StemCell Therapy

Although the gut microbiome remains relatively stable throughout adulthood, various environmental factors such as disease, and diet have been reported to affect the gut microbiota composition. Although host genotype may influence relative abundance of microbial taxa, only few associations between host genetics and gut microbiota diversity have been found. Thus, inter-individual gut microbiome variation remains largely unexplained.

Researchers from different institutions from Switzerland, France, Sweden and the US investigated the role various socio-demographic and environmental factors play in inter-individual gut microbiome variation from 858 healthy adults of French descent from the Milieu intrieur cohort. They did this by analyzing stool samples via 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) sequencing, genetic variation via a genome-wide association study (GWAS), as well as 110 different non-genetic factors that included demographic, behavioral, nutritional, and medical data. These participants were living in the same region and only 1% of the individuals were on over the counter medication throughout the duration of the study in order to eliminate possible variables that might affect the gut microbiome.

In total, all non-genetic factors explained 16.4% of the variance, and out of the more than 5 million single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) analyzed, no significant genome wide associations were found in relation to fecal microbiome diversity. On the other hand, age along with the level of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), glomerular filtration rate, having breakfast and eating in fast-food restaurants were variables that significantly affected all -diversity models whereas sex and BMI did not show any consistent association. Moreover, increased -diversity was associated with foods generally considered as healthy (fruits, fish), while a decrease was associated with foods generally considered unhealthy such as fried foods.

In agreement with previous studies, sex and age had the most significant effects on all -diversity indexes. Other factors that had mild yet significant correlations with -diversity in this cohort include medical history (especially chickenpox vaccination and teeth extraction), blood measurements (ALT levels and diastolic blood pressure), and lifestyle (such as tendency to have breakfast or lunch as well as appetite).

Finally, while exploring how certain factors affect the gut microbiome on a taxonomic level, Scepanovic and colleagues found an association between age and the Comamonadaceae family and the Schlegelella genus. They also discovered a correlation between oral mineral supplement consumption and the Clostridium papyrosolvens species, though the clinical relevance of these findings is currently unknown.

In conclusion, host genetics appears to play a minor role in shaping the gut microbiome while various non-genetic factors, primarily demographic and environmental, were associated with individual taxa in healthy individuals.

Although this study was comprehensive in its evaluation of several host variables, longitudinal studies of larger cohorts are needed in addition to more diverse genotyping arrays that evaluate rare genetic variants. Furthermore, shotgun sequencing is preferable to 16S rRNA genotyping which provides a narrower picture of the overall gut microbiome diversity and variability. Hopefully in the near future metagenomic and genomic data can be pooled across cohorts to gain a broader understanding of how host environmental factors and genetics shape the gut microbiome.

Reference:

Scepanovic P, Hodel F, Mondot S, et al. A comprehensive assessment of demographic, environmental, and host genetic associations with gut microbiome diversity in healthy individuals. Microbiome, 2019. doi: 10.1186/s40168-019-0747-x.

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Demographic, environmental, and host genetics and the gut microbiome in healthy individuals - Gut Microbiota for Health

By Harold Watters, Ohio State University Extension agronomist

I have conducted a number of trials and comparisons over the years and generally have concluded that new is better when it comes to choosing a hybrid or variety. One such comparison I have been making over several years now is of a modern hybrid to open pollinated corn varieties. This may be used as a comparison for those who grow open pollinated corn for sale as organic, although I used herbicides here for weed control. For 2019, I compared a modern traited hybrid, an early modern traited hybrid, a modern open pollinated variety and several older open pollinated varieties.

Reids yellow dent has a history with Ohio and has played a significant role in modern corn breeding. Green Field and Krug are selections from Reid yellow dent. They were all tall, and had some leaning problems, so looked like Reid across the board. I planted all the treatments at 28,000 seeds per acre. I got 90% plus germination on the modern genetics and about 65% stand on the older varieties. And this year with no derechos at South Charleston, they all stood reasonably well.

Typically when I make this comparison between my modern hybrid and Reids yellow dent, I have about a 100-bushel advantage for the modern hybrid. This year, the differences were a bit more at 175 bushels per acre. I use this information when talking with consumers about the value of modern technology in plant breeding. As to why the Rea Hybrid did so poorly raccoons love this stuff and took about 75% of the ears at roasting ear stage.

Economics? I think you can do the math. Put in $4 per bushel and maybe $10 for the open pollinated varieties if sold as certified organic.

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Are modern genetics worth the money? Ohio Ag Net - Ohio's Country Journal and Ohio Ag Net

A two-time cancer survivor learns more about pancreatic cysts and discusses the value and cautions of genetic testing.

Barbara Tako is a breast cancer survivor (2010), melanoma survivor (2014) and author of Cancer Survivorship Coping ToolsWe'll Get You Through This. She is a cancer coping advocate, speaker and published writer for television, radio and other venues across the country. She lives, survives, and thrives in Minnesota with her husband, children and dog. See more at http://www.cancersurvivorshipcopingtools.com,or http://www.clutterclearingchoices.com.

Intraductal Papillary Mucosal Neoplasms in my pancreas are the latest "lovely" thing that cancer has brought into my life. Well, it is not my first time around - I have already had breast cancer and melanoma. My particular IPMNs may not be or ever become cancer, and yet they subject me to play the "wait and watch game" with one more cancer-type thing.

If you are a cancer survivor, you know how that gameworks - try to move forward with life while not pre-worrying too much. How were my IPMNs found? I had a screening MRI because of my PALB2 genetic cancer mutation. Sometimes IPMNs are found by accident when having an MRI for an unrelated reason. Gotta love technology!

The way one doctor worded it, I was fortunate to have the PALB2 genetic mutation that prompted the MRI that caught these three IPMNs so early and will result in continued monitoring. Cancer survivors all learn that cancers caught early often have better outcomes than cancers that have already grown and spread. Pancreatic cancer has a poor survival ratebecause it is often caught too late. There is a moral to that story that I want to shout from the rooftops: Please, please see a geneticist and have genetic testing done!

Still, there is a potential dark side to genetic testing. It sounds like if a person has a genetic finding and wants to have children, they may be able to screen out embryos that get the mutation before implanting them. Hm. Hey wait a minute:I would have been one of those screened-out embryos if the technology had existed back in that day and my parents had chosen that route. So, yes, genetic testing is a choice,but meeting with a genetic counselor before the testing is decided upon is also very important.

There are many questions to consider before even getting testing done. To test or not to test? How much do you want to know? What happens once that knowledge is out there?A person can't be discriminated against for health care due to genetic test results, but life or disability insurancecoverage, among others, may be a different story. Also, if you choose genetic testing, how often do you go back and get re-tested? Exciting advances are happening rapidly in this field. When I first got tested nine years ago, they only tested a couple of breast cancer genetic mutations. My latest genetic test looked for nineteen mutations - and found my PALB2!

Of course in my case, I GoogledIPMNs and learned lots of frightening stuff before I met with the pancreas specialist. For IPMNs, location and size matter, and I am fortunate that mine are very small and not in worrisome locations. They are also too small for fine needle aspiration or surgery. I will have another MRI in about a year to watch for changes. This means that if they do start to appear cancerous, I may have surgical options to consider which might, in my case, provide a better prognosis than usual for pancreatic cancer.

Genetic testing leaves me optimistic, grateful, and yes, cautious. Please be careful out there, make thoughtful choices, and be sure your sources of information are reliable.

Link:
Things to Consider in Genetic Testing - Curetoday.com

Theres a new frontier in medicine that seeks to cure not just treat symptoms by regenerating healthy tissue destroyed by disease.

In the firing line are currently incurable diseases that impose enormous suffering, debilitation and costs. This includes the muscle wasting inflicted by muscular dystrophy, for example, or the loss of brain neural cells in the case of Parkinsons disease.

Its the latter that the startup Convalesce Inc is primarily targeting, based on the development of a self-assembling and self-repairing material called AmGel. It contains nanofibres capable of nurturing stem cells to replace damaged nerves a function that can make or break the use of stem cells therapeutically.

To get all the interacting factors right meant drawing on nanotechnology, bioengineering, cell biology, developmental biology and material science super-advanced stuff.

AmGels development and commercialisation, however, owes a great deal to a new model for producing the next generation of innovators in this case, Convalesces co-founder, Dr Subhadeep Das.

He graduated with a PhD in 2017 from an academy specifically established to use advanced multidisciplinary research techniques to address critical global challenges, including in energy, infrastructure and manufacturing. Called the IITB-Monash Research Academy, its a joint venture between the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IITB) and Monash University.

Speaking from the prestigious IndieBio accelerator program in San Francisco, Das explains that stem cell technology perfectly fits the academys mission. These are cells that are potentially game-changing for medicine, yet their use is held back by the cells complex relationship to its molecular, cellular and extra-cellular environment.

You cant just inject stem cells into inflamed and damaged tissue. They dont survive in that micro environment, Das says. The solution requires drawing on multiple disciplines like having smaller pieces for a jigsaw puzzle.

For Parkinsons disease, that involves understanding the biophysicality of the brain and the dimensions and topography of its subcellular structures. This has led to the designing of nanofibres that form a scaffold for stem cells to attach and grow into. This matrix also cues stem cell growth and development into functioning nerve cells.

To get all the interacting factors right meant drawing on nanotechnology, bioengineering, cell biology, developmental biology and material science super-advanced stuff, Das says.

The science, however, is just the first step towards a cure. Convalesce constitutes the second phase meeting the testing, regulatory and commercialisation hurdles needed to get a viable therapy to patients.

Das admits the learning curve has been steep in the segue from research to commercialisation. Working alone, he might not have succeeded.

Instead, he took advantage of ongoing support provided by the IITB-Monash Research Academy, including the provision of exclusive rights to the intellectual property for AmGel, and mentoring from across both universities, especially from the academys CEO, Professor Murali Sastry.

He discovered that while starting a company is tough, there are people who are willing to help if you reach out. Its making the connections in the first place that matters.

On that score, the Monash alumni office do a great job. They provided us with introductions to alumni that included highly successful entrepreneurs and heads of venture firms. These are people who are willing to help because of the connection with Monash University.

Continue reading here:
Repairing the brain through stem cell therapy - Monash Lens

MIAMI, Oct. 24, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The AASCP has recently created guidelines thatare current safety recommendations given to physicians who are using biologics in their medical practice. A highly anticipated and sought after Safety StandardsPanel session, hosted by AASCP on Nov. 2, 2019, will be moderated by The Alliance for Cell Therapy Now,with President Ms. Janet Marchbrody.The sessions normally are closed to the public but this particular SafetyStandard Panel discussion will be open to the public, covering the growing safety concerns of the industry.

Alliance for Cell Therapy Now is a coalition of organizations representing patients, health care providers and the academic and scientific community, who are working together to advance safe and effective regenerative cell therapies. The mission is to advance the development, manufacturing and delivery of safe and effective regenerative cell therapies through policy development, consensus and advocacy. Alliance for Cell Therapy Now is bringing together experts and stakeholders to gain consensus on and advocate for policies that will advance the science and the field, including those focused on promoting clinical research, assuring the adoption of consensus standards to promote safety and quality, building capacity and expertise within the workforce, and establishing a national outcomes database to advance the science, promote improvements in quality and safety, and inform regulatory, paymentand patient decision-making.

Alliance for Cell Therapy Now is guided by an Advisory Board comprised of leaders in the scientific, academicand patient communities; Ms.Janet M. MarchibrodaPresident, Alliance for Cell Therapy Now Fellow, Bipartisan Policy Center Senior Vice President, Health Policy, Bockorny Group, has agreed to join theAASCP as a moderator for their SafetyPanelat The Hyatt Regency in Miami. This particular coveted safetypanel session will be open to the public and broadcast live on YouTube at 3:00 p.m. on Nov. 2, 2019.

According to AASCP, if you are using biologics in your practice, whether you are using SVF, PRP, bone marrow, UCB, amniotic products,exosomes,xenografts, or peptides, there are key considerations to take into account to achieve the best safety for your patients. The AASCP also recommends communication with the Chief Scientific Officer from the laboratory you work with.AASCP advises that just talking to a sales agent is not sufficient enough when determining the quality of products for your patients. Sales agents typically do not have a medical or scientific background.

The spokesman for the AASCP, Dr. AJFarshchian,said earlier: "The American Academy of Stem Cell Physicians is a group of physicians, scientists and researchers who collectively represent the most authoritativenon-federal group advocating for guidelines and education on stem cell therapy and regenerative medicine. AASCP members are experts within all fields of stem cell therapy from: SVF, BM, UCB, Exosomes, Peptides, Xenografts, Allografts and Amniotic Fluids and are considered the most experienced leaders for proper advocacy in the field. The AASCP is involved directly with other authorities within the field and seeks only to bring knowledge and awareness for the ever growing regenerative medicine industry.My hope is that the SafetyPanel discussion on Nov.2, 2019, is to help get rid of the bad actors that are damaging the field for everyone."

AASCP is hosting their medical conference in Miami on Nov. 1-3 , 2019. Sessions are normally closed to the public and, therefore, require registration. The conference is taking place at the downtown MiamiHyatt Regency, located at 400 SE 2nd Ave, Miami, FL 33131.Becauseof limited seating, we encourage everyone to please RSVP ataascp.net andto register.

The American Academy of Stem Cell Physicians (AASCP) is an organization created to advance research and the development of therapeutics in regenerative medicine, including diagnosis, treatmentand prevention of disease related to or occurring within the human body. Secondarily, the AASCP aims to serve as an educational resource for physicians, scientistsand the public in diseases that can be caused by physiological dysfunction that areameliorableto medical treatment.

For further information, please contact Marie Barbaat AASCP 305-891-4686 and you can also visit us at http://www.aascp.net.

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dr-farshchian-teaching-at-aaoscp.jpeg Dr. Farshchian teaching at AAOSCP workshop Dr. Alimorad Farshchian speaking at AASCP

Related Links

AASCP Safety guidelines

AASCP website / registration

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SOURCE The American Academy of Stem Cell Physicians

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American Academy of Stem Cell Physicians Announced Today That Their Safety Panel Session is Open and Free to the Public - P&T Community

Winter is a lot of things: cold, icy and dark, just to name a few. Its not typically the time of year for Northeastern Minnesotans to try to initiate lifestyle changes that can lead to improved health. Most people would prefer to layer up and hunker in for the cold months ahead.

However, the Hibbing Area Chamber of Commerce is looking to change that with their inaugural Health and Wellness Fair. The free event is slated to run from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Hibbing Memorial Building on Saturday, Oct. 26. The idea is to help area residents take charge of all aspects of their health before the winter doldrums can strike.

Local business owner, Paula VanBaalen is the chair of the Hibbing Health and Wellness committee and serves as a board member for the Hibbing Area Chamber of Commerce. She also owns Ohana Therapeutic Massage in downtown Hibbing.

VanBaalen said that an event like this has been on her mind for quite some time and that she found support for the idea with the Chambers Board of Directors. We field questions all the time about other health and wellness resources around, VanBaalen said. Many people dont seem to know the options available to them on the Range.

Billed as a bi-annual event, organizers are planning to host another similar event in the spring and are happy with the communitys response so far. Eighteen area health and wellness businesses are scheduled to participate. Event goers will find everything from traditional care providers, such as Essentia Health, St. Lukes and Choice Therapy, as well as coaches, trainers and mediation services. There will also be products to support healthy lifestyles, and more.

Plus there will be surprises. Well be giving out about 20-plus door prizes throughout the day, VanBaalen said.

Breakout sessions throughout the day will focus on a variety of wellness issues, ranging from movement to mental health. Its an opportunity for the community to learn more about options for all aspects of your health and wellness, said Hibbing Area of Commerce Sales and Event Coordinator Maegan Hoshal.

VanBaalen agreed, saying, Our goal is to have an event thats educational and engaging. There will be interactive demos and lots of information about all aspects of health and wellness physical, mental, community, environmental, etc.

One issue VanBaalen is passionate about is getting ahead of Seasonal Affective Disorder. She noted that its a common condition thats exacerbated by the decrease in Vitamin D and increase in holiday stress, which can lead to decreased activity, weight gain and various types of pain. Many people seem to fall into more unhealthy habits during the fall and winter months, VanBaalen said. If we can help expose them to different resources, we can give them a better opportunity for healthier, happier life.

Hibbing Health & Wellness Fair

Breakout Sessions

9:30 a.m. Healthy aging

10 a.m. Four steps to better posture

10:30 a.m. Mediation: an alternative way to cope with conflict

11 a.m. Movement, fuel, recovery: Roadblocks and simple ways to get started

11:30 a.m. Pilates is for every body

Noon Postpartum fitness: How to jump back into fitness

12:30 p.m. Detoxing: what it can do for you

1 p.m. Stem Cell Therapy-fact or fiction

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Gettin' fit this fall | Free Press - Hibbing Daily Tribune

A family members visual fitness to drive can become an elephant in the room within individual households. On a national level, the issue has traditionally fallen within a political blind spot.

But a sign that this may be set to change came with the Road Safety Statement 2019, which saw the launch of a government research programme and literature review to assess the impact of vision on road safety.

The reality is that a lot of drivers do not consider their vision or are poor judges of the quality of their vision

At present, the only visual check for drivers in the UK is an individuals ability to read a licence plate from a distance of 20m.

Dr Julie-Anne Little

The AOP has campaigned for drivers to undergo regular vision checks as part of licensing requirements.

Its Dont swerve at sight test campaign received 159 broadcast hits and reached 111 million listeners in 2017.

AOP Councillor, Dr Julie-Anne Little, told OT that it is heartening that the Government has listened to conversations occurring within the profession.

Optometrists know how important good vision is for driving, she shared.

We see people who we may have concerns about in practice and know that tragic situations do occur. Anything that we can do to prevent needless accidents is important, Dr Little highlighted.

The latest figures from the Department of Transport reveal that there were three fatal accidents in 2018 where uncorrected, defective eyesight was recorded as a contributory factor.

Anything that we can do to prevent needless accidents is important

The reality is that a lot of drivers do not consider their vision or are poor judges of the quality of their vision. If vision gradually declines over a number of years then it is a very difficult call for any individual to make, Dr Little said.

The inadequacies of the UK system were brought home to Dr Little when she led work by the European Council of Optometry and Optics (ECOO) comparing vision standards for driving across different European nations.

It really made me realise how the UK is out of step. Hanging on to the number plate test is unusual when compared to other countries, Dr Little said.

She highlighted that the Governments commitment to undertaking further research in vision and driving is also valuable.

At the moment visual acuity is the core standard when it comes to vision and driving, but Dr Little shared that there are other factors at play.

We recognise that visual acuity is a fairly blunt tool when it comes to trying to measure how someones vision is for driving, Dr Little observed.

If we can modernise the test, and if any research can shed light on what the most critical components for driving are, that would be so valuable, she added.

Twilight vision, visual fields and colour vision are among different aspects of sight that are assessed in other European nations.

The enhanced focus on vision and driving is also welcome in the context of an ageing population, where conditions such as cataracts, glaucoma, and age-related macular degeneration will become more common.

We are going to have more and more people with those conditions in the next 20 years and these ocular conditions will affect visual performance, Dr Little said.

Dr Little believes that optometrists can play a key role in assessing vision for driving.

We are easily accessible on the High Street and we can see people on any day of the week. We have the appropriate skills, training and equipment to effectively measure and correct visual acuity and also to measure visual fields and other aspects of vision, she shared.

She emphasised the importance of conveying a positive message to patients so that they see their optometrist as someone who is helping them to meet the standard for driving.

We have to get past that barrier of people being worried that If I go to the optometrist, I will be found out. It is about encouraging people to come in to a practice. In the vast majority of cases, we are able to correct vision so that patients can drive safely, she said.

ECOO president Dr Cindy Tromans highlighted that the issue of vision and driving is one that is important for optical professionals across Europe.

ECOO represents optometrist and optician associations in 24 countries across Europe.

We listen to our members and over the years many members have flagged that driving and vision is a really important topic in their country, she shared.

When vision isnt at a good standard, not only is the driver putting themselves at risk of harm but they are also putting other people at risk, she said.

ECOO is calling for clarity on the visual standards for driving as well as the way that those standards are measured.

Dr Cindy Tromans

Reading a number plate if it is dark, raining or a dirty plate is not an accurate assessment of visual acuity, she emphasised.

Many countries, including the UK, have failed to fully implement a directive that aimed to improve consistency in the vision standards for driving across Europe.

Dr Tromans puts forward Ireland and Switzerland as examples of countries that have implemented adequate standards.

They do very thorough and comprehensive eye tests before issuing statements that the patient is fit to drive, she said.

At the moment the directive states that only a competent medical authority should assess vision for driving, which has been interpreted narrowly to exclude optometrists in some countries.

The way vision is assessed really needs to be strengthened by using a standardised method

Optometrists are one of the few professions that actually measure vision and provide corrective appliances to enhance vision. We are ideally placed to ensure that patients have the correct standard of vision for driving, Dr Tromans said.

Like Dr Little, Dr Tromans welcomes the UK Governments consideration of a vision check as part of licence renewal for those aged 70 and above.

At the moment it is just a self-declaration on your health and vision but you dont need to have an eye test. That would absolutely be a start and a step in the right direction, she emphasised.

Image credit: Helen Musselwhite

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Eyes on the road - AOP

News Release

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

NIH-funded study finds therapy for convergence insufficiency is no better at improving reading than placebo.

Results from a clinical trial funded by the National Eye Institute (NEI) show that while vision therapy can successfully treat convergence insufficiency (CI) in children, it fails to improve their reading test scores. Investigators from the Convergence Insufficiency Treatment Trial Attention and Reading Trial (CITT-ART) published the results online today in Optometry and Vision Science. NEI is part of the National Institutes of Health.

CI is a common childhood vision disorder in which the eyes are unable to work together when looking at nearby objects, and the condition can make tasks like reading difficult. Eye care providers who treat CI have assumed that successful vergence/accommodative therapy, often called vision therapy, would lead to better reading fluency and comprehension.

While in-office vision therapy can improve visual function for children with CI, this trial indicates that clinicians should not suggest that it will lead to increased reading performance, said lead study author Mitchell Scheiman, O.D., Ph.D., Salus University, Elkins Park, Pennsylvania.

When reading or performing other close work, the eyes must turn inward to converge. For children with CI, the eyes have difficulty converging accurately, which can lead to blur or double vision, causing symptoms like discomfort and difficulty maintaining concentration when reading. Results from the earlier Convergence Insufficiency Treatment Trial (CITT), published in Ophthalmology in 2008, showed office-based vision therapy to be the most effective treatment for improving convergence and ameliorating symptoms, and that treatment effects were long-lasting. This new clinical trial, CITT-ART, was designed to determine whether treating symptomatic CI would improve reading skills.

The study enrolled 310 children with symptomatic CI, ages 9 to 14 years, and randomly assigned them to two groups. About two-thirds (206) received in-office vision therapy for 16 weeks, and the remainder (104) received in-office placebo therapy for 16 weeks. The in-office vision therapy was designed to improve accommodation (focusing) and vergence (eye teaming, meaning the ability of the eyes to work together), while the placebo therapy procedures were designed to have no effect on CI.

The childrens reading performance and clinical signs of CI were measured when the study began and again after completing 16 weeks of therapy. Reading comprehension was assessed using the Wechsler Individual Achievement Test- Version 3 (WIAT-III). Additional assessments included word reading and pseudoword decoding (sounding out fake words), as well as oral and silent reading fluency. Clinical signs included measures of how well the eyes work together to converge on near objects. Symptoms were measured using the Convergence Insufficiency Symptom Survey.

While all children showed improved reading comprehension on the WIAT after 16 weeks, there was statistically no difference between average reading improvement for the CI treatment group (3.68 points) and placebo group (3.80 points). Nor was in-office vision therapy better than the placebo therapy on other standardized reading tests. Meanwhile, 75-80% of children in the vision therapy group had shown significant improvement and fell into the normal range for clinical signs, compared with approximately 30% in the placebo group. These results are similar to the original CITT study. However, the latest findings show no significant difference in symptoms, with 62% of children in the vision therapy group versus 58% of children in the placebo therapy group reporting significant symptom improvement. These findings suggest that clinical measures, rather than self-reported symptoms, are critical for assessing CI severity and improvement in children.

The study was supported by National Eye Institute grant U10-EY022599. More information about the clinical trial (NCT 02207517) can be found at https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02207517.

For more information about convergence insufficiency, visit: https://nei.nih.gov/learn-about-eye-health/eye-conditions-and-diseases/convergence-insufficiency.

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

Scheiman M, Cotter S, Kulp M, Mitchell L, Jones-Jordan L, Gallaway M, Borsting E, Hertle R, Chase C, Schulman E, Tamkins S, Hopkins K, Coulter S, Lorenzana I, Arnold E, Sinnott L, and Denton C. A Randomized Clinical Trial of Treatment for Symptomatic Convergence Insufficiency in Children (CITT-ART). Oct 22, 2019. Optometry and Vision Science.

Scheiman M, Cotter S, Kulp M, Mitchell L, Jones-Jordan L, Gallaway M, Borsting E, Hertle R, Chase C, Schulman E, Tamkins S, Hopkins K, Coulter S, Lorenzana I, Roberts T, Arnold E, Sinnott L, and Denton C. Treatment of Symptomatic Convergence Insufficiency in Children enrolled in the CITT-ART Randomized Clinical Trial. Oct 22, 2019. Optometry and Vision Science.

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Continue reading here:
Treatment for common vision disorder does not improve children's reading skills - National Institutes of Health

When benign or malignant tumours grow, they can cause the pressure inside the skull to increase. This can cause brain damage and it can be life-threatening. Symptoms of brain tumours depend on the location and size of the tumour. Some tumours cause direct damage by invading brain tissue and some tumours cause pressure on the surrounding brain. Headaches are a common symptom of a brain tumour, as well as vomiting, blurred vision, confusion, seizures, weakness of a limb or part of the face and a change in mental function. But other symptoms of the condition may be detected in a person's eyes.

Evidence suggests that eye health isnt something one pays close enough attention to as a quarter say they dont have a check every two years.

However, having the eyes tested does not just check for changes in vision but can help prevent sight loss through early detection of conditions and even spot other health concerns such as brain tumours or problems with circulation, high blood pressure and diabetes.

Brain tumour symptoms can include changes to vision, such as blurred or double vision, abnormal eye movements, restricted field of view or other symptoms.

Dr Nigel Best, Specsavers clinical spokesperson said: Many people dont realise that a sight test can check for more than just your vision and that it can pick up other health concerns, such as high blood pressure, diabetes and brain tumours.

In fact, only 61 per cent of people are aware that an optician can detect some types of brain tumours.

That is why ensuring you have regular eye checks - at least once every two years or more often if recommended by your optician - is so important.

The changes in vision from a brain tumour can be due to the optic disc at the back of the eye becoming swollen as a result of increased pressure in the skull.

The optic disc is the point on the retina where the optic nerve enters the eye from the brain.

The brain tumour charity said: As the tumour grows, or there is a build-up of fluid in the brain, it can squeeze normal healthy brain tissue including the main cranial nerves within the brain.

The eyes can reveal a lot about a persons health so its really important to have regular eye tests at least once every two years.

If you suspect you may have any of these symptoms its important to speak to either your optometrist or your GP.

Originally posted here:
Brain tumour symptoms: The signs in the eyes that could signal the deadly condition - Express

By TOM CASKA

The beauty of the fall here in the Upper Delaware Valley is undeniable, and we will have only a short time left to absorb the pallet of colors that surrounds us. As a student of art, I was always impressed by the paintings of Claude Monet. One of my favorites reminds me of the fall: Garden Path at Giverny, painted in 1902. Monet used his impressionist style to create a scene much reminiscent of how the sunlight spills through the trees of our hills. Early mornings are my favorite when the steam is coming off the lakes, as the rising sun lights up the trees and landscape across the still water. Many a morning the water is still, reflecting like a mirror the hues of the leaves on the trees. The reflection is a mere impression of reds, orange, yellow and green, only a mild wind will disrupt the image on the water. If you can squint your eyes you can see what Monet might have seen.

Recovering from a recent injury had me going to Catskill Regional Hospital for treatment in their hyperbaric chamber. The staff there is fantastic and made the experience much easier. The chamber is what divers use to help to recover from the bends. During treatment you are breathing 100% oxygen under pressure, your vitals are taken before and after treatment, which normally lasts about two hours on a daily basis. The beds are comfortable, and during the treatment you can nap, watch TV, or select a favorite movie DVD to watch. I enjoyed watching the traffic flow out the window, wondering where all those cars were going on Route 17. Time passes quickly; the change of seasons became evident as the weeks rolled on.

There are not many side effects to this treatment; as the pressure is raised and lowered in the chamber, you will get the same feeling of pressure on your ears much like taking off or landing on an airplane. I experienced something that is not the same for everyone. My eyesight did a switch, normally I need glasses to read but have no problem with distance. Over time, I could read with no problem but my distance sight changed so everything was slightly out of focus, it was like looking with the soft lens of a camera. The fall colors were amazing, and although my sight has returned to normal, many a morning I would stop driving long enough to enjoy the view, especially the fall colors in their entire splendor.

In 1902, Claude Monet was 62; his eyes were showing the first signs of cataracts, which affected his interpretation of color. His paintings at this time would have had a more reddish tone, which is a condition of the vision of cataract victims. Monet eventually had surgery, after which he was able to see certain ultraviolet light that can be seen in his work thereafter. He also went back and repainted some of his older paintings with more of a bluer hue than before.

I can never claim that I will know what Monet really saw through his eyes, but his paintings are there for all of us to enjoy. What I can say is that for a brief time this year I was looking through the lens of an impressionist. In the meantime, if I want to see through the eyes of Monet all I need to do is just squint my eyes and enjoy the view.

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Through the eyes of Monet - The River Reporter

By Katelyn Earhart

sac-ranger@alamo.edu

The student advocacy center is hosting a free Health and Wellness Event from 9 to 1 p.m. Nov. 2.

File

This event will have free vision screenings provided by The University of the Incarnate Word School of Optometry, with some families able to qualify for free glasses, lenses or eye exams.

Children who participate in this screening will receive a free book.

Essilor, an international optics company, reported Poor vision not only affects a childs eyesight. It can also affect his/her health, school progress, and societal integration. In fact, 80% of what children learn is acquired though visual processing.

The student advocacy center is trying to combat these types of disadvantages by hosting this event.

Along with the vision screening, there will be flu shots available, STD/HIV screenings, dental and financial advising, and health screenings for blood pressure and glucose.

During this time, the Magic Closet will be opening its doors to both the students and their families to receive free clothing and assistance.

For more information, email Robyn Stassen at restassen@alamo.edu or call 210-486-1262.

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Free vision screening, flu shots and health advice offered in Advocacy Center - The Ranger

Were not doing enough to protect our sight here are the dos and donts

Bad news for would-be zombies. This week the College of Optometrists is highlighting the dangers of wearing unprescribed novelty contact lenses the kind that change your eye colour or make you look like a member of the undead.

The problem is that lenses bought online or in fancy dress shops wont fit your eye shape and could cause bruises or scratches that can get infected. Every year we see a rise in serious problems, with people buying them from an illegal source and then not wearing them sensibly, says Daniel Hardiman-McCartney, one of the colleges clinical advisers.

Its not only at Halloween. We dont look after our eyes as well as we should particularly given that polls consistently show that we prize our sight

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Eye health guide: what to look out for, from your diet to makeup - The Times

If youre tired of struggling with poor eyesight, specifically someone who wants to improve their vision, reverse glaucoma, cataract, near-sightedness and wants to stop using glasses, then here is good news.

I have discovered a natural herbal remedy that has helped over 642 Nigerian men, women and children restore eyesight, improve vision and cure severe eye problems within few weeks without using drugs, or eye drops.

You see, I was once in your shoes, I used to battle severe eye problems that made me had blurred vision, dry itchy eyes.

But my eye doctor told me I could only live with it, so my optometrist kept on recommending contact lens (or spectacles) so I could manage it to improve my vision.

But, as time went by the contact lens became ineffective, caused several eye irritations and also negatively affected my self esteem.

3 years later, my eye condition had worsened after several eye exams, I was diagnosed with glaucoma in the right eye.

Again, several solutions like eye drops, pills and surgery was recommended.

Eye surgery which was the best long term treatment was really expensive, and even comes with its own side effects after several months or years.

So, I decided to start using eye drops just so I could manage to see because at this point, I was literally going blind.

You see, the problem with eye drops is that most of them came with serious side effects, so one has to continue changing them until you see the most suitable one.

Sadly, within few months I used over 5 eye drops.

While for over the counter eye drugs, they take almost forever to work and give you perfect eye so you keep on spending and spending on the drugs for several years.

So, I decided to start searching for an alternative solution, something herbal that comes with no side effects and will naturally reverse glaucoma, cataracts, near-sightedness, and other severe eye problems.

But the entire situation changed when I came in contact with an old time friend, Uwem, he used to work in a particular eye clinic in Abuja .

We have been friends since our NYSC days for over 7years till date. Although, it has been a long time we spoke because he relocated to Canada to continue his profession.

We started talking as usual, and he asked me about my eye condition, if it has improved for better.

I explained how I was already tired of looking for solution to the eye problem, and how I have spent lots of money on drugs, supplements, eye drops and glasses, desperately looking for solution but without any improvement, insteadI was almost getting blind instead!

He explained that most people wearing eye glasses suffer from myopia (nearsightedness), glaucoma and cataract.

He later explained that there ispermanent cure for most of the eye problems, and natural remedy that helps treat and reverse glaucoma, cataract, myopia and other severe eye problems.

Most of these cases he has handled in the eye specialist clinic he works with in canada, and his patients improved their eyesight, and they never had to wear glasses or go for expensive eye surgery again.

But sadly, the solution is very rare to find because its imported, specially for Eye clinics in the USA, UK, Canada and some developing African countries as well.

That was when he introduced me to aspecial herbal teathat have been in existence for several years, that help cures severe eye problems, reverse cataract, glaucoma and myopia.

At first, I was shocked and surprised. But he told me the exact plant extracts contained inside the herbal tea, and how they improves overall eyesight health and restores vision.

I quickly pleaded with him to help me send a complete supply of the herbal tea. The next morning, I quickly sent the money to him.

After about a week, the complete supply of the herbal tea was delivered to me.

Immediately, I started it using it as prescribed (serving size of 1 tea bag in morning, and 1 tea bag in the evening).

To my surprise, in less than 2 weeks of using it, it was almost like a miracle cure to my eyesight problem and it helped improve my vision.

My eyes became crystal clear, my vision was never blurry again, and I started to feel that my glaucoma was gone.

To ensure it was really effective,I had to give the same herbal tea to about 2 of my colleagues in a different branch office, and some of my relatives using spectacles just to confirm if it could help them improve their eye health and cure eye problems.

Within 30 days or less of using it, all of them came back to testify that this herbal tea helped them improve their eyesight and cure eye problems like cataracts, glaucoma, near-sightedness, hyperopia, and blurry vision, and they didnt have to continue wearing glasses anymore.

To ensure that this solution really works, I went to my eye doctor, just to be completely sure be about it.

After several eye exams, he confirmed that my eye was much better than before, and that the herbal tea also contained some ingredients that are very rare to find, but are highly effective in improving eyesight naturally.

Without wasting time, let me introduce you to the Herbal Remedy that Has Helped me and over 2,742 Nigerian men and women Improve Eyesight, vision and PROVEN to cure Severe Eye Problems

Eye Restore Tea

Eye Restore Teais a herbal remedy formulated to treat and permanently cure all kinds of eye problems such as glaucoma, myopia, hyperopia, cataracts and lot more

It helps restore your eyesight, promotes eye health and improves vision.

Eye Restore Tea is made up of finely blended plant herbal extractssuch as bilberry extract, chrysanthemum, chinese wolfberry, cassia seed and green tea.

A pack of eye restore tea contains 20 tea bags, which you use daily, morning and evening.

The best part is that the Eye Restore tea is purely herbal, comes without any side effect and curative for the treatment of most eye problems. And within few days of taking this herbal tea, you can start seeing improvement in your vision and eye health.

Eye Restore Tea has the highest standard of approval by International FDA bodies. Its produced in the best, biggest and professional tea manufacturing factory withcertificate of GMP Good Manufacturing Practice, HACCP, Food Production License, QS etc.

So you can be sure that, Eye Restore Tea is Safe, 100% Herbal and Healthy, No Side Effects.

Do you want to dump your glasses, and also put an end to using expensive eye drugs that takes almost forever to work?

Then pay attention to this.

Eye Restore Teais made of herbal extracts, that after several years of research, scientist prove that these herbs help eliminate any form of eye problems, gives a crystal clear eye, improves eye sight and vision naturally.

One of the herbal extracts inside Eye Restore Tea, known asChrysanthemumhave been used for thousands of years by the chinese totreat the eyes, blurring, spots in front of the eyes, diminished vision and dizziness.

According to Chinese traditional medicine, Chrysanthemum is said to be effective at improving eyesight and treating illness associated with the eyes like blurred vision, glaucoma and dizziness.

Another herbs that Eye Restore Tea contains isWolf berry (also known as Goji berries).Wolf berry have been known to improve eyesight and Chinese doctors have for thousands of years studied them for many medicinal treatments.

Wolfberries contains beta carotene (known as the retina food), Vitamin C, and also rich in vitamins B1, B6 and E and other minerals.

Apart from that,wolfberries have high levels of zeaxanthin, lutein, polysaccharides and polyphenolics, which have been shown to improve vision, including the prevention of age-related macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy.

But whats so special about wolfberries makes manyChinese doctors boast that it greatly improve eyesight?

Wolfberries are used as tonic for the kidney and liver functions. Problems with eyesight, particularly blurred vision, may be due to an imblance in the liver and kidney which is why wolfberries are used as an effective cure.

And once you combine it with other powerful herb extracts like chrysanthemum flower, it helps improve vision and cure disorders such ascataracts, glaucoma, retinopathy as well as macular degeneration.

But thats not all, another powerful ingredients blended inside the Eye Restore Tea areBilberry and Cassia seed.

Bilberry is rich in antioxidant compounds known as anthocyanins. Bilberry is known to improve the health of the eyes, improve night vision and protect against eye conditions like age-related macular degeneration, cataracts, and glaucoma.

Believe me, these are very rare,highly effective herbsthat will help treat and cure any type of eye problem such as Near-sightedness (Myopia) , Far-sightedness (Hyperopia), Glaucoma, Cataract, Eye Strain, Macular Degeneration, Astigmatism, Presbyopia (Old-Age Sight), Diabetic Retinopathy etc.

Heres how this special herbal tea works

When you order for the Eye Restore Tea, each pack contains 20 tea bags. Put 1 tea bag in the cup, add boiled water, you can add honey or lemon (depending on your taste). Drink the tea in the morning when you wake up, and in the night before bed.

Within 3 weeks or less, I can guarantee that it will cure whatever eyesight problem you are experiecing at the moment. It will improve and perfect your eyesight, you will be able to read better anytime of the day. It will help you see comfortably without your glasses.

THATS how powerful it is.

Right now, my eyes are crystal clear, no more blurry vision, I see clearly without my eye glasses, glaucoma has gone, and no more cataracts.

And after this worked for me, Ive gone to share this amazing eye restore secret with almost everyone (family, friends and collegues) that I know that uses spectacles, or have severe eye problems for many years.

And once they started using Eye Restore Tea, they experienced similar results, their joy knew no bounds and they were able to dump their glasses, save money on expensive drugs and eye drops.

While it has also helped them to have a much improved vision, eyesight and totally natural cure to glaucoma, cataracts, myopia, hyperopia, eyestrain and other eye problems.

And to Prove It, Here Are What People Who Have Used theEye Restore Tea Are Saying About it, and How TheyveSeen Great Results Using it

For over 3 years of having glaucoma in my right eye, Ive been eye drops that my eye doctors prescribed. After using it for a long time, I noticed that the eye was becoming useless, and I only had my left eye for all purpose.Until I came accross Eye restore tea, I decided to use it instead. Within few weeks, I began to see better. I went to the Eye center, and after the examination doctor say that my eye has improved and the IOP has dropped.Thanks so much for this wonderful solution that saved my eyes

James Gwarimpa, Abuja=================

I suffered from Glaucoma for about 2 years now, and I had to use eye drops to control it. But the eye drops have serious side effects that made me uncomfortable so I had to keep changing them and used 5 types of eye drop.Luckily, a friend introduced me to Eye restore tea, so I decided to give it a trial. My vision now have improved up to the extent that I no longer need spectacles or any eye drop again.

Mrs. Tolulope Ketu, Lagos===============

Immediately after my cataract sugery, I used to have a foggy or cloudy vision and colors are not vivid as they were. I got corrective sight vision lens, and after many months I still get this blurry vision sometimes which is frustrating.

My wife helped me order for the Eye Restore tea, and I decided to use it, within 6weeks, my eyesight is clear and has corrected itself with time. Ive gone on to recommend this for my elder brother with similar eye problems. Thanks so much for this miracle tea

Mr. Victor Onitsha, Anambra

============After seeing an opthalmologist for an eye exam, it was revealed an eye pressure of 25 in both eyes, and my right eyes looked suspicious for glaucoma. I continued using eye drops.

I stumbled upon your eye restore tea product, and decided to go for it. Within few weeks of using the tea, am seeing obvious changes, and finally stopped using eye drops. i will keep you updated on my progress, really appreciate this!

Olawale warri, Delta

Truth is, I could load more and more testimonials from these people who have used the Eye Restore tea but it will only be saying the same thing this product works like crazy!

As you have seen, these people were once like you suffering from similar eye conditions that were a threat to their vision, but they took action got the Eye Restore tea and cured severe eye problems.

As we speak lots of people are raving about this natural miracle eye treatment solution. I wonder what happens when people begin to post experiences and testimonials on social media (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter etc.)

Customers will continue telling friends, and the news keeps on spreading like wildfire.

By word of mouth, theres so much huge demand, supplies are going off the shelf fast even my colleagues and inner circle friends picked up 143 packs of the Eye Restore Herbal tea.

So, there are just 257 packs remaining.

The miracle eye treatment solution is spreading like wildfire and demand is so heavy much of the stocks are running out fast.

Right now, thousand of people are on this website and stocks are extremely limited.

We have no idea when the next stocks will arrive, so get your supplies now while you can.

The best part is, you can get it at an affordable discount price when you place order right away.

I cannot assure you will get it at the same discount price if you procrastinate.

SO WHATS IT COST?

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How 63-year-old Benin grandpa discovered herbal remedy that improves eyesight, treats glaucoma and cataracts without surgery or eyedrops (Sponsored) -...

The summer months may be over, but Israelis and Israeli visitors often head to the beach year-round to soak up the sun, cool off in the Mediterranean, meet friends, or unwind after a long day (or week) away from smartphones and social media.

Time at the beach inevitably comes with risks and in some situations, even the best-trained lifeguards may not be able to help.

According the World Health Organization (WHO), drowning is the third leading cause of unintentional injury death worldwide, accounting for seven percent of all injury-related deaths. It is the leading cause of death in children between the ages of one and four and the second leading cause of death in children between the ages of five and nine. A WHO Global Report says some 372,000 people drown every year.

SEE ALSO: Magen David Adom Inaugurates Sea-Bulance For Emergency Water Rescue

While the risk of drowning can be reduced when lifeguards are in the vicinity, those lifeguards can only cover a certain expanse of beach at a time. Also, they need breaks. And they can rely heavily on binoculars and their own vision only for so long eyesight (and stamina) can certainly falter after hours in the full sun.

An Israeli startup leveraging computer vision technology wants to help. Founded in 2018,Sightbit says it can prevent drowning by alerting lifeguards when swimmers are in danger.

Through the use of a system of beach cameras that utilize the tech, lifeguards get a panoramic view of the water, the beach, and the swimmers, which allows the guards to make rapid rescues or prevent dangerous situations from escalating. The camera footage is displayed on a screen, which is monitored by lifeguards and beach staff.

Behind the scenes, Sightbit algorithms analyze the footage in real-time. When the system detects a threat such as a rip current or a child alone in the water it displays warnings on the screen or sounds alarms.

The software allows lifeguard to track more swimmers and keep them safer, the company says. Sightbit also offers risk analytics which provides data about locations where guards are most needed.

The camera footage is sent to a processing unit, which may be on-site, or on the cloud, where the companys software analyzes visuals on an individual feed. The camera projects real-time images on a screen, which can be monitored by beach staff, or lifeguards.

The system also provides real-time data on rip currents and other hazards.

We have developed a tool that beaches can use as they see fit, Minna Jacobson, the companys co-founder and marketing director, tells NoCamels, It will change the way beaches operate today.

No lifeguard can monitor all swimmers and hazards simultaneously, she explains. The Sightbit system can be customized so that the user gets to decide how much of the beach can be tracked at once.

Jacobson says the product provides drowning alerts based on the users preference. If the lifeguard wants to know when a person is in deep water or when a child is going in, the system can be customized to do so. There are also visual alerts including lines to mark boundaries or hazardous areas or a red flashing box to track a specific person.

The Sightbit team believes its system can shake up the world of ocean rescue. Were not just building a product that beeps at lifeguards. We are revolutionizing ocean rescue, Jacobson tells NoCamels.

The system, currently in its research and development phase, is already highly accurate, the startup says. In a year or two, the company expects to be many times more effective than lifeguards at identifying drowning threats or other risks to swimmers, Jacobson says.

Not only will the system help save lives, it will also save money, Sightbit claims. With some $11 billion spent annually on beach management in the US and another $3.8 billion in beach equipment according to Sightbits research, the startup says it can save authorities approximately $2 billion in labor costs.

The system will allow beaches to save money by allowing them to hire fewer guards or allow beaches to guard more shoreline (many beaches would like to guard larger sections of shoreline but they cant afford to hire additional guards, which are very expensive), Jacobson explains.

She also says Sightbit has few competitors as there are no other AI-powered lifeguard systems for beaches are currently in place, according to the research. There are other solutions, but were created for pool systems, not the beach.

The social impact of Sightbit was a big draw for me, Jacobson says. Its a project that really contributes social value.

Companies and institutions have begun to see the potential of Sightbits innovative system. Cactus Capital, the first student-run university venture capital firm in Israel and a venture arm of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) partnered with the company to provide an initial round of funding as well as a network of resources.

Sightbit is also part of the 11 participating startups that make up the second cohort of Yeshiva Universitys Innovation Lab.

In order to understand what the system needed to be at the top of its game, the four-person team that founded Sightbit, which includes Jacobson, CEO Netanel Eliav, CTO Jenia Golbstein, and Operations Director Adam Bismut, interviewed dozens of lifeguards across North Carolina, California, Maryland and New York.

SEE ALSO: How Israel Became An Unlikely Shark Hub, According To A Marine Ecology Expert

The team is also entering its first pilot program with the coastal Israeli city of Ashkelon, by implementing its system on several beaches in the area including the central Bar Kochba beach.

The pilot allows us to test our algorithms in real beach conditions, Jacobson says. Right now, we are focusing on improving our core functions, she says. A machine knows better what constitutes a threat.

Read this article:
Israeli Drowning Prevention Startup Sightbit Says Its Tech Can Revolutionize Beach Rescue | Health News - NoCamels - Israeli Innovation News

ISLAMABAD, Oct 23 (APP):Minister for Federal Education and Professional Training Shafqat Mahmood Wednesday distributed free glasses among 168 students of Islamabad Model College for Girls (IMCG) G/6-1, identified with weak eye sight.

The glasses were distributed under the ICT School-Based Health Initiative, School Eye Health Screening in a vision glasses distribution ceremony organized by a private organization in collaboration with Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) and Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training.

Under the first phase of initiative, the eye screening of around 200,000 students of the 423 schools, colleges of the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) would be checked.

Initially, the eye screening test was held in two public sector schools out of which around 168 students were identified with weak eye sight.

Addressing the ceremony, the minister said that the project has been started by the Sight Saver an NGO on my personal request. He commended the efforts of Country Director Sight Saver Syeda Munaza Gilani for her cooperation in completing the project. He said the expenses of the project were totally given by the Sight Saver.

Weak Eye sight, Shafqat said, was affecting the study of children. He said the initiative would be completed in next two years.

Earlier in her address, Country Director Syeda Munaza Gilani said that this programme has been launched on urgently basis with the personal interest of the education minister.She lauded the role of FDE team for supporting the programme. She said the aim of this programme was to create awareness about various eye sight diseases among the students.

She informed that around 2.2 billion people globally were facing the eye related diseases. According to a survey conducted in Pakistan, she said, around 5.3 percent people were facing weak eye sight issues, adding most of them are girls.

This programme was working in many cities of Pakistan under which more than 70 thousand children had been provided glasses, she said and added, the teachers had also been provided basic training so that they could identify those children having weak eye sight.

Read the rest here:
Shafqat Mahmood distributes glasses among 168 students with weak eye sight - Associated Press of Pakistan

The Overton Park, just off of the downtown district, was jam-packed with colorful people and their amazing automobiles on Saturday. It was a welcome sight that hadnt been seen for quite some time.

The Moapa Valley Car Show has been going on consecutively for 20 years now. It is put on each year by the Moapa Valley Chamber of Commerce with the stated purpose of bringing visitors and business to our sleepy little downtown area. Unfortunately, the past several years have been somewhat bleak on that score. A shortage of volunteer involvement and a lack of adequate marketing have resulted in a trend of diminishing attendance at the event. The people and cars just havent come. By last year, the event seemed to be barely holding on to life with less than 20 cars exhibited. Many folks in town feared that it might be the last we would see of a car show that, in years past had brought as many as 140-some-odd vehicle entries.

But this year the Moapa Valley Car show received a shot of new life! Vanette Christensen, owner of Xtreme Stitch in Overton, was elected President of the Chamber of Commerce with a commitment to do all she could to bring this Car Show back to its former glory. On Saturday, after a year of hard work, she made good on that commitment.

It was no small feat. A successful Car Show isnt just thrown together on a couple weeks notice. It is a unique event aimed at true aficionadoes who deeply appreciate the real thing,but can detect a lackluster half-way effort immediately when they see it. To put on a successful show requires a fellow aficionado who understands the Car Show subculture; what these guys like, where they are and what they expect.

For that, Vanette didnt have to go far. She tapped her husband Gary Christensen to help. Gary started making contacts early in the year. He put out a search for all the movers and shakers in the Car Show crowd throughout the region. Then he spent the past few months going to where these foks gather and speaking to them in their language. Every weekend has found Gary at a different Car Show in the southwestern U.S., handing out flyers, talking to car club leaders and promoting the Overton show everywhere he went. It took countless hours of pounding the pavement. But it paid off.

Vanette also had the help of local couple Lois and Cal Hall, owners of Cals Auto Repair. Lois also serves on the Chamber Board and was fully engaged this year in helping to organize the show.

But to pull off the show and make it a success, the two couples needed help. They found it in a diligent group of Chamber members and others who showed up on event day to help manage all of the details. The sum of all of these efforts yielded a great triumph for the show.

On Saturday, the Car Show achieved most of Vanettes lofty goals. There were about a hundred entries on the grass of the park. And the crowds came from all over to see them. Downtown Overton was bustling and local businesses were busy. It was just like the good ol days.

All of these efforts were successful in bringing the Car Show back to life. And with it came a solid day of commerce for downtown Overton. Customers left their homes and came downtown; including both local folks and visitors from further away. Generating that kind of commerce for local businesses is one of the most important functions of a successful Chamber. And it was gratifying to see that function fulfilled.

Kudos go especially to the Christensens. Their vision, leadership, passion, tenacity and unrelenting legwork have saved the Moapa Valley Car Show for another year from passing into memory.

Of course, the small army of Chamber member volunteers are also worthy of praise. Without their involvement, it would not have been successful. When community events seem to flounder or fail, it is always easy for folks to cluck their tongues, point fingers and assign blame to others for what should have been done better. But there was none of that with these folks. With an eye forward, these volunteers responded to the call to help and were instrumental in turning things around.

Now there is already talk of expanding the Car Show next year. Vanette has a vision of a two-day event that would bring cars for multiple activities highlighting various parts of town. She hopes that someday soon the event might even burst the seams of the Overton Park and move to the Logandale Fairgrounds.

No doubt, she has the momentum, the vision and the drive to see it done. If she can just continue to get the support from the community and its volunteers, amazing things could happen. We look forward to a growing, thriving car show event for years to come. Long live the Moapa Valley Car Show!

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EDITORIAL: Vision and involvement revives Car Show - mvprogress

The involuntary eye movement that we noticed with Ollie is called nystagmus and is typical of this disorder, further affecting the vision. (Some call it poetically dancing eyes.) The precise impact on eyesight, though, is complex to define; it varies greatly among people even when they have similar melatonin levels.

Curiously, one of the first things our diagnostician chose to tell us to explain albinism was your son wont be able to drive. I looked at my fairy-fair baby, struggling to imagine him holding a steering wheel, struggling to keep the contents of my stomach to myself

More recently, Ive actually met several people with albinism who drive. But at the time, shell-shocked and unable to extract any hopeful information from our doctor who also told us categorically that glasses dont help I merely retreated home to grieve.

For the following few months, I woke up every morning with a lump in my throat. I carried my tiny son around strapped to my chest with my own vision blurry from tears and lack of sleep, envisioning his devastating future.

My baby trapped in the darkness, bored and lonely; my future toddler stumbling around the house and falling, and falling. I had no idea what to expect.

The internet offered a mostly vague, or contradictory, information. I read that its normal for babies with albinism to see very little, but later theyll be able to see more. How much more? How much later?

Then something changed. The change was called Beth. A white-haired ball of energy, a Vision Australia worker with no medical training but zillions of years of experience, she walked into our house and sat down on the carpet near Ollie.

Beth smiled at him even if he couldnt see it, and sang to him until he smiled. Then she looked up into my wet eyes and said, Hell be fine. Just like that.

Not worried about formal protocols or giving false hopes. Hell be fine

Soon after, Beth arranged for us to meet our future some older children with albinism. None of them stumbled in the dark, although some needed walking sticks, and many rode bikes.

On Beths advice, we also joined the Albinism Fellowship of Australia and attended their conference, where we also met our more distant future adults with albinism who were scientists, musicians, teachers, doctors.

The more people I met, the more I watched my baby who was now crawling all around the house (not stumbling), the looser the lump in my throat became. We bought Ollie his first glasses orange ones, with teddy bears when he was two. They do help him see. (They also help him fancy himself as Harry Potter.)

Four years since that diagnosis, and I now know my greatest fears related to the physical side of Ollies disability havent materialised. He cant see the pictures shown during storytime in his kinder, nor can he see much in the theatre even if we sit close to the stage, and he loses us easily in public places.

Mia Freedman speaks to Vanessa Cranfield on No Filter, about what its like parenting a child with a disability. Post continues below.

But then, most mornings he wakes up with a huge smile, terribly pleased with this complex world.

He rides his scooter with gusto and doesnt shy around playground climbing equipment, even if it presents him with more challenges than the other kids. He began reading and writing before he was four, which is also when he performed his first piano concert. He makes friends easily.

Continue reading here:
'He will never be able to drive.' What it's really like parenting a child with albinism. - Mamamia

PITTSBURGH, Oct. 23, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- While major drug companies reached a $260 million settlement to avert a federal opioid trial this week, the crisis continues to impact Americans. Researchers at Duquesne University think they have some answers.

Here's How We Can End the Opioid Crisiswill feature brief presentations from members of Duquesne's Chronic Pain Research Consortium, including:

The 45-minute session will begin at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, October 24. To view the presentation live, click here.

The session is part of Duquesne's Integrative Health Summit, which highlights the university's growing momentum in health sciences education and research. Other sessions will focus on new treatments for deadly diseases; children and family health issues, including the anti-vaccine movement; how integrative techniques help serve marginalized populations, including sexual assault victims and those dealing with violence-related trauma; and the role of the arts in medicine.

Earlier this year, Duquesne announced that it's creating a College of Osteopathic Medicine to help meet a looming physician shortage in the U.S.

Duquesne UniversityFounded in 1878, Duquesne is consistently ranked among the nation's top Catholic universities for its award-winning faculty and tradition of academic excellence. Duquesne, a campus of nearly 9,500 graduate and undergraduate students, has been nationally recognized for its academic programs, community service and commitment to sustainability. Follow Duquesne University on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.www.duq.edu

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Report Scope: The scope of this report is broad and covers various type of product available in the stem cell and regenerative medicines market and potential application sectors across various industries.

New York, Oct. 24, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Global Stem Cell and Regenerative Therapy Market" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p05791357/?utm_source=GNW The current report offers a detailed analysis of the stem cell and regenerative medicines market.

The report highlights the current and future market potential of stem cell and regenerative medicines and provides a detailed analysis of the competitive environment, recent development, merger and acquisition, drivers, restraints, and technology background in the market. The report also covers market projections through 2024.

The report details market shares of stem cell and regenerative medicines based on products, application, and geography.Based on product the market is segmented into therapeutic products, cell banking, tools and reagents.

The therapeutics products segments include cell therapy, tissue engineering and gene therapy. By application, the market is segmented into oncology, cardiovascular disorders, dermatology, orthopedic applications, central nervous system disorders, diabetes, others

The market is segmented by geography into the following regions: North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, South America, and the Middle East and Africa. The report presents detailed analyses of major countries such as the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Germany, the U.K. France, Japan, China and India. For market estimates, data is provided for 2018 as the base year, with forecasts for 2019 through 2024. Estimated values are based on product manufacturers total revenues. Projected and forecasted revenue values are in constant U.S. dollars, unadjusted for inflation.

Report Includes: - 28 data tables - An overview of global markets for stem cell and regenerative medicines - Analyses of global market trends, with data from 2018, estimates for 2019, and projections of compound annual growth rates (CAGRs) through 2024 - Details of historic background and description of embryonic and adult stem cells - Information on stem cell banking and stem cell research - A look at the growing research & development activities in regenerative medicine - Coverage of ethical issues in stem cell research & regulatory constraints on biopharmaceuticals - Comprehensive company profiles of key players in the market, including Aldagen Inc., Caladrius Biosciences Inc., Daiichi Sankyo Co. Ltd., Gamida Cell Ltd. and Novartis AG

Summary The global market for stem cell and regenerative medicines was valued at REDACTED billion in 2018.The market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of REDACTED to reach approximately REDACTED billion by 2024.

Growth of the global market is attributed to the factors such as growingprevalence of cancer, technological advancement in product, growing adoption of novel therapeuticssuch as cell therapy, gene therapy in treatment of chronic diseases and increasing investment fromprivate players in cell-based therapies.

In the global market, North America held the highest market share in 2018.The Asia-Pacific region is anticipated to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period.

The growing government funding for regenerative medicines in research institutes along with the growing number of clinical trials based on cell-based therapy and investment in R&D activities is expected to supplement the growth of the stem cell and regenerative market in Asia-Pacific region during the forecast period.

Reasons for Doing This Study Global stem cell and regenerative medicines market comprises of various products for novel therapeutics that are adopted across various applications.New advancement and product launches have influenced the stem cell and regenerative medicines market and it is expected to grow in the near future.

The biopharmaceutical companies are investing significantly in cell-based therapeutics.The government organizations are funding research and development activities related to stem cell research.

These factors are impacting the stem cell and regenerative medicines market positively and augmenting the demand of stem cell and regenerative therapy among different application segments.The market is impacted through adoption of stem cell therapy.

The key players in the market are investing in development of innovative products. The stem cell therapy market is likely to grow during the forecast period owing to growing investment from private companies, increasing in regulatory approval of stem cell-based therapeutics for treatment of chronic diseases and growth in commercial applications of regenerative medicine.

Products based on stem cells do not yet form an established market, but unlike some other potential applications of bioscience, stem cell technology has already produced many significant products in important therapeutic areas. The potential scope of the stem cell market is now becoming clear, and it is appropriate to review the technology, see its current practical applications, evaluate the participating companies and look to its future.

The report provides the reader with a background on stem cell and regenerative therapy, analyzes the current factors influencing the market, provides decision-makers the tools that inform decisions about expansion and penetration in this market.Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05791357/?utm_source=GNW

About ReportlinkerReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place.

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Clare: clare@reportlinker.comUS: (339)-368-6001Intl: +1 339-368-6001

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Global Stem Cell and Regenerative Therapy Market - Yahoo Finance

NEW YORK, Oct. 21, 2019 /PRNewswire/ --

Regenerative Medicine Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis By Product (Primary Cell-based, Stem & Progenitor Cell-based), By Therapeutic Category (Dermatology, Oncology) And Segment Forecasts, 2019 - 2025

Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05807250/?utm_source=PRN

The global regenerative medicine market size is expected to reach USD 5.60 billion by 2025, expanding at a CAGR of 11.6% over the forecast period. Regenerative medicines are expected to have a significant impact in healthcare to treat specific indications and chronic conditions. Therefore, high prevalence of cancer, neurodegenerative, orthopedic, and other aging-associated disorders coupled with increasing global geriatric population is driving the market growth. Moreover, rising prevalence of inheritable genetic diseases is anticipated to fuel the demand in the field of biotechnology field.

Market players are engaged in implementing novel protocols for the release of novel therapeutics. For instance, in July 2018, Convelo Therapeutics launched regenerative medicines for the treatment of various neurological diseases, such as multiple sclerosis.Agreements models initiated by the companies coupled with commercialization in emerging countries fuels the growth. For instance, in March 2018, Hitachi Chemical signed an agreement with the Daiichi Sankyo and SanBio Group to conduct clinical manufacturing of regenerative medicines developed by respective companies for Japanese and U.S. markets.

Regenerative medicine is anticipated to witness great attention in healthcare sector due to its wide range of applications and significant advancements tissue engineering, stem cells, gene therapy, drug discovery, and nanotechnology. For example, 3D printing is preferred over scaffold with stem cells to restore structure and functional characteristics of biological specimens.

Dermatology is estimated to hold the largest market share in terms of revenue in 2018, owing to the availability of various products and their application in simple and chronic wound healing. Oncology therapeutic category on the other hand, is projected to expand at the fastest CAGR during the forecast period owing to the presence of strong pipeline of regenerative medicines for cancer treatment.

North America held the largest regenerative medicine market share in terms of revenue in 2018 and is projected to continue its dominance in near future. A significant number of universities and research organizations investigating various stem cell-based approaches for regenerative apposition in U.S. is anticipated to propel the growth.

Further key findings from the report suggest: Therapeutics emerged dominant among product segments in 2018 due to high usage of primary cell-based therapies along with advances in stem cell and progenitor cell therapies Implementation of primary cell-based therapies in dermatological, musculoskeletal, and dental application results in highest share of this segment Stem cell and progenitor cell-based therapies are anticipated to witness rapid growth due to high investments in stem cell research and increasing number of stem cell banks With rise in R&D and clinical trials, key players are offering consulting services leading to lucrative growth of the services segment Asia Pacific is projected to witness the fastest CAGR during the forecast period due to rapid adoption of cell-based approaches in healthcare and emergence of key players Key players operating in the regenerative medicine market including AstraZeneca; F Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd.; Pfizer Inc.; Merck & Co., Inc.; Integra LifeSciences Corporation; and Eli Lilly and Company

Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05807250/?utm_source=PRN

About ReportlinkerReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place.

__________________________Contact Clare: clare@reportlinker.comUS: (339)-368-6001Intl: +1 339-368-6001

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The global regenerative medicine market size is expected to reach USD 5.60 billion by 2025, expanding at a CAGR of 11.6% over the forecast period -...