Canadian Paralympic Committee to host refreshed, virtual Paralympian Search for women
Taking place June 5 & 6, "Connection 2021" event will introduce women to Para sport opportunities
Several female Paralympians will also share their experiences in sport
$200,000 funding support for the event provided by Sport Canada
OTTAWA, ON, April 22, 2021 /CNW/ - With a goal of connecting more women with disabilities to opportunities in Paralympic sport and attracting more female athletes, the Canadian Paralympic Committee (CPC) is hosting a virtual event this spring specifically for female participants.
Taking place over two days, Saturday June 5 and Sunday June 6, the "Connection 2021" event will feature various information sessions, interactive workshops, and engagement opportunities. The event will be virtual and is an adapted form of CPC's Paralympian Search series. Called "Connection 2021", the event, being hosted as a pilot, is a shift to an innovative, more customized approach designed to welcome and support women. Led by women within the Canadian sport landscape, women of all sport experience backgrounds, including those new to sport or looking to try sport for the first time, are welcome to apply to participate.
"We know there are fewer women accessing Para sport in Canada, not only at the highest Paralympic level but also at the community and recreational levels," said Karen O'Neill, CEO, Canadian Paralympic Committee. "This virtual event is just one innovative way by which we hope to encourage more women with a disability to participate in sport, and learn how we can create better environments within our sport system for female athletes. Our goal on June 5 and 6 is to offer safe, welcoming, and inclusive sessions as well as resources going forward so each participant has a positive experience and feels empowered to engage in sport and stay in sport."
Typically a one-day event held in person, Paralympian Search has been hosted in various cities over the past few years including Toronto, Montreal, Victoria, Calgary, Ottawa/Gatineau, Halifax, and Kelowna. Due to COVID-19, this updated version has been re-imagined to be virtual, which will allow women from across Canada to connect with the event. CPC is working with a number of female researchers and experts in the disability and sport spheres to help shape the event's format to build the best experience possible for participants.
Funding for the event was fully provided by the Innovation Initiative component of Sport Canada's Sport Support Program. There is no cost for participants to attend. In order to create a welcoming environment in which each woman can participate fully, the event will be capped at 25 people.
Participants will learn about a variety of Para sports, including through presentations by Athletics Canada, Cycling Canada, Canoe/Kayak Canada, Nordiq Canada, Alpine Canada, and Canada Snowboard. Canadian Sport Institute Ontario, Canadian Sport Institute Calgary, and Institut national du sport du Québec are also part of the event, and participants will hear from female leaders on their sport sciences teams.
Connections will be made with many female Paralympians and Para athletes as well, who will be involved as event ambassadors over the two days to share their experiences and answer questions. This includes Canadian Paralympic Hall of Famers Colette Bourgonje (Para nordic skiing and Para athletics) and Karolina Wisniewska (Para alpine skiing), Tokyo 2020 hopefuls Jennifer Brown (Para athletics), Marissa Papaconstantinou (Para athletics), and Andrea Nelson (Para canoe, and also a Paralympian Search alumnus), and Beijing 2022 hopeful Sandrine Hamel (Para snowboard). The complete list of athlete ambassadors can be found HERE.
"Paralympian Search was such a positive experience for me and set me on this incredible path in Paralympic sport, so I am really excited for the opportunity to help introduce more women to sport," said Nelson, a 2017 Toronto Paralympian Search participant. "I think this is a really important initiative to show what opportunities are out there and the many ways that sport can be a part of people's lives. I hope sharing my own story will help all of the women at the event feel confident and comfortable to start their own unique journey in Para sport."
For more information about the virtual "Connection 2021" Paralympian Search and to express interest in attending this event, please visit Paralympic.ca/connection-2021.
About the Canadian Paralympic Committee:Paralympic.ca
SOURCE Canadian Paralympic Committee (Sponsorships)
Women: Answer Your Call to Lead with a Confident ‘Yes’
Jacksonville, FL, April 22, 2021― The world needs women who answer the call to lead with a confident “yes.” If you’re one of the female leaders around the globe making meaningful contributions in their industries and communities — or if this is exactly what you aspire to do —the techniques and inspiration contained between the covers of Called to Lead: Success Strategies for Women can fuel your passion and determination.
Power Women Worldwide founder Pegine Echevarria, along with Mindy Gibbins-Klein, Diana Watson, Cindy Tschosik plus 14 other successful female leaders from a variety of industries around the globe share their stories, advice and actionable tips for helping women leaders navigate their multifaceted lives.
“Natural leadership can only go so far,” Pegine says. “Long-term, successful leadership requires training, tools, techniques and wisdom to lead powerfully, effectively and compassionately.”
The consortium of talented, powerful women featured in Called to Lead have thrived in their respective fields while enjoying vibrant personal lives. Each woman draws upon her unique strengths and experiences to deliver relevant, useful strategies to help other women grow and succeed while balancing family, relationships and self-care.
Called to Lead is organized into five sections, each comprised of several chapters:
1. The Power of Being Called to Lead;
2. The Power of Self-Mastery in Leadership;
3. The Power of Influential Leadership;
4. The Power of Emotions and The Mind in Leadership; and
5. The Power of Leadership Love.
Leadership is a calling. The guidance and mentoring from each of the influential female leaders in Called to Lead aims to help readers answer the call with know-how and confidence.
“You are a leader,” says Pegine. “Embrace your gift. Invest in yourself and your leadership skills. The world wants and needs women who lead. Be bold. Be brave. Be seen. Be heard. Be paid well. Be you.”
About the Authors
Pegine Echevarria, MSW, HoF, CVP
Quoted in The New York Times, Forbes, The Wall Street Journal and featured on Speaker and Minority Business Enterprise magazines, Pegine, who goes by her first name, is the only Latina in the Motivational Speakers Hall of Fame, alongside stars like Jack Canfield. Through Power Women Worldwide groups, she focuses on uplifting women in leadership. She is the founder and leader of multi-million-dollar businesses and a sought after speaker and presenter. Pegine has received business recognition from the Women’s Business Minority National Council, the U.S. Department of Defense and the U.S. Small Business Administration, which named her a Women in Business Champion. www.powerwomenworldwide.com
Mindy Gibbins-Klein, MBA, CVP
Mindy Gibbins-Klein is a multi-award-winning international speaker, thought leadership strategist, book coach and publisher. She has authored and co-authored 10 books, and has presented to and coached over 50,000 business executives and entrepreneurs in 18 countries. Mindy created The Book Midwife® brand, and designed the methodology that has helped over one thousand leaders to take their ideas and turn them into thought-leading books.
“Am I Strange?” is Diana Watson’s most renowned presentation with over one million views within two weeks. As a bilingual professional, Diana also presents in Mandarin, and this one video transformed how the world views Black people who speak Chinese. Her first book, The Speaking Seed: Secrets to Successful Foreign Language Public Speaking, is the first book ever dedicated to foreign language public speaking. www.dianawatson.net
Cindy Tschosik
Cindy Tschosik is a certified ghostwriter, professional speaker and mental wellness advocate. For more than 25 years, Tschosik held leadership roles in legal, corporate, IT and nonprofits. In 2013, she launched SoConnected, a full-service marketing firm for business owners and professional speakers. During a challenging summer in 2008, Tschosik was diagnosed with major depressive disorder. Her mission came out of her mental wellness journey.
Inno Lifecare Joins the Canadian Association of Medical Mask Manufacturers as Third Founding Member of New Industry Association
A leader in vertical integration, machine learning and blockchain technology, Inno Lifecare will provide key insights and subject matter expertise to support new methodologies and technologies in the emerging medical mask industry across Canada.
KELOWNA, BC and VANCOUVER, BC, April 22, 2021 /CNW/ - The Canadian Association of Medical Mask Manufacturers (CAMMM) is pleased to announce that Inno Lifecare of Vancouver, BC has joined as a third founding member, along with Breathe Medical Manufacturing of Kelowna, BC and The Canadian Shield of Waterloo, Ontario. CAMMM's main goals are: 1) to help enhance the economic health of the medical mask manufacturing industry in Canada; and 2) to help build an established standards and regulatory system to protect Canadians.
Inno Lifecare is a division of innofoods, a global food company based in Vancouver, BC and the largest organic snacks manufacturer in the world. In 2020, the company established Inno Lifecare to produce medical masks, and their surgical N95 respirators were given Health Canada authorization for sale in March 2021. The company is a leader in AI and machine learning and has a strong focus on vertical integration, all of which have allowed them to quickly meet changing market demand. Inno Lifecare's PPE also offers full blockchain traceability, adapted from the company's world-class food traceability platform—designed in-house—that gives end consumers full reassurance on product quality and specifications.
On joining CAMMM as the third founding member, Inno Lifecare CEO and Founder Jae Park said: "Inno Lifecare is dedicated to putting Canadians first. This means not only producing safe, Canadian-made PPE, but also playing a leading role in establishing standards across our industry and supporting Canadian manufacturing and Canadian jobs."
"Inno Lifecare's extensive expertise in vertical integration and emerging technology will play an important role in CAMMM, and we are pleased to have them on board," said Robert Balazs, Chairperson of CAMMM.
Over the coming months, CAMMM will work directly with key stakeholders and various levels of government to establish standards and regulations for the medical mask manufacturing industry.
Canadian companies, organizations, individuals, and suppliers within the industry are welcome and encouraged to join the association. Members of the industry interested in learning more about joining the Canadian Association of Medical Mask Manufacturers can obtain more information at www.cammm.ca.
About Inno Lifecare Inno Lifecare (a division of innofoods) is a manufacturer of medical masks with a mission statement to develop and make products that enhance and protect life. Based in Vancouver, BC, innofoods is a world leader in the confectionary space. We take these standards and apply them to the masks we manufacture in Canada. For more information, visit www.innolifecare.ca.
About the Canadian Association of Medical Mask Manufacturers (CAMMM) CAMMM works closely with the federal and provincial-territorial governments, health professionals, member companies, suppliers and other stakeholders to deliver safe, accessible, innovative and sustainable medical masks for Canadians and export markets. For more information, visit www.cammm.ca.
SOURCE Canadian Association of Medical Mask Manufacturers
Most of us know the usual culprits of back pain; stress, excess body weight, improper lifting technique, and poor posture. While these are the typical causes, unexpected issues can be causing all that agony. Most cases of back pain are mechanical or non organic - meaning they are not caused by serious conditions, such as inflammatory arthritis, infection, fracture or cancer (Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29573870/). We spoke to Dr. Gbolahan Okubadejo, NYC area Orthopedic and Spinal Surgeon to discuss the surprising factors that could be causing your back pain.
1. Smoking
Smoking increases brain activity that makes people less resilient when it comes to responding to back pain. Smoking also causes premature aging of discs by decreasing blood supply to the discs in the back, thus leading to pain in the lower back.
2. The incorrect mattress
Old mattresses start to form dips from years of use. The dips in the mattress cause the spine to curve, leading to constant stiffness or pain. A mattress that is too firm can cause strain on pressure points in the knees, hip, shoulders, and back, which can cause backaches. If the mattress is too soft, your spine is not supported well enough, and the spine can fall out of alignment.
3. Your purse or wallet
Structural imbalances in the spinal column can occur when you sit on your wallet. This can happen because one side of your body is higher than the other, and an excess amount of physical stress is placed on the lower spine. This can lead to lower back pain and numbness. Carrying a heavy purse or bag on one shoulder can also cause a neck and spinal tilt that can lead to backaches. Remove your wallet from your back pocket when you are sitting down, and regularly switch your purse from one shoulder to another.
4. Your wardrobe
There are unexpected items in your wardrobe that could be causing your back pain. Skinny jeans, heavy bags, strapless bras, high heels, and backless shoes are all clothing items that may be influencing your pain. Try to limit the amount of time you spend in these clothes to promote optimal wellness.
5. Dehydration
When you are dehydrated, the spinal discs lose water, and your spine is in distress. When this happens, the spine takes on the full shock of your movements, which can lead to pain. Avoid drinks with caffeine and drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration.
6. Your cell phone
Constantly hunching your neck over to look down at your phone compresses and tightens the muscles and tendons in the front structure of your neck. This creates imbalance and results in reduced mobility, shoulder and neck pain, a curvature formation at the upper back, and even headaches.
7. Incorrect ergonomic work set up
Many people have been working from home due to the pandemic. Working from home has led to slouching and hunching in front of our handheld laptops or work from home setups. Slouching can lead to neck and shoulder pain, back problems, and stiff hips. Make sure to sit all the way back in a computer chair and keep your thighs horizontal to your knees at hip level.
About the Doctor
Gbolahan Okubadejo, MD, FAAOS, leads The Institute for Comprehensive Spine Care, with offices in the greater New York City area, as a spinal and orthopedic surgeon. Board-certified and fellowship-trained, Dr. Okubadejo specializes in the treatment of degenerative spinal disease, spinal deformity, and cervical, lumbar, and thoracic conditions.
Dr. Okubadejo earned his undergraduate degree at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, and his medical degree at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore. He completed his internship and orthopedic surgery residency at Barnes-Jewish Hospital at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Dr. Okubadejo completed a spinal surgery fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center in Pittsburgh.
Dr. Okubadejo is a published research author and has presented his findings at several major spinal conferences around the globe. While a surgical resident, he won the Leonard Marmor Surgical Arthritis Foundation Resident Award for the best research project. In 2017, Dr. Okubadejo formed the company 360 Dynamized Core, which is focused on creating innovative, spine-safe core fitness products and routines. The first patented product, 360
CoreBoard, launched to the market in 2020. Find out more at 360coreboard.com
Dr. Okubadejo believes in the power of preventive care, minimally invasive surgical procedures, open communication with patients, and personalized care. When he’s not caring for patients, he enjoys traveling, learning about different cultures and the arts, and playing golf.
Anger Grows Across Canada as COVID's Third Wave Takes Hold: INNOVATIVE Research Group Launches Comprehensive Website Tracking the Canadian COVID Experience over 2020/21
TORONTO, April 22, 2021 /CNW/ - Over a year after the onset of the global pandemic, Canadians are less fearful of contracting COVID-19 and more angry at their governments, new research shows. INNOVATIVE Research Group has conducted more than 53,000 interviews with Canadians over 23 separate surveys since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Today, these results are available on INNOVATIVE's newly launched COVID-19 tracking website. The site https://innovativeresearch.ca/covid-19 is updated every two weeks for up to the minute results that can inform businesses and government decision makers how best to support Canadians through this crisis. INNOVATIVE has tracked a wide variety of topics from the beginning, and the comprehensive results are organized under four key questions:
How are Canadians experiencing COVID-19?
What are the implications for governments?
What are the implications for business?
What are the implications for public health?
INNOVATIVE has looked at many aspects of Canadians' personal experience with COVID-19, including attention, experience with the disease and, in the most recent survey, emotions. Canadians have always felt a limited sense of threat from COVID-19. While 36% of Canadians reported often or always feeling afraid in March 2020, that has been reduced to 27% in April 2021. "For many people, the serious effects of the disease - field hospitals and fatal symptoms, are something they view on television but do not experience in their everyday lives" noted Greg Lyle, President of INNOVATIVE Research Group. "While that is good news in some respects, it creates challenges in public health."
Canadians were surveyed on how COVID-19 has impacted their behaviour – results which reveal underlying causes of this health crisis. INNOVATIVE finds that despite the greater threat of the third wave, Canadians are more likely to engage in social behaviours that might be described as "moderately risky" today than in either the first or second waves. For instance, looking at moderate risk activities such as visiting friends or family in their home or your own, 24% reported that behaviour in Wave 1, 32% in Wave 2 and 42% today.
Is Canada at a breaking point?
"Since March 2020, we have seen several trends emerge in our ongoing tracking, some counter to common assumptions," said Lyle. "We've consistently found that, on average, Canadians are not experiencing more stress than they were at the outset of the pandemic and feel as able to keep up the effort to combat COVID-19 as they did last spring. There has, however, been a recent decline in confidence around access to healthcare services and a need for improved communications from Public Health. While most Canadians say they have a clear idea of what they have to do to protect each other, they remain confused by mixed messages from various levels of government."
While Canadians generally are not experiencing exhaustion or greater levels of stress, there are communities where results consistently show increased hardship.
"Where we do see a marked difference in the Canadian COVID experience is in marginalized communities – our research specifically in the BIPOC and LGBTQ communities revealed a stark contrast in that these communities are experiencing a disproportionate impact across the board from financial confidence to mental health," notes Lyle.
INNOVATIVE has also found, as Canadians experience the third wave, they are angrier at their governments. A year ago in March 2020, 26% reported feeling angry at government responses to COVID-19 all the time or often. Today that is up to 35%. That increased anger is found primarily in Alberta (rising from 32% to 46%) and Ontario (rising from 26% to 42%).
Looking at implications for business, public appetite remains strong for tighter lockdowns, which creates a major financial challenge in many sectors. Despite economic challenges, tracking has consistently revealed that household financial confidence is generally higher than at any point since 2008, even though 38% of households are reporting a negative impact on their employment or business. "There was an initial dip in confidence at the beginning of the pandemic, but it rebounded quickly, and has remained high since" Lyle said. "This confidence is directly tied to people's knowledge of and access to government programs."
While personal financial confidence is achieved as a direct result of positive perceptions of government support programs, overall support of governments in Canada has recently declined. Most Canadian governments enjoyed strong approval ratings in the spring, and again in the fall. INNOVATIVE's latest survey results show that numbers are slipping with the federal government approval at its lowest (44%) since mid-March 2020, and approval of provincial handling of the COVID-19 pandemic also declining with a sharp drop of 6 points this week to 30% in Ontario while Alberta sits at only 33%.
Results are based on research conducted between March 2020 and April 2021. The surveys for this project are online surveys. Most waves are part of INNOVATIVE's monthly Canada This Month study, but some are standalone surveys dedicated to COVID-19. Each report, available at https://innovativeresearch.ca/covid-19 includes detailed methodologies for the studies the report is based on.
"We are pleased to make this wealth of information available to the public and to all decision-makers looking for insights into how we can move through this in the most healthy and economically sound way possible," said Lyle. "The data reinforces the incredible resiliency and hopefulness that we have seen time and again across this country, but also highlights growing concerns and behaviours that must continue to be curbed to reduce climbing case counts."
About INNOVATIVE Research Group
Innovative Research Group is a full-service public opinion research and consultation firm. From our offices in Toronto and Vancouver, we provide clients with strategic insights using a full-range of quantitative and qualitative research methodologies. At INNOVATIVE, we are about more than just collecting data. We have thought deeply about how opinion forms and changes both generally and in terms of specific challenges. We are focused on applying insights in the real world. We thrive on challenges and have the track record to prove it. For more information or to get in touch, visit innovativeresearch.ca.
SOURCE Innovative Research Group
Ontario’s Russell Alexander Says Covid-19 Has Helped Some Divorced Parents Challenges of coparenting during the pandemic forced some to work together
Although the stress of parenting during a pandemic has been hard, it has helped some couples move past long-standing issues and cut costs for those going through a divorce, said Russell Alexander, founder of the Ontario-based firm.
“Covid-19 was a problem for many families, but it was a shared problem,” he said. “That gave some divorced parents a second chance to work through some issues they’ve had in the past.”
Alexander said the pandemic shuffled responsibilities, as divorced parents found themselves working from home, handling remote learning and maintaining social distancing, upending child-care arrangements. With courts operating virtually, that made collaborative approaches a more appealing option for many couples.
He said current divorces handled mostly online and through Zoom court hearings were also cheaper, giving increased access to the justice system. In many cases, divorces handled during the pandemic also led to more out-of-court settlements.
“The pandemic was certainly a difficult time for many families, divorced or not,” added Alexander. “But it helped motivate many divorcing couples to use a collaborative approach and resolve their disputes out of court, which we have found always leads to happier outcomes.”
***
RussellAlexander Collaborative Family Lawyers Russell Alexander Collaborative Family Lawyers is committed to practicing exclusively in the area of family law in Ontario dealing with all aspects, including separation and divorce, child custody and access, spousal support, child support, and division of family property. A team of lawyers provide guidance from start to finish, helping clients identify and understand the legal issues as well as the options and opportunities available through the transition. The firm has offices in Lindsay, Whitby, Oshawa, Markham, Peterborough and Toronto, Ontario.
Spokane, WA, April 22, 2021 — The voice on the other end of the phone was familiar but shaky. It was Sarah’s friend Carolyn, and she was grappling with suicidal ideation.
“Something had her in its grip and would not let go,” Sarah Zabel explains. “I kept wondering, what’s doing this? How does a normal, happy person come to feel life is so bad that she must kill herself?”
A decade after that first phone call, solutions for Carolyn’s major depressive disorder remained elusive, and Sarah felt compelled to understand why.
Fighting Chance: How Unexpected Observations and Unintended Outcomes Shape the Science and Treatment of Depression delivers a 360-degree look inside the world of this debilitating illness, featuring interviews with more than 20 experts in the fields of neuroscience and psychiatry, current research and the unforgettable stories of 16 people personally impacted by depression.
Described by Sarah as a “science book for non-scientists,” Fighting Chancetackles key questions that have guided scientific research for decades and delves into the discoveries that have formed the medical world’s understanding of the disorder. Peppered throughout are more than 20 illustrations that help explain the science involved — making it widely accessible.
Sarah adeptly explores topics ranging from the neurobiology of depression to antidepressant medications; stress and inflammation; genetics; suicide; traditional and alternative therapies and treatments; and even gives a nod to Big Data’s efforts to clarify depression’s causes and cures.
Ultimately, Fighting Chance is a tale of human endeavor and ingenuity, of downright weird experiments and serendipitous discoveries, and of people who valiantly battle for answers for themselves and for people they will never know.
Author Sarah Zabel graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy with a degree in computer science in 1987 and was commissioned a second lieutenant. She retired from the Air Force in 2018 as a major general and decided to turn her focus to her life-long love of learning and become a science writer. She set herself the task of first coming to understand, and then to explain for other lay-persons, the science behind some of life’s most complex but important human experiences. Inspired, intrigued and frustrated by an enduring friend’s battle with depression, she set that topic as her first task. Sarah does occasional consulting and other activities associated with her time as one of the military’s leaders in cyberspace operations and security, in the provision of communications and other services to a community, and leadership of a diverse workforce.
Sputnik V to face stiff competition in India despite better efficacy but will help ramp up vaccination drive, says GlobalData
With the Sputnik V vaccine’s recent approval, India now has three vaccines authorized for COVID-19 treatment. However, despite better efficacy over Serum Institute of India/ AstraZeneca’s Covishield and Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin, Sputnik V will face stiff competition in India, says GlobalData, a leading data analytics and research company.
Dr Reddy's Laboratories (DRL) will receive Sputnik V from the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) by mid-May 2021 and local production is expected to commence from July–September 2021 timeframe.
Sputnik V pricing will be key for gaining a solid foothold in India. Its price is expected to be slightly higher compared to Covishield and Covaxin due to its higher efficacy. Currently, both Covishield and Covaxin prices have been capped at INR150 (US$2.02) per dose for vaccination through private hospitals.
Prashant Khadayate, Pharma Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “India is witnessing the second wave of COVID-19 with over 270,000 confirmed cases reported on 19 April, the highest so far in a single-day. Against this backdrop, supply issues for Covishield and Covaxin are negatively impacting the vaccination drive. Considering this, the approval of Sputnik V will further ramp up the overall vaccination efforts in India.”
Sputnik V is now approved for use in 60 countries globally. It is one of the three global vaccines with more than 90% efficacy besides Pfizer and Moderna. However, data from the Phase II/Phase III bridging study in India is not yet publicly available.
According to GlobalData’s Pharma Intelligence Center, India is ranked third globally after the US and China in terms of the total number of vaccine doses administered.
According to the government of India Co-Win dashboard, as of 20 April 2021, Covishield accounts for 91.1% of the overall vaccine doses administered in India, whereas 8.9% belong to Covaxin. India has so far administered over 124 million COVID-19 vaccine doses.
India has fast-tracked the approval process for vaccines developed outside the country. As a result, vaccines developed by companies such as Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson are expected to get fast-track approval.
Mr Khadayate concludes: “Even though Sputnik V has better efficacy, its overall market penetration will depend on competitive pricing, government orders and the ability to meet soaring demand through timely supply. However, currently the vaccination drive dynamics are not expected to change in India as Covishield will continue to lead the overall vaccination drive, followed by Covaxin in terms of the daily doses administered. The overall COVID-19 competition will further intensify with the launch of foreign vaccines and Cadila Healthcare’s ZyCov-D soon in India.”
New biomaterial regrows blood vessels and bone, RCSI research
DUBLIN, April 20, 2021 -- Scientists have developed a new biomaterial that regrows blood vessels and bone, potentially providing a single-stage approach when repairing large bone defects.
The study, led by researchers from RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences and SFI AMBER Centre, is published in the Journal of Controlled Release.
Previous RCSI-led research had found that activating a mechanosensitive gene, called placental growth factor (PGF), at different doses promoted bone regeneration and grew new blood vessels. Using this knowledge, the researchers developed a biomaterial that delivers PGF at different concentrations.
Inspired by the natural way in which bone defects regenerate, the biomaterial first releases a high dose of PGF, promoting blood vessel growth, and follows it with a more sustained lower dose, which promotes bone regeneration. When tested in a pre-clinical model, the biomaterial successfully repaired large bone defects while also regrowing blood vessels.
Current biomaterials that promote both blood vessel and bone growth typically require using more than one therapeutic drug, which means designing a more complex system that faces more challenges. Furthermore, drugs that have been approved for use in the clinic have been controversially associated with dangerous side-effects, highlighting the need for new strategies.
“More testing is needed before we can begin clinical trials, but if proven successful, this biomaterial could benefit patients when repairing bone defects by providing an alternative to current systems,” said Professor Fergal O’Brien, the study’s principal investigator and RCSI’s Director of Research and Innovation.
“In addition to repairing bone defects, our approach to regenerative medicine executed in the study provides a new framework for evaluating regenerative biomaterials for other tissue engineering applications. We are now applying this concept of ‘mechanobiology informed regenerative medicine’ to identify new therapeutics in other areas, including cartilage and spinal cord repair.”
The biomaterial was developed by researchers from the Tissue Engineering Research Group (TERG) based at RCSI and the SFI AMBER Centre. Their work was supported by the Irish Research Council, the EU BlueHuman Interreg Atlantic Area Project, the European Community's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under European Research Council Advanced Grant agreement n° 788753 (ReCaP) and the Health Research Board of Ireland under the Health Research Awards – Patient-Oriented Research Scheme.
“By using a mechanobiology-informed approach, we were able to identify a promising new therapeutic candidate for bone repair and also determine the optimal concentrations required to promote both angiogenesis and osteogenesis within a single biomaterial,” said Dr Eamon Sheehy, the study’s first author and researcher in TERG.
“The regeneration of large bone defects remains a significant clinical challenge, but hopefully our new biomaterial will continue to prove beneficial in further trials.”
About RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences
Ranked number one globally for Good Health and Well-being in the Times Higher Education (THE) University Impact Rankings 2020, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences is an international not-for-profit university, with its headquarters in Dublin.
RCSI is exclusively focused on education and research to drive improvements in human health worldwide. It is among the top 250 universities worldwide in the THE World University Rankings (2020) and its research is ranked first in Ireland for citations. RCSI has been awarded Athena Swan Bronze accreditation for positive gender practice in higher education.
Visit the RCSI MyHealth Expert Directory to find the details of our experts across a range of healthcare issues and concerns. Recognising their responsibility to share their knowledge and discoveries to empower people with information that leads them to better health, these clinicians and researchers are willing to engage with the media in their area of expertise.
Famous Feline Shares Heartwarming Journey from Shelter Kitty to Social Media Sensation
Chicago, IL, April 20, 2021 — From spa days and birthday parties, to playing dress-up and Target “shopping,” the humanlike antics of an affable ginger tabby named Carrot have been shared with the famous feline’s nearly 300K Instagram followers, capturing the attention of human celebs like Ellen DeGeneres and Katie Couric.
The social media sensation is now giving readers a glimpse into a year in her furry, fun-filled life in her new book, Diary of the Cat Named Carrot, an uplifting,instantly stress-reducing story told from Carrot’s perspective.
From her humble beginnings as a tiny orange stray to being welcomed into a loving family—including Erin Merryn and her young girls Abby, Hannah and baby Claire—through her rise to internet stardom, Diary of the Cat Named Carrot chronicles her remarkable journey.
Carrot lived in the same shelter that had once housed the family’s previous internet star, Bailey, whose adventures were featured in Bailey,No Ordinary Cat. Much like Bailey had, Carrot loves spending time with her human family partaking in typically human pastimes: making mischief with her girl gang; joyriding in a pint-sized pink Barbie Jeep; doing arts and crafts; modeling a pink tutu and flowery headband; enjoying a spa day complete with fluffy robe and cucumber eye treatments; and celebrating Christmas, Easter and every holiday in between. It’s no wonder Carrot’s videos have gone viral—garnering attention from Ellen, the Dodo, Good Morning America, Access Hollywood, People and many other media outlets.
Diary of the Cat Named Carrot is packed with color photos that will leave readers purring with delight. The journal of this sweet, adorable kitty with personality to spare shows us that the human-animal bond runs more than fur deep. It is a love that will last a lifetime.
Erin Merryn is an author, activist, speaker, wife and mom to three girls—Abby, Hannah and Claire—and a fur baby named Carrot. She was named Glamour Magazine Woman of the Year in 2012 and a People magazine Hero Among Us for her tireless work promoting Erin's Law nationwide with a mission to keep our children safe by educating them about personal body safety. She is the author of Bailey, No Ordinary Cat,Stolen Innocence,Living for Today and An Unimaginable Act.
