Category Archives: Human Longevity

CEDAR KNOLLS, N.J., Dec. 10, 2019 /PRNewswire/ --MYOS RENS Technology, Inc. ("MYOS" or "the Company") (NASDAQ: MYOS), an advanced nutrition company and the owner of Fortetropin, a proprietary bioactive composition made from fertilized egg yolk that helps build lean muscle, announced today that it will launch its longevity business with the introduction of its Physician Muscle Health Formula at the 27thWorld Congress on Anti-Aging Medicine (https://www.a4m.com/las-vegas-december-2019.html) in Las Vegas, Nevada from December 13-15, 2019; MYOS will be in Booth #2090. Considered the largest event in anti-aging medicine, the World Congress is expected to draw approximately 4,000 Medical Professionals and 300 Exhibitors from around the world.

Earlier this year, MYOS announced that in a clinical trial involving 60-75-year-old men and women, subjects who consumed Fortetropin on a daily basis experienced an increase of approximately 15% in the rate of muscle protein synthesis when compared with subjects who received a macronutrient-matched placebo. The results from this clinical trial will be presented by its principal investigator, William J. Evans, Ph.D., Adjunct Professor of Nutrition, University of California, Berkeley at the International Conference on Frailty & Sarcopenia Research on March 11, 2020 in Toulouse, France.

Encouraged by positive results from this clinical study and previous studies showing that Fortetropin increases muscle mass and strength, MYOS decided to formally launch its longevity business by introducing its branded product, Physician Muscle Health Formula. This product will be distributed through medical practices focused on anti-aging medicine across the United States. In addition, the Company will also debut a private labeling service. This service will enable physicians to develop their own Fortetropin-based nutrition products in consultation with the Company's scientists and engineers, leveraging our portfolio of scientific research and clinical trials. Members of MYOS' scientific and business development staff will be at the Company's booth (#2090) to meet with medical professionals and discuss opportunities for collaboration.

"Fortetropin has remarkable potential to improve human longevity and we are pleased to share our advancements on improving muscle health at the upcoming World Congress on Anti-Aging Medicine later this week," commented Joseph Mannello, CEO of MYOS. "Maintaining muscle mass and health plays a vital role in supporting an excellent quality of life as we get older and has been shown in numerous respected publications to be associated with improved longevity. Muscle plays a central role in movement, energy metabolism and bone health. The beauty of MYOS' approach to addressing muscle health is that our products are all-natural nutrition products that capitalize on a patented manufacturing process and are backed by a large body of preclinical and human clinical research," added Mr. Mannello.

About MYOS RENS Technology Inc. MYOS RENS Technology Inc. (MYOS), "The Muscle Company", is a Cedar Knolls, NJ-based advanced nutrition company that develops and markets products that improve muscle health and performance. MYOS is the owner of Fortetropin, a fertilized egg yolk-based product manufactured via a proprietary process to retain and optimize its biological activity. Fortetropin has been clinically shown to increase muscle size, lean body mass and reduce muscle atrophy. MYOS believes Fortetropin has the potential to redefine existing standards of physical health and wellness. For more information, please visit http://www.myosrens.com.

About Fortetropin Fortetropin works in conjunction with your protein of choice to help your body utilize that protein more efficiently. Fortetropin is made through a patented process that maintains the vital nutrients of fertilized egg yolks to help build more lean muscle and decrease muscle loss. For more information, please visit http://www.myosrens.com.

Forward-Looking Statements Any statements in this release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements. Actual results may differ materially from those projected or implied in any forward-looking statements. Such statements involve risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to those relating to product and customer demand, market acceptance of our products, the ability to create new products through research and development, the successful results of strategic initiatives, the success of our products, includingQurr, Yolked, MYOS Canine Muscle Formula, Physician Muscle Health Formulaand MYOS Enteral NutritionFormula, the success of our research and development, the results of the clinical evaluation ofFortetropinand its effects, the ability to enter into new partnership opportunities and the success of our existing partnerships, the ability to generate revenue and cash flow from sales of our products, the ability to increase our revenue and gross profit margins, the ability to achieve a sustainable, profitable business, the effect of economic conditions, the ability to protect our intellectual property rights, competition from other providers and products, the continued listing of our securities on the Nasdaq Stock Market, risks in product development, our ability to raise capital to fund continuing operations, and other factors discussed from time to time in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement for events or circumstances after the date on which such statement is made except as required by law.

Investor Relations: Porter LeVay & RoseMatthew Abenante, IRC, SVPPhone: 212-564-4700Email: MYOS@plrinvest.com

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MYOS to Introduce its Longevity Business with its Physician Muscle Health Formula at the World Congress on Anti-Aging Medicine in Las Vegas December...

During the last ice age some 100,000 to 15,000 years ago mammoths were widespread in the northern hemisphere from Spain to Alaska.Although some endured on a tiny island in the Arctic until 1650 BCE, most mammoths perished about 10,000 years ago during a time when they still interacted with humans. A new study that estimated a species lifespan from DNA suggests that these mammoths were most likely much older than the human hunters on their prowl, reaching up to 60 years of age.

The team of researchers at CSIRO and the University of Western Australia estimated a species lifespan based on its genome sequence. In order to unravel the lifespan clock, the researchers screened 42 genes from the DNA of 252 vertebrate species, both living and extinct. The higher the density of these genes, the higher the predicted lifespan.

When studying extinct animals, the researchers had to also use their living relatives and descendants for reference. In the case of the wooly mammoth and straight-tusked elephant, the Australian researchers performed estimations based on the genome of the modern African elephant, whose lifespan is of about 65 years.

So how long did mammoths live? The researchers estimate that they were able to live up to 60, and the same applied for straight-tusked elephants. Meanwhile, the maximum lifespan of Homo sapiens was deemed to be 38 years, according to this method. This may seem to invalidate the method seeing how the average lifespan in the United States currently is 78, but this figure actually matches other estimates of early modern human lifespans before the advent of medicine, agriculture, and sanitation.

Neanderthals and Denisovans, our close extinct relatives from the genus Homo, had a maximum lifespan of 37.8, very similar to modern humans living around the same time.

We estimated that Denisovans and Neanderthals both had a lifespan of 37.8 years. This suggests that these extinct Hominidae species had similar lifespans to their early human counterparts, the researchers wrote.

The famous Lonesome George was the last remaining Pinta tortoise (C. abingdoni) when he died in 2012. He had been living in captivity at the Charles Darwin Research Station on the Galapagos Islands since 1972 and died at age 100. Thats relatively close to the maximum lifespan estimate of 120 years found by the study.

Other extinct animals whose lifespan were calculated by the study include the little bush moa (23 years) and the passenger pigeon (28 years). The animal with the largest lifespan is the bowhead whale (268 years). However, the longest-living vertebrate may be the Greenland shark, which could live to see 512 years of age, according to a 2017 study.

The estimates for invertebrates werent nearly as accurate, possibly because they do not exhibit the targetted genes to the same extent as vertebrates.

In the future, these genes could be used to further studying aging. For instance, theres a debate among researchers as to what is the absolute limit of human longevity. The method elaborated by this study, however, cannot be used on individuals.

It cannot be used to determine the lifespan of any individual human and the purpose of this study was to determine an important parameter of ecological significance which may assist in wildlife management, said Benjamin Mayne, a scientist at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) in Western Australia.

The findings appeared in the journal Scientific Reports.

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DNA reveals lifespan of mammoth and other extinct animals - ZME Science

Hermit crabs face a uniquely competitive real estate market. They need bigger and bigger shells throughout their lives, but cant grow these homes themselves. So they rely on castoff snail shells, and are constantly on the lookout for better properties entering the market.

A study that will be published next month in the journal Physica A found that the distribution of these shells in one hermit crab population was surprisingly similar to the distribution of wealth in human societies.

That may make hermit crabs one of the first animals known to experience wealth inequality.

Ivan Chase, an emeritus professor at Stony Brook University in New York and the studys lead author, researches social systems in animals and described a phenomenon called the vacancy chain in hermit crabs in the 1980s.

When a snail dies on the beach, a crab that comes across the empty shell will inspect it closely, turning the shell over in its claws. If the crab decides this home is better than its current shell, it trades up. Another, usually smaller crab may soon find that crabs castoff and move in. Each vacancy lets about three crabs upgrade their shells, Dr. Chase said.

Dr. Chase had always wondered whether this system led to a kind of inequality among hermit crabs, with a few crustaceans hoarding the biggest homes. So in 2017, he and his co-authors started testing the idea. They gathered almost 300 hermit crabs from a Long Island beach and briefly removed the crabs from their shells. They weighed and measured each crab and its residence. Then they looked at how shells of different weights were distributed among the population.

The distribution curve they found peaked around medium-sized shells, then dropped as the shells got larger, before tapering off very gradually through the largest shells of all. This matches the shape of wealth distribution curves in many human societies.

The team used a number called the Gini coefficient to measure overall inequality among the crabs. It found a value similar to that in small human populations, though not as great as in todays large countries. The top 1 percent of hermit crabs owned only about 3 percent of the total shell weight, Dr. Chase and his co-authors noted: There are no Warren Buffetts or Jeff Bezoses. There is also no transfer of shells between crabs and their offspring.

What they discovered suggested that the distribution of shell sizes did not simply depend on crab biology. They did not find similar numbers of crabs in every size of shell, which would be expected if most crabs survive to old age (and if longevity determines shell distribution). Nor did they find that the smallest shells were most abundant, which might occur if crabs most often die young, or are preyed on at a steady rate throughout their life span.

Dr. Chase thinks the resemblance between crab and human inequality might come from similarities between crab vacancy chains and the ways people pass on wealth. While smaller crabs dont exactly inherit their wealth from bigger crabs, the largest shells are a scarce resource that only a few crabs are privileged enough to get their claws on.

Vacancy chains are just another way of transferring property, he said.

Although hes hesitant to draw any societal lessons from the crustaceans, he hopes hermit crabs can one day become a kind of model organism, like lab rats, for scientists studying wealth inequality.

The authors have nicely shown that the wealth distribution in crabs is humanlike, said Monique Borgerhoff Mulder, an anthropologist who studies human wealth inequality at the University of California, Davis. The pattern is very much like what researchers have found in small-scale human societies, both historic and contemporary, she said.

Although the transfer of wealth and property between people is an important contributor to inequality, Dr. Borgerhoff Mulder said many other factors matter too, such as social connections and individual differences in skills and education. She doubts vacancy chains are the whole story in crab society, either.

The notion that crabs can teach us about human wealth distribution may be a little preposterous, Dr. Borgerhoff Mulder added. But she said this kind of idea sharing between studies of humans and other animals is making social science, as a whole, richer.

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Even Hermit Crabs Have Wealth Inequality - The New York Times

World Longevity Economy Size Projections, current USD

AI for Longevity has more potential to increase healthy Longevity in the short term than any other sector. The application of AI for Longevity will bring the greatest real-world benefits and will be the main driver of progress in the widespread extension of healthy Longevity. The global spending power of people aged 60 and over is anticipated to reach $15 trillion annually by 2020. The Longevity industry will dwarf all other industries in both size and market capitalization, reshape the globalfinancial system, and disrupt the business modelsof pension funds, insurance companies, investment banks, and entire national economies.

Longevity has become a recurring topic in analytical reports from leading financial institutions such as CitiBank, UBS Group, Julius Baer, and Barclays. At the recent AI for Longevity Summit in London, top executives from Prudential, HSBC, AXA Insurance, NVIDIA, Microsoft, Babylon Health, Insilico Medicine, Longevity.Capital, Longevity Vision Fund, Juvenescence, and Deep Knowledge Ventures came together to discuss the Longevity Industry. International policymakers and senior corporate executives shared learnings from Japan, Israel, Switzerland, the US, and the UK, and exchanged ideas on beginning to work together in a new social contract to enhance global prosperity equitably.

The 7th Continent - 1 Billion People in Retirement Globally

Switzerland is one of the most longevity progressive countries in the world with both high investment in biotechnology and the capacity to integrate AI into its economic, financial, and healthcare systems. Switzerland has the potential to be a world leader in both the Global Longevity Industry and the 4th Industrial Revolution. There are currently 100 companies, 80 investors, 50 financial companies, 35 research labs, 20 precision medicine clinics, 15 nonprofits, and 10 governmental organizations in the Swiss Longevity Industry. Switzerland is in an excellent position to retain its leading position by focusing on the optimal assembly of its existing resources to transform the challenge of demographic aging into a national asset.

Switzerland has a large aging population and Swiss investment banks are acutely aware of the oncoming demographic challenge. Switzerland is one of the most efficiently regulated and supervised financial centers in the world and has been leading transformative developments emerging from the digitalization of its banking and financial sector. Longevity-progressive countries typically have large aging populations, and aging populations have two longevity-progressive benefits: voting power and spending power.

Longevity Industry in Switzerland 2019

The digitization of finance, and novel financial systems which treat Longevity as a dividend, will play an integral role in the Longevity economy. According to a recent report by Aging Analytics Agency, Switzerland has the elements necessary to become a leading Longevity financial hub, including factors such as a lean political system that facilitates rapid implementation of integrated government programs, a strong research environment for geroscience, a strong research and business environment for digital health, and most importantly, international financial prowess.

Switzerland has the ability to develop several Longevity specific programs over the next several years. One program is a Longevity progressive pension system and insurance company ecosystem that accounts for both population aging (which threatens to destabilize the current business models of insurance companies and pension funds) and the potential for widespread healthspan extension. Another program is a national strategy for intensively developing Geroscience and FinTech to a state so advanced that it propels Switzerland into a central role in the international Longevity business ecosystem and a global leader in Longevity Finance. Switzerland is leading the digitization of financial markets and establishing itself as a catalyst for financial innovation on a global level. According to Aging Analytics Agency, 10% of all European FinTech enterprises are located in Switzerland.

Switzerland has a strong and productive geroscience community and has gained prominence among investors as a global biotech hub and hotbed of innovation. The Swiss Institute for Bioinformatics recently identified large numbers of genetic markers directly linked to human life expectancy. Switzerland is also home to the prestigious Vontobel Prize for Aging Research.

The Convergence of 5 Mega Trends

BioValley

Switzerland is situated at one end of the BioValley - one of the leading life science clusters in Europe. This cluster is unique in that it spans across three countries, Switzerland, Germany and France, and includes Basel, a global life science hub. BioValley brings together important ingredients for a successful biotech cluster including a concentration of companies, rich availability of skills, experience within Life Sciences, and a world class research base. The cluster in Switzerland has in excess of 50,000 people working in the life sciences field including 15,000 scientists. There are 600 companies in the cluster developing therapeutic, diagnostic or medical devices to address a wide range of diseases in multiple therapeutic classes. There are 100,000 students enrolled in 10 universities and research institutions including University of Basel, Max Planck Institute, and Freiburg University. The cluster has produced a number of spin-out companies supported by a financial network including both public and private financing initiatives as well as traditional venture capital and private equity. The entire process of drug development is covered in the region, from research through to clinical and drug development, and manufacturing.

Longevity AI Consortium Expands to Switzerland

Longevity AI Consortium King's College London

In November 2019, Europes firstLongevity AI Consortium(LAIC)launched at King's College London. LAIC is currently developing collaborative research projects withDynamics of Healthy Ageing (DynAge)and theDigital Society Initiative (DSI)at the University of Zurich. The research will utilize AI technologies to predict the future cognitive ability of individuals using multimodal neuroimaging and risk factor data. Academics in Zurich will work in collaboration with colleagues at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience at King's College London. LAIC plans to establish several collaborative projects with the University of Zurich in 2020. The joint R&D between Ageing Research at Kings and University of Zurich forms the first phase of the global Longevity AI Consortium that will eventually be extended to Israel, Singapore, Japan and the US.

The Longevity Industry

AgeTech

FinTech banks are redefining the banking industry by connecting with a new generation of mobile-first consumers. However, FinTech banks are focusing on consumers who are middle-age and younger, not on the 1 billion people in retirement and the $15 trillion dollar market opportunity. As the share of the population over 60 increases, Swiss banks are lagging behind in finding solutions for this age group. Traditional banks, as opposed to challenger banks, are taking their first steps in AgeTech and adapting their infrastructure for people over 60.

WealthTech

The WealthTech Industry refers to a new generation of financial technology companies that create digital solutions to transform the investment and asset management industry. New companies have arrived on the scene offering advice based on AI and big data, micro-investment platforms, and trading solutions based on social networks. A growing aging population is one of the main drivers of innovation in WealthTech. Financial services innovators have an opportunity to enhance the financial lives of individuals over 60 by designing new solutions and adapting existing products and services for them. This is an opportunity to implement innovations that address financial health challenges head on.

Financial Wellness

As a core component of its mission to develop Switzerland into a leading international Longevity Financial Industry hub, Longevity Swiss Foundation plans on roadmapping the development of AI Centers for Financial Wellness. Whereas the proposed AI Centers for Longevity would focus on optimizing health, these centers would focus on the application of AI to the creation of methods and technologies to promote wellness in other areas including financial wellness, continuing education, psychological well being, neuroplasticity, and active social involvement. The planned development of AI Centers for Financial Wellness will enable financial stability over extended periods of healthy Longevity for Swiss citizens.

Switzerland could become the center of the Longevity Financial Industry. Given its geographic size and its reliance on international cooperation, its function in the Longevity Industry will be as a small but important node. Due to its status as an international BioTech epicenter and its reputation as one of the most progressive countries in terms of its financial industry, the prospects for Switzerland to lead the world in the development of its Longevity Financial Industry are strong.

Today, change occurs at the intersection of two or more scientific and technological domains. We are at the beginning of a trend where the degree of complexity and the number of convergence points will increase exponentially. The convergence of AI, advanced data science, and Longevity research will accelerate important medical breakthroughs that will benefit all humans. In the next decade, the Longevity Industry will impact many areas of our lives. Longevity policies enacted by governments and changes in the global financial industry will transform society. Achieving small but practical results in Longevity distributed at scale will have enormous and multiplicative effects on society. Extending the functional lifespan of humans by just one year will decrease suffering for tens of millions of people and will improve the quality of life for billions of people.

Click the box below to preview a new book that I co-authored with my colleague Dmitry Kaminskiy entitled Longevity Industry 1.0 - Defining the Biggest and Most Complex Industry in Human History.

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AI Will Drive The Multi-Trillion Dollar Longevity Economy - Forbes

Starting a truly innovative tech company is tough in todays world. With so many brilliant ideas available via open sourcing, it seems like every idea has been tried and tested a thousand times already.

But then you meet entrepreneurs such as Sergey Young and Jessica Maslin, whove been successful at creating something that will change our lives in the years to come. These tech luminaries have founded companies, beaten the odds and have been beyond successful in ways one can only dream of.

These men and women are obviously doing something right. Here at Technowize, we take a look at their work which has now made them household names.

A highly acclaimed technologist and investor, Sergey Young, is making longevity his lifelong mission. Young is the founder of the $100 million Longevity Vision Fund, whose goal is to accelerate the most promising longevity breakthroughs and make them accessible and affordable for all. His investment in human longevity, online education, digital healthcare, and real estate technologies spans over 20 years, making him one of the most qualified experts in this field.

Longevity Vision Fund was launched in February 2019, and in those eight months has come a long way. LVF has assembled am impressive Advisory Board of five leading longevity scientists: Vadim Gladyshev, Aubrey De Gray, Richard Faragher, Joao de Magalhaes, and Morten Scheibye-Knudsen.

Sergey Young is on the Innovation Board of XPRIZE Foundation and a Development Sponsor of Longevity XPRIZE. He is also on the Financial Advisory Board for the UKs All Party Parliamentary Group on Longevity.

Alex is Vice President and Head of the North America Strategy Office at Fujitsu, one of the world's leading information and communication technology (ICT) companies, with over $46 billion in annual revenue across more than 100 countries and 162,000 employees.

At Fujitsu, Alex Lam leads the Global Product Business strategy organization for the North American market and oversees strategic planning and business development for Fujitsu's global solutions (Enterprise, AI, SDx) with key Silicon Valley and US-based technology companies. In his role, Lam spearheaded the launch of the Fujitsu Solutions Lab, a technology partner incubator and customer POC showcase for Fujitsu's Enterprise data center solutions with innovative IT technology partners.

Alex Lam is also spearheading a team at the Fujitsu Solutions Lab that promises to revolutionize the CPU/GPU for enterprises. Fujitsu's groundbreaking technology innovation optimizes business processes and leverages the benefits of AI. Fujitsu is developing an AI-specific microprocessor called the Deep Learning Unit (DLU). The companys goal is to produce a chip that delivers 10 times better performance per watt than the competition. This is a progressive goal.

Jessica Maslin and Josh Dubon are the co-founders of Mieron, the Worlds First Virtual Reality NeuroTherapy system that helping to rehabilitate patients all over the world. MieronVR, the companys brand new virtual reality technology is being used by doctors and medical practitioners help patients rehabilitate from spinal cord and traumatic brain injuries.

The Mieron library is full of locomotive training exercises, trunk stability, strength and conditioning, upper body mobility, lower body mobility, balance and stability exercises that complement physical therapy and occupational therapy practices. The goal is to improve range of motion, execution of tasks, independence by improved mobility, and mental wellness.

There are two versions of the device currently in production, the Mieron Pro, which is used in hospitals and rehabilitation facilities, and the newly-created Mieron Go, which is a consumer version that patients can use at home.

In 2004, Brian Gill co-founded one of the worlds most successful data recovery labs with his brother Tyler and PhD Greg Piefer. The trio, along with their business partners and Gregs family, then founded Phoenix Nuclear Labs, which currently manufactures the strongest compact neutron generators in the world.

Brian Gill was on the board of PNL when it was decided to spin off medical isotope startup SHINE Medical Technologies to tackle the Mo-99 crisis. Over 56,000 American patients are imaged every day and over 30 medical procedures require Mo-99, and as of 2018 0% of the worlds supply of Mo-99 is produced in the US.

Most recently, he has teamed up with worldwide forensics thought leader Cindy Murphy to found Gillware Digital Forensics. Past successes have allowed him to make over a dozen angel investments, most recently in Medaware Systems, Pacifica Labs and Allergy Amulet.

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Most Innovative People to Watch in 2020 - Technowize

KEY POINTS

The key to enjoying a longer life lies in observing a healthy lifestyle, which includes quitting or avoiding smoking, limiting alcohol intake, exercising regularly, and consuming a healthy balanced diet.

The secret to leading a healthy lifestyle is good nutrition. The foods that an individual consumes provide the body with the materials it needs to function properly. If such individual consumes too much food or types of foods that provide wrong materials to the body, they increase the risk of acquiring life-threatening diseases, which also shortens lifespan.

The Best Diet For Long Life

For the longest time, human beings have been on a quest for the best diet to help them live healthier and longer, as well as reduce the risk of deadly diseases.Recent studies have proven that the best way to achieve this is to go on a vegan diet. vegan diet to increase longevity Photo: dbreen - Pixabay

According to the World Health Organization, this type of diet can help prevent about a third of all cancer types. Studies also show those who practice this diet have lower death rates compared to meat-eaters.

The research which has been published by the JAMA Internal Medicine Journal reignited the debate on whether or not vegan diets can enhance longevity. The raging debate is happening because of conflicting evidence and medical advice on how a vegan diet can impact ones health.

Result of Increasing Animal Protein

In the said study, researchers say each three percent calories that came from plant protein was found to lower the risk of death by about 10%. The risk of heart disease death is also reduced by 12%. In comparison, increasing animal protein in the diet by around 10% increases the risk of death from all causes by about two percent.

Because of these glaring results, experts are recommending people to increase their consumption of plant-based foods like vegetables, whole grains, and fruits. Low-fat dairy products and lean protein are also recommended by experts to be included in your daily diet.

The results of these studies also suggest that consuming at least seven portions of fresh vegetables and fruits daily can help lower the risk of dying from cancer by approximately 15%.According to Dr. Mingyang Song, these studies, on the overall, support the fact that sources of dietary protein are essential for long-term health results.

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Increase Longevity: Prevent Development Of Cancer By Regularly Consuming This Diet - International Business Times

In the 1960s, NASA scientists were researching many aspects of space travel for humans.

Some of the products of that research were seen by the world, such as the Apollo 11 moon landing in 1969. Others, like how to make food for astronauts out of carbon dioxide, were shelved.

But decades later, Lisa Dyson picked up where those scientists left off. A former strategy consultant with a doctorate in physics, she became interested in how to create protein in a more sustainable way and came upon the old research. She worked on the concept through Kiverdi, a company she founded, which came up with technology to develop protein from air.

Last month, Dyson announced the spinoff of a food company utilizing this technology, Air Protein. The firm, which is working on meat alternative products,expects to make an announcement about when and how they will come to market next year, she told Food Dive.

Dyson said people are becoming more aware of both the ecological impact meat production has on the planet, as well as the pressing need to better produce proteins to feed a growing population.

"This is a great opportunity to introduce an alternative that is super sustainable, significantly more sustainable than any land-based production," Dyson said."You don't need any arable land. You can keep your habitat untouched. You could scale vertically, you know, [producing food] rain or shine, day or night. In the production itself, you can produce the same amount of protein from a soy farm the size of Texas by just having an Air Protein farm the size of Walt Disney World."

Dyson hopes the new technology another way to make sustainable protein will revolutionize both the food business and the longevity of the environment.

While there is no way to get away from the deep science behind this concept, making edible protein from air sounds like science fiction.

NASA's report detailing how the technology works was published in 1967 as part of a more comprehensive study about how to support human life during a space mission longer than a year. Basically, they looked at hydrogenotrophs common microbes, some of which actually live in the human gut that can be used to turn carbon dioxide into a physical protein. NASA looked at harnessing these microbes to convert the carbon dioxide that astronauts would exhale into something they could eat.

Air Protein

Dyson, who gave a TED talk in 2016 about how this technology could work, has taken this research to the next level at her companies.They have developed fermentation vessels that can rapidly and efficiently convert gases to what looks like a protein-rich flour. She said facilities to do this are similar to breweries.

She didn't say where Air Protein's labs are located or how much equipment it has, but Kiverdi's main lab is in Pleasanton, California. Kiverdi has partnerships with other labs, and Dyson said there are several locations that will make Air Protein in the future.

The product made by these fermentation vessels is fairly versatile and has a neutral flavor, Dyson said. While it contains good nutritional credentials it has twice the protein of soy, all essential amino acids and B vitamins it can be used in many different ways. The process can help make meat analogs, pasta, cereals, shakes and protein bars, she told Food Dive.

But considering the vast environmental impact of meat and the protein needs of the human race, Dyson said meat analogs are the place to start even though the field is somewhat crowded. The company sent out pictures of a chicken substitute made from Air Protein with its press release. Dyson said they are still working on perfecting it. Air Protein is the only companywith this technology.

"These are using spices and different types and ways of techniques of taking the flour, and enriching it, and doing different things so that you can get the right texture and flavor," She said.

Air Protein is in development on many different plains, Dyson said.

She said there will be products in development under the Air Protein brand name, and she hopes to make an announcement about them next year. Meanwhile, Dyson said she is in discussion with some companies to form product partnerships, perhaps using Air Protein as an ingredient.She did not say what kinds of products those might be, but hoped to have announcements about those next year as well.

"We'll make many different types of products, and those products will have different groups of consumers that are excited about them," Dyson said. "And that's the benefit of what we're doing, is that we're not limited by one category."

"This is a great opportunity to introduce an alternative that is super sustainable, significantly more sustainable than any land-based production. You don't need any arable land. You can keep your habitat untouched. You could scale vertically, you know, [producing food] rain or shine, day or night."

Lisa Dyson

CEO, Air Protein

Dyson said she expects consumers to get excited and intrigued by Air Protein. Its target audience is any consumer, she said. The prospect of an ultra-sustainable and nutritious ingredient will make consumers want to try it, especially at a time when substitutes for animal-based products are the biggest trend in food.

Some of the NASA scientists who started the research that became both Kiverdi and Air Protein have been excited by Dyson's work, she said. Dyson has been able to blend her knowledge with their work and make air-based food a reality. And Dyson said she thinks this coupled with other sustainable practices like regenerative agriculture can be part of the solution to problems the world faces today.

"There's a range of things that need to come into play with our current food production processes becoming more efficient, becoming more sustainable," she said. "There's so many different things that we need to implement to create a more nutritious soil, healthy soil that can continue to produce crops over the ages. And produce food without the need for soil, without the need for arable land. ... I think that we need to see a plethora of ideas becoming reality."

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Can Air Protein help feed and save the world at the same time? - Food Dive

I first thought of going to medical school to become a doctor because my 10th-grade anatomy teacher recommended it. I was completely enamored with the human body, all that it does and the ways in which it can thrive or fail.

I remember asking him, "In what kind of job will I be able to work with the human body every day and solve the mysteries of disease?"

"I think that medical school might be the path for you," he said.

In that moment, my mind was set that I would go to medical school and become a forensic pathologist.

Dreams of becoming a forensic pathologist aren't typically what you hear about when someone tells you they want to be a doctor, but my goals ran deeper than just the medicine. I recall reading stories about unusual deaths, crimes and unsolved cases. Then I would read the follow-up stories after a forensic pathologist helped solved the case. Of course, solving the case was probably a great feeling, but bringing closure to families in those challenging times is what captivated me. My journey took some twists and turns while I considered surgery and obstetrics and gynecology until, ultimately, I found my love for family medicine.

Fast forward 15 years from my high school conversation and here I am, a third-year family medicine resident. When I chose this specialty, I didn't know that my story would come full circle. I am solving daily mysteries: What is the diagnosis? What is the best treatment plan? How do patients get medication without insurance? How do patients make it to appointments without transportation?

What I didn't expect was that by chasing my dream of becoming a family physician, I would still be a part of crucial moments surrounding death and dying -- the very thing that led me to the profession in the first place.

Throughout my training, I have had the opportunity to rotate with our palliative care team and spend time at a local hospice facility caring for patients. I was fortunate to learn from physicians who were working to help patients and their families achieve the best quality of life, however they defined that for themselves. They empowered me to have honest and open conversations with my primary care patients regarding end of life and reminded me that family physicians often provide this care just by virtue of our lifelong relationships with our patients.

I gained many new skills during my time with these physicians, and my knowledge and skillset was put to the test just a few weeks after these rotations ended. One of my patients came to me to discuss the likely prognosis of a disease she had been diagnosed with prior to my meeting her. We spoke at length about what her diagnosis meant, the common trajectory of her disease and what her options would be moving forward. At that point she was tired of her pain, feeling fatigued, and wanted to live to see her grandchildren grow up and be happy.

We discussed options, and she chose to pursue a liver transplant. I helped coordinate her care and start the process of getting on the transplant list.

Then we waited. Two months went by, and I kept receiving updates about her care plan and where she was in the process. She was being cared for by a great group of physicians, and I was happy that she was pursuing a chance to extend her life and possibly ease her symptoms.

Then one day I saw her name on my office schedule with the note "discuss liver transplant." "That's strange," I thought to myself. She had an entire team of physicians she could pose questions to, so I couldn't help but wonder what she would want to discuss with me.

I entered the exam room, and she looked exhausted and anxious. She didn't look like the spritely, jovial woman I had seen before. I greeted her, and without hesitation she blurted out, "I don't want this liver transplant anymore!"

I walked over and sat next to her.

"That's OK," I said. "Tell me more."

She told me more. A lot more.

We sat together for 40 minutes and talked. We both grasped an understanding of what was important to her in life. Was it longevity versus quality, experiences or any combination of things? We discussed her dreams and goals, both short- and long-term. We talked about fears, including surgery and dying. We discussed her family and the guilt she felt about turning down a potential new liver.

Ultimately, we discussed what would make her happiest and most at peace. Her answer was "to not have surgery or be poked and prodded anymore."

I made a referral to hospice that day. During the next three months, alongside hospice care, I was able to help manage her symptoms, and find ways for her to get out of her house and do what she wanted most, which was spend time with her grandkids.

When she went into the hospice facility on a Friday afternoon for an acute issue, her family called me and kept me updated. I stopped by on my way home to say hello to her and check in with her family. That night her family texted to let me know she had passed.

In our culture, people often focus so much on how incredibly advanced medicine is that we forget to ask patients what is important to them in their lives, what will fulfill them and whether "doing everything" we're medically able to do truly makes for the best outcome in the context of what is meaningful to them. What still gets me is how little we discuss death and dying when it is ultimately what we will all experience at some point. We so often discuss the possibilities in medicine -- of getting cancer or having a disease -- but we rarely talk about death and dying when we know that it is the one thing that is certain.

I am so honored to be a part of all aspects of life, including death, with my patients. The amount of trust and openness that patients give is beyond words, and never in my dreams did I imagine that I would be so fortunate as to have a job where I would be invited into these critical and vulnerable spaces to be a part of their journey.

End-of-life care is just as important as all the care that precedes it. We are in a unique position as family physicians to partake in this time and these discussions, and we should take full advantage of that for our patients' sake.

Kelly Thibert, D.O., M.P.H., is the resident member of the AAFP Board of Directors.

See original here:
End-of-life Care Is as Important as All Care Preceding It - AAFP News

Successful companies know and value their staff. They know that employees are essential factors in any organizations success and, thus, work diligently to provide good pay, satisfying benefits, and positive work environments. I've found that if you value and treat your people well, your company will succeed and reap the benefits.

Happy employees equals greater productivity. Why?

1. Your people are your biggest resource and can affect public perception of your brand. For example, as a frequent traveler, I specifically choose Southwest Airlines because of the happy, engaged and efficient employees. Organizations such as Southwest Airlines and others that perceive value in their employees often function efficiently and are profitable. Great companies should offer financial and health and wellness benefits, as well as community outreach, employee engagement, travel and training and development opportunities. Southwest in particular always seems to be looking for ways to engage, grow and foster employee development. When a company communicates appreciation for its employees, those employees, in turn, are likely to appreciate the company. According to Gallup, they also tend to demonstrate increased productivity and loyalty.

2. Your employees are your brand ambassadors the face of your company. If your employee retention is low and tenure is short, new client acquisition may prove to be more difficult.

3. Retraining, recruiting and rehiring are expensive. It is costly (and not very cost-effective) to continually recruit new employees, spend money on job posting sites or pay head hunters to find staff. According to the Society for Human Resources Management, the average cost per hire in 2016 was $4,129.

Rehiring and retraining don't just cost the company in revenue and time; every new employee will also have a lower productivity period until they learn the ropes.

4. Employee turnover is costly in terms of valuable resources, but it can also affect morale in both current employees and clients. Employees may begin to question the quality of the workplace environment, as well as their own prospects for employment longevity. When clients see new faces too often, they may lose that personal connection with your staff and, naturally, may come to wonder why your company cannot seem to retain its employees. All of this can have a remarkably detrimental effect on day-to-day business operations.

5. Value your employees and staff, and you can increase your companys profitability. Companies that provide satisfying pay, benefits, personal time off and perks are on the right track. Take a moment to reference online articles about companies with impressive benefits. These organizations go above and beyond in terms of taking care of their staff.

The bottom line is this: I believe companies that value their No. 1 asset (employees) are more likely to succeed than those that do not. It's not just what the companies offer in terms of pay, benefits, etc.; it is also the underlying emphasis of the value they place on their employees.

Prospective employees, in turn, should research a particular companys retention rate and whether or not that retention rate is related to the ways in which the organization shows it values its employees. Such research can help an employment seeker find a company that knows and truly appreciates the value of its staff. Read Glassdoor reviews, and sort through them to make sure youre getting a good picture of either the company for which you are currently working (or managing) or a company for which you hope to work (or manage). If the company is a revolving door and has poor retention, you may wish to consider other options or changes.

In todays workplace, there are many wonderful, employee-oriented companies and organizations. Find (or create) one that genuinely values its staff and that engenders a positive work environment.

The rest is here:
Five Reasons Employees Are Your Company's No. 1 Asset - Forbes

Dane Koch presented an award to Everyday Hero John Bingle Thompson .(Photo: Lani Garfield, Special to The Desert Sun)

Desert AIDS Project (DAP) held its 6th annual Everyday Heroes event on Dec. 1 at the Palm Springs Cultural Center to shine a spotlight on everyday individuals who inspire others.

CEO David Brinkman said he believes Everyday Heroes connects deeply to the humanitarian work of DAP because each of the honorees, in their own way, helps DAP do the work it does to remove roadblocks to human potential. The work of each of the honorees is heroic and deserves the type of recognition traditionally reserved for major philanthropists in the Coachella Valley.

Steve Kaufer, DAP board chair, opened the program to the standing-room-only auditorium, announcing that Everyday Heroes was born to honor the work of local individuals who, through their kindness and compassion, inspire us all. Kaufer reminded the audience that DAP serves more than 7,000 clients and provides 426 people with housing. And during the 2018-2019 fiscal year, DAPtested more than 2,784 people for HIVand more than 1,349 for Hepatitis C. On-site medical teams provided 5,354 dental visits and 7,160 behavioral health sessions.

Dane Koch, DAPs director of retail, introduced John Bingle Thompson, recipient of the Everyday Heroes award for his commitment to the Revivals retail store as a volunteer since 2015. I choose to volunteer at DAP because I, like most of us here tonight, have lost friends and family to HIV/AIDS, Thompson said as he accepted the award.

Everyday Hero Fiona Foyston seemed genuinely moved by being honored.(Photo: Lani Garfield, Special to The Desert Sun)

Ann Sheffer, co-chair and DAP board member, recognized Fiona Foyston for volunteering at DAP and other local organizations. She quoted Mahatma Gandi who said, The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.Foyston accepted the award by recognizing her grandfather, who instilled in her at an early age to be non-judgmental and to accept everyone as they are. If you want to give your little ones a unique gift, Foyston concluded, introduce them to the worthwhile adventures they can experience by helping others.

Everyday Hero Brett Klein talked about aging with HIV.(Photo: Lani Garfield, Special to The Desert Sun)

Co-chair Tom Truhe introduced Brett Klein, who was recognized for his engagement with and leadership roles in the local LGBT communities and HIV+Aging Research Project. Having lived with HIV for 27 years, he noted how he has become keenly aware of the immense need to understand and explore how aging with HIV can affect your body, mind, soul and healthy longevity.

Molly Bondhus and Wil Stiles were presented the first-ever Barbara Keller Community Action Award.(Photo: Lani Garfield, Special to The Desert Sun)

Co-chair and DAP board member Terri Ketover presented the first-ever Barbara Keller Community Action Award to local retail fashion iconsMolly Bondhus and Wil Stiles.

Molly and Wil are two of the most authentic people I have ever met, Ketover said, and their commitment to justice and humanity is unmatched. Bondhus and Stiles celebrated their boutiques 10th anniversary by donating $500,000 worth of new fashion to Revivals Stores to raise funds for DAP.

Truhe concluded the program by thanking his co-chairs Ketover and Sheffer, and DAPs major and event sponsors Steve Tobin and The Grace Helen Spearman Foundation, GileadSciences, Ann Sheffer and Bill Scheffler, Mike Williams and Canyon Pacific Insurance, Contempo Lending, Lulu California Bistro, News Channel 3 and KESQ, Palm Springs Cultural Center, Gay Desert Guide, The Standard Magazine, Leslie Barclays from Diageo Spirits and Smirnoff, Momentous Events, Promo Homo.TV, CV Independent, Hohn Paschal Photography and The Desert Sun.

At the afterparty, where refreshments weredonated by Jerry Keller and Lulu California Bistro, Willie Rhine, recipient of an Everyday Heroes award in 2018,shared that he appreciates DAP for honoring deserving community members who give back to their community quietly, volunteering their time without fanfare.

Susan Stein, Dr. Oscar Chamudes and Tom Truhe met up under the tent.(Photo: Lani Garfield, Special to The Desert Sun)

Among the community leaders enjoying the evening: former Senator Barbara Boxer, Donna MacMillan, Dr. Les Zendel, David Zippel and Michael Johnston, David Perez, Tom Oliver and Matthew Stocker, Jeffery Bernstein and Dr. Oscar Chamudes, Jeffrey Norman, Tad Green and Ed McBride, Lynn Hammond, Julie Makinen, Ellen Wolf, Gayle Hodges and Art Wedmore, Paul Clowers and Frank Goldstin, Andy Linsky, Kevin Bass, Stuart Leviton and Herb Schultz, Susan Stein, Jerry Keller, Brian Wanzek, Renee Glickman, Dennis Flaig-Moore, Albert Gonzalez and Rhine.

Khalil Gibran in "The Prophet" said it best: You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give.

Al Jones currently serves as chairman of the Palm Springs International Airport Commission, on the Desert AIDS Project Partners for Life Leadership Committee and on the CSU Palm Desert Campus Advancement Board. He is also an Allegro member of the Palm Springs Opera Guild and a former board member of Sanctuary Palm Springs and The LGBTQ Community Center of the Desert.

6th annual Everyday Heroes Awards 2019

Sunday, Dec. 1

Palm Springs Cultural Center

Benefiting Desert AIDS Project, 1695 N. Sunrise Way, Palm Springs

How to help: To donate or volunteer, call (760) 323-2118 or email info@desertaidsproject.org

Read or Share this story: https://www.desertsun.com/story/life/2019/12/13/everyday-heroes-honored-palm-springs-desert-aids-project/4380509002/

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Everyday Heroes who inspire honored by Desert AIDS Project - The Desert Sun