edge Lucy and Capacity merge to provide unmatched knowledge management and automation solutions By www.kmworld.com Published On :: Fri, 18 Oct 2024 09:55:00 EST Together, they empower organizations to unlock the full potential of their data and teams Full Article
edge Semantic Web Company and Ontotext merge to rebrand as knowledge graph and AI powerhouse Graphwise By www.kmworld.com Published On :: Wed, 23 Oct 2024 10:05:13 EST New entity unlocks ROI for enterprise AI by delivering the most comprehensive and trusted industry solution in the field of knowledge graphs and semantic AI technologies Full Article
edge Technology to connect people and knowledge By www.kmworld.com Published On :: Mon, 04 Nov 2024 12:00:00 EST The ability to centralize the knowledge found in the distributed tools, repositories, and databases for KM?practitioners is the defining characteristic of today's technologies. Generative machine learning models not only play pivotal roles in managing that knowledge to make it meaningful to users, but also in enabling them to interface with it on-demand, for ad-hoc use cases. Full Article
edge 2024 Readers' Choice Award - BEST INFORMATION GOVERNANCE - KnowledgeLake - Automating the capture, processing, and management of content By www.kmworld.com Published On :: Mon, 04 Nov 2024 12:00:00 EST KnowledgeLake's solutions are designed to improve data accuracy, reduce operational costs, and enable faster decision-making, particularly within industries that handle large volumes of content, such as financial services, government, and healthcare. Full Article
edge 2024 Readers' Choice Award - BEST KNOWLEDGE GRAPHS - AllegroGraph: Neuro-Symbolic AI Capabilities for the Enterprise By www.kmworld.com Published On :: Mon, 04 Nov 2024 12:00:00 EST AllegroGraph is designed to seamlessly integrate?with LLMs, providing the most secure and scalable AI solution for enterprises. AllegroGraph offers a comprehensive solution platform including Large Language Models (LLMs), Vector generation and storage, Graph Neural Networks, Graph Virtualization, GraphQL, Apache Spark graph analytics, and Kafka streaming graph pipelines. Full Article
edge eGain AI Agent centers transparency, trust, and knowledge system integration By www.kmworld.com Published On :: Mon, 04 Nov 2024 10:30:00 EST eGain, the AI knowledge platform for service, is unveiling the eGain AI Agent, the latest product from eGain announced at its Solve 24 conference. Designed with engagement and clarity at its core, eGain AI Agent brings true knowledge system integration to the burgeoning world of agentic AI. Full Article
edge Popular Online Business Courses to Broaden Your Knowledge By smallbiztrends.com Published On :: Tue, 12 Nov 2024 23:40:13 +0000 Business owners are always keen to find ways to expand their business and improve productivity. Here are online business courses to make this possible. Full Article Small Business Operations Small Business Courses
edge Putting Edge - BOGO green fee By www.internationaldriveorlando.com Published On :: Thu, 29 Jan 2015 12:37:07 GMT Valid Through: 4/30/2015BOGO green fee5250 International Dr. Suite 43Orlando, FL 32819 Full Article
edge 3M misconduct regarding knowledge of “forever chemicals”: As is so often the case, the problem was in open sight for a long time before anything was done By statmodeling.stat.columbia.edu Published On :: Tue, 22 Oct 2024 13:13:08 +0000 Horrifying story here from Sharon Lerner how chemical products company 3M (which has successfully branded itself as the cuddly people behind Post-it notes) polluted the world’s water supply and covered it up for decades. It features several issues we’ve discussed … Continue reading → Full Article Economics Miscellaneous Science Zombies
edge International research challenge to tackle knowledge gaps in women’s cardiovascular health By newsroom.heart.org Published On :: Wed, 25 Sep 2024 13:00:00 GMT DALLAS, Sept. 25, 2024 — The American Heart Association, celebrating 100 years of lifesaving service as the world’s leading nonprofit organization focused on heart and brain health for all, is joining with other top cardiovascular research funders around... Full Article
edge Humanity ‘Sleepwalking Towards the Edge of a Cliff’: 60% of Earth’s Wildlife Wiped Out Since 1970 By www.ecology.com Published On :: Tue, 30 Oct 2018 20:36:31 +0000 By Julia Conley Common Dreams “Nature is not a ‘nice to have’—it is our life-support system.” Scientists from around the world issued a stark warning to humanity Tuesday in a semi-annual report on the Earth’s declining biodiversity, which shows that … Continue reading → Full Article Biodiversity ET News biodiversity extinction mass extinction wildlife
edge Transforming Tech with Digital Marketing: Gaining a Competitive Edge By 3.7designs.co Published On :: Mon, 13 May 2024 18:46:44 +0000 Digital marketing is an essential part of how today’s tech companies reach customers. A tailored digital marketing strategy can provide high value content to potential customers while also demonstrating the need and effectiveness of your offerings. This article dives into the importance of digital marketing for tech companies and the most important tactics and platforms […] The post Transforming Tech with Digital Marketing: Gaining a Competitive Edge appeared first on 3.7 Designs. Full Article Digital Marketing Digital and Design Strategy
edge A4: Stuff what We're doing at Edge Hill University By www.ukoln.ac.uk Published On :: 2008-07-22 This session will go on a whistlestop tour of some of the new developments made for the March 2008 relaunch of Edge Hill's corporate Web site. See what a small, centralised Web team can deliver without a 1 million pound CMS! More buzzwords than you can shake a stick at and not afraid to get technical. The session was facilitated by Mike Nolan, Edge Hill University. Full Article
edge A9: Sharing and Exploring Team Knowledge with Wikis By www.ukoln.ac.uk Published On :: 2006-06-14 In December 2005 the Web Development team at the University of Bath set up a departmental wiki where they could keep track of information. In this workshop Philip Wilson, University of Bath will explain the reasons for using a wiki, not just for education but for codifying knowledge and working practices in departments and how they can best be utilised so that it is used by everyone in the department, and how to stop it becoming an unmaintained silo of archaic data. Full Article
edge The Future of Knowledge Management in Law Firms - The Answer is Out There By www.littler.com Published On :: Wed, 28 Nov 2018 15:53:25 +0000 Scott Rechtschaffen authored this article on the future of knowledge management in law firms. CIO Review View Article Full Article
edge Littler’s Chief Knowledge Officer and Cornell Law Students Discuss How Hands-on Tech Training Enhances the Practice of Law By www.littler.com Published On :: Tue, 28 Jan 2020 14:50:55 +0000 In this podcast, Littler’s Chief Knowledge Officer, Scott Rechtschaffen, talks with his Cornell Law School students about the potential for lawyers to use software to develop practical tools for the delivery of legal services. During their semester, the students experienced how to take their growing knowledge of the law, identify a problem, coordinate with subject matter and technical experts, and create a legal app designed to assist users, who might be either clients or fellow attorneys. Full Article
edge New Jersey Edges Closer to Implementing Landmark WARN Law By www.littler.com Published On :: Thu, 08 Dec 2022 18:15:52 +0000 A bill advancing in the New Jersey Legislature would expedite the implementation of significant changes to the state’s WARN law. Back in January 2020, Governor Philip D. Murphy signed into law Senate Bill 3170, which radically expanded employers’ advance notice and severance pay obligations under the Millville Dallas Airmotive Plant Job Loss Notification Act—otherwise known as NJ WARN. Full Article
edge ETSI Multi-access Edge Computing opens new working group for MEC deployment By www.etsi.org Published On :: Thu, 02 Sep 2021 13:47:57 GMT ETSI Multi-access Edge Computing opens new working group for MEC deployment Sophia Antipolis, 14 February 2019 The +85 members of the ETSI Multi-access Edge Computing group (ETSI MEC ISG) are thrilled to announce the creation of the Deployment and Ecosystem Development working group (WG DECODE). Read More... Full Article
edge ETSI Multi-access Edge Computing releases Phase 2 specifications By www.etsi.org Published On :: Thu, 28 Apr 2022 13:57:38 GMT ETSI Multi-access Edge Computing releases Phase 2 specifications Sophia Antipolis, 21 March 2019 The ETSI Multi-access Edge Computing group (MEC ISG) announces the release of its first set of Phase 2 specifications, including ETSI GS MEC 002 which includes new requirements for Phase 2, ETSI GS MEC 003 dealing with architecture and framework, and ETSI GS MEC 009 giving general principles for service APIs. Read More... Full Article
edge ETSI OSM Release SIX enhances Edge support and lets your Network Service fly By www.etsi.org Published On :: Thu, 28 Apr 2022 14:04:26 GMT ETSI OSM Release SIX enhances Edge support and lets your Network Service fly Sophia Antipolis, 20 June 2019 ETSI OSM Release SIX is now available! The new Release brings a huge new set of capabilities to provide end-to-end orchestration across heterogeneous networks and cloud technologies. Read More... Full Article
edge ETSI’s 4th NFV Plugtests event broadens its scope with edge computing testing By www.etsi.org Published On :: Thu, 28 Apr 2022 06:10:21 GMT ETSI’s 4th NFV Plugtests event broadens its scope with edge computing testing Sophia Antipolis, 29 July 2019 The 4th ETSI NFV PlugtestsTM event was one of the sunny June highlights in ETSI, as it took place from 3 to 7 June in Sophia Antipolis. Read More... Full Article
edge Developers at MEC Hackathons endorsed by ETSI challenged to trial edge computing for 5G in UK and China By www.etsi.org Published On :: Thu, 28 Apr 2022 08:02:27 GMT Developers at MEC Hackathons endorsed by ETSI challenged to trial edge computing for 5G in UK and China Sophia Antipolis, 27 September 2019 The successful second edition of the MEC Hackathons endorsed by ETSI recently ended in two different parts of the world simultaneously on 17-18 September in London (UK) and Shenzhen (China). Read More... Full Article
edge ETSI Multi-access Edge Computing builds on NFV and network slicing By www.etsi.org Published On :: Thu, 28 Apr 2022 13:55:37 GMT ETSI Multi-access Edge Computing builds on NFV and network slicing Sophia Antipolis, 15 January 2020 The ETSI Multi-access Edge Computing Industry Specification Group is pleased to announce the release of two major reports as part of its Phase 2 work. The report ETSI GR MEC 027 studies the impact of alternative virtualization technologies. The second report, ETSI GR MEC 024, examines network slicing on edge computing systems. Read More... Full Article
edge ETSI Multi-access Edge Computing group reaches 100 members confirming attractiveness of the group By www.etsi.org Published On :: Wed, 06 Oct 2021 09:44:22 GMT ETSI Multi-access Edge Computing group reaches 100 members confirming attractiveness of the group Sophia Antipolis, 31 March 2020 Strategy Analytics believes that 59% of all IoT deployments will be processing data using edge computing of some form by 2025. Furthermore, a survey from ResearchAndMarkets predicts that mobile edge computing as a service market will reach $73M by 2024, driven by enterprise hosted deployments. No wonder that ISG MEC - one of ETSI’s most dynamic Industry Specification Groups - keeps growing and has now welcomed its 100th member with Mitsubishi Electric R&D Centre Europe. Read More... Full Article
edge ETSI Multi-Access Edge Computing extends services to WiFi to address enterprise needs By www.etsi.org Published On :: Fri, 24 Jul 2020 08:14:52 GMT ETSI Multi-Access Edge Computing extends services to WiFi to address enterprise needs Sophia Antipolis, 16 July 2020 The ETSI Industry Specification Group on Multi-Access Edge Computing, ISG MEC, has recently released ETSI MEC GS 028 to extend network information services to the world of WiFi and thus squarely into enterprises space. Read More... Full Article
edge New ETSI white paper: Harmonizing standards for edge computing, a synergized architecture leveraging ETSI ISG MEC and 3GPP specifications By www.etsi.org Published On :: Thu, 28 Apr 2022 06:22:52 GMT New ETSI white paper: Harmonizing standards for edge computing, a synergized architecture leveraging ETSI ISG MEC and 3GPP specifications Sophia Antipolis, 27 July 2020 Members and officials of the ETSI Multi-access Edge Computing group and the 3GPP SA WG6 have just published a new white paper which aims to harmonize standards for edge computing. The white paper highlights the role of standards for edge when edge computing is deployed in conjunction with mobile networks. It also reviews the leading efforts in the industry and introduces a synergized architecture which leverages the ETSI ISG MEC and 3GPP specifications. This paper highlights the value proposition of different standards streams and how those standards may be combined when it comes to deployments. Some deployment options are discussed. Read More... Full Article
edge Developers at MEC Hackathon challenged to trial edge computing for 5G at the Droidcon virtual event By www.etsi.org Published On :: Thu, 28 Apr 2022 06:27:57 GMT Developers at MEC Hackathon challenged to trial edge computing for 5G at the Droidcon virtual event Sophia Antipolis, 10 December 2020 The successful last edition of MEC Hackathons endorsed by ETSI took place on 25 to 26 November and was hosted by Droidcon Italy 2020 as a fully virtual event. The competition was open for developers to test their applications with ETSI MEC APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) in a variety of use cases. The organizing committee received a total of 14 submissions, including several topics, from Augmented Reality for Construction Sector, to consumer, media and entertainment application, to automotive services. Admitted teams were offered remote access to MEC servers and software platforms to develop mobile applications for advanced services in MEC-enabled 5G networks, using ETSI MEC technologies. They were also required to onboard their applications in real-life MEC systems and connect with the MEC APIs to receive simulated in-network data. Read More... Full Article
edge ETSI announces MEC Sandbox for edge app developers By www.etsi.org Published On :: Wed, 06 Jan 2021 09:04:20 GMT ETSI announces MEC Sandbox for edge app developers Sophia Antipolis, 6 January 2021 ETSI announces the launch of ETSI MEC Sandbox, available at https://try-mec.etsi.org/. The Sandbox is designed to allow application developers to experience and interact with an implementation of ETSI MEC APIs and test out their applications. Read More... Full Article
edge Testing to the edge: join us at our virtual UCAAT 2021 By www.etsi.org Published On :: Mon, 16 Aug 2021 10:01:26 GMT Testing to the edge: join us at our virtual UCAAT 2021 Sophia Antipolis, 16 August 2021 The automation of test processes is proven to increase productivity and product quality. The global pandemic has increased the demands on various IT systems and services in terms of interoperability, scalability and adaptability, making test automation even more critical for the delivery of agile solutions in uncertain times. To tackle these challenges, ETSI is organizing the 8th User Conference on Advanced Automated Testing (UCAAT) as a virtual conference on 19-21 October. Read More... Full Article
edge ETSI publishes a white paper introducing Permissioned Distributed Ledger (PDL) By www.etsi.org Published On :: Mon, 24 Jan 2022 09:05:43 GMT ETSI publishes a white paper introducing Permissioned Distributed Ledger (PDL) Sophia Antipolis, 24 January 2022 After the release of the first specification on smart contracts on 18 January, members from the ETSI PDL group published a White Paper entitled “An Introduction of Permissioned Distributed Ledger (PDL)”. Distributed ledgers have consolidated as one of the most disruptive applications of information technology that have appeared in recent years. Their ability to store any kind of data as a consensus of replicated, shared, and synchronized digital records distributed across multiple sites, without depending on any central administrator, together with their properties regarding immutability (and therefore non-repudiation) and multi-party verifiability opens a wide range of applications. Read More... Full Article
edge MEC is ramping up with Phase 3 work on Multi-access Edge Computing By www.etsi.org Published On :: Tue, 15 Mar 2022 12:22:47 GMT MEC is ramping up with Phase 3 work on Multi-access Edge Computing Sophia Antipolis, 15 March 2022 Since the beginning of 2022 the ETSI MEC Industry Specification Group (ETSI ISG MEC) has moved forward with the on-going Phase 3 work, which is foreseen to help accelerate and enable more effective and fruitful collaboration with other organizations. Read More... Full Article
edge ETSI publishes a new White Paper on Multi-access Edge Computing security By www.etsi.org Published On :: Wed, 28 Sep 2022 09:29:45 GMT ETSI publishes a new White Paper on Multi-access Edge Computing security Sophia Antipolis, 28 September 2022 Members from the ETSI Multi-Access Edge Computing group (ISG MEC) have just published a new white paper, “MEC security; Status of standards support and future evolutions". Read More... Full Article
edge ETSI Multi-access Edge Computing Consolidates Phase 3 Work By www.etsi.org Published On :: Wed, 08 Mar 2023 11:54:47 GMT Leading to more effective and fruitful cross organization collaboration Sophia Antipolis, 14 February 2023 In the last three months, ETSI ISG MEC has released its final Phase 2 specification (GS MEC 015, on Traffic Management APIs) and made significant progress on Phase 3 with the release of a number of important specifications, including the MEC Federation Enablement APIs (GS MEC 040): in particular, this specification is critical for supporting the requirements received from GSMA OPG (Operator Platform Group) to enable inter-MEC system communication and allow 5G operators to collaborate among themselves, with service cloud providers and with other stakeholders. Read More... Full Article
edge New ETSI White Paper on MEC Support for Edge Native Design: an application developer perspective By www.etsi.org Published On :: Thu, 22 Jun 2023 13:06:18 GMT Sophia Antipolis, 22 June 2023 ETSI has just released a new White Paper on “MEC Support for Edge Native Design” written by members of the ETSI Multi-access Edge Computing group (ISG MEC). This White Paper provides an overview and vision about the Edge Native approach, as a natural evolution of Cloud Native. Read More... Full Article
edge ETSI Signs Pledge to Future Standardization Professionals By www.etsi.org Published On :: Thu, 30 Nov 2023 15:07:44 GMT Sophia Antipolis, 30 November 2023 ETSI proudly announces its commitment to fostering the education and skills development of the next generation of European standardization professionals. This initiative is part of a voluntary pledge which ETSI’s Director-General Luis Jorge Romero signed today in Brussels in the presence of the Commissioner for Internal Market of the European Union, Thierry Breton. It was launched by the European Commission’s High-Level Forum on European Standardization, specifically under the workstream on Education and Skills. Read More... Full Article
edge ETSI Multi-access Edge Computing completed Phase 3 Work and started Phase 4 By www.etsi.org Published On :: Mon, 15 Apr 2024 16:58:35 GMT Sophia Antipolis, 15 April 2024 ETSI Multi-access Edge Computing completed Phase 3 Work and started Phase 4 Leading to more effective and fruitful cross organization collaboration In the last three months, ETSI ISG MEC has released its final set of Phase 3 specifications and made significant progress on Phase 4 with the opening of new Work Items. In particular, the last Phase 3 version of MEC 011 (Edge Platform Application Enablement) contains the updates related to the latest alignment with 3GPP on CAPIF, thanks to a fruitful collaboration with SA6, CT3 and SA3 groups. Also, ISG MEC produced an updated version of MEC 040 (Federation Enablement APIs), that carefully considered the relevant work of other industry bodies relating to MEC federation and all relevant work done in ETSI. This work is critical for supporting the requirements from GSMA OPG (Operator Platform Group) to enable inter-MEC system communication and allow 5G operators to collaborate among themselves, with service cloud providers and with other stakeholders. New APIs are introduced for the enablement of MEC federation, helping operators to "federate" edge computing resources by offering their MEC service capabilities for mutual consumption, application developers and end-customers (e.g. vertical markets). Read More... Full Article
edge Irrigation schemes in Ethiopia’s Awash River Basin: An examination of physical, knowledge, and governance infrastructures By essp.ifpri.info Published On :: Wed, 06 Nov 2024 09:06:37 +0000 Using a representative sample of irrigation schemes, the study documents the physical, knowledge, and governance infrastructures of irrigation schemes in Ethiopia’s most intensively used river basin, the Awash. The findings show that about 20 percent of the equipped area of irrigation schemes in the basin is not being irrigated, while the number of actual beneficiaries […] Source: IFPRI Ethiopia: Ethiopia Strategy Support Program Full Article News Publications
edge Beyond protein lists: AI-assisted interpretation of proteomic investigations in the context of evolving scientific knowledge - Nature.com By news.google.com Published On :: Fri, 09 Aug 2024 07:00:00 GMT Beyond protein lists: AI-assisted interpretation of proteomic investigations in the context of evolving scientific knowledge Nature.com Full Article
edge Nora McInerny: Life's Rough Edges By www.npr.org Published On :: Fri, 23 Apr 2021 04:01:19 +0000 When experiencing grief or hardship, how can we move forward? This hour, writer Nora McInerny shares ideas on navigating the most difficult parts of life ... and living life fully in the face of loss.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy Full Article
edge Listen Again: Nora McInerny: Life's Rough Edges By www.npr.org Published On :: Fri, 05 Nov 2021 04:01:14 +0000 When experiencing grief or hardship, how can we move forward? This hour, writer Nora McInerny shares ideas on navigating the most difficult parts of life... and living life fully in the face of loss.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy Full Article
edge The double-edged nature of parenting, mental health and artificial intelligence By www.npr.org Published On :: Fri, 27 Sep 2024 07:00:59 +0000 There are two sides to every coin — and sometimes our strengths become weaknesses. This hour, TED speakers explore the mixed blessings and volatile flip sides of mental health, parenting and AI. Guests include developmental psychologist Yuko Munakata, entrepreneur Andy Dunn and AI researcher Yejin Choi.Original broadcast date: August 11, 2023TED Radio Hour+ subscribers now get access to bonus episodes, with more ideas from TED speakers and a behind the scenes look with our producers. A Plus subscription also lets you listen to regular episodes (like this one!) without sponsors. Sign-up at plus.npr.org/ted.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy Full Article
edge Higher-income students have an edge when it comes to working memory By media.utoronto.ca Published On :: Wed, 20 Jul 2016 15:35:48 +0000 Toronto, ON – University of Toronto and MIT researchers have discovered important differences between lower and higher-income children in their ability to use “working memory,” a key brain function responsible for everything from remembering a phone number to doing math in your head. Using functional MRI (fMRI) to measure and map the brain activity of […] Full Article Arts Media Releases Social Sciences & Humanities University of Toronto
edge How Harnessing Edge Learning AI Technology Simplifies Manufacturing Processes By www.qualitymag.com Published On :: Mon, 11 Mar 2024 00:00:00 -0400 Traditional machine vision used rule-based programming for controlled environments but struggled in less controlled settings. Edge learning AI, operating directly on vision systems, enhances machine vision's power and usability, revolutionizing quality assurance and manufacturing processes. Full Article
edge Choosing Cutting-Edge OCR By www.qualitymag.com Published On :: Thu, 06 Jun 2024 00:00:00 -0400 OCR is a challenging field in image processing. The industry aims to improve accuracy and reliability, but what are the key factors in choosing an OCR system? Full Article
edge Why FPGAs Deserve Your Attention in Machine Vision and Edge AI Applications By www.qualitymag.com Published On :: Thu, 31 Oct 2024 16:00:00 -0400 As businesses increasingly rely on machine vision to enhance quality, improve productivity, and increase the bottom line, technology providers are relying more on industrial computing solutions that enable faster processing speeds and higher efficiency, or that support new tasks altogether. Full Article
edge How to create an intelligent industrial camera without prior knowledge By www.qualitymag.com Published On :: Tue, 07 Apr 2020 00:00:00 -0400 Where rule-based machine vision has not been attempted or has reached its limits, there is a high potential for deep learning algorithms to support employees and drive forward automation. Full Article
edge The Hidden Goldmine: Reducing Costs and Raising Yield by Streamlining Knowledge Work By www.qualitymag.com Published On :: Tue, 22 Oct 2024 00:00:00 -0400 Are you throwing away a significant portion of your budget without realizing it? How often do engineers, scientists, and analysts regenerate knowledge work—solving problems or similar problems that have already been solved? Full Article
edge Canadian Blood Services discovery research lab contributes to new knowledge on neutrophils By www.blood.ca Published On :: Thu, 29 Aug 2024 14:37:37 +0000 Canadian Blood Services discovery research lab contributes to new knowledge on neutrophils Plasma Transfusion Blood Thursday, August 29, 2024 Abby Wolfe Dr. Donald R. Branch’s work as a discovery scientist at Canadian Blood Services focuses on immunotherapy, seeking to further enhance understanding of the cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in autoimmune diseases. Based in Toronto, Dr. Branch’s laboratory develops models of rheumatoid arthritis, Alzheimer’s disease, immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) and multiple sclerosis in mice. These models are particularly useful in examining how cells affected by these conditions respond to current therapeutic agents like intravenous immunoglobulin – a blood product made from human plasma commonly known as IVIg – and investigating potential alternative therapeutics. Over the years, Dr. Branch’s lab research findings have included the discovery of a special reagent that makes identification of antibodies easier by “zapping" autoantibodies, answers around unexpected side effects of IVIg therapy, and insights around recipients’ responses to bone marrow transplantation. It has also earned him numerous awards and accolades, including four from AABB, the Association for the Advancement of Blood & Biotherapies. Dr. Don Branch, Canadian Blood Services senior scientist New knowledge about neutrophils Recently, contributions from Dr. Branch’s lab helped a U.K.-based team of researchers discover new information about how neutrophil function and activity is regulated. Neutrophils are a type of white blood cell that are part of the body’s normal immune response. A person’s neutrophil levels may be affected by infections as well as chronic or acute illnesses. Patients who have very low neutrophil counts and/or persistent infections may receive a boost to their neutrophil levels via granulocyte transfusion therapy. However, in some diseases, overactivation of neutrophils can also create an inflammatory environment and harm healthy tissue. The research has been published in the high-impact scientific journal, Nature. This publication has filled a gap in knowledge about the mechanisms involved in maintaining balance between neutrophils’ infection-fighting power and inflammation-causing potential. As Dr. Branch describes: “This research by Dr. Brown and team shows that the myeloid inhibitory C-type lectin enzyme, which is known as MICL, controls neutrophil activity in rheumatoid arthritis. It is likely that MICL also regulates neutrophil activity in general. This suggests that if therapeutics can be designed to target MICL, they may be useful in controlling inflammation and infection. It is a fundamental finding that will change our understanding of the biology of neutrophils.” Discovery research, like the study to which Don and Ruqayyah contributed, is essential to improving patient care in the long run. New biomedical insights are essential to crafting new drugs and new therapeutic approaches in a rational way. Dr. William (Bill) Sheffield, Canadian Blood Services senior scientist and associate director of research Discovery research expertise leads to new collaboration The special mouse model that Dr. Branch’s lab uses is known as K/BxN. In this model, two mouse populations are selectively bred to produce offspring whose genetic material carry an antibody that destroys bone cartilage. An arthritis-causing serum containing this destructive antibody can then be obtained from the mice for use as a reagent in research. This process is termed “serum-transfer arthritis” and has been used by many investigators in the study of treatments that may alleviate the condition. Knowledge of Dr. Branch’s lab’s expertise in this area prompted a connection to the team of researchers at the Universities of Exeter and Aberdeen in the U.K. for this study. Says Dr. Branch, “In 2021, I supported a successful application to Canadian Blood Services’ Blood Efficiency Accelerator Program (BEAP) by Dr. Maria Fernandes, a researcher from Héma-Québec who works with neutrophils. Through this collaboration, Dr. Fernandes was aware that I work on rheumatoid arthritis with K/BxN mice, and she also knew that Dr. Gordon Brown in the U.K. was looking to collaborate with a researcher in this area for some planned neutrophil research. My lab, which included postdoctoral fellow Dr. Ruqayyah Almizraq at the time, contributed to Dr. Brown’s research by providing the sera from our K/BxN mice. With this sera, Dr. Brown and his collaborators were able to induce rheumatoid arthritis and show that it could be resolved by removing the inhibition of a specific enzyme.” Science that is never boring The Branch lab is currently using these same mouse models to investigate whether a recombinant protein called IgG1 Fc hexamer could be an effective replacement for IVIg in the treatment of autoimmune conditions like rheumatoid arthritis and ITP. While early results are promising, continued work is needed. In fact, back in 2018, Dr. Branch was asked in a previous R.E.D. blog post to describe what he found to be the most exciting part of science. Reflecting on the same question now, he reiterates that his response still rings true after 50 years in the field: The most exciting part of science is that when you do good science, you get more questions than you get answers, which means it is never boring. There is no end to imagination; new ideas, theories, experiments and discoveries occur often and provide a level of excitement to which many other professions cannot attest. Dr. Donald (Don) Branch, Canadian Blood Services senior scientist Canadian Blood Services – Driving world-class innovation Through discovery, development and applied research, Canadian Blood Services drives world-class innovation in blood transfusion, cellular therapy and transplantation—bringing clarity and insight to an increasingly complex healthcare future. Our dedicated research team and extended network of partners engage in exploratory and applied research to create new knowledge, inform and enhance best practices, contribute to the development of new services and technologies, and build capacity through training and collaboration. Find out more about our research impact. The opinions reflected in this post are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Canadian Blood Services nor do they reflect the views of Health Canada or any other funding agency. Related blog posts Senior scientist wins prestigious award for discovering a ‘gold standard’ reagent used in transfusion medicine Tuesday, March 28, 2023 Aldis Brennan Dr. Donald Branch, Canadian Blood Services senior scientist, has received the Dale A. Smith Memorial Award for his discovery of the ZZAP reagent. This award, from the Association for the Advancement of Blood & Biotherapies (AABB), recognizes the application of technology to the practice of transfusion medicine or biotherapies. Transfusion Blood Read full story, Senior scientist wins prestigious award for discovering a ‘gold standard’ reagent used in transfusion medicine Interactive lab tour helps undergraduate students learn from Canadian Blood Services senior scientist and team Thursday, March 16, 2023 Beth Binnington, Senior Research Assistant Students from the Undergraduate Pathology Alliance at Western University posed insightful questions to researchers during an interactive visit to the research laboratory of Dr. Donald Branch, Canadian Blood Services senior scientist in February 2023. Plasma Transfusion Blood Read full story, Interactive lab tour helps undergraduate students learn from Canadian Blood Services senior scientist and team Meet the researcher: Dr. Donald Branch Wednesday, February 28, 2018 Dr. Kendra Hodgkinson For this instalment of “Meet the researcher”, we met with Dr. Donald Branch, a scientist at Canadian Blood Services who studies infectious diseases and immunology. How long have you been with Canadian Blood Services? I started with the Canadian Red Cross at the Edmonton Blood Centre in December 1985... Plasma Transfusion Blood Read full story, Meet the researcher: Dr. Donald Branch Full Article
edge HVACR Industry Knowledge Offers a Valuable Perspective By www.achrnews.com Published On :: Mon, 09 Sep 2024 13:00:00 -0400 The industry touches our lives directly, and an HVACR-literate public would be a boon to it. Full Article
edge Cutting-Edge Construction: Putting Energy Management Into Practice By www.achrnews.com Published On :: Mon, 12 Aug 2019 05:27:00 -0400 Here are two examples of the difference that high-performance building features and high-efficiency HVAC technology can make. Full Article