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Geek Vibes Nation
30-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Vibes Nation
GVN Exclusive: Valeria Favoccia's Character Concepts For 'By A Thread Vol. 2' (ComiXology Originals)
When it was announced that fan-favorite writer Scott Snyder was launching another title for ComiXology Originals and Image Comics, many were excited. However, the intrigue deepened when it was revealed that Scott would collaborate with his son Jack on the project. Thus, on October 10th, 2023, ComiXology Original's 'By a Thread' was born, featuring art by the talented Valeria Favoccia. Synopsis Ten years ago, a deadly and mysterious infection spread across the Earth's terrain, forcing humankind to live in communities precipitously built above the ground. Growing up on Needle Three, Jo barely remembers a time before darkness enveloped the world. But when our hero's community comes under attack by the despotic Charon and his forces, Jo and his friends must decide whether or not to venture across the wasteland in search of a safe haven as the world hangs by a thread. Arriving on June 3rd, Scott and Jack are thrilled to bring fans the second volume of their exciting tale. Ahead of the June 3rd premiere, we're excited to showcase artist Valeria Favoccia's concept art and character descriptions for Scott and Jack's 'By a Thread.' ART and CHARACTER DESCRIPTION by Valeria Favoccia: Charon: When I first heard about him, I suggested his name after the ferryman who carries the souls into the afterlife and I'm very happy that we decided to keep it! I wanted him to look almost inhuman, something that gives you creeps just staring at him, with a solemn presence and a shaman inspiration. I've read some people saying that he looks like Vessel, the Sleep Token singer, but I didn't know the band when I created him, even if it's true that they have similar vibes. Ren She was the hardest one to bring to life. We worked a lot on her design to reach the final result. Her biggest inspo were the swan and Lady Gaga. I love how Gaga has this ethereal elegance but with a creepiness underneath and I wanted to recreate something like that. Also, the Swan is elegant as well, but lethal and fierce. Her weapons remind me of wings and even her cape, when she fights! Admiral For her, I've used the same inspo/design that I used for crystal soldiers and Rowan & Juniper's Father's uniform. She's determined, she doesn't care about the outside world and she's very dedicated to her role, so I didn't want to spill too many emotions on her, just a powerful, cold, military woman. Juniper She's Rowan's twin sister and when I thought about her design I wanted to make it a mirror version of Rowan. So, she has her hair short too, but it goes down her face, she has a cape too, but her one is straight and a sign of power. I wanted a practical outfit that looked like a uniform. Also, I love Devil May Cry very much, so I wanted to give them some sort of Dante/Vergil vibes. Charlie She's the one who cares about the other the most. Her design was inspired by a friend of mine. I want her to almost look like an idol, with short light pink hair and puff lips. She's very clever, she's an engineer, so I wanted to give her a comfy, urban but cool design that almost looks like a repair shop worker. Jo Jo is my favourite one (don't tell the others!!) I was free to explore whatever design I wanted to create, and I think he came out on the first try. He has all the things that I enjoy drawing, messy hair with bold shapes, black scars that almost look like tattoos, a loose tank top and overall, an urban but all-black outfit. I just enjoy drawing him, I wanted something that feels as natural as possible for me, but also to reflect his aura. He's grumpy but brave, he almost lost every hope but has huge beliefs in his friends. Looking at him, you know that he won't let go that easily without fighting until the end. Canon He's the purest soul of the group. I didn't want him to look like a stereotypical Japanese nerd boy, so I gave him a nice twist with his hair -which I think makes him look cool- and I play a lot with his shirt, giving him a fun design to wear. Also, his red glasses are his signature as they give him a more childish look but also joyful. Muscles This was supposed to be a guy in the beginning, if I'm not wrong, a buffed and strong one, but I just wanted a huge girl even too much huge to be real but that nobody asks questions about her stance, she's just like that. Of course, her outfit is inspired by wrestlers and boxers, and I wanted to play with her hair to give her a unique shape. If you look at her you can almost say that's some sort of a buffed Taranee from W.i.t.c.h. series. 😊 Hunter I wanted them to look sneaky and stealthy, something unpredictable. The most important thing in Hunter are their eyes and I play a lot just with their gestures and expressions, I think that even if they're almost completely covered with clothes, they are one of the most expressive character of the group. I designed a hat which I think gave them some more dynamism (and also, I would love to wear one if I could!) and decided their colors that I think goes well with Muscles since I think about them as one thing. ComiXology Originals 'By a Thread, Vol 2, Issue 1 by Scott Snyder, Jack Snyder, Valeria Favoccia, and Whitney Cogar comes to digital June 3rd. Senior Writer at GeekVibesNation – I am a 60 something child of the 70's who admits to being a Star Trek/Star Wars/Comic Book junkie who once dove headfirst over a cliff (Ok, it was a small hill) to try to rescue his Fantastic Four comic from a watery grave. I am married to a lovely woman who is as crazy as I am and the proud parent of a 21-year-old young man with autism. My wife and son are my real heroes.
Miami Herald
20-05-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
Solmetex(R) Introduces NEW Sterisil(R) R2A with FASTRead(TM)
MARLBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS / ACCESS Newswire / May 20, 2025 / EPA regulations and CDC guidelines call for dental offices to meet the established safe drinking water standard for water used during routine dental procedures. The established "gold standard" test for determining water safety - the R2A laboratory test, is now available with an early notification feature. This new premium feature is now included with every Sterisil® R2A Waterline Test at no additional charge. Currently available R2A tests provide results within 5-7 days, requiring dental practices to wait, not knowing if they have potentially unsafe water in the dental chair. Sterisil® R2A with FASTRead gives dental offices immediate notification if their water sample exceeds the safe water threshold within 24 hours* of the testing process. This innovation is supported by recent studies that show the majority of water samples submitted to R2A labs which fail to meet the safety standard, fail rapidly, often within the first 24 hours. "These are the 'fast failures'" said Scott Snyder, Chief Marketing Officer at Solmetex. "So instead of waiting 5-7 days, we're adding an early step and taking a "fast read" of all samples at 24 hours*. This enables us to provide early notification to the dental office if the sample already exceeds the EPA standard. This now enables offices to take corrective action immediately, days sooner than the current industry standard." "We recognize the challenges and costs that dental practices face while waiting for results or, in some cases, having to temporarily close an operatory" said Gene Dorff, CEO at Solmetex. "As experts in dental water for over 30 years, our goal is to provide the best products and support to ensure that practices can take remedial action when necessary and continue to deliver safe and effective dental care to their patients. We feel that providing Sterisil with FASTRead, at no additional cost, is just the right thing to do." The new Sterisil® R2A with FASTRead enables dental practices to take corrective action and get a head start on treating potentially unsafe waterlines. Practices will receive a personalized phone call with early notification and support if their sample indicates potential failure. Sterisil R2A with FASTREAD is powered by DentiSafe, Dentistry's only EPA certified Lab. "The technology and process we developed with FASTRead is a major step forward in keeping patients and staff safe from preventable infections. I'm thrilled that Solmetex and Sterisil are partnering with us to bring this innovation to dentistry." said J. Michael Puckett, DDS, Founder of DentiSafe. For information on waterline products and support, contact Solmetex at 800-216-5505 or visit *Early notification within 24 hours of receipt of sample. Not all test failures can be identified within 24 hours. Final test results available in 5-7 days on the My Solutions Center portal. About Solmetex Solmetex has been a trusted leader in dental water solutions for over 30 years, dedicated to ensuring the highest standards of water safety in dental practices. Our Solmetex®, Sterisil® and DryShield® brands provide Dentistry's only complete end-to-end solution for water safety. Our focus on patient and practice safety has made us the preferred choice for dental offices throughout North America. Contact: Kristina DonehewVP, MarketingSolmetex(508) 986-2337kdonehew@ SOURCE: Solmetex, LLC press release
Yahoo
14-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
With federal funds again on chopping block, UND's research community holds its breath
Feb. 13—GRAND FORKS — Researchers and administrators at the University of North Dakota remain on edge this week as yet another federal decree threatens to disrupt millions of dollars in medical research funding. A federal judge on Monday temporarily blocked an order making deep cuts to federal grant funding for universities, medical centers and other research institutions, including North Dakota's two research universities. The National Institutes of Health announced last week it would place a cap on indirect costs funding for new and existing grants. At UND, the order could disrupt research into a host of health topics, including efforts to combat illnesses like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. UND is by-far the largest recipient of NIH funding in North Dakota, receiving 19 of the 34 NIH grants issued during the last federal fiscal year, according to the NIH's RePORT tool. NDSU, the next largest, received 12. Vice President for Research and Economic Development Scott Snyder said the university had $14.7 million in NIH-funded research expenditures during the 2023-24 school year, around $2.8 million of which was spent on indirect costs. Also known as facilities and administrative costs, indirect costs funding is attached to most federal research grants and pays for a broad swath of research-related expenses, like making sure the research facility is compliant with federal rules and regulations on data security and privacy and animal care (think: lab mice). That funding also covers maintaining and operating expensive lab equipment used in federal research — like, for instance, UND's electricity-use-heavy nanofoundry. "This is a reflection that since we're doing federally-funded research in that facility, the feds will cover part of that expense," Snyder said. The amount the federal government covers is based on a preestablished rate applied to select expenses. Indirect costs funding is given to universities and other research institutions in addition to the research award. Snyder said using a uniform rate for indirect costs is based on a regular audit of research costs and is meant to cut through the red tape that would be created by accounting for indirect costs on every federally-funded research project. The NIH wants to cap every university's indirect costs rate at 15%. UND has a federal indirect cost rate of 41%, which is lower than many flagship universities; some private universities, like Harvard, have indirect cost rates as high as 69%. Capping the NIH's indirect costs rate would shift millions of dollars in research cost back onto research institutions with little notice. For instance, a 15% cap on last year's NIH indirect costs would put UND on the hook for another $1.8 million, based on last year's figures. Such a cut, Snyder says, could require cutbacks on research across the board. "Going from 41% to 15% means, almost certainly, that not only does the institution get less money, but individual laboratories are going to be getting less money," said Jonathan Geiger, a Chester Fritz Distinguished Professor in the biomedical sciences department at the School of Medicine and Health Sciences. NIH funding paid for a broad swath of research projects at UND last year, including several focused on the brain and the nervous system. In recent years, Geiger said, biomedical sciences labs have studied neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's, stroke, multiple sclerosis and ALS. Last year, UND researchers published a study examining the link between a broad class of commonly-prescribed drugs and neurodegenerative diseases. "You can talk in the abstract, but a lot of people ... have loved ones and friends who have suffered and died from these conditions," Geiger said. "The NIH is the premier funding agency in the world — we're the envy of the world — and this is going to hurt us." Members of North Dakota's Republican congressional delegation have backed the Trump administration's actions, saying that limiting "overhead" spending will free up more dollars for research funding. "It is our understanding that this policy change limits the amount of overhead or indirect costs to 15% of the grant received, allowing more taxpayer dollars to go directly to the research being conducted," read a statement issued to the Herald from Sen. John Hoeven. Rep. Julie Fedorchak also told the Herald the cuts would free up taxpayer dollars for research. "All North Dakotans that I work with and connect with, they're concerned always about overhead costs on grants," she said Tuesday. "If it's cancer research or research on diabetes, or whatever current, contemporary challenge we're facing and devoting research dollars to, we want the money as much as possible going to that research to develop solutions and treatments, and not rent." Fedorchak also repeatedly asserted the funding cuts would not affect existing grants, only new ones. The NIH announcement states both new and existing grant awards are subject to the 15% rate "retroactive to the date of issuance of this Supplemental Guidance," Feb. 7. University administrators like Snyder have interpreted the NIH's announcement to mean effective immediately for all current grants. Fedorchak's interpretation could very well be true, Snyder said, but there's been no further guidance from the NIH to clarify the meaning of the order since it was issued. Snyder said Thursday he had not yet talked directly with any of the state's members of Congress but had been in contact with legislative aides from two elected officials' offices. A Fedorchak spokesperson told the Herald in an email her office had "been in contact" with UND and NDSU, while Hoeven's office said they "expect to have further discussions" with North Dakota's research universities ahead of Senate appropriations hearings. A spokesperson from Sen. Kevin Cramer's office said the senator was unavailable to discuss the issue. So far, NIH grant-funded research at UND has not been affected by the Trump administration order. Snyder said the university was current on its monthly reimbursement requests to the NIH when the order to cap indirect costs spending came down. He says it's too early to say how the university will respond to the NIH announcement, which was enjoined by a court order within hours of going into effect. "We have not had enough time since this dropped on Friday and then was enjoined (Monday), we haven't had enough time to sit and say, 'Okay, if this happens, then what's next?'" Snyder said. The now-blocked NIH cost-cutting is the second time in a matter of weeks that federal medical research funding at UND has come under threat. NIH funding was among the federal dollars the university expected to see disrupted when the Trump administration issued an executive order freezing the disbursement of federal grants and loans last month. The future of that order is continuing to play out in court: on Tuesday, the 1st Circuit Court of Appeals rejected a Trump administration request to pause a judge's order requiring the government to continue disbursing those funds. The White House had initially indicated it was rescinding the funding freeze, only to continue withholding billions in defiance of the Jan. 31 judge's order. Geiger says disrupting research funding to UND's laboratories could have long-lasting detrimental effects on the university's research efforts. Scientific training is "not cheap and not transient," he noted. He invoked the second law of thermodynamics. "If you don't put energy into a system, it falls apart, basically," Geiger said. "And without constantly putting energy into a system and taking care of it, things will fall apart very fast, and to rebuild it will be a much slower process and more expensive." Snyder worries that the 15% indirect costs cap could spread to more federal agencies, further compromising university research after the university has spent years trying to boost its research portfolio. (On Thursday, the university was reclassified as an "R1" research university by the Carnegie Foundation, a hoped-for mark of prestige for UND.) UND received around $65 million in federal research grants last year, Snyder said, in areas including health care, energy, and national security. An indirect costs cap on all of those grants would leave the university $10 to $20 million short, necessitating research cuts or increases to tuition. "That research is very important to our state and our society, and that's why this is so disturbing they might cut this back," Snyder said. "Because, again, then we've got a very big financial hole to fill if we're going to continue doing this."
