MUNICH, GERMANY and TOKUSHIMA, JAPAN – Media OutReach – 4 January 2023 – Automotive LED lighting technology has developed rapidly in recent years as a means for vehicle manufacturers to enhance driving comfort and road safety. In this regard, matrix LED technology for adaptive driving beam has become an important headlight feature for selective road illumination.

Three years ago Nichia Corporation and Infineon Technologies AG (FSE: IFX / OTCQX: IFNNY) announced the joint development of a high-definition (HD) light engine with more than 16,000 micro-LEDs for headlight applications. Now, both companies are launching industry’s first fully integrated micro-LED light engine for HD adaptive driving beam applications. The micro-LED matrix solution will be seen in a German premium vehicle in 2023.

“The new 16,384 pixel µPLS™ micro-Pixelated Light Solution is our latest addition to Nichia’s portfolio of high-class automotive lighting solutions,” said Yusuke Yamazaki, Head of Sales and Marketing Automotive, Nichia Europe GmbH. “It combines high-definition resolution with industry’s highest light output. This solution enables a new automotive lighting experience by providing four-times wider field-of-view with significantly higher light output than any other current micro-mirror based HD matrix-light solution. For this reason, the advanced HD light can warn drivers of hazards by highlighting people or objects on or by the side of the road. It can also project markings on the road to guide the driver through a construction site or intersection. In addition, functions such as the glare-free high beam or bending light work more precisely and smoothly compared to current adaptive driving beam solutions. This takes the driver’s road safety and driving comfort to a new level.”

“The µPLS is industry’s first fully integrated matrix LED driver capable of driving 16,384 LEDs, combining all required micro-LED driver circuitry with extensive diagnostics and high-speed video and control interfaces,” said Andreas Doll, Infineon’s Senior Vice-President and General Manager of the Business Unit Body Power of Infineon’s Automotive Division. “Our innovative µPLS is much more energy efficient than current HD matrix lighting solutions, contributing to saving global CO₂ emissions and extending the range of electric driven vehicles. Furthermore, we enable the vision of our customers to deploy fully digital light on the road, saving them overall system cost at a very small form factor at the size of a single semiconductor chip. The µPLS is another great example of how Infineon products support digitalization as well as decarbonization towards a net-zero society.”

The new HD light engine uses Nichia’s micro-LED technology and an integrated LED driver IC from Infineon that can drive all 16,384 micro-LEDs individually using pulse-width modulation (PWM) control. Additionally, the driver IC monitors each micro-LED separately and provides on-chip temperature monitoring allowing for optimal thermal control. Integrated video interfaces enable high-speed transmission of the video signal from the light pattern generator unit. Unlike current HD matrix solutions, Infineon’s driver IC only activates the LEDs that are actually needed for a light pattern. This dramatically increases the energy efficiency of the µPLS light engine at much smaller form factor compared to micro-mirror-based HD matrix solutions in the market.

This allows for smaller and slimmer headlamp designs in the future. In addition, the new HD light engine enables adjustments that can be digitally programmed at the factory or activated by the vehicle manufacturer or driver on demand. For example, the different requirements of left- and right-handed drivers can be considered, significantly increasing user-friendliness. With all these features, the new HD light significantly reduces design and production complexity for vehicle manufacturers.

Hashtag: #Infineon #Nichia #LED

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

About Nichia Corporation

Having “Ever Researching for a Brighter World” as a motto, Nichia takes great pride in being the technology leader and world’s largest LED and laser diode manufacturer. Founded in 1956 as a specialty chemical producer, Nichia quickly became the leader in luminescent materials (phosphors). Nichia later developed and commercialized the first high-brightness blue LED in 1993 and the first white LED in 1996. Additional nitride-based LEDs in various colors were developed, including ultraviolet and visible Laser Diodes. Nichia believes that its products will remain at the forefront of energy-efficient solutions throughout the world for years to come.

Nichia will continue to be a company that makes contributions to the world by evolving its original and unique technologies and “Ever Researching for a Brighter World.” More information is available at www.nichia.com.

More information on Infineon’s commitment to New Mobility: www.infineon.com/cms/en/discoveries/new-mobility/

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 4 January 2023 – A research study led by scientists from the School of Chinese Medicine (SCM) at Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) has shown for the first time that the human gut bacterium Ruminococcus gnavus is a major trigger factor of diarrhoea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-D). Based on this discovery, a new therapeutic target for the disease’s treatment was identified. The study also found that low-protein food items such as fresh fruits, vegetables and bread may help reduce the gut motility in IBS-D.

The research findings have been published in the internationally renowned scientific journal Cell Host & Microbe.

Curative treatment for IBS-D needed

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common functional bowel disorder characterised by stool irregularities, abdominal discomfort and bloating. It has been estimated that about 7% of adults in Hong Kong are affected by IBS. IBS-D is the most common type of IBS and there is no known cure for the disease. Most clinical treatments for IBS-D focus on relieving symptoms.

Previous research has demonstrated that the increased production of serotonin, a key neurotransmitter involved in the regulation of gut motility, contributes to the gastrointestinal symptoms displayed in IBS-D. It has also been shown that gut microbiota play a role in regulating the levels of serotonin. However, the bacterial species concerned and the molecular mechanism by which the gut microbiota modulate serotonin production remain unclear.

Phenethylamine and tryptamine produced by Ruminococcus gnavus trigger IBS-D

To explore curative treatment options for IBS-D, a research team co-led by Professor Bian Zhaoxiang, Director of the Clinical Division and Tsang Shiu Tim Endowed Professor in Chinese Medicine Clinical Studies; Dr Xavier Wong Hoi-leong, Assistant Professor of the Teaching and Research Division; and Dr Zhai Lixiang, Post-Doctoral Research Fellow of SCM at HKBU, screened thousands of food components and their breakdown products in the fecal samples of 290 patients with IBS-D. They found that phenethylamine and tryptamine, two aromatic trace amines produced by the microbial digestion of dietary proteins, are highly enriched in IBS-D faeces, and they are associated with the severity of diarrheal symptoms in patients with IBS-D.

Probing further, the researchers found that mice which had been fed with either phenethylamine or tryptamine experienced increased stool frequencies and colonic secretions, which are major symptoms of IBS-D.

On the other hand, the team found that the gut bacterium Ruminococcus gnavus, which is enriched in IBS-D faecal samples, is a primary producer of phenethylamine and tryptamine. Furthermore, mice with this bacterium transplanted into their guts go on to develop IBS-D diarrheal symptoms. These results suggest that phenethylamine and tryptamine produced by Ruminococcus gnavus trigger IBS-D in mammals without the involvement of other risk factors of IBS-D.

Phenethylamine and tryptamine stimulate serotonin production

The research team further conducted a series of experiments to understand the mechanism by which phenethylamine and tryptamine lead to IBS-D. The results showed that phenethylamine and tryptamine directly stimulate the production of serotonin from the enterochromaffin cells in the gut through the activation of a trace amine-associated receptor (TAAR1), thereby stimulating gut motility and secretion disorders in IBS-D.

The team then explored the therapeutic potential of targeting the phenethylamine/tryptamine/TAAR1 pathway for the treatment of IBS-D. It was discovered that inhibition of TAAR1 activation through the use of a specific inhibitor effectively alleviated the diarrheal symptoms in mice which had been transplanted with IBS-D faecal samples.

Prospects for new therapeutic options

“With a full outline of the mechanism of how gut microbiota associate with gut motility disorders, our research results suggest that the phenethylamine/tryptamine-mediated TAAR1 pathway is a new therapeutic target for IBS-D,” said Dr Zhai Lixiang.

“IBS-D patients experience frequent episodes of diarrhea with accompanying abdominal pain, which reduce the quality of life. The research discoveries offer promising potential for the development of therapies for IBS-D based on the inhibition of the pathway,” said Professor Bian Zhaoxiang.

The research team also found that a diet low in phenylalanine, an amino acid and a dietary precursor of phenethylamine, suppresses gut motility in mice by reducing the microbial production of phenethylamine and tryptamine. Low-protein food items such as fresh fruits, vegetables and bread have relatively low levels of phenylalanine.

“Developing strategies to reduce the microbial transformation of dietary amino acids into phenethylamine and tryptamine, such as dietary intervention with reduced consumption of high-protein food items which usually have high phenylalanine levels, may represent a feasible approach for the management of IBS-D,” said Dr Xavier Wong.

Hashtag: #HongKongBaptistUniversity #HKBU

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The smokeless and odourless cremation facility expands PLC’s suite of offerings for the pet community, and ensures the preservation of the old Nee Soon Post Office heritage building

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 4 January 2023 – Pet Lovers Centre (PLC), the first and largest pet care retail chain in Singapore and Southeast Asia, has announced a joint venture with the first pet crematorium and columbarium in Singapore – Mandai Pets Sanctuary (MPS), broadening their suite of services for pet parents. With a smokeless and odourless cremation facility, a memorial garden and columbarium, MPS will provide grieving pet owners with a tranquil space to send their pets off with respect and dignity.

MPS occupies the former Nee Soon Post Office building along Mandai Road, which has, in the past, served the community for decades. The two-storey colonial-style post office building is one of Singapore’s earliest post offices in the 1800s, and is one of the two cultural heritage buildings located in the Springleaf vicinity. Its conservation is a part of the Urban Redevelopment Authority’s plan for the precinct.

This strategic investment in MPS will further strengthen PLC’s standing as an all-encompassing pet business, which currently includes supplies for pets of all ages, pet health services, grooming centres, pet boarding and transportation, dog training classes, a dog bakery and animal-interest publication – Pets Magazine. The synergies of this new joint venture are expected to lead to a 20% increase in revenue in MPS in 2023.

“Our extensive experience in the pet industry lends us a deeper and keen understanding of the needs of pet parents. With our synergistic joint venture with MPS, PLC is looking beyond offering products and accessories that enhance a pet’s life and the basic services that furkids require, like pet boarding, grooming, relocation and transportation. This next step in our journey with MPS extends our suite of services to meet the entire spectrum of pet ownership needs from cradle to grave. MPS has been a trusted and professional pet crematorium since 1987, and we look forward to working with them to further elevate the exceptional level of care and support to bereaved loved ones as they bid farewell to their beloved pets, in a respectable and deserving way as part of the family,” said Ng Whye Hoe, Group Managing Director of PLC. “We are also honoured to be a part of Singapore’s heritage through the preservation of the former Nee Soon Post Office, providing customers and visitors a sense of nostalgia and tranquillity against a backdrop of lush greenery.”

Key features

The PLC-MPS joint venture will offer the following thoughtfully designed services to ensure a modern, respectful and comforting experience.

• A 24-hour careline service, islandwide pickup service and round-the-clock safeguarding service will ensure the late pet’s smooth journey – starting from a home or a veterinary office, all the way to cremation.

• Private and individual pet cremation services will ensure that each pet will get a dignified farewell, and a dedicated Send-Off Lobby with wake and prayer services will allow pet owners to have full privacy and comfort to spend the last moments with their pets before cremation.

• Post-cremation, pet parents can choose from urn or keepsake options to commemorate and remember their late pets. Different urn designs, as well as columbarium niches, are available for selection. Other unique options include separate dog and cat columbariums, common burial ground services and sea scattering arrangements. In addition, there are future plans to offer combination or family niches for pet parents with multiple pets.

• Using a QR code system on columbarium niches, pet parents can commemorate their pets after their passing by curating an album of photos and videos. Family members and visitors who visit the columbarium will also be able to scan the code to view these memories.

• A Memorial Garden, with a serene and comforting atmosphere, will offer pet parents a dedicated space to mourn the loss of their pets before and after the cremation, or during their visits to the columbarium.

For more information, visit www.mandaipetssanctuary.com.

Hashtag: #PetLoversCentre #MandaiPetsSanctuary

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

About Pet Lovers Centre

Pet Lovers Centre (PLC) is collectively the largest and only pet care retail chain in South East Asia. PLC was founded in 1973, and is an award-winning household name today. Besides offering the widest and freshest range of products in the region, its themed “The Pet Safari” stores bring the best pet products and services together under one roof, together with vet-trained pet-care consultants who provide friendly, professional advice on pet care. It formed the Pet Lovers Foundation in 2009 to serve “Pets, People and our Planet”. Our eight subsidiaries represent the best of what the pet industry has to offer, from food and pharmaceuticals to vet care, grooming, travel and lodging.

About Mandai Pets Sanctuary

Mandai Pets Sanctuary (MPS) is a pet crematorium and columbarium that offers pet parents professional and dignified end-of-life services for their pets. Having been the first to introduce standard cremation services in 1987, recognised and approved by the National Environment Agency, MPS operates smokeless and odourless cremation incinerators. Their personalised services include islandwide pickup, private and communal cremation services, and a wide range of urn and keepsake options.