in the Place of Its Birth and in Your Own Backyard. He told RNS he has heard the same thing everybody else is hearing.

Im very, very engaged on the issue, and a lot of people have prodded me to be more involved. Almost as quickly as the election happened, a couple people asked me if I would ever be interested in that, he said.

He, too, suspects the Trump administration will approach international religious freedom differently than his predecessor.

My experience as an advocate for persecuted religious people around the world over the course of the last administration is that the Obama State Department was not very interested in defending those who were persecuted for their religion. They wanted to frame it in different terms, Moore said.

I think the present administration will take the role of faith in foreign policy, faith in human rights very seriously.

Emily McFarlan Miller is a national reporter for RNS based in Chicago. She covers evangelical and mainline Protestant Christianity.

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Ken Starr on shortlist to head Office of International Religious Freedom - Religion News Service

Nicola Sturgeon apologises for MSP’s IRA ‘freedom fighters’ comment – Telegraph.co.uk

Posted on February 10, 2017 by Danzig

Mr Mason has made clear that he regrets the offence and upset that has been caused by his comments, and that he is extremely sorry that this has happened.

Ms Sturgeon added: I would like to offer my own personal apology to you for the upset that has been caused to you as a result of comments made by a member of my party.

The MSP was criticised by politicians in Scotland and Northern Ireland and initially refused to withdraw his comments before apologising last Tuesday, almost a week after the row erupted

The apology emerged after he was contacted by Bill Kidd, the SNP chief whip, who told him in an email that the issue could cause Ms Sturgeon embarrassment. He also called on Mr Mason to come to his office last Tuesday to talk about the way this story has developed publicly and find a way to avoid a repeat of it.

A memorial was dedicated to the three soldiers in 2010 close to where they were killed in north Belfast.

Last month the controversial 59-year-old backbencher was forced to deny trivialising rape when he argued there should be a second independence referendum because a girl does not always say yes first time.

Kezia Dugdale, the Scottish Labour leader, called on Ms Sturgeon to take disciplinary action against him

Sen. Marlon Kimpson speaks on academic freedom during CofC Day at the Statehouse – Charleston City Paper

Posted on February 10, 2017 by Danzig

With representatives from the College of Charleston gathered at the Statehouse for the colleges official day of recognition, South Carolina Sen. Marlon Kimpson took the opportunity to share a message about academic freedom with board members and his fellow legislators.

"Let me encourage you to maintain the principles of academic freedom, freedom of expression, where your students can continue to exercise their First Amendment rights," Kimpson said on the Senate floor. "And that equally applies to the professors. We want to encourage discourse, whether we agree or not with a subject or political matter in our schools."

Watch Kimpson's full remarks here.

This issue of academic freedom has been of main concern to both professors and students at the College of Charleston following the most recent presidential election. As previously reported by the City Paper, deans and department chairs at CofC received an email from the schools provost and vice president of academic affairs, Brian McGee, in the days following the election of President Donald Trump, saying that school officials had received several reports of students "perceiving that election discussions in a class meeting were not relevant to course content, were inappropriately one-sided, or were crudely partisan." McGee acknowledged in his email that he had not attempted to confirm the accuracy of most of the accounts in one case, dismissing the accuracy of the account altogether and instead cautioned faculty about "demonstrating respect for students and about the intersection of teaching and political commitments."

With concerns that their freedoms in the classroom were being challenged, faculty members met for a forum in January to discuss issues surrounding what constitutes inappropriate and partisan comments. One main topic of discussion was 2014s Fun Home controversy that drew legislative actions from state officials. Provided as a part of a college reading program for faculty and incoming students, Alison Bechdels memoir detailed the events of her childhood with a closeted gay father and her coming out as a lesbian.

At the time, Kimpson objected to his fellow senators preoccupation with the book and efforts to sanction the College of Charleston for introducing it to students. With new concerns bubbling up over academic freedom at the College of Charleston, Kimpson found it important to address school officials and state lawmakers about the importance of free speech in the classroom.

"I wanted to remind board members that college is a place for robust discussion of all kinds of viewpoints. We should encourage this type of communication. Its 2017, and we must recognize that students and faculty alike may encounter viewpoints and opinions that may be new for members of the legislature," Kimpson said when reached for comment Friday. "We spent a considerable amount of time speaking on the Fun Home issue, and I regret that we interfered and micromanaged a freshman book list, primarily because the author was lesbian."

Speaking to recent reports surrounding academic freedom at the College of Charleston, Kimpson added that "conservative students should feel comfortable expressing their viewpoints, while professors, board members and the administration should foster free conversation in the classroom."

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Sen. Marlon Kimpson speaks on academic freedom during CofC Day at the Statehouse - Charleston City Paper

Iran role model of freedom, dignity: Commentator – Press TV

Posted on February 10, 2017 by Danzig

Iranians take part in a rally marking the anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution on February 10, 2017, in the capital Tehran. (Photo by AFP)

President Hassan Rouhani has praised Iranians for turning out in millions on Friday to celebrate the anniversary of the Islamic Revolution, saying the rallies are a response to recent threats by new US rulers against Iran.

Rouhani's remarks came after the US said ithad put Iran "on notice" in reaction to a January29 missile test and fresh sanctions onindividuals and entities.

A political commentator believes the mass rallies are a very important message at a very sensitive juncture, adding that they reflect the genuineness of the Islamic Revolution.

It says in a very clear way that the Iranian people continue their steadfastness, continue their support to the leadership and to the same set of values and norms and morals that they have supported since the beginning of the Islamic Revolution and the Islamic Republic 38 years ago, Ibrahim Mousawi told Press TV in an interview on Friday.

He also stated that Iran has set a model for all those who believe in freedom, honor and dignity.

The commentator also noted that the rallies are a message of support to the cause of the oppressed people in Palestine, and a message of solidarity, steadfastness, strength, confidence, and hope for the generations to come.

Mousawi further stated these rallies "indicate complete adherence to the principles of Islam, to the values of freedom, and independence."

He went on to say that the Iranian people "are giving their confidence and hope to their leadership, and they are showing that they are ready to defend and sabotage all the conspiracies."

The commentator added that US President Donald Trump needs to think a lot more before committing any kind of fallacy especially after his continuous threats against Iran.

He also asserted that Trump has divided the American people because of his domestic and foreign policies.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Mousawi described Iran as a real, deeply entrenched, genuine force that plays a strategic role in the Middle East and beyond.

He concluded by saying that the UShas to revisit its policiesabout Iran and maybe it has to adopt a wiser, more reasonable and rational position towards the Islamic Republic.

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Iran role model of freedom, dignity: Commentator - Press TV

Experts mull religious freedom, tolerance in US, abroad | Religion … – Religion News Service

Posted on February 10, 2017 by Danzig

religious freedom By Adelle M. Banks | February 9, 2017

Jay Kansara, director of government relations for the Hindu American Foundation, asks a question of the panel at Tolerance: A Key to Religious Freedom in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 9, 2017. RNS photo by Cathy Lynn Grossman

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Frank Wolf speaks at Tolerance: A Key to Religious Freedom event in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 9, 2017. RNS photo by Cathy Lynn Grossman

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Participants in the panel discussion Tolerance: A Key to Religious Freedom at the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 9, 2017. RNS photo by Adelle M. Banks

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John Sexton, president emeritus of New York University, speaks during the panel discussion Tolerance: A Key to Religious Freedom at the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 9, 2017. RNS photo by Cathy Lynn Grossman

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Mohamed Elsanousi, center with microphone, director of the Washington, D.C., office for the Network for Religious and Traditional Peacemakers, asks panelists a question during the panel discussion Tolerance: A Key to Religious Freedom at the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 9, 2017. RNS photo by Cathy Lynn Grossman

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Rabbi David Saperstein. RNS photo by Cathy Lynn Grossman

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John Sexton, president emeritus of New York University. RNS photo by Cathy Lynn Grossman

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The Rev. Thomas J. Reese. RNS photo by Cathy Lynn Grossman

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Frank Wolf, senior fellow of the 21st Century Wilberforce Initiative and former member of Congress. RNS photo by Cathy Lynn Grossman

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Joyce Dubensky, CEO of Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding. RNS photo by Cathy Lynn Grossman

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Religion News Foundation CEO Thomas Gallagher, far right, begins the panel discussion Tolerance: A Key to Religious Freedom at the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 9, 2017. RNS photo by Cathy Lynn Grossman

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The Rev. Thomas J. Reese, left, reacts as Rabbi David Saperstein speaks with John Sexton, president emeritus of New York University, looking on during the panel discussion Tolerance: A Key to Religious Freedom in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 9, 2017. RNS photo by Adelle M. Banks

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Religion News Foundation CEO Thomas Gallagher begins the panel discussion Tolerance: A Key to Religious Freedom at the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 9, 2017. RNS photo by Adelle M. Banks

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WASHINGTON (RNS) Speaking at a forum on tolerance, the former U.S. religious freedom ambassador said complaints about religious freedom problems in this country pale in comparison withatrocities faced by religious minorities abroad.

Rabbi David Saperstein, who recently ended his tenure at the U.S. State Department, said he takes seriously tough issues, such as abortion and gay rights, that have divided Americans who emphasize religious or civil rights.

But make no mistake: As painful and real as these issues are in the hearts and souls of the people making these competing claims, we are talking about people who are being brutalized, we are talking about people who are being imprisoned, he said of international religious freedom challenges.

I pray for the day when across the globe the worst problem that we have is how do we balance our competing civil rights claims, he added. What a day for a hallelujah that will be in terms of the entire vision of our international religious freedom efforts.

The forum, Tolerance: A Key to Religious Freedom, was hosted by the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom and co-sponsored by Religion News Service and the Religion News Foundation.

The Rev. Thomas Reese, moderator of the event and USCIRF chair, said his bipartisan commission is addressing countries, such as North Korea and China, that are widely considered to be hostile toward religion, and nations such asIraq and Nigeria that have failed to protect the religious freedoms of theircitizens.

There are grave humanitarian consequences when religious freedom is violated, he said. These conditions underscore the need for a different way forward, one of tolerance as a key to religious freedom as well as stability and security.

A representative of the Hindu American Foundation asked the panelists why U.S. agencies that address religious freedom are dominated by members of the Abrahamic faiths and dont tend to include people with Eastern philosophies and secular standpoints.

Reese said the commission is willing to work with Hindu groups to learn more about persecution of Hindus in countries such asPakistan and Bangladesh.

I think thats very important for us to focus on, Reese said. We have to defend not just Christians, not just Jews, not just people from the Abrahamic tradition but people of all faiths or people who have no faith whatsoever, and I think that is a fundamental principle of religious freedom that we should have.

Joyce Dubensky, CEO of Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding. RNS photo by Cathy Lynn Grossman

Other panelists at the forum, attended by about 80 journalists, faith leaders and religious freedom experts, stressed the role of educators in building tolerance and religious understanding.

We have to work with teachers often because they have fears and misconceptions about whether they can even teach about religion, said Joyce Dubensky, CEO of the Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding.

They even wonder, she added, whether they have to avoid talking about the reason Puritans came to the U.S. religious persecution.

John Sexton, president emeritus of New York University, teaches students in Shanghai and Abu Dhabi about government and religion, fostering discussions that range from the Crusades to Mideast tensions.

The heart of the matter is to understand that the core problem here is not anything other than a mindset of certitude and triumphalism that can manifest itself secularly as well as religiously, he said.

Former Rep. Frank Wolf, a longtime religious freedom activist, urged that Republicans and Democrats set aside partisan differences and continue to travel together to global regions to investigate religious persecution firsthand and visit the imprisoned and their families.

The worst thing in the world is being in the darkest place and think no one cares, he said.

Adelle M. Banks, production editor and a national reporter, joined RNS in 1995. An award-winning journalist, she previously was the religion reporter at the Orlando Sentinel and a reporter at The Providence Journal and newspapers in the upstate New York communities of Syracuse and Binghamton.

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Experts mull religious freedom, tolerance in US, abroad | Religion ... - Religion News Service

Eugenics Wars | Memory Alpha | Fandom powered by Wikia

Posted on February 10, 2017 by Danzig

"Superior ability breeds superior ambition."

The Eugenics Wars (or the Great Wars) were a series of conflicts fought on Earth between 1992 and 1996. The result of a scientific attempt to improve the Human race through selective breeding and genetic engineering, the wars devastated parts of Earth, by some estimates officially causing some thirty million deaths, and nearly plunging the planet into a new Dark Age. (TOS: "Space Seed"; ENT: "Borderland")

The script of "Borderland" stated forthrightly, "The Eugenics Wars are a dark subject."

Records from this period are fragmented, but what is known is that the wars' roots lie in a group of Human scientists' ambitious attempt to improve the race through selective breeding and genetic engineering. They created a race of "supermen," popularly known as the Augments, who were mentally and physically superior to ordinary men and women. They were five times stronger than the average person, their lung efficiency was fifty percent better than normal, and their intelligence was double that of normal Humans. They also had enhanced senses, including an ability to hear beyond that of Human capabilities. (TOS: "Space Seed"; ENT: "Borderland", "Cold Station 12")

The Augments were created by the scientists in the 1950s cold war era in the hopes that they would lead Humanity into an era of peace in a world that had only known war. (Star Trek Into Darkness) One aspect these scientists overlooked was the personality of the Augments. Along with their superior abilities, the Augments were aggressive and arrogant, flaws which the scientists were unable to correct at the time due to the infancy of the science. One of the Augments' creators realized this, writing that "superior ability breeds superior ambition." That same scientist was ultimately killed by one of his own creations. (TOS: "Space Seed"; ENT: "Cold Station 12", "The Augments")

Khan Noonien Singh in the 1990s

The Augments rose to power and held dominance over a large portion of Humanity, beginning in the early 1990s. Among the most notorious of these superhuman conquerors was Khan Noonien Singh, who in 1992 became the "absolute ruler" of more than a quarter of the planet, from Asia through the Middle East. (TOS: "Space Seed")

The following year, a group of fellow "supermen" followed in Khan's footsteps, and simultaneously seized power in over forty nations. Some people were treated as little more than slaves by the Augments. Khan considered himself a prince "with power over millions," and unlike some other nations ruled by Augments, under his rule there were no massacres and no wars of aggression until he was attacked; he was thus among the most admired of the so-called "tyrants" into the 23rd century, being called the "best of the tyrants" by James T. Kirk. (TOS: "Space Seed"; Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan; ENT: "Borderland")

Reports as to exactly how the wars began vary; some claim that Humanity rose up against Khan and his fellow "supermen," while others believe the Augments began to fight among themselves. Regardless of how they began, or who started them, the Eugenics Wars had a devastating impact on Earth, as entire populations were bombed out of existence. (ENT: "Cold Station 12"; TOS: "Space Seed")

Among the areas affected by the wars was North Africa. One conflict that occurred there involved a battalion of soldiers that included the great-grandfather of future Starfleet Captain Jonathan Archer. In this encounter, Archer's great-grandfather was able to convince the commander of his enemy's forces to hold their fire long enough to evacuate a school that was directly between them. Some or all parts of that account may be non-factual as Archer was evidently in an altered state of mind around the time he disclosed it. (ENT: "Hatchery")

The Augments were eventually defeated by Humans who were not genetically enhanced. Khan was the last of the tyrants to be overthrown, in 1996. Khan and over eighty of the "supermen" were condemned to die as war criminals. They however went unaccounted for, a fact the governments of the time did not disclose to the public in order to prevent panic. Rumors were later on confirmed in the 23rd century that Khan and 84 of his followers had managed to flee the planet unattended aboard an early sleeper ship, the SS Botany Bay. (TOS: "Space Seed"; Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan; Star Trek Into Darkness)

The official number of casualties from the wars was placed at thirty million, although some historians believe it to be closer to 35 million, with another figure established as being 37 million. Although the wars may have ended, Humanity's fear of genetically-engineered beings remained well into the 24th century. (ENT: "Cold Station 12"; TOS: "Bread and Circuses"; DS9: "Doctor Bashir, I Presume")

Following the wars, controversial debates ensued between Earth's governments regarding the fate of thousands of Augment embryos. Uncertain of how to handle the issue, the governments opted to have the embryos placed into cryogenic suspension. This fact was also kept from public knowledge. The issue of genetic manipulation and Human genome enhancement continued to plague Earth well into the 21st century, proving to be one of the causes of World War III in 2026. In the 23rd century, the Eugenics Wars themselves were sometimes viewed as synonymous with the Third World War. (ENT: "Borderland", "Cold Station 12", "In a Mirror, Darkly, Part II" historical archive; TOS: "Space Seed")

As both conflicts were fought over the issue of genetic manipulation, this suggests the Eugenics Wars were regarded as the initial cause and prelude for the Third World War, much like how the Second World War is often seen as a result of the First.

Doctor Keniclius

Soong and the Augment embryos

Genetic engineering of Humans was ultimately banned on Earth, as the concept was considered anti-Humanistic by Earth leaders. As a result of this, Doctor Stavos Keniclius was exiled from his community, which eventually led him to depart Earth permanently. The ban was placed primarily as an attempt to prevent another event like the Eugenics Wars, and to ensure that Humanity did not endure the wrath of another Khan Noonien Singh-type tyrant. (TAS: "The Infinite Vulcan"; DS9: "Doctor Bashir, I Presume", "Statistical Probabilities")

The ban on genetic engineering was challenged by the geneticist Arik Soong in the 2130s, when he stole some of the Augment embryos left over from the wars which were being stored at Cold Station 12. Soong believed that genetic engineering was the key to improving Humankind and preventing illness, and that it should be given another chance. By raising the Augments himself, Soong believed he could prevent them from behaving like their brethren from the Eugenics Wars. His plan failed as the aggressive nature of the Augments dominated, and they threatened to incite war and cause mass murder. Starfleet's mission to hunt down and capture the renegade "supermen" ultimately led to the destruction of the Augments, as well as most of the embryos. (ENT: "Borderland", "Cold Station 12", "The Augments")

Not all of the embryos were destroyed, though. Some found their way into the hands of Klingons who, believing Humans were improving themselves in order to conquer the Klingon Empire, attempted to use the DNA from the embryos to enhance themselves. The end result was a mutation of a highly-contagious virus that caused massive changes in physical appearance, biological structure, and even basic personality traits of large portions of the Klingon race. (ENT: "Affliction", "Divergence")

Both "Space Seed" and Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan give the dating of the Eugenics Wars as the 1990s. At one point during that decade in reality, Ronald D. Moore and Ren Echevarria had a discussion in which they observed it as odd that the Eugenics Wars seemed to basically be the only evidence of genetic engineering in Star Trek. "It's virtually never discussed, aside from the fact that there was this thing called the Eugenics Wars at some point, and Khan came out of it," stated Moore. (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion, p. 431) Consequently, while writing DS9 Season 5 installment "Doctor Bashir, I Presume", Moore focused on the idea that the Eugenics Wars had motivated the Federation into deciding not to meddle with genetic engineering. (Cinefantastique, Vol. 29, Nos. 6/7, p. 49)

In contrast to the Eugenics Wars having previously been established as taking place in the 1990s, "Doctor Bashir, I Presume", set in 2373, references the Eugenics Wars as having occurred two centuries prior to the episode, placing the Wars in the late 22nd century. As Ronald D. Moore later admitted, this statement was a production error, a line he had taken from The Wrath of Khan, but he had accidentally forgotten to account for the episode being set a century later than the film. (AOL chat, 1997) Confessed Moore, "It was simply a mistake. The date of the Eugenics Wars is something that we have been studiously trying not to pin ourselves down about, because obviously they aren't happening around as we speak [....] What looked like the distant future in 1967 is not so distant any more. I don't blame them for not having the foresight to see that in 30 years this would become important in the series." A production staffer from Star Trek: Voyager suggested the date had deliberately been changed on DS9 to account for the Eugenics Wars having not been mentioned in the "Future's End" two-parter. Moore flatly rejected that theory and responded, "We never talked to Voyager about it." (Cinefantastique, Vol. 29, Nos. 6/7, p. 50)

The original dating of the Eugenics Wars was reaffirmed by Phlox stating in "Borderland" that Arik Soong's Augments were pretty sophisticated for 20th century genetics. Phlox later mentions to the Klingons that genetic engineering on Earth was "banned decades ago," suggesting that the ban was not necessarily adopted by Humans immediately after the Eugenics Wars.

Manny Coto was a fan of this series of conflicts. "I was always fascinated by this idea of this Eugenics Wars," he commented. "I love the backstory of that story. I just found that just compelling, the idea that it was instigated by these genetically superior individuals." ("Inside the Roddenberry Vault, Part I", Star Trek: The Original Series - The Roddenberry Vault special features)

In "Space Seed", Spock describes the Eugenics Wars as "the era of your last so-called world war," suggesting this conflict could be World War III. In TOS: "Bread and Circuses", Spock states that thirty-seven million people died in World War III consistent with Phlox's assertion that over thirty million died in the Eugenics Wars (again connecting World War III and the Eugenics Wars) but not Riker's claim that six hundred million died in the nuclear conflict in the 2050s. As Spock was speaking in the context of despotism, and what constitutes despotic "responsibility" is open to interpretation, his statement may not give the total death count.

In TNG: "Up The Long Ladder", Data states that Humans were still recovering from the effects of World War III in the early 22nd century. This statement makes more sense within the context of a mid 21st century war than that of a late 20th century war, suggesting that World War III and the Eugenics Wars are not the same conflict, as confirmed in Star Trek: First Contact.

The Star Trek: The Eugenics Wars books portray a different view on the Eugenics Wars as being a more covert hidden battle between the genetically engineered "supermen" rather than an overt one in an attempt to marry the original dates of the Eugenics Wars with the events of the present day. It also raises the quite logical hypothesis that Gary Seven was involved in the overthrow of Khan and the other tyrants since he conceivably was present on Earth at the time of Khan's birth and would have known or seen the advent of the eugenics movement. Numerous 20th century Trek characters appear in the story, including Rain Robinson (who at the end of the second book becomes Roberta Lincoln's assistant), Ralph Offenhouse (an early financial backer of the genetic engineering program), Clare Raymond (her death is not an embolism but collateral damage from a nerve gas attack, Khan's assassination of Vasily Hunyadi, the fellow Augment secretly behind the Balkan conflicts of the early 1990s), Gillian Taylor, Flint (as "Wilson Evergreen"), and Jeff Carlson, who designed the Botany Bay with Shannon O'Donnell and Walter Nichols involved in the project primarily with technology reverse-engineered from Quark's Treasure.

In the Star Trek: Khan comic book series associated with the Alternate reality, the creative team went with a portrayal of the wars as being an open conflict that outright affected the whole planet.

In "The Rules of War", a short story from the anthology Strange New Worlds 9, the enemy commander whom Archer's great-grandfather Nathan Archer negotiated with in North Africa is Stavos Keniclius.

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Dark Side of Progressivism Exposed: From Eugenics to ‘Race Science’ – CNSNews.com

Posted on February 10, 2017 by Danzig

CNSNews.com

Dark Side of Progressivism Exposed: From Eugenics to 'Race Science'
CNSNews.com
A new book details the progressive movement's reliance on eugenics and race science as well as its effort to exclude the disabled, blacks, immigrants, the poor, and women from full participation in American society. The words progress and ...

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Dark Side of Progressivism Exposed: From Eugenics to 'Race Science' - CNSNews.com

North Florida Mangroves Could Pose Threat To Coastal Ecosystem – WFSU

Posted on February 10, 2017 by Danzig

Mangroves are quintessentially tropical and take root along the coast of the Everglades and the Keys where they are home to colorful fish and crabs. But these plants are not marooned in South Florida anymore. WFSU went searching for mangroves along the states Gulf Coast.

Historically, scientists believed mangroves didnt live farther north than Cedar Key, in the middle of Floridas Big Bend. But thats not the case anymore. I went exploring with a scientist named Caitlin Snyder whos based at the Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve.

Not many trees can really deal with this type of environment of such high salinities and changing either from storms or tides, Snyder said.

We hiked into a place called East Hole, eighty miles south of Tallahassee. Theres a little spit of beach flowing into a winding series of shallow tide pools, edged with marsh grasses. Snyder has done some monitoring here before.

When I come out here Ill usually take a GPS point of the individual, and I get an estimate on the height. Ill take note of any leaf damage, if the tips are black say from a freeze event, whether there's any insect damage, just kind of overall condition that I see, she said.

And then we began to spot them, jutting out of the olive green blanket of salt marsh. Maybe two feet tall, these arent extensive forests like in South Florida, but individual trees scattered in the grass.

And even though these plants are in a strange new habitat, theyre vibrant and healthy. There are many factors that determine where a mangrove will take root. But theyre ultimately at the mercy of hard freezes, according to research ecologist Michael Osland with the U.S. Geological Survey.

Be they mangroves, be they invasive plants, invasive species, any tropical organism, these freeze events play a really important role in setting the northern limit of those species," Osland said.

Hes watching the mangrove migration all across the Gulf Coast, where there havent been many hard freezes lately.

So with climate change, as we get a shift in the frequency and intensity of those events, its gonna allow those tropical species to move northwardand small changes in air temperatures can trigger these really dramatic, what we call ecological regime shift, Osland said.

Ecological regime shift. Sounds scary, right? Marsh grasses and mangroves are both really beneficial. And theyre both foundational species, meaning everything else in the ecosystem revolves around them. So when one of those bedrock species is replaced by another, it could spell chaos. But Osland says its too soon to know if the change will be good or bad.

In other areas mangrove expansion to salt marsh could be beneficial in terms of increased carbon storage, or wave attenuation. But that said, there will be some pretty big shifts for the habitat that these systems support, Osland said.

But Osland says as the effects of climate change intensify, mangroves will continue to force out salt marshes along the Gulf Coast.

To be clear, mangroves are not taking over the Panhandle yet. But Caitlin Snyder says they are here to stay.

I think were kind of at that tipping point where freeze events can still knock them back, but I think theyre here, Snyder said.

The question is, where will the mangroves show up next? And what will survive under the new regime?

North Florida Mangroves Could Pose Threat To Coastal Ecosystem - WFSU

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