An Australian university has been using a 3-story “water battery” to power their air conditioning—and it has already slashed their overall electrical usage by 40%.
The first-of-its-kind battery, which was switched on at the University of the Sunshine Coast (USC) in September, stores energy generated by 6,000 solar panels that have been installed across campus rooftops.
Over the course of the next 25 years, the thermal energy tank is expected to save $100 million in air conditioning costs and dramatically reduce the school’s greenhouse gas emissions, according to school representatives.
The innovative cooling system was launched in partnership with resource management company Veolia as just one of the ways that the school is working towards their goal of being carbon neutral by 2025.
“USC has a plan to be completely carbon neutral by 2025, which is a challenge to any budget because it requires significant changes to the way energy is captured and consumed,” said USC Chief Operating Officer Dr. Scott Snyder. “So, we really did have to think out of the box, and by forming a partnership with Veolia, we were able to negotiate a 10-year plan that suited us both and delivered major energy savings to the University.”
“The system was switched on in September and is now delivering 2.1 megawatts of power and we estimate that we will save more than $100 million in energy costs over the next 25 years,” he added. “Another benefit is that we are able to take our students to visit the system and teach them about innovation and finding cleaner energy solutions for the future.”
Last week, the ingenious system was recognized by the prestigious Global District Energy Climate Awards after the school was declared the winner of the “Out of the Box” category for innovative eco-solutions.
Veolia Regional Energy Services Manager Andrew Darr said the win reflected nearly four years of hard work and a successful ongoing partnership with USC.
“The innovation displayed throughout this project is a testament to both organizations and could only be achieved through an open and collaborative partnership” he said.
(WATCH the university’s March 2019 video below)
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Move over, Steve McQueen—this adorable brother-sister duo has just pulled off a pretty great escape from the comfort of their own bedroom.
According to nanny cam footage from a home in Santa Monica, California, a little girl identified only as Vivi was having trouble sleeping in her crib last month.
The little girl can be heard calling to her brother Levi from across the room and asking if she could sleep in his bed with her security blanket and baby doll.
After taking a moment to consider his sister’s proposal, Levi accepts her offer and fetches a stool so she can safely climb out of her crib.
Vivi manages to climb over the railing only to realize that she forgot her baby doll. Luckily, her doting older brother was happy to assist.
(WATCH the video below) – Photo by RM Videos
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Quote of the Day: “In life you need either inspiration or desperation.” – Tony Robbins
Photo: by momo – CC license on Flickr, cropped
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In 1969, there were only 100 South American fur seals and sea lions making their homes along the coastline of the capitol of Lima, Peru. They were hunted almost entirely to extinction here, because of the value of their skins—but also because of the perceived threat they posed as fish hunters.
Today, around the island of Palomino, as well as the isles of San Lorenzo and Carazcas, alone, there are over 8000 of these charismatic marine animals making their homes.
Much of the success of restoring the fur seal and sea lion populations came from local fishermen in the coastal areas of Peru. The private sector stepped up to support these endangered species even more so than local governments, after the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) sounded their alarm bell.
The world’s leading conservation organization maintains a “Red List” database of species and the degree to which they are threatened with extinction.
In a recent news bulletin, the IUCN detailed how local fisheries along Peru’s coastline have become efficient managers, doling out to each trawler assigned areas for guarding over.
“The Fishermen’s Union defines an area where each local fishing collective is dependent economically and assigns responsibility for these marine resources,” explains the IUCN. “In this manner, the fishermen themselves have slowed economic migration from the Peruvian highlands to lucrative uncontrolled and illegal marine activities, thus ensuring that the protected area flourishes”.
Photo by Laucky, via CC license on Flickr
Much of their motivation for marine protection has come from seeing their livelihood through new eyes, recognizing the rise of artisanal fisheries and tourism.
IUCN also runs a “Green List” to recognize global best practices for area-based conservation, and the program is already working with marine reserves along the Pacific coast, and—along with Chile, Ecuador and Colombia—Peru will promote investment and improved governance of its marine treasures and seek to raise the standard of performance along the coastline.
“There is strong commitment from the fisher and tourism sectors, so the ingredients are there for success in Peruvian marine conservation,” reports the IUCN.
Hat-Tip to World At Large, the news website of nature, science, health, politics, and travel.
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A young recycling phenom named Ryan Hickman visited Capitol Hill last month to give a significant push to a society-wide standardized labeling system designed to eliminate recycling confusion and contamination—and he was delighted by the bipartisan support for the bill, which would require the U.S. EPA to adopt the labels at a federal level by February.
The Greta Thunberg of recycling, Ryan established his own recycling company when he was just three-years-old—and since then, Ryan’s Recycling has properly diverted over a half million cans and bottles.
An international advocate who has appeared on Ellen and many news outlets, the boy from Los Angles became a spokesperson this year for the standardized label initiative, a solution that was introduced by Recycle Across America (RAA) to solve the most serious and costly issue for the industry.
The partnership comes at a time when U.S. recycling is facing crippling challenges that can be directly traced to public confusion at the bin, and the subsequent ‘garbage’ thrown in with recyclables.
That’s why Ryan went to DC, backing congressional efforts to rescue recycling from life-support and get it back on its feet.
There are nine million of these standardized recycling labels already in use in national parks, airports, stadiums, schools, businesses, and on residential bins, thanks to Michelle (Mitch) Hedlund, the founder and CEO of RAA, who designed the labels herself ten years ago using the same common-sense approach that was used to create the road signs Americans rely on daily.
These labels have proven to increase recycling levels between 50-100%, while significantly reducing the contamination of trash. RAA, a nonprofit based in Minneapolis, is already funding a ‘Ryan Hickman Grant’ so that free labels can be donated to K-12 public schools across the country.
Labels in use at the Minneapolis football stadium – RAA
Rhode Island became the first state to adopt a society-wide standardized labeling solution in 2016. Today, with 85,000 labels displayed on bins around the state, the state’s recycling facility has already experienced an 18% reduction of rejected truckloads, and America’s smallest state continues to experience strong demand for its plastics, cans, and bottles.
The Appropriation bill that passed the U.S. House of Representatives in June, included language supported by both Democrats and Republicans that requires the EPA to submit a national recycling strategy and budget for using the labels to the appropriations committee by the end of February.
Republicans backers in the Senate, Senators Rob Portman, Lisa Murkowski, and Dan Sullivan, have already joined Democrats—Sen. Tom Udall and Congressman Rep. Alan Lowenthal—who are all on record as supporting the initiative. The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) already held a Recycling Summit last November, and a followup meeting this week that RAA hopes included discussions about the labeling.
Ryan with Rep. Rep. Alan Lowenthal (D-CA)
In February 2020, Rep. Betty McCollum, chair of the House Appropriations Committee, will take the EPA’s proposed strategy and budget to the Committee Members for their approval.
“The national recycling strategy is an absolute priority, said McCollum (DFL), who represents St. Paul, Minnesota. “It is environmental and economic madness to fill landfills and incinerators with recyclable materials because of confusion at the bin. Every household, business, school and institution should be using a standardized system to eliminate contamination and increase effective recycling.”
A perfect example of the scheme’s success was seen two years ago when the NFL World Championship was held in Minneapolis and RAA labels were plastered on every bin—it became the first ZERO waste game in Super Bowl in history.
As for the ten-year-old activist, Ryan is saving all his earnings for college (maybe, rethink that) and to buy a recycling truck. He recently went to NBC to be interviewed and the most exciting moment was discovering the RAA labels already on the Los Angeles studio’s trash bins.
Ryan Hickman in NBC, submitted by RAA
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Quote of the Day: “Hope is definitely not the same thing as optimism. It is not the conviction that something will turn out well, but the certainty that something makes sense, regardless of how it turns out.” – Václav Havel
(His country’s Velvet Revolution began 30 years ago today—and the playwright became Czechoslovakia’s new democratically-elected president… See GNN’s On This Day in History column for more details…)
Photo: by Erich Ferdinand– CC license on Flickr, cropped
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Ever felt the sudden urge to get in your car and just drive? You’re not alone—64% of Americans agree they want to hop in the car with their friends and take a spontaneous road trip.
A new survey asked 2,000 Americans which regions of the United States they were most itching to travel to, and where they would most like to stop on a road trip.
The Southwest came out on top, with destinations in the Northeast coming in second—narrowly edging out the South.
The Grand Canyon, Yosemite National Park, and Yellowstone National Park were the most sought-after stops on a ‘bucket list’ road trip. Indeed, most of the top 30 spots on the wish list were among the nation’s majestic national parks.
TOP 30 PLACES AMERICANS WANT TO VISIT ON A ROAD TRIP
1. Grand Canyon, Arizona, 44%
2. Yosemite National Park, California, 32%
3. Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, 32%
4. Niagara Falls, New York, 31%
5. Florida Keys, Florida, 31%
6. Las Vegas, Nevada, 28%
7. Lake Tahoe, on the Nevada–California border, 28%
8. Mount Rushmore, South Dakota, 25%
9. The Great Smoky Mountains, Tennessee, 24%
10. Glacier National Park, Montana, 23%
11. Cape Cod, Massachusetts, 22%
12. Nashville, Tennessee 22%
13. French Quarter/New Orleans, Louisiana, 21%
14. Zion National Park, Utah, 21%
15. Monument Valley, Utah and Arizona, 21%
16. Mount Rainier National Park, Washington, 21%
17. Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah, 20%
18. Death Valley National Park, California, 20%
19. Crater Lake, Oregon, 20%
20. The Alamo, Texas, 19%
21. Great Sand Dunes National Park, Colorado, 18%
22. Carlsbad Caverns, New Mexico, 18%
23. Mammoth Cave National Park, Kentucky, 17%
24. Black Hills, South Dakota, 16%
25. White Sands National Park, New Mexico, 16%
26. The Finger Lakes, New York, 15%
27. Teddy Roosevelt National Park, North Dakota, 13%
28. Rosewell, New Mexico, 13%
29. Cadillac Ranch, Texas, 11%
30. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve, Kansas, 9%
Conducted by OnePoll on behalf of Sixt, the survey also examined what makes the ideal road trip—from the company we keep to essentials we bring to what makes the ideal road trip car.
Family road trips are still in fashion with 4 in 10 preferring to spend time with their family, but Americans have a strict three-day limit when it comes to those. This might be related to the average potential of six “car-guments” (arguments while driving) that a family will have in that time, an average of two a day.
The top essential for Americans on the road isn’t water—or even a first aid kit—but rather snacks, with the average person chowing down on at least four snacks during a 5-6-hour drive…
More than 3 in 10 respondents would actually prefer to choose a longer route so they can enjoy the scenery, and 48% opt for local or country roads rather than major highways.
When asked about their preference of cars on either a one-day road trip or a week-long adventure, three quarters answered they would like to tool around in a convertible or sports car for the day, but 62% prefer an SUV or truck for longer hauls.
When planning your next trip, don’t forget these top 10 road essentials:
1. Snacks
2. Phone chargers
3. Water or sports drinks
4. Cameras
5. Blankets
6. First aid kits
7. Flashlights
8. Tissues
9. Travel pillows, and
10. Hand sanitizers
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Fourteen of the largest hospitals and health systems in the United States are working to reduce income-based health disparities by investing over $700 million in place-based improvements for stronger and healthier communities.
The national and regional health systems participating in the commitment are some of the largest private sector employers in California, Utah, and Wisconsin and also among the top 20 largest employers in their respective states. Together, they form the Healthcare Alliance Network (HAN)—a coalition that rallies health systems to implement local economic inclusion strategies.
Health systems are uniquely positioned as employers and economic engines in their communities. In addition to providing healthcare, they can leverage institutional resources to help address the economic, racial, and environmental resource disparities that impact community health outcomes.
While the bulk of the financial commitment will be dedicated to funding affordable housing, HAN will also be investing in things like building new grocery stores in food deserts, childcare centers, federally qualified health centers, and funding Minority- and Women-Owned Business Enterprises (MWBEs) and local businesses.
This is because—despite record low unemployment and an overall strong economy—the U.S. is experiencing systematically deepening disparities in its economic, health, and well-being outcomes; a person’s zip code could mean a lifespan that is one decade shorter than someone in a neighboring wealthier area. A recent NYU study showed that 56 of some of the biggest U.S. cities have very large life expectancy gaps, where on average people in one neighborhood can expect to live 20 to 30 years longer than their neighbors a few miles away.
Factors outside hospital walls—social, economic, environmental, and behavior-related—account for up to 80% of the health outcomes a community experiences, so HAN is trying to create a local economic eco-system to support economic and health wellness.
HAN hospitals and health systems together employ more than 1.5 million people, purchase over $50 billion annually, and have been working on these issues over the last two-and-a-half years.
The descendants of slaves and slave owners have been finding friendship, reconciliation, and wisdom by meeting with each other for weekend-long reunions at the South Carolina plantation where they share a painful past.
Every five years, the ancestors of slaves who toiled away at the Middleton Place plantation in Charleston, South Carolina gather together with the relatives of the plantation’s slave-owning family for a two-day stay.
Together, the guests share meals, tour the house and gardens, and listen to lectures about their ancestors’ lives on the plantation.
Over 3,500 slaves worked on the Middleton family’s 19 plantations in South Carolina during the 18th and 19th centuries. The plantation is now a national historic landmark, home to the oldest landscape gardens in America and attracts around 120,000 tourists a year.
The first reunion was held in 2006 after an African-American plantation descendant proposed that the separate reunions held for white and black descendants should be united into one event. The second reunion took place in 2011 and the third in 2016 was attended by 300 descendants.
66-year-old Rose Morton, who is a retired post office worker, attended the first reunion after discovering that her ancestors had been enslaved at the plantation.
Group photo of guests at the 2006 reunion. Photo by SWNS.
“When my mother died in 2000, that’s when I wanted to find family. I started doing research online, visiting the Alabama archives and looking up public records. I found out that we were from Middleton Place,” said Morton.
Morton’s great-grandfather Ceasar was born at Middleton Place in 1793. She said returning to Middleton Place and meeting with the descendants of those who enslaved her ancestors was an emotional experience.
“I could feel the earth move under my feet. I felt that they were there,” said the mother-of-two from Southfield, Michigan. “I thought I would be scared the first night, that I would have nightmares, but I slept like a baby.
“I would meet people and at first I was just a black person visiting, but after they knew I was a descendant, they would shake my hand as though they wanted to feel something.
“It felt so natural to me,” she added. “It was like I was at home.”
Guests at the reunion in 2016. Photo by SWNS.
She added that there were awkward moments during the reunion, but by the time she attended the third reunion in 2016, all her nerves were gone.
“At the first reunion, no one knew what to do,” she said. “We were on edge. The descendants of the slave owners had to carry that pain, but it wasn’t them. They don’t want to carry it, but they do.
“By the third reunion, we felt like: ‘what the heck?’ We were hugging each other,” continued Morton. “We accepted it as a family reunion.”
54-year-old Lee Pringle, who is a music festival organizer, has also attended the reunions since his great-great-grandfather, Isom Pringle, was a slave at Middleton Place.
Pringle is now a board member at Middleton Place where he helps the foundation interpret the plantation’s history from an African-American perspective.
“It is a magical thing,” Pringle said about the reunions. “It gives us the opportunity every five years to put things in check.
Group photo of the reunion in 2016. Photo licensed by SWNS.
“Friendships have developed and because of social media, we keep in touch,” he added. ”We have a sense of family and we refer to ourselves as ‘cousinry’.”
Thus far, there have been more descendants of slave owners than of slaves attending the gatherings—approximately 60% European to 40% African-American.
“I’ve always been intrigued by the interconnection of white and African-American history. Our history is so interwoven, although it’s so ugly that the country was built on slave labor—(but) it is a fact and you can’t get away from it.” says Pringle. “We have to understand our history to understand why there is an angst and ill-feeling when you start to think about enslavement.”
SWNS
74-year-old Anne Tinker, who is a direct descendant of the Middleton family, and has attended all three reunions, said, “At the first reunion we were all strangers and not quite comfortable with knowing how to express our past and our future. By the end of the next reunion, we were all friends.
“One of the things that is beneficial is we can talk to each other about race,” added Tinker. “We can acknowledge that slavery was evil, but also what we have in common and how we can move forward to make things better.”
Tinker has understandably conflicting emotions about her ancestor Arthur Middleton, an immensely wealthy slave owner, because he was also one of the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence in 1776.
“I feel very proud that he was a signer of the Declaration of Independence and these beautiful gardens and houses that he left behind,” she said.
“But what makes me sad is that the family’s contributions to US history would never have been possible without the contributions of African Americans who provided the labour, looked after the children, and shared their knowledge on how to grow rice. Slaves made the Middleton wealth possible.
“I think the Middleton Place Foundation has taken a very important leadership role in trying to improve communication and an exchange of ideas,” she concluded. “We are learning what we can do today to make it a better country and a better world.”
The next reunion is planned for 2021.
Rose Morton has written a book, “Our Family’s Keepers”, about her ancestors’ lives on the plantation. The story of slavery and its 21st century impact at Middleton Place was also the subject of the 2017 documentary Beyond The Fields.
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In 2015, a judge in Argentina’s high court ruled that a zoo orangutan was a “non-human person” who had a right to a life with dignity.
Judge Elena Liberatori said, “With that ruling I wanted to tell society something new; that animals are sentient beings and that the first right they have is our obligation to respect them.”
Now, that very same 33-year-old orangutan has found happiness and home at a Florida sanctuary.
Sandra the orangutan was born in a zoo in Germany in 1986 before being moved to the Buenos Aires Zoo in Argentina in 1994. During her time at the South American zoo, she lived alone in a small and barren enclosure.
After the high court’s historic ruling, however, the Buenos Aires Zoo announced that they would close and send all remaining animals to sanctuaries—including Sandra.
After the zoo began searching for the most appropriate facility for Sandra’s retirement, they eventually decided that she should go to the Center for Great Apes in Wauchula, Florida because of the state’s warm climate.
Sandra arrived in the U.S. by plane last month and underwent a quarantine period at a Kansas zoo. Once she was determined to be healthy, she was sent to her new forever home at the sanctuary in Florida. To help Sandra stay at ease during the transition, her caretakers from Buenos Aires accompanied her during the entire journey.
This new facility is an accredited sanctuary that provides a permanent home for orangutans and chimpanzees rescued or retired from the entertainment industry, research, and exotic pet trade. Over 20 rescued orangutans already live at the sanctuary.
Photo by Center for Great Apes
Since Sandra arrived in her new home she has been “calm, engaged, and interested in her new surroundings”.
“She was shy when she first arrived, but once she saw the swings, toys, and grassy areas in her new home, she went out to explore,” said the director of the Center for Great Apes, Patti Ragan. “She has met her caregivers here and is adjusting well to the new climate, environment and the other great apes at the center.
“This is the first time in over a decade that Sandra has had the opportunity to meet other orangutans, and she will meet them when she chooses,” added Ragan. “It is a new freedom for her, and one we are grateful to provide.”
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Quote of the Day: “In the long run we shape our lives… The choices we make are ultimately our own responsibility.” – Eleanor Roosevelt
Photo: by Kevin Dooley– CC license on Flickr, cropped
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Nike is releasing a new shoe model that has been designed specifically for doctors, nurses, and medical professionals who have to stay on their feet all day at the hospital.
The Nike Air Zoom Pulses were developed and tested alongside healthcare workers at OHSU Doernbecher Children’s Hospital in Portland, Oregon. Thanks to key insights that were provided by the staffers, the new sneakers address several important workplace challenges of a hospital environment.
For starters, the Nike developers coated the laceless exterior with material that makes them easy to wipe down and clean. Since the designers also found that nurses “walk approximately four to five miles and sit for less than an hour during the course of a 12-hour shift”, they improved the mid-sole and heel so that the shoes could be ultra comfortable and supportive while still being secure enough for a busy environment.
“The design confronts a range of medical worker-specific challenges,” says the company. “How can a shoe be both comfortable for long stretches of standing and versatile enough to support the hurried movements required in emergency situations? The answer comes through the Pulse’s full-rubber outsole, a flexible drop-in midsole with Zoom Air heel unit and a heel fit so secure, it feels like a soft, snug hug.”
The elasticated exterior makes the Air Zoom Pulses comfortable, but easy to take on and off at will, and the rubber soles have extra traction on slippery floors.
There are six versions of the shoe which will reportedly be released on Nike’s website on December 7th. Though the company did not disclose the price of the shoes, their typical Air Zoom models retail between $134 to $147 per pair.
A portion of the shoe sales will also be donated to the Doernbecher Children’s Hospital.
Due to a scheduling mishap, one frantic Waffle House worker was left alone to run the entire restaurant on a Sunday night.
Ethan Crispo was just one of about 30 hungry customers who wanted food at midnight. After sitting at his table for a while, he noticed there was just one distressed employee available at the Birmingham, Alabama establishment to take orders, cook food, bus tables, and manage the cash register.
The 24-year-old patron was losing hope of ever getting a meal.
The employee—who was identified only by his nametag reading “Ben”—seemed to be on the brink of panic until Crispo saw him speaking to a male customer in a blue shirt sitting at the counter. After a brief conversation, Ben handed him an apron and the man got to work washing dishes.
“It was a transition so smooth, I initially assumed it was a staff member returning to their shift,” Crispo told AL.com. “It wasn’t. It was a kind stranger.”
Photo by Ethan Crispo
A couple minutes later, a woman in high heels, and a sequined dress briskly strode behind the counter to brew more coffee. She then took a few orders before resigning herself to bussing tables.
Suddenly, a third customer in a red shirt marched over to help, as well, though Crispo failed to catch his name or snap a photo of the man at work.
The term ‘customer service’ took on a whole new meaning that night. Crispo fondly remembers is as a surreal as an example of humanity at its finest.
Photo by Ethan Crispo
“It was the most fascinating thing,” Crispo told AL.com by phone. “It was just one of the most wild instances of really, really cool people just coming together.”
“It made a difference to many people that night. Certainly [their actions] made an impact on me,” he added. “Humanity isn’t just good, it’s great.”
Photo by Ethan Crispo
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The world finally has its first ever approved Ebola vaccine.
Within 48 hours of the European Commission approving the vaccine earlier this week, the World Health Alliance (WHO) verified that the treatment also reached its health and safety standards for global use, making it the first vaccine with clinical efficacy to protect individuals 18 years of age or older at risk of infection with the Ebola virus.
The Ervebo vaccine, which was developed by pharmaceutical company Merck, has already been used to quell emergency outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and several other neighboring countries.
Data from clinical trials and compassionate use protocols have shown that Ervebo protects against Ebola virus disease in humans following a single-dose administration. The vaccine is being used under “compassionate use” to protect people, including children and pregnant women, at highest risk of infection as part of a ring vaccination strategy, as well as a targeted geographical vaccination when ring vaccination is not feasible. As of this week, more than 250,000 people have been vaccinated in DRC, as well as in Burundi, Uganda, South Sudan, Guinea, and Rwanda.
The “Gavi” Vaccine Alliance—a Geneva-based health organization funding vaccine distribution in low-income countries—announced in 2015 that they would only purchase an Ebola vaccine for distribution if it was approved by a major health group.
Gavi is now welcoming the European Commission’s conditional marketing approval for Ervebo.
“This is a vaccine with huge potential,” said Dr Seth Berkley, CEO of Gavi the Vaccine Alliance. “It has already been used to protect more than 250,000 people in the DRC and could well make major Ebola outbreaks a thing of the past.
“That’s why this is such an important milestone, paving the way for a Gavi-supported global Ebola vaccine stockpile. It’s also important to credit the unprecedented global effort from African countries that helped generate the evidence as well as Merck, WHO, donor governments, partners and regulatory agencies in making this authorization happen.”
At its next meeting in December 2019, the Gavi Board is set to make a decision on a long-term Gavi Ebola vaccine program that would include the creation of a global Ebola vaccine stockpile. This stockpile, contingent on the availability of WHO’s prequalified vaccines and SAGE recommendations for their use, will enable countries to access and rapidly deploy Ebola vaccines in response to outbreaks. On top of the stockpile, the Board will also consider, if recommended, future support for preventive vaccination of high-risk groups outside of an outbreak such as healthcare workers in countries classified as being at high risk.
The current stockpile of Ebola investigational vaccine is available in part thanks to an agreement between Gavi and the vaccine’s manufacturer, Merck. In 2015, during the West Africa Ebola outbreak, Gavi made a unique offer to all manufacturers with a vaccine in Phase I clinical trials and beyond, by offering a pre-paid commitment to procure doses of licensed vaccines as and when the vaccine became licensed and available.
In return, the manufacturer was required to commit to submit an emergency use authorization application to WHO as well as an application for licensure to a stringent health authority and ensure the availability of an emergency stockpile of 300,000 investigational doses in the event of an outbreak occurring before licensure through a donation from the manufacturer to WHO. In January 2016, an Advance Purchase Commitment between Merck and Gavi was signed, creating the stockpile of investigational doses that is being used in DRC and neighbouring countries today.
In addition to its work making the investigational vaccine stockpile available, Gavi has provided $ 15.1 million to WHO to cover operational costs for the vaccination effort, funding vaccination teams, transportation, syringes and other vaccine supplies, as well as the ultra-cold fridges which keep the vaccine at the minus 60-80°C temperatures it needs to remain effective. This also includes $ 2 million provided to fund vaccinations in neighboring countries Uganda, South Sudan, Burundi and Rwanda. An additional $13.4 million funding for the vaccination effort in DRC is currently being considered.
Merck CEO Kenneth C. Frazier is now hailing the vaccine’s approval as “a historic milestone and a testament to the power of science, innovation and public-private partnership”.
“After recognizing the need and urgency for an Ebola vaccine, many came together across sectors to answer the global call for outbreak preparedness,” Frazier said in a statement. “We at Merck are honored to play a part in Ebola outbreak response efforts and we remain committed to our partners and the people we serve.
“We also look forward to continuing to work with the FDA and the African countries on their regulatory reviews over the coming months and with the World Health Organization on vaccine pre-qualification, which will help broaden access to this important vaccine for those who need it most.”
Photo by NIAID
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When a frightened pup escaped from a car collision and started sprinting down a Houston highway, almost every passing driver knew what they had to do.
More than 20 motorists stopped their cars and put on their hazard lights in order to try and help rescue the dog in Houston, Texas.
Witnesses say that the dog had escaped from its owner’s vehicle following a crash further up the highway. Though several Good Samaritans got close to grabbing the pup’s leash, it would get scared and run back down the road.
It took a team of determined drivers working together to corner the dog before someone could finally get a hold of its leash and keep it in place long enough to calm it down.
Toby Tinelli, who is the man responsible for the video of the rescue, worked with his wife to get a bowl of water for the dehydrated pup until it could be reunited with its owner.
No one confirmed the name of the dog’s owner, but he was apparently quite relieved to discover that his dog was safe, although the pup had sustained some scratches on its paws from stepping on broken glass.
Tinelli now says that the rescue is an example of Houston’s humanity at its finest.
“Everybody was on the same page,” he told WMTW. “It seemed like it was really like a team-oriented thing because everybody at the same time slowed down and put flashers on and the first thing everyone cared about was taking care of that dog.”
(WATCH the news coverage below)
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Quote of the Day: “Fresh air is as good for the mind as for the body.” – John Lubbock
Photo: by Greg_Men – CC license on Flickr, cropped
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Miranda Mittleman won $20,000 on Wheel of Fortune—and her rescue dog Weaver inspired her to use the winnings to make the world a kinder place.
She’s always had a passion for poetry, so she combined that with her love for dogs, and began writing a series of children’s books that teach valuable life lessons through Weaver’s eyes.
The PAWS and THINK! books cover the important topics of inclusion, self-confidence, and gratitude.
Mittleman and Weaver, of Hagerstown, Maryland, have been on the move ever since the books initially launched in 2017.
Together they have visited over 100 schools in Baltimore, New Jersey, and New York, teaching PAWSitive lessons that have impacted the lives of over 30,000 children.
“This has been the most incredible opportunity of my life,” Mittleman explains. “I never imagined that my passion for poetry and love for my rescue dog would lead me down this amazing path.”
She wanted to use her platform to give back to the community in an even bigger way, so Mittleman donates a portion of the proceeds from each book to a different non-profit every three months—over $5,000 to date.
“I’ve had the honor of presenting donations to numerous charities that help children and animals,” she told GNN. “There is truly no greater feeling than giving back.”
Earlier this year, Wheel of Fortune selected Mittleman to reappear on the show for its “Changing Lives” segment, which demonstrated how she used her winnings to help others.
Even with their second child on the way, Mittleman and her husband Michael have big plans for the future of PAWS and THINK!, releasing the fourth book next year and continuing to visit more schools in Maryland and across the country.
SHARE The Pawesome Books in Time for the Holidays…
Yesterday was certainly a beautiful day in the neighborhood for this women’s hospital in Pittsburgh.
In addition to November 13th being World Kindness Day, it is also celebrated as “Cardigan Day”.
Since Fred Rogers might be one of the most compassionate television heroes in history—and the most iconic fan of the cardigan—the UPMC Magee-Women’s Hospital honored the two holidays by dressing all of their baby patients in hand-knitted Mr. Rogers sweaters and booties.
All of the garments were made by hospital nurse Caitlin Pechin. Upon successfully dressing their newborn residents in the adorable Mr. Rogers costumes, the staffers invited the television star’s widow Joanne Rogers to the hospital for a surprise.
Mrs. Rogers, who was married to Mr. Rogers for 51 years before he passed away in 2003, was delighted by the gesture.
Since the Pittsburgh hospital posted photos from the occasion to Facebook, thousands of people have shared them across social media.
“We welcomed Pittsburgh’s newest neighbors in style for #CardiganDay!” wrote the hospital. “Big thanks to Mrs. Rogers for stopping by!”
Be A Good Neighbor And Share This Sweet Story With Your Friends On Social Media…
After decades of little or no progress, biomedical researchers are finally making some headway at detecting and treating sepsis, a deadly medical complication that sends a surge of pathogenic infection through the body and remains a major public health problem.
Researchers at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center report in Science Translational Medicine they developed and successfully tested a new rapid blood assay that measures five biomarkers and accurately predicts which patients are at low, medium or high risk for death from sepsis (colloquially referred to as blood poisoning).
Called PERSEVERE, the test allows physicians to detect and stratify sepsis at its earliest moments, just as the body is about to unleash a storm of bacterial infection, according to study’s senior investigator, Dr. Hector Wong, director of Critical Care Medicine at Cincinnati Children’s. By knowing which five proteins/genes make up the assay’s five-biomarker blood panel, physicians should be able to start medical interventions much earlier and with greater precision.
Wong said not only can patients be stratified into low, medium, and high-risk groups, the biomarker test allows physicians to pick the right interventions for specific patients, including which drugs and dosages.
“The PERSEVERE platform focuses on stratification and prognostication, not diagnostics,” says Wong. “Prognostic enrichment is a fundamental tool of precision medicine. It allows us to predict the disease course and progression in individuals and tailor treatment to different groups of patients and individuals.”
Another benefit of the assay platform is it also gives researchers important clues for studying the underlying biological mechanisms of how sepsis gets started, ramps out of control and how it can be stopped with new therapeutic approaches, according to Dr. Christopher Lindsell, a key collaborator on Wong’s team.
The research project is also expected to lead to the development of new therapeutic treatments, the researchers said.
The tool has been in development by the research team for more than a decade. They have able to progressively reduce the number of biomarkers in the assay platform from 80 down to 5. This makes it easier to blend advanced technologies like computer-assisted biology and informatics with laboratory experimentation to look more efficiently for new therapies, according researchers.
Sepsis usually strikes fragile young children and the elderly hospitalized in intensive care units. In the current study, about 13% of patients did not survive, but PERSEVERE-based stratification effectively stratified the patients into three risk categories with widely different mortality rates. Wong said the goal of the research team’s work is to push those survival curves significantly higher among the higher risk patients.
A major hurdle frustrating researchers over the decades is that sepsis is known for its considerable clinical and biological heterogeneity, with the causes and outcomes varying greatly between different patients. PERSEVERE is designed to leverage today’s enhanced genetic and biological analysis technologies to make that variability more manageable.
Although more than 1,000 children have been tested by Wong and colleagues over the years, in the current study researchers used the latest version of PERSEVERE to test the blood samples from 461 children with sepsis as well as mouse models that faithfully mimic blood poisoning.
After receiving prior permission from patient families and Institutional Review Boards of participating institutions, the researchers used PERSEVERE to test children between ages 1 and 18 years who were already admitted to intensive care units and under care for sepsis at multiple pediatric hospitals, including Cincinnati Children’s. Because PERSEVERE is not yet approved for clinical use, it was not used to inform or influence patient care decisions. It was only tested for accuracy and potential future use.
Researchers said the five biomarkers in PERSEVERE were able to accurately predict with high reliability which patients would and would not develop severe cases of sepsis. When researchers next tested PERSEVERE in their mouse models of sepsis, the same five biomarkers were able to accurately predict which mice were at low or high risk. They also reported that mice at a greater risk of severe sepsis had significantly higher bacterial loads in their blood than lower-risk animals, and that higher doses of antibiotics were able to help contain the blood infections. The investigators also provide corroborating evidence that children with higher risk of mortality from sepsis also have higher bacterial loads in their blood.
Wong said the research team continues to test and refine PERSEVERE and study the biological clues it has uncovered so far to pinpoint the onset molecular bases of sepsis and find new treatments. The ability to study the biology of sepsis in mouse models that faithfully mimic the condition and have the same biomarkers as humans should allow the researchers to make significant new progress. Wong also said the technology has reached the point where it would benefit from a biotech industry partner and collaborator so the platform’s development can be accelerated and tested in clinic within the next few years.
To this end, the researchers have secured patents for the platform through the Cincinnati Children’s technology commercialization group, Innovation Ventures. Wong and Lindsell are listed as co-inventors. Wong said an adult version of PERSEVERE is also under development, and the researchers plan to concurrently test the platform as they conduct an NIH-funded clinical trial to use corticosteroids to treat sepsis.
Rather than spending his chilly evenings in the warmth and comfort of his own house, this man hops into a van and drives around his city so he can help bring homeless people to shelter.
B.B. McGowan feels compelled to help the homeless population of Dallas, Texas because he used to be sleeping on the very same streets.
Thankfully, Oak Lawn United Methodist Church helped McGowan to get sober—and he now feels it is his mission to give back to the people who are still struggling to get back on their feet.
With temperatures in the city recently dropping below freezing—and wind chills sometimes falling into the single digits—McGowan will hop into a church van and search the streets for homeless people. If he encounters someone who can be encouraged to seek shelter, McGowan gently helps them into his van and drives them to the nearest homeless shelter.
“When I got sober, it was part of my heart to help, and I wanted to. People fall down in this process, and the important part is getting up,” McGown told WFAA in the interview below. “It gives you a whole new appreciation for life and for people. The things I took for granted, I don’t take for granted anymore.”
