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TOKYO, Sept. 17, 2021/Kyodo JBN-AsiaNet/–

– Meeting Set for October 2 to 5, 2021, Seeking Better Future of Humankind –

The STS forum is holding its 18th Annual Meeting from October 2 to 5, 2021. World leaders, including professional scientists, policymakers and business leaders, will gather online to discuss the pressing science and technology issues the world is facing and to build an international network.

Dates: Saturday, October 2, to Tuesday, October 5, 2021
Venue: LIVE ONLINE from Kyoto, Japan
Participation: By invitation only

Invitation requests can be submitted from https://www.stsforum.org/kyoto2021/.

Program
The forum will host 20 sessions online this year. Some examples of the topics are “Global Pandemic–Lessons Learned and Forecast,” “Green Recovery for Sustainable Society,” “Disruptive Technologies for Industries,” “The Second Quantum Revolution and Society,” “Lights and Shadows of Digital Economy,” and “Path Toward Net-Zero Emission.”

Confirmed speakers
More than 100 distinguished speakers, including 14 Novel laureates, have confirmed their online presence:

Policymakers:
– Mariya Gabriel, Commissioner, European Commission, EU
– Laksana Tri Handoko, Chairman, National Research and Innovation Agency, Indonesia
– Helen Elizabeth Clark, 37th Prime Minister of New Zealand

Business leaders:
– Nathan Myhrvold, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Intellectual Ventures, U.S.A.
– Terry Brady, President and CEO, Underwriters Laboratories Inc., U.S.A.
– Ahmad O. Al-Khowaiter, Chief Technology Officer, Saudi Arabian Oil Company, Saudi Arabia

Academia:
– Anthony S. Fauci, Director, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, U.S.A.
– George Fu Gao, Director-General, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, China
– Gerald H. Haug, President, German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina, Germany

International organization/media:
– Seth Berkley, CEO, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance
– Magdalena Skipper, Editor-in-Chief, Nature, U.K.
– Holden Thorp, Editor-in-Chief, Science, U.S.A.

Entire program (updated daily):
https://www.stsforum.org/kyoto2021/

Online coverage available to the media
To register, please visit: https://www.stsforum.org/media/

Scenes from last year’s annual meeting:
https://kyodonewsprwire.jp/release/202109139960?p=images

YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1ykQ8GL4Rc&ab_channel=STSforum
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNtFlPkHuZk&ab_channel=STSforum

About STS forum
The STS forum, a non-profit organization founded in 2004, aims to provide a unique platform for the world’s top leaders to unite and discuss how to deal with science and technology issues from a long-term perspective for the future of humankind.
https://www.stsforum.org/


Source: STS forum (NPO) 

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 17 (Bernama) — To celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival and the joy of family reunions, VistaJet, the first and only global business aviation company, has introduced Moonlight Infusions.

For a limited time, clients are invited to celebrate the festival on board with a bespoke tea and mooncake pairing session, as well as a personalised Tea Flight Experience while basking in the beauty of the moon.

Executive Vice President of Marketing and Innovation at VistaJet, Matteo Atti said in a statement: “Mid- Autumn Festival is about spending quality time with family, be it in the air or on the ground.”

“Whether you are looking for a notable experience in the air or simply looking for the safest way to reunite with family, VistaJet is here to help anytime, anywhere, and create one of the most unforgettable memories for you at this special time of the year.”

Available from now throughout September 2021 for those departing from key Asian cities, Moonlight Infusions showcases highlights from VistaJet’s tea collection, including Red Dragon tea, Dragon Well, Iron Buddha and Vintage Imperial Puerh.

Clients will appreciate the teas with thoughtfully paired premium mooncakes. For example, Red Dragon is a unique black tea with an enticing fruity flavour and creamy note of chocolate, making a perfect combination when paired with a dense, rich red bean mooncake.

The bespoke Tea Flight Experience is also available upon request to VistaJet clients both on board and on the ground, guided virtually by tea masters who will take clients on an immersive journey through the world of tea and bring to life their signature varieties.

VistaJet also offers its clients the opportunity to embark on tea plantation journeys around the world, curated by Based on a True Story, enabling guests to connect with the origins, the people and culture behind the teas.

— BERNAMA

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 15 (Bernama) — Procter & Gamble has announced a comprehensive plan to accelerate action related to climate change.

P&G has also set a new ambition to achieve net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across its operations and supply chain, from raw material to retailer, by 2040 as well as interim 2030 goals to make meaningful progress this decade.

“We are fully committed to use P&G’s innovation and ingenuity to unlock new solutions to address climate change,” said Chairman, P&G President and Chief Executive Officer, David S. Taylor in a statement.

“The task ahead of us is urgent, difficult and much bigger than any single company or country. P&G is tackling these challenges head-on by reducing our footprint and leveraging our scale to foster unprecedented collaboration across our value chain.”

The company’s 2030 goals to pace its progress toward net zero were submitted to The Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi): reducing emissions across operations by 50 per cent and reducing emissions across supply chain by 40 per cent.

It has joined the UN’s Race to Zero and the Business Ambition for 1.5°C campaigns and is also sharing its new Climate Transition Action Plan, which outlines a comprehensive approach to accelerating climate action and the key challenges ahead.

The company’s top priority is to significantly reduce GHG emissions as quickly as possible with solutions that exist today, including reducing emissions across operations; accelerating renewable electricity; and, decarbonising its supply chain and logistics.

The company knows there are some operational emissions cannot be eliminated yet and its teams are working hard to develop the next generation of low-carbon technologies and materials. Its efforts in this area include leveraging renewable thermal energy and advancing low-carbon technologies, materials, and packaging.

P&G is also going beyond its net zero ambition and doing more to make a collective impact – partnering with consumers to reduce GHG emissions from the use phase of products, creating alliances for carbon-efficient homes, and advocating for policy solutions to decarbonise energy infrastructure.

More details at http://www.pg.com.

— BERNAMA

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 13 (Bernama) — The results of a Japanese Phase III domestic multicenter randomised controlled trial of a digital therapeutic app for hypertension (DTx) jointly developed by CureApp Inc (the Company) and Jichi Medical University were presented recently.

It was presented by Professor Kazuomi Kario of Jichi University’s Department of Cardiovascular Medicine at the European Society of Cardiology Congress held at the end of August 2021 (ESC Congress 2021 – The Digital Experience: Late Breaking Trials in Hypertension).

The results of this trial were also published in the European Heart Journal, one of the world’s leading journals on cardiovascular disease, according to a statement.

This clinical trial ran from January 2020 to December evaluating the efficacy and safety of the therapeutic app for patients with essential hypertension.

This trial was performed as a comparative study of two groups, a control group which received guidance on lifestyle changes based on the Guidelines for the Management of Hypertension 2019 (the Guidelines), and an intervention group which used this therapeutic app in addition to applying lifestyle changes in accordance with said Guidelines.

This represented the world’s first trial of a therapeutic app for the purpose of regulatory approval in the field of hypertension.

The difference in the 24-hour systolic blood pressure between the groups (adjusted mean value) based on ABPM at the study entry point of 12 weeks – the primary evaluation item – was -2.4 mmHg, indicating a significant hypotensive effect in the intervention group using the therapeutic app compared to the control group.

The control group was provided guidance on lifestyle changes, and had their blood pressure monitored every day.

A difference in the 24-hour systolic blood pressure between the groups based on ABPM of -2.4 mmHg represents a clinically significant change, reducing the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases and cerebrovascular diseases by 10.7 per cent.

The 10 mmHg reduction of morning home SBP provided when using this therapeutic app demonstrates a clinically significant outcome in reducing cardiovascular diseases, while also demonstrating the effectiveness of the therapeutic app as an option for treating hypertension in the future.

CureApp Inc is a medtech startup that conducts research and development and manufactures and distributes software medical devices. More details at http://cureapp.co.jp/

— BERNAMA

PETALING JAYA, Sept 10 (Bernama) — Tourism Productivity Nexus (TPN), the industry-led establishment under the purview of Malaysia Productivity Corporation (MPC) welcomes the announcement by YB Dato’ Sri Hajah Nancy Shukri, Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, to open Langkawi Island as pilot for domestic tourists.

Uzaidi Udanis, TPN Champion, who is also the President for Malaysia Tourism Inbound Association (MITA) and Malaysia Tourism Council (MTC) said, “The industry players especially those in Langkawi Island and travel agencies are delighted with the announcement from the Minister. Of course, we hope to see more destinations to reopen, yet let us see first how Langkawi Travel Bubble fares”.

“I urge my friends in the industry to take this opportunity. However, it is important for us to adhere to the SOP. TPN itself too has Certificate of Compliance COVID-19 Adopt and Adhere Guidelines to supplement the existing SOP. We have to balance the reopening of the tourism activities with the general well-being and health of the public. Vaccination and SOP compliance are keys. I urge as well the tourism friends in Langkawi to ensure that your products and services are ready. This is our part in the bargain. Now that the government is reopening destinations by stages, our responsibility is to ensure that we are ready to receive tourists”. Said Uzaidi in statement after a webinar organised by TPN on 9 September 2021, where TEKUN Nasional shared with nearly 100 tourism industry players on the financing schemes available for the tourism industry players to restart their business.

Dato’ Abdul Latif Haji Abu Seman, MPC Director General, believes that Langkawi Travel Bubble will spur the productivity growth of the tourism industry in the island, “The pilot initiative in Langkawi is essential to see how best the tourism industry can recover. Lessons from Langkawi can be adapted to other destinations. I congratulate Minister YB Hajah Dato’ Sri Hajah Nancy Shukri for taking this step to restart the industry. It is a calculative but a necessary move – where health and economy aspects need to be balanced”.

The pilot project for Langkawi Travel Bubble comes with a set of standard operating procedures, among others, travel to Langkawi is only for those who have completed 2 doses of vaccine, and visitors must show evidence of purchase such as for flight and ferry tickets, hotel receipts, or tour package receipts when applying for the permission letter from PDRM or requested by authority. Domestic tourists are allowed to travel to Langkawi from 16 September 2021.

For more information regarding TPN’s Adopt and Adhere COVID-19 SOP Guidelines, visit http://www.wayup.my/gppac19.

About Malaysia Productivity Corporation (MPC)

Malaysia Productivity Corporation (MPC) is a statutory body under the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI). MPC promotes productivity, quality and competitiveness to the industries and organisations in Malaysia. MPC’s vision is to be the leading organisation in productivity enhancement for global competitiveness and innovation.

About Tourism Productivity Nexus (TPN)

Tourism Productivity Nexus (TPN) is a one-stop centre that caters to enterprises to boost productivity while increasing innovation and capturing growth opportunities. The Nexus’ initiatives emphasise the development of a holistic ecosystem in order to increase technology adoption and further strengthen key industry enablers.
Released by MALAYSIA PRODUCTIVITY CORPORATION


SOURCE : Malaysia Productivity Corporation (MPC)