Tag: Africa

New York, Sept. 08, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — As world leaders gather for the United Nations General Assembly, the Open Society Foundations is calling for bold steps to address critical worldwide crises, including:

• A global rescue plan that sees higher-income countries committing 2% of their GDP to tackle spiraling living costs and embracing solutions such as pricing regulations, IP waivers, and windfall taxes;
• Immediate debt relief and financial assistance to lower-income countries, including by suspending IMF/World Bank surcharges and issuing a new round of Special Drawing Rights;
• Creation of a Loss and Damage mechanism to support countries that have already experienced irreparable or severe harm due to climate change;
• Russian accountability for war crimes in Ukraine and an end to the war there; and
• More open, inclusive, and effective global institutions that reflect the make-up of the world.

“Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow isn’t just a line from Macbeth,” said Mark Malloch-Brown, President of the Open Society Foundations. “For too long, it has also been at the heart of world leaders’ plan to tackle these mounting global challenges. That has to change.”

Malloch-Brown and other Open Society Foundations representatives will be in New York in September and are available to comment on the above:

• Mark Malloch-Brown, President, formerly served as UN Deputy Secretary-General to Kofi Annan, led the UN Development Programme and was vice-president at the World Bank and Minister with responsibility for Africa, Asia, and the UN under UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown. He can speak about the global fallout from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, debt relief, development assistance, and reform of international institutions.
• Laura Carvalho, Director for Equity, is a leading Brazilian economist and co-founder and Director of the Research Center on Macroeconomics of Inequality at the University of São Paulo and has written extensively on development economics and inequality. She can speak about the global economy and the need to reduce inflationary and debt pressures in the Global South.
• Yamide Dagnet, Director for Climate Justice, previously served as the Director of Climate Negotiations at the World Resources Institute, focusing on the equitable implementation of international climate agreements. She can speak about the need for climate action that is fair and equitable for all countries and communities.
• Natalie Samarasinghe, Global Director of Advocacy, formerly served as CEO of the United Nations Association-UK and Speechwriter for the President of the UN General Assembly. She can speak about global crises and the need for international action, as well as UN reform.
• Oleksandr Sushko, Executive Director, International Renaissance Foundation in Ukraine (not in New York during UNGA), was Director of the Centre for Peace, Conversion and Foreign Policy of Ukraine. He can speak about the work and needs of civil society in Ukraine and the Ukraine Democracy Fund.

The Open Society Foundations, founded by George Soros, is the world’s leading funder of independent groups working for justice, democratic governance, and human rights.

Office of Communications
Open Society Foundations 
(212) 548-0378
media@opensocietyfoundations.org

AI-based plug-in features industry’s largest number of search attributes, new UI enhancements and adds support for leading VMS

Tokyo, Japan, Sept. 08, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — i-PRO Co., Ltd., a global leader in professional security solutions for surveillance and public safety, today announced the latest version of its Active Guard plug-in. The AI-based plug-in can turn video management systems (VMS) into powerful search engines capable of real-time searches or deep forensic analysis. Already supported by leading VMSs including Genetec Security Center and i-PRO Video Insight, the latest version now adds support for Milestone Systems’ X-Protect and i-PRO’s ASM300 software, and features the industry’s largest number of search attributes and new UI enhancements.

“With the addition of Milestone X-Protect, i-PRO Active Guard is now available to the major leaders in the global VMS market and will revolutionize how Security Officers conduct real time and post event searches,” said Norio Hitsuishi, Global Head of Product Management at i-PRO. “These enhancements combined with the extension of our AI-capable camera line-up are creating a powerful end-to-end AI security ecosystem that allows businesses to take their security infrastructure to the next level. This latest announcement underscores i-PRO’s mission as a trusted next-generation partner to make AI the new standard in the security industry.”

Fast and intuitive, i-PRO Active Guard creates a more efficient and accurate AI-powered system without compromising on image quality or network performance. The plug-in integrates seamlessly into the existing UI of the VMS, appearing as just another function tab. It allows users to easily manage the AI analytics from multiple i-PRO cameras and allows users to easily set up sophisticated search parameters based on the industry’s largest number of search attributes which include gender, age, clothing color, facial characteristics, vehicle color and direction, and many more.

With Active Guard, Security Officers no longer have to spend time looking at multiple screens for persons or vehicles of interest or watch hours of recorded video to search for important events. Operators can register specific characteristics in their watch lists (for instance “male wearing a red shirt and blue pants”) and the VMS will send them a real-time alarm whenever a match is identified, a feature that is unique to i-PRO. This enhances real-time situational awareness and enables proactive security. The same process can be set up for fast data mining of events during forensic investigations.

The metadata is captured and analyzed by i-PRO AI network cameras at the edge, which use the powerful Ambarella SoC, reducing bandwidth and eliminating the need for expensive servers. i-PRO Active Guard is a light-load and unique in the industry in that the edge-processed AI data results are sent to the Active Guard server eliminating the requirement for additional on-premises servers. The metadata is then searched and presented in the Active Guard plugin on the client.

For more information, visit

https://i-pro.com/global/en/surveillance/featured-products/i-pro-active-guard

About i-PRO

i-PRO Co., Ltd., is a global leader of advanced sensing technologies in the fields of Intelligent Surveillance, Public Safety and Industrial/Medical Imaging. Established in 2019, i-PRO was built on a legacy of over 60 years of innovation with Panasonic. The company’s products, software and services extend human senses to capture moments of truth with innovations that inform and protect. In order to help create a safer world, i-PRO Co., Ltd., supports the work of professionals who protect and save lives.

© i-PRO is a trademark of i-PRO Co., Ltd. Other trademarks used in this document may be trademarks of the manufacturers or vendors of the respective product.

Attachments

• New version of i-PRO Active Guard turns VMSs into powerful search engines
• New version of i-PRO Active Guard turns VMSs into powerful search engines

Veronique Froment
i-PRO
603-537-9248
[email protected]

WALTHAM, Mass. and SHANGHAI, China, Sept. 07, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Zenas BioPharma, a global biopharmaceutical company committed to becoming a leader in the development and commercialization of immune-based therapies for patients in need around the world, today announced the appointment of Simon Lowry, M.D., as the company’s Chief Medical Officer. Dr. Lowry brings over 20 years of broad clinical expertise in the design and execution of early to late-stage clinical programs to Zenas, where he will lead the company’s global clinical, medical affairs, and pharmacovigilance functions.

“We are delighted to welcome Dr. Lowry to Zenas at this pivotal time for the company as we commence two phase three registration trials for our lead product candidate, obexelimab, in the fourth quarter of this year and initiate first-in-human clinical trials for multiple pipeline programs,” said Hua Mu, M.D., Ph. D, Chief Executive Officer at Zenas. “Dr. Lowry’s proven leadership, broad clinical development background, and extensive global clinical trial experience will further strengthen our ability to execute on our mission to transform the lives of patients with unmet medical needs by bringing best-in-class immune-based therapies to patients.”

Dr. Simon Lowry added, “There are many patients with autoimmune and rare diseases in need of effective new treatment options. The deeply experienced and talented Zenas team has made impressive progress advancing the company’s pipeline in a very short period of time, and I look forward to leading the ongoing advancement of Zenas’ clinical programs through commercialization while further expanding the company’s pipeline of innovative programs.”

Dr. Lowry is a medical doctor with 20 years of experience at large and emerging pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies directing successful development programs, leading clinical and medical affairs teams, and interacting with regulatory agencies across multiple areas of medicine, including rheumatology, immunology, and ophthalmology. Prior to joining Zenas, Dr. Lowry was Chief Medical Officer at Kinevant Science, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on treating rare inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. Dr. Lowry was previously Head of Immunology R&D at Roivant Sciences, leading all development stage immunology assets into clinical development, and served as a key member of the leadership team. He also served as Chief Medical Officer at Sun Pharma North America, where he was responsible for four branded therapeutic areas (Immunology & Dermatology, Ophthalmology, Neurology and Oncology), and led all aspects of development and medical functions (including clinical development, medical information, field medical, HEOR, publications / medical communications, and operations). Early in his career, he worked at Novartis, where he served as Vice President, Global Medical Affairs Franchise Head, Immunology & Dermatology, and Pfizer, where he served in roles of increasing responsibility, including as Vice President, Oncology Medical Affairs Group Leader.

Prior to his pharmaceutical/ biotechnology career, Dr. Lowry practiced internal medicine at various institutions in the UK and Australia. He received his BA from Trinity Hall, Cambridge University, UK and his MB BChir medical degree from Cambridge University School of Clinical Medicine.

About Zenas BioPharma

Zenas BioPharma is a global biopharmaceutical company committed to becoming a leader in the development and commercialization of immune-based therapies for patients around the world. With clinical development and operations in the US and China, Zenas is rapidly advancing a deep pipeline of innovative therapeutics that continues to grow through our successful business development strategy. Our experienced leadership team and network of business partners drive operational excellence to deliver potentially transformative therapies to improve the lives of those facing autoimmune and rare diseases. For more information about Zenas BioPharma, please visit www.zenasbio.com and follow us on Twitter at @ZenasBioPharma and LinkedIn.

Investor and Media Contact:
Joe Farmer
Zenas BioPharma
[email protected]

Shinji Tokunaga Joins as President & General Manager, Japan

BOSTON, Sept. 05, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Anaqua, the leading global innovation and intellectual property (IP) management technology provider, today announced changes to its executive leadership team in the Asia-Pacific region as it continues on its long-term growth trajectory. Shinji Tokunaga joined Anaqua effective September 1, 2022, as President & General Manager, Japan. Karen Taylor, General Manager, Asia Pacific, will be leaving the company, having led Anaqua’s growth in the region for over five years.

“I want to thank Karen for her leadership and commitment to our customers, colleagues, and stakeholders,” said Anaqua CEO Bob Romeo. “Karen has been influential in developing our business and positioning Anaqua for future growth as well as serving as a member of our global leadership team.”

Tokunaga-san most recently served as Representative Director and CEO of Global Open Network Japan, Inc., where he led the entire operation, and the development and commercialization of a new payment service platform business using blockchain technology. Prior to Global Open Network Japan, Tokunaga-san held leadership positions at Akamai Technologies, Attachmate, Novell Japan, and Borland. Tokunaga-san holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Hosei University.

“Anaqua is an impressive company, and I am excited to join the team. Intellectual property is a critical asset for companies, and we have a great opportunity to help our clients derive more value from their portfolios,” said Tokunaga.

“We are very pleased to have someone with Tokunaga-san’s extensive experience leading the business and overseeing our next stage of growth and investment in Japan,” Romeo added. “His proven track record positions him well to lead our cross-functional teams and partner with our existing and future clients in the market. I am proud of what we have accomplished in Japan thus far and I am excited for what is yet to come.”

About Anaqua

Anaqua, Inc. is a premium provider of integrated intellectual property (IP) management technology solutions and services for corporations and law firms. Its IP management software solutions, AQX and PATTSY WAVE, both offer best practice workflows with big data analytics and tech-enabled services to create an intelligent environment designed to inform IP strategy, enable IP decision-making, and streamline IP operations, tailored to each segment’s need. Today, nearly half of the top 100 U.S. patent filers and global brands, as well as a growing number of law firms worldwide use Anaqua’s solutions. Over one million IP executives, attorneys, paralegals, administrators, and innovators use the platform for their IP management needs. The company’s global operations are headquartered in Boston, with offices across the U.S., Europe, Asia, and Australia. For additional information, please visit anaqua.com, or on LinkedIn.

Company Contact:
Amanda Hollis
Director, Communications
Anaqua
617-375-5808
[email protected]