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MinervaX raises upsized EUR 47.4M (USD 57M) Series B to advance its novel Group B Streptococcus vaccine through mid-stage clinical trials
On the back of highly promising Phase Ib data, MinervaX has raised financing from leading investors to accelerate development of its novel vaccine through the end of Phase II trials and preparations for Phase III pivotal trials
– Sanofi Ventures, Wellington Partners, Adjuvant Capital, and Industrifonden join existing investors Novo Holdings REPAIR Impact Fund, Sunstone Life Science Ventures and LF Investment
– Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is one of the leading causes of stillbirth and infant mortality representing a significant unmet need globally, including in the US and Europe; nearly one in five women globally are colonized by GBS
MinervaX
COPENHAGEN, Denmark, Dec. 15, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — MinervaX, a privately held Danish biotechnology company developing a novel vaccine against Group B Streptococcus (GBS), announced today that it has raised an upsized EUR 47.4 million Series B financing. The round included new investors Sanofi Ventures, Wellington Partners, Adjuvant Capital, and Industrifonden, along with existing investors Novo Holdings REPAIR Impact Fund, Sunstone Life Science Ventures, and LF Investment. Proceeds will advance the clinical development of MinervaX's novel GBS vaccine through Phase II clinical trials, as well as manufacturing and regulatory preparation for Phase III.
Concurrent with the financing, Christopher Gagliardi from Sanofi Ventures, Karl Nägler from Wellington Partners, Kabeer Aziz from Adjuvant Capital and Bita Sehat from Industrifonden will join MinervaX's board of directors.
GBS is responsible for nearly half of all life-threatening infections in newborns. MinervaX's protein-only GBS vaccine targets pregnant women for the prevention of adverse pregnancy outcomes and life-threatening neonatal infections associated with GBS. Globally, 15-25% of women are colonized with GBS, and they run the risk of transmitting the bacteria to their child in utero, during birth and / or during their first months of life. GBS colonization may lead to late-term abortions, premature delivery or stillbirth; and in newborn children may result in sepsis, pneumonia or meningitis, all of which carry a significant risk of severe morbidity, long-term disability or death.
Currently, the only preventative strategy available involves the use of intravenously delivered prophylactic antibiotics, which does not comprehensively prevent GBS infection in utero or protect against late-onset infection in newborns. As this approach is expensive and logistically challenging, it fails to cover all, including the most severe cases in the US and Europe, nor is it available in resource-limited settings.
Commenting on the financing, Per Fischer, CEO of MinervaX, said: "Prevention of GBS infections in pregnant women and newborns represents a large unmet medical need. The current preventive strategy is insufficient and involves excessive use of prophylactic antibiotics, which has resulted in the emergence of wide-spread antibiotic resistance."
"We are pleased to have received funding from such a strong investment syndicate. It is a significant endorsement of the potential of our vaccine. We look forward to advancing our novel vaccine candidate through Phase II clinical trials to develop a new standard of care in preventing GBS infections."
Commenting on the investment, Christopher Gagliardi, Director of Investments at Sanofi Ventures, said: "Sanofi Ventures is tremendously excited by the first and best in class potential of MinervaX's GBS vaccine. We are thrilled to invest alongside a top-tier investor syndicate while supporting Sanofi's strategic goals and commitment to early stage companies advancing global public health."
Karl Nägler, Managing Partner at Wellington Partners said: "We are proud and excited to back MinervaX's GBS program that will address an unmet high medical need and represents a blockbuster commercial opportunity. Beyond prevention of GBS infections in newborns, we are eager to explore important further indications for this much needed vaccine."
Emmanuelle Coutanceau, Partner at Novo Seeds and Board Member at MinervaX, added: "MinervaX is developing an important vaccine against a potentially fatal pathogen and, in doing so, is furthering the battle against antimicrobial resistance. This is a landmark for the Novo Holdings REPAIR Impact Fund with the first company in the fund moving to Phase II. We are also delighted to help bring together such a strong syndicate in a company where Novo was one of the first investors."
MinervaX has completed Phase I studies across 300 healthy female subjects, generating compelling data to support advancing its novel vaccine candidate to Phase II trials. Studies to date have demonstrated a favourable safety profile, while generating high levels of long-lasting antibodies, which are capable of mobilizing the immune system against GBS bacteria and preventing invasion of epithelial and endothelial cell barriers.
The development of MinervaX's novel GBS vaccine candidate is also endorsed by Group B Strep Support and Group B Strep International, and GBS has been prioritised by a number of public health organisations. Both increased uptake of immunisation among pregnant women and greater awareness of the implications of GBS suggest that a safe and effective vaccine targeting GBS would be well suited to address this unmet need.
About MinervaX
MinervaX is a Danish biotechnology company, established in 2010 in order to develop a prophylactic vaccine against Group B Streptococcus (GBS), based on research from Lund University. MinervaX is developing a GBS vaccine for maternal immunization, likely to have superior characteristics compared with other GBS vaccine candidates in development. The latter are based on traditional capsular polysaccharide (CPS) conjugate technology. By contrast, MinervaX's vaccine is a protein-only vaccine based on fusions of highly immunogenic and protective protein domains from selected surface proteins of GBS (the Alpha-like protein family). Given the broad distribution of proteins contained in the vaccine on GBS strains globally, it is expected that MinervaX's vaccine will confer protection against virtually 100% of all GBS isolates. www.minervax.com
About Group B Streptococcus (GBS)
GBS is responsible for nearly 50% of all life-threatening infections in newborns. At any given time, some 15-25% of women are spontaneously colonized with GBS, and they run the risk of transmitting the bacteria to their child in the womb, during birth and/or during the first months of life. GBS colonization may lead to late abortions, premature delivery or stillbirth and, in the newborn child, may result in sepsis, pneumonia or meningitis, all of which carry a significant risk of severe morbidity, long-term disability or death.
About Sanofi Ventures
Sanofi Ventures is the corporate venture capital arm of Sanofi. Sanofi Ventures invests in early-stage biotech and digital health companies with innovative ideas and transformative new products and technologies of strategic interest to Sanofi. Among these areas are vaccines, oncology, immunology, rare diseases, potential cures in other core areas of Sanofi's business footprint, and digital health solutions. For more information, visit www.sanofiventures.com.
About Novo Holdings A/S
Novo Holdings is recognized as a leading international life science investor, with a focus on creating long-term value. As a life science investor, Novo Holdings provides seed and venture capital to development-stage companies and takes significant ownership positions in growth and well-established companies. Novo Holdings also manages a broad portfolio of diversified financial assets. Further information: http://www.novoholdings.dk
About REPAIR Impact Fund
The Fund invests in start-ups, early-stage companies and corporate spin-outs around the world. It gives priority to first-in-class therapies, covering small molecules, biologics and new modalities, from the early stage of drug development (lead optimization) to later stages of clinical development (into Phase 2). It can invest as the sole investor or in a syndicate, with investments ranging from EUR 1 million to EUR 12 million.
The projects are selected through an investment process with support from a highly qualified Scientific Selection Board, comprising ten world-class experts. For more information about members of the Scientific Selection Board, see www.repair-impact-fund.com/people.
The Fund focuses on priority pathogens as defined by the World Health Organization and the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a catalogue of 18 families of bacterial and fungal pathogens that pose the greatest threat to human health. For more details about the investment process, see www.repair-impact-fund.com/investment-process.
REPAIR is an acronym: Replenishing and Enabling the Pipeline for Anti-Infective Resistance
About Wellington Partners
Wellington Partners is a leading European venture capital firm investing in early- and growth-stage life science companies. Wellington Partners is focused on investing in the most promising life science companies in the fields of biotechnology, therapeutics, medical technology, diagnostics and digital health. With funds totaling more than €1 billion, thereof €430 million committed to Life Sciences, Wellington Partners has been actively supporting world class private companies translating true innovation into successful businesses with exceptional growth. To date, Wellington Partners has invested in 46 innovative life science companies, including Actelion (acquired by J&J), Definiens (acquired by AZ), Invendo (acquired by Ambu), Rigontec (acquired by MSD), Symetis (acquired by Boston Scientific), and Themis (acquired by MSD). www.wellington-partners.com
About Adjuvant Capital
Adjuvant is a New York– and San Francisco-based life sciences investment fund built to accelerate the development of new technologies for the world's most pressing public health challenges. Backed by prominent healthcare investors such as Novartis, Merck, the International Finance Corporation, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Adjuvant draws upon its global network of scientists, public health experts, biopharmaceutical industry veterans, and development finance professionals to identify new investment opportunities. Adjuvant invests in companies developing promising new vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics for historically overlooked indications targeting high-burden infectious diseases, maternal and child health, and antimicrobial resistance, with a commitment to make these interventions accessible to those who need them most in low- and middle-income countries. For more information, visit www.adjuvantcapital.com
About Industrifonden
Industrifonden is a Nordic venture capital investor based in Stockholm that invests in early-stage growth companies. Our areas of expertise include Life Sciences, Deep Tech and Transformative Tech. In the life science space, our focus is on biotech, heathtech and medtech, and our life-science portfolio includes companies like Oncopeptides, Calliditas and Bonesuppport. www.industrifonden.com
About Sunstone Life Science Ventures
Sunstone Life Science Ventures is an independent European venture capital investment firm founded in 2007 by an international team of industry experts with combined entrepreneurial, operational and financial experience. Sunstone Life Science Ventures focuses on developing and expanding early-stage Life Science companies with strong potential to achieve global success in their markets. Since the inception, Sunstone Life Science Ventures has invested in more than 50 companies in the areas of pharmaceuticals, medical technologies and diagnostics, and has completed more than 20 successful IPOs and large M&A transactions. Managing total funds of approx. €500 million, Sunstone Life Science Ventures is one of the largest Nordic venture capital investors. https://sunstone.eu/
LF Investment
LF Investment is an investment company fully owned by The Lauritzen Foundation. www.lauritzenfonden.com
SOURCE MinervaX
Tags:	Biotechnology
Latour establishes Latour Future Solutions and invests in Gaia BioMaterials AB
Investment AB Latour (publ) has, through its subsidiary Latour Industries, established a new investment area, Latour Future Solutions. The investment area targets sustainability-focused growth companies, where Latour can contribute with industrial expertise to accelerate the development of solutions for a long-term sustainable society. Pelle Mattisson has been recruited to lead Latour Future Solutions AB.
In connection with the establishment, Latour has made its first investment in Gaia BioMaterials AB, a company that develops and manufactures biodegradable biomaterials from renewable sources to replace fossil-based plastics. The company was founded in 2011 and has 16 employees with headquarters and manufacturing in Helsingborg, Sweden. Net sales in 2019 amounted to SEK 40 m.
"With its patented biomaterial BioDoloMer®, Gaia BioMaterials is involved in changing the plastics industry. Their material helps to reduce climate change and do not create microplastics during degradation, areas we have identified as very interesting. We have known them for some time and are proud to become a partner in their continued growth journey", says Björn Lenander, CEO of Latour Industries.
"Becoming part of Latour not only means that we get a strong and stable minority owner, it also opens up new expansion and development opportunities for us. We look forward to continuing to develop Gaia BioMaterials together", says Peter Stenström, CEO of Gaia BioMaterials.
The investment has taken place via a directed share issue in Gaia BioMaterials, where Latour Future Solutions AB has entered as a minority owner.
Göteborg, 23 November 2020
INVESTMENT AB LATOUR (PUBL)
Johan Hjertonsson, CEO
Björn Lenander, CEO Latour Industries AB, +46 708 19 47 36
Pelle Mattisson, Latour Future Solutions AB, +46 705 80 06 57
Investment AB Latour is a mixed investment company consisting primarily of a wholly-owned industrial operations and an investment portfolio of listed holdings in which Latour is the principal owner or one of the principal owners. The investment portfolio consists of nine substantial holdings with a market value of about SEK 68 billion. The wholly-owned industrial operations has an annual turnover of SEK 15 billion.
TFS enters partnership in the US with the Duke Clinical Research Institute
TFS has entered into a strategic partnership with the Duke Clinical Research Institute (DCRI) in North Carolina, US, to provide data management solutions in clinical trials.
The unique collaboration expands TFS's capability to execute clinical trials for both commercial and government sponsors in the U.S. It supports the company's growth strategy and further develops its scientific offering. Duke Clinical Research Institute is a world-renowned research institute, recognized for bringing innovation to clinical trial design and execution.
"DCRI is known for ushering in new and innovative approaches to clinical research, and TFS is a leader in providing quality clinical development services through operational excellence and a customer-centric approach. TFS data management solutions ensure quality data services while it continues to push boundaries in study design and management as part of our shared mission to serve patients throughout the world," says Bassem Saleh, TFS Chief Executive Officer.
"The partnership with Duke Clinical Research Institute is a strategic step toward expanding TFS' service offering in North America and it opens up doors for further collaboration. TFS provides tailored solutions and is well-positioned to manage complex global studies. The recent agreement strengthens our US presence, while leveraging the European capabilities," says Joakim Twetman, Head of Business Area Industry at Ratos.
Joakim Twetman, Head of Business Area Industry, Ratos, +46 8 700 17 00
Helene Gustafsson, Head of IR and Press, Ratos, +46 8 700 17 98, helene.gustafsson@ratos.se
About TFS:
TFS is a global, mid-sized, clinical contract research organisation (CRO) that supports biotech companies through the entire clinical development process. TFS focuses its scientific and medical competence across a broad therapeutic spectrum, with industry-leading capabilities in dermatology, oncology and ophthalmology. TFS has two business Areas: Clinical Development Services (CDS), which offers clinical trials for small pharmaceutical companies during the development process, and Strategic Resourcing Solutions (SRS), which offers resource solutions featuring clinical professionals and targeting major pharmaceutical companies. Over the past five years, TFS has been involved in approximately 1,100 studies in 40 countries across Europe and North America.
About Ratos:
Ratos is a business group consisting of 12 companies divided into three business areas: Construction & Services, Consumer & Technology and Industry. In total, the companies have SEK 38 billion in sales and EBITA of SEK 1.8 billion. Our business concept is to develop mid-sized companies headquartered in the Nordics that are or can become market leaders. We enable independent mid-sized companies to excel by being part of something larger. People, leadership, culture and values are key focus areas for Ratos. Everything we do is based on Ratos's core values: Simplicity, Speed in Execution and It's All About People.
Patricia Industries acquires Advanced Instruments, the global market leader in analytical osmolality
2020-09-28 13:58 GMT+02
Patricia Industries, a part of Investor AB, has signed an agreement with Windjammer Capital to acquire US company Advanced Instruments, the leading global provider of osmolality testing instrumentation and consumables for the clinical, biopharmaceutical, and food & beverage markets.
Advanced Instruments manufactures a broad portfolio of innovative osmolality testing products used in over 90 countries. The company's rapidly growing biopharmaceutical product range is used in the research laboratories and manufacturing facilities in all top 10 global biopharmaceutical companies. The products are also used by numerous emerging cell and gene therapy companies to optimize and monitor formulation and production of complex biologics products. Advanced Instruments' clinical products are used by leading academic and community hospitals across the world for diagnosing a variety of medical conditions. The food & beverage products are used by many leading global producers and has a particular focus on ensuring product quality in the dairy market.
Since its formation in 1955, Advanced Instruments has entrenched osmolality as a critical and high-value test enabling the measurement of the number of dissolved particles in a fluid to diagnose medical conditions and assess product quality in a variety of settings. The company has built a strong brand reputation and deep customer relationships, it is recognized as the global authority on osmolality testing, and its products are the standard within each of its core markets. Clinical is the largest segment, followed by biopharma, then food & beverage. Geographically, North America is the single largest market.
"Advanced Instruments fulfils many of the criteria we seek in new investments. It is the clear global leader in a highly attractive market segment with durable long-term growth prospects. The company's products are critical for its customers yet represent a fraction of their overall costs. Advanced Instruments has a compelling financial profile with high growth and profitability, strong cash flow generation, and a large share of recurring revenue. We believe that Advanced Instruments is a great addition to Patricia Industries", comments Investor AB President and CEO Johan Forssell.
The enterprise value amounts to USD 780m. For the 12-month period ending June 30, 2020, sales amounted to USD 72 m and the adjusted EBITDA margin was approximately 45 percent. While covid-19 impacted both sales and profitability during the second quarter, the company has showed good resilience. Over the past 15 years, organic sales growth has averaged approximately 10 percent, with strong profitability and cash conversion.
"Advanced Instruments has a market-leading technology and a track record of successful innovation. The company has a resilient business model, strong long-term organic growth potential and multiple ways to expand through acquisitions in both existing and new markets. We look forward to working with the management team and our strong industrial network to further develop the business", says Noah Walley, Co-Head Patricia Industries.
"I am excited for Advanced Instruments to become part of the Patricia Industries and Investor AB family. We share a values-oriented culture and passion for innovation, and I firmly believe that their long-term investment approach, healthcare industry expertise, and engaged ownership model will be invaluable to Advanced Instruments in our next phase of growth", says Byron Selman, CEO of Advanced Instruments.
Patricia Industries plans to inject approximately USD 620m in equity for majority ownership of the company. The remainder of the acquisition will be financed by external debt and equity participation by Advanced Instruments' management, board and other key individuals.
Upon closing, Advanced Instruments becomes Patricia Industries' fourth North American subsidiary, in addition to BraunAbility, Laborie, and Sarnova.
The acquisition is subject to approval by the relevant competition authorities. Closing is expected during the fourth quarter 2020.
About Patricia Industries
Patricia Industries is a long-term owner that invests in companies and works to develop each company to its full potential. Patricia Industries is a part of the industrial holding company Investor AB, whose main owner is the Wallenberg Foundations.
About Advanced Instruments
Advanced Instruments is a global provider of scientific and analytical instruments for the biotechnology, clinical, and food & beverage industries. Since 1955, the company's innovations have helped organizations improve quality of results, achieve reliable outcomes, and increase workplace productivity. Advanced Instruments has a diverse portfolio of products, including freezing-point osmometers, cerebrospinal fluid cell counters, anaerobic jar systems, cryoscopes, pasteurization test systems, and testing standards and controls.
Viveka Hirdman-Ryrberg, Head of Corporate Communication and Sustainability,
viveka.hirdman-ryrberg@investorab.com
Magnus Dalhammar, Head of Investor Relations,
magnus.dalhammar@investorab.com
Our press releases can be accessed at www.investorab.com
Investor, founded by the Wallenberg family in 1916, is an engaged owner of high quality global companies. We have a long-term investment perspective. Through board participation, as well as industrial experience, our network and financial strength, we work continuously to support our companies to remain or become best-in-class. Our holdings include, among others, ABB, Atlas Copco, Ericsson, Mölnlycke and SEB.
Files available for download:
Chr. Hansen to sell its Natural Colors business to EQT
Chr. Hansen to sell its Natural Colors business, the leading global developer and manufacturer of natural coloring ingredients for food and beverages, to EQT IX
Natural Colors' underlying market is supported by favorable secular megatrends, such as increasing consumer awareness around health and the environment, the ongoing transition from synthetic coloring components to natural ingredients, and a growing demand for sustainable and plant-based food
EQT plans to invest significantly in Natural Colors' organization and strengthen its digital infrastructure, sustainability capabilities and supply chain setup. EQT will support organic growth in Natural Colors' existing markets and acquisitive expansion in the highly fragmented food coloring market
Natural Colors is expected to leverage on EQT's inhouse expertise within digitalization and sustainability, and EQT's global advisory network, which possesses significant experience from developing strong ingredient companies
Chr. Hansen Holding A/S ("Chr. Hansen") and the EQT IX fund today announced that EQT has agreed to acquire the Natural Colors Division ("Natural Colors" or "the Company"), a subsidiary of Chr. Hansen, the global bioscience leader and developer of natural solutions for the food, nutritional, pharmaceutical and agricultural industries. The purchase price amounts to EUR 800 million.
Headquartered in Hørsholm, Denmark, Natural Colors is the leading developer and manufacturer of natural coloring ingredients, serving over 1,600 customers in the food and beverages (F&B) industry. The Company is the global leader in the natural colorants industry in terms of innovation, application, formulation, product portfolio breadth and geographical reach. The Natural Colors Division employs approximately 650 people and has grown organically by around 9 percent per annum during the past five years up to 2018/19. The Company generated sales of EUR 224 million in 2018/19.
Natural Colors' products are made from all-natural fruit and vegetable concentrates from sweet potatoes, grape skin, spirulina, carrots and beetroots. The products are primarily used within F&B applications where the conversion from artificial to natural colorants is highest, such as dairy- and fruit preparations, confectionary, ice cream, prepared foods and beverages.
Natural Colors' underlying market is supported by favorable secular megatrends, such as increasing consumer awareness around health and the environment, the ongoing transition from synthetic components to natural ingredients, and a growing demand for sustainable and plant-based food. The Company's solutions contribute to society and support several of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, including SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production): via R&D into higher crop yields, use of renewable resources such as grape skin. SDG 13 (Climate Action): via a 'Go Green' project to make energy and CO2 improvements, using science-based targets.
EQT intends to build on the existing strategy of continued organic growth in current markets with a focus on the US and Asia. EQT will also support acquisitive expansion within the highly fragmented foods coloring market by utilizing the Natural Colors platform for industry consolidation. Moreover, EQT plans to invest significantly in the Company's organization and strengthen its digital infrastructure, sustainability capabilities and supply chain setup. Natural Colors is expected to leverage on EQT's inhouse expertise within digitalization and sustainability, and EQT's global advisory network, which possesses significant experience from developing strong ingredient companies.
Mauricio Graber, CEO of Chr. Hansen, commented: "The divestment of the Natural Colors Division completes the Review part of our recently launched 2025 Strategy. Chr. Hansen can now focus on fulfilling the ambition of becoming a pure-play, microbial and fermentation company with industry leading, profitable growth. I am convinced EQT will be a great owner of the Natural Colors business which has a leading global position in the industry. During the process it has become clear that EQT showed the strongest conviction in the potential of the business, and the highest dedication to the future development of it. I want to thank all the employees of the Natural Colors business for their contribution to Chr. Hansen over many years and wish them all the best in the future journey as an independent company."
Mads Ditlevsen, Partner at EQT Partners, and Investment Advisor to EQT IX, commented: "We are immensely proud and humble of having been chosen as the future owner of Natural Colors. It is a high-quality and truly global business with a proud legacy of servicing customers all over the world for more than 100 years. We are highly impressed by the strong ESG profile, the high-quality organization and talented people we have met during this process, as well as the dedicated focus on food safety. Natural Colors fits very well with EQT's thematic investment criteria and is operating in two of EQT IX's five prioritized sub-sectors within Industrial Technology. EQT's ambition is to help the business achieve further growth both organically and through acquisitions."
Klaus Bjerrum, Executive Vice President of Natural Colors Division, said: "I am very pleased to announce EQT as the new owner of Chr. Hansen's Natural Colors Division. EQT has acquired our great business (pending closing) to grow it organically and inorganically based on our capabilities and organization, and not least our leading market position. It is my conviction that this marks a new and exciting chapter for us, and I am excited to embark on this journey with EQT and all our talented employees around the world."
The transaction is subject to customary conditions and regulatory approvals. It is expected to close in H1 2021.
Goldman Sachs acted as exclusive financial advisor, Gorrissen Federspiel as legal advisor, Baker McKenzie as legal advisor and Deloitte as M&A transaction services, tax and carve-out advisor to Chr. Hansen. J.P. Morgan and Nordea acted as financial advisors, Accura as legal advisor, PWC as M&A transaction services, tax and carve-out advisor and Boston Consulting Group as commercial advisor to EQT.
With this transaction, EQT IX is expected to be 15-20 percent invested, based on its target fund size.
Camilla Lercke, Head of Media Relations, Chr. Hansen, +45 5339 2384
EQT Press Office, press@eqtpartners.com
About Chr. Hansen
Chr. Hansen is a leading, global bioscience company that develops natural ingredient solutions for the food, nutritional, pharmaceutical and agricultural industries. We develop and produce cultures, enzymes, probiotics and natural colors for a rich variety of foods, confectionery, beverages, dietary supplements and even animal feed and plant protection. Our product innovation is based on around 40,000 microbial strains – we like to refer to them as 'good bacteria'. Our solutions enable food manufacturers to produce more with less – while also reducing the use of chemicals and other synthetic additives – which make our products highly relevant in today's world. Sustainability is an integral part of Chr. Hansen's vision to improve food and health. In 2019 Chr. Hansen was ranked as the world's most sustainable company by Corporate Knights thanks to our strong sustainability efforts and our many collaborative partnerships with our customers. We have been delivering value to our partners – and, ultimately, end consumers worldwide – for over 140 years. We are proud that more than one billion people consume products containing our natural ingredients every day.
More info: www.chr-hansen.com/en
About EQT
EQT is a differentiated global investment organization with more than EUR 62 billion in raised capital and around EUR 40 billion in assets under management across 19 active funds. EQT funds have portfolio companies in Europe, Asia-Pacific and North America with total sales of more than EUR 27 billion and approximately 159,000 employees. EQT works with portfolio companies to achieve sustainable growth, operational excellence and market leadership.
More info: www.eqtgroup.com
Follow EQT on LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram
Scenic Biotech Enters into Genetic Modifier Collaboration with Genentech
Multi-year strategic collaboration in target discovery and therapeutic development based on Scenic Biotech's disease modifying approach
Utilises Scenic's unique Cell-Seq platform and its proprietary data warehouse of genetic modifiers
Scenic Biotech will receive an undisclosed upfront payment and is eligible to receive milestone payments and royalties across multiple products meeting certain pre-defined conditions
Amsterdam, The Netherlands, September 20, 2020 – Scenic Biotech BV ("Scenic"), a pioneer in the discovery of genetic modifiers to enable the development of disease modifying therapeutics for rare genetic disorders and other devastating illnesses, today announced that it has entered into a multi-year strategic collaboration with Genentech, a member of the Roche Group, to discover, develop and commercialize novel therapeutics that target genetic modifiers.
Genetic modifiers are genes that counteract the effect of a disease-causing gene. They may explain why some people with genetic mutations linked to severe disease end up having only mild or no symptoms. Also known as disease suppressors, genetic modifiers therefore positively influence the severity of disease and act as a 'natural form of protection'. Their discovery is leading to a completely new class of drug targets.
Under the terms of the agreement, Scenic will utilize its Cell-Seq platform and its data warehouse of genetic modifiers to identify drug targets in multiple therapeutic areas. The collaboration enables Genentech to select multiple targets for further development with an option to extend the collaboration. Scenic will receive an undisclosed upfront payment and is eligible to receive additional target selection fees for drug targets taken forward by Genentech. In addition, Scenic is eligible for success-based payments for each target based on achievement of certain predetermined milestones, as well as royalties on sales of certain products resulting from the collaboration. Total deal value could exceed US $375M.
Scenic has built an extensive proprietary data warehouse of genetic modifiers and its Cell-Seq platform enables the development of potential disease modifying therapeutics for devastating diseases with an in-house focus on inherited rare diseases and immuno-oncology/inflammation.
The Company was founded in 2017 as a spin-out of the Netherlands Cancer Institute, and Oxford University and recently appointed Oscar Izeboud, PhD as its Chief Executive Officer.
Dr Sebastian Nijman, Co-founder and CSO of Scenic Biotech said:
"Genentech is the pioneer in innovative biotech and has world leading research and development capabilities. Scenic is a science-driven company and having Genentech as our first major industry partner is a great validation of our technology and by working together it will extend the utility of our platform beyond our current therapeutic areas of interest. The collaboration also brings significant strategic value for Scenic as it enables us to realise the potential of our genetic modifier expertise alongside independently advancing our own programs towards clinical development."
About Scenic Biotech
Scenic Biotech is focused on identifying genetic modifiers, a completely new class of disease targets, for drug intervention. Also known as disease suppressors, genetic modifiers are genes that act to suppress or completely block the effect of a disease-causing mutated gene.
As a pioneer in the field, Scenic Biotech is building the largest proprietary data warehouse of genetic modifiers and has already identified a number of novel genetic modifiers for over a dozen inherited diseases. This approach is enabling the development of disease modifying therapeutics for devastating diseases including inherited rare diseases and cancer.
Scenic Biotech is headquartered in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. The Company was founded in 2017 as a spin-out of the Netherlands Cancer Institute, and Oxford University, backed by a Dutch-UK syndicate of Venture Capital investors that include BioGeneration Ventures, Inkef Capital, and Oxford Sciences Innovation.
Scenic Biotech refers to all companies within the Scenic group, comprising Scenic Holding BV and its two fully owned subsidiary companies: Scenic Immunology BV and Scenic Biotech BV.
For further information please visit: www.scenicbiotech.com
Ansa Biotechnologies Raises $9.2 Million in Combined Seed and Pre-Seed Financing
BERKELEY, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Ansa Biotechnologies today announced that it has raised $7.9 million in an oversubscribed Seed round of funding led by Horizons Ventures, with participation from Mubadala Capital, Humboldt Fund, and additional investors. Combined with a Pre-Seed round raised in December 2018 led by Fifty Years, the company has raised $9.2 million to date.
The new investment will accelerate the development of Ansa's next-generation DNA synthesis technology. Ansa will use the funds to recruit world-class talent, build out new, state-of-the-art R&D facilities, and establish strategic industrial partnerships. "Biology-based technology will continue to revolutionize multiple industries, and Ansa is poised to deliver the next generation of synthetic DNA to support this transformation. We believe that faster and more accurate DNA synthesis is foundational to fueling innovation in both biotechnology and basic biological research," said Daniel Arlow, Ph.D., CEO of Ansa. "To achieve our goals, we will rapidly expand our team by hiring top talent from industry and academia over the next few months."
"DNA read, write, and edit are the core pillars of synthetic biology," said Seth Bannon, Founding Partner at Fifty Years. "Currently, the ability to write DNA is the main bottleneck in the synthetic biology industry. By enabling faster, longer, and higher quality DNA synthesis with their fully enzymatic process, Ansa will help accelerate the entire synthetic biology industry."
"Ansa's unique and versatile enzymatic approach promises to set the standard for DNA synthesis speed and accuracy," said Patrick Zhang of Horizons Ventures. "We are excited to partner with Ansa to support the development of this critical technology that will streamline writing the DNA code that powers the synthetic biology industry."
About Ansa Biotechnologies
Ansa Biotechnologies is building a faster and cheaper DNA synthesis service to accelerate synthetic biology research. Ansa's core technology is a novel DNA synthesis method based on enzymes that will be faster, cleaner and more accurate than existing methods. The unique approach, developed by the founders at UC Berkeley, uses an engineered template-independent polymerase conjugated to a single nucleoside triphosphate molecule to rapidly build a DNA sequence one base at a time. For more information, visit ansabio.com or follow on Twitter and LinkedIn.
About Horizons Ventures
Horizons Ventures, the private investment arm of Mr. Li Ka-shing, is a leading investor in some of the world's most innovative companies and disruptive technologies including Facebook, Spotify, Zoom, Impossible Foods, Perfect Day and Demetrix. For more information, visit horizonsventures.com.
About Fifty Years
Fifty Years is a San Francisco based seed fund that backs entrepreneurs solving the world's biggest problems with technology. They're a leading pre-seed and seed investor in synthetic biology. They've seeded many synthetic biology startups shaping the world for the better — companies like Memphis Meats, Solugen, Lygos, Geltor, and OpenTrons. For more information, visit www.fiftyyears.com.
George McArthur (Head of Product, Ansa Biotechnologies)
(540) 440 1414, media@ansabio.com
Tags:	Biotechnology Venture Capital
Bruker Announces Acquisition of Canopy Biosciences, LLC
Strengthens Bruker in Targeted Multi-Omics and High-Plex Biomarker Imaging Adds Innovative ChipCytometry Tools for Multi-Dimensional Immune Profiling
BILLERICA, Massachusetts, September 11, 2020 — Bruker Corporation (Nasdaq: BRKR) today announced the acquisition of Canopy Biosciences, LLC, a leader in high multiplex biomarker imaging for immunology, immuno-oncology and cell therapy. This acquisition enhances Bruker's offering in targeted multi-omics and fluorescence-based imaging techniques. Bruker's global reach, complementary technologies and applications knowledge will help build on Canopy's success to date. Financial details of the transaction were not disclosed.
"We are excited to add the multi-omics and high-content cytometry expertise of Canopy, and its novel ChipCytometry platform to Bruker," said Dr. Mark R. Munch, the Bruker NANO Group President. "Canopy has a unique set of products that enable single cell, tissue and suspended cell-based discovery and validation in immunology and targeted proteomics, as well as a suite of complementary multi-omics services."
"We are very pleased to join Bruker," added Dr. Edward Weinstein, the CEO of Canopy Biosciences. "Joining forces with a leading life-science tools provider with broad geographic reach enables us to give many more researchers access to our powerful high-plex ChipCytometry platform, designed for accelerating basic immunology and clinical research, as well as biopharma drug development."
"Canopy has built a powerful suite of multi-omics technologies," explained Dr. Frank Witney, Operating Partner of Ampersand Capital Partners, the lead Canopy investor. "Joining Bruker will strengthen and deepen this platform, enabling researchers to better answer their scientific and translational questions with unprecedented power and precision."
About Bruker Corporation (Nasdaq: BRKR)
Bruker is enabling scientists to make breakthrough discoveries and develop new applications that improve the quality of human life. Bruker's high-performance scientific instruments and high-value analytical and diagnostic solutions enable scientists to explore life and materials at molecular, cellular and microscopic levels. In close cooperation with our customers, Bruker is enabling innovation, improved productivity and customer success in life science molecular research, in applied and pharma applications, in microscopy and nanoanalysis, and in industrial applications, as well as in cell biology, preclinical imaging, clinical phenomics and proteomics research and clinical microbiology. For more information, please visit: www.bruker.com.
About Canopy Biosciences, LLC
Canopy Biosciences was formed in 2016 and has rapidly built a comprehensive portfolio of products and services for gene editing, gene expression analysis and regulation, and bioprocessing. Canopy's gene editing portfolio offers easy-to-use CRISPR kits and full-service custom cell line engineering. Canopy has also assembled an innovative multi-omic platform for immune profiling, including ultrasensitive DNA sequencing (RareSeq), RNAseq, gene expression analysis, and multiplexed protein detection in cells and tissue samples via ChipCytometry. Canopy Biosciences is headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, and serves researchers at universities, research institutions and biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies worldwide. Additional information is available at www.canopybiosciences.com. Its subsidiary ZELLKRAFTWERK GmbH in Leipzig, Germany, designs and manufactures high-plex ChipCytometry platforms and complete workflows for high-content cytometry on cells and tissues (www.zellkraftwerk.com).
About Ampersand Capital Partners
Founded in 1988, Ampersand is a middle market private equity firm dedicated to growth-oriented investments in the healthcare sector. With offices in Boston and Amsterdam, Ampersand leverages its unique blend of private equity and operating experience to build value and drive superior long-term performance alongside its portfolio company management teams. Ampersand has helped build numerous market-leading companies across each of our core healthcare sectors, including Brammer Bio, Confluent Medical, Genewiz, Genoptix, Talecris Biotherapeutics, and Viracor-IBT Laboratories. Additional information about Ampersand is available at ampersandcapital.com.
Miroslava Minkova
Director, Investor Relations & Corporate Development
T: +1 (978) 663-3660 x1479
E: Investor.Relations@bruker.com
Content Marketing Manager
Bruker Nano Surfaces Division
E: steve.hopkins@bruker.com
Biotalys announces second closing Series C totaling €45m
Biotalys raised an additional €10m welcoming new US investor Novalis LifeSciences
Ghent, BELGIUM – 05 March 2020– Biotalys NV, a rapidly growing and transformative food and crop protection company developing a new generation of protein-based biocontrols, today announces the second closing of its Series C financing round with € 10 million bringing the total amount of capital raised for its Series C to € 45 million.
The second closing of the Series C round was supported by the current shareholders and includes new investor Novalis LifeSciences. Novalis LifeSciences is an investment and advisory firm for the life science industry, based in Hampton, New Hampshire, USA. Marijn Dekkers, former CEO of Bayer AG and Chairman of Novalis LifeSciences will join the board of directors of Biotalys as an Observer.
Marijn Dekkers commented, "Novalis LifeScience is very interested in break-through biotechnologies that can substitute synthetic pesticides. The protein-based biocontrol solutions developed by Biotalys are a promising novel class of these future food and crop protection agents."
Proceeds from the financing will be used primarily for the further development, registration and commercial scale production of Biotalys' biofungicide product and to continue to strengthen the company's unique discovery platform. The launch of the first biofungicide is scheduled for 2022 in the fruit and vegetables market in the US. In addition, the funds will support the accelerated development of the innovative pipeline with applications in critical food and crop pests and diseases.
"On behalf of all the shareholders of Biotalys, we extend a warm welcome to our US-based investor Novalis LifeSciences. Marijn Dekkers will add his broad agro-industrial expertise to our very active board and help us drive the company to the next level. Biotalys being now well advanced in the discovery and development of a strong pipeline of innovative biocontrols, is meeting the fast evolving farmers' and consumers' expectations. A game changing AgTech company delivering on its promises." said Lieven De Smedt, Chairman of the Board of Biotalys.
About Biotalys
Biotalys is a rapidly growing and transformative food and crop protection company developing a new generation of protein-based biocontrol solutions, shaping the future of sustainable and safe food supply. Based on its ground-breaking technology platform, the company has developed a broad pipeline of effective and safe products with novel modes of action, addressing key crop pests and diseases across the whole value chain, from soil to plate. Biotalys' unique protein-based biocontrols combine the high-performance characteristics and consistency of chemicals with the clean safety profile of biologicals, making them ideal crop protection agents for both pre- and post-harvest applications. The company is on track to launch its first biofungicide in the US in 2022, followed by global market introductions.Biotalys was founded in 2013 as a spin-off from the VIB (Flanders Institute for Biotechnology) and has raised € 61 million to date from local and international specialist investors. The company is based in the biotech cluster in Ghent, Belgium. More information can be found on www.biotalys.com.
For further information, please contactMarieke Vermeersch, Corporate Communications ConsultantT: +32 (0)9 261 06 84E: marieke.vermeersch@biotalys.com
Tags:	Agri & Food Biotechnology
Impel NeuroPharma Closes $67.5 Million Series D Financing
Crossover Financing to Advance Clinical Development of Central Nervous System Assets in Migraine, Parkinson's Disease and Acute Agitation
SEATTLE, Dec. 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ — Impel NeuroPharma ("Impel" or the "Company"), a Seattle-based, privately-held biotechnology company focused on developing therapies for the treatment of central nervous system ("CNS") disorders with unmet medical needs, today announced that it has completed a Series D financing totaling $67,500,000. The investment is co-led by KKR and Norwest Venture Partners ("Norwest"), with participation from existing investors, Vivo Capital, 5AM Ventures and venBio Partners.
In connection with the financing Dr. Robert Mittendorff, Partner at Norwest, and Ali Satvat, Member at KKR, will join the Impel Board of Directors.
This financing will enable Impel to accelerate its existing clinical development portfolio in CNS disorders. Impel is currently investigating three programs leveraging its novel Precision Olfactory Delivery, or POD®, device technology: INP104 in a Phase 3 trial for the treatment of acute migraine headache, INP103 in a Phase 2 trial for the reversal of OFF episodes in Parkinson's disease and INP105 in a Phase 1 trial for the treatment of acute agitation in bipolar I and schizophrenia disorders.
"We are delighted to have the support of this exceptional group of both new and existing investors. Dr. Mittendorff and Mr. Satvat will be tremendous assets as new members of Impel's Board of Directors and we believe that this investment is a testament to the strength of our POD® technology, our clinical programs and our management team," said Jon Congleton, Chief Executive Officer of Impel. "With three product candidates progressing through various stages of clinical development in 2018, it has been an exciting year for Impel, and this financing confirms the value that we are generating with our clinical programs."
"We are excited to have co-led this financing round with KKR and look forward to helping Impel reach its goals as the Company progresses the development of these novel investigative therapies," said Dr. Mittendorff. "Norwest shares in Impel's belief that the Company's pipeline has the potential to bring important new treatments to the market for the CNS community."
"We are thrilled to contribute to the development of innovative solutions that may enhance the lives of patients with CNS disorders," said Mr. Satvat. "Impel's proprietary, novel platform has the potential to transform intranasal drug delivery, significantly improving the range of treatment options for people living with acute migraine, acute agitation and Parkinson's disease."
About Impel NeuroPharma
Impel NeuroPharma, Inc., is a privately-held, Seattle-based biotechnology company devoted to creating life-changing, innovative therapies for central nervous system (CNS) diseases. Impel NeuroPharma is currently investigating INP104 (POD-DHE) for acute migraine headache, INP103 (POD-levodopa) for reversal of OFF episodes in Parkinson's disease and INP105 (POD-olanzapine) for acute agitation in schizophrenia and bipolar disorders.
Impel's products utilize its novel, nasal drug-delivery Precision Olfactory Delivery, or POD™, device technology to deliver liquid or dry powder forms of drug to the upper nasal cavity in a consistent and predictable manner.
IMPEL, POD and the IMPEL Logo are trademarks of Impel NeuroPharma, Inc. To learn more about Impel NeuroPharma, please visit our website at http://impelnp.com.
About Precision Olfactory Delivery™ or POD™ Devices
Impel NeuroPharma's proprietary POD™ intranasal drug delivery device is designed to deliver drugs to the richly-vascularized upper nasal cavity to achieve superior biodistribution and bioavailability of both small molecules and biologic drugs. By consistently and predictably delivering therapeutics to the upper nasal cavity, the POD nasal delivery device may improve overall bioavailability of drugs. The POD device also has the potential for nose-to-brain delivery via the olfactory and trigeminal nerves. Impel has developed dry powder and liquid compatible POD devices to improve upon current treatment options for central nervous system (CNS) disorders.
Melyssa Weible
Elixir Health Public Relations
Ph: (1) 201-723-5805
E: mweible@elixirhealthpr.com
Kinnevik participates in funding round in Budbee lead by AMF
CareMetx, General Atlantic and The Vistria Group Announce Strategic Growth Partnership
ThoughtWorks Receives $720 Million Investment at an Enterprise Value of $4.6 Billion
Johan Menckel strengthens Latour's management
Astorg to acquire stake in Third Bridge from IK Investment Partners
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Kinnevik participates in funding round in Budbee lead by AMF January 14, 2021
CareMetx, General Atlantic and The Vistria Group Announce Strategic Growth Partnership January 14, 2021
ThoughtWorks Receives $720 Million Investment at an Enterprise Value of $4.6 Billion January 14, 2021
Johan Menckel strengthens Latour's management January 13, 2021
Astorg to acquire stake in Third Bridge from IK Investment Partners January 13, 2021
DIF Capital Partners acquires additional stake in Dublin Waste to Energy PPP project January 13, 2021
Ardian and BNP Paribas developpement invest in Proteor, a french leader in external orthopedics January 13, 2021
Latour completes acquisition of VEGA S.R.L. January 12, 2021
Open Farm Receives $65MM+ Minority Growth Investment Led By General Atlantic January 12, 2021
Ratos completes divestment of Bisnode January 11, 2021
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text:
Cox's Bazar (en bengali কক্স বাজার - kôksho bajar ou kôks bazar), est une ville, port de pêche et capitale du district du même nom dans l'extrême sud-est du Bangladesh. Elle est connue pour sa plage de , une des plus longues au monde. Située à  au sud de Chittagong, elle est également connue sous le nom de Panowa (« fleur jaune »), son ancien nom étant Palongkee. Son nom actuel vient du capitaine Cox, un officier de la British Army du  servant dans ce qui était alors l'Inde britannique.

Elle est l'attraction touristique la plus visitée du Bangladesh, mais reste aujourd'hui méconnue du public étranger.

La ville

Située sur le golfe du Bengale, au sud-est du Bangladesh, Cox's Bazar est une ville portuaire et une station thermale surtout connue pour sa plage. La municipalité couvre , comportant 27 mahallas et 9 wards. Sa population est de . Elle est reliée à Chittagong par la route, une ligne ferroviaire et par voie aérienne.

Histoire

La région de Chittagong, y compris Cox's Bazar, est sous la domination des rois d'Arakan du  à sa conquête par les Moghols en 1666. Pendant un voyage à Arakan, le prince moghol Shâh Shujâ passe par Cox's Bazar et est captivé par la beauté de la région ; il commande à ses forces, dont mille palanquins, de s'y installer temporairement. Il existe aujourd'hui un lieu appelé Dulahazara, signifiant « mille palanquins ». Après les Moghols, la région est sous domination tipra, puis arakan à nouveau, suivi des Portugais puis des Britanniques.

Le nom de Cox's Bazar vient du nom de famille d'un officier de la Compagnie anglaise des Indes orientales, le capitaine Hiram Cox, surintendant de Palonki (aujourd'hui Cox's Bazar), après que Warren Hastings devient gouverneur du Bengale à la suite du passage de la British East India Company Act en 1773. Cox fut choisi pour s'occuper d'un conflit de longue durée entre les réfugiés Arakan et les Rakhains locaux. Il fait progresser la réinsertion des réfugiés de la région, mais meurt en 1799 avant d'avoir fini son travail. Pour commémorer son rôle dans ce projet, on monte un marché/bazar nommé en son honneur. La thana de Cox's Bazar est établie en 1854 et la municipalité en 1869.

La Compagnie est vivement critiquée après la révolte des cipayes de 1857 ; elle est dissoute le , tous ses actifs (y inclus ses forces militaires) étant acquis par la Couronne britannique. Cox's Bazar est alors déclaré district de la province du Bengale.

Après la fin de la domination britannique en 1945, Cox's Bazar fait partie du Pakistan oriental. Le capitaine Fazlul Karim, premier président de la municipalité après l'indépendance des Britanniques, fait planter une forêt de tamaris le long de la plage pour attirer les touristes et pour protéger la côte de l'érosion et des raz-de-marée. Il donne des terres pour construire la bibliothèque publique et la mairie de la ville. En 1959, la municipalité est transformée en  town committee. En 1961, le Geological Survey of Pakistan fait des recherches sur les minéraux radioactifs (tels que le monazite) aux alentours de la plage et y découvre plusieurs métaux lourds précieux.

En 1971, le débarcadère de Cox's Bazar est utilisé comme port naval par les canonnières de l'armée de terre pakistanaise ; le débarcadère et l'aéroport utilisés par l'armée de l'air pakistanaise sont bombardés de manière intensive par la marine indienne pendant la Guerre de libération du Bangladesh. Les troupes pakistanaises tuent plusieurs habitants de la ville.

Après l'indépendance, le gouvernement commence à accorder plus d'attention à la région. En 1972, le town committee de Cox's Bazar redevient municipalité. En 1975, le gouvernement commence à étudier la viabilité commerciale de l'exploitation des minéraux lourds de la région, en coopération avec le gouvernement australien. En avril 2007, le Bangladesh est connecté au réseau sous-marin de câbles en tant que membre du consortium SEA-ME-WE-4 ; Cox's Bazar devient l'une des escales du câble sous-marin.

Géographie et climat

La ville s'étend sur . Elle est bordée au nord et est par le fleuve Bakkhali, à l'ouest par le golfe du Bengale, et par Jhilwanj Union au sud.

Son climat est tropical et caractérisé par les moussons (températures hautes, précipitations intenses, forte humidité), avec des variations saisonnières. Le changement de direction des vents entre hiver et été est un aspect important du climat du pays. Le climat de Cox's Bazar est similaire au reste du pays ; les températures vont d'un maximum de  à un minimum de  et les précipitations moyennes annuelles sont de  mm.

Relevé

Économie et développement

Dû au fait qu'elle est l'attraction touristique la plus populaire du pays, plusieurs hôtels y ont été construits. Cox's Bazar est également un port de pêche et de fruits de mer. On y cueille également des perles.

Parmi les autres attractions touristiques de la région, on trouve l'Aggmeda Khyang, un grand monastère bouddhiste (les habitants de la région étant bouddhistes et musulmans), Ramu, un village bouddhiste à environ  de Cox's Bazar, et Dulhazra Safari Park, un sanctuaire d'animaux sur la route entre Chittagong et Cox's Bazar.

Risques

La côte du Bangladesh est régulièrement exposée aux cyclones tropicaux et aux glissements de terrain. La région de Cox's Bazar est dans une zone de haut risque pour les marées montant de plus d'un mètre, ainsi que les glissements. Environ 70 % des habitants d'une zone proche de la ville sont morts dans le Cyclone Gorky de 1991.

Les taux de radiation sont plus élevés que la moyenne. Le risque de maladies transmises par les moustiques peut également être plus haut dans la région.

La plage

L'attraction principale de Cox's Bazar est sa longue plage de sable s'étendant de l'embouchure du fleuve Bakkhali jusqu'à Teknaf, soit . Quoiqu'appelée « plage de Cox's Bazar », la plage elle-même s'étend largement au-delà des limites de la ville.

Tourisme

La plage est surtout visitée des Bangladais, mais il y a un nombre de plus en plus important de touristes étrangers. Il n'y a pas de chiffres officiels concernant le nombre de touristes, mais une dépêche de l'Agence France-Presse a estimé que, pendant l'hiver,  chambres d'hôtel sont réservées et occupées presque toute la semaine.

Géographie

La plage principale, devant la ville de Cox's Bazar, est Laboni. Des centaines petits commerces vendent des souvenirs et d'autres objets aux touristes. À environ  au sud de la ville on trouve Himchari, un lieu populaire de pique-nique. La plage Inani, située à 35 km au sud de la ville, est une longue plage de sable blanc située dans la thana Ukhia. Elle est moins fréquentée que Laboni et ses eaux sont vides de requins.

Minéraux

Le sable de Cox's Bazar et des environs est riche en métaux lourds. On y trouve le hornblende, le grenat, l'épidote, l'ilménite, le magnétite, le rutile, la pyrite et quelques hydroxyles. La plage de Cox's Bazar contiendrait à elle seule 5,119 Mt de minéraux @ 0,04 % mon ; Inani pourrait contenir 0.729 Mt. de minéraux @ 0.13% mon. Les îles environnantes (Maheshkhali, Kutubdia et Nijhum Deep) ainsi que la plage de Teknaf contiendraient également de grandes quantités de minéraux. Le total des gisements serait de 4,4 millions de tonnes de métaux lourds dans 20,5 millions de tonnes de sable (sp gr > 2,9).

D'autres attractions touristiques

Maheshkhali est une petite île () sur la côte recouverte de collines et forêts de mangrove. On y trouve un temple hindou dédié à Shiva ainsi qu'une pagode bouddhiste.

L'île de Sonadia est une petite île de  ; l'est a une plage de sable, le nord une colonie de huîtres ; on y trouve également une forêt de mangrove.

Teknaf, à l'embouchure du fleuve Naf, marque la fin de la plage et la pointe sud du Bangladesh. Le fleuve forme la frontière entre le Bangladesh et la Birmanie.

Saint Martin's Island est une petite île à environ  au sud de la péninsule de Teknaf. C'est la seule île corallienne du Bangladesh. Elle abrite une colonie de tortues de mer, dont la survie est  menacée.

Bandarban, à environ 3 heures de route de Cox's Bazar, est près du plus grand temple bouddhiste du Bangladesh, Buddha Dhatu Jadi (à  de la ville), ainsi que de la cascade appelée Shoilo Propat.

Rangamati, ville dont la population est majoritairement bouddhiste, est surtout connue pour son lac, le lac Kaptai. Artificiel, il est toutefois connu pour la beauté de ses paysages.

Notes et références

Ville au Bangladesh
Ville portuaire au Bangladesh
Plage au Bangladesh

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


SCIREQ Inc.: Thank you for stopping by our booth at SOT 2014!
Thank you for stopping by our booth at SOT 2014!
We are back in the office returning from sunny Phoenix, Arizona where we had the chance to meet many researchers at the forefront of Safety Pharmacology, Toxicology, and other respiratory research fields. It was a great opportunity to see live demos of both the inExpose, our inhalation exposure system, and the flexiVent, our platform to assess respiratory mechanics.
Didn't get a chance to stop by? We will be at both the Experimental Biology (April 27-29, 2014 - booth 1036) and American Thoracic Society (May 18-20, 2014 - booth 3823) conferences in San Diego. We would love to meet with you!
Contact us by email at [email protected] or toll free at 1.877.572.4737.
Visit us at SOT 2014 in Phoenix!


The devil figure is not anyone to have, for the petite figure, isn't your wrong! If you choose the right wedding dress, you still play in the ceremony and kill all tall beauty girl. So we will see how to choose wedding dress for petite bride.
It is different from general strapless dress, arc design of chest line can spin the height of the petite bride which make the bride figure appears more slender, waisted shape back design is highlights the bride's waist line, the big skirt can aura foil for the bride to the extreme.
Chest line radian design with empire bownot design can be a very good stretch the bride's figure, make up the lack of height, while the tail design can make the bride down thin, highlight the feeling of the mermaid, with tulle fabric can add elegant feeling for the wedding dresses.
Empire design can make the bride's shape more longer, with a-line skit fit, it is better to reflects the advantages for small thin bride. The tulle with lace will make the brides more elegant and noble.


text:
Q: How to bind data after fetching HTML content in Angular In Angular 12, I am able to fetch html content from assets folder and display the content using innerHTML. But, the title data is not binded and not displayed in the page.
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Test Page res.text()).then(data => {
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        this.title = 'Hello World'; // assigning value of title which is added in test-template.html
      });

    setTimeout(() => {
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


...When people arbitrarily say no for something that literally would not be any hair off their back and would help promote a small fest, just because I'm not willing to pretend to be just like them right now.
Hello all. So I've never been overly impressed with Live Journals and never really had a need of one. But I figure if I'm going to be posting any more to the Best Enemies anon meme, I might as well just have a journal with which to occasionally do things with.
I've decided to be magnanimous and give you guys a quick reference to any and all fics you might want to find for those of you who are too lazy to find it by tag. They are listed by series. Remember, all roleplay entries are friends locked. I should mention that this list is usually up to date. I think I've managed to keep it up long enough that I can promise this will usually be a complete list of everything I've put on LJ. Also, unless otherwise stated, all fics are PG-13 or G. Still, most of the fics have other warnings, so read those to be on the safe side.
Disclaimer: I do not own the Avengers movie-verse, nor do I make any claim to.
Warnings: Major Character death is the big one on this fic, and you can check the end notes if you're squeamish and want some spoilers. It does have a happy ending though, and I promise only those characters in the end notes die no matter what else the fic makes you think. Some dubious consented body changes (he agreed, but didn't realize all of what he was agreeing to), but no maiming or anything like that. Fair warning that I took a lot of inspiration from Clamp, and I hope I did them proud.
Thanks: Many thanks to Narwhale_callin for betaing and Salmastyron for double checking my 616 facts. Also a great many thanks to my two extremely talented artists, neera_pendragon and fictionforlife! They've been amazing to work with, and I'm so lucky to be paired with two such amazing artists this year!
Notes: This fic came about because someone told me that I couldn't do worse than the Unicorn in Untameable, then threw my own prompt about Steve and Tony raising a baby dragon back at me. And, well, I'm never one to back down from a challenge. I have it on good authority this is way worse than the Unicorn. XD Also, it has been a life-long dream of mine to be as sadistic as Clamp. I like to think I made a decent attempt with this fic. I'm not sorry. At all.
Most importantly, this fic was written for the cap_ironman 2014 Big Bang. As stated above, I had the great pleasure of working with two very awesome artists. Please make sure to check out the art they did for this fic, because it's fantastic! You can find fictionforlife's work here 1 2 3 4, and a master post here on tumblr. (3 and 4 are slightly spoiler-y), and neera_pendragon's here on ao3 and 1 2 3 on tumblr!
A small note about Tony's phrasing: Shakespeare and the medieval period are two completely different time periods. Please do not believe Tony. You have no idea how incredibly painful it was for me to write that part, but it's a very Tony thing for him to say, so I went with it. The things I do for characterization. Bad Tony! Get your time periods right!
Warnings: It's tooth rotting fluff. That's about it. Also a bit of unwanted groping goes on, but Cap can take care of himself and knows how to deal with someone who is trying to inappropriately touch him.
Summary: After one of the guests at a charity event gets a little too handsy, Steve heads to the gardens to get a breath of fresh air. He's surprised by what he sees there.
Thanks: Many thanks to Salma and Whizzy for betaing. Also thanks to everyone who puts up with my random posting on tumblr. I'm not sure how you do it without a liberal use of blacklisting, but hey. This one's for you guys.
Notes: So I hit a milestone of followers and figured I'd write a short bit of fluff to thank everyone for following. This is the result.


The sound of Democratic and Republican establishments -- what I call the Combine -- being kicked by voters where it hurts.
Or, if that's too vague, let's just say the political establishments are getting it right in their peculiar vulnerabilities.
In New Hampshire, Bernie Sanders trounced Hillary Clinton among Democrats. And Donald Trump scored a huuuge victory among Republicans, although Sen. Ted Cruz's third-place showing puts him in a good spot as the campaigns move South and West.
Hillary Clinton has been irrevocably identified as the candidate of Wall Street in the midst of an insurgency year and pressure from the left. She doesn't like it, because it's true. She is the Wall Street candidate.
She also probably doesn't like the national polls showing she's in a dead heat with a 74-year-old socialist, but I can't help her there either.
And as the campaign rolls to South Carolina, the big question is: What tricks will Clinton use on Sanders?
It won't be pretty. Politics in the South is like politics in Chicago. You need to put sawdust on the floor to sweep up the aftermath. So expect the race card to drop, skillfully of course, but it will be played. It was played against Hillary by surrogates of the Obama campaign in 2008. She knows how it feels.
Clinton supporters have already tried gender-shaming young women who dared to feel the Bern in New Hampshire. The shaming didn't work. It was awkward and clumsy and it backfired.
But that's the campaign as entertainment. What I'm enjoying now is a bit subtle, taking place in the shadows, where the establishment lords are quivering just a bit. And I plan on savoring it for a while, because finally both sides, Democrats and Republicans, are getting what they deserve.
The national Combine sends out its meat puppets on TV to preach the talking points about who is electable and who is not and who is an embarrassment and who is not. But about half the voters in each party loathe the establishment candidates. They've had enough.
The middle-aged are tired of being afraid for their jobs, or working part-time jobs, and they're angry. And the young, raised to expect the world, don't see much of a future.
Sanders promises a revolution. Trump and Cruz promise battle. They're the ones with the energy. They're the ones telling voters they'll put the boots to the status quo. And the others? They're just holding on.
If a fish rots from the head, then political parties rot from the center. They rot from the gut. You can see the head of a fish, see what's wrong with it, notice the eyes, how it smells. With political parties, though, the heads are always hidden. The guts don't rumble until it's too late.
So far in 2016, all the voter anger and insurgency and passion seems to be a surprise to the insiders, and to the salons of common wisdom along the Beltway. But it shouldn't be a surprise. It's been building for years.
In some respects, the establishment reminds me of the sleek, well-fed gentlefolk in the forgettable Leonardo DiCaprio movie the "Gangs of New York." The scene that applies to 2016 was the establishment family breakfast scene.
You may remember it. They had perfect table manners and enjoyed tasty foods from fine chafing dishes; there was plenty of sunlight in the breakfast room and crystal on the table. Everything was toasty. Then the ruffians broke down the door and smashed the china and wreaked havoc.
In 2016, the establishment hasn't lost complete control. But winning elections isn't the main thing.
Elections are what the people believe in, what voters care for, what you and I argue about in the battle of ideas; how much government, how much liberty, how large a safety net. We fight it out. We care. We go tribal.
But the insiders don't get angry that way. They're about what insiders have always been about -- control. They need control of the parties to put their hands on the levers of government, to make treasure. They'd rather lose an election than lose control of that machinery.
A political party isn't a bumper sticker. It isn't a slogan. It isn't the true passion of a young person who feels the Bern or some other young person depressed because they can no longer stand with Rand.
The establishment doesn't think that way. Their parties are a gathering of interests, formed to use government to protect what they have, to take from others, to increase their slice. The candidates are chosen like fine horseflesh, the idea being to find the one you can ride to the gold.
Voters know this now. There should be no doubt except among the thickest partisan meat puppets.
They know Hillary is of the establishment, and they know Jeb! and the others are of the establishment, and they're tired. They've watched the banks that are too big to fail get federal bailouts after the economic catastrophe, and none of the big fish went to prison. They've seen their jobs shipped overseas, and they're told that their anger isn't only irrational but bothersome.
I'm sure the establishments believe they can herd this anger, as they've herded it in years before; goad it all into chutes and pens, so it ends up as tasty sausage in fine chafing dishes.
They have five months to get the herding done before those conventions in July.


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text:
Q: How can I make a Bootstrap 3 button group responsive? I am trying to make the buttons stack on top of each other when I browse the page through my phone. I would leave them to occur on a single line, but the texts inside them are very long and do not appear well when I shrink the page.
Here is my code.

<link rel="stylesheet" crossorigin="anonymous" integrity=
    "sha384-BVYiiSIFeK1dGmJRAkycuHAHRg32OmUcww7on3RYdg4Va+PmSTsz/K68vbdEjh4u"
  href="https://maxcdn.bootstrapcdn.com/bootstrap/3.3.7/css/bootstrap.min.css">

      الدروس و التجارب

      المنشورات و الكتب الشخصية

      المدونة

A: If I got your question right you want the button one on every line. With bootstrap you can do as follows and open some rows and insert your button inside.

<link rel="stylesheet" href="https://maxcdn.bootstrapcdn.com/bootstrap/3.3.7/css/bootstrap.min.css" integrity="sha384-BVYiiSIFeK1dGmJRAkycuHAHRg32OmUcww7on3RYdg4Va+PmSTsz/K68vbdEjh4u" crossorigin="anonymous">

        الدروس و التجارب

        المنشورات و الكتب الشخصية

        المدونة

Also you can add the col class to the button and select the column dimensions for every button like so:

        <button>[...]</button>
        <button>[...]</button>

A: As far as I can tell, there is nothing built into Bootstrap to do this. However, it can be done using some custom CSS on top of Bootstrap. We can explicitly stack the buttons on small screens.
For this, I have used the breakpoint that Bootstrap uses for anything smaller than desktops. This can be modified easily if you want to. If you want to read more about media queries, I can recommend this MDN article (link goes to part about width, but all of article is interesting).

@media (max-width: 991px) {
  .btn-group.my-btn-group-responsive > .btn {
    display: block;
    width: 100%;
  }

  /* making the border-radius correct */
  .btn-group.my-btn-group-responsive > .btn:first-child {
    border-radius: 6px 6px 0 0;
  }
  .btn-group.my-btn-group-responsive > .btn:first-child:not(:last-child):not(.dropdown-toggle) {
    border-top-right-radius: 6px;
  }
  .btn-group.my-btn-group-responsive > .btn:last-child:not(:first-child) {
    border-radius: 0 0 6px 6px;
  }

  /* fixing margin */
  .btn-group.my-btn-group-responsive .btn + .btn {
    margin-left: 0;
  }

}
<link rel="stylesheet" href="https://maxcdn.bootstrapcdn.com/bootstrap/3.3.7/css/bootstrap.min.css" integrity="sha384-BVYiiSIFeK1dGmJRAkycuHAHRg32OmUcww7on3RYdg4Va+PmSTsz/K68vbdEjh4u" crossorigin="anonymous">

    الدروس و التجارب
    المنشورات و الكتب الشخصية
    المدونة


Alex is an awarded producer working across short and feature film, primetime television, online, commercial, music video and video installation formats—with experience in theatrical distribution.
For two years Alex delivered compelling content for clients that include eBay & VICE, SEEK, Sensis and Devondale under creative production houses HOOVES and PLOT Media.
Additional long-form production credits include NOWHERE BOYS: THE BOOK OF SHADOWS (ABC / Matchbox), DANCE ACADEMY (Film Victoria supported producer attachment, Werner Film Productions), PLEASE LIKE ME (ABC) and Production Manager of Gregory Erdstein's feature comedy THAT'S NOT ME (Moccasin).
Alex's short films have been programmed by every major Australian film festival (MIFF Accelerator, Sydney FF Dendy Awards, Flickerfest, St Kilda FF), notching nominations and wins along the way, screening at some of the world's most selective international film festivals. In 2017, TOMORROW, AND TOMORROW, AND TOMORROW written & directed by Sunday Emerson Gullifer was selected as one of just 16 shorts worldwide to have its international premiere at the Telluride Film Festival in Colorado, USA—in a program co-curated by director Barry Jenkins (MOONLIGHT).
She was the Associate Producer and Digital Engagement Manager of Shorty Award-winning multiplatform AR fantasy experience, THE WESTBURY FAERY (2017) by PLOT Media, after working alongside Tait Brady at boutique Australian distribution company, Label Distribution in 2016.
Alex has a background in integrated marketing communications through her Bachelor of Professional Communications with Distinction (RMIT) and holds a Masters of Producing from the Victorian College of the Arts, University of Melbourne—where in 2014 she was named VCA Producer of the Year.
In 2018 Alex joined EXIT Melbourne as a Producer.


There are three types of cable drums that correspond to three types of overhead-type garage doors: standard-lift, vertical-lift, and high-lift. Each cable drum is manufactured to help the garage door remain balanced as it opens and closes with the help of the torsion springs. See our How Vertical-Lift and High-Lift Garage Doors Work page for more information regarding these drums.
Standard-lift cable drums are flat for the most part. Toward the outside of the door, the last 3/4 of a turn or so on the grooves of the cable drum is slightly raised. This helps keep the garage door balanced as it begins to open. Pictured to the right is the 5-1/4" standard-lift cable drum (DR5250-018).
Standard-lift cable drums come in three diameters: 4", 5-1/4" and 8". Each cable drum also has another number associated with it which corresponds to the drum's cable capacity. Depending on the drum manufacturer, the number embossed in the drum will be in either inches or feet.
The 8" diameter cable drum, which has a cable capacity of 32-feet, can be ordered for either a 1" or 1-1/4" shaft.
Vertical-lift cable drums are taller than standard-lift drums. When the garage door is closed, the cable is farther from the shaft. As the door opens, the cable wraps up on the drum and comes closer to the shaft (see How Vertical-Lift and High-Lift Garage Doors Work). Pictured to the right is the 11" vertical-lift cable drum (DR-1100-18).
Vertical-lift cable drums come in three outer diameters: 8-1/2", 11" and 13-1/2". Each cable drum also has another number associated with it which corresponds to the drum's cable capacity. Depending on the drum manufacturer, the number embossed in the drum will be in either inches or feet.
The 13-1/2" diameter cable drum, which has a cable capacity of 28-feet, can be ordered for either a 1" or 1-1/4" shaft.
High-lift cable drums have both a flat portion like the standard-lift drums and a raised portion like the vertical-lift drums. The cable runs on the raised portion while the garage door opens vertically then switches over to the flat portion when the door begins to run on the horizontal track (see How Vertical-Lift and High-Lift Garage Doors Work). Pictured to the right is the 6-3/8" high-lift cable drum (DR6375-164.html).
High-lift cable drums come in five diameters for the flat-portion: 4", 5-1/2", 5-3/4", 6-3/8", and 8". Each cable drum also has another number associated with it which corresponds to the drum's cable capacity. Depending on the drum manufacturer, the number embossed in the drum will be in either inches or feet.
The 6-3/8" diameter cable drum, which has a cable capacity of 13' 8", and the 8" diameter cable drum, which has a cable capacity of 10', both can be ordered for either a 1" or 1-1/4" shaft.


Models will always try to cheat on you ~ Data science lab.
The applicability of deep learning models has been growing rapidly over the last years, especially in the domain of image recognition. If you are interested in the basics of deep learning, see for example Nahua Kang's excellent article.
In this post, we aim to clarify how such a deep learning model can be created when there is a limit in time and resources. Further, we show how a deep learning model can be analyzed to check if it is actually doing what you target it to do and aim for the reader to get a glimpse of how you can apply deep learning techniques to an image recognition challenge of your own. Code to create a deep learning model can be found here and code to create Lime images here, for those who want to skip ahead.
For context, this guide is an extension on the project we as Data Science Lab did for the Big Data Expo 2018. For this exposition, the question surfaced whether we would be able to create an interactive personalised game within 4 weeks. The result of this brainstorming session was to re-create the game 'Guess Who', famous to at least most Dutch people from childhood.
As a quick refresher: the goal of the 'Guess Who' game is to guess who your opponent's character is, by asking yes or no questions (e.g. is your character a male ?). Requirements for this challenge were given set circumstances, that the models would be finished in 4 weeks (since our limitation in time for the expo) and that there would be enough labels to play the game (i.e. gender should be recognized and therefore be a potential question). As a number for the labels, we came to a minimum of 6, since the game usually ends up in simply guessing who your opponent's character is after 4 to 5 questions.
To tackle this challenge, we divided it into two parts: (A) to create a working game and (B) to be able to play the game with your own custom character. The crux would be to get a computer to recognize what facial characteristics someone has, so that actual questions like "is your character a male", could be asked. Further, in this post we hope to clarify how such models can be created and show you how transfer learning can be used to save a lot of time and resources too. Part B will be discussed here and A in a different post.
Glancing quickly at these features, we can quickly note that we can easily define each as a classification problem: i.e. is your person a male or is your character wearing a hat?
For simplicity, we chose to create a classification model for each individual feature. We chose for this option, since creating one overall multi-classification model, which could create predictions for all of these features in one go, would require a quite complex dataset (or smart workarounds which would require extra time). With only two or three classes per model, it remains relatively simple to balance dataset distributions (and simplify learning).
Since earlier research pointed towards deep learning models, our focus quickly moved towards utilizing such techniques. In addition, in order to save time, we aimed to use transfer learning. In transfer learning, you aim to utilize previous well performing solutions and extend these to work for your own challenge. Quite easily, we were able to find a guide which modified a Tensorflow tutorial (provided by the Tensorflow team). The detailed guide can be found here). The idea is to utilize the pre-trained Inception-V3 network and change it to solve our own image classification problem. Note that the guide linked above refers to a guide on creating a multi-label classifier (labelling classes which are optionally unrelated). We used this framework and edited it to be an exclusive classifier again (i.e. you can only have glasses or not, not somewhere in between). We chose to continue with that repository because it offered a simple structure, which allowed us to easily and rapidly create custom models. More on this later.
The strength of this solution lays in utilizing a pre-trained model, in this case the Inception-V3 network, to get a head start in training a model to recognize something from an image. Note that this is not always a road to the best potential solution, but in general a nice way of starting. The idea is to use the network depicted below, which is trained on recognizing 1000 different objects, and instead of retraining it entirely, only retrain a Softmax classifier on the top layer (a 2048 dimensional vector). Now don't get scared of these terms, this only means that instead of retraining millions of parameters, we only retrain n+n*2048 (in the order of thousands). As you might guess, that saves a lot of computational time! Examples of others that shared this approach aimed to for example recognize products.
A (very) simplified explanation is that this model (Inception-V3) is already good at recognizing basic things like objects and shapes (circles, facial boundaries, color differences etc.) and a sequential step to more higher order features (combination of such shapes) therefore becomes easier. Even simpler: before us humans learn to walk, we need to learn how to stand and keep our balance too! Already knowing those things should help us in the process of learning to walk too!
Figure 2: The Original Inception-V3 network. As you can imagine, coming up with such a network (laying and connecting all the individual pieces and deciding on structure in general) requires quite a lot of time and testing!
We will share our experience with these hyper parameters later on. First and most crucial in our process, we show how we gathered our data.
Find a tool that makes it easy to label and download images. We used Fatkun Batch Download.
We had models starting to show an 'ok' performance (70–80% ) at 100 images per category (!) and in our later runs used approximately 1000 images per category (e.g. 1000 men vs 1000 women when predicting gender). Overall results depended on what we aimed to predict, but results are shown later in Figure 4 if you want to skip ahead.
Create folders with specified label names inside our image directory (i.e. male & female) and make sure correct photos are in each folder. For example when creating the hats model we have the (see code block) below folder structure and fotos in the referenced folder.
Use the label_image.py function to create predictions!
For a slightly more elaborate explanation, we refer the interested reader to our Github.
Most time here obviously lays in step 1 where data first has to be gathered. Labelling (step 2) was done by a script and training (3) did not take long either (our last models were finished in ± 10 minutes on a 2,3 GHz Intel Core i5 with 8gb memory Macbook Pro!).
Learning rate was set at a default (0.01) and other values did not impact final results or overfitting that much.
Steps: even though top accuracies were achieved relatively fast, loss kept decreasing for a longer period of time and we therefore, as a guideline, set the amount of steps to 3000.
Image Augmentation: even though this technique deemed highly promising, our results did not indicate this. In addition, the functions provided in the code to augment the images were very slow and proved to be a great bottleneck in testing. We experienced a reduction in speed of training over 100 times! If the goal was to optimise models further, this could however be potentially a good option. For the models used at the expo, augmentation was as a result not used.
In order to make sure that our models were representative and would show accurate results at the expo, we created a testing set. For those who are unaware; a testing set refers to a set of photos which our models have not seen before and can therefore be used to rate how well our models perform. This set included our colleagues with various attributes (fake bears, hats and glasses etc.). An impression of such photos is provided below in Figure 3. Results of our models are highlighted afterwards in Figure 4.
Figure 3: Test images that we created to check performance of our models.
Figure 4: Results at the Expo. Blue referring to our last test set scores and green how well we performed at the expo.
To our joy, all models performed more or less in line with expectations given the relatively small number of samples (n=37). Since our utilized models map input pixels to a predicted output (i.e. male or female) and given the great amount of noise in our data (photos from the internet), we aimed to find out how our models made predictions. Did they actually learn to recognize glasses, or did they simply find hidden correlations (i.e. looking sideways as being an indicator for having glasses)?
So did our models actually cheat on us?
Deep learning has long been seen as a black box technique. Information goes in, in our case in the form of an image, and a predictive score is formed as an output. Whatever goes on inside the network is often a mystery. Pixel values are analyzed, information is added or removed and some feature space is learned. The network will find ways to link an input (our image's pixels) to an output (someone is or is not wearing glasses). Opening up specific nodes within a network have led to some interesting areas of research like style transfer.
A different approach which we used, is taken by the creators of the Lime project. In this project, the authors propose to analyse, how a change in pixel values, changes the output of our predictive function. Pixels are randomly permuted (see Figure 5) to correspondingly analyse which pixels have most influence on our prediction. Afterwards, the most important pixels can be plotted in the form of a 'mask'. For mask images see Figures 6 and 7.
Figure 5: Lime randomly flipping pixels to analyze how this affects a prediction.
Interestingly this technique can show us where our models focused on when making a prediction. We can check if our models actually learned to predict glasses by looking at the area around people's eyes, or by simply finding hidden connections and cheating us mere humans. For this demo we took two people who were not in our training sets. Two dutch legends which are our king Willem Alexander and Olympic athlete Dafne Schippers (Sorry Maxima but you were already in our training set). As for parameter settings we created 10k samples and visualised only the top 10 features with a minimum weight of 0.03.
The code provided by the creators of Lime was modified slightly for it to work with raw image files (which our model requires, in contrast to raw pixel values). Code can also be found on our Github.
Figure 6: Lime images showing on what foundations our model came to a prediction for Dafne Schippers.
Interestingly we can compare this to our own (human) expectations. How we classify whether someone has glasses, a hat or a tie is easy. Classifying when someone has curly or straight hair, or light or dark for that matter, more difficult. To explain how we classify, whether somebody is a man or woman is actually quite difficult! Do we look at face proportions, hair, facial hair, a jawline? Facial hair might be seen as a male trait but men without it exist. For that matter, so do women exist with male facial characteristics (strong jawline, short hair etc.). To say the least, these images give an interesting insight into how a model learns to map pixels to a classification.
Figure 7: Lime images indicating important areas when predicting specific features for king Willem Alexander.
Given these are only two images, we can take notes on the results. We can see that the hat, tie and glasses model not only focus at the correct areas but also on other less intuitive regions. Without being bound to human biases or expectations, the models are keen at finding hidden relations. I myself for example am unaware of the relation between a throat and wearing a hat, a forehead and facial hair, nor how someone's jaw looks and them having straight hair. Understanding whether these relations are actually good predictors or simply based on bias in our photos, is something that could be researched next. These relations however showcase how taking advantage of such techniques can give nice insight into whether our models are biased or not!
With current available libraries it has become a lot easier to create a deep learning model. We have shown how, in only a couple of weeks and even with a noisy self constructed dataset, quite nice accuracies can be achieved. In addition, we have shown how relatively new techniques like the Lime project, can be used to visualise why models make certain predictions. These insights can hint at how you can track bias in your predictive models and how you can enhance results and generalisability further. It's therefore not unsurprising that this part of research one of the bigger trends of the 2018 AI summit.
I hope you learned something from this post and if you have any feedback, suggestions or questions, don't hesitate to reach out to me. Also keep an eye out for post B. In that post we will provide an overview of how to create a web application in Dash that can make use and host the models created!
Writer: Ruben Sikkes, Data Scientist @ Data Science Lab.