Day: July 26, 2023

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Wistar-Led Team Awarded More Than $12 Million Grant from the NCI to Investigate Link Between Epstein-Barr Virus and Carcinomas

PHILADELPHIA, PA, July 26, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — It’s been known since the 1960s that Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) causes a variety of cancers, but research has overwhelmingly focused on its connection to lymphomas. Now, a multidisciplinary team of scientists led by The Wistar Institute has been awarded a more than $12 million National Cancer Institute (NCI) Program Project Grant (P01), a highly competitive five-year grant that includes a crosssection of researchers from various disciplines and institutions throughout the country. The multidisciplinary team led by Wistar scientists is exploring the role of Epstein-Barr Virus in epithelial cancers. Epithethelial cells form functional structures in organ tissue throughout the human body; they are often the site for solid organ cancers, including the most common cancers, which are known as carcinomas.

The new research will focus on basic questions about how EBV infection of normal epithelial cells transforms them into cancer-cells. Scientists also intend to build on this research to identify better and more selective therapeutic targets.

“We are investigating unexplored aspects of EBV and malignancies, potentially uncovering unique characteristics or pathways that can be targeted for therapeutic intervention,” said Italo Tempera, Ph.D., associate professor of the Gene Expression & Regulation Program of the Ellen and Ronald Caplan Cancer Center at The Wistar Institute. “This fresh perspective could lead to groundbreaking discoveries and innovative treatment strategies for EBV and epithelial malignancies.”

The project brings together scientists from The Wistar Institute and Harvard University, including experts in epigenetics, metabolomics and drug discovery. It’s the first time researchers from this variety of disciplines have combined their efforts to focus entirely on the EBV-epithelial cancer link.

“We’ve put together a new strategy, a new way of attacking the problem,” said Paul Lieberman, Ph.D., Hilary Koprowski, M.D., Endowed Professor and director of the Center for Chemical Biology and Translational Medicine at Wistar. “By working together across different modalities, there’s an opportunity for each of us to learn from the synergy and expertise of the other investigators.”

EBV is one of the most common human viruses, infecting an estimated 95% of people by the time they reach adulthood. Symptoms are usually mild, and most people recover within a few weeks. However, the virus can remain latent in the human body for years or even decades, and it causes some people to develop cancer later in life.

While research has historically focused on lymphomas, EBV-linked epithelial cancers are both more common and more deadly. Epithelial cancers represent 75% of the 200,000 EBV-related cancer cases diagnosed each year, and these cancers also have higher mortality rates and treatment failures.

“This grant put together a team that is now focused on this type of cancer that has been neglected, even though it’s the most common form of EBV cancers,” Lieberman said. The grant will fund three main research projects. The first will look at how EBV establishes a long-term infection within epithelial cells. The second will study how it causes genetic and metabolic changes to trigger cancer growth. Finally, researchers will use these findings to investigate new therapeutic strategies.

The research builds on past work by Lieberman’s lab, which has focused on developing small molecule inhibitors targeting EBV. He said the new project would focus on studying drugs that are already in development, and looking for ways to make them more targeted or use them in combination with other therapies.

Tempera said the group’s integrated approach sets it apart.“Our project will study both metabolic and epigenetic vulnerabilities simultaneously,” he said. “Combining these two aspects can provide a comprehensive understanding of the role of EBV infection in cancer and its underlying mechanisms, leading to unique insights and therapeutic opportunities.”

Co-authors: Ben Gewurz of Harvard; Joseph Salvino, Samantha Soldan, Andrew Kossenkov, Louise Showe, and Qin Liu of Wistar.

Darien Sutton
The Wistar Institute
215-870-2048
dsutton@wistar.org

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 8881269

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Hitachi Energy selected as preferred technology provider for the longest HVDC link in the UK

HVDC interconnection to secure power transmission and support new renewable electricity generation with the country’s largest electricity transmission project

Zurich, Switzerland, July 26, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Hitachi Energy, a global technology leader that is advancing a sustainable energy future for all, today announced it has been selected as preferred technology provider of SSEN Transmission and National Grid, to supply two high-voltage direct current (HVDC) converter stations to interconnect the Scottish and English power grids.

The energy transition requires a collaborative effort that can only be achieved with advanced technologies and new ways of working. In appointing Hitachi Energy as their preferred technology provider, SSEN Transmission and National Grid secure best-in-class technology and future production capacity in a rapidly growing market. For Hitachi Energy, this enables investment in new production capacity and to undertake large-scale recruitment drives. It also strengthens collaboration, standardization of solutions, and synergies between projects.

The integration of renewables requires solutions that make the grid resilient, stable, and flexible. Hitachi Energy’s innovation and long development of voltage sourced converter (VSC) power electronics and control and protection (MACH™) technologies meet the requirements alongside many other landmark grid integration projects.

Eastern Green Link 2 will consist of two 525-kilovolt (kV) bipole VSC converter stations connected by 440 kilometers of subsea cable and 70 kilometers of underground cable, making it the longest HVDC link in the UK. The link will efficiently supply a total of 2,000 megawatts (MW) of electricity, which is enough to power around two million UK homes.1

The link will help to secure power transmission in the northern UK and support the integration of new renewable electricity generation in Scotland, as part of the UK’s Net Zero Strategy.2 As much as 11,000 MW of offshore wind capacity is possible in Scottish waters by 20303, and HVDC transmission will play a large part in bringing this vast amount of renewable power to shore and south, to communities across the country.

“The UK’s Net Zero Strategy has ambitious targets which will require vast amounts of new renewable generation. Electricity will be the backbone of the entire energy system,” said Niklas Persson, Managing Director at Hitachi Energy’s Grid Integration business. “Our pioneering HVDC technology will ensure that this electricity will reliably and efficiently get where it’s needed most.”

“This is another important milestone for EGL2 which is part of the new network infrastructure required to help the UK meet its net zero and energy security ambitions,” said Sarah Sale, Deputy Project Director of National Grid. “Along with cabling bidder and formal joint venture announcements, this is another key part of the project which is now in place and ready for the delivery phase. We look forward to working in collaboration with Hitachi Energy and BAM as the project continues to progress.”

“The converter stations at either end of the cable will play a crucial role in making the power transported subsea suitable for transportation around the onshore transmission network – getting Hitachi Energy and BAM in place to deliver that technology is great for the project,” said Ricky Saez, the EGL2 Project Director from SSEN Transmission.

“BAM is delighted to work in collaboration with Hitachi Energy on this vital renewable energy project for National Grid and SSEN Transmission,” said Huw Jones, Executive Director of BAM Nuttall. “The converter stations will enable the transmission of green energy from areas of offshore wind generation to centers of population, supporting the UK’s net zero ambitions and providing better energy security. We look forward to engaging with local communities and suppliers in Aberdeenshire and North Yorkshire, supporting BAM’s vision to deliver sustainable infrastructure for our clients, stakeholders, and the communities in which we work.”

Hitachi Energy is collaborating with BAM, a construction company that designs, builds, and maintains sustainable buildings and infrastructure, to provide the civil and installation scope for the project. The collaboration with BAM will leverage the core competencies of the two companies to deliver a best-in-class solution for the project.

Hitachi Energy pioneered commercial HVDC technology almost 70 years ago and has delivered more than half of the world’s HVDC projects.

1 https://www.nationalgrid.com/electricity-transmission/network-and-infrastructure/segl2
2 https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/net-zero-strategy
3 https://www.gov.scot/publications/offshore-wind-policy-statement/
4 Modular Advanced Control for HVDC (MACH™)

HVDC website:

https://www.hitachienergy.com/offering/product-and-system/hvdc

Photo captions:

North Sea Link Blyth Converter Station UK

Eastern Green Link 2

About Hitachi Energy
Hitachi Energy is a global technology leader that is advancing a sustainable energy future for all. We serve customers in the utility, industry and infrastructure sectors with innovative solutions and services across the value chain. Together with customers and partners, we pioneer technologies and enable the digital transformation required to accelerate the energy transition towards a carbon-neutral future. We are advancing the world’s energy system to become more sustainable, flexible and secure whilst balancing social, environmental and economic value. Hitachi Energy has a proven track record and unparalleled installed base in more than 140 countries. Headquartered in Switzerland, we employ around 40,000 people in 90 countries and generate business volumes of over $10 billion USD.
https://www.hitachienergy.com
https://www.linkedin.com/company/hitachienergy
https://twitter.com/HitachiEnergy

About Hitachi, Ltd.

Hitachi drives Social Innovation Business, creating a sustainable society through the use of data and technology. We solve customers’ and society’s challenges with Lumada solutions leveraging IT, OT (Operational Technology) and products. Hitachi operates under the business structure of “Digital Systems & Services” – supporting our customers’ digital transformation; “Green Energy & Mobility” – contributing to a decarbonized society through energy and railway systems, and “Connective Industries” – connecting products through digital technology to provide solutions in various industries. Driven by Digital, Green, and Innovation, we aim for growth through co-creation with our customers. The company’s consolidated revenues for fiscal year 2022 (ended March 31, 2023) totaled 10,881.1 billion yen, with 696 consolidated subsidiaries and approximately 320,000 employees worldwide. For more information on Hitachi, please visit the company’s website at https://www.hitachi.com.

Attachments

Jocelyn Chang
Hitachi Energy
jocelyn.chang@hitachienergy.com

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 8881044

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Soccer – CHAN 2024: Tunisia to take part in qualifiers for next edition

Tunisia’s soccer team of local players will take part in the qualifiers for the African Nations Championships (CHAN 2024), the Tunisian Football Federation said on Wednesday.
The first round of the CHAN 2024 qualifiers will be held between September and October 2023, according to the new competition schedule shared by the African Football Confederation

Source: EN – Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

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Angola reaches over 6,000 Megawatts of energy production

Angola currently has a production capacity of 6,300 Megawatts (MW) of energy from different sources, such as thermal, hydro and photovoltaic, thus improving its electricity supply as a result of the government’s investments, the CEO of the Electricity Production Company (PRODEL), Pedro Eduardo Afonso, said Wednesday.

Pedro Afonso said the government’s commitment to the construction of hydroelectric dams and the installation of photovoltaic plants aims to increase electricity production capacity in the country.

The PRODEL CEO advised the population to avoid cultivation on the banks of the Kwanza River to avoid flooding and damage to agricultural production.

Cuanza Norte is home to the hydroelectric dam located in Cambambe, with an installed capacity of 960 MW.

A hydroelectric plant is being built in the São Pedro da Quilemba commune, 74 kilometers from Dondo city, which will generate 2,172 MW and produce electricity for more than eight million Angolans.

Source: Angola Press News Agency (APNA)

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President authorises expenditure for upgrading Lubango roads

Angolan government has announced plans to improve more than 90 kilometers of surrounding and urban roads in the neighborhoods of Lubango city, southern Huíla province.

The upgrade of those infrastructure, currently in run-down condition, is part of the integrated infrastructure construction programme underway in the country.

The plan also covers complementary services, such as the collection and treatment of solid waste, water collection and distribution, rehabilitation of public buildings and lighting.

The Presidential Order No. 181/23 of 24 July published on the Government Portal, states that the head of State João Lourenço authorises the expense for opening the Simplified Contracting Procedure, based on material criteria.

The purpose is to ensure the awarding of the USD 287.3 million contract. The Head of State also determines the supervision of public urban requalification works in Lubango, with an expenditure of USD 2.8 million.

In June 2017, Lubango received the assignment of the city’s integrated infrastructure works, in a Government financing of USD 212. 682 million, awarded to the consortium Omatapalo and Imosul.

The works covered an area of one hundred kilometers of infrastructure, including roads and social facilities. They also covered another 17 kilometers of drinking water supply network to Quilemba satellite city, as well as arrangements for leisure facilities.

These works, which lasted five years, involved 31 streets, most of them in the urban centre, and others were born in the surrounding, improving neighborhoods such as Machiqueira, Ferrovia, Mitcha, Mapunda and Tchioco.

In addition to the streets and kilometers of technical networks, it also involved repairing gardens and restoring green spaces.

Source: Angola Press News Agency (APNA)

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Scrap on coastal areas of Luanda and Bengo provinces will be removed

The scrap along the sea coastal areas of Luanda and Bengo provinces will be removed soon, Angop learnt on Wednesday from an official source.

The chairman of the Board of Directors of the National Maritime Agency, Anisabel Veríssimo e Costa, told press in Luanda that the two companies were recently selected through a public tender to carry out the cleaning work on coastline and the seabed I both provinces.

Anisabel Veríssimo e Costa spoke to press on side-lines of the 3rd Conference on “The Cluster of the Sea beyond Oil”, promoted by the magazine Economia e Mercado”.

Without advancing a starting date, she said that “to carry out this activity, the only thing missing is the signature of the contract for the last adjustments”.

Anisabel Veríssimo e Costa also informed that there are already other companies in both provinces to start this year the work of collecting waste from the seas.

“Now that the tender is held, it is not the responsibility of the national maritime agency to inform the details, but of the winning companies”, she clarified.

Regarding the theme of the conference, Anisabel Veríssimo e Costa considers that the blue economy at national level can be boosted with cooperation between regulatory bodies in the maritime sector.

She stressed that in order to protect the sea; the agency is committed to maritime regulation in partnership with the ministries of Fisheries and the Interior.

In turn, the administrator for the Commercial area of the Regulatory Agency for Cargo and Logistics Certification of Angola (ARCCLA), Maria Bravos, underlined that Angola has the conditions to expand the blue economy in the country.

“We have conditions to leverage our blue economy, if we look at the Port of Lobito, where we have a very strong fishing and salt industry”, she said.

The blue economy promotes economic growth based on the preservation of marine ecosystems and environmental sustainability

Source: Angola Press News Agency (APNA)

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President João Lourenço congratulates Cuba and Liberia

The Head of State, João Lourenço, on Wednesday in the Province of Luanda congratulated the Cuban government and people on the 70th anniversary of the assault on the Moncada Barracks.

In a note addressed to the President of Cuba, Miguel Mario Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, the Head of State highlighted the effort and resilience of the Cuban people who, despite facing different situations, remain strong and cohesive in the defence of sovereignty, freedom and justice, in the hope of a prosperous future.

In his congratulatory letter, João Lourenço highlighted the journey that Angola and Cuba have made over the past decades, with achievements that honour those who together fought for the preservation of freedom, independence and sovereignty of their respective nations.

Cuban defence forces supported Angolans in the most difficult times, when the country was at war with the South African apartheid regime.

This Caribbean nation has been a strategic partner of Angola since Independence in 1975 and up to now it has trained several Angolans and aims to boost economic cooperation with Angola.

The first cooperation agreement between Angola and Cuba dates back to February 1976 and concerned the health and education sectors.

Liberian people congratulated

Still on the same day, João Lourenço addressed a message congratulating the People and Government of Liberia on the country’s 176th Independence Anniversary, marked on July 26.

The message was sent to President George Weah, to whom the Angolan Head of State expressed certainty that the strengthening of existing relations of friendship and cooperation could constitute a solid platform for common actions in favour of the progress and development of the two nations.

The signing of a General Cooperation Agreement and a Memorandum of Political Consultations in 2011 inaugurated a new stage in bilateral cooperation between Angola and Liberia, signed between the Liberian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Angolan Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Source: Angola Press News Agency (APNA)

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Angola receives 2Africa submarine cable

Angola will receive the largest international submarine telecommunications cable called 2Africa, whose landing in the country is scheduled for Sunday, 30 July, on the sea coast of Cacuaco, Luanda, says a note from mobile operator Unitel to which ANGOP had access Wednesday in the capital, Luanda Province.

A service that will be operated by Unitel, is a consortium made up of eight international partners, namely China Mobile International Limited (CMI), Meta (Facebook), MTN GlobalConnect, Orange, centre3 (stc), Telecom Egypt, Vodafone/Vodacom and West Indian Ocean Cable Company (WIOCC), which are the investors ensuring this transatlantic connection.

The submarine cable project aims to significantly increase the capacity, quality and availability of internet connectivity between Africa and the rest of the world.

The note revealed that 2Africa was designed to provide continuous international connectivity to approximately three million people, representing 36% of the global population, connecting the continents of Africa, Europe and Asia.

Unitel is the only Angolan operator that has joined the consortium and is responsible for creating the conditions for the operations of the submarine cable connection to Angola.

Through its national fibre network, the operator will be able to provide access to 2Africa to national telecommunications operators, as well as to the operator from neighbouring countries such as Zambia, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and Namibia

Source: Angola Press News Agency (APNA)

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Lion Attack Leaves Three Injured

Three people are nursing serious injuries at Nanyuki Teaching and Referral Hospital (NTRH) after they were attacked by a lion in the Kimugandura area of Laikipia East Sub County. The stray lion that was not immediately established from which conservancy it had come from, further killed a sheep and left another injured before residents killed it. Confirming the incident, Kenya Wildlife Service Laikipia Senior Warden Rose Malenya said the Tuesday incident was unfortunate and encouraged residents to alert authorities once they spot any stray wild animals roaming their locations to avoid attacks. ‘For lions, you can’t really predict their time because they attack very stealthily, and again, they are not as big as elephants, where you can spot them and drive them away. We always encourage communities, through their chiefs, to call us when they see wild animals in their vicinity,’ said Malenya. Ms. Malenya said that in Laikipia, wild animals roam freely, with some confined to the conservancies; however, they are keen to prevent human-wildlife conflicts. ‘Laikipia is land where wildlife roams; there are some in conservancies and others outside protected areas. So we can’t authoritatively say this lion came from a conservancy,’ pointed out Ms. Malenya. Last month, another trader was seriously injured by a lone elephant in Doldol Market, which had strayed from nearby conservancies after breaking through an electric fence. According to data on human-wildlife conflict in Laikipia County from KWS, over 130 cases have been reported since 2016. Speaking in Laikipia recently, State Department for Wildlife Principal Secretary Silvia Museiya said that the government had released about Sh5.7 billion to compensate victims of human-wildlife conflicts countrywide. To address human-wildlife conflict in Laikipia, Ms. Museiya said that the government had further allocated funds to drill boreholes for easy accessibility of water by wildlife and reduce competition for that precious commodity between humans and wildlife. Ms. Museiya added that ranchers in the area were expected to fence their private lands, aimed at ensuring wild animals do not invade residents’ farms and destroy properties.

Source: Kenya News Agency

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Govt Keen To Digitise Services

The State Department for Immigration and Citizen Services Principal Secretary, Julius Bittok, has said that government on course in digitising all its services. Amb. Bitok said that through automation, government services will be made available even in remote areas without travelling long distances, creating opportunities for people to build trust in their government. He added that 2,560 services have been digitised end-to-end, with 5,000 services at various stages. ‘New skills for data and new technology are fast changing; the central challenge for e-citizens is how to harness technological changes for the public good so that service delivery is enhanced and hence improved livelihood,’ he said. Speaking today during the closing of a two-day sensitization workshop on e-Citizen at a hotel in Machakos County, the PS said automation of government services will enhance revenue collection and seal most leakages, and all the money that belongs to the government will be secure. ‘This means that government services will undergo a re-evaluation of our approach to service delivery on development matters and citizen change of attitude on our services,’ he said. ‘The need for greater efficiency and continuous improvement is not just about adding new skills, people, or equipment, but also looking at how to reprioritise and reduce work that is less relevant,’ he said. ‘We have a duty to continuously strive to deliver better value for money, demonstrate impact through advanced evaluation, and harness rapid technological changes for the public good,’ he stated. The e-citizen Director General, Amb. Isaac Ochieng, said that the government will close down all over 1200 e-citizen gateway pay bills serving 2,560 services to one Pay Bill number 222 222, stating that they were expensive for the government and not worth the value they were created for. He assured Kenyans that they will enjoy government services as there will be no interruption of departmental services; all services should be online in the next six months. Ochieng said the service will raise the bar on spending controls to be more assertive in using spending controls to improve the quality of services in all government departments and agencies by December this year. ‘The new service delivery will change the trends in revenue collection and give the government visibility on one platform but not one server,’ Ochieng said. ‘Officers must be transparent in government services; services are available at the convenience of the citizenry,’ he added. He said e-citizen uses a multi-agency team, with one government approach to collaboration that is not limited to within the government or the public sector but with other stakeholders. ‘We already work with a range of commercial suppliers and private sector organisations who share our goals and values; Telcos and local banks are already onboard to partner with us,’ he noted. Ochieng said the service has undergone a digital transformation and is now cybercrime-controlled; no hackers will have access to the system as it is safe and secure, and no one will sabotage the system. The workshop drew participants from 50 government agencies and stakeholders.

Source: Kenya News Agency