Mes: agosto 2020

FORT WORTH, Texas, Aug. 10, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — For the fifth consecutive year, Galderma donated backpacks filled with school supplies to Northwest ISD students in need. This year, Galderma donated 1,200 backpacks for students in grades Kindergarten through 12, for a total of 6,105 backpacks donated since 2016. Each backpack included all of the specific supplies requested by NISD schools. Galderma, based in Fort Worth, has an extensive portfolio of skin health products for patients, consumers and health care professionals, including flagship brands Cetaphil^® and Differin^®.

While this is the fifth year that Galderma has distributed school supplies to NISD students, the 1,200 backpacks were distributed differently due to social distancing precautions required by the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead of students and parents gathering in the gym at NISD’s Hatfield Elementary School, masked Galderma and NISD employees staffed a «drive-thru» distribution in the school’s parking lot.

«COVID-19 has created economic pressures with layoffs and reduced working hours for many families locally. And, as we approach the start of a new school year, we know that many more parents will need help to get their students ready. We weren’t going to let the pandemic stop us from supporting the families in our community as we have done for the past five years or interrupt our partnership with our local school district,» said Miles Harrison, president and general manager, Galderma U.S.

«We are so grateful for partners like Galderma. They’ve helped at least a thousand families this year, and that matters a great deal,» said Ryder Warren, Ed.D., superintendent of schools for Northwest ISD. «Galderma’s leadership, generosity and commitment to the community speaks to their support of education, and we are proud to partner with them. Their contributions today will help set our students up for success. In these difficult times, something like a new backpack and a new set of school supplies can give our students a sense of normalcy and a sense of hope. For that, we are extremely appreciative.»

«I’m so proud to work for a company that cares about its community, especially during a time when people need a little bit of extra care and support. Despite the debate about when and how kids will start the school year, and regardless of whatever personal obstacles we all may be going through ourselves, Galderma employees came together in a big way again this year for these kids,» said Zhanelle Wall, Galderma employee.

«In 2020, our community commitments have become even more important, especially given the economic impacts of COVID-19, and the important national conversation to support social and economic justice issues in America. Galderma is fully on board with that,» added Harrison. «Each backpack is like giving a gift that lasts for a year and often longer, as each year of success in school adds to the cumulative impact that can literally change the course of one’s life.»

About Galderma
Galderma, the world’s largest independent global dermatology company, was created in 1981 and is now present in over 100 countries with an extensive product portfolio of prescription medicines, aesthetic solutions and consumer care products. The company partners with health care practitioners around the world to meet the skin health needs of people throughout their lifetime. Galderma is a leader in research and development of scientifically-defined and medically-proven solutions for the skin. For more information, please visit www.galderma.com/us.

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SOURCE Galderma

SAN DIEGO, Aug. 10, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Epitracker Inc. today announced the results from a groundbreaking, 25-year longitudinal cohort study of bottlenose dolphins that identified factors differentiating individuals with slow and accelerated aging rates.

The study, which was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, highlights how biological differences between dolphins living in the same natural ocean environment and receiving routine medical examinations under the care of the United States Navy may inform new approaches to slow degradative processes associated with aging. 

Epitracker, a life sciences company applying advanced omic technologies to discover therapeutics for aging-associated diseases, leveraged archived health data on 144 dolphins receiving meticulous care throughout their lives. These health data included 44 clinically relevant measurements on 5,889 biological routine samples collected throughout dolphins’ lifetimes.

«Amazingly, this work all started with the sole intent of continually improving the health and welfare of dolphins,» said Stephanie Venn-Watson, D.V.M., M.P.H., co-founder and CEO of Epitracker Inc. and Seraphina Therapeutics, and the study’s lead author. «The fact that our work is resulting in groundbreaking approaches to delay aging and improve health for both dolphins and humans is a dream come true.»

Navy dolphins, which on average live 50 percent longer than wild dolphins, consumed a controlled and well-maintained fish diet and received ongoing health monitoring and medical care. The routine health data and 44 measures collected over time were analyzed to determine aging rates and establish aging rate-related biomarkers that could also be studied in humans.

Epitracker discovered four key biomarkers in dolphins associated with an accelerated aging rate. Two of these biomarkers, which already are used in assessing older people, decreased linearly with age: hemoglobin, used to detect anemia; and lymphocytes, used to detect immunosenescence, or weakened immunity. Importantly, while some dolphins had declines in these clinical biomarkers as they aged, including declines leading to clinical anemia and immunosenescence, others had no declines during the same aging timeframe.  

While it has long been believed that there are factors influencing why some humans and mammals age faster than others, identifying those factors requires a data set that has been difficult to develop in species closely related to humans – one that is sufficiently large, robust, longitudinal in nature, and collected in a well-controlled population over lifetimes.

«The nature of the Navy dolphins’ shared oceanic environment created a perfect setting to generate unparalleled longitudinal health data using easily measured biomarkers that identified slow and accelerated aging in dolphins,» said Nicholas Schork, Ph.D., senior author and Professor at the Translational Genomics Research Institute, as well as Scientific Director for the National Institute on Aging’s Longevity Consortium.

«The results from the analysis of the dolphin population are directly translatable into human biology and will now empower us to identify how aging rates vary in humans and what we might be able do to slow the rates down for all,» Schork said.

This study is one of three recently published peer-reviewed scientific articles from Epitracker and its spin-out health and wellness company, Seraphina Therapeutics, demonstrating the promise of applying advanced technologies to delay aging in dolphins and humans.

In April 2020, Epitracker reported in PLOS ONE how a wild-type fish diet shifted dolphins’ metabolomes and improved their health. In this study, increased dietary intake of a trace saturated fat called pentadecanoic acid (C15:0) predicted reversal of low hemoglobin, a key biomarker of accelerated aging rates. Surprisingly, anemia was alleviated in all dolphins placed on a C15:0-rich diet.

Subsequent laboratory studies led by Epitracker and Seraphina and recently published in Scientific Reports, showed repeated, broad health benefits of C15:0 related to healthy aging, including attenuated anemia and fibrosis, lowered inflammation and cholesterol, and improved cellular stability and mitochondrial function. These studies and a growing body of global evidence support that C15:0 is the first essential fatty acid to be discovered in 90 years.

«Our discovery of slow and accelerated aging dolphins is now enabling us to compare thousands of small molecules in the archived serum of individuals with and without aging-related conditions and help find which molecules have the greatest promise of protecting the health of aging mammals,» Venn-Watson said.

Seraphina Therapeutics is currently advancing C15:0 as a once daily dietary supplement, food fortifier and nutritional intervention to protect against aging-associated breakdown and as a potential treatment of C15:0 deficiency disorders in humans. Seraphina aims to have C15:0 available for purchase as a supplement during Fall 2020 and as a food ingredient in January 2021.

While developing C15:0 supplements for Navy dolphins, Epitracker is also working cooperatively with the U.S. Navy to study additional serum metabolites that may help prevent and treat chronic aging-associated conditions present in both dolphins and humans, including pulmonary, hepatic, and neurogenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease.

For more information on Epitracker Inc. and the research discoveries made, please read the full published paper from the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences or visit www.epitracker.com. To learn more about Seraphina Therapeutics, its science-based approach to advancing global health or the discovery of C15:0, please visit www.epitracker.com/seraphinatherapeutics.

About Epitracker Inc.
Epitracker Inc. is a life sciences company focusing on metabolomics in long-lived mammals to discover small molecules that may help to detect, prevent and treat chronic diseases in both humans and animals. By dedicating decades to improving U.S. Navy and wild dolphin health, Epitracker has gained critical insight into the pathophysiology of aging and chronic diseases through shared traits found in dolphins and humans. The company’s discoveries enable the creation of health products and therapies designed to extend wellness, delay aging, and treat a broad range of disease in both animals and humans. For more information, visit www.epitracker.com.  

About Seraphina Therapeutics, Inc.
Seraphina Therapeutics, Inc. is a health and wellness company dedicated to advancing global health through the discovery of essential fatty acids and micronutrient therapeutics. Through rigorous breakthrough science, the company will develop fatty acid supplements, food fortifiers and nutritional interventions to strengthen cells, keep mitochondria working and advance cellular homeostasis to counter age-related breakdown. With its team of industry-leading scientists, Seraphina Therapeutics challenges long held approaches to nutrition, enabling the creation of novel health products designed to support quality of life. The company is a spinout of Epitracker Inc. and headquartered in San Diego. For more information, please visit www.epitracker.com/seraphinatherapeutics. Follow Seraphina on LinkedIn and Twitter @SeraphinaHealth.

About the U.S. Navy Dolphin Program
For more than 60 years, the U.S. Navy has cared for and closely monitored the health and welfare of a sustained population of approximately 100 bottlenose dolphins. Due to their access to ongoing healthcare, a reliable and well monitored daily diet, and protection from predators and other native stressors, Navy dolphins now live more than 50 percent longer than wild dolphins and are providing important insights into healthy aging.

About TGen, an affiliate of City of Hope
Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) is a Phoenix, Arizona-based non-profit organization dedicated to conducting groundbreaking research with life-changing results. TGen is affiliated with City of Hope, a world-renowned independent research and treatment center for cancer, diabetes and other life-threatening diseases. This precision medicine affiliation enables both institutes to complement each other in research and patient care, with City of Hope providing a significant clinical setting to advance scientific discoveries made by TGen. TGen is focused on helping patients with neurological disorders, cancer, diabetes and infectious diseases through cutting-edge translational research (the process of rapidly moving research toward patient benefit). TGen physicians and scientists work to unravel the genetic components of both common and complex rare diseases in adults and children. Working with collaborators in the scientific and medical communities worldwide, TGen makes a substantial contribution to help our patients through efficiency and effectiveness of the translational process. For more information, visit: www.tgen.org. Follow TGen on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter @TGen.

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SOURCE Epitracker Inc.

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 10, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas) today announced it will again award Climate Adaptation & Resiliency Grants to local cities to support efforts to increase resiliency in the face of climate change risks such as wildfires, floods, extreme heat, drought, sea level rise, and other major weather events. The competitive grant program provides $50,000 each to three municipalities in the SoCalGas service territory and is designed to help cities and counties reduce the impact of climate change-related threats. The application process opens today.

An advisory panel of planning and sustainability experts from the Los Angeles Regional Collaborative for Climate Action and Sustainability (LARC) and the American Planning Association-California Chapter (APA-California) will assist with the selection of the winning applications from across Southern and Central California.

«Collaboration between utilities and municipalities is key to resiliency when preparing for climate events such as wildfires, earthquakes and floods,» said Andy Carrasco, vice president of strategy & engagement and chief environmental officer at SoCalGas. «The natural gas infrastructure is critical to the resiliency of the energy supply during natural disasters and as we work to implement our vision for a 21^st century energy system, we look forward to providing affordable and cleaner energy to cities while helping them maintain resiliency.»

«As LA’s regional climate collaborative, LARC supports cross-jurisdictional collaboration and facilitates the exchange of information, best practices, and cutting-edge research» said Erin Coutts, LARC’s executive director. «We are excited to advise a grant program that encourages partnerships and will help our cities address climate vulnerabilities in disadvantaged communities.»

«As shapers of the built environment, planners recognize our critical role in helping the communities we serve prepare for the risks associated with climate change,» said Ashley Atkinson, president-elect of the American Planning Association’s California Chapter. «We’re grateful to SoCalGas for helping local cities elevate climate adaptation among competing priorities by providing grant funding for essential plan updates.»

Municipalities embarking on a Hazard Mitigation Plan Update, Climate Adaptation and Resiliency Plan, or incorporating climate change impacts into the Safety Element of their General Plan are eligible to apply. Grant proposals will be assessed according to the following criteria:

• DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES: SoCalGas encourages applicants to address climate vulnerabilities in disadvantaged communities.
• COLLABORATION: Reflect coordination and partnerships with a diverse range of stakeholders (energy/water utilities, transportation, housing, etc.).
• CO-BENEFITS: Identify potential co-benefits of the adaptation work, such as benefits to public health, air quality, reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, and the economy.

The annual grants will be funded by shareholders and will not impact natural gas bills. The deadline to submit proposals is September 30, 2020.

Last year, the City of Loma Linda, the City of Malibu and Los Angeles County were awarded the three SoCalGas adaptation and resiliency grants.

Los Angeles County is utilizing its grant to prepare an Adaptive Capacity Assessment for disadvantaged communities in unincorporated Los Angeles County, which will inform and be incorporated into the County’s Safety Element Update. The City of Loma Linda is making use of its grant to update its local hazard mitigation plan as well as the Safety Element of its General Plan. Finally, Malibu is applying its grant to create a comprehensive and actionable Community Resilience and Adaptation Plan that will be integrated into the Safety Element of the City’s General Plan.

A study on the impacts of four climate-related disasters on the energy sector found that natural gas infrastructure exhibited significant resilience because it is underground. In addition, the study showed that backup generation powered by natural gas pipelines can provide on-site electricity generation for hospitals, relief centers and other critical facilities during a disaster. A summary of its findings may be found here.

The climate grant program is part of SoCalGas’ vision to be the cleanest gas utility in North America. As part of this plan, the utility committed to displacing 20% of its traditional natural gas supply with RNG by 2030 through its reimagined 21^st century energy system. It also has the potential to include several other clean energy strategies such as hydrogen and will provide clean, reliable and affordable energy.

For more information about SoCalGas’ environmental initiatives, go to socalgas.com/smart-energy.

About SoCalGas
Headquartered in Los Angeles, SoCalGas^® is the largest gas distribution utility in the United States. SoCalGas delivers affordable, reliable, clean and increasingly renewable gas service to 21.8 million customers across 24,000 square miles of Central and Southern California, where more than 90 percent of residents use natural gas for heating, hot water, cooking, drying clothes or other uses. Gas delivered through the company’s pipelines also plays a key role in providing electricity to Californians— about 45 percent of electric power generated in the state comes from gas-fired power plants.

SoCalGas’s vision is to be the cleanest gas utility in North America, delivering affordable and increasingly renewable energy to its customers. In support of that vision, SoCalGas is committed to replacing 20 percent of its traditional natural gas supply with renewable natural gas (RNG) by 2030. Renewable natural gas is made from waste created by dairy farms, landfills and wastewater treatment plants. SoCalGas is also committed to investing in its gas delivery infrastructure while keeping bills affordable for our customers. From 2014 through 2018, the company invested nearly $6.5 billion to upgrade and modernize its pipeline system to enhance safety and reliability. SoCalGas is a subsidiary of Sempra Energy (NYSE: SRE), an energy services holding company based in San Diego. For more information visit socalgas.com/newsroom or connect with SoCalGas on Twitter (@SoCalGas), Instagram (@SoCalGas) and Facebook.  

 

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SOURCE Southern California Gas Company

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., Aug. 10, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — The Dan Marino Foundation and Badia Spices are again partnering to launch an on-going awareness and fundraising campaign, «Be a Game Changer for those with Autism,» in support of those with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Starting August 2020, when consumers purchase a 1L or 33.8 FL OZ bottle of Badia Extra Virgin Olive Oil or 1L or 34 FL OZ bottle of Badia Extra Virgin Olive Oil Organic at any retailer in the United States where Badia Spices are sold, Badia will donate 5% of the proceeds from the sales to the Dan Marino Foundation.

«We are always working to deliver life-changing programs,» said Dan Marino, Chairman of the Dan Marino Foundation. «Claire and I are thankful to the Badia team and their customers for supporting our programs by participating in this campaign which also raises awareness and acceptance of individuals with autism.»

Badia Spices, Inc. is one of the fastest-growing family-owned Hispanic food companies. Badia manufactures, packages, and distributes spices, seasoning blends, marinades, sauces, teas, health items, and other products to more than 90 countries around the world. Through these annual fundraisers, to date, Badia Spices has raised over $800,000 for the Dan Marino Foundation.

«Badia is proud to partner with the Dan Marino Foundation in support of their unparalleled efforts to empower individuals with autism and other developmental disabilities in their journey to independence,» said Joseph «Pepé» Badia, President of Badia Spices, Inc.

Badia Extra Virgin Olive Oil comes from the finest quality olive groves. It has an excellent flavor and aroma, as it is naturally extracted from the first cold press. Various recipes using Badia Extra Virgin Olive Oil can be found at www.badiaspices.com.

About the Dan Marino Foundation:
Founded by Dan and Claire Marino shortly after their son, Michael’s, autism diagnosis in 1992, the Dan Marino Foundation has a long and distinguished history of life-changing programs and services, with the mission to «empower individuals with autism and other developmental disabilities.» The Foundation has raised more than $84 million to create and support unique and impactful initiatives. For more information, please visit https://danmarinofoundation.org or follow on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. 

Media Contact:
Kip Hunter Marketing
Aimee Adler Cooke | 561-302-6902 | aimee@kiphuntermarketing.com

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SOURCE Dan Marino Foundation