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That Time My Daughter Was On Medicaid – ChicagoNow (blog)

Posted: July 2, 2017 at 6:47 pm

Health care. Unless you live in a cave without wifi, you've heard the familiar rumblings of our elected officials holding the fate of every American citizen in their hands while they decide what to do about it. I have a lot of thoughts about how something that impacts so many could be determined by thirteen white men in DC (and, yes, the fact that they are white men is relevant and worth noting), a lot of thoughts, but instead, I will share the story of my daughter being a Medicaid recipient.

Once upon a time, March 23, 2007 to be precise, my not quite two year old daughter Donna was diagnosed with a brain tumor. My husband and I both worked at the time, he at a job he had been at for five years and me at a job I had been at for nine years. I was thrilled to be able to transition to part-time hours after my girl was born and felt lucky most every day. Our family benefited from generous employer provided benefits.

I needed to exit my position when it became clear that the care our girl would require would prevent me from being available to work on any consistent basis. After diagnosis and her initial surgery to remove the tumor, our girl relapsed six weeks later. That resulted in another hastily scheduled brain surgery and the need for chemotherapy that would require hospital stays of 3-7 days twice monthy for an unspecified time. We needed to tighten our belts a bit, but we could and did.

Many cancers are understood adequately enough to follow a treatment protocol. If you have a boy with leukemia, you know that he will be in treatment for three to three and a half years. A dear friend who cares for a daughter with a brain tumor learned a couple of years post diagnosis that her girl would need to receive a new regimen of chemotherapy once a week for 52 weeks. Now, none of these protocol are set in stone, as at any time, something could happen that would require changes -- the cancer could return, metasticize, infection could set in, the chemo could stop working.

For the cancer my daughter had, papillary meningioma, no such treatment protocol exists. Not enough research has been done to understand it -- actually, nothing more than anecdotal studies have been published about this particular type of brain cancer and no research or funds are devoted to better understanding it. As the docs explained, that was both good and bad. Bad because, well, there was no plan, and good because, well, they could try what they had and hope for the best, as nothing out there suggested it would not work. Donna's doctors chose hope and we did, too.

Initially, Donna's cancer responded to treatment incredibly well. Lesions in her lungs were erased (Donna's cancer had metasticized) and there was no sign of any returning tumor growth in her brain. The joy and relief we felt compensated for the days of suffering Donna experienced using a chemo cocktail an oncologist friend described as a "sledgehammer."

Each cycle required a five day inpatient stay followed by discharge to home followed by the onset of neutropenia followed by a second monthly hospitalization for IV antibiotics to combat any chance of infection setting in and wreaking havoc. Two weeks of the month were spent inpatient, one week spent post-chemo feeling like hell, and one blessed week a month where we could enjoy relative good health and engage in things two year olds like to do -- parks, zoo, playing outside.

We did this for six months, not knowing month to month if we would keep doing it, as we never knew if it would stop working or if it would become too toxic. After six months it did. Donna's kidneys began to fail, hit particularly hard by the chemo. The treatment team advised she stop the protocol, extract healthy cells via harvest, then have a stem cell transplant (or two, depending on whether or not she survived the first, and no, I am not joking) to provide what they hoped would be the final blow to her cancer.

A stem cell transplant is to chemo what a marathon is to a 5K.

Donna during her stem cell harvest in 10/2007.

All of this happened prior to the Affordable Care Act and an Obama presidency. My husband and I, despite being grateful for the insurance we had, were running a silent tally in our heads. Each hospital stay came with a mental $CA-CHING$ echoing in our heads. Each home health visit to access her port, each surgery, each pink plastic bowl used to catch toxic vomit was adding up. It was a pressure we lived with but didn't share. The health of our girl was consuming, so we back-burnered the worry of Donna's $2 million lifetime insurance cap, but knew we were inching closer to it every day.

In a collective fog, we marched towards Donna's stem cell transplant, only to come to a screeching halt when it was denied by our insurance carrier. In December of 2007 our family was lucky enough to live in a state and in a time that insurance was mandated for children. When our employer provided insurance denied the recommended stem cell transplant and then denied our appeal, the hospital suggested we apply for Medicaid for Donna under Illinois' All Kids program. They walked our upper middle class, naive selves through the process.

Each month a little slip of paper came in the mail that allowed Donna to access her oncologist recommended treatment. It was her Medicaid slip that held the particular sequence of letters and numbers that acted as a key to her potential health and well being. It was used exclusively during the time of her stem cell transplant and recovery, as our insurer made clear nothing related to a stem cell transplant would be eligible for coverage.

Donna's single stem cell transplant cost well over $600K. We were grateful that Medicaid covered the transplant for a couple of reasons -- 1) simply because it would be paid for without us losing our home or financial stability, and 2) because that $600K+ would have taken Donna dangerously close to her $2 million lifetime insurance cap. The short period that Donna was on Medicaid acted as a reprieve to our worries about Donna maxing out her lifetime insurance cap before reaching the age of three.

I remember the day the Affordable Care Act passed and the day the Supreme Court upheld it. While it no longer impacted our girl who died before it was passed, I celebrated for the hundreds of children and families I knew who lived with pediatric cancer and its devastating impact, both emotional and financial. I celebrated that these kids lucky enough to survive their cancer could never, ever again be denied for having had the misfortune of having a pre-existing condition. I celebrated that they would be allowed to enjoy their parent's insurance coverage until age 26. I celebrated that they would be relieved of the burden of a lifetime cap. These are good, important measures for quality of life that have nothing to do with whether you vote red or blue.

While Vice President Pence extols the virtues of "personal responsibility" and Kellyanne Conway advises people to get a job with employer provided benefits rather than rely on Medicaid, too many Americans know the reality of why that approach to health care does not scratch the surface of reality. That approach deems to separate the "deserving" poor from the "undeserving" poor. That approach does not take into account the reality of average Americans living with catastrophic illness, working jobs that do not provide a living wage, let alone health benefits, or the often random nature of illness, unemployment, and falling on hard times. My upper middle class, white lady, married, respectable, employed self needed and benefited from Medicaid when it covered our daughter after our for profit insurer denied her.

We are at the cusp of moving backwards on health care in America, dangling over a proverbial cliff that will put so many fellow Americans in harm's way. Medicaid benefits vulnerable people that you know and love -- parents and grandparents in nursing homes, veterans, children, 50% of every baby born here, people living with mental illness, people living with addiction, people living with catastrophic illness not covered by their insurance. You may never have used Medicaid yourself, but you can never claim you will never need it because, well, life.

Call your senators. Today. Now. You can find their number HERE. Tell them Donna sent you.

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GGC Graduates Two from Medical Genetics Training Program – Index-Journal

Posted: July 2, 2017 at 6:47 pm

Greenwood Genetic Center (GGC) recently recognized Kasia Ellsworth, PhD, and Catie Spellicy, PhD upon their completion of laboratory fellowships in Clinical Molecular Genetics and Genomics.

Dr. Ellsworth earned a PhD in Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics from Mayo Clinic College of Medicine in Rochester, Minnesota. After finishing a Clinical Biochemical Genetics fellowship at GGC in 2016, she remained at the Center to complete a second fellowship in Clinical Molecular Genetics and Genomics. Dr. Ellsworth has joined GGCs DNA Diagnostic Laboratory as a Clinical Molecular Specialist.

Dr. Spellicy earned a PhD in Human and Molecular Genetics at the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston (UTHSCH). Prior to enrolling in GGCs program, she also completed two postdoctoral fellowships, the first studying neural tube defects, also at UTHSCH, and the second at Baylor College of Medicine where she studied the genetics of addiction. In July, she will join Mission Fullerton Genetics Laboratory in Asheville, NC as a Clinical Molecular Geneticist.

GGCs two-year fellowships include intensive training in laboratory technologies, clinical genetics and diagnostic laboratory management. GGC is one of only 44 sites in the US and the only program in SC offering this post-graduate genetics training programs in all specialty areas.

+2

Since GGCs program began in 1989, nearly 40 fellows and residents have completed the training and have gone on to practice medical genetics or lead diagnostic laboratories.

Submitted by Lori Bassett

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Dogs have their day at conference – Otago Daily Times

Posted: July 2, 2017 at 6:47 pm

Dogs outnumbered students at the University of Otago yesterday.

Pooches ranging from pugs to boisterous Labradors had their mouths swabbed for DNA on the Dunedin campus grounds as part of a project to gather information on the connection between canine behaviour and genetics.

A large bag of treats proved enough to keep most of the dogs under control - although Yiwen Zheng could not stop her dog Huahua from eating the swab.

The dog gathering signalled the start of a Genetics Society of Australasia conference in conjunction with the New Zealand Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology which will draw about 250 delegates to the University of Otago this week.

Darwin Dogs project leader Dr Elinor Karlsson said she expected New Zealand dogs would have different characteristics from the thousands of dogs which had been tested by the citizen-led project in America since it started in 2015.

''New Zealand will have a lot stronger working dog origins. A lot of dogs were bought over here for sheep herding, and at the same time when the Europeans showed up there were already dogs here, so you have the dogs Maori had and presumably those genetics are still in the New Zealand dog population.''

Athleticism, determination and curiosity were obvious traits in the Dunedin dogs, as more than a few slipped their leads to make new canine friends.

While it was too early to conclude the genetic basis of a dog's behaviour, the study had revealed an interesting connection between dogs and humans, Dr Karlsson said.

''I think you can ask any dog owner this, and they probably agree, but it turns out that people and dogs just aren't as different sometimes as we like to think.''

The presentation and treatment of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) in humans and canines was one example.

''When comparing dogs with OCD with ones that didn't have it, we found that the genes we were honing in on were in the same kind of pathways in the brain as what we saw when we looked at people with OCD.''

Like humans, when a dog developed OCD it would perform a normal behaviour too often, and the condition was treated with the same drugs in humans and dogs, Dr Karlsson said.

University of Otago department of geology lecturers Dr Christina Riesselman and Dr Chris Moy hoped the project would offer some answers on the behaviour of their golden retriever Arlo.

Arlo made more of a meow than a bark and favoured a particular ''security blanket'', Dr Riesselman said.

Conference organiser and University of Otago centre for genetics Prof Peter Dearden said he hoped to find out the breed of his dog Barkley, who looked like a ''lab crossed with a pony''.

Dr Karlsson opened the conference with a talk about the Darwin Dogs project last night.

The health and histories of New Zealand populations using evolutionary genomics, conservation and genetics and molecular research will be among the other topics discussed at the conference.

margot.taylor@odt.co.nz

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Fundraising page set up in memory of Nottingham’s Maid Marian – Nottingham Post

Posted: July 2, 2017 at 6:47 pm

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A fundraising page set up in memory of Nottingham's official Maid Marian will support a range of cancer and end of life charities.

Dr Sally Pollard died on Friday, June 16, aged just 39 after losing her battle with breast cancer.

Sally was a lecturer and researcher in human molecular genetics at The University of Nottingham.

She was diagnosed with the disease in July 2015 after she started noticing changes in her breasts. She visited her local GP and specialists confirmed the devastating news that it had spread to her bones and liver.

Sally and her husband Tim Pollard - the city's official Robin Hood - received help from a number of charities, including Macmillan Cancer Support, during her fight against the disease.

As a 'thank you' for that support, Tim set up a Go Fund Me page to raise money for Macmillian Cancer Support, the Red Cross, Nottingham City Hospital's Hayward House Specialist Palliative Care Unit, Nottingham and Treetops Hospices and Maggie's Nottingham on Friday (June 30).

Tim asked loved ones to donate to the Sally Pollard's Thank You Fund instead of having flowers at Sally's funeral, and by Sunday (July 2) afternoon 985 had already been raised.

The 53-year-old, who lives in Beeston, is overwhelmed by the "brilliant" support.

He said: "The help that Sal got was second to none. It was lovely care from all of the organisations involved.

"She really wanted to stay at home if possible and thankfully, with the help of the Red Cross and both of the Nottingham hospices - especially our Macmillan nurse, who was just brilliant - we managed.

"When the time came, she was at home surrounded by everybody that loved her and that meant everything to her - that's a simple thing but it's an important thing. If we can raise some money to help someone have a bit of extra care and help from the people that helped us that's brilliant."

Sally's funeral will be held in private but Tim will be celebrating her life with family and friends at the Nottingham Riverside Festival, which was "always Sal's favourite".

The three-day festival, held on Victoria Embankment, starts on Friday, August 4, which would have been Sally's 40th birthday.

Tim said: "This year would have been her 40th birthday. We're turning Riverside into 'Sal Fest' so that anybody who knows or loves Sal can come down and make it a big celebration."

Last month, Tim told The Post that a tree will be planted over Sally's final resting place.

It will be called 'Mummy's Tree' and will be a place that Tim and the couple's three-year-old daughter Scarlett can visit regularly.

You can find the Sally Pollard's Thank You Fund page here.

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Genetic Testing for the Healthy – Harvard Medical School (registration)

Posted: July 2, 2017 at 6:47 pm

Whole genome sequencing involves the analysis of all three billion pairs of letters in an individuals DNA and has been hailed as a technology that will usher in a new era of predicting and preventing disease.

However, the use of genome sequencing in healthy individuals is controversial because no one fully understands how many patients carry variants that put them at risk for rare genetic conditions and how theyand their doctorswill respond to learning about these risks.

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In a new paper published June 26 in the Annals of Internal Medicine by investigators at Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Womens Hospital, along with collaborators at Baylor College of Medicine, report the results of the four-year, NIH-funded MedSeq Project, the first-ever randomized trial conducted to examine the impact of whole genome sequencing in healthy primary care patients.

In the MedSeq Project, 100 healthy individuals and their primary care physicians were enrolled and randomized so that half of the patients received whole genome sequencing and half did not.

Nearly 5,000 genes associated with rare genetic conditions were expertly analyzed in each sequenced patient, and co-investigators from many different disciplines, including clinical genetics, molecular genetics, primary care, ethicsand law, were involved in analyzing the results.

Researchers found that among the 50 healthy primary care patients who were randomized to receive genome sequencing, 11 (22 percent) carried genetic variants predicted to cause previously undiagnosed rare disease.

Two of these patients were then noted to have signs or symptoms of the underlying conditions, including one patient who had variants causing an eye disease called fundus albipunctatus, which impairs night vision.

This patient knew he had difficulty seeing in low-light conditions but had not considered the possibility that his visual problems had a genetic cause.

Another patient was found to have a genetic variant associated with variegate porphyria, which finally explained the patients and family members mysterious rashes and sun sensitivity.

The other nine participants had no evidence of the genetic diseases for which they were predicted to be at risk. For example, two patients had variants that have been associated with heart rhythm abnormalities, but their cardiology workups were normal. It is possible, but not at all certain, that they could develop heart problems in the future.

Sequencing healthy individuals will inevitably reveal new findings for that individual, only some of which will have actual health implications, said lead author Jason Vassy,an HMS assistant professor of medicine at Brigham and Womens and primary care physician at the VA Boston Healthcare System.

This study provides some reassuring evidence that primary care providers can be trained to manage their patients sequencing results appropriately, and that patients who receive their results are not likely to experience anxiety connected to those results. Continued research on the outcomes of sequencing will be needed before the routine use of genome sequencing in the primary care of generally healthy adults can be medically justified, Vassy said.

Primary care physicians received six hours of training at the beginning of the study regarding how to interpret a specially designed, one-page genome testing report summarizing the laboratory analysis.

Consultation with genetic specialists was available, but not required. Primary care physicians then used their own judgment about what to do with the information, and researchers monitored the interactions for safety and tracked medical, behavioral and economic outcomes.

The researchers noted that they analyzed variants from nearly 5,000 genes associated with rare genetic diseases. These included single genes causing a significantly higher risk for rare disorders than the low-risk variants for common disorders reported by direct-to-consumer genetic testing companies. No prior study has ever examined healthy individuals for pathogenic (high-risk) variants in so many rare disease genes.

We were surprised to see how many ostensibly healthy individuals are carrying a risk variant for a rare genetic disease, said Heidi Rehm, HMS associate professor of pathology at Brigham and Women's anddirector of the Laboratory for Molecular Medicine at Brigham and Women's.

We found that about one-fifth of this sample population carried pathogenic variants, and this suggests that the potential burden of rare disease risk throughout our general population could be far higher than previously suspected,said Rehm, a co-investigator on the study who directed the genome analysis.However, the penetrance, or likelihood that persons carrying one of these variants will eventually develop the disease, is not fully known.

Additionally, investigators compared the two arms of the studyand found that patients who received genome sequencing results did not show higher levels of anxiety. They did, however, undergo a greater number of medical tests and incurred an average of $350 more in health care expenses in the six months following disclosure of their results. The economic differences were not statistically significant with the small sample size in this study.

Because participants in the MedSeq Project were randomized, we could carefully examine levels of anxiety or distress in those who received genetic risk information and compare it to those who did not, said Amy McGuire,director of the Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy at Baylor College of Medicine.

While many patients chose not to participate in the study out of concerns about what they might learn, or with fears of future insurance discrimination, those who did participate evinced no increase in distress, even when they learned they were carrying risk variants for untreatable conditions, saidMcGuire, who supervised the ethical and legal components of the MedSeq Project.

There has also been great concern in the medical community about whether primary care physicians can appropriately manage these complicated findings. But when a panel of expert geneticists reviewed how well the primary care physicians managed the patients with possible genetic risk variants, the experts determined that only two of the 11 cases were managed inappropriately and that no harm had come to these patients.

MedSeq Project investigators note that the studys findings should be interpreted with caution because of the small sample size and because the study was conducted at an academic medical center where neither the patients nor the primary care physicians are representative of the general population. They also stressed that carrying a genetic risk marker does not mean that patients have or will definitely get the disease in question. Critical questions remain about whether discovering such risk markers in healthy individuals will actually provide health benefits, or will generate unnecessary testing and subsequent procedures that could do more harm than good.

Integrating genome sequencing and other -omics technologies into the day-to-day practice of medicine is an extraordinarily exciting prospect with the potential to anticipate and prevent diseases throughout an individuals lifetime, said senior author Robert C. Green, HMSprofessor of medicineat Brigham and Womens Hospital,associate member of the Broad Institute of Harvard and MITandleader ofthe MedSeq Project. But we will need additionalrigorously designed and well-controlled outcomes studies like the MedSeq Project with larger sample sizes and with outcomes collected over longer periods of time to demonstrate the full potential of genomic medicine.

The MedSeq Project is one of the sites in the Clinical Sequencing Exploratory Research Consortium and was funded by the National Human Genome Research Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health.

The Genomes2People Research Program at Brigham and Womens Hospital, the Broad Institute and Harvard Medical School conducts empirical research in translational genomics and health outcomes. NIH-funded research within G2P seeks to understand the medical, behavioral and economic impact of using genetic risk information to inform future standards. The REVEAL Study has conducted several randomized clinical trials examining the impact of disclosing genetic risk for a frightening disease. The Impact of Personal Genomics (PGen) Study examined the impact of direct-to-consumer genetic testing on over 1,000 consumers of two different companies. The MedSeq Project has conducted the first randomized clinical trial to measure the impact of whole genome sequencing on the practice of medicine. The BabySeq Project is recruiting families of both healthy and sick newborns into a randomized clinical trial where half will have their babys genome sequenced. Green directs the Program.

Adapted from a Brigham and Women's news release.

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The Passions of Nazneen Rahman – San Francisco Classical Voice

Posted: July 2, 2017 at 6:47 pm


San Francisco Classical Voice
The Passions of Nazneen Rahman
San Francisco Classical Voice
She completed her degree in medicine at Oxford University in 1991, undertook training as a resident in Oxford and London, and earned a Ph.D. in Molecular Genetics in 1999. Today, she is Professor Rahman, age 50, head of the Division of Genetics and ...

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Stem cells: JP2MRI, CET discover safer, more ethical biotechnology – Sioux City Catholic Globe

Posted: July 2, 2017 at 6:45 pm

By RENEE WEBB rwebb@catholicglobe.org

As the use of stem cell research and therapy continues to expand, one medical research institute located in Iowa strives to uphold Catholic teachings in bioethics.

The John Paul II Medical Research Institute (JP2MRI), a non-profit of Iowa City, was founded by Dr. Alan Moy in 2007 to address a shortcoming when it came to pro-life values being upheld concerning a variety of medical practices and issues. The doctor also is co-founder and CEO of Cellular Engineering Technologies (CET), a for-profit biotechnology company that manufactures commercial adult stem cells and other biotechnology products.

He explained that JP2MRI was founded a year after starting CET to advance the application of adult stem technology to clinical applications in the area of neurodegenerative disease, rare disease, cancer and chronic diseases of unmet needs or in underperformed diseased areas. His concern was that the United States was falling behind other countries in the area of adult stem cell research.

Recently, through collaborative research by JP2MRI and CET, a new method for creating safer induced pluripotent stem cells, or iPSC, for clinical use was discovered.

We started work in traditional adult stem cells over a decade ago, Moy explained. The controversy was that among the secular scientific community, adult stem cells were viewed as inferior to embryonic stem cells because they could not convert or differentiate into the variety of cells that embryonic stem cells could.

When iPSC technology was discovered by a Japanese Nobel laureate scientist about 10 years ago, it was an ethical alternative to embryonic stem cells. iPSC are noncontroversial adult stem cells that are genetically reprogrammed into embryonic-like stem cells without using human embryos.

But that technology had inherent safety issues just like embryonic stem cells. Most embryonic stem cells and iPS cells have the risk of causing tumors because of their genetic instability, Moy said. What we worked on was trying to reduce the tumor risk.

Building on the original iPSC technology, JP2MRI and CET developed a method by using a variety of chemicals to replace known cancer-causing genes in the process.

Now we have an iPS technology that is safer, said Moy, who noted an added benefit is potential reduced cost in drug development.

Potential applications

He spoke about practical applications of this technology such as expanding the use of stored cord blood stem cells for future medical treatment if a disease develops in the child.

We have a means where we can take the cord blood and make an iPS cell which can have lifelong utility and diversity, Moy added.

For those who do not have stored cord blood, he said all is not lost as blood can be drawn and stored for people to create their own iPS cell for future use.

This technology can also provide a viable alternative to embryonic stem cells and aborted fetal tissue that are currently used by the pharmaceutical industry, noted Moy, to produce vaccines, gene therapy, cell therapy and protein therapeutics.

Right now with protein manufacturing, half of it is done using animal cells to produce human proteins, he explained. The problem is some of the human proteins that are produced have some minor animal characteristics and they are not entirely human so there is a push to produce purely human proteins out of human cells. Unfortunately, the vast majority of human cell lines used in protein manufacturing or in vaccine development are derived from aborted fetal tissue.

Moy anticipates there will increasingly be a movement to shift toward human cell manufacturing, and if we dont come up with non-controversial human cells, we are going to have a lot of controversial human protein therapeutics, gene therapies and vaccines that will be distributed at hospitals that must be administered by doctors.

Morals and ethics

This can create moral and ethical problems. Catholic hospitals and/or Catholic doctors will be forced to decide if they will use that type of product made with illicit cells.

We have to have alternative products that are equal or better than the products that are currently out there, said Moy.

The Catholic Church, as well as the average person, may not always be aware of the unethical nature of many of these products. Moy said he has been trying to communicate areas of concern to the Catholic community for years.

The evolution of biotechnology over decades has become secularized and the power is in the secularists, he said. Advancement of illicit-cell treatment and therapy is a serious potential threat to the Catholic health care system including Catholic hospitals and Catholics who are healthcare providers.

Moy feels strongly about Catholics and the church being pro-active in the bioethics arena.

The only way in which we can influence the biotechnology field is through innovation, he said. Through innovation, if you produce something they want that has technical advantage, then one can influence the direction of biotechnology. Pro-life individuals need to move from a passive bystander to an activist role.

That is part of the reason he founded the JP2MRI, which is grounded in a pro-life bioethics that respects the dignity of every human life. While more than 300 non-profit institutes and organizations engage in and support human embryonic stem cell research, JP2MRI seeks to find cures and therapies exclusively using a variety of adult stem cells and specifically the iPSC, which are derived from adult cells.

Moy said they are not only looking for ways to produce a variety of products using the safer iPS cells, but plan to license them so other scientists, companies and industries can take advantage of these cells to pursue more ethical biotechnology.

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Detroit Lions’ Paul Worrilow has beaten odds, inspires others to help – Detroit Free Press

Posted: July 2, 2017 at 6:45 pm

Free Press Lions beat writer Dave Birkett answers your Twitter questions in a video mailbag June 26, 2017, before summer vacation.

Detroit Lions linebacker Paul Worrilow with daughters Juliet, left, and Rowan, right.(Photo: Paul Worrilow)

Paul Worrilow has a great back story.

The veteran linebacker, who signed with the Lions in March, was undrafted out of Delaware.

He made the Atlanta Falcons, against all odds.

Cracked the starting lineup, against all odds.

Became the teams leading tackler, against all odds.

Stuck around for four seasons, against all odds.

But theres more.

Its a story about being selfless and thinking about others. Its a story that should be repeated, if only to inspire others to follow his lead.

More Lions news:

Detroit Lions CBs coach: Interceptions 'will come' for Darius Slay

And it started with a simple cheek swab.

Its so simple, Worrilow said.

When Worrilow was a sophomore at Delaware, he joined the Be The Match Foundation Registry, hoping to become a bone marrow donor.

Four months later, he was matched with a 23-year-old woman with leukemia.

Worrilow donated peripheral blood stem cells to the woman, although he doesnt know what happened to her. He doesnt know her name. He never has met her.

Its so simple, Worrilow said. They do a cheek swab. You get put in the database. If you match somebody, there are two ways to do it. You can donate actual bone marrow or do it like I did, peripheral blood stem cells.

Lions linebacker Paul Worrilow takes part in OTAs on Wednesday, May 24, 2017 at the Allen Park practice facility.(Photo: Kirthmon F. Dozier, Detroit Free Press)

About one in 40 registry members will be called for additional testing.

About one in 300 will be selected as the best possible donor for a patient.

And about one in 430 on the registry go on to donate bone marrow or peripheral blood stem cells.

Odds are, you never will be asked to donate.

But you just might give somebody hope.

Its so simple, Worrilow said. Its not painful. Its a small part of your time, to have a great impact, a tremendous impact on another person and their family. Its a no-brainer. You can have a great impact at such a small cost to yourself.

Worrilow is on a mission to let people know about it: The cool part about it is being able to share it (with people) who are ignorant to the process and their ability to help other people. Encouraging people. People who just dont know what Be The Match Foundation is. Or how you can help people with blood cancers, or how you can join.

Worrilow signed with the Lions during the off-season.

This team is tremendous, Worrilow said. The family-oriented vibe here. From the head coach, from the ownership on down, you can feel it. Its a family vibe. They look after you, care for you.

In June, during minicamp, Worrilow played weak-side linebacker. But he can also play in the middle.

Its going good, he said. There is a lot of competition. The team is great that way, pushing each other. Any action I can get on the field is exciting. When youre winning games, and everyones in here practicing hard, its just awesome.

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Worrilow has a track record for good tackling, but he has been criticized for his inability to cover.

If (the criticism) is there, its probably there for a reason, he said. Criticism, if it doesnt come from a bad place, it is probably warranted. And thats something I have to improve on. Thats with all parts of my game. I dont feel like I have played my best football yet.

Worrilow said he is adjusting to the Lions defense, making defensive calls.

Compared to the other places Ive played, there is a bigger volume of calls, he said. Thats something I like. Both linebackers do it. One guy has the indicator, but if you are not out there talking, you arent going to be out there.

And now, as he takes time off before training camp, he feels confident about himself and this team.

I dont feel like I could be in a better place, life-wise, work-wise, everything, he said. Its an encouraging place to come in and work every day. The linebacker group is awesome. Its young. Its competitive. Thats what you want.

So, this guy keeps breaking the odds.

Sticking in the NFL. And trying to use that platform to help others.

Trying to raise awareness.

Trying to encourage people to make a difference.

Trying to break the odds.

Help us, Detroit Lions: You are Detroit sports fans' only hope right now

For new Detroit Lions LB Paul Worrilow, dad duties come first

Contact Jeff Seidel: jseidel@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @seideljeff. To read his recent columns, go to freep.com/sports/jeff-seidel/.

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Lions LB Paul Worrilow Making A Difference On And Off The Field – FanRag Sports (blog)

Posted: July 2, 2017 at 6:45 pm

We know that Detroit Lions linebacker Paul Worrilow can play the game of football pretty well, but what you may not know is the kind of work he does off the field, according to Jeff Seidel of The Detroit Free Press.

During his sophomore year of college at the University of Delaware, Worrilow joined the Be The Match Foundation Registry to become a bone marrow donor.

Four months after doing so, he was matched with a 23-year-old woman who was dealing with leukemia.

While Worrilow does not know what happened to the woman and does not even know her name, he donated peripheral blood stem cells to her and said that the process is very quick and easy.

Its so simple. They do a cheek swab. You get put in the database, said Worrilow. If you match somebody, there are two ways to do it. You can donate actual bone marrow or do it like I did, peripheral blood stem cells.

Roughly one in 40 members will be called for additional testing, and only about one in 300 will be considered the best possible donor for a patient.

As far as actually donating peripheral blood stem cells or bone marrow, approximately one in 430 will do so.

Its not painful. Its a small part of your time, to have a great impact, a tremendous impact on another person and their family, said Worrilow. Its a no-brainer. You can have a great impact at such a small cost to yourself.

The Lions signed Worrilow, who played the first four years of his NFL career for the Atlanta Falcons, to a one-year deal this past March.

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Lions LB Paul Worrilow Making A Difference On And Off The Field - FanRag Sports (blog)

Posted in Delaware Stem Cells | Comments Off on Lions LB Paul Worrilow Making A Difference On And Off The Field – FanRag Sports (blog)

150 reasons why it’s better to be Canadian – Macleans.ca

Posted: July 2, 2017 at 6:43 pm

Living next to historys greatest cultural, military and economic superpower, Canada is constantly ribbed for being mediocre. While it can be hard to stand out next to our big, increasingly brash neighbour, the truth is, we like it here in the Great White North. As Canada celebrates its 150th birthday we dug into the numbers to find some of the many ways this countryis the best from sports and science, to politics and entertainment.

Life & well-being

Lewis Kent drinks a beer during the Beer Mile competition. (Damien Maloney)

1. We live a long time: Canadians born today will live an average of two years longer than the global average (close to 82 years in Canada versus 80). Meanwhile, 89% of Canadians reported being in good health, 20% above the average world-wide.

2.Our quality of life is tops: According to the U.S. News & World Report, our political and economic stability, solid job market and world-class public education system means our citizens should have the highest sense of well-being in the world. (Sadly, Switzerland bested us for the title of best country overall).

3. Saying Sorry is good for you: Canadians are mocked for always apologizing, but its not a character flaw. Saying sorry has been found to boost happiness and strengthen relationships. Researchers at the University of Waterloo even found apologizing to a cop when pulled over for speeding can get fines reduced an average of $51. True, scientists did recently claim that refusing to apologize for your actions leads to a sense of empowerment, but such short-sighted thinking would only appeal to self-centred Americans. (Sorry, that was mean.)

4. We truly are nice: At least on Twitter. Researchers from McMaster University looked at how Canadians and Americans engaged on Twitter and found that Canadians use much nicer language. While Canadians commonly used words like favourite, gorgeous, great, and amazing, Americans favoured more negative words like damn, hate, bored and annoying.

5. Our kids are all right: Canadas schools take heat from all sides, but they must be doing something right. Our 15-year-olds routinely score in the top 10 of 65 countries that participate in the OECDs reading, math and science tests. Last time around, in 2015, we were fourth, behind Singapore, Japan and Estonia.

Theres more: 6. Compared to our U.S. neighbours, we have a lower rate of suicide (11.1 per 100,000 people, versus 12 in the U.S.), 7. a lower rate of infant mortality (5.1 per 1,000 live births, versus 6.1 in the U.S.), 8.and our health care costs per person are much lower (US$4,569 per capita in Canada, versus $9,086 in the U.S.). 9.We also offer better parental leave(new mothers and fathers can take up to 18 months of leave, versus just three unpaid months in the U.S.). 10.More of our marriages last: For every 1,000 population in the U.S., 3.6 marriages end in divorce annually, compared to 2.1 in Canada. 11.Poor kids are likely to attend university or college here: By age 19 to 21 roughly 54 per cent of Canadian youth from low-income families are enrolled in post-secondary education, compared to just 30 per cent of the poorest youth in America.

12. Were quitting smoking: Only 17.7 per cent of men smoke tobacco, according to World Health Organization data for 2015, ranking us country 14th-lowest out of 129 countries, ahead of the U.S. (21st), United Kingdom (22nd), France (59th) and Jordan (128th), whose males are nearly four times more likely to take the cancer-causing puffs as Canadas. Our women rank 81st in the WHO report, but thats largely because women in less industrialized states are less likely to smokeand at 12.2 per cent, Canadian women are wiser about staying away from cigarette packs than their husbands, brothers and dads.

13. You can grow old here comfortably: Canada was ranked 5th best out of 91 countries for elderly treatment, ahead of Switzerland, New Zealand and the U.S.

14. And Canadian retirees are the happiest in the world, second only to those in Mexico.

15. We have the most most liveable cities: Vancouver, Montreal, Ottawa, and Torontothey all made it into the top 25 on the 2017 Mercer list of most liveable cities in the world. Taken together, that means half of all Canadians enjoy some of the best city living there is.

16. Were well educated: Two-thirds of Canadians have a post-secondary degree or certificate, compared to the average of 40 per cent for the developed world. That puts us third, after Japan and Korea, for most educated population in the world.

17. Were not prudish: The Pew Research Centre surveyed 40,117 respondents in 40 and found that found 85 per cent of Canadians believe sex between an unmarried man and woman is acceptable, compared to the global average of just 48.4 per cent.

18. We drink responsibly: Despite our reputation as beer guzzlers and whisky swiggers, Canadians drinking habits are more tame than the global average.

19. Were getting richer: The number of millionaires in Canada is expected to grow by at least 500,000 by 2021.

20. Were inclusive: Canada is the third most gay-friendly country, after Germany and Spain, according to a Pew Research study. In Canada, 80 per cent of people said society should accept gays and lesbians. In the U.S., just 60 per cent said the same.

21. Canadians are generous: Roughly 64 per cent of Canadians donate money to charitiesmore than all other countries, aside from Australia, New Zealand and Ireland. But compared to the front-runners, more Canadians are willing to help a stranger in need.

22. We have better work-life balance: Less than 4% of Canadian employees work more than 50 hours a week, far below the average of 13% across OECD countries.

23. Our homes are the most spacious: We have 2.5 rooms per person in Canada, the highest rate among OECD countries where the average is 1.8 rooms.

24. There are few, if any, countries more tolerant than Canada: According the Legatum Prosperity Index, Canadians enjoy more personal freedoms, including freedom of religion and expression, social tolerance and human rights, than every other country, besides Luxembourg.

Theres more: 25.That Legatumindex ranked Canada third, after Australia and New Zealand, on measures of social capital, i.e. the strength of our personal relationships, social network supports and civic participation. 26.Our knowledge is highly sought-after. Canada is the seventh most popular place in the world to study, with 263,800 foreign students pursuing post-secondary education in Canada in 2015 alone.

Money & work

27. Canada has strong economic freedom: So says the U.S.-based Heritage Foundation Index of Economic Freedom. Canada scores 6th place, while America comes in 10th. Credit our sounder public finances.

28. Our banks are sound: In Bloombergs annual ranking of the worlds strongest banks, Canada clinched four of the top 10 spots.

29. We have more social mobility: The Conference Board of Canada gave us an A in intergenerational income mobility, meaning that if youre born into poverty in Canada, you have a decent shot at becoming a high-income earning as an adult. Compared to the U.S., children born to poor parents in Canada are twice as likely to escape poverty. In other words, if you want the American Dream, move to Canada.

30. The money in your wallet is safe: Canadian currency once had a terrible reputation for being easy to counterfeit, but new polymer bills introduced by the Bank of Canada have hi-tech features that make them almost impossible to reproduce. Of the 500 million notes circulated since 2011, only 56 fakes have been seized. In the U.S., out of every one million banknotes in circulation, an estimated average of 6.5 are fakes.

31. Canada is the most politically and socially stable nation to crack the top ten list for biggest economies in the world.

32. Business is good: Canada cracked the top ten on Forbes annual Best Countries for Business ranking, ahead of Singapore, Luxembourg, Switzerland, and the United States.

33. Weve got great pensions: Canada consistently ranks in the top ten on the Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index, landing the number eight spot on the list in 2016. Our standing is expected to improve in coming years after the Canadian government, along with all provincial governments except Quebec, decided to expand the Canada Pension Plan starting in 2019.

Theres more: 34.Our corporate taxes are low (PricewaterhouseCoopers ranked Canada 8th out of 185 countries for its advantageous corporate tax structure). 35.We embrace transit: Seven of the 10 North American cities with the most people taking transit to work are in Canada.36. We get paid holidays: America has no mandated paid holidays or vacation time, so 23 per cent of U.S. workers get no paid time off, compared to Canadian workers who get at least two weeks and nine paid public holidays. 37.We have strong female workforce participation: Roughly 82 per cent of women work in Canada, up from 24 per cent in 1953. 38.Were (slowly) closing the gender wage gap. Canadian women earn 87 cents on the dollar compared to men. Its still not great, but its an improvement on the 77 cent to the dollar women made in 1981. Meanwhile, the global pay gap has been widening in recent years to 59 per cent. 39.More of our immigrants strike it rich: In both the U.S. and Canada the majority of millionaires are self-made, but a larger number in Canada are immigrants, according to a BMO studyin Canada nearly half of millionaires are immigrants or second-generation residents, compared to just one-third in America.

Arts & entertainment

Drake performs during OVO Fest at Molson Canadian Amphitheatre in Toronto, Aug. 3, 2015. (J. ADAM HUGGINS/New York Times/Redux)

40. Canadian musicians rule the charts: Drake set a recordthis year by having 21 of the top 50 streamed music tracks, according to Billboard. Who held the record before? Still Drake, with 20 of the top 50.

41. Were home to blockbusters:At one point last summer, the top two films at the U.S. Box OfficeSuicide Squad and Sausage Partywere both produced in Canada. A third film filmed in Canada, Star Trek Beyond, was number eight for ticket salesat the same time.

42. Our Indigenous music scene is mighty, with artists like Tanya Tagaq, A Tribe Called Red, Tomson Highway, Susan Aglukark, and Buffy Sainte-Marie representing Canadas ancestral roots on the international stage.

43. The Academy loves us: Canadians played pivotal roles in some of the biggest films of the last year, from Ryan Goslings role in La La Land, to the talented team of Montrealers Sylvain Bellemare, Patrice Vermette and Paul Hotte, who were behind the sound and visual production of Arrival.Canada alsodominates the Oscars animated short category.

44. Our opera house is tops: Theres no city in North America with an opera house to compare to the Four Seasons Centre in Toronto. Jack Diamond, who built it, was promptly handpicked by Valery Gergiev to build the new Mariinsky II theatre in St. Petersburg, Russia.

45. The best small-screen sci-fi is secretly Canadian: Continuum, Lost Girl, Haven and Orphan Black have all captured both record ratings and critics notoriously fickle hearts. All were (or are) filmed here, funded by our networks and starring a host of talented Canadian actors (albeit some of whom are masked in layers of monster makeup).

46. We help navigate urban spaces: Canadian designer, Paul Arthur, did more than anyone to make it easier to find your way around otherwise confusing urban spaces by essentially inventing the art of signage for Expo 67, including designing clear male/female pictographs for bathrooms:

47.Superman is half Canadian: The man in tights may be the quintessential American hero, but he wouldnt exist if not for Canadian artist Joe Shuster. While the character was written by American Jerry Siegel, Shuster is credited for giving him his signature blue tights and red cape.

48. Were responsible for some of the most prominent literary authors of our time: Margaret Atwood, Alice Munro, Miriam Toews, Yann Martel, Lawrence Hill, Emma Donoghue, and the list goes on.

49. Our broadcast TV doesnt have to treat adults like children: Maybe its because Americans are such sensitive folk, or its our ill-defined role as cultural bridge between the U.S. and Europe, but Canadian TV regularly gets away with showing things broadcast networks south of the border cant: nipples, F-bombs and the like. When The Sopranos aired unedited on CTV, executive producer David Chase said that could never happen on U.S. network TV: Its just not possible, we have rules against that.

50.Were big gamers: Roughly 20,400 people now work in Canadas gaming industry, making it the third largest in the world behind the United States and Japan. That also means itsthe largest gaming industry in the world on a per capitabasis.

51. Our special effects are the best: While demand for blockbuster visual effects in movies skyrockets, Californias special effects industry is collapsing. Why? They cant keep up with Canada (or Britain or Asia or New Zealand, but thats beside the point). In Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal and Winnipeg, visual effects artists have been taking over the design of explosions, gore and CGI monsters as our technical schools pump out skilled graduates.

Theres more: 52.Our filmmakers are wild: David Lynch, eat your heart out. Canadian movies are wilder and weirdernecrophilia in Kissed, David Cronenbergs car-crash fetishism and twin gynecologists, and Atom Egoyans films about father-daughter incest, a schoolgirl stripper, and a wife who hires a young hooker to test her husband. 53.Our filmmakers are worldly, too: Unlike Americans, who wait for the rest of the world to learn English, Canadians get Oscar nominations for foreign-language films, and not just ones in FrenchDeepa Mehtas Hindi-language Water was nominated in 2007. 54.We know our art: When museums want to tour their blockbuster exhibits, they know to stop here first. From the Picasso show at the AGO to Sebastio Salgados work at the ROM, Canada is the stop for top-tier North American premieres. 55.Our festivals rule: TIFF is by far North Americas most important film festival, and the worlds second-biggest after Cannes. 56.Hot Docs is North Americas biggest documentary festival. 57. Contact is the continents biggest photography festival. 58.Just For Laughs is the biggest comedy festival. 59.Montreals Jazz Festival is still the largest, with the most free concerts, the largest purpose-built downtown outdoor concert space and the most audacious programming. 60.ImagineNative is the worlds biggest Indigenous film and media arts festival. 61.And Torontos Caribana is the continents biggest Caribbean carnival.

Sports & leisure

Ottawa Redblacks wide receiver Jake Harty (8) and Redblacks linebacker Tanner Doll (52) celebrate their victory over the Calgary Stampeders during overtime CFL Grey Cup action Sunday, November 27, 2016 in Toronto. (Nathan Denette/CP)

62. We dominate hockey: Stanley Cups aside, hockey is still Canadas game. While the percentage of Canadians playing in the NHL has declined since the 1980s, Canadians still make up more than 50 per cent of all players in the league, including the worlds greatests: 63.Wayne Gretzky and 64.Sidney Crosby.

65. Football is better here: Since the late 1970s, the National Football League has been tweaking its rules to encourage more passingthat is, to make the U.S. game more exciting. Up here, we got it right the first time: a three-down game on a great, big field. So on second and 10, you can bet that ball will be in the air.

66. We were first to the races: When it comes to sporting events, Canada got off to an early start. Established in 1816, the Royal St. Johns Regatta is North Americas oldest annual sporting event. Hamiltons Around the Bay Race is North Americas longest distance road race, which began in 1894, beating Boston by three years. And this July Toronto plays host to the 158th running of the Queens Plate, the oldest continuously run stakes race on the continent.

67. We have great skiing: Canada is home to the best skiing in North America. The most popular ski resort, Whistler, trumps Americas most-visited resort, Vail, with more trails (200 vs. 193), longer runs (a total of 36,960 feet vs. 15,840 feet) and more snow (469 inches vs. 348 inches)

Weve invented some of the best sports on earth, including 68.Lacrosse, 69.ice hockey, 70.basketball,71.and dont forget five-pin bowling.

72. We made winters fun: Before it was a dynastic Canadian empire, Bombardier was known for inventing the Ski-Doo. In 1959, after decades of tinkering with snowmobile iterations, Joseph-Armand Bombardier completed the first Ski-Doo, which he personally delivered to a missionary in remote northern Ontario. The vehicle transformed life for northern arctic communitiesand made enduring rural winters more fun for every one.

73. We see the world: Last year Canadians took close to 12 million trips abroad to countries other than the U.S. Despite having a population nearly 10 times that of Canada, Americans made just 30 million trips overseas. The poor showing from U.S. travellers shouldnt be a surprise. While 65 per cent of Canadians hold a valid passport, only 35 per cent of Americans do.

74. We get outdoors: A survey by the Canadian Tourism Commission found that 30 per cent of Canadians consider themselves outdoor adventure enthusiasts.

75. Were plugged in: In Canada, 93.3 per cent of people surf the web, more than the U.S., Germany, France, Switzerland, the U.K. and Australia.

Environment & geography

76.Canada is the best place to ride out any impending climate change. UCLA geographer Laurence Smith has argued that by 2050 warming will unlock vast new resources and transform Canada into an economic superpower.

77. Less spin: Despite our proximity to the United States, we experience far fewer tornadoes. We average just 60 reports of twisters per year compared with the 1,200 confirmed tornado strikes in the U.S., the most of any country in the world. Only five per cent of our storms reach the EF-3 category of intensity, the level where winds of more than 220 km/h start tearing up buildings and trees. The U.S. gets about 37 such tornadoes annually, costing the country 80 lives.

78. Canada boasts some of the most beautiful skies in the world, with the Aurora Borealis lighting up the nights from August to April. The northern territories offer the most brilliant and frequent viewing opportunities, but its possible to catch occasional glimpses of the Northern Lights in nearly every province.

79. We have the highest tides in the world: The Bay of Fundy, between Nova Soctia and New Brunswick, sees the most dramatic tides in the world, with the difference in high and low tide reaching 16.3 meters.

80. We help repopulate endangered species: When the U.S. wants to help an animal species come back from the brink, they call on Canada. In 1995, dozens of grey wolves were captured in Alberta and shipped south to be let free in Yellowstone National Park, 72 years after the parks last wolf den was destroyed under a federal extermination plan. Alaska recently reintroduced wood bison, North Americas largest living land mammals, into the wilderness. The animals come from a captive herd started with Canadian animals.

81. Niagara Falls: We may share the falls with the States, but tourists will be wise to visit Canada to take in the view. Theres a reason why any photo you see of the natural wonder is captured from the Canadian side.

82. Water, water everywhere: With less than half a per cent of the worlds population, we have seven per cent of its renewable water supplythe most per inhabitant of any developed country. The supply for an average American is just 11 per cent of whats available to us.

83. Dinosaurs lived here: Not only did archaeologists uncover the largest-ever bed of dinosaur bones near Medicine Hat, Alta., in 2010, since then scientists re-examining old fossils identified a new species of spiky-headed dinosaur called Xenoceratops foremostensisor alien horned-face from Foremost. Canada is also home to the number one place on earth for sheer number of dino discoveries: 37 species have been found in Albertas Dinosaur Provincial Park.

84. We have rat-free zones: Alberta claims to be the only human-populated jurisdiction in the world that has zero rats, thanks to an intense political campaign launched 67 years ago to protect crops from the vermin.

85. We have less gravity: A certain lightness may come over you in some parts of Canada. Thats because we have areas, namely around Hudson Bay, where, because of how ice age glaciers formed in the area, gravity is slightly weaker than anywhere else in the world.

Theres more: 86.Canada has more lakes than the rest of the world combined, with fresh water accounting for 9% of the countrys total area. Theres nearly one lake for every ten people in Canada, and thats just counting freshwater bodies bigger than three square kilometres. 87.We have more coast to enjoy than all but five countries in the world, with 243,000 km of shoreline. 88.Canadian waters are home to approximately three-quarters of the worlds narwhals, about 80,000, making Canada the hood of arguably the freakiest sea mammal in existence. 89.According to the OECD Better Life Index our air is cleaner than the average in the developed world, and 90.so too is our water. While there are indeed water crises in communities across the country, about 89 per cent of Canadians report being satisfied with the quality of local water. Studies also show that most tap water in Canada is better quality than any bottled water on the market. 91.Weve got the best bling: Canada is the fifth largest diamond-producing country in the world, and given its rigorous environmental and labour standards, you can count on those gems being the most ethically-sourced of its competitors. 92.And bonus: Canadian bovine semen is world-class. Thats right. Our bull semen is the most coveted in the world, with the top performers delivering $50,000 worth of product in one shot.

Politics

93. Canada is one of the most peaceful places on earth. It was ranked eighth out of 163 countries on the Global Peace Index. Meanwhile, our North American neighbour was among the 50 least peaceful countries, taking the 114 spot on the list.

94. Our elections are fair and democratic: While voter turnout may be higher in the United States, its much more equitable in Canada, with broad social inclusion of both high-income and low-income voters. In Canada, voter turnout for the richest 20 per cent of the population is roughly 63 per cent, whereas the participation rate of the bottom 20 per cent is only slightly less, at 60 per cent. In the States, roughly 79 per cent of the wealthiest voters turn out to cast ballots, compared to just slightly more than half of the poorest voters.

95. Our politicians better represent the gender divide: Federally, women make up 27.2% of Parliament, compared to the global average where women represent just 22.8% of parliament members.

96. Our leader is internationally adored: While Canadians have reeled in their gushing over Justin Trudeau (to some extent), the rest of the world is still smitten with the charismatic, panda-snuggling feminist. In an Ipsos poll, even 40 per cent of Americans said theyd take Trudeau over Trump in the White House.

97. We have far fewer assassinations compared to other developed countries: Since Confederation, only three Canadian politicians have been assassinated, including two Fathers of Confederation: Thomas DArcy McGee was shot by a Fenian sympathizer in 1868; George Brown was shot in the leg by a former Globe employee in 1880 (the wound led to a fatal infection). Quebec minister of labour Pierre Laporte was kidnapped and assassinated by the FLQ in 1970. In the United States, a staggering 44 politicians have been assassinated, including four sitting presidents.

98.We support our troops: Fifty-eight per cent of Canadians believe we need to increase the size of our military, according to a poll conducted as part of The Canada Project.

99. We paved the way for marriage equality: The federal government legislated same-sex common law marriage in 1999, ahead of every other country. By 2005, same-sex marriage was legal in every province and territory.

100. Canada is a leader in gender rights: In 2002, The Northwest Territories was the first government in Canada to prohibit gender discrimination, and include gender identity in their Human Rights Code. Most other Canadian governments have since followed suit, including the federal government which passed Bill C-16 this spring. The legislation will amend the Canadian Human Rights Act and Criminal Code, making it illegal to discriminate based on gender identity or gender expression on provisions of housing, employment and social services.

101. Wewelcome refugees: A majority of Canadians think the country should accept more Syrian refugees, according to The Canada Project. Public opinion is often reversedin the United States.

Theres more: 102.We alsowelcome immigration: Canada gets 5.7 per 1,000 people, cracking the top 20 for most most migrants per capita ahead of Belgium, Australia, Sweden and the United States. 103.We have relatively few lobbyists: Weve seen an explosion in lobbying, but in Canada the ratio of lobbyists to senators and MPs is still 12 to 1, while in the U.S. the ratio of lobbyists to members of Congress is 23 to 1. Some estimate the U.S. ratio is as high as 65 to 1 since many lobbyists dont register. 104.We mandate a time for holding the governments feet to the fire: Sure, question period has degenerated in recent years, but nothing like it exists in the U.S. political system. 105.You dont have to be rich to run for the highest office in the land: Australia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and Turkey have no spending or donations restrictions, while Finland and the U.S. cap donations but not spending. Thanks to Elections Canada spending limits, Canadas top five parties were allowed to spend a combined $90 million, compared to the estimated US$7 billion it costs to mount U.S. presidential elections.

Science & Technology

106. We have the most social astronaut: Eight North Americans have commanded the International Space Station over the last four years, but only Canadas Chris Hadfield became a household name worldwide. His photos, duets from space and that cover of Space Oddity helped catapult @Cmdr_Hadfield to one million Twitter followers.

107. Holy crap, were discovering a miracle cure: Canada is a leader in fecal transplant therapy (its exactly what it sounds like). By transferring healthy bacteria from a donors stool into patients suffering from potentially fatal gut infections like C. difficile, doctors believe it could one day cure all sorts of ailments, maybe even obesity and allergies.

108. We lead in quantum computing: Whats that, you ask? Rather than calculating with ones or zeros as conventional computers do, quantum computers can theoretically harness subatomic particles to process more complex calculations in a fraction of the time. And scratch the word theoretical. In 2013, Burnaby, B.C.-based D-Wave said one of its quantum computers, the only such machines commercially available, is installed at the Quantum Artificial Intelligence Lab, a collaboration between Google, the Universities Space Research Association and NASA.

109. Were wiring the oceans like no one else: Canadas NEPTUNE and VENUS projects off the coast of B.C. have installed fibre-optic cables that transmit data from the bottom of the ocean. In 2011, Popular Science named NEPTUNE one of humankinds top 10 most ambitious science projects alongside the Large Hadron Collider and the International Space Station.

110. Were rational thinkers: Most Canadians (61 per cent) accept evolution, compared to just 41 per cent of the world in general. Just 30 per cent of Americans believe in evolution, and incidentally, the same percentage believe Bigfoot is definitely or probably real.

111. Were world leaders in space robotics: Theres the Canadarm, of course, but also Dextre, which lives on the International Space Station and is the most advanced space robot ever builta space handyman that fixes up the station. In 2013, Dextre performed the first demonstration that a robot could refuel a satellite in orbit, which could give our satellites longer lives in space.

112. We invented the egg carton: The simple design is the genius of Joseph Coyle of Smithers, B.C. who, in in 1911, settled an ongoing dispute between a farmer and hotel owner over broken eggs consistently showing up in the hoteliers order. More than 100 years later, the cardboard carton has barely changed.

113. We revolutionized movie theatres: With the invention of IMAX, Canadians Graeme Ferguson, Robert Kerr, Roman Kroitor and William C. Shaw changed the way the world goes to the movies. The camera system displays images at about twice the resolution than most cinema films, and has become the global standard for the movie-viewing experience.

114. We discovered stem cells: Dr. James Till and Dr. Ernest McCulloch made history when they identified stem cells in a Toronto laboratory in 1963. These unspecified cells have the ability to regenerate or repair any cell in the body, and hold the potential to revolutionize medicine. Today, theyre used for bone marrow transplants and to treat several blood cancers.

115. Found a treatment for diabetes: Canadian doctors Frederick Banting, Charles Best and John James Rickard Macleod are credited with discovering insulin and saving the lives of people with diabetes. In 1921, Banting identified that lack of insulin caused diabetes, after removing a dogs pancreas, where insulin is produced, induced diabetic symptoms in the animal. But by extracting the insulin from the removed pancreas and injecting it back into the dog, the symptoms subsided. The first human patient began insulin therapy the following year, and treatment has been used ever since.

116. We keep hearts beating: Canadian electrical engineer John Hopps invented the first cardiac pacemaker while researching how radio frequency could help with heating in hypothermia in 1941. Knowing that the heart stopped beating when body temperature dropped, he hypothesized that it could be restarted using electrical stimulation. With that knowledge, Hopps invented the first pacemaker (which was for a dog) in 1950. Today, roughly 1 in 50 people over 75 years old rely on the device.

117. We invented the telephone: While the landline is verging on obsolescence, it revolutionized communication and remained virtually unchanged for more than 100 years after Alexander Graham Bell invented it.

118. We beat Edison to the light bulb: Thomas Edison may get all the credit, but the invention actually belongs to Henry Woodward. The Toronto medical student patented the first incandescent lamp, which featured an electric light bulb, and sold the rights to Edison who refined the invention.

119.We made hockey safer: In 1959, Goalie Jacques Plante of the Montreal Canadiens became the first player in the NHL to wear a face mask, which he helped design himself. The mask set in motion a movement towards more protective gear in the sport.

Crime & calamity

Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin (2nd R) takes part in a ceremony at the Supreme Court of Canada in Ottawa February 10, 2015. REUTERS/Blair Gable

120. We dont have out-of-control prison sentences: Canadas incarceration rate is about 85 offenders for every 100,000 citizens, a lower rate than nearly 200 other countries, according to World Prison Brief.

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150 reasons why it's better to be Canadian - Macleans.ca

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