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A protein in the immune system programmed to protect the body from fungal infections is also responsible for exacerbating the severity of certain autoimmune diseases such as irritable bowel disease (IBS), type 1 diabetes, eczema and other chronic disorders, new research has found.  The discovery could pave the way for new and more effective drugs, without the nasty side effects of existing treatments. In addition to helping to manage severe autoimmune conditions, the breakthrough could also help treat all types of cancer.   A protein in the immune system programmed to protect the body from fungal infections is also responsible for exacerbating the severity of certain autoimmune diseases such as irritable bowel disease (IBS), type 1 diabetes, eczema and other chronic disorders, new research from The Australian National University (ANU) has found. The discovery could pave the way for new and more effective drugs, without the nasty side effects of existing treatments. In addition to helping to manage severe autoimmune conditions, the breakthrough could also help treat all types of cancer. The scientists have discovered a previously unknown function of the protein, known as DECTIN-1, which in its mutated state limits the production of T regulatory cells or so-called 'guardian' cells in the immune system. These guardian cells are crucial to preventing autoimmune disease because they suppress the effects of a hyperactive immune system, which can be extremely dangerous if not properly regulated. The immune system is designed to protect the body from infection, but in severe cases it becomes overactivated and turns the body's natural defences against itself. "When this happens, the immune system wrongly perceives healthy cells as a threat, causing it to attack the body and promote the onset of autoimmune disease," lead author Dr Cynthia Turnbull, from ANU, said. "Although the DECTIN-1 protein helps to fight fungal infections, in its mutated state it's also responsible for exacerbating severe autoimmune disease. "Understanding how and why the mutated version of this protein causes autoimmunity in patients brings us a step closer to developing more effective drugs and offers new hope to more than one million Australians who suffer from some form of autoimmune disease." The scientists believe they can control the immune system by turning the DECTIN-1 protein on and off, like a light switch. "Turning on the protein would lower the intensity of the immune system's defensive response which would help to treat conditions such as autoimmune disease," Professor Carola Vinuesa, from the Francis Crick Institute, said. "On the other hand, turning off the protein could give the immune system a boost, sending its defensive mechanisms into overdrive and allowing the body to treat an entirely different set of diseases. "The findings are exciting because there haven't been many discoveries of so-called modifier proteins such as DECTIN-1, which can change the way the immune system behaves to the extent it can either cause a disease or prevent it." According to Dr Turnbull, this means DECTIN-1 could play a key role in treating cancer. "Cancer cells can disguise themselves by releasing certain proteins and chemicals into the body that essentially render them invisible from the immune system's natural defences," she said. "We think that by using drugs to turn off the DECTIN-1 protein, in combination with existing therapies, we can activate the immune system and help it identify and attack the cancerous cells." Current treatments for autoimmune?disease aren't very effective and have a lot of damaging side effects. This is because the majority of existing treatments suppress the entire immune system rather than targeting a specific area. "That means it might not fix the exact problem behind the patient's disease and could inadvertently make them vulnerable to infections. Many people on these kinds of treatments also get bacterial, fungal and viral infections which can make their autoimmunity worse," Professor Vinuesa said. By examining the DNA of a Spanish family, the researchers discovered the DECTIN-1 mutation was responsible for exacerbating the severity of a chronic autoimmune disease suffered by the family's only child. "We found the family was also carrying a mutated version of another immune system protein known as CTLA-4. The CTLA-4 mutation prevents guardian cells from working properly and is known to cause severe autoimmune disease in about 60 to 70 per cent of people who carry it in their DNA," Dr Pablo Canete, from the University of Queensland, said. "Strangely, the remaining 30 to 40 per cent of the population who carry this mutated protein don't develop disease. "We discovered?the family's only child had both the DECTIN-1 mutation and the CTLA4 mutation, while his parents had only one of each. This helped us identify why the child, who is now in his twenties, was the only person in the family to develop severe autoimmunity, ending a 20-year-long mystery behind the cause of his disease. "By discovering the existence of mutated versions of modifier proteins such as DECTIN-1, we finally have an explanation for why some people develop severe autoimmune diseases while others don't, even if they inherit gene mutations passed down from family members."

– 2022 marks Ceapro’s best performance in Company history with record sales of $18,800,000 compared to $17,200,000 for 2021, representing a 10% increase year over year – Net profit after tax of $4,400,000 for the full year of 2022 compared to $3,400,000 in 2021, a year over year increase of 31% – R&D activities focused on advancement toward avenanthramide Phase 1-2a clinical study, development of innovative delivery systems with new chemical complexes and processing yeast beta glucan for development as an immune booster and potential inhalable therapeutic for lung fibrotic diseases – Continued execution on strategic plans position Ceapro for a transformational year in 2023 EDMONTON, Alberta, April 12, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ceapro Inc. (TSX-V: CZO, OTCQX: CRPOF) (“Ceapro” or the “Company”), a growth-stage biotechnology company focused on the development and commercialization of active ingredients for healthcare and cosmetic industries, today announced operational highlights and financial results for the fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2022. “We are very proud of the achievements made in 2022 across all fronts during a year marked by such uncertainties, and economic and operational challenges. We kicked off the year with the signing of a three-year renewable Supply and Distribution Agreement with leading global active ingredients provider, Symrise, which served as a major catalyst to our best ever financial performance year in the Company’s history. Our strong performance and execution, despite the challenges, was made possible by the hard work from our talented and dedicated team, our constant focus on financial discipline and value creation and the strong relationships we have built with our customers and partners. We are pleased to have reached several key milestones in 2022 that will help propel Ceapro into its next phase of growth as a biopharmaceutical company and believe we are well-positioned to continue building on that momentum,” stated Gilles Gagnon, M.Sc., MBA, President and CEO of Ceapro. 2022 Corporate and Operational Highlights Pipeline Development Avenanthramides: Clinical Trial Protocol for Phase 1 safety and tolerability study with healthy volunteers completed with Montreal Heart Institute (MHI) and submitted to Health Canada which was subsequently accepted for expansion into a Phase 2a study including patients with mild inflammation.Received approval in December 2022 from Health Canada to commence a Phase 1-2a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized, adaptive, first-in-human clinical study to assess safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics of single and multiple ascending oral doses of avenanthramide. Up to 96 subjects may be included in the study and dosages will escalate from 30mg to 960mg according to response. Initial approval received from MHI’s Ethics Committee to initiate patient recruitment. Phase 1 part of the study is expected to be completed by year end. Formulation Production and preparation of the selected 30mg and 240mg pill formulation of the drug product for a Phase 1 study was scaled-up in preparation of the clinical batches that were manufactured, packaged and labeled in June 2022 by Corealis Inc. GMP Manufacturing Services (“Corealis”). Stabilities studies remain ongoing.In planning for an extension into a Phase 2a (subject to Phase 1 outcomes), Ceapro’s R&D group manufactured sufficient additional GMP batches of avenanthramides active ingredient powder for a second formulation of avenanthramides pills. The second GMP clinical batches will also be manufactured, packaged and labeled by Corealis in 2023. (Avenanthramides) Malted Technology Patent No. 408344 entitled, “Method for Increasing Concentration of Avenanthramides in Oats,” issued by The Indian Government Patent Office. Alginate: Developed and fine-tuned new PGX-dried chemical complexes mostly using sodium alginate as a carrier. Emphasis put on thin strips of alginate/yeast beta glucan as a potential nutraceutical product with immune boosting properties.Published results for PGX-processed alginates in the Journal of CO2 Utilization.Published positive results for PGX-processed alginates impregnated with CoQ10 in The Journal of Supercritical Fluids. This publication confirms alginate as a carrier for other bioactives.Announced highly positive results for bioavailability studies using alginate and yeast beta glucan (YBG) as carriers for coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10). More specifically, results showed a statistically significant difference (p<0.02) between the amount of CoQ10 absorbed from impregnated YBG compared to commercial standard formulations: two times higher absorption than Cyclodextrin/CoQ10 and four times higher absorption than triolein/CoQ10. Yeast Beta Glucan (YBG) Analyzed and screened YBG feedstock from numerous global suppliers to select ideal sources for best possible product.Identified process conditions for YBG improving morphology of YBG-processed using PGX Technology (PGX-YBG) to boost immunomodulating activity. Progress achieved for the pre-processing of YBG to ensure homogeneous dispersion and deagglomeration of polymers and batch-to-batch consistency.Obtained further evidence confirming that PGX-YBG is suitable for lung inhalation.Demonstrated in vitro that PGX processed YBG can prevent the activation of macrophages toward a pro-fibrotic phenotype which, according to experts in the field, is seen as a viable therapeutic strategy toward fibrotic disease. PGX-YBG binds to specific receptors (Dectin 1) located on macrophages responsible for the cascade of immunomodulating events when activated.McMaster’s research team discovered a new mechanism of action as per PGX-YBG’s ability to reprogram macrophages on its own.Following this discovery, announced expansion of collaborative research program with McMaster University to develop an inhalable immuno-therapeutic/-prophylactic for COVID-19-induced lung fibrosis. Dr. Martin Kolb was confirmed as co-lead of this project along with Dr. Kjetil Ask and Dr. Todd Hoare. This project is supported by Mitacs.Animal studies are ongoing. Go/No-Go decision for a Phase 1 trial is expected to be made during summer 2023. Technology: Pursued technical upgrades of Ceapro’s PGX demo plant in Edmonton focused on the commercial scale up of an impregnation unit to produce chemical complexes with alginate/YBG. Stability studies initiated for these new chemical entities.Pursued engineering design for PGX processing commercial scale unit. A decision was made to use a stepwise approach to ensure standardization of product specifications at each scale level from current 10 Liters to 50-100 Liters vessels. Alginate and YBG would be the first products to be processed at large scale level. Given regulatory requirements and to accelerate market entry, YBG as a standalone and/or in combination with alginate will be developed at first as a nutraceutical/ immune booster.Announced the signing of an agreement with the University of Alberta to implement this mid-scale level PGX unit at Agri-Food-Discovery Place. Alginate and YBG will be the first bioactives to be processed at this facility. This work will be conducted with two specialized engineering firms, one from Europe with expertise in pharmaceutical plants and high-pressure equipment and a local engineering firm from Alberta who will facilitate installation and work with local regulatory agencies to comply with Canadian regulations and codes. Site and installation of PGX pilot unit expected to be completed by mid-2024.Continued projects with University of Alberta and McMaster University for the development of potential delivery systems for multiple applications in healthcare. Bioprocessing Operations Ceapro’s dedicated production team successfully responded to the growing market demand for the cosmeceutical base business by producing over 300 metric tons of active ingredients in 2022.Successfully passed audits conducted by three major customers at the Edmonton facility.Received renewal of the Site License from the Health Canada Natural Product Directorate for a period of two years. This License enables the Company to manufacture, package, label, release and distribute final products. Corporate Signed a Supply and Distribution Agreement with Symrise securing the long-term sustainability of Ceapro’s base business.Appointed Mr. Ronnie Miller, former long-serving President & CEO of Roche Canada, to the Company’s Board of Directors.Appointed Mrs. Genevieve Foster, an accomplished lawyer, Corporate Director of Governance and businesswoman, to the Company’s Board of Directors.Appointed Ms. Sigrun Watson, a recognized commercial leader with over 20 years of experience, as Chief Revenue Officer.Conducted a strategic plan exercise based on three overarching Strategic Imperatives to create value for shareholders: (1) Diversify, secure and accelerate growth; (2) Prepare for commercialization of priority pipeline assets; and (3) Align company structure, culture, and processes to support accelerated growth and entry into new markets. Subsequent to Year End Announced that data from the research collaboration with the Angiogenesis Foundation will be presented at the 2023 Annual Meeting of the Wound Healing American Society to be held April 26-29, 2023.Announced that data from the research collaboration with McMaster University will be presented at the 2023 American Thoracic Society (ATS) International Conference to be held May 19-24, 2023. Financial Highlights for the Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2022 Ended December 31, 2022 Total sales of $3,322,000 for the fourth quarter of 2022 and $18,840,000 for the full year of 2022 compared to $3,562,000 and $17,195,000 for the comparative periods in 2021. Revenue for the fourth quarter ended December 31, 2022, was lower than the comparative quarter in 2021 due to an overall decrease in sales volume of 29% compared to the prior quarter, which was due to lower sales of the Company’s flagship products avenanthramides and beta glucan offset by an increase in sales of oat oil.Net loss of $230,000 for the fourth quarter of 2022 and a net profit of $4,398,000 for the full year of 2022 compared to a net profit of $734,000 for the fourth quarter 2021 and a net profit of 3,365,000 for the full year 2021, a year over year increase of 31% for the full year 2022.Cash generated from operations of $6,637,000, for the full year 2022 compared to $3,510,000 in 2021.Positive working capital balance of $18,487,000 as of December 31, 2022. Comparative numbers shown for the year 2021 result from a restatement of the financial statements for the year 2021. The Company made this decision to restate the 2021 financial results in order to ensure that the valuation of inventory incorporates the costs of conversion more appropriately through the different stages of production for the multiple products produced at the new Edmonton facility. As detailed in note 3 of the financial statements, the impact of this restatement did not change the calculated and reported $0.04 earnings per share in 2021. “With a record financial performance in 2022 yielding a strong balance sheet and further contributing to the building of a very solid foundation for Ceapro’s cosmeceuticals base business, the Company expects to continue to leverage on this base business to accelerate the development of new products and technologies like the planned Phase 1-2a clinical trial with avenanthramides, the scale-up of the PGX Technology for the development of YBG as an immune modulator and the commercial scale-up of a malting technology to enable the production and selling of enriched oat flour with high concentration of avenanthramides to serve some nutraceutical market segments. We expect to complete these projects using cash in hand and expected cash generated from operations throughout 2023 which we believe positions us for a pivotal year of proactive transformation of Ceapro to a biopharmaceutical company,” concluded Mr. Gagnon. CEAPRO INC. Consolidated Balance Sheets December 31,December 31, 20222021 Restated (note 3) $$ ASSETS Current Assets Cash and cash equivalents13,810,9987,780,989 Trade receivables2,820,3002,092,842 Other receivables64,80845,850 Inventories (note 4)3,757,0402,324,085 Prepaid expenses and deposits135,133162,919 Total Current Assets20,588,27912,406,685 Non-Current Assets Investment tax credits receivable854,895766,629 Deposits76,95479,539 Licences (note 5)12,58815,551 Property and equipment (note 6)16,201,75517,499,774 Deferred tax assets (note 13 (b))-282,849 Total Non-Current Assets17,146,19218,644,342 TOTAL ASSETS37,734,47131,051,027 LIABILITIES AND EQUITY Current Liabilities Accounts payable and accrued liabilities1,730,377682,057 Current portion of lease liabilities (note 7)370,460290,055 Total Current Liabilities2,100,837972,112 Non-Current Liabilities Long-term lease liabilities (note 7)2,248,5772,358,862 Deferred tax liabilities (note 13 (b))1,095,968- Total Non-Current Liabilities3,344,5452,358,862 TOTAL LIABILITIES5,445,3823,330,974 Equity Share capital (note 8 (b))16,694,62516,557,401 Contributed surplus (note 8 (e))4,714,4044,680,690 Retained earnings10,880,0606,481,962 Total Equity32,289,08927,720,053 TOTAL LIABILITIES AND EQUITY37,734,47131,051,027 CEAPRO INC. Consolidated Statements of Net Income and Comprehensive Income 2022 2021 Restated (note 3) Years Ended December 31,$ $ Revenue (note 15)18,839,607 17,195,329 Cost of goods sold7,821,908 6,727,699 Gross margin11,017,699 10,467,630 Research and product development1,788,666 3,878,247 General and administration3,700,498 3,239,672 Sales and marketing29,558 47,119 Finance costs (note 10)184,967 206,891 Income from operations5,314,010 3,095,701 Other income (note 11)(462,905)(202,281) Income before tax5,776,915 3,297,982 Income taxes Current tax expense (note 13(a))- 215,376 Deferred tax expense (benefit) (note 13 (a))1,378,817 (282,849) Income tax expense (benefit)1,378,817 (67,473) Total net income and comprehensive income for the year4,398,098 3,365,455 Net income per common share (note 20): Basic0.06 0.04 Diluted0.06 0.04 Weighted average number of common shares outstanding (note 20): Basic77,961,714 77,673,804 Diluted78,582,083 78,590,706 CEAPRO INC. Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows 2022 2021 Restated (note 3) Years Ended December 31,$ $ OPERATING ACTIVITIES Net income for the year4,398,098 3,365,455 Adjustments for items not involving cash Finance costs129,967 140,270 Depreciation and amortization1,911,278 1,880,748 Gain on disposal of equipment- (5,000)Accretion- 11,621 Deferred income tax expense (benefit)1,378,817 (282,849)Share-based payments89,648 17,906 7,907,808 5,128,151 CHANGES IN NON-CASH WORKING CAPITAL ITEMS Trade receivables(727,458)(73,119)Other receivables(18,958)56,374 Investment tax credits receivable(88,266)(158,929)Inventories(1,432,955)(1,114,006)Prepaid expenses and deposits30,371 111,044 Accounts payable and accrued liabilities relating to operating activities1,096,074 (298,765) (1,141,192)(1,477,401)Net income for the year adjusted for non-cash and working capital items6,766,616 3,650,750 Interest paid(129,967)(140,270)CASH GENERATED FROM OPERATIONS6,636,649 3,510,480 INVESTING ACTIVITIES Purchase of property and equipment(341,067)(708,903)Proceeds from sale of equipment- 5,000 Accounts payable and accrued liabilities relating to investing activities(47,754)(86,800)CASH USED IN INVESTING ACTIVITIES(388,821)(790,703)FINANCING ACTIVITIES Stock options exercised81,290 26,725 Repayment of CAAP loan- (83,884)Repayment of lease liabilities(299,109)(250,658)CASH USED IN FINANCING ACTIVITIES(217,819)(307,817)Increase in cash and cash equivalents6,030,009 2,411,960 Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of the year7,780,989 5,369,029 Cash and cash equivalents at end of the year13,810,998 7,780,989 The complete financial statements are available for review on SEDAR at https://sedar.com/Ceapro and on the Company’s website at www.ceapro.com. About Ceapro Inc. Ceapro Inc. is a Canadian biotechnology company involved in the development of proprietary extraction technology and the application of this technology to the production of extracts and “active ingredients” from oats and other renewable plant resources. Ceapro adds further value to its extracts by supporting their use in cosmeceutical, nutraceutical, and therapeutics products for humans and animals. The Company has a broad range of expertise in natural product chemistry, microbiology, biochemistry, immunology and process engineering. These skills merge in the fields of active ingredients, biopharmaceuticals and drug-delivery solutions. For more information on Ceapro, please visit the Company’s website at www.ceapro.com. For more information contact: Jenene ThomasJTC Team, LLCInvestor Relations and Corporate Communications AdvisorT (US): +1 (833) 475-8247E: czo@jtcir.com Issuer:Gilles R. Gagnon, M.Sc., MBAPresident & CEOT: 780-421-4555 Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release

In experiments with mice and humans, a team led by Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers says it has identified a particular intestinal immune cell that impacts the gut microbiome, which in turn may affect brain functions linked to stress-induced disorders such as depression. Targeting changes mediated by these immune cells in the gut, with drugs or other therapies, could potentially bring about new ways to treat depression. In experiments with mice and humans, a team led by Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers says it has identified a particular intestinal immune cell that impacts the gut microbiome, which in turn may affect brain functions linked to stress-induced disorders such as depression. Targeting changes mediated by these immune cells in the gut, with drugs or other therapies, could potentially bring about new ways to treat depression. The findings of the study were published March 20, 2023 in the journal Nature Immunology. "The results of our study highlight the previously unrecognized role of intestinal gamma delta T cells (γδ T cells) in modifying psychological stress responses, and the importance of a protein receptor known as dectin-1, found on the surface of immune cells, as a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of stress-induced behaviors," says Atsushi Kamiya, M.D., Ph.D., professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and the study's senior author. Dectin-1 binds to certain antigens, or proteins, to signal immune cells to activate in specific ways. This receptor, the researchers say, may be involved in the microbiome alteration and immune-inflammatory responses in the colon of mice, which suggests that it may be involved in stress responses via γδ T cells in the intestinal immune system. On the basis of previous studies suggesting that immune inflammatory responses in the gut are related to depression, Kamiya and his team designed experiments to focus on understanding stress-induced behaviors produced by an imbalance in the gut microbiota -- types of microorganisms found in a specific environment, such as bacteria, fungi and viruses. To this end, the team examined the effects of chronic social defeat stress (CSDS) on the gut microbiota in mice. CSDS is a standard rodent test to study stress-induced disorders such as depression. In a series of experiments, the researchers simulated potential stress inducing environments that could mimic similar responses in human environments. After each exposure, the mice were assessed and classified as stress-resilient (stress did not diminish social interactions) or stress-susceptible (stress increased social avoidance). Fecal samples were then collected and put through genetic analysis to identify the diversity of bacteria in the gut microbiota of the mice. The analysis showed that the intestinal organisms were less diverse in stress-susceptible mice than in stress-resilient mice. It specifically revealed that there were less Lactobacillus johnsonii (L. johnsonii) -- a type of probiotic, or "good" bacteria -- in stress-susceptible mice compared to stress-resilient mice. "We found that stress increased the γδ T cells, which in turn increased social avoidance," says Xiaolei Zhu, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and the study's lead author. "However, when the stressed mice were given L. johnsonii, social avoidance decreased and the γδ T cells went to normal levels, suggesting that CSDS-induced social avoidance behavior may be the result of lower levels of the bacteria and γδ T cell changes." Looking for potential natural approaches for prevention of depression rooted somehow in the gut, the researchers explored how changes in dectin-1 on CSDS-induced elevation of γδ T cells responded to pachyman. A compound extracted from wild mushrooms, pachyman is used as a natural anti-inflammatory agent and for treating depression in Eastern medicine. For this experiment, mice were fed a dose of pachyman, which was shown in previous research to affect immune function. Data from flow cytometry analysis -- a technology used to measure the physical and chemical characteristics of a population of cells -- provided evidence that dectin-1 binds to pachyman, inhibiting CSDS-induced γδ17 T cell activity and easing social avoidance behavior. To gain insight into how the alterations in the gut microbiota could impact the human brain, the researchers investigated the makeup of gut organisms in people with major depressive disorder (MDD) compared to people without MDD. From June 2017 to September 2020, 66 participants, ages 20 or older, were recruited at Showa University Karasuyama Hospital, Keio University Hospital and Komagino Hospital in Tokyo, Japan. Of the study participants, 32 had MDD (17 women and 15 men). The other 34 participants (18 women and 16 men) who did not have MDD formed the control group. Stool samples were collected from all study participants, who had comprehensive evaluations including psychiatric history and standard screening assessments for depression and anxiety. In these assessments, higher scores indicate greater depressive symptoms. Genetic analysis of the stool samples showed no difference in the diversity of intestinal bacteria between the subjects with MDD and the control group. However, the relative abundance of Lactobacillus was inversely related to higher depression and anxiety scores in the MDD group, meaning that the more Lactobacillusfound in the gut, the lower the potential for depression and anxiety, the researchers say. "Despite the differences of intestinal microbiota between mice and humans, the results of our study indicate that the amount of Lactobacillus in the gut may potentially influence stress responses and the onset of depression and anxiety," says Kamiya. The investigators say more research is needed to further understand how γδ T cells in the intestinal immune system may impact the neurological functions in the brain and the role of dectin-1 in other cell types along the gut-brain connection under stress conditions. "These early-stage findings show that, in addition to probiotic supplements, targeting drugs to such types of receptors in the gut immune system may potentially yield novel approaches to prevent and treat stress-induced psychiatric symptoms such as depression," says Kamiya. In addition to Kamiya and Zhu, other researchers who contributed to the study are Shinji Sakamoto, Koki Ito, Mizuho Obayashi, Lisa Unger, Yuto Hasegawa, Matthew Smith, Peter Calabresi, Hui Li and Tza-Huei Wang from The Johns Hopkins University; Chiharu Ishii, Shinji Fukuda, Shunya Kurokawa and Taishiro Kishimoto from Keio University in Japan; Shinya Hatano and Yasunobu Yoshikai from Kyushu University in Japan; Shin-ichi Kano from the University of Alabama at Birmingham; and Kenji Sanada from Showa University in Japan.