By Jake May

Ronnie McCoury was just 14 years old in 1981 when he joined the Del McCoury Band, led by his father (and, of course, the bands namesake) Del McCoury. McCouryRonnie, that ishad only been playing the mandolin for six months at that point, but his father decided it was time to find out if the young musician could cut it. As Ronnie puts it, it was sink or swim.

By 1986, McCourys younger brother Robbie hadjoined the band as well, but it was not a surprise that the group was filledwith members of the same family; the McCourys have always been a musicalfamily. Music was in the house all the time, explains Ronnie. However,McCoury stresses that his father did not have a grand plan to form a familyband: [My father] often said that he didnt really know if we would be able todo it or want to do it I imagine if we couldnt cut it, we wouldnt havestill been in it.

Of course, McCoury could indeed cut it, withhis expert mandolin playing leading to a prolific, nearly-40-year career thatsaw him excell not only in The Del McCoury Band, but also in the TravelinMcCourys, as a solo artist and as a producer.

On Dec. 21, McCoury joined his father andother special guests for Dels 80th Birthday celebration at the CapitolTheatre. Below, we spoke about his fathers legacy, joining the band at 14 andhis work outside The Del McCoury Band.

How didthe idea to celebrate your fathers 80th birthday at The Cap come about?

Well, we live here in Nashville and my fatheris a member of the Grand Ole Opry, which is the longest running live radio showin the world. Its the epitome of this kind of music. You have to be asked byeveryone to join, its not like you can just join. Theres only been about80-something artists since 1925 that have been asked, so its a pretty elitething for musicians. My fathers actual birthday is Feb. 1. At the back end ofFebruary 2019, they did something that theyve never done before and theycalled it a Grand Del Opry for one night. We had a big lineup, mainlyNashville folks like Jerry Douglas, Sam Bush and Old Crow Medicine Show. It wasa pretty big lineup and there was a lot more than that. Well, I got a call fromMr. Shapiro up there and he said, Hey man, I see what youre doing down thereand wed love to have something for us up here in the North to help celebrate.It was very kind of him to do that, so we got this thing rolling and thats howit kind of started. This is the year-end.

Isuppose were approaching his 81st birthday.

[Laughs] Yes, exactly. Anyhow, as far as the show goes, it was very kind of everybody there to help set this up and they got a buddy Andy Falco, the hometown boy in bluegrass, and Vince [Herman] and Drew [Emmitt] from Leftover Salmon. At one point in the early 2000s, we did a tour with Leftover. It was called the Under the Influence Tour and it was, as Vince Herman said, My dad is kind of influential, so its under the influence. At the end of that year, after we had been touring too, is when they asked my father to become a member of the Opry. It was pretty neat. And then of course we have Jerry Douglas, an old friend. He and my father go way back; Jerry started playing professionally at 18. Were from Pennsylvania, Jerry is originally from Ohio, and he moved to the D.C. area to play this kind of music and my dad would see him a lot. When we moved to Nashville in the early 90s, Jerry produced two or three of our records here, so we have a long relationship. One of his oldest friends, the dog himself, Grisman, who Well, the first night my father ever played with Bill Monroe as a bluegrass Boy was New York University in 1962. There was a kid going to school there, David Grisman, and he was a taper. He taped the show and met my father then, and they struck up a friendship that is pretty long standing. So, he [flew] in. Theyve been doing a lot of duet shows while the Travelin McCourys have been kind of building a career. We were just down in Mexico at a thing called Strings & Sol and I got to see Andy and Vince and Drew. We were just talking about a few things and how to make the show work.

To go back in time a bit, Ive heard a little bit about how you came to join your fathers band. I wanted to ask you directly about that story. I think I read that you were only 13 when you joined the band, or at least around that age. If you wouldnt mind relaying that story again, Im sure everyone would be interested in hearing directly from you.

I started at 14, I had just turned 14. I wasplaying rhythm; the mandolin is a rhythm and lead instrument. I was kind ofjust playing rhythm and a little bit of lead. My dad put me in after playingsix months, just kind of sink or swim as I always say. That was 1981. Im alittle bit older than my brother, 4 years, and he started in 1986, I think. Wehave been at it a long time with him. Music was in the house all the time, butmy dad worked through the 70s and through the 80s as a logger. Just hardwork. It wasnt until I was 18, and graduated highschool in 85 that he didntwork in the woods any longer. We just kind of played music and made thedecision a couple years late to come to Nashville.

Was italways your fathers plan to have you and your brother join the band, or did hewait and see that you could cut it before asking you?

[Laughs]. Thats a good way of putting it. Heput us right in it. I imagine if we couldnt cut it, we wouldnt have stillbeen in it. Music is his life, as it is with most musicians. He takes it veryseriously and hes often said that he didnt really know if we would be able todo it or want to do it. Theres a lot that goes with it, the travel, being in afamily band, all that stuff. But we did it and were still at it.

Speakingof still being at it, obviously your dad has had a long career even before youguys joined or a long history of playing music. I was wondering as yourereflecting on his 80th year celebrations, what are some momentsthroughout your time playing as a family that stand out if you can think ofany?

Theres a lot. To me, there are a lot of highpoints. Hes in a bluegrass Hall of Fame, and like I said, the pinnacle of thiskind of music would be a member of the Grand Ole Opry. He heard the show whenhe was a kid, its been on the radio since 25. It never went off the air on aSaturday night, in all those years through tornados or whatever. It somehowsurvived. Its a big deal for him, it may not be for people these days becauseback then, radio was TV. When you think of Hank Williams and Bill Monroe andJohnny Cash and whoever, they were all there. They were all asked to be a partof it and hes right up there with them. But also the friends weve made alongthe way. People tell me that my dad has meant so much to them. The boys inPhish, they come up and tell me that they have the epiphany In about 1990 wereleased this record and these guys were riding around in a van. Jeff Mosier inAtlanta told them to get this CD of my dads. Trey [Anastasio] told me it wasthe most played CD in his house that year and in the van. That kind of stuffjust knocks me out. Jerry Garcia told me that he saw my dad in 1963 and hewanted to see Bill Monroe and The Blue Grass Boys and he wanted to be in theband at the time. He said, I saw that band and your dad was there. It was soinfluential to me. That knocks you out as a kid, like, Wow my dad is cool.

I think thats the cool thing about the extended scene or what we cover. I know many people (myself included) have been introduced to bluegrass through listening to the Dead or Phish. Just like the actual members of those bands, once they hear that amazing music, they want to go to the source and your dad is one of the sources. Thats gotta be pretty amazing to think about.

At this stage, because he is 80 years old, andthe passing of that first generation that started this musicThat music is notvery old, it was really created in the mid 40s, and somebodys dad is the nextgeneration that came through it. At this point, hes one of the big dogs andleaders of that. He learned from the well. That kind of stuff is very touchingto me, to hear people tell me this stuff through the years. Now guys like DavidGrisman or Ricky Skaggs or Sam Bush, thats the generation under my dad. Theysee my dad at 80 and they say, We can do that or We want to be able to do itthat long. Longevity, you know?

Youvealso worked with your dad as a producer. As you said earlier, your father takesmusic very seriously, so I was curiouspeople often think of producers as theones who bring down the hammer on the recording artists. I was wondering whatthe process is like for you when youre working with your dad in that wayrather than being just a player in his band?

My dad produced a lot of his own stuff. Sowhen I started, the first time I recorded in a studio with him I was 18 and Iwatched the process. You watch and you learn as the years go by. And then I seethat the next guy who kind of produced my dad was Jerry Douglas. Then Im ayoung 20s guy and Im learning from him. Basically, when you have somebodythat is as talented as my dad, theres not much you can really do except helpwith the sound. I did a lot of song-finding and then together in the studio wedo a lot of arranging. So the combination of all that is how I help my dad, wekind of co-produce everything.

I alsowanted to talk a little bit about the Travelin McCourys. What drove you andyour brother to want to pursue your own project? Obviously your work with yourdad is going to influence you, but in ways did you want to do your own thing,if at all?

As anybody wants to do it in life when youplay music, you want to try to figure out what you yourself can do outside of aband. Most guys that we all enjoy listening to who are in a band, wind uphaving side projects. Ten years ago, my dad was looking at longevity and life.He helped us come out of it and say, If something happens to my voice or ifsomething happens to me, I wouldnt want you guys to just start out cold andhave a hard go at it. So we were able to do both. Because of that, it justcouldnt be the same band without my dad. Because Im a mandolin player, I loveDavid Grismans approach because he was always stretching out. Sam Bush, alwaysstretched out. These guys are also my heroes, so they would do a lot of improvand thats something we dont do a whole lot in my dads band. We have in thelast two years, but anyhow, it was an enabler for us to sing some songs andfind songs and do things that influenced me. I was a young kid and I went toquite a few Grateful Dead shows and Ill always like their songs. We wound updoing a thing called The Grateful Ball where we could play our set and play aset of their music. Thats fun. Its already been done, they did it, dont getme wrong.

Withdifferent players its always going to be different music.

It is. I dont know what happened, but lastyear we got a Grammy. We finally put out a record and we got a Grammy for it.Its funny how life is. But thats basically it with the Travelin McCourys andwe really seem to be building pretty good right now.

Can youshare any Travelin McCoury plans on the horizon with us?

Were going to tour some with Yonder Mountainthe first half of the year. Were going on tour with Sam Bush too. Things arealways changing; I dont know whats going to happen in the second part of theyear. Right now Im thinking, Wow, I can finally relax after Saturday nightbecause weve had a hell of a year.

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Ronnie McCoury on Del's 80th and Beyond - jambands.com

Walter R. Wheeler, known as Wally, is an architectural historian in the Hudson Valley. He works for a firm called Hartgen Archeological AssociatesBreaking Old Ground Every Daywhich is based in a restored eighteenth-century farmhouse across the river from Albany. Fifty-five years old, with a cheerful, open face and small, oval eyeglasses, Wheeler has been inside, behind, and under churches, barns, homes, and temples in cities and towns throughout New York State.

Several years ago, he began to notice a pattern. Many of his elderly colleaguescontractors, carpenters, historianstold him that, while renovating or dismantling older houses in the region, they had found strange, unsettling things hidden in the walls: dead animals, dismembered dolls, childrens shoes, broken knife blades, and also bottles filled with human hair, bent nails, or pins. Some of these objects were secreted behind old planks and floorboards. Others were concealed in nooks and voids that would have been inaccessible if not for the intrusive work of restorationsuggesting that they had been placed there deliberately, as permanent parts of the building.

Objects were only part of the pattern. There were symbols, too. Wheelers colleagues found them carved into woodwork, on beams, lintels, and hearths. Some of these marks, upon closer inspection, turned out to be family graffiti, or dates marking the start and end of construction. But others resembled runes, astrological diagrams, or alchemical signs. Oftentimes, the marks could be seen only by shining a light across the wood at an oblique angle, creating deeper, elongated shadows, revealing the faintest traces of lost inscriptions.

Many of the people who told Wheeler these stories were approaching retirement, or something even more permanent. I realized it was my last, best chance to collect information from them, to make a concerted effort to contact people and locate additional examples, creating a large-enough data set to be able to see some patterns, he recalled, when we met, earlier this fall. He began cataloguing the objects and symbols in a database, in which each individual find was associated with a street address and location inside the house. In 2017, Wheeler summarized his research in a paper titled Magical Dwelling: Apotropaic Building Practices in the New World Dutch Cultural Hearth, published in an edited volume on rural religious folk practices. (The homes in which these objects and inscriptions had been found tended to be quite old, dating from as early as the sixteen-hundreds, when their owners would have been culturally Dutch.) The word apotropaic, which derives from a Greek word meaning to turn away, refers to ritual practices intended to deflect malignant influences. The concealed artifacts, Wheeler had concluded, were a form of spatial magic. They were protection strategies meant to shield their residents from supernatural harm.

After spending the afternoon with me, showing me dozens of files, photos, and the occasional artifact, Wheeler recommended that I stop by a nearby house to see some apotropaic magic of my own. The house had been constructed in 1788. It is currently owned by a land trust; the president and secretary of the trust took me down into the basement stairwell. I clicked on my flashlight, holding it horizontally against the wooden planks, and we all bent to look closer. Alongside clearly accidental dents and scratch marks, we began to see regular geometric formsstars and crosses carved beneath the dark paint. My companions seemed astonished. They hadnt known that some of these symbols were there.

Last year, Wheeler travelled to Salisbury, England, to present his findings at Hidden Charms, a biannual conference on the magical protection of buildings. The conference took place in the Medieval Hall of Salisbury Cathedral and featured nine speakers, on subjects ranging from construction rites in Romania to dead animals found inside manor houses in the British Midlands. The Hidden Charms events are organized by Brian Hoggard, a British historian and musician with a particular interest in the archeology of witchcraft. In his book Magical House Protection, published earlier this year, Hoggard describes a scenario not unlike Wheelers own. I have spoken to many archaeologists who have told me anecdotes of finding bottles, shoes and cats which did not find their way into archives or dig reports, Hoggard writes. He suggests that, although he has documented such objects by the hundreds, many more may have been destroyed or remain undiscovered. As Hoggard later said to me, There will be as many things as I have found, found again.

Hoggards own interest in the material culture of witchcraft was sparked by a now-canonical text in the field, The Archaeology of Ritual and Magic, by Ralph Merrifield, a curator and archeologist primarily known for his work on Roman London. Merrifields book, published in 1987, approached the archeology of magic in a new way. In describing witchcraft, historians had often relied on condemnatory accounts written by judges or members of the clergy. Merrifield sought instead to explore folk magic through the material objects that the practitioners themselves had left behind. Because seventeenth-century witches were more likely to be executed than to publish memoirs or manuals, Merrifield relied on rigorous archeological field work, analyzing artifacts and sites throughout the British Isles.

Hoggard began his research two decades ago, by sending surveys to museums, archives, and other historical collections, asking if they had, in their possession, any of the key artifact types described in Merrifields book. These included so-called witch bottles, preserved animal corpses, and many of the other objects that Wheeler and his colleagues would later find across the Atlantic. Hoggard received a blizzard of affirmative replies. Since then, he has been developing his own hypotheses about what exactly these objects were and how they were believed to have functioned.

Central to Hoggards interpretation is the idea of architectural protection. He writes that concealed objects are nearly always found close to openings and portals: doors, windows, and, in particular, chimneysa chimney, Hoggard told me, being an unnervingly open passageway from the sky. (Wheelers database shows that objects were hidden in similar places in Hudson Valley homes.) These openings presented vulnerabilities not just to burglary but to magical intrusions, such as hauntings, curses, and possessions. Addressing these supernatural security issues, Hoggard told me, required something stronger than locks and shutters. When we find these objects, he said, we can normally tell straight away if someone was protecting the perimeter of their home by shoving things into walls and into roof spaces and marking all these entrances, or if theres a concentration of things about the hearth. Its pretty clear that people believed magic could come into their homes through those points and that they were trying to thwart it.

One protective object architectural historians often uncover is the witch bottle. In the British context, the earliest witch bottles were usually curvaceous ceramic vesselsvaguely humanoid Germanic jars known as bellarminesthat had been filled with human urine and hair, along with a mix of bent iron nails and deformed pins. (Some contain fingernail clippings, as well.) The deliberately damaged ingredients, Hoggard believes, were a sign that those objects had been killed, allowing them to cross over to the spiritual world, where dead and evil things lurk. The logic is straightforward: break or kill an object in our world, and it crosses over into the next, where it is able to affect supernatural beings. Hoggard surmises that the bottles were meant to act as decoys. The spells of witches and other malevolent beings could be deflected to target a witch bottle, rather than a person, by the human elements stored within it (urine, fingernails, and hair); once the evil spirit was inside the bottle, the bent nails and pins, given new life on the other side, would wound or kill it.

The logic of substitution is common to folk magic around the world and might have been central to apotropaic magic, too. Wheeler and Hoggard have found that, in both Britain and the Hudson Valley, childrens shoes were often packed into peripheral voids around a housethe artifacts may also have been intended as targets for witches, in lieu of a homes living residents. Such voids could also contain curse dolls, miniature human forms intended to stand in for the objects of spells.

Recently, however, another interpretation of these objects has been gaining ground. In April, 2019, the Museum of London Archaeology (MOLA), launched a three-year initiative, Bottles Concealed and Revealed, with the goal of analyzing witch bottles in collections throughout the United Kingdom. In the course of the initiative, Nigel Jeffries, MOLAs ceramics specialist, has come to believe that witch bottles may have not only been miscategorized but misnamed: these bottles were likely medical objects, rather than magical ones. Indeed, Jeffries said, as more contemporary descriptions found in historical records and medical books have come to light, this context has become increasingly clear. Witch bottles, with their unusual mix of bodily fluids, hair clippings, and metallic substances combined, according to principles drawn from medicine, astrology, and sympathetic magic, may have been thought to act as curatives that could bring a homes residents longevity and health.

Ceri Houlbrook, a co-organizer of the MOLA project and a lecturer in history and folklore at the University of Hertfordshire, agrees with Jeffriess view of the bottles. In fact, she is reassessing all the artifacts discovered within the walls and voids of historic houses. Id argue that we cant lump any concealed objects together, she said. I see shoes very differently to how I see mummified cats, for example. I dont think we can interpret them in the same way at all.

The Albertus Van Loon House is located about thirty-five miles south of Wheelers office, in the town of Athens, New York. The house has stood since 1724, its back yard sloping directly into the swollen waters of the Hudson River. When its current owners, Randall Evans and Carrie Feder, bought it, in 1997, it was uninhabitable. Its walls and ceilings were unstable, and entire rooms had been dismantled, their boards and beams stacked in no discernible order. As soon as the couple started their reconstruction of the house, which is still ongoing, they began finding concealed objects and other artifactsa dozen, then another, then another.

For Evans and Feder, the Van Loon House is something of a final project. The couple are retired home designers and restorers; Feder is also an artist and curator. Earlier this month, when I visited them and stepped into the house, I felt as if I were passing through a portal. The clear blue autumn sky was occluded by low ceilings and heavy beams; in places, early evening sunlight shone between the unplastered laths of the homes interior walls, travelling from one room to the next. The couple seemed intrigued, even faintly amused, by my interest in their house. They hadnt yet read Wheelers paper, but they had arrived at their own interpretation of the objects theyd found inside their home. These included a rust-encrusted revolver, childrens shoes, pieces of quartz, a device that appeared to be an impression mold for counterfeiting coins, and the eyeless face of a decapitated doll. Nearly all of the objects were on display inside a glass cabinet near the fireplace. It really is amazing how much stuff you find in the walls of a house like this, Feder, who tends to listen with a still, skeptical expression, said. We kind of live in it as an archeological site.

We entered a small study behind a guest bedroom. Evans, slender and with a slight goatee, pushed on a panel in the wall. It swung open, revealing a hidden staircase leading up to what he called the puzzle room. The couple had pieced the space back together, board by board, until a small sleeping quarters emerged.

Lets show you the cosmogram, Evans said.

He gestured to the wall of the stairwell. In the darkness, I leaned down to see marks there; they resembled a pair of Xs surrounded by a circle, partially colored with fading pigments. Repetitive triangular shapes radiated down on one side. It is thought, Evans explained, that slaves may once have lived in the house. He speculated that the symbols might be African in origin. (Wheeler, when I asked him his opinion, wasnt sure.)

Outside, a small patch of tidal wetlands stretched between the couples back yard and the Hudson. Seen from behind, their house resembled a jumble of smaller structures stitched together over time; instead of a single house, it looked more like a village, which felt appropriate, given the sheer number of people who had passed through it since its construction, nearly three centuries earlier. Feder said that finding evidence of these previous lives in the house had inspired her work. Not long ago, she had removed nine of the shoes that they had found concealed inside the walls and installed them in a local gallery up the road. I left one shoe in the house, just in case, she said, laughing. She called the resulting piece Concealment Shoes.

Racing the setting sun, Feder and Evans led me to the gallery for a quick tour. Even in the half-light, the cracked leather of the old, shrunken childrens shoes bore clear impressions of the tiny feet that once filled them. Shadows cast by the sunset stretched across the wall, recalling Wheelers technique of oblique illumination. From certain angles, they suggested the beginnings of tiny legs or anklesas if the shoes might yet, through some real magic, walk away.

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Witch Houses of the Hudson Valley - The New Yorker

NATICK, Mass., Oct. 30, 2019 /PRNewswire/ --AffyImmune Therapeutics, an emerging leader in CAR-T therapies, today announced FDA approval of the company's investigational new drug (IND) application for AIC100, an affinity-tuned CAR-T cell that received Orphan designation for advanced thyroid cancer.The trial: Phase I study of AIC100 in relapsed and or refractory advanced thyroid cancer and anaplastic thyroid cancer, is sponsored by Weill Cornell Medicine. The company's AIC100 CAR-T cells effectively kill cells with high levels of ICAM-1, which is strongly overexpressed in advanced thyroid cancer.

Lower affinity CAR-T cells exhibit more robust antitumor activity

The initiation of this clinical trial is a significant milestone for CAR-T therapy as it utilizes CAR-T cells having roughly 1000-fold lower affinity to their target than most CAR-T cells used to date. These lower affinity CAR-T cells produce more robust and long-lasting anti-tumor activity than do high affinity CAR-T cells in animal models. Importantly, toxicity to healthy cells expressing basal levels of the target ICAM-1, seen with high-affinity CAR-T cells, was averted using CAR-T cells tuned to a lower-affinity.

AffyImmune co-founder and inventor of the technology, Moonsoo Jin, PhD stated, "this strategy can target antigens overexpressed in tumors without harming normal cells. As there are very few antigens that are purely tumor-associated, this opens the door to effectively targeting many tumor antigens that are otherwise very challenging." Regarding the low efficacy observed to date using CAR-T cells against solid tumors in other studies, he continued, "CAR-T cells with an affinity-tuned targeting system demonstrate more robust and long-lasting anti-tumor activity, suggesting that a lower affinity targeting system prevents exhaustion of T cells and may also provide better serial killing of tumor cells after CAR-T therapy."

AffyImmune CAR-T cells are traceable in vivo

In addition to enhanced longevity and anti-tumor activity, AffyImmune CAR-T cells are engineered for in vivo tracking using PET/CT imaging. Inclusion of the Somatostatin Type II receptor [SSTR2] enables real-time imaging of CAR-T cells using the approved radiotracer 68Ga-DOTATATE with PET/CT scanning. SSTR2 specifically binds to the radiolabeled somatostatin analogue 68Ga-DOTATATE.

Assessing the toxicity and efficacy of affinity-tuned CAR-T cells

Prior studies by Dr. Jin on LFA-1, a natural receptor for ICAM-1, resulted in the production of a range of LFA-1 affinity variants with a million-fold difference in binding affinities to ICAM-1. These were subsequently engineered into CAR-T cells and tested against a series of normal and tumor cells. Because LFA-1 interacts with ICAM-1 in human and murine models, toxicity and anti-tumor activity could be assessed simultaneously in animal models. Furthermore, ICAM-1 expression is upregulated by cytokines released during CAR-T cell-mediated killing of target cells.This means that if only 60% of tumor cells have high ICAM-1 levels, cytokines released during the killing of those cells cause the remaining ICAM-1-low tumor cells to upregulate ICAM-1, thereby becoming better targets themselves.

"Our preclinical data has shown that affinity-tuned CAR-T cells dramaticallyimprove both their activity against solid tumors and safety," saidDr. Eric von Hofe, President of AffyImmune. "The green light by the FDA gives us the opportunity to demonstrate the efficacy of this approach in patients who have an otherwise incurable disease."

"We are very proud to have incubated AffyImmune since its inception," said Simone Song, Senior Partner of ORI Healthcare Fund. "The goal of AffyImmune is to use CAR-T therapy to tackle solid tumors. What AffyImmune has achieved today is based on extensive basic science research as well as the founders' perseverance at the discovery and enabling stage. Together with the management team, we hope to advance AffyImmune's program to the next stage and do our part in addressing these unmet medical needs."

About AffyImmune Therapeutics, Inc.AffyImmune is realizing the potential of cancer immunotherapy by extending the anti-cancer activity of CAR-T cell therapy to solid tumors, improving the safety and efficacy of CAR-T treatment. Based on Professor Moonsoo Jin's work at Weill Cornell Medicine, AffyImmune's proprietary technology allowsfine-tuning ofthe affinity of CAR-T cells to selectively kill tumor cells, while sparing healthy cells to reduce toxicity. AffyImmune scientists have also developed a tracking system that can be engineered into any CAR-T cell to allow for real-time localization of cells after administration to patients.

AffyImmune's lead asset, AIC100, is an affinity-tuned, 3rd generation CAR-T cell therapy co-expressing SSTR2. Preclinical studies in various solid tumor models demonstrated AIC100's robust and enduring tumor eradication and superior safety profile compared to standard, high-affinity CAR-T cell therapy. In 2019, AffyImmune received Orphan Drug Designation by the FDA for AIC100 and began recruitment for a Phase 1 trial to treat advanced thyroid cancer.

Founded in 2016, AffyImmune is headquartered in Natick, MA and is incubated by ORI Capital.

About ORI Healthcare Fund L.P.

ORI Healthcare Fund is a $200 million venture capital fund focused on investing in innovative companies with disruptive technologies in the healthcare industry globally. The General Partner of the Fund was founded by Ms. Simone (Hong Fang) Song, the former head of China Healthcare Investment Banking at Goldman Sachs.

Contact information

Eric von Hofeevonhofe@affyimmune.com AffyImmune Therapeutics, Inc.12 Michigan DriveNatick, MA 01760+1 (617) 699-1965

View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/affyimmune-therapeutics-announces-ind-approval-for-a-first-in-man-trial-of-affinity-tuned-car-t-cells-for-patients-with-advanced-refractory-thyroid-cancer-300948315.html

SOURCE AffyImmune Therapeutics, Inc.

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AffyImmune Therapeutics Announces IND Approval for a First-in-Man Trial of Affinity-Tuned CAR-T cells for Patients with Advanced, Refractory Thyroid...

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Posted: February 23, 2019 at 5:42 pm

The four primary components (also known as the components of health related fitness) that are important to improved physical health are as follows:

Cardiorespiratory capacity is the ability of the body to take in oxygen (respiration), deliver it to the cells (circulation), and use it at the cellular level to create energy (bioenergetics) for physical work (activity). In fitness, we also refer to cardiorespiratory capacity as aerobic capacity. This capacity includes aerobic endurance (how long), aerobic strength (how hard), and aerobic power (how fast). Some of the long-term adaptations of cardiorespiratory training are: decreased resting heart rate, decreased risk of cardiovascular disease, improved endurance, increased stroke volume and cardiac output.

Muscular capacity refers to the spectrum of muscular capability. This includes muscular endurance (i.e., the ability to apply force over a long period of time or to complete repeated muscle contractions); muscular strength (i.e., the ability to generate force, or the maximum amount of force that a muscle can exert in a single contraction); and muscular power (i.e., the ability to generate strength in an explosive way). Some of the long-term adaptations of improving muscular capacity are increased strength, improved muscular endurance, increased basal metabolic rate, improved joint strength, and overall posture.

Flexibility is the range of movement or amount of motion that a joint is capable of performing. Each joint has a different amount of flexibility. Some of the long-term adaptations of improved flexibility are decreased risk of injury, improved range of motion, improved bodily movements, and improved posture.

Body composition is the proportion of fat-free mass (muscle, bone, blood, organs, and fluids) to fat mass (adipose tissue deposited under the skin and around organs). Some of the long-term adaptations of improving body composition are decreased risk of cardiovascular disease, improved basal metabolic rate, improved bodily function, and improved BMI.

The secondary components of fitness (also known as the components of performance based fitness) are involved in all physical activity and are necessary for daily functioning. Athletes experience different levels of success depending on how well these secondary fitness components are developed. Although the primary components of fitness are thought to be the most important, we should not ignore the secondary components because of their importance in the completion of daily tasks. The secondary components include the following.

Balance is the ability to maintain a specific body position in either a stationary or dynamic (moving) situation.

Coordination is the ability to use all body parts together to produce smooth and fluid motion.

Agility is the ability to change direction quickly.

Reaction time is the time required to respond to a specific stimulus.

Speed is the ability to move rapidly. Speed is also known as velocity (rate of motion).

Power is the product of strength and speed. Power is also known as explosive strength.

Mental capability is the ability to concentrate during exercise to improve training effects as well as the ability to relax and enjoy the psychological benefits of activity (endorphins).

Health is a dynamic process because it is always changing. We all have times of good health, times of sickness, and maybe even times of serious illness. As our lifestyles change, so does our level of health.

Those of us who participate in regular physical activity do so partly to improve the current and future level of our health. We strive toward an optimal state of well-being. As our lifestyle improves, our health also improves and we experience less disease and sickness. When most people are asked what it means to be healthy, they normally respond with the four components of fitness mentioned earlier (cardiorespiratory ability, muscular ability, flexibility, and body composition). Although these components are a critical part of being healthy, they are not the only contributing factors. Physical health is only one aspect of our overall health.

The other components of health (Greenberg, 2004, p. 7) that are just as important as physical health include the following:

Social health-The ability to interact well with people and the environment and to have satisfying personal relationships.

Mental health-The ability to learn and grow intellectually. Life experiences as well as more formal structures (e.g., school) enhance mental health.

Emotional health-The ability to control emotions so that you feel comfortable expressing them and can express them appropriately.

Spiritual health-A belief in some unifying force. It varies from person to person but has the concept of faith at its core.

Wellness is the search for enhanced quality of life, personal growth, and potential through positive lifestyle behaviours and attitudes. If we take responsibility for our own health and well-being, we can improve our health on a daily basis. Certain factors influence our state of wellness, including nutrition, physical activity, stress-coping methods, good relationships, and career success.

Each day we work toward maximizing our level of health and wellness to live long, full, and healthy lives. The pursuit of health, personal growth, and improved quality of life relies on living a balanced life. To achieve balance, we need to care for our mind, body, and spirit.

If any of these three areas is consistently lacking or forgotten about, we will not be at our optimal level of health. We are constantly challenged with balancing each of these three areas throughout life.

As fitness professionals, we have a responsibility to guide and motivate others to improve their level of health and wellness. We can promote a holistic approach to health (mind, body, and spirit), not just encourage physical activity. As good role models, we should demonstrate positive health behaviours that assist in improving our own health and the health of others. If our focus is strictly on the physical benefits of exercise, we are doing a disservice to our clients and we are not fulfilling our professional obligation.

As fitness professionals, we spend a great deal of time inspiring and assisting others in their pursuit of improved health. Education is an important aspect of this. We must promote the benefits of regular activity and help people understand why they should be active.

Figure 1.2 will help you educate your clients about the benefits of activity and why each of these benefits is important to long-term health.

Health Canada introduced Canadas Physical Activity Guide to Healthy Active Living to help Canadians make wise choices about physical activity as a way to improve health. Scientists say you should accumulate 60 minutes of physical activity every day to stay healthy or improve health. The recommendations in the Physical Activity Guide are as follows:

Endurance-On 4 to 7 days a week, perform continuous activity for your heart, lungs, and circulatory system. Time required for improvements depends on effort.

Flexibility-On 4 to 7 days a week, perform gentle reaching, bending, and stretching to keep muscles relaxed and joints mobile.

Strength-On 2 to 4 days a week, perform resistance exercise to strengthen muscles and bones and improve posture.

The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) has also developed activity guidelines for improving health:

Perform 30 minutes or more of moderate-intensity physical activity on most days of the week for cardiovascular health. The 30 minutes need not be continuous.

Performing 1 set of 8 to 12 repetitions of resistance training for the entire body is necessary to maintain and develop muscular strength and endurance.

Flexibility training should be performed daily, including stretches for all major muscle groups, in order to maintain mobility.

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Research: University of Hawaii reports Astaxanthin can activate the FOX03 Longevity Gene in mammals

Pictured: L-R: David Watumull, President and CEO, Cardax, Inc; Bradley Willcox, MD, JABSOM-Kuakini; Richard Allsopp, PhD, JABSOM-Institute for Biogenesis Research.

The University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM) and Cardax, Inc. (Cardax) (OTCQB:CDXI), a Honolulu based life sciences company, have jointly announced the results of an animal study evaluating the effectiveness of a naturally-occurring chemical that holds promise in anti-aging therapy.

The Astaxanthin compound CDX-085 (developed by Cardax) showed the ability to significantly activate the FOXO3 gene, which plays a proven role in longevity.

All of us have the FOXO3 gene, which protects against aging in humans, said Dr. Bradley Willcox, MD, Professor and Director of Research at the Department of Geriatric Medicine, JABSOM, and Principal Investigator of the National Institutes of Health-funded Kuakini Hawaii Lifespan and Healthspan Studies. But about one in three persons carry a version of the FOXO3 gene that is associated with longevity. By activating the FOXO3 gene common in all humans, we can make it act like the longevity version. Through this research, we have shown that Astaxanthin activates the FOXO3 gene, said Willcox.

Multiple animal studies have demonstrated that Astaxanthin reduces inflammation, heart and liver damage, cholesterol levels, and risk of stroke. In humans, Astaxanthin also has been shown to lower inflammation and triglycerides. But this study is a first.

This preliminary study was the first of its kind to test the potential of Astaxanthin to activate the FOXO3 gene in mammals, said Dr. Richard Allsopp, PhD, Associate Professor, and researcher with the JABSOM Institute of Biogenesis Research.

In the study, mice were fed either normal food or food containing a low or high dose of the Astaxanthin compound CDX-085 provided by Cardax. The animals that were fed the higher amount of the Astaxanthin supplement experienced a significant increase in the activation of the FOXO3 gene in their heart tissue.

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2 Studies Link Coffee To Longevity

Either caffeinated or decaf is associated with a lower risk of death, Chris Martinez reports (1:50). WCCO 4 News At 5 July 10, 2017

Good Question: Why Has Pay For U.S. Workers Stayed Relatively Flat?New job numbers show our wages are growing at about 2.5 percent a year, below what economists consider typical in a healthy economy, Heather Brown reports (2:22). WCCO 4 News At 10 July 10, 2017

Stillwater Family Heals After Teens Death By Speaking Out About SuicideA Stillwater family believes it's time to fight back against the stigma and talk more about teen suicide -- before it's too late, Liz Collin reports (4:55). WCCO 4 News At 10 July 10, 2017

'If It Looks Good, Buy It': Amazon Prime Day Offers Deals For MembersPrime Day runs for 30 hours and features deals for Amazon Prime members, John Lauritsen reports (2:07). WCCO 4 News At 10 July 10, 2017

How Medical Marijuana Is Making A Difference For A Minn. FamilyA Twin Cities couple is counting down the days until their daughter can get life-changing medicine, Jeff Wagner reports (2:17). WCCO 4 News At 10 July 10, 2017

MPD Responds To Video Of Officer Shooting DogsThe shooting took place on Queen Avenue North on Saturday night and was caught by surveillance cameras, Reg Chapman reports (1:12). WCCO 4 News At 6 -- July 10, 2017

Its Gonna Be Weird: Stillwater Native On Competing In Minnesota X GamesFor many, the X Games are exciting, but for 19-year-old Nicole Hause, this competition is personal, Susan-Elizabeth Littlefield reports (2:27). WCCO 4 News At 6 July 10, 2017

How Medical Marijuana Is Making A Difference For A Minn. FamilyA Twin Cities couple is counting down the days until their daughter can get life-changing medicine, Jeff Wagner reports (2:17). WCCO 4 News At 10 July 10, 2017

2 Studies Link Coffee To LongevityEither caffeinated or decaf is associated with a lower risk of death, Chris Martinez reports (1:50). WCCO 4 News At 5 July 10, 2017

Looking Forward To The 15th Annual Red Ribbon RideGina Lemon and Amy Moser spoke with Ali Lucia about the bike ride at MOA that raises money for AIDS/HIV service organizations (2:57). WCCO 4 News At Noon July 10, 2017

Good Question: Why Has Pay For U.S. Workers Stayed Relatively Flat?New job numbers show our wages are growing at about 2.5 percent a year, below what economists consider typical in a healthy economy, Heather Brown reports (2:22). WCCO 4 News At 10 July 10, 2017

Stillwater Family Heals After Teens Death By Speaking Out About SuicideA Stillwater family believes it's time to fight back against the stigma and talk more about teen suicide -- before it's too late, Liz Collin reports (4:55). WCCO 4 News At 10 July 10, 2017

'If It Looks Good, Buy It': Amazon Prime Day Offers Deals For MembersPrime Day runs for 30 hours and features deals for Amazon Prime members, John Lauritsen reports (2:07). WCCO 4 News At 10 July 10, 2017

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Coffee drinkers, rejoice. Two new studies are linking our favorite hot beverage to a decreased chance of being killed by heart disease, cancer, a stroke, and more. So, does this mean we can start drinking coffee with reckless abandon? We spoke to the experts to find out, and not surprisingly, the answer is complicated.

People who drink coffee appear to live longer, according to a pair of studies published today in the Annals of Internal Medicine. The studieswhich involved hundreds of thousands of participants across a diverse set of ethnic groupsshowed that folks who drink at least one cup of coffee a day were 12 percent less likely to die of diseases such as heart disease and cancer. This effect jumped to 18 percent among people who consumed two to three cups per day. Importantly, these associations held true for participants who drank either caffeinated or decaffeinated coffee, which would seem to imply that caffeine has nothing to do with it.

But to say that these studies close the case on coffee, so to speak, would be taking it too far. The researchers werent able to identify a causal relationship, nor were they able to explain why coffee appears to confer these health benefits. And importantly, some experts are challenging the conclusions reached in these two studies, saying the results were misleading, and that blanket statements about coffee consumption ignore the fact that, for some, caffeine is dangerous.

Regardless, the new studies offer substantial findings given the stigma associated with coffee consumption, and the fact that an estimated 2.25 billion cups of this delicious beverage are consumed each day around the world. Coffee has previously been linked to bladder cancer, increases in the risk of heart disease, stomach ulcers, and heartburnyet little evidence exists to support these largely debunked claims.

And in fact, quite the opposite appears to be the case. One recent meta-study linked coffee consumption to a reduced risk of liver and uterine cancer. Evidence is also mounting that coffee may protect against heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and Parkinsons. These findings sure seem promising, but skeptics have argued the jurys still out on coffee, pointing to deficiencies in the research methods, such as a focus on specific ethnicities, or failing to follow-up with study participants. The two new analyses provide some of the most compelling evidence yet in support of coffees purported health aspects.

In the first study, a research team from the University of Southern California found that higher coffee consumption was linked to lower risk for death in both white and non-white populationsan important finding given that different ethnicities have different lifestyles and disease risks. Coffee consumption amounting to two to three cups a day, for example, was associated with a reduced risk of death due to heart disease (21 percent decrease), cancer (8 percent decrease), stroke (27 percent decrease), diabetes (23 percent), and respiratory (10 percent) and kidney disease (41 percent).

Crucially, these findings were generalizable across cultures, including African-Americans, Japanese-Americans, Native Hawaiians, Latinos, and whites. Health effects were observed in all of ethnicities studied.

Data came from the Multiethnic Cohort Study, a collaborative effort between the University of Hawaii Cancer Center and the Keck School of Medicine that involves more than 215,000 participants. Every five years, participants fill out questionnaires about their diet and lifestyle, along with family and personal medical history information. The average follow-up period is 16 years. When analyzing the data, the USC researchers adjusted for age, sex, ethnicity, smoking habits, education, pre-existing disease, physical exercise, and alcohol consumption.

This study is the largest of its kind and includes minorities who have very different lifestyles, said Veronica Setiawan, lead author of the study, in a statement. Seeing a similar pattern across different populations gives stronger biological backing to the argument that coffee is good for you whether you are white, African-American, Latino or Asian.

Among coffee drinkers, reduced mortality rates were present regardless of whether participants drank caffeinated or decaffeinated coffee. So, whatever is causing the added longevity appears to have nothing to do with caffeine.

Crucially, the USC researchers arent saying that coffee prolongs life, just that an association has been found between coffee consumption and longevity. Correlation does not necessarily imply causation, and the study didnt point to any chemicals or compounds in coffee that explain these health effects. Still, according to Setiawan, it is clear that coffee can be incorporated into a healthy diet and lifestyle.

In the second study, researchers from the Imperial College London and International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) came to similar conclusions, though using a different subset of participants. In the largest study of its kind, the scientists analyzed survey data from more than half a million people across ten European countries, and found that people who drink around three cups a day tend to live longer than non-coffee drinkers. They found coffee drinkers to have a reduced risk of death from all causes of mortality, including circulatory diseases and diseases related to the digestive tract. And like the other study, decaf drinkers saw these reduced mortality rates just as much as folks drinking regular coffee.

For the study, the ICL and IARC researchers looked at data from the EPIC study (European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition), which included 521,330 people over the age of 35. Diets were assessed with questionnaires and interviews, and again, the researchers controlled for factors such as diet and smoking (interestingly, people who drank more coffee were more likely to be younger, smokers, and regular alcohol drinkers). After 16 years of follow-up, nearly 42,000 people who had enrolled in the study had passed away, dying from a range of conditions, including cancer, circulatory diseases, heart failure and stroke.

We found that drinking more coffee was associated with a more favourable liver function profile and immune response, explained lead author Marc Gunter. He added: Due to the limitations of observational research, we are not at the stage of recommending people to drink more or less coffee. That said, our results suggest that moderate coffee drinkingup to around three cups per dayis not detrimental to your health, and that incorporating coffee into your diet could have health benefits.

Miriam Nelson, Director of the Sustainability Institute at the University of New Hampshire, is excited by these findings, and says these two studies are bigger and more diverse than previous investigations. Nelson, who wasnt involved in either study, was impressed by the length of the follow-ups, the size of the cohorts, and the cross-cultural examination. Yet she emphasized that there are still many things these studies dont tell us.

We still dont understand how high coffee consumption affects pregnancy, and we dont know what high coffee consumption does to children, Nelson told Gizmodo. She says its still inappropriate to give coffee to children, adding that theres very little doubt that coffee affects our sleep, at least for some individuals. People who drink tons of coffee, and who have serious sleep issues, may want to take the new findings with a grain of salt.

Then, of course, theres all that crap we put into our coffee.

If you enjoy coffee, then feel free to drink it, perhaps even three to five cups a day, said Nelson. Coffee has health benefits, but we need to be wary of adding extra calories with sugar and cream. We need to be smart.

But Paolo Palatini, Head Vascular Medicine at Italys University of Padova, was profoundly unimpressed with the new research. After reading the papers I was horrified about how these articles...are cursory and biased, he told Gizmodo. As soon as they are published I will write a letter to the editor [of The Annals of Internal Medicine] to express my criticisms. In a word, he thinks the studies are misleading.

In the papers the authors did not discuss the issue of the different types of coffee that may have different impact on outcomes, he said. In the European study they evaluated coffee in milliliters which is absurd because in Italy cups contain 30-40 ml of concentrated coffee whereas in most European countries cups are much larger. This minimized the effect of Espresso coffee which may be deleterious compared to others.

He says the groups of coffee drinkers surveyed in both studies were unbalanced, the most significant imbalance being the large percentage of smokers among the heavy coffee drinkers. Results for coffee subgroups differ in the two studies, and adjustment for smoking can hardly be applied, he said. At any rate, the two studies demonstrate that coffee drinkers also are smokers which is very deleterious for health, and this aspect is completely neglected by the authors.

Palatini also doesnt buy the idea that caffeine has no effect on health outcomes, pointing to his own research showing the importance of caffeine metabolism on cardiovascular disease, and how genetics plays a critical role. Hes also shocked that none of the researchers referenced an Italian study showing the negative effects of coffee on cardiovascular outcomesan omission Palatini says was done on purpose and is unacceptable.

Ultimately, Palatini says we need to be wary of coffee (and caffeine in particular) because it increases a persons sympathetic activity, changes to the nervous system that can lead to an accelerated heart rate and raising of blood pressure,which is especially dangerous among coronary patients. He says its not good for slow caffeine metabolizers (folks who take longer to break down caffeine), causing caffeine to accumulate in their blood where it can lead to negative effects. Concluding that coffee is safe without distinguishing between different clinical conditions is misleading and may encourage patients to drink as much coffee as they wish, Palatini said.

Rob M. van Dam, an associate professor of epidemiology at the Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health at the National University of Singapore, was a little less harsh toward the new findings. These studies on coffee and mortality are based on large well-conducted cohort studies, van Dam, who wasnt involved in either study, told Gizmodo. The results that coffee consumption is associated with a moderately lower risk of mortality during follow-up is not surprising as this has been reported for several previous studies. The new studies add to the available evidence as they show consistent results in various ethnic groups in the U.S. and different countries in Europe.

These generous words aside, van Dam said the only way to truly determine the truth is to conduct randomized trials of coffee and health outcomes. In other words, to run actual experiments.

Coffee is a plant food that is rich in chlorogenic acid and related phenolic compounds, carbon-based molecules with ring-like structures, that reduced blood glucose levels in animal studies, he said. It also contains trigonelline, a precursor of vitamin B3, several minerals such as magnesium, and vitamins such as vitamin B3. He says phenols in coffee confer various health effects, such as reducing the ability of intestines to absorb glucose, preventing the liver from expressing too much glucose, and regulating healthy insulin responses.

But van Dam was also quick to point out that excessive caffeine consumption can lead to unpleasant symptoms, such as nervousness, the jitters, and disrupted sleep. If youre experiencing any of these [symptoms] it is appropriate to cut down on [coffee] consumption. He added that caffeine consumption during pregnancies might reduce fetal growth and increase a womans chance of having a miscarriage. Limiting caffeine consumption in pregnancy to one regular size (~8 fl oz) cup of coffee or less seems thus appropriate.

So where does all this leave us? Clearly, coffee has a lot going for it, and as these new studies attest, it might confer some tremendous health benefits in certain individuals. But a one-size-fits-all approach to coffee drinking is not appropriate. If youre a coffee drinker, be mindful of how coffee affects your health and mental well-being, and adjust accordingly. If you think coffee may exacerbate a pre-existing health condition (such as sleep disorders or cardiovascular health), talk to your doctor. And if youre pregnant, cut back to a cup a day at most.

Otherwise, enjoy that tasty brew.

[Annals of Internal Medicine I & II]

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Controversial Studies Suggest Coffee Drinkers Live Longer - Gizmodo

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LIMA Employers in the greater West Central Ohio region will collect $33 million in rebates from the Ohio Bureau of Workers Compensation in checks that will be mailed beginning next week.

BWC Administrator/CEO Sarah Morrison, in Lima to present a ceremonial check to local business leaders, said employers are free to spend their rebates as they wish, but she hopes they will consider investing in workplace safety.

We work with employers all over Ohio to prevent injuries and illness in the workplace, and they will tell you that investing in safety is a wise business decision, said Morrison, speaking at a press conference at the Lima/Allen County Chamber of Commerce. Safe workplaces mean fewer injuries, fewer medical claims and a stable workforce, all of which leads to a healthy bottom line for a business.

Morrison was joined by chamber President/CEO Jed Metzger and Tony Daley of Limas Spallinger Millwright Services Inc. Metzger and Daley accepted the check on behalf of employers in the entire region, which includes Allen, Auglaize, Shelby, Hancock, Putnam, and Van Wert counties.

Ohio Gov. John Kasich proposed the rebate in March. Its the third such rebate in the last four years, made possible by an improving safety climate, prudent fiscal management and strong investment returns. The plan to distribute rebates to more than 200,000 Ohio employers during the month of July was approved by BWCs Board of Directors in April. Visitbwc.ohio.govfor more details and eligibility requirements.

The plan also includes a $44 million investment innew health and safety initiativesto promote a healthy workforce and a culture of safety in every Ohio workplace. This includes a new wellness program for small employers, funding for programs to help firefighters and those who work with children and adults with disabilities, and an education campaign to address common injuries at work and in the home.

A healthy economy depends on a strong and healthy workforce, Morrison continued. And when the economy is healthy, we all benefit.

Rebate checks will be mailed in phases starting July 10.

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Chf albumin lasix - Lasix name meaning - Van Wert independent

A team led by researchers at La Jollas Human Longevity reports developing a faster and more accurate method for determining immune type. The method will speed up immune matching for organ transplant and other purposes such as treating infectious and autoimmune diseases, the scientists say.

The method characterizes a region of the genome called human leukocyte antigen, or HLA, that regulates the immune system. Located on Chromosome 6, this region contains a high number of short, repetitive DNA sequences.

Because these repeats are so similar, placing them in the correct order is difficult. So even when people have their genome sequenced, the precise HLA type may not be clear. People can have HLA typing done separately, but that adds time and expense, said J. Craig Venter, one of the studys authors.

The study was published July 3 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Go to j.mp/humanhla for the study. Venter was senior author. The first author was Chao Xie.

The Human Longevity-led team invented an algorithm called xHLA to read these sequences correctly. Results are available within about 3 minutes from a desktop computer, instead of several minutes or even hours, the study stated. Moreover, the method helps identity potential matches that purely DNA-based methods would miss.

Making HLA typing a routine part of sequencing will help doctors advance the practice of precision medicine, the study stated.

For example, autoimmune disorder patients often have chronic problems with no exact diagnosis for many years after repeated doctor visits, the study stated. Knowing patients HLA types could lead to early diagnosis and reduce the burden on both patients and the healthcare system.

Venter said Human Longevity now offers HLA typing as part of its genome sequencing service. And in the future, this technology will be omnipresent and in the hands of patients.

If a family member needs a kidney transplant, you can just look it up on your iPhone and compare the sequences, and everybody will know immediately if theres a match in the family, or other places, Venter said.

Popular sequencing technologies cut up DNA into short pieces for sequencing. These pieces are reassembled by computer like an electronic jigsaw puzzle. But the many repetitive components in HLA can fool the computer programs, like similarly shaped or colored jigsaw puzzle pieces can do to a human.

The xHLA algorithm works with sequencing technology from Illumina to improve accuracy. An important component of the algorithm is that it examines the sequence of amino acids the DNA codes for, the study said. This helps accuracy by accepting DNA variations that happen to code for the same amino acid.

Since immune compatibility is determined at the protein level, using these synonymous variations produces a more accurate result than typing by DNA alone.

The problem with DNA-level alignment is that it cannot distinguish synonymous from nonsynonymous mismatches, the study stated. For example, it will rank five synonymous mismatches as more dissimilar than a single nonsynonymous one.

bradley.fikes@sduniontribune.com

(619) 293-1020

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Immune-matching process improved, reports Human Longevity-led study - The San Diego Union-Tribune

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DELPHOS A Delphos couple were injured in a home invasion assault that occurred Saturday morning.

David and Dianna Allemeier of 209 S. Pierce St. in Delphos were both taken to St. Ritas Medical Center in Lima for treatment of injuries received when a man gained entry to their home and reportedly assaulted them.

Delphos Police were first called out at 6:05 a.m. Saturday on a report of a suspicious person in the 300 block of Jackson Street who was knocking on doors and then walking away. However, while en route to that call, officers were informed that a man had been injured and was bleeding in the 200 block of Pierce Street.

When officers arrived on the scene, they found Allemeier bleeding from an injury to his neck. The Delphos resident said he received the injury from a man who had gained entry into his home.

Officers approached the residence and found the back door unlocked and a lot of blood at the scene. The home was secured and a K-9 and Crime Scene Unit sought from the Allen County Sheriffs Office.

Allemeier then said his wife was still in the house and officers then entered and found Mrs. Allemeier, who was also injured, in the bedroom area of the residence.

After the Allemeiers were transported to the hospital, a K-9 search was made of the area, and the house was processed by an Allen County sheriffs deputy.

No information was released on whether items were taken from the Allemeier house.

Police are currently seeking a young, skinny white male with black hair, possibly wearing cutoff shorts. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Delphos Police Department or Allen County Sheriffs Office.

The investigation is continuing, with no further information forthcoming at this time.

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In recent weeks, one of the hottest questionsabout the coronavirus has been focused around, quite literally, temperature.

President Trump has suggested that the coronavirus outbreakwill be gone by April because the heat generally speaking kills this kind of virus, as reported by USA Today. He has appointed Vice President Pence to take charge of the U.S. response to the disease.

But, will the coronavirus be responsive to seasonal changes similar to the flu?

In short, there is no conclusive evidence to suggest that the spread of the disease will abate with warmer weather. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) notes that at this time, it is not known whether the spread of COVID-19 will decrease when weather becomes warmer.

COVID-19 is different from the virus strains that cause the flueven though it can lead to similar symptoms of respiratory problems.

So, to glean some insights, we needto look backwards to comparable outbreaks.

TheSARS epidemic, which spread in 2002 across Asia, started in November and continued into July. The outbreak was contained comparatively quickly only 8,000 people worldwide were infected.

MERS began in September 2012 in Saudi Arabia, a country with relatively higher temperatures. We dont see too much evidence of seasonality in MERS, Stuart Weston, a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, toldNational Geographic.

TheCDCsays it is is simply too soon to know howCOVID-19 will react when it first encounters warmer springtime temperatures.

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Trump says coronavirus will die off in warmer weather. Is he right? - The Hill

By Sandee LaMotte, CNN

(CNN) -- For many of us, the day doesn't start off right until we have that cuppa joe.

Just the aroma of that dark, rich brew can get our senses stirring, ready for the mood boost we know is coming.

And it turns out that coffee's not just fine for your health, it may even lengthen your life -- but only if you prepare it with a filter, according to a new long-term study published Wednesday in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology.

"Unfiltered coffee contains substances which increase blood cholesterol. Using a filter removes these and makes heart attacks and premature death less likely," said study author Dag Thelle, a senior professor in the public health and community medicine department of the University of Gothenburg, Sweden.

"Our study provides strong and convincing evidence of a link between coffee brewing methods, heart attacks and longevity," Thelle said.

That's bad news for lovers of coffee made with the French press, or cafetire, that is so popular today, or those fond of strong Greek and Turkish brewing methods. Boiling coffee or using a coffee press can actually increase your risk of heart disease.

"Unfiltered coffee, like Greek and Turkish coffee, which is boiled, or coffee made in a French press contain higher amounts of cafestol and kahweol -- chemicals found in oil droplets floating in the coffee and also in the sediment," said registered dietitian Lisa Drayer, a CNN health and nutrition contributor.

"Studies have shown that these substances can raise triglyceride levels and LDL cholesterol levels," Drayer said. "So stick with filtered coffee, such as a paper filter that you would use in a drip-brewed coffee, which can help to trap these chemicals."

The new study followed over half a million healthy Norwegian men and women between the ages of 20 and 79 over a 20-year period.

Results showed drinking boiled or pressed unfiltered coffee raised the risk of death in men aged 60 and above, due to elevated cardiovascular mortality.

But drinking filtered coffee -- that through a paper filter, for example, was found to be healthier than drinking no coffee at all.

Filtered coffee was linked to a 15% reduced risk of death from any cause, a 12% decreased risk of death from cardiovascular disease in men and a 20% lowered risk of death from heart disease in women when compared to drinking no coffee.

In fact, the study found those who drank one to four cups of filtered coffee per day had the lowest mortality rate.

"The finding that those drinking the filtered beverage did a little better than those not drinking coffee at all could not be explained by any other variable such as age, gender or lifestyle habits. So we think this observation is true," Thelle said.

The findings echo other research highlighting coffee's health benefits. According to the American Heart Association, filtered coffee can sharpen your mental focus, boost mood and improve performance during exercise.

The British Medical Journal published a huge umbrella study in 2017 that looked at over 200 meta-analyses of the health benefits of coffee and that found drinking three to fours cups of black coffee a day provides the most health benefits overall.

Those included lowering the risk of heart disease; numerous types of cancer; and neurological, metabolic and liver disorders; as well as overall mortality. Other studies have found coffee reduces the risk for melanoma, heart disease, multiple sclerosis, type 2 diabetes, liver disease, prostate cancer, Alzheimer's, computer-related back pain and more.

Of course, nothing is perfect. There are some reasons you may want to limit or avoid coffee.

Watch your sleep. "If you have trouble falling asleep, it's best to avoid coffee and all sources of caffeine in the evening or close to bedtime," Drayer suggested.

Careful if you're at risk for fractures. The British Medical Journal analysis found high levels of coffee consumption (over four cups a day) was associated with a higher risk of fractures in women who already had a greater likelihood, but not in men.

Pregnant women should also be wary. Higher levels of coffee consumption were found to increase risk for preterm births and stillbirths, as well as low birth weight in babies. This is possibly due to the fact that the half-life of caffeine is known to double during pregnancy, raising the dose of caffeine per cup, according to the study.

Not for those with Parkinson's. A study published in September 2017 reversed opinion on the benefits for Parkinson's disease, which was long thought to be helped by caffeine. Researchers who first found that coffee reduced tremors in those with Parkinson's went back and studied a larger sample of patients for a longer time. This time, they found no difference between those taking caffeine tablets and those taking a placebo. After the initial data came back negative, the study was stopped.

But for the vast majority of us, coffee is just fine, experts said.

"For people who know they have high cholesterol levels and want to do something about it, stay away from unfiltered brew, including coffee made with a cafetire," Thelle said. "For everyone else, drink your coffee with a clear conscience and go for filtered."

To keep your coffee consumption even more healthy, Drayer suggested the following tips:

Add low-fat milk and skip the cream. "Cream contributes about 50 calories and 3 grams of saturated fat per tablespoon," Drayer said, adding that low-fat milk has fewer calories and will help to offset calcium losses (a tablespoon has only 6 calories, but 19 milligrams of calcium).

Avoid sugar in your coffee. "A teaspoon of sugar contains 16 calories. It may not sound like much, but if you add two teaspoons to your brew and drink a few cups per day, the calories add up," she said.

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The healthiest way to brew your coffee -- and possibly lengthen your life - WDJT

In BriefResearchers have identified a single gene deletion in E. colibacteria that influence longevity in C. elegans worms. This pointsto the role of gut bacteria in life extension and points to thepossibility of a life-extending probiotic in the future.

Researchers at the Baylor College of Medicine have found the key to longevity in Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) worms and maybe, someday, humans. The team noticed that genetically identical worms would occasionally live for much longer, and looked to their gut bacteria to find the answer. They discovered that a strain of E. coli with a single gene deletion might be the reason that its hosts lives were being significantly extended.

This study is one among a number of projects that focus on the influence of the microbiome the community of microbes which share the body of the host organism on longevity. Ultimately, the goal of this kind of research is to develop probiotics that could extend human life. Ive always studied the molecular genetics of aging, Meng Wang, one of the researchers who conducted the study, told The Atlantic. But before, we always looked at the host. This is my first attempt to understand the bacterias side.

Even in cases like this, where it seems fairly obvious that the microbiome is influencing longevity, parsing out the details of how and why this happens among a tremendous variety of chemicals and microbe species is extremely complex. The team, in this case, was successful because they simplified the question and focused on a single relationship.

Genetically engineering bacteria to support and improve human health and even to slow aging and turning it into a usable, life-extending probiotic wont be easy. It is extremely difficult to make bacteria colonize the gut in a stable manner, which is a primary challenge in this field. The team, in this case, is looking to the microbiome, because the organisms used would be relatively safe to use because they would originate in the gut.

Clearly, researchers dont know yet whether these discoveries will be able to be applied to people, though it seems promising. Despite the obvious differences between the tiny C. elegans worm and us, its biology is surprisingly similar; many treatments that work well in mice and primates also work in the worm. The team will begin experiments along these same lines with mice soon.

Other interesting and recent research hoping to stop or slow the march of time includes work with induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells, antioxidants that target the mitochondria, and even somewhat strangework with cord blood. It seems very likely that we wont have a single solution offering immortality anytime soon, but instead a range of treatment options that help to incrementally hold back time. And, with an improving quality of life, this kind of life extension sounds promising.

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This Study Could Help Extend the Human Lifespan - Futurism

A new fad diet making the rounds on wellness influencer Instagram wont actually help you lose weight. And it could cause dehydration, urinary tract infections, kidney stones, organ failure even death.

Its called dry fasting. It goes beyond what most of us would consider fasting abstaining from solid food or liquid calories and requires consuming no water or liquids of any kind for many hours or even days at a time.

Instagram and other social media sites have provided a glossy new platform for extremely dubious health and nutrition claims. Posts about dry fasting often tout the need to heal or rest or reset your kidneys, or boost their filtration. In practice, what dry fasting will do is make you look a bit more toned, because your body is using up the water in your cells for energy.

Even more dubious claims suggest that dry fasting forces your body to burn toxins, or fat, or inflammation, or tumors. It does not. When you stop feeding your body calories, it breaks down muscle and fat. The toxic byproducts of that breakdown process build up in your system, requiring extra hydration to flush them out.

In other words, if youre abstaining from food, your body needs more water, not less.

Experts agree: There is no dietary or nutritional reason to go on a dry fast.

I dont recommend it at all, said Dr. Pauline Yi, a physician at UCLA Health Beverly Hills who regularly treats patients in their late teens and early 20s. She said intermittent fasting and other fasting-type diets are a popular topic with patients, and she has no problem with people trying them out.

But I also tell them when youre fasting you have to drink water, she said. You cannot go without hydration.

The majority of the human body is water. Your individual water consumption needs depend on your height, weight, health and the climate, but generally speaking, Yi said people should be consuming at least 68 ounces almost nine cups of water every day.

Cary Kreutzer, an associate professor at USCs schools of gerontology and medicine whose area of expertise includes nutrition and diet, says digestive systems arent meant to have extended breaks. She likened making your kidneys go without water to letting your cars engine run out of oil. You can basically burn out some parts of the car that youre going to have to get replaced, she said. You dont want those replacement parts to include your vital organs.

Another unintended consequence of dry fasting: It sets your body in water-conservation mode.

Your body likes homeostasis, said Yi, the physician. If youre going to cut back on water, your body will produce hormones and chemicals to hold onto any water.

So while you might gain a very short-term benefit by looking a tiny bit more toned while youre severely dehydrated (body-builders have been known to dry fast before competitions for that reason), once you consume liquid again, your body rebounds and desperately hangs on to even more water than before. Its like yo-yo dieting in fast motion.

Dry fasting is not the same thing as intermittent fasting, which has become a popular fad diet in recent years. There are different variations of intermittent fasting, but most people start with 16 hours of fasting followed by eight hours of eating. Martin Berkhan created the LeanGains 16:8 intermittent fasting guide and is widely credited with popularizing the diet. On his website, leangains.com, Berkhan writes that during the 16-hour fasting window, coffee, calorie-free sweeteners, diet soda, sugar-free gum and up to a teaspoon of milk in a cup of coffee wont break the fast.

The subreddit for fasting, r/fasting, has an Introduction to Intermittent Fasting guide that contains the following tips for surviving the fasting portion of your day:

Valter Longo has studied starvation, fasting and calorie restriction in humans for nearly 30 years. Hes currently the director of the Longevity Institute at USC and a professor of gerontology. He developed the Fasting-Mimicking Diet, or FMD, a fasting-type diet with small prepackaged meals intended to provide the health and longevity benefits of a five-day fast without requiring a doctors supervision. Fasting-type diets have grown in popularity in recent years for a simple reason, he said: Because they work.

But he said hes not aware of any reputable studies about the effects of dry fasting, and said he wouldnt even consider putting one together, also for a simple reason: Its incredibly dangerous.

For sure, the body needs to reset, but there are safe ways of doing that, and dry fasting is not one of them, Longo said. We require water.

His work has also involved looking at how cultures and religions have engaged with starvation and fasting throughout human history, and says he hasnt heard of any that involved extended fasting without water. The closest is Ramadan, during which observers go without food or water during daylight hours but at most, that lasts for 16 hours, and its preceded and followed by extensive hydration.

If someone tries dry fasting for a full day, Longo said, they risk side effects like developing kidney stones. Longer than that, and you start risking your life.

Some proponents of dry fasting eschew water but recommend hydrating with fresh fruits and vegetables. Hydrating with fruit is certainly better than not hydrating at all. An orange has about a half-cup of water in it; to get to the recommended 68 ounces of water a day, youd have to eat around 17 oranges. Thats a lot of peeling.

So, in conclusion: Dry fasting puts you at risk of kidney stones or organ failure. There are no known, proven long-term benefits to doing it. Though different types of fasts and fasting diets can be beneficial, there is no medical evidence to suggest you need to stop consuming water for any period of time, or that water from fruit is better for you than filtered drinking water. Do not take medical advice from a photo of a person in a sarong.

Please drink some water.

Excerpt from:
What 'dry fasting' is and why you shouldn't do it - Los Angeles Times

(Editors note: This article is part of an editorial partnership between Next Avenue and The American Federation for Aging Research (AFAR), a national nonprofit whose mission is to support and advance healthy aging through biomedical research.)

Are you as old as you feel, as old as you look or as old as your birth certificate says? The best answer may be none of the above.

Actually, you may be as biologically old as your blood says you are.

For many years, aging researchers have sought markers of biological age, or biomarkers simple signals that reveal the expected length of your future health. The expected length of future health, after all, is the key biological difference between younger and older people.

Some people have called such markers biological clocks. I dont know about you, but I dont typically calculate my age by thinking of clocks. I think of calendars. So, I prefer to call these hypothetical signals biological calendars.

The importance of these calendars is that they potentially allow researchers to quickly see whether a new drug, diet or other treatment that purports to slow, or even possibly reverse, aging is actually doing so.

Biological calendars of aging can also provide rapid feedback on how a lifestyle change, such as in diet or exercise habits, is affecting your biological age. This insight can motivate people to stick with that change.

Now, as a biological calendar, blood is a devilishly complex stew. Like a stew, it is liquid with lumps in it. We call the liquid plasma; the lumps, cells. Physicians for the past century have been using chemical analysis of plasma and counts of the various blood cell types to diagnose diseases. But we are now entering a brave new world of blood analysis.

Plasma contains not just the dozen or two chemicals that standard laboratory tests measure; it contains a constantly changing mixture of vitamins, nutrients, waste products, hormones and thousands of different proteins.

A hint that plasma might hold secrets about aging has come from research in which the plasma from young mice (or humans!) was found to rejuvenate the function of muscles, brain, heart and other organs of old mice. Dracula, it turns out, may have been onto something.

Recent advances in chemical analysis allow us to measure thousands of plasma chemicals at once, and advances in machine learning are helping make sense of that torrent of information. Plasma proteins may turn out to be just the type of biological calendar we are seeking.

I say this because a recent study of about 3,000 plasma proteins found that a specific combination of 373 of these proteins could accurately tell the age of the person from whom it was drawn. The study was conducted by AFAR Scientific Director Dr. Nir Barzilai with AFAR grantees David Gate of Stanford University and Dr. Sofiya Milman and Dr. Joe Verghese, both from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York.

On top of that, people who were judged by their proteins to be younger than their real age scored better on a panel of physical and mental tests. We dont know yet how well these proteins might predict future health or life, but those studies will soon follow.

Blood cells, in addition to plasma, might have an even more promising aging tale to tell.

Your white blood cells (but not your red cells) contain your DNA, which provides the instruction manual for pretty much everything that goes on in your body. A few years ago, it was hoped that telomeres those protective DNA caps at the ends of your chromosomes from white blood cells might be a useful biological calendar. But telomeres as predictors of future health have not held up to scientific scrutiny.

However, we may have just been looking at the wrong part of our DNA.

Although we tend to think of DNA as little more than a long-coded sequence of DNA letters, there is a bit more to it. In particular, there are a number of small chemical tags that attach to DNA at specific sites to help turn off, or turn on, genes.

In recent years, combinations of particular tags called DNA methylation have, like plasma proteins, been shown to be good predictors of age and health in people and animals. These tags have even been shown to predict time to death and the development of later life diseases in people.

Perhaps even more exciting, a small, very preliminary study of 10 middle-aged men taking a hormone cocktail designed to stimulate the immune system showed a one-and-a-half-year regression in their DNA methylation calendar.

Lets not get too excited about this result yet. It is easy to overinterpret such very preliminary results, as some of the media have done. We have no idea at present what a small backward trend in DNA methylation age means, and this study has more than a few limitations. But it is without doubt provocative.

Stay tuned. Analysis of blood cells and blood plasma may hold secrets of aging that we are just beginning to discover.

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Does our blood hold the secrets of our longevity? - The Oakland Press

At this time of year, many of us are full of good intentions related to everything from exercise and nutrition to what it takes to lead a good, productive life. Along those lines, in my view, there is no better time than the start of a new year for a conversation about one of my favorite subjects: the value of recharging and recovering.

This month, millions of people around America and across the globe myself included are intently focused on football, with the NFL Super Bowl in full swing. I believe everyone can learn about the value of consistent, quality sleep from the way athletes are now paying attention to it. At Sleep Number, we are proud partners of the NFL, and its no secret that on the road to the Super Bowl, harnessing the benefits of quality shut-eye ensures that players are performing at their peak.

For one thing, sacrificing sleep leads to loss of aerobic endurance, according to recent science. And that, in turn, can result in higher levels of cortisol,(a stress hormone), which can lead to worry and anxiety, affecting mood and, subsequently, performance. Sleep deprivation also results in a decrease of human growth hormone, which is important for tissue repair and crucial for muscles to recover after physical activity. In addition, you need good sleep to stimulate your immune system and reduce inflammation.

The importance of quality sleep for professional athletes is compounded by the specific challenges they face, for example jet lag-induced fatigue, as teams fly across the country for games. Caused by the disruption of our circadian system, otherwise known as our internal body clock, jet lag can lead to grogginess and a loss of productivity. All in all, its easy to understand why resting and recharging is vital for athletes who need stamina and often sustain injuries and that its equally important for the rest of us.

For more on the science, I spoke to Dr. Chris Winter, M.D., director of the Charlottesville Neurology and Sleep Medicine Center and author of The Sleep Solution. Athletic recovery depends upon getting consistent, quality sleep, (eight to 10 hours of shut-eye is recommended for football players). Particularly critical is deep sleep, which generally happens in the first two to three hours of your night, because for adults, its about the only time we make growth hormone, says Dr. Winter. He explains that to get deep sleep, it is important to go to bed around the same time each night. If you typically fall asleep around 11p.m. and get up around 6 a.m., that deep sleeps going to happen from about 11 p.m. to 1 a.m. Therefore, if you suddenly go to bed at 4 oclock in the morning, you dont get your deep sleep that night. After just one night of poor sleep or no sleep, your body feels different and your motivation wanes.

Dr. Winter has often given this sage advice to professional athletes who insist that they can get away with a few hours a night, without any adverse impact on their game or their health. He says: Ive told football players I work with, Youve got to make some better choices, because that kind of lifestyle is not conducive to being a pro athlete for a long period of time. Dr Winter adds that getting restricted sleep for just three to five nights will have a serious negative impact on performance whether thats in the office or on the field. Athletes and investment bankers come to see me and say: Hey, Doc, as long as I get my four hours Im fine, says Dr. Winter. I tell them: No, youre not. Your ability to perform is completely impaired, even if you dont feel it. You may be doing triathlons, but make no mistake, if you are only getting four hours of sleep, your health will suffer seriously as you get older. Just be aware of that.

I asked Dr. Nathaniel F. Watson, M.D. M.Sc., professor of neurology at the University of Washington and director of the Harborview Medical Center Sleep Clinic, to add his expertise. He pointed out that sleep is the time when whats called the lymphatic system in the brain takes out the trash, so to speak. When you go to sleep, he says, the brain contracts a little and opens up channels for cerebrospinal fluid to flow around, collecting and taking out all the byproducts of a days worth of cognitive use. In other words, the brain is completing and clearing the cellular gunk that accumulates during wakefulness, so we can be refreshed and revitalized when we wake up.

When we get a good nights sleep, we wake up mentally alert, prepared to perform at our best. Our cognitive performance will improve, and we can think more quickly and make the correct decisions at a faster rate, says Dr. Watson, who treats college athletes and professional teams for sleep issues and disorders. Sleep is absolutely crucial to both the mind and the body. Theres no substitute for sleep, so dont fight it, says Dr. Watson, who recommends listening to and respecting your bodys natural signs and signals. When its dark out in the evening and you are ready for bed, go to sleep as soon as you feel drowsy, if possible, he says, and wake up spontaneously without setting an alarm clock.

Quality shut-eye is a key to high performance and longevity. Basketball players shoot better free throws. Swimmers swim faster. Tennis players hit their balls 50% more accurately and have fewer mental lapses. As a general rule, youll find that athletes who have had long careers take sleeping and recharging seriously, because theyve discovered the value for themselves. I encourage everyone to take the same approach. And on that note, with 20/20 vision, I intuitively feel its going to be a great year.

Sleep well, Dream Big, Shelly

The rest is here:
How to Recharge and Recover Like Pro Athletes - Thrive Global

Rabbi Eliezer Berland and his suspected co-conspirators are suspected of conning more than 200 victims, including disabled people who were promised they would be able to walk again and patients given "miracle cures" that were really Mentos candies.

Months of investigation led to the predawn arrests of Rabbi Eliezer Berland, his wife and five major fundraisers for his yeshiva. Berland has a previously served a 10-month sentence for sexually abusing his female acolytes.

Eliezer Berland during his sex abuse case, for which he was jailed

(Photo: Ohad Zwigenberg)

All seven people arrested in Jerusalem on Sunday morning are suspected of receiving money through fraud, extortion and money laundering. During the arrests, supporters of the rabbi hurled stones at the arresting officers, leaving two with minor head injuries. The rioters were dispersed with stun grenades.

According to the investigation, Berland charged a tariff for each boon he dispensed, in accordance with the severity of the supplicant's suffering.

Some people even took out loans or handed their property over to Berland in return for his blessings.

A relative of one of the people who turned to Berland complained to him that despite his blessing their relative had passed away. Berland responded by asking for more money to ensure that the departed relative "will rise first when the resurrection comes."

In some cases, the people who turned to Berland had incurable diseases. According to the police, predawn raid revealed dozens of boxes of drops and pills, which are believed to have been distributed as miracle cures.

Tests conducted by the police showed that some of the drops were in fact antibiotics; the police called the drugs given to Berland's supplicants "false god drugs." To date, testimonies have been gathered from 200 people believed to have been conned by Berland and his associates.

The arrests were welcomed by Nurit Ben Moshe, whose daughter Shoshi died of cancer after Berland banned her from receiving chemotherapy and promised her longevity in return for tens of thousands of shekels.

The arrest of the rabbi was a "bittersweet" moment, Ben Moshe told Ynet.

"I hope everyone pays the price for what they did," she said. "What goes on in that cult is just horrendous."

The late Shoshi Videra was told by Eliezer Berland not to accept chemotherapy for her cancer

Last year, Israeli TV revealed that the rabbi received thousands of shekels from Shoshi, and in return told her not to have the chemotherapy she needed after a tumor in her gallbladder was removed in January 2019. Berland was documented taking the money and promising her a long life in return.

Shoshi underwent a successful operation, but Berland ordered her to refrain from receiving the supplementary treatments. Her mother was torn between the desire to please her daughter and pay the money demanded by the rabbi, and the knowledge that it was extortion that threatened her daughter's life. Finally, she raised the funds demanded by the rabbi.

Ben Moshe said: "This cult needs to be disbanded, it is cruel. Berland asked my son-in-law [one of his followers NF] to stop me from seeing my grandchildren. That's all I have left of my darling girl and they know how I connected I am to the children. These kids are my life and they wanted to get revenge on me because I sued their rabbi, Berland. His gurus simply decided that I could only see my grandchildren for an hour each month. Now I'm waging war."

She added: "Our story opened Pandora's box for the cult, which led to the arrests. Our story is difficult and we have still not heard the end of it. There are other shocking stories that I will soon be coming out with, so people can hear what a cult [the yeshiva] is. There are many more victims, my daughter is not the only one."

Eliezer Berland and his followers

(Photo: Ariela Sternbach)

According to the police, "Berland's organization was managed in a very sophisticated way that makes it difficult to find the evidence."

Over the past two years, the Jerusalem District Police has investigated dozens of cases of alleged violence by Berland's followers, who are battling the Braslav Hasidic movement for more status and power.

Dozens of cases and dozens of suspects were investigated for felony, fraud, and violence.

Chief Superintendent Doron Ben-Amo said: "Dozens of investigators from the Jerusalem District, the Tax Authority and the National Insurance Institute participated in the investigation. The investigative team worked covertly and managed to acquire documents and evidence on a very large scale. This morning we entered the visible stage and arrested seven suspects. During the searches, cash was also seized, and we now begin the open phase of the investigation. "

Regarding the rabbi himself, Ben-Amo said: "According to suspicions, the central suspect used multiple methods, and his associates dispensed blessings for recovery and promises of health, finding a partner and more. There was a fee defined by the severity of an illness, and there were those who handed over property worth hundreds of thousands of shekels.

They targeted hundreds of innocent people who were brutally and cynically exploited in a time of distress. We have more than 200 victims and expect there will be more. They lured in patients with false promises, pledged to free people from detention centers and vowed that the disabled would be able to walk again."

See the original post here:
Mints as medicine and prayers instead of chemo - how sex pest Berland conned the weak - Ynetnews

About 250,000 Americans die a year as a direct result of sedentary lifestyles.

The larger share of these deaths is more directly attributable to the development ofcardiovascular diseases. Many Americans lack either the time or the funds to commit to a gym membership which means fighting chronic inactivity begins with affordable ways to maintain physical fitness.

Thankfully, a study published in the JAMA Network Open recently became the first to identify push-up capacity as a preemptive correlate of poor heart health.

More discreetly, the researchers from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Healthposited that middle-aged men who can complete 40 push-ups or more in a single try evidence a reduced risk of developing deadly cardiovascular diseases compared to individuals who can complete no more than ten push-ups in a single try.

Our findings provide evidence that push-up capacity could be an easy, no-cost method to help assess cardiovascular disease risk in almost any setting. Surprisingly, push-up capacity was more strongly associated with cardiovascular disease risk than the results of submaximal treadmill tests, explained the studys first authorJustin Yang, occupational medicine resident in theDepartment of Environmental Healthat Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Push-up capacity is a no-cost, fast, and simple measure that may be a useful and objective clinical assessment tool for evaluating functional capacity and cardiovascular disease risk

There are several aspects of physical fitness that can be instructive for subsequent heart disease outcomes.

Calisthenics and resistance training are great waysto decrease blood pressure and stress put upon the heart. When performed correctly habitually doing push-ups can achieve the aforementioned benefits and even provide a dependable measure of an individuals longevity.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the leading cause of mortality worldwide. Robust evidence indicates an association of increased physical fitness with a lower risk of CVD events and improved longevity; however, few have studied simple, low-cost measures of functional status, the authors wrote in the report.

In order to determine the most effective and affordable methods of maintaining fitness, the researchers beganby reviewing health data from 1,104 male firefighters recorded annually between the years of 2000 and 2010. The average age of the participants was 39 and the median body-mass-index was about 28.7

Each participant was instructed to perform as many push-ups as they could in a single-try. These trials persisted over the course of ten years.

By the end of the study period, 37 participants developed a heart disease related condition 36 of these firefighters were not able to complete 40 push-ups in the initial trial. Although the researchers additionally tested treadmill endurance no discernible association was established between these demonstrations and the development of cardiovascular diseases.

More trials need to be done to determine if these outcomes could be replicated in women, younger men, and subjects who are less active than the firefighters involved in the study.

To perform a proper push-up make sure that your hands are shoulder-width apart or wider, your elbows are at a 45-degree angle as you bend towards the ground, and that your fingers are spread, with your middle finger pointing towards 12 oclock.

Push-up capacity is a no-cost, fast, and simple measure that may be a useful and objective clinical assessment tool for evaluating functional capacity and cardiovascular disease risk.

The new study was co-authored by JustinYang,MD, Costas A.Christophi,PhD andAndreaFarioli,MD, PhD and can be read in full in the JAMA Network Open.

Excerpt from:
Doing this many push-ups reduces heart disease risk by 96% - Ladders

Key Players: Syapse, Allscripts, Qiagen, Roper Technologies, Fabric Genomics, Foundation Medicine, Sophia Genetics, PierianDx, Human Longevity, Translational Software, Gene42, Inc, Lifeomic Health.

2020 Report on Global Precision Medicine Software Market is a professional and comprehensive report on the Precision Medicine Software industry.

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Geographically, this report is categorized into various main regions, including sales, proceeds, market share and expansion Rate (percent) of Precision Medicine Software in the following areas, North America, Asia-Pacific, South America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, The Middle East and Africa.

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In the end, the Global Precision Medicine Software Market reports conclusion part notes the estimation of the industry veterans.

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Precision Medicine Software Market research for 2020 details shared in the report - WhaTech Technology and Markets News