.   Beyond the Horizon “Beyond the Horizon”  - a TEDx-styled day at the ARA Congress        Organized by:Adrian Stoica and Virgil Adumitroaie             Panel on Business and Entrepreneurship Adrian Bot, MD, PhD Vice President, Translational Medicine Kite Pharma Inc (*) Santa Monica, CA Bogdan Suceavă, PhD Professor of Mathematics, Department of Mathematics California State University, Fullerton    Invited Speakers: TED-Styled Day - Saturday July 26th Joe Ferguson, PhD  Clinical Psychologist, Laguna Beach ,CA FormerVice President, Dish Network Engineering         John Tanner, PhD Director at NuSci -       The Nutrition Science Foundation, Monrovia, CA          CEO at Tanner Research Bogdan Marcu, PhD Senior Engineering Scientist SpaceX, Hawthorne, CA Ciprian Manolescu, PhD Professor of Mathematics University of California Los Angeles, CA Liliana Cerepnalkoski  MD Pioneer in the field of medical intuition and energy medicine, Los Angeles, CA The Science of Art: Natural History of Intuition and Aesthetics  Joe Ferguson Intuition and aesthetic sensibility both arise in human  experience from a common unconscious source, without  explanation, as a summary judgment of fitness that  synthesizes the diverse array of mental and biophysical  processes that constitute a human personality. The  sensory, perceptual and cognitive capacities that enable  humans to do both art and science can only be  understood in context of the adaptive evolution of  intelligence. Intuition and aesthetic judgment are two  sides of the same coin, representing both the pinnacle  and the base of intellectual capacity; so far anyway. The  arts and the sciences all depend utterly upon this  capacity. Following his MBA from Wharton and a career in technical  and executive roles with a variety of technology companies,  Dr. Ferguson took his doctorate in clinical psychology and  now practices personal counseling and psychotherapy in  Laguna Beach, California. Though not an artist himself, Dr.  Ferguson periodically lectures at the Laguna College of Art  and Design on the nature of aesthetic perception and  judgment. Dr. Ferguson has also collaborated with Dr.  Adrian Stoica, of JPL on a variety of projects including the  biometric analysis of cognitive processes and states  (thinking). Opening  9:30 Day Registration, Morning Tea  9:50  Stoica, Adumitroaie, Istrate                    Session 1: Science, Engineering and Technology  10:00 Daniel Marcu  10:20 George Roth 10:40  Ciprian Manolescu 11:00  Bogdan Marcu                                 11:20 Coffee Break                   Session 2: Medicine, History, and Art 11:40  Adrian Bot  12:00  Bogdan Suceavă 12:20 Joe Ferguson  12:40 LUNCH - - boxes                  Session 3:  Life-styles and death-styles, spirituality and experimentation 13:00  John Tanner 13:20 Liliana Cerepnalkoski                 Session 4: Healthcare and business - Invited talk: 13:40 Hortenzia Beciu                  Panel:Segal and Dutu 14:00 - 16:00  From ineffable   to hundreds of millions of users  Daniel Marcu Less than two decades ago, a large fraction of  professionals, from teachers to literary critics to  translators, could argue that what they do is ineffable –  no machine would ever be able to distinguish a good  essay from a bad one and no machine would be able to  produce translations of high emotional impact and/or  commercial value. However, recent scientific results  and commercial products are fundamentally challenging  this perception. In this talk, I will review some of the  advancements and trends in an area that straddles the  boundary between humans and machines. Despite its  initial success stories, making the ineffable tangible is  only at its beginning. Daniel Marcu is recognized as a leading authority in natural  language processing and successful entrepreneur. He has  co-authored an MIT Press book, more than 100 peer-  reviewed articles, and 24 USPTO patents. He has a proven  track record in securing, managing, and delivering on  commitments specific to large-scale US- and EU-sponsored  R&D grants; transitioning research concepts into commercial  software used by more than 100M+ people worldwide (ETS,  Language Weaver, and SDL); providing substantial returns  to investors (Language Weaver); and creating, managing,  and mentoring large R&D organizations (ISI/USC, Language  Weaver and SDL).  Hortenzia Beciu Director for the Middle East and Africa, Johns Hopkins Medicine International (JHI) I almost died. Needlessly. Will you?  John Tanner John suffered near-fatal cardiac arrest four years ago.  Since then, he has studied intensely the causes of heart  disease, the leading killer in this country. To his surprise, he found that heart disease can be completely avoided  through a proper diet, and that cancer, stroke, diabetes,  high blood pressure, and about 30 other diseases can  be reduced, avoided, or reversed by this same diet.  According to John, while the overwhelming majority of  us think we are eating healthy, unless we change, about  ? of us will die needlessly from diseases caused by our  poor diet. In this talk, John will tell us his story and the  scientific information we need to avoid heart disease  and other leading killers. John Tanner earned his Ph.D. in Computer Science from  Caltech, in 1986. John is Founder and CEO of Tanner  Research, Inc., a company that develops and markets  Electronic Design Automation (EDA) software tools to  designers of integrated circuits. Tanner Research also  performs advanced electronic R&D under government DoD  contracts. Areas of emphasis include mixed-signal  integrated circuit design, image processing, MEMS  (micromachine) design and nano-optics. In addition, John  facilitated the creation of a pogo stick that uses a flexing  fiberglass spring to propel riders 10 feet in the air. John is  now developing an autonomous agriculture robot for intra-  field produce transport. Tanner Research is among a handful of companies to be named to the "LA Fast 50" five years in a row.. A Medieval Mystery: On Nicole Oresme's Idea of Curvitas  Bogdan Suceavă In a paper published in 1952, J. L. Coolidge points out  that ``the first writer to give a hint of the definition of  curvature was the fourteenth century writer Nicolas  Oresme". Coolidge writes further: ``Oresme conceived  the curvature of a circle as inversely proportional to the  radius; how did he find this out?" This question is the  starting point of our investigation. 'Tractatus de  configurationibus qualitatum et motuum', written by  Orseme sometime between 1351 and 1355, contains the  key. We discuss N. Orseme's work and the historical  moment when the first definition of curvature was stated  Synthetic Biology Leapfrogs Mankind into the Era  of "Intelligent Design" *  Adrian Bot  Throughout phylogenesis, species evolved and perfected through  genetic evolution. This process involves a stochastic interplay  between natural genetic diversification and selection of the fittest.  The organisms however, are not "perfect machines" as they are  prone to failure under environmental duress throughout one's life  span, facilitated by genetic alterations accumulating with the  natural aging process.     Progress in medicine and especially the advent of targeted  therapies showcase the concept of correcting defects at the  molecular level to restore the normal functioning of the body. This  strategy of defining, repairing or restoring the normal function of  cells, tissues and organs, became the major tenet of modern  medicine with unprecedented impact on treating infectious,  metabolic, cardiovascular and oncologic diseases.   However, the even more recent emergence of synthetic biology  - comprising powerful knowledge and means to genetically  modify a living cell - is propelling mankind into a completely new  era. This is because we have now the armamentarium to not only  correct cellular defects, but to also bestow brand new capabilities  on our own cells. Thus, we can deal with diseases in an  unprecedented way, according to man's rather than nature's  design. This is a scenario that clearly deviates from nature's  genetic evolution script and suddenly opens up the door towards  rationale or "intelligent" genetic design. Using specific examples,  we will discuss why this is a "singularity" in the history of mankind  raising a whole new set of social and philosophical issues,  dilemmas and controversies.   *This reflects the opinion of the author solely and does not  represent the official opinion of Kite Pharma Inc.     Dr. Bot’s background is in immunology and oncology, applied  to drug development and gene therapy. He has authored or  co-authored more than 75 research articles, reviews, book  chapters and monographs in basic and applied immunology.  Dr. Bot also authored patents and patent applications on DNA  vaccines, microparticle-based technologies, and  immunotherapies for autoimmune, infectious and oncologic  diseases. He is the current Editor in Chief of the International  Reviews of Immunology and the Section Editor, Immunology  and Immunotherapy, of the Journal of Translational Medicine.  Prior to joining the senior management of Kite Pharma Inc, Dr.  Bot was Vice President of Research at Mannkind Corporation.  Previous appointments include the Scripps Research Institute  in La Jolla, Alliance Pharmaceutical Corporation in San Diego,  and Allecure Pharmaceuticals in Valencia, CA. He obtained  his M.D. at the University of Medicine and Pharmacy in  Timisoara, Romania and his Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences at  Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York.   Medical Intuition and Energy Medicine:  From Ancient Spiritual Traditions to  Modern Scientific Breakthroughs Liliana Cerepnalkoski Explore the merger of Science and Spirituality. Ancient healing methods once labeled “myth” are now  being researched as cutting-edge breakthroughs by  western scientific methods.   Learn how medical intuition can support both personal and planetary transformation and our evolution from  homo sapiens to “Homo Luminous”, as we examine  the new life paradigm that factors Energy into the  equation! Dr. Liliana Cerepnalkoski is a pioneer in the fields of medical  intuition, energy medicine, human consciousness and  transformation.  Liliana is passionate about educating the  general public, as well as medical professionals, in  developing their own intuitive abilities and energy  management skills, and contributing to the emergence of a  new paradigm of life that factors in energy-consciousness as  part of the equation. She is currently writing her first book depicting her journey of  discovery into the world of intuition and subtle energies.  Liliana lives in Los Angeles, California and travels lecturing on the subjects of Science and Spirituality. Topology in low and high dimensions Ciprian Manolescu What is the shape of the universe? While physicists  debate various answers, mathematicians can help by  making a list of all possible choices. In particular,  topologists study geometric shapes with regard to only  those properties that are unchanged under stretching  and bending. I will discuss what is known about the  topological classification of manifolds (the simplest kind  of shapes). The classification is easy in dimensions 0, 1  and 2, and it gets interesting in dimension 3. Starting in  dimension 4 there are examples of shapes with unusual  properties: some that cannot be smoothed or  triangulated, and some that have several smooth  structures. Ciprian Manolescu grew up in Pitesti, Romania. As a high  school student he got three perfect scores in the International Mathematical Olympiad. He then studied at Harvard  University, where he received his BA in 2001 and his PhD in  2004. He joined the mathematics department at UCLA in  2008, and in 2012 he was promoted to full professor. In 2012  he received the Prize of the European Mathematical Society,  awarded to the 10 best European mathematicians under age  35. Ciprian does research is in the fields of geometry and  topology. One of his recent results is a disproof of the long-  standing triangulation conjecture in high dimensions. Personal Notes on Space Exploration  Bogdan Marcu The reference achievement in human exploration remains  to this day the Apollo Program. Perhaps several decades  ahead of the world average technological capabilities of its  time, man's first step on the Moon has established an  expectation that remains yet to be replicated. However, the  vast bulk of man's knowledge of the universe emerged from  unmanned probes sent in obit and throughout the solar  system, and yet, in spite of this fact, the fascination  remains associated with the human presence in space.  It  is of interest to examine the funding available for human  exploration, today and in historical perspective, the  technologies available,  and eventual paradigm changes  needed. In addition, business models associated with  space exploration - manned or unmanned, are examined,  in the context of the controversial concept defined by the  syntagm of  commercial space.  Bogdan Marcu is a senior engineering scientist with the  Space Exploration Corporation. A graduate of the  Polytechnic Institute of Bucharest (MSAE 1984) he  continued his studies with a Ph.D program at the  University of Southern California in Los Angeles  (Ph.D.AE 1996) after seven years of industrial career in  his native country of Romania.  After a two year of  postdoctoral research on vehicle aerodynamics, Bogdan  joined the Rocketdyne division of the Boeing company in  1998. During his 13 years tenure at Rocketdyne, Bogdan generated analyses and designs for the Space Shuttle  Main Engine, the MB-60, MXX and J-2X engine  programs, while his company changed hands from  Boeing to Pratt and Whitney. In 2011 Bogdan left  Rocketdyne for the position of lead turbine designer at  Space X. The new Falcon 9 1.1 rocket is powered by the  new M1D/MVacD engines equipped with the turbines  designed by Bogdan. Global Organizations - for Global Health  Panel Presentation Summary  Hortenzia Beciu  Are global organizations such as the World Bank and  Johns Hopkins International contributing to Global Health,  how and for how long?  There are several models by which the international  community is striving to contribute to strengthening the  health systems and the population health of low and  middle income countries. Organizations such as World  Health Organization, World Bank, Bilateral organizations  and Universities such as Johns Hopkins are very different  in terms of their contribution to the health sector (areas of influence or change) but also in the financial mechanisms  put in place to motivate the needed transactions between  stakeholders. The presenter will explain the differences in  how global health is tackled by different organizations  with the pros and cons related to their interventions. The  presenter will also discuss the different role that the  public and private sector plays in promoting health and  improving health outcomes of their constituencies and  how Middle Eastern region is different and or similar from  the other regions such as Eastern Europe and what can  be done to address the health problems in these regions.  What role plays medical and leadership innovation in  making health a more easy to tackle issue in terms of  access, affordability,  information asymmetry, better  outcomes and  client satisfaction. Ms. Hortenzia Beciu is the Director for the Middle East and  Africa at Johns Hopkins Medicine International (JHI). Ms.  Beciu provides directions and oversight in project  management, market research and analysis leading to market  strategy. Ms. Beciu has extensive experience in the health  sector, working with governments, development partners and  various health industry groups (hospital sector,  pharmaceuticals, medical technology and information  technology).     Before joining the Hopkins team, she worked  at the International Finance Corporation (IFC) as Coordinator  for the Corporation's relations with the health industry and  review of investment climate and business environment  issues related to strengthening the role of the private health  sector in emerging markets. She also led a large review on  the financing and economics of scaling up education for  health workers in low- and middle-income countries. She also  worked for several years in the World Bank, conducting high-  level health policy reviews as well as designing, implementing  and supervising health systems projects as well as with the  Results for Development Institute as a country lead for Sierra  Leone.  Prior to her work at the World Bank group she also  worked with the Pan American Health Organization and  Institute for Health Services Management in Romania.  Hortenzia holds a medical degree from the University of  Pharmacy and Medicine, Carol Davila, Bucharest, Romania  and a Master in Global Health, International Health, from the  George Washington University. George Roth President, Recognos San Raphael, CA Member , VC Roundtable networking group in Palo Alto. From "Fireball XL5 to Semantic Technology"   or the connection between Steve Zodiac  and Steve Jobs George Roth The presentation will focus on the way how my carrier  started in Cluj through a coincidence related to the  creation of the first Computer Science High School in  1971, and followed the evolution of the Computer  Science from the mainframe era to the smart phones.  Growing up in a communist country, it took a lot of  experiments, coincidences and struggles that allowed  me to succeed on developing a career in IT and in the  last 20 years becoming an entrepreneur in Silicon Valley. I will present my theory related to the current success of  the Romanian IT and entrepreneurial movement. George Roth was born in Cluj, Romania. He graduated with  an MS in Mathematics and Computer Science from the  "Babes Bolyai" University in Cluj. His career started at the Cluj  Territorial Center for Computation (CTCE) where he worked  until 1991. In 1991 George emigrated to the U.S. During his  early years in the U.S., he worked as a Software Architect. In  1999, he co-founded Recognos Inc. and in 2000 Recognos  Romania. Recognos develops a semantic platform used to  extract data from non-formatted documents. George is one of  the founding members of the Romanian American Business  Network Silicon Valley, and he is the Honorary Consul of  Romania in San Francisco.                    Session 1: Science, Engineering and Technology                    Session 2: Medicine, History and Art                    Session 4: Healthcare and Business - Invited talk                    Session 3: Life-styles and death-styles, spirituality and experimentation  Master of Ceremonies: Roxanne Istrate Mircea Goia Jacob Segal Joe Ferguson George Roth Hortenzia Beciu John Tanner Daniel Marcu Adrian Bot Moderator: Jacob Segal, MBA (Anderson School, UCLA), Principal of Investors Research Group (IRG) Organized by Jacob Segal and Gabriel Dutu Bogdan Suceavă is a Romanian writer who works as a  Professor in the Department of Mathematics, California  State University, Fullerton.  Bogdan left University of  Bucharest in 1996 to pursue his doctorate in mathematics  at Michigan State University, where his thesis was  defended under Dr. Bang-Yen Chen’s supervision. His  2004 novel Coming from an Off-Key Time is translated into  Bulgarian, Hungarian, English, French and Czech. His  novel Miruna, a Tale received the 2007 Bucharest Writers  Association Fiction Award and in 2014 appears in English.  His most recent book in Romanian is Memoirs from an  Ideal Library, Polirom, essays, 2013.