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NYU Langone Health realiza con éxito el primer trasplante de cara y doble trasplante de manos del mundo

Éxito quirúrgico histórico a pesar de la inquietante amenaza derivada de la pandemia de COVID-19

NUEVA YORK, 4 de febrero de 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Un equipo de cirugía de NYU Langone Health realizó un trasplante de cara y doble trasplante de manos a un residente de <span…

Éxito quirúrgico histórico a pesar de la inquietante amenaza derivada de la pandemia de COVID-19

NUEVA YORK, 4 de febrero de 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Un equipo de cirugía de NYU Langone Health realizó un trasplante de cara y doble trasplante de manos a un residente de Nueva Jersey de 22 años, que sufrió quemaduras graves en un terrible accidente automovilístico. La cirugía incluyó el trasplante de ambas manos y de toda la cara de un solo donante. Este supuso el primer caso de trasplante combinado de su clase realizado con éxito en el mundo.

La cirugía, que comenzó la mañana del miércoles 12 de agosto, duró aproximadamente 23 horas, un tiempo total de cirugía más corto que el trasplante solo de cara más reciente de NYU Langone para Cameron Underwood, realizado en 2018. Un equipo de más de 140 profesionales de la salud, integrado por cirujanos, enfermeros y demás personal, estuvo una vez más bajo la dirección de Eduardo D. Rodriguez, MD, DDS, el profesor de Cirugía Plástica Reconstructiva de Helen L. Kimmel, jefe del Departamento de Cirugía Plástica de Hansjörg Wyss en NYU Langone.

El receptor en este caso reciente es Joe DiMeo de Clark, NJ, que sufrió quemaduras de tercer grado en más del 80 por ciento de su cuerpo debido a un accidente automovilístico ocurrido en julio de 2018. A pesar de someterse aproximadamente a 20 cirugías reconstructivas, DiMeo tenía lesiones extensas —incluidas yemas de los dedos amputadas, cicatrices faciales graves y ausencia de labios o párpados— que afectaban a su visión y sus actividades diarias, y limitaban gravemente su capacidad para llevar una vida funcional e independiente.

«Joe fue un candidato ideal para este procedimiento; está extremadamente motivado y decidido a recuperar la independencia que perdió después de su accidente», dice Rodriguez. «Gracias al apoyo institucional que recibimos aquí en NYU Langone y a un equipo de primer nivel comprometido a brindar la mejor atención a nuestro paciente, hemos logrado un gran compromiso que demuestra que podemos seguir asumiendo nuevos desafíos y avanzando en el campo de los trasplantes.»

Un nuevo capítulo para un programa pionero

Este es el cuarto trasplante de cara realizado bajo la dirección de Rodriguez y el primer trasplante de manos bajo su dirección. Aunque se sabe que se han realizado otros dos intentos de trasplante de cara y manos simultáneamente, en cada caso hubo un desenlace adverso: Un paciente falleció finalmente por complicaciones infecciosas y otro precisó la extirpación de las manos después de que no prosperaran.

«Fundamentalmente, consideré que se trataba del mismo tipo de ejercicio quirúrgico que nuestros trasplantes de cara realizados con éxito anteriormente», dice Rodriguez. «No vi ninguna razón por la que no pudiéramos lograr este resultado para ayudar a mejorar la función y la calidad de vida de Joe.»

Al igual que en todas las operaciones de trasplante, los cirujanos intentaron completar el procedimiento lo antes posible para limitar el tiempo de isquemia o el tiempo durante el que el tejido donado no recibía suministro de sangre. La cirugía se orquestó con precisión para conectar los tejidos rápidamente y garantizar un resultado óptimo para el receptor y para los otros órganos vitales puestos a disposición por el donante.

Cómo superar la pandemia de COVID-19

Tan solo tres meses después de que DiMeo fuera incluido en la lista de donación de órganos de la Red Unificada de Donación de Órganos (UNOS) en octubre de 2019, se identificó el primer caso de coronavirus en Estados Unidos. En marzo, se interrumpieron las cirugías programadas en Nueva York. Los profesionales médicos de la ciudad de Nueva York, incluidos los miembros del equipo de trasplante de cara y manos de NYU Langone, fueron reasignados a trabajar en unidades de COVID-19 a medida que aumentaba el número de casos positivos.

A pesar de las necesidades adicionales durante este tiempo, el equipo quirúrgico principal siguió realizando de forma segura ensayos mensuales para garantizar una operación sin contratiempos cuando llegara el momento. DiMeo estuvo en la lista durante solo 10 meses antes de que se identificara a un donante; el tiempo total transcurrido desde que se produjeron los daños hasta el trasplante fue de 2 años.

Una aguja en un pajar

Debido a las múltiples transfusiones de sangre e injertos de piel vitales que DiMeo recibió después del accidente inicial, su sistema inmunitario estaba muy sensibilizado. Su panel reactivo de anticuerpos (PRA, por sus siglas en inglés), que revela el porcentaje de donantes que rechazaría el receptor, fue del 94 por ciento, lo que se traducía en que solo tenía un 6 por ciento de probabilidades de encontrar un donante compatible. Añadiendo otros factores, como la estructura ósea y un tono de piel adecuado, significaba que «encontrar el donante perfecto para Joe era como encontrar una aguja en un pajar», dice Rodriguez.

A nivel local, fue LiveOnNY, la organización de recuperación de órganos para el área metropolitana de Nueva York y miembro de UNOS, quien lideró los esfuerzos por encontrar un donante para DiMeo. Con el fin de aumentar el grupo de posibles donantes, NYU Langone amplió la búsqueda de donantes a las agencias de obtención de órganos en todo el país. La coincidencia exacta para DiMeo fue identificada finalmente por Gift of Life, el programa regional de donantes de órganos que presta servicios en el sur de Nueva Jersey, Pensilvania y Delaware. Luego de que Rodriguez viajara a Delaware para realizar una serie de evaluaciones, el cuerpo del donante fue trasladado a NYU Langone para la cirugía de trasplante.

«El Programa de Donantes Gift of Life se enorgullece de haber colaborado con un equipo tan distinguido de profesionales médicos en el primer trasplante de cara y bilateral de manos en la historia de los EE. UU. Felicitamos a nuestros colegas de NYU Langone Health por este hito médico pionero y estamos encantados de escuchar que el paciente está evolucionando tan bien», dice Richard D. Hasz, Jr., MFS, CPTC, vicepresidente de servicios clínicos, Programa de Donantes Gift of Life. «Este trasplante fue posible gracias a que una familia altruista dijo sí a esta donación única. La madre del donante sostiene que se siente orgullosa y reconfortada al saber que su hijo ha podido ayudar a otro joven, así como salvar y curar a otros a través de la donación de sus órganos y tejidos. Dice que su hijo será siempre su ángel. Gift of Life agradece la perdurable generosidad de la familia del donante y rinde homenaje al donante heroico. Fue un honor coordinar la donación en su nombre y aportar nuestro liderazgo nacional y experiencia en la obtención de órganos y la coordinación de estas donaciones excepcionales y complejas para ayudar a sanar y transformar la vida de un joven. Nuestros pensamientos están con la familia del donante y el receptor, para que encuentren la curación y esperanza que son posibles gracias a la donación».

En opinión de Helen Irving, presidenta y directora ejecutiva de LiveOnNY, «El Dr. Rodriguez y el equipo de trasplantes de NYU Langone siguen demostrando que la donación y el trasplante de órganos es un campo en constante expansión que continúa ayudando a las personas de maneras nuevas y emocionantes». «Es importante recordar que nada de esto sería posible sin la generosidad del donante del órgano, que decidió ofrecer el regalo de la vida. Este es un trabajo pionero que continuará salvando vidas a medida que más neoyorquinos se inscriban en el Registro Donate Life del Estado de Nueva York.»

Avances científicos y tecnológicos

En colaboración con Depuy Synthes y Materialise, gran parte de la planificación prequirúrgica y la propia cirugía se basaron en tecnología de vanguardia. El uso de la planificación quirúrgica computarizada 3D y de guías de corte específicas del paciente impresas en 3D garantizó la alineación perfecta de los huesos y que las placas y los tornillos implantables estuvieran en la mejor posición para fijar la cara y las manos injertadas a DiMeo. Las colaboraciones fueron una parte integral del éxito de la cirugía.

La cirugía de DiMeo fue la primera de este tipo que se realizó en el nuevo Pabellón Kimmel de NYU Langone, que fue inaugurado en junio de 2018. La tecnología de vanguardia y los quirófanos expansivos permitieron que seis equipos quirúrgicos altamente cualificados —uno para cada mano y otro para la cara tanto del donante como del receptor— operaran simultáneamente tanto en el quirófano del donante como en el del receptor.

«Practicamos la cirugía casi una docena de veces a lo largo de un año, y en los quirófanos teníamos equipos que garantizaban que todos siguieran los pasos exactamente para no saltarse un latido ni salirse de la secuencia. Al final, salió mejor de lo que esperaba», dice Rodriguez.

Los equipos siguieron un programa bien calibrado para trasplantar y reconstruir las manos y la cara del donante a DiMeo. Rodriguez y su equipo de 16 cirujanos (y un equipo de quirófano compuesto por otros 80 profesionales) realizaron el trasplante de:

ambas manos hasta la mitad del antebrazo, incluidos el radio y el cúbito, 3 nervios dominantes de la mano, 6 vasos que precisan conexiones vasculares y 21 tendones
la cara completa que incluye la frente, las cejas, ambas orejas, nariz, párpados, labios y segmentos subyacentes de cráneo, mejilla, nariz y barbilla

Desde entonces, Rodríguez le ha realizado a DiMeo varias intervenciones quirúrgicas de seguimiento menos extensas para optimizar sus resultados funcionales y estéticos.

Los avances en la monitorización del sistema inmunitario permitieron la coincidencia satisfactoria inicial, así como la ausencia de episodios de rechazo de DiMeo hasta la fecha. «Al igual que hicimos con nuestros receptores de trasplante de cara anteriores, utilizamos de nuevo nuestra pauta de inmunosupresión única para el trasplante de la cara y las manos de Joe», dice Bruce E. Gelb, MD, cirujano de trasplantes de NYU Langone. «Gracias a una estrecha vigilancia del sistema inmunitario, hemos podido evitar el rechazo precoz y adaptar con seguridad el tratamiento inmunodepresor de Joe específicamente para él.»

Además, Rodriguez colaboró con el centro avanzado de servicios de medios en 3-D de NYU, LaGuardia Studio, para crear sustituciones impresas en 3-D de la cara y las manos del donante con el fin de restaurar la integridad de la identidad del donante después de retirar los órganos. Tradicionalmente se había utilizado una alternativa de silicona moldeada pintada a mano. Hay pocas impresoras en el mundo iguales a la de LaGuardia, que imprime con 60.000 colores.

Un paciente decidido a recuperarse

Después de la cirugía, DiMeo pasó varias semanas en NYU Langone, primero en la unidad de cuidados intensivos y luego continuando su recuperación en la unidad de rehabilitación de Rusk para pacientes internados de NYU Langone. Fue dado de alta el 24 de noviembre para que permaneciera en un departamento cercano provisto por myFace, la organización asociada a NYU Langone que brinda a las personas con diferencias craneofaciales atención integral mediante el financiamiento de cuidados médicos, quirúrgicos y dentales, apoyo psicosocial, transporte y alojamiento. Desde allí, continuó con la rehabilitación ambulatoria, que incluía terapia física, ocupacional y del habla.

«Las necesidades de rehabilitación de Joe son mayores que las de cualquiera de nuestros pacientes anteriores de trasplante facial», dice Rodriguez. «Con el elemento adicional de la terapia manual, Joe ha realizado hasta cinco horas de rehabilitación por día, y constantemente hace esfuerzos para conseguir más. Está completamente enfocado en su objetivo de obtener una mayor independencia y libertad.»

Los protocolos de terapia manual de DiMeo fueron creados por fisioterapeutas y terapeutas ocupacionales en Rusk Rehabilitation de NYU Langone. «Debido a los injertos de piel que recibió después de su accidente inicial, Joe tenía necesidades muy específicas y diseñamos nuestro protocolo pensando en él», dice April D. O’Connell, OT/L, especialista clínico en rehabilitación de manos y extremidades superiores. «En definitiva, todo lo que hacemos con él persigue el objetivo de que vuelva a realizar las actividades cotidianas que disfrutaba antes, como comer y vestirse, levantar pesas y jugar al golf.»

DiMeo mantiene una actitud positiva y sigue centrado en recuperar los aspectos vitales que perdió tras su accidente de 2018. Está agradecido por lo que su donante y la familia de este han hecho por él durante un momento de gran dificultad también para ellos.

«Este es un regalo que se recibe una vez en la vida, y espero que la familia pueda tener algún consuelo sabiendo que parte del donante vive en mí», dice DiMeo. «Mis padres y yo estamos muy agradecidos de haber tenido esta segunda oportunidad. También estamos increíblemente agradecidos al Dr. Rodriguez y al equipo de terapeutas, enfermeros y cirujanos que me ayudaron a llegar donde estoy hoy.»

A aquellas personas que podrían estar sufriendo lesiones debilitantes similares, DiMeo les recomienda considerar el trasplante de cara o manos: «Si yo puedo hacerlo, tú también puedes».

Entrevistas y materiales multimedia disponibles

Se pueden solicitar entrevistas y materiales multimedia, como fotografías previas y posteriores, el paquete de B-Roll y un vídeo de visualización quirúrgica tridimensional.

Consultas de los medios:

Kate Malenczak
Teléfono: 646-754-7367
kate.malenczak@nyulangone.org

Joe DiMeo received a face and double hand transplant on August 12, 2020. This progress photo was taken almost six months after the historic operation.

Video – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0nAI5buVKM
Photo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1432085/Joe_DiMeo.jpg
Logo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/748773/NYU_Langone_Health_Logo.jpg

Urge Chinese to eat less meat to ‘change the world’? Stop passing the buck

BEIJING, Feb. 4, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — A news report by China.org.cn on meat consumption and environmental issues:

TIME magazine recently published an article titled «How China could change the…

BEIJING, Feb. 4, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — A news report by China.org.cn on meat consumption and environmental issues:

TIME magazine recently published an article titled «How China could change the world by taking meat off the menu.»

It gives an overview of the development of plant-based meat in China. Seemingly objective, the author linked China’s meat consumption with global environmental issues between the lines, implying that China should and can put its weight behind the plant-based meat industry and cut meat consumption.

However, the author deliberately ignores an important fact: per capita consumption of meat in China is well below levels seen in Europe and America.

In light of eating habits and spending power, people in China don’t eat meat every day or every single meal, compared with European and American countries where meat consumption has a larger place in culture and tradition. OECD data shows that in 2014, the three countries with the highest per capita meat consumption were Australia (90.3kg), the United States (90.1kg), and Argentina (86.6kg), while the average consumption in the EU countries is 64.9kg. In light of these figures, China’s per capita meat consumption of 49.8kg ranks behind many Western countries.

In recent years, some Western media have tended to play up China’s meat consumption. TIME’s article is nothing new. In 2016, the Washington Post reported on the updated set of dietary guidelines released by the Chinese government, but its focus was on how the new recommendations had the potential to reduce China’s meat consumption, or at least slow its growth, which in turn it said would help put a substantial dent in global greenhouse gas emissions. In 2018, the Atlantic published a piece with the headline «China’s love for meat is threatening its green movement,» while in 2019, an article from the Economist stated that «The planet needs China to curb its appetite for meat.»

These articles sensationalized beliefs around the ideas that «China’s meat consumption is high» and «China could change the world by eating less meat.» They maintained that China should take a large portion of responsibility for environmental issues and accused China of being the «biggest environmental destroyer,» trying to pass the buck on how their own practices affect the environment.

China has always advocated and taken action in trying to solve environmental problems in different ways. For example, China has promoted frugality nationwide and launched campaigns to curb food waste, which effectively reduces energy consumption, including those related to meat. China’s total installed capacity for renewable energy currently accounts for 30% of the entire world’s volume and the proof of its afforestation efforts and making the country greener are for all to see. In 2019, China’s carbon emission intensity dropped by 48.1% compared with 2005 and achieved its 2020 emission reduction targets ahead of schedule. After the United States withdrew from the Paris Agreement, China once again made a new emission reduction commitment. It can be said that China has tangible evidence of its contributions to addressing climate change.

Environmental issues should be taken seriously by all humanity, but paying more attention to the issue doesn’t mean asking any country to simply «eat less meat.» It’s better to unite and do one’s part, rather than shifting responsibility onto others. Saving the planet is not the responsibility of China alone. To change the world requires the joint efforts of the whole world.

China Mosaic
http://www.china.org.cn/video/node_7230027.htm

Urge Chinese to eat less meat to ‘change the world’? Stop passing the buck
http://www.china.org.cn/video/2021-02/04/content_77188656.htm

View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/urge-chinese-to-eat-less-meat-to-change-the-world-stop-passing-the-buck-301222087.html

SOURCE China.org.cn

Mosaic Surpasses $4 Billion in Loan Funding for Residential Solar and Home Improvement Financing

OAKLAND, Calif., Feb. 4, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Mosaic, the leading financing platform for U.S. residential solar and energy-efficient home improvement projects, today announced it has surpassed $4 billion in loans funded through the company’s platform. Mosaic continues to accelerate its position in…

The company has now added new features to its PowerSwitch ZERO solar financing offering — no payments for 18 months and a 25-year loan term.** The product also has the choice of a 12-month, zero-payment promotional period, and 10-, 15- or 20-year installment terms with no prepayment penalty.

«No payments for 18 months and a lower monthly payment will make it even easier for homeowners to convert to clean energy,» said Billy Parish, founder and CEO of Mosaic. «Mosaic was the first to create 20-year and 25-year solar loans, the first to create battery-only and solar roofing loan products. We were the first to offer a no-payment solar loan option, and this is the next generation of our ongoing innovation. We will continue to anticipate market needs and design new solutions for our partners that enable them to be agile and remain competitive.»

«Last year was an unusual time, but solar loans have proven to be a strong asset through this credit cycle, COVID and the economic challenges the market faced in 2020,» said Patrick Moore, president and COO of Mosaic. «We closed asset-backed securitizations of $222 million and $280 million in 2020, both of which were multiple times oversubscribed. We now have multiple years of historical data, and the financial markets recognize Mosaic’s consistent performance and disciplined approach to delivering long-term value. This has strengthened our relationship with capital markets and reduced our cost of capital, which allows Mosaic to pass along lower rates to homeowners.»

In addition to a strong 2020, Mosaic also added to its leadership team last month. Tamiko Kikuchi joins as Vice President of Product, and John King is the new Vice President and Head of Strategy and Corporate Development.

Kikuchi has more than 10 years of experience driving business and revenue growth through product strategy, process improvement and team leadership. Previously, she served as vice president of product and implementation at Renovate America, where she oversaw the company’s entire software product portfolio and company-wide product management organization.

King held leadership roles in the areas of finance and investment banking for more than 15 years before joining the solar industry. Most recently, he co-led capital markets as Senior Vice President at LoanPal. Prior to that, he oversaw capital markets and Treasury at Sunnova.

«We’re excited to start a new year with the industry’s most flexible finance offerings, new products for our partners and their customers and key additions to our leadership team,» said Parish. «We expect more families to invest in energy-efficient upgrades for their homes in 2021, and Mosaic will continue to lead the market in making that possible.»

About Mosaic
Mosaic makes financing solar, solar plus energy storage systems and other home improvements accessible and affordable for homeowners by providing the simplest borrower experience in the industry. Customers are referred by approved solar installers and home improvement contractors and can qualify instantly for no money down loans with fixed interest rates and multiple term options. For our network of hundreds of solar installers and home improvement contractors, Mosaic provides a streamlined financing platform to drive sales growth. Since 2012, Mosaic has helped more than 125,000 households go solar with its financing products. For more information, visit: www.joinmosaic.com.

All PowerSwitch Zero Loans and Home Improvement Loans through the Mosaic platform are made by WebBank, Member FDIC, Equal Housing Lender.

* No payments for 12 or 18 months – interest will be charged from the start of loan if the principal balance is not paid in full within the deferred interest period.

** 25 YEAR POWERSWITCH ZERO LOAN REPAYMENT EXAMPLE:
— A 25 year, fixed-rate, $30,000 PowerSwitch ZERO loan with a 2.99% APR and an 18-month promotional period, would have 300 monthly payments of $148.50, starting after the end of the promotional period.
— Annual Percentage Rate (APR) in the example includes a 0.25% interest rate reduction for borrowers who sign up for automatic payments. Interest Rate and monthly payments will increase if borrower changes payment method.

View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/mosaic-surpasses-4-billion-in-loan-funding-for-residential-solar-and-home-improvement-financing-301221853.html

SOURCE Mosaic

Masy BioServices Expands Green Initiative With Completion of Solar Project

PEPPERELL, Mass., Feb. 4, 2021 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — Masy BioServices has expanded their green initiative for environmental sustainability by completing a 2-year solar array project, installing 585 kW carports at their headquarters in Pepperell, MA. Due to the expansion of their biorepository, metrology lab, and renovation of its headquarters, Masy sought a solar solution to reduce its carbon footprint and electricity usage. The solar carport design and size provides…

«Our customers are signatories to the UN’s Sustainability Pact,» said Laurie Masiello, President, Masy BioServices. «They encourage us to do our part to improve the environment. We take this responsibility seriously and have incorporated several green initiatives on our campus.»

Along with the solar array carports at their headquarters, 27 Lomar Park in Pepperell, MA, Masy has installed energy-efficient lighting and insulation in all of its buildings; and invested in energy-efficient chambers for its biorepository storage facility. The unique, compact and energy-efficient biorepository walk-in chambers offer -75˚C ultra-low freezer space, -40˚C/-20˚C freezer space, and 5˚C refrigerator space. These energy-efficient chambers can hold as much product as would typically be held in 2,125 reach-in chambers. The non-traditional engineering design of the walk-in chambers maximizes Masy’s green initiative and creates a lower carbon footprint while providing the pharmaceutical product storage space its life science, biopharma, and medical device customers require.

Masy BioServices has provided quality solutions to the life sciences community for over 35 years through an array of services, including calibration of primary standards and critical test equipment; validation and IQ/OQ/PQ of environmental chambers, autoclaves, and thermal warehouse mapping; and lab equipment rentals and sales. Masy has a premier cGMP biorepository, offering secure and tightly controlled temperature storage from -196˚C to 70˚C, including all ICH stability conditions, for various materials including vaccines, biopharmaceuticals, cell banks, tissues, compounds, and medical devices.

Press Contact:
Kristine LeBlanc
Senior Marketing Manager
Masy BioServices
Kristine.LeBlanc@masy.com
978-433-6279 x 1458

Media Contact

Kristine LeBlanc, Masy BioServices, +1 9784336279 Ext: 1458, kristine.leblanc@masy.com

Twitter, Facebook

SOURCE Masy BioServices

Vince Camuto «Illuminare Intensa»

NEW YORK, Feb. 4, 2021 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — Renowned lifestyle brand, Vince Camuto and leading global beauty company Parlux LTD, debut the brand’s latest fragrance, Illuminare Intensa. The fragrance conveys effortless elegance and bold beauty that radiates within all…

The face of the brand, Jasmine Sanders, (a.k.a Golden Barbie), returns for this striking ad campaign shot by acclaimed photographer James Macari. An influencer and industry ‘It’ girl, Jasmine perfectly embodies the essence and powerful femininity of the Illuminare Intensa woman.

Illuminare Intensa’s rich floral composition conveys confidence and sensuality that takes the fragrance to a new level. An assortment of spices and midnight orchid blend with warm pink pepper and juicy damson plum notes, creating an unexpected yet undeniably captivating aura around its wearer. Sensually radiant, this aroma features a heart full of petals bursting with a bold long-lasting scent, which is richly feminine and deliciously intense.

Givaudan Perfumer Christine Hassan states, «I wanted to create a rich, more intense version of the original scent, which was inspired by the beauty and resiliency of plum blossoms. This unique blend of notes is symbolic of a woman’s inner strength and ability to take on everyday challenges with radiance, confidence and passion.»

Fragrance Notes:

Top – lemon, damson plum accord, pink pepper
Heart – orris, midnight orchid
Dry –sandalwood, amber, vanilla

Taking cues from the original illuminare silhouette and inspired by the glassworks of Murano, Italy, the bottle encapsulates the feminine curves and nuances of a woman. An asymmetrical organic shape is featured within the outer molded glass structure and the gold metalized cap sparks bright elegance against the deep plum hues. The carton compliments the bottle with organic waves of plum tones and a gold foil logo.

Illuminare Intensa is available in select retailers, Macy’s.com and VinceCamuto.com. The 100 mL Eau de Parfum is priced at $98 USD.

ABOUT VINCE CAMUTO
Vince Camuto is an aspirational lifestyle brand known for its signature craftsmanship and stand-out style. Sexy, bold and youthful, the acclaimed designer brand blends European styling with on-trend details and an element of sophistication. The brand has successfully transcended its distinctive women’s collections and today offers a broad range of products including footwear, apparel and accessories for women, men and children, as well as fragrance and home decor. The brand can be found in department stores and specialty retailers across North America and select international regions, as well as, online and on vincecamuto.com.

Follow Vince Camuto on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

ABOUT PARLUX FRAGRANCES, LTD.
Parlux LTD, a leading global beauty company, designs, manufactures, markets and distributes prestige fragrances and related products since 1987. It is ranked among the Top 100 Cosmetic and Fragrance companies globally and holds the licenses for notable fragrance brands including: Tommy Bahama, Vince Camuto, Pierre Cardin, Kenneth Cole, Paris Hilton, Sofia Vergara, and Jason Wu, among others. Parlux LTD is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Perfumania Holdings Inc., an independent national, vertically integrated wholesale distributor and specialty retailer of fragrances and related products.

SOURCE Parlux Fragrances, Inc.

SemaConnect Accelerates Expansion With Hiring of New Vice President of Human Resources Jeannie Plew

BOWIE, Md., Feb. 4, 2021 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — SemaConnect, a leading provider of electric vehicle charging amenities to the North American commercial, multifamily, and fleet market announces its new Vice President of Human Resources, Jeannie Plew. Prior to SemaConnect, Ms. Plew was the Vice President of Human Resources at DrFirst, a healthcare technology company based in Rockville, Maryland. Ms. Plew will lead recruiting and employee…

Founded in 2008, SemaConnect is a leading EV charging equipment and network provider to some of the most well-known commercial real estate and commercial fueling firms such as CBRE, Gilbarco Veeder-Root, and Electrify America. Smart technology solutions include the Series 5 Personal EV Charging Station, Series 6 Shared/Commercial EV Charging Station, and the Series 7 Fleet EV Charging Station. Ms. Plew will lead recruiting as SemaConnect expands growth and innovation in all teams this year.

«We’re excited to welcome Jeannie Plew to the SemaConnect team,» said Mahi Reddy, Founder and CEO at SemaConnect. «2021 will be a year of growth in the EV market, and we’re working hard to expand our product line, technical capabilities, sales, and client services. Jeannie’s extensive experience will help SemaConnect reach the next level of growth.»

For more information on careers at SemaConnect, visit https://semaconnect.com/company/careers/.

About SemaConnect:
SemaConnect is a leading provider of electric vehicle charging infrastructure solutions to the North American commercial, residential and fleet market. A complete EV support partner, SemaConnect delivers a truly modern property experience through innovative, elegantly designed charging stations and a robust and open network platform. The company has helped maximize property value and appeal through thousands of successful charging station deployments at Class A properties since its founding in 2008, for companies like CBRE, JLL, Hines, Greystar, Cisco Systems and Standard Parking. SemaConnect remains the preferred charging solutions partner to municipal, parking, multifamily, hotel, office and retail customers across the United States and Canada. For more information, visit http://www.semaconnect.com.

Media Contact

Jesus Ferro, SemaConnect, Inc., +1 301-352-3730 Ext: 225, jesus.ferro@semaconnect.com

Bethany Villarreal, SemaConnect Inc, 301-352-3730 209, bethany.villarreal@semaconnect.com

Twitter, Facebook

SOURCE SemaConnect, Inc.

Vince Camuto «Illuminare Intensa»

Fragrance Notes:

Top – lemon, damson plum accord, pink pepper
Heart – orris, midnight orchid
Dry –sandalwood, amber, vanilla

Illuminare Intensa is available in select retailers, Macy’s.com and VinceCamuto.com. The 100 mL Eau de Parfum is priced at $98 USD.

Follow Vince Camuto on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

SOURCE Parlux Fragrances, Inc.

OnlineGambling.com Calculates 4.2 Billion Gallons of Water Needed to Produce the Avocados Consumed During the Big Game on Sunday

SWATAR, Malta, Feb. 4, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — With stadiums closed, fans are forced to celebrate the biggest football game of the year from the comfort of their home. Not only is it the biggest sport event in America; it also breaks records for another reason – avocado consumption! Ahead of event day, every 6 minutes a truck of avocados leaves Mexico bound for the USA. <a target="_blank"…

Avocados: The «Green Gold» Market

A staggering 70 million avocados will be eaten on gameday, accounting for 7% of the annual avocado consumption.

The Transparency Market Research has predicted that the global avocado market will be valued at $21.5 bn by 2026, increasing by 5.9% each year. On Instagram, hashtags of «avocado toast» and «guacamole» have been used 1.7 million and 2.5 million times! Reports of ‘Avocado Hand‘ have steadily risen over time, spiking every year on gameday!

Growing Avocados and Water for Gameday:

An avocado requires 60 gallons of water (272 litres) to produce. This means that on gameday a monumental 4.2 billion gallons (19.04 billion litres) of water is needed to grow the avocados consumed.

How this compares to everyday activities

Showers: 4.2 billion gallons of water is equivalent to a shower lasting 3620 years
Laundry: 70 million avocados use the same water as 1 billion loads
Coffee: equivalent to 152 billion cups of coffee, that is a daily coffee for every American for a year!

Furthermore, 4.2 billion gallons is enough water to fill 698 sea-worlds or 7,616 Olympic swimming pools.

Impact to Environment and Society

The environmental impact of the »green gold» is well documented. With 95% of avocados consumed in USA produced in Mexico, especially the Michoacán state where intensive production has caused environmental impact as «water is exported within the fruit and is lost to the local ecosystem where the fruit was grown.«

The Sustainable Food Trust also warns »with global temperatures rising and water becoming scarce, this has serious impacts on local communities who do not have access to drinking water.»

About OnlineGambling.com:

OnlineGambling.com is a leading resource for everything bettors, sports fans and gamblers want to know about the world of casinos, sports betting and poker.

Find out more:
https://www.onlinegambling.com/super-bowl-avocado-water/

https://www.onlinegambling.com/

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SOURCE OnlineGambling.com

ConnectEO Network Launches Out of Beta to Enable Exclusive Collaboration Opportunities for Entrepreneurs

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 4, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — ConnectEO Network, a vetted digital community that connects entrepreneurs to opportunities, today announced its official launch out of beta. Leveraging unique algorithms, ConnectEO Network curates matches between entrepreneurs specifically tailored to each user’s business needs in an effort to support their business and increase longevity. The platform creates sustainable businesses by providing a space for entrepreneurs to collaborate with like-minded creators to expand their businesses, obtain business resources and build meaningful, revenue-generating relationships. The company aims to create and maintain a community which will promote shared business growth, longevity and increase access to opportunity.

«After years of exploration, conversations, and research, I decided to create ConnectEO Network as a tool to democratize access to business resources in an effort to create ownership and close the wealth gap,» said Erin Person, Founder of ConnectEO Network. «Through strategic collaboration and community, we’re working to enable 1 million entrepreneurs of color to build sustained businesses by 2023. We’re incredibly proud to create connections and provide critical resources for entrepreneurs to succeed and collectively shape the future, especially in today’s business climate.»

An entrepreneur’s network plays a direct role in the success of their startup and robust connections are not always accessible as they are often based on socioeconomic class, race, gender, and education. ConnectEO Network was launched to remove these barriers and create connections that would not otherwise exist. By allowing users to make revenue-building connections based on business similarities and needs, entrepreneurs of all stages have the opportunity to scale alongside fellow like-minded entrepreneurs to build more sustained businesses. In addition to providing a space for entrepreneurs to access new opportunities, ConnectEO Network also offers exclusive content, business training and education, along with community networking events and workshops.

«ConnectEO has been a pivotal and resourceful tool to increase my business reach. The user-friendly platform allows me to easily connect with goal-oriented individuals to provide and attain professional business services. I’ve made great connections including a professional, finance expert that I am excited to be working with in 2021,» said Vineetha Kommaredi, Founder of Viktor Kilo. «I’m excited to utilize ConnectEO as a professional tool that streamlines the networking and business leads processes.»

ConnectEO Network serves entrepreneurs in various stages of their business who have a desire to learn from and help each other to reach business success. Users have the option to choose between various tiers of access to the site which includes different features catered to their business needs at any given moment. The ConnectEO Network community is full of collaborative entrepreneurs who are dedicated to making a bigger and better impact together.

For more information on ConnectEO, or to join the network please visit, www.connecteonetwork.com.

About ConnectEO Network
ConnectEO Network is a digital platform that helps entrepreneurs of all backgrounds collaborate to build strategic partnerships, promote their services, and locate essential resources to collectively grow their businesses. ConnectEO is the only entrepreneur-focused application whose algorithm uniquely matches entrepreneurs with each other based on their specific business needs, in an effort to provide a sense of community. The company is on a mission to help close the racial wealth gap by enabling one million entrepreneurs of color to build sustained businesses by 2023.

Media Contact
N6A for ConnectEO Network
connecteo@n6a.com

View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/connecteo-network-launches-out-of-beta-to-enable-exclusive-collaboration-opportunities-for-entrepreneurs-301221674.html

SOURCE ConnectEO Network

Blackbaud Forms Steering Committee to Advance ESG Practices

CHARLESTON, S.C., Feb. 4, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Blackbaud (NASDAQ: BLKB), the world’s leading cloud software company powering social good, today announced it has expanded its environmental, social and governance (ESG) program to further its commitment of building a better world. For nearly four decades, Blackbaud has driven impact…

Building on its mission of helping good take over, Blackbaud has:

Formalized executive sponsorship of its ESG program with CEO Mike Gianoni, including future oversight from the board of directors
Launched an employee-led ESG steering committee consisting of cross-functional company leaders representing:

Environmental: Resource Use, Emissions and Innovation
Social: Workforce, Community Impact, Product Responsibility, Data Privacy and Cybersecurity
Governance: Management, Shareholders and Corporate Responsibility Strategy

Created an ESG Program Manager role to take on the responsibility of ESG measurement and reporting
Committed to reporting in alignment with recommended SASB standards for the software and IT services industry and further aligning with other global ESG reporting frameworks as they evolve

«Our company exists to provide purpose-built solutions that help the social good industry build a better world,» said Mike Gianoni, president and CEO, Blackbaud. «For years, we’ve been a proud partner in purpose, creating lasting value for our customers, employees and communities. The challenges of the past year have proven that social good and corporate responsibility are more important than ever. Now, we’ve made an even bigger commitment to our ESG program, which is a natural extension of the values that have always been in our DNA.»

Blackbaud is committed to governing its business ethically, being a caring employer, contributing to causes and communities through corporate philanthropy and pursuing sustainability. The company’s longstanding history of driving social impact is demonstrated by the fact that:

Social good organizations that use Blackbaud technology raise, invest, manage and award more than $100 billion each year.
One out of three Fortune 500 companies relies on Blackbaud to power its employee giving and volunteering programs, which includes more than eight million employees and over $800 million transacted through Blackbaud.
Blackbaud employees are highly involved—25% serve on nonprofit boards and 92% volunteer, logging over 100,000 hours annually in community support and also qualifying for time off through Blackbaud’s Volunteer for Vacation program.
Blackbaud opened a new world headquarters in June 2018 that has achieved Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold status from the U.S. Green Building Council. In 2020, with the rollout of a new, flexible workplace strategy, the company right-sized its real estate portfolio, leading to approximately 50% workspace footprint reduction globally.
The company continues to prioritize diversity and inclusion in the workplace, supporting employee-led business affinity groups, including veterans, LGBTQ+, women in technology, women in sales, African American employees, remote employees and employees interested in sustainability.
Blackbaud is proud to have appointed its first Diversity and Inclusion Officer and established a Global Diversity and Inclusion Council over the past year.

In April, Blackbaud will release its third annual Social Responsibility Report, which will provide more details on the company’s ESG efforts and disclosures. More information on Blackbaud’s Corporate Social Responsibility program can be found here.

About Blackbaud
Blackbaud (NASDAQ: BLKB) is the world’s leading cloud software company powering social good. Serving the entire social good community—nonprofits, higher education institutions, K–12 schools, healthcare organizations, faith communities, arts and cultural organizations, foundations, companies and individual change agents—Blackbaud connects and empowers organizations to increase their impact through cloud software, services, expertise and data intelligence. The Blackbaud portfolio is tailored to the unique needs of vertical markets, with solutions for fundraising and CRM, marketing, advocacy, peer-to-peer fundraising, corporate social responsibility, school management, ticketing, grantmaking, financial management, payment processing and analytics. Serving the industry for more than three decades, Blackbaud is headquartered in Charleston, South Carolina, and has operations in the United States, Australia, Canada, Costa Rica and the United Kingdom. For more information, visit www.blackbaud.com or follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.

Media Inquiries
media@blackbaud.com

Investor Inquiries
IR@blackbaud.com

Forward-looking Statements
Except for historical information, all of the statements, expectations, and assumptions contained in this news release are forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties, including statements regarding expected benefits of products and product features. Although Blackbaud attempts to be accurate in making these forward-looking statements, it is possible that future circumstances might differ from the assumptions on which such statements are based. In addition, other important factors that could cause results to differ materially include the following: general economic risks; uncertainty regarding increased business and renewals from existing customers; continued success in sales growth; management of integration of acquired companies and other risks associated with acquisitions; risks associated with successful implementation of multiple integrated software products; the ability to attract and retain key personnel; risks associated with management of growth; lengthy sales and implementation cycles, particularly in larger organization; technological changes that make our products and services less competitive; and the other risk factors set forth from time to time in the SEC filings for Blackbaud, copies of which are available free of charge at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov or upon request from Blackbaud’s investor relations department. All Blackbaud product names appearing herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of Blackbaud, Inc.

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SOURCE Blackbaud, Inc.