Marcos Hernandez Grateful For Co-Main Event Slot On Canelo-Plant Card 

Aadhityan A
-
0
Marcos Hernandez Grateful For Co-Main Event Slot On Canelo-Plant Card 

By Percy Lovell Crawford

“You’re only as good as your last performance,” a boxing saying holds. In the case of Marcos “Madman” Hernandez, he is still riding the high of his last performance and doesn’t plan on coming down anytime soon.

In September, Hernandez defeated then-unbeaten Jose Armando Resendiz. However, his work will be cut out for him when he faces Anthony “The Dog” Dirrell on Saturday night’s PPV card in a co-main event for the showdown between 168-pounders Caleb Plant and Saul “El Canelo” Alvarez.

Understanding that Dirrell (33–2–2) is his most established and accomplished foe to date, Hernandez looks to string together a pair of victories, something he hasn’t done since 2018. Although his record is (15–4–2), Hernandez said he hasn’t been as consistent as he needs to be in order to be considered a legitimate contender.

That all could change Saturday night with a successful outing against the former two-time super middleweight champion Dirrell. However, Dirrell will be hungry and looking to bounce back from a split draw in February against Kyrone Davis.

Hernandez checks in with Zenger just days before his scheduled showdown with Dirrell to discuss his training camp, the magnitude and importance of this fight and much more.

Percy Crawford interviewed Marcos Hernandez for Zenger.

Zenger: Saturday night will be your third fight of the year, so apparently you didn’t get the memo that this is an inactive era in boxing.

Hernandez: (Laughing). I have never turned down a fight. I don’t compare myself to others. I just do my own thing and I have never said no to a fight. If a fight gets to me through whoever it needs to get through, through my coach or whoever, I’m going to say yes. My coach won’t even tell me about fights sometimes, the dumb ones that doesn’t make any sense for me because he knows I’m going to say yes. It’s good that I got people that block bad situations for me.

Zenger: You will be facing Anthony Dirrell this Saturday (Nov. 6) on the Canelo Alvarez-Caleb Plant card. This is a huge opportunity for you. How have you prepared to face him?

Hernandez: I’m working hard to be my best self. I know that he is a two-time former champion, so he is definitely the most accomplished fighter I have fought. He has done a lot of things in his long career. I’m grateful for the opportunity, and I’m looking forward to being my best because I’m going to need to be my best to beat him.

Percy Crawford interviewed Marcos Hernandez for Zenger. (Heidi Malone/Zenger)

Zenger: It seems as if right when the boxing world wants to write you off, you get a spectacular win to keep yourself in the mix. Your last performance against unbeaten Jose Armando Resendiz is a prime example of that. You dropped two in a row, fight Brandon Lynch to a draw, and then defeat a 12–0 fighter.

Hernandez: I’m undefeated versus the undefeated. I don’t know what that’s about, but I feel like when my back is against the wall a little bit, it just brings something out of me. I gotta be more consistent with my performances. I want to be at my best every fight, and I haven’t. I plan to be at my best for this fight. I know this is a big opportunity, and a win would provide more opportunities and lead to even bigger things. That’s what I’m looking forward to, being my best for this fight, and letting that open doors.

Zenger: Your record is deceiving. Dirrell is coming off a draw against Kyrone Davis. Do you feel you were picked as an opponent as a confidence-booster for Dirrell, or was this the fight that just made sense for both parties?

Hernandez: I don’t think I was chosen to boost his confidence. I do think the fight was made for certain reasons. I got the call because they knew that I would say, yes, like I explained earlier. When it came, I was grateful. I’m excited to get it, and I’m going to do my best to win Saturday.

Zenger: To be in a position to steal some of the fans and many eyes that Alvarez draws, how have you approached that aspect of this event? Are you treating this as if it’s just another fight, or do you want to be fueled by the magnitude of the event?

Hernandez: That’s a tough question to answer. I understand what type of opportunity this is. I’m not dumb. I’m going to make the most of it. I was really motivated before I knew I was the co-main. I was happy when I got the call with the details. I’m not sure how to answer that, but all I can say is, I am training as hard as I can, and I will be ready and be at my best on Saturday.

Despite an overall record of (15–4–2), Marcos Hernandez says he is “undefeated versus the undefeated.” (Courtesy of Marcos Hernandez)

Zenger: We have seen Anthony Dirrell box from the outside, mix it up on the inside and be a dog when needed. What type of fight are you expecting from him?

Hernandez: He’s definitely versatile. I feel like I’m also versatile. I feel like we are different fighters, but versatile when needed. He’s a good boxer that brawls when he needs to. We’ll see. I got a game plan that I want to execute. We will see what he comes with and what he brings to the fight and go from there. If we gotta adjust, we will and be ready for anything.

Zenger: He’s had several head clashes during his fights. Does that concern you any?

Hernandez: I don’t really think about that. I’ve only been cut once, and it wasn’t a big deal. I didn’t really notice it during the fight. You notice it afterwards, but who cares by then? I’m not worried about it. I know he’s had some trouble with that in the past, so if I cut him … with a punch of course, cool.

Zenger: Dirrell has been televised a lot throughout his career. Is he someone you have watched a great amount of footage on?

Hernandez: I’m a big boxing fan. I know I’m a fighter, but I am a big boxing fan. I watch a ton of fights. I’ve definitely been watching him for a long time. I remember him beating Sakio Bika back in the day. I watched that live. They had a few rough fights. He’s been around for a long time. I’m grateful for the opportunity to fight him. I’ve studied some more recent fights. I figure fighters improve from what they showed in previous fights. I always expect fighters to be at their best and not at their worst.

Marcos Hernandez says he’s never been in a boring fight, and that will continue to be the case in his fight against Anthony Dirrell on Saturday. (Sean Michael Ham/Premier Boxing Champions) 

Zenger: He doesn’t switch as much as his brother, Andre, but he does switch between orthodox and southpaw at times. Have you prepared for both?

Hernandez: Yeah, we got a guy built similar to Anthony in the gym, and he’s been giving me a lot of good work, and he switches, so it’s perfect sparring. If he switches, we’re ready for it. We are ready for whatever he brings.

Zenger: For anyone watching you for the first time on Saturday night, what can they expect? What do you offer?

Hernandez: I’m exciting! I don’t think I’ve ever been in a boring fight. I have had like 10 televised fights, and they have all been fun to watch. I plan on performing to the best of my abilities and winning this fight Saturday, and I don’t expect it to be boring.

Edited by Matthew B. Hall and Stan Chrapowicki



The post Marcos Hernandez Grateful For Co-Main Event Slot On Canelo-Plant Card  appeared first on Zenger News.

VIDEO: Wood You Believe It? Shipwreck Reveals Timber Trade Helped Dutch East India Company Dominate

Aadhityan A
-
0
VIDEO: Wood You Believe It? Shipwreck Reveals Timber Trade Helped Dutch East India Company Dominate

By Peter Barker

An examination of a historic Dutch ship that brought the first official European settlers to Australia’s shores has revealed how the Dutch Republic overcame timber shortages that plagued other nations.

Researchers studying the timber used to build the ship “Batavia” between 1626 and 1628 in Amsterdam have discovered how the Dutch trade network helped the Dutch East India Company (VOC) to flourish against other European powers such as Portugal and France.

“Oak was the preferred material for shipbuilding in northern and western Europe, and maritime nations struggled to ensure sufficient supplies to meet their needs and sustain their ever-growing fleets,” said study co-author Marta Dominguez Delmas, VENI fellow at the University of Amsterdam.

“Our results demonstrate that the VOC successfully coped with timber shortages in the early 17th century through diversification of timber sources,” she said. The Dutch East India Company was the world’s first multinational trading company.

The Batavia wreck was raised from the seabed in 1970 and has since been on display at the Western Australian Shipwrecks Museum in Fremantle.

Researchers took timber samples to gain a better understanding of the materials used to construct the mighty 650-ton ship. Their findings were published in the journal Plos One.

“The VOC used exclusively oak (Quercus sp.) for the main structural elements [hull planks, framing elements, keel, etc.], with Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) used for sacrificial planking [in the outer part of the hull, below the waterline],” Delmas said in an interview.

Delmas said the Dutch were able to avoid timber shortages because they had an extensive trade network that delivered wood from Northern Europe.

Oak hull plank from the Batavia. Researchers have discovered the diversity of wood sources enjoyed by the Dutch Republic allowed it to keep building up its fleet, while other nations floundered as a result of supply issues. (Patrick E. Baker, Western Australian Museum/Zenger)

The British took great pride in building their ships with “locally sourced” oak, while the Spanish and Portuguese became dependent on the Dutch Republic to supply them with timber.

“The Dutch were actually the ones supplying timber from Scandinavia and the Baltic to Spain and Portugal,” said Delmas.

The University of Amsterdam stated that 706 ships were built in VOC shipyards in the Dutch Republic during the 17th century, though very little is known about the timber itself, where it was sourced and how it was used to build the ocean-bound vessels.

The lack of domestic wood sources in the mid-17th century did not prevent the Dutch Republic from being able to produce unprecedented numbers of ocean-going ships for long-distance voyages, according to Flinders University archeologist Wendy van Duivenvoorde, one of the authors of the study.

Marta Domínguez-Delmás and Aoife Daly (front) extract tree-ring samples from the Batavia’s transom beams at the Western Australian Shipwrecks Museum in Fremantle. (Wendy van Duivenvoorde/Zenger)

Delmas said the Batavia was headed for a city of the same name, the capital of the Dutch East Indies, known today as Jakarta, Indonesia.

“The Batavia sailed too far east, and when it made the turn north, it ended up wrecking on the reefs of [the] Abrolhos Archipelago, off the coast of Western Australia,” she said.

Of the 341 passengers on board, 40 drowned while the rest swam to shore.

The ship’s commander, Francisco Pelsaert, searched nearby islands for a natural water source to no avail. He took the ship’s longboat to the city of Batavia with a small group to get help, leaving the rest of the passengers and crew behind.

The 1629 Dutch ship Batavia, which carried Australia’s first European settlers to its shores, is on display at the Western Australian Shipwrecks Museum. (Patrick E. Baker, Western Australian Museum/Zenger)

Jeronimus Cornelisz, a merchant under Pelsaert, was left in charge of the survivors. He sent a group of men loyal to Pelsaert to look for water on a distant island and then orchestrated a mutiny that resulted in the deaths of more than 100 people and turned the female survivors into sex slaves.

The men made their way back to the original camp after hearing stories of the atrocities from those who had escaped and organized a revolt.

Pelsaert returned as the fighting raged and had Cornelisz and his co-conspirators tried and convicted.

Six of the mutineers became the first European men to be legally executed in Australia, and two of the men were exiled to the continent, becoming its first official European settlers.

Edited by Siân Speakman and Kristen Butler



The post VIDEO: Wood You Believe It? Shipwreck Reveals Timber Trade Helped Dutch East India Company Dominate appeared first on Zenger News.

Smarter News Quiz: Space Food, Sports Salaries and Halloween Nightmares

Aadhityan A
-
0
Smarter News Quiz: Space Food, Sports Salaries and Halloween Nightmares

By Rachel McMahon


The post Smarter News Quiz: Space Food, Sports Salaries and Halloween Nightmares appeared first on Zenger News.

At This Point, Ja Morant Qualifies As The NBA’s Best-kept Secret

Aadhityan A
-
0
At This Point, Ja Morant Qualifies As The NBA’s Best-kept Secret

By Moke Hamilton

Zion Williamson had national headlines before he had a high school diploma, but at this point in time, he really can’t even be said to be the best member of his own draft class. Maybe not even top-two.

Whether RJ Barrett can be said to have had a better start to his career than Williamson can be debated (probably unsuccessfully if you’re arguing on behalf of Zion, but it at least could be debated)… Ja Morant, on the other hand?

At this point, it’s not even close.

On Monday, Pelicans head coach Willie Green told reporters that Williamson is “progressing” in his return from a fractured right foot, but that he would be reevaluated in another two-to-three weeks. For Zion, the next step is 5-on-5 action, and he’d probably need at least a few of those sessions before New Orleans felt comfortable putting him back on the floor.

In other words, we’re not likely to see Zion take the court for the Pelicans until sometime after Thanksgiving, where his team may have played upwards of 20 games.

Meanwhile, Morant and the Memphis Grizzlies simply continue to impress. That’s the storyline that’s been largely ignored by national media.

Memphis enters play on Nov. 2 at a fairly modest 4-3, but three of their first four wins came over the Clippers, Warriors and Nuggets. One of their losses were to the Heat. And quietly, they’ve been led by their capable third-year gladiator, Morant.

It is fairly typical for superstar players to take a leap in Year 3, but Morant has been shot out a cannon.

Through the first seven games of the 2021-22 campaign, the dynamic guard is averaging 28.3 points per game, which ties him with Paul George for second across the league. They trail only Stephen Curry, who is averaging 28.7. At the same time, Morant is averaging 7.7 assists per game, which ranks him seventh in the league. He’s the only player in the league who ranks in the top 10 in both stat categories and would be the 15th player in history to record those averages in a season. As far as players who have managed those averages in their third year or earlier, only four others have: Oscar Robertson, Tiny Archibald, Luka Doncic and Trae Young.

Last season, after the Grizzlies managed to go 38-34 in the shortened 72-game season, Morant saw the Spurs, as well as Curry and his Warriors, standing between him and a postseason berth. The Grizzlies defeated both teams and earned the right to do battle with the Utah Jazz in the first round of the playoffs.

Their Cinderella story ended in a five-game defeat against Donovan Mitchell and company, but if there were any doubts as to whether Morant and his club were a team worth watching out in the Western Conference, the early evidence this season suggests that they are. That’s particularly true considering Dillon Brooks — the team’s second-leading scorer from last year — is yet to make his debut.

With Memphis only slated to make seven national TV appearances this season, it’s fair to call them one of the league’s best-kept secrets. They score the ball well (they enter play on Nov. 2 ranked eighth in offensive efficiency and ninth in points per game), and are led by a 22-year-old who has already proven capable of carrying a franchise on his back.

Aside from the obvious, Morant has also become a better player this season due to increased efficiency. He enters play on Nov. 2 connecting on 52.4% of his field goals, including 38.5% from deep. He’s attempting 5.6 threes this season compared to 3.8 last season, and has seen his conversion rate increase from 30.3% in 2020-21.

Despite the newfound proficiency from the field, though, Morant has remained incredibly effective scoring in the interior. Last week, he made news when Bally Sports Southeast flashed a graphic on a broadcast showing that Morant led the league with 16 points in the paint per game.

He’s as fearless as he’s been fantastic.

Obviously, the season has only begun. There are plenty of games to be played between now and Thanksgiving, much less the postseason. But there’s no denying that the early returns on Ja Morant suggest that — like many superstars before him — the third year will truly be the charm.

Whether fair or not, we also tend to lump two players from each draft class to one another. Paul Pierce and Dirk Nowitzki were those guys in 1998, while Allen Iverson and Stephon Marbury were the duo of 1996. Jason Kidd and Grant Hill were 1994’s pair. When we think 2003, we think LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony. Kevin Durant and Greg Oden in 2007, Derrick Rose and Michael Beasley in 2008.

Luka Doncic and Trae Young will forever be connected much in the same way that Ja and Zion will be.

Each possessing superhuman traits, entering their third year, it’s safe to say that one player has emerged as the one who most tickles our basketball fancy. And truth be told, he plays in Memphis.

Produced in association with BasketballNews.com.

Edited by Kristen Butler



The post At This Point, Ja Morant Qualifies As The NBA’s Best-kept Secret appeared first on Zenger News.

WikiLikes: Writers Association Honors Julian Assange And Calls For His Release

Aadhityan A
-
0
WikiLikes: Writers Association Honors Julian Assange And Calls For His Release

By Joseph Golder

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has been appointed an honorary member of the German PEN Centre, a writers association that fights for freedom of expression.

The center also called for authorities in England not to extradite Assange to the United States, where he faces up to 175 years in prison. The PEN center asks for his immediate and unconditional release in a statement issued on Nov. 2.

The United States is seeking extradition of Assange for releasing classified documents via Wikileaks in 2010.

Assange was imprisoned in the U.K. in 2019 for failing to appear in court

“Assange has been in solitary confinement in London’s maximum security prison in Belmarsh since April 2019, after applying for asylum at the Ecuadorian embassy in London in 2012 and living there as a political refugee for almost seven years,” the German PEN Centre said.

Supporters of Julian Assange gather outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London on Oct. 27 ahead of an appeal hearing for his extradition to the United States. The U.S. has charged the WikiLeaks founder with espionage and appealed a January ruling that Assange should not be extradited due to concerns over his mental health and risk of suicide in a U.S. prison. (Chris J Ratcliffe/Getty Images)

“It contradicts the right to freedom of expression and therefore the charter of the international PEN. We assure him, like our other honorary members, of our unlimited solidarity,” said Ralf Nestmeyer, vice president and Writers in Prison representative of the German PEN Centre.

“The appointment as an honorary member of the German PEN center is linked to the concern for the health of Julian Assange, whose prison conditions are described by Amnesty International as torture. The arbitrariness of the judiciary and the deprivation of liberty of Assange are a monstrous violation of human rights — and this happens in the midst of a Western European democracy and not in a despotic regime. The German PEN center takes the allegations of sexual assault seriously.”

Two women in Sweden accused Assange of rape/sexual molestation in 2010. Assange sought refuge at the Ecuadoran embassy in London in 2012. Swedish prosecutors dropped their investigation of the alleged rape in 2019.

“The German PEN center takes the allegations of sexual assault seriously, but we are also aware of the doubts expressed by Nils Melzer, the U.N. special rapporteur on torture, about these accusations and the risk of their inadmissible instrumentalization,” the center said.

PEN Centre Germany is part of PEN International, which was founded in London in 1921. One of its primary goals is to fight for freedom of expression.

Assange has been detained in Belmarsh Prison since April 2019 after spending almost seven years at the Ecuadorian embassy in London.

The German PEN Centre, which advocates freedom of expression, projected this message on the British Embassy in Berlin in February 2020. (PixelHELPER/Dirk Martin Heinzelmann/Zenger)

In December 2020, the German PEN Centre projected “Free Julian Assange.” on the British Embassy building in Berlin.

“We call on the competent authorities in England not to extradite our honorary member Julian Assange to the United States of America … but to release him immediately and unconditionally from prison,.” Nestmeyer said in the German PEN Centre’s statement.

“His continued detention is purely political and is therefore neither acceptable nor justified. It contradicts the right to freedom of expression and therefore the charter of the international PEN. We assure him, like our other honorary members, of our unlimited solidarity.”

Edited by Judith Isacoff and Kristen Butler



The post WikiLikes: Writers Association Honors Julian Assange And Calls For His Release appeared first on Zenger News.

Hard To Swallow: Pill Pushing 81-Year-Old Pharmacist Traded Drugs For Sex

Aadhityan A
-
0
Hard To Swallow: Pill Pushing 81-Year-Old Pharmacist Traded Drugs For Sex

By Peter Barker

An 81-year-old pharmacist in Pennsylvania has been arrested and charged with trading pain medication for sexual favors from customers.

The Delaware County District Attorney’s Office wrote in a Nov. 1 statement that Martin Brian was arrested and charged with distributing drugs from his pharmacy in Media, Pennsylvania, in return for sex from addicted customers who had no prescriptions.

Brian was charged with “multiple counts of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, distribution of a controlled substance to a drug-dependent person, the dispensing of a controlled substance in a manner inconsistent with the rules of the medical profession, the criminal use of a communication facility, and sexual extortion,” according to the District Attorney’s office.

Pennsylvania pharmacist Martin Brian is facing multiple charges for distribution of controlled substances in exchange for sexual favors. (Delaware County District Attorney/Zenger)

Jack Stollsteimer, Delaware County District Attorney, said: “He was giving out those drugs to people who did not need them, people who were addicted to them, just so he could get what he wanted from them, which was sexual gratification.”

The investigation was launched in April, when police were notified about two people passed out inside a car parked behind the Murray-Overhill Pharmacy on State Street.

As the cops identified the occupants, a woman came out of the back of the pharmacy. Seeing the officers, she went back inside. Brian then came out of the store.

The cops questioned the two and became suspicious when their statements contradicted each other.

They then seized the woman’s mobile phone, where they found messages sent by the pharmacist instructing her on how to reply to police questions.

An investigation into the pharmacy was opened. An audit of its records determined there were large amounts of missing medications that had not been properly accounted for.

The analysis found the pharmacy run by Brian was the biggest purchaser in the local ZIP code of highly addictive drugs, such as oxycodone, Xanax and the deadly substance fentanyl between 2016 and 2021.

Investigators also found around $50,000 in cash in a drawer inside the store.

The woman previously questioned later confessed to police she had been exchanging sexual favors in return for drugs from Brian on a weekly basis.

Police were then able to identify a second woman, who told the officers the same story.

The second woman told authorities she received oxycodone from the pharmacist in exchange for sex. She then resold it to buy heroin.

Stollsteimer said: “What’s going on with fentanyl is destroying families all across Delaware County as we speak.”

Brian was not in custody during the investigation, but handed himself into authorities on Nov. 1. His bail bond was set at $250,000.

Thomas Hodnett, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Philadelphia Field Division, called the allegations against Brian “repulsive.” He said they “demonstrate Brian’s total disregard for his legal and ethical responsibilities as a pharmacist.”

A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for Nov. 17 before Magisterial District Judge Walter A. Strohl.

Edited by Fern Siegel and Kristen Butler



The post Hard To Swallow: Pill Pushing 81-Year-Old Pharmacist Traded Drugs For Sex appeared first on Zenger News.

Toxic Shock: Chemotherapy Drug Helps Breast Cancer Spread To The Lungs, Says Study

Aadhityan A
-
0
Toxic Shock: Chemotherapy Drug Helps Breast Cancer Spread To The Lungs, Says Study

By Martin M Barillas

A new study shows that a chemotherapy drug used to treat cancer actually alters blood vessel wall structure in lungs, allowing cancer cells to squeeze through and spread.

Research on laboratory mice shows that the drug cyclophosphamide caused changes in non-cancer cells, enabling breast cancer cells to squeeze through and attach to blood vessel linings in the lungs. Researchers first treated healthy mice with the chemo drug and then injected them with the breast cancer cells four days later.

The researchers found that just three hours after injection, cancer cells were penetrating weakened blood vessel cells in the lungs of the mice and binding to those vessels’ underlying structure. The cancer cells adhered to the vessels without being washed away by blood flow and migrated to the lungs.

“This is the key step giving cancer cells a foot in the door at a secondary site,” said Tsonwin Hai, co-author of the study published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences. A professor of biological chemistry and pharmacology at Ohio State University, she revealed the purpose of the study, saying, “Does chemotherapy affect normal cells in such a way that they will turn around and help cancer cells? The answer is yes.”

“It’s a cautionary note for the use of chemotherapy,” Hai said. “The effect of chemotherapy on non-cancer cells actually changes those cells, and those changes help cancer cells to progress.”

This figure shows how chemotherapy treatment to combat cancer paradoxically alters the blood vessel wall to allow circulating cancer cells to adhere, thus increasing their ability to spread to distant sites. (Graphic created by Justin Middleton using BioRender.com software)

In a previous study, Hai had already determined that the activation of a specific gene in immune cells links stress to the spread of cancer and that the chemo drug paclitaxel initiates change in immune cells at the molecular level and allows breast cancer cells to escape from a tumor. Similar studies had examined the effects of chemotherapy on non-cancer cells, the survivability of cancer cells and their spread.

In the new study, Hai and other researchers found that cyclophosphamide increased the levels of MMP-2 enzyme in the blood, which in turn caused changes to a blood vessel membrane that allowed cancer cells to attach to the blood vessel lining.

Hai said the research focused on non-cancer cells in the lung rather than the tumors. The researchers found cancer cells escape from primary tumors “very early on.”

“Our data revealed that chemo acts on non-cancer cells and sets in motion changes in the lung,” Hai said, “so that within three hours of cancer cells’ arrival, they already can adhere very well. The effect of chemotherapy on non-cancer cells actually changes those cells, and those changes help cancer cells to progress.”

The study found two reasons for the spread of the cancer cells. First, spaces had opened between blood vessel linings, while the membrane underlying the first layer had been changed, allowing cancer cells to adhere without being whisked away by the passing blood.

“The endothelial cells lining the inner side of the blood vessel are like a brick wall, and each brick is tightly adhered to the next one,” said Hai. “What we found when we treated mice with chemotherapy is that it makes the vessel leaky, so the tight junction is not as tight anymore, and the cancer cells can squeeze themselves through the brick layer. We also found that chemotherapy modified the underlying basement membrane so once the cancer cells squeeze through, they find a place to grab onto.”

Edited by Richard Pretorius and Kristen Butler



The post Toxic Shock: Chemotherapy Drug Helps Breast Cancer Spread To The Lungs, Says Study appeared first on Zenger News.

Martha Sepúlveda’s Case Revitalizes Euthanasia Debate In Colombia

Aadhityan A
-
0
Martha Sepúlveda’s Case Revitalizes Euthanasia Debate In Colombia

By Felipe Torres Gianvittorio

The euthanasia debate encompasses moral, religious and public health issues. Only seven countries in the world have approved active euthanasia: the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Colombia, Canada, Spain, and New Zealand. Some states of Australia have legalized it, too.

Colombia is the first and, so far, the only Latin American country to practice euthanasia legally. The coffee country, where 93 percent of the population is Roman Catholic or Protestant Christian, legalized euthanasia through its Constitutional Court in 2014. Since then, 157 people have received a lethal injection.

By October 2021, 72 percent of Colombians approved the right to euthanasia. However, the debate has been rekindled as a result of Martha Sepúlveda’s case, which has gained international relevance.

A 51-year-old woman originally from Medellín, Sepúlveda was diagnosed in 2018 with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a progressive neurological disease in which nerve cells deteriorate and stop sending messages to muscles, reducing organ function. There is no known cure for the disease, and people often die 3 to 5 years after receiving their diagnosis.

Based on a July Constitutional Court decision, which extended the right to euthanasia to people who suffer intense physical or mental pain due to injures or diseases, Sepúlveda and her family presented her case to the health authorities. The procedure was approved, making Sepúlveda the first person without a terminal illness authorized to receive euthanasia in Colombia.

The procedure was scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 10, at 7:00 a.m. But the medical center in charge canceled it less than 36 hours before it was scheduled.

A week earlier, on Oct. 3, the Colombian newscast Noticias Caracol reported on Martha Sepúlveda’s last days. Besides recounting her routine as an ALS patient, the story focused on how Sepúlveda, a believer, lived with the decision to end her life.

The story became a central topic of the Colombian conversation, and the Catholic Church, through the Episcopal Conference of Colombia, urged Sepúlveda to reverse her decision.

“Martha, I encourage you to reflect on your decision calmly. … If circumstances allow, [try to] distance yourself from the harassment of the media that have not hesitated to use your pain and that of your family to advertise euthanasia, in a country deeply marked by violence,” Monsignor Antonio Ceballos Escobar said in the statement.

The Catholic Church strongly opposes euthanasia because it considers it contrary to its position on human dignity. The Vatican published a document in 2020 reaffirming that it considers euthanasia an act of homicide, where people carry out a crime against life and take “the place of God” when deciding the moment of death. On the other hand, Catholics do believe in the power of medical professionals to care for and accompany the sick.

The televised report alerted the committee that had approved the case: the patient seemed to be “more functional than what she herself and her relatives reported” in the consultations carried out during the request process. After a new neurological examination on Oct. 6, the Colombian Institute of Pain, Incodol — the center in charge of performing Sepúlveda’s euthanasia — announced the procedure’s cancellation on the night of Oct. 8.

The cancellation became a national scandal. “In the city of Medellín, Colombia, [Incodol] decided to cancel Mrs. Martha Lidia Sepúlveda’s assisted death. Her case went viral after being featured in a television news story,” said journalist Mónica Garza on Twitter.

“The Ministry of Health later said that the Constitutional Court has not notified it of the July decision. So, its legal effects are not yet in force,” Mariano Bustillo, a Colombian constitutional attorney, told Zenger.

“That is false. Although [it is true that] the Constitutional Court has not directly notified the affected entities, it still made its decision public through a statement and, therefore, the sentence became effective the day after it was voted,” he said.

“Despite the influence of the Catholic Church, which publicly urged Ms. Sepúlveda to recant, the majority of Colombian society approves of … euthanasia. Perhaps what had such an impact in Mrs. Sepúlveda’s case was the television story where she spoke so openly about her decision to die with dignity, despite being able to move and to go out on the streets,” Sandra Gaviria, a Colombian sociologist specializing in religion, told Zenger.

Gaviria believes that the Colombian government may be just supporting its agencies — the Ministry of Health — through its statements, but it is risking people’s rejection.

“Colombia was at the leading edge of South America when it legalized euthanasia, but it all turns into hypocrisy” with Sepúlveda’s case, Camilo Arias, a Colombian sociologist, told Zenger. “The patient’s family is to blame for not preventing public notoriety. Unfortunately, the center’s refusal to perform the procedure has become international news because of government decisions,” he said.

Finally, after three weeks under the public spotlight, the 20th Court of Medellín ordered that Martha Sepúlveda’s right to a “dignified death” be restored. The Court’s decision stated that the patient met the requirements to undergo euthanasia, even when the medical committee had reversed her choice. It also determined a period of 48 hours, effective from Oct. 28, to schedule a new date and time according to the patient’s will.

In a letter addressing the judge and Incodol officials, Sepúlveda expressed her gratitude for the court’s decision. She also said that her choice to undergo euthanasia remained firm and that, as soon as she decided on a date to carry out the procedure, she would notify the authorities to make the arrangements.

While Martha Sepúlveda’s case occupies Colombia’s headlines, legislation on euthanasia is moving forward in other Latin American countries. The Mexican Congress is debating a bill on the topic. The discussion has already reached the Senate in Chile, and Argentines are pushing the issue, hoping for Congress to address it.

Translated by Gabriela Alejandra Olmos, Edited by Gabriela Alejandra Olmos and Kristen Butler



The post Martha Sepúlveda’s Case Revitalizes Euthanasia Debate In Colombia appeared first on Zenger News.

Killer Bill: Quentin Tarantino To Auction 7 Uncut ‘Pulp Fiction’ Scenes

Aadhityan A
-
0
Killer Bill: Quentin Tarantino To Auction 7 Uncut ‘Pulp Fiction’ Scenes

By Abigail Klein Leichman

The award-winning director-screenwriter-producer Quentin Tarantino announced that he’s going to auction off seven uncut “Pulp Fiction” scenes as Secret NFTs.

NFTs (non-fungible tokens) are encrypted units that each represent a specific image, in contrast to cryptocurrency tokens that are alike.

Each NFT contains one or more previously unknown secrets of a specific iconic scene from the Academy Award-winning Tarantino film “Pulp Fiction,” one of the most influential movies of the ’90s.

The content is viewable only by the owner of the NFT and has never been seen or heard before, said Tarantino, who recently won a lifetime achievement award at the Rome Film Festival.

The scenes will include audio commentary from Tarantino as well as original scripts. (Tarantino NFTs/Twitter)

Content up for auction will include, for instance, the uncut first handwritten scripts of “Pulp Fiction” and exclusive custom commentary from Tarantino.

Secret Network

The NFTs are built on Secret Network, described as the first Layer 1 blockchain with privacy-by-default for applications.

SCRT Labs, the core development company behind Secret Network, will support this NFT drop. The initial auctions will occur on OpenSea, the world’s largest NFT marketplace.

“Secret Network and Secret NFTs provide a whole new world of connecting fans and artists,” Tarantino said. “I’m thrilled to be a part of that.”

Secret NFTs enable NFTs, for the first time ever, to contain both public and private metadata. The owner may keep the content secret forever or share the encrypted secrets selectively or publicly.

The public metadata of the NFT — the “front cover” of this exclusive content — is rare in its own right: a unique, never-before-seen, public-facing work of art.

The Tel Aviv connection

“NFTs could be the most disruptive technology to come out of this decade,” said Guy Zyskind, co-founder of Secret Network and CEO of SCRT Labs.

The company is based in Tel Aviv and its staff is comprised of MIT alumni and veterans of elite cyber units in the Israeli military.

Tarantino, too, is based in Tel Aviv — at least most of the time. He and his wife, Israeli singer and model Daniella Pick, and their toddler reportedly reside in a luxury duplex penthouse apartment in the northern neighborhood of Ramat Aviv.

The filmmaker said the Secret NFTs are a way for him to engage in “exploring new exciting mediums” to express his artistic style and ideas and to “share powerful, never seen before materials” from his iconic 1994 dark comedy.

Potential use cases

There are lots of potential uses for Secret NFTs aside from revealing never-before-seen scenes from popular films.

“The art community is alive with innovation and the media is actively exploring all the potential use cases associated with the technology,” Zyskind said.

In the art world, Secret NFTs could be used to set up private galleries, maintain financial privacy for artists, or conduct sealed bid auctions. Digital media could use Secret NFTs to create watermarked content or to protect exclusive or gated content.

Game producers could use Secret Network to create “loot boxes” with mystery content, deploy playable trading card games with hidden traits, or design role-playing games with enhanced strategic gameplay.

In the “real” world, Secret NFTs could be used to represent digital ID cards and passports with hidden personal information, receipts for luxury items and properties, and ticketing systems for events.

For more information on Secret NFTs, click here.

Produced in association with Israel21C.



The post Killer Bill: Quentin Tarantino To Auction 7 Uncut ‘Pulp Fiction’ Scenes appeared first on Zenger News.

Potential ALS Drug Gets Boost Toward Preclinical Trials

Aadhityan A
-
0
Potential ALS Drug Gets Boost Toward Preclinical Trials

By Abigail Klein Leichman

A new class of small molecules for treating amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, and other neurodegenerative diseases, is being developed at Neuromagen Pharma of Beersheva with several million dollars in seed money raised from local private investors.

“Currently there are no drugs available to treat ALS, so our drug candidate presents a new treatment paradigm and could be both first and best-in-class,” said Dr. Gil Ben-Menachem, founder and chief executive officer of Neuromagen.

The preclinical-stage company — whose name means “neuro shield” in Hebrew — was incubated at the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) Oazis accelerator and venture builder.

It grew out of research conducted by BGU professor Esther Priel and her team at the university’s Laboratory for Nucleic Acids Topology. She is the company’s co-founder and chief scientific officer.

Priel and her team have published papers describing how the family of novel small molecules they developed activates the transcription of a major surviving enzyme, telomerase reverse transcriptase, which protects and rehabilitates neuronal cells.

When tested in ALS animal models, these drug candidates demonstrated delayed onset as well as delayed progression of the disease, and increased survival of the neurons by 60 percent.

Neuromagen Pharma’s drug is not expected to be a cure; the goal is to delay the onset and progression of neurodegenerative diseases, thereby improving the quality and length of life for individuals with such diseases.

Ben-Menachem said the funding “will enable us to jumpstart the company and initiate the preclinical work towards developing our promising drug candidates.” This work is a step that is necessary before proceeding to human clinical trials for regulatory approval.

In December, the company will present its findings at the virtual 32nd International Symposium on ALS/MND.

ALS “is characterized by a progressive degeneration of motor nerve cells in the brain (upper motor neurons) and spinal cord (lower motor neurons,” the Johns Hopkins Medicine website says. “When the motor neurons can no longer send impulses to the muscles, the muscles begin to waste away (atrophy), causing increased muscle weakness.”

The disease affects  as many as 30,000 in the United States, with 5,000 new cases diagnosed each year. Most people who develop ALS are between the ages of 40 and 70, although the disease can occur at a younger age, according to Johns Hopkins. ALS is most common among people over age 60.

In the majority of cases, it is not yet known what causes the disease, the Johns Hopkins website says.

Produced in association with Israel21C.



The post Potential ALS Drug Gets Boost Toward Preclinical Trials appeared first on Zenger News.

1...323334...196Page 33 of 196