NEW YORK, Dec. 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ --Capt. Franz Almeida has a practiced eagle's eye, honed over thousands of flight hours as a pilot. Junaid Mian, RPh, understands the challenges inherent to maintaining human health through the lens of work as a pharmacist. Both followed unique paths, which led them to angel investing. The two met at the NY chapter of the Harvard Business School.

Together they identified a yawning gap between space technology and biotechparticularly longevityverticals. They recognized that the world's economy is in the throes of change so radical that future generations will see the 21st century as a clear delineation marking a decidedly Earthbound humanity split from humanity that can freely live in and explore space.

The space economy explosion is happening, and there is no better time to invest than as early on as possible during that explosion. The latest estimates of the global space economy are well over $400 billion, and if growth continues to accelerate, many analyses point to a $1 trillion space economy just around the corner. The human longevity market is nearly as massive: A Merrill Lynch analysis revealed that the sector generates over $110 billion annually now and is growing to over $600 billion by 2025.

Without massive and ongoing investment and progress across both space technology and human longevity verticals, we will never be able to truly unlock the potential that our Solar System, and our galaxy, holds.

"A big part of why progress against aging used to be so slow was that so few experts on aging had an engineer's way of thinking. The convergence of those communities is making all the difference."

Aubrey de Grey, VP of New Technology Discovery at AgeX Therapeutics, Inc and Chief Science Officer of the SENS Research Foundation and Human Longevity advisor at SP8CEVC

And that's where Junaid Mian, RPh, and Capt. Franz Almeida comes in. The pair's varied perspectives have been a decisive match when it comes to examining the potential in merging investments across the space tech and human longevity verticals. Almeida and Mian are launching a new Rolling Fund in partnership with AngelList, with an exacting focus on solving the problem that is the future of humankind.

Under the umbrella of SP8CEVC, LPs will be able to gain exposure to deals to empower growing ventures in space technology and human longevity. Why these two rather specific categories? Simple: Moving to an economy based on the resources of our entire Solar System enables a much more substantial timeline for humanity's existence, and biotechnology work in longevity enables people to live and work in space.

The SP8CEVC partners who initially started with a traditional fund structure have chosen to use AngelList's rolling fund Reg 506(c) model to open up investment possibilities in these most critical verticals. As a series of quarterly pooled investment funds, SP8CEVC will give investors access to their deal flow quarterly on a subscription basis.

This new structure accelerates the pace of investing and, as a benefit, also helps promote innovation in those businesses.

The SP8CEVC team launched yesterday at TechCrunch Sessions: SPACE 2020. Investors and LPs interested in setting the pace for future advancement can have access to SP8CEVC's deal flow before anyone else here.

Media Contact:Franz Almeida917-287-5674 [emailprotected]

SOURCE SP8CEVC

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Introducing SP8CEVC: The World's First Space Technology and Human Longevity Focused Rolling Fund in Partnership with AngelList - PRNewswire

Researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine will expand a statewide program to prevent driving under the influence of alcohol, cannabis and prescription drugs. With funding from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the UC San Diego Training, Research and Education for Driving Safety Program (TREDS) provides education and resources to teach the public about the dangers of driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs in an effort to keep our roadways safe.

In addition to alcohol, driving under the influence of cannabis and certain prescription or over-the-counter medications has rapidly become a serious traffic safety issue in the United States, especially during the global COVID-19 pandemic.

Linda Hill, MD, MPH, program director of TREDS and professor of family medicine at University of California San Diego Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity.Photo Credit: UC San Diego Health Sciences

An NHTSA study conducted at five hospital trauma centers between March and July of 2020 found that nearly two-thirds of seriously or fatally injured road users tested positive for at least one active drug, including alcohol, cannabis or opioids. The number of drivers that tested positive for opioids or cannabis dramatically increased after mid-March compared to the previous six months.

Stress, anxiety and depression are serious mental health concerns during the pandemic, and some are turning to alcohol, drugs and opioids to manage their emotions and then getting behind the wheel, said Linda Hill, MD, MPH, program director of TREDS and professor of family medicine at University of California San Diego Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity. Collisions due to driving under the influence are 100 percent preventable. Our behavior profoundly influences our crash risk. We can reduce this risk by providing intervention strategies.

TREDS develops traffic safety education programs and conducts train-the-trainer workshops to prepare law enforcement and health professionals to teach classes to the public. The focus of this years program includes the following:Delivering virtual workshops on a monthly basis with the goal of training professionals in every county in California. This is a major expansion from previous years, said Hill. The workshops will feature curricula that address the topics of distracted driving, pedestrian safety, older road user safety and driving under the influence of alcohol, cannabis and medications.Linking organizations, groups and educational institutions with professionals in their communities who have received training to deliver these prevention programs.

Experts like Hill remind the public that the potency of todays cannabis has increased dramatically in recent years and affects each person differently. The peak effect for smoking THC is approximately 10 minutes after inhaling and can last four to eight hours. For edibles, the peak effect may occur up to two hours after ingesting and may last 10 hours or longer.

Impairing effects are based on the strength of THC, personal tolerance and mode of use, said Hill. It is critical that we continue to collaborate with those on the frontlines of road safety and the health professionals who see the tragic results of impaired driving in our emergency room settings, so we can have a unified message to our community to drive safely and sober, alcohol and drug free.

For more information, to request a training or locate a class instructor, contact TREDS at 858-534-8386 or treds@ucsd.edu.

Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Originally posted here:
Program Expansion to Address Increase of Impaired Driving During Global COVID-19 Pandemic - UC San Diego Health

NEW YORK, Dec. 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ --Capt. Franz Almeida has a practiced eagle's eye, honed over thousands of flight hours as a pilot. Junaid Mian, RPh, understands the challenges inherent to maintaining human health through the lens of work as a pharmacist. Both followed unique paths, which led them to angel investing. The two met at the NY chapter of the Harvard Business School.

Together they identified a yawning gap between space technology and biotechparticularly longevityverticals. They recognized that the world's economy is in the throes of change so radical that future generations will see the 21st century as a clear delineation marking a decidedly Earthbound humanity split from humanity that can freely live in and explore space.

The space economy explosion is happening, and there is no better time to invest than as early on as possible during that explosion. The latest estimates of the global space economy are well over $400 billion, and if growth continues to accelerate, many analyses point to a $1 trillion space economy just around the corner. The human longevity market is nearly as massive: A Merrill Lynch analysis revealed that the sector generates over $110 billion annually now and is growing to over $600 billion by 2025.

Without massive and ongoing investment and progress across both space technology and human longevity verticals, we will never be able to truly unlock the potential that our Solar System, and our galaxy, holds.

"A big part of why progress against aging used to be so slow was that so few experts on aging had an engineer's way of thinking. The convergence of those communities is making all the difference."

Aubrey de Grey, VP of New Technology Discovery at AgeX Therapeutics, Inc and Chief Science Officer of the SENS Research Foundation and Human Longevity advisor at SP8CEVC

And that's where Junaid Mian, RPh, and Capt. Franz Almeida comes in. The pair's varied perspectives have been a decisive match when it comes to examining the potential in merging investments across the space tech and human longevity verticals. Almeida and Mian are launching a new Rolling Fund in partnership with AngelList, with an exacting focus on solving the problem that is the future of humankind.

Under the umbrella of SP8CEVC, LPs will be able to gain exposure to deals to empower growing ventures in space technology and human longevity. Why these two rather specific categories? Simple: Moving to an economy based on the resources of our entire Solar System enables a much more substantial timeline for humanity's existence, and biotechnology work in longevity enables people to live and work in space.

The SP8CEVC partners who initially started with a traditional fund structure have chosen to use AngelList's rolling fund Reg 506(c) model to open up investment possibilities in these most critical verticals. As a series of quarterly pooled investment funds, SP8CEVC will give investors access to their deal flow quarterly on a subscription basis.

This new structure accelerates the pace of investing and, as a benefit, also helps promote innovation in those businesses.

The SP8CEVC team launched yesterday at TechCrunch Sessions: SPACE 2020. Investors and LPs interested in setting the pace for future advancement can have access to SP8CEVC's deal flow before anyone else here.

Media Contact:Franz Almeida917-287-5674261710@email4pr.com

See original here:
Introducing the Launch of SP8CEVC's Rolling Fund in Partnership with AngelList - Salamanca Press

Covid-19 sucked most of the oxygen out of science this year. But we still had brilliant wins.

The pandemic couldnt bring rockets or humans down: multiple missions blasted off to the red planet in the summer of Mars. Two astronauts launched to the International Space Stationand made it safely backin a game-changer for commercial space travel. NASA released dozens of findings on how space travel changes our bodies, paving the way to keep us healthy in orbitor one day, on Mars and beyond.

Back on Earth, scientists scoured mud ponds and fished out a teeny-tiny CRISPR enzyme that packs a massive punch for genome editing. AI and neuroscience became even more entwinedsometimes literally. Biological neurons got hooked up to two silicon-based artificial neurons, across multiple countries, into a fully-functional biohybrid neural network. Others tapped dopaminethe main messenger for the brains reward systemto unite electricity and chemical computing into a semi-living computer. While still largely a curiosity, these studies take brain-inspired computers to another level by seamlessly incorporating living neurons into AI hardware. Now imagine similar circuits inside the brainNeuralink sure is.

More abstractly, biological and artificial brains further fed into each other in our understandingand craftingof intelligence. This year, scientists found mini-computers in the input tree-like branches of neurons. Like entire neural networks, these cables were capable of performing complex logical calculations, suggesting our brain cells are far brainier than we previously thoughtsomething AI can learn from. On the flip side, a hotshot algorithm inspired by the brain called reinforcement learning pushed neuroscientists to re-examine how we respond to feedback as we learn. AI also helped build the most dynamic brain atlas to date, a living map that can continuously incorporate new data and capture individual differences.

As we leave 2020 behind, two main themes percolate in my mind, not just for what theyve accomplished, but as indicators of what lies ahead. These are the trends Ill be keeping my eyes on in the coming year.

Why we age is extremely complex. So are methods that try to prevent age-related diseases, or slow the aging process itself. This nth-dimensional complexity almost dictates that longevity research needs to self-segregate into lanes.

Take probing the biological mechanisms that drive aging. For example, our cells energy factory spews out bullet-like molecules that damage the cell. The genome becomes unstable. Cells turn zombie-like. Working stem cells vanish. Tissue regeneration suffers. Scientists often spend entire careers understanding one facet of a single hallmark of aging, or hunting for age-related genes. The lucky ones come up with ways to combat that one foefor example, senolytics, a family of drugs that wipe out zombie cells to protect against age-related diseases.

But aging hallmarks dont rear their heads in isolation. They work together. An increasing trend is to unveil the how of their interactions workcrosstalk, in science-speakwith hopes of multiple birds with one stone.

This year, longevity researchers crossed lanes.

One study, for example, took a stem cell playbook to rejuvenate eyesight in aged mice with vision loss. They focused on a prominent aging hallmark: epigenetics. Our DNA is dotted with thousands of chemical marks. As we age, these marks accumulate. Using gene therapy, the team introduced three superstar genes into the eyes of aged mice to revert those marks and reprogram cells to a younger state. Youve probably heard of those genes: theyre three of the four factors used to revert adult skin cells into a stem-cell-like state, or iPSCs (induced pluripotent stem cells). Resetting the epigenetic clock was so powerful it improved visual acuity in old mice, and the team has now licensed the tech to Life Biosciences in Boston to further develop for humans.

Another study combined three main puzzle pieces in agingzombie cells, inflammation, and malfunctioning mitochondriainto a full picture, with the surprise ending that senolytics has multiple anti-aging powers in cells. Talk about killing two birds with one stone. Finally, one team (which I was a part of) combined two promising approaches for brain rejuvenationexercise and young bloodto begin pushing the limits of reigniting faltering memory and cognition due to aging.

Longevity research has long been fragmented, but its starting to coalesce into a multidisciplinary field. These crossovers are just the start of a rising trajectory to combat the multi-headed Hydra thats aging. More will come.

If youre looking for a sign that AI is leaving the digital realm of Atari games and heading into the real world, this year was it.

In biotech, theres no doubt of AIs promise in drug discovery or medical diagnoses. In late 2019, a team used deep learning and generative modelssimilar to AlphaGo, the DeepMind algorithm that trounced humans at Go and wiped the Atari libraryto conjure over 30,000 new drug molecules, a feat chemists could only dream of. This year, the viral hurricane thats Covid-19 further unleashed AI-based drug discovery, such as screening existing drugs for candidates that may work against the virus, or newlydesigned chemicals to fight off SARS-CoV-2 infectionthe virus that causes Covid-19.

For now, we dont yet have an AI-designed drug on the market, an ultimate test for the technologys promise. However, although AI wasnt able to make a splash in our current pandemic battle, the scene is set for tackling the next oneand drug discovery as a whole.

In contrast, AI-based medical diagnosis had a resounding win. This year, the FDA approved a software that uses AI to provide real-time guidance for ultrasound imaging for the heart, essentially allowing those without specialized training to perform the test. The approval brings a total of 29 FDA-approved AI-based medical technologies to date. Even as the debate on trust, ethics, and responsibility for AI doctors cranked up in temperature, the Pandoras box has been opened.

Medicine aside, deep learning further honed its craft in a variety of fields. The neuroscience-AI marriage is one for the ages with no signs of fracture. Outside the brain, AI also gave synthetic biology a leg up by parsing the interactions between genes and genetic networksa mind-bending, enormously complex problem previously only achieved through trial and error. With help from AI, synthetic biologists can predict how changes to one gene in a cell could affect others, and in turn, the cells biochemistry and behavior. Bottom line: it makes designing new biological circuits, such as getting yeast to pump out green fuels or artificially hoppy beer, much easier.

But the coup de grce against AI as an overhyped technology is DeepMinds decimation of a 50-year-long challenge in biology. With a performance that shocked experts, DeepMinds AlphaFold was able to predict a proteins 3D structure from its amino acid sequencethe individual components of a proteinmatching the current gold standard. As the workhorses of our bodies, proteins dictate life. AlphaFold, in a sense, solved a huge chunk of the biology of life, with implications for both drug discovery and synthetic biology.

One more scientific brilliance this year is the use of light in neuroscience and tissue engineering. One study, for example, used lasers to directly print a human ear-like structure under the skin of mice, without a single surgical cut. Another used light to incept smell in mice, artificially programming an entirely new, never-seen-in-nature perception of a scent directly into their brains. Yet another study combined lasers with virtual reality to dissect how our brains process space and navigation, mentally transporting a mouse to a virtual location linked to a reward. To cap it off, scientists found a new way to use light to control the brain through the skull without surgerythough as of now, youll still need gene therapy. Given the implications of unauthorized mind control, thats probably less of a bug and more of a feature.

Were nearing the frustratingly slow, but sure, dying gasp of Covid-19. The pandemic defined 2020, but science kept hustling along. I cant wait to share what might come in the next year with youmay it be revolutionary, potentially terrifying, utterly bizarre* or oddly heart-warming.

* For example, Why wild giant pandas frequently roll in horse manure. Yes thats the actual title of a study. Yes, its a great read. And yes, its hilarious but has a point.

Image Credit: Greyson Joralemon on Unsplash

Read the rest here:
2020 in Neuroscience, Longevity, and AIand What's to Come - Singularity Hub

Since 1961, more than 500 humans have flown into space. However, only 20 astronauts have stayed more than 90 days on long-duration space missions. If humans will one day travel to and from Mars, the round-trip will take 3 years. It is essential then, before those crew members ever launch, that we understand the effects long duration spaceflight has on the human body.

This unique environment consists of extreme conditions such as weightlessness, high radiation, variations in extreme temperature and pressure, among other health stressors. Long duration space flight significantly affects astronaut body mass index and what genes are expressed. Changes in metabolism, vascular health, the gastrointestinal microbiome, and cognitive performance were also observed during spaceflight. These adverse effects resolve upon return to earth as astronauts maintain vigorous exercise and nutrition programs for rehabilitation.

To study in depth the changes taking place in the human body over such a long mission in space, researchers need to look at everything from genetics to body mass. Among the Astronaut corps, NASA had a unique opportunity a set of genetically identical twin astronauts, Scott and Mark Kelly. For 340 days, Scott would be on the International Space Station (ISS), while Mark remained on Earth, both undergoing the same medical analyses, pre-flight, in-flight, and post-flight to catalog the changes between the two.

The results were obtained from samples including saliva, stool, skin, urine and blood. Different molecular level techniques, cognitive tests, and biometric tests were used to understand the genetic, physiological and psychological changes in the astronauts.

The astronauts experienced changes in the expression of over 800 genes during spaceflight. Most of the genes returned to normal after flight, but some did not leading to changes in astronauts genetics and physiology. Space radiation may have damaged their DNA.

The midflight flu vaccination administered by the astronauts worked exactly as it does on Earth. This suggests the primary immune system functions were maintained during the flight, and vaccines were still an effective tool for protection.

Genes related to inflammation were more active, which may result from the human body reacting to long duration space flight. Researchers suggest telomeres (a region of DNA at the end of a chromosome) act as an aging clock in every cell, as we grow older our telomeres grow shorter. Telomere elongation was observed in space, but we cannot conclude that space is a miraculous location that adds to human longevity. Elongation may be due to the exercise and calorie-regulation astronauts maintain inflight.

A rapid shortening of telomeres in less than 45 hours was observed upon astronaut return to Earth, likely due to the extreme stresses associated with landing. Mainly the longer telomeres are associated with healthy lifestyle factors such as good nutrition and regular physical activity. However, it is unknown if telomere lengthening and shortening relate to aging in this case, because of the lack of research conducted on telomeres in microgravity.

Spaceflight might have effects on learning and cognition. The in-space astronaut could complete learning and work tasks with greater speed and accuracy, concluding that spaceflight may affect cognition positively.

Bone density is of great concern for space biology researchers. It is well known that spaceflight causes rapid loss of bone density, decreased muscle mass, and weight loss. These are common physiological changes observed in astronauts due to changes in gene and hormone regulation in space. Furthermore, due to microgravity, blood and fluids move from lower to upper body called headward fluid shift causing an appearance of a puffy face and skinny legs. This fluid shift may lead to increased pressure in the veins and capillaries of the eyes causing vision problems in astronauts.

Research also suggests astronauts are at high risk for dehydration, evidenced by changes in the gene AQP2, which regulates water reabsorption in the body and is a useful indicator of hydration status. On the ISS, the isolated and confined environment of the astronauts puts them in a degree of psychological stress. Meanwhile, eating only freeze-dried or heat-stabilized prepackaged food in space is different from what astronauts are used to eating on Earth. These psychological and nutritional stressors in astronauts negatively affect the function of beneficial gut microbes. This change in the gut microbiome results in alterations of immunity, physiology, and even psychological well-being.

The NASA twin study generated unique biomedical data on the effect of a year-long spaceflight on the human body. Most of the biological changes returned to baseline after the 340-day space mission, suggesting that human health can be mostly sustained over this spaceflight duration. As the researchers suggest, the space environment leads to potential health risks. Exercise, a good diet, and personalized medicine will make multi-year space exploration safe for astronauts. These advancements also have the potential to improve Earth medicine as well.

Read this article:
How does the human body react to being in space? - Sciworthy

The rapid adoption of telemedicine and digital health during COVID-19 pandemic is remarkable, yet unsurprising. In the years preceding the health crisis we now find ourselves in, a paradigm shift in health care toward digitization was percolating. Structural trends like health care inequality, human longevity, systemic inefficiency, and improving connectivity served as kindling for the seemingly inevitable, albeit gradual adoption of technology in the sector.

2020's global lockdowns and widespread infection fears ignited said kindling. Since March, we've witnessed levels of technological disruption typical of years, not mere months. FAIR Health reports telemedicine claim lines increased about 84x from April 2019 to April 2020.1 Artificial intelligence (A.I.)-equipped health care analytics software became a valuable tool for drug and vaccine development, symptom identification, and hospital triaging.2 Connected devices like health tracking wearables and smart thermometers became commonplace, while those found in remote intensive care units allowed doctors to treat patients without risking their own health. In other words, telemedicine and digital health arrived.

In the following piece, we explore four key companies at the center of this rapidly emerging theme.

Teladoc Health (NYSE:TDOC) is a telemedicine company that connects patients with health care providers over the phone, through video chat, and on the Teladoc platform. Teladoc's primary services include:

Usage of Teladoc's platform has surged through the pandemic as patients seek medical care without risking infection from in-person visits. In Q2 2020, during pandemic's initial surge, Teladoc provided 2.8 million virtual health care visits, up 200% year-over-year (YoY).6 Many expected visits to decrease as COVID-19 infections subsided over the summer, but Q3 usage levels remained steady with Teladoc yet again recording another 2.8 million.7 As of the end of Q3, Teladoc had 51.5 million members, up 47% YoY. Also of note, in October, Teladoc completed its acquisition of remote health monitoring company, Livongo (NASDAQ:LVGO), for $18.5B in cash and stock. The deal integrates Livongo's established remote monitoring technology with Teladoc's telemedicine infrastructure, broadening and possibly solidifying Teladoc's standing as a leader in virtual care.8

Nuance Communications (NASDAQ:NUAN) offers a suite of products that enable digital transformation in health care, spanning the health care analytics and administrative digitization segments. These include:

Nuance's health care analytics and administrative digitization products continued to show strength throughout the pandemic. In Q4 of their 2020 fiscal year, Nuance reported continued growth for Dragon Medical One (DMO), with penetration in the US reaching 43% and with segment revenues growing 26% YoY. The product is growing internationally, too, reaching 14 countries and showing notable strength in the United Kingdom. DMO's strength comes in tandem with increased adoption of Nuance's cloud-based health care platform, with both products benefitting from shared synergies and the general trend of digitization.

iRhythm Technologies (NASDAQ:IRTC) develops and sells solutions for monitoring cardiac health and detecting cardiac arrhythmias. Their products include:

In Q2 2020, in the midst of the pandemic, iRhythm's leadership noted how the current environment offers "considerable potential for structural changes to how healthcare is delivered, and that will play to the strengths of [their] digital platform."14 Q3 validated this sentiment with a significant number of clients prescribing Zio at a higher clip than at the beginning of the year, despite the pandemic easing during the quarter. Additionally, the rise of telemedicine drove greater enrollments on the Zio platform, illustrating how the theme's sub-segments are both enablers and beneficiaries of each other.

Invitae Corporation (NYSE:NVTA) provides patients and providers with germline genetic testing and offers libraries of genetic data for health care provider implementation. Invitae's data provides insights around the risk of developing cancer and other diseases based on mutations found in cellular DNA. This can be extremely useful for patients looking to proactively understand their health risks and for providers looking to offer their patients the best care available.

Genetic data has become increasingly valuable during the pandemic as it is becoming apparent that certain genetic risks increase the lethality of COVID-19. Invitae's Q3 2020 results reflect these developments as testing volumes grew 32% YoY and 41% compared to the previous quarter. Additionally, Invitae closed on a $1.4B deal to acquire Archer DX, increasing their offering to include somatic testing which looks at genetic changes seen in tumors. The potential market for genetic testing is vast, and companies like Invitae are making this technology and information more readily available to patients around the world.15

Despite impressive advancements in recording and analyzing health care data and in connected medical devices, the healthcare sector was slow to embrace the digital transformation offered by these technologies for many years. The COVID-19 pandemic finally put this disruption in motion. As illustrated by the compelling products and services mentioned above, solutions that enable remote medicine, advanced patient monitoring, A.I.-driven insights, and streamlined healthcare administration are rapidly being implemented around the world. In our view, the benefits seen by patients, providers, and payers will continue to drive the theme's growth moving forward.

FOOTNOTES

1. Fair Health, "Telehealth Claim Lines Increase 8,336 Percent Nationally from April 2019 to April 2020," July 7, 2020.

2. The Medical Futurist, "The (Sober) State of Artificial Intelligence in the Fight Against COVID-19," April 14, 2020.

3. Teladoc, "Virtual Primary Care," 2020.

4. Teladoc, "What We Do," 2020.

5. Ibid.

6. Teladoc Q2 Earnings Call

7. Teladoc Q3 Earnings Call

8. Med City News, "Teladoc, Livongo finalize $18.5B merger," Oct 30, 2020.

9. Nuance Communications, "Provider Solutions," 2020.

10. Ibid.

11. Ibid.

12. iRhythm, "Zio XT," 2020.

13. iRhythm, "The Zio Service," 2020.

14. iRhythm Q2 Earnings Call

15. Invitae Q3 Earnings Call

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4 Companies At The Center Of The Telemedicine And Digital Health Revolution - Seeking Alpha

As we look forward to 2021, many of us have started to think about New Year's resolutions. For those of us looking to lose weight over the next twelve months, a brand new diet can not only help us hit our weight loss goals, but also introduces us to new foods, raises our energy levels, and helps us live longer, more fulfilled lives. And yet, if you decide to embark on a brand new diet, figuring out which plan to follow can feel mind-boggling. Trying to sort between the best diets to live longer and the not-so-great fad diets only makes losing weight that much harder.

So if you feel overwhelmed by the world of dieting and have no idea of where to start, have no fear! To help streamline your weight loss process and guarantee a long and healthy life, we talked to a wide range of registered dietitians, nutritionists, and medical doctors to assemble the top six diets that help you live longer. By eating healthy and exercising regularly, you can stay one step ahead of weight gain and keep moving for decades to come.

Read on to learn which six diets can help you live longer, and for even more healthy tips, be sure to check out our list of The 7 Healthiest Foods to Eat Right Now.

"The Mediterranean diet has consistently been ranked by US News & World Report as the world's best overall diet," says Lexi Endicott, RD, LD, and culinary nutrition specialist for To Taste. "Rather than a diet in the traditional sense in which you go on it to eventually go off it, the Mediterranean Diet is a simple and sustainable eating pattern that can be followed for life. This eating pattern emphasizes consuming a variety of plant foodsa plant-forward diet, so to speak."

If you feel ready to take the plunge, the nutritional benefits of this eating plan can keep you healthy for years.

"These healthful foods [and] ingredients are rich in vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals (i.e. antioxidants) that decrease risk of developing many chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and Alzheimer's," says Endicott. "The more disease-free years someone can add to their life, the better!"

If you want to really super boost your chances for longevity, check out our list of 20 Foods You Should Be Eating Every Day for a Longer Life.

Eating less can definitely help you lose weight, but it might also keep you around much longer.

"The diet that has the most empirical evidence in regards to increasing life expectancy is intermittent fasting or even fasting in general," says Dr. Alexander Lightstone Borsand, MD. "Animal studies have shown that the less often animals eat, the longer they live in comparison to animals fed more regularly. The most notable study in humans followed 2,000 patients after cardiac catheterization and showed an increased lifespan in patients who regularly fasted."

"Another animal study showed that mice that were fed once a day had an 11% increase in lifespan as compared to the mice fed multiple times a day," says Dr. Borsand. "This is a significant increase in lifespan and warrants further human studies."

Here are7 Science-Backed Benefits of Intermittent Fasting.

If you haven't heard of the DASH diet, get ready for an eating plan that can change your life. The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension diet encourages the consumption of foods that lower blood pressure has taken off in recent years, and can do some wonders.

"The science is very clear that a plant-based or plant-forward diet is quite remarkable for its positive impact on longevity and healthspan," says Dr. Nicole Harkin, MD, FACC, founder and cardiologist of Whole Heart Cardiology. "This diet is high in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes/beans, nuts, and seeds while minimizing or eliminating animal products and processed packaged foods."

"Numerous epidemiologic studieshave demonstrated that an increased intake of plant-based foods results in reduced risk of cardiovascular and other causes of death," says Dr. Harkin. "We also see a decreased risk of obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, and inflammation. While not all individuals may not be ready to go completely plant-based, working on incorporating as many plant-based foods and #meatlessmondays is a great first step!"

Here is Everything You Need to Know About the DASH Diet.

What do Greece, Japan, Italy, California, and Costa Rica have in common? These areas constitute Blue Zonesareas of the world with the highest concentration of centenarians. In order to live like someone who could reach 100, you need to eat like someone who can reach 100, and this diet helps you do just that!

"The Blue Zones have several lifestyle factors in common which appear to contribute to the longevity and increased likelihood of living to 100 years of age," says Dr. Christine Bishara, MD, founder of From Within Medical. "Their diets are composed of fresh whole foods which are primarily plant-based and also include nuts, legumes, and olive oil. They incorporate minimal red meat with the majority of the animal protein components coming from pescetarian options."

They do not eat heavy meals late in the day or close to bedtime," says Dr. Bishara. "They practice socially based eating and have strong ties to their community. This has been studied numerous times as a major factor in longevity including another study called 'The Roseto Effect'[ and] they live in areas with ease of daily walking as a form of exercise. This seems to also be another well-studied contributor to longevity."

People in the blue zone typically eat this One Food You Should Be Eating Every Day For a Longer Life.

"Though it sounds like the latest trend, the carnivore diet is a diet that was followed for ages," Dr. Rashmi Byakod said. "The human race evolved from eating raw and cooked meat. In the olden days, there was no agriculture, and plant food was the least consumed. Meat foods are highly nutritious and carry numerous health benefits."

If you ever considered yourself a "meatatarian" you might actually be onto something.

"The aging process indicates impairment of mitochondrial function, reduced antioxidant effect, and increased oxidative stress," says Dr. Byakod. "Selenium and Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) present in meats have antioxidant effects helping in longevity and wellbeingOther than these, meats are a good source of vitamin D, omega 3 amino acids, and various other nutrients. Adapting to a carnivore diet can help you meet all the nutritional requirements of your body."

If you love the idea of the Mediterranean diet, but don't want to cut our dairy, this diet will make you swoon.

"Dairy, especially full-fat dairy, contains healthy fats, calcium, and other nutrients that are recommended for a healthy diet," says Lisa Richards, CNC. "It is easy to integrate more servings of dairy into the traditional Mediterranean diet through cheeses, yogurt, and dairy-based sauces."

"Adding dairy to the Mediterranean Diet could make it more sustainable long-term, especially for women who need the added calcium and vitamin D," says Richards. "The fat content may deter some people as it adds additional fat to an already moderate fat diet, however, easy exchanges can be made to ensure a balance of fish and plant fat with added dairy."

"As with any diet, moderation is important," says Richards. "The foods recommended on the Mediterranean Diet are not shown to be unhealthy for your heart. However, the dieter should make sure they are still staying within their calorie limits, especially with fat content, to avoid any negative side effects."

For more on the Candida Diet: This Is Everything You Should Eat and Why, According to Experts.

Continued here:
The 6 Best Diets That Will Make You Live Longer, Say Dietitians - Eat This, Not That

Adrenomyeloneuropathy is a rare genetic neuro-degenerative disease. Adrenomyeloneuropathy is the adult onset of adrenoleukodystrophy caused by the mutation in ABCD1 gene occurs usually in young boys. Adrenomyeloneuropathy disease affect the nerve cells in the spine and brain and the adrenal glands. Adrenomyeloneuropathy symptoms includes stiffness, weakness and pain in the legs. Adrenomyeloneuropathy is also known as progressive spastic paraparesis. Damage to the nerves of the legs which causes unsteadiness and fall, also the bladder, bowel and sexual organs are affected by the adrenomyeloneuropathy. Rare diseases affect vast numbers of people, with current data representing 30 million sufferers in the EU alone and 30 million affected in the US. There is no cure to Adrenomyeloneuropathy. However some treatment might stop the progression of Adrenomyeloneuropathy such as stem cell transplants. Blood testing, MRI test, vision screening and Skin biopsy and fibroblast cell culture are done for the diagnosis for the adrenomyeloneuropathy. Continued advances in the treatment of adrenomyeloneuropathy will further propel the adrenomyeloneuropathy treatment market.

Growing cases of rare disease and development of new and advanced treatment for rare disease is expected to boost the adrenomyeloneuropathy treatment market. Growing preference for healthy lifestyle and favorable government regulation spur the Adrenomyeloneuropathy treatment market in the forecast period. Development of new technology and devices for the diagnosis of genetic disorders will propel the adrenomyeloneuropathy treatment market. Rising focus on the research and development of new therapeutic and drug treatment and growing government funding for the orphan drug is expected to drive the adrenomyeloneuropathy treatment market.

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However, stringent regulations for the drug development and high cost of associated with the treatment is expected to hinder the adrenomyeloneuropathy treatment market.

The global adrenomyeloneuropathy treatment market is segmented on basis of disease type, drug type and end user and geography.

Development of novel drugs and undergoing clinical trial for the rare disease is expected to boost adrenomyeloneuropathy treatment market. More than 3,000 drugs are in active development for one of the rare disease. Progress in genomics and biomedical science for the development of rare disease drug is expected to spur the adrenomyeloneuropathy treatment market. Various pharmaceutical companies are focusing on developing drug for the low prevalence disease types and rising funding and collaboration among the key players and government is expected to spur the adrenomyeloneuropathy treatment market.

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The North America market for adrenomyeloneuropathy treatment is expected to retain its dominance, owing to increasing patient pool for rare disease, increasing government funding to accelerate the research and development for rare disease. According to Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center, more than 25 million Americans are suffering from rare disease in United States.Europe is expected to account for the second largest share in the global adrenomyeloneuropathy treatment market owing to growing clinical trial funding programs for orphan drug development and high prevalence of adrenomyeloneuropathy and high treatment seeking rate. Asia Pacific is expected to show significant growth, owing to increasing diagnosis rate and improvement in healthcare infrastructure. China is expected to show significant growth in the adrenomyeloneuropathy treatment market, due to rising population improving R&D capability, increasing per capita heath spending. Latin America and Middle East & Africa is expected to show growth owing to lack of diagnosis and inadequate healthcare facilities and lack of skilled physicians for Adrenomyeloneuropathy Treatment market.

Examples of some of the key manufacturer present in the global adrenomyeloneuropathy treatment market are Ascend Biopharmaceuticals, Novadip Biosciences, Eureka Therapeutics, Human Longevity, Regeneus, Allogene Therapeutics, BioRestorative Therapies, Immatics Biotechnologies, NewLink Genetics, Cytori Therapeutics, Talaris Therapeutics among others.

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Originally posted here:
The Adrenomyeloneuropathy Treatment Market to grow on an emphatic note from 2019 to 2029 - PharmiWeb.com

The lovely thing about the American Constitution is that it is based on the premise that all residents have the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

And that is it.

It is left up to us on how to make that life and pursue that happiness in a way that affords others to do the same. It leaves lots of room for people to live different ways, and the differences in those ways has lead to a richly, unique American culture in which people have raised the standard of living higher than any time or place in the world. But a new wave of thought demonstrates the erosion of those freedoms, and the right to have differences although publicly touted are actually being denounced. Although The Citizen has chosen to just print letters to the editor from local residents or from people referencing something specific to Franklin County, a recent letter to the editor, from a resident of Woods Cross, Utah, illustrates these differences in thought:

Dear Editor,

The Intermountain states have returned to their original wild west status in this country. Apparently wanting to disaffiliate from statehood and revert to territorial status, these loosely-organized populations are once again proving to be ungovernable.

Utah, Idaho, Arizona, Wyoming and Nevada provide a friendly home-base to a nest of anti-intellectual, anti-law, fox-hole libertarians, shored up in their weekday beliefs by a hard dose of Sunday free agency theology.

Forming up a substantial minority in the area, these folks are anti-union, anti-public school, anti-science, anti-federal lands, anti-environment, anti-ERA, anti-gay, anti-bankruptcy, anti-civil government, and anti-law enforcement. Antipathy for traditional American society here goes down to the level of abhorrence of safety inspections on cars, and standard speed limits on freeways.

Story continues below video

The core states, extending north into Montana and the Dakotas, have now come out as anti-health and anti-human longevity. As long as the regions overburdened hospital census does not threaten service to the non-Covid sickly, the overall policy of the territory is to allow its older citizens to die off without substantial public health intervention.

Would someone please start the interview process for a sheriff or two to civilize this place?

Sincerely,

Kim Shinkoskey

Whether one agrees or not, its always good for one to know the thought process of those around them. As the saying goes:

Watch your thoughts, they become your words; watch your words, they become your actions...

- Lao Tzu, 300 AD

Original post:
It's good to know how others think | Preston Citizen | hjnews.com - The Herald Journal

WISeCoin, the Innovative Tokenized Service of WISeKey, Authenticates People, Products and Machines Using Blockchain and AI

WISeKey allows Connected Electric Cars to Pay with WISeCoin Cryptocurrencies at Autonomous Electric Charging Stations

ZUG, Switzerland December 21, 2020 WISeKey International Holding (WISeKey, SIX: WIHN, NASDAQ: WKEY), a leading cybersecurity IoT company, today announced that its WISeCoin IoT solution enables secure people-to-people, people-to-machines and machines-to-machines digital communications using blockchain and AI technologies.

WISeKey combines its blockchain technology, with extensive experience in digital identities and PKI, and expertise with secure microcontrollers, to create a tokenized service offering, the WISeCoin utility token. WISeCoin provides an innovative way to verify connected objects wanting to interact with one another. Through this unique service offering, WISeCoin AG, a Special Purpose vehicle created by WISeKey to build the infrastructure for secure intra-object interactions and transactions, aims at becoming the ubiquitous industry solution for facilitating secure IoT interactions.

The solutions provided by WISeCoin AG allows any person, object or machine to exchange information or value in a trusted manner while significantly reducing the risk of malicious cyber threats, frauds and hacks. WISeCoins are however not a means of payment, but a service offering. It is enabled through the token which is stored in a digital wallet and entitles the holder to the service offering of the WISeCoin. The token is indifferent to the wallet provider and can be incorporated into any ERC-20 compatible wallet.

The WISeCoin Validation Service uses AI provided by HIRO (via the certificates validation authority) to analyze the digital certificate of different actors and recognize and trust the identity of other parties they are interacting with. To do this, WISeCoin token gives its token holders (stored on digital wallets) access to the WISeKey Public Key Infrastructure (PKI), which provides the verification service in order to mitigate malicious actors and hackers from compromising interactions.

Objects send the validation authority the third partys public key and the digital certificate for validation. WISeKey checks that the corresponding public key holds a valid WISeCoin and if so, the identity is verified. In order to get the verification, the object making the request needs to hold at least 1 WISeCoin in its wallet, which is valid for 12 months or 100 requests. WISeCoin AG can, over time, adjust the number of tokens required to get verified, the longevity of the token and entitled verifications per token. The WISeCoin Validation Service is used for the verification of the validity of digital identity of the object in real time, thus ensuring secure use of digital identities for authentication of an object connected to the Internet and the activation of attributes such as digital signing, transactions, or sending WISeCoin Machine to Machine Cryptocurrency technology allows connected cars to pay with WISeCoin at the Electric Charging Stations, completing the transaction without using credit cards or any other traditional payment. Connected car owners can charge their cars and pay by transferring WISeCoins via NFC technology, from their car wallet to the electric charging station.

WISeKey is already providing the integration of WISeKey IoT and PKI in the manufacturers connected car solutions allowing them to authenticate legitimate car components and enabling owners to securely interact with the cars smart features. The fact that the electric car includes a WISeKey digital certificate stored on a WISeKey microchip acting as a secure hardware module it allows to send securely the WISeCoins required to execute the payment transaction between the electric car and the electric charger without any intermediaries or paying any transactional fees.

WISeCoin also includes an unforgeable digital identification for the ecar and echarger, securing both. Virtually all new cars on the market today include electronic technologies that could pose vulnerabilities to hacking or privacy intrusions if data security is not addressed. For example, smart cars without cybersecurity protection technology could allow hackers to gain remote access by exploiting vulnerabilities in their ecosystem of connected components and online services. As the number of cars connected to the Internet is growing quickly smart car manufactures are working to identify and reduce potential hacking vulnerabilities in their vehicles.

About WISeKey

WISeKey (NASDAQ: WKEY; SIX Swiss Exchange: WIHN, NASDAQ: WKEY) is a leading global cybersecurity company currently deploying large scale digital identity ecosystems for people and objects using Blockchain, AI and IoT respecting the Human as the Fulcrum of the Internet. WISeKey microprocessors secure the pervasive computing shaping todays Internet of Everything. WISeKey IoT has an install base of over 1.5 billion microchips in virtually all IoT sectors (connected cars, smart cities, drones, agricultural sensors, anti-counterfeiting, smart lighting, servers, computers, mobile phones, crypto tokens etc.). WISeKey is uniquely positioned to be at the edge of IoT as our semiconductors produce a huge amount of Big Data that, when analyzed with Artificial Intelligence (AI), can help industrial applications to predict the failure of their equipment before it happens.Our technology is Trusted by the OISTE/WISeKeys Swiss based cryptographic Root of Trust (RoT) provides secure authentication and identification, in both physical and virtual environments, for the Internet of Things, Blockchain and Artificial Intelligence. The WISeKey RoT serves as a common trust anchor to ensure the integrity of online transactions among objects and between objects and people. For more information, visitwww.wisekey.com.

Press and investor contacts:

Disclaimer:

This communication expressly or implicitly contains certain forward-looking statements concerning WISeKey International Holding Ltd and its business. Such statements involve certain known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which could cause the actual results, financial condition, performance or achievements of WISeKey International Holding Ltd to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. WISeKey International Holding Ltd is providing this communication as of this date and does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements contained herein as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

This press release does not constitute an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, any securities, and it does not constitute an offering prospectus within the meaning of the Swiss Financial Services Act (FinSA), the FinSAs predecessor legislation or advertising within the meaning of the FinSA, or within the meaning of any other securities regulation. Investors must rely on their own evaluation of WISeKey and its securities, including the merits and risks involved. Nothing contained herein is, or shall be relied on as, a promise or representation as to the future performance of WISeKey.

The securities offered will not be, and have not been, registered under the United States of America Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and may not be offered or sold in the United States of America, absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements of said Act.

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WISeCoin, the Innovative Tokenized Service of WISeKey, Authenticates People, Products and Machines Using Blockchain and AI - GlobeNewswire

The healthcare industry accounts for 8.5% of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions and toxic air pollutants. ... [+]

Exposure to high levels of air pollution can cause a variety of health issues, ranging from mild irritation of the throat to heart problems, and can even lead topremature death. One major source of this health hazard is healthcare. Globally, the healthcare industry accounts for about 4.5% of greenhouse gas emissions and toxic air pollutants, a large enough emissions profile to rival most countries. "If it was on a list of nations, it would be the fifth country in the world," said Sonia Roschnik, international climate policy director for Health Care Without Harm.

In the U.S., healthcare accounts for an even great proportion of emissions. A recentanalysis inHealth Affairs shows that healthcare organizations and the medical supply chain are responsible for about 8.5% of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions and air pollutants. This figure rose by 6% between 2010 and 2018. The authors estimate that in 2018 alone, this pollution led to the loss of 388,000 disability-adjusted life-years, the cumulative number of years of life lost due to illness, disability or early death from the pollution.

The healthcare industry, while it's meant to promote longevity and wellbeing, threatens health by emitting harmful carbon-dioxide-trapping gases and air pollutants. "I feel conflicted as a health care provider because every time I'm providing care, I'm causing harm someplace else," said Jodi Sherman, associate professor of anesthesiology and epidemiology at Yale University and senior author of theHealth Affairsanalysis.

Sherman and her colleagues used health expenditure data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and emissions data from the Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks to estimate healthcare emissions both at the national and state level. The researchers input the data into an internationally standardized model that estimates the emissions associated with spending in different economic sectors. Using these results, the researchers determined the emissions released by the healthcare industry and which parts of the industry were the biggest polluters.

"We've shown that the health sector in the US is responsible for 8.5% of our nation's greenhouse gas emissions and similar fractions of toxic air pollutants," said Sherman. The medical supply chain accounted for about 82% of healthcare emissions, purchased energy accounted for 11% and healthcare operations accounted for 7%.

This pollution came at a high cost to human health. Using their emissions data and methods commonly used to calculate disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) from greenhouse gases and air pollution, Sherman and her colleagues estimated that healthcare emissions resulted in the loss of between 244,000-531,000 DALYs, with a median of 388,000 DALYs. "We're similar in magnitude to deaths due to preventable medical errors," said Sherman.

But when a 1999 landmark report published by the Institute of Medicine revealed the magnitude of deaths from preventable medical errors, it sparked public outcry and led to the formation of the government Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Sherman said that the same hasn't happened for healthcare emissions. "Nobody [in power] is paying attention to this issue."

But the harms stemming from pollution can be prevented. In the U.S., some healthcare systems have taken it upon themselves to reduce their carbon footprint. Sherman's institution for example, Yale-New Haven Health, has stopped using a non-essential, environmentally harmful inhaled anesthetic, desflurane.

"Inhaled anesthetics are very potent greenhouse gases. They're released directly off of facility rooftops and vented to the outdoor atmosphere," said Sherman. "The [United Kingdom's] National Health Services estimated that [on average] 5% of an entire facility's footprint is coming from inhaled anesthetics."

Another target is the medical supply chain. "One of the three biggest categories contributing to the problem of healthcare pollution is medical devices and supplies," said Sherman. Not only does the manufacture and transportation of supplies emit pollutants, but single-use items like gloves and masks create waste, and could be used more efficiently.

"The PPE, the masks we've used in this pandemic, if they were designed to be reusable and low carbon, you could make a huge difference," said Roschnik.

Sherman also stressed that however successful individual facilities or even larger systems are at greening their operations, unified systemic change is needed. A step toward that is mandating that organizations report their emissions. Some U.S. healthcare systems voluntarily report their environmental impacts, but thats the exception rather than the rule. Mandated reporting could incentivize hospitals to track their impact, and the U.S. already has the framework for it.

"If we mandate reporting through the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid [Services] existing infrastructure, that may be the quickest way to leverage transition of the healthcare system in the U.S. to net zero," she said. "This is a call to the new administration to seriously look at the opportunity to help us help the health care sector reduce its emissions through this existing quality performance framework."

This kind of systemic change is already happening elsewhere. The U.K. has already done this and is the only place in the world with nationally mandated health system carbon accounting.

"We'd been working for a long time to look at the carbon footprint of the health sector and trying to identify what the hotspots are and what to do about it," said Roschnik. "We got to the point where we really felt [sustainability] needed to be integrated into everything you do, so that's why we launched the Greener NHS [initiative]." Roschnik helped launched the initiative which aims to bring the health system to net zero carbon emissions by 2040.

To get to net zero, the initiative outlines steps to reduce NHS emissions, like ensuring suppliers are committed to net zero emissions, developing the first zero-emission ambulances and constructing 'net zero hospitals.' "We've spent years working through what interventions will contribute how much," said Roschnik.

The benefits of cleaning up healthcare won't stop at clinics or medical suppliers. "The healthcare industry intersects with most other parts of the global economy. If we can transform this industry it's going to have ripple effects," said Sherman. "And it's part of our social mission."

Read this article:
Healthcare Organizations Are Polluting The Air And Harming Public Health, But That Can Change - Forbes