Daily Archives: January 21, 2021

Tickets on sale now for the new traveling exhibit which opens on February 13.

BUFFALO, N.Y. If you play the guitar or just love guitar music, make plans to head to the Buffalo Museum of Science next month.

Medieval To Metal: The Art & Evolution Of The GUITAR opens to the public for a limited engagement on Saturday, February 13. Tickets are on sale now.

The guitar has been a signature element of world culture for more than 500 years. Now, visitors can explore the design history and artistry that has played a major role in the guitars evolution, said HP Newquist, executive director of the NGM. Its hard to find anyone who hasnt been affected by the guitar, whether as players or just fans of all types of music. And while this may be apocryphal, its a widely held belief that the two most recognizable man-made shapes on the planet are those of the Coca-Cola bottle and the electric guitar., a new traveling exhibit, opens at the museum on February 13 for a limited engagement. Tickets are on sale now.

The exhibit includes 40 historical and notable instruments as well as life-size photorealistic illustrations of historically important guitar designs.

The guitar has been a signature element of world culture for more than 500 years. Now, visitors can explore the design history and artistry that has played a major role in the guitars evolution, said HP Newquist, executive director of the NGM. Its hard to find anyone who hasnt been affected by the guitar, whether as players or just fans of all types of music. And while this may be apocryphal, its a widely held belief that the two most recognizable man-made shapes on the planet are those of the Coca-Cola bottle and the electric guitar.

The Science Museum is currently open at 25% capacity as mandated by New York State. With the opening of this latest exhibit, it will expand operating hours to five days a week, Wednesday through Sunday from 10 AM - 4 PM to ensure anyone who wants to see the exhibit has an opportunity to do so.

Entry to Medieval To Metal: The Art & Evolution Of The GUITAR is included with general admission ($16 for adults, $13 children 2-17, seniors, students and military) and free for members. Entry is timed and admission must be reservedonline in advance or by calling the Museum at (716) 896-5200.

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Medieval To Metal: The Art & Evolution of the GUITAR heading to Buffalo Science Museum in February - WGRZ.com

January 19, 2021

From a pair of simple principles of evolution chance mutation and natural selection nature has constructed an almost unfathomable richness of life around us. Despite our scientific sophistication, human design and engineering have struggled to emulate natures techniques and her inexhaustible inventiveness. But that may be changing.

In a new perspective article,Stephanie Forrestand Risto Miikkulainen explore a domain known as evolutionary computation (EC), in which aspects of Darwinian evolution are simulated in computer systems. Stephanie Forrest directs the Biodesign Center for Biocomputing, Security and Society. Download Full Image

The study highlights the progress our machines have made in replicating evolutionary processes and what this could mean for engineering design, software refinement, gaming strategy, robotics and even medicine, while fostering a deeper insight into foundational issues in biological evolution.

With the vast computing resources available today, evolutionary computation is poised to provide the next generation of advances in AI, Forrest said.

Forrest directs theBiodesign Center for Biocomputing, Security and Societyat Arizona State University. Miikkulainen is from the University of Texas, Austin.

Their research findings appear in the current issue of the journalNature Machine Intelligence.

The paper focuses on six hallmarks of Darwinian evolution and examines how well digital systems have managed to duplicate these features in order to find solutions to complex problems and generate novel outcomes. These are: openendedness, major transitions in organizational structure, neutrality and random drift, multi-objectivity, complexgenotype-to-phenotype mappings, and co-evolution.

Darwins remarkable insight reveals how a random iterative process can act on an initial set of conditions to continually improve an organisms fitness its ability to flourish and reproduce. By implementing these mechanisms, known as evolutionary computation, computer scientists attempt to evolve solutions to various problems over time, through similar processes of mutation and selection, rather than by designing such solutions by hand.

The use of evolutionary computation involves creating an initial population of individuals on a computer, then evolving the population over time, using principles of variation, selection and inheritance. While the basic idea is simple, the subtleties involved can become dizzyingly complex. Evolutionary computational approaches are also highly versatile, allowing researchers to model biological systems that change with time, such as ecologies or cancer, as well as social systems, including economies or political dynamics.

In principle, virtually any system or technique has the potential for some degree of computer automation, including the design, development and debugging of computer programs, a longstanding goal in computer science.

One reason researchers are so excited about borrowing a page from natures playbook is that the use of evolutionary principles can lead to wildly original solutions that cannot be predicted in advance, allowing computers to make better guesses than their flesh-and-blood counterparts.

The exciting developments in evolutionary computation are being driven by ever-more-sophisticated algorithms as well as enormously advanced computing power, which has increased millions of times over the past 20 years. This has enabled the careful modeling of a broad range of real-world processes, including the simulation and design of new formulas for agricultural growth, smart treatments for injuries and disease and the fine-tuned control of robots and autonomous machines.

Of the six evolutionary hallmarks highlighted in the study, researchers have made significant inroads in applying several of them. One startling feature of evolution is its openendedness, or ability to advance transformational processes indefinitely, without an established final state. The study cites several examples of artificial life programs that have achieved a measure of openendedness.

Multi-objectivity alludes to the complexity of biological fitness, which results as a consequence of various trade-offs, for example, between resources expended to find food as opposed to attracting mates, producing sufficient offspring and protecting young. Many such features must balance one another to achieve maximum reproductive success. Researchers have recently made progress mimicking multi-objectivity in programs using EC.

Another critical feature of Darwinian evolution that has been modeled in EC systems is coevolution the phenomenon of multiple species interacting over the course of evolutionary time, through complex networks of cooperation and competition. Such dynamics have found their way into EC applications including game playing, robot navigation and multiagent problem solving.

Nevertheless, nature keeps some evolutionary cards close to her vest. Certain Darwinian processes have proven more difficult than others to co-opt for problem-solving computer programs. Further, while techniques of evolutionary computation can often mimic processes found in nature, there are also significant differences. Unlike Darwinian evolution among living species, EC tends to operate by applying strong selection pressure to small populations, where more neutral processes such as genetic drift are suppressed.

Further, in nature, the genetic template from which the final organismic form or phenotype will emerge is much more flexible and subject to embryological and epigenetic modifications, allowing for more creative and unpredictable outcomes. Researchers would like to improve this genotype-to-phenotype mapping, incorporating rich environmental interactions to better approximate natures profound ability to generate novelty.

Finally, evolutions most impressive feat remains too poorly understood to be replicated by computer, namely the ability to achieve major organizational transitions. Here, Darwinian processes can act over time to yield convulsive and unforeseen alterations in structure, for example, the progression from self-replicating molecules to membrane-bound cells, multicellular organisms, advanced social structures and societies with language and culture. Much more work is needed to ferret out the details of natures organizational transitions.

Nevertheless, the startling advances in evolutionary computation are likely to play a guiding role in the development of machine creativity, drive innovations in engineering and hopefully, elucidate some of the many mysteries still remaining in the study of evolution.

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Cyber-evolution: How computer science is harnessing the power of Darwinian transformation - ASU Now

Johnny Crowder, founder Cope Notes

Digital mental health services have been on the rise for several years. Apps like BetterHelp, Talkspace, and Ginger offer virtual mental health services for users from therapy sessions with a licensed professional, to chatbots that can help offer regular support.

Now theres a new service thats offering a different type of mental health support to users. Last year Cope Notes, a peer support-based, digital mental health platform received government approval to provide Orange County, FL residents with daily support, paid for in full by CARES Act funding. In a matter of weeks, as word spread and demand grew, more governments, businesses, and schools from coast to coast began lining up to follow suit.

Launched in 2018 by suicide attempt survivor and rock musician Johnny Crowder, Cope Notes is a digital subscription service that uses daily text messages to improve mental and emotional health. Their positive psychology-based, trauma-informed messages contain psychology facts, exercises, and journaling prompts that train the brain to think in healthier patterns.

In his moving TEDx Talk, Crowder opened up about how his experiences with childhood trauma and mental illness have fostered a passion for advocacy. Over the past decade, hes partnered with organizations like the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) and Mental Health America to fight stigma and shine a light on taboo topics like self-harm and abuse.

In a few short years, Cope Notes has exchanged more than half a million text messages with thousands of users worldwide. Each text is carefully crafted by peers with firsthand experience overcoming hardship, trauma, or loss. Then, theyre reviewed by a panel of mental health professionals before being delivered at random times to facilitate the formation of new mental habits, thought patterns, and neural pathways in the brain.

Peer support isnt just for people living with a diagnosis. Everyone with a brain needs to prioritize mental health, Crowder says. Especially during a time like this.

As the world battles against the COVID-19 pandemic, and the United States faces political unrest, that assertion is proving more relevant than ever. According to Boston Universitys Catherine Ettman, a recent study showed that rates of depressive symptoms were higher than what we've seen after other large-scale traumas like September 11th, Hurricane Katrina, and the Hong Kong unrest.

Unsurprisingly, Cope Notes growth has spiked dramatically in the past year, amassing users in nearly 100 countries around the world. CNN even did a recent spotlight on Crowders work, spotlighting the fact that in the midst of significant trauma, peer-led resources like Cope Notes are essential to rebuilding the mental wellness, stamina, and resilience well need to face the year ahead.

I spoke with Crowder recently about the need hes seeing for digital mental health services.

Shama Hyder: Whats the main reason you see for users signing up for Cope Notes?

Johnny Crowder: Many of us ignore or bury our feelings, looking the other way and hoping they wont be there tomorrow. What were seeing now is a result of pent-up feelings that we havent dealt with: anger, fear, anxiety, depression, and even loneliness. An unwatched pot will always boil over, and as a nation, I think weve reached a boiling point. Cope Notes is actively helping people identify and cope with these complex feelings of unrest in healthy ways.

Hyder: How does Cope Notes use digital systems to support mental health?

Crowder: From content and delivery to prevention and intervention, every aspect of Cope Notes is designed to facilitate the formation of newer, healthier neural pathways in the brain. Each text is intended to interrupt negative thought patterns in real time, teaching the brain to default to healthier patterns instead. Users can text back at any time, treating the thread as a digital journal to improve emotional IQ and independence. Mental health crises are outsourced to trained counselors, but because people rely on Cope Notes for daily support rather than crisis services, these situations are extremely rare.

Hyder: What challenges do you think will be present for 2021, as we all work towards addressing this generational trauma?

Crowder: The biggest challenges are awareness and education. Most people dont even think the topic of mental health applies to them. We have to take a long, hard look at what weve been living through, assess the damage, and get real with ourselves and the people around us about how its affecting us. You cant deal with trauma until you acknowledge that it exists.

America has been turning a blind eye to mental health on a systemic level as well. Providers are under-funded and under-staffed. The demand for services far outpaces supply, and the powers that be will need to make some serious investments if they want to see real change.

Digital systems are making services that were previously inaccessiblewhether because of cost, transportation, a lack of therapists in ones area, or other reasonsavailable to exponentially more people, as in the case of Crowders app. As these systems continue to evolve into more sophisticated delivery models, we may find ourselves entering a new era of mental wellness.

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The Next Evolution Of Digital Mental Health Support - Forbes

In the recent film on Amazon Prime Video, A Call to Spy, we are told the story of how Winston Churchill approved the recruiting of amateur spies via the agency known as SOE (Special Operations Executive). Romanian-born British spymistress Vera Atkins (Stana Katic) is placed in charge of this initiative and one of the two women she hand-picks is Noor Inayat Khan (Radhika Apte), a half-Indian Muslim pacifist, who also happens to be the most skilled wireless operator Atkins knows of. Despite being a Muslim woman at a time when spies were mostly white and male, Khan is chosen for a dangerous mission in the French city of Lyon, and this risky choice boils down to her skills with the radio. The real-life Khan went on to transmit reams and reams of crucial briefings from Lyon to the Allied forces, before she was captured and killed by the Nazis.

Exploding pens and vintage cars spewing machine gun fire might be the stuff of Bond films. But real-life espial also involves a whole lot of technological knowhow, some pretty cool gadgets, and nearly endless reserves of patience and determination, as a host of recent online films and series show us.

Of codes and ciphers

The most recent among these is Netflixs new documentary series, Spycraft. It focusses on the tools of the trade: the espial/surveillance equipment used by famous spies down the years. Through the eight-part series, we learn about codes, ciphers, weapons, poisons basically, a spys complete bag of tools.

Using now-declassified reports on the major espionage circles of the 70s onwards, Spycraft is by proxy the no-longer-covert history of western espionage, beginning with World War I. During that era, gigantic microphones placed close to, but not within enemy territory, were the height of audio surveillance. The era of listening devices, or bugs, began in real earnest with the 60s and the height of the Cold War. The typical practice was to combine a miniature radio transmitter with a microphone that could also be operated with batteries.

Then and now

It is fair to say, however, that spycraft has evolved rapidly down the ages. Today, the most feared attacks are cyber-attacks. As Parrack explains in the Netflix series, An online attack has an immediate, catastrophic impact on a nation, as opposed to actual, in-person espionage which takes time and effort and human decision-making... Literally every single aspect of the vocation has changed poisons used to be delivered via blow darts from a height and now there are skin-soluble or even adhesive compounds that can deliver neurotoxins with a simple handshake. Take, for instance, the case of Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny who was poisoned last year with Novichok, a lethal nerve agent. Cold War-era spies had custom-made tools like a small gun hidden in a tube of lipstick or a simple spy purse with a hidden camera. Now, we have hand-held encryption devices as well as computational engines that can decrypt via brute-force methods, trying millions of combinations per second until one fits.

The final episode of Spycraft is devoted to perhaps the most infamous American espionage case of the last few decades, Ana Montes. In 2001, the former American intelligence analyst was arrested on charges of spying against her own country on behalf of the Cuban government; she pleaded guilty and, in 2002, was sentenced to 25 years in prison.

Looped in tech

Montes case also demonstrates, ironically, the limitations of hi-tech gear in espionage. As an analyst working at the Defense Intelligence Agency, she could not rely on any electronic measures of surveillance. The risk of getting caught was simply too high. Instead, what she did was old-fashioned and ingenious: according to the FBI, she memorised important details from classified documents. When she got home, she would type from memory on her laptop, copy the data on to encrypted discs and wait for her Cuban handlers to tell her how to pass on the discs to a trusted contact.

This is one strand thats common to espionage films and shows like Netflixs own earlier miniseries The Spy, starring Sacha Baron Cohen. No matter how advanced your technology is, some of the most crucial espionage interventions of the last 50-odd years have happened due to human ingenuity and raw courage and that seems unlikely to change anytime soon.

Also, the novels of John Le Carre, the British novelist who died last month, exemplify this point his spies are, above all, champion observers of human nature. They notice who talks, eats, and walks in a certain way, they sense what opinion is acceptable where, and they are highly skilled at blending in. This is why a typical Le Carre novel resembles not just spy stories, but also comedies of manner. A Call to Spy, Spycraft et al dont quite capture the comedic beats of this life in the way Le Carre does, but that is not their brief. Eventually, they settle for demystifying the likes of James Bond for the lay viewer, and thats entertaining enough by itself.

Originally posted here:

The evolution of spycraft - The Hindu

ST. LOUIS The idea that led to EverGrain traces back to a brewery in Belgium in 2013. Greg Belt, then leading a sustainability program for Anheuser-Busch InBev, became aware of spent grains, which he calls a misnomer.

The brewers dont capture all the nutrients that are there, he said. Whats left is a great source of protein and fiber. We call it the golden remainder.

He became involved in a project at AB InBev, Leuven, Belgium, to find a use for spent grains/golden remainder. Two years ago, it was decided the project would become EverGrain, a St. Louis-based company that is separate from AB InBev although AB InBev invests in EverGrain and supplies spent grains.

We operate separately, said Mr. Belt, a founding member of EverGrain and its chief executive officer. Anheuser-Busch is our partner and obviously our raw material supplier.

EverGrain offers two ingredients. EverVita is ideal for baked foods like bread, pasta and pizza crust, Mr. Belt said. EverPro is more conducive to protein shakes and plant-based milks.

EverVita will allow bakers to achieve claims of excellent source of fiber or excellent source of protein in their products, he said.

So if there is someone who maybe wants to consume bread but feels guilty about having bread because of the starch that comes along with it, were seeing some really cool innovative breads being brought to the market, whether its high protein or high fiber, Mr. Belt said.

EverVita offers other benefits besides health to baked foods, according to the company. In bread, it increases specific volume and moistens crumb compared to whole meal flour. In cakes and muffins, it provides water-binding properties to retain moisture during baking. In cookies and biscuits, EverVita provides a golden-brown color and promotes crispiness and crunchiness.

EverVita is made in Lige, Belgium, and will have more of a European focus since people there are more knowledgeable about barley, Mr. Belt said.

The US consumer is aware of barley, Mr. Belt said. They view it as healthy, but they often dont see barley in applications outside of cereal.

EverPro is made in Newark, NJ. It will have more of a US focus, especially because of the popularity of plant-based milk alternatives.

Both ingredients have patents pending. Both may be labeled as barley protein, barley fiber or barley flour.

AB InBev is proud to support such a remarkable, purpose-driven venture with a mission to create incredible ingredients to nourish the world through the transformative power of circularity, said Tony Milikin, chief sustainability and procurement officer for AB InBev. EverGrain marks an important milestone in our ultimate goal of building a better world as we look to the next 100 years and beyond.

EverGrain has other partners besides AB InBev. Univar Solutions, Inc., Downers Grove, Ill., is distributing the ingredients for food, beverage and nutraceutical products in the United States, Canada and various countries in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Belgium-based Puratos and EverGrain are working together on bread applications.

Puratos is probably the best company in terms of making artisan and great-tasting breads, Mr. Belt said. Weve partnered with them on some of these types of concepts, of bringing additional nutrition into bread.

Frederik Lievens, group products director for Puratos, said, At Puratos, our ambition is to accelerate the transformation of our industry. EverGrains barley offers a unique plant-based protein and fiber option that doesnt require additional land, saves water and lowers a products overall carbon footprint. At Puratos we are working with EverGrain to develop the ingredient technology that will allow bakeries to make great-tasting, nutritious and sustainable breads featuring barley ingredients in line with consumer preferred texture and freshness expectations.

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The evolution of EverGrain | 2021-01-20 - Food Business News

Artistic reconstruction of Cretophengodes azari male and female in the undergrowth of a Cretaceous rainforest.

Nature hosts astonishingly diverse types of species, which have been continuously evolving for hundreds of millions of years. Among them, some of the most fascinating living creatures are bioluminescent insects, which hone the ability to shine an eerie light in the dark. But scientists agree that not much is known about these tiny creatures and there are several missing puzzles in their evolutionary history, including the origin of their glow.

Now, a fresh study might have solved this mystery by studying an exceptionally well-preserved fossil of light-producing beetles caught in an ancient piece of amber. The exceptionally well-persevered amber was excavated from northern Myanmar, which belongs to the Cretaceous period, roughly over 100 million years old. As per the study authors, the location had a lot of insects during that time.

Missing clues

Cretophengodes azari, a fossil light-producing beetle from Cretaceous Burmese amber (~100 million years old).

The study states that finding this fossil provides some missing clues about the property of bioluminescence among ancient glowing insects, specifically beetles. On record, there exists more than 3,500 species of bioluminescent beetles and are known to be the most diverse light-emitting terrestrial animals. The modern-day insectsfireflies, fire beetles, and glow-worm beetlesuse the light-emitting ability to ward off predators, and attract mates. All these insects are part of a superfamily known as Elateroidea.

"Elateroidea is one of the most heterogeneous groups of beetles and that has always been very difficult for entomologists to deal with, particularly because important anatomical innovations evolved many times independently in unrelated groups, explains Erik Tihelka.

This rank includes about 24,000 known species, while many of them are still not known to scientists and there is a wider knowledge gap around the evolution of bioluminescence in beetles. By bridging this gap, scientists are striving to understand how the beetles evolved. For this study, the authors examined the well-persevered amber belonging to the Cretaceous periodwhen dinosaurs thrived on land. Some of our current understanding of beetles is because of the recovered fossils from that period.

The team found a light organ nestled in the abdomen of the insect species known as Cretophengodes. This is regarded to be one of the oldest-known bioluminescent beetles, and therefore can give some insight into the early evolution of beetles.

"The newly discovered fossil, preserved with life-like fidelity in amber, represents an extinct relative of the fireflies and the living families Rhagophthalmidae and Phengodidae," said Yan-Da Li from the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology (NIGP) and Peking University in China.

Emitting light as defence

The researchers estimate that most of the light-producing beetles have a soft and small body, which makes them impossible subjects for vigorous lab tests. However, this new fossil was completely intact. For this study, the researchers examined fossilized amber of an adult beetle.

Experts have hypothesized that the bioluminescence property initially evolved in the beetle's soft and vulnerable larvae, which acted as a defense system to keep off predators. The fossil indicates that by the Cretaceous period the light production started to occur in adults as well. There is also a possibility that the function may have been opted by the adults in order to search for mates.

The phenomenon of bioluminescence is widely known through fireflies. The modern-day fireflies emit eerie light through the process of chemical reaction in their body. This is mainly due to the presence of an enzyme luciferase, which catalyse compounds named luciferin, which in turn releases a lot of energy in the form of light.

The study was published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B and can be accessed here.

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Scientists Unravel Missing Clues on Glowing Beetles' Evolutionary History Using 100 Million-Year-Old Amber | The Weather Channel - Articles from The...

When supplies of oxygen at hospitals in Manaus, Brazil, recently ran out, the airforce was called in for emergency evacuations while healthcare workers frantically tried to save lives with manual ventilation. For those that could not be saved, there was only morphine and a final hand-squeeze.

As calamitous as the situation is for those affected, the devastating surge in COVID cases in Manaus over the last few weeks has set alarm bells ringing ever more loudly for governments and agencies around the world struggling to manage the pandemic. Cases continue to surge in the UK and South Africa and, as in Manaus, they appear to be mainly due to the emergence of new variants of the coronavirus.

The naming of these variants of concern as scientists refer to them is somewhat muddled. For simplicity, they are referred to here as the Brazilian, South African and UK variant. All have emerged recently, and all have picked up several mutations that mark a distinct shift in the evolution of the virus. Similar variants are almost certainly out there spreading under the radar. More are likely to evolve.

Despite arising independently on three different continents, the three variants share striking similarities. Each has picked up several mutations over a short time, with many in the gene providing the instructions to make the viruss spike protein.

The spike protein is where the key battles between human and virus are being waged, including the vaccines. It is the key to how the virus interacts with the human body, both regarding the immune response and in binding to and entering human airway cells.

Not only have several mutations affected this protein, but identical mutations have cropped up independently both in the variants of concern and in other viral lineages. In effect, the virus has repeatedly stumbled across the same evolutionary solutions to specific challenges. This phenomenon is known as evolutionary convergence (consider the independent evolution of wings in bats, birds and insects).

Understanding how these mutations might affect the coronaviruss behaviour at the molecular level is difficult. Work to bridge the gap between each variants genotype (the mutations) and its phenotype (how quickly it spreads) is being ramped up in the UK and elsewhere, but will require a sustained multidisciplinary effort.

The task is made more difficult because several mutations have accumulated in these variants (so-called constellations). The UK variant, for example, has 23 separate mutations, representing a remarkable evolutionary jump with no known intermediate variants (like there are missing links in the evolutionary chain).

Although not all the mutations are thought to be important, the effect of any individual mutation might be changed by the presence of other mutations (an effect called epistasis). This greatly complicates the problem of figuring out precisely what these mutations are doing and of assessing the risk of newly emerging variants from the sequence data alone.

Despite these complexities, a combination of computational analysis and laboratory experiments have yielded valuable evidence of the effect of these mutations. For example, one mutation found in all three variants is N501Y. The name refers to an alteration in the spike protein, where the type of amino-acid molecule located in position 501 has changed from asparagine (N) to tyrosine (Y).

Position 501 is on the receptor-binding domain part of the spike protein that attaches to a particular receptor (ACE2) on cells in the human body and this change appears to strengthen the binding between the virus and human cells. Yet for reasons that remain unclear, the effect of N501Y is greatly amplified when combined with other mutations.

Other mutations in the spike protein offer the virus some protection from the immune response. Examples include E484K (found in the Brazilian and South African variants, but not the UK variant), and a mutation in the UK variant in which two amino acids are deleted (del69-70) and which is repeatedly found in combination with mutations in the receptor-binding domain.

Specific evolutionary challenges and selection pressures that favour the survival of some variants of the virus over others may be driving the emergence of the variants of concern. This would help to explain why they acquire several mutations so quickly, or why these variants are starting to emerge now.

A plausible explanation for the emergence of the UK variant is that it arose in a single chronically infected person with a weakened immune system who was being treated with convalescent plasma (antibodies from a recovered patient). This would have given a strong advantage to any variant that could resist the therapeutic antibodies. But it remains a theory.

A second possibility relates to the emergence of the Brazilian variant. The current wave of infection in Manaus is only the latest COVID disaster to hit this city. Previous waves may have led to 76% of the population being infected. The resulting high level of immunity in the population may have given an advantage to mutations in the spike protein.

Although these variants are causing concern, we should remain confident that the vaccines will ultimately prove successful in ending the pandemic and allow a return to normality. There is currently no evidence that the vaccines are less effective against the new variants. While it remains impossible to be certain whether, or how, the virus will make further evolutionary jumps when confronted by the vaccines, modifications to vaccine design should ensure that we stay one step ahead.

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Coronavirus variants: how did they evolve and what do they mean? - The Conversation UK

DUBLIN, Jan. 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Orthopaedic Devices Global Market - Forecast To 2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The orthopaedic devices global market is expected to reach $53,607.2 million by 2027 growing at a high single digit CAGR.

Over the decade, due to the technological advancements with emerging and innovative technologies used under minimally invasive conditions has led to the rapid development of orthopaedic device. As a result of rapid advances, there is great expansion in the potential therapeutic application for musculoskeletal injuries, deformities and diseases.

The market is primarily driven by the increase in incidence and prevalence of musculoskeletal diseases such as osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, spinal degenerative diseases, spondylitis, lower back pain, herniated spinal discs, and injuries due to trauma and sports activities, increase in the aging population, technological advancement, acquisitions and factors such as product recall, complications associated with implanted devices, lack of skilled and trained professionals to carry out minimally invasive surgery, high cost of the implant, surgery and also stringent regulatory policies for the product approval due to classification of the orthopaedic devices as class II and III devices are hindering the growth of the market.

Among products, the spine segment accounted the largest share in 2020 due to technological advancements in the implants, surgery type and increase in the aged population coupled with rise in number of trauma and sports injuries. The extremities segment anticipated as the fastest growing segment and expected to grow at a CAGR of high single digit CAGR from 2020 to 2027 due to increase in the road accident coupled with sports injuries and rise in the geriatric population.

The extremities by product type are segmented into upper and lower extremities. Among extremities, the upper extremities accounted for the highest revenue in 2020 and the lower extremities segment is the fastest growing segment and is projected to grow at a high single digit CAGR from 2020 to 2027 as the lower extremities consisting of foot, limb, and ankle are more susceptible to injury and fractures in as a result of trauma and sports activities.

The upper extremity products are further segmented into shoulder and other upper extremities. Under upper extremities, the shoulder division accounted for the largest revenue share of the global upper extremities devices revenue in 2020 and is expected to grow at a double digit CAGR of from 2020 to 2027 owing to increased incidence of shoulder dislocation and pain associated as a result of rise in incidence of musculoskeletal diseases, occupational, sports and trauma injuries.

The spine segment by product type is segmented into fusion and non-fusion devices. Among the spine device market, the fusion device contributed for the largest revenue share of in 2020 and the non-fusion device division is expected to grow at a double digit CAGR from 2020 to 2027. As a result of rising awareness and better efficiency of spinal stabilization and retention of spinal movements by non-fusion devices as compared to the fusion-devices.

Further the fusion device market is categorized into cervical devices, thoracolumbar devices and interbody devices. Among the fusion devices, thoracolumbar devices accounted for the largest revenue in 2020 and the interbody devices are expected to grow at a high single digit CAGR from 2020 to 2027 owing to rapid acceptance of spinal interbody arthrodesis and higher efficiency of reconstruction stability.

The non-fusion segment is further classified into artificial disc, dynamic stabilization devices, and annulus repair devices. Among non-fusion devices, the dynamic stabilization device accounted for the largest revenue in 2020 and the artificial discs segment is expected to grow at a double digit CAGR from 2020 to 2027 as the artificial discs aid in the replacement of degenerated discs, movement retention and is the most preferred implant to overcome herniated disc and lower back pain.

The orthobiologics segment is further divided into synthetic graft, demineralized bone matrix, machined bone allograft, and others. Among orthobiologics, the machined bone allografts contributed for the highest revenue in 2020 and the demineralized bone matrix is expected to grow at a mid single digit CAGR from 2020 to 2027 owing to improved osteoconductive and osteoinductivity properties as compared to other grafts.

The global orthopaedic market by surgery type is segmented into open, minimally invasive and robotic-assisted surgery. Among surgery type, the open surgeries accounted for the highest revenue in 2020 and the robotic assisted surgery is anticipated to grow at a high teen CAGR from 2020 to 2027 due to technological advancements in robotics assisted surgery, favourable reimbursement scenarios for robotic-assisted surgeries and precise and accurate placing of implants with minimal damage to the other tissues and bones.

Key Topics Covered:

1 Executive Summary

2 Introduction

3 Market Analysis 3.1 Introduction 3.2 Market Segmentation 3.3 Factors Influencing Market 3.3.1 Drivers and Opportunities 3.3.1.1 High Prevalence and Incidence of Orthopaedic Disorders and An Increase in the Aging Population 3.3.1.2 Increase in Accidents and Sports Injuries 3.3.1.3 Increasing Demand for Minimally Invasive Surgeries 3.3.1.4 Technological Advancements 3.3.1.5 Acquisition and Collaborations as a Part of the Growth Strategy 3.3.2 Restraints and Threats 3.3.2.1 Product Recalls Due to Manufacturing Errors 3.3.2.2 Lack of Skilled Orthopaedic Surgeon 3.3.2.3 Adverse Events and Complications With the Implantations of Orthopaedic Devices 3.3.2.4 High Cost of Orthopaedic Implants and Surgery 3.3.2.5 Stringent Regulatory Policies 3.4 Regulatory Affairs 3.4.1 International Organization for Standardization 3.4.1.1 Iso 9001: 2015 Quality Management System 3.4.1.2 Iso 13485 Medical Devices 3.4.1.3 Iso /Ts 16782: 2016 Clinical Laboratory Testing 3.4.1.4 Iso 10993 Biological Evaluation of Medical Devices 3.4.2 The U.S. 3.4.3 Canada 3.4.4 Europe 3.4.5 Japan 3.4.6 China 3.4.7 India 3.5 Technological Advancements 3.5.1 Introduction 3.5.2 3D Printing and Development of Patient-Specific Implants 3.5.3 Implant Materials and Coatings 3.5.4 Smart Implants 3.5.5 Evolution in the Robotic-Assisted Surgery With Smaller Incision and Post-Operative Care Reduction 3.6 Implant Materials and Coatings 3.6.1 Metals 3.6.2 Ceramics and Bioglass 3.6.3 Polymer 3.7 Porter's Five Force Analysis 3.8 Supply Chain Analysis 3.9 Reimbursement Scenario 3.10 Patent Scenario 3.11 Funding Scenario 3.12 Market Share Analysis by Major Players 3.13 Orthopaedic Devices Number of Procedures by Region 3.14 Orthopaedic Devices Company Comparison Table by Revenue, Product, Material, and Application

4 Orthopaedic Devices Global Market, by Product 4.1 Introduction 4.2 Knee 4.3 Hip 4.4 Extremities 4.4.1 Upper Extremities 4.4.1.1 Shoulder 4.4.1.2 Other Upper Extremities 4.4.2 Lower Extremities 4.5 Spine 4.5.1 Fusion Devices 4.5.1.1 Cervical Devices 4.5.1.2 Thoracolumbar Devices 4.5.1.3 Interbody Devices 4.5.2 Non-Fusion 4.5.2.1 Artificial Discs 4.5.2.2 Dynamic Stabilization Devices 4.5.2.3 Annulus Repair Devices 4.6 Craniomaxillofacial 4.7 Trauma 4.8 Sports Medicine 4.9 Orthobiologics 4.9.1 Synthetics 4.9.2 Demineralized Bone Matrix 4.9.3 Machined Bone Allograft 4.9.4 Other Orthobiologics

5 Orthopaedic Global Market, by Surgery Type 5.1 Introduction 5.2 Open Surgery 5.3 Minimally Invasive Surgery 5.4 Robotic Assisted Surgery

6 Orthopaedic Devices Global Market, by End-Users 6.1 Introduction 6.2 Hospitals 6.3 Ambulatory Surgical Centers 6.4 Orthopaedic Clinics

7 Regional Analysis 7.1 Introduction

8 Competitive Landscape 8.1 Introduction 8.2 Product Launch 8.3 Product Approval 8.4 Acquisition 8.5 Agreements 8.6 Other Developments

9 Major Companies 9.1 Arthrex Inc 9.1.1 Overview 9.1.2 Financials 9.1.3 Product Portfolio 9.1.4 Key Developments 9.1.5 Business Strategy 9.1.6 SWOT Analysis 9.2 B. Braun Melsungen AG 9.3 Colfax Corporation (Djo, LLC) 9.4 Globus Medical, Inc. 9.5 Johnson & Johnson (Depuy Synthes) 9.6 Medtronic Public Limited Company 9.7 Nuvasive Inc. 9.8 Smith & Nephew plc 9.9 Stryker Corporation 9.10 Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc

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Global Orthopaedic Devices Markets, 2020-2027: Evolution in the Robotic-Assisted Surgery With Smaller Incision and Post-Operative Care Reduction -...

MONTRAL, Jan. 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -Kairos announces the acquisition of Comprod, a leader in the field of radio telecommunications with a well-established and recognized reputation in North America and internationally.

This transaction will enable Comprod to accelerate its growth and further distinguish itself in a fast-paced industry while supporting the growing needs of a clientele which includes front-line essential services.

Investing more in R&D

"We look forward to supporting Comprod's management team in its next phase of growth. " says Marc Desmarais, managing partner at Kairos. "Comprod has distinguished itself from its competition through its ability to innovate and adapt its product offering to the needs of its customers, and we see great potential for growth. Therefore, we will continue to invest significantly in research and development to offer cutting-edge products and solutions.

"We have experienced significant growth over the past few years across all our product lines. "adds Gilles Racine, founder of Comprod "Our new partners share a common vision, which is to continue investing in our technologies and our people to offer a tailored product and service to our customers. We are very excited to be working with the Kairos team and to pursue our growth initiatives.

About Comprod Inc.

Comprod, a proud Quebec company, is a market leader in design, manufacturing and supply of fixed and mobile antennas, RF filters and in-building DAS solutions. Solidly established in Canada and the United States for 45 years, the company serves the public safety, public and government services, defense, telecommunications and transportation sectors.www.comprodcom.com

About Kairos Capital Management LLP

Kairos is a Montreal-based private equity fund distinguished by its deep expertise in operations and strategic planning. The fund was established in 2020 and aims to invest and support management teams of medium-sized companies to accelerate their growth and contribute to the success of Canadian companies in various business sectors.

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Comprod Inc. announces a milestone in their evolution as a result of the acquisition by Kairos Capital Management - PRNewswire

WILMINGTON, Del. Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. has navigated a half-century in American politics by relentlessly positioning himself at the core of the Democratic Party.

Wherever that power center shifted, there Biden has been, whether as the young senator who opposed court-ordered busing in school integration cases or the soon-to-be 46th president pitching an agenda on par with Franklin D. Roosevelts New Deal and Lyndon B. Johnsons Great Society.

The common thread through that evolution is Biden always pitching himself as an institutionalist a mainstream liberal but also a pragmatist who still insists that governing well depends on compromise and consensus.

Now Bidens central political identity faces the ultimate trial.

On Wednesday, the 78-year-old president-elect will inherit stewardship of a nation wrenched by pandemic, seismic cultural fissures and an opposition partys base that considers him illegitimate, even to the point of President Donald Trumps supporters violently attacking the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 as Congress convened to certify Bidens victory.

Bidens answer follows two tracks: defending the fabric of society and institutions of government that Trumps tenure has stressed and calling for sweeping legislative action. His agenda includes an initial $1.9 trillion pandemic response, along with proposed overhauls for health care, taxation, infrastructure, education, criminal justice, the energy grid and climate policy.

A message of unity. A message of getting things done, Ron Klain, his incoming White House chief of staff, explained Sunday on CNNs State of the Union.

The first approach, rooted in Bidens campaign pledge to restore the soul of the nation, netted a record 81 million votes in the election. In his Nov. 7 victory speech, Biden called that coalition the broadest and most diverse in history and framed it as evidence Americans are ready to lower the temperature and heal.

Bidens second, policy-based approach, however, still must confront a hyperpartisan age and a closely divided Congress.

The outcome will determine the reach of Bidens presidency and further test the lifetime politicians ability to evolve and meet events.

We cant have a claim to want to heal the nation if what people mean is just having the right tone and being able to pat one another on the back, said the Rev. William Barber, a leading social justice advocate who has personally pushed Biden to prioritize the marginalized and poor of all races.

Real healing of the nation, Barber said, must be dealing with the sickness in the body of the nation caused by policy, by racism, by polity.

Activists such as Barber represent just one of many flanks surrounding Biden.

Republicans are clear they wont passively ratify Bidens responses to the pandemic or deep-seated problems that came before it: institutional racism, widening wealth gaps, the climate crisis. The Democratic Party isnt marching in lockstep, either, as progressives, liberals and moderates dicker over details.

I wouldnt expect big, sweeping change, said Michael Steel, once a top aide to former House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio.

Democrats will control a 50-50 Senate with Vice President-elect Kamala Harriss tiebreaking vote as presiding officer. But the chambers 60-vote filibuster threshold for major legislation remains. Bidens longtime friend, California Rep. Nancy Pelosi, is the House speaker, but presides over a diminished Democratic majority and slim margin for error.

Harris framed the stakes Sunday, telling CBS Sunday Morning that the Capitol insurrection on Jan. 6 was an exposure of the vulnerability of our democracy.

John Anzalone, Bidens campaign pollster, noted in a recent interview that Biden won with a message spanning ideology. Some voters may not believe in his politics. But they believe in him, Anzalone said. They believe in his compassion and they believe in, quite frankly, his leadership skills.

Anzalone loosely compared Bidens appeal to Ronald Reagans. Reagan was a hero of movement conservatives yet drew support from a wide swath of Reagan Democrats to win the presidency in 1980 amid economic and international instability. By extension, Reagan could count on support or at least good faith from many Democrats on Capitol Hill, most notably then-Speaker Tip ONeill, D-Mass.

The analogy sort of fails when you ask who are the Tip ONeills for Republicans at this point? Anzalone acknowledged. But, he said, Biden is not averse to big fights.

Biden projects confidence regardless, in part, those close to him say, because of his long tenure in Washington buttressed now with the presidential megaphone.

Part of the presidents job is making the case to the American people and persuading them what the right way forward is, said Stef Feldman, policy director for Bidens campaign.

Through that lens, it becomes less surprising to see the politician who joined Republicans in the mid-1990s to clamor for a balanced budget now declares emergency spending measured by the trillions more urgent than ever, even including deficit spending.

It was a similar course for Biden as he aged from a young senator in a chamber still stocked with old-guard segregationists into the trusted lieutenant for the nations first Black president. The Senate Judiciary Chairman who in 1991 led an all-male panel in Supreme Court confirmation hearings involving sexual harassment claims turned the widely panned experience into invitations for the committee to seat its first Democratic female members.

The Catholic politician who for decades acknowledged his struggle over abortion policy flouted church teachings as vice president by announcing his support for same-sex marriage before most other elected Democrats, including the ostensibly more socially progressive Obama. And during the 2020 campaign, even as Biden started to the left of Obama and 2016 nominee Hillary Clinton, he inched further leftward on health care, college tuition aid and climate policy.

While Biden aides argue his shifts dont involve changes in principle or fundamental values, some other observers say the point is moot. The question, said Maurice Mitchell, who leads the progressive Working Families Party, is simply whether Biden will continue to evolve and leverage his political capital into both post-Trump stability and big policy wins.

We cant control peoples convictions but we can shift the politics of the possible, Mitchell said, noting that Johnson signed seminal civil rights laws less than a decade after quashing such measures as Senate majority leader.

Barber, the minister, pointed to other historical figures whom Biden sometimes mentioned while campaigning: Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln. Both, Barber noted, were savvy, even ruthless politicians who reached for their biggest achievements only after winning the nations highest office and they did so against vicious opposition and during times of existential national threats.

Theres good record in our history that there are moments in this country can and has taken great steps forward, Barber said. And many times, it was right on the heels of great pain. The movement and the moment can cause leaders presidents, senators, congresspeople to be much greater than they even intended or imagined.

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Joe Bidens long political evolution leads to his biggest test - The Denver Post