#Summit for Stem Cell

[torchflies]

This one’s gonna be a doozy, folks! 🧡💛

“Here’s the thing, the view from base camp is way better than reaching the summit. The best outcome would be leaving the mountain entirely. But you can't do that.

Still, base camp’s nice.

You can live a whole life at base camp.

Or: Jake’s survived nine years of brutal treatment, two kinds of cancer and a stem cell transplant — so, a bit of flak and a broken heart is nothing really.”

[clueingforbeggs]

People talk about historical events that are surprising to learn occurred at the same time, but I think it's much more interesting when you remember what events were occurring at the same time within your lifetime.

Like, you probably think 'Yeah, X happened in this year' and 'Yeah, Y happened in this year' but because after the events have passed you have no reason to associate the two, you're probably not going to say 'Yeah, X and Y happened at the same time'.

So, a few recent, yet not too recent events that occurred simultaneously (or nearly simultaneously):

MERS was identified the same day as embryonic stem cell cloning was described.

Asiana Airlines 214 crashed the same day as a cargo train exploded in Quebec.

Barack Obama introduced economic sanctions on Russia the day after Popes John XXIII and John Paul II were canonised.

One WTC opened the day after the IPCC released the final part of the fifth assessment report into climate change.

Egypt began attacks on the terrorist group that was then calling themselves ISIL during an Australia vs New Zealand cricket match. Australia won.

Jean-Pierre Bemba was convicted the day that Obama became the first US President to visit Cuba since 1928.

The trial of Oscar Pistorius was broadcast in the UK the day after the Brexit referendum.

The Maldives left the Commonwealth the day before the kidnapping of Jeff Woodke.

Elements 113-116 and 118 were given their names three days before the US withdrew from Afghanistan.

Donald Trump's first inauguration as US President occurred the day that Gambian president Adama Barrow was elected.

Greece and North Macedonia ended their dispute over whether North Macedonia or the Greek region of Macedonia was Macedonia three days after Donald Trump tried to ban tariffs.

The Facebook data leak scandal happened during Greek wildfires.

There was a school shooting and bombing in Crimea, Ukraine, the day after Canada decriminalised cannabis.

During the Yellow Vest protests in France, the percentage of people using the internet worldwide went over 50%.

There was a tsunami caused by an eruption in Krakatoa the day that the US government shut down.

Indian airstrikes on Pakistani militant groups ended the day the US-North Korea summit began.

Omar Al-Bashir was deposed the day Julian Assange was arrested.

Taiwan's parliament recognised gay marriage the day before Australia re-elected Scott Morrison as Prime Minister.

The Hong Kong protests began the day that Japan resumed commercial whaling and Finland took over the presidency of the Council of Europe.

Trump was impeached the day that Finland elected the youngest Prime Minister ever.

COVID-19 was declared a public health emergency the day before the UK and Gibraltar left the EU.

[navabharathnationalschoolsstuff]

Coimbatore’s Leading CBSE Schools for Holistic Education

Choosing the right educational institution is one of the most critical decisions for parents, as it shapes a child’s academic foundation, personality, and future success. In Coimbatore, a city renowned for its educational excellence, the Top CBSE schools in Coimbatore stand out for their commitment to holistic development, blending rigorous academics with extracurricular growth, innovation, and values-based learning.

This blog explores the key features that make Coimbatore’s leading CBSE schools a preferred choice for parents seeking a well-rounded education for their children.

What Defines a Top CBSE School in Coimbatore?

1. Academic Excellence with a Future-Ready Curriculum

The Top CBSE schools in Coimbatore follow a structured curriculum that emphasizes conceptual understanding over rote learning. They integrate:

STEM and AI-based learning to prepare students for technological advancements.

Critical thinking and problem-solving through activity-based teaching methods.

Regular assessments and personalized attention to ensure continuous academic progress.

2. State-of-the-Art Infrastructure

Modern learning environments play a crucial role in student development. The Top CBSE schools in Coimbatore offer:

Smart classrooms with digital learning tools for interactive education.

Well-equipped labs (science, computer, robotics) for hands-on experimentation.

Extensive libraries and sports facilities to foster intellectual and physical growth.

3. Focus on Holistic Development

Beyond academics, the Top CBSE schools in Coimbatore prioritize:

Extracurricular activities (debate, music, arts, sports) to nurture creativity and teamwork.

Leadership programs through student councils and youth parliaments.

Life skills training, including communication, ethics, and emotional intelligence.

4. Experienced and Dedicated Faculty

Quality education depends on qualified teachers who:

Use innovative teaching methodologies to make learning engaging.

Provide mentorship and individual support to students.

Participate in continuous professional development to stay updated with educational trends.

5. Safe and Supportive Learning Environment

A nurturing atmosphere is essential for student well-being. The Top CBSE schools in Coimbatore ensure:

Secure campuses with CCTV surveillance and medical support.

Inclusive policies that respect diversity and promote equality.

Parent-teacher collaboration to monitor student progress.

Why Choose a CBSE School in Coimbatore?

The Top CBSE schools in Coimbatore are known for: ✅ Balancing tradition and innovation – Combining Indian values with global teaching standards. ✅ Preparing students for competitive exams (JEE, NEET, CUET) with strong foundational knowledge. ✅ Encouraging global exposure through exchange programs and cultural activities.

 

The Hallmarks of Premier CBSE Education in Coimbatore

1. Innovative Teaching Methodologies

The Top CBSE schools in Coimbatore employ cutting-edge pedagogical approaches:

Project-based learning that encourages practical application of concepts

Flipped classrooms where students learn theory at home and practice in class

Gamification techniques to make learning interactive and engaging

AI-powered adaptive learning platforms that customize content for each student

2. Comprehensive Skill Development Programs

Recognizing that 21st century success requires more than academics, leading schools offer:

Coding and robotics workshops from primary grades

Entrepreneurship cells where students develop business ideas

Public speaking and debate clubs to build communication skills

Mental wellness programs including yoga and mindfulness sessions

3. Global Exposure and Collaborations

The Top CBSE schools in Coimbatore provide international perspectives through:

Student exchange programs with partner schools abroad

Model United Nations conferences and global youth summits

Collaborations with universities for early exposure to higher education

International curriculum elements blended with CBSE framework

Conclusion

Selecting the right CBSE school in Coimbatore ensures that students receive not just academic knowledge but also the skills, values, and confidence needed to thrive in a dynamic world. Institutions that prioritize holistic education create well-rounded individuals ready to face future challenges.

At Nava Bharath International School, we believe in nurturing future leaders through a balanced approach to learning. If you're looking for an institution that combines academic rigor, innovation, and character development, explore what the Top CBSE schools in Coimbatore have to offer.

[lizaedwards]

New Frontiers in Neonatal Medicine: What Experts Are Saying at the Summit

New Frontiers in Neonatal Medicine: What Experts Are Saying at the Summit

Introduction

Neonatal medicine has made remarkable advancements in recent years, improving survival rates and quality of life for premature and critically ill newborns. The 4th World Pediatrics, Perinatology, and Child Health Summit in Dubai (October 21-23, 2025) will bring together leading experts to discuss the latest breakthroughs in neonatal care. From cutting-edge technologies to innovative treatment approaches, this summit serves as a platform to shape the future of neonatal medicine.

The Benefits of Advancements in Neonatal Medicine

The continuous progress in neonatal medicine offers numerous benefits, including:

Improved Survival Rates: Advanced neonatal care has significantly reduced infant mortality, particularly for preterm babies.

Enhanced Quality of Life: Early intervention techniques help prevent long-term complications in newborns.

Personalized Treatment Approaches: Genetic research and AI-driven diagnostics enable tailored treatments for neonates.

Minimally Invasive Procedures: New surgical and therapeutic techniques reduce the risk of complications and improve recovery times.

Better Parental Support: Innovations in neonatal care focus on holistic family-centered approaches, ensuring parents are involved in their infant’s health journey.

Key Topics Discussed at the Summit

The 4th World Pediatrics Summit will explore groundbreaking topics in neonatal medicine, including:

1. Artificial Intelligence in Neonatal Care

AI is revolutionizing neonatal medicine by improving early diagnosis and predictive analytics. Machine learning algorithms assist in identifying high-risk infants, optimizing treatment plans, and reducing human error.

2. Stem Cell Therapy for Premature Babies

Researchers are exploring the potential of stem cell therapy in treating neonatal diseases such as bronchopulmonary dysplasia and hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE). This innovative treatment could open new doors for neonatal care.

3. Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) Advancements

Modern NICUs are evolving with enhanced incubator technologies, wireless monitoring systems, and improved respiratory support techniques to provide a safer and more comfortable environment for fragile newborns.

4. Precision Medicine in Neonatology

Genomic studies and personalized medicine are transforming neonatal care, allowing for targeted treatments based on an infant’s genetic makeup. This approach minimizes adverse effects and improves overall outcomes.

5. The Role of 3D Printing in Neonatal Surgery

The use of 3D printing technology in neonatal surgery has gained traction, enabling the creation of customized medical devices and pre-surgical planning models, which lead to better surgical outcomes.

Conclusion

The 4th World Pediatrics, Perinatology, and Child Health Summit will serve as a hub for discussing the latest innovations in neonatal medicine. With AI-driven diagnostics, stem cell therapy, and precision medicine leading the way, the future of neonatal care is brighter than ever. These advancements will not only improve survival rates but also ensure that every newborn receives the best possible care from the very beginning of life.

Join us at the 4th World Pediatrics Summit 2025 in Dubai to stay at the forefront of neonatal medicine and be part of the conversation that is shaping the future of child healthcare.

[drrobertkast]

Lab Researches Brain Repair, Age Reversal through Tissue Replacement

A presentation by Jean Hebert at the 2023 HEALinc Future Health Innovation Summit addressed “Brain Repair and Age Reversal with Tissue Replacement.” According to Hebert, a neuroscience and genetics professor at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, cognitive functions and self-identity are encoded in the brain in ways that are flexible and exhibit plasticity. At the same time, precursor cells and tissues (such as mesenchymal stem cells) have the ability to regenerate and integrate in the adult brain. This makes replacing brain tissue when it’s damaged, and as aging progresses, a possibility.

The Hebert lab is working to reassemble precursor cell types, engineering replacement tissue that targets the neocortex. This is the area of the brain with the most advanced cognitive functions, those integral to self-identity and maintenance of long-term memory.

The lab has demonstrated the feasibility of this approach through rebuilding layered vascularized neocortical tissue in situ (on-site) within the adult mouse neocortex. Researchers first remove areas of brain tissue and scar tissue that have experienced "diffuse loss of tissue integrity,” with tissue areas rebuilt sequentially over time. This enables executive functions and memory to relocate and repopulate brain tissue. The Hebert lab is leading a multi-year project that seeks to develop human-tissue replacement prototypes, with therapeutic applications.

[jcmarchi]

The Sequence Chat: Nathan Benaich, Air Street Capital About Investing in Generative AI

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/the-sequence-chat-nathan-benaich-air-street-capital-about-investing-in-generative-ai/

The Sequence Chat: Nathan Benaich, Air Street Capital About Investing in Generative AI

A conversation about the state of the generative AI market, new research breakthroughts, open source , opportunities for startups and many other insights.

Quick Bio

Nathan Benaich is the Founder and General Partner of Air Street Capital, a venture capital firm investing in early-stage AI-first technology and life science companies. His investments include Allcyte (acq. Exscientia), Intenseye, Thought Machine, Profluent, V7, Synthesia, and Valence Discovery (acq. Recursion). Nathan is the co-author of the annual State of AI Report and the newsletter, your guide to AI. Nathan also leads Spinout.fyi, which seeks to improve university spinout creation starting with open data on deal terms, and The RAAIS Foundation, a non-profit that runs the annual RAAIS summit and funds open source AI fellowships. He holds a Ph.D. in cancer biology from the University of Cambridge and a BA from Williams College.

TheSequence is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Quick bio

Tell us a bit about yourself. Your background, current role and how did you get started in artificial intelligence and venture capital?   

I took what was then an unorthodox route into VC, but I believe it’s now becoming more and more common. My original plan was to go to medical school to become a physician-scientist working on translational research in cancer and stem cell biology. I studied biology at Williams College and worked on breast cancer metastasis at the Whitehead Institute at MIT during my summers.

I was fascinated by the incredible engine of the Boston biotech ecosystem that systematically translates inventions in the lab into spinouts to create products that make a difference in the world. At the same time, I saw the many challenges associated with building a life science company – ranging from the huge amounts of capital required through to the gauntlet of clinical trials and human biology.

As I pursued my PhD in experimental and computational cancer research at Cambridge in the UK, I became more and more fascinated with technology and startups beyond biotech. Products like Dropbox, iPhones, and Twitter were launching during my undergraduate studies and had properly scaled by the time I got to grad school. These innovations not only engaged me, but made peoples’ lives more enjoyable and efficient. I started teaching, immersing myself into the tech and venture capital scene (VC). I kept seeing that the most exciting and ambitious companies were financed with VC and I discovered a passion for discovering inspirational founders trying to change their fields. I found that VC could fulfill my scientific urge to formulate and test a data-driven thesis.

When my research group moved to London, I took full advantage of the nascent startup ecosystem there. I met entrepreneurs and investors, went to meetups and through lots of hard work, found myself with a shot in VC.

Air Street was built on the idea that AI-first companies require AI-first investors. Since day one, I’ve worked hard to deepen our connection and role in the AI community, whether it’s through our international meetups, producing the State of AI Report, and supporting the RAAIS conference and the RAAIS Foundation.

🛠 AI Work  

Air Street recently announced that it has raised $121,212,121 for its second fund. Other than being the first palindrome fund in AI 😉, could you please elaborate on your investment thesis and vision?

At Air Street, we are unashamedly positive about the potential of AI. We believe it will unlock a new era of economic progress and scientific discovery, by acting as a force multiplier on technology.

With that in mind, we look for founders building AI-first companies helping to solve real-world challenges. By AI-first, we mean that AI is central to what they are building and if you removed it, they wouldn’t have a functioning product.

The founders we back combine two main traits. Firstly, deep insight into their customers’ operating context, pressures, pain-points, and how new technology would fit into their way of working. Secondly, technical brilliance combined with pragmatism when it comes to selecting the right tools to use or build. For example, it may mean accepting that even in 2023, not every problem has a GenAI-shaped solution…

One of the most challenging questions when investing in generative AI is determining where the value will accrue in the long term. How do you differentiate potentially disruptive companies from mere features of other products powered by generative AI?

A few years ago, long before the generative AI boom, I wrote an essay making the case for the full-stack machine learning company. This means, instead of building part of the stack and licensing it out to another business to solve a problem, you build a business that creates a fully-integrated ML product that solves the problem end-to-end.

If we take an example from the life sciences, a company that licenses out a model to help big pharma is probably going to capture less economic upside than one that builds an end-to-end drug discovery platform that owns drug assets. I’m much more excited by that kind of ambitious vision than the many LLM-as-a-service businesses that have sprung up in the last year.

Air Street recently published its State of the Art report, which covers some of the most important areas of the generative AI ecosystem. What were some of the most important findings you learned while putting together the report?

The State of AI is our annual report, covering the biggest developments across research, industry, politics, and safety.

Unsurprisingly, there was a heavy generative AI presence in this year’s report – including both an assessment of model performance and promising applications, we try to write with a wider lens. Progress in GenAI doesn’t just have implications for researchers or investors, it powers other trends.

For example, the GenAI boom has clearly had a knock-on effect on the semiconductor wars between the US and China, and the report charts how the US has aggressively mobilized its allies amid a faltering Chinese response. It’s also accelerated the global governance conversation, as lawmakers have scrambled to respond in the face of a bad-tempered debate about risk inside the AI community.

It’s also important to note that it’s the State of AI, not the State of LLMs, and we cover much more besides. This year’s report also contains a range of material, covering everything from the life sciences, weather-forecasting, and autonomy through to the potential impact of AI on sensitive political subjects, including elections and job losses.

One of the most intriguing frictions in the generative AI space is the balance between open-source and closed-source/API-based models. How do you see the evolution of these two distribution models over the next few years? Who will emerge as the winner in the end?

This year’s report finds that there’s a clear capability gap between GPT-4 and its more open counterparts. Meta’s Llama 2, a more open alternative, is competitive with Chat-GPT on most tasks, with the exception of coding, where it lags it significantly. Code Llama, a code-specialized version of Llama 2, is competitive with GPT-4, which demonstrates that task-specific models still have a chance.

We’ve definitely seen a push by incumbents for more closed source AI – stemming from a combination of genuine safety concerns and obvious commercial cynicism. A low light for us in this year’s report was OpenAI’s hollow technical report on GPT-4 and Anthropic’s decision not to publish one at all for Claude 2, despite both being built on the shoulders of open source.

However, I’ve been encouraged by the resilience of the open source ecosystem. Hugging Face, the town hall for open source AI has seen record levels of traffic. August of this year alone saw 600 million model downloads.

Open source models have been continually improving in performance and I see no reason why this trend won’t continue. In smaller, more specialized applications, there’s a particularly clear role for teams that don’t have the resources to build multi-trillion parameter models.

A lot of the large investments in generative AI have been in companies building massive foundation models. How far do you think the scaling laws can go in this area? Would we see LLMs that surpass $10B in pretraining/fine-tuning costs?

It’s theoretically possible we might hit $10 billion models, but I think we’re still some way off; after all, the report predicts the emergence of $1 billion models next year. I think it’s possible, however, that we may have hit the point of diminishing returns before the $10 billion point.

In the report, we point to how researchers at Epoch AI have already warned about us hitting a data ceiling. They argue that we could run out of high-quality language data as early as 2026 and low-quality language in the 2030s.

Similarly, there are interesting case studies of teams building smaller, curated language models designed for specific tasks, with impressive performance. For specialized applications, these may prove a cheaper, more efficient route, rather than striving for ever greater scale.

💥 Miscellaneous – a set of rapid-fire questions 

Do you think there will be trillion-dollar native generative AI-based companies? If so, would you venture to predict that OpenAI will be one of them?

I don’t think it’s impossible, but we’re a long way off from this happening. OpenAI has blasted past its revenue targets, but its losses are continuing to mount steeply. Trillion-dollar businesses, like Alphabet, Apple, and Microsoft, have achieved clear, sustained commercial success with significant moats and cash cow products. While OpenAI has generous financial backers in Microsoft, at some point (particularly in a high-interest rate environment), gravity is likely to reassert itself, triggering tough questions about the business model. 

I don’t doubt that the team at OpenAI will be able to figure out the answer, but until the wider foundation model space moves from producing technical breakthroughs to building scalable businesses, talk of trillion-dollar valuations seems premature.

You can make a case that RLHF enabled the transition from GPT-3 to the mainstream ChatGPT phenomenon. What do you think is the next research breakthrough that can unlock the next wave of innovation in generative AI?

Language alone obviously doesn’t capture the full scope of human reasoning or communication, or how we plan and take action in the world. That’s why we see multimodality as the new frontier in this year’s report.

We see this already in GPT-4 (and GPT-4V), which unlike its predecessors, was trained on both text and images and can generate text from images.

Multimodality is already beginning to underpin a range of exciting potential applications. Google’s Med-PaLM 2 language model exceeded expert physician performance on the US Medical Licensing Examination, but obviously real-world medicine isn’t a purely text-based profession.

With this in mind, Google created a dataset called MultiMedBench that has medical questions along with matching images, allowing them to train multimodal systems that understand both text and images. A version of MedPaLM was trained on this dataset, with a single set of weights to handle multiple data types. This helps it generalize and perform new medical tasks.

We’ve also seen UK self-driving start-up Wayve build a model called LINGO-1, a model that combines videos of journeys with expert commentary on driving behavior and the scene. You can also ask the model questions via natural language. As well as improving reasoning and planning, it potentially marks a big step forward in the explainability of end-to-end driving models.

What are the most significant mistakes that you see entrepreneurs making while building in the generative AI space? How about the most common mistake investors make?

These mistakes usually happen at the conceptual stage. Anyone operating in this space, whether they’re a founder or investor should ask themselves a few fundamental questions.

Firstly, is generative AI actually the most efficient, pragmatic solution to the challenge you’re approaching? Fashion will change and getting side-tracked by whatever’s vogueish will set you up for failure later on.

Secondly, is there a viable business model? Going back to the full-stack machine learning company, there are many generative AI businesses that risk missing out on a lot of the value they’re helping to create.

Finally, are you playing in a space you’re likely to win in? Certain spaces, whether it’s foundational model creation or finetuning-as-a-service are disproportionately likely to be captured by well-funded incumbents. A new entrant needs a clear edge.

Who is your favorite mathematician or computer scientist, and why?

Chris Ré is an exceptional computer scientist at Stanford with a track record of focusing his research on real-world problems for data and AI teams. For example, his group recently produced FlashAttention, which makes the memory footprint of attention smaller, to produce faster and higher quality transformer models. Alongside his students, Chris has also spun out now large-scale companies in AI such as Snorkel, SambaNova Systems and Lattice Data (acq. Apple).

Eric Lander is a Professor of Biology at MIT and Professor of Systems Biology at Harvard Medical School. He made seminal contributions to population genetics and led the formation of the Whitehead Institute/MIT Center for Genome Research, which became a key center for the Whole Genome Project Human Genome Project that started in 1990. He then drove the founding of the Broad Institute in 2004, which is hands-down one of the best research centers for human biology in the world, particularly when it comes to approaches that unite software and biological experimentation at large automated scales.

TheSequence is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

[reasonsforhope]

"Scientists have created mice with two biological fathers by generating eggs from male cells, a development that opens up radical new possibilities for reproduction.

The advance could ultimately pave the way for treatments for severe forms of infertility, as well as raising the tantalising prospect of same-sex couples being able to have a biological child together in the future.

“This is the first case of making robust mammal oocytes [a.k.a. egg cells] from male cells,” said Katsuhiko Hayashi, who led the work at Kyushu University in Japan and is internationally renowned as a pioneer in the field of lab-grown eggs and sperm.

Hayashi, who presented the development at the Third International Summit on Human Genome Editing at the Francis Crick Institute in London on Wednesday, predicts that it will be technically possible to create a viable human egg from a male skin cell within a decade. Others suggested this timeline was optimistic given that scientists are yet to create viable lab-grown human eggs from female cells.

Previously scientists have created mice that technically had two biological fathers through a chain of elaborate steps, including genetic engineering. However, this is the first time viable eggs have been cultivated from male cells and marks a significant advance. Hayashi’s team is now attempting to replicate this achievement with human cells, although there would be significant hurdles for the use of lab-grown eggs for clinical purposes, including establishing their safety.

“Purely in terms of technology, it will be possible [in humans] even in 10 years,” he said, adding that he personally would be in favour of the technology being used clinically to allow two men to have a baby if it were shown to be safe.

“I don’t know whether they’ll be available for reproduction,” he said. “That is not a question just for the scientific programme, but also for [society].”

The technique could also be applied to treat severe forms of infertility, including women with Turner’s syndrome, in whom one copy of the X chromosome is missing or partly missing, and Hayashi said this application was the primary motivation for the research.

Others suggested that it could prove challenging to translate the technique to human cells. Human cells require much longer periods of cultivation to produce a mature egg, which can increase the risk of cells acquiring unwanted genetic changes.

Prof George Daley, the dean of Harvard Medical School, described the work as “fascinating”, but added that other research had indicated that creating lab-grown gametes from human cells was more challenging than for mouse cells. “We still don’t understand enough of the unique biology of human gametogenesis to reproduce Hayashi’s provocative work in mice,” he said.

Study Methods

The study, which has been submitted for publication in a leading journal, relied on a sequence of intricate steps to transform a skin cell, carrying the male XY chromosome combination, into an egg, with the female XX version.

Male skin cells were reprogrammed into a stem cell-like state to create so-called induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells. The Y-chromosome of these cells was then deleted and replaced by an X chromosome “borrowed” from another cell to produce iPS cells with two identical X chromosomes.

“The trick of this, the biggest trick, is the duplication of the X chromosome,” said Hayashi. “We really tried to establish a system to duplicate the X chromosome.”

Finally, the cells were cultivated in an ovary organoid, a culture system designed to replicate the conditions inside a mouse ovary. When the eggs were fertilised with normal sperm, the scientists obtained about 600 embryos, which were implanted into surrogate mice, resulting in the birth of seven mouse pups. The efficiency of about 1% was lower [although not THAT much lower] than the efficiency achieved with normal female-derived eggs, where about 5% of embryos went on to produce a live birth.

The baby mice appeared healthy, had a normal lifespan, and went on to have offspring as adults. “They look OK, they look to be growing normally, they become fathers,” said Hayashi.

Going Further

He and colleagues are now attempting to replicate the creation of lab-grown eggs using human cells.

Prof Amander Clark, who works on lab-grown gametes at the University of California Los Angeles, said that translating the work into human cells would be a “huge leap”, because scientists are yet to create lab-grown human eggs from female cells.

Scientists have created the precursors of human eggs, but until now the cells have stopped developing before the point of meiosis, a critical step of cell division that is required in the development of mature eggs and sperm. “We’re poised at this bottleneck at the moment,” she said. “The next steps are an engineering challenge. But getting through that could be 10 years or 20 years.”

-via The Guardian (US), 3/8/23

[dearestones]

Platonic! FACE and Teen! Immortal! Reader Headcanons (Ft. Axis and Nordics)

Warnings: Fluff. 

Anonymous Request: Hey boo :) I have a cute little concept, so how about some hcs with immortal teenage reader with the FACE fam like how their family life is and just some cute stuff with England and France being parents and America and Canada being typical older brothers haha also America and Canada trying to sneak the reader into word meetings and the other countries don’t really care that much cause the reader is friendly with everyone, especially the nordics and axis :)

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FACE Family

Each of the members of the FACE family will have their own way of showing their love to you. With America, he’s more likely to put you in headlocks or give you noogies at the most inopportune of times. Canada will gladly give you a helping hand and lend an ear to your troubles. England has a stricter hand, but he’ll give you tea and words of encouragement if you’re ever feeling down. France likes to kiss your cheeks or your forehead and he’ll be sure to provide you with good food and clothing.

America and Canada are not only bad influences on each other, but on you as well. Catch them trying to bait you into performing stupid stunts with them when you go out mountaineering, skiing, or hanging out at the mall. They’ll be the first to suggest alcohol to aid in their antics (they do it more discreetly or directly supervise you while in America’s house), but they make sure that nothing bad ever happens to you.

If you do get injured because of their mischievous and competitive natures, they definitely try to one up each other in trying to care for you. That means that while Canada is busy gloating about his free healthcare, America will be busy sneaking in “good” food and entertainment for you to enjoy. And yes, behind the scenes, both of the North American brothers are busy getting chewed out by both France and England.

Speaking of “one-upping each other”, France and England are leagues above the petty rivalry that America and Canada have. Yes. It’s worse. 

Cut to England basically kidnapping you whenever he realizes that France is trying to monopolize your time. This English gentleman will definitely try to educate you on the finer parts of his history, make sure you grow up cultured, and try to sabotage your knowledge on France as a person (this is done jokingly, but you never quite know with how cunning England can get). Eventually, if you get under his skin enough or you spend enough time with him, you’ll eventually realize that England’s actions stem from the fact that he’s worried that you might abandon him and that he’s overcompensating to cover up his vulnerability. Once you realize this, you can definitely coax him into relaxing. This may lead into adventures that would put your escapades with America and Canada to shame. Where do you think the twins got it from?

Out of the FACE family, it’s France who definitely has all of the brain cells. He may not look it, but he’s definitely one of the more responsible Nations in the group, and that’s including England and Canada. He’s the one who makes sure that you’re all right after your time spent with the twins. He’s the one who tells you England’s misgivings and anxieties about himself. He’s the one who kisses your cheek, holds your hand, and showers you with compliments and praise because the rest of the family don’t have the courage to tell you how much they love you to your face. (Canada might, but he’s more into acts of service). 

As for relations with the rest of the world… You’re technically not supposed to attend the meetings and world summits, but no one bats an eye if you “accidentally” come inside and sit next to one of the FACE countries. 

Axis Powers 

The former Axis countries think you’re a marvel and a treat to have while in meetings. 

Veneziano, especially, likes chatting with you and taking you out to Italian restaurants or giving you some of his homemade foods after meetings. He even asks if you would like to spend some time at his house so that he could show you some of his most famous sites and to meet his older brother. 

Meanwhile, Japan is a little more reserved, but he would definitely be more than happy to talk to you about the latest video games and anime. Although he may not speak a lot, he is more than proficient with teenage culture in his country, so he might give you some new manga or souvenirs from his country if you ask nicely. 

Finally, Germany is a bit torn on what to do with you. On one hand, rules are meant to be upheld. On the other hand… Well, it’s not like you’re an ordinary human and you aren’t trying to jeopardize any of his colleagues’ well-being. Eventually, he does get used to your presence and he might actually give you some tasks to keep you busy if you’re bored. If you’re into running errands, filing documents, and making sure that all of the tech is working fine before, during, and after presentations, then hanging out with Germany might just be for you!

Nordics 

Another group of note who definitely like having you around are the Nordics. 

Denmark is like America: he’ll definitely like hanging out with you and possibly thinking of pranks. If the both of you aren’t busy carousing, he’ll definitely tell you stories of when it was just him, Norway, and Sweden during their Viking days. For fun, he’ll try to convince you that salmiakki is a delicacy and that if you don’t like it, your taste buds might have gone missing. 

Get ready to be wowed and amazed by how rowdy and boisterous Norway and Sweden were when they were in their “teens” like you. Norway is a tad quieter than Denmark, but he’ll definitely add his own commentary and correct any of Denmark’s recounts he finds too fantastical. That said, Norway is also a storyteller in his own way. If a meeting happens to be in his homeland, he’ll take you to see the trolls and walk along his fjords. Talking isn’t his forte, but the things he says and how he says it (always with a sarcastic or deadpan delivery) will definitely make you laugh. And when he sees you laugh, he’ll become fond of you. 

It takes at least a dozen meetings before you and Sweden actually speak. Sweden won’t admit it, but he’s sort of wary of you. Immortal humans are rare, if they even exist in the first place, and you’re relatively young at that. Furthermore, he knows that his size and his stoic demeanor may have served as a deterrent to your burgeoning relationship even if he truly wanted to get to know you better. Eventually, the both of you get to talking (maybe Sweden gets the courage to ask after your health or answer a question you may have intended for someone else) and that’s when you realize just how sweet and tender the stoic Nordic can be. You’ll never tell Denmark this, but you find that Sweden has better ideas and better executed pranks than him. (And yes, you once teamed up with Sweden to prank America and Denmark). 

Finland is the first Nordic country to greet you. He knows that most of the Northern European countries have a reputation for being a bit too cold, but he wants to dispel that notion! He’ll answer any and all questions that you have, offer you some time spent in a sauna, and he’ll even offer you your Christmas presents early (shh, don’t tell anyone!). On good days, he’s a bit of a chatterbox and if you ply him enough, you’ll find out more than your fair share of secrets about the Nordics that you or Finland shouldn’t have known in the first place. 

Out of all the Nordics, you might find that you’ll have the best relations with Iceland. Even though he may have a temper that falls from hot to cold on a dime, Iceland can be a soft spoken sweetheart who doesn’t know how to deal with being the youngest member of the Nordics. The both of you can bond over the fact that you are the youngest in your respective families and how the older members don’t always connect with you well. Furthermore, since you’re both teenagers, he’s definitely the one who’s the most in tune with modern slang and trends. He’s touch starved because he’s not only an island Nation, but he’s also too proud to ask Norway or any of his other older brothers for a hug or a pat on the head. That’s okay, because he’ll definitely be more openly affectionate with you (as long as Norway and the rest aren’t around). 

In short…

Know that you are always loved and someone will always have your back. Disagreements may happen, fights may occur, but at the end of the day, you are family. 

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If you want to donate a Ko-Fi, feel free https://ko-fi.com/devintrinidad.

HETALIA AXIS POWERS/WORLD SERIES MASTERLIST

[froggybangbang]

Breakthrough as eggs made from male mice cells

By Pallab Ghosh, Science correspondent

A Japanese researcher has told a major genetics conference that he has created eggs from the cells of male mice.

The research, still in its early stages, involved turning male XY sex chromosomes into female XX ones.

Prof Katsuhiko Hayashi from Osaka University is working on developing fertility treatments.

The development, which he has submitted for publication in the scientific journal Nature, raises the prospect of male couples having their own children.

Prof George Daley of Harvard Medical School, who is not involved in the research, said that there was still a long way to go before society was faced with such a decision.

''Hayashi's work is unpublished but fascinating. [Doing this on Humans] is harder than the mouse," he said. We still don't understand enough of the unique biology of human gametogenesis (the formation of reproductive cells) to reproduce Hayashi's provocative work in mice''.

Details were presented at the human gene-editing summit at the Crick Institute in London.

Prof Hayashi, a globally respected expert in the field, told delegates at the meeting that the work was at a very early stage. The eggs, he said were of low quality and the technique could not be used safely on humans at this stage.

But he told BBC News that he could see current problems overcome in ten years and he would like to see it available as a fertility treatment for both male and female and same sex couples if it is proven to be safe to use.

"If people want it and if society accepts such a technology then yes, I'm for it".

The technique involves first taking a skin cell from a male mouse and then turning it into a stem cell - a cell that can turn into other types of cell.

The cells are male and therefore have XY chromosomes. Prof Katsuhiko's team then delete the Y chromosome, duplicate the X chromosome and then stick the two X's together. This adjustment allows the stem cell to be programmed to become an egg.

The technique could be used to help infertile couples where women are not able to produce their own eggs. He stressed though that it was a long way off from being available as a fertility treatment.

"Even in mice there are many problems in the quality of the egg. So before we can think of it as a fertility treatment we have to overcome these problems, which could take a long long time," he said.

Prof Hayashi said he would not be in favour of it being used by a man to create a baby using his own sperm and artificially created eggs.

"Technically this is possible. I'm not so sure whether at this stage it is safe or acceptable for society".

Prof Amander Clark, a stem cell scientist from the University of Californa, Los Angeles said that the LBGTQ+ community should have a say in the use of the technology for reproduction.

"The LGBTQ+ community have unique needs when it comes to having a family. It may be possible in the future for same-sex reproduction based upon current research using laboratory models to develop the technology.

"However, today this technology is not available for human use, safety and efficacy has not been proven, and it is unclear how long the technology will take to get to the clinic. There is still much to learn about the human germ line and fundamental knowledge gaps serve as a barrier to translating this research to humans."

Cultural differences

Alta Charo, professor of law at the University of Wisconsin Maddison, said different cultures would have "profoundly different views" on whether to use the technology, if it became available.

"In some societies a genetic contribution to one's children is considered absolutely essential, and for them it's a question of 'is this a step to take?' for those who are not in a heterosexual arrangement.

"For other societies that's not as nearly as important, and child adoption is perfectly acceptable, because for them families are more about the personal relationship and less about the biological connection."

Prof Haoyi Wang, of the Chinese Academy of Science believes there is a very a long way to go before the technology could be considered for use in the clinic.

"Scientists never say never, in principle it has been done in mice so, of course, it may be possible in humans, but I can foresee a lot of challenges and I couldn't predict how many years that would be."

[pknoepfl]

Report from Medical Board of California meeting on stem cell clinics

Report from Medical Board of California meeting on stem cell clinics

This afternoon I attended and gave public comment at the Medical Board of California stem cell task force meeting on unproven stem cell clinics. There were about 40 people attending. In part this meeting is a consequence of the national governing organization of state medical boards, the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB)having worked on the stem cell clinic issue and crafting a policy on…

[blogstemcell]

Our Story...

Who is Summit?

In 2011, Summit for Stem Cell was founded in because of a desire from Parkinson’s patients for a stem cell-based therapy. Summit started as a small group of friends raising money for a cause they believed in and grew into a large organization with supporters all around the world.

In 2015, Summit formed advisory board and in 2017, became a 501(c)(3) organization. Throughout all, efforts continued to fund, promote and support the work in Jeanne Loring’s lab at The Scripps Research Institute to develop an autologous neuron replacement program. And, eventually, Summit opened its own lab to support the research.

Early 2019, after having completed its original goal, a new Board of Directors has been formed with the same dedication and work-ethic Summit is known for. A new Mission and Vision for Summit is in focus. Summit Board is focusing on the needs of patients with Parkinson's disease and other neurodegenerative disorders.

[centenoschultz-blog]

Centeno-Schultz Clinic - PRP & Stem Cell Therapy

Where Orthopedic Stem Cells Injections Were Invented -- Based in Broomfield & South Denver, the Centeno-Schultz Clinics are America’s premier regenerative medicine orthopedic clinic and non-surgical sports medicine clinic, devoted to providing pain relief without medications or surgery. Our interventional orthopedic clinic treats patients with a variety of joint, spine and neck problem areas from all over North America, Europe, and Asia.Where Orthopedic Stem Cells Injections Were Invented -- Based in Broomfield & South Denver, the Centeno-Schultz Clinics are America’s premier regenerative medicine orthopedic clinic and non-surgical sports medicine clinic, devoted to providing pain relief without medications or surgery. Our interventional orthopedic clinic treats patients with a variety of joint, spine and neck problem areas from all over North America, Europe, and Asia.

403 Summit Blvd #201, Broomfield, CO, 80021

(303) 429-6448

https://centenoschultz.com/?utm_campaign=denver&utm_medium=gmb&utm_source=google

[ontarionewdemocrats-blog]

I woke up and was immediately blasted with bad news from all angles. So lemme give you potentially more with your important news for May 16th, 2019

Ontario's top court rules religious doctors must offer patients an 'effective referral' for assisted dying, abortion

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-religious-doctors-must-make-referrals-for-assisted-dying-abortion/

Court rules doctors must write referrals regardless of religious beliefs

https://www.chch.com/court-rules-doctors-must-write-referrals-regardless-of-religious-beliefs/

Ford government sought Union Station data, streetcar manuals in subway upload talks

https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2019/05/16/ford-government-sought-union-station-data-streetcar-manuals-in-subway-upload-talks.html

Tories 'reviewing' campaign pledge to tighten ad rules

https://www.thestar.com/politics/provincial/2019/05/15/tories-reviewing-campaign-pledge-to-tighten-ad-rules.html

Ford government under fire for cuts to stem-cell research institute

https://www.thestar.com/politics/provincial/2019/05/15/ford-government-under-fire-for-cuts-to-stem-cell-research-institute.html

Ford government scraps funding for stem cell research

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/doug-ford-stem-cell-ontario-institute-regenerative-medicine-1.5137512

Secret document shows how far Doug Ford's Tories would cut social services - until they were talked back from the brink

https://www.thestar.com/politics/political-opinion/2019/05/15/secret-document-shows-how-far-doug-fords-tories-would-cut-social-services-until-they-were-talked-back-from-the-brink.html

Premier Doug Ford booed at Special Olympics ceremony

https://www.thestar.com/politics/provincial/2019/05/15/premier-doug-ford-booed-at-special-olympics-ceremony.html

Premier says 'at least we showed up' in response to boos at Special Olympics event

https://www.qpbriefing.com/2019/05/15/premier-says-at-least-we-showed-up-in-response-to-boos-at-special-olympics-event/

Council votes to oppose Ford's new housing plan amid concerns over affordability, reduced revenue

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/council-votes-to-oppose-ford-s-new-housing-plan-amid-concerns-over-affordability-reduced-revenue-1.5137650

Peterborough plans opioid crisis summit amid 'drastic restructuring' of regional health units

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/rosana-salvaterra-opioid-crisis-peterborough-1.5136933

Canadian drug companies facing $1.1B lawsuit over opioid crisis

https://globalnews.ca/news/5280201/opioid-crisis-lawsuit-canada/

Ottawa announces new measures to combat opioid crisis, including 18 research programs in Ontario

https://www.qpbriefing.com/2019/05/15/ottawa-announces-new-measures-to-combat-opioid-crisis-including-18-research-programs-in-ontario/

[qqueenofhades]

50 Awesome Women To Know: Part 3

Well, to the surprise of no one, I couldn’t actually stop after just 50, so let’s have another two-part installment!

(The other two can be found here.)

Ada Blackjack (1898-1983): Inuit, went on an Arctic expedition in 1921 as a cook and seamstress, and ended up being the only survivor. Lived for two years alone on uninhabited Wrangel Island in the extreme far north of Siberia, until she was finally rescued.

Adela of Blois (1067-1137): French, daughter of William the Conqueror, and the apple did not fall far from the tree, as she was a formidable matriarch, political operator, and patroness of education in her own right. Informed her husband that he was going back on crusade after he had left early, Or Else. (He did.)

Aethelflaed of Mercia (870-918): English, another kickass daughter of a famous king, in her case Alfred the Great. She was known as “Lady of the Mercians,” ruled as a provincial lord in her own right, and was damn good at it.

Agafia Lykova (1944 -- ): Russian, only surviving member of the Lykov family, a group of Russian Old Believers who lived in total seclusion in the Siberian wilderness for 42 years. She still lives there now.

Alakhai Bekhi (c.1191-after 1230): Mongolian, daughter of Genghis Khan, and stopped him from killing the entire Ongud tribe of her in-laws after her husband was murdered. He gave her the title of “Princess Who Runs The State” and often trusted her with administrative responsibilities.

Alison Hargreaves (1962-1995): English, accomplished mountaineer who climbed Mount Everest solo and without oxygen, among many others. Died in the descent of K2 in 1995.

Anna Komnene (1083-1153): Byzantine Greek, daughter of Emperor Alexios Komnenos, scholar, physician, mathematician, and historian. She wrote the Alexiad, an important source on her father’s life, and is one of the very few medieval female historians that we know of.

Billie Holiday (1915-1959): African-American jazz singer and huge influence on popular music. You’ve probably heard of her, but you should also go read more about her insanely dark past, what she had to overcome to reach success, and her tragic life, including her blunt account of the prejudice she faced.

Chimimanda Ngozi Adichie (1977-- ): Nigerian, author and novelist. Recipient of a MacArthur Genius Grant among many other awards, outspoken feminist, and social critic.

Colette (1873-1954): French, author, playwright, and actress, openly bisexual, nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1948. Will be played by Keira Knightley in an upcoming film.

Elizabeth Cochrane Seaman (1864-1922): American, better known by her pen name, Nellie Bly. Intrepid and groundbreaking female journalist who traveled the world in 80 days and whose “Ten Days In a Mad-House” exposed the culture of rampant lunatic asylum abuse and started reform of the system.

Elizabeth Freeman (c.1744-1829): African-American, known as “Mum Bett.” Sued the state of Massachusetts for her freedom and won, in 1780, in a ruling that found slavery incompatible with the Massachusetts Constitution.

Frances E. Allen (1932 -- ): American, computer scientist and first female IBM Fellow, as well as the first female winner of the Turing Prize in computing.

Grace O’Malley (c. 1530-c.1603): Irish, pirate queen and matriarch of a western Irish dynasty, famed in Irish folklore. Met Queen Elizabeth I in 1593, where the queens spoke to each other in Latin, due to Grace not knowing English and Elizabeth not knowing Irish, and made quite an impression.

Hatshepsut (1507-1458 BC): Egyptian, ruled as pharaoh in her own right and not as queen consort. Powerful and respected ruler whose memory was erased by her successor, Thutmose III.

Henrietta Lacks (1920-1951): African-American, died of cervical cancer at age 31, and her cells (taken from her without her knowledge or consent) became the founder of the “immortal” HeLa stem cell line, still used in medical research.

Hypatia of Alexandria (c.350/70-415): Egyptian, famous philosopher, mathematician, astronomer, probably asexual, known for teaching and lecturing in the Alexandrian schools. Murdered by a mob of Christian monks in 415.

Isabella Bird (1831-1904): English, traveler, author, and first female fellow of the Royal Geographical Society. She traveled most of the world and wrote several books about her experiences, including A Lady’s Life in the Rocky Mountains.

Jackie Mitchell (1913-1987): American, one of the first female professional baseball players. At the age of 17, she famously struck out Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig in an exhibition game, which led to her contract getting voided the next day and women declared unfit to play baseball. So, clearly handled well.

Joan Clarke (1917-1996): English, mathematician and cryptanalyst who worked with Alan Turing to break Enigma at Bletchley Park during WWII and was (as shown in The Imitation Game) briefly engaged to him. 

Jeanne de Clisson (1300-1359): French, known as the “Lioness of Brittany.” After her husband was killed by the French crown, she swore revenge, got three black ships with red sails, and terrorized the English channel as a privateer. 

Juana Maria (c.1811-1853): Native American, better known as the “Lone Woman of San Nicolas Island,” a Nicoleño Indian and the last surviving member of her tribe, who lived there alone for 18 years until she was found. The novel Island of the Blue Dolphins is based on her story.

Junko Tabei (1939-2016): Japanese, mountaineer, and first woman to summit Everest (1975), which included her being buried by an avalanche, as well as each of the Seven Summits, the tallest mountains on each continent.

Lucy (3.2 million years ago): Ethiopian, the name given to a skeleton of a small pre-human hominid found in Africa in 1974. She became famous worldwide and led to many developments in the study of human biology and evolution.

Lyudmila Pavlichenko (1916-1974): Russian, known as the most successful female sniper and one of the most successful snipers period, with 309 confirmed kills of Nazis during WWII. Struck up an unlikely friendship with Eleanor Roosevelt.

To be continued...