CAMARILLO, Calif. (PRWEB)
November 08, 2019

Gold Coast Veterans Foundation’s new Mobile Veteran Outreach (MVO) program has moved into full-time operation just in time for Veterans Day on November 11. This program was launched part-time 6 months ago and in this short period, 17 homeless veterans have been placed in housing, are on track to get into housing, or have been rescued from life threatening conditions. A recent fundraising golf tournament raised enough funds to move this program to full time for the remainder of 2019 but more funds are urgently needed to sustain this full time into 2020.

The MVO program is led by Army veteran Rafael Stoneman and his enormous service dog Leo, who either make direct contact with homeless veterans or get referral calls from law enforcement and county mental health services. A formerly homeless veteran himself (now with a degree in psychology and addiction counseling), Stoneman and Leo have the ability to get the most difficult, high-risk homeless veterans engaged into a conversation, and begin participating in a range of life-saving services. A 4 Wheel Drive “off-road” vehicle was donated at the golf event by the state’s largest oil and natural gas producer, California Resources Corporation.

This will now allow the MVO team to reach the many homeless “encampments” in the Santa Clara river bed, the beaches, the hills, and other areas not accessible by road.

“Mobile Veteran Outreach started saving lives immediately, even during the test phase, and now we know that we have a model that works. We are serving an unmet need in the community. The only questions are how many more homeless veterans can we save and how quickly can we do that?” said GCVF Chairman Dennis Murphy. “Rafael and Leo are able to connect with these high-risk veterans, and quickly provide the right help. They bring back people who were written off as not able to be saved.” Murphy added, “We have raised about half of what we need to sustain this full time through 2020 but we need to raise another $30,000 now to achieve this end.”

About Mobile Veteran Outreach – MVO brings comprehensive help, services, & support directly to homeless military veterans living on the streets, in vehicles, or with limited mobility. Services begin with direct intervention to prevent or reverse homelessness, followed by 1-on-1 personalized help with navigating/expediting VA and other benefits, licensed financial coaching, emotional wellness & peer counseling, veteran-focused job training & employment resources. All services are free of charge. More info at http://www.veteransconnection.vet (805) 482-6550

About Gold Coast Veterans Foundation – The largest non-profit serving veterans in Ventura County, serving 3,000 veterans each year. GCVF provides a “one-stop” resource center connecting veterans with benefits and comprehensive care for on-track, off-track, homeless, & at-risk veterans. Nine core in-house programs intervene to disrupt the root causes of suffering, homelessness and poor life outcomes. These include mobile veteran outreach & engagement, case management, health care, medical equipment, job skills training & placement, workforce development, shelter/housing services, counseling, wellness. All services free of charge. http://www.gcvf.org (805) 482-6550.

Email: Veterans@GCVF.org

Share article on social media or email:

BOSTON (PRWEB)
November 08, 2019

PathAI, a global provider of artificial intelligence (AI)-powered technology for use in pathology research, today announced the results of analyses examining the severity of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) in liver biopsy samples from patients enrolled in the phase 3 selonsertib studies (STELLAR). Strong correlations were demonstrated between AI-powered and manual pathologist interpretations of the histological features of NASH. The data support the potential utility of machine learning models in NASH clinical trials and highlight the benefits of generating automated and quantitative assessments for staging and characterizing this disease, which affects as many as ten percent of Americans. PathAI and Gilead will present these findings at The Liver Meeting, held by the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases from November 8-12 in Boston.

“Quantitative and reproducible assessment of liver pathology is critical for the evaluation of new therapies for NASH,” said PathAI co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Andy Beck MD, PhD. “We are thrilled to demonstrate the potential of the PathAI research platform to address this important area of drug development.”

In the first analysis (Oral Presentation #187), machine learning models were trained on liver biopsy images with more than 68,000 annotations from 75 board-certified pathologists using the PathAI research platform; images were also scored by pathologists according to the NASH Clinical Research Network (CRN) and Ishak fibrosis staging systems. The results showed that the machine learning models and the consensus of readings from the independent pathologists were in good agreement for the key histologic features of NASH. Importantly, for the staging of fibrosis, the predictions of the machine learning model were highly correlated with those of the central pathologist for both the NASH CRN (rs=0.83) and Ishak (rs=0.86) staging systems. These analyses also highlighted the potential of machine learning models to characterize fibrosis in patients with cirrhosis beyond conventional histological staging, and to do so in an automated fashion.

In the second analysis (Poster Presentation #1718), associations between the machine learning-based assessments of fibrosis, other markers of fibrosis, and the incidence of liver-related complications were evaluated in patients with cirrhosis due to NASH. The data demonstrate the heterogeneity of fibrosis in patients with cirrhosis, significant correlations between machine learning fibrosis scores and noninvasive tests of fibrosis (eg. Enhanced Liver Fibrosis [ELF] score and liver stiffness by transient elastography), and the potential to risk stratify patients with advanced fibrosis due to NASH.

“The data generated by the PathAI research platform clearly demonstrate the potential of automated, machine learning-based histologic assessment in NASH clinical trials,” said Mani Subramanian, MD PhD, Senior Vice President, Liver Diseases, Gilead Sciences. “We look forward to continued collaboration with PathAI to explore the utility of the deep learning platform to identify novel histologic features associated with treatment response and disease progression in ongoing and future trials of our NASH therapies.” Selonsertib is an investigational compound and is not approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) or any other regulatory authority. Safety and efficacy have not been established.

About PathAI

PathAI is a leading provider of AI-powered research tools and services for pathology. PathAI’s platform promises substantial improvements to the accuracy of diagnosis and the efficacy of treatment of diseases like cancer, leveraging modern approaches in machine and deep learning. Based in Boston, PathAI works with leading life sciences companies and researchers to advance precision medicine. To learn more, visit pathai.com.

Share article on social media or email:

ORLANDO, Fla. (PRWEB)
November 08, 2019

MicroGenDX Laboratories, the world leader in providing Next Generation DNA Sequencing (NGS) in microbial identification, equipped a groundbreaking multicenter study with its gold standard NGS test to be featured at American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons (AAHKS). Renowned orthopedic surgeon Javad Parvizi, MD will take the podium multiple times to discuss results of the paramount study “Reinfection or Persistence of Periprosthetic Joint Infection? Next generation sequencing Reveals New Findings.”

“NGS is revolutionizing the microbial diagnosis of chronic infections in orthopedics” says Javad Parvizi, MD. “Using NGS to study the microbiome of joints will enhance our understanding of orthopedic diseases in general and orthopedic infections in particular. This is science moving the clinical practice to another realm.”

Surgical management of PJI remains challenging with patients failing treatment despite best efforts. The multicenter study hypothesized that some of these failures, if not the majority, are the result of an organism that was present at the time of initial surgery. This phenomenon of persistence was investigated with the help of MicroGenDX Next-Generation DNA Sequencing.

“New advancements in microbial diagnostics should be supported by high quality medical evidence,” says MicroGenDX CEO, Rick Martin. “We are committed to supporting clinical trials that demonstrate NGS is superior to traditional culture techniques so that this technology can help patients overcome these devastating infections.”

Dr. Parvizi will take the podium multiple times at AAHKS to discuss the exciting findings of this study and the implications for future treatment of recurring orthopedic infections.

“NGS is one of the most important advances that medicine has seen in the recent decade,” says Dr. Parvizi. “Data from orthopedics and other surgical disciplines has demonstrated that NGS has been transformative in the management of patients with infections. We have a new gold standard in antimicrobial treatment that has shown to substantially improve outcome.”

Those attending AAHKS can find MicroGenDX at booth #1117 to learn more about this revolutionary technology and how to gain access to its laboratory services.

About MicroGenDX

MicroGenDX is a CAP accredited and CLIA certified molecular diagnostic lab and is the leader in providing the gold standard of microbial diagnostics via DNA technology: Next Generation DNA Sequencing (NGS), qPCR and Resistance Gene detection. Through the utilization of a curated database of 50,000+ microbial species DNA Sequence codes, MicroGenDX provides clinicians and their patients with the most informative microbial diagnostic testing that science can offer; resulting in better outcomes.

Unlike the traditional culturing of samples, Next Generation DNA Sequencing is able to extract the microbial DNA from the sample you provide and report precisely what the patient is dealing with via NGS technology versus what a lab was able to grow. This technology allows for faster and more accurate diagnostics resulting in improved treatment and healing times in clinical outcomes.

MicroGenDX has over 10 years experience running more NGS samples – over 400,000 and counting — than any laboratory in the world. The laboratory location in Lubbock Texas MicroGenDX is led by a team of molecular biologists, biochemists, and physicians.

To learn more information, visit http://www.microgendx.com.

Share article on social media or email:

SALT LAKE CITY (PRWEB)
November 08, 2019

November is American Diabetes Month. In partnership with the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI), this year’s American Diabetes Month considers the link between diabetes and heart disease. According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), the longer a person has diabetes, the higher their chances of developing heart disease—the leading cause of death in the U.S. According to the institute, the increased risk of heart disease is due to high blood glucose from diabetes damaging the blood vessels and nerves that control the heart.

Two types of diabetes exist, but according to the American Diabetes Association (ADA), the most common form is Type 2. Those with Type 2 diabetes can help manage their condition through a healthy diet and exercise while also working with their healthcare provider to identify effective medications and treatments. Type 1 diabetes can be harder to manage and requires working closely with a healthcare provider to determine the best diet, insulin routine and fitness plan for effective management.

Managing both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes and reducing the associated risk of developing heart disease requires healthy eating. Healthy YOU Vending provides healthier snack and meal options in the workplace through its network of independent operators. Healthy YOU Vending’s options include low-sodium entrées and snacks with a low glycemic index.            

“We are happy to provide convenient access to wholesome choices, all while helping our operators run successful businesses,” said Healthy YOU Vending’s Director of Operator Services Jill Navidomskis. “When people don’t have to run out for a fast-food lunch that is high in both calories and sodium, it saves stress and makes the choice to eat healthy more accessible.”    

But healthy eating is only one step in managing diabetes and preventing heart disease. Regular exercise is equally important. According to a study of people with diabetes by researchers at Harvard, those who walked at least two hours a week are less likely to die of heart disease than their sedentary counterparts. And those who exercised three to four hours a week cut their risk even more. From these studies, and others, it’s clear that those who live sedentary lifestyles risk developing cardiovascular diseases. So, any type or duration of daily exertion will help to reduce the risk of illness.

Healthy YOU Vending is the world leader in the healthy vending industry. With corporate offices in Kaysville, Utah, the Healthy YOU team is dedicated to making healthier snacks, drinks and food products more accessible to people across North America. All company vending equipment is privately manufactured in the United States at a state-of-the-art facility. Owner/Operator opportunities for serious-minded and health-conscious entrepreneurs are currently available in most states.

Share article on social media or email: