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A research team at University of Limerick has made a major discovery by designing molecules that could revolutionise computing. The researchers at University of Limericks's (UL) Bernal Institute have discovered new ways of probing, controlling and tailoring materials at the most fundamental molecular scale. The results have been used in an international project involving experts worldwide to help create a brand-new type of hardware platform for artificial intelligence that achieves unprecedented improvements in computational speed and energy efficiency. The research has just been published in world leading scientific journal Nature. The UL team, led by Damien Thompson, Professor of Molecular Modelling at UL and director of SSPC, the Research Ireland Centre for Pharmaceuticals, in an international collaboration with scientists at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and Texas A&M University, believe that this new discovery will lead to innovative solutions to societal grand challenges in health, energy and the environment. Professor Thompson explained: "The design draws inspiration from the human brain, using the natural wiggling and jiggling of atoms to process and store information. As the molecules pivot and bounce around their crystal lattice, they create a multitude of individual memory states. "We can trace out the path of the molecules inside the device and map each snapshot to a unique electrical state. That creates a kind of tour diary of the molecule that can be written and read just like in a conventional silicon-based computer, but here with massively improved energy and space economy because each entry is smaller than an atom. "This outside the box solution could have huge benefits for all computing applications, from energy hungry data centres to memory intensive digital maps and online gaming." To-date, neuromorphic platforms - an approach to computing inspired by the human brain - have worked only for low-accuracy operations, such as inferencing in artificial neural networks. This is because core computing tasks including signal processing, neural network training, and natural language processing require much higher computing resolution than what existing neuromorphic circuits could offer. For this reason then, achieving high resolution has been the most daunting challenge in neuromorphic computing. The team's reconceptualisation of the underlying computing architecture achieves the required high resolution, performing resource-intensive workloads with unprecedented energy efficiency of 4.1 tera-operations per second per watt (TOPS/W). The team's breakthrough extends neuromorphic computing beyond niche applications in a move that can potentially unleash the long-heralded transformative benefits of artificial intelligence and augment the core of digital electronics from the cloud to the edge. Project lead at IISc Professor Sreetosh Goswami said: "By precisely controlling the vast array of available molecular kinetic states, we created the most accurate, 14-bit, fully functional neuromorphic accelerator integrated into a circuit board that can handle signal processing, AI and machine learning workloads such as artificial neural networks, auto-encoders, and generative adversarial networks. "Most significantly, leveraging the high precision of the accelerators, we can train neural networks on the edge, addressing one of the most pressing challenges in AI hardware." Further enhancements are coming, as the team works to expand the range of materials and processes used to create the platforms and increase the processing power even further. Professor Thompson explained: "The ultimate aim is to replace what we now think of as computers with high-performance 'everyware' based on energy efficient and eco-friendly materials providing distributed ubiquitous information processing throughout the environment integrated in everyday items from clothing to food packaging to building materials." See more stories here. More ab...
A research team at the University of Limerick has made a major discovery by designing molecules that could revolutionise computing. The researchers at UL's Bernal Institute have discovered new ways of probing, controlling and tailoring materials at the most fundamental molecular scale. The results have been used in an international project involving experts worldwide to help create a brand-new type of hardware platform for artificial intelligence that achieves unprecedented improvements in computational speed and energy efficiency. The research has just been published in the world-leading scientific journal Nature. The UL team, led by Damien Thompson, Professor of Molecular Modelling at UL and director of SSPC, the Research Ireland Centre for Pharmaceuticals, in an international collaboration with scientists at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and Texas A&M University, believe that this new discovery will lead to innovative solutions to societal grand challenges in health, energy and the environment. Professor Thompson explained: "The design draws inspiration from the human brain, using the natural wiggling and jiggling of atoms to process and store information. As the molecules pivot and bounce around their crystal lattice, they create a multitude of individual memory states. "We can trace out the path of the molecules inside the device and map each snapshot to a unique electrical state. That creates a kind of tour diary of the molecule that can be written and read just like in a conventional silicon-based computer, but here with massively improved energy and space economy because each entry is smaller than an atom. "This outside-the-box solution could have huge benefits for all computing applications, from energy-hungry data centres to memory-intensive digital maps and online gaming." To-date, neuromorphic platforms - an approach to computing inspired by the human brain - have worked only for low-accuracy operations, such as inferencing in artificial neural networks. This is because core computing tasks including signal processing, neural network training, and natural language processing require much higher computing resolution than what existing neuromorphic circuits could offer. For this reason, achieving high resolution has been the most daunting challenge in neuromorphic computing. The team's reconceptualization of the underlying computing architecture achieves the required high resolution, performing resource-intensive workloads with unprecedented energy efficiency of 4.1 tera-operations per second per watt (TOPS/W). The team's breakthrough extends neuromorphic computing beyond niche applications in a move that can potentially unleash the long-heralded transformative benefits of artificial intelligence and augment the core of digital electronics from the cloud to the edge. Professor Sreetosh Goswami, the project lead at IISc, said, "By precisely controlling the vast array of available molecular kinetic states, we created the most accurate, 14-bit, fully functional neuromorphic accelerator integrated into a circuit board that can handle signal processing, AI, and machine learning workloads such as artificial neural networks, auto-encoders, and generative adversarial networks. "Most significantly, leveraging the high precision of the accelerators, we can train neural networks on the edge, addressing one of the most pressing challenges in AI hardware." Further enhancements are coming as the team works to expand the range of materials and processes used to create the platforms and increase the processing power even further. Professor Thompson explained: "The ultimate aim is to replace what we now think of as computers with high-performance 'everyware' based on energy efficient and eco-friendly materials providing distributed ubiquitous information processing throughout the environment integrated in everyday items from clothing to food packaging to building materials."
In advance of Juneteenth 2024, we speak with University of Texas Professor Shirley Thompson, PhD '01, author of the forthcoming book No More Auction Block for Me, about how the experience of being treated as property has shaped the way that African Americans understand and relate to property themselves. Acknowledging the trauma of racism and white supremacy, Professor Thompson looks at the ways that community, creativity, and resilience enabled Black folk to assert their humanity in the face of objectification.
A couple of terms have found their way into the MS lexicon and they have left some people living with MS feeling confused and even frightened. If you've been diagnosed with relapsing-remitting MS and you've always assumed that disease progression only occurs at the time of a relapse, you may be wondering what progression independent of relapse activity, or PIRA, means and how it may or may not impact your MS journey. And if you are someone whose MS seems relatively stable and well-managed, you may be wondering whether your central nervous system is under some sort of silent attack from smoldering MS. Professor Alan Thompson joins me this week to shine a bright light on what, for many, are anxiety-inducing terms and help us understand what they are actually attempting to describe. Professor Thompson is the recipient of virtually every high honor and award that's given in the field of multiple sclerosis research, including the John Dystel Prize for MS Research in 2017, the Sobek Research Prize in 2020, and the 2021 Charcot Award, which recognizes a lifetime of achievement in outstanding research into understanding and treating MS. We're also sharing results of a study that suggests that kids and teens who are living with MS may experience better outcomes if they are started on a high-efficacy disease-modifying therapy. We'll tell you about a study that adds to the evidence that autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation may be a highly effective treatment that allows some people living with MS to live symptom-free and even return to the workforce. We're sharing the details of an AI tool that can predict an individual's disease course, while we're talking about survey results that show some strong push-back from the patient community when it comes to using artificial intelligence in the diagnostic process. And we'll tell you about a study that shows that caffeine may improve balance, mobility, and even quality of life for people living with MS. We have a lot to talk about! Are you ready for RealTalk MS??! This Week: What is "Progression Independent of Relapse Activity"? 1:31 STUDY: High-efficacy disease-modifying therapies are shown to be effective in treating pediatric onset MS 3:02 STUDY: Compelling evidence for autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) as an effective treatment for MS 6:49 An AI tool has been developed that can predict an individual's MS disease course 9:17 SURVEY: Some people have mixed feelings about using AI in diagnosing illness 11:47 STUDY: Caffeine is shown to improve balance and mobility in people with MS 14:38 Professor Alan Thompson helps define a couple of terms that people with MS may find confusing and even worrisome 16:47 Share this episode 28:15 Have you downloaded the free RealTalk MS app? 28:35 SHARE THIS EPISODE OF REALTALK MS Just copy this link & paste it into your text or email: https://realtalkms.com/339 ADD YOUR VOICE TO THE CONVERSATION I've always thought about the RealTalk MS podcast as a conversation. And this is your opportunity to join the conversation by sharing your feedback, questions, and suggestions for topics that we can discuss in future podcast episodes. Please shoot me an email or call the RealTalk MS Listener Hotline and share your thoughts! Email: jon@realtalkms.com Phone: (310) 526-2283 And don't forget to join us in the RealTalk MS Facebook group! LINKS If your podcast app doesn't allow you to click on these links, you'll find them in the show notes in the RealTalk MS app or at www.RealTalkMS.com STUDY: Highly Effective Therapies as First-Line Treatment for Pediatric-Onset Multiple Sclerosis https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaneurology/fullarticle/2814784 STUDY: Autologous Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation for Multiple Sclerosis: Long-Term Follow-Up Data from Norway https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/13524585241231665 STUDY: Predicting Disease Severity in Multiple Sclerosis Using Multimodal Data and Machine Learning https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00415-023-12132-z SURVEY: Consumer Perceptions of Second Opinions and Concierge Health Services https://clinicbyclevelandclinic.com/consumer-perceptions-report STUDY: Potential Efficacy of Caffeine Ingestion on Balance and Mobility in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis: Preliminary Evidence from a Single-Arm Pilot Clinical Trial https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0297235 Join the RealTalk MS Facebook Group https://facebook.com/groups/realtalkms Download the RealTalk MS App for iOS Devices https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/realtalk-ms/id1436917200 Download the RealTalk MS App for Android Deviceshttps://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=tv.wizzard.android.realtalk Give RealTalk MS a rating and review http://www.realtalkms.com/review Follow RealTalk MS on Twitter, @RealTalkMS_jon, and subscribe to our newsletter at our website, RealTalkMS.com. RealTalk MS Episode 339 Guest: Professor Alan Thompson Privacy Policy
Step into a world where every drop of water counts as Professor Buzz Thompson, author of "Liquid Asset," unravels the complex role of the private sector in water management. Together, we navigate the intricate dance of business and government alliances as they supply life's most vital resource, dissecting the tug-of-war between public service and commodification. Discover how companies like Xylem are revolutionizing water systems with cutting-edge technologies, and delve into the ethical and economic repercussions that ripple through our taps and irrigation lines.Unlock the future of water markets with us; it's a landscape where conservation breeds innovation and agriculture meets ingenuity. Through Professor Thompson's lens, we scrutinize water rights, trading systems, and the ever-growing debate over water as a human right versus a commercial product. Picture a California farmer redirecting floodwater to replenish groundwater or Montana's Tung River Valley, where tiered pricing spurs stewardship - these are the narratives reshaping our water economy and igniting a fresh wave of corporate responsibility.Concluding our journey, we wade into the waters of regulation, where small utilities grapple with innovation and America wrestles with the recognition of water as a fundamental human right. Professor Thompson's insights shed light on the regulatory frameworks shaping our water's destiny, urging collaboration between public needs and private ambitions. As we wrap up, we invite listeners to continue the conversation, fostering partnerships that can turn the tide on water scarcity and secure a sustainable future for all.#water #WaterForesight #strategicforesight #foresight #futures @Aqualaurus
Selling Fury: How Television Turned Outrage into a CommodityIn this episode, we heard from Professor Robert Thompson about the history of television and its impact on our society. They discuss the evolution of news media, from the golden age of TV to the rise of trash TV and reality shows. They also explore the current state of news commentary and the role it plays in fueling outrage and division. Professor Thompson provides insights into the incentives that drive media companies and the challenges of finding common ground in a fragmented media landscape.Support the showShow Notes:https://outrageoverload.net/ Follow me, David Beckemeyer, on Twitter @mrblog. Follow the show on Twitter @OutrageOverload or Instagram @OutrageOverload. We are also on Facebook /OutrageOverload.HOTLINE: 925-552-7885Got a Question, comment or just thoughts you'd like to share? Call the OO hotline and leave a message and you could be featured in an upcoming episodeIf you would like to help the show, you can contribute here. Tell everyone you know about the show. That's the best way to support it.Rate and Review the show on Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/OutrageOverloadMany thanks to my co-editor and co-director, Austin Chen.
In this episode of the Optimistic American, our distinguished guests, Governor Doug Ducey and Professor Henry Thompson, discuss transformative change. This conversation serves as a perfect example of the intersection where informed, patriotic discussions meet the optimism that defines our spirit. Unleashing the Potential of AI: We shed light on the intersection of technology and governance, specifically examining the new executive order on AI. The discussion revolves around the potential pitfalls and triumphs of regulating such a rapidly evolving industry, demonstrating our belief in the boundless potential of innovative American minds. Government and Innovation: We acknowledge the vital role governments play, but also question if overregulation could put a damper on the entrepreneurial spirit that propels America forward. This proves our enduring commitment to balanced governance that enables, not stifles, progress. The Boomers vs. Doomers: Governor Ducey and Professor Thompson share their insights into the dynamic between boomers and doomers, giving us a fascinating perspective on intra-societal discourse. It's a testament to our belief in the value of open, respectful dialogue among all citizens. Historical Optimism: The dialogue embraces lessons from history, indicating that despite trying times, the human spirit has always risen above challenges. Reflecting our enduring optimism, we venture to say that there's much ahead to be hopeful about as we approach 2024. Let's shape the future of the American spirit together. The American dream still burns bright in all of us. You can listen to this episode on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or Google Podcasts! Spotify: https://optamlink.com/spotify Apple Podcasts: https://optamlink.com/apple Google Podcasts: https://optamlink.com/google We post new content every week so make sure to subscribe to stay in the loop. Learn more about The Optimistic American by checking out our website! https://www.optamerican.com
Preaching for the 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Margaret Susan Thompson offers a reflection on persisting in pursuit of God's promise for all: [This gospel] resonates especially with me because I'm a woman, but it has much to say to all of us who feel like we don't fit into a box, and who sometimes feel tormented by a demon, like the daughter in need of healing. In other words, it speaks to us all. And so it calls us all to be dogged, persistent—and, like the Canaanite woman, "of great faith." Margaret Susan (Peggy) Thompson is a professor of History and Political Science at Syracuse University's Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. She is also a Senior Research Associate at the Campbell Public Affairs Institute, and holds courtesy appointments in the Departments of Religion and Women & Gender Studies. Recently, Professor Thompson's work has focused on the history of American Catholic nuns. She has written and lectured extensively on the subject, and has an 18-lecture audio series available through Learn25.com. Her research is from an explicitly feminist perspective, emphasizing the agency and social significance of sisters to American religious and secular history. Visit www.catholicwomenpreach.org/preaching/08202023 to learn more about Thompson, to read her preaching text, and for more preaching from Catholic women.
For me, the holiday season is a time for joy, celebration, and reflection. And when I reflect upon the advances in MS research that we've seen in the past year, it's hard not to feel encouraged. 2022 will be remembered as the year when the National MS Society published the Pathways to Cures research roadmap, a bold initiative focused on stopping MS progression, restoring lost function, and ending MS forever. I talked about this pivotal moment in the history of MS research with Dr. Carol Whitacre and Professor Alan Thompson, and they each shared their insights into what the Pathways to Cures research roadmap was all about and what this historic initiative means for people affected by MS. My conversations with Dr. Whitacre and Professor Thompson were two of the most important conversations that I had in 2022 and, as the year draws to a close, I think they're worth revisiting. We have a lot to talk about! Are you ready for RealTalk MS??! Re-visiting the publication of the Pathways to Cures research roadmap :22 Dr. Carol Whitcare discusses how Pathways to Cures came about and what it means for people living with MS 2:36 Professor Alan Thompson discusses the current status of MS research and what has to happen next to stop MS progression, restore lost function, and end MS forever 15:17 Share this episode 32:55 Have you downloaded the free RealTalk MS app??? 33:16 SHARE THIS EPISODE OF REALTALK MS Just copy this link & paste it into your text or email: https://realtalkms.com/277 ADD YOUR VOICE TO THE CONVERSATION I've always thought about the RealTalk MS podcast as a conversation. And this is your opportunity to join the conversation by sharing your feedback, questions, and suggestions for topics that we can discuss in future podcast episodes. Please shoot me an email or call the RealTalk MS Listener Hotline and share your thoughts! Email: jon@realtalkms.com Phone: (310) 526-2283 And don't forget to join us in the RealTalk MS Facebook group! LINKS If your podcast app doesn't allow you to click on these links, you'll find them in the show notes in the RealTalk MS app or at www.RealTalkMS.com Join the RealTalk MS Facebook Group https://facebook.com/groups/realtalkms Download the RealTalk MS App for iOS Devices https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/realtalk-ms/id1436917200 Download the RealTalk MS App for Android Deviceshttps://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=tv.wizzard.android.realtalk Give RealTalk MS a rating and review http://www.realtalkms.com/review Follow RealTalk MS on Twitter, @RealTalkMS_jon, and subscribe to our newsletter at our website, RealTalkMS.com. RealTalk MS Episode 277 Guests: Dr. Carol Whitacre and Professor Alan Thompson Tags: MS, MultipleSclerosis, MSResearch, MSSociety, RealTalkMS Privacy Policy
Preaching for the 28th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Margaret Susan Thompson offers a reflection on living with a spirit of gratitude: "Truly, as today's Psalm proclaims, Yahweh is faithful and has done wondrous deeds. What has God done for you? There are miracles all around us. Have you said 'thank you' today?" Margaret Susan (Peggy) Thompson is a professor of History and Political Science at Syracuse University's Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. She is also a Senior Research Associate at the Campbell Public Affairs Institute, and holds courtesy appointments in the Departments of Religion and Women & Gender Studies.Prof. Recently, Professor Thompson's work has focused on the history of American Catholic nuns. She has written and lectured extensively on the subject, and has an 18-lecture audio series available through Learn25.com. Her research is from an explicitly feminist perspective, emphasizing the agency and social significance of sisters to American religious and secular history. Visit www.catholicwomenpreach.org/preaching/10092022 to learn more about Thompson, to read her preaching text, and for more preaching from Catholic women.
In this episode, you will hear from RJ Thompson, Director of Digital Marketing in the Katz Graduate School of Business and College of Business Administration at the University of Pittsburgh. Before joining Pitt, he was a tenured Assistant Professor of Graphic and Interactive Design in the Department of Art at Youngstown State University, and before that he also taught at Carnegie Mellon University, La Roche University, and Edinboro University of Pennsylvania and he continues to teach at Point Park University and the Community College of Alleghany County. He is also a National Endowment for the Arts “Our Town” grant recipient, a “Best of Marketing Award” from the Ohio Economic Development Association winner for his work with rebranding Youngstown Ohio, and was honored with the Ohio Governors Award in the Arts in Community Development, the state of Ohio's highest recognition in the arts. 0:00 - Introduction 1:37 - Reusing failure to capture success 6:35 - Putting on your student hat to build campaigns 7:48 - Starting campaigns with keywords and emotions 9:49 - Leading design thinking charrettes 10:45 - Even if you're not "student-facing" you should be engaging with students 12:43 - Digging into emotion-first marketing "Artists don't want to create art because they want to. Artists create art because they have to." 15:18 - How do you give students a "why": Why should they care, why should they take action, why are you different? 19:20 - "No one wants to go to college alone." 19:58 - Why you may not need, or want, to tell students to visit for programmatic recruitment 22:29 - Students aren't interested in online education, but what about online with dorms as living/learning space away from home? 23:43 - Professor Thompson teaches us about persuasion using self-concept 28:53 - Want to be a better marketer? Spend more time with students. 31:41 - Where best to use storytelling in comm flows 35:32 - Marketing continues after enrollment 38:15 - Let's frame budgets and digital spending differently 40:04 - Using proof points in marketing 44:56 - What happens when outcomes aren't defined in a program 46:47 - How does the comm flow change post-application and enrollment to make it more welcoming 49:11 - The "Helpers" in higher ed and what has kept RJ in education 54:18 - The overlap of marketing places and institutions 57:59 - RJ's 3 goals 59:26 - Where to invest resources to support students further, regardless of role 1:01:24 - A Ron Swanson appearance 1:02:26 - One thing marketers should stop doing 1:03:47 - It's time to level up - we're wired to learn so why do we need to advertise? 1:05:28 - Lean into ABCD - Asset-Based Community Development, your location and community 1:07:24 - Get in touch with RJ Show notes are available on the Enrollment Insights Blog at niche.bz/podcast. In the Enrollment Insights Podcast, you'll hear about novel solutions to problems, ways to make processes better for students, and the questions that spark internal reflection and end up changing entire processes.
Will is joined by Helen Thompson, Professor of Political Economy at Cambridge University, to discuss her latest book, Disorder, Hard Times in the 21st Century (OUP, 2022). Since the 2008 financial crisis, many analysts have scratched their heads to make sense of the crisis of liberal democracies, the decline of neoliberal hegemony, and the emerging multipolar world where the West's dominance is challenged by China and Russia. Professor Thompson argues that a key factor driving these interlocking geopolitical, economic and political crises, are the predicaments around energy - how it is produced, distributed, and consumed. As the climate crisis makes structural change an existential necessity, how much of the coming world will change - and how much of it, will stay the same? Especially, for the global South, which is rich in clean earth metals - the energy resource of a green future?
The Pathways to Cures initiative is focused on stopping MS progression, restoring lost function, and ending MS forever. This bold initiative has already been endorsed by more than 20 MS research and patient organizations around the world. And now, the publication of the Pathways to Cures Research Roadmap has brought us to a pivotal moment in the history of MS research. Joining me in this episode of RealTalk MS are two very special guests, Dr. Carol Whitacre and Professor Alan Thompson. We're taking a close look at what Pathways to Cures is all about, where we are on the Pathways to Cures Research Roadmap, and what this initiative means for people affected by MS. Dr. Whitacre is the former Senior Vice-President of Research at The Ohio State University, and the current Chair of the National MS Society's Scientific Advisory Committee. Professor Thompson is a clinician scientist who has been the recipient of virtually every high honor and award that's given in the field of multiple sclerosis research, including the John Dystel Prize for MS Research in 2017, the Sobek Research Prize in 2020, and the 2021 Charcot Award, which recognizes a lifetime of achievement in outstanding research into understanding and treating MS. We have a lot to talk about! Are you ready for RealTalk MS??! The Pathways to Cures Research Roadmap :22 Dr. Carol Whitacre discusses the significance of the Pathways to Cures initiative 3:34 Prof. Alan Thompson reviews the status of MS research to stop progression, restore lost function, and end MS, then looks ahead to next steps in the Pathways to Cures research roadmap 16:14 Share this episode 33:52 Have you downloaded the RealTalk MS app? 34:12 SHARE THIS EPISODE OF REALTALK MS Just copy this link & paste it into your text or email: https://realtalkms.com/238 ADD YOUR VOICE TO THE CONVERSATION I've always thought about the RealTalk MS podcast as a conversation. And this is your opportunity to join the conversation by sharing your feedback, questions, and suggestions for topics that we can discuss in future podcast episodes. Please shoot me an email or call the RealTalk MS Listener Hotline and share your thoughts! Email: jonstrum@realtalkms.com Phone: (310) 526-2283 And don't forget to join us in the RealTalk MS Facebook group! LINKS If your podcast app doesn't allow you to click on these links, you'll find them in the show notes in the RealTalk MS app or at www.RealTalkMS.com National MS Society COVID-19 Vaccine Guidance for People Living with MS https://www.nationalmssociety.org/coronavirus-covid-19-information/multiple-sclerosis-and-coronavirus/covid-19-vaccine-guidance RealTalk MS Episode 125: The Pathways to Cures Think Tank https://realtalkms.com/125 Pathways to Cures https://pathwaystocures.org Join the RealTalk MS Facebook Group https://facebook.com/groups/realtalkms Download the RealTalk MS App for iOS Devices https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/realtalk-ms/id1436917200 Download the RealTalk MS App for Android Deviceshttps://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=tv.wizzard.android.realtalk Give RealTalk MS a rating and review http://www.realtalkms.com/review Follow RealTalk MS on Twitter, @RealTalkMS_jon, and subscribe to our newsletter at our website, RealTalkMS.com. RealTalk MS Episode 238 Guests: Dr. Carol Whitacre and Prof. Alan Thompson Tags: MS, MSAwareness MultipleSclerosis, MSResearch, MSSociety, RealTalkMS Privacy Policy
Prof. Robert Thompson of Syracuse University is a media scholar and professor of television and popular culture at the highly acclaimed Newhouse School of Public Communications.He has been referred to as the "pop culture ambassador" by the Associated Press. He has contributed to hundreds of radio and TV programs and publications worldwide. He has been interviewed by a wide range of media outlets and his areas of research include television history and pop culture, media criticism, and TV programming.Professor Thompson is the author of several books and is the host of the podcast Critical and Curious.More on the professor at: https://newhouse.syr.edu/people/robert-thompsonFind his podcast at https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/critical-and-curious/id1437887054Evan Schein is a partner with Berkman Bottger Newman & Schein LLP and leads the firm's litigation practice. More info at www.berkbot.comFind the Schein On Podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4gV4ouCYcZWcWPEcFUMBsQGet your own show! pod617.com can produce a podcast for you. Get in touch with us now at pod617.com/contact
In this episode, CII General Counsel Jeff Mahoney interviews Rachel Thompson, Professor at the College of Business at North Dakota State University. Professor Thompson is the author of a recent research paper entitled “Reporting Misstatements as Revisions: An evaluation of Managers' Use of Materiality Discretion.”
By 325 AD, a number of ideas about the nature of God and Jesus Christ had emerged in the early Christian church, which led Roman emperor Constantine to convene a council in Nicaea to attain theological consensus. Since then, the Nicene Creed is often relied upon as the basis for modern Christian thinking, and can be a point of division between members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and other Christians. Keith Thompson, Professor and Associate Dean at the University of Notre Dame in Sydney, has researched this in depth. In this episode he joins me to discuss his recent book ‘Trinity and Monotheism', which traces the evolution of the Trinity doctrine. As someone who frequently works with people of other faiths, Professor Thompson suggests that just like Constantine, who was willing to accommodate a number of differences in Christian belief, perhaps we need not be so divided when it comes to this doctrine.
In the premiere of House Beautiful's new limited series Dark House, co-hosts (and editors) Alyssa Fiorentino and Hadley Mendelsohn introduce listeners to the show, and to themselves, sharing the personal ghost stories from their childhood homes that still keep them up at night. Hung up on questions about how and why certain homes become haunted, the co-hosts chat with their first guest, Tok Thompson, Ph.D., folklorist, and professor of anthropology at the University of Southern California (29:41). With years of experience studying ghosts and their origin stories from around the world, Professor Thompson joins Alyssa and Hadley to discuss the root of human fascination with haunted houses and the paranormal, and the important role ghost stories play in our culture. Ultimately, they arrive at another question that will linger throughout the series: What are ghosts trying to tell us? Listen to find out.CONTRIBUTORSHost/Producer: Alyssa FiorentinoHost/Producer: Hadley MendelsohnProducer: May TsehaySound Engineer: Josh Caldwell
Overview: In this episode, we cover the fundamentals and treatment of early stage melanoma. Speakers: Associate Professor Victoria Mar is the Director of the Victorian Melanoma Service at The Alfred Hospital in Melbourne, and Adjunct Associate Professor at the School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University. She is a board member of the Australian and New Zealand Melanoma Trials Group and the Skin and Cancer Foundation. She has authored and co-authored a number of chapters for the Cancer Council Australia Melanoma Guidelines and is Clinical Lead for the Melanoma Clinical Outcomes Registry. Emeritus Professor John Thompson was Chair of Melanoma and Surgical Oncology at the University of Sydney from 1999 to 2019 and was Executive Director of Melanoma Institute Australia from 1998 to 2016. He has been chairman of the Australian Melanoma Management Guidelines Working Party since 2005, and was chairman of the ANZ Melanoma Trials Group from 2002 to 2013. Professor Thompson has authored over 900 peer-reviewed scientific articles and book chapters and serves on the editorial boards of several major international journals. Topics Covered In This Episode: What exactly is melanoma and how is it caused How is it diagnosed Why Australia has high rates of melanoma Why is melanoma the most concerning of skin cancers Why it's earlier to catch melanoma early What would you expect to happen during a skin check The importance of self examination What does a clinician look for during a skin check What staging is and why it's important The differences between breslow thickness, ulceration and mitosis Why pathology tests are performed What is a sentinel node biopsy Different treatment options for melanoma The kinds of excisions performed The types of clinicians who might perform excisions How to determine the likelihood of melanoma recurring What is involved in having a sentinel node biopsy performed Complications arising with sentinel node biopsies in regional and remote locations Exciting advancements on the horizon in the field of melanoma diagnosis and treatment For More Information: The Spot On Podcast is brought to you by the Melanoma & Skin Cancer Advocacy Network (MSCAN) - who are providing a new, innovative approach to tackle Australia's national cancer. MSCAN engages with Australia's leading clinicians, researchers and advocates with the aim of increasing the knowledge of those affected by a diagnosis. MSCAN is grateful to the clinicians interviewed in our podcast series. They have all provided their time and input freely and independently. The content discussed in these episodes is for information purposes only and should not be considered as medical advice. Please make sure you speak with a medical professional for advice relating to your own specific situation.
As a professional intellectual or an “intellectual professional,” there is a wide variety of possible avenues for advancing Objectivism in your professional work. In this session, Brad Thompson talks about his work and career. C. Bradley Thompson teaches Political Philosophy at Clemson University and is the Executive Director of the Clemson Institute for the Study of Capitalism. He received his Ph.D at Brown University, and he has been a visiting scholar at Princeton and Harvard universities and at the University of London. Professor Thompson has published five books, including: "America's Revolutionary Mind: A Moral History of the American Revolution and the Declaration that Defined It"; the award-winning "John Adams and the Spirit of Liberty"; "Neoconservatism: An Obituary for an Idea"; "The Revolutionary Writings of John Adams"; and "Antislavery Political Writings, 1833-1860: A Reader".
Author, research professor and executive director of the Clemson Institute for the Study of Capitalism, Dr. C. Bradley Thompson stops by to discuss American Founding Father and "engine of the revolution," John Adams. From his cantankerous nature, to his history defining speech, Professor Thompson brings fresh insight into the life and legacy of our 2nd US President. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Author, research professor and executive director of the Clemson Institute for the Study of Capitalism, Dr. C. Bradley Thompson stops by to discuss American Founding Father and "engine of the revolution," John Adams. From his cantankerous nature, to his history defining speech, Professor Thompson brings fresh insight into the life and legacy of our 2nd US President.
In this conversation with Bonnie, Dr. Ducscher shares her thoughts on the challenges of transitioning new graduate nurses and how we can improve retention by adopting models that more deeply focus on psychosocial and cultural elements. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Age of the Technocene: Why we need the Arts and Humanities in the 4th Industrial Revolution The Trinity Long Room Hub Annual Humanities Horizons Lecture for 2021 will be delivered by Professor Andrew Thompson CBE (Professor of Global and Imperial History, Nuffield College, Oxford and co-chair of the Global and Imperial History Centre at the University of Oxford). With the increase in planet-warming greenhouse gases, rising sea levels, and a growing frequency of extreme weather events, the age of the anthropocene has become a familiar refrain. We live at a time when human activity is the dominant influence on our environment. If we accept even just a few of the claims made for the so-called 4th Industrial — or data science — revolution, the age of the technocene would seem to have equal justification. Digital communication technologies and data are increasingly present in every aspect of our lives. Professor Andrew Thompson will argue that if we are to navigate and negotiate our way through the twenty-first century's industrial revolution, we will need the arts and humanities to guide the way. The machines that propelled the Industrial Revolution of the Victorian era were those of muscle power. Today's industrial revolution is propelled by cognitive power. We should be asking not what these new technologies will do to us, but what we will do with them. The 4th Industrial Revolution is not just a matter of technological challenge but of fundamental questions about how we build the kind of societies and communities in which people will want to live. About Andrew Thompson: Andrew Thompson is Professor of Global and Imperial History and Professorial Fellow at Nuffield College. He is the co-chair of the Global and Imperial History Centre at the University of Oxford. Professor Thompson's research interests span the effects of empire on British private and public life during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. He has also written on Anglo-Argentine relations, colonial South Africa, transnational migration and migrant remittances, and public memories and legacies of empire. He is currently researching international humanitarianism and the aid sector, which is the subject of his forthcoming work, Humanitarianism on Trial: How a global system of aid and development emerged through the end of empire (Oxford University Press). From 2015 to 2020 Professor Thompson was Executive Chair of the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC). During his period in office he secured a £19 million grant for Museums and Galleries, as part of the Strategic Priorities Fund, Towards a National Collection: Opening UK Heritage to the World. He was responsible for securing the £10 million Policy and Evidence Centre for Modern Slavery and Human Rights and a further £80 million Creative Industries programme, funded by the Industrial Strategy. Until April 2021, he remains the UKRI International Lead for the £1.5 billion Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) and the Newton Fund. Professor Thompson was awarded a CBE in the 2021 New Years' Honours List for his services to Research.
Listen in as we sit down with Professor Deon Thompson, owner and lead instructor of Brasa Ohio -- one of the oldest jiu-jitsu names around. Professor Thompson is a jiu-jitsu black belt under Rodrigo Comprido. He currently is a sports analyst for BCSN (Buckeye Cable Sports Network), and he is also the tournament director of the Buckeye State Grappling Championships, which is one of Ohio's oldest Brazilian jiu-jitsu tournaments. He has been certified by the IBJJF as a referee and still competes today, winning multiple tournaments at the highest level! Winning 2020 master 5 Pan Gold medalist gi, 2020 Pan no-gi master absolute Gold, 2020 Master Worlds Silver.Brasa Ohio - www.ohiobrasajiujitsu.comProfessor Thompson mentions his many friends and affiliates who have helped him along the way:Justin LaBenne - www. ironsouljiujitsu.com/bjj@justinlabenneChad Catri - The Adrenaline Academy@adrenaline_academy_Justin Kennedy - www.jits56.com@jitsfiftysixMike Cheney - www.endeavordcf.com@Mike Cheney & @endeavordcfJack Edwards - @martialartsohioBe sure to check out:@buckeye_state_tournament - July 10th Lourdes University, Ohiowww.buckeyestategrappling.weebly.comFollow Deon on:Instagram - @Thompsonjiujitsu FB - Deon Thompson jiujitsuSupport the show (https://pod.fan/limitless-radiocast)
On this week's episode of Emotion Lab, Dr. Charles Nduka is joined by Dr. Andrew Thompson. Thompson is an expert in the field of youth psychiatry. His primary interest is in prevention or early intervention of first episode psychosis. We discuss the potential of virtual reality to overcome hurdles in social therapy, embody hallucinations and create a safe environment for exposure. Get in touch with emteq labs: www.emteqlabs.com | info@emteqlabs.com Get in touch with Dr Andrew Thompson: https://findanexpert.unimelb.edu.au/profile/181446-andrew-thompson To learn more about the organisations and initiatives mentioned in the podcast: https://www.orygen.org.au/ https://www.orygen.org.au/Our-Research/Research-Areas/Orygen-Digital
In this episode of Guerrilla History, we are joined by Professor Elizabeth F. Thompson to talk about her new book How the West Stole Democracy from the Arabs, about the historic Syrian-Arab Congress of 1920. Professor Thompson is the Mohamed S. Farsi Chair of Islamic Peace and Professor of History at American University. Her book was published by Atlantic Monthly Press, and is available here: https://groveatlantic.com/book/how-the-west-stole-democracy-from-the-arabs/ Guerrilla History is the podcast that acts as a reconnaissance report of global proletarian history, and aims to use the lessons of history to analyze the present. If you have any questions or guest/topic suggestions, email them to us at guerrillahistorypod@gmail.com. Your hosts are immunobiologist Henry Hakamaki, Professor Adnan Husain, historian and Director of the School of Religion at Queens University, and Revolutionary Left Radio's Breht O'Shea. Follow us on social media! Our podcast can be found on twitter @guerrilla_pod, and can be supported on patreon at https://www.patreon.com/guerrillahistory. Your contributions will make the show possible to continue and succeed! To follow the hosts, Henry can be found on twitter @huck1995, and also has a patreon to help support himself through the pandemic where he breaks down science and public health research and news at https://www.patreon.com/huck1995. Adnan can be followed on twitter @adnanahusain, and also runs The Majlis Podcast, which can be found at https://anchor.fm/the-majlis, and the Muslim Societies-Global Perspectives group at Queens University, https://www.facebook.com/MSGPQU/. Breht is the host of Revolutionary Left Radio, which can be followed on twitter @RevLeftRadio and on Libsyn at https://revolutionaryleftradio.libsyn.com/, and cohost of The Red Menace Podcast, which can be followed on twitter @Red_Menace_Pod and on Libsyn https://redmenace.libsyn.com/. You can support those two podcasts by visiting by going to patreon and donating to RevLeft Radio and The Red Menace. Thanks to Ryan Hakamaki, who designed and created the podcast's artwork, and Kevin MacLeod, who creates royalty-free music.
This hymn writer from East Liverpool, Ohio gave us a much-loved hymn that has been recorded by many artists, including The Andrew Sisters, Reba McIntyre, and Carrie Underwood! This hymn has been a comfort to so many people for so many years, as a reminder that Jesus provides rest and peace to all those that are weary and over-burdened. Come home.... and let's sing together. Find us on Twitter: @hymntalk Find us on Facebook: Hymn Talk Twin Talk Send us an email: hymntalktwintalk@gmail.com Psalm 104:33
Abigail Thompson, Distinguished Professor of Mathematics at the University of California-Davis, drew national attention in December 2019 with her Wall Street Journal op-ed titled “The University’s New Loyalty Oath.” Her bold challenge to the University of California’s use of diversity statements in faculty hiring inspired ACTA to honor her with a Hero of Intellectual Freedom Award. Professor Thompson argued that the rubric for assessing applicants’ diversity statements was not ideologically neutral, and that the hiring process constituted a possible infringement of academic freedom, as well as a threat to intellectual diversity. In this episode, she explores the topic with ACTA's president, Michael Poliakoff.
Aaron Freiwald, Managing Partner of Freiwald Law and host of the weekly podcast, Good Law | Bad Law, is joined by Professor Sandra Guerra Thompson, of the University of Houston, and Professor Nicole Bremner Casarez, of the University of St. Thomas Houston, to discuss forensic testing, wrongful convictions, and the necessity for transparency and reliable testing in the criminal justice system, as well as one of the world’s leading independent crime labs. In today’s episode, Aaron, Sandra, and Nicole delve into the issues of forensic science and impartiality. In their recent Houston Law Review article, “Solving Daubert’s Dilemma for the Forensic Sciences Through Blind Testing,” Nicole and Sandra describe a major breakthrough in developing a statistical foundation for forensic science disciplines: a cutting-edge blind proficiency testing program operating in six disciplines at the Houston Forensic Science Center (HFSC). Sandra is a charter member of the Board of Directors of the HFSC and now serves as the Vice Chair; Nicole is also a charter member of the Board of Directors and served as the Board Chair from July 2015 to June 2019. In today’s conversation, Sandra and Nicole explain their article and HFSC’s operations further, as the discussion focuses on blind testing, ground truths, error rates, and more. Aaron, Nicole and Sandra apply these ideas to the broader context of today as the conversation evolves to cover police operations, biases and conflicts, police reform, and the notion of accuracy in our justice system. A Yale Law graduate, Sandra is the Newell H. Blakely Professor in Law and Director of the Criminal Justice Institute at the University of Houston Law Center, teaching courses in Criminal Law, Evidence, Hot Topics in Criminal Law and Procedure, and Criminal Evidence. She is the recipient of the University of Houston’s Distinguished Leadership in Teaching Excellence Aware in 2015, as well as the Teaching Excellence Award in 2003 and the Ethel Baker Faculty Aware in 2000. Her recent book is Cops in Lab Coats: Curbing Wrongful Convictions with Independent Forensic Laboratories (Carolina Academic Press 2015). Professor Thompson has written articles on subjects including: wrongful convictions, eyewitness identifications, forensic science, civil asset forfeiture, federal sentencing, discrimination in jury selection, prosecutorial ethics, police interrogations, and immigration crimes. Nicole is an attorney and a Professor of Communication at the University of St. Thomas in Houston. Her areas of expertise include Media Law, Wrongful Conviction, Media Ethics, Public Relations and Civil Rights. Professor Casarez’s journalism students investigate many capital and non-capital cases, including the case of Texas death row inmate Anthony Graves that drew state and national attention; Casarez was one of the lawyers representing Graves at the time of his exoneration in 2010. Listen in to learn more! To learn more about Professor Thompson, please visit her bio page at the University of Houston here. To learn more about Professor Casarez, please visit her bio page at the University of St. Thomas, Houston here. To learn more about the Houston Forensic Science Center, please visit their website here. To read “Solving Daubert’s Dilemma for the Forensic Sciences Through Blind Testing,” please click here. Host: Aaron Freiwald Guests: Sandra Guerra Thompson & Nicole Casarez Follow Good Law | Bad Law: YouTube: Good Law | Bad Law Facebook: @GOODLAWBADLAW Instagram: @GoodLawBadLaw Website: https://www.law-podcast.com
As far as the West is concerned, World War I is largely a European story, but that's only part of the full narrative. In this episode of Big World, SIS professor Elizabeth Thompson discusses stolen democracy in the Middle East after “the war to end all wars.” Professor Thompson, the Mohamed S. Farsi Chair of Islamic Peace at SIS, provides a more expansive understanding of the impact of World War I and the Paris Peace Conference (2:25), including the Syrian Arab Congress that convened at Damascus in 1919 (6:24). She also explains how Britain and France intervened to destroy this newly-declared, independent Arab kingdom (9:01) and why Syrian Arabs were not, at the time, protected by international law or the new League of Nations (10:00). Based on research she conducted for her book, How the West Stole Democracy from the Arabs, Professor Thompson breaks down how the British and French attempted to erase all evidence of the Syrian Arab State's democracy (14:54). She also explains why knowledge of this part of history helps us understand more recent events in Greater Syria (18:31) and reveals how different the present-day Middle East might be if the Syrian Arab Congress had successfully instituted a representative democracy in the 1920s (21:45). During our “Take Five” segment, Professor Thompson tells us the five changes she would make in US policy that would help people in the Middle East achieve their own democratic desires (11:49).
Welcome to Finance and Fury, the Furious Friday Edition Today is a follow on from Last FF ep – on K waves – if haven’t listened – worthwhile to go check Today – is the cycle relevant today with central banks – and go through the most recent cycle – meant to start in 1949 and end this year First - Summary from last week – K-wave – summarises the long term cycles of economies in capitalist countries - Each cycle has it sub-cycles – which are dubbed as seasons as broken down into four sub-cycles – Each K wave is a 60 year cycle (+/- a few years here or there) – then the internal phases that are characterized as seasons: spring, summer, autumn, and winter: Spring: Increase in productivity, along with inflation, signifying an economic boom Summer: Increase in the general affluence level leads to changing attitudes toward work that results in a deceleration of economic growth Autumn: Stagnating economic conditions give rise to a deflationary growth spiral that gives rise to isolationist policies, further curtailing growth prospects Winter: Economy in the throes of a debilitating depression that tears the social fabric of society, as the gulf between the dwindling number of "haves" and the expanding number of "have-nots" increases dramatically Key indicators – In a K Wave theory – the two most common indicators are inflation, interest rates and asset prices – back in Nicolai’s time – these moved freely – but not anymore Inflation – it is targeted by central banks and the measurements are skewed Data being skewed – not the cost of living but the basket of goods selected What makes up the good? I break it down into two – Essentials and discretionary Look at the prices of the two – One has been going up massively whilst the other is declining – goes which? Essential – food, health care, petrol, housing, education – all up massively – over CPI increase Discretionary – TVs, clothes, computers – stuff you buy off Amazon – going down massively Targets – money is introduced into the economy to create inflation – but lowering interest rates - Interest rates – it is controlled not on supply and demand factors – but on the determination of monetary authorities Asset prices – Shares, property and commodities – depending on the stage go through corrections, gains or stagnation Let's look at each of these through the cycles – see if they line up Spring – 1950-1966 – longest period in cycle – around 25 years Inflation – starts to rise – due to consumption starting to increase Australia saw a spike in inflation in 1950 – went to almost 25% - but then dropped heavily to almost 0%- inflation used to be more volatile before being targeted – but by 1966 was back to about 5% Interest rates – normally fairly flat initially – towards end of cycle start to increase Interest rates were 5% then went to 5.5% but averaged around 5% for the whole time – This is a large factor which contributed to inflation back then – but the spike was likely due to price increases due to limited supply coming out of WW2 Shares – Start to rise as well in the spring time – and they slowly did - Average annual ASX return of 12.52% Had 4 negative years – nothing major – 3%, two 7% and one 12% Property – also is meant to increase – it did – 50s to 66 saw mild increases at average of wage earnings Summer – 1967-1981 – around 5 to 10 years Inflation – quickly rising inflation - towards the end meant to see double digit levels if inflation From 67 rose from about 5% to 15% by 1976 - and stayed around the 10% margin until early 1980s Interest rates – are rising to combat inflation – normally soaring Credit growth builds heavily – whilst interest rates increase – inflation also goes up – so real debt levels isn’t so bad Rates went from 5.38% in 2967 to 7.25% in 1970 – then to 10% by 1974 – then to 13% by 1981 Shares- The share markets normally go through a bit of a correction as well or just make no progress and stagnate Average annual ASX return of 17% Had the corrections mid and end of cycle – 73 and 74 lost 23% and 27% respectively Then in 1981 and 1982 at end of cycle lost 13% and 14% back to back - Property – From 67 to 75 saw some decent increases – prices went from $160k to $220k – 37% gain in about 8 years – but then stagnated and went down slightly until 80s Autumn – 1982 -2000 – around 7 to 10 years – this is the period when things start getting a little out of sync Inflation – starts to drop – which it did – trended down from 1981 till the RBA and other central banks set inflation targeting in early 90s – Went from about 8% to close to zero with the implementation of inflation rate targeting in 1993 Inflation did spike towards 2000 – but only to about 5% - Interest rates – falling heavily – which they did Creates a credit boom which creates a false plateau of prosperity that ends in a speculative bubble Rates kept rising though – 1982 were 13.5% and went up to 17% by 1990 – But dropped after this – from 1990 to 1992 – went from 17% to 10% - then down to 7% in 2000 Shares – market prices rise heavily to a peak and crash Average annual ASX return of 16% Rose in 1983, 85, 86 by 67%, 44% and 52% respectively Property – meant to increase as well and started massively in the mid 90s – went down between 1980 and 1987 Bonds – also rise a lot – which they did slightly – but not much Winter – 2000 – 2015 or 2020 depending on measurements – meant to be 3-year collapse and 15 year reset Inflation – Prices start to fall – actually went up – from 2000 to 2005 went from 2.5% to 5% - so not the expected result But since then inflation is down – despite monetary policies best efforts Interest rates – normally are meant to slowly increase – however – 2000s then has been trending down – and no massive signs of increasing Cash is the best investment normally in winter – but the interest rates dropping has created a situation where it really isn’t a good option – guarantees a real negative return over the medium term Shares – see a banking crisis – saw that in 2008 - Average annual ASX return has been about 8.91% since 2000 – Has been in winter – but have had a limited ability to rebound through fundamentals Property prices are meant to fall off or stagnate – what did we see – from 2000 the mother of all property booms – Nothing to do with the cycle – but credit growth – borrowings and interest rates falling Best investments are cash and gold – as shares and bonds (or debt) are in free fall for the first few years – but then go nowhere for a while But over the past few years – International shares were one of the best investments – however gold and precious metals has been going well The breakthrough for this phase comes from confidence – it comes from the overall market sentiment So is this wave still true? Yes - I believe so – but with different time spans - I personally think that waves still exist – but they have been subverted by intervention of monetary policy – The issues But interest rates don’t move freely anymore – inflation doesn’t move freely anymore – Debt levels also no longer have a market response – people respond in market manners to them (borrowing more when rates are low) K wave was on point up until the winter cycle – remember – Central banks – RBA started controlling interest rates in an effect to get inflation in mid 90s – after which property and share boomed Implications for 2020 and Beyond Based on Professor Thompson's analysis, long K cycles have nearly a thousand years of supporting evidence. If we accept the fact that most winters in K cycles last 20 years this would indicate that we should be coming out of the Kondratieff winter that commenced in the year 2000 soon – but does it feel like it? First – look at the approximations of this theory - Based around the analysis and probability - we should be moving from a "recession" to a "depression" phase in the cycle about the year 2013 and it should last until approximately 2017-2020 – but there has been no economic recession or depression on the GDP measure – as it has been silent – GDP can be manipulated by changing currency (for exports) or government spending – or even adjusting potential GDP – look at a graph – used to have big swings of up 6% down to -1% - but average much larger – then since 2000s – hasn’t moved above 2% in real terms – if anything trending towards 0% Looking around in the economy – may seem like it there is a recession talking to the average business owner – but looking at the share market and bond price performance – not so much Why? What K missed and what Thompson negated was the immense power over markets that the Fed and Central banks would play – but it is only masking the issue with high asset prices doesn’t mean a booming economy – why in the winter period – when shares and property are meant to stagnate – the real growth has still been increasing Characteristics of Winter – Share and debt markets collapsing – Only shares dropped in 2008/09 – while bonds had good year – but since they have both been going up Massive debt defaults – haven’t materialised due to record low-interest rates for prolonged periods of time If rates go up – may see these two materialise But like all cycles, K wave analysis is more "descriptive than prescriptive" - it does help to provide insight into our current economic condition – that what rise must fall – the longer the delay is manipulated through low cost of money and printing to put money into assets occurs – the worse the winter can be Over the winter cycle - the FED and the ECB, instead of prolonging the agony through trillion of credit expansion, should have let winter happen = liberate the "international market" and let it intelligently and efficiently do what it has done 18 times before – not a smooth ride, but even with central banking intervention – not smooth either World bankers if they understood how cycles work instead of trying to control them - may comprehend and deal with the crisis – but letting it happen – instead they panicked and mis-diagnosed it as a credit/monetary problem – turning it into a credit/monetary problem since the 1980s But the monetary and government policies of increasing legislation to reduce free-market abilities and technological innovation have prolonged the winter What if we were never allowed to go into winter? The crash of 2008 wasn’t as bad as it needed to be – the fire of the market didn’t clean out the failing companies (banks) but made them stronger The share market collapsed in value by a lot – but the problems were masked through bailouts But markets so have the ability to recover – they just need to be let to do their thing – but not under the guise of regulations or monetary policy – but peoples innovation and ingenuity But the Major point – K Wave theories are only prevalent in Capitalist economies - would go further and say a free market - Where the market has adjustments based around incentives - But since 1990s – we don’t like in a free market economy when inflation is set (Goodhart’s law) and the interest rates are controlled - Puts a kink in the theory Thanks for listening! Australian Interest rates - https://www.loansense.com.au/historical-rates.html ASX Returns – https://topforeignstocks.com/2017/06/14/the-historical-average-annual-returns-of-australian-stock-market-since-1900/ Thank you for listening to today's episode. If you want to get in contact you can do so here: http://financeandfury.com.au/contact/
Welcome to Finance and Fury, The Furious Friday Edition With the current state of the markets – and the focus only on today's news and short-term cycles - In this episode – we will be looking at economies and markets in relation to Waves and cycles in a complex system – Like seasons in weather – markets have cycles – like weather though, predicting it is not the most accurate – To do this though we will have a look at what is known as a Kondratieff Wave - And do they still have applications to modern financial markets almost 100 years later Understanding Kondratieff Waves A Kondratieff Wave is a long-term economic cycle believed to be born out of technological innovation - results in a long period of prosperity, then a lull, then a decline Theory was founded by Nikolai D. Kondratieff - a communist Russia-era economist who noticed agricultural commodity and copper prices experienced long-term cycles – focused on other economic cycles involved which have periods of evolution and self-correction. With every rise comes a fall – due to the creative destruction element before the take-off of technology In 1926 - Kondratieff published a study called Long Waves in Economic Life which first looked at these periods Kondratieff noted that capitalist economies have long waves of boom and bust, that he described similar to the seasons in a year. Kondratieff's analysis described how international capitalism had gone through many "great depressions" and as such were a normal part of the international mercantile credit system - The long term business cycles that he identified through his research are also called "K" waves. Long term means long term – not a few years like a business cycle - but 60 years – around 70% of the average life span – so most of us may see one and a half of these cycles play out Today - Kondratieff Waves are relegated to a branch of economics called "heterodox economics," in that it does not conform to the widely accepted, orthodox theories espoused by economists. Provides an alternative approach to mainstream economics that can help explain economic phenomenon that is ignored by equilibrium models – or traditional economics – does do by embedding social and historical factors into analysis – incorporates behavioural economics of both individuals and societies into market equilibriums over long timeframes. Mainstream economists who are currently implementing policy – essentially ruling the economic world should be presumably achieving full employment, constant GDP growth with near-perfect utilisation of resources – but also stay there - perhaps buffeted by mild external shocks – but in all their efforts they fail in the real world K waves faced a lot of hostility on the academic side – criticise equilibrium models of economics which is what academics are built on – Similar to the academic side - This theory was also not welcomed in Kondratieff's Russia - His views were not popular to communist officials, especially Josef Stalin, because they suggested that capitalist nations were not on an inevitable path to destruction but, rather, that they experienced ups and downs At the time – USA was going through the 1929 crash and the great depression of the 1930s – USSR was no better off but the propaganda machine (similar to NK today) couldn’t have the theory of that it was a temporary decline As a result, he ended up in a concentration camp in Siberia and was shot by a firing squad in 1938 So does this wave theory hold up today almost 100 year later? Start by looking at the identified patters - following Kondratieff Waves since the 18th century. The first resulted from the invention of the steam engine and ran from 1780 to 1830. The second cycle arose because of the steel industry and the spread of railroads and ran from 1830 to 1880. The third cycle resulted from electrification and innovation in the chemical industry and ran from 1880 to 1930. The fourth cycle was fuelled by autos and petrochemicals and lasted from 1930 to 1970. The fifth cycle was based on information technology and began in 1970 and ran through the present, though some economists believe we are at the start of a sixth wave that will be driven by biotechnology and healthcare. Modern day economic academics have started to pay attention to this – subject of "cyclical" phenomenon – essay from Professor W. Thompson of Indiana University – took a step back and looked at K waves – concluded that they have influenced world technological development since the 900's – that these developments commenced in 930AD in the Sung province of China - he propounds that since this date there have been 18 K waves lasting on average 60 years Most people are quite familiar with business cycles that tend to be denominated in terms of months to years – For example – typical business cycle goes - Sales are good, people are confident about the future, and unemployment is reduced. Then sales fall off, the immediate future seems gloomier, and unemployment increases. The Kondratieff wave is a longer version of economic fluctuation – built off the theory of technological innovation and subsequent diffusion at the world level - can also have some rather major implications for war, peace, and order in the world system through political instability What drives k-waves has been the subject of considerable analytical dispute. Arguments have been advanced that bestow main driver status on investment, profits, population growth, war, agricultural-industrial trade-offs, prices, and technological innovations Truth be told – who knows what really is the cause – however, the effects of these cycles are what is notable and what we will focus on Each cycle has it sub-cycles – which are dubbed as seasons as broken down into four sub-cycles - The K wave is a 60 year cycle (+/- a few years here or there) with internal phases that are sometimes characterised as seasons: spring, summer, autumn and winter: Spring: Increase in productivity, along with inflation, signifying an economic boom – 1949-1966 Spring (25 years) – Inflationary phase with rising stock prices and increased employment and wages. Phase: new factors of production emerge, creates good economic times, where consumption goes up – people spend more and there is rising inflation – it is the starting period of inflation Best assets are typically real estate and shares – but as this is the start of the new cycle – typically it means that these assets have just gone through a crash This stage is all about confidence turning around and picking up – and when confidence is high – everything booms Except bonds – due to inflation Summer: Increase in the general affluence level leads to changing attitudes toward work that results in a deceleration of economic growth – 1967-1981 Summer (5-10 years) – Stagflation phase with rising interest rates, rising debt and stock corrections. Imbalances lead to war – either economic or physical Interest rates normally rise which combats inflation – and the risking debts also get slowed down – The share markets normally go through a bit of a correction as well or just make no progress and stagnate – There can be a build up of capital goods as consumption starts to lower Hubristic 'peak' war followed by societal doubts and double-digit inflation – but commodities do well in the stage Autumn: Stagnating economic conditions give rise to a deflationary growth spiral that gives rise to isolationist policies, further curtailing growth prospects – 1982 - 2000 Autumn (7-10 years) – Deflation phase where falling interest rates lead to a plateau and stock prices increase sharply Inflation starts to drop to due consumption decreasing The financial fix of inflation leads to a credit boom which creates a false plateau of prosperity that ends in a speculative bubble In this phase due to falling interest rates – debts rise massively – this causes real estate to boom and for bond prices to rise – shares also do well before they have their peak and crash Winter: Economy in the throes of a debilitating depression that tears the social fabric of society, as the gulf between the dwindling number of "haves" and the expanding number of "have-nots" increases dramatically – 2000 – meant to be 2020 Winter (3 year collapse and 15 year readjustment) – Depression phase with stock and debt markets collapsing But commodity prices are increasing. Excess capacity worked off by massive debt repudiation (or debt default), commodity deflation & economic depression. Inevitably – a 'trough' breaks psychology of doom and things move back to the spring cycle Best investments are cash and gold – as shares and bonds (or debt) are in free fall for the first few years – but then go nowhere for a while Implications for 2020 and Beyond Based on Professor Thompson's analysis, long K cycles have nearly a thousand years of supporting evidence. If we accept the fact that most winters in K cycles last 20 years this would indicate that we should be coming out of the Kondratieff winter that commenced in the year 2000 soon – but does it feel like it? – Gone on a bit long already and it is a deeper topic – so will cover the current cycle in closer detail next Friday Episode In sum, the Kondratieff wave appears to be highly pervasive and hence an important underlying function of the world system – think this is an interesting concept and deserves more recognition than it currently receives. In addition to technology being a major factor in K cycles, credit and banking also play a crucial role. This is due to the fact that new technology spurs growth, initiative, and risk-taking. This mindset encourages investment and lending, thus when the multiplier effect kicks in, economies expand rapidly. Moving the focus and analysis on more modern times – can be seen that periods of "K" expansion and contraction bring with them phases of bigger booms and busts. The picture is doubly exacerbated by increasingly more integrated world funding mechanisms which means these booms and busts are global rather than local and increasingly more political than economic. Also – the credit capacity of Central banks – in modern times they are on steroids compared to the constrictions placed under the gold standard The very fact that Central banks since the 90s have been trying to control inflation and the very cost of money may have broken this cycle- as far as following the timelines but not the patterns A Kondratieff Wave is a long-term economic cycle, indicated by periods of evolution and self-correction, brought about by technological innovation that results in a long period of prosperity. Thank you for listening to today's episode. If you want to get in contact you can do so here: http://financeandfury.com.au/contact/
Episode 41. February 1, 2020. CLP topic category: Irreconcilable Differences An American Conservative Revolution In the Midst of A Socialist Civil War Introduction: The Difference Between the American Socialist Civil War and the Second American Revolution. David Armitage's book, War, Civil War, or Revolution, (2017), provides a useful method to understand the current constitutional crisis in America. According to Armitage, a civil war emphasizes the essential unity of the combatants, after the war ends, while a revolution involves a civil dissolution of the existing order. Applying Armitage's definition, the American socialists are engaged in a civil war with conservative patriots, because socialists want both sides to “remain members of the same political community,” after the end of the socialist civil war. The socialist logic for continuing the existing constitutional arrangement is easy to understand: the socialists need the middle class and wealthy to continue to contribute their taxes and wealth to the socialist elites, because the socialist regime cannot function without exploitation of the wealthy. Armitage explains that revolution involves the overthrow of the existing constitutional arrangement, and replacing the old regime with a new regime. In other words, in a revolution, the people tearing each other apart do not share a common culture and political community. In fact, as Professor Thompson reminds us, “the two sides hate each other,” and share no common or cultural values. In contrast to the unity of the combatants at the end of a civil war, the two sides in a revolution have no on-going relationship with each other because one of the sides does not exist, anymore. This is the stage of conflict in America today between Democrat socialists and conservatives. The socialists despise non-socialists, and share no values with the founding principles of the nation. But, the socialists need their hated capitalist system to keep functioning, at the end of the civil war, because capitalism generates tax revenues. If they achieve victory of their socialist civil war, they will seek to rule non-socialists in a one-party, totalitarian government, under the guise of the current Constitution. The solution for conservative patriots is to recognize the irreconcilable values with Democrat socialists, and engage in a revolution to form a new nation that reclaims the principles of liberty. In the second American Revolution, conservatives seek an unconditional, permanent split with the socialists. In other words, the conservatives must win the second American revolution in order to divorce themselves from the socialist tyranny, after the civil war. From the socialist perspective, their hatred of conservatives is engendered by the Marxist ideology of class hatred between the capitalist class and the working class. Professor Thompson, of Clemson, writes, “It is not an exaggeration to suggest that liberal and conservative Americans hate each other. There are now two Americas and the division is not between “haves” and “have nots” or between whites and blacks. The coastal, blue state, Ivy-educated ruling class has contempt for flyover, red state, trailer park deplorables and vice versa. To paraphrase Abraham Lincoln, a nation that hates itself cannot stand.” While Armitage's definitions are useful for understanding the difference between civil war and revolution, his definitions are not useful for explaining America's first revolution. In that revolution, a civil war was being fought at the same time that a revolution was being fought to form a new nation. There was a civil war inside of a revolution. When the British General Clinton changed his strategy from taking New York, in order to focus on taking the Southern states, he ordered several detachments of loyalists in South Carolina to carry the attack against the patriots. British regulars were not used to any great extent in the Carolina theater. According to one historical account, “the Carolinas were subjected to furious partisan warfare. With minor use of British troops, the south became embroiled in a civil war marked by horrendous and indiscriminate violence… The patriots had to fight a civil war and fight one of the greatest armies of the world at the same time.” For a great period of time in South Carolina, the Tory loyalists were successful in vanquishing the patriots, and engaged in horrific torture and slaughter of patriot prisoners, who had surrendered. The success of the loyalists abruptly changed at King's Mountain, when the loyalists met a patriot army of 900 frontiersmen, commonly called the “Over the Mountain Boys.” From that defeat, General Cornwallis marched his regulars and Tories to Guilford County, N. C., where they engaged General Greene and the American regular army. The fighting at Guilford Courthouse was so brutal and intense that Cornwallis ordered his soldiers in the rear of the line to shoot the soldiers in the front, in the tail, to make them advance against the Patriots. The experience at Guilford was so devastating to the British troops that they refused to leave their quarters in Yorktown to engage the Americans again. Louis Gohmert's analysis of the current conflict in America could be improved if he adopted the “civil war within a revolution” model to explain the Democrat socialist behavior. Gohmert describes the socialist initiative to nullify the 2016 presidential election and impeach President Trump as a “Communist Revolution.” Gohmert states, “I think it is better to characterize it as [a] communist revolution. That's what they're about, and whether you want to call it progressivism, socialism, communism, that's what they're about, and we're already seeing … communism's hatred of religion, and specifically Christianity. It's a threat to what has always been an American way of life.” The more accurate analysis of the socialist behavior involves a progression of behavior from resistance to the transfer of power, to the open rebellion of a coup, then to the sedition of the bureaucrats in the deep state, and finally to civil war. Our podcast today will place these stages of the socialist tactics into the argument that reconciliation with the socialists is impossible. Nothing will ever change the ideology, or the behavior, of the Democrat socialists, who will continue to push for victory of the glorious socialist state, in order to subjugate non-socialists. To paraphrase President Trump, “No matter how many witnesses you give the Democrats, no matter how much information is given, like the quickly produced Transcripts, it will NEVER be enough for them. They will always scream UNFAIR. The Impeachment Hoax is just another political CON JOB!” Our podcast concludes that the only solution to the constitutional crisis is a conservative revolution to restore the original democratic republic of America contemplated by the Patriots in their creation and ratification of the Articles of Confederation. I am Laurie Thomas Vass, and this is the copyrighted Citizen Liberty Party News Network podcast for February 1, 2020. Our podcast today is under the CLP topic category Irreconcilable Differences and is titled, “An American Conservative Revolution In the Midst of A Socialist Civil War.” The most recent podcast of the CLP News Network is available for free. The entire text and audio archive of our podcasts are available for subscription of $30 per year, at the CLP News Network.com.
It's that time of the week! Here's another top-notch interview discussing some new work with one of the most important and highly-acclaimed historians working today. On the podcast today we are joined by Heather Ann Thompson, a Professor History and of Afroamerican and African Studies at the University of Michigan AND this year's Pitt Professor of American History of Institutions here at the University of Cambridge. Professor Thompson talks to PhD student Richard Saich about her paper 'Lore and Logics: The Liberal State, the Carceral State, and the Limits of Justice and Inequality in Postwar America', its primary points, its potential consequences and relationship with her earlier work, including the Pulitzer and Bancroft prize winning book 'Blood in the Water: The Attica Prison Uprising of 1971 and Its Legacy'. The two also discuss, among other things. the relationship between academic scholarship and activism, the particularly prominent role of women in developing this scholarship and social action, and prisons in Finland. If you have any questions, suggestions or feedback, get in touch via @camericanist on Twitter or ltd27@cam.ac.uk. Spread the word, and thanks for listening! See you next week! Schedule for the Cambridge American History Seminar- https://www.hist.cam.ac.uk/seminars/american-history-seminar
Dr. Thompson is currently course director for the Industrial College of the Armed Forces' strategic leadership course at National Defense University. He brings extensive experience to the position having been an educational administrator in three different colleges, as well as having practical experience in leadership and organizational change. Professor Thompson's primary research interest is leadership development in terms of both one's personal development and growth as facilitated by executive development programs. Dr. Thompson holds a bachelors degree in communications from The College of the Ozarks, a masters degree in sociology from Pepperdine University, and a doctorate in human and organizational learning from The George Washington University. Additionally, he is a retired US Air Force colonel. Dr. Thompson will share his research on what are the best practices for developing executives in organizations and how the armed forces train their leaders for the rigors of war.
Multiple Sclerosis Discovery: The Podcast of the MS Discovery Forum
[intro music] Hello, and welcome to Episode Twenty of Multiple Sclerosis Discovery, the podcast of the MS Discovery Forum. I’m your host, Dan Keller. This week’s podcast features an interview with Dr. Jeffery Cohen about two clinical trials. But to begin, here is a brief summary of some of the latest developments on the MS Discovery Forum at msdiscovery.org. Genome-wide association studies are raising more questions than they answer for multiple sclerosis, according to new research. As the number of risky genetic variants grew, researchers began to wonder if many of those variants would be found in the murky waters of “noncoding DNA,” which comprises about 98% of the human genome. Those fears were confirmed in a study published last month in the journal Nature. According to the report, almost 90% of the risk variants fell within the noncoding region and 60% were found in areas known as enhancers or switches. These areas manage gene activity, though researchers are far from fully understanding how they work. While genome-wide association studies have been helpful to researchers, this study highlights that they are just a first step towards a better understanding of MS and the human genome. The International Progressive MS Alliance recently released a call for applications for their second round of grants. To go along with this announcement, Professor Alan Thompson, the head of the Alliance’s scientific steering committee, penned a post for our blog. In his post, he emphasizes the urgent need for more research into progressive MS. He notes that over one million people worldwide live with progressive MS, yet no specific treatments exist for this condition. You can read Professor Thompson’s post in the blog section of the News and Future directions tab at msdiscovery.org. To get more information about the grants from the Alliance, visit our “Funding Opportunities” section under the “Professional Resources” tab on our website. In addition to the latest funding opportunity from the Progressive MS Alliance, we also recently posted a long list of funding opportunities from the National MS Society. [transition music] Now to the interview. Dr. Jeffrey Cohen is a neurologist and director of the Mellen Center for multiple sclerosis at the Cleveland Clinic. He spoke with MSDF about two clinical trials, one examining the clinical use of stem cells, the other about a generic version of glatiramer acetate, Copaxone. Interviewer – Dan Keller First of all, what was the aim of the clinical stem cell trial and what phase was it done in? Interviewee – Jeffrey Cohen So we now have 11 medications approved to treat multiple sclerosis. They are all effective in the early, relapsing remitting stage of the disease, but there is a major unmet need for treatments that repair damage and might be effective in progressive MS. Our main goal was to explore cell-based therapies to treat multiple sclerosis, specifically to test the feasibility and safety of administering so-called mesenchymal stem cells. This was a Phase I study of mesenchymal stem cells. These are stem cells that are present in many tissues of the body. We isolated them from bone marrow which is probably the version that is the best studied previously. We grew them in the laboratory to increase their numbers, and then readministered them intravenously. We were focusing primarily on safety, as I said. We had fairly intense monitoring for any complications. Thankfully, we saw none. We also looked in a very preliminary way for benefit using clinical measures, a variety of imaging approaches and immunologic measures. MSDF What is the hypothesis here that they are doing? Do they actually get into the brain? You are infusing them IV. There is a blood-brain barrier, these are pretty big objects. Dr. Cohen There are actually a large number of studies in the laboratory and in animals that suggest that these cells have a number of properties that we think would be of use in a disease like multiple sclerosis. First of all, they seem to modulate the immune response. They dampen down inflammation. But more importantly, they appear to be able to produce a wide range of soluble factors, growth factors and other substances that we think promote repair. We think of them as the delivery system for growth factors that promote repair. We don't think that they themselves develop into brain tissue but will become neuro-cells, but rather that they create a milieu that is conducive for the natural intrinsic repair processes to remyelinate or restore neurologic function. The other property that is potentially very advantageous is that they appear to be attracted to areas of tissue damage or inflammation. They appear to have the ability to migrate within tissues, and in fact to migrate from either the cerebral spinal fluid into the brain or from the blood into the nervous system. So we think we can take advantage of that by administering them intravenously. MSDF Did you do dose-ranging here? Dr. Cohen: We did not. One of the things we learned from this study is that there are a lot of unknowns about cell-based therapies. What the appropriate dose is? Whether multiple doses are needed? What is the best route of administration? Whether there are nuances as to how you grow the cells in culture? What characteristics you want to augment? Dose-ranging in particular is something that has been very difficult to do in the field, particularly for some of these cells that are grown in culture; you usually have the dose that you have. That has been an issue that we have struggled with as have others in the field. MSDF How long did you follow these patients and what did you find? Dr. Cohen We followed them for two months prior to infusion. That is the time during which their cells were being cultured, and then for six months after infusion. So very reassuringly there were no serious or severe adverse events. In fact, there were very little, if any, side effects. Patients were not immunosuppressed. They had no premedication. The only side effect was that the culture media contains a chemical called DSMO. Some patients got a garlic taste in their mouth. If they don't like Italian food, they didn't like that. We also looked in a preliminary way for evidence of benefit with the caveat that this study was not really designed to look for benefit. We used this as an opportunity to explore a variety of measures that might show tissue repair. We saw enticing improvement in some measures in some patients, but for patients as a group, there was no clear-cut evidence of benefit. We have to be very careful how we interpret these results. MSDF Could you follow them in any way? Were they tagged or any other way that you know where they went? Dr. Cohen No. That is another aspect of the cell therapy field that is getting a lot of attention. At the moment it is largely a black box. After we administer the cells, knowing whether they survive and where they go and how long they live there. That is another line of research besides pursuing further clinical trials of these cells is also to develop methods to track them within the body. There are some promising approaches that we are in the process of developing. MSDF Now I take it these were not modified in any way, they were just cultured to multiply them? Dr. Cohen There were some growth factors in the culture media, but they were from the regulatory point of view, not very manipulated. That is the terminology that is used. That is another area of debate is some of the specifics of the culture approach, whether we should add other factors that might change the properties of the cells. Whether it is okay for them to be frozen, which we do largely for convenience because then we can schedule the infusion. Or whether they should be taken fresh from the culture and administered. There are arguments for both approaches. MSDF Many cells seem to hone right back to where they came from. Do these just go back to the bone marrow do you think, or do you think they actually went somewhere because that area needed repair? Dr. Cohen There have been a few studies in some other conditions where these cells have been given. One of the interesting properties is that you can administer these cells from another person and they are not rejected. They become, I wouldn't say the standard, but a very common treatment for what is called graft-versus-host disease, which is a very severe complication of allogeneic bone marrow transplant where the transplanted immune system attacks the recipient's body. That is where the immunomodulatory effects of mesenchymal stem cells were first observed. There are, unfortunately, have been a couple of instances where MSCs that were from another person of a different gender, were administered to someone with graft-versus-host disease who unfortunately, subsequently died of GVH. In those cases, these cells were found in a range of tissues including bone marrow. Probably a more important obstacle is for after intravenous administration is the lung because that is where the blood goes from the veins. These cells probably collect in the lung initially and then percolate out into the tissues. MSDF Do you have any concerns, any caveats about potential harms, limitations, from using this? Is it feasible on a large scale? Dr. Cohen We took a very conservative approach with the idea that there are so many unknowns of cell-based therapies, including precedence in multiple sclerosis where therapies had a different effect than we anticipated. We thought it was appropriate to take a very careful systematic approach starting with a small safety study and then building from there. At least within the limitations of our study, meaning that it was relatively short, and relatively small, we saw no indications of any complications. Some of the hypothetical concerns would be cancer. Stem cells share some properties that are similar to cancer cells, or ectopic tissue formation. Stem cells have the natural ability to develop into almost any kind of tissue. At least, presumably they could go to one tissue and develop into another type of cell, so bone within the heart or something like that. We really saw no indication of that. There are really no examples of that in the literature, but because of those sorts of concerns, we took a very careful approach. We feel comfortable now moving on to a bigger program. MSDF You had discussed some of the problems that arose using allogeneic cells. Just to clarify, this was using autologous cells? Dr. Cohen Correct. These were cells from the patient themselves. There is still some debate in the field, which approach is better. Whether to take cells from the person themselves or whether to take cells from someone who does not have the disease that you are treating. That again is an issue that has not been settled. I think some of the cell tracking we were talking about earlier may help with that. Rather than answering all of these questions one trial at a time, we may be able to adjudicate some of these questions by seeing whether cells traffic more effectively. MSDF Let’s shift to your other trial, the GATE trial using generic Copaxone. Is that available now and what was the point of the trial? Dr. Cohen The purpose of this trial was potentially to have a generic version of one of the established multiple sclerosis drugs come available. The incentive would be that presumably because of the lower development costs, that the generic version would save money for payers and for patients. The trial we just completed was of a generic version of glatiramer acetate, Copaxone, one of the initial drugs approved to treat MS, a drug that we have a great deal of experience with. It has established efficacy and a known good safety profile. This study tested a generic version of that with the intent of showing that it had equivalent efficacy, in this case, as tested by MRI and had equivalent safety and tolerability. MSDF These were all patients with relapsing, remitting MS? You had, what, about 735? Dr. Cohen Correct. This was in a patient population with relapsing, remitting MS; the population for which Copaxone is approved. MSDF What were the interventions, the test group? Dr. Cohen There were three groups in this trial. One group was treated with generic glatiramer acetate. One group was treated with the brand Copaxone and then there was also a small placebo group to demonstrate what is called study assay sensitivity. The purpose of which was to show for the trial overall that the generic glatiramer acetate is equivalent to the brand-name, the reference drug as it is called, but also that within this trial with this population, that both drugs were effective. MSDF Where was this done, and is that ethical? Dr. Cohen One of the things we have encountered increasingly in developing multiple sclerosis drugs is that there are ethical and practical issues to including placebo groups. At this point it has become extremely difficult to include a placebo group in a large Phase III study that goes on for several years. In this case, this was a short trial, with the advantage of using MRI as the endpoint. It was conducted to some extent in North America, but primarily in Eastern Europe and other countries where unfortunately, multiple sclerosis treatments are not as available. MSDF What did you find? Dr. Cohen The study was successful. It showed equivalent efficacy as measured by gadolinium-enhanced MRI, and also showed equivalent safety and tolerability as measured by adverse events and injection site tolerability. MSDF What would this mean for patients if someone brought out a generic? Dr. Cohen The hope would be, is that if this drug is approved, that it would be less expensive. Multiple sclerosis is an expensive disease to care for and a great part of that cost is medication costs. So the hope would be that this would be less expensive. The other caveat is that complicated molecules such as Copaxone are difficult to replicate. In addition to very extensive chemical and biophysical analyses, that is why a trial was conducted, because of the feeling that it would only be with clinical data that we could…we assure ourselves that this was in fact similar to Copaxone. MSDF I would take it, that this would only apply to the generic you tested. I mean generics have a certain tolerance level margin compared to the approved brand, so not all generics are the same. Dr. Cohen That is correct. It is actually quite tricky to develop a generic of a complicated molecule, either a complex mixture such as glatiramer acetate or a so-called biological like a monoclonal antibody. Each one has to be tested one at a time. MSDF Anything important that we have missed, or to add? Dr. Cohen This trial was designed with the assistance of, and discussions with EMA, the European Regulatory Agency. It has been somewhat more difficult in the United States. The FDA is still somewhat unclear on their policies and the procedures for testing complex generics and biosimilars. The status of this trial in the United States is still somewhat uncertain. MSDF Very good. Thank you. Dr. Cohen Thank you. [transition music] Thank you for listening to Episode Twenty of Multiple Sclerosis Discovery. This podcast was produced by the MS Discovery Forum, MSDF, the premier source of independent news and information on MS research. MSDF’s executive editor is Robert Finn. Msdiscovery.org is part of the non-profit Accelerated Cure Project for Multiple Sclerosis. Robert McBurney is our President and CEO, and Hollie Schmidt is vice president of scientific operations. Msdiscovery.org aims to focus attention on what is known and not yet known about the causes of MS and related conditions, their pathological mechanisms, and potential ways to intervene. By communicating this information in a way that builds bridges among different disciplines, we hope to open new routes toward significant clinical advances. We’re interested in your opinions. Please join the discussion on one of our online forums or send comments, criticisms, and suggestions to editor@msdiscovery.org. [outro music]
This introductory podcast features an interview with the man behind the podcast project, Paul Thompson. A Research Professor in the Department of Sociology, Paul Thompson talks of Essex as “one of the places where oral history in Britain originated”. When he moved to Wivenhoe in the 1990s, Professor Thompson initiated an oral history project based in the town, which grew to involve many enthusiastic local residents. There are now over 60 interviews with Wivenhoe residents in the archive, many of whom worked at the University. The oral history archive is held at the Colchester Museum Resources Centre, as well as at our Albert Sloman Library. The interview was carried out by Chris Garrington, herself a former University employee, who edited together this series of podcasts based on the archive interviews.
This year's Tour de France is the 99th edition of a bicycle race that is rich in meaning and symbolism for the French nation. Christopher Thompson is professor of history at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana and author of a widely acclaimed cultural history of the Tour de France. He discusses how the race came about in an era of rising nationalism and how the route itself was loaded with political meaning. Professor Thompson argues the race projected carefully constructed role models and entrenched traditional gender archetypes. More recently, controversies over doping in cycle sport can be linked to concerns about recreational drug use in wider society. Continue reading →
Michael Thompson received his PhD in Philosophy at UCLA, where he was a student of Philippa Foot. He is a Professor at the University of Pittsburgh, and was formerly an Assistant Professor at UCLA. He is the author of Life and Action (Harvard University Press 2008, 2012; Suhrkamp 2011) and "What is it to Wrong Someone?" in Reason and Value, ed. Wallace et al. (O.U.P. 2006). This podcast is an audio recording of Professor Thompson's talk - "You and I" - at the Aristotelian Society on 21 May 2012. The recording was produced by Backdoor Broadcasting Company in conjunction with the Institute of Philosophy, University of London.
A variety of political and legal institutions have been established over time to manage the issue of climate change at the global level, mostly centered on the UN. These institutions have varied in terms of the nature and depth of obligations they impose on states. The shallow and nonbinding Framework Convention on Climate Change (1992) was followed by the more legalized Kyoto Protocol, which in turn is being replaced by a more decentralized and flexible approach. Professor Thompson will describe these changes and offer an explanation for the design and evolution of climate institutions from the perspective of political and environmental effectiveness. He will also offer policy recommendations based on current problems in the regime and the political realities exposed by ongoing negotiations.
Josiah Tink Thompson Gumshoe: Sleaze or Existential Hero? Private detective Tink Thompson was a Haverford philosophy professor who taught Nietzsche and Kierkegaard before he became a sleuth. He has worked on the Kennedy assassination, the Oklahoma bombing, and the Patty Hearst kidnapping. He is a big fan of Dashell Hammett, and he believes you can trace noir detective fiction back to the cultural cataclysm of World War I in Europe and the consequent emergence of European existentialists like Husserl, Sartre and Camus. Join Michael Lerner in a conversation with Bolinas’s own Tink Thompson about his book, Gumshoe: Sleaze or Existential Hero?, which chronicles his life as a private-eye, and his highly acclaimed book, Six Seconds in Dallas, which analyzed the JFK assassination. Josiah "Tink" Thompson Tink took degrees in Philosophy from Yale, with two years in between as a Navy frogman working on underwater explosives. After finishing his PhD at Yale, Tink became Professor Thompson of Haverford College for several decades. But for the last thirty years, he has made his living as an investigator. His cases run the gamut from auto accidents to high-visibility criminal prosecutions—from a $100m arson case in France, to a $100m coffee fraud in Colombia. The work has included hundreds of murder cases, including several that garnered national news (e.g., proving the innocence of Chol Soo Lee; investigations on the retrial of the Billionaire Boys Club; and defense of William and Emily Harris on charges of kidnapping Patty Hearst). Find out more about The New School at tns.commonweal.org.
Dr. Thompson is currently course director for the Industrial College of the Armed Forces' strategic leadership course at National Defense University. He brings extensive experience to the position having been an educational administrator in three different colleges, as well as having practical experience in leadership and organizational change. Professor Thompson's primary research interest is leadership development in terms of both one's personal development and growth as facilitated by executive development programs. Dr. Thompson holds a bachelors degree in communications from The College of the Ozarks, a masters degree in sociology from Pepperdine University, and a doctorate in human and organizational learning from The George Washington University. Additionally, he is a retired US Air Force colonel. Dr. Thompson will share his research on what are the best practices for developing executives in organizations and how the armed forces train their leaders for the rigors of war.