ST, RAMSEM PARTNERSHIP TO REVOLUTIONISE BREEDING INDUSTRY IN SOUTH AFRICA

KUALA LUMPUR, May 31 (Bernama) -- Global livestock semen sorting leader and innovator Sexing Technologies® (ST) has partnered with pioneering livestock artificial insemination company RAMSEM to establish Africa’s first semen sorting lab.

According to a statement, the lab is at RAMSEM’s facility near Bloemfontein, South Africa.

The lab will produce fresh and frozen sex-sorted semen from sheep, goats and cattle.

ST’s sex sorting method separates X chromosome (female) bearing sperm from Y chromosome (male) bearing sperm via flow cytometry process.

This provides customers with semen that is more than 90 per cent accurate for the desired gender and achieves conception rates comparable to conventional (unsorted) semen used for artificial insemination.

RAMSEM is a globally renowned leader in sheep and goat reproductive services, most notably the semen freezing and laparoscopic artificial insemination (A.I.) techniques introduced to South Africa in 1985 by Dr Johan Steyn.

RAMSEM Managing Director and son of Dr Johan Steyn, Dr Fanie Steyn said : “This partnership introduced semen sorting to the African continent and is set to revolutionise the breeding industry for Southern African cattle, sheep and goats.

“ST’s cutting edge research and development work has resulted in its flagship sorted semen product, SexedULTRA, which is already producing results comparable to conventional fresh semen laparoscopic A.I. in South Africa.

“This partnership truly embodies RAMSEM’s motto that ‘experience plus technology equals results!”, he added.

-- BERNAMA

ASEAN MEMBER STATES IN GLOBAL EFFORT PROTECTING 30 PCT LAND, OCEAN

KUALA LUMPUR, May 31 (Bernama) -- A growing number of elected officials, Indigenous leaders, scientists, and other experts are calling on ASEAN leaders to endorse ambitious proposals to protect biodiversity and advance Indigenous rights through the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity.

As one of the most biodiverse regions on the planet, ASEAN member states have a crucial role to play in developing a successful global strategy to safeguard biodiversity.

While ASEAN member states have yet to finalise their positions, there is growing global support for a scientific proposal to conserve at least 30 per cent of the planet’s land and ocean.

This would respect Indigenous rights and engage Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities as partners in implementation.

The proposal has been included in the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity’s draft strategy as a global target, as countries will have different opportunities for biodiversity conservation depending on the particular circumstances in their national territory.

Overwhelming scientific evidence and economic data shows that conserving at least 30 per cent of the planet’s land and ocean is a key way to help address global biodiversity loss.

It will also store carbon, prevent future pandemics, bolster economic growth, increase fisheries’ production and advance Indigenous rights.

The economic benefits are strong: an independent study prepared by more than 100 economists and experts found that meeting the 30 per cent target will generate financial and ecosystem services benefits at least five times the cost.

Chairman of Atri Advisory, Ambassador and Science Adviser for the Campaign for Nature, Former Science Adviser to the Prime Minister of Malaysia, Prof Dr Zakri Abdul Hamid; and, Advisor for Athena Infonomics, Dr Ravi Sharma were involved with the declaration, among others.

“Protecting at least 30 per cent of the planet by 2030 is a timely and important action to defend and improve the health of our planet, our economies, and ourselves. I urge all Malaysians and ASEAN neighbours to support this goal,” said Dr Zakri in a statement.

-- BERNAMA

PROTEGRITY ANNOUNCES AVAILABILITY IN AWS MARKETPLACE

Protegrity Discover, Cloud Protect for Amazon Redshift, and Cloud Protect for Snowflake Now Available in AWS Marketplace to Support Customers’ Secure Journey to the Cloud

SALT LAKE CITY, May 28 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- Protegrity, a global leader in data security, today announced the availability of three Protegrity products in AWS Marketplace: Protegrity Discover, Cloud Protect for Amazon Redshift, and Cloud Protect for Snowflake. With AWS Marketplace availability, Protegrity is making it easier than ever for customers to discover and protect their sensitive data in the cloud. Companies can embrace the cloud with confidence knowing that data will remain secure—no matter where it moves, how it is applied, or how it is stored in cloud systems. AWS Marketplace is a digital catalog with thousands of software listings from independent software vendors that make it easy to find, test, buy, and deploy software that runs on Amazon Web Services (AWS).

“The demand for advanced analytics is skyrocketing as enterprises fast-track their digital transformation initiatives,” said Protegrity President and CEO Rick Farnell. “With more companies embracing the cloud to achieve their digital transformation goals, Protegrity is evolving to meet the unique needs of our customers to ensure their sensitive data remains secure—regardless of where it resides. Our availability in AWS Marketplace is a significant milestone in simplifying and streamlining the delivery of Protegrity’s advanced data-protection capabilities and a big step toward supporting even more companies as they accelerate their journeys to the cloud.”

Seamlessly Discover, Classify, and Protect Sensitive Cloud Data

Businesses are quickly turning to the cloud to achieve faster business results and unlock new levels of analytics and AI sophistication. In fact, according to a Gartner report, end-user spending on public cloud services is projected to increase by more than 18 percent in 2021 to total $304.9 billion, up from $257.5 billion in 2020. Another recent Gartner research report found that the COVID-19 pandemic significantly accelerated the demand for cloud security, with cloud-security spending estimated to have increased 33 percent in 2020 over 2019.

http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=40150

Epicor acquires technology leader in CPQ market, helps customers sell smarter

KUALA LUMPUR, May 28 -- Epicor, a global leader of industry-specific enterprise software has acquired Configure Price Quote (CPQ) and visualisation software provider, KBMax.  

Based on a statement, the transaction closed on May 27. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.  

KBMax software solutions will be marketed under the Epicor brand as a stand-alone module within the company’s productivity suite, aligning seamlessly with Epicor’s deep expertise in the global manufacturing engineer-to-order space.  

The ability to offer customers a highly customisable, industry specific one-stop solution that connects the front and back of the house supports Epicor’s mission to differentiate itself from the fleet of one-size-fits all off-the-shelf ERP solutions.  

The integration of KBMax with Epicor’s ERP solutions will provide customers with a seamless connection between sales and operation data, improving demand planning and production.  

It also provides a single source of truth for the most complex engineer-to-order projects delivering faster and more accurate sales quotes, fewer order mistakes and improved sales rep productivity.  

KBMax has transformed the buying experience for over 20,000 users and its CPQ software has delivered customers measurable improvements, on average a 168 per cent increase in annual sales revenues, 38 per cent faster sales cycle and a 35 per cent increase in productivity.  

-- BERNAMA  

OCTAFX BECOMES THE FIRST BROKER IN MALAYSIA TO ORGANISE A COOKING SESSION FOR RAMADAN

OctaFX brought its trading expert Gero Azrul and the famous food blogger Rhys William together to compare the subtleties of cooking with the complexity of trading.

KUALA LUMPUR, May 31 (Bernama) -- Ramadan Special is the first cooking show in Malaysia produced by a financial company, where guests of the show discussed the similarities between trading and cooking.

OctaFX invited its trading expert Gero Azrul and the famous food blogger Rhys William to collaborate on this special occasion. Gero is a pro trader and coach with over 14 years of experience. Rhys is a food blogger who came to Malaysia from the United Kingdom and has been blogging about Malaysian cuisine for the past eight years.

OCTAFX BECOMES THE FIRST BROKER IN MALAYSIA TO ORGANISE A COOKING SESSION FOR RAMADAN

UAE urges global joint efforts instilling human dignity via storytelling

KUALA LUMPUR, May 27 -- Dubai Cares, Expo 2020 Dubai and the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs & International Cooperation (MoFAIC) have come together to launch Dignified Storytelling.

According to a statement, it is aimed at creating an ecosystem fostering shared understanding and practice of storytelling, maintaining and upholding the dignity of all persons and contributes to the Sustainable Development Goals.

Dignified Storytelling was born out of the need to unite the voices of content makers, editors, journalists, photographers, filmmakers, storytellers and contributors and equip them with the awareness and hands-on knowledge to capture moments and tell stories without compromising human dignity.

In order to fulfill this need, Dignified Storytelling kickstarted global consultations a year ago, to solicit cross-sectoral perspectives on storytelling within development and humanitarian contexts, as well as set and agree on the Dignified Storytelling Principles.

These foundational principles are also guiding the consultative development of an accessible and practical Dignified Storytelling Handbook which provides ‘how-to’ guidance and concrete best practice case studies.

Cross-sectoral perspectives and insights from a diverse group of storytellers and experienced stakeholders from governments, UN agencies, international and local NGOs, and civil society are currently informing this valuable framework and resource.

Dubai Cares, Expo 2020 Dubai and UAE MoFAIC have established a Dignified Storytelling Alliance, a network of champions that provides advocacy, in-kind support, and input on programme deliverables. 

Representation includes a deliberately diverse range of viewpoints from organisations, individuals and governments who are able to share best practices from their on-the-ground experiences within a range of development contexts.

-- BERNAMA

Wasabi additional US$25 million funding to fuel data centre, new market expansion

KUALA LUMPUR, May 21 -- Wasabi, the hot cloud storage company, has announced US$25 million in additional funding led by Prosperity7 Ventures, the diversified growth fund of Aramco Ventures. (US$1 = RM4.139)

Western Digital Capital, the investment arm of storage device manufacturer Western Digital, also participated in the round, according to a statement.

This round is an extension of Wasabi’s Series C financing announced in April, expanding the total funding raised for the round to US$137 million and the company’s total equity financing to US$244 million.

This latest round of funding comes as Wasabi reported 3x year-over-year growth, reaching 23,000 customers worldwide and over 5,000 Channel Partners and 350 Technology Alliance Partners.

The additional capital will be used to further accelerate Wasabi’s worldwide roll-out of data centres and grow its distribution channels and partner network while continuing to build a team to support this rapid expansion.

Wasabi’s low-cost, high-performance cloud storage enables companies to cut their data storage costs by 75 per cent or more. Data-intensive industries, such as energy and exploration, are making extensive use of AI to extract value from their data.

But the cost of storing large amounts can make some of these AI-based applications difficult to justify. Reducing the cost of cloud data storage by 75 per cent or more changes the equation and facilitates more rapid development of data-rich AI applications.

Wasabi’s storage is 1/5th the cost and faster than the competition with no fees for egress or API requests. For those currently using a private cloud, the availability of a public cloud through Wasabi extends data resources for greater overall capacity without the hefty price tag.

-- BERNAMA

PREPWORKS STUDENTS MAKE IT TO HARVARD, YALE, CAMBRIDGE AND LONDON SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS 2021

KUALA LUMPUR, May 24 (Bernama) -- Two students vying for top university spots are now receiving the fruits of their labor. Jarell Cheong and S. C. have received offers from their dream institutions despite a year in which acceptance rates were the lowest in history, with Harvard at 3.43%. While a student can be a high achiever in academics, they would still need to focus on other aspects when trying to enter a top university.

“PrepWorks has been invaluable in giving me an insider perspective on top college admissions from my essays to my interview,” said Jarell. “The level of detail my tutors put into their work has certainly formed a big part of my success in my college admissions process both to the US and to the UK.”

Getting into top universities is possible regardless of a student’s educational background. Jarell was in the national school system for his primary and secondary education. It is important to note that finding the most suitable system is still ideal. Some students face greater barriers due to teaching styles and language.

“Having been the only member in the family to attend a Chinese primary school, the language barrier was a huge obstacle I had to overcome myself,” S.C. commented. She swapped over to an international school at secondary level and discovered her true potential where English was the main language of conduct.

PREPWORKS STUDENTS MAKE IT TO HARVARD, YALE, CAMBRIDGE AND LONDON SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS 2021

POLYPLASTICS SHARES DESIGN TECHNIQUES ON POM HELICAL GEARS NOISE REDUCTION

KUALA LUMPUR, May 20 (Bernama) -- Polyplastics Co Ltd, a global supplier of engineering thermoplastics, is offering a range of design tips and techniques to help manufacturers reduce noise in helical gears made of polyoxymethylene (POM). 

According to a statement, Polyplastics is a leading global manufacturer of POM, under the DURACON (R) tradename, for diverse markets, including gears.

Among design findings, it is generally believed the tilt of the gear axis is an important consideration and its elimination will have positive impact on noise issues. 

Polyplastics tried to verify that assumption, and actually focused on the skewed shaft angle (offset error). The company learned that noise does not necessarily worsen when the axis tilts.

Instead, Polyplastics found that noise issues arise when changing the centre distance, depending on whether there is a skewed shaft angle.

Polyplastics examined the impact with an angle of 0 deg. Noise levels are lowest in the area where an increase in the centre distance is between 0 and 0.6 mm, and then flattens out. 

The company also notes that helical gears have a phenomenon called an overlap ratio. 

More details at https://www.polyplastics.com/en/support/gear/gear_noise/index.html 

-- BERNAMA

QUANT LEGALTECH RELEASES FREE COMPLIANCE TOOLKITS

KUALA LUMPUR, May 19 (Bernama) -- Legal-technology company, Quant LegalTech has released a free cloud-based version of 4 of Compliance Toolkits issued by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS).

The Toolkits selected for digitisation were issued for Licensed and Registered Fund Managers, Venture Capital Fund Managers and Licensed Trust Companies, according to a statement.

The Toolkit is available on the company's cloud-based Complius(TM) platform and provides a DIY on-boarding capability where users can distribute, execute and track compliance activities throughout their organisations.

Complius(TM) has been engineered in-house with easy-to-use interfaces, customisable dashboards, and cloud-based solutions which have coalesced to enable the next generation of legal services.

“We noticed that institutions were aware of the Toolkits but had difficulty implementing them. Their main challenge was that a majority of the activities were ‘event-based’, meaning that nothing had to be done unless a particular event triggered an obligation to report to MAS,” said Quant LegalTech's Co-Founder, John Matheson.

“To simplify this, we associated events into common attributes and built a reminder system so that compliance owners would learn to identify the events that trigger notifications.”

The Digitized Toolkits are aimed at small offices which typically do not have a full-time compliance officer and are looking for automation tools to stay on top of their obligations.

Although the Toolkits are free for the first 12 months. One of the main advantages of using compliance automation is that compliance practices are habit forming and once they become engrained, institutions become stronger. 

The Toolkits can be found at https://quantlegaltech.com/sg.

-- BERNAMA

MONDE NISSIN IPO PHP13.50 PER SHARE, SECURES CORNERSTONE INVESTORS

KUALA LUMPUR, May 19 (Bernama) -- Monde Nissin Corporation (Monde Nissin) has priced its proposed initial public offering (IPO) at Philippine peso (Php) 13.50 per share. (Php100 = RM8.63)

The IPO consists of 3,600,000,000 Common Shares (the Offer), with an overallotment option of a further 540,000,000 Common Shares granted by the Selling Shareholder.

The global food and beverages company headquartered in the Philippines also announced that the Philippine Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issued the Order of Registration and Permit to Sell, approving the Company’s proposed IPO on the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE).

The IPO is a landmark for the Philippines and Southeast Asia. The size of the Offer is the largest ever IPO on the PSE, and is also the largest ever Food & Beverage IPO in Southeast Asia.

As part of the Offer, Monde Nissin secured 11 renowned cornerstone investors, who will form the long-term base of the Company’s share register.

The cornerstone investors are: AIA Investment Management Private Limited, Stichting Depositary APG Emerging Markets Equity Pool, Avanda Investment Management Pte Ltd, The Capital Group Funds, Eastspring Investments (Singapore) Limited, FIL Investment Management (Hong Kong) Limited, GIC Private Limited, Goldman Sachs Asset Management (Singapore) Pte Ltd, M&G Investment Management Limited, NS Partners Ltd and RWC Asset Advisors (US) LLC.

“We are pleased that these world-class investors share our vision of the future and will cornerstone our IPO. Their commitment is a strong vote of confidence in our company, strategy and talented team,” said Monde Nissin Corporation Chief Executive Officer, Henry Soesanto in a statement.

The offer period for Philippines-based trading participants and retail investors is from May 19 to 25.

Monde Nissin’s Common Shares are expected to begin trading on the Main Board of the PSE on June 1, 2021 under the stock symbol ‘MONDE’.

More details at www.mondenissin.com.

-- BERNAMA

HONG KONG TOURISM BOARD FUELS VARIOUS PROMOTIONS TO DRIVE RECOVERY

 

KUALA LUMPUR, May 19 (Bernama) -- The Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) recently held its annual Tourism Update event online, discussing tourism trends and sharing details of its latest strategic plans.

It involved around 2,700 trade representatives from HK, mainland and overseas travel agencies, attractions, hotels, airlines, retailers, restaurants, meeting and exhibition operators, cruise lines, and other travel sectors. 

HKTB Executive Director, Dane Cheng told the representatives the HKTB was preparing to step up promotions and would launch a new round of the Hong Kong Neighbourhoods campaign.

The HKTB also hopes to relaunch mega events in physical formats to prepare for tourism recovery.

The first event to return in a physical format will be the Hong Kong Cyclothon, and the HKTB is studying the feasibility of extending its route to the HK Section of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge to add to the event’s appeal. 

For other mega events to be conducted in an ‘Online+Offline’ format, new elements of interest will be added to maintain HK’s global visibility.

The HKTB will also continue to lobby for international large-scale business events and meetings to be hosted in HK.

“The global economy has started to rebound with Asia predicted to recover sooner and the Mainland expected to outperform other markets in economic growth,” said Cheng in a statement. 

“As cross-border travel gradually resumes, the HKTB will launch the Open House Hong Kong platform to conduct large-scale promotions in our source markets.”

There were two forums in the event titled Seize the Business Development Opportunities in the Mainland and Greater Bay Area; and, Global Hong Kong Brands Gear Up for the Recovery.

-- BERNAMA

FNS unveils FANTOO service app for 100 million K-Fans globally

KUALA LUMPUR, May 18 -- FNS Co Ltd has officially launched the app service of FANTOO, a global fandom network platform for Hanryu Fans, in 175 countries.

Developed for 100 million K-Fans globally, FANTOO was created to promote Hanryu (the Korean Wave) culture worldwide and provide users with space for fun and interaction.

The FANTOO app provides a range of services, which include fan club creation, user reward, multi-lingual chatting & translation, a messenger with improved security and FANTOO Karaoke for live concert.

In addition, the app offers artistes’ live streaming, voice call and chat, and AI-based Deepfake and adult content detection.

With the FANTOO Karaoke for live concert, users can enjoy singing songs specially, K-Pops and also show off their singing performances through real-time live streaming.

The singing can be recorded and uploaded as content. This function can also be used for communication and singing contests between fan clubs.

In conjunction with the launching, FNS organised a special event, the ‘Hanryu Best vs. World Best Survey’ with Realmeter, the best public opinion polling service provider in Korea.

The event aims to promote Hanryu culture worldwide and survey public preference and recognition on Hanryu.

“FANTOO, a global fandom platform for K-Fans that pulls down borders between countries and generations as well as language barriers, will be the one-and-only platform in the world that provides a variety of Hanryu-related contents,” said an FNS official in a statement.

-- BERNAMA

INDUSTRY PLAYERS APPLAUD IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT'S SWIFT ACTION TO ENABLE FOREIGN SEAFARERS TO STAY IN MALAYSIA UPON EXPIRY OF SOCIAL VISIT PASSES (PLS)

PETALING JAYA, May 18 (Bernama) -- Tourism Productivity Nexus (TPN), an industry-led establishment under Malaysia Productivity Corporation (MPC) recently facilitated a discussion between marina association representatives, the relevant industry players and the Immigration Department on steps that should be taken by foreign seafarers with expired Social Visit Passes (PLS).

TPN on behalf of the industry players applauds Immigration Department’s swift action in handling the situation. According to the Immigration Department, seafarers with expired Social Visit Passes (PLS) are allowed to stay in Malaysia until December 31 2021, but they have to obtain a special pass at the nearest Immigration office. The application must be accompanied by a letter of confirmation from the respective embassy and a letter of support from the operator or owner of the marina where the seafarers docked.

Uzaidi Udanis, TPN Champion, in his statement responding to a media release by the Immigration Department said, “On behalf of the owners and operators of the marina and the relevant industry players, I am extending our gratitude to the Immigration Department for the action taken to allow seafarers to extend their stay and dock at the marina. This means continuous revenue for the marina operators and owners. I hope the relevant industry players will assist to guide the seafarers who will dock at their establishments to obtain the Special Social Visit Pass.”

INDUSTRY PLAYERS APPLAUD IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT'S SWIFT ACTION TO ENABLE FOREIGN SEAFARERS TO STAY IN MALAYSIA UPON EXPIRY OF SOCIAL VISIT PASSES (PLS)

APAC ORGANISATIONS AWARE ON ZERO TRUST FRAMEWORK IMPORTANCE AMID COVID-19

 

KUALA LUMPUR, May 18 (Bernama) -- Ivanti Inc has unveiled the findings of a Frost & Sullivan study it commissioned, investigating the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cybersecurity and compliance attitudes and behaviours in Singapore, Australia and New Zealand.

According to a statement, the study was entitled ‘Embracing Secure Access in a World of Rapidly Expanding Virtual Borders’.

Most respondents experienced a moderate one to nine per cent reduction in business demand, with Australia having the highest percentage of respondents reported (80 per cent), compared to those in New Zealand (73 per cent) and Singapore (59 per cent).

Overall, 38 per cent of respondents said their main strategy was to focus on IT operations to maintain business operations for their remote workforce during COVID-19.

However, more than 40 per cent of the respondents in Australia and New Zealand stated they focused more on cybersecurity to better protect their organisation from attacks.

When it comes to cloud adoption during COVID-19, most respondents indicated their organisation adopted cloud more during the pandemic, especially those in Australia and New Zealand.

On the other hand, consolidation and integration of solutions were ‘very important’ to 71 per cent of respondents across Singapore, Australia, and New Zealand.

At the same time, the importance of zero trust frameworks increased across the board with 75 per cent of all enterprises surveyed stating that this was very important, compared to the 64 per cent that stated the same before the pandemic.

The study surveyed C-Suite respondents at large enterprises with over 500 employees, across the banking and financial services industry, as well as retail, manufacturing and healthcare verticals.

-- BERNAMA

HONG KONG CONVENTION AMBASSADORS PROGRAMME STRENGTHENS ‘WORLD’S MEETING PLACE’ STATUS

KUALA LUMPUR, May 17 (Bernama) -- Over 100 distinguished leaders of business and professional bodies in Hong Kong have joined forces with the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) as Hong Kong Convention Ambassadors.

According to a statement, this is to promote the city as the premier choice for regional and global Meetings, Incentive trips, Conventions and Exhibitions (MICE) events.

The HKTB has launched the ‘Hong Kong Convention Ambassador’ programme to help revitalise Hong Kong’s MICE industry, after a turbulent and challenging 2020 with unwavering resilience and agility.

With extensive connections, influence and personal standing in their respective fields, the Ambassadors have a significant advantage when they lobby potential conference organisers to consider Hong Kong as the preferred host city for future MICE events.

“The Hong Kong Convention Ambassador programme is formulated not only to bring business events to the city when travel resumes. It will also promote the advantages of Hong Kong to the global business community and help drive multi-sectoral recovery,” said HKTB Chairman, Dr YK Pang.

“The economic multiplier effect of hosting world-class MICE events is huge. And the HKTB team is here to offer full support to the Ambassadors’ efforts,” he added.

Their efforts have begun to bear fruit, with the Hong Kong International Dental Expo and Symposium held successfully in January, a testament to their endeavours.

The three-day event, the first trade exhibition held in the city since the fourth wave of COVID-19 hit in late 2020, drew an average daily attendance of over 3,000 dental professionals.

The strong alliance of Convention Ambassadors will amplify Hong Kong’s appeal in drawing more top MICE events to the city, thereby driving a robust recovery post-COVID-19.

With the HKTB team’s comprehensive support, they will contribute significantly to strengthening the city’s status as ‘The World’s Meeting Place’.

-- BERNAMA

BUSINESS AND POLICY LEADERS SIGN LETTER TO PRESIDENT BIDEN URGING U.S. LEADERSHIP TO SPEED GLOBAL VACCINATION EFFORT

NEW YORK, May 17 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- A group of 16 international business and policy leaders today published an open letter to U.S. President Joseph R. Biden calling on him to “demonstrate decisive U.S. leadership now” to combat increasingly deadly Covid-19 outbreaks in Latin America, Europe and Asia.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here:
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210511006247/en/

“The U.S. must act now to leverage rapidly increasing U.S. domestic vaccine production, export ever-larger volumes of our surplus supplies, and go to work on the massive technical and logistical challenges to vaccine development on a global scale,” the letter says, noting the rampant spread of the virus in places like India and the Philippines and the likelihood for mutations that will perpetuate globally if left unchecked.

The letter also expresses opposition to the intellectual property waiver being promoted by the World Trade Organization, saying the move “would make little difference and could do harm” by not considering the steps necessary for safely manufacturing the vaccines.

BUSINESS AND POLICY LEADERS SIGN LETTER TO PRESIDENT BIDEN URGING U.S. LEADERSHIP TO SPEED GLOBAL VACCINATION EFFORT

PRA HEALTH SCIENCES UNVEILS INNOVATIVE TOKENISATION SOLUTION USING SYNOMA®

KUALA LUMPUR, May 17 (Bernama) -- PRA Health Sciences Inc has announced an innovative tokenisation solution using Synoma®, PRA’s proprietary technology, allowing for the generation of enhanced evidence for drug development.

PRA’s solution makes it possible to connect clinical trial data and secondary data sets with privacy at the forefront.

To date, three large pharmaceutical companies, along with several other pharmaceutical and biotech companies of all sizes, use Synoma to link data and conduct analyses across their drug development portfolios, according to a statement.

“Data of all types is widely available from dozens of sources. The missing link, however, is the ability to connect clinical trial data to the insights from real-world data – enabling researchers to understand what is happening outside and after a study in a way that protects privacy,” said PRA Health Sciences Executive Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer, Kent Thoelke.

“Tokenisation and linking is the approach researchers can use to glean the greatest insights into drug safety and effectiveness over time.”

Meanwhile, PRA Health Sciences Senior Vice President, Digital Health, Jane Quigley said: “Through our acquisition of Symphony Health and partnership with other data sources, we have enabled scientists and research teams to more intelligently evaluate a wider set of data to inform clinical trial protocols, leverage real-world data as eSource, conduct advanced feasibility, speed enrollment and, ultimately, bring novel and differentiated therapies to market faster.”

PRA can partner with a variety of tokens to multiple sources of information – making it possible to incorporate broader sets of real-world data and revolutionise evidence generation and insights as envisioned by the 21st Century Cures Act.

More details at www.prahs.com.

-- BERNAMA

NEP, ASIAN TOUR MEDIA GO LIVE WITH ASIA'S MAIDEN GOLF REMOTE PRODUCTION

 

KUALA LUMPUR, May 17 (Bernama) -- With a successful delivery of HSBC Women’s World Championship golf in Singapore and the Honda LPGA Thailand production as a new proof of concept, NEP Singapore and Asian Tour Media have registered Asia’s first live-to-air remote production.

According to a statement, NEP Singapore will unveil its new transformational commitment to bring Remote Production to South East Asia.

Remote Production is a hybrid method of broadcasting, based on Internet Protocol (IP) technology. Locating equipment follows a distributed model in which IP provides the connectivity as opposed to physical cables.

President of NEP Singapore and India, Saeed Izadi said: “Innovation is the engine of our progress and I support it with a passion. Our brand focuses on being creative and ambitious — all of the design and implementation were done entirely by our in-house engineers and with the support of our global expertise in NEP.”

“Traditionally, we used to build TV control rooms with our fly-pack where the event was happening, being a golf course, a cricket stadium, racetrack or any sporting venue. It has always been logistics heavy.

“With this mould-breaking approach, we are able to reduce the volume of the broadcasting equipment at the venue tremendously, keeping the core of the system at base.”

Remote Production is more environmentally friendly. It addresses the pressing challenge caused by the COVID pandemic to meet safety requirements and provide social distancing, allowing crew to collaborate remotely and while based on different locations worldwide.

Completion of this event marks an important step forward in NEP’s strategic goal to become the worldwide leader in Centralised (Remote) Production and to deliver an expanding portfolio of cloud-based and virtualised production solutions and products.

 The company has an expanding network of connected centralised production facilities and datacentres worldwide, and it will continue to expand this network over the coming year.

-- BERNAMA

BLUESTAR GENOMICS CLOSES $70M SERIES C FUNDING, EXPANDS SCIENTIFIC ADVISORY BOARD

 Additional Funding and Scientific Expertise Advance Company’s Clinical Development and Efforts Towards Commercialization


SAN DIEGO, May 17 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- Bluestar Genomics, an innovative company leading the development of next-generation epigenomic approaches to early cancer detection, today announced the company had raised $70 million in new equity funding. Led with the increased funding by the current investor, Mattias Westman, founding partner of Prosperity Capital Management, the oversubscribed Series C round includes several existing investors and multiple new investors: Pathology Asia Holdings Pte Ltd (Pathology Asia), the largest independent medical diagnostics group in Southeast Asia, as well as a venture fund based in San Francisco, CA, and a large, diversified asset manager on the west coast, among others. VAHOCA Pte Ltd acted as a financial advisor to Bluestar Genomics.

Separately, the company announces the expansion of its Scientific Advisory Board, with the appointment of Drs. Felix Feng, professor of radiation oncology, urology, and medicine, University of California San Francisco, and Craig Venter, Ph.D., chairman and CEO of the J. Craig Venter Institute. With the new appointment, Feng and Venter are joining Alan Ashworth, Ph.D., FRS, president, Helen Diller Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco.

“As we continue to champion the development of next-generation non-invasive cancer detection, we welcome Drs. Feng and Venter to our team. Their leading scientific and clinical expertise will help accelerate our development and commercialization efforts,” said Samuel Levy, Ph.D., chief executive, and chief scientific officer at Bluestar Genomics. “Collectively, these milestones will extend our ability to deliver on our promise to improve on existing cancer screening and provide a new solution where none exists.”

Series C investments and scientific advisory board membership expansion are largely inspired by Bluestar Genomics’ groundbreaking technology platform that employs state-of-the-art machine learning coupled with the 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC) as a screening method to detect cancer in multiple organs in men and women. The company’s novel approach has recently demonstrated positive results in two studies published in Nature Communications and earned the FDA’s breakthrough device designation for the company’s proprietary non-invasive pancreatic cancer detection test.

“The convergence of innovative technologies has pushed the cost of multi-cancer screening down by 20-fold, allowing for continued optimization of cancer detection via routine blood draw to improve patient early treatment options,” said Venter. “With the multi-cancer screening market projected to scale to more than $100 billion in the U.S. alone, Bluestar Genomics’ technology is uniquely positioned to address the needs of over 60 million patients. I am excited to become part of such a pivotal contribution to improving patient lives through completely unlocking the full potential of genomics.”

About Bluestar Genomics

Bluestar Genomics develops next-generation epigenomic approaches to detect deadly cancers, like pancreatic, early when curative therapies are possible. Founded based on the work of Dr. Stephen Quake, Bluestar Genomics combines novel epigenomic technologies with its innovative machine learning architecture to tackle the most urgent challenges such as cancer detection. Leveraging the ease of liquid biopsy technologies, the company’s cell-free DNA-based assays are targeting early cancer detection using simple and noninvasive blood draws to improve outcomes and save lives. Led by a team with decades of experience bringing products from concept to market, Bluestar Genomics is continuously seeking better ways to measure disease pathology and bring its technologies to patients, clinicians, scientists, and investors searching for tomorrow’s cures. www.bluestargenomics.com

View source version on businesswire.com: 
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210512005879/en/

Contact

For Media Inquiries:
media@bluestargenomics.com

For Investor Inquiries:
Susan Berland
sberland@bluestargenomics.com

Source : Bluestar Genomics

JUMIO’S AUTOMATION EXCEEDS 1 MILLION VERIFICATIONS DAILY, RECORDS 118 PER CENT REVENUE INCREASE

 

KUALA LUMPUR, May 17 (Bernama) -- Jumio, an AI-powered end-to-end identity verification and eKYC solutions provider is now processing more than one million daily identity verifications, the vast majority of which are completely automated. 

By consistently setting new records, Jumio has already cleared over 100 million different transactions so far this year alone, with YTD revenue growing more than 118 per cent year-over-year.

Based on a statement, Jumio’s sophisticated machine learning models now catch the majority of fraud attempts found. 

Fraud detection has dramatically increased due to the state-of-the-art accuracy of Jumio’s Face Lookup feature.

This innovation flags potential fraudulent activity by the same face being used across multiple identity verification attempts, specifically targeting fraud rings and repeat fraudsters. 

Additionally, Jumio’s automation recently won gold for AI in Security in the 2021 Cyber Security Global Excellence Awards.

“Scaling to meet this explosive growth has required both innovation and execution. We have even had customers transferring volumes from other identity verification providers that are unable to scale and keep up with their high volumes,” said Jumio chief product officer, Bala Kumar.

“Powered by automation and an infrastructure that is faster and more reliable than ever, we are excited about the benefits that Jumio’s next-generation innovations will unlock.”

Building on top of existing AI powered automation, the company continues to accelerate its investments in innovation by leveraging the US$150 million round of funding recently raised from Great Hill Partners. (US$1 = RM4.134)

-- BERNAMA

Mary Kay offers four US$25,000 grants for innovative skin health studies

KUALA LUMPUR, May 11 -- Mary Kay Inc continued its ongoing support of the beauty and scientific communities recently by sponsoring the virtual 2021 Society for Investigative Dermatology (SID) Annual Meeting, helping fund the society’s virtual meeting platform.

Based on a statement, the brand was also excited to announce its first-ever grants for researchers conducting groundbreaking, innovative studies in skin health and skin disease.

Mary Kay will be awarding four US$25,000 grants which eligible applicants can apply for through August 31. (US$1 = RM4.11)

With winners to be announced at the SID next year, Mary Kay hopes to empower researchers to uncover new perspectives and intervention strategies in the science of dermatology.

Mary Kay, at the meeting, has unveiled breakthrough skin health research on a botanical extract reducing retinol-related irritation via the TRPV1 receptor.

Mary Kay’s own latest research explores the combination of retinol with a plant derived TRPV1 antagonist and anti-inflammatory botanical extract in mitigating retinoid-induced irritation.

Using a cosmetic formulation, Mary Kay researchers were able to demonstrate gradual retinisation over a period of eight weeks.

Subjects who applied the formulation not only demonstrated high tolerability to the formulation, but also reduction in dermatologist-assessed erythema, edema, and dryness after use.

-- BERNAMA

PETRONAS BRINGS FESTIVE CHEER TO 300 UNDERPRIVILEGED COMMUNITY MEMBERS IN PENGERANG

PENGERANG, Johor, May 12 (Bernama) -- PETRONAS recently brought Ramadan and Syawal cheer to 300 single mothers, senior citizens, orphans and the disabled community members of Kampung Teluk Ramunia in Johor, as they observed fasting and began their preparations to celebrate Aidilfitri.

On May 5, volunteers from Pengerang Integrated Complex (PIC) distributed bubur lambuk and food baskets to the group at the Kampung Teluk Ramunia Mosque, with strict adherence to the Movement Control Order’s Standard Operating Procedures.

PETRONAS Refinery and Petrochemical Corporation (PRPC) Head of Strategic Communications and Stakeholder Management Izzuddin A Ghani said: “This is our seventh year organising the programme. It means a lot to us to be able to continue contributing to the community here even during this challenging time of the pandemic, as we celebrate these two holy months.”

PETRONAS BRINGS FESTIVE CHEER TO 300 UNDERPRIVILEGED COMMUNITY MEMBERS IN PENGERANG