Officials say COVID-19 safety measures must continue even as vaccine is on the way, numbers improve – KELOLAND.com

November 24, 2020 medical

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) Hospitalizations that have leveled off, coronavirus cases that have decreased over the past several days and an expected vaccine are causes for optimism but not for backing off on safety measures when it comes to the pandemic, officials said during the Nov. 23 city of Sioux Falls coronavirus news conference.

Averas Dr. Mike Elliot stressed the need to continue to wear masks. Its clear that masks work. They work the best when they adopt this as a community effort, Elliot said. We support mask mandates both at the state level and local level.

There has been a re-energizing of efforts such as hand washing, mask wearing and physical social distancing in an effort to reduce the spread of the coronavirus, said Dr. Mike Wilde of Sanford.

The public needs to continue masking, socially distancing, hand washing and other actions to curb the spread of COVID-19, said Jill Franken, the director of the Sioux Falls Health Department.

When asked if the two health care organizations had sought a change in the state policy on mask mandates:

We support CDC guidelines, Wilde said. Our role is to support CDC guidelines.

Wilde said he couldnt speak as to whether Sanford Health has asked the governor to change any coronavirus policies such as establishing a statewide mask mandate.

Elliot repeated that Avera has supported local and statewide mask mandates.

The state has had more than 392 COVID-19 deaths in November alone, Elliot said. Total COVID-19 deaths in the state so far total more than flu total deaths from the past 10 years combined, Elliot said.

Id love to tell you weve turned the corner but its too soon, Elliot said.

Human behavior over the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays will have a big impact on coronavirus deaths, hospitalizations and cases in the months that follow, Elliot said.

Wilde advised the public to carefully consider their holiday plans. For example, his family will have only a small family gathering.

Both doctors and Franken said they were optimistic about three new vaccines on the horizon and new treatments for COVID-19.

The local health department is working with the state and others to be ready when vaccines arrive, Franken said.

Not only does the public need to maintain its physical health, but also it mental health.

Franken said people need to daily ask themselves how they are doing in terms of their mental health. Feelings of sadness or anxiety are very real emotions, she said.

Take time every single day to reflect on how you are feeling, Franken said. People are not alone and help is available through the local Helpline or Live Well Sioux Falls or through their primary care provider, Franken said.

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KELOLAND News is covering the COVID-19 pandemic. This is your guide to everything you need to know to prepare. We also have the latest stories from across the globe feeding into this page.

Online Gambling, Gaming Addiction Has Increased During COVID-19: Tips That Can Help – Healthline

November 24, 2020 medical

If youve recently experienced serious withdrawal when not playing video games or gambling online, you could be living in lockdown with a serious addiction.

While addiction is most commonly associated with substances like alcohol, certain human behaviors can be addictive, too.

Internet gaming disorder or gambling disorder are whats called process addictions. And with so many people stuck in their homes right now, these struggles are amplified.

People are isolated by themselves at home, said Dr. Scott Teitelbaum, a professor in psychiatry and neuroscience at the University of Floridas College of Medicine and medical director of the UF Health Florida Recovery Center.

He added hes seeing more people for these types of addictions.

Life is hard, and people are always looking for something to soothe themselves, and some people get pathologic attachment, Teitelbaum told Healthline.

John Gillen, director of Cassiobury Court, a drug and alcohol rehab center in the United Kingdom, told Healthline that hes seen a rise in these addictions the past few years, and the pandemic has only exacerbated them.

Because of the COVID situation, were opening a new residential treatment center because the demand is becoming that high, Gillen said.

In the three centers, I would say that we have two from each center who have come to us as a result of active, chronic gaming, whether it would be gaming or other forms of internet misuse, shall we say, he said. These are all people under the age of 28. I would say thats definitely going to increase come early next summer.

Healthline asked several experts to explain addictions to activities such as video games, online gambling, and day trading, as well as how to identify if you have a problem and how to get help.

Process addictions are behaviors that activate the brains reward center in the way that certain substances do, explained Dr. Lawrence Weinstein, the chief medical officer at American Addiction Centers in St. Petersburg, Florida.

Taking part in this particular behavior will increase the level of dopamine in the brain, and the pleasure obtained from this behavior reinforces that the person will engage in the behavior again in the future, he told Healthline. Disorders involving feeding, eating, shopping, and exercising are all examples of process addictions.

When lockdowns and shutdowns were the new reality in April, the National Council on Problem Gambling warned that people with gambling problems may be affected more severely by the pandemic due to increased individual health risks, shifting gambling preferences, and cuts in funding for services.

Weinstein told Healthline that an increase in process disorders like online gaming and gambling is due to the many mental health consequences of the pandemic.

In both instances, social isolation as a result of social distancing, financial and economic worries, difficulties with employment, and other stressors may cause people to initiate online gaming/gambling as a stress reliever or exacerbate existing problematic behavior, he explained.

The circumstances of being housebound with a limited amount of activities available are almost ripe for online gaming because of the ability to maintain enjoyable and social communication, Weinstein said.

Online gaming was even encouraged in the early stages of the pandemic with a joint campaign between the World Health Organization and the video game industry, he said.

The uncertainty of these financially difficult times can be a driving factor in an increase of online gambling, Weinstein added.

Stress is a trigger, Teitelbaum said. As a rule, any of these things substance abuse disorders, gambling online, gaming they become issues of isolation anyhow. Ive seen the pandemic be a trigger for a spiraling down.

Teitelbaum has treated people who have an addiction to day trading an activity thats been dubbed a pastime for many during the pandemic and says that its just another form of gambling.

Its the action, he said. You need the money to do it. But its the action, the anticipation of the action, thats what you become addicted to.

Teitelbaum noted that these disorders are challenging to identify because theyre harder to monitor.

Its harder to keep people away. Its kind of like compulsive overeating. You cant tell people not to eat, he explained. Youre telling people not to be on the internet.

While the pandemic makes it more difficult for people to socialize, other modes of interacting can enter the picture.

With the amount of decreased social interaction that we have due to COVID, people are looking for more ways to interact and also get positive reinforcement for the social interaction they are able to do, said Dr. Denis Godwin Antoine II, the director of the motivated behaviors unit at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Maryland and an assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences. I think that theres an opportunity for online gaming to increase that social interaction.

These disorders may be harder to notice right now simply because we arent living life as we did before.

I think its become harder to identify when it is a problem because any type of social disorder is defined by an impairment in social function, Antoine told Healthline.

The best approach, he said, is to look at the big picture in terms of whats going on at home and on the job, as well as other responsibilities to make sure that those roles are being met adequately.

Examine regular activities of daily life, such as eating and sleeping, to see whether any of those behaviors have gone in a bad direction.

Just by asking a person how frequently theyre playing a game or trading stocks wouldnt give the most accurate picture as to how it impacts their social environment, Antoine explained.

The new edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Health Disorders (DSM-5), which is the handbook for mental health professionals, includes diagnostic criteria for both internet gaming disorder and gambling disorder, Weinstein noted.

A preoccupation or obsession with internet games, withdrawal when not playing them, and loss of interest in other life activities are on the list of diagnostics for internet gaming disorder, which is in the section for conditions that warrant further research.

The need to gamble with increasing amounts of money to achieve the desired excitement, irritability when trying to cut down or stop gambling, and repeated unsuccessful efforts to control gambling are among the list of criteria for gambling disorder.

Weinstein said a doctor would diagnose a process addiction after they identify a certain number of specific symptoms.

Based on the number of symptoms met, the mental health professional can then determine the severity of the disorder, he said.

Antoine said that in his experience, people struggling with online gaming and gambling dont typically deal with that issue alone.

They have other issues that come into the picture, such as low social support from family and friends or very high psychosocial stressors, and theyre looking for an outlet that is easy to access, he said. Thats usually where the gambling and the gaming problems come in.

Teitelbaum agreed that a process disorder could be tied to other issues.

You need to look at the whole person, everything, not just the existence of co-occurring disorders, but trauma, you have to look at the whole picture, he said. Many of these disorders dont stand alone.

Antoine suggested connecting with a mental health professional, such as a psychiatrist or therapist, who is trained to identify the DSM-5 criteria for diagnosis.

Telehealth has been a helpful path for diagnosis during the pandemic.

There has actually been an increase in telehealth utilization, and a lot of these disorders can be at least diagnosed with a history of what has been happening in a persons life, Antoine said. Some people are more comfortable with telehealth than they are in person. So, for some individuals, it may be a better option.

There are no known medications approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat these disorders, but there are therapies for commonly co-occurring mental health issues like depression or bipolar disorder.

I have treated patients in the past with untreated bipolar disorder who are very driven to spend money and gamble, and that comes up very often, Antoine said. But in terms of for specifically pathological gambling, there are no approved medications at this time.

Weinstein said that treatment for process addiction commonly comes in the form of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).

CBT is a problem-focused form of psychotherapy in which the patient and therapist actively work together to identify and change patterns of thinking or behavior that may lead to self-destructive actions, he said. Through CBT, patients identify risky or triggering situations and learn coping skills that can then be utilized to prevent a relapse.

Teitelbaum supports a well-rounded approach.

You want to look [at], do they have a co-occurring mental health disorder that they need pharmacologic treatment for? Once again, you go case by case. You really want to know your patient, he said.

Ive always said good treatment isnt this or that its this plus that, Teitelbaum explained. You have to look at your individual patient and figure out, OK, whats the neurobiology? What do I need to do pharmacologically? And how else can I help?

Theres no one magic bullet, according to Teitelbaum.

I think good treatment is always a combination of appropriate integrated pharmacotherapy, group therapy, individual therapy, and family therapy, he said. Looking for other things that they find peace and joy doing.

The rest is here:
Online Gambling, Gaming Addiction Has Increased During COVID-19: Tips That Can Help - Healthline

Human Behavior

The Virus Surge, Once Centered in the Midwest, Is Accelerating in 45 U.S. States – The New York Times

November 24, 2020 medical

Heres what you need to know:A drive-through testing site in Oakland, Calif., on Thursday.Credit...Jim Wilson/The New York Times

When infections began rising sharply in the U.S. in September, the growth was driven largely by outbreaks in the Upper Midwest. States like North Dakota and Wisconsin soon became the hardest hit in the nation, relative to their size, and the region continues to struggle.

Now, though, with the whole countrys daily average of new cases is as high as it has ever been over 171,000 the most rapid growth is happening elsewhere. Nine states are reporting more than twice as many new cases a day as they did two weeks ago, and none of them are in the Midwest.

The surges in those states Arizona, California, Delaware, Louisiana, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Pennsylvania and Vermont reflect a still-escalating national crisis. Officials warn that it will only get worse if people disregard warnings about travel and get-togethers for the approaching holidays.

Let me be very clear: A Thanksgiving gathering this year may very well lead to a funeral, said Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham of New Mexico, whose state is home to five of the 10 metropolitan areas in the country where new case reports are rising the fastest. The virus is at large, the governor said. Know the risks and respect them.

Forty-five states are seeing sustained increases, and 17 states added more cases in the seven-day period that ended Sunday than in any other week of the pandemic. Major metropolitan areas that are reporting new cases at or near record levels are all across the continent: Pittsburgh. Albuquerque. Baltimore. San Diego.

Some that have been bad for a while, like El Paso, are coping with the flood of hospitalizations that generally follow a couple of weeks behind a rising tide of new cases. A major hospital group in Arizona, Banner Health, began banning most visitors from its facilities Sunday night because of the worsening spread of the virus.

And where the hospitals come under intense strain, officials are turning, however reluctantly, to impose or reimpose restrictions in the hope of flattening the curve. In Los Angeles County, Calif., which has been averaging more than 3,500 cases a day lately, officials said on Sunday that barring indoor restaurant dining was no longer sufficient, and that outdoor dining would have to shut down as well.

Unfortunately, if our cases and hospitalizations continue to increase, we will need to issue further restrictions to protect our health care system and prevent more deaths, said Barbara Ferrer, the county public health director.

The drugmaker AstraZeneca announced on Monday that an early analysis of some of its late-stage clinical trials, conducted in the United Kingdom and Brazil, showed that its coronavirus vaccine was 70.4 percent effective in preventing Covid-19, suggesting that the world could eventually have at least three working vaccines and more supply to help curb the pandemic.

The British-Swedish company, which has been developing the vaccine with the University of Oxford, became the third major vaccine developer this month to announce encouraging early results, following Pfizer and Moderna, which both said that their vaccines were about 95 percent effective in late-stage studies.

AstraZenecas results are a reassuring sign of the safety of the vaccine. It came under global scrutiny after AstraZeneca temporarily paused its trials in September to investigate potential safety issues after a participant in Britain developed a neurological illness.

Oxford and AstraZeneca said they would submit their data to regulators in Britain, Europe and Brazil and seek emergency authorization.

The company said its early analysis was based on 131 coronavirus cases. The trials used two different dosing regimens, one of which was 90 percent effective in preventing Covid-19 and the other of which was 62 percent effective.

The regimen that was 90 percent effective involved using a halved first dose and a standard second dose. Oxford and AstraZeneca also said that there were no hospitalized or severe cases of the coronavirus in anyone who received the vaccine, and that they had seen a reduction in asymptomatic infections, suggesting that the vaccine could reduce transmission.

AstraZenecas vaccine is expected to come with relatively simple storage requirements, which would be an asset once it gets rolled out. The company has said it anticipates the vaccine will require refrigeration, though it has not provided details about how long and at what temperature it can be kept. Modernas vaccine can be kept for up to a month at the temperature of an ordinary refrigerator. Pfizers can be kept for up to 5 days in conventional refrigerators, or in special coolers for up to 15 days, but otherwise needs ultracold storage.

AstraZeneca has said it aims to bring data from its studies of its vaccine being conducted overseas to the Food and Drug Administration which would mean that the agency will likely review and authorize a vaccine before late-stage data are ready on how well the vaccine works in American participants. British regulators already have been conducting a so-called rolling review of the vaccine.

Today marks an important milestone in our fight against the pandemic, AstraZenecas chief executive, Pascal Soriot, said. This vaccines efficacy and safety confirm that it will be highly effective against Covid-19 and will have an immediate impact on this public health emergency.

Professor Andrew Pollard, the chief investigator of the Oxford Vaccine Trial, said that these findings show that we have an effective vaccine that will save many lives.

AstraZenecas results could significantly strengthen the global effort to produce enough vaccine to create population immunity: The price of the shot, at $3 to $4, is a fraction of that of some other potential vaccines, and AstraZeneca has pledged to make it available at cost around the world until at least July 2021 and in poorer countries in perpetuity.

transcript

We are now coming into the high social season Thanksgiving, Christmas. Its the high social season, social activity goes way up in this season. That is a bad combination. Just factor out the current rate of increase. You know, where we are in three weeks? Six thousand cases. Thats before we go into 37 days of the highest socialization period of the year. Yellow Zone in New York City is 2.5, reduces house of worship gatherings. Orange Zone reduces mass gatherings, more businesses close; high risk in an Orange Zone, schools close to clean and test, and then can reopen if they test and the positivity rate is low. New York City, Upper Manhattan is going to become a Yellow Zone. Basically, the Washington Heights area is 3.3. Staten Island, part is a Yellow Zone, part is an Orange Zone. Staten Island is a problem. The number of hospitalizations in Staten Island have gone over the last three weeks they basically tripled 33 to 91. Its a consequence of action.

As Thanksgiving approaches, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo of New York on Monday announced new restrictions in parts of the state where virus cases are rising, including New York City, and issued a grim warning that the state was on track for a further resurgence of the virus.

The new restrictions included a zone in Upper Manhattan, the first time the state has rolled back reopening in the borough under its program of targeting so-called microclusters.

These are dangerous times that were in, Mr. Cuomo said at a news conference in New York City.

Over the last three weeks, the number of people hospitalized with the virus in the state has more than doubled, to 2,724 on Monday from 1,227 on Nov. 2. The number is a far cry from the peak of the pandemic in the spring, when more than 18,000 people were hospitalized.

But Mr. Cuomo warned that if current patterns held, the state would hit 6,000 hospitalizations in another three weeks. The increase could become steeper, he said, if people continued gathering for Thanksgiving and Christmas in the coming weeks, which he called 37 days of the highest socialization of the year.

The governor again warned residents not to travel for the holidays. The state has currently imposed a 10-person limit on private gatherings in hopes of limiting small parties that he has said have contributed to the resurgence of the virus in the state this fall.

Parts of Upper Manhattan, including Washington Heights, will now be a yellow zone under the states tiered, color-coded restriction system. Gatherings will be limited to 25 people, with houses of worship limited to 50 percent capacity. Restaurants can serve only up to 4 people at a table.

Mr. Cuomo also announced an orange zone, the second level of limits, in southern parts of Staten Island. In those areas, indoor dining will close, as will some nonessential businesses deemed to be high risk, such as gyms and personal-care services. All gatherings will be limited to 10 people, with houses of worship limited to 33 percent capacity and 25 people maximum. Other parts of the borough will become a yellow zone.

Staten Island is a problem, Mr. Cuomo said.

The borough has been a hot spot for the virus in the city in recent months. Mr. Cuomo said that hospitalizations there had increased enough that Staten Island was facing a capacity issue. As a result, the state will open an emergency coronavirus patient facility in the South Beach neighborhood, a move reminiscent of field hospitals set up in the spring, when New York City was one of the hardest hit places in the country.

The state also announced new yellow zones in parts of Long Island, including Great Neck, Riverhead and Hampton Bays, and expanded yellow and orange zones upstate, around the cities of Rochester and Syracuse.

transcript

The national restrictions in England will end on the 2nd of December, and they will not be renewed. From next Wednesday, people will be able to leave their home for any purpose, and meet others in outdoor public spaces subject to the Rule of 6. Collective worship, weddings and outdoor sports can resume, and shops, personal care, gyms and the wider leisure sector can reopen. But without sensible precautions, we would risk the virus escalating into a winter or new-year surge. The incidence of the disease is, alas, still widespread in many areas. So were not going to replace national measures with a free for all the status quo ante-Covid were going to go back instead to a regional tiered approach, applying the toughest measures where Covid is most prevalent. I cant say that Christmas will be normal this year. But in a period of adversity, time spent with loved ones is even more precious for people of all faiths and none. We all want some kind of Christmas. We need it. We certainly feel we deserve it. But what we dont want is to throw caution to the winds and allow the virus to flare up again, forcing us all back into lockdown in January.

Gyms, stores and hair salons will be allowed to reopen in England next week, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Monday, telling lawmakers that for the first time since the spread of the coronavirus the country could see a route out of the pandemic.

Speaking to Parliament by video link, Mr. Johnson said that he would lift a national lockdown on Dec. 2, as expected, and that England would then return to a regionalized system of restrictions based on three tiers of controls.

However, the new plan will keep substantial restrictions on pubs and restaurants a move that risks friction with some of Mr. Johnsons own lawmakers, who fear that the hospitality trade will be hit hard by the limitations.

Crucially, the government has not yet announced which parts of the country will be subjected to which set of restrictions, though that information is expected later this week.

Mr. Johnson, who has been quarantining since last week after being exposed to a member of Parliament who tested positive, hailed the progress announced by the team at Oxford University developing a vaccine with the British-Swedish drugmaker AstraZeneca, adding that the scientific cavalry is in sight.

There have been at least 1.5 million confirmed cases of coronavirus in the United Kingdom, according to Public Health England. As of Monday morning, 55,024 people had died.

Under the plan to ease restrictions, gyms, stores and hair salons will reopen and collective worship, weddings and outdoor sports will be allowed to resume in all parts of England.

But in the worst-affected parts of the country, pubs and restaurants will stay closed except for takeout service.

In some other areas, people will only be able to drink in pubs if they are also eating a meal. Those pubs will, however, be allowed to stay open until 11 p.m., an hour later than had been allowed immediately before the lockdown began, though the bars will have to take last orders for alcohol at 10 p.m.

Some spectators will be allowed into sports events, though even in the least-affected parts of England, crowds will be limited to a maximum of 4,000, and in some parts of the country none will be allowed.

The package outlined by Mr. Johnson reflected his desire to prevent another surge in virus cases while seeking not to antagonize his backbench lawmakers, who have threatened to rebel over lockdown measures.

Gov. Gavin Newsom of California has gone into quarantine, along with his family, after three of the governors children were exposed to a state highway patrol officer who later tested positive for the coronavirus.

The governors whole family Mr. Newsom; his partner, Jennifer Siebel Newsom; and their four children tested negative for the virus on Sunday, but will stay apart from other people for two weeks anyway, in compliance with state guidelines, his office said.

We are grateful for all the officers that keep our family safe and for every frontline worker who continues to go to work during this pandemic, the governor said on Twitter.

The Newsoms learned of the exposure on Friday evening, the governors office said. The whole family waited until Sunday to be tested in order to reduce the likelihood of a false negative result (it can take time for the virus to build up to detectable levels after infection). The governor and his partner did not come in direct contact with the officer.

One of the Newsom children was already in quarantine after a classmate tested positive, Politico reported on Friday. The governor has come under fire for sending his children back to their private school classrooms while many public schools in the state remained closed and most families had to adapt to at-home learning.

Mr. Newsom has also faced outrage over his recent decision to attend a birthday dinner at a restaurant in Napa Valley with members of several other households.

With infections and hospitalizations each rising at an alarming rate in the state, officials announced a curfew last week, and some counties and the state have reimposed sweeping restrictions they had been gradually lifting.

According to a New York Times database, the state has reported an average of 11,802 new cases a day over the last week, a sharp increase from a month ago. The figure exceeds the states earlier peak of just over 10,000 new cases a day in late July.

The curfew bars nearly all Californians from being away from their homes from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. except for essential purposes, and is scheduled to last through Dec. 21.

In Los Angeles County, where indoor dining has been shuttered for months and virus cases are still surging, health officials took the additional step on Sunday of closing down outdoor dining to reduce the possibility for crowding and the potential for exposure. That order takes effect on Wednesday, just before Thanksgiving.

An expert committee charged with deciding which Americans should be first in line for a coronavirus vaccine met on Monday afternoon to discuss a number of questions before it votes likely by mid-December on final recommendations for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

After the group, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, delivers its recommendations, the C.D.C. director, Dr. Robert R. Redfield, will quickly decide whether to approve them. That will be the final step, after a review by the Food and Drug Administration and its own advisory committee on vaccines, before the first doses of vaccine are shipped nationwide.

A subgroup of the committee had already suggested that health care workers, who total about 21 million, should be the first to be vaccinated. On Monday, it recommended also including residents of long-term care facilities in that initial group. Next would be essential workers, then adults with high-risk medical conditions and those who are 65 or older.

Some of the questions the committee considered Monday included:

Whether people who have already had Covid-19 should not be vaccinated until there is ample supply. Dr. Robert Atmar, a committee member and infectious disease specialist at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, said that at the beginning, where its a resource-limited vaccine, my opinion is that we need to try and target as best we can to those that we know are susceptible. But another committee member, Dr. Grace Lee, a pediatrics professor at Stanford University School of Medicine, pushed back, saying that much remains unknown about long-term immunity.

Whether essential workers like police, firefighters, teachers and transportation workers should be the second group to get the vaccine. To me, the issue of ethics is very significant, very important for this country and clearly favors the essential worker group, said Dr. Peter Szilagyi, a professor of pediatrics at the University of California, Los Angeles, noting that the group included a high proportion of minority, low-income and low-education workers.

Efforts to contain the coronavirus pandemic last spring quickly became politicized, forcing officials and citizens around the world to choose between public health and personal freedom. In the United States, the tension broke down roughly along ideological lines, with many blue states taking containment measures seriously, and red states less so.

In a new analysis, a team of researchers provided some of the first hard evidence of how the political divide drove behavior. The paper, posted Monday by the journal Nature Human Behavior, found that one measure of partisan hostility the intensity of distrust and animosity toward the other side, red or blue correlated both with peoples attitudes toward containment policies, and how they behaved.

The findings were based on interviews with more than 2,400 adults, conducted once in the summer of 2019 and again in April of this year.

The research team, led by James Druckman, a political scientist at Northwestern University, found that the average Democrat is more worried, is more likely to have changed behaviors and is more supportive of policies to stop the spread of infections than the average Republican, although there were substantial overlaps in attitudes.

The research team, which included scientists from the University of Arizona, Stony Brook University and the University of Pennsylvania, determined that in the hardest hit areas, these differences shrank. In effect, concern for personal and family safety blunted the effect of partisanship, as most everyone responded to the local outbreak.

These findings have implications for understanding how best to combat COVID-19, the authors concluded. Since partisan hostility underlies partisan gaps, policymakers will need to devise different strategies to bring the parties together on these issues.

More travelers were screened at airport security checkpoints on Sunday than on any day since the pandemic took hold in March, a worrying sign that people flying to visit their families for Thanksgiving could increase the spread of the coronavirus.

A little more than one million people were screened by the Transportation Security Administration on Sunday, according to federal data published on Monday. That number is about half of what it was in 2019, but it represents a big increase from the spring, when less than a half a million people flew on any given day.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Dr. Anthony Fauci, the countrys top infectious disease expert, have been strongly discouraging holiday travel for fear that it would increase the number of new infections, which have surged in recent weeks as the weather turns colder and more people spend time indoors.

Airlines have said that flying is safe because of the precautions the industry has put in place, like high-end air filtration. They also point to the relatively few published cases of the coronavirus being spread during a flight. But the science on in-flight safety is far from settled, and travelers would still be at risk of contracting or spreading the virus at airports and once they are at their destination.

The increase in travel during the holidays has been encouraging for airlines. But it wont be enough to offset the deep losses they have suffered during the pandemic. The nations largest airlines have collectively reported tens of billions of dollars in losses so far this year, and analysts expect demand to remain weak for a couple of years or more. The industry is hoping that the incoming Biden administration and Congress will give airlines more aid early next year.

When a taxi deposited Mallory Guy in front of an apartment building in Cheonan, South Korea, after a 14-hour flight from Atlanta, a Korean couple was waiting for her with open arms.

It was the first time since she was 7 months old that Ms. Guy, 33, had been in the country where she was born. It was also her first time seeing her birth parents since she was sent to the United States more than three decades ago.

For some adoptees, birth family reunions had become a rite of passage. Then came the pandemic. The pilgrimages back to South Korea dwindled. Many adoptees canceled long-planned reunions after the governments quarantine rules for foreign visitors made the trips too costly and time-consuming.

When Ms. Guy arrived in South Korea in September, she did not know whether she would be allowed to spend the two weeks at her biological parents home or be forced to stay at a costly government hotel. The South Korean Embassys website said only that such decisions were made on a case-by-case basis.

Her parents made Korean food for her and American snacks like peanut butter and jelly. (They also stocked up on milk, because they had heard that Americans love milk.) They even bought her an exercise bike, because she had told them during calls that she enjoyed using her Peloton.

After two weeks of immersion in her parents home, Ms. Guy took a coronavirus test, as mandated by the government, so she could leave quarantine and explore her home country with her family.

When a testing administrator asked her when she had last left the country for the United States, I told her 1987, and she looked super-confused.

The worker asked again, and Ms. Guy confirmed that she understood the question.

After telling her 1987 four more times, Ms. Guy said, she finally wrote it down.

Senator Kelly Loeffler of Georgia, a Republican who is campaigning in a high-stakes runoff election that could determine control of the Senate, plans to get back out on the campaign trail after receiving her second consecutive negative coronavirus test, a campaign spokesman said on Monday.

This comes after Ms. Loefflers campaign on Sunday said she was isolating out of an abundance of caution after a series of coronavirus tests delivered mixed messages about whether she had contracted the disease.

According to Stephen Lawson, a campaign spokesman, a rapid test Ms. Loeffler took Friday morning came back negative, but a second test she also took that morning a polymerase chain reaction, or P.C.R., test, which is considered more accurate returned a positive result on Friday evening.

In between her receipt of the two conflicting test results, Ms. Loeffler attended campaign-related events on Friday, including a rally with Vice President Mike Pence and Senator David Perdue of Georgia, Mr. Lawson said.

Ms. Loeffler, 49, received another P.C.R. test on Saturday morning. But it was inconclusive, Mr. Lawson said of the results, which came in Saturday evening. On Sunday afternoon, Mr. Lawson issued another statement saying that the senators previously inconclusive P.C.R. results were retested overnight and the results thankfully came back negative. The negative result on Monday was also from a P.C.R. test.

He added: Out of an abundance of caution, she will continue to self-isolate and be retested again to hopefully receive consecutive negative test results. We will share those results as they are made available. She will continue to confer with medical experts and follow C.D.C. guidelines.

Ms. Loeffler notified those with whom she had sustained contact while she awaits further test results, he said.

Ms. Loeffler has held recent events with prominent Republicans, including Mr. Pence, Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas and Mr. Perdue, who is also engaged in a runoff election that could determine control of the Senate. On Sunday, a campaign spokesman said Mr. Perdue was remaining at home until he had more details about the health status of Ms. Loeffler.

Mr. Perdue, 70, has encouraged people to wear masks to help stop the spread of the coronavirus. But he has also appeared at rallies where people did not wear masks. A Friday tweet from Ms. Loeffler includes a picture that shows the two senators in an indoor setting without masks.

A spokesman for Mr. Pence, Devin OMalley, said also on Sunday that as he awaits a confirmatory test from Senator Loeffler, Vice President Pence is in regular consultation with the White House Medical Unit and will be following C.D.C. guidelines as he has in other circumstances when he has been a close contact.

The last time Mr. Pence was deemed a close contact was last month when his chief of staff, Marc Short, tested positive.

Mr. Pence continued to campaign then, with the White House saying that he was performing essential duties that exempted him from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines calling for people to quarantine for 14 days after exposure to the virus.

Ms. Loeffler, a businesswoman who is the Senates richest member, was temporarily appointed to her Senate seat late last year. She faces the Rev. Dr. Raphael G. Warnock, a Democrat, in an election on Jan. 5, when Georgia voters will also decide between Mr. Perdue and his opponent, Jon Ossoff, a Democrat.

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan Pakistan announced Monday that schools across the country will close for six weeks beginning Nov. 26 as the government confronts a sharp rise in new coronavirus cases. The positivity rate was 7 percent in the past 24 hours with at least 34 deaths, health officials said, a worrying increase compared to the past several weeks.

Students will continue taking classes from home until Dec. 24, said Shafqat Mahmood, Pakistans federal education minister, during a news conference in Islamabad on Monday.

All educational institutions will be opened on Jan. 11, 2021, after reviewing Covid-19 cases situation in the first week of January, Mr. Mahmood said, noting that winter break for students would begin Dec. 25 and end on Jan. 10.

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The Virus Surge, Once Centered in the Midwest, Is Accelerating in 45 U.S. States - The New York Times

Human Behavior

Psychology and Jesus: 10 tips to tame anger from the Mayo Clinic – Standard-Times

November 24, 2020 medical

Jean Stinnett, Special to San Angelo Standard-Times Published 4:30 a.m. CT Nov. 21, 2020

Anger is a normal emotion. When expressed in healthy and positive ways anger is not a problem.(Photo: Getty Images)

This is part 9 of a series. Read the other articles in this series online atgosanangelo.com/lifestyle/faith-values.

Anger is a normal emotion. When expressed in healthy and positive ways anger is not a problem. But when anger is uncontrolled, passive, suppressed, or aggressive, it may lead to destructive behavior, anxiety, dysfunctional relationships, physical ailments (strokes, high blood pressure, headaches, coronary disease, autoimmune disorders, digestive disorders, insomnia, depression, and more) and sometimes suicide. In an on-line article the Mayo Clinic offers the following 10 tips to taming anger.

Reference: Mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/in-depth/angermanagement/art-20045434dated Feb. 29, 2020.

Life has been challenging in 2020. Uncertainties, turmoil, and restrictions from a pandemic in an electrifying election year have pushed us to the brink of the unknown. Our routines are shattered, relationships strained, and beliefs questioned at every turn. Anger and fear bring out the worst in human behavior because they stem from the wisdom of this world (James 3:15). However, God offers wisdom from heaven through His only Son, Jesus Christ.

Scripture says in James 4:1 that quarrels and disputes come from your desires that battle within you. The evil one thrives on envy, pride, ego, self-righteousness, and indulgence in worldly pleasures. This is spiritual warfare, Satans persistent desire to steal, kill and destroy our faith in God. But the Spirit whom God caused to live in us through Jesus gives us a greater gift than any earthly gain: grace upon grace which we did not earn for ourselves. Rather, that is the full benefit of life in Christ through His death and resurrection.

Here is my prayer: Yahweh, Jehovah God, You are who You say You are. You made Yourself known to Moses and the Israelites in their time of need and confusion (Exodus 3:14). From generation to generation in Your Word You were, and are, and always will be. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, the One and Only, full of grace and truth (John 1:14). Thank You for Jesus, the light and truth on whom all hope depends. He is the only Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy (James 4:12). Jesus, hear my earnest plea. Forgive and heal my penitent and contrite heart of impatience, temper tantrums, and angry outbursts. Shield me from every attack of the enemy, Satan, who would hobble me to sin. Correct my errant ways. Discipline me in love. You alone are the Judge of humanity. This world is not my home. Guide me in Your way. Keep mebody, mind, and spiritas a holy temple. Abide in me, Jesus, as I abide in You. Amen Jean Stinnett LPC, author of Please Pray with Me (2018) and Our Monday Prayer (2020)

Jean Stinnett is a licensed professional counselor and author of 'Please Pray With Me' who retired in Mertzon after a30-year career in public education.

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Psychology and Jesus: 10 tips to tame anger from the Mayo Clinic - Standard-Times

Human Behavior

Soldier’s will to fight: Implications for Indian Armed Forces – News Intervention

November 24, 2020 medical

Man behind the Machine matters Most, Always and Every time

Humans: The Final Arbiter in Battle Assessing morale and will to fight (adversary and own) is crucial to the science and art of war (Warcraft). Bruce Bueno de Mesquita, a political scientist at New York University, reckons human will matters enough for many wars to be won by what starts off, in strict military terms, as the weaker side [i]. With very few exceptions, all wars and almost all battles are decided by matters of human will: breaking the enemys will to fight while sustaining ones own will to fight is the key to success in battle. Will to fight is the disposition and decision to fight, to keep fighting and to win.

Technology, Transparency and Modern Weapon Systems: Dilution of Human ImpactWith continuous and increasing emergence of modern, potent, accurate, and long-range weapon systems, technology including autonomous systems, and ISR (intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance), the essentially human nature of war is getting ignored. Many in the past have felt the same. Military history is, as a consequence, littered with disastrously wrong assumptions about belligerents will to fight. France (1950s), America and China (1960-70s), three UNSC members and major powers, for instance, famously underestimated the determination of Vietnams National Liberation Front when they intervened in Vietnam for their own strategic reasons and got a bloody nose instead. During the battle of DOGRAI on the Indo Pak border in the 1965 war, 3 JAT (Indian infantry battalion), known for their sustained dogged courage in battle, led by Lt Col Hayde, MVC achieved a superb victory against overwhelming odds. Lack of focus on the will to fight could create a vulnerable situation to many armed forces and nations forcing a critical situation. The best technology in the world is useless without the force of the will to use it and to keep using it even as casualties mount and unexpected calamities arise.

Use of Modern Computing to Quantify Morale and Will Behavioral scientists are now, bringing the power of modern computing to bear on the question. Defence planners have long used computers to forecast the results of conflicts by crunching data on things like troop numbers, weapons capabilities, ammunition supplies and mechanized forces, air and naval forces quantification. The next step, which will be hugely facilitated with the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) and scientific models, is to extend the idea into the area of morale, by quantifying the psychological variables that determine whether troops will flee, or stand and fight.

Important Definitions/Aspects pertaining to Will to Fight Predicting human behavior is not an exact science, however, we can significantly improve our understanding of an individual or a units will to fight by assessing and analyzing disposition[ii], which allows for an estimation of overall military effectiveness and forecasting of behavior. Wars rarely end simply because one military destroys another. Government and leaders determine how and when wars end, and they may have to decide many times during a conflict whether their country should continue enduring risk and sacrifice or whether it is time to stop fighting. Tangible factors, such as remaining force levels, logistical resilience, weapon systems, are obviously part of the decision calculus, but it is often less-tangible political and economic variables that ultimately determine what might be called a national will to fight. It is thedetermination of a national governmentto conduct sustained military and other operations to achieve their objective, even when the expectation of success decreases or the need for significant political, economic, and military sacrifices increases.

Pivotal Role of Influence Information and Psychological Operations (IIO and PSYOPS) affecting Morale and Will to Fight Confrontation/conflicts have moved from attrition to manoeuvre, and now to a combination of the above along with the cognitive domains of Information (Influence) Operations (IIO/IO) and Psychological Operations (PSYOPS). Nations would always prefer achieving their strategic aims without warfighting in the traditional sense, and impose their will using cognitive/non-kinetic domains. There are innumerable examples in military history where larger/stronger forces have lost purely because they lost morale and the will to fight. One very recent and extremely vivid and game changing event in history where IO and PSYOPS destroyed an Armys will to fight, is the Capture of Northern Iraq by ISIS. In the summer of 2014 the IS (ISIL/ISIS or Daesh in Arabic) roared into Northern Iraq in pick-ups and fully armed (even swords), and blew away four fully trained and equipped Iraqi divisions which vanished overnight into thin air.[iii] But, contrary to tradition, they did not keep their operations a secret but wanted the world to know everything about it. The IS succeeded in subverting the minds and weakening/destroying the will to fight of all commanders, troops and the local population psychologically. Closer home, despite an asymmetric superiority in comprehensive national power (CNP), military and multi-domain fighting capabilities of the Chinese PLA along the LAC in East Ladakh, the Indian Armed Forces operational and tactical superiority, combat experience, high altitude expertise, years of managing the LC/LAC, and the Indian jawans fortitude, raw courage and morale puts India Army on an equal (if not better) footing to negotiate.

Indian Army: Lack of Scientific Models to Evaluate Morale and Will to Fight In our Armed Forces, lot of emphasis is paid to attributes of a leader and the role of morale as important battle winning factors. Theoretical and practical aspects are covered for officers and troops at the initial training, courses and on the job. However, we have not really added its contribution (being intangible) when evaluating/or when carrying out a net-assessment (see definition in Notes[iv] of an adversarys military strength and potential. In our Armed Forces we do a mix of scientific model(s), and affix values to tangibles based on historical precedence/subject experts/ground experience/collective wisdom of group (Delphi system of management[v]). Indian armed forces needs to create models (specific to different situation/terrain/enemy) to assess value of own/adversarys intangibles like morale and will to fight, which has become vital in todays warfare.

Rand Corporation Report 2108[vi] on Will to Fight: An Overview In 2019, RAND published two reports for the US Army describing the will to fight[vii]. They found that there is no generally accepted definition, explanation, or model of will to fight. This means that armed forces and subsidiary forces have no central point of reference for understanding what is, according to joint doctrine, the most important factor in warfare. They created a three-step model to which they finally integrated will to fight in simulation, and needs to be incorporated in planning for actual combat situations.

Findings on Morale and FightingSpirit[viii]. Training, espirit-de-corps,morale, motivation, capabilities and culture are important facets contributingto the will to fight. After diligent research some interesting observations/conclusionsare bulleted as follows:

Famous/Historic Battles showcasing will to fight upsetting military superiority

Battle of Imphal-KohimaVery interestingly and proudly for the Indian Armed Forces and its troops, the battle of Imphal-Kohimaduring the Second WorldWar(WWII) was voted inBritainasBritainsmost hard fought and significantbattlein its entire history.[x] The Indian troops fought in horrendous jungle conditions of Nagaland, marked by vicious hand to hand fighting, when Japanese troops in large numbers crossed Burmese border. The Indian soldiers turned the tide against the Japanese army resulting eventually in their capitulation. The victory was of a profound significance because it demonstrated categorically to the Japanese that they were not invincible. This was to be very important in preparing the entire Japanese nation to accept defeat, Lyman said. This was the last real battle of British Empire and the first battle of the new India. The Indian troops werent fighting for the British or the Raj but for a newly emerging and independent India and against the totalitarianism of Japan.

Inspiring Quotes from Junior Indian Military Leaders. Afew quotes of our junior leaders during battle, showcasing the Indian ArmedForces indomitable will to fight, and which will inspire generations to come.

To every manupon this earth Death Cometh soon or lateAnd how can man die betterThan facing fearful oddsFor the ashes of his fathersAnd the temples of his gods Brig Mohd Usman (P) MVC; BattleOrder for Recapture of Jhangar

RecommendationsIndian Armed Forces should

ConclusionImproving understanding of morale and will to fight might not be a panacea, after all war is not won by silver bullets, but it is a vital factor that is routinely overlooked or misunderstood. Nations and militaries across the world are paying increasing attention to behavioral science to know an adversarial nations and militarys will to fight and their leaders mind. India and its professional armed forces must institutionalize/incorporate this pivotal aspect in their strategic and operational planning expeditiously.

[i] What motivates the dogs of war?, The Economist; Science and Technology, 05 Sep 2020 edition

[ii] Disposition- Soldiers and the units they form develop the disposition to fight or not fight, and to act or not to act, when fearing death. Disposition is essentiallylikelihood.

[iii] The event is widely covered and also paraphrased from Like War: The weaponization of Social Media by PW Singer and Emerson T.Brooking, An Eamon Dolan Book, Houghton Mifflin Harcout, 2018.

[iv] Net assessment is a complex and unconventional framework forthe strategic analysis of military balances. It measures the hard power ofnations in relation to each other, rather than each on its own terms.This kind of analysis, projected over the long-term, helps support moreeffective defence policies in conditions of military-strategic competition.Such a capability is urgently required today in view of the highly competitivenature of global geopolitics.

[v] Delphi system of Management available widely online; one link https://www.rand.org/topics/delphi-method.html

[vi] As a firststep to understand will to fight, the RAND team undertook a literature reviewof more than 200 published works, reviewed U.S. and allied military doctrine,conducted 68 subject-matter expert (SME) interviews, and analyzed historicalbattles/campaigns/case-studies, war- gaming, and simulation.

[vii] Will to Fight: Returning to the Human Fundamentals of War, Rand Corporation,2019; Link- https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_briefs/RB10040.html

[viii] Paraphrasedand adapted from numerous Think Tanks and online articles/papers, including ARTISInternationalwhich is a global scientific research organizationwhich focuses on behavioral dynamics affecting conflict. Its work is fieldorientated, and the fellows come from a wide variety of disciplines; also USAFAcademys Warfighter Effectiveness Research Centre (werc), in Colorado

[ix] Famous Indian battlespost-independence showcasing leadership and the troops indomitable courage,morale and will to fight are listed: Battlesof Rezang La, 18 November 1962; AssalUttar, 8-10 September 1965; Tololing, 20 May 13 June 1999; Nathu La and ChoLa, 1967; Laugewala; Meghna Heli Bridge; Chawinda; Dograi (all four 1971);Special mention to Battle of Saragarhi, 12 September 1897.

[x] Victory over Japanese at Kohima named Britains greatest battle, in Reuters

Lt. Gen. PR Kumar retired from the post of Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) of the Indian Army. As DGMO he was responsible for the entire operational planning, preparation and execution of plans and border management. After his retirement he has been writing for numerous Think Tanks on international and national strategic issues and on security related aspects. He also delivers talks in Armed Forces and Educational institutions.

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Soldier's will to fight: Implications for Indian Armed Forces - News Intervention

Genetics

Upcoming DCHA Webinar: Genetic Focus: Creating the Most Valuable Calves Across the Dairy Herd – Hoard’s Dairyman

November 24, 2020 medical

The information below has been supplied by dairy marketers and other industry organizations. It has not been edited, verified or endorsed by Hoards Dairyman.

Maximizing and cultivating the right genetics from your herd is no easy feat, particularly in our shifting and consolidating dairy market. As we strive to improve the efficiency and profitability of our dairy herd, it's more important than ever to assess opportunities to tie in a quality beef solution on our lower genetic animals. Let's take a closer look at the impact of using a differentiated beef-on-dairy program to drive profitability and give thought to its place in a high-caliber genetic strategy.

Please join us Thursday, December 3, 2020, at 2:00 p.m. Central time.

Matthew Cleveland, director, Global Beef Product Development, ABS

Brandon Sowder, director, North American Business Development-Beef InFocus, ABS

Samantha Wilson, North America Beef InFocus & NuEra Genetics Brand Manager, ABS

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Upcoming DCHA Webinar: Genetic Focus: Creating the Most Valuable Calves Across the Dairy Herd - Hoard's Dairyman

Genetics

Tata Institute for Genetics and Society organises an expert discussion on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) in India – India Education Diary

November 24, 2020 medical

Bengaluru : Tata Institute for Genetics and Society (TIGS) , India organised an expert panel discussion on The Next Steps in Tackling AMR under their Science Serving Society knowledge initiative to spread awareness about this years World Antimicrobial Awareness Week slogan Antimicrobials: Handle with care. TIGS is a Bengaluru based institution that is committed to making scientific advances in research on human health and agriculture, particularly to benefit India and the Indian population.

Antimicrobial Resistance is increasing at an alarming rate . There has been no breakthrough discovery on new classes of antibiotics in the past three decades, and it is projected that around 10 million deaths will be caused due to AMR by the year 2050 compared to 700,000 today. The current pandemic has also exacerbated this situation, as a diversion of resources towards tackling COVID-19 has led to a very real possibility that AMR could emerge as the next pandemic if left unchecked.

TIGS started the Science Serving Society knowledge series with the aim of bridging conversations between experts in human health and agriculture and the community at large. By bringing together experts all over the world on a single platform, we want to prioritize the most pressing challenges that humanity faces today, such as AMR, said Professor Suresh Subramani, Global Director at TIGS.

The following experts shared their thoughts and knowledge on AMR in this panel discussion:

Dr Balaji Veeraraghavan, Professor, The Hilda Lazarus Core Research Chair, Department of Clinical Microbiology, CMC Vellore Dr Kamini Walia, Scientist F, Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance and Research Network, ICMR Dr Taslimarif Saiyed, CEO & Director, Centre for Cellular and Molecular Platforms Dr Bipin Nair, Dean, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham & Visiting Professor, TIGS (Moderator)

The panel discussion began with Dr Bipin Nair setting the context on AMR raising concerns amidst a global pandemic, followed by the other experts weighing in on key aspects like:

AMR in India: Magnitude of the problems and future trends Measures currently being advocated to reduce AMR by public health institutions and governments globally, and progress made so far Challenges posed by AMR and Indian innovations and efforts attempting to tackle AMR

The knowledge initiative concluded with a short Q&A round where the expert panelists answered some questions related to new technologies, good governance and policies, the COVID 19 setback and way forward in tackling AMR.

Physiology

High-performance rugby programme launched – The Bay’s News First – SunLive

November 22, 2020 medical

Expressions of interest for the 2021 High-Performance Rugby Pathway programme are now open.

The Bay of Plenty Rugby Union and Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology have partnered together to create the High-Performance Rugby Pathway - HPRP - delivered in three locations - Rotorua, Whakatane and Tauranga.

The HPRP is a one-year programme aimed at young athletes. The programme is designed to improve rugby athletes self-development in the areas of nutrition, exercise physiology, performance testing, sports psychology, and sport technology while formally studying for the Level Certificate in Exercise, and Certificate in Freestyle Group Exercise qualifications from Toi Ohomai.

The HPRP programme is being delivered in three locations to enable athletes to remain close to home, and support rugby in their communities, says a Bay of Plenty Rugby Union spokesperson.

The HPRP is a one-year programme aimed at recent school leavers and is designed to improve rugby athletes self-development in the areas of nutrition, exercise physiology, performance testing, sports psychology, and sport technology while formally studying for the Level Certificate in Exercise, and Certificate in Freestyle Group Exercise qualifications from Toi Ohomai.

The Bay of Plenty Rugby Union is committed to growing community rugby, so selection preference will be given to athletes who share this commitment.

On completion of this programme, graduates will be able to:

Choreograph, deliver and adapt safe and effective group exercise classes for one or more different class types and varying exercise abilities. Encourage group exercise participants to develop skills and knowledge to improve own health and wellbeing. Integrate culturally appropriate values, processes and protocols to respond to participant exercise needs. Enhance movement patterns in group exercise classes by utilising knowledge of anatomy and physiology. Use business skills and create an awareness of exercise products and services to develop and maintain a client base. Deliver safe and effective exercise programmes, including prescreening, within own scope of practice and industry code of ethics. Apply knowledge of anatomy and physiology to adapt and deliver safe and effective exercise programmes to individuals. Adapt programmes for apparently healthy people and common at risk groups using exercise science and testing. Apply motivational and communication techniques to enhance individual participant commitment to a personalised exercise programme. Apply a health and wellness framework and evidence-based nutrition principles to support a personalised exercise programme and recommend referral pathways to allied health professionals. Use marketing and business tools and techniques to support business practices as an exercise professional.

Interested people can complete the online form to register their interest in the 2021 High-Performance Rugby Pathway (HPRP) programme.

Applicants will be required to attend an interview and an information sharing session where they will be informed of programme structure and expectations as well as progression options.

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High-performance rugby programme launched - The Bay's News First - SunLive

Biochemistry

Mibelle Biochemistry’s Ability to Introduce Breakthrough Active Ingredients for the Personal Care Market Lauded by Frost & Sullivan – PR Newswire…

November 22, 2020 medical

The company's active ingredient product lines meet consumer expectations of quality, performance, and sustainability

LONDON, Nov. 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ --Based on its recent analysis of the global personal care active ingredientsmarket, Frost & Sullivan recognizes Mibelle AG Biochemistry with the 2020 Global Company of the Year Award. It has successfully introduced several breakthrough sustainable active ingredients, whose efficacy is shttps://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1337466/Mibelle_Award.jpg upported by in-vivo and in-vitro study results. Mibelle is a pioneer with regards to using senolytics to delay skin aging in cosmetic applications, which has helped the company achieve a leading positioning in the market.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1337466/Mibelle_Award.jpg

Click here to view the full multimedia release: https://best-practices.frost.com/mibelle-biochemistry/

"Demonstrating its expertise in recognizing the dynamic needs of the cosmetics industry, Mibelle launched the Alpine Rose Active line of products to fight skin aging,"said Prateeksha Kaul Research Analyst. "This line of products uses a natural senolytic agent extracted from the Alpine rose leaves in the Swiss Alps to eliminate senescent cells, which are the cells responsible for aging, without affecting the neighboring cells. This halts the skin's aging process while rejuvenating it and increasing its elasticity. This product also meets the rising demand for natural and sustainable products over harsh chemicals that are harmful to both the environment and the skin."

Similarly, in response to the growing interest in phytocannabinods, Mibelle introduced an encapsulated cannabidiol (CBD) product, the Lipobelle Pino C. Other players in the market have had limited success with CBD in spite of its potential benefits for the skin because it is not soluble in water. Mibelle addressed this limitation with the Lipobelle Pino C. By encapsulating the CBD into a nanoemulsion using hemp oil, Mibelle made it water-soluble and stable in cosmetic formulations. Its combination with an extract from Swiss stone pines also helps the product fight inflammation. Lipobelle Pino C exploits the anti-inflammatory and regenerating effects of CBD for cosmetic benefits such as easing facial tension, reducing inflammation, and regenerating tissue.

Mibelle has been a pioneer in utilizing interesting biochemical concepts for its active ingredients. In 2008, it gained a first-mover advantage with the launch of its active ingredient PhytoCellTec Malus Domestica, which involved the application of stem cells in cosmetics for the very first time. In 2019, Mibelle utilized its PhytoCellTec technology to launch the PhytoCellTec Goji, which stimulates the mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) culture with goji stem cells for enhancing face shape by preventing the skin from sagging. The success of this technology and other recent innovations has allowed the company to achieve a 15 percent growth rate annually.

"Mibelle works closely with certification bodies to analyze the ingredients, raw materials, and processes to obtain the required certifications for its products. It also collaborates with personal care product manufacturers to offer premium high-quality products that benefit the end user," noted Kaul. "With its ability to introduce breakthrough active ingredients, Mibelle AG Biochemistry has carved a niche for itself in the personal care industry. It has consistently adopted a holistic innovation approach that has enabled it to consistently develop novel concepts and ingredients."

Each year, Frost & Sullivan presents a Company of the Year award to the organization that demonstrates excellence in terms of growth strategy and implementation in its field. The award recognizes a high degree of innovation with products and technologies, and the resulting leadership in terms of customer value and market penetration.

Frost & Sullivan Best Practices awards recognize companies in a variety of regional and global markets for demonstrating outstanding achievement and superior performance in areas such as leadership, technological innovation, customer service, and strategic product development. Industry analysts compare market participants and measure performance through in-depth interviews, analysis, and extensive secondary research to identify best practices in the industry.

About Frost & Sullivan

For over five decades, Frost & Sullivan has become world-renowned for its role in helping investors, corporate leaders, and governments navigate economic changes and identify disruptive technologies, Mega Trends, new business models, and companies to action, resulting in a continuous flow of growth opportunities to drive future success. Contact us: Start the discussion.

Contact:

Harley GadomskiP: 12104778469E: [emailprotected]

About Mibelle AG Biochemistry

Mibelle Biochemistry designs and develops innovative, high-quality actives based on naturally derived compounds and profound scientific know-how. Inspired by nature - Realized by Science.

For more information on Mibelle Biochemistry, please visit http://www.mibellebiochemistry.com

Contact:

Esther Belser Mibelle Biochemistry, SwitzerlandHead of MarketingPhone: +41 62 836 13 47Email: [emailprotected]

http://www.frost.com

SOURCE Frost & Sullivan

Originally posted here:
Mibelle Biochemistry's Ability to Introduce Breakthrough Active Ingredients for the Personal Care Market Lauded by Frost & Sullivan - PR Newswire...

Biochemistry

Mibelle Biochemistry announces: Mibelle Biochemistrys Ability to Introduce Breakthrough Active Ingredients for the Personal Care Market by Frost and…

November 22, 2020 medical

18-Nov-2020

Ingredients | Marketing

The company's active ingredient product lines meet consumer expectations of quality, performance andsustainability

Based on its recent analysis of the global personal care active ingredients market, Frost & Sullivan recognises Mibelle AG Biochemistry with the 2020 Global Company of the Year Award.

It has successfully introduced several breakthrough sustainable active ingredients, whose efficacy is supported by in-vivo and in-vitro study results. Mibelle Biochemistry is a pioneer with regards to using senolytics to delay skin aging in cosmetic applications, which has helped the company achieve a leading positioning in the market.

"Demonstrating its expertise in recognising the dynamic needs of the cosmetics industry, Mibelle Biochemistry launched the Alpine Rose Active ingredient to fight skin aging," said Prateeksha Kaul Research Analyst.

"This ingredient contains a natural senolytic agent extracted from the Alpine rose leaves in the Swiss Alps to eliminate senescent cells, which are the cells responsible for ageing, without affecting the neighboring cells.

"This halts the skins aging process while rejuvenating it and increasing its elasticity. This active also meets the rising demand fornatural and sustainable products over harsh chemicals that are harmful to both the environment and the skin."

Similarly, in response to the growing interest in phytocannabinods, Mibelle Biochemistry introduced an encapsulated cannabidiol (CBD) ingredient, the Lipobelle Pino C. Other players in the market have had limited success with CBD in spite of its potential benefits for the skin because it is not soluble in water.

Mibelle addressed this limitation with the Lipobelle Pino C. By encapsulating the CBD into a nanoemulsion using hemp oil, Mibelle made it water-soluble and stable in cosmetic formulations.

Its combination with an extract from Swiss stone pines also helps the product fight inflammation. Lipobelle Pino C exploits the anti-inflammatory and regenerating effects of CBD for cosmetic benefits such as easing facial tension, reducing inflammation, and regenerating tissue.

Mibelle Biochemistry has been a pioneer in utilising interesting biochemical concepts for its active ingredients. In 2008, it gained a first-mover advantage with the launch of its active ingredient PhytoCellTec Malus Domestica, which involved the application of stem cells in cosmetics for the very first time.

In 2019, Mibelle utilised its PhytoCellTec technology to launch the PhytoCellTec Goji, which stimulates the mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) culture with goji stem cells for enhancing face shape by preventing the skin from sagging. The success of this technology and other recent innovations has allowed the company to achieve a 15 percent growth rate annually.

Each year, Frost & Sullivan presents a Company of the Year award to the organisation that demonstrates excellence in terms of growth strategy and implementation in its field.

The award recognises a high degree of innovation with products and technologies, and the resulting leadership in terms of customer value and marketpenetration.

Industry analysts compare market participants and measure performance through in-depth interviews, analysis, and extensive secondary research to identify best practices in the industry.

The rest is here:
Mibelle Biochemistry announces: Mibelle Biochemistrys Ability to Introduce Breakthrough Active Ingredients for the Personal Care Market by Frost and...