Archive for December, 2019

A research scientist at a laboratory of a pharmaceutical company in US. Reuters

The full scope of Novartis $500 million plan, revealed to Reuters in an interview with the companys gene therapy chief, has not been previously disclosed. It is second only to Pfizer, which has allocated $600 million to build its own gene therapy manufacturing plants, according to filings and interviews with industry executives.

Gene therapies aim to correct certain diseases by replacing the missing or mutated version of a gene found in a patients cells with healthy copies. With the potential to cure devastating illnesses in a single dose, drugmakers say they justify prices well above $1 million per patient.

But the treatments are also extremely complex to make, involving the cultivation of living material, and still pose a risk of serious side effects.

Drugmakers say building their own manufacturing plants is a response to rising costs and delays associated with relying on third-party contract manufacturers, which are also expanding to capitalise on demand. They say owning their own facilities helps safeguard proprietary production methods and more effectively address any concerns raised by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which is keeping a close eye on manufacturing standards.

Theres so little capacity and capability at contract manufacturers for the novel gene therapy processes being developed by companies, said David Lennon, president of AveXis, Novartiss gene therapy division. We need internal manufacturing capabilities in the long term.

The approach is not without risks.

Bob Smith, senior vice president of Pfizers global gene therapy business, acknowledged drugmakers take a leap of faith when they make big capital investment outlays for treatments before they have been approved or, in some cases, even produced data demonstrating a benefit.

The rewards are potentially great, however.

Gene therapy is one of the hottest areas of drug research and, given the life-changing possibilities, the FDA is helping to speed treatments to market.

It has approved two so far, including Novartiss Zolgensma treatment for a rare muscular disorder priced at $2 million, and expects 40 new gene therapies to reach the US market by 2022.

There are currently several hundred under development by around 30 drugmakers for conditions from hemophilia to Duchenne muscular dystrophy and sickle cell anemia.

The proliferation of these treatments is pushing the limits of the industrys existing manufacturing capacity.

Developers of gene therapies that need to outsource manufacturing face wait times of about 18 months to get a production slot, company executives told Reuters.

They are also charged fees to reserve space that run into millions of dollars, more than double the cost of a few years ago, according to gene therapy developer RegenxBio.

As a result, companies including bluebird bio, PTC Therapeutics and Krystal Biotech are also investing in gene therapy manufacturing, according to a Reuters analysis of public filings and executive interviews.

They follow Biomarin Pharmaceutical, developer of a gene therapy for hemophilia, which constructed one of the industrys largest manufacturing facilities in 2017. The FDA is keeping a close eye on standards.

This comes amid the agencys disclosure in August that it is investigating alleged data manipulation by former executives at Novartis AveXis unit.

AveXis had switched its method for measuring Zolgensmas potency in animal studies. When results using the new method didnt meet expectations, the executives allegedly altered the data to cover it up, the FDA and Novartis have said.

One of the former executives, Brian Kaspar, denied wrongdoing in a statement to Reuters. Another, his brother Allan Kaspar, could not be reached for comment.

Novartis and the FDA say human clinical trials, which found Zolgensma effective in treating the most severe form of spinal muscular atrophy in infants, were not affected. Novartis also says its investments in gene therapy production started long before it became aware of the data manipulation allegations.

Reuters

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Pfizer and Novartis lead pharma spending spree on gene therapy - Gulf Today

At an old Amgen facility tucked just beyond the Rockies. In a warehouse behind a Walmart supercenter in Durham, North Carolina. On a long-time Bristol Myers Squibb site outside Princeton. The tech has emerged, and now the arms race to physically build a generation of gene therapies has begun.

Novartis will spend $500 million scaling its gene therapy manufacturing efforts, Reuters reported today. Thatll put it nearly on par with Pfizer, who committed $600 million for its facilities even before any of its gene therapies have been approved. Together, 11 companies Reuters surveyed will spend $2 billion on gene therapy production.

Additionally, the Boston Globereported today that Vertex had completed its search for a gene therapy research and manufacturing campus in Boston, settling on a 256,000 square-foot center at the Raymond Flynn Marine Industrial Park.

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Korean biotech's shares soar for a 'best of ESMO' award it never received - Endpoints News

At an old Amgen facility tucked just beyond the Rockies. In a warehouse behind a Walmart supercenter in Durham, North Carolina. On a long-time Bristol Myers Squibb site outside Princeton. The tech has emerged, and now the arms race to physically build a generation of gene therapies has begun.

Novartis will spend $500 million scaling its gene therapy manufacturing efforts, Reuters reported today. Thatll put it nearly on par with Pfizer, who committed $600 million for its facilities even before any of its gene therapies have been approved. Together, 11 companies Reuters surveyed will spend $2 billion on gene therapy production.

Additionally, the Boston Globereported today that Vertex had completed its search for a gene therapy research and manufacturing campus in Boston, settling on a 256,000 square-foot center at the Raymond Flynn Marine Industrial Park.

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Insider account of UCB's $2.1B deal to buy Ra Pharma spotlights a disciplined M&A strategy and $120M windfall for execs - Endpoints News

A new report titled Global Gene Therapy for Age-related Macular Degeneration Market 2019 by Manufacturers, Countries, Type and Application, Forecast to 2024 analyzes the leading players of the global market by studying their market share, partnerships, mergers, or acquisitions, recent developments, new product launches, and their target markets. The global Gene Therapy for Age-related Macular Degeneration market report not only studies strategies with aspects of competitors but also scrutinize their actions circling business preferences. It presents two distinct market forecasts, one from the perspective of the manufacturer, while other from that of the consumer for 2019 and forecast upto 2024.

The report contains a clear overview of the current Gene Therapy for Age-related Macular Degeneration market including the past and the projected future of market size with respect volume, technological advances, and economic elements in the industry. Also, a detailed analysis of the market share, demand, trends, revenue, and sales to track the development of the industry through the years has been performed in the report. The report highlights key use cases, key industry suppliers, adoption strategies, detailed case studies, trends, and other insights related to the market.

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Market Segments And Segmental Analysis:

The report has categorized the market size by vital players, varieties of types, application and distribution by top vital regions based on various factors such as market share, CAGR, market size, demand, and future growth potential. This will help players to focus on key growth areas of the global Gene Therapy for Age-related Macular Degeneration market. The regional analysis of the market has also been covered.

Top companies in the market: RetroSense Therapeutics, REGENXBIO, AGTC,

By the product type, the market is primarily split into: Subretinal, Intravitreal, Unspecified

By the end-users/application, this report covers the following segments: Monotherapy, Combination Therapy,

Major Geographical Regions:

The research study covers all big geographical, as well as, sub-regions throughout the world. The report focuses on market size, value, product sales and opportunities for growth in these regions. Each of these regions is analyzed on the basis of market findings across major countries in these regions for an understanding of the Gene Therapy for Age-related Macular Degeneration market. Leading countries covered in this report: North America (United States, Canada and Mexico), Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy), Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia), South America (Brazil, Argentina, Colombia), Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa)

Key Features of Report:

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A Quick Look At The Industry Trends And Opportunities

The report explains how different segments are contributing to the growth of the global Gene Therapy for Age-related Macular Degeneration market. Key trends related to the segments are comprehensively added in the report in order to help market players concentrate on high-growth areas of the market. The industry dynamics such as market advantages, opportunity, prospects, potential, and challenges are further highlighted in the report.

Customization of the Report:This report can be customized to meet the clients requirements. Please connect with our sales team (sales@fiormarkets.com), who will ensure that you get a report that suits your needs. You can also get in touch with our executives on +1-201-465-4211 to share your research requirements.

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Global Gene Therapy for Age-related Macular Degeneration Market 2019 Development Status RetroSense Therapeutics, REGENXBIO, AGTC - Mach Tribune

Some patients who have not responded to traditional medicines are now experiencing remarkable recoveries thanks to next-generation immunotherapies.These therapies equip a patients own immune cells to recognize, target, and destroy cancer cells. To do this, the patients cells are collected, modified, and re-introduced into their body a complex procedure currently available to only a small number of people. With major innovations underway, this fast-moving area of science is set to expand the pool of patients who will respond to immunotherapies and other emerging medicines. But there is a bottleneck in the discovery pipeline. Manufacturing backlogs are slowing the production of cells that are essential to research, holding up the availability of new treatments headed for the clinic.

To address these challenges, a group of Massachusetts academic, healthcare, biotech, and biopharma industry leaders have come together to establish a new center.

The newcenter for advanced biological innovation and manufacturingwill explore and cultivate innovations in cell and gene therapy, advance biologic innovation and manufacturing, and accelerate developments in immunotherapy, cell therapies, gene editing, and other technologies that carry the promise of lasting impact on human health globally and boosting the local economy. By fostering collaboration and innovation, it holds the promise of speeding innovation and broadening the universe of patients that can be served by these emerging therapies.

Leaders from Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies (FDB), GE Healthcare Life Sciences, Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc., will comprise the Board of Directors, while other contributing members include Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston Childrens Hospital, Brigham and Womens Hospital, the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Massachusetts General Hospital, MilliporeSigma, and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

The $50 million center will be an independent non-profit organization located in the greater Boston area and will be named, along with incorporation, in the new year. The expectation is that this will be an independent, separate nonprofit corporation.

Home to a dense concentration of world-leading universities, hospitals, large pharmaceutical companies and small biotech firms, Massachusetts is at the forefront of biomedicine. These organizations are redefining traditional ideas about biomedicine and rapidly advancing discoveries from lab to clinic.

The overarching mission of the newly established consortium is to catalyze the development of transformative therapies by shortening the path between research and clinical application. The consortium will harness world-leading expertise to propel forward fast-emerging and promising science, the cost and risks of which are daunting for any single institution to tackle alone. By housing institutions with strengths in each link in the chain of innovation within one facility, the partners believe new innovations in both science and manufacturing will speed the introduction of new medicines to patients.

The ability of scientists to modify cells for therapeutic application, and to alter disease-causing genes, has ushered in a new era in biomedicine. Some of these potential therapies are entering clinical trials, others will soon be in the clinic, and still more are in early stages of investigation. There is strong motivation and acute need to translate these emergent approaches to clinical use. More than 60,000 patients globally are currently participating in clinical trials for new cell and gene therapies, including gene editing.

Currently, major obstacles and bottlenecks to getting new treatments into the clinic include production specifically, the pressure placed on highly skilled contract manufacturers to deliver customized cells and viral vectors of high quality and regulatory compliance to labs throughout the region. Because of the backlog, scientists may need to wait as long as 18 months for essential products they need to carry out research.

The center will offer three critical services to the Massachusetts life science ecosystem.

It will provide preferred access to a new manufacturing facility at favorable pricing, reducing the wait and cost for researchers at universities, hospitals and start-ups. The facility offers pharma-grade good manufacturing practices (GMP) manufacturing capacity in approximately eight cleanrooms for the production of cell and viral vector products and other related raw materials that may be used for phase 1 or phase 2 clinical trials.

The facility will have a shared innovation space where scientists from universities, hospitals, and industry can work side-by-side with dedicated, experienced, professional staff. This will be a unique opportunity to refine new methods rapidly, readying them for first-in-patient clinical trials. With access to manufacturing within the same space, the center will cultivate a community of experts across sectors who share a goal of serving patients, and who are dedicated to innovating collectively in both manufacturing processes and drug development.

The center will provide a platform for workforce development and training in a rapidly growing field, where there is a critical need for people with specialized skills.

The modular design of the new facility will make it easier for users to adapt quickly to changes in technology. Such flexibility will remove barriers to accessing promising innovations that emerge from improved methods involving gene manipulation, gene editing, oligonucleotides, peptides, and new methods and discoveries as they arise.

While there are many commercial contract manufacturing organizations, shared lab spaces, and even small manufacturing spaces at universities and hospitals in the U.S., this is a first-of-its-kind facility in three respects. First, for its intention to produce both cell and viral vector products within a single physical space. Second, for its unique partnerships between industry, academia, and leading area hospitals. Finally, for its partners aspirations to provide services to researchers and start-ups that will advance this new area of medicine through collaboration.

This powerful collaboration embodies the deep and broad world-class expertise in multiple disciplines that exists across this region, said Harvard President Larry Bacow. We are privileged to be part of this collaborative initiative. It will advance scientific discovery, reaffirm the regions global leadership in the life sciences, and bring forward life-saving and life-changing therapies that will make a difference for people around the world.

The broad question that we were trying to address was, How can we best position our region to be preeminent in the life sciences in the decades to come?said Alan M. Garber, Harvards Provost, who helped conceive of the project more than two years ago and has shepherded it since then.We have a vibrant life sciences community, with some of the worlds greatest hospitals, universities, and life sciences companies of all kinds. We also have a strong financial sector that helps to spawn and support new companies. So the elements for rapid progress in the life sciences particularly in the application of the life sciences to human health are all here. But with such a rapid pace of innovation, its easy to fall behind. We wanted to make sure that would not happen here.

MIT researchers are developing innovative approaches to cell and gene therapy, designing new concepts for such biopharmaceutical medicines as well as new processes to manufacture these products and qualify them for clinical use, said MIT Provost Martin A. Schmidt. A shared facility to de-risk this innovation, including production, will facilitate even stronger collaborations among local universities, hospitals, and companies and ultimately, such a facility can help speed impact and access for patients. MIT appreciates Harvards lead in convening exploration of this opportunity for the Commonwealth.

Richard McCullough, Harvards vice provost for research and professor of materials science and engineering, who helped lead the project, said, the power of facilitys partners will accelerate therapeutic discoveries and have the ability to advance biologics from the lab to the bedside.

Its an exciting time for the life sciences industry with cell and gene therapies in position to revolutionize the global healthcare system. While these therapies are promising, challenges in manufacturing, access and cost must be addressed so they can reach their full potential. Initiatives such as the center are important because they bring together key life sciences stakeholders together to share their capabilities, knowledge and expertise to collaborate and accelerate innovation, said Emmanuel Ligner, CEO and President of GE Healthcare Life Sciences.

We are very proud to be part of this unparalleled consortium to create an innovative and collaborative centerinvolving advanced technologies as well asnext-generation manufacturing. The highly respected partner institutions have the scientific talent andtheengineering capabilities to deliver truly novel therapies to patients sufferingtodayfrom serious and life-threatening diseases and also to design the next-generation processes that will accelerate the translation of tomorrowscost-effective, lifesaving medicines from bench to bedside, said Joel S. Marcus, executive chairman and founder, Alexandria RealEstateEquities, Inc. and Alexandria Venture Investments.

We are excited to be a founding member of this consortia.Partnering to get medicines to patients is what we are all about. The opportunity to do this in collaboration with everyone that has come together to make this a reality is something that really meets our core purpose to deliver tomorrows medicines as a partner for life, said Martin Meeson, President & COO, FUJFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies USA.

Massachusetts new center for advanced biological innovation and manufacturing will focus first on emergent areas such as cell therapies and gene therapies, and other advanced therapy medicinal products. Cell therapies that help a patients own immune system target cancer cells have been remarkably successful. One example is CART cell therapy, in which a patients own T cells are modified to identify and attack cancer cells in the blood more easily. But immunotherapy is not restricted to treating cancers. Scientists are finding new ways to harness the immune system to treat a broad spectrum of diseases, including type 1 diabetes and many others. Cell therapies more broadly harnessing unique properties of adult stem cells, for example are under wide consideration for regenerative medicine, including joint tissue repair and neurodegeneration.

Gene therapies offer new hope to patients, often children, who suffer from debilitating inherited diseases. They involve introducing, removing, or changing a targeted gene within a patients cells. The goal is to make the patients cells produce disease-fighting proteins, or to stop them from producing disease-causing versions of a protein. Gene-editing research is progressing very rapidly, but there is a marked shortage of capability for manufacturing the gene delivery vectors.

Hospitals need to be able to create customized therapeutics for their patients, but most do not have manufacturing facilities on-site. Beyond the constraint of limited facilities to produce potential new treatments, much technological innovation is required to produce these medicines more efficiently in terms of time, labor, and cost and in accordance with regulatory guidance. The new center would be equipped to handle some of this work for technology innovation and early stage clinical trial-scale production, which would directly help bring promising solutions to patients sooner.

Scientific breakthroughs in cellular, immune and gene therapies from just the past few years are now saving lives and represent a truly revolutionary time in medicine, said Laurie H. Glimcher, MD, president and CEO of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. By bringing together the talent that exists only in the Massachusetts life sciences ecosystem and fostering collaboration, this new manufacturing center will help to extend the benefit of these technologies to more patients and accelerate discoveries to effectively treat more diseases.

We need more manufacturing capability in order to translate our work, especially in the stem cell field, said Leonard Zon, MD, director of the Stem Cell Research Program at Boston Childrens Hospital. For academic investigators who want to see their basic science advance into the clinic space, its important to have a manufacturing facility collaborate on protocols. Researchers can then exchange information directly with the facility, optimizing protocols and working smarter.

This collaboration represents an exciting opportunity to harness the collective efforts of leading academic, industrial and clinical institutions to further explore exciting new technologies and therapies that are inspiring scientists and offering new hope to our patients, says Peter L. Slavin, MD, MGH president. New scientific fields like regenerative medicine, gene editing and immunotherapy are unlocking clues to understanding disease which can lead to better treatments and ultimately, richer, more healthy lives for our patients and their families.

Our mission at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center is to provide extraordinary care supported by world-class research and education, said Peter J. Healy, president of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. We are happy to be a founding member of this innovative consortium, which will allow us to work collaboratively across the diverse health care ecosystem. Together, we will propel the fields of cell therapy, gene therapy and gene editing forward with the shared goal of transforming how we care for patients right here in Boston and around the world.

Boston is an epicenter of biomedical research and innovation, said Brigham Health president Elizabeth G. Nabel, MD. In furthering the Brighams commitment to advancing development and delivery of cell and gene therapies, this unique collaboration is an opportunity to accelerate the pace and broaden the manufacturing capacity for therapies that have the potential to significantly improve patient outcomes.

Never before have we had so many breakthroughs available in the clinic. However, it can take up to 30 days, needle to needle, to deliver a CAR-T therapy to a patient, and that does not take into account any of the bottlenecks in the supply chain that could occur along the way. It is our collective responsibility to eliminate any barriers to making these life-saving medicines accessible to patients everywhere, said Udit Batra, CEO, MilliporeSigma.

The Commonwealths life sciences ecosystem is thriving because of the strength of the academic, research and industry partners that call Massachusetts home, and their commitment to collaboration, said Secretary of Housing and Economic Development Mike Kennealy. Combining a manufacturing facility, co-working labs, and workforce development and training in this first-in-the-nation center will boost the regional economy, create jobs and accelerate the delivery of next-generation therapies.

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Harvard, MIT, teaching hospitals, industry partners pool resources to create a central facility for developing regenerative therapies - India...

Hes done it - Stephen Armstrong has scooped a prestigious award for his huge fund raising efforts as his son fought a rare blood disorder.

The doting dad took home the award for Individual Fundraiser of the Year at the Anthony Nolan Supporter Awards 2019 ceremony held at the Tower of London.

The top awards were back for their seventh year to recognise the outstanding achievements of the volunteers, fundraisers and campaigners who help the pioneering blood cancer charity save lives.

And the award is in recognition of Stephens incredible fundraising efforts - leading a group of 19 friends and family in a series of physical challenges, all while his son Jacob was undergoing treatment.

When Jacob was diagnosed in 2017 at two-years-old, Stephen set out to find a matching stem cell donor, as well as raise awareness of the need for more people on the register.

From here Jacobs Journey was born, and through a series of challenges including the Great North Run, the Great North Bike Ride and climbing Ben Nevis, Stephen has helped raise over 20,000 for the charity.

Jacob is now four-years-old and his family have been told he does not need a transplant, but Stephen and his family want to continue raising awareness for others who arent so lucky.

When Jacob was diagnosed, we were stunned by how few people were on the stem cell donor register. I couldnt believe how a stranger in the street could potentially save our little boys life, said Stephen, 33, of Wallsend,North Tyneside.

On winning the award, Stephen said: I feel very proud- I really didnt expect it. You dont do it for recognition, but to get more people to join the register.

Stephen and mum Kirsty, 28, received the news in December 2017 that Jacob was suffering from bone marrow failure, which affects between 30 and 40 children each year.

They first became concerned about his health when they went abroad to get married and noticed he was getting bruised easily. The marks would take weeks to disappear, so when the couple returned to the UK they decided to take Jacob to the doctor for a check up.

After tests he was then diagnosed and was treated at the Great North Childrens Hospital in Newcastle, where he received two blood transfusions.

Stephen, who has raised a further 8,000 for other smaller charities, added: When we were told Jacob did not need the transplant it was the best news in the world, a total relief. He still needs check ups every three months and his consultants is keeping an eye on him. There are so few people on the stem cell donor register so I just wanted to create a ripple effect with awareness and get more people on it.

Henny Braund, Chief Executive at Anthony Nolan, said: Stephen is a hugely deserving winner of this award; his incredible support and passion for our work is a fantastic example of our charity, which is built on making lifesaving connections. It was lovely to meet Stephen and I continue to find myself inspired and humbled by the dedication and strength of supporters like him.

By raising vital funds and much needed awareness, we are curing blood cancer together. We can give families hope, and give more people a future. But without supporters like Stephen, lives cant be saved. Without him, there is no cure.

Anthony Nolan is the charity that finds matching stem cell donors for people with blood cancer and blood disorders and gives them a second chance at life. It also carries out ground-breaking research to save more lives and provide information and support to patients after a stem cell transplant, through its clinical nurse specialists and psychologists, who help guide patients through their recovery.

To see the full shortlist, and find out more about the charity visit the website here.

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Wallsend dad who called on the public for stem cells for his son scoops top Anthony Nolan Award - Chronicle Live

MAGICAL Nature is Rebecca Bennett's first exhibition in four years following her stem cell transplant.

Running throughout December at Rydal Hall Old School Room Teashop at Ambleside, the exhibition features various media from acrylics and watercolours to photography.

Rebecca loves capturing the magic of colour and pattern within nature in her artwork. She grew up surrounded by the beautiful fells and lakes of Cumbria. Coming from an artistic family, painting and drawing from an early age was natural.

From photographs of lakes seen through the prism of a crystal ball to an enigmatic acrylic painting of a grey heron, Magical Nature includes striking images of the wildlife and countryside of Rebeccas native Lake District.

With a BA(hons) degree in Contemporary Applied Arts from Cumbria Institute of the Arts, Rebecca furthered her art practice and skills to create porcelain ceramic pieces and textile mixed media artworks.

Following university Rebecca completed a variety of successful art projects and workshops alongside her exhibitions. These included art workshops with young people at the Coniston Water Festival and Blencathra Field Studies Centre.

In 2015 Rebecca had a stem cell transplant at London's Kings College Hospital. An unrelated donor provided the stem cells to treat failing bone marrow caused by rare Gata2 deficiency and Myelodysplastic Syndrome. Painting and photography have, she says, been a great therapy throughout her transplant journey.

"When you feel up to it having something to immerse yourself in such as art and photography can be a fantastic way to help you forget about your pain and problems. For those moments, you are focused on what you are creating and can escape for a little while."

Alongside exhibiting her work for the first time since being diagnosed with her illnesses, Rebecca hopes to raise awareness of MDS and blood disorders. Donations to the charity MDS UK patient support will be made from sales of Rebeccas greeting cards and prints during the exhibition.

Originally posted here:
Artist's first exhibition following stem cell transplant - The Westmorland Gazette

By Blaine Curcio

The Asia Pacific Satellite Communications Council (APSCC) is, among other things, arguably the premier satellite communications (satcom) member organization in Asia-Pacific. From its headquarters in Seoul, the APSCC publishes a quarterly newsletter on regional industry ongoings, provides assistance on issues such as spectrum coordination, and, most notably for the purposes of this article, puts together the APSCC Conference in October/November of every year. I often tell people that ConnecTechAsia (formerly Communicasia) in Singapore is a bit like the Asian equivalent to the SATELLITE conference in Washington DC every yearthat is, a stadium-sized convention center with thousands of people clamoring to see massive booths. In contrast, APSCC is a bit more like the Asian version of the Euroconsult World Satellite Business Weekit is smaller, much more intimate (always in a very comfortable hotel), and the attendees, while vastly fewer in number, are higher in pay-grade. It is, in short, a leadership summit of the APAC satellite (and increasingly, space) industry.

In addition to all of the above, the APSCC is also an organization in transition, with the transition involving two major prongs1) broaden the scope from satcom to space, more generally, and 2) create a more international, inclusive organization. This transition is an exciting one, and was fully on display at this years APSCC Conference, which was held from 19-21 November at the Intercontinental Bangkok. Having represented Euroconsult on the conference organizing committee over the preceding ~10 months, and having sat front row center (just next to the omnipresent Peter de Seldingthey should really give him his own microphone), I was delighted to see young people, companies I had never heard of, and an increasing representation of women in a region that is oftentimes rather male-dominated. Having spent the better part of a week surrounded by some of the industrys brightest minds, some key trends emerged surrounding the Asian space industry.

The Young Shall Inherit the Earth

One of the most striking elements of the APSCC conference was the number of young people. The biggest example of this was the Youth Development Workshop on the conferences 3rd day, which brings in university students from the host country for a workshop on satellite and space. However, more impressive were the number of startups that were actively participating in the conference, being led by founders born in the 1980s or 1990s.

Day 3 of the conference, for instance, started with a keynote from Tim Ellis, CEO of Relativity Space, a company aiming to 3D-print rockets. The company has raised around US$200 million, with a CEO that is, at the oldest, 29. If Mr. Elliss goal were to win the youngest CEO of a rocket company at this conference award, however, he would need a time machine to bring him back about 6 years, because Simon Gwozdz, the CEO of Equatorial Space Industries (a Singaporean launch startup that presented on Day 3), is roughly 23 years old, having graduated from university in 2019. Given that no launch companies at the conference had founders under age 23, he also won said youngest founder award, which was given out after the conference (not really).

Separate to the plethora of rocket companies founded people born in the 1990s, the conference featured a New Space Pitch Competition for the first time, which brought in a number of New Space companies to pitch judges and the audience on their businesses. The startups were, likewise, full of young people. Having never heard of most of these startups before, I was impressed and to a certain extent blown away by the innovative ideas and energy brought onto the stage, including companies focused on in-orbit life extension, small launch, and beam-hopping technology.

A different type of youth also showed up in spades during the conference, with one of Asias youngest (read: newest) countries, and fairly recent New Space entrant Singapore being strongly represented at the New Space Pitch Competition, as well as at the conference more generally, with an increasing number of space companies calling the Little Red Dot home, or at a minimum, APAC HQ. Following the conference, I was kindly invited to a Singapore New Space WhatsApp group with over 100 members, an anecdotal indication of the growing space community in the Lion City.

In Satcom, the Times They are AChangin

The satellite industry is changing rapidly, and this was clear from the 3-day event. This change is occurring in several ways. First, the industry is transitioning from being a TV broadcaster in the sky, to being a telco in the sky.

Pasifik Satelit Nusantara (PSN), an Indonesian satellite operator, reported that today, the company connects 5,000 rural villages in Indonesia to the Internet via satellite, with these 5,000 villages including 5 million people. The companys ambitious target is to cover 20,000 villages, and 20 million people, by the end of 2020. This has been enabled in part by another change, and one that is particularly noteworthy in Southeast Asiathe fall of C-band, and the rise of Ka-band. For years, naysayers held that the climate in Southeast Asia was far too rainy for Ka-band to be feasible, while holding that C-band, with its higher reliability in the face of rain, would remain the go-to frequency. In the case of PSN, this is not the case, with the companys CEO, industry veteran Adi Adiwoso, making it patently clear that the only way to serve the masses with internet connectivity would be to use Ka-band, even in rainy Indonesia, because frankly speaking, there just isnt enough spectrum in C-band or Ku-band to enable the bandwidth economics required. A representative from KTSAT echoed the bearishness on C-band, noting that in South Korea, there are already 4 million 5G subscribers, and that very soon, the spectrum allocated to 5G will become saturated, requiring more spectrum to be re-allocated.

In addition to moving into new frequency bands and new verticals, the satcom industry is achangin in even more out there ways. During a lunch sponsored by Sky Perfect JSAT, the satellite operator of Japan, we were treated to a short video, which showed JSATs current ongoings and future ambitions. The more interesting components of this involved a partnership with Japanese EO company Axelspace, plans to provide communications services to human activity in outer space, and other business models that are far outside of the selling megahertz to video broadcasters business model that has for so long paid our bills and dominated industry rhetoric. Separate to this, satellite operators such as KTSAT of Korea spoke about integrating with 5G networks, while Measat sent a representative from their ConnectME consumer broadband business to be their Young Talent Award nominee.

Finally, the Satellite Executive of the Year award, presented to the most outstanding satcom industry executive in the region, went to Christian Patouraux of Kacific, a startup satellite operator aiming to offer low-cost, Ka-band high-throughput capacity in APAC, nearly exclusively for data connectivity as opposed to the more traditional video broadcast verticals. If there was any further need for an indication that the satcom industry is changing, and that those leading the change are being recognized for their work, this was it, with the companys satellite to launch next month to a strong pre-existing book of business, and tens of thousands (or more) unserved or underserved waiting customers.

The Rapidly Evolving Space Industry

While the times are clearly achangin in satcom, the broader space industry is also experiencing a rapid change, and APSCC was a showcase for such change. Completely new business models are emerging. On one panel, there was discussion of a company that wanted to offer connecting flights to space (Momentus, a California-based company that aims to offer rides from LEO to other orbits), while another strived to be a space garbage man (AstroScale, a Japanese company that is focusing on cleaning up orbital debris). 3D printing is starting to play a bigger role, with Relativity Space, the aforementioned rocket company, noting that 95% of the companys rocket parts are made using 3D printers. The company claims a launch price of $10 million for a 1,250kg payload to LEO, working out to US$8,000 per kg, a competitive price to be sure.

Another more macro change within the industry that was perceptible during the conference was the increasing number of Chinese companies, both state-owned giants and private startups. For the first time, China Satcom participated in the Asia satellite operator panel, while LandSpace and Ultimate Blue Nebula (UBN), a rocket company and consulting firm, respectively, participated in a China space industry panel. Companies such as Starwin, an antenna manufacturer from Chengdu, also made an appearance. Moving forward, with over 100 private space startups in China, and with a large number of them looking internationally as well as domestically, we will likely see an increase in the number of Chinese companies represented at APSCC, and other events in the region.

Conclusions

During the conference, several long-time attendees approached me saying that it had been the best APSCC ever. A dynamic APAC satcom industry, a slew of youthful startups coming from all across the region (with many from Singapore), and a variety of more established New Space companies entering the fray made for a truly out-of-this-world conference. In the coming years, we are likely to see an even more diverse audience, with even more new business models, contributing to a conference that is rapidly becoming the premier space event in APAC.

*Disclaimerhaving attended APSCC on two other occasions, this year was the first in which I was also a member of the conference organizing committee. That being the case, my analysis may at times border on subjective.

Blaine Curcio is the founder and owner ofOrbital Gateway Consulting, a boutique market research and consulting firm focusing onemerging commercial opportunities in space and satellite industry, as well as the Chinesespace/satcom market. Blaine is also a senioraffiliate consultant for Euroconsult, and is based in Hong Kong. Blaine can be contacted at: [emailprotected]

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#SpaceWatchGL Column: Reflections on the 2019 APSCC Conference - Putting on a Show in the Land of Smiles - SpaceWatch.Global

A Derbyshire mum hanged herself after finding out she had an incurable brain tumour, an inquest heard.

Tracy Wardle was described as having everything to live for, including a young daughter, before receiving the devastating diagnosis.

Mrs Wardle, 36, from Langley Mill, was found by her partner on Wednesday, September 12, 2018.

The inquest heard that, just hours before her death, Mrs Wardle had woken up her partner, wanting to be comforted because she was in pain.

Mrs Wardle, a nursery nurse, had been told by doctors that any treatment she had would only control the tumour.

A woman at the inquest said she and Mrs Wardle had been best friends for over 20 years.

She said: She had a brain tumour and we went through all that with her.

She was in a lot of pain. She had enough.

Her daughter was her biggest priority in life.

The inquest heard that Mrs Wardle, who was born in Salford, was estranged from her husband but they remained close friends.

Assistant coroner Louise Pinder said Mrs Wardle was awaiting results from a scan when she died.

She said: She was found hanging on the stairs by her partner.

She started to have seizures that led to the diagnosis.

Oncology were finding it difficult to engage with her. She was in denial about how serious it was.

The best that could be offered to her was life extension, not a cure.

A spokesperson at Derbyshire police said they were asked to attend a house in Langley Mill at 1pm on September 12, 2018.

She said paramedics from East Midlands Ambulance Service were already at the scene and told officers that Mrs Wardle had died.

The officer said her partner of one year had woken up after midday, realised Mrs Wardle wasnt in bed and had then seen Tracy at the top of the stairs.

She said: He realised that she appeared to be deceased. He got a knife from the kitchen and cut the scarf and placed her body at the top of the stairs. He was in a lot of shock.

He then rang emergency services.

The officer added: Her partner said in the night she asked him to hug her at 2am. She had woken him up to say my head is hurting, can you comfort me.

I believe shes been in pain and its been a quick act. It was a snap decision.

She said Mrs Wardle was close to her young daughter but due to her physical health she couldnt have full care.

The pathologist said a post mortem examination had been carried out which showed there were no signs of an overdose.

Mrs Wardles GP at Brooklyn Medical Practice, in Langley Mill, said she had been registered to the surgery in May 2018 after suffering from a seizure.

He said in April 2018 she had surgery on the grade four tumour, one whose cells grow rapidly and spread faster than tumours with a lower grade.

Later, she was taken to A&E by a friend after she reported feeling strange and hearing voices.

He said Mrs Wardle accepted chemotherapy and radiotherapy but all treatment was aimed towards controlling things.

The inquest heard that, by August, Mrs Wardle had finished her radiotherapy treatment.

She was seen by her GP and a Macmillan representative in August who were concerned about her as she had not taken her medication.

Her friend added: We were all shocked. She had been planning things for the future. The brain tumour was why it all happened.

She had everything to live for, she just got a house and started a new life with her partner. She had a daughter.

When she was diagnosed it all fell apart.

The coroner agreed with the pathologists findings that Mrs Wardle died due to asphyxia after being found hanging by a ligature.

He also referenced her depression and that she was being treated for a brain tumour.

Mrs Pinder said: I conclude that Tracey took her own life.

She was very well supported by her friends and family.

In the face of this catastrophic diagnosis, it seems something overwhelmed her that night and as a result of that she carried out this act.

Shes a huge loss to you.

Samaritans (116 123) operates a 24-hour service available every day of the year. If you prefer to write down how youre feeling, or if youre worried about being overheard on the phone, you can email Samaritans at jo@samaritans.org

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Beloved Derbyshire nursery nurse took her own life over incurable brain tumour - Derbyshire Live

Ample Market Research has come up with a newly published report on S adenosylmethionine (SAM e) market study with 100+ market data Tables and Figures spread through Pages and easy to understand detailed TOC on S adenosylmethionine (SAM e). S adenosylmethionine (SAM e) research allows you to get different methods for maximizing your profit. The research study provides estimates for S adenosylmethionine (SAM e) Forecast till 2025*. The top players cover Doctors Best, Metabolic Maintenanc, Now Foods, NutraLife, California Gold Nutrition, Jarrow Formulas, Source Naturals, Life Extension Etc., which are playing important roles in the S adenosylmethionine (SAM e) market.

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S-adenosylmethionine Market 2019 Trends, Size, Share, Growth Insight, Competitive Analysis, Segments Overview, Regional, And Global Industry Forecast...

Global Genetic Testing Market, Insights, Size, Share, Growth Rate, Revenue, SWOT Analysis, Applications, Industry Demand, Forecast, Potential, Type, Key Companies.

The report forecast global Genetic Testing market to grow to reach xxx Million USD in 2019 with a CAGR of xx% during the period 2020-2024.

The report offers detailed coverage of Genetic Testing industry and main market trends. The market research includes historical and forecast market data, demand, application details, price trends, and company shares of the leading Genetic Testing by geography. The report splits the market size, by volume and value, on the basis of application type and geography.

Get a free sample report: https://martresearch.com/contact/request-sample/2/36846

Genetic Testing Product Type Coverage (Market Size & Forecast, Major Company of Product Type etc.):

Newborn Screening

Diagnostic Testing

Carrier Testing

Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis

Prenatal Diagnosis

Predictive and Presymptomatic Testing

Pharmacogenomics

Genetic Testing Company Coverage (Sales Revenue, Price, Gross Margin, Main Products etc.):

GeneDx

Invitae

Pathway Genomics

Counsyl Inc

Asper Biotech

GenePlanet

Courtagen Life Sciences

Gene By Gene

Natera Inc

Regulatory

GeneTests

United Gene

HI Gene

Berry Genomics

23andMe Inc

360Jiyin

Novogene

CapitalBio

Agen

Biomedlab

Biomarker

Annoroad

Aiyin Gene

Aijiyin

Repconex

Find Bio-Tech

SinoGenoMax

Gene Kang

Geeppine

BGI

Genetic Testing Application Coverage (Market Size & Forecast, Different Demand Market by Region, Main Consumer Profile etc.):

Cardiology

Dermatology

Hematology

Hereditary Cancer

Immunology

Metabolic Disorders and Newborn Screening

Neurology

Ophthalmology

Pediatric Genetics

Others

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Place the Order of Global Genetic Testing Market Research Report: https://martresearch.com/paymentform/2/36846/Single_User

Some Points from Table of Contents:

Chapter 1 Market Overview

1 Industry Overview

1.1 Genetic Testing Industry

1.1.1 Overview

1.1.2 Development of Genetic Testing

1.2 Market Segment

1.2.1 Upstream

1.2.2 Downstream

1.3 Cost Analysis

2 Industry Environment (PEST Analysis)

2.1 Policy

2.2 Economics

2.3 Sociology

2.4 Technology

3 Genetic Testing Market by Type

4 Major Companies List

5 Market Competition

5.1 Company Competition

5.2 Regional Market by Company

6 Demand by End Market

6.1 Demand Situation

6.1.1 Demand in Residential

6.1.2 Demand in Industrial and Agriculture

6.1.3 Demand in Commercial

6.1.4 Demand in Others

6.2 Regional Demand Comparison

6.3 Demand Forecast

7 Region Operation

8 Marketing & Price

8.1 Price and Margin

8.1.1 Price Trends

8.1.2 Factors of Price Change

8.1.3 Manufacturers Gross Margin Analysis

8.2 Marketing Channel

9 Research Conclusion

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Table and Figures

Table Type of Genetic Testing

Table Application of Genetic Testing

Table Google Inc. Overview List

Table Genetic Testing Business Operation of Google Inc. (Sales Revenue, Sales Volume, Price, Cost, Gross Margin)

Table Delphi Automotive Overview List

Table Genetic Testing Business Operation of Delphi Automotive (Sales Revenue, Sales Volume, Price, Cost, Gross Margin)

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Global Genetic Testing Market Size, Share, Analysis, Applications, Sale, Growth Insight, Trends, Leaders, Services and Forecast to 2024 - Eastlake...

Knowing your status takes only a minute now. Literally.

A rapid HIV test, new to Florida, is helping local advocates reach more people in a state where the virus has hit epidemic levels.

More than 100,000 people in Florida are living with HIV right now, and about 15 percent of them dont know they have it. Despite advances in medicine that both prevent and treat the virus, along with more outreach and education, rates of infection continue to climb in America.

In 2016, 611 people out of every 100,000 living in Florida had HIV, according to data collected by AIDSVu, an online mapping tool that shows where the virus is spreading in the U.S. Pinellas and Hillsborough counties are among the most active in the state.

Dozens of advocacy groups, local and national, are trying to thwart the spread of HIV. In his State of the Union address in February, President Donald Trump announced an initiative to end the epidemic in the U.S. by 2030. In Pinellas, the Zero Pinellas partnership aims to reduce the number of new HIV infections in the county by 50 percent by 2021.

RELATED: HIV is on the rise in Florida and young people dont seem to care

Metro Inclusive Health, an LGBTQ health care nonprofit and a member of Zero Pinellas, is seeing more people come in for the new test, known as INSTI, which gives a result in 60 seconds.

The new rapid test allows us to give people results sooner, and lets us go out into the field to test people who may be at higher risk for HIV, said Rebecca Nessen, vice president of strategic initiatives for Metro, which offers primary care and HIV services to patients in Pasco, Pinellas and Hillsborough counties, regardless of ability to pay.

Usually the people who are at higher risk arent the type who are going to walk in our door for an appointment, Nessen said.

The test isnt brand new its been on the market for a couple of years. But the Florida Department of Health recently approved it for use, so Metro and other nonprofits that receive grants from the state can use it at their clinics. Metro began offering the service to patients on Sept. 30, Nessen said.

There are a variety of ways to screen for HIV, all involving a blood test. Previously, Metro could test for HIV and receive a result in 20 minutes. Another test the organization offers sends a blood sample to a lab, where results return in 10-to-14 days.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that everyone 13 and older be tested at least once in their lives for HIV. High-risk populations should test at least once a year.

The INSTI test checks for HIV antibodies in the blood. HIV antibodies are disease-fighting proteins that the body produces in response to the infection. It can take three to 12 weeks from the time of infection for the body to develop antibodies, which is why organizations like Metro still offer a range of HIV tests.

Most people who come in to be tested are the ones who suspect they have been exposed," said Shirlene Manuel, a prevention specialist with Metro. And that 20-minute wait time for the other test can be stressful, she said.

Manuel recalled talking on the phone with one patient for two weeks before convincing him to come in for an HIV test. Once he was in the Metro clinic waiting room, he tried to leave.

Shaving off those extra minutes makes a big difference, she said. When someone has made the decision to get tested, generally, they want to know the result right away.

RELATED: A transgender man in search of hormone therapy, he turned to Planned Parenthood

The INSTI test requires a quick prick from a finger and a small amount of blood, which is then mixed with three solutions. Similar to a pregnancy test, one dot or two will appear on the test device to show the result. One dot means the result is negative. Two is positive.

For patients who test positive, Metro is able to connect them with clinical, behavioral and support services. For those who test negative, Metro can help them get a prescription for PrEP, short for pre-exposure prophylaxis, the daily drug that can prevent HIV.

Metro clinical members also use the rapid test at events in the community. From Pride events in downtown St. Petersburg to health fairs, recreation centers and other community gatherings, they offer tests from mobile clinic vans.

But stigma is still a major barrier in convincing people to get tested, Manuel said. It comes across the board, she said, from young and old and people of all races.

Manuel has heard the excuses.

People say, I dont do those kinds of things so they dont think they need to be tested. Or they use condoms, or theyve only had one partner, she said. Even in 2019 going into 2020, stigma in this community is still high.

__________

No-cost HIV tests available

In observance of World AIDS Day on Sunday, health departments are offing free HIV tests at these locations on Monday:

Read the original here:
The one-minute HIV test has come to Florida, and people are taking it - Tampa Bay Times

Telling your family and friends that you are transgender can be difficult - but what happens when you're in a serious relationship?

This was the situation facing married tattoo artist Eva Echo.

The 39-year-old, from Cradley Heath, had been married to her wife for around four years before realising why she had felt so different her whole life.

Reading stories about relationships ending when someone came out as a different gender highlighted her biggest fear.

But she knew that she couldn't hide it anymore.

Eva said: "Towards the end of 2016, I was dealing with a customer at work and this man decided to take pictures of me which I was quite shocked at because I wasn't presenting as female. I've always been quite androgynous.

"I still wore eye makeup and he obviously thought it was hilarious. He needed to take photos, send it around to a circle of friends.

"He denied it when I confronted to about it. I mean, he didn't realise there was a mirror behind him so I could actually see what was on his phone.

"At which point he then said his phone was playing up and that it took a photo and sent it to his friends. I just wasn't buying it. But it also kind of made me think what is it about me that people stare at?

"What is it that I'm seeing differently when I look in the mirror.

"I thought, okay, you know, this is the time I need to take time out, or just figure this out once and for all because leading up to this moment I'd been suffering with an eating disorder, depression, self-harm and even attempted suicide.

"I just knew I couldn't go on having these complete ups and downs, and the idea of being transgender surfaced a bit more around about that time. I started to kind of open myself up to the possibility that I could be transgender.

"I started blogging anonymously at first because I needed somewhere to externalise all the things going on in my head. I had no one to talk to about it really.

"I wanted to stop feeling like my head was going to explode.

"There's still elements of shame, embarrassment and letting people down and telling my partner was scarier because we are so close."

Eva tried hard to gain the confidence to tell her partner, Pippa Echo, about being transgender and even wrote an anonymous open letter to her on her blog in 2017.

It said: "When we first met, I knew you were the one for me. I trusted you entirely.

"The more I was around you, the more I could feel some kind of peace. That I didnt have to constantly battle the world on my own. At the same time, it made me realise I could let my guard down and be more of myself.

"I felt complete for the first time in my life. I cannot thank you enough for letting me feel like that. I guess thats what ultimately led me down this path of self-discovery.

"Just to clarify, Im not saying this is your fault. Not at all. If anything, youve just been you: the caring and genuine person that you are; the person I fell in love with and wanted to marry within a few weeks of knowing you.

"Remember the conversation we had at the flat one day, where you asked why I chose to wear or look the way I do? And I said I felt comfortable enough to do so around anyone for the first time in my life?

"Well, thats the light you provide in my life. Its my fault for then not being able to control this properly, allowing things that I thought I could ignore or lock away to gradually emerge."

When the night finally came to confront the personal crisis head on, she was filled with fear that her partner would leave her for going through this change.

Eva eventually found confidence after a few shots of vodka to calm the nerves.

"Looking on the internet, there's so many stories of partners that call it a day," she said.

"They all go into it in good faith but ultimately most of them just fell out.

"That really scared me because I didn't want to lose so much just because of me. When I went to tell her about it, I was a complete mess. I came home from work and I just kept psyching myself up about it.

"I knew I needed to say something. I just remember walking in and out of the kitchen, giving myself a shot of vodka to try and give me some confidence.

"It must have been about 9 or 10 o'clock by the time I got round to it because I was just stalling so much.

"I was a bit tipsy by the time I came out with it. I literally just said that I thought there was something wrong with me.

"Even when I was trying to explain it, I was still so scared to use the word transgender because it makes it so definite but when I finally came out she said she pretty much knew already.

"It was a huge weight off my shoulders. This great cloud over me for years, and all of a sudden, everything was a bit sunnier."

The couple recently celebrated their six year wedding anniversary and they say their relationship is as strong if not stronger than it was before.

Pippa told BirminghamLive that the day Eva came out to her she initially thought she was going to leave her.

When she finally revealed her identity, Pippa said it was like she 'was giving her her real self' proving to Eva that true love looks beyond gender.

Eva has since revealed her identity on her blog and continues posting to raise awareness of issues in the LGBT community.

Since coming out almost three years ago, Eva has been on the NHS waiting list for the gender identity clinic (GIC) at Exeter but has gone private in order to speed up the transition process and is currently on hormone therapy.

The male to female transition process is made more complicated by the irreversible effects of testosterone during male puberty that effects bone structure and deepens the voice.

Eva went privately to have her face reconstructed to be more feminine, as the procedure is not covered on the NHS.

She said: "I started hormone therapy last summer and since then I've also had facial surgery.

"That was to Botox injections to my jawline to contour the jawline - an alternative to physical surgery. I also had fat transferred from my stomach to my cheeks and also had the brow bone shaved and contoured as well. At the same time, they lowered my hairline slightly.

"It was very strange going to sleep with one face and waking up with an altered one, because of the swelling as well, it's so surreal. I took time off work to heal.

"It took some getting used to, having this is new person looking back at you in the mirror. But at the same time, it's a relief because you're another step closer to marrying the outside with the inside as well."

Eva plans to continue the final stages of her transition on the NHS but could have up to a year left on the waiting list, due to the NHS being at breaking point trying to cope with the huge surge in patients seeking gender identity services and as there are only 7 clinics in the UK.

Originally posted here:
'My wife's heartwarming reaction when I told her I was transgender' - Birmingham Live

JASON CONNOLLY/Getty Images

The winter festival season is just around the corner, but theres one winter event that stands out above the rest.

Its called Frozen Dead Guy Days and its been happening in the mountain town of Nederland, Colorado (just over half an hour west of Boulder, Colorado), since 2002. Now in its 19th year, the quirky festival is still offering some not-so-traditional winter activities think polar plunges, human foosball, frozen T-shirt contests, and coffin races.

Yes, you read that correctly.

Frozen Dead Guy Days started when Bredo Morstoel, a public official from Norway died in 1989, according to the Denver 7. After his death, his grandson Trygve Bauge had his body sent to a San Francisco-based cryonics lab called Trans Time to be preserved (frozen) with the hope that science would one day cure his grandfathers ailments, according to Atlas Obscura.

While Morstoel was being preserved, Bauge built a cryonics chamber inside a Tuff Shed at his home in Nederland, Colorado outfitting it to withstand all kinds of natural and manmade disasters, according to Atlas Obscura. There, Bauges grandfather (and a few other frozen bodies that had been sent to Bauges lab) remained for a few years.

WATCH: Colorado from above

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Unfortunately, in the mid-90s, Bauge was sent back to Norway and the frozen body was left with his mother in Colorado. The other bodies from Bauges fledgling cryonics lab were returned to their families. According to the Denver 7, Bauge now pays a man named Brad Wickham to deliver between 900 and 1,200 pounds of fresh dry ice every two weeks to cover his grandfathers sarcophagus which can still be found in Nederland.

Since Bauge left the country, the story of his grandfather and the failed cryonics facility have become part of the local history. And in 2002, the Frozen Dead Guy was suggested as a theme for the towns winter festival (perhaps jokingly, at first), according to Atlas Obscura. Yet the theme stuck, and the story has become part of Colorados culture (along with others).

The frigidly fun festival is now one of Colorados most anticipated winter events. It usually takes place over the course of three days in March. During the festivals most popular event, the coffin race, costume-clad teams show up with a decorated coffin. Each team must pay an entry fee of $75 and prizes are given out for the best time, best theme, and most notable screw up.

In addition to the coffin race and other events, the festival delivers plenty of live music and local food. The weekend starts with the annual Blue Ball, the festivals opening party. Our suggestion: Be sure to put on a warm winter coat, because March in Colorado can be particularly cold and snowy.

The next Frozen Dead Guy Days festival will take place March 13-15, 2020.

More:
Frozen Dead Guy Days Is the Weirdest Winter Festival in the US - msnNOW

Global Cryonics Technology Market Research Reports offer valuable insights and market trends to present the Cryonics Technology Industry performance. The introduction, product details, Cryonics Technology marketing strategies, Cryonics Technology market share, and key players are stated. The industry trends, development plans, prospects, opportunities, and development threats are explained in detail. The CAGR value, technological development, new product launches, and Cryonics Technology Industry competitive structure is elaborated.

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The report discusses gross margin, sales, revenue, production, market share, CAGR, and market size by region. Here, the global Cryonics Technology Market is deeply analyzed based on regions, types, applications, and Companies.

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Table of contents 1. Report Overview2. Global Growth Trends3. Market Share by Manufacturers4. Market Size by Type5. Market Size by Application6. Production by Regions7. Cryonics Technology Consumption by Regions8. Company Profiles9. Market Forecast10. Value Chain and Sales Channels Analysis11. Opportunities & Challenges, Threat and Affecting Factors12. Key Findings13. Appendix

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Cryonics Technology Market Competitive Research and Precise Outlook 2019 to 2025 (Praxair, Cellulis, Cryologics, Cryotherm and many more..) -...

Issued on: 29/11/2019 - 15:14Modified: 29/11/2019 - 15:14

French women are having children later in life, making conception more difficultas fertility diminishes with age. Egg freezing,a procedure to counter the problem,is illegal in France but a new bioethics law looks set to legalise it. In the meantime, women go to Spain, or find French doctors willing to bend the rules.

Michael Grynberg, head of reproductive medicine at the Antoine Bclre hospital in Clamart,receives a 31-year-old woman in his office.

She has endometriosis, a condition where the uterus swells painfully. Shes been taking hormone treatments for the pain, which interrupted her fertility.

Three months ago she stopped the treatment to see what would happen.

Your ovaries appear to be working normally again, Grynberg tells her, looking through her file. He wants to take advantage of the situation to extract her eggs nowbefore she goes back on the treatment.

They will then be frozen so she can use them in the future if she wants to have a baby. The woman sees this as a kind of insurance.

Im single, and I am not planning on having a child right now. For me its an ideal solution, she explains.

Grynberg reminds her that most women with endometriosis end up conceiving a child naturally.

Doctors in France are increasingly willing to freeze the eggs of patients suffering from endometriosis. But what about those who have no obvious medical problem, women who are worried they are getting too old to conceive naturally?

Grynberg calls this social freezing, which is not currently legal in France. So he tries to find a medical reason for these women, to stay within the law.We are always trying to help these patients, to try to find something, if it exists," he explains.

He never makes anything up. But if we find something, we can push it, to consider it a medical problem.

The average age for a first pregnancy in France is 28.5 years old, up from 24 years old in the 1970s. And many first pregnancies happen when a woman is in her 30s.

Women today postpone pregnancy, says Grynberg. This can be for career reasons, or because they have not found the right partner. Also, families are changing: More and more people divorce and want to have another kid with a new partner later in life.

He can offer these women IVF, in-vitro fertilisation, a medically-assisted way of conceiving available to women in France in heterosexual couples. They can do this until the age of 43, but using their own eggs at the time they come in for the procedure.

This is problematic because a womans egg quality decreases dramatically after the age of 35.

Limits of technology

We do not have any technique to improve the egg quality, says Grynberg. The only medical tool available is to freeze a womans eggs when she is younger, to fix time by freezing eggs, as he puts it.

A woman over 36 years old has a 5 to 10 percent of conceiving a child through IVF. If she uses eggs that she froze before she was 35, her chances of conceiving a child go up to 60 percent

Grynberg is frustrated that he cannot offer the option to his patients. If older women are allowed to go through IVF, why not give them access to something that increases the chances of success?

The bioethics law currently making its way through the French legislature would legalise egg freezing for women, regardless of their medical condition.

Since 2011, the option has been available for those who have serious medical problems affecting fertility, like radiation treatments for cancer.

So Grynberg bends diagnoses, like endometriosis. The law gives him a lot of discretion.

The law has been written in a way to enable the physician to consider what could be medical and non-medical. I consider this law as very permissive, he says.

Pressure on women

The provision allowing egg freezing made it into the bioethics legislation with 39 votes, out of only 44 MPs who turned up. The legislation is now waiting to be read by the Senate in the spring, before it will become law.

Lawmakers arguing against allowing egg freezing raised concerns that companies would pressure women to put off having children and focus on their careers instead. They pointed to US tech companies covering the cost of egg freezing for their female employees.

As a result, the French legislation will have a specific provision prohibiting anyone an individual or company - from paying for the procedure for anyone else.

For Grynberg, whose focus is on the medicine, the major issue with any fertility treatment is a lack of information in France.

Many of his patients come to him completely unaware of how much fertility is dependent on age.

It's crazy the number of patients coming to my office saying, I thought that IVF or other medical techniques could help me, even if I'm 38, 39 or 40, he says. We need to improve the knowledge of this for all young women. Because they need to build their careers and lives with this knowledge.

This story was produced for the Spotlight on France podcast.

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French fertility doctors bend the law to allow women to freeze eggs - RFI

Pregnant women with eating disorders have an increased risk of complications, both for the mother and the baby, according to new research.

Eating disorders affect millions of people around the world, most often women in childbearing age. However, to date only a few smaller, limited studies have examined potential complications for children born to mothers with eating disorders.

That led researchers at the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden to take a comprehensive view by studying all the 1.2 million mothers who gave birth in Sweden between 2003 and 2014. Of those mothers, nearly 2,800 had anorexia, 1,400 had bulimia, and 3,400 had an unspecified eating disorder. They also compared whether the risk varied between these different types of eating disorders and whether the mother had an active or previous eating disorder.

The study showed that all types of eating disorders increased the risk of premature birth, microcephaly (small head circumference for gestational age), and hyperemesis during pregnancy, a severe form of nausea and vomiting affecting the mother.

The risk of anemia was twice as high for women with active anorexia or unspecified eating disorder as for mothers without eating disorders. Active anorexia was also associated with an increased risk of antepartum hemorrhage.

The increases in risk were more pronounced if the disease was active, but women who hadnt been treated for an eating disorder in more than a year before conception were also at higher risk of complications compared to mothers who had never been diagnosed with an eating disorder, according to the studys findings.

Women with an eating disorder should be recognized as a high-risk group among pregnant women. From a clinical point of view, this means that care providers need to develop better routines to identify women with active or previous eating disorders and consider extended pregnancy screenings to meet their needs, said ngla Mantel, a researcher at the Department of Medicine in Solna at the Karolinska Institutet and resident physician in obstetrics and gynecology at Karolinska Universitetssjukhuset and corresponding author of the study.

According to the researchers, there are several possible explanations for the associations. An inadequate diet with subsequent nutritional deficiencies may limit fetal growth. The stress hormone cortisol tends to be high in women with anorexia and bulimia and has previously been associated with microcephaly. Both stress and some nutritional deficiencies in the mother have previously been connected to premature birth. Vitamin and mineral deficiencies have also been associated with placental abruption, which could explain the increased risk of bleeding during pregnancy.

When it comes to hyperemesis, the researchers noticed that part of the association to eating disorders disappeared when they adjusted for psychiatric conditions such as anxiety and depression. Other outcomes remained largely the same after adjusting for variables such as age, smoking, and birth year.

The study was published in the journal JAMA Psychiatry.

Source: Karolinska Institutet

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Pregnant Women With Eating Disorders Face Higher Risk of Complications for Both Baby and Mother - PsychCentral.com

November 26, 2019 Cover

More than 58 years ago, in 1961, Mike Love and his cousins Brian Wilson, Carl Wilson and Dennis Wilson, along with family friend Al Jardine, formed a different kind of garage band. They took all things associated with summer the laid back lifestyle, the girls and fun, wrapped in their Southern California penchant for the beach, sun and surfing and came up with their own songs and sound unlike anything anyone had ever heard. Their upbeat, yet intricately arranged songs came about thanks to the weirdly wired Brian Wilson and creative juices of Mike Love.

Take the hassle out of Thanksgiving dinner and let the Laughlin resorts serve you a traditional spread this holiday.

In a sea thick with Rat Pack tributes, there is but one that asks the question, What if?What if Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis, Jr. were still here? How would they react to todays world? How would they cope? Would they still resonate with crowds when audience members are pulled in so many different musical directions? What would they joke about in a world that has become either too P.C. or off the charts in the disgusting department? How would they make the world cool again?Those are the questions Rick Michel asked himself as he designed a show based around Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis,Jr.

Nothing is more exciting than hearing B5 called out and checking off the final square on your ticket so you can proudly yell out bingo! Tons of players choose this gambling game because of the excitement and anticipation, challenging patterns, fun promotions and value for their money.Tropicana Bingo Manager Marie Myers is responsible for making the game enticing and enjoyable at her property, which has been voted the best bingo hall in Laughlin four years running in the Mohave Valley Daily News Best Of readers poll.

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Diseases of the thyroid gland are very common, affecting millions of people in the globe, but the most common thyroid problems are: An overactive gland, called hyperthyroidism especially Graves disease, toxic adenoma or toxic nodular goiter.

Background

Thyroid enlargement due to over activity (as in Graves disease) or from under-activity (as in hypothyroidism).

An enlarged thyroid gland is often called a goiter.

Patients with a family history of thyroid cancer or who had radiation therapy to the head or neck as children for acne, adenoids, or other reasons are more prone to developing thyroid malignancy.

How is a Thyroid disorder Diagnosis Made?

The diagnosis of a thyroid function abnormality or a thyroid mass is made by taking a medical history and a physical examination.

In addition, blood tests and imaging studies or fine-needle aspiration may be required.

According to Dr Bruce W. Peters, ENT-Otolaryngologist in Toms River, New Jersey, as part of the exam, doctors will examine your neck and may ask you to lift up your chin to make your thyroid gland more prominent.

You may also be asked to swallow during the examination, which helps to feel the thyroid and any mass in it.

Some other tests doctors may order include: Evaluation of the larynx/vocal cords with an Eber optic telescope, An ultrasound examination of your neck and thyroid Blood tests of thyroid function, A nuclear thyroid scan, ultrasound guided fine-needle aspiration biopsy and a CT or MRI scan

What are Thyroid Nodules?

Thyroid nodules are common, occurring in 15-65 percent of people of all ages. They occur in both women and men, but are especially common in women (50 per cent of women or older have had a thyroid nodule).

Usually patients and their physicians first notice thyroid nodules during a routine physical exam of the neck area. Sometimes they are found incidentally during a radiographic evaluation of the neck (such as a CT scan, X-ray, MRI or Ultrasound).

Although the vast majority of thyroid nodules are benign, the physician should evaluate a significant thyroid nodule, as approximately 5-10 percent of thyroid nodules are cancerous.

In general, a thyroid nodule is considered significant if it is one centimeter or larger and/or presents concerning features on ultrasound.

What is Thyroid Surgery?

There is no medical treatment for thyroid nodules.

If a decision is made that the thyroid nodule needs to be removed, surgical treatment is recommended.

Nodules that are suspicious or cancerous on biopsy require surgical removal.

Large nodules are often removed for a number of reasons. Benign large thyroid nodules may cause pressure symptoms in the throat or cause difficulty swallowing.

Thyroid nodules that produce excess thyroid hormone may also need to be removed. Some thyroid nodules are large enough that standard diagnostic approaches prevent accurate assessment of the possibility of cancer and, therefore, need to be surgically removed.

Thyroid surgery is an operation to remove part or all of the thyroid gland. It is performed in the hospital and general anesthesia is usually required.

Typically, the operation removes the lobe of the thyroid gland containing the suspicious nodule or lump. A frozen section (immediate microscopic reading) may be used to determine if the rest of the thyroid gland should be removed during the same surgery.

Based on the result of the frozen section, the decision will be made in the operating room if removal of any remaining thyroid tissue is necessary. These options will be discussed with you preoperatively by the doctor.

According to Dr Peters, as an alternative, he may choose to remove only one lobe and wait for the final pathology report before deciding, if the remaining lobe needs to be removed.

If a malignancy is identified in this way, he may recommend that the remaining lobe of the thyroid be removed at a second procedure.

What happens after Thyroid Surgery?

The surgery usually takes two to three hours, and most patients were watched carefully in the hospital overnight. Its pain is often minimal, and will take four to seven days off.

Amadu Kamil Sanah, Toms River, New Jersey, USA

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Thyroid disorder and surgery: What you need to know - Myjoyonline.com

Elite runner Mary Cain said in the New York Times this month that her experience with the coaching system at the now-shuttered Nike Oregon Project encouraged unhealthy levels of weight loss, leading to five broken bones, mental health problems.

The ordeal also derailed her career, according to Cain.

Her experience eating too few calories, having dangerously low bone density, and missing her periods is illustrative of what seems to be a disturbingly common condition among female athletes: Relative energy deficiency in sports, or RED-S. It's also been called female athlete triad, but most professionals now refer to it as RED-S, in part to include male athletes, and to recognize that undereating isn't always related to an eating disorder.

While the condition or symptoms of it can affect anyone from the weekend warrior to the Olympian, it seems to be an especially pervasive, though still under-the-radar, problem among higher-level athletes, including Division 1 female runners.

When Delaney White, now a Division 1 cross-country and track runner and senior at Portland State University, entered the collegiate running scene, she had already begun to have irregular menstrual periods, she told Insider. She thought it was normal for competitive athletes at her level.

That mentality seems to be pervasive.Cate Barrett, a former Division 1 track athlete, wrote on Instagram that "college programs today are still preaching thinner is fast, and telling women to lose weight, or that low weight and lost periods aren't a problem."

For so long, I thought I was the problem. To me, the silence of others meant that pushing my body past its healthy limits was the only way. But I know we were all scared, and fear keeps us silent. @runmarycain Mary Cain's expos of abuse she suffered while training as a young pro runner is shocking and upsetting. A decorated coach at Nike, Alberto Salazar, pressured her to lose weight to run faster. This is an inexcusable abuse of power. Salazar had nearly every resource available to boost Marys performance, yet chose to emphasize a strategy that risked her health. And it didn't even fucking work. It drove her to slow races, self-harm and quitting the sport. Marys story resonates with the amateur and collegiate running community all too well. We've experienced the same thing. Being shamed for our size. Told that our poor performances were because of weight. And that we were lucky to be here, so we shouldnt complain. That this is part of the sport. I competed for a D1 NCAA track team for all four years of college. While this was a great experience, it did leave me with a disordered view of my body and food. 11 years after I entered the NCCA, I still feel the strain that Im not small enough. I know this is not factual and rational, but my mindset is a work in progress. I do not know any teammates who emerged from the NCAA system unaffected by the pressure to be thinner. It may seem like the entire running community is already woke to this issue, but please listen: IT IS WILD how deep this goes. It is still happening. Girls still need help. College programs today are still preaching thinner is faster, and telling women to lose weight, or that low weight and lost periods arent a problem. College sports are not the only offenders here, but they have to do better. They, along with the whole running world, have the opportunity and obligation to make a positive impact in young peoples lives. I am thankful that Mary Cain and many others have faced their fear and brought their stories to light. This is how we change.

A post shared by Cate Barrett (@beingcate) on Nov 8, 2019 at 12:39pm PSTNov 8, 2019 at 12:39pm PST

And, Andrea Toppin, a former runner at Iowa State, wrote on Twitter that her teammate and boyfriend at the time told her she needed to lose 20 pounds in order to contribute to the team. "All I cared about was the number on the scale and pleasing my boyfriend until I got my first awful stress fracture after 2 muscular injuries and 2 years of not having a period," she wrote.

Research backs up these women's experiences.

While estimates of the ubiquity of RED-S vary widely, but some research has shown women at higher levels of sport may be at greater risk because of the high competitive pressure and specific demands of certain sports, such as running. Research also suggests as many as 54% of female collegiate athletes being unhappy with their weight.

What's more,studies suggest disordered eating is especially common in sports that emphasize aesthetics or leanness, like running and gymnastics, with as many as 69% of female athletes in those types of sports missing their periods.

Eating disorders "have continued to increase for girls ages 15 to 22, which directly overlaps with the peak of adolescence, commonly spent in high school and college sports," professional runner Lauren Fleshman wrote in the New York Times. "Over one-third of N.C.A.A. Division I female athletes exhibit risk factors for anorexia nervosa."

She was one of them, writing that her final year of her collegiate career she restricted her diet to look more like the professional, older runners she hoped to become. "I may have looked the part, but I lost my energy. I lost my period, and injuries set in, derailing the first half of my professional running career."

"Running is an interesting microcosm of our culture," Delaney White told Insider. Flickr/josiahmackenzie

No matter how common, a disrupted menstrual cycle can be a dangerous sign that low calorie intake is messing with the body's hormone levels, which can cause long-term health issues like permanent bone loss and potential fertility problems.

But awareness lags among athletes and professionals alike. A small study found 44% of high-school female athletes reported that they thought losing their period was a normal response to a high level of athletic training, Dr. Aubrey Armento, a sports medicine physician in Colorado, reported on Twitter.

And one 2018 study found that less than half of clinicians, physiotherapists, and coaches could correctly define RED-S.

Women also get cues from the environment that "thin is better," Mary Jane De Souza, a professor of kinesiology and physiology at Penn State who specializes in the syndrome, told Insider. "It's a huge problem," she said. "We need a lot more widespread knowledge to be disseminated that you get to be a great, high-performing female athlete but coaches and other people without dietary expertise don't get to tell you what to weigh."

White's first college team didn't talk about missing periods, body image, eating, and weight. But when she transferred to Portland, she found her new teammates were open about discussing their experiences and checking in with each other.

There, she was told that irregular periods were an important sign that something was going on with her body, and she was encouraged to talk to a female trainer about it. Her performance, and health, immediately improved as a result.

"I was running 74 miles a week, and I didn't realize I needed to be eating more. As soon as I did that, I started getting faster," White said. "It's turned around how I feel about running, my performance is better than ever, and I'm healthier than I've ever been."

As White's experience demonstrates,when caught early, many of the damaging effects of RED-S can be reversed. With enough calories, athletes can begin to recover from energy deficit within days or weeks, according to the most recent guidelines from theFemale and Male Athlete Triad Coalition.

White said having female trainers, and strong female athletes as role models in her life, have made a world of difference. As more women become high-profile coaches, including record-breaking marathon runner Shalane Flanagan, she hopes that more young athletes will have the support, encouragement, and resources they need to pursue elite levels of the sports without risking their mental and physical health.

Ultimately, real progress also means looking at the broader culture that links women's value to their weight, White said.

"Running is a really interesting microcosm of our culture, that you expect women to be strong but if they get above a certain weight, they're no good any more," she said. "Until we change the culture of comparison, our sport isn't going to change."

Read more:

I had the condition that 'broke down' Nike runner Mary Cain's body, and I wasn't even an elite athlete

3 marathoners who are breaking stereotypes about what runners look like

An athlete who spoke out against Nike's running program in 2015 says Mary Cain's allegations could 'change the future of the sport'

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Division 1 female athletes are among those plagued by eating disorders, missing periods, and broken bones - INSIDER

Recently, a new study that appears in the journal Nature, focuses on stem cell therapy and shows unexpected ways in which it may be helpful in recovering the health of the heart. Stem cell therapy has become popular in the past few years due to its benefits for a big number of health conditions.

Currently, there is major ongoing research on stem cells since they are responsible for the regeneration of new cells and may play a fundamental role in understanding the development of a variety of different diseases as well as their potential treatments.

Some of the recent discoveries of medical science include using stem cells as regenerative medicine as they can be turned into particular types of cells that may be able to replace tissues damaged as a result of health issues and thereby control the disease.

Read also:New Study Reveals Hydromethylthionine Slows Cognitive Decline and Brain Atrophy

The therapy can be specifically useful for people with conditions such as type 1 diabetes, spinal cord injuries, Alzheimers disease, Parkinsons disease, stroke, cancer, burns, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, heart disease, and osteoarthritis.

At the moment, the most successful procedure that involves stem cell therapy is performing a bone marrow transplant. This surgical operation replaces the cells which have been damaged during chemotherapy by programmed stem cells. People are usually able to maintain and live a normal life after recovery from the surgery.

Furthermore, stem cell usage in clinical trials designed for testing the effectiveness, safety, and potential negative impact of new drugs. To do so, the stem cells can be programmed into becoming the type of cells that the drug aims to target.

The new study, which was led by Jeffery Molkentin who is a professor of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) and the director of Molecular Cardiovascular Microbiology a Cincinnati Childrens Hospital Medical Center, takes data from a study from the same journal, Nature, from the years 2014 which was conducted by the same medical team.

In the new paper, the team with Molkentin as the principal investigator found some unexpected results. There were two types of stem cells in the clinical trial cardiac progenitor cells and bone marrow mononuclear cells.

The main objective of the new trial was to re-evaluate the results of the 2014 study, which showed that injecting c-kit positive heart stem in the heart does not help in the regeneration of cardiomyocytes, to see how the cell therapy can be made to be effective.

It was instead discovered that injecting an inert chemical called zymosan, which is designed particularly for inducing an innate immune response, or dead stem cells can also be beneficial for the recovery of heart as they may speed up the healing procedure.

Injecting either dead stem cells or zymosan led to a reduction in the development of cellular matrix connective tissue in the areas which had been damaged in the heart. In addition, the mechanical properties of the targeted scar also improved.

Another important finding was that chemical substances such as zymosan are required to be injected directly into the heart for optimum results. In previous clinical trials, direct injections were avoided for safety reasons.

Molkentin and the team state that follow-up studies and trials on this new discovery are imminent as they may be important for developing therapies in the future.

Read more here:
Stem Cell Therapy May Improve Heart Health In New Ways - TheHealthMania

This Mesenchymal Stem Cells research study consists of the historical data from and forecasts till 2026. The report is created keeping in mind to make it a valuable source of information for market specialists in readily accessible documents. The documents are curated with clearly presented graphs and figures.

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The global mesenchymal stem cells market size to reach USD 2,518.5 Million by 2026, growing at a CAGR of 7.0% during forecast period, according to a new research report published by Alexa Reports Research. The report Mesenchymal Stem Cells Market, [By Source (Bone Marrow, Umbilical Cord Blood, Peripheral Blood, Lung Tissue, Synovial Tissues, Amniotic Fluids, Adipose Tissues); By Application (Injuries, Drug Discovery, Cardiovascular Infraction, Others); By Region]: Market Size & Forecast, 2018 2026 provides an extensive analysis of present market dynamics and predicted future trends. The market was valued at USD 1,335.1 million in 2017. In 2017, the drug discovery application dominated the market, in terms of revenue. North America region is observed to be the leading contributor in the global market revenue in 2017.

are adult stem cells, which are traditionally found in the bone marrow. However, they can also be parted from other available tissues including peripheral blood, cord blood, fallopian tube. These stem cells mainly function for the replacement of damaged cell and tissues. The potential of these cell is to heal the damaged tissue with no pain to the individual. Scientists are majorly focusing on developing new and innovative treatment options for the various chronic diseases like cancer. Additionally, the local governments have also taken various steps for promoting the use of these stem cells.

The significant aspects that are increasing the development in market for mesenchymal stem cells consist of enhancing need for these stem cells as an efficient therapy option for knee replacement. Raising senior populace throughout the world, as well as increasing frequency of numerous persistent conditions consisting of cancer cells, autoimmune illness, bone and cartilage diseases are elements anticipated to enhance the market development throughout the forecast period. The mesenchymal stem cells market is obtaining favorable assistance by the reliable federal government policies, as well as funding for R&D activities which is anticipated to influence the market growth over coming years. According to the reports released by world health organization (WHO), by 2050 individuals aged over 60 will certainly make up greater than 20% of the globes population. Of that 20%, a traditional quote of 15% is estimated to have symptomatic OA, as well as one-third of these individuals are expected to be influenced by extreme specials needs. Taking into consideration all these aspects, the market for mesenchymal stem cells will certainly witness a substantial development in the future.

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Increasing demand for better healthcare facilities, rising geriatric population across the globe, and continuous research and development activities in this area by the key players is expected to have a positive impact on the growth of Mesenchymal Stem Cells market. North America generated the highest revenue in 2017, and is expected to be the leading region globally during the forecast period. The Asia Pacific market is also expected to witness significant market growth in coming years. Developing healthcare infrastructure among countries such as China, India in this region is observed to be the major factor promoting the growth of this market during the forecast period.

The major key players operating in the industry are Cell Applications, Inc., Cyagen Biosciences Inc. Axol Bioscience Ltd., Cytori Therapeutics Inc., Stem cell technologies Inc., Celprogen, Inc. BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics, Stemedica Cell Technologies, Inc. These companies launch new products and undertake strategic collaboration and partnerships with other companies in this market to expand presence and to meet the increasing needs and requirements of consumers.

Alexa Reports Research has segmented the global mesenchymal stem cells market on the basis of source type, application and region:

Mesenchymal Stem Cells Source Type Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2015 2026)

Bone MarrowUmbilical Cord BloodPeripheral BloodLung TissueSynovial TissuesAmniotic FluidsAdipose Tissues

Mesenchymal Stem Cells Application Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2015 2026)

InjuriesDrug DiscoveryCardiovascular InfractionOthers

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Thank you for your time. You can also ask for individual chapter wise or section or region wise report version.

About Us:Alexa Reports is a globally celebrated premium market research service provider, with a strong legacy of empowering business with years of experience. We help our clients by implementing decision support system through progressive statistical surveying, in-depth market analysis, and reliable forecast data. Alexa Reports is a globally celebrated premium market research service provider, with a strong legacy of empowering business with years of experience. We help our clients by implementing decision support system through progressive statistical surveying, in-depth market analysis, and reliable forecast data.

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Systematic analysis and evaluation of Mesenchymal Stem Cells Market with share, growth rate, Forecasts to 2026 - WindStreetz

Emi receives kisses from her adoptive parents, Jason and Katie Ballard, at the NIH Clinical Center as she gets ready to receive a lifesaving hematopoietic stem cell transplant, the only way to cure her fatal immune deficiency, using cells donated by her birth mom.

Emi smiles at The Children's Inn at NIH prior to undergoing a hematopoietic stem cell transplant, the only potential cure for her rare and deadly immune deficiency.

Bethesda, Maryland, Nov. 26, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- One Texas family has lots to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. Their daughter, now 13, is doing well after undergoing a bone marrow transplantthe only chance for a cure for her rare and deadly disease. But Emis story is not only a story about the triumph of medical research that is making her cure possibleits also a story about extraordinary parental love and sacrifices by her birth mom and her adoptive family that are giving this very ill girl the best chance at life. Emi's birth mom donated her stem cells to make the lifesaving transplant possible.

We are most thankful for an answer to years of prayers, Emis adoptive mom says. Emi got a new start at life, a rebirth day. Every holiday this year will be like the first. Were so grateful to the doctors, nurses and The Childrens Inn.

Emi and her family will be celebrating Thanksgiving at The Childrens Inn at NIH, a nonprofit hospitality house that provides free lodging and a wide variety of support services to families of children with rare and serious diseases whose best chance for a treatment is a clinical research study at the National Institutes of Health. Emi and her mom have spent several months at The Childrens Inn so far and bonded with other families. On Thanksgiving Day, families staying at The Childrens Inn who cannot go home for the holiday will be served a traditional Thanksgiving meal prepared by a group of dedicated volunteers.

It took two moms who love this little nugget to fight for her right to life, Emis adoptive mom says. We finally are getting to see that beautiful part of the story that we always knew was there.

Read Emis full story.

See photos of Emi and her family.

About The Childrens Inn at NIH:

The Childrens Inn at NIH provides free lodging and a wide range of supportive services to more than 1,500 children and their families every year whose best chance for a treatment is a clinical trial at the National Institutes of Health. Opened in 1990 and located across from the NIH Clinical Center, the worlds largest hospital dedicated entirely to medical research, The Childrens Inn has welcomed children from all 50 states and 94 countries. Children staying at The Childrens Inn are making important contributions to rare disease and cancer research, including the successful treatment of childhood leukemia, as well as treatments for HIV/AIDS, childhood asthma, bone and growth diseases, childhood onset schizophrenia and other mental health issues, neurofibromatosis type 1 and a wide variety of genetic and rare diseases. For more information, visit http://www.childrensinn.org. To support The Childrens Inn, make a donation at http://www.childrensinn.org/donate.

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The Best Thanksgiving - GlobeNewswire

Patient advocate and lung cancer survivor Nancy Cohen discusses living with stage 4 lung cancer.

Cohen served as keynote speaker during theCUREPatient-Focused Sessions at theNew York Lung Cancers Symposiumon Nov. 9, addressing a crowd of more than 80 patients with lung cancer, to help show that they can continue to live life as they wish and gather support from within the patient community.

In an interview with CURE, Cohen discussed the journey to becoming a patient advocate and how being involved with support groups gives her strength.

CURE: Can you tell us about your cancer journey?Cohen: My diagnosis was actually a little bit unusual in the sense that the story that many people tell is of a persistent cough or exhaustion or something, and sort of going doctor to doctor and taking a long time to find an answer. Mine was very fast. I felt a pain under my arm for a couple of days, a sharp pain. (I) took some Advil because I didn't know what else to do. Woke up on a Wednesday morning and it hurt to take a breath, which I knew was not a great sign and texted a close friend who's a pulmonologist. His response was, Nancy, you never complain. I'm sending you for a chest X-ray. And from that point, it was literally 48 hours from that text. I had a needle biopsy Thursday morning and results Friday.

I think it was the fact that the pulmonologist is a good friend of mine. I'm pretty sure that he called in every favor he's ever been owed by anyone in any lab to get everything happening that quickly. I think that was sort of why it happened so fast. And then obviously meeting with doctors and PET scans and brain scans and all of those attendant tests. That led to the discovery of the EGFR mutation that I had, and to the staging of the disease, and like so many others, it was not caught early, because there's no screening and I had zero risk factors for the disease. There would have been no reason currently to get screened, although I wish there had been. The disease had already spread to my brain and lymph nodes.

How did you cope with the new normal of having cancer?It took probably a good month or so to settle on a first-line treatment by the time we had all of these tests and everything else, so that month was definitely hectic. And then I was lucky lucky seems like a strange word to use but because I have this mutation, I was able to start on a targeted gene therapy on osimertinib (Tagrisso). It's an oral pill that I take every day and the side effects were really manageable. I would say (finding a new normal) was a gradual process for me and my family.

Did you lean on support groups or professionals to help you after diagnosis?Right from the beginning, I had a friend who had been diagnosed with lung cancer about two years before I had, and she was the one who made sure that I was getting the blood test that led to finding the genetic mutation. My doctor was already planning to do it, but she gave me the questions to ask to make sure that I was getting that. Because unfortunately, in many parts of our country, where you're diagnosed makes a big difference. This genetic profiling is not happening everywhere, and it is so crucial to get the right therapy for the specific mutation of the lung cancer.

When I started the TKI, I experienced side effects that I could go search in this Facebook group and see that I wasn't alone. I think the other thing that really is important is managing the mental health aspect of it. I started working with a therapist who specializes in oncology patients, and I think, we can talk about the stigma of lung cancer and the stigma of mental health and sort of making sure that neither of those is present because I think going through this is hard enough.

How did stigma affect you?When I was diagnosed and telling people other than my parents, literally every person I told the first question was, Did you smoke? I didn't. But really, why should that matter? Many years ago, I had a form of skin cancer. It was melanoma and (I) took it off and I'm fine. But you get melanoma, and no one says to you, Did you sit in the sun? Did you use baby oil? With that sort of a tone of voice that implies that you brought this on yourself.

I (recently) heard a statistic that 60% of patients with lung cancer are nonsmokers. So yes, smoking certainly is a contributing factor to lung cancer, but so are many other things. One of the issues of the stigma is the fact that it has led to, or because of the stigma, lung cancer receives so little funding and so little attention compared to how deadly it is.

How did you become a patient advocate?It took me a while before I was really ready to jump in. Shortly after I was diagnosed, the New York chapter of the American Lung Association sponsored a walk that I participated in and raised a lot of money, so they asked me to speak. That really was my first step into advocacy.

At the time, I was stable in my disease and my youngest child was graduating from high school and I was finishing up a big volunteer position, so it felt like a good time in my life to really jump into the advocacy waters more and do that with more purpose. And the summer had some health challenges in terms of my health and my treatments, so this fall has been really where I feel like I have stepped up.

I feel good now and I want to show people that this is what stage 4 lung cancer can look like. I hear from a lot of people wow because I think they're expecting me to look different than how I do. Being able to use my voice, raise money, raise awareness and be a resource for people who are newly diagnosed is important. I was really lucky to have people who helped me when I was in that position, and I feel lucky to be able to help those who are coming to me.

How can other patients who want to get involved in advocacy get started?There are many great organizations. American Lung Association is certainly one. There are events and walks, and other great opportunities for people to get involved. For example, if you're a part of a Facebook community and put it out there, Hey, I live in Chicago and I'd like to get more involved, is anyone out there?

Sadly, I think there are patients with lung cancer everywhere and opportunity for advocacy everywhere from the microlocal level. Live in a small town and have a small-town paper? There can be an editorial in that paper. And you can advocate to local elected officials at the state level for more funding and awareness.

Read more from the original source:
Patient Turned Advocate Raises Awareness for the Lung Cancer Community - Curetoday.com

If any phenomenon has played an unsung role in medical discoveries, it is serendipity. One such chance occurrence has now buoyed the hope of scientists struggling for years to find the holy grail of HIV research a possible cure.

It is heartening to note that worldwide, treatment and management of HIV has improved dramatically over the past two decades and people living with the disease are able to live longer and manage the disease with one pill as opposed to a cocktail of drugs at one point. However, HIV remains a global burden.

Stigma and ostracismcontinue to haunt sufferers, and in poorer countries, especially in Asia and Africa, the epidemic has remained the cruel adversary it always was.

Consider these numbers. According to UNAIDS 2018 figures, there are approximately 38 million people living withthe disease of which 36.2 million are adults and 1.7 million children. In 2018 alone, an estimated 1.7 million individuals were newly infected with the disease and the virus killed around a million people.

But first, the good news

However, there is considerable good news too. The number of Aids-related deaths has seen a huge drop of nearly 50 per cent from 2005 to 2017 worldwide. In India too, there has been a similar decrease with a 56 per cent decrease in deaths from 2010 to 2017. The number of new HIV infections in India also reduced from 1,20,000 to 88,000 in the same period.

This number crunching is important because it not only reveals the extent to which global HIV/Aids awareness campaigns have succeeded but also affirms the greatly improved efficacy of the Anti-Retroviral Treatment (ART).

In fact, so efficient is the treatment now that opinion is divided in the medical community about whether the research ought to focus on finding a cure or if the same money could be better utilised by making ART accessible to more people.

When I treated my first HIV patient way back in 1989, all we talked about was suffering and dying. Today, the atmosphere in my clinic is so positive some of my HIV patients have lived longer than those suffering from other chronic diseases like diabetes and hypertension, says Dr K S Satish, senior consultant pulmonologist at the Fortis Hospitals, Bangalore, who has had 30 years of experience in the field of HIV medicine and has been part of several clinical trials.

No longer a death sentence but...

Having said that, the doctor cautions that though HIV has ceased to be a death sentence as it were, when medications are not taken or when people do not have constant access to the pill, the risk of the virus rapidly taking over the infected body is real and alive.

As Consultant Physician Dr Shylaja Shyamsundar, who has long been treating HIV-infected patients at BGS Gleneagles Global Hospital, Bangalore, says,unlike other viruses, HIV-infected cells can hide and be virtually invisible to the bodys immune system and treatment therapies. Stop the pill and they come out of hiding and begin multiplying in billions. Not only that, they also turn mutant which is why complete compliance to the treatment is critical.

What ART does, explain the doctors, is suppress the multiplying of the virus; in other words, it keeps the devil under checkbut cannot (and does not)eliminate it.

It is precisely because ART cannotkill the virusthat eminent researchers like Prof John Frater of the University of Oxford are advocating for not takingthe hunt for a cure off the HIV agenda.

And with the unexpected discovery of a possible path to a cure, a surcharge of hope has run through the HIV/Aids research community, struggling for years to find a breakthrough.

What happened with the London patient?

Breaking down the complex procedures that led up to this discovery, Dr Satish explains how an infected person in the UK, identified only as the London patient was declared cured a few months earlier this year. This London Patient was diagnosed with HIV in 2003 and in 2012, it was discovered he had advanced Hodgkin lymphoma, the cancer of the immune system.

The only way to treat him was through intense chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant containing stem cells to rebuild his immune system. Doctors selected a donor with a rare genetic mutation that granted him resistance to HIV and thus the London patients immune system was rebuilt with HIV resistant cells.

A shift in focus

A decade earlier, exactly this procedure had been applied on another patient Timothy Ray Brown and he is today free of HIV. Curiously enough, researchers had failed many times to replicate the procedure on others till they finallyfound success with the London patient. (This is also why they are still to completely understand what exactly workedthis time around.)

Dr Shylaja adds that in March this year, doctors who treated the London patient announced that it has been 18 months since the HIV virus has been undetectable in his body and thus he could be considered cured.

In fact, withthis unexpected success, the focus of the research has shifted subtly to these aforementioned hiding cells.Technically known as latently-infected cells, these are the ones researchers are now looking to destroy to findthe all-elusive cure.While some researchers are using the shock and kill approach wherein they are trying to bring these hiding cells out in the open so that they can be eliminated, others are looking for ways to destroy them while they are in hiding itself.

Gene therapy to the rescue?

The exciting part is of course how they are planning to conduct this guerilla warfare through gene therapy and gene editing the sexiest areas of medical research today.

Evidently, as far as a cure for HIV/Aids is concerned, it is hope that ought to be garnished with a dose of realism. As some researchers put it, with the new successes, they have traversed a journey from mere aspiration to solid feasibility. And that itself has beena long and hard road.

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Are we any closer to a cure? - Deccan Herald