Novel patching material for bone defects

Jun 28, 2022 | Business

Ceramics and metals have been used for a while as structural materials to repair bones and joints. In the past, scientists engineered bioinert materials, which do not bond to bones directly; bioactive materials that can bond to bones; and bio-absorbable materials that are categorized in bioactive materials but they are absorbed by the body over time and are replaced by advancing bone tissue.
Now, a fourth type of bone repairing materials has been found: a bio-responsive ceramic that interacts with an enzyme found in blood to be absorbed into the body at a precise and predictable rate.

The research was done by Taishi Yokoi, an associate professor at the Institute of Biomaterials and Bioengineering at Tokyo Medical and Dental University, and his colleagues. The study was published in May in Science and Technology of Advanced Materials.

“Extending healthy life expectancy is an important issue for all of us,” Yokoi says. “Bone repairing materials aid in the recovery of bone defects and help improve quality of life.”

At the heart of this discovery is a biological reaction: an enzyme called alkaline phosphatase (ALP), which is present in human serum and reacts with various phosphate esters to generate bone mineral known as hydroxyapatite.

The scientists mimicked this process using a simulated body fluid that contained the enzyme ALP. They placed four different salts in a simulated body fluid containing or lacking the enzyme ALP. The salts were calcium salts of methyl phosphate (CaMeP), ethyl phosphate (CaEtP), butyl phosphate (CaBuP) and dodecyl phosphate (CaDoP). The phosphate component of each of these salts has an alkyl group at its end – a chain composed of hydrogen and carbon atoms – of differing lengths.

The scientists found that the first three salts were converted to hydroxyapatite, but only in the presence of ALP. Interestingly, the length of the alkyl group on the phosphate ester determined the rate at which this reaction happens. With more research, the scientists think that this could allow greater control of the bone healing process in the body.

“We expect the findings of this study will be applied towards designing and developing novel bone-repairing materials with precisely controlled degradation and resorption rates inside the body,” says Yokoi.

Further information
Taishi Yokoi
Tokyo Medical and Dental University
Email: yokoi.taishi.bcr@tmd.ac.jp

Research paper: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14686996.2022.2074801

About Science and Technology of Advanced Materials (STAM)

Open access journal STAM publishes outstanding research articles across all aspects of materials science, including functional and structural materials, theoretical analyses, and properties of materials. https://www.tandfonline.com/STAM

Mikiko Tanifuji
STAM Publishing Director
Email: TANIFUJI.Mikiko@nims.go.jp

Press release distributed by Asia Research News for Science and Technology of Advanced Materials.






Topic: Press release summary

In His Novel “The Emma Effect,” Gordon Bocher Proves There’s Always Healing and New Beginning After Trauma

Jun 12, 2022 | Business

The author’s sophomore publishing effort has received positive reviews from book reviewers.

San Diego, CA – WEBWIRE –

The novel is woven around themes of romance, forgiveness, abuse, apathy, mysticism, war and parenthood.



A new beginning after a traumatic experience is always possible. Anyone can heal and recover from a devastating psychological event with the help of the right people and at the right time. Ultimately, healing is not a solo endeavor. Gordon Bocher’s work of fiction “The Emma Effect” (Newman Spring; 2022) revolves around this premise.



“The Emma Effect”, whom the author describes as “a very unusual book,” “a psychological romance,” and “a romantic novel with venturesome and mystical overtones,” centers on the healing journey of Mitch Lavin. Mitch was severely and criminally mistreated by two beautiful coeds while in college, which led to him suffering from PTSD.



To cope with the resulting depression, he applies for a very dangerous yet high-paying job with Mining Consortium International (MCI) and is eventually accepted. At MCI, he meets Emma Waterson and her boss, Gen. Creighton Wheeler, both of whom will later aid Mitch in his psychological recovery. Mitch is drawn to Emma because of the peaceful state of mind that he experiences whenever he is with her. She possesses an unusual ability to bring a sense of serenity to anyone that enters her personal milieu.



“The Emma Effect” has received great reviews from independent book review publications. In a review for Seattle Book Review, Foluso Falaye wrote, “‘The Emma Effect’ is skillfully woven around the themes of romance, forgiveness, abuse, empathy, Catholicism, war, career, diligence, psychology, and parenthood. Readers who enjoy romantic stories that portray daunting, lifelike challenges should make sure to read ‘The Emma Effect.’”



“Gordon’s captivating narrative is a flawless combination of breathtaking action, heartwarming love and kindness, and deep psychological struggles. ‘The Emma Effect’ inspires readers to heal from pain and remain hopeful for better days, no matter one’s present challenges.”



A review by The US Review of Books reads, “The author demonstrates clear control over the story’s pacing and works to create characters that have multiple dimensions. The main character’s growth and relationships however where Bocher does his best writing. He writes with a lot of detail, a stylistic choice that comes across more as a storyteller recounting a tale rather than showing it as it unfolds.”



Purchase a copy of “The Emma Effect” by Gordon Bocher today on Amazon.



“The Emma Effect” will be displayed by self-publishing and book marketing company ReadersMagnet at their exhibit at booth 1147 for the 2022 American Library Association (ALA) Annual Conference & Exhibition on June 23-28, 2022, at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Washington D.C.



“The Emma Effect”

Author | Gordon Bocher

Published date | 2022

Publisher | Newman Springs Publishing

Book retail price | $15.95



Author Bio



Gordon L. Bocher served 11 1/2 years in the Air Force. He flew 177 combat rides as a Fire Control Officer (FCO) aboard the AC–130A Gunship. As a rescue navigator, Bocher participated in the abortive attempt to rescue the 53 hostages held in Iran. Throughout his service, Bocher was awarded two Distinguished Flying Cross medals, eight Air Medals, the Purple Heart, the Conspicuous Service Award from Gov. Mario Cuomo (NY) and two nominations for the Silver Star. The author’s personal story was chronicled in two front-page stories in Newsday, People magazine, the Colorado Star, the Veterans of Foreign Wars magazine and was featured in “The Book of Man” (pp 417-424) by William Bennett (9/29/11). This story provides an accurate history of the end stages of the Vietnam War and has been placed in the oral history section of the Library of Congress. Mr. Bocher also worked as an air-traffic control specialist for 27 years.

Novel Hotel City Centre Increases Occupancy to 90% with RateTiger

Apr 30, 2022 | Business

 Novel Hotel City Centre, one of the leading business hotels in Abu Dhabi has increased its occupancy to 90% by leveraging RateTiger. The four-star property has been using RateTiger Connect for 2-way rate and inventory as well as reservation data transfer between sales channels and hotel PMS. The hotel is also using RateTiger’s GDS distribution, Booking Engine, Metasearch Management and Rate Shopper, all available as a one-stop-solution through the RateTiger platform, for efficiently managing online distribution and revenue.

Managed by Danat Hotels & Resort, a division of National Corporation for Tourism & Hotels (NCT&H), Novel Hotel City Centre has 215 rooms, historically catering to business and MICE travellers. However, with the boost in leisure demand and increase in competition, the revenue management team felt the need to expand and automate distribution. With RateTiger, they came to know about and connect to top performing online sales channels in their key source markets which led to increase in occupancy.

“The extremely competitive nature of Middle East market means we need to update rates and inventories multiple times a day. We needed a solution that will meet our demands for market intelligence as well as channel management. With RateTiger, we have managed to take our occupancy to 90%. Their integrations with leading global and regional OTAs have ensured that we sell on the right channels that bring business to our city. The speed, accuracy, and ease with which we can manage our online operations is fantastic. Further, the Promotions feature has helped us improve visibility on key sales channels which resulted in better RevPAR,” commented Akber Bana, Cluster Revenue Manager – Novel Hotel City Centre.

With hotel room supplies in the region overtaking demand, maintaining an effective rate strategy is important to stay ahead of competition. The revenue management team is using RateTiger Shopper to monitor rate movement to implement a dynamic pricing strategy.

“We have been able to sell at better rates and maintain rate parity – thanks to Rate Shopper. The support and technical team understand what they are doing and provides speedy resolutions which is amazing. I highly recommend RateTiger to other hoteliers for improving channel connectivity and productivity as well as overall online distribution,” summed up Akber.

Check out this video where Mr. Akber Bana, Cluster Revenue Manager – Novel Hotel City Centre shares his experience of using RateTiger products and support – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-PkcLfvrVg

Team RateTiger will be at ATM Dubai from 9 – 12 May 2022. To book a meeting, contact us today – marketing@erevmax.com

eRevMax International

Poulami Datta

+44 (0) 20 3865 0170

www.ratetiger.com

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Wynyard Avenue, Wynyard, TS22 5TB

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Novel tools for deciphering mechanisms associated with learning and memory developed by Indian Scientists

Feb 16, 2022 | Business


In a recent development, Indian Scientists have developed a first-of-its-kind tool for understanding the process of long-term memory consolidation in the brain by capturing the neural signals from rodent brain.


Learning and memory are the fundamental processes of brain and are one of the most intensively studied subjects in the field of neuroscience. Learning is attributed to the acquisition of new data and memory. Retention of the acquired data leads to long-term memory (LTM) formation.


The new tool which uses the behavioral tagging model is a novel one to study LTM consolidation through behavioral analysis. On a similar line, bio-signals are now being used to explore the latent features of memory consolidation by a technique called In Vivo Electrophysiology which can be utilized by capturing the neural signals from rodent brain under experimental conditions


This novel tool being a first of its kind in India has been developed by Prof. Suhel Parvez and his group at the Department of Toxicology, School of Chemical and Life Sciences, Jamia Hamdard (Deemed to be  University),  New  Delhi, who established the Behavioral Tagging model for understanding the process of LTM consolidation in brain. The research has recently been published in the journals ‘Theranostics’ and ‘Ageing Research Reviews’.


The researchers used the In Vivo Electrophysiology Facility established at the Department of Toxicology with the support of Department of Science and Technology (DST), Govt. of India under the “Promotion of University Research and Scientific Excellence (PURSE)” program for the capturing bio-signals for developing the behavioural tagging model.


“The facility is well equipped with several neurobehavioral apparatuses for rodents to assess parameters which are analyzed by using Any-MAZE software. Also, the research on neurodegenerative disorders causing memory impairment such as  Dementia, Alzheimer’s Disease, Parkinson’s Disease, and many more could utilize the findings of the work to find a direct link between the memory consolidation pathway and memory impairment mechanism in such diseased state,” said Prof. Suhel. 


For deeper understanding of behavioral aspects of brain functioning, Prof. Parvez and his group have established in vivo electrophysiology technique. The team is constantly making efforts for bridging the knowledge gap between memory formation and memory decline mechanisms by utilizing Behavioral Tagging phenomenon in combination with in vivo electrophysiology.





Figure: Placement of 16-Channels Electrode for In vivo Electrophysiology and acquisition of single-neuron action potential spike and neural signals from 16 channel electrodes simultaneously.




              




Figure: Prof. Suhel Parvez with his team at DST-PURSE Supported Neurobehavior and In Vivo Electrophysiology Facility, Department of Toxicology, School of Chemical and Life Sciences, Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi. Team members (From Left to Right): Dr. Pooja Kaushik, Mubashshir Ali, Medha Kaushik, Prof. Suhel Parvez, Neha, and Pinky.




Publication Details:


1. doi: 10.7150/thno.64806. (Impact Factor: 11.556).


2. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.arr.2022.101577  (Impact Factor: 10.895).


3. Vishnoi S, Raisuddin S, Parvez S, (2022). Behavioral Tagging: Role of Neurotransmitter Receptor Systems in Novel Object Recognition Long-Term Memory. ACS Omega. (Impact Factor: 3.512)


For more details, Prof. Suhel Parvez (sparvez@jamiahamdard.ac.in) can be contacted.




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New Mystery Novel ‘Preacher Raises the Dead’ Deals with Real End-of-Life Controversies

Jan 7, 2022 | Books, Business

LaPuerta Books and Media announces the anticipated March 1 release of Preacher Raises the Dead, the third novel in Gerald Everett Jones’s multiple-award-winning Evan Wycliff Mysteries. The first two books in the series, Preacher Finds a Corpse and Preacher Fakes a Miracle, won Gold and Silver respectively in the 2020 New York City Big Book Awards – grabbing the top two slots in the mystery category that year and besting entries from not only indies but also the Big Five publishing houses. As well, the series has won three other awards to date, including kudos from the National Association of Book Entrepreneurs, the Eric Hoffer Awards, and the Independent Press Awards.

When readers meet Evan Wycliff in the first book, he’s a lapsed divinity student from a devoutly Southern Baptist family, but he’s also fascinated by astrophysics. After forsaking both Harvard Divinity School and MIT, he returns to his farm roots in Southern Missouri. When he’s not serving as a guest preacher, he’s using his investigative skills to track down neighbors who have fallen way behind on their auto loans. Bachelor Wycliff lives in a modest trailer, and some evenings he thinks his only friend is Jack Daniels. Although he might not be an agnostic, he’s certainly a fretful believer who has serious doubts.

In these novels, Evan gets involved in criminal plots and intrigues as an amateur sleuth because sometimes he’s the only clever fellow in this small rural town who is willing to help after the authorities have given up.

In Preacher Raises the Dead, Evan reluctantly takes on the role of full-time minister and walks straight into more responsibility and trouble than he can handle. He attends to near-death experience (NDE), late-stage dementia, long-term coma, and consequences of the pandemic. His old nemesis investment banker Stuart Shackleton is back – and claims to be converted. Shackleton’s money sustains a critical-care medical breakthrough, the building of a new church, and a career boost for Evan as a celebrity evangelist. Are these thrilling transformations part of a divine plan, or has Evan sold his soul?

Author Gerald Everett Jones explains how his writing process generates plot twists and surprises: “In writing these mysteries, I’ve surprised myself many times over. It will therefore surprise me if readers find anything in the plots predictable. I resolved at the outset to let my subconscious self do most of the work. And after the stage was set and the characters stepped onto it, many times they told me where they wanted to go and said whatever they wanted to say. I haven’t always worked like this. Years ago, when I wrote mainly technical and business nonfiction for publishing houses, I wrote to strict outlines, and I sought approval from in-house editors if ever I chose to depart from the agreed plan.

“When I set out to write Preacher Raises the Dead, I had the notion of describing both near-death experience and coma. In the beginning, I didn’t know who would be stricken or how those subplots would turn out. Many other plot elements were likewise uncertain right up until the words flowed into the manuscript draft, including questions about some of Evan’s most basic religious beliefs. His philosophy of life is bound to be controversial. The very thought of a practicing minister who is too often an agnostic will raise eyebrows. But do churchpersons have occasional doubts? I don’t doubt it.”

Commenting on Jones’s talent for surprising the reader, novelist John Rachel, author of Blinders Keepers and The Man Who Loved Too Much, writes in his review of Preacher Finds a Corpse: “This is an excellent read from such an engaging storyteller! It really sucked me in. That last page did cause a triple-take, quadruple-take, and whatever comes after, up to about eight. Jones is definitely one of my favorite authors.”

Likely questions from readers about Preacher Raises the Dead might be: “Should churches take views on the pandemic – or on political parties or candidates? Are near-death experiences physical or metaphysical? How do ‘right to die’ laws affect treatment of patients in long-term coma?” And, perhaps most telling of all: “Can an agnostic be a practicing minister?”

Preacher Raises the Dead is available for pre-order now in trade paperback from booksellers worldwide and in Kindle ebook format from Amazon. Book release is set for Tuesday, March 1, 2022.