Category Archives: Progress

SDOT crews making progress on repairs to West Seattle low bridge  KOMO News

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SDOT crews making progress on repairs to West Seattle low bridge - KOMO News

A look at Times Square and the progress thus far in 2023 post Hurricane Ian  FOX 4 News Fort Myers WFTX

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A look at Times Square and the progress thus far in 2023 post Hurricane Ian - FOX 4 News Fort Myers WFTX

In that spirit, Pattern brings together business, nonprofit, academic and government leaders from across Columbia, Greene, Sullivan, Ulster, Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, and Westchester Counties to collaborate on regional approaches to housing, municipal sharing and local government efficiency, education, land use policy, transportation and infrastructure to move the dial, inspiring growth and vitality for our regional economy.

It is important to Pattern that diverse populations within the Hudson Valley are beneficiaries of its mission to enhance the growth and vitality of the region and to improve regional quality of life. Pattern believes it is uniquely suited to move the dial on the integration of issues of inclusivity and fairness into its traditional areas of work including, but not limited to housing, education, health, community development, economic policy, government efficiency and environmental quality. Pattern can do this because of its research capabilities, its broad relationships and ability to convene diverse groups.

Learn more about Patterns commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

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Hudson Valley Pattern for Progress Our mission is to promote regional ...

Thanks to new techniques in regenerative medicine we are now closer to a future where your own cells ... [+] can be used to restore the sense of vision.

Thanks to new techniques in regenerative medicine we are now closer to a future where your own cells can be used to restore the sense of vision. A recent paper from Ripolles-Garcia et al. at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Sciences describes a novel approach to both the creation and surgical implantation of such cells directly into affected areas of the retina.

Macular degeneration is a leading cause of blindness. Over 15 million Americans over the age of 50 experience some form of age-related macular degeneration, a genetically linked disease characterized by the loss of vision. The most common form, dry macular degeneration, develops as a consequence of widespread damage to photoreceptor cells within the central region of the retina, called the macula. As the site with the greatest concentration of these light sensing cells, degeneration of photoreceptors in the macula gradually alters central vision, and in rare cases, can lead to complete blindness. Remarkably, even as photoreceptor cells degenerate with age, studies show that the retinas internal structure remains intact.

More than 270 genes have been linked to macular degeneration and other inherited retinal diseases. Additional environmental factors, such as diet and smoking, can also increase your risk of developing macular degeneration with age. Despite the prevalence of age-related macular degeneration, however, there are no readily available treatments to restore vision.

The team from the UPenn School of Veterinary Science and corresponding institutions has made considerable progress in the search to cure macular degeneration and other causes of vision loss. Ripolles-Garcia et al. demonstrates that retinal precursor cells derived from tiny samples of human pluripotent stem cells can effectively replace damaged photoreceptor cells. Further optimizing this technique to ensure integration with the rest of the retina could restore the sense of vision in millions of people.

Stem Cells for Regenerative Retinal Therapy

New techniques in regenerative medicine have made it possible to take small samples of your own cells and revert them back into stem cells capable of regenerating into almost any type of cell in the body. For retinal therapies, this means first creating pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells) then applying cell specific treatments that gently nudge them into becoming retinal precursor cells. Ripolles-Garcia et al., in their experiment, injected these precursor cells directly into the retina with the goal of replacing damaged photoreceptors.

There are, however, major challenges to using stem cells for regenerative retinal therapy. First, to make up for the widespread prevalence of damaged receptors, large amounts of retinal precursor cells need to be delivered directly into the subretinal space without harming other structures in the eye. Second, ensuring the survival of these cells is dependent on avoiding activation of the innate immune system. Finally, the cells must be able to form connections with the rest of the retina to recover the sense of vision.

This study uncovered an innovative approach for not only transplanting stem cell-derived photoreceptor cells into the retina but also avoiding immune rejection. Ripolles-Garcia et al. recruited dogs with retinal mutations similar to those associated with human retinal diseases and treated them with retinal precursor cells derived from human pluripotent cells. This was then followed by a daily regimen of immunosuppressive drugs. These cells were remarkably able to make meaningful connections with the rest of the eye, leaving one question yet to be answered, can retinal transplants actually restore the sense of sight?

Delivery

The first challenge this study had to overcome was how to safely deliver a sizable amount of photoreceptor precursor cells into the subretinal space. To allow a wide-gauge cannula to reach the back of the retina, some of the vitreous humor, the gel-like substance between the lens and the retina, usually has to be removed. Displacing the vitreous gel, however, can cause newly injected retinal cells to backflow into the rest of the eye, which further obstructs vision. Instead, Ripolles-Garcia et al. designed a smaller cannula that injected cells directly to the back of the retina without removing any of the vitreous layer.

Figure: Cartoon image of subretinal injection into the retina.

The stem cell-derived retinal precursor cells used in this procedure were tagged with fluorescent dye before injection into the retina, enabling researchers to track their location and distribution over time with non-invasive imaging. In one of their first observations, imaging revealed that gravitational effects contributed to an unequal distribution of cells across the retina. Researchers argued that these effects could be mitigated in clinical settings by allowing individuals to lay horizontally in the days following the procedure.

Avoiding Immune Rejection

A total of seven normal dogs and three dogs with retinal mutations were divided into two groups: those that continuously received a triple cocktail of anti-inflammatory, immunosuppressive drugs post-transplant and those not under any medication. Blood and urine samples collected throughout the evaluation period confirmed that this high immunosuppressive regimen was well tolerated in this experimental group.

In both groups, Ripolles-Garcia et al. observed an initial loss of transplanted photoreceptor cells in the early days following injection. The animals that did not receive the immunosuppressive regimen, however, experienced continued loss of these cells, until the fluorescently tagged retinal precursor cells were no longer detectable. Furthermore, researchers found that both normal and mutant dogs in this group showed signs of a robust innate immune response, given by the enhanced presence of macrophages, and activated microglia in the capillaries surrounding the retina. This robust immune response, concurrent with the complete loss of stem cell-derived photoreceptors, in dogs that did not receive anti-inflammatory drugs suggests that immune suppression is critical for avoiding immune rejection and prolonging the survival of transplanted cells.

Integration

For the final challenge in this study, researchers had to ensure that the photoreceptor cells that survived transplantation could integrate into the retina to restore vision. Within the group that was on the immunosuppressive regimen, the normal dogs had smaller fluorescently tagged clusters over time, which was not accompanied by an inflammatory response. The clusters of transplanted cells in the dogs with retinal mutations, on the other hand, remained unchanged. It is likely that the donated cells were filling the gaps left from degenerated photoreceptors requiring less remodeling of the retinal architecture.

As William Beltran, one of the senior authors of this study and professor of ophthalmology at Penn Vet, says, What we showed was that, if you inject the cells into a normal retina that has its own photoreceptor cells, the retina is pretty much intact and serves as a physical barrier, so the introduced cells dont connect with the second-order neurons in the retina, the bipolar cells. But in three dogs that were at an advanced stage of retinal degeneration, the retinal barrier was more permeable. In that environment, cells had a better ability to start moving into the correct layer of the retina. The donated cells that extend connections to internal structures of the retina are then in a perfect position to send visual information to the brain.

Conclusion

This approach is still far from being used for treating retinal degeneration in humans. For one, the extent of immunosuppression needed to support these cells may not be practical, not to mention safe, in humans. The dogs recruited for this study were on immunosuppressive drugs for the duration of the study, until they were euthanized at its conclusion. It is unclear how long an individual would have to be on an immunosuppressive regimen to avoid immune rejection. Also, given the nature of using animal subjects, we still do not know whether donating new cells will restore vision. This may be a question that can only be answered through clinical trials.

A regenerative therapy that replaces damaged photoreceptors with retinal precursor stem cells could someday restore sight to millions of people. This study has set the stage for further optimization of not only the delivery of these cells but also their long-term survival in future clinical trials.

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Progress In The Search To Reverse Age-Related Vision Loss - Forbes

MINOT, N.D. Our state, and our federal government, are investing heavily in reducing emissions.

You'd think that would be a development environmental activists could be happy about. They've been sermonizing on an impending climate change apocalypse for generations, and while we can justifiably argue that their conclusions are often exaggerated, and their motivations sometimes far from pure, the investments being made in carbon capture and storage by both the taxpayers and the private sector are a sign that we're taking our emissions and their impact on the climate seriously.

Sadly, they're still not satisfied, and it has much to do with certain myopic hostilities they've developed to industries like coal, oil, gas, and agriculture.

You don't have to take my word for it. Just listen to what they say.

State leaders came together recently at Bismarck State College to discuss the challenges facing North Dakota's energy industry. Carbon capture projects, which are right now being successfully deployed to reduce and eliminate emissions at ethanol plants and coal plants and oil/gas pads, were much discussed to the chagrin of the left-wing activists at the Dakota Resource Council.

Paradoxically, given their ostensible opposition to carbon emissions, they're not happy about these developments.

We as an organization think its antithetical to combating climate change because essentially it keeps the same industries in place and because it could have the unintended consequence of increasing emissions, Scott Skokos, executive director of the DRC, told a KFYR news reporter.

He said the quiet part out loud.

Skokos and his ilk are opposed to carbon capture projects because those projects have the potential to make industries they hate, like oil and coal and gas, viable in a future where they are expected to comply with modern understanding about the climate.

We have the solutions in this room for climate change," Lt. Gov. Brent Sanford said at the BSC event , but they're not the solutions Skokos and other professional activists like him prefer.

They imagine a future where our homes all have solar panels, and our landscape is pimpled with wind turbines, and we don't use fossil fuels at all.

This is a fantasy. A fairy tale with an unhappy ending. One we need not even imagine because Europe is already living through it. Countries like Germany tried to bring into reality the sort of renewable energy ideal that green activists imagined, but they did it mostly by exporting their fossil fuel needs to Russia.

That has proved to be folly, given Vladimir Putin's bloody revanchism, and now Germany is back to developing its plentiful coal reserves .

We needn't be hostile to things like wind and solar. They have a place in our energy economy. What we need to oppose, though, is the ideological myopia of people like Skokos, who would push us into dependence on unreliable energy sources even as we eschew solutions like carbon capture that would make traditional fossil fuel energy cleaner.

Carbon capture technology is progress. Would it be nice if more progressives realized this?

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Port: If only green progressives were more open to progress - INFORUM

The Philadelphia Phillies could be in line for a huge boost to their bullpen if they make the National League Championship Series.

Reliever David Robertson, acquired at the trade deadline from the Chicago Cubs, could be ready to go for the NLCS. Robertson received a PRP injection into his calf after injuring it celebrating a Bryce Harper home run during the NL Wild Card series.

Robertson said it was embarrassing how he injured it, but that he was doing everything he could to get back on the field.

"Every day I'm getting better," said Robertson.

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"I didn't play all these games this year to sit out and only get one appearance."

Robertson's return for a potential NLCs would be a huge help to the backend of the bullpen that is currently relying on Zach Eflin, SeranthonyDomnguez, andJosAlvarado.

Make sure to follow Inside the Phillies on Substack and Twitter!

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Phillies Reliever David Robertson is Making Progress, Hopes to be Ready for NLCS - Sports Illustrated

Federal and state leaders currently steering a nearly 40-year effort to clean up the Chesapeake Bay acknowledged this week that they will likely fall short of their longstanding 2025 cleanup deadline, now just a little more than three years away.

During an Oct. 11meeting of the Chesapeake Executive Council,a senior policy-making body for the cleanup effort, some members concentrated on the progress that has been made since the first Chesapeake Bay agreement was penned by the partners in 1983. Others were frank about where things stand.State and federal leaders acknowledged during a meeting of the Chesapeake Executive Council on Oct. 11, 2022, that the Bay cleanup effort will likely fall short of goals for its 2025 deadline. Credit: Will Parson / Chesapeake Bay Program

Attending his first Executive Council meeting since being elected last year, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin stated plainly that his state would not meet its 2025 pollution reduction targets, despite a recent flurry of additional state funding.

We have a clear commitment to meet those goals. Unfortunately, we wont meet those by 2025, he said. Weve made considerable progress on many of them. But unfortunately, I inherited a plan that didnt have Virginia on a path to meet them all on time.

The council includes the administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; the governors of Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Delaware, West Virginia, and New York; the mayor of the District of Columbia; and the chair of the Chesapeake Bay Commission, which represents state legislatures. Only members from the EPA, Maryland, Virginia, and the commission attended the meeting.

Council members meet annually to discuss the progress of the Chesapeake Bay cleanup, with this years meeting taking place at EPA headquarters in Washington, DC. Much discussion occurs before and during a private lunch, followed by a public meeting and press conference.

EPA Administrator Michael Regan said that, during their private meeting, the members agreed to ask the councilsPrincipals Staff Committee,which includes senior state and federal officials, to rethink how we accelerate momentum through 2025 and beyond and to report back by next years meeting with a plan for doing so. Regan currently chairs the council and was elected by its members to serve a second term as chair.

We need a clearer path forward that prioritizes and outlines the next steps for achieving our goals, Regan said, before repeating for emphasis, achievingour goals.

Staff within the state-federal Bay Program partnership have acknowledged for months that many Chesapeake restoration goals would not be met. Besides the cornerstone effort to reduce nutrient pollution, many other goals tied to 2025 are far behind schedule, such as planting streamside trees, restoring wetlands, increasing urban tree canopy, and restoring brook trout habitat.

Officialsuntil recentlywere reticent to say as much publicly. But a recent EPA review shows that Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, Delaware, and New York failed to meet the nutrient reduction goals they had set for the 202021 milestone period. None were on track to meet goals for reducing pollution from agriculture. The District of Columbia and West Virginia have met their goals.

Adam Ortiz, the administrator for the EPAs Mid-Atlantic region, said after the meeting that historical resources and unprecedented levels of collaboration in leadership indicate that acceleration toward the deadline is already underway. He and others pointed to recent significant investments in clean water in Pennsylvania, which sends the most water-fouling nutrients to the Bay.

State lawmakers this year approved using $220 million in federal funds to create a Clean Streams Fundto reduce polluted runoff and, after 12 years of failed attempts, passed a law to reduce fertilizer use on home lawns, golf courses, parks, athletic fields, and other developed lands.

I cant overstate what a banner year it was in Pennsylvania, said Maryland Sen. Sarah Elfreth, chair of the Chesapeake Bay Commission.U.S. EPA Administrator Michael Regan at the Oct. 11, 2022, meeting of the Chesapeake Executive Council acknowledged that the 2025 deadline for reducing nutrient pollution in the Chesapeake Bay is fleeting. Credit: Will Parson / Chesapeake Bay Program

Across the Bay watershed, most of the nutrient reductions achieved since a new cleanup plan was established in 2010 have resulted from wastewater treatment plant upgrades. Now that most of those plants have been upgraded, about 90% of the remaining nutrient reductions must come from agriculture, an area where all the lagging states are off track. Pennsylvania, which has the most farms, is the furthest behind, according to computer model estimates from the Bay Program.

But, given how far behind Pennsylvania and other states remain compared with 2025 deadlines, Ortiz said part of the effort over the next year will include discussing whats still doable and when.

Despite shortfalls, Executive Council members indicated continued support for the agreement and touted increased investments in clean water.

But, in response to a journalists question at the end of the public meeting, Regan acknowledged that 2025 is fleeting in terms of achieving our goal. He said the task for staff now is to answer the question, What do we need to do to get back on track?

Environmental advocates who attended the meeting said they will keep a close eye on that plan as it unfolds over the next year. Many said any changes to the agreement that might alter deadlines or details need to balance the need for both ambition and accountability.

Julie Lawson, chair of the Bay Programs Citizens Advisory Committee to the Executive Council, told its members that theyre facing a crisis of credibility if 2025 deadlines are passed over with little or no consequence. Choose Clean Water Coalition Director Kristin Reilly also stressed the need for accountability and sufficient investments in the forthcoming plan.

Hilary Harp Falk, president of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, added that, while there is a strong agreement in place, backed by scientific modeling and monitoring, What has been missing to date is accountability.

The Bay region has previously missed cleanup deadlines set for 2000 and 2010. After missing the 2010 deadline, the EPA and Bay states agreed to an accountability framework under which states would submit cleanup plans showing how they would meet new pollution reduction goals. Under that framework, the EPA can take various enforcement actions if states are not making adequate progress.At the meeting of the Chesapeake Executive Council on Oct. 11, 2022, Chesapeake Bay Commission Executive Director Ann Swanson said that water quality in the Bay has improved dramatically since the early 1980s, even though, as a whole, it is only about a third of the way toward cleanup goals. Credit: Will Parson / Chesapeake Bay Program

The Bay Foundation, along with attorneys general of Maryland, Virginia, Delaware, and the District,sued the EPAin 2020, accusing the agency of shirking its responsibility under the Clean Water Act by letting Pennsylvania and, at the time, New York, fail to adequately identify in their plans how they would meet pollution reduction goals. EPA lawyersargued in a briefthat same year that, while the framework allows the agency to take enforcement action, it does not require it to do so. Plaintiffs have until Nov. 11 to respond to the EPAs motion to dismiss the case.

Other Bay leaders have emphasized the importance of setting pollution goals that balance both achievable and aspirational.

Sometimes strong goals drive innovation, Chesapeake Bay Commission Executive Director Ann Swanson said after the meeting. So we have to have the guts to set the right goal. We must go to the outer edge of doable because doable isnt enough.

Swanson, who will retire this year after 35 years of working on Bay issues, appealed directly to the Executive Council members several times during her last presentation.

She pointed out that water quality in the Bay has improved dramatically since the early 1980s, even though, as a whole, it is only about a third of the way to where it needs to be. In the time that we cut the pollution load by a third, the population grew by half, she said.

The issue now, she said, is how close the region can get to its goals in the next three years. Pushing for progress up to and through the 2025 deadline, she said, would prove that if you set a really difficult goal one that almost seems not doable you can get damn close. And thats the challenge now.

This article was originally published on BayJournal.com and is republished with permission.

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Chesapeake leaders pledge to step up progress toward 2025 goals but admit they wont meet them - The Southern Maryland Chronicle

A text-enabled mobile phone number is required to play Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II on PC. Existing Call of Duty: Warzone players that have previously verified their account will not be required to provide any additional information to access Modern Warfare II and Warzone 2.0.

The SMS policy for Modern Warfare II and Warzone 2.0 on Battle.net is the same as the requirement for Call of Duty: Warzone on PC, which was implemented in May 2020. A mobile phone number must be linked to your Steam Account to play Modern Warfare II on that platform.

SMS verification is critical to our anti-cheat enforcement efforts, tackling illicit account creation at its source. This helps our security team to maintain account and game security in order to provide a safe, fair, and fun gaming experience for all our players. In August 2022, we updated the SMS policy for new players of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (2019), requiring a text-enabled mobile phone number to play the game. Prior to this change, new accounts in Modern Warfare could access Warzone without a SMS security check. As the illicit account market adjusted to our security enforcement, #TeamRICOCHET started seeing more cheaters attempt to access Warzone from Modern Warfare to bypass the SMS policy, so the security team recommended the update to further combat the illicit account market.

The SMS requirement for game access is used for security purposes only. Call of Duty does not use SMS verification data for marketing purposes.

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RICOCHET Anti-Cheat Progress Report Modern Warfare II, Warzone 2.0, and the Open Beta Recap - Call of Duty

Earlier this season, Milton Williams gave Jordan Davis some advice on making the most of limited playing time.

The two interior defensive linemen have locker stalls next to each other, which may not be a coincidence. Theres plenty for Davis to absorb from his veteran teammates along the Eagles defensive front, but Williams is the one who most recently navigated the transition from playing in college to rotating in with Fletcher Cox and Javon Hargrave in the NFL.

I just tell him to take advantage of the opportunities, Williams said. Ill be like, Man, youre big, strong, and fast. One-on-one, aint nobody going to block him. Two-on-one, theyre not really going to move him. So its creating one-on-ones for the guys on the outside. So I tell him to go hard, play hard, chase the ball, play with his hands, and produce.

So far, Davis has done just that. The first-round pick out of Georgia plays in the same personnel package Williams worked with last season, just as a one-technique (nose tackle) instead of the 4i technique that Williams played. Davis addition facilitated Hargrave moving to the 4i (lined up on the inside shoulder of the offensive tackle), and has also led to the Eagles using more odd-man fronts with three interior linemen and two edge rushers up on the line of scrimmage.

Davis played 42% of the Eagles defensive snaps against the Arizona Cardinals last Sunday, which is his highest snap share of the season. Aside from Week 3 against the Washington Commanders, Davis has seen his snap-count percentage progressively rise each game of the season.

Eagles coach Nick Sirianni praised Davis for his steady progress earlier this week, saying he played his best game against the Cardinals.

READ MORE: How ultra fan Rob Dunphy will mark this epic Philly sports weekend (aside from shirtless)

Hes a big man who has to continue to learn how to play in the NFL against other big men, Sirianni said Wednesday. So, hes getting better each week. Hes doing a good job. He had his best game to date last game, and again hes just in that mindset, the growth mindset of how he gets better every day.

The 6-foot-6, 336-pound nose tackle could be in for another increased workload Sunday night against the Dallas Cowboys. Davis has played the majority of his snaps on early downs to combat the run before ceding his spot to Cox or Hargrave for obvious passing situations.

According to Pro Football Focus, Davis has logged 50 snaps against the run and 63 against the pass. By comparison, Hargrave has 56 snaps against the run and 140 pass-rushing snaps and Coxs numbers are nearly identical.

Dallas is one of the more run-reliant teams in the NFL, which could lead to Davis having a bigger role. According to the analytics website rbsdm.com, the Cowboys rank 27th in pass frequency on early downs; they call runs roughly 55% of the time in those situations.

They are doing a really good job in the run game, Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon said Tuesday. And its not just because theyre calling a lot of runs. Theyre efficient and then create explosives with their runs. Were going to have to do a good job. Its not just Jordan. Its all 11. Good run defense is all 11 guys. Its not one guy.

Davis had three solo tackles against the Cardinals and has seemingly made a couple of splash plays each week, whether it is getting into the backfield for a big hit or chasing down a play out on the perimeter.

Its just the plays I needed to make, said Davis, 22. If I see it, Im going to make it. I wouldnt call them splash plays, just plays. Thats one thing about this team, were not out here trying to be Superman, not trying to do each others jobs, we just make the plays that come to us.

READ MORE: Protect Tom Brady? Prevent CTE? Ahead of the big Cowboys game, the Eagles worry the NFL is going soft.

Some of Davis splash plays typically get a reaction in the film room, Williams said, particularly one against the Jacksonville Jaguars when he broke into the backfield and slammed Jags running back Travis Etienne to the ground.

Watching him every day since training camp in practice, Williams said, we know what type of player he is and what he can become based off what weve seen so far. We know he can only get better.

We see some of those highlight splash plays. Its going to be scary when he really puts it together.

Inquirer Eagles beat reporters EJ Smith and Josh Tolentino preview the teams Week 6 game against the Dallas Cowboys. Watch atInquirer.com/EaglesGameday

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Eagles Jordan Davis is making scary progress, which could be pivotal against the Cowboys rushing attack - The Philadelphia Inquirer

WELLINGTON, Oct 14 (Reuters) - The New Zealand government said on Friday it would commission an independent review to assess parliament's workplace culture after a study three years ago found widespread bullying and harassment.

A 2019 report uncovered systemic harmful behaviour in New Zealand's parliament, including by and between staff, managers, members of parliament, the media and the public.

Speaker of the House of Representatives Adrian Rurawhe said in a statement he believed the parliamentary workplace had improved over the past three years, and had commissioned the author of the 2019 study to review its progress.

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"It is important that we take stock, as an institution, of the effectiveness of that work," said Rurawhe.

In August, a member of parliament from the ruling Labour Party accused other lawmakers from the party of bullying. Labour has denied the accusations and the member of parliament has been suspended.

Rurawhe said the review would catalogue gains made to date as well as areas where there was still room for improvement.

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Reporting by Lucy Craymer; Editing by Edmund Klamann

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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New Zealand to assess progress vs workplace bullying in parliament - Reuters