Bio-inspired scaffolds help promote muscle growth Rice University bioengineers adapt extracellular matrix for electrospinning
HOUSTON – (May 14, 2021) – Rice University bioengineers are fabricating and testing tunable electrospun scaffolds completely derived from decellularized skeletal muscle to promote the regeneration of injured skeletal muscle.
Their paper in Science Advances shows how natural extracellular matrix can be made to mimic native skeletal muscle and direct the alignment, growth and differentiation of myotubes, one of the building blocks of skeletal muscle. The bioactive scaffolds are made in the lab via electrospinning, a high-throughput process that can produce single micron-scale fibers.
The research could ease the burden of performing an estimated 4.5 million reconstructive surgeries per year to repair injuries suffered by civilians and military personnel.
Current methods of electrospinning decellularized muscle require a copolymer to aid in scaffold fabrication. The Rice process does not.
“The major innovation is the ability to prepare scaffolds that are 100% extracellular matrix,” said bioengineer and principal investigator Antonios Mikos of Rice’s Brown School of Engineering. “That's very important because the matrix includes all the signaling motifs that are important for the formation of the particular tissue.”
The scaffolds leverage bioactive cues from decellularized muscle with the tunable material properties afforded through electrospinning to create a material rich with biochemical signals and highly specific topography. The material is designed to degrade as it is replaced by new muscle within the body.
Experiments revealed that cells proliferate best when the scaffolds are not saturated with a crosslinking agent, allowing them access to the biochemical cues within the scaffold matrix.
Electrospinning allowed the researchers to modulate crosslink density. They found that intermediate crosslinking led to better retention of fiber alignment during cell culture.
Most decellularized matrix for muscle regeneration comes from such thin membranes as skin or small intestine tissue. “But for muscle, because it’s thick and more complex, you have to cut it smaller than clinically relevant sizes and the original material properties are lost,” said Rice graduate student and lead author Mollie Smoak. “It doesn’t resemble the original material by the time you’re done.
“In our case, electrospinning was the key to make this material very tunable and have it resemble what it once was,” she said.
“It can generate fibers that are highly aligned, very similar to the architecture that one finds in skeletal muscle, and with all the biochemical cues needed to facilitate the creation of viable muscle tissue,” Mikos said.
Mikos said using natural materials rather than synthetic is important for another reason. “The presence of a synthetic material, and especially the degradation products, may have an adverse effect on the quality of tissue that is eventually formed,” he said.
“For eventual clinical application, we may use a skeletal muscle or matrix from an appropriate source because we're able to very efficiently remove the DNA that may elicit an immune response,” Mikos said. “We believe that may make it suitable to translate the technology for humans.”
Smoak said the electrospinning process can produce muscle scaffolds in any size, limited only by the machinery.
“We’re fortunate to collaborate with a number of surgeons, and they see promise in this material being used for craniofacial muscle applications in addition to sports- or trauma-induced injuries to large muscles,” she said. “These would include the animation muscles in your face that are very fine and have very precise architectures and allow for things like facial expressions and chewing.”
Co-authors of the paper are Rice graduate student Katie Hogan and Jane Grande-Allen, the Isabel C. Cameron Professor of Bioengineering. Mikos is the Louis Calder Professor of Bioengineering and Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering.
The National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation and the Ford Foundation supported the research.
Aligned myotubes formed on electrospun extracellular matrix scaffolds produced at Rice University. The staining with fluorescent tags shows cells’ expression of myogenic marker desmin (green), actin (red) and nuclei (blue) after seven days of growth. (Credit: Mikos Research Group/Rice University)
Aligned fibers produced via electrospinning can be used to form a tunable scaffold for growing new muscle, according to Rice University bioengineers. These fibers were fabricated with decellularized skeletal muscle extracellular matrix on a mandrel spinning at 3,000 rotations per minute. (Credit: Mikos Research Group/Rice University)
Samples of electrospun decellularized skeletal muscle extracellular matrix created by Rice University bioengineers. Such scaffolds can be used to regenerate injured muscles. The natural scaffold material degrades as new muscles take over. (Credit: Mikos Research Group/Rice University)
A sample of decellularized extracellular matrix created by Rice University bioengineers. The electrospun scaffolds can be used to regenerate injured muscles. The natural scaffold material degrades as new muscles take over. (Credit: Jeff Fitlow/Rice University)
Rice University graduate students Katie Hogan, left, and Mollie Smoak prepare to fabricate a scaffold with an electrospinner. The scaffolds derived from decellularized skeletal muscle are designed to promote regeneration of injured skeletal muscle. (Credit: Jeff Fitlow/Rice University)
Located on a 300-acre forested campus in Houston, Rice University is consistently ranked among the nation’s top 20 universities by U.S. News & World Report. Rice has highly respected schools of Architecture, Business, Continuing Studies, Engineering, Humanities, Music, Natural Sciences and Social Sciences and is home to the Baker Institute for Public Policy. With 3,978 undergraduates and 3,192 graduate students, Rice’s undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio is just under 6-to-1. Its residential college system builds close-knit communities and lifelong friendships, just one reason why Rice is ranked No. 1 for lots of race/class interaction and No. 1 for quality of life by the Princeton Review. Rice is also rated as a best value among private universities by Kiplinger’s Personal Finance.
IntelGenx Announces Initial Closing of atai Investment
SAINT LAURENT, Quebec, May 14, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- IntelGenx Technologies Corp. (TSX-V:IGX) (OTCQB:IGXT) (“IntelGenx”), a leader in pharmaceutical films, today reported that the previously announced US$12,346,300 investment in IntelGenx by ATAI Life Sciences AG (“atai”) has been completed. As a result of the investment, atai now holds approximately 25% of the issued and outstanding common stock of IntelGenx.
"We would again like to thank our shareholders for their support of our transformative strategic partnership with atai,” said Dr. Horst G. Zerbe, CEO of IntelGenx. “In addition to positioning IntelGenx as a leader within the novel therapeutics field of psychedelics, atai’s investment provides us with the requisite financial resources to continue to advance our portfolio of other pharmaceutical film product candidates towards commercialization.”
“We are pleased to have achieved our goal of progressing from collaborators to partners with IntelGenx via this transaction, and we are excited to make IntelGenx’s innovative film technology an integral part of our platform,” said Florian Brand, CEO of atai.”
About IntelGenx
IntelGenx is a leading drug delivery company focused on the development and manufacturing of pharmaceutical films.
IntelGenx’s superior film technologies, including VersaFilm® , DisinteQ™, VetaFilm™ and transdermal VevaDerm™, allow for next generation pharmaceutical products that address unmet medical needs. IntelGenx’s innovative product pipeline offers significant benefits to patients and physicians for many therapeutic conditions.
IntelGenx's highly skilled team provides comprehensive pharmaceuticals services to pharmaceutical partners, including R&D, analytical method development, clinical monitoring, IP and regulatory services. IntelGenx's state-of-the-art manufacturing facility offers full service by providing lab-scale to pilot- and commercial-scale production. For more information, visit www.intelgenx.com.
About atai
atai is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company founded in 2018 in response to the significant unmet need and lack of innovation in the mental health treatment landscape. atai is dedicated to acquiring, incubating and efficiently developing innovative therapeutics to treat depression, anxiety, addiction, and other mental health disorders. atai's business model combines funding, technology, scientific and regulatory expertise with a focus on psychedelic compounds and other drugs with differentiated safety profiles and therapeutic potential. atai operates a decentralized model to enable scalable drug or technological development across its companies, seeking to effectively treat and ultimately heal mental health disorders. atai's vision is to bridge the gap between what the mental healthcare system currently provides and what patients need. atai is headquartered in Berlin, with offices in New York, and London. For more information, please visit www.atai.life.
Forward-Looking Statements
This document may contain forward-looking information which involves substantial risks and uncertainties. Statements that are not purely historical are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and Section 27A of the U.S. Securities Act. Forward-looking information or forward-looking statements by their nature are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by the Corporation at the time of such statements, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. Words such as “expects”, “continue”, “will”, “anticipates” and “intends” or similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Because these forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, the Corporation’s actual results, objectives and plans could differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Some of the important risks and uncertainties that could affect forward-looking statements are discussed under the heading “Risk Factors” in the Corporation’s annual report on Form 10-K, filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission and available at www.sec.gov, and also filed with Canadian securities regulatory authorities at www.sedar.com. Forward-looking statements are made based on management’s beliefs, estimates and opinions on the date the statements are made, and the Corporation assumes no obligation to update any such forward-looking statements except as required by law. Moreover, all forward-looking information contained herein is subject to certain assumptions. Investors are cautioned against attributing undue certainty to forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement.
Each of the TSX Venture Exchange and OTCQB has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell, or the solicitation of an offer to buy, any securities.
Source: IntelGenx Technologies Corp.
LifeLabs Recognized on Forbes Canada’s Best Employers 2021 List
Toronto, ON, May 14, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- LifeLabs is proud to announce that it has been recognized on the Forbes list of Canada’s Best Employers 2021. This prestigious award is presented by Forbes and Statista Inc., the world-leading statistics portal and industry ranking provider.
“LifeLabs is honoured to be included in Forbes’ list of Canada’s Best Employers for 2021,” says Charles Brown, President & CEO of LifeLabs. “At LifeLabs, we are committed to building a culture where our people can succeed and feel valued for what they do. This award is a true reflection of the progress we have made on our transformation journey and is a powerful motivator that will help us continue in these efforts.”
“At LifeLabs, our people are at the heart of everything we do,” says Nicole Desloges, LifeLabs’ Senior Vice President, People. “This award is an achievement that celebrates and reflects the collective contributions of our employees.”
Forbes and Statista selected the Canada's Best Employers 2021 through an independent survey of a vast sample of more than 8,000 Canadians working for companies with more than 500 employees in Canada. The evaluation was based on direct and indirect recommendations from employees that were asked to rate their willingness to recommend their own employers to friends and family. Employee evaluations also included other employers in their respective industries that stood out either positively or negatively.
About LifeLabs
LifeLabs is Canada’s leading provider of laboratory diagnostic information and digital health connectivity systems, enabling patients and health care practitioners to diagnose, treat, monitor, and prevent disease. We support 20 million patient visits annually and conduct over 100 million laboratory tests through leading edge technologies and our 6,000 talented and dedicated employees. We are a committed innovator in supporting Canadians to live healthier lives, operating Canada’s first commercial genetics lab, and the country’s largest online patient portal, with more than 5 million Canadians receiving their results online. LifeLabs is 100% Canadian owned by OMERS Infrastructure, the infrastructure investment manager of one of Canada’s largest defined benefit pension plans. Learn more at lifelabs.com
Rice engineers set sights on implantable 'living pharmacy' Five Rice labs join DARPA-funded effort to make an implant to counter jet lag
HOUSTON – (May 13, 2021) – Five Rice University engineering laboratories are part of a $33 million national effort to develop a wireless, fully implantable device that can control the body’s circadian clock, halving the time it takes to recover from jet lag and similar disruptions to the body's sleep/wake cycles.
Led by Northwestern University and funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the project will blend bioelectronics, synthetic biology and traditional electronics to create a "living pharmacy" that produces the same peptide molecules the body naturally makes to regulate sleep cycles. The device could be a powerful tool for military personnel, who frequently travel across multiple time zones, as well as first responders and other shift workers who oscillate between overnight and daytime shifts.
Faculty in Rice's Brown School of Engineeringwill lead the development of key components of the proposed technology. Omid Veiseh, assistant professor of bioengineering, will oversee the creation of engineered cells that produce the therapeutic biomolecules, and Jacob Robinson, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering, will oversee the development of the wireless bioelectronic implant that houses the engineered cells and regulates drug production.
"Sleep control is something we can track while we develop this implant, but the real innovation here is being able to produce drugs inside the patient," Veiseh said.
The NTRAIN team will engineer cells to produce peptides to regulate sleep cycles. The engineered cells will respond to light, which will be delivered via bioelectronic controls that adjust timing and dose. Veiseh, who's leading the effort, said pharmaceutical companies often make drugs using industrial scale bioengineering.
"If we can bring all of that manufacturing right into the patient and produce high-quality compounds on an as-needed basis, the possibilities are infinite," Veiseh said. For a start, the technology could be used to manage diabetes and other chronic diseases where people regularly inject themselves with drugs.
The implant's power and communications will be delivered by a weak magnetic field generated by a wearable device. In a pioneering demonstration in 2020, Robinson and colleagues showed "magnetoelectric" technology could provide both power and communications for neural stimulators no larger than a grain of rice.
Robinson said the technology will provide plenty of power while enhancing device security.
"We'll design the device so it can only communicate in the near field, meaning only over a couple of centimeters," he said. "So you'd essentially have to be in contact with the device in order to hack it."
Veiseh and Robinson said an additional safety feature will allow a user to deactivate the device permanently by sending a signal for the engineered cells to immediately kill themselves.
The first phase of the highly interdisciplinary program will focus on developing the implant. The second phase, contingent on the first, will validate the device. If that milestone is met, then researchers will test the device in human trials as part of the third phase. The full funding corresponds to $33 million over 4 1/2 years.
Rice electrical engineer Kaiyuan Yang will design an application-specific integrated circuit to handle back-end functions and integrate with the bioelectronic controls. Rice bioengineer Isaac Hilton will optimize the cells' drug-making abilities, and Rice neuroengineer Caleb Kemere will test implants in rodents in the leadup to human trials.
Circadian clock research will be led by sleep experts at Northwestern's Center for Sleep and Circadian Biology. Engineers from Northwestern, Carnegie Mellon University and Blackrock Microsystems will also develop bioelectronic components.
"This control system allows us to deliver a peptide of interest on demand, directly into the bloodstream," said NTRAIN principal investigator Jonathan Rivnay, an assistant professor of biomedical engineering in Northwestern's McCormick School of Engineering. "No need to carry drugs, no need to inject therapeutics and — depending on how long we can make the device last — no need to refill the device. It's like an implantable pharmacy on a chip that never runs out."
Robinson and Kemere are each associate professors of electrical and computer engineering and of bioengineering. Yang is an assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering, and Hilton is an assistant professor of bioengineering and of biosciences. Veiseh, Robinson, Kemere and Yang are members of the Rice Neuroengineering Initiative, and Veiseh and Hilton are CPRIT Scholars of the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas.
Other members of the NTRAIN team are Fred Turek, Martha Hotz Vitaterna, Josiah Hester, Guillermo Ameer, Peng Jiang and Phyllis Zee, all of Northwestern; Doug Weber, Tzahi Cohen-Karni, Darcy Griffin, Carl Olson and Matt Smith, all of Carnegie Mellon; Karrie Fitzpatrick of the University of Minnesota; Florian Solzbacher of the University of Utah; and Rob Franklin of Blackrock Microsystems.
A New Way to Take Charge of Your Hearing Health: World of Hearing Opening May 13th
VICTORIA, BC, May 13, 2021 /CNW/ - Three-quarters of Canadians with hearing loss do not realize it.* That is one reason Connect Hearing is bringing a whole new way to help people look after their hearing health to North Vancouver and the Lower Mainland.
Connect Hearing, the #1 physician-referred hearing healthcare provider in Canada, is excited to announce the opening of World of Hearing—North America's first hearing health store on May 13th at 1331 Lonsdale, North Vancouver (connecthearing.ca/woh).
World of Hearing is an innovative, modernized concept in hearing health. It empowers people to take control of their hearing health, at their own pace, with direct access to more transparent hearing information, new immersive learning tools, and support from hearing care professionals.
Some examples of the innovations clients can expect at World of Hearing include:
A Self-Screening Room—where clients can do an independent hearing test and receive immediate results.
An Impress Wall—displaying an overview of the products and services offered.
Interactive Tables—including built-in touch screens that showcase products and services and encourage clients to engage with staff to learn more.
The Experience Room—allowing clients to interactively experience how a hearing solution could help them by presenting real-life situations via large-screen video with 5.1 surround sound.
The ultimate in convenience—no referral or appointment is necessary. Visitors can drop in when it works for them.
Complete portfolio of hearing care all in one place, including hearing protection, hearing technology, testing, accessories, access to the world's most advanced hearing aids, tinnitus therapy, balance treatment and more.
World of Hearing builds on the global hearing health store concept introduced by Sonova, the world's leading provider of innovative hearing care solutions. "Allowing today's clients to customize their experience helps reduce barriers to addressing hearing loss," shares Lilika Beck, Managing Director, Connect Hearing Canada. "This new flagship store will empower clients on their journey of discovery and provide support with all their hearing health needs. Through the innovative Experience Room family members can also participate in a simulation of hearing loss to understand the impact it has on their loved ones – an incredibly powerful way to drive awareness within their support network."
About Connect Hearing Connect Hearing, the #1 physician-referred hearing healthcare provider, is one of the largest network of registered Audiologists and professional Hearing Instrument Practitioners in Canada with over 140 locations. Over the past 40 years, in communities across the country, it has helped more than 350,000 people stay connected to the sounds they enjoy most.
About Sonova Group Since 2008 Connect Hearing Canada has been a part of the Sonova Group. Sonova, headquartered in Stäfa, Switzerland, is the leading provider of innovative hearing care solutions. The group operates through its core business brands Phonak, Unitron, Hansaton, Advanced Bionics and AudioNova. Sonova offers its customers one of the most comprehensive product portfolios in the industry—from hearing instruments to cochlear implants to wireless communication solutions. Founded in 1947, the group is currently present in over 100 countries across the globe and has a workforce of over 14,000 dedicated employees.
Fraser Institute News Release: Canadians wait more than 450 days longer for access to new medicines than Americans and Europeans
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, May 13, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Canadian patients are waiting, on average, more than 450 days longer than Americans and Europeans to access new, potentially life-saving drugs, finds a new study released today by the Fraser Institute, an independent, non-partisan, Canadian public policy think-tank.
“Innovative new medicines can have a profound impact on the health and wellbeing of those suffering from illness. Unfortunately, Canadians are often denied these benefits for months, if not years, waiting for government to approve drugs already deemed safe and effective by regulators in the European Union and United States,” said Bacchus Barua, Associate Director of Health Policy Studies at the Fraser Institute and author of Timely Access to New Pharmaceuticals in Canada, the United States, and the European Union.
The study finds that of the 218 drugs approved in both Canada and the United States between 2012/13 and 2018/19, approval was granted an average of 469 days earlier in the United States.
And of the 205 drugs approved in both Canada and Europe during the same period, approval was granted an average of 468 days earlier in Europe.
The main reason for this delay stems from differences in the dates on which manufacturers submitted new drugs to Health Canada for approval.
The resulting lag suggests drug companies are reluctant to launch new drugs in Canada because of a number of factors that range from Canada’s smaller market size, weaker intellectual property protections, and the federal government’s strict pricing policies.
“In some cases, pharmaceutical companies will wait up to a year after a drug has been approved in the U.S. or Europe before submitting that same drug for approval in Canada,” Barua said.
The study suggests that had Canada agreed to recognize the approval of new drugs by comparable international agencies, patients could have received access to 223 new pharmaceutical therapies (of the 224 in our sample) a median 383 (average 742) days earlier.
“Canada’s current approach, which duplicates approval processes undertaken in the U.S. and Europe, imposes considerable delays on Canadians struggling with illness. In the absence of international agreements to recognize drug approvals, policymakers should carefully consider how Canada’s drug policies attract or discourage drug companies from entering the Canadian market.”
4 Natural Ways to Ease Muscle Soreness After a Workout
After a great work out you may find yourself rewarded with sore muscles. Keep in mind that your muscles are just protein fibers that sustain intended damage during training. The goal should be to bring down the inflammation this process has caused. Instead of letting the cramps and soreness delay, next workout try a few natural remedies to keep your muscles strong and healthy.
Magnesium Supplements
Magnesium should be the go-to post-workout solution. When the body doesn’t have enough magnesium, the calcium then builds up causing cramps and spasms. Magnesium can be taken as a supplement or eat magnesium-rich foods post-workout like almonds, spinach, and cocoa. Epsom salt is a great place to start the healing journey, a warm bath with a cup of Epsom salt will help the muscles gather the magnesium out of the salty water. Be sure to check with your doctor if you take prescription medications before supplementing with magnesium.
Apple Cider Vinegar Drinks
Apple cider vinegar is both anti-inflammatory and alkalizing. Just what sore muscles need something to help reduce the inflammation. A teaspoon is all that is needed to start the muscle recovery process, it can be added to a cup of water if needed. It is also effective if applied topically.
CBD Cream
Sometimes muscle recovery needs a helping hand. A great solution is a 2000mg CBD joint pain cream. All you have to do is massage the affected area with the CBD cream and in about ten minutes the soreness will disappear. The skin absorbs the CBD, it is a powerful medicine (no prescription is needed). However, the CBD does not enter the bloodstream. It is more effective than the old sports menthols rubs that most folks are familiar with.
Turmeric Supplements
Internal support of reducing inflammation can be supplemented with turmeric. A 500mg capsule is all you need to help the body reduce inflammation after a workout. Turmeric is the ingredient in curry that gives it that yellow color and distinct flavor. It is not that exotic, turmeric capsules are readily available at drug stores and grocery stores. There are no side effects and it won’t put a taste in your mouth.
After a workout, there is no need to suffer from the pain and cramps of sore muscles. The four ingredients; magnesium, apple cider vinegar, CBD cream, and turmeric when used together treat muscles inside and outside. Natural remedies are safe to use. Together they provide a speedy recovery and no interruption in the workout schedule.
Tap into Trauma’s Emotional Energy and Use it to Power a Fulfilling Future
Los Angeles, CA, May 12, 2021 — Trauma doesn’t have to lead to a lifetime of weakness or hardship. In fact, trauma can lead to greater resilience and higher levels of achievement than we thought possible.
Dr. Randall Bell, widely considered the world’s top authority in the field of post-traumatic thriving, shares a process for not only surviving trauma but also thriving in the aftermath in his latest book, Post-Traumatic Thriving: The Art, Science, & Stories of Resilience.
“It can’t happen to me” is one of life’s greatest lies, he notes. But if or when it does happen, it’s possible to harness the emotional energy generated by the traumatic event — whether it was losing a loved one, surviving a natural disaster or being a victim of violence — and use it to heal and grow in entirely new directions.
“How do you take that energy from the trauma and tap into it to do something really remarkable that you wouldn’t have done otherwise?” asks Dr. Bell.
In Post-Traumatic Thriving, he shares stories of real people (many of them, like Leo Fender, are familiar) who have done exactly that, including:
• A deaf man with a glass eye invented the electric guitar and became a household name, remarkably wealthy and most importantly, happy.
• A convicted murderer took responsibility for the damage he caused, graduated with honors from college, became a minister and turned around the hearts of the most hardened criminals.
• A girl born with cerebral palsy landed the world’s first starring role on national television and spoke at the White House three times.
• A woman hid in a basement for years and lost her entire family in the Holocaust. She eventually found true love and paints stunning artwork.
• The sister of a murder victim helped millions of women in toxic domestic relationships.
• A woman’s car crash resulted in an addiction to prescription drugs, a divorce, a loss of her children and a cot in a homeless shelter. She has rebuilt it all back and more.
• A man set to go to the Olympics had his hopes dashed by Jimmy Carter and went on to build a worldwide business empire.
Dr. Bell juxtaposes outcomes of scientific studies with these stories to reveal common denominators among “thrivers.” He divides his insights into three sections: The Dive Stage, The Survive Stage and The Thrive Stage, and outlines a step-by-step process toward authentic healing.
As a socio-economist, Dr. Randall Bell has consulted on more disasters on earth than anyone in history. His clients include the Federal Government, State Governments, International Tribunals, major corporations and homeowners. Dr. Bell believes that “the problem is not the problem — the problem is how we react to the problem.”
Often called the “Master of Disaster,” Dr. Bell is squarely focused on authentic recovery and resilience. His research has been profiled on major television shows and featured in numerous magazines and the international media. More information can be found at www.posttraumaticthriving.com.
Post-Traumatic Thriving: The Art, Science, & Stories of Resilience
Ontario "not ready yet" to end lockdown, doctors say
TORONTO, May 12, 2021 /CNW/ - Ontario's doctors support the government extending the province-wide pandemic lockdown due to expire May 20 and recommend easing restrictions on outdoor recreation where it is safe to do so.
The Ontario Medical Association says the province is not yet ready to lift the stay-at-home order while about 2,000 people are testing positive for COVID-19 every day and 1,800 people are so sick they need hospital care, 800 of them in intensive care units.
But doctors do prescribe reopening more outdoor recreational facilities such as golf courses and basketball and tennis courts to improve people's physical and mental health. This needs to be done safely and with clear guidelines around when to wear masks and how many people can gather to avoid large COVID-spreading events on the May 24 long weekend.
"We all want the third wave to be the last wave," said OMA President Dr. Samantha Hill. "We're just not ready yet to reopen. No one wants to start lifting restrictions too soon, only to find the virus spreading again and we have to go back into lockdown."
Extending the stay-at-home order significantly increases the likelihood Ontarians can enjoy a less restrictive summer and have a "more normal" fall.
The OMA calls on all Ontarians to continue following public health guidelines to ensure the third wave is the last wave of the pandemic. The most important thing everyone can do is get vaccinated and talk to their family doctor or local public health unit if they have any questions.
The OMA said how long the lockdown needs to be extended depends on many factors, including how many people are vaccinated and when. But the decision should be based on evidence and advice from the province's COVID-19 Science Advisory Table. Even when we do start to reopen safely, it will take weeks, and in some cases, months, for some of those numbers to fall significantly.
While care in the community should open soon, we need to ensure hospitals have capacity to care for people who continue to be infected with the virus as well as non-COVID patients. Intensive care units continue to be over capacity. Doctors, nurses and other health-care workers who have been working on the front lines of the pandemic for more than a year also are in need of breaks to tend to their own physical and mental health.
"People are tired of restrictions being lifted only to be put in place again a few weeks later," said OMA CEO Allan O'Dette. "It is hard on the economy and hard on people's livelihoods and mental health. Please get vaccinated as soon as possible, keep maintaining physical distancing and exercise good hygiene."
The OMA is holding a media briefing today (May 12) from 1-2 p.m. to discuss these recommendations. Journalists can register here.
For more information, please contact: OMA Media Relations at media@oma.org
About the OMA
The Ontario Medical Association represents Ontario's 43,000-plus physicians, medical students and retired physicians, advocating for and supporting doctors while strengthening the leadership role of doctors in caring for patients. Our vision is to be the trusted voice in transforming Ontario's health-care system.
SOURCE Ontario Medical Association
Real Treat Becomes First Canadian Brand and First Organic Product to Win the Prestigious Gold SOFI Award in its Category
COCHRANE, Alberta, May 12, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Organic cookies can still be swoon-worthy as Real Treat has proven with its Lemon Sablés with Herbes de Provence that have been awarded Gold in the Cookies & Sweet Snacks category of the Specialty Food Association’s 2021 sofi™ Awards. This award marks the first time a certified organic cookie has won a sofi™ Award, and Real Treat is the first Canadian brand to win a sofi™ in this category since the inception of the sofi™ award in 1972.
To win the highly competitive sofi™ Award, Real Treat’s cookies were blind taste tested by a group of expert judges made up of seasoned food professionals including chefs, culinary instructors, recipe developers and specialty food buyers. Judges scored each submission on multiple qualities including flavour, appearance, texture, aroma and creativity. With its Gold award recognition, Real Treat outperformed all other competitors included in the category.
“The sofi™ Gold Award is the highest honour in the specialty food industry. Winning one is a tremendous achievement and a true validation of our mission to create organic cookies that are decadent and delicious,” said Jacqueline Day, Founder, Real Treat. “For too long organic treats have fallen into the category of ‘consolation prize food’ and we are here to change that.”
Real Treat launched in 2014 with its Top Shelf line of gourmet organic cookies. These are premium cookies with creative flavours having strong appeal with foodies. Unique for being both organic and epicurean, these cookies caught the attention of New York Times Food who called them, “Cookies for the Sophisticated Set.” The sofi™ winning Lemon Sablés with Herbes de Provence was among the first products to be launched from this line. Since its debut this cookie has been featured at distinguished wineries in the Napa Valley and top tier cheese boutiques due to its unique talent for pairing beautifully with wine and cheese.
Real Treat demonstrates their creativity and high standard of quality and flavour with three additional flavours in the Top Shelf line, including their wildly popular Salted Caramel Shorties with Fennel, Dark Chocolate Chunk with Smoked Pecans, and Double Dark Chocolate with a Twist cookies. Some pair with wine and cheese, while others are the ideal indulgence to enjoy with a fine single malt scotch.
For the more traditional cookie lover, Real Treat offers their Real Treat Pantry line. Also certified organic, these cookies are made with clean ingredients while satisfying the craving for cookies we grew up enjoying as children, freshly baked in our home ovens. These are the cookies of childhood tea parties and after-school snacks. Here you will find mouth-watering nostalgic favourites like Chocolate Chunk, Oatmeal Raisin, and Brown Sugar Shortbread. The Pantry line is a current finalist for a NEXTY Award. New Hope Network will announce the winner at their upcoming virtual Natural Products EXPO.
Real Treat products are available at select retailers across Canada and the United States, and online at realtreat.ca. Retailers selling Real Treat products can be found using Real Treat’s Stockist Finder.
About Real Treat
Real Treat is based in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains in beautiful Cochrane, Alberta, Canada. A wholly woman-owned business founded by Jacqueline Day in 2014, their small-batch organic cookies have a passionate following of foodies and cookie monsters big and small across North America and have been raved about in the pages of The New York Times Food, Culinaire, Gourmet News, Toronto Life and Avenue magazines.
All products in the Real Treat lineup are USDA, EU, and Canada certified organic by EcoCert.
About the Specialty Food Association The Specialty Food Association (SFA), is the leading trade association and source of information about the $158.4 billion specialty food industry. Founded in 1952 in New York City, the SFA represents makers, importers, retailers, distributors, and others in the trade. The SFA is known for its Fancy Food Shows; the sofi™ Awards, which honor excellence in specialty food and beverage; Trendspotter Panel Show reports and annual predictions; the State of the Specialty Food Industry Report; the Product Marketplace database, featuring specialty foods and beverages in 161 categories and sub-categories; Infinite Aisle, a new ecommerce marketplace that enables SFA Members to make buyer-maker connections and sales year-round; and Specialty Food LIVE!™, a digital marketplace experience.
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