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Monthly Archives: September 2022
Pitt researchers are leading the way toward a Google Maps of cells – University of Pittsburgh
Posted: September 14, 2022 at 1:08 am
Getting from point A to point B has never been easier thanks to digital maps on our smartphones. With the swipe of a finger, we can plan a route to the grocery store, scope out a hiking trail or pick a perfect vacation destination. Soon, biomedical researchers will have a similar tool to easily navigate the vast network of cells in the human body.
The Human BioMolecular Atlas Program, or HuBMAP, is an international consortium of researchers with a shared goal of developing a global atlas of healthy cells in the human body. Once completed, the resource will be made freely available to drug developers and clinical researchers who could use it to shape the development of specialized medical treatments.
The idea behind HuBMAP is akin to the National Institutes of Healths Human Genome Project, which sequenced every single gene in the human body. Completed almost 20 years ago, the massive undertaking kickstarted a renaissance in clinical research and laid the groundwork for innovative approaches to gene-based therapies. But instead of collecting genetic information on the whole organism level, HuBMAP goes deeper with the goal of mapping gene expression, proteins, metabolites and other information in different types of cells across various organs and tissues.
The next step of turning this vast wealth of data into a user-friendly tool is managed by bioinformaticians at the University of Pittsburgh, the Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center (PSC), Carnegie Mellon University and Stanford University. The teams recently received $20 million in renewed funding from the NIH to continue these efforts.
Creating an ecosystem that can connect all the different pieces of data into a single large knowledge resource is a tough job, but thats what this team has special expertise in. We are good at integrating all kinds of various pieces of software and making them run, said co-lead of the Pittsburgh HuBMAP Infrastructure and Engagement Component Jonathan Silverstein, a professor in theDepartment of Biomedical Informaticsat Pitt.
The team, led by Silverstein, who is also a chief research informatics officer at Pitt and UPMCsInstitute for Precision Medicine, and PSCs Scientific Director Phil Blood, will embark on a long journey of annotating vast amounts of molecular-level data from thousands of tissue samples collected in over 60 institutions across the country. A locally maintained and developed hybrid cloud infrastructure for data integration and software development is being used to mold the resulting library of genetic and protein signatures of healthy cells into a comprehensive map.
The HuBMAP Computational Tools Component, led by Matthew Ruffalo of Carnegie Mellons Computational Biology Department, has developed computational pipelines for processing these molecular datasets, allowing for efficient data integration across data types, tissues and more.
The team is also involved in projects aimed at creating an atlas of aging and senescent cells (SenNet) and building a framework for studying molecular markers of breast cancer.
In addition to research, the HuBMAP and SenNet consortia are really helping to shape the ecosystem and the culture around projects that this work will impact, said Kay Metis, SenNet program manager at Pitt. This project has the potential to impact Alzheimers and aging research and make a big difference to the direction of medical research going forward. I love being part of the effort to contribute to the social impact of what a project of this scale can accomplish.
The expertise in molecular biology and clinical data, combined with experience in managing research consortiums and deep knowledge of software integration, along with computing resources provided by the PSC, makes Pittsburgh uniquely capable of handling a complex task such as HuBMAP.
I came to Pitt because it is a place with great depth of interest and scientific expertise and people here are open to building collaborations, not only across Pittsburgh but worldwide. We have created a team that is unbounded not only on the clinical and biological data side, but also on the technology side, Silverstein said.
Ana Gorelova, image by Getty
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The Application of Nanotechnology and Nanomaterials in Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment: A Review – Cureus
Posted: at 1:08 am
Nanotechnology, nicknamed "the manufacturing technology of the twenty-first century," allows us to manufacture a vast range of sophisticated molecular devices by manipulating matter on an atomic and molecular scale. These nanomaterials possess the ideal properties of strength, ductility, reactivity, conductance, and capacity at the atomic, molecular, and supramolecular levels to create useable devices and systems in a length range of 1-100 nm. The materials' physical, chemical, and mechanical characteristics differ fundamentally and profoundly at the nanoscale from those of individual atoms, molecules, or bulk material, which enables the most efficient atom alignment in a very tiny space. Nanotechnology allows us to build various intricate nanostructured materials by manipulating matter at the atomic and molecular scale in terms of strength, ductility, reactivity, conductance, and capacity [1,2].
"Nanomedicine" is the science and technology used to diagnose, treat, and prevent diseases. It is also used for pain management and to safeguard and improve people's health through nanosized molecules, biotechnology, genetic engineering, complex mechanical systems, and nanorobots [3]. Nanoscale devices are a thousand times more microscopic than human cells, being comparable to biomolecules like enzymes and their respective receptors in size. Because of this property, nanosized devices can interact with receptors on the cell walls, as well as within the cells. By obtaining entry into different parts of the body, they can help pick up the disease, as well as allow delivery oftreatment to areas of the body that one can never imagine being accessible. Human physiology comprises multiple biological nano-machines. Biological processes that can lead to cancer also occur at the nanoscale. Nanotechnology offers scientists the opportunity to experiment on macromolecules in real time and at the earliest stage of disease, even when very few cells are affected. This helps in the early and accurate detection of cancer.
In a nutshell, the utility of the nanoscale materials for cancer is due to the qualities such as the ability to be functionalized and tailored to human biological systems (compatibility), the ability to offer therapy or act as a therapeutic agent, the ability to act as a diagnostic tool, the capability to penetrate various physiological barriers such as the blood-brain barrier, the capability to accumulate passively in the tumor, and the ability to aggressively target malignant cells.
Nanotechnology in cancer management has yielded various promising outcomes, including drug administration, gene therapy, monitoring and diagnostics, medication carriage, biomarker tracing, medicines, and histopathological imaging. Quantum dots (QDs) and gold nanoparticles are employed at the molecular level to diagnose cancer. Molecular diagnostic techniques based on these nanoparticles, such as biomarker discovery, can properly and quickly diagnose tumors. Nanotechnology therapeutics, such as nanoscale drug delivery, will ensure that malignant tissues are specifically targeted while reducing complications. Because of their biological nature, nanomaterials can cross cell walls with ease. Because of their active and passive targeting, nanomaterials have been used in cancer treatment for many years. This research looks at its applications in cancer diagnosis and therapy, emphasizing the technology's benefits and limitations [3-5]. The various uses of nanotechnology have been enumerated in the Table 1.
Early cancer detection is half the problem solved in the battle against cancer. X-ray, ultrasonography, CT, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and PET scan are the imaging techniques routinely used to diagnose cancer. Morphological changes in tissues or cells (histopathology or cytology) help in the final confirmation of cancer. These techniques detect cancer only after visible changes in tissues, by which time the cancer might have proliferated and caused metastasis. Another limitation of conventional imaging techniques is their failure to distinguish benign from malignant tumors. Also, cytology and histopathology cannot be employed as independent, sensitive tests to detect cancer at an early stage. With innovative molecular contrast media and materials, nanotechnology offers quicker and more accurate initial diagnosis, along with an ongoing assessment of cancer patient care [6].
Although nanoparticles are yet to be employed in actual cancer detection, they are currently being used in a range of medical screening tests. Gold nanoparticles are among the most commonly used in home test strips. A significant advantage of using nanoparticles for the detection of cancer is that they have a large surface area to volume ratio in comparison to their larger counterparts. This property ensures antibodies, aptamers, small molecules, fluorescent probes, polyethylene glycol (PEG), and other molecules cover the nanoparticle densely. This presents multiple binding ligands for cancer cells (multivalent effect of nanotools) and therefore increases the specificity and sensitivity of the bioassay [7,8]. Applications of nanotechnology in diagnosis are for the detection of extracellular biomarkers for cancer and for in vivo imaging. A good nanoprobe must have a long circulating time, specificity to the cancer tissue, and no toxicity to nearby tissue [9,10].
Detection of Biomarkers
Nanodevices have been studied to detect blood biomarkers and toxicity to healthy tissues nearby. These biomarkers include cancer-associated circulating tumor cells, associated proteins or cell surface proteins, carbohydrates or circulating tumor nucleic acids, and tumor-shed exosomes. Though it is well known that these biomarkers help to detect cancer at apreliminary stage, they also help to monitor the therapy and recurrence. They have limitations such as low concentrations in body fluids, variations in their levels and timings in different patients, and difficult prospective studies. These hurdles are overcome by nanotechnology, which offers high specificity and sensitivity. High sensitivity, specificity, and multiplexed measurements are all possible with nano-enabled sensors. To further illuminate a problem, next-generation gadgets combine capture with genetic analysis [11-15].
Imaging Using Nanotechnology
Nanotechnology uses nanoprobes that will accumulate selectively in tumor cells by passive or active targeting. The challenges faced are the interaction of nanoparticles with blood proteins, their clearance by the reticuloendothelial system, and targeting of tumors.Passive targeting suggests apreference for collecting the nanoparticles in the solid tumors due to extravasation from the blood vessels. This is made possible by the defective angiogenesis of the tumorwherein the new blood vessels do not have tight junctions in their endothelial cells and allow the leaking out of nanoparticles up to 150 nm in size, leading to a preferential accumulation of nanoparticles in the tumor tissue. This phenomenon is called enhanced permeability and retention (EPR).Active targeting involves the recognition of nanoparticles by the tumor cell surface receptors. This will enhance the sensitivity of in vivo tumor detection. For early detection of cancer, active targeting will give better results than passive targeting [16-18].
This can be classified as delivery of chemotherapy, immunotherapy, radiotherapy, and gene therapy, and delivery of chemotherapy is aimed at improving the pharmacokinetics and reducing drug toxicity by selective targeting and delivery to cancer tissues. This is primarily based on passive targeting, which employs the EPReffect described earlier [16]. Nanocarriers increase the half-life of the drugs. Immunotherapy is a promising new front in cancer treatment based on understanding the tumor-host interaction. Nanotechnology is being investigated to deliver immunostimulatory or immunomodulatory molecules. It can be used as an adjuvant to other therapies [19-21].
Role of Nanotechnology in Radiotherapy
Thistechnology involves targeted delivery of radioisotopes, targeted delivery of radiosensitizer, reduced side effects of radiotherapy by decreasing distribution to healthy tissues, and combining radiotherapy with chemotherapy to achieve synergism but avoid side effects, andadministering image-guided radiotherapy improves precision and accuracy while reducing exposure to surrounding normal tissues[22,23].
Gene Therapy Using Nanotechnology
There is a tremendous interest in the research in gene therapy for cancer, but the results are still falling short of clinical application. Despite a wide array of therapies aimed at gene modulation, such as gene silencing, anti-sense therapy, RNAinterference, and gene and genome editing, finding a way to deliver these effects is challenging. Nanoparticles are used as carriers for gene therapy, with advantages such as easy construction and functionalizing and low immunogenicity and toxicity. Gene-targeted delivery using nanoparticles has great future potential. Gene therapy is still in its infancy but is very promising [24].
Nanodelivery Systems
Quantum dots: Semiconductor nanocrystal quantum dots (QDs) have outstanding physical properties. Probes based on quantum dots have achieved promising cellular and in vivo molecular imaging developments. Increasing research is proving that technology based on quantum dots may become an encouraging approach in cancer research[4]. Biocompatible QDs were launched for mapping cancer cells in vitro in 1998. Scientists used these to create QD-based probes for cancer imaging that were conjugated with cancer-specific ligands, antibodies, or peptides. QD-immunohistochemistry (IHC) has more sensitivity and specificity than traditional immunohistochemistry (IHC) and can accomplish measurements of even low levels, offering considerably higher information for individualized management. Imaging utilizing quantum dots has emerged as a promising technology for early cancer detection[25,26].
Nanoshells and gold nanoparticles/gold nanoshells (AuNSs) are an excellent example of how combining nanoscience and biomedicine can solve a biological problem. They have an adjustable surface plasmon resonance, which can be set to the near-infrared to achieve optimal penetration of tissues. During laser irradiation, AuNSs' highly effective light-to-heat transition induces thermal destruction of the tumor without harming healthy tissues. AuNSs can even be used as a carrier for a wide range of diagnostic and therapeutic substances[27].
Dendrimers: These are novel nanoarchitectures with distinguishing characteristics such as a spherical three-dimensional shape, a monodispersed uni-micellar nature, and a nanometric size range. The biocompatibility of dendrimers has been employed to deliver powerful medications such as doxorubicin. This nanostructure targets malignant cells by attaching ligands to their surfaces. Dendrimers have been intensively investigated for targeting and delivering cancer therapeutics and magnetic resonance imaging contrast agents. The gold coating on its surface significantly reduced their toxicity without significantly affecting their size. It also served as an anchor for attaching high-affinity targeting molecules to tumor cells [28].
Liposomal nanoparticles (Figure 1): These have a role in delivery to a specific target spot, reducing biodistribution toxicity because of the surface-modifiable lipid composition, and have a structure similar to cell membranes. Liposome-based theranostics (particles constructed for the simultaneous delivery of therapeutic and diagnostic moieties) have the advantage of targeting specific cancer cells.Liposomes are more stable in the bloodstream and increase the solubility of the drug. They also act as sustained release preparations and protect the drug from degradation and pH changes, thereby increasing the drug's circulating half-life. Liposomes help to overcome multidrug resistance. Drugs such as doxorubicin, daunorubicin, mitoxantrone, paclitaxel, cytarabine, and irinotecanare used with liposome delivery [29-31].
Polymeric micelles: Micelles are usually spherical particles with a diameter of 10-100 nm, which are self-structured and have a hydrophilic covering shell and a hydrophobic core, suspended in an aqueous medium. Hydrophobic medicines can be contained in the micelle's core. A variety of molecules having the ability to bind to receptors, such as aptamers, peptides, antibodies, polysaccharides, and folic acid, are used to cover the surface of the micelle in active tumor cell targeting. Enzymes, ultrasound, temperature changes, pH gradients, and oxidationare used as stimuli in micelle drug delivery systems. Various physical and chemical triggers are used as stimuli in micelle drug delivery systems. pH-sensitive polymer micelle is released by lowering pH. A co-delivery system transports genetics, as well as anticancer medicines. Although paclitaxel is a powerful microtubule growth inhibitor, it has poor solubility, which causes fast drug aggregation and capillary embolisms. Such medicines' solubility can beraised to 0.0015-2 mg/ml by encapsulating them in micelles. Polymeric micelles are now being tested for use in nanotherapy [32].
Carbon nanotubes (CNTs): Carbon from burned graphite is used to create hollow cylinders known as carbon nanotubes (CNTs). They possess distinct physical and chemical characteristics that make them interesting candidates as carriers of biomolecules and drug delivery transporters. They have a special role in transporting anticancer drugs with a small molecular size. Wu et al. formed amedicine carrier system using multi-walled CNTs (MWCNTs) and the 10-hydroxycamptothecin (HCPT) anticancer compound. As a spacer between MWCNTs and HCPT, they employed hydrophilic diamine trimethylene glycol. In vitro and in vivo, their HCPT-MWCNT conjugates showed significantly increased anticancer efficacy when compared to traditional HCPTformulations. These conjugates were able to circulate in the blood longer and were collected precisely at the tumor site [33,34].
Limitations
Manufacturing costs, extensibility, safety, and the intricacy of nanosystems must all be assessed and balanced against possible benefits. The physicochemical properties of nanoparticles in biological systems determine their biocompatibility and toxicity. As a result, stringent manufacturing and delineation of nanomaterials for delivery of anticancer drugs are essential to reduce nanocarrier toxicity to surrounding cells. Another barrier to medication delivery is ensuring public health safety, as issues with nanoparticles do not have an immediate impact. The use of nanocarriers in cancer treatment may result in unforeseen consequences. Hypothetical possibilities of environmental pollution causing cardiopulmonary morbidity and mortality, production of reactive oxygen species causing inflammation and toxicity, and neuronal or dermal translocations are a few possibilities that worry scientists. Nanotoxicology, a branch of nanomedicine, has arisen as a critical topic of study, paving the way for evaluating nanoparticle toxicity [35-37].
Nanotechnology has been one of the recent advancements of science that not only has revolutionized the engineering field but also is now making its impact in the medical and paramedical field. Scientists have been successful in knowing the properties and characteristics of these nanomaterials and optimizing them for use in the healthcare industry. Although some nanoparticles have failed to convert to the clinic, other new and intriguing nanoparticles are now in research and show great potential, indicating that new treatment options may be available soon. Nanomaterials are highly versatile, with several benefits that can enhance cancer therapies and diagnostics.
These are particularly useful as drug delivery systems due to their tiny size and unique binding properties. Drugs such as doxorubicin, daunorubicin, mitoxantrone, paclitaxel, cytarabine, irinotecan, and amphotericin B are already being conjugated with liposomes for their delivery in current clinical practices. Doxorubicin, cytarabine, vincristine, daunorubicin, mitoxantrone, and paclitaxel, in particular, are key components of cancer chemotherapy. Even in the diagnosis of cancer for imaging and detection of tumor markers, particles such as nanoshells, dendrimers, and gold nanoparticles are currently in use.
Limitations of this novel technology include manufacturing expenses, extensibility, intricacy, health safety, and potential toxicity. These are being overcome adequately by extensive research and clinical trials, and nanomedicine is becoming one of the largest industries in the world. A useful collection of research tools and clinically practical gadgets will be made available in the near future thanks to advancements in nanomedicine. Pharmaceutical companies will use in vivo imaging, novel therapeutics, and enhanced drug delivery technologies in their new commercial applications. In the future, neuro-electronic interfaces and cell healing technology may change medicine and the medical industry when used to treat brain tumors.
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The Application of Nanotechnology and Nanomaterials in Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment: A Review - Cureus
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Smart Immune Bolsters Management Team with Medical and Technical Appointments – GlobeNewswire
Posted: at 1:08 am
Smart Immune Bolsters Management Team with Medical and Technical Appointments
Dr Frederic Lehmann, MD, appointed Chief Medical Officer and Dr Pierre Heimendinger, PharmD, appointed Chief Technical Officer
Dr Pierre Heimendinger and Dr Frederic Lehmann, CTO and CMO of Smart Immune.
PARIS, France, September 13, 2022 Smart Immune SAS, a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing ProTcell, a thymus-empowered T-cell therapy platform to fully and rapidly re-arm the immune system, announced today that it has appointed Dr Frederic Lehmann as Chief Medical Officer and Dr Pierre Heimendinger as Chief Technical Officer. They bring extensive experience and strong industrial track records in the fields of immune-oncology and cell and gene therapy.
Karine Rossignol, PharmD, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Smart Immune, said: "I am thrilled to be expanding our management team with such seasoned and respected executives. Dr Frederic Lehmann and Dr Pierre Heimendinger have both made impressive contributions to the field of allogeneic T-cell medicine, bringing innovation from bench to bedside. Frederics experience in clinical trial design and Pierres in cell therapy process development will be instrumental in getting the Company ready for the registration phase. I am confident that their knowledge and commitment will raise the development of our ProTcell platform to a new level and expedite patient access to our technology. We are excited to welcome them to Smart Immune!"
As the former Head of Clinical Development and Medical Affairs and Vice President of Celyad Oncology, Dr Frederic Lehmann defined the strategic vision and contributed to securing a number of autologous and allogeneic engineered T-cell therapy IND candidates. He also spent 12 years at GSK in several roles including Head of the Early Clinical Development Business Unit for Cancer Immunotherapeutics in the companys Vaccine Division. Frederic takes over as Chief Medical Officer from Smart Immunes Co-founder Marina Cavazzana, MD, PhD, who will transition to the role of Strategic Clinical Development Advisor.
Dr Frederic Lehmann, Chief Medical Officer of Smart Immune, commented: I am honored to be joining such an outstanding organization and its founding team, true pioneers in T-cell progenitors, to give rise to long-lasting cellular therapy fighting cancer and infection. I strongly believe in Smart Immunes potential, and I am very pleased to be appointed Chief Medical Officer at this exciting time. I am fully committed to help enable delivery of this unique therapeutic approach to patients with unmet need.
As Chief Technical Officer, Dr Pierre Heimendinger will oversee the development of Smart Immunes ProTcell platform, most notably ensuring the stability and safety of the ProTcell products as they progress through Phase I/II clinical trials. Pierre brings over 30 years of experience in process automation of allogeneic and autologous CAR-Treg, Treg, viral vectors and vaccines. Prior to joining Smart Immune, he held key managerial roles overseeing production, pharmaceutical development and quality control departments at multiple pharma and biotech companies such as Aventis-Pasteur (Sanofi), Octapharma, Transgene, TxCell, and most recently, Sangamo Therapeutics. Pierre holds a PharmD from the Mrieux Institute in France.
Dr Pierre Heimendinger, Chief Technical Officer of Smart Immune, commented: Smart Immunes developments in T-cell therapy will be completely transformative to the field as we strive to re-arm the immune system for patients fighting cancer and infection, enabling a truly off-the-shelf approach, and making the ProTcell cell therapy accessible for patients when it is needed and wherever it is needed. I am delighted to be working with such a groundbreaking and innovative company at a pivotal time in its growth and development and am thankful to Karine and the rest of the Smart Immune team for such a warm welcome.
Ends
About Smart Immune
Smart Immune is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing ProTcell, a thymus-empowered T-cell therapy platform to fully and rapidly re-arm the immune system, enabling next-generation allogeneic T-cell therapies for all. The company was founded in 2017 to help patients with life-threatening diseases such as high-risk blood cancers and primary immunodeficiencies.
Smart Immunes ProTcell platform, which is already in Phase I/II clinical trials, enables the recovery of a complete immune repertoire in patients fighting cancer and infection. ProTcell introduces potent, allogeneic T-cell progenitors which are then differentiated by the thymus into fully functional T-cells an off the shelf T-cell medicine.
Smart Immunes partners include Memorial Sloan Kettering in New York and Greater Paris University Hospitals (AP-HP). The company is headquartered at Paris Biotech Sant, 29 rue du Faubourg St Jacques, France.
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Media contact:
Consilium Strategic Communications
smartimmune@consilium-comms.com
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Smart Immune Bolsters Management Team with Medical and Technical Appointments - GlobeNewswire
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A blood-based miRNA signature for early non-invasive diagnosis of preeclampsia – BMC Medicine – BMC Medicine
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"Everybody’s in" on the Golden Rule | Local News | hudsonstarobserver.com – Hudson Star Observer
Posted: at 1:07 am
Over the last few years, Hudsonites and organizations have been teaming together with the common and universal goal of inspiring others to join them in following one rule the golden one.
A simple eleven words guide Hudsons Golden Rule initiative.
Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
When Mayor Rich OConnor was in grade school, he was provided a ruler, along with his paper, pencils and desk. On it read the Golden Rule.
We knew the Golden Rule after the first week in first grade, OConnor said.
Each morning, as the school would stand to recite the Pledge of Allegiance, they would say the Golden Rule, too.
Though, he admits as a first grader he may not have understood the principal, by third grade he began to grasp the concept and it has stuck with him ever since.
The Golden Rule is a principle of all major religions, including Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, Native American spirituality and secular ethics, reads the 40,000 bookmarks distributed around the city over the last few years as part of the Golden Rule initiative in the City of Hudson.
These, along with about 300 yard signs and 15,000 stickers are daily reminders of the principal.
The initiative began as a response to, most notably, the political tensions and polarization, happening not only in Hudson but across the country.
Hudson has been designated a Golden Rule City.
It appeared though that wasn't just going to go away, OConnor, one of the initiators of the movement, said. So we needed to do something.
Step one was to recognize that there was a problem. That was followed up by a plan to address it.
You cant just proclaim that were going to be a Golden Rule City and not put any meat on that, he said. We have to do something.
Rotary, Kiwanis, Lions, Boy Scouts, Youth Action, and the library are some of the many partners and organizations who jumped on board to float the Golden Rule around Hudson.
Everybodys in, OConnor said.
Larry Szyman, campus and community pastor at Faith Community Church and part of the Ministerial Association, took on a big role, helping lead the initiative.
Though reflected in many religions, the Golden Rule initiative isn't affiliated with a religious organization or political incentives.
Szyman explained that it is political in the sense that it has to do with the body politic, the people, but it isnt partisan.
The Golden Rule initiative is really about ourselves.
Its not a way to point fingers at our neighbors, but rather an invitation to contemplate our own actions, responses and relationships with others in our communities and beyond.
The Golden Rule cannot be coerced, its something that's got to be internalized, Szyman said.
There arent metrics for an initiative like this, but OConnor hopes it has had some part in creating a more welcoming and respectful community. A community that prioritizes listening and understanding those with different opinions than our own. One that finds ways to appreciate and acknowledge the importance of peaceful disagreement. A population that uses the Golden Rule as a personal reflection tool.
Its not about perfection, but rather about progress.
As a way to celebrate those values and the community of Hudson, the Golden Rule initiative is hosting its first ever Booyah.
Booyah is a thick stew, typically cooked in large quantities in a kettle outside. Believed to have European origins, Booyahs is a beloved practice in much of the upper Midwest.
Taking notes after North Hudson Pepper Fest hosted one last fall as a fundraiser, the City of Hudson will have its own on Oct. 1 and all are welcome, Hudsonite or not.
The cooking will begin in the wee hours of the morning, but the celebration will begin at 2 p.m. and continue until 6 p.m.
The free family event will feature the Booyah, which includes chicken, beef, pork, potatoes and vegetables, as well as games, activities and visits from Clifford the Big Red Dog, Pete the Cat, Cinderella and emergency vehicles.
Cost of the Booyah varies. Other available food will include hot dogs, baked goods, beer, soda and more.
Though the event is temporary, hopefully making an appearance once a year, the Golden Rule initiative is here to stay. At the moment, there are no plans of slowing down or ceasing celebrating the principal.
Yard signs are still available and often able to be found at community festivals and events, but can also be picked up from the mayor at City Hall, 505 Third St., or from the Hudson Area Public Library, 700 First St.
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How a Golden Rule helped one insurance leader with his brand – Insurance Business
Posted: at 1:06 am
My journey has spanned both the brokerage side of the industry and the carrier side. Now Im on a new and unique journey in the world of technology as a start-up that serves carriers and brokerages, Riviezzo said.
The EVP, who began his insurance career as a broker with Marsh, is among a panel of insurance leaders speaking today on the importance of personal branding at theWomen in Insurance summit in New York. Reflecting on his own personal brand withInsurance Business, Riviezzo embraces the Golden Rule in building client relationships and trust.
Brokers are very close to the client and need to earn trust. Earningsomeones trust is never something you should assume. Trust is earned over time when you demonstrate integrity and transparency, he added.
As part of Brizas senior leadership team, Riviezzo owns the full customer lifecycle for Brizas carrier, brokerage, and technology partners, championing customers in decision-making across the organization. Before joining Briza in 2020, he spent over six years at AIG as director of the firms US client engagement practice.
Ive worked hard throughout my career to be accessible to my teammates, colleagues, customers, and clients. I try to provide an overabundance of transparency and honesty in my work. Hopefully, when you put that into the marketplace, that is reciprocated back to you, he said.
For Riviezzo, transparency goes a long way in helping promote that trust and fostering a healthy exchange between broker and client.
I always think about how I like to be sold to through very consultative, trusting, long-term relationships with people I have done business with outside of the industry, he shared withInsurance Business.
Its because Ive had a good experience that I become a repeat customer, and a lot of that experience is tied to someone treating me the way I would want to be treated.
Building a brand as an insurance professional takes not just years of hard work but also guidance from those who have seen and done more. Mentorship is key to getting to unlocking new opportunities, learning experiences, and networks.
Ive benefited from several mentors throughout my career who were exceedingly generous with their time and candid feedback about things I did well, things I could have improved upon, and opportunities that might have been outside my scope or purview, Riviezzo reflected.
With more experience under his belt, Riviezzo serves as a mentor for early-career professionals a role that he said he continues to grow in and finds more valuable over time.
I think a good mentor can often put things into perspective.A lot of life is like going to an art museum. Sometimes we stand too close to the art and need to take a quick step back to get the full picture and truly appreciate the artists intent. Mentors have that ability, explained Riviezzo.
Conversely, because Ive been the recipient of strong mentorship, Ive felt a strong desire to give that back and provide the next generation with the proper guidance and support to be successful.
He observed a certain amount of undue stress among younger professionals, who may feel pressured to raise their profile quickly to distinguish themselves in a competitive market. But Riviezzo counsels patience for the next generation of insurance leaders.
It takes years, sometimes decades, to fully mature and develop a personal brand. Its not something that comes from a box, that you can add water to and stir, and is instantaneous, he noted.
A personal brand comes after partners, customers, clients, colleagues, and friends see a repeated pattern of positive behavior that emanates from your work and the way you interact with others.
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Hotels Cater to Travelers Over 50 With New Targeted Marketing – Skift Travel News
Posted: at 1:06 am
For too long, the golden rule in travel marketing has been to shy away from guests in their golden years. It's time to put age before beauty in travel marketing and reprioritize accuracy over the aspirational.
Carley Thornell, Skift
The brawny, bearded and tattooed man in Extended Stay Americas ad titled Summer Adventure Awaits looks at first glance like a hipster beach boy. But give it a second look, and his crows feet reveal a man eligible for Medicare whos eager to catch the next wave instead of grabbing a walker.
Extended Stay America isnt the only hotel brand seeking to tap into the huge market of mature travelers, with 67 percent of Americans age 50 or older saying they had made travel plans for 2022. Courting that that large and lucrative demographic represents an opportunity for a sea change for marketers, who have typically written off mature consumers as fixed in their travel habits and brand preferences.
So a few bold brands are flipping the conventional script of travel advertising, and featuring more than just young couples and families. Heres how three brands are shining a spotlight on guests over age 50.
Each of Charlestowne Hotels properties employs a different strategy to attract older guests. The HarbourView Inn in Charleston, South Carolina launched a campaign featuring a video it believes showcase the feelings its guests have during their stays.
For this shoot we intentionally used more senior models to display how all types of guests are welcome at our properties, said Jennifer Jost, Charlestowne Hotels corporate director of marketing strategy. Boomers are eager and adamant travelers.
The HarbourView says it saw a 20 percent increase in online bookings for guests older than 65 after posting the video on Facebook and other targeted channels. But Jost believes that its important to look at further avenues to reach the demographic that accounts for 38 percent of the companys total revenue.
Weve found that Boomers are much more active on Bing than Google compared to other generations. (Bing) has a much return on ad spend than other avenues of search, Jost said.
Meanwhile, the Collector Luxury Inn & Gardens, another Charlestowne Hotels property, has launched an email campaign titled Grown Up Saving that offers special rates for weekday stays, the Collectors traditional downtime.
Extended Stay America unveiled a video titled Stay Awhile that features a couple in their early fifties staying in one of its properties. But while travel campaigns for an aging audience largely showcase couples enjoying their twilight years in a relaxed manner, Extended Stay selected the aforementioned surfer to appear prominent in its Summer Adventure Awaits ad.
Adventure and activity in seasonal leisure campaigns resonate well with any age group, said Kelly Polling, Extended Stays executive vice president and chief commercial officer.
Best Western takes the concept of an active older adult to a whole new level with marketing targeted to those who like to hit the road. The chain has a partnership with motorcycle manufacturer Harley Davidson that provides a 10 percent to members of Harley Owners Group. Best Western also enables AARP members to get a 15 percent discount.
We know touring motorcycle owners skew older, so we have content around that group, said Jay Hubbs, Best Westerns vice president of advertising, marketing, innovation and analytics, about the materials that have appeared in the companys Travel Zone blog and on TV ads.
People riding those tend to be unencumbered travelers, those that prefer to spend their time on the road, and are retired and dont have (younger) kids.
Best Western offers motorcycle enthusiasts amenities such as complimentary bike wipe-down towels and access to cleaning stations and reserved parking spaces.
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Is Royal PDA Really What It Seems? – Vogue
Posted: at 1:06 am
Prince William, Princess Kate, Prince Harry, and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, reunited to greet mourners outside Windsor Castle on Saturday after the death of Queen Elizabeth IIand the internet is once again lousy with body language experts.
A picture may be worth a thousand words, but this one has sparked a thousand hot takes, depending on how one feels about each couple. Ive seen some admirers of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex emphasizing their hand-holding as evidence of their love, while accusing Prince William and Princess Kate of a disconnect based on the physical distance between them on Windsors Long Walk. Meanwhile, fans of the newly-minted Prince and Princess of Wales (and critics of Meghan) speculated that Prince William and Princess Kate are so secure in their relationship, they dont need physical touch to prove their bond.
The shot of the fleeting former Fab Four is a striking one: its the first image of them together since that infamously tense Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey in March 2020, which also marked the Sussexes last engagement as senior royals. Their joint appearance, in all-black, was a solemn show of unity, however brief, between the beloved sons of Princess Diana and their high-wattage wives in the wake of their grandmothers death. To be fair, because the royals are ostensible silent film stars (as Tina Brown aptly puts it in The Palace Papers) who seldom speak in public, followers are left to engage in the time-honored tabloid tradition of analyzing their every move for clues into their psyche and love lives. What could possibly go wrong?
Comparing the brothers, their marriages, and their attitude to PDA has long been a flawed (albeit seemingly inevitable) exercise. Even before the Queen died last week and Prince William was elevated in the line of succession, he was always marked as a future king, and, as such, has maintained a more conservative public profile, including abiding by the unspoken royal rule against demonstrative shows of public affection. Recall that Prince William and Princess Kate kissed almost bashfully on the Buckingham Palace balcony on their wedding day, but were seen hugging in their 2010 black-and-white engagement photo, as well as in a series of shots in honor of their 10th anniversary last year. Meanwhile, Prince Harry, who remains sixth in line after stepping down from the inner sanctum of royalhood altogether, has enjoyed a bit more freedom in his public presentation, from the time he stuck his tongue out at the paparazzi as a boy. He has rejected the royal norm around limited PDA just as he has the golden rule of never complain, never explain. He and Meghan have been known to double hand-hold.
The royals, by design, are icons on which people can project whatever they please, but not every picture tells an epic story. How much of the couples public behavior is due to their roles within the firm, and how much is simply a product of their personalities, which are entwined with said roles (William, the more measured and reserved first child, and Harry, the wilder, more emotive baby of the family?) Its impossible to say for surehence, the breathless speculation.
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Jean-Luc Godard has died. He redefined what film is, and leaves a staggering legacy – The Conversation
Posted: at 1:06 am
So, adieu Jean-Luc Godard. The titan of French cinema has died, aged 91, leaving behind a staggering legacy.
Godards free-wheeling, uncompromising film style kickstarted the French New Wave and its glorious, devil-may-care approach to storytelling.
Godard influenced generations of filmmakers, from Jim Jarmusch and Steven Soderbergh to Wong Kar-wai and Kelly Reichardt.
And he had a wonderful knack of summing up the essence of his cinema in short, sharp phrases:
A story should have a beginning, a middle and an end, but not necessarily in that order.
Or:
All you need to make a movie is a girl and a gun.
And my personal favourite:
Lets do what has not been done.
Born in Paris in 1930 to rich Franco-Swiss parents, Godard grew up in the rarefied world of politics, philosophy and literature. He dabbled with anthropology as a student, but his great love was cinema, and in particular American B-movies directed by Fritz Lang, Nicholas Ray and his idol Howard Hawks.
Drawn to the cinema clubs that flourished in Paris in the aftermath of the war, Godard made friends with fellow cinephiles Jacques Rivette, Eric Rohmer, Claude Chabrol and Franois Truffaut. Together, these five musketeers landed themselves jobs at a newly established film magazine Cahiers du cinma.
Godard would watch dozens of films a week, and his reviews were often highly critical of home-grown films made by directors he felt were out-of-touch with modern France.
In a scathing editorial in 1959, he wrote:
your camera movements are ugly because your subjects are bad, your casts act badly because your dialogue is worthless; in a word, you dont know how to create cinema because you no longer even know what it is.
To show them how to do it properly, he started making his own films.
What followed was a career of immense creativity that redefined the grammar of cinema. Conventional, invisible editing was replaced by abrupt jump cuts; smooth long shots alternated with unsettling montages and rapid close-ups; characters broke the fourth wall and directly addressed the audience.
These audacious innovations were all on display in his debut, Breathless (1960).
Read more: From Nazis to Netflix, the controversies and contradictions of Cannes
Breathless remains a kind of cinematic Year Zero, marking a point of rupture between everything that came before it (coherence, elegance, neatness) and everything that would follow (iconoclasm, irreverence, rule-breaking).
Watched today, it remains sparklingly modern: a jazz soundtrack to die for, Paris shot in luminous monochrome, and the effortless cool of Jean-Paul Belmondo and Jean Seberg.
The golden rule of cinema up to this point was that your heroes had to be doing something. Not so, says Godard.
Instead, in the films famous hotel scene, we spend 23 minutes watching Seberg and Belmondo shoot the breeze: nothing happens, but everything happens two lovers talking, smoking, play acting, being.
Godards work rate post-Breathless was astonishing: 25 films in seven years; three alone in 1963.
This was an artist brimming with ideas who shot guerrilla-style on the streets of Paris, becoming the most famous director in the world.
He crisscrossed genres, moving from crime film to science-fiction to Shakespeare adaptation. Hed leave in mistakes like actors forgetting their lines to remind viewers that all cinema was essentially fake.
Contempt (1963) is a glorious, technicolour moment of high modernist European cinema. Two or Three Things I Know About Her (1967) sees a remarkable close-up of swirling coffee, complete with Godards whispered voice-over.
Read more: Agns Varda, a pioneering artist who saw the extraordinary in the ordinary
He pivoted in the late 1960s into political and militant cinema, addressing the Vietnam War, the May 1968 student riots and radical Marxism in his work.
He continued to innovate: his later films embraced video, 3D and digital technology.
Histoire(s) du cinma (1998) a four-hour video project that reflects on the history of cinema took ten years to produce, and is now considered his greatest achievement.
Godard was awarded an honorary Oscar in 2010, but famously did not attend the ceremony.
As a young man, Godard had tremendous reverence for the American studio system. By 2010, he had fully distanced himself from the Hollywood machine, excoriating it as the worst kind of rampant commercialism.
Every film is the result of the society that produced it. Thats why the American cinema is so bad now. It reflects an unhealthy society, he once said.
Godards DNA continues to flow through contemporary cinema, from Martin Scorseses Casino (1995) to Greta Gerwigs Frances Ha (2012). Quentin Tarantino called his production house A Band Apart in homage to Godards 1964 film Bande part.
Godards final film, The Image Book (2018), was a fitting legacy to this career of formal daring: a collage of iPhone footage, old movies clips, paintings and photographs, narrated by himself. The voice was raspy. The hands frail. But the intellect as sharp as ever.
We will not see his like again.
My much-loved quote from Breathless is when a character is asked what his greatest ambition is. His response: to become immortaland then die.
Well, Jean-Luc, you certainly did that.
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Letter: Working together makes America great – Monadnock Ledger Transcript
Posted: at 1:06 am
Published: 9/13/2022 9:04:43 AM
Modified: 9/13/2022 9:00:47 AM
As a Christian and a retired military officer, I fear for American democracy. Our nation was founded on principles of equality and justice for all citizens. It has taken us over 240 years to move closer to those aspirations in recognizing who is a voting citizen and who gets justice. Weve had plenty of missteps along our journey, but as the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. stated the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.
Unfortunately, the evil slavery created is still with us, and the prejudice and bigotry it fomented in America has extended this evil to all non-Caucasian races. Regrettably, many fail to see or refuse to consider the truth about America. In fact, it is our differences, when working together, that enable us to achieve greatness. This is the secret to Americas success. Take, for example, the three Black women performing mathematical calculations for the NASA Mercury 7 program that enabled America to send John Glenn into space to orbit the earth. This is simply one of countless examples of people of mixed races and cultures working together to accomplish greatness.
It is time America to reaffirm the principles on which our nation was founded and respect each other for our differences and not fear one another. Americans have proven repeatedly that by working together we can accomplish greatness. If we simply accept that God loves all his creation, maybe we can live by the Golden Rule and make our aspirations real for everyone.
James Poplin
Jaffrey
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