ESPN will utilize its signature MegaCast production for its NFL Wild Card presentation (January 9 or 10), marking the concepts NFL postseason debut and delivering fans the most extensive multi-channel NFL Playoff game offering to date. Viewers will be treated to at least four distinct presentations across five Walt Disney Company networks as ESPN and ABC will simulcast the traditional telecast, ESPN2 and Freeform will produce their own distinct viewing experiences and ESPN Deportes will air the Spanish-language offering.

ESPNs Monday Night Football commentator team of Steve Levy, Brian Griese, Louis Riddick, Lisa Salters and John Parry will call the game on ESPN and ABC, while ESPN2 and Freeform will utilize a separate set of commentators and format. Details on the additional productions, including personalities for those presentations, will be announced in the coming weeks.

ABC to Simulcast Two Upcoming Monday Night Football GamesPrior to the NFL Wild Card game, ABC will also simulcast two Monday Night Football contests in December as ESPN concludes its regular season slate. Buffalo vs. San Francisco on December 7 and Buffalo at New England on December 28 will be on ABC and ESPN, with both networks airing the traditional telecasts featuring Levy, Griese, Riddick, Salters, and Parry. All three games will also be streamed across devices on ESPN, ESPN Deportes, ABC and NFL digital properties, and on mobile via NFL and Verizon Media properties.

In addition to tonights game, Seattle at Philadelphia, ESPNs remainingMonday Night Footballslate includes Baltimore at Cleveland on December 14 and Pittsburgh at Cincinnati on December 21. In addition to airing on ESPN, these games are available to be streamed across the same digital and mobile platforms referenced above, with the exception of ABC. AllMonday Night Footballgames begin at 8 p.m. ET.

NFL Draft, Raiders Las Vegas Debut Among ESPNs Enhanced NFL Productions This YearESPNs NFL Wild Card MegaCast production and additional ABC Monday Night Football simulcasts continue a series of enhanced NFL productions in 2020. In April, ESPN, ABC and NFL Networks collaborative NFL Draft presentation shattered viewership records and was also lauded as a technological triumph. Then, in September, ESPN showcased the Raiders first home game in Las Vegas with a multi-network presentation, including a national simulcast on ABC and distinctive presentation on ESPN2.

-30-

Media contact: Derek Volner at 860-384-9986; [emailprotected] and @DerekVolner

Go here to see the original:
ESPN Activates MegaCast Production for NFL Wild Card Presentation; Most-Extensive Multi-Channel NFL Playoff Game Offering to Date - ESPN Press Room

Royal Collection Trust/Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2020

Christmas Day for the royal family is going to look a bit different this year. Due to the ongoing pandemic, there won't be an annual walk to services at St. Mary Magdalene church, and Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip won't be spending the holidays at Sandringham estatebreaking a decades-long royal tradition. Instead, the couple plans to celebrate "quietly" at Windsor Castle.

But even if the Queen and Prince Philip are having a low-key Christmas, it'll still be plenty festive. Windsor Castle has been decorated to the nines this year with Christmas trees, twinkle lights, and festive garlands.

The centerpiece of the castle's Christmas decor is a 20-foot-high Norway spruce tree, sourced from Windsor Great Park. The tree sits in St. George's Hall, the largest room in the castle, and is decorated with 3,000 lights and hundreds of iridescent ornaments. Starting today, visitors to Windsor Castle can also view this jaw-dropping tree, which took Royal Collection Trust staff two full days to decorate.

Royal Collection Trust/Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2020

In addition to the spruce, other parts of the castle were also gussied up for the holiday season. The State Dining Room now showcases the Grand Service, a silver-gilt dining service commissioned by King George IV in 1806 (while he was Prince Regent), in honor of the bicentenary of George IVs accession to the throne. The service, which consists of over 4,000 pieces, is still used by the royal family today for State Banquets.

Royal Collection Trust/Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2020

In other parts of the castle, holiday decorations complement existing features. Garlands pepper the Grand Staircase, which is home to some of the most notable arms and armor from the Royal Collection. In the Queen's Gallery, small Christmas trees line the room's perimeter, standing alongside rare silver furniture.

Royal Collection Trust/Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2020

And finally, while the 20-foot spruce might be the most impressive tree in Windsor Castle, it is by no means the only one. In the Inner Hall sits another Christmas tree, decorated with shimmering lights and ornaments. The space, created by George IV in the 1820s as an area to greet official guests, is now the first room visitors see when they enter the castle.

Royal Collection Trust/Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2020

Those who visit the royal residence this holiday season should be sure to also stop by the castle's Undercroft Caf. For the holiday season only, the restaurant will serve a variety of festive fare, from turkey sandwiches to cranberry and orange clairs.

This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io

Here is the original post:
The Royal Family Decorated Windsor Castle for Christmas, and It Looks Stunning - TownandCountrymag.com

A Ukrainian Village workers cottage, little changed since 1920 and likely built originally by one of the legendary post-Chicago Fire rebuilders of the city, is on the market for the second time this year.

Priced at $660,000, the one-and-a-half story brick house on Walton Street appears to be a Kerfoot cottage,the classic Chicago houses that William Kerfoots real estate firm built by the dozens in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Kerfoot was the real estate man who advertised in the first edition of the Chicago Tribune published after the October 1871 fire, all gone but wife, children and energy. To some people, he represents the I Will spirit that rebuilt the city in subsequent years.

While its not certain that the Walton Street house, built in 1895, is one of Kerfoots, he is known to have been a prolific builder in the neighborhood between 1886 and 1907.

With its trim brick exterior and steep gabled roof, it has the look and feel of a Kerfoot, said Rich Anselmo, the @properties agent representing the home. Anselmo said hes been part of the sale of at least a dozen Kerfoot cottages, representing either buyer or seller, over the years. This one, Anselmo said, is the closest to original condition Ive seen.

Two successive ownershave failed to follow through on updating the home, which Anselmo said leaves it largely as it was in 1920. The family that owned it from 1920 through 2007 updated only a toilet and some light fixtures in all that time, he said. He knows the toilet is from 1946 because the date is stamped inside the tank.

A buyer who paid $465,000 for the house in 2007 got distracted by another project and didnt get around to updating this one, Anselmo said, and the next buyer, who paid $627,500 in July, hasdecided not to go through with a planned rehab. The secondowner put the house on the market Nov. 30, asking for $660,000.

The house has old-fashioned kitchen and bathroom sinks and no kitchen cabinetry, all of which would demand updating. At the same time, it has desirable vintage features intact: pocket doors and wood window and door frames. The cost of rehab would likely start in the $400,000s, Anselmo said, and could go much higher if it included a family room addition off the back.

The house, seen in the center of the photo at the top of this story, is flanked by a homebuilt in the 2010s to replicate the look of Kerfoot cottages (on the left in the photo) and another original one. They are in a landmark district that prevents demolition.

A fully rehabbed Kerfoot cottage across the street sold for $850,000 in June 2019.

Follow this link:
An 1890s cottage is on the market for second time this year - Crain's Chicago Business

Soak up the scene.

After the world shuttered in response to the pandemic, numerous hotels took advantage of the empty hallways and guest rooms to make substantial renovations. Many of these improvements are an attempt to cater to new travel habits in the age of COVID, when comfort is even more paramount and guests are sticking close to the property, staying for longer spurts of time and seeking out spaces for both work and play.

Here are some newly refreshed Forbes Travel Guide-approved hotels to visit when you are ready to travel:

The St. Regis Toronto

Canadas sole St. Regis outpost enlisted Toronto-based Chapi Chapo Design to remake its 258 accommodations the citys largest. The firm gave the spaces a more residential feel, adding chaise lounge sofas, sizable desks, reading lights built into the headboards, Nespresso machines and 65-inch smart LG TVs. Lake Ontario, which sits a mile away, inspired the use of deep blue patterns throughout.

The hotel also debuted the 31st-floor Iridium Spa, the countrys highest luxury spa. Swathed in earthy colors, the sleek facility specializes in bespoke treatments like the Stress Relief massage.

Step into the bright, modern lobby.

Park Hyatt Aviara Resort

Nestled on 200 acres next to a preserve, the San Diego hotel has always been a place to relish the great outdoors. Now, thanks to a $50 million makeover, it continues to focus on its surroundings with an airy lobby overlooking the ocean, an adult pool with luxe cabanas and a family pool with a waterslide and tide pool splash pad. Even the refreshed rooms take their cue from nature: the color palette comes from the local great blue heron.

More changes are afoot: celebrity chef Richard Blais will open a vintage steak and seafood restaurant here in March 2021.

Bask in beachfront accommodations.

Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita, Mexico

At this beachfront paradise, the revamped rooms have shades that pay homage to the blue-footed booby birds endemic to the Marietas Islands just off the coast. Area artisans created the dcor, including decorative volcanic stone and clay pieces, teak and huanacaxtle wood furniture, traditional textiles and Huichol art consisting of tiny colorful beads wedged into wax representing the peninsula. A new minibar features products tied to Punta Mita and a locally made copper backsplash. And watch out for the new Beach Houses; they arrive December 19.

Spend time in these elegant spaces.

Mandarin Oriental, Munich

The Munich hotel marks its 20th anniversary this year by emerging from the most extensive renovation in its history. It unveiled new guest rooms and suites that elegantly mix different styles (like historic heritage furniture with a contemporary color scheme) and feature images of the Alps by local artist Felix Rehfeld (a tribute to Munich being the gateway to the peaks). Expect special in-room perks, like butlers, locally produced biodegradable coffee capsules for Nespresso machines, a bar with daily creations by Matsuhisa Munich and a daily champagne experience from a roving trolley.

Stay in your own townhouse.

Rosewood Washington, D.C.

To offer more private accommodations, the intimate D.C. property launched six new townhouses. The structures were built in the 1700s, but received an update by local designer Thomas Pheasant. Adjacent to the Georgetown hotel, each four-story townhouse has its own entrance and furnished back courtyard, laundry room, kitchen (with Smeg Williams Sonoma, KitchenAid and Nespresso appliances), bedroom, living room with a fireplace and bathroom with a deep-soaking tub, rainforest shower and heated marble floors. Youll have access to all the hotel amenities, but the butler is all yours.

Enjoy light and bright spaces.

The Ritz-Carlton, St. Thomas

Although the St. Thomas hotel wrapped up its $100 million redesign at the end of 2019, it only began showing off its beach-chic public spaces, rooms and restaurants when it reopened in September. In addition, the tropical escape devised a slew of COVID-era offerings, including a three-bedroom penthouse for travel pods and digital workers, a Seaside Spa Cabana for those who prefer alfresco massages and the clever Club Lounge on the Beach, where Club Level guests have their own area on the sand with a complimentary non-alcoholic drink service.

This inn emanates modern country charm.

Mayflower Inn and Spa, Auberge Resorts Collection

Its hard to believe that this Washington, Connecticut, country inn turned 100 after New York-based designer Celerie Kemble gave it a facelift in time for its centennial. In the rooms, Kemble gleaned inspiration from English and Scandinavian country houses. She kept the four-poster beds, but brought in florals, intricate patterns and color, sisal carpets, Turkish rugs, handcrafted ceramics, eclectic wicker, Gustavian antiques and contemporary art. She also turned her eye to a new farm-driven restaurant, The Garden Room, adding a large-scale floral mural and lots of greenery.

Get a suite with a plunge pool.

Hilton Los Cabos Beach & Golf Resort

Jump right into the new Plunge Pool Oceanfront Suites, where you can soak in your own serene pool while gazing at the Sea of Cortez. But pry yourself away to partake in the Los Cabos hotels other new attractions, like the adults-only infinity pool and Enclave, a beach club with a rum bar, four cliffside bungalows, eight oceanfront cabanas and sunken fire pits. Little ones will stay busy at the reimagined kids clubs outdoor playground and splash zone with a pool and water slide.

Stay in stylish accommodations.

Four Seasons Hotel Chicago

For the largest renovation in its 30-year history, the downtown hotel attempted to capture the essence of the cultured city. It spotlights music from local jazz, blues and house artists throughout. Chicago-based consultant Shashi Caudill curates a vast art collection. A day bar and social lounge encourage lingering, and respected chef Jonathon Sawyer crafts global fare with local ingredients at the new Adorn Bar & Restaurant. And like the Magnificent Mile just outside the hotels doors, the revamped rooms take on a stylish and luxurious aesthetic.

Rooms showcase modern art deco design.

The Ritz-Carlton, South Beach

This art deco gem gets polished to its original luster in Miami. The $90 million renovation kept architects Morris Lapidus original design intact (like the two-story ship-inspired lobby), but added modern touches (like the inviting bronze-and-brass Lapidus Bar). Yet it also flaunts the classic Florida style, from the subdued flamingo-wallpapered hallways to the pops of pink in the graphic flooring in the indoor-outdoor restaurant Fuego Y Mar. The guest rooms feel bright and renewed with white art deco moldings and curved navy headboards, and the white marble bathrooms exude that Ritz-Carlton luxury.

Art plays a large role at this property.

The St. Regis San Francisco

Steps from the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the Contemporary Jewish Museum and the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, this hotel had to keep up with its neighbors for its renovation. It tapped into San Franciscos history and natural beauty for the upgraded rooms. The citys hills are worked into a wall covering with the soft curves of a Richard Serra-inspired sculpture. Photographer Ansel Adams California shots sit underneath smoked desk glass. And the silver, copper and iron hues recall the California Gold Rush of 1849.

Suites now have a kitchenette.

Mandarin Oriental, Boston

The Boston hotel recently embarked on a renovation of the citys most spacious luxury accommodations. New York City-based Champalimaud Design, which did the interiors for Raffles Singapore and Halekulani Okinawa, blends elements from the Mandarin Orientals Asian roots and New England location into an eclectic but cohesive design. Neutral hues pull together the chinoiserie wallpaper and plaid carpets. For longer stays or more in-room dining options, book a suite equipped with a brand-new kitchenette, which has a stovetop, sink, microwave and refrigerator.

Peek at the new public spaces.

Madeline Hotel and Residences, Auberge Resorts Collection

The Telluride hotel is set to embrace the mountain towns relaxed luxury with a comprehensive refresh of its first-floor public and social spaces, which will be unveiled December 23. After skiing, cozy up to seating areas with vintage and custom furniture crafted with an attention to detail. Or aprs-ski in the new Timber Room, a lounge serving up fresh bites and cocktails. Order bota bags filled with mulled wine to share its the Telluride version of the punch bowl. More will come, as the guest rooms are scheduled for refurbishment in 2021.

Catch the sun in Ponte Vedra Beach.

Ponte Vedra Inn & Club

Known for its tennis and golf offerings, The Spa at Ponte Vedra Inn & Club and its unspoiled beach on the Atlantic coast, this Old Florida getaway adds another accomplishment to the list: 41 new beachfront rooms and suites. In September, it introduced Ocean House and Peyton House, three-story buildings that hold the accommodations. Each room has sweeping ocean vistas, terraces and Southern coastal flair.

Plus, the storied Ocean Course one of the states oldest reopened after a year of renovations by golf course architect Bobby Weed.

Rooms have ocean and sand tones.

Rosewood Little Dix Bay

After a four-year closure, this island hideaway in the British Virgin Islands reopens today. Following conservationist Laurance Rockefellers vision when he began the Virgin Gorda hotel in 1964, New York-based Meyer Davis kept the same structures, including the signature cone-shaped roofs, and injected laidback luxury among the 81 beachfront accommodations. New restaurants join Rosewood: Reef House sources ingredients from the onsite farm and local purveyors, Sugar Mill whips up tapas, Pavilion turns out international fare with bold flavors and Rum Room carries 107 different labels of the spirit.

Go here to read the rest:
15 Newly Renovated Hotels To Visit - Forbes

More local guests also are checking into The Ritz-Carlton, St. Louis for a relaxing escape, says the hotels general manager, Amanda Joiner, who adds that weekend occupancy is up and many people are splurging on extras, such as the hotels bed and breakfast package for two, featuring complimentary valet parking and the relaxing comforts of room service.

Staycationers also can treat themselves to their choice of luxurious accommodations, which include standard deluxe rooms with sweeping views of Clayton and the St. Louis skyline featuring the Gateway Arch, 11 miles east. Or double the fun with an executive suite, boasting a lovely living area with French doors, a separate bedroom, and a full bath and a half-bath, Joiner says, where kids can have their own TV area, as well as enjoy time as a family, playing games.

photo courtesy ofThe Ritz-Carlton, St. Louis

The stunning Ritz-Carlton Suite, complete with a built-in fireplace, five balconies and a separate living area, makes for another great getaway for three days, Joiner says. It even has a convection oven where you can bake cookies, and we recently had a mother and daughter do that. People are using the pandemic to make special moments for their families.

Guests also are indulging in room service, Joiner adds. Everyone loves room service right now, she says. Its a way to treat yourself and stay safe in a luxury environment. And for guests looking to venture just outside their room, they can access the recently redesigned, members-only Cigar Club to enjoy a great glass of red wine and a cigar, and take in some fall football, Joiner says, although this experience is delayed with the most recent St. Louis County restrictions.

View original post here:
Planning a Luxurious Staycation in the St. Louis Metro Area - Ladue News

PLYMOUTH MEETING, Pa., Dec. 3, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- INOVIO (NASDAQ:INO), a biotechnology company focused on bringing to market precisely designed DNA medicines to treat and protect people from infectious diseases and cancer, today announced the execution of an agreement with Kaneka Eurogentec S.A., an affiliate of Kaneka Corporation, for Eurogentec to manufacture INOVIO's COVID-19 vaccine candidate INO-4800 at their industry-leading GMP plasmid production scales. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

Kaneka Eurogentec joins existing partners Thermo Fisher Scientific, Richter-Helm BioLogics and Ology Biosciences in INOVIO's global manufacturing consortium. Each contract development and manufacturing organization that has been selected to join the consortium is compliant with commercial GMP standards and capable of supporting INOVIO's future large-scale global manufacturing needs across its portfolioof DNA medicines and vaccines.

INOVIO's President & CEO, Dr. J. Joseph Kim, said, "Our partnership with Kaneka Eurogentec, one of the world's largest and most experienced plasmid manufacturers, provides additional scale to our growing global manufacturing coalition. Kaneka Eurogentec will be a crucial member of INOVIO's global manufacturing consortium, supporting our plans to produce, manufacture and scale our COVID-19 vaccine candidate, INO-4800."

Dr. Lieven Janssens, Kaneka Eurogentec's President and CEO, said, "We are excited to join INOVIO's growing global manufacturing consortium and look forward to supporting the manufacturing needs of DNA medicines and vaccines across INOVIO's platform. We are pleased that our large-scale manufacturing technologies are well-recognized by INOVIO, a leading player in the DNA plasmid field."

INOVIO's Senior Vice President of Biological Manufacturing and Clinical Supply Management, Robert J. Juba Jr., said, "Kaneka Eurogentec brings a wealth of DNA plasmid manufacturing expertise and innovation to INOVIO's global consortium to manufacture INO-4800. We look forward to working with them to utilize their state-of-the-art, large-scale manufacturing capabilities towards our goal of producing hundreds of millions of doses of INO-4800 for worldwide distribution."

INOVIO recognizes the importance of having a robust coalition to support its broader development platform for DNA medicines as well as its COVID-19 vaccine candidate, INO-4800. As a result, the company continues to build the coalition to ensure timely, cost-effective and scalable production of DNA medicines and vaccines. INOVIO's third-party manufacturers will produce the patent-protected formulation for INO-4800, developed to enhance stability of the vaccine with a favorable tolerability profile. Importantly, INO-4800 has shown an excellent thermo-stability profile. INOVIO's other platform DNA vaccine candidates have also demonstrated a shelf life of greater than 5 years when refrigerated and stability for more than 30 days at 37 degrees Celsius, and more than one year at room temperature. INOVIO's candidates also do not need to be frozen during transport or storage, a vital factor when implementing immunizations on a global scale. INO-4800 is administered via INOVIO's proprietary CELLECTRA smart delivery device, which delivers the vaccine locally into the patient's skin, a process that takes only a few seconds.

INOVIO is conducting a Phase 2 segment of its planned Phase 2/3 clinical trial for INO-4800, its COVID-19 vaccine candidate. The planned Phase 2/3 clinical trial, called INNOVATE (INovio INO-4800 Vaccine Trial for Efficacy), is a randomized, blinded, placebo-controlled safety and efficacy trial of INO-4800 to be conducted in adults in the U.S. The INNOVATE trial will be funded by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense (JPEO-CBRND) in coordination with the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs (OASD (HA)) and the Defense Health Agency (DHA).

The DoD has agreed to provide funding for both the Phase 2 and Phase 3 segments of the INNOVATE clinical trial, in addition to the $71 million of funding previously announced in June for the large-scale manufacture of the company's proprietary smart device CELLECTRA 3PSP and the procurement of CELLECTRA 2000 devices.

About the INO-4800 "INNOVATE" Phase 2/3 Clinical Trial

The lead Principal Investigator for the INNOVATE trial is Dr. Pablo Tebas, Professor of Medicine at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. The Phase 2 segment of the trial is designed to evaluate safety, tolerability and immunogenicity of INO-4800 in a 2-dose regimen (1.0 mg or 2.0 mg), in a three-to-one randomization to receive either INO-4800 or placebo for each dose, to confirm the more appropriate dose(s) for each of three age groups (18-50 years, 51-64 years and 65 years and older) for the subsequent Phase 3 efficacy evaluation. The company intends to work diligently to ensure diversity in enrollment, targeting specific populations that are working or residing in environments with high infection rates and/or areas where there is greater risk of exposure to SARS-CoV-2, for whom exposure may be relatively prolonged or for whom personal protective equipment (PPE) may be inconsistently used, especially in confined settings.

In the Phase 3 segment of the trial, INOVIO intends to enroll healthy men and non-pregnant women 18 years and older, to evaluate the efficacy of the proposed dose(s) based on the data from the Phase 2 evaluation.Participants will be enrolled in a one-to-one randomization to receive either INO-4800 or a placebo. The Phase 3 segment will be case-driven with the final number of enrollees to be determined by the incidence of COVID-19 during the Phase 3 segment. The primary endpoint of the Phase 3 segment will be virologically-confirmed COVID-19 disease.

About INOVIO's Global Coalition Advancing INO-4800

INOVIO has assembled a global coalition of collaborators, partners and funders to rapidly advance the development of INO-4800. R&D collaborators to date include the Wistar Institute, the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Texas, Fudan University and Laval University. INOVIO has partnered with Advaccine and the International Vaccine Institute to conduct clinical trials of INO-4800 in China and South Korea, respectively. INOVIO is also assessing nonclinical efficacy of INO-4800 in several animal challenge models with Public Health England (PHE) and Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) in Australia. INOVIO is working with a team of contract manufacturers including Kaneka Eurogentec, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Richter-Helm BioLogics, and Ology Bioservices to manufacture INO-4800 on a commercial scale and is seeking additional external funding and partnerships to further scale up manufacturing capacities to satisfy the urgent global demand for safe and effective vaccines. To date, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and the U.S. Department of Defense have contributed significant funding to the advancement and manufacturing of INO-4800.

About INO-4800

INO-4800 is INOVIO's DNA vaccine candidate intended to protect against SARS-CoV-2, the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19. INOVIO has extensive experience working with coronaviruses and was the first company to initiate a Phase 2a trial for INO-4700, a vaccine for Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), another coronavirus related to SARS-CoV-2.

INO-4800 is the only nucleic-acid based vaccine that is stable at room temperature for more than a year and does not need to be frozen in transport of storage, which are important factors when implementing mass immunizations.

About INOVIO's DNA Medicines Platform

INOVIO has 15 DNA medicine clinical programs currently in development focused on HPV-associated diseases, cancer, and infectious diseases, including coronaviruses associated with MERS and COVID-19 diseases being developed under grants from the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) and the U.S. Department of Defense. DNA medicines are composed of optimized DNA plasmids, which are small circles of double-stranded DNA that are synthesized or reorganized by a computer sequencing technology and designed to produce a specific immune response in the body.

INOVIO's DNA medicines deliver optimized plasmids directly into cells intramuscularly or intradermally using INOVIO's proprietary hand-held smart device called CELLECTRA. The CELLECTRA device uses a brief electrical pulse to reversibly open small pores in the cell to allow the plasmids to enter, overcoming a key limitation of other DNA and other nucleic acid approaches, such as mRNA. Once inside the cell, the DNA plasmids enable the cell to produce the targeted antigen. The antigen is processed naturally in the cell and triggers the desired T cell and antibody-mediated immune responses. Administration with the CELLECTRA device ensures that the DNA medicine is efficiently delivered directly into the body's cells, where it can go to work to drive an immune response. INOVIO's DNA medicines do not interfere with or change in any way an individual's own DNA. The advantages of INOVIO's DNA medicine platform are how fast DNA medicines can be designed and manufactured; the stability of the products, which do not require freezing in storage and transport; and the robust immune response, safety profile, and tolerability that have been observed in clinical trials.

With more than 2,000 patients receiving INOVIO investigational DNA medicines in more than 7,000 applications across a range of clinical trials, INOVIO has a strong track record of rapidly generating DNA medicine candidates with potential to meet urgent global health needs.

About Kaneka Eurogentec

Eurogentec was founded in 1985 as a spin-off of the University of Lige (Belgium). Kaneka Eurogentec contributes to improving health and fighting diseases by supplying products and services to scientists involved in life science research, molecular diagnostics, and therapeutic developments. The Lige-based company is recognized as one of the major suppliers in the field of genomics and proteomics as well as a trusted US FDA inspected Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) for the bio-production of pharmaceuticals vaccines and medicines. Kaneka Eurogentec is a leading company in large scale production of GMP DNA Plasmid for DNA vaccines and starting materials for vector-based gene medicines. In parallel, Kaneka Eurogentec offers CDMO services for GMP mRNA, the active molecule of RNA vaccines and RNA based gene therapy. In 2010, Eurogentec, renamed Kaneka Eurogentec in April 2017, became part of Kaneka Corporation, a large Japanese chemical company focusing on technology and innovation. For more information, visit https://www.eurogentec.com/

About INOVIO

INOVIO is a biotechnology company focused on rapidly bringing to market precisely designed DNA medicines to treat and protect people from infectious diseases, cancer, and diseases associated with HPV. INOVIO is the first and only company to have clinically demonstrated that a DNA medicine can be delivered directly into cells in the body via a proprietary smart device to produce a robust and tolerable immune response. Specifically, INOVIO's lead candidate VGX-3100, currently in Phase 3 trials for precancerous cervical dysplasia, destroyed and cleared high-risk HPV 16 and 18 in a Phase 2b clinical trial. High-risk HPV is responsible for 70% of cervical cancer, 91% of anal cancer, and 69% of vulvar cancer. Also in development are programs targeting HPV-related cancers and a rare HPV-related disease, recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP); non-HPV-related cancers glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) and prostate cancer; as well as externally funded infectious disease DNA vaccine development programs in Zika, Lassa fever, Ebola, HIV, and coronaviruses associated with MERS and COVID-19 diseases. Partners and collaborators include Advaccine, ApolloBio Corporation, AstraZeneca, The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)/Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense (JPEO-CBRND)/Department of Defense (DOD), HIV Vaccines Trial Network, International Vaccine Institute (IVI), Kaneka Eurogentec, Medical CBRN Defense Consortium (MCDC), National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Ology Bioservices, the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, Plumbline Life Sciences, Regeneron, Richter-Helm BioLogics, Thermo Fisher Scientific, University of Pennsylvania, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, and The Wistar Institute. INOVIO also is a proud recipient of 2020 Women on Boards "W" designation recognizing companies with more than 20% women on their board of directors. For more information, visit http://www.inovio.com.

CONTACTS:

Media: Jeff Richardson, 267-440-4211, [emailprotected] Investors: Ben Matone, 484-362-0076, [emailprotected]

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements relating to our business, including our plans to develop and manufacture DNA medicines, our expectations regarding our research and development programs, including the planned initiation and conduct of the Phase 2/3 clinical trial of INO-4800, and our ability to successfully manufacture and produce large quantities of our product candidates if they receive regulatory approval. Actual events or results may differ from the expectations set forth herein as a result of a number of factors, including uncertainties inherent in preclinical studies, clinical trials, product development programs and commercialization activities and outcomes, our ability to secure sufficient manufacturing capacity to mass produce our product candidates, the availability of funding to support continuing research and studies in an effort to prove safety and efficacy of electroporation technology as a delivery mechanism or develop viable DNA medicines, our ability to support our pipeline of DNA medicine products, the ability of our collaborators to attain development and commercial milestones for products we license and product sales that will enable us to receive future payments and royalties, the adequacy of our capital resources, the availability or potential availability of alternative therapies or treatments for the conditions targeted by us or our collaborators, including alternatives that may be more efficacious or cost effective than any therapy or treatment that we and our collaborators hope to develop, issues involving product liability, issues involving patents and whether they or licenses to them will provide us with meaningful protection from others using the covered technologies, whether such proprietary rights are enforceable or defensible or infringe or allegedly infringe on rights of others or can withstand claims of invalidity and whether we can finance or devote other significant resources that may be necessary to prosecute, protect or defend them, the level of corporate expenditures, assessments of our technology by potential corporate or other partners or collaborators, capital market conditions, the impact of government healthcare proposals and other factors set forth in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019, our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2020 and other filings we make from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission. There can be no assurance that any product candidate in our pipeline will be successfully developed, manufactured or commercialized, that final results of clinical trials will be supportive of regulatory approvals required to market products, or that any of the forward-looking information provided herein will be proven accurate. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this release, and we undertake no obligation to update or revise these statements, except as may be required by law.

SOURCE INOVIO Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Home

See the original post:
INOVIO Expands Global Manufacturing Consortium For Its COVID-19 Vaccine Candidate INO-4800 With Addition of Kaneka Eurogentec SA - PRNewswire

Its been a busy start to the offseason for the Portland Timbers. Weve already seen two trades with Marco Farfan being sent to LAFC and Julio Cascante going to Austin FC and another acquisition made official with the addition of Nicolas Claudio Bravo to the roster. Along with that, general manager and president of soccer, Gavin Wilkinson, noted that the club will not take up the options for Andres Flores or Chris Duvall. Its a fast start to the offseason to say the least.

But the influx of moves isnt particularly surprising. Both Wilkinson and head coach Giovanni Savarese said that moves would be made at Thursdays end of the season press conference. The biggest key for them was making sure that throughout all these decisions they were ensuring the best possible future for all players involved.

Were no longer moving players just for the benefit of the club, Wilkinson said. I think this has been a challenging year with COVID, and for many players wand their families and we went about it a different way to actually talk about their careers, talk about the next steps within their careers and see what they want.

There are still plenty of moves Portland needs to make. One of the points of emphasis for the club this offseason is shoring up the defense, specifically in the wide areas. Theyre also looking to add a young central defender to come through the system for Portland as well.

Defense rightfully so should be Portlands main area of focus this offseason. Portland put together a stellar offense despite numerous injuries to designated players and star wingers, but oftentimes the work put in by the attacking players was nullified by mistakes on the defensive end, especially late in games. No team in MLS gave up more goals in the final 15 minutes of a match than Portland (15), and it was even the thing that ended their season prematurely.

Were reinforcing the defense, Savarese said. And we can build on other positions to make sure that we continue to get better and make sure that we can be a little more competitive.

Along with acquiring new players, Portland is hoping to keep old ones in place. Wilkinson mentioned that theyll be looking at extending Larrys Mabiala, noting theyre still trying to figure out a solution that works for both sides. Most notably, however, Wilkinson made it clear that theyre interested in acquiring Felipe Mora permanently from Pumas UNAM.

Mora joined the Timbers on a one-year loan and was solid in 2020. In 19 appearances (12 starts), he had 7 goals and 2 assists. Jaroslaw Niezgoda is not expected to return to play until around mid-season, so having Mora available along with Jeremy Ebobisse who often plays on the wing would be extremely helpful.

[Mora] is a key piece to the team for the club and a well-liked player in the locker room, Wilkinson said. Theres multiple reasons why he would be a benefit to the locker room next year.

Thursdays press conference wasnt just a time for thinking about the future. There was also some time for the two leaders of the club to reflect on the past season, and Savarese noted for himself that he felt content with the team he had despite not going as far in the playoffs as he may have liked.

It was a great pleasure to work with every player that we had and will have in the future, Savarese said. I wouldnt want to battle this season with anybody different than what we had on the roster; and I feel that everybody really fought hard with great mentality and the ideas were very clear for everyone that it didnt matter who was out, somebody will come in and field that position.

Its a pretty positive outlook on a season that didnt end the way they hoped. But that doesnt mean they didnt fight through adversity to accomplish some great things. The MLS is Back Tournament is an impressive feat that no one will probably ever replicate. They had no positive tests throughout the entirety of the 2020. And no matter what happened injuries, wildfires, the pandemic, etc. they still managed to put together a solid season.

But as great as those things are, it doesnt change the fact that they had MLS Cup expectations for themselves and came up well short. Savarese noted that anything short of an MLS Cup victory leaves you wanting more, and he wants to get that next season.

Yes, we can say so many good things and positive things the way we played ... but for us the most important thins is to make it always to the MLS Cup, Savarese said. And I think thats the biggest disappointment of this year because we believe in this group tremendously to make it all the way to the cup.

If they hit on their offseason signings like they hope they will, then its possible. This was a solid club that played most of the regular season without arguably their best player in Sebastian Blanco, and as of right now hes set to return at the beginning of the year. Returning Blanco to an offensively potent lineup will be huge for the Timbers.

But for now, well just have to wait and see how this team turns out. In what was a horrifically strange year for everyone, Portland had things they could be proud of. They still have work to do if they want to make the MLS Final again and be the one hoisting the trophy at the end. So for now, well just spend December staring at Twitter waiting to see the team come together.

More:
Portland Timbers focused on shoring up defense this offseason - Stumptown Footy

The Columbus Dispatch

Julie, a pleasant young woman with no medical problems ordaily medications,came to the Emergency Department complaining of insomnia.She looked anxious when I entered the room and was wearing a face mask and latex gloves.

Julie told me that she couldnt sleep and felt miserable from being so tired. She had trouble concentrating while doing her work but would just tossand turn at nights.

More fromDr. Kube: Protect yourself and others, get a flu shot

She said there were times before big tests in high school that she would have trouble falling asleep, but nothing to this extent. Her symptoms had been going on for several months buthad gotten worse the past few weeks to the point that Julie felt like she couldn'ttake it anymore.

As we talked more, Julie saidthat she felt like her life was turned upside down when the COVID-19 pandemic began in the spring. She had been stressed with her finances, work and wasthe fear of becoming sick. She also feltisolated at home and missed seeing her friends and family.

During the early week of the state shutdown, Julie wassent home from her office to work from home. Daily Zoom meetings with her boss and other coworkers had become her daily routine.

It's a story I heardover and over with many patients since the start of the pandemic.

Juliebecame tearful and saidshe was feeling stressed out about everything, which was not typicalfor her. She was initially afraid she would become seriouslyill or even die if she were to get COVID-19, but those thoughts had subsided with time. Much of her sleeping problems were driven by anxiety, she said, and she could not calm herself down enough to rest and sleep.

Stressis your bodys normal response to a threatening situation. It gives you the ability avoid danger or meet a deadline. Anxiety is a reaction to the stress. Anxiety is a normal emotion that can be healthy.However, when a person regularly feels high levels of anxiety or stress it can become harmful to their health. Anxiety becomes a disorder when feelings of anxiety, worry or fear are strong enough to interfere with a persons daily activities.

Juliesaid she had to give up many of the things that gave her life joy because of the limitation imposed by the pandemic. Shedid kickboxingat her gym, but had to stopwhen it closed down for many weeks. She had been cooking for herself and was making healthy food choices but became so stressed about going to the grocery store that she started ordering fast fooddelivered to her home. She had gained a lot of weight and felt terrible about that, she said.

More: The coronavirus created a 'slow-rolling mental health crisis.' Here's what to do about it.

Julie and I talked aboutstrategies to prevent her anxiety from becoming so overwhelming that it interferedwith her life. We discussed the importance of eating healthy, well-balanced meals, avoiding excessive alcohol and drugs, and engaging in regular exercise. Exercise boosts endorphins that improve mood, decreases stress and can distract from the things that are causing worry. Being physically tired can also make it easier to fall asleep.

In addition to physical health, it isimportant to focus on emotional health. It's helpful to remain calm during stressful timesso you can think clearly and make good decisions. It's good to takebreaks from news stories and social media posts about the pandemic and other stressful events.Meditation and relaxation techniques can also behelpful to allow your mind to rest and reset.

More: Experts worry that winter months will be tough for people with mental health issues

Stress and anxiety management is more important now than ever before as wefaceone of the most significant events in our recent history. It is important to still do the things you like to do, even if it requires making modifications such aswearing a mask or practicing social distancing.You can and should connect with others in safe ways.You should talk with people you trust about how you are feeling because they're likely having the same worries and concerns.

With vaccines on the horizon, there's hope that the pandemic will slow down and our lives will eventually return to a more normal state, but this isn't all going away quickly. In addition to doing the thingsneeded to slow down the spread of the virus, we need to focus on our health and well-being. .

Julie was able to go home with a plan to relieve stress, which would improve her anxiety and sleep.She said she would work on her diet, exercise daily and connect with friends and family. She felt relieved to know that she wasnt the only one experiencing significant stress and anxiety during this unprecedented time.

Read the rest here:
Dr. Kube: There are ways to manage stress, anxiety from pandemic - The Columbus Dispatch

The state on Thursday announced that it is now tracking hospital capacity by region, and if any regions available intensive care unit beds fall below 15% of total capacity, it will be subject to a more drastic stay-at-home order.

For the Southern California region, which includes Long Beach, Los Angeles, Orange County and a dozen other nearby counties, it seems a matter of when, not if, that time comes.

The capacity in intensive care units across our region is already down to 20.6%, the state said Thursday.

Adding to the pressure, hospitalizations are rising quickly in Los Angeles County, by far the most populous part of the region. The county reported Thursday that 2,572 people with COVID-19 are currently hospitalized, with 23% of these people in the ICU.

Long Beach, in a statement Thursday night, said the region could reach the 15% threshold as early as today, Friday.

Even if that happens, there would still be a little bit of breathing room before the strict new restrictions take effect. The stay-at-home order isnt officially in place until 12:59 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 5. Plus, the state said it would give regions 24 hours to comply with the order.

That means the absolute soonest it could be implemented would be at 12:59 p.m. Sunday. Once in effect, the order would last at least three weeks.

If the order is triggered, all counties in Southern California would have to shutter dine-in service at restaurants, which has been a point of contention for local restaurants since LA County and Long Beach ordered theirs to close on Nov. 25.

Owners argued patrons could simply drive a short distance across the county line to eat. The states stay-at-home order takes that decision out of local authorities hands. Counties and cities with their own health departments will be allowed to enact stricter rules than the state, but they wouldnt be allowed to loosen them.

Discouraging people from simply migrating to nearby areas appears to be the impetus behind the states order. The Southern California region is massive, spanning from San Luis Obispo in the north to San Diego and east to the Nevada border. The list of covered counties includes: Imperial, Inyo, Los Angeles, Mono, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura.

In addition to limiting eateries to takeout only, all gatherings would be banned except for outdoor worship services or protests. And many businesses would have to close or further limit capacity.

All operations would have to cease at:

Critical infrastructure operations may continue, and retail stores and shopping centers could stay open indoors at 20% capacity, but they would have to meter entrances and monitor shoppers to make sure nobody is eating or drinking in stores. Additionally, special hours should be instituted for seniors and others with chronic conditions or compromised immune systems, the state said.

Hotels may remain open for critical infrastructure support, as could offices where remote work isnt possible.

Professional sports could continue without live audiences, as could production of films and other entertainment.

Child care and schools serving K-12 students would not be affected by the order. Those open for classroom instruction could remain open.

Outdoor recreational facilities would be allowed to stay openbut without any eating, drinking, alcohol sales or overnight camping.

Here is the original post:
Whens the soonest Californias stay-at-home order could start? And what would be closed? - Long Beach Post

Last season was cut short due to COVID-19. What have the past 9 months been like?

Weve really been flexible with all that we have been doing because were all navigating new waters. We implemented a Crystal Clean task force in March comprised of employees from across the resort who meet with industry peers, experts and state and local health officials to compile, craft and implement best practice safety protocols for the entire resort. We safely hosted guests from all over Michigan and parts of the Midwest throughout the summer, so, in many ways, we have been working toward reopening for winter when we closed back in March.

How are you feeling about the 2020/2021 season in 3 words?

Outside never closes.

Is there anything new this season youre excited about? (Equipment, dining options, instructors, etc.)

Weve got a lot of things were excited about. We continue to invest in the facility by adding RFID gates to our chairlifts, which will get guests on the slopes quicker and more efficiently. It also allows touchless, cashier-less lift transactions to keep staff and guests safe. We also have installed a new, wider snowmaking pipe that will move more water to our snow guns, helping us create better snow faster. (Heres our winter operations run down.)

Fresh air will be important this winter. So the resort has engineered several clean air solutions inside its public buildings including improving filtering in its air handling units; installing portable, HEPA air purifiers in some areas; opening ventilation dampers to bring in about 20% fresh air; as well as installing air scrubbers that are a spinoff of NASA technology.

How do air scrubbers work? When air passes through a UV light-activated titanium dioxide membrane filter, it causes water vapor in the air to turn into negatively charged hydrogen peroxide ions which can then be directed into room air supply ducts. Because of their electric charge, these ions attach to and can destroy most common bacteria and virus particles in the air and on surfaces. Hydrogen peroxide is generally recognized as a safe antimicrobial agent by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Each room also typically has four to six air changes in an hour, which helps to keep the air clean.

Find out whats new at Boyne Mountain, Mt. Holiday, Caberfae Peaks, Shanty Creek, The Homestead and Nubs Nob: New at Northern Michigan Ski Resorts + COVID-19 Safety

Have Northern Michigan ski resorts been working together to make this season a success, or even with resorts nationwide?

Both. Our team has been working with other ski resorts from across the country and right here in Michigan, as well as industry and health agencies the National Ski Areas Association, Michigan Snowsports Industries Association and Benzie-Leelanau Health Department on best practices to safely open for winter. NSAA is a national industry and has convened many of us to ensure best safety practices are deployed across the country so all ski areas will have similar policies in place for winter.

Skiing/snowboarding is outdoors and can be socially distanced. Its the aprs-ski activities at cafes and bars that could pose a problem. How are you addressing that?

As we approach ski season amid a pandemic, some things at Crystal Mountain, like everywhere else, will look a little different. So weve had to reimagine a few things. Social distancing on a wide-open mountain is certainly doable, but the prospect of kicking back in a crowded ski lodge with a drink and big group of friends is just not possible. Aprs ski during COVID-19 will be subdued and likely very limited. We have reduced capacity in our restaurants and our Vista Lounge, which is our main bar for post-ski cocktails. And have moved the indoors outside where fresh air is abundant. Guests will need to social distance and wear masks when they cant be six feet apart from othersand will need to take their post-ski activities back to their accommodations or reserve a table at Vista Lounge way in advance.

We have basically moved a lot of our operations outsideseating, dining. And are opening up our Crystal Center for additional seating.

Has there been a silver lining, cool idea, lessonsomething positive that can be taken from this incredibly difficult time?

There has been a new and renewed interest in outdoor recreation. So we have been incredibly lucky that summer brought us a tremendous amount of guests who were interested in hiking, biking, running and golfing outdoors. And we expect that wave to continue into winter.

Secondly, incredible ideas, imagination and innovation come out of troubling times. We have had an incredible opportunity to reimagine the way we do business, which is rare, and that has made us stronger as a team.

The new RFID gates, which create touchless, cashier-less sales opportunities, will allow us to collect real-time data so we can better manage flow of our guests on the lifts, helping us become more efficient with how we operate. The addition of the air scrubbers, the barriers at our registers and between tables at our restaurantsthat we built!and other engineered solutions have shown us how incredibly talented our team is.

Weve also built some strong relationships with our peers across the industry, but also with our health officials at the Benzie-Leelanau Health Department. We could not do this without their advice, their guidance and their steadfast commitment to safety.

Is there anything else you want to share with our readers?

We have 1,500 acres of wide-open space for alpine and Nordic skiing, snowshoeing, fat tire biking, hiking and ice skating We have a lot of fresh air and room to breathe. Outdoor recreation has numerous benefits for physical and mental health and wellness. Its a community of skiers and riders who look out for each other, and we couldnt be more excited to safely and smartly get back to winter.

See original here:
New This Winter at Crystal Mountain in Thompsonville - MyNorth.com