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Faltering or falling energy consumption, particularly electricity, is not an indication of a healthy economy

Since 2007, something historically unprecedented has been happening in most Western economies energy consumption is in a nosedive.

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U.K. energy use has fallen by 30 per cent to quantities not seen since the 1950s, while the rest of Europe has regressed 30 years to 1990s levels. The U.S. is following suit. Whereas total energy consumption had been flatlining, it then fell 13 per cent by 2020, approaching levels not seen since the mid-1990s. A subsequent post-covid increase gives one hope but may not reverse the trend.. This downward spiral also holds for electricity usage, the very index of a modern society, with the U.K. dropping over the past decade to levels last seen in the 1970s. The Canadian case is less dramatic but still concerning: both total energy and electricity consumption have flatlined over this period, and since 2018 have begun to decline.

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Faltering or falling energy consumption, particularly electricity, is not an indication of a healthy economy. You might think otherwise its evidence of increased efficiency, right? For some individual consumers, in the short run, potentially, yes. For society as a whole, in the longer run, emphatically not. As a rule, gains in efficiency will increase demand for the now cheaper goods or services, or save energy for another purpose, so total consumption rises. Savings from LEDs, for example, will first be translated into more lighting. (Who knew a lit driveway looked so pretty?) And when that demand becomes satisfied it will be spent on vacations, better health care, and education, and further out in the economic system on roads or defence. Like cash, energy is never left on the table, and given its availability, there is no limit to possible improvements in human well-being. Put simply, efficiency fuels welfare-enhancing consumption.

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Energy demand is falling because of environmental policies, including subsidies to modern renewables such as wind and solar. As distasteful as this might sound, it is nonetheless true. So far, both the U.S. and Canada are relatively minor players, the U.S. having spent a mere US$125 billion between 2008-2018, and while Canadian national totals are lower, the province of Ontario alone is reported to have spent about US$30 billion in the period 2006 to 2014. But the EU, where the biggest energy collapse is observed, has spent a staggering US$800 billion since 2008, a total that has been increasing at $US70 billion a year. And the U.K., a country of 65 million people, is shelling out well over US$10 billion every year.

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The intention of these subsidies was to reduce costs, but the gamble has not paid off nor will it so long as Mother Nature and her laws of physics are at the table. Wind and solar remain stubbornly expensive for consumers in spite of a blizzard of misinformation and propaganda claiming otherwise.

How did we get here? The answer lies in our intuitive understanding of energy itself. The human mind contains programs enabling us to reason about survival-dependent concepts mating, food, co-operation. The physics of energy is not such a concept. Without science we lack the lens to focus effectively on energy, leaving us more or less energy-blind. Energy is a strange concept in the strict scientific sense it isnt a substance, such as coal or oil, but instead an abstract property of all substances, namely the capacity to cause change in the world, to do work.

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Moreover, energy varies in quality, not just quantity. To support complex society a fuel must be of high quality, that is, structured so that it has the potential to do a lot of work. In thermodynamics, this is referred to as a fuels degree of disorder or entropy. Greater disorder equals greater entropy equals less work. But our energy-blindness, the inability to easily grasp thermodynamic principles, means that we must rely on physics to see and what it reveals is that fossil fuels and uranium are highly ordered and rich in their potential to do work, making them cheap, while wind and solar are the reverse.

In fact, to render wind and solar functional requires much additional work and resources, both often supplied by fossils. Transforming renewables into useable grid electricity relies on turbines and photovoltaic panels, themselves complex and expensive states of matter, to say nothing of the management costs of buffering the electricity system against their variability.

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The sunshine and wind might be free, but their extraction, conversion, and delivery to market are not. If you are concerned about carbon dioxide emissions, as we are, then it is critical to acknowledge our energy-blindness and follow the physics: fossil fuels are the necessary bridge to a nuclear-based, low-carbon future. The optics of wind and solar are superficially attractive but their promise of a green, low-carbon nirvana is empty. But dont blame us, blame Mother Nature.

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At stake are the creation and maintenance of wealth. The availability of high-quality energy created the tools and technologies that make human lives healthier, longer, and more fulfilling. Mortality rates, particularly for children, are extraordinarily low by historical standards. Many people in the world today, not just the richest, have temperature control in their homes, low levels of pathogens in their food supplies, transport essentially at will, phones, and access to vast information-storage systems. These highly improbable states exist only by virtue of the work done by energy-dense fuels such as fossils and nuclear.

By spending heavily on wind and solar, world leaders are degrading the quality and productivity of national energy supplies, causing rising costs and falling consumption. The causal linkage is on display across the West. This will damage not just the ability to create new wealth, but also to maintain a complex, pleasant and secure environment in which to live and raise our families, and this damage is already happening.

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Before you dismiss us as Chicken Littles screaming that the sky is falling (though we are and it is), we grant that the world currently looks far from dystopian. Countries where energy consumption is plummeting dont feel much pain yet. And there is a good reason for that. One country is increasing its energy use, propping up Western consumption with exports and giving us a false sense of well-being. That country is, of course, China.

Since the West began its energy starvation diet, Chinese energy consumption has increased by over 50 per cent and its electricity consumption has increased by 200 per cent, overtaking the U.S. by a large margin. China, unlike the EU, U.K. and U.S., is still 90 per cent reliant on fossil fuels and nuclear. Whats more, only some of the immense wealth these fuels are generating is being exported. What is China doing with the rest? Time will tell.

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But right now, as a matter of urgency, we must reverse the decline in Western energy quality and consumption by ending impoverishing renewable subsidies and clearing the path for fossil fuels and nuclear. Toying with low-density, thermodynamically incompetent renewables is an indulgence we cannot afford. With the Chinese economy on an energetically sound footing and those in the West not, the world has turned upside down. The economic consequences of this reversal are serious, the security implications terrifying. Our energy blindness is both costly and dangerous.

JohnConstable is energy director of the Global Warming Policy Foundation in London and author of its forthcomingstudyEuropesGreen Experiment: A costly failure in unilateral climate policy.Debra Lieberman is a professor of psychology at the University of Miami and author ofObjection: Disgust, Morality, and the Law(OUP, 2018).

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Junk Science Week: Net-Zero Edition John Constable & Debra Lieberman: The energy of nations and the creation of wealth - Financial Post

Columbus, OH (June 1, 2022) More than half of all Americans age 80 or older either have cataracts or have had surgery to remove cataracts, according to the National Eye Institute (NEI). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that cataract is the leading cause of vision loss in the United States, and the leading cause of blindness worldwide. Prevent Blindness, Ohio Affiliate has declared June as Cataract Awareness Month to educate the public on risk factors, symptoms, types of cataract, and cataract surgery.

A cataract is a clouding of the eyes lens which blocks or changes the passage of light into the eye. The lens of the eye is located behind the pupil and the colored iris and is normally transparent. The lens helps to focus images onto the retina which transmits the images to the brain.

There are several possible risk factors for cataracts, such as:

.Age

.Intense heat or long-term exposure to UV rays from the sun

.Certain diseases, such as diabetes

.Inflammation in the eye

.Hereditary influences

.Events before birth, such as German measles in the mother

.Long-term steroid use

.Eye injuries

.Eye diseases

.Smoking

Although rare, cataract may also occur in children, also known as pediatric cataract. Prevent Blindness, Ohio Affiliate has declared 2022 as the Year of Childrens Vision, to raise awareness and education of childrens vision and eye health issues. According to the American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus (AAPOS), approximately three out of 10,000 children have a cataract. Pediatric cataracts often occur because of abnormal lens development during pregnancy. Cataracts can result from genetic or eye structural problems, they can run in families, be caused by infections, or they can occur spontaneously without a known cause. Lens malformations that occur in conjunction with medical problems are often the result of a genetic or metabolic problem. These cataracts may be present at birth or may develop during childhood.

For some adults or children with cataract, surgery may be recommended by an eye doctor. The NEI states that cataract surgery is one of the most common operations in the United States. And, 9 out of 10 people who get cataract surgery can see better afterwards with most people being completely healed 8 weeks after their surgery.

For those in need of financial assistance, Mission Cataract USA, coordinated by the Volunteer Eye Surgeons Association, provides free cataract surgery to people of all ages who have no Medicare, Medicaid, third party insurance or any other means to pay for needed cataract surgery.

Cataract is very common and affects more people than any other eye disease, said Amy Pulles, President & CEO of the Ohio Affiliate of Prevent Blindness. The good news is that vision loss from cataract can be restored with treatment. We encourage everyone to learn the facts about cataract and the steps that can be taken to see clearly.

For free information on cataract or cataract surgery, please visit http://preventblindness.org/cataract/, or contact Prevent Blindness, Ohio Affiliate at 800-301-2020 or at: pbohio.org

For a listing of vision care financial assistance programs in English or Spanish, visit: https://preventblindness.org/vision-care-financial-assistance-information/

Read more from the original source:
Prevent Blindness Provides Educational Information and Resources on the Leading Cause of Vision Loss - WKTN Radio

Gas prices have hit a new record high in the Bay State at $4.84 per gallon.

The cost of butter, bacon, meat and poultry is heading in the same direction. Inflation is just hammering family budgets.

And the state Legislature is moving quickly to override Gov. Charlie Bakers veto of a bill allowing illegal immigrants to obtain drivers licenses. That vote is set for Wednesday in the House.

The lawmakers are not, however, doing anything to lessen the hurt at the pump. Connecticut, Georgia, Florida, Maryland, New York, California and Michigan have all moved to help by dropping the gas tax or are discussing how to bail residents out.

Alaska, Illinois, Minnesota and Virginia have all discussed it with no action taken yet.

In Massachusetts? Its not that important, it seems, but racing to override the Republican governor at every turn seems to be the go-to move of the day. Its not lost on anyone that this weekends Democratic state party convention was the next step in Maura Healeys front-runner march to the Corner Office.

But, could Democrats be headed for a big surprise come November here? Nationwide theres no doubt voters are fed up with Nancy Pelosis failed leadership of the House with President Biden seemingly tripping over his own dismal poll numbers and looking for excuses.

Bay State Republican gubernatorial candidates Geoff Diehl and Chris Doughty have an opening if the state Legislature continues to ignore just how difficult life has become for taxpayers. A year ago a gallon of regular gas was $2.92 in the state.

With the pandemic easing and more workers being pulled back to the office, the demand for gas is only increasing.

The Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance announced Friday they intend to hold lawmakers accountable for the override votes on the drivers license bill for illegal immigrants. Recording a vote always makes Democrats sweat.

In his veto, Baker said the RMV cant easily verify identification documents from other countries and that the bill specifically prevents the RMV from sharing citizenship and immigration status with the state entities tasked with ensuring only citizens register to vote, MassFiscal added.

The Governors letter stated, this bill significantly increases the risk that noncitizens will be registered to vote,' the advocacy group added.

Its just a mess. The RMV, an agency that has never earned the confidence of motorists, is now going to oversee this new program that is sure to help some but hurt others. But thats what is important to lawmakers these days.

Forget about the elderly living on fixed incomes or young parents trying to juggle bills.

Instead of thwarting Baker at every turn, the state Legislature needs to do what theyve been elected to do serve the people.

Instead of prioritizing a gas tax suspension, or any kind of broad tax relief aimed at the middle class, Speaker Ron Mariano and Senate President Karen Spilka have used their political capital to appease the special interest groups that dominate Democratic primaries, said MassFiscals spokesman Paul Diego Craney.

Martha Coakley made a similar mistake. She won her primary for the U.S. Senate in the 2010 special election to fill Ted Kennedys seat. She took a victory lap and put her feet up. That allowed Republican Scott Brown to fire up voters.

She was defeated 52% to 47%. Beacon Hill could be on that same track if enough people ultimately say enough this fall.

See the rest here:
Editorial: Blindness on Beacon Hill - Boston Herald

Reflecting on the ordeal, Bocelli has said in the past: As a child I was very lively and uncontrollable, I loved playing football and one day during a match, I was hit violently in the face with a ball on my right eye, the only one which I could see light and colour with.

"The doctors tried to cure me with various operations and they even used leeches but there was nothing that could be done."

With a continued passion for music, Bocelli refused to give up on his dreams and started to learn how to read music through braille. Giving a rare insight into his process, a few years ago Bocelli shared: You see, learning a part is easy but it is a different thing to have the part in your throat, as we say.

For the difficult sections I use a Braille score, otherwise when I have something to study I have my pianist Carlo come to the house every day.

Original post:
Andrea Bocelli health: 'Doctors tried to cure me' - singer's cause of blindness explained - Express

Published on June 3, 2022

Mumbai: The 80th Annual Conference of the All India Ophthalmological Society (AIOS), with nearly 24,000 member ophthalmologists, a society with a view to render service to the community through their profession, announced a landmark pledge to reduce preventable blindness in India to 50% by 2025. The cases of preventable blindness occur due to cataract, diabetic eye disease, vitamin A deficiency and trauma related blindness. India has the worlds largest population of the blind, it is estimated that the country has 12 million preventable blindness cases, who will become partially or fully blind, if not treated in time.

Dr. Lalit Verma, President (2022-23), AIOS, elaborated on the theme of the 80th Annual Conference of AIOS and said, Preventable blindness must be addressed with a strong commitment as it impacts individuals quality of life directly and dramatically. It also impacts individual economic activity and consequently impacts the productive output of the entire country. Cataract in the aging can be solved with relative ease and timely eye examinations can help cure diabetic eye disease. Eye diseases due to vitamin A deficiency are also quite simple to solve. Our pledge to reduce preventable blindness to 50% by 2025 is going to be a national initiative with the active involvement of our members.

Dr. Barun Kumar Nayak, President (2021-22), AIOS, added, India has about one ophthalmologist for every 60,000 of our population, which puts a very heavy onus on our profession to take care of the populations eye diseases. Ophthalmologists in India are among the best trained in the world and have been striving untiringly to put their profession to the best use of the citizens of India. We want government to encourage public-private partnerships in this endeavour to bring down preventable blindness. CSR funds of corporate must be allowed to be deployed for this very important social cause.

Padmashree Dr. T.P. Lahane, Organizing Chairman, AIOC 2022, explained the process and averred, The 80th Annual Conference of AIOS is a landmark occasion, undoubtedly the longest series of conferences by any medical association or society. In Maharashtra, we have successfully implemented programs for reducing preventable blindness by holding hundreds of eye camps held over the last three decades. We also create awareness on how to avoid injury to the eyes, each year we have been able to help over 7,00,000 people to come from darkness to light with the help of the government and NGOs. If we adopt the Maharashtra Model nationally, we will be able to bring down preventable blindness across the country significantly.

Dr. Namrata Sharma, Honorary Secretary, AIOS, spoke on further expectations from the government, Government must ban selling chuna to children, as its mishandling can cause eye injuries even leading to blindness. Another major cause of blindness is in factories, and a compulsory inspection of workplaces is needed to see that protective eye wear is made available to every worker in situations where eye injuries are possible and to ensure safety standards are fully followed. Government led advertisement campaigns are needed urging diabetics to seek eye check-ups so that there is mass public awareness.

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Over 5000 ophthalmologists to take pledge to reduce preventable blindness to 50% by 2025 at the 80th All India Ophthalmological Conference 2022 - APN...

Award-winning, colour blind childrens book author and illustrator Steve Antony has partnered with Colour Blind Awareness in a nationwide campaign, inviting schools to redesign the Queens hat.

Inspired by his bestselling childrens book The Queens Hat, schools across the country can download Steve Antonys activity sheet to create their own colourful hat and use a colour blindness simulation app (Chromatic Vision Simulator) to visualise how colour blind people see these creations. This fun activity in celebration of The Queens Platinum Jubilee aims to help schools support their colour blind learners.

IMAGES: A non coloured blind persons view (left). An example of a colour blind persons view (right).

There are a variety of types and severities of colour blindness and it is estimated that the condition affects 1 in 12 boys/men and 1 in 200 girls/women. According to Colour Blind Awareness ongoing studies, 80% of colour-blind children leave primary school undiagnosed despite the reality that, on average, one child in every class will be colour blind.

For further information on how colour blindness impacts childrens learning at school, Colour Blind Awareness has created an education animation below.

Steves red-green colour blindness, also known as deuteranopia, influences his artwork and is part of the reason why his distinguished illustration style often uses limited colour palettes. By encouraging children, teachers and educators to see their own royal hats through the lens of a colour blind person, he hopes that classrooms will become increasingly colour-blind-friendly.

80% of colour-blind children leave primary school undiagnosed despite the reality that, on average, one child in every class will be colour blind

Steve said, Being colour-blind can present all sorts of challenges, especially at school. Often people are surprised by how differently colour-blind people see things, so I really hope this fun Jubilee activity motivates schools to learn more about the condition.

As part of this initiative, Colour Blind Awareness are calling for schools, teachers and parents to do #JustOneThing label all drawing and colouring materials with the colour name, so that colour blind children can work independently.

BBC South Todays coverage of the launch event held at Mountford Manor School in Swindon can be viewed below.

About Steve Antony

Since his 2014 debut, multi-award-winning author-illustrator Steve Antony has written and illustrated 18 picture books, sold over one million copies worldwide, and has had seven of his titles nominated for the Kate Greenaway Medal.

HisMr Pandaseries has sold over 700,000 copies worldwide and was recently optioned for TV by Magic Light Pictures. His highly acclaimedThe Queens Hat(the first instalment of The Queen Collection) was adapted into a musical concert by the London Symphony Orchestra and won the Evening Standards Oscars Book Prize. HisQueens-Hat-inspired Shaun the Sheep statue raised 15,000 for the Wallace and Gromit Childrens Charity.

He plays an active role in his local community as Patron to Swindon Libraries Childrens Services and recently designed their library card. He is an Ambassador for The National Literacy Trust, an active supporter of Beanstalk and a vocal advocate for more incidental inclusiveness in childrens literature, having written several articles on the subject. Through his art, Steve has helped raise thousands for various UK charities including My AFK, BookTrust, Willow Foundation and Wallace and Gromit Childrens Charity.

Steve studied at Anglia Ruskin University after taking voluntary redundancy from a Swindon call centre. Steve was part-raised in New Mexico and now lives in Swindon UK with his husband and cat.

Originally posted here:
Children's author Steve Antony raises awareness of colour blindness for The Queen's Platinum Jubilee - Independent Education Today

This week, the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) announced that: Given that there is currently no credible evidence to support a therapeutic role for Ivermectin in Covid-19, SAHPRA has decided to terminate the controlled compassionate programme with immediate effect. SAHPRA enabled the programme in response to the demand for access to Ivermectin for human use, which was initiated at the beginning of 2021, after the country had been under lockdown for almost an entire year and was desperate for alternative therapies to treat Covid-19. Prior to the onset of Covid-19, Ivermectin had been used in humans for 35 years and over four billion doses had been administered. In 2015, the two individuals who developed Ivermectin were awarded a Nobel Prize for medicine. However, when Covid-19 came along, Ivermectin was a thorn in the side of the official narrative. Professor Colleen Aldous, a healthcare scientist at UKZNs College of Health Sciences, has valiantly challenged the establishments resistance to Ivermectin throughout the pandemic. After SAHPRAs decision this week, Aldous penned the following article dissecting Ivermectin trials, which credibly evidence the benefits of Ivermectin. Aldous asserts that SAHPRA is wilfully blinded to the totality of the evidence [and] follow only what is fed to them by other reputable national and international bodies. As always, each reader can decide for themselves. Nadya Swart

Pondering SAHPRAs Ivermectin decision

By Professor Colleen Aldous*

On 30 May 2022, SAHPRA shut down their Controlled Compassionate Use Programme for Ivermectin, which they put in place at the end of January 2021. It is not the fact that they have terminated the programme that worries me as much as their reasons for doing so. The compassionate use programme was never going to be permanent, and good housekeeping would require a formal termination. Had their reasons been because no new applications for importation of unregistered Ivermectin products have been received since August 2021. A marked decline in the number of health facilities applying for permission to hold bulk stock was noted after August 2021. No individual named patient applications have been approved since December 2021, and a lack of reporting by the treating healthcare providers of the outcomes achieved was also noted, I would not raise an eyebrow.

But they have said that the latest developments have led to their decision. Lets unpack these from their press release and ponder the scientific integrity of their rationale:

The studies that suggested potential efficacy of Ivermectin in the prevention and treatment of Covid-19 and which motivated the adoption of the programme have since been retracted.

On 25 May 2022, I did a snapshot search on PubMed for all papers published on Ivermectin and Covid-19 or SARS. PubMed is the go-to database for published literature in the medical sciences. My search rendered 317 articles. Of these, 41 studies were carried out in a clinical setting, and two were retracted with retraction notices published. Reading between the lines, I think SAHPRA was referring to the Elgazzar trial, which was included in initial reviews from several authors. Elgazzar has not been heard of again since his study, which was never published beyond preprint format, and had received enormous criticism through the press worldwide, so his work has to be rejected. Nevertheless, most of the meta-analyses that had already been carried out excluded this study, and the results still showed efficacy for various measures of morbidity and mortality.

Another paper that was retracted was Andrew Hills meta-analysis. In January last year, the world was waiting for the promises from Hills work. It was apparently also the Elgazzar study that SAHPRA suggests in their statement, This was due to serious ethical concerns regarding a study on which the meta-analysis heavily relied. At the same time, however, others were also carrying our meta-analyses. The Bryant et al. meta-analysis showed efficacy for Ivermectin even after removing the Elgazzar data but has been ignored. The science of review and meta-analysis has shown me the creeping subjectivism that has come into what is meant to be a very high standard in evidence-based medicine. Right now, I believe the only meta-analysis I can take as truth will be one I am involved in doing.

SAHPRA refers to two 2021 clinical trials that do not support the use of Ivermectin for patients with COVID-19. These are the Malaysian I-Tech study and the TOGETHER trial. Ironically, SAHPRA representatives criticised the literature available in January 2021 as not being credible, yet they base their decisions on these two trials which have been shown to be flawed.

The I-Tech trial was underpowered. Their primary outcome measure was progression to severe disease, a soft outcome that can be subjectively applied. In the study, 52 of 241 patients in the ivermectin arm and 43 of 249 patients (17.3%) in the control group progressed to severe disease. Nevertheless, for other outcomes, Ivermectin clearly showed a trend towards benefit with only four patients on Ivermectin requiring mechanical ventilation occurred vs 10 on placebo, six on Ivermectin requiring intensive care unit admission in vs eight, and three on Ivermectin vs 10 for 28-day in-hospital death.

Whilst their conclusion, the study findings do not support the use of Ivermectin for patients with Covid-19, is true only because a p value of 0.05 was not achieved for the primary outcome, it is misleading as it implies strong evidence against the use. Their Ivermectin arm has an advantage for mortality with a p = 0.09. This means that you can be 91% certain that Ivermectin was effective in preventing mortality in their study. The p value has not done medicine any favour when studies are judged only on this number and not on clinical context.

The TOGETHER trial was designed as a coup de gras to crush the Ivermectin debate. Weeks before its publication, there were press releases internationally stating that the trial found Ivermectin to be ineffective. Since its publication at the end of March, there have been scientists and medical professionals from across the globe who have challenged this trial on grounds of poor design, poor execution and poor reporting of results. Whilst I share the concerns of my colleagues, there is one particular statistic reported in this trial that worries me and that is of the mortality calculated in the placebo group.

Let me explain. There were 679 patients enrolled in the ivermectin and placebo arms respectively. The numbers dropped to 624 and 288 respectively. In the Ivermectin arm, 21 people died out of the 624 who completed the study, and 24 people died out of an unknown number of patients. The researchers clearly did not use the 288 placebo participants who completed the study in the control arm. It appears they may have borrowed placebo participants from other study arms in the broader TOGETHER trial. Why would they do this?

I wrote to the senior author asking the following question for clarity: The placebo group mortality is 24. When I work out the RRR I get the same answer as offered in the paper if I use the ITT (679) number. However, it is not clear to me where the 24 deaths actually come from. How many of the 24 reported deaths in the placebo group occurred among the 288 patients who stayed per-protocol? It is reported how many of the placebo groups hospitalisations occurred in the per-protocol group but not the mortality.

The response from Doctor Edward Mills: Im not interested in this question as its not the correct way to interpret the outcome.

Many scientists from across the globe are incorrectly interpreting the outcome then. In research as we know it, one would work out the mortality in the intervention and the placebo arm, i.e. the 624 and 288. If this was so, then there is a clear survival advantage in the Ivermectin arm with 21/624 and 24/288 deaths in each arm respectively. Clearly there is a new way of calculating mortality in this trial which Dr Mills feels he cannot explain.

On 4 April 2022, Mills wrote to a colleague: I dont understand the psychology of the Ivermectin advocates. They fail to see the positive in this study and just focus on it not being overwhelmingly positive. I actually think it is quite positive. I presented this a couple weeks ago at the NIH Collaboratory Rounds and, if they listened, I advocate that actually, there is a clear signal that IVM works in Covid-19 patients, just that our study didnt achieve significance. In particular, there was a 17% reduction in hospitalisations that would be significant if more patients were added. I really dont view our study as negative and, also in that talk, you will hear me retract previous statements where I had been previously negative. I think if we had continued randomising a few hundred more patients, it would have likely been significant.

There are calls for the TOGETHER trial to be retracted. However, it comes from the New England Journal of Medicine, which appears to be beyond reproach. Ignoring calls for retraction is within their authority. It was also stated that after publication, the data would be made available. Several colleagues have requested the data through the correct channels and have been stonewalled.

The TOGETHER trial has had some success as a coup de grace. SAHPRA refers to the NEMLC and the NICD not supporting Ivermectin. They usually follow what the USA NIH does. The NIH COVID-19 guidelines panel, misled by the TOGETHER trials claims, had no credible scientific basis for its 29 April 2022 changed recommendation on IVM from neutral to negative. Do we have to copycat the West? 47 African nations stood up together in the WHO on 30 May and firmly stated that they would not support WHO reforms. We should be standing up together more frequently against centralised control that may not necessarily have our interests as Africans as primary goals.

In my snapshot analysis of the literature last week, I found lots of data on the safety and efficacy of Ivermectin. Dosages have been worked out based on Mercks own research from the early 2000s. Drug interactions are well known, particularly with Warfarin, side-effects are well documented as being relatively mild and transient. VigiAccess shows 6,558 adverse reactions and 25 deaths for Ivermectin in its decades of use and Remdesiver has 8,763 adverse reactions and 652 deaths since it was introduced three years ago. I will leave the reader to decide how safe or dangerous Ivermectin is.

Yes, it is SAHPRAs obligation to consider all published data, but do they? They make reference only to the two trials and the one meta-analysis from 2021. They are not considering the totality of data. They have ignored all the laboratory and modelling studies that support the use of Ivermectin. They have ignored all the other published meta-analyses that do not fit their argument. And their guiding reputable authorities from the developed world do not always make decisions that are appropriate for us in Africa, so should not be followed without question and depth of thought. Again, I draw attention to our continent standing up against the WHO reforms on 30 May.

The vaccines are not a replacement for Ivermectin, nor vice versa. Ivermectins role is mainly in the early treatment of Covid-19 to prevent progression to severe illness. Colleagues from the USA, SA and Zimbabwe have just had a paper accepted for publication. We show that after Ivermectin is given to a sick patient, their oxygen saturations improve dramatically within 12 hours without oxygen being provided. Having been involved in this research has convinced me of the efficacy and safety of Ivermectin in certain patients at specific times under certain conditions. No large randomised control trial has yet been carried out with appropriate dosages, over the appropriate length of time, and with meals and zinc because Ivermectin is a zinc ionophore.

SAHPRA has a very narrow definition of credible evidence. They are wilfully blinded to the totality of the evidence. They follow only what is fed to them by other reputable national and international bodies. Do they do any research monitoring themselves? They say they will continue to monitor the peer-reviewed, scientific literature regarding the safety and efficacy of Ivermectin. As the public, we should ask them for the evidence that they have started!

Read Also:

The obfuscation of mortality results can be viewed as a crime against humanity Prof Aldous on recent Ivermectin trials

Best of 2021: South Africans have a constitutional right to take Ivermectin to treat Covid-19, says FMF health expert

Best of 2021: SA health regulator gives Ivermectin the red light again! Professor Aldous and Dr Mdladla interrogate

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SAHPRAs Ivermectin decision shows wilful blindness to totality of evidence Professor Aldous - BizNews

News Release

Thursday, June 2, 2022

After 10 years, AREDS2 formula shows increased efficacy compared to original formula, benefit of eliminating beta-carotene.

The Age-Related Eye Disease Studies (AREDS and AREDS2) established that dietary supplements can slow progression of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the most common cause of blindness in older Americans. In a new report, scientists analyzed 10 years of AREDS2 data. They show that the AREDS2 formula, which substituted antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin for beta-carotene, not only reduces risk of lung cancer due to beta-carotene, but is also more effective at reducing risk of AMD progression, compared to the original formula. A report on the study, funded by the National Institutes of Health, published in JAMA Ophthalmology.

Because beta-carotene increased the risk of lung cancer for current smokers in two NIH-supported studies, our goal with AREDS2 was to create an equally effective supplement formula that could be used by anyone, whether or not they smoke, said Emily Chew, M.D., director of the Division of Epidemiology and Clinical Application at the National Eye Institute (NEI), and lead author of the study report. This 10-year data confirms that not only is the new formula safer, its actually better at slowing AMD progression.

AMD is a degenerative disease of the retina, the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye. Progressive death of retinal cells in the macula, the part of the retina that provides clear central vision, eventually leads to blindness. Treatment can slow or reverse vision loss; however, no cure for AMD exists.

The original AREDS study, launched in 1996, showed that a dietary supplement formulation (500 mg vitamin C, 400 international units vitamin E, 2 mg copper, 80 mg zinc, and 15 mg beta-carotene) could significantly slow the progression of AMD from moderate to late disease. However, two concurrent studies also revealed that people who smoked and took beta-carotene had a significantly higher risk of lung cancer than expected.

In AREDS2, begun in 2006, Chew and colleagues compared the beta-carotene formulation to one with 10 mg lutein and 2 mg zeaxanthin instead. Like beta-carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin are antioxidants with activity in the retina. The beta-carotene-containing formation was only given to participants who had never smoked or who had quit smoking.

At the end of the five-year AREDS2 study period, the researchers concluded that lutein and zeaxanthin did not increase risk for lung cancer, and that the new formation could reduce the risk of AMD progression by about 26%. After the completion of the five-year study period, the study participants were all offered the final AREDS2 formation that included lutein and zeaxanthin instead of beta-carotene.

In this new report, the researchers followed up with 3,883 of the original 4,203 AREDS2 participants an additional five years from the end of the AREDS2 study in 2011, collecting information on whether their AMD had progressed to late disease, and whether they had been diagnosed with lung cancer. Even though all the participants had switched to the formula containing lutein and zeaxanthin after the end of the study period, the follow up study continued to show that beta-carotene increased risk of lung cancer for people who had ever smoked by nearly double. There was no increased risk for lung cancer in those receiving lutein/zeaxanthin. In addition, after 10 years, the group originally assigned to receive lutein/zeaxanthin had an additional 20% reduced risk of progression to late AMD compared to those originally assigned to receive beta-carotene.

These results confirmed that switching our formula from beta-carotene to lutein and zeaxanthin was the right choice, said Chew.

The study was funded by the NEI Intramural program (EY000546) and through contracts (AREDS2 contract HHS-N-260-2005-00007-C; ADB contract NO1-EY-5-0007; AREDS Contract NOI-EY-0-2127, and contract HHS-N-263-2013-00005-C). The AREDS2 contracts were supported by the NIH Office of Dietary Office of Dietary Supplements, the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, the National Institute on Aging, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, and the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. The study took place at the NIH Clinical Center.

NEI leads the federal governments research on the visual system and eye diseases. NEI supports basic and clinical science programs to develop sight-saving treatments and address special needs of people with vision loss. For more information, visit https://www.nei.nih.gov.

About the National Institutes of Health (NIH):NIH, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit http://www.nih.gov.

NIHTurning Discovery Into Health

Chew EY, Clemons TE, Agron E, Domalpally A, Keenan TDL, Vitale S, Weber C, Smith DC, Christen W, for the AREDS2 Research group. Long-term outcomes of adding Lutein/Zeaxanthin and Omega-3 Fatty Acids to the AREDS Supplements on Age-Related Macular Degeneration Progression: AREDS2 Report #28. JAMA Ophthalmology. June 2, 2022.

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Link:
NIH study confirms benefit of supplements for slowing age-related macular degeneration - National Institutes of Health (.gov)

Engineering | News releases | Technology

June 1, 2022

University of Washington researchers worked with screen-reader users to design VoxLens, a JavaScript plugin that with one additional line of code allows people to interact with visualizations. Millions of Americans use screen readers for a variety of reasons, including complete or partial blindness, learning disabilities or motion sensitivity. Shown here is a screen reader with a refreshable Braille display.Elizabeth Woolner/Unsplash

Interactive visualizations have changed the way we understand our lives. For example, they can showcase the number of coronavirus infections in each state.

But these graphics often are not accessible to people who use screen readers, software programs that scan the contents of a computer screen and make the contents available via a synthesized voice or Braille. Millions of Americans use screen readers for a variety of reasons, including complete or partial blindness, learning disabilities or motion sensitivity.

University of Washington researchers worked with screen-reader users to design VoxLens, a JavaScript plugin that with one additional line of code allows people to interact with visualizations. VoxLens users can gain a high-level summary of the information described in a graph, listen to a graph translated into sound or use voice-activated commands to ask specific questions about the data, such as the mean or the minimum value.

The team presented this project May 3 at CHI 2022 in New Orleans.

If Im looking at a graph, I can pull out whatever information I am interested in, maybe its the overall trend or maybe its the maximum, said lead author Ather Sharif, a UW doctoral student in the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering. Right now, screen-reader users either get very little or no information about online visualizations, which, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, can sometimes be a matter of life and death. The goal of our project is to give screen-reader users a platform where they can extract as much or as little information as they want.

Screen readers can inform users about the text on a screen because its what researchers call one-dimensional information.

There is a start and an end of a sentence and everything else comes in between, said co-senior author Jacob O. Wobbrock, UW professor in the Information School. But as soon as you move things into two dimensional spaces, such as visualizations, theres no clear start and finish. Its just not structured in the same way, which means theres no obvious entry point or sequencing for screen readers.

The team started the project by working with five screen-reader users with partial or complete blindness to figure out how a potential tool could work.

In the field of accessibility, its really important to follow the principle of nothing about us without us,' Sharif said. Were not going to build something and then see how it works. Were going to build it taking users feedback into account. We want to build what they need.

To implement VoxLens, visualization designers only need to add a single line of code.

We didnt want people to jump from one visualization to another and experience inconsistent information, Sharif said. We made VoxLens a public library, which means that youre going to hear the same kind of summary for all visualizations. Designers can just add that one line of code and then we do the rest.

The researchers evaluated VoxLens by recruiting 22 screen-reader users who were either completely or partially blind. Participants learned how to use VoxLens and then completed nine tasks, each of which involved answering questions about a visualization.

Participants learned how to use VoxLens and then completed nine tasks (one of which is shown here), each of which involved answering questions about a visualization. Each task was divided into three pages. Page 1 (labeled with a) presented the question a participant would be answering, page 2 (b) displayed the question and the visualization and page 3 (c) showed the question with four multiple choice responses.Sharif et al./CHI 2022

Compared to participants from a previous study who did not have access to this tool, VoxLens users completed the tasks with 122% increased accuracy and 36% decreased interaction time.

We want people to interact with a graph as much as they want, but we also dont want them to spend an hour trying to find what the maximum is, Sharif said. In our study, interaction time refers to how long it takes to extract information, and thats why reducing it is a good thing.

The team also interviewed six participants about their experiences.

We wanted to make sure that these accuracy and interaction time numbers we saw were reflected in how the participants were feeling about VoxLens, Sharif said. We got really positive feedback. Someone told us theyve been trying to access visualizations for the past 12 years and this was the first time they were able to do so easily.

Right now, VoxLens only works for visualizations that are created using JavaScript libraries, such as D3, chart.js or Google Sheets. But the team is working on expanding to other popular visualization platforms. The researchers also acknowledged that the voice-recognition system can be frustrating to use.

This work is part of a much larger agenda for us removing bias in design, said co-senior author Katharina Reinecke, UW associate professor in the Allen School. When we build technology, we tend to think of people who are like us and who have the same abilities as we do. For example, D3 has really revolutionized access to visualizations online and improved how people can understand information. But there are values ingrained in it and people are left out. Its really important that we start thinking more about how to make technology useful for everybody.

Additional co-authors on this paper are Olivia Wang, a UW undergraduate student in the Allen School, and Alida Muongchan, a UW undergraduate student studying human centered design and engineering. This research was funded by the Mani Charitable Foundation, the University of Washington Center for an Informed Public, and the University of Washington Center for Research and Education on Accessible Technology and Experiences.

For more information, contact Sharif at asharif@cs.washington.edu, Wobbrock at wobbrock@uw.edu and Reinecke reinecke@cs.washington.edu.

See the original post:
VoxLens: Adding one line of code can make some interactive visualizations accessible to screen-reader users - University of Washington

Exclusive:

Cataracts - the world's leading cause of blindness - see the small transparent disc develop cloudy patches that become bigger causing blurry, misty vision and eventually blindness

Image: Getty Images)

People with failing eyesight have been forced to wait more than a year for NHS operations to remove cataracts, official figures reveal.

Cataracts are the worlds leading cause of blindness affecting more than half of Brits over 65.

Charities warn huge delays could leave many elderly people losing their ability to live independently.

Patients in North Warwickshire waited on average 377 days in 2020/21 for the procedure according to new NHS Digital data for the last three years released to the Mirror.

This is more than double the waits at the regional clinical commissioning group (CCG) with the longest average waits in 2017/18 which was around four and a half months.

Provisional data for 2021/22 shows at least four CCGs covering millions of patients where average waits are longer than six months.

Image:

Caroline Abrahams, Charity Director at Age UK said: Cataracts are a hazard of later life that left untreated can make older people anxious and depressed, rob them of confidence and put them at increased risk of falls.

They also make it much more difficult for older people to get out and about, or to read, and are generally hugely disruptive for any sort of normal life.

These long waits mean that huge numbers of older people are living with pain, discomfort and stress not knowing when they will get the help they need.

We know the NHS is under intense pressure and doing its level best to catch up post pandemic but the truth is that for many older people there is no relief immediately in sight, making this a really tough time for them.

Cataracts see the small transparent disc develop cloudy patches that become bigger causing blurry, misty vision and eventually blindness.

In young people lenses are usually like clear glass allowing us to see through them. As we get older, they start to become frosted, like bathroom glass and limit our vision.

Average waits overall for cataracts improved in latest 2021/22 data but still saw patients waiting over seven-and-a-half months.

Patients in Leicester waited longest last year at 229 days on average.

Its CCG was followed by Somerset at 224 days, Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin at 222 days, West Suffolk at 219 days and Stoke-on-Trent at 161 days.

Louise Gow, eye lead at the Royal National Institute of Blind People, said: Were concerned by data that shows patients in some trusts are now waiting longer for ophthalmology procedures than they were two years ago during the height of the pandemic.

While we understand that ophthalmologists have worked extremely hard to ensure patients are seen as quickly as possible, for patients and their families. Being on a waiting list for any length of time brings anxiety and uncertainty.

Although those facing a delay for cataract surgery are not at risk of permanent loss of vision, they are losing out on improved quality of life, greater independence and are at increased risk of falls due to poor vision and people also share with us the knock-on effect this can have on their mental well-being.

The provisional data for the most recent financial year of 2021/22, which did not include all CCGs, suggested improved average cataract surgery waits overall in the NHS.

The average wait for the procedure was just over two-and-a-half months - or 79 days - compared to 115 days in 2020/21.

Following the year-long cataract waits Coventry and Warwickshire CCG was formed from Warwickshire North and two neighbouring CCGs in April 2021.

A spokesman for Coventry and Warwickshire CCG said: The pandemic meant that unfortunately we had to pause many non-emergency operations while we responded to the immediate challenges of Covid-19.

Restoring our services is a priority for us and average waiting times for cataract operations have now significantly reduced in our area.

A spokesman for Leicester, Leicestershire & Rutland (LLR) healthcare said: Responding to Covid meant that some operations were postponed during the pandemic.

We know that waiting for treatment is frustrating for patients and understand the impact it has on them. We are now fully focused on reducing waiting times as local services move back to pre-pandemic levels.

To help improve the situation we are also increasing the availability of cataract treatments through other providers.

The RNIBs Sight Loss Advice Service on 0303 123 9999 can provide support and practical advice about coping with reduced sight the support available.

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See the original post here:
Patients with cataracts forced to wait for a year to get NHS surgery during Covid - The Mirror

In May, an interdisciplinary MUSC research team won an inaugural Blue Sky Award, which provided $100,000 in funding for its project to restore vision in patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) by recharging the eye cells batteries. The Blue Sky Award was created to encourage high-risk, high-reward research that has the potential to make a profound impact on patient care but is unlikely to attract traditional funding due to the difficulties of the projects.

The team is led byBaerbel Rohrer, Ph.D., of the College of Medicine, andAndrew Jakymiw, Ph.D., of the College of Dental Medicine, and included their graduate students Kyrie Wilson and Charles Holjencin. Rohrer is the Endowed Chair of Gene and Pharmaceutical Treatment of Retinal Degenerative Disease. Jakymiw is an expert in developing cell-penetrating peptides for drug delivery.

Together, they intend to tackle a disease that affects more than 10 million Americans: AMD. The disease causes vision to worsen slowly and eventually leads to blindness. Current therapies are inadequate, as they can only lessen the symptoms and aim, at best, to postpone the loss of vision. Existing therapies also require patients to return again and again for treatment.

Team members werent satisfied with just slowing down the disease. They wanted to develop a curative therapy that could protect and even restore vision.

We knew that if we could treat the disease at the root cause, and not just the symptoms, that would be a huge step forward in regenerative medicine, said Wilson.

At its root, AMD is caused by an insufficient supply of energy to eye cells.

Every single activity of a cell requires energy, said Rohrer. Once you lose that energy, you will lose proper function of the cells. That will eventually lead to disease and vision loss.

Mitochondria are the batteries that supply energy to cells, and they have their own DNA mitochondrial DNA or mtDNA to help them to do that. When their DNA becomes damaged, mitochondria cease to function properly and cannot provide cells with the energy they need.

Over time or because of stress, errors can be introduced into mtDNA as it copies itself.Rohrer likens the process to the game of telephone. In the game, a person whispers a word into the ear of another person. That person then whispers the word into the ear of the next person and so on down the line.

Whatever ends up after five people is probably not the word that you picked to start with, said Rohrer. And its pretty much the same thing with copying mtDNA.

Instead of trying to target and fix many copy errors, Rohrer and Wilson wondered whether a better approach would be to prevent the mistakes in the first place. They could do so by providing the mitochondria a new blueprint, or template, for copying their DNA, essentially resetting the word in the telephone game.

You need a new template, said Wilson. You need to go back and have the perfect words again and know what youre trying to say.

Rohrer and Wilson realized that they would need a vehicle to deliver the template to the mitochondria. It would have to be able to dodge the bodys immune system and be accepted by the mitochondria. They reached out to Jakymiw, who had expertise with small nucleic acid-based drug delivery.

We had actually never delivered anything that large to that point, said Jakymiw. I mean were talking about like 16 kilobases, which is a pretty big molecule.

Although the two laboratories had had initial discussions, it was the announcement of the Blue Sky Award that solidified the collaboration and jump started the project.

Some outcomes of the preliminary work that has evolved over the last few months suggest that we can potentially deliver this large amount of DNA and target it efficiently enough to restore vision for individuals affected by AMD, continued Jakymiw.

Jakymiw and Holjencin decorate the surface of the mtDNA with small proteins that carry instructions for the cells and mitochondria on how to take up this newly formed nanoparticle.

Essentially, we have a delivery mechanism that carries its own instructions for cell delivery, said Holjencin, who is creating the nanoparticles being used in the project.

You can also design the small proteins so that they can recognize a particular zip code and deliver the cargo to that particular site within the cell, said Jakymiw.

These small proteins also provide a potential invisibility cloak to protect the nanoparticles from the bodys immune system.

To date, the team has shown that the small proteins can package the mtDNA within nanoparticles and deploy it to the struggling mitochondria. They have also shown that it persists there for at least four weeks. In previous studies, mtDNA disappeared after just 48 hours.

We will eventually end up looking for the presence of mtDNA at probably eight weeks, maybe even out to 16 weeks, said Wilson.

And obviously what we would want for humans is that that this translates into many years as opposed to having to repeat these treatments on a regular basis, said Rohrer.

The hope is that introducing the template would set off a series of events that could lead to restored vision. The mitochondria might share the template with its neighbors, which could, likewise, pass it on. As the quality of mtDNA improves in more and more mitochondria, they could again supply sufficient energy to eye cells, restoring vision.

This new approach is like a quantum leap. If this were to work, it would just significantly change not just the trajectory of my lab but the trajectory of treatment for AMD, said Rohrer.

Continue reading here:
Restoring vision by recharging cells' batteries | MUSC | Charleston, SC - Medical University of South Carolina

This is a developing story. We will provide updates as more information becomes available.

On the heels of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, a zoonotic virus seems to be spreading across the globe.

Since early May, Monkeypox has been making headway across at least 30 countries, including the United Kingdom, Spain, Portugal, Australia, and the United States. The number of cases has increased to more than 550 worldwide as of June 1, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

In the U.K., nearly 200 monkeypox cases have been confirmed since May 7. During a press conference on May 17, WHO officials said that these are mostly separate occurrences except for a family cluster with two confirmed cases and one probable case[].

Recently, Canada and the U.S. joined these nations in tracking and tracing the virus.

As of May 19, Canada confirmed two monkeypox cases and said it was investigating more than a dozen suspected cases. The Massachusetts Department of Health also announced a single case in an individual who had recently been in Canada. Several Canadian cases have been linked to this person.

On May 18, Scott Pauley, press officer at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), told Medical News Today:

The U.K. notified the U.S. of 8 people in the U.S. who might have been seated near the U.K. traveler when they flew from Nigeria to London [on May 3-4, 2022]. Of these, one is no longer in the U.S., and one was not a contact. The remaining six are being monitored by their respective state health departments. None of these six travel contacts have monkeypox symptoms and their risk of infection is very low.

The WHO officials have been tracking monkeypoxs path through Europe and North America for several weeks. However, with the data available so far, they do not know long the virus has been spreading.

On May 30, the agency said during a public webinar that while it cannot rule out the risk, it is unlikely the outbreak will turn into a global pandemic.

Monkeypox is a zoonotic virus, which transmits disease from animals to humans. Cases typically occur near tropical rainforests, where animals that carry the virus live.

The monkeypox virus is a member of the orthopoxvirus family. It also has two distinct genetic strains or clades: the Central African (Congo Basin) clade and the West African clade. The Congo Basin clade is known to spread more easily and cause more severe symptoms.

Monkeypox naturally occurs in Africa, especially in west and central African nations. Cases in the U.S. are rare and associated with international travel from places where the disease is more common.

Monkeypox symptoms and signs include headache, skin rash, fever, body aches, chills, swollen lymph nodes, and exhaustion. It produces symptoms similar to smallpox, but milder.

The time from infection to the onset of symptoms, which is referred to as the incubation period, can range from five to 21 days. The illness typically resolves within two to four weeks.

Severe cases are more common among people with underlying immune deficiencies and young children. In recent times, the case fatality ratio of monkeypox is around 3-6%.

Transmission of the monkeypox virus among humans is limited, but it can happen through close skin contact, air droplets, bodily fluids, and virus-contaminated objects.

Most of the recent cases of monkeypox in the U.K. and Canada have been reported among attendees of sexual health services at health clinics in men who have sex with men.

Regarding this trend, Dr. I. Soc Fall, the regional emergencies director for the WHOs Health Emergencies Program, cautioned:

This is new information we need to investigate properly to understand better the dynamic of local transmission in the U.K. and some other countries.

During a press conference on May 17, Dr. Fall acknowledged that public health officials still have much to learn about the monkeypox virus.

But the most important thing is we really need to invest in understanding the development of monkeypox because we have so many unknowns in terms of the dynamics of transmission, the clinical features, the epidemiology. In terms of therapeutics and diagnostics also, we still have important gaps, he said.

WHO experts believe that solutions for monkeypox calls must go beyond addressing the disease.

During the press conference, Dr. Michael Ryan, executive director of the WHOs Health Emergencies Program, said: [G]etting answers isnt just about getting answers about the virus. Weve got to get answers about the hosts, weve got to get answers about human behavior and practice, and weve got to operate at all levels to try and ensure that human populations are protected.

For more insight, Medical News Today spoke with Dr. Kartik Cherabuddi, clinical associate professor in infectious diseases and director of the Global Medicine and Antimicrobial Management Program at the University of Florida.

Being aware of the rash of monkeypox which presents as vesicles is very important. Additional measures include vigilance in those who have traveled in the past 30 days to countries that have reported cases of monkeypox [and] who have contact with a person who is confirmed or suspected of monkeypox. Dr. Kartik Cherabuddi

Dr. Cherabuddi mentioned that smallpox vaccinations offer some protection against monkeypox. He said the Democratic Republic of Congo is currently employing ring vaccination for close contacts of confirmed cases.

The U.K. is also using ring vaccination, in addition to contact and source tracing, case searching, and local rash-illness surveillance, he added.

Dr. Cherabuddi believes that more cases will arise in the U.S., but its difficult to predict how many.

He said he was concerned that with fewer people in the U.S. having had smallpox vaccinations, this could be putting a majority of the population below the age of 40-50 years at risk for infection[]

Dr. Ryan also noted that preventing the disease may not entirely rest on vaccines. He pointed out that the protection offered by previous smallpox vaccination also has reduced[]

He said there might be a need to change agricultural, social, and food storage practices to prevent further outbreaks. Officials hope to help communities understand how the virus spreads so they can address it at its sources.

Dr. Cherabuddi told MNT that vaccines for monkeypox have also been approved for limited circulation.

An approved vaccine for monkeypoxMVA-BNis not widely available. Tecovirimat (TPOXX), as both oral and IV medication is approved in the U.S. for treating smallpox and oral form in Europe to treat cowpox, monkeypox, and smallpox. The FDA also approved brincidofovir (Tembexa) in 2021 to treat smallpox. These medications are not widely available, he said.

Link:
Monkeypox outbreak: What to know about symptoms, threat - Medical News Today

(June 6, 2022 / Jewish Journal) All of life is a footnote to love and death. These two poles of existence overshadow everything else; love creates life and death takes it away, filling our lives with joy and sorrow in unending succession.

It is easiest to consider love and death separately, as two very different chapters of life; and emotionally, they are worlds apart. Halachah is a reflection of this instinct, treating mourning and celebration as irreconcilable opposites. Mourners dont attend celebrations and parties, and the joy of the holidays terminates shiva. The heart cannot accommodate both joy and grief at the same time, because both love and death inspire intense, all-encompassing emotions.

Love is intoxicating. Shir Hashirim, the Song of Songs, portrays the exceptional power of love through a depiction of couples who are lovesick and unable to act rationally. And this reality repeats itself over and over in history. When Jacob falls in love with Rachel, he dramatically overpays for her dowry, offering to work seven full years for her hand. Even so, Jacob imagines that he is the one who is getting a bargain because he is so much in love with Rachel; the seven years seem like a small price to pay for Rachels hand in marriage. Jacob is blinded by love.

William Blake captures this mindless blindness in a short poem: Love to faults is always blind, Always is to joy inclind, Lawless, wingd and unconfind, And breaks all chains from every mind. Love hatches remarkable dreams that fly in every direction; with love nothing seems impossible. Lovers are oblivious to reality and live in their own two-person universe, just like Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.

Death brings a blindness of its own. When King Solomon writes the book of Kohelet, Ecclesiastes, he begins with a lament about the pointlessness of life. As Rashi puts it, The author of Kohelet issues a complaint against the seven days of creation, that [the world] is all a vanity of vanities. Death, the question without an answer, confounds him. What point does life have, Kohelet asks, if the righteous man meets the same end as the wicked, and the wise man has the same fate as an animal? (The bitter, skeptical tone of Kohelet seems out of place in the Tanakh. I sometimes wonder if the purpose of Kohelet is to expose us to our own bitterness and cynicism, to recognize that hope will disintegrate without faith.)

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Whenever one looks death in the eye, optimism and joy quickly evaporate. Franz Rosenzweig notes how life stands in the shadow of death, and all that is mortal lives in fear of death each newly born waits with fear and trembling for the day of its passage into the dark every new birth multiplies the fear for it multiplies that which is mortal. When one enters the realm of death, a cold cynicism descends, choking off any experience of joy.

The poetry of Shir Hashirim and the acerbic philosophy of Kohelet each deserve their own book. They faithfully explore the experiences of passion and despair. And because the emotions of joy and grief are opposites, we assume that the experiences of love and death are utterly incompatible. But they are not.

A third biblical book, the Book of Ruth, brings death and love together. In it, a family moves from Israel to Moab, where the sons take Moabite wives for themselves. In short succession, this family is devastated by death with the father and his two sons passing away at a young age. Alone and impoverished, one of the sons wives, Ruth, returns with her beloved mother-in-law, Naomi, to Israel, abandoning her homeland to remain with her. Ruth persists despite discrimination and desperation, and insists that she will perpetuate her husbands familys legacy; and in the end, she does just that. She marries a relative of her husbands, Boaz, and the family continues: Their great-grandson is King David.

The Book of Ruth is not just a book of love and death; it is a book about a different type of love, love in the shadow of death. After the familys tragedies, Naomi succumbs to cynicism; she even suggests she should rename herself bitter. Ruth refuses this path; she battles with the angel of death. Ruth teaches us how to pursue redemption in the valley of the shadow of death.

The Hebrew word for redemption, gaal, appears multiple times in the book of Ruth because it is a book about redemptions, both large and small. By remarrying and bringing grandchildren to Naomi, Ruth redeems and rebuilds a once broken family. And later, her descendant King David will be the very symbol of Messianic redemption and bring redemption to the nation as a whole.

Ordinarily, death erases life and destroys all that love has built. But in redemption, it is love that gets the final word, staying one step ahead in a cosmic wrestling match. It is when you continue to love after a tragedy, when you courageously pour your broken heart into rebuilding a broken world, you have taken the first steps on the road to redemption.

The very foundation of Jewish history is redemption; it is the story of a people who, despite having every reason to be bitter and cynical, continued to rebuild and repair. This has never been more evident than in the past century. Crushed by the Holocaust, it would have made sense for the Jews to give up. Instead, following Ruths example, they built the State of Israel, a modern-day miracle of redemption.

Last week I joined the Ramaz Upper School mission to Israel, together with nearly 500 students and teachers. Israel is filled with stories of redemption, both large and small. At Tel-a-Sakithe sight of one of the fiercest battles of the Yom Kippur Warwe were told about the heroism of the soldiers who fought there. Three tanks, under the command of Yoav Yakir, held off hundreds of Syrian tanks for nearly two days, giving the army precious time to reinforce their defenses on the Golan Heights. Even after it became clear that they were no longer able to hold off the Syrians, Yoav chose to fight as long as possible and fell in battle.

After the war, a member of Yoavs unit, Yitzchak Nagarker, had a baby boy. (Yitzchak is a war hero in his own right, with his own incredible story of courage.) At the brit, Yitzchak invited Yoavs father to be the sandak and named his first born Yoav, in honor of his fallen comrade. Love is as strong as death, and is the very instrument of redemption, and Yoavs legacy continues to live on in Yitzchaks son.

Our mission prayed at the Kotel on Friday night, just a day before Yom Yerushalayim, Jerusalem Day. Through hundreds of years of exile, the passion the Jewish people had for Jerusalem never wavered. They continued to dream of this place, to declare Lshanah habaah byerushalayim,next year in Jerusalem. And on June 7, 1967, for the first time in 1900 years, that dream came true. An Israeli flag was raised over the Kotel. With tears in their eyes, the exiles had returned to Zion. The Kotel is the ultimate monument to redemption, and its stones whisper, Am Yisrael Chai, the Jewish people live on.

After services on Friday night, the Ramaz students gathered in the plaza, waiting to walk together as a group to Shabbat dinner. Then something remarkable happened. They gathered together in one large circle, singing Jewish songs for half an hour; other visitors came over to watch this moment of inspiration. At that moment, the students were making Ruths legacy their own. They were singing the song of redemption, continuing an undying love story that has lasted for thousands of years.

Rabbi Chaim Steinmetz is the senior rabbi of Congregation Kehilath Jeshurun in New York.

This article was originally published by theJewish Journal.

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Love in the shadow of death: The story of Ruth - JNS.org

ALBANY, N.Y., June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- TMR study for eye care surgical devices market projections estimates the said market to peg a CAGR of 5.5% for the forecast period from 2022 to 2031. Demand for eye care surgical devices has been rising significantly due to increase in incidence of ophthalmic disorders such as cataract, glaucoma, and other vision-related disorders that are leading causes of blindness and visual impairment. Eye care surgical devices range include both non-invasive and invasive diagnostic devices and instruments such as contact lenses, glaucoma stents, and intraocular lenses.

Eye care surgical devices market outlook is promising with the availability of technologically advanced cataract surgery equipment resulting in improved clinical outcomes. Emerging trend of advancements in cataract surgery equipment has led to improved safety and effectiveness of common procedures.

In general, for clinical purposes, ophthalmology and its subspecialties are at the forefront embracing rapid technological advancements. For example, apodization has resulted in intraocular lens technology to progress from refractive to diffractive to result in fewer and less severe visual side effects.

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Eye Care Surgical Devices Market Key Findings of the Report

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Eye Care Surgical Devices Market Growth Drivers

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Eye Care Surgical Devices Market Key Players

Some of the key players operating in the eye care surgical devices market are;

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The eye care surgical devices market is segmented as follows;

Eye Care Surgical Devices Market, by Product Type

Eye Care Surgical Devices Market, by End-user

Eye Care Surgical Devices Market, by Application

Eye Care Surgical Devices Market, by Region

Modernization of healthcare in terms of both infrastructure and services have pushed the healthcare industry to new heights, Stay Updated withLatest Healthcare Industry Research Reportsby Transparency Market Research:

Ophthalmic Surgical Devices and Therapeutics Market: Increase in prevalence and incidence rates of eye-related disorders, high unmet needs in patients with ocular diseases, increased geriatric population, and raised awareness about eye diseases in developing countries are expected to boost the ophthalmic surgical devices and therapeutics market during the forecast period.

Vascular Stents Market: Rise in prevalence of cardiovascular diseases and increase in demand for minimally invasive surgeries are anticipated to drive the global vascular stents market from 2019 to 2027. The global vascular stents market is responding positively to new and innovative coronary stents, with increasing uptake of technologically advanced coronary stents.

Dry Eye Disease Market: The growing prevalence of these diseases has urged many researchers and developers to discover good treatment options, which has eventually accelerated the growth prospects of the dry eye disease market.

Dry Eye Disease Diagnostic Devices Market: Surge in the geriatric population and rise in prevalence & incidence rates of dry eye disease in the U.S. are projected to drive the dry eye disease diagnostic devices market.

Dry Eye Disease Treatment Market: Rise in reported cases of dry eye disease, increase in the number of surgical procedures such as LASIK surgery, adverse effects of rising pollution levels, advances in treatment of dry eye, and introduction of new therapies are projected to drive the global dry eye disease treatment market.

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BROSSARD, Quebec, June 07, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- DIAGNOS Inc. (DIAGNOS, the Corporation or we) (TSX Venture: ADK) (OTCQB: DGNOF) a leader in early detection of critical health issues through the use of its FLAIRE platform based on Artificial Intelligence (AI), is pleased to announce the deployment of its Age-Related Macular Degeneration detection application into the optometry clinics of IRIS The Visual Group.

It is with great pleasure that DIAGNOS is announcing the deployment of its Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) detection application into the optometry clinics of IRIS The Visual Group (IRIS). With over 1,250 patients having received this new test already, we can see that the demand is great for this application in clinical optometry and optical retail. This deployment of this application represents an important milestone in the Artificial Intelligence Technology Implementation Program announced in June 2021 by the two groups.

We are thrilled by the addition of the AMD detection application into our portfolio as it further expands the value our company offers to eyecare providers, an important segment of our market expansion strategy. saysMr. Yves-Stphane Couture, Vice-President of DIAGNOS. The quality of the relationship we developed with IRIS throughout this project and the constant spirit of collaboration and desire to improve patient outcomes shared by our respective organizations have been decisive in the development of this new tool, it positively and directly contributed to the deployment we are doing today.

AMD is a leading cause of visual deterioration and legal blindness in people over 60 years of age. The loss of central vision and high-resolution visual acuity from untreated AMD can lead to irreversible loss of reading, depression, reduced facial recognition ability, and disqualification from driving. Regular screening for eye diseases is of the utmost importance to enable early detection of eye disease and prevent major alterations in quality of life from occurring.

The deployment of this new application in our clinics is perfectly aligned with IRIS desire to be at the forefront of technological advances in its clinical optometry and optical retail operations. We strive to provide our customers with the most effective cutting-edge technologies, with tools that enhance the healthcare experience we provide and improve clinical outcomes. Artificial Intelligence solutions like that of DIAGNOS raise the bar in terms of quality of care and perfectly illustrate of the benefits of our collaboration with this company. said Dr. Jahel St-Jacques, Optometrist and Vice-President of IRIS.

DIAGNOS is currently putting the finishing touches on several Artificial Intelligence Deep Learning algorithms focused on disease detection and aimed to improve clinical operations and patient outcomes. The launch of the AMD detection application is the first in a series of important launches planned soon, that will ensure the success and sustainability of the organization.

About IRISIRIS was founded in 1990 in Quebec. Since that time, IRIS has developed into the largest network of optometrists, opticians and ophthalmologists operating under the same banner across Canada. The companys locations combine clinical optometry and optical retail to provide a unique concept and a commitment to offering top quality products and services in the field of eyecare.

Additional information is available at http://www.iris.ca

About DIAGNOSDIAGNOS is a publicly traded Canadian corporation dedicated to early detection of critical health problems based on its FLAIRE Artificial Intelligence (AI) platform. FLAIRE allows for quick modifying and developing of applications such as CARA (Computer Assisted Retina Analysis). CARAs image enhancement algorithms provide sharper, clearer and easier-to-analyze retinal images. CARA is a cost-effective tool for real-time screening of large volumes of patients. CARA has been cleared for commercialization by the following regulators: Health Canada, the FDA (USA), CE (Europe), COFEPRIS (Mexico) and Saudi FDA (Saudi Arabia).

Additional information is available atwww.DIAGNOS.com andwww.sedar.com

This news release contains forward-looking information. There can be no assurance that forward-looking information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in these statements. DIAGNOS disclaims any intention or obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. The forward-looking information contained in this news release is expressly qualified by this cautionary statement.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

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Prevent Blindness provides free, dedicated resources to encourage proper eye protection from negative effects of UV

CHICAGO, April 25, 2022 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- As the warmer weather begins to encourage more outdoor activities, Prevent Blindness, the nation's oldest eye health and safety organization, has declared May as Ultraviolet (UV) Awareness Month. The nonprofit group is seeking to educate the public on the negative effects of UV exposure to the eyes and vision, offering a dedicated webpage, PreventBlindness.org/sun-and-vision, downloadable fact sheets and shareable social media infographics.

There are two types of UV rays: UV-A and UV-B. Over time, the effects of UV rays may help cause a number of eye problems. UV-A rays may affect central vision. They can damage the macula, a part of the retina at the back of the eye. The front part of the eye (the cornea and the lens) absorbs most UV-B rays, but these rays may cause even more damage to the eyes than UV-A rays.

According to the Wilmer Eye Institute and Johns Hopkins Medicine, corneal damage, cataracts and macular degeneration are all possible chronic effects from UV exposure and can ultimately lead to decreased vision. Additionally, UV light is associated with skin cancers including squamous cell carcinomas, basal cell carcinomas, and cutaneous melanoma. Squamous cell carcinoma can occur not just on the skin, but on the conjunctiva and invade the cornea and inside of the eye, in some cases necessitating removal of the entire eye.

The Hidden Dangers of UV: Keeping Your Eyes Safe report from The Vision Council lists factors that put people's eyes at greater risk of damage from UV exposure, including:

Prevent Blindness strongly recommends wearing UV-blocking sunglasses as well as a brimmed hat to provide the best protection against UV rays. Sunglasses should:

"Spending time outdoors offers many health benefits. We encourage adults and children to wear the proper UV protection for their eyes to keep them safe and healthy today, and in the years to come," said Jeff Todd, president and CEO of Prevent Blindness.

For more information on UV eye protection, please visit the Prevent Blindness dedicated webpage at PreventBlindness.org/sun-and-vision, or call (800) 331-2020.

About Prevent Blindness

Founded in 1908, Prevent Blindness is the nation's leading volunteer eye health and safety organization dedicated to fighting blindness and saving sight. Focused on promoting a continuum of vision care, Prevent Blindness touches the lives of millions of people each year through public and professional education, advocacy, certified vision screening and training, community and patient service programs and research. These services are made possible through the generous support of the American public. Together with a network of affiliates, Prevent Blindness is committed to eliminating preventable blindness in America. For more information, visit us at preventblindness.org, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.

Media Contact

Sarah Hecker, Prevent Blindness, 312.363.6035, shecker@preventblindness.org

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May is Ultraviolet Awareness (UV) Month at Prevent Blindness, Designed to Educate the Public on the Best Ways to Keep Eyes Safe from UV Damage -...

ANN ARBOR, MI -Irreversible blindness affects at least 11 million Americans and 170 million across the world, according Michigan Medicine officials.

One of the leading factors of this condition is a disease called age-related macular degeneration, and an $11.5-million gift to the health system seeks to make the irreversible reversible.

The philanthropy from James Grosfeld, former chairman and CEO of PulteGroup Inc., goes toward research at the University of Michigan Kellogg Eye Center to develop effective treatments for the dry version of AMD, which affects up to 90% of those affected, officials said.

Grosfelds gift will support two endowed professorships at UM dedicated to dry AMD research, as well as increased laboratory staff. Other funded items include:

Increasing the speed and the breadth of discovery in dry AMD can make a significant difference in peoples lives, Grosfeld said in a statement.

Grosfelds enthusiasm and generosity has been greatly appreciated, said Dr. Paul Lee, director of the Kellogg Eye Center. The AMD research initiative will be led by Dr. Jason Miller, who will assume the title of the Grosfeld Professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences.

We have made several discoveries that have given us a clear direction toward potential treatments, Miller said in a statement. At the same time, we have been building partnerships that will both accelerate our work and enable us to translate our efforts into clinical applications.

The AMD disease specifically attacks the part of the eye that houses the retinas light-sensitive photoreceptors. Millers research addresses how to limit the accumulation of lipids that affect these areas of the eye.

In catalyzing work across disciplines, we are enabling the creative application of a wide range of scientific techniques and approaches to the challenges of dry AMD, Dr. Marschall S. Runge, CEO of Michigan Medicine, said. Mr. Grosfelds visionary support will enable us to make important advances toward saving sight today and will create a legacy of sight-saving achievement.

Read more from The Ann Arbor News:

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These are 10 historic buildings still standing on the University of Michigan campus today

Innovative allergy testing device earns University of Michigan student $25K

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An end to blindness? $11M gift to Michigan Medicine researches eye treatments - MLive.com

Dynamic Culturing Process Developed by Lineage Offers Path to Clinical- and Industrial-Scale Production of Photoreceptors

CARLSBAD, Calif., April 25, 2022--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Lineage Cell Therapeutics, Inc. (NYSE American and TASE: LCTX), a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing allogeneic cell therapies for unmet medical needs, today announced a new cell therapy development program: photoreceptor neural cell (PNC) transplants for the treatment of vision loss due to photoreceptor dysfunction or damage. Similar to the companys recently announced pipeline expansion into auditory neurons for the treatment of hearing loss, Lineage has filed for intellectual property protection covering the composition and methods for generating PNCs. Based on recent in vivo data generated using the companys PNCs, these cells may be capable of forming reconstructed retina with high survivability and neural connectivity to surrounding functional layers. Notably, Lineage has demonstrated feasibility which could support a large-scale method for producing both types of photoreceptors, known as rods and cones.

"It is natural that, on the heels of the announcement of our alliance with Roche and Genentech for our RPE cell therapy, a deal worth up to $670 million dollars plus double-digit royalties if certain development, approval, and sales milestones are achieved and other conditions are met, that we also would pursue treatments for vision loss through the other major cell type of the retina, the photoreceptors," stated Brian Culley, Lineages CEO. "Our fundamental technology and accumulated know-how give us the opportunity to make many different cell types, and we have demonstrated our ability to create new programs rapidly and efficiently in two distinct areas, expanding our cell therapy pipeline to five separate preclinical and clinical programs, while still maintaining what we believe is an appropriate and responsible rate of investment for a company of our size. This latest program is part of our long-term planning for clinical and commercial success and serves as another example of the capability of our technology platform. We believe our ability to, in just a matter of months, advance from a product concept to generating new intellectual property and manufacturing the desired cell types, is illustrative of the power and efficiency of our platform. We believe the combination of our capital discipline and current balance sheet will support multiple years of further progress, during which we anticipate reaching achievements with each of our clinical and preclinical programs."

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Dr. Rami Skaliter, who leads the manufacturing function for Lineage, added, "Im exceptionally proud of the teams success at overcoming obstacles related to the limited scale of photoreceptor production. Building upon our experience with other cell lineages, we have developed intellectual property, and filed for patent protections, on a manufacturing process which is compatible with large-scale production of photoreceptors in a closed system, improvements which could enable industrial manufacturing. We believe this accomplishment will provide new opportunities for clinical, and ultimately commercial, production of photoreceptors in areas of large unmet need such as Retinitis Pigmentosa, Stargardts Macular Dystrophy, and retinal detachments, either independently or through strategic alliances."

As part of a scientific collaboration with Professors Benjamin Reubinoff, M.D., Ph.D. and Eyal Banin, M.D., Ph.D., of the Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, the differentiation of pluripotent cells into photoreceptors with clinically compatible characteristics was established utilizing a novel differentiation protocol which generated positive identity of key markers of both rods and cones photoreceptor populations. The data generated by the company further demonstrated that a single cell suspension of photoreceptor precursor cells has the potential to survive and mature post-transplantation in a rodent model of retinal degeneration.

About Lineage Cell Therapeutics, Inc.

Lineage Cell Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing novel cell therapies for unmet medical needs. Lineages programs are based on its robust proprietary cell-based therapy platform and associated in-house development and manufacturing capabilities. With this platform Lineage develops and manufactures specialized, terminally differentiated human cells from its pluripotent and progenitor cell starting materials. These differentiated cells are developed to either replace or support cells that are dysfunctional or absent due to degenerative disease or traumatic injury or administered as a means of helping the body mount an effective immune response to cancer. Lineages clinical programs are in markets with billion dollar opportunities and include five allogeneic ("off-the-shelf") product candidates: (i) OpRegen, a retinal pigment epithelium transplant therapy in Phase 1/2a development for the treatment of dry age-related macular degeneration, which is now being developed under a worldwide collaboration with Roche and Genentech, a member of the Roche Group; (ii) OPC1, an oligodendrocyte progenitor cell therapy in Phase 1/2a development for the treatment of acute spinal cord injuries; (iii) VAC2, a dendritic cell therapy produced from Lineages VAC technology platform for immuno-oncology and infectious disease, currently in Phase 1 clinical development for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (iv) ANP1, an auditory neuronal progenitor cell therapy for the potential treatment of auditory neuropathy, and (v) PNC1, a photoreceptor neural cell therapy for the treatment of vision loss due to photoreceptor dysfunction or damage. For more information, please visit http://www.lineagecell.com or follow the company on Twitter @LineageCell.

Forward-Looking Statements

Lineage cautions you that all statements, other than statements of historical facts, contained in this press release, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements, in some cases, can be identified by terms such as "believe," "aim," "may," "will," "estimate," "continue," "anticipate," "design," "intend," "expect," "could," "can," "plan," "potential," "predict," "seek," "should," "would," "contemplate," "project," "target," "tend to," or the negative version of these words and similar expressions. Such statements include, but are not limited to, statements relating to (i) the potential amount of payments to Lineage under the alliance with Hoffman-La Roche Ltd. ("Roche") and Genentech, Inc., (ii) the potential for new opportunities for clinical, and ultimately commercial, production of photoreceptors in areas of large unmet need, (iii) Lineages position to become a leader in the emerging field of regenerative medicine and anti-aging technology, and (iv) future areas of potential treatment using PNC transplant. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause Lineages actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements in this press release, including, but not limited to, the risk that competing alternative therapies may adversely impact the commercial potential of OpRegen, which could materially adversely affect the payments payable to Lineage under the Roche/Genentech collaboration and license agreement, the risk that Roche/Genentech may not be successful in completing further clinical trials for OpRegen and/or obtaining regulatory approval for OpRegen in any particular jurisdiction; the risk that Lineage might not succeed in developing products and technologies that are useful in medicine and demonstrate the requisite safety and efficacy to achieve regulatory approval in accordance with its projected timing, or at all; the risk that Lineages intellectual property may be insufficient to protect its assets; risks and uncertainties inherent in Lineages business and other risks discussed in Lineages filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Lineages forward-looking statements are based upon its current expectations and involve assumptions that may never materialize or may prove to be incorrect. All forward-looking statements are expressly qualified in their entirety by these cautionary statements. Further information regarding these and other risks is included under the heading "Risk Factors" in Lineages periodic reports with the SEC, including Lineages most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC and its other reports, which are available from the SECs website. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date on which they were made. Lineage undertakes no obligation to update such statements to reflect events that occur or circumstances that exist after the date on which they were made, except as required by law.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220425005336/en/

Contacts

Lineage Cell Therapeutics, Inc. IR Ioana C. Hone(ir@lineagecell.com)(442) 287-8963

Solebury Trout IR Mike Biega(Mbiega@soleburytrout.com)(617) 221-9660

Russo Partners Media Relations Nic Johnson or David SchullNic.johnson@russopartnersllc.com David.schull@russopartnersllc.com (212) 845-4242

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The Russian invasion of Ukraine appears, on the surface, to be a land war. Newspapers lead with photographs of burned-out tanks, and on television and online we hear about the Belorussian border and truck convoys and listen to the expert commentary of generals. But this is a naval war as well.

Fighting has taken place both around the inland capitol of Kyiv, but also on the coast and over control of key port cities. While Russian explanation for new drive in the east focuses on the Russian-speaking population and territorial expansion, there is also a second and more strategic reason: the desire for a land bridge to Crimea, which would reduce the vulnerability of the Russian naval base at Sevastopol. When examining the maritime elements of the war, three points of analysis are worth consideration: first, the nature of conflict at sea and its existence out of sight of land and in a different domain which confounds our understanding; second, how the Russian navy pursued the basic elements of naval strategy reflects their continued relevance in this century; and third, the ways in which Ukraine has adapted to the conflict, and how it might make future adjustments, requires understanding of the naval past and creative thinking about the naval future.

Sea Blindness in Theory and in Practice

Over a decade ago, Butch Brakenel and James Kraska wrote that the United States suffers from a kind of sea blindness an inability to appreciate the central role the oceans and naval power have played in securing our strategic security and economic prosperity. Most use of sea blindness has tended to be metaphorical or focused on the grand economic and security connections between nations and the sea. Yet, in the Russo-Ukrainian war, the United States is experiencing sea blindness in a literal sense.

As various observers scroll through social media in search of open-source intelligence on the war, we are presented with a wealth of information that we then assess for validity and usefulness. However, very little of it is focused on the seas. Photos of burned-out T-72 tanks and trucks, video clips from targeting drones, or after-action threads that summarize changes in the fighting fill our feeds. For the most part, those of us who rely on open sources are blind to what is happening on the Ukrainian coast and in the Black Sea. The exceptions, like the final stand on Snake Island or the sinking of a Russian Alligator-class LST at the pier in Berdyansk, prove the rule. The early reports of the events surrounding the sinking of the cruiser Moskva illustrate this point also. These were based on the reposting of dueling press releases or online press reports rather than imagery, video, or on-scene information, which did not start to come until well after the fact.

A handful of media outlets and online trackers are trying to keep up with the maritime war. H.I. Sutton has been keeping the Covert Shores maritime open-source intelligence outlet going with information and writes reports for USNI News when they can confirm details. But an accurate picture of what is happening at sea is difficult. Truly actionable intelligence requires more than an occasional commercial satellite image or screenshots of maritime transponders. They involve electronic intercepts, radar, sonar, and elaborate collation and analysis efforts. All of these realities mean that while the NATO navies and Russian navy are actively producing their own maritime awareness, most of the rest of us are left in the dark about the conflict at sea.

But the fact that our Twitter feeds and Instagram scrolls are not filled with naval or maritime news does not mean that nothing is happening. It is important to remember that any war which takes place in a coastal territory (and many which take place in landlocked territory) have naval elements. The Russian invasion and Ukrainian defense of their sovereignty are no different, regardless of our sea blindness.

Retrospect: Naval Strategy in Action

As Bernard Brodie reminded us, boiled down to its simplest ideas, naval strategy can be described in a clear way. It begins with the need to establish command of the sea. It is taken further by determining what to do with the control that command of the sea offers.

Establishing command of the sea does not have to be global or even regional, but could simply be local to the area of operations. There tend to be two main ways to establish command. The first is to defeat the opponents navy or main battle fleet. By sinking the enemy, you keep them from being able to stop your use of the sea. But theres a second way to establish command, and that is to keep your opponents navy from ever putting to sea. Whether through blockade or by conducting strikes that sink them or limit their mobility while still in port, this can be equally effective.

Using the control created when you gain command of the sea is generally done in three ways. These operations are what I have previously called the 3 Bs of naval strategy: blockade, bombardment, or putting boots on the ground via amphibious landing. Naval strategy is the mixing and matching of these operations to achieve the political ends which are the purpose of the war. This effort to establish command of the sea, and then to use it, can offer us a good way to look at Russian naval operations in the first phase of the current war.

From the earliest days of the Russian invasion, the Russian navy has largely followed a classical strategy. When Russia annexed Crimea in 2014 and retook complete control of the then divided naval base at Sevastopol, where they leased facilities from Ukraine. It also took possession of nearly three quarters of the Ukrainian navy. When the Russian invasion began earlier this year, there was little more than a mosquito fleet of patrol boats to stand in their way. Russian naval forces out of Sevastopol include missile corvettes and frigates as well as some Kilo-class submarines, joined by the old Slava-class cruiser Moskva as the flagship. These were reinforced by amphibious ships from the Baltic Fleet and Northern Fleets before the invasion began. These ships largely bottled up the smaller Ukrainian patrol forces in port at the start of the war and established command of sea via blockade and strikes on Ukraines ports.

Russians quickly created a blockade of Ukraine by closing the Kerch Strait, which connects the smaller Sea of Azov to the Black Sea and established complete control of the Sea of Azov, and stationing ships off Odessa and other Ukrainian ports. The blockade remains unannounced, and therefore legally unofficial, but is in force with a de facto status. This status quo has remained unchallenged, though the wider maritime community has pointed out the negative effects on trapped neutral vessels and ships that have come under fire in the Black Sea. The resulting commercial blockade has ensured that Ukraine is cut off from the economic lifelines necessary to support its war, making the country entirely reliant on direct financial support from the West. Secondly, it eliminated the ability to resupply the Ukrainian military via the sea, which could have moved far more material far more quickly toward the fighting in the east than trucking it from the Polish border across the entire length of the country.

With total control of the Sea of Azov and the blockade holding, the Russian navy launched its first amphibious landings as a part of the offensive against Mariupol. Russian naval doctrine is designed to avoid contested amphibious landings, instead looking for a safe place to insert troops and equipment. This landing was no different, occurring approximately 30 miles southwest of the port city, away from defenders and closer to the safety of the Crimean Peninsula.

Amphibious assaults, landings made in the face of enemy defenses, are enormously difficult. The small craft used to connect amphibious ships to the shore, as well as amphibious ships like tank landing ships which can steam right up onto the beach, are enormously vulnerable to the kinds of light anti-tank weapons which have become ubiquitous in the Ukrainian defenses. Additionally, Russian amphibious forces are designed around surface landings and do not involve vertical envelopment doctrine with helicopters like many western naval services. With these limitations in mind, Russians began making pier-side reinforcement of their ground forces until the Ukrainians sank the Alligator-class amphibious ship Saratov while she was offloading at a pier in Berdyansk. The results of this attack may have made the Russians more cautious about these kinds of amphibious reinforcements, though the Pentagon spokesman has suggested resupply via sea continues.

Mariupol represents two elements that made it a key maritime target for the Russians. First, it is a significant port on the Sea of Azov and controlling it would continue to solidify that sea as a Russian lake. Second, control of Mariupol is vital to establishing a land bridge between Russian territory and the island of Crimea which is surrounded by Ukrainian territory. The Sevastopol naval base, which has been fought over for centuries as the key to the northern Black Sea, remains vulnerable so long as it is cut off from Russia itself. Annexing not only the Crimean Peninsula, but also the territory that connects it with the rest of Russia, is a classical naval mission since it secures the safety of Sevastopol.

In addition to the blockade and putting boots on the ground, from the earliest days of the invasion, Kaliber land-attack cruise missiles launched from Black Sea Fleet were a part of the bombardment. With over a thousand missiles launched into Ukraine by Russian forces it is safe to say that several hundred of those were naval strike missions, particularly around Odessa and coastal targets. Questions remain about Russian magazines of the missiles, and their ability to reload them. The loss of the Moskva, armed entirely with anti-ship and anti-air missiles, is far less significant in this regard than the Turkish closing of the Bosporus to warships, which keeps the Russians from reinforcing their fleet.

The establishment of command of the sea was followed rapidly by using the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea for operations affecting events ashore. The Sea of Azov was closed off and Ukrainian ports were blockaded, sealing off both military and commercial traffic. The Russian navy used the Sea of Azov to reinforce operations ashore and contributed to the brutal and ongoing assault on Mariupol. And the Black Sea Fleet fired hundreds of missiles in a wide-ranging bombardment that contributed to both tactical effects but also the indiscriminate destruction of civilian targets. Regardless of the legitimacy of the Russian aggression, the legality of the maritime operations, and clear movement toward war crimes, through the lens of naval strategy and in dramatic comparison to the failures of the Russian army, the Russian navy did its job effectively.

Prospect: Sea Denial and Contesting Command of the Sea

And yet, the relative success of the Russians at sea does not mean that their naval strategy is complete. Strategy is an activity that never ends. The realities of war, the contingency of human interactions, and the shifting context of conflict in an international space, all mean that the successful execution of a navys strategy can shift rudder in an instant. More often than not, that comes from a change in the enemys approach.

The trouble with command of the sea is that while it ideally would be complete and at the very least regionally enforceable, it is never totally achieved. Alfred Thayer Mahan and Julian Corbett were clear on this in their writing. They explained that while navies and naval strategists were right to aspire to a complete or total establishment of a general command of the sea, it would almost never happen in reality. In the particular case of a coastal nation fighting an expeditionary navy on its own shores, a country like Ukraine does not need to establish command of the sea for itself, it only needs to deny it to the enemy.

Despite his reputation for being focused exclusively on battleships and the battle fleet, a caricature of his actual naval writing, Mahan wrote extensively on the need for solid coastal defense as a joint army and navy mission as a part of any nations naval strategy. He broke coastal defense down into three key capabilities: shore-based gunnery, the use of mines, and small attack craft which meant torpedo boats at the dawn of the 20th century. As Jason Lancaster has written elsewhere, our modern versions of these remain available avenues of operations for Ukrainian forces as the Russian invasion shifts phases.

Today, coastal defense gunnery comes in many forms. The most obvious modern version of what used to be heavy artillery guns built into coastal fortifications are coastal defense cruise-missile systems. Rather than fixed weapons built into the stone or concrete of a coastal fort, they are often mobile and tied into a network of targeting data from radars and manned and unmanned intelligence collection systems. On April 13, 2022, Ukrainian forces reported their first successful cruise missile attacks on the Moskva. Details are unconfirmed, but we do know that the ship sank hours later while being towed to Sevastopol. While the Ukraine has a limited number of the indigenously produced Neptune missile systems, the United Kingdom has promised coastal defense cruise missiles as part of their most recent aid package. And cruise missiles are not the only weapons available for taking enemy ships under fire. The Bayraktar drones which have been used successfully against Russian armor also exist in a maritime version used by the Ukrainian navy and represent a capability that can be used against Russian warships. Additionally, munitions like the American Switchblade drones and laser-guided mortars have a more limited range but could be useful in the near littoral.

Mine warfare remains available to the Ukrainian navy as well. It is unclear to what extent it may have been used already to close off Russian operations close to shore. Russians have claimed that Ukrainians are using mines, and some have been found drifting in the Black Sea. Yet the source of those weapons is unclear, and the Russians could be using mines themselves to enhance their blockade, keeping ships from leaving port just as easily as they keep ships from entering. Mine warfare is a double-edged sword, because mining your own waters will require you to sweep them back up to make your harbors safe for commerce again, or to make them safe for resupply via sea. Ukraine may elect to use sea mines, but will likely do so in specific ways and in particular maritime geography where they are more likely to help than hurt.

Finally, coastal defense small craft remain an open question for Ukraine. The patrol vessels in its navy have already been targeted by the Russians, sinking the Solviansk in the first week of March. However, when it comes to small craft, the conversion of civilian vessels to military purposes is far easier than with medium to larger vessels. While it would likely be too difficult to mount British-supplied Harpoon missiles on small craft, the mortar tubes used to launch Switchblade drones and laser-guided mortars would be rather easy to bolt onto the aft deck of a civilian fishing or pleasure craft repurposed as naval raiders. Additionally, a recent list of new security assistance assets from the U.S. government includes Unmanned Coastal Defense Vessels. What these vessels look like, or their capabilities, are not clear since the U.S. Navy does not actively deploy anything that fits that description. It appears that the sinking of the Moskva has caused Russian warships to push themselves further offshore in order to avoid missile attacks. This transitions what had been a relatively close blockade to a far blockade and potentially opens up the seas for Ukrainian small craft to begin operating.

Naval Warfare in the Black Sea

In the first phase of the Russian war on Ukraine, the Russian navy largely succeeded in the basics of establishing a coherent naval strategy. It quickly established command of the sea by keeping Ukrainian ships from sailing. Once control of the waters of the southern coast of Ukraine and the Sea of Azov was established, the Russians began using it for their military purposes by blockading the coast, launching naval bombardments of targets both on the coast and well inland, and by landing boots on the ground with amphibious reinforcements of existing operations. Attempts to resupply Russian forces via the sea have been a mixed bag, with some success and some spectacular failures like the sinking of a Russian amphibious ship pier-side at Berdyansk. But the war on shore has entered a second phase. As Ukraine begins amassing more sophisticated and capable weapons, Russian forces face limitations due to the limited Turkish closure of the Bosporus under the terms of the Montreux Convention. The war at sea can shift as well.

The adoption of the classical methods of coastal defense, through the use of coastal gunnery and strike capabilities, careful employment of mine warfare, and adopting a creative approach to small craft, might allow Ukrainian forces to challenge Russian command of the sea. While they do not need to gain command for themselves, the ability to deny Russia easy and open use of the Black Sea and Sea of Azov could provide Kyiv with major benefits. The stunning sinking of the Moskva may be the turning point: As the Russian warships pull back from the coast to better protect themselves, they open more littoral maneuver space for Ukrainian forces. The adoption of greater coastal defense measures, combined with a limited guerre de razzia strategy that might even put the facilities as Sevastopol at risk, offers a clear naval strategy that will both limit the advantages the Russians established in the early weeks of the war while at the same time giving Ukrainian naval forces the opportunity to impose costs on Russian forces.

BJ Armstrong is a contributing editor with War on the Rocks and is the principal associate of the Forum on Integrated Naval History and Seapower Studies. His fourth book, Developing the Naval Mind, coauthored with John Freymann, was published in November. Opinions expressed in his article are offered in his personal and academic capacity, and do not reflect the positions or policies of the U.S. Naval Academy, the Department of Defense, or any other agency.

Image: Government of Ukraine

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The Russo-Ukrainian War at Sea: Retrospect and Prospect - War on the Rocks

Museum guests who are red-green colour blind can now borrow special EnChroma glasses from the Chau Chak Wing Museum and experience exhibitions for example the vast array of blue hues in theCoastlines exhibition in clear, vibrant colour for the first time.

The accessibility of art and design is always top of mind at the Chau Chak Wing Museum and we are very pleased to be the first venue in Australia to offer this technology through EnChromas Colour Accessibility Program, said DrPaul Donnelly, Deputy Director of the Museum.

This partnership is another important step forward in our inclusivity goals, helping people who are colour blind to experience the full wonder and vibrancy of the exhibitions we have on offer.

One in 12 men (8 percent) and one in 200 women (0.5 percent) arecolour vision deficient; an estimated 350 million people worldwide.More than one million Australians are colour blind, as are over 3,500 of the 83,000 students and staff at the University of Sydney.

While people with normal colour vision see overone million shades of colour, those with colour visiondeficiencyonly see an estimated 10 percent of hues and shades.As a result, colours can appear dull, indistinct, and difficult to discern.

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Glasses bring colour to the museum - University of Sydney