NTHU: Taiwan successfully treats Japanese afflicted with malignant brain tumour

 

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 26 -- Japan has donated five batches of the AZ COVID-19 vaccine to Taiwan, and Taiwan has reciprocated by providing treatment at NTHU’s Boron Neutron Capture Therapy Center (BNCTC) for a 20-year-old Japanese woman suffering from malignant brain tumour.

According to a statement, the treatment was a success, and she has now returned to school.

The doctor in charge of the treatment was Yi-Wei Chen of the Oncology Department at Taipei Veterans General Hospital (TVGH). He said that only Taiwan and Japan have medical centres using boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) to treat cancer.

However, Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare has not yet approved BNCT for treating malignant brain tumours, leaving Taiwan as the only source of treatment for malignant brain tumours that are difficult to treat by surgery.

Chen said that the Japanese patient was originally diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma of the right ear canal at age six. After surgery and chemotherapy, the condition was stable for a time.

Unexpectedly, the tumour recurred in 2018, and the tumour metastasised to the hindbrain. After it was determined that it turned out to be malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumour, she received heavy particle and CyberKnife treatment in Japan, but the tumour still recurred.

She went to the THOR BNCT Cancer Center for treatment on Sept 17. After the injection of the Boron-10 drug and a 20-minute session of neutron source irradiation, she had a group photo in front of the NSTDC with the medical team, who presented her with a teddy bear wearing a graduation cap, as a way of wishing her a speedy ‘graduation’ from her cancer. 

Working closely with the TVGH, the BNCTC has treated over 100 patients from all over the world, including Spain, Brazil, Australia, Singapore, Japan, and China.

BNCT is a kind of targeted radiotherapy in which the patient is first injected with a boron-containing drug; once the drug has accumulated in the tumour, the neutron beam from the nuclear reactor is used to irradiate the tumour, and the high-energy particles generated by the boron neutron capture reaction effectively kill off the tumour cells, without damaging nearby normal cells.

-- BERNAMA

BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment ‘Super Robot Wars’ series marks 30th anniversary

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 24 -- Tokyo-based BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Inc has announced the ‘Super Robot Wars’ series has reached its 30th anniversary. 

According to a statement, the series was first released in 1991 as a simulation RPG where robots from various licences came together in battle.

The series appeared on various gaming platforms, such as the GAME BOY (R), offering entertainment to customers worldwide, with more than 90 titles appearing under the series brand (including rerelease variations), and the series has now surpassed 19 million in sales.

In commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the series, ‘Super Robot Wars 30’ was released on the home console systems (Nintendo Switch (TM) /PlayStation (R) 4 /STEAM (R)) on Oct 28.

In response to comments and requests from fans of the series, the game features a new game system, ‘Tactical Area Selection’ where players can choose the order of the story, robots, and characters that can be obtained.

In order to have many customers enjoy the game worldwide, the game is available on STEAM (R) for the U.S. and European regions for the first time ever. 

In addition, the game is available in five languages, including simplified Chinese, the first ever to the series, to have as many customers as possible enjoy it.

By utilising BANDAI NAMCO Group's business knowledge and experience, 274 different licences have appeared across the brand's legacy, thus making it a series with the most IP licences ever to appear in any role-playing video game series.

-- BERNAMA

First Net Insurance Company Credit Ratings affirmed - AM Best

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 22 -- Global credit rating agency, AM Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of B++ (Good) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of ‘bbb+’ (Good) of First Net Insurance Company (First Net) Guam. The outlook of these Credit Ratings (ratings) is stable.

The ratings reflect First Net’s balance sheet strength, which AM Best assesses as strong, as well as its adequate operating performance, limited business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management.

First Net’s risk-adjusted capitalisation is assessed at the strongest level, as measured by Best’s Capital Adequacy Ratio (BCAR), and supported by its relatively low net underwriting leverage, and conservative and liquid investment portfolio, both of which partially offset its small absolute capital base.

Based on a statement, the company has a relatively high reliance on reinsurance for its business growth and catastrophe protection, albeit credit risk is limited due to a stable and high-quality reinsurer panel.

FirstNet’s adequate operating performance is underpinned by positive underwriting results and stable investment returns from its fixed-income portfolio. Its combined ratios mostly outperformed its composite’s average over the past 10 years, but the company’s small net premium base left its underwriting performance more susceptible to potential volatility arising from claims and expenses.

First Net reported favourable underwriting performance in 2020 and the first half of 2021 primarily due to reduced auto claims amid the COVID-19 pandemic. AM Best expects auto claims to rebound as traffic levels gradually return to normal over the coming years.

First Net is a domestic property and casualty insurer in the small and competitive Guam market, with a market share of approximately four per cent based on 2019 direct written premium (excluding group accident and health).

Given its location and geographic concentration, AM Best views the company’s business expansion opportunities as limited and highly dependent on local economic development. Nonetheless, the company has a stable business stream sourced through Moylan's Insurance Underwriters Inc, its affiliated company and a major multi-line insurance agency with a strong distribution network in Guam and nearby jurisdictions.

For more information, visit www.ambest.com.

-- BERNAMA

NIKKISO CRYOGENIC INDUSTRIES BECOMES NORTH AMERICAN AUTHORIZED AFTERMARKET PARTNER FOR TATSUNO

 TEMECULA, Calif., Nov 24 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Nikkiso’s Clean Energy & Industrial Gases Group (“Nikkiso”) announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Tatsuno North America, Inc. ("Tatsuno") to initiate cooperation as the Authorized Aftermarket Partner for their Hydrogen Dispensers in North America to establish a framework for cooperation.

Under the terms of the MOU, Nikkiso will provide spare parts, maintenance and repair services of Tatsuno’s Hydrogen Dispensers from Nikkiso’s network of North America facilities that are near the end user’s hydrogen refilling stations. In addition, Nikkiso will install and commission new dispensers, including the provision of engineering and pre-setup support for Tatsuno's charging and fleet management systems.

Hydrogen dispensing is a new and developing market and an important component of the Hydrogen fueling station solution. These dispensers provide safe and fast fueling for both light duty and heavy-duty vehicles at 350 barg and 700 barg.

“The newly formed partnership with Nikkiso Cryogenic Industries and Tatsuno strengthens our Hydrogen presence and allows us to better serve the North American markets,” according to Teru Murakami, General Manager, Cryogenic Business Department, Nikkiso Co., Ltd. “We are looking forward to providing Tatsuno’s customers top quality service and support.”

Nikkiso Cryogenic Industries was chosen for this new, long-term partnership because of their relationships and hydrogen experience. They are also able to provide expanded services including complete Hydrogen fueling system solutions. This partnership will also provide new jobs for the local service facility economies.

ABOUT CRYOGENIC INDUSTRIES
Cryogenic Industries, Inc. (now a member of Nikkiso Co., Ltd.) member companies manufacture engineered cryogenic gas processing equipment and small-scale process plants for the liquefied natural gas (LNG), well services and industrial gas industries. Founded over 50 years ago, Cryogenic Industries is the parent company of ACD, Cosmodyne and Cryoquip and a commonly controlled group of approximately 20 operating entities.

For more information please visit www.nikkisoCEIG.com and www.nikkiso.com.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Anna Quigley +1.951.383.3314
aquigley@cryoind.com 

SOURCE : Cryogenic Industries

GLOBALITY RECOGNISED BY GARTNER® AS 2021 COOL VENDOR FOR STRATEGIC SOURCING TECHNOLOGY

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 23 (Bernama) -- Globality, the company transforming the way high value services are bought and sold with its leading AI-powered digital solution, has announced its recognition as a Cool Vendor in the Gartner newly released 2021 report ‘Cool Vendors™ in Strategic Sourcing Technology.’

Key findings in the report include that even though the average procurement organisation achieved a cost savings goal of four per cent in 2020, at least 60 per cent of organisations are under pressure to increase cost savings even further, while top tactics to achieve cost savings include deploying technology to automate processes and collaborating with suppliers to identify opportunities.

Another finding is that AI and analytics are popular topics in procurement, and vendors are incorporating machine learning and virtual assistants, with success in targeted use cases.

Globality’s Platform is used by leading global companies, including British Telecom, Santander, HSBC, GEA, and Dropbox, to transform the sourcing of high-value services by automating the demand creation, supplier identification, proposal evaluation and statement of work creation process through an intuitive self-service experience.

“We are pleased to be recognised as a Cool Vendor by Gartner for bringing artificial intelligence and state-of-the-art digital solutions to the sourcing and procurement of services, an area that has been untouched by sophisticated technology and characterised by archaic, analog processes, such as the paper-intensive RFP,” said Joel Hyatt, the Chairman, Co-founder and CEO of Globality in a statement.

“Globality is advancing the concept of ‘Performance Spending’, which acknowledges the huge impact of a company’s spend on its overall performance and its ESG goals.

“We are proud to be partnering with great Global 2000 companies on building a global ecosystem for B2B trade in services that is transparent, sustainable, and based on the merits of price, quality and performance.”

In January, Globality, a Silicon Valley-headquartered technology company co-founded by Hyatt and Lior Delgo, raised US$138 million from Sienna Capital and the SoftBank Vision Fund, bringing the total investment it raised since its founding six years ago to US$310 million. (US$1 = RM4.186)

For more information, visit www.globality.com.

-- BERNAMA

EDGE GROUP CONCLUDES DUBAI AIRSHOW WITH PRODUCTS LAUNCHED, AGREEMENTS SIGNED

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 23 (Bernama) -- EDGE, which in just two years has risen to become one of the world’s leading advanced technology and defence groups, has concluded its participation at Dubai Airshow on a high with the launch of a range of new cutting-edge products to market.

This also includes the signing of several international agreements and partnerships with leading OEMs, defence and technology companies, and suppliers.

EDGE Group, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, Faisal Al Bannai said: “This success is testament to the resilience of the industry and the incredible strides EDGE is making in transforming the technology landscape in the UAE, to introduce advanced products and services for export globally.

“The 13 products launched this week join over 20 cutting-edge indigenous products and services introduced over the past two years, with a further 40 under development, and we are forging stronger partnerships with established OEMs to continue this trajectory.

“EDGE continues to be a disruptor in the creation of superior solutions, establishing the UAE as a world-leading centre for future industries, with a focus on superior Autonomous Systems, Electronic Warfare and Intelligence, and Smart Weapons.”

According to a statement, 16 joint developments with several major industry players were signed including Boeing, Embraer, Raytheon Emirates, CATIC, Lockheed Martin, L3Harris, GIFAS, STRATA, SANAD, LEIDOS, and ANSYS, among others, and the Middle East and Africa Distribution Centre in Abu Dhabi with China’s CATIC was opened.

Major EDGE developments at Dubai Airshow include EDGE unveiling new additions to its Portfolio of Reconnaissance and Combat UAVs; EDGE to extend Machining Contract with Boeing; and, EDGE and STRATA join forces to boost UAE aerostructures manufacturing capabilities.

Headquartered in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, EDGE is a catalyst for change – set to revolutionise the industry and change its fundamentals.

-- BERNAMA

COME 2026, GLOBAL EV CHARGING SESSIONS TO EXCEED 1.5 BILLION - JUNIPER RESEARCH

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 22 (Bernama) -- A new study from Juniper Research has found the global volume of EV charging sessions, where an EV’s battery is charged using a charging point, will exceed 1.5 billion per annum in 2026, from just 200 million in 2021.

This remarkable growth rate of more than 665 per cent over the next five years will be driven by greater government incentives for electric vehicles, as well as more widespread charging service availability, according to a statement.

The research identified incentives for EV ownership as having significantly increased take-up in Europe, with coordinated incentives packages needed in North America to stimulate growth.

To support greater electrification, Juniper Research recommends EV charging vendors work with governments and other stakeholders, including fuel retailers, to plan coordinated public charging network roll‑outs, or the mass electrification of mobility will stall.

The new research, EV Charging: Key Opportunities, Challenges & Market Forecasts 2021-2026, found that home charging will decline slightly; accounting for over 70 per cent of all EV charging sessions in 2026, compared with just over 80 per cent in 2021.

However, the report found that this dominance does not directly translate into hardware revenue for charging point vendors, with public charging stations accounting for 56 per cent of charging point hardware revenue globally in 2026.

In addition, the research found that as EVs become longer range and more powerful, fast charging DC (direct current) stations will be the next key competitive battleground within the EV charging landscape.

The report recommends that vendors work on partnerships with key destinations, such as car parks and retailers now, in order to schedule fast charger roll-outs, or they will lose ground to faster-moving competitors.

Juniper Research provides research and analytical services to the global hi-tech communications sector; providing consultancy, analyst reports and industry commentary.

-- BERNAMA

WOLTERS KLUWER AND IDC TO SHARE GRANULAR DATA REPORTING EXPERTISE

Wolters Kluwer FRR product management expert Subbaiyan Vaithinathan to be joined by IDC Financial Insights research expert Michael Araneta in GDR webinar

SINGAPORE, Nov 18 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- Wolters Kluwer Finance, Risk & Regulatory Reporting (FRR) is set to host a webinar devoted to discussing the Granular Data Reporting (GDR) mandates issued by regulators in the Asia Pacific region. The webinar, “GDR 101: Most frequently asked questions now answered,” will take place at 2 pm SGT Tuesday, November 23, 2021.

With the introduction of GDR, regulators across Asia Pacific continue to elevate their expectations from financial institutions to achieve more transparent and seamlessly integrated data. As transformation sweeps the region, most banks are using this regulatory overhaul as an opportunity to step back and re-evaluate their strategies to be better prepared for a smooth transition to GDR.

Representing Wolters Kluwer FRR on the webinar is Subbaiyan Vaithinathan, Director for Regulatory Reporting & Anti-money Laundering (AML), Asia Pacific. He will be joined by Michael Araneta, Vice President, IDC Financial Insights. Their discussion will explore the key market trends, burning issues and challenges for banks along their journey towards GDR compliance in Asia Pacific. Other key topics that will be covered during the webinar include frequently asked questions about GDR, predictions for 2022, lessons learned from Europe, and GDR compliance progression across different countries in Asia Pacific.

“Compliance with GDR standards is a fine balancing act for financial institutions. Besides staying compliant, organizations need to build a long-standing infrastructure that is forward-looking and resilient to new regulatory changes. To start the ball rolling, a big shift in cultural approach is required,” Araneta noted in a recently published IDC InfoBriefs article. The InfoBrief, sponsored by Wolters Kluwer and titled “RegTech in Asia Pacific: Supporting the trend towards Granular Data Reporting”, features further insights on the subject.

Subbaiyan is a strong advocate for incubating disruptive and innovative technologies in the Regulatory Reporting space. He is a hands-on technology leader with more than 15 years’ experience, with ten of these at Wolters Kluwer FRR across Asia Pacific (Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia & India) in a variety of leadership roles.

Wolters Kluwer FRR, which is part of Wolters Kluwer’s Governance, Risk & Compliance (GRC) division, is a global market leader in the provision of integrated regulatory compliance and reporting solutions. It supports regulated financial institutions in meeting their obligations to external regulators and their own board of directors. Wolters Kluwer GRC’s other banking and regulatory compliance business is Wolters Kluwer Compliance Solutions. Its legal services businesses are Wolters Kluwer CT Corporation and Wolters Kluwer ELM Solutions.

About Wolters Kluwer Governance, Risk & Compliance

Governance, Risk & Compliance is a division of Wolters Kluwer, which provides legal and banking professionals with solutions to help ensure compliance with ever-changing regulatory and legal obligations, manage risk, increase efficiency, and produce better business outcomes. GRC offers a portfolio of technology-enabled expert services and solutions focused on legal entity compliance, legal operations management, banking product compliance, and banking regulatory compliance.

Wolters Kluwer (AEX: WKL) is a global leader in information services and solutions for professionals in the health, tax and accounting, risk and compliance, finance and legal sectors. Wolters Kluwer reported 2020 annual revenues of €4.6 billion. The company, headquartered in Alphen aan den Rijn, the Netherlands, serves customers in over 180 countries, maintains operations in over 40 countries and employs 19,200 people worldwide.

 

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211118005056/en/ 

Contact

Paul Lyon
Global Corporate Communications Director
Governance, Risk & Compliance Division
Wolters Kluwer
Office +44 20 3197 6586
Paul.Lyon@wolterskluwer.com 

Source : Wolters Kluwer

--BERNAMA

NetSfere, Deutsche Telekom Provide St Augustinus Group Mobile Messaging Platform

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 18 -- NetSfere, a global provider of next-generation secure and compliant messaging and mobility solutions, has announced partnership with Deutsche Telekom, one of the world’s leading integrated telecommunications companies, to deploy NetSfere’s secure mobile messaging platform at all St Augustinus hospitals, a leading German healthcare group.

Quick, instantaneous communication tools offer undisputed benefits to streamline staff communication, however, St Augustinus noticed an alarming increase in the use of personal devices and popular messaging apps like WhatsApp, which pose critical privacy and compliance risks.

In response, NetSfere and Deutsche Telekom partnered to implement NetSfere’s HIPAA and GDPR compliant messaging platform that offers similar functionality to apps like WhatsApp but provides the highest level of end-to-end encryption through Deutsche Telekom’s highly secure data centre.

"NetSfere is designed to meet security and compliance requirements in regulated verticals including healthcare," says Franz Obermayer, NetSfere's Vice President Europe in a statement.

"Medical professionals do high-pressure, life-changing work, which demands a communication platform that enables them to do so more effectively.

“Our partnership with the St. Augustinus Group provides secure, compliant, and flexible messaging options that eliminate the need for staff members to turn to risky messaging apps.”

Meanwhile, Telekom Deutschland GmbH, Managing Director Business Customers, Hagen Rickmann said: "In the sensitive medical environment, it must be possible to communicate quickly and securely. NetSfere is the specialist for instant messages in companies. Telekom brings its expertise in security, consulting, and service.”

St Augustinus Group Managing Director, Rainer Pappert said: "With the introduction of NetSfere, we followed the wishes of our employees: They want to use their personal devices. And they want to do so with an easy-to-use messaging app.”

For more information on NetSfere, visit www.netsfere.com.

-- BERNAMA

34th Tokyo International Film Festival winners named

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 15 -- The 34th Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF) concluded with the announcement of winners at the Closing Ceremony recently.

The Tokyo Grand Prix was awarded to ‘Vera Dreams of the Sea’, directed by Kaltrina Krasniqi, the first TIFF selection from Kosovo; while ‘World, Northern Hemisphere’ by Hossein Tehrani won the Asian Future Best Film Award.

Other winning films included ‘La Civil’, ‘Poet’, ‘The Other Tom’, ‘The Four Walls’, ‘Crane Lantern’ and ‘Just Remembering’, as well as Amazon Prime Video Take One Awardees ‘Sunday and Calm Sea’ and ‘Under the Bridge’.

The 34th TIFF showcased 126 films selected from 1,533 submissions from 113 countries and regions between Oct 30 and Nov 8, according to a statement.

The Japan Foundation Asia Center (JF) and TIFF have co-presented Conversation Series at Asia Lounge.

With an advisory panel headed by Palme d'Or winner Kore-eda Hirokazu, the series brought together acclaimed filmmakers and actors from Asia and beyond to engage in friendly dialogue for eight days.

Despite the ongoing pandemic, the Asia Lounge featured both in-person and online guests, with audiences able to participate in person and to livestream Q and As for each of the talks, as well as it could also set up the physical lounge where filmmakers would enjoy free-form conversation and exchange.

International guests included TIFF Jury President Isabelle Huppert, Chang Chen, Kamila Andini, Bahman Ghobadi, Brillante Ma Mendoza, Apichatpong Weerasethakul and Bong Joon Ho.

The JF and TIFF also jointly showcased the rich and diverse cultures of Asian cinema in the Competition, Asian Future, Gala Selection, World Focus and newly launched TIFF Series sections.

More details at https://2021.tiff-jp.net/en/

-- BERNAMA

POLYPLASTICS UNVEILS NEW RENATUS (R) PET GRADES WITH SUPERIOR WEATHERABILITY FOR AUTO EXTERIOR COMPONENTS

TOKYO, Nov. 16, 2021 /Kyodo JBN-AsiaNet/ --

Polyplastics Group has announced the introduction of two new RENATUS (R) polyethylene terephthalate (PET) grades which deliver superior mechanical properties, appearance, and weather resistance for automotive exterior components, reaffirming Polyplastics' strong commitment to PET as a key pillar of its extensive resin business portfolio.   Image: https://kyodonewsprwire.jp/prwfile/release/M100475/202111093048/_prw_PI1fl_Dx6gM5dK.jpg The two new glass-reinforced grades, RH030 (30% glass-filled) and RH045 (45% glass-filled), maintain their jet blackness and reduce whitening on the surface of molded articles in outdoor environments, making them ideally suited for applications such as automotive side mirrors and rear wiper arms/blades. Since PET parts are not painted, weathering degradation can occur over time. The glass filler can start to float and the jet blackness can decrease. Accelerated weather-resistance testing demonstrates that Polyplastics' new PET materials maintain lower index values than their competing products, thus indicating that whitening is being reduced. http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=41595

AKWEL unveils 2021 third quarter revenue

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 12 -- AKWEL has posted consolidated revenue of €699.1 million over the first nine months of 2021, up by 7.7 per cent  compared to the same period last year. (€1 = RM4.765)

Against a backdrop of tensions on commodities and electronic components, volumes remained at low levels for the global automotive industry, compared with a third quarter of 2020 characterised by a strong catch-up effect. 

AKWEL, the automotive and HGV equipment and systems manufacturer specialising in fluid and mechanism management, in a statement said Q3 revenue fell by 19.3 per cent.

Products & Functions revenue (-17.2 per cent compared with the third quarter of 2020) however, records the performance by business days outstripped the performance during the second quarter, which is a first.

Meanwhile, the Oil, Fuel, Cooling and Mechanisms businesses achieved double-digit growth, while the Washing product line posted a significant decline.

Net cash (excluding lease obligations) fell during the third quarter by €4.8 million, primarily due to the increase in inventory, but remained at a high level at the end of September 2021 at €98.3 million.

Visibility on production volumes in the global automotive industry is still extremely poor. The target of a rise in annual revenue remains a lofty goal that is increasingly difficult to achieve.

In this context, and bolstered by a solid model and a favourable financial position, AKWEL is continuing to prepare for its long-term growth by pursuing its investments in sales growth and new mobility solutions.

Operating in 20 countries across every continent, AKWEL employs more than 10,500 people worldwide.

-- BERNAMA

NEW RESEARCH FROM CORNELL UNIVERSITY AND FREEDOMPAY REVEALS CYBERSECURITY CONFIDENCE GAP IN RETAIL, RESTAURANT AND HOSPITALITY SECTORS

Despite High Confidence in Their Risk Assessment Capabilities, Study Finds a Third of Companies Have Been Breached, and 89% Have Been Hit Multiple Times

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Nov 12 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- New data released today by Cornell University’s Center for Hospitality Research and FreedomPay, a global leader in data-driven commerce, reveals that while nearly all (96%) surveyed retail, restaurant and hospitality stakeholders are confident in their companies’ internal risk assessment processes, their satisfaction (95%) in the security of their systems is misaligned with reality, as one-third of companies (31%) have experienced a data breach in their company's history. Of companies that have been breached, 89% have been hit more than once in a year, and 69% of retail businesses have been breached upwards of three times in a year.

Check Please! How Restaurant, Retail and Hospitality Businesses are Managing Cybersecurity Risks – a joint study between Cornell and FreedomPay – is based on a new survey of small, medium, and large-size enterprises across the hospitality, retail, and food and beverage sectors.

“Especially over the past two years, cybersecurity has been top of mind for businesses as we navigate a highly complex eCommerce network,” said Chris Kronenthal, President of FreedomPay. “Retailers and hospitality businesses increasingly view their payments systems as more than transaction processing – they are important sources of data and customer insights. Merchants and consumers alike need the assurance that this data is being protected and managed properly.”

"These findings provide a baseline understanding of how key decision-makers are handling cybersecurity issues and offer key insights for optimizing and fortifying systems as we continue down this path of accelerated digital transformation," said Professor Linda Canina, the Dr. Michael Dang Director of the Center for Hospitality Research at the Cornell Peter and Stephanie Nolan School of Hotel Administration. 

http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=41565

8TH NEW CHITOSE AIRPORT INTERNATIONAL ANIMATION FESTIVAL HELD FROM NOVEMBER 5 TO 8

 

CHITOSE, Japan, Nov. 11, 2021 /Kyodo JBN-AsiaNet/ -- The New Chitose Airport International Animation Festival was held at New Chitose Airport and online for four days from November 5 (Friday) to 8 (Monday), 2021. Image: https://kyodonewsprwire.jp/prwfile/release/M102801/202111082993/_prw_PI1fl_9ST483Ym.jpg NEW CHITOSE 2021 Signal Film Full Version (Camera mode): https://youtu.be/AZKOAu283N8 The competition screening, which is the main event of the festival, showed 92 films selected from over 2,200 submissions. An award ceremony was held on November 8 at the Portom Hall located in the international terminal building of New Chitose Airport. Awards Grand Prix for Short Films: "Easter Eggs" Nicolas Keppens, Belgium Japan Grand Prix: "Replacements" Jonathan Hagard, Japan New Talent Award: "The Fourth Wall" Mahboobeh Kalaee, Iran Grand Prix for Feature Films: "The Bears' Famous Invasion of Sicily" Lorenzo Mattotti, France & Italy Best Student Film: "Butterfly Jam" Shih-Yen Huang, France & Taiwan Best Music Animation: "Czarodzielnica" Klaudia Ptasinska, Poland All winning works can be found on the official festival website ( https://airport-anifes.jp/en ). There was a new event called NEW CHITOSE AIRPORT PITCH 2021. There, nine Japanese animation filmmakers made short presentations on their upcoming projects, with the festival office and one of the commentators commending the following two projects. NEW CHITOSE AIRPORT PITCH AWARD: "CHERRY AND VIRGIN" Project by Masanao Kawajiri Emmanuel-Alain Raynal Award: "The Story of My First Love and the Rainbow Ferry That Was Sold" Project by Honami Yano   The archive movie of NEW CHITOSE AIRPORT PITCH 2021 will be available on the festival's official YouTube channel until November 19. See the details at the official website of the festival. https://airport-anifes.jp/en Source: New Chitose Airport International Animation Festival Executive Committee --BERNAMA

VORTEXA LAUNCHES FREIGHT PRICING ANALYTICS FOLLOWING ITS LANDMARK DATA PARTNERSHIP WITH THE BALTIC EXCHANGE

 

Vortexa Freight Pricing Analytics (Graphic: Business Wire) 

· Today, Vortexa has gone live with a new screen combining real-time supply and demand freight analytics with The Baltic Exchange’s pricing benchmarks.
·  Vortexa’s Freight Pricing Analytics will empower charterers, traders, brokers and shipowners to identify and capture freight opportunities ahead of the market with confidence. 

LONDON, Nov 9 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- Vortexa announced today the launch of its new Freight Pricing Analytics screen available within Vortexa Freight Analytics following the recent data partnership with The Baltic Exchange, the world's leading independent source of maritime market information.
 

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211109005367/en/ 

The new screen provides access to The Baltic Exchange freight pricing benchmarks alongside Vortexa’s real-time supply and demand analytics such as forward vessel availability and fleet utilisation for a chosen route - all in one view. Vortexa’s Freight Pricing will further accelerate the time-to-market of trading, chartering and optimisation opportunities.

Vortexa’s forward view of tonnage supply up to 35 days ahead and real-time utilisation data at the highest frequency and granularity available in the freight markets today, help market participants to make well-informed, high-stakes chartering and positioning decisions quickly and confidently.

Fabio Kuhn, Vortexa’s CEO said: ‘’For the first time in the freight markets, one screen is able to combine pricing with a real-time view of fundamentals at this scale and depth, unlocking an immense competitive edge in speed and foresight to market participants.’’

http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=41528

Voyager Labs paves way into Japan with key strategic win

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 8 -- Voyager Labs, a world leader in advanced AI-based investigation solutions, has sealed a major deal with a Japanese government agency, empowering the organisation to gain deep investigative insights about entities, individuals, groups, and topics.

The engagement provides the government agency with an AI (Artificial Intelligence) based investigation platform that easily analyses massive amounts of intelligence unstructured information from any source including open and deep data, understand content and human interactions and uncover hidden or unknown connections and relationships.

“I am glad that we are collaborating in the fight against terror and crime. This is a strategic win for Voyager Labs and our partner Terilogy Worx Corporation in Japan,” said Managing Director APAC at Voyager Labs, Divya Khangarot, in a statement.

“We bring additional layers of deep investigative insights using a combination of AI, Machine Learning and OSINT to uncover hidden trails, infringed information, and bad actors.”

Meanwhile, Terilogy Worx Chief Executive Officer Nobuo Miyamura said: “In partnership with Voyager Labs, we are extremely honoured to be able to support this government agency’s work of accelerating criminal investigations and disinformation campaign analysis here in Japan.”

Voyager Labs’ proprietary AI technology enables investigators to easily analyse massive amounts of intelligence information as well as open, deep, and dark web data, and understand content, hidden or unknown connections, relationships, human interactions, and connections. More details at www.voyagerlabs.co.

-- BERNAMA

Tessa announces autologous and allogeneic cell therapy data presentations at 2021 ASH Annual Meeting

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 5 -- Tessa Therapeutics Ltd (Tessa), a clinical-stage cell therapy company announced that data from its ongoing autologous and allogeneic cell therapy studies targeting lymphomas has been accepted for two separate poster presentations at the 63rd American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting and Exposition held from Dec 11-14.

The presentations include clinical data from a Phase II multi-center study evaluating safety and efficacy of CD30 CAR-T therapy (TT11) in patients with relapsed / refractory classical Hodgkin Lymphoma (R/R cHL).

Also included is Phase I investigator-initiated study testing allogeneic ‘off-the-shelf’ CD30 CAR EBVST therapy (TT11X) in patients with relapsed / refractory CD30+ lymphoma.

Accepted abstracts will also be published online in the November supplemental issue of Blood, a publication of the American Society of Hematology, according to a statement.

TT11 is a CAR-T therapy, which harvests a patient’s own T-cells and modifies them by introducing a CD30-directed Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) to target and kill CD30+ cells in classical Hodgkin Lymphoma (cHL).

CD30 is a well validated lymphoma target with homogeneous expression in 98 per cent of cHL and a significant proportion of subsets of non-Hodgkin Lymphomas.

Meanwhile, TT11X is an allogeneic ‘off-the-shelf’ therapy which augments Epstein bar virus-specific T-cells with CD30 CAR technology.

The therapy is based on a proprietary allogeneic cell therapy platform developed from decades-long research and development on unique properties of Virus Specific T-cells (VSTs) by Tessa’s Scientific Co-Founder, Dr Malcolm Brenner, and the team at Baylor College of Medicine.

More details at www.tessacell.com.

-- BERNAMA

Hytera rugged MCS radio PDM680 empowers public safety’s in-depth digital transformation

 

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 5 -- Hytera has launched the PDM680, its first rugged 3GPP-compliant Mission Critical Services (MCS) radio at CCW 2021.

The PDM680 is designed to help first responders stay connected and informed anywhere, anytime in critical situations, according to a statement.

“The PDM680 represents our deep experience in designing and developing mission-critical solutions for public safety users,” said Hytera Product Manager of Smart Radio Department, Yan Liu.

As a professional rugged radio, the PDM680 is purpose-built and equipped with reliable Mission Critical Push-to-Talk (MCPTT), Mission Critical Video (MCVideo) and Mission Critical Data (MCData) services to support those working in the most challenging conditions.

The PDM680 is built for easy use in critical moments, as it is both rugged and durable, as well as being ergonomic in its design. The radio's IP68 rating and MIL-STD 810H certification ensure it will continue to operate reliably in extreme environments.

The radio is designed to enable first responders to hear and be heard clearly. The best-in-class audio technology can reach a maximum SPL of 118 dB.

Moreover, AI-based noise cancellation, echo cancellation, and wind noise cancellation technologies minimise background noise and boost audio clarity.

The PDM680 radio provides eMBMS and 40ms MCH Scheduling Period (MSP) functionality, which allows users to initiate a multi-cast session with a high quality of service and without user congestion.

As it is built with DMR technology, the PDM680 can provide device-to-device (D2D) communications whenever LTE connectivity is unavailable.

-- BERNAMA

THE ALDO GROUP PURSUES ITS COMMITMENT TOWARDS CLIMATE ACTION

The Canadian company is currently participating in the World Climate Summit and has recently renewed its climate neutral certification for the fourth year running.


MONTREAL, Nov 8 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Climate issues are more crucial than ever, and the ALDO Group is dedicated to maintaining its commitment to building a low-carbon future. In addition to announcing the renewal of its climate neutral certification for a fourth consecutive year, the company is currently participating in the 11^th World Climate Summit in Glasgow, Scotland. A few weeks ago, the Canadian fashion footwear company also joined We Mean Business, an international coalition of more than 600 companies calling upon the leaders of the world’s largest economies to reinforce their climate action objectives during the G20 and COP26 discussions.

“Inspired by the COP21 in Paris 6 years ago, we made a decision in 2018 to become the first climate neutral fashion footwear company. This year’s COP will be a critical meeting - there is massive worldwide support for bold action on climate change. We hope that our participation will contribute in a small way to a very big global challenge,” said David Bensadoun, CEO of the ALDO Group.

World Climate Summit: Rallying the Fashion Industry’s Stakeholders

On November 8 at 10 a.m. (GMT), Jonathan Frankel, Senior Vice-President of APS at the ALDO Group, will join the panel Lead by Example - Harnessing Innovation Towards a Carbon Neutral Fashion & Textile Industry to discuss how the fashion industry can work towards reducing its environmental footprint and how collaboration between manufacturers, designers and consumers is key to reach carbon neutrality.

“The long-term sustainability of the global fashion industry requires systemic change that goes beyond the capabilities of any one company. We cannot fight this problem alone. We strongly believe in collaboration, and that is why we wanted to take part in this unifying event,” said Jonathan Frankel.

Well aware that the fashion industry has an impact on global warming, the ALDO Group intensified its climate actions in recent years. The organization is also a member of multi-stakeholder associations that promote partnerships for concerted industry-wide actions, such as the Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC), the Fashion Pact and the United Nations Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action (UNFCCC).

The ALDO Group’s Journey Towards Reducing Its Carbon Footprint

In 2018, the ALDO Group became the first fashion footwear and accessories company in the world to be certified climate neutral for its corporate stores, offices and distribution centres. The organization then reinforced its environmental commitment by also having eCommerce shipments and product transportation certified climate neutral.

In 2020, the company reduced carbon emissions from its operations by 74% compared to 2013. This year, it carried forward its sustainability journey by continuing to reduce its net emissions and compensating the unavoidable ones through a combination of nature-based forest conservation and clean energy projects. And for the fourth consecutive year, the ALDO Group has received its climate neutral company certification from the South Pole Group - a leading provider of global sustainability solutions and services with a transparent and rigorous certification process.

“It’s very exciting to see the ALDO Group continuing to make progress on climate action. The company has demonstrated industry leadership and we congratulate them on their commitments and ever-increasing ambition,” said Renat Heuberger, CEO and co-founder of South Pole.

Having achieved significant reductions for its operations’ emissions, the ALDO Group has been addressing other important issues: from waste management to its positive impact on local communities, from teaming up with partners to improve their social and environmental footprint to promoting diversity and inclusion. In terms of products, the company aims to continue introducing more innovative low impact materials in its collections and to increase its use of recycled materials, such as polyester. The company is also working to decarbonize it supply chain by working closely with its suppliers.

It is also important to remember that in 2019, the ALDO Group joined the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi). Its GHG reduction targets are therefore in line with climate science.

Member of the We Mean Business Coalition

Recognizing the need for collective climate action, the ALDO Group signed the We Mean Business coalition’s open letter earlier this month. Ahead of the crucial G20 and COP 26 summits, more than 600 companies from around the world called on the leaders of the world’s largest economies to do their utmost to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 °C and to reinforce their objectives. The signatories represent sectors ranging from energy and transportation to fashion and construction.

To read the letter and consult the list of companies who signed it, please visit https://www.wemeanbusinesscoalition.org/g20-2021/#letter-block.

For more information about the ALDO Group’s commitment to sustainability, please visit https://responsibility.aldogroup.com/.

About the ALDO Group
The ALDO Group is a world-leading creator and operator of desirable footwear and accessory brands. With a presence in over 100 countries around the world, the organization operates under two signature brands, ALDO and Call It Spring, and a multi-brand retail concept, GLOBO. The ALDO Group is also an industry-recognized wholesale distributor and third party sourcing provider of fashion footwear, handbags and accessories. In addition to its head office in Montreal, the ALDO Group has international offices in Europe and in Asia. Guided on a daily basis by its purpose A journey to create a world of love, confidence, and belonging, the ALDO Group is simply unique. For more information, visit www.aldogroup.com.

Media Contact:
press@aldogroup.com


SOURCE : ALDO Group

AGC BIOLOGICS APPOINTS JEAN-BAPTISTE AGNUS AS CHIEF BUSINESS OFFICER

Seattle, Nov 2 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- AGC Biologics, a leading global Biopharmaceutical Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO), today announced Jean-Baptiste Agnus has been appointed as the company’s Chief Business Officer (CBO). In this position, he is responsible for strategic leadership over all aspects of the company’s global business development and sales and marketing teams.  

“Jean-Baptiste is an experienced leader who has spent his career helping to build successful biopharmaceutical companies. He brings extensive experience in guiding companies through strategic business development initiatives, and understands how to navigate the changing dynamics and complexities of our industry," said AGC Biologics Chief Executive Officer, Patricio Massera. “We are excited to have him on our global leadership team as our new CBO.  We look forward to leveraging his experience as we continue to innovate and realize the full potential of our development and manufacturing capabilities.”  

Mr. Agnus brings more than 20 years of experience in biopharmaceuticals and contract development and manufacturing. He joins AGC Biologics after three years with Ajinomoto Bio-Pharma Services, where he led the company’s strategic vision of its worldwide sales and marketing activities. Prior to that, he worked for 13 years at Novasep, and held a number of business development leadership roles with increasing responsibility both in Europe and the U.S.  While there, Mr. Agnus most recently held the position of Head of Sales & Business Development North America, where he led both small molecule API and biologics contract manufacturing services. Prior to his experience at Novasep, he was the Business Manager at Isochem in the SNPE group.  

“I am very excited to be joining the AGC Biologics team. I believe this company has a great business model, vast capabilities and a talented global team, which uniquely positions it to be a leader in the CDMO space,” said Mr. Agnus. “The recent investments and growth in cell and gene therapy capabilities and capacity, in particular, are preparing AGC Biologics for a bright and fruitful future. This industry continues to evolve and innovate, and this company’s network of global facilities and employees puts it in a position to provide a cost-effective, reliable and timely suite of services that can bring life-changing treatments to market.” 

Mr. Agnus joins at a critical time for AGC Biologics, as the company has seen record-level growth over the last several years. The company invested in expanding its services and capabilities in the cell and gene therapy space, and now has a network of sites on three continents that support the needs of biologics and cell and gene therapeutics developers.  

For more information on AGC Biologics’ global services and capabilities visit www.agcbio.com.     

http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=41463

HKSTP adds Fintech unicorn Nium as partner company

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 1 -- Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP) has announced the addition of a global Fintech unicorn, Nium, as a partner company to HKSTP’s thriving Fintech ecosystem.

HKSTP Chief Executive Officer, Albert Wong said: “The addition of such a world-class leader is a sign of strength for Hong Kong’s thriving Fintech scene, and proof of the city’s allure as a global Fintech hub.”

“Growing adoption of API-driven solutions among Hong Kong’s financial institutions are fuelling rapid development of Fintech startups, like Nium, and igniting growth for next-generation financial technologies into the GBA and beyond.”

Nium is opening its new office at InnoCentre to leverage Hong Kong’s growing Fintech opportunities as well as the huge GBA market potential for seamless application programming interface (API)-based payments services.

The high-growth Fintech startup connects consumers, corporations and financial institutions to the world’s payment infrastructure through a single API for fast, low-cost international transfers, according to a statement.

HKSTP has already connected Nium with a number of Fintech API players in Hong Kong to accelerate service development and business growth.

Through collaboration with industry leaders and tech startups at InnoCentre, Nium can instantly plug into the Hong Kong’s thriving Fintech ecosystem and ride the wave of API-based financial services sweeping across Hong Kong and the GBA.

Nium will leverage Hong Kong’s status as an international financial centre, a regulatory leader, a transportation and trade centre, and a world-class international I&T hub to power its regional expansion plans.

The HKSTP Fintech ecosystem can fuel Nium’s growth journey by providing the ideal environment for API innovation, connections to deep Regtech and Fintech expertise, as well as integration to the GBA.

More details at www.hkstp.org. 

-- BERNAMA

OKEX LAUNCHES NEW ADVANCED TRADING MODE FOR CRYPTO TRADERS

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 2 (Bernama) -- OKEx has announced the launch of a new advanced trading mode for professional and institutional traders — portfolio margin — as part of its efforts to build the world’s most powerful trading platform for crypto traders.

According to a statement, the new trading mode is available on the platform's web and API versions for high-volume traders, effective Nov 1.

Portfolio margin on OKEx is designed for high-volume professional traders, including market makers and institutions, looking to substantially reduce their capital requirements.

The mode offers traders — and especially market makers for cryptocurrency futures and options — significantly reduced margin calculation. Notably, OKEx sees this new feature as a way to address the current problem of fragmented liquidity across crypto options markets.

A risk management system similar to portfolio margin — standardised portfolio analysis of risk, or SPAN — was first pioneered for traditional finance participants by the world's largest derivatives exchange, CME Group.

With the release of the new portfolio margin mode on OKEx, the platform is leading the way in the cryptocurrency industry by introducing this powerful tool for capital efficiency enhancement and risk management.

OKEx's version of this trading mode stands out from competitors by allowing for multiple-currency portfolio margining — meaning that a trader can open derivatives positions with significantly reduced margin requirements across multiple currencies at the same time.

With its new portfolio margin mode, alongside industry leading liquidity, OKEx, founded in 2017, is showing its commitment to providing the most advanced tools and best possible trading experience for its customers.

-- BERNAMA

 NTHU-DAICEL TIE FIVE-YEAR JOINT PROJECT TO INTEGRATE INNOVATIVE MICROFLUIDIC SYSTEM

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 28 (Bernama) -- National Tsing Hua University (NTHU) and the well-known Japanese chemical company DAICEL, have announced a five-year joint project to integrate an innovative microfluidic system developed by scholar Kitamori Takehiko into the chemical manufacturing industry.

Total investment in the project is 450 million Japanese yen (approximately NT$110 million), and its potential to reduce energy consumption while lowering the production of carbon and waste is expected to set a new standard for sustainability in the chemical industry. (NT$100 = RM14.92)

Prof Kitamori, a world-renowned pioneer in microfluidic and nanofluidic technology and the former vice president of the University of Tokyo, has been serving as the Yushan Honorary Chair Professor of the Institute of Nanoengineering and Microsystems, Department of Power Mechanical Engineering at NTHU since 2020.

Kitamori explained it could be quite difficult to instantaneously mix several large barrels of chemicals with different temperatures and reaction speeds, and there might even be an explosion if the materials were not handled carefully.

Thus, the preferred way of blending chemicals is by passing it through a microchannel, which makes it possible to precisely control the amount of raw materials used, as well as the mixing sequence and conditions, thereby optimising the quality of the final product.

Kitamori said the aim of the project was to reduce the size of chemical production equipment, so that what was currently produced by a factory measuring 20 x 20 metres can be miniaturised into a system only two square metres in size.

What’s more, such a system would use less energy and materials, making it less expensive, and would also produce less carbon, according to a statement.

Years ago, when DAICEL president Ogawa Yoshimi heard about the microfluidic technology developed by Kitamori, he was deeply impressed, and is now highly pleased that DAICEL is going to integrate this innovative technology into its operations.

He is also looking forward to cooperating with NTHU in introducing this epoch-making manufacturing process to the world, which he also sees as a way of promoting sustainability and the circular economy.

-- BERNAMA

SHOPSTREAM MAKES SINGAPORE DEBUT AFTER SUCCESSFUL HONG KONG LAUNCH

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 1 (Bernama) -- The Livestream focused marketplace is launching its APP ‘Shopstream360’ in Singapore following a successful launch in Hong Kong.

According to a statement, brands and creators can engage consumers through interactive livestreams that are connected to a ‘one-click’ shopping experience.

On the path to a global roll-out, Singapore marks the second city on the company’s aggressive expansion plan. Shopstream makes it easy for creators to monetise their influence by creating their personalised storefront with featured products from official stores where consumers can shop instantly.

Shopstream is a livestreaming focused technology company that delivers a unique live shopping experience. Designed for small to established businesses that are serving both local and worldwide consumers, the company has engineered a seamless integration of livestream, user interaction and ecommerce CRM features.

Shopstream believes consumers want to live better and shop better quality goods. “The marketplace brings high quality masterclasses, entertainment and shopping in one destination App,” said Joe Cheung, Chief Technical Officer.

Brands can use the platform to set up their Shopstream online stores, manage livestream and engage with audiences. Service providers can also embrace the ‘Pay to view’ functionality to share expert content or entertainment. Shopstream’s Singapore official brand Ambassador Dawn Sim, fitness and wellness expert joins the marketplace.

As part of the launch activity, Shopstream has thematic events throughout the month of November uniquely tailored to the Singapore market and the food segment is naturally a significant component.

One of the key pillars for Shopstream is a mission to use livestreaming to help inspire better business strategies and showcase solutions that bring positive climate change as well as helping NGOs to bring more awareness to their causes.

-- BERNAMA

COME 2026, OPEN BANKING-FACILITATED PAYMENTS TO EXCEED US$116 BILLION - JUNIPER RESEARCH

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 1 (Bernama) -- A new Juniper Research study has found that the value of global payment transactions facilitated by Open Banking will exceed US$116 billion in 2026, from just under US$4 billion in 2021. (US$1 = RM4.146)

This extraordinary growth rate of over 2,800 per cent over the next five years will be driven by increasing user awareness of Open Banking features, supported by greater deployment within Europe, as vendors build on PSD2 (Second Payment Services Directive) APIs to deliver expanding services, according to a statement.

The research identified Open Banking-facilitated payments, where payments are made directly from bank accounts, as a growing threat to the dominance of cards within eCommerce.

While card payments are well established, leveraging permissioned access to bank accounts can reduce fraud risks due to strict KYC (Know Your Customer) rules.

The research recommends payment providers partner with Open Banking API providers to reduce risks of disintermediation.

The new research, Open Banking: Key Opportunities, Vendor Strategies & Market Forecasts 2021‑2026, found Europe would account for over 75 per cent of Open Banking payments users globally in 2026; demonstrating the headstart that PSD2 has given this market.

However, the report recommends that API vendors look beyond regulatory minimum requirements to develop advanced use cases such as aggregation of additional products, including loans, credit cards and mortgages, as awareness builds.

In addition, the research found recent governmental support within the US would stimulate the growth of Open Banking, and the market will require payment players to develop new capabilities quickly to capitalise.

Juniper Research provides research and analytical services to the global hi-tech communications sector; providing consultancy, analyst reports and industry commentary.

-- BERNAMA