DECN XPRIZE Testing Data for Rapid COVID-19 Testing Technology Yields Near Textbook Results
Data using XPRIZE supplied contrived fluid samples provides results comparable to those seen in the FDA lab testing of donor saliva, as DECN competes for the $5 million prize and GLOBAL validation
LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / November 23, 2020 / Decision Diagnostics Corp. (OTC PINK:DECN) www.decisiondiagnostics.co, a leading manufacturer and worldwide distributor of diabetic test strips engineered to operate on legacy glucose meters along with its subsidiary Pharma Tech Solutions, Inc., the inventor/manufacturer of the GenViro! Covid-19 Swift Kit truly rapid testing methodology, today announced the results of the completion of its testing for the world-renown XPRIZE, www.xprize.org. The results from the GenViro! testing, using simulated Covid samples and protocols provided by XPRIZE, provided results in 4-9 seconds that were consistent with what the company reports seeing in the FDA lab human donor testing it is concluding at its certified lab and from human donor tests run in the laboratory of its Korean partner.
XPRIZE is the world's leader in designing and operating incentive competitions to solve humanity's grand challenges, in collaboration with OpenCovidScreen, a non-profit founded by scientists and business leaders to drive needed innovation through "Open Science." OpenCovidScreen, was founded along with a coalition of partners calling for the global community to develop accurate, frequent, fast-turnaround, affordable, and easy-to-use screening tests to detect Covid-19 occurrences before they become outbreaks. The $5 million XPRIZE Rapid Covid Testing competition is designed to accelerate the development of high-quality Covid-19 testing that is low cost, reliable, easy to use, and has a fast fast-turnaround, thereby enabling frequent testing.
"While we were guarded about working in the limited time frame provided for the testing on previously unknown and "contrived" samples, we nevertheless anticipated doing especially well on the testing given our faith and belief in our product. I am more than pleased, pleasantly surprised I would add, with the resulting data," said CEO Keith Berman. "We remain more than emboldened about the overall efficacy of the GenViro! Swift Kits. The results provided an identification dichotomy, perhaps for the first time giving rise to a testing category nomenclature for our noteworthy GenViro! Swift product."
DECN's subsidiary Pharma Tech Solutions, conducted its XPRIZE testing at the laboratory of its Korean partner, using the 88 samples provided by the XPRIZE committee. The week-long testing period included two days needed to thaw out the samples, which were received frozen in dry ice. Samples were triple tested in a blind study under the protocols set by the committee. The results have been submitted to the XPRIZE committee for consideration as a finalist, and their announcement is tentatively planned for release on or around December 8th.
The XPRIZE Rapid Covid Testing competition calls on the world's brightest, most innovative minds to develop new, low-cost testing solutions that range from testing devices with 15-minute results to distributed lab testing methods with "next morning" results. Frequent, fast-turnaround, easy-to-use testing enables effective data-driven tracing and isolatingstrategies. Many currently available Covid-19 tests remain expensive, slow, invasive, and are supply-chain limited. XPRIZE Rapid Covid Testing aims to meet the need to scale testing capabilities by approximately 100-times above our current standards, the level needed to more safely return to everyday activities, especially in times of increased community spread.
To amplify its impact, a $50 million "COVID Apollo Project" led by experienced life sciences investors and company builders - including RA Capital, Bain Capital, Perceptive Advisors, Redmile Group, and Samsara Biocapital - will work with OpenCovidScreen, the XPRIZE community, and others to accelerate the best ideas, technologies, and innovations to market and scale them.
Teams can compete in one of the following four categories: At Home, Point-of-Care, Distributed Lab, or High-Throughput Lab. To ensure supply chain diverse solutions, entries are encouraged in a variety of underlying testing approaches (PCR, Isothermal/LAMP/RPA, CRISPR, Antigen-detection, Next Generation Sequencing, and other technologies). Entries will be judged on overall innovation of solution, appropriate performance, turnaround time, scaling properties and frequency enabled, ease-of-use and cost of solution.
ABOUT DECISION DIAGNOSTICS CORP Decision Diagnostics Corp. is the leading manufacturer and worldwide distributor of diabetic test strips engineered to operate on legacy glucose meters. DECN's products are designed to operate efficiently and less expensively on certain glucose meters already in use by almost 7.5 million diabetics worldwide. With newly inspired technology, and diabetic test strips already in the final stages of development, DECN products compete on a worldwide scale with legacy manufacturers currently selling to 71+ percent of a $15+ billion at-home testing market.
The company's new GenViro!™ products designed to test for Covid-19 are not yet available in the United States and hopefully should soon be available in Puerto Rico, but Emergency (EUA) Waivers are in process with the U.S. FDA with additional submissions to take place in the near future. The company has also signed an agreement with an FDA and CLIA certified US, Pennsylvania-based testing partner to complete testing per current FDA guidelines and continues to look forward to the FDA authorization of its EUAs.
Beyond all of our testing activities, the company has received word from several of its large GenUltimate! blood glucose product distributors who are seeking to have GenViro! added to their Amazon product offerings upon FDA approval. Currently, Amazon only offers special licenses for point of care and professional use medical products, which would preclude the individual use GenViro! Kit from being available on Amazon, even after FDA approval is secured. Two of the company's GenUltimate! product distributors have these "professional use" arrangements with Amazon, with a third distributor application in the works, although the company may determine that it is in its best interest to offer limited exclusivity to one distributor once FDA authorization is achieved.
Spirit of Christmas Shines through in Uplifting, Small-Town Romance
Nashville, TN, November 23, 2020 — Build a crackling fire, pour a cup of cocoa and immerse yourself in the holiday spirit with Wrapped Up in Christmas Joy, a heartwarming, small-town romance from Hallmark Publishing author Janice Lynn.
Set in the charming little town of Pine Hill, Kentucky, Wrapped Up in Christmas Joy introduces readers to quilt shop owner Sophie Davis and former Marine Cole Aaron, whose lives intersect at Pine Hill's Christmas festivities.
The story begins when Sophie finds Cole’s journal among a box of books that had been donated to her church. She can’t help but peruse the personal entries, finding herself drawn to the stranger on the pages. As the daughter of a veteran and a seamstress who sews Quilts of Valor, she feels a deep connection to the former soldier who wrote the emotional entries, and she longs to heal his heart.
As a former Marine, Cole battled to find peace after returning to civilian life, and his journal was the conduit toward a truce with his past. Always needing to protect others, Cole now fights fires and is embracing his new life in Pine Hill. When Sophie shows up at the fire hall with his journal, he fears digging up the demons from his past and tells her to trash it.
Their paths continue to intertwine, with both Sophie and Cole volunteering for their community. But it’s hard for Cole to let down his guard, and he doesn’t need anyone’s pity. After all he’s been through in the past, can he find faith in a more hopeful future — one touched by joy?
Wrapped Up in Christmas Joy is the perfect small-town Christmas romance to warm readers’ hearts during the holiday season. It is the sequel to Janice’s first story, Wrapped Up in Christmas, and can also stand alone.
Janice Lynn is a USA Today and Wall Street Journal Bestselling author. She strives to write characters who evoke strong emotions and make readers want to go along on their journeys.
Her first sweet romance, Wrapped Up in Christmas, was a bestseller on Barnes & Noble, Wal-Mart, Amazon (hit No. 13 overall in paid fiction in Kindle) and ibooks (hit number No. 1 paid ebook fiction); was Hallmark Publishing's first release to hit the USA TODAY and Wall Street Journal's bestseller lists; and was a finalist in the Bookseller's Best Award. Janice also writes contemporary Medical Romances for Harlequin, and her books have won numerous awards, including the National Readers' Choice Award, the Golden Quill for Best Short contemporary Romance and for Best First Book, Romantic Times Magazine's American Title, and the Holt Medallion Award of Merit.
Janice lives in Tennessee with her Prince Charming, their seven kids, her vivid imagination, an adorable Maltese named Halo who's the true princess of the house and a bunch of unnamed dust bunnies who took up permanent residence after Janice started her writing career. In addition to writing romance, Janice is a nurse practitioner, a quilter, an exercise queen, a military mama and a member of and an avid supporter of the Quilts of Valor Foundation. Just kidding on the exercise queen.
Study: Early, late stages of degenerative diseases are distinct Two-phase theory applies to diseases like Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, muscle atrophy
HOUSTON – (Nov. 23, 2020) – Rice University biochemists Michael Stern and James McNew have studied how neurodegeneration kills cells. They've conducted countless experiments over more than a decade, and they've summarized all they've learned in a simple diagram they hope may change how doctors perceive and treat degenerative diseases as varied as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and muscle atrophy.
In a study published this month in Molecular Psychiatry, McNew and Sternpropose that degeneration, at the cellular level, occurs in two distinct phases that are marked by very different activities of protein signaling pathways that regulate basic cell functions.
"We would like clinicians and other researchers to understand that the two phases of degeneration represent distinct entities, with distinct alterations in signaling pathways that have distinct effects on disease pathology," said Stern, a professor of biosciences at Rice. "In other words, we think that patients need to be treated differently depending on which phase they are in."
Stern and McNew's diagram shows how the activity of key cell signaling proteins either increases or decreases at the onset of degeneration, ultimately bringing about oxidative stress. Oxidative stress then brings about the second phase of the condition, during which degeneration occurs, where the signaling proteins implicated in the first phase behave in a completely different way.
Because cells behave quite differently in the two phases, the research suggests patients in different phases of a disease may respond differently to the same treatment.
"The two phases of degeneration haven't been previously recognized, so it hasn't been understood, clinically, that you have two different populations of patients," McNew said. "Today, they're treated like one population, and we think this has confounded clinical trials and explains why some trials on Alzheimer's have given variable and irreproducible effects. It would be like trying to treat all meningitis patients with antibiotics without realizing that there are two types of meningitis, one bacterial and one viral."
Stern and McNew, professors of biochemistry and cell biology in Rice's Department of BioSciences, became interested in the cellular processes of neurodegenerative disorders when they began studying hereditary spastic paraplegia (HSP) in the late 2000s. A rare disorder, HSP is marked by numbness and weakness in the legs and feet due to the progressive deterioration of neurons that connect the spine and lower leg.
These are some of the longest cells in the body, and starting with clues about structural defectsthat could cause them to degenerate, McNew and Stern used experiments on fruit flies to systematically piece together the biochemical domino effect that caused the neurons to progressively lose more and more function and eventually die. It had been thought that nerve damage could lead to muscle atrophy, but their studies found that muscle cells attached to the neurons started degenerating from the same type of biochemical cascade before the nerve cells died.
A key player in the cascade was a protein called TOR, a master regulator of cell growth and an essential protein for all higher order life from yeast to humans. TOR acts like a knob, dialing growth up or down to suit the conditions a cell is experiencing. In some conditions, high growth is warranted and beneficial, and in other situations growth needs to be dialed back so energy and resources can be conserved for daily chores, like the recycling or repair that take place during a process known as autophagy.
Some cancers highjack TOR to promote aggressive cell growth, and increased TOR activity has also been implicated in neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases and in diseases marked by muscle atrophy. After compiling evidence about how TOR and several other signaling proteins behaved in neurodegeneration, McNew and Stern won a grant from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke in 2018 for experiments to investigate signaling pathway changes that occur in the early stages of degeneration.
"At the time, we thought there might be a late phase during which degeneration actually occurs, but we didn't propose any experiments to test that," Stern said. "In the new paper, we're explicit about the existence of a late phase. We propose mechanistically why degeneration occurs only during this phase, and cite abundant research in support."
Stern said the two-phase process described in the study "is the basic engine that drives most or even all forms of degeneration forward. However, in addition, there are also inputs whose role is to specify how fast the engine turns over."
To understand neurodegeneration, it's critical to understand how those inputs work, he said. For example, insulin resistance plays a well-known role in driving Alzheimer's disease, and in the study McNew and Stern describe how it does that by accelerating progression through the early phase.
"Similarly, our data suggests that decreases in synaptic transmission, as occurs in our HSP insect model, likewise triggers degeneration by accelerating progression through the early phase," McNew said. "Our NIH grant was funded so that we could learn the mechanism by which that occurs."
Now that they clearly understand that two phases of degeneration exist, Stern said he and McNew would like to carry out more experiments to see how the effects of specific genes on degeneration are altered when they are activated in the early and late phases.
"What we would like to do in the last two years of the grant is to obtain data to test some of the predictions we have made, which will help determine if the ideas we have presented are likely to be correct," Stern said.
The research was supported by the National Institutes of Health (R01-NS102676).
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Links and resources:
The DOI of the Molecular Psychiatry paper is: 10.1038/s41380-020-00943-9
High-resolution IMAGES are available for download at:
https://news-network.rice.edu/news/files/2020/11/1123_DEGEN-fig1-lg-1.jpg CAPTION: Based on thousands of experiments over more than a decade, Rice University biochemists Michael Stern and James McNew believe degenerative diseases as varied as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and muscle atrophy occur in two phases (green and red) marked by distinct alterations in the activity of the signaling pathway proteins TOR, AMPK, Foxo and JNK. In the early phase (left), autophagy is suppressed, which increases oxidative stress, eventually bringing about the late phase (right) in which autophagy is restored, causing rapid degeneration. (Illustration courtesy of M. Stern/Rice University)
Follow Rice News and Media Relations via Twitter @RiceUNews.
Located on a 300-acre forested campus in Houston, Rice University is consistently ranked among the nation’s top 20 universities by U.S. News & World Report. Rice has highly respected schools of Architecture, Business, Continuing Studies, Engineering, Humanities, Music, Natural Sciences and Social Sciences and is home to the Baker Institute for Public Policy. With 3,978 undergraduates and 3,192 graduate students, Rice’s undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio is just under 6-to-1. Its residential college system builds close-knit communities and lifelong friendships, just one reason why Rice is ranked No. 1 for lots of race/class interaction and No. 1 for quality of life by the Princeton Review. Rice is also rated as a best value among private universities by Kiplinger’s Personal Finance.
Episode 21-The Train It Right Life - Where Have I Been Mental Health and Dieting
Hey guys! Sorry for being missing in action these past couple of weeks. Truthfully I wasn't in the podcasting mood and needed some time to myself. I explain it all on this weeks episode, and discuss covid, prep, mental health and dieting! Don't forget to leave stars, a review and share! Also make sure you're following me on all my socials! Everything is searchable as trainitright! xox
Achieve Peace, Happiness, Tranquility, and Relaxation Through A New Meditation App
New meditation app Relaxx App guides its users to understand the body, mind, and flame through meditation and intermittent silence.
Relaxx is the advanced meditation app for achieving peace, happiness, tranquility, and relaxation through the practice of intermittent silence and meditation. The app guides its users on a journey away from everyday tasks and concerns to reduce stress and burnout.
The app was created by Dr. Krishna Bhatta, a surgeon, author, and inventor, who is currently practicing as chief of urology at Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center in Maine. In addition to his medical practice, Dr. Bhatta’s passion lies in integrating eastern wisdom into the western world by sharing his spiritual discoveries.
This portable spiritual Guru provides an individualized experience where users can start with a daily intermittent silence routine and move on to a variety of meditation techniques, both guided and unguided. Just a few minutes of practicing mindfulness, intermittent silence, and meditation will leave users feeling energized and refreshed.
Intermittent silence is a term that Dr. Bhatta has been using for a few years to represent taking a break from life. In the same way that people rest their physical body and lower their heart rate to a resting place, it is also important to rest the brain, even if it is only ten minutes. Dr. Bhatta explains that by closing the eyes, the visual pathway is able to rest. By listening in silence and hearing sounds without judgment, auditory pathways are able to rest. Allowing thoughts to pass without paying attention will give rest to the brain, and when that resting place is achieved, a door will open to individual consciousness.
Relaxx encourages people to practice at the same time and same place as often as possible. This practice will lead to progression, to the point that users will be able to notice a difference in their meditation quality. By continuing daily, the ultimate goal will be to carry that peace into times of chaos. With guidance from Relaxx, users will come to an understanding of body, mind, and flame. Their chakras will come alive as they begin their inner adventure. Collectively, this brings a noticeable change to real life situations. The changes should reflect at work and at home, with an all around better performance and improved relationships.
Dr. Bhatta, says, “You go to sleep and come out refreshed; you go through meditation and come out energized and spread peace.” He adds, “With Relaxx, we want you to experience intermittent silence. Open the door to all deeper meditations and enhance your awareness for everything around you.”
Krishna Bhatta is an author, surgeon, and inventor, currently practicing as chief of urology at Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor, Maine. Dr. Bhatta began his life in a small Indian village, attended Patna Medical College in India, and continued his education in the U.K. He completed his research and medical training at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston before settling down in Maine. Dr. Bhatta takes joy in sharing what he has learned and earnestly hopes to further the spiritual discoveries of generations to come. He dreams of a world where eastern wisdom and western discoveries embrace each other to make the world a better place.
Legendary Actress Writes New Book to Help Kids Cope During Pandemic
New York City, NY, November 20, 2020 — When Donna Fae Mogul, a.k.a. actress Lisa Carroll, heard her NYC neighbor’s daughter cry from the fears of COVID-19, she thought there had to be a way to use her well-versed communication and survival skills from her movie, TV and Broadway career in a way to offer comfort in the eyes of her little neighbor—and beyond. That’s why Lisa teamed up with award-winning illustrator G.F. Newland to create The Big, Bad Coronavirus! And How We Can Beat It (Pixel Mouse House), written by Lisa Carroll, illustrations by G.F. Newland.
The Big, Bad Coronavirus! And How We Can Beat Ittells the story of little Lisa as she struggles to face the realities of COVID-19. Little Lisa can't comprehend why she has to wear a facemask, why she has barriers around her school desk or why she’s confined to virtual learning from home. It all doesn’t add up. Because little Lisa longs for the life she once had, she imagines the virus as a giant, scary dragon. Fortunately, her mother comes to her side and comforts her, teaching her everything she needs to know to deal with this pandemic from a kid’s perspective. Lisa becomes a stronger and braver girl who inspires her classmates to live without fear.
Lisa’s journey to writing this book is extraordinary. Having appeared in such films as Otto Preminger’s “River of No Return,” starring Marilyn Monroe and Robert Mitchum; “Battlecry,” starring Van Johnson; “The Shrike,” starring June Allyson and Jose Ferrer; “Diane,” starring Lana Turner; and “One Desire,” opposite Rock Hudson, Lisa is no stranger to hitting tremendous highs and overcoming incomprehensible lows to survive.
In the late 1950s, at 16, while driving from Hollywood to New York City with her mother for a Metropolitan Opera audition, Lisa survived a deadly car crash, which killed six. Lisa was told she would never walk or talk again. While in rehabilitation (for six years!) and listening to the radio, Lisa learned the art of rapping—paving the way for her mega-hit children’s hip-hop album for Capitol Records, “Rappin’ Up Christmas: Homeys 4 the Holidays.” This inspired her to make her first huggable toy, Hip Hop Randy Bear for the Gund company, part of a group of 10 plush toys, including Hip Hop Hamilton, inspired by the outstanding statesman Alexander Hamilton. In the ’60s, Lisa turned to the stage to appear as Carol Channing’s stand-by in “Hello Dolly!,” as well as toured in the national company of “Applause,” among others. She also appeared on the ABC TV national children’s show “Toybox” in which she featured 10 of her toys called “Furry Friends.” She was also in numerous other episodic TV roles, including “General Hospital.” In addition, Lisa hosted the BBC’s “Night Ride,” had a UK recording contract with CBS Records and starred as a cabaret artist in her own one-woman show at the Savoy in London, the Hilton in Hong Kong, plus stints in California and Vegas. With all this experience on TV, stage, screen, cabaret and even in the toy business, Lisa Carroll feels comfortable writing this gentle book on a big subject that many—young and old—can find comfort in.
Author Lisa Carroll captures the perspective of this moment that will resonate with children having a difficult time, while emotionally processing the coronavirus. Drawing from Lisa Carroll’s real-life survival “joie de vivre,” parents and educators alike can use the book to help children cope with COVID-19.
Don’t Let COVID Prevent You from Protecting Your Eye Health
New York, NY, November 20, 2020 — Make a resolution to get your eyes checked before the new year arrives, advises Dr. Daniel Laroche, Director of Glaucoma Services and President of Advanced Eyecare of New York. While it’s easy to get swept up in the approaching holiday season, it’s still important to stay on top of regular doctor visits, including visits with your eye doctor.
People with conditions such as glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy that could lead to blindness if left unchecked need to stay particularly vigilant with their checkups. The pandemic shouldn’t keep you from visiting your doctor, but for patients over 60, Dr. Laroche advises it's better to stay home and do telehealth over the phone or video consultation until the pandemic flattens. He also encourages people to wear face masks on visits and maintain social distancing, even if they are in a health clinic, and if you’re high-risk, consider adding eye protection when in public spaces.
“Eyesight or human vision is one of the most important senses. As much as 80 percent of what we feel comes through our sense of sight. By protecting the eyes, people will reduce the chance of blindness and vision loss while also staying on top of any developing eye diseases, such as glaucoma and cataracts. A healthy brain function requires a healthy vision. The brain is our most essential organ, and it allows us to control other organs. Normal and healthy vision contributes to improved learning and comprehension for a better quality of life,” says Dr. Laroche.
Dr. Laroche says there is another critical issue that the pandemic has brought to the forefront and that is the issue of health care disparities among Black and Brown people.
“Nationally, African American deaths from COVID-19 are nearly two times greater than would be expected based on their share of the population. In four states, the rate is three or more times greater. In 42 states, plus Washington, D.C., Hispanics make up a greater share of confirmed cases than their share of the population. In eight states it’s more than four times greater,” he says, adding: “In stark contrast, white deaths from COVID-19 are lower than their share of the population in 37 states.”
Dr. Laroche says there are several things that can be done to not only address but to help combat this issue:
1. Increase the number of Black and Afro-Latino physicians worldwide.
2. Implement universal health care.
3. Increase wealth and education which produces better health.
4. Provide a living income stipend for poor people to access food and reduce malnutrition.
5. Eliminate racism to reduce stress.
6. Identify white supremacist organizations as terrorist groups.
7. Recommend all corporations have people of color in the top management and leadership positions.
8. Eliminate sole reliance on standardized testing as the criteria to be used at entry to magnet schools.
9. Provide more funding to reduce homelessness and for mental health.
10. The government should also require medical school, research and hospital funding to diversify and benefit people of color.
About Dr. Daniel Laroche
Dr. Laroche is an exceptional glaucoma specialist in New York. He studied and received his bachelor's degree from New York University and a medical doctorate with honors in research from Weil Cornell University Medical College. He underwent a medical internship at Montefiore Hospital and finished his ophthalmology residency at Howard University Hospital in Washington D.C., where he was the chief resident in his third year. He later completed his glaucoma fellowship at New York Eye and Ear.
For more information about Dr. Laroche, please call 212-663-0473 or visit: www.advancedeyecareny.com.
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Five Simple Exercises to Boost Circulation for Better Health and Immunity This Holiday Season, Based on Research By Celebrity Sports Therapist Brian Burzynski
Trusted by elite athletes, the Intelligent Threads® creator shares easy exercises to improve blood flow, increase oxygen, and feel your best - perfect for home or holiday road travel
Kerrville, TEXAS – (November 19th, 2020): As colder temperatures keep many confined indoors and the prospect of long holiday road trips are on the horizon, Intelligent Threads® Creator Brian Burzynski, D.PSc., SRM shares his top five exercises for boosting health and increasing circulation. Based on the patented Synergy Release Method®, Intelligent Threads® is the world’s first wearable technology solution for faster muscle recovery and relaxation. Following more than 15 years of research and a successful private practice, Burzynski offers the same tips that help his pro athlete clientele maintain good circulation for effective heart, muscle, and overall physical performance.
“Better circulation begins with a relaxed bone structure,” explains Burzysnki. “Intelligent Threads® is recovery you can wear - at home or on the go - to help release tight, constricted muscles and keep each skeletal piece in correct alignment for improved blood flow.”
Blood is the life force of the body, carrying essential nutrients and oxygen to every muscle and organ. Proper circulation is vital to peak physical performance, as well as immunity. Sitting for extended periods of time, working from home or driving to that holiday staycation destination, can cut off circulation and slow the flow of blood throughout the body. During a season when many find themselves doing just that, Burzynski shares these five quick and simple exercises that can be done anywhere, anytime - in addition to drinking plenty of water - to restore healthy circulation:
Core release: Take a deep breath, hold for 5 seconds, then exhale while fully relaxing the stomach. Once the core releases, the rest of the body will follow.
Side body and upper arms: Reach the right arm up to the ceiling and lean body to the left, holding for 15 seconds. Switch arms and repeat, leaning to the right. Alternatively, grab the right elbow with the left hand behind the head and pull gently.
Hips and lower body: While standing, rest the left foot on a chair (or car tire, if traveling) with leg outstretched and bend over toward toes for 20 seconds. Relax and let hands and arms dangle. Switch legs and repeat.
Lower legs and feet: Sit up straight with feet flat on the floor. Alternate lifting toes and heels, then slowly rolling ankles.
Full body stimulation: When you stop for gas or take work breaks throughout the day, get moving - see how many times you can walk around your car or desk.
Enhance these exercise results with Intelligent Threads®, infused with revolutionary Myo-Equilibration (Myo-E) technology to help bring balance to the myofascial network while releasing muscles and promoting healthy blood flow. Improve overall performance, reach the peak of physical ability, decrease the risk of injury, and alter muscle or joint pain at its source with chemical-free performance clothing featuring lightweight dryfit PosiCharge polyester material. Shop the Intelligent Threads® collection online at IntelligentThreads.com. Follow @IntelligentThreads on YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook for more exercises, product releases, and health tips for achieving peak performance. Intelligent Threads - Smart Wear to Improve, Restore, and Regenerate.
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About Intelligent Threads:
Intelligent Threads® is a wearable breakthrough technology designed to help athletes and non-athletes alike perform at their highest level. Developed by Synergy Release Method® provider Brian Burzynski, D.PSc., SRM, and featuring technology more than 15 years in the making, Intelligent Threads® drastically improves muscle relaxation and recovery time. Using lightweight dryfit PosiCharge polyester material that is lab-proven to be chemical-free, each piece stabilizes bone structure while releasing muscles to help the body achieve its correct anatomical position. Achieve the proper body alignment vital to faster recovery, with added benefits of helping to restore blood flow, gain better posture, relax the muscles, eliminate soreness, and prevent injury. Improve performance and reach peak potential in the gym, yoga studio, or on the field. Relieve soreness, pain, and bad posture for better performance at work, home, or on the go. Intelligent Threads® is built to restore the body to optimum functionality so it can perform according to its design. Discover Intelligent Threads online at IntelligentThreads.com. Follow on YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook @IntelligentThreads. Intelligent Threads - Smart Wear to Improve, Restore, and Regenerate
SAINT LUCIA MAKES IT EASY TO FIND BLACK FRIDAY/CYBER MONDAY VACATION DEALS WITH OFFERS UP TO 60% OFF
(TORONTO, ON – November 19, 2020) - The Saint Lucia Tourism Authority has created a dedicated webpage detailing all of the destination’s Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals, making it easy to find the best options for future vacations. The site lists 17 hotel specials and discounts up to 60% off, with many valid for travel throughout 2021. Perks include room upgrades, complimentary wine, resort credits and more.
On the page, Saint Lucia Tourism Authority gives a nod of gratitude to travelers and expresses thanks to its visitors, providing inspiration for future guests. With Covid-19 safety protocols firmly in place, Saint Lucia looks forward to welcoming vacationers when they are ready to travel and is open to visitors from around the world who present a Covid-19 CPR test taken within seven days of arrival, along with other protocols outlined at www.stlucia.org/covid-19. Currently, more than a dozen signature attractions, restaurants and activities are available to guests to explore by land, sea and air. These include sailing along 100 miles of picturesque coastline, tasting local cuisine, soaking in the famed mud baths at the Sulphur Springs, ziplining through the rainforest and scuba diving.
With an average yearly temperature of 84 degrees, Saint Lucia is a favorite Caribbean destination year-round. Offer details vary by hotel and can be found at www.stlucia.org by clicking Specials, or going directly to the Saint Lucia Cyber Monday specials page at www.stlucia.org/cyber-monday-specials.
Saint Lucia Cyber Monday 2020 offers include:
Bay Gardens Beach Resort & Spa: 50% off plus free room upgrade
Bay Gardens Hotel: 50% off plus free room upgrade
Bay Gardens Inn: 50% off plus free room upgrade
Bay Gardens Marina Haven: 50% off plus free room upgrade
Cap Maison Resort & Spa: 35% off Garden View rooms, plus upgrade to a Junior Suite
Caille Blanc Villa & Hotel: 35% off 3 nights or more in oceanfront suites, plus bottle of wine
Calabash Cove Resort & Spa: 50% off breakfast only rates, 45% off all-inclusive rates
Coconut Bay Beach Resort & Spa: 55% off plus $1,200 instant credit per booking
Fond Doux Plantation & Resort: 30% off all room rates
Ladera Resort: Lock in 2020 rates for all of 2021, signature “open wall suites” starting at $575
Harbor Club, Curio Collection by Hilton: 33% off Bed & Breakfast rates
Serenity at Coconut Bay: Up to 60% off Unlimited All-Inclusive Butler Suite plus $1,200 Instant Credit
Stonefield Villa Resort: 40% off direct bookings
Sugar Beach - A Viceroy Resort: 40% off all accommodations
Têt Rouge Resort: 35% off deluxe sea view suite, $50 resort restaurant credit and bottle of Prosecco
The Landings Resort and Spa: 50% off 3 nights or more in suites, $200 credit for 5-night stays
Windjammer Landing Villa Beach Resort: 50% off for 3 nights or more, $150 spa credit
For more information about Saint Lucia, visit www.stlucia.org or call 1-800-456-3984, or 1-888 4STLUCIA.
About Saint Lucia: One of the Windward Islands of the West Indies’ Lesser Antilles, Saint Lucia is nestled halfway down the Eastern Caribbean archipelago. Saint Lucia is known for its natural beauty and diverse attractions, including the signature Piton Mountains (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), a tropical rainforest, the highly-Instagrammed mud baths at Sulphur Springs Park and the world’s only drive-in volcano. Culturally rich offerings include the bustling marketplace in the capital of Castries, quaint coastline fishing villages and internationally inspired cuisine. Saint Lucia's wide range of accommodations includes five-star hotels, all-inclusive resorts, intimate inns and value-oriented properties. The destination also offers world-class cruise and yachting facilities. The island is continually recognized as one of the leading wedding and honeymoon destinations worldwide. The Saint Lucia Tourism Authority is the official destination marketing and promotion organization for Saint Lucia. Learn more at www.stlucia.org and follow on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
OUTCOME OF PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION OFFERS LITTLE STRESS RELIEF, ACCORDING TO NEW SURVEY
APA raises mental, physical health concerns over stress as nation heads into winter
WASHINGTON — Following the most divisive election in decades, just 17% of American adults say their level of stress has decreased since Election Day, while more than a quarter (27%) say their stress has increased, according to a new survey conducted by The Harris Poll on behalf of the American Psychological Association.
When asked about specific stressors, a majority of Americans report the future of the nation, the coronavirus pandemic, the current political climate, and the outcome of the 2020 U.S. presidential election as significant sources of stress in their lives — highlighting the compounding stressors Americans continue to grapple with in 2020.
Following the 2020 election, 81% of Americans point to the future of our nation as a significant source of stress. For comparison, only 66% said the same in January 2017*. Stress about the future is high across party affiliation. More than 8 in 10 Democrats (83%), Republicans (83%), and independents (80%) say the future of our nation is a significant source of stress. When looking at the outcome of the 2020 presidential election, 71% of Americans say it’s a significant source of stress, compared with 49% who said the same in 2017. By party affiliation, 77% of Republicans cite the outcome as a significant source of stress, along with 74% of Democrats and 65% of independents.
The current political climate is a significant source of stress for 3 in 4 Americans (75%), compared with 57% of Americans who said the same in January 2017. Americans are also worried about the transition of power, with 64% saying they’re stressed about the possibility of the presidential transition of power not being peaceful. Broken down by party affiliation, 76% of Democrats share this sentiment, compared with 55% of Republicans and 59% of independents.
More than 3 in 4 Americans (76%) say the coronavirus pandemic is a significant source of stress in their lives. And over the past month, more than a third (37%) say the level of stress they feel about the coronavirus pandemic has increased. Women are more likely than men to cite the pandemic as a source of stress (80% of women compared with 73% of men). Additionally, 79% of adults in urban areas say the coronavirus is a significant source of stress, compared with 76% in suburban areas and 72% in rural areas.
“There is no doubt that we continue to face significant challenges in 2020, from the election to the pandemic. These findings demonstrate that we are not doing enough as a country to bring our stress under control, which means we are going to be less effective in our various personal and professional roles,” said Arthur C. Evans Jr., PhD, APA’s chief executive officer. “Many of us are already feeling the effects of chronic stress, such as fatigue, depression, stomachaches and trouble sleeping. The levels of stress that we’re seeing can make it harder for us to stay healthy during the winter months when we’re already more likely to get sick.”
With Thanksgiving days away, 40% of Americans say the political climate has caused strain between them and their family members. This is especially true of parents with children under age 18, as more than half (53%) agree with this sentiment compared with 35% of adults who do not have a child under 18. By generation, Gen Z adults, Millennials and Gen X are more likely than their older counterparts to say the political climate has caused strain between them and their family members (50%, 52% and 42%, respectively, compared with 28% of boomers and 20% of older adults).
Nearly three-quarters of adults (72%) say the current amount of uncertainty in our nation causes them stress. However, nearly the same proportion say the U.S. will overcome its challenges as it has done in the past (73%) and say they feel hopeful about their future (73%). And while 49% of Americans feel the country is on the path to being stronger than ever, Black and Hispanic adults are more likely than white adults to say they agree with that statement (62% of Black adults and 59% of Hispanic adults vs. 46% of white adults).
APA offered the following evidence-based advice to help people manage their stress over the coming months:
Give yourself permission to take a break from the news, social media or even certain friends. Constantly exposing ourselves to negative information, images and rhetoric maintains our stress at unhealthy levels.
Practice the rule of “three good things” and ask friends and family to do the same. The rule states that at the end of each day, reflect on three good things that happened — large or small. This helps decrease anxiety, counter depression and build emotional resiliency.
Practice self-care in 15- or 30-minute increments throughout the day. This can include taking a short walk, calling a friend or watching a funny show. Parents should encourage or help their children to do the same.
Stay connected with friends and family. This helps build emotional resiliency so you can support one another.
Keep things in perspective. A good way to do this is to ask yourself, “Am I in immediate danger?” or “Does this impact me personally?” and then judge your relative risk or personal challenge.
More information about managing stress and infographics on the findings are available at www.stressinamerica.org.
*The 2017 data is from a survey conducted online in English and Spanish within the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of the American Psychological Association from Jan. 5 - 19, 2017, among 1,019 U.S. adults ages 18 and older.
Methodology This survey was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of the American Psychological Association from Nov. 12 to 16, 2020, among 2,061 U.S. adults ages 18 and older. This online survey was not based on a probability sample and therefore no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables and subgroup sample sizes, contact sbethune@apa.org.
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