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New Cannabis Testing to Help Growers Manage, Prevent Microbial Outbreaks

MCR Labs

Local cannabis testing laboratory MCR Labs has released a new testing suite designed to diagnose microbial issues and determine the best path forward for successful remediative measures. This new service can prevent future outbreaks by allowing cultivators to monitor their grow environment closely for any potential contamination sources, avoiding a full-on outbreak altogether. “It’s really a game changer for growers, as microbial outbreaks are not an ‘if’ but a ‘when’ issue,” said Jonathan Wani, MCR’s director of Business Development. “The biggest value for them is identifying the specific species behind the outbreak. Once you know what species you’re working with, you can develop a targeted remediation plan that’s going to be much more effective than a generic remediative method.” Environmental Monitoring is the latest addition to MCR’s arsenal of plant health services, following the release of Speciation and Plant Nutrition. These tools are meant to provide cultivators with actionable data on their grow to aid in the production of happy, healthy plants. “What we don’t want to do is just fail producers on these mandatory microbiological screens and leave them hanging,” said Michael Kahn, CEO & Founder of MCR Labs. “We’re here to assist cultivating a healthy plant, and therefore a safe product for the consumer.” MCR Labs is licensed as an independent testing laboratory in both the Medical and Adult Use Marijuana programs, which are overseen by the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission (CCC). The lab also offers their services to home growers, patients, researchers, or curious consumers. About MCR Labs: MCR Labs is one of the longest operational cannabis testing laboratories on the East coast with facilities operating in several legal cannabis markets. We are ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accredited providers of analytical cannabis product testing and R&D services committed to assisting licensed marijuana establishments, patients, researchers, entrepreneurs, and advocates. Our team of chemists and pharmaceutical scientists are dedicated to advancing public health and safety through leading-edge chemical analysis of cannabis products and offering unparalleled guidance and support for partners, regulators, and the communities we serve. For more information visit http://mcrlabs.com. Contact Details MCR Labs Alexandra Gomes +1 508-782-9772 alexandra@mcrlabs.com Company Website http://mcrlabs.com

May 31, 2022 12:19 PM Eastern Daylight Time

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North Texas Municipal Water District Completes One of Nation’s Largest Environmental Restoration Projects

North Texas Municipal Water District

North Texas Municipal Water District (NTMWD), in collaboration with Resource Environmental Solutions (RES), is celebrating the completion of one of the largest environmental restoration projects of its kind in the U.S. After four years of dedicated efforts, North Texas is now home to a new and growing forest of 6.3 million trees, thousands of acres of enhanced wetlands and grasslands and 70 miles of improved streams. This thriving, renewed ecosystem was completed as part of the Bois d’Arc Lake project, the first major reservoir built in Texas in 30 years. NTMWD provides drinking water to more than 2 million people, and the new lake is necessary to meet needs for one of the fastest growing regions in the country. The lake is currently filling with water delivery scheduled for Spring 2023. In addition to providing this critical water supply, the lake will offer recreation and economic benefits. The environmental improvements help offset, or mitigate, the loss of local natural habitat associated with construction of Bois d’Arc Lake. They cover approximately 17,000 acres and will have a legacy that extends for generations to come. NTMWD purchased the Upper Bois d’Arc Creek Mitigation Site and approximately 15,000 acres located along the Red River north of Monkstown, Texas, formerly known as Riverby Ranch. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Permit requires the size of mitigated areas to be similar to those inundated by a reservoir. Bois d’Arc Lake has a surface area of 16,641 acres. NTMWD’s goal was to go beyond meeting the regulatory permit requirements: The District chose to restore the land to its pre-agricultural condition. The Riverby area was entirely forested before it was converted to a working cattle ranch. The four-year mitigation efforts included planting 6.3 million trees, restoring and enhancing over 8,500 acres of wetlands, restoring 70 miles of existing streams, including sections of Willow Branch Creek, and planting approximately 3,200 acres of native grassland. This is the final year of active planting and restoration activities. Trees function as the pillar of thriving North Texas ecosystems. Earlier this year, the last several million native saplings were planted at the ranch and neighboring Upper Bois d’Arc Lake Mitigation Area. The trees were added in one to two million increments over the previous four years, with crews filling in areas as needed to establish resilient, mature forests. To better support streambanks, crews also planted live stakes, which are branches cut from black willows, cottonwoods and sycamores that grow into new trees. “Trees support complex ecosystems for wildlife, help control erosion and flooding and improve air quality,” explained RES Project Manager Matt Stahman. “All the work—stream restoration, tree planting and grass establishment—was done concurrently to create thriving ecosystems. The trees help keep sediment out of the streams, and in turn they benefit from water provided by the restored streams.” Less erosion in the lake’s watershed and waterways will decrease sedimentation and nutrient loads into Bois d’Arc Creek, the Red River and surrounding topography and improve the lake’s overall water quality. More than a million more trees were planted than originally planned, due to the need for categorizing and replanting some habitat areas. “It takes time to learn which habitats work best in each area,” said RES Project Ecologist Brandon Hall. “We came up with a plan, but our job is to work with what nature wants to do. There were some areas that we labeled in the plan as grasslands, but they ended up being better restored as forest, and vice versa. So we replanted more trees accordingly.” “The main lesson we learned was to work with and not against nature,” agreed Daniel Kampfer, RES Project Superintendent for the mitigation process. “Now we will take everything we’ve learned here—the successes as well as the setbacks—and work even more effectively and efficiently on the next large-scale restoration project.” The restoration team initially sectioned the restoration areas into 300 larger habitat sections, with trees selected for planting in some of these areas. Ultimately, over 670 habitat areas were identified and individually restored. The result of these careful designations and restoration of trees, rivers and other habitats is a highly resilient landscape that supports a diverse set of inhabitants, including pollinators, predators and birds of prey. According to Jim Bednarz, Senior Lecturer at the University of North Texas, the first signs of successful restoration is a diverse community of birds and animals, especially those at the top of the food chain—the predators. “Our preliminary data has already shown a huge number of birds of prey,” Bednarz said. Master’s degree students from the university have been onsite analyzing avian life and identified over a hundred bird species, including many that are threatened or protected in the state of Texas. RES highlighted this important research project which is available to watch online. Now that active restoration efforts are concluding, NTMWD and RES will transition to monitoring and maintenance for decades to ensure that the entire site continues to thrive. While all the new habitats must be monitored, “a lot of our ongoing efforts will be forestry, to develop those saplings and live stakes into the tree stands,” Stahman said. Teams will track the number of stands and types of trees per acre, including those that didn’t make it. Watch this video produced by RES for a stunning overview of the project and its transition to maintenance. “Think of it like a garden,” Hall explained. “The construction phase of a garden includes planting and tilling, but then it requires weeding and possibly planting a trellis and so forth to maintain. Our work is similar, just on a much larger, 17,000-acre scale.” For more information on Bois d’Arc Lake and its extensive environmental improvements, visit BoisdArcLake.org. About Bois d’Arc Lake Bois d’Arc Lake is the first major reservoir to be built in Texas in over 30 years. Located in Fannin County, the lake is owned and operated by the North Texas Municipal Water District. While the lake’s primary purpose is to provide drinking water to one of the fastest growing regions in the country, it will also offer future water recreation and outdoor activities. About NTMWD The North Texas Municipal Water District (NTMWD) was created in 1951 as a special district of the state. Today, NTMWD is a regional wholesale provider of water, wastewater, and solid waste disposal services for approximately two million residents across 10 counties – a service territory covering 2,200 square miles. With an annual operations budget of $570 million and 900 employees, NTMWD serves up to 80 communities with drinking water, more than 1.4 million people with wastewater collection and treatment, about 930,000 people with waste management services, and operates one of the largest advanced water treatment plants with a capacity of 876 million gallons per day. About RES Resource Environmental Solutions serves as the nation’s only fully scaled operating company, providing comprehensive ecological restoration and water resource solutions that build and sustain natural resiliency in local ecosystems. Contact Details North Texas Municipal Water District Wayne Larson, Director of Communications +1 214-449-8092 wlarson@ntmwd.com Company Website https://www.ntmwd.com/

May 31, 2022 09:10 AM Central Daylight Time

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SleepX approved by the Helsinki Committee to conduct clinical trial with the SleepX PRO smartphone application

Appyea

SleepX, a subsidiary of AppYea (OTC: APYP) focusing on the development of accurate wearable monitoring solutions to treat sleep apnea and snoring, announces it received approval from the Helsinki Committee to begin its planned clinical trial on the SleepX PRO application. This follows the company’s recent update that it intends to test the SleepX Pro application at a hospital sleep lab. The trial is the first step towards applying for an FDA approval under the first-of-its-kind medical device category for contactless detection of sleep apnea to be performed through the Artificial Intelligence (AI) analysis of breathing during sleep. SleepX Pro, which is designed to diagnose sleep apnea using only a smartphone, requires no physical contact with the subject. Global Smart Sleep Tracking Products Market to Garner a Revenue of USD 11,234.55 Million by 2028 and Grow with a CAGR of 17.50% during 2020-2028; Surge in Concern for Sleep-Related Disorders to Drive the Market Growth, according to Kenneth Research (May 16, 2022). “Poor sleep is associated with the compromised immune system, heart problems, reduce physical and mental performance, mood problems, obesity and many other health problems”, said Neil Kline, Founder & former CEO of the American Sleep Association, and a AppYea Board Member. “Unfortunately, most people with sleep disorder breathing problems, like sleep apnea, are undiagnosed and untreated. Our goal in this unique technology is to raise the awareness to the problem and to improve people’s they can live healthier and more fulfilling lives.” “SleepX PRO makes for a unique, quick and friendly diagnosis tool that will prevent subjects from having to spend nights at sleep labs while saving the healthcare system and insurance companies hundreds of millions of dollars”, said Boris (Bary) Molchadsky, President and CEO of SleepX, and Chair at AppYea. “We plan to make our diagnosis solution highly accessible so people get tested easily. SleepX is an Israeli research and development company recently acquired by AppYea. The company had developed a unique product for monitoring and treating sleep apnea and snoring. The technology is protected by several international patents and the company plans to start serial production in 2022. The company currently focuses its activities on the development and commercialization of its flagship product DreamIT. Legal Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This release includes forward-looking statements. Such statements involve risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from those set forth herein. No statement herein should be considered an offer or a solicitation of an offer for the purchase or sale of any securities. Although APYP believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements and the assumptions upon which they are based are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations and assumptions will prove to have been correct. Forward-looking statements, which involve assumptions and describe our future plans, strategies, and expectations, are generally identifiable by use of the words "may," "will," "should," "could," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "believe," "intend," or "project" or the negative of these words or other variations on these words or comparable terminology. The reader is cautioned not to put undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, as these statements are subject to numerous factors and uncertainties, including but not limited to adverse economic conditions, intense competition, entry of new competitors and products, adverse federal, state and local government regulation, inadequate capital, unexpected costs and operating deficits, increases in general and administrative costs, unanticipated losses, financial condition and stock price, inability to carry out research, development and commercialization plans and other specific risks. APYP does not undertake any obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement. Neither APYP nor SLEEPX are subject to the reporting requirements of the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934 as amended. Contact Details Asaf Porat +1 800-674-3561 info@appyea.com Company Website http://www.appyea.com

May 31, 2022 08:30 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Kadimastem Awarded Patent in Japan for AstroRx® For ALS and Drug Screening

Kadimastem

Kadimastem Ltd. (TASE: KDST), a clinical stage cell therapy company developing a treatment for ALS, exploring one for multiple sclerosis and developing a potential cure for diabetes, has received a patent from the Japan Patent Office for AstroRx ® for the treatment of ALS and drug screening. The patent also protects AstroRx® for the treatment of multiple sclerosis. AstroRx® is comprised of a differentiated cell population of human astrocytes derived from human pluripotent stem cells. The cells are intended to support the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord), impaired by neurological diseases such as ALS and multiple sclerosis, which disrupt voluntary muscle movement. In a first of its kind Phase I/IIa clinical trial, healthy and functioning astrocyte cells (AstroRx®) were injected into the spinal cord fluid of 10 ALS patients in a standard lumbar puncture. Data showed that AstroRx® delayed the progression of ALS by three months in ALSFRS-R measurement in both tested AstroRx doses. In the next clinical trial of AstroRx®, the plan is to test if this three-month effect can be prolonged with repeated doses every three months of the off-shelf product of AstroRx®. Kadimastem remains on track to submit an IND to the FDA before the end of 2022 to begin a multicenter clinical trial of AstroRx® for ALS in 2023 in the U.S. Kadimastem CEO Asaf Shiloni said, “The Japanese patent strengthens our intellectual property and gives our cell therapy products top priority in the very important and large Southeast Asian region of the world. In addition, we are exploring the possibilities of business partnerships with the pharmaceutical industry in Japan, both for AstroRx® for ALS and IsletRx for diabetes.” Kadimastem Chief Scientist Professor Michel Revel said, "Japan is a prominent territory. This patent protects a significant and highly unique technology and provides a solid IP advantage for Kadimastem." The Japanese market is one of the most significant for stem cell-derived cell therapies. Japan has strategic importance in this field, as it is at the forefront of the international community supporting innovation and the development of products in the field of cell therapy. In November 2014, the Japanese Parliament approved a special law 1 to facilitate clinical trials in the field of cellular medicine, with the aim of expediting approvals of intracellular therapies and quickly bringing them to market. Japan has more than 12,000 ALS patients and this number continues to increase as the population ages. The treatment of these patients is currently estimated at an annual $ 1 billion 2. [1] Azuma K. Regulatory Landscape of Regenerative Medicine in Japan. Curr Stem Cell Reports. 2015; 1: 118–128. doi:10.1007/s40778-015-0012-6 [2] Doi et al., J Epidemiol. 2014; 24(6): 494–499. doi: 10.2188/jea.JE20140059. Prevalence of ~0.01 of Japanese population of 125 M (https://worldpopulationreview.com/countries/japan-population) =12,500 About Kadimastem: Kadimastem is a clinical stage cell therapy company, developing and manufacturing "off-the-shelf", allogeneic, proprietary cell products based on its technology platform for the expansion and differentiation of Human Embryonic Stem Cells (hESCs) into functional cells. AstroRx®, the Company's lead product, is an astrocyte cell therapy in clinical development as a treatment for ALS. IsletRx is the Company's second product in development. IsletRx is comprised of functional pancreatic islet cells intended to treat patients with insulin dependent diabetes. IsletRx demonstrated safety and efficacy in a proof-of-concept preclinical study. Kadimastem was founded by Professor Michel Revel, CSO of the Company and Professor Emeritus of Molecular Genetics at the Weizmann Institute of Science. Professor Revel received the Israel Prize for the invention and development of Rebif®, a multiple sclerosis blockbuster drug sold worldwide. Kadimastem is traded on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange (TASE: KDST). Forward Looking Statement: This document may include forward-looking information as defined in the Securities Law, 5728 – 1968. Forward-looking information is uncertain and mostly is not under the Company's control and the realization or non-realization of forward-looking information will be affected, among other things, by the risk factors characterizing the Company's activity, as well as developments in the general environment and external factors affecting the Company's activity. The Company's results and achievements in the future may differ materially from any presented herein and the Company makes no undertaking to update or revise such projection or estimate and does not undertake to update this document. This document does not constitute a proposal to purchase the Company's securities or an invitation to receive such offers. Investment in securities in general and in the Company in particular bears risks. One should consider that past performance does not necessarily indicate performance in the future. Contact Details Kadimastem Asaf Shiloni +972 73-797-1613 s.bazak@kadimastem.com Must Have Communications Marjie Hadad +1 917-790-1178 marjie@mhc-pr.com Company Website https://www.kadimastem.com/

May 30, 2022 09:10 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Hong Kong Baptist University-led research identifies new regulatory mechanism of satiety and therapeutic target for obesity

Hong Kong Baptist University

HONG KONG SAR - Media OutReach - 30 May 2022 - A research team led by Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) has found that a proteolytic enzyme called membrane-type 1 matrix metalloproteinase ( MT1-MMP) plays an important role in the regulatory mechanism of fullness, or satiety, and it could serve as a promising potential drug target for the management of obesity. Dr Xavier Wong Hoi-leong, Assistant Professor of the Teaching and Research Division of the School of Chinese Medicine (left), and Professor Bian Zhaoxiang, Director of the Clinical Division of the School of Chinese Medicine and Tsang Shiu Tim Endowed Chair of Chinese Medicine Clinical Studies at HKBU (right), identified a proteolytic enzyme called MT1-MMP which could serve as a promising potential drug target for the management of obesity. The research findings were published in the internationally-renowned scientific journal Nature Metabolism. The study has also been featured as a research highlight in multiple high-impact journals, including Nature Reviews Endocrinology, Nature Metabolism and Science Signaling. Half of Hong Kong’s population obese or overweight Being overweight, especially to the extent of obesity, exposes people to a higher risk of life-threatening diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and cancer. According to the Population Health Survey conducted in 2014/15 by the Department of Health, about 30% of people in Hong Kong aged 15 to 84 were obese, and another 20% were overweight. The most effective way to tackle obesity is to reduce food consumption, but obese people often encounter difficulties in regulating their dietary habits as they lose their sense of satiety. Identifying a factor that specifically controls body weight, and investigating how it regulates our sense of satiety, is crucial for the development of therapeutic approaches for obesity. Identification of new regulator of satiety signals A research team led by Dr Xavier Wong Hoi-leong, Assistant Professor of the Teaching and Research Division of the School of Chinese Medicine (SCM), and Professor Bian Zhaoxiang, Director of the Clinical Division of SCM and Tsang Shiu Tim Endowed Chair of Chinese Medicine Clinical Studies at HKBU, identified a proteolytic enzyme called MT1-MMP which regulates the mechanism of issuing satiety signals in the human brain. Growth and differentiation factor 15 (GDF15) is a hormone that sends out satiety signals by binding with the neuron receptor in the hindbrain called GDNF-family receptor α-like (GFRAL). Mediation of GFRAL can therefore affect the ability of GDF15 to send satiety signals, and thus help regulate food intake. From this starting point, the research team conducted a series of experiments to investigate the mediation effects of MT1-MMP on GFRAL. Depletion of MT1-MMP reduces obesity The research team generated an obesity mouse model by feeding a fat-rich diet to a group of transgenic mice with a depletion of MT1-MMP in their satiety neurons, as well as a control group of ordinary mice. After 16 weeks, the mice with depleted MT1-MMP ate 10% less food, gained 50% less weight, and exhibited reduced glucose and plasma insulin levels compared to the control group. The results show that depletion of MT1-MMP protects mice from obesity induced by a high-fat diet. Following analysis with western blots, a widely used analytical technique that can detect specific proteins, the research team also found that the obese mice displayed an increased activity of MT1-MMP in the Area Postrema and Nucleus of the Solitary Tract, the brain regions involved in appetite and weight regulation. The finding suggests that increased MT1-MMP activity in the brain of obese mice could be a risk factor causing sustained weight gain. To understand the mechanism by which MT1-MMP suppresses GDF15 satiety signalling, the research team conducted a series of molecular biology experiments involving animal models and cell culture. The results show that in cells with active MT1-MMP, a significant reduction of GFRAL and thus GDF15 signalling were observed. It could be explained by MT1-MMP clipping GFRAL from the surface of the brain neurons, which blocks GDF15 from binding to GFRAL and thus reduces the number of satiety signals. This in turn keeps the neurons from transmitting the satiety signals sent by GDF15. MT1-MMP as a therapeutic target for obesity The researchers also explored the therapeutic potential of targeting MT1-MMP for obesity management, in particular through pharmacological inhibition of its activity in vivo. With the application of a specific neutralising antibody that inhibits MT1-MMP, significant improvements in metabolic parameters including food intake, glucose tolerance and body weight in obese mice were observed. The results suggest that MT1-MMP is a potential therapeutic target that could be used in the development of innovative drug treatments for obesity. Dr Wong said: “The research findings have established the role played by MT1-MMP in regulating satiety, and they have provided preliminary indications that the proteolytic enzyme is a promising target for the treatment of obesity. Pharmacological inhibition of MT1-MMP could be a viable strategy for the development of effective pharmacotherapy for the treatment of obesity.” Apart from researchers from HKBU, the research team included scientists from The University of Hong Kong, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, and the University of Helsinki. #HongKongBaptistUniversity #HKBU Contact Details Christina Wu from the Communication and Public Relations Office +852 3411 7828 christinawu@hkbu.edu.hk Company Website https://www.hkbu.edu.hk/

May 30, 2022 04:26 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Nutritional Supplement Manufacturer Nutramax Laboratories Exceeds Industry Standards for Quality

Nutramax Laboratories

For 30 years, Nutramax Laboratories has diligently adhered to industry-leading quality controls and manufacturing standards. This commitment to quality has been affirmed by Nutramax’s utilization of third-party, independent auditing and certification programs. Nutramax Laboratories recently completed a rigorous conformance assessment for the GMP certification program administered by Underwriters' Laboratories (UL), the global safety science leader in auditing and certification. The annual certification covers a full GMP audit criterion based on 21 CFR Part 111, Good Manufacturing Practices for dietary supplements. This marks the third year of the UL Certificate of Conformance program; the successful audits featuring three different auditors are a testament to the quality systems, facilities, equipment, processes, and the superb employees of Nutramax. Nutramax’s quality procedures include rigorous testing and inspection at every stage of the manufacturing process and go above and beyond the standards governing the industry. “ We choose to go above and beyond what is required because it is the only way to be certain that the products released for sale meet a defined set of the quality standards that our customers deserve,” says Godwin Omorogieva, Vice President of Quality at Nutramax. As the #1 veterinarian recommended supplement company, Nutramax Laboratories Veterinary Sciences has earned the trust of its valued customers by providing them with innovative products that are backed by science and held to the highest standard. “Supporting the health of pets is our priority,” says President and CEO, Todd Henderson, DVM. “In our ongoing pursuit of excellence for the next 30 years, and beyond, we pledge our loyalty to customers with a continued commitment to uphold the highest standards in quality control, manufacturing, and research.” Nutramax Laboratories Veterinary Sciences’ products are manufactured in state-of-the-art facilities in accordance with Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) and a strict set of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). It has long been their tradition to back each supplement with scientific studies that support their safety and efficacy, ensuring that customers can be confident that what the packaging states, can be trusted. For more information on the Nutramax Laboratories quality standard, visit nutramaxlabs.com/our-quality or speak to a dedicated Customer Service team member at (888) 886-6442. Nutramax Laboratories Veterinary Sciences, Inc. develops, and markets supplements backed by research for companion animals to help support their quality of life. Small animal products include Cosequin®, the #1 Veterinarian Recommended Retail Joint Health Supplement Brand*,**; Dasuquin®, the #1 veterinarian-recommended joint health supplement brand*; the #1 veterinarian-recommended liver support brand Denamarin®***; and products supporting urinary tract health, digestive health, and skin/coat health plus overall wellness. To learn more, call (888) 886-6442 or visit nutramaxlabs.com. *Source: Among retail brands. Survey conducted among small animal veterinarians who recommend oral joint health supplements. **Source: Among veterinary brands. Survey conducted among small animal veterinarians who recommended oral joint health supplements. ***Source: Survey conducted among small animal veterinarians who recommended liver support brands. Contact Details Erika Dyer +1 703-906-6368 erika@curleycompany.com Company Website https://www.nutramaxlabs.com/

May 26, 2022 09:48 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Legal & General Capital makes first U.S. investment, with seed capital for $4Bn platform to fund major life-science and technology assets across multiple regional U.S. markets

Legal & General

Legal & General Capital (LGC) today announced that it has formed a 50:50 partnership with U.S.-based real estate developer Ancora to create a real estate platform dedicated to driving life science, research and technology growth across the U.S. The deal will see Legal & General Capital investing an initial $500 million of seed capital to form a new company, Ancora L&G, LLC. Operating under the name Ancora, the business’ geographic focus will sit predominantly within emerging regional markets in the U.S. where early mover advantages are available. The new venture builds on the successful track record of Ancora’s team and the investing record of LGC in the UK, including over $5 billion currently committed to science and technology development projects at Oxford and Manchester universities. Ancora will be capitalized by LGC to deliver $4 billion (£3.2bn) of existing pipeline and planned acquisition and development activity over the next five years. To support future growth, LGC is seeking third party co-investment partners to accelerate scaling the portfolio. As with other LGC investments, LGC aims to finance longer term cashflows and use them to back Legal & General’s annuity business, providing better value for policyholders and greater options for investors. LGC has a strong track record of establishing and scaling up innovative businesses and has led the way in driving science and technology growth through its Bruntwood SciTech partnership, the UK’s leading developer of innovation districts. Bruntwood SciTech has quickly expanded over 11 UK locations, a model LGC will look to replicate across the U.S. Observed Laura Mason, CEO of Legal & General Capital, “Through our partnership with Ancora, we will be able to leverage Legal & General’s significant experience in the science and technology sector in a new international market with strong growth potential. Remaining committed to investing in the real economy to create a better society over the long term, for the first time we take this ethos to an international level beyond the UK’s town and city centers.” Legal & General Group currently manages over $1.8 trillion of assets globally and is increasing its presence in the U.S. for both equity and debt vehicles. Marking LGC’s first venture into the U.S., this partnership with Ancora forms an important part of its major growth strategy to deliver internationalization and attract third party capital. Notes Sir Nigel Wilson, Chief Executive of Legal & General Group, “While the U.S. is the world’s largest commercial real estate market, the lab real estate market in particular is one of the smallest sectors among other commercial U.S. asset classes. This lack of scale creates high barriers to entry for investors and has made it particularly challenging for tenants to grow due to scarcity of supply. LGC’s ability to access this opportunity via Ancora will set it apart from other sources of institutional capital seeking to participate in the market.” Ancora is a privately owned real estate firm based in Durham, North Carolina with team members in Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Indianapolis, New York, and Washington, DC. The firm acquires and develops real estate to serve high-growth science, technology, and innovation tenants in partnership with and proximate to leading U.S. anchor institutions. Core to Ancora’s program-first approach is undertaking development activity in direct partnership with anchor institutions such as universities, academic medical centers, government, and research institutes with whom they have strong and long-lasting relationships. This unique approach in the U.S. market resonates with the way LGC has looked to deploy capital through leveraging strategic partnerships to invest in socially and economically useful developments around the globe. Ancora L&G, LLC will be led by Josh Parker as Chief Executive Officer, alongside John Philipchuck as Chief Investment Officer, Jeff Kingsbury as Chief Connectivity Officer and Nicole Morrill as Chief Real Estate Officer. LGIMA’s Kristina St.Charles will move across from LGIMA as General Counsel and Legal and General’s Sujee Rajah, FCA ICAEW, will move across to Ancora L&G, LLC as its new Chief Finance Officer. Having qualified with Deloitte’s Assurance department, he has held various senior roles within the Legal & General Group, most recently as Group Investor Relations director. As part of its growth ambitions, Ancora will work closely with Legal & General Investment Management (LGIM) and its global client base as LGIM continues to expand its Real Assets expertise into the US market. Josh Parker, Chairman and CEO of Ancora L&G, noted, "Ancora's ability to deliver Real Estate for What’s Next that serves the needs of our anchor institution partners will be accelerated by this new venture with Legal & General. We can meet any anchor institution requirement with an experienced team and strong capital base aligned with the timelines and aspirations of universities, academic medical centers, government, and research centers.” He added, “Our team is excited to leverage the deep capital base of Legal & General and third-party clients to offer new investment options for our university partners, and we are eager to deliver activated districts of research and innovation that will enhance local economies across the United States. " At its Capital Markets Event at the end of last year, LGC set out plans to generate up to £600 million in profit from alternative assets by 2025, growing its alternative asset portfolio to £5 billion and generating returns of around 10 to 12 percent per annum, across its key focus areas of housing, small and medium-enterprise finance, specialist commercial real estate and clean energy. It is now looking at each of these sectors as part of its U.S. expansion. Laura Mason observed, “We see a strong alignment between our business strategy and Ancora’s strategy, with a commitment to investing long term in high-growth sectors and leveraging strategic partnerships to attract third party co-investment. As we look to grow our business at scale, we have major growth plans both in the UK and internationally, and this is just the start.” Notes to editors About Legal & General Capital Legal & General Capital (LGC) is Legal & General Group’s alternative asset platform, creating assets for Legal & General Retirement and third-party clients in order to achieve improved risk-adjusted returns for our shareholders. LGC has built its market leading capabilities in a range of alternative assets, delivering depth of resource, track record and intellectual property. Investing in the real economy and creating alternative assets that deliver a tangible societal impact, its purpose is to invest society’s capital for society’s benefit. LGC’s investments have been vertically integrated and include residential property, specialist commercial real estate, clean energy, alternative credit, and venture capital. As LGC’s capability to create alternative assets continues to grow, it will not only continue to grow its balance sheet of alternative assets but also create alternative assets for third party investors. Many of these investors have the same aims, namely to create assets to back pensions with an improved yield or to create assets with strong growth prospects but with low correlation to equities. L&G has invested around £30 billion (about $37 million) in levelling-up regional UK economies, including through major regeneration projects in Cardiff, Newcastle and Salford. Legal & General recently made a commitment to enable all new homes across its portfolio to operate at net zero carbon emissions by 2030, including Legal & General Modular Homes, CALA Group, Legal & General Affordable Homes, Build to Rent and Later Living. The company has strong track record of investing in technology and life sciences with its Bruntwood SciTech venture, the UK’s leading developer of innovation districts, creating the specialist environments and innovation ecosystems for science and technology businesses to form, scale and grow. A 50:50 joint venture between Bruntwood and Legal & General, Bruntwood SciTech provides high quality office and laboratory space and tailored business support, offering unrivaled access to finance, talent and markets, an extensive clinical, academic and public partner network, and a sector-specialist community of over 500 companies. Bruntwood SciTech has unique experience in creating and developing strategic partnerships with UK regional cities, universities, and NHS Trusts to drive economic growth through investment in science and technology infrastructure. Valued at over £600m ($750.4m), Bruntwood SciTech has now expanded over 11 UK locations with a portfolio of over 2.4m sqft including: - Alderley Park in Cheshire, the UK’s latest single-site science park and home to Cancer Research UK, Catapult and Evotec - £162.9m ($203.6m) - Melbourn Science Park in Cambridge - £52.8m ($66m) - Platform in Leeds - £44.8m ($56m) - Innovation Birmingham - £29.2m ($36.5m) - Manchester Science Park - £73.9m ($92.3m) - Citylabs 1.0 & 2.0 part of the Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT) campus - £78.5m ($98.1m) - Circle Square Manchester - £205.7m ($257.1m) It has a further development pipeline of 5m sqft, which includes $260m Birmingham Health Innovation Campus, $1.8bn ID Manchester and $37m Glasgow’s Met Tower. Ancora Founded in 2019 by Josh Parker, with co-founders John Philipchuck and Jeff Kingsbury, Ancora is a privately owned real estate firm based in Durham, North Carolina with team members in Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Indianapolis, New York, and Washington, DC. The firm acquires and develops real estate to serve high-growth science, technology, and innovation tenants in partnership with and proximate to leading U.S. anchor institutions. Core to Ancora’s program-first approach is to undertake development activity in direct partnership with anchor institutions such as universities, academic medical centers, government, and research institutes with whom they have strong and long-lasting relationships. About Legal & General Group Established in 1836, Legal & General is one of the UK’s leading financial services groups and a major global investor, with international businesses in the U.S., Europe, Middle East and Asia. With over $1.4 trillion in total assets under management, Legal & General is the UK’s largest investment manager for corporate pension schemes and a UK market leader in pension risk transfer, life insurance, workplace pensions and retirement income. Contact Details Meir Kahtan +1 917-864-0800 mkahtan@rcn.com Company Website https://www.legalandgeneralgroup.com/

May 25, 2022 08:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Slovenian Consortium and Elsevier establish transformative agreement

Elsevier

Elsevier, a global leader in research publishing and information analytics, has established its first transformative agreement with Slovenian ScienceDirect Consortium of universities, institutes and hospitals (Slovenian Consortium). The agreement will benefit the member institutions with access to Elsevier's extensive collection of journals on ScienceDirect, and enable their affiliated authors to publish their research open access in Elsevier journals. The cost of publishing open access is covered under the terms of the agreement which will run for three years until December 2024. Prof Gregor Majdič, Rector of the University of Ljubljana and President of the Slovenian Rectors’ Conference, stated that the new Slovenian research legislation is in line with the European Research Area trends, mandating immediate open access to scientific publications. Therefore, Slovenian research organisations are aiming for open access bibliodiversity and welcome transitional transformative agreements with academic publishers, as these would further promote openness of scientific publications. Prof Majdič said: “We look forward to expanded opportunities for open access publishing in Elsevier journals, made possible by the transformative agreement. This is in line with new important developments in scientific publishing and will help bridge the gap between scientists and the general public.” Miro Pušnik, director of Central Technical Library at the University of Ljubljana, said: “With this transformative agreement the Slovenian research organizations have ensured that needs of their researchers are met. The agreement provides a suitable infrastructure for open publications in accordance with the principles of the Horizon Europe program, the principles of cOAlition S (of which the Slovenian Research Agency is a member), and the principles of the newly adopted Slovenian research legislation. The new legislation includes strict requirements for open publication of all results from publicly funded research.”. The Slovenian ScienceDirect Consortium was founded in 2001 and represents sixteen public institutions across Slovenia. It is financially supported by the national research funder, the Slovenian Research Agency. Felix Haest, VP Sales Elsevier, said: "We are delighted to be working with the Slovenian Consortium. We are thrilled to have agreed to our first transformative agreement with them to ensure Slovenian researchers can access high-quality research and publish openly with Elsevier, enabling them to share their work globally." Elsevier aims to find the right solutions to meet the diverse needs of academic institutions, students, researchers, and funders worldwide while ensuring published research remains trusted and of high quality. Our approach with all customers is to understand their objectives and work with them to achieve these in an economically sustainable way while preserving the quality, integrity, and sustainability of the peer-review publishing system. As one of the fastest-growing open access publishers in the world, nearly all of Elsevier's 2,700 journals enable open access publishing, including 600 fully open access journals. We now support over 2,000 institutions globally to publish open access through transformative agreements. In 2021 Elsevier published 119,000 gold or pay-to-publish open access articles, an increase of more than 46% over 2020. For more on how Elsevier supports open access, please visit our website. About Slovenian ScienceDirect Consortium The Slovenian Consortium for Science Direct includes sixteen public institutions. The cooperation with Elsevier started in 2001. The transformative agreement is a result of a successful collaboration between the publisher and the consortium members. About Elsevier As a global leader in information and analytics, Elsevier helps researchers and healthcare professionals advance science and improve health outcomes for the benefit of society. We do this by facilitating insights and critical decision-making for customers across the global research and health ecosystems. In everything we publish, we uphold the highest standards of quality and integrity. We bring that same rigor to our information analytics solutions for researchers, health professionals, institutions, and funders. Elsevier employs 8,100 people worldwide. We have supported the work of our research and health partners for more than 140 years. Growing from our roots in publishing, we offer knowledge and valuable analytics that help our users make breakthroughs and drive societal progress. Digital solutions such as ScienceDirect, Scopus, LCUA, ClinicalKey and Sherpath support strategic research management, R&D performance, clinical decision support, and health education. Researchers and healthcare professionals rely on our 2,700+ digitized journals, including The Lancet and Cell; our 40,000 eBook titles; and our iconic reference works, such as Gray's Anatomy. With the Elsevier Foundation and our external Inclusion & Diversity Advisory Board, we work in partnership with diverse stakeholders to advance inclusion and diversity in science, research and healthcare in developing countries and around the world. Elsevier is part of RELX, a global provider of information-based analytics and decision tools for professional and business customers. www.elsevier.com Contact Details Elsevier Communications, UK Andrew Davis +44 7393 242466 andrew.davis@elsevier.com

May 23, 2022 03:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

New World-Class Treatment Center Announces $34 Million Investment in Pitt County, North Carolina.

Haven at Blue Creek

Haven at Blue Creek celebrated the ground breaking of their new Holistic Recovery Campus on Thursday, May 19 th. Nestled on a 250-acre land parcel, Haven at Blue Creek is the culmination of many years of work including the NC certificate of need application process and successful approval for the behavioral health program to proceed. Haven at Blue Creek received great support for this facility from many community members, local and statewide dignitaries that wrote letters of support to accompany the certificate of need requirements. Haven at Blue Creek is also grateful to the State of North Carolina and Pitt County for a $500,000 Building Reuse grant that will support this important project. Thoughtful planning and dedication are truly a testament to the power of the Balot family’s passion for providing these services to the Pitt County community. Haven at Blue Creek’s 75,000 square-foot facility will be home to 84 beds, a result of the Balot family’s vision and eager planning over the past five years. A local understanding and commitment is evident with a dedicated building team that includes: Erin Sterling-Lewis of Open Studio Design in coordination with Sal Lore and Steve Auger from AKA Architects; Civil Engineering led by Bryan Fagundus of ARK Consulting, and White Construction services provided by Eddie White, Project Manager Ryan Corbett and the rest of their team. Haven at Blue Creek is committed to significant community support offering employment, growth, education and future community partnerships within the community. From the outset of this project, the focus has been to align the best talent and resources to provide the community with a clinically excellent and safe place where recovery from behavioral health problems is possible for individuals and their families. The campus will create at least 80 new jobs and work hand-in-hand with community partners to support education and prevention on issues related to trauma, substance use/abuse and mental health disorders. Set to open in late 2023, Haven at Blue Creek intends to be a beacon for recovery for those in need in the community. “Prevention and education brought to the community and schools will be essential in keeping a keen eye on the growing addiction concerns we face,” says Haven at Blue Creek, President, Colleen Balot. “Taking care of our community, keeping them safe and informed, is important to our family and our children’s futures, and sound rationale for providing treatment services”. “Haven at Blue Creek is a genuine blessing for eastern North Carolina. Our families will be better off because of this facility,” said NC Senator, Don Davis. In a post covid environment, and a country-wide, soaring opioid crisis, Haven at Blue Creek recognizes the importance of active relationships to deliver substance use disorder education and prevention services for the local community. “Society says it’s too hard to have vision and dreams, but the Balots have a dream and vision to make the world a better place,” said Rich Zeck, Mayor of Simpson. He added “community is where each and every one of us work to make lives better for all of us. This work will serve not only this community, but the region and state beyond.” As a family owned and operated Holistic Behavioral Health Campus, the founders are long time Greenville residents. “We are committed to our community and taking care of those in need to create a path for wellbeing for people where they live, when they need it”, says, President and CEO Colleen Balot. Haven at Blue Creek will be both a peaceful and private campus, with ponds and wooded areas along the perimeter. Patients wanting treatment will have access to all levels of care in a secure and tranquil setting. The initial phase of the campus has begun, with a Spiritual Renewal Center and athletic facilities, including an Olympic-sized pool, already completed. The dream unfolds and this ground-breaking marks the additional construction and paves the way for the facility’s completion. Allen Thomas, Former Mayor of Greenville, and current Regional Administrator, Southeast United States for the Small Business Administration has this to say about the new campus: “We are very excited about the world-class behavioral health services coming to the Pitt County area that will augment our existing tertiary healthcare system. We have a substantial need in our community for the compassionate and intentional services that will be provided by Haven at Blue Creek. I applaud the exponential efforts put forth by Colleen and Rich Balot to secure and fund these much-needed services for our community.” Downloads: Renderings and photos of the Balot’s https://havenatbluecreek.com/press-release/ About Haven at Blue Creek Family-owned and operated by Rich and Colleen Balot, Haven at Blue Creek is a substance use disorder campus. Created from experience, dedicated to building a safe, supportive, and transformative space for others to find recovery, Haven at Blue Creek is being thoughtfully developed from the ground up with both best practices, and the needs of all individuals and families in Eastern North Carolina top of mind. Contact Details Douglas Marketing Group Kay Douglas +1 248-940-8004 kdouglas@experiencedmg.com Amanda Iera +1 313-571-1858 aiera@experiencedmg.com

May 19, 2022 05:03 PM Eastern Daylight Time

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