Daily Archives: May 9, 2022

AMES, Iowa Matthew Helmers, professor of agricultural and biosystems engineering at Iowa State University and director of the Iowa Nutrient Research Center, has been named the inaugural recipient of the Brent and Cindy Hart Professorship in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

Helmers was presented the professorship at a May 6 medallion ceremony hosted by Daniel J. Robison, holder of the Endowed Deans Chair in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

The professorship is possible thanks to a gift commitment from Brent (74 agronomy) and Cynthia (77 elementary education) Hart, who are long-time supporters of Iowa State. The Harts have a strong interest in nitrogen management, carbon capture and water quality, and their giving focuses on supporting faculty research in these areas. The couple also support the work of Michael Castellano, professor in Iowa States Department of Agronomy, who focuses on soil science and fertility.

Brent Hart retired from the agricultural supply company Trammo, Inc., in 2018, after serving roles there including president and chief executive officer. Cindy Hart is a retired grade-school teacher. They maintain close ties to Iowa State from their current home in Colorado. Brent Hart still owns family farmland outside of Humboldt. They are frequent participants in RAGBRAI.

The College greatly appreciates the wonderful generosity of alumni like the Harts, whose support for research and extension makes our important and impactful work all the better! Robison said. It is so appropriate that Dr. Helmers will be the inaugural holder of the Brent and Cindy Hart Professorship. He is a nationally known leader on water quality and nutrient management issues, whose collaborative work with diverse entities is having a positive impact in Iowa and far beyond.

Helmers, an Iowa State faculty member since 2003, also holds the Dean's Professorship in Agriculture and Life Sciences. He leads research and extension activities on the impact of nutrient management practices and subsurface drainage from agricultural fields.

He serves as faculty advisor for the Iowa Learning Farms program, headquartered at Iowa State. Additional contributions include chairing the states nitrogen science team that assessed and continues to consider nutrient issues for the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy, a statewide science and technology-based framework to assess and reduce nutrients to waterways. He and his colleagues have won several national awards for developing educational materials on water quality and conservation.

I am so appreciative of the generous support from Brent and Cindy Hart, Helmers said. This will allow us to attract high-quality graduate students who will help examine performance and implementation of edge-of-field conservation practices. The positive impacts from their support will be felt for years to come.

Helmers earned his bachelors degree in civil engineering at Iowa State, his masters degree in civil engineering at Virginia Tech and his doctoral degree in agricultural and biological systems engineering at University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

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Helmers honored with Brent and Cindy Hart Professorship - College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

AgroFresh was present at Fruit Logistica 2022. According to Michael Hamby, Chief Commercial Officer, of the company, this fair is a key event for them: Fruit Logistica is an important global customer trade show for AgroFresh, allowing us to showcase our innovative products and services and connect with other industry leaders. After two years without international trade shows, our team really enjoyed the opportunity to meet in person to discuss the industrys challenges and opportunities.

As an AgTech innovator and global leader, AgroFresh is on a mission to prevent food waste by providing a range of science-based solutions, data-driven digital technologies and high-touch customer service. Fruit Logistica was the perfect forum for the company to meet with their customers fade to face and share more about the many AgroFresh solutions that can help them enhance the quality and extend the shelf life of their crops, and fight food loss and waste.

AgroFresh's team at Fruit Logistica 2022

AgroFresh showcased two of its latest innovationsThe companys booth presentations were focused on two of their latest innovations. We showcased VitaFresh Botanicals, the plant-based, edible coatings for produce freshness and shelf-life extension for a wide variety of crops from avocados to citrus to nectarines. We also did an open demonstration on FreshCloudTM, the digital platform that uses real-time data and analytics, providing end to end visibility to help customers make crucial decisions on produce quality, harvest timing, packing, storage, and market conditions.

Our products were met with a lot of enthusiasm by attendees who were interested in learning more about both solutions. We made sure to collect their information so we could organize future demo trials with our team of experts.

Regarding VitaFresh Botanicals, AgroFresh expects this product use to continue to grow as the company expands its range of plant-based coatings into more crops and regions.

VitaFresh Botanicals's presentation

VitaFresh Botanicals: a solution that helps to extend fruits shelf lifeVitaFresh Botanicals is a proprietary line of plant-based edible coatings. From citrus and avocados to mangos or nectarines, VitaFresh Botanicals are an important step forward in superior freshness, extended shelf-life, reduced food loss and waste, and superior taste. VitaFresh Botanicals coatings utilize anti-thirst technology to boost the skins natural protection, creating a double skin membrane that reduces dehydration, maintains weight and locks in produce freshness throughout the supply chain. VitaFresh Botanicals gives packers a much stronger opportunity to market the best quality produce and improve consumer satisfaction while increasing profit potential. VitaFresh Botanicals coatings offer several technical and functional benefits as well as cost-efficiencies.

At Fruit Logistica, we presented VitaFresh Botanicals benefits for avocados. Our coating helps to extend the avocado shelf life in ready to buy and ready to eat stages. The product also maximizes freshness and moisture, improves the appearance and firmness of the fruit, reduces weight loss and decreases internal browning. The results are remarkable, giving avocados two to four days longer shelf life, reducing waste by 50 percent. Our solutions are versatile, for use before or after ripening, as well as sustainably sourced and vegan certified.These solutions are available worldwide, and have seen much success in Europe, Africa and Latin America. We expect this product use to continue to grow as we expand our range of plant-based coatings into more crops and regions.

FreshCloud digital technology's presentation

FreshCloud digital technology: to make the entire supply chain more efficient and effectiveDuring Fruit Logistica, we officially launched FreshCloud in Europe, which was already a big success in the United States, Australia, and New Zealand. We are excited that this technology is now available in Europe which is the beginning of a new era for the cloud-based technology on this continent.

FreshCloud is a game changer that makes the entire supply chain more efficient and effective. Its an innovative digital technology that combines unique sensor technology, internet connectivity, data analytics, disorder screenings and decades of AgroFresh plant physiology expertise to give growers, packers and retailers powerful insights into produce quality through every step of the supply chain from harvest to the retail shelves.

FreshCloud Quality Inspection is our proprietary cloud-based platform that digitizes the formerly manual quality control process by capturing, organizing and analyzing quality metrics in real time. With all necessary inspections and actions conducted on mobile devices, FreshCloud allows customers to track and score the quality metrics of their fruits instantly, providing complete visibility into and streamlining the fruit-quality inspection process. Ultimately, FreshCloud helps to reduce food waste by lowering rejections and improving the consistency of the produce. Our platform combines AI and digital insights to help our customers make real-time decisions to reduce food waste, manage supply chain challenges and ultimately deliver the highest quality and sustainable produce to the worlds markets.

AgroFresh's booth at Fruit Logistica 2022

SmartFreshWhile much of our focus at Fruit Logistica was on VitaFresh Botanicals and FreshCloud, AgroFresh also promoted its legacy product, SmartFresh: This solution revolutionized the apple industry 20 years ago with the original 1-MCP technology. Over the years, we have continued to enhance this technology, which extended to a wide variety of crops including stone fruit, kiwi and melons.

For more information:AgroFreshPatricia Borredap.borreda@agrofresh.com

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VitaFresh Botanicals and FreshCloud, two innovations that reduce food waste - FreshPlaza.com

Opposition to a long-proposedOrmond Beach airport runway extension could leave the project grounded, but the city is hosting a "community conversation"Tuesday to gauge public opinion and answer questions.

"The OB Life: Airport Focus" will be from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Ormond Beach Senior Center, 351 Andrews St. It will also be available to stream athttps://..opengov.com/ormondbeachfl/published/WBqzTztTe.

"We're just trying to be as transparent as possible with the community and get some good factual information out to everyone regarding the 600-foot runway extension," Mayor Bill Partington said. "Basically, the extension is going to make things quieter, safer and it's paid for with grant dollars that ifwe don'tuse them, they would go to some other community."

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The event will provide "a platform" for feedback as well as an opportunity for residents to hear directly from those involved, according to a city flyer promoting the event.

City officials say they aim to increase safety and efficiency by extending the runway 600 feet to the west. The proposed project is scaled back from an earlier plan to lengthen the runway by 1,000 feet, which would have involved a 400-foot extension to the east.

Because that additional 400 feet would have meant purchasing right-of-way from neighbors who opposed the plan, it was dropped.

But the 600 feet also remains in dispute, while some longtime residents recall a failed attemptmore than 15 years ago to get the1,000-foot extension.

Signs are up in yards across the city reading: "No airport runway extension."

Opponents include Don Miller, who's unhappy that the city closed the Bear Creek Golf Course at the end of 2020. He said part of the course will have to be used to extend the runway, although city officials have said the course closed because of financial problems involving the private operator.

Miller said he believes the 400 foot-extension to the west will be added later, giving the airport an opportunity to serve larger carriers.

Another concerned resident is Fran Canfield, HOA president of the adjacent Bear Creek 55+ community.

"We have a quiet environment to which we all enjoy when we are walking our pets and riding our bikes, and I would say over the past maybe three years now the …air traffic has increased as well as the noise, and we have become very worried and are losing confidence in our city officials because of the contradictions that keep being out for public review."

Former City Commissioner Jeff Boyle said a handful of pilots who live in the city are pushing for the expansion that the majority of residents don't support.

"Theyre asking us to subsidize an airport we dont want. Theres no public mandate other than new special interests in the city … and (residents)will tell you the city has operated with a lack of transparency, a lack of truth, direct contradictions."

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Ormond Beach airport runway extension controversy to be aired Tuesday - Daytona Beach News-Journal

University of Maine Cooperative Extension 4-H will offer a short-term online 4-H club for youth ages 1318 about basic adult life skills 45:30 p.m. Wednesdays, June 22July 27. Required registration closes June 6.

The 4-H Adulting 101 Series will introduce basic adult life skills by exploring a different topic each week, including life/work balance and stress management; saving, spending and credit; nutrition on a budget; resumes and interviews; rent and roommates; and a topic chosen by the participants. UMaine Extension 4-H staff will lead the discussions.

The club is free; limited to 20 participants. Register by June 6 on the event webpage to receive the link and at-home materials. This series is supported in part by the Maine 4-H Foundation. For more information or to request a reasonable accommodation, contact 207.324.2814; erin.mcdonald1@maine.edu. Additional information also is available on the Extension 4-H Virtual Learning webpage.

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UMaine Extension 4-H introduces teens to adulting concepts in June - UMaine News - University of Maine - University of Maine

After several years of short-term authorization since its fiscal and accountability practices drew sharp criticism in the mid-2010s an increasingly stable VISIT FLORIDA received somewhat of a reprieve Friday.

Gov. Ron DeSantis signed SB 434 among 11 bills late Friday, pushing VISIT FLORIDAs sunset clause out five years to 2028, from the 2023 expiration date the Florida tourism marketing agency had faced.

With DeSantis signature, the agency has its first assurance since 2016 that programs, contracts, employees jobs, and purpose will not go away anytime soon.

That year, a series of revelations led Republicans and Democrats to lose faith in the nonprofit companys accountability and transparency in its quasi-governmental yet largely undisclosed programs to promote tourism to Florida. The agencys funding and staffing were gutted, and its legislative authorization was put on short-term.

With the COVID-19 pandemic, lawmakers have given VISIT FLORIDA their support, stressing the importance of tourism to the states economy. Last year, the agency reported significant returnsas tourism rebounded.

The Senate initially had voted this spring to extend VISIT FLORIDA for eight years, until Oct. 1, 2031. However, Senators agreed to the Houses position that lawmakers only grant the agency a five-year extension. The Senate approved the final measure 36-3 after the House approved it 98-17.

Clearwater Republican Sen. Ed Hooper and St. Pete Beach Republican Rep. Linda Chaney sponsored the legislation.

While lawmakers agreed to extend the agency, theyre keeping the funding on a symbolic tight leash. House and Senate budget negotiators agreed to spend $50 million on the agency next year but from the nonrecurring pot of state funds. Senate appropriators in recent years have pushed for those funds to come from recurring dollars.

That funding still awaits DeSantis approval. A decision is expected in the next few weeks, by the end of June.

____

Florida Politics Reporter Renzo Downey contributed to this report.

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VISIT FLORIDA gets five years added to its life assurance with Gov. DeSantis signature - Florida Politics

On his way to work every morning, consultant geriatrician Colm Byrne has a fair idea how busy his day will be at the Mater hospital on the northside of Dublin just by breathing the air.

Byrne had long suspected a link between days of particularly poor air quality in Dublin and a spike in stroke or suspected stroke admissions, so two years ago he and a team from the Royal College of Surgeons began to investigate.

The RCSI team looked at data gathered from patients admitted to hospitals between January 2013 and December 2017 for stroke or ischaemic attacks sometimes referred to as mini-stroke.

More than 10,000 people suffer strokes in Ireland every year. In Dublin alone, hospitals take in six stroke patients and four with ischaemic attacks every day. And the numbers are higher during colder winter months.

The RCSI team then mapped out air quality records for the same dates from monitoring stations around the city that report to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Factors such as temperature, humidity, date and time were taken into account. What they found was simple and clear: a statistically significant rise in stroke hospitalisations in Dublin within two days of bad air pollution.

The research we did showed about a 9 per cent increase in stroke admissions linked to days of poor air quality, says Byrne. It is significant. It is a life-or-death situation. It is a major public health issue that has been ignored.

His remarks come amid much debate around the Governments attempt to ban retail sales of turf, but not the cutting of turf by those who have cutting rights on their own bogs.

Coincidentally, around the same time the RCSI team were carrying out their research, a group of academics at NUI Galways School of Physics were examining the chemical composition of air pollutants in Ireland.

Despite a 30-year-old ban on smoky coal, homes setting solid fuel fires in Dublin and Birr, Co Offaly two urban centres of vastly differing population scales were found to be the main offenders.

Air pollution in both Dublin and Birr which has about 1 per cent of the population of the capital had a similar chemical composition. Turf, on average, was to blame for 27-30 per cent of the carbon pollution, rising to as high as 63 per cent on occasions.

In both city and town, coal was responsible for less pollution (24 per cent and 17 per cent respectively) than turf, the study published in the Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics journal reported.

Therefore, in order to reduce wintertime particulate air pollution, primary emissions from solid fuel burning, especially peat, should be the primary target of policy regulations, the researchers stated.

According to Dr Byrne, it is only a small proportion of households in Dublin causing the majority of the air pollution. The Central Statistics Office (CSO) has suggested as low as 5 per cent.

It may be only a small number of people but it is having a significant public health effect, says Dr Byrne.

Nationally, 1,300 deaths a year are attributed to air pollutants. This is despite Irelands air quality being among the best in Europe and globally.

While traffic has a role to play, most are caused by solid fuel burning, says Dr Byrne.

But turf burning as well as coal, and unseasoned wood to a lesser extent is not just causing more strokes. Heart disease, respiratory illness, diabetes, dementia, Parkinsons disease and worse outcomes from Covid-19 have all been shown to be associated with poor air quality.

It is also linked to exacerbating asthma. Latest official figures show 88 people died from asthma attacks in Ireland in 2018. Then there is the terrifying impact of the condition itself for many day-to-day sufferers.

According to the Asthma Society of Ireland, there are currently 380,000 people with the condition.

It is a huge percentage of the population, says Eils N Chaithna, research manager for the society. A few years ago we were the fourth worst in the world for it. We have very high levels compared with internationally.

The result is 8,000 hospital admissions every year, with one person dying every six days.

The correlation between poor air quality and the worsening of asthma is incontrovertible, says N Chaithna.

Sufferers contacting the society report having to leave cities and towns on days of bad air pollution to take exercise.

They report increased coughing, wheezing and struggling to breathe. It is very serious, she says.

Another worry is that, despite a hereditary link to the condition not being clinically established, it does tend to run in families. We dont have the answer to why that is. Neither do clinicians. But we constantly hear personal testimonies from mums who have asthma bringing their young children out for a walk in the buggy, acutely aware of smoke billowing from chimneys around them.

They are painfully aware of the potential impact for their children. Some struggle to sleep. It is a worry for parents. It should be worrying us all.

One in five children in Ireland will have asthma at some stage, the society found in a study on the economic cost to the State of the high rates of the condition 472 million every year.

Asthma sufferers have been waiting a long time for a clampdown on turf, wood and coal burning, says N Chaithna.

With each passing year, more people are developing chronic diseases and dying as a result of burning solid fuels. We cant wait any longer. Public health has to take priority.

The society admits it does not have all the answers to urgent arguments about a ban sharpening fuel poverty in a time of soaring oil and gas costs. But it points out a higher prevalence of asthma among lower-income households.

We are not in position to present all of the solutions, that is up to the Government, says N Chaithna.

People from rural Ireland have experienced a lot of change, and they are genuinely concerned about losing rural Ireland, about it disappearing, and a turf ban is one way people see that happening.

They are rightly very protective and it does add a real complexity to the discussion. But we are concerned with making sure people remain as healthy as possible, protecting them from pollutants that can trigger asthma, cause asthma and which can be fatal.

N Chaithna is sceptical of Government plans to exempt communities of under 500 people from a ban.

There is already a patchwork approach to prohibiting smoky coal. It is very difficult to enforce. Anyone can jump in a car and go to the next town where it is permitted to sell smoky coal and bring it home. We can assume that same problem with exemptions on a turf ban.

Any prohibition must be nationwide, she insists.

During his time in office as minister for environment, Richard Bruton cited threats of legal action by commercial actors for not extending the 1990 ban on smoky coal.

The Irish Times has seen legal correspondence from three coal importers Enerco, Hayes Fuels and LCC (the latter two based in the North) objecting in the strongest possible terms to the existing ban on smoky coal as well as any extension.

The Government has previously acknowledged the partial prohibition is unlawful insofar as it does not treat fuel products which emit similar (and in some cases greater) quantities of pollutants equally, it states.

The ban of one solid fuel and not another fuel product that is a greater polluter (ie peat and wood) raises serious concerns under Irish and EU law and could be overturned if challenged in the courts, lawyers for the importers argue.

Any extension to the existing ban, which is not product-neutral, will be subject to the same serious concerns and risk of challenge.

The importers cite an EPA study, published in June 2020, known as the Sapphire report (Source Apportionment of Particulate Matter in Urban and Rural Residential Areas of Ireland) which showed the burning of peat for home heating in the towns of Killarney, Enniscorthy and Birr ... was the largest source of air pollution in these locations.

Coal was the least polluting of all three solid fuels, according to the research.

Given the Governments own advice, the importers have implored it to reform the existing ban to include all solid fuels before any move to extend it, at that stage, to 12 towns nationally.

In response, the Department of the Environment said an extended ban is fully justified by and proportionate to the aim of preserving public health and saving lives.

The evidence shows that the proposed extension will save lives in the towns concerned, an official states, before dismissing the suggestion that the Government acknowledged as unlawful the existing ban.

Indeed, it has been unquestionably highly effective, and in Dublin alone has resulted in about 350 fewer deaths a year, by reducing cardiovascular, cerebrovascular and respiratory mortality in the general population.

The Government said the Sapphire study was expanding our knowledge on other solid fuels and would inform future decisions.

Dr Byrne believes an element of populism and cultural association is driving the reticence of vocal opponents to the expanded ban.

No one likes change, he says. But it is change that needs to happen. Air pollution is a serious public health issue. Leaving out the biodiversity crisis, the climate change effect of digging up bogs, it is a public health issue.

By continuing to allow turf burning, it is not going to improve peoples homes, improve fuel poverty. We should be looking at measures that improve both air quality and fuel poverty.

There was also a cultural attachment to smoking indoors at one time. That ban was brought in and it had significant public health benefits. We need to grasp the nettle.

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'It's life or death': Turf burning in urban areas blamed for rise in stroke admissions - The Irish Times

Animal Science Career Quest is a joint program of Michigan 4-H and the MSU Department of Animal Science. The event introduced youth ages 12-19 to the many animal science programs available at MSU and where those educational efforts could take them.

From an early age, youth are often asked What do you want to be when you grow up? For many, the answer comes naturally but for others, there is much uncertainty. A new Michigan State University (MSU) Extension program will make the answer a little easier for some, thanks to Animal Science Career Quest.

Held for the first time in 2022, Animal Science Career Quest is a joint program of Michigan 4-H and the MSU Department of Animal Science. Open to youth ages 12-19, the event introduced youth to the many animal science programs available at MSU and where those educational efforts could take them post-graduation. In total, 23 youth and six adults from 18 different Michigan counties took part in the event, which was held on the campus of MSU, March 18-20.

The idea for Animal Science Career Quest was formed over the last year, said Melissa Elischer, MSU Extension 4-H dairy educator, who organized the event. We have so many great facilities and experts in the MSU Animal Science department, it just made sense to host an event on the MSU campus where 4-H youth could better access, experience and explore those resources.

Throughout the three-day event, dozens of Department of Animal Science faculty, staff, alumni, graduate and undergraduate students volunteered their time to teach youth about the animals they study, topics they research, and other possible career choices in the animal science fields. Species covered included beef cattle, companion animals, dairy cattle, horses, poultry, sheep and swine. Topics of study included animal behavior and welfare, animal health, genetics, animal nutrition, animal products and meat science, and animal reproduction. The event also included an alumni career panel where former Department of Animal Science students shared the good, the challenging, and the very real experiences of being an MSU student.

We had 60 total volunteers from across the Department of Animal Science and MSU Extension who helped to make Animal Science Career Quest possible, said Elischer. It would not have been possible without each of these individuals sharing their expertise, experiences and passion with our youth participants.

Animal Science Career Quest participants also had the opportunity to participate in hands-on learning labs that allowed them to dig deeper into careers, topics and species of the Animal Science department. These took place at Anthony Hall, as well MSUs South Campus Animal Farms, including the Horse Teaching and Research Center, Dairy Cattle Teaching and Research Center, Sheep Teaching and Research Center and Veterinary Research Farm. Sessions included broodmare management and foaling, dairy cattle genetics and selection, livestock judging, dairy cattle judging, equine exercise physiology, animal welfare assessment, milk harvesting, and service and assistance animals.

We hope the program left youth excited about the variety of possibilities that exist in the world of animal science, commented Elischer. Many young people think the only way to have a career with animals is to be a veterinarian, but there are really so many more options to consider. We hope that this combination of hands-on experience and real-world examples will help ignite their interests in exploring animal science as a career.

For many of the attendees, Animal Science Career Quest did just that.

My daughter now has a career goal because of this event, shared one parent. The dairy cattle nutrition session was life changing for my her, she learned so much and is now excited to plan for a career in that field!

Plans are already underway to bring Animal Science Career Quest back in early 2023 with hopes of expanding the program to even more individuals. Learn more about the MSU Department of Animal Science or Michigan 4-H online. To learn more about joining 4-H, visit 4h.msue.msu.edu.

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Lead program DNTH103 to be accelerated to the clinic this year as a highly differentiated and potent monoclonal antibody designed to selectively target the active form of complement C1s

Led by biotech veterans Marino Garcia as Chief Executive Officer and Lonnie Moulder as Chairman of the Board

Financing co-led by 5AM Ventures, Avidity Partners, and Fidelity Management & Research Company with strong investor syndicate

WALTHAM, Mass. and NEW YORK, May 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Dianthus Therapeutics, a biotechnology company dedicated to advancing the next generation of antibody complement therapeutics, today announced the completion of its $100 million Series A financing led by 5AM Ventures, Avidity Partners, and Fidelity Management & Research Company, with participation from additional investors including Wedbush Healthcare Partners and founding investors Fairmount, Tellus BioVentures, and Venrock Healthcare Capital Partners. The financing will be used to expand leadership and scientific teams, advance the company's lead program, DNTH103, to the clinic this year, and to accelerate additional discovery pipeline programs for people living with severe and rare autoimmune diseases. DNTH103 is a potent, next-generation monoclonal antibody that selectively targets the active form of complement C1s, potentially enabling a lower dosing volume and a less frequent subcutaneous administration that is further enhanced with half-life extension technology.

Dianthus also announced the appointment of Marino Garcia as President and Chief Executive Officer, joining in November 2021, and Simrat Randhawa, M.D., M.B.A., as Chief Medical Officer. Mr. Garcia, a veteran dealmaker and strategist, brings more than 25 years of industry experience in business development and operational leadership roles at top biotech and pharma companies, most recently as Senior Vice President, Corporate and Business Development at Zealand Pharma. Dr. Randhawa brings over 20 years of clinical practice and pharmaceutical industry experience to Dianthus, including senior leadership roles focused in the autoimmune and rare disease spaces. He most recently served as Senior Vice President of Clinical and Medical Affairs at Aurinia Pharmaceuticals.

"We are committed to improving the lives of people living with severe and rare autoimmune diseases and are confident that our selective antibodies have the potential to be best-in-class therapeutics," said Marino Garcia, President and Chief Executive Officer, Dianthus Therapeutics. "We are privileged to have a strong syndicate of leading biotech investors, experienced Board members, and accomplished leaders and scientists as we advance our lead candidate into the clinic later this year, further develop our discovery pipeline, and expand our team in the coming months. Dianthus is positioned to become a leading, next-generation complement company guided by a deep understanding of the needs of patients."

Dianthus harnesses the power of selectivity in complement pathways to create potent monoclonal antibodies with the potential to overcome the limitations of current complement therapeutics. Unlike current antibody therapies that bind to both inactive and active complement proteins, DNTH103 selectively targets only the active form of the C1s complement protein, enabling a lower dosing volume and less frequent administration. Its half-life extension technology also further reduces dosing frequency. With these differentiated attributes and high potency inhibition of C1s, DNTH103 is designedto relieve the burden of high-volume, frequent administration with IV infusions or inconvenient, frequent subcutaneous dosing. Accelerating the development of a more convenient subcutaneous therapy could be transformative in expanding the potential patient populations that could benefit from complement therapies, while reducing the discomfort and disruptions that pervade the lives of patients today ultimately allowing more patients to live healthier lives to their fullest potential.

"We are proud to support Dianthus Therapeutics in advancing the discovery and development of next-generation, potent, and highly differentiated antibody complement therapeutics," said Paula Soteropoulos, Board Director of Dianthus and Strategic Advisor to 5AM Ventures. "With the leadership of the recently appointed President and CEO Marino Garcia, and a talented team of seasoned biotech executives and entrepreneurs who hold an extensive track record of success, we look forward to seeing Dianthus bring their novel therapies to patients living with severe and rare autoimmune diseases."

Dianthus is currently led by an accomplished team of veteran scientists and biotech entrepreneurs, including:

Dianthus is also supported by an experienced Board of Directors, including:

Jefferies LLC served as financial advisor to Dianthus.

About Dianthus Therapeutics

Dianthus Therapeutics is a biotechnology company dedicated to designing and delivering novel, best-in-class monoclonal antibodies with improved selectivity and potency over existing complement therapies. Based in Waltham, Mass. and New York City, Dianthus is comprised of an expert team of biotech and pharma executives who are leading the next generation of antibody complement therapeutics to deliver transformative medicines for patients with severe and rare autoimmune diseases. To learn more, please visit http://www.dianthustx.com.

SOURCE Dianthus Therapeutics

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Dianthus Therapeutics Launches with $100M to Develop Selective Antibody Complement Therapeutics to Treat Severe and Rare Autoimmune Diseases - PR...

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. The May 2 death of a 68-year-old Cumberland County farmer who succumbed to toxic gases while working in a silo underscores the dangers associated with agriculture, which is one of the most hazardous occupations in the United States.

In 2020, 39 people were killed in farm-related incidents in Pennsylvania an increase from previous years. These agricultural emergencies require specialized knowledge and training for first responders, according to Penn State farm safety specialists.

To prepare emergency responders, Penn State Extension, via its Agricultural Safety and Health Program, offers numerous trainings and demonstrations designed for fire and rescue services, emergency medical services, law enforcement personnel, and farm community members.

"These trainings could mean the difference between life and death in a farm emergency," said Judd Michael, Nationwide Insurance Professor of Safety and Health and professor of agricultural and biological engineering in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences.

A2018 incident illustrates Michael's point. In that case, a Pennsylvania farmer trapped in a grain bin was rescued by first responders who knew how to save him thanks to training from Penn State Extension. At the time, the local fire chief noted that several responders on scene said that the training came back to them that day, and the farmer was extracted from the grain, uninjured.

Penn States Ag Safety and Health team has scheduled several grain bin rescue awareness training programs for 2022, including a summer course for Catawissa, Benton and Mifflinville responders and a course in Columbia County in late October. The six-hour program will teach emergency responders about hazards associated with grain handling and storage.

The workshop will cover best practices for rescuer safety and explore strategies for managing a grain entrapment or engulfment incident. To gain hands-on experience, participants will use a grain rescue tube in Penn States grain entrapment simulation trailer.

Topics covered by previous workshops this year included both grain bin rescue awareness and grain bin rescue operations a 20-hour program that builds upon the awareness course and is designed for first responders at a grain entrapment or engulfment emergency. Participants learn how to safely access an entrapped person and strategies to treat, free and package the person for a safe and efficient extrication from the grain bin.

Other training programs available to first responders include:

Introduction to agricultural emergencies. Managing tractor and machinery emergencies. Silo fire awareness. Silo fire operations. Large animal rescue training.

These programs can be customized and offered on request, Michael said. First-responder organizations throughout Pennsylvania interested in a program can submit a request to the Ag Safety and Health Program to bring the training to their county. Classes may be scheduled individually or through a county task force. The Ag Safety team can provide more information about fees and availability.

In addition, the Ag Safety and Health program offers numerous farm safety demonstrations that can be reserved or borrowed by contacting the program through email or by phone. One demonstration illustrates how grain flows in storage structures and the rescue procedures that can free a victim entrapped in flowing grain.

Another demonstration, the Mini-Tilt Table, educates participants about rollover incidents by displaying the center of gravity and the stability baseline of a tractor, skid steer loader and all-terrain vehicle. For younger audiences between the ages of 8 and 16, Mr. Egg demonstrates a tractors center of gravity and stability baseline.

Events scheduled for 2022, such as Ag Safety Day and a 4-H animal science camp, will utilize demonstrations to raise awareness about farm safety among children, who are a crucial audience. In 2020, nearly 26% of Pennsylvania farm fatalities were children ages 19 and younger.

We need to do more training and more demonstrations to keep people especially kids safe on farms, Michael said. Penn State Extensions Agricultural Safety and Health team also offers youth safety education via its National Safe Tractor and Machinery Operation program.

More information and resources, including articles, videos and courses, are available on the Penn State Extension website.

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Penn State Extension offers farm safety trainings and demonstrations - Pennsylvania State University

In a recent note, Goldman Sachs summed up the changing nature of the industry in the context of copper this way:

fundamentals were once so connected to global growth, copper has been viewed as having a PhD in macroeconomics.

Yet today, Dr. Copper no longer exists with ESG, geopolitics and chronic underinvestment all driving copper fundamentals far more than overall global growth.

In our view, Coppers PhD is in public policy, not economics, rallying on concerns of Chilean mining royalties, accelerating European renewables demand and Russian sanctions supply risks rather than falling global growth expectations.

Resources may be measured or indicated, reserves may still be labelled proven and probable, but developing deposits has only become more uncertain.

In a presentation at copper minings biggest annual gathering in Santiago, CRU head of base metal supply, Erik Heimlich, pointed out that while the size of the long-term supply gap of just over 6 million tonnes is in line with historical trends, filling that gap is a much more daunting prospect today.

Foremost is the fact that now, remarkably, half the project pipeline for needed supply in 2032 consists of greenfield projects in the possible category; another 19% are speculative brownfield projects.

Comparing the 2022 project pipeline with that of 2012 makes for sobering reading. Of the 8 million tonnes per annum capacity identified as greenfield possible projects 7 million tonnes remain undeveloped.

Heimlich says the preponderance of projects only rated as possible in the pipeline indicates the extent to which factors beyond project economics are playing an increasingly significant role in determining whether projects become mines.

Only about a third of the 2012 uncommitted brownfield projects, which should be quicker, easier and cheaper to build, are in production or under construction now.

Notable 2012 projects that stayed so include Anglo American and Glencores $6.5 billion Collahuasi expansion, which was supposed to lift production at the Chile mine above 1m tonnes and BHPs Olympic Dam project that started as the mother of all digs and ended up as an exercise in debottlenecking.

If new projects are more miss than hit, its up to mine life extensions, operational efficiency projects and mine restarts to make up the difference, but Heimlich cautions that while the capital intensity of debottlenecking project may be attractive, additional tonnage is general low and lack of scale can make these projects not worthwhile.

The success of mine restarts is also patchy, with few mines re-entering production and those that do generally small-scale.

Given the difficulty in bringing more projects online, mine life extensions in this cycle appear to be more necessary than ever, says Heimlich, but even these projects can fall foul of environmental, regulatory, community and political developments.

Anglo American has had to scale down its $3 billion Los Bronces project for environmental reasons, and will employ the sub-level stoping method in order to have no surface impact in an area with many glaciers, but doing so means significantly lower ore extraction than with block caving or open-pit operations.

And that may still not be enough for a green light just this week Chiles environment regulator denied the project an extension permit.

Can technology plug the gap? Heimlich says new leach processes are attracting significant interest and investment and the total addressable market for low-grade sulphide leaching equals around 10 years of current output.

New technologies provide the most significant upside to long-term production but could be beyond the requisite timeframe.

Much like all those green, brown, possible, probable, committed and uncommitted projects that go beyond requisite timeframes.

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Copper mining, like politics, is now the art of the possible - MINING.COM - MINING.com