Do You Have A Chance At Getting Alzheimer's - Genomics Science Tells US:

Bobby Graham Reporting from Washington, DC USA – At The Annual Alzheimer’s Association International Conference ( AAIC )

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Do You Have A Chance At Getting Alzheimer's - Genomics Science Tells US:

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Washington, DC ( AP )----- Barron’s Medical Journal has made it to Washington, DC for The Annual Alzheimer’s Association International Conference . The Biotech And Clinical Trial communities are all a buzz because on Wednesday of this week we are looking for the announcement of Aducanumab.

Aducanumab is the given USAN and INN name for a biopharmaceutical, the human monoclonal antibody and drug candidate BIIB0307 designed for treatment of Alzheimer's disease. This Drug has come at a great time and Mary Holland of Austin, Texas can live a long memorable life.

A year-long study of 166 patients with a mild form of the disease showed that Biogen’s drug significantly reduced the build-up of plaque and delayed the onset of cognitive decline, according to data published on Friday at a medical conference in Nice, France.

Shares in Biogen, which have risen about 28 per cent so far this year in anticipation of the data, jumped by 7 per cent in New York trading, while other companies with similar drugs also gained, including Eli Lilly, up 2.4 per cent, and Sanofi, which added 1.6 per cent. Biogen’s market value has risen by $45bn to nearly $110bn in a little over a year. However, analysts and physicians voiced concerns over the drug’s safety, with a quarter of patients on the highest dose discontinuing treatment due to adverse effects, including swelling on the brain.

Brought To You By kuhl-linscomb Drug companies have trialled similar drugs for years with disappointing results, but the industry has pressed ahead because the commercial opportunity is huge: there are more than 25m Alzheimer’s sufferers globally and 5m in the US, the vast majority of whom do not respond to existing treatments.

Biogen and its partner Neurimmune developed the drug by cloning the memory cells of people in their 90s who had “super cognitive function” despite their age, as well as people who had Alzheimer’s that was progressing at an unusually slow rate.

After years of Gennxeix Biotech Inc Researching Genomics and how to commercialize the science. We went back to visit with Rose Conrad Chief Executive Office of Gennxeix Biotech to discuss what is next in the pipeline for genomic Science in the next four years. Ms Conrad says a great example of the power of genomics was publicized in the New England Journal Of Medicine on November 14, 2014. The Gene TREM2. The TREM2 gene provides instructions for making a protein called triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2. As its name suggests, this protein is made in myeloid cells, which are cells produced in bone marrow. The TREM2 protein is found on the cell surface, where it interacts with the protein produced from the TYROBP gene. The TREM2 and TYROBP proteins form a complex that transmits chemical signals to activate the cell. When the gene is not mutated, white blood cells in the brain spring into action, gobbling up and eliminating the plaque-forming toxic protein, beta amyloid. As a result, Alzheimer’s can be staved off or averted. But when the gene is mutated, the brain’s white blood cells are hobbled, making them less effective in their attack on beta amyloid.

People with the mutated gene have a threefold to fivefold increase in the likelihood of developing Alzheimer’s disease in old age. Conrad says If The Mom And The Dad Has Gene Trem2 ....The Child has a 89% Chance Of Getting Alzheimer's

Days after the 2012 Elections Electing President Obama Genomics is leading the way in a new discovery TREM2 Triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the TREM2 gene. The New Leading Technology To Cure Breast Cancer is also here according to Rose Conrad Ph.D. CEO GenNxeix Inc Nanoparticles and Semi Conductors GenNxeix Biotech Conrad explains: Quantum dots (QDs), also known as semiconducting nanoparticles, are promising zero‐dimensional advanced materials because of their nanoscale size and because they can be engineered to suit particular applications such as nonlinear optical devices (NLO), electro‐optical devices, and computing applications. QDs can be joined to polymers in order to produce nanocomposites which can be considered a scientific revolution of the 21st century.

One of the fastest moving and most exciting interfaces of nanotechnology is the use of QDs in medicine, cell and molecular biology. Recent advances in nanomaterials have produced a new class of markers and probes by conjugating semiconductor QDs with biomolecules that have affinities for binding with selected biological structures. The nanoscale of QDs ensures that they do not scatter light at visible or longer wavelengths, which is important in order to minimize optical losses in practical applications. Moreover, at this scale, quantum confinement and surface effects become very important and therefore manipulation of the dot diameter or modification of its surface allows the properties of the dot to be controlled. Quantum confinement affects the absorption and emission of photons from the dot. Thus, the absorption edge of a material can be tuned by control of the particle size. Nanocomposite systems for nanomedicine and bioengineering applications Nanoparticles has the potential to enable breast cancer research and improve molecular imaging, early detection, prevention, and treatment of breast cancer. GenNxeix scientist say photoluminescent nanoparticles will allow oncologists to discriminate between cancerous cells and healthy cells. Proteomics and bioinformatics will enable researchers to identify markers of Breast cancer susceptibility and precancerous lesions Numerous investigations have shown that both tissue and cell distribution profiles of anticancer drugs can be controlled by their entrapment in submicronic colloidal systems (nanoparticles).

The rationale behind this approach is to increase antitumor efficacy, while reducing systemic side-effects. This review provides an update of tumor targeting with conventional or long-circulating nanoparticles. The in vivo fate of these systems, after intravascular or tumoral administration, is discussed, as well as the mechanism involved in tumor regression. Nanoparticles are also ofbenefit for the selective delivery of oligonucleotides to tumor cells. Moreover, certain types of nanoparticles showed some interesting capacity to reverse MDR resistance, which is a major problem in chemotherapy. The first experiments, aiming to decorate nanoparticles with molecular ligand for active targeting of cancerous cells Miniaturization will allow the tools for many different tests to be situated together on the same small device.

Researchers hope that nanotechnology will allow them to run many diagnostic tests simultaneously. Nanoparticles nanoshells is use to antibodies that recognize cancer cells. GenNxeix scientist envision letting these nanoshells seek out their cancerous targets, then applying near-infrared light. In laboratory cultures, the heat generated by the light-absorbing nanoshells can successfully killed breast cancer tumor cells while leaving neighboring cells intact. A nanometer is a billionth of a meter. It's difficult to imagine anything so small, but think of something only 1/80,000 the width of a human hair. Ten hydrogen atoms could be laid side-by-side in a single nanometer. GenNxeix minuscule molecule that will be used to detect breast cancer is a quantum dot. Quantum dots are tiny crystals that glow when they are stimulated by ultraviolet light. The wavelength, or color, of the light depends on the size of the crystal. Latex beads filled with these crystals can be designed to bind to specific DNA sequences.

GenNxeix scientists refer to these methods as the top-down approach and the bottom-up approach. The top-down approach involves molding or etching materials into smaller components. This approach has traditionally been used in making parts for computers and electronics. The bottom-up approach involves assembling structures atom-by-atom or molecule-by-molecule, and may prove useful in manufacturing devices used in medicine.

Kidney's Are Being Removed For Practicing Falun Gong In China

Bobby Graham Reporting from the Chinese Embassy in Washington, DC USA

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Kidney's Are Being  Removed For Practicing  Falun Gong In China

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Washington DC ( AP ) -- On The minds of man Houston area Chinese Citizens is many of their relative and friend through out china are being stripped of their organs. Falun Gong literally means "Dharma Wheel Practice, is a Chinese spiritual practice that combines meditation and qigong exercises with a moral philosophy centered on the tenets of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance. Falun Gong, an ancient tradition for mind, body and spirit, with a core value of Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance, is being practiced freely in over 70 countries, and helping millions of people around the world improve their health and turn towards kindness and integrity.Hybrid Media a Freelance Journalism organization has discovered, Since the Chinese Communist regime, specifically the former president and dictator Jiang Zemin, launched the brutal persecution in July 1999, to date over 3,800 deaths have been documented, as well as over 63,000 accounts of torture. An estimate of the real figure puts the actual death toll in the tens of thousands. The level of atrocity committed is beyond imagination.

Many in China believe the persecution of Falun Gong violates Chinese citizen’s basic human rights, including freedom of belief and freedom of speech. Moreover, the forced organ harvesting from detained Falun Gong practitioners who are being killed on demand for lucrative transplant profits, is a crime againsthumanity, a crime “unprecedented on earth”. Chinese officials continue to harvest organs from imprisoned Falun Gong practitioners as they lie on operating tables with little pain relief, Canadian human rights lawyer David Matas will tell a conference in Perth today.

Mr Matas, who was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2010 in recognition of his joint ¬investigation into live organ harvesting in China, will address an international victimology conference to raise awareness of the issue. China’s government has denied harvesting organs from prisoners while also claiming the practice had stopped, Mr Matas said. The practice of Falun Gong, a spiritual exercise and meditation regimen, gained tens of millions of Chinese followers in the late 1990s but was viewed by the Communist Party as a threat because of its size and independence. Practitioners were subjected to human rights violations and some were imprisoned.

In 2006, Mr Matas and former Canadian MP David Kilgour launched an investigation after a woman claimed as many as 4000 Falun Gong practitioners had been killed for their organs at a hospital where she worked. She said her husband had removed the corneas from 2000 living practitioners at the same hospital. A Chinese doctor backed the woman’s account a week later. A report by Mr Matas and Mr Kilgour of their investigation found “the regrettable conclusion that the allegations are true”.

Mr Matas said prisoners whose organs were removed were not given anaesthetic but were provided with a muscle relaxant and blood thinner. Their bodies were then cremated. “As far as I can tell, it’s still going on,” Mr Matas told The Australian.

Mr Matas said accounts of systemic blood testing and organ ¬examinations of Falun Gong and non-Falun Gong prisoners, which were cited as significant evidence of the initial claims, were still being heard.

“China doesn’t publish statistics; what they say is that it’s never happened and it has stopped, in terms of sourcing ¬organs from prisoners,” he said. “As far as we can tell, people who are coming out of prison in China today, they still talk about blood testing and Brought To You By True & Real Candles Theresa Roemer in some ways it seems to be getting worse because in some provinces in China now they’re not just blood testing and examining Falun Gong practitioners in detention, they’re ¬examining them in their homes and off the street.”

Mr Matas said the Chinese government’s “lapses of accountability” were of significant concern. Philip O’Connell, a professor of clinical medicine at the University of Sydney and president of the global society for transplant medical staff, The Transplantation Society, said China had ceased organ harvesting of “executed prisoners”. “The Chinese government acknowledged that organs were being used from executed prisoners,” he said.

Professor O’Connell said ¬organs initially were available for sale to foreign and local buyers, but then were limited to within China after advocacy against the practice. July 2015 marks the 16th year of the ChineseCommunist regime’s brutal persecution of Falun Gong. Houston practitioners once again will gather in front of the Chinese Consulate on Montrose on July 13 to condemn and protest against the on-going atrocity, including the most appalling act of all,organ harvesting.

Prisoners of conscience, a majority being Falun Gong practitioner, are used as an endless source of livers, kidneys, hearts, lungs and corneas – sometimes extracted while victims are still alive.

Allegations of forced organ harvesting in China first surfaced in 2006. Since then, mounting evidence suggests these allegations are true-and even worse than originally suspected.

• Starting in 1999, the number of transplant centers in China has increased by 300% in just 8 years, even though China has no effective national organ donation system.

• On the websites of China’s organ transplant centers, they claim that a matching organ can be found within 1-4 weeks. In other countries, it takes years.

• China’s organ transplant market skyrocketed from 2003. It contradicts with a declining death row inmates whom the Chinese healthy ministry claimed to be the absolute major source of organ transplants.

This unprecedented evil act of organ harvesting orchestrated by Chinese Communist Party officials, the military, prison officials and surgeons, must be stopped.

Join us for more stories on the horror and torture inside Chinese prisons and labor camps from a group of Falun Gong practitioners who recently escaped from China.

Along with 30 other Houston locals, and 43,000 Falun Gong practitioners in China, they have filed criminal complaints against former Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Leader Jiang Zemin with the Supreme Court and the Supreme Procuratorate in China

The products of corruption and forced labor in China have spread worldwide.In today's interconnected world, such events in any country have global reverberations, let alone in the second largest economy. The chopsticks we buy in Manhattan may have been wrapped by Falun Gong practitioners in Beijing labor camps. The toys our children play with may be dangerous because of the moral degradation in China. The members of visiting Chinese delegations we meet be they from the business, academia, or political sectors—have likely been affected by the persecution, as perpetrator, victim, or silent by-stander.

This is A moral and governance crisis for the Chinese society.The repercussions of Jiang’s decision to wipe out Falun Gong have been felt not only by practitioners and their families, but throughout all of Chinese society. Officials who actively participate in the torture and killing of Falun Gong believers are promoted. Members of the public have been offered cash rewards for turning in their neighbors. Those who refuse to collaborate or stand up against the campaign risk being fired, abducted, imprisoned, and sometimes killed. The rule of law and freedom of belief have been inexorably damaged. The persecution has thus spurred a domestic brain drain, moral crisis, and assault on basic rights of staggering proportions.

The Chinese Communist Party aims to destroy the underlying virtues that Falun Gong practitioners aspire to. Much of the torture suffered by practitioners is focused on forcing them to renounce Falun Gong and its core beliefs, a process the CCP refers to as“transformation.” When the universal values of Truthfulness, Compassion and Tolerance are under attack, and that affects us all in the world’s community.

Many people have a hard time understanding why the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and its former leader, Jiang Zemin, would start such a severe persecution against a peaceful meditation group like Falun Gong. Not only did this persecution jeopardize the lives of tens of millions of practitioners, but it also was the last straw for many Chinese. Appalled by the Party's latest brutality, as of April 2015 over 200 million Chinese people have quit the CCP and its related organizations.

What motivated the Party to launch such an ultimately destructive initiative? Simply, the persecution was driven by the Party leader. By reviewing historical records from the time the persecution started, we are able to isolate clear instances of Jiang's abuse of power. Just like his predecessor Mao Zedong, Jiang would stop at nothing to achieve his personal political agenda. Interfering with the State Council

After practitioners were arrested and detained in Tianjin on April 23, 1999 while trying to peacefully appeal their rough treatment by a few local officials, they were told that they needed to instead go to Beijing to appeal.

Since the Appeals Office was under the supervision of the State Council, Premier Zhu Rongji met with the practitioners' representatives on April 25 and assured them that they were free to follow their belief. Word was that the lone officials were out of line. A spokesperson from the Appeals Office even made an announcement, reiterating China's policy of freedom of belief.

Many overseas news media reported this and considered it an improvement in China's government. Unfortunately, Jiang was not happy with this outcome.

According to a documentary published on the Epoch Times, Jiang sent a letter to each member of the Central Politburo the same night, attacking Falun Gong. During a meeting the next day, Zhu Rongji said that Falun Gong practitioners only wanted to improve their mind and body.

“It makes no sense to claim they have a political agenda,” Zhu said. “We should just let it be.” But Jiang reportedly jumped up and pointed his finger at Zhu.

“Nonsense! Nonsense! This is a critical issue that involves the life and death of our Party. Some of our comrades really have no political sensibility,” he said.

He then instructed Luo Gan, former secretary of the Political and Legislative Committee (PLAC), to investigate Falun Gong in detail.

“This must be our top priority! We must investigate every detail and leave no gaps!” Jiang yelled.

Knowing the nonpolitical nature of Falun Gong, all the members of the Politburo Standing Committee—except for Jiang—refused to suppress Falun Gong. Jiang was the 1/7th minority. But that didn't stop him. In a movereminiscent of his predecessor Mao, Jiang created a special task force dubbed the “610 Office” after its date of establishment, June 10. The office operates as an extralegal entity with the power to override executive and judicial authority at every level of government, and was to be the main executor of Jiang's will regarding the persecution. Hijacking the Legislative System

Although Jiang gave the order to start persecuting Falun Gong on July 20, 1999, there was no legal basis for such a massive suppression. So he decided to fabricate a basis of his own. Under his instruction, the National People's Congress passed an “anti-cult” law on October 30, 1999. Although such an ex post facto, or retroactive legislation is generally prohibited in legal communities worldwide, Jiang and his followers used it against Falun Gong practitioners. Under this fabricated law, Wang Zhiwen and three other members of the Falun Dafa Research Association were sentenced to 18 years of imprisonment. Luo Gan strategically selected the trial date December 26, 1999, the Sunday after Christmas when most Western journalists would be on break.

More than 300 practitioners arrived on-site to apply as bystanders according to courtroom protocol, but all of them were arrested and later transferred to detention centers or labor camps.

Jiang did not even play by his own rules when it came to implementing his law. Although the law only listed certain actions as illegal—which practitioners did not violate in the first place—Jiang and his media propaganda abused the law by claiming that all Falun Gong practitioners were criminals.

In the past 16 years, most of the practitioners who received an official sentence were convicted under Article 300 of the China Criminal Law. Although China's Supreme Procuratorate and Supreme Court published judicial interpretations to frame Falun Gong, such actions were actually unlawful because under Chinese law, such interpretation should be enacted by the legislature. Moreover, Article 36 of the Chinese Constitution clearly protects freedom of belief. That means that suppressing that Falun Gong practitioners because of their belief alone has no legal standing in the first place. Manipulating Military Power

As chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC) between 1989 and 2004, Jiang abused his military power as well in order to initiate and intensify the persecution.

After the six other Politburo Standing Committee members rejected Jiang's proposed persecution of Falun Gong, he turned to Liao Xilong, Commander of the Chengdu Military Region and Deputy Secretary of the Party Commission. Liao worked with the Intelligence Division in the Chengdu Military Region and fabricated information claiming that Falun Gong would overthrow the CCP. Using this information, Jiang pressured all the standing members of the Politburo to support him in the suppression.

Shortly after the peaceful protest of April 25, Jiang also ordered Zhang Wannian, vice chairman of the CMC, to immediately prepare the nation’s military and armed police forces for a campaign against Falun Gong. The General Staff Department and General Political Department immediately issued an urgent order banning active service staff, retired military personnel and their families from practicing Falun Gong. This order was repeatedly emphasized throughout all levels of the People's Liberation Army (PLA).

Although the persecution was fully implemented in 1999, the costly campaign met with resistance in 2000 as more people became weary of the unjust persecution.

Jiang and his regime then staged the Tiananmen Square self-immolation on January 23, 2001, which depicted supposed Falun Gong practitioners dousing themselves with gasoline and lighting themselves on fire in the name of their belief. This horrific propaganda stunt brainwashed many of the Chinese people thoroughly and brought the persecution to a new level.

Outside China, this incident was soon revealed to be a hoax, as illustrated by the award-winning documentary False Fire. When several practitioners broke through state-controlled media propaganda to broadcast these facts in Changchun City on March 5, 2002, Jiang ordered the corresponding military region to be in second-degree combat readiness. Both the Changchun City military sub-command and Jilin Province armed police forces were in first-degree combat readiness.

Liu Jing, 610 Office director and Vice Minister of Public Security Ministry, went to Changchun in person to follow up on this matter. Within several days about 5,000 Falun Gong practitioners were arrested, and seven died of severe torture while in police custody. In addition, the military force also played critical roles in organ harvesting of living prisoners of conscience, internet censorship, and the attempted assassination of Mr. Li Hongzhi, founder of Falun Gong.

Promoting Key Perpetrators After Liao provided falsified intelligence information for Jiang, he was promoted to director of the General Logistics Department of the PLA and became a member of the Central Military Commission of the Party. He later played an instrumental role in establishing the organ trade supply chain by providing military support.

Another example of someone who furthered his political career by jumping on the persecution bandwagon is Bo Xilai, Mayor of Dalian when Jiang visited the city in August 1999. “Be tough with Falun Gong and you will be awarded with a promotion,” said Jiang. Bo took this information to heart. He immediately ordered the expansion of prisons and labor camps in order to accommodate larger numbers of practitioners. His brainwashing strategies at Masanjia Labor Camp were singled out as a model for nationwide study. Bo was soon promoted to governor of Liaoning Province.

His key role in the organ harvesting of living practitioners and the preserved body exhibitions led to one of the darkest chapters of human civilization. Before Jiang resigned as the CCP leader in 2004, he promoted more trusted aides to higher positions by expanding the 7-member Politburo Standing Committee to include nine members. This way, he was able to continue influencing China's politics and sustaining his persecution of Falun Gong.

Many of these key players of the suppression have recently been taken down in internal political struggles. After Wang Lijun, police chief of Chongqing City, was convicted in September 2012, Bo was found guilty of corruption and sentenced to life imprisonment. Li Dongsheng, Vice Minister of the Public Security Ministry and director of the 610 Office, was reportedly placed under investigation in December 2013. Xu Caihou, Vice Chairman of the CMC, died of cancer in March 2015 while facing a court martial.

Even Zhou Yongkang, former member of the Politburo Standing Committee and Secretary of the Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission (PLAC, 2007-2012), was charged with bribery, abuse of power and the intentional disclosure of state secrets. Although their charges do not include the persecution of Falun Gong, or the illicit organ trade, it will not take long for the truth to surface.

Upon banning Falun Gong in July 1999, Jiang claimed, “I don't believe that the CCP cannot conquer Falun Gong!”

Sixteen years have passed. Over 200 million people have quit the CCP and its affiliated organizations. Jiang's arrogance and contempt of Falun Gong's principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, principles in alignment with traditional values and the common good, will ultimately lead to his, and the Party's, downfall. It is a cause we taught you should know about and let you decided your own personal Plan of Action.

Dinner Is Business:

Dinner Is Business:

by Hybrid Media

By Bobby Graham: Freelance Journalist WorldWide:

SaltAir Seafood Kitchen

Houston ( AP ) —   Dinner Is Business And Business is done in Houston, Texas with such precession, Business professional are always looking for a restaurant to ad value to their client base, spouses, and dating mates.

Upon approaching Saltair Seafood Kitchen, located in the Restaurant District in Houston, called Upper Kirby. The first thing came to mind This is much better than Eddy Vs and as the Night progressed it was clear to this reporter – Salt is going to give Houston’s number one restaurant Brassarie 19 a run for the elite client base, B19 has developed for years

SaltAir is targeting the Galleria, Midtown, Katy, Sugarland, Pearland Texas.

“We are thrilled about the Buzz — SaltAir has experienced throughout the country and extremely optimistic about our future development in Houston.

” We are confident consumers in the area will love our crafted Seafood.

Located 3029 Kirby Houston, Texas 77098

No one sums up Brandi Key better than Brandi herself: “I like to make things that take time. I like making things from scratch with my hands. Keeping things simple… using really amazing products and just letting it be. All of me believes that making food with emphasis on loving what you do will always produce the best-tasting food no matter what the concept.”

Key, who grew up in a rural farming community in Texas, understands the value of local, seasonal ingredients, which so strongly represents her cooking style. Whether drafting a new menu for Punk’s Simple Southern, Coppa Ristorante Italiano or Coppa Osteria, Key is as comfortable in her kitchen as she is juggling the pressure of multiple concepts. Anyone who works with her best adopt her work ethic.

What A Great Location And Whats For Dinner Folks: 

Enjoy Houston SaltAir is a Winner: 5 Stars 

Houston Metro System Has Turned Houston Texas into The #2 Most Powerful City In The United States

Reporter B. Bobby Graham Reporting From The Hyatt Hotel Houston, TX USA:

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Houston Metro System Has Turned Houston Texas into The #2 "Most Powerful City" ---- In The United States.

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Houston ( AP ) --- Barron’s Media has just finished a rail ride conference call with a group of executives from Goldman Sack Investment, advising a group of investors who has their sites on investment along the new Rail Expansion. It was amazing to ride the rail from Down Town Houston to a historical black neighborhood call South Park or The Martin Luther king District and conduct Business.

This is the end of our year and we want to share with our readers the sites and sounds from this past year of covering the now #2 Most Powerful City in the United States.

Houston has a amazing opportunity to build a better city by making The Harris Health System better. As Houston grows the need to be able to help Houston Citzens that need help the most have better living conditions. 

Harris Health is the first accredited healthcare institution in Harris County to be designated by the National Committee for Quality Assurance as a Patient-Centered Medical Home, and are one of the largest systems in the country to achieve the quality standard. Our system includes 23 community health centers, five school-based clinics, a dental center and dialysis center, mobile health units, a rehabilitation and specialty hospital and two full-service hospitals.

Ben Taub Hospital is a world renowned Level I Trauma Center with 586 licensed acute-care beds and provides a wide range of specialty care outpatient services. Lyndon B. Johnson Hospital is a 328 licensed bed acute-care hospital with a newly expanded Level III trauma center and a distinguished regional center for neonatal intensive care for high-risk deliveries. Harris Health is a teaching system for Baylor College of Medicine and The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth). We train the next generation of healthcare providers on the latest medical procedures and technological breakthroughs.

Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County (METRO’s) opening of the Green (East End) and Purple (Southeast) light rail lines. The two new lines are part of an approximately $1.22 Billion expansion of METRO’s existing light rail system which also includes a 5.3 mile extension to the Red (North) line that began service in December 2013. With the addition of the two new lines, Houston’s light rail transit system increases from 12.5 miles to 23 miles.

Since the opening of the Red Line extension, from the University of Houston Downtown to Northline Commons, its ridership has exceeded expectations and continues to grow. March light rail ridership was 12.5 percent higher than March 2014, while overall bus ridership dropped by 3 percent. Even accounting for bus lines the train replaced, rail is carrying more riders, and its expansion north has meant more people can make direct trips downtown and to the Texas Medical Center.

The Green Line currently runs from the east side of the downtown Theater District to the BBVA Compass Stadium with plans to open additional stops extending the line further to the east in 2016. The Purple Line runs from downtown to Texas Southern University and the University of Houston, which will give both universities’ growing student populations access to downtown businesses and eateries. Together, the two new lines add connections from the theater and nightlife districts downtown to Discovery Green, the George R. Brown Convention Center, Toyota Center, Minute Maid Park, Dynamo Stadium, the East End, University of Houston, Texas Southern University, MacGregor Park and Palm Center. With the new lines providing more access and additional stops, METRO’s light rail ridership is expected to continue to grow.