Editor’s note: Unfortunately we couldn’t attend the annual Zumiez 100k party this year where the large industry account honored its top selling retail employees for 2024 Zumiez was nice enough to send us a report and photos from the multi-day celebration Zumiez is a publicly traded company that operates 745 stores globally More than 250 diverse brands that sell to Zumiez came together to celebrate the company’s top sales performers of 2024 and 1,200 top-selling store employees united to recognize their impact on the industry The highlight of the event is a huge party where brands shower the Top 40 sales performers with gifts The No.1 seller in 2024 was Miguel “Mac” Campos from Ontario Mills Brands gave Campos numerous gifts for his achievement including a customized Nissan 350Z from Primitive a personalized “Mac” medallion and necklace from Gold Gods and a custom 2025 Honda CRF250R dirt bike from DGK This is for everybody,” Campos said during the party “100k is a thank you to the sales team who drive our success and the brand partners who make it possible This celebration reinforces our mission to recognize individual achievements and build lasting connections with the people and brands that define our industry.” The event showcased the diverse and evolving styles that define the industry This year highlighted the resurgence of early 2000s-inspired brands such as True Religion This unique blend of established and emerging brands highlighted the nature of the Zumiez community and every year is better than the last,” said Stevie Williams of DGK “The Zumiez crew knows how to throw a party and 100k is the place where everyone wants to be in January We’re always hyped to show our appreciation to the people who make it happen at the ground level.” Zumiez employees and brands connected through a wide variety of activities Attendees could enjoy stand-up comedy from Taylor Clark or dive into the More than Snowing outdoor demo area This winter twist on Zumiez’s summer More than Rolling series combined a snow skate and sledding zone with a vendor village showcasing the unique lifestyles and brands Zumiez represents such as Lurking Class “100k captures the essence of our culture of competition and recognition,” said Erin Wendte “It’s inspiring to see our top-performing employees and brand partners celebrated in such a meaningful way This event isn’t just about this year’s achievements—it sparks the drive for even greater success next year I’m so proud of what our team and partners accomplish together.” See photos from 100k below – all photos courtesy of Zumiez Posted in: News editorial@shop-eat-surf-outdoor.com advertising@shop-eat-surf-outdoor.com tiffany@shop-eat-surf-outdoor.com Matthew.Yates@emeraldX.com Reporting by Gabriel Araujo in Sao Paulo; Editing by Mark Potter and Matthew Lewis Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab Gabriel is a Sao Paulo, Brazil-based reporter covering Latin America's financial and breaking news from the region's largest economy. A graduate of the University of Sao Paulo, joined Reuters while in college as a Commodities & Energy intern and has been with the firm ever since. Previously covered sports - including soccer and Formula One - for Brazilian radios and websites. , opens new tab Browse an unrivalled portfolio of real-time and historical market data and insights from worldwide sources and experts. , opens new tabScreen for heightened risk individual and entities globally to help uncover hidden risks in business relationships and human networks. © 2025 Reuters. All rights reserved (VVNG.com) — A San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Deputy has been taken into custody following an investigation that revealed he was under the influence of a narcotic controlled substance while armed The incident took place at the intersection of Elina Rose Ct The investigation stemmed from an anonymous We-Tip received by the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department alleging that former Sheriff’s Deputy Ricardo Baires and current Deputy Jonathan Campos were involved in drug activity the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department announced The Gangs/Narcotics Division conducted the thorough investigation that ultimately led to their arrest was found to be under the influence of a controlled substance investigators approached and apprehended Campos and Baires who were found sitting in Baires’ vehicle at an empty housing development in Hesperia suspected cocaine and drug paraphernalia indicating sales were discovered inside Baires’ vehicle search warrants were obtained for both Campos’ and Baires’ residences Drug paraphernalia was found at Campos’ residence while drug sales paraphernalia and ammunition were discovered at Baires’ residence Campos was arrested for being under the influence of a controlled substance while armed as well as for possession of a firearm while in possession of a narcotic controlled substance Campos was booked at the West Valley Detention Center and Baires was arrested for possession of a narcotic controlled substance for sales and for being a prohibited person in possession of ammunition and was booked at the High Desert Detention Center there was no evidence to suggest that Campos was under the influence while on duty and no other Sheriff Department employees were found to be involved a six-year veteran of the department assigned to the Hesperia Station chose to resign from the Sheriff’s Department was hired as a deputy sheriff in 2018 and resigned in 2022 the investigation will be forwarded to the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office as stated by the San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department “The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department has a number of readily available programs to assist all our employees with any wellness or addiction issues I am disappointed Jonathan did not utilize these programs Even though he no longer works for the department I certainly hope he receives the treatment that he needs” said Sheriff Shannon Dicus two other arrests have implicated both Riverside and San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Deputies a San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Deputy was taken into custody while on duty for possessing a narcotic controlled substance was found armed and in possession of a suspected narcotic as he entered the West Valley Detention Center on 9500 Etiwanda Avenue 25-year-old Banning resident Jorge Oceguera-Rocha a former Riverside County Sheriff’s Deputy was arrested after departing from a well-known “stash” house in Victorville law enforcement found 520,000 fentanyl pills authorities claimed they suspected his connections to a Mexican drug cartel Anyone with information related to this investigation is encouraged to contact Detective Michael Battisti of the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department Gangs/Narcotics Division at 909-387-8400 individuals wishing to remain anonymous may contact We-Tip at 1-800-78-CRIME (27463) or visit www.wetip.com SIMILAR ARTICLES – Click the titles to read: Deputy arrested with 104 pounds of fentanyl, visited narcotic stash location in Victorville Deputy arrested for Possession of Narcotics While on Duty we’re dedicated to keeping the Victor Valley informed with essential Our newsroom works tirelessly to bring you the latest stories that matter—news that fosters awareness If you value our reporting and want to see it continue local news accessible to everyone—because an informed community is a stronger community Punitive populism, the political strategy of using criminal law to obtain electoral gains, is based on the premise that increased severity of penalties means less crime(1) political decision-makers present and approve proposals for harsher sentences as an immediate and apparently simple response to social concerns like crimes that are widely covered in the media and fear of increased criminal activities by serial offenders The expression “punitive populism” first appeared in the 1990s at a time of rapid growth in the prison populations of most western countries and when the “zero tolerance” of crime rhetoric was triumphing thus breaking with the consensus of previous decades Between the Second World War and the 1970s, media, political, and academic discourse concurred that crime should be dealt with by means of a combination of social work, institutional reforms, and treatment programmes. In this period, publicly calling for punitive solutions to combat delinquency was considered, in both the Europe of the welfare states and the United States, an excessively vengeful approach that clashed with prevailing values and empirical evidence (2) confidence in expert knowledge and the ability of welfare states to maintain social order began to waver and punitive schemes for combatting criminality gained traction This repressive turn has many interrelated causes the changes that western societies have undergone in the last few decades have led to increased inequality after the revolutions of the end of the 1960s we have witnessed a conservative reaction that has entailed a change in social perception of crime labelled as “social justifications of crime” are discarded and an individualist discourse portraying criminals as selfish immoral beings acting against the legitimate interests of the rest of society is now more influential and drug trafficking are no longer understood as the result of marginalisation and poverty the increase in criminal acts occurring on city streets encourages attacks on rehabilitation policies as ineffective Punitive schemes for combatting criminality have gained traction structural explanations of criminality are discarded and an individualist discourse portraying criminals as selfish Renewed faith in the penal system as a tool of social control is closely related with the socioeconomic changes of the final third of the twentieth century The rise of punitive populism is manifested in the transformation of the role socially assigned to the prison overemphasis on the importance of victims’ opinions and electoral use of the perception of insecurity the so-called “Criminal Code of Democracy” which replaced the criminal legislation of the Franco regime in 1995 introduced alternatives to prison sentences but these were also harsher and effective for longer periods because of elimination of the possibility of reduction by work the history of the Spanish penal system has been marked by punitivism and successive amendments have aimed at expanding the conditions for incarceration and its duration Instead of wondering whether or not people who commit crimes might be re-educated with lengthy prison terms we have simply uncritically accepted that if we imprison more people The introduction of revisable permanent imprisonment which is part of the Citizen Security Law approved in 2015 by the lower house of the Spanish parliament is highly representative of this punitivist trend It means a prison sentence of indefinite duration and although the deprivation of liberty can be reviewed the intention of incorporating it into the legal system is an expression of the desire to have a punishment that is comparable to life imprisonment revisable permanent imprisonment is intended for “extremely serious crimes for which citizens demand a penalty proportional to the crime committed” In the legislature from December 2011 to April 2014 announced changes in the penal system that would include revisable permanent imprisonment and security custody with the aim of providing a more appropriate penal response to certain crimes that cause particular social revulsion the defence of indefinite deprivation of liberty was based on social rejection and the extreme dangerousness of some kinds of criminals life imprisonment was accepted and justified—however reviewable it may be—because of the need to punish crime and ensure security In order to justify this preponderance of the retributive function of the penal system the discourse of punitive populism turns the relationship between victims and criminals into a zero-sum game Any questioning of the utility of keeping the perpetrators of other people’s pain in prison is seen as an insult to their victims It is no accident that tougher sentences are announced amid the uproar caused by cases of murder and sexual aggression against children and adolescents or that the testimonies of these victims and their families have become essential elements of political debates and panel discussions in order to bring in the penal reform of 2015 the Partido Popular (People’s Party) used the tragic case of Marta del Castillo to make a visceral appeal to public opinion and to turn the requirement to toughen the severity of the penal system into a matter of common sense called the father of the girl who was murdered in 2009 to appear in the Congress of Deputies and support its proposals for dealing with crimes for which it considered that no rehabilitation was possible As on other occasions in debates on criminal retribution for individuals convicted for terrorism this appearance in parliament situated the victim at the heart of the debates The discourse of punitive populism turns the relationship between victims and criminals into a zero-sum game; it is assumed that all victims share the same desire for vengeance before the 1980s it was unthinkable that people with political responsibilities in the Western democracies should publicly manifest their support for institutional vengeance or for explicit punishment of crime by the state but the instrumentalisation of suffering has made possible to normalise visceral positions in public debates on crime and punishment With the disrepute of politics—and politicians—holding out specific responses to shocking events has become a way of reaching the electorate Responses to insecurity resulting from growing poverty and precariousness are perceived as insufficient and most political parties focus on fears it is easier to propose increased numbers in the security forces and regulatory changes that are seen as hard-line responses to crime and antisocial behaviour than it is to debate issues of social or housing policy and the implications that these have for the privileges of economic elites Some of the strategies for manipulating information described by Noam Chomsky can be recognised in the alarmist sentiments that are whipped up around especially revolting crimes and the dangerousness of repeat offenders they work as a way of distracting attention from other routine difficulties while emphasising non-existent problems for which they hold out easy solutions (and I am not referring to crimes as such but to the alleged laxity of the penal system that is supposed to be dealt with by means of penal reform) while avoiding any comparative analysis of alternatives inciting fear through concerns about harm to one’s one physical integrity and that of loved ones… deliberately override any discussion about the collective interest they keep the public in the dark by concealing objective data on criminality and delinquency they base their project on information about social dynamics and trending opinions that is offered by the state’s own tools of sociological analysis and specialist enterprises punitive populism responds to electoral calculations based on polls and surveys it is easier to propose increased numbers in the security forces and regulatory changes that are seen as hard-line responses to crime than it is to debate issues of social The discourse of punitive populism mixes murders and terrorism with petty crimes and a perception of insecurity Concern over lower-level crimes is expressed not only in legislative reforms but it has also entailed the adoption and normalisation of what are called “zero tolerance” policies This term was popularised with the international publicity given to the strategy implemented in New York by Mayor Rudy Giuliani between 1995 and 2000 At the heart of Giuliani’s “anti-crime” policy was permanent harassment of society’s most impoverished members in public spaces By means of increasing the uniformed police presence on the streets Commissioner William Bratton of the New York Police Department (NYPD) set out to fight such diverse situations as small-scale drug dealing referring to those he targeted as social “parasites” and “squeegee pests” The expansion—and success—of the political and media discourse pushing zero tolerance has consequences in social perception of the mechanisms for crime control and punishment There are three that deserve special mention: those that give the impression that crime can be tackled and reduced without taking its causes into account; those that link dirt and expressions of poverty in the street to crime; and those that make police forces responsible for solving the endless array of problems that are framed in the ill-defined domain of coexistence Channelling reactions to the insecurities and nuisances perceived in neighbourhoods through police forces shifts responsibility for nurturing social and community relations to an external authority specialising in control with which a complaint-response logic is established and from which immediate solutions are demanded without any need for interaction between the parties in conflict The complaints that mobilise police resources tend to focus on individuals who create uncomfortable situations and who are more visible and present on the streets and groups that meet in public spaces because of the precariousness of their homes or rooms ends up as a demand from local residents who expect this response from the public administration personified in the form of police officers which would have meant a saving of nearly twenty billion dollars per year for the prison system Given the high economic costs of mass incarceration policies of recent decades including drug rehabilitation programmes that are widely available in deprived neighbourhoods or reduced sentences for major crimes have been better received among political representatives than they would have been ten years ago The alternative to punitive populism is not to deny the right of people to feel safe but to encourage policies that really do provide security and a culture of care that replaces a culture of control one that takes the form of harsher prison sentences as well as broad social acceptance of proposals for more control of public space a greater police presence in all areas of life and the extension of punishment to any behaviour that does not conform to majority lifestyles Punitivism shelves essential questions about the construction of security calling into question the guarantee of rights favours vengeful impulses and the desire for control and exploits and magnifies the most basic fears The alternative is not to deny the right of people to feel safe but to encourage policies that really do provide security Safer neighbourhoods are places where people know each other and interact where evictions and forced displacement have not become a normal part of everyday life and where streets are real public spaces available for social interaction Neither control nor punishment is an effective resource for influencing these aspects of security When combatting uncertainty about the future and anxieties caused by precariousness and poverty and a culture of care that replaces a culture of control are necessary Populismo punitivo en España (1995-2015): presión mediática y reformas legislativas Adaptation and Social Life in an English Prison Castigar a los pobres: El gobierno neoliberal de la inseguridad social How Many Americans Are Unnecessarily Inarcerated Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law This is a translated version of the article originally published in Catalan Doctor in Criminology from the Pompeu Fabra University (UPF) and a diploma in Higher Specialized Studies in Sociology from the University of Barcelona (UB); he is a researcher at the Institute Metròpoli of Barcelona and associate professor at the UPF He also has a master's degree in Public and Social Policy (UPF and Johns Hopkins University) and a degree in Political Science and Administration (UPF) His main research area is social exclusion in urban areas Rows of barbed wire against an abandoned residential building with broken windows background Chairman and Founder of Related Ross and Non-Executive Chairman and Founder of Related Companies the most prominent privately-owned real estate firm in the United States first invested in the Miami Dolphins in February 2008 assumed the responsibilities of managing general partner of both the Miami Dolphins and Hard Rock Stadium The role is the culmination of one of his long-held dreams -- Ross grew up in South Florida and the Dolphins have been a lifetime passion for him Silent killer: Contractor corruption blamed for deadly NAIA Ford Everest crash — and this time, it’s personal Katrina Ponce Enrile’s birthday bash with Manila’s elite Loan scam warning: BSP disowns links to UNA Financing US asks judge to break up Google’s ad tech business Consumer group urges Marcos to order audit of Meralco’s books from 2005 to 2024 amid rising power costs Legal clouds clear: With Sobrepeña out, Camp John Hay attracts P248M in new investments The soul of Senigallia: Where land, sea, and flavor unite at Uliassi Mozart chocolate row leaves bitter taste in Austria Cat sole survivor of 115-meter fall in US canyon Katinko maker opens PH’s first pharma ecozone in Tarlac; 13 firms sign on Dizon says old system broken: DOTr to tighten road safety measures, limit bus driving hours after fatal crashes Scottie Scheffler finishes Byron Nelson -31 for first win of ’25 (DMPI) of bilyonaryo Joselito “Butch” Campos Jr assured nervy investors it has nothing to worry about its dismal performance last year but we know what to fix to restore solid performance in FY2025,” DMPI announced during its annual meeting in Singapore on August 30 DMPI’s year on year numbers painted a bleak picture – sales dropped six percent to P38.5 billion profit margins plummeted 12 percent to P9.162 billion and net income tanked 30 percent to P2.6 billion for the fiscal year ending April 2024 It said the cost of goods increased by P1 billion largely due to low productivity in the C74 fruit variety (used for processed goods) and inefficiencies at the cannery DMPI’s market share continues to grow in canned mixed fruit DMPI outlined five key priorities for the next 12 months: * Restore productivity in the C74 fruit variety over the next two years * Strengthen distributor sales fundamentals in the Philippine market and boost sales volume * Continue leveraging the profitable fresh pineapple business * Reduce waste and profit leaks across the supply chain DMPI appointed Costa Rican Luis Matamoros as the new plantation director Matamoros is tasked with helping the company recover from the 2022 La Niña which brought 4,046 millimeters of rain over 249 days—the worst in 50 years This extreme weather caused plantation productivity to drop to 125 tons of C74 pineapple per hectare this year It may take up to four years for DMPI to return to its target productivity level of 168 tons per hectare DMPI plans to enhance decision-making through the use of drones and AI focus land preparation during dry months (January to May) The company also appointed a new sales head nearly doubled the number of regional sales managers to nine added two more distributors to expand the network to 23 replaced three underperforming distributors Butch Campos ‘extremely disappointed’: Del Monte seeking to refinance P29 billion loans, unload assets and bring in new partners to address debt problems Nearly 10% of assets: Singapore Exchange quizzes debt-saddled Del Monte on P1.8 billion loans from Butch Campos’ firms Elevate your understanding of the Philippine business landscape and gain insights into worldwide markets by subscribing to our dedicated channels and exclusive interviews with industry leaders directly on Viber Stay informed and empowered with our Email Newsletter delivering curated content right to your inbox Don’t miss out on crucial updates and trends shaping economies and businesses both locally and internationally Join Bilyonaryo’s community today by clicking the button below to subscribe and stay ahead in the dynamic world of business This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page www.guestcentric.com This share prices have a 15 minute delay and are shown in the local time of the market in which the quote is displayed How a childhood passion became her livelihood She discovered her passion as a child making food for her siblings We introduce you to her business: Delícias da Domícia Domícia was very young when she started to make sweets to sell her customers made eating them almost a tradition she realized the time had come to open a restaurant her mother would leave her in charge of her siblings while she went out to work Cooking for them unearthed an innate skill that she honed over time; it would soon become a dream that has now come true With the help of a small loan tablecloths and all the equipment she needed to start up a business She’s always been close to her customers and is on a first-name basis with most of them friendly service is the cornerstone of her business which managed to weather the peak of the pandemic in 2020 she carried on working with her son and an employee to prepare orders for delivery Domícia has no doubt that quality and speed are what sets her business apart It’s gone from strength to strength to the point where she now sells her sweets outside Brazil “I want to invest more to grow the business I’m planning to open another restaurant near the bus station I’m just waiting for the green light from the authorities It will be bigger and attract more customers due to its location” {{#each tagBeans}}#{{this.title}}{{/each}} © Banco Santander S.A. All rights reserved. Corporate Headquarters: CGS Av. Cantabria s/n 28660 Boadilla del Monte, Madrid (Spain) Lamentablemente, no podemos ofrecerte este contenido en el idioma seleccionado. Si lo prefieres, puedes seguir consultando esta información en el idioma disponible, o por el contrario, ir a la página de inicio. Reporting by Libby George and Karin Strohecker; Additional reporting by Rodrigo Campos and Marc Jones; Graphic by Marc Jones; Editing by Hugh Lawson and Andrea Ricci Libby George is a London-based journalist on the Reuters emerging markets team. She was part of a team named as Pulitzer finalists in 2023, and who won the Selden Ring Award for International Investigative Reporting, for a series of stories revealing abuses by Nigeria’s military. After launching her career as a political journalist in Washington, D.C., she joined Reuters in 2015 covering oil, and from 2019-2023, she was senior correspondent and acting bureau chief based in Lagos, Nigeria. Karin Strohecker is the London-based Global Chief Correspondent for Emerging Markets, leading a team that covers debt and economic issues and investment trends in developing nations around the globe. Having joined Reuters more than 20 years ago, Karin has worked in text and television in Frankfurt, Berlin and Vienna, covering major events such as IMF World Bank meetings in Washington, the World Economic Forum in Davos, OPEC meetings and the World Cup. Please select what you would like included for printing: Copy the text below and then paste that into your favorite email application This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors 21 September 202312:00(UTC)Last modified22 September 202305:37Location of Raia Manta and Raia Pintada developments in the area of BM-C-33Equinor has, on behalf of the BM-C-33 consortium, submitted to Agência Nacional de Petróleo, Gás Natural e Biocombustíveis (ANP), the Declarations of Commerciality and Plans of Development for two development areas in the BM-C-33 concession in Brazil’s Campos Basin. Equinor (operator) is partnered with Repsol Sinopec Brasil and Petrobras in the consortium. The concession is located approximately 200 kilometers from Rio de Janeiro, in water depths up to 2900 meters. It contains natural gas and oil/condensate recoverable volumes of above one billion barrels of oil equivalent. The suggested names for the areas are Raia Manta and Raia Pintada. The names and Plans of Development are subject to approval by the regulator. “Raia Manta and Raia Pintada are a strategic fit for Equinor’s ambitions in a country where we have a solid history and an intention to further strengthen our presence. Together with our partners, we will employ additional expertise to ensure safe and efficient execution of these developments” says Trond Bokn, senior vice president for Project development. The selected concept comprises one floating production storage and offloading unit (FPSO) capable of processing gas and oil/condensate to meet sales specifications without further onshore processing. The FPSO will have a production capacity of 16 million cubic meters of gas per day with expected average exports of 14 million cubic meters of gas per day. Raia Manta and Raia Pintada are significant natural gas developments that will play a key role in the ongoing advancement of the Brazilian gas market. Together, the development and operation of the areas have the potential to generate up to 50,000 local jobs during its full life cycle, through various contracts in the supply chain. Total investment is approximately USD 9 billion. “The developments have the potential to meet 15% of the total Brazilian gas demand when in production. This will contribute to Brazil’s energy security and economic development, enabling significant new job opportunities at local level,” says Veronica Coelho, Equinor’s Country Manager in Brazil. The development of Raia Manta and Raia Pintada will be the first project in Brazil to treat gas offshore and be connected to the national grid without further onshore processing. The sales gas is planned to be exported through a 200 kilometers offshore gas pipeline from the FPSO to Cabiúnas, in the city of Macaé, in the state of Rio de Janeiro. Liquids are planned to be offloaded by shuttle tankers. Lifetime average CO2 intensity for the developments is estimated to be below 6 kilograms per barrel of oil equivalent. The low carbon intensity is enabled through combined cycle gas turbines on the FPSO, which combines a gas turbine with a steam turbine to take advantage of the excess heat that would otherwise be lost. Equinor Brasil Energia Ltda., a subsidiary of Equinor ASA, has entered into agreements(1) with Brazilian company Prio Tigris Ltda., a subsidiary of PRIO SA (PRIO3.SA) for a sale of its 60% operated interest in the Peregrino field in Brazil. 30 April 2025 Equinor delivered adjusted operating income* of USD 8.65 billion and USD 2.25 billion after tax in the first quarter of 2025. Equinor reported net operating income of USD 8.87 billion and net income at USD 2.63 billion. Adjusted net income* was USD 1.79 billion, leading to adjusted earnings per share* of USD 0.66. 30 April 2025 Equinor (OSE: EQNR, NYSE: EQNR) will after the annual general meeting 14 May 2025 commence the second tranche of up to USD 1,265 million of the share buy-back programme for 2025, as announced in relation with the first quarter results 30 April 2025. WAILUKU — Maui gun sales have been soaring, with customer traffic shooting up fivefold, local stores reported Thursday. A line of 12 to 20 people snaked outside Maui Ammo & Gun Supply in the hot midday sun Thursday in the Wailuku industrial area. Those waiting to get into the store, some for more than an hour, included parents with their kids; a former military man; a local hunter; a firefighter and his wife; a Hawaii native who practices subsistence living; and a couple who said that they are against vaccines and that coronavirus is made up by the government to control people. All eight customers interviewed said they wanted to protect themselves and their families if coronavirus panic worsens and their safety is at risk. “It’s not necessarily the virus that I’m worried about — it’s how people are reacting to the virus,” said one customer at the gun store, who asked for anonymity because her husband is a first-responder. “We’ve already had break-ins in our neighborhood. What if someone gets desperate and tries to steal supplies from our home?” Maui Ammo & Gun Supply business manager Chris Redeker said prior to March 9, the Wailuku store averaged about 20 customers a day. Since then, it’s averaged about 100 a day. Angelena Handley Campos, whose father founded Handley’s Gun Supply, said Thursday that the store averages about 10 people daily; now, it is up to about 100 a day. Monday was the Kihei store’s busiest day since opening in 1989, she said. Local store managers said the increase in purchases comes from a combination of factors, including coronavirus fear and several bills in the state Legislature that would restrict certain firearms and make it harder to buy ammunition. Also, it’s an election year, Campos said. “It’s combination of a few things,” Redeker said. “The virus thing is causing a lot of panic. That could explain the large numbers in a short time.” Redeker and Campos said customers are buying ammunition, handguns, rifles, shotguns and just about everything else. “Anything they can get their hands on,” Redeker said. “Mainly shotguns and pistols.” Campos said AR-15 rifles are a popular purchase right now: “That’s what everyone wants.” Weapons start at about $200 and go up from there. Most customers spend between $700 and $1,000, Campos said. Redeker and Campos both said more than half of the customers are first-time gun owners, and many are coming in to inquire about gun regulations. Redeker added that people have been surprised at the process and time required. Hawaii laws say that people must wait 14 days for a background check and obtain single or multiple permits depending on the type of gun. Also, a Hunters Education card or a Handgun Safety Training Course affidavit is required. Permitting and registration must be done through the county police department. In February, there were 437 firearms registered (141 pistols and 296 rifle/shotguns), the largest number in the last three months, according to Maui Police Department data. Previous month registration numbers for the county are 340 for January and 400 for December. Campos noted that sales are up not just in Hawaii — it’s happening nationwide and worldwide — and coincide with challenging times. Campos said her father saw an increase in gun sales leading up to Y2K in 1999. “People were worried about computers then,” she said. “We survived that; we will survive this, too.” Data on sales in various states will not be available from government sources until next month, The Associated Press said. But already this year, background checks are up considerably over last year. FBI data say that more than 5.5 million background checks were conducted in January and February combined. Gun sales generally rise in an election year, as they did in 2016. But this past January and February have outpaced 2016 by nearly 350,000, the AP said. Pukalani resident David Moore came to Maui Ammo & Gun Supply on Thursday to check on an issue with his permitted firearm. He said that while people are fearful, the coronavirus pandemic may be a time of unity instead of division. “It can be an opportunity to be cohesive,” Moore said. “Maybe we can band together.” * Kehaulani Cerizo can be reached at kcerizo@mauinews.com. A grant information session for Maui County’s recycling grants program will be at 2 p.m. May 7 in the Mayor’s ... In light of increased property values driving up tax payments, the Maui County Council’s budget committee has ... Copyright © 2025 Maui News Publishing Company, LTD | https://www.mauinews.com | 100 Mahalani Street, Wailuku, HI 96793 | 808-242-6363 Volume 13 - 2022 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2022.868044 This article is part of the Research TopicProbiotics and its Effects on Inflammatory and Infectious DisordersView all 14 articles Editorial on the Research TopicProbiotics and its Effects on Inflammatory and Infectious Disorders the ongoing amount of research identifying the therapeutic potential of known/unknown microorganisms used alone or in combination with classical therapies may represent a new frontier in the field of microbiota manipulation thus leading to a more favorable outcome of infectious and inflammatory diseases to address its effects as adjuvant treatment in mucositis and the intensity of inflammation in the duodenum it decreased the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines These data suggest probiotic bacteria as promising candidates for the treatment and prevention of GIT inflammatory diseases Strategies aiming at modulating the microbiota-gut-brain axis may represent a new frontier in developing therapeutic approaches for neuropsychiatric disorders. Wang et al. explored the role of the psychobiotic Lactobacillus johnsonii BS15 on the gut-brain axis to elucidate whether it could modulate the gut environment preventing memory dysfunction in an experimental model of psychological stress The psychobiotic not only enhanced the performance of mice under stressing conditions but also positively modulated the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis and memory-related functional proteins discussed the potential role of probiotics on modulating the vitamin D pathway to treat IBD Obesity is marked by a low grade chronic inflammation and dysbiosis, and the review submitted by Maioli et al. explores the role of Faecalibacterium prausnitzii as a potential treatment and a putative biomarker in this scenario Members of the genus Bifidobacterium are the first to colonize the human gut, exerting health benefits for the host, and are also ubiquitously used as probiotics. Shimabukuro et al. evaluated the effect of two Bifidobacterium strains in inhibiting Porphyromonas gingivalis interaction with host cells and biofilm formation in periodontitis Bifidobacterium bifidum 1622A showed greater potential to control periodontitis once it has not changed the inflammatory parameters significantly and prevented alveolar bone loss Cell-free supernatants of probiotic bacteria have been proposed lately as a safer option when compared to the use of live bacteria. Dubey et al. explored the use of cell-free supernatant of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum MTCC 2621 (Lp2621) to evaluate the potential antibacterial antioxidant and wound healing properties using in vitro and in vivo approaches Treatment with Lp2621 gel upregulated IL-6 in the early phase of wound healing and enhanced IL-10 expression in the later phase and recruitment of polymorphonuclear leukocytes highlighted the effects of probiotics to elicit a type 2 immune response improving the response and control against helminthic infection a growing number of researchers have been dedicating time and efforts to explore the role of probiotics in different scenarios the popularization of NGS drastically improved our knowledge about microbiota composition and ecology which not only facilitated the identification of microorganisms with probiotic potential but also the improvement of already known species remains strict to only a few inflammatory diseases the number of human studies addressing the role of probiotics in infectious diseases is even smaller the rising number of experimental studies addressing the beneficial impact of probiotics and the association between its use and the reestablishment of gut microbial balance may encourage a broader use by clinicians in the aforementioned scenarios SCS and HS-C wrote and drafted the whole editorial The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher A System Biology Perspective on Environment-Host-Microbe Interactions PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar An Introduction of the Role of Probiotics in Human Infections and Autoimmune Diseases PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Host-microbiota Interactions: from Holobiont Theory to Analysis PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Scoring Species for Synthetic Community Design: Network Analyses of Functional Core Microbiomes PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Citation: de Castro Soares S and Sales-Campos H (2022) Editorial: Probiotics and its Effects on Inflammatory and Infectious Disorders Received: 02 February 2022; Accepted: 07 February 2022;Published: 10 March 2022 Copyright © 2022 de Castro Soares and Sales-Campos. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited in accordance with accepted academic practice distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms *Correspondence: Helioswilton Sales-Campos, dG9uc2FsZXNAdWZnLmJy †ORCID: Siomar de Castro Soares, orcid.org/0000-0001-7299-3724; Helioswilton Sales-Campos, orcid.org/0000-0003-3252-2834 Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher. 94% of researchers rate our articles as excellent or goodLearn more about the work of our research integrity team to safeguard the quality of each article we publish. Volume 11 - 2020 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2020.01636 The current pandemic of coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) has affected millions of individuals and caused thousands of deaths worldwide The pathophysiology of the disease is complex and mostly unknown identifying the molecular mechanisms that promote progression of the disease is critical to overcome this pandemic recent studies have reported transcriptomic profiles of cells tissues and fluids from COVID-19 patients that mainly demonstrated activation of humoral immunity dysregulated type I and III interferon expression intense innate immune responses and inflammatory signaling we provide novel perspectives on the pathophysiology of COVID-19 using robust functional approaches to analyze public transcriptome datasets we compared the transcriptional signature of COVID-19 patients with individuals infected with SARS-CoV-1 and Influenza A (IAV) viruses We identified a core transcriptional signature induced by the respiratory viruses in peripheral leukocytes whereas the absence of significant type I interferon/antiviral responses characterized SARS-CoV-2 infection We also identified the higher expression of genes involved in metabolic pathways including heme biosynthesis oxidative phosphorylation and tryptophan metabolism A BTM-driven meta-analysis of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) from COVID-19 patients showed significant enrichment for neutrophils and chemokines which were also significant in data from lung tissue of one deceased COVID-19 patient our results indicate higher expression of genes related to oxidative phosphorylation both in peripheral mononuclear leukocytes and BALF suggesting a critical role for mitochondrial activity during SARS-CoV-2 infection these data point for immunopathological features and targets that can be therapeutically exploited to control COVID-19 interpretation of transcriptional changes during COVID-19 has been primarily evaluated using canonical pathways that do not often reflect human responses we propose alternative strategies to analyze and interpret transcriptomics data which provide novel insights into immune and metabolic responses during COVID-19 Publicly available datasets used in the study Data were analyzed with the positional framework Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) (11), using pre-ranked mode, 1,000 permutations and weighted enrichment statistics. The Blood Transcriptional Modules (BTMs) (24) and metabolic pathways annotated in the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) database (25) were used as gene sets To construct the network of BTMs from peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) transcriptomes, genes were pre-ranked by the Wald test statistics score calculated with DESeq2 package comparing each gene in COVID-19 patients and healthy controls, as described (7) BTMs detected with a false discovery rate (FDR) adjusted p < 0.001 were then linked by the number of genes shared between two gene modules The output of the GSEA provides a normalized enrichment score (NES) for each BTM associated with each dataset The NES was then compared between datasets selected at the determined cut-off (p < 0.001) we also retained only the BTMs that were associated with at least 50% of the datasets Metabolic pathways from KEGG database were selected by a FDR adjusted p < 0.05 for PBMCs from COVID-19 patients For BALF datasets (CRA002390 and HRA000143), genes were also pre-ranked by log2 fold change of experimental samples over healthy controls and used as input in pre-ranked GSEA. BTMs and KEGG metabolic pathways were selected by relaxed significance (nominal p < 0.05) and consistent up- or downregulation in both datasets. For lung biopsies (GSE147507), one sample from COVID-19 patients shows a distinct read count profile and was considered an outlier as described (26) The remaining sample was used to perform single sample GSEA in which genes were pre-ranked by log2 fold change of the experimental sample over healthy controls Networks were visualized and generated with Cytoscape v3.7.2 (27) Heat maps were generated with the package gplots for R and hierarchical clustering with the package amap for R using Euclidian distance metric and Ward linkage The bubble plots were generated with the package ggplot2 for R 8 was used to perform t-tests on NanoString nCounter data and generate bar plots suggesting a critical role of metabolic pathways for the immune response of COVID-19 patients COVID-19 induces the differential activity of gene modules underlying immune cells (A) BTM association with the transcriptional profile of PBMCs from COVID-19 patients (RNA-seq dataset CRA002390) was determined with gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) with 1,000 permutations and weighted enrichment statistics The gene list was pre-ranked by Wald statistic scores derived from DESeq2 output Nodes in the network indicate BTMs reaching a significance of FDR adjusted p < 0.001 Colors represent the normalized enrichment scores (NES) of each BTM Width of edges represent the number of genes shared by two BTMs (B) Representative network of the BTM enriched in monocyte (M11.0) Colors represent log2 fold changes of each gene in the transcriptome of COVID-19 patients compared to healthy controls (C,D) Heat maps representing the differential expression signatures of genes enriched in (C) dendritic cells (M168) and genes enriched in (D) natural killer (NK) cells I (M7.2) between COVID-19 patients and healthy controls (C) BMTs specifically enriched in PBMCs from COVID-19 patients (FDR adjusted p < 0.01) (D) Representative network of the heme biosynthesis II (M222) module (E) Metabolic pathways enriched in the transcriptome of PBMCs from COVID-19 patients Genes were pre-ranked by log2 fold change of COVID-19 patients over healthy controls and used as input in GSEA 1,000 permutations and weighted enrichment statistics Pathways reaching a significance of FDR adjusted p < 0.05 are shown Bubble color is proportional to the normalized enrichment score (NES) and size to the significance None of these metabolic pathways were significantly enriched on the sample of lung tissue The gene list was pre-ranked by log2 fold change of the experimental sample over healthy controls and used as input in GSEA with the BTMs as gene sets this study demonstrates unappreciated inflammatory networks and metabolic pathways that are associated with COVID-19 Publicly available datasets were analyzed in this study This data can be found here: Genome Sequence Archive (GSA) or human GSA in National Genomics Data Center Chinese Academy of Sciences for RNA-seq data related to SARS-CoV-2 infection (CRA002390 and HRA000143); Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) for RNA-seq data related to SARS-CoV-2 infection (GSE147507) and microarray data related to SARS-CoV-1 infection (GSE1739) or Influenza A virus (IAV) infection (GSE34205 GSE90732); and ArrayExpress for NanoString nCounter data related to SARS-CoV-2 infection (E-MTAB-8871)/b and SF: interpreted the results and critically reviewed the manuscript All authors contributed to the article and approved the submitted version The authors thank the administrative and technical support provided by the IPTSP – UFG We thank all authors that contributed to the generation of the datasets used in the study Jianwei Wang from Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College for sharing the summarized gene count table of HRA000143 dataset “Pandemic fear” and COVID-19: mental health burden and strategies Clinical characteristics of 3,062 COVID-19 patients: a meta-analysis Infection and Rapid Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in Ferrets Integrative metabolomics and 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specificity of the airway epithelial cell immune response during respiratory virus infection Gene expression patterns in blood leukocytes discriminate patients with acute infections Aberrant cell cycle and apoptotic changes characterise severe influenza A infection–a meta-analysis of genomic signatures in circulating leukocytes A distinct influenza infection signature in the blood transcriptome of patients with severe community-acquired pneumonia Whole blood gene expression profiles to assess pathogenesis and disease severity in infants with respiratory syncytial virus infection A host transcriptional signature for presymptomatic detection of infection in humans exposed to influenza H1N1 or H3N2 Transcriptomic profiling facilitates classification of response to influenza challenge Host Transcriptional response to influenza and other acute respiratory viral infections–a prospective cohort study Development of an objective gene expression panel as an alternative to self-reported symptom scores in human influenza challenge trials Molecular signatures of antibody responses derived from a systems biology study of five human vaccines KEGG: kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes Plasmin cascade mediates thrombolytic events in SARS-CoV-2 infection via complement and platelet-activating systems CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Cytoscape: a software environment for integrated models of biomolecular interaction networks Complex immune dysregulation in COVID-19 patients with severe respiratory failure Metabolic phenotypes of response to vaccination in humans mTOR regulates metabolic adaptation of APCs in the lung and controls the outcome of allergic inflammation Antibiotics-driven gut microbiome perturbation alters immunity to vaccines in humans SARS-CoV-2 infects T lymphocytes through its spike protein-mediated membrane fusion Reduction and functional exhaustion of T cells in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) Targeting potential drivers of COVID-19: neutrophil extracellular traps Single-cell landscape of bronchoalveolar immune cells in patients with COVID-19 A single-cell atlas of the peripheral immune response in patients with severe COVID-19 Impaired type I interferon activity and exacerbated inflammatory responses in severe Covid-19 patients CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Type I IFN immunoprofiling in COVID-19 patients Type III interferons disrupt the lung epithelial barrier upon viral recognition Type I and III interferons disrupt lung epithelial repair during recovery from viral infection Multiorgan and renal tropism of SARS-CoV-2 ACE2 Expression is increased in the lungs of patients with comorbidities associated with severe COVID-19 Genetic signature related to heme-hemoglobin metabolism pathway in sepsis secondary to pneumonia Hypoxia decreases the expression of the two enzymes responsible for producing linear and cyclic tetrapyrroles in the heme biosynthetic pathway Characterization of heme as activator of Toll-like receptor 4 Hemolysis-induced lethality involves inflammasome activation by heme Excess of heme induces tissue factor-dependent activation of coagulation in mice Proteomic and metabolomic characterization of COVID-19 patient sera Plasma metabolomic and lipidomic alterations associated with COVID-19 CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar O-GlcNAc transferase promotes influenza A virus–induced cytokine storm by targeting interferon regulatory factor−5 Sales-Campos H and Fonseca SG (2020) Immune and Metabolic Signatures of COVID-19 Revealed by Transcriptomics Data Reuse Received: 01 May 2020; Accepted: 18 June 2020; Published: 26 June 2020 Copyright © 2020 Gardinassi, Souza, Sales-Campos and Fonseca. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY) *Correspondence: Luiz G. Gardinassi, bHVpemdhcmRpbmFzc2lAdWZnLmJy Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher 94% of researchers rate our articles as excellent or goodLearn more about the work of our research integrity team to safeguard the quality of each article we publish Are you ready to join the thousands of companies who rely on Blue Book to drive smarter decisions We’d love to show you what Blue Book can do for you Drop us a line– we’ve been waiting for you Mexico was ranked the world’s seventh largest exporter of fresh or dried pineapples during 2016-2020 with a 1.9 percent share in global sales of fruit According to data from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development the main sales abroad are directed to the U.S with a value of around $30.6 million and a participation of 99.6 percent Mexico is ranked the ninth world producer of pineapples which last year generated 1.209 million tons reflecting a growth of 16.2 percent when compared to 2019 33.7 percent of the national total is produced The national per capita consumption is 7.7 kg Get access to all the news and analysis you need to make the right decision --- delivered to your inbox Fresh Del Monte Produce's Rubyglow pineapple was awarded Best Food Innovation by the prestigious World Food Innovation Awards 2025 the country’s fastest-growing supplier in Q1 USDA Secretary Rollins says she has been at the negotiating table tirelessly advocating for American agriculture The 2024-25 Chilean season has concluded with shipments of more than 90,000 tons of fresh blueberries Chipotle Mexican Grill announced it has signed a development agreement to open restaurants in Mexico for the first time Peru exported 562,093 tons of table grapes representing a 7.4 percent increase compared to the previous campaign Central Iowa sales of brothers' salsa off to good startThe shiny gold label on the locally made Tres Mentes salsa container reflects the light in a way that makes it a little hard to decipher But that's why brothers Angelo and Phillip Campos like it we wanted ours to stand out even if you can't read it," said Angelo Campos The brothers have been selling their fresh salsa — mild hot and chunky varieties — in Hy-Vee stores across the metro and in Ames Indianola and Omaha for the past six months they hope to be distributing their salsa regionally and in many more of Hy-Vee's 237 stores in eight states high-energy brothers are cranking out 400 to 500 16-ounce containers of their perfected salsa recipe a week at their Grimes plant a small commercial kitchen they are renting until they need to expand to meet production requests And they are also selling salsa at farmers markets and other local businesses The salsa sells for $5 for a 16-ounce container "We're working around the clock," said Phillip Campos They also are marketing their products and trying to find new places to sell it The Campos brothers' foot in the door is their enthusiasm and a product they believe in And a catchy tag line: "We're Asian brothers selling salsa," Phillip Campos said Their tale of getting into the salsa-making business is not a very long one graduated from Dowling Catholic High School in West Des Moines and went on to study at St They tried another business — selling discounted college textbooks — but gave it up after it proved more of a challenge than they could handle Both went on to jobs in the corporate world with a nagging desire to go into business for themselves After friends and family raved about their homemade salsa the brothers began tweaking their recipe of tomatoes cilantro and jalapenos and testing it on their co-workers "We became the salsa guys on food day," Phillip Campos said "We wanted it to taste like you just walked into a Mexican restaurant," Phillip Campos said "We wanted to bring that taste to market." They got a good response at the Beaverdale Farmers Market last summer and began selling salsa at regional crafts fairs They moved from making salsa in their mom's Grimes kitchen to renting an existing commercial kitchen in Ankeny "We loaded up our mother's Toyota Corolla with coolers and drove to crafts fairs within a 200-mile radius of Des Moines," Phillip Campos said They were building their brand and creating a following They approached Hy-Vee with a plan to get it on the produce shelves "They brought in samples and were aggressive and friendly," said Dillon Maple produce manager at the West Des Moines Hy-Vee on Mills Civic Parkway "We try to support anybody producing locally The whole fresh salsa category has been trending upward and I think doing taste demonstrations has helped it get off the ground," Maple said The brothers left their corporate jobs and jumped full time into making and promoting Tres Mentes salsa They moved production to a former Amici coffee shop in Grimes they will be looking at automation and a larger space the brothers have funded their venture with their own money included cashing in Phillip Campos' 401(k) They tried to raise money through a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign but didn't reach their goal Their new goal to raise money — and gain exposure — is to get on the popular ABC show "Shark Tank," in which aspiring entrepreneurs pitch their ideas to investors The show is hosting open casting calls in Des Moines July 14 The brothers have contacted other "Shark Tank" contestants seeking their counsel about starting a business they will continue making the salsa and selling it wherever they can We're a tough team to beat," said Angelo Campos Speaking of open calls: Wal-Mart Stores Inc is hosting a daylong open call Tuesday for potential suppliers to pitch made-in-America products The company expects to make deals on the spot For information, go to: news.walmart.com/events/made-in-usa-open-call-event Great grilling: Americans will spend the July Fourth holiday grilling and eating an estimated $6.2 billion worth of food according to the National Retail Federation's 2014 Independence Day survey Each household will spend about $68 on burger snacks and at the Des Moines Downtown Farmers' Market Website:www.tresmentessalsa.com Patt Johnson covers retail and small business Follow her on Twitter at @newbiz_dmreg and read more columns at DesMoinesRegister.com/ShoppingScene The company says it based its decision on the fact children and young adults were using the product E-Cigarettes will no longer be found on the shelves of HEB The San Antonio based grocer stopped supplying the smoking alternative last week "We share the concern of many Texas parents that the risks are too unknown at this time and we share the general public health concern in these products," she said Campos added HEB will continue to sell traditional tobacco products. Last week, the Centers for Disease Control reported 805 cases of lung injury associated with the use of e-cigarette and vaping products in 46 states Joey Palacios can be reached at Joey@TPR.org and on Twitter at @Joeycules. Houston Public Media is supported with your gifts to the Houston Public Media Foundation and is licensed to the University of Houston Volume 3 - 2022 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fdmed.2022.942714 This article is part of the Research TopicGlobal Excellence in Dental Medicine: South AmericaView all 6 articles The responsiveness of the dentin–pulp complex is possible due to the stimulation of dental pulp cells which begin to synthesize and secrete dentin matrix The inflammatory process generated by harmful stimuli should be understood as a natural event of the immune response resulting in the recruitment of hematopoietic cells which cross the endothelial barrier and reach the site affected by the injury in order to eliminate the damage and provide an appropriate environment for the restoration of homeostasis The repair process occurs in the presence of adequate blood supply and with the participation of pro-inflammatory cytokines Prostaglandins and leukotrienes are bioactive molecules derived from the metabolism of arachidonic acid as a result of a variable range of cellular stimuli The aim of this review is to describe the process of formation and biomineralization of the dentin–pulp complex and how pro-inflammatory events can modify this response with emphasis on the lipid mediators prostaglandins and leukotrienes derived from arachidonic acid metabolism The inflammatory process is important to fight infection and is essential to protect the tissue from injury and restore its physiological function. Cytokines and various signaling molecules are synthesized and secreted by the host cells of the dentin–pulpal complex prior to the recruitment and activation of immune system cells, which reveals that the dentin–pulpal complex generates a molecular immune response pattern prior to the cellular immune response (6) Repair, therefore, occurs in the face of adequate blood supply and with the participation of pro-inflammatory cytokines, growth factors, components of the extracellular matrix, and other biologically active molecules (7, 8) The aim of this review is to describe the process of formation and biomineralization of the dentino-pulpal complex and how pro-inflammatory events can modify this response Deciduous teeth begin their formation between the 3rd and 8th week of intrauterine life, and their development involves a series of complex steps regulated by interactions between epithelial and mesenchymal tissues derived from the ectoderm (ameloblasts) and the neural crest (odontoblasts) (9, 10) During dentin formation, odontoblasts secrete a matrix rich in type I collagen, which is called pre-dentin, thus constituting the organic phase, which in turn is mineralized through the incorporation of hydroxyapatite (HA) crystals through the biomineralization process, which involves mechanisms that control both the sites and the deposition rate of these crystals (14, 15) The DSPP once secreted is rapidly cleaved into COOH-terminal and NH2-terminal fragments. The latter is encoded by the 5' portion of the Dspp gene, resulting in Dentin Sialoprotein (DSP) and proteoglycans, while the 3' portion is responsible for encoding the NH2-terminal portion, which generates Dentin Phosphoprotein (DPP); these two being the most commonly found non-collagen proteins in the dentin matrix (22–24) DSPP is a member of a family of proteins called SIBLINGs, an acronym for Small Integrin-Binding Ligand N-linked Glycoproteins, which also include Bone Sialoprotein (BSP or IBSP), Dentin Matrix Protein-1 (DMP-1), Osteopontin (OPN), and Extracellular Matrix Phosphoglycoprotein (MEPE) (25, 26). These proteins play an important role in dentinogenesis and can be considered markers of differentiated odontoblasts (27) DPP contains a large amount of aspartic acid and phosphoserines, which allows it to be characterized as a polyanionic molecule. The negative charge distributed along this protein increases its affinity for calcium ions and exposes them, in this way, to the collagen fibers present in front of the mineralized layer, allowing the growth of HA crystals, which gives it importance during the maturation phase of mineralized dentin (26, 28) The increase in Dspp gene expression occurs through signaling pathways whose participation involves Bone Morphogenetic Protein-2 (BMP-2) and the Runt-related Transcription Factor (Runx2) (29) Bone Morphogenetic Proteins (BMPs) are signaling molecules that are part of the Transforming Growth Factor β (TGF- β) superfamily (30). In addition to increasing Dspp gene expression, BMP-2 also plays a very important role in regulating the differentiation process of dental pulp cells into odontoblasts, and they are capable of both producing and cleaving this protein (31) Osteocalcin (BGLAP) is revealed as the main non-collagenous protein produced by odontoblasts and osteoclasts, whose role is to regulate the organization of the extracellular matrix through interaction with HA, protein matrix, and surface receptors (38) In summary, odontoblasts secrete specific dentin matrix proteins, such as DSP and DPP derived from DSPP. Dentin also presents in its composition collagen proteins, IBSP, DMP-1, BGLAP, and ALPL that share common regulatory pathways through transcription factors RUNX-2 and MSX-1 (39, 40) In addition to the important role of odontoblasts in the process of dentin matrix synthesis, as described earlier, these cells are also important sensory structures of the pulp organ, as they have the ability to detect bacterial invasion during the development of dental caries and sequentially initiate the immune response in the pulp (8) Free arachidonic acid can be metabolized via the Cyclooxygenase-1 (COX-1) and Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) pathways and generate Prostaglandins (PGs) or Thromboxanes (TX), or it can be oxidized along the Lipoxygenase (LO) pathway, which includes the enzyme 5- Lipoxygenase (5-LO), to produce different classes of LTs and Lipoxins (54) PGs, in turn, are produced by a sequence of events involving the actions of the COX-1 and COX-2 enzymes and have their structural basis consisting of prostanoic acid, which is composed of a cyclopentane ring and two carbon chains, and are known as prostanoids (61) Not only the modulation of cell proliferation was affected by lipid inflammatory mediators but also the expression of important genes inducing dentinal matrix mineralization (76, 77). Previously, PGE2 has already been shown to have an anabolic effect on osteoblast proliferation and differentiation and induce IBSP transcription (78) Growth factors such as BMP-2 and bioactive molecules from the dentinal matrix are important signaling molecules for dental pulp stem cells, stimulating them to differentiate into odontoblast-like cells (79). BMP2 protein is essential for the control of dentinal matrix mineralization and is correlated to the differentiation of dental pulp cells (80) PGE2 induces BMP-2 production in culture of stem cells extracted from tendon, and consequently promotes differentiation into cells of the osteoblastic lineage (81). On the other hand, LTB4 is known to favor the resorption process in bone tissue, as it recruits clastic cells and inhibits the blast differentiation process, even in the presence of stimulation with BMP-2 (82) It is well-established that pulp and dentin constitute a single unit which makes the dentin–pulp complex an important strategic and dynamic barrier to the various injuries suffered by teeth odontoblasts are cells of fundamental importance for the initiation and amplification of innate immune response events in the search for protection of the pulp organ in the presence of pathogens as well as undifferentiated cells present in the pulp and precursors of odontoblasts both of which are able to respond to injury by modulating the immune response and LSS wrote the first draft of the manuscript All authors approved the final version of this review This study was supported by the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP grants #2019/00204-1 to FWGP-S and #2014/07125-6 to LHF) and Conselho 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This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY) *Correspondence: Francisco Wanderley Garcia Paula-Silva, ZnJhbmNpc2NvZ2FyY2lhQGZvcnAudXNwLmJy Peru’s Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism (Mincetur) has a plan: position Peru as the eighth largest exporter of fruit in the world which would translate into significant income for the country and its economic resurgence The national export force has a single objective: to reach $65 billion in international sales before the end of the year A similar achievement would give the industry its fourth consecutive year of breaking the record in historical exports (the accumulated amount in 2023 was $64.355 billion) As stated at the recent Agro-Export Lunch of the Association of Exporters (ADEX) the country is the world’s leading exporter of blueberries and quinoa grains; the second with fresh avocado Amazonian chestnut and ginger; and the third of canned hearts of palm this year it hopes to become the eighth largest fruit exporter (it ranks ninth) which recorded an accumulated figure of $5.681 billion Agro-exports play a fundamental role in the economic and social progress of Peru This sector has shown a growth of 13 percent in the first two months of the year alone driven mainly by the 7.3 percent increase in fruit exports This dynamism not only reflects the quality and competitiveness of Peruvian agricultural products but also its ability to reach and satisfy the demand of international markets the country managed to position its products in 141 markets around the world the most significant destinations being the U.S Among the main fruits sent to different international markets were blueberries and grapes with revenues of $1.705 billion and $1.777 billion Both figures were a record in their respective categories Minister Galdo emphasized the notable progress of Peruvian agro-exports and proposed new strategies to strengthen its global presence Mincetur plans to collaborate with the National Agrarian Health Service of Peru (Senasa) and the Commercial Offices of Peru in the World (OCEX) of the Commission for the Promotion of Peru for Exports and Tourism (PromPerú) she highlighted the relevance of technological innovation to boost and improve the country’s competitiveness worldwide The Chilean/Peruvian offshore season will wrap up over the next four weeks Expect pricing to increase as the offshore season winds down The Foundation For Fresh Produce held its annual Consumer Connection Conference April 28-30 tangy refreshment of California-grown grapefruit and introducing a new way to enjoy it Subway is stepping in to make dining decisions even easier with the return of $6.99 Any Footlong all month long Lipman Family Farms announces the acquisition of Shelton & Sons a trusted tomato grower based in Morristown International Fresh Produce Association is setting the stage for policy discussions impacting the fresh produce and floral industries ARIZONA NEWS (Photo provided by Vensure Employer Solutions) BY KTAR.COM managed services and global business process outsourcing announced the opening of its new state-of-the-art global headquarters in Chandler Thursday This expansion will allow Vensure to better meet the needs of its clients in the western states as well as create stronger efforts of service within the greater Phoenix community The company’s decision to move to a larger facility stemmed from its continuous growth and the rising demand for comprehensive HR services from an increasing number of businesses The new global headquarters will lead to the creation of 400 new positions over the next 24-30 months it reinforces Vensure‘s commitment to being a valuable contributor to the local community “The opening of the new Chandler headquarters is an important milestone towards realizing our goals of establishing a prominent presence in Arizona and advancing our growth initiatives We’re thrilled to be an integral part of such a vibrant technology and HR community within the Greater Phoenix area,” said Alex Campos chief executive officer at Vensure Employer Solutions “The HR solutions industry has undergone substantial transformation over the last few years and with 60% of medium and large-size businesses projected to embrace HR systems by 2024 we are well positioned to leverage this market opportunity.” Vensure’s new global headquarters has been designed to house a variety of teams ranging from specialists and administrators to managers and consultants These teams will be dedicated to advancing Vensure‘s mission of delivering exceptional HR solutions particularly in the expanding market for HCM suites “Our new headquarters in Chandler is strategically positioned to facilitate the rapid expansion of our team opening doors for innovation and heightened support for our clients and employees,” Esta Pittard chief operation officer at Vensure Employer Solutions said “We are steadfast in our dedication to nurturing a strong dynamic team and actively engaging with and enriching the local community of technology and HR professionals.” The grand opening for the new location was held at the new location on Thursday and included local entertainment a welcome message from Vensure’s CEO Alex Campos Vensure Employer Solutions is the largest privately held organization in the HR technology and service sector providing a comprehensive portfolio of solutions and global business process outsourcing (BPO) The company and its service providers collectively serve over 95,000 businesses and process over $135B in annual payroll As a “One Employer Solution,” Vensure helps thousands of businesses streamline and grow their operations with custom strategies that benefit both employers and employees Follow @KTAR923 Have a story idea or tip? Pass it along to the KTAR News team here Airtex Manufacturing Partnership operating as Engineered Air, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, has completed the acquisition of Campo Equipment Campo Equipment is a manufacturer of portable heating solutions for the construction The company manufactures a complete line of indirect (Oil/LP/NG) Engineered Air is a North American manufacturer of custom heating heat transfer and clean room solutions serving commercial and industrial markets “Engineered Air and Campo are family-run companies sharing aligned business policies of providing high-quality products to our customers and supporting these customers with after-sales service,” said David Taylor “The purchase of Campo expands Engineered Air’s sales reach into markets we do not currently compete in Our go-forward strategy will be for Campo to continue providing its core products with a systematic process of introducing new products that will meet the future needs of our customers We look forward to continuing our relationships with each of our customers.” “Our customers have rewarded us greatly for listening to them Our employees and manufacturing team have answered the call we’ve disrupted the industry we service with constant innovation and have become market leaders We now will return the favor by partnering with Airtex leveraging our synergies to keep providing innovative and profitable heat solutions to the rental industry.” Campo and Taylor will retain the Campo workforce and continue operations in Brampton Daniel Campo will retain his role as president and CEO Please log in below to access this content HONOLULU – Summer Campos and her husband braced themselves before going through their ledger Lei shops like theirs in Hawaii’s capital are being pummeled by the coronavirus pandemic which has essentially put tourism and major life-event celebrations So they were puzzled to realize they sold more flower garlands and arrangements between last July and September than they did during the same period in 2019. The pleasant surprise was short-lived once they realized the brief period of strong sales could be attributed to the same cause as the devastating business losses they’ve suffered overall since March. Close to 40% of Hawaii's COVID-19-related deaths as of mid-January – 117 – occurred between July and September, according to an analysis of New York Times data as a whole suffered nearly 80,000 fatalities during the same time period. The number of memorials skyrocketed the number of families ordering lei. "We became overnight grief counselors," Summer Campos said echoing her counterparts at other lei shops They spent hours on the phone with people in Hawaii and on the mainland seeking to commemorate their loved ones with traditional Hawaiian garlands and arrangements. The short boost in sales wasn't enough to reverse a year of plummeting revenue for the Hawaiian Lei Company. Pandemic lockdowns have devastated virtually all of Hawaii's lei shops and stands – even as incoming travel starts to rebound. a third-generation lei maker who runs her late grandmother's stand near the Honolulu airport a road of shops near the international airport Milan Chun often threads dozens of lei made of flowers including plumeria, puakenikeni, tuberose and orchids. Flowers and a kiss: What is the meaning of Hawaiian lei? the pandemic is just the latest imported crisis to both challenge their way of life and remind them of the tradition's resilience. the culture has remained just as – if not more – significant to locals for whom lei serve as a token of affection and appreciation. "We're the present and we are the past," said Karen Lee, who runs Cindy's Lei Shoppe The store was founded by her mother – who still makes lei – in Honolulu's Chinatown more than 60 years ago. has been picking flowers and making lei since she was a young girl She has always appreciated that lei-giving symbolizes the Hawaiian culture's emphasis on sharing. Chun gave a customer who bought a lei and some red ginger bouquets an extra garland of blue-tinted orchids. Lei-making has also instilled in Chun the value of being "patient in whatever we do." And that mentality extends to how Chun and her counterparts in the industry have responded to the pandemic. 'Wake-up call': Will the travel industry heed the COVID-19 pandemic's warning as it recovers? Virtually all of the companies' major revenue streams have dried up. Meanwhile, large gatherings and celebrations – from baby luau to retirement parties – have been put on hold which have accounted for about 65% of the Hawaiian Lei Company's annual sales. Supply chain problems have further exacerbated matters many flower growers struggled to bring their workers back The Hawaiian Lei Company had to start ordering wholesale from other islands Worse than a recession The Hawaiian Lei Company had seen its sales increase every year since it launched in 2004 people still celebrate" – they still graduate By late spring, Campos and many of her counterparts were prepared to see their companies go under. Hawaii Gov. David Ige had extended the state's original stay-at-home order Paycheck Protection Program loans had largely run out. Then, florists and lei shops from across Hawaii got together and lobbied Ige to allow them to open. They got approval to resume business just ahead of Mother's Day which along with graduation season accounts for a huge chunk of the companies' revenue. responding to the crisis in nimble ways Her business ramped up its marketing on the mainland prompting orders from every state. Vendors said they plan to take that same nimble approach in the months to come and they're confident their industry will survive. "I'm hopeful that by April there will be changes so people can actually have celebrations," Campos said we are prepared to go the other route." That confidence stems in part from customer loyalty these shops have enjoyed for generations During an interview with a USA TODAY reporter Lee and her Cindy's Lei Shoppe colleagues received a gift from a long-time customer who'd stopped by to pick up lei A small bouquet of freshly picked puakenikeni — Cindy's favorite flower. for some Hawaii locals the timeless culture of lei giving has perhaps never felt more relevant. "People changed (last) year," Campos said "People are embracing life and realizing what matters most and giving." They're also remembering to "live in the present," Lee said and lei – whose flowers typically last no more than a few days – attest to why that mentality is so important. "We have to really remember the Aloha Spirit." Much has changed for hotels over the past few years with some trends that were introduced during the pandemic seemingly here to stay we take a look at the challenges hotels are facing today and outline what hotels can do to differentiate themselves from the competition in 2023 While 2022 has certainly been a record-breaking year for travel there are a number of industry concerns arising for 2023 we saw record-breaking prices for air travel guests had little to no issues paying more to get away Demand remains high for the foreseeable future - some 25% above 2019 levels The burning question is whether hoteliers will maintain their hold on ADR as they fight for smaller shares of business which are available to them At this stage however, pricing appears to be holding up and even increase over the next 12 months, according to our Hotel Business Barometer results published in the October 2022 edition of The Hotelier PULSE Report Research by Skift shows that 83% of global travelers consider sustainable travel to be vital according to Booking’s Sustainability Report 2021 73% of travelers would be more likely to choose an accommodation if it has implemented sustainability practices We’re also seeing a lot in the RFPs for corporate rates and groups where guests want to know what sustainable practices (either local or environmental) that hotels have in place That may be a significant challenge moving forward in terms of how hotels can and should be more connected to the local business environment Another big question is what will happen in terms of Asian travel we are currently seeing some groups traveling from India into Europe for really long stays (between 30 to 60 days) Does this indicate a resumption of travel on a wider scale will that resume on a larger scale during the autumn and winter of 2022 to 2023 Although we know that China is not resuming outbound travel in the foreseeable future we must still consider other markets across Asia and whether we’ll see an influx of travel into Europe and the US While current market signals indicate positive things to come for hotels it’s important to continue taking steps to differentiate your hotel from the competition Informing your guests to what they can expect is critical let guests know so that you do not receive bad reviews later on inform guests and highlight this information across your direct channels Don’t rely on third-parties to interact with guests on your behalf but instead continuously communicate with your guests at all stages of their journey from online search to check-out hotels should also ensure they incentivise guests to book directly on their websites In addition to special offers exclusive for direct bookers some hotels are also strategizing Best Price Guarantee offers These hotels challenge the consumers to find a cheaper rate on other websites and pledge to match the cheapest price This is a great way to increase hotel revenue It also relays a message to consumers that booking directly with the hotel will be the most beneficial because the hotel is willing to do what it takes to give the guests the best deal and experience hotels should consider investing in automation to lighten the workload and respond to overwhelming consumer demand While it’s impossible to know upfront everything there is to know about a prospective technology supplier or distribution partner below are some core questions you should ask a prospective partner before investing: it goes without saying that you should only consider vendors who respond with a proven track record of how they can help your business in the long run The last two years have seen a strong shift towards hotels joining soft brands such as our own Great Hotels of the World (GHOTW) with its collection of some 60 characterful larger upscale and luxury Bleisure hotels worldwide Membership of Great Hotels of the World provides them with access to our international sales offices; group sales and additional revenue generation; our signature GHOTW sales events; preferred partnerships such as American Express Meetings & Events; GDS connectivity under the GW label; as well as social media and communication to amplify their hotel’s presence We also tapped into a niche market looking for authentic and country-specific options with the launch of Small Portuguese Hotels which now numbers some 140 properties nationwide Member hotels benefit from an umbrella brand with professional digital marketing and sales support; PR and media relations; and economies of scale in preferred partnerships and suppliers According to a recent consumer survey published by Hospitality Technology nearly 40% of travelers research on Google prior to booking it is not only nice to have your hotel visible on the world’s leading search engine Hotels should first focus on their organic Google presence by continuously updating and engaging with Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) Make sure your Google Business Profile listing contains up-to-date information about your hotel and a direct link to your hotel website and booking engine as this is the primary entry point for most Google users You should also answer all questions on Google Business Profile and reply to the guest reviews Hotels may also want to consider competing on Google Hotel Ads or listing their property on Google Hotel Free Booking Links both of which have a much lower cost structure in comparison to the OTAs which connect over 40,000 agencies worldwide) bookings are making a comeback even in resorts and other leisure-centric hotels We also anticipate a significant level of travel from the US market into Europe via the GDS we recommend that hotels be visible on the GDS not only for corporate travel but also leisure travel The more agile and far-seeing travel agencies are developing strategic partnerships with corporations even if not necessarily for corporate travel These partnerships are proving to be an effective strategy in 2022 and beyond Guests’ awareness of the environmental impact of their trips is at an all-time high and your hotel should address these concerns by implementing and communicating sustainable practices and initiatives Many hotels worldwide are actively communicating their sustainable practices to prospective guests Be sure to actively highlight your hotel’s sustainable certifications and practices via all your direct channels Social media has significantly changed how travelers research before going on a trip We are now encouraged to share our travel experiences and this has transformed the way we make decisions as consumers or travel agency based on the reviews of others Below are the big three in terms of social media platforms hotels should be visible on: and hotels that wish to differentiate themselves from the competition must be prepared and agile to adapt to the rapid pace of change A major trend to have emerged from the pandemic is the rise of hotel direct bookings And although OTAs have reverted to more aggressive marketing tactics hotels should continue to first and foremost prioritize the direct connection with guests who are now more than ever engaging with hotels directly prior to booking hotels should invest in tools and solutions to make engaging with guests easier and less strenuous on human resources What is your hotel prioritizing to differentiate from the competition GuestCentric is a leading provider of cloud-based digital marketing software and services that help extraordinary hoteliers promote their brand drive direct bookings and connect with customers on all digital platforms GuestCentric's all-in-one platform provides hotels with the only unified solution for managing their guests' online journey: award-winning easy-to-use booking engine; social media marketing and publishing tools; a GDS chain code and a channel manager to offer rooms on Amadeus TripAdvisor and hundreds of other channels GuestCentric is a proud provider of solutions that maximize direct bookings to hotel groups and independent hotels from collections such as Design Hotels Small Luxury Hotels and Small Danish Hotels GuestCentric is featured on Skift Travel Tech 250 a list of the top 250 travel tech companies shaping the modern-day travel experience Melissa RodriguesContent Manager+35 196 157 3854GuestCentric Systems View source Civic or other nonprofit activities: I am a volunteer ambassador for four local chambers of commerce What is the latest project in which you are involved I am in charge of putting on the Fourth of July Parade for the Westlake Chamber of Commerce What is your favorite business in the Westbank What qualities in people draw you to be their friend I have a knack for: Being selected ambassador of the year for three different chambers of commerce Most significant or interesting job: Fatherhood High school coaches who taught me to never give up What is one interesting fact about you that people probably don’t know If you could sit down and ask questions of anyone (living or dead) Life’s most challenging endeavor is: Taking care of our 21-year-old If you were stranded on an uninhabited island what is one item that you would you like to have customer-oriented and must know how to quickly process and correctly interpret customer data a producer of solutions in the digital commerce market Anticipating customer behavior has always been one of the major challenges for companies when it came to innovation development and improvement of the business processes the ability to better understand customer needs and expectations has become an even greater priority which can make the difference between staying on the market and bankruptcy – the key being the interpretation of data collected by companies as a result of customer interaction the reorganization of the company can have a defining role These are among the main recommendations to the challenges faced by retail companies in the digitization process debated at EUROPEAN DIGITAL COMMERCE the first Romanian edition of the European event dedicated to the retail industry The Romanian edition took place on Tuesday 11 June in Bucharest and brought together 150 specialists interested in the trends of the online and classical retail industry, the digitization process of this area, and the best practices implemented around the world in this segment. The edition in our country is part of a series of 6 events scheduled for 2019 The first event took place in Italy in January European Digital Commerce will be hosted in UK More than 80 companies have participated to the Romanian edition of European Digital Commerce, including Answer, Carrefour, Carturesti, Coca-Cola, Farmec, Flanco, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Mega Image, PepsiCo, Pizza Hut, Vel Pitar, Vodafone, Stefanini, Yves Rocher, etc. VTEX is the only multi-tenant True Cloud Commerce platform in the digital commerce market with an auto-scaling elastic cloud infrastructure that leads to higher conversion rates Companies running the VTEX platform have seen a 54 percent increase in conversion rates and a significantly lower rate of cart abandonment VTEX platform serves more than 3.000 online stores in over 25 countries We use cookies for keeping our website reliable and secure providing social media features and to analyse how our website is used NEW YORK — Aqua Expeditions has announced Cheryl Jiffo as its new North America Sales Representative The luxury small-ship expedition cruise line says Jiffo’s appointment aligns with the company’s organizational growth strategy as it works to elevate brand awareness globally Sales Manager for the UK and Northern Europe Campos’ airline industry background includes time with Air Canada Jiffo is now supporting Aqua Expeditions’ sales initiatives in Canada and the U.S With more than 15 years of experience in the luxury industry Jiffo will focus on identifying new opportunities developing relationships with key accounts product training and driving sales growth all aimed at strengthening the positioning of Aqua’s fleet of five ships which operate seven different luxury experiences Jiffo previously held positions at Virgin Voyages Regent Seven Seas Cruises and Expedia Cruises “The US and UK continue to be key consumer markets and provide further growth opportunities to Aqua Expeditions I am delighted to strengthen our commitment to these regions by welcoming both Max and Cheryl to Aqua’s global sales team,” said Aqua Expeditions CEO Francesco Galli Zugaro Exclusive access to Canadian travel industry news Subscribe Now