Monthly Archives: April 2021

How satellite mapping technology is revolutionizing the way we see Earth – Landscape News

Posted: April 19, 2021 at 7:01 am

When researchers from the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) published a study last year on its discovery of 11 new colonies of emperor penguins, they acknowledged an unusual source of assistance students at Stirling High School in Scotland. Inspired by a David Attenborough program on the plight of the iconic bird, the teens and their teacher used satellite mapping imagery from the European Space Agencys Copernicus Sentinel-2, developed an algorithm, and found traces of unknown and unconfirmed colonies. They then passed on their findings to the BAS.

The notion that schoolkids are as capable of accessing Earth Observation data as scientists and government ministers is an indication of how satellite technology has revolutionized scientific research across the globe, and especially of the environment.

Satellites change everything, says Nathalie Pettorelli, a senior research fellow at the Zoological Society of London and author of the book Satellite Remote Sensing and the Management of Natural Resources. Monitoring extraordinarily large territories, providing access through visibility to remote areas, and boosting transparency of countries environmental standards are some of the benefits she cites. They provide you with the opportunity to monitor the Earth globally and monitor aspects of biodiversity that were very much neglected before.

But its not just biodiversity that satellites are aiding. Ever since the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) together with the United States Geological Survey launched the worlds first Landsat satellite in 1972, a continual stream of data on everything from deforestation to glacier retreat to weather patterns has been recorded and archived, providing an incredibly valuable picture of long-term change to scientists, land managers, policy-makers and many others. Today, a veritable constellation of satellites of all shapes and sizes, both public and private, constantly orbit and monitor whats happening on Earth, deepening and extending that pool of knowledge.

When you talk about NASA, many people know only about things like our Mars expedition, says Sachidananda Babu, who is in charge of its Sustainable Land Imaging Technology (SLI-T) program, but they dont realize how much effort we spend on preserving our own planet, Earth.

Over the decades since its first launch, Landsat and other civil satellites have proven useful to ecologists with their ability to monitor plant health, land cover and water, he says. For example, the Thermal Infrared Sensor (TIRS) on Landsat measures evapotranspiration, and western states water management of the Colorado River depends heavily on this measurement.

Babu and his colleagues are now in the process of developing a new tool, which they hope to have ready soon, for identifying potential forest fires. The tool will take data from satellite measurements and calculate moisture index, he says, which can estimate the chances of forest or bush fires. Is fire due to lack of moisture? Or hot air thats in that area? So thats a very advanced thing thats going on right now.

This September will see the launch of Landsat 9, which is, says Babu, mostly identical to Landsat 8 in shape, size, and weight, and it uses the same hardware. But we refined it a little bit. By sending down 14-bit image data instead of 12-bit, he says, you have a more dynamic range of data, and that means you can see even smaller changes on the ground, which enhances the quality of the data.

As program manager of NASAs In-space Validation of Earth Science Technologies (InVEST), Babu also works in the relatively new field of CubeSats. A new, low-cost pathway to research, these can, he explains, provide trial runs for new technologies in space. So far, these have included compact instruments to measure evapotranspiration and radio occultation measurements that can measure root zone soil moisture.

CubeSats are the best way to try out whether that technology is really useful, he says. To do that, we put that one specific part of the technology on a satellite and fly it. We see if it works well, then we can infuse the technology into a bigger program.

Providing higher resolution imagery than civil satellites, the pint-sized CubeSat at anywhere from 10 to 240 square centimeters in size is also used for commercial and educational purposes, and for scientific research. Educational institutions and non-profits in the U.S. can send their CubeSats into space using rockets, belonging to NASA or private companies such as Virgin Orbit, SpaceX or Rocket Labs, the latter of which includes a Book My Launch tab on its webpage. They can also be launched directly from the International Space Station on a Cygnus orbiter.

More than a hundred CubeSats have already been selected and taken into space as part of NASAs Educational Launch of Nanosatellites (ELaNa) Missions, and Babu credits their success to fostering close working relationships with the principal investigators of the selected proposals. What we do is take personal interest and mentor the team, he says. Calibrated and traceable measurements are required for any impactful science measurements looking at minute changes.

But with such complex data and so much of it available, how can the people who need it make sense of it all? Enter initiatives like Digital Earth Africa (DEA), a unique platform that democratizes the capacity to process and analyze satellite data.

A successful pilot study involving five African countries proved that better use of Earth Observation data had significant benefits for decision making, national statistics, resource management and innovation on the African continent, says DEAs managing director Adam Lewis. DEA also created the Africabased leadership team that produced the vision, mission and principles the initiative, which is funded by the Helmsley Charitable Trust and the Australian government.

The platforms sources of information are the time series data produced by civil satellites, especially the Landsat series and Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 constellations. These are underexploited because the satellites have advanced so quickly that people are unable to keep up with the big data they produce, says Lewis. So there is immense untapped potential.

DEA is overcoming those difficulties by doing some of the heavy lifting for the data users, providing the data in an analysis-ready form, accessible in the cloud, and with the open data cube as a processing system what DEA calls decision-ready data.

What we are striving for with our approach is information that is close enough to a decision-makers problem that they can see how they can engage with the products, says Lewis. Telling a decision-maker that youve got satellite data can be pretty abstract for them. Its not their job to know how relevant that is. But if we can say we are mapping the surface water of Africa through time, how it has changed, and are updating it, then they can identify and link it into their decision-making process.

To use his example, observations that map surface water can show where water has been seen in the past, says Lewis. The fact that it hasnt been seen in certain places for 10 or 15 years doesnt mean its not going to come back and be there again. There are patterns, and we can use the patterns of the past to understand the future.

Founded just two years ago, DEA has, over the past year, made food security another priority by developing a crop map area product. We can produce the sort of information on crops that Earth observation can give, like, how green is the countryside? How green is it compared to a normal year? Is that an indicator of drought? Now, in a particular country or region, an agronomist or a company might say, thats an indication that farmers in this area should be planting at this point, or not planting. That, he adds, then gets communicated to those farmers in ways that make sense.

Platforms like DEA with its training material and mapping and analysis tools are already proving useful to ecosystem scientists. Wetlands can be monitored, says Lewis. Forest can be monitored. We can look at land degradation. All these things can be done.

At the moment, DEA is not using data from CubeSats because their data is not free and open, and they dont give universal and automatic daily coverage. But DEA is starting to explore how CubeSat data can nonetheless still be effectively used alongside that of other satellites. It is quite possible for a country to bring in high resolution data from a CubeSatand to use the data in conjunction with those lower-resolution earth observing satellites that the USGS and Copernicus run. It is a really interesting area.

For Pettorelli, it is nonetheless crucial that access to earth monitoring tools remains open and free. You can really see the boom in science as Landsat opened its archive for free, she points out.

Theres an important message behind that, which is, the more we show that this is transformational, the more it becomes really important to protect those resources so we can continue to do what we do on the long term and monitor, for example, the effectiveness of various actions. Because they not only give you access to remote places on the earth, they allow you to look at things over a long time, she says. So its hugely important to continue to protect that, for humanity as a whole.

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Psoriasis and social anxiety: What is the link? – Medical News Today

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Psoriasis is a skin condition that can cause areas of skin to become flushed, inflamed, and flaky.

The appearance of psoriatic lesions may cause a person to feel anxious, depressed, or embarrassed. However, resources are available that may help people manage these conditions.

Scientists do not fully understand the link between psoriasis and anxiety or depression. However, some research has suggested that psoriasis and mental health conditions are strongly linked.

In one study, researchers found that several factors, including a persons age at psoriasis onset, can directly affect social anxiety and depression.

They found that people who developed psoriasis before the age of 18 years experienced social anxiety related to feelings of stigmatization.

They also found that people who developed psoriasis after the age of 18 years developed social anxiety related to feelings of their appearance affecting their self-worth.

Social anxiety disorder is a type of anxiety disorder. A person with social anxiety and psoriasis may not want to spend as much time with friends or family due to possible feelings of embarrassment or shame.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, social anxiety can cause a person to:

There is also a strong link between stress and psoriasis.

The American Psychological Association (APA) describes a fine line between stress and anxiety.

Both cause similar symptoms, but stress is typically a response to a trigger, such as overworking or having exposure to conflict. On the other hand, anxiety is associated with long-term worry over situations with no obvious triggers related to a specific situation.

Some research has suggested that perceived stress does not affect the severity of psoriasis symptoms. However, the researchers noted that stress can increase the level of perceived impact on a persons daily life. They also stated that people who associated psoriasis with psychological factors such as stress were more likely to be anxious.

The National Psoriasis Foundation states that stress can affect the severity of psoriasis symptoms and make itchiness worse. As a result, it recommends that individuals manage stress as part of their overall treatment plan.

Having psoriasis can cause a person to develop anxiety.

The APA defines anxiety as persistent and excessive worries that continue and do not go away even with no stressor causing the worry.

Anxiety affects people in several ways. It may lead to:

For example, a person with psoriasis may avoid going to a social gathering because they believe that others may make fun of them or find their psoriasis gross.

By avoiding social gatherings, the person may feel more alone and could develop symptoms of depression due to social isolation.

Psoriasis is a condition independent of stress or anxiety. However, stress or anxiety can trigger or worsen psoriasis symptoms.

One study has suggested that anxiety and psoriasis have a cyclical relationship. This means that psoriasis can cause anxiety and that anxiety can cause the symptoms of psoriasis to worsen.

As a result, a person with both conditions may notice symptoms of psoriasis during a period of stress or anxiety.

The Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis Alliance provides several strategies to help a person deal with general anxiety and social anxiety. These include taking steps such as:

A person can also ask a doctor about mental health services. They may recommend a psychologist or psychiatrist to help the person cope with stress and anxiety related to psoriasis.

The National Psoriasis Foundation offers a service called One to One. It connects people with psoriasis to mentors who can help them learn to cope with the condition. This may be helpful for people who feel that they do not have anyone to relate to.

Psoriasis is linked to several mental health conditions, including anxiety, stress, and depression. Some evidence has suggested that anxiety and stress can trigger psoriasis flares and that psoriasis flares can trigger anxiety or stress.

A person with psoriasis should work with a healthcare professional to develop effective mental health treatments so that they can live their life without fear of social stigmatization or negative judgment.

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Stress and Psoriasis: What’s the Link? – Healthline

Posted: at 7:00 am

Living with a chronic condition can be stressful. Thats especially true of any visible condition, like psoriasis.

Psoriasis is an autoimmune disease that causes inflammation in the body and red, scaly, itchy patches on the skin. Often, these patches are in visible places like the knees, elbows, and scalp.

While theres no cure for psoriasis, treatments can prevent skin flares and relieve related stress.

The connection between stress and psoriasis is complex, and it goes both ways. Stress is a known trigger of psoriasis flares. And people who develop these patches may stress about the way psoriasis makes them look and feel.

Could stress actually cause psoriasis? In and of itself, stress is not going to be something that causes psoriasis to develop out of the blue, says Evan Rieder, MD, assistant professor of Dermatology at NYU Langone Health.

He adds, But it could cause a flare of the disease in someone who is already genetically predisposed to having psoriasis.

Researchers have discovered more than 80 genes linked to psoriasis. When your relatives have this condition, youre more likely to get it. If both of your parents have it, your risk is 75 percent. If only one parent has it, your risk is 15 percent.

Exactly why stress causes flares, researchers dont know. People with psoriasis seem to have a problem with the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, the system that controls their bodys reaction to stress.

They have lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which normally helps tame inflammation. So when they are under stress, inflammation starts, and psoriasis flares up.

The stress of living with psoriasis can escalate this process and make symptoms even worse. Psoriasis patches are itchy and cause discomfort. There is also a stigma from having plaques on your skin.

People you meet might react to the redness by making comments or by shrinking away from touching you. You can imagine what that does to someones self-esteem, Rieder says.

One effective way to manage stress is with relaxation techniques such as meditation and deep breathing. Exercise is also a good stress reliever, and its great for boosting self-esteem.

Hypnosis and biofeedback are other techniques to help ease stress. It takes regular practice of relaxation techniques for them to be effective.

Self-advocacy is important when it comes to managing psoriasis, according to Rieder. Your dermatologist may focus only on your skin and not ask questions about your mental health.

People with psoriasis can get depression and anxiety, and it doesnt necessarily correlate with whats going on with their skin. Their skin can look clear, he says.

In addition to seeing your dermatologist, he recommends talking to a therapist. Focus on whatever is getting in the way of you being able to live your best life, he says.

You might want to consider seeing a therapist who has experience working with people with psoriasis or other chronic conditions.

A support group is a place where you can connect with other people who have psoriasis, and learn from their experiences. I think they can be very helpful, Rieder says. Unless youre living with the condition, its very hard to truly empathize.

Support groups are held in places like hospitals, community centers, and churches. Youll also find them online. The best place to start looking for a support group is through an organization like the National Psoriasis Foundation.

It may be hard to talk to people about your psoriasis, even those closest to you. But starting the conversation can help the people that love you most give you the support you need.

For people in your outer circle, your explanation can be brief and to the point. Say something like, Its not infectious and you cant get it from me, Rieder suggests.

Be more open and honest with friends and family. Help them understand what its like for you to live with this disease. Once they understand, they can be better allies.

Having clearer skin can go a long way toward emotional improvement. When youre less stressed about your skin, you may find you get fewer flares.

At least one psoriasis treatment biologic drugs serves double duty. Biologics are genetically engineered medications that target certain molecules in the body involved in causing inflammation, helping your immune system to operate properly.

In the case of psoriasis, these medications help relieve depression and improve quality of life while they clear the skin.

You have many options for treating psoriasis. The treatment dermatologists usually try first is a topical steroid, which slows cell production and brings down inflammation in your skin. Other, nonsteroidal topicals include anthralin, synthetic vitamin D3, and vitamin A.

Phototherapy exposes your skin to UV light to stop skin cells from growing. You can get this treatment at your doctors office or at home.

Systemic (body-wide) treatments such as biologics, methotrexate, and cyclosporine stop your immune system from causing inflammation in your skin. You may get one of these treatments if your psoriasis is severe or it doesnt respond to topical treatments.

The key to getting on the right treatment is to find a doctor you trust. Make sure you see a board certified dermatologist and get the best recommendations, Rieder says.

Psoriasis is a difficult condition to live with, but theres never been a better time to live with psoriasis. We can get people clear or almost clear in the majority of cases.

These treatments can really improve peoples quality of life and the way that they feel, he adds.

Stress and psoriasis are closely linked. Youre more likely to have flare-ups when youre stressed, and psoriasis can increase your stress levels.

Seeing a dermatologist and getting on the right treatment can lead to clearer skin and less stress. A counselor or other mental health provider will help you manage the emotional symptoms of psoriasis while your treatment goes to work.

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Is There an Association Between Psoriasis and Thyroid Disease? – Dermatology Advisor

Posted: at 7:00 am

Several research articles have shown a positive association between psoriasis and thyroid diseases, including Hashimotos thyroiditis (hypothyroidism) and Graves disease (hyperthyroidism), but the limited number of studies do not provide a complete explanation to prove this association, according to a review study published in Cureus.

This review study included 45 articles that featured psoriasis, hypothyroidism, thyroid function tests, propylthiouracil, and psoriatic arthritis as inclusion keywords. Medical Subject Headings keywords psoriasis, hypothyroidism, and autoimmunity were also imputed into PubMed to identify the relevant articles for review.

A total of 39 of the 45 articles included in this review study demonstrated a positive association between psoriasis and thyroid diseases, although 6 articles found no association.

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In 5 articles, researchers showed that thyroid hormones had an effect on the development of psoriasis. Other articles demonstrated that genetic, immunological, and inflammation were involved in the associations. Reactive oxygen species-related pathogenesis was also reported in 2 articles. In 5 articles, there were reports of positive thyroid peroxidase antibodies, thyroglobulin antibodies, and Hashimotos thyroiditis ultrasound features in patients with psoriasis.

Marked improvement was observed in psoriatic skin lesions following thyroidectomy in 2 articles. In addition, the investigators of this review found that first-line propylthiouracil for hyperthyroidism reportedly clears psoriatic lesions, according to findings in 6 articles. Propylthiouracil did not appear to induce clinical hypothyroidism or lead to any serious adverse effects. The researchers of this review study suggest propylthiouracil could be prescribed as an alternative therapy for patients with psoriasis due to its side effects compared with existing psoriasis treatments that are typically toxic and expensive.

The investigators also noted that a higher prevalence of the association between psoriasis and thyroid diseases in women was reported in some of the articles. However, some articles found no sex preference involved in the prevalence of the association.

Limitations of this study included the small number of articles available for review as well as the lack of a pooled meta-analysis of the data.

The investigators concluded that additional studies are required to establish a connection between these diseases because these findings have a significant impact on both the clinical and research sides.

Eapi S, Chowdhury R, Lawal OS, Mathur N, Malik BH. Etiological association between psoriasis and thyroid diseases. Cureus. 2021;13(1):e12653. Published 2021 Jan 12. doi:10.7759/cureus.12653

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SpaceX Drive for Profit Led to Road Crash Death, Family Says – Bloomberg

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The SpaceX South Texas launch site in Boca Chica Village in Brownsville, Texas.

Photographer: Veronica G. Cardenas/Bloomberg

Photographer: Veronica G. Cardenas/Bloomberg

Billionaire Elon Musks company thats preparing to land people on the moon was too cheap to make a Texas roadway safe, leading to a traffic accident that killed a local man, the victims attorney claims in a lawsuit.

Carlos Venegas, 35, was driving his family home from a beach camping trip around 4 a.m. on July 7, 2020, when he slammed into the back of an idling eighteen-wheeler trying to enter a one-lane, unlit access road to Space Exploration Technologies Corp.s rocket launch facility at Boca Chica, Texas, according to the complaint.

Commercial truckers have difficulty navigating the access road at the southernmost tip of Texas even during daylight hours, claims Tony Buzbee, the victims family lawyer. SpaceX shouldve widened the road, installed safety lighting and installed warnings to beachgoers that there could be trucks stopped there, Buzbee said in the complaint. Instead, SpaceX skimped on safety to push its development timeline, he said.

Venegas died from head injuries, while his wife and three children suffered serious injuries to their spines and legs, according to the complaint, which moved from state court to federal court in nearby Brownsville on Friday. The family seeks more than $20 million in damages.

This was no accident, Buzbee said in the complaint, which also names Dogleg Park, a Texas partnership that owns the SpaceX property.

Defendants are multibillion-dollar corporations owned and operated by some of Americas most successful minds, Buzbee said. It is inconceivable that defendants are qualified to fly rocket ships to the International Space Station but cannot adequately outfit the access points in and around their Cape-Canaveral-like enterprise.

NASA announced Friday that SpaceX had won a $2.9 billion contract to build the first commercial human lander to carry a pair of U.S. astronauts to the moons surface by 2024.

David G. Olveira and Rene Oliveira, two of SpaceXs lawyers, didnt immediately return phone or emailed requests for comment. SpaceXs media department also didnt immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.

The case is Venegas v Space Exploration Technologies Corp., 1:21-cv-54, U.S. District Court, Southern District of Texas (Brownsville).

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I Tried the Whole30 for Psoriatic Arthritis and This Is What Happened – Healthline

Posted: at 6:59 am

Learning about the relationship between diet and inflammation helped me make long-term changes and have fewer flare-ups.

After suffering from early-onset arthritis and thick, scaly, itchy patches of skin on my hands for years, some recent unexplained changes in my fingernails led me to request a referral to a rheumatologist.

X-rays and bloodwork confirmed my suspicions I have psoriatic arthritis (PsA).

While my 20-year search for an answer was over, the fight to reduce the inflammation causing my pain was just beginning.

I knew from experience that sugar was a trigger for my joint pain, and for years Id eaten a healthy Mediterranean diet.

But were there other foods that might be contributing to the sudden flare-ups that I experienced?

After reading about the success of others who had tried Whole30, a popular elimination diet, I decided it was worth finding out.

Whole30 isnt a weight loss diet. Its a short-term eating program, created by Melissa Hartwig Urban in 2009, to help people change their relationship with food and determine whether specific foods may be negatively impacting their health.

For 30 days, the following foods are off-limits:

Whats left is whole foods that come from an animal or plant, such as meat, fish, fruit, vegetables, healthy fats like olive oil, and herbs and spices.

After youve been on the plan for a full 30 days comes the reintroduction period. One food is reintroduced at a time, allowing several days to pass between eating the food and reintroducing another food.

This is intended to give your body time to let you know if that particular food causes any unwanted symptoms.

Whole30 is very restrictive, so it isnt recommended as a long-term diet. And while there arent any scientific studies touting health benefits of the Whole30 program, it is similar to though stricter than the popular paleo diet, which has some research to back it up.

To be safe, I asked my provider if she recommended the program, and she gave me the green light to get started.

I decided to take the program one step further and removed nightshades from my diet. Nightshades, including tomatoes and peppers, are packed full of nutrition but I suspected they were triggering some of my joint pain.

There is no scientific evidence that nightshades increase inflammation, but some people do find that their joints hurt more when they eat them.

I found the program fairly easy to follow, as long as I cooked most of my own food. The easiest meals were breakfast and lunch.

I eat the same thing almost every morning: eggs, spinach, and avocado. If I added a sweet potato and some extra olive oil, I was satisfied for 4 hours.

Lunch for me is usually a simple salad, or fruit, prosciutto, and olives, or both. As long as the dressing was on-plan, this was still a good option.

My favorite time hack involved preparing extra food for dinner that I could repurpose the next day for lunch.

I found dinner to be the most challenging meal. Since I was no longer eating nightshades, I reworked some of my favorite recipes. I found a wonderful nightshade-free taco seasoning recipe online that made Mexican night possible.

Since I didnt want to cook every single night for a month, I needed to find a takeout restaurant that could accommodate my restrictions.

A local Mediterranean restaurant listed their ingredients online, and I was able to get a meal that was Whole30 compliant. Having this option available felt like a life saver.

Snacks are generally discouraged on the Whole30 program, but as long as the snack is just a smaller version of a meal, its allowed. On-plan turkey slices and mayo layered with lettuce and sprouts became my go-to afternoon pick-me-up.

After being on the program for about a week, I noticed I wasnt in as much pain.

On the other hand, about halfway through the month, I had a moment of weakness. I ate a bite of white potato and some takeout food that had been seasoned with red pepper flakes.

By the time I went to bed that night, I had developed full-body joint pain. These foods are nightshades, so I was pretty sure Id identified one of my triggers.

After getting back on track and completing the 30 days, my pain had improved so much that I cut my anti-inflammatory medication back to once a week.

I saw my rheumatologist while I was completing the Whole30 program to discuss whether I would need another medication for psoriatic arthritis. I told him that I had cut back on my NSAID and that the rough patches on my skin had smoothed out and were no longer cracked and peeling.

My doctor knew that I was doing a Whole30 round and credited my improved symptoms to the elimination of inflammatory foods. He also said I was doing so well that I didnt need to go on medication.

To kick off the reintroduction phase of the program, I had a glass of wine on day 31 with dinner. While it didnt trigger any pain, it also wasnt the feel-good end-of-day solace I remembered.

Next I added sourdough bread and a small amount of sugar in the form of honey. Again, I found I didnt enjoy them as much as I used to. And the joint pain was back.

The last food I officially reintroduced was spicy pepper seasonings and spices, like red pepper flakes. Maybe I didnt need to test nightshades again, but I love spicy foods. And yes, I had a flare-up of full-body joint pain.

At this point, I went off plan. I had already identified a few foods that were causing me pain, and it was time for a break from all the restrictions. But I felt so good after finishing my first Whole30 that I knew I would go through the program again.

The reintroduction phase not only cemented my belief that some foods cause inflammation in my body, but also that my relationship with certain foods was built on habit, rather than need or joy.

I have hereditary high cholesterol and find it hard to keep my numbers in a good range. At the end of my Whole30 round, my total cholesterol was down 60 points and my triglycerides were finally within normal range.

While weight loss wasnt my goal, I was thrilled to discover that Id lost 5 pounds. My clothes were fitting looser and I felt lighter.

The no snacking rule made it easier to fall asleep at night, and I had more energy in the evenings.

As a short-term eating program designed to reset both the body and the mind, I feel the Whole30 program was a success.

It also worked very well as an elimination diet. I felt less pain and had more energy by the end of the Whole30 program.

If you want to explore the Whole30 program, I recommend reading over the official website and having a conversation with your doctor to make sure the program is appropriate for your situation.

Cindy Blye is a nurse and health writer/journalist in North Carolina. Her works have appeared in various nursing blogs and online health news websites. Shes passionate about helping people live a healthier and more energetic life. When she isnt writing, you can find her gardening, cooking, hiking, biking, reading, or eating dark chocolate.

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How Elon Musks Starbase plans are influencing the Texas housing market – Inman

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A tweet from Elon Musk was enough to push one Atlanta man to hop into his car, drive a thousand miles west to Texas and put an offer on a house. The Brownsville/South Padre Island area is home to Starbase, the rocket production facility and launch site of Musks company SpaceX, and the development has propelled the formerly sleepy border towns into a flurry of media and investor attention.

Bruno Zavaleta

Bruno Zavaleta, the owner of Zavaleta Realty in Brownsville, has been inundated with phone calls from both locals and out-of-towners ever since Musk sent a tweet encouraging his 50 million followers to consider moving to Starbase or greater Brownsville/South Padre area for the slew of highly specialized jobs that he promises to bring to the area through SpaceX.

Im seeing multiple offers everywhere and everything going over asking price, Zavaleta told Inman. You hear about Austin, California, Seattle having those kind of markets, but I would have never expected it to happen here in Brownsville.

Located in the southernmost tip of the Lone Star State, Cameron County, which holds both the towns of Brownsville and South Padre Island, is a four-hour drive from the nearest big city of San Antonio, but is just over the border from Matamoros, Mexico.

Prior to Musk setting his sights on the area for space development and the rocket launch, Zavaleta described it as a quiet border town. The school district and customs made up the largest bulk of jobs while most of the people living there were locals with roots in the area going back generations.

But since Musk first started building a base for his rocket production facility and spaceport in Boca Chica, a small village in Brownsville on the Gulf Coast, in 2019, there has been an influx of out-of-owners and would-be investors with an eye on real estate. The interest amplified even more in recent weeks in March alone, the median price for a single-family home went up 14.2 percent to $177,000 while the number of active listings dropped 51.2 percent from the same time last year, according to data from the Brownsville/South Padre Island Board of Realtors.

Brownsville, Texas

Zavaleta, who was only used to working with the occasional out-of-town buyer needing to move to Brownsville for work, started getting calls from all over Texas as well as California, Georgia and even Wisconsin. A local agent told celebrity news outlet TMZ that he had sold over seven homes since Musks tweet and had received calls from investors as far away as Kenya.

Many people have been living out here for a while but it wasnt the last year that they really started seeing that these guys are coming down here and theyre buying, Zavaleta said. The concern that a lot of us have had is whats going to happen next? Are people going to get priced out of the rental market? Are property taxes going to increase? For someone who lives in a $75,000 home, a lot can happen that would very much affect them.

Christine Breeden-Grove

Christine Breeden-Grove, the president-elect of the Womens Council of Realtors Cameron County, said that a number of SpaceX engineers have been reaching out and asking for homes to buy. Because inventory is low all over the country and Texas in particular, it is not unusual to see five or six offers on any house that she puts up within 24 hours.

We were already in a sellers market and inventory was low, but once Musk came out with that tweet, we just got bombarded with more calls from people out of state, she said. Its making it a little bit more difficult for us with our because our inventory is too low.

Musk has a history of making fantastical claims and having them not come to fruition, or play out to a much lesser extent. Just last month, a rocket launched out of Boca Chica landed but then exploded on site. While Musk promised to hire several thousand workers in the next two years, there are currently around 100 job listings on the company website.

According to local agents, it is too early to say just how much of an effect his interest in Starbase and Brownsville will have on the local housing market. Last week, Cameron County Judge Eddie Trevio confirmed that a representative from SpaceX inquired about incorporating Boca Chica Village into Starbase but stressed that there are regulations to follow and sending a tweet doesnt make it so.

SpaceX In Boca Chica | Reddit (RGV Aerial Photography)

But as when Amazon announced plans to open a second headquarters, a mere expression of interest in an area from Musk can send investors aflutter. Bredeen said that builders and developers are already moving in and preparing for the boon.

We have a lot of builders and new subdivisions going up, Bredeen said. Were going to get a lot of outside developers coming in and building homes, so thats a positive for the area.

Brownsville residents had for years, according to Zavaleta, felt a bit of an inferiority complex and friendly rivalry with the nearby city of McAllen, which is where they have to go to the popular restaurant chain PF Changs or larger shopping plazas. The national and global attention has been a source of pride for many locals and a reason for some homeowners to sit tight while waiting for values to rise but also a cause for apprehension that the quiet area could soon transform into something they dont quite recognize.

If you had told me that we were going to get a Tesla service center a few years ago, I would have thought you were completely crazy, Zavaleta said. And now we have one thats about to officially open.

Email Veronika Bondarenko

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How Elon Musks Starbase plans are influencing the Texas housing market - Inman

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Dermavant Announces Tapinarof Data Presentations at the AAD VMX 2021 – Business Wire

Posted: at 6:59 am

LONG BEACH, Calif. & BASEL, Switzerland--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dermavant Sciences, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to developing and commercializing innovative therapeutics in immuno-dermatology, today announced that two abstracts from Dermavants two pivotal Phase 3 trials for tapinarof for the treatment of psoriasis in adults, PSOARING 1 and PSOARING 2, will be presented during the upcoming American Academy of Dermatology Virtual Meeting Experience 2021 (AAD VMX 2021), on April 23-25, 2021.

Tapinarof is being developed as a novel, once-daily therapeutic aryl hydrocarbon receptor modulating agent (TAMA), cosmetically elegant, steroid-free topical cream for the treatment of plaque psoriasis and atopic dermatitis.

The following posters will be viewable on the conference platform for the entirety of the conference:

Title: Tapinarof Cream 1% Once Daily for Plaque Psoriasis: Secondary Efficacy Outcomes from Two Pivotal Phase 3 Trials

This poster contains secondary efficacy outcomes, including Physician Global Assessment (PGA) scores, percent body surface area (%BSA) affected, and 90% reduction in Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI90) an endpoint more commonly used to assess systemic agents.

Authors: Linda Stein Gold, MD; Andrew Blauvelt, MD, MBA; April Armstrong, MD, MPH; Seemal R. Desai, MD; Howard Sofen, MD; Lawrence J. Green, MD; Stephen K. Tyring, MD, PhD; Laura K. Ferris, MD, PhD; Philip M. Brown, MD, JD; David S. Rubenstein, MD, PhD; Stephen C. Piscitelli, PharmD; Anna M. Tallman, PharmD; Leon Kircik, MD

Title: Tapinarof Cream 1% Once Daily for Plaque Psoriasis: Patient-reported Outcomes from Two Pivotal Phase 3 Trials

This poster contains patient-reported outcomes data, including itch and quality of life measurements.

Authors: Robert Bissonnette, MD; Bruce Strober, MD, PhD; Mark Lebwohl, MD; Jerry Bagel, MD; James Del Rosso, DO; Joseph F. Merola, MD, MMSc; Neal Bhatia, MD; Paul Yamauchi, MD, PhD; Philip M. Brown, MD, JD; David S. Rubenstein, MD, PhD; Anna M. Tallman, PharmD; Stephen C. Piscitelli, PharmD

About Dermavants Phase 3 Program for Tapinarof in Psoriasis

Dermavants pivotal Phase 3 clinical program for tapinarof in adult plaque psoriasis consists of PSOARING 1 (NCT03956355) and PSOARING 2 (NCT03983980), as well as PSOARING 3 (NCT04053387), the ongoing long-term safety study.

PSOARING 1 and PSOARING 2, which collectively enrolled 1,025 patients, were two identically designed, multi-center, randomized, vehicle-controlled, double-blind, parallel group studies conducted in North America that evaluated the safety and efficacy of tapinarof cream, 1% dosed once daily (QD) for 12 weeks versus vehicle QD in adult patients aged 18-75 years diagnosed with plaque psoriasis. The primary endpoint of both studies was a PGA score of clear (0) or almost clear (1) with a minimum 2-grade improvement from baseline at Week 12.

PSOARING 3 is a long-term, open-label, extension study to evaluate the safety and efficacy of tapinarof cream, 1% for the treatment of plaque psoriasis in adults. Subjects in the study had previously completed treatment with tapinarof or vehicle in either the PSOARING 1 or PSOARING 2 Phase 3 pivotal efficacy and safety studies. PSOARING 3 consists of up to 40 weeks of tapinarof cream, 1%, and a 4-week safety follow-up period. As such, subjects who received drug during PSOARING 1 and PSOARING 2, completed PSOARING 3 having received treatment with tapinarof cream for up to 52 weeks. Greater than 90% of eligible patients who completed PSOARING 1 and PSOARING 2 enrolled in PSOARING 3.

About Psoriasis

Psoriasis is a chronic, systemic, inflammatory skin disease characterized by red patches and plaques with silvery scales on the skin. Psoriasis affects approximately 8 million people in the United States and 125 million worldwide.

Psoriasis can begin at any age, but typically has two peaks of onset, the first at age 20 to 30 years and the second at age 50 to 60 years. People with psoriasis are at an increased risk of developing other chronic and serious health conditions. Comorbidities include psoriatic arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, hypertension, diabetes, obesity, and depression. Psoriasis has a significant impact on quality of life and on psychological health.

About Dermavant

Dermavant Sciences, a subsidiary of Roivant Sciences, is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to developing and commercializing innovative therapeutics in immuno-dermatology. Dermavants focus is to develop therapies that have the potential to address high unmet medical needs while driving greater efficiency in research and clinical development. The companys robust medical dermatology pipeline includes both late-stage and earlier-stage-development product candidates the company believes could address important immuno-dermatological conditions, including psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, vitiligo, primary focal hyperhidrosis, and acne. Dermavant is developing its lead product candidate, tapinarof (DMVT-505), as a novel therapeutic aryl hydrocarbon receptor modulating agent (TAMA) topical cream for the treatment of plaque psoriasis and atopic dermatitis, which affect approximately 8 million and 26 million people in the United States, respectively. The company reported positive Phase 3 results for tapinarof cream in adult patients with plaque psoriasis. For more information, please visit http://www.dermavant.com, and follow us on Twitter (@dermavant) and LinkedIn (Dermavant Sciences).

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Biologic Treatment Algorithms for Moderate-to-Severe Psoriasis with Comorbid Conditions and Special Populations: A Review – DocWire News

Posted: at 6:59 am

This article was originally published here

Am J Clin Dermatol. 2021 Apr 16. doi: 10.1007/s40257-021-00603-w. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

The emergence of data from clinical trials of biologics, the approval of new biologics, and our improved understanding of psoriasis pathogenesis have increased the therapeutic possibilities for the treatment of moderate-to-severe psoriasis. Biologics currently approved for the treatment of psoriasis include tumor necrosis factor inhibitors, interleukin (IL)-17 inhibitors, ustekinumab (an IL-12/23 inhibitor), and IL-23 inhibitors. Data from clinical trials and studies of the safety and efficacy of biologics provide essential information for the personalization of patient care. We discuss the benefits and disadvantages of biologics as a first-line treatment choice, update treatment recommendations according to current evidence, and propose psoriasis treatment algorithms. Our discussion includes the following comorbid conditions: psoriatic arthritis, multiple sclerosis, congestive heart failure, inflammatory bowel disease, hepatitis B, nonmelanoma skin cancer, lymphoma, and latent tuberculosis. We make evidence-based treatment recommendations for special populations, including pediatric patients, patients with coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19), and pregnant and breastfeeding patients with psoriasis. Ultimately, individualized recommendations that consider patient preferences, disease severity, comorbid conditions, and additional risk factors should be offered to patients and updated as new trial data emerges.

PMID:33861409 | DOI:10.1007/s40257-021-00603-w

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Biologic Treatment Algorithms for Moderate-to-Severe Psoriasis with Comorbid Conditions and Special Populations: A Review - DocWire News

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Relative efficacy and safety of secukinumab and guselkumab for the treatment of active psoriatic arthritis: A network meta-analysis – DocWire News

Posted: at 6:59 am

This article was originally published here

Int J Clin Pharmacol Ther. 2021 Apr 16. doi: 10.5414/CP203906. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To determine the relative effectiveness and safety of doses of secukinumab and guselkumab in patients with active psoriatic arthritis (PsA).

MATERIALS AND METHODS: A Bayesian network meta-analysis was performed incorporating data from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of secukinumab 150 mg, secukinumab 300 mg, and guselkumab 100 mg every 4 weeks (Q4W) and guselkumab every 8 weeks (Q8W).

RESULTS: Six RCTs, including 2,385 patients, fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The surface under the cumulative ranking curve (SUCRA) revealed that secukinumab 300 mg had the highest probability of reaching a 20% American College of Rheumatology (ACR20) response rate, followed by secukinumab 150 mg, guselkumab 100 mg Q4W, guselkumab 100 mg Q8W, and placebo. The ACR50 response rate revealed the same distribution pattern as the ACR20 response rate. The SUCRA rating, dependent on the psoriasis area and severity index of at least 75% (PASI75) response rate, showed that guselkumab 100 mg Q4W had the highest possibility of achieving the PASi75 response, followed by guselkumab 100 mg Q8W, secukinumab 300 mg, secukinumab 150 mg, and placebo. Safety analyses focused on serious adverse events (SAEs), adverse events (AEs), and withdrawals attributable to AEs that did not have statistically relevant variation in the respective intervention categories.

CONCLUSION: Based on the ACR20 and ACR50 response rates, secukinumab 300 mg had the strongest response effectiveness, whereas guselkumab 100 mg Q4W was the most effective treatment strategy for PsA based on PASI75. However, there was little disparity between the treatment options with regard to SAEs.

PMID:33860750 | DOI:10.5414/CP203906

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Relative efficacy and safety of secukinumab and guselkumab for the treatment of active psoriatic arthritis: A network meta-analysis - DocWire News

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