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Category Archives: Cf
CF Industries Holdings, Inc. Welcomes Commerce Departments Affirmative Preliminary Countervailing Duty Determinations Concerning UAN from Russia and…
Posted: December 3, 2021 at 5:11 am
DEERFIELD, Ill., November 30, 2021--(BUSINESS WIRE)--CF Industries Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: CF) today welcomed the U.S. Department of Commerces ("Commerce") affirmative preliminary determinations that urea ammonium nitrate (UAN) imports from Russia are unfairly subsidized at rates ranging from 9.66% to 9.84% and UAN imports from Trinidad and Tobago ("Trinidad") are unfairly subsidized at a rate of 1.83%. Commerce made the determinations as part of countervailing duty ("CVD") investigations that are being conducted in response to petitions filed by CF Industries through certain of its production facilities.
"Commerces preliminary determinations are an important step towards leveling the playing field for the U.S. UAN industry and its workers," said Tony Will, president and chief executive officer, CF Industries Holdings, Inc. "We appreciate the hard work of the Commerce professionals who are handling these investigations, and look forward to participating in the post-preliminary phase."
As a result of todays determinations, Commerce will impose preliminary cash deposit requirements on imports of UAN from Russia and Trinidad, equivalent to the rates of unfair subsidization. Commerce is conducting concurrent antidumping ("AD") investigations of UAN from Russia and Trinidad. Preliminary determinations in the AD investigations are expected in late January, which could lead to the imposition of additional preliminary cash deposit requirements.
Commerce initiated the CVD and AD investigations in July 2021 in response to the above-referenced petitions alleging that unfairly dumped and subsidized imports of UAN from Russia and Trinidad are injuring the U.S. UAN industry. Under U.S. law, both Commerce and the U.S. International Trade Commission ("ITC") must make final affirmative determinations in order for Commerce to issue an AD/CVD order, which would remain in place for at least five years. Commerce and the ITC are expected to make final determinations in the summer of 2022.
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About CF Industries Holdings, Inc.
At CF Industries, our mission is to provide clean energy to feed and fuel the world sustainably. With our employees focused on safe and reliable operations, environmental stewardship, and disciplined capital and corporate management, we are on a path to decarbonize our ammonia production network the worlds largest to enable green and blue hydrogen and nitrogen products for energy, fertilizer, emissions abatement and other industrial activities. Our nine manufacturing complexes in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, an unparalleled storage, transportation and distribution network in North America, and logistics capabilities enabling a global reach underpin our strategy to leverage our unique capabilities to accelerate the worlds transition to clean energy. CF Industries routinely posts investor announcements and additional information on the Companys website at http://www.cfindustries.com and encourages those interested in the Company to check there frequently.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211130006060/en/
Contacts
Media Chris CloseDirector, Corporate Communications847-405-2542 cclose@cfindustries.com
Investors Martin JarosickVice President, Investor Relations847-405-2045 mjarosick@cfindustries.com
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Canadian CF-18 replacement: F-35 and Gripen to the the final showdown – Aviacionline.com
Posted: at 5:11 am
Yesterday, the Government of Canada officially announced that the two remaining competitors in the running to replace the Royal Canadian Air Forces (RCAF) CF-18 Hornets are the Saab Gripen and the Lockheed Martin F-35.
Just a few days ago, the Canadian government informed Boeing that its F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet was out of the bidding process for not meeting the requirements. And yesterday, a press release was issued informing that, after evaluation of the proposals submitted, two bidders remain eligible under the Future Fighter Capability Project (FFCP) competitive procurement process:
The proposals were rigorously evaluated on the elements of capability, cost and economic benefits. The evaluation also included an economic impact assessment.
In the coming weeks, Canada will finalize the next steps in the process, which, based on further analysis of the 2 remaining bids, could involve initiating final negotiations with the highest ranked bidder or initiating a competitive dialogue, in which the 2 remaining bidders would have the opportunity to improve their proposals.
What is interesting is how disparate the competitors are. On the one hand, Saabs proposal to replace the CF-18 with 88 Gripen E/F, a light single-engine 4.5 generation, robust, modern and low operating cost aircraft. On the other hand, the only 5th generation fighter currently offered to the export market, the F-35.
The technological advantages are clearly on the side of Lockheed Martins product, especially considering that what is offered to Canada is the future Block 4, a more advanced version than the current F-35models, much awaited by the USAF, because it would have all the capabilities promised since the beginning of the program and would correct many of the shortcomings suffered so far.
The strength of Saabs Gripen proposal for Canada lies in its technology transfer offer and its extensive offset program, which includes the installation of 2 aerospace centers in Canada.
What the Canadian government must decide is which air force and aerospace industry model wants for its future: greater independence and autonomy from the U.S. or deeper integration with its main continental and NATO ally? The real challenge is to decide which of the two solutions will bring the greatest benefits to Canada in the long term.
The winner of the competition should be announced during 2022, with the first new fighters expected to start arriving in 2025. In the meantime, the RCAF will upgrade part of its CF-18s with AESA radars to maintain a minimum of modern operational capabilities until beyond mid-decade.
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Canadian CF-18 replacement: F-35 and Gripen to the the final showdown - Aviacionline.com
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CF Industries Holdings, Inc. to Participate in Upcoming Investor Conferences – Business Wire
Posted: at 5:11 am
DEERFIELD, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--CF Industries Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: CF) today announced that the company will present at the following conferences in December:
Investors who wish to access the live conference webcasts should visit the Investor Relations section of the companys website at http://www.cfindustries.com. A replay of the webcasts will be available on the CF Industries Holdings, Inc. website until March 10, 2022.
About CF Industries Holdings, Inc.
At CF Industries, our mission is to provide clean energy to feed and fuel the world sustainably. With our employees focused on safe and reliable operations, environmental stewardship, and disciplined capital and corporate management, we are on a path to decarbonize our ammonia production network the worlds largest to enable green and blue hydrogen and nitrogen products for energy, fertilizer, emissions abatement and other industrial activities. Our nine manufacturing complexes in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, an unparalleled storage, transportation and distribution network in North America, and logistics capabilities enabling a global reach underpin our strategy to leverage our unique capabilities to accelerate the worlds transition to clean energy. CF Industries routinely posts investor announcements and additional information on the Companys website at http://www.cfindustries.com and encourages those interested in the Company to check there frequently.
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CF Industries Holdings, Inc. to Participate in Upcoming Investor Conferences - Business Wire
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Sources — Minnesota Twins, CF Byron Buxton agree to seven-year, $100 million extension – ESPN
Posted: November 28, 2021 at 9:55 pm
Center fielder Byron Buxton and the Minnesota Twins are in agreement on a seven-year, $100 million contract extension, sources familiar with the deal told ESPN's Jeff Passan on Sunday.
Buxton received a full no-trade clause in the deal and will be paid $500,000 every time he reaches 502, 533, 567, 600 and 625 plate appearances, the sources said.
He also has MVP bonuses in each year of the deal: $8 million for finishing first, $7 million for finishing second, $6 million for third, $5 million for fourth, $4 million for fifth and $3 million for finishing in sixth through 10th place, the sources said.
He had been scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent after the 2022 season.
Buxton set career bests last season with a .306 batting average and 19 home runs but was limited to 65 games because of injuries.
Because of various injuries, he has played in more than 100 games just once in his career, in 2017, when he appeared in 140 games and won his only Gold Glove Award. That was also the only season he has reached more than 500 plate appearances (511).
For his career, Buxton has a .248 average, 70 home runs and 204 RBIs in seven seasons, all with the Twins.
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Sources -- Minnesota Twins, CF Byron Buxton agree to seven-year, $100 million extension - ESPN
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Cystic Fibrosis: Causes, Diagnosis, and Treatment – Healthline
Posted: at 9:55 pm
Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a serious genetic condition that causes severe damage to the respiratory and digestive systems. This damage often results from a buildup of thick, sticky mucus in the organs.
The most commonly affected organs include the:
According to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, more than 30,000 people in the United States have cystic fibrosis, and another 1,000 people are diagnosed with it every year. CF is a progressive condition, so it gets worse over time.
Regular, daily care can help manage CF, but theres no one treatment plan that will work for everyone. With a treatment plan specific to your needs, you can still live a full life, attend school, and have a career.
In this article, we take a look at the symptoms, causes, diagnosis, and treatment of cystic fibrosis.
Cystic fibrosis affects the cells that produce sweat, mucus, and digestive enzymes. Normally, these fluids are thin and smooth like olive oil. They lubricate your organs and tissues, keeping them from getting too dry.
If you have CF, a genetic mutation increases the thickness of mucus and other body fluids. When this happens, the thicker fluids can interrupt the function of organs like the movement of air through your lungs. This can trap bacteria and lead to infections.
In more advanced cases, people with CF may have complications like respiratory failure and malnutrition.
Its critical to get treatment for CF right away. Early diagnosis and treatment can improve quality of life and lengthen ones life span.
Screening tests and treatment methods have improved in recent years, so many people with CF can now live into their 40s and 50s.
The symptoms of cystic fibrosis can vary depending on the person and the severity of their condition. The age at which symptoms develop can also differ.
Symptoms may appear at infancy, but for other children, symptoms may not begin until after puberty or even later in life. As time passes, the symptoms associated with the disease may get better or worse.
One of the first signs of CF is a strong, salty taste to the skin. Parents of children with CF have mentioned noticing this saltiness when kissing their children.
Other symptoms of CF result from complications that affect the:
The thick, sticky mucus associated with CF often blocks the passageways that carry air into and out of the lungs. This can cause the following symptoms:
The abnormal mucus can also plug the channels that carry the enzymes produced by the pancreas to the small intestine. Without these digestive enzymes, the intestine cant absorb the necessary nutrients from food. This can result in:
CF occurs as a result of a defect in whats called the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator gene, or CFTR gene. This gene controls the movement of water and salt in and out of your bodys cells.
A sudden mutation, or change, in the CFTR gene causes your mucus to become thicker and stickier than its supposed to be.
This abnormal mucus increases the amount of salt in your sweat and builds up in various organs throughout the body, including the:
Different defects can affect the CFTR gene. The type of defect is associated with the severity of CF. The damaged gene is passed on to the child from their parents.
In order to have CF, a child must inherit one copy of the gene from each biological parent. If they only inherit a copy of the gene from one parent, they wont develop the disease. However, theyll be a carrier of the defective gene, which means they may pass the gene on to their own biological children.
How likely you are to inherit CF depends on several factors.
Anyone can inherit CF if their parents carry the gene. However, carriers usually have just one copy of a defective gene and may never experience symptoms or even know they carry the gene.
According to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, about 10 million people in the United States are carriers of the gene for CF, yet only about 30,000 have active disease.
Although carriers wont have active disease, the children of two carriers have a much higher risk. To be exact, if both your parents carry the cystic fibrosis gene, there is a:
In terms of ancestry or ethnic backgrounds, a 2019 study found that people of northern European descent have the highest rates of CF. The condition is less common in people from Hispanic or African American backgrounds, and even more rare in people of Asian descent.
People who have a family history of CF are also at an increased risk because its an inherited disorder.
The diagnosis of CF requires clinical symptoms consistent with CF in at least one organ system and evidence of CFTR dysfunction. This evidence is usually based on abnormal results from a sweat chloride test or the presence of mutations in the CFTR gene.
Clinical symptoms are not required for infants identified through newborn screening. Other diagnostic tests that may be performed include:
Although theres no cure for CF, there are various treatments available that may help relieve symptoms and reduce the risk of complications.
A lung transplant may be an option to improve and extend your life. However, the CF gene mutation will remain in your body, affecting other organs even after youve received new lungs.
There are also a number of things to consider when weighing transplantation as an option. Theres a risk of infection and rejection of the organ, and you will have to take medications that suppress your immune system for the rest of your life.
Chest therapy helps loosen the thick mucus in the lungs, making it easier to cough up. Its typically performed 1 to 4 times per day.
A common technique involves placing the head over the edge of a bed and clapping with cupped hands along the sides of the chest.
Mechanical devices may also be used to clear mucus. These include:
CF can prevent the intestines from absorbing necessary nutrients from food.
If you have CF, you might need more calories per day than people who dont the disease. You may also need to take pancreatic enzyme capsules with every meal.
Your doctor may also recommend antacids, multivitamins, and a diet high in fiber and salt.
If you have CF, its important to:
CF cannot be prevented. However, genetic testing should be performed for couples who have CF or have relatives with the disease.
Genetic testing can determine a childs risk of CF by testing samples of blood or saliva from each parent. Tests can also be performed on you if youre pregnant and concerned about your babys risk.
The outlook for people with CF has improved dramatically in recent years, largely due to advances in treatment. Today, many people with the disease live into their 40s and 50s, and even longer in some cases.
However, theres no cure for CF, so lung function will steadily decline over time. The resulting damage to the lungs can cause severe breathing problems and other complications.
If you or a loved one are believed to have CF, the first steps you should take are to confirm the diagnosis and to become educated on the condition.
A number of tests can be performed to confirm a diagnosis, and your doctor or healthcare professional should be able to discuss how advanced your condition is and what treatment plans will work best.
While theres no cure for CF, there are some facilities that provide more specialized CF care. Additionally, you will want to make sure to maintain your health and preserve your strength by doing things like:
It takes a whole team of healthcare professionals, a good support system, and the cooperation of employers, schools, and insurers to get people with CF the care they need.
There are a number of online resources and even online or local support groups that can help you or your loved ones cope the with demands of living with or caring for someone with CF.
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Cystic Fibrosis: Causes, Diagnosis, and Treatment - Healthline
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7 external CF options Phillies could consider with Starling Marte off the board Phillies Nation – Phillies Nation
Posted: at 9:55 pm
At a position with very few needle movers and even less who become available the Philadelphia Phillies were dealt a blow Friday night in their pursuit of a center fielder, arguably the biggest need on the roster.
Starling Marte reportedly reached a four-year/$78 million deal with the division-rival New York Mets, closing the door on the free agent that some thought was the best fit for the Phillies.
While were intrigued by the possibility of Simon Muzziotti playing a role for the 2022 Phillies, its pretty unlikely that the No. 14 overall prospect will be the teams opening day center fielder. And president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski has already cast doubt on the chances that either Mickey Moniak or Adam Haseley will be a solution in center field to open next season.
Without a clear internal answer in center field, here are seven external options the Phillies could pivot to in the wake of Marte signing with the Mets:
Byron Buxton
The Phillies didnt make any bones about their interest in Buxton last summer, but Dan Hayes of The Athletic ultimately reported that they didnt have a good enough headliner to land the oft-injured star center fielder.
Perhaps nothing has changed in that regard, but it would behoove the Phillies to test those waters again, given that Buxton is entering his contract year and the Minnesota Twins havent been able to complete a long-term deal with him.
Acquiring Buxton as Phillies Nations Destiny Lugardo projected in her latest mock offseason certainly wouldnt be without risk. Not only would the Phillies have to part with some of the limited prospect capital that they have, but presumably reach a long-term deal with the soon-to-be 28-year-old.
If Buxton stayed healthy, though, he could turn center field into a strength and help the Phillies reach the postseason for the first time since 2011.
Chris Taylor
An All-Star for the first time in 2021, Taylor has reached free agency ahead of his age-31 season.
In some senses, Taylor would be the perfect fit for the Phillies. He can play center field or shortstop, among other positions, and would bring extensive postseason experience to a roster that lacks it.
The flip side of that, though, is that you would likely be looking at a deal similar to the one that Marte signed to land Taylor, who is on the wrong side of 30. Since he declined a qualifying offer from the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Phillies would also have to surrender their second-round pick in the 2022 MLB Draft and $500,000 of international signing bonus pool money to acquire his services.
Cedric Mullins
This is perhaps the longest shot of any of the names on this list, as Mullins is coming off of an All-Star campaign that ultimately saw him finish ninth in American League MVP voting.
Jon Heyman of Audacy Sports says that the Orioles would listen on the 27-year-old, though he adds that potential suitors are aware that its a long shot that Baltimore parts with their best asset.
Mullins cant become a free agent until after 2025, so the Orioles arent especially motivated to move him now, even if they view signing him long-term as unlikely. If center field is still an issue in a year or two for the Phillies which it may very well be perhaps the idea of trading for Mullins will be more realistic.
Kris Bryant
The former National League MVP isnt an especially strong fielder at any one position, but he can be serviceable at all three outfield positions and third base, which certainly would help the Phillies.
He would also provide the Phillies with another middle-of-the-order bat to hit behind Bryce Harper, so you would be killing two birds with one stone.
The problem with signing Bryant would be that unless the Phillies are willing to exceed the luxury tax threshold, signing Bryant to the six-year/$160 million deal that MLB Trade Rumors has projected would eat into a giant chunk of the limited financial flexibility the team has under the constraints they have imposed.
You wouldnt have to surrender draft compensation, though, because Bryant was traded by the Chicago Cubs to the San Francisco Giants midseason and wasnt eligible to be issued a qualifying offer.
Kevin Kiermaier
A three-time Gold Glove Award winner, Kiermaier would be a defensive-first addition, as the Phillies look to upgrade a roster that was dead last with -54 defensive runs saved in 2021.
Kiermaier, a former Platinum Glove Award winner, had 13 defensive runs saved this past season. Jean Segura and Odbel Herrera who is no longer in the organization were the only Phillies regular position players who were above water in terms of defensive runs saved in 2021.
Set to turn 32 next April, Kiermaier is due $12 million in the final year of his six-year deal with the Tampa Bay Rays. If the Phillies traded for him, they would also inherit a $13 million club option for 2023, one that includes a $2.5 million buyout.
Jackie Bradley Jr.
Bradley posted a minuscule .497 OPS in his first season with the Milwaukee Brewers and is due $9.5 million in 2022, so this may not seem appealing on the surface.
However, if you were able to offload the $14.5 million owed to Didi Gregorius in 2021, it may make some sense to take on Bradleys deal, which will include a hefty $8 million buyout in 2023. Gregorius counts $14 million (his average annual value) towards the luxury tax threshold. Bradley costs $12 million, so youd be opening up a bit of financial flexibility in 2022, even if youd be forcing yourself into some level of commitment for 2023.
One of the best defenders of his era, Bradley did still have nine defensive runs saved in center field this past season. Dombrowski was with him in Boston, so hes aware that Bradleys glove can make up for a below-average fielder in left with a big bat, such as Nick Castellanos or Kyle Schwarber.
If Bradley was able to rebound to some degree offensively in 2022, adding his glove and offloading Gregorius remaining money might be making the best of a bad situation.
Kevin Pillar
While hes not the fielder that he once was, Pillar remains adequate in center field, and could be an interesting depth piece if you have someone else in mind to pair him with in center field. Its unclear who that someone else would be for the Phillies, though.
Pillar, who will be 33 in January, did hit 15 home runs and drive in 47 runs for the Mets this past season. However, there wasnt a ton of offensive production outside that, as he posted just a .277 on-base percentage.
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On the run again: CF Turkey Trot returns in Wyoming – The Daily News Online
Posted: at 9:55 pm
WYOMING It was good to be back.
Runners crowded at the start line Thursday for the annual CF Turkey Trot. After a rendition of The Star Spangled Banner, they charged down Maple Street over a course which would take them three miles through the village.
Were so glad to be here in person this year, said organizer Carrie Bartholomew. Its nice to see everyone and see their faces, and everyone who has been her for nine years now. Its been great to see all the familiar faces.
The annual 5k race is sponsored by CF Team Natalie, which is named for Natalie Bartholomew Carrie and Wayne Bartholomews 9-year-old daughter, who lives with the disease herself. All of the races proceeds go to help cystic fibrosis charities.
Last years CF Turkey Trot was a virtual event due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But this year the race was in-person again.
As typical, the event attracted about 400 people.
Its on-par, so we did pretty well, Carrie Bartholomew said. Some of those chose to stay virtual, whether they were from out of town or they just were more comfortable running on their own away from the crowd. But altogether its a pretty decent crowd and were happy with the results.
Besides runners, the race also includes numerous walkers.
Jonah Epps, 19, of Batavia was this years first place finisher, with a time of about 17 minutes, in what was initially a closer race.
The first mile I was like, Uh, I dont want to go too fast, and sat on the kid, but he started breathing and I was like, Ill go now, Epps said afterward.
What was it like being the top finisher? It felt good, Epps said. I wish I would have broke 17 (minutes), but theres always next year though.
He planned to be having dinner with his family later in the day.
First place female finisher was Icel Sukovaty, who ran with Andrew Korts. Both are University of Rochester students.
A lot of the areas other turkey trots were booked, they said, and they also enjoyed Wyomings small-town appeal. This was their first time running in the event.
We really wanted to run one, Sukovaty said. We were really excited about it, to be able to see all the people and stuff.
Other runners and walkers gradually filtered in and then it was off to Thanksgiving dinners, wherever the location.
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CF Sherway Gardens Hosts Holiday Food Drive in Support of Daily Bread Food Bank on Saturday November 27 – Yahoo Finance
Posted: November 25, 2021 at 11:50 am
Holiday shoppers encouraged to bring donations with goal to collect 50,000lbs of food for those in need
TORONTO, Nov. 24, 2021 /CNW/ - CF Sherway Gardens is supporting Daily Bread Food Bank to bring much-needed food donations to local families and individuals this holiday season with the goal of collecting 50,000lbs of food on Saturday November 27th. In addition to hosting the food drive, CF Sherway Gardens is proud to donate $15,000 to Daily Bread Food Bank to help the organization with their critical work.
CF Sherway Gardens Logo (CNW Group/Cadillac Fairview Corporation Limited)
Alongside CF Sherway Gardens staff and Daily Bread Food Bank volunteers, local City Council member, Stephen Holyday, Deputy Mayor, Ward 2 Etobicoke Centre, will be onsite to help guide the donation process. A DJ will be playing festive holiday tunes throughout the day to celebrate the spirit of the season.
Shoppers are encouraged to bring non-perishable food items on Saturday, November 27th between 11am and 5pm. All COVID safety measures are in place, and donations will be made socially distanced. Two collection bins and a Daily Bread Food Bank donation truck will be on-site for shoppers to safely make their donations.
What:
CF Sherway Gardens Holiday Food Drive in support of Daily Bread Food Bank on Saturday November 27 from 11am to 5pm located in the North East parking lot, off the Queensway
Cheque presentation with CF Sherway Gardens property team and Daily Bread Food Bank representatives on Thursday November 25 at 9:30am.
Interview Opp:
Liem Vu, General Manager, CF Sherway Gardens Kathleen Nicoll, Manager, Community Partnerships and Events, Daily Bread Food Bank
Onsite Photo Opp:
Holiday food drive; DJ on-site, along with City Councillor and Daily Bread Truck.
About Cadillac FairviewCadillac Fairview (CF) is a globally focused owner, operator, investor, and developer of best-in-class real estate across retail, office, residential, industrial and mixed-use asset classes. Wholly owned by the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan, CF manages in excess of $35 billion of assets across the Americas and the United Kingdom, with further expansion planned into Europe and Asia.
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Internationally, CF invests in communities with like-minded partners, including Stanhope in the UK, Lincoln Property Company in the U.S., and Multiplan in Brazil. The company's Canadian portfolio comprises 68 landmark properties, including the Toronto-Dominion Centre, CF Toronto Eaton Centre, Tour Deloitte, CF Carrefour Laval, CF Chinook Centre and CF Pacific Centre.
Continually striving to make a positive impact in communities where it operates by promoting social connection, growth, and a sustainable future, CF's Purpose is Transforming Communities for a Vibrant Tomorrow. Learn more at cadillacfairview.com and follow CF on LinkedIn.
About Daily Bread Food BankDaily Bread Food Bank works towards long-term solutions to end hunger and poverty and runs innovative programs to support individuals living on low income and experiencing food insecurity. Daily Bread distributes fresh and shelf-stable food, and fresh-cooked meals to 126 member agencies and 189 food programs across Toronto. Daily Bread also publishes the influential Who's Hungry report - an annual survey measuring trends in food insecurity and poverty in Toronto to educate the public and spark policy change.
SOURCE Cadillac Fairview Corporation Limited
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View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/November2021/24/c9347.html
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THN Power Rankings: Flames, Rangers, Avalanche Rise to the Occasion – The Hockey News
Posted: at 11:50 am
Candice Ward-USA TODAY Sports
There are few significant changes in this weeks rankings as Thanksgiving has pushed the heavy slates to Wednesday and Friday, which means we dont have Tuesdays games to scrutinize.
There are, however, interesting movements both in the middle and the bottom of the pack. The meaty middle features a bevy of teams that continue to underperform (eg. Avalanche), outperform (eg. Ducks) or struggle with consistency (too many to list), but also good enough to potentially make deep playoff runs in the spring.
The bottom is now a three-team race between the Coyotes, Canadiens and Senators, with the Kraken and Canucks so much for that vaunted Pacific Northwest rivalry possibly joining the fray. We know the Coyotes are looking to finish get the highest pick possible, but the Habs and Sens still seem to be in a bit of denial; they have not publicly capitulated, and even Pierre Dorion had (in)famously said the rebuild is done.
Once December and January roll around, well get an even better idea of which teams will be making desperation moves to win games and which ones will have already thrown in the towel.
Happy Thanksgiving to our American readers. Unfortunately, the Power Rankings remain unkind to your favorite team.
(All fancy stats are 5v5 and courtesy naturalstattrick.com)
1.Carolina Hurricanes (14-2-1, +23 goal differential. CF%: 2nd, xGF%: 12th. Last Week: 1)
2. Florida Panthers (13-2-3, +24. CF%: 1st, xGF%: 5th. Last Week: 3)
The Panthers move back into second place after going 3-0 in three home games following four straight losses on the road. Thats a really strong bounce-back without Aleksander Barkov, and this kind of resiliency will be important later on in the season when injury season hits in December and January, and when the playoff races get tighter.
3. Edmonton Oilers (13-5-0, +15. CF%: 16th, xGF%: 19th. Last Week: 2)
The Oilers, meanwhile, have lost some momentum with a 3-3-0 record in their past six and wasting quality starts from Stuart Skinner because suddenly they cant score goals. Itll be temporary, but the goaltending situation may prevent the Oilers from moving any higher unless Skinner rips off a rookie-of-the-month-type of run.
4. Toronto Maple Leafs (13-6-1, +6. CF%: 4th, xGF%: 1st. Last Week: 5)
5. Calgary Flames (12-3-5, +30. CF%: 3rd, xGF%: 6th. Last Week: 10)
The ultimate irony with these two Canadian teams (three, if you include Winnipeg) is that theyve been successful thanks to excellent goaltending, yet the Canadian Olympic team has huge question marks in net. The four goalies have already combined for 11 (!) shutouts this season, and even if their goaltending regress a little bit, the Leafs are too talented and the Flames too well-coached to risk any precipitous falls.
6. Tampa Bay Lightning (11-4-3, +7. CF%: 11th, xGF%: 8th. Last Week: 6)
7. Washington Capitals (11-3-5, +20. CF%: 14th, xGF%: 11th. Last Week: 4)
8. New York Rangers (11-4-3, even. CF%: 30th, xGF%: 30th. Last Week: 11)
9. Colorado Avalanche (9-5-1, +12. CF%: 12th, xGF%: 7th. Last Week: 16)
The Avs move back into the top 10 with five straight wins after starting 4-5-1 in their first 10, though the winning streak is slightly less impressive when you realize three of the four teams they faced are probably lottery-bound. It is still very encouraging to see the Avs dominate the bad teams, and Nazem Kadri is playing better than ever and Darcy Kuemper is finally finding some consistency.
10. Anaheim Ducks (10-6-3, +12. CF%: 25th, xGF%: 22nd. Last Week: 9)
Is this the slip-up we were looking for? The Ducks have lost two straight, both by one-goal margins, after their eight-game winning streak was snapped. Colorado, Toronto, Vegas and Calgary are coming up, and those are going to be very tough tests. The Ducks possession numbers arent particularly strong and their top scorers seem to be scoring at an unsustainable pace.
11. Minnesota Wild (11-6-1, +5. CF%: 6th, xGF%: 2nd. Last Week: 8)
It was going to be a tough week with four games and a back-to-back weekend series against Florida and Tampa, but it still doesnt excuse their up-and-down play. The Wild are like the Freaky Friday version of the Ducks; the analytics are good, but they never seem to quite pass the eye test and some of their top players havent lived up to expectations. The Wild are a shaky team that has had two separate four-game winning streaks and stretches where the losses pile up in bunches.
12. Boston Bruins (9-6-0, +3. CF%: 5th, xGF%: 3rd. Last Week: 12)
13. Winnipeg Jets (9-5-4, +7. CF%: 7th, xGF%: 10th. Last Week: 7)
Its a big fall for the Jets, who have lost three straight and all of sudden having trouble scoring goals. Theyre another team in the middle class who go through stretches where they look very good and stretches where they look very bad, but on any given night could give any Cup contender a good run for their money.
14. Nashville Predators (10-7-1, even. CF%: 23rd, xGF%: 20th. Last Week: 17)
15. St. Louis Blues (10-6-2, +12. CF%: 18th, xGF%: 23rd. Last Week: 18)
16. Vegas Golden Knights (11-8-0, even. CF%: 21st, xGF%: 25th. Last Week: 15)
17. Columbus Blue Jackets (10-6-0, +6. CF%: 19th, xGF%: 15th. Last Week: 19)
18. Los Angeles Kings (8-7-3, +1. CF%: 10th, xGF%: 21st. Last Week: 14)
The Kings are the ultimate streaky bunch, losing six straight at the beginning of the season before winning seven straight, and now have lost four in a row. No doubt that has to do with the drop-off from Anze Kopitar, who scored 13 points in nine games in October and so far only has four points in nine games in November.
19. Pittsburgh Penguins (8-6-4, +2. CF%: 8th, xGF%: 4th. Last Week: 26)
The Pens went 3-0 on their road trip and carry some momentum into their next stretch of games that includes the Canucks, Isles and Habs, giving them a chance to make up some lost ground. Interesting to note Sidney Crosby is averaging 18:06 per game. Whether this will be a season-long trend or if Mike Sullivan is still easing him back in remains to be seen.
20. Dallas Stars (8-7-2, -5. CF%: 20th, xGF%: 13th. Last Week: 24)
21. Philadelphia Flyers (8-6-3, -5. CF%: 22nd, xGF%: 28th. Last Week: 13)
22. New Jersey Devils (8-5-3, -1. CF%: 17th, xGF%: 17th. Last Week: 21)
23. San Jose Sharks (9-8-1, -16. CF%: 29th, xGF%: 27th. Last Week: 22)
24. Chicago Blackhawks (6-11-2, -21. CF%: 32nd, xGF%: 32nd. Last Week: 27)
25. Buffalo Sabres (7-9-2, -8. CF%: 24th, xGF%: 24th. Last Week: 23)
26. Detroit Red Wings (8-9-3, -13. CF%: 26th, xGF%: 14th. Last Week: 20)
27. Seattle Kraken (5-12-1, -16. CF%: 9th, xGF%: 9th. Last Week: 29)
28. New York Islanders (5-8-2, -16. CF%: 28th, xGF%: 16th. Last Week: 25)
The odds are really against you when you play a defensive system and your goaltending is atrocious. A big home opener after a 13-game road trip resulted in a loss, and then another loss the following night has now snowballed into a six-game losing streak. Theyre missing basically their entire second line and their top pairing of Adam Pelech and Ryan Pulock, which is also one of the best in the league.
29. Vancouver Canucks (6-11-2, -16. CF%: 15th, xGF%: 26th. Last Week: 30)
30. Arizona Coyotes (4-13-2, -35. CF%: 27th, xGF%: 31st. Last Week: 31)
Three wins last week? Three?!? Two of them required overtime, but Im not picky since the Coyotes have actually done a pretty good job of limiting goals with two goalies no ones really heard of. Winning is basically anathema to the Coyotes, so we should celebrate when we can it doesnt happen very often, after all.
31. Montral Canadiens (5-13-2, -26. CF%: 13th, xGF%: 18th. Last Week: 32)
A 6-3 win against the Preds brought some reprieve, but the Habs continue to be in shambles. Cole Caufield has done next to nothing in the two games since getting called up, and the Habs needed a four-goal second period which accounted for basically a quarter of the 15 goals they scored all season in the second period to stave off a too-little, too-late comeback from the Preds. Jake Allen is back, but I dont know if thats a positive or not.
32. Ottawa Senators (4-11-1, -18. CF%: 31st, xGF%: 29th. Last Week: 28)
The Senators hit rock bottom, finding themselves in last place for THNs Power Rankings for the first time. The race for Shane Wright is far more interesting when theres more than one team ahem, Arizona gunning for the No. 1 pick, though unlike the tank job from the Coyotes (and perhaps the Habs soon enough), the Sens tank job isnt really by design. A COVID-19 outbreak that forced the Sens to sit out an entire week isnt on them, but they have only one win in November, and in their most recent game against the Avs blew their lead twice.
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THN Power Rankings: Flames, Rangers, Avalanche Rise to the Occasion - The Hockey News
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Lost Women of Science, Episode 4: Breakfast in the Snow – Scientific American
Posted: at 11:50 am
From the COVID vaccine to pulsars to computer programming, women are at the source of many scientific discoveries, inventions and innovations that shape our lives. But in the stories weve come to accept about those breakthroughs, women are too often left out.
Each season at Lost Women of Science, well look at one woman and her scientific accomplishment: who she was, how she livedand what she found out. Katie Hafner, a longtime reporter for the New York Times, explains the science behind each womans work and explores the historical context in which she lived.
Our first season, The Pathologist in the Basement, is all about Dorothy Andersen, a physician and pathologist who solved a medical mystery when she identified and defined cystic fibrosis in 1938. A passionate outdoorswoman, a rugged individualist and a bit of an enigma, Andersen changed the way we understand acute lung and gastrointestinal problems in young children.
This podcast is distributed byPRXand published in partnership withScientific American.
Episode Transcript
FRANCIS COLLINS: [singing a capella] Dare to dream, dare to dream, all our brothers and sisters breathing free. Unafraid, our hopes unswayed, till the story of CF is history.
KATIE HAFNER: Im Katie Hafner and this is Lost Women of Science, a podcast in which we unearth stories of female scientists who didnt receive the recognition they deserved. We devote each season to the life and work of one woman. Were revisiting the historical record, one extraordinary scientist at a time.
This is the final episode of our first season, The Pathologist in the Basement. Weve been telling the story of Dr. Dorothy Andersen, a physician who was the first to identify the disease cystic fibrosis in the 1930s.
This episode is divided into two parts. One of those parts is linked to that voice you just heard singing. It belongs to Dr. Francis Collins, the outgoing director of the NIH. Dr. Collins is one of the geneticists who isolated the cystic fibrosis gene in 1989. In this episode, well explore advances in CF treatment. And well also explore Dorothy Andersens legacy, starting at the end of her life.
The last living keeper of that legacy is Dr. Celia Ores, a pediatrician mentored by Dr. Andersen in the early 1960s.
CELIA ORES: Can you put this down and we go and pick up Dr. Andersen and put her here on the table?
SOPHIE MCNULTY: Oh, the photo. Yeah. Yeah, let's go. Let's go find the photo.
MICHELLE ORES: I have it here, mom.
SOPHIE MCNULTY: Michelle has them.
CELIA ORES: Oh, okay.
MICHELLE ORES: I have the two photos. I have the one of Dorothy. And the one of you in Switzerland in medical school.
KATIE HAFNER: Were back in the New York apartment of Celia Ores.
Dr. Ores is now in her nineties. Shes holding a black-and-white photograph of Dr. Andersen close to her chest, as she talks to Sophie McNulty, our associate producer.
CELIA ORES: When I came to the United States, she was the only one who treated me really, really well.
KATIE HAFNER: Dorothy Andersen took Celia Ores under her wing, passing on what she had learned about cystic fibrosis, and in turn, Dr. Ores dedicated a large part of her career to patients with the disease.
CELIA ORES: Every little bit of cystic fibrosis that I know is what she told me. She told me everything.
If I had some issues with a patient that I don't fully understand, I went to her and told her that I don't know what I can do next for this patient.
KATIE HAFNER: But she couldnt help everyone. In the 1960s, cystic fibrosis patients rarely lived past their mid-teens.
But the story of cystic fibrosis takes a turn for the better.
And thats the heart of this episode: we believe Celia Ores is the only living person who actually knew Dorothy Andersen well, and in holding that photograph, shes holding Dr. Andersens legacy tight. In this episode, we want to tell you about that legacyand the progress that grew from her lifes work.
KATIE HAFNER: When she was working in the 1940s and 50s, Dorothy Andersen was driven to get the word out about what shed learned about cystic fibrosis. She went on lecture circuits, giving talks up and down the East Coast. When she was on vacation one summer in Europe -- or what she joked was a busmans holidayshe agreed to speak at medical schools and hospitals.
UNKNOWN: Dr. Andersen?
DOROTHY ANDERSEN: If you place a child with the celiac syndrome on a diet designed for celiac disease, you will find that most children with any form of failure to thrive will improve in weight somewhat.
KAITE HAFNER: It occurred to me while putting this season together that I didnt have a clue what Dr. Andersens spoken voice sounded like. But I was lying in bed one night, reading Scott Bairds biography of Dr. Andersen, and I noticed that he mentioned this, just in passing:
Her voice (from a professional recording in the late 1950s) was soft and musical.
I wrote to Scott immediately, and asked if he had the recording. He sent back an excerpt from a recording in which Dorothy Andersen and a few other physicians discuss the syndrome known as failure to thrive. Thats a catch-all term that was used to describe children who werent growing or gaining weight as quickly as they should.
UNKNOWN: Dr. Andersen, wed now like to hear what you have to say about the celiac syndrome, which includes cystic fibrosis and a variety of other conditions, some labeled as celiac disease.
DOROTHY ANDERSEN: The three characteristics of the celiac traid are failure to thrive, the passage of large, undigested stools, and an enlarged abdomen. The two most common diseases in this group are cystic fibrosis of the pancreas and gluten-induced celiac disease. Its fairly easy nowadays to sort out the cystic fibrosis cases from the rest by means of the sweat test.
KATIE HAFNER: Hearing her voice was a revelation. It was like hearing about someone for months then finally meeting them.
But despite all the work Dr. Andersen had done, at the end of the day, CF was still deadly and the stories of the patients were incredibly sadfor the families, of course, but also for the doctors.
CELIA ORES: Well, you go home and cried. It was very, very difficult for me to adjust to it. Because I would see young children that I tried to save from dying. And I didn't always succeed.
KATIE HAFNER: As a pediatrician in the 1960s, Celia Ores did all she could to extend the life of her patients. As did Dorothy Andersen.
CELIA ORES: It was a function to maintain the patient as best you can, as long as you can. And that's exactly what we were doing.
DORIS TULCIN: I knew Dorothy Anderson because she diagnosed my daughter who has cystic fibrosis.
KATIE HAFNER: Thats Doris Tulcin. You met her in episode one. Mrs. Tulcin took her daughter Ann to see Dr. Andersen in 1953, and she helped start the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation in the 1950s.
DORIS TULCIN: And I know that if she were alive today, she would be amazed at the journey that we've gone on for over 65 years.
KATIE HAFNER: Sadly, Dorothy Andersens own health took a nosedive in the early 1960s.
CELIA ORES: Every evening around four o'clock we would have some meeting. And there was five or six doctors, and some of the doctors she liked she would invite. So she would make some tea and we would talk about subjects such and such.
And one day she said in the evening, what are we going to talk about tonight? And the doctor, a male doctor, said, why don't we talk about Dorothys smoking? She said, You know, I like you very much. I think you're a very good doctor and you're a very nice human being, but if you behave like this, I will ask you not to come to our meetings.
[Sophie laughs]
SOPHIE MCNULTY: She was very tough?
CELIA ORES: Well, she didn't want to leave the smoking,
KATIE HAFNER: Research was starting to show that smoking was deadly.
AUDIO CLIP: The committee has reached the overall judgment that cigarette smoking is a health hazard of sufficient importance to the United States to warrant remedial action.
KATIE HAFNER: But many people in the 1950s and 60seven doctors, including Dorothy Andersenwere in denial. She was a lifelong chainsmoker. Almost everyone we spoke to about her mentioned itand this was all the more surprising since she spent so much of her professional life examining lungs that had become incapable of exchanging air.
Smoking eventually killed her.
Sophie McNulty: Do you remember the last time you saw her?
CELIA ORES: Yes. Uh, she was in a room alone and there was a sign, no, no entry, but she called me and I went to her to her to see her.
KATIE HAFNER: Dr. Andersen had always worked to protect Dr. Ores in an environment that was less than friendly to women.
CELIA ORES: And she said that she wanted to apologize to me that she didn't do more for me than she should have.
I told her that I lived under Hitler, I lived under Stalin, and I think I'll be able to survive the people in this unit. If I don't get as much in money or fame, that doesn't bother me.
It was very difficult because the women were considered for nothing.
KATIE HAFNER: Dorothy Hansine Andersen died on March 3, 1963. The cause was lung cancer. She was buried in Chicago alongside her parents.
SOPHIE MCNULTY: After she died, how did your work change?
CELIA ORES: I felt lonely in the hospital. I continued to take care of the children just as much as I did before, but it was... I didn't have anyone to discuss with the things that I discussed with her.
She was my guide. I could come to her and say, you know, such and such, that such and such, you know, I just felt comfortable when she was there.
KATIE HAFNER: After Dr. Andersens death, her farm in the Kittatinny mountains in New Jerseythe farm on which Dorothy Andersen built her cabin with her own hands, the farm where she invited colleagues and friends and put them to work chopping wood, and laying brick for the fireplace, the farm Celia Ores would visit with her childrenshe left that to close friends. Today, that land is a nature preserve.
Dorothy Andersen left her personal papers to Bessie Coombs Haskell.
Wait. Who?? We couldnt find much documentation of this friendship, except the brief mention of the bequest. But, according to people we called, Bessie was a friend of Dorothy Andersenor Andy as she was known to Bessie. Bessie Coombs Haskell ran a camp in St. George, Maine called the The Blueberry Cove Campand used to be a dancer in New Yorkbut we couldnt find much more than that.
Just what was the what, where, when and how of their friendship? What made Bessie Coombs Haskell so important in Dorothy Andersens life that she left her papers to this person, and not, say, to one of her friends in New Jersey, or to Celia Ores, or to another colleague at Columbia? It just goes to show you (and us) that there are many things we will never know about Dorothy Andersens life.
As far as we can tell, Bessie Coombs Haskell kept Dr. Andersens papers until she died. After that, its anybodys guess. We contacted the library in the small town of St. George on the coast of Maine, as well as the local museum and historical society. They had nothing. We did find Bessies grandson, who told us he was pretty sure he threw the papers away after his grandmother died.
At the end of the day, a legacy comes down to the stories people tell us, yes, but also to the things left behind. What gets kept and what gets thrown away. Its haphazard. Boxes get tossed in the trash. This is nobodys fault, but still, its profoundly disappointing.
Its profoundly disappointing because its not like Dorothy Andersen died in a previous millennium, in which case the lack of archival material would be totally understandable. But in the scheme of things, she died relatively recently.
So, one of the lessons I take from our dive into the life of Dorothy Andersen is this: if youre clearing out the basement or attic of a relative whos died, open the boxes. Dont throw out your grandmothers papers, because you just never know.
Coming up, the second part of this episode: Cystic fibrosis in the decades since Dorothy Andersens death. Im Katie Hafner and this is Lost Women of Science.
[AD BREAK]
KATIE HAFNER: Im Katie Hafner and this is Lost Women of Science: The Pathologist in the Basement.
Given all weve just said you might think the story ends with Dorothy Andersens death in 1963. But it doesnt. Her work has pioneered almost a century of science and discovery. To this day, Dorothy Andersens foundational research in cystic fibrosis continues to be built on. In the years since she died, the prognosis for CF patients has just gotten better and better and better.
Dr. William Skach is the outgoing chief scientific officer at the Cystic Fibrosis foundation. Hes been working on this disease for more than 30 years.
BILL SKACH: Well, in the 50s, the therapies were really incredibly simple and supportive.
It was recognized that the mucus in the lung was thick and couldn't be coughed out. So hydrating that mucus became one of the key goals. And, and patients used to sleep in mist tents because they thought that the breathing in the, the mist would then soften those secretions, which didn't really work very well.
Another problem at that time was antimicrobials, antibiotics, for, for the infections because the people with CF frequently got lung infections and that's really what caused most of the damage to the lungs, which was progressive, and, and eventually led to lung failure.
KATIE HAFNER: Parents were the lynchpin of the CF community. In the 1950s, with Doris Tulcin and a handful of others leading the way, parents banded together to form the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Today, the CF Foundation has a fund totaling more than $4.5 billion, which is about the same as the endowment of NYU.
BILL SKACH: And I will say that from its very beginning, it was really a collaborative effort with the community, with the scientists, with the physicians, to try to understand the disease better and to really work with the technology and the science at the time to take all of our understanding about the disease and turn it into therapies.
KATIE HAFNER: And it was during this period in the 50s, when Dr. Andersen was still at the forefront, that the focus was firmly on treating symptomsmaking CF patients as comfortable and functional as possible. But, as Dr. Skach points out:
BILL SKACH: With symptomatic therapy, you could only go so far. If you didn't really know what caused the disease, you couldn't really attack the basic root cause and reverse it. And so we got fairly good at treating the symptoms, but not good enough.
KATIE HAFNER: Children were still dying. The life expectancy had slowly been increasing over the years, but it was still devastatingly low.
For instance, in the 1980s, cystic fibrosis patients still werent expected to live much past their teens. Heres Brian OSullivan, the pediatric pulmonologist youve already met. Hes been working with CF patients for more than three decades.
BRIAN OSULLIVAN: And I do remember one family where the teenage girl was, was very sick, had been in the hospital for over two weeks, getting IV antibiotics, and and she had continued to deteriorate, um, and her parents knew she was dying and, and the parents actually came up to me and asked me to give their child permission to die, because they couldn't do it, but they knew she was hanging on just for them.
And so they left the room, I held her hand and told her that she had done everything she could do. She'd put up a great fight, but that she wasn't getting better.
And, uh, shortly thereafter she died, um, and her parents thanked me. Um, and that kind of experience doesn't leave you.
KATIE HAFNER: Around this time, scientists began redoubling their efforts in basic research, much of it funded by the Cystic Fibrosis foundation.
This takes us back to Francis Collinsthe outgoing director of the NIH. Back in the late 1980s, as a geneticist, he led a research team at the University of Michigan that was furiously searching for the CF gene, along with Lap-Chee Tsui, at the University of Toronto.
FRANCIS COLLINS: Lap-Chee and I met at a genetics conference in 1987. And it was clear we were all really struggling, trying to find what was quite literally, in my view, a needle in the haystack and the haystack was really big and the needle was hard to find. And we sat in the sun and talked about what each of our labs was doing as far as our approaches and realized that our approaches were not the same. They were actually beautifully complementary and we kind of decided on the spot and much credit to Lap-Chee, that he was willing to take this leap as well, that we would just merge our labs and we would stop competing. And we would basically become one family of researchers between Toronto and Ann Arbor.
And what seemed like it might be an unsolvable problem got solved in just about two years.
JANE GROGAN: Can you describe the moment when you and, and/or you and the team knew that you had the cystic fibrosis gene or the gene that causes cystic fibrosis?
KATIE HAFNER: Thats Jane Grogan, our scientist-in-residence. Shes an immunologist by training and currently running research in cell and gene therapy at GraphiteBio in San Francisco.
FRANCIS COLLINS: At the time I remember, uh, we were at a meeting. He and I were at Yale. It was one of those human genetics meetings and, uh, he had set up a fax machine in his room. We were all staying in the dorms at Yale, which were, shall we say a little austere.
And we had a very long day. And at the end of the day, he and I went to his room where the fax machine was. And there was all this paper on the floor. That's the way we communicated back then, there was no email.
JANE GROGAN: Some of us sending furious messages, right?
FRANCIS COLLINS: Yes! Cause it was that day's data. And so we pull the papers up off the floor and we began to look at the evidence that this three base pair deletion in a previously unknown gene correlated with cystic fibrosis and that as we looked through the data, it got better and better.
And that was it. That was it for me. That was a rainy night in May, 1989 in New Haven.
And I was like, over the moon, excited.
KATIE HAFNER: This discovery was a big big dealit was on the cover of the journal Science, and it was all over the popular press too. Now that the gene abnormality had been identified, it seemed that a cure for CF was just around the corner.
KATIE HAFNER: And the discovery of the gene has led to all kinds of things, right?
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Lost Women of Science, Episode 4: Breakfast in the Snow - Scientific American
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