Targeted News Service

VIENNA, Va., July 18 -- The Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts issued the following news release:

Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts announces the 2017 Wolf Trap Ball, to be held Saturday, September 23, 2017 on the Filene Center stage at Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts. Hosted in partnership with the Embassy of Monaco and in cooperation with the National Park Service, this year's Ball honors the thriving arts and culture of Monaco. As Wolf Trap Foundation's largest annual fundraiser, the Ball and its proceeds benefit the Foundation's nationally recognized arts ... Show Full Article

Research Shows Wooden Breast Condition Has Existed in Broilers Since 1950s

TUCKER, Ga., July 18 -- The U.S. Poultry Foundation issued the following news release:

USPOULTRY and the USPOULTRY Foundation announce the completion of a funded research project at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, N.C., in which research shows that wooden breast condition has existed in broilers since the 1950s. The research was made possible by an endowing Foundation gift from Ozark Mountain Poultry and is part of the Association's comprehensive research program encompassing all phases of poultry and egg production and processing. A brief summary of the completed project is shown ... Show Full Article

PLT & SFI Join Forces to Expand Youth Environmental Education Programs

WASHINGTON, July 18 -- The American Forest Foundation issued the following news release:

The Sustainable Forestry Initiative Inc. (SFI) and the American Forest Foundation (AFF) announced today that SFI has become the new home of Project Learning Tree (PLT). PLT is an award-winning environmental education program that uses trees and forests as windows on the world to increase youth understanding of the environment and actions they can take to conserve it. PLT's integration into SFI provides an opportunity for the program to expand its reach and impact. And SFI's role as a sustainability leader ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, July 18 -- The American Forest Foundation issued the following news release: The Sustainable Forestry Initiative Inc. (SFI) and the American Forest Foundation (AFF) announced today that SFI has become the new home of Project Learning Tree (PLT). PLT is an award-winning environmental education program that uses trees and forests as windows on the world to increase youth understanding of the environment and actions they can take to conserve it. PLT's integration into SFI provides an opportunity for the program to expand its reach and impact. And SFI's role as a sustainability leaderwill be bolstered by PLT's expertise in education, an increasing focus in SFI's community engagement work. PLT was previously housed at the American Forest Foundation.

PLT has consistently received prestigious awards and recognition from leading educational and community organizations. PLT state coordinators, workshop facilitators, and educators have won the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching and the Presidential Innovation Award for Environmental Educators. More than one quarter of U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools are PLT GreenSchools. PLT's instructional materials are aligned with state and national academic standards and meet or exceed the North American Association for Environmental Education's Guidelines for Excellence. PLT's Environmental Experiences for Early Childhood curriculum won a Learning Magazine Teachers' Choice Award and PLT has also received straight A's in environmental education from the California Department of Education. More than 20,000 educators attend PLT workshops every year and this partnership between PLT and SFI will help the program grow and reach new audiences across the globe in diverse ways.

"SFI has enthusiastically supported Project Learning Tree for years. Formally making PLT part of the SFI Program offers an exciting opportunity to strengthen SFI's growing youth education efforts and to build on PLT's enormous success. We begin this relationship from a position of strength given SFI's role as a leading sustainability organization focused on responsible forestry, conservation and community engagement" said Kathy Abusow, President and CEO of SFI Inc. "We have big plans for the future and are committed to continuing PLT's work as a high-quality education program. Ultimately, we would like to be able to say that every teacher across North America and beyond recognizes Project Learning Tree as an invaluable resource for professional development, environmental education curriculum, and taking children outdoors to learn."

The benefits of educating youth about responsibly managed forests are not just environmental. Experiencing nature through forests and other means at an early age are important components of a healthy lifestyle. The majority of PLT lessons get teachers and their students outdoors and active. This helps to address common health issues in children today, such as obesity, attention deficit disorder, and depression.

"For more than four decades, Project Learning Tree has taught countless students how to think, without telling them what to think. It is the unbiased education that educators demand," said Tom Martin, President and CEO of the American Forest Foundation. "The AFF Board approved the transfer of PLT as well as funding to help ensure the program is maintained for the next five years. We believe this will enable SFI to focus its energy on mechanisms to strengthen and expand the reach of PLT."

"Given Project Learning Tree's focus on environmental education and SFI's mission to ensure the future of our forests, bringing the PLT program under SFI's umbrella will further both SFI's and PLT's reach in ensuring today's youth can be effective future leaders with a strong understanding of the value of well-managed forests," said Laura Downey, PLT Education Operating Committee Co-Chair and Kansas PLT State Coordinator. "Over the years, we have worked directly with SFI to help youth make a commitment to sustainability, and to give them the skills to make responsible decisions about the environment." Effective with SFI becoming the new home for PLT, Laura Downey joins the SFI Board of Directors in the social chamber.

PLT's network includes state government agencies, forestry associations, non-profits, colleges and universities that deliver PLT programming across the U.S., British Columbia, Mexico, Japan, Brazil, and Uruguay. SFI's youth network is made up of more than 20 organizations including Boy Scouts of America, Scouts Canada, Earth Rangers, Forest Ontario's Forestry Connects Program, Envirothon, 4-H, the State University of New York's Center for Native Peoples and the Environment, and other Indigenous youth programs. This considerable network will enhance PLT's relevance as a critical element of youth education in support of future forests.

"SFI is a recognized leader in sustainability and will introduce PLT across Canada and beyond to reach even more educators and youth about the forests we share," said Gail Wallin, Co-Chair of the Canadian Council on Invasive Species and SFI Board member in the environmental chamber. "I believe both organizations will benefit through this new relationship given the common interests, expertise, and passion for the environment and education."

SFI's community engagement work includes a long commitment to youth education including previous funding for PLT through SFI Community Partnerships Grants. SFI Implementation Committees also collaborate with PLT to teach kids about trees, forests, and the natural world through hands-on activities that are STEM-focused and inquiry-based.

"Given the history of SFI's coordination with Project Learning Tree on a national scale and the shared commitment to educating youth, bringing PLT into the SFI program is a natural progression of the relationship because both organizations will be strengthened. As a member of the SFI Board of Directors, and a State Forester, I am excited about how this partnership will support educators and develop future conservation and forest leaders," said Bettina Ring, State Forester with the Virginia Department of Forestry and an SFI Board member in the social chamber.

OMRF Researcher Tests New Approach for Treating Deadly Blood Infection

OKLAHOMA CITY, July 18 -- The Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation issued the following news:

OMRF scientist Florea Lupu, Ph.D., has tested a novel way to inhibit cellular processes during sepsis that could lead to the development of new therapies for the deadly condition.

Sepsis occurs when the body mounts an overwhelming attack against an infection, causing blood clots and leaky blood vessels that impede blood flow to organs. As a result, blood pressure drops, multiple organs can fail, the heart is affected, and death can ultimately result.

Sepsis contributes to up to half of all deaths in ... Show Full Article OKLAHOMA CITY, July 18 -- The Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation issued the following news: OMRF scientist Florea Lupu, Ph.D., has tested a novel way to inhibit cellular processes during sepsis that could lead to the development of new therapies for the deadly condition. Sepsis occurs when the body mounts an overwhelming attack against an infection, causing blood clots and leaky blood vessels that impede blood flow to organs. As a result, blood pressure drops, multiple organs can fail, the heart is affected, and death can ultimately result. Sepsis contributes to up to half of all deaths inU.S. hospitals, but it's often not listed as the cause of death because sometimes it develops as a complication of a traumatic injury like a gunshot wound or car accident or of another serious underlying disease like cancer. So while death certificates list sepsis as a cause in approximately 150,000 U.S. deaths each year, a 2016 report from the Centers of Disease Control estimates that it could play a role in as many as 381,000.

Lupu's work centers on the complement system, a part of the immune system and a crucial part of the body's defense against foreign pathogens like bacteria. But sometimes the system can go awry, resulting in attacks against the body itself.

"The complement system is very powerful, and in infections like sepsis, it kills bacteria by literally punching holes in their cell walls," Lupu said. "But the system can cause a lot of collateral damage by breaking into cells in the tissue, causing organ damage and, eventually, death."

Sepsis also occurs at a high rate of speed, making it difficult to treat in time. This makes understanding of the potentially fatal condition crucial, especially what goes wrong at the most basic cellular levels.

In this new research, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Lupu focused on a downstream point in the complement system "cascade"--a process with several stages, each with a specific role in disease progression.

Lupu and his team have developed a novel method for blocking the complement cascade during the final stages of activation (rather than earlier stages, which were previous targets for drug development). More specifically, Lupu and his team are targeting a protein called C5 which is located in the final part of the cascade. Results of experiments using pre-clinical models showed that blocking the cascade using the C5 inhibitor RA101295, a synthetic, macrocyclic peptide discovered by Ra Pharmaceuticals, Inc., prevented organ damage and cell death without interfering with the clearing of pathogens from the blood.

"Inhibiting the final events of the complement activation system was not thoroughly explored before in a clinically relevant model," Lupu said. "By focusing on a later target point, we allowed the generation of an upstream product of the complement system to clear out the bugs without releasing their toxins in the blood."

The research further revealed that inhibiting this stage blocked sepsis-induced inflammation, protected organ function and led to overall better outcomes when tested in experimental models.

"This suggests that our approach could be an important strategy in treating sepsis in humans down the line, and it opens the door for development of novel therapies to help treat this horrible condition," said Lupu.

The next step in the process is testing to optimize the point of intervention in this process, and Lupu recently received a new National Institutes of Health grant to fund these experiments.

Lupu is a member of OMRF's Cardiovascular Biology Research Program and joined the foundation's scientific staff in 2001. Other OMRF researchers who contributed to the new findings are Ravi Keshari, Ph.D., Robert Silasi-Mansat, Ph.D., Narcis Popescu, Ph.D., Maulin Patel, Cristina Lupu, Ph.D., Hala Chaaban, M.D., and Mark Coggeshall, Ph.D. Other scientists on the team include Steven DeMarco, Ph.D. (Ra Pharmaceuticals) and Tom Eirik Mollnes (University of Oslo, Norway).

Work at OMRF on this project was funded by National Institutes of Health grants GM097747 and GM116184 from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, grant number U19AI062629 from the NIH's National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and support from Ra Pharmaceuticals.

National Right to Work Foundation Issues Special Legal Notice to Nissan Employees in Mississippi Facing UAW Unionization Vote

CANTON, Miss., July 18 -- The National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation issued the following news release:

Recently, United Autoworkers (UAW) union officials announced a push to impose monopoly control over all front-line employees at the Nissan plant in Canton, Mississippi. In light of the tactics union organizers frequently utilize while pushing for monopoly bargaining powers over workers, National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation staff attorneys have issued a special legal notice for Nissan Canton workers.

Mark Mix, President of the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation ... Show Full Article

Lopsided Growth Means Millions of People Across UK Falling Behind

YORK, United Kingdom, July 18 -- The Joseph Rowntree Foundation issued the following statement by Chief Executive Campbell Robb:

"These alarming figures highlight how far behind some parts of the UK have fallen, with millions of people seeing their incomes stagnate or even worse decline. Rebalancing our lopsided economy must be a priority if we are to create a country that works for all.

"Average incomes in the Midlands, Wales and the North of England have fallen further behind the rest of the country. Low earnings are an increasingly important driver of poverty, with the proportion of children ... Show Full Article

Clinton Presidential Center Announces Two New Temporary Exhibit

NEW YORK, July 18 -- The William J. Clinton Foundation issued the following news release:

The Clinton Presidential Center will display a pair of exhibits celebrating the rich cultural history of Africa this fall. Mandela: The Journey to Ubuntu, commemorates the life and legacy of former South African President Nelson Mandela. Art of Africa: One Continent, Limitless Vision will highlight the colors, shapes, and textures of the African continent through its art.

"Africa is a highly complex, endlessly fascinating collection of countries moving toward a very new future," said President Bill Clinton. ... Show Full Article NEW YORK, July 18 -- The William J. Clinton Foundation issued the following news release: The Clinton Presidential Center will display a pair of exhibits celebrating the rich cultural history of Africa this fall. Mandela: The Journey to Ubuntu, commemorates the life and legacy of former South African President Nelson Mandela. Art of Africa: One Continent, Limitless Vision will highlight the colors, shapes, and textures of the African continent through its art. "Africa is a highly complex, endlessly fascinating collection of countries moving toward a very new future," said President Bill Clinton."Through these two exhibits, the Clinton Presidential Center will honor the remarkable life and legacy of a great leader, my mentor and friend, Nelson Mandela, and celebrate the cultures and people of an extraordinary continent."

Mandela: The Journey to Ubuntu tells the story of a young South African boy who became a man prepared to die in the name of equality, justice, and freedom, and, then, the President who led his country out of Apartheid. This exhibit takes Clinton Center visitors along the arc of President Mandela's life through the camera lens of Nelson Mandela Foundation-commissioned photographer, Matthew Willman. Visitors will experience the places and moments that played an integral role in President Mandela's and South Africa's journey to Ubuntu, a word that evokes the oneness of humanity. Visitors can step into a recreation of the eight-by-seven-foot prison cell that Nelson Mandela was sentenced to live in for 18 of his 27 years in captivity, which visually demonstrates the harsh reality of his imprisonment. Visitors will also see several artifacts from the Clinton Presidential Library archives, President Clinton's personal collection, and on loan from the Nelson Mandela Foundation. Mandela: The Journey to Ubuntu is presented by the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center.

Art of Africa: One Continent, Limitless Vision explores the colors, shapes, and textures of Africa through pieces from the Clinton Presidential Center's archives as well as from President Bill Clinton's own personal collection. The exhibit features a dynamic presentation of textiles, paintings, sculpture, jewelry and clothing given as gifts to President Bill Clinton and First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton by African Heads of State and as personal gifts by the artisans who created them. Additionally, this exhibit immerses visitors in Africa's diverse spirit of artistic expression across time that continues to evolve today. From intricately designed kente and batik textiles to traditional sculptures and carvings, Art of Africa: One Continent, Limitless Vision brings rare artifacts from Africa to Arkansas.

During the administration, President Bill Clinton and First Lady Hillary Clinton worked to expand democracy and economic opportunity in Africa. The Clinton Foundation has continued the Clinton Administration's work in Africa by helping to strengthen the continent's health systems, empowering farmers, and implementing sustainable practices. The Clinton Center's fall exhibitions provide a platform for sharing not only the history and culture of Africa, but that the work continues.

Visitors can experience Art of Africa: One Continent, Limitless Vision between August 26, 2017 and February 12, 2018. Mandela: The Journey to Ubuntu will open on September 23, 2017 and remain on display until February 19, 2018.

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