Golden State Is One Win Away From Immortality, And The Cavs Can’t Do Anything About It – UPROXX

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Cleveland did everything right for 44 minutes and 52 seconds. The teams gameplan was working to perfection. LeBron James was doing all the stuff that makes you go I am glad I am alive to watch him play basketball. Kyrie Irving was throwing up H-O-R-S-E shots that went in despite the fact that he was hoisting them up from impossible angles. Kevin Love wasnt scoring (he went 1-for-9 for nine points), but it didnt matter, because he was rebounding (13 on the night) and forcing turnovers (six steals). Besides, J.R. Smith and Kyle Korver combined to drop 24, so Loves off night wasnt a killer.

It didnt matter. Nothing matters. Well, thats a lie. The only thing that matters is that Golden State has assembled a team that no one can beat at the very least, no team as currently assembled can beat them in a seven-game series.

Over the final three minutes and eight seconds of the game, Cleveland did not score. Golden State scored a lot. By the time the final buzzer sounded, the Warriors won, 118-113. Heres the win probability chart.

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Golden State Is One Win Away From Immortality, And The Cavs Can't Do Anything About It - UPROXX

Probiotics Conferences | Europe | Asia | USA | Middle East …

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Market Analysis

Summary

Probiotics are live microorganisms that are deliberated to have health benefits. Products which are sold as probiotics include foods (such as yogurt), dietary supplements, and products that are not used orally, such as skincreams. Popular probiotic products existing in the market include Amway Nutrilite Fiber, Herbalife Activated Fiber, HealthAid Acidophilus plus 4 Billion, Zenith Nutrition Probiotic Immune etc. Although more research is needed, there is an encouraging evidence that probiotics may help treat diarrhoea, especially following treatment with certain antibiotics, prevent and treat vaginal yeast infections and urinary tract infections, treat irritable bowel syndrome, speed treatment of certain intestinal infections, prevent or reduce the severity of colds and flu. Side effects due to probiotics are rare and most healthy adults can safely add foods that contain prebiotics and probiotics to their diets for better health and strong immune system.

Importance and scope

Probiotics food & beverages had the highest penetration in 2015, and this trend is expected to continue over the next eight years. Differentiated product portfolio and continued innovation in the sector are the primary reasons for this scenario.

Probiotics are finding acceptance in applications such as skin health. Development of proprietary formulation techniques is undertaken by companies to cater to customized needs.

Asia Pacific is expected to witness the highest growth of 7.7% over the next eight years. High population density and percentage of the youth population in countries such as India coupled with rising disposable income are expected to contribute to the market growth.

A major part of market share is held by very few companies. Companies are trying innovative techniques for customer engagement. Mergers & acquisitions are carried out to increase regional presence as well as market share.

Industry participants majorly include Chr. Hansen Holding A/S, Danone, Yakult Honsha Co., Ltd., Nestle, Probi AB, Danisco A/S, Lallemand Inc., and Arla Foods, Inc.

Probiotics Market

The global market of probiotics ingredients, supplements, and foods reached nearly $23.1 billion in 2012. This market is expected to grow to nearly $27.1 billion in 2013 and $36.7 billion in 2018 with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.2% over the five-year period from 2013 to 2018 with further projections determined to exceed US $63 billion by 2022, driven by growing clinical evidence supporting the effectiveness of probiotics in general health maintenance and disease treatment. Probiotic therapy is growing in polularity in the treatment of lactose intolerance, lipid metabolism, oxalte metabolism, inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), ulcerative colitits, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), eczema, allergic rhinitis, infectious diarrhea, necrotizing enterocolitis and helicobacter pylori.Japan, Europe and the United States represents major market worldwide. Asia-pacific ranks as the fastest growing market with a CAGR of 12.7% over the analysis period. However, the probiotics market is still at a relatively novice stage, with lack of clarity on usage patterns among consumers, this is expected to play a critical role in market development over the next six years. Labeling regulations, especially in the U.S. and European Union, are also expected to have significant impact on market growth.

Food & beverages dominated the application market and accounted for over 80% of the total probiotics market, driven by growth of fermented meat, dairy, bakery, breakfast cereals, fats & oils, beverages, fish & eggs, meat, and soy products. Dietary supplements are expected to be the fastest growing application segment, at an estimated CAGR of 7.7% from 2012 to 2020.

"Food & beverages was the largest segment in 2015"

Probiotics food & beverages segment was the largest segment in 2015 and accounted for more than 85% of total revenue. This application includes dairy products, nondairy products, cereals, baked food, fermented meat products, and dry food probiotics.

Figure-1: Functional Food Market by Sector (% value)

"Human probiotics dominated the total demand in 2015"

Human probiotics accounted for more than 90% of total revenue in 2015. Growing health concerns and development of more effective probiotic strains is expected to aid the industry growth. Increasing standard of living, as well as disposable income in areas such as Asia Pacific, the Middle East and Africa as well as Central & South America, has been benefiting the overall market growth.

Animal feed bacteria are expected to show a steady growth over the next eight years. Companies have been trying to develop and market more effective probiotic strains aimed at improving health.

"Asia Pacific is expected to witness the highest growth from 2016 to 2024"

Asia Pacific dominated the global industry and accounted for more than 40%. Strong demand from countries such as India, China and Japan is the major contributing factor for this scenario. Rising population, growing awareness regarding probiotics usage and the strong presence of international players in the region are contributing to the market growth.

North America is expected to grow at an anticipated CAGR of 6.8% over the forecast period. Prevalent awareness regarding these product usages and rising preference for functional foods are the driving factors in the region. The Middle East & Africa and Central & South America are also expected to show modest growth over the forecast period.

"Companies investing heavily in R&D are a major market characteristic"

Major industry participants are investing heavily in R&D to develop more effective probiotic strains. The companies are also striving to develop products which find novel applications such as skin treatment. Third party R&D companies are employed to develop superior cultures to gain competitive advantage. High level of integration between raw material suppliers, manufacturers, suppliers and end users. Major industry participants include Danisco A/S, Danone, Chr Hansen, Nestle, Arla Foods, Inc., Probi and Lallemand Inc., S.A., China-Biotics, Inc., E. I. duPont de Nemours and Company, General Mills, Inc., Lifeway Foods, Inc., PROBI AB, BioGaia AB, Yakult Honsha Co., Ltd., Mother Dairy and Chr. Hansen. The growing popularity of probiotics worldwide has attracted many new players to participate in this market.

Key Segments of the Global Probiotic Market

A. Global probiotics market, by application

B. Global probiotics market, by end use

C. Global probiotics market, by strain type

Grand View Research has segmented the probiotics market on the basis of application, end use and region:

1. Global Probiotics Application Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2014 - 2024

A. Probiotics food & beverage

B. Probiotics dietary supplements

2. Global Probiotics End Use Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2014 - 2024)

3. Global Probiotics Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2014- 2024)

North America

Europe

Asia Pacific

Central & South America

Middle East & Africa

European Market

Europe is the second largest global market for probiotics after Asia-Pacific, cornering a share estimated to be 25% in 2014. Growth in demand for probiotics in the region is also likely to maintain a fast pace over the 2014-2020 analysis period. Germany and the United Kingdom are the two largest probiotics markets in Europe, with a combined share estimated at about 55% in 2014, with United Kingdom also expected to be the fastest growing. By product type, dietary supplements and functional foods & beverages are the largest, as well as the fastest growing segments.

Prevention and cure of disorders, such as lactose intolerance and inflammatory bowel disease are some of the benefits offered by probiotics, with rising health-consciousness levels and wider access to probiotic dietary supplements being the major factors sustaining growth. The past decade has been witness to the launch of more than 500 food & beverage probiotic products, which have garnered exceptional response in terms of acceptance. Some of the factors implicated in causes of digestive disorders, bloating and reduction in resistance to infections include poor and not-in-time diet, age and stress levels. Studies have revealed that consuming products enhanced with probiotics has been successful in moderating these conditions to a large extent.

Figure-2:European Probiotics Market Revenue By Product, 2014 - 2024 (USD Million)

Why London, UK?

London is a leadingglobal city in the arts, commerce, education, entertainment, fashion, finance, healthcare, media, professional services, research and development, tourism, and transport. It is one of the world's leadingfinancial centres and has thefifth- or sixth-largest metropolitan area GDP in the world. London is a world cultural capital. It is the world's most-visited city as measured by international arrivals and has theworld's largest city airport system measured by passenger traffic. London is the world's leadinginvestment destination hosting moreinternational retailers andultra probiotics food & beverages had the highest penetration in 2015, and this trend is expected to continue over the next eight years. Differentiated product portfolio and continued innovation in the sector are the primary reasons for this scenario.

Industry participants majorly include Chr. Hansen Holding A/S, Danone, Yakult Honsha Co., Ltd., Nestle, Probi AB, Danisco A/S, Lallemand Inc., and Arla Foods, Inc. high-net-worth individuals than any other city. London's universities form the largest concentration of higher education institutes in Europe, and a 2014 report placed it first in the world university rankings. According to the report London also ranks first in the world in software, multimedia development and design, and shares first position in technology readiness.

Figure-3:Total Probiotics Market

List of Hospitals Research Centre:

London, UK

Worldwide

Major Probiotic Associations and Society

Companies Associated with Probiotics:

Top Nutrition Universities in UK

Target Audience

Figure-4:Target audience for Probiotics

Glance at Market and Funding for Probiotics Research

Figure-5: Projections Growth by next 5-10 years

Recent studies on Probiotics Market exhibit both the opportunities and forecasts during the period 2014-2022during which the global probiotics market is expected to reach$57.4 billionby 2022, registering a CAGR of 7.7% during the forecast period, 2016-2022.Asia-Pacificis presently dominant in the market and is expected to be the leading contributor in global revenue, due to its high adoption of probiotic based food and beverages. Bacteria derived probiotics would dominate the market throughout the forecast period as yeast strains are still under research and testing phase and approvals from the Food and Drug Administration would take time to implement. By end use, the probiotics market is segmented into animal probiotics and human probiotics. Human probiotics is in the lead by contributing nearly 90% of global revenue in 2015 and is forecasted to grow at a fastest rate of 7.8% during the period 2016-2022. Growth in awareness about the probiotics benefits among the consumers through various means such as publications, fact sheets, and conferences would help to grow among human end users.

1. Probiotic Microorganism

The term probiotic remains undefined legally in many countries, and regulatory approaches differ among countries worldwide. Diverse categories encompass probiotic products, including: food, functional food, novel food, natural remedy (Denmark Sweden and Finland), natural health product (Canada), dietetic food (Italy), dietary supplement (USA), biotherapeutic and pharmaceuticals (probiotic pharmaceuticals are available in Canada, China, eastern European countries, France, Germany, Belgium, Austria and Italy). There is no official definition of probiotic in Japanese regulation, but several probiotic and prebiotic products have achieved FOSHU (foods for specialized health use) status, with health statements being approved by the Japanese Ministry of HealthWhile few studies have established the minimum effective dose of a probiotic to convey a physiological effect, probiotic-induced changes are rarely seen at daily doses of less than 10810 colony forming units (cfu).24 However, one can only speculate as to how many probiotic cells reach target sites alive. Probiotic bacteria that are tolerant to acid stress would be expected to survive well during stomach passage. Genomic regions, identified through genome sequencing, that may help identify regions critical to the survival and functionality of commensal or probiotic organisms in their corresponding habitats might include: conserved versus distinct gene sets , genes resulting from recent horizontal transfer, altered GC contentislands/regions of adaptability.

Related Conferences: 9thInternationalCongress on Nutrition & HealthFebruary 20-21, 2017 Berlin, Germany; 10thAnnualNutrition & Food Sciences CongressMay 29-31, 2017 Osaka, Japan; 11thEuropeanNutrition and Dietetics ConferenceJune 29- July 01, 2017 Madrid, Spain; 10thInternationalConference on Clinical Diabetes, Diabetes care & NutritionJuly 20-21, 2017 Chicago, USA; 13thWorldCongress on Advances in Natural Medicines, Nutraceuticals and Neurocognition, July 27-28, 2017, Rome, Italy 10th International Conference on Nutrition & Food Sciences May 29-31, 2017 Osaka, Japan; IPA World Congress + Probiota Americas June 07-09 San Francisco; The global nutraceutical event May 09 - 11 2017 Geneva Switzerland; ICPVM 2017: 19th International Conference on Probiotics in Veterinary Medicine April 8 - 9, 2017 Dubai, UAE; 5th World Congress on Targeting Microbiota October 2017 Paris, France; The International Scientific Conference on Probiotics and Prebiotics June 19 22 June 2017Budapest, Hungary; Probiotics Congress: USA October 3-4 2016 San Diego, USA; The 2ndProbiotics Congress: Asia Mar 1-2 2017 Hong Kong; ICPFPF 2017 : 19th International Conference on Probiotics, Functional and Pediatrics Foods July 10 - 11, 2017 Amsterdam, The Netherlands; ICPFF 2017 : 19th International Conference on Probiotics and Functional Foods March 9 - 10, 2017 Miami, USA.

2. Mechanisms of action of probiotics

Recent studies are providing new insight into the mechanisms by which the microbiota regulates the colonization and eradication of pathogens. Particularly revealing the ability of commensals to restrain pathogen growth by dictating the metabolic pathways that control the competition for limited nutrients in the intestine. Furthermore, inflammatory responses have profound effects on the growth of pathogens and certain commensal species. However, the relative contributions of each metabolic pathway and the commensal species involved remain poorly understood. In addition, little is known about how the inflammatory responses affect interactions between pathogens and commensals. There is a delicate balance in microbiota populations in the gut and disruption in this balance leads to dysbiosis and overgrowth of pathobionts leading to pathologic immune responses and disease. The identification and characterization of natural competitors that suppress the growth of pathogens and pathobionts may lead to the development of rational approaches to manage intestinal disease. There is also a clear role for host immunity in controlling microbiota populations. However, recent studies have challenged a critical role of innate recognition receptors in determining the composition of the gut microbiota. Further studies are needed to clarify the mechanism by which the host regulates the microbiota.

Related Conferences: 9thInternationalCongress on Nutrition & HealthFebruary 20-21, 2017 Berlin, Germany; 10thAnnualNutrition & Food Sciences CongressMay 29-31, 2017 Osaka, Japan; 11thEuropeanNutrition and Dietetics ConferenceJune 29- July 01, 2017 Madrid, Spain; 10thInternationalConference on Clinical Diabetes, Diabetes care & NutritionJuly 20-21, 2017 Chicago, USA; 13thWorldCongress on Advances in Natural Medicines, Nutraceuticals and Neurocognition, July 27-28, 2017, Rome, Italy 10th InternationalConference on Nutrition & Food SciencesMay 29-31, 2017 Osaka, Japan;IPA World Congress + Probiota AmericasJune 07-09 San Francisco;The global nutraceutical eventMay 09 - 11 2017 Geneva Switzerland; ICPVM 2017: 19th InternationalConference on Probiotics in Veterinary MedicineApril 8 - 9, 2017 Dubai, UAE; 5th WorldCongress on Targeting MicrobiotaOctober 2017 Paris, France; The International ScientificConference on Probiotics and PrebioticsJune 19 22 June 2017Budapest,Hungary;Probiotics Congress: USA October 3-4 2016 San Diego, USA; The 2ndProbiotics Congress: Asia Mar 1-2 2017 Hong Kong; ICPFPF 2017 : 19th InternationalConference on Probiotics, Functional and Pediatrics FoodsJuly 10 - 11, 2017 Amsterdam, The Netherlands; ICPFF 2017 : 19th InternationalConference on Probiotics and Functional FoodsMarch 9 - 10, 2017 Miami, USA.

3. Probiotics and Health: A Clinical Perspective

Probiotics live microorganisms when administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit on the host that have been studied for both human and animal applications, and worldwide research on this topic has accelerated in recent years. Administration of probiotics could be effective in the treatment of acute infectious diarrhoea in children and the prevention of antibiotic associated diarrhoea and nosocomial/community acquired diarrhoea. Encouraging evidence is also emerging for the effectiveness of probiotics in the prevention and management of pouchitis and paediatric atopic diseases, and the prevention of postoperative infections. There is also strong evidence that certain probiotic strains are able to enhance immune function, especially in subjects with less than adequate immune function such as the elderly. Efficacy of probiotics has been shown in the prevention of prevention of antibiotic-associated diarrhoea, sepsis associated with severe acute pancreatitis, improvement of lactose metabolism and cancers, the management of weight and lowering of blood cholesterol, but there is insufficient evidence to recommend them for use in other clinical conditions.

Related Conferences: 9thInternationalCongress on Nutrition & HealthFebruary 20-21, 2017 Berlin, Germany; 10thAnnualNutrition & Food Sciences CongressMay 29-31, 2017 Osaka, Japan; 11thEuropeanNutrition and Dietetics ConferenceJune 29- July 01, 2017 Madrid, Spain; 10thInternationalConference on Clinical Diabetes, Diabetes care & NutritionJuly 20-21, 2017 Chicago, USA; 13thWorldCongress on Advances in Natural Medicines, Nutraceuticals and Neurocognition, July 27-28, 2017, Rome, Italy 10th InternationalConference on Nutrition & Food SciencesMay 29-31, 2017 Osaka, Japan;IPA World Congress + Probiota AmericasJune 07-09 San Francisco;The global nutraceutical eventMay 09 - 11 2017 Geneva Switzerland; ICPVM 2017: 19th InternationalConference on Probiotics in Veterinary MedicineApril 8 - 9, 2017 Dubai, UAE; 5th WorldCongress on Targeting MicrobiotaOctober 2017 Paris, France; The International ScientificConference on Probiotics and PrebioticsJune 19 22 June 2017Budapest,Hungary;Probiotics Congress: USA October 3-4 2016 San Diego, USA; The 2ndProbiotics Congress: Asia Mar 1-2 2017 Hong Kong; ICPFPF 2017 : 19th InternationalConference on Probiotics, Functional and Pediatrics FoodsJuly 10 - 11, 2017 Amsterdam, The Netherlands; ICPFF 2017 : 19th InternationalConference on Probiotics and Functional FoodsMarch 9 - 10, 2017 Miami, USA.

4. Probiotics in Gastroenterology

Gastroenterologists once defined gastrointestinal health as the absence of chronic disorder such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). However, this is too restrictive. The increasing frequency of digestive functional disorders, including non-ulcer dyspepsia and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), justifies an enlargement of a definition that includes intestinal well-being and the overall impact on quality of life including reduction of disease risk. Some animal studies are required to investigate this concept. The intestinal microflora has been linked with a number of intestinal diseases including colon cancer, (IBS) and IBD however few details of their involvement have been elucidated. Since colon cancer and IBD can lead to extreme therapeutic approaches, including surgical excision, clarification of the role of the microflora in these diseases may significantly reduce morbidity.

Related Conferences: 9thInternationalCongress on Nutrition & HealthFebruary 20-21, 2017 Berlin, Germany; 10thAnnualNutrition & Food Sciences CongressMay 29-31, 2017 Osaka, Japan; 11thEuropeanNutrition and Dietetics ConferenceJune 29- July 01, 2017 Madrid, Spain; 10thInternationalConference on Clinical Diabetes, Diabetes care & NutritionJuly 20-21, 2017 Chicago, USA; 13thWorldCongress on Advances in Natural Medicines, Nutraceuticals and Neurocognition, July 27-28, 2017, Rome, Italy 10th InternationalConference on Nutrition & Food SciencesMay 29-31, 2017 Osaka, Japan;IPA World Congress + Probiota AmericasJune 07-09 San Francisco;The global nutraceutical eventMay 09 - 11 2017 Geneva Switzerland; ICPVM 2017: 19th InternationalConference on Probiotics in Veterinary MedicineApril 8 - 9, 2017 Dubai, UAE; 5th WorldCongress on Targeting MicrobiotaOctober 2017 Paris, France; The International ScientificConference on Probiotics and PrebioticsJune 19 22 June 2017Budapest,Hungary;Probiotics Congress: USA October 3-4 2016 San Diego, USA; The 2ndProbiotics Congress: Asia Mar 1-2 2017 Hong Kong; ICPFPF 2017 : 19th InternationalConference on Probiotics, Functional and Pediatrics FoodsJuly 10 - 11, 2017 Amsterdam, The Netherlands; ICPFF 2017 : 19th InternationalConference on Probiotics and Functional FoodsMarch 9 - 10, 2017 Miami, USA.

5.Probiotics in Pediatrics

Presenting global evidence for their utility in children, Prof. Sherman illustrated that evidence through randomized controlled trails have demonstrated that certain probiotic strains are more effective than placebo in a variety of conditions affecting the gastrointestinal tract. Multiple meta-analyses indicate effectiveness in reducing the duration of acute enteritis in pre-schoolers and in reducing the frequency of necrotizing enterocolitis in pre-term babies. As probiotics exist naturally in some foods and are also available as dietary supplements in powder, capsule, and tablet forms. In 2002, the industry secured FDA designation of specific strains of B. lactis and Streptococcus thermophilus as substances generally recognized as safe (GRAS) in milk-based formulas for infants aged 4 months and older. Most probiotic bacteria are similar to the beneficial bacteria that occur naturally in the gut, including those of the Lactobacillus species (eg, L. acidophilus). Infants acquire other bacteria during their first months, mainly those of the Bifidobacterium and Enterobacter species. Bifidobacterium species dominate in the gut of breast-fed infants, whereas Enterobacter microbes dominate in bottle-fed infants. This difference in species, which has been identified as key to breast-fed infants superior immunity to many infections, has spurred much of the medical and pediatric communities interest in probiotics. Infant formula manufacturers have also taken interest.

Related Conferences: 9thInternationalCongress on Nutrition & HealthFebruary 20-21, 2017 Berlin, Germany; 10thAnnualNutrition & Food Sciences CongressMay 29-31, 2017 Osaka, Japan; 11thEuropeanNutrition and Dietetics ConferenceJune 29- July 01, 2017 Madrid, Spain; 10thInternationalConference on Clinical Diabetes, Diabetes care & NutritionJuly 20-21, 2017 Chicago, USA; 13thWorldCongress on Advances in Natural Medicines, Nutraceuticals and Neurocognition, July 27-28, 2017, Rome, Italy 10th InternationalConference on Nutrition & Food SciencesMay 29-31, 2017 Osaka, Japan;IPA World Congress + Probiota AmericasJune 07-09 San Francisco;The global nutraceutical eventMay 09 - 11 2017 Geneva Switzerland; ICPVM 2017: 19th InternationalConference on Probiotics in Veterinary MedicineApril 8 - 9, 2017 Dubai, UAE; 5th WorldCongress on Targeting MicrobiotaOctober 2017 Paris, France; The International ScientificConference on Probiotics and PrebioticsJune 19 22 June 2017Budapest,Hungary;Probiotics Congress: USA October 3-4 2016 San Diego, USA; The 2ndProbiotics Congress: Asia Mar 1-2 2017 Hong Kong; ICPFPF 2017 : 19th InternationalConference on Probiotics, Functional and Pediatrics FoodsJuly 10 - 11, 2017 Amsterdam, The Netherlands; ICPFF 2017 : 19th InternationalConference on Probiotics and Functional FoodsMarch 9 - 10, 2017 Miami, USA.

6. Probiotics in Animal Health

The use of probiotics for farm animals has increased considerably over the last 15 years. Probiotics are defined as live microorganisms which can confer a health benefit for the host when administered in appropriate and regular quantities. Once ingested, the probiotic microorganisms can modulate the balance and activities of the gastrointestinal microbiota, whose role is fundamental to gut homeostasis. It has been demonstrated that numerous factors, such as dietary and management constraints, can strongly affect the structure and activities of the gut microbial communities, leading to impaired health and performance in livestock animals. Probiotic microorganisms, which benefit from a natural image, can expect a promising future in animal nutrition. Controlled research studies demonstrate that they can positively balance gastrointestinal microbiota, and thereby improve animal production and health. However, care must be taken in the way that the probiotic candidate-strains are selected. Better knowledge of the structure and activities of the gut microbiota, functional interactions between gut microbes and interrelationships between microbes and host cells represent a fundamental aspect of future probiotic research. In this context new omic technologies will be very helpful to better characterize and understand the effects of probiotics on the balance of the gastrointestinal microbiota. It will be possible to select more powerful or targeted strains on a scientific basis and follow their behaviour in the host animal. Thanks to these techniques, which are complimentary to anaerobic culture methods and gnotobiotic animal or cellular models, probiotic research has had, and will also certainly have in the future, a very important place in the improvement of animal health and nutrition.

Related Conferences: 9thInternationalCongress on Nutrition & HealthFebruary 20-21, 2017 Berlin, Germany; 10thAnnualNutrition & Food Sciences CongressMay 29-31, 2017 Osaka, Japan; 11thEuropeanNutrition and Dietetics ConferenceJune 29- July 01, 2017 Madrid, Spain; 10thInternationalConference on Clinical Diabetes, Diabetes care & NutritionJuly 20-21, 2017 Chicago, USA; 13thWorldCongress on Advances in Natural Medicines, Nutraceuticals and Neurocognition, July 27-28, 2017, Rome, Italy 10th InternationalConference on Nutrition & Food SciencesMay 29-31, 2017 Osaka, Japan;IPA World Congress + Probiota AmericasJune 07-09 San Francisco;The global nutraceutical eventMay 09 - 11 2017 Geneva Switzerland; ICPVM 2017: 19th InternationalConference on Probiotics in Veterinary MedicineApril 8 - 9, 2017 Dubai, UAE; 5th WorldCongress on Targeting MicrobiotaOctober 2017 Paris, France; The International ScientificConference on Probiotics and PrebioticsJune 19 22 June 2017Budapest,Hungary;Probiotics Congress: USA October 3-4 2016 San Diego, USA; The 2ndProbiotics Congress: Asia Mar 1-2 2017 Hong Kong; ICPFPF 2017 : 19th InternationalConference on Probiotics, Functional and Pediatrics FoodsJuly 10 - 11, 2017 Amsterdam, The Netherlands; ICPFF 2017 : 19th InternationalConference on Probiotics and Functional FoodsMarch 9 - 10, 2017 Miami, USA.

7. Plant Probiotics

The increasing interest in the preservation of the environment and the health of consumers is changing production methods and food consumption habits. Consumers increasingly demand safe functional foods that have beneficial properties for health mainly focused on the protection against carcinogenesis and oxidative processes. The consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables containing bioactive compounds has increased considerably in recent years and many studies have been carried out on the potential benefits of such compounds in different aspects of human health. At the same time, there has been a strong increase in studies addressing the benefits of biofertilization for plants and the environment. In this sense plant promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) able to colonize the inside of plants tissues are especially interesting. These beneficial microorganisms are plant probiotics and promote the plant growth through different direct mechanisms such as nitrogen fixation, phosphate solubilization, and the production of different compounds such as phytohormones or indirect mechanisms such as the production of siderophores. To achieve both aims, the promotion of plant growth and the benefits for human health, it is necessary to use non-pathogenic microorganisms in biofertilization schemes.

Related Conferences: 9thInternationalCongress on Nutrition & HealthFebruary 20-21, 2017 Berlin, Germany; 10thAnnualNutrition & Food Sciences CongressMay 29-31, 2017 Osaka, Japan; 11thEuropeanNutrition and Dietetics ConferenceJune 29- July 01, 2017 Madrid, Spain; 10thInternationalConference on Clinical Diabetes, Diabetes care & NutritionJuly 20-21, 2017 Chicago, USA; 13thWorldCongress on Advances in Natural Medicines, Nutraceuticals and Neurocognition, July 27-28, 2017, Rome, Italy 10th InternationalConference on Nutrition & Food SciencesMay 29-31, 2017 Osaka, Japan;IPA World Congress + Probiota AmericasJune 07-09 San Francisco;The global nutraceutical eventMay 09 - 11 2017 Geneva Switzerland; ICPVM 2017: 19th InternationalConference on Probiotics in Veterinary MedicineApril 8 - 9, 2017 Dubai, UAE; 5th WorldCongress on Targeting MicrobiotaOctober 2017 Paris, France; The International ScientificConference on Probiotics and PrebioticsJune 19 22 June 2017Budapest,Hungary;Probiotics Congress: USA October 3-4 2016 San Diego, USA; The 2ndProbiotics Congress: Asia Mar 1-2 2017 Hong Kong; ICPFPF 2017 : 19th InternationalConference on Probiotics, Functional and Pediatrics FoodsJuly 10 - 11, 2017 Amsterdam, The Netherlands; ICPFF 2017 : 19th InternationalConference on Probiotics and Functional FoodsMarch 9 - 10, 2017 Miami, USA.

8.Probiotics in Aquaculture

Aquaculture is the world's fastest growing food production sector. However, fish culture is currently suffering from serious losses due to infectious diseases. The use of antimicrobial drugs, pesticides and disinfectant in aquaculture disease prevention and growth promotion has led to the evolution of resistant strains of bacteria. Thus, the research into the use of probiotics for aquaculture is increasing with the demand for environment friendly sustainable aquaculture. The benefits of such supplements include improved feed value, enzymatic contribution to digestion, inhibition of pathogenic microorganisms, anti-mutagenic and anti-carcinogenic activity, and increased immune response. These probiotics are harmless bacteria that help the well-being of the host animal and contribute, directly or indirectly to protect the host animal against harmful bacterial pathogens. The use of probiotics in aquaculture has just begun, due to the fact that gastrointestinal microbiota of aquatic organisms has been poorly characterized, and their effects are not studied extensively.

Related Conferences: 9thInternationalCongress on Nutrition & HealthFebruary 20-21, 2017 Berlin, Germany; 10thAnnualNutrition & Food Sciences CongressMay 29-31, 2017 Osaka, Japan; 11thEuropeanNutrition and Dietetics ConferenceJune 29- July 01, 2017 Madrid, Spain; 10thInternationalConference on Clinical Diabetes, Diabetes care & NutritionJuly 20-21, 2017 Chicago, USA; 13thWorldCongress on Advances in Natural Medicines, Nutraceuticals and Neurocognition, July 27-28, 2017, Rome, Italy 10th InternationalConference on Nutrition & Food SciencesMay 29-31, 2017 Osaka, Japan;IPA World Congress + Probiota AmericasJune 07-09 San Francisco;The global nutraceutical eventMay 09 - 11 2017 Geneva Switzerland; ICPVM 2017: 19th InternationalConference on Probiotics in Veterinary MedicineApril 8 - 9, 2017 Dubai, UAE; 5th WorldCongress on Targeting MicrobiotaOctober 2017 Paris, France; The International ScientificConference on Probiotics and PrebioticsJune 19 22 June 2017Budapest,Hungary;Probiotics Congress: USA October 3-4 2016 San Diego, USA; The 2ndProbiotics Congress: Asia Mar 1-2 2017 Hong Kong; ICPFPF 2017 : 19th InternationalConference on Probiotics, Functional and Pediatrics FoodsJuly 10 - 11, 2017 Amsterdam, The Netherlands; ICPFF 2017 : 19th InternationalConference on Probiotics and Functional FoodsMarch 9 - 10, 2017 Miami, USA.

9.Probioceuticals: Probiotic- Derived Factors

Probiotic-derived factors have been described as capable of exerting probiotic activities through various mechanisms. However, it is important to distinguish between the concept of probiotic, which is necessarily based on the ingestion of live microorganisms, and the concept of microorganism-derived bioactive compounds that may have useful applications in nutrition and medicine. Bioactive compounds of bacterial or yeast origin, (antibiotics, for example), have been utilized in medicine for decades. Although there are many bacteria-derived products capable of inducing a health benefit, the concept of probiotic is only attributed to microorganisms administered as viable forms, providing the opportunity for a symbiotic relationship between the host, and resident, or in-transit, microorganisms. Secreted probiotic factors, such as reuterin from Lactobacillus reuteri, have been reported to inhibit adhesion and viability of known enteric pathogens, suggesting that probiotic supernatants could be a rich source of new antipathogenic compounds. In an in vitro study in human gastric epithelial cells, spent culture supernatants from certain lactic acid producing bacteria inhibited the growth and attachment of Helicobacter pylori. Roselli et al. demonstrated that supernatants of Bifidobacterium animalis MB5 and Lactobacillus GG could inhibit adhesion of E. coli K88 to Caco-2 cells, with the supernatant exerting identical beneficial effects following protease digestion, suggesting that proteins were not the active constituent.

Related Conferences: 9thInternationalCongress on Nutrition & HealthFebruary 20-21, 2017 Berlin, Germany; 10thAnnualNutrition & Food Sciences CongressMay 29-31, 2017 Osaka, Japan; 11thEuropeanNutrition and Dietetics ConferenceJune 29- July 01, 2017 Madrid, Spain; 10thInternationalConference on Clinical Diabetes, Diabetes care & NutritionJuly 20-21, 2017 Chicago, USA; 13thWorldCongress on Advances in Natural Medicines, Nutraceuticals and Neurocognition, July 27-28, 2017, Rome, Italy 10th InternationalConference on Nutrition & Food SciencesMay 29-31, 2017 Osaka, Japan;IPA World Congress + Probiota AmericasJune 07-09 San Francisco;The global nutraceutical eventMay 09 - 11 2017 Geneva Switzerland; ICPVM 2017: 19th InternationalConference on Probiotics in Veterinary MedicineApril 8 - 9, 2017 Dubai, UAE; 5th WorldCongress on Targeting MicrobiotaOctober 2017 Paris, France; The International ScientificConference on Probiotics and PrebioticsJune 19 22 June 2017Budapest,Hungary;Probiotics Congress: USA October 3-4 2016 San Diego, USA; The 2ndProbiotics Congress: Asia Mar 1-2 2017 Hong Kong; ICPFPF 2017 : 19th InternationalConference on Probiotics, Functional and Pediatrics FoodsJuly 10 - 11, 2017 Amsterdam, The Netherlands; ICPFF 2017 : 19th InternationalConference on Probiotics and Functional FoodsMarch 9 - 10, 2017 Miami, USA.

10. Probiotic Delivery Systems

Since probiotic-containing products in general do not require Food and Drug Administration approval, they are commonly available in the market in various food formats such as fermented milk, cheese, yogurt and juice. In recent years, probiotics have been extensively studied as a treatment option of various diseases such as obesity, diabetes, cancer, human immunodeficiency virus infection, irritable bowel syndrome. Due to probiotics vulnerability to several environmental factors such as temperature and pH, maintaining the viability of probiotics has long been a hurdle to develop successful probiotic delivery systems. Hence to overcome these hurdles in probiotic delivery methods like encapsulation of materials and recent probiotic delivery technologies are being commonly used. Microencapsulation technologies have been developed to protect the bacteria from damage caused by external environment. By the introduction of a straw delivery system containing a dry form of the probiotic bacterium beverage manufacturers can now provide it to the consumer. In addition, viable spores of a spore forming probiotic are available in the market offering advantages during processing. In the same time, the potential of antibiotics substances with antimicrobial properties production by bifidobacteria is being explored in order to be applied in the food area.

Related Conferences: 9thInternationalCongress on Nutrition & HealthFebruary 20-21, 2017 Berlin, Germany; 10thAnnualNutrition & Food Sciences CongressMay 29-31, 2017 Osaka, Japan; 11thEuropeanNutrition and Dietetics ConferenceJune 29- July 01, 2017 Madrid, Spain; 10thInternationalConference on Clinical Diabetes, Diabetes care & NutritionJuly 20-21, 2017 Chicago, USA; 13thWorldCongress on Advances in Natural Medicines, Nutraceuticals and Neurocognition, July 27-28, 2017, Rome, Italy 10th InternationalConference on Nutrition & Food SciencesMay 29-31, 2017 Osaka, Japan;IPA World Congress + Probiota AmericasJune 07-09 San Francisco;The global nutraceutical eventMay 09 - 11 2017 Geneva Switzerland; ICPVM 2017: 19th InternationalConference on Probiotics in Veterinary MedicineApril 8 - 9, 2017 Dubai, UAE; 5th WorldCongress on Targeting MicrobiotaOctober 2017 Paris, France; The International ScientificConference on Probiotics and PrebioticsJune 19 22 June 2017Budapest,Hungary;Probiotics Congress: USA October 3-4 2016 San Diego, USA; The 2ndProbiotics Congress: Asia Mar 1-2 2017 Hong Kong; ICPFPF 2017 : 19th InternationalConference on Probiotics, Functional and Pediatrics FoodsJuly 10 - 11, 2017 Amsterdam, The Netherlands; ICPFF 2017 : 19th InternationalConference on Probiotics and Functional FoodsMarch 9 - 10, 2017 Miami, USA.

11. Traditional Therapies of Probiotics

There is an increasing scientific and commercial interest in the use of beneficial microorganisms, or "probiotics," for the prevention and treatment of disease. The microorganisms most frequently used as probiotic agents are lactic-acid bacteria such as Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG), which has been extensively studied in recent literature. Multiple mechanisms of action have been postulated, including lactose digestion, production of antimicrobial agents, competition for space or nutrients, and immunomodulation. Studies of pediatric diarrhoea show substantial evidence of clinical benefits from probiotic therapy in patients with viral gastroenteritis, and data on LGG treatment for Clostridium difficile diarrhoea appear promising. However, data to support use of probiotics for prevention of traveler's diarrhoea are more limited. New research suggests potential applications in vaccine development and prevention of sexually transmitted diseases. Further studies are needed to take full advantage of this traditional medical approach and to apply it to the infectious diseases.

Related Conferences: 9thInternationalCongress on Nutrition & HealthFebruary 20-21, 2017 Berlin, Germany; 10thAnnualNutrition & Food Sciences CongressMay 29-31, 2017 Osaka, Japan; 11thEuropeanNutrition and Dietetics ConferenceJune 29- July 01, 2017 Madrid, Spain; 10thInternationalConference on Clinical Diabetes, Diabetes care & NutritionJuly 20-21, 2017 Chicago, USA; 13thWorldCongress on Advances in Natural Medicines, Nutraceuticals and Neurocognition, July 27-28, 2017, Rome, Italy 10th InternationalConference on Nutrition & Food SciencesMay 29-31, 2017 Osaka, Japan;IPA World Congress + Probiota AmericasJune 07-09 San Francisco;The global nutraceutical eventMay 09 - 11 2017 Geneva Switzerland; ICPVM 2017: 19th InternationalConference on Probiotics in Veterinary MedicineApril 8 - 9, 2017 Dubai, UAE; 5th WorldCongress on Targeting MicrobiotaOctober 2017 Paris, France; The International ScientificConference on Probiotics and PrebioticsJune 19 22 June 2017Budapest,Hungary;Probiotics Congress: USA October 3-4 2016 San Diego, USA; The 2ndProbiotics Congress: Asia Mar 1-2 2017 Hong Kong; ICPFPF 2017 : 19th InternationalConference on Probiotics, Functional and Pediatrics FoodsJuly 10 - 11, 2017 Amsterdam, The Netherlands; ICPFF 2017 : 19th InternationalConference on Probiotics and Functional FoodsMarch 9 - 10, 2017 Miami, USA.

12. Functional Foods

Overwhelming evidence from epidemiological, in vivo, in vitro, and clinical trial data indicates that a plant-based diet can reduce the risk of chronic disease, particularly cancer. In 1992, a review of 200 epidemiological studies showed that cancer risk in people consuming diets high in fruits and vegetables was only one-half that in those consuming few of these foods. It is now clear that there are components in a plant-based diet other than traditional nutrients that can reduce cancer risk. Functional foods containing physiologically-active components, either from plant or animal sources, may enhance health. It should be stressed, however, that functional foods are not a magic bullet or universal panacea for poor health habits. There are no good or bad foods, but there are good or bad diets. The range of food products containing probiotic strains is wide and still growing. The main products existing in the market are dairy-based ones including fermented milks, cheese, ice cream, buttermilk, milk powder, and yogurts, the latter accounting for the largest share of sales. The functional food market is expanding, especially in Japan its birthplace with further growth prospects in Europe and the United States and in most countries the largest share of its products is held by probiotics. Common foods containing probiotics include fermented and unfermented milk, miso, tempeh, and some juices, smoothies, nutrition bars, and soy drinks. The most common strains found in yogurt are L. bulgaricus and S. thermophilus.

13. Beneficial aspects of Prebiotics

Prebiotics are non-digestible, fermentable carbohydrates and fibers, such as inulin-type frucans and galacto-oligosaccharides, which exhibit health promoting properties to host through selective stimulation of growth and/or activities of a limited number of bacteria (i.e., probiotics). Human milk contains substantial quantities of prebiotics. There is a paucity of Random Clinical Trials examining prebiotics in children, showing that there may be some long-term benefit of prebiotics for the prevention of atopic eczema and common infections in healthy infants for which confirmatory well-designed clinical research studies are necessary.

Related Conferences: 9thInternationalCongress on Nutrition & HealthFebruary 20-21, 2017 Berlin, Germany; 10thAnnualNutrition & Food Sciences CongressMay 29-31, 2017 Osaka, Japan; 11thEuropeanNutrition and Dietetics ConferenceJune 29- July 01, 2017 Madrid, Spain; 10thInternationalConference on Clinical Diabetes, Diabetes care & NutritionJuly 20-21, 2017 Chicago, USA; 13thWorldCongress on Advances in Natural Medicines, Nutraceuticals and Neurocognition, July 27-28, 2017, Rome, Italy 10th InternationalConference on Nutrition & Food SciencesMay 29-31, 2017 Osaka, Japan;IPA World Congress + Probiota AmericasJune 07-09 San Francisco;The global nutraceutical eventMay 09 - 11 2017 Geneva Switzerland; ICPVM 2017: 19th InternationalConference on Probiotics in Veterinary MedicineApril 8 - 9, 2017 Dubai, UAE; 5th WorldCongress on Targeting MicrobiotaOctober 2017 Paris, France; The International ScientificConference on Probiotics and PrebioticsJune 19 22 June 207Budapest,Hungary;Probiotics Congress: USA October 3-4 2016 San Diego, USA; The 2ndProbiotics Congress: Asia Mar 1-2 2017 Hong Kong; ICPFPF 2017 : 19th InternationalConference on Probiotics, Functional and Pediatrics FoodsJuly 10 - 11, 2017 Amsterdam, The Netherlands; ICPFF 2017 : 19th InternationalConference on Probiotics and Functional FoodsMarch 9 - 10, 2017 Miami, USA.

14. Regulation and Product Development

Depending on intended use of a probiotic (drug vs. dietary supplement), regulatory requirements differ greatly. If a probiotic is intended for use as a drug, then it must undergo the regulatory process as a drug, which is similar to that of any new therapeutic agent. Despite the promising evidence, the role of probiotics in human health as well as the safety of their application should be further investigated as the current knowledge of the characteristics that are necessary for their functionality in the gut is not complete. The factors that must be addressed in evaluating the effectiveness of the incorporation of the probiotic strains into such products are, besides safety, the compatibility of the product with the microorganism and the maintenance of its viability through food processing, packaging, and storage conditions. The products pH for instance is a significant factor determining the incorporated probiotics survival and growth, and this is one of the reasons why soft cheeses seem to have a number of advantages over yoghurt as delivery systems for viable probiotics to the gastrointestinal tract. Current technological innovations provide ways to overcome probiotic stability and viability issues offering new options for their incorporation in new media and subsequent satisfaction of the increasing consumer demand. The safety profile of a potential probiotic strain is of critical importance in the selection process. This testing should include the determination of strain resistance to a wide variety of common classes of antibiotics such as tetracyclines, quinolones and macrolides and subsequent confirmation of non-transmission of drug resistance genes or virulence plasmids. Evaluation should also take the end-product formulation into consideration because this can induce adverse effects in some subjects or negate the positive effects altogether. A better understanding of the potential mechanisms whereby probiotic organisms might cause adverse effects will help to develop effective assays that predict which strains might not be suitable for use in probiotic products.

Related Conferences: 9thInternationalCongress on Nutrition & HealthFebruary 20-21, 2017 Berlin, Germany; 10thAnnualNutrition & Food Sciences CongressMay 29-31, 2017 Osaka, Japan; 11thEuropeanNutrition and Dietetics ConferenceJune 29- July 01, 2017 Madrid, Spain; 10thInternationalConference on Clinical Diabetes, Diabetes care & NutritionJuly 20-21, 2017 Chicago, USA; 13thWorldCongress on Advances in Natural Medicines, Nutraceuticals and Neurocognition, July 27-28, 2017, Rome, Italy 10th InternationalConference on Nutrition & Food SciencesMay 29-31, 2017 Osaka, Japan;IPA World Congress + Probiota AmericasJune 07-09 San Francisco;The global nutraceutical eventMay 09 - 11 2017 Geneva Switzerland; ICPVM 2017: 19th InternationalConference on Probiotics in Veterinary MedicineApril 8 - 9, 2017 Dubai, UAE; 5th WorldCongress on Targeting MicrobiotaOctober 2017 Paris, France; The International ScientificConference on Probiotics and PrebioticsJune 19 22 June 2017Budapest,Hungary;Probiotics Congress: USA October 3-4 2016 San Diego, USA; The 2ndProbiotics Congress: Asia Mar 1-2 2017 Hong Kong; ICPFPF 2017 : 19th InternationalConference on Probiotics, Functional and Pediatrics FoodsJuly 10 - 11, 2017 Amsterdam, The Netherlands; ICPFF 2017 : 19th InternationalConference on Probiotics and Functional FoodsMarch 9 - 10, 2017 Miami, USA.

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Nutrients in Food Supplements: the European Court of Justice Rules on Boundaries of National Legislation Imposing … – Lexology (registration)

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On 27 April 2017, the Court of Justice of the European Union issued a judgement upon request of the Tribunal de Grande Instance of Perpignan (France) for a preliminary ruling under Article 267 TFEU, made by decision of 5 August 2015.

The request concerned the interpretation of Directive (EC) 2002/46 on the approximation of laws of the Member States relating to food supplements and Articles 28 and 30 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) on the free movement of goods.

The question arose in the context of a criminal proceeding brought against Noria Distribution SARL (Noria Distribution) for putting on sale or sold food supplements not authorised in France because they exceeded the maximum daily doses of vitamins and minerals which may be used for the manufacture of such food supplements, as set forth in the inter-ministerial order of 9 May 2006 on nutrients (Order).

Background of the case

Noria Distribution, a French company that markets food supplements in the European Union, is prosecuted in France for having sold food supplements containing vitamins and minerals in quantities exceeding the maximum daily doses provided in the Order. The Company does not substantially contest the violation of French Law, but it claims that the Order on which the criminal proceeding is based is not compatible with the European Law.

According to Article 5 of Decree No 2006/352 transposing Directive (EC) 2002/46 under French Law ("Decree"), vitamins and minerals can be used in the manufacture of food supplements only under the conditions set forth in an implementing inter-ministerial Order. The Order provides a positive list of vitamins and minerals that can be used in the manufacture of food supplements and establishes the maximum daily doses that must not be exceeded in the context of that use. It follows that food supplements with content of nutrients exceeding the limit set forth in the Decree, cannot be legally placed in the French market even though they are legally sold in other European Member States. Although the Decree provides a simplified "mutual recognition" procedure, this shall not apply to food supplements containing vitamins and minerals.

Question referred to the Court

The Tribunal de Grande Instance of Perpignan, unsure on the conformity of national legislation with Directive (EC) 2002/46, decided to stay the proceeding and refer to the Court a request for preliminary ruling. In particular, the referring Court inquires:

Findings of the Court

As to the first question, the Court of Justice of the European Union ("CJEU") observes that until the adoption by the European Commission of an act setting forth the maximum amount of vitamins and minerals to be used in foodstuffs, Member States remain competent to adopt the legislation concerning these amounts. However, in the exercise of that competence, they shall comply with the rules concerning the free movement of goods, as well as with principles laid down in Article 5(1) and (2) of Directive (EU) 2002/46, including the requirement for a risk assessment based on generally accepted scientific data.

According to the CJEU, the French Decree constitutes a measure having an effect equivalent to a quantitative restriction, since it prohibits the marketing of food supplements exceeding the maximum limits of nutrients even if they are lawfully manufactured or marketed in another Member State. According to the CJEU's case law, measures having equivalent effect to a quantitative restriction are justified when two requirements are fulfilled. First, national rules provide a procedure enabling economic operators to obtain the authorisation to market food supplements non-compliant with these limits and the procedure is: easily accessible; can be completed within a reasonable time; and, in case of refusal, the decision can be challenged before the courts. Secondly, the application to obtain the authorisation to market those food supplements may be refused by the competent national authorities only if those supplements pose a genuine risk to public health.

Since the French legislation forbids the marketing of food supplements whose content in nutrients exceeds the upper limits set by the legislation without providing a procedure of mutual recognition, the restriction does not seem justified under the European Law.

With reference to the second question, concerning the method used to set maximum amounts of vitamins, the CJEU affirms that it shall be based on a scientific risk assessment based on generally accepted scientific data and it must be carried out on a case-by-case basis. It follows that a method which consists of setting those amounts without taking into account all of these elements, is not compatible with rules on free movement of goods.

Finally, addressing the third question, the CJEU points out that by requiring that the assessment is based on generally accepted scientific data, Article 5(1) of Directive (EC) 2002/46 intends that the assessment shall be based on reliable scientific data, regardless of whether they are national or international. It follows that if recent and reliable international scientific data are available on the date on which the scientific assessment of risks is carried out, that assessment cannot be made without having regard to those data.

Comment

In the case at issue, the Court of Justice provides a new ruling on boundaries of national legislation which provides measures having an effect equivalent to a quantitative restriction to free circulation of goods. According to the Court, these measures are not generally forbidden provided that they are based substantively on a full risk assessment based on up-to-date science and, procedurally, on a system that allows a Member State to verify whether a genuine risk to public health actually exists.

Addressing the first question, the Court confirms the findings of the Solgar decision (C-233/10), where it stated that maximum amounts of vitamins and minerals shall be based on generally accepted scientific data and on risk assessment, as generally required by Regulation (EC) 178/2002 for all measures concerning food safety.

Dealing with the procedural requirement, the Court clarifies the meaning of "mutual recognition procedure", that it shall not be intended as a procedure according to which Member States automatically recognize and authorize the import of any food supplements, but as a procedure that allows Member States to verify whether a genuine risk to public health exists. In the light of this, Member States are required to provide a procedure for repeating the assessment when importers are able to present new scientific evidence that could lead to a reconsideration of the original restriction.

This decision confirms that the lack of harmonization in sensitive matters such as food supplements still leads to the creation of barriers to free circulation of goods even though Regulation 764/2008/EC ("Mutual Recognition Regulation") has clarified the procedure which national authorities shall follow before they can restrict goods which are lawfully marketed in other Member States. This has been clearly pointed out by the EU Commission itself in the document "Upgrading the Single Market: more opportunities for people and business" where the Commission has highlighted that "National regulations and practices continue to create barriers ()While these problems occur in many industrial sectors, they are particularly present in the fields of construction, foodstuffs, food supplements and fertilisers. This translates into lost business opportunities, less competition and higher prices for consumers".

Even though the referring Court has not yet provided a decision on the case at issue, the ruling of the CJEU has led the Italian Ministry of Health to revise the maximum levels of vitamins (Vitamin D, Vitamin B12 and Vitamin K) allowed in food supplements, bringing legal levels in line with the European Food Safety Authority opinions and international safety data.

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Nutrients in Food Supplements: the European Court of Justice Rules on Boundaries of National Legislation Imposing ... - Lexology (registration)

Placenta Pills: Growing trend among new moms – WTSP 10 News

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Liz Crawford , WTSP 2:43 PM. EDT June 08, 2017

Having a child is one of life's most amazing milestones but a growing trend has some moms saving more than others.

10 News ReporterLiz Crawfordtook a deeper look at the latest craze of mothers consuming placenta after their babies are born.

Like many moms, Blair Hodges was excited to welcome her second child but this time around, she wanted to be more prepared.

With my first, I got postpartum really bad so I wanted something that would help with the anxiety and just the depression part of it, Hodges told 10News WTSP.

So she turned to a pill unlike anything else in the world- her very own placenta in pill form.

I had a lot of people ask if I was crazy.

Hodges heard about Kim Wadsworth and her business,Fruit of Your Wombfrom a friend. Wadsworth has been encapsulating placentas for four years.

Hodges said she had a much better experience post-partum when taking the placenta pills. I really didn't get depressed, I had more energy, I slept better and I didn't have anxiety.

Kim Wadsworth told 10News her business has really picked up in the last few years. She usually takes on about fifteen clients a month.

It stabilizes your hormones, it's supposed to help combat baby blues, post-partum depression. It also helps boost your milk supply, said Wadsworth.

Wadsworth, who completes the process in her family kitchen, breaks the raw placenta in pieces, then places them in the dehydrator for about 20 hours before grinding the pieces into a powder in her blender.

CLICK HERE:Step-By-Step Placenta Encapsulation

Wadsworth told 10News the average size placenta makes about 120-140 capsules.

While the trend might be growing, its not popular among everyone. 10News spoke toMadelyn Butler, MDof the Womans Group in Tampa. Shes been asked about placenta pills by her patients.

Dr. Butler said, There's absolutely no scientific evidence that this is going to help you in anyway. Think of all the bacteria that live in a home kitchen. Is this blender being sterilized in the same way we would sterilize something in the medical field?

No scientific evidence, but what about all that anecdotal evidence?

I think the power of the mind, if you believe that something is going to work, it's like the placebo effect, it's going to work, explained Dr. Butler.

But forWadsworths clientslike Blair Hodges, placenta pills work.

I swear by them. I did have concerns. Most people are doing it out of their homes, but I haven't had any side effects like that and it's all been positive so I would do it again.

Fruit of Your Womb sent 10News this information about their sanitization techniques:

First off, we take this issue of sanitation very seriously. We use hospital grade cleaning solutions throughout the process, sanitation absorption pads, and MERV 14 hospital grade air filters, which are installed in our home. When using our chemicals we follow OSHA policies and procedures. Where we perform the process we thoroughly clean the area and surrounding areas before, during, and after the process. We do not process more than one placenta at a time. We have a labeling system that tracks the process until it's complete.We have decided not to use a industrial kitchen for this process, like some encapsulators do, because we believe it would be harder to maintain a sanitary workplace in a public area. During the dehydration process temperatures exceed 100 which kills off many of the bacteria or contaminants that may be present.

The FDA sent 10News this statement:

The FDA regulates products in interstate commerce. Therefore, a mother eating her own placenta does not fall within FDA's jurisdiction.

The FDA does not consider human placenta to be a food or a dietary ingredient for use in dietary supplements under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. Given that human placenta may transmit disease, the FDA would consider a dietary supplement or other food product that contains it to be adulterated. The FDA strongly recommends that consumers avoid dietary supplements and other food products containing human placenta, as the risk of bacterial infection is significant.

2017 WTSP-TV

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Botanical Supplements Market to Reach US$ 69 Bn by 2025 – Persistence Market Research – PR Newswire (press release)

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Holistic Benefits of Botanical Supplements Leading to their Higher Consumption

Consumers often look for dietary supplements that can offer holistic benefits when consumed rather than any specific benefits. Hence, many of the food brands are now offering products that contain botanical supplements owing to their holistic properties. This, in turn, is expected to drive the demand for botanical supplements to a certain extent. Moreover, manufacturers are also concentrating on developing customized products in an attempt to create exclusivity. Also, liberal regulations for manufacturing of botanical supplements encourage market players to experiment with their existing products, as they are not under any serious obligation to provide efficacy data. Liberal regulations pertaining to herbal/botanical supplements has led to the introduction of more products over the years.

As per PMR's study, the global botanical supplement market is projected to reach a valuation of US$ 37,950 Mn by 2017-end. In terms of revenue, the market is set to witness a CAGR of 6.9% during the forecast period. Factors such as inclination of consumers towards naturally derived products and increasing health awareness will be majorly accountable for this growth.

View Market Overview and Research Methodology@http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/market-research/botanical-supplements-market.asp

Additional Highlights of the Report Include:

Among regions, Europe is the largest market for botanical supplements, followed by North America. In 2016, the market in Europe stood at around US$ 11,385 Mn. Meanwhile, in Asia Pacific, countries such as China and India will continue to represent lucrative market opportunities. Manufacturers in this region are generating significant sales revenue from selling new botanical supplements. Towards the end of 2025, the market in Asia Pacific is estimated to reach a valuation of US$ 16,926.6 Mn, reflecting a CAGR of more than 6%.

View Report Table of Contents, Figures, and Tables@http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/market-research/botanical-supplements-market/toc

PMR in its report has profiled some of the leading companies operating in the global market for botanical supplements, which include -

A sample of this report is available upon request@http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/2797

Persistence Market Research Overview

Persistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.

To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.

Contact Persistence Market Research U.S. Sales Office: 305 Broadway, 7th Floor New York City, NY 10007 United States T: +1-646-568-7751 USA - Canada Toll-Free: 800-961-0353 Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.com

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Botanical Supplements Market to Reach US$ 69 Bn by 2025 - Persistence Market Research - PR Newswire (press release)

Latin American sisters in US ‘build bridges’ during ‘challenging time’ – Catholic News Service

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CHICAGO (CNS) -- Thirty-four Latin American sisters who are working as missionaries in poor Latino communities in the United States recently gathered for a 10-day retreat and meeting in Chicago.

They were joined by their mother superiors and, for a vocation retreat over the final weekend, by 20 young Latinas interested in learning more about religious life.

Working in underserved areas in 12 dioceses, the Mexican, Puerto Rican, Colombian, Venezuelan, Guatemalan, Salvadoran and Honduran sisters come from 12 religious orders and are part of the U.S.-Latin American Sisters Exchange Program. Catholic Extension partnered with the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation to create this program.

The Latin American sisters reach out to and minister with Spanish-speaking immigrant families, providing leadership in religious education, migrant farmworker outreach, home visitations, youth and young adult ministry, spiritual guidance, vocations promotion and other ministries.

The sisters are currently in their third year of this five-year initiative, designed to strengthen Catholic ministries to immigrant communities, promote vocations among Latino Catholics and develop greater Hispanic leadership in the U.S. Catholic Church.

For the participating sisters from Latin America, the program offers pastoral experiences as well as educational programming that is preparing them for greater leadership in their religious congregations.

The May 19-28 Chicago encounter included a retreat for the sisters and their mother superiors at the Cenacle Retreat Center; a vocation retreat, also at the Cenacle; a workshop at Loyola University Chicago; meetings with Chicago Cardinal Blase J. Cupich, Catholic Extension staff and the director of the Hilton Foundation's Catholic Sisters Program; as well as visits to several Chicago parishes, including a "Sisters' Serenade" at St. Teresa of Avila Parish.

Fun agenda items included attending a Chicago Cubs game and taking in some sights of Chicago, where Catholic Extension is based. The organization is the leading supporter of missionary work in poor and remote parts of the United States. Extension's hashtag #SistersintheCity accompanied those outings.

Welcoming the sisters to Chicago, Cardinal Cupich addressed them in Spanish during a meeting in the Chicago Archdiocese's St. James Chapel. The cardinal blessed them and thanked them for their great gift to the U.S. church.

Catholic Extension said that as its chancellor, Cardinal Cupich has been instrumental in developing and guiding the program.

He asked a "special favor" of the sisters: "When you meet our immigrant brothers and sisters throughout the country, please share this message with them from me: Tell them that God is with them in this challenging time and that the church will never stop advocating for them. Tell them that their culture and language are beautiful and that they enrich us. And tell them that I will pray to our Mother Mary that she protect and cover them and their families in her mantle."

During Sunday Mass May 21 at Old St. Patrick Church in Chicago, Father Jack Wall, president of Catholic Extension, recognized the sisters for "having left behind their families and their country to come into a strange land to serve among the poorest of the poor." He praised their "powerful witness to the power of God's love."

Father Wall said, "At Catholic Extension, we have come to know that you cannot go to the poorest places in the United States and not find the presence of the Catholic Church. And the face of ministry among the poorest of the poor so often is women religious. They are there with a profound joy in their hearts."

Addressing the sisters directly, he said, "Sisters, Hermanas, we are so grateful for your walking together with us in hope. Your acceptance of this mission to come to this country has been a great blessing to us."

At a meeting May 25, Sister Maria Teresa de Loera said the sisters participating in the U.S.-Latin American Sisters Exchange program see themselves as being on the frontlines of answering Pope Francis' call to "go out to the peripheries of migration."

A member of the Mexican order of Catholic Teachers of the Sacred Heart of Jesus who now works in the Diocese of Little Rock, Arkansas, Sister de Loera said, "We are listening to, suffering with, giving hope to, and sharing our lives with the immigrants. Our best contribution is our prophetic witness of unity and joy."

She told Extension magazine that the 10-day encounter in Chicago was recharging them, saying, "It makes the Holy Spirit be reborn in us as women religious."

Through Catholic Extension's partnerships with U.S. Catholic universities, the sisters in the U.S.-Latin American Sisters Exchange Program several times a year receive extensive language, cultural, theological and pastoral training. At the end of the program, they will return to their Latin American congregations, which will in turn benefit from their increased skills and expertise.

Sister Brenda Hernandez Valdes is one of three Daughters of Mary Immaculate of Guadalupe from Mexico who work at St. Joseph Parish in Williston in the Diocese of Bismarck, North Dakota. She said that for her the program has been "a great opportunity in my life to grow in many ways -- as a human person, spiritually and in my apostolic life. This Catholic Extension program has been a godsend not just for the people but also for us, for every sister in the program."

As the parishioners in Williston grow in their faith, Sister Hernandez said, "we see the fruits in their lives. For me that is the best part of the experience." Prior to the sisters' arrival, the immigrant workers did not have anyone in the area's parishes speak their language. "The Catholic Church had been losing people in North Dakota," she said. "With our presence, we have been helping the church to save and to keep people."

She explained that many of the workers in North Dakota's oil fields around Williston arrive alone. "Some of them don't have relatives or friends. Everybody needs family, and in our church, everybody is family, we are God's family."

During the sisters' first year in Williston, Sister Hernandez said, the first Communion of 25 Hispanic kids also had a ripple effect: Some of their parents hadn't been receiving Communion because they were not married. When their children asked them why they didn't go to Communion, they decided to get married in the church. "We evangelized the kids," Sister Hernandez said, "and then the kids evangelized their parents. It is awesome."

Sister Maria Catalina Carrillo, who traveled from Mexico to represent Sister Hernandez's religious order at the Chicago meeting, said, "So many congregations are here, but together we feel united as one church. The sisters in this program are the bridge between the Hispanic and Anglo cultures. They bring the two communities together."

For many of the sisters, it also has been an eye-opening experience with respect to the realities of life for immigrants in the United States.

Sister Carrillo said, "In Mexico we think that the people who move from Mexico to the United States have an easy life, but they don't. They have to face so many difficult things, and the sisters bring them joy through the church and make them feel welcome."

Sister Marite Gutierrez, a Catechist Sister of Jesus Crucified working at Madonna del Sasso Parish in Salinas, California, said many of her parishioners are farmworkers who face many problems.

She cites the example of a young mother, who is struggling to make ends meet and lives with her two daughters in a small room in an apartment she is sharing with another family.

"I believe that is not what God wants for his children," Sister Gutierrez said. "The first thing I can do for this mother is to be her friend, to listen and to reach out so that she and her children can feel God's love and care for them. Faith can be a small window for light, for God to enter into their lives."

This year has been more difficult for many of her parishioners. "They don't know what is going to happen to them," she said. Because of the widespread fear of deportation, "they don't know if at the end of the day they will be able to return from their work. The children don't know if their parents will be home when they come back from school."

Sister Gutierrez added, "Immigrant people are our brothers and sisters, and as the church, we need to help them in whatever way we can. The first and most important thing is always to give hope."

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Latin American sisters in US 'build bridges' during 'challenging time' - Catholic News Service

Modernizing Nuclear Deterrents No. 1 Priority, DoD Officials Tell … – Department of Defense

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WASHINGTON, June 8, 2017 Defense officials outlined the need for consistent congressional support for the critical mission of modernizing and maintaining effective nuclear deterrent systems during testimony on Capitol Hill yesterday.

James A. MacStravic, performing the duties of undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics, told the Senate Armed Services Committee's subcommittee on strategic forces that because the systems require modernization at the same time, the Defense Department needs sustained support from Congress to ensure adequate, consistent funding for the programs.

"Delaying modernization and warhead life extension efforts would degrade the effectiveness of these systems and would put at risk the fundamental objective of these systems: nuclear deterrence," he said.

As the delivery systems and warheads reach their limits for sustainability, the choice is not between keeping or updating the forces, he told the panel.

"Rather, our choice is between modernizing those forces or watching a slow and unacceptable degradation in our ability to deter adversaries who represent existential threats to our nation," he said.

Nuclear Posture Review

In January, President Donald J. Trump directed the Defense Department to conduct a nuclear posture review to assess the roles of nuclear weapons in national security, the strategy to fulfil those roles and the capability requirements to implement that strategy, MacStravic pointed out.

The president's fiscal year 2018 budget request demonstrates DoD's commitment to strengthening and modernizing an aging nuclear triad, he said, referring to the three categories of nuclear delivery vehicles: land, air and sea.

In his written statement, MacStravic said the president's budget request includes $14 billion for nuclear force sustainment and operations and $5 billion for associated recapitalization programs.

The hearing on DoD's nuclear acquisition programs and nuclear doctrine also included Robert M. Soofer, deputy assistant secretary of defense for nuclear and missile defense policy; Air Force Gen. Robin Rand, the commander of Air Force Global Strike Command; and Vice Adm. Terry J. Benedict, director of the Navy's Strategic Systems Programs.

The nuclear posture review directed by the president is expected to be complete by the end of 2017, Soofer told lawmakers. The review will examine all elements of U.S. nuclear forces and posture to ensure the nation's nuclear deterrent is modern, robust, flexible, resilient, ready, and appropriately tailored to deter 21st-century threats, he said.

Russia, China, North Korea and Emerging Challenges

The critical mission of ensuring an effective nuclear deterrent is the highest priority of DoD, and one it shares with the Department of Energy and Congress, Soofer said.

"Effective deterrence requires a deliberate strategy and forces that are structured and postured to support that strategy within the existing security environment," he said.

U.S. policy must address changes in the world scene in recent years, Soofer said, listing concerns with Russia, China and North Korea.

"Russia has undertaken aggressive actions against its neighbors and threatened the United States and its allies," he said. Russia has elevated strategies of nuclear first use, is violating the landmark Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, and is modernizing a large and diverse non-strategic nuclear weapons force, he added.

In the Asia-Pacific region, China's increased assertiveness suggests a desire to dominate the region, he said.

Meanwhile, Soofer said, North Korea's leadership has "demonstrated a willingness to accept economic countermeasures and international isolation in order to advance its nuclear capability and develop ballistic missiles able to strike the U.S. homeland, as well our allies in the region."

In addition, he said, new threats are emerging from non-nuclear strategic capabilities, most of which are not constrained by treaties or agreements. "Technological advancements mean that proliferators might seek weapons of mass destruction development paths that are different from the ones we are accustomed to detecting and countering," he told the panel.

(Follow Lisa Ferdinando on Twitter: @FerdinandoDoD)

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Modernizing Nuclear Deterrents No. 1 Priority, DoD Officials Tell ... - Department of Defense

Kincardine Company To Add Jobs To Support Bruce Power – BlackburnNews.com

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Blackburnnews.com stock photo By Janice MacKayJune 8, 2017 3:29pm

A technology company is expanding its Kincardine location to include a substantial design, procurement and project controls capability in Bruce County.

RCM technologies will increase to over 4,000 sq ft of space on the second floor of the Kincardine Municipal Administration Centre building to support Bruce Powers Life Extension Program.

We are extremely pleased to announce this expansion, says Rocco Campanelli, chairman and CEO of RCM We have been a partner with Bruce Power since its inception in 2001, working on numerous capital and Operations and Maintenance projects. Expanding our local presence will enhance the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of delivering our services, while improving the local economy through job creation and increased spending in Bruce County.

RCM is also hiring office staff and senior management personnel as they increase their workforce to about 80 people.

We are pleased to see RCM Technologies expanding its presence in our region and establishing such a significant footprint, says Bruce County Warden Mitch Twolan. Their investment in our economy is a great win for the entire region.

RCM provides business and technology solutions to maximize the operational performance with advanced engineering and information technology.

This is a fantastic win for our regional economy, said James Scongack, VP of corporate affairs at Bruce Power. RCM Technologies will bring highly skilled, value-added jobs, supporting our vision of a long-term, sustainable regional economy that is able to facilitate and move forward innovation in the nuclear industry.

Bruce Power launched a regional economic development initiative last year to support the expansion of its suppliers during the multi billion dollar multi-year Life Extension Program of the nuclear plant.

Janice MacKay graduated from Journalism at Humber College in Toronto. Janice was raised in Kincardine. She and her husband Steve live just outside of Wingham. They have two sons. Email Janice MacKay More Articles

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Kincardine Company To Add Jobs To Support Bruce Power - BlackburnNews.com

We must tap ‘blue economy’ for progress – Daily Nation

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Thursday June 8 2017

Wilson Otieno feeds fish being reared in ponds in Homa Bay County on May 11, 2016. The uptake of aquaculture in Kenya will boost employment. PHOTO | TOM OTIENO | NATION MEDIA GROUP

Kenyas blue economy represents the latest global move towards marine-based economic development.

Its space in the Indian Ocean as well as inland waters holds promise for the exploitation of sectors such as industrial fisheries, aquaculture, marine tourism, transport, container repair and cleaning, ship-building and repair, coastal and inland shipping, bio-prospectingenergy,sand-seabed mining.

The blue economy encompasses resources in the oceans and inland water bodies.

This, unlike the green economy (agriculture), has been the least understood and explored pillar.

On September 25, the world adopted 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a follow-up to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all.

Listed 14th is the goal to Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources.

In January, President Uhuru Kenyatta commissioned a Blue Economy Committee to prioritise programmes for the development of blue growth potential.

Maritime transport and human resource capacity building have emerged as the most potential areas to provide wealth and create jobs for youth.

With Mombasa Port recording an annual throughput of 22million tonnes, there is no reason why part of that cargo should not be carried on Kenyan-owned ships, just as Kenya Airways has flown the national flag in the aviation industry.

It is in this regard that a new strategic direction to revive the Kenya National Shipping Line (KNSL) as the national carrier has been adopted.

As a member of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), the United Nations agency responsible for the safety and security of shipping and the prevention of marine pollution, the government is putting in place measures to implement IMO resolutions for sustainable development through green shipping.

One of the aims is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through energy efficiency and increased uptake of low-carbon technologies in the maritime industry.

This is because climate change affects marine life through acidification of the water bodies, changes in circulation patterns, sea-level rise and ecological changes.

Shipping accounts for an average of 2.7 per cent of the annual global CO2.

Studies project an increase of 50 to 250 per cent in the period up to 2050.

Kenya has been elected to host the Regional Maritime Technology Cooperation Centre for the African region.

The centre will promote the reduction of harmful emissions from ships.

The coastal ecosystem, with its accompanying goods and services, is worth Sh440 billion; a huge part of which can be tapped directly from marine-related tourism.

The government recognises the importance of preserving the ocean due to its impact on lives today and in future.

Local communities, who are the immediate beneficiaries of the ocean, are being sensitised on the impact of climate change and pollution to empower them to take charge in charting their future and that of generations to come.

With recent discoveries and off-shore exploration, deep-sea fishing, seaweed farming, aquaculture, offshore oil and gas extraction and the expected growth in cargo volumes, there is a need to boost maritime security.

Blue growth will promote trade, increase revenue from exports and curb unemployment.

The ocean is of utmost importance to our nation and we are proud to be part of this global initiative.

A healthy world ocean is critical to our national survival.

The World Oceans Day provides us with a unique opportunity do all we can to honour, protect, and conserve our oceans.

Ms Karigithu is Kenya's shipping and maritime affairs principal secretary

Record 15,000 candidates from 35 political parties to contest in August.

Kenyatta joins Ruto in tour of Uasin Gishu where ethnic tensions are simmering after nominations.

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We must tap 'blue economy' for progress - Daily Nation

Guide to Investing in Robotics Stocks: What’s the Future in Automation? – Zacks.com

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When people think of future technologies that will change our lives, robotics and the general trend towards more automation is usually at the top of the list. And while some of the more sci-fi aspects of this technology still appears to be in the future, robotics and automation is already an important industry, and one that could surge in status in the years ahead as well.

The space is probably a lot bigger than you think too. Sure, most are familiar with companies like iRobot (IRBT - Free Report) , but the industry goes beyond vacuuming and pool cleaning robots at this point. In fact, many big-name players are getting into the robotics world, and it looks to be a high growth area for quite some time.

To learn more about this growing trend, I spoke with Bill Studebaker, the CIO and President of Robo Global. This company was the first to create a benchmark index to track the global robotics and automation market, acting as a barometer for companies across the space, and making Robo Global a firm in the know about the world of robotics and automation.

Investing in Robotics

Bill and I discuss the key growth areas of the robotics and automation world, as well as some of the top reasons for the greater push towards robotics as of late, including the prospect of rising wages. We also talk about how this industry may have reached a critical mass in recent years, and what this means for investors too.

We also look at what the hot areas of the robotics world are, and I get Studebakers take on Bill Gates recent commentary that we may have to consider taxing robots in the near future. We then investigate what is ahead for this industry, and why an index-based approach might make sense in this high-growth and higher-risk corner of the market.

Index in Focus

The index is also the basis for the Robo Global Robotics & Automation Index ETF (ROBO - Free Report) , the most popular fundby assetsto track the space in the ETF world. We dive into the underlying benchmark in this podcast and I investigate how securities are chosen and weighted for the index.

This is especially important when you take a first glance at the index components for the benchmark, as some companies that make their way into the benchmark include large and well-known firms like Deere (DE - Free Report) and Northrop Grumman (NOC - Free Report) to name a few. We go over why these are in the index, as well as the wisdom behind including a number of semiconductor stocks such as Nvidia (NVDA - Free Report) , Qualcomm (QCOM - Free Report) , and Ambarella (AMBA - Free Report) too.

We also talk about the significant foreign exposure in this index, and why Japanese companies account for such a large portion of the benchmark as well. Finally, we talk about the market cap breakdown for companies in this space, and what could be ahead for this growing area.

If youve been interested in the world of robotics and how to invest in this space, definitely check out this podcast for a great guide to the industry!

Bottom Line

But what do you think about the world of robotics? Is this something youve considered for your portfolio? Make sure to write us in at podcast @ zacks.com or find me on Twitter@EricDutramto give us your thoughts on this, or anything else in the fund market.

But for more news and discussion regarding the world of investing, make sure to be on the lookout forthe next edition of the Dutram Report(each and every Thursday!) and check out themany other great Zacks podcasts as well!

Want key ETF info delivered straight to your inbox?

Zacks free Fund Newsletter will brief you on top news and analysis, as well as top-performing ETFs, each week.Get it free >>

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Guide to Investing in Robotics Stocks: What's the Future in Automation? - Zacks.com

Report: Smaller Canadian towns most likely to be impacted by automation – BetaKit

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Smaller Canadian regions that specialize in mining, manufacturing, and other natural resources jobs are most vulnerable to automation, according to a new report from Brookfield Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (BII+E).

For the report, Automation Across the Nation: Understanding the potential impacts of technological trends across Canada, the Brookfield Institute applied findings from a recent report by McKinsey & Company on automation to employment figures from the 2011 Statistics Canada census, the most recent account of local labour statistics. Specifically, the Brookfield Institutes report aims to identify the Canadian cities and towns, as well as specific industries, that are most likely to be impacted by automation.

We expect that the impact of automation will vary considerably across Canadas towns and cities, said Sean Mullin, executive director of BII+E. By better understanding the geographic distribution of this trend, we believe the country will be much better prepared to weather the risks and reap the potential benefits of automation.

Industries most likely to be impacted by automation include accommodation and food services.

The report revealed that overall, 46 percent of work activities in Canada have the potential to be automated, across all industries, a figure that is equivalent to 7.7 million jobs. When it comes to specific industries, however, the report found that small regional economies that specialize in manufacturing or mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction are most susceptible to automation.

Some of these regions included Woodstock, Ontario, where 49.5 percent of work activities have the potential to be automated; Ingersoll, Ontario, where 50 percent of the work has the potential to be automated; and Quesnel, BC, where 49.64 percent of work activities have the potential to be automated.

On the contrary, the cities and towns that are less susceptible to automation are areas with a large hospital, post-secondary institution, or public sector presence such as Petawawa, Ontario, Ottawa-Gatineau, Ontario, and Fredericton, New Brunswick.

Diving further into specific industries, the report found that industries most likely to be impacted by automation also include accommodation and food services; transportation and warehousing; and agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting. According to the Institute, the proportion of work activities in industries with the potential to be automated is equal to 2.5 million jobs.

Large cities like Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver lie in the middle of the pack. The report suggested that while about 46 percent of work activities in these regions have the potential of being automated, workers displaced by automation may have an easier time finding new jobs as these cities tend to specialize in professional, scientific, and technical services.

Overall, the report suggests that while automation will bring certain benefits, it will also bring significant risks for individual Canadians and communities, particularly for Canadas smaller cities and towns.

While the rate and extent of adoption of different technologies across industries is unknown, the benefits, as well as the job displacement risks resulting from automation, are likely to be more concentrated in certain industries, and in certain cities and towns, the report reads. This suggests a need to more deeply understand the areas and people that are most at risk, and to design policy and program responses, including in the areas of training, upskilling, education, and social safety nets, that take this uneven distribution of risk into account.

The Brookfield Institute plans to continue examining the differentiated impacts of automation on various regions and individuals across Canada in the coming months.

This is not the first time the Brookfield Institute has examined the relationship between automation and jobs. In March, the Brookfield Institute and RBC released a report that found that people aged 15 to 24 are one of the population segments most likely to experience changes in job roles and skills demand due to automation. They reportedly make up nearly 20 percent of employees that have a high risk of being impacted by automation.

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Report: Smaller Canadian towns most likely to be impacted by automation - BetaKit

Automation nation: Which Canadian communities are most at risk? – The Globe and Mail

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Nearly half of Canadas work activities could be automated, and the communities most susceptible tend to have smaller populations with an outsize share of manufacturing or natural resources jobs, according to a newreport.

On the other hand, the Canadian areas best insulated from tech disruption include those where hospitals, postsecondary institutions and the public sector are major employers, the Brookfield Institute for Innovation + Entrepreneurshipfinds.

The Toronto-based think tank applied McKinsey & Company data on automation to employment figures from the 2011 census, the most recent account of local labour statistics. (Labour figures from the 2016 census will be released inNovember.)

Census metropolitan areas with a higher share of non-routine work activities were less likely to be disrupted, the reportsays.

For example, one-third of Ottawa-Gatineau employees were working in health care, education services and professional scientific and technical services three industries that rely on human interaction and management. As a result, 44 per cent of the work activities in Ottawa-Gatineau had the potential to be automated, according to the study, making it the second-least susceptible area out of147.

In contrast, one-quarter of Ingersoll, Ont., employees were working in manufacturing and one-fifth in retail, restaurants and accommodation industries with highly repetitive tasks. The study found that 50 per cent of the work in Ingersoll had the potential to be automated, making it the area most at risk in thecountry.

Where does your city rank? Use the searchable table below to find out, or tap the column headings to order thefigures.

Source: BII + E

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Automation nation: Which Canadian communities are most at risk? - The Globe and Mail

Education & Wage Slavery | The Middle Finger Project

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Ed-u-ca-tion.

Ah, the sound of the word alone evokes feelings of hope, prosperity, success andwhats that?money, you say? Ah, yes. And money.

We grow up believing that education can defeat all circumstance, transcend social classes, and pave a 24 carat, solid gold nugget path to upward mobility blissdom. Aaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh! (No, that was not a scream, people, those were the angels harmonizing. Clearly.)

And, isnt that the case?

Dont we go to school and get an education to learn, think independently, develop our interests and become all-around badasses? Dont we praise, worship and promote education as the be-all, end-all solution to the worlds worries? Dont we embark on philanthropic missions to spread the good word of education to those that dont have access? Doesnt education equal opportunity? Dont I ask a lot of rhetorical questions?

Were constantly talking about what education can do for us.

Sure, theres plenty that education can do for all of us. But in our flurry of excitement, we fail to recognize that tiny little detail called the law of reciprocity. What, exactly, are we doing for education in return?

The answer: A hell of a lot more than we realize.

Why do you suppose presidents go out of their way to make education a priority? And I quote, from President Obamas website:

Preparing our children to compete in the global economy is one of the most urgent challenges we face.

Sounds noble enough, doesnt it? (Note: This is not a political statement for or against President Obama. Just an example.) As much as wed like to believe that those in power are petitioning for education because theyre good people, or because theyre looking out for our personal well-being, or because they want social equality, or maybe just so we dont look like big, fumbling, sloppy idiots next to the Chineseits a happy little love story, but it isnt the real reason. The real reason is tucked nicely right into that quote up there. See it there? Look closely. See it now?

Economy.

Economy is a fun little word, especially right now. Our economy happens to be based on capitalism. This means that goods, or capital, is traded for profit, and profit is the name of the game. The term capital can encompass many things, but theres one form of capital in particular thats the most important form of all, and guess what?

That capital is YOU.

You probably think of yourself as far more than a mere factor of production,but human beings in a capitalist society are exactly thathuman capital. (Worse, what really stings is that economists refer to human capital as a fungible resource, which basically means that youre interchangeable. Ouch.) Basically, your knowledge contributes to your ability to perform labor, in order to produce economic value. Therefore, more knowledge = more labor = more economic value.

And how do you get more knowledge? Ed-u-ca-tion. (Cue angels.)

This is why education is promoted. And Im sure it comes as no surprise, the link between education and economic value. Weve always grasped that concept on on the surface, but the question is, do we understand what that means? For example, what if its the case that the only education youre receiving is that which contributes to your economic value? Some might argue that it is.

We educate people to perform the functions that are needed, so that they can be productive members of society. Youve heard that phrase before, right? In this sense, within the education system we are essentially a bunch of giant pawns that are manipulated, shaped and formed into what is needed in order to produce, AKA, what is needed in order to make a profit. We arent gaining knowledge for the sake of knowledge; we are gaining specific knowledgethat which is dictated by the elite, with their goals in mind, since they run the education system in the first placein order to perform certain functions later in life. Were being prepared for the work force. Were being primed to produce.

Were being used, in the deepest sense.

From this perspective, the economy doesnt exist to support its people; its people exist to support the economy. The term wage slave has never held more truth.

Lets say a school curriculum emphasizes mathematics over history. (It isnt too often you hear of AP History, do you?) Its highly probable that the students that attend that school will rank mathematics as more important than history. In turn, those people are going to regard jobs that require specialized skills in mathematics as more important than those that require specialized skills in history.

Students are told that jobs in mathematics will mean greater economic opportunities, which may be partly true, but what society gets out of promoting mathematics through the education system is a greater supply of math geniuses. A greater supply of math genius human capital. And a greater supply of math genius human capital translates into a more competitive society. And a more competitive society translates into a more profitable society. And a more profitable societyyou guessed ittranslates into a better economy.

Was the connection clear there?

So lets skip past all the wordy explanations and get down to itbasically, youre busting your ass to learn math so someone at the top can get even richer. Its a hidden curriculum, if you will. Its a case of those in power manipulating schooling to serve their own agenda. The opinions of the majority are formed mainly through education, and the government decides whats taught in an educational setting.

Coincidence? I think not.

The education system is the perfect way to transmit fundamental values necessary for capitalism to be successfulcompetition, individualism, consumerismbecause it has access to children right from the beginning, and for a really, really (really) long time. Its socialization by education. Education is a tool to wield power.

If you need more proof, think back to when schooling first became widespread, when Western nations tried to colonize indigenous peoples, providing them with moral guidance in an attempt to convert them to Western values and norms.

Why?

So Westerners could exploit them by extracting taxes and getting cheap labor, as well as encourage the spread of Western culture and language. Doesnt sound so much like an institution with your best interests in mind, does it? It was about power and money then, and its about power and money now.

But, its pretty hard to reject a piece of the status quo when youve spent your whole life unconsciously perpetuating it.

In school, too often we are taught what to think, not how to think, and theres a fundamental difference. Its crucial to acquire the latter if you want to do big things. Critical thinking skills are lacking, and thats why I blogto encourage it.

Sometimes it makes people uncomfortable, but thats the point. By inspiring critical thought, the hope is to nudge the human race forward, if only just a little bit. Critical thinking leads to action. And if we ever want to shake up the status quo, were going to have to act.

Am I rebelling against capitalism? No. But I am calling for a more conscious awareness of how the world works around usand how it affects us, in turn? Yes.

Am I rebelling against education? No. But am I calling for a broader base of knowledge within the education system? Hell yes.

I get capitalism, but heres the thing:

I dont like being someone elses capitalI want to be my own.

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Education & Wage Slavery | The Middle Finger Project

Modern-day slavery alive in Cambridge as couple refuses wages to domestic worker: AG – Metro US

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The Massachusetts Attorney General's Office is cracking down on modern-day slavery, and a Cambridge couple is paying more than $35,000 following allegations they failed to pay a live-in domestic worker who cared for their children.

The story seems to be ripped straight from the cover of a recent Atlantic magazine detailing a family who emigrated (legally) from Southeast Asia, bringing with them a domestic worker who was expected to care for the children and cover basic household duties. The problem? The family never paid the domestic worker.

In Cambridge, married couple Shiou Voon Kayse Foo and Kay Jinn Wong failed to pay minimum wage, overtime and vacation pay, and they failed to comply with the states Domestic Workers Law in connection with their former live-in employee, Attorney General Maura Healey said in a statement.

These individuals exploited their live-in employee by forcing her to work without proper pay, Healey said. Massachusetts has strong laws to protect all workers and ensure they are treated fairly. This should send a message that this conduct is not acceptable, and we will go after those who do not pay their workers properly.

The Attorney Generals Office began investigating Foo and Wong based on a referral from Boston University Law Schools Human Trafficking Clinic in March. The couple, originally from Malaysia, was living in Cambridge and brought their domestic worker with them, whom they had previously employed, to help care for their children and to provide other domestic services.

The investigation revealed that once in Cambridge, Foo and Wong made only sporadic payments and failed to pay their employee for weeks at a time. Foo and Wong have denied any wrongdoing.

Massachusetts law for domestic workers regulates working and rest time, charges for food and lodging and circumstances of termination. The law also requires employers to make and keep records of the hours worked by any domestic worker and provides guidelines for work evaluations and written employment agreements. These protections apply regardless of a domestic worker's immigration status.

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Modern-day slavery alive in Cambridge as couple refuses wages to domestic worker: AG - Metro US

Jeff Sessions Says Social Media, Encrypted Apps Hamper War on ‘Modern Slavery’ – Reason (blog)

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ERIK S. LESSER/EPA/NewscomU.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions told a gathering of more than 1,500 federal, state, and local law enforcement agents that he was ready to follow President Donald Trump's orders and "make our country safe again." For Sessions, that entails "mak[ing] the fight against child exploitation and human trafficking a top priority."

Both were major priorities for the Obama-era Department of Justice and FBI too, so Sessions' bluster is based on a bit of a false premise. But what difference does it makeprioritizing the protection of children and trafficking-victims can't be a bad thing, right?

Alas: When it's done by the likes of the Justice Department, it can be. Beyond all the big talk about saving kids, the agency actually allocates most of its anti-exploitation agenda to arresting adult sex workers and snagging people in stings that involve no actual victims. That is, when it's not aiding in the arrests of exploited children themselves. If Sessions' June 6 speechclosing the National Law Enforcement Training on Child Exploitation meeting in Atlantasignals greater federal investment in status-quo solutions, expect to see even more "human trafficking stings" targeting adults engaged in prostitution, immigrants eligible for deportation, and asset-heavy escort-advertising sites, as well as any broader civil liberties they can plausibly grab along the way.

In Atlanta, Sessions warned of the dangers of "emerging technologies," encrypted-communication platforms, social-networking sites, and "the so-called Darknet." These, he declared, are the tools of such "depraved people" as "child pornographers, sextortionists, and human traffickers."

"We need to help our fellow citizens know what to watch for, and encourage them to tell us when they see something troubling," Sessions urged. "Nothing less than a united effort will be enough to keep our children from becoming victims of exploitation."

Sessions finished his speech by presenting a video on "the importance of recognizing the signs of child sex-trafficking and reporting suspected crimes." It featured the tagline: "Modern day slavery exists. If you see it, report it." Even the aggressively neutral Politico couldn't avoid making drug war comparisons, describing the video as "hearkening back to the D.A.R.E era" with its "hyperbolic language" and its portrait of "a slippery slope of behavior leading to irrevocable consequences."

The idea that every American child is just one smartphone app away from being snatched into sex slavery is absurd, and it bears no relationship to what both anecdotes and data tell us about such matters. But it does make a nice narrative if you want to wage war on pesky encrypted technologies that thwart all sorts of investigators; or to insert more Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security, and FBI agents into community policing; or to get everyone from flight attendants to truck drivers telling federal agents about anyone "suspicious"; or to ensure the continued relevance of an agency whose drug-war glory days are behind it.

As Reason's Matt Welch pointed out in January, the Sessions confirmation hearing featured no lack of hysteria about human trafficking. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-California) began her interrogation by asking about sex trafficking, which she called the second-largest criminal industry in Americaa "factually insane claim that will probably give [Sessions] more power," Welch noted:

In order for "human sex trafficking" to be the second largest criminal industry in the United States, it would at minimum need to supplant illegal narcotics (roughly $100 billion a year, according to a 2014 Rand Corp. estimate), or Medicare fraud (in the ballpark of $60 billion, according to the Government Accountability Office in 2015). So distant is reality from those numbers that even the commonly cited figure of $9.8 billion a year for all trafficking and keep in mind that human smuggling dwarfs sex trafficking was given "four Pinocchios" by Washington Post fact-checker Glenn Kessler.

Senators at the confirmation hearing also grilled Sessions on whether pornography is a public health crisis and how open he is to aggressive use of obscenity laws.

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Jeff Sessions Says Social Media, Encrypted Apps Hamper War on 'Modern Slavery' - Reason (blog)

A Myopic View Of Robert E. Lee – National Review

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For most of the first century following the American Civil War, histories of the wars legacy particularly the Reconstruction era tended to suffer from the myopia of considering only the relationship between white Northerners and white Southerners. As the war neared its end, some in the Union (like Lincoln and Andrew Johnson, though in very different ways) stressed the need for reconciliation between the Union and the defeated Confederates; other Radical Republicans wanted a more vigorous demonstration of vengeance towards the rebels and their leaders for their treason. The result of looking at the war and its aftermath solely through this framework is that waves of revisionism swung back and forth between views sympathetic to the Radicals desire to remake the South and liberal-sounding histories that condemned them as hard-hearted zealots insistent on prolonging the nations divisions, and that painted Reconstruction as a cesspool of corruption. The latter type of history was largely responsible for the bad historical reputation of Ulysses S. Grants Radical-friendly presidency. It also colored denunciations of the impeachment of Andrew Johnson (although Johnson, who was wrong about Reconstruction, was right about the specific dispute at issue in the impeachment.) You can still catch a whiff of this latter view in the chapters on that era in John F. Kennedys Profiles in Courage.

The problem with the how hard should we have been on the Confederates debate is simple: it leaves black people out of the picture. Thats a rather large omission. The Civil War was not, as some would have you believe, fought only over the issue of slavery; it was the culmination of a series of disputes over ideas and policies, and seeing the war as a crusade to free the slaves was never more than the view of a sizeable minority faction in the North. Even Lincoln was willing, all the way to 1865, to make some concessions on the pace of abolition in order to end the war and preserve the Union. But slavery was unquestionably the main cause of the rupture between North and South, without which there would have been no war. The debates and resolutions adopted by Southern states when they seceded made it extraordinarily clear that the South was leaving mainly to protect the institution of slavery. (Moreover, many of the secondary disputes between the two sides were connected to the nature of the Southern slave economy). And in the debates over Reconstruction, the civil and economic rights of the freed slaves were a crucial battleground, one on which Northern Republicans fought long and hard for a decade before exhaustedly surrendering in 1876 in exchange for control of the White House.

If you have only ever read treatments of the life of Robert E. Lee that suffer from the myopic exclusion of black people, Adam Serwers latest piece in The Atlantic could offer you a useful corrective. But Serwer suffers from his own myopia.

Lee was widely revered in his own day even by his adversaries partly for being a great general, and partly as a paragon of a great many virtues valued by the (white) American society of his time. Serwer offers to add to that picture both a reminder that Lee shared the retrograde racial attitudes of his time and that the cause Lee fought for was inseparable in every particular from slavery. (He offers as one example the fact that Lee would not engage in prisoner of war exchanges that treated captured black Union soldiers as prisoners of war rather than escaped property). He also notes that Lees role as a postwar conciliator must be balanced against his continuing opposition to black civil rights, a movement that would mature into the full horror of Jim Crow within a few years of Lees 1870 death. If Serwer stopped there, hed be on solid enough ground.

But intent on attacking every aspect of Lees memory, Serwer keeps going. First, he berates Lee for the grand-strategic decision to wage a conventional war against the Union:

Despite his ability to win individual battles, his decision to fight a conventional war against the more densely populated and industrialized North is considered by many historians to have been a fatal strategic error.

This echoes a May 19 op-ed by Michael Rosenwald in the Washington Post, tendentiously titled The truth about Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee: He wasnt very good at his job, which chose to level the same charge at the same time, probably for the same reason:

Outmanned, Lee should have taken a more defensive posture, drawing the North into difficult Southern terrain. Instead, he was constantly on the offensive, which resulted in heavy casualties and broken spirits.

Its true that the Confederacys grand strategy in the war was badly flawed. Indeed, the decision to wage the war at all was insane: the Confederacy was far less of a match in manpower or industry for the Union than the Thirteen Colonies had been relative to Great Britain in 1775, and unlike the colonists, the Confederacy didnt have an ocean between themselves and their adversaries. The Confederate cause could succeed only if it was vastly better-led than the Union, and thanks in large part to Lee, it managed to pull that off for the first two and a half years of the war.

However, Serwers attack on Lee as a strategist completely ignores two vital points. One, Lee wasnt in charge of grand strategy, and in reality wasnt even a theater commander until June of 1862, when he was put in charge of the Army of Northern Virginia in time to halt a Union advance on the Confederate capital of Richmond. Lee had spent the year before that fighting relatively peripheral battles and supervising the construction of defensive trenches around Richmond. The Confederacy was a democracy, and its elected government was headed by Jefferson Davis, a West Point graduate, former Secretary of War and a colonel in the Mexican War who took an active role in military strategy. It wasnt Lee who decided to locate the new capital so close to the Union lines, necessitating the commitment of extensive resources to defend Eastern Virginia. It was Davis and his government, not Lee, who imposed the political imperatives that drove Confederate strategy.

More broadly, Serwer wholly fails to consider the moral consequences of a purely defensive war of Fabian retreats and guerilla fighting on Confederate turf. Such a war which Lee never wanted during the war, and which he rejected as a path of insurgency after Appomattox would have been one of scorched earth and embitterment, not only wrecking the South even in victory but making any permanent reconciliation vastly more difficult in defeat. The human toll of such a war could be seen from the places where it had erupted during the Revolution, like North Carolina. Sherman would ultimately bring scorched earth to Georgia, and the results hardly recommend a deliberate strategy to invite that for the entire war.

Related to this is how little credit he gives Lees eminence and gentlemanly surrender for preventing a long-term insurgency, avoiding an aftermath like the French Revolution, and enabling the country to return to being a single, functional political whole in time enough to see the vast rise in American prosperity and power between 1870 and 1945. If the old histories of Reconstruction were myopic in forgetting African-Americans, Serwers view is myopic in considering no one else, not even the majority of the population. Looking back at Jim Crow, he cannot see how anything could have been worse, why national reconciliation after the war had any value, or why anyone would have wanted peace in the America of 1865-76. We can use the distance of history to judge the national decision to fight no further, but we should have some understanding of what costs the people of the day had paid already, and what they spared by laying down the sword.

In fact, Lees willingness after the war to subordinate the interests of freed slaves to the cause of union and peace was not so radically different from the view that Lincoln himself took during the war. All the way up to the ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment in 1865, Lincoln had held onto the view that some concessions on slavery (albeit fewer as the war wore on) could be exchanged for restoring the nation. That doesnt make Lee the moral equal of Lincoln, but the Americans of that day did not see things in the same terms we do now.

Lee was no hero; he fought for an unjust cause, and he lost. Unlike the Founding Fathers (even the slaveholders among them), he failed the basic test of history: leaving the world better and freer than he found it. And while he was not responsible for the Souths strategic failures, his lack of strategic vision places him below Grant, Sherman and Winfield Scott in any assessment of the wars greatest generals. We should not be building new monuments to him, but if we fail to understand why the men of his day revered him, we are likelier to fail to understand who people revere today, and why. And tearing down statues of Lee today is less about understanding the past than it is a contest to divide the people of todays America, and see who holds more power. Thats no better an attitude today than it was in Lees day.

As much as I value history understanding it is essential to understanding our own world today one should be suspicious of people looking to make a contemporary political cause out of the American Civil War, the most bloody and divisive episode in our nations past. The results are often more racial division and less understanding of history. Serwers interest in attacking General Lee is transparently about the present, not the past. That myopia is how he ends up down a blind alley.

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A Myopic View Of Robert E. Lee - National Review

Stop unnecessary port charges Shipping lines urged – Hellenic Shipping News Worldwide

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The Ghana House of Port Agents (GHOPA), a group of importers, has asked shipping companies at the Tema port to bring an end to excessive charges on imported goods.

According to the group, since the announcement of the abolition of the 1% Special Import Levy by the Akufo-Addo-led government, owners of shipping lines have introduced new charges at the port.

A statement issued by the group said: On 2nd March, 2017, during the maiden budget statement of President Akufo Addos government presented by Hon Ken Ofori-Atta, we [GHOPA] developed a very strong confidence in the government, having the belief that some of the abolished taxes were going to help us unleash our fabulous policies to help redeem the image of businesses in our nation especially at the port in our various fields of work. Ever since those taxes were abolished, there have been a whole lot of unnecessary charges at the port by the shipping lines of which we [GHOPA] and the freight forwarders, as well as the importers, are not happy about.

Some of those charges that we [GHOPA] believe are unnecessary are: cleaning of container charges, container security charges, demurrage on public holidays, Saturdays and Sundays. What saddens our hearts most is the fact that they dont even work on weekends [Saturdays and Sundays] as well as on public holidays, meanwhile GPHA also charges on the same consignment (security fee)

Again, shipping lines like CMA Line, Maersk Line, Pacific International Line (PIL), and Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) always delay in issuance of their invoices especially when their system goes down and at the end of the day we are being charged for their own technical issues which caused the breakdown of their system. And their demurrage charges are too much. They charge as high as USD100 per day which we think is just too much.

In conclusion, we the Ghana House of Port Agents [GHOPA] wish to convey through this press release that we are pleading with the government, Ministry of Trade and Industry, and other bodies concerned to do something to put an end to all the unnecessary charges at the shipping lines in a month else we will advise ourselves either embarking on a massive demonstration against all the bodies including the government or the law court.

In a subsequent interview with Chief Jerry Forson, host of Ghana Yensom on Accra100.5FM on Wednesday, June 7, Prince Kofi Buamah, Public Relations Officer of the group, said: We are appealing to the government to focus its attention on the shipping lines because they are hurting our businesses at the Tema port. We cannot trust the Shippers Council to deal with this issue because we have put several of our issues before them but they havent handled them properly.

Ampadu Siaw, Secretary of the Secondhand Spare Parts Dealers Association, also commenting on the matter, commended the group for raising the matter.

Also speaking on the show, he said: I will commend them, it is a fight that all of us must support because it affects us. The leadership of spare parts dealers will be meeting on this and see how we can also involve ourselves in this matter.

As for Ghana Shippers Council, they are not serving our interests, they are serving their own interests because most of the issues that come before them are not addressed. Source: GhanaWeb

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Stop unnecessary port charges Shipping lines urged - Hellenic Shipping News Worldwide

What Pro Wrestling Would Look Like Under Socialism – Paste Magazine

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Can pro wrestling, a medium with a history of bare-faced antagonism towards leftist politics, exist under socialism?

I think its contingent on the degree to which wrestlers and others in the business identify with the working class.

Its a spectrum. On one end, you have Zack Sabre Jr, who speaks out against neoliberalism and recently raised money for the ACLU. On the other, you have Matt Striker, who was, as I was writing this, using Twitter to mock the reporter assaulted by Greg Gianforte, a Montana Republican who was subsequently elected to Congress, and speak against a living wage for fast food workers.

Where there isnt wrestling, people will create their own. Ive seen enough lips busted on trampoline frames to know this. Whether or not we can develop a class consciousness within this industry will determine whether we have to start from scratch or if that knowledge, training and character that we identify with pro wrestling now will be preserved in this new iteration.

This isnt to downplay the irrevocable influences on wrestling that socialism would have. They are substantial, perhaps even drastic. Still, I think theyre necessary to ensure that the compassionate, sustainable future we advocate for is extended to wrestling (a thing many leftists love, often despite ourselves).

Longer Careers, Shorter Title Reigns

Whatever shape the political apparatus of a socialist America takes, its safe to say that industries and business will be run as worker co-ops, directed and managed democratically by the workers. Theres no reason wrestling would be the exception.

With the abolition of rent and wage labor, the incentive to grind your knees down on multiple house shows a week will be low. And everyone will be involved in local committee projects anyway; theyll need those knees to build houses and plant arugula.

How would you book yourself if you were focused on longevity? More tag matches, triple threats, battle royals. More chances to do spots and wow crowds while getting a few breathers in the corner.

Those add up to a longer, if less illustrious, career. Legacies like Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair and Kazuchika Okada are the result of a singular vision focused on capital. Titles, if they exist, could become a means of collective recognition of labor and talent.

In theory, at least. If you, say, had a habit of defecating in your co-workers gym bags in the previous regime, youre probably gonna be voted to lose. A lot.

The Tag Title Will Become The Top Title

The structures of wrestling reflect our values. The great man babyface perceives that being himself, by himself, reflects American ideals of individualism, distrust of teamwork, and frustration at the weak-willed, ineffectual governing apparatus that exists only to fetter their attempts to win custody of their adopted son.

A collectivist wrestling company living in a collectivist society will reflect that in its booking. An example of this would be CHIKARAs Campeonatas de Parajas, a tag title that preceded its equivalent of a world title by 5 years; I see a correlation in the increasing prestige of a top singles title with the CHIKARA brands transition from that of a local, community-supported indie fed to a destination for indie talent from all over the world.

Its possible this will extend beyond tag teams, and that wrestling promotions will break out into rival factions of varying alignments, like NJPW has right now. For one, it accurately reflects political discourse in a multi-tendency, big tent organization like the DSA.

On that note, it never fails to crack me up to see Bullet Club, a faction formed to antagonize a homogenous, xenophobic society with multiculturalism, in the Twitter avatars of white nationalists.

A Return To Rasslin

Wrestling has long run on a particular cycle of acquisition. The big companies see a trend in the smaller that they want to appropriate, and then buy up all the wrestlers they can who fit that trend, incorporating it into the mainstream style and forcing the remaining indies to find something new. CCK subtly references to this occurring to the new British style in their recent promo for PROGRESS.

Without this engine of imposition, the need for a rapidly developed diversity of hyper-specialized wrestling styles will be low. And some wrestlers, a demographic that leans hard to the right, will just quit the sport entirely. Less knowledge to be passed on to wrestlers who work less matches and travel less.

That will facilitate a return to basics. More rasslin, more catch-as-catch-can, more literal amateur hour.

I think this can be good. Part of what makes Lucha Underground, Hoodslam and Party World Rasslin beautiful is their ability to reach people who dont necessarily identify as wrestling fans by focusing on crafting their own narratives and culture instead of maintaining a certain fluency in current wrestling trends. Another part: they make Jim Cornette mad.

The Revolution At Ringside

What does it mean to distribute wealth? A capitalist might say Its whenever I have $2 and you have $0, you take $1 from me to make it even. Which isnt inaccurate.

A more fleshed out realization of it (in the simplest terms) would be if, whenever you have $2 and I have $0, I take that $1 while we work to abolish the things that require money (rent, lack of food access, etc) and then the money, now evenly distributed, is worthless.

So, in an economy that is in the process of, or has even completed the destruction of currency, who gets the best seats in the house? Maybe its the workers. Maybe its the syndicate or commune that collectively own the stadium.

I like to think that, if we use the Marxist axiom of from each according to their ability to each according to their need, we could start giving those ringside seats to the people who need them mostkids, seniors, disabled people.

Whatever we decide, it means some tall asshole in an nWo shirt who refuses to sit down cant block your view and ruin the show. We call that improving material conditions.

In Soviet America, Ref Bumps You

Pro wrestling referees are the definition of failing upward. Theyre prized for their incompetence, cowardice and impotent biases.They largely exist to prevent the face from achieving their goals or enact justice on heels.

This is what people like Vince McMahon and your neighbor who watches too much Fox News thinks about institutions who want to hold people to playing by the rules: weak-willed, easily circumvented, and unable to do whats necessary to bring the ill-willed to heel.

The process by which we achieve socialism in America would fundamentally change this systemic perception of justice. A bloodless grassroots revolution could lead to referees being heroic mediators who desperately try to keep carnage from all sides from boiling over.

An authoritarian vanguard could mean referees who impose order through force. A multi-tendency revolution could lead to sectarian refs endlessly feuding over slight variations of ideology.

Not all of these outcomes would necessarily make the product compelling. Thats the bad news.

The good news is the abolition of wages means thered be no one to sell contraband t-shirts to, so Earl Hebner can have his job back.

In a capitalist system, projects and institutions exist according to their capacity to generate (and/or extract) capital. If socialism is enacted in the United States, it will fundamentally change the social contract and conditions by which industries and institutions function. Anything you want to preserve amidst such a sea change needs a plan of adaptation.

If the thought of adjusting pro wrestling to accommodate a socialist society fills you with disgust or rage, I think its worth interrogating whether your attachment is actually to wrestling or to the society it reflects (before you answer: remember, we are revolting against that society).

Whatcha gonna do, comrade, when the proletariat dismantles the systems of exploitation running wild on you?

Jetta Rae is a writer and organizer based in Oakland. She runs the leftist food blog FRY HAVOC and can be found on Twitter.

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What Pro Wrestling Would Look Like Under Socialism - Paste Magazine

Corbyn’s quiet revolution – Camden New Journal newspapers website

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Jeremy Corbyn

AS members of Holborn and St Pancras constituency we would like to endorse the experience and feelings of optimism that other members and activists of the Labour Party around the country have spoken about.

What we are seeing when we go door to door on estates in Camden is a renewal of interest in politics across generations.

This is a remarkable phenomenon given the really hard times the many have had to put up with because of the enforced austerity policies of the last 10 years, alongside watching the wealth of the few grow like its on hormones.

Given that austerity and its terrible twin children, enforced debt and political disillusionment, have hit the youngest the hardest, their willingness to join the party in tens of thousands and get involved is wonderfully inspiring. We also have a new social movement, Momentum, that has been integral to the repositioning of socialism as the beating heart and soul of the party.

With this quiet revolution on the estates and in the streets is the transformation of the Labour Party into a mass membership organisation since Jeremy Corbyn was elected leader. It has quadrupled in size to become the biggest socialist party in Europe.

Some of the new members are returnees but many are young people energised by the hope, optimism and decency of Jeremy Corbyn practising a kind of politics that they have not seen intheir lifetime.

His vision of socialism represents a break from the war-torn neo-liberalism of the last 30 years. He has provided a life-support system to insecure, indebted, despairing people and laid out in the manifesto a blueprint for restoring society to full health.

Knocking on doors on council estates in Somers Town, Kentish Town, Gospel Oak and other working class areas of Camden, we find people enthusiastic about the policies of building one million homes to deal with the chronic shortage; renationalising our overpriced railways and other key utilities that we all rely on, properly funding both schools that nurture our young and the NHS that cares for us when were ill, and ending insecurity at work with the abolition of zero-hours contracts and the strengthening of trade union and employment rights.

These are improvements that benefit the 99 per cent, so selling the manifesto has not been difficult. A lot of voters tell us that for once they have a clear choice between more of the same and a chance to change direction.

Every Labour MP has an unprecedented number of party, Momentum and trade union activists helping in the campaign. It is face-to-face contact that is the most influential component in getting across policies, especially for a party like Labour that, while it has trade union support, has very few friends in the mainstream media and cannot rely on rich oligarchs to pay for infinite amounts of advertising and publicity.

People talking to each other is how well win this election and it is Jeremy Corbyns leadership that has led to hundreds of thousands joining and rejoining, enabling us to do this.

There is a world to win, a world where the unleashed creativity and imagination of everyone in our society is given the opportunity to flower and contribute, where co-operation not greed characterise us, where the young and old are cherished not impoverished, and where all feel valued, not just the few.

PHIL VASILI, Highgate, Holborn and St Pancras CLP SARAH WISE, Bloomsbury and Kings Cross, Holborn and St Pancras CLP SAM GISAGARA, Primrose Hill, Holborn and St Pancras CLP AMANDA SEBESTYEN, Highgate branch, Holborn and St Pancras CLP SHEZAN DIN RENNY, Highgate, Holborn and St Pancras CLP PAUL RENNY, Highgate, Holborn and St Pancras CLP JO ROSTRON, Primrose Hill, Holborn and St Pancras CLP LINDA SAYLE, Bloomsbury and Kings Cross, Holborn and St Pancras CLP ZULMA WICKENDEN, Highgate, Holborn and St Pancras CLP PETE WICKENDEN, Highgate, Holborn and St Pancras CLP REBEKAH BALL, Highgate, Holborn and St Pancras CLP MABEL SUMNER, Highgate, Holborn and St Pancras CLP SIMON GUNN, Highgate, Holborn and St Pancras CLP

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Corbyn's quiet revolution - Camden New Journal newspapers website

Menard introduces new Assistant Principal – KALB News (press release)

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ALEXANDRIA, La. (Holy Savior Menard High School) - Holy Savior Menard Central High School will have a new face helping lead the way when the students return. New to Menard, but not to high quality education, Dwayne Lemoine has over 30 years of educational leadership experience in central Louisiana.

With core beliefs that center around transformative education, civic responsibility and personal empowerment, Menard will benefit from Lemoines strategic background and vision. Menard Principal, Joel Desselle, is looking forward to working with Lemoine because of his proven track record in this region.

As Superintendent of Avoyelles Parish, Dwayne helped create a system for significant academic and social growth of more than 6,000 students and maintained a balanced budget in a district where the per pupil funding is one of the lowest in the state. During his tenure as Principal of Pineville High School, Lemoine led the school to become the highest performing public high school in the district, as well as provided direction and guidance for the design and construction of a new $14 million-dollar school facility.

A Master of Education degree from Northwestern State University and many years of coaching and teaching experience, along with numerous awards and honors make Lemoine a uniquely qualified candidate to join the Menard family and continue raising the standards of excellence that have been established throughout the 125 years of Catholic secondary education in central Louisiana.

According to Lemoine, I am grateful and honored to be given the opportunity to work with the Holy Savior Menard community in advancing the school's mission."

Welcome to the Holy Savior Menard family Mr. Lemoine.

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Menard introduces new Assistant Principal - KALB News (press release)