Category Archives: Cf

Brave Combat Federations first foray into Italy wasnt withoutcontroversy.

After evaluating the footage of the clash, FIGMMA overturned theresult to a no contest. As a result, the organizations lightheavyweight championship is vacant once again. Brave hasntannounced yet whether it intends to schedule a rematch betweenMaalem and Fakhreddine, but it might be only a matter of timeconsidering the bad blood between the two fighters.

Following a thorough investigation and analysis, the ItalianFederation of Grappling and Mixed Martial Arts deemed that theillegal strikes to the back of the head by Maalem in the finalsequence of the fight,contributed to the stoppage of the match,announced the Bahraini promotion in a statement.

The 37-year-old Fakhreddine(14-4 2 NC, 4-3 2 NC Brave) iscurrently chasing the dream of becoming the first Bravetwo-division champion ever after capturing the middleweight crownfrom DanielSouza Pereira at Brave CF 41. Maalem(11-3 1NC, 2-0 1NCBrave) earned a chance to fight for the title thanks to hissix-bout winning streak, which includes victories over Todd Stouteand ZvonimirKralj under the Brave banner.

This is not the first time the Maalem-Fakhreddine matchup has beensurrounded by controversy. The pair should have collidedinthe Brave CF 50 co-main event with the vacant light heavyweightchampionship on the line, butFakhreddine pulled out a fewhours before the match due to an illness.

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FIGMMA Overturns Mohamed Said Maalems Victory in Brave CF 52 Headliner - Sherdog.com

Were used to seeing D.C. United being involved in a game where one team is short-handed, but ends up posing a more difficult problem than expected for their opponent. Last night was another one of those, but United wasnt the overachiever on the field. That was CF Montreal, who despite missing over half of their starters forced United to dig deep to get a 2-1 win on goals from Andy Najar and Ola Kamara.

That said, while United did have to work pretty hard to get these three points, they also dominated Montreal. The former Impact took just two shots of any kind after halftime, despite falling behind in the 53rd minute. They made it tough on United, but the Black-and-Red these days can handle the challenge.

Jason, Ryan, and Ben (this is Jason, as usual) have some takes on this one, so lets get into it!

After the game, and before a nightmarish drive out of the District that took nine times as long as it normally would late on a Sunday night (side note to Weezer and Green Day, I will never forgive you for this traffic jam), I asked Hernn Losada about a seemingly modest but effective adjustment United had attempted in the first half, and then used during much of the second: Kevin Paredes switched to the right side of the front three, with Paul Arriola (and later Drew Skundrich) on the left.

My thought was that there was something in Montreals approach that let Paredes become a bigger threat on that side, but Losada said that there was much more to it than that. We tried to do that (earlier), after 30-35 minutes in the first half. We needed an extra man in the midfield, because they started the game in a 433, said Losada. They had an overload and an extra player in the midfield, so thats why we dropped Paul on the left side, to press on (Samuel) Piette...so we could press high and have one-v-one in the midfield with Junior, Moses, and Paul. That was the adjustment, to have more freedom up front with Kevin and Ola, and have more opportunities in transition.

Montreal has been playing out of a 3412 for most of the year, but their various absences last night forced a move to that aforementioned 433 formation. Montreal is a well-coached team, so this wasnt some slapdash change; it required some adjustment for United to solve it. Credit to the coaching staff for coming up with a switch that managed to free Paredes up, open things up for those transition chances Losada mentioned, and also disrupt Montreals midfield. Jason Anderson

Ive seen friends take pictures of themselves at a game at Audi and elsewhere in this (gestures in air) new environment, so I understood the need to return to a place you go to and see a team that gives you joy, anxiety, heartburn, whatever. And so Sunday night, I became one of those people:

I looked, and I think the time since Ive been to a D.C. game is almost two years to the day when Zlatan Ibrahimovic came to town with the LA Galaxy and went home to a 2-1 loss. Granted, some of the stuff hasnt been weird; I have a soccer team down the road that I write about, and my life has changed to the point where coming to D.C. every weekend isnt feasible anymore. Since that 2019 game, my kid has turned from a toddler to a young boy; I lost one parent before the pandemic and another during it, and now that were sort of coming out of this, Im going to be a father to another baby soon. So coming back to this Sunday night was weird in a couple of different ways.

Before getting into Andy Najar for a second, much was said about this being his first goal in MLS since September 29, 2011, which if you havent seen it or dont remember it, go check it out. But 2011 was also the year that Charlie Davies was with United, and in his first game got a brace to beat the Columbus Crew. He applauded the supporters, tears welling in his face, and talked to Russ Thaler about his thoughts afterward. It was a great moment.

It was a nice comeback for Davies, but it just wasnt OUR comeback. It took a LOT for Andy to get to America in the first place, much less to play soccer. It took a lot to let him go to Anderlecht and eventually return to play for D.C. after exactly 1 start and 180 total minutes with LAFC. At a point where Najar was questioning whether to continue playing, anything remotely productive out of him based on what Losada and Nico Frutos saw in Belgium had to be considered playing with house money (I sure thought so!). So imagine how nice it is to see him not falter so far Najar is second on the team in games minutes played behind Julian Gressel but play beyond most anyones expectations (go look at his numbers compared to MLS center backs; thats a whole lot of green!) of him.

When Najar was subbed off in the 77th minute, he walked off on the far end and around the Chico Stand (where fans chanted his name), and fans periodically stood and applauded as he passed the sections, as he returned to the bench to Losada and Frutos admiration, the latter of whom was the recipient of a leaping embrace to celebrate the best part of the ongoing return of Andy Najar. As someone who remembers the quiet, shy 17-year-old at Meet the Team events, having him back doing this thing he loves, and does really damn well again, its just the best, because hes back here to do it.

His comeback was something we all needed. Ryan Keefer

Heres Kamara on how his goal came to pass:

I like that it was a quick assessment. I saw the goalkeeper in the first half kind of moving a little bit further to the post, because he wanted to play in possession, so I was thinking if I get one chance and we break somehow, in some moment, I have to turn quick and do it. Im very happy that I followed my instinct... When I saw that that side of goal was kind of open, I just, it was instinct.

Weve talked a lot about Kamara in these reaction pieces, but one thing we havent talked about is the granular specifics of how goals are scored. Kamara being able to pick up on goalkeeper habits and filing that away for future shots is nothing new for him or any other striker worth their salt. Whats been going well for him this year is that instinctual part. Kamaras confidence in his finishing, but also in his fitness levels are in a place where he doesnt have to think things through for what in soccer passes for a long time. He turned, the situation he had scouted out presented itself, and he went to goal.

Sounds simple, but things are falling into place for Kamara in the way that gives him that split-second advantage that successful goalscorers always give themselves. If Kamara releases his shot a small fraction of a second later, Sebastian Breza tips it wide, and maybe were talking about another frustrating draw against Montreal.

Late last night, I wanted to get into how many goals Kamara is on course to score. Were now over halfway into the season, so while his current pace (one goal per 62.4 minutes played) seems unsustainable, hes also, you know, sustaining it by scoring goals.

Itd be tempting to just look at his pace if he played all 90 minutes in all of the remaining 16 games, but thats clearly not going to happen. United has three games in seven days next week, and after that theyll have three separate three-in-eight spells before the end of the season. There will be rotation, and for good reason.

So I did some quick, gut-level estimations of how many minutes hell play in each of Uniteds remaining games, and got to around 1,030 minutes in these final 16 games (out of a possible 1,440, or about 71.5% of the possible minutes). If he keeps up his scoring rate and plays that many minutes, wed be talking about 17 more goals, or a total of 27 on the season.

Do I expect Kamara to finish the season with 27 goals? No, though I think things are going well enough that you cant say its out of the realm of possibility. But I am now starting to expect him to get to 20, a total that no one from United has managed since Luciano Emilio did it in 2007, and he has a real shot at breaking Uniteds single-season record for goals in the league, which is Raul Diaz Arces 23 all the way back in 1996. JA

I was debating talking about Junior Moreno or Joseph Mora in this section, but the full context of the game made me decide on Mora. In Losadas system, wing backs need to be dynamic. In the large stretches of the first half, the play was built out of the back through Najar, Moses Nyeman, and Gressel. When Montreal started to press all three of their forwards against Uniteds center backs, for awhile they took out Najars ability to play out of the back. Neither Moreno nor Mora could alleviate the pressure, and United was stagnant for awhile.

But the defensive midfield doesnt need to be as dynamic in this system. Moreno was perfectly effective against the Columbus Crew and he was good in this game too. His job is to run interference in the midfield, chop up play, intercept balls, and keep passes moving. He did it both times and is a good piece in the midfield, just as long as hes not needed to be the more dynamic player.

Joseph Mora, on the other hand, is a good fullback in a four-back system. But I havent seen yet if hes able to be the dynamic presence necessary for a wingback in Losadas United. There is a reason that we had projected him as a potential center back in the preseason, and why weve had our eye on him for most of this season. Its not that hes not a good player, but he may just not fit in Losadas system. Ben Bromley

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Four thoughts on D.C. Uniteds 2-1 win over CF Montreal - Black And Red United

Save to read list Published by Jessica Casey, Editorial Assistant World Fertilizer, Wednesday, 11 Aug 21

Mitsui & Co., Inc., one of the leading ammonia marketers in the world, and CF Industries Holdings, Inc., one of the worlds largest producers of ammonia, have announced a memorandum of understanding (MoU) that will guide the companies in a joint exploration of the development of blue ammonia projects in the US.

Blue ammonia generally relates to the production of ammonia (NH3) with its byproduct carbon dioxide (CO2) removed through carbon capture and sequestration (CCS). Demand for blue ammonia is expected to grow significantly as a decarbonised energy source, both for its hydrogen content or as a fuel itself.

As countries and industries continue to develop plans to achieve net-zero carbon emissions, there is broad interest in blue and green hydrogen and ammonia to help meet the worlds clean energy needs, said Tony Will, President and CEO, CF Industries Holdings, Inc. CF Industries and Mitsui share a belief that blue ammonia will play a critical role in accelerating the worlds transition to clean energy and that demand for blue ammonia will grow meaningfully. We are pleased to collaborate with Mitsui and leverage the world class expertise of both companies to explore the development of blue ammonia capacity in the US to meet this expected demand.

Under the MoU, CF Industries and Mitsui plan to execute various preliminary studies on the feasibility of blue ammonia production in the US. Among the areas that the companies will study include establishing blue ammonia supply and supply chain infrastructure, CO2 transportation and storage, expected environmental impacts, and blue ammonia economics and marketing opportunities in Japan and in other countries.

Read the article online at: https://www.worldfertilizer.com/nitrogen/11082021/mitsui-co-inc-and-cf-industries-to-jointly-explore-development-of-blue-ammonia-projects-in-the-us/

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Mitsui & Co., Inc. and CF Industries to jointly explore development of blue ammonia projects in the US - World Fertilizer

KEY POINTS

Mixed martial arts (MMA) made its grand debut on the sporting stage in 1993 thanks to the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).

The road to being seen as the purest sport available to man hasnt been easy for the Las Vegas-based promotion because it faced so much backlash in its early days, even being compared to human cockfighting due to having no rules.

But after working with government officials and different governing bodies in each state in the United States, MMA has found a home and would go on to become one of the most popular sports in the world today.

From the dark ages to now, the UFC has held over 500 shows in its existence, helping build the legacies of legendary fighters from the likes of Anderson Silva, Jon Jones, Tito Ortiz, Georges St-Pierre, Randy Couture and Chuck Liddell to fan-favorites such asClay Guida, Chris Leben, Mark Hunt, Roy Nelson and Diego Sanchez.

However, for all their exploits, the UFC has yet to step foot in the great continent of Africa.

UFC president Dana White was speaking to the media after last weekends UFC 265 card and admitted that it has always been his dream to host a card in Africa.

Provided everything goes right, I would love to do a fight in Africa. To be honest with you, my whole life, Ive always dreamt of doing [a fight card] in Africa. Ive always wanted to do it. So yes, that will be a big one, and another monumental moment in my life, he said.

The region has produced some of the promotions best fighters including heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou, middleweight titleholder Israel Adesanya and welterweight kingpinKamaru Usman.

I stamped my chest with my bloodline, Adesanya told Ozy when talking about one of his very noticeable tattoos. When you look at my chest, you see where I come from: the great continent of Africa and the great country of Nigeria.

ONE Championship held a live event at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in the Philippines. Photo: ONE Championship

ONE Championship has also yet to go beyond Asia since its inception in 2011, but the Singapore-based promotion has been hinting at a card in the United States for some time now.

However, one major MMA organization has been able to break through in the African region and thats BRAVE Combat Federation.

The Bahrain-based outfit has hosted three cards in the region so far: Morocco in August 2018 then twice more in December of 2018 and 2019 in South Africa.

There has been no news yet as to when BRAVE CF will be returning to Africa any time soon as thefocus is on growing its market in Europe and Asia, but the door is very much open for a fourth African card.

BRAVE CF President Mohammed Shahid at a BRAVE CF live event. Photo: BRAVE CF

Its expected that more and more promotions will follow in BRAVE CFs footsteps in the coming years, and it may lead to an even bigger boom in the African MMA scene.

Continued here:

BRAVE CF Has One Achievement That UFC President Dana White Has Been Targeting - International Business Times

Investing.com - CF Industries (NYSE:) reported on Monday second quarter that missed analysts' forecasts and revenue that fell short of expectations.

CF Industries announced earnings per share of $1.14 on revenue of $1.59B. Analysts polled by Investing.com anticipated EPS of $1.56 on revenue of $1.63B.

CF Industries shares are up 21% from the beginning of the year, still down 17.70% from its 52 week high of $57.19 set on May 18. They are outperforming the S&P 500 which is up 18% from the start of the year.

CF Industries shares lost 2.04% in after-hours trade following the report.

CF Industries's report follows an earnings beat by Vale ADR on July 29, who reported EPS of $1.48 on revenue of $16.68B, compared to forecasts EPS of $1.44 on revenue of $16.83B.

Sherwin-Williams had missed expectations on July 27 with second quarter EPS of $2.65 on revenue of $5.38B, compared to forecast for EPS of $2.67 on revenue of $5.39B.

Stay up-to-date on all of the upcoming earnings reports by visiting Investing.com's earnings calendar

Fusion Media or anyone involved with Fusion Media will not accept any liability for loss or damage as a result of reliance on the information including data, quotes, charts and buy/sell signals contained within this website. Please be fully informed regarding the risks and costs associated with trading the financial markets, it is one of the riskiest investment forms possible.

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CF Industries Earnings, Revenue Miss in Q2 By Investing.com - Investing.com

MLS

CF Montreal play Atlanta United today at Saputo Stadium for the 2021 MLS matchweek 17. All exclusive details about how to watch the game in the US, preview, information, prediction and odds below.

By Richard Tovar

2021-08-04T17:28:29-0300

CF Montreal against Atlanta United, Eastern Conference action for the 2021 MLS. This matchweek 17 game will take place at theSaputo Stadium today, August 4, 2021 at 7:30 PM (ET). Atlanta United want to lock up three points and climp up a bit more on the table, whileCF Montreal are feeling safe at the seventh place of the Eastern Conference standings. Here you will find everything there is to know about this Major League Soccer game, such as the preview, information, storylines, predictions, odds, and even how to watch it in the US.

Last season for CF Montreal was ugly. This year they started with a new name and things seem to be on the right track, at least in the eastern conference. But in the last three games, CF Montreal lost to Inter Miami 1-2, New England Revolution 1-2 and New York City FC 1-0.

Atlanta United are hoping to close this season with a positive record after losing six of the 16 games of the 2021 MLS. Three losses and two draws in the last five games for Atlanta. Their last win was on may against CF Montreal 1-0.

Date: Wednesday, August 04, 2021. Time: 7:30 PM (ET) Location: Saputo Stadium, Montreal, Canada.

ET: 7:30 PM CT: 6:30 PM MT: 5:30 PM PT: 4:30 PM

It's weird to think that CF Montreal are having a better season than Atlanta United. But soccer is like that, or just thank Gabriel Heinze. CF Montreal started July 2021 by winning three consecutive games against Inter Miami, New York City FC and FC Cincinnati. But then everything fell apart.

Atlanta United drew 0-0 against Orlando City in the first game of the season in the 2021 MLS. After that game, they won against Chicago Fire 3-1 and CF Montreal 1-0. And after those wins the rest of the season was draws and losses for Atlanta United. Heinze was sacked after 13 games in the season.

CF Montreal are thinking to take advantage of the bad moment of Atlanta United. But Montreal's record against Atlanta is negative. Five wins for Atlanta and only one for Montreal. Atlanta are 2-1 in the last three matchups against Montreal.

This 2021 MLS game in the eastern conference will be available for TV and smartphones and will be broadcast in the United States by: Bally Sports Southeast, Bally Sports South and ESPN +. Don't forget to download the app to watch the game on your smartphone.

CF Montreal are favorites with -105 odds at FanDuel. But in reality that is not favoritism, it is just the advantage of playing at home. Atlanta United are the perfect play with +230 odds, they want to win games to close the season with green numbers. The draw for this game, it seems tempting, is set at +260 odds.

* Odds via FanDuel

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CF Montreal vs Atlanta United: Preview, predictions, odds and how to watch 2021 MLS Week 17 in the US today - Bolavip US

Since CF Market Mall opened 50 years ago, a lot has changed for Calgarians.

In 1971, the city's population was around 389,000, and bungalows in the northwest community of Charleswood were selling for just over $20,000 about $150,000 in today's currency.

And according to Josh Traptow with Heritage Calgary, the mall that cost more than $20 million to build was going to be called Uni-City.

The project, which was supposed to be completed in three instalments costing $120 million altogether, was envisioned to function as a town centre that would eventually house 3,000 apartments. But, like the mall itself, some things in Calgary have endured including concerns about density and traffic.

"Obviously, that later phase development never happened, [and it was] because of Calgarians not wanting increased density within their neighbourhoods," Traptow said.

"Which is interesting, because that's something we hear even to this day."

When the mall first opened in 1971, it sprawled about 425,000 square feet and was home to 70 retail shops and two anchor tenants: Woodward's and The Bay.

In 1977, Traptow said aFamous Players movie theatre moved in and opened with six screens playing Wizards, Rocky, Bound for Glory, Pink Panther Strikes Again, Islands in the Stream, The Littlest Horsethievesand Winnie the Pooh.

The Bay, of course, is still a stronghold. Famous Players stood until 2002 (its space is now taken by Old Navy), and in 2004, the mall saw a big turning point: anexpansion addedthe horseshoe-shaped area onto itssouth side.

"At that time, not only did we add about 100 tenants to the mall, but we also added about 620 parking stalls of underground parking," saidMarket Mall general manager Darren Milne.

There was further development in 2018, when the space occupied by Target was redeveloped and replaced by Sporting Life and Zara,the existing Sport Chekwas expanded and 100 underground parking spots were added.

Most recently, in 2019,Saks Off5thand Landmark Cinemas were added to the parking lot where HomeSense and Staples used to stand.

Today, Milne said the mallhouses 220 retailers and clocks in at over one million square feet.

Milne said Market Mall is currently the second most productive mall in Calgary and is consistently one of the top-10 most productive malls in Canada, based on annual sales per square foot an accomplishment he's proud of.

But the mall, while fundamentally centred around retail, isn't just about sales.

"It's about building community," said Mayor Naheed Nenshiat a media event at the mall on Wednesday."It's about a place where you run into your neighbours, where you talk to people, where you catch up on the neighbourhood gossip, where you start thinking about what's going on in your community."

Milne remembers growing up in the nearby community ofDalhousie, taking family photos at a studio in the mall and buying his engagement rings from a jewelry store there years later.

"I have, you know, a really an emotional connection to the mall, just because I grew up in the area," he said. "So it's nice to be able to be here and celebrate the 50th anniversary as well."

With files from Hannah Kost.

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A glimpse at CF Market Mall's history on its 50th birthday - CBC.ca

CF Industries Holdings, Inc.'s (NYSE:CF) investors are due to receive a payment of US$0.30 per share on 31st of August. This means the annual payment is 2.5% of the current stock price, which is above the average for the industry.

See our latest analysis for CF Industries Holdings

Impressive dividend yields are good, but this doesn't matter much if the payments can't be sustained. Based on the last payment, CF Industries Holdings was quite comfortably earning enough to cover the dividend. This means that a large portion of its earnings are being retained to grow the business.

The next year is set to see EPS grow by 101.2%. If the dividend continues along recent trends, we estimate the payout ratio will be 32%, which is in the range that makes us comfortable with the sustainability of the dividend.

Even over a long history of paying dividends, the company's distributions have been remarkably stable. Since 2011, the dividend has gone from US$0.08 to US$1.20. This means that it has been growing its distributions at 31% per annum over that time. It is good to see that there has been strong dividend growth, and that there haven't been any cuts for a long time.

Some investors will be chomping at the bit to buy some of the company's stock based on its dividend history. However, initial appearances might be deceiving. In the last five years, CF Industries Holdings' earnings per share has shrunk at approximately 2.5% per annum. A modest decline in earnings isn't great, and it makes it quite unlikely that the dividend will grow in the future unless that trend can be reversed. Earnings are forecast to grow over the next 12 months and if that happens we could still be a little bit cautious until it becomes a pattern.

Overall, we think CF Industries Holdings is a solid choice as a dividend stock, even though the dividend wasn't raised this year. With shrinking earnings, the company may see some issues maintaining the dividend even though they look pretty sustainable for now. The dividend looks okay, but there have been some issues in the past, so we would be a little bit cautious.

Investors generally tend to favour companies with a consistent, stable dividend policy as opposed to those operating an irregular one. At the same time, there are other factors our readers should be conscious of before pouring capital into a stock. Just as an example, we've come across 2 warning signs for CF Industries Holdings you should be aware of, and 1 of them is significant. If you are a dividend investor, you might also want to look at our curated list of high performing dividend stock.

PromotedWhen trading CF Industries Holdings or any other investment, use the platform considered by many to be the Professional's Gateway to the Worlds Market, Interactive Brokers. You get the lowest-cost* trading on stocks, options, futures, forex, bonds and funds worldwide from a single integrated account.

This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. *Interactive Brokers Rated Lowest Cost Broker by StockBrokers.com Annual Online Review 2020

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.

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CF Industries Holdings (NYSE:CF) Has Announced A Dividend Of US$0.30 - Simply Wall St

Heartland Community Foundation| Hays Daily News

Calling all Ellis County high schoolers we want to hear from you!

The Heartland Community Foundation is hosting a Strategic Doing event in August, just for local teenagers. The aim is to engage area high schoolers and find out what they think would make our communities even stronger. We know that teenagers notice things that adults and community leaders dont notice, and we want to hear their big ideas.

The Ellis County Teen Talkback will be from 5:30-7 p.m., August 11, at the Hays Public Library in the upstairs young adult room. Pizza and soda will be served. All teens who attend will be entered into a drawing to win an Amazon gift card.

High schoolers from Hays High, Ellis High, Victoria High, Thomas More Prep-Marian, or those who are home schooled are invited to attend and share their thoughts. The Strategic Doing aspect will encourage collaboration and action steps, if warranted, but the key objective is to gather feedback and opinion about the strengths and gaps in our community. The feedback gathered will be shared with community leaders and applicable organizations.

Strategic Doing events are supported by the Dane G. Hansen Foundation in all 26 Northwest Kansas counties and facilitated by community foundations. Participation in the Ellis County Teen Talkback would be an activity to include on a students resume or in a scholarship application.

We know teenagers are busy, but were hoping they can set aside a little bit of time to come and tell us what theyd like to see in Ellis County. They can dream big any idea is welcome. We just want to hear from them, said Sarah Meitner, executive director at the Heartland Community Foundation. We hope to engage teenagers more regularly at the Heartland Community Foundation.

Meitner also noted that some teenagers are already familiar with the Heartland Community Foundations grant process. The foundation awarded more than $5,000 last fall to a teenager who applied for an audio-visual project; it also awarded more than $17,000 to two teenager groups in its spring cycle for a project in Ellis County and one in Trego County.

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Heartland CF is hosting Teen Talkback event for local teens - Hays Daily News

Among people with cystic fibrosis (CF), antibiotic-resistantStaphylococcus aureus is sometimes transmitted among relatives, but rarely in healthcare settings, an analysis of patients at a CF center in Iowa suggested.

Findings also indicate that distinct subsets ofS. aureus may be associated with differences in disease progression.

These results werein the study, MRSA Strains with Distinct Accessory Genes Predominate at Different Ages in Cystic Fibrosis, published in the journal Pediatric Pulmonology.

S. aureus is a bacteria that can cause lung infections in people with CF. Methicillin-resistant S. aureus, or MRSA, is a variety of this bacteria and, as its name suggests, is resistant to treatment with the antibiotic methicillin.

A team of researchers at the University of Iowa reported an increase in MRSA infections among CF patients at their institution.

We suspected that rising MRSA prevalence over the past decade may have been hastened by either persontoperson or healthcare workertopatient transmission, they wrote.

To test this idea, the scientists sequenced the genomes (genetic code) of 97 MRSA isolates collected from 74 patients attending either the universitys pediatric or adult CF clinic in 2017. By comparing genetic sequences among the different isolates, the researchers could look for clues as to how the bacteria were transmitted.

In general, bacteria with relatively similar sequences are more closely related to each other. As such, if two people have MRSA isolates with very similar sequences, it is probable that one person acquired the infection from the other.

Analysis showed evidence of MRSA transmission between relatives for example, between a parent and their child, or between siblings. However, instances of related individuals with distinctly different MRSA strains were also noted.

In contrast, results showed minimal evidence suggesting transmission within hospitals, which indicates that these infections probably are not being acquired in a healthcare setting.

Investigators then further analyzed the bacterial genomes. Specifically, the team conducted a cluster analysis which involves grouping the genomes into clusters, based on similarities and differences in the genetic code.

They created three clusters, termed A, B, and C. Most of the CF patients had MRSA in either cluster A or cluster B.

Patients infected with cluster A bacteria tended to be older, whereas all but one patient with cluster B bacteria was younger than 20. Further analysis of people under age 20 suggested that young patients infected with cluster A tend to have poorer lung function, and a faster rate of lung decline than those with cluster B.

Although these differences in outcomes between MRSA clusters were intriguing, they require confirmation in larger studies, the researchers wrote.

This study is limited by being conducted at a single institution and by a design that precluded analysis of whether differences in pulmonary function are due to the type of MRSA, the team noted.

Understanding the origins of MRSA in patients with CF could help limit acquisition of these resistant bacteria and improve patient outcomes, the scientists concluded.

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Relatives with CF Can Be Source of MRSA Transmission, Study Finds - Cystic Fibrosis News Today