Tag Archives: HEA

PR Newswire

Intertek Launches Protek – The World’s First Health, Safety and Wellbeing Assurance Programme for People, Workplaces and Public Spaces

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LONDON, May 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — 

  • Health, Safety and Wellbeing in the workplace, in public transportation, public spaces and at home is now the number one concern for business leaders, employees and consumers*
  • Given its unrivalled expertise in Total Quality Assurance, operating in 100+ countries, with 1000+ labs and 46,000 Experts, Intertek is uniquely positioned to provide its clients with end-to-end Health, Safety and Wellbeing Assurance to protect their employees and their customers
  • Intertek Protek is the world’s first industry-agnostic, end-to-end Health, Safety and Wellbeing Assurance programme for people, workplaces and public spaces, and includes:
    – State of the art training and certification programmes for employees, reflecting learnings from the current pandemic
    – Audit of hygiene and sanitation processes and systems to ensure spaces, materials and surfaces are safe for employees and customers in the workplace and public spaces
    – Total Assurance for all types of facilities, from hotels, restaurants and retail outlets where consumers will look for visible signs of safety verification at the places in which they stay or pass through, to schools and education sites, transportation hubs and manufacturing plants 

Watch our video here: www.intertek.com/protek

Over the years and as part of its systemic approach to Total Quality Assurance (TQA), Intertek has been researching and developing innovative Health, Safety and Wellbeing solutions for its clients. Covid-19 has magnified the increased focus from all stakeholders on Health, Safety and Wellbeing in workplaces and in public spaces and, given the Company’s industry-leading subject-matter expertise, it is now launching the world’s first end-to-end solution in this category.

As the world adjusts to a ‘new normal’, many in-quarantine traits will become generally accepted standards as consumers and employees fundamentally re-think their approach to everyday health, safety and wellbeing. Whether at work, shopping, eating out or using public transport, people will look to corporations and brands for trust, assurance and peace of mind*

As companies prepare for a return to work, employees are concerned about their health and safety* and as consumers think about returning to visit public spaces, they are now increasingly looking to brands to provide trust and visible reassurance*.

Recent Intertek research shows that people do not feel safe returning to their workplace once restrictions have been lifted with over 70% not wanting to return unless authenticated health and safety practices are in place. Moreover, 91% of respondents agree that their employer should take extra measures to protect employees. Yet just over half (54%) of managers believe that they will struggle to provide an acceptable health and safety standard for employees when they do return to the workplace.

Across the consumer industries landscape, only 24% of respondents feel confident about visiting a bar or restaurant once restrictions are lifted and only 27% feel confident about visiting hotels. 56% do not trust cinema and theatre operators to have sufficient health and safety practices in place to prevent the spread of Covid-19, with this figure rising to 57% for airlines and 59% for public transport. At the same time, 84% of consumers now expect larger companies to contribute more to society and to have a social purpose.

Based on Intertek’s unique, systemic approach to quality assurance, Protek is a comprehensive service offering, providing audits, training and service solutions across People, Systems & Processes, Facilities, Materials & Surfaces and Products. A key part of this innovative new service offering is Protek People Assurance, which will provide an on-demand, e-Learning and certification programme that empowers companies to deliver essential employee training on key health and safety topics.  

Protek provides audits, training and occupational health & safety solutions for companies wishing to provide peace of mind for their employees. Specific learning and certification solutions range from Covid-19 related programmes to modules on how to use face masks, gloves and PPE, and courses on food safety, hygiene, cleaning and prevention of the spread of infection.

The programme provides systemic risk-based quality assurance and verification for all sectors, from food safety and hygiene control services to dedicated audit solutions for the prevention of the spread of infection in all facilities and all sectors. This includes hotels, restaurants and retail outlets where consumers will look for visible safety verification of the places in which they stay or pass through. Protek offers turnkey solutions, from facility health assessment, cleaning and disinfecting process oversight and post-cleaning verification, to compliance reporting and certification across schools and education sites, transportation hubs and manufacturing plants.  

Protek helps businesses obtain independent assurance that they are fulfilling their duty of care and provides their employees and customers with the confidence they need, everywhere, every day. 

With over 46,000 TQA experts in over one hundred countries, Intertek is uniquely placed to give businesses the reassurance of a global solution with unrivalled local knowledge and expertise. No other company has the network, tools and processes to deliver Total Health, Safety and Wellbeing solutions to help people feel safe to return to work, to travel, to eat out and to adjust to the new normal.

André Lacroix, CEO of Intertek, said:

“On behalf of everyone at Intertek, I salute healthcare and frontline workers around the world for their magnificent response to the challenge presented by the global pandemic we are witnessing.  At Intertek, it is our duty to help corporations to ensure the health, safety and wellbeing of their employees in the workplace and their consumers in public spaces.

Indeed, as a purpose-led company, Intertek’s mission is to make the world a better and safer place. Never has our core purpose been more relevant than now. This is the moment where our mission-critical role in society truly comes to life, across all sectors and all business lines as we bring solutions the world needs now, everywhere, every day.

It is clear that health, safety and wellbeing for employees returning to their workplaces through to consumers returning to public spaces – and the public transport used to get there – is now the greatest concern for the entire world.

Building on our leading Quality Assurance expertise across all sectors of the economy globally, Protek offers our clients the world’s first independent Health, Safety and Wellbeing Assurance programme for people, workplaces and public spaces.”

About the Research:

This research was conducted online by an independent research consultant company from 29 – 30 April 2020 with n=2,201 respondents, representative of the UK adult general population (aged 18+ years old). Respondents were weighted in terms of age, gender, location and voting behaviour to reflect the known UK general population.

Intertek is a leading Total Quality Assurance provider to industries worldwide.

Our network of more than 1,000 laboratories and offices and over 46,000 people in more than 100 countries, delivers innovative and bespoke Assurance, Testing, Inspection and Certification solutions for our customers’ operations and supply chains.

Intertek Total Quality Assurance expertise, delivered consistently, with precision, pace and passion, enabling our customers to power ahead safely.

intertek.com

*Intertek research April 2020

Contacts

For further information, please contact:

Denis Moreau, Investor Relations
Telephone: +44 (0) 20-7396-3415   
investor@intertek.com

Jonathon Brill, FTI Consulting
Telephone: +44 (0) 20-3727-1000   
SCintertek@fticonsulting.com  

  

PR Newswire

Creality, a Global 3D Printer Manufacturer, Printed Medical Supplies for Hospitals Amid Supply Chain Challenge During COVID-19

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SHENZHEN, China, May 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Creality, a global 3D printer manufacturer based in Shenzhen, China, was providing 3D printed medical supplies for hospitals. According to Jack Chen, the CEO and co-founder of the company, Creality was utilizing 100 3D printers and TPU filaments to produce 3D printed face mask buckles, achieving a daily output of 1600 pieces. By March, the company donated 43,000 pieces of buckles to hospitals.

“The COVID-19 has taught us a lesson that 3D printing is so helpful to strategically address manufacturing risk by optimizing the agility of the supply chain. It carries out production at a lower economic scale and any point of need. We are glad that 3D printing is unleashing great potential during this crisis, and Creality is taking the lead to contribute more,” said Jack Chen. Creality has achieved a monthly shipment of over 50,000 pieces in March, which means that more makers are getting involved in making PPE on 3D printers.

The COVID-19 is becoming such a challenge for countries across the world as the situation is getting more severe. During the time, 3D printing has played an important role in mitigating personal protective equipment (PPE) shortage. Enterprises and civil communities are united to make 3D printed medical supplies for hospitals and clinics.

The Supply Chain Challenge During COVID-19

The rapid development of globalization enables developed countries to relocate production into other countries with lower labor costs or sufficient raw materials, which is so-called offshore manufacturing. However, the present global crisis is exposing the vulnerabilities concerning this-type supply chain. The lockdowns have multiplied the problems of the slowdown in production and suspensions in transportation. Therefore, countries that highly rely on offshore manufacturing are facing problems of improper resource allocation and incomplete manufacturing chain, and countries in less developed areas such as Africa are encountering plight of insufficient production capacity and technology limit.

Many manufacturers are finding temporary alternative solutions to ride out this worldwide challenge. Thanks to the advanced technologies such as IoT, AI, robotics, and Additive manufacturing, enterprises can effectively avoid negative effects caused by “black swan” events like COVID-19.

3D Printing is Making a Difference

Recently, positive reports about 3D printed PPE to help combat COVID-19 have unveiled great advantages of 3D printing.

During the pandemic, researchers made 3D printed COVID-19 infected lung model to perform studies, enterprises made 3D printed isolation wards to accommodate patients, and civil communities made 3D printed face shields to mitigate the PPE shortage.

David Sims, the BBC news reported 3D printing enthusiast in Wales, UK, worked on making 3D printed face shields on Creality Ender-3 together with local volunteers to protect local NHS doctors fighting at the epidemic frontline. The team has donated thousand pieces of face shields to the local NHS.

It is proven that 3D printing is an extremely helpful stopgap in rapid design and manufacturing tools for both organizations and individuals, making it possible to produce large batches of equipment in a short period. During the COVID-19, 3D printing has unleashed great power in providing self-made daily supplies such as door handles, toys, or gifts.

Long-run Benefits of 3D Printing

Expect for the known-to-all advantages like cost-saving, time-saving, rapid-prototyping, 3D printing also accelerates digitalizing the traditional mass manufacturing and infrastructure construction. 3D printing breaks the limits of time and space to improve production capacity and reduce risks to fluctuations in demand. With the advantages of distributive manufacturing, 3D printing can realize customizable production and ensure production safety at the same time. As an additive in mass manufacturing, it will greatly improve business flexibility, allowing manufacturers to increase their ability to quickly respond to the possible crises. 

In April, Creality announced to make a big investment to Wuhan to build the world’s largest 3D printer production facility in recent years, aiming to achieve a total output of 2 million pieces of 3D printers within the next three years. Now the company is holding a Kickstarter campaign for its latest product CR-6 SE featuring an innovative leveling-free tech, which will be priced lower than 300$ at its super early bird price. Bearing the spirit of 3D printing industry evangelist, Creality has always devoted to spreading the convenience of 3D printing technology with the most affordable and accessible 3D printing solutions.

About Creality

Creality has accumulated more than 5 years of experience in 3D printing industry since its establishment in 2014. The company dedicates to providing customers the most affordable 3D printing solutions in high quality. Creality achieves an annual shipment of 800,000 units, and exports the products to over 100 countries.

For more information, please access to CRAELITY official website: http://www.creality.com

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PR Newswire

Prudential launches digital health app, Pulse by Prudential, to make healthcare more accessible and affordable to everyone amid COVID-19 spread

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All registered Pulse by Prudential users can enjoy the following benefits:

  • 24/7 Video consultation with a doctor at a flat fee of S$15
  • S$100/S$200 daily allowance if hospitalised for COVID-19 (under Prudential’s S$1.5 million PRUcare package)

SINGAPORE, April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Prudential Singapore (“Prudential”) has launched an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered mobile app, Pulse by Prudential (“Pulse”), to provide all Singapore residents with round-the-clock access to healthcare services and real-time health information. With Pulse, users can check their symptoms; conduct a digital health assessment to better understand future disease risks; and seek timely health advice, at any time and from anywhere.

With Pulse by Prudential, users can check their symptoms; conduct a digital health assessment to better understand future disease risks; and seek timely health advice, at any time and from anywhere.
With Pulse by Prudential, users can check their symptoms; conduct a digital health assessment to better understand future disease risks; and seek timely health advice, at any time and from anywhere.

Prudential Singapore’s CEO Dennis Tan said the spread of COVID-19 has created a greater sense of awareness and urgency to check symptoms experienced when we are unwell, and to take better care of our health and well-being.

“We have been working closely with HealthTechs and local doctors to develop Pulse. The launch of the app in Singapore is timely in light of the COVID-19 spread and the nation’s circuit breaker measures. With Pulse, one can have real-time health information at their fingertips and ready access to a doctor without having to leave their homes.

“To provide further peace of mind, we are providing a daily allowance to Pulse users in the event that they are hospitalised for COVID-19. We hope this support measure will provide some relief and comfort to Singapore residents during this challenging period,” said Mr Tan.

Launched on 23 April 2020, Pulse is available to everyone in Singapore. Singapore residents aged 18 and above can enjoy the following benefits without having to pay any subscription fee when they download Pulse and register their profiles:

1. 24/7 Video Consultation with a Doctor at S$15[1]

Pulse users pay a flat fee of S$15 when they consult a doctor. The fee does not include cost of medication and delivery. The panel of Singapore-licensed general practitioners (GPs) are registered with the Singapore Medical Council. They have also been trained to assess if an individual is suspected to have COVID-19.

2. S$100/S$200 daily hospitalisation allowance under the S$1.5 million PRUcare package[2]

Prudential is offering the following hospitalisation benefit under its PRUcare package to all registered Pulse users[3] who are hospitalised[4] for COVID-19:

  • S$100 daily allowance (for up to 3 months of hospitalisation) for non-Prudential customers[5] hospitalised between date of app (Pulse) registration and 31 May 2020.
  • One-month extension of S$200 daily allowance (for up to 3 months of hospitalisation) from 1 July to 31 July 2020 for Prudential customers[6]. This includes employees of its corporate and SME customers who are covered by its Group Insurance.

Since the launch of the PRUcare package on 19 February 2020, Prudential has paid out more than S$800,000 in cash benefits to those impacted by COVID-19.

Empowering people to take charge of their health and well-being with HealthTechs Pulse is part of Prudential’s region-wide strategy to make healthcare affordable and accessible to all individuals and families.

The digital health app, designed to empower people to take charge of their health and well-being, will continue to evolve with more value-added services slated for launch in the second half of the year.

The following in-app health and wellness features, backed by UK-based Babylon and Singapore-based MyDoc, are available to all users in the first phase of the app’s launch in Singapore. The Symptom Checker and Healthcheck are not intended for detection or diagnosis of diseases.

  • AI-powered Symptom Checker* – The AI-powered chatbot provides users with insights into possible health conditions based on the symptoms experienced. At the end of the chatbot conversation, users are guided to an appropriate triage outcome (e.g. Self Care’, ‘Pharmacy’, ‘GP’, ‘GP urgent’, ‘Hospital or ‘Hospital urgent’) and provided further information about possible causes where available. This tool has been recently updated to provide alerts on specific symptoms and conditions that could be related to COVID-19. Users are also advised to follow the recommendations provided by local health authorities as the COVID-19 situation can evolve rapidly.
  • AI-driven Healthcheck* – This is a lifestyle assessment and disease risk prediction tool. By doing a 15-minute digital questionnaire, users can get a report in real-time on their overall health status and long-term disease risks based on their lifestyle habits, medical history, family’s medical history, diet and mental health. The report is presented through a “Digital Twin” and includes health advice to help one reduce disease risks and improve overall well-being.
  • Video Consultation with a Doctor – Users can schedule a video consultation with a GP at any time of the day. The GPs are available 24/7 and will diagnose and advise on the appropriate treatment(s), whenever applicable. Users can opt for delivery of their prescribed medicine or collect it at a local Guardian pharmacy.

“Prudential has always believed in encouraging people to live well for longer. By leveraging health technology, we want to partner everyone in their health journey to prevent, postpone and protect against the onset of diseases which are often linked to lifestyle choices,” added Mr Tan.

Today, about two in five Singaporeans aged 60 and above have been diagnosed with three or more chronic diseases[7]. The adoption of preventative healthcare from young is key in ageing well, according to healthcare practitioners surveyed for Prudential’s 2019 Healthy for 100 research[8].

“While we all know the importance of eating well and exercising right, many of us tend not to take care of our diet and fitness until it is too late. We hope the Healthcheck function on Pulse can nudge people into being more proactive about preventative healthcare by making them aware of their potential disease risks and lifestyle gaps,” said Mr Tan.

Pulse will be rolled out to 11 markets under Prudential’s network across Asia, including Singapore.

Note:

*  Symptom Checker and Healthcheck are not intended for detection or diagnosis of diseases. In addition, both Symptom Checker and Healthcheck are not suitable for pregnant women, children under the age of 18 years, and users with long-term medical conditions or disabilities who may have different needs and risks. Symptom Checker should never be used in a medical emergency, and users should contact their local emergency services instead.

Notes to the editor:

1. For more information on Pulse by Prudential, please click here

2. Pulse by Prudential can be downloaded from the App Store (iOS users) and Play Store (Android users).

3. Eligibility for Video Consultation with a Doctor at $15:

  • Singapore residents with a valid NRIC / FIN;
  • 18 years old and above; and
  • Have a medical condition which the doctors are allowed to provide video consultation services for.

4. Prudential’s PRUcare package – for more information, please click here.

[1]  The rate may change from time to time

[2] Prudential commits $1.5 million to help SMEs and individuals affected by COVID-19 (19 February 2020) – click here

[3] Please refer to the terms and conditions (T&Cs) – click here

[4] Admission to hospitals in Singapore

[5]  Non-Prudential customers who are Singapore citizens and permanent residents

[6]  Prudential customers who are Singapore residents with a valid NRIC/FIN

[7] Transitions in Health, Employment, Social Engagement and Inter-generational Transfers in Singapore Study (THE SIGNS Study) – I – click here

[8] Prudential’s Healthy for 100 Research media release – click here

 

About Prudential Assurance Company Singapore (Pte) Ltd (Prudential Singapore) Prudential Assurance Company Singapore (Pte) Ltd is one of the top life insurance companies in Singapore, serving the financial and protection needs of the country’s citizens for 89 years. The company has an AA- Financial Strength Rating from leading credit rating agency Standard & Poor’s, with S$42.02 billion funds under management as at 31 December 2019. It delivers a suite of well-rounded product offerings in Protection, Savings and Investment through multiple distribution channels including a network of more than 5,000 financial consultants.

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PR Newswire

Berkeley Lights Launches Two New Capabilities in the Opto Cell Therapy Development 1.0 Workflow to Accelerate the Creation Of Effective Cancer Immunotherapies

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The new multiplex cytokine and cytotoxicity assays as a part of the Opto Cell Therapy Development 1.0 workflow will help users of the Berkeley Lights’ platform develop cancer immunotherapies faster

EMERYVILLE, Calif., April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Today, Berkeley Lights, Inc., a leader in Digital Cell Biology, launched new capabilities to empower the Opto Cell Therapy Development 1.0 workflow. The workflow consists of a collection of software capabilities, reagents, and protocols to be run on the Beacon® and LightningTM systems. With the new capabilities researchers can now perform multiple functional assays on thousands of individual T cells in just days, allowing them to recover live cells for downstream genomic analysis. This ultimately enables Berkeley Lights’ customers to link T cell phenotype and function to genotype on individual cells, consolidating the T cell functional analytic process into one innovative platform.

T cell-based therapies have shown great promise for cancer treatment, but developing these therapies is challenging because the process of killing cancerous tumors by T cells relies on studying and screening multiple cell-to-cell interactions—a time-consuming and complex procedure. Current techniques to assess T cell function don’t allow scientists to collect all of the required data from the same cell. The new multiplex cytokine assay and the cytotoxicity assay, along with the recently launched TCRseq Well Plate Kit allow scientists to define and test the function of individual T cells. These applications enable simultaneous functional interrogation of thousands of individual T cells as they interact with antigen-presenting cells or tumors. Live, individual clones can be recovered for downstream expansion or genomic analysis. The Opto Cell Therapy Development 1.0 workflow enables CAR-T cell phenotypic and functional screening, and the discovery of T cell receptors (TCRs) associated with specific T cell behaviors.

“With the Opto Cell Therapy Development 1.0 workflow, users of Berkeley Lights’ platform can now tailor the development of cell therapies that mediate the rapid destruction of multiple tumor cells to the few T cells that really do all the work,” said John Proctor, Ph.D., Senior Vice President of Marketing at Berkeley Lights. “The cytotoxicity assay visualizes killing activity from single T cells, such as multiplexed and serial killing, followed by live cell recovery for genomic analysis. This new assay avoids common problems associated with traditional killing assays, which measure average target cell lysis at fixed time points, obscuring kinetic details and ignoring the heterogeneity present in T cell subsets.”

Berkeley Lights will continue to release more cell therapy related capabilities to the Berkeley Lights platform in the coming months. Email info@berkeleylights.com for more info.

About Berkeley Lights
 Here at Berkeley Lights, we think cells are awesome! Cells are capable of manufacturing cures for diseases, fibers for clothing, energy in the form of biofuels, and food proteins for nutrition. So the question is, if nature is capable of manufacturing the products we need in a scalable way, why aren’t we doing more of this? Well, the answer is that with the solutions available today, it is hard. It takes a long time to find the right cell for a specific job, costs lots of money, and if you have picked a suboptimal cell line, has a very low process yield. The Berkeley Lights Platform delivers and links deep phenotypic, functional, and genotypic information at the single cell level. This is a new way to capture and interpret the qualitative language of biology and translate it into single cell specific digital information, which we call Digital Cell Biology. Using our platform, customers have the complete solution to find the best cells by functionally screening and recovering individual cells for antibody discovery, cell line development, cell therapy development, and synthetic biology. Using our systems and solutions, scientists can find the best cells, the first time they look. For more information, visit www.berkeleylights.com.

Berkeley Lights’ Beacon and Lightning systems and Culture Station instrument are for research use only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.

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Source: Berkeley Lights, Inc.

PR Newswire

Icelandic Genomes Elucidate Neanderthal Heritage of Europeans

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Archaic genetic fragments comprising nearly half the Neanderthal genome are circulating in the European gene pool today

The average European carries more than 500 such archaic fragments, including SNPs linked to prostate cancer risk, iron retention, blood clotting speed, and height

REYKJAVIK, Iceland, April 23, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Scientists at deCODE genetics and colleagues from the Max Planck Institute and universities in Denmark and Iceland today publish in Nature the first study to use whole-genome sequence data from across a population to shed light on the present-day legacy of interbreeding between modern and archaic humans more than 50,000 years ago. In general terms, the findings support previous estimates that most people outside of Africa have approximately 2% archaic ancestry, predominantly the result of repeated contact and interbreeding between groups of Homo sapiens and multiple Neanderthal individuals. The results also show more significant than expected genomic fragments from Denisovans, another archaic human species that interbred with both Neanderthal and Homo sapiens.

Yet the principal significance of this study lies in the unprecedented magnitude of data that was used to understand the nature and impact of this archaic legacy. In its first phase, the study utilizes whole genome sequence (WGS) data from 28,000 Icelanders, nearly ten percent of the entire population, and 286 sub-Saharan Africans in the 1000 Genomes project. A limiting factor in previous studies has been an overreliance on searching modern genomes for sequence fragments derived from just three archaic individuals for whom we have good quality sequence data: two Neanderthals and one Denisovan. The authors here turn this approach on its head, using the African sequences as a baseline for Homo sapiens with no introgression from Neanderthals, and against which they compared the Icelandic sequence data. The resulting chromosomal fragments found in Icelanders but not shared by Africans comprise a vast catalogue of 15 million putative archaic fragments.

After combining identical and overlapping fragments, the authors identified more than 50,000 distinct archaic fragments covering 38-48% of the readable genome. These contain nearly 400,000 single-letter sequence variants, that are absent from the African samples. Intriguingly, in the Icelandic samples the authors identify nearly 300 “archaic deserts” where there are no archaic fragments; these cover nearly 25% of the genome, including the entire X chromosome.

To better understand the phenotypic impact of the archaic variants, the deCODE team examined them for association with 271 phenotypes in whole-genome data on 210,000 Icelanders. After winnowing suggestive associations in order to eliminate those driven be nearby non-archaic variants, they identified five archaic variants with genome-wide significant associations. One has previously been linked to decreased levels of prostate specific antigen (PSA) and risk of prostate cancer, but was not known to be of archaic origin; two decrease levels and mass of hemoglobin; a fourth increases the time it takes for blood to clot; and the fifth decreases height.

“Whether individually or collectively, our genome enables us to learn more about who we are by telling us where we come from. This paper is a kind of ancestry report for one branch of our species, and it’s telling us that in this particular neighborhood we are not just Homo sapiens but also the descendants of ancient archaic humans – cousin species whose lineage is thus not entirely extinct,” said Kari Stefansson, CEO of deCODE and a senior author on the paper. “We are scratching the surface of what this hybrid legacy means. What we know is that in the 50,000 years from their time to this, our adaptability and diversity have enabled us to mix and move, settle and thrive in every corner of the planet as they did not. In these dark days we would do well to remember that our differences are literally the mark of our success, and so to help each other as best we can.”

Based in Reykjavik, Iceland, deCODE is a global leader in analyzing and understanding the human genome. Using its unique expertise in human genetics combined with growing expertise in transcriptomics and population proteomics and vast amount of phenotypic data, deCODE has discovered risk factors for dozens of common diseases and provided key insights into their pathogenesis. The purpose of understanding the genetics of disease is to use that information to create new means of diagnosing, treating and preventing disease. deCODE is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Amgen (NASDAQ:AMGN).

Contact:
Thora Kristin Asgeirsdottir
+354-894-1909
Thora.Asgeirsdottir@decode.is

The Neanderthal In All Of Us - Dr. Kari Stefansson and Dr. Agnar Helgason
The Neanderthal In All Of Us – Dr. Kari Stefansson and Dr. Agnar Helgason
PR Newswire

Exadel Announces Appery.io COVID-19 Virtual Hackathon to Engage Global Developer Community

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Global hackathon invites developers to build digital solutions designed to support individuals and businesses during coronavirus pandemic

WALNUT CREEK, Calif., April 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Exadel (www.exadel.com), a global provider of digital platform engineering solutions and services, today announced it will be hosting the “Appery.io COVID-19 Virtual Hackathon” that invites developers from all over the world to build digital solutions that solve challenges posed by the Coronavirus. The Appery.io COVID-19 Virtual Hackathon begins April 22, 2020 at 9 a.m. PDT with final submissions due May 6, 2020 by 11:59 p.m. PDT. Applications will be judged by a panel of experts with up to $1,000 in cash prizes awarded.

Sign-up for the Appery.io COVID-19 Virtual Hackathon today: (https://covid.appery.io/)

Using Appery.io, a low-code application development platform created by Exadel and used by nearly 500,000 developers worldwide, participants are encouraged to build applications that help groups and businesses most impacted by COVID-19. Projects should focus on areas like healthcare, mental health, assistance for the elderly or vulnerable, improving remote work, financial stability or maintaining a sense of community. Developers are free to be as innovative and unique as possible with minimal restrictions on application type or theme.

Participants are welcome to register and submit their applications starting April 22, 2020. Submissions close May 6, 2020 and will be judged by a panel of experts according to a range of relevant criteria. A virtual, live ceremony will take place on May 10, 2020 where finalists will be recognized. Prizes will be awarded as follows:

  1. First-Place – $1,000 and an Appery.io Annual Pro Subscription
  2. Second-Place – $500 and an Appery.io Annual Pro Subscription
  3. Third-Place – $250 and an Appery.io Annual Pro Subscription

For more information on how to get started, FAQ’s and guidelines please visit: (https://covid.appery.io/)

“While physical interaction is being limited in many global communities, it’s important to find ways to connect and support one another in alternative settings,” said Fima Katz, CEO and President of Exadel. “By hosting this hackathon, we hope to bring together the developer community in a meaningful way where they can innovate and experiment with projects aimed at helping those who need it most. We look forward to reviewing and gaining inspiration from the submissions.”

Tweet this: .@exadel announces @apperyio COVID-19 Virtual Hackathon to bring together community to build projects aimed at solving common challenges faced today #ApperyHackathon

About Exadel

Exadel is a leading digital platform engineering services provider. Through technical software development, Exadel helps Fortune 500 clients accelerate their digital transformations by providing innovative solutions, services and engineering expertise. Exadel enables clients to engage competitively with their customers by delivering products and platforms at optimal efficiency. With 20+ locations and delivery centers across the US and Europe, Exadel solves the most complex engineering problems using recognized agile practices, offering a high-quality and skilled mix of multi-shore resources with deep knowledge of advanced technologies. 

About Appery.io

Appery.io is a low-code, rapid development, integration and deployment platform created by Exadel for delivering cross-device apps in the enterprise. It combines enterprise-grade integration middleware with a browser-based rapid development environment and mobile backend services to accelerate enterprise mobilization. Appery.io enables developers and business analysts to rapidly create and run apps that help businesses of all sizes increase revenues and improve productivity.

Media Contact:
Olivia Heel
Catapult PR-IR
303-581-7760
oheel@catapultpr-ir.com

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PR Newswire

Vela Diagnostics receives BARDA funding to develop COVID-19 tests

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FAIRFIELD, N.J., April 20, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Vela Diagnostics has been awarded a $225,000 contract by the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) part of the office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, to develop manual and automated tests to detect SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

The ViroKey™ SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR Test is a probe-based reverse transcription PCR test that detects the virus by targeting conserved regions of the SARS-CoV-2 genome.

Under the agreement, Vela Diagnostics will perform verification and clinical validation of the ViroKey™ SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR Test to be used on automated and manual workflows for Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) submission to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Support from BARDA is expected to accelerate the progress toward EUA submission.

The automated ViroKey™ SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR Test is performed on a workflow consisting of the Sentosa™ SX101 instrument, in conjunction with the Applied Biosystems 7500 Fast Dx Real-Time (ABI 7500 Fast Dx) PCR instrument or the Sentosa™ SA201 instrument.

Up to 48 samples (including positive and negative controls) can be processed per run on the automated workflow. The manual assay was developed to enable flexible sample processing and quick adoption of the test by laboratories with existing ABI 7500 Fast Dx instruments.

High volume testing of SARS-CoV-2 is also critical in mitigating the rapidly evolving COVID-19 pandemic. The CDC recommends COVID-19 testing for individuals with symptoms associated with COVID-19 such as fever and acute respiratory illness.

“High throughput detection of SARS-CoV-2 using our automated workflow will provide rapid and valuable information to save lives,” said Sam Dajani, acting CEO and chairman of the Board. “The funding from BARDA will enable Vela Diagnostics to increase the domestic and global testing capacity for COVID-19 to curb further spread of the virus.”

“Rapid diagnostic tests put essential information into the hands of healthcare providers and patients to manage patient care safely and appropriately.  Data gathered from high-throughput testing aids public health officials in making decisions about community mitigation to combat the pandemic,” said BARDA Director Rick Bright, Ph.D.

To date, COVID-19 has affected 199 countries and territories around the world, with total cases exceeding a million in US, Europe and China combined and at least 100,000 fatalities worldwide. On March 11, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 to be a pandemic.

This project has been funded in whole or in part with federal funds from the Department of Health and Human Services; Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response; Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, Division of Research Innovation and Ventures under Contract No. 75A50120C00039.

About Vela Diagnostics

Vela Diagnostics is a leading provider of an automated IVD Next–Generation Sequencing (NGS) workflow in the global diagnostics market. VELA’s real-time PCR and NGS applications are available on an integrated Sentosa™ platform; this provides a unique ability to leverage one system for two workflows, while carrying out tests for various targets in order to answer current clinical and research questions, as well as to drive laboratory operational efficiency.

All Sentosa™ products listed above are by Vela Diagnostics. For more information, visit www.veladx.com.

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TCEB Launches Campaign to Strengthen MICE Entrepreneurs in Response to COVID-19 Outbreak

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BANGKOK, April 20, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau or TCEB has announced two projects focusing on digital-based MICE services and health safety standard.

TCEB Launches Campaign to Strengthen MICE Entrepreneurs in Response to COVID-19 Outbreak
TCEB Launches Campaign to Strengthen MICE Entrepreneurs in Response to COVID-19 Outbreak

The first called “Virtual Meeting Space” (VMS) will help MICE entrepreneurs run business events online and re-skill their employees via virtual platforms. The second, called “Simple Ways to Prevent the Spread of COVID-19 in Your Meetings and Events”, offers MICE venue owners and operators an incentive to upgrade their safety and health standards. The two projects are in response to the business disruptions brought about by COVID-19 and lockdown measures worldwide.

According to Chiruit Isarangkun Na Ayuthaya, TCEB President, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused the postponement and cancellation of MICE events worldwide. Amidst the tough times, online or virtual platforms have become an alternative for events that can ensure business continuity. Thai entrepreneurs need to adapt to such business platforms. In this respect, TCEB has designed two key projects. The first — “Virtual Meeting Space” (VMS) – is aimed at enabling Thai MICE entrepreneurs to continue operating their business and to re-skill their employees.

Under VMS, TCEB will support three categories of virtual meetings:

  • Webinar — TCEB will provide support in the preparation and management of this online platform, including the preparation and set-up of a studio for live streaming, as well as technical co-ordination and system monitoring during live streaming. Organisers can run slide presentations during the session, enable interaction between participants and speakers, or conduct a Q&A or poll. Such sessions can cater up to 10,000 attendees at a time.     
  • O2O (Offline to Online) — This platform is for trade exhibitions. TCEB will support the arrangement and management of O2O platforms for exhibitors, as well as live streaming” from either a studio or the organiser’s venue. This includes sequencing, production, controlling, system monitoring during live streaming and technical preparation. Exhibitors can showcase their activities, products and services as needed. An online payment system can also be installed to boost sales.
  • E-Learning Platform — This is a platform for MICE entrepreneurs to re-skill or up-skill their employees through six learning courses conducted by Southeast Asia Center (SEAC) on its YourNextU platform: 1. Project Management 2. Inter-personal Skills 3. Management 4. Communication 5. Entrepreneurship and 6. Digital. These courses are available to 250 users from May to October 2020. Learners will receive a certificate from TCEB if they complete the course requisites. TCEB welcomes application from all MICE entrepreneurs.

For the second project, “Simple Ways to Prevent the Spread of COVID-19 in Your Meetings and Events”, aims to assist MICE venue operators to upgrade the safety standard of their facilities”. TCEB will provide a 30,000-baht subsidy for each MICE venue to formulate and implement COVID-19 screening and prevention measures as stipulated by the Ministry of Public Health. Examples of these measures include the screening of body temperature before participation, the screening of a delegate’s travel history, the preparation of hand-washing guidelines and supply of alcohol-based sanitisers, and the practice of social distancing. This project aims to equip venues with the enhanced health and safety standards that clients will be demanding.

To be eligible for “Simple Ways to Prevent the Spread of COVID-19 in Your Meetings and Events”, a venue must hold a Thailand MICE Venue Standard (TMVS) certification. Hotel applicants must be members of Thai Hotel Association (THA). With an allocation of 6,480,000 baht, the project run from April to June 2020 and will benefit up to 216 MICE venues nationwide.

“Apart from the two projects, TCEB has set up the TCEB COVID-19 Information Centre to serve the MICE community during this critical period. The centre’s primary role is to monitor, compile and assess information on the pandemic, especially those that impact our MICE industry, and produce the necessary recommendations. The centre’s secondary role is to update industry members on the COVID-19 situation, such as government rules, regulations and announcements, so that they are kept abreast of the latest developments,” said Mr. Chiruit. 

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Entrepreneurship flourishes amid pandemic; Antler receives over 1500 applications for COVID-19 call

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SINGAPORE, April 20, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Global early-stage VC Antler has received over 1500 applications from 100 countries in barely two weeks since it launched its COVID-19 call to startups. Startups applied for funding with various solutions to tackle the current pandemic.  Antler is currently shortlisting and interviewing the teams and plans to invest in up to 5 teams and deploy up to US$500,000 in aggregate. 

Entrepreneurship flourishes amid pandemic; Antler receives over 1500 applications for COVID-19 call
Entrepreneurship flourishes amid pandemic; Antler receives over 1500 applications for COVID-19 call

Examples include drone delivered test kits for remote villages, patient monitoring systems, antiviral surface coating and manufacturers pivoting production to products currently needed. The response has been overwhelmingly positive from both new startups and existing businesses adapting their existing products and operations.

“Our approach for selection has been different compared to our usual Antler program. Due to the speed at which the solution needs to be implemented and put into action, we are selecting only existing teams and startups that already have a minimum viable product or a pilot project to show,” said Jussi Salovaara, co-founder and Managing Partner of Antler. 

Antler invited startups to propose solutions in Mitigation (e.g. masks, contact tracing, surveillance, data infrastructure), Medical Equipment (e.g. test kits, protective devices, ventilators), Remote Health (e.g. telehealth, remote patient monitoring, symptom checkers) and Digital Tools (e.g. remote work, smart delivery, e-learning). The purpose is to contribute towards the path to recovery from the crisis. 

“From the breadth of applications received,  we are seeing a coronavirus-induced acceleration of a digital-first mindset across many traditional industries, where entrepreneurs understand that COVID-19 will permanently change the landscape of our lives and are planning for the needs of a post-COVID society,” added Salovaara.

The Investment criteria will take into account the relevance towards mitigating COVID-19, as well as how the startup works in a post-COVID-19 era. 

Companies receiving the investment will receive access to Antler’s global network of entrepreneurs, investors and industry experts, as well as coaching by Antler’s leadership. Antler will help startups get their solutions off the ground and make them accessible to those who need them as quickly as possible. Given the overwhelming response, Antler is continuing to accept select applications on a rolling basis. 

About Antler 

Founded in Singapore in 2017, Antler (www.antler.co) is a global early-stage VC helping to build the next big wave of tech. With the mission to turn exceptional individuals into great founders, Antler aims to create hundreds of companies globally. They select the world’s most exceptional and determined people, help them find the right co-founder and connect them to a top tier network of advisors and experts worldwide. Antler breaks the barriers to entrepreneurship by providing funding from day one and building strong teams from the ground up while enabling founders to rapidly launch and scale their ideas. Antler has 8 locations globally- Singapore, London, New York, Amsterdam, Stockholm, Sydney, Nairobi, and Oslo.

At Antler, we feel passionate about helping to map out the path to recovery for the global tech startup ecosystem during and following the COVID-19 pandemic. As such, we have launched a few other initiatives to empower and support entrepreneurs. Read our ‘finding the upside’ series on Medium, join one of our online events or listen to our podcast.

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Charoen Pokphand Group Launches Surgical Mask Factory along with Multi-Pronged Initiatives against COVID-19

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  • Production starts today at surgical mask factory in Bangkok, producing 100,000 masks per day
  • Pledged to save jobs across the Group, along with medical, food and education support for employees
  • Donated USD 29.14 Million in Thailand to tackle COVID-19

BANGKOK, April 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — To tackle the COVID-19 pandemic, Charoen Pokphand Group (C.P. Group) announces a series of measures focused on supporting its employees, consumers, and the local community, especially healthcare workers. The multi-pronged initiatives include building a surgical mask factory to provide essential medical supplies, preserving jobs across the Group, delivering food and essential supplies to frontline healthcare workers and enhancing digital infrastructure to enable more efficient e-learning and remote working. To date, the Group has contributed donations worldwide to tackle COVID-19, with donations to Thailand totaling USD 29.14 Million, including for the procurement of medical supplies and protective equipment for hospitals.

The Group’s initiatives include the following key areas in Thailand:

  • Launched Surgical Mask Factory: C.P. Group invested USD 3 million (100 million baht) to build a factory just outside Bangkok to produce medical-grade surgical masks in Thailand. The factory was built in 5 weeks during COVID-19 and has obtained regulatory approval from Thai authorities to start producing surgical masks today, with production reaching 100,000 masks per day which totals to 3 million masks per month. The masks will be donated for free to medical professionals and healthcare workers throughout Thailand’s hospitals. When the COVID-19 crisis subsides, the ownership of the factory will be transferred to one of Bangkok’s public hospitals.
  • Support to employees: Mr. Suphachai Chearavanont, the CEO of C.P. Group announced on April 8th, 2020 to staff that the Group is committed to not making layoffs as a result of COVID-19 across the Group worldwide, and will work together with its subsidiaries in accordance with local laws and regulations. In addition, the Group will cover medical expenses to treat COVID-19, provide education loans for their employees’ children, and provide food to quarantined employees who are negatively impacted by COVID-19 in Thailand. The Group also announced plans to create new jobs, including hiring 20,000 new employees for food delivery services across Thailand.
  • Free delivery of food and essentials supplies to hospitals: In response to COVID-19, Charoen Pokphand Foods Public Company Limited (CPF) has provided free food delivery to 88 hospitals across Thailand. To cope with rising demand for food supply throughout Thailand, CPF has increased production capacity of certain essential food such as eggs and will ensure sufficient supplies without an increase in food prices.
  • Upgrade digital infrastructure for remote working and e-learning: C.P. Group’s telecommunications arm, True Corporation Public Company Limited (True Corporation), tripled domestic and international bandwidth capacity to provide customers with enhanced services on digital platforms for e-learning, remote working and e-payment services. To provide digital solutions that help with social distancing, True Corporation has offered free access to a cloud-based integrated solutions platform – “True Virtual World”- that was developed in less than a month during COVID-19 to support work from home arrangements and e-learning for students. True Corporation, in collaboration with CPF, is also providing free mobile phone SIM cards to suspected COVID-19 patients who register to receive free food delivery from CPF. In addition, through the Digital Council of Thailand (DCT), of which C.P. Group’s CEO Suphachai Chearavanont is President, True Corporation announced that they will work alongside other Council members to launch digital platforms and applications to help source medical supply donations as well as track, trace and contain the spread of COVID-19.

Mr. Suphachai Chearavanont, CEO of Charoen Pokphand Group, said, “During these dark times, we must unite and tackle COVID-19 together. Critical to our fight against this pandemic is to make sure our frontline medical workers have the essential medical equipment they need, and surgical masks are critical for them at this time. At this moment, we are also very focused on keeping people employed and do what we can to help our employees and their families, our customers and our local communities. With the mask factory now open along with all our other COVID-19 initiatives, we are using the best of our capability throughout the areas and sectors our Group operates in to contribute to the fight against COVID-19. Our Group was founded on the Three-Benefit Principle, which places the countries and communities in which we operate as well as our people before the company’s interest. This remains central to everything that we do, especially during difficult and challenging times.”

Mr. Soopakij Chearavanont, Chairman of Charoen Pokphand Group, said, “We are committed to fighting the COVID-19 pandemic alongside Thailand until the very end. We strongly believe that through the global partnerships we have with our network of suppliers and most importantly employees, we can pool together skills and resources as we continue our joint efforts to tackle COVID-19. We recognize that this is a challenging time for us all, and as a Group, we want to make sure we are doing everything we can to help our local communities and to support all our stakeholders. This is the right thing to do at this time and I believe by working together, we can get through this unprecedented challenge that COVID-19 has presented to all of us both locally and globally.”

Suphachai Chearavanont (center), CEO of C.P. Group, visiting the production line inside the surgical face mask factory
Suphachai Chearavanont (center), CEO of C.P. Group, visiting the production line inside the surgical face mask factory
C.P. Group Senior Chairman Dhanin Chearavanont (sixth from left), Chairman Soopakij Chearavanont (fourth from left), and CEO Suphachai Chearavanont (third from left), handed 100,000 masks to the Chulalongkorn Hospital, Thai Red Cross
C.P. Group Senior Chairman Dhanin Chearavanont (sixth from left), Chairman Soopakij Chearavanont (fourth from left), and CEO Suphachai Chearavanont (third from left), handed 100,000 masks to the Chulalongkorn Hospital, Thai Red Cross

About Charoen Pokphand Group:

The Charoen Pokphand Group (C.P. Group) is a leading Thai multi-national conglomerate that operates 3 core businesses in agro-industry and food, marketing and distribution, and telecommunications. C.P. Group invests in 21 countries with over 200 companies and 300,000 employees located around the world. The organization operates under the ‘3-Benefits’ principle of ‘Benefiting the Country, the Society and then the Company’ where ever we operate, thereby enabling C.P. Group to play a role in the development of Thailand’s economic and social development as well as all countries we have invested in. Since September 2017, three of C.P. Group’s listed businesses have been admitted to the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) Emerging Markets, signalling C.P. Group’s long-term commitment to ensuring a sustainable future.

For more information, please visit: www.cpgroupglobal.com/en/

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