Monthly Archives: September 2021

by Athol YatesWarwick, U.K.: Helion and Co., 2020. 380 pp. $69.95, paper.

Reviewed by Sterling JensenUAE National Defense College | All views are those of the author.

Middle East QuarterlyFall 2021

https://www.meforum.org/62612/review-evolution-of-the-armed-forces-of-uae

Yates' timely book recounts the history, challenges, and internal dynamics of building the most competent and modern military in the Arab world. Long dependent on foreigners to underwrite their security, Gulf Arab countries are facing the hard reality that global powers, particularly the United States, are little interested in being security guarantors in a region where ethno-sectarianism shapes geopolitics. Yates, of Khalifa University, Abu Dhabi, argues that the United Arab Emirates' (UAE) armed forces have set a different course, helping the country steer in a more favorable direction.

The book has three parts: the physical, cultural, and political environment of the UAE military; its defining characteristics; and the evolution of each main force (army, navy, air force). Yates details how the UAE's federation was built on compromise, cunningness, and cooptation, and how this history has shaped the armed forces. The various rulers moved from developing their own armed forces for defending local interests to creating a unified and integrated military for the wider national interest. The second and third sections provide a descriptive and well-researched overview of the forces' core missions and institutional histories. The book concludes with an assessment of the UAE armed forces' effectiveness and discusses the cultural challenges facing Arab militaries.

The book's main strength is that it does not shy away from the region's taboos, such as the history of distrust among the different emirates, challenges to federation, and an objective assessment of operational successes and failures. Discussing these issues makes the accomplishments of the UAE military more credible and convincing.

What is missing, however, is a more satisfying analysis of the sustainability of the UAE armed forces' progress. What helped the UAE armed forces become what they are today does not guarantee that their success will continue. The author assumes that the UAE military will advance as long as the country's enlightened leadership remains militarily savvy, is willing to spend big, and continues to wield a heavy hand in shaping the military's institutional culture. While the author points out that military culture must be aligned with national culture in order for it to sustain success, he does not assess whether that is likely to happen.

Despite this blind spot, the book is a deeply-researched and courageous attempt to give a transparent assessment and objective history of one of the most consequential and successful modern Arab militaries.

Related Topics: Persian Gulf & Yemen | Sterling Jensen | Fall 2021 MEQreceive the latest by email: subscribe to the free mef mailing listThis text may be reposted or forwarded so long as it is presented as an integral whole with complete and accurate information provided about its author, date, place of publication, and original URL.

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Review of The Evolution of the Armed Forces of the United Arab Emirates - Middle East Forum

The treatment for any disease constantly evolvesparticularly when the disease in question is caused by an emerging pathogen.

Unfortunately, skeptics continue to use the changing science around the treatment (as well as the prevention and spread) of COVID-19 as evidence that it is somehow not up to snuff. Nothing could be further from the truth, in most cases, at least when it comes to caring for patients with severe disease.

On that score, although there is still no cure for the disease caused by SARS-CoV-2, there are treatments that do provide some relief.

In a study published on August 17 by Annals of Internal Medicine, researchers from across the country have attempted to chronicle the narrative arcfor lack of a better phraseof COVID-19 care. The Cliffs Notes version (forgive the data reference): The story starts with hydroxychloroquine, continues through remdesivir, and ends (at least for now) with dexamethasone and some cautious optimism.

Earlier in the pandemic, patients and clinicians were desperately looking for COVID-19 treatment, Hemalkumar B. Mehta, PhD, an assistant professor of epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, told Contagion. Unfortunately, the use of hydroxychloroquine was based on weak scientific evidence [and] media coverage and hype increased public interest in hydroxychloroquine. As soon as the scientific evidence showed no benefits and possible harms of hydroxychloroquine, clinicians stopped using it. The case of hydroxychloroquine provides a good reminder that solid scientific evidence should be a major driver for COVID-19 treatment.

Over the course of the study period, February 1, 2020 through February 28, 2021, among 137,870 people hospitalized with confirmed or suspected COVID-19, 8754 (6.3%) received hydroxychloroquine. However, use of the drug increased during March 2020, peaking at 42%, and started to drop by April 2020, as new data emerged demonstrating that it offered little, if any clinical benefit. By February of this year, just 0.6% of hospitalized COVID-19 patients were given the drug.

Conversely, 29,272 (21.2%) of the study patients were given remdesivir and 53,909 (39.1%) were administered dexamethasone over the 13-month study period, gradually increasing throughout. Indeed, following release of results from the RECOVERY (Randomised Evaluation of COVID-19 Therapy) trial in mid-June, 78% to 84% of patients on invasive mechanical ventilation received dexamethasone or another glucocorticoid, the researchers found. Remdesivir use peaked at 27% in February.

However, even this increased use might not have been sufficient. Of the patients who may have benefited from dexamethasone, for example, approximately 1 in 5 patients did not receive the steroid, according to Dr. Mehta. Its use peaked at 53% of potentially eligible patients in November 2020 and stood at 33% in February, but these figures vary substantially across health centers (intraclass correlation coefficient, 14.2%).

We found that remdesivir and dexamethasone were used variably across health systems [and] we need to ensure that these drugs are given to the right patients and used consistently to improve outcomes among patients hospitalized with COVID-19, Mehta said. For example, there is compelling evidence that dexamethasone is beneficial to those with COVID who are hospitalized and require supplemental oxygen. Because the pandemic is still ongoing, we must continue to generate scientific evidence on COVID-19 treatment to help patients and clinicians select appropriate drug therapies.

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Public Health Watch: Tracing the Evolution of COVID-19 Treatment in Hospitalized Patients - Contagionlive.com

New research demonstrates how the oldest known root axed developed more than 400 million years ago. The evolution of roots at this time was a dramatic event that impacted our planet and atmosphere and resulted in transformative ecological and climate change.

The first evidence-based 3D reconstruction of the fossil Asteroxylon mackiei, the most structurally complex plant from the Rhynie chert has shown how roots and other types of axes developed in this ancient plant. The fossil is preserved in chert (a type of flint) found near village of Rhynie in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. The specimens are exceptionally well-preserved in the 407-million-year-old rocks from the Early Devonian period.

The extinct genus Asteroxylon belongs to the group of plants called the lycophytes, a class that also comprises living representatives such as isoetes and selaginella. The reconstruction has allowed researchers, for the first time, to glean both anatomical and developmental information of this mysterious fossil. This is of particular significance because previous interpretations of the structure of this fossil plant were based to a large extent on comparisons of fragmentary images with extant plants.

Thin slice of the 407 million-year-old Rhynie chert mounted on a glass slide showing the amazing preservation of fossil plants preserved within. Specimen number 4178 in the paleobotanical collection at the University of Mnster, Germany. Each interval on the scale bar is 1 mm. Credit: Sandy Hetherington

The reconstruction demonstrates that these plants developed roots in an entirely different way than extant plants develop roots today. The rooting axes of A. mackiei are the earliest known types of plant roots.

These are the oldest known structures that resemble modern roots and now we know how they formed. They developed when a shoot-like axis formed a fork where one prong maintained its shoot identity and the second developed root identity, says Dolan. This mechanism of branching, called dichotomous branching, is known in living plants within tissues that share structural identity. However, as Dolan stresses: No roots develop in this way in living plants, demonstrating that this mechanism of root formation is now extinct. Their findings demonstrate how a now extinct rooting system developed during the evolution of the first complex land plant.

View over the village of Rhynie in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. The fossil deposit known as the Rhynie chert is named after the village of Rhynie were it was first discovered just over a century ago. Credit: Sandy Hetherington

100 Years after the discovery of the fossils in Rhynie, our reconstruction demonstrates what these enigmatic plants really looked like! The reconstruction also demonstrates how the roots formed exclaims GMI group leader Liam Dolan, co-corresponding author on the work. Understanding the structure and evolution of these plants from the Early Devonian period provides us with an insight into events at a key time in Earth history just after plants colonized the dry surfaces of the continents as they began to spread radiate across the land.

Their evolution, radiation, and spread across all continents had a dramatic impact on the Earth system. Plant roots reduced atmospheric CO2 levels, stabilized the soil and revolutionized water circulation across the surfaces of continents, states first author and co-corresponding author Alexander (Sandy) J. Hetherington, group leader at the University of Edinburgh. At the root of the environmental and ecological impact of plant evolution are the plant roots themselves!

Hetherington highlighted how his research was enabled by fossils that were collected by generations of paleontologists that are housed in many different museums and universities. The answers to so many of the key questions of evolution are lying in shelves in these institutions said the scientist who is now based at the University of Edinburgh. Using digital 3D techniques it is possible for the first time to visualize the complex body plan of A. mackiei allowing us to discover how these enigmatic plants developed. It was brilliant to finally see details that had previously been hidden.

Reference: An evidence-based 3D reconstruction of Asteroxylon mackiei, the most complex plant preserved from the Rhynie chert by Alexander J Hetherington, Siobhn L Bridson, Anna Lee Jones, Hagen Hass, Hans Kerp and Liam Dolan, 24 August 2021, eLife.DOI: 10.7554/eLife.69447

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400-Million-Year-Old Fossils Reveal How the First Roots Evolved - SciTechDaily

Referring to the quality of probiotic products, Kanwaldeep Singh, founder and chief executive, Next Gen Pharma highlights that despite significant advances in understanding the potential uses and health benefits of some probiotic strains, clinicians, researchers, and consumers remain unclear by the probiotic umbrella concept heavily promoted by the probiotic/pharmaceutical industry

The market for probiotics is growing exponentially foods, dietary supplements, and drugs- for the well-being of people ranging from health conscious to those that need a treatment for disease conditions. Probiotics have come a long way, from being considered as an adjuvant to an independent therapy, with proven efficacies in treating difficult to treat chronic conditions or orphan disease conditions and thus addressing some of the Unmet needs. Take for example a proprietary mix referred to as SLAB-51 has shown promising evidence in reducing the progression of the dieses and mortality among moderate to serious COVID-19 patients. Likewise, another probiotic containing Lactobacillus brevis CD2, available under the brand Mucofan, has been proven to prevent Chemo-radiotherapy induced Oral Mucositis, a difficult to treat condition which impairs the ability to eat/chew among cancer patients, and may result in cessation of therapy.

Regulation of probiotics varies from region to region, resulting in a heterogeneous regulatory framework. Probiotics are regulated as dietary supplements unless they make disease-specific health claims, and regulation focuses on the legality of each claim based on efficacy, safety, and quality. Probiotics can also be classified as medical foods when prescribed for the dietary management of diseases needing a distinctive nutritional profile not met by a regular diet alone. A probiotic product can be classified as a medical food only if supported by high-quality clinical trials. In some countries including India, Russia etc. select Probiotics have been also registered as drugs and have been approved to treat or prevent disease conditions based on the evidence provided by clinical trials.

Despite significant advances in understanding the potential uses and health benefits of some probiotic strains, clinicians, researchers, and consumers remain unclear by the probiotic umbrella concept heavily promoted by the probiotic/pharmaceutical industry. The umbrella concept extends the benefits obtained with a particular formulation to other probiotic products. All the information regarding the product specificity, dosage, duration of administration, combination of strains, and methods used to prepare the original studied formulations are often ignored and at times seems like willful neglect. Manufacturing processes, conditions, and ingredients are crucial to product performance. Even for established brands/products, changes in manufacturing location may result in a product that is not identical to the original in terms of efficacy and safety unless appropriate measures and controls are taken. Since many probiotics properties are strain-specific, safety and efficacy results for specific products should not be generalized to other probiotics. Unfortunately, current trademark law and the lack of strict regulation of probiotics means that brand owners may sell any product under the same brand name, even if the new product differs significantly from the original one previously studied for safety and efficacy.

For example, In the USA, on July 23, 2019, a group of patients filed a class-action lawsuit against the sellers of the VSL#3 product manufactured by Actial/ VSL Pharmaceuticals Inc. The class action alleges that Actial/VSL developed a new VSL#3 product different from the original one. The suit alleges that the new VSL#3 is different from the formulation sold under the same trademark VSL#3 until 2016. Consumers are seeking hundreds of millions of dollars in damages. In the USA, the Federal Court since June 2019 has entered a permanent injunction against the current and former distributors of VSL#3 to stop their false advertising. The product is available in India, under the same brand VSL#3! Locally in India, a recent study published in November 2020 by an independent team of investigators from Chennai analyzed 20 most commonly available brands of probiotics and found poor correlation between the declared content on the pack and the lab results from their analysis. The regulatory loopholes thus exploited have severe implications for patients when probiotics are used as part of a treatment recommended in clinical guidelines for painful conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease, liver diseases, juvenile autoimmune diseases, etc. This leads to a very important question! Should Indian Authorities intervene? It is important for doctors to note that they become responsible for prescribing a product whose safety, efficacy and consistency of quality have not been tested and this can have serious implications, both in terms of the risk to patients and the related legal consequences. In this context, controlling probiotic products is mandatory to determine their authenticity and ensure consistency with manufacturers claims. Unfortunately, genomic analysis alone is not sufficient to characterize the complexity of probiotics. Genetically identical strains grown under different conditions or different culture methods have other phenotypic characteristics, such as viability, enzymatic activity, and compound metabolism. Until a few years ago, doctors and authorities did not realize the need to develop a method to verify the authenticity of probiotic products.

Probiotics represent a major opportunity in healthcare for patients and the industry alike. The sooner we have a robust, working regulatory framework suited to the Indian context, the better it will be for everyone. Given the recent focus on healthcare, a rapid response to this priority is the need of the hour.

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Evolution of the probiotics from common food to targeted bacteriotherapy - Express Healthcare

Its undeniable that the pace of digital transformation has accelerated. The pandemic sped up the creation and adoption of digital platforms across a number of industries, including financial services.

More than ever, banking customers are using mobile apps and online platforms to handle financial transactions. This increased use of digital tools has created a wealth of valuable data that financial institutions can leverage to pursue customer intelligence initiatives, but only if the right next-generation banking solutions are in place.

Taking Advantage of Customer Intelligence

Customer intelligence involves the gathering and analyzing of customer data to get a better understanding of their behaviors and activities in order to strengthen customer relationships, provide greater customer value and enable data-driven decision making. For banks, customer intelligence can be an incredibly valuable predictor of growth and profitability, especially given increased adoption of digital service channels and the untapped data sources that go along with it.

However, deriving key data insights to better understand evolving customer needs and respond to them with precision, speed and efficiency requires intelligent data solutions.

Leveraging the Right Tools to Deliver Smart Data

By using next-generation banking solutions, financial institutions can glean meaningful data to learn what their customers value most, and better determine how to give them what they want. This not only benefits the customer by improving their experience, but benefits the organization by helping to attract and retain customers while increasing revenue.

According to McKinsey, A survey of US retail banking customers found that at the banks with the highest degree of reported customer satisfaction, deposits grew 84% faster than at the banks with the lowest satisfaction ratings. In addition, Research shows that the stronger the experience and the more satisfied the customer, the more likely it is that the bank will generate higher revenue: a more satisfied customer typically accounts for approximately 2.4 times more revenue than a neutral customer.

https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/financial-services/our-insights/reimagining-customer-engagement-for-the-ai-bank-of-the-future

This is where harnessing intelligent data comes in. With the right technology in place, banks can assess transaction data in real time to deliver personalized insights to customers and uncover upsell and cross-sell opportunities for new products and services based on customer actions. In this way, data takes the burden off the customer when it comes to figuring out how to navigate a digital banking app or determine what next steps to take. An easy and intuitive experience equals a positive one.

But, before useful data aggregation can occur and actionable insights can be realized, financial institutions must overcome two pervasive issues: integration of legacy systems and breaking down silos.

This takes a solution that can, in effect, stitches different experiences together, from front-end user interfaces to back-end data applications. Many financial institutions use an array of digital platforms and databases that arent necessarily aware of each other or able to communicate with one another. With the right solution in place, legacy systems can seamlessly share information and overcome fragmentation by aggregating siloed dataso that all an end user ever realizes is a great, engaging experience.

5 Ways Intelligent Data Can Improve the Customer Experience

Bank customers have come to expect relevant, personalized digital experiences that match their digital experiences in other aspects of life. A financial institution that deeply understands their needs will win out over one that offers generic, cookie-cutter experiences.

For a financial institution to grow and thrive in modern times, it must cater to the customer experience. Here are 5 ways the use of intelligent data can inform customer offerings.

Final Thoughts

Leveraging customer intelligence and smart data can help financial institutions foster greater connections with customers and create a more meaningful, thoughtful experience. But as banks make the move to invest in technology that makes this possible, its important to remember to be deliberate in how its rolled out.

Many financial institutions have data that goes back decades, and not all of it is useful. It might be repetitive, incorrect or simply outdated. Its best to ensure only quality data is used. Its also crucial to achieve multiple integrations via varying data sources. This includes data generated via chat or with a voice assistant, and even via social media, in addition to CRM systems and credit systems. But, to get there, start by mining just one data set and widening the net from there. It will help to cut down on errors while simplifying the data aggregation process.

Achieving data aggregation is where banks need to be. To set the stage for future growth and success, financial institutions must embrace data and analytics to transform the business in a way that exceeds evolving customer expectations. That will require a digital makeover across all touchpoints within the organization.

By Marc Jones, CTO, Alkami

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Data Evolution: Harnessing Intelligent Data to Improve the Customer Experience & Uncover Growth Opportunities - Banking Exchange

Next up is the Batmobile of 2005, otherwise known as "The Tumbler". In this design, we see that the Batmobile has evolved from a symbol of humanity and hope into an obsessive, vengeful, angry, purpose-driven machine of war - just like the character that drives it. All that matters is being invulnerable and shutting out anything that can hurt or harm the person or the car. As Stephenson notes, this could be the villain's car, and the line between good and evil is extremely blurred. And as the Joker says, "people are only as good as you allow them to be."

Finally, we get to the upcoming Batmobile that we've only seen some teasers of. Things will get even darker, with a dystopian flavor that implies pain, struggle, and a general lack of hope. Ultimately, as Stephenson notes throughout, each Batmobile symbolizes the era in which it debuted on the silver screen. If Batman films are indeed a social commentary, the future is going to be a very scary place...

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Watch The Fascinating Evolution Of The Batmobile - CarBuzz

BOCA RATON, Fla., Aug. 30, 2021 /PRNewswire/ --Mitch Gould developed the "Evolution of Distribution" platform in 2008, just a few years after Facebook started and YouTube was still in its infancy.

"A lot has changed in the past 15 years," said Gould, CEO of Nutritional Products International in Boca Raton, FL. "I have watched retail and consumer buying trends carefully, which is why I recently enhanced my 'Evolution of Distribution' platform to coincide with its 15th anniversary."

The "Evolution of Distribution" platform is a one-stop, turnkey operation for companies that want to launch new health and wellness products in the U.S.

"We import, distribute, and promote through a turnkey one-stop solution in the largest marketplace in the world," Gould added.

NPI brings together the services companies need to successfully launch products with the "Evolution of Distribution" platform.

"NPI becomes their U.S. headquarters. NPI's team becomes their staff," Gould said. "I have salespeople, support staff, operations manager, regulatory guidance officer, and a marketing team working together on behalf of NPI's clients.

"I am proud that NPI's executive team has retail professionals who have worked for major retailers in the country, such as Amazon, Walmart, and Glanbia Performance Nutrition, the largest sports nutrition company in the world."

Gould said NPI emphasizes cost efficiency and speed to market.

However, the "Evolution of Distribution" platform had to adapt to keep up with the changing trends.

"Because of the rapid acceleration of online shopping during the pandemic, NPI in 2020 increased its emphasis on e-commerce and just recently added TV marketing to its promotions."

NPI adapted because the pandemic and technology have changed consumer buying habits forever.

"The convergence of the internet and smartphone technology kick-started the online e-commerce industry," Gould said. "Then you had the vision of Jeff Bezos, who decided to sell everything online."

In the early 2000s, Amazon launched its health and wellness category.

"I heard about Amazon's new category and realized I had the contacts to place major health and wellness sports nutrition brands with the soon-to-be online giant," he said.

"The internet, smartphones, and Bezos have changed the retail sector," he added. "There is no going back."

For more information, visitnutricompany.com.

MORE ON NPI AND ITS FOUNDER

NPI is a privately-held company that specializes in the retail distribution of nutraceuticals, dietary supplements, functional beverages, and skin-care products. NPI offers a unique, proven approach for product manufacturers worldwide seeking to launch or expand the distribution of their products in the U.S. retail market.

Mitch Gould, the founder of NPI, is a third-generation retail distribution and manufacturing professional. Gould, known as a global marketing guru, has represented icons from the sports and entertainment worlds such as Steven Seagal, Hulk Hogans, Ronnie Coleman, Roberto Clemente Jr., Chuck Liddell, Wayne Gretzky.

Media Contact:

Andrew Polin561-421-3045[emailprotected]

SOURCE Nutritional Products International

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Mitch Gould and Nutritional Products International Celebrate 15th Anniversary of 'Evolution of Distribution' - PRNewswire