The Lukoli Commons organizing team includes the cofounders, consultants,  developer, and future residents working together to establish a 55+ active adult community near Huntsville Alabama. The organizers coordinate meetings, manage members recruitment, and collaborate with professionals in design and development to bring the community’s vision of private homes and shared spaces that nurtures friendship, mutual support, and belonging.

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CohousingMN is a non-profit charitable organization with an educational mission. Our work is to to catalyze the development of new cohousing communities by sharing the cohousing model throughout our service area. We seek to find those “burning souls” who can sustain the vision and coordinate the work to create new cohousing communities. Networking with groups in our service area helps newer groups learn from more experienced cohousing groups. We offer a wide variety of cohousing resources to donors in our service area and who meet our criteria.

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Check out Heartwood Commons, Tulsa’s new cohousing community for adults of all ages. AUG 19, Tues-6:30pm Central Time ONLINE Presentation on Zoom “Explore Heartwood Commons” REGISTER for our EVENTS here: HeartwoodCommonsTulsa.com/events  Questions? Call Suzy 918-519-5298

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Our community is inspired by the legacy of Rachel Carson (1907-1964) whose early fascination with nature led her to pursue an extraordinary career as a scientist, writer and educator.  Childhood walks with her mother on their Western Pennsylvania farm instilled in Rachel Carson a ‘sense of wonder’ about the natural world that in turn inspired a life-long devotion to environmental stewardship.  A science degree from Pennsylvania College for Women started Rachel Carson on a journey to become a leading scientist and spokesperson for environmental concerns. Rachel Carson taught us to see ourselves as part of nature, not a controller or even just a protector, but as inter-dependent with it: as reliant on the world we live in as it is on our good stewardship.  We are founding the Rachel Carson EcoVillage on the premise that people have a valuable and purposeful role within the environment and that our presence can enhance the vibrancy and resilience of complex living systems.   Our vision is a world where people value connections with each other and nature and human life contributes to the life of the planet.  As a community and as individuals, Rachel Carson EcoVillage at Providence Heights embraces ecologically creative living.  Our mission is to create a community in Pittsburgh where people and nature thrive.  We believe that people have a valuable and purposeful role within the environment and that our presence can and should enhance the vibrancy and resilience of complex living systems.  We aim to accomplish our mission by: building a 35-unit cohousing ecovillage on land given to us by the Sisters of Divine Providence.practicing constructive and compassionate communication so that we can govern our community equitably and effectively as a sociocracy. attracting people who share a desire to participate in the community and also value the differences among each other. cultivating a low-energy, low-carbon lifestyle. contributing positively to the health and resilience of our natural ecosystems.

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Our community is inspired by the legacy of Rachel Carson (1907-1964) whose early fascination with nature led her to pursue an extraordinary career as a scientist, writer and educator.  Childhood walks with her mother on their Western Pennsylvania farm instilled in Rachel Carson a ‘sense of wonder’ about the natural world that in turn inspired a life-long devotion to environmental stewardship.  A science degree from Pennsylvania College for Women started Rachel Carson on a journey to become a leading scientist and spokesperson for environmental concerns. Rachel Carson taught us to see ourselves as part of nature, not a controller or even just a protector, but as inter-dependent with it: as reliant on the world we live in as it is on our good stewardship.  We are founding the Rachel Carson EcoVillage on the premise that people have a valuable and purposeful role within the environment and that our presence can enhance the vibrancy and resilience of complex living systems.  

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Our community is inspired by the legacy of Rachel Carson (1907-1964) whose early fascination with nature led her to pursue an extraordinary career as a scientist, writer and educator.  Childhood walks with her mother on their Western Pennsylvania farm instilled in Rachel Carson a ‘sense of wonder’ about the natural world that in turn inspired a life-long devotion to environmental stewardship.  A science degree from Pennsylvania College for Women started Rachel Carson on a journey to become a leading scientist and spokesperson for environmental concerns. Rachel Carson taught us to see ourselves as part of nature, not a controller or even just a protector, but as inter-dependent with it: as reliant on the world we live in as it is on our good stewardship.  We are founding the Rachel Carson EcoVillage on the premise that people have a valuable and purposeful role within the environment and that our presence can enhance the vibrancy and resilience of complex living systems.  

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Novel cancer vaccine plays a dual role of prevention and treatment Cancer vaccines are a novel type of immunotherapy that has gained popularity following CAR-T cell therapy and PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor therapy. Cancer vaccines are categorized into preventative and therapeutic types based on the mechanism of their anti-cancer effects. Similar to what people think of as conventional vaccines, the HPV vaccine is a well-known preventative vaccine that can greatly lower the incidence and death of cervical cancer. Therapeutic cancer vaccines, such as the DC vaccine used in prostate cancer, can be used to fight cancer. A team of experts from Massachusetts’ Brigham and Women’s Hospital just developed a novel cancer vaccine that goes above and beyond to make “cancer cells destroy cancer cells”, acting as both a preventative and curative vaccine. The most recent findings were published in Science Translational Medicine. The researchers targeted cancer cells with a similar “homing effect” that allows them to seek out and return to the cancerous tissue. Based on this trait, the researchers theorized that if these living cancer cells could be manipulated to release the relevant immune substances, and if it would be feasible to activate the immune system and allow the immune cells to immediately locate and kill the malignant tissue. Researchers created a cancer vaccine based on live cancer cells that may operate as both a tumor killer and an immune stimulant. First, the researchers modified live cancer cells using CRISPR technology to remove particular IFN-sensitive receptors in cancer cells. These cancer cells were then engineered to produce IFN-, which may target cancer cells and release immune-regulating substances. The transformed cancer cells can return to the tumor tissue and destroy tumors while also releasing signals that stimulate T lymphocytes. These modified therapeutic cancer cells are referred to as ThTC by the researchers. The researchers then tested the results in a mouse model, which revealed that in a lethal glioblastoma mouse model, ThTC could effectively target glioblastoma cells for killing, as well as express factors that are easily recognized, labeled, and remembered by the immune system, thereby initiating and activating the immune system to exert a long-lasting anti-tumor effect. In mouse model trials, 100% of treated mice survived for 60 days! In addition, the length of tumor remission was longer than in control mice. How can we assure that those cancer cells do not defect and evolve into lethal malignant tissues again? To address this problem, the researchers designed a two-tier safety switch in ThTC that may be engaged to destroy ThTC if it is found to be malfunctioning in order to assure the treatment’s safety. Dr. Khalid Shah, the paper’s corresponding author, expressed hope that a novel cancer vaccine based on this research can be created to produce a good therapeutic impact in the treatment of a wide variety of solid tumors.

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Gratitude Village is a nonprofit creating a net-zero, fully accessible, community-owned neighborhood of up to 56 homes—30–50% permanently affordable—designed for shared living, sustainability, and connection. The community will blend market-rate and permanently affordable homes for families, elders, first-time home buyers and adults with disabilities. With a focus on sustainability, accessibility and regenerative design, the community aims to become a model for inclusive, climate-resilient neighborhoods across the country.

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Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) are the fundamental components of any medication responsible for its intended therapeutic effect. Often referred to as the “active substance” or “bulk drug,” the API is the biologically active molecule within a final pharmaceutical formulation (like a tablet, capsule, injection, or cream) that interacts with the body to diagnose, treat, cure, mitigate, or prevent disease. The remaining ingredients in the formulation, known as excipients, serve various functions like stabilization, delivery, flavoring, or bulking, but lack the core pharmacological activity. The purity, quality, consistency, and safety of APIs are paramount, as they directly impact the efficacy and safety of the final drug product. Rigorous manufacturing standards, stringent quality control (QC), and adherence to regulatory guidelines (such as cGMP – current Good Manufacturing Practice) are essential throughout API production. Suppliers like Alfa Chemistry play a vital role in providing high-quality API chemical to the pharmaceutical industry globally.   Spotlight on Key API Chemicals Protamine Sulfate (CAS 9009-65-8): Protamine sulfate is a highly basic, low molecular weight protein derived from fish sperm. Its primary therapeutic application lies in its ability to act as a heparin antagonist. Heparin, a potent anticoagulant used during surgeries and dialysis, prevents blood clotting. Protamine sulfate binds ionically to heparin, forming a stable complex that neutralizes heparin’s anticoagulant effect. This reversal is critical in situations where excessive bleeding due to heparin needs to be rapidly controlled post-procedure or in cases of heparin overdose.   Benzhexol Hydrochloride (CAS 52-49-3): Also known as trihexyphenidyl hydrochloride, benzhexol hydrochloride is an anticholinergic agent primarily used in the management of Parkinson’s disease and drug-induced extrapyramidal symptoms. It works by blocking muscarinic acetylcholine receptors in the central nervous system. This helps restore the balance between dopamine and acetylcholine, alleviating symptoms like tremors, rigidity, and bradykinesia associated with Parkinsonism. It can also help control sialorrhea (excessive drooling).   Glycine (CAS 56-40-6): Glycine, the simplest amino acid, serves diverse functions within the pharmaceutical and nutraceutical industries. As an API, it finds application in intravenous solutions for total parenteral nutrition (TPN), acting as a source of nitrogen and helping to maintain protein synthesis. It’s also used as an irrigation solution during transurethral prostatectomy (TURP) procedures due to its non-conductive properties. Beyond direct therapeutic use, glycine is a crucial building block for synthesizing more complex peptides and proteins, and it acts as a buffering agent and stabilizer in various injectable formulations.   Promestriene (CAS 39219-28-8): Promestriene is a synthetic estrogen specifically designed for topical application. It is primarily indicated for the local treatment of symptoms arising from estrogen deficiency in the urogenital tract, particularly postmenopausal atrophic vaginitis. Unlike systemic estrogens, promestriene exerts its effects locally on the vaginal epithelium with minimal systemic absorption, helping to restore vaginal tissue health, improve lubrication, and relieve symptoms like dryness, itching, and dyspareunia (painful intercourse) with a reduced risk of systemic side effects.   Epalrestat (CAS 82159-09-9): Epalrestat is an aldose reductase inhibitor used specifically for the treatment of diabetic neuropathy, retinopathy, and nephropathy—complications arising from chronically elevated blood sugar levels. It works by inhibiting the enzyme aldose reductase, which is part of the polyol pathway responsible for converting excess glucose into sorbitol in nerve, eye, and kidney tissues. Accumulation of sorbitol is believed to contribute to tissue damage. By inhibiting this pathway, Epalrestat aims to prevent or slow the progression of these debilitating diabetic complications.   Alfa Chemistry: Your Trusted API Supplier   Alfa Chemistry has established itself as a prominent global supplier of high-purity active pharmaceutical ingredients, catering to the demanding needs of the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and research sectors. The company offers an extensive portfolio of APIs, including specialized compounds like protamine sulfate, benzhexol hydrochloride, glycine (CAS 56-40-6), promestriene, and epalrestat. Alfa Chemistry distinguishes itself through its commitment to stringent quality control protocols that meet or exceed industry standards, including cGMP where applicable. Their offerings typically feature high chemical purity, precise documentation (including Certificates of Analysis), and reliable batch-to-batch consistency, which are critical for pharmaceutical development and manufacturing. Beyond providing the raw materials, Alfa Chemistry supports its clients with detailed technical information, regulatory support documentation, and responsive customer service. By ensuring a dependable supply chain of diverse and critical APIs, Alfa Chemistry empowers researchers and manufacturers to innovate and deliver safe and effective medicines to patients worldwide.

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Roger Balson is a skilled facilitator focused on human connection. He has hosted online live groups each Tuesday for three years as part of a project described at Cultivating Caring Communities. For the Difficult Conversation Series (first Tuesdays of the month) he is joined by Ardell Broadbent, a 5-year court-rostered mediator. Consultants focused on residential intentional community are encouraged to join and share their expertise.

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