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Popular dietary supplement causes cancer risk and brain metastases

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While previous studies have linked commercial dietary supplements such as nicotinamide riboside (NR), a form of vitamin B3, to cardiovascular, metabolic and neurological health benefits, new research from the University of Missouri found that NR may actually increase the risk of serious illness. , including the development of cancer.

The international team of researchers led by Elena Goun, associate professor of chemistry at MU, found that high levels of NR could not only increase the risk of developing triple-negative breast cancer, but also cause the metastasis or spread of the brain cancer. . Once the cancer reaches the brain, the results are deadly because no viable treatment options currently exist, said Goun, who is the study’s corresponding author.

“Some people take them [vitamins and supplements] because they automatically assume that vitamins and supplements only have positive health benefits, but very little is known about how they actually work,” Goun said. “Because of this lack of knowledge, we were inspired to investigate the basic questions surrounding how vitamins and supplements work in the body.”

Following the passing of her 59-year-old father, just three months after being diagnosed with colon cancer, Goun was moved by her father’s passing to pursue a better scientific understanding of cancer metabolism, or energy through which the cancer spreads in the body. Since NR is a supplement known to help increase cellular energy levels and cancer cells feed off this energy with their increased metabolism, Goun wanted to study the role of NR in the development and spread of the cancer.

“Our work is particularly important given the wide commercial availability and large number of ongoing human clinical trials where NR is used to mitigate the side effects of cancer treatment in patients,” Goun said.

The researchers used this technology to compare and examine the levels of NR present in cancer cells, T cells and healthy tissue.

“While NR is already widely used in humans and has many ongoing clinical trials for additional applications, much of how NR works is a black box – it’s not understood,” Goun said. “So this inspired us to come up with this new imaging technique based on ultra-sensitive bioluminescent imaging that allows real-time quantification of NR levels in a non-invasive way. The presence of NR is indicated by light, and the more the light, the more NR present.”

Goun said the study results underscore the importance of having thorough investigations into the potential side effects of supplements like NR before their use in people who may have different types of health problems. In the future, Goun would like to provide information that could potentially lead to the development of certain inhibitors to help make cancer therapies like chemotherapy more effective in treating cancer. The key to this approach, Goun said, is to look at it from a personalized medicine perspective.

“Not all cancers are the same in every person, especially in terms of metabolic signatures,” Goun said. “Often cancers can even alter their metabolism before or after chemotherapy.”

“Bioluminescent probe for noninvasive in vivo monitoring of nicotinamide riboside uptake reveals link between metastasis and NAD+ metabolism” was published in the Journal of Biosensors and Bioelectronics. Funding was provided by grants from the European Research Council (ERC-2019-COG, 866338) and the Swiss National Science Foundation (51NF40_185898), as well as support from NCCR Chemical Biology.

The other authors of the study are Arkadiy Bazhin, Pavlo Khodakivskyi, Ekaterina Solodnikova and Aleksey Yevtodiyenko from MU; Tamara Maric at EPF; Greta Maria Paola Giordano Attianese, George Coukos and Melita Irving at the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research in Switzerland; and Magali Joffraud and Carles Cantó at the Nestlé Institute of Health Sciences in Switzerland. Bazhin, Khodakivskyi, Mikhaylov, Solodnikova, Yevtodiyenko and Goun are also affiliated with the EPF. Mikhaylov, Yevtodiyenko and Goun are also affiliated with SwissLumix SARL in Switzerland.

Nuclear Decommissioning Services Market 2023 – In-Depth Analysis and Research on Market Size, Trends, Emerging Growth Factors and Forecast to 2032 | Key Players: Westinghouse Electric Company, Aecom, Babcock International Group PLC

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Nuclear Decommissioning Services Market

This most recent research report forecasts that by 2032, the growth of the nuclear decommissioning services market will have reached a healthy CAGR. Over the next 10 years, the Nuclear Decommissioning Services Market will witness an astonishing increase in CAGR in terms of sales from 2021. In this study, 2021 has been considered as the base year, 2022 is considered as the year of estimate and 2023 to 2032 as the forecast period to estimate the market size for Nuclear Decommissioning Services.

This research report showcases all the major systems and innovations that have recently been employed across the global industry in the Global Nuclear Decommissioning Services Market. Market prices are calculated from the point of view of the strong consumer, taking into account the main suppliers and the market economies concerned. This research study also analyzes the business growth status and potential market trends globally. Further, the global market segmentation by type, region and application is thoroughly and intensively studied and the market profile and associated outlook disclosed. Major public users fund market volumes and asset development is supported by private users. Likewise, data from major market players has been extensively presented in the research study.

Request the sample PDF for detailed information on report offerings: https://www.quincemarketinsights.com/request-sample-16610?utm_source=dj/hp

This research report also highlights leading industry players in the global Nuclear Decommissioning Services market providing details such as company profiles, product specifications, product price, cost and price. willingness to share, availability and communication of data. The feasibility of existing investment programs is checked and the full results of the analysis are discussed. This research also presents key statistics on the recent business situation, with tables and figures helping to report on the global market, and perhaps a key source of guidance & direction. Also, it lists upstream raw materials and downstream demand analysis. comprehensively. Nuclear Decommissioning Services Market Research Report Includes Leading Players Westinghouse Electric Company, Aecom, Babcock International Group PLC, Onet Technologies, Nuvia Group, EnerconServics, Inc. and SoginS.PA…

The market segment study covers market size, market sub-segments, upstream price & cost situation and business climate. The study also examines factors affecting industry growth and the concept of trade channels. The analysis begins with a description of the supply chain framework and shows the upstream one. Further, the study analyzes the market size and forecast across different geographies, categories, and end-use segments and provides an overview of market competition and key company profiles, along with a price review. of the market and the characteristics of the sales channel. The nuclear decommissioning services market is segmented into By type of reactor (boiling water reactor, pressurized water reactor, gas-cooled reactor, pressurized heavy water reactor, fast breeder reactor), by dismantling strategy (deferred dismantling, immediate dismantling, burial), by capacity (up to 800 MW, 801 to 1000 MW, above 1000 MW)
Regional analysis

Major regions covered in the study include North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa and South America. During the forecast era, the North American region is expected to experience significant growth and have the highest CAGR. Expansion in the region may be due to growing demand and favorable legislation in the United States.

In terms of pages, the Nuclear Decommissioning Services Market research report is vast and offers unique data, facts, important statistics with tables and figures, trends and competitive landscape details of this specialized market.

During the forecast period, increasing investments from major players, especially in Japan, will contribute to the development of the region. By 2032, demand will be further driven by booming Japanese industry. Government support for ongoing manufacturing projects in the region will provide an opportunistic line for regional demand. The ever-increasing demand from customers will drive the growth of the industry over the forecast period.

Primary data: Primary market research is a type of research that involves acquiring information from target industries, either through a third party or directly from customers.

Secondary data: Secondary market research is a survey strategy in which a company relies on publicly available data to learn more about its customers and target markets.

Market valuation and forecasting methodology: Market research fills the gap between a good or service and its target market or customer. Market research information helps a manufacturer or service provider develop a product or service plan that meets the specific needs of the target market.

Quantitative market research: Quantitative market research is a method of collecting data about the target market and consumers that can be quantified.

Qualitative market research: Qualitative market research is a way of collecting qualitative data about target markets through the use of instruments and procedures such as focus groups and interviews.

Product development and innovation: Detailed information on upcoming technologies, product launches as well as research and development activities in the global market.

Market penetration: In-depth information about the product portfolios of leading market players in the global predictive maintenance market.

Market Diversification: Exhaustive details about the new product design, development, untapped geography as well as investments in the predictive maintenance market.

Consequences of COVID-19

As it is difficult for companies to plan or make crucial business decisions in these turbulent and unpredictable times, industries are all trying to overcome them. The COVID-19 outbreak has wreaked havoc on the manufacturing and construction industries in several ways, including commodity supply and prices, worker availability, and project completion times. Raw material shortages and supply chain disruptions have had an effect on the industry.

“COVID-19 Pandemic Offer for Our Clients: Buy this report now and receive a free consultation from our analyst plus a special discount. Offer valid for a limited time”

Key questions answered by this report

(1) What are the growth opportunities for new entrants in the nuclear decommissioning services industry?

(2) Who are the key players operating in the Nuclear Decommissioning Services Market?

(3) What are the key strategies that participants are likely to adopt to increase their share in the nuclear decommissioning services industry?

(4) What is the Competitive Situation in the Nuclear Decommissioning Services Market?

(5) What are the emerging trends that could influence the growth of the Nuclear Decommissioning Services market?

(6) Which product type segment will have a high CAGR in the future?

(7) Which application segment will capture a good share in the nuclear decommissioning service industry?

(8) Which region is lucrative for manufacturers?

Have a 15-minute chat with the lead analyst and report author in a time slot you’ve decided. You will be briefed on the contents of the report and questions regarding the scope of the document will also be addressed.

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Here are some of the most frequently asked questions (FAQs):

  • On the market, what manufacturing technology is used? What is the current state of affairs? What are the trends driving these changes?
  • Who are the major market players globally? What is the company profile, product information and contact details for this company?
  • What was the state of the nuclear decommissioning services market globally? What was the capacity, production value, cost and profit of the market?
  • What is the current state of the nuclear decommissioning services industry? What is the level of market competition in this industry, both by company and by country? What is the market analysis of Nuclear Decommissioning Services market considering applications and types?
  • What are the projections of the global nuclear decommissioning services industry in terms of capacity, production and production value?

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Rebooting the immune system in MS patients

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Every day, someone in Switzerland is diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disease in which the body’s immune system attacks the myelin sheath of nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. The disease causes paralysis, pain and permanent fatigue, among other symptoms. Fortunately, there have been great advances in therapies over the past few decades. A study from the Department of Neuroimmunology and MS Research at the University of Zurich (UZH) and the Department of Medical Oncology and Hematology Clinic at the University Hospital Zurich (USZ) has now identified why most effective therapy currently available – a stem cell transplant – works so well.

Eliminate unwanted immune cells

“80% of patients remain disease-free long-term, or even forever, after autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation,” says recently retired Professor Roland Martin, study leader and final author. The treatment is particularly suitable for younger people with aggressive forms of the disease. Four years ago, thanks to the high efficacy of the treatment and the now low mortality rate, Martin’s department and the USZ clinic were granted permission to administer the therapy. It is the only clinic in Switzerland approved for this treatment.

During treatment, many chemotherapies completely destroy patients’ immune systems – including the subset of T cells that mistakenly attack their own nervous system. Patients then receive a transplant of their own blood stem cells, which were harvested before chemotherapy. The body uses these cells to build a completely new immune system without any self-reactive cells.

Systematic analysis of immune cells

“Previous studies have shown the basic workings of the method, but many important details and questions have remained open,” says Martin. Some unclear aspects were what exactly happens after the immune cells are eliminated, if any of them survive the chemotherapy, and if the autoreactive cells don’t really come back.

In the recently published study, Martin’s team systematically investigated these questions for the first time by analyzing immune cells from 27 MS patients who received stem cell therapy in Zurich. The analysis was performed before, during and up to two years after treatment. This allowed the researchers to track the rate of regeneration of different types of immune cells.

Successful reset of the immune system

Surprisingly, cells known as memory T cells, which are responsible for ensuring the body remembers pathogens and can respond quickly to new infections, reappeared immediately after the transplant. Further analysis showed that these cells did not reform, but survived the chemotherapy. These remnants of the original immune system do not, however, present any risk of recurrence of MS: “They are pre-damaged by chemotherapy and are therefore no longer capable of triggering an autoimmune reaction”, explains Martin.

In the months and years following the transplant, the body gradually recreates the different types of immune cells. The thymus gland plays an important role in this process. This is where the T cells go to school, so to speak, and learn to distinguish foreign structures, like viruses, from their own. “Adults have very little functional tissue in the thymus,” says Martin. “But after a transplant, the organ seems to resume its function and ensure the creation of a whole new repertoire of T cells which obviously do not trigger MS or make it come back.”

Further studies needed for broader approval

These findings have allowed researchers to understand why stem cell transplants are generally so successful. But unfortunately, says Martin, the treatment is not approved in many countries because phase III studies are lacking. “Phase III studies cost several hundred million euros, and pharmaceutical companies are only willing to conduct them if they make money afterwards.” This is not the case with stem cell therapy, as the drugs used are no longer protected by patents.

“I am therefore very happy that we have succeeded in obtaining approval for the treatment from the Federal Office of Public Health and that the health insurers are covering the costs,” says Martin. In the past, many Swiss MS patients had to travel to Moscow, Israel or Mexico to receive transplants.

Literature:

Josefine Ruder, María José Docampo, Jordan Rex, Simon Obahor, Reza Naghavian, Antonia MS Müller, Urs Schanz, Ilijas Jelcic, Roland Martin. Dynamics of the renewal of the T lymphocyte repertoire after autologous transplantation of hematopoietic stem cells in multiple sclerosis. Science translational medicine. November 2, 2022. DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.abq1693

ADS Advance – New wind technology to be deployed at Edinburgh Airport

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Innovative technology will be introduced at Edinburgh Airport with the aim of identifying any untapped wind energy on the airport campus.

Image courtesy of Katrick Technologies

As part of a trial with green energy company Katrick Technologies, multiple wind-mapping sensors will be placed throughout the estate – including on the roof and around the track – to examine areas of energy unused low-level wind turbine.

Using the data, these sensors collect the optimal areas to capture and convert energy are identified and wind panels are then implemented to take advantage of them.

Using this technology gives the airport the ability to generate additional green energy and be more energy efficient.

Danny Quinn, Director of Technical Assets at Edinburgh Airport, said: “As an airport, we are always looking to embrace new ideas, particularly when it comes to green power generation, and this technology has the potential to offer new opportunities in this regard.

“Once installed, these sensors have the ability to identify untapped wind energy sources on our campus, giving us the potential to become more efficient in the way we operate. We are excited to work with Katrick Technologies and look forward to seeing the benefits this partnership can bring.

Katrick Technologies’ wind panels are a unique innovation for wind-powered renewable energy. The wind panel consists of numerous channeling ducts where there are multi-layered patented airfoils. These airfoils work independently of each other to maximize energy capture and convert that energy into mechanical oscillations. From there, the oscillations are converted to a focal point before being converted into energy.

The panels can capture more kinetic energy than conventional wind turbines, while measuring only 4m x 4m and thus requiring a much smaller footprint. Additionally, the panels are cheaper than most other wind solutions, with a Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE) of just 8p/kW.

Vijay Madlani, co-CEO of Katrick Technologies, said: “Traditional wind turbines are simply not feasible for airport farms. The aim of our partnership with Edinburgh Airport is to provide them with access to previously untapped energy areas through our wind panels.

“In addition to their scalable and flexible location applications, the panels are designed to function as B3 noise barriers, meaning they provide highways and airports with a noise attenuation solution. Additionally, we have created several designs that can complement various environmental settings. »

Initial wind mapping at Edinburgh Airport will initiate a phased approach. The ultimate goal is to deploy this technology to both support the estate’s net zero goals and launch it into a broader market.

The partnership follows a similar consortium between AGS Airports Limited (AGS), the organization that manages Glasgow, Aberdeen International and Southampton airports, Katrick Technologies and the University of Strathclyde.

Roots Eat Bacteria – Ohio Ag Net

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By James Hoorman Hoorman Soil Health Services

(Source: Jeff Lowenfels, Teaming Up With Bacteria, 2022)

Do plant roots really eat bacteria? The answer is yes (sort of!). Over the past 5-10 years, our understanding of how plants acquire nutrients has changed dramatically. With new, more powerful microscopes; An Australian scientist and Dr. James White of Rutgers University have discovered that plant roots absorb endophyte bacteria (translation: “in the plant”) and acquire nutrients from these microbes. One study estimates that 47% of atmospheric nitrogen (N) and possibly as much as 70% of plant nitrogen could be acquired from bacteria absorbed and living between plant cells and inside cells plants. This newly discovered process is called rhizophagy.

We shouldn’t be too surprised. Farmers inoculate legumes (soybeans, peas) with Rhizobium bacteria that reside in plant nodules and fix N. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) also penetrate roots and live between plant cells. AMFs are like root expanders, bringing water and nutrients back from the soil in exchange for plant sugar. Endophyte bacteria do the same thing and all three (Rhizobium, AMF, bacteria) use similar processes to enter the plant. Important note: This is a symbiotic relationship (mutually beneficial for both parties) and the plant is the one that initiates and controls this process.

There are three plant zones for acquiring nutrients. First, loose soil away from plant roots contains many nutrients. The AMF can extend 6 to 18 inches from a root to access water and nutrients that a root cannot reach. Second, the rhizosphere all around plant roots sends out root exudates to communicate or signal to certain microbes what plants need nutritionally. Plants feed microbes and microbes make nutritious plants available. The third zone is now made up of endophyte microbes that live in the plant by supplying nutrients through rhizophagy.

The rhizophagy cycle is complex and very tightly controlled by plant roots to avoid root cell damage. Bacteria cluster and live in dense biofilms around the root cap (root tip). Biofilms are packed with nutrients (exudates from plant roots) and provide protection from predators. These bacteria make the nutrients available to the plant, but the plant wants more because it wants to grow (think teenagers and how much food they need to grow fast). The plant signals certain bacteria to enter the membranes of thin-walled root cells (meristem cells) near the root cap. Bacteria use arginine (a plant amino acid root exudate) to make ethylene to enter the roots. Once inside the root, these bacteria shed their cell wall (think tumbling through a washing machine) but they are still alive. Some remain between the cell walls, others enter the plant cell themselves or move to other parts of the plant (stems, leaves, flowers, seeds).

The cell wall stripped of endophytic bacteria provides a banquet for the plant. Carbohydrates (sugars), amino acids, plant growth hormones, and macro and micronutrients are all released into the hungry plant for faster growth and higher yields. The wallless bacteria thrive in the protected plant (lots of food, no predators, little stress) and multiply extremely quickly (every 20 minutes). As the microbial population grows, it becomes crowded, so they begin to grow outward forming a new root hair. Root hairs can only form from endophyte bacteria! These bacteria invade the root hairs in such numbers that they are expelled in waves through the soil. Once in the soil, these bacteria fatten up with nutrients, grow a new cell wall, and begin looking for the next trick in the plant. The whole process takes about 2 days.

A few bacteria do not survive this mad dash (perhaps up to 10%). Inside a bacterial cell, the cytoplasm is full of nutrients and intact phytohormones that greatly stimulate plant growth, which in the long run is good for healthy plants and healthy microbial populations in the long run. Since bacteria often divide and produce by division, they really don’t have an individual lifespan unless they die or are consumed by another organism.

There is no difference between plant nutrients derived from rhizophagy and those derived directly from the soil. The big difference, root feeding provides the plant with easy to get nutrients when it is really hungry and wants to grow and produce seeds. Intact Plant Growth Hormones stimulate rapid growth and increase crop yields. Moreover, endophytic bacteria produce nitric oxide to protect themselves inside the plant. This nitric oxide is converted into nitrates which the plant can use directly and be converted into plant N to make amino acids, proteins and enzymes. This new information could help farmers and gardeners grow nutrient-dense, high-yielding crops with far less commercial fertilizer in the near future.

Applied Molecular Transport to Present at Upcoming November Investor Conferences

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SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., Nov. 08, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Applied Molecular Transport Inc. (Nasdaq: AMTI) (AMT), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, today announced its participation in the following investor conferences :

Event: Guggenheim 4e Annual day of immunology and neurology
Format: Corporate Presentation
Date and hour : Monday, November 14, 2022 at 9:35 a.m. ET
Location: New York, New York
Presenter: Tahir Mahmood, Ph.D., CEO and Co-Founder

Event: Jefferies London Healthcare Conference
Format: Fireside Chat
Date and hour : Wednesday, November 16, 2022, at 1:30 p.m. GMT
Location: London, UK
Presenters: Shawn Cross, President and Chief Operating Officer, and Bittoo Kanwar, MD, Chief Medical Officer

The live webcasts will be accessible through the Events page of the Applied Molecular Transport website at https://ir.appliedmt.com/news-events/events. Archived replays will be available for 30 days after the events.

About Applied Molecular Transport Inc.

AMT is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing novel oral biologic product candidates, leveraging its technology platform to engineer biologic product candidates into patient-tailored oral dosage forms. AMT’s product candidates are designed to precisely target relevant disease pathophysiology. AMT’s proprietary technology platform is integrated into its product candidates, leveraging existing natural cellular trafficking pathways to drive the active transport of various therapeutic modalities across the IE barrier. Active transport is an efficient mechanism that uses the cell’s own machinery to transport materials across the IE barrier.

AMT’s corporate headquarters, in-house GMP manufacturing and laboratory facilities are located in South San Francisco, CA. For more information on the AMT, please visit www.appliedmt.com.

Contact with Investor Relations:
Andrew Chang
Head, Investor Relations and Corporate Communications
[email protected]

Media contacts:
Alexandra Santos
Wheelhouse Life Science Advisors
[email protected]

Aljanae Reynolds
Wheelhouse Life Science Advisors
[email protected]

ConocoPhillips China and CNOOC Limited announce wind farm project

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The signing ceremony of the Penglai offshore wind farm pilot project takes place during the fifth China International Import Expo in Shanghai on Nov. 6, 2022. [Photo/chinadaily.com.cn]

ConocoPhillips China Inc and CNOOC Limited on Sunday announced the launch of the Penglai offshore wind farm pilot project at the fifth China International Import Expo held in Shanghai.

As part of a joint low-carbon energy development effort, the project will harness wind power to supply electricity to the Penglai oilfield, China’s largest offshore oil and gas production base in the under a production sharing contract, located in Bohai Bay, in northeast China.

“This pilot project represents a first-of-its-kind integration of offshore wind power harnessed solely for offshore oil and gas facilities in China,” said Bill Arnold, president of ConocoPhillips China Inc.

“We believe it will become a benchmark for future low-carbon offshore oilfield developments.”

The recently launched wind farm project offers an optimal solution to meet the electricity demand of the Penglai oilfield, which is expected to increase year on year as development continues, the company said.

Featuring four wind turbines with a total installed capacity of 34MW, the wind farm will have the potential to cover more than 30% of the power required for Penglai oilfield operations at full capacity and reach tens of thousands of tons of annual carbon dioxide reductions, it said.

In addition to offshore wind energy, the two companies are closely evaluating opportunities for energy from the shore, as well as carbon capture and storage (CCS) and carbon capture, use and storage (CCUS) .

If proven technically and economically viable, these low-carbon energy solutions will help turn Penglai into a net-zero offshore oilfield, in line with China’s energy, sustainable development and carbon neutrality goals. said ConocoPhillips China Inc.

MEN’S SUPPLEMENTS SALE – November is MEN’S HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH

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152 Holland Street East

Five possible benefits of collagen

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Collagen is found throughout the body in muscle, bone, connective tissue, and skin, and it’s something we create ourselves from amino acids. It’s the most abundant protein in the body, but you may have heard that collagen has some potential benefits when taken as a dietary supplement.

As we age, our bodies become less efficient at making collagen and we can end up with brittle nails, thinner hair, and more fragile skin. This is due to the presence of collagen in the epidermal layer of the skin, where our hair follicles live and where age-related collagen production decreases. Along with the visible signs of aging, we may feel the effects of decreased collagen in our bodies in the form of joint pain and weaker muscles.

We spoke to experts about the top benefits of collagen and how collagen supplements can help as we age. Looking for other ways to increase your protein intake? Discover our overview of best protein powder to support muscle growth.

1. Skin health

A review in the Gerontology (opens in a new tab) journal indicates that the age-related loss and fragmentation of collagen fibrils (the protein structure) can lead to delayed wound healing and even the development of skin cancer when the skin is weakened. So many topical anti-aging creams contain collagen, although it does little more than moisturize the skin.

Dr. Deborah Lee, physician and representative of Dr Fox Online Pharmacy (opens in a new tab), tells Live Science that collagen production decreases with age, leading to sagging skin. “As we age, collagen production slows and the collagen produced is less effective – which underlies many of the changes we see with aging, such as wrinkles and sagging skin, joint pain, height loss and fractures,” she said. said. “The structure of collagen is organized with a complicated fiber system, with chains of amino acids arranged in fibrils, like strong ropes, to provide a tight and reliable support structure.”

Having worked for many years with the National Health Service in the UK, first as a general practitioner and then as a senior clinician for an integrated community sexual health service, Dr Deborah Lee now works as a medical writer and health, with an emphasis on women’s health. She is a specialist in menopause.

A 2019 review in the Journal of Drugs in Dermatology (opens in a new tab) reports that although the collagen in skin creams is not effective, taking an oral collagen supplement in the form of collagen tripeptide resulted in noticeable improvements in skin elasticity. The review concludes that although research on collagen for skin health is still in its infancy, the results are promising for collagen supplementation.

Smiling happy healthy middle aged 50 year old woman holding a glass of water taking a dietary supplement vitamin pill

(Image credit: Getty Images)

2. Joint health

A review in the Mechanisms of aging and development (opens in a new tab) indicates that cellular degeneration with age may be responsible for the development of osteoarthritis later in life. The review highlights several causes for this cellular degeneration, and one of the factors mentioned is the reduction in collagen levels in the body as we age.

Dr. Lee tells Live Science that sometimes people with arthritis take collagen to support joint health. “Collagen can be taken as a supplement to treat joint pain in people with arthritis. The

the scientific name is collagen hydrolyzate, but it’s also called hydrolyzed collagen, purified gelatin, HCP, and type 2 collagen,” she says. “Collagen is purchased in the form of capsules containing collagen usually made from beef, pork or fish bones, which have been boiled and processed.”

A meta-analysis in International Orthopedics (opens in a new tab) shows promising improvements in osteoarthritis symptoms when patients were given oral collagen. When results were compared on several different scales, many showed improvement in stiffness, although patient-reported pain and functional limitation did not change significantly.

3. Muscle Support and Healing

A British Journal of Nutrition (opens in a new tab) A study on the impacts of collagen peptide supplementation on older men when combined with resistance training showed improved body composition and muscle strength. As resistance training puts stress on muscles, the application of collagen, a structural protein, can help muscles heal effectively from this stress, increasing their strength and tone.

In addition to this, some medical procedures use collagen membranes or grafts to promote faster wound healing. A review in the International Journal of Biomedical Sciences (opens in a new tab) found that bovine collagen grafts create a favorable environment for bone regeneration. The review notes that 3% of people have an allergic reaction to collagen, so you should be careful when taking a supplement for the first time.

Man in gym using kettle bells

(Image credit: Getty Images)

4. Heart healthy

Collagen supplementation may also support cardiovascular health. Research in the Journal of Atherosclerosis and Thrombosis (opens in a new tab) where patients received two daily collagen tripeptide supplements for six months indicates that collagen may improve signs of atherosclerosis (the hardening of the arteries due to plaque buildup). Several methods have been used to measure improvement, including testing blood lipid levels. The study concluded that collagen tripeptide can be used as an effective treatment or as a preventative measure.

5. Stronger hair and nails

A clinical trial in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology (opens in a new tab) found that collagen supplementation can significantly improve the condition of brittle nails. Patients saw an increase in nail growth, and 88% of participants saw improvement even four weeks after treatment.

Hair and nails are mostly made up of keratin, which is another structural protein, but collagen plays a role in the health of our scalp and the layer of our skin that contains hair follicles. Having enough collagen in our bodies contributes to healthy hair follicles and, by extension, healthy hair, as research shows. Experimental Dermatology (opens in a new tab). It also contains the amino acids needed to make keratin.

This article is for informational purposes only and is not intended to offer medical advice.

3 ways to build trust with your suppliers

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Pandemic-related supply chain disruptions around the world have painfully exposed faulty supplier relationships. They made it clear that trust between companies and their suppliers is key to building a resilient supply chain.

But how do companies work to develop and maintain trust? And, if trust has been reduced, is it possible to change course and create a better relationship? Recent search answers these questions and provides practical advice that can help business partners increase the level of trust in their relationships.

Imagine a strategic business relationship with little trust between buyer and supplier. This may incentivize the purchasing organization to micromanage the supplier or implement safeguards such as additional quality checks, adding buffer stock to inventory, and imposing penalties for improper performance.

But lack of trust in a business relationship is a two-way street. Disgruntled vendors don’t like to be micromanaged. When this happens, the supplier’s account management team can become frustrated. The supplier’s CFO may impose the addition of a 15% “pain in the ass” factor to the customer’s price, and the supplier’s account manager responsible for the account may find themselves in trouble when members of the team leave to work on better accounts.

These behaviors dramatically increase the transaction costs associated with doing business and almost always prevent organizations from wanting to collaborate to solve more strategic challenges.

A method to measure trust

But trust is a fuzzy thing. How to measure the level of trust in relationships? This question led the three of us to develop an assessment toolwhich measures the health of the relationship with the business partner and helps both parties understand how their actions and behaviors may be inhibiting trust in the relationship.

As part of our research, we conducted 129 assessments of 98 unique business partner relationships across more than two dozen industries. On average, the assessments were conducted 1.7 years into the business partners’ existing contract and had an average annual contract value of $94 million. In many cases, business partners had worked under previous contracts and were looking to create more strategic relationships that required a higher degree of trust. Fifteen of the relationships allowed us to do follow-up assessments, which gave us valuable insights into how to turn a low-trust relationship into a high-performing partnership.


Our Partner Compatibility and Trust (C&T) assessment tool measures five key relationship components that contribute to a healthy and trusting relationship.

  • To concentrate is the ability to combine individual roles in a corporate direction for the benefit of all stakeholders. There is a common purpose, direction and clarity around this direction.
  • Communication is the effective and efficient transfer of meaning through words and actions to achieve and develop mutually beneficial outcomes. This includes the open and timely sharing of information a partner needs to make decisions.
  • Team orientation is the ability to focus and direct individual goals and objectives into a cohesive group strategy. Team orientation is a key indicator of how well business partners are working together.
  • Innovation is an organization’s ability to deal with change dynamically and its tolerance for risk and to try new ideas and solutions. Strong, trusting relationships allow parties to share risks and rewards, invest in each other’s capabilities, and collaborate to achieve common goals.
  • Confidence in performance is the constancy in the realization of the promises, that is to say the respect of the commitments.

For each component, buyers and suppliers rate both their image of themselves and their perception of their partner. A key objective is to identify gaps that highlight areas contributing to misalignment and distrust. Once the gaps are identified, trading partners can begin to fill the gaps.

The research reveals three lessons that organizations can use to improve the health of their relationships.

1. Trust starts with cultural fit.

In our search for Vested: How P&G, McDonald’s and Microsoft are redefining success in business relationships, a book the two of us (Kate and Karl) co-authored with Jeanne Kling, Procter & Gamble executives have attributed cultural fit with suppliers as a critical success factor. Cultural fit in a relationship with a business partner can come down to having similar perspectives on how organizations work, communicate, and make decisions. Our C&T assessment method allows business partners to assess their cultural fit across all five dimensions.

One example of a cultural mismatch we encountered involved a medical device company and a vendor to which it had outsourced facilities management. The medical device company’s operating culture valued flexibility and innovation while the vendor’s culture was hierarchical and process-oriented. Realizing this, the parties amicably agreed that the vendor would not participate in any future bidding process. The parties have also agreed to a fair way to compensate the supplier for helping to ensure a smooth transition to the next supplier.

2. Your business model matters.

When organizations buy goods and services, they have a choice procurement business modelsranging from highly transactional contracts (purchasing goods with a simple purchase order) to highly strategic contracts based on achieving ambitious business outcomes such as speed to market and innovation to meet needs United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (ODD) for responsible production.

Our research using C&T assessments shows that an organization’s choice of sourcing business model can have a positive impact on trust. Take the example of a pharmaceutical company that had outsourced the management of its facilities to a supplier for almost 25 years. In 2015, the parties operated under a performance-based procurement business model, which places risk on the supplier to ensure cost savings and performance levels. While savings and performance goals were met, the pharmaceutical company was irritated by the supplier’s lack of innovation. Likewise, the supplier was frustrated because his profits suffered every time he performed work outside the scope of the contract. Here, C&T’s assessment found that the parties had a good cultural fit, but the contract itself pitted the parties against each other in a classic win-lose situation.

In 2017, they decided to try a new approach to procurement that used a procurement model acquired, which combines a formal relational contract with a results-based business model. (It’s called “acquired” because the parties have a vested interest in each other’s success.) Now, the parties share the risk and reward for achieving mutually defined desired outcomes. The results are significant after the parties change their business model, both in terms of results and increased trust. The vendor completed 48 transformation initiatives and nearly 250 standardization projects, resulting in double-digit savings and winning incentives that drove higher profits. Trust has also increased, increasing by 22% in 2019. Their relationship health continues to climb and by 2021 it had increased by 35%.

3. Building trust is a strategic choice.

Can you turn a broken and suspicious business relationship into a healthy one? Or can you take a good relationship and make it great by increasing trust? The answer to both is a resounding yes. But this does not happen by chance; it is a strategic choice supported by conscious behavioral changes.

In all the organizations we studied, the need for change served as a catalyst for improving the health of relationships. The C&T assessment helps business partners embrace the vague concept of trust and provides a quantitative measure of the health of their relationship. Equally important, the assessment highlights gaps where low-confidence behaviors create friction.

Such was the case with the Vancouver Island Health Authority and South Island Health, a group of physicians who worked under a labor services agreement to provide hospital services to the authority. When a lack of trust stalled contract negotiations, the parties turned to a neutral review of their relationship that included the use of an assessment. It provided concrete insights into the cause of their trust issues and helped the parties realize that they both wanted a better match.

They made the conscious choice to transform their troubled relationship into one of trust and collaboration. Their efforts led to an increase in their C&T index from 0.48 to 0.71 in just two years. The increased confidence has been accompanied by increased business results, such as achieving cost containment goals and developing innovative solutions such as Hospital-at-home program.

The results are real.

Our research can be summed up in a simple equation: confidence = happiness (in terms of lower costs, improved performance, innovation and even a general feeling of positivity and happiness at work).

The C&T assessment quantifies happiness by asking business partners to provide adjectives describing their relationship. For example, the Vancouver Island Health Authority and South Island Health baseline assessment used words like distrustful, broken, tense, distrustful, contradictory, toxic, and suspicious. In a follow-up C&T evaluation two years later, team members described the relationship as collaborative, respectful, trusting, supportive and, yes, even happy. How happy? A comparison showed a drastic reversal with the percentage of adjectives dropping from 84.5% negative to 86.2% positive.

The bottom line? To build trust with your business partners, start by reviewing cultural fit and selecting the appropriate sourcing business model. And don’t underestimate the power of making a strategic choice to consciously build trust.

Immunity debt: why so many children are sick with RSV

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Recently, children’s hospitals across the country have been full of sick children, and it seems like every child has a cold these days. One of the viruses responsible, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), is not new to pediatricians, but due to a recent rapid rise in cases, this may be the first time many are hearing about it. . RSV is a common childhood virus that typically circulates during the winter months and causes respiratory disease. This year, children’s hospitals saw an increase in cases earlier in the year, in late summer and early fall.

Although RSV can infect people of all ages, it usually does not cause severe symptoms in older children or adults with intact immune systems. RSV can cause symptoms in young children ranging from a mild cold to bronchiolitis, an infection of the small airways of the lung leading to inflammation and mucus buildup, which can lead to difficulty breathing in young children. Bronchiolitis is most common in children under 2 years old, and although most children with bronchiolitis recover at home within 7-10 days, some may need hospitalization for support with their breathing or IV fluids for hydration. Children younger than 6 months are at higher risk of serious illness. RSV bronchiolitis was a leading cause of pediatric hospitalizations during the winter months for many years prior to 2020.

Many respiratory viruses follow a predictable annual pattern as cases peak and decline in the community. For example, at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles where I work, RSV is most commonly seen in the winter months, along with influenza, the virus that causes influenza. In the United States, these viruses spread through communities in late fall, with case numbers peaking in the winter months and then finally dying out in the spring. Other viruses tend to peak in the summer months.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, prevention strategies – such as wearing a mask, physical distancing, and staying home from school and work – were aimed at curbing the spread of COVID-19, but they also reduced the spread of these common childhood viruses, including RSV , which spread easily from person to person, especially in group settings like daycares. This disrupted typical viral patterns, and the number of RSV positive cases and pediatric RSV hospitalizations in the winters of 2020 and 2021 decreased compared to previous years.. It’s unclear how long it will take for these viral patterns to return to their typical pre-pandemic cycles.

Now that most children are back in daycare and school at a time when masking is less prevalent, RSV has had the opportunity to spread among children whose immune systems have never met the virus before. This phenomenon has been called “immune debt” due to pandemic prevention measures. The first time the immune system encounters a virus, the symptoms of infection may be more severe as the body learns to fight off the virus, while subsequent infections tend to cause minimal or mild symptoms as the body now has of a model to effectively target the virus. Before the pandemic, most children were exposed to RSV before the age of 2 years. The current increase in pediatric cases of RSV suggests that children’s immune systems are “catching up” with typical childhood viruses and that young children, as well as older children who may not have been exposed in recent years , are at risk of infection. Additionally, mothers whose immunity to RSV has waned in recent years are less likely to pass protective antibodies to infants via breast milk.

RSV is spread from person to person through close contact with an infected person or through contact with infected secretions, such as infected droplets from a cough or sneeze. Although there is no RSV vaccine currently available, good hygiene measures such as washing your hands, keeping frequently used surfaces clean, and staying away from other people with cold symptoms can help prevent the spread of RSV.

Many children have had or will have multiple colds this season. Hospitals are already seeing children who have tested positive for multiple viruses (such as RSV, COVID-19 and influenza) at the same time or in rapid succession. The flu is set to have a similar increase in cases in the coming months. Parents can help protect themselves and their children against the flu by getting the flu shot this year, which is available for children 6 months and older, in addition to hand washing and other protective measures. hygiene.

Dr. Priya Edward is a pediatric infectious disease specialist at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and a clinical assistant professor of pediatrics at USC’s Keck School of Medicine.

$710.5 million donated to support cancer and infectious disease research, skin-on-chip technology and a new approach to bone marrow transplantation

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SEATTLE – November 2, 2022 – Below are summaries of recent Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center research results and other news.

If you are looking for sources for November Lung and Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month, please see our lung cancer, həliʔil program and pancreatic cancer pages for a list of projects, experts and the latest news.

Research against cancer

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center Receives $710.5 Million Gift to Accelerate Cancer and Infectious Disease Research
The Bezos family has committed $710.5 million over the next decade to accelerate Fred Hutch’s multifaceted approach to scientific discovery. The gift supports the organization’s efforts to dramatically accelerate the pace and scale of medical breakthroughs in cancer and infectious disease by harnessing the full potential of today’s science. The donation will support recruitment, research facilities, clinical research infrastructure and the expansion of immunotherapy research.
Media contact: Kat Wynn, [email protected]

New approach could make bone marrow transplantation safer and stronger
Bone marrow transplants have transformed care for patients with blood cancers, but one of the downsides of treatment is graft-versus-host disease – a common side effect that occurs when transplanted cells see tissue receiver’s healthy as strangers and attack them. In a study published in Science Immunology, a team at Fred Hutch showed a new approach that prevented relapses in laboratory models of bone marrow transplantation to treat leukemia and multiple myeloma.
Media contact: Molly McElroy, [email protected]

The award will fund research into new therapies for metastatic prostate cancer
A three-year, $750,000 grant from the Robert J. Kleberg, Jr. and Helen C. Kleberg Foundation will allow Fred Hutch researchers to study therapies for metastatic prostate cancer. Dr. John Lee and Fred Hutch collaborating Drs. Pete Nelson and Roland Strong to explore new treatments, including through the use of immunotherapy.
Media contact: Molly McElroy, [email protected]

Side effects of cancer chemotherapy and how to limit them
Fred Hutch researcher Dr. Gary Lyman, a longtime American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) thought leader, along with three colleagues, recently published an analysis in Nature Reviews Clinical Oncology offering a broad overview of common acute adverse events associated with chemotherapy and how to manage or prevent them.
Media contact: Claire Hudson, [email protected]

Dr. Ruth Etzioni Receives $7.4 Million NCI Grant to Evaluate New Cancer Diagnostics
Fred Hutch’s researcher, Dr. Ruth Etzioni, received a seven-year Outstanding Researcher Award from the National Cancer Institute to continue her work on new cancer diagnostics. The award, which comes with approximately $7.4 million in funding, will enable Etzioni and his team to create frameworks and tools to evaluate new cancer diagnostics such as new imaging modalities. nuclear and early detection tests for several cancers, commonly called liquid biopsies.
Media contact: Claire Hudson, [email protected]

Infectious disease

Searching for herpes treatments with skin-on-chip technology
Fred Hutch researcher Dr. Jia Zhu leads a group of researchers studying herpes simplex viruses, which are responsible for periodic outbreaks of cold sores in the mouth (HSV-1) or recurrent ulcers in genitalia (HSV-2). With their new device, which she calls a “skin-on-chip” platform, Zhu and her team have built and tested a prototype tool that could help researchers accelerate the development of treatments for human herpes.
Media contact: Claire Hudson, [email protected]

Health Equity

Spokane Regional Health District: Gaps in Cancer Care in Spokane
For their “Cancer Health Equity Now” podcast, members of Fred Hutch’s Office of Community Outreach and Engagement hosted a roundtable with staff from Sunnyside, Spokane and Seattle. They discussed the future of health equity work and reflected on the work of the past year.
Media contact: Kat Wynn, [email protected]

Understanding tribal communities and cancer through storytelling, art
Fred Hutch’s Public Art and Community Dialogue Program has selected artist, storyteller and Lower Elwha S’Klallam Tribe member Roger Fernandes to create a new mural. He believes that storytelling and art can contribute to this by tapping into the unconscious and the spiritual side of people and giving them strength and hope.
Media contact: Kat Wynn, [email protected]

Awards and other news

Dr. Larry Corey receives the Alexander Fleming Prize
At a conference in Washington, DC on the science of infectious diseases, Dr. Larry Corey, virologist and former president and director of Fred Hutch, received a lifetime achievement award. The award, given by the Infectious Diseases Society of America, was established in 1964 in honor of the late Dr. Alexander Fleming.
Media contact: Claire Hudson, [email protected]

Dr. Anat Zimmer Receives AAUW Fellowship
Computational biologist Dr. Anat Zimmer, postdoctoral researcher in Dr. Gavin Ha’s lab at Fred Hutch, was awarded a 2022-23 fellowship by the American Association of University Women. Zimmer, who moved with his family from Israel, joined Fred Hutch in the summer of 2021. His interests include systems biology and the application of computational tools to study, predict and prevent human disease.
Media contact: Kat Wynn, [email protected]

Merkel cell carcinoma researcher Dr. Nick Salisbury named Brave Fellow
Postdoctoral researcher Dr. Nick Salisbury has just been named the third recipient to receive the Brave Fellowship from Fred Hutch. Funded by Brooks Running on behalf of the Brave Like Gabe Foundation, the fellowship’s goal is to develop scientific leaders who will advocate for a diverse and inclusive biomedical research workforce focused on rare cancer research. The scholarship will fund Salisbury’s research into Merkel cell carcinoma, a rare and aggressive form of skin cancer caused by Merkel cell polyomavirus.
Media contact: Kat Wynn, [email protected]

Fred Hutch Hosts Inaugural Dr. E. Donnall Thomas Symposium
Leading researchers from around the world traveled to Seattle to discuss the future of transplantation, gene and cell therapies at Dr. E. Donnall Thomas’ inaugural symposium. Among the attendees celebrating his legacy were Dr. Rainer Storb, one of Fred Hutch’s early scientists who worked with Thomas and still leads the transplant biology program; and graduate student David Granadier, whose poster on thymus regeneration received first prize from the conference organizers.
Media contact: Molly McElroy, [email protected]

Spotlight on Science
Science Spotlight is a monthly installment of articles written by Fred Hutch postdoctoral fellows that summarize new research papers by Hutch scientists. If you would like to know more or discuss these topics, contact: [email protected]

# # #

The Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center brings together comprehensive care and advanced research to provide the latest cancer treatment options and accelerate discoveries that prevent, treat and defeat cancer and infectious diseases worldwide.

Based in Seattle, Fred Hutch is an independent, nonprofit organization and the only National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center in Washington. We have earned a worldwide reputation for our track record of discoveries in cancer, infectious diseases and basic research, including significant advances in bone marrow transplantation, HIV/AIDS prevention, immunotherapy and vaccines against COVID-19. Fred Hutch operates eight clinical care sites that provide medical oncology, infusion, radiation therapy, proton therapy and related services and has network affiliations with hospitals in four states. Fred Hutch also serves as the cancer program at UW Medicine.

Please note that our organization was renamed Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center in April 2022, following the merger of longtime partners, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and Seattle Cancer Care Alliance.

“Breaking Stereotypes with Women in STEM” Panelists on Why College Students Should Attend – The Oakland Post

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Rachel Yimscience and technology journalist

Despite the progress made over the past decades to encourage more women to pursue studies in STEM fields, implicit gender biases and stereotypes still exist today, and the STEM field is still overrepresented by men.

Women in Science, Engineering and Research at Oakland University (OUWISER) — an organization focused on improving the campus climate and supporting OU faculty — is hosting a Hybrid Luncheon on Nov. 7 from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. The panel will consist of three OU professors. from different STEM fields: Dr. Sarah Beetham, Ph.D. (Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering), Dr. Elizabeth Delorme-Axford, Ph.D. (Assistant Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences) and Dr. Lisa Welling, Ph.D. ( associate professor of psychology).

Each panelist briefly shared their studies and thoughts on stereotyping against women in STEM.

Dr. Sarah Beetham, Ph.D.

In addition to his background in mechanical engineering and scientific computing, Beetham’s specific area of ​​interest is the understanding and prediction of complex fluid flows relevant to society and the environment (e.g. volcanic eruptions or the conversion agricultural waste into biofuel). At OU she teaches “Intro to Heat and Fluid Flow” (ME3500), “Intermediate Fluid Mechanics” (ME4515/5515) and “Computational Fluid Dynamics” (ME5510).

“Growing up, I was always very curious and loved math and science. When I was in middle school, my parents approached my teacher about advanced math and he said, “Why will she need algebra?” It happened 25 years ago, but I think about it a lot even now. It’s heartbreaking that this happened in the first place, but even more so that it surely happens to girls whose parents may not know how to defend them like mine did.

“In my view, the low representation of women is due to a few key factors: First, when girls don’t see female role models in STEM fields (in their personal lives, in the media, in popular culture), it’s more difficult to imagine themselves in these roles. Then, encouragement is absolutely essential. I think that girls are often less encouraged than boys to pursue studies in STEM fields, even when they have an affinity or an interest in math and science Finally, I think STEM fields need a public relations overhaul.

Dr. Lisa Welling, Ph.D.

As a psychologist, Welling studies human mate choice with a particular focus on hormonal mechanisms. She is particularly interested in romantic and sexual relationships, and how these relationships are affected by our hormonal profile.

At OU, she teaches “Research Methods and Human Sexuality” at the undergraduate level and “Human Sexuality, Hormones and Behaviour” at the graduate level.

“Girls learn to believe these stereotypes, so intervention is needed early on. Additionally, it is unfortunately still true these days that scientific fields are often more hostile to women because they are more likely to have additional family responsibilities that STEM careers are less likely to accommodate. This unfortunate lack of support leads many women to leave STEM professions when they become or plan to become mothers.

“Science is best when people from diverse backgrounds and experiences work together. Different perspectives are extremely valuable in advancing scientific knowledge. If women and minorities are not part of the conversation, we all lose. I hope you will join us to discuss our experiences and yours.

Dr. Elizabeth Delorme-Axford, Ph.D.

Delorme-Axford’s research study sits at the intersection of biochemistry and molecular cell biology, focusing specifically on autophagy – a cellular pathway of molecular degradation and recycling. This semester, she is teaching “Biochemistry I” (BIO 3232).

“One of the main reasons I’m in STEM is because I love being in the lab, doing research, and interacting with students. It’s important to have mentors who support you at every stage of your career. .

“One of the primary goals of my lab is to foster a team environment that promotes equity and inclusion among members. In my biochemistry course, I highlight important discoveries made by different and diverse scientists, including women. Hopefully this encourages students from all walks of life to join STEM. »

This hybrid luncheon will take place both in person in the Founders Ballroom C West on the top floor of the Oakland Center and via Zoom. Panelists will discuss in more detail the challenges they faced and their journey to becoming STEM teachers.

The panel is free and open to all students in all fields. Interested students can reserve their places by completing this form.

“I truly believe that for the culture to change enough to foster a more equitable number of women in STEM, we need male allies to step in and help make that change,” Beetham said. “If you’re a man in STEM and you see bias happening, say something!

“Even very small things help,” Beetham continued. “If the only woman on your team is constantly tasked with being the social event planner or meeting note taker, point that out and offer to do those tasks instead. It’s the little things that make a big difference. »

Braxia Scientific Announces Voting Results of Annual and Extraordinary General Meeting of Shareholders

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TORONTO, November 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ – Braxia Scientific Corp. (“Braxia”, or the “Company”), (CSE: BRAX) (OTC: BRAXF) (FWB: 4960), a medical research and telemedicine company with clinics offering innovative ketamine and psilocybin treatments for Depression and Related Disorders, is pleased to announce the voting results of its Annual General and Special Meeting of Shareholders held on Monday, October 31, 2022. A total of 16.55% of the common shares issued and in circulation of the Company were represented either in person or by proxy at the meeting.

In a vote by ballot, the following 4 candidates proposed by the Company were elected directors of Braxia Scientific to serve until the next annual meeting of shareholders of the Company or until their successors are elected or appointed, the shares represented at the meeting voting in favor of individual nominees as follows:

Director

For

%

Withheld

%






Roger McIntyre

39 392 336

98.9%

442,621

1.1%

Olga Cwiek

39,669,971

99.6%

164,986

0.4%

Lean Taylor

39,382,703

98.9%

452 254

1.1%

Jerry Habuda

39,646,957

99.5%

188,000

0.5%

In addition to the election of all nominees listed as directors in the management information circular dated September 16, 2022 (the “Circular”), Braxia shareholders have approved all other resolutions submitted to the Meeting. These included the appointment of DMCL as auditors of the Company for the following year and the approval of an amendment to the Company’s stock option plan dated October 15, 2019 as indicated in the Circular.

For more details on the matters discussed at the annual meeting, please consult the Company’s management information circular available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Final voting results on all matters to be voted on at the annual meeting will also be filed on SEDAR.

About Braxia Scientific Corp.

Braxia Scientific is a medical research company with clinics that provide innovative ketamine-based treatments for people with depression and related disorders. Through its medical solutions, Braxia aims to reduce the disease burden of brain-based mental disorders such as major depressive disorder, among others. Braxia is primarily focused on (i) owning and operating multidisciplinary clinics, providing treatment for mental health disorders, and (ii) research activities related to the discovery and commercialization of new drugs and methods. administration. Braxia seeks to develop ketamine and derivatives and other psychedelic products from its IP development platform. Through its wholly-owned subsidiary, the Canadian Rapid Treatment Center of Excellence Inc., Braxia currently operates multidisciplinary community clinics offering fast-acting treatments for depression located in Mississauga, Toronto, Ottawa, Kitchener and Montreal. For more information, visit www.braxiascientific.com Where www.braxiahealth.com.

ON BEHALF OF COUNCIL

“dr. Roger S. McIntyre
dr. Roger S. McIntyre

CEO

The CSE has not reviewed and accepts no responsibility for the accuracy or adequacy of this release.

Forward-looking information Disclaimer
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws. All statements that are not historical facts, future estimates, plans, programs, forecasts, projections, goals, assumptions, expectations or beliefs regarding future performance are “forward-looking statements”.

Forward-looking statements include statements about the expected promise of ketamine-based treatments for depression and the potential of ketamine to treat other emerging psychiatric disorders, such as bipolar depression. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results, events or developments to be materially different from any future results, events or developments expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, among others, the inability of ketamine, psilocybin, and other psychedelics to provide expected health benefits and unanticipated side effects, dependence on obtaining and maintaining regulatory approvals , including acquiring and renewing federal, state, municipal, local or other licenses and engaging in activities that may subsequently be deemed illegal under national or international law. Ketamine and psilocybin are currently Schedule I and Schedule III controlled substances, respectively, under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, SC 1996, c. 19 (the “CDSA”) and possession of such substances under the CDSA without a prescription or legal exemption is a criminal offence. Health Canada has not approved psilocybin as a drug for any indication, but ketamine is a legally authorized drug for the treatment of certain psychological conditions. It is illegal to possess such substances in Canada without prescription. These factors should be carefully considered and readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements.

Although the Company has attempted to identify important risk factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements, there may be other risk factors that cause the actions, events or results differ from those anticipated, estimated or expected. Additional information identifying risks and uncertainties that could affect financial results is contained in the Company’s filings with Canadian securities regulators, including the amended and restated registration statement dated April 15, 2021, which are available at www.sedar.com. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements.

SOURCE Braxia Scientific Corp.

What are the ways to increase your immunity during the winter season?

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Winter preparations have already begun and as you begin to dust off our jackets that have been sitting piled up in storage throughout the summer, there are several things to do to protect our bodies. One of them increases our immune system. Winter usually means spending more time indoors and a time when germs easily cause infections to our body. It can make us sick more frequently. Fortunately, there are several ways to prevent illness and stay healthy throughout the year. Here are some of the ways to prevent your illness rather than staying home with a sick body:

Sleep well: Establish an appropriate sleep schedule, so you don’t get sick and impact your daily routine. Sleeping six to eight hours is crucial for your health and productivity.
Eat nutritious foods: Focus on a healthy balanced diet, add all food components to your meals, including nuts, seeds, vegetables, fruits, and sprouts. Eat clean and hygienic products. The nutritional content of these foods will help boost your immunity.
Exercise regularly: Exercise is a good way to boost immunity because it helps your body produce hormones that boost immunity. When you exercise, your body begins to sweat. This helps you get rid of toxins that may be in your system. Plus, exercise helps improve your overall health, making it easy for your body to fight off germs. Be sure to get at least 30 minutes of exercise a day.
Avoid stress: Perhaps one of the most difficult things to do is to reduce your daily stress level. When your body is stressed for a long time, it goes into survival mode. This suppresses your immune system, making it very difficult to fight infections.
Get your flu and other vaccines: Staying immunized with vaccines is essential during the winter months. New viruses and strains of influenza put us at risk of infection during the winter months. By getting vaccinated, you are not only protecting yourself, but you are also protecting other people who are prone to infection.

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Why the homes of the future should be IoT-ready

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From smart appliances with hundreds of features to smart kitchen appliances that automatically cook delicious meals, advancements in technology have put home control at your fingertips.

In less than a century, technology has taken us from an uneven power supply to almost universally grid-connected Australian homes; from washing machines where you’ve squeezed water from your clothes with a hand-turned mangle, to smart machines that turn on automatically when electricity prices are low and energy supplies are plentiful. Indoor air conditioning has met climate change and energy transition, and the result at the height of summer isn’t always pretty. But again, the technology has been refined, to now optimize our use of labour-saving, comfort and safety devices to reduce energy consumption.

We can have it all with new smart home management systems like [email protected]which can be corded, cordless or in a hybrid combination to suit both new construction and delight renovators.

Whatever the architecture of your home, you can wake up when the electric blinds rise to let the light in, with the smell of freshly brewed coffee automatically and the mellow tones of your favorite music, or the morning news no. so sweet but informative.

[email protected] Geofencing, which uses global positioning systems (GPS) to register when you’re on your way home, can turn on the heat or air conditioning, illuminate your driveway with a welcoming light, and open your gate as you approach. It works the other way, too: by recognizing when you’ve left the house, it can be programmed to automatically turn off the lights and set your heating or cooling system to an optimal maintenance temperature that will save you even more energy. money when it needs to ramp up. comfortable levels for humans at home.

Return on investment

As luxurious as it may sound, a smart home is no longer a luxury. The cost of installing fully integrated systems that can be controlled via smartphone, tablet or voice technology has dropped significantly in recent years as sensors and software are more widely applied. ABB’s use of common, brand-independent electronic systems and protocols also means more third-party applications, and a wide range of devices can be easily integrated by installers.

Energy saving is also not a favored pursuit. Any home budget can benefit from technology that turns off lights and appliances when you leave the house, and plugs the washing machine, pool filter and dishwasher into cheaper, off-peak energy. Plus, research has shown that the average household can save 6% on heating if the thermostat-controlled temperature is set just one degree lower.

In fact, your personal Internet of Things (IoT) can quickly pay for itself in savings and help reduce your household’s carbon footprint.

Carbon reductions

Last year, the ABC reported that Australian households are responsible for around 20% of our country’s emissions. The average household generates between 15 and 20 tonnes of CO2 per year – among the highest in the world – and Greenwire Consulting estimates that electrical appliances such as air conditioners, lighting, refrigerators, ovens, washing machines, vacuum cleaners, dishwashers, etc. are responsible for around 45% of this production – unless you are running your entire home on solar power.

Although we can manually improve our energy efficiency at home – turning off appliances when not in use, turning the air conditioning on a little more or less depending on the season, closing the doors to unused areas when heating or air conditioning, scheduling certain machines to do their job at noon – in this case, a smart home solution has become the ultimate labor-saving device.

[email protected] can orchestrate multiple functions and machines, including the soon-to-be-ubiquitous electric vehicle charger and rooftop solar power for optimal electricity usage and savings.

Master plan for a sustainable home

[email protected] showed its strengths in South Australia’s first energy-efficient 10-star rated home (most Australian homes are rated 6 stars), designed by consultancy SUHO for maximum sustainability. The 10-star SUHO house uses [email protected] to automate many of its key features – such as optimal temperature control ventilation and the ABB TerraAC wallbox EV charger – which make it both comfortable and energy efficient, and also to provide information to occupants about their consumption of energy.

The building design is expected to provide the blueprint for future energy efficient housing in Australia.

Safe and ready for the future

Safety is an essential part of a comfortable home life, and [email protected] can integrate the functionalities of ABB-Welcome, a door communication system that allows total control of entrances (gates, doors, garage doors and lift) from inside the house and remotely. Enhancing security and comfort, ABB-Welcome coordinates audio and camera technology, as well as locking and opening of entrances via an interior control panel, tablet or smartphone.

Both [email protected] and ABB-Welcome have been designed so that the functions can be integrated and used individually or in tandem with others. Opening an exterior gate, for example, can be linked to illuminating the path to your door. Turning on a home entertainment system may be accompanied by dimming the lights.

This year, ABB partnered with Samsung Electronics to bring more comprehensive energy saving and power management technologies to market. We are developing a combined platform for innovation that combines smart technology, smart control and smart devices. [email protected] already enables control of 65 functions via the control panel, smart device or voice technologies such as Amazon Alexa or Google Assistants, and we are constantly expanding the range of third-party devices that integrate with the system.

Homeowners can start small in their connected personal IoT and add functionality as their family grows or as EVs and battery energy storage options become more affordable. A smart home system will allow you to balance comfort and the emerging shiny technologies of modern life with energy saving.

Find out how ABB is helping to electrify Australian homes.

Written by Sunil Abraham – Technical Promotion and Design Manager for Building and Infrastructure, ABB Electrification Division

PharmaLinea Launches Advanced Whole-Body Menopause Supplement

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Research shows that the new product, named ‘Your Meno Ease’ can reduce pain intensity by 27% compared to a placebo,”a fact rarely seen in menopause supplements​,” according to Maja Orešnik, Director of Science and Research, as well as supporting various bodily systems commonly affected by declining estrogen.

Orešnik says the supplement – which contains soy isoflavones (Qsoy), resveratrol (Qratrol) and vitamin B6 – is clinically proven to have an effect on phytoestrogen activity, improve cerebral blood flow and vasodilation, improve cognitive performance and insulin sensitivity, slow loss of bone mineral density, and reduce chronic pain.

She adds that although hormone replacement therapy is the “gold standardto treat severe symptoms, “women are often hesitant to take advantage of HRT and we see this as a more moderate approach that is safe to treat these symptoms”​.

Targeted formula

Your Meno Ease is developed using a sustainable fermentation process with two branded ingredients – Qsoy (40mg) and Qratrol (75mg) – plus Vitamin B6 (1.6mg).

The formula is a highly standardized natural source of soy isoflavones and resveratrol, designed to support peri- and post-menopausal women through this “transition periodsays Orešnik.

Soy isoflavones (Qsoy) and resveratrol (Qratrol) are phytoestrogens that support natural estrogen production in the body, while vitamin B6 is important for the nervous system.

Isoflavones are recognized by the European Food Standards Agency (EFSA) and healthcare professionals as an effective treatment for menopausal symptoms, while resveratrol is a well-known natural polyphenolic compound.

“[Resveratrol] is primarily known for its antioxidant function, cellular energy, and positioning in healthy aging. In our case, there is a high content of the ingredient resveratrol (pure above 98%)” says Oresnik.

Additional action

On the other hand, soy isoflavones reduce the severity and frequency of hot flashes and also improve cognitive functions.

“In one study, soy isoflavones reduced the frequency of hot flashes compared to placebo over a long period of time.she says.

In addition, they promote anti-inflammatory activity, protect the cardiovascular system and reduce urinary dysfunctions.

The therapeutic action is further complemented by vitamin B6, which helps regulate hormonal activity and participates in the synthesis of melatonin.

Orešnik comments:Biologically speaking, it is a co-factor in over 140 biochemical reactions, but more specifically it is necessary for the synthesis of neurotransmitters which are crucial in maintaining levels of anxiety, mood and stress, which can be increased during the menopausal transition period.

The formula is also gentle on the body, although women should consult a doctor when taking strong medications, she adds.

Category performance

Women’s health has been the second fastest growing supplement category over the past decade, says marketing and public relations manager Matevž Ambrožič. Although there was a slight slowdown during the pandemic, the category rebounded and recorded annual growth of 13% in 2021 and 6% last year.

Thirty-three percent of perimenopausal women take supplements to treat women’s health issues versus 24% Rx medications. This suggests a trend towards supplements and preventative solutions,” Ambrožic said.

The increase in demand is driving organic growth within the category’s offering, such as product platforms and adjacent resources, but also a new “second generation​” of advanced products.

Ambrožič says there is “some recurring faults“in the supplement market, which is dominated by basic vitamins and minerals without”specific targetingand products that focus primarily on relieving primary symptoms, such as menopausal hot flashes, without considering the broader implications.

Additionally, next-generation products target additional physiological systems and have “specific positions“.

He comments: “Your Meno Ease capsules are a good representative of this new wave of advanced products.It features a narrow selection of a few brand name ingredients instead of a long list of ingredients that together cover a wide range of health benefits.

Not only that, but the “classic formula​” capitalizes on proven ingredients (so no need to re-educate consumers on a new ingredient) with supporting clinical data on benefits for the treatment of postmenopausal women.

“It’s classic in the sense that it targets the relief of core menopausal symptoms, such as hot flashes, but advanced in the sense that it provides additional options, additional health benefits for broader positioning “.

Best Cloud Computing Stock: IBM vs. Alphabet

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As tech stocks got hammered in 2022, the cloud computing industry spun at an impressive rate of growth. According to the research firm Gartnerthe public cloud industry alone is expected to grow 20% this year.

That’s nearly half a trillion dollars in 2022. Just a decade ago, global public cloud computing revenues were just $26.4 billion.

Given the rapid expansion of the cloud industry, there is no shortage of competitors. Among the biggest players are the tech giants IBM (IBM 2.77%) and Google Cloud, owned by Alphabet (GOOGL 4.41%) (GOOG 4.30%).

Both are experiencing strong growth in their respective cloud businesses. But if you had to choose between the two, which company offers the better investment opportunity? Let’s dig into each to come up with an answer.

IBM’s cloud strategy

IBM has spent the past few years reinventing itself as a cloud-first hybrid company. In a hybrid cloud implementation, a business uses both public and private clouds, using the former to perform basic IT infrastructure tasks, such as hosting a corporate website, and the second to secure confidential or critical data, including financial and customer records.

IBM was smart to focus on this area. The hybrid cloud market is expected to grow from $85.3 billion last year to $262.4 billion by 2027.

Additionally, IBM’s impressive list of enterprise customers is a perfect fit for hybrid cloud solutions. Big Blue’s customers include the world’s ten largest banks, governments and healthcare companies. These industries need the security of a private cloud while taking advantage of the cost savings of a public cloud.

from IBM hybrid cloud strategy turned out to be a success. In its third-quarter earnings report, IBM generated revenue of $14.1 billion, a 6% increase from 2021. This is the third consecutive quarter of year-over-year revenue growth. on the other despite macroeconomic headwinds, such as a strong US dollar.

Big Blue also offers an attractive dividend, yielding around 4.8% at the time of this writing. The company can maintain this robust dividend thanks to its free movement of capital (FCF). IBM expects to reach $10 billion in FCF this year, while dividend payments totaled about $6 billion over the past 12 months.

IBM has a strong dividend history, paying consecutive quarterly dividends since 1916. It also increased its dividend in April, marking 27 consecutive years of dividend increases.

Alphabet’s Google Cloud approach

Alphabet is growing its Google Cloud business the same way it drove the success of its popular search engine Google: by prioritizing customer acquisition and revenue growth over profitability.

That’s why Google Cloud is currently unprofitable, coming out of the third quarter with an operating loss of $699 million. But his business is growing rapidly. In just three quarters this year, Google Cloud sales nearly matched all of 2021’s revenue, continuing a multi-year streak of rising revenue.

Period of time Google Cloud revenue Annual growth
Q1 to Q3, 2022 $19 billion 39%
2021 $19.2 billion 47%
2020 $13.1 billion 46%
2019 $8.9 billion 53%

Data source: Alphabet. YOY = year after year.

Google Cloud only accounted for about 10% of Alphabet’s third-quarter revenue, but it’s already ranked third among cloud computing companies behind industry leaders. Amazon and Microsoft. And Alphabet continues to invest aggressively in Google Cloud despite the shutdown of other bets such as its Stadia video game division.

For example, Alphabet acquired cybersecurity firm Mandiant in September for $5.4 billion, marking one of the company’s largest acquisitions in its history. Mandiant will strengthen Google Cloud security in a world where remote workers have grown from 23% of the US workforce before the coronavirus pandemic to nearly 60% in 2022.

Is IBM or Alphabet the best investment?

IBM and Alphabet have both been successful in their cloud computing endeavors, so investing in either is well worth it. After all, the cloud computing industry is expected to grow from $706.6 billion last year to $1.3 trillion by 2025.

But if I had to choose one of these cloud computing companies to invest in, I would lean towards Alphabet despite IBM’s success and attractive dividend.

Google Cloud’s revenue already exceeds Big Blue. IBM’s hybrid cloud revenue over the past 12 months totaled $22.2 billion. Google Cloud’s revenue was $24.5 billion over the same period.

Admittedly, Google Cloud’s success may be overshadowed by Alphabet’s digital advertising business, which accounted for $54.5 billion of its $69.1 billion in third-quarter revenue. And the ad industry is experiencing a downturn this year, leading Alphabet’s third-quarter ad revenue to increase just 2.5% year-over-year.

But Alphabet’s advertising business helps fund Google Cloud. Alphabet has generated $63 billion in FCF over the past 12 months, while IBM expects to reach a cumulative total of $35 billion in FCF over three years, from 2022 to 2024.

Additionally, Alphabet has several factors, as well as Google Cloud, which make the company an attractive investment, including its dominance in search advertising. Alphabet grew revenue 41% year-over-year in 2021, and revenue continues to grow this year, reaching $206.8 billion over three quarters, up from $182.3 billion last year .

Google Cloud’s strong growth, Alphabet’s high FCF and other company strengths provide compelling reasons to make Alphabet the best choice for investment in the booming cloud computing industry.

Suzanne Frey, an executive at Alphabet, is a board member of The Motley Fool. John Mackey, CEO of Whole Foods Market, an Amazon subsidiary, is a board member of The Motley Fool. Robert Izquierdo has positions in Alphabet (A shares), Amazon, IBM and Microsoft. The Motley Fool owns and recommends Alphabet (A shares), Alphabet (C shares), Amazon and Microsoft. The Motley Fool recommends Gartner. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

How Utilities Can Solve the “Uptime” Rate Deployment Puzzle in Just Three Steps

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In a constantly wired world, people depend more than ever on always-on, uninterrupted electricity. While the electricity industry has invested heavily to meet customer demand on the grid, utilities are increasingly looking to their customers to provide reliable and cost-effective grid services with distributed energy resources ( DER) on-site such as energy storage and demand response. Utilities can leverage three levers to increase customer adoption and use of DERs: programs, procurement, and pricing.

Programs may offer customer rebates for installing appliances, such as smart thermostats, and incentives for utilities to control appliance operation during peak demand periods. Supply allows utilities to outsource load flexibility to third-party aggregators to meet flexible demand on a pay-for-performance basis. Pricing sends price signals that encourage customers to shift load off peak times. Utilities should leverage the three “Ps” to achieve the load flexibility needed to help decarbonize the power grid.

1. Giving customers tips like programming thermostats and only running the dishwasher at night when it’s completely full can help energy consumers feel better about themselves. their TOU rate. Courtesy: Uplight

The third “P” – pricing – has been around for decades in the form of time-of-use (TOU) rates and other rates that vary over time. In response to current and expected future strains on the grid, and in order to reduce energy demand variability without bringing new power plants online, many utilities are attempting to shift demand to better match supply. One way to do this is to switch customers to TOU rate plans. TOU tariffs charge different amounts during peak hours compared to off-peak hours and encourage consumers to vary their energy consumption hours (Figure 1) to take advantage of lower prices. However, the design of pricing programs has been subject to intense academic and regulatory scrutiny and, despite utility pricing experience, residential customer awareness of TOU tariffs still remains low, while the Adoption of TOU tariffs is even lower.

Depending on the program, customers who opt for a TOU plan save between 5% and 15% on their electricity bill. Recent data shows that residential electricity rates were 15.8% higher in August 2022 than the previous year, with even higher inflation rates in New England (19.5%) and the South (18.4%). Saving money has huge potential to entice customers to sign up for TOU plans and offset much of those increases, but customers who have opted into TOU tariffs or who have defaulted on TOU tariffs don’t always understand the rate or feel motivated to move the load in response to TOU price signals. Utilities can design the perfect TOU tariff, but if customers don’t understand the tariff, don’t see the value of participating in the tariff, or don’t respond to TOU price signals, the TOU program will not succeed.

To create a successful TOU program, utilities must overcome the customer engagement gap by: building customer awareness of TOU with personalized information, instilling confidence that customers can save on a new tariff, and continuing client engagement after adopting TOUs to help clients adopt energy-changing behaviors. Gaps in customer engagement limit the success of TOU tariff deployments, create dissatisfied customers, and do not solve the overloaded network problem. By following these three steps, utilities can solve the TOU deployment puzzle while maintaining a happy customer base.

Build TOU Awareness with Personalized Information

Utilities need to go beyond generic content to fuel education on TOU tariffs. Illustrations showing peak and off-peak periods and the associated TOU price ranges are important to help customers understand how TOU tariffs work, but they convey little about the impact of TOU tariffs on the utility’s electricity bill. a customer. An example of the personalized information that utilities can offer is pro forma billing (Figure 2). Pro forma billing is a technique where actual household consumption is used to create personalized bill comparisons from available tariff options. Under this billing method, customers receive a two-part utility bill: one part of the bill showing what they currently owe and a second part for informational purposes only, showing what the customer would have paid for the same electricity consumption under a different tariff structure, such as a TOU tariff or a critical peak tariff. This allows them to assess whether a TOU tariff, and the changes in electricity consumption involved, are worth the savings.

2. Pro forma billing that shows personalized potential savings on various TOU rate options is one of the most effective ways to educate energy customers and instill confidence in switching to a different rate plan. Courtesy: Uplight

Regardless of the method, such as digital communications, a web-based customer portal, or paper-based billing, proactive communications should focus on educating customers on how TOU rates can save them money by comparing the TOU tariffs directly with their current tariff. By customizing each individual’s scope and bill, customers can see the difference on their own bill and be more likely to choose the best TOU rate plan for their own household.

Inspire confidence that customers can save on a new rate

To reduce churn and keep customers happy, utilities need to involve them at every stage of their rate transition journey. This, along with proactive communications, can inspire confidence that customers will save by switching to a new rate. Utilities should offer web-based tools that allow customers to compare their projected bills under different tariff packages, as well as “what-if” modifiers that simulate the additional savings and bill control achievable by taking load shifting actions simple and adapted to the customer, such as the installation of a smart thermostat or by postponing the use of large household appliances until off-peak periods. Not all customers will automatically save money by switching to TOU tariffs, but with a little practice and adopting simple load-shifting behaviors, customers can unlock significant savings and control over their bills.

Giving customers the tips they need to successfully save money during the day, such as unplugging chargers when not in use, programming thermostats, and only running the dishwasher at night when it’s is completely full, can help energy consumers feel better about their TOU tariff. Utilities should ensure customers take advantage of energy and budget management tools, like high usage alerts, which can help them avoid the surprise of a higher-than-expected energy bill . Messaging to help with this can include impending high usage alerts designed to drive immediate behavior changes, communication ahead of the peak usage season to prepare the customer for a higher than normal bill, and offer homeowners pumps a discount toward a variable speed pool pump. Regardless of the topic, the optimal frequency and content of communication should be personalized for the customer based on their individual preferences, account history and impact on their bill.

Continue customer engagement after the Terms of Use are adopted to help customers adopt energy behaviors

customer engagement doesn’t have to stop after registration; Utilities should ensure that customers are informed of changes at all times. While welcome emails are important for directing customers to their new TOU rate, providing guidance for behavioral charge shifting, and connecting customers to deals for devices that help automate charge shifting, such as smart thermostats or EV chargers, periodic emails should be sent to all customers. in order to provide continuous information. Periodic rate coach emails provide mid-bill and end-of-period information on peak-hour usage trends that may result in changes to customer bills. These rate coach emails are instrumental in customer engagement and ensure customers continue to adopt energy-saving practices. Additionally, end-use disaggregation information can show which devices are used the most during peak periods and can highlight opportunities for bill savings through targeted load shifting. Digital communications about next best recommendations that promote device deals and enabling programs can help customers deepen their savings while maintaining household comfort and bill control.

Utility providers need to stay connected with their customers through ongoing, personalized communication that allows them to make informed choices that are better for their bill and the system. With an effective plan, utility providers can make recommendations and savings estimates based on actual consumption data, allowing customers to learn more and visualize the impacts on their bill if they consume electricity. energy during off-peak hours within the framework of the available tariff plans. A tailored and carefully crafted customer engagement strategy can help utilities overcome persistent barriers to TOU tariff adoption and unlock the key to pricing as a tool to drive smart DER proliferation.

Alex Lopez is Senior Product Marketing Manager at Uplight.

Hurt by mRNA injection? A doctor offers a way to help

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The mainstream media continues to reject or refuse to acknowledge the unprecedented number of people who have been injured by injections of COVID-19. Despite what is beginning to look like willful blindness, there is no doubt that these injections cause harm to some people.

According to peer-reviewed scientific literature, COVID-19 injections have a myriad of serious side effects, some of which are fatal. Recent research has shown a high risk of sometimes very serious illnesses heart problems, neurological disorders, Facial paralysisand even psychosis. In a peer review study published in AugustItalian microscopists found that 94% of vaccinated people who were seen for a health problem had abnormal blood.

Injury by injected mRNA

What is the mechanism or mechanisms by which people are injured by injected mRNA? While doctors and scientific researchers have come up with several theories, the most scientific answer to this question is that no one really knows for sure. However, much of the research suggests that it is the spike protein itself that is dangerous to the body, whether that protein comes from the original virus, a mutated form of the virus, or mRNA injections. themselves.

For example, a team of researchers, led by MIT senior scientist Stephanie Seneff (with whom Jennifer has co-authored two articles for the Epoch Times), proposed in a June 2022 peer-reviewed article published in the journal Food Chemistry Toxicology, that “the vaccine’s numerous mRNA alterations hide mRNA from cellular defenses and promote longer biological half-life and high peak protein production.” In doing so, according to these scientists, mRNA vaccines alter the body’s natural immune response.

This “profound alteration” in immune function occurs because the vaccines interfere with type 1 interferon signaling, the researchers say.

Type 1 interferons are cytokine proteins that are messengers in the body that can signal the body to mount an antiviral response. Impairment of type 1 interferon signaling “has a variety of adverse human health consequences,” the scientists explained, including disruption of protein synthesis and cancer surveillance.

In other words, their theory posits that the vaccine-derived mRNA makes the body less able to recognize other diseases, including cancer.

“We expect to see a big increase in cancers over the next five years, that’s the prediction,” said Texas-based cardiologist and immunologist Peter McCullough, who also believes the unprecedented rise in sudden deaths in young athletes and others young people can be largely related to heart problems caused by vaccines. But, McCullough added, he wishes that prediction was wrong.

What are these mRNA injections, anyway?

Are mRNA injections really vaccines? When public health authorities realized that these injections did not stop the spread of SARS-CoV-2, which one would expect from a typical vaccine, they changed the definition of vaccines.

At the same time, many medical professionals, including Dr. Henry Ealy, a naturopath based in Phoenix, Arizona, argue that the injected mRNA is not a vaccine but a gene therapy.

On the CDC website it is stated that mRNA vaccines do not alter human DNA. In a article updated in July 2022“Myths and Facts About COVID-19 Vaccines”, the CDC busts the “myth” that COVID-19 vaccines alter human DNA.

According to the CDC: “The two messenger RNAs (mRNA) and viral vector COVID-19 vaccines work by providing instructions (genetic material) for our cells to start building protection against the virus that causes COVID-19.

“Once the body mounts an immune response, it eliminates all of the vaccine ingredients, just as it would eliminate any information the cells no longer need. This process is part of the normal functioning of the body.

“The genetic material delivered by mRNA vaccines never enters the nucleus of your cells, where your DNA is stored. COVID-19 viral vector vaccines deliver genetic material to the cell nucleus to allow our cells to protect themselves against COVID-19. However, the vector virus does not have the necessary machinery to integrate its genetic material into our DNA, so it cannot alter our DNA.

In a speech he gave in Sedona, Arizona (where Jennifer Margulis was also a featured speaker), Ealy pointed to several recent research papers that shed light on how mRNA injections work inside a human.

As Ealy pointed out, the CDC’s claim that mRNA injections do not alter human DNA was recently proven to be scientifically false.

Apparently, when the CDC scientists updated their “facts” page, they were unaware of the February 2022 study published in the journal Current Issues in Molecular Biology by Swedish researchers from Lund University. This in vitro study (meaning it was done in the lab – in glass – not in an animal or human) found that the mRNA from the BNT162b2 injection was indeed taken up into the cell line of human liver Huh7. Inside cells, mRNA can then be transcribed back into DNA.

The researchers said:Our study shows that BNT162b2 can be reverse-transcribed into DNA in the liver cell line Huh7, which may raise concerns whether DNA derived from BNT162b2 can be integrated into the host genome and affect DNA integrity. genomics, which can potentially be a genotoxic mediator. Side effects. At this stage, we do not know if the DNA reverse transcribed from BNT162b2 is integrated into the cellular genome. Further studies are needed to demonstrate the effect of BNT162b2 on genomic integrity, including whole genome sequencing of cells exposed to BNT162b2, as well as tissues from human subjects who received the BNT162b2 vaccine.

At a time, a study published in April 2021 showed that SARS-CoV-2 RNAs (from SARS-CoV-2 infection, not vaccines) can be reverse-transcribed and integrated into the genome of human cells.

Despite their call for more science to investigate the effect, if any, of reverse transcription from mRNA to DNA on the human genome, the Swedish authors’ findings clearly show that reverse transcription to DNA occurs in the lineage. liver cells in the laboratory: “Our study is the first in vitro study on the effect of the COVID-19 BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine on the human liver cell line. We present evidence for the rapid entry of BNT162b2 into cells and the subsequent intracellular reverse transcription of BNT162b2 mRNA into DNA,” they wrote.

Are vaccine components biopersistent?

Furthermore, the CDC’s assertion is that “once the body mounts an immune response, it eliminates all of the vaccine ingredients just as it would eliminate any information the cells no longer need. This process is part of the normal functioning of the body” is also false.

Several studies have shown that the vaccine components are bio-persistent and last in the human body for weeks or even months after vaccination. Such peer-reviewed study, published in the journal Biomedicines by a team of Romanian scientists in July 2022, uses qPCR to track mRNA circulating in the blood at different times after BNT162b2 injections. The scientists found that the synthetic mRNA associated with the vaccine lasted for at least two weeks in the blood of a cohort of healthy subjects.

Last month, scientists at New York University’s Long Island School of Medicine published research which detected COVID-19 mRNA vaccines in human breast milk up to 45 hours after injection, as we explained in This article.

A new way to heal injection injuries

As part of his practice, Ealy began working with people who experienced devastating health effects from mRNA injections, as well as families whose children were seriously injured by vaccines.

In his speech, he explained that he and his patients learn as they go. No doctor has all the answers, but Ealy is working hard to find ways to help vaccine-injured patients.

“We don’t know, that’s one of the most important things for a doctor to say,” Ealy said. “I don’t know but I know I want to help.”

Ealy said he and his team of experts found an approach based on autophagocytosis, to help the body heal from injection injuries. “Your cells are designed to heal,” Ealy said. “But you have to put them in the optimal position to do that.”

Its protocol, individualized for each patient, includes fasting (when not medically contraindicated) to induce autophagocytosis; nutrient-rich supplementation, to help heal at the cellular level, especially the mitochondria, the organelles inside the cell that are responsible for energy production; and detoxification to reduce the body burden of toxic substances.

One of Ealy’s patients, who gave her permission to share her videotaped storydiscovered that his health “started to go haywire” after receiving a second injection of Moderna.

Her legs, arm and wrists started hurting. Along with joint pain and muscle fatigue, she experienced heart palpitations and blood tests revealed that her hormone levels were dangerously abnormal. However, her condition improved significantly after following Ealy’s healing protocol.

“Every time I did the three-day water fast, I always felt so good,” said patient Leanna. After about three cycles of fasting, followed by eleven days of nutritional healing, she felt she had regained her health.

As Ealy explained in his talk, healing from vaccine-induced adverse health effects involves optimal nutrition and supplementation, detoxification, and supporting the body’s natural healing process at the cellular level, all of which are connected. .

But, Ealy said, although he has trained thousands of health care providers over the years and treated thousands of patients, he has cured only one person: himself.

“I’m responsible for me, you’re responsible for you,” he said, later adding, “We like people to be involved in their own healing.”

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Jennifer Margulis, Ph.D., is an award-winning journalist and author of “Your Baby, Your Way: Taking Charge of Your Pregnancy, Childbirth, and Parenting Decisions for a Happier, Healthier Family.” A Fulbright scholar and mother of four, she has worked on a child survival campaign in West Africa, advocated for an end to child slavery in Pakistan on hourly television prime time audience in France and taught postcolonial literature to non-traditional students in the interior. -city of Atlanta. Learn more about her at JenniferMargulis.net
Joe Wang

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Joe Wang, Ph.D., was a molecular biologist with over 10 years of experience in the vaccine industry. He is now president of New Tang Dynasty TV (Canada) and a columnist for the Epoch Times.

In search of sea urchins for stronger ceramic foams

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Ling Li

, an assistant professor in the mechanical engineering department at Virginia Tech, has unraveled a mystery in the porous microstructures of sea urchin exoskeletons that could lead to the creation of lightweight synthetic ceramics. His findings were published in Nature Communications on October 14.

Watch the video: https://video.vt.edu/id/1_x9ca7e8a

Ceramic is highly heat resistant, making it a preferred choice for handling the brutal thermal demands of high-speed vehicles that travel faster than the speed of sound. At these breakneck speeds, the compressed air creates significant friction against the vehicle, resulting in a rapid increase in the heat it encounters.

Heat resistance may be ceramic’s strength, but damage tolerance is a weakness. A single point impact in a ceramic plate can lead to a rapid crack propagation that causes total structural failure. Ceramic becomes even less tolerant of damage when made porous to reduce its weight; however, weight reduction is a critical requirement for many structural applications, including high-speed vehicles.

The US Air Force, one of the sponsors of Li’s research, has long been interested in improving the mechanical performance of ceramic materials. In addition to receiving financial support from the Air Force’s Office of Scientific Research, Li’s team also secured funding from the National Science Foundation.

These combined funds, received by the lab in 2018, allowed researchers to explore new design principles embedded in natural ceramic cellular solids formed by organisms such as sea urchins. A sea urchin’s exoskeleton is a type of cellular solid, or “foam,” so called because its microstructure is an assembly of open cells with solid edges or faces, packed together to fill space. The spaces between the cells make them porous, creating a material that can be more mechanically efficient than dense structures.

How to handle damage like a sea urchin

“In this work, we believe we have found some of the key strategies that allow the sea urchin to be strong and resilient while providing weight reduction through its porous microstructure,” Li said. “This Nature Communications article reports the results we found on what’s hidden inside.”

Sea urchin spines are stiff, strong and light. These spines are made of a fragile mineral called calcium carbonate, which is similar to synthetic ceramic, but the sea urchin has a much higher tolerance for damage when given weight or force. Li’s team tested this principle by mechanically pressing down on the spines, simulating the same type of condition an engineered ceramic might need to withstand. Sea urchin spines deformed gracefully under the force applied to them, unlike the catastrophic failure of today’s synthetic ceramic cellular solids. This “graceful failure” behavior allows sea urchin spines to resist damage with significant energy absorption capacity.

During this research, Li’s team discovered some secrets that give the sea urchin its ability to hold together under mechanical loading.

Secrets of the Deep

“There are some secrets in the structural characteristics of sea urchin spines. One is related to branch connection,” Li said. “The second is pore size.”

Under the microscope, Li’s team observed an architecture of interconnected short branches. A network of nodes holds these branches together, and one of the secrets of the sea urchin’s damage tolerance is the balance between the number of nodes and branches. This number is precisely critical because nodes with too many connected branches will make the structure more fragile and breakable. The nodes of the porous structure of sea urchin spines are connected with an average of three branches, which means that the network of branches will experience a bending-induced fracture instead of a more catastrophic stretch-induced fracture.

The second secret lies in the size of the spaces, or pores, between the branches. The team found that the gaps in the porous structure of sea urchin spines are just slightly smaller than the size of the branches. This means that once the branches are broken, they can be locked in place immediately through these smaller openings. The broken branches pile on top of each other over the pores, creating a dense region that is still able to support the load.

Sea urchins also have a different surface morphology than synthetic ceramics. Manufactured cellular ceramics have many microscopic defects on their surfaces and inside, making these materials more susceptible to failure. This is not the case with the backbone of the sea urchin, which has an almost glassy surface, smooth down to the nanometer scale. Faults are points at which damage can begin, and a lack of faults means a lack of failure-prone locations.

Li demonstrated this idea with a piece of paper. “When you try to tear an undamaged piece of paper, the paper resists tearing. If you make a small tear in the side of the paper, however, the tear will continue from that damaged point.

With limbs, pores, and a smooth surface in play, lightweight sea urchin spines achieve high strength and damage tolerance by evenly distributing stress throughout the structure and absorbing energy more efficiently.

Making the next generation of ceramics

Having this knowledge, can we recreate the smoothness, flawlessness, and specific branch and node structures needed to capitalize on the secrets of the sea urchin? At present, we cannot, because the current methods of processing ceramics are not quite there.

Synthetically made ceramics are usually formed in a two-step process. The first step is to create the shape, and the second is to fire the piece so that the ceramic hardens, giving it the strength it is known for. Potters follow this method when they create a pot and heat it in a kiln. Similar processes are also used for 3D printed ceramics, where the 3D printing step forms the shape and then subsequent firing is required to produce the final ceramic parts.

This firing, or sintering, step is the most problematic for recreating the sea urchin’s microstructure because the sintering process leads to the formation of microscopic defects, which makes the strength low.

“In my lab, we are also interested in how organisms such as sea urchins form these natural ceramic cellular solids,” Li said. materials to bio-inspired lightweight ceramic materials, but also material processing strategies learned from natural systems.”

/Public release. This material from the original organization/authors may be ad hoc in nature, edited for clarity, style and length. The views and opinions expressed are those of the author or authors.View Full here.

AI Drug Discovery Company Elix Begins Joint Research With Proprietary Screening Technology Holder SEEDSUPPLY

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TOKYO–()–Elix, Inc. (CEO: Shinya Yuki / HQ: Tokyo, hereinafter “Elix”) and SEEDSUPPLY Inc. (CEO: Naoki Tarui / HQ: Kanagawa, hereinafter “SEEDSUPPLY”) hereby announce the start of joint research.

SEED SUPPLY (https://www.seedsupply.co.jp/) offers an agile drug discovery process for small molecules that uses binder selection technology as a proprietary method of compound screening. This technology can perform compound screening of any protein or RNA, thereby providing drug discovery seeds for various drug discovery targets, including those for which measuring biochemical activity is difficult. Additionally, a database of binding compounds built for specific drug discovery target classes will be used for target selection, thereby improving the efficiency and success rate of drug discovery processes. Furthermore, the database has the potential for wider application.

Elix (https://www.elix-inc.com/) is an AI-based drug discovery company with a mission to “Rethink Drug Discovery”. To reduce costs and time while increasing the success rate of the drug discovery pipeline, Elix is ​​focusing on the use of machine learning in projects for pharmaceutical companies, universities and research institutes. Elix has developed and launched “Elix Discovery™”, the all-in-one platform for AI drug discovery, providing everything from models for property prediction and molecular design, to consulting and support for implemented in a single package (https://www.elix-inc.com/news/newsrelease/1620/). In addition to currently providing drug discovery support, Elix is ​​also considering future drug discovery internally.

In this joint research project, SEEDSUPPLY will use Elix’s proprietary artificial intelligence technology with the aim of dramatically increasing the efficiency of breeding processes. Elix will integrate SEEDSUPPLY’s wealth of data, particularly its data on key drug discovery targets such as membrane proteins, into the AI ​​training pipeline, advancing the technology to silicone techniques to screen for compounds with superior properties.

Elix and SEEDSUPPLY aim to use their respective strengths to reduce the cost and time of small molecule drug discovery and target targets that have proven difficult for conventional drug discovery approaches.

  • Comments from Elix CEO Shinya Yuki

    By combining data acquired through SEEDSUPPLY’s proprietary technology and our proprietary AI models, we hope to find even more unique technological developments. We believe this technology will provide great opportunities for screening very difficult targets at low cost in short timeframes, and in efficiently searching for expansive chemical spaces.

  • Comments from SEEDSUPPLY CEO Naoki Tarui

    Our company’s binder compound database is of the highest quality, as all of its content has been measured using the same method. By combining it with Elix’s superior AI technology, we hope to create new developments in AI drug discovery technology.

Federal judge urges Congress and Supreme Court to abolish qualified immunity

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In a remarkable dissent, a Federal Court of Appeals judge called for the abolition of qualified immunity, which he called “an unfounded, court-established doctrine.” Under qualified immunity, police officers and all other government employees cannot be prosecuted for violation of the Constitution unless they violated a person’s “clearly established” rights. This requires finding almost exactly identical cases as previous ones, which in turn creates an incredibly high bar for victims to cross.

“Qualified immunity is the law, and, unless and until the Supreme Court, Congress or both amend this doctrine, I am bound by it,” said Guido Calabresi, senior judge at the Court. Appellate for the United States Second Circuit and former Dean of Yale Law School. Nevertheless, he forcefully argued in an appendix “why the doctrine of qualified immunity – ill-conceived and erroneous – should disappear”.

Qualified immunity advocates often claim it is necessary to protect individual officers from financial ruin. But as Judge Calabresi rightly pointed out, “qualified immunity is largely irrelevant to the individual financial liability of agents” since “indemnification is the general rule and agents rarely pay anything”. The judge cited an extensive investigation by UCLA law professor Joanna Schwartz that found that in 99.59% of civil rights cases, officers did not have to pay a penny in damages .

Given that qualified immunity unfairly denies compensation to victims, Judge Calabresi offered “a long-recognized better solution: to formally make the employer the defendant and the only one who pays”. After all, “the employer is in a better position to prevent future misconduct and errors and to ensure that violations of constitutional rights do not go uncompensated,” he added.

Not only is employer liability “the rule in most other areas of tort law,” but it is also becoming a reality for law enforcement agencies. In a groundbreaking reform based on model legislation from the Institute for Justice, New Mexico banned qualified immunity for state constitutional claims and placed the burden of paying claims squarely on the government employer.

As a result, agencies in the Land of Enchantment are now increasingly under pressure to reduce liability costs, or face extremely high insurance rates. For example, the Washington Post recently reported that New Mexico’s largest risk pool, “which covers a third of the state’s police officers,” has hired a de-escalation instructor “after private insurance rates soared more than 60% “.

The case that sparked Calabresi’s dissent centered on William McKinney, who was beaten and shocked by officers and mauled by a police dog while in a jail cell in Middletown, Connecticut. As Judge Calabresi recounted, “McKinney was locked in a cell alone in department-issued pajamas; there was no risk that McKinney could escape or carry out threats against officers. After being attacked, McKinney suffered a scalp laceration and two large leg wounds that required staples and sutures.

To enforce his rights, McKinney sued the officers who deployed the K-9 unit, arguing that their actions inflicted excessive force in violation of the Fourth Amendment. However, the Second Circuit dismissed the lawsuit, saying McKinney’s rights were not “clearly established” at the time of the attack.

“Although the police may violate a clearly established law in initiate significant force against a suspect who merely resists passively,” the court said, “McKinney has not demonstrated that it is a violation of clearly established law for police to ensure that a violent suspect has been secured before withdrawal the significant force required to subdue the suspect.

In response, Justice Calabresi asserted that the majority distinction “has no place in precedent”. “The discussion should focus on the real issue, on when we want a city or state to pay an injured victim,” Judge Calabresi concluded, “and not on the bogus question of when officers’ liability is appropriate.”

Developing a drug to identify and target tricky cancer cells

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Cancer is a difficult disease to fight. The simplicity and universality of the name belies the extent and diversity of cancers. They attack every inch of the body in a myriad of ways, using a variety of tactics and DNA that they can modify on the fly to evade capture and bypass our body’s defenses.

One thing they have in common, however, is that they all come from within (with the exception of a few contagious cancers like Tasmanian devil‘s facial tumor disease). They are built from your cells. And that’s one of the biggest obstacles to treating cancers with broad-spectrum immunotherapies: it’s really hard for your immune system to tell cancer cells from normal cells.


Read more: Eating ice cream during chemotherapy could help some side effects


The quest for cancer-targeting drug treatments

“People have been looking for what we call cancer-specific antigens for a very long time,” says Kevan Shokat, who directs a cellular and molecular pharmacology lab at the University of California, San Francisco. In theory, these antigens are proteins present on the surface of cancer cells, but not cells in the rest of the body. “And, in essence, there isn’t,” he says.

Since the 1990s, Shokat has been interested in protein kinases, proteins that modify other proteins. They are important targets for cancer treatment because of the role they play in regulating cancer-related cellular functions, such as proliferation, apoptosis and growth. Mutated kinases are often found oncogenemeaning they cause tumors to grow or develop.

Before becoming oncogenes, they are called proto-oncogenes. And one in particular, K-RAS, is thorny. So Shokat—along with fellow UCSF professor Charles Craik, graduate students Ziyang Zhang and Peter Rohweder, and half a dozen other collaborators—set out on an ambitious quest. They aimed to make the mutated K-RAS G12C cell, one of the main drivers of lung and colon cancer, targetable by the immune system.

“It’s this protein that doesn’t have any drug pockets,” Shokat says. In other words, there was no way that a drug detectable by the immune system could bind to it and initiate an immune response. How they overcame the “irreducible nature of K-RAS,” he says, is a bit of an odyssey.

Develop a synthetic drug

The first step was to develop a drug capable of detecting cancer cells. Although these cells are extremely similar to normal cells, at least externally, there is a crucial common difference in K-RAS G12C: the oncogene mutation in the proto-oncogene converts one of amino acids in the cellglycine, to cystine.

“That’s what drives cancer,” says Shokat. So, in the absence of cancer-specific antigens, researchers had to develop a drug that could permeate cancer cells, grab that cystine, and pull it to the surface.

A potential problem was the shape. The human body uses what are called MHC molecules to bind to foreign peptides (two or more amino acids linked in a chain) and mark them for destruction. But the drug that drove the cystine to the surface also changed the overall shape of the peptide, Shokat says, and that raised the question of whether the modified molecule could still attach to MHC molecules.

“Once we showed it worked, we were pretty much up and running,” says Shokat. Their findings were Posted in cancer cell this month of September.

Build a custom antibody

From there, Craik’s team took over; the next step was to develop an antibody that could recognize the drug.

“There’s a whole wonderful system that his lab uses,” says Shokat, “which is kind of like an immune system in a bottle. He’s got all these antibodies from a lot of human donors, and they’re doing some sort of fishing experiment to see which of the antibodies will bind [with the drug].” From there, a synthetic antibody could be mass-produced.

It worked – but there was still another hurdle to clear. The antibodies had a fatal flaw, he says, that they also recognized the drug before it had yet attached itself to the target cells. This means that when the researchers ran tests on the antibody, it couldn’t find the target cells because it had already attached itself to the free drug.

He was back to the drawing board to find a modified version of the antibody that was more inclined to bind to the whole complex: the drug attached to the target cell.

Still in its infancy

Although the results are an exciting step towards treating certain cancers, Shokat notes that there are some limitations to the process. Notably? Much of the work has been done in vitrooutside of a living organism, although animal studies were done early in the research.

“We haven’t demonstrated that we can shrink a tumor in a mouse with this approach,” for example, says Shokat. “Until we do that, there are potentially other hurdles ahead of us.” However, the potential of the approach is exciting for him, especially in the case of a disease as delicate as cancer.

In general, there are two main approaches to treating cancer: targeted treatments that help the immune system fight cancer, such as checkpoint inhibitors that prevent cancer cells from turning off an immune response, and treatments that work at inside cancer cells, such as drugs that inhibit signaling. cancer cells depend on their growth and spread.

“But those two things don’t overlap very well,” says Shokat. “Our approach has really been to tie them together very tightly.” And they did it in a flexible way that makes the technique applicable to even more advanced drug candidates.

Clues to why adult hearts aren’t regenerating

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  • While the skin, bones and other tissues of the human body can repair itself after injury, the heart does not have this ability.
  • Using a mouse model, researchers at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center studied how heart cells communicate, involving cellular signals.
  • They found that the number of communication pathways decreases as heart cells mature in mice. This process may have evolved to protect the heart from stresses, but at the same time may also prevent the heart from having the ability to regenerate.

Heart cells divide rapidly during embryonic and fetal development to form heart tissue and myocardium. But when heart cells mature into adulthood, they reach a terminal state where they can no longer divide.

A new laboratory research study published in Development Cell investigated the biological pathways behind this terminal state.

Researchers have found that quieting the communication between heart cells and their environment protects the heart from harmful signals related to stresses such as high blood pressure. But at the same time, this calming can also prevent heart cells from receiving signals that could promote regeneration.

The researchers looked closely at the nuclear pores of mouse heart cells (cardiomyocytes).

The nucleus is surrounded by a nuclear envelope, an impermeable protective layer, and is lined with tiny pores that allow information to move.

The study involved super-resolution microscopy, a type of biomedical imaging, to examine and count the number of nuclear pores.

Researchers have found that as cells mature, the number of pores decreases. They decreased by 63% during development, from an average of 1,856 in fetal cells to 1,040 in infant cells to just 678 in adult cells.

This finding is significant because the number of nuclear pores controls the amount of information in the nucleus. The researchers noted that as heart cells mature and nuclear pores shrink, less information gets inside.

In previous research, the research team discovered that a gene called Lamina b2 was involved. This gene, important for cardiomyocyte regeneration, is highly expressed in newborn mice but declines with age.

In this study, mice were engineered to express fewer nuclear pores. These mice had better heart function and better survival than mice with more nuclear pores.

In response to stress, such as high blood pressure, heart cells receive signals in their nuclei that alter genetic pathways, leading to structural changes in the heart. This remodeling is a major cause of heart failure.
The results of this research may help explain how nuclear pores contribute to the remodeling process.

Medical News Today lead author interviewed Dr Bernhard Kuhnassociate professor of pediatrics and director of the Pediatric Institute for Heart Regeneration and Therapeutics at the Pitt School of Medicine and UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh.

Dr. Kühn explained the main results of this research to DTM:

“The paper shows how mammalian heart muscle cells, as they reach adulthood, gradually reduce the number of pathways through which they communicate with their environment. Although this protects them from harmful signals, such as stress, it comes at a cost, as the reduced number of communication pathways also limits beneficial signals, for example, signals to regenerate.

As such, this article explains why adult hearts do not regenerate, but newborn mice and human hearts do.

Dr. Kühn points out that “although the article shows significance in a mouse model of hypertension, a direct indication for improving the lives of patients with arterial hypertension is not given. Nuclear pores are very large complexes proteins, and they are very, very difficult to target therapeutically with currently available drugs.

Dr Kühn said that although more research is needed, the new research provides “fundamental insight that the stress response and the regenerative response in the heart are coupled”.

“This lays the groundwork for future research that will aim to decouple these mechanisms,” he added. “How could we make a human heart regenerate without increasing its sensitivity to stress?

Laboratory research of this nature can lead to translational research that can ultimately benefit patients.

DTM also spoke with Dr. Ronald Grifkaboard-certified pediatric cardiologist and chief medical officer of the University of Michigan Health-West, not involved in this research.

“[As] medical research is becoming more sophisticated, we are learning more and more about the interdependence between various organs and how they influence each other. Many interactions have a positive response; sometimes there is a negative response. How the environment interacts with our body generates a lot of interesting research. says Dr. Grifka.

“Stress can affect many parts of the body and the interactions can be very complicated,” Grifka explained. “Understanding how stress interacts with various organs and what alters our responses can be helpful in deciding whether treatment is needed and, if so, which treatment is most effective.”

“In this study, describing how heart cells interact with the environment, controlling stress and blood pressure is important, although further research is needed to determine the extent to which regeneration may be compromised.

– Dr. Ronald Grifka

Nancy Mitchellregistered nurse and contributing writer at Assisted Living, pointed out to DTM that the results of laboratory research take a long time before they can be applied directly to patients.

When asked if laboratory research could lead to the development of new drugs, Mitchell said: “It may take up to two decades for cardiovascular treatments to reach the [patient’s] bedside.Indeed, most of these research studies began with animal testing. They must then undergo human testing, which is not a two-step task. Human studies of heart health often involve active surveys with carefully selected demographic data.

“Many studies span several years to yield valuable results, especially with heart conditions,” she added. “It can be complicated because cardiovascular diseases like hypertension tend to have multiple underlying factors that can affect disease progression over time.”

Finally, Dr. Grifka noted that “this type of translational research often requires several years of study and close follow-up before reaching widespread clinical use.”

CATALYZE DALLAS LAUNCHES ALMADEN GENOMICS, ENTERING THE RACE TO ADVANCE THE PACE OF GENOMIC RESEARCH

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DALLAS, October 25, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Catalyze Dallas Holdings today announces the launch of another portfolio company, Almaden Genomics, which accelerates genomics research and discovery through simplified bioinformatics. Almaden is the latest in a series of commercialization efforts from Catalyze to accelerate Fortune 100 technologies to market.

“The global genomics market is expected to reach nearly $129 billion by 2030, fueled by lower genetic sequencing costs and demand for personalized medicine. We are uniquely positioned to leverage our agility in bringing promising innovations to market in this dynamic market space,” said Tricia D’Cruz, co-founder and CEO of Catalyse Dallas. “Almaden is another example of how our proven model helps innovators capitalize on their R&D investment, which we do through a combination of entrepreneurial know-how and access to capital, which accelerates time to market. the market. »

Since today’s launch, Almaden Genomics has already invested tens of millions in a cloud-native platform designed to streamline genomics workflows and accelerate genomics discovery, and has validated the technology through successful pilots. The original team of bioinformaticians, engineers, and industry professionals will continue their work in the independent company under the Catalyst Dallas umbrella.

Catalyze launches scalable companies that accelerate the commercialization of intellectual property from the world’s most innovative global companies, unlocking the full value and potential of their investments in technology. Partnering with more than a dozen of the industry’s most respected leaders, Catalyze evaluates hundreds of technology assets and business units each year, selecting the most promising for spin-off, such as Almaden Genomics. More than a dozen Fortune 100 customers have partnered with Catalyze Dallas to assess, develop, and build scalable, self-driving businesses to bring their technologies to market.

Catalyze has already launched two successful businesses: Alpine Advanced Materials, which provides custom-designed high-performance lightweight parts to the aerospace, defense, commercial space and industrial sectors; and Metro Aerospace, a leader in providing certified 3D printed components to the aerospace industry, reducing carbon emissions using drag reduction technology licensed from the defense industry.

About Catalyze Dallas

Catalyze Dallas launches scalable companies that accelerate the commercialization of intellectual property from the world’s most innovative global companies, monetizing significant investments in innovation. Partnering with more than a dozen of the industry’s most respected leaders, Catalyze evaluates hundreds of technology assets and business units each year, selecting only the most promising to turn into entrepreneurial portfolio companies. Catalyze offers investors founder ownership in the portfolio, a very low-risk and well-priced investment model compared to traditional venture capital and private equity. For more information, visit www.catalysedallas.com.

Media Contact: Ariel Herr469.235.2708, [email protected]

SOURCE Catalyze Dallas

Sleep deprivation, immune system and exercise

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Sleep loss has been identified as detrimental to the body’s immune system for some time. Studies on the impact of a lack of sleep continue. The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) reported new research Sept. 21 that revealed new insights into the correlation between sleep loss, a weakened immune system, and higher levels of inflammation. The impact of a lack of sleep can be observed in several areas of the body.

Just over a third (35.2%) of Americans sleep less than the recommended amount of sleep for their age group. According to information updated on September 14 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the recommended amount of sleep for adults is seven hours or more for people aged 18 to 60, seven to nine hours for those aged 61 to 64 and seven to eight hours for those aged 65 and over. For those under 18, recommended sleep times frequently change as children progress from birth to adolescence.

The Cleveland Clinic states that some of the short-term results of lack of sleep are impaired memory and decreased alertness. It can also affect mood, which can lead to mood swings that can harm relationships with others and impair habitual judgement. The potential for additional danger of injury to drivers and those in their path is increased by the likelihood of driving while drowsy due to lack of sleep.

Sleep loss can also lead to high blood pressure, heart attack, and stroke. According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), lack of sleep contributes to obesity in adults and children, diabetes and symptoms of anxiety. The NCBI also states that sleep disturbances are associated with all types of dementia. They include Alzheimer’s disease, Huntington’s disease and Parkinson’s disease.

New insights into sleep, the immune system and inflammation

In 2020, the CDC said that less than four hours of sleep could lead to a reduction in the effectiveness of the immune system to 72% because the effectiveness of a type of cell, the Natural Killer (NK) cell, decreased. An 11-year study found that the risk of death from cancer increases by 1.6% in those who sleep four hours or less per night. The CDC also reports that sleep loss increases the likelihood of infection.

The CDC reports that the production of inflammatory cytokines, which contribute to cardiovascular and metabolic disorders, was increased in people receiving four hours of sleep. The September NHLBI report concludes that sleep deprivation is also directly linked to the production of monocytes, a type of white blood cell, which increases inflammation. It was determined that monocyte production was higher in those who did not get enough sleep. Those who conducted the study argue that its findings underscore the need to establish regular sleep patterns early in life, starting in childhood.

Consistency, exercise and sleep

There is no shortage of research on lifestyle habits and the ability to get enough sleep. The Cleveland Clinic suggests that getting enough sleep should be taken as seriously as taking prescription medications. Often getting enough sleep is not considered a priority and this can lead to sleep deprivation. Sleep being a priority, it is important to wake up at the same time every day. Consistency of a regular wake-up time has been shown to improve sleep quality. Relaxing activities before bedtime are recommended, such as reading or a warm bath. The Cleveland Clinic further advises stopping the use of electronic devices such as smartphones and tablets at least one hour before your usual bedtime.

Johns Hopkins Medicine also reports that sleep can be improved by exercise at different times of the day. Additionally, exercise can also decrease insomnia. When to exercise to improve sleep can be individual. Johns Hopkins reports that small amounts of aerobic exercise can improve deep sleep. Deep sleep is defined as deep sleep that allows the body and mind to rejuvenate. Since aerobic exercise releases brain-boosting endorphins, it may be advisable to complete it at least one to two hours before preparing for a good night’s sleep. Other exercises beyond aerobics are also effective for better sleep. As with bedtime, it should be consistent.

To learn more about a variety of health conditions, management, and treatment, log on to vascularhealthclinics.org.

Do you have questions about your heart health? Ask Dr. Haqqani.

If you have questions about your cardiovascular health, including heart, blood pressure, stroke lifestyle and other issues, we want to answer them. Please submit your questions to Dr. Haqqani via email at [email protected]

Omar P. Haqqani is the Chief of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery at Midland Vascular Health Clinics.

Global takeover: products for every segment of the HVACR market

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After visiting the Daikin Australia stand at ARBS 2022, it’s easy to believe that the air conditioning manufacturer is about to take on the world.

The wide range of products on display at the Daikin stand made it clear that the manufacturer has products to meet all segments of the heating and cooling market.

To welcome its latest range of residential, commercial and applied products and solutions, Daikin had its largest ever presence at ARBS with a stand spanning 216m2.

This year was not just about heating and cooling for Daikin, the manufacturer entered the refrigeration market and ARBS was the occasion to present its new products.

Daikin launched a range of commercial refrigeration condensing units and introduced a strategic new business unit to support its new product portfolio. The condensing units are manufactured by J & E Hall, a global member of the Daikin Group and one of the world’s leading providers of refrigeration solutions.

Combining design innovation with energy efficiency technology, the new condensing units have a number of new and improved features and functions. Microchannel heat exchanger technology (select models) reduces the volume of refrigerant in the system more efficiently than traditional fin and tube heat exchangers, saving installation costs.

A new adjustable fan speed and pressure switch (select models) provide additional flexibility to deliver optimum operation for the chosen refrigerant. Better energy efficiency and higher quality components help improve reliability and longevity. Low fan speeds and sound-insulated condensing unit housing ensure quiet operation.

These condensing units offer a smaller footprint taking up less space, a better solution for noise sensitive projects, while reducing energy costs.

Installation and maintenance are simple and easy. The condensing units are compatible with a wide range of existing refrigerants including R404a and R407C.

Access to major components is available from the front and side via hinged doors* for trouble-free maintenance. The condensing unit housing is powder coated to improve corrosion resistance, providing long term reliability.

The AHT plug-in freezer enclosure was also on display. This range of low-temperature equipment, operating with R290 refrigerant fluid, incorporates sliding glass doors and inverter compressors. The range is expected to release later this year.

Commenting on the company’s move to cold chain, Daikin Australia’s managing director for marketing and e-commerce, Dan Tosh, said customer needs and values ​​have changed.

“For example, market needs have increased for indoor air quality and ventilation due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” he said.

“Indoor air quality has never been more important, which is why we’ve extended our air purification technology, Streamer, to more of our products.”

All Daikin systems with Streamer technology carry the Sensitive Choice blue butterfly symbol from the National Asthma Council Australia, including air purifiers, Alira X and Zenasplit systems.

In lab tests, Daikin’s Streamer technology was found to destroy 99.9% of mold and allergens in 24 hours and 99.6% of pollen in just two hours.

“Daikin’s Streamer technology is an active air purification system that improves indoor air quality. It works by using charged air particles to destroy pollutants like pollen, mold, and other allergens like air dust mites,” Tosh said.

Also featured on the Daikin stand is its recently launched VRV Round Flow cassette with detection and Streamer, offering maximum comfort, energy savings and superior air purification.

One of the main features on the stand this year was Daikin’s new flagship VRV R series heat recovery system. Since the launch of the first model in 1982, Daikin’s VRV systems have continuously evolved to offer the best in terms of comfort, efficiency and reliability.

The new VRV R series has undergone a complete model change with improvements in design, ease of installation, reliability, comfort, heat recovery and energy savings.

Visitors got a first-hand look at the unit’s small footprint.

Raj Singh, National Product Manager for Daikin Australia, said that this new 6th generation model, the VRV R heat recovery system, includes a new “P” type compressor which offers superior full load performance, as well as at partial load.

“The new improved design features a single enclosure module up to 24HP which helps reduce the overall space required for mechanical equipment and the number of electrical and piping connections,” he said.

Single modules from 8 HP capacity are now available in three sizes with the addition of a high capacity XL frame with 22 and 24 HP (67.0 kW) capacity that measures just 1 750mm wide x 765mm deep x 1660mm high. This represents a 4% reduction in overall footprint and 11% weight reduction compared to the 5th Generation VRV Series.

“We’ve also simplified the design for the installer with a number of knockout panels to allow flexibility in installation for both piping and wiring,” Singh said.

Improved sealed electrical enclosure design with IP55 rating provides high protection against dust and moisture. It features a new service window to access the multifunctional digital display for easy commissioning and troubleshooting, and separate wiring and piping for quick access and installation.

The increased refrigerant piping length and maximum height difference makes the VRV R even more suitable for large-scale buildings.

Refrigerant piping lengths of up to 165m are possible and the maximum height difference between indoor and outdoor unit has been extended to 110m, a 20m improvement over the 5th generation model .

The ARBS exhibition was also an opportunity for Daikin to celebrate 40 years of manufacturing in Australia.

Daikin Made in Australia Duct systems and applied air handling units were on display along with its light commercial, ventilation, air handling and refrigeration lines, smart home and building controllers and magnetic bearing chiller without WMTL lubricant with R1233zd (E) HFO refrigerant.

The WMT cooler dominated the stand. This two-stage magnetic bearing (WMT) centrifugal chiller offers increased efficiency and reliability, lower operating and maintenance costs, and low vibration and noise levels compared to traditional oil centrifuges.

Lubrication-free magnetic bearing drive system eliminates complex oil, coolant lubrication, and mechanical friction, improving chiller efficiency, increasing performance, and reducing maintenance

The kinetically balanced back-to-back impellers help the compressor run smoothly at lower noise levels by balancing axial force while the permanent magnet motor eliminates rotor excitation loss to deliver superior motor efficiency in low-noise operation. great speed.

Adaptable to various operating conditions, the Dynamic IGV + Dynamic Speed ​​Drive keeps the compressor running smoothly to optimize energy consumption.

New cancer research offers way out of painful effects of chemotherapy: The Tribune India

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IANS

New Delhi, October 23

Chemotherapy is one of the most effective ways to treat cancer today. However, chemotherapy attacks cancer cells along with other normal cells in the body, making a cancer patient’s condition worse for a few days.

Indian researchers have now discovered a technique whose therapy will only attack cancer cells and will not damage the rest of the cells in the body.

The microRNA developed by researchers at Banaras Hindu University (BHU) specifically kills cervical cancer cells. Currently available treatments for cervical cancer are chemotherapy and radiotherapy, but it also has an effect on non-cancerous cells, which is quite harmful and toxic.

The results of the study could pave the way for the development of a microRNA therapy that is not harmful for the treatment of cervical cancer in the future.

This microRNA was discovered by a team of BHU researchers led by Samarendra Kumar Singh, Assistant Professor, School of Biotechnology, Institute of Science, BHU. During the study, Singh and his doctoral student Garima Singh demonstrated that a human microRNA, miR-34a, kills the viral gene E6, which in turn shuts down an oncogenic cell cycle factor, and does not kill than cervical cancer cells.

This discovery is of the utmost importance in the context of the development of a safe and specific therapy in the management of cervical cancer. During the study, the researchers found that no adverse effects were observed on normal or non-cancerous cells.

Once completed, this study could be important for the development of specific treatments for cervical cancer. The study results were published in BMC Cancer, one of the most prestigious journals in the field of cancer. This is the first study to show that miR-34a suppresses cancer cells by regulating the cell cycle.

High-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) is a factor in 99% of cervical cancer cases by impairing multiple tumor suppressors and host cell control factors. The viral protein also stabilizes several oncogenic factors, including an essential cell cycle regulator Cdt2/DTL which in turn promotes cell transformation and proliferation.

Samarendra Singh said: “MicroRNAs have become an important regulator of the cell cycle and various other cellular processes. Adverse changes in microRNAs have been linked to the development of many cancers and other diseases, but much is still known little about the mechanism by which they control these cellular events.” He added: “We reported that the discovered microRNA destabilizes certain proteins and plays a role in inhibiting the growth of infected cervical cancer cells, leading to cell proliferation, invasion and migration. HPV-positive cervical cancer cells and helps control it. Singh’s lab conducts research in the area of ​​cancer, particularly cervical and gastrointestinal cancers. To carry out their studies, they use a variety of tools from molecular biology, biochemistry and structural biology and seek to study why and how cell cycle behavior is deregulated in cancer cells.

His lab had previously made an important discovery for cancer diagnosis by evaluating the amount of tumor DNA in the serum of cervical cancer patients, which was published in the Journal of Cancer Research and Therapeutics. (JCRT), a prestigious journal in the field of cancer.

Methane-Eating “Borgs” Assimilated Earth Microbes

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A digital illustration inspired by the methane-eating Archaea and the Borg who assimilate them. Credit: Jenny Nuss/Berkeley Lab

A newly discovered type of transfer DNA structure with a sci-fi name appears to play a role in balancing atmospheric methane.

In star trek, the Borg are a ruthless, hive-mind collective that assimilates other beings in an effort to take over the galaxy. Here on the non-fictional planet Earth, the Borg are bundles of DNA that could help humans fight climate change.

Last year, a team of scientists discovered DNA structures in a methane-consuming microbe called Methanoperedens which seem to supercharge the body’s metabolic rate. They named the genetic elements “Borgs” because the DNA they contain contains assimilated genes from many organisms. In a study published October 19 in the journal Nature, the researchers, led by Jill Banfield, describe the curious collection of genes within Borgs. They are also beginning to study the role these DNA bundles play in environmental processes, such as the carbon cycle.

“Imagine a single cell capable of consuming methane. Now you add genetic elements in this cell that can consume methane in parallel and also add genetic elements that give the cell greater capacity. It basically creates a condition for consuming methane on steroids, if you will. — Kenneth Williams

First contact

Methanoperedens are a type of archaea (single-celled organisms that look like bacteria but represent a separate branch of life) that break down methane (CH4) in soils, groundwater and the atmosphere to support cellular metabolism. Although Methanoperedens and other methane-consuming microbes live in various ecosystems around the world, they are thought to be less common than microbes that use photosynthesis, oxygen or fermentation for energy. However, they play an outsized role in Earth system processes by removing methane – the most potent greenhouse gas – from the atmosphere. Methane traps 30 times more heat than carbon dioxide and is estimated to be responsible for around 30% of human-caused global warming. The gas is emitted naturally by geological processes and by methane-generating archaea; however, industrial processes are releasing stored methane into the atmosphere in worrying quantities.

Banfield is a researcher at the faculty Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) and Professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences and Environmental Science, Policy and Management at University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley). She studies how microbial activities shape large-scale environmental processes and how, in turn, environmental fluctuations alter the planet’s microbiomes. As part of this work, she and her colleagues routinely sample microbes in different habitats to see which genes of interest the microbes use for survival, and how those genes might affect global cycles of key elements, such as carbon, l nitrogen and sulfur. The team is looking at genomes in cells as well as the portable bundles of DNA known as extra-chromosomal elements (ECEs) that transfer genes between bacteria, archaea and viruses. These elements allow microbes to quickly obtain beneficial genes from their neighbors, including those that are only distantly related.

Jill Banfield and Kenneth Williams

Jill Banfield and Kenneth Williams take a water sample from the East River in Colorado to study the microbial life in the ecosystem. Credit: Roy Kaltschmidt/Berkeley Lab

Scientists have discovered evidence for a whole new type of ECE by studying Methanoperedens sampled from the soil of a seasonal pond in California. Unlike the circular strands of DNA that make up most plasmids, the best-known type of extra-chromosomal element, the new ECEs are linear and very long – up to a third of the length of the whole Methanoperedens genome. After analyzing additional samples of subterranean soils, aquifers and riverbeds in California and Colorado containing methane-consuming archaea, the researchers discovered a total of 19 distinct ECEs which they dubbed Borg. Using advanced genome analysis tools, the team determined that many sequences within the Borg are similar to methane-metabolizing genes within the current Methanoperedens genome. Some of the Borg even encode all of the cellular machinery needed to eat methane on their own, as long as they’re inside a cell that can express the genes.

“Imagine a single cell capable of consuming methane. Now you add genetic elements in this cell that can consume methane in parallel and also add genetic elements that give the cell greater capacity. It basically creates a condition for consuming methane on steroids, if you will,” explained co-author Kenneth Williams, Banfield’s senior scientist and colleague in Earth and Environmental Sciences at the Berkeley Lab. . Williams conducted research at the site in Rifle, Colorado, where the best-characterized Borg was recovered, and is also chief field scientist of a research site on the East River near Crested Butte, in Colorado, where some of Banfield’s current sampling takes place.

The East River site is part of the Ministry of Energy Watershed Function Scientific Interest Area, a multidisciplinary research project led by Berkeley Lab that aims to link microbiology and biochemistry with hydrology and climate science. “Our expertise brings together what are often thought of and treated as completely disparate fields of investigation – the big science that connects everything from genes to watersheds and atmospheric processes.”

The resistance is futile a disadvantage

Banfield and fellow researchers at UC Berkeley’s Institute for Innovative Genomics, including co-author and longtime collaborator Jennifer Doudna, speculate that the Borg may be residual fragments of whole microbes that have been gobbled up. by Methanoperedens to aid metabolism, the same way plant cells exploited once free photosynthetic microbes to obtain what we now call chloroplasts, and how an ancient eukaryotic cell consumed the ancestors of today’s mitochondria. Based on the similarities in the sequences, the engulfed cell could have been a relative of Methanoperedensbut the overall diversity of genes found in the Borg indicates that these DNA packages were assimilated from a wide range of organisms.

Regardless of origin, it’s clear that the Borg have existed alongside these archaea, shuttling between genes, for a very long time.

In particular, some Methanoperedens were found without Borg. And, in addition to recognizable genes, Borg also contain unique genes coding for other metabolic proteins, membrane proteins, and extracellular proteins almost certainly involved in the electronic conduction necessary for energy generation, as well as others. proteins that have unknown effects on their hosts. Until scientists can cultivate Methanoperedens in a lab environment, they won’t know for sure what abilities different Borg grant, why certain microbes use them, and why others don’t.

A likely explanation is that the Borg act as a storage locker for metabolic genes that are only needed at certain times. In progress methane monitoring research showed that methane concentrations can vary widely throughout the year, typically peaking in the fall and dropping to lowest levels in early spring. The Borg therefore offer a competitive advantage to methane-eating microbes like Methanoperedens during times of plenty when there is more methane than their native cellular machinery can break down.

Plasmids are known to serve a similar purpose, rapidly spreading genes for resistance to toxic molecules (like heavy metals and antibiotics) when the toxins are present in high enough concentrations to exert evolutionary pressure.

“There is evidence that different types of Borg sometimes coexist in the same host Methanopreredenes cell. This opens up the possibility that the Borg can spread genes across bloodlines,” Banfield said.

Bold exploration of the universe (microbial)

Since publishing their preprint article last year, the team began follow-up work to better understand how the Borg can affect biological and geological processes. Some researchers comb through datasets of genetic material from other microorganisms, looking for evidence that the Borg exist in association with other species.

While her colleagues use methods in the lab, co-author Susan Mullen, a graduate student in Banfield’s lab, will get her feet wet with some very scenic fieldwork. She recently started a project to sample microbes in the East River floodplains throughout the year to assess how seasonal changes in the abundance of Borg and other microbes known to be involved in the methane cycle are correlated with seasonal fluxes of methane.

According to the authors, years later, carefully cultivated microbes filled with Borg could be used to reduce methane and curb global warming. All of this benefits the collective – life on Earth.

Reference: “The Borg are giant genetic elements with the potential to expand metabolic capacity” by Basem Al-Shayeb, Marie C. Schoelmerich, Jacob West-Roberts, Luis E. Valentin-Alvarado, Rohan Sachdeva, Susan Mullen, Alexander Crits-Christoph, Michael J. Wilkins, Kenneth H. Williams, Jennifer A. Doudna and Jillian F. Banfield, October 19, 2022, Nature.
DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-05256-1

Scratch offers stake in company as it expands focus

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Scratch, the decentralized finance company, goes beyond SCRATCH Token to offer investors equity in itsfungible token (NFT) financial services.

San Juan, Puerto Rico, October 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Scratch—the research and evaluation company NFT—is officially disbanding native Scratch Token offer its community the possibility of becoming co-owners of the company. Its real-time data-based NFT assessment tool – Scratch Engine – is an industry first, and the company is looking to capitalize on the latest developments in NFT.

“The NFT and crypto space is constantly changing, and we need to change with it,” says Shawn Owen, co-founder of SCRATCH Engine, LLC. “In the interest of protecting our early adopters and SCRATCH Engine, LLC in the changing regulatory landscape, we no longer believe that SCRATCH Tokenin its current form, has a viable future.”

The looming threat of SCRATCH Token being considered an unregistered title severely limited the company’s ability to respond to changing market conditions or follow something like a consistent product development cycle of “launch, measure, iterate”.

“Since its inception, Scratch Engine’s goal has been to provide transparency and standardization in the NFT market.” Owens continues. “We continue to believe deeply in this mission: to empower buyers and sellers to transact based on verified and up-to-date information. When we launched SCRATCH Tokenwe did it only as part of this mission.”

Now with the dissolution and end of support for SCRATCH Tokenthe Company wants to make the community something more: owners.

Shawn Owenco-founder of Scratch, believes deeper community involvement will lead to a far superior product:

“We are providing the opportunity for our first users to have company ownership following a reorganization from a limited liability company to a corporation. Together with our incredible community, we have already completed all elements of our roadmap of phase one and have continued on to Phase Two, which we believe will include the launch of the Scratch Engine BETA V1 in Q1 2023. Together, we can build the Scratch Engine stronger and better than ever.”

Although the Company initially planned to submit the SCRATCH Token for qualification as security – and can pursue such regulatory qualification of a future associated digital asset to power the Scratch Engine, they now believe the best way forward is to focus on the product. Then, during the public launch of the Scratch Engine, the Company will consider releasing a related digital asset.

Scratch realizes that they cannot build this alone, and the company plans to raise the necessary capital through the sale of the shares in the near future.

As part of this increase, they intend to accept SCRATCH from all holders starting on 21/10/2022 at 7:35 a.m. CST .in return for ownership. Any token holders who, for whatever reason, do not wish to participate in this increase and become shareholders of the Company, will be able to hold their SCRATCH Tokens. The Company will make every effort to exchange these untraded SCRATCH tokens for a Company digital asset in the future.

Further information can be found at Scratch Medium Page.

To learn more about the equity investment opportunity in SCRATCH Engine, LLC, please visit our average article for more details, or contact the Scratch team at [email protected].

About Scratch

With over a decade of experience in the combined digital asset space, Scratch is a company with the experience to bring the tools, standards, and strategic partnerships needed to build trust and financial services to NFT economies. , metaverse and blockchain. “Security, stability and scalability” is the Scratch team’s mantra, underlying all of its projects. To learn more about Scratch and the Scratch Engine platform, visit scratchengine.com.

PRESS CONTACT

Brian Markowski
1 603 306 3645
https://scratchengine.com/

SOURCE Stripe

Partial Summary Judgment Granted, Rejecting Government Immunity Defense of Shipyard Defendants | Goldberg Segalla

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United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana

Plaintiff Linda Crossland alleged home exposure to asbestos from her husband’s clothing while he was employed at Avondale Shipyards, where he was responsible for building and repairing ships. The plaintiff sued numerous defendants, alleging that they negligently failed to warn her husband of the dangers of asbestos and to provide him with safe quarters. Avondale returned the suit to federal court, relying on “government contractor immunity” established by Boyle and the “derivative sovereign immunity” defense set forth in Yearsley. The plaintiff filed a motion for partial summary judgment regarding the defenses of government immunity advanced by Avondale and Hopeman Brothers, Inc.

With respect to warning failure claims, the Fifth Circuit applied the following version of the Boyle test: “(1) the United States exercised its discretion and approved the warnings; (2) the contractor has provided a warning consistent with the approved warnings; (3) the contractor warned of the dangers of which he was aware, but not the government. »

The Court found that Avondale had failed to establish that it was entitled to government contractor immunity. The Court rejected Avondale’s argument that the government requiring warnings related to radiation and flammable liquid hazards, in addition to providing a maximum threshold for asbestos exposure, demonstrated that the government “exercised significant discretion in deciding whether or not to issue asbestos warnings”. Additionally, the court noted that the government did not appear to be involved in determining what warnings, if any, to give Avondale employees. That is, “no governmental discretion was exercised”.

Below Yearsley, a public contractor cannot be held liable so long as “(1) the contractor’s enforcement authority has been validly conferred by the government, and (2) the contractor has not exceeded the authority conferred by his contract”. The Court ultimately found that Avondale’s decisions regarding security measures were not “directed or authorized” by the government. Accordingly, the Court granted the plaintiff’s motion for partial summary judgment.

Read the full decision here

Why Poland will switch from coal to solar and wind

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By 2036, the coal resources needed to operate the Belchatow coal-fired power plant in Poland will run out.

By the way, this is the largest coal-fired power station in Europe, which means that it is not a trivial question.

So lawmakers and analysts are now trying to figure out what to do when, in less than 15 years, there won’t be enough coal left to keep the plant operational.

Unsurprisingly, renewable energy may be the solution.

According to a new Bloomberg report, this power plant could actually replace most of its coal-fired generation with renewables and batteries, and do so in a way that would reduce overall power system costs in the region where the plant is located while now energy security.

Here are some highlights from the report:

  • The war and the energy crisis have boosted demand for lignite production, but the medium to long term outlook for this fuel is bleak. The mines that serve Belchatow are expected to be depleted by 2036, but BloombergNEF predicts that lignite production in Poland will fall well before that. Lignite is a carbon-intensive fuel, and lignite production in Poland drops by 85% over the period 2021-2030 in the BNEF baseline scenario outlook for Poland. A 75% decline is seen even as high gas prices persist, due to rising carbon prices and renewable capacity additions.
  • Much of the production at Belchatow could be replaced by new production capacity before 2030, although some lignite units remain as back-up capacity. Belchatow is located at a major grid connection point, which could be repurposed to support up to 6 GW-11 GW of wind and solar plus 1 GW-1.5 GW of new firm capacity.
  • Freeing up part of Belchatow’s existing grid connection before 2030 to new technologies has the potential to maintain Polish energy security and create new economic opportunities in the region. Some 2.5 GW of solar capacity and 1.5 GW of wind capacity could use the connection by 2030 following the retirement of 1.8 GW of lignite capacity. Like lignite, solar and wind generation are not dependent on global commodity markets once built. These technologies can provide a cheaper electricity mix and reduce emissions, without compromising energy security.
  • New capacities developed elsewhere in Poland will weaken the economics of lignite production in Belchatow. A total of 6 GW of offshore wind is expected to come online by 2030 and 4 GW of gas-fired power plants are under development. However, a large part of it is built in northern Poland, far from the centers of electricity demand in the south.
  • Belchatow is located in central Poland, and the new capacity built there could reduce the pressure on the Polish network. Up to 80% of Belchatow’s generation could be replaced by 5.7 GW of onshore wind and 5 GW of solar located within a 20 km radiusRadius of 30 km from the current factory. Such a new generation would also mitigate the risk of the valuable network infrastructure around Belchatow being blocked.
  • Proven clean technologies, combined with batteries and a smaller power plant powered by gas, biomass or waste, would offer the most economical and energy-secure replacement. Solar and wind power are the cheapest available technologies and when co-located can achieve a stable generation profile, given local resources. By 2036, 6.4 GW10.7 GW of wind and solar power including 1 GW1.5 GW of firm capacity could replace 80% of lost production at Belchatow.
  • A local wind and solar power build would also not preclude potential investments in emerging energy technologies in the region. This could include a small-scale nuclear reactor, a hydrogen power plant or new forms of energy storage. These technologies are not mature enough to be available today and are unlikely to contribute significantly to Poland’s energy security by 2030, but they do present long-term opportunities for the local economy as the lignite production declines and eventually stops.

The transition to renewable energy will not only provide environmental benefits, but also economic and security ones.

As an investor in the energy sector, this naturally arouses my interest, as such a transition could offer the opportunity to earn a few dollars from companies that are already building and operating renewable energy installations in Poland.

Here are some renewable energy companies currently operating in Poland:

  • Northland Power (TSX-NPI)
  • Acciona (OTCBB:ACXIF)
  • EDP ​​Renovaveis SA (OTCBB: EDRVF)
  • Iberdrola SA (OTCBB: IBDRY)
  • Nordex SE (OTCBB: NRDXF)
  • Ørsted A/S (OTCBB: DNNGY)
  • Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy SA (OTCBB: GCTAF)
  • TotalEnergies SE (NYSE: TTE)
  • Vestas Wind Systems A/S (OTCBB: VWDRY)

While the threat of climate change may not be enough to drive a transition from fossil fuels to cleaner energy, supply constraints are. And that is why, dear reader, Europe’s largest coal-fired power plant will eventually be replaced by renewables and energy storage.

And by ultimately, I mean in less than 15 years.

Invest accordingly.

Trillions will be spent to secure the world’s energy supply over the next two decades…and all sources are on the table. Oil, natural gas, solar, wind. There will be money earned. Follow the money trail. Join Energy and Capital now – it’s completely free!

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After receiving your report, you will begin to receive the Energy and capital e-Letter, delivered daily to your inbox.

Breaking new ground in innovative clinical trial design (ICTD) for cell and gene therapies

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Figure 5. Regulatory support (in terms of pre-consultation meetings) provided by regulatory agencies in selected countries.

The lack of a reference could create difficulties for sponsors seeking to conduct innovative clinical trials for possible approval. It is therefore imperative to have an individual consultation session to obtain an alignment with the authorities on their expectations when filing an application for regulatory approval.

3. Relative novelty and risk of ICTD

To date, little is known about the use of ICTDs for cell and gene therapy products – in the case of adaptive trials, there is a lack of clarity on when they are applicable, what they can or cannot accomplish, what their practical implications are and how their results should be interpreted or reported5. Studies using real-world data to provide information about a broader patient population may contain inherent biases in their data sources that could limit their value in establishing causality between drug exposure and outcomes.20.

Despite the potential benefits that ICTDs can bring to CGTPs, developers should still exercise due diligence when considering the suitability of this mode of test design for their IMPs. To maximize their chances of success in market access, it is recommended that industry players strive to understand and apply the recommendations of regulatory agencies, as well as partner with providers with a clinical trial experience for a better understanding of the ICTD landscape.

CGTPS offers hope for the treatment of serious illnesses with unmet medical needs – expertise is needed to navigate the regulatory space to ensure regulatory compliance and access to every market. To learn more about cell and gene therapy products in the JAPAC region, please click here.

References:

  1. Iglesias-Lopez, C., Agustí, A., Vallano, A., & Obach, M. (2021). Current Landscape of Clinical Development and Approval of Advanced Therapies. Molecular therapy – Methods and clinical development, 23, 606–618. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.omtm.2021.11.003
  2. Galli, MC and Serabian, M. (2015). Regulatory aspects of cell and gene therapy products. Advances in experimental medicine and biology. Volume 871. https://www.royanatmp.com/pdf/Regulatory-Aspects-of-Gene-Therapy-and-Cell-Therapy-Products.pdf
  3. Friedman FL, Furberg CD, DeMets DL. Fundamentals of Clinical Trials, 4th ed. New York: Springer; 2010.
  4. Evans, CH, Ildstad, ST, and Institute of Medicine (USA) (Eds.). (2001). Small clinical trials: issues and challenges. National Academy Press.
  5. Pallmann, P., Bedding, AW, Choodari-Oskooei, B., Dimairo, M., Flight, L., Hampson, LV, Holmes, J., Mander, AP, Odondi, L., Sydes, MR, Villar, SS, Wason, JMS, Weir, CJ, Wheeler, GM, Yap, C., & Jaki, T. (2018). Adaptive Designs in Clinical Trials: Why Use Them, and How to Perform and Report Them. BMC Medicine, 16(1), 29. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12916-018-1017-7
  6. Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER) and Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER). (2021). Study of several versions of a cell or gene therapy product in an early phase clinical trial: draft guidance for industry. Investigate multiple versions of a cell or gene therapy product in an early phase clinical trial; Draft Industry Guidance (fda.gov)
  7. Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER) and Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER). (2020). Interacting with the FDA on Complex and Innovative Trial Designs for Drugs and Biologics: Guidance for Industry. https://www.fda.gov/media/130897/download
  8. An Introduction and Overview of Innovative Trial Design | nhlbi, nih. (nd). https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/events/2018/introduction-and-overview-innovative-trial-design
  9. Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER) and Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER). (2019). Adaptive Designs for Clinical Trials of Drugs and Biologics: Guidance for Industry. https://www.fda.gov/media/78495/download
  10. Mahajan, R., & Gupta, K. (2010). Clinical trials in adaptive design: Methodology, issues and perspectives. Indian Journal of Pharmacology, 42(4), 201–207. https://doi.org/10.4103/0253-7613.68417
  11. Yap C, Billingham LJ, Cheung YK, Craddock C, O’Quigley J. Dose transition pathways: the missing link between complex dose-finding designs and simple decision-making. Clin Cancer Res. 2017;23:7440–7.
  12. Naas, LA (2019). Design of clinical trials: basket and umbrella studies. Lilly essays. https://trials.lilly.com/en-US/blog/clinical-trial-design-basket-umbrella-studies
  13. FOCUS4: A landmark trial in colorectal cancer—Department of Oncology. (nd). https://www.oncology.ox.ac.uk/blog/focus4-a-flagship-trial-in-colorectal-cancer
  14. ISPOR Glasgow. (2017). Innovative clinical trial designs: welcomed by regulators, but what about payers? https://www.ispor.org/docs/default-source/presentations/1330.pdf?sfvrsn=56ed4398_1
  15. Hassan, A., Booth, C., Brightwell, A., Allwood, Z., Veys, P., Rao, K., Hönig, M., Friedrich, W., Gennery, A., Slatter, M., Bredius, R., Finocchi, A., Cancrini, C., Aiuti, A., Porta, F., Lanfranchi, A., Ridella, M., Steward, C., Filipovich, A., … Gaspar, HB ( 2012). Outcome of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for severe combined immune deficiency deficient in adenosine deaminase. Blood, 120(17), 3615–3624. https://doi.org/10.1182/blood-2011-12-396879
  16. Lu, C. (Cindy), Li, X. (Nicole), Broglio, K., Bycott, P., Jiang, Q., Li, X., McGlothlin, A., Tian, ​​H. and Ye, J. (2021). Practical Considerations and Recommendations for the Core Protocol Framework: Basket, Umbrella, and Platform Trials. Therapeutic Innovation and Regulatory Science, 55(6), 1145–1154. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43441-021-00315-7
  17. Devine, C. (2020). Operationalization of the design of complex innovative assays (new approach from the FDA). Medical space. https://www.medpace.com/operationalizing-complex-innovative-trial-design-fdas-new-approach/
  18. CID case study: a study in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. (nd). https://www.fda.gov/media/155404/download
  19. Clinical trials: how technology is driving digitization (nd). Cambridge Consultants. https://www.cambridgeconsultants.com/sites/default/files/uploaded-pdfs/Clinical%20trials%20-%20how%20technology%20is%20driving%20digitization_1.pdf
  20. Ghadessi, M., Tang, R., Zhou, J., Liu, R., Wang, C., Toyoizumi, K., Mei, C., Zhang, L., Deng, CQ and Beckman, RA (2020) . A roadmap for the use of historical controls in clinical trials – by the Drug Information Association Adaptive Design Scientific Working Group (Dia-adswg). Orphanet Journal of Rare Diseases15(1), 69. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13023-020-1332-x

Seattle tech vet Linden Rhoads, appointed to Univ. of the Washington Board of Regents – GeekWire

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Linden Rhoads. (Washington State Photo)

Linden Rhoadsa longtime Seattle tech leader and former vice provost for marketing at the University of Washington, will join UW council of regents.

“Linden’s unique lived experiences and deep commitment to the University of Washington will make her a dedicated and effective regent,” Gov. Jay Inslee said in a statement. statement.

Rhoads will take the seat of outgoing regent bill ayer, CEO of Alaska Air Group. She begins her six-year term on the 11-member board on October 24.

Rhoads has had deep ties to the UW for more than two decades.

“I love the UW,” Rhoads told GeekWire on Wednesday. “I bleed purple.”

From 2008 to 2014, she led technology transfer and commercialization efforts at UW in an office now known as Concussion. Meanwhile, the UW has more than doubled the number of spinouts formed each year.

Rhoads also helped launch The W Funda seed fund that invests in spin-off companies from UW or other Washington State universities and research institutes.

Rhoads said she will use lessons from that experience in her new role on the Board of Regents, which oversees, coordinates, manages and regulates the university.

“A big part of the university’s mission is to help its world-class researchers impact the world through innovation,” she said.

Rhoads personal story provides a level of appreciation for education. She used financial aid to go through college on her own, and her grandfather was a teacher in a community college system.

She also has three children who are currently attending college and has served on the board of the state’s Committee on Advanced Tuition Payment and College Savings.

Rhoads said she deeply understands the challenges parents face in saving for tuition, as well as the desire of students to study high-demand subjects such as computer science.

“My heart is with these students,” she said. “I certainly understand how much the innovation economy needs us to get kids to get those degrees.”

Ed Lazowska, a longtime UW computer science professor and former chair of the computer science department, said Rhoads’ appointment “will provide a major boost to UW’s entrepreneurial spirit and UW’s relationships with the startup and tech communities”.

The UW has created a number of high-profile startups in recent years, including Icosavax, Zap Energy, OctoML and others.

The UW is world renowned for its research prowess. It ranked #17 in the world and #3 among public universities in the 2022 Academic Ranking of World Universities.

Prior to joining the UW, Rhoads started Seattle Ventures, taking on leadership and investor roles at several affiliated startups. Early in her career, she was a business development manager for Seattle-based Cellular Technical Services, which provided software to mobile phone companies, and was one of the founding investors in the wireless services startup Terabeam, acquired in 2004.

Rhoads, who holds a law degree from UW, has served on the boards of the Henry Art Gallery and the Buerk Center for Entrepreneurship.

Inslee also announced the reappointment of the trial prosecutor Blaine Tamaki in the Board of Regents.

Center for Breakthrough Medicines (CBM) Expands Contract Testing Services with Launch of Analytical Accelerator™ for AAV Testing to Serve Growing Gene Therapy Pipeline

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Platform methods reduce GMP turnaround times (TAT) by three times, from 22 to 6 weeks

KING OF PRUSSIA, Pa., October 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — The Center for Breakthrough Medicines (CBM), a contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) dedicated to addressing the testing challenges associated with the commercialization of cell and gene therapies, today announced the launch of its Analytical Accelerator™ for AAV testing to help gene therapy developers meet the quality areas of identity, safety, purity, potency and stability required by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and global regulatory authorities.

“Given recent gene therapy approvals and a growing clinical pipeline, there is currently a severe shortage of Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) testing capabilities for AAV-based gene therapies, resulting in extremely long leads for key testing, missed turnaround targets, and the need to rely on five vendors on average to get AAV-based gene therapies tested,” said Jörg Ahlgrimm, CEO of CBM. “The launch of this cohesive set of over 40 GMP AAV platform tests and domain-specific modules supports our recently announced plans to build the most comprehensive contract testing capabilities in the world.”

CBM’s Analytical Accelerator™ for AAV testing platform accelerates GMP lot release time by more than three times (22-6 weeks) with no wait times and a comprehensive set of platform tests in the all FDA quality areas from a single supplier. Vendor consolidation allows AAV gene therapy developers to ship to a single lab, reducing required sample volumes by up to 50%. Beyond platform testing, custom test development was completed in half the time (6 months versus 12 months) of de novo development using Analytical Accelerator™ methods. This complete one-source approach saves a lot of time and money.

“Everyone at CBM comes to work to create therapies for patients – especially those with a rare genetic disease without approved treatment,” said Dana Cipriano, Sr. Vice President of Testing and Analytical Services for CBM. “This comprehensive offering will reduce the costs of AAV-based gene therapies and provide much-needed testing capacity to improve access for patients who need it. no wait times for GMP slots for manufacturing along with our batch success guarantee, positions CBM to offer the most integrated AAV capabilities to our customers to bring the next generation of AAV-based gene therapies to market faster. »

“Pharmaceutical material is extremely valuable when it comes to rare diseases or any other small batch production (e.g. individualized drugs). All partners involved must be resourceful, creative and fully comply with regulatory requirements” , said Julia Taravella, executive director of Rare Trait, a not-for-profit biotechnology research company that selected CBM as its testing partner for the release of the drug AAV9 for a Phase I clinical trial to treat the life-threatening disorder aspartylglucosaminuria (AGU) of childhood that presents as autism. “CBM’s attention to detail and customer priorities will help bring the treatment to more AGU patients and accelerate our journey to clinic and market.”

Visit https://now.breakthroughmedicines.com/aav-testing-platform to learn more.

About the Center for Breakthrough Medicines (CBM)
The Center for Breakthrough Medicines (CBM) is a contracted cell and gene therapy development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) uniquely positioned to enable pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies to develop, test, manufacture and commercialize life-saving therapies and treatments to worldwide. Ideally located in the heart of Philadelphia Cellicon Valley, CBM has brought together the world’s most accomplished cell and gene therapy experts, armed with advanced and innovative technologies, to deliver scalable, best-in-class preclinical capabilities through commercial manufacturing capabilities, including the development of process, plasmid DNA, viral vector manufacturing, cell banking, cell processing, and a full suite of complementary and stand-alone test and analysis capabilities.

Purpose-built and patient-focused, CBM was designed from the ground up to be a more efficient CDMO; providing end-to-end single-source solutions to deliver true partnership and unprecedented value to its customers through teamwork, transparency and speed to market.

SOURCE Center for Breakthrough Medicines

Study finds high level of hybrid immunity in Swiss general population

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A recent study in the Swiss general population assessed the development of hybrid immunity during the pandemic wave dominated by the omicron variant of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The study, currently available on the medRxiv* preprint server, finds high seropositivity against SARS-CoV-2 in the study population.

Study: Development of hybrid immunity during a period of high incidence of infections with Omicron subvariants: a population-based, multi-regional cohort study. Image Credit: Tang Yan Song/Shutterstock

Background

SARS-CoV-2, the pathogen responsible for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, has so far caused more than 625 million infections and 6.5 million deaths worldwide. Although the rapid deployment of vaccines has significantly controlled the pandemic trajectory, continued surveillance of anti-SARS-CoV-2 immunity in the general global population is still needed.

The emergence of the highly infectious omicron variant has caused a sharp increase in breakthrough cases in fully vaccinated individuals. This has led to a significant increase in neutralizing seroprevalence in the general global population. Therefore, immunity induced by both infection and vaccination, i.e., hybrid immunity, is generally considered to provide more robust protection against severe disease than that induced by infection. or vaccination alone.

In the current study, scientists assessed the seroprevalence against SARS-CoV-2 in the Swiss general population during the omicron-dominated pandemic wave.

study design

This study is part of the Corona Immunitas research program in Switzerland.

The study was conducted on more than 2,500 individuals from the general population residing in three major regions of Switzerland. Seroprevalence was measured from March to July 2022.

Blood samples taken from the participants were analyzed for anti-spike and anti-nucleocapsid IgG antibodies. Additionally, neutralizing antibody levels against wild-type SARS-CoV-2 and its delta and omicron variants were also determined (functional immunity).

To determine the source of anti-SARS-CoV-2 immunity, self-reported vaccination status was obtained from participants. A history of SARS-CoV-2 infection was determined by anti-nucleocapsid seroprevalence, a positive test report for the virus, or the presence of anti-spike antibodies in the absence of vaccination.

Participants were classified into four groups based on their immune status: immunity naïve, vaccine-induced immunity only, infection-induced immunity only, and hybrid immunity (immunity induced by both infection and vaccination ).

Important observations

The study involved a total of 2553 participants from three main regions of Switzerland. Most of them had received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccines, and about 50% reported recent exposure to SARS-CoV-2.

The seroprevalence was estimated at 98% at the end of the study period (July 2022). The proportion of participants with anti-spike IgG antibodies was over 90%. Regarding neutralizing titers, approximately 94%, 90%, and 84% of participants showed seropositivity against wild-type virus, delta variant, and omicron variant, respectively.

Over the 4-month study period, anti-spike antibody levels remained generally stable in Switzerland, while anti-nucleocapsid antibody levels showed a rapid decline. A significant induction of susceptibility to infection by omicron was also observed in all study regions in spring 2022.

More than 2-fold greater induction of anti-spike IgG antibody and neutralizing antibody levels was observed at the end of the study in vaccinated participants and those with hybrid immunity compared to participants with a history of infections only.

The highest level of neutralizing efficacy against delta and omicron was observed in participants with hybrid immunity. This effectiveness was lowest in participants with previous exposure to the virus only.

The proportion of participants with hybrid immunity increased from 35% to 50% at the end of the study period. This could be due to a sharp increase in omicron cases in Switzerland in the spring of 2022.

Significance of the study

The study highlights a high level of anti-SARS-CoV-2 immunity in the Swiss general population in 2022. Approximately 51% of study participants have hybrid immunity, characterized by high levels of neutralization capability against delta and omicron variants.

Overall, the study indicates that SARS-CoV-2 has become endemic in Switzerland and that hybrid immunity induces more robust protection than vaccine and infection-induced immunity alone.

Biden set to go all-in with Big Oil on gas prices

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The administration’s efforts to keep pump prices low underscore how the cost of gasoline and electoral fortunes tend to be intertwined for the ruling party. They also illustrate how limited the political options are for the occupant of the White House.

A mix of factors beyond the government’s control are driving up fuel prices, analysts say. Among them are refinery outages in California and the Midwest, tougher European sanctions against Russia, persistent supply and demand imbalances, and OPEC’s recent decision to defy the White House and cut its oil production. So the White House opted for a long-term strategy of arm-twisting — publicly excoriating the oil companies while privately pressuring their leaders.

The offensive comes as the cost of gas has risen again across the country, erasing weeks of declines that President Joe Biden had championed as proof that his economic policies were working. While that trend has eased in the past few days, the longer-term picture looks grim, alarming officials who fear the fluctuating prices could do eleventh-hour damage to the Democrats’ medium-term chances.

“If you own it going up, you own it going down,” said Tobin Marcus, a former Biden adviser and current senior policy and policy strategist at Evercore ISI. “They’ve gotten great political mileage pointing to the clear improvements of the summer…and now have to make the most of a less than optimal situation.”

The average cost of gasoline now sits at $3.87 a gallon, about 20 cents higher than a month ago. In more than a dozen states, prices have topped the $4 mark, which Biden allies say is particularly troublesome for a Democratic party trying to sell voters on an improving economy.

Biden and his advisers have focused on the political significance of the cost of gas, saying it shapes what voters think about the economy. In the absence of immediate policy fixes, they turned fire on the industry, attacking the oil companies for collecting record profits and suggesting they could single-handedly drive down gasoline prices if not is for their own greed.

In late September, Biden directly urged oil and gas companies to cut prices, accusing them of profiting excessively from rising fuel costs, even as the global price of oil fell.

“Reduce the prices you charge at the pump to reflect the cost you pay for the product,” he said. “Do it now. Not a month from now. Do it now.”

More recently, Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm pointed the finger at oil giant ExxonMobil after opposing administration demands that the industry limit overseas exports in favor of rising supply in the United States.

“These companies need to focus less on getting every dollar off the table and more on passing the savings on to their customers,” Granholm said, adding that ExxonMobil “misinterprets where we are.”

In a statement, White House spokesman Abdullah Hasan called the administration’s aggressiveness toward the industry “advance the interests of the American people – whether it’s asking the industry his ideas to increase oil and gas production, or to call on him to set up record wartime profit margins.

Top Biden officials — including National Economic Council Director Brian Deese and top State Department energy adviser Amos Hochstein — have been even more persistent privately, repeatedly pressing industry officials to find new solutions. new ways to bring prices down, people familiar with the talks said.

While the administration has always kept an open channel to industry, people familiar said conversations have become more direct and frequent of late – with officials increasingly confident companies could do more. .

This has sparked protests from the oil and gas industry that it can do little to move prices on its own, especially on the administration’s accelerated schedule. Energy market experts largely agree, noting that prices are affected by a range of global dynamics and companies cannot produce more oil on a whim.

“You can yell at them all you want,” said Ryan Kellogg, an economist and professor at the University of Chicago’s Harris School of Public Policy. “There’s no switch you can flip that’s going to immediately squeeze a lot more oil out of the ground.”

But Biden’s aides are undeterred. Public and private officials have complained that oil refiners have been slow to restart facilities, urging them to ramp up production as quickly as they shut it down when demand cratered early in the year. the pandemic. They also focused on how long it takes for lower oil prices to translate into cheaper gas for consumers, saying energy companies and retailers should reflect the savings when oil prices also drop. quickly that they raise prices when oil markets rise.

“We are still not at pre-pandemic levels. [of supply] and yet demand has almost gotten there,” said an Energy Department official involved in the talks, adding that the continued weakness in inventories represents the heart of the administration’s frustration. “We really need to understand what is holding the industry back.”

The more aggressive shift has produced little measurable progress of late, though an administration official said there has been some recovery in refinery restarts this year. But it has further aggravated an already frosty relationship between the administration and the oil industry. A senior industry official, who was granted anonymity to speak candidly from the White House, questioned Biden’s aides’ understanding of energy markets. The person summed up the intense focus on daily price fluctuations as the administration “asks the wrong questions and takes the wrong actions.”

Another industry official said that despite months of talks, Biden and the industry shared virtually no common ground on policies they said could lower fuel costs.

“We value open engagement with the administration,” said Frank Macchiarola, senior vice president for political, economic and regulatory affairs at the American Petroleum Institute. “But the administration needs to change its policies and end its price gouging rhetoric, which has been consistently denied.”

Still, the approach has pleased some Democrats who have long thought the White House should take a tougher line with the oil industry over its outsized profits — a tactic they say could also help deflect price frustration. gasoline that voters might otherwise train on Biden himself.

Several Democratic lawmakers, as well as California Governor Gavin Newsom, have called for a tax on so-called windfall profits that oil companies make from high prices.

representing Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), an early advocate of the windfall tax, told POLITICO he is currently working on a bill restricting refined gasoline exports after the Biden administration reported that she was open to the idea.

The White House has yet to fully enact a windfall tax or an export ban, both of which represent major interventions that experts and some officials say could backfire and drive prices up. destabilizing oil markets and the delicate geopolitical landscape. Aides fear, for example, that restricting exports could hurt European allies already facing high energy costs due to their sanctions on Russia.

Yet even if that doesn’t translate into new policy or lead to a measurable drop in gas prices, Democrats argue that keeping the pressure on the oil industry is worth the potential political payoff.

“They’re trying to keep it from being worse than it needs to be as a political issue between now and the midterms finish line,” Marcus said. “Political narratives work best when there’s an identifiable villain.”

Ben Lefebvre contributed to this report.

Two Accomplished Architectural Firms Selected for Brown’s Future Integrated Life Sciences Building

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PROVIDENCE, RI [Brown University] — Brown University has selected a dynamic and versatile architecture team to design its future integrated life sciences building in the Jewelry District of Providence. The building will create new laboratory space for high-impact research that can lead to breakthroughs on pressing health issues.

Deborah Berke Partnersa firm based in New York, and Ballinger, a Philadelphia-based team of architects, engineers, planners and designers, will work in partnership with the University. Together, they will use their collective talents, skills, and experiences to design a building that enables cutting-edge collaborative life science research while helping to further invigorate the neighborhood.

A vote by the Corporation of Brown University at its fall meetings in October approved the selection of the architecture team, marking an important next step toward realizing Brown’s long-standing vision of creating a cutting-edge life science research close to its Warren Alpert School of Medicine, School of Public Health, School of Engineering, and affiliated hospital partners.

University architect Craig Barton, who managed the selection process, said the committee members who recommended the two firms’ design team were impressed with the companies’ portfolios as well as their common concern to work together and with a wide range of stakeholders.

“This unique collaboration between Deborah Berke Partners and Ballinger will bring to the project a world-class approach to academic building design as well as exceptional technical skills in creating laboratory and science spaces,” said Barton. “It’s an incredibly powerful combination, and we’re excited to have both partners on board as we begin the process of turning our vision for this integrated life sciences building into an active project.”

Shared values, shared vision

After announcing his plans for the building in June 2022, Brown first reviewed a slew of interested architectural firms and narrowed down to a list of 14 who contributed proposals. With input from multiple stakeholders, the selection committee moved forward with seven companies, Barton said, and ultimately interviewed four finalists.

Among the most important factors, Barton said, were identifying design teams that had developed plans for academic research facilities, particularly in the life sciences. Experience working in urban environments where integration with existing neighborhoods is essential, along with high-level design integrity, exceptional skills working with a wide variety of community members, and a strong commitment to promoting sustainable design practices were particularly important.

Both Deborah Berke Partners and Ballinger have extensive experience working with academic institutions on complex, large-scale projects, and have also partnered individually with Brown, Barton said.

Deborah Berke Partners is leading the design of Brown’s ongoing Brook Street Residence Hall project, which will create an innovative on-campus residential experience for third- and fourth-year undergraduate students.

“Not only do Deborah Berke Partners bring great skills as designers of urban projects, but they also have a nuanced understanding of how to work with an academic institution in which there are multiple internal and external stakeholders whose perspectives are essential. in the effort to develop a complex construction project,” said Barton, a graduate of the Class of 1978 Brown.

Ballinger has considerable expertise in designing buildings that house research laboratories, he noted, including Brown’s Sidney E. Frank Hall for Life Sciences, a LEED silver-certified building that provides space for the research in neuroscience, molecular and cellular biology and biochemistry. Opened in 2006, Barton said the project has held up remarkably well, with labs that haven’t needed any substantial renovations or upgrades to date.

For Ballinger and Deborah Berke Partners, Brown’s project won’t be their first collaboration — the companies are currently partnering on the design of a large, environmentally sustainable science and engineering building at Yale University. Brown’s selection committee evaluated the companies’ approach to communication and collaboration on the Yale project and felt that it positioned them well to work together at Brown.

Designing for the science of the future

As planned, the Integrated Life Sciences Building will provide state-of-the-art laboratory space for researchers in biology, medicine, brain sciences, bioengineering, public health and other disciplines to working together on pressing health issues. Dr. Mukesh K. Jain, Dean of Medicine and Biological Sciences, said the creation of a new facility in the Jewelry District, which already houses the Warren Alpert Medical School and other life sciences spaces life, would provide much-needed space for existing research centers to grow and for new ones to flourish.

“It’s exciting to reach this next milestone for the Integrated Life Sciences building,” Jain said. “Brown’s research community continues its robust growth, and this new facility will enable cutting-edge science that will ultimately lead to therapies and interventions for patients.

Due to the nature of how scientific research is conducted in labs, Barton said architects need to think not just of the building’s first occupants, but also of those who will use it in the future. This forward-thinking flexibility is part of Ballinger’s approach, said Terry Steelman, the company’s senior manager and one of Brown’s ILSB project managers.

“We aim to meet the work needs of early occupants and current science, but not to be so specific and personalized that the space cannot evolve as science – and scientists – change,” Steelman said. , who played a leading role in Sidney E. Frank Hall’s design for the life sciences.

“These buildings are long-lived and accommodate a wide range of occupants, in some cases on a short-term basis,” Steelman said. “So much will change over the life of the building. When we designed Sidney Frank Hall, for example, gene therapy was still gaining momentum, and now it’s a mainstream aspect of academic research. Who knows what amazing new discoveries will take place at the Brown Integrated Life Sciences building? We have to make sure that the space can accommodate this research.

Steelman cited the Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Colket Translational Research Building at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia as examples of large-scale Ballinger projects designed for interdisciplinary teams and the changing needs of scientists and researchers over time.

The ILSB must also be able to fit into an evolving neighborhood like the Jewelry District, which has seen significant growth in business in recent years as Brown and private developers have turned empty or derelict spaces into new projects. . That’s something Deborah Berke Partners excels at, said Brown Class of 1997 graduate Noah Biklen, who will lead the design team for the ILSB project.

“At Deborah Berke Partners, we design spaces for collaboration and community, places where great things happen,” said Biklen. “We also bring humanistic values ​​to our work. We pay a lot of attention to developing the character of a building and putting it into context.

Citing Brown’s commitment to reduce campus greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2040, Biklen said the companies will work closely with the University to design a highly sustainable science building.

“As a team with Ballinger and Brown, we are excited to design an integrated life sciences building that serves world-changing researchers as well as people in the surrounding community,” Biklen said.

With the selection of the architecture team, project managers from Brown, Ballinger and Deborah Berke Partners will now initiate an in-depth programming phase to assess factors ranging from space needs and site requirements to conceptual design. and projected scale and scope, along with estimated project costs and sources of funding. This process will bring together internal and external stakeholders. And while a target timeline for the entire project will emerge during planning, the University estimates construction completion within four to five years.

Why companies like UPS, Disney allow workers to show off tattoos

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The research isn’t exact, but a recent poll shows that up to half of Americans under 40 have a tattoo, which has implications for the job market.

Hinterhaus Productions | Stone | Getty Images

The growing battle to attract and retain workers has led employers to adjust their longstanding labor and hiring policies, from embracing hybrid and remote working to eliminating college degree requirements. A less covered policy is also changing: the visible display of tattoos on workers.

Companies such as Disney, UPS and Virgin Atlantic have relaxed their dress and style codes to allow employees to show off their tattoos in the workplace. Many of the moves have taken place over the past two years, as the tight job market that preceded Covid has become even more intensely competitive during the pandemic.

when long Home deposit CFO Carol Tomé has been named CEO of UPS in June 2020, many of its early efforts to shake up the parcel delivery giant focused on increasing job satisfaction for the company’s more than 534,000 workers worldwide. A few of these initiatives centered around the company’s dress and style restrictions.

“We didn’t allow facial hair; we didn’t allow natural hair. So if you’re African American and you wanted to have an afro or a twist or a braid, that wasn’t allowed. Our tattoo policy was more restrictive than the United States Army,” Tomé told CNBC last year.

UPS, well known for its regimented maroon uniform and driver dress code, acknowledged that it needed to make changes that would “create a more modern workplace for our employees, allowing them to bring their authentic selves to work”, said Christopher Bartlett, vice president of UPS. president of peoples and culture.

Initially, UPS reviewed its hair and beard policies, which previously prohibited men from having hair that extended below the collar or beard. The adjusted policy, rolled out in November 2020, now allows “professionally worn” beards and mustaches, as well as several “natural hairstyles”. The policy, however, states that employees must maintain a neat and clean appearance “suitable for their work and workplace”, and that the length of hair or beard cannot be a safety concern.

Changing views on tattoos at work

Bartlett said that after this policy was well received, UPS began considering changes to its tattoo policy. Previously, the company prohibited employees from showing visible tattoos – tattooed workers had to cover them with long sleeves or pants, or flesh-colored coverings.

After a series of culture surveys, discussions with employees and other research, UPS adopted a new policy announced in April 2021 that would allow employees to show off their tattoos provided they did not contain offensive words or images. Workers are also not allowed to have tattoos on their hands, head, neck or face.

“Tattoos do matter to people, and while there was a time when people could get tattoos on a whim, more often than not a tattoo really matters to someone; it’s part of who he is,” Bartlett said. “We wanted people to feel like they could bring themselves to work not just in their current job, but thinking about their whole career.”

disneyThe Parks Division underwent a similar change in April 2021, updating its dress and style code to allow workers to show off their tattoos, which it said was part of a larger effort for its employees and its guests feel more welcome at its theme parks.

The policy change “provides greater flexibility regarding forms of self-expression surrounding gender-neutral hairstyles, jewelry, nail styles, and costume choices; and allowing for appropriate visible tattoos. “, Josh D’Amaro, President of Disney Parks, Experiences and Products, written in a blog post on the Disney website.

“We’re updating them to not only stay relevant in today’s workplace, but to allow our cast to better express their workplace cultures and individuality,” D’Amaro wrote.

According to the Disney Cast Member Handbook, visible tattoos that are no larger than an outstretched hand are allowed, with the exception of those on the face, head, or neck. For larger tattoos on the arm or leg, employees can wear matching fabric tattoo sleeves. Any tattoos that depict nudity, offensive or inappropriate language, or violate company policies are also prohibited.

Disney did not respond to a request for comment.

Virgin Atlantic, the British airline owned by Richard Branson, lifted its ban on visible tattoos for uniformed employees in May. Estelle Hollingsworth, director of human resources at Virgin Atlantic, said in an emailed statement: “Many people use tattoos to express their unique identity and our customer-facing and uniformed colleagues should not not be excluded from doing so if they wish.”

The U.S. military took similar action, rolling out an updated directive in June, further expanding its tattoo allowance, including hand and neck tattoos. The army earlier relaxed restrictions that limited the number of tattoos recruits and soldiers could have on their arms and legs in 2015.

“We are always reviewing the policy to ensure that the military remains an option open to as many people as possible who want to serve,” said Major General Doug Stitt, director of military personnel management. army press service. “This directive makes sense for soldiers currently serving and allows more talented people to have the opportunity to serve now.”

According to the United States Army Training and Doctrine Command, 41% of 18 to 34 year olds have at least one or more tattoos.

Customers are more accepting of tattooed workers

Enrica Ruggs, an associate professor in the department of management and leadership at the University of Houston’s CT Bauer College of Business, said there has long been a negative stigma towards tattoos that are reminiscent of biker culture and the feeling that rebellious people were those with tattoos. This carried over to corporate culture, where hiring managers stereotyped candidates with visible tattoos, or where employers worried that employing someone with tattoos would put off customers.

However, Ruggs said recent search found that most tattoos now reflect a sense of place – for example, memorial images, reminders of their culture or profession, or a tattoo that matches that of a loved one.

Ruggs conducted an experiment measuring customer reaction to workers wearing temporary tattoos. While some customers still had negative stereotypes about tattoos, employees with tattoos had as many sales as those without tattoos. Negative stereotypes also did not negatively affect customers’ perception of the organization. In fact, tattooed employees in white-colored or creative jobs were viewed more favorably and more competently than non-tattooed employees by customers, according to Ruggs’ research.

“Part of the argument has always been that it will hurt the organization and it might actually change a consumer’s buying behavior,” Ruggs said. “But if the lifeblood of your business is service, that doesn’t change, but allowing and relaxing some of these policies can help boost employee morale and expand the number of people you can hire, which can help improve employee performance. If employees are happy and feel satisfied with their employee, they are also likely to be highly productive.”

Although there are no exact statistics regarding tattoos, a January Rasmussen Reports investigation found that nearly half of Americans under 40 have tattoos. Across all ages, 33% of Americans have tattoos, according to the survey.

The New York City Council currently has a bill that would seek to address discrimination against people with tattoos, including in the workplace. The bill would add tattoos to categories in the city’s administrative code that are already prohibited from discrimination like race or sexual orientation. While this would still allow employers to require employees to cover up tattoos, it would require them to prove that not showing a tattoo is a “bona fide job qualification”.

Bartlett said that after UPS changed its policy, he noticed several employees posting their UPS-themed tattoos on the company’s internal bulletin board.

“When someone puts a UPS logo on them after a 25-year driving career here, it matters, and it shows the company matters to them,” he said. “It’s not a P&L game here, but it’s about inclusion and bringing your authentic self to work.”

Join us October 25-26, 2022 for the CNBC Work Summit — Dislocation, Negotiation, and Determination: The World of Work Right Now. Visit CNBC Events to register.

The Nightmare XBB COVID variant that beats our immunity is finally here

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A new sub-variant of the novel coronavirus called XBB was dramatically announced earlier this week in Singapore. New COVID cases more than doubled in a day, from 4,700 on Monday to 11,700 on Tuesday – and XBB is almost certainly the reason. The same sub-variant has also just appeared in Hong Kong.

A highly mutated descendant of the Omicron variant of the SAR-CoV-2 virus that caused a record wave of infections starting about a year ago, XBB is in many ways the worst form of the virus to date. It is more contagious than any previous variant or sub-variant. It also evades antibodies from monoclonal therapies, potentially rendering an entire class of drugs ineffective as COVID treatments.

“It’s probably the most immune and poses challenges for current monoclonal antibody-based treatments and prevention strategy,” Amesh Adalja, a public health expert at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, told The Daily Beast. with reference to XBB.

That’s the bad news. The good news is that the new “bivalent” vaccine boosters from Pfizer and Moderna seem to work very well against XBB, even though the original vaccines are less effective against XBB. they won’t prevent everything infections and reinfections, but they should significantly reduce the risk of serious infection that can lead to hospitalization or death. “Even with immuno-evasive variants, vaccine protection against what matters most – severe disease – remains intact,” Adalja said.

As the novel coronavirus evolves to become more contagious and more resistant to certain types of medication, keeping up to date with your reminders is “the most impactful thing you can do in anticipation of what might happen,” expert Peter Hotez in vaccine development at Baylor College, The Daily Beast told The Daily Beast.

Scientists first identified XBB in August. It is one of several major sub-variants that have evolved from the base Omicron variant, accumulating more and more mutations on key parts of the virus, in particular the spike protein, the part of the virus that helps it grab and infect our cells.

XBB has at least seven new mutations along the peak. Mutations which, taken together, make the subvariant harder for our immune system to recognize – and therefore more likely to evade our antibodies and enter our cells to cause infection.

This accumulation of mutations is not surprising. Changes along the spike protein have characterized most major new SARS-CoV-2 variants and subvariants as the pandemic approaches its fourth year.

What is surprising is the competition with XBB as it battles to become the next dominant form of the novel coronavirus. Several other Omicron sub-variants are also in circulation. All are highly evolved. Many of them actually share a subset of key mutations, especially on the peak.

So, while XBB seems to be gaining traction in Asia, a close cousin of XBB called BQ.1.1 is spreading fast in Europe and some US states. There are others also in the running, including BA.2.75.2. Hotez calls these viral cousins ​​the “Scrabble” subvariants, a nod to classic puns and the jumble of scientific designations of closely related viruses.

Scrabble variants are indicative of what scientists call “convergent evolution.” That is, separate viral sublines that pick up more and more of the same mutations. It’s as if the children of Omicron all separately learn how to be a better virus than their parent and become more like each other in the process.

Immune evasion is the common quality. At least two of Scrabble’s subvariants – XBB and BQ.1.1 – are nearly unrecognizable to existing antibody therapies and somewhat less recognizable by the antibodies produced by the first doses of the main messenger RNA vaccines.

By eluding some of our therapies and, to a lesser extent, our original vaccines, XBB and its cousins ​​show us where the new coronavirus is heading, genetically speaking. The current spike in infections in places like Singapore is a preview of a potential global surge this winter or next spring as XBB or one of its kin becomes dominant everywhere.

It is possible to mitigate the worst results. Natural antibodies from a past infection are always the best and longest lasting antibodies. They don’t last forever. But while they do last — a few months or potentially an entire year — the chance of catching a bad case of COVID is pretty low.

So if you had an earlier form of Omicron — say, during the wave of infections that started last Thanksgiving and peaked around February — you might still have good antibodies for a few months. More than enough time to boost those fading natural antibodies with a dose of the latest mRNA boosters.

Pfizer and Moderna formulated these new boosters to include genetic instructions specifically to attack the BA.5 subvariant of Omicron, which is still the dominant form of SARS-CoV-2 but is rapidly disappearing as XBB and the other subvariants Scrabble variants surpass it.

A pharmacist gives a COVID-19 vaccine booster during an event hosted by the Chicago Department of Public Health at the Southwest Senior Center on September 09, 2022 in Chicago, Illinois. The recently licensed booster vaccine protects against the original SARS-CoV-2 virus and the newer omicron variants, BA.4 and BA.5.

Scott Olson/Getty Images

Bivalent boosters should work fairly well against virus forms closely related to BA.5, including Scrabbles. “This is because one of the two components [in the boosters] induces an immune response to BA.5, and most new Scrabble variants are more like BA.5 than [the] original Chinese line,” Hotez told The Daily Beast.

The implication, of course, is that we will eventually need another new booster to keep pace with the rapidly changing virus. Of course, bivalent boosters work against immediate descendants of BA.5 and BA.5. But what about the next generation of Omicron sub-variants, the one after XBB and its cousins?

More and more health officials are turning to the idea of ​​an annual COVID booster. US President Joe Biden even endorsed the idea in a statement last month. “As the virus continues to change, we will now be able to update our vaccines every year to target the dominant variant,” Biden said. “Like your annual flu shot, you should get it between Labor Day and Halloween.”

But one booster a year might not be enough if, as some epidemiologists fear, natural antibodies fade more quickly and the novel coronavirus mutates at an accelerated rate. One concern, if it turns out that we need new boosters twice a year, is whether industry can develop new vaccines fast enough and whether health agencies can approve them quickly.

There’s an even bigger question, though. “The biggest factor is just that people get a more recent booster,” James Lawler, an infectious disease expert at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, told The Daily Beast.

Even if a new booster is available every six months or so, will enough people get it to make a difference to the overall rates of serious illness and death? Booster use is down globally, but especially so in the United States, where only 10% of people have received the bivalent booster since federal regulators approved them in August.

XBB is a nasty little sub-variant. But that’s not the last word on COVID. The novel coronavirus will continue to mutate and find new ways to evade our antibodies whether many people pay attention or not.

The virus is not done with us. Which means we can’t end this. Be boosted. And prepare to be boosted Again in 2023.

To harness huge amounts of potential wind power far from shore, vast floating wind farms are planned in the Gulf of Maine

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And that’s exactly what Habib Dagher intends to achieve in the Gulf of Maine, with the first of these monumental structures planned a few miles off the coast of Monhegan Island in 2025.

Dagher is the executive director of the Advanced Structures and Composites Center at the University of Maine at Orono, and his is the first in the United States of the next generation of wind turbines that are the clean energy world’s new great hope. . Federal officials estimate that two-thirds of the nation’s potential wind power is in waters too deep for traditional wind turbines, with some of the best locations off the coast of New England, particularly in the Gulf of Maine. .

“This is a major opportunity,” said Dagher, who has been researching and designing floating turbine technology for more than a decade. “There’s enough offshore wind to power the country four times, all within 50 miles of shore.”

VolturnUS 1:8 was launched off Brewer, Maine on June 1, 2013. It became the first offshore wind turbine to put electricity on the US grid.
University of Maine

Engineers such as Dagher envision vast floating wind farms in the Gulf of Maine, where federal officials estimate reliable gusts well offshore have the capacity to generate more than five times the amount of electricity used on average in New England. . But their vision has drawn criticism from fishermen, who worry about the impact of floating turbines on sea life and worry about their ability to fish in industrialized waters.

Dagher’s team has received millions of dollars in research and development funding from the federal government, which has promoted floating wind as a way to solve the thorny problems of erecting wind turbines too close to shore, where they tend to stir up opposition, and take advantage of any potential wind power further.

Its design rests on steel-reinforced concrete hulls, each with three massive partially submerged columns, specially designed to limit the pitch of their turbines to just a few degrees – even in 70-foot waves and gusts of over 100 miles per hour .

His team members’ first prototype, tested in 2013, proved their concept, as did similar projects built more recently off the coast of Scotland and elsewhere in Europe, they said. Scotland has raised nearly $1 billion this year from coastal waters leases to build 15 gigawatts of floating wind power, enough for some 5 million homes.

The floating turbine the team is designing for the location off Monhegan Island would have a capacity of 11 megawatts. In addition to the large columns, the turbines would have a range of technologies to keep them stable in the water: heavy mooring lines that weigh around 15 pounds per foot and would be attached to multiple anchors weighing up to 40 tons; software that automatically moves the rotor blades for optimal energy production; and the equivalent of seismic absorbers used in buildings to reduce their movement during an earthquake.

“On a normal day, you would have a hard time seeing it moving,” Dagher said. “It would look fixed.”

If they can overcome regulatory and political hurdles and the turbine proves robust enough to handle rough seas, Dagher’s team plans to build a floating farm of a dozen turbines with a capacity of nearly of 150 megawatts about 20 miles to the south.

Ally Rzesa/Globe Staff

Biden administration officials announced a plan in September to create 15 gigawatts of electricity with floating turbines by 2035. This adds to a previous administration goal to build 30 gigawatts of offshore wind using traditional turbines by 2030.

Their plan, part of Biden’s pledge to halve the country’s carbon emissions by the end of the decade, focuses on installing floating turbines in the Gulf of Maine and off the coast of west coast, where the waters are too deep for traditional turbines.

Last month, Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm unveiled plans for $50 million in tech research and called the administration’s ambitions a “big bold and hairy goal,” adding that Biden is “completely convinced of making floating offshore wind a real part of our energy mix”. “, reported the Associated Press.

She said the money, along with a recently launched competition for new technologies, aims to cut floating wind costs by 70% by 2035.

“We believe the private sector will quickly see the real opportunity here to not only triple the nation’s accessible offshore wind resources, but also to establish the United States as a world leader in the manufacture and deployment of offshore wind,” she said.

Dr. Habib Dagher, in front of the VolturnUS 1:8 floating turbine at the 2013 launch event in Brewer, Maine. University of Maine

But the prospect of large wind farms has prompted an outcry from some local fishermen and environmental groups.

Fishermen fear that webs of mooring lines – each the thickness of a telephone pole – criss-crossing the seabed and attached to massive anchors will prevent them from setting their traps or towing their nets.

“We have great reservations about offshore wind development,” said Erik Anderson, president of the New Hampshire Commercial Fishermen’s Association. “There are so many questions – environmental, marine, economic and others – that have not been sufficiently answered or investigated to sustain the huge commitment to the strategy.”

In response to a recent request for comment from the US Office of Ocean Energy Management, which is considering potential locations for floating wind farms in the Gulf of Maine, Anderson urged the agency to ban such development.

The noise and electromagnetic fields created by the turbines, he warned, could have “serious consequences” in the Gulf of Maine, which he described as an “ecologically sensitive body of water with enormous productivity and incalculable in all aspects of marine life”.

He and others in the fishing industry also worry about the challenges of navigating around turbines and moorings.

“The development of new industrial oceans should only be approached with full consideration of national food security and the cultural and economic needs of our coastal communities,” said Annie Hawkins, executive director of the Responsible Offshore Development Alliance, a coalition fishing groups and businesses.

She worries that federal officials “praise first and ask questions later.”

Proponents of floating wind in the Gulf of Maine said deeper waters would mean far less conflict with anglers, most of whom fish closer to shore. Further offshore, they are also less likely to arouse opposition from those concerned about their views.

The VolturnUS 1:8 hull was towed from Brewer to Castine, Maine in 2013.
University of Maine

Dagher said his team is moving slowly, working with state and federal officials, to make sure they minimize those conflicts.

“We’ve heard from the industry, and that’s why we’re slowing down,” he said.

His team had hoped to have installed 5 gigawatts of floating wind power — enough to power all of Maine — by the end of the decade. Instead, they have no plans to build large wind farms in the Gulf of Maine until then.

“The concerns of the fishing industry are important to us,” Dagher said. “We want to do it right and take a deliberate approach.”

Some environmental groups have teamed up with fishing groups, echoing calls from the New England Fishery Management Council for federal authorities to conduct a full environmental review before installing wind farms in the Gulf of Maine.

The federal authorities, however, refused to do so.

Conservationists are concerned about the impact of underwater noise from turbines and marine debris, such as old fishing ropes, which get caught in mooring lines, potentially entangling marine mammals along the way. of extinction such as North Atlantic right whales. The lines themselves are too thick and taut to tangle the whales.

Erica Fuller, senior attorney at the Conservation Law Foundation in Boston, said the government’s decision “embodies short-term thinking that will only cause long-term problems.”

“Advancing offshore wind is critical to addressing the climate crisis and cleaning up our power grid, but it must be done in a science-based, inclusive and transparent way,” she said.

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management officials said they are still in the early stages of planning where to locate wind farms in the Gulf of Maine and have other means to assess environmental risks. They added that the federal government has already invested millions of dollars in studying the region’s marine ecosystems and has refined its process for identifying locations for offshore wind.

“We are convinced that [our] approach, which uses the best available science and information, will identify the least conflicted areas that still provide the renewable energy capacity needed to meet the administration’s and state’s renewable energy goals,” said said Tracey Moriarty, spokeswoman for the office.

At a recent floating wind conference in Portland, Jocelyn Brown-Saracino, who oversees offshore wind policy at the U.S. Department of Energy, said it’s time to start moving forward. forward with efforts to harness the vast wind power available in the Gulf of Maine. .

She said floating wind was “on its way to being a central pillar of our clean energy future”.

“Its promise is huge,” she said, “but we have a lot of work to do.”


David Abel can be contacted at [email protected] Follow him on Twitter @davabel.

Vampire skin is the immortal beauty trend here to step up your Halloween game

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“Beauty is only superficial”, says the common tradition. While mankind was busy dissecting the proverb into bite-sized assertions, a branch of science literally we stepped into the skin to drive a beauty trend – currently reframing the anti-aging industry one cell at a time. Introducing the forward-looking science of cellular beauty, a skincare trend that addresses the building blocks of our bodies to provide a strong foundation for overall health, including our skin, hair and nails .

What is cellular beauty?

The idea is quite simple: what we eat and how we treat our bodies profoundly affects our skin, while the natural process of cell rejuvenation begins to slow down with age. Linking this internal factor to external, cellular beauty preaches the fact that optimal skin health starts at the cellular level and goes. A sheet mask the night before a party can instantly boost hydration and calm our acnebut addressing these concerns from the bottom up, i.e. improving the basic health of your cells, has long-term benefits in the anti-aging battle.

“The idea behind Cellular Beauty is to support the cellular processes that occur within skin cells so skin can function optimally,” said Dr Joshua Zeichner. In an interview with Dizzy Beauty, the dermatologist explained in more detail how antioxidants are fundamental ingredients in this approach to skin care. “Think of them as fire extinguishers that quench inflammation caused by free radicals,” he added.

Cellular Beauty does this work by naturally hydrating our cells and re-energizing the process of cell division, which, in turn, rejuvenates the skin. Coupled with cell therapy, the approach provides the enzymes and proteins needed to hydrate and increase oxygenation, which then stimulates cell metabolism so our skin can renew itself as it did when we were babies. .

From a product claims perspective, Cellular Beauty promises to help your cells perform a number of functions, including resisting aging, oxidation, and environmental damage while regenerating them. elements essential to beauty such as collagen. As a homogenous group, however, these products are not manufactured or function in exactly the same way.

In October 2020, Nestlé Health Sciences launches a new brand dedicated to the concept. Double Celltrient, the line includes three categories of ingestible products to protect, energize and support cellular health. Targeting consumers aged 50 and over, the products contain ingredients like glutathione and nicotinamide riboside chloride, a form of B3. “We believe we are part of the next wave of wellness because at some point the market is saturated and people are looking for products that work on a deeper level,” the associate marketing manager said. Joelle Legree in an interview with Bright back in November 2020. “This is an emerging science and we are seeing an increase in scientific publications around cellular health. As more physicians learn more, this category could grow very quickly.

A boom accelerated by the pandemic

Fast forward to 2021, and cellular beauty appears to be facing both the anti-aging and wellness battle, as consumers increasingly focus on optimizing their overall wellness from the most natural way possible. “They increasingly want products that work smarter and more effectively to generate natural glow and vitality, and work longer to more permanently improve our health,” explained Mallory Huronbeauty and wellness strategist at Snoops-Mode.

In her research, she admitted to discovering cellular beauty similarities with the same appeal that is driving the rise of nutricosmetics and ingestible beauty supplements. In short, there is growing interest in the idea of ​​generating optimal health from the inside out. “With cellular beauty, the idea of ​​using a product, either as an internal supplement or an external topical, that can stimulate the functioning of your skin at a cellular level has the same appeal,” she told Dazed. Beauty.

According to the publication, while the effectiveness of such products is not entirely clear due to the lack of regulation, a group of brands are bringing cellular beauty to the fore. For starters, skin care brand Haoma Land claims to naturally reverse the signs of aging and improve skin health with powerful plant-based formulas that target the root causes of cellular breakdown, like stress or environmental damage. In addition to slowing down these processes, Huron mentioned how the brand’s formulas flood the skin with antioxidants and fortifying activities to help support cellular health and make them more resistant to long-term breakdown.

Other innovative topical brands in cellular health include CellularMd and Elysee Health. While the former centers on its motto that “skin care is a science,” the latter pushes the boundaries in terms of how far supplements can go to reverse the effects of aging at the cellular level. Dazed Beauty also noted how Elysium Health is selling Indexan at-home “biological age test” that can help determine how fast you are aging and ultimately monitor how fast your cells are breaking down.

While the supplement market was the first to go cellular, injectables are the latest addition to the approach. Cue plasma-rich platelet (PRP) injections, commonly known as vampire facials. Instead of foreign fillers and neurotoxins, the procedure involves taking a vial of your own blood, spinning it in a centrifuge to separate the plasma and other cells, then injecting it back into your skin. Since plasma is a healing cell, the all-natural fluid supposedly works to repair damage at and around the injection site, revealing healthier skin for months to come.

Although Huron claims cellular beauty is a sneaky repackaging of the anti-aging movement, she noted how the trend would continue — as the biohacking movement (where you “hack” your body to help it function more efficiently) is gaining momentum. “Additionally, we are seeing a real interest among consumers to proactively address their health and implement routines, rituals and products that can help treat, prevent and slow issues before they arise. do not arise,” she added.

While the concept of cellular beauty is nothing new so to speak, the addition of the term “cellular beauty” into the wellness lexicon might just initiate more brands into its folds. Currently considered “the most promising development in skincare“, the approach is undoubtedly here to stay. After all, what could be more fundamental than the health of your cells in the long term, right?

Nevada DRIVE Research Assistantship Recipients | Search | The doctoral school

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Adea Badivuku, doctoral student in piano performance


Adea Badivuku is a concert pianist from Kosovo. She grew up listening to classical music, while her favorite styles are romantic and contemporary. As a pianist who recently performed at Carnegie Hall and won first prize at the New York International Piano Competition, she is privileged to be the first doctoral candidate in piano performance in the United States since the Kosovo. During her studies, Adea took part in numerous piano competitions, masterclasses and music workshops. She has performed in numerous concerts and festivals in the Balkans, Europe and the United States while working with notable artists in the music world.

Badivuku was accepted to Central Michigan University in 2019 as an MM student with a full GA in piano. In 2021, she joined the University team as an DMA candidate with a full scholarship in piano performance and a position as an GRA. Adea is vice president of the National Association of College Music Teachers and a representative of the Graduate Music Student Council. She is a member of the Graduate Student Association and sits on the Performing Arts and Student Advocacy Committees. She is also co-founder and performer of the ADE DUO ensemble.

Adea Badivuku explores the various colors of contemporary piano musical techniques. She analyzes several new musical notations, internalizes contemporary piano notation into her piano skills, and teaches her students and peers while sharing her experience with interdisciplinary colleagues. She is interested in works for piano/midi keyboard with musical tape, mainly with regard to the sound quality of timbre. In 2021, she wrote an article titled “Moving Beyond the Traditional Piano: A Literature Review of Extended Techniques and Electronic Enhancements” in which she studied several new standard musical techniques for piano performance and was accepted into the Michigan Music Conference .

She recently collaborated with composers and painters to perform in an audio-visual art installation called “Shadows”. She researches the music of John Cage from a technical and contextual perspective. Badivuku explores Cage’s prepared piano and landscape approach as well as collaboration with electro-acoustic music.

“Being a DRIVE Scholar has been a huge honor for me! This award allowed me to focus solely on my academic progress. I was able to work on releasing the album of my duo ensemble, I managed to collaborate with other artists such as a painter from Istanbul and a composer from UCSB to create an audiovisual work and, most importantly, helped me focus on creating the proposal to create an innovative/contemporary art festival in Kosovo, Reno and Santa Barbara. That being said, I believe hard work always pays off.

Lam Research (NASDAQ:LRCX) Receives New Price Target of $434.00 for Goldman Sachs Group

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Lam Research (NASDAQ: LRCX – Get a rating) had its price target reduced by Goldman Sachs Group analysts from $504.00 to $434.00 in a report on Friday, Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a “buy” rating on the semiconductor company’s stock. Goldman Sachs Group’s target price would suggest a potential upside of 27.42% from the company’s previous close.

Other research analysts have also published research reports on the company. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft cut its price target on Lam Research from $480.00 to $400.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday. UBS Group raised its price target on Lam Research shares from $510.00 to $530.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a Thursday, July 28 research note. Cowen cut his price target on Lam Research shares from $800.00 to $620.00 in a Thursday, July 28 research note. Morgan Stanley lowered its price target on Lam Research shares from $550.00 to $543.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a Tuesday, September 6 research note. Finally, Bank of America reduced its target price on Lam Research from $540.00 to $460.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a Friday, October 7 research report. Ten investment analysts gave the stock a hold rating and nine gave the stock a buy rating. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $566.05.

Lam Research stock up 5.1%

Lam Research stock opened at $340.61 on Friday. The company has a debt ratio of 0.80, a quick ratio of 1.82 and a current ratio of 2.69. Lam Research has a 1-year low of $299.59 and a 1-year high of $731.85. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $429.19 and a 200-day simple moving average of $456.64. The company has a market capitalization of $46.61 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.40, a P/E/G ratio of 1.24 and a beta of 1.38.

Lam Research (NASDAQ: LRCX – Get a rating) last reported results on Wednesday, July 27. The semiconductor company reported EPS of $8.83 for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $7.31 by $1.52. The company posted revenue of $4.64 billion in the quarter, versus $4.21 billion expected by analysts. Lam Research had a net margin of 26.73% and a return on equity of 75.71%. Lam Research’s quarterly revenue increased 11.8% year over year. In the same quarter of the previous year, the company achieved EPS of $8.09. As a group, stock analysts expect Lam Research to post earnings per share of 37.14 for the current year.

Institutional entries and exits

Major investors have recently been buying and selling shares of the company. Capital Advisory Group Advisory Services LLC bought a new position in Lam Research during Q1 worth approximately $27,000. OLD Second National Bank of Aurora bought a new position in Lam Research during the first quarter worth about $27,000. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. increased its stake in Lam Research by 1,400.0% in Q1. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. now owns 60 shares of the semiconductor company valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 56 shares during the period. Beacon Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in Lam Research in Q3 worth approximately $32,000. Finally, Farmers & Merchants Trust Co of Chambersburg PA increased its stake in Lam Research shares by 71.7% during the 2nd quarter. Farmers & Merchants Trust Co of Chambersburg PA now owns 79 shares of the semiconductor company valued at $34,000 after buying 33 additional shares during the period. 80.09% of the shares are held by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Lam Research

(Get a rating)

Lam Research Corporation designs, manufactures, markets, refurbishes and services semiconductor processing equipment used in the manufacture of integrated circuits. The company offers ALTUS systems to deposit conformal films for tungsten plating applications; SABER electrochemical deposition products for copper interconnect transition which offers damascened copper fabrication; SOLA ultraviolet heat treatment products for film processing; and VECTOR plasma-enriched CVD ALD products.

Read more

Analyst Recommendations for Lam Research (NASDAQ:LRCX)

This instant news alert was powered by MarketBeat’s narrative science technology and financial data to provide readers with the fastest and most accurate reports. This story was reviewed by MarketBeat’s editorial team prior to publication. Please send questions or comments about this story to [email protected]

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Moderately Immunosuppressed HIV-Positive Patients at Increased Risk of Severe ‘Breakthrough’ COVID-19 Infection

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According to a study by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, people living with HIV who have moderate immunosuppression appear to be at higher risk of severe COVID-19 infection after vaccination.

These results suggest that this group should be considered for additional vaccine doses and other risk reduction measures.

For the study, researchers analyzed data from electronic health records of people with and without HIV. Of these, 3,649 people had a breakthrough COVID-19 infection in the second half of 2021. The researchers found that people living with HIV did not have a significantly higher rate of severe infection to COVID-19. Among the HIV-positive group, the researchers found that those with CD4 counts below 350 cells/millimeter cubic blood were 59% more likely to have serious infections compared to people without HIV.

The study was published online October 13 in Open JAMA Network.

Currently, the CDC recommends people who are moderately or severely immunocompromised take extra precautions to protect themselves from COVID-19, including extra doses of vaccine.

People living with HIV and CD4 count between 200 and 350 cells/mm3 are not included in current CDC recommendations. Our results suggest that people living with HIV who have CD4 counts below 350 cells/mm3 should be considered moderately or severely immunocompromised by the CDC, and encouraged to take extra precautions to protect against severe COVID-19. »


Keri Althoff, PhD, MPH, Study Senior Author, Associate Professor, Department of Epidemiology, Bloomberg School

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends extra vaccine doses and regular vaccine boosters for people who are moderately or severely immunocompromised. Although people do not need to prove their immunocompromised status to get additional vaccinations according to CDC guidelines, this category includes people with advanced or untreated HIV infection, defined as a T-cell count CD4 less than 200 cells per microliter and an unsuppressed HIV viral load.

The new study used the Corona Virus Epidemiology Team (CIVET)-II cohort, which included patients from Kaiser Permanente’s Mid-Atlantic State Health Systems, Kaiser’s Northern California Permanente, the Veterans Health Administration and the University of North Carolina. The initial study population included 33,029 people living with HIV and 80,965 people without HIV, who were fully vaccinated against COVID-19 during the period of December 2020 to June 2021. Both groups – people with and HIV-free – were matched on demographic factors such as age and sex, and by date of vaccination.

In the CIVET cohort, there were 3,649 cases of breakthrough COVID-19 infection post-vaccination, the vast majority mild, in the two groups combined. In a complementary study published in June, Althoff and colleagues showed that these breakthrough infections occurred at a higher rate in the HIV group, suggesting a 28% higher risk, compared to the non-HIV group. However, the absolute risk level was low, at only 4.4% for the HIV-positive group versus 3.8% for the non-HIV-positive group.

In the new study, researchers looked at the 249 cases of breakthrough infection that were classified as severe because they required hospitalization within 28 days of being diagnosed with COVID-19. They found that although the risk of serious illness in the first 28 days was low and comparable between HIV-positive (7.3%) and non-HIV-positive people (6.7%), more immunocompromised people with HIV, with a CD4 count below 350 cells/mm3were at 59% higher risk than people without HIV.

Of those with breakthrough severe infections, 9.6% were mechanically ventilated; 10.1% among HIV-positive people and 9.4% among non-HIV-positive people; and 8.0% died during or within 30 days of hospitalization; 7.5% among HIV-positive people and 8.2% percent among non-HIV-positive people; without difference according to serological status.

“Clinicians caring for people living with HIV with moderately low CD4 counts, i.e. CD4 counts below 350 cells/mm3should encourage them to take extra precautions to prevent serious outbreaks of COVID-19,” adds Althoff.

The study’s first author, Raynell Lang, MD, MPH, an assistant professor in the Department of Medicine at the University of Calgary’s Cumming School of Medicine, worked on the study during a postdoctoral fellowship with Althoff.

Among vaccinated people living with HIV, being older, being female, or having a cancer diagnosis was also associated with a greater risk of hospitalization, while having previously had COVID -19 was associated with a lower risk.

The results, according to Althoff, suggest the CDC should consider expanding its recommendations for additional vaccine dosing to include people living with HIV whose CD4 count is less than 350 cells/mm.3.

“Analysis of Severe Illness After COVID-19 Post-Vaccination Breakthrough in Adults With and Without HIV in the United States” was co-authored by Raynell Lang, Elizabeth Humes, Sally Coburn, Michael Horburg, Lily Fathi, Eric Watson , Celeena Jefferson, Lesley Park, Kirsha Gordon, Kathleen Akgün, Amy Justice, Sonia Napravnik, Jessie Edwards, Lindsay Browne, Deana Agil, Michael Silverberg, Jacek Scarbinski, Wendy Leyden, Cameron Stewart, Brenna Hogan, Kelly Gebo, Vincent Marconi, Carolyn Williams and Keri Althoff.

The study was additionally funded by the North American AIDS Cohort Collaboration on Research and Design (NA-ACCORD, U01AI069918) of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health.

Source:

Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health

Journal reference:

Lang, R. et al. (2022) Analysis of severe illness after COVID-19 breakthrough after vaccination in adults with and without HIV in the United States. JAMA network open. doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.36397.

Barrington Nutritionals partners with RedLeaf Biologics

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Oct 13, 2022

RedLeaf includes powerful 3 deoxyanthocyanidins, which are very rare in nature, but found in abundance in RedLeaf’s patented variety of red sorghum which was discovered, sustainably grown and mined in Kentucky

Barrington Nutritionals, distributor of high-quality, science-backed ingredients, has announced its partnership with RedLeaf Biologics to supply its Sorghum Bioflavonoid Complex.

“At RedLeaf, we’ve worked hard to build not only an entirely new ecosystem of crops and agriculture, but also a fundamentally new and disruptive class of natural ingredients,” said Sean Voigt, president of RedLeaf Biologics. “Barrington brings deep relationships, experience and knowledge of ingredient markets, and we are excited to partner with the team to bring our new ingredients to brands and consumers in the areas of health and wellness, food and beverage and cosmetics.”

This group of patented polyphenols results in potent up-regulation of cellular antioxidant response element (Nrf2/ARE) and down-regulation of NFKB, allowing this ingredient to fight oxidative stress at the cellular level. Through this bioactive mechanism, RedLeaf addresses a variety of needs in the sports formula, gut health, cognition, and beauty sectors.

This ingredient is a highly soluble powder extract with a pleasant herbal flavor and aroma that will appeal to formulators looking for various delivery applications.

“We are delighted to partner with RedLeaf Biologics to supply their Red Sorghum Bioflavonoid Complex,” said Chris Holland, Vice President of Sales, Barrington Nutritionals. “Through its action on three fundamental and interconnected physiologies – oxidative stress, inflammation and immunity, RedLeaf’s proprietary ingredient shows promise in a range of health, beauty and nutrition applications.”

Scientifically backed by dozens of upcoming research and clinical studies, RedLeaf is non-GMO, gluten-free, clean, kosher, halal, vegan, self-affirmed GRAS, and comes with an NDI exemption.

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“This ingredient is a highly soluble powder extract with a pleasant herbal flavor and aroma that will appeal to formulators seeking various delivery applications,” Holland added.

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Survey of Goldman Sachs interns shows Gen Z recession fears and career priorities

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Cassidy Case is a few months away from her fall internship, but she’s already gearing up for the summer. The 20-year-old is a marketing major at Arizona State University and is finishing her second internship at Circle K, the convenience store chain, following another internship this summer. During her interview for the summer of 2023, her intentions are clear: she doesn’t expect a few months of typical intern work – by the time she graduates in 2024, she wants a full-time job with them.

Case says her father taught her to be proactive in shaping her budding career, but she also has another concern on her mind: a potential recession on the way.

“I don’t want to be in a position where I have to make tough decisions right after I graduate,” Case told CNBC Make It. She says a friend recently completed an internship hoping to land a full-time offer afterwards, “but they didn’t give it to him because of what’s going on in the economy,” said Box. “It stresses me out for my graduation plans and for the longevity of my career.”

Cassidy Case, 20, is a marketing major at Arizona State University.

Courtesy of subject

Worries about a potential slowdown are hitting the youngest in the workforce: 86% of college interns believe a recession is on the horizon, according to Goldman Sachs’ 2022 Global Internship Survey of more than 2,470 interns over the summer.

In response to the economic turmoil, the Class of 2023 describes themselves as anxious, worried, stressed and preoccupied with their job prospects after college, says Christine Cruzvergara, head of education strategy at Handshake, the research platform for employment for students. .

As young workers seek stability and meaning when entering the world of work, they are changing their behaviors and mindsets to “succeed” their future.

Gen Zers want interesting work, good colleagues, and the flexibility to explore something new

Gen Z interns surveyed by Goldman Sachs say their top priorities when taking on a new job are what their daily life will be like (34%), as well as who their co-workers will be (21%). This is significantly higher than other job attractions, including salary (13%), company objective (12%) and opportunity for advancement (8%).

Today’s youngest workers are willing to relocate for a job, and a slight majority believe success means being able to relocate rather than put down roots or become homeowners.

At this point in their lives and careers, Gen Zers want flexibility in the way they live and work above all else, says Cruzvergara.

“A lot of new graduates want [work] in person to have those social connections and those community connections, especially when they’re just starting out in their careers,” she says. “At the same time, they like to be able to have some flexibility and autonomy to work from home” when needed, whether to adapt their schedule to a certain day, to save gas or to live in a place where the cost of living is lower.

Recession-Proof Study Plans

Students today are driven to understand what they want and be upfront about it with potential employers. For instance, Case has a few strategies for determining if an internship might turn into something more.

She is clear with recruiters about her career goals in marketing and asks: Does the company have a budget to hire full-time interns, waiting for them to succeed? What are the company’s plans for hiring in the next two to four years?

She prefers to speak with large global companies that she believes can withstand possible economic shocks in the future.

At the University of Arkansas, 21-year-old senior Oliver Sims also has his summer work plans locked down. He recently accepted an offer back to Dell as a finance intern, which will be his third stint with the tech giant.

He is optimistic about his future with them after school. Last summer, he says the company told interns they were facing an external hiring freeze, but interns were well placed to be considered first for any future vacancies.

Oliver Sims, 21, is studying accounting at the University of Arkansas.

Courtesy of subject

Sims weathers the recession for the next few years of his life in another way: He’ll graduate with an accounting degree in May and go straight into the competitive Walton College of Business program to earn a master’s degree with an extra year.

College enrollment tends to increase when jobs are scarce. More students and recent graduates might consider getting higher degrees to weather economic shocks, says Jade Walters, 23, a Howard University graduate who now leads the ninth semester, an early-career resource for college students. Generation Z professionals.

She often hears young job seekers expressing “their fear and anxiety” about their job prospects in a bleak economy. Many bemoan entry-level jobs that already require years of experience, or apply for a slew of jobs but never get a response. For some, higher education and finding internships throughout the year is a safer bet: “It’s just easier to be a student than to find a job in this market,” she says.

Short term anxious, long term optimistic

Early-career workers were among the hardest hit during the Great Recession, with lasting consequences for their socio-economic well-being, health and mortality, studies have shown.

But today’s young professionals are entering a job market that looks nothing like it did during the 2008 financial crisis: jobs are booming, employers can’t hire fast enough and working conditions are improving for many, says Sarah Wang, 21, a senior majoring in communications at UCLA and interning at Worklife ventures, a venture capital firm investing in “future of work” companies.

She says she and her peers are pickier about the jobs they want, knowing the many ways to work: “During the pandemic, we saw what was possible,” she explains. “You could work remotely from your parents’ house for a company with an office based in New York.” Managers became more flexible with schedules and adapting to what was happening in the lives of their employees. In general, “employers are more compassionate about understanding each other’s situation,” she says. “It is possible to redefine what work looks like.”

Sarah Wang, 21, is a senior at UCLA studying communications.

Courtesy of subject

Cruzvergara says that feeling — anxious in the short term for the job market but optimistic in the long term for careers and the world of work — is quite common among Gen Z students right now. An overwhelming majority of 81% of students think they will find a well-paying job after graduation, 82% think they will find it fulfilling, and 86% think they will find a job in a field that interests them , according 2023 Graduate Handshake Report.

Young workers also know that opportunities abound beyond the traditional workforce, which can alleviate some of the pressure of finding the “perfect” corporate job after school.

“With the rise of the maker economy and the era of parallel hustle, the typical 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. career isn’t the only viable path for people my age,” Wang says. If she can’t find a job that matches her passions, she can design one herself: “With technology at our fingertips, if there are no opportunities, we can create them.”

Young people like Wang believe these opportunities can take them far, literally and figuratively. “I see the job as an opportunity to travel and live in different places in the country,” says Wang. “I could do Seattle for two years and then I could go to the East Coast for grad school or work. Or maybe I’ll be a digital nomad and find a remote or hybrid-friendly job.”

Check:

Remote jobs have tripled during the pandemic – here are the top 10 companies hiring for them

Why does work seem so dysfunctional right now? A psychologist, a labor expert and a CEO intervene

22-year-old shares nightmare of getting ripped off by fake job

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Do you have COVID? Here’s how long immunity could last as new variants emerge – National

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A bout of COVID-19 infection may not be sufficient for lasting immunity as the virus continues to mutate and new variants emerge.

Immunity acquired through infection by catching COVID-19 may act as a protective layer for a time, but that protection wanes as does vaccine-induced immunity, experts say, noting that infection of one variant may provide no protection against another.

Read more:

Omicron’s BQ.1.1 COVID-19 subvariant. Why Experts Watch It

In Canada and around the world, the BA.5 subvariant of Omicron is dominant, but the World Health Organization (WHO) tracks hundreds of others.

Since its emergence in late 2019, COVID-19 has produced multiple mutations with Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta and Omicron so far characterized as variants of concern.

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Why scientists are tracking the COVID-19 BQ.1.1 variant


Why scientists are tracking the COVID-19 BQ.1.1 variant

COVID-19 infection doesn’t always lead to a good immune response, experts say – and reinfections can occur.

So how long are you immune to COVID-19 after infection?

“In general, a period of about six months [after getting COVID-19] probably leaves you pretty much invulnerable to infection, as long as the virus doesn’t change between the two, or you don’t get infected with a different variant,” said Johns Hopkins Center principal investigator Dr. Amesh Adalja. for Health Security. at the Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Read more:

Got COVID-19 again? What you need to know about reinfections

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Just as with vaccine-induced immunity, by month six there is “literally no protection” against the immunity acquired through infection, said Dr. Catherine Hankins, a professor at the School of Health. Population and Global Health from McGill University, and co-chair of the Canadian COVID-19 Immunity Task Force.

The type of variant with which one is infected also plays a role in so-called natural immunity.

For example, if you were infected with the Delta variant and then exposed to Omicron, you wouldn’t be protected against Omicron, although protection against severe disease is likely still intact, Adalja said.

That said, there will be a certain level of protection, lasting two months, where you are not at risk of being infected with another sub-variant of Omicron if you were initially infected with another sub-line. of Omicron, Adalja said.

“It all depends on how far this variant is from the version of the virus you were infected with.”

What does science show?

There is no guarantee that infection will induce immunity, according to a review by the COVID-19 Immunity Task Force.

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A Canadian study published in the Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal in May found that one in eight people who contract COVID-19 do not develop antibodies in their blood due to the disease. And children are half as likely to develop immunity to infection, according to CITF-funded research.

Read more:

Do you think you are immune to COVID-19 after getting sick? Maybe not, new research shows

Meanwhile, more and more data suggests that being infected with Omicron does not prevent you from catching the virus again.

A pre-printed US study – which has not been peer reviewed – published in January 2022 suggested that mild Omicron infection does not confer sufficient immunity to prevent future infections, while Delta variant infections, which tended to be more severe, produced higher protection.


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Omicron subvariants fuel fears over COVID-19 reinfections


Omicron subvariants fuel fears over COVID-19 reinfections – July 12, 2022

According to the US Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC), COVID-19 antibodies peak within the first few weeks after symptoms appear, then fall below detectable limits two to three months after infection.

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Another US study published in the New England Journal of Medicine in July showed that the BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants of Omicron substantially evade neutralizing antibodies induced by both vaccination and infection.

Read more:

Omicron COVID-19 variant likely to re-infect ‘again and again’, experts say

A paper from Qatar, the results of which were posted online last week in a pre-peer review letter, found that protection against prior infection against BA.4 or BA.5 reinfection was modest when the The previous infection was caused by a pre-Omicron variant but strong when caused by a post-Omicron sub-variant (including BA.1 or BA.2).

More research is needed, Adalja said.

“It’s not one size fits all. It’s hard to predict because we don’t have a lot of data on these variants and who is infected with it versus who has been infected in the past.

Despite the antibodies one can develop from COVID-19 infection, vaccination remains an important tool at our disposal – whether you are infected or not, experts say.

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“The best form of protection, actually, is to get all your vaccine doses,” Hankins said, adding that infection comes with the risk of long COVID and other complications.

“It’s just too much of a risk to take for something that’s vaccine preventable,” she added.

Compared to natural immunity from an episode of COVID-19, vaccine-induced immunity might be more protective with respect to certain variants, Adalja said.


Click to play video: “Change in COVID-19 symptoms raises transmission concerns”







Changing COVID-19 symptoms raise concerns about transmission


Changing COVID-19 symptoms raise concerns about transmission

This is where hybrid immunity comes in. According to the WHO definition, this is immune protection in people who have had COVID-19 at least once and who have received one or more doses of the vaccine.

The Qatari study showed that hybrid immunity with two or three doses of an mRNA vaccine and prior infection was associated with the highest degree of protection against symptomatic infection.

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“Hybrid immunity appears to be most potent in protecting against severe disease, hospitalization, and death,” Adalja said.

“It adds and increases the natural immunity you get from infection.”


© 2022 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

Urologist Survey Good for Teleflex, Bad for Axonics

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Medtech analysts at Needham & Co. surveyed 25 urologists who reported performing an average of 30 sacral neuromodulation procedures per year. While the implications of the investigation weren’t necessarily bad for Axonics, the company ultimately decided to downgrade its rating on the company’s stock from “buy” to “hold”, noting that the stock looks quite valued. at this stage.

Medtronic pioneered the sacral neuromodulation market more than 20 years ago with its InterStim device, used to treat various bladder and bowel conditions. Axonics Modulation Technologies came to challenge the market leader in 2019 with FDA approval for a rechargeable version of a similar device. This sparked an ugly war of words between the two companies as well as a long patent battle.

Here are some key takeaways from Needham & Co.’s recent urologist survey, and what analysts think the results imply for the sacral neuromodulation market and for Axonics.

  • Urologists surveyed told the company they expect Axonics sacral neuromodulation devices to grow from 37.4% of their procedures in the last 12 months to 41.6% of their procedures in the past 12 coming months.
  • The urologists surveyed also expect their volumes of sacral neuromodulation procedures to increase by 2% over the next 12 months.
  • Together, these results imply that the Irvine, Calif.-based company could see sacral neuromodulation growth of 14% over the next 12 months, which compares to the 2023 consensus estimated growth for the space of 24%.
  • It will be difficult for Axonics to increase the consensus revenue estimate for 2023, Needham & Co.’s Mike Matson wrote in a report this week.

The FDA approved Axonics’ no-recharge sacral neuromodulation implantable neurostimulator, called F15, earlier this year. This approval filled an important gap in the company’s portfolio, but also came on the heels of Medtronic obtaining FDA approval for InterStim X, the next generation of the no-recharge device in the InterStim portfolio. of the society.

The Axonics F15 No-Recharge Sacral Neuromodulation Implantable Neurostimulator operates on a primary battery and is designed to last 15+ years at typical stimulation settings and 20+ years at lower energy settings. The device is 20% smaller than Medtronic’s InterStim X device, according to Axonics, and is MRI compatible. The F15 also comes with a no-recharge keychain featuring the company’s SmartMRI technology, and an algorithm recommends optimal stimulation settings based on intraoperative responses.

“We believe that [Axonics’] The launch of F15 enabled it to gain shares of [Medtronic] and served as an important engine of growth,” Matson wrote. “We believe this has been a key factor in the year-to-date outperformance [Axonics] shares, but I think that is now largely reflected in its share price. »

The analyst also noted that Axonics has submitted a premarket approval request for the fourth generation of its R15 (the rechargeable device) which requires less frequent charging (once every six months instead of once). per month). Still, Matson said he didn’t expect it to be as significant a growth driver as the F15 has been for the company. All of this leads the company to believe it will be difficult for Axonics to increase the consensus 2023 revenue estimate, Matson noted, justifying the downgrade.

Urologists still prefer Teleflex UroLift

Needham & Co.’s survey of urologists has positive implications for Teleflex and its UroLift system, which is used to treat lower urinary tract symptoms due to benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).

“Despite all the concerns about Teleflex’s UroLift, we believe the results show that the procedure is very popular with urologists and should continue to see double-digit growth (admittedly less than the observed hyper-growth previous years),” Matson wrote. in a separate report released on Monday.

The analyst also noted that the “sharp decline” in Teleflex shares made the company particularly attractive at its current valuation level.

Of the five types of BPH procedures included in Needham & Co.’s survey, the analyst noted that UroLift is the most commonly used. UrolLift’s market share is expected to increase by 1.1% (from 41.2% to 42.3%) over the next 12 months. Respondents expect to perform 10% more UroLift procedures over the next 12 months. While Teleflex’s consensus estimates for 2023 already imply UroLift’s 10% growth ($364m in 2023 vs. $332m in 2022), the analyst said buy-side expectations were lower than that. .

Matson also points out that UroLift launched in Japan in April and is expected to launch in China later this year, and a reimbursement update in France also begins later this year. Thus, the company should see further growth of UroLift from new adopters in the United States and international markets.

Need Ham & Co. asked urologists to rate five BPH procedures in terms of six characteristics on a scale of 1 to 7 (where 1 is very bad and 7 is very good), and UroLift has was ranked highest out of six criteria, including favorable cost-effectiveness of reimbursement/practice, ease of procedure, safety/complication rate, and patient preference/feedback.

Japan reopens to tourists with closed souvenir shops and a shortage of hotel staff

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TOKYO, Oct 10 (Reuters) – As Japan opens its doors to visitors this week after more than two years of pandemic isolation, hopes of a tourism boom face headwinds amid shuttered shops and d shortage of hospitality workers.

Starting Tuesday, Japan will restore visa-free travel to dozens of countries, ending some of the world’s strictest border controls to slow the spread of COVID-19. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is counting on tourism to help reinvigorate the economy and capitalize on the yen’s fall to its lowest level in 24 years.

Arata Sawa is among those wanting the return of foreign tourists, who previously accounted for up to 90% of customers at his traditional inn.

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“I hope and expect a lot of foreigners to come to Japan, like before COVID,” said Sawa, the third-generation owner of ryokan Sawanoya in Tokyo.

Just over half a million visitors have come to Japan so far in 2022, up from a record 31.8 million in 2019. The government had a target of 40 million in 2020 timed with the Olympics in been until the two were upset by the coronavirus.

Kishida said last week that the government aims to attract 5 trillion yen ($34.5 billion) in annual tourism spending. But that goal may be too ambitious for a sector that has atrophied during the pandemic. Hotel employment fell by 22% between 2019 and 2021, according to government data.

Spending by foreign visitors will only reach 2.1 trillion yen by 2023 and will not exceed pre-COVID levels until 2025, Nomura Research Institute economist Takahide Kiuchi wrote in a report.

Airline Japan Airlines Co (9201.T) has seen inbound bookings triple since announcing the easing of borders, Chairman Yuji Akasaka said last week, according to the Nikkei newspaper. Even so, international travel demand won’t fully recover until around 2025, he added.

DEAD CITY

Narita Airport, Japan’s largest international airport about 70 kilometers from Tokyo, remains eerily quiet, with about half of its 260 shops and restaurants closed.

“It’s like half a ghost town,” said Maria Satherley, 70, from New Zealand, pointing to the departure area of ​​Terminal 1.

Satherley, whose son lives on the northern island of Hokkaido, said she would like to return with her granddaughter this winter but is unlikely to as the child is too young to be vaccinated, a prerequisite for tourists entering Japan.

“We’ll just wait until next year,” she said.

Amina Collection Co has closed its three souvenir shops in Narita and is unlikely to reopen them until next spring, chairman Sawato Shindo said.

The company has reassigned staff and supplies from the airport to other locations in its chain of 120 stores across Japan as it refocuses on domestic tourism during the pandemic.

“I don’t think there will be a sudden return to the pre-pandemic situation,” Shindo said. “The restrictions are still quite strict compared to other countries.”

Japan still strongly encourages people to wear masks indoors and refrain from speaking loudly. Cabinet on Friday approved changing hotel regulations so they can turn away guests who fail to meet infection controls during an outbreak.

Many service workers have found better working conditions and pay in other fields over the past two years, so attracting them may be difficult, said a consultant for tourism businesses who asked not not be identified.

“The hospitality industry is very infamous for low wages, so if the government sees tourism as a key industry, financial support or subsidies are probably needed,” he added.

The Japanese government is launching a domestic travel initiative this month that offers discounts on transportation and accommodation, similar to its Go To Travel campaign in 2020 that was halted following a rise in COVID infections.

NARROW LABOR MARKET

Nearly 73% of hotels nationwide said they lacked regular workers in August, up from about 27% a year earlier, according to market research firm Teikoku Databank.

In Kawaguchiko, a lakeside town at the foot of Mount Fuji, hostels struggled to recruit before the pandemic amid Japan’s tight labor market and are now anticipating a similar bottleneck, a staff member said. a trade group who asked not to be identified.

That sentiment was echoed by Akihisa Inaba, general manager of the Yokikan hot springs resort in Shizuoka, central Japan, who said understaffing during the summer meant workers had to give up time off.

“Naturally, the labor shortage will become more pronounced when inbound travel returns,” Inaba said. “So I’m not sure we can be overjoyed.”

Whether foreign visitors wear face masks and adhere to other common infection controls in Japan is another concern. Tight border controls have been widely popular for most of the pandemic, and fears remain about new virus variants emerging.

“Since the start of the pandemic until now, we’ve only had a few foreign guests,” Tokyo innkeeper Sawa said. “Almost everyone wore masks, but I really don’t know if people visiting from here will do the same.”

“My plan is to ask them to please wear a mask inside the building,” he added.

($1 = 145.0100 yen)

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Reporting by Kantaro Komiya, Kentaro Sugiyama, Ritsuko Shimizu and Tom Bateman; Written by Rocky Swift; Editing by Ana Nicolaci da Costa

Our standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Diplomat claims immunity after ‘abducting’ son from school

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A Spanish diplomat stationed in Malta is claiming diplomatic immunity after allegedly picking up his 12-year-old son from school last week when the boy was due to return home to his mother.

The boy has been out of school for the past few days, spending time at the Spanish Embassy in Malta following what the mother calls a ‘gross abuse of diplomatic immunity’.

“September 28… [the father] entered a restricted area [at the school] and physically blocked around 25 buses and 300 children leaving the school premises… in order to take custody of the boy abusively and without the mother’s consent”, claims the mother in a legal protest.

Through her lawyer Robert Thake, she filed the protest against the father, the minister of education, the state attorney and the Spanish ambassador. Names are withheld to protect the boy’s identity.

The protest described how the couple married in 2006 and have since divorced. When the father was transferred to Malta, his ex-wife also moved to the island in order to be closer to their two sons, now aged 12 and 14, who initially lived with the father who had custody of them. complete.

Once the mother moved to Malta, she was initially granted visitation rights. Today, the oldest son lives with the father and the youngest with the mother, as decided by the family court in December 2021.

However, on September 28, the father went to the private school where the 12-year-old was waiting for the bus to go home to his mother and took him away without her consent, the mother claims.

On October 3, police accompanied by marshals of justice went to pick up the boy to bring him back to his mother, but the father invoked diplomatic immunity. That day, a school day, the boy was found at the embassy. It is not known whether the boy is still at the embassy or at his father’s residence.

Meanwhile, the school informed the parents that the boy could not come until the situation was clarified. The school also said it does not offer distance learning.

Diplomatic immunity is not intended to allow people to flout the law

During the demonstration, the mother said that all this deprived the child of his right to education. By law, parents have a duty to ensure that children of compulsory school age – between five and 15 – attend school. The father’s actions were “unlawful and abusive” because they violated the family court ruling. They also deprived the boy of going to school, she said.

The mother asked the Education Division to intervene to keep the minor in school and asked the courts to declare that the father had broken the law and was not covered by diplomatic immunity.

The mother said she also informed the Spanish foreign minister to take disciplinary action against the father.

Not the first time

It was not the first time the father had tried to use diplomatic immunity to ignore the Maltese courts’ ruling. In July 2021, the mother had turned to justice to prevent her ex-husband from taking their child out of the country and had obtained an injunction provisionally confirmed by the court. The father hit back, saying his diplomatic status meant he could not be bound by the civil jurisdiction of a foreign court.

In September, the family court told the diplomat he could not invoke diplomatic immunity to defy a court order and prevent his ex-wife from seeing their sons.

The court observed that diplomatic immunity was not meant to be “a carte blanche for the diplomat to do whatever he wants, or for such a person to be above the law…Diplomatic immunity does not is not intended to serve as a license for people to flout the law and deliberately avoid responsibility for their actions”.

The court upheld the restraining order the mother had sought and effectively prevented the man from leaving Malta with the boy. Questions sent to the Spanish Embassy remained unanswered.

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How museums are fighting the energy crisis

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In Strasbourg, France, visitors to museums are now more frequently confronted with closed doors. The city’s nine museums are now closed two days a week. Like many French cultural institutions, they follow President Emmanuel Macron’s call to save resources.

Meanwhile, Paula Orell, director of the Contemporary Visual Arts Network for England (CVAN), warns of a “new state of emergency” for UK museums already weakened by the pandemic. The London-based network lists the aftermath of the energy crisis triggered by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in a database.

In Germany, too, a crisis scenario is looming – and the country’s museum stakeholders, as well as politicians and the general public, are worried. The biggest concern is skyrocketing energy costs. Gas prices could triple and electricity prices could double, according to a recent DW interview with the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation, which is responsible for some of Berlin’s major museums. In addition, inflation causes the costs of materials, transportation and labor to skyrocket.

In view of these figures, Federal Commissioner for Culture and Media Claudia Roth warns of a “cultural recession”, a decline in cultural activities. “Museums, theatres, cinemas and concert halls are energizing places of education, encounter, social warmth and community,” the Green Party politician said. For this reason, she believes that such institutions must remain open during the winter and supported as “anchor points of democracy”.

Ina Brandes, President of the Conference of Culture Ministers, expressed a similar view. However, the arts and culture industry must also make a “significant contribution to energy savings”, she added.

Are cultural assets like this painting in danger if the air humidity is no longer optimally regulated?

Political aid on the way?

What the German arts and culture industry can expect from politicians becomes clear after the latest talks between German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and the heads of government of the federal states. The agreement drawn up following their talks mentions aid to the cultural sector in two places.

First, funds will be set aside in 2023 to provide targeted support to cultural institutions.

Second, the federal and state governments will discuss additional measures for the cultural industry should they become necessary.

While the German Cultural Council welcomes the resolutions, it nonetheless continues to sound the alarm.

The museum’s exhibits are at risk in the event of a power shortage, warns the director general of the German Cultural Council, Olaf Zimmermann. There are not enough air-conditioned storage spaces to protect all the works. In an emergency, he says, people will have to think about which works of art they really want to protect. “What’s missing is prioritization,” Zimmermann said in an interview with the German newspaper. Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung.

Meanwhile, as an emergency energy-saving measure, the German Museum Association advises museums to use “extended climate corridors”. In other words, instead of setting specific temperatures, there should be a temperature range that is considered acceptable, said Sina Hermann, project manager for climate protection and sustainability at the German Museum Association, at DW. However, she adds, an optimal climatic range depends on the collection in question and should be decided by museum curators.

Amid the crisis and rising gas and electricity prices, museums must also save energy

Amid the crisis and rising gas and electricity prices, museums must also save energy

A pioneer in energy saving in Stuttgart

From light-sensitive graphics to heat-sensitive paintings, each exhibit requires its own unique temperature conditions.

Museums must therefore regulate the humidity and temperature of their rooms, which of course requires energy.

For many years, the International Council of Museums (ICOM) established guidelines that museums were required to follow. A room, for example, should have a humidity level of 50% and a temperature of 20° Celsius (68°F). “Many museums have not questioned the standard values ​​so far”, explains Sina Hermann.

By March 2023, the German Museum Association aims to provide museums with energy guidelines.

The Staatsgalerie in Stuttgart is a pioneer in energy and environmental management. Since 2016, the museum with its collection of 400,000 pieces has reduced its energy consumption. The old museum building has been renovated with energy efficiency in mind; the exterior night lighting has been switched off; the lamps have been fitted with energy-saving light-emitting diodes; and hot water for staff was cut off. “So far, we have achieved all of our energy-saving goals,” says museum spokesman Georg Rotha.

Other exhibition venues have also developed ideas for sustainable museum management. The Städel Museum in Frankfurt, for example, heats and cools parts of its exhibition halls with a geothermal system instead of using gas. Likewise, the Museum Fridericianum in Kassel and the Kunsthalle Bremen also use geothermal energy instead of gas.

Stefan Simon, director of the Rathgen laboratory at the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation in Berlin, is an expert in energy saving in museums. He is particularly critical of the museum’s new buildings: “The more recent the date of construction, the more modern the museum, the higher the energy consumption, the more advanced the technology.

It can’t go on, Simon said in an interview with Bayerischer Rundfunk. He notes: “Cultural goods are not lost because the relative humidity is badly regulated in museums, but because there is a fire, because of a natural disaster or because of a war, as the one we are experiencing in Ukraine right now.”

This article was translated from German by Sarah Hucal

FDA updates for the week of October 3, 2022

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The FDA uses the real world to show that Boostrix prevents infections in infants. The agency also approves a label extension for Oxlumo, a new delivery method for Trogarzo, and accepts an sBLA for Takhzyro. In COVID-19 news, Eiger will not be submitting EUAs for COVID-19 treatment. Additionally, an OIG report reveals that many accelerated approvals have delayed confirmatory trials.

Real-world data confirms that Boostrix used during the third trimester prevents infections in infants.

The FDA has approved Boostrix for immunization during the third trimester of pregnancy to prevent whooping cough, commonly known as whooping cough, as a way to prevent infection in infants under two months of age.

Boostrix is ​​composed of tetanus toxoid, reduced diphtheria toxoid and acellular pertussis vaccine (Tdap). It was originally approved by the FDA in 2005 as a single dose booster vaccination against tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis in people ages 10 to 18. Later, the FDA also approved Boostrix to include use in people 19 years of age and older and to include use of an additional dose 9 years or older after the initial dose of a Tdap vaccine.

FDA approval of Boostrix has always included its use during pregnancy to protect the vaccinated person. Today’s approval is specific for use during pregnancy to prevent whooping cough in infants less than 2 months old. Since 2012, the CDC has recommended the use of Tdap vaccines during the third trimester of each pregnancy.

Regulators evaluated the effectiveness of Boostrix in preventing pertussis in infants using a new analysis of data from an observational case-control study of the effectiveness of the Tdap vaccine.

FDA approves label extension for Oxlumo.

The FDA has approved a Supplemental New Drug Application for Oxlumo (lumasiran) from Alnylam Pharmaceuticals to treat patients with primary hyperoxaluria type 1 (PH1), a rare and serious metabolic disease that often manifests as kidney stones. It is caused by mutations in the AGXT gene that lead to the buildup of oxalate, which is filtered out by the kidneys. The disease affects fewer than 5,000 people in the United States.

Oxlumo is an RNAi therapy administered by subcutaneous injection and is indicated to lower plasma oxalate levels and urinary oxalate levels in pediatric and adult patients. This authorization adds to the indication the reduction of plasma oxalate levels. The therapy harnesses RNA interference, a natural cellular process of gene silencing. The FDA approved Oxlumo in November 2020 for the treatment of PH1 to reduce urinary oxalate levels in pediatric and adult patients.

FDA approves new delivery method for Trogarzo in HIV.

The FDA has approved Thera Technologies’ “push” administration of Trogarzo (ibalizumab-uiyk) to treat patients with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection in highly experienced adults. Trogarzo has been approved for administration by intravenous (IV) push, a method in which undiluted medicine is pushed through a syringe for faster delivery into the body’s circulation. This method reduces the maintenance dose from a 15-minute IV infusion to an undiluted 30-second IV injection every two weeks.

The FDA originally approved Trogarzo, a long-acting monoclonal antibody, in March 2018 to be administered intravenously as a single loading dose followed by a maintenance dose every two weeks. Trogarzo is also being studied for administration by intramuscular injection in the continuation of the TMB-302 study. The study is now fully enrolled, with the last patient visit scheduled for November 2022.

FDA accepts BLA for Takhzyro in young children with HAE.

The FDA has accepted a Supplemental Biologics License Application (sBLA) for the potential expanded use of Takeda’s Takhzyro (lanadelumab-flyo) to prevent attacks of hereditary angioedema (HAE) in pediatric patients aged 2 at

Takhzyro is currently approved in patients 12 years of age and older to prevent attacks of hereditary angioedema (HAE), a rare disease that causes recurrent episodes of swelling of the limbs, face, intestinal tract and airways. Symptoms of hereditary angioedema usually begin in childhood and worsen during puberty. On average, untreated people have an attack every one to two weeks, and most episodes last about three to four days.

Eiger will not submit EUAs for COVID-19 treatment.

One month after the FDA said it required additional data on Eiger BioPharmaceuticals’ Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) request of peginterferon lambda to treat patients with mild to moderate COVID-19, the pharmaceutical manufacturer said it would not submit the EUA.

Following a pre-EUA information exchange with the FDA regarding the TOGETHER Phase 3 study of peginterferon lambda for COVID-19, the agency indicated in September that it was not yet in a position to determine whether the criteria for submitting an application and issuing an EUA are likely to be met, Eiger said in a press release at the time.

Eiger officials said they are evaluating the next steps for this program in the United States, as well as ex-US emergency use authorization pathways and strategic options for further development of peginterferon lambda. for COVID-19 and other viral respiratory infections.

Eiger has secured worldwide rights to peginterferon lambda, a first-in-class investigational late-stage interferon type 3 (IFN) that stimulates immune responses essential for the development of host protection during viral infections, by Bristol-Myers Squibb.

OIG: One-third of accelerated approvals delayed confirmatory testing.

Medicare and Medicaid spent more than $18 billion from 2018 to 2021 on 18 drugs that were granted fast-track approval and had incomplete confirmatory trials after their originally scheduled completion date, according to new analysis from the Bureau of the Inspector General of the United States Department of Health and Human Services. The OIG estimated that Medicare Part B and Part D spent more than $14 billion, and Medicaid expenditures—both for fee-for-service and managed care—for these drugs amounted to nearly of $3.6 billion.

OIG officials said the review stemmed from concern that the regulator’s oversight of fast-track approval was lax. Accelerated approvals often use surrogate endpoints that predict clinical benefit, but do not measure clinical benefit. The pathway is meant to provide earlier access to drugs to treat serious illnesses. Companies are required to conduct confirmatory trials to verify clinical benefits and provide a timeline for completion.

Since the accelerated approval pathway began in 1992, 278 drug applications have been granted accelerated approval by the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER). Of these applications, 104 have incomplete confirmatory trials. Of those 104, 34% (35 of 104) have at least one trial past its originally scheduled completion date. Additionally, 13% of all expedited drug approval requests have been withdrawn, half of them since January 2021.

Four drug applications have confirmatory trials that are significantly overdue — ranging from more than five years to nearly 12 years past their original completion dates. OIG researchers found that of these four drugs that were significantly behind confirmatory trials, proamatin (midodrine hydrochloride) had the highest estimated Medicare Part D expenditures at $142 million and Makena ( hydroxyprogesterone caproate) had the highest estimated Medicaid expenditures, nearly $700 million.

Caraway Therapeutics to Present at Two Upcoming Investor Conferences

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CAMBRIDGE, Mass.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–
Therapeutic caraway announced today that the Company will participate in two upcoming investor conferences.

Caraway CEO Martin D. Williams will present recent advances in the company’s TRPML1 program at the Fall Life Sciences Private Company Showcase, co-hosted by BMO Capital Markets, Solebury Strategic Communications and Goodwin in New York City, NY on October 13, 2022, from 4:20 p.m. to 4:40 p.m. ET.

Williams will also present at the Oppenheimer Private Company Showcase in Palo Alto, Calif., on October 18, 2022, from 9:25 a.m. to 9:45 a.m. PT.

“I look forward to sharing the latest updates on Caraway’s work to develop precision drugs for CNS and rare diseases,” Williams said. “We continue to advance our TRPML1 program for GBA-Parkinson’s disease and other rare genetic diseases and look forward to discussing our progress with investors.”

About Caraway Therapeutics

Caraway Therapeutics is a biopharmaceutical company pursuing novel approaches for the treatment of genetically defined neurodegenerative and rare diseases. The company is a leader in the cutting-edge science of activating cellular recycling processes to remove toxic materials and defective cellular components by modulating lysosomal function. Caraway uses its unique product engine to develop proprietary insights into lysosomal function and small molecule ion channel modulation and advance a robust pipeline of precision therapeutic candidates with disease-modifying potential for patients. The company is backed by leading investors including SV Health Investors, AbbVie Ventures, MRLV Fund, Amgen Ventures, Dementia Discovery Fund, Alexandria Venture Investments and Eisai Innovation.

Caraway is based in Cambridge, MA. For more information, please visit www.carawaytx.com.

Media:

MacDougall

Kari Watson or Carolyn Noyes

(781) 235-3060

[email protected] Where [email protected]

Source: Caraway Therapeutics

Senator Markey and NSF Director Panchanathan Tout Federal support for mass research and innovation at the Science Museum Discussion with university leaders

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Watch the discussion HERE

Boston (October 7, 2022) – At an event today at the Boston Museum of Science, Sen. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and National Science Foundation (NSF) Director, Sethuraman Panchanathan, led a lively discussion highlighting the critical work of Massachusetts college and university leaders and their role in driving tomorrow’s technologies and solutions as NSF grant recipients. In fiscal year 2021, Massachusetts received more than $565 million in grants from the NSF, an independent $8.8 billion federal agency supporting scientific research and education. Along with Tim Ritchie, President of the Museum of Science, Senator Markey hosted leaders representing more than 50 colleges and university campuses at an event focused on issues such as STEM education, diversity in recruitment, recovery from the impacts of the pandemic and ensuring strong and continued funding. for NSF and grant recipients. Each year in Congress, Senator Markey leads the letter to the Senate for increased funding for the National Science Foundation, which includes $11 billion for the upcoming fiscal year 2023.

“The support of the National Science Foundation is the lifeblood that helps ensure Massachusetts remains a national and global leader in solutions to the greatest science and technology challenges we face,” said Senator Markey at today’s event. “The funding that NSF is providing today is key to unlocking future cures, prevention models and energy-generating technologies to prevent and reverse the impacts of the climate crisis. Ensuring that our universities, laboratories and institutes research receive NSF support that fosters breakthroughs will ensure diversity in the talent pool, create a more accessible society, and conquer current and future pandemics I thank Dr. Panchanathan for bringing his leadership and insights to Massachusetts and the Museum of Science, where the dreams of current and future students and researchers can come true.

Panchanathan delivered remarks highlighting NSF’s support in awarding grants to Massachusetts innovators and scholars who have made significant contributions to science and industry. He highlighted the impact the NSF has had in advancing scientific advancements while ensuring accessibility and inclusiveness in research and innovation.

“The Science Museum is a place where the community comes together to inspire curiosity and advance our vision of a world where science belongs to each of us for the good of all,” said Tim Ritchie, president of the Boston Museum of Science. “I am honored to welcome Senator Markey, Director Panchanathan and the leaders of our region’s top institutions to the Museum. Together, we all have an important role to play in uplifting our communities and driving innovation for the Commonwealth and for our nation.

During the roundtable with Massachusetts college and university leaders, Senator Markey and panelists also discussed equity issues related to recruiting new talent in science, technology, engineering, and science. math (STEM) and the level at which NSF-supported programs engage the nation. diverse talents in strengthening and scaling research that will lead to the technologies and solutions of tomorrow.

Senator Markey also boasted CHIPS and scientific law signed into law by President Biden last August. During Senator Markey’s recent visit to Taiwan, he met with representatives of the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company to discuss partnerships to improve semiconductor supply chains and investments in the United States that will be strengthened and more resilient thanks in part to the CHIPS and scientific law.

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MenACWY adolescent meningitis vaccination program boosts herd immunity at all ages

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Researchers at the University of Oxford today reported the results of a large-scale study that looked at the impact of the UK’s MenACWY vaccination program on the carriage of meningitis bacteria in the throat British teenagers. They demonstrated the impact of the vaccine by generating herd protection, also called herd immunity, which protects all age groups

In the study, which is published in Clinical Microbiology and Infection, researchers took throat swabs and assessed the prevalence of meningitis-causing bacteria before and after the introduction of the vaccination program, using two studies cross-sections conducted nearly four years apart. They found that the vaccine significantly reduced carriage of meningococcal groups W and Y and maintained low levels of group C.

In 2015, in response to increased rates of meningitis cases caused by strains W and Y from 2009, the UK replaced a vaccine targeting only group C (introduced in 1999) with quadrivalent vaccines MenACWY . To take advantage of the effects of herd immunity, the vaccination program recruited adolescents between the ages of 14 and 19, where transmission of meningococcal bacteria is known to be highest.

One of the lead authors, Matthew Snape, who was a professor of pediatrics and vaccinology at the Oxford Vaccine Group during the study, said:

“These studies report the results of throat swabs taken from over 24,000 teenagers in over 170 secondary schools across the country, showing once again the fantastic enthusiasm of the British public to take part in research.

“The results show us that by immunizing adolescents with MenACWY vaccines, we are not only directly protecting them, but also reducing the risk of all other members of the community suffering from meningitis and sepsis due to these bacteria.

“Immunizing adolescents rather than infants means that we get more benefit from each dose administered. These two studies therefore provide invaluable data to help us use these vaccines effectively, both in the UK and internationally.

The researchers compared two studies – the UKMenCar4 study, conducted from September 2014 to March 2015 before the introduction of the MenACWY vaccine, and the Be on the TEAM study, conducted from March 2018 to November 2018 after the introduction of the vaccine.

Data from 24,062 students aged 15-19 were included: 10,624 from UKMenCar4 and 13,428 from Be on the TEAM. The researchers concluded:

  • C, W and Y meningococcal carriage decreased from 2.03% to 0.71%;
  • group W carry fell from 0.34% to 0.09%;
  • group Y carry fell from 1.6% to 0.5%; and
  • group C carriage remained rare (0.07% to 0.13%).

The results are consistent with data from the UK showing that the incidence of MenW disease has decreased in all age groups since the MenACWY vaccination campaign in adolescents; not just among teenagers themselves. Taken together, these data provide strong evidence for the need to target age groups with high rates of meningococcal transmission to best use these vaccines, and not necessarily immunize other high-risk age groups (e.g. infants), the researchers add.

Martin Maiden, Professor of Molecular Epidemiology in the Department of Biology at the University of Oxford, lead author of the paper, said:

“We have systematically studied meningococcal vaccination and its effects on carriage at Oxford since 1999. These studies have been crucial in enabling the most effective use of meningococcal vaccines worldwide.

“In combination with our work with colleagues at Public Health England (now HSA) who characterized the MenW epidemic variant at the genomic level, this work helped halt an outbreak that would likely have affected thousands of people. This demonstrates the importance of long-term studies which make it possible to anticipate epidemics and pandemics and to shorten them before they impact the population too severely.

Dr Tom Nutt, chief executive of the charity Meningitis Now, who played an important role in facilitating Be on the TEAM, said:

“Meningitis is a devastating disease that can strike anyone at any time and wreak havoc in its wake. Many young people will know someone in their community whose life, and that of their family and friends, has been torn apart by its impact.

“We are delighted to see that this important study has demonstrated such positive results not only for the health of young people, but also for the whole community. Now we need to redouble our efforts to encourage everyone who is eligible for their free MenACWY vaccination to take advantage of it.

Liz Rodgers, head of research at the charity Meningitis Research Foundation, who played a significant role in facilitating Be on the TEAM, said:

“We are delighted to have contributed to this important research initiative, which has provided evidence that the protection of the MenACWY vaccine extends to the whole population.

“With many teens across the country about to start or return to college, it is increasingly important to achieve a high rate of MenACWY vaccination, so we urge all teens and young adults to check that they are up to date with their routine vaccinations.”

The study was funded by the Wellcome Trust and the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Policy Research Program. The vaccine for one arm of the Be on the Team study (MenB-fHBP vaccine (Trumenba)) was provided free of charge by Pfizer to support research sponsored by independent investigators. Another vaccine (4CMenB (Bexsero) was provided by the Ministry of Health and Social Action.

Professor Nick Lemoine of the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) said:

“This NIHR-supported study has provided important data on the efficacy of MenACWY vaccines in inducing population immunity against meningitis – which has been shown to be effective in protecting all ages against this life-threatening disease. We would like to thank the incredible 24,000 participating teens who participated for their contributions.

Public Health and Mental Health Minister Dr Caroline Johnson said:

“This study shows why the MenACWY vaccination program is so important, enabling young people to protect themselves and in turn all age groups against this life-threatening disease.

“Vaccination remains the best line of defense against infectious diseases, including meningitis, and I encourage everyone who is eligible to take their free vaccine.”

IntelliFlux Controls Receives U.S. Patent for Intelligent Fluid Filtration Management System

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IntelliFlux Controls Receives Patent for Intelligent Fluid Filtration Management System in the United States and 12 Additional Territories

“This patent continues to position IntelliFlux Controls and its APRICOT™ platform as an industry leader in the synergy between process knowledge and digitization. Another step towards our mission to improve the treatment and reuse of water for industrial processing,” said Subir Bhattacharjee, CEO of IntelliFlux.

IntelliFlux Controls, Inc. (IFC) expands its patent portfolio with the issuance of U.S. Patent No. 11,401,172 on August 2, 2022 for Intelligent Fluid Filtration Management System. This patent gives IFC the exclusive rights to a new patented approach to optimizing the maintenance and management of filtration systems in all types of processing and manufacturing.

Joining a previous patent granted in 12 territories globally, this grant extends IFC’s efforts to create a more efficient and sustainable process for industries such as water and wastewater treatment, manufacturing of beverages, oil and gas production, and all other industries that use water in their manufacturing process.

“Our growing number of patents continues to solidify the position of IntelliFlux Controls and its APRICOT™ platform as an industry leader in the synergy between process knowledge and digitization. This patent is another step towards our mission to improve the treatment and reuse of water for industrial processing through advanced automation,” said Subir Bhattacharjee, CEO of IntelliFlux Controls, Inc. The patented management system of IFC’s fluid filtration works on any existing filtration equipment and optimizes cleaning to eliminate clogging. and filter degradation. At multiple facilities around the world, APRICOTTM has improved treated water quality, improved process efficiency, optimized filtration throughput, and improved energy efficiency, resulting in huge cost savings and process more sustainable.

Filter clogging (“fouling”) is a major operational challenge for filtration technologies and the operators who use and maintain them. In addition, it decreases the life of the filter. Most filters are serviced according to the manufacturer’s suggested cleaning schedule and recipes, which may or may not take into account other factors affecting the process. They use a pre-determined frequency, intensity, maintenance duration and chemical dosage – and cannot adapt in real time to variations or disturbances in quality and operating conditions. These filters can be protected by APRICOTTM against such disturbances. With IFC’s patented solutions, filtration systems can be optimized for savings in energy, water, cleaning chemicals, filter media, cartridges or membranes by analyzing data from across the processes to determine the optimal frequency, intensity and duration of each maintenance process.

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About IntelliFlux Commands

Based in Newport Beach, California, IntelliFlux Controls, Inc. has developed and markets the APRICOT™ product software platform, which provides intelligent process monitoring for plant health and operational readiness, decision support of the operator, as well as a predictive and data-driven process control model and optimization.

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A miniature fluorescence microscope for multiplane imaging

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All experimental procedures and animal care were reviewed and approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC), Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Substance Abuse, National Institutes of health. All animal studies were performed according to the guidelines of the IACUC approved protocol and in accordance with ARRIVE guidelines.

Viral injection

The viral injection procedure was similar to that previously described27, and briefly described here. Six male C57BL/6 J mice (3-4 months old, body weight ~25 g) were injected with AAV-pgk-Cre (Addgene, #24593-AAVrg) into Nucleus Accumbens and pGP-AAV-syn- FLEX-jGCaMP7f-WPRE (Addgene, #104492-AAV1) in the prelimbic cortex (PrL). Briefly, mice were anesthetized with 2% isoflurane in oxygen at a flow rate of 0.4 L/min and mounted on a stereotactic frame (Model 962, David Kopf Instruments), while temperature was maintained at 37°C using a temperature monitoring system (TCAT-2DF, Physitemp). Sterile lubricating eye ointment (Dechra Veterinary Products) was applied to the corneas of mice to prevent drying. A hole was drilled through the right side of the skull above the injection site (A/P: + 1.9 mm; M/L: − 0.3 mm) using a round bur of 0.5 mm in diameter on a high-speed rotary micro drill (19007 -05, Fine Science Tools). A total of 500 nl of virus (a titer of 6.75e12 GC/mL) was injected using stereotactic coordinates (A/P: +1.9 mm, M/L: −0.3 mm, D/V : − 1.7 mm, 0° angle) at a flow rate of 25 nl/min with a micro pump and a Micro4 controller (World Precision Instruments). After injection, the injection needle was held in the parenchyma for 5 min before being slowly withdrawn. The hole on the skull was then sealed with bone wax and the skin was sutured. After surgery, Neosporin ointment was applied to the closed skin incision line. Mice were injected subcutaneously with buprenorphine (0.05 mg/kg) and returned to their home cage to recover from anesthesia in a 37°C isothermal chamber (Lyon Technologies, Inc). Mice were maintained on ibuprofen (30 mg/mL in water) ad libitum for at least 3 days after surgery.

Implantation of gradient index lenses (GRIN)

The procedure for implanting the GRIN lens was similar to that previously described27, and briefly described here. One week after viral injection, a 1 mm diameter gradient index (GRIN) lens (GRINTECH GmBH) was implanted into the mouse brain in the mPFC. Briefly, mice were anesthetized with ketamine/xylazine (ketamine: 100 mg/kg, xylazine: 15 mg/kg) and a 1 mm diameter craniotomy was generated in the right hemisphere above the coordinates (A/P: +1.9mm, M/L: −0.7mm). Freshly prepared artificial cerebrospinal fluid (aCSF) was continuously applied to exposed tissue throughout surgery to prevent dehydration of brain tissue. Brain tissue above the PrL, along a direction of a 10° angle offset laterally to a depth of 1.8 mm, was precisely removed using vacuum aspiration through a 30-gauge blunt needle attached to a custom-built three-axis motorized stereotaxic device modified from a commercial stereotaxic frame (Model 962, David Kopf Instruments). Once the brain tissue above the mPFC was removed and the surgical site was free of blood, a GRIN lens was slowly lowered into the mPFC and secured to the skull using dental cement (DuraLay). Approximately one month after implantation of the GRIN lens, a custom baseplate was mounted on the mouse’s head with dental cement. The miniscope was then fixed to the base plate using 3 screws.

miniscope design

The miniscope consists of the main body, designed in Solidworks and 3D printed in black resin (Protolabs, Maple Plain, MN), light source (470 nm high power LED XPEBBL-L1-0000-00302, Cree LED), optics (see Table 1) and a CMOS sensor (MT9V022, Aptina/Onsemi) mounted on a custom PCB that connects to the data acquisition system as described in28. A schematic of the mechanical design of the miniscope is shown in Fig. 1a. We used a varifocal liquid lens (A-16F0-P12, Corning Varioptic), which allows rapid change of focal length, controlled and synchronized with the miniscope’s image sensor via the custom FPGA control board.

Table 1 Nomenclature.
Figure 1

Characterization with a miniscope. (a) Schematic of the miniscope design. The figures in blue correspond to the headings of Table 1. (b) Top: Image of light reflected off a 1951 3″ × 3″ USAF target. Inset: Enlarged detail of Group 7, Element 4 (181 lp/mm). Bottom: Intensity values ​​for highlighted pixels in the inset row (left) and column (right), spanning two row pairs over 11.05 μm, and resulting in a magnification factor of 3 x with a resolution of 5.52 μm.

Comparative analysis

We tested the optical performance of the miniscope by imaging a 1951 USAF target (Fig. 1b), measuring a vertical and horizontal resolution of 5.52 μm for a magnification factor of approximately 3×.

Axial scan performance was tested by positioning the miniscope vertically (Fig. 2a) on a 45° depth of field target (Edmund Optics DOF ​​5–15, Fig. 2b) and recording the horizontal lines of the 15 lp/mm section (Fig. 2c) at different plane depths, ranging from 0 to 100% of the PWM duty cycle of the 26-step liquid lens drive signal (Fig. 2d,e). For each depth of shot, we calculated the average of a sequence of 30 images. Changing the drive signal produced a change in focal plane depth which was estimated using the line averaging curve fitting parameters of the images: averaging along y for each duty cycle stage, the resulting curves were approximated as a Fourier series truncated at the first harmonic (tuned to the frequency of the line pairs, ω = 66.67), multiplied by an exponential envelope curve, of which the central parameter b indicated the estimated depth of the focal plane:

Figure 2
Figure 2

Assessment of focal plane change. (a) The assembled miniscope was placed vertically on the depth of field target to evaluate its axial scanning performance. (b) A photo of the target at 45° depth of field. (vs) Detail of the depth of the deposited target, highlighting a detail of the imaged field of view from the 15 lp/mm section (inset) (D) Images captured at 3 different focal plane depths on a 45° depth of field target with 15 lp/mm. (e) Reconstructed field of view (FOV), merging the 40 lines around the estimated focal length for each depth. (F) Left: average of rows of images captured at different focal plane depths, spanning a PWM cycle from 0 to 100% of the liquid lens drive signal. The green dots indicate the estimated focal plane depth for each frame, and the red line is their linear fit (5.98 μm slope per percent change in PWM duty cycle). The dotted white lines represent the 3 frames in (D). Right: Average of pixel rows for the image captured at 66% PWM duty cycle control signal and displayed as magenta dots in the left panel. The center of the fitted exponential envelope curve (green dotted line) is used to estimate the depth of the focal plane.

$$acdot {e}^{-{left(frac{xb}{c}right)}^{2}}cdot ({A}_{0}+{A}_{1} mathrm{cos}left(omega xright)+{B}_{1}mathrm{sin}(omega x))$$

The focal plane change as a function of PWM duty cycle of the liquid lens could be approximated linearly (R2= 0.99287) with a slope of 5.98 μm per percent change in duty cycle (Fig. 2f).

To assess whether the image could stabilize over time between two frames, we recorded 200 frames at 10 fps, alternating focal plane depth at each frame, for 5 sessions (Fig. 3a).

picture 3
picture 3

Fast focal plane switching. (a) Focal plane depth (estimated using the linear fit in Fig. 2c) for 5 recorded sessions alternating between two focal planes at each frame, with 100 frames recorded at each depth. (b) RMS average pixel intensity for the image difference between the average of 100 images recorded at each of the alternating plane depths (red and blue for plane 1 and plane 2, respectively) and the statically recorded images over all values PWM cycle control. The dotted lines mark the PWM cycle used on each of the two planes. The local minima of the RMS difference curve denote a greater similarity between the two images.

We then calculated the RMS difference between the average of 100 images for each plane and the static images captured over the 26 steps of the PWM cycle (Fig. 3b): for all sessions, over all focal plane differences, the local minima of the RMS curve (and the greatest similarity between the images) coincided with the focal plane at which the alternate planes were recorded, indicating a close match between the static images captured at each depth and the corresponding alternate images.

Brain tissue mechanism may explain why women are more susceptible to Alzheimer’s disease

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Researchers have found that women naturally express higher levels of an X-linked enzyme called ubiquitin-specific peptidase 11 (USP11). Higher levels of USP11 lead to greater buildup of a protein called tau, which is responsible for forming clumps of toxic proteins inside the brain nerve cells of patients with Alzheimer’s disease.


The presence of a chemical tag called ubiquitin on tau is regulated by a balanced system of enzymes that add or remove the ubiquitin tag. The body normally destroys unnecessary tau. But when overabundant levels of USP11 disrupt this process, tau can pathologically aggregate, causing nerve cell destruction and tau pathologies, or taupathies, including Alzheimer’s disease.


The researchers also found that when they genetically knocked out USP11 in a mouse model, females were preferentially protected from tauropathy. Their results suggest that excessive activity of the USP11 enzyme in women leads to their increased susceptibility to Alzheimer’s disease.


“We are particularly excited about this finding as it provides a foundation for the development of new neuroprotective drugs,” co-lead author David Kang, PhD, professor of pathology at Case Western, said in a statement. “The good news is that USP11 is an enzyme, and enzymes can traditionally be pharmacologically inhibited. Our hope is to develop a drug that works in this way, to protect women from the higher risk of developing the disease. Alzheimer’s.”


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Vicente Gonzalez funneled tens of thousands of dollars in campaign money to his own company, Records Show

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The Texas Democrat has a long history of ethical issues

Representative Vicente Gonzales (WikiMedia Commons)

Collin Anderson • October 5, 2022 5:00 a.m.

Texas Democratic Congressman Vicente Gonzalez paid tens of thousands of dollars in campaign money to a company he owns and runs, a move that drew condemnation from liberal media and ethics pundits when he was employed by former President Donald Trump.

Since 2018, Gonzalez has sent $33,000 to an unremarkable-sounding property management company, Tenant Services LLC, to rent office space, according to the federal government. campaign finance disclosures. It turns out that Gonzalez owns this company, financial statements and corporate documents obtained by the Free Washington Beacon To display. The setup allows Gonzalez to use his job as a politician to pocket more than his congressional salary, from which the Democrat earns $174,000 a year.

Members of Congress are allowed to pay office rent themselves as long as the monthly amount is a fair market rate. Yet similar arrangements have drawn criticism from ethics experts. When Trump’s political entity used donor funds to rent office space at Trump Tower, for example, the Huffington Post and the Washington PostYou cited watchdog groups as calling the setup “sleazy,” “a scam,” and “a scam.” University of Virginia political scientist Larry Sabato, meanwhile, compared Rep. Tom Suozzi to Trump after the New York Democrat used campaign funds to pay a company he owns nearly $40,000. “You should not run for office or serve in office to enrich yourself in any form,” Sabato said. Told the New York Post. “Trump was a master at it.”

Gonzalez, who is embroiled in a high-profile campaign against Rep. Mayra Flores (R., Texas), has a long history of ethical issues. For at least eight years, the Democrat and his wife improperly claimed a homestead exemption on two separate properties, saving the couple thousands of dollars in taxes, the Texas Grandstand reported in August. About two months earlier, a Business Intern report found that Gonzalez violated a federal conflict of interest law by waiting nearly a year to disclose a stock trade. This law requires Gonzalez to report transactions no later than 45 days after making them.

Gonzalez did not return a request for comment. The Democrat is the “owner and director” of Tenant Services, according to his latest House financial statement. Corporate documents obtained by the Free tag also list Gonzalez as the sole managing agent of the company.

Gonzalez isn’t the only Texas Democrat to pay campaign office rent himself, though he’s been less forthcoming about the arrangement compared to his Lone Star State colleagues. Rep. Henry Cuellar (D., Texas) cuts a $750 check each month for “office rent and furnishings”—these disbursements specifically state that Cuellar “personally owns and manages” the building from which he campaign rents. In Gonzalez’s case, an LLC with a generic name makes the connection less apparent.

Gonzalez’s campaign office is listed at the same address as the Democrat’s law firm, V. Gonzalez and Associates. Gonzalez earned $110,000 in “attorney fees” from the firm in 2021, according to its financials.

Before launching his political career, Gonzalez agreed to represent a host of controversial clients through his firm. In the late 1990s, for example, the Democrat was hired to defend an array of criminal drug dealers who collectively conspired to distribute thousands of pounds of marijuana, nearly half a pound of cocaine and eight pounds of MDMA, the Free tag reported in July. One of Gonzalez’s clients, Richard Contreras, pleaded guilty to federal charges after conspiring to import more than 2,200 pounds of marijuana from Mexico. Another, Frank Tijerina, ran a Texas street gang called the “Corrupt Criminal Mob”. More than a decade later, Gonzalez often stresses the need to stop the flow of drugs from the southern border and maintain “law and order.”

Gonzalez joined Congress in 2017, replacing longtime Democratic incumbent Rubén Hinojosa in Texas’ 15th congressional district. After Gonzalez won re-election in 2018, he faced a surprisingly close race in 2020 against Republican Monica de la Cruz, whom he beat by just 3 points.

That result prompted Gonzalez to run for Texas’ 34th congressional district in 2022 instead, as the state’s redistricting process made the seat considerably bluer. But Republicans remain hopeful that Flores can beat Gonzalez in November, especially after Flores in June became the first woman born in Mexico elected to Congress and the first Republican to represent parts of the 34th congressional district since 1870. In that race, Flores beat her Democratic opponent, Dan Sanchez, in historically blue areas such as Cameron County, which is 90% Hispanic and voted for Biden by double digits in 2020. Flores raised $1.8 million to Gonzalez’s $2.3 million.

How long are you protected against COVID after infection?

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If you’ve recently recovered from COVID-19, you’re probably wondering how long you’ll be immune to infection. As we continue to navigate how to manage new variants and stay safe through the pandemic, it’s important to understand how immunity works.

There are different types of immunity: infection-induced, vaccine-induced, and hybrid (a combination of the two) immunity. We spoke to doctors to learn more about COVID immunity and what to expect after infection. Here’s everything you need to know.

How long does COVID immunity last after infection

Dr. Jason Gallagher, MD, infectious disease expert, clinical professor at Temple University School of Pharmacy and infectious disease clinical pharmacy specialist at Temple University Hospital says “it depends.” It seems that high antibody levels last for at least three months before they start to drop. But when they do drop, they can still be effective, especially against variants similar to those a person has been infected with before. Moreover, antibodies are not the only component of the immune system that helps after an infection, they are only one of them and the easiest to measure.

Some immune responses to the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19 can be detected long after infection – at least a year, Dr. Erica Johnson, MD, Chairman of the Board of Infectious Diseases of the American Board of Internal Medicine, explains. However, this does not mean that you are protected against re-infection for as long, and in fact what we have seen with the omicron line is that many people who have been infected with previous variants or previously vaccinated against COVID-19 are still developed an infection with an omicron subvariant.

This is partly because there are different immune responses to the virus that all play different roles in protecting against future infection, and some parts of that immune response may not be as robust as other parts depending on the person, the nature of their infection. including the variant they were infected with and their history of vaccination and/or infection, adds Dr Johnson.

Related: These are the subtle heart-related symptoms you should get checked out if you have COVID

How does natural immunity work after COVID develops?

After infection, many patients develop antibodies that bind to a specific part of the virus needed for it to infect cells. These antibodies help reduce the risk of reinfection during future exposures to the virus. Other parts of the immune system also mount specific responses to the virus that the immune system can recall upon reexposure to the virus, says Dr. Johnson.

These same types of responses also occur after vaccination and, in fact, vaccination is designed to mimic what would happen if the body were exposed to the virus in the first place.

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How protective is hybrid immunity?

Each time you are exposed to a dose of vaccine or have a natural infection, your immune system remembers its previous exposure to the virus and is strengthened. With the first doses of vaccine alone, this enhanced response in many people would fade after several months. But the combination of being up to date with vaccination and having had a natural infection has been shown to provide a longer-lasting immune response than vaccination alone, says Dr. Johnson.

In fact, a study in the New England Journal of Medicine showed that immunity remained high for more than a year after infection in a study of healthcare workers in the UK who had an infection and two doses of mRNA vaccine.

Related: Here’s What Your COVID Immunity Really Looks Like When You Get That Second Booster

“Hybrid immunity” appears to be the most durable type, but it has the obvious downside that you have to develop COVID-19 before you can get it, says Dr. Gallagher. Either way to catch it, whether it’s getting an infection and then getting vaccinated or getting vaccinated and then infected, seems to work.

This is probably because, until recently, vaccines have only taught our bodies to recognize one type of SARS-CoV-2, and although they have learned this very well (remember that vaccines were over 90% effective in preventing infection), the virus has since changed several times since then. The new bivalent booster vaccines teach immunity against both the “original” SARS-CoV-2 and an omicron strain, and data suggest they protect better against both. Hybrid immunity works the same way, adds Dr. Gallagher.

Additionally, receiving a vaccine after contracting an infection effectively stimulates responses beyond the window offered by the infection.

Next step: Debunking the 10 biggest myths about the COVID vaccine – and no, it won’t give you coronavirus

Sources

  • Dr. Erica Johnson, MD, Chair of the Board of Infectious Diseases of the American Board of Internal Medicine
  • Dr. Jason Gallagher, infectious disease expert, clinical professor at Temple University’s School of Pharmacy and clinical pharmacy specialist in infectious diseases at Temple University Hospital

MOL joins Blue Visby consortium to reduce ship emissions with digital technology

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Japanese shipping giant Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL) has become a member of the Blue Visby Consortium which aims to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from ships by developing a platform based on digital technology.

Led by Finnish maritime software company NAPA and UK law firm Stephenson Harwood, the consortium includes more than 15 organizations from industry, government, academia and NGOs, NPOs.

The consortium is developing a solution, Blue Visby, which aims to optimize and distribute the arrival times of groups of ships heading for the same port of destination.

The optimal target time of arrival is provided for each vessel while maintaining the expected order of arrival, analyzing each vessel’s performance, conditions such as destination congestion and weather conditions. The consortium also aims to reduce CO2 emissions by recommending the optimum sailing speed for each vessel for maximum efficiency.

After verification, applied as part of the Prove of Concept process, the consortium expects an average reduction in GHG emissions of 15%.

Therefore, such an innovative approach would have “great potential” to contribute to MOL’s efforts to reduce GHG emissions and increase operational efficiency.

The MOL Group sets medium and long-term targets to reduce the intensity of GHG emissions in maritime transport by around 45% by 2035 (i.e. compared to 2019) and achieve zero emissions emissions by 2050 through five initiatives, including improving operational efficiency. Through its participation in the consortium, MOL said it will support the demonstration and practical implementation of the solution and contribute to the realization of a low and decarbonized society.

Chennai start-up facilitates DNA extraction

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Medical treatment is increasingly in genetics. Your medications are tailored to your genetic makeup. DNA extraction has become important for studying the genetic causes of disease; it is also needed for forensic science, genome sequencing, and detection of pathogens such as bacteria and viruses.

DNA – a very large molecule of phosphates, sugars and nucleobases – is mainly found in the nucleus of every cell in the body (human, plant, animal and microbe), but also present in the mitochondria (a cellular organ) and in the bloodstream (called cell-free DNA).

DNA extraction for study has been done for centuries. But today, the search is for new DNA extraction technologies that are easier, more accurate and cheaper.

Chennai-based start-up MagGenome has come up with a new technology that makes DNA extraction ridiculously easy. The method, which can be used for both RNA and protein extraction, is simple: make iron nanoparticles, make them attach to DNA and apply a magnetic field. When iron nanoparticles are attracted by the magnetic field, DNA arrives. Get rid of the nanoparticles and you have DNA.

The science behind the technology is basically getting the nanoparticles to attach to DNA.

Dr. CN Ramchand, CEO of MagGenome Technologies, said Quantum that scientists have in recent years developed a range of nucleic acid extraction systems, but they are based on magnetic nanoparticles that are coated with chemicals like ethylene glycol and citrates. Nanoparticle coating is expensive and time-consuming; the use of uncoated nanoparticles is also more efficient because, with a high surface-to-volume ratio, they bind better with DNA/RNA/proteins. A few companies such as Thermo Fisher Scientific, QIAGEN, Beckman Coulter, and Omega Bio-tek use coated nanoparticles, but Ramchand says MagGenome is the only one that uses uncoated nanoparticles.

How it works

First, the cell wall (membrane) is broken down (a process called “lysis”) by special detergents; the contents of the cell spill out. All proteins and other cellular materials are removed by enzymatic treatment – various enzymes combine with different cell organelles and are washed away. Once these “contaminants” are removed, a unique formulation of DNA condensing agents, salts and magnetic nanoparticles are added. The nanoparticles bind to the DNA, which can be separated magnetically.

MagGenome Technologies sells DNA/RNA/protein extraction kits. (An associated company provides DNA extraction service.) The technology was incubated in SciGenom Labs, Kochi; the company was incorporated in 2018 and received $3 million in funding from Emerge Ventures, Singapore. Ramchand says it has been profitable since 2021. He says that with new diagnostic tools like liquid biopsy for cancer and non-invasive prenatal testing using next-generation sequencing becoming popular, “we see good prospects for our enterprise”.

Hurricane Ian devastated your home – here are the important first steps for disaster relief and insurance claims

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By Andrew Keshner

Insured losses could be between 25 and 40 billion dollars according to a first estimate

The total financial and human cost of Hurricane Ian’s destruction is still unknown, days after it hit Florida and now with South Carolina fresh out of its wrath.

But even with the immediate search and rescue missions underway, experts say there are already steps people can take to begin their long road to financial recovery.

As of Saturday morning, Ian’s remains were in North Carolina after making landfall Friday afternoon near Georgetown, South Carolina. Back in Florida, more than a million people are still without power since Saturday, entire areas of the state’s Gulf Coast are in shock and the death toll is rising, according to the Associated Press. There were at least 30 people confirmed dead, including 27 in Florida, the AP said.

Hurricane Ian is “likely to rank among the worst in the nation’s history,” President Joe Biden said Friday. “It will take months, years to rebuild.

Insurance losses could range from $25 billion to $40 billion, according to an initial estimate by Fitch Ratings. The price could rise depending on the damage Ian inflicts in Carolina, the ratings firm noted.

Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the nation’s costliest hurricane, resulted in $65 billion in insured losses at the time, according to the Insurance Information Institute. That’s $89.6 billion in 2021 dollars, the research body made up of insurance companies said.

The second costliest storm, at least for now, is Hurricane Ida. The hurricane swept through southeast Louisiana last year and caused an insured loss of $36 billion, according to data from the Insurance Information Institute.

But overall insurance costs might mean very little to the many families who have seen their homes flattened, their cars completely waterlogged and their lives turned upside down. What will matter is getting every last penny to start the slow process of recovery – all the more critical as everyday life is already so expensive at a time of high inflation.

That’s why it’s important to understand the insurance coverage and claims process that awaits you.

Wind damage is covered under standard homeowners, renters and business insurance policies, the Insurance Information Institute said. A tenant’s policy would cover his possessions while a landlord’s policy would cover the structure, he noted.

Flood insurance is a different policy, and passenger vehicles flooded by water or damaged by wind are covered under the “optional comprehensive” portions of auto insurance, the Insurance Information Institute noted. There are 1.6 million Florida residents with flood insurance, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

Figuring out where wind damage stops and flood damage begins is a recurring challenge that’s about to reappear, said Clay Morrison, president of the National Association of Public Insurance Adjusters.

Wind damage coverage may be contained in homeowners’ policies, but sometimes that’s not the case, he noted. People can hire public adjusters to help them gather documents and evidence for an insurance claim.

“Claims issues around this event will last for a few years,” said Morrison, president of public adjuster Morrison & Morrison, which is headquartered near Houston, Texas, and has another office in Florida begging.

Whatever happens next, here are tips on what to do now

Start with photos, videos and documentation. It’s crucial to chronicle the full extent of the damage fresh, Morrison said. This can be done with photos and videos of anything, including images showing water height, as well as a photo or video showing surrounding damage near a person’s property. This will help insurers get a full picture of the storm intensity at a certain location.

Keep original copies of photos, documents and receipts while giving copies to adjusters and insurance company staff, Morrison advised. Be as thorough as possible in stating damages and potential damages when explaining the extent of damage to adjusters.

Also, keep a log of the dates and time spent corresponding to the insurance coverage and when adjusters or a company’s staff inspect the damage, write down their comments about the damage, he said.

“If along the way you have difficulty, you want to tell the carrier the time period, you have documents and dates from when the claim started,” he said. “A log of everything that has happened so far in the claim should be kept.”

Don’t dispose of destroyed or damaged items until the insurance company’s adjuster has inspected them, Morrison said. If there are plans to throw things away afterwards, check with the adjuster and the company first, he added.

FEMA advises flood insurance policyholders to report the loss to their carrier as soon as possible — and inquire about prepayments. If people need help finding their carrier, FEMA says they can call 877-336-2627. Floodsmart.gov is also a resource for explaining the initial steps of a claim, FEMA noted.

Another place to start the recovery process is: DisasterAssistance.gov or 800-621-3362, according to FEMA.

Do your best to limit the damage. If there are holes in homes or other damage that continues to expose insured property to the elements, people “must take reasonable steps to avoid further damage,” Morrison said. It could be tarps or temporary waterproofing methods, he said.

That doesn’t mean ignoring the authorities and going to a home that’s still in a dangerous area, nor does it mean attempting dangerous repairs.

“Reasonable” is the key word, Morrison said. “You must use good faith efforts to at least prevent further harm.”

What to expect for people hiring outside help. Many families simply work directly with their insurance companies to submit a claim, get a check, and start living their lives. But sometimes the task can be too heavy, complicated and exhausting.

“Generally, public adjusters come into the process when an insured has suffered a loss and is overwhelmed,” Morrison said.

If someone is looking for outside help, Morrison said they should look for people with years of experience and remember that a general rate is around 10% of the claim amount.

States set rates and those fees can vary above and below, but 10% is about the common price, he said. In Florida, for example, public adjusters can charge a maximum of 20% of the claim, according to the Florida Association of Public Insurance Adjusters.

For low-income households and at-risk communities, the challenges can be even greater. Wealthier families may have the money and resources to figure out next steps with insurance claims and government documents, not everyone does, said Sarah Saadian, senior vice president. public policy and grassroots organizing at the National Low Income Housing Coalition. .

This is true for low-income families, but also for some older people and people with disabilities. “What’s happening is that the survivors who need it the most are facing the biggest challenges getting the resources they need to rebuild,” Saadian said, adding that they could likely face a unstable accommodation thereafter.

The National Low Income Housing Coalition leads the Disaster Housing Recovery Coalition, made up of approximately 850 local, state, and national organizations that have learned how to help at-risk populations in the aftermath of natural disasters.

A key takeaway is the possibility of free legal assistance in government disaster relief bureaucracy, she said. For example, in cases where FEMA denies financial assistance, the reasons for the denial may not be specific – but attorneys who have handled the disaster recovery process will have experience knowing what additional information and documentation FEMA has need. (The agency did not immediately respond to a request for comment.)

Florida has an array of legal aid organizations and pro bono projects, according to the Florida Bar Foundation. Here is another site, the National Disaster Legal Aid Resource Center, where people can start their search for legal assistance.

-Andrew Keshner

 

(END) Dow Jones Newswire

10-01-22 0940ET

Copyright (c) 2022 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.

UK energy bills hit new high as fuel poverty fears escalate

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Families have been urged to take a photo of their meter reading and do what they can to reduce their energy use as prices rise from Saturday.

The amount a household pays for every kilowatt-hour of electricity it uses will rise to 34p from the already record 28p families are paying today.

Gas prices will rise from 7p to 10p per kilowatt hour under the new guarantee.

This means that a typical household in the UK will spend around £2,500 on their energy bills – but those who use a lot of gas and electricity will naturally pay more.

Just a year earlier, gas had cost 4p per kilowatt hour for customers on the price cap and electricity charges were 21p.

Ofgem said people should take a picture of their energy meters and submit it to their suppliers.

But after a massive increase in the number of people submitting readings caused problems for many providers, the regulator stressed that people did not need to submit all of their readings on Saturday.

“If you plan to submit your meter reading before October 1, you can submit it within a reasonable time after that,” the regulator said.

Charities National Energy Action and the Food Foundation have warned that the number of fuel-poor households has risen from 4.5 million a year ago to 6.7 million now.

Dominic Watters, a single father from the south of England, said there was a shortage of fuel and food in his estate, the charities said.

“The poor had a cost of living crisis long before the term was popularized and now these fuel price hikes are throwing us even deeper into despair,” Mr Watters told them.

“When the electricity is in a state of emergency, I live in a state of emergency, not knowing if I will be able to cook, boil the kettle, wash my daughter’s uniform or even take a shower.”

Laura Sandys, President and Founder of the Food Foundation, said: “For many households this winter may not be about heating or eating; the cost of living crisis and rising energy bills will see children living in homes where there is no longer that choice – they will both be hungry and cold.”

Leaking houses remain vulnerable

The Resolution Foundation think tank said people living in the most leaky homes will struggle the most this winter.

Bill increases will be twice as great for those living in poorly insulated homes as for those with energy-efficient properties.

Rural houses, which are generally larger and less well insulated, will also cost more to heat.

Jonathan Marshall, lead economist at the think tank, called on the government to help people reduce their long-term energy use.

“While the scale of support is extremely welcome, millions of households will remain exposed to unaffordable energy costs.

“People living in poorly insulated homes will see their bills rise this winter to more than double that of families living in well-insulated homes.

“And while the government has made the right call for short-term price intervention, in the longer term the incentives to reduce consumption will become increasingly important.”

Experts say there are plenty of ways to cut energy costs this winter.

One of the easiest ways, which will not reduce the heat in your home, is to ensure that the flow temperature of your gas condensing boiler is set to its optimum level.

This can help the boiler operate optimally. Turning down thermostats can also save money, but should only be done if the temperature inside remains safe.

Watch: Five tips to lower your energy bills

Updated: 01 October 2022, 00:52

DST affects your sleep and health. Should we get rid of it?

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One such system is the glymphatic system, a recently discovered waste disposal pathway in the brain that allows toxins to be flushed out during sleep.

“There is evidence that if sleep is disrupted or of insufficient duration, there could be a buildup of these toxins like beta-amyloid, for example, which is implicated in Alzheimer’s disease,” Rajaratnam said. .

Professor Shantha Rajaratnam, President of the Sleep Health Foundation.

Keeping social time (the time on our phones and watches) more in sync with the sun’s light and dark cycle better suits our circadian rhythm. By delaying sunset, daylight saving time pushes social time and sun time away.

Rajaratnam said a growing body of research shows that an out of whack social and body clock worsens sleep, shortens lifespan and lowers cognitive performance.

Light the way: how to adapt to summer time

For those looking to smoothly adapt to daylight saving time, it all comes down to light. Some might be able to reject a sleeping pill to force an early bedtime, but Rajaratnam recommends a gentler approach.

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“Shift your sleep time by a small amount, quarter or half hour, rather than trying to shift it by an hour,” he said. “Increase your exposure to morning light to get your clock changing as quickly as possible.”

Avoid caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol in the hours before bedtime to have the best chance of getting quality sleep. Setting up a smart globe “alarm light” that lights up in the morning or goes out in the sun as soon as possible will help.

Children and especially teenagers, whose circadian rhythms are already naturally set later than adults, should dim the lights and ditch the screens within an hour of bedtime.

“We have evidence that adolescent circadian clocks may be even more sensitive to the effects of light in the evening and so it is important to try to minimize this light exposure,” Rajaratnam said. “We know that there is also a strong two-way relationship between sleep and mental health, which is critical during these teenage years.”

Should summer time be abolished?

Dr Thomas Sigler, an urban geographer at the University of Queensland, is an advocate for daylight saving time because of the lifestyle and health benefits of brighter evenings. He finds it “ridiculous” that Queensland does not observe daylight saving time and thinks the time zones need an overhaul.

“Drawing an arbitrary line from London may have worked 100 years ago, but it’s no longer useful for people in Brisbane who leave the office in the dark 350 days a year like I do,” he said. he declared. “Australians are active people, aren’t they? Having usable daylight is essential for cycling, for surfing.

Sigler said the brief increase in cardiac arrests and traffic accidents after the clock change is more than offset by a drop in car crashes and fatalities in the following months as roads become lighter later in the year. the day.

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Sigler welcomes the progress of the Sunshine Protection Act in the United States, which would rearrange time zones so that most states are effectively on daylight saving time all the time without needing to change clocks. But Rajaratnam said most international tech bodies disagree with the bill because it would permanently misalign our biological clocks with the movement of the sun.

“Sleep expert bodies around the world have recommended the opposite, which is to stay out of daylight saving time,” he said.

Get the most out of your health, relationships, fitness and nutrition with our Live Well newsletter. Receive it in your mailbox every Monday.

Scientists have created a mechanical uterus that can grow life in the lab

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The dystopian universe of blade runner features replicants or genetically modified people with sci-fi powers, such as super-strength and advanced intelligence, that far surpass any ordinary individual (albeit with a limited lifespan). Their invention is considered a colossal feat of scientific achievement (and the basis of a pretty messed up society).

But off the big screen, we’re still a long way from creating an organism — let alone a human — entirely from scratch. So far.

In a study published last month in the newspaper Nature, scientists in the United States, United Kingdom and Israel have succeeded in creating a synthetic mouse embryo without using an egg or sperm. Instead, they used an assortment of stem cells.

Compared to natural embryos maturing alongside them, these lab-grown counterparts developed similar features seen nearly nine days after fertilization, such as a beating heart, a very early-stage brain, and an intestinal tract – before abruptly stop growth.

“Essentially, the big question we grapple with in the lab is how do we start our lives?” said Magdalena Zernicka-GoetzPrincipal investigator of the study and a stem cell biologist at the University of Cambridge and the California Institute of Technology, during a press briefing.

Look in the “black box”

Researchers from the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel have successfully grown synthetic (left) and natural (right) embryos side by side in the lab.Amadei and Handford

When a sperm fertilizes an egg, the fusion sets off a cascade of changes that cause the single cell to multiply, specialize, and organize into distinct cell types, tissues, organs, and other structures that make up a complete organism.

Over the past few decades, scientists have tried to recreate models of embryonic development in the lab to learn how the primordial phenomenon unfolds in real time. But this feat turned out to be extremely difficult. After all, we can’t just peer into a living uterus in the lab to directly observe microscopic events.

Specifically, researchers don’t know exactly what happens in the womb between about 14 days and a month of development, says Max Wilsona molecular biologist from the University of California at Santa Barbara, who was not involved in the study.

During this mysterious period, the brain builds and the heart sets. “It’s called the ‘black box’ of human development,” he explains.

This device took seven grueling years of engineering.

Recent efforts to unravel these mysteries have involved Hug human embryonic stem cells into blastocysts, a hollow, thin-walled ball of dividing cells that gives rise to the embryo during natural development.

This “blastoid” method hasn’t quite got scientists closer to how cells self-organize and specialize into organs. But in 2021, researchers from the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel – who also worked on the new Nature study – developed a kind of mechanical matrix (image an axolotl tank at Frank Herbert’s Dunes).

This device took seven grueling years of engineering. It included an incubator, which floated and swirled the embryos in vials filled with a special nutrient-rich liquid. Meanwhile, a ventilator provided oxygen and carbon dioxide, meticulously controlling the flow and pressure of the gases.

With this setup, Weizmann researchers were able to grow stem cell-derived synthetic mouse embryos in their artificial mummy for around six days – until they were able to expand it further, according to a published study. earlier this month in the magazine Cell.

The embryos underwent gastrulation (when an early embryo changes into a multi-layered structure) for eight and a half days, but then stalled for unknown reasons. (A mouse pregnancy lasts about 20 days.)

But the experiment was not entirely a failure. He set out the colossal task of the latest study: to show that it was entirely possible to grow mammalian embryos outside the womb.

How to grow a baby

Zernicka-Goetz and her colleagues used embryonic stem cells, as well as those that give rise to the placenta and yolk sac, to grow synthetic embryos.José A. Bernat Bacete/Moment/Getty Images

Zernicka-Goetz, one of the authors of the new Nature study, has spent the past decade researching ways to develop synthetic embryos. She said her lab initially only used embryonic stem cells to mimic early development.

But in 2018, she and her colleagues discovered that if they added two more stem cells that give rise to the placenta (the organ that provides nutrients and removes waste) and the yolk sac (a structure that provides food early in development), the embryos were better prepared for self-assembly.

Here’s the problem with science: there’s always competition. After their 2018 Nature paper, the Zernicka-Goetz team was surprised when the Weizmann group released an incubator-ventilator system, along with subsequent experiments that forged embryos without sperm or eggs — exactly as they were attempting.

But science is also about collaboration. The two groups eventually teamed up to see if combining their techniques could result in the life-creating golden ticket.

The results were impressive: Zernicka-Goetz and her colleagues observed the uterine cells artificially transformed into synthetic “embroids” without any sort of modification or outside guidance.

The embryo model developed a head and a heart – parts of the body that researchers could never study in vitro.

Compared to natural mouse embryos that were cultured separately, these embryonic mice went through the same developmental stages up to eight and a half days after fertilization (just like the Weizmann team’s previous work), which is equivalent to the day 14 of human embryonic development.

The embryo model developed a head and a heart — parts of the body that researchers have never been able to study in vitro, Zernicka-Goetz said.

“This is truly the first demonstration of the forebrain in any model of embryonic development, and it has been a holy grail for the field,” co-author David Gloverprofessor-researcher in biology and biological engineering at Caltech, said during the press briefing.

Zernicka-Goetz’s team also tinkered with a gene called Pax6, which appears to be a key player in brain development and function. After removing Pax6 from mouse stem cell DNA using CRISPR, Zernicka-Goetz and colleagues observed that the heads of these synthetic embryos did not develop properly, mimicking what is seen when natural embryos lack this gene.

In humans, rare Pax6 mutations or deletions can lead to abnormal fetal development and death. They can also stimulate conditions such as aniridia (absence of the colored part of the eye, the iris) or Peters’ anomaly, which hinders the development of eye structures such as the cornea.

A chance for synthetic life?

Concocting synthetic embryos from human stem cells could prove a technical (and ethical) challenge.Westend61/Westend61/Getty Images

The detailed insight into early embryonic development could be a boon to human health. For example, it could help scientists understand why many pregnancies, whether conceived naturally or through assisted reproduction, fail early in the trimester.

Zernicka-Goetz said the research could also advance regenerative medicine. This could help scientists learn how to make viable, fully functioning replacement organs for a transplant patient using their own stem cells (potentially eliminating the need to use lifelong immunosuppressants).

Currently, we have a broad sense of organogenesis – or the development of an organ from embryo to birth – but we do not know all of the microscopic steps and cellular interactions that result in a fully functional organ.

The model system could help in the development of new drugs: it could reveal which drugs can be taken safely during pregnancy without harming the fetus. Now researchers can potentially test them on synthetic embryos, Zernicka-Goetz said.

“It is a breakthrough but at a very early stage of development, a rare event which, while superficially resembling an embryo, bears flaws that should not be overlooked,” Alfonso Martinez Ariasa developmental biologist at Pompeu Fabra University in Spain who was not involved in the study, said in a Press release.

A glaring challenge: While the synthetic mouse embryos look identical to their natural counterparts, their stalled development at eight and a half days makes it hard to say whether they would continue to develop properly.

“This is very strong proof that we will one day have this power, and it will be possible [to create synthetic life].”

So, despite its enormous potential, making synthetic embryos from stem cells is simply not possible at present.

“This blockade is not understood and must be overcome if one wishes to grow synthetic mouse embryos past the eighth day,” Christophe Galicheta stem cell biologist from the Francis Crick Institute in London who was also not involved in the new work, said in the same press release.

Since humans and mice do not share exactly the same characteristics when it comes to embryonic development, the next step is to possibly concoct synthetic embryos from human stem cells.

This is likely to prove complicated, more ethically than technically. But Wilson believes the research marks a major scientific milestone and a tool to add to humanity’s technological toolbox.

“This is very strong proof that we will one day have this power, and it will be possible [to create synthetic life]”Whether we decide to do it or not because of the ethics or even the potential benefits – that’s a question for society as a whole.”

This was HORIZONS, a newsletter that explores today’s innovations shaping the world of tomorrow. Subscribe for free.

Carbon-negative home research wins $2.6 million DOE grant – WSU Insider

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A two-year, $2.6 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy will support a team of researchers in designing and building carbon-negative homes to combat climate change in the growing energy sector. residential construction.

The project, a collaboration between Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Washington State University and Seattle-based company Green Canopy NODE, was one of 18 selected in the area of ​​carbon storage structures. The goal of the DOE program is to support decarbonization through advanced construction processes.

“Society needs the built environment. It’s one of those things in the future that we can’t create less of, so we have to find a way to do it cleanly,” said Adam Phillips, assistant professor of civil engineering and co-principal investigator of the project.

The team will work to develop carbon-negative home designs using renewable resources that can be taken apart and reused for generations. The team’s research is based on the idea of ​​circular design, a broad concept that, when applied to a house, accounts for its demolition before it is built.

“We think about the next house when we design the first house,” Phillips said.

Bio-based wood materials make up the components of the proposed houses, including the floor, wall and roof structures. At the end of their life, they are carefully dismantled and used in the next version of a new house. The carbon sequestered in a tree during its lifetime remains in the wood material throughout the production of the house components, thus maintaining a negative carbon status for each iteration of the house. Phillips estimates that the second iteration of the homes will avoid about 70% of the carbon emissions typically expected from a single-family residence.

The research team will develop and test seals that will allow reusable components to be structurally attached over the 50-year design life and detached without damaging the materials.

Research also has potential in the medium-density housing sector, which can provide more opportunities for living close to urban areas. The reusable single-family housing components are reconfigurable in a manner applicable to multi-family homes, increasing the availability of housing on a single lot of land.

“We’re reinventing how best to use land to meet the needs of a new generation, without having to generate new materials,” Phillips said.

Adam Phillips

As part of the grant, researchers will also study the economy, geographic placement, and energy consumption of homes.

In addition to Phillips, the team is led by lead researcher Chrissi Antonopoulos of PNNL and Darrin Griechen of Green Canopy NODE. It is funded by the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy Harnessing Emissions into Structures Taking Inputs from the Atmosphere and includes WSU collaborators Karl Englund and Ji Yun Lee from Voiland College’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.

Bribe to vote: SC to decide whether MPs qualify for immunity: The Tribune India

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Tribune press service

New Delhi, September 28

Can a lawmaker be prosecuted for accepting bribes to vote in the House? A bench of five Constitutional Justices headed by Justice Abdul Nazeer decided on Wednesday to consider on November 15 whether Articles 194(1) and 105(2) of the Constitution granted immunity to MPs and MPs from prosecution. for accepting or paying bribes to vote in the Loger.

As the bench noted, the issue was covered by a Constitutional Bench decision in the PV Narasimha Rao case in which it was held that a lawmaker was immune from prosecution even if he or she was taking money to vote on the floor of the House, attorney General Tushar Mehta pointed out that it was a 3 to 2 verdict by a bench of the same strength, that is- that is, a bench of five judges.

“The question is … is it the act (of giving or receiving bribes) within the House or the whole scope of the act must be taken into account … immunity is there for the whole act or not,” noted the bench, which also included Justice BR Gavai, Justice AS Bopanna, Justice V Ramasubramanian and Justice BV Nagarathna.

On March 7, 2019, a bench of three judges led by CJI Ranjan Gogoi referred the matter to a larger bench, saying it involved important questions of law.

The 1998 verdict in the PV Narasimha Rao case (popularly known as the JMM MP Corruption Case) was delivered by a bench of five judges. Another bench of five judges in the court had in 2007 ruled in the case of Raja Rampal that those who took money to ask questions in Parliament were liable to be expelled from the House permanently. As the 1998 and 2007 verdicts appear contradictory, the current issue may ultimately be referred to a bench of seven judges.

Sita Soren, who was a member of the Jharkhand Assembly, is being prosecuted by the CBI for allegedly accepting bribes for voting in the 2012 Rajya Sabha poll. She had been accused of receiving bribes. de-vin of a Rajya Sabha candidate for voting for him, but instead voted for another candidate.

His father-in-law and JMM leader Shibu Soren was saved by the 1998 Constitution Bench verdict, in which the Supreme Court ruled that MPs who took money and voted for Rao’s government were immune from prosecution. However, he had ruled that those who had paid the bribe to the JMM deputies were not immune from prosecution.

According to Rule 105(2), “No Member shall be liable in court in respect of anything said or any vote cast by him in Parliament or in any of its panels, and no shall not be responsible for the publication by or under the authority of either House of Parliament of any report, vote or deliberation.The petitioner Sita Soren claimed protection under Article 194(2) which is identical to Article 105(2) and applies to mutual legal assistance.

Past precedents and what the law says

  • Section 105(2) states that “no Member shall be liable to any suit in court in respect of anything said or voted in Parliament”
  • JMM’s Shibu Soren was saved by the 1998 Constitution Bench verdict in which the SC ruled that MPs who took money to vote for Narasimha Rao’s government were immune from prosecution
  • Sita Soren, who was an MP for Jharkhand, is being prosecuted by the CBI for allegedly accepting a bribe for voting in the 2012 RS poll

Won’t stay dismissal of Gujarat IPS officer

Calling it an interim order, the SC refused to interfere with Delhi HC’s order refusing to suspend the Centre’s decision to fire Gujarat IPS officer Satish Chandra Verma on August 30, a month before his retirement. He had helped the SIT in the affair of the meeting with Ishrat Jahan.

Advocacy against DeMo to be heard on October 12

Six years after the Center demonetized the Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes, the SC wondered on Wednesday whether it would be an academic exercise to hear pleas challenging the decision. He posted the case for hearing on October 12. There are 58 motions in the case.

RoPower Nuclear will develop SMRs in Romania

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Nuclearelectrica (SNN) and Nova Power & Gas have launched RoPower Nuclear, the project company for the development of small modular reactors in Romania, on the site of the former coal-fired power plant of Doicesti, in the county of Dambovita.

Jose W. Fernandez, U.S. Under Secretary for Economic Growth, Energy, and Environment, U.S. Department of State, and Romanian Energy Minister Virgil Popescu observed the signing ceremony of the shareholders’ statement, at the Ministry of Energy, Romania.

Project company RoPower Nuclear SA will take steps to deploy the first NuScale VOYGR-6 (462 MWe) power plant in Romania this decade. The plant will use NuScale Power Module technology from NuScale, the only SMR company to have received design approval from the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The installed capacity can also be supplemented by renewable energies amounting to a capacity of c. 80MWe, which would make the new energy complex exceed the capacity of the old Doicesti plant. The joint nuclear-renewable solution would represent not only an optimal production capacity, with the possibility of varying the yield, but also a vision of the sources of production for the electricity network of tomorrow.

“We are proud to develop a safe power plant in Romania that offers clean and cost-effective energy, at the same time bringing multiple benefits to the local community. With energy independence and energy security as the highest goals, Romania will be a leader for the deployment of small modular reactors in the region and the new company, RoPower Nuclear, an example of best practices in the implementation of standards highest safety, performance and productivity. , following the lead of Cernavoda NPP for over 25 years,” said Cosmin Ghita, CEO of SNN.

“The RoPower Nuclear shareholder statement, signed today, reaffirms the good faith of the two partners, Nuclearelectrica and Nova Power & Gas, for the deployment in Romania of the NuScale small modular reactors (SMR). At the same time, it is the guarantee that we will treat this project with the utmost seriousness. The long cooperation between the United States and Romania in the nuclear field has a very successful track record. Thus, I am firmly convinced that RoPower Nuclear will have excellent cooperation with the American nuclear industry and the Romanian industry, within the framework of the USA-Romania strategic partnership, providing clean energy and security of supply for our country and the region,” Teodor Chirica, Chairman of the Board, SNN, added.

“RoPower Nuclear, the joint venture between Nuclearelectrica, a Romanian national company and Nova Power & Gas, a Romanian private company, combining the expertise, potential, stability and agility of the parent companies, could be a model for other futures. energy projects. We are very proud to be part of such a transformative project, which will guarantee Romania’s energy security,” said Teofil Mureșan, President of Nova Power & Gas.

Targets to prevent hearing loss caused by certain antibiotics

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Some life-saving antibiotics cause hearing loss, and now, for the first time, some researchers think they know why and are one step closer to preventing it.

Aminoglycosides (AGs), such as gentamicin, are potent, broad-spectrum antibiotics used to treat a wide variety of life-threatening infections.

However, they do have a downside: they are ototoxic, which means a person taking them may develop hearing or balance problems because they cause irreversible damage to cochlear hair cells.

Until now, scientists knew very little about the molecular pathways critical to hair cell survival that are affected by exposure to these antibiotics.

But in a new study from the journal Development cellAmerican researchers have discovered that the dysfunction of a process within the cell, called autophagy, is linked.

By reducing the expression of a protein involved in autophagy in cochlear hair cells, they were able to prevent hair cell death and subsequent hearing loss caused by systemic exposure to AGs.

“This work identifies several potential therapeutic targets for preventing aminoglycoside-induced hearing loss,” says lead author Bo Zhao, assistant professor of otolaryngology at Indiana University School of Medicine, USA. United States.


Read more: Loss of hair cells may explain hearing loss.


What is autophagy?

Autophagy is the process by which cells “eat” pieces of themselves – hence the name. It comes from the Greek “autos” meaning self and “phageîn” meaning to eat.

Thanks to autophagy, unwanted or damaged molecules are eliminated and recycled from the cell. First, they are marked for disposal, enveloped by a membrane (becoming an autophagosome) which then fuses with a lysosome (an acidic organelle filled with enzymes) which breaks them down into nutrients that the cell can then reuse.

But when autophagy is abnormal or triggered inappropriately, it can cause cell damage and death.

In a cell line from the inner ear of mice, researchers found that FAs bind and trigger the translocation of a protein called RIPOR2.

Usually, this enzyme is found at the base of tiny hair-like structures called stereocilia in the cochlear hair cell. But all the AGs tested, and none of the other types of antibiotics examined, cause it to translocate to another region – the pericuticular collar – inside the cell.

There, RIPOR2 interacts with GABARAP, a component of the autophagy pathway that plays a major role in the elimination and recycling of dysfunctional cellular components.

“As aminoglycosides specifically trigger a rapid localization change of RIPOR2 in hair cells, we hypothesize that RIPOR2 is essential for aminoglycoside-induced hair cell death,” Zhao explains.

“We then discovered that RIPOR2 regulates the autophagy pathway in hair cells. Knowing this, we developed other laboratory models without the expression of several key autophagy proteins that did not show hair cell death or hearing loss when treated with the antibiotic.” Dr. Jinan Li, postdoctoral fellow in Zhao’s lab and first author of the paper. .

Reducing RIPOR2 expression prevents hearing loss in mice

The team then injected AG into mice that had been genetically modified to produce significantly lower levels of the RIPOR2 protein and, surprisingly, no significant loss of hair cells occurred.

These results suggest that reduced RIPOR2 expression protects hair cells from AG-induced death.

Next, auditory brainstem response tests to “click stimuli” were measured in normal and genetically modified mice to determine whether reducing RIPOR2 expression could prevent GA-induced hearing loss.

And while the normal mice were found to be profoundly deaf after treatment with AG, remarkably, there was no significant change in the hearing thresholds of the mice that produced less RIPOR2.

The authors state that the proteins identified in this study could potentially be used as drug targets to prevent aminoglycoside-induced hearing loss in future studies.

Beleaguered crypto firm Helium attempts a second act as users flee and revenue plummets

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The best thing you could do as a helium miner was to live in a skyscraper. Max Gold discovered this quickly when he installed a hotspot in early 2021 and made around $16,000 in a month.

A friend had told him about the service, where people set up radio devices in their homes to broadcast a decentralized wireless network that linked Internet of Things products like air quality monitors and keg trackers. In exchange for transferring data over the so-called “people’s network”, miners would receive a crypto token called HNT.

When Gold installed his first helium access point, he was working for an offshore drilling company, but he was laid off in May 2021 and decided to focus on helium full-time. As he learned from his own prime location, Helium devices produced more HNT at higher altitudes, so he connected hotspot owners with internet service providers who already had access to different types of tricks, taking a share of the profits. At the peak of his business, which he named Hotspot Rescue, Gold said he was making around six figures.

Helium has become one of the most notorious companies in crypto, something of a weather vane for the trajectory of the industry’s roller coaster. In February, as owners of hotspots like Gold reaped profits, the New York Times published a flattering profile of the company, describing it as one of the few crypto projects with “normed utility”. The following month, the company behind Helium confirmed a $200 million funding round and renamed Nova Labs.

As the overall crypto market plunged, Helium’s outlook fell in tandem. A Mashable July report revealed that helium had lead into error the public on its customers, questioning the practicality of its technology. The previous month, IoT companies had only spent about $6,500 in data transfer over the Helium network – an unpromising figure for a business valued at $1.2 billion. Meanwhile, Helium’s HNT token fell over 90%.

A Fortune An analysis found that the entire Helium network only received about $1,150 in revenue from demand for IoT devices over the past 30 days, a figure confirmed by the nonprofit Helium Foundation.

Meanwhile, as the likes of Gold saturated the hotspot market and the token’s price plummeted, adoption plummeted. Fortune found that only around 15,000 access points have been installed so far in September, compared to a peak of over 90,000 in November 2021. Gold’s access point, the one that originally hit around 16 $000 in HNT per month, now produces about $10 per month.

With miner profits and collapsing facilities, Nova Labs is now attempting a second act. After hint to build a 5G network last year and to acquire hardware companies, Helium announcement it would launch a separate mobile network in June, powered by a different type of hotspot and a new crypto token called MOBILE.

The question, as Nova Labs embarks on 5G, is whether the company can pull off an ambitious new project while its other is mired in turmoil. For reviews like Nicolas Tisserandresearcher at the International Computer Science Institute in Berkeley, Helium Mobile is not another attempt to create a decentralized wireless network, but a distraction.

“They’ve tried to keep the scam going by moving to a model where it’s cellular connectivity because people can understand that better,” he said. “They need to keep the grappling hook.”

“The People’s Network”

Amir Haleem, a game designer, launched Helium with Napster co-founder Shawn Fanning in 2013. Despite funding from major investors such as Khosla Ventures, the company struggled to find a foothold and was making a hemorrhaged money before switching to crypto in 2017. Its decentralized IoT-focused network launched in 2019.

A Forbes survey published this month found that Helium insiders profited greatly from the early days of the network, creating hotspots and mining half of all Helium tokens in the first three months – a practice common among blockchain projects, although contrary to the principles of decentralization.

Consumers like Gold also rushed into the project, buying around $500 million worth of hotspots. Rather than producing the devices themselves, Helium relied on third-party manufacturers, which resulted in varying degrees of quality and longer turnaround times.

“I think since [Helium’s] point of view, they didn’t want to impersonate: “We do all the manufacturing and sell you these overpriced Raspberry Pis that mine our token,” Gold said.

This allowed secondary markets to proliferate. Gold’s first miner came from a company called Emrit, who sent him a free hotspot in exchange for 80% of the winnings. He would later apply elements of this transaction model to his own business.

Even though the network spread across the United States and around the world thanks to people setting up devices, its capabilities didn’t make much sense from an economic perspective. The IoT could transfer data over the network via “data credits”, which were used to purchase HNT. Helium has touted major customers like electric scooter company Lime as using the network, although Lime later denied working with Helium beyond an initial test. (Nova Labs COO Frank Mong said Fortune that Helium had a pilot with Lime.)

Today, Mong said Helium has hundreds of customers using the network. Even so, most revenue comes from other fees, such as onboarding new devices. As Fortune found, only about $1,150 generated last month came from actual data transfers.

In an interview with FortuneHaleem, CEO of Helium, explained that the IoT network is still in its infancy.

“For Helium to be successful over a ten-year period on the IoT network, there must be hundreds of millions of devices using the network worldwide,” he said. “There is no other way to decide the answer to this question that there must be a lot of traffic.”

He declined to estimate the number of devices currently using the network.

$1,151.07

Helium data credit revenue from IoT device demand in the last 30 days
Source: Helium Foundation

Weaver, the Berkeley researcher, expressed skepticism that such an IoT network could attract enough companies to be sustainable. On the one hand, he explained, because the network relies on a decentralized network of access points, it will always be a patchwork. For IoT companies looking for consistent data transfer, Helium would not offer the most reliable service.

“[IoT Companies] also want to pay real money,” he said. Fortune. “You’re not going to want to pay a stupid third-party token that goes up and down in value.”

Enter Helium Mobile.

“Get as many lottery tickets as possible”

Haleem explained that Nova Labs as a company does not collect revenue from people paying for new access points or IoT companies paying for data transfers, which instead go to third-party manufacturers or the protocol. blockchain powering the Helium network. Instead, the company turns to other projects.

“We are now entering a phase where we will focus in the form of revenue,” he said. “Helium Mobile is an example of that.”

The project echoes the IoT network, with people setting up hotspots in their homes or other locations and mining a crypto token as a reward. The main difference is that the main customers of the network will not be IoT companies, but everyday mobile users.

The main challenge, of course, is coverage – for a cellular network to work, it cannot be disparate. Hotspots cost around $2,000 to $3,000. Currently there are only around 5,000 Helium Mobile hotspots operational, and more than two-thirds of these are “indoor radios”, meaning they would have questionable reception outside the buildings in which they are housed. report from PCMag criticized the hotspot technology – powered by Nova Labs-owned software company FreedomFi – questioning whether it could scale.

Haleem explained that Helium faces the limitations of operating in unlicensed spectrum, admitting that hotspots could never compete with cell towers. “You’re not trying to create this apples-to-apples comparison,” he said.

Instead, he argued that most cellular use happens indoors, which would be the target of the network, helping provide coverage through hotspots in places where cellular service struggles. such as rural areas or crowded places. “We’re not trying to compete with the big telecom operators,” he said. Fortune. “This is a cellular network that’s going to exist in places where traditional networks can’t or don’t exist.”

It’s a way for them to start earning real dollars to support their billion dollar valuation.”

Helium Hotspot Power User Max Gold

To help with the rest of the coverage, Helium recently announced a deal with T-Mobile where whenever Helium Mobile customers can’t access the Helium network, their devices automatically revert to T-Mobile. Wong, COO of Helium, said the price would be $5 per month for 1 gigabyte of data usage. No other plans were priced. The company’s targeted launch date is early next year.

“We believe Helium Mobile is pursuing a very nascent and exciting market segment,” Dan Thygesen, T-Mobile’s senior vice president of wholesale, said in a statement. “T-Mobile is thrilled to support Nova Labs’ innovation in this new crypto-powered space.”

Weaver described Helium Mobile as an ordinary MVNO, or mobile virtual network operator, which does not provide its own infrastructure but rather leases a network from a larger carrier.

“As a service, they don’t offer anything on consumer cellular,” he said.

Gold, the IoT hotspot mogul, has scaled back its Helium IoT hotspot business, focusing on other decentralized wireless projects like the crypto-powered rival mobile network Pollen. Rather than onboarding new IoT hotspots, he is focusing on governance issues within Helium, hoping this will lift his HNT holdings. He also founded the People’s Antenna brand, a popular merchandise and equipment platform within the Helium community.

Gold views Helium Mobile the same way Weaver does. “They call it a crypto operator, but it’s an MVNO,” he said. Fortune. “It’s a way for them to start earning real dollars to support their billion dollar valuation.”

That didn’t stop him from buying an access point, two in fact. One is inside and the other is outside of her apartment covering Minute Maid Park in her hometown of Houston.

“There’s so much luck involved in it that it spills over into different projects and you get as many of those lottery tickets as you can,” he said.

Industry Partners Demonstrate New Underwater Technology at Northeast Tech Bridge Demonstration Day at Newport’s NUWC Division

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Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) Division Newport’s Northeast Tech Bridge hosted its first demo day with the goal of introducing new underwater technologies from local start-ups to a Navy audience.

The event, which included seven companies, technology demonstrations and information sessions, took place Sept. 1 at the Narragansett Bay Test Facility. Newport Division Technical Director Ron Vien welcomed attendees.

“We are looking for small businesses to come up with new ideas and we learn more about the industry at these events,” Vien said. “We want to connect the engineers and scientists of the NUWC Newport division with industry partners to find dual-use solutions to Navy challenges.”

Several years ago, the Office of Naval Research (ONR) implemented a series of technology, business, and workforce programs to create an effective agility network across the facility. naval research and development and to promote partnerships with government, universities and industrial partners. Tech Bridges are ONR-sponsored entities located around the world that bring together innovative organizations to accelerate results and solutions for the Navy – one way to do this is to increase local access to ecosystems of innovation.

The Northeast Tech Bridge is the government side of the Tech Bridge with focus areas such as underwater vehicles and underwater sensors. The goal of the Northeast Tech Bridge is to connect government, industry, and academia with the goal of helping move ideas, projects, and technologies through the innovation pipeline. The Northeast Tech Bridge is working with the 401 Tech Bridge, a division of the University of Rhode Island (URI) Research Foundation, as a partner to achieve this goal.

Northeast Tech Bridge Director Dr. Steven Bordonaro hosted a demo day to bring several local start-ups to demonstrate their technology on a Navy range in front of an audience of Newport Division engineers and scientists.

“There are barriers to entry when it comes to working with the Navy and there’s a lot going on in the commercial world for us,” Bordonaro said. “We want to continue to reduce these barriers and continue to make it easier for businesses to work with the Navy. The Blue Tech Accelerator program can help start-up companies, it also helps them connect with industry partners. »

“Dual-use applications are really important to us,” said Christian Cowan, who represented both the 401 Tech Bridge and the URI Research Foundation. “The 401 Tech Bridge can help with people, places, and programming. There are incredibly exciting blue economy initiations in Rhode Island, and the NUWC Newport division is a vital partner with its assets and employees. Everything it benefits the state and the nation.

The demo day was held on the waterfront at the Rapid Engineering Experimentation Facility [REEF] is an example of how 401 Tech Bridge can bring non-traditional industry-based companies to partner with the NUWC Newport division and accelerate technology for the benefit of the Navy as well as the private commercialization of these technologies , Cowan said.

Industry participants

A team from Boston Engineering Corp., based in Waltham, Massachusetts, demonstrated two vertical profilers – one in a tube on the deck and one in the bay. Both of these profilers provide vertical water column profiles carrying standard or user-specified payloads in large customizable payload volumes, collecting data and then transmitting it in multiple ways. For Demo Day, the team used satellite communications.

“Our hope for Demo Day is to expose ourselves and the technology to the NUWC team and better understand the incredible capabilities NUWC has to offer,” said David Shane of Boston Engineering Corp. “We are already engaged with NUWC and want to be more involved in collaboratively solving Navy problem sets.”

Darya Blout of Deep Blue Composites, located in Bristol, Rhode Island, shared his company’s line of deep-sea pressure vessels intended to replace the titanium pressure vessels currently used in unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs). . Deep Blue Composites products reduce weight by using an all-composite option that is cost effective, making them more accessible to UUV manufacturers.

“I hope to increase awareness of composites and their use in Navy and DOD environments,” Blout said. “I think they’re really underutilized, especially in the underwater vehicle space, because they’ve only recently been adopted by the Navy and other defense sectors.”

The Jaia Robotics team, also based in Bristol, launched two of its JaiaBot micro-autonomous underwater vehicles (AUV) to perform diving simulations. JaiaBots can collect sound velocity profiles (SVP), bathymetry and water depth measurements while being able to move at high speeds on the surface.

The company hopes to reach out to future collaborators, show what its staff and robots are capable of, and then spend time on the water as well, said Jessie Paskoski, an engineer at Jaia Robotics.

Juice Robotics, based in Middletown, Rhode Island, showcased its fiber optic coil system, or FOReel system, which was created in partnership with Nautilus Defense and URI. The system includes a lightweight fiber optic fishing line, a commercial mechanical reel, and a camera and lighting system that allows users to view live footage of the bottom of Narragansett Bay.

Juice Robotics was started by Matt Jewell who later teamed up with Christine deSilva after meeting at URI while filming for “Shark Week”. Their goal was to create a vehicle that would move at high speed and “catch people’s attention”.

“We have realized the future of deep sea research and deep sea exploration and the real access to oceanographic data is with these smaller, modular, lighter and more affordable components,” deSilva said. “So what we do at Juice is really bring that passion together.”

Dr. Kevin Rosa started Current Lab, a Newport-based ocean current forecasting company that primarily works with the yacht racing industry to help them find the fastest route on the race course.

“We can provide predictions of what the currents will do and what the speed of sound will do when you plan your mission,” Rosa said. “We do this with very detailed computer models similar to a weather model, but instead of predicting wind and rain, we predict currents and temperature underwater. I hope to speak to people from the NUWC division in Newport and the marine world to understand what their needs are and what we could potentially provide to them in the future.

Will Magruder, Senior Director of Partnerships at Mass Challenge, a nonprofit global nonprofit accelerator program, helped bring Demo Day attendees together with Linda Larson and the 401 Tech Bridge team.

“Mass Challenge has always been an independent industry accelerator program for today’s event purposes, we’ve partnered with 401 Tech Bridge and Northeast Tech Bridge to highlight companies with strong potential in the blue technology space,” Magruder said. “We’re excited to show off some of the best companies from the mass challenge programs at today’s event in Newport.”

Dillon Fournier, Range Manager of the Newport Division’s Underwater Warfare Ranges Engineering and Analysis Department, led the logistics and range support for this event.

“Narragansett Bay Test Center has all the support needed to host events such as Demo Day and ANTX, and can also support smaller test events with companies that need to test their technologies. in water.” Fournier said, “Through work for private parties and collaborative research and development agreements, we are here to help technologies mature.”

Mary Sylvia, Manager of the Newport Division’s Office of Technology Partnerships, answered attendees’ questions about the variety of different agreements available for working with the Newport Division.

“This is the first of many events that we are going to have over the next few months and possibly years,” Sylvia said. “It’s a wonderful opportunity for small businesses to come through our doors and show us the technology they have.”

The Tech Bridge will continue to support efforts throughout New England in the Blue Tech Zone and will continue to offer technology screening for Newport Division engineers and scientists interested in learning more about industry technology. The Tech Bridge will also continue to partner with the URI Research Foundation.

“We want to continue events like these. They’re at the scale where I think conversations are very natural and hosting these fairly small-scale events several times a year is an effective way to work with businesses, especially small ones,” Bordonaro said. “Some of the bigger companies can navigate a bigger event where a smaller company can get lost. If companies are interested, there’s another cohort going on with Mass Challenge and the 401 Tech Bridge in the Blue Tech area, so that’s something they can look into.

Ultimately, the first day of demonstration achieved its goal of connecting the industry to the Newport Division workforce.

“The technologies that were presented were right,” Bordonaro said. “I was really happy to see the conversations that were taking place. I think there will be long-term results, whether it’s projects or collaborative research. We’ve planted seeds that I think will will grow for a long time.

You can find out more about the start-ups that participated in Demo Day at:

NUWC Newport is the nation’s oldest warfare center, tracing its heritage to the naval torpedo station established on Goat Island in Newport Harbor in 1869. Commanded by Captain Chad Hennings, NUWC Newport maintains significant detachments in West Palm Beach, Florida and Andros Island in the Bahamas, as well as testing facilities in Seneca Lake and Fisher’s Island, New York, Leesburg, Florida and Dodge Pond, Connecticut.

Join our team! NUWC Division Newport, one of Rhode Island’s 20 largest employers, employs a diverse, highly skilled, educated, and skilled workforce. We are always looking for engineers, scientists and other STEM professionals, as well as talented experts in business, finance, logistics and other support services who want to be at the forefront of underwater research and development. Please connect with NUWC Division Newport Recruiting on this site- https://www.navsea.navy.mil/Home/Warfare-Centers/NUWC-Newport/Career-Opportunities/ and follow us on LinkedIn @NUWC-Newport and on Facebook @NUWCNewport.

Immunity Booster Supplements Market Will Help Minimize Risk Of Virus Infection

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Pune, Maharashtra, September 26 2022 (Wiredrelease) Market.Biz –: Immunity Booster Supplements Market: Ginger, Turmeric and Gooseberries (amla) are natural immune supplements. Many herbs can boost immunity, including garlic, Basel leaf, and black cumin. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, sales of cold and immunity supplements have increased significantly. Many consumers now buy dietary supplements online to support or boost their immune system. Determine if dietary supplements claiming to support or enhance the immune system have been properly labeled using the Supplement Facts label. Also, to qualitatively describe product labels in terms of claims.

The growth of the Immunity Booster Supplements market has been analyzed in the research report. This research includes trends, drivers and restraints that can transform the market in a positive or detrimental way. This provides insights into the potential market impact of various segments and applications. Also provides detailed information based on historical milestones and current trends. Immunity Booster Supplement Market Research Study provides information on production volume in global market along with details of each product type from 2014 to 2030. This section provides information on production volume by region from 2014 to 2030. The report includes price analysis for each product type, from 2014 to 2030, by manufacturer from 2014 to 2022, by region from 2014 to 2022, and globally from 2014 to 2030.

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The report provides detailed boundary analysis and enables strategic planning. The Immunity Booster Supplement market growth factors are crucial as they can be understood in order to find different ways to take advantage of the profitable opportunities available in this ever-growing market. To better understand the market, the opinions of market experts have also been taken into consideration.

Immunity Booster Supplements Market Segment Analysis:

This research report contains specific segments by type and application. Each type includes production information for the period 2014-2030. The Immunity Booster Supplement application segment provides consumption information for the period 2014-2030. Understanding the segments will help you identify important factors supporting market growth.

Segment by Type: Capsules; Liquid; Pill; Powder

Segment by application: offline; On line

Global Immunity Booster Supplements Market Regional Analysis

This report provides an in-depth analysis of the Immunity Boosting Supplements market in key regions such as US & Canada, Germany and France. It also includes information about North America; Europe; Asia Pacific; Latin America; The Middle East and Africa.

After studying and observing various factors of the Immunity Booster Supplement market, which influence regional growth, such as political, economic, technological, and social status of each region, the report has been drafted. The analysts examined the data regarding revenue, production and manufacturers in each region. This section analyzes revenues by region for the period from 2014 to 2030. These analyzes will allow the reader to assess the value of investing in a specific region.

Competitive Landscape of the Global Immunity Booster Supplements Market

This section of the report lists the major market players. This section helps the readers to understand the collaborations and the strategies that the market players are using to fight the competition. This comprehensive report provides a detailed overview of the market. The global turnover of the manufacturers and their global price can be viewed by the reader.

Key players in the immunity booster supplements market are Airborne; Amway Corp.; Archer-Daniels-Midland Company; ARKOPHARMA Laboratories; Vita fusion; Bayer SA; Pfizer; Suntory Holdings Ltd; Cyanotech Co.; DuPont de Nemours Inc.; Pfizer Inc.; Enterogermine; Assimilate; FANCL Company; Glanbia PLC; GlaxoSmithKline PLC; immunofree; Nature made; The bounty of nature; Sanofi SA; etc

Inquiry: https://market.biz/report/global-immunity-booster-supplement-market-gm/#inquiry

This report has the following objectives:

To analyze global Immunity Booster Supplement status and future forecast, key growth opportunity market, along with key players.

The Immunity Booster supplement was developed in Europe, the United States and China.

Identify and analyze the most important market players and provide a comprehensive analysis of their development strategies and plans.

To describe, forecast and define the market by product type, market, key regions and other factors.

Buy Report Link: https://market.biz/checkout/?reportId=650045&type=Single%20User

Contact number: +1 (857)4450045, +91 9130855334.
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Global Immunity-Boosting Food Market by Type (Nuts & Seeds, Fruits & Vegetables, Dairy, Probiotics & Prebiotics), By Application (Online and Offline) by Country & Manufacturing – Industry Segment, Scenario Competition and Forecast by 2030: https://market.biz/report/global-immunity-boosting-food-product-market-gm/

Global Immunity Gums Market by Type (Vitamins and Probiotics), by Application (Children and Adults), by Country and Manufacture – Industry Segment, Competition Scenario and Forecast by 2030: https://market. biz/report/global-immunity-gummies-market-gm/

Global Immunity Boosting Foods Market By Type (Herbs & Spices, Dairy & Probiotics & Prebiotics), By Application (Hypermarkets/Supermarkets, Food & Beverage Specialty Stores, Convenience Stores, Small Independent Grocery Stores and Discount Stores), by Country and Manufacturing – Industry Segment, Competition Scenario and Forecast by 2030: https://market.biz/report/global-immunity-boosting-food-market-gm/

Global Autoimmune Reagents Market by Type (BLOT, ELISA, IFA, and CLIA), by Application (Hospital and Third-Party Testing Agency), by Country, and Manufacture – Industry Segment, Competition Scenario and Forecast by 2030: https:// /market.biz/report/global-autoimmunity-reagents-market-gm/

Global Chemical Luminescence Immunity Analyzers Market by Type (Automatic and Semi-Automatic), by Application (Hospital and Research Institution), by Country and Manufacture – industry segment, competition scenario and forecast by 2030: https ://market. biz/report/global-chemical-luminescence-immunity-analyzer-market-gm/

Global Immune Support Ingredients Market By Type (Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Other Vitamins, Beta-Glucans, Carotenoids, Phytosterols & Omega-3 Fatty Acids), By Application (Nutritional Supplements, Food & Beverages, Pharmaceuticals, Animal Feeds) , Pet Food and Personal Care Products), by Country and Manufacture – Industry Segment, Competition Scenario and Forecast by 2030: https://market.biz/report/global-immunity-support- ingredients-market-gm/

Global Immunity Sleep Supplements Market By Type (Capsule, Powder & Pills), By Application (Elderly, Adults & Children), By Country & Manufacture – Industry Segment, Competition Scenario and Forecast by 2030: https ://market. biz/report/global-immunity-sleep-supplements-market-gm/

This content was published by Market.Biz company. WiredRelease’s news service was not involved in the creation of this content. For press release service inquiries, please contact us at [email protected]

Entergy Louisiana, Entergy New Orleans and Diamond Offshore Wind seek to assess offshore wind potential in Gulf waters | New

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Companies Partner in Future Offshore Wind Energy Development to Serve Louisiana Customers

JEFFERSON, La. – Entergy Louisiana, Entergy New Orleans and Diamond Offshore Wind, a subsidiary of Diamond Generating Corporation, today announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding regarding the evaluation and potential early development of the production of wind power in the Gulf of Mexico. The deal could put Entergy in a position to provide another source of clean energy to customers while bolstering economic development in the region.

“This is an important first step in eventually bringing wind power to our Louisiana shores,” said Phillip May, president and CEO of Entergy Louisiana. “Although there is still work to be done before this happens, we are delighted at the opportunity to begin this process. We aspire to help our communities prosper for generations to come, and this marks another step in fulfilling that mission.

“Clean, affordable energy is an engine of economic growth, which translates into increased investment and well-paying green jobs in our communities,” added Deanna Rodriguez, President and CEO of Entergy New Orleans. “Entergy New Orleans understands the importance of providing customers with clean energy to reduce the impacts of climate change and doing so in a way that keeps service affordable for New Orleans families and businesses. This agreement creates another possible route to meet these demands.

The MOU provides a legal framework for Entergy and Diamond Offshore Wind to work towards the development of potential offshore wind demonstration projects located in Louisiana waters and will focus in the short term on the evaluation of grid interconnection to determine the optimal size and location of future offshore wind developments.

Earlier this year, Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards introduced the Louisiana Climate Action Plan, which offered a series of recommendations that could lead Louisiana to net zero greenhouse gas emissions from by 2050 – a key action of this plan is to achieve five gigawatts of offshore wind generation by 2035. Developing wind power in the Gulf of Mexico will accelerate the state’s role as a leader in the development of renewable energy and will stimulate collaboration among state and federal agencies, utilities, the private sector, and colleges and universities in our states. Entergy is proud to be a leader in this exciting future for Louisiana.

“Diamond Offshore Wind is pleased to announce its partnership with Entergy Louisiana and Entergy New Orleans to explore the construction of the first offshore wind project in Louisiana state waters and the Gulf of Mexico,” said Chris Wissemann, CEO. of Diamond Offshore Wind. “Louisiana has a tremendous opportunity to develop an offshore wind industry that serves the entire country, and through this project we hope to accelerate its development, create jobs, provide a renewable energy source for Louisiana customers and help Louisiana meet its climate goals. .”

Entergy Louisiana currently has approximately 280 megawatts of renewable resources, including the Capital Region Solar Facility, which began delivering electricity to the grid in October 2020. Along with nuclear generation, nearly 30 % of the company’s portfolio comes from renewable resources. Additionally, the LPSC recently approved 475 megawatts of solar power with an additional 2,000 megawatts in the queue.

Entergy New Orleans’ diverse generation portfolio includes the 20-megawatt New Orleans Solar Station and the soon-to-be-completed Iris Solar and St. James Solar projects that will add an additional 70 megawatts of clean power. Additionally, the company has 5 megawatts of solar power installed on commercial and residential rooftops. Together with nuclear, these carbon-free resources represent nearly 40% of the company’s generating capacity and will continue to reduce Entergy New Orleans’ carbon emissions, which today are already nearly 40% lower than the national average.

Entergy Corporation has been an industry leader in voluntary climate action for more than two decades. In 2001, the company was the first US electric utility to commit to voluntarily stabilize greenhouse gas emissions. This goal has since been accelerated with a commitment to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050.

As a subsidiary of Mitsubishi Corporation, Diamond Offshore Wind, its parent companies and affiliates bring decades of successful experience in the development, construction and operation of major energy assets, both in the United States and overseas, including seven commercial-scale offshore wind projects and 13 offshore wind projects. transportation projects.

About Diamond Offshore Wind

Diamond Offshore Wind is a wholly owned subsidiary of Diamond Generating Corporation (DGC), a wholly owned subsidiary of Mitsubishi Corporation, and was established by DGC to develop, own and operate offshore wind projects in the United States.

Building on MC’s success in the global offshore wind market and DGC’s deep experience and outstanding performance as an independent power producer in the United States, Diamond Offshore Wind is uniquely positioned to to be a strong, long-term leader in the growing offshore wind market in the United States.

About Entergy Louisiana

Entergy Louisiana, LLC provides electric service to more than one million customers in 58 parishes and natural gas service to more than 94,000 customers in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

About Entergy New Orleans

Entergy New Orleans, LLC provides electricity to more than 209,000 customers and natural gas to more than 110,000 customers in Orleans Parish, Louisiana.

Both Entergy Louisiana and Entergy New Orleans are subsidiaries of Entergy Corporation (NYSE: ETR), a Fortune 500 company headquartered in New Orleans. Entergy Corporation powers the lives of 3 million customers through its operating companies in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. Entergy is creating a cleaner, more resilient energy future for all through our diverse power generation portfolio, including increasingly carbon-free energy sources. With roots in the Southern Gulf region for more than a century, Entergy is a recognized leader in corporate citizenship, delivering over $100 million in economic benefits to local communities through efforts to philanthropy and advocacy every year for the past few years. Our approximately 12,000 employees are dedicated to fueling life today and for future generations.

Dementia: chilli peppers could double your risk of brain disease – ‘killer’

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The number of dementia cases is expected to triple by 2050 as the world’s populations age. However, age is not the only driver of cognitive decline. Research has also linked chili peppers to a higher risk of mental disorder.

Whether you use it as the defining flavor for your curry or as an extra kick for your marinade, capsaicin is the primary pungent ingredient in chili peppers that gives it its pungent taste.

Unfortunately, for heat lovers, this chemical is also what has been linked to cognitive decline.

Nutritionist Rory Batt said: “Capsaicin has been shown in a few studies to cause (neuronal) cell death through a phenomenon known as excitotoxicity.

“Basically, capsaicin in very high doses can cause an excessive and prolonged release of cellular calcium through the activation of a receptor called TRPV1, which triggers a cascade of events that ultimately leads to cell death. This is what this is called excitotoxicity.

READ MORE: Taking two vitamin supplements together increases cancer risk by almost 30% – BMJ

“Because cognitive decline is partly underpinned by neurodegeneration (the death of neuronal cells), then it is possible that capsaicin plays a role [in cognitive decline] through this mechanism.

Moreover, the nutritionist is not the only one to point out the potentially “destructive” effects of peppers.

According to a study published in the journal Nutrients, the spicy ingredient could nearly double your risk of dementia.

By examining more than 4,852 Chinese adults, researchers determined that eating more than 50 grams of chili peppers per day was associated with an increased risk.

Participants’ chili consumption was assessed by a three-day food diary during home visits.

Although the research placed a red flag on chili peppers, the researchers also shared that more studies are needed to come to a firm conclusion.

However, you might not want to throw away your chili stash just yet, according to Batt.

The nutritionist explained that moderate consumption of the spicy ingredient has neutral effects on cognition.

Additionally, he even suggested that consuming 1-20 grams per day may provide some benefits.

READ MORE: Fish may have ‘tumor-promoting’ effects – ‘major risk factor’ for colon cancer

Batt said: “It is very likely that the dose does the poison. A little is protective, too destructive.

“The right amount of TRPV1 activation and calcium release by capsaicin is actually responsible for many very beneficial effects (but as we know from above, too much could lead to cell death-excitotoxicity).

“There’s good reason to believe that capsaicin is good for cognitive health (at the right doses).”

The reason it’s so hard to draw a conclusion about spicy food comes down to the type of research looking at chili peppers and dementia.

Dr Louise Durrant, Head of Nutrition Communications, British Nutrition Foundation, said: “Scientific research into potential associations between chilli consumption and cognitive decline has its limits.

“It is primarily based on observational data which cannot tell us whether a specific food is the direct cause of a health outcome such as cognitive decline, and also provides no clear indication of the underlying mechanisms. underlying how chili consumption might be related to cognitive function.

“The evidence available to date does not indicate the need to alter our average chili consumption for the sake of our cognitive health.”

However, if you want to play it safe, you can follow Batt’s advice by sticking to a dose of between 1 and 20 grams of chili pepper per day.

Insider Sale: Intra-Cellular Therapies, Inc. (NASDAQ: ITCI) CFO Sells 65,164 Shares

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Intra-Cellular Therapies, Inc. (NASDAQ: ITCI – Get a rating) Chief Financial Officer Lawrence J. Hineline sold 65,164 shares of the company in a trade on Wednesday, September 21. The shares were sold at an average price of $45.63, for a total transaction of $2,973,433.32. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, accessible via this hyperlink.

Price performance of intra-cellular therapies

NASDAQ: ITCI was down $2.20 on Friday, hitting $43.51. The stock had a trading volume of 912,534 shares, compared to an average volume of 940,529. The company has a market capitalization of $4.11 billion, a price-earnings ratio of -11.76 and a beta of 1.19. The company’s fifty-day moving average is $52.24 and its two-hundred-day moving average is $55.50. Intra-Cellular Therapies, Inc. has a 12-month low of $34.43 and a 12-month high of $66.00.

Intra-Cellular Therapies (NASDAQ:ITCI – Get a rating) last reported its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 9. The biopharmaceutical company reported ($0.92) earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.79) by ($0.13). Intra-Cellular Therapies had a negative return on equity of 53.13% and a negative net margin of 232.11%. The company posted revenue of $55.58 million for the quarter, compared to $48.62 million expected by analysts. In the same quarter of the previous year, the company made ($0.85) earnings per share. The company’s revenue increased 177.2% year over year. As a group, research analysts expect Intra-Cellular Therapies, Inc. to post earnings per share of -3.36 for the current fiscal year.

A Wall Street analyst gives his opinion

Several stock analysts have recently weighed in on ITCI shares. Needham & Company LLC raised its price target on Intra-Cellular Therapies shares from $65.00 to $67.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a Wednesday, August 10 research note . Goldman Sachs Group cut shares of Intra-Cellular Therapies from a ‘buy’ rating to a ‘neutral’ rating and lowered its price target for the company from $64.00 to $49.00 in a report research on Monday August 22. UBS Group began covering the actions of intra-cellular therapies in a research report on Monday, June 13. They set a “buy” rating and a price target of $75.00 for the company. Finally, Mizuho lowered its price target on shares of Intra-Cellular Therapies from $75.00 to $72.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a Thursday, August 11 report. One equity research analyst gave the stock a sell rating, two gave the stock a hold rating and six gave the stock a buy rating. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $60.88.

Institutional trade in intra-cellular therapies

Hedge funds have recently changed their positions in the stock. US Bancorp DE increased its stake in Intra-Cellular Therapies by 93.8% during the second quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 496 shares of the biopharmaceutical company worth $28,000 after buying 240 more shares in the last quarter. Assetmark Inc. increased its holdings in intracellular therapies by 410.0% during the second quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 510 shares of the biopharmaceutical company worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 410 shares during the period. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC acquired a new position in intracellular therapies during the first quarter worth approximately $33,000. Northern Oak Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new position in intracellular therapies during the second quarter worth approximately $51,000. Finally, FourThought Financial LLC bought a new position in intra-cellular therapies in Q1 worth approximately $54,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds hold 85.48% of the company’s shares.

Intra-Cellular Therapies Company Profile

(Get a rating)

Intra-Cellular Therapies, Inc, a biopharmaceutical company, is developing novel drugs for the treatment of neuropsychiatric and neurological diseases by targeting intracellular signaling mechanisms in the central nervous system in the United States. The company offers CAPLYTA for the treatment of schizophrenia in adults.

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Insider Buying and Selling by Quarter for Intracellular Therapies (NASDAQ:ITCI)

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Before you consider intracellular therapies, you’ll want to hear this.

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Vitamins and supplements: your reading in 5 minutes

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You may decide to take vitamins and supplements for many reasons, including getting your recommended daily nutrient intake or addressing a specific health issue.

Vitamins and supplements offer a range of potential benefits, from boosting immunity to managing stress.

But with so many choices, what should you look for when choosing the right vitamins or supplements for your needs? We collaborated with Swanson Health to provide tips on what to keep in mind when browsing the vitamin aisle.

Do you need to take vitamins and supplements? You may benefit if you have a deficiency. According research 2021, common deficiencies in the United States include vitamin D and vitamin B12. These essential vitamins play a role in bone and brain health.

How do you know if you have a deficiency? Some signs and symptoms may include:

  • visual or skin changes
  • anemia
  • bone changes
  • neurological problems
  • blood clotting problems
  • hair loss or brittle hair
  • brittle nails
  • fatigue

Discuss deficiency testing options with a healthcare professional if you think you are missing an essential vitamin or mineral. Testing can help identify potential deficiencies and determine why you’re lacking in a particular nutrient, whether it’s because of diet or an underlying health condition.

Learn more about magnesium deficiency.

When shopping for vitamins and supplements, you can choose from a wide variety of options. The type you choose depends on the health issue you want to target.

Here are some commonly sold supplements and why people use them often:

  • biotin for hair loss
  • calcium and Vitamin D for bone health
  • fish oil for joint health, eye health, heart health, bone health, depression and inflammation
  • ashwaganda to relieve stress
  • the iron for anemia and low iron levels
  • magnesium for depression, heart health, bone health, migraine and inflammation
  • niacin (vitamin B3) for skin health and digestive health
  • omega-3 fatty acids for heart health, eye health, inflammation and depression
  • vitamin B12 for people who do not get enough of it in their diet, such as vegans and vegetarians
  • vitamin C for antioxidants, healthy skin, healthy bones and boosting immunity
  • Vitamin E for heart health, eye health and inflammation

Learn more about the potential benefits of ashwagandha.

With rows of vitamins and supplements available in stores and even more options online, how do you know which options are effective and trustworthy? Here are some key factors to consider.

Security

It’s important to consult with a healthcare professional to determine which vitamins and supplements are best for your needs and safe to take. Some vitamins and supplements can interact with medications.

A healthcare professional can also help you select the right doses of vitamins and supplements for your needs. Taking inappropriate amounts can be dangerous.

Brand reputation

Buying dietary supplements from a reputable brand that offers a high quality product is crucial.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) generally does not approve claims and labeling before a vitamin or supplement hits the market. This means that it is up to the manufacturer to provide accurate information. Unfortunately, not all brands are transparent when it comes to labeling.

A study 2019 reviewed the accuracy of herbal and dietary supplement labels. The researchers found that more than half of the products tested were mislabeled.

When shopping for supplements and vitamins, look for brands that use reputable third-party testing. Looking for a Certificate of Analysis (COA) is one way to ensure that a brand takes the quality of its products seriously.

Some third-party identifications to look for include:

  • NSF Certification: This certificate type uses strict standards to evaluate products and involves regular on-site inspections.
  • USP Verified Mark: This mark verifies that the ingredients, potency and quantities are accurate and free of harmful contaminants. It also verifies that the products are manufactured in accordance with current FDA Good Manufacturing Practices (CGMP), confirming that the products are manufactured in a sanitary and controlled manner.
  • Banned Substances Control Group (BSCG) certified quality and GMP: BSCG certified quality checks ingredients and checks for hazardous substances. BSCG Certified GMP audits manufacturers to ensure they comply with CGMP.
  • USDA Certified Organic: Products with this certification go through rigorous review to ensure that their quality and integrity meet USDA organic regulations.

Swanson Health offers a wide variety of gummies, such as magnesium, zinc, vitamin C and multivitamins for children and adults. Supplements are also tested by in-house and third-party labs.

Labels

A product label can provide a lot of information, including:

  • Ingredients and potency: A clear list of ingredients and information on nutrient content are important. If it’s missing, it’s a red flag.
  • Fillers and additives: Beware of supplements containing heavy fillers, sweeteners and additives.
  • Servings and Serving Size: Look for the number of servings in the container and how the serving size is measured.
  • Certificates: Certifications may state information about the supplement, including whether it is vegan, USDA organic, gluten-free, kosher, etc.

Learn more about how to choose high quality vitamins and supplements.

The right type of vitamin and supplement depends on your preferences and needs.

Do you hate swallowing thick capsules? Do you prefer a convenient single-dose pill? Or maybe you’re looking for a kid-friendly vitamin option.

Common forms of vitamins include:

  • Capsules and liqui-gels: Capsules and liqui-gels can mask unpleasant tastes, but they may contain gelatin, which makes them unsuitable if you’re vegan.
  • Tablets or capsules: Capsule shells and tablets are common and available in vegan and non-vegan formulas.
  • Liquid and mists: These vitamins and supplements are a great choice if you have trouble swallowing pills or capsules.
  • Candy and chewing gum: Chewable vitamins and supplements are a great option for children and people who don’t like swallowing whole capsules.

Vitamins and supplements can provide benefits that can help with various health issues. When choosing the right nutritional supplements for your needs, factors to consider include brand reliability, safety, and your preferences.

Before you start taking any vitamin or supplement, talk to a doctor. They can help you determine if you have a deficiency and give you advice on how to supplement safely.

This university is replacing cheesesteaks with Vegan Patty Melts

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About 23% of 18-25 year olds follow a vegan or vegetarian diet, but most universities offer few plant-based food options, making it difficult for college-aged students to make sustainable and healthy choices. Today, catering giant Sodexo, which serves around 380 North American universities, announced it was adapting its food selection, starting with Liberty University in Virginia.

This semester, Sodexo is replacing Liberty’s South Street Cheesesteaks with an all-new vegan and gluten-free concept called The Hungry Herbivore. The plant-based restaurant is Sodexo’s first entirely vegetarian and gluten-free concept on a university campus. The new restaurant will provide Liberty students with an allergen-friendly option that completely reduces the risk of cross-contamination.

“Based on my nationwide research, there are few restaurants that focus solely on gluten-free and plant-based, because that’s extremely difficult to do,” District Manager Sarah Falls told Food management. “We are always striving to deliver innovative concepts from Liberty University.”

Hungry Herbivore’s menu includes fudgy hash browns, nachos, meatball marinara bowls, vegan burgers and more. Although it offers some dairy cheese options, the Hungry Herbivore allows all customers to swap it out for a vegan alternative.

“Many gluten-free students have said they haven’t been able to use their meal plans like everyone else, even with our strong Gluten Intolerant Options (GIO) program,” said Duke Davis, director of the Liberty district. “We heard the same thing from vegan and vegetarian students. It was a tough decision as many students loved the cheesesteak concept, but we felt a greater demand to provide more food options for students with dietary restrictions.

Colleges go for plants

Sodexo currently provides catering services to over 1,000 colleges and universities worldwide. With increased demand for plant-based options, the restaurant giant aims to restructure its menus to cater to the growing plant-based population. Last April, the company announced plans to increase plant-based meal offerings by 42% by 2025. Sodexo is partnering with the Humane Society of the United States to ensure its new menu helps reduce its carbon footprint.

Working with colleges nationwide, Sodexo aims to reduce its carbon emissions by 34% by 2025. The company has discovered that 70% of its carbon footprint is associated with its food products. animal origin. By introducing new plant-based offerings, the company hopes to move away from its current meat-heavy menus across the United States.

Last August, Sodexo partnered with Israeli food tech company SavorEat to help bring its new plant-based vending robot to market. The tech company unveiled a vegan burger-serving robot last year, with plans to launch the plant-based mobile vending machine in US colleges in 2022. Using 3D printing technology, the company is preparing burgers with plant-based ingredients.

School systems are introducing vegan meal programs

In May, Illinois Public Schools unveiled a plan to serve vegan meals to two million students. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker has signed a new bill requiring plant-based school lunches to be served statewide. The new law will come into effect on August 1, 2023, ensuring that all students have the opportunity to choose plant-based dishes in their school cafeterias.

Similarly, the New York public school system launched its “Vegan Fridays” program, providing one million students with free plant-based meals. Aimed at teaching kids to eat healthier, the new plant-based program provides students with access to vegan foods they wouldn’t otherwise have access to.

For more plant-based events, check out The Beet’s News articles.

The 13 Best Foods to Boost Your Immune System to Fight COVID-19 Symptoms

Here are the best foods to eat repeatedly, to boost immunity and fight inflammation. And avoid red meat.

Kenya: East African Portland cement resumes manufacturing after kiln upgrade

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Nairobi – Cement maker East African Portland Cement PLC has resumed manufacturing at its Athi River plant after replacing a faulty kiln jacket that caused frequent process stoppages.

The upgrade saw the cement manufacturer carve out 16 meters of the kiln’s dilapidated shell and replace it with a new one at a cost of 500 million shillings.

The company’s Managing Director (MD), Oliver Kirubai, said the upgrade is in line with East African Portland Cement’s recently launched five-year strategic plan, which is anchored on a long-term performance-driven cycle to turn it around. firmly on the path to profitability.

“We have already started producing our own clinker after upgrading our kiln. With this upgrade, we expect to improve plant reliability and increase production by almost 50%. Blue Triangle cement will be produced in abundance and used throughout the country. said Kirubai.

He further noted that the upgrade and optimal operation of the plant will result in efficient energy consumption resulting in the production of cement at a cost that will enable customers to purchase Blue Triangle Cement at competitive prices. more advantageous.

Kirubai further assured customers that orders from Blue Triangle Cement will be processed within the agreed time frame in accordance with the Customer Service Charter as the company has fully resumed operations.

The company’s plant operations manager, Stanley Irungu, noted that the replaced part of the kiln will ensure constant operation, which will lead to increased production of good quality clinker for grinding cement that will satisfy its market.

“We have been waiting to undertake this project and now that it is complete, we can now guarantee the continued availability of the plant,” Irungu said.

Kenya currently has 13 cement factories with only 4 cement factories with clinkerization and integrated capacities.

Thinking Properties of Mental Health and Brain Mapping

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The NIH as part of its Brain Research Through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies [BRAIN] Initiative, the BRAIN Initiative Cell Atlas Network, or BICAN, recently announced to “map 200 billion cells in the human brain by type and function as well as create an atlas of the primate brain.”

Part of the goal is that “to understand how the brain works mechanically [we] must understand the basic cell types that make up the neural circuitry and how they are wired together to give rise to function and understand the causes of neuropsychiatric diseases.

The project is an invigorating leap forward towards new answers about the brain, a complex organ. However, there is no shortage of studies in cellular and molecular neuroscience in research laboratories around the world. Advances in neuroscience have mostly focused on cells and molecules.

There would be a lot to learn from BICAN, but it may not disclose enough of the brain history needed “to understand the causes of neuropsychiatric diseases.”

In any serious mental illness, there is a problem with thoughts. In any state of good mental health, there are properties of thought that structure the tranquility felt.

The properties of thought define all experiences of neuropsychiatric diseases, going beyond the “function” of neurons, to their construction or construction. There are things that people generally avoid against social, cultural, or economic norms, because thinking goes to places where the consequences are known, to not. But there are people with neuropsychiatric illnesses, without the ability for their thoughts to go out there to find out, so they break.

In general, seeing, hearing or touching something, at different times, can cause anxiety, fear, trauma, depression, joy, laughter, etc. All that is expressed is that the senses become thought versions, these thought versions become priority [full action and attention] and head to destinations to get anyone of them to support.

It is the function of thinking and remembering experiences that are the poles of mental health and disease. People often say dopamine hit, but no one ever experiences dopamine, serotonin or other brain molecules, that’s what they become for the experience – through memory, which makes this determination.

It is possible to desire something badly, or say to have a dopamine secretion, but the fear of the consequences, or the exposure if done at the time, would prevent it from happening. This makes dopamine a subordinate of the overall construction or construction of memory.

Thought can acquire cravings by going to the craving store. Then, depending on what the thought went before or rebounds, subsequently – an element [rep] binds to cravings: it can be food, drink, medicine, travel, etc. There are other cases where the thought does not go to the store of cravings, so when the item is seen, heard, smelled, touched or tasted, it is not wanted.

What is pressing in brain science and related fields are the rules of thought transport in the brain and how they acquire the properties that determine experiences.

This is where virtual reality can step in, displaying or showing what neuroimaging cannot. The functionality could be subsumed with games or other VR apps.

Exploring the brain cell atlas for specific functions can reveal some of their actions. When this part is used to develop drugs, there would be various side effects, because a cell, a group or molecules, are different sets of constructs, so inhibit or induce help, then is not.

Simplified optoretinographic approach makes measuring retinal function easier and faster

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Researchers have developed a quick and easy way to perform optoretinography, an imaging technique that measures light-induced functional activity in the eye’s retina, the neural network at the back of our eyes. eyes responsible for detecting light and initiating vision. More than 50% of people over the age of 60 in the United States are affected by retinal diseases such as macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy. These diseases affect the function of the retina in such a way as to reduce sight and can progress to blindness if left untreated. The new approach could help speed the development of new treatments for eye diseases.

“Optoretinography has typically used very expensive equipment that required multiple experts to operate while producing huge volumes of data requiring extensive computational resources,” said research team leader Ravi Jonnal from the University. from California to Davis. “We figured out a way to do it in a more economical and original way.”

Jonnal and colleagues report their new approach, which they call velocity-based optoretinography in Optical, Optica Publishing Group’s journal for high-impact research. They also demonstrate the ability of the method to measure the retinal response in three healthy subjects.

“While velocity-based optoretinography has the potential to provide clinicians with more accurate and earlier insights into retinal functional losses, its first real impact is more likely to be the acceleration of clinical trials for new treatments. retinal disease,” said Jonnal, who performed some of the first optoretinographic measurements as a doctoral student in Don Miller’s lab at Indiana University. “If we can detect whether retinal function is improving or deteriorating faster than with traditional tests such as eye charts, it will dramatically speed up the development of treatments.”

Shape Change Tracking

Optoretinography detects slight changes in the shape of neurons that generate or conduct signals in the retina. So far, Jonnal and other researchers have used adaptive optics and optical coherence tomography (OCT) to visualize and track these neurons in the moving live eye, then applied motion correction algorithms to stabilize the images and extract the functional response. This expensive and time-consuming process requires resolving and tracking the position of individual cell features and using these positions to determine if the cell has changed shape.

“When we use one of our adaptive optics systems to perform optoretinography measurements, the experiment can easily take half a day and result in a terabyte of data to process,” Jonnal said. “Data processing to extract a working signal takes, at a minimum, a day or two longer.”

To avoid having to resolve and track individual neurons, Jonnal and his colleagues wanted to see if they could instead measure the speed, or velocity, at which retinal neurons move relative to each other. “We thought that even though the positions of features vary from cell to cell, the speed at which they move relative to each other would be highly correlated between cells,” Jonnal said. “It turned out to be correct.”

Measuring neurons in motion

To perform velocity-based optoretinography, researchers have developed a new OCT camera that allows a single operator to collect images from more locations in the retina than is possible with other approaches to imaging. optoretinography.

The researchers demonstrated their new technique by using it to collect measurements from three healthy volunteers. They were able to acquire each patient’s data in just ten minutes and have that data processed and get the results in 2-3 minutes. They showed that the functional optoretinographic responses measured with the simple approach changed with the dose of light stimulus used and that the dose-stimulus response was reproducible in and between volunteers.

They are now planning experiments to demonstrate the technique’s sensitivity to disease-related dysfunctions. Jonnal also works with clinicians at the University of California, Davis to use it for patient imaging and to help interpret results from trials of stem cell therapies and gene therapy treatments for inherited retinal diseases. The researchers would also like to apply the new optoretinography approach to animal models of retinal disease.

Source of the story:

Materials provided by Optical. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

Potted Plants Market 2022 Size, Share, Growth

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Pune, Sep 22, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The latest Potted plant market The 2022 research report provides detailed information about the market overview, modern trends, demand and recent developments affecting the growth of the market over the coming year. Potted Plants market report also covers new business development, price, revenue, gross margin, market size, share, potential growth and upcoming market strategy followed by major players. . This report also gives the knowledge of the profiles of the major companies in the market. The report focuses on the Potted Plants market size, segment size (mainly covering product type, application, and geography), competitor landscape, recent status and development trends. Additionally, the Potted Plants market forecast by regions, type and application, with sales and revenue, from 2022 to 2027. The report also covers the market landscape and its growth prospects in the coming years. Finally, the feasibility of new investment projects is assessed and general research conclusions are offered.

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Market analysis and overview: Global potted plant market

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Potted Plants Market 2022 provides a comprehensive overview of crucial industry elements and elements such as drivers, restraints, past & present current trends, watch scenarios, and technological growth. The report also focuses on global major leading industry players of Global Potted Plants market providing information such as company profiles, product pictures and specification, price, cost, revenue and contact details. This report focuses on Potted Plants Market trends, volume and value at global level, regional level and company level. From a global perspective, this report represents overall Potted Plants Market Size by analyzing historical data and future prospect.

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List of Top Key Players listed in the Potted Plants Market Report are:

  • The threshold
  • bloomscape
  • The potted plant
  • Kirton Farm Nurseries
  • Urban planters
  • House of Plants
  • The Nanjala company
  • The pot company
  • Crocus
  • Patch
  • Gardener’s Supply Company
  • Leon and George
  • Palmer Planter Company
  • The potted garden
  • The Nature Company
  • smart pan
  • Tillery Streetplant Company
  • Plant stand
  • Greenery NYC
  • The Little Garden
  • Urban Flower Company
  • The Company of the Bouqs
  • OLFCO
  • The Green Room Flower Companion
  • Ikea

Overall, the report is proven to be an effective tool that players can utilize to gain a competitive edge over their competitors and ensure sustainable success in the global Potted Plants Market. All conclusions, data and information provided in the report are validated and revalidated using reliable sources. The analysts authoring the report have adopted a unique and industry-best research and analysis approach for an in-depth study of the global Potted Plants market.

Potted Plants Market Segment By Type:

  • Bright plants
  • low light plants

Potted Plants Market Segment By Application:

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Geographically, this report is segmented into several key regions, with sales, revenue, market share and growth rate of Potted Plants in these regions, from 2017 to 2027, covering

  • North America
  • Europe
  • Asia Pacific
  • South America
  • Middle East and Africa

Key Attentions of Potted Plants Market Report:

  • The report provides a comprehensive and broad perspective on the global Potted Plants Market.
  • The market statistics depicted in different potted plant segments offer a comprehensive picture of the industry.
  • Market growth drivers and challenges affecting the development of Potted Plants are analyzed in detail.
  • The report will aid in the analysis of key competitive market scenarios and Potted Plants market dynamics.
  • Major stakeholders, Potted Plants key companies, investment feasibility and new entrants study in the market are offered.
  • The development scope of Potted Plants in each market segment is covered in this report. Macro and micro-economic factors affecting the Potted Plants market
  • The progress is developed in this report. The upstream and downstream components of potted plants and a complete value chain are explained.

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Detailed TOC of Global Potted Plants Market Report 2022

Global Potted Plants Market Research Report 2022, Forecast to 2027

1 Market Research Overview

1.1 Objectives of the study
1.2 Potted plants introduce
1.3 Combined with the analysis of macroeconomic indicators
1.4 Brief description of research methods
1.5 Market Breakdown and Data Triangulation

2 Summary of global trends

2.1 Potted Plants Segment by Type
2.1.1 Plants with bright light
2.1.2 Low-light plants
2.2 Market Analysis by Application
2.2.1 Household
2.2.2 Commercial
2.3 Global Potted Plants Market Comparison by Regions (2017-2027)
2.3.1 Global Potted Plants Market Size (2017-2027)
2.3.2 North America Potted Plants Status and Prospect (2017-2027)
2.3.3 Europe Potted Plants Status and Prospect (2017-2027)
2.3.4 China Potted Plants Status and Prospect (2017-2027)
2.3.5 Japan Potted Plants Status and Prospect (2017-2027)
2.3.6 Southeast Asia Potted Plants Status and Prospect (2017-2027)
2.4 Basic Product Information
2.4.1 Product Basic Information and Technology Development History
2.4.2 Product manufacturing process
2.4.3 Interview with Key Market Players
2.4.4 High End Market Analysis and Forecast
2.5 Coronavirus Disease 2019 (Covid-19): Impact on Potted Plants Industry
2.5.1 Potted Plant Business Impact Assessment – Covid-19
2.5.2 Potted Plants Market Trends and Potential Opportunities in the COVID-19 Landscape
2.5.3 Measures / Proposal against Covid-19

Continued….

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About Us: –

The market is changing rapidly with the continuous expansion of the industry. Technological advancements have provided today’s businesses with multi-faceted benefits driving daily economic changes. Thus, it is very important for a business to understand the patterns of market movements in order to strategize better. An effective strategy gives companies a head start in planning and an advantage over their competitors. Industry research is a credible source for getting the market reports that will give you the head start your business needs.


How sharks could hold the key to our immunity

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THEY have a scary reputation, but could sharks soon help save many more human lives than the dozen they take each year?

Over 400 million years of evolution, sharks’ immune systems have evolved into finely tuned defenses that are far more precise than those of humans and capable of fending off almost any dangerous virus or life-threatening tumor.

This is thought to be one of the main reasons why some species, like the great white, can live up to 70 years. Sharks also have exceptional wound healing abilities, which means injuries rarely result in death.

Researchers have now solved the riddle of why sharks’ immune systems are so good at warding off disease. And the discoveries could lead to new drugs to fight diseases such as cancer and rheumatoid arthritis.

In humans, when the immune system detects the presence of foreign cells (such as a virus or bacteria), it releases a protein called an antibody. This latches on to a specific molecule on the surface of the virus or bacteria and calls on support from more powerful immune system cells, called T cells, to kill the invader.

Separately, scientists have developed artificial antibodies, “monoclonal” antibodies, which are injected into the body to target certain rogue cells, such as cancer cells.

Once docked to their target, these synthetic antibodies activate the immune system to attack tumor cells (Herceptin, the drug used to treat some forms of breast and stomach cancer, is a monoclonal antibody).

But human and artificial antibodies tend to be bulky Y-shaped molecules that, due to their size, are usually only able to bind to a small number of targets on invading cells. This helps explain why the human immune system and antibody-based drugs aren’t always 100% effective in repelling the enemy.

In sharks, the antibodies are less than a tenth the size of those found in humans, allowing them to penetrate deeper into the tiny cracks found on the surface of bacteria or cancer cells, which increases the chances that they “stick” and that the immune system destroys the invader.

Moreover, tests have shown that shark antibodies are very resistant. Scientists claim they boiled them and dipped them in corrosive acid – but they survived.

“Sharks are among the oldest living creatures on the planet, so scientists wanted to see if their disease-fighting toolkit was the same as humans’,” says Elasmogen CEO Dr. Caroline Barelle. Ltd, a University of Aberdeen spin-off that is developing synthetic versions of shark antibodies for human medicine.

“They quickly discovered that sharks had small and simple antibodies, with potentially huge advantages over large human antibodies that are very complex and can only bind to a single target.”

Elasmogen is testing synthetic shark antibodies against triple-negative breast cancer, an aggressive form of the disease. The idea is that artificial versions of tiny shark antibodies, injected into the bloodstream, will have a better chance of binding to breast cancer cells by squeezing into tiny cracks on the surface and alerting the immune system.

The other option is to load the shark molecules with chemotherapeutic drugs that they can smuggle inside cancer cells.

Trials using shark antibodies to treat cancer could take place in the next five to ten years.

Another target is rheumatoid arthritis, a disease that can cause debilitating pain. Lab tests suggest that man-made shark antibodies could carry drugs that would then lodge on a receptor on the surface of cells in inflamed joints.

© Solo dmg media

Fundamental research improves understanding of new optical materials

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Research on the synthesis of new materials could lead to more durable and environmentally friendly items such as solar panels and light emitting diodes (LEDs). Scientists from Ames National Laboratory and Iowa State University have developed a colloidal synthesis method for alkaline earth chalcogenides. This method allows them to control the size of the nanocrystals in the material. They were also able to study the surface chemistry of the nanocrystals and assess the purity and optical properties of the materials involved.

Alkaline-earth chalcogenides are a type of semiconductor of growing interest to scientists. They have a variety of possible applications such as bioimaging, LEDs and thermal sensors. These compounds can also be used to make optical materials such as perovskites, which convert light into energy.

According to Javier Vela, Ames Laboratory Scientist and John D. Corbett Professor of Chemistry at Iowa State University, one of the reasons these new materials are exciting is that they “are composed of elements abundant and biocompatible terrestrial species, making them favorable alternatives. compared to the more widely used toxic or expensive semiconductors.

Vela explained that the most widely used semiconductors contain lead or cadmium, two elements harmful to human health and the environment. Additionally, the most popular technique used by scientists to synthesize these materials involves solid-state reactions. “These reactions often occur at extremely high temperatures (above 900°C or 1,652°F) and require reaction times that can last anywhere from days to weeks,” he said.

On the other hand, Vela explained that “solution-phase (colloidal) chemistry can be achieved using much lower temperatures (below 300°C or 572°F) and shorter reaction times.” Thus, the colloidal method used by Vela’s team requires less energy and time to synthesize the materials.

Vela’s team found that the colloidal synthesis method allowed them to control the size of the nanocrystals. The size of nanocrystals is important because it determines the optical properties of certain materials. Vela explained that by changing the size of the particles, scientists can influence the ability of materials to absorb light. “This means that we can potentially synthesize materials more suitable for specific applications simply by changing the size of the nanocrystals,” he said.

According to Vela, the team’s initial goal was to synthesize semiconducting alkaline earth chalcogenide perovskites, due to their potential use in solar devices. However, to achieve this goal, they needed a deeper understanding of the basic chemistry of alkaline earth chalcogenides. So they chose to focus on these binary materials instead.

Vela said their research fills a need to improve scientists’ understanding of photovoltaic, luminescent and thermoelectric materials that are made of earth-abundant, non-toxic elements. He said: “We hope that our developments with this project will ultimately contribute to the synthesis of more complex nanomaterials, such as alkaline earth chalcogenide perovskites.”

– This press release was originally published on the Ames Laboratory website

Discovery sheds light on how Parkinson’s disease spreads in the brain

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Aggregates of the protein alpha-synuclein spread through the brains of people with Parkinson’s disease through a process of ejection of cellular waste, suggests a new study by researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine.

During the process, called lysosomal exocytosis, neurons eject protein waste that they cannot break down and recycle. The discovery, published August 22 in Nature Communicationcould solve one of the mysteries of Parkinson’s disease and lead to new strategies for treating or preventing the neurological disorder.

“Our results also suggest that lysosomal exocytosis may be a general mechanism for removal of aggregated and degradation-resistant proteins from neurons – in normal, healthy circumstances and in neurodegenerative diseases,” said the lead author. study, Dr. Manu Sharma, assistant professor. of neuroscience at the Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute and the Appel Alzheimer’s Disease Research Institute at Weill Cornell Medicine.

Parkinson’s disease is a disorder characterized by the death of neurons in a characteristic pattern of spread in the brain, normally occurring over decades. The condition is best known for causing hand tremors, muscle stiffness, slowed walking, and other normal movement disorders. But it affects a wide range of brain regions, leading to many different symptoms, including late-stage dementia. About 1 million people in the United States have Parkinson’s disease. Available treatments can alleviate some movement abnormalities, but do not halt disease progression, primarily because researchers do not yet have a full understanding of this process.

An important discovery that has emerged from the last decades of research on Parkinson’s disease is that the death of neurons in the disease follows the spread, in the brain, of abnormal aggregates of alpha synuclein, a neuronal protein. This spread is an infection-like chain reaction process in which the aggregates attract normal alpha-synuclein to join them and, as they grow, break up into smaller aggregates that continue to spread. Experiments in mice and non-human primates have shown that injection of these aggregates into the brain can initiate this spread as well as some Parkinson-like neurodegeneration. But the details of how neurons transmit them to other neurons have never been fully understood.

In the study, Dr. Sharma and his team, including co-first author Ying Xue Xie, a doctoral candidate at the Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, showed with detailed studies of mouse models of Parkinson’s that the alpha-synuclein aggregates – capable of spreading and causing neurodegeneration – originate in neurons. These aggregates, they found, then accumulate in capsule-shaped trash cans in cells called lysosomes.

Lysosomes contain enzymes that can break down or “lyse” proteins and other molecular wastes into their building blocks, essentially digesting and recycling them. But the researchers found evidence that alpha-synuclein aggregates, which are tightly woven into a tight-fitting, layered structure called “amyloid,” are not broken down well in lysosomes; instead, they were often found to simply be dumped from their original neurons. In this process, called exocytosis, the lysosome moves towards the cell membrane and fuses with it, so that the contents of the lysosome are discharged – as is, without any encapsulation – into the fluid surrounding the cell. The finding helps resolve a hotly debated question in the field.

The researchers also showed in other experiments that by reducing the rate of lysosomal exocytosis, they could reduce the apparent concentration of propagating aggregates. This, said Dr. Sharma, suggests a future approach for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease.

“We don’t know yet, but neurons might be better off, even in the long run, if they retain these aggregates inside their lysosomes,” he said. “We see similar impairment of lysosomal function in certain genetic disorders, but these do not necessarily lead to a level of Parkinson’s disease.”

Dr. Sharma pointed out that previous studies, including genetic studies, have linked lysosomal abnormalities not only to Parkinson’s disease, but also to many other neurodegenerative disorders. This suggests that lysosomal exocytosis may be a general mechanism for spreading protein aggregates in these diseases – and potentially a general target for treatments and preventive measures.

He and his team are currently pursuing studies on the role of lysosomes in Alzheimer’s disease.

What’s behind the different names of hacker groups

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No matter how confusing it is to refer to the same group of Russian hackers by a handful of different names – Cozy Bear, Nobelium, APT29 and so on – don’t expect the private companies behind those monikers to drop them. anytime soon.

The big picture: Naming conventions for state-backed hacking groups vary from technical Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) group numbers to fancy animal-based names, making it difficult for people outside of cybersecurity research to understand. which pirates do what.

  • Consider a well-known Russian cyber-espionage group: Mandiant researchers call it APT29, CrowdStrike researchers call it Cozy Bear, and Microsoft calls it Nobelium.

Driving the news: Several cyber threat intelligence firms published research on Iran’s Charming Kitten group earlier this month, but each firm used a different name to identify the group, renewing questions about why researchers don’t standardize conventions of denomination.

Between the lines: Part of that is due to marketing, cyber researchers tell Axios.

  • It’s a reputational win if a cyber threat intelligence firm is able to generalize its naming convention.

Yes, but: Five major threat intelligence firms tell Axios that even if their marketing teams weren’t involved, they would still have these different names because they all have varying visibility into hacker activity.

  • “There won’t always be a one-on-one match between how they see the threat and how I see the threat,” says Jeremy Dallman, senior director of the Microsoft Threat Intelligence Center.

At Mandiant, Cyber ​​espionage researcher Benjamin Read told Axios that they are sticking to APT technical numbers to allow for more precision in their naming conventions.

  • The company has a list of over 4,000 hacking group names.
  • Mandiant also has a core team of three or four employees who review these naming conventions as they learn about the tools and tactics used by these groups.
  • Having ultra-accurate identifications also helps Mandiant in his work with government investigators, Read says.

Other companies choose to create unique products, memorable names for each group.

  • Microsoft picks names from the periodic table.
  • CrowdStrike gives Chinese state groups a name containing “Panda”, Russian state groups are given a “Bear” name, Iranian groups are given “Kitten” names, and North Korean groups are “Chollima”.
  • Broadcom’s Symantec uses bug names.
  • Palo Alto Networks names groups after constellations.

While these naming conventions may seem silly, companies have increasingly started relying on their own naming conventions to differentiate what they are able to confirm for themselves.

  • Palo Alto Networks unveiled its own naming conventions in July to better highlight the infrastructure, techniques and tools they may see hackers using, said Ryan Olson, the company’s vice president of security intelligence. the threats.

The plot: Each company says standardization would be impossible due to the variability in their visibility and the complexity of the threat landscape.

  • Olson relates the issue to the old story of a group of visually impaired people trying to identify an elephant: Everyone thinks the animal is a different thing because they can only touch part of it, like its ear. or its tail.
  • “Because the universe is constantly changing and our views are constantly changing, it would be really difficult to constantly try to scale this across multiple vendors,” Dallman says.

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In Denmark, Omicron reinfections reveal ineffective post-COVID-19 immunity

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In a recent study published on medRxiv* preprint server, researchers investigated cases of SARS-CoV-2 variant reinfection in Denmark.

The evolution of SARS-CoV-2 has led to the emergence of multiple variants of concern (VOCs) with increased transmissibility and immune evasion such as Omicron, leading to an upsurge in SARS-CoV-2 reinfections and difficulties mitigation of COVID-19 globally. Studies have investigated frequencies of SARS-CoV-2 reinfection, but have been limited to reverse transcriptase polymer chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis data, in which SARS-CoV- 2 Pango are not specified. Additionally, a genomic sequencing report is usually categorized as an initial infection or a reinfection, but next-generation sequencing (NGS) data for an initial infection and a reinfection are rarely reported together for an individual.

Study: Rise in cases of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron reinfection reveals ineffective post-COVID-19 immunity in Denmark and points to the need for next-generation sequencing. Image Credit: Noiel/Shutterstock

About the study

In the present study, researchers characterized SARS-CoV-2 reinfections by variant based on the integration of RT-PCR analysis and next genome sequencing (NGS) analysis of the obtained sequences. from Danish SARS-CoV-2 positive individuals and GISAID (Global Initiative on Avian Influenza Data Sharing).

NGS data and clinical metadata of primary SARS-CoV-2 infections and reinfections from a single individual residing in Denmark were analyzed. A total of 21,708 reinfection entries were available between March 1, 2020 and August 28, 2022, with data on sample collection dates on primary infections and SARS-CoV-2 reinfections.

The team documented SARS-CoV-2 clinical metadata as time points of initial and subsequent SARS-CoV-2 infections to measure the duration between initial and subsequent SARS-CoV-2 infections. Additionally, RT-PCR scan results and NGS scan results were available for primary infections and reinfections, respectively.

The team excluded 70 case entries (

Reinfection cases were stratified by variant and subvariant. The GISAID database was searched for two files: one set of files including current metadata for >12 million SARS-CoV-2 sequences and the second set including filtered metadata files from only residents of Denmark with two infections associated with SARS-CoV-2 documented.

Results

Primary infection and re-infection with Omicron (i.e. Omicron-Omicron infections) have been reported within a shorter period (even within three weeks, an average of 22 weeks) than non-Omicron-Omicron infections . Reinfections with Omicron within ten weeks of initial Omicron infection have been widely reported due to BA.1 followed by BA.2.

The frequency of reinfection was significantly higher with Omicron (25%, N=1875) after primary infections with any VOC. No cases of Alpha VOC-induced reinfection were reported, while Delta VOC caused reinfections in 2.3% (n=169) of cases. Pre-Omicron estimates of infection-induced natural immunity were above 90%, which fell to less than 10% within three to four months.

Among those with Delta-induced primary infections, reinfections due to Delta variant

Reinfections with Omicron were reported among 62% (n=211), 20%, (n=68) and 30% (n=102) of cases in which primary SARS-CoV-2 infections were caused by Omicron BA.1, BA.2, and BA.5, respectively, individuals with primary BA.2 infections demonstrated high reinfection frequencies (38%, n=129) with the Omicron BA.5 subvariant (26 %, n = 89). The results indicated that although the SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) protein of the three Omicron subvariants is similar, the differences in the Omicron subvariants were sufficient to prevent the nAbs induced by the infection Omicron BA.1/2 (neutralizing antibodies) to bind with Omicron BA.5 S.

conclusion

Study findings showed that most cases of SARS-CoV-2 reinfection occurred due to Omicron. Reinfections with Omicron among people with primary Omicron infection have occurred in a short time, less than three weeks. The results indicated that primary infections with non-Omicron VOCs were insufficient to provide immune protection to prevent reinfections with Omicron.

Additionally, the results highlight Omicron’s transmissibility and immune evasion and the need for updated SARS-CoV-2 vaccines, continued SARS-CoV-2 surveillance, and evolving SARS assessments. -CoV-2 to guide policymaking for better public health around the world. Additionally, the analysis underscores the need to analyze NGS data at the individual level to provide accurate estimates of the risks of reinfection with SARS-CoV-2.

*Important Notice

medRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be considered conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behaviors, or treated as established information.

5 Scientific Benefits of Omega-3 Fatty Acids

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Thanks to their many benefits, omega-3 fatty acids have become a popular topic in nutritional health. These “healthy fats” are found in many food sources, and there are many popular omega-3 supplements on the market.

From reducing your risk of heart disease to alleviating anxiety, it’s easy to see why many people want to increase their omega-3 intake. But are these benefits legitimate? And are there any downsides to omega-3s or their supplements? We’ll look at the science to help you sort it out.

What are omega-3 fatty acids?

Omega-3 fatty acids, a type of polyunsaturated fat, are an essential part of the human diet. Unlike other fats the body is able to synthesize (called non-essential fatty acids), omega-3s cannot be made from scratch. They are vital for various bodily processes, such as making hormones for blood clotting, contraction and relaxation of arteries, and genetic functions. In other words, we need omega-3s, and we can only get them from foods or supplements.

There are three main types of omega-3 fatty acids:

  • Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA)
  • Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)
  • Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA)

Add omega-3s to your diet

Foods High in Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Getty Images/fcafotodigital/E+

Different types of foods provide different omega-3 fatty acids. The first two types (EPA and DHA) are abundant in fish, which is why they are commonly referred to as “marine omega-3s”. The third type (ALA) is common in a variety of food sources, including some oils, nuts, leafy vegetables, and some meats.

The best sources of omega-3s include:

  • herring
  • wild salmon
  • Red tuna
  • Mackerel
  • Sardines
  • Anchovy
  • lake trout
  • Striped Bass
  • Nut
  • Linseed oil
  • Meat from grass-fed animals
  • Chia seeds
  • Canola oil

Fish is by far the best source of omega-3s. If you’re vegan or don’t eat seafood, you may need to work especially hard to get enough of these important fats in your diet. In this case, omega-3 supplements can be helpful, especially for EPA and DHA. Although your body naturally converts a small amount of ALA to DHA and EPA, it may be a good idea to make sure you consume fish or supplements that contain it.

Scientifically Backed Benefits of Omega-3s

Capsules and diet rich in omega-3

Getty Images/carlosgaw/E+

Scientists have noted a variety of benefits that may be associated with omega-3 fatty acids. Some of them have more evidence than others, so we’ll review the most notable benefits with some of the most promising scientific backing.

Reduce your risk of heart disease

A wide range of studies have shown a link between heart health and omega-3 fatty acids. These fats seem to have a positive impact on various aspects of cardiovascular health. Most notably, however, omega-3s have been correlated with a more stable heart rate, lower blood pressure and heart rate, better blood vessel function, and lower levels of inflammation.

Replacing saturated fats, such as red meat, butter and whole dairy products, with unsaturated fats such as omega-3s may reduce the risk of developing heart disease.

Fight anxiety and depression

Although more research is needed on the exact correlation between mental health and omega-3 intake, there seems to be strong evidence that these fats can help reduce depression and anxiety in many people. EPA, in particular, has shown promise as a treatment for mild to moderate depression.

Improve eye health

Omega-3s – EPA and DHA in particular – play a major role in building the cellular makeup of our eyes. Not only do they help during our early stages of development, research suggests that a regular and adequate intake of these fats can help prevent vision problems, such as macular degeneration later in life.

Promote prenatal and infant brain development

Scientists are actively studying the general link between omega-3s and brain health, especially in the womb and early in life. Some studies have shown that children of mothers who take omega-3 supplements during pregnancy and breastfeeding may have better mental processing abilities than those who don’t. Additionally, studies have shown that mothers who take DHA supplements can improve breast milk nutrition for infants, leading to better cognitive function and eyesight later in life.

Slow cognitive decline

Because of the link between omega-3s and general brain health, it’s perhaps unsurprising that some research supports that these fats may slow cognitive decline as you age. It may be particularly promising for helping to slow the effects of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, although more research is still needed in this area.

Scientists are still studying these and other benefits of omega-3 fatty acids, including their effect on ADHD, metabolic syndrome, and certain autoimmune diseases.

Disadvantages of Omega-3 Supplements

Generally, doctors recommend that you get most or all of your omega-3 fatty acids from food sources. Grilled or baked (not fried) fish is the best thing to add to your diet, along with some of the other foods mentioned above.

However, omega-3 supplements, such as fish oil or cod liver oil, provide many of the same benefits as obtaining these fats through food sources. These supplements are generally considered safe when taken in moderation. However, there are a few potential downsides to consider.

Risk of bleeding

There are indications that omega-3 supplements may enhance the effects of blood-thinning medications, herbs, and supplements. When taken together they may increase your risk of bleeding or reduce your ability to stop bleeding.

Other Potential Drug Interactions

More research is needed on how fish oil supplements interact with other medications and dietary supplements. In particular, there may be adverse interactions between omega-3 supplements and medications taken for blood pressure, birth control, and weight loss.

General side effects

Some users of omega-3 supplements have noted general discomfort associated with them. This can include heartburn, nausea, and diarrhea.

Other side effects of omega-3 supplements that some have noted include fishy aftertaste and bad breath, as well as rashes in some cases. People with seafood allergies should also consult their doctor before taking fish oil supplements.

Should you take omega-3 supplements?

Omega 3 capsules in sardine tin

Getty Images/Peter Dazeley/The Image Bank

Omega-3s are essential for cell growth and overall health, and it’s essential to include them in your normal dietary intake. Ideally, this is best done from sources such as fish, nuts, flaxseed oil, and other foods high in omega-3 fatty acids.

However, if you cannot include these foods in your diet, omega-3 supplements are a relatively safe alternative. It’s easy to find supplements that contain a balanced serving of the three main omega-3s, and they’re relatively inexpensive. Keep in mind, however, that these should be taken in moderation and in consultation with your doctor. Some omega-3 supplements may interact with other medications or supplements you take, and you may experience other side effects.

While more research is needed to fully uncover the full benefits of omega-3s, one thing is clear: they are an important part of any balanced diet.

The information in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended to constitute medical or health advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have about a medical condition or health goals.