The Devastating Connection Between Lead Pollution and Fertility
Sexual health expert Dr. Laura Berman discusses new findings that show the insidious impact of lead on reproductive health
Lead pollution in Flint, Michigan has caused fetal deaths to increase by as much as 50%. Now, new research from Carnegie Mellon University has found that airborne lead exposure has lowered the general fertility rate in recent years.
“For years, the link between lead exposure and fertility has been researched,” says Dr. Laura Berman, sexual health expert and television host. “We now know that exposure to lead, even airborne exposure via topsoil, can harm our reproductive abilities.”
Dr. Berman says that concerned couples can take several steps to safeguard their fertility, including having their home tested for lead and using water filters to help remove lead from drinking water.
“But, beware, not all water filters are created equal,” says the sexual health expert and New York Times bestselling author. “For example, refrigerator water filter units generally do not have the capability to remove lead from water.”
In addition to limiting your exposure to harmful lead, Dr. Laura Berman advises hopeful couples to also consider other lifestyle choices which could be impacting your ability to become pregnant, including:
- Ibuprofen. “Many men think nothing of grabbing a handful of ibuprofen whenever they have muscle aches after the gym or they are battling a headache,” says Dr. Berman. “However, a brand-new study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences has found that men who take ibuprofen on a regular basis could suffer from hypogonadism, which is a hormonal condition that could cause infertility in men.”
- Low iodine. “By now, most women know that being a healthy weight is an important factor when it comes to getting pregnant. Hence, these women tend to focus on the calories and carbs they consume, and the number on the scale. But a new study suggests that these women need to be focused on the amount of iodine they are eating as well. Women who are low in iodine have HALF the chance of conceiving as women who have a healthy level of iodine.”
- The wrong lubricant. “Couples know that they need to enjoy lots of love-making in order to increase their chance of conception, but when it comes to making babies, not all lubricants are created equal,” explains Dr. Berman. “There is only one lubricant on the market which has an FDA-cleared formula and is recommended for fertility enhancement, and that is ToConcieve.”
ToConcieve was created by ob-gyns in conjunction with Callitas Health Inc. (CSE: LILY, OTCBB: MPHMF, FWB: T3F2). The fertility enhancing gel is unlike any other fertility product on the market in that it actually encourages the woman’s body to create more of her own lubricant, which in turn may increase the activation of sperm and the woman’s chances of pregnancy. Unlike every other lubricant on the market, ToConceive doesn’t just add chemical lubricants to a woman’s body, it actually encourages her to make more of her own natural lubricant which not only adds to her pleasure, but also may improve her chances of natural conception.
“This ground-breaking product is going to change the way that couples approach their fertility journey,” says Dr. Berman. “Now they have something over the counter that they can use before they have to spend the time and money on interventions at the doctor’s office.”
- Too much red meat. “A new Greek study has found that women who eat a Mediterranean diet are more likely to be successful on their IVF journey than women who do not. In other words, eating a plant-based diet with lots of healthy fats (such as olive oil and avocados) and lean protein like fish could help you to become pregnant.”
- Air pollution and pesticides. “Shocking research has revealed that pollution in the air could actually lead to poorer quality of sperm and hence higher levels of infertility for many couples,” says Dr. Berman. “Other research has linked a high consumption of pesticides with a woman’s inability to become pregnant. These findings are good reminders that we need to eat clean and breathe clean if we want to have optimal fertility.”
For more on this topic or to speak to Dr. Berman about ToConcieve and how it can help improve a woman’s chance of becoming pregnant, please contact me.
About Dr. Laura Berman:
Laura Berman, PhD, is a world-renowned sex and relationship educator and therapist; popular TV, radio and Internet host; New York Times best-selling author; and assistant clinical professor of ob-gyn and psychiatry at the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University in Chicago. Considered a thought leader in her field, Dr. Berman has helped countless couples build stronger relationships, improve their sex lives, and achieve a heightened level of intimacy through her TV and radio shows, books, columns and website, along with her private practice based in Chicago. Dr. Berman is a New York Times best-selling author of many books on sexual health and pleasure, a weekly columnist for the Chicago Sun Times, and host of the radio program “Uncovered with Dr. Laura Berman.” She has appeared on Fox News, CNN and the TODAY Show, as well as in The New York Times, USA Today, and every major woman’s magazine. Dr. Berman serves on the advisory board for The Dr. Oz Show and is a regular guest on The Steve Harvey Show.
New artificial intelligence software could decrease time spent at the hospital for patients
MONTREAL, June 28, 2018 /CNW/ - Chronic illnesses affect millions of Canadians and require them to spend considerable time in hospitals and healthcare centres. The National Research Council of Canada (NRC) and Greybox Solutions Inc. developed an innovative "virtual assistant" — an Artificial Intelligence (AI) health monitoring solution for Greybox's existing TakeCare secure health monitoring platform — to help patients, their healthcare providers, and caregivers remotely manage chronic conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, and heart failure.
With the help of this virtual assistant, patients can educate themselves and manage their own progress from home, while supporting healthcare professionals in triage procedures. The virtual assistant can guide patients through tasks to collect medical data like health parameters and lifestyle habits, and provide adaptive information based on the patient's emotional and physical state.
In addition to helping patients maintain a healthier lifestyle, the virtual assistant provides data and personalized recommendations to healthcare professionals, which translates to more quality time with doctors during visits instead of time spent filling in forms.
For patients with diseases that require specific and rigorous monitoring, such as diabetes and heart conditions, the virtual assistant is programmed to ask personalized questions targeted to the patient's condition. Data from these interactions is gathered, analysed, organized, and displayed to healthcare professionals in a user-friendly manner, providing them with pertinent patient information on a regular basis.
Greybox, and its clinical partners located across Canada, plan to launch the diabetes, hypertension, and heart failure virtual assistant programs in several hospitals for a commercial deployment late in 2018.
Quotes
"We are proud to participate in this collaboration to provide an accessible digital health monitoring tool for improving the health of Canadians, especially those in remote regions or with reduced mobility. The National Research Council's dedicated and recognized medical devices experts are creating virtual assistant applications that empower patients while creating regular and essential data transfer to their health professionals for more efficient health monitoring."
Dr. Roman Szumski, Vice-President of Life Sciences at the National Research Council of Canada
"We are pleased to be able to count on the National Research Council's expertise to expand our offer to other healthcare areas. Their expertise in the artificial intelligence field and biomedical software engineering, as well as their access to clinicians to guide the development of a product, is a distinct advantage when it comes to developing a product that meets a specific need."
Pierre Bérubé, Founder and CEO, Greybox Solutions Inc.
Quick facts
- By empowering patients to self-monitor their conditions, the intelligent virtual assistant could optimize the patient's time spent with healthcare professionals.
- Improving the general health monitoring of patients is essential for an aging population and for patients living in remote areas where regular health services are less accessible.
- Caregivers can access the intelligent virtual assistant and keep track of patient conditions while obtaining educational information from the platform.
Follow the NRC on Twitter: @NRC_CNRC
Follow Greybox on Twitter: @GreyboxSolution
SOURCE National Research Council Canada
Babylon AI Achieves Equivalent Accuracy With Human Doctors in Global Healthcare First
Transatlantic collaboration between the London-based medical Artificial Intelligence (AI) company and the Royal College of Physicians, Stanford Primary Care and Yale New Haven Health yields significant breakthrough
LONDON, June 27, 2018 /CNW/ - Babylon Health tonight announced a world-first during a presentation streamed live from London's Royal College of Physicians: The company's AI, in a series of robust tests (including the relevant sections of the MRCGP exam), has demonstrated its ability to provide health advice which is on-par with practicing clinicians[1].
The MRCGP exam is the final test for trainee General Practitioners (GPs), set by the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP). Trainee GPs who pass this assessment have demonstrated their competence and clinical skills to a level which is sufficiently high enough for them to undertake independent practice.
A key part of this exam tests a doctor's ability to diagnose.
1. Babylon's technology provides health information, rather than a medical diagnosis, for regulatory reasons. The tests carried out relate to the diagnostic exams taken by doctors as a benchmark for accuracy, however, Babylon's AI service remains an information service, rather than a medical diagnosis.
Babylon took a representative sample-set of questions testing diagnostic skills from publicly available RCGP sources[2], as well as independently published examination preparation materials, and mapped these to the current RCGP curriculum in order to ensure the questions resembled actual MRCGP questions as closely as possible.
The average pass mark over the past five years for real-life doctors was 72%[3]. In sitting the exam for the first time, Babylon's AI scored 81%. As the AI is continues to learn and accumulate knowledge, Babylon expects that subsequent testing will produce significant improvements in terms of results.
Important though exams are, doctors are presented with a much wider range of illnesses and conditions in their daily practice. Therefore, to further test the AI's capabilities, Babylon's team of scientists, clinicians and engineers next collaborated with the Royal College of Physicians, Dr Megan Mahoney (Chief of General Primary Care, Division of Primary Care and Population Health, Stanford University), and Dr Arnold DoRosario (Chief Population Health Officer, Yale New Haven Health) to test Babylon's AI alongside seven highly-experienced primary care doctors using 100 independently-devised symptom sets (or 'vignettes').
Babylon's AI scored 80% for accuracy, while the seven doctors achieved an accuracy range of 64-94%.
The accuracy of the AI was 98% when assessed against conditions seen most frequently in primary care medicine. In comparison, when Babylon's research team assessed experienced clinicians using the same measure, their accuracy ranged from 52-99%.
2. As the RCGP does not publish past papers, Babylon used example questions - some published directly by the College, some which were sourced from publicly available resources (which all are referenced) - during its AI exam preparation and testing.
3. Average CSA pass mark by trainee GPs was calculated using publicly available RCGP test result data from the period 2012 - 2017.
Crucially, the safety of the AI was 97%. This compares favourably to the doctors, whose average was 93.1%.
Dr Ali Parsa, Babylon's Founder and CEO said of tonight's news: "The World Health Organisation estimates that there is a shortage of over 5 million doctors globally, leaving more than half the world's population without access to even the most basic healthcare services. Even in the richest nations, primary care is becoming increasingly unaffordable and inconvenient, often with waiting times that make it not readily accessible. Babylon's latest artificial intelligence capabilities show that it is possible for anyone, irrespective of their geography, wealth or circumstances, to have free access to health advice that is on-par with top-rated practicing clinicians.
"Tonight's results clearly illustrate how AI-augmented health services can reduce the burden on healthcare systems around the world. Our mission is to put accessible and affordable health services into the hands of every person on Earth. These landmark results take humanity a significant step closer to achieving a world where no-one is denied safe and accurate health advice."
Babylon's research paper, entitled Evaluation of AI Powered Symptom Checker, can be downloaded from the company's website and will be available over coming days via ArXiv.com.
About Babylon
Babylon's mission is to put an accessible and affordable health service in the hands of every person on earth. Babylon uses a combination of cutting-edge technology and the best available medical expertise to deliver 24-hours-a-day, 7-days-a-week access to digital health tools (including health assessment, triage and health tools), to people across Europe, North America, Asia, the Middle East and Africa, as well as video doctor consultations.
For more information, please visit: https://www.babylonhealth.com/
To access photographs and b-roll assets from tonight's event, visit:https://www.babylonhealth.com/press/assets
To access the research paper as well as additional copies of this press release, visit:https://www.babylonhealth.com/press/press-room
SOURCE Babylon Health
War, lack of democracy and urbanisation contribute to double burden of malnutrition in adolescents in developing countries
- Macro-level influences are blamed in new study
- Influences include war, lack of democracy, food insecurity, urbanisation & economic growth
- Effects on health include stunting, obesity and thinness
- Researchers call for action to be taken
A new study from the University of Warwick blames macro-level factors for the double burden of malnutrition among adolescents in developing countries.
The double burden of malnutrition refers to the coexistence of undernutrition along with overweight and obesity, or diet-related noncommunicable diseases such as type 2 diabetes.
The study The double burden of malnutrition among adolescents: analysis of data from the Global School‐Based Student Health and Health Behaviour in School‐Aged Children Surveys in 57 low‐income and middle‐income countriessuggests that factors including war, lack of democracy, food insecurity, urbanisation and economic growth are to blame.
The study was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (AJCN) and was led by Dr Rishi Caleyachetty, Assistant Professor, Warwick Medical School.
His team found that the burden of double malnutrition is shockingly common and the researchers are now calling on governments and NGOs to identify context-specific issues and design and implement policies and interventions to reduce adolescent malnutrition accordingly.
The study set out to quantify the magnitude of the double burden of malnutrition among adolescents and explain the varying burden of adolescent malnutrition across low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).
Adolescence is a period for growth and development, with higher nutritional demands placing adolescents at greater risk of malnutrition.
They used data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/World Health Organisation (WHO) Global School-Based Student Health Survey and WHO Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children surveys done in 57 LMICs between 2003-2013, comprising 129,276 adolescents aged 12-15 years. They examined the burden of stunting, thinness, overweight or obesity, and concurrent stunting and overweight or obesity. They then linked nutritional data to international databases including the World Bank, Center for Systemic Peace, Uppsala Conflict Data Program, and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
They found that across the 57 LMICs, 10.2% of the adolescents were stunted and 5.5% were thin. The prevalence of overweight or obesity was much higher at more than a fifth of the adolescents (21.4%). The prevalence of concurrent stunting and overweight or obesity was 2.0%. Between 38.4%-58.7% of the variance in adolescent malnutrition was explained by macro-level contextual factors.
Dr Caleyachetty said: “The majority of adolescents live in LMICs but the global health community has largely neglected the health needs of this population. At the population level, macro-level contextual factors such as war, lack of democracy, food insecurity, urbanisation and economic growth partly explain the variation in the double burden of malnutrition among adolescents across LMICs.
“The global health community will have to adapt their traditional response to the double burden of malnutrition in order to provide optimal interventions for adolescents.”
ENDS
For more information contact Nicola Jones, Media Relations Manager, University of Warwick N.Jones.1@warwick.ac.uk or 07920531221
Notes to Editors
List of countries
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African Region
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Algeria
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Benin
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Ghana
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Mauritania
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Republic of Mauritius
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Sudan
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Swaziland
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Uganda
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Americas Region
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Argentina
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Belize
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Bolivia
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British Virgin Islands
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Chile
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Costa Rica
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Dominica
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Guatemala
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Guyana
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Honduras
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Jamaica
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Peru
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St. Kitts & Nevis
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Suriname
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Uruguay
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Eastern Mediterranean Region
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Djibouti
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Egypt
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Iraq
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Jordan
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Lebanon
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Libya
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Morocco
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Pakistan
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Palestine
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Syria
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Yemen
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European Region
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Bulgaria
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Macedonia
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Romania
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Russia
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Turkey
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Ukraine
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South-East Asia Region
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India
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Indonesia
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Malaysia
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Myanmar
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Sri Lanka
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Thailand
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Western Pacific Region
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China
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Cook Islands
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Fiji
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Kiribati
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Nauru
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Niue
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Philippines
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Samoa
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Solomon Islands
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Tonga
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Vanuatu
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Thinness was defined as BMI-for-age <2 standard deviations (SDs) below the WHO Growth Reference median.
The double burden of malnutrition among adolescents: analysis of data from the Global School-Based Student Health and Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children Surveys in 57 low-income and middle-income countries published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (AJCN)
Authors:
Rishi Caleyachetty: Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Gibbet Hill Road, Coventry, UK; Institute of Applied Health Research, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, UK
GN Thomas; Institute of Applied Health Research, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, UK
Andre P Kengne: South African Medical Research Council and University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa; The George Institute for Global Health, Sydney, Australia
Justin B Echouffo-Tcheugui: Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Samantha Schilsky: George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington DC, USA
Juneida Khodabocus: University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton General Hospital, Southampton, UK
Ricardo Uauy: University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton General Hospital, Southampton, UK: Institute of Nutrition and Food Technology, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile; Division of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Catholic University of Chile, Santiago, Chile: London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
TAIBU CHC to celebrate its 10th Anniversary – Decade of Excellence on June 30th 2018
SCARBOROUGH, ON, June 27, 2018 /CNW/ - TAIBU Community Health Centre is excited to announce that it will be celebrating its 10thAnniversary – Decade of Excellence – at a Gala Dinner to be held on June 30th 2018 at the Brighton Convention Centre in Scarborough.
Since its establishment, TAIBU CHC has been providing quality and culturally appropriate primary health care and related services for the Black communities across the Greater Toronto Area as its priority population and all the residents of our local community of the Malvern Neighborhood. TAIBU has demonstrated its capacity to engage the community that it serves in a meaningful way recognizing that various social determinants of health play a significant role in affecting the way racialized communities access health and social services. Over the years of its existence, TAIBU has received several awards, commendations and acknowledgment for its journey towards excellence.
In 2017, the Board of Directors of TAIBU CHC launched its 5 years strategic direction titled RISE – Excellence in Black Community Health. This is in furthering the vision of the founding fathers for TAIBU to become a centre of excellence for developing best practices for working with the Black and other racialized communities.
"The Board of Directors and I are looking forward, with great excitement, to celebrating our 10th Anniversary – Decade of Excellence. We are so very thankful for the hard work and great vision of the founding members of TAIBU and our past members of our Board of Directors. Building on their joint successes, the Board and I continue to work diligently in governing the organization. We are focused on providing committed leadership to ensure that TAIBU meets its mandate of serving its priority population across the GTA and become a recognized stakeholder in the delivery of excellent primary care and community capacity programs and services for racialized communities. In addition, we have helped to ensure our future successes and continuous improvement through the development of our strategic priorities that we will be working to implement over the next five years. We look forward to another decade of excellence". Debra Wight, President of the Board of Directors, TAIBU CHC
2018 marks TAIBU's 10 years of services and we extend our invitation to all our partners, stakeholders and the community at large to join us during this celebration event to acknowledge the relationship that we have enjoyed over the past decade and celebrate our collective achievements. This event will highlight our successes and measured outcomes in improving, promoting and maintaining the health and well-being for Indigenous, Black, Francophone and other racialized communities we served through quality and culturally designed primary healthcare services and strategies.
"We are very excited and looking forward to celebrating this significant milestone with the staff, volunteers, clients and our partners. Over the past decade we have worked very hard to engage the community in planning, developing and delivering innovative programs and services. The event is also to reinforce our commitment to our clients and the community for continuing our journey towards excellence in community services. The celebration will feature local entertainers, a notable keynote speaker, recognition awards, testimonies and acknowledgments. We hope to see you all!" Liben Gebremikael – Executive Director, TAIBU CHC.
TAIBU Community Health Centre's mission is to provide primary health care and related services for Black populations across the Greater Toronto Area as its priority population and residents of the local community of Malvern. Recognizing that systemic oppression has fostered conditions of ill-health with Black communities, we strive to deliver these services through intersectional, equity-based and culturally affirming practices which promote holistic wellness, health education, and prevention.
SOURCE TAIBU Community Health Centre
4 Frustrating Medical Conditions that Hold Back Runners
Running is a type of exercise that can do a lot for your health. If you run on a regular basis, then you may enjoy amazing physical fitness. There are certain medical conditions, however, that can be disruptive to runners. Be sure to take note of them. Various medical conditions can make running safely and comfortably hard or even impossible.
Plantar Fasciitis
Boosts in arch pressure can bring on tiny tears that are located inside of the plantar fascia. This can lead to a host of unpleasant effects as well. If you feel a significant degree of pain and inflammation any time you walk, run or even stand up, then plantar fasciitis could be the root cause. You may experience rigidity and pain that originates on the lower section of your heel.
Neuroma
The word “neuroma” refers to nerves inside of the feet that can develop substantial swelling. This swelling is the consequence of significant irritation. Nerves that remain irritated for extended stretches of time tend to become markedly denser. This boosts the size of the nerve. It leads to heightened irritation, too. If you notice that the ball of your foot feels awful any time you even try to run, then a neuroma could be a possibility to explore.
Bunions
Bunions, in a nutshell, are joint protrusions that are situated by the foundations of big toes. If you feel foot pain that just doesn’t seem to subside no matter what, you may have a nasty bunion. Bunions can contribute to feelings of soreness and swelling. They sometimes even cause noticeable redness of the skin. If you’re a runner who wants to be able to continue doing what you love, you should schedule an appointment with a foot doctor who can discuss bunionectomy treatmentwith you. This surgery can do away with problematic bunions.
Flat Feet
If you’re a runner who feels like you just can’t do your thing anymore, your flat feet could be a possibility. If you have flat feet, you may develop lots of foot pain and discomfort. This pain may be especially noticeable in your arch or heel sections. You may notice that the pain feels more extreme any time you move around in any way. Ankle swelling is yet another potential indication of flat feet.
Outstanding health is imperative for runners. If you’re a runner who has any kind of foot-related discomfort, you need to take prompt action. A capable foot doctor can help you turn your foot woes around.
The best Canadian books of all time
Ah, Canada Day… with the BBQ prepped, the cottage decked out in red and white, it’s time to celebrate our country’s birthday, but also to unwind, relax and read. Why not mark the occasion with Canada’s most beloved books?
Over the years, authors from our very own backyard have be regaling us with stories that run the gamut, and their creativity, talent, and passion have won the hearts of bookworms, not only here in Canada, but around the world.
To determine which Canadian books our global readers loved most, we looked at sales, book open rates, and most importantly, books that were read from start to finish.
Here is our list of Kobo fan favourites:
1. The Book Of Negroes by Lawrence Hill
2. Still Life by Louise Penny
3. The Bishop's Man by Linden MacIntyre
4. The Orenda by Joseph Boyden
5. The Birth House by Ami McKay
6. Ru by Kim Thuy
7. Bone and Bread by Saleema Nawaz
8. February by Lisa Moore
9. The Inconvenient Indian by Thomas King
10. A Stranger in the House by Shari Lapena
11. The Girl Who Was Saturday Night by Heather O'Neill
12. The Party by Robyn Harding
13. Annabel by Kathleen Winter
14. The Lightkeeper's Daughters by Jean E. Pendziwol
15. The Break by Katherena Vermette
16. Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood
17. Bellevue Square by Michael Redhill
18. Parting Shot by Linwood Barclay
19. Indian Horse by Richard Wagamese
20. Goodnight from London by Jennifer Robson
21. A Complicated Kindness by Miriam Toews
22. Rituals by Kelley Armstrong
23. Sweetland by Michael Crummey
24. Canada by Richard Ford
25. The Reason You Walk by Wab Kinew
26. 12 Rules for Life by Jordan B. Peterson
27. Bride of New France by Suzanne Desrochers
28. Fall on Your Knees by Ann-Marie Macdonald
29. Rush Home Road by Lori Lansens
30. Crow Lake by Mary Lawson
31. Birdie by Tracey Lindberg
32. Heart of the City by Robert Rotenberg
33. Late Nights on Air by Elizabeth Hay
34. The Imam of Tawi-Tawi by Ian Hamilton
35. Immortally Yours by Lynsay Sands
36. The Complete Anne of Green Gables Collection by L.M. Montgomery
37. One Brother Shy by Terry Fallis
38. The Boat People by Sharon Bala
39. First Snow, Last Light by Wayne Johnston
40. This Fallen Prey by Kelley Armstrong
41. Brother by David Chariandy
42. The Home for Unwanted Girls by Joanna Goodman
43. The Promise of Canada by Charlotte Gray
44. Cataract City by Craig Davidson
45. Find You in the Dark by Nathan Ripley
46. The Lost Ones by Sheena Kamal
47. In the Skin of a Lion by Michael Ondaatje
48. Warlight by Michael Ondaatje
49. No Great Mischief by Alistair MacLeod
50. Bloodletting & Miraculous Cures by Vincent Lam
51. Feeding My Mother by Jann Arden
52. Twice Bitten by Lynsay Sands
53. The Stone Carvers by Jane Urquhart
54. Until It Fades by K.A. Tucker
55. Two Solitudes by Hugh Maclennan, Robert Kroetsch
56. Cockroach by Rawi Hage
57. Trumpocracy by David Frum
58. The Way the Crow Flies by Ann-Marie Macdonald
59. No Is Not Enough by Naomi Klein
60. A Good House by Bonnie Burnard
61. A Student of Weather by Elizabeth Hay
62. All The Way by Jordan Tootoo
63. Lives of Girls and Women by Alice Munro
64. The Dutch Wife by Ellen Keith
65. The Colony Of Unrequited Dreams by Wayne Johnston
66. Monkey Beach by Eden Robinson
67. The Outlander by Gil Adamson
68. Surrender to the Highlander by Lynsay Sands
69. Love You Forever by Robert Munsch
70. A Newfoundlander in Canada by Alan Doyle
71. Seven Fallen Feathers by Tanya Talaga
72. Green Grass, Running Water by Thomas King
73. Bear by Marian Engel, Aritha Van Herk
74. Clara Callan by Richard B. Wright
75. The Time in Between by David Bergen
76. The Englishman's Boy by Gus Vanderhaeghe
77. Skitter by Ezekiel Boone
78. Deafening by Frances Itani
79. The Stone Angel by Margaret Laurence, Adele Wiseman
80. The Shipping News by Annie Proulx
81. River Thieves by Michael Crummy
82. Offside by Sean Avery, Michael McKinley
83. Lightfoot by Nicholas Jennings
84. Lost in the Barrens by Farley Mowat
85. I Hear She's a Real Bitch by Jen Agg
86. The Trickster's Lullaby by Barbara Fradkin
87. Is Canada Even Real? by J.C. Villamere
88. Never Cry Wolf by Farley Mowat
89. The Canadaland Guide to Canada by Jesse Brown, Vicky Mochama, Nick Zarzycki
90. Wildwood by Elinor Florence
91. The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz by Mordecai Richler
92. Christmas at the Vinyl Cafe by Stuart McLean
93. Last Seen by Rick Mofina
94. The Game: 30th Anniversary Edition by Ken Dryden
95. Kit's Law by Donna Morrissey
96. The Lost Girls of Camp Forevermore by Kim Fu
97. Beautiful Scars by Tom Wilson
98. Reckless Daughter by David Yaffe
99. Game Change by Ken Dryden
100. Fifth Business by Robertson Davies
Celebrate National Sunglasses Day on June 27 with the Perfect Pair of Shades
Take a Stylish Approach to Healthy Vision with Free Sunglasses*
Miramar, FL (June 25, 2018) — It’s National Sunglasses Day on June 27. Are you ready to celebrate with style? Your current shades might make a perfect fashion statement, but will the lenses shield your eyes from the harmful ultraviolet rays?
For Eyes by GrandVision, one of the leaders in optical retail, is helping enhance style and increase vision health this June with tips and advice from its optical expert Dr. Magda Nogueras and special offers for National Sunglasses Day. At all of the For Eyes locations across the U.S. from June 23, 2018 to June 30, 2018, customers can receive a free pair of sunglasses for themselves and for a friend. No purchase necessary.* Visit http://info.foreyes.com/freesun to claim your coupon.
Established by The Vision Council, National Sunglasses Day on June 27 serves as an annual reminder to safeguard the eyes before venturing outdoors. Sunglasses are one of the most popular, affordable summer accessories, but having the right sunglasses is critical to protecting vision health from UV rays and summer dangers. Just as UV and UVB radiation can affect the skin, the sun can be equally damaging to your optical health. Overexposure can lead to cancer of the eyelids, cataracts or macular degeneration.
“Sunglasses are a great way to show your style,” said Dr. Nogueras, Vice President of Professional Services for For Eyes. “But there’s a lot more to finding the right pair. You need to have UV protection, whether for children or adults, and the right lens options for your summer activities. Ultra-violet rays can be very dangerous to your unprotected eyes, ranging from ocular cancer and vision loss.”
The American Optometric Association recommends choosing lenses that block out 99 to 100 percent of UV-A and UV-B rays and screen 75 to 90 percent of visible light. It’s important to match lenses color and keep the surfaces smooth and distortion-free.
Depending on the activity, there are plenty of outdoor options when choosing protective eyewear. Polarized lenses reflect glare. Gray lenses provide proper color recognition. Blue-blocking lenses are a great choice for distinguishing long-distance objects or when boating, hunting or skiing. Photochromic lenses adjust for the amount of light. Wraparound frames can offer a greater defense from UV rays.
For more information on sunglasses style and options, or to find a For Eyes location, visit www.ForEyes.com.
*Regular retail price of sunglasses cannot exceed $49. Offer valid while supplies last. Only one pair of sunglasses per customer. To redeem, you must present this coupon in store. See store associate for details. Offer expires 06/30/2018. Eye exams performed by Independent Doctors of Optometry located in or adjacent to For Eyes locations.
About For Eyes by GrandVision
For Eyes was founded in 1972 in Philadelphia, PA, on the foundation that an optical store should have a friendly open environment with fair pricing and high-quality standards. Throughout the years, For Eyes has grown to nearly 120 stores across the United States. In December 2015 For Eyes became a part of GrandVision, a global leader in optical retail. For Eyes leverage this global knowledge in eye care, technology and products, along with expertly trained ophthalmologists, optometrists and technicians to provide the highest level of expert vision care in each of its stores.
About GrandVision
GrandVision is a global leader in optical retailing and delivers high quality and affordable eye care to more and more customers around the world. The high-quality eye care offered by GrandVision includes a wide range of services provided by its vision experts, prescription glasses including frames and lenses, contact lenses and contact lens care products, and sunglasses both plain and with prescription lenses. These products are offered through leading optical retail banners which operate in more than 40 countries across Europe, the Americas, the Middle East and Asia. GrandVision serves its customers in approximately 7,000 stores and with more than 36,000 employees which are proving every day that in EYE CARE, WE CARE MORE. For more information, please visit www.grandvision.com.
ProMIS Neurosciences Unique Discovery Platform Generates Potential New Antibody Therapeutics for Neurodegenerative Diseases
Antibody Candidates Targeting Toxic Oligomers Implicated in Parkinson's Disease and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) Advance to the Final Stage of ProMIS Discovery Platform
TSX:PMN; OTCQB: ARFXF
TORONTO and CAMBRIDGE, MA, June 26, 2018 /CNW/ - ProMIS Neurosciences, Inc., a biotechnology company focused on the discovery and development of treatments for neurodegenerative diseases, announced today that numerous antibodies against two new targets in neurodegenerative diseases have entered the final stage of discovery. These antibody candidates target the aggregated, toxic oligomers of alpha-synuclein, implicated in the development of Parkinson's disease (PD), as well as TDP43 (TAR DNA binding protein), implicated in the development of ALS.
"ProMIS' proprietary discovery platform consists of two stages" according to Dr. Neil Cashman, ProMIS Chief Scientific Officer. "The first stage involves predicting novel epitope targets and using these to generate large numbers of candidate antibodies. The second stage is to validate selectivity, functional activity, and select the best leads. We are very pleased with our progress so far in identifying epitopes displayed by the two additional toxic oligomers that are the root cause of these devastating diseases and are moving into the validation and selection phase with these targets."
Hundreds of monoclonal antibodies have been generated against these predicted disease-specific epitopes and ProMIS has now begun the validation and prioritization process to select therapeutic candidates displaying an ideal, highly selective product profile against these targets.
"The outstanding efficiency of our unique discovery platform is exemplified by the success of our lead Alzheimer's disease program which led to the rapid identification and validation of PMN310, our therapeutic antibody candidate that is selective for toxic oligomers of amyloid beta, a root cause of AD," said Johanne Kaplan, ProMIS Chief Development Officer. "We are applying a similar, rigorous evaluation process to the numerous antibody candidates against toxic oligomers of alpha-synuclein and TDP43 and anticipate generating the scientific data required to select the best lead(s) over the coming months."
"This progress exemplifies the power of our unique discovery platform and will help us carry out the corporate strategy we have articulated," said Gene Williams, ProMIS Executive Chairman. "We are actively pursuing discussions with large pharma regarding partnering of these two new toxic oligomer programs."
Native TDP43 is normally found in the nucleus of all cells, including nerve cells. In ALS, misfolded, TDP43 aggregates (oligomers) mislocalize to the cytoplasm of the neuron where their presence correlates with cell death. These toxic forms of TDP43 can also propagate from nerve cell to nerve cell in prion-like fashion.
Parkinson's disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by loss of dopaminergic neurons located in the midbrain and the presence of neuronal inclusions (Lewy bodies/Lewy neurites) consisting mainly of aggregates of alpha-synuclein. Recent evidence suggests that alpha-synuclein toxicity resides primarily with the oligomeric form and not monomers or insoluble fibrils. Aggregated, toxic alpha-synuclein can also propagate in a prion-like manner.
About ProMIS Neurosciences, Inc.
ProMIS Neurosciences is a development stage biotechnology company focused on discovering and developing precision medicine therapeutics to treat neurodegenerative diseases, in particular Alzheimer's disease (AD), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and Parkinson's disease (PD). The Company's proprietary target discovery engine is based on the use of two complementary techniques. The Company applies its thermodynamic, computational discovery platform—ProMIS™ and Collective Coordinates — to predict novel targets known as Disease Specific Epitopes (DSEs) on the molecular surface of misfolded proteins. Using this unique precision medicine approach, the Company is developing novel antibody therapeutics for AD, ALS and PD. ProMIS is headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, with offices in Cambridge, Massachusetts. ProMIS is listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol PMN.TO, and on the OTCQB Venture Market under the symbol ARFXF.
For further information please consult the Company's website at: www.promisneurosciences.com
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Neither the TSX nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release contains certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts; they are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects", "plans", "anticipates", believes", "intends", "estimates", "projects", "aims", "potential", "goal", "objective", "prospective", and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "can", "could" or "should" occur. Forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made and they involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Consequently, there can be no assurances that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Except as required by the securities disclosure laws and regulations applicable to the Company, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements if management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change.
SOURCE ProMIS Neurosciences Inc.
