Trendy Vitamins Are All Over Instagram But Are They Worth It? – Refinery29

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Photographed by Megan Madden.

This is the year of personalization. You can buy a shampoo mixed just for your hair, have a personal trainer create a one-of-a-kind workout plan, and find pretty much anything you want designed exactly to your preferences.

Wellness isn't an exception from this personalization trend. If you've been on Instagram for the past few months, chances are you've seen a well-dressed influencer posted up in their minimalist kitchen holding a small, artsy-looking pack of vitamins, containing a mix of nutrients that's designed just for them.

Here's how it usually works: You take a quiz, answer questions about your health, detail your current habits, share your wellness goals such as getting better sleep or reducing stress levels and you end up with something just for you. Some companies take things a step further, asking for an at-home blood test to suss out exactly what nutrients you're lacking. It's not surprising that this approach is attracting so many people. Why take some generic multivitamin or guess at what your body needs, when you could be shipped a just-for-you mix?

"Supplements can absolutely be beneficial to someone's health depending on what that supplement is," says Lauren Manaker, RDN. "If someone has iron deficiency anemia, for example, an iron supplement can help them get their iron stores back to an ideal level."

I decided to test out one of these companies to see what all of the hype was about. I chose Persona Nutrition, which uses the aforementioned quiz-based system. After filling out all of my info age (23), sex (female), health concerns (stress and overall health), etc. my final list of vitamins included a digestive enzyme, plus a "foundational multivitamin," which contains all the nutrients most people fall short on, including vitamin K and vitamin A, omega-3 fatty acids, a daily probiotic, vitamin D, calcium and magnesium with more vitamin D, and something called bilberry that's supposed to be beneficial for people who look at screens all day.

I was also given the option to add on a CBD Hemp Extract pill to treat stress and sleep problems for $69. With that in my cart, the grand total for a month's worth of vitamins came out to be around $117. (Full disclosure: The brand comped my first month.)

There were four vitamins in each pack I had one bundle for the morning and one for the night. Persona gives you enough for 30 days, a.k.a. one month, so I received a total of 60 packs of personal vitamins. As of right now, I'm on my last few packs.

After taking them for a month, I have to admit, I feel... pretty much exactly the same as when I wasn't taking them. I was most looking forward to adding in a probiotic to my regimen, since I feel like my gut health isn't where it should be. But, nothing at least on the surface feels much different.

It's hard to tell if whether or not the pills are doing their job. Most of this stuff like vitamin levels can't be felt on an intensely physical level.

The results of my last blood test told me that I was pretty low on vitamin D. So while I'd need another blood test to confirm it, it's possible that the D supplements are improving my levels, and thereby strengthening my immune system and improving my mood (among other benefits). To be transparent, it's been a pretty great month I haven't felt any anxieties lately which may be a result of my new vitamin D fix.

But I don't know how much I needed the other nutrients I started downing. As far as I know, I've already been getting enough calcium from my diet. "Supplements should fill in gaps in a diet if it's deficient," says Manaker. "If a person is eating a well balanced diet filled with a variety offoods such as fruits, veggies, and whole grains, they may not really need to supplement any nutrients," she explains.

"It's fun to receive "personalized" advice, but Ihave yet to see a company not recommend supplements when a potential customer takes a quiz," Manaker says. "Additionally, if a nutrition gap is discovered, these companies are only recommending their supplements and not food solutions that could accomplish the same goal."

Almost all of the supplements I started taking are things I don't have a Recommended Dietary Allowance for no one necessarily needs a greater amount of digestive enzymes going into their system unless they're experiencing things such as irritable bowel syndrome or inflammatory bowel disease (which I don't).

Since they didn't make me feel better or anything at all after taking them, there's no real incentive for me to keep going with a subscription.

What's a little iffy about these products are that at best, they might be helping you, but probably they're doing nothing; at worst, however, they may be harming you. Vitamins and supplements don't have to be regulated by the FDA. So while you may trust a brand, you never really know what you could be putting into your body.

"I think it's very important for consumers to know that just because they can buy these supplements over-the-counter does not mean they are necessarily proven to be efficacious or safe,"Erin D. Michos, MD, MHS, FACC, FAHA, Associate Professor of Medicine and Epidemiology at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine previously told Refinery29."Dietary supplements are not intended to treat, diagnose, cure, or alleviate the effects of diseases, even though many adults take them for that purpose."

These personalized vitamin packs aren't a necessity for your health especially if you're not trying to drop as much as $117 a month for them. If you're deficient in certain vitamins and minerals, you could be adding different foods to your diet to make up for that, Manaker suggests.

So instead of adding another month's worth of vitamins to my cart, I probably should just try to find a way to enjoy a nice slab of salmon. At the very least, it'll be easier on my wallet.

If you're interested in ordering your own personalized pack whether it's for your Instagram aesthetic or your health you'll want to double check that the supplements provided have been verified by a third-party manufacturer, says Manaker. Usually there will be something on their website or a seal or marking on the packaging from companies such as the United States Pharmacopeia or NSF International, so keep your eyes peeled. After all, knowing what you're putting into your body is more important than having your name spelled out on a vitamin pack.

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Are Personalized Vitamin Packs Really Worth It?

written by Elizabeth Gulino

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Trendy Vitamins Are All Over Instagram But Are They Worth It? - Refinery29

Intrahousehold management and use of nutritional supplements during the hunger gap in Maradi region, Niger: a qualitative study – BMC Blogs Network

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A total of 114 caregivers participated (Table2).

When referring to RUSF and LNS-MQ, most of the participants named the nutritional supplements by a word in Hausa representing its consistency and appearance, they were primarily described as biskit (biscuit) or labou (groundnut paste).

Giving the children biscuits protected them against certain illnesses like diarrhea, vomiting and fever, RUSF/Cash.

We are very happy with the biskit because it protects our children from malnutrition, LNS-MQ/Cash.

When referring to SC+, consistency, appearance, perceived effects on weight gain and overall nutritional status were also considered. Participants described SC+ as gari, which means flour, but also as garin kwamasso, which means flour for malnutrition, or garin boudous, meaning flour that promotes weight gain, or garin taimako, which means aid flour.

During the distribution and prior to returning home, caregivers were invited to participate in an information session on how to use the nutritional supplements and answer any questions. During the interviews, some of the mothers described deviations in the use of the supplement at the household level. For example, some caregivers reported that they mixed the LNS-MQ into food or drink to prevent vomiting or with hot milk to increase appetite. Some reported that they did not mix the RUSF, as they were instructed.

I added water and give him like a liquid, he accepted to drink it because I noticed that when he eats this compact paste he had to vomit immediately. LNS-MQ.

I give it to my child as it is, I had never mixed it with something else. RUSF.

Regarding SC+ consumption, most frequently, the mode of preparation consisted of cooking it with water, as presented during the information sessions. However, some participants said that they use it moistened for which they covered the flour with hot water, as for preparing local couscous. Other participants indicated consuming the SC+ in dry form i.e. without any preparation. Some participants explained that they prepared it depending on the childrens preferences and some reported adding other ingredients such as oil, onion, peanut meal, salt, or sugar. A participant indicated:

Thats what I do, I buy some oil, some onion and then peanut meal and I mix it with a little salt. SC+.

Different forms of preparing the nutritional supplements emerged.

Consumption and sharing practices.

Divergences in the way in which nutritional supplements are consumed, emerged as a commonality among participants. However, although differences in how the nutritional supplements were given to children emerged, when referring to LNS-MQ and RUSF, most of the participants explained that they complied with the daily dose of one packet, most administered it between meals, in the morning. However, some participants indicated dividing the daily dose into two or three feedings, particularly for the youngest children who were still breastfeeding. A participant said:

When the distribution started, my child was not yet complementary feeding. When I take the packet I divide it in two, I give one portion in the morning, the rest in the evening; but now that he is weaned, he eats a packet by himself. RUSF.

When exploring how LNS-MQ was used, most of the participants indicated that they gave one spoonful in the morning, one spoonful at noon, one spoonful in the afternoon. However, some participants indicated that their children disliked the product, particularly the first few days after introduction. These participants explained that when children disliked the product, they tried to find ways to make their children like it. Hence, finding ways to increase acceptability were the main drivers to find alternative ways to prepare LNS-MQ.

A participant explained:

I mixed it [referring to LNS-MQ] with beans and rice for him at first when I saw that he didnt want to eat it. [ ] but now hes used to it, he eats it without me mixing it into other things. LNS-MQ/Cash.

Most of the participants indicated that color and consistency of prepared SC+ helped them to know if the child would consume it or not. A participant explained,

After preparation, we use it for up to 30 minutes. After this there is a change in color or it may become liquid as water meaning that it then it becomes less concentrated. SC+.

In reference to RUSF, LNS-MQ and SC+ most of the participants reported that when the supplements were introduced to the children for the first time, they were not well accepted, but once they got used to them, they appreciated the products. Referring to SC+, a participant explained:

In the beginning, my child didnt want to eat it. I waited and offered him to try again and again, until he accepted it. Sometimes I buy little cakes and promise to give him after he consumes the porridge. SC+.

From the participants perspective, nutritional supplements seem to be shared primarily with siblings in the household, but also with other family members, neighbors and friends.

In some households, where men had more than one wife, it was common for them to share the products with other children and even with all members of the household. A participant explained:

Honestly, all of the members of the household eat it and some spouses, when you refuse to give them any, they express their displeasure [ ] our wish is to tell you to give us a little more or to give us something else other than gari. SC+.

When referring to LNS-MQ a participant explained:

... when they provide you with labou the others expect, hope that you will share it with them, now if you refuse then trouble starts. LNS-MQ/Cash.

Some women also indicated sharing the supplements with close family members who lived in the same compound and/or had many children to feed. However, although sharing was frequently reported, many participants indicated keeping most of the ration for the children for whom the nutritional supplement was indicated. When referring to SC+, a participant explained:

Yes of course his brothers [of the target child] like gari, I give them a little raw gari but not the same amount as the target child and I only do it to get them out of the way because they are big. SC+.

This practice was also found among participants who received LNS. A participant indicated:

I have other children and once I get back to the house, after I have given half a pot to my co-wife, I give half a pot to my own children; I keep the remaining three pots for the target child and that covers about two weeks. LNS-MQ/Cash (During the distribution, the participants received four pots of LNS-MQ per child per month).

RUSF, LNS-MQ and SC+ were shared. Most of the participants indicated that they need to take care of their children and please them equally. Feeding them with nutritional supplements, or any other food, was one way of taking care of children and to please them.

Some participants indicated:

We make certain gestures out of obligation without wanting to when a parent comes to your house to tell you: today my child hasnt even had a bite to eat; and so you are obligated to give them some flour, SC+.

...you put some [referring to SC+] in a quart scoop and you bring it to your mother so she can cook it for your brothers, SC+.

I take two packets that I hide for my daughter and the rest I give to neighbors, in-laws and my parents, SC+/Cash (During the distribution, the participants received four bags of 1.5kg per child per month).

Among some breastfeeding mothers, eating one of the three supplements was perceived to help them to produce more breast milk and was an important motivating factor for consuming the supplements themselves. A breastfeeding mother indicated:

Ive noticed that it increases milk supply [ ] I often mix the gari with oil to eat and it gives me milk, SC+/Cash.

The stock lasts for three weeks because us mothers eat some from time to time to guarantee our milk supply, LNS-MQ/Cash.

Only a few participants indicated that they did not share RUSF or LNS-MQ. The perception that it would not have the expected effects on the children who needed the supplement was the main reason that prevented them from sharing the products. They also indicated that the amount of supplements distributed monthly covered the entire period between two distributions, thus the product was only consumed by the target child. A participant explained:

For me, in principle I tell myself that the complete contents of the packet must be eaten by the child each day, but if I share it with a child that was not targeted I know deep inside that the product will not work because it was not eaten by the intended child only, so thats why I never share it with other children. RUSF/Cash.

Perception of the impact of supplementary foods.

Nutritional supplements were often described to be a special kind of food that improves health, intelligence, physical appearance and protects children from diseases. After using the supplements for 5months, the benefits described from nutritional supplements included childrens weight gain, physical strength, beauty, intelligence and health maintenance.

Independently of the type of nutritional supplement, after participants gave the products to their children for a 5-month period, the children were described as, more healthy, more active, doing well, smoother, brighter, more handsome, more plump, and stronger.

I am happy because giving the gari means that I dont have to shuttle back and forth between my house and the CSI [health center] anymore, he doesnt have diarrhea, he doesnt vomit, he has gained weight and he has become active. SC+/ Food ration.

The nutritional supplements were presented by some participants as a special kind of food, which can provide protection from disease. Other caregivers compared the nutritional supplements to vitamins or even to medicine. When referring to SC+ participants indicated:

Its a food but it is mixed with a strong medicine that makes the child stop being malnourished, SC+.

In my opinion, it [referring to LNS-MQ] is an enriched product that you give to children to protect them from diseases, improve their appetite, and the child gets better quickly. LNS-MQ/Cash.

Furthermore, some mothers who fed their children with RUSF indicated that feeding their children with the biskit give them independence because children become satiated and they asked for food less often. A participant explained:

Really, the biskit, in addition to protecting our children from illness, has become a means of independence for the mothers, because as soon as you offer them a biskit, they eat it right away, they drink some water and go play, thanks to the biscuit there are no more complaints from children clinging to their mothers skirts. RUSF/Cash.

Nutritional supplements are also perceived as an additional financial support to the household. The nutritional supplements were described as a financial impact on households by guaranteeing food for their children. Participants indicated:

...thanks to the gari the womens expenses have been reduced because as soon as the child is full he doesnt demand anything else to eat, SC+.

The financial impact was also described in terms of decreasing expenses for medical costs because children were sick less often. A participant explained:

I can say that husbands are satisfied because they said that thanks to the flour, they dont pay medical costs anymore because the children have stopped being sick all the time. SC+.

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Intrahousehold management and use of nutritional supplements during the hunger gap in Maradi region, Niger: a qualitative study - BMC Blogs Network

New ‘Feed Your Mind’ Initiative Launches to Increase Consumer Understanding of Genetically Engineered Foods – FDA.gov

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For Immediate Release: March 04, 2020

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, in collaboration with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, today launched a new initiative to help consumers better understand foods created through genetic engineering, commonly called GMOs or genetically modified organisms.

The initiative, Feed Your Mind, aims to answer the most common questions that consumers have about GMOs, including what GMOs are, how and why they are made, how they are regulated and to address health and safety questions that consumers may have about these products.

While foods from genetically engineered plants have been available to consumers since the early 1990s and are a common part of todays food supply, there are a lot of misconceptions about them, said FDA Commissioner Stephen M. Hahn, M.D. This initiative is intended to help people better understand what these products are and how they are made. Genetic engineering has created new plants that are resistant to insects and diseases, led to products with improved nutritional profiles, as well as certain produce that dont brown or bruise as easily.

Farmers and ranchers are committed to producing foods in ways that meet or exceed consumer expectations for freshness, nutritional content, safety, sustainability and more. I look forward to partnering with FDA and EPA to ensure that consumers understand the value of tools like genetic engineering in meeting those expectations, said Greg Ibach, Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs at USDA.

As EPA celebrates its 50th anniversary, we are proud to partner with FDA and USDA to push agricultural innovation forward so that Americans can continue to enjoy a protected environment and a safe, abundant and affordable food supply, said EPA Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention Assistant Administrator Alexandra Dapolito Dunn.

The Feed Your Mind initiative is launching in phases. The materials released today include a new website, as well as a selection of fact sheets, infographics and videos. Additional materialsincluding a supplementary science curriculum for high schools, resources for health professionals and additional consumer materialswill be released later in 2020 and 2021.

To guide development of the Feed Your Mind initiative, the three government agencies formed a steering committee and several working groups consisting of agency leaders and subject matter experts; sought input from stakeholders through two public meetings; opened a docket to receive public comments; examined the latest science and research related to consumer understanding of genetically engineered foods; and conducted extensive formative research. Funding for Feed Your Mind was provided by Congress in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2017 as the Agricultural Biotechnology Education and Outreach Initiative.

The FDA, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, protects the public health by assuring the safety, effectiveness, and security of human and veterinary drugs, vaccines and other biological products for human use, and medical devices. The agency also is responsible for the safety and security of our nations food supply, cosmetics, dietary supplements, products that give off electronic radiation, and for regulating tobacco products.

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03/04/2020

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New 'Feed Your Mind' Initiative Launches to Increase Consumer Understanding of Genetically Engineered Foods - FDA.gov

All gyms in state to be inspected for supplements – Hindustan Times

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Taking serious note of deaths owing to consumption of steroids and banned supplements, the government, in a first, will conduct inspection of gyms across the state. The announcement was made by food and drug administration (FDA) minister Dr Rajendra Shingne in the state Assembly on Wednesday.

Dr Shingne also announced setting up of an expert committee to see if the state can bring in a legislation against online sale of whey protein and supplements having steroids.

Last month, a bodybuilder from Mumbra in Thane district died due to excessive intake of steroids. A similar case was reported in Kalyan.

The issue was raised by legislators who demanded strict action against those selling steroids and other banned supplements.

BJP legislator Captain Tamil Selvan said anabolic steroids are dangerous for the human body, but are still available in market and sportsmen hoping for health benefits use them without understanding the toll it can take on ones health.

In his reply, Dr Shingne said, The state will conduct inspection of all gyms in the state by forming teams comprising food inspector, drug inspector and policemen. Action will be taken against gyms selling banned supplement or steroids. The inspection will be done in six months.

He further said the FDA has already carried out a campaign and took 26 samples of whey protein from several places to check if steroids are added in any of them. We are waiting for test reports and will initiate action if we find anything illegal, the minister said.

Shingne said the central government is in the process of modifying the Food Safety and Standards Act. The state will also constitute a committee of experts to see if the state needs to enact a separate law against online sale of whey protein and supplements having steroids, he said.

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All gyms in state to be inspected for supplements - Hindustan Times

9 Sensible Tips to Boost Eye Health and Maintain Sharp Vision – Entrepreneur

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To keep your sight in the best of its ability, we bring you a list of sensible food and habit choices that can keep them healthy, wealthy and vivid!

March 3, 2020 4 min read

You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media.

Use to spending ample time on your mobile and laptop? Prolonged uses of these devices have become a part of our day to day lifestyle. While we cant avoid the same as our work-life revolves around it, we can surely make some alterations in our life for our good. With an increase in the usage of screen-time, taking care of your eye has become essential than ever.

Eyes are vascular; hence a healthy diet with low Trans and saturated fat is a must. Period!

In order to guard them from age-related macular degeneration (ARDM), one needs to intake food supplements rich in antioxidants. To keep your sight at its best ability, we bring you a list of sensible food and habit choices that can keep them healthy, wealthy and bright!

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9 Sensible Tips to Boost Eye Health and Maintain Sharp Vision - Entrepreneur

RDs Answer: Are Fortified Foods Better Than Supplements? – LIVESTRONG.COM

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Your cereal and orange juice may be spiked. Well, with vitamins and minerals, that is. Plenty of everyday processed foods are fortified with nutrients the typical American doesn't get enough of, including fiber, iron and vitamin D.

Fortified foods can deliver a wider range of nutrients than supplements, but both can be beneficial depending on your diet.

Credit: LIVESTRONG.com Creative

But there are also supplements you can take to get those nutrients so which source is better? Is there even a difference between eating fortified food and taking a multivitamin or other supplement?

For our Ask the RDs series, we asked readers to send us their biggest nutrition questions and then posed the 12 most common to a panel of registered dietitians. Here's what the experts had to say about eating fortified foods vs. taking supplements.

"Eating fortified food is not the same as taking a supplement because a fortified food could provide you with other things, as well. For example, if you take a fiber supplement, then you're just getting fiber. If you eat a cereal that's fortified with fiber, then you're perhaps also getting B vitamins and iron and other nutrients within that food.

I'm a fan of fortified foods. Almond milk, cold cereals, yogurts and orange juice are all foods that may be fortified. Most commonly, calcium, fiber and vitamin D are added to foods because they're lacking in our diet, so it makes the food more valuable nutrition-wise. I think very often fortified foods are overlooked as excellent sources of nutrients."

"I'm all in favor of fortification. Before fortified foods came out, there were a ton of birth defects related to lack of folic acid. When the fortification program went into effect, those numbers dropped.

I think fortification is a huge benefit. You can get a ton of nutrients in fortified cereal or fortified bread and pasta as well. It's not the same as taking a supplement because they provide a real breadth of nutrients, like iron, zinc and folic acid."

"You could pretty much put fortified foods on par with supplements. If you take a supplement, you're supplementing your body with nutrients that the foods you're eating don't have. Having a fortified food is the same thing this food in its natural state didn't necessarily contain those particular nutrients, so they're added.

The exception to this is that certain foods are better absorbed when they're combined. The fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K need fat to be absorbed by your body. So if you're eating something fortified with these vitamins, you definitely want to have them with some fat.

If you're drinking milk fortified with vitamin D, for example, it's a good idea to choose one that has some fat in it, to help your body better take in the nutrient."

"Fortified foods are going to be better than supplements because when you're eating them, you're getting nutrients but also food that's keeping you full and satiated.

However, there's also a place for supplements. There are a lot of cracks in the American diet and on the average American's plate. It's rare that people are getting all the nutrients they need, and multivitamins can help fill the gaps.

But the rule is to first get your nutrients from food, then you could have a multivitamin as a kind of 'health insurance.'"

Fortified foods are generally superior to supplements because they provide a larger variety of vitamins and other nutrients and contribute to your daily calorie needs (and to feeling satiated). Fortified foods are safe and can be a great source of vitamins and nutrients that you may not be getting enough of otherwise, such as fiber, calcium and vitamin D.

Confused about nutrition? Get answers to more common questions in our Ask the RDs series.

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RDs Answer: Are Fortified Foods Better Than Supplements? - LIVESTRONG.COM

Supplements: What you really need – Business Mirror

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Part One

Since we all want to live a healthy lifestyle, most of us designed a daily beauty, fitness and health routines to ensure optimum health. From the very basicdrinking at least eight glasses of water, a lot of people also rely on taking supplements to make sure that they are getting the necessary nutrients they need. But do we really need to take food and health supplements?

The webmd.com shares in its web site some of the most common supplements that people take.

It helps keep your bones strong. People who have healthy levels of it may be less likely to get certain conditions, but more research is needed. Your body makes vitamin D when youre in sunshine. Its also in salmon, tuna and fortified foods. If youre low on vitamin D, your doctor may suggest a supplement. But several large studies show no benefits to otherwise healthy adults. And taking too much is bad for you.

Also called good bacteria, probiotics are found in fermented foods like yogurt, kombucha, miso, and sauerkraut. They can change the balance of good and bad bacteria in your body and may help improve digestion, soothe skin irritation, lower cholesterol, support your immune system, and more. But its not yet clear if probiotics in supplements help treat conditions, and most people dont need to take them every day.

If you know your diet isnt that healthy, can a multivitamin help you fill in the nutritional gaps? Not necessarily. Many studies have found that multivitamins dont fight memory loss, heart disease, or cancer. Meanwhile, getting too many nutrients in pill form can cause harm. Experts usually recommend food as the best source for vitamins and minerals.

Heres a vitamin you definitely want to make sure you have enough of if youre a woman whos planning to get pregnant. Getting enough folic acid can help prevent birth defects in a babys brain and spine. You need 400 micrograms (mcg) per day, and the CDC recommends taking that much in a supplement, along with whatever you get from your diet.

Fiber is in veggies, fruits, whole grains, seeds, nuts, and legumes like beans. It helps cut cholesterol, control blood sugar, and improve digestion. Women under 50 should get 25 grams a day, and men should get 38 grams. But only 5% of us hit those numbers. Taking a fiber supplement is usually safe, but ask your doctor, especially if you take medicines like aspirin. Start slowly to avoid gas and bloating, and be sure to get enough water.

Fish like salmon and sardines have healthy fats called omega-3s that can lower your risk of heart disease. If you dont eat fish, there are fish oil supplements with omega-3s, like EPA and DHA, and there are algae-based supplements. But more research is needed, because omega-3s in pills may work differently than the ones in fish. If you take a pill, the FDA says to keep the dosage to less than 2 grams per day of EPA and DHA combined.

Unless your doctor recommends it, you probably dont need a calcium supplement. Some research has linked them to a greater risk of heart disease and prostate cancer, but that link isnt clear. You can strengthen your bones with exercise like walking, tennis, dancing, and lifting weights. And fill your plate with calcium-rich foods like yogurt, almonds, dark leafy greens (for vitamin K), and fish or fortified foods for vitamin D.

Glucosamine and chondroitin, two types of arthritis supplements, are among the most popular supplements sold in the U.S. They are found naturally in human cartilage. Research on whether they can ease arthritis pain or prevent arthritis is mixed. Still, most experts say theres no harm in trying them, in case youre one of the people who gets relief from them. As with all supplements, its best to check with your doctor first. (To be continued)

Source:www.webmd.com

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Supplements: What you really need - Business Mirror

Dietary Supplements Market Size 2020 to 2026 | This Study Will Perfect your Business, Read Or Miss Out! – The RSFE News

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According to the report, published by Fortune Business Insights in a report, titled Dietary Supplements MarketSize, Share and Industry Analysis, By Form (Tablets, Capsules, Liquids, and Powders), Type (Vitamins, Minerals, Enzymes, Fatty Acids, Proteins, and Others), and Regional Forecasts, 2019 2026the market size stood at USD 45.75 Billion in 2018. The report focuses on demonstrating a complete assessment of the dietary supplements market analysis. It contains facts, thoughtful insights, historical information, industry-validated market information, and projections with a suitable set of assumptions and methodology.It offers valuable insights into all the notable developments of the market.

It shares a complete overview of all the segments and parts of the market and also provides statistical data on all the regions. It is created after extensive research followed by an all-encompassing analysis to benefit companies, stakeholders, financers, and potential investors. Moreover, it also includes product launches, acquisitions, collaborations and partnerships, and industry developments.

Some of the Major companies in the Dietary Supplements Market Include:

The global dietary supplements market size is expected to reach USD 74.14 Billion by 2026, exhibiting a CAGR of 6.34% during the forecast period. The increasing cases of diseases such as obesity and other lifestyle disorders will encourage the growth of the market in the forthcoming years. Furthermore, the enabling regulations on food and supplements by regulatory authorities such as the Food and Drug Administration of United States (FDA) will fuel demand for dietary supplements during the forecast period. For instance, in 2016, FDA stated that a definition for dietary fiber for the first time declaring that dietary fiber will be measured as any naturally occurring fibers that are intrinsic and intact in plants as well as some synthetic nondigestible carbohydrates.

FDA has also determined that it has physiological effects which can benefit human health. There are now 17 nondigestible substances that the FDA classifies as dietary fiber, and that helps reduce blood cholesterol. In addition, the USDA issued new rules concerning the nutritional content of school lunches across America. The changes would reduce the amount of fruit that schools are required to offer students for breakfast from one cup to a half cup. allowing more flexibility in the vegetables served in schools.These new rules and regulations regarding the nutritional value of the food will consequently aid the growth of the market in the foreseeable future.

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Introduction of OptUp by The Kroger Company to Promote Market Expansion

The rising awareness regarding personalized or tailor-made nutritional products is expected to escalate the market demand during the forecast period. Technological advancements and increased investment in research and development of functional foods and supplement products will ease the development of the dietary supplements market. Furthermore, the development of smartphone applications by leading companies with an aim to offer personalized product suggestions or recommendations to consumers will aid the dietary supplements market in the foreseeable future.

For instance, in July 2018, The Kroger Company, a prominent American retail company based in Ohio, introduced OptUp, an app designed to offer personalized product suggestions or recommendations to consumers. With the help of the newly launched app, customers can get their nutritional information at their fingertips.Moreover, the surge in health-conscious consumers around the world will promote the dietary supplements market trends during the forecast period, states our lead analysists at Fortune Business Insights. In addition, the rising emphasis on sports and bodybuilding will back the dietary supplements market growth.

Nurtient Deficiencies to Fuel Demand for Dietary Supplements in Asia Pacific

Asia Pacific is expected to witness high demand during the forecast period owing to the requirement for vitamins, minerals, and multivitamin supplements. The common nutrient deficiencies found in growing children, pregnant women, and the elderly will spur demand for nutritional supplements and dietary vitamin supplements, which in turn will aid the market in Asia Pacific. North America generated a revenue of USD 11.41 billion in 2018 and in 2019 USD 11.95 billion. The growth witnessed in the region is attributed to the surge in the geriatric population and increasing preventative healthcare measures. In addition, the adoption of dietary supplements will support the dietary supplements market size.

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FDA Requires Stronger Warning About Risk of Neuropsychiatric Events Associated with Asthma and Allergy Medication Singulair and Generic Montelukast -…

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For Immediate Release: March 04, 2020

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today announced that it is requiring a boxed warning the agencys most prominent warning for montelukast (sold under the brand name Singulair and in generic form) to strengthen an existing warning about the risk of neuropsychiatric events associated with the drug, which is used to treat asthma and allergic rhinitis (hay fever). The boxed warning advises health care providers to avoid prescribing montelukast for patients with mild symptoms, particularly those with allergic rhinitis.

As noted in a new Drug Safety Communication issued today, the warning follows the FDAs review of available data regarding continued reports of neuropsychiatric events with montelukast, such as agitation, depression, sleeping problems, and suicidal thoughts and actions. The Drug Safety Communication includes recommendations for health care professionals and patients and a summary of the data that led to these warnings.

We recognize that millions of Americans suffer from asthma or allergies and rely on medication to treat these conditions. The incidence of neuropsychiatric events associated with montelukast is unknown, but some reports are serious, and many patients and health care professionals are not fully aware of these risks, said Sally Seymour, M.D., director of the Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Rheumatology Products in the FDAs Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. With todays action, the FDA aims to make sure patients and medical providers have the information available to make informed treatment decisions. Importantly, there are many other safe and effective medications to treat allergies with extensive history of use and safety, such that many products are available over the counter without a prescription.

The FDA updated the product labeling in 2008 to include information about neuropsychiatric events reported with use of montelukast. In response to continued reports of suicide and other adverse events, the FDA evaluated available data regarding the risk of neuropsychiatric events, including reports submitted through the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) and observational studies in the published literature. The FDA also conducted an observational study using data in the Sentinel Distributed Database and presented the findings at an FDA advisory committee meeting in 2019.

As part of its review, the FDA re-evaluated the benefits and risks of montelukast as the treatment landscape has evolved since the drug was first approved in 1998. Based upon this assessment, the FDA determined the risks of montelukast may outweigh the benefits in some patients, particularly when the symptoms of the disease are mild and can be adequately treated with alternative therapies. For allergic rhinitis in particular, the FDA has determined that montelukast should be reserved for patients who have not responded adequately to other therapies or who cannot tolerate these therapies.

In addition to the boxed warning, the FDA is also requiring a new Medication Guide to be given to patients with each montelukast prescription.

Health care professionals and patients should report side effects from montelukast to the FDAs MedWatch program.

The FDA, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, protects the public health by assuring the safety, effectiveness, and security of human and veterinary drugs, vaccines and other biological products for human use, and medical devices. The agency also is responsible for the safety and security of our nations food supply, cosmetics, dietary supplements, products that give off electronic radiation, and for regulating tobacco products.

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Texas A&M Hagler Institute Inducts 2019-2020 Faculty Fellows, Distinguished Lecturers – Texas A&M University Today

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The Hagler Institute for Advanced Study at Texas A&M recently inducted its 2019-20 class of Hagler Fellows. Pictured front row from left: Mario Andrs Hamuy, Deirdre N. McCloskey, Sharon M. Donovan, Edwin L. Ned Thomas, and Peter W. Shor. Back row from left: Kathleen C. Howell, Luiz Davidovich, Misha Lyubich, and Hagler Institute founding director John L. Junkins. Not pictured: Peter J. Hotez and Henry Rousso.

Photo courtesy of Butch Ireland

The Hagler Institute for Advanced Study at Texas A&M University inducted nine Hagler Fellows into the 2019-20 class during its eighth annual gala on Friday, Feb. 28.

The faculty fellows are distinguished in the advancement of research in aeronautics and astronautics, astronomy, history, law, physics, mathematics, materials science and nanoengineering, nutrition and health and tropical medicine. The institute also honored its distinguished lecturers for the 2019-20 academic year.

In remarks to the 200-plus audience in the Bethancourt Grand Ballroom at the Memorial Student Center, Chancellor John Sharp of The Texas A&M University System regarded the Hagler Institute as one of the greatest ways to incorporate distinction and reach Texas A&Ms high standard for academic achievement.

The quality of the professors to come to us through the Hagler Institute for Advanced Study has been nothing short of extraordinary, Sharp said.

Texas A&M President Michael K. Young began by thanking Founding Director John Junkins for his vision and commitment to the institute. Young also thanked Jon Hagler for his generosity and dedication to excellence.

By investing in the excellence of intellectual explorers like the ones we welcome tonight, he has ensured his lasting legacy as a catalyst for groundbreaking scholarship and discovery, Young said.

Keynote speaker Norman Augustine, former chair and CEO of Lockheed Martin and current chair of the Hagler Institutes External Advisory Board, referenced the progress the Hagler Institute has made over the last decade.

Its remarkable growth has been possible by the early support of Chancellor Sharp and the continuing support of President Young as the Hagler Institute now moves into Phase 2.0, Augustine said. Their confidence and the confidence of people like this audience, along with the infinite energy and persistence of John Junkins, have turned a fragile idea into a remarkable institution.

Augustine urged the audience to actively support the work of the Hagler Institute.

Education and research are the engines that drive our economy, and our economy is the engine that, to a considerable extent, drives the quality of our lives, he said.

This years induction of Hagler Fellows includes members of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and equivalent academies around the world, bringing the total number of past and present Hagler Fellows to 70. Each fellow collaborates with one or more of Texas A&Ms colleges or schools.

The Hagler Institute also formally welcomed its Distinguished Lecturers for 2019-2020.

About the Hagler Institute for Advanced Study: The Hagler Institute for Advanced Study was established in December 2010 by The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents to build on the growing academic reputation of Texas A&M and provide a framework to attract top scholars from throughout the nation and abroad for appointments of up to a year. The selection of Faculty Fellows initiates with faculty nominations of National Academies and Nobel Prize-caliber scholars who align with existing strengths and ambitions of the University. To learn more, visit the Hagler Institute webpage.

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Here’s how nanoparticles could help us get closer to a treatment for COVID-19 – News@Northeastern

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There is no vaccine or specific treatment for COVID-19, the disease caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, or SARS-CoV-2.

Since the outbreak began in late 2019, researchers have been racing to learn more about SARS-CoV-2, which is a strain from a family of viruses known as coronavirus for their crown-like shape.

Northeastern chemical engineer Thomas Webster, who specializes in developing nano-scale medicine and technology to treat diseases, is part of a contingency of scientists that are contributing ideas and technology to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to fight the COVID-19 outbreak.

Professor and chair of the Department of Chemical Engineering Tom Webster. Photo by Adam Glanzman/Northeastern University

The idea of using nanoparticles, Webster says, is that the virus behind COVID-19 consists of a structure of a similar scale as his nanoparticles. At that scale, matter is ultra-small, about ten thousand times smaller than the width of a single strand of hair.

Webster is proposing particles of similar sizes that could attach to SARS-CoV-2 viruses, disrupting their structure with a combination of infrared light treatment. That structural change would then halt the ability of the virus to survive and reproduce in the body.

You have to think in this size range, says Webster, Art Zafiropoulo Chair of chemical engineering at Northeastern. In the nanoscale size range, if you want to detect viruses, if you want to deactivate them.

Finding and neutralizing viruses with nanomedicine is at the core of what Webster and other researchers call theranostics, which focuses on combining therapy and diagnosis. Using that approach, his lab has specialized in nanoparticles to fight the microbes that cause influenza and tuberculosis.

Its not just having one approach to detect whether you have a virus and another approach to use it as a therapy, he says, but having the same particle, the same approach, for both your detection and therapy.

SARS-CoV-2 spreads mostly through tiny droplets of viral particlesfrom breathing, talking, sneezing, coughingthat enter the body through the eyes, mouth, or nose. Preliminary research also suggests that those germs may survive for days when they attach themselves to countertops, handrails, and other hard surfaces.

Thats one reason to make theranostics with nanoparticles the focus of the COVID-19 outbreak, Webster says.

Nanoparticles can disable these pathogens even before they break into the body, as they hold on to different objects and surfaces. His lab has developed materials that can be sprayed on objects to form nanoparticles and attack viruses.

Even if it was on a surface, on someones countertop, or an iPhone, he says. It doesnt mean anything because its not the active form of that virus.

That same technology can be fine-tuned and tweaked to target a wide range of viruses, bacteria, and other pathogens. Unlike other novel drugs with large molecular structures, nanoparticles are so small that they can move through our body without disrupting other functions, such as those of the immune system.

Almost like a surveyor, they can go around your bloodstream, Webster says. They can survey your body much easier and under much longer times and try and detect viruses.

To do all that, the CDC needs to know the specifics about what kind of structure is needed to neutralize SARS-CoV-2, Webster says. That information isnt public yet.

You have to identify what we need to put in our nanoparticle to attract it to that virus, he says. The CDC must know that, because theyve developed a kit that can determine if you have [COVID-19], versus influenza, or something else.

An alternative to nanomedicine is producing synthetic molecules. But Webster says that tactic presents some challenges. In the case of chemotherapies used to treat cancer cells, such synthetic drugs can cause severe side effects that kill cancer cells, as well as other cells in the body.

The same thing could be happening with synthetic chemistry to treat a virus, where molecules are killing a lot more than just that virus, Webster says.

Still, Webster acknowledges that there arent many researchers focusing on nanoparticles to kill viruses.

One of the main reasons for the lack of those solutions is that the same benefits that make nanoparticles ideal to fight infectious diseases also make them a concern for the U.S. Federal Drug Administration.

Because of their size, nanoparticles are pervasive (too pervasive, maybe) to seep through other parts of the body. To reduce that risk, Websters lab has focused on using iron oxide. Particles of that make up entail chemistry that is already natural to our bodies and diets.

Even if you have a viral infection, you need more iron, because you could be anemic depending on how bad the infection is, Webster says. Were actually developing these nanoparticles out of chemistries that can help your health.

And, he says, iron-based nanoparticles could be directed with magnetic fields to target specific organs in the body, such as lungs and other areas susceptible to respiratory complications after contracting viral infections. That too, Webster says, is something that you couldnt do with a novel synthetic molecule.

Really, what this all means is that we just have to do the studies to show those iron nanoparticles are not going into the brain or the kidney, Webster says, that these nanoparticles are going exactly where you want them to go to the virus.

For media inquiries, please contact Shannon Nargi at s.nargi@northeastern.edu or 617-373-5718.

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Smart Materials May Find New Option with Light-Powered Micromotor – ENGINEERING.com

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Smart Materials May Find New Option with Light-Powered MicromotorJeffrey Heimgartner posted on March 04, 2020 | Researchers have developed a 5mm micromotor powered by light.

When it comes to converting energy into movement, rotary motors have proven their worth. As new innovations and technology continue to get smaller in size, miniaturizing these kinds of motors has been a focus for researchers at the University of Warsaw. Working with colleagues from the Department of Mathematical Sciences at Xian Jiaotong-Liverpool University in Suzhou, China, the Institute of Applied Physics at Military University of Technology in Warsaw, and the Centre of Polymer and Carbon Materials of Polish Academy of Sciences in Zabrze, Poland, the team developed a micromotor powered by light that could potentially make it easier to miniaturize other components.

Movie of the 5.5 mm diameter micromotor, driven by a rotating laser beam. (Source: UW Physics, Mikoaj Rog)

Despite low speed, around one rotation per minute, our motor allows us to look at the micromechanics of intelligent soft materials from a different perspective and gives food for thought when it comes to their potential use, said Klaudia Dradrach, Photonic Nanostructure Facility.

A 5mm diameter micromotor rotor, made of specially oriented polymer film, fits on a pencil tip. (Image courtesy of the University of Warsaw, Piotr Wasylczyk.)

Since LCEs are considered a smart material, which can be fabricated in a multitude of ways and sizes, the new motor could open doors for new innovations. The new motor, along with the right orientation of the LCEs, could help power and control robotic components with light. It also has the potential to change how wearable smart materials could be made and operate.

With the success of their current micromotor, the researchers are now focusing their efforts on light-controlled microtools and long-range linear actuators.

Interested in more ways tiny innovations are set to make a big difference? Check out Nanoparticles Pave the Way for a Million-Mile EV Battery and Composite Enhancing Nano-Barrier Could Change Spacecraft Construction.

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Chemistry’s Mahsa Lofti-Marchoobeh Wins Three Minute Thesis Final – University of Arkansas Newswire

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Photo submitted by the Office of Graduate Student Support.

Mahsa Lotfi-Marchoobeh delivers her 3MT presentation to the audience.

Mahsa Lotfi-Marchoobeh is the winner of the University of Arkansas Three Minute Thesis competition. She earned the top prize for her presentation A Miniaturized Neural Probe for Detection of Chemicals in the Brain.

As the top finisher, Lotfi-Marchoobeh won $750 and entry to the Conference of Southern Graduate Schools' regional Three Minute Thesis contest.

Lotfi-Marchoobeh is a doctoral student in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and is advised by Ingrid Fritsch. In the regional contest Lotfi-Marchoobeh will compete against roughly 80 students from universities across the Southern Region. The contest will be held March7 in Birmingham, Alabama.

Abass Oduola and Firuze Kordshuli tied for the People's Choice award, voted on by members of the audience. They each won $500 for their presentations. Oduola, a cell and molecular biology doctoral student advised by Griffiths Atungulu, presented Impact of Selected Infrared Wavelengths on Inactivation of Microbes on Rough Rice. Kordshuli presented Incorporation of Cu-SIO2 Nano Particles in PDA/PTFE Thin Films, as part of her doctoral research in mechanical engineering with advisor Min Zou.

Lotfi-Marchoobeh, Oduola and Kordshuli were three of five students who earned a spot in the University of Arkansas final. Each student booked their spot in the final by winning contests in their academic colleges in February.

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UA developing wearable technology to measure sweat ‘biomarkers’ – Tucson Local Media

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Researchers at the University of Arizona are developing wearable technology to analyze sweat, which may remove the need to draw blood to learn about the bodys functions in multiple situations.

The project is funded by an 18-month, $519,000 grant from the SEMI Nano-Bio Materials Consortium. The project falls at the crossroads of multiple academic fields, including engineering, chemistry and medicine, and has two main goals: develop a patch to reliably collect the sweat, and develop a biochemistry sensor to analyze the sweat.

When physicians take blood samples, the blood is tested for "biomarkers" which are indicators of medical phenomena like disease or infection. Sweat contains its own index of biomarkers, and collecting it presents a unique series of challenges and advantages.

No matter what molecule you measure in sweat, you need to determine how it relates to the physiological status of the individual, says co-investigator Esther Sternberg, who serves as research director for the Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine and UA professor of medicine. In order to measure the status of the immune system without stressing an individual, one needed to get at immune molecules in a different way than drawing blood, because if you draw blood you need to stick a needle in a person, and thats a stressor If youre trying to understand how the stress response affects the immune response, you need to have a noninvasive, unobtrusive way of measuring the status of the immune response.

Sternberg began working with biomarkers in sweat 20 years ago while working at National Institutes of Health. She says one of the reasons she was drawn to the UA was because of interdisciplinary research projects such as this.

Part of understanding biomarkers in sweat involves using a sweat correlation lab where subjects use exercise bikes to have their sweat collected in a controlled environment.

Were able to relate the levels of the different biomarkers to the exact amount of stress that their bodies are experiencing because we correlate them with heart rate, heart rate variability, breathing and other well-standardized methods to accurately measure the activity of the brain and bodys stress response, Sternberg says. Just measuring the molecules is just the tip of the iceberg, you need to correlate them with all these different measures of the status of the physiological stress response in order to understand what they mean and have actionable results.

One of the first hurdles is how to accurately and quickly collect the sweat. According to project principal investigator Erin Ratcliff, a materials science and engineering professor and head of the UA Laboratory for Interface Science of Printable Electronic Materials, the obvious idea to collect sweat would be to make a patch to gather information from multiple pores at once. However, this means waiting for the space between the patch and skin to fill up with sweat, and during that time, the molecules and biomarkers can chemically change, altering important information.

Ratcliff became involved in this project five years ago, and her role is to convert the biomarkers into an electronic signal that devices use. Current wearable technologies, such as a FitBit, measure bodily data like EKG and heart rate, but dont measure the molecules behind the stress responses, such as cortisol or neuropeptide Y.

Part of the project uses a virtual sweat sensing lab which is a computer simulation that allows researchers to input information about biomarkers, printable materials and device architectures to determine what the output of a sensor would be before they ever make it.

The prototypes that will come out of this 18-month project will be laboratory level with the idea that the components will lead to a product stream for a particular company, but were not going to make thousands of them, Ratcliff says.

While Sternberg says measuring sweat has a tremendous and very wide applicability to many different diseases, it will not completely remove the need to draw blood.

Youre getting information from two different compartments of the body; the blood tells you whats going on in the blood and circulatory system, and sweat tells you whats going on in the tissues and peripheral nervous system I believe this will enhance information and give you information that is not present when you only measure molecules in blood, Sternberg says. Ultimately there may be circumstances in which collecting sweat and collecting molecules from sweat will replace the need to measure the molecules in blood, and in other cases to get a full picture of whats happening in the body, you may need to measure sweat, blood, saliva, urine and on and on.

The U.S. Department of Defense measures "technology readiness" throughout nine levels. According to Ratcliff, the team is aiming for the technology to be at level four at the end of this project. Technology Readiness Level Four means that "basic technological components are integrated to establish that they will work together.

This speaks to the importance of academe and industry working together in an unbiased way, together with federal agencies, to solve complex problems which cant be solved only on the academic side or only on the industry side, Sternberg says. This is an interdisciplinary, multi-college collaboration with an engineer of materials science in Erin Ratcliff, a chemist Ray Runyon, and myself a physician When youre talking about cutting-edge, frontier science, that is the way science has to be done.

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NASA-funded professor charged with hiding Chinese university ties – The College Fix

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Affiliation noted on Chinese university website, research papers, patent applications

A professor kept working for a Chinese university after being hired by the University of Tennessee-Knoxville and failed to disclose the relationship, even after he applied for tenure, according to a federal indictment.

Anming Hu, associate professor in the Department of Mechanical, Aerospace and Biomedical Engineering, was arrested last week andcharged with three counts each of wire fraud and making false statements, the Justice Department said. The university says it has suspended him.

The most serious allegations against Hu stem from his acceptance of funding from NASA while semi-covertly working for Beijing University of Technology, which would violate federal law on NASA funding restrictions. The Knoxville News Sentinel reports:

In 2016, Hu prepared a proposal to work on a NASA-funded project and was informed by a UT employee of the funding restrictions surrounding Chinese companies and universities.

Still, Hu continued to seek and receiveNASA funds for research projects, the indictment states. Later that year, UT submitted aproposal for Hu called, Nanobrazing stainless steel containers for breaking the chain-of-contact (BTC) Mars Sample Return Mission, and in 2018, the university submitted one called,Printed metallic sensors based on 3D printing and laser sintering of nanoinks.

Hu worked on those two projects, for which NASA shelled out $105,000, according to the indictment.

The charges against Hu stem from emails and invoices sent in connection to those projects.

Hu hid his employment with the Beijing university even before UTK hired him in 2013, leaving his position with its Institute of Laser Engineering off his application, according to the indictment. He allegedly checked no on UTK forms that asked him if he worked for any organization or business entity other than UTK.

Yet his name and Beijing university affiliation showed up in multiple public places the university website, at least six published research papers and a dozen patent applications filed in China:

Hu also supervised graduate students in the Institute of Laser Engineering,worked on projectssponsored by the Chinese government and remotely oversawthe operation of a lab in Beijing.

My group there is focusing on super-resolution nano manufacturing and printable electronics, Hu wrote in an email to a U.S. professor in 2017.

The Justice Department said Hu is facing up to 75 years in prison and $750,000 fines if convicted on all counts.

Read the Justice statement and News Sentinel report.

h/t Inside Higher Ed

MORE: Prosecutors call Harvard department chair a secret Chinese agent

IMAGE: AlexLMX/Shutterstock

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Devro lifted by confidence over growth in 2020 – Proactive Investors UK

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Devro PLC (LON:DVO) shot up 7% to 157.4p as it said it expects to achieve good progress in 2020 with volume growth in all its markets.

The producer of sausage casings added that cost savings will more than offset cost pressures due to inflation.

In the year to 31 December, it swung to a 21mln loss before tax, from a 17mln profit in 2018, due to closure of a UK facility and non-cash impairment charges related to US and Chinese plants.

TT Electronics plc (LON:TTG) advanced 9% to 208p as the majority of its operations in Asia have restarted after closing to prevent the coronavirus from spreading.

The manufacturer of electronic components has three facilities in China and one in Hong Kong, accounting for 25% of its total revenues.

The company said the closures will hit this years profits by 3mln.

Edenville Energy PLC dipped 2% to 0.044p on Wednesday afternoon as it expects further disruption at its Rukwa mine in Tanzania if the rains continue.

The AIM-listed coal producer said it expects to start mining from the northern area of the project during this month, as the ramp-up in production continues.

The plant is taking material from the 6,000-tonne stockpile established last month which needs to be replenished.

Fellow miner Condor Gold PLC (LON:CNR) was doing much better, rising 9% to 31.75p.

The AIM-listed firm said results from mining dilution studies supporting a 1,000 tonnes per day production feed at the La India project in Nicaragua.

Management said it could be possible by establishing a small plant or a toll milling agreement.

Amigo Holdings PLC (LON:AMGO) jumped 11% to 43.99p inearly afternoon trade as it announced that its founder James Benamor has resigned with immediate effect.

Benamor forced his way back on to the board at the guarantor loans lender in December after resigning post-float in 2018.

Amigo embarked in a transformation programme in August and recently was given some feedback from theFinancial Conduct Authority over areas for improvement, such as increasing the explanation of key information provided to potential guarantors and disclosure on the likelihood that guarantors could be called to make payments.

Meanwhile, Haydale Graphene Industries PLC (LON:HAYD) surged 11% to 1.75p after it said its graphene nano-platelets have been incorporated into a cosmetic face mask recently launched by South Korean firm iCraft.

The masks will utilise the thermal and electrical conductivity of graphene to help the skin absorb its contents.

The AIM-listed firm said thatwhile the initial volume of graphene required to meet early-stage demand may not be significant, the deal marked a significant step-change in the use of the material.

Attraqt Group PLC (LON:ATQT) slid 18% to 32p as its full-year loss before tax widened by 38% to 4mln due to higher staff, research and development costs.

The e-commerce solutions provider said it still expects double-digit growth in its 2020 annual recurring revenue.

Elsewhere, Hostelworld Group PLC (LON:HSW) shed 10% to 94.6p after warning the coronavirus outbreak could hit its quarterly earnings by 4mln.

The budget accommodation provider said trading since late-January had been challenged by the outbreak with a significant impact on global travel demand, particularly within Asia and Europe.

As the coronavirus has spread from region to region, we have observed a material reduction in bookings and an increase in marketing cost as a percentage of net revenue, the company said.

Urban Exposure PLC (LON:UEX) shot up 10% to 64.98p mid-morning after confirming it is in exclusive discussions with Pollen Street Capital following media speculation.

The finance provider to property developers is looking to offload its loan book to Pollen Street, while the existing executive team would buy its asset management business.

If all goes ahead, the firmwill de-list from AIM and return 73p per share to its shareholders.

Meanwhile, Oncimmune Holdings PLC (LON:ONC) jumped 8% to 88p after praising its US partner Biodesix for exceeding expectations.

The two firms have agreed to sell Oncimmunes diagnostic kit EarlyCDT Lung alongside Biodesixs Notify XL2.

They will be offered via a national sales force plugged directly into pulmonologists and, corporately, into national hospital systems.

In the chemicals industry, Itaconix PLC (LON:ITX) advanced 7% to 1.66p on the back of a joint development agreementfor a biodegradable packaging venture.

According to the deal, the unnamed partner will evaluate the use of Itaconix's BIO*Asterix line of functional additives in new biodegradable packaging solutions.

Itaconix said that if the efforts are successful it will produce and supply one or more BIO*Asterix additives for the partner to use in its product range.

Proactis Holdings PLC (LON:PHD) was a bigearly faller on Wednesday, crashing 38% lower to 29p as it revealed it is no longer up for sale.

The business e-commerce solutions provider announced a formal sale process last July but said today that it did not lead to any firm proposals.

The company has now committed to make a series of changes to keep shareholders happy, including the annual re-election of directors.

Similarly, Nanoco Group PLC (LON:NANO) shares tanked 36% to 16p as it said it has not received a formal acquisition offer after months of discussions.

The nano-materials firm, however, said it is still engaging with a number of parties hoping someone will pop the question.

The firm added it continues to review all strategic options including additional funding.

Meanwhile, Intu Properties PLC(LON:INTU) dropped 26% to 7.91p as the shopping centres firm revealed it hasfailed to raise the 1bn-1.5bn lifeline it hadhoped for.

The real estate group said in January that it was in talks with investors, but noted today that many of them were not willing to dish out the money in such an uncertain market.

The firm said other options are being explored, including alternative capital structures and asset disposals, after several expressions of interest.

Sirius Minerals PLC (LON:SXX) is set to be acquired by Anglo American Plc(LON:AAL) for 405mln after its offer was approved at yesterday's shareholder meeting. Over 1,300 investors cast their vote on Tuesday with 80.28% in favour. The offer needed 75% approval to go ahead.

Itaconix PLC (LON:ITX) has inked a joint development agreement for a biodegradable packaging venture. The agreement envisages a collaboration to evaluate the use of Itaconix's BIO*Asterix line of functional additives in new biodegradable packaging solutions.

Haydale Graphene Industries PLCs (LON:HAYD) graphene nano-platelets have been incorporated into a cosmetic face mask recently launched by South Korean firm iCraft. The company said the masks will utilise the thermal and electrical conductivity of graphene to help the skin absorb its contents.

Oncimmune Holdings PLC (LON:ONC) chief executive Adam Hill has heaped praise on the companys American partner following the launch of its lung diagnostic into the worlds largest healthcare market. Biodesix Inc exceeded our expectations, Hill said. Oncimmunes EarlyCDT Lung test will be sold in the US as Notify Lung for use by doctors in identifying nodules at high risk of lung cancer.

SDX Energy PLC (LON:SDX) told investors that the BMK-1 exploration well has encountered commercial quantities of gas in two targeted horizons. BMK-1 was described previously as a play-opening well and the result confirms that the core productive area in Morocco extends north, de-risking some 20bn cubic feet of prospective gas resources. The result is expected to significantly extend the life of resources.

BATM Advanced Communications Ltd (LON:BVC) has seen earnings double in 2019 after what its chief executive said was a great performance in the second half. For the year ended 31 December, the networking tech and bio-medical firm reported earnings (EBITDA) of US$9.8mln, up from US$4.9mln in 2018, while revenues rose to US$123.4mln from US$119.6mln. Adjusted operating profit, meanwhile, was up to US$5.3mln from US$2.6mln.

Allergy Therapeutics PLC (LON:AGY) has made a steady start to the financial year, according to its chief executive Manuel Llobet with revenue and profit up, respectively, by 9% and 10% backed by a strong operational performance. Turnover for the six months to December 31 advanced to 50.5mln from 46.7mln as the firm reported good growth across the product portfolio and a small gain in European market share.

Xpediator PLC (LON:XPD) has taken out a 20-year lease on a new 200,000 sq ft distribution centre at Southampton's container port. The opening of this new facility will take the freight companys UK warehousing capability to approximately 700,000 sq ft with the new distribution centre scheduled to be built in 2021.

Argo Blockchain PLC (LON:ARB) has reported a 56% increase in monthly income from its Bitcoin mining operation while also completing a capacity expansion ahead of schedule. In a monthly update, the cryptomining firm said it had mined around 337.5 Bitcoin equivalent in February, a 37% increase on Januarys figure, generating revenues of 2.54mln compared to 1.63mln in the prior month.

Tekcapital PLC (LON:TEK) revealed that its portfolio company, Salarius Ltd. has signed an agreement with iLevel Brands Inc as part of the launch of North American sales of its new SaltMe! full flavour-low sodium snack line. The UK intellectual property investment group which is focused on creating marketplace value from investing in university technology - said the agreement, combined with a previously announced distribution agreement, will expand Salarius' market penetration and brand awareness for its new potato chip snack line with retail brand placements across the entire East Coast, Midwest and Southwest geographic areas of the United States.

Seeing Machines Limited (LON:SEE) has appointed Stifel Nicolaus Europe Limited as its joint broker with immediate effect to assist in broadening the groups investor base across North America. The advanced computer vision technology company, which designs AI-powered operator monitoring systems to improve transport safety, said Stifels appointment follows a successful introduction to US-based investors in New York in January.

Condor Gold PLC (LON:CNR) has published a low-capex, high-grade open pit mining scenario based on updated mining dilution studies for the La India Gold Project, located in Nicaragua. These dilution studies have demonstrated that Condor Gold could use a selective mining approach to focus on mining lower-volumes of high-grade mineralisation, reducing the size of the required plant and as a result reducing the amount of capex required to build the plant. Alternatively, the focus on high-grade mineralisation could support a toll treatment operation with a nearby plant owned by another operator.

PCF Group Plc (LON:PCF), the AIM-listed specialist bank, has advised that given the current concerns surrounding travel the bank will be offering shareholders the option of viewing the its forthcoming AGM remotely via an online video stream. The group said this does not affect any of the other arrangements for the AGM, which will take place as previously announced at 1 Cornhill, London EC3V 3ND on Friday 6th March 2020 at 10.00am, and to which shareholders remain welcome to attend in person.

Ergomed PLC (LON:ERGO), a company focused on providing specialised services to the pharmaceutical industry, will announce its preliminary results for the year ending 31 December 2019 on 25 March 2020. The group added that Miroslav Reljanovi, its executive chairman, Richard Barfield, chief financial officer and Lewis Cameron, chief operating officer will host a presentation and conference call for analysts at 9.30am GMT on the day of the results at the offices of Numis, 10 Paternoster Square, London EC4M 7LT.

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Devro lifted by confidence over growth in 2020 - Proactive Investors UK

Astronomers spot the universe’s biggest known explosion – Astronomy Magazine

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A black hole about 390 million light-years away has caused the biggest eruption ever seen in the universe.

The supermassive black hole sits at the center of a galaxy located in the Ophiuchus galaxy cluster. Its eruption was about five times greater than the last record-holder.

Black holes suck up matter that comes close to them, but they often expel matter as well. When matter falls toward the black hole, itssometimes redirected into beams or jets that blast into space and slam into surrounding material.

Suspicions of an explosion arose in 2016 when NASAs Chandra X-ray Observatory reported evidence there was an unusual curved edge in the Ophiuchus cluster. Scientists thought such a structure could be carved out by the jets from the supermassive black hole, but only if there was a massive explosion of unprecedented magnitude. And the 2016 study couldnt confirm whether that was the case.

But then followed the radio evidence: A new team of scientists looked at the cluster with radio telescopes and their data showed the same curved edge. Based on their observations, the edge is the boundary of a cavity in the hot gas filling the cluster, which could only have been cleared out by an intense blast from a supermassive black hole.

The radio data fit inside the X-rays like a hand in a glove, Maxim Markevitch, a co-author of the paper, said in a NASA press release. This is the clincher that tells us an eruption of unprecedented size occurred here.

Ultimately, the discovery used data from a number of instruments including Chandra, the European Space Agencys X-ray observatory, XMM-Newton, the Murchison Widefield Array in Australia, and the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope in India.

The eruption is no longer going on, according to the researchers, as the radio data dont show any evidence of current jets, which most likely ran out of fuel for growth. A paper with the findings was published February 27 in the Astrophysical Journal.

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Astronomers spot the universe's biggest known explosion - Astronomy Magazine

Astronomy student discovers 17 new planets – New York Post

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Finding new planets lurking in space isnt as hard as it used to be, but that doesnt mean its not a challenge. High-tech instruments like NASAs Kepler Space Telescope have provided researchers with a wealth of data that can be mined for new discoveries. University of British Columbia student Michelle Kunimoto did just that and now has 17 brand new planets to her name.

Kunimoto, a PhD candidate, is the lead author of a new paper published in The Astronomical Journal that describes the 17 new planets in rough detail. We dont know much about them, but at least one of them is approximately Earth-sized and is thought to be rocky, just like our own planet.

Many of the 17 planets are quite large and are thought to be mostly gas. There are lots and lots of gas planets out there, but finding smaller, rocky worlds has proven more difficult for astronomers. The planet now labeled KIC-7340288 b is around 50 percent larger than Earth and it happens to be in the so-called Goldilocks zone of its star, meaning that it may be warm enough on its surface to support liquid water.

This planet is about a thousand light years away, so were not getting there anytime soon! Kunimoto said in a statement. But this is a really exciting find since there have only been 15 small, confirmed planets in the Habitable Zone found in Kepler data so far.

The discoveries were made using a technique that has become popular amongst exoplanet hunters in which the light of a star is observed closely for changes in brightness. When a stars brightness temporarily fades, it indicates something passing in front of the star, from Earths perspective. These passes, called transits, can tell astronomers a surprising amount about the objects orbiting a star.

Details such as how long it takes the planet to complete an orbit and how much light it blocks as it passes in front of the star offer clues to its size and orbit. Astronomers can make a few assumptions based on that data and paint a clearer picture of what is lurking out in the cosmos.

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Astronomy student discovers 17 new planets - New York Post

‘We put everything into it.’ Modest telescope could have big impact on Turkish science – Science Magazine

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A new telescope, under construction on a 3170-meter mountaintop in eastern Turkey, is expected to come online next year.

By Umar FarooqMar. 4, 2020 , 2:05 PM

International megaprojects that cost well over $1 billion generate most of the excitement in observational astronomy today: the 39-meter Extremely Large Telescope under construction in Chile, for example, or the Thirty Meter Telescope, controversial because of its proposed location on Mauna Kea, a mountain sacred to some Native Hawaiians.

But smaller telescopes still do cutting-edge science as well. And Turkish scientists are eagerly awaiting the completion of the new Eastern Anatolia Observatory (DAG), a 4-meter optical and infrared telescope expected to come online next year. Its main structure is scheduled to be shipped to the site, a 3170-meter mountaintop in northeastern Turkey, this month; polishing and grinding of the primary mirror is nearly done.

Despite its modest $34 million price tag, DAG will be one of Asias largest optical telescopes and Turkeys largest science project. Its developers hope DAG will make Turkey a regional astronomy hub and help nurture its astronomy community. We are dreaming of using the instruments on DAG, says Ozgur Basturk, an exoplanet scientist at Ankara University. With a 4-meter telescope, we can do much better and be more competitive in our field.

Turkeys largest telescope today is a 1.5-meter reflector near the city of Antalya on the Mediterranean coast. The new facility will sit well above haze and humidity and far from urban light pollution, and enjoy 288 clear nights per year on average. Its design and construction, financed by the Turkish government, has involved scientists at 40 universities in the region, along with European academic and industrial partners. Its not a 40-meter telescope of course, says Laurent Jolissaint of the University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Western Switzerland, the projects lead optical engineer, but we put everything into it. The optics system is the same essentially as the very newest systems. DAG will be run by the Astrophysics Research and Application Center at Atatrk University in Erzurum, a city in eastern Turkey.

Turkish scientists have little access to the worlds largest telescopes. The European Southern Observatory (ESO) in Chile, for instance, prioritizes observing time for projects led by scientists from the 16 nations that have helped pay for the facility and contribute to its 162 million annual budget. In principle, anyone can apply to use these telescopes, but the competition is very high, so the research quality [of your proposals] should be high, says astronomer Sinan Alis of Istanbul University. You have to somehow reach that level to be able to compete. In 2010, Turkish astronomers began to lobby their government to apply for ESO membership, but they gave up a few years ago, their hopes dashed by Turkeys economic crisis. (Another developing country, Brazil, dropped its membership bid last year because it could not afford 270 million in fees over the next decade.)

Unable to make observations themselves, many Turkish astronomers fall back on archival data from large telescopes that have already been picked over by other astronomers, who can take years to release them. Some Turkish astronomers have struck up collaborations with teams from ESO member countries, but even then, getting travel funded is often difficult.

Thats why the new telescope will be such a boon, Basturk saysfor instance, for his exoplanet research. DAG will allow him to use one of the standard strategies for hunting exoplanets: monitoring stars for a wobbling motion that results from the gravitational tug of an orbiting planet. But like other premier telescopes, DAG will also have a coronagraph, an instrument that masks bright stars to remove their glare so that dim planets orbiting them can be imaged directly. New technology will enable the coronagraph to block multiple stars at the same time, needed to hunt for exoplanets in star systems that, unlike our own, have two stars or more.

DAGs large aperture will enable it to capture light from distant, faint objects like high redshift galaxies, allowing astronomers to probe far back into the universes history. Thats important for Alis, who hopes to use DAG to follow up on data from the Spektr-RG space observatory, a Russian-German satellite launched last year to map the x-ray sky. Many objects can produce x-rays, from black holes at the centers of galaxies to smaller black holes or neutron stars consuming mass from a companion star. We need to follow up with optical and infrared to see what they actually are, Alis said.

In an ironic twist, DAG officials say astronomers from several European countries have shown interest in Turkeys new observatory, despite their access to ESOs megatelescopes, drawn by the locationthere are few others in the Northern Hemisphere at that longitudeand affordable observation time. We envision DAG as an international observatory, says the projects director, Cahit Yeilyaprak of Atatrk University. We do not have a preference about the origin of the proposals, as long as the best science cases are proposed and conducted.

But the biggest impact will be in Turkey itself. Designing the telescope has already pushed science in other fields. For instance, dozens of optical, mechanical, and computer engineers helped design the telescopes adaptive optics system, which will sharpen its images, and its derotator, a device that keeps the telescope trained on the same spot as the Earth rotates. These are big deals for a developing country, Yeilyaprak says. And the telescope itself will invigorate Turkish astronomy, Alis says. Once we have the telescope, the expertise will pop up.

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'We put everything into it.' Modest telescope could have big impact on Turkish science - Science Magazine

The Sky This Week from February 28 to March 8 – Astronomy Magazine

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Thursday, March 5One of the skys most familiar constellations rules March evenings from dusk until around midnight local time. Orion the Hunter appears at its highest in the south as darkness falls but grows more prominent once twilight fades away. If youve watched Orion over the years, you might notice that it doesnt look quite the same now. Ruddy Betelgeuse, which marks one of the Hunters shoulders, is a mere shadow of its normal self. Fortunately, the red supergiant star has started to rebound from its historic low of magnitude 1.6 during Februarys second week. It already has brightened by 0.1 to 0.2 magnitude, and astronomers expect it to continue this trend until it reaches its normal brightness of around magnitude 0.6

Friday, March 6One of the skys largest asterisms a recognizable pattern of stars separate from a constellations form occupies center stage on March evenings. To trace the so-called Winter Hexagon, start with southern Orions luminary, Rigel. From there, the hexagon makes a clockwise loop. The second stop is brilliant Sirius in Canis Major. Next, pick up Procyon in the faint constellation Canis Minor, then the twins Castor and Pollux in Gemini, followed by Capella in Auriga, Aldebaran in Taurus, and finally back to Rigel.

Saturday, March 7Venus gleams in the western sky after sunset. The brilliant planet stands out just a half-hour after sundown, when it stands nearly 40 above the horizon, and it is still 25 high once darkness fully settles in. Venus remains on display until after 9:30 p.m. local time. Shining at magnitude 4.3, it is by far the brightest point of light in the night sky. A telescope reveals the planets disk, which spans 20" and appears 60 percent lit. And as a bonus, Venus serves as a guide to the solar systems seventh planet, Uranus, tonight and tomorrow night. Because the distant world glows feebly at magnitude 5.9, youll need binoculars or a telescope to spot it. Once the sky grows dark tonight, center Venus in the field of view and then search for Uranus 2.2 to its southeast (to the left when viewed from mid-northern latitudes). Dont confuse the ice giant world with a similarly bright star even closer to Venus. Uranus lies about twice as far from Venus as that star. You can remove any doubt by targeting the objects through a telescope. Only Uranus will show a 3.4"-diameter disk and conspicuous blue-green color.

Sunday, March 8Venus and Uranus appear equally as close this evening as they did yesterday, though their relative positions have changed. Tonight, Uranus lies just a bit east of due south (to the lower left) of Venus. By the way, the actual conjunction between these two planets occurs at 11 a.m. EDT tomorrow, but the two will stand 2.6 apart by the time darkness falls.

For most people in the United States and Canada, daylight saving time begins at 2 a.m. local time this morning. Set your clocks ahead one hour.

Neptune is in conjunction with the Sun at 8 a.m. EDT. The distant planet is hopelessly lost in the solar glare but will return to view before dawn in late April.

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The Sky This Week from February 28 to March 8 - Astronomy Magazine