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Hearts of Oak rocked by injuries ahead of GPL start as four players battle for fitness

October 29, 2020 [email protected]_84 ahead, Battle, fitness, GPL, Hearts, injuries, Oak, players, rocked, Start

Sports News of Thursday, 29 October 2020

Source: Ghana Soccernet

2020-10-29

Danjuma Ademola Kuti

Ghanaian giants Hearts of Oak will be missing four of their key players in their league opener against Aduana Stars ahead of the 2020/21 Ghana Premier League opening games next month.

Hearts of Oak are likely to miss the services of new signings Ademole Kuti, Eric Dizan, Mohammed Alhassan and Mamane Lawali due to injury.

Nigerian striker Ademole Kuti is yet to arrive in Ghana to join the team for preseason according to reports.

The four players are currently not in camp and did not join the team to Cape Coast for the preseason camp.

The Phobians left the capital for preseason camp in Cape Coast on Wednesday to continue with preparations ahead of the league start on November 13.

Hearts of Oak play away to Aduana Stars at the Nana Agyeman Badu Park at Dormaa in their first game.

The Phobians managed to pick a point in their last meeting with the Ogya lads at the Nana Agyeman Badu Park.

Hearts of Oak is hoping to end its trophy drought in the upcoming season and have set it sight on winning the league.

The 2020/21 Ghana Premier League commences on November 13, 2020.

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health

Colon Cancer Screening Should Start at Age 45: Task Force | Health News

October 27, 2020 [email protected]_84 age, Cancer, Colon, force, health, News, Screening, Start, task

By Dennis Thompson
HealthDay Reporter

(HealthDay)

TUESDAY, Oct. 27, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Average folks should start being screened at age 45 to prevent colon cancer, five years earlier than is now recommended, the nation’s top preventive medicine panel says.

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force currently recommends that people aged 50 to 75 be regularly screened for colon cancer, one of a handful of cancers that can be prevented outright.

But new data suggests that screening earlier could save even more lives, said task force member Dr. Michael Barry, director of the Informed Medical Decisions Program in the Health Decision Sciences Center at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.

“We have epidemiologic data that the risks of colorectal cancer are increasing before age 50, particularly in that 45- to 49-year-old age group,” Barry said.

Computer models suggest that about 25 colon cancer deaths are prevented for every 1,000 Americans between 50 and 75 who are screened, Barry said.

The earlier start is expected to prevent at least one more death per every 1,000 screened, Barry said.

Under the Affordable Care Act, health insurance companies are required to cover the full cost of any screening test recommended by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF). The task force is an independent, volunteer panel of national experts in prevention and evidence-based medicine.

This guideline covers people at average risk for colon cancer, Barry said. People with factors that put them at higher risk — for example, a strong family history of colon cancer — might need to start screening even earlier, and should discuss it with their doctor.

Colon cancer almost always develops from precancerous polyps that form in the colon or rectum. These screening tests detect the presence of these polyps, so they can be removed before they turn into cancer.

Colonoscopy is the most widely known colon cancer screening method, but it’s not the only one, Barry said.

“There are a whole group of tests that can reduce the risk that someone will die of colorectal cancer,” he said.

For example, people can have their stool tested for the presence of tiny amounts of blood, which can indicate the presence of either cancer or polyps.

“That strategy, according to our modeling, can be about as good as colonoscopy in terms of reducing risk,” Barry said.

The frequency a person undergoes screening would depend on the type of test they choose, Barry said. A person with a clean colonoscopy wouldn’t have to be rechecked for a decade, while stool blood tests are often done every one to three years.

When the USPSTF last updated its colon cancer guidelines in 2016, it kept the age at which screening begins at 50 because they were concerned about the strength of the data supporting an earlier start, explained Robert Smith, senior vice president of cancer screening for the American Cancer Society.

The American Cancer Society updated its guidelines in 2018 to recommend that colon cancer screening start at age 45, he added.

“By 2018,

health

Start screening at 45, not 50

October 27, 2020 [email protected]_84 Screening, Start

We are sharing some of the early signs of the cancer. Buzz60’s Elitsa Bizios reports.

Buzz60

Doctors may begin recommending their patients start screening for colorectal cancer at an earlier age.

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, a volunteer panel of national experts in prevention medicine, issued a statement that recommends screening should begin at 45 years old, instead of 50, as previous guidelines stated.

“We hope that this recommendation to screen people ages 45 to 74 for colorectal cancer will encourage more screening and reduce people’s risk of dying from the disease,” said task force chair Dr. Alex Krist, professor of family medicine and population health at Virginia Commonwealth University.

The American Cancer Society recommended earlier screening about two years ago based on computer simulations; however, experts say input from the USPSTF carries a lot of weigh.

Dr. John Kisiel, a gastroenterologist and associate professor of medicine at the Mayo Clinic, said most employer-based health insurersand Center for Medicaid & Medicare Services base their coverage on these recommendations.

These insurersdon’t cover screenings before the age of 50 for patients with no symptoms or family history, but Kisiel expects that to change soon.

“They will ultimately have to,” he said. “There are patients who are very interested in getting screened. I’m 46 and I would like to get screened.”

While deaths from colon and rectal cancers have been declining for several decades due to improved screening and treatment measures, deaths among young people have been increasing slightly in recent years, according to researchers.

Colorectal cancer – which includes colon and rectal cancer – is expected to cause more than 50,000 deaths in 2020, including 3,640 deaths in people younger than 50, according to ACS.

About 30% of colorectal cancer diagnosed today is in people under the age of 55, said Dr. Nilofer Azad, an associate professor of oncology at Johns Hopkins Medicine.

A frightening trend: What’s the risk of colorectal cancer for young people?

Cancer health disparities: Report aims to give ‘guiding light’ in overcoming racial disparities in cancer health

“We are seeing more people in their 30s and 40s who are developing colorectal cancers, often because they’re having symptoms that aren’t thought to be cancers,” she said.

The updated recommendations come a few months after “Black Panther” star Chadwick Boseman died in August at the age of 43 after battling colon cancer since a 2016 diagnosis.

“New science about colorectal cancer in younger people has enabled us to expand our recommendation to screen all adults starting at age 45, especially Black adults who are more likely to die from this disease,” said Task Force member Dr. Michael Barry, professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and clinician at Massachusetts General Hospital.

The task force recommends two types of tests to screen for colorectal cancer: direct visualization tests and stool-based tests. Symptoms of colorectal cancer include a change in bowel movements, rectal bleeding, blood in the stool and abdominal pain.

Several high profile people are battling

health

Colorectal cancer screening should start at age 45, not 50, federal task force says

October 27, 2020 [email protected]_84 age, Cancer, Colorectal, Federal, force, Screening, Start, task

The draft recommendation statement, which was released Tuesday and is now open for public comment, marks a departure from its last update to the guidelines about five years ago. (Task force recommendations are typically revisited every five years.) The panel previously concluded that data on lowering the starting age was mixed and that beginning screenings before 50 would provide only a “modest” benefit. Its position stood in contrast with the American Cancer Society’s, which updated its recommendation in 2018 to say regular screenings should start at age 45.

Now, though, Barry said a review of more recent epidemiological studies on the risk of colorectal cancer increasing in younger people, coupled with simulation modeling, which suggests additional deaths could be prevented if screenings were to start at 45, led the task force to the same conclusion as the cancer society. The draft statement will be available for public comment until Nov. 23, with final recommendations expected to be released “within a few months,” Barry said.

Outside experts say the consensus among the leading organizations could have broad implications on access to care.

“These guidelines, if finalized, eventually will change standard of care for preventive medicine and how we recommend cancer screenings for average-risk Americans,” said Kimmie Ng, director of the Young-Onset Colorectal Cancer Center at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston.

Many insurance companies, for instance, often base their coverage on recommendations from the task force, which evaluates screening tests, counseling services and preventive medications, Ng said. As it stands, the draft statement makes regular colorectal cancer screenings for people ages 45 to 75 a service that most private insurance plans are required by law to cover with no co-pay for patients, according to the task force.

“I think the result of all of this will be that life will be saved,” Ng said.

Robert Smith, senior vice president of cancer screening for the American Cancer Society, called the proposed update a “welcome change.” Although the existing guidelines from the cancer society and the task force are “both highly respected” and used frequently by health-care providers, Smith said he hopes “removing that barrier” of insurance coverage will increase the number of referrals for people in the 45-to-49 age group.

“It may very well be that a physician, who has been shown to be sensitive to the costs of care, would choose not to recommend getting screening at age 45, because they’re concerned that the patient would get a bill that they couldn’t afford to pay,” Smith said. “We’re already seeing screening rates go up in adults at age 45, but they’ll go up a lot more now.”

“It’s been shown that in the African American community, they have higher incidence and mortality of colorectal cancer, and there’s been the question whether this is due to biology or access to care,” said Robin Mendelsohn, co-director of the Center for Young Onset Colorectal Cancer at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York. “More and more, we believe that it’s likely access to

health

Nicox’s NCX 470 Receives Approval by Chinese Authorities for Local Start of Mont Blanc Phase 3 Trial

October 26, 2020 [email protected]_84 approval, authorities, Blanc, Chinese, Local, Mont, NCX, Nicoxs, Phase, Receives, Start, Trial

October 26, 2020 – release at 7:30 am
Sophia Antipolis, France

Nicox SA (Euronext Paris: FR0013018124, COX), an international ophthalmology company, today announced that its partner, Ocumension Therapeutics, has received approval from China’s Center for Drug Evaluation of the National Medical Products Administration to carry out the Chinese part of the ongoing Mont Blanc trial, the first Phase 3 clinical trial on NCX 470 for the lowering of intraocular pressure (IOP) in patients with open angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension.

NCX 470, Nicox’s lead clinical product candidate, is a novel second generation nitric oxide (NO)-donating bimatoprost analog exclusively licensed to Ocumension Therapeutics for the Chinese, Korean and South East Asian markets.

Dr. José Boyer, VP and Interim Head of R&D at Nicox, said: “We are pleased with this second Chinese IND approval in our collaboration with Ocumension. NCX 470 development remains on track, with first results from the Mont Blanc trial expected in Q4 2021. Initiation of Chinese sites in this trial will be essential in preparing the way for Denali, the second Phase 3 trial with NCX 470, which will include a larger number of Chinese patients.”

The Press Release by Ocumension can be found here:

The NCX 470 Mont Blanc Phase 3 clinical trial is a 3-month trial to evaluate the safety and efficacy of NCX 470 ophthalmic solution, 0.1%, versus the current standard of care, latanoprost ophthalmic solution, 0.005%, for the lowering of IOP in patients with open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension. The Mont Blanc trial is expected to randomize approximately 670 patients, at around 50 clinical sites in the U.S. and at a small number of clinical sites in China. The Mont Blanc trial was initiated in the U.S. in June 2020 and top-line results are currently expected in Q4 2021.

Nicox and Ocumension will jointly fund the second NCX 470 Phase 3 glaucoma trial, Denali, which is expected to start by end of 2020 and will also evaluate NCX 470 ophthalmic solution, 0.1%, versus latanoprost ophthalmic solution, 0.005%. The Denali trial will include clinical sites in both the U.S. and China, with the large majority of the patients to be recruited in the U.S. The Denali trial was designed to fulfill the regulatory requirements to support New Drug Application (NDA) filings in the U.S. and China.

NCX 470 is a novel, potential best-in-class, second generation nitric oxide (NO)-donating bimatoprost analog in development to reduce intraocular pressure (IOP) in patients with open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension. Glaucoma is a group of ocular diseases in which the optic nerve is injured, leading to peripheral and, ultimately, central visual field loss and it can eventually lead to blindness if not treated. It is frequently linked to abnormally high IOP (~90% of patients) due to blockage or malfunction of the eye’s aqueous humor drainage system in the front of the eye. In 2019, worldwide sales of treatments targeting glaucoma were over $6.0 billion out of a $21.9 billion worldwide market for ophthalmic drugs.

NCX 470 is designed

health

The US just reported its highest number of Covid-19 infections in one day since the pandemic’s start

October 24, 2020 [email protected]_84 COVID19, Day, highest, infections, Number, pandemics, Reported, Start

The US reported more than 80,000 new coronavirus infections Friday — the highest daily case number since the pandemic began.

a person standing in front of a mirror posing for the camera: After changing PPE, an LPN dons her face shield at an Aveanna Healthcare and Fallon Ambulance walk-up COVID-19 testing site during the continuing coronavirus pandemic in Lynn, MA on Oct. 19, 2020. (Photo by Pat Greenhouse/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

© Pat Greenhouse/The Boston Globe via Getty Images
After changing PPE, an LPN dons her face shield at an Aveanna Healthcare and Fallon Ambulance walk-up COVID-19 testing site during the continuing coronavirus pandemic in Lynn, MA on Oct. 19, 2020. (Photo by Pat Greenhouse/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

That comes amid other bleak patterns including rising hospitalizations and daily death tolls across the country, with experts warning that the worst is yet to come.

Friday’s case count of at least 80,005 surpasses the country’s previous one-day high of 77,362, reported July 16, according to Johns Hopkins University.

US Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams cautioned earlier Friday that hospitalizations are starting to go up in 75% of the jurisdictions across the country, and officials are concerned that in a few weeks, deaths will also start to increase.

The good news, Adams said, is that the country’s Covid-19 mortality rate has decreased by about 85% thanks to multiple factors, including the use of remdesivir, steroids and better management of patients.

More than 41,000 Covid-19 patients were in hospitals across the country Thursday, according to the Covid Tracking Project. This is the highest level of nationwide coronavirus hospitalizations since August 20.

The number of people hospitalized has increased by 33% since the beginning of October, the CTP says.

Deaths are also creeping upward, with 856 on Thursday, Johns Hopkins says. The seven-day average of daily deaths has climbed to 763 — the highest average in a month.

In White House coronavirus task force reports obtained by CNN this week, officials say there are “early signs of deterioration in the Sun Belt and continued deterioration in the Midwest and across the Northern States.” And more state leaders have sounded the alarm on increasing infections, hospitalizations and deaths.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s leading infectious disease expert, said Friday that he’s concerned about a massive surge in Covid-19 cases across the country and urged people to “double down” on measures to prevent the spread of the virus.

“The upticks on the map of more than 30 States that are having upticks is not going to spontaneously turn around unless we do something about it,” Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told CNN’s Erin Burnett.

Fauci has previously said he doesn’t think a federal mask mandate would work but on Friday he said it might be time for it — even if such a rule would be tricky to enforce.

“Well, if people are not wearing masks, then maybe we should be mandating it,” Fauci said.

A vaccine trial resumes after being halted

Drug manufacturer AstraZeneca announced Friday it will resume the trial of its experimental coronavirus vaccine in the US.

The company said the US Food and Drug Administration has given approval to continue the trial after reviewing all of the global safety data and concluding it

health

Head Start never stops working for children and families, and neither should Congress

October 16, 2020 [email protected]_84 children, Congress, Families, Start, stops, working

For 55 years, Head Start has stood by America’s children and families. Created as part of the War on Poverty, locally operated Head Start programs have prepared nearly 40 million children from at-risk backgrounds for success in school and life. Today, an unwavering bipartisan commitment from Congress enables Head Start programs across the nation to serve the educational, socio-emotional, health, and nutrition needs of more than 1 million children in safe, nurturing environments.

Fortunately, while COVID-19 has shut down many valuable forces in American life, it hasn’t stopped Head Start. In the months since the COVID-19 pandemic began spreading in the United States, Head Start staff have been working in overdrive to adapt their teaching strategies, sanitize classrooms, make necessary health-related adjustments to facilities, and provide access to quality online and other remote learning opportunities for children and families from at-risk backgrounds ― all while grappling with rising COVID-19 operational costs.

Head Start families are expressing relief that their programs have remained steadfast in their efforts to keep children healthy and prepare them for success in school and life. One Head Start parent in California shared that her program is “incorporating outdoor activity and keeping children on track. They are educating the children about why they cannot visit family and friends. They are supporting parents in managing working from home and helping our children learn at home. Our Head Start program has gone above and beyond in supporting our children.”

This fall, as more Head Start programs are engaged in reopening their classrooms safely, they are confronting the true cost of operating in the COVID-19 era. From PPE for children and staff to increased hours for janitorial staff to additional mental health services for children coping with this new trauma, Head Start programs are facing a funding shortfall that will soon impact the children and families they are supporting in navigating this crisis.

Since the start of COVID-19, Head Start programs have pivoted in countless innovative ways: conducting online classrooms, donning PPE and making home visits to check on children, erecting elaborate screening barriers and devising creative bus routes, arranging contactless health screenings and food drops — doing everything physically and financially possible to ensure children and families living on the margins aren’t pushed further to the edge. Head Start never stopped working.

That’s why Congress and the administration must not stop, either. They can start by making sure Head Start programs have the critical resources necessary to reopen classrooms safely. Based on extensive surveying of Head Start providers, the National Head Start Association estimates operational costs will increase by up to 20 percent this year as individual programs adapt and respond to the pandemic. That’s why the Head Start community has been advocating to Congress for at least $1.7 billion in emergency funding to keep up with COVID-19-related costs — PPE for teachers, IT upgrades to support virtual learning, facility adaptations, additional staff hours to meet smaller classroom ratios for social distancing, and many other needs.

Lack of emergency

dentist

Is It Time to Start Thinking About a Cosmetic Dentist?

March 25, 2020 [email protected]_84 Cosmetic, dentist, Start, Thinking, Time

You have thought about it for the longest time. You want to fix something that has always been bothering you … your smile. Or else, you want to have a complete dental makeover to change your whole appearance. You have to choose the dentist who is best for the job, an expert you can trust to do the job the way you want it. However, where do you start?

It Should Begin With You

In essence, you have to do your part before you begin to look for the right cosmetic dentist. You don't have to worry, though, since this work is fun. The first step you need to do is find out what you want. You can begin by looking at the mirror and ask yourself the following questions:

What do or don't you like about your teeth when it comes to size, color, shape and spacing?
Are you happy with what your teeth show when you smile and when your lips are relaxed?
Do you want your teeth to be perfectly white and properly aligned or would you want them to look more natural with some differences in spacing and shade?
Do your gums look even and healthy around your front teeth whenever you smile? Do you feel self-conscious when your gums show too much?
Does your smile compliment your face? Do you look younger or older when you smile?

After taking these issues into consideration, go through a number of magazines. Look for pictures of smiles that you really want, including those that you don't. There are teeth that may be technically perfect but do not suit you.

These pictures can offer some tips to think about and discuss with your dentist whenever you talk about your smile. You can also turn back the time by referring to some photos when you were young (an experienced cosmetic dentist can accomplish that).

When it comes to skill, there is something else you need to keep in mind. All dentists are professionals but in terms of cosmetic dentistry, there are a number of dentists who are more knowledgeable, experienced, artistic and interested.

Some complicated issues will certainly require a higher degree of skill and expertise. For instance, what needs to be repaired? Is it one tooth or teeth that are visible? Is it possible for your teeth to undergo cosmetic dental treatment with its present condition as well as its bite? When the job is more extensive, it requires a higher skill level.

Like anything we purchase, there are lots of variations in price and quality. Though everybody wants a good buy, will it be something you really like?

Creating a beautiful yet natural smile entails skill, artistry, time and know-how of dental equipment on the part of the cosmetic dentist as well as the dental laboratory technicians since both are partners in creating your brand new smile. Based on your requirements and skills of your cosmetic dentistry team members, the price will reflect the artistry level accomplished.

S…