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Former U.S. Naval Officer Ray Deptula explores timeless topics like human nature, desperation and survival.

MERRITT ISLAND, Fla., Jan. 18 — After 24 years in the U.S. Navy as a Naval Aviator and Political-Military Officer serving in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and the Caribbean, Ray Deptula has witnessed firsthand how political dysfunction and certain aspects of human nature repeat themselves across eras. His debut historical novel, A Dog Before a Soldier, brings that insight to life through the story of a young man forced into the military and ensuing war out of desperation during the American Revolution.

“I wanted to call attention to the parallels between the American Revolution and the present day,” Deptula said. “Not just in political-military terms, but in the personal story of a young man who enters the military because he sees no other way to survive. That’s something I can personally relate to, and I think many Americans can, too.”

Set against the volatile backdrop of colonial America, A Dog Before a Soldier follows teenage Jack Halliday, who — fresh off three harrowing years on a slave ship — joins the British Army in 1774 out of sheer necessity. Sent to Boston as part of the growing security force to help suppress a growing rebellion, Jack understands little of the political turmoil as he fights in key battles including Lexington and Concord, Bunker Hill, Long Island and the capture of Philadelphia before deserting the British Army and seeking refuge in Annapolis, Maryland.

“There is political dysfunction in every era,” Deptula said. “It’s part and parcel of the human experience as well as our American experience. Circumstances change, but human nature doesn’t. We can’t seem to help from making the same mistakes, yet there are always good people who push through them.”

After deserting, Jack finds his way to Annapolis, where he is fortuitously taken in by a wealthy landowner who ultimately asks him to act as his surrogate in the Continental Army alongside an enslaved man named Custis. In return, Jack is welcomed into the family and promised the landowner’s daughter’s hand in marriage.

The second book, Can’t Find My Way Home, will reveal Jack’s shared experience with Custis in the Continental Army as together they endure a brutal winter at the American encampment at Morristown, New Jersey, and the violent civil war in South Carolina, each fighting for a different version of freedom and survival.

At its core, A Dog Before a Soldier is not only a meticulously researched account of the American Revolution, but a deeply human story about belonging, resilience and moral choice.

“The entire premise of my book is that those who fight their nation’s wars are typically those least able to avoid it,” Deptula said. “The ‘who it is that actually shows up to do the fighting’ seems to me timeless — it was true then, was true long before then and is still true today. Jack is an everyman — someone with a moral compass and leadership qualities that he does not even realize he has — trying to survive in an uncaring world that too often devours the weak, slow or dimwitted.”

Both entertaining and educational, A Dog Before a Soldier explores how competing interests, political tension and personal sacrifice shaped the founding of the United States, and how those same forces continue to shape this country and the rest of the world today.

A Dog Before a Soldier is the first book in Deptula’s Those Damn Yankees series. Book two, Can’t Find My Way Home, is scheduled for release in July 2026.

A Dog Before A Soldier

Publisher: Speaking Volumes

Release Date: February 2026

Available from: Amazon.com

CARMEL, Ind., Feb. 18 — Humanization. Accountability. Consequences. These, plus 37 other concepts that can make or break career momentum, come to life one concise, interactive capsule at a time in the distinctive new book,  BOS-UP Moments: Field Guide to Prosper in Business, Work & Life, from executive coach and bestselling author Scott Abbott.

 No lengthy chapters. No abstract theories. Just 40 short, immersive experiences that blend written insights with visual cues and QR-linked videos. BOS-UP Moments is designed to engage readers directly, turning wisdom into participation rather than passive consumption.

 Calling BOS-UP Moments “the connective tissue between business operating systems … and real-world experience,” Abbott explains that the book focuses squarely on the human side of great leadership. He’s talking about the soft skills, self-awareness and mindset needed for meaningful development and growth.

 Here’s What Makes BOS-UP Moments Different:

• Practical, Not Theoretical: No long chapters. No jargon-heavy frameworks. Just focused leadership moments that can be applied immediately.

• Designed for the Modern Workforce: Short reads. Video integration. Flexible usage. Ideal for hybrid, remote and in-person teams.

• Inclusive and Human-Centered: Insights translate beyond the workplace, supporting communication, confidence, self-awareness and emotional intelligence in work and life.

• Affordable and Scalable: One resource. Endless applications. A fraction of the cost of a traditional training program.

 From classrooms and training programs to leadership teams and individual growth plans, BOS-UP Moments is built for students entering their first roles and executives guiding complex organizations alike — supporting clearer thinking, stronger communication and more intentional leadership at every career stage.

 “Every moment helps transform you from who you are into who you want to be,” Abbott added. “If you’re building a great business, leading a team, coaching others, navigating pressure or simply striving to become the best, most grounded version of yourself, this book is made for you. And the magic inside it is real.”

 BOS-UP Moments: Field Guide to Prosper in Business, Work & Life

Publisher: BOS-UP Publishing

Release Date: November 20, 2025

ISBN-13: ‎979-8273631236

SAN DIEGO — Feb 18— InnoVision Marketing Group (IMG) continues to prove what happens when strategy, creativity and culture come together with a purpose. The full-service marketing agency took home three first-place honors at this year’s PRSA Bernays Awards for the San Diego/Imperial Counties, including the “Best in Show” honor. 

IMG’s submission for their work on the Amerigo Vespucci World Tour took home “Best in Show,” proving to be the most impactful and highest-scoring submission across the 14 Silver Bernays award categories. The “Best in Show” award reflects the strength of IMG’s public relations team and its growing role as a trusted driver of earned media and brand storytelling. Moreso, the award showcases the company’s unwavering commitment to excellence and dedication to fostering a positive and creative environment for team members to thrive. 

IMG was also awarded two Silver Bernays Mark of Excellence Awards, an honor that highlights exceptional performances and creative visions within the public relations industry. IMG earned their first Silver Bernays Mark of Excellence Award in the Community Relations category, highlighting the agency’s pivotal press conference for Herman Law, the nation’s leading law firm for victims of childhood sexual abuse. Working with just a three-week deadline, IMG developed and executed a press conference, coordinating logistics and key messaging, crafting survivor-centered language that balanced legal precision with empathy. By strategically targeting local media, IMG maximized coverage while protecting survivor privacy. 

The agency won their second Silver Bernays Mark of Excellence Award in the Events and Observances category for their work on the Amerigo Vespucci World Tour, turning the arrival of the historic Italian naval ship into a high-impact media moment by generating extensive local and national coverage. IMG was brought on by the Italy-based marketing team for the Amerigo Vespucci to generate widespread awareness and excitement around the ship’s arrival in Los Angeles. The agency’s efforts generated over $2 million in organic media coverage, securing high-impact segments on major outlets such as KTLA (Los Angeles), KCAL (Los Angeles) and even extending beyond the metro area to KUTV (Salt Lake City) and WIFR (Rockford, Illinois).  

“These awards truly reflect the strength of InnoVision Marketing Group as a whole,” said Karla Nafarrate, Vice President of Public Relations at InnoVision Marketing Group. “The work recognized here is only possible because of the collaboration, trust, creativity, leadership and behind-the-scenes effort that elevates all our work every day. This is what happens when the entire agency shows up and supports one another.” 

Through bold storytelling, strategic execution and relentless innovation, IMG continues to redefine industry standards. Offering a comprehensive suite of marketing services delivered entirely in-house, the marketing group’s vision of fostering a positive and creative environment as the Anti-Agency® propels them forward. 

Researchers discover that familiar food ingredients can work together inside immune cells to drastically boost each other’s anti-inflammatory effects

 

Chronic inflammation often manifests as a silent process, causing no immediate pain or major symptoms. However, if left unchecked, it can eventually turn into a silent killer by contributing to serious conditions including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, obesity, arthritis, and even cancers. At the cellular level, inflammation is driven by immune cells that release chemical signals to fight perceived infections or injury, and diet is known to influence this process. Many everyday foods and seasonings—such as herbs, spices, and aromatic plants—contain natural compounds called phytochemicals that can regulate inflammatory pathways. For centuries, these ingredients have been used together in traditional cuisine and herbal practices, long before their biological effects were understood.

 

Despite this long history, modern science has struggled to understand the anti-inflammatory mechanisms driven by plant-based ingredients. Many individual plant compounds show anti-inflammatory effects in laboratory experiments, but only at concentrations much higher than those possible to reach through a normal diet. As a result, there has been skepticism about whether so-called ‘anti-inflammatory foods’ can meaningfully affect immune responses in the body. Even more unclear is how different compounds might work together inside cells in a synergistic manner, with specific combinations producing stronger effects than single ingredients alone. Such synergies have rarely been measured experimentally, nor explained at the molecular level.

 

To address these questions, a research team led by Professor Gen-ichiro Arimura from the Department of Biological Science and Technology, Tokyo University of Science, Japan, investigated how combinations of familiar plant-derived compounds produce anti-inflammatory effect in immune cells. Their study, publishedinVolume 18, Issue 3 ofthe journal Nutrients on January 23, 2026, examined whether pairing compounds found in mint, eucalyptus, and chili peppers could suppress inflammatory signals more effectively than using each compound independently.

 

The researchers focused on macrophages, a type of immune cell that plays a central role in inflammation by producing small signaling proteins called cytokines, which promote inflammation. In their experiments, murine macrophages were stimulated with lipopolysaccharide, a bacterial component commonly used to trigger inflammation in cellular studies. The team then treated these cells with menthol (from mint), 1,8-cineole (from eucalyptus), capsaicin (from chili peppers), andβ-eudesmol (from hops and gingers), both individually and in carefully controlled combinations.

 

Using gene expression analysis, protein level measurements, and calcium imaging analysis, the researchers examined how these compounds affected key inflammatory biomarkers. They also tested whether the plant compounds acted through transient receptor potential (TRP) channels; these are proteins in the cell membrane that sense chemical and physical stimuli and help regulate calcium signaling, which is important for immune cell activation.

 

When used alone, capsaicin stood out as the most potent anti-inflammatory compound. However, the most striking synergistic results appeared for compound combinations. “When capsaicin and menthol or 1,8-cineole were used together, their anti-inflammatory effect increased several hundred-fold compared to when each compound was used alone,” highlights Prof. Arimura.

 

Further experiments aided in elucidating the mechanism behind the synergistic function. Menthol and 1,8-cineole acted through TRP channels and calcium signaling, whereas capsaicin has been suggested to suppress inflammation through a different pathway independent of TRP. “We demonstrated that this synergistic effect is not a coincidence, but is based on a novel mode of action resulting from the simultaneous activation of different intracellular signaling pathways,” says Prof. Arimura. “This provides clear molecular-level evidence for the empirically known effects of combining food ingredients.”

 

These findings help explain how mixtures of plant compounds could exert notable biological effects even at low doses achievable through diet. Moreover, they suggest new ways to design functional foods, supplements, seasonings, or fragrances that deliver strong effects using small amounts of their active ingredients.

 

Broadly speaking, the study supports the idea that the health benefits of plant-rich diets may arise not from single ‘super compounds,’ but from cooperative or synergistic interactions among many plant components.

 

While further studies in animal models and humans are needed to cement these conclusions, this work provides a clearer scientific basis for understanding how everyday foods and natural anti-inflammatory compounds may help regulate chronic inflammation,ultimately supporting long-term health.

New-batch applications will be accepted until April 10

Feb 17, 2026, Moscow

Sber is announcing the start of the seventh batch of Sber500, an international seed accelerator for technology startups from Russia and abroad.

The seed accelerator invites startups with finished products or breakthrough DeepTech projects at earlier stages that can contribute to the long-term development of key sectors of the economy. Some of the tech priorities are generative artificial intelligence, robotics, new materials, and other science-driven fields with high scaling potential. Special attention is given to international startups seeking to grow their business and raise investments in Russia.

The seed accelerator program will last for 12 weeks and will be conducted in English. The first stage — an online boot camp — will bring together 150 teams to shape or rethink their strategy and product, as well as propose a strategy for applying their solutions within the Sber ecosystem.

Following the boot camp selection stage, the top 25 teams will proceed into the main program to work with international mentors and Sber500 partners from among investors and large companies. The final stage of the accelerator is a demo day at the Moscow Startup Summit in the fall of 2026, where startups will pitch their solutions to the leaders of major corporations, venture fund partners, and government officials.

Alexander Vedyakhin, first deputy chairman of the Executive Board, Sberbank:

“Sber500 is a unique project for the Russian market. It combines the interests of investors, corporate partners, the state, and, of course, Sber itself. For us, it is an opportunity to build a community of technology partners around us and significantly accelerate the marketing of new products. For startups, it is a chance to acquire a client and test the viability of their product on a large infrastructure.

“Sber500 teams pitch their solutions to 70 venture investors, funds, more than 30 customers, and negotiate partnerships with Sber companies. Graduates of the previous six batches raised RUB 1 bn (USD 13 mn) in investments in 2025 alone, which is approximately 14% of the Russian venture market in 2025, according to Venture Guide. All investments in the 155 graduates of the accelerator over six years surpassed RUB 4.6 bn (USD 60 mn), while their revenue grew on average four-fold within two years after the accelerator. In some cases, it soars by up to 1,000 times.”