BATS REVEAL SUPERIOR ADAPTATION TO ENDURE HEART STRESS: NATIONAL HEART CENTRE SINGAPORE PARTNERS PARATUS SCIENCES SINGAPORE TO ACCELERATE HEART FAILURE CARE

SINGAPORE, Sept 25 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In a first of its kind pilot study on the hearts of bats, researchers from National Heart Centre Singapore (NHCS) discovered that bats have the ability to increase the pumping strength of the hearts when in stress. This suggests that the hearts of bats are highly robust and capable of preserving heart function during intense periods of stress and hence are protected against heart failure (HF).

Bat hearts: Superior adaptability to stress

In a collaborative pilot study, researchers from NHCS, in partnership with Duke-NUS Medical School, performed an investigative test to assess the pumping strength of the heart of bats and mice under stress by administering dobutamine, a medication commonly used to stress the heart. The results showed an increased pumping strength in the hearts of bats compared to mice, demonstrating that the bat’s heart may have better functional capacity that is supported by a highly robust heart system.

Bats are the only mammals capable of flight, and studies showed prolonged periods of high heart rates and increased cardiac workload during long hours of flight¹. Other evidence also documented the extended lifespan of bats are attributed by their unique genes capable of DNA repair and cell renewal to protect against diseases². All these findings point to the superior ability of the bats’ heart in adapting their pumping strength during stress and their high functioning heart system enable bats to protect and preserve their hearts from failing.

Investigating bat hearts to advance heart failure prevention

In Singapore, HF is a leading cause of hospitalisation and accounts for 17% of cardiac admissions locally³. As Singapore’s foremost cardiac centre, NHCS sees an estimated 3000 HF patients, offering comprehensive advanced HF management, including medical treatments, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), mechanical heart device implantations and heart transplantations.

Following the preliminary discovery of the pilot study, NHCS is advancing the research through a collaboration with Paratus Sciences Singapore (Paratus) through its "PREVENT-HF” research platform to further investigate the physiology of the bat heart to understand how it adapts to stress and discover new treatments to improve the heart system in humans to potentially effect positive outcomes for individuals with HF.

Beyond clinical care, NHCS has most recently embarked on creating the world’s first Asian patient-specific miniature human heart model, capable of producing key features of HF with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF)⁴. With the centre’s expertise in generating human patient-specific beating heart cells, NHCS and Paratus will take this collaboration forward with the aims to identify potential factors that help hearts of bats adapt to stress, validate these factors, and apply the findings in human patient-specific beating heart cells with HFpEF, and lastly, validate the efficacy in preventing HF using mouse models with HFpEF.

Paratus Sciences Singapore, a subsidiary established by Paratus Sciences, is a start-up biotechnology company that unlocks novel disease targets and accelerates drug discovery by leveraging the extraordinary adaptive biology of bats. Paratus Sciences is developing a proprietary discovery platform that integrates cell biology, genomics and informatics. This platform enables Paratus to analyse extensive data and compare patterns of disease resistance and health management in bats with disease development and progression in humans. Through this data-driven comparative analysis, the team from NHCS and Paratus aim to rapidly identify and validate treatment targets. With target identification, Paratus plans to accelerate the development of therapies for human diseases.

Professor Derek Hausenloy, Director, National Heart Research Institute Singapore (NHRIS), NHCS, shared, “We are proud to partner Paratus on this novel initiative to uncover what lies beneath the unique make-up of the hearts of bats that sets it apart from other mammals. There is much we can learn from the bat’s exceptionally high metabolic rate and efficient heart system, and we look forward to identifying the key factors that can protect the human heart and enhance patient outcomes.”

Dr. Theresa G.H. Heah, M.D. MBA, Chief Executive Officer, Paratus Sciences, said, “We are thrilled to embark on this pioneering collaboration with the National Heart Centre Singapore (NHCS). It is a partnership that represents a pivotal advancement in our mission to reveal the genetic and evolutionary edge of bats to accelerate the discovery of human therapeutics. By merging our expertise in bat genomics and drug discovery with the groundbreaking research of NHCS in heart failure, this collaboration underscores our shared commitment to uncover transformative insights that could revolutionize therapeutic strategies and improve outcomes for patients.”

References:

1. O’Mara, Wikelski et al. 2017
2. Huang, Whelan et al. 2019
3. Chan WX, Lin W and Wong RCC. Transitional care to reduce heart failure readmission rates in South East Asia. Cardiac Failure Review 2016; 2: 85–9.
4. National Heart Centre Singapore Partners Medera’s Novoheart To Develop Asia’s First Bioengineered Human Heart-In-A-Jar With Heart Failure For Precision Medicine

Media Contact

Ms Belinda Lim
National Heart Centre Singapore
Mobile: (65) 9689 7453
Email: belinda.lim.s.m@nhcs.com.sg

Ms Amy Weng
National Heart Centre Singapore
Mobile: (65) 9740 9926
Email: amy.weng.xueqi@nhcs.com.sg

Paratus Sciences Singapore
media@paratussciences.com

About the National Heart Centre Singapore

The National Heart Centre Singapore (NHCS) is a 185-bed national and regional referral centre for cardiovascular diseases, and the only centre in Singapore offering heart and lung transplantation programmes. Providing a comprehensive range of cardiac care services from preventive to rehabilitative, NHCS’ clinical outcomes for heart attack treatment, balloon angioplasty with stenting, and coronary bypass surgery, are comparable to international benchmarks. An academic medical institution, NHCS actively trains and educates healthcare professionals to continuously raise the standards of cardiac care, and conducts translational medical research with local and international collaborators to bring about better cardiac health for the community. For more information, please visit: www.nhcs.com.sg

About Paratus Sciences Corporation
Headquartered in New York, NY with a subsidiary in Singapore (Paratus Sciences Singapore), Paratus Sciences is accelerating the discovery of novel therapeutics by leveraging the extraordinary adaptive biology of bats. Our company’s proprietary platform, which fully integrates cell biology, genomics, and informatics, empowers us with massive data inputs through which we are able to compare the evolved patterns of disease resistance and health management in bats with patterns of disease development and progression in humans. Through this comparative exploration and analysis, we aim to rapidly and systematically identify novel targets and develop innovative therapeutics across a spectrum of therapeutic areas. Paratus is also committed to supporting the bat research community through its division, the Bat Biology Foundation.

Paratus is backed by a top-tier investor syndicate, including Polaris Partners, ARCH Venture Partners, ClavystBio, EcoR1 Capital, Leaps by Bayer, and Alexandria Venture Investments.

Visit paratussciences.com or follow us on LinkedIn to learn more.

Annex

Click to access the hi-res version of the top and bottom images.

Click here to access the hi-res version of the image.

The following are still images taken of the echocardiograms (i.e. ultrasound to create images of the heart) of the bat’s heart. They show the two-dimensional (2D) short-axis view of the left ventricle (LV) chamber, before and after dobutamine administration. Both images show a moment during a contraction of the bat’s heart.

On the left image, there is a small gap in the middle of the LV chamber during a contraction of the heart. On the right, the LV chamber is completely closed during contraction, suggesting a more powerful pump of blood.

Click to view the videos of the echocardiograms - before and after dobutamine administration. 

http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=49388

UNESCO-LISTED RICE-FISH-DUCK ECOSYSTEM BENEFITS SW CHINA'S GUIZHOU

AsiaNet 0200394

 

​^{The rice enters harvest season in Jiabang Township, Congjiang County, southwest China's Guizhou Province.}



GUIYANG, China, Sept. 19, 2024 /Xinhua-AsiaNet/--

Congjiang County, southwest China's Guizhou Province, home to many ethnic groups, inherits an ancient and charming traditional Chinese agriculture -- vast expanses of mountain slopes carved into rice paddies where rice, fish and ducks flourish in co-existence.
 
The agricultural feat of growing one season of rice, keeping a batch of fish and raising a batch of ducks in the same rice paddy has been inherited for thousands of years in Congjiang.
 
The rice-fish-duck ecosystem in the county was listed as a pilot project for the protection of the Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) in 2011, and became the first batch of important agricultural cultural heritages in China in 2013.
 
With the start of China's traditional solar term Grain Rain, or Guyu, agricultural activities will kick into high gear on the terraced fields. Farmers put rice seedlings into the rice fields, and meanwhile, put some fish fry. When the fish fry grow to two to three fingers wide, the newly-hatched ducklings will also be put into the fields.
 
The rice fields provide natural food for fish and ducks, and the fish and ducks remove pests and weeds from the fields, greatly reducing the use of pesticides and herbicides. Fish and duck dung provides natural organic fertilizer for rice. Rice, fish and ducks are harvested from one rice field at the same time.
 
The county has made full use of the rice-fish-duck ecosystem, protecting the agricultural cultural heritage and helping local people get rid of poverty and achieve rural revitalization at the same time.
 
During the 15th conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity held in Canada in December 2022, the rice-fish-duck ecosystem in Congjiang County demonstrated to the world the ancestral wisdom of farming and biodiversity conservation experiences of local people for thousands of years.
 
In 2023, the rice-fish-duck ecosystem in Congjiang was collected and recognized for its excellence during the fourth call of the Global Solicitation on Best Poverty Reduction Practices.
 
Congjiang County boasts Kam Rice of China, a special kind of rice that has been domesticated for thousands of years by the local Dong people in Guizhou. With ethnic groups accounting for 90 percent of its population, the county is home to rich and colorful ethnic cultures and reputed as the national ecological cultural gene park.
 
Entering the mountainous villages in the county, traditional residences, drum towers and ancient barns are scattered. During the harvest season in autumn, rows of golden rice hang in the villages, reshaping a beautiful landscape.
 
Source: Guizhou Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs

SAVIYNT TO ADDRESS LOCAL IDENTITY CHALLENGES AT SINGAPORE EVENT

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 17 (Bernama) -- Saviynt, a cloud-native identity and governance platform solutions provider, announced its Converge Global Tour 2024 Singapore event, scheduled for Sept 20.

An exclusive, complimentary event for the company’s prospects, customers, and partners, visitors will be able to explore its converged platform, The Identity Cloud, and the latest innovations in identity security, including the newly released Saviynt Intelligence Suite.

As digital transformation accelerates across the Asia Pacific region, the demand for robust cybersecurity solutions is more critical than ever. This surge is fuelled by the increasing frequency of cyber threats, widespread adoption of cloud services, and heightened regulatory pressures.

Saviynt Senior Vice President, Dan Mountstephen said the company is thrilled to bring the Converge Global Tour to Singapore where it has been experiencing remarkable growth for the third year in a row.

“Singapore is a critical part of the APJ region and is at the forefront of digital transformation, and the Converge Global Tour event in Singapore is an exciting opportunity to connect with trailblazing organisations in the region,” he said in a statement.

The Converge Global Tour will cover the evolving landscape of identity and access governance, best practices for adapting to advanced cyber threats, and offer a closer look at Saviynt’s converged platform, showcasing its ability to secure digital transformation with simplicity and control.

The Singapore event will also feature Saviynt executives including Chief Product and Strategy Officer Jeff Margolies, Chief Revenue Officer Todd Rotger, and General Manager India Sapna Nair as well as industry analysts.

Margolies will share insights into the cutting-edge features of Saviynt’s Intelligence Suite, such as Intelligent Recommendations, which dynamically provides roles, access recommendations, and actionable insights that reduces access request and provisioning time by over 50 per cent and role management time by more than 80 per cent.

Also, it will showcase Copilot, an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered assistant that simplifies tasks for users, enhances decision-making, and reduces certification fatigue while improving access revoke accuracy by up to 75 per cent; and Trust Scoring, a multi-dimensional scoring model that combines various risk signals into a single, weighted score, simplifying decision-making and supporting autonomous security processes.

-- BERNAMA

AKUR8 EXPANDS CORE CAPABILITIES WITH STRATEGIC ACQUISITION OF ARIUS® RESERVING SOLUTION

Bringing the Best Reserving Solution In-House for Unmatched Innovation

PARIS, NEW YORK and ATLANTA, Sept 10 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Akur8, the next generation insurance pricing solution powered by transparent machine learning, is thrilled to announce its acquisition of Arius^®, an award-winning P&C reserving software for insurers and reinsurers, known for its innovative tools and methodologies that help insurers manage risk and improve financial performance. Boasting a robust U.S. presence and a reputation for excellence, Arius’s portfolio includes 150 insurance and consulting clients and over 1,500 users. More than one third of these clients are top-tier carriers in the U.S. and Canada, reflecting its strong foothold in the Tier 1 and Tier 2 market segments. As a trusted partner for insurers, Arius® offers comprehensive reserving capabilities that set industry standards.

Acquired from Milliman, Inc., a premier global provider of actuarial, risk management, and technology solutions, the addition of Arius^® expands Akur8’s product portfolio and introduces an innovative actuarial platform that significantly amplifies the value delivered to insurance carriers worldwide. With the combined strength of Akur8 Pricing and Akur8 Reserving, non-life insurance companies can drastically improve the speed, accuracy, and reliability of their core actuarial processes, through a comprehensive suite of tools designed to fully support actuaries and underwriters.

Management Comments 

Samuel Falmagne, CEO at Akur8 

“The insurance industry faces increasingly complex challenges, necessitating advanced solutions. Actuaries and insurance professionals must navigate changing regulatory environments and ensure accurate reserving while managing risk and maintaining profitability. The Arius acquisition effectively addresses these concerns and is a significant milestone for Akur8. It strengthens our market standing, expands our product portfolio and customer base, and reinforces our strong relationship with Milliman. Our ultimate vision is a fully integrated, next generation pricing and reserving platform that redefines actuarial best practices and combines the strengths of both Akur8 pricing and Arius, providing a best-in-class, comprehensive platform that elevates business performance and competitiveness. We are delighted to welcome the Arius team to the Akur8 family and know that together we will deliver even greater value to our clients.”

Ken Scalf, Principal, P&C Insurance Software Solution at Arius^® 

“This acquisition combines Arius’s strength in reserving with Akur8's cutting-edge approach to pricing, empowering us to deliver more comprehensive and forward-thinking solutions to our clients. Together, we can drive significant advancements in the actuarial field and better meet the evolving needs of insurers worldwide.” 

Charles Hoffman, Principal & Director of Software Development at Arius^® 

“Joining forces with Akur8 enables Arius to benefit from their SaaS and AI expertise, accelerating our product development and driving greater innovation for our clients. We're excited to embark on this new chapter together.” 

http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=49291

CRACKLE TECHNOLOGIES RAISES US$1.7 MLN TO REVOLUTIONISE ADTECH VIA AI-DRIVEN SOLUTIONS

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 12 (Bernama) -- Singapore-based publishers focussed startup Crackle Technologies has raised a US$1.7 million pre-seed round to build artificial intelligence (AI)-based products tailored for publishers, maximising their adtech earnings. (US$1=RM4.32)

The round is led by We Founder Circle & AC Ventures with participation from other investors, including founders of Impetus Technologies, Sunicon Ventures, Global DeVC and Misfits Capital.

It also attracted investment from founders of prominent publishers like Ludo King, Dainik Jagran and Amar Ujala and others who have bestowed their faith in the Crackle team.

According to Crackle in a statement, the company is also expanding across Southeast Asia with a focus on Vietnam and Indonesia.

Crackle Co-Founder, Jaivir Singh Nagi, expressed his gratitude towards the investors for their trust and support, stating that this funding will be instrumental in advancing its mission to maximise publisher revenue and fuel a thriving ecosystem of diverse content to keep the internet relevant and useful for all.

Meanwhile, on the Southeast Asia expansion, its Co-Founder, Harsh Mittal said: “Southeast Asia's booming tech scene is ripe for innovation. We are eager to partner with gaming and app developers to fuel their growth with our adtech solutions.”

The funding will be largely deployed in product & technology and to scale operations globally to support publishers across gaming, apps, news, and over-the-top (OTT) by addressing key pain points, including low fill rates and effective cost per thousand impressions (eCPMs).

Founded by three ex-Google executives, Harsh, Shashank Dudeja and Jaivir, who have a combined experience of 18 years in the publisher monetisation industry, Crackle’s mission is to enable publishers to maximise their earning potential and build sustainable businesses.

Since its launch in 2023, Crackle has gained significant traction, generating significant returns for publishers impacted by lower monetisation and the dominance of major tech platforms.

-- BERNAMA

BUSINESSNEXT POSITIONED AS NICHE PLAYER FOR SALES FORCE AUTOMATION - GARTNER

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 12 (Bernama) -- BUSINESSNEXT, a universe of composable enterprise solutions for banks and financial services, has been featured as a Niche Player in the 2024 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Sales Force Automation Platforms report for 11th consecutive year.

The quadrant highlights BUSINESSNEXT's strengths in machine-learning-based lead management, predictive scoring models, and a customisable artificial intelligence (AI) strategy.

“This recognition from Gartner highlights our commitment to providing innovative, scalable solutions that empower sales teams to exceed their goals while delivering exceptional customer experiences,” said BUSINESSNEXT Executive Director, Sushil Tyagi.

According to a statement, the platform was evaluated for its comprehensive suite of enterprise solutions, with a focus on its sales automation capabilities.

This positioning places the company among the top 13 vendors globally in the sales force automation platform, demonstrating its industry-focused approach and advanced solutions to delivering cutting-edge solutions.

With a strong presence in financial services and insurance across Asia Pacific, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and North America, BUSINESSNEXT continues to enhance its platform with generative AI (GenAI)-powered models, visualisations, and mobile features to boost operational efficiency.

The company plans to introduce a smart seller assistant and enhance AI-powered workflows and know your customer (KYC) verification, further supporting global businesses in digital transformation, in addition to continuing advanced sales automation with its strong focus on developing native specialised AI solutions.

Future enhancements include the launch of WORKNEXT studio, a no-code platform offering GenAI-powered tools for lead summarisation and workflow design and improved productivity.

-- BERNAMA

CHINA KICKS OFF INTERNATIONAL FAIR TO ELEVATE INVESTMENT, TRADE

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 9 (Bernama) -- The 24th China International Fair for Investment & Trade (CIFIT), which kicked off in Xiamen, Fujian Province, was participated by 119 countries and regions and 18 international organisations, of which about 80 per cent are in the joint pursuit of the Belt and Road Initiative.

The event was sponsored by the Ministry of Commerce and co-organised by the Fujian Provincial People's Government, the Xiamen Municipal People's Government, and the Investment Promotion Agency of the Ministry of Commerce.

Themed "Investment Linking the World", this year's CIFIT has a total exhibition area of 120,000 square metres with new highlights, namely "Invest in China" and "China's Outward Investment and Cooperation" areas, showcasing the achievements of foreign investment in China and vice versa.

The event has set up a 47,000 square metres Industrial Innovation and Development Pavilion, focusing on fields such as BRICS cooperation, supply chain innovation, new quality productive forces, as well as green and low-carbon, according to a statement.

Its five areas, namely the BRICS Exhibition on New Industrial Revolution, Digital Economy, China Supply Chain Innovation, New Energy and Green Innovation, and the 2024 China (Xiamen) International Technology Expo for Public Security and Legal Services are geared up to demonstrate regional investment and cooperation achievements, new technologies and products in industrial innovation and development, as well as trends in strategic emerging industries and future-oriented industries.

This year marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Hungary, and Hungary is the guest of honour at this year’s CIFIT.

As the barometer and weather vane of China's inbound and outbound investment, CIFIT has been successfully held for 23 sessions since it was founded in 1997.

More than 30,000 projects have been signed, a great number of signature foreign-funded projects have been implemented in China, and numerous Chinese enterprises have reached the global market.

-- BERNAMA

Lantronix's SmartEdge Winners Deliver Award-Winning Solutions Worldwide

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 5 (Bernama) -- Lantronix Inc, a global leader of compute and connectivity Internet of Things (IoT) solutions, announced the winners of its 2024 SmartEdge Partner Program Awards, highlighting its top channel partners in North America; Asia Pacific (APAC); and Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA).

“This year’s SmartEdge Partner Program winners are driving worldwide sales and developing relationships with our mutual customers, contributing to Lantronix’s position as a global compute and connect leader that is enabling edge intelligence with award-winning solutions for AI, Embedded, IoT and IT applications.

“We applaud their efforts and look forward to many more years of continued mutual success,” said Lantronix Vice President of Worldwide Sales, Kurt Hoff in a statement.

The awards given to the top channel partners are categorised as Partner of the Year; Innovation Partner; Software & Services Partner; and Newcomer.

The winners for North America are TD Synnex (SmartEdge Partner of the Year); WWT (SmartEdge Innovation Partner); and Charter (SmartEdge Software & Services Partner).

Meanwhile, APAC winners are Nexty (SmartEdge Partner of the Year); Shanghai Scopecon Technology Co Ltd (SmartEdge Innovation Partner); Sheeltron Digital Pvt Ltd (SmartEdge Software & Services Partner); and EDOM (SmartEdge Newcomer).

For EMEA, winners are Atlantik Elektronik GmbH (SmartEdge Partner of the Year); Linkwave (SmartEdge Innovation Partner); SOL (SmartEdge Software & Services Partner); and Netsecurity (SmartEdge Newcomer).

For over two decades, Lantronix has been providing its channel partners with a suite of reliable, secure and easy-to-deploy solutions, including out-of-band management (OOBM), switches, system of modules (SoM) and trackers.

As a global leader, Lantronix helps its customers increase productivity, all while supported by the company’s exceptional service team, with its channel partners serving as an important part of its customer support ecosystem.

Lantronix’s SmartEdge Partner Program is designed to help value-added resellers (VARs) and systems integrators (SIs) drive revenues by differentiating their offerings with its innovative IoT, OOBM and mobility/connectivity solutions.

-- BERNAMA