Study: Commercial air travel is safer than ever

It has never been safer to fly on commercial airlines, according to a new study by an MIT professor that tracks the continued decrease in passenger fatalities around the globe.

The study finds that between 2008 and 2017, airline passenger fatalities fell significantly compared to the previous decade, as measured per individual passenger boardings — essentially the aggregate number of passengers. Globally, that rate is now one death per 7.9 million passenger boardings, compared to one death per 2.7 million boardings during the period 1998-2007, and one death per 1.3 million boardings during 1988-1997.

Going back further, the commercial airline fatality risk was one death per 750,000 boardings during 1978-1987, and one death per 350,000 boardings during 1968-1977.

“The worldwide risk of being killed had been dropping by a factor of two every decade,” says Arnold Barnett, an MIT scholar who has published a new paper summarizing the study’s results. “Not only has that continued in the last decade, the [latest] improvement is closer to a factor of three. The pace of improvement has not slackened at all even as flying has gotten ever safer and further gains become harder to achieve. That is really quite impressive and is important for people to bear in mind.”

The paper, “Aviation Safety: A Whole New World?” was published online this month in Transportation Science. Barnett is the sole author.

The new research also reveals that there is discernible regional variation in airline safety around the world. The study finds that the nations housing the lowest-risk airlines are the U.S., the members of the European Union, China, Japan, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Israel. The aggregate fatality risk among those nations was one death per 33.1 million passenger boardings during 2008-2017.

For airlines in a second set of countries, which Barnett terms the “advancing” set with an intermediate risk level, the rate is one death per 7.4 million boardings during 2008-2017. This group — comprising countries that are generally rapidly industrializing and have recently achieved high overall life expectancy and GDP per capita — includes many countries in Asia as well as some countries in South America and the Middle East.

For a third and higher-risk set of developing countries, including some in Asia, Africa, and Latin America, the death risk during 2008-2017 was one per 1.2 million passenger boardings — an improvement from one death per 400,000 passenger boardings during 1998-2007.

“The two most conspicuous changes compared to previous decades were sharp improvements in China and in Eastern Europe,” says Barnett, who is the George Eastman Professor of Management at the MIT Sloan School of Management. In those places, he notes, had safety achievements in the last decade that were strong even within the lowest-risk group of countries.

Overall, Barnett suggests, the rate of fatalities has declined far faster than public fears about flying.

“Flying has gotten safer and safer,” Barnett says. “It’s a factor of 10 safer than it was 40 years ago, although I bet anxiety levels have not gone down that much. I think it’s good to have the facts.”

Barnett is a long-established expert in the field of aviation safety and risk, whose work has helped contextualize accident and safety statistics. Whatever the absolute numbers of air crashes and fatalities may be — and they fluctuate from year to year — Barnett has sought to measure those numbers against the growth of air travel.

To conduct the current study, Barnett used data from a number of sources, including the Flight Safety Foundation’s Aviation Safety Network Accident Database. He mostly used data from the World Bank, based on information from the International Civil Aviation Organization, to measure the number of passengers carried, which is now roughly 4 billion per year.

In the paper, Barnett discusses the pros and cons of some alternative metrics that could be used to evaluate commercial air safety, including deaths per flight and deaths per passenger miles traveled. He prefers to use deaths per boarding because, as he writes in the paper, “it literally reflects the fraction of passengers who perished during air journeys.”

The new paper also includes historical data showing that even in today’s higher-risk areas for commerical aviation, the fatality rate is better, on aggregate, than it was in the leading air-travel countries just a few decades in the past.

“The risk now in the higher-risk countries is basically the risk we used to have 40-50 years ago” in the safest air-travel countries, Barnett notes.

Barnett readily acknowledges that the paper is evaluating the overall numbers, and not providing a causal account of the air-safety trend; he says he welcomes further research attempting to explain the reasons for the continued gains in air safety.

In the paper, Barnett also notes that year-to-year air fatality numbers have notable variation. In 2017, for instance, just 12 people died in the process of air travel, compared to 473 in 2018.

“Even if the overall trendline is [steady], the numbers will bounce up and down,” Barnett says. For that reason, he thinks looking at trends a decade at a time is a better way of grasping the full trajectory of commercial airline safety.

On a personal level, Barnett says he understands the kinds of concerns people have about airline travel. He began studying the subject partly because of his own worries about flying, and quips that he was trying to “sublimate my fears in a way that might be publishable.”

Those kinds of instinctive fears may well be natural, but Barnett says he hopes that his work can at least build public knowledge about the facts and put them into perspective for people who are afraid of airplane accidents.

“The risk is so low that being afraid to fly is a little like being afraid to go into the supermarket because the ceiling might collapse,” Barnett says.

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Blue Cross Blue Shield Medicare Health Plans

What is the Right Blue Cross Blue Shield Medicare Plan for You?

Knowing which health insurance plan will work best for you isn’t always easy. So, let’s take a closer look at some Blue Cross Blue Shield Medicare coverage plans and how they can help you get the health care you need.

What is Medicare?

There’s a lot of talk about Medicare coverage and other issues about health plans. But these conversations often skip past explaining what Medicare is.

Medicare is a federal health insurance program. Medicare health plans offered are for:

• U.S. citizens age 65 and over, or
• Citizens under 65 with certain disabilities or medical conditions

Medicare has different plans referred to as Parts A, B, C, D and private carriers also issue supplemental plans. These plans cover different health care services and needs.

Medicare Plans	Part A	Part B	Medicare Advantage (Part C)	Part D	Medicare supplement plans
Features	Offers  inpatient care and home health care services	Offers doctor services, outpatient care, and medical supplies	Coverage may include wellness programs, hearing aids, and vision services	Offers prescription drug coverage	Help with out-of-pocket costs (such as deductibles, copays and coinsurance) not covered by Part A and Part B

 

Medicare Part A and Part B Plans

Medicare Part A and Part B are also known as Original Medicare.

Part A covers:

• Inpatient care offered in hospitals or skilled nursing facilities
• me health care services
• Hospice care for the terminally ill

Part B covers:

• Doctorservices
• Outpatient care
• Medical supplies
• Durable medical equipment
• Preventive services

Now, let’s take a deeper look at Blue Cross and Blue Shield Medicare’s Advantage plans and Supplement plans

Medicare Advantage Blue Cross Blue Shield Plans (Part C)

Medicare Advantage plans offer Medicare coverage through private health insurance companies approved by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). 

These plans include health maintenance organizations (HMOs), preferred provider organizations (PPOs), regional PPOs and private fee-for-service plans. An organization in these categories usually has a Medicare contract and is a licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association.

Medicare Advantage plans provide all Part A and B services and some additional services, such as:

• Wellness programs
• Hearing aids
• Vision services

Also, Medicare Advantage plans (such as PPO plans and HMO plans) usually provide prescription drug coverage.

Some of these plans have a maximum that you would have to pay for out-of-pocket costs each calendar year, a feature not offered through original Medicare.

Medicare Advantage plans have location-based service areas and most have networks of doctors and hospitals. So, be sure to ask your doctors if they are in your health insurance plan’s Medicare Advantage network.

How Can I Enroll in a Blue Cross Blue Shield Medicare Advantage Plan?

You must first enroll in Medicare Part A and Part B before joining a Medicare Advantage plan. 

Medicare currently offers people an Open Enrollment Period about once a year. This gives you the chance to review and, if you want, make changes to your Medicare coverage. Some of the changes you can make include:

• Joining a Medicare Advantage plan
• Leaving your Medicare Advantage plan and returning to Original Medicare (Part A and Part B)
• Switching from one Medicare Advantage plan to another
• Adding or changing your prescription drug coverage (Part D) plan if you are in Original Medicare

Medicare Advantage plans can be useful. But what if you find out you have gaps in your Medicare health coverage?

That’s where Medigap comes in.

Blue Cross Blue Shield Medicare Supplement Plans

If you have Medicare Part A and Part B coverage, Medicare Supplement (also called Medigap) plans can help fill the coverage gaps in Medicare Part A and Part B. Some Medigap plans even cover foreign travel emergency services.

Medigap plans are sold by private insurance companies. They can help you with out-of-pocket costs (such as deductibles, copays and coinsurance) not covered by Parts A and B.

How Can I Enroll in Medigap?

You must first enroll in Medicare Part A and Part B before joining a Medigap plan. 

Even though Medicare has an annual Open Enrollment Period for Medicare Advantage plans, this doesn’t apply for folks wanting Medigap coverage.

The Open Enrollment Period for a Medigap policy is the six-month period that starts the first day of the month that you turn 65 or older and enrolled in Medicare Part B.

After that, your ability to buy one of the Medigap plans depends on which state you live in. This is balanced by the fact that once you’re enrolled in a Medigap plan, it renews annually as long as you pay your premium and the plan is available.

Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage (Part D)

Medicare prescription drug plans (PDP plans) are offered by private health insurance companies and cover your prescription drug costs for covered medications. 

You can select a Medicare PDP plan in addition to:

• Original Medicare (Part A and Part B)
• Original Medicare (Part A and Part B) with a Medigap Plan

Part D coverage is included in most Medicare Advantage (Part C) plans.

Blue Cross Blue Shield Medicare Coverage – Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: Can I have the Blue Cross Blue Shield Medicare Advantage plan and a Medicare supplement plan at the same time?

A: No. You must pick between the Medicare Advantage plan (Part C) or a Blue Cross Blue Shield Medicare Supplement plan. It is against federal law for someone to be enrolled in both plans at the same time.

Q: How is Medicare different from Medicaid?

A: Medicaid is a state-based health insurance program that covers a set of benefits and services. The program helps low-income individuals and families, people with disabilities and older folks.

Medicare is a federal health insurance program that covers certain benefits and services. This program is primarily for people 65 and older as well as for people under age 65 who have disabilities and/or certain medical conditions.

Medicaid eligibility differs from Medicare eligibility. Certain rules apply for individuals eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid.

The Bottom Line

Getting original Medicare is a good start for basic health care coverage. But you also have additional options with Blue Cross Blue Shield Medicare to help cover more of your health care needs.

Medicare Advantage plans focus on covering additional health care services, including prescription drug coverage. Medigap (or Medicare Supplement) plans focus on helping to keep your out-of-pocket costs for health care affordable.

Choosing the right Medicare plan for you is straightforward. Get your customized Medicare plan quote and learn more about Medicare Advantage and Medicare Supplemental plans.

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Has Felix Tshisekedi tackling DR Congo's six biggest problems?

Ordinary Congolese hoped Felix Tshisekedi would transform their lives when he became president.

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Africa's week in pictures: 17-23 January 2020

A selection of the week's best photos from across the continent and beyond.

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No, the Wuhan Virus Is Not a 'Snake Flu'

One paper advanced a controversial theory about the disease's origin. Other scientists aren't biting.

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How to Buy Used on eBay: A Beginner's Guide

Gracefully avoid sketchy situations and score a deal on the post-holiday gadget turnover.

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Don't Break Up Big Tech

It won't protect small businesses, it won't preserve our data privacy, and it won't help promote democracy. 

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Bad Math, Pepsi Points, and the Greatest Plane Non-Crash Ever

How calculation errors and misunderstandings led to a very silly lawsuit—and a very lucky landing. 

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Technique reveals whether models of patient risk are accurate

After a patient has a heart attack or stroke, doctors often use risk models to help guide their treatment. These models can calculate a patient’s risk of dying based on factors such as the patient’s age, symptoms, and other characteristics.

While these models are useful in most cases, they do not make accurate predictions for many patients, which can lead doctors to choose ineffective or unnecessarily risky treatments for some patients.

“Every risk model is evaluated on some dataset of patients, and even if it has high accuracy, it is never 100 percent accurate in practice,” says Collin Stultz, a professor of electrical engineering and computer science at MIT and a cardiologist at Massachusetts General Hospital. “There are going to be some patients for which the model will get the wrong answer, and that can be disastrous.”

Stultz and his colleagues from MIT, IBM Research, and the University of Massachusetts Medical School have now developed a method that allows them to determine whether a particular model’s results can be trusted for a given patient. This could help guide doctors to choose better treatments for those patients, the researchers say.

Stultz, who is also a professor of health sciences and technology, a member of MIT’s Institute for Medical Engineering and Sciences and Research Laboratory of Electronics, and an associate member of the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, is the senior author of the new study. MIT graduate student Paul Myers is the lead author of the paper, which appears today in Digital Medicine.

Modeling risk

Computer models that can predict a patient’s risk of harmful events, including death, are used widely in medicine. These models are often created by training machine-learning algorithms to analyze patient datasets that include a variety of information about the patients, including their health outcomes.

While these models have high overall accuracy, “very little thought has gone into identifying when a model is likely to fail,” Stultz says. “We are trying to create a shift in the way that people think about these machine-learning models. Thinking about when to apply a model is really important because the consequence of being wrong can be fatal.”

For instance, a patient at high risk who is misclassified would not receive sufficiently aggressive treatment, while a low-risk patient inaccurately determined to be at high risk could receive unnecessary, potentially harmful interventions.

To illustrate how the method works, the researchers chose to focus on a widely used risk model called the GRACE risk score, but the technique can be applied to nearly any type of risk model. GRACE, which stands for Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events, is a large dataset that was used to develop a risk model that evaluates a patient’s risk of death within six months after suffering an acute coronary syndrome (a condition caused by decreased blood flow to the heart). The resulting risk assessment is based on age, blood pressure, heart rate, and other readily available clinical features.

The researchers’ new technique generates an “unreliability score” that ranges from 0 to 1. For a given risk-model prediction, the higher the score, the more unreliable that prediction. The unreliability score is based on a comparison of the risk prediction generated by a particular model, such as the GRACE risk-score, with the prediction produced by a different model that was trained on the same dataset. If the models produce different results, then it is likely that the risk-model prediction for that patient is not reliable, Stultz says.

“What we show in this paper is, if you look at patients who have the highest unreliability scores — in the top 1 percent — the risk prediction for that patient yields the same information as flipping a coin,” Stultz says. “For those patients, the GRACE score cannot discriminate between those who die and those who don’t. It’s completely useless for those patients.”

The researchers’ findings also suggested that the patients for whom the models don’t work well tend to be older and to have a higher incidence of cardiac risk factors.

One significant advantage of the method is that the researchers derived a formula that tells how much two predictions would disagree, without having to build a completely new model based on the original dataset. 

“You don’t need access to the training dataset itself in order to compute this unreliability measurement, and that’s important because there are privacy issues that prevent these clinical datasets from being widely accessible to different people,” Stultz says.

Retraining the model

The researchers are now designing a user interface that doctors could use to evaluate whether a given patient’s GRACE score is reliable. In the longer term, they also hope to improve the reliability of risk models by making it easier to retrain models on data that include more patients who are similar to the patient being diagnosed.

“If the model is simple enough, then retraining a model can be fast. You could imagine a whole suite of software integrated into the electronic health record that would automatically tell you whether a particular risk score is appropriate for a given patient, and then try to do things on the fly, like retrain new models that might be more appropriate,” Stultz says.

The research was funded by the MIT-IBM Watson AI Lab. Other authors of the paper include MIT graduate student Wangzhi Dai; Kenney Ng, Kristen Severson, and Uri Kartoun of the Center for Computational Health at IBM Research; and Wei Huang and Frederick Anderson of the Center for Outcomes Research at the University of Massachusetts Medical School.

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Lyon sign Zimbabwe striker Tino Kadewere

Lyon sign Zimbabwe striker Tino Kadewere from French rivals Le Have and loan him back to the Ligue 2 side for the rest of the season.

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Ivorian Soro passes Celtic medical ahead of transfer

Ismaila Soro passes medical in Israel ahead of his proposed transfer to Celtic from Bnei Yehuda as the midfielder awaits a work permit and international clearance.

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Isabel Dos Santos: Africa's richest woman accused of fraud

Africa's richest woman has been formally accused of embezzlement by her country's prosecutors.

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Using artificial intelligence to enrich digital maps

A model invented by researchers at MIT and Qatar Computing Research Institute (QCRI) that uses satellite imagery to tag road features in digital maps could help improve GPS navigation.  

Showing drivers more details about their routes can often help them navigate in unfamiliar locations. Lane counts, for instance, can enable a GPS system to warn drivers of diverging or merging lanes. Incorporating information about parking spots can help drivers plan ahead, while mapping bicycle lanes can help cyclists negotiate busy city streets. Providing updated information on road conditions can also improve planning for disaster relief.

But creating detailed maps is an expensive, time-consuming process done mostly by big companies, such as Google, which sends vehicles around with cameras strapped to their hoods to capture video and images of an area’s roads. Combining that with other data can create accurate, up-to-date maps. Because this process is expensive, however, some parts of the world are ignored.

A solution is to unleash machine-learning models on satellite images — which are easier to obtain and updated fairly regularly — to automatically tag road features. But roads can be occluded by, say, trees and buildings, making it a challenging task. In a paper being presented at the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence conference, the MIT and QCRI researchers describe “RoadTagger,” which uses a combination of neural network architectures to automatically predict the number of lanes and road types (residential or highway) behind obstructions.

In testing RoadTagger on occluded roads from digital maps of 20 U.S. cities, the model counted lane numbers with 77 percent accuracy and inferred road types with 93 percent accuracy. The researchers are also planning to enable RoadTagger to predict other features, such as parking spots and bike lanes.

“Most updated digital maps are from places that big companies care the most about. If you’re in places they don’t care about much, you’re at a disadvantage with respect to the quality of map,” says co-author Sam Madden, a professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS) and a researcher in the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL). “Our goal is to automate the process of generating high-quality digital maps, so they can be available in any country.”

The paper’s co-authors are CSAIL graduate students Songtao He, Favyen Bastani, and Edward Park; EECS undergraduate student Satvat Jagwani; CSAIL professors Mohammad Alizadeh and Hari Balakrishnan; and QCRI researchers Sanjay Chawla, Sofiane Abbar, and Mohammad Amin Sadeghi.

Combining CNN and GNN

Quatar, where QCRI is based, is “not a priority for the large companies building digital maps,” Madden says. Yet, it’s constantly building new roads and improving old ones, especially in preparation for hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

“While visiting Qatar, we’ve had experiences where our Uber driver can’t figure out how to get where he’s going, because the map is so off,” Madden says. “If navigation apps don’t have the right information, for things such as lane merging, this could be frustrating or worse.”

RoadTagger relies on a novel combination of a convolutional neural network (CNN) — commonly used for images-processing tasks — and a graph neural network (GNN). GNNs model relationships between connected nodes in a graph and have become popular for analyzing things like social networks and molecular dynamics. The model is “end-to-end,” meaning it’s fed only raw data and automatically produces output, without human intervention.

The CNN takes as input raw satellite images of target roads. The GNN breaks the road into roughly 20-meter segments, or “tiles.” Each tile is a separate graph node, connected by lines along the road. For each node, the CNN extracts road features and shares that information with its immediate neighbors. Road information propagates along the whole graph, with each node receiving some information about road attributes in every other node. If a certain tile is occluded in an image, RoadTagger uses information from all tiles along the road to predict what’s behind the occlusion.

This combined architecture represents a more human-like intuition, the researchers say. Say part of a four-lane road is occluded by trees, so certain tiles show only two lanes. Humans can easily surmise that a couple lanes are hidden behind the trees. Traditional machine-learning models — say, just a CNN — extract features only of individual tiles and most likely predict the occluded tile is a two-lane road.

“Humans can use information from adjacent tiles to guess the number of lanes in the occluded tiles, but networks can’t do that,” He says. “Our approach tries to mimic the natural behavior of humans, where we capture local information from the CNN and global information from the GNN to make better predictions.”

Learning weights   

To train and test RoadTagger, the researchers used a real-world map dataset, called OpenStreetMap, which lets users edit and curate digital maps around the globe. From that dataset, they collected confirmed road attributes from 688 square kilometers of maps of 20 U.S. cities — including Boston, Chicago, Washington, and Seattle. Then, they gathered the corresponding satellite images from a Google Maps dataset.

In training, RoadTagger learns weights — which assign varying degrees of importance to features and node connections — of the CNN and GNN. The CNN extracts features from pixel patterns of tiles and the GNN propagates the learned features along the graph. From randomly selected subgraphs of the road, the system learns to predict the road features at each tile. In doing so, it automatically learns which image features are useful and how to propagate those features along the graph. For instance, if a target tile has unclear lane markings, but its neighbor tile has four lanes with clear lane markings and shares the same road width, then the target tile is likely to also have four lanes. In this case, the model automatically learns that the road width is a useful image feature, so if two adjacent tiles share the same road width, they’re likely to have the same lane count.

Given a road not seen in training from OpenStreetMap, the model breaks the road into tiles and uses its learned weights to make predictions. Tasked with predicting a number of lanes in an occluded tile, the model notes that neighboring tiles have matching pixel patterns and, therefore, a high likelihood to share information. So, if those tiles have four lanes, the occluded tile must also have four.

In another result, RoadTagger accurately predicted lane numbers in a dataset of synthesized, highly challenging road disruptions. As one example, an overpass with two lanes covered a few tiles of a target road with four lanes. The model detected mismatched pixel patterns of the overpass, so it ignored the two lanes over the covered tiles, accurately predicting four lanes were underneath.

The researchers hope to use RoadTagger to help humans rapidly validate and approve continuous modifications to infrastructure in datasets such as OpenStreetMap, where many maps don’t contain lane counts or other details. A specific area of interest is Thailand, Bastani says, where roads are constantly changing, but there are few if any updates in the dataset.

“Roads that were once labeled as dirt roads have been paved over so are better to drive on, and some intersections have been completely built over. There are changes every year, but digital maps are out of date,” he says. “We want to constantly update such road attributes based on the most recent imagery.”

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Printing objects that can incorporate living organisms

A method for printing 3D objects that can control living organisms in predictable ways has been developed by an interdisciplinary team of researchers at MIT and elsewhere. The technique may lead to 3D printing of biomedical tools, such as customized braces, that incorporate living cells to produce therapeutic compunds such as painkillers or topical treatments, the researchers say.

The new development was led by MIT Media Lab Associate Professor Neri Oxman and graduate students Rachel Soo Hoo Smith, Christoph Bader, and Sunanda Sharma, along with six others at MIT and at Harvard University’s Wyss Institute and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. The system is described in a paper recently published in the journal Advanced Functional Materials.

“We call them hybrid living materials, or HLMs,” Smith says. For their initial proof-of-concept experiments, the team precisely incorporated various chemicals into the 3D printing process. These chemicals act as signals to activate certain responses in biologically engineered microbes, which are spray-coated onto the printed object. Once added, the microbes display specific colors or fluorescence in response to the chemical signals.

In their study, the team describes the appearance of these colored patterns in a variety of printed objects, which they say demonstrates the successful incorporation of the living cells into the surface of the 3D-printed material, and the cells’ activation in response to the selectively placed chemicals.

The objective is to make a robust design tool for producing objects and devices incorporating living biological elements, made in a way that is as predictable and scalable as other industrial manufacturing processes.

The team uses a multistep process to produce their hybrid living materials. First, they use a commercially available multimaterial inkjet-based 3D printer, and customized recipes for the combinations of resins and chemical signals used for printing. For example, they found that one type of resin, normally used just to produce a temporary support for overhanging parts of a printed structure and then dissolved away after printing, could produce useful results by being mixed in with the structural resin material. The parts of the structure that incorporate this support material become absorbent and are able to retain the chemical signals that control the behavior of the living organisms.

Finally, the living layer is added: a surface coating of hydrogel — a gelatinous material composed mostly of water but providing a stable and durable lattice structure — is infused with biologically engineered bacteria and spray-coated onto the object.

“We can define very specific shapes and distributions of the hybrid living materials and the biosynthesized products, whether they be colors or therapeutic agents, within the printed shapes,” Smith says. Some of these initial test shapes were made as silver-dollar-sized disks, and others in the form of colorful face masks, with the colors provided by the living bacteria within their structure. The colors take several hours to develop as the bacteria grow, and then remain stable once they are in place.

“There are exciting practical applications with this approach, since designers are now able to control and pattern the growth of living systems through a computational algorithm,” Oxman says. “Combining computational design, additive manufacturing, and synthetic biology, the HLM platform points toward the far-reaching impact these technologies may have across seemingly disparate fields, ‘enlivening’ design and the object space.”

The printing platform the team used allows the material properties of the printed object to be varied precisely and continuously between different parts of the structure, with some sections stiffer and others more flexible, and some more absorbent and others liquid-repellent. Such variations could be useful in the design of biomedical devices that can provide strength and support while also being soft and pliable to provide comfort in places where they are in contact with the body.

The team included specialists in biology, bioengineering, and computer science to come up with a system that yields predictable patterning of the biological behavior across the printed object, despite the effects of factors such as diffusion of chemicals through the material. Through computer modeling of these effects, the researchers produced software that they say offers levels of precision comparable to the computer-assisted design (CAD) systems used for traditional 3D printing systems.

The multiresin 3D printing platform can use anywhere from three to seven different resins with different properties, mixed in any proportions. In combination with synthetic biological engineering, this makes it possible to design objects with biological surfaces that can be programmed to respond in specific ways to particular stimuli such as light or temperature or chemical signals, in ways that are reproducible yet completely customizable, and that can be produced on demand, the researchers say.

“In the future, the pigments included in the masks can be replaced with useful chemical substances for human augmentation such as vitamins, antibodies or antimicrobial drugs,” Oxman says. “Imagine, for example, a wearable interface designed to guide ad-hoc antibiotic formation customized to fit the genetic makeup of its user. Or, consider smart packaging that can detect contamination, or environmentally responsive architectural skins that can respond and adapt — in real-time — to environmental cues.”

In their tests, the team used genetically modified E. coli bacteria, because these grow rapidly and are widely used and studied, but in principle other organisms could be used as well, the researchers say.

The team included Dominik Kolb, Tzu-Chieh Tang, Christopher Voigt, and Felix Moser at MIT; Ahmed Hosny at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute of Harvard Medical School; and James Weaver at the Wyss Medical Institute of Harvard. It was supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Gettylab, the DARPA Engineered Living Materials agreement, and a National Security Science and Engineering Faculty Fellowship.

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Audio explainer: Exploring the fields of bioprinting and biohybrid materials

The following audio excerpt and transcript features an explanation of bioprinting and biohybrid materials by MIT graduate student Rachel Smith of the Mediated Matter Group at the Media Lab. It corresponds with this MIT News article on those subjects.

[INTRO MUSIC] [INTRO]

HOST: 3-D printing is everywhere. From bike parts to fashion, to novelty key chains, to tools and light fixtures. We often see it employed to accelerate production processes and prototyping, but what about the biological potential of printing? You may have heard terms such as bioprinting, bioinks or biomaterials, but what exactly are they? We’ve asked Rachel Smith, a graduate student of the Mediated Matter Group at the MIT Media Lab to explain what bioprinting is and what biohybrid materials are, and to give us some idea of where these fields of study are going.

RACHEL SMITH: Bioprinting and biohybrid materials: though these terms overlap, it is a bit like comparing apples to oranges. Bioprinting is a type of material fabrication process, whereas biohybrid materials are one type of material resulting from fabrication processes like this. Both bioprinting and biohybrid materials involve the use of living cells.

First, lets think about living cells as fabrication materials: something that you could integrate, like other components, into human-made engineering processes and products.

Many cells can naturally replicate, differentiate, and self-organize, and over time, we have also engineered ways to guide their movement, their growth, and the products that they excrete and consume. Thus, you can think of living cells as sensing and computing machines that are extremely sensitive to their surroundings, but we can control and ‘code’ their responses. As a material, they have uniquely responsive and programmable properties.

Bioprinting is the process of printing with living cells. You can include living cells in the ink of a 2D printer, or in the build material for a 3D printer to create tissue-like structures. Currently, 3D-bioprinting can be used to print tissues and organs with the appropriate biological and mechanical properties as the real thing to help with a wide variety of medicinal research. In some cases, researchers print with porous materials that encourage cells to migrate inside and begin to ossify into bone. Another exciting example is 3D printing cardiac cells, which can begin to contract in sync to regenerate mechanical functions of the heart.

Biohybrid materials combine both living and non-living materials to acquire useful properties of both. Currently, the most prominent application for doing this is reconstructing tissues and organs from a combination of synthetic scaffolds and living cells. But, more recently, this idea has expanded to include constructs not found in nature and intended for uses beyond medicine, such as wearables and construction materials.

Already in the works, we have researchers developing biohybrid walls where concrete is blended with mineralizing bacteria for self-healing properties. We have biohybrid fibers spun with microbes, but knit or woven like traditional cloth. The living components in these fibers can produce pigments as dyes, filter heavy metals, or excrete drugs. I like to imagine them being used in fashion, wound dressings, or even environmental remediation. It’s an exciting field to be a part of.

[OUTRO MUSIC] [OUTRO]

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Eboni K. Williams talks State of the Culture and building her dream career

Eboni K. Williams has a reputation for bringing substance, style, and intelligence to whatever endeavor she tackles.  Whether it’s hosting on television or REVOLT’s “State of The Culture”, writing inspirational books, or giving back to her community, Williams puts her passion and truth into her work.

TheGrio spoke with the dynamic attorney and media personality about what it takes to find your authentic voice and stay motivated in an ever-complicated world.

“I don’t care if you’re an accountant, if you’re a teacher, if you’re a social worker, whatever your profession. This is not just for media types. Don’t let people tell you what to do with your talent or your gifts,” says Williams.

“You show them. Take that affirmative step. Take that proactive position to make sure that you are articulating for yourself where your gifts are and how wide the scope is. Because many of us are limitless in our talents and abilities, and we [can’t] allow other people to dictate and minimize what that looks like.“

When it comes to standing on your convictions and speaking with courage, Williams offers this advice.

“I’m a woman of faith,” says Williams. “My steps are ordered. So, I appreciate the fact that it’s not going to be for everybody. I know that and I’m good with it. What I would invite people to do, just stay open to the process, stay open to your own process.”

Watch the full interview with Eboni K. Williams above, for more motivational gems and wisdom.

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Eboni K. Williams talks State of the Culture and speaking your truth

Eboni K. Williams has a reputation for bringing substance, style, and intelligence to whatever endeavor she tackles.  Whether it’s hosting on television or REVOLT’s “State of The Culture”, writing inspirational books, or giving back to her community, Williams puts her passion and truth into her work.

TheGrio spoke with the dynamic attorney and media personality about what it takes to find your authentic voice and stay motivated in an ever-complicated world.

“I don’t care if you’re an accountant, if you’re a teacher, if you’re a social worker, whatever your profession. This is not just for media types. Don’t let people tell you what to do with your talent or your gifts,” says Williams.

“You show them. Take that affirmative step. Take that proactive position to make sure that you are articulating for yourself where your gifts are and how wide the scope is. Because many of us are limitless in our talents and abilities, and we [can’t] allow other people to dictate and minimize what that looks like.“

When it comes to standing on your convictions and speaking with courage, Williams offers this advice.

“I’m a woman of faith,” says Williams. “My steps are ordered. So, I appreciate the fact that it’s not going to be for everybody. I know that and I’m good with it. What I would invite people to do, just stay open to the process, stay open to your own process.”

Watch the full interview with Eboni K. Williams above, for more motivational gems and wisdom.

The post Eboni K. Williams talks State of the Culture and speaking your truth appeared first on TheGrio.

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WATCH: Eboni K. Willams talks her inspiring journey, women’s empowerment and message for Black America

Eboni K. Williams has a reputation for bringing substance, style, and intelligence to whatever endeavor she tackles.  Whether it’s hosting on television, writing inspirational books, or giving back to her community, Williams puts her passion and truth into her work.

TheGrio spoke with the dynamic attorney and media personality about what it takes to find your authentic voice and stay motivated in an ever-complicated world.

“I don’t care if you’re an accountant, if you’re a teacher, if you’re a social worker, whatever your profession. This is not just for media types. Don’t let people tell you what to do with your talent or your gifts,” says Williams.

“You show them. Take that affirmative step. Take that proactive position to make sure that you are articulating for yourself where your gifts are and how wide the scope is. Because many of us are limitless in our talents and abilities, and we [can’t] allow other people to dictate and minimize what that looks like.“

Watch the full interview with Eboni K. Williams above, for more motivational gems and wisdom.

The post WATCH: Eboni K. Willams talks her inspiring journey, women’s empowerment and message for Black America appeared first on TheGrio.

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Would the Coronavirus Quarantine of Wuhan Even Work?

It’s almost impossible to shut down a megacity. And even if you do, people (and their germs) would find a way out.

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Yo Gotti Speaks out Against the Inhumane Treatment in Mississippi Prisons

Activists, celebrities, and everyday folks have been speaking out on social media about the five inmates recently killed in prisons across the state of Mississippi. 

Rapper Yo Gotti is among the voices speaking out against the injustice. Yo Gotti is teaming up with Jay-Z to file a lawsuit against the Mississippi Department of Corrections Committee and has even written to the former Governor of Mississippi, Phil Bryant regarding the gravity of the situation. 

JAY-Z, ROC NATION FILE FEDERAL LAWSUIT AGAINST MISSISSIPPI PRISON OFFICIALS, ALLEGE VILE PRISON CONDITIONS

In an exclusive sit-down with theGrio, Yo Gotti discusses his position on the recent incidents in Mississippi and his plans to make an impact.

“These facilities are supposed to be for rehabilitation. Those people are supposed to come home, better, not die while they’re in jail. So, you know, I just think we have to do what we can do from the outside that can help the people, ” Yo Gotti tells theGrio.

The Tennessee native shares that one of the reasons he was inspired to speak out is the fact that Mississippi is close to home for him. “If you cross over one street in Memphis, you technically in Mississippi,” he tells TheGrio. Yo Gotti also details his initial reaction when he saw the graphic images and heard the tragic stories of the inmates in the prisons. The “Rake it Up” rapper states that jail is more complex than just a consequence of punishment, because there are people wrongfully in jail, awaiting trial, and people who can’t afford to make bond. 

“All of them are in the same facility, so how you distinguish who’s who? And even if you’re a criminal, you still don’t deserve to live like that,” he tells theGrio

Yo Gotti emphasizes that regardless if you are an artist or someone who clocks into a 9 to 5 everyday,  if something is important to you, touches you, or bothers you, then you should speak up and take action. 

“If I feel like it’s something to speak about or it’s an issue to me. I speak about it,” Yo Gotti tells theGrio

Yo Gotti’s message to inmates is that “we just hope that they can be as strong as they could be. And that we will try to help them from the outside as much as we can, you know, to just hold on.”

Check out the full interview above.

 

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Rohingya crisis: The Gambia who took Aung San Sui Kyi to the world court

Gambian Abubacarr Tambadou has forced the Nobel laureate to defend Myanmar against genocide charges.

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The UN Warns Against the Global Threat to Election Integrity

A new report calls for safeguards to reduce the dangers posed by misinformation, online extremism, and social media manipulation.

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The 737 MAX Delay Is Just One of Boeing's Many Problems

Issues inside the company aren't limited to its commercial airliner business—even the space and defense divisions are suffering. 

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Lions and tigers escape circus for vast new home

Seventeen big cats rescued from Guatemalan circuses have moved to a South African wildlife sanctuary.

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Ivory Coast is using plastic waste to build schools

The West African country has partnered with UNICEF to transform landfill waste into bricks for schools.

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State of the Culture’s Eboni K. Williams: Remy Ma and I ‘Co-Exist’

Longtime public defender and former Fox News pundit Eboni K. Williams is no stranger to facing off with fiery personalities. But she has her work cut out for her when it comes to debating the hot topics with her State of the Culture co-host Remy Ma. 

In a September clip that has since gone viral, the duo faced off over rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine’s courtroom confessions and things got ugly. 

“Can I get off of this couch while she’s giving people advice and tips on how to f—king snitch?” a visibly annoyed Remy deadpanned at the camera while shading Williams for her legal advice.

So how are things between Williams and Remy today?

“We have created space to co-exist,” Williams, 36, tells theGrio. 

No shade?

READ MORE: Remy Ma on the Cardi B and Nicki Beef

“Like, we’re good, really. There are moments of real contention and I don’t want to minimize that. But again, I think that’s an opportunity for growth.” 

Williams, who spent much of her career as a criminal defense attorney, hints that there will likely be more conflicts with Remy as they each bring their unique perspectives on pop culture, politics, and social justice to the table.

“The Queen Remy Ma comes from a background, [as] an expert in hip-hop, an expert in culture, an expert in motherhood, an expert, not because she’s perfect, right. But because she’s experienced in that. She’s been a wife for upwards of 10 years,” Williams said. “So, Remy brings a unique experience of vantage point. I proudly bring a unique experience and vantage point–my expertise in law, my expertise in media and journalism. You put that together, and what it creates is a beautiful dynamic for young girls and women of all ages to look at and be able to appreciate.

“It’s not about agreeing all the time. I always say agreement to me is actually grossly overrated. I don’t think our moments of growth come from just being in lockstep alignment on every issue, on every point. It’s all good. We have a beautiful and growing relationship.”

READ MORE: Rihanna’s reps deny asking Shaggy to audition for her upcoming album

Plus, the Pretty Powerful author adds that she’s determined not to fall into a tired narrative of catfights with Remy, 39, her only female co-host. 

“Women, are, historically, a marginalized group of folk. We’ve been sold a lie that says only one or maybe two of us at a time can succeed in a space. And that’s a false narrative. To be simply put, the truth is we actually thrive as women. We thrive as black people. We thrive as any marginalized group in this country…the truth is, is that as women and especially as Black women, we are each other’s protection.”

Check out the full video about for more on Eboni K Williams !

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Texas school forces Black teen to choose between wearing locs or attending graduation

A Texas teenager is being faced with the difficult decision to either cut off the locs he’s been growing since he was in the seventh grade or be banned from his own high school graduation ceremony.

According to a local NBC affiliate, Deandre Arnold, who lives in the Houston suburb of Mont Belvieu, previously had an agreement with the Barbers Hill independent school district that allowed for his hair to be treated as an exemption to their dress code policy because of its spiritual and cultural significance.

READ MORE: Texas school calls police on mom for wearing a head scarf and t-shirt dress to register child for class

Over the last 10 years the agreement has been upheld with no issue, but unbeknownst to the Arnold family, an amendment was recently made. As a result, upon his return from Christmas break, the 18-year-old was unexpectedly placed on in-school suspension at Barbers Hill High School because his hair was too long. He was also informed he couldn’t walk during graduation until his dreadlocks were cut short enough to meet the district’s revised policy.

This week during the Barbers Hill Independent School District board meeting there is a clear divide about if the actions against the teen are warranted or even reasonable.

READ MORE: California set to become first state to ban discriminating against natural hair

READ MORE: Family of Aaron Hernandez’s victim reportedly being harassed in wake of Netflix doc

“You are in violation of the 1964 Civil Rights Act as it pertains to religious beliefs,” Gary Monroe, who is with United Urban Alumni Association, informed board members while explaining his opposition to the dress code.

“Let’s stop with the dress code. This not about dress code, this is about policing Black boys,” opined one of the many activists who took the podium during Monday evening’s gathering.

“I won’t stand for anybody bullying my child. He has rights. All he wants to do is graduate,” said David Arnold, who believes the way the school board is treating his son should be considered a form of bullying.

Despite the outcry from the community, the board still opted not to place the topic on the upcoming agendas for further discussion.

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Rutgers University Names Jonathan Holloway as Its First Black President

Jonathan Holloway has been named the new president of Rutgers University, making him the first African American to hold the position.

Holloway will start in his new position on July 1 after being approved by the Rutgers Board of Governors. He will be succeeding Robert Barchi who has been at the helm at Rutgers University since September 2012. The hiring of Holloway makes him the 21st president of New Jersey’s flagship university.

The 52-year-old, who was voted in unanimously by the Rutgers Board of Governors, is currently provost at Northwestern University. “I was drawn to the opportunity at Rutgers University because of its amazing history, its foundation of excellence in teaching and its ambition to continue conducting life-changing research that improves our communities, our country and our world,” Holloway said in a statement.

“Bob Barchi’s extraordinary leadership has helped place Rutgers among the preeminent public universities in the world,” he added. “I cannot wait to help write the next chapter in the history of this magnificent institution.”

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy was excited about the hire.

Thrilled that @RutgersU is set to name Jonathan Holloway, Provost of @NorthwesternU, as its President. During our conversations, Dr. Holloway clearly showed he had the vision & experience to put the needs of students first & lead Rutgers to the next level.https://t.co/qCou52kBZV

— Governor Phil Murphy (@GovMurphy) January 19, 2020

“Jonathan Holloway is an extraordinarily distinguished scholar with an outstanding record as an academic administrator at Northwestern and Yale. He is thoughtful, visionary, inclusive and decisive. He leads with remarkable integrity, and is just the right person to build upon Rutgers’ long tradition as an academic and research powerhouse,” said Rutgers Board of Governors Chair Mark Angelson who also chaired the presidential search committee.

“Selecting our university president is perhaps the Board of Governors’ most important responsibility. We are confident that we have chosen the best person to lead Rutgers into the future,” he said.

The Board of Governors also appointed Holloway as a University Professor and Distinguished Professor. He serves on the boards of the Chicago Botanic Garden, Illinois Humanities, the National Humanities Alliance, the Society for United States Intellectual History and the Organization of American Historians. Holloway is an elected member of the prestigious American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the Society of American Historians.

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The Real Genius of *Love Island* Is Its Money-Making App

The British network behind the hit series has made millions by selling merch via a companion app. Its success hints at the future of the broadcasting business.

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This Indie Horror Game Made Me Confront My Fear of Death

The Space Between expertly plays with connections between intimacy and the human body.

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Officer who shot video of Delonte West is now suspended from police force

A Maryland police officer believed to have shot one of the viral videos that showed former NBA player Delonte West sitting on a curb handcuffed and shirtless, has been suspended from the Prince George’s County Police force.

After a police investigation into the video, Prince Georges Police Chief Hank Stawinski said it was determined that an officer, whom he didn’t name, shot it and posted it to social media. Stawinski said he was “troubled” by the incident, according to CBS News.

READ MORE: NBA reportedly offers help after disturbing video of Delonte West goes viral

“It’s irresponsible for that (video) taken by a Prince George’s County police officer to be in the public’s hands,” Stawinski said at a press conference.

Police responded to a call about a fight near the MGM National Harbor casino and when officers arrived, they saw a man bleeding from the face and “made the decision to handcuff” West, according to Stawinski. West and the other man knew each other and police determined they had been arguing before it turned violent. Both men refused medical treatment, police said.

“They both refused to press charges against each other and refused to cooperate with detectives. No weapons were recovered,” police said, according to CBS News.

In the video, West is being questioned by police about the altercation and went off on an indecipherable rant, telling police he was approached by someone wielding a gun as he walked down the street. But when police pushed him for more detail about the incident, he becomes belligerent and is heard saying “I don’t give a f–k” twice before continuing his rant.

The viral video caught the attention of West’s former college coach, Phil Martelli, who coached West and Jameer Nelson for several years at Saint Joseph’s before West left for the NBA. Martelli took to Twitter to post a compassionate note about watching West spiral, reported ESPN.

“Over the past several hours I have talked with many who are willing to help – please read and embrace Jameer’s wisdom – we are reaching out to our basketball network to get the professional help Delonte needs. This is so very painful,” Martelli tweeted.

Over the past several hours I have talked with many who are willing to help – please read and embrace Jameer’s wisdom – we are reaching out to our basketball network to get the professional help Delonte needs. This is so very painful. https://t.co/8IAuTdzCc9

— Phil Martelli (@PhilMartelli) January 21, 2020

READ MORE: Black men must overcome mental health stigmas

West, 36, played eight seasons in the NBA, including several seasons with LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. He also played for the Boston Celtics, Seattle SuperSonics and Dallas Mavericks.

 

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Multimillionaire Entrepreneur Shares The Keys to Effective Leadership

Ushering in a new decade can be eye-opening for many who commit to wiping the slate clean, dusting off dormant goals, repositioning themselves from missed opportunities, or initiating endeavors to ignite a fresh phase of the future. However, one thing that has echoed throughout the corridors of history and will never change is the necessity and demand for effective leadership.

David Imonitie is a self-proclaimed multimillionaire, success trainer, coach, investor, and serial entrepreneur who was reared in an atmosphere of leadership that was exemplified by his parents. Both were pastors and entrepreneurs, while his father is a professional tennis player in Africa. The fruit of their labor has produced a global influencer in the areas of enterprise and leadership today.

After repeat business failures, Imonitie shifted how he viewed money by applying proven principles, earning his first million in his early 20s, and has since earned over eight-figures. Through his leadership, he’s been a catalyst in building large organizations and developing leaders, teams, and organizations to generate hundreds of millions in revenue. He’s also passionate about teaching biblical principles and sharing messages of faith and finance through the I Believe Foundation.

According to Imonitie, leadership is based on two primary premises: influence and vision. Leaders possess the ability to influence others by communicating a clear vision. The inspiration, enthusiasm, and action they exude compel others to want to follow. Influential leaders have the ability to cast a vision large enough where others can see themselves as part of it. Everyone was born with the gift of leadership and has the capacity to lead in some form or another; however, everyone won’t take the time to develop their leadership potential and sharpen their leadership skills.

Imonitie shares key essentials to increase leadership effectiveness.

Examine Your Motives.

Ensure that you have a love (heart) for the people that you serve. After all, who are you leading if you’re not leading people, and moreover, who are you leading without loving people? Leadership motivated by love is critical because it reveals the heart of a leader. It’s going to show up in your language, disposition, service quality, and customer service. Before people purchase your product, service, program, or participate in your cause, they want to know that you genuinely care about them.

Be Clear On Decisions.

Clarity and vision are the keys to 2020 and beyond. You must be clear about what you want. When a leader is indecisive, they don’t know where they’re going and therefore can’t expect anyone else to follow. No one can follow a parked car. Being decisive becomes easier when they are in alignment with your goals. Your goals are in alignment with your vision. Once you decide, make sure that decision surrounds and supports your goals.

Commit To Continual Growth.

Leadership development requires people to commit to finding and staying in the right environment, aligning with the right people, receiving the right information, and learning from the right experiences to acquire the skills and discipline needed to be effective. The real question is, “who do I need to become?” Look for opportunities to grow by researching and studying the habits of effective leaders such as the books they read, the audio they listen to, and associations they have.

Learn To Fail Forward.

Give yourself permission to be an example of success and failure. Why? Because all great leaders fall. It demonstrates how you handle challenges and adversity. In success, you can be an example of discipline, and in failure, you can be an example of resiliency. As a leader, I draw inspiration from the realities of success and failure and am always inspired by the resiliency of the human spirit.

Make It About Mentorship.

Mentorship matters because it’s an investment of time. Mentors oftentimes choose their protégés. Having your best interest at heart, they put you on a path of navigation to reach your destination. For those who are serious about creating accountability, reducing their learning curve, avoiding costly mistakes, and following a proven blueprint for success, mentorship is a priceless commodity that changes the trajectory of destinies. The strategies, insight, and wisdom mentors provide position their protégés to take quantum leaps. Most importantly, you are afforded the gift of access, however, that access is defined in the relationship.

Win By Producing Results.

It’s not only a new decade, but it’s a new day. In a world of constant demand for social proof and search for solutions, people will not pay attention to leaders who are unable to produce results. Therefore, the discipline of being action-oriented is so crucial for leaders. Devising a strategy, setting goals, making necessary adjustments, and executing only on tasks that drive results.

Winning is the name of the game. Period.

 

 

 

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How Irish potatoes and cassava helped Uganda's Museveni shed 30kg

Yoweri Museveni says Irish potatoes, vegetables, and coffee with no sugar, helped him lose weight.

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Cats, Once YouTube Stars, Are Now an ‘Emerging Audience’

They're addicted to channels like Little Kitty & Family, Handsome Nature, and Videos for Your Cat—provided their owners switch on the iPad first.

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The Next Campaign Text You Get May Be From a Friend

Apps for relational organizing—which use personal connections to get out the vote—are the latest political tech arms race. So far, Democrats have the edge.

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Best Amazon Echo and Alexa Speakers (2020): Which Models Are Best?

Here are our favorite speakers from Amazon and its partners, including the Echo Dot, Sonos One, and more.

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How to Maximize the Value of Your Business to Attract Investors and Buyers

If you own a business and would like to attract investors or buyers, increasing its value should be your No. 1 priority. There are many tactics such as cutting costs that you can implement to drive you toward your goal. According to a 2017 Sageworks study, businesses with less than $5 million in annual revenue experienced about 7.8% annual sales growth. However, if you are in tech or a healthcare-based industry, 20% growth may be common, according to a 2017 Kauffman Foundation report. 

It’s important to benchmark where you are. Proactively searching for new opportunities will set you apart from the competition. Here are three ways to maximize the value of your business. 

1. Optimize Your Cash Flow

Staying on top of your cash flow is crucial. If you haven’t done so already, I’d suggest incorporating a cloud-based accounting platform to streamline your financial management. As you expand, you will need access to your financials, including your profit and loss statement, balance sheet, and cash flow statement, on-demand.

Instead of bringing the accounting in house, you might consider outsourcing those functions to a third party. Bringing on a fractional CFO and a remote bookkeeping team will help you stay on track while controlling costs. Growing your revenue while increasing your margins will help you get to where you want to be. This is incredibly important if you want to get an equity infusion or sell the business as a part of your succession plan. 

2. Purchase Assets

There are cases to be made for leasing assets. However, if you would like to maximize the value of your business owning assets is the way to go. If you finance the asset, it ends up on your balance sheet and you can deduct the interest on the loan. 

Be sure to consult with your tax adviser. It is also important to utilize lines of credit and supplier financing. Have a conversation with your bank and several suppliers. By negotiating terms in advance, you’ll be in a stronger position when you need to access those funds. This is a great way to leverage your cash to invest in additional business assets. 

3. Develop new revenue

It pays to tighten up your service experience. After all, it’s less expensive to service an existing customer than it is to acquire a new customer.

In addition, a single customer should not contribute more than 20% of your revenue. If so, you are at risk of a serious cash-flow problem should that customer decide to look elsewhere. Consider tapping into your network of suppliers to ask for referrals. Your supplier should be familiar with the products or services that you offer. Educate them on who your ideal customer is. This is a long-term strategy that can lead to significant revenue. 

You should also look at partnering with businesses in different industries who also sell to your customers. These alliances can yield attractive results. Make sure you have an agreement in place to define the nature of the partnership. Be sure to consult with a  business attorney. There is a multitude of ways to grow your business. Find out which ones work for you and put your resources behind them. 

With a little creativity, your growth will exceed your industry’s benchmarks. Consider working with a business adviser who can help you design and implement a growth strategy. With the right team in place, you will have a higher probability of maximizing the value of your business. 

 

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Release the Kratom: Inside America's Hottest New Drug Culture

Many use kratom to quit opioids; others just want to get high. There's a push to regulate the plant-derived drug—but experts disagree on its safety.

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Laser Headlights Can Make Roads Brighter—and Cars Smarter

The new lamps in BMW's M5 are more precise and efficient than their predecessors, and could someday broadcast data. 

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Microsoft Looms Over the Privacy Debate in Its Home State

The software company helped torpedo a facial recognition bill last year, though a state senator—who's also a Microsoft program manager—has a new bill in the works.

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Libya considering CHAN invite

The Libya Football Federation is considering an invite to replace Tunisia at the 2020 African Nations Championship (CHAN) in Cameroon,

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Spanish fourth-tier side Manchego deny Mathias Pogba has left

Spanish side Manchego deny that Guinea's Mathias Pogba has joined fourth-tier rivals Lorca FC, a club whose starting line-ups are chosen by fans via a smartphone app.

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BLACK WOMEN IN HOLLYWOOD: Debra Martin Chase

When Debra Martin Chase began her career in entertainment, the landscape was quite different than it is today. The Harvard Law graduate left her life as a successful attorney behind and set out on a mission to change the images we saw onscreen. Now, after 30 years in the business, she’s one of the most important Black women in Hollywood and she continues to pave the way for those who dare to follow.

“I had a mission to increase diversity onscreen and offscreen and I understood the impact that changing the images we see would have on people of color and on everyone. In those times that I felt like I was beating my head against the wall, I knew that if I was successful it would make a difference,” she says.

As a producer of Harriet, she’s currently enjoying her latest Oscar-nominated success story and running Martin Chase Productions, the company she founded in 2000.

We caught up with this dynamic powerhouse to find out how she managed to move the needle so significantly and to get her take on what’s next for Black women in Hollywood.

“I was watching ‘The Fugitive’ and that’s a great film but there is no color in the movie. It’s an all-white movie. That struck me because you can’t make a movie like that anymore. It’s outdated just by the images in the movie and that is a huge accomplishment. We were so conditioned to just accept that we weren’t a part of those worlds and that’s the power of images. That’s why I got into this business. We take it for granted that we see doctors and lawyers and good guys and bad guys of all ethnicities and walks of life in these stories now.”

WATCH: Cynthia Erivo and Kasi Lemmons on bringing an American hero to life in ‘Harriet’

Debra Martin Chase spent four years running Denzel Washington’s production company, Mundy Lane Entertainment, where she executive produced the Emmy-nominated and Peabody Award-winning documentary Hank Aaron: Chasing The Dream.

In 1995, she joined forces with Whitney Houston and headed up her production company, Brown House Productions and worked with the late superstar on several projects including The Preacher’s Wife, Cinderella, and Sparkle.

“I was Whitney’s producing partner for five years. I had run Denzel’s company for four years and during that time I started developing ‘The Bishop’s Wife’ which became ‘The Preachers Wife.’ Whitney signed on early on and I got to know her and her team,” she recalls. “They were really wanting to start a company and take her acting career to the next level. We ended up partnering and it was really great. I adored her and it still hurts what happened.”

In 1997, she produced Disney’s groundbreaking Rogers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella starring Brandy Norwood, Whitney Houston, and Whoopi Goldberg. The film garnered more than 60 million viewers when it debuted on The Wonderful World of Disney and earned seven Emmy nominations and remains one of her crowning achievements.

“Going way back to having a Black Cinderella that women and girls and boys could look to and say, ‘This is the standard of beauty’ was hugely important to me,” she says. “It was so groundbreaking. It’s so representative of everything that I came to Hollywood to do. I know what that would have meant for me as a girl to see a Black Cinderella and so that was a huge driver. The colorblind casting was unheard of and everybody gave us such a hard time but we were determined. We just linked arms and said ‘We’re gonna do this’ and we just fought the system and got it done and it was this huge hit.”

She also has a soft spot for The Preacher’s Wife.

“The Preacher’s Wife was very important to me because it was really one of the first modern, studio movies that had two major Black stars and an all-star cast and that just wasn’t done in those days,” she explains. “That was a big deal.”

Debra Martin Chase went on to produce a long list of mainstream hits including The Princess Diaries, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, and The Cheetah Girls, always staying true to her mission of diversifying the images that permeated pop culture. That mission included helping other Black women make their mark behind the scenes and one such example happens to be Shonda Rhimes who credits Martin Chase for launching her career.

“The full story with Shonda [Rhimes] is I was running Denzel’s company and I had one or two white interns from USC’s graduate program. I called somebody in the administration and said, ‘I know you must have a Black student in the program you can send me. I want your superstar’ and they sent me Shonda. It was pretty clear immediately that she was special. She has reminded me that I gave her the first paid writing job on the Hank Aaron documentary. She went on to write three movies for me including ‘Princess Diaries 2’,” she says.

Despite her commitment to her mission and a long list of successes in the industry, Debra Martin Chase admits there have been times that she felt defeated.

“About five years ago I wanted to give up because people were not making products about women or people of color. I felt like I was throwing stuff up against the wall and not believing in the way that I needed to in the things I was doing. I had spent a year intensely working on a ‘Dirty Dancing’ remake with my dear friend Kenny Ortega and it fell apart at the very last minute for political reasons and it was devastating. I thought maybe it was time to do something else,” she recalls.

“I realized I needed to reboot and re-orient myself in the business. It was time to take a step back because everything had changed around me. After that, things started to shift and open up and Hollywood started to understand that diversity was good business and all of a sudden I found myself transitioning feeling like I was outside the business to feeling like I was right in the middle of it and here I am.”

Queen Latifah to executive produce and star in ‘The Equalizer’ reboot at CBS

Debra Martin Chase continues to knock down doors when it comes to representation for women of color in Tinseltown and her latest deal, (the upcoming reboot of The Equalizer starring Queen Latifah) is a prime example.

“What’s interesting about ‘The Equalizer’ is that it’s a person who is very grounded. The equalizer is a vigilante for the good guys. It’s someone who cares deeply about justice, about equality, about helping people, who can kick ass and who garners the respect of everybody and that’s Queen Latifah,” she says.

Although there has been a huge shift when it comes to representation in Hollywood, Martin Chase recognizes there’s still more work to be done.

“I’ve been in this business forever. This is the best it has ever been for people of color in the business and we still have a way to go for sure. What it really boils down to is Hollywood finally realized that diverse stories and diverse images onscreen are good business. For years we have been saying it’s the right thing to do, but once they realized it’s good business, the doors opened and now the demand for content is so great,” she says.

“I think we need more Black decision-makers at the film studios. It has gotten better, especially on the TV side, but when you look at the heads of the networks there’s not a lot of diversity there,” she continues. “Nicole Brown just became head of Tristar. That’s huge. She has paid her dues to get there but she’s an anomaly.”

Debra Martin Chase credits her determination for much of her success, but her foundation played a significant role as well.

“It helped me that I had a life outside of Hollywood. I was a lawyer for many years and I have tons of friends outside of the business so my whole life and sense of self-worth was not tied up in Hollywood,” she explains. “I have great friends and a great supportive family. That was really important.”

The post BLACK WOMEN IN HOLLYWOOD: Debra Martin Chase appeared first on TheGrio.

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Blood and politics in India

Mahatma Gandhi, an icon of nonviolent resistance who helped lead India to independence by force of will and strength of mind, rather than physical power, might not seem like a person preoccupied with corporeal matters.

In fact, Gandhi endlessly monitored his own blood pressure and had a “preoccupation with blood,” as MIT scholar Dwai Banerjee and co-author Jacob Copeman write in “Hematologies,” a new book about blood and politics in India.

Gandhi believed the quality of his own blood indicated his body’s “capacity for self-purification,” the authors write, and he hoped that other dissidents would also possess “blood that could withstand the corruption and poison of colonial violence.” Ultimately, they add, Gandhi’s “single-minded focus on the substance was remarkable in its omission of other available foci of symbolization.”

If India’s most famous ascetic and pacifist was actually busy thinking about politics in terms of blood, then almost anyone could have been doing the same. And many people have. Now Banerjee, an assistant professor in MIT’s Program in Science, Technology, and Society, and Copeman, a senior lecturer in social anthropology at the University of Edinburgh, look broadly at the links between blood and politics in “Hematologies,” recently published by Cornell University Press.

The book encompasses topics as diverse as the rhetoric of blood in political discourse, the politics of blood drives, the uses of blood in protests, and the imagery used by leaders, including Gandhi. Ultimately, the scholars use the topic to explore the many — and seemingly unavoidable — divisions in Indian politics and society.

For progressives wanting a pluralistic society, the rhetoric of blood has often been used to claim that people are essentially alike, no matter their religious or social differences. The notion is that “if you bleed and I bleed, we bleed the same color,” Banerjee says. “In the first few decades after India’s independence [in 1948], there was this idea that blood would unite all different kinds of Indians, and all these years of caste discrimination and colonial rule that had divided us and pitted us against each other would now be fixed.”

But the idea that different groups in society are divided by blood is also a powerful one, as Banerjee and Copeman note, and as India has moved away from pluralism in recent years, a very different rhetoric of blood has regained popularity. In this vision, different ethnic or religious groups are separated by their blood — and bloodshed may be the price for disrupting this supposed order.

“What’s become clear in the last five years is that this other valence of blood, that it divides us [and has] more violent connotations, is becoming much more inescapable now,” Banerjee says.

That is not what many expected in an age of technocratic and globally integrated economics, but it is a reminder of the power of narrow forms of nationalism. 

“The whole idea of modern politics is supposed to be this transcending of blood [and] ethnic religious nationalisms, and that modern contractual politics is based on less biologically based forms of cohabitation,” Banerjee says. “That never seems to work out.”

Focused on Northern India, where Banerjee and Copeman did their fieldwork over several years, “Hematologies” explores these issues in everyday life and with fine-grained detail. As they examine in the book, for instance, political protesters sometimes use their own blood as a medium of expression, to signal both their own commitment and the serious of the issues at hand.

The authors look closely at an advocacy group for survivors of (and residents near) the site of 1984’s Bhopal chemical plant disaster, which wrote a letter in blood — collected from young adults — to the prime minister, asking for a meeting. Somewhat similarly, Indian women have gained attention using blood in the imagery they have created to accompany campaigns against sexual violence and gender discrimination. In so doing, “they deploy the substance as a medium of truth and a mechanism of exposure,” Banerjee and Copeman write.

Even blood drives and blood donations have intricate political implications that the authors explore. While supposed to be separated from politics, some blood drives are de facto rallying points in campaigns and expressions of political solidarity. Blood drives also serve to highlight a tension between science and politics; some medical experts might prefer a more steady flow of donated blood, while a politically prompted donor drive can produce an unnecessary surge of blood.

“Educational campaigns talk very strategically about this,” Banerjee says.

While writing the book together, Banerjee and Copeman initially had slightly different research areas of interest, but before long both discovered they were fully engaged with a whole range of connections between blood and politics.

“To me, it seemed we found this synergy in the way we worked and thought, and I can’t think of a moment where we ever significantly doubted the process we were going through,” says Banerjee. “Constantly bouncing ideas off another person keeps it interesting.”

“Hematologies” has drawn praise from other scholars in the field. Emily Martin, an anthropologist at New York University, has called it “an extraordinary exploration of the multitudes of meanings and uses of blood in northern India.” 

Banerjee notes that India is hardly unique in the way the rhetoric of blood spills into politics. “There is a global similarity in which blood is always a political substance,” he notes, while adding that India’s own unique history gives the subject “its own flavor” in the country.

Ultimately the story of blood being traced in “Hematologies” represents a distinctive way of examining divisions, conflicts, and tensions — the very stuff of contested politics and power.

“Again and again we see that blood always gets caught up with division and divisive politics,” Banerjee says. “It never escapes politics in the way that reformist and secular imaginations hope it will.”

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