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German biotech innovator Altona Diagnostics launches BioNexus-certified regional hub in Malaysia: ADT Biotech Sdn Bhd.

FEI launches "Explore the Unseen" image contest in partnership with National Geographic.

BIO applauds Representative Kaptur's Energy Investment Act of 2012.

Cytori to utilize Sistemic's SistemQC™ to strengthen understanding of mechanisms & support design of Next-Generation Cell Therapies.

Bosch packaging technology and Sartorius Stedim Biotech introduce PreVAS.

CellCentric and ZoBio enter into partnership to develop lead compounds against epigenetic drug targets.

Journey to the East: The Growing Role of Asian Headquarters for Multinational Life Sciences Companies.

Bioentrepreneurship: What can Singapore learn from other Asia Pacific countries?

Bioentrepreneurship in Asia.

From Techno to Bio – Entrepreneurship in the Lion City.

Making the Cut.

Higher education plays an important role in the construction of a new growth engine of China’s economy under the new normal state. If innovation is likened to a new engine of economic growth in China, higher education is equivalent to energy and fuel provided by the engine energy for intellectual support and knowledge support. Based on Denison factor analysis, the panel data of 30 provinces in the east, middle and west of China from 1997 to 2014 was used to conduct the Cognitive computing for decision-making and choice about the impact of higher education level of human resources on China’s economic growth. The results show that the output elasticity of material capital gradually decreases from west to east, while the output effect of higher education increases gradually from west to east.

Thalamic nuclei are classified as first- and higher-order relays. The first-order relays receive their driving afferents from ascending pathways and transmit messages to cortex that cortex has not seen before. The higher-order relays receive driver messages from layer-5 cortical cells for transmission from one cortical area to another. The present study used the retrograde tracer, fluoro-gold, to define the afferents to the three regions of the mediodorsal thalamic nucleus, to distinguish which parts contain first- or higher-order relays. The results show that the main inputs to the medial region of the nucleus come from olfactory and visceral structures, those to the central region come from limbic structures and those to the lateral region come from motor centers of the central nervous system. The medial and central regions receive both modulatory (layer 6) and driver (layer 5) afferent inputs from the orbitofrontal and medial frontal areas of the prefrontal cortex whereas the lateral region receives no layer-5 inputs from its cortical connections. Further, the inhibitory modulation of the mediodorsal thalamic nucleus shows regional differences. The medial region receives inhibitory afferents from the striatum (globus pallidus, caudate-putamen), the lateral region from the substantia nigra pars reticulata and the zona incerta, and all segments of the mediodorsal thalamic nucleus receive inhibitory afferents from the thalamic reticular nucleus. The results of the present study show that each region of the mediodorsal thalamic nucleus has distinct afferent connections allowing each region of mediodorsal thalamic nucleus to be considered relatively independent subnuclei that may subserve independent functions.

Strategic environmental assessment (SEA) has the potential to play a crucial role in addressing global food insecurity. This paper presents the results of an evaluation of 17 recent Canadian SEAs, conducted for offshore petroleum exploration, exploring the extent of consideration for food security in current SEA practice. Document analysis was used to appraise consideration of eight core food security elements and conformity to procedural and analytical elements recommended for effective food security assessment in regional SEA. Performance variation among the SEAs in was observed. Notable deficiencies include lack of explicit consideration for food security and lack of transparency around public participation, as well as limited characterisations of the socio-political environment. Some encouraging findings, however, suggest that food security can be successfully addressed in regional SEA. In particular, the ‘system analysis’ approach typically employed in SEA in the offshore petroleum exploration industry is well-suited to food security assessment. Certain aspects of food security are already indirectly considered and incorporated in SEA; yet, there is considerable scope for improvement of integrating food security effectively in SEA.

This paper looks into the regional mitigation strategies of five major economies (China, EU, India, Japan, and USA) in the context of the 2°C target, using a multi-model comparison. In order to stay in line with the 2°C target, a tripling or quadrupling of mitigation ambitions is required in all regions by 2050, employing vigorous decarbonization of the energy supply system and achieving negative emissions during the second half of the century. In all regions looked at, decarbonization of energy supply (and in particular power generation) is more important than reducing energy demand. Some differences in abatement strategies across the regions are projected: In India and the USA the emphasis is on prolonging fossil fuel use by coupling conventional technologies with carbon storage, whereas the other main strategy depicts a shift to carbon-neutral technologies with mostly renewables (China, EU) or nuclear power (Japan). Regions with access to large amounts of biomass, such as the USA, China, and the EU, can make a trade-off between energy related emissions and land related emissions, as the use of bioenergy can lead to a net increase in land use emissions. After supply-side changes, the most important abatement strategy focuses on end-use efficiency improvements, leading to considerable emission reductions in both the industry and transport sectors across all regions. Abatement strategies for non-CO₂ emissions and land use emissions are found to have a smaller potential. Inherent model, as well as collective, biases have been observed affecting the regional response strategy or the available reduction potential in specific (end-use) sectors.

Economic analyses of regional irrigated agricultural production typically make little distinction between perennial and annual crops despite the distinctive characteristics of perennials. Such factors include high planting costs, lags in production, long lifespan, and potentially long-lasting impacts of input use and weather shocks. This study establishes a fully dynamic model of irrigated perennial crop production in a regional context where annuals are also grown. Perennial crop area is modeled as a vintage capital stock with age-dependent yields. The model is applied to the Riverland region of South Australia to examine the possible effects of both temporary and permanent changes in water supplies and the establishment of water prices, which is then used to estimate agricultural water demand. The model demonstrates that annuals are fallowed during drought so that perennial crops may be preserved and how, due to the fixed costs of re-planting perennials, annual crops are used to smooth profits while recovering from a severe shock. In all scenarios, a very slow rate of convergence to the steady state is found, highlighting the need for models that capture the transitional dynamics of agricultural land use in areas with significant perennial production.