Podcasts about world symposium

There are cell therapies, gene therapies, and biologics – and then there is Immusoft. Immusoft sits at the nexus point of some of the most innovative approaches in biopharma, and their Immune System Programming platform is unique in its capacity to address the rare disease, MPS I. This week we talk with Immusoft CEO Sean Ainsworth to learn more about his journey in biotechnology, the work that Immusoft is doing in B-cell reprogramming and unpack some of the positive results that the company recently shared at the WORLD Symposium.01:08                      Early interests in biotechnology03:21                      First experiences in biotech entrepreneurship04:29                      Startup exits and liquidity events07:32                      Influences and mentors08:43                      Immusoft and its mission09:28                      Programming B-cells13:08                      Disease targets14:55                      Encountering and overcoming technical challenges15:53                      MPS I17:38                      Differentiation for MPS I patients19:42                      WORLD Symposium 202520:23                      What's next in the clinic21:25                      Urgency vs safety 24:26                      At the nexus of cell therapy, gene therapy, and biologics27:20                      Manufacturing, scaling, and funding30:31                      Next on the horizon for ImmusoftInterested in being a sponsor of an episode of our podcast? Discover how you can get involved here! Stay updated by subscribing to our newsletterTo dive deeper into the topic: Rare Disease Day: seven drugs awaiting approval in 202510 biotech companies making a difference in rare diseases

Jimmy Ford, MD discusses the 7th World Symposium on Pulmonary Hypertension and his work on the Exploring the Patient Perspective in PH Task Force. Learn more about pulmonary hypertension trials at www.phaware.global/clinicaltrials. Follow us on social @phaware Engage for a cure: www.phaware.global/donate #phaware Share your story: info@phaware.com #phawareMD @UNCDeptMedicine

CME credits: 0.25 Valid until: 31-12-2025 Claim your CME credit at https://reachmd.com/programs/cme/pulmonary-hypertension-diagnosis-management-and-updates-chairpersons-perspective/26626/ During a satellite symposium at the AHA 2024 Annual Meeting, experts reviewed the role of novel disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) in treating and managing pulmonary hypertension (PH) and the impact of current PH treatments vs novel DMTs. They also discussed how to identify appropriate patients for DMTs and strategies to customize treatment with risk-based assessments. In addition, highlights from the 7th World Symposium in PH were discussed. Tune in to keep up! =

"I have always been very intentional about my programming. My students sit in front of me, they're 18 to 22 years old, but I would have programmed for their 35-,  40-year-old self, for when the hard times come. What are we singing? What is this choir mama feeding them that eventually, when the hard times come, bubbles up in their spirit to help them get through the harder times?"Dr. Pearl Shangkuan is a highly sought-after conductor, lecturer and clinician who has led performances and workshops on six continents. She is the National President-elect of the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA), having previously served on the Board of Directors of Chorus America, as well as ACDA central division president and ACDA Michigan state president. She is the chorus director of the Grand Rapids Symphony, a Grammy-nominated professional orchestra and Professor Emerita of Music at Calvin University in Grand Rapids, Michigan.Appointed in 2022 as the Editor of Hinshaw Music, a major choral music publisher in North America, she also has a signature choral series with earthsongs and is the music editor of the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship Choral series published by GIA. She was an invited guest lecturer at the World Symposium for Choral Music held in Seoul, South Korea and her guest conducting engagements regularly take her to Europe, Asia, and across North America.Dr. Shangkuan has served on the jury of several international choral competitions in Europe and Asia. She has conducted numerous All State choirs and has headlined several ACDA state and other professional conferences. She has commissioned and premiered numerous choral works and her choirs have performed at ACDA national, division and state conferences.In 2023, the National Collegiate Choral Organization (NCCO) gave her its Honorary Life Member Award for “distinguished leadership and extraordinary service to the choral community, both nationally and internationally.”To get in touch with Pearl, you can find her on Facebook (@pearl.shangkuan) or email her at pshangkuan@hinshawmusic.com or pearl.shangkuan@calvin.edu.Email choirfampodcast@gmail.com to contact our hosts.Podcast music from Podcast.coPhoto in episode artwork by Trace Hudson

Despite significant advancements in the management of pulmonary hypertension (PH), several unmet needs remain. Patients continue to face challenges related to symptom control, mental health, and the long-term impacts of both the disease and its treatments. Additionally, there is a critical need for improved global access to care, multidimensional support, and advocacy. In this podcast episode, Dr. Jean Elwing and Dr. Oksana Shlobin discuss these gaps by focusing on the latest updates from the 7th World Symposium on Pulmonary Hypertension (WSPH), offering insights into the latest clinical classifications, risk stratifications, and treatment strategies.This podcast aims to enhance clinical practice by presenting key research findings, new treatment algorithms, and the implications of emerging therapies. The discussion will include advances in multimodality imaging, genetics, and right ventricular function, highlighting how these innovations improve PH diagnosis and patient management. Through an expert-led presentation and interactive Q&A session, participants will gain a comprehensive understanding of how these developments will shape future research and personalized care for PH patients.Launch Date: November 19, 2024Release Date: November 19, 2024Expiration Date: October 31, 2025FACULTYJean Elwing, MDProfessor of MedicineDirector, Pulmonary Hypertension ProgramUniversity of CincinnatiOksana Shlobin, MDMedical Director, Pulmonary Hypertension ProgramDirector of Education and Outreach, Advanced Lung Disease ProgramInova Fairfax HospitalThis podcast provides accredited continuing education credits.  To receive your credit, please read the accreditation information provided at this link below prior to listening to this podcast.https://www.practicepointcme.com/CMEHome/talking-pah-updates-from-the-7th-world-symposium-on-pulmonary-hypertension-1

As part of the October issue, the European Respiratory Journal presents the latest in its series of podcasts. Deputy Chief Editor Don Sin interviews associate editor Marius Hoeper and Kelly Chin (UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA) about articles published from the World Symposium on Pulmonary Hypertension.

CME credits: 1.00 Valid until: 11-10-2025 Claim your CME credit at https://reachmd.com/programs/cme/updates-from-the-7th-world-symposium-task-force/24597/ The 7th World Symposium Task Force on Pulmonary Hypertension focused on the standard of care, best practices, and emerging clinical data in the treatment of pulmonary hypertension (PH). For the first time, the 2024 Symposium started with patients' perspectives, acknowledging the respect and importance that should be given to patients' priorities. The translational aspects of modern pulmonary vascular research were highlighted, as were transplantation, bridging and support technologies, palliative care, management of pregnant women with PH, specificities of pediatric care, and the benefits of emerging multimodality imaging techniques and novel technologies. Tune in to get the details and improve care for your patients today! =

Grant Williams explains why gold is your best bet in the coming recession. Learn why gold is a safe investment during economic downturns and how it can protect your wealth. Grant breaks down the current economic outlook, US debt crisis, and why gold is shining bright in the commodities market.In this video, Grant Williams explains why gold is your best bet in the coming recession. Discover why investing in gold can help protect your finances during economic downturns. #gold #recession #investing ------------ Thank you to our #sponsor CONTANGO ORE, Inc. (NYSE American: CTGO) - Developing Alaska's Next Gold Mines. Make sure to pay them a visit: https://www.contangoore.com/ ------------

In this episode, Dr. Dunbar Ivy, a pediatric cardiologist at the University of Colorado, discusses the upcoming World Symposium on Pulmonary Hypertension, where experts from around the world will gather to discuss the progress made and future directions. Dr. Ivy highlights the work of the pediatric pulmonary hypertension task force, which aims to develop expert opinions on various topics, including the role of different therapies for patients who have failed all available medical treatments. The task force also focuses on understanding genetic abnormalities and developmental lung disorders, defining pulmonary hypertension in neonates, and addressing the challenges of clinical trials for pediatric patients.The task force plans to publish their findings in 2024 and welcomes feedback from the medical community. Learn more about pulmonary hypertension trials at www.phaware.global/clinicaltrials. Follow us on social @phaware Engage for a cure: www.phaware.global/donate #phaware Share your story: info@phaware.com #phawareMD #PPHNet @PPHNet 

In this episode, Dr. Eric Austin, a pediatric pulmonologist and pulmonary hypertension doctor, discusses the upcoming World Symposium on Pulmonary Hypertension, which will focus on various aspects of pulmonary hypertension research and clinical care. Dr. Austin is part of the task force on genetics and genomics, which aims to explore the genetic landscape of pulmonary hypertension and identify opportunities for future research and therapy development. He highlights the significance of the discovery of the BMPR2 gene and its role in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), leading to the development of the gene-informed therapy sotatercept. Learn more about pulmonary hypertension trials at www.phaware.global/clinicaltrials. Follow us on social @phaware Engage for a cure: www.phaware.global/donate #phaware Share your story: info@phaware.com #phawareMD #PPHNet @PPHNet @VUMCchildren

“The number one thing that I look for when I meet a younger conductor is imagination, someone who comes with ideas but also has a story to tell with the music. Often younger conductors are really worried about technique, the way they look, the way they rehearse, but it starts with imagination. What do you want to communicate? People are so worried about technique that they hide themselves. We want to see the person. Who are you and what do you have to say?”Prof. Jean-Sébastien Vallée is a renowned Canadian-American conductor, scholar, and pedagogue known for his expertise in vocal, choral, and orchestral repertoires. With an illustrious career spanning over several decades, Dr. Vallée has conducted numerous ensembles across North America, Europe, and Asia, and has prepared choruses for some of the world's most prestigious orchestras including the Toronto Symphony, the Montreal Symphony, the National Arts Center Orchestra in Ottawa, and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.Currently serving as Associate Professor of Music, Director of Choral Studies, and Coordinator of the Ensembles & Conducting Area at the Schulich School of Music of McGill University, and as Artistic Director of the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir, Dr. Vallée is a sought-after conductor and pedagogue. He has previously served as the Director of Choral Studies at California State University, Los Angeles, and was on the choral faculty of the University of Redlands. Dr. Vallée holds degrees from Laval University, Sherbrooke University, the University of California, Santa Cruz, and a doctorate in conducting from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.Maestro Vallée's passion for contemporary music is evident in his work, as he makes it a priority to premiere and commission works by young composers and program rarely performed repertoire. Dr. Vallée has presented his research at several national and international conferences, including the American Choral Directors Association Conventions, Festival 500 in Newfoundland, the National Collegiate Choral Organization conference, Podium—the national convention of Choral Canada, the Hawaii International Conference on Arts and Humanities, and the World Symposium on Choral Music in Spain (2017), New Zealand (2020), and Portugal (2022).Maestro Vallée's recordings have been broadcast internationally and include Lux (ATMA, 2017), Requiem (ATMA, 2018 – requiems by Fauré and Duruflé), and Distance (ATMA, 2021). His recent engagements include concerts at the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music in Budapest, a tour with the National Choir of Canada, and concerts with l'Orchestre symphonique de Québec, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, and the Chicago Symphony Chorus. To get in touch with Jean-Sébastien, you can visit his website jsvallee.com or find him on Facebook (@sebastien.vallee) or Instagram (@jsvallee). Choir Fam wants to hear from you! Check out the Minisode Intro Part 2 episode from May 22, 2023, to hear how to share your story with us.Email choirfampodcast@gmail.com to contact our hosts.Podcast music from Podcast.coPhoto in episode artwork by Trace Hudson

"My entire philosophy of choral music is that of all forms of music it is the one that has the capacity to produce a state of transcendence, and as a composer that is my primary function. Bear in mind, I don't write music for choirs; I write music for people. If you perform the music correctly, it can open a gateway, a higher state of consciousness."Born in 1964 in Dublin, Ireland, Michael is a composer of music and lyrics, film maker and runs the three connected vocal ensembles that he founded ANÚNA, M'ANAM and Systir. Michael's music combines elements of modality and contemporary compositional practices. He specializes in the composition of music for voices.His extensive output includes a number of pieces that have entered the standard repertoire of choirs all over the world. His settings of Irish language texts in particular fuse modality, alternating time signatures and medieval tonal colours in a unique fashion that is instantly recognisable as his work. While he is deeply passionate about creating music in the Irish language his music is expansive, spanning genres, languages and exploring the links between film making and musical creativity. Michael's music spans a huge range of textures, encompassing larger scale occasional pieces such as “Agnus Dei” (2005) commissioned by Chanticleer, and “Maalaulu” (2021), commissioned by Tampere Vocal Festival. Many of his compositions have entered the standard choral repertoire for choirs across the world including “Incantations”, “Dúlamán”, “One Last Song” and “Hinbarra”. In 2017 Michael was the recipient of the University College Dublin Alumni Award in Arts/Humanities and was visiting Eminent Scholar at the Music Department of Florida Atlantic University (2011-2013). In 2019 he became part of the UCD Creative Fellows. He was Artistic Director of the Tampere Vocal Festival (2021) and in 2022 was invited to give a presentation on the genesis of his compositions at the Nordic Choral Directors Conference in Reykjavík. His film “Mutability and Transcendence” was premiered at the World Symposium on Choral Music 2023 in Istanbul. Michael has produced and recorded nineteen albums for ANÚNA and M'ANAM. ANÚNA (1993), Celtic Origins (2007) and Christmas Memories (2008) have featured in the US Billboard Charts. Deep Dead Blue (1999) was nominated for a Classical Brit Award and went top five in the UK Classical Charts. To get in touch with Michael, you can visit his website: https://www.michaelmcglynn.com/Choir Fam wants to hear from you! Check out the Minisode Intro Part 2 episode from May 22, 2023, to hear how to share your story with us. Email choirfampodcast@gmail.com to contact our hosts.Podcast music from Podcast.coPhoto in episode artwork by Trace Hudson

CyprusScene reporting the news that TRNC President Tatar pulls no punches at Turkic World Symposium This episode is also available as a blog post: https://cyprusscene.com/2022/10/11/president-tatar-pulls-no-punches-at-turkic-world-symposium/ Don't forget to select FOLLOW on our channel listing to hear more news and reviews from Northern Cyprus CyprusScene Podcasts can be found on the following apps Anchor, Google Podcasts, Spotify, RadioPublic, PocketCasts, Breaker, Castbox, Apple Itunes

About Grant Furlane and LocoMobi World Inc: With over 18,000 followers Mr. Furlane brings over 40 years of technology experience specializing Smart City in Transportation, Network Security, Cloud Computing, Loyalty programs for Parking, Transit and Tolling industries. He has been involved in over 600 million dollars in Technology investments and was contracted to lead the initiatives of several large public IT companies. He aggressively built three transportation technology companies that established the vanguard for tracking and monitoring vehicle movement. His companies developed and sold integrated control systems for major airports, hospitals, and parking lot management companies. Considered to be an expert in Threat Prevention Automation using Artificial Intelligence architecture with Machine Vision . Recently Mr.Furlane has developed many robotic platforms . Metaverse is the most recent developments Mr. Furlane is starting the build out phase . A former President of the Canadian Parking Association, Mr. Furlane served as Co-Chairman of the first World Symposium on Intelligent Transportation Systems, an international symposium attended by delegates representing 50 countries. In addition Mr. Furlane was a guest contributor at the United Nations congress for Infrastructure. As a result of his successful business experience, his companies' technological innovation, and his international scope, Mr. Furlane is considered to be one of the leaders in this industry. Mr.Furlane also is a serial entrepreneur who invests in and assists start ups to reach roll out and successful execution. Expertise in areas of Cloud Computing, Advanced Learning , Artificial Intelligent and Robotics .Specialities include Human Performance both mentally and physically combining technology with protection and fitness. Mr Furlane served as Chairman to the Neurological Hospitals Centers for Ability, and the Board of Governors of Ontario Junior A Hockey, and has investments in the Entertainment and Sports industries. LocoMobi World Inc. is a Smart City, parking & transportation technology company that manufactures and delivers innovative enterprise hardware, and cloud-based software solutions, including a revolutionary license plate recognition system for some of the biggest names in parking and transportation in North America. Offering a diverse range of products from mobile apps & software solutions, to traditional parking equipment, LocoMobi World accomodates a broad range of environments that include municipalities and garages, commercial and residential buildings, hotels, airports, medical centers, and universities. LocoMobi's unique Smart City development capabilities allow for us to provide your business with diverse and innovative enterprise hardware and cloud-based software offerings. For consumers that are new to the smart city world; we offer several a-la-carte solutions designed to meet or exceed industry standards. From on-street to off-street options, to seamless user experiences, we will combine the formulas to simplify and improve vehicle management & parking for you, now and into the future.

Nazareth invites the CEO and President of Professional Botanicals on the podcast. Vitamins that Nazareth used on the air as a ginny pig, for several weeks, and found out that what Professional Botanicals claimed about energy, lowering inflammation and mental clarity were true. So he invited him on the show. https://www.stemcellwellnesskit.com/nazareth While bottling and packaging for a small nutritional company in the 1970's, Dr. Millet was involved with the health and nutrition industry at an early age.  In 1980 his father, Chuck Millet, started Professional Botanicals, Inc. When looking to the future, Dr. Millet felt that a degree in Chiropractic Medicine seemed to be the best fit for a career in health and nutrition. It's only after graduation that Dr. Millet believes his education truly began when he started studying Kinesiology and the relationship between the body's energy and health. Nutrition, and its impact on overall well-being, became a vital part of his practice. Dr. Millet has been a practicing Chiropractic Physician since 1986. Being a much sought after lecturer and presenter, his travels have taken him all over the globe. Recently, his engagements have included speaking to the University Medical Staff in Istanbul, Turkey and being broadcast worldwide as a presenter for the World Symposium of Integrated Medicine.  Currently, Dr. Millet is the Owner and CEO of Professional Botanicals. His belief in living life to its fullest is manifested in both professional and private life. For the past 20 years he has been a white water enthusiast, kayaking rivers all over the world. He enjoys skiing, motorcycle racing, and just enjoying the outdoors. He loves living in Utah with his beautiful wife, Lisa and two dogs.

Can seniors save the world through social activism in their life after retirement? Dr. Thelma Reese thinks so. And, she knows so, too. She's the co-author of the new book How Seniors Are Saving The World: Retirement Activism to the Rescue! with BJ Kittredge. While we often see examples of senior volunteering, this book highlights seniors who are activists in various ways on a range of issues. Seniors Helping Others in Retirement The book tells the stories of seniors from various walks of life, ages, and backgrounds who are doing just that. They are investing their time, energy, and passion into causes that matter— and they’re making a difference. Whether it's volunteering or activism that's a fit for you, you'll find these stories inspiring ways to get involved - in ways big and small. We discuss: Why she wrote this new book What the diverse group of 24 seniors profiled in the book has in common Some of the stories and causes detailed in the book of seniors changing the world What she thinks we can learn from the pandemic How her thinking has evolved during the pandemic on topics like ageism Why intergenerational relationships are so important The story of a new intergenerational course she's creating with a group at Temple University and Osher Lifelong Learning Institute in Philadelphia Her advice for seniors who want to get engaged in saving the world Dr. Reese joins us today from Center City Philadelphia. ______________________________ Bio Thelma Reese, B.S., M.Ed., Ed.D., all from Temple University, began teaching third grade in 1954.  When her two daughters were in school, she began her graduate studies in Educational Psychology, was awarded a pre-doctoral fellowship, and was active first in the field of Reading Psychology and Education.  She taught as an adjunct professor at Temple University and Arcadia University. When her children were grown, she became a professor of English and director of special programs at Community College of Philadelphia. After early retirement at CCP, she created the Advisory Council for Hooked on Phonics and was its spokesperson in the '90's. In that role, and as director of the Mayor's Commission on Literacy for the City of Philadelphia, she appeared frequently on television and hosted a cable show in Philadelphia. She was a founder of Philadelphia Young Playwrights, chaired the Board of Children’s Literacy Initiative, and organized the World Symposium on Family Literacy at UNESCO in Paris in 1994. She is co-author, with Barbara M. Fleisher, of The New Senior Woman: Reinventing the Years Beyond Mid-Life (Rowman & Littlefield).  Their second book, The New Senior Man:  Exploring New Horizons, New Opportunities was published by Rowman & Littlefield in 2017.  Her latest book is How Seniors Are Saving the World:  Retirement Activists to the Rescue!, co-authored by BJ Kittredge, published by Rowman & Littlefield in 2020. Reese and Fleisher created the blog www.ElderChicks.com in 2012, which is ongoing since the passing of Dr. Fleisher in October of 2016. She lives in Philadelphia with her husband, Harvey Reese, who is an artist and the author of several books, including How to License Your Million Dollar Idea (John Wiley, publisher). ____________________________ Wise Quotes  On Activism vs. 'Clicktivism' "I think activism really is just doing something that goes beyond thinking about it. I love the word that I found somewhere clicktivism, where we just click on or like something on Facebook. It goes another step. In some ways, I think we just redefined activism tremendously with the pandemic. I think seniors just by staying in, have been activists - just by not making things more dangerous for themselves and others. You can take it to the level  It doesn't want the accolades, doesn't want the notoriety, doesn't want to be noticed necessarily, but wants to make sure that it's happening, something good is happening - and how to part of ...

Dr Carolyn Lam:                Welcome to Circulation on the Run, your weekly podcast summary and backstage pass to the Journal and its editors. I'm Dr Carolyn Lam, associate editor from the National Heart Center and Duke National University of Singapore. Dr Greg Hundley:             And I'm Greg Hundley, associate editor at Circulation and director of the Pauley Heart Center at VCU Health in Richmond, Virginia. Carolyn, have you ever wondered about instead of coding a stent, coding balloons with paclitaxel? Well, the feature article day is going to look at mortality assessments of paclitaxel-coated balloons in a meta-analysis from the ILLUMENATE clinical program, the three-year outcomes. Do you have a paper you want to start us off? Dr Carolyn Lam:                I sure do. First of all, we know that diabetes impairs atherosclerosis regression following cholesterol lowering in both humans and mice. Now in this process of plaque regression, what's the role of functional high density lipoprotein or HDL, which is typically low in patients with diabetes?                                                 Well, this first paper that I chose looks just at that and it's from Dr Fischer from New York University School of Medicine and colleagues, who aimed to test if raising functional HDL levels in diabetic mice prevents monocytosis, reduces the quantity and inflammation of plaque macrophages and enhances atherosclerosis regression following cholesterol lowering. So to do this, the authors used aortic arches containing plaques, which were developed in LDL receptor null mice, and these were transplanted into either wild type or diabetic wild type or diabetic mice transgenic for human APL lipid protein A1, which have elevated functional HDL. Dr Greg Hundley:             So Carolyn, what did they find in this interesting study? Dr Carolyn Lam:                Well, diabetic wild type mice had impaired atherosclerosis regression, which was normalized by raising HDL levels. The benefit was linked to suppressed hyperglycemia-driven myelopoiesis, monocytosis and neutrophilia. Increased HDL improved cholesterol efflux from bone marrow progenitors, suppressing their proliferation and monocyte neutrophil production capacity. ACL also suppressed the general recruitability monocytes to inflammatory sites and promoted plaque macrophage polarization to the M2 phenotype, which is an atherosclerosis resolving state. There was also a decrease in plaque neutrophil extracellular traps or nets, which are atherogenic and increased by diabetes. So raising apolipoprotein AI and functional levels of HDL promoted multiple favorable changes in the production of monocytes and neutrophils and in the inflammatory environment of atherosclerotic plaques in diabetic mice after cholesterol lowering. And this may represent a novel approach to reduce cardiovascular risk in patients with diabetes. Dr Greg Hundley:             Really interesting, Carolyn. Well, I'm going to talk to you a little bit about a large study in patients with valvular heart disease and it's a contemporary presentation and management study and it's from the Euro Observational Research Program Valvular Heart Disease II, Roman numeral two, survey. And the corresponding author is Professor Bernard Iung from Bichat Hospital. So the VHDII survey was designed by the Euro Observational Research Program of the European Society of Cardiology to analyze actual management of valvular heart disease and compare practice with guidelines.                                                 Now in short, patients with severe and native valvular heart disease or previous valvular intervention were enrolled prospectively across 28 countries over a three-month period in 2017. Indications for intervention were considered concordant if the intervention was performed or scheduled in symptomatic patients corresponding to class one recommendation specified in the 2012 ESC and in the 2014 American Heart Association American College of Cardiology valvular heart disease guidelines. Dr Carolyn Lam:                Wow. So what did they find, Greg? Dr Greg Hundley:             Okay, so there's 7,247 patients. 4,483 were hospitalized, and 2,764 were outpatients, and they were included across 222 centers. The median age was 71 years and 1,917 patients were over the age of 80, and 3,400 were women. Now, aortic stenosis was present in 2,000 plus patients, aortic regurgitation in 279, mitral stenosis and 234, mitral regurgitation in 1,114. And multiple left-sided valvular heart disease was present in 1,297, right-sided valvular heart disease in 143, and 2,028 patients had prior vascular intervention.                                                 So the decision for intervention was concordant with class one recommendations in symptomatic patients with severe single left-sided valvular heart disease in 79.4% of those with AS, 77% with aortic regurgitation, 68.5% for mitral stenosis, and 71% for primary MR. Valvular interventions were performed in 2,150 patients during the survey. Of them, 47.8% of the patients with single left-sided native valvular heart disease were in New York Heart Association class three or four, and transcatheter procedures were performed in 38.7% of the patients with AS and 16.7% of those with MR. Dr Carolyn Lam:                Wow, Greg. So what are the take home messages? That was a lot of numbers. Dr Greg Hundley:             Yep. Lots of data there. And so couple things. First, recommendations for interventions in symptomatic patients with severe valve disease are better applied today in this paper than in the previous European survey conducted in 2001, particularly for those individuals with aortic valve disease. Second, multi-modality imaging is now more frequently used, but stress testing remains underused in asymptomatic patients. And finally, transcatheter therapies are now widely used in patients with stenotic valve disease, and we would expect that, particularly for the use in the elderly. Dr Carolyn Lam:                Great, Greg. So what are the clinical implications? Dr Greg Hundley:             Okay, so Carolyn, first, late referral for intervention shows the need for increasing awareness of valvular heart disease by general practitioners and cardiologists. Second, the high burden of elderly patients highlights the need for multidisciplinary heart team approaches to assess the risk benefit ratios of the different modalities of valvular interventions. And finally, number three, echocardiographic quantification of regurgitation should be more accurate and pay more attention to quantitative measurements. Those are the main take homes from this large registry analysis. Dr Carolyn Lam:                Nice. Thanks, Greg. My next paper is the characterization of the first transgenic mouse model of ARVC 5. Now, that is the most aggressive form of arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy caused by a specific mutation in transmembrane protein 43. So this paper's from co-corresponding authors, Dr Lara-Pezzi from CNIC in Madrid and Dr Garcia-Pavia from Hospital Universitario Porto de Hero in Madrid, and with their colleagues, they generated transgenic mice over expressing transmembrane protein 43 in either it's wild type or that specific mutant form in postnatal cardiomyocytes under the control of alpha-myosin heavy chain promoter.                                                 And they found that these transgenic mice expressing the specific mutant in transmembrane protein 43 showed fibro fatty replacement of the myocardium and died at a young age. The model confirmed that transmembrane protein 43 is mostly localized at the nuclear membrane and provides new information regarding the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying ARVC five. One of them is that the GSK3 beta signaling pathway plays an important role in this disease. Dr Greg Hundley:             So that's great, Carolyn. Sounds like we have a new model that's been created by this group and certainly this disease has spread. It's something we definitely worry about. Do you see any therapeutic implications for their work? Dr Carolyn Lam:                Great question, and indeed the authors tested two new therapeutic approaches for ARVC five. In the first they found that targeting fibrosis really had no beneficial effect. But in the second, they found that inhibition of GSK3 beta improved cardiac function and survival, thus opening the way to a new therapeutic approach focused on GSK3 beta inhibition in patients with ARVC five. Dr Greg Hundley:             Very good. So we look forward to seeing what the results of that study will be. How about now we talk about some of the other articles in this issue? Dr Carolyn Lam:                I love that. I think it's a great idea to tell everybody about this amazing issue. So we start with an article from our Global Rounds, and this time from Argentina, so a great status update and future strategies for cardiovascular disease in Argentina. We also have a perspective paper and that's on the new World Symposium on Pulmonary Hypertension guidelines, really questioning some of the cutoffs that we've taken for granted and asking, "Should 21 be the new 25?" Intrigued? Well, you really need to pick this one up and read it.                                                 And then there's a white paper, and this is a report from the 2018 NHLBI workshop that really talks about unlocking the secrets of mitochondria in the cardiovascular system and asking if this may be a path to cure in heart failure. We also have a research letter, and I love these. They're so succinct and really contain an important message. And this one talks about the evolution of Medicare formulary coverage changes for antithrombotic therapy after the guideline update. So very topical subject. Dr Greg Hundley:             Very good, Carolyn. So I've got a couple. There's a Paths to Discovery article that John Rutherford did discussing with Paul Zimmet regarding reflections of the evolving global diabetes epidemic. Second, there is a very nice On My Mind piece from Samuel Tretheway from Birmingham, England who discusses medical misinformation, kind of like medical fake news. And he discusses how this occurs and it depends on the motivation of both authors and publishers, and he reviews responsibilities of all of us, how to avoid generating this type of material. And then finally, a really interesting Cardiology News piece by Bridget Kuehn, who discusses diet and microbes in heart failure, and with that there's a very nice piece of artistry work that would be great for your office. So that's all included in the journal. Dr Carolyn Lam:                Oh, you got us all curious. Finally, I just want to highlight, we have a section called Highlights from Major Meetings, and this time from my part of the world with Dr Aijun Sun and Dr Junbo Ge summarizing the 13th Oriental Congress of Cardiology takeaways. Cool issue, isn't it? Dr Greg Hundley:             Absolutely. So how about onto our feature discussion? Dr Carolyn Lam:                You bet, Greg. Dr Greg Hundley:             Welcome everyone to our feature discussion. And this afternoon or this morning, wherever you may be, we are going to have an opportunity to discuss the utility of paclitaxel-coated balloons in terms of management of patients with peripheral arterial disease. And our article today comes to us from Bill Gray and colleagues from Mainline Health in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. And we have our own Josh Beckman, associate editor from Vanderbilt, who will be joining us in the discussion. Bill, welcome to Circulation. We really appreciate you sending us this article. Can you tell us a little bit about the background of why you wanted to perform your study and also, what was your study design, study population? Dr William Gray:               The study was really prompted by a prior report by Katsanos et al in JAHA about nine months ago. When we started this study, it was much more fresh. And what we did was we realized we had data from multiple studies using the Stellarex drug-coated balloon that we could use to address some of the issues raised with the Katsanos paper. Just to review that briefly, the Katsanos paper suggested that there was a significant mortality signal in patients who were randomized to drug-coated balloons using paclitaxel versus PTA or patients randomized to drug eluting stent versus PTA or other stents. That signal was seen late at two years and at five years, and so we sought a given the data, the tightly controlled and well-reported data and this experience to see if we could see a signal as well.                                                 The study design really involved taking all the data from the randomized trials, and there were two, which comprised an aggregate of about 600 patients, unequally randomized, about 400 in the drug-coated balloon arm and about 170 or 200 patients in the PTA arm. And then we also looked at all the poolable data, which was controlled data, so we had two randomized control studies I mentioned just a minute ago, as well as three single arm studies in one registry. Now, these had quality oversight and data reporting. And then those data were adjudicated for adverse events, including death, by a blinded third party CEC, and then those data reported out by Kaplan–Meier estimates as well, and then we do a multi-variable analysis looking at predictors of death, and then I can talk about that in a moment. Importantly, the data here has followed out to three years. As I mentioned before, the original paper which incited the concern had reported unequal deaths at two and five years, so we're somewhere splitting that difference. That's the genesis of the study and the study design. Dr Greg Hundley:             So Bill, tell us now about the results. Dr William Gray:               It turns out the baseline characteristics were largely similar between these trials and the patient arms, even though they weren't strictly speaking the same trials, except that the drug-coated balloon arm was a bit younger and smoked more frequently, so they were at a little bit more risk. In the randomized control analysis, which was done first, there was no difference in all-cause mortality between the PTA patients and the patients who received paclitaxel drug-coated balloons. That was true at one year, two years and three years. When we looked at the pooled analysis, which included not only the drug-coated balloon randomized trial patients, but also all the single arm studies and registries, we also found that there was no differences between those treated with drug-coated balloons in those additional studies and the control group of 170 patients in the randomized trial arm of PTA alone.                                                 Interestingly, when we started to look at the multi-variable analyses, we did something that we ordinarily would not do, but because of the pressing issue around paclitaxel mortality, we actually did a standard covariate analysis looking at predictors and then we forced drug and drug dose into the model to see if they would come up positive as a predictor of outcome. As you might expect, not surprisingly, we found that age, congestive heart failure, diabetes and renal insufficiency were the four major predictors of mortality in a group of patients who were largely claudicates with significant peripheral vascular disease. No surprise there. We all know the patients don't die of claudication, they die of cardiovascular disease, and this I think bears that out.                                                 When we force drug into the model, in point of fact, not a dose nor the presence of drug had any impact on death rates in the model, so there was no predictive value there whatsoever. Those are the results. Again, they're out to three years, and I think one of the important things that we have to recognize is that the numbers are relatively small and the follow-up is relatively limited and by itself, although it doesn't show any signal, it probably doesn't stand on its own to refute a larger meta-analysis, but does I think contribute to the dataset that is becoming more evident that the individual analysis do not appear to show mortality effects. Dr Greg Hundley:             Very good. So this is Dr Josh Beckman at Vanderbilt University. Josh, could you talk to us a little bit and put this paper in perspective relative to the prior published literature in terms of how you manage patients with peripheral arterial disease? Dr Joshua Beckman:        I have to say first, I'm really glad that we're able to publish this paper from Bill Gray and his group. We are, and I'm going to put this in really muted terms, in extraordinary times. I have never seen what is going on now happen with any other technology or really even medical therapy in the 20 plus years I've been a practicing physician. I think for the audience, it's really important to understand what is going on right now because if you don't pay attention to this space, you may not realize what's really been happening. Bill did a nice job at telling you why he did the study, which was this Katsanos aggregate level meta-analysis that was published in JAHA back in December.                                                 On the basis of this paper, there has been a rapid development of worry and concern that these devices may be associated with late mortality. This concern has spread to the Food and Drug Administration, which has now put out three letters to healthcare professionals, each of them basically suggesting that you should choose non drug-coated either balloons or stents first, and if you want to use these, you have to have an extended conversation with the patients discussing the risks. And so in response to this aggregate level meta-analysis, which had an extensive number of lost to follow-up patients and didn't account for crossovers and the usual problems with this kind of information, I have been really impressed by the community of people who are interested in this topic and work with these kinds of devices.                                                 And by that, I mean, the response has not just been a series of editorials. The response has really been, "Let's find every single piece of data that we can find to see whether or not this signal holds up," because as evidence-based physicians, we take one piece of data and say that it is one piece of data, and then we have to put it into the context of all of the other pieces of data that were published. And so I know that Dr Gray is old enough to remember 10 years ago when these devices were being used in the coronary arteries with drug eluting stents. And as far as anybody can tell with studies that were two to three times larger or meta analyses two to three times larger than the study published in December, there was no mortality signal.                                                 It should be made clear that in doses that dwarf the doses from these devices, when these medications are given to pregnant women who have breast cancer, not only is the mother fine but the fetus is fine. And so I think paper that we are discussing this morning in particular, but the group of investigators in the space has really stepped forward to publish as much data as possible to fill out our understanding and place the original study in the correct context. And so when you understand what's happening in the community, and there's been a significant reduction in the use of these devices on the basis of that one publication at the expense of patients for whom these devices are really much better at limb outcomes, then you can understand why we were so interested in the paper by Dr Gray.                                                 This is another brick in creating the foundation to really have a fuller and better understanding of any possible relationship between the use of these devices and a nonspecific increase in mortality two to five years later, which as far as I can tell, I've never seen something that may end up being a poison that doesn't have a specific mechanism of causing morbidity or mortality. And so when we got this paper, I was really happy to be able to work with Bill and bring it to the level that it is now so that when it's published in October, it's going to be another really important contribution and I just want to congratulate the authors for doing that work. I will say, and I'd like to get Bill's perspective on how he thinks the information that's now being published is going to help us understand what to do with these devices. Dr William Gray:               Yeah, that's a great question, and I want to emphasize something you brought up, which I did not, which is at the aggregate level data that Katsanos used to publish his analysis was really all he had access to, which means that he had some numerical data from prior published publications but did not have patient level data. And so what Josh is referring to appropriately is the concept that each individual holder of those data, those patient level data, are now coming forward with their own analysis of those data at a patient level, which allows us to look more granularly and more clearly at the causes of death. For example, in this study, the causes of death did not cluster around cancer. They were largely cardiovascular, and they were not dis-equally distributed or unequally distributed between the two groups.                                                 So I think that patient level data, to get back to your original question, Josh, the patient level data will be incredibly important from each of the experiences with the various drug-coated balloons and drug eluting stents on the market because it does allow us to look more closely at the mechanism of death and whether there's any putative cause that might be assigned to paclitaxel. As you mentioned, the pharmacology of this is not understandable. The only type of pharmacology that would work like this was if paclitaxel was radioactive and accumulated a hazard along the way, but we know that's not true.                                                 I think extend your question, it's important to say that both the FDA and other independent groups like VIVA have looked closely at the meta analytic data both from a patient level and aggregate level data set, and they have seen a signal at five years. The problem with that is that data starts to winnow down very quickly at five years. There's not a lot of numbers, so that's the first problem, and the meta-analysis that have followed the publication by Katsanos. The second problem is, as Josh alluded to, there's a lot of missing data. Either patients withdrew or got lost to follow-up, and that didn't happen at an equal distribution between the control and the active arms, so there's some ascertainment bias there.                                                 And lastly, there's a crossover, that is patients who are in the control arm crossed over near as we can tell at a rate of about one in five or one in four to an active arm in the first year alone, which means they need to be reassigned to a risk pool that includes the original assignment of paclitaxel randomization. My sense is that those data will not get any better in the near-term future because the problems I just listed are not going to go away anytime soon. And so we are left with these individual patient level data and other big data, like Medicare analyses of tens of thousands of patients or Optum insurance analyses of again, tens of thousands of patients, which actually show no difference between the treatment with paclitaxel in the real world and patients treated with non-paclitaxel devices. So while we are comfortable and happy to publish these data and we think that are meaningful in terms of contributing to the larger dataset, we recognize the flaws and the limitations in the meta-analysis, which will not be solved soon or quickly. Dr Joshua Beckman:        So, I totally agree with what you just said. I will also say that every time data like this is published, it adds to the picture to make our understanding clearer. And you are responding directly to the Food and Drug Administration, who basically said they are not settled on this question either. It is noted, they are worried about it, and what they've really asked for is for more data to be published. And so when people analyze data like these, I think it is really helpful to the rest of us to create a fuller and more granular picture of the overall state of the field. Dr Greg Hundley:             We want to thank again both Josh for his time and Bill for his time. Hope you have a great week, and both Carolyn and I look forward to sharing with you again next week. Take care everyone. Dr Carolyn Lam:                This program is copyright American Heart Association 2019.  

To earn ACCME or ACPE credit, go online to scientiacme.org/cmecoursecontent.php?ID=270 to view the slides and complete the post-test. Fabry disease is characterized by a deficiency of the glycoside hydrolase enzyme alpha galactosidase A, resulting in the accumulation of the glycolipid globotriaosylceramide throughout the body, particularly prominently in the blood vessels. A defect in the enzyme alpha galactosidase A results in glycosphingolipid accumulation, ultimately leading to multi-organ dysfunction and the patient’s premature death. Early symptoms, which occur during childhood, involve pain and may include Raynaud phenomenon, paresthesias, and arthralgia in the extremities and proximal limbs, as well as impaired gastrointestinal emptying, resulting in abdominal pain, diarrhea, early satiety, postprandial bloating, nausea, and vomiting. In adulthood, the disease’s impact spreads beyond and begins to affect the cardiac and renal systems. This program is supported by an educational grant from Sanofi / Genzyme. Faculty Disclosure: Neal J Weinreb, MD, FACP serves on Medical or Scientific Advisory Boards for Genzyme-Sanofi, Shire HGT and Pfizer for which he has received honoraria. He has consulted for Genzyme-Sanofi and for Pfizer and has received research support from Genzyme-Sanofi and from Shire HGT.

Mariam Khalili is the Managing Director of Houston Chamber Choir and Robert Simpson is their founder and artistic director. Their new season kicks off with "Annelies: The Diary of Anne Frank."The performance will christen the new theatre at the Holocaust Museum Houston. The choir was also invited to the World Symposium on Choral Music in New Zealand, a great a rare honor. It's "the Olympics" of choral music. They are also offering Master classes to schools and their free show at the Miller Outdoor Theatre: "Jukebox Saturday Night" pays tribute to the carefree days of Rock ’n Roll. There will be dancing on stage and on the lawn!www.houstonchamberchoir.org

Dr. Miriam Jacob discusses pulmonary hypertension with cardiac surgeon Dr. Michael Tong and pulmonologist Dr. Gustavo Heresi. Many topics are discussed including the complexity of evaluation and diagnosis, a review of the World Symposium on Pulmonary Hypertension recommendations and what this means for diagnosis thresholds, approaches to medical therapy, surgery for those who have chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH), balloon pulmonary angioplasty (BPA), and when lung transplant is considered. The pulmonary hypertension team approach at Cleveland Clinic is described as well as current research studies.

In this episode, Vallerie McLaughlin, MD gives an overview of 6th World Symposium on Pulmonary Hypertension, which took place in Nice, France, in early 2018. Dr. McLaughlin is the Director of the Pulmonary Hypertension Program at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. She is a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology, American College of Chest Physicians, and American Heart Association (AHA). Dr. McLaughlin has been the Principal Investigator of several major clinical trials of drug therapies for pulmonary arterial hypertension and has published numerous papers in this field. Learn more about pulmonary hypertension at www.phaware.global Never miss an episode with the phaware® podcast app. Follow us @phaware on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube & Linkedin Engage for a cure: www.phaware.global/donate @umichmedicine @umichCVC @antidote_me @accpchest #phaware #phawareMD

As part of the January issue, the European Respiratory Journal presents the latest in its series of podcasts. Section Editor Marc Humbert interviews Nazzareno Galiè (University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy) about a collection of articles in this issue arising from the Sixth World Symposium on Pulmonary Hypertension.

As part of the January issue, the European Respiratory Journal presents the latest in its series of podcasts. Section Editor Marc Humbert interviews Nazzareno Galiè (University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy) about a collection of articles in this issue arising from the Sixth World Symposium on Pulmonary Hypertension.

Conductor Joe Miller and producer Malcolm Bruno discuss the repertoire and concept behind Westminster Choir’s new recording.In his Mass for Double Choir, Frank Martin's use of a motet in the style of J.S. Bach juxtaposed with his sonic and exotic harmonic palette of the early 20th century is a formula for exciting music.This is the first recording of Anders Öhrwall’s arrangement of the beloved Swedish folk tune Fäbodpsalm från Dalarna, and it’s distinguished by performances by David Kim, Concertmaster for The Philadelphia Orchestra, and soprano Sherezade Panthaki, an acknowledged star in the early music field.It also contains much-anticipated release of Lux Surgit Aurea (See the golden sun arise), which was composed by Bernat Vivancos for the Westminster Choir to perform at the 2017 World Symposium on Choral Music in Barcelona.

Are Role Models Helpful for My Future Retirement? Our guest today says No, you have to create your own vision for retirement, based on your values and circumstances. And if I'm planning what my future retirement looks like, what’s different in retirement planning for men and women? In this episode of our retirement podcast, we talk with Dr. Thelma Reese, the co-author of two books with the late Barbara Fleisher – The New Senior Woman: Reinventing the Years Beyond Mid – Life and The New Senior Man: Exploring New Horizons, New Opportunities, which was published in 2017. Topics discussed include: What’s different about retirement today? What’s different in retirement for women and men? Where did all the role models go? What do I need to know for my future retirement? What does it take to “Man Up” in retirement Her advice on retirement and retirement strategies _________________________ Bio Dr. Thelma Reese is the author, with BJ Kittredge, of How Seniors Are Saving the World: Retirement Activism to the Rescue! which will be released in June and is available for preorder now on Amazon. She also co-authored The New Senior Woman and The New Senior Man, along with Dr. Barbara Fleisher. Dr. Reese is a retired professor of English at Temple University, advisor and national spokesperson for Hooked on Phonics; former director of the Mayor’s Council on Literacy for the City of Philadelphia; a founder of Philadelphia Young Playwrights and organizer of the World Symposium on Family Literacy at UNESCO in Paris in 1994. Visit her blog at ElderChicks.com. ___________________________ Noteworthy Stick around for the Noteworthy segment where we discuss a recent article worth reading – this time it’s about our ability to change and learn in retirement.  Article: Can an Old Dog Really Learn New Tricks?  MarketWatch.com  https://www.marketwatch.com/story/can-an-old-dog-really-learn-new-tricks-youre-the-dog-2018-03-12 _________________________ UPDATED: Listen to our second retirement podcast conversation with Thelma Reese on the new book she's co-authored How Seniors Are Saving the World ___________________________  

What a delight this discussion was with Dr. Thelma Reese, author of The New Senior Woman: Reinventing the Years Beyond Mid-Life and author of The New Senior Man. She wrote the follow up book to satisfy the numerous requests from men who wanted their own book.  Thelma Reese, Ed. D., retired professor of English and of Education, created the Advisory Council for Hooked on Phonics and was its spokesperson in the '90's. In that role, and as director of the Mayor's Commission on Literacy for the City of Philadelphia, she appeared frequently on television and hosted a cable show in Philadelphia. She was a founder of Philadelphia Young Playwrights, chaired the Board of Children’s Literacy Initiative, and organized the World Symposium on Family Literacy at UNESCO in Paris in 1994. She is co-author, with Barbara M. Fleisher, of The New Senior Woman: Reinventing the Years Beyond Mid-Life (Rowman & Littlefield) in 2013 and The New Senior Man: Exploring New Horizons, New Opportunities (Rowman & Littlefield) in 2017. They created the blog www.ElderChicks.com in 2012.Thelma lives in Philadelphia with her husband, Harvey Reese, the author of several books, including How to License Your Million Dollar Idea (John Wiley, publisher), and an artist.

Dr Komarnyckyj or as many call him Dr K has been a dentist for 36 years and a periodontist for 32 years in Phoenix Arizona. He has lectured to numerous organizations including the American Academy of Periodontology, Pacific Coast Society of Prosthodontists, I.T.I. World Symposium, Dentaltown among other groups.   Dr Komarnyckyj was one of the first surgeons in Arizona to place dental implants and has been at the forefront of many technical developments.   Dr Komarnyckyj has been providing to his patients non-surgical endoscopic periodontal therapy for over 15 years. He is the Chief Medical Officer for PerioEndoscopy.   www.perioendoscopy.com www.azimplantdentist.com

Dr. Reese is a retired professor of English and Education. She created the Advisory Council for Hooked on Phonics and was its spokesperson in the 1990s. In that role, and as director of the Mayor's Commission on Literacy for the City of Philadelphia, she appeared frequently on television and hosted a cable show in Philadelphia. She was a founder of Philadelphia Young Playwrights, chaired the Board of Children's Literacy Initiative, and organized the World Symposium on Family Literacy at UNESCO in Paris in 1994. Dr. Reese is the co-author, with Dr. Barbara M. Fleisher, of The New SeniorWoman: Reinventing the Years Beyond Mid-Life.  Their second book, The New Senior Man:  Exploring New Horizons, New Opportunities will be released in October, 2017. In 2012, Dr. Reese and Dr. Fleisher also created the blog www.ElderChicks.com. Get the Inclusion Revolution CD by Sister Jenna.  Like America Meditating.  Visit our website at www.AmericaMeditating.org.  Download our free Pause for Peace App for Apple or Android

Join Tim on a journey into greater understanding as he reflects on the lifetime drivers that have pulled the threads of GreenplanetFM.com and Ourplanet.org together. For any budding All Black or athlete we were conditioned as children in NZ,  that we really could achieve success, especially in the realm of sport and take on the world. This was favourably looked on throughout our schooling and this is where we could excel up to international level. It was basically how we played the game. Born on a dairy farm in a well-off region near Matamata, yet among financially challenged Maori, I saw both sides of our so called bi-cultural society, and then in my early 20’s when traveling overseas it all hit me that there was so much inequity - and inequality - especially in Africa and at different levels throughout the Iron Curtain countries. That when hitchhiking and travelling  back to NZ from the UK - overland, through the Middle East to India down to Singapore, I witnessed so many poor and struggling - when there was only  3.5 billion in the human population in those days. This is where I really saw that our planet was in trouble, but not being empowered or having the skills to initiate change from the core of my being, I eventually accepted that this was the way things were and I just  did what a large segment of the (younger) population do today and that is, have fun, enjoy and have a good time. Though I did make token gestures by donating to Greenpeace. At the age of 25 I woke up from that life of self indulgence, pubs and parties to realise that we, as a human species especially in the West were  methodically pulling the collective rug out from underneath our feet. That we were destroying the biosphere and it was happening at an increasing pace. This awakening was synchronistically timed by meeting some very conscious people who saw this madness and were consciously aware that we had to  question - how does a human being live on a planet? By metaphorically stripping myself of all things physical, right to the  essence of who I am, I started to reconfigure my being to understand my  place in the universe as well as focus my attention on awakening people -  any people to what is going to befall us, especially the children of today and tomorrow. This has led me to an adventure of global proportions, that through serendipity and synchronicity has brought me in contact with leaders in many differing fields, at the same time validating to me - that I am on the  right path. This led me into living in a community, whilst I took a job, which I originally thought would be for 6 months, such was the mindset, that we could go from job to job in those days. This so called job as International cabin crew for Air New Zealand took me on long distance flights around the curve of our mother planet, from hemisphere to hemisphere, Trans-Pacific and Trans-Atlantic - spending the equivalent of 2 years of my life flying 10 kilometres above the surface of our planet. (sort of like near earth orbit) and in those days we didn’t have chemtrails. It was over a 17 year period that I was able to visit the ruins and study most of the ancient civilisations that had come and gone and  I was able to check out many unexplained anomalies as well, including what their religions and philosophies were, and understanding far more as to why they collapsed. It was during this time that I became aware that our planet was a giant living super organism - (Yet only later, embedded the idea that it (she) had loaned us bodies. Yet, looking down on our majestic planet and marvelling at much beauty and diversity, I also observed shimmering oils slicks floating on the surface of the vast Pacific ocean, areas of continuous denuded soil and clay in Malaysia, where mighty forests once sprung forth, brown soot covering snow in gigantic swaths of Northern Canada and Greenland and especially in 1976 - for 10 years or so, (before improvements in air quality) I used to fly through the industrial haze and atmospheric debris of Los Angeles international airport - hundreds of times. Then in 1993 I gave away flying as one of the main reasons being, the huge amount of oxygen a 747-400 used in its 11 hour trans Pacific and trans Canada - Atlantic flights, plus - other considerations. However, I had so many adventures in many countries, meeting leading edge scientists, mystics, researchers and people modelling sustainability, especially in an ecological context as well as visiting areas at the forefront and vanguard of hydrogen energy, levitation and solar and windmill energy, holography and morphic-resonance - ideas far in advance of what were happening in NZ. I also checked out intentional communities and ways that people shared shelter and living space. Attending lectures and events like the World Symposium of the Humanities, Whole life Expo’s and Body Mind & Spirit festivals.  I was definitely gifted the opportunity. Which leads me to today and the relaunching of GreenplanetFM as a new platform for conscious media, from a local to a global context. That will be embedded in OurPlanet.org as a conscious intent, to encourage win win actions and deeds to our world. Because it is our purpose to ask the question; “how does a human live on a planet?” That our Planet is a colossal living super organism and an can be likened as a cell is embedded in a larger Galactic super organism. That every child born into this realm is ‘an energy bundle of exponential potential.’ That we are far more than we very thought possible. We are here to empower and inspire the individual to evolve the human race. We will take it deeper then … With Anima Mundi world soul - there is an intrinsic connection between all living beings on our planet, which relates to our world - in much the same way as the soul is integrated into the human body. We have other subtle subject matter like the anchoring of the sacred ( Divine) Feminine in NZ in 1893, so as to join the sacred Male in the coming together of the yin and yang - the balance of the Male and the Female in accord to the unfolding of the new paradigm. That in the words of Nikola Tesla, the man who brought electricity to virtually every home and building on earth:  “The day science begins to study non-physical phenomena, it will make more progress in one decade than in all the previous centuries of its existence.” That the sacred feminine is under assault today and can been seen very clearly in the outside world as Gaia is relentless plundered, mined and denuded. http://www.stuff.co.nz/nelson-mail/68363264/New-Zealand-legally-recognises-animals-as-sentient-beings The Animal Welfare Amendment Bill, states that animals, like humans, are "sentient" beings. Yes, there are the overwhelmers, the fact that we are overpopulating. The focus will also include that Our Planet is also a Spaceship Earth and ‘we are the crew’ coming back to our posts and using the recently deployed www to reconnect at another level etc And that the crew have found out that their ship is a Mothership, ‘from her all things have issued’ - and they find out that she has another name - Gaia (Papatuanuku Maori) that the ancient Greeks knew of and understood and thus for us in the 21st century when we as an aware and conscious humanity wake up to our connection as a global human family and bring about peace, we become the flowering of Gaia - to become the Gaiasphere, (when we realise that we all share breath - ‘When she breathes in, we breathe out and when we breathe in she breathes out’ - the next level of evolution may make itself known. That all minerals are evolving (a fantastic story since not long after the big bang)  - to eventually the Noosphere that Teihard De Chardin - that at heart we Alpha and Omega and that heart introduces global group mind, and unity consciousness - all oscillating at the same frequency, yet every single human still has their own musical note and individuality as they melt into the greater oneness …

From the Ideas That Change the World Symposium at Trent, The Education panel and their discussion on "The Value of a Liberal Arts Education."Panelists include:  Jennifer Dettman '88Executive Director, Studio and Unscripted Content CBCMaureen Loweth '76Dean Centre for Business, George Brown CollegeDon Tapscott '66Chancellor of Trent UniversityJustin Chiu '73Executive Director, Cheung Kong Holdings Ltd., Hong KongNarrowly focused on the need for "technical" skills in a technological world, some commentators question whether the liberal arts have any significant enduring value. The members of our panel on "The Value of a Liberal Arts Education" bring grounded, real-world perspectives to the question of where such an education fits in society and the economy. What are the "big-picture" competencies required in the global arena? Just what are employers looking for when they consider new hirings or promotions? What does the research actually tell us about the value of experiential learning, "soft" skills, and communication abilities? Don’t burn your degree just yet.

The Keynote talk from Trent's  2014 Ideas That Change the World Symposium.Don Tapscott is one of the world’s leading authorities on innovation, media, and the economic and social impact of technology and advises business and government leaders around the world. In 2013, Thinkers50 ranked Don fourth among the world’s most influential management thinkers and was awarded the Global Solutions Award for launching and leading the Global Solution Networks program based at the Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto. He has authored or co-authored 15 widely read books including the 1992 best seller Paradigm Shift. His 1995 hit The Digital Economy changed thinking around the world about the transformational nature of the Internet and two years later he defined the Net Generation and the “digital divide” in Growing Up Digital.

Monday, October 17, 2011 – Our incredible special guest is Frances Saldaña Advocacy Chairman for the HDSA OC Chapter; Patient Advocacy Committee Member with the Sue and Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center at UC Irvine; and she was Keynote Speaker at the World Symposium of the Huntington Study Group is October this year. Frances' journey as an advocate for Huntington's disease patients started thirty years ago, when her husband was given the fatal diagnosis of Huntington's disease. With very elusive information and no real knowledge of what Huntington's disease was, her primary concern at the time was simply survival. Beyond that, only the ability to focus on caring for her husband and her three young children remained. Behind her busy life was the subconscious knowledge that her three young children were now “ask risk” for inheriting the fatal disease.    Soon after the death of her husband in 1989, her youngest daughter started exhibiting symptoms of the dreaded disease, and Frances quickly launched an aggressive campaign to bring visibility and to educate the public and healthcare providers about Huntington's disease. Her advocacy in palliative care, community HD resources, housing, comfort, and meaningful social interaction. This all came together for her as a member of the Peer groups who authored “Lifting the Veil of Huntington's Disease”, a project supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.  In 2006 that Frances resigned herself to the realization that the cure would not be here in time to save her children. However, she continues to hold on to the hope for the cure, finding comfort in the knowledge that breakthroughs in research continue at a rapid pace so that her two grandchildren and future generations will never have to face the fatal diagnosis of Huntington's disease. 

Audio coverage of past Tate Modern conference, Outside the Material World Symposium, to coincide with the Tate Modern exhibition Pop Life: Art in a Material World

Audio coverageof past Tate Modern conference, Outside the Material World Symposium, to coincide with the Tate Modern exhibition Pop Life: Art in a Material World