Day: May 25, 2021

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Comparison of Advanced Aesthetic Technologies, Inc.’s 2.5% Agarose Gel with Hyaluronic Acid Filler for the Correction of Moderate to Severe Nasolabial Folds Reveals Equivalent Results

Results of Split-Face Study to Determine the Efficacy and Safety of 2.5% Agarose Gel Filler for the Correction of Nasolabial Folds Published in Peer Reviewed Journal

BROOKLINE, Mass., May 25, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Advanced Aesthetic Technologies, Inc. (AAT), a leader in aesthetic gel implant technology, is proud to announce that Algeness® VL (2.5% Agarose Gel) demonstrated equivalent efficacy, safety, and usability compared to those of NASHA-L based on a split-face study published in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology.

Algeness®

“Agarose gel filler is a naturally occurring polymer gel with a three-dimensional structure similar to the extracellular matrix, which achieves its duration without the need for crosslinking. Our objective with this study of 66 patients was to determine the efficacy and safety of 2.5% agarose gel filler for the correction of nasolabial folds as compared with NASHA-L. Our assessments included assessment of the nasolabial fold (NLF), Wrinkle Severity Rating Scale (WSRS), Global Aesthetic Improvement Scale (GAIS [blinded investigator]), as well as subject satisfaction, adverse events, and usability,” according to lead investigator Nicolò Scuderi MD of the Department of General and Plastic Surgery at the University of La Sapienza, Rome, Italy.

Among the 66 participants in the study, 46 individuals or 66.7% were available for evaluation at 3 months, when mean change in WSRS was identical for both products (−1.1 ± 0.4 for 2.5% agarose; −1.1 ± 0.4 for NASHA-L). Scores for each product remained similar across all time points and began to return to baseline between 7 and 8 months. GAIS score followed a similar pattern, rising between months 7 and 8 (2.7 ± 0.6 for 2.5% agarose at month 7 and 3.3 ± 0.5 at month 8, vs.  2.7 ± 0.6 for NASHA-L at month 7-3.3 ± 0.5 at month 8). The longevity of both fillers was confirmed by Ultrasound. All adverse events were transient in nature and resolved within 15 days, most events were mild in nature, and the number and severity of events was similar between the two fillers. According to Dr. Scuderi, “We continue to be impressed with the clinical outcomes of the novel Algeness® range of dermal fillers. This is the first 100% natural, biocompatible and biodegradable filler on the market to date, which differentiates it from other injectable products.”

U.S. based investigator Brian Kinney, MD, FACS, Division of Plastic Surgery, University of Southern California, Keck School of Medicine, in Beverly Hills, CA, adds, “These results add to the growing body of evidence that confirms that Algeness® (2.5% agarose gel filler) has a high safety profile and is well tolerated by patients. We concluded that this unique dermal filler compound had a longevity which was equivalent to one of the most widely used fillers, NASHA-L a hyaluronic acid.”

Doug Abel, CEO of AAT commented, “We are very pleased with the outcome of this important study which demonstrate that in this initial clinical study, the results with 2.5% agarose gel are equivalent to those of NASHA-L. This is another significant milestone demonstrating the efficacy and performance of our proprietary Algeness® technology. This notable recognition from three internationally respected plastic surgeons reconfirms the durability of the Algeness® technology and secures its place as a differentiator in the global dermal filler market.  We have begun the process to pursue both US FDA approval for Algeness® and, through our strategic Partner, registration in China.”

Algeness® is a patented family of fully resorbable injectable gel implant dermal fillers that are 100% natural, providing advantages in terms of safety, skin rejuvenation, and natural looking results both at rest and during facial movement. Typical clinical advantages include minimal swelling upon injection and immediately visible results. Algeness® holds a CE Mark and is currently distributed in over 30 countries worldwide.

About Advanced Aesthetic Technologies, Inc.

AAT is a fast growing, global corporation developing new technologies for aesthetic medicine. Our lead products, the Algeness® family of injectable implants, are the culmination of more than 10 years of scientific and clinical research and were developed with the goal of providing aesthetic injectors advances in the ability to achieve deep structural support, clean definition, and exceptional clinical outcomes where the result at the time of treatment is the final outcome. Algeness® is a 100% natural and biodegradable filler based on purified agarose with a differentiated clinical and safety performance profile. AAT continuously invests in research and product development to expand the scientific knowledge on Algeness® and agarose as well as in pursuit of new and innovative technologies to enhance aesthetic medicine and expand our portfolio. Algeness® is CE Marked, has multiple additional country level registrations, and is currently available in over 30 countries. AAT is in the process of pursuing registration in the US through the FDA and also in China through the partnership with Lanzhou Biotechnique Development Co., LTD (Lanzhou) and their parent company China National Biotec Group Co., LTD (CNBG). http://www.algeness.com

References

Scuderi N, Fanelli B, Fino P, Kinney BM. Comparison of 2.5% agarose gel vs hyaluronic acid filler, for the correction of moderate to severe nasolabial folds. J Cosmet Dermatol. 2021;00:1– 8. https://doi.org/10.1111/jocd.13962

Contact: filler@algeness.com

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Sudan supports efforts to stabilise Lake Chad Basin countries

May 25, 2021 (KHARTOUM) – A member of the Transitional Sovereign Council Ibrahim Jaber, affirmed Sudan’s keenness and support for efforts to enhance security and stability in the Lake Chad Basin countries.

Jabir made his remarks at the extraordinary summit of Heads of State and Government of Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC) in Abuja, the capital of Nigeria on Tuesday.

Jabir expressed Sudan’s interest in implementing the outcome of the summit, pointing it is the only way to achieve peace in the region.

The meeting security threats in Sahel and Lake Chad region, and the situation in Chad.

While the attacks of the Boko Haram militants have been largely contained, the jihadist groups with links to al Qaeda and Islamic State continue to be a source of grave threat to the stability in Mali and Niger.

Ambassador Khaled Farah, Director of the African Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the meeting agreed to tighten coordination between the security and military agencies to address the current challenges in Lake Chad countries.

Besides the host President Muhammadu Buhari, the summit was attended by Presidents of Niger, the Central African Republic and Mahamat Idriss Deby President of the Transitional Military Council of the Republic of Chad.

Sudan, Libya and Cameroon leaders were represented by senior members of their governments.

Also, the meeting was attended by representatives from the African Union, France, the U.S. and the UK.

 

Source: Sudan Tribune

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Sudan’s investigation committee seeks credible evidence

May 25, 2021 (KHARTOUM) – The head of the investigation committee into a bloody attack by on pro-democracy sit-in said they are still seeking irrefutable evidence that enables them to indict those responsible for organising the killing of peaceful protesters.

On September 21, 2019, Sudanese Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok established a committee to investigate the killing of over 200 peaceful protesters by the security forces on 3 June 2021. Also, he appointed Nabil Adeeb as the head of the investigation team. The independent lawyer is known for his integrity and support for democracy in Sudan during the 30 years of the repressive Islamist regime.

The committee was tasked with identifying the responsible for the violence against the sit-inners implemented by a joint force from the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and members of the former National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS). It had a 3-month-period to submit its findings.

The slow pace of the investigation led the Families of the Martyrs, an organisation gathering the relatives of the victims, to organise a big rally in Khartoum on 11 May requesting the trial of the responsible for the attack.

At the end of the rally, they read a statement accusing the Deputy Head of the Sovereign Council and RSF Commander Mohamed Hamdan Dalgo Hemetti of the attack.

Following the killing of two protesters by the security forces on 11 May, Hamdok announced that he would summon Adeeb to discuss the investigation and determine a time limit for his committee to file its findings. The meeting took place on 22 May.

Reached by the Sudan Tribune on Tuesday, the lawyer confessed that the dispersal of the sit-in is a “complex crime” that had been prepared and implemented from behind the scenes.

“There are video clips showing members of the security forces opening fire (on the sit-inners) but the videos do not show who directed the operation and who was supposed to prevent (the killing). We have some parts of evidence and we search for the missing piece of the (puzzle),” he said

Adeeb confirmed that the Committee investigated all the members of the dissolved Transitional Military Council (TMC).

However, “there are people who we believe have information of interest to the committee. They will be investigated next week. They are civilians and militaries,” he added.

The dissolved TMC included the head of the Sovereign Council, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, Hemetti, and two other members of the Sovereign Council, Yasir Alatta and Chems al-Din Khabbashi.

Adeeb stressed that the commission has evidence that “can be presented to the court, but if it is not supported then there is a risk that the prosecution case will not be proven properly.”

“We are in the stage of consolidating this evidence. I am not sure that this evidence is sufficient. It must be supported,” he emphasized.

Activists accuse Hemetti’s brother Abdel Rahim Daglo of directing the attack together with some Islamists officers who had been placed in the RSF command by the former regime.

Meeting with Hamdok

Speaking about his meeting with Hamdok, Adeeb said they discussed how to overcome the difficulties his committee is facing, the most important of which is the technical assistance.

He said the committee needs some technical support to verify the authenticity of the videos most of it posted by activities on social media. He needs the government to bring him a foreign firm or experts to verify these documents.

“If the needed “technical” support is provided, a date could be determined for the end of the committee’s work,” Nabil said.

Adeeb further said that the government did not provide adequate protection and assistance to the committee. Also, he described its premises as “unsuitable.”

The 5-member investigation body has only 3 employees provided by the government.

On his statement of 11 May, the prime minister said he would urge the investigation committee to expedite its work and determine a date for its report on the bloody attack.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the families of the martyrs reiterated the accusation for the military council saying they bear the responsibility for all the attacks on pro-democracy protesters committed since the 11th April 2019.

“Our accusation against Mohamed Hamdan (Hemetti), his brother Abdul Rahim, and the Rapid Support militia has been based on evidence, and eyewitnesses,” reads the statement.

 

Source: Sudan Tribune

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Hilu meets Hamdok ahead of the launch of peace talks in Juba

May 25, 2021 (JUBA) – The Sudanese Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok on Tuesday met in Juba with the SPLM-N led by Abdel Aziz al-Hilu 24 hours ahead of the opening session of the peace talks to end the conflict in South Kordofan and Blue Nile states.

Hamdok who is also the head of the regional body IGAD that mediated the revitalized peace agreement arrived in Juba in the morning as he had to participate in the launch of the workshop on the Permanent Constitution-Making Process in South Sudan.

The cabinet said that al-Hilu paid a courtesy visit to Handok in his hotel in Juba.

“During the meeting, the two sides stressed the importance of the current round of peace negotiations that will start on Wednesday, and the need to engage in the talks with a strong determination to real will to achieve peace,” said the cabinet in a statement on Tuesday.

The opening session would be attended by President Salva Kiir, head of the Sovereign Council Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, Hamdok, US Special Envoy for Sudan Donald Booth and the Head of the United Nations Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS) Volker Perthes.

The Rapporteur of the Mediation Team Dhieu Matok said the round will last for two weeks.

Matok further said the government negotiating team led by Chems al-Din Kabbashi arrived in Juba in the afternoon.

For his part, the Sudanese cabinet affairs minister reiterated his government determination to achieve peace and silence guns in line with “the promise of the glorious December Revolution.”

He said a new structure of the government negotiating team will be announced ahead of the talks without further details.

Last March, al-Burhan and al-Hilu signed a declaration of principles proving to separate between the state and religion in response to the SPLM-N demand to discuss to include the matter in the peace talks.

 

Source: Sudan Tribune

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Blue California Opens New Possibilities in Functional Food and Beverages Following Dihydroquercetin (DHQ) GRAS Status

Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif., May 25, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Blue California’s Taxifolin BC-DHQ® with super antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties is now Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) in a range of foods and beverages following a letter of no objection from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Naturally found in a variety of fruits and vegetables, Dihydroquercetin (DHQ), also known as taxifolin, is a flavonoid commonly found in apples, olive oil and red onions. As a flavonoid, taxifolin possesses powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that may support immune health.

“This GRAS status is good news for consumers and brands alike, because it opens new doors for brands to create products that will excite health-conscious consumers,” said Dr. Linda May-Zhang, research, science and innovation officer at Blue California. “DHQ is a powerful antioxidant that has a greater antioxidant capacity when compared to vitamin C, and it is ideal in a variety of on-trend food applications, including beverages, yogurt and chocolate products.”

Health-conscious consumers are actively exploring new functional food and beverages for supporting immune health and wellness. Immune health will remain a top priority for consumers as 64% of global consumers are looking to improve their immunity over the next 12 months, reported by FMCG Gurus, Top Ten Trends for 2021, Dec. 2020.

DHQ seeks and neutralizes free radicals in the body, and its unique molecular structure makes it especially effective at preventing cellular damage. It can also play an important role in skin health since it protects cells and stimulates collagen and elastin production in the skin.

“Taxifolin BC-DHQ has much to offer as a powerful antioxidant in food and beverages as it provides improved color stability for beverages, extends shelf life, and enhances flavor,” said May-Zhang. “Not only is DHQ regarded as a promising ingredient to immune health, it may also be used in cosmetic applications for anti-aging and UV-protection.”

Blue California offers food and beverage manufacturers its high purity Taxifolin BC-DHQ made by a sustainable process. Innovation partner Conagen developed a clean, reliable, and scalable DHQ using its proprietary bioconversion process, resulting in a sustainable production method.

“Conagen is unlocking novel compounds from nature which are more sustainable and offer better options for ingredient applications, said Dr. Casey Lippmeier, vice president of innovation at Conagen. “Our ability to rapidly scale-up and commercialize this and other novel ingredient solutions demonstrates our strength as a strategic service partner.”

Taxifolin BC-DHQ,® is a registered trademark of Blue California, Inc.

About Blue California

Blue California is an entrepreneurial, science-based solutions provider and manufacturer of clean, natural, and sustainable ingredients used in food, beverage, flavor, fragrance, dietary supplements, personal care and cosmetic products. For more than 25 years, Blue California has built a strong reputation for creating value in these diverse natural product and nature-inspired industries.

About Conagen

Conagen is making the impossible possible. Our scientists and engineers use the latest synthetic biology tools to develop sustainable, nature-based molecules bio-manufactured into the highest quality products available. We focus on the bioproduction of high-value ingredients for food, nutrition, flavors and fragrances, pharmaceutical, and renewable materials industries. For more information, visit www.conagen.com

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Ana Arakelian
Blue California ingredients
+1-949-635-1991
ana@bluecal-ingredients.com
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Yuan Longping: Committed to benevolence and humanity’s well-being

BEIJING, May 25, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — A news report by China.org.cn on Yuan Longping:

On May 22, Yuan Longping, the renowned Chinese scientist who helped lift countless people out of hunger, passed away, setting off an outpouring of grief among the Chinese public. His passing was reported by numerous foreign media outlets.

Dubbed the “father of hybrid rice,” Yuan Longping cultivated the world’s first high-yielding hybrid rice strain in 1973. Ever since, the yield of hybrid rice has continued to set new world records, from 300 kg to 500 kg and then 700 kg per mu (about 0.07 hectares). Now, the per-mu yield of the super hybrid rice Chaoyou 1000 developed by Yuan’s team has exceeded 1,000 kg. Before Yuan, the world’s scientific community believed that rice could not be crossbred.

This ordinary but great man not only helped China, a country with a population of 1.4 billion, solve the problem of achieving food self-sufficiency, but also made important contributions to global food security.

At present, the hybrid rice developed by Yuan’s team has been introduced for wide application and trial planting in dozens of countries and regions around the world. In Madagascar, the yields from hybrid rice were up to 300% higher than those of native varieties. In Indonesia, they produced more than double that of local strains. In 2018, trials for growing rice in the deserts of Dubai were, for the first time in history, successfully carried out by Yuan’s team.

In many people’s eyes, he was a scientist who relentlessly pursued his dreams despite loneliness and hardship. Hybrid breeding experiments are no easy tasks. In the early days of his research, Yuan personally examined more than 14,000 rice ears before he found six natural male sterile plants. At the age of 90, he was still out conducting research, visiting the fields almost every day to observe the growth of hybrid rice.

Yuan was also a benevolent gentleman with an unwavering commitment to the well-being of humanity. Though born into a well-educated family, he witnessed starvation when he was young, which made him determined to devote himself to agricultural research. He spent more than 10 years helping African countries grow hybrid rice and worked tirelessly to tap the yield potential of rice for decades. During the last few years of his life, Yuan was dedicated to the research and development of sea rice. He made every effort to fulfill his lifelong wish — people all over the world having enough to eat.

Yuan Longping has left behind a precious legacy of the little rice seed to the world. “Everyone is like a seed — we should try to grow into good people,” Yuan once said. This ordinary but great man is worth remembering.

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

Yuan Longping: Committed to benevolence and humanity’s well-being
http://www.china.org.cn/video/2021-05/25/content_77524871.htm

Video – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1517769/video.mp4

https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1517769/video.mp4