Latest news with #Brainstorm
RTÉ News
30-05-2025
- Science
- RTÉ News
How bonus points have changed Leaving Cert Maths
Analysis: There's no doubt that bonus points are driving the uptake of Higher Level maths, but the initiative has had unintended consequences This article is now available above as a Brainstorm podcast. You can subscribe to the Brainstorm podcast through Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. In Ireland, the proportion of students opting to complete their Leaving Certificate mathematics examinations at Higher Level (HL) has increased by 130% in 13 years. Such growth would suggest that significant progress is being made in mathematics education in Ireland, but research into the reasons behind this surge may temper such optimism. Increasing participation in Higher Level mathematics at Senior Cycle has been a key aim for Irish policymakers over the past 15 years. The Bonus Points Initiative (BPI) was introduced in 2012 with the aim of increasing the uptake of Higher mathematics and the long term goal of improving students' mathematical capabilities. Bonus points mean that students who opt to study Higher Level maths and who obtain a score greater than or equal to 40% in their Leaving Certificate examination are awarded an additional 25 'bonus' points. Based on the current CAO system, this means that a student who obtains 40% at Higher Level would receive more points (71) than a student who achieved 90-100% in the Ordinary Level paper (56). From RTÉ Brainstorm, have Leaving Cert maths' questions got harder or easier over 100 years? Maths is the only subject for which bonus points are available, thus giving the subject a special status in our education system. Despite assurances that bonus points would initially be rolled out on a four-year trial basis, it has now been in place for 12 years with no formal evaluation of the initiative conducted. As part of an independent research project, we have carried out several studies investigating the impact of bonus poinys on the profile of students in the Higher Level mathematics classroom; students' motivations to study Higher Level maths; teachers' perspectives on bonus points and the impact on students' performance in the subject. The findings from these studies will highlight some of the unintended consequences of attributing such a special status to mathematics. As mentioned at the outset, between 2011 and 2024 there has been a 130% (from 15.8% to 36.3%) increase in the proportion of students taking Leaving Cert maths at Higher Level. As such, bonus points have been successful in achieving its primary aim of increasing the number of students opting for higher maths. In 2019, we conducted a study with 911 Senior Cycle students who were taking Higher maths and asked them what factors motivated them to study the subject at this level. From a list of 19 factors, the two factors that most students selected were "I wanted to get bonus points" (91.2% in agreement) and "I will get good CAO points from it" (80.3%). These findings leave us in no doubt that the Bonus Point Initiative is driving the uptake of Higher Level matsh and Irish students are now primarily extrinsically motivated to study the subject at this level. However, research has also found that extrinsic motivational factors can lead to diminished intrinsic motivation among students. Therefore, the central role that the BPI is currently playing in motivating students to study higher maths may have longer term negative effects on students' affective reaction to the subject. The surge in the number of students opting for Higher Level maths and the motivation behind this has also led to a change in the profile of students taking the subject. A research study with 266 Senior Cycle HL maths teachers found that bonus points often resulted in students not suited to HL mathematics persevering with it. This large number of less able students has resulted in a much wider range of abilities than would have been the case prior to 2012. Many of these students are also less ambitious and have lower expectations of themselves, often aiming to just reach, rather than exceed, the score required to be awarded bonus points. These findings present teachers with a series of challenges to contend with, most notably in terms of catering for much higher levels of diversity in the mathematics classroom. It is therefore unsurprising that the majority of teachers in our study would like to see the BPI retained but adjusted (56%) or discontinued and not replaced (23%). From RTÉ Radio 1's Today With Claire Byrne, why do so many adults struggle with everyday maths? As well as having implications for teachers, the BPI may also be impacting the grades being awarded to students. Between 2008 and 2024, the profile of students studying HL maths has changed considerably. A figure which has remained consistent in this time is the combined proportion of students opting to complete their Leaving Certificate maths examinations at either HL or OL (ranging from 87.9% to 94.1%). Given that the maths capabilities of the combined HL and OL cohorts are unlikely to have varied too much from year to year, one would expect that the proportion of students achieving at the upper end of the HL grading spectrum would remain consistent. However, we found this was not the case. When comparing Leaving Cert maths'; results from 2008 to 2019, there is a 44% increase in the proportion of all HL and OL students achieving a score of 70% (H3 or above in current grading system) or better in the HL examination. When 2008 is compared to 2024, there is a 116% increase in this proportion. While some of this inflation can likely be attributed to the impact of the predicted grades policy in 2020 and 2021, this trend of grade inflation was already in evidence prior to 2020. Given teachers' concerns about the profile of students now opting for HL maths, it is highly unlikely that this increase can be attributed to a better calibre of student studying HL mathematics as a result of the BPI. Grade inflation of this nature can lead to a loss of confidence amongst stakeholders regarding the capacity for Leaving Certificate grades to provide valid and reliable information about students. This can lead to students being admitted to third-level courses for which they are not sufficiently mathematically prepared, an issue which has been highlighted in Ireland recently. Overall, these research studies offer the first comprehensive evaluation of the BPI. While it is clear that the primary objective of the BPI has been achieved, there have certainly been some unintended consequences. Assigning mathematics a special status has impacted on students' motivations for pursuing Higher Level maths. This has led to a need for different teaching practices in classrooms; and raised concerns about the competencies of students graduating from second level. If the bonus points initiative is to continue, these implications need to be considered to ensure we develop students with the required mathematical competencies to guarantee a knowledge economy. University of Limerick. She is the Deputy Director of EPI∙STEM, the national centre for STEM Education. Dr Páraic Treacy is a Lecturer in Mathematics in the School of Education at Mary Immaculate College, Thurles. Dr Mark Prendergast is a Senior Lecturer in Mathematics Education in the School of Education at UCC. He is a Research Ireland awardee.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Q1 2025 Brainstorm Cell Therapeutics Inc Earnings Call
Joyce Lonergan; Investor Relations; LifeSci Advisors LLC Chaim Lebovits; President, Chief Executive Officer; Brainstorm Cell Therapeutics Inc. Hartoun Hartounian; Chief Operating Officer, Executive Vice President; Brainstorm Cell Therapeutics Inc. Ibrahim Dagher; Executive Vice President, Chief Medical Officer; Brainstorm Cell Therapeutics Inc. Netta Blondheim-Shraga; Senior Vice President, Research and Development; Brainstorm Cell Therapeutics Inc. Jason McCarthy; Analyst; Maxim Group David Bautz; Analyst; Zachs SCR Operator Greetings and welcome to the Brainstorm Cell Therapeutics first-quarter 2025 conference call. At this time, all participants are on a listen-only mode. As a reminder, this call is being recorded. I would now like to introduce your host for today's call, Joyce Lonergan of LifeSci Advisors. Joyce, you may begin. Joyce Lonergan Thank you, Holly. Good morning and thank you for joining us today. Before passing the call to company management for prepared remarks, I would like to remind listeners that this conference call will contain numerous statements, descriptions, forecasts, and projections regarding Brainstorm Cell Therapeutics, and its potential. Business operations and performance statements regarding the market potential for the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders such as ALS, the sufficiency of the company's existing capital resources for continuing operations in 2025 and beyond. The safety and clinical effectiveness of the neuron technology platform, clinical trials of neuron, and related clinical development programs, and the company's ability to develop strategic collaborations and partnerships to support their business planning efforts. Forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond Brainstorm's control, including the risks and uncertainties described from time to time in its SEC filings. The company's results may differ materially from those projected on today's call. The company undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements. Joining us on the call today will be Chaim Lebovits, President and Chief Executive Officer of Brainstorm; Dr. Haro Hartounian, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer; Dr. Bob Dagher, Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer; and Dr. Netta Blondheim-Shraga, Senior Vice President of Research and Development. I would now like to turn the call over to Mr. Lebovits. Please go ahead. Chaim Lebovits Thank you, Joyce. Good morning or good afternoon, everyone. Thank you for joining us today. We appreciate your continued interest in supporting Brainstorm. We published our Q1 2025 earnings release after the market closed last Thursday, and then colleagues and I are pleased to provide a corporate update today. Our unwavering primary focus remains the execution of the clinical development plan for neuron and the initiation of our pivotal phase 3B trial designed to confirm its therapeutic benefit for individuals in the early stages of ALS. Hopefully, you will have seen the press release released this morning announcing that the U.S. FDA has cleared us to initiate the trial. This follows the amendments we submitted to our investigational new drug application. Which included comprehensive technical transfer documentation. Robust quality assurance and stringent quality control processes. This regulatory clearance marks a significant milestone, bringing us closer to commencing patient enrollment. As previously disclosed, the trial design has been carefully agreed upon with the FDA under a special protocol assessment or SPA. This spa is a crucial element, as we believe it substantially des the regulatory pathway for neuro. It provides confirmation that the trial's endpoints and our statistical analysis plan are deemed appropriate for the FDA to potentially support approval contingent upon the trial meeting its pre-specified expectations. We also announced previously. That in a face to face type C meaning we had achieved alignment with the FDA and CMC, a particularly vital aspect for an advanced cell therapy like neuron. Our CMC team is always advancing its development and continues to work as regulatory guidance directs. To provide further detail on our operational readiness for the upcoming trial. I'd like to turn the call over to our Chief Operating Officer, Dr. Haro Hartounian. Haro? Hartoun Hartounian Thank you. As previously discussed, we plan to initiate our initial manufacturing for the phase 3B trial at the Tel Aviv Sosky Medical Center. To scale up our manufacturing capabilities, we'll then proceed with the technology transfer to Pleury, which will provide additional clean room facilities. We have signed a letter of intent with Flui and anticipate moving forward to a definitive contract soon. Furthermore, The team and I have secured a leading US clinical site that has successfully passed FDA inspection. We are in the process of finalizing an LOI and we'll be announcing the details of this important site shortly. We are all very excited about the progress and remain hopeful that we can begin treating patients soon. Back to you. Chaim Lebovits For that important update on our manufacturing and site selection progress. Currently, we are actively engaged in negotiations for the clinical trial agreements with approximately 15 leading clinical centers across the United States. Each poised to serve as a site for a phase 3 trial. The strong interest we are getting from numerous renowned ALS clinicians and researchers underscores their conviction in the potential of neurons. We will make announcements regarding these agreements as they are finalized. As noted in our earnings specialty, the details of the trial, which we are calling Endurance, have now been posted on On this website you will see the study plan. Including primary and secondary endpoints. As well as a list of clinical sites that we expect will participate. Publication of these details is important for transparency and allows the medical community and mainly ALS patients who are interested in participating, as well as caregivers, to review the structure of the study. We fully recognize the urgency felt by patients and clinicians for innovative therapeutic options in ALS. Our commitment is absolute in executing this trial with the highest level of scientific rigor. With the limited treatment options currently available for ALS patients. We firmly believe that Neuron, if successful in the study and subsequently approved, holds the promise of becoming a significant and valuable treatment. In parallel with our dedicated neuro development efforts. Our scientific team remains actively engaged. With the academic community and our industry peers sharing the latest data and insights. Last week we participated in the annual AL Drug Development summit in Boston. A crucial gathering that brought together over 200 scientific leaders to address the most pressing challenges in the therapeutic development for this devastating disease. The discussions at this year's meeting were centered on critical areas such as target validation. The effective utilization of biomarkers and the optimization of clinical trial design. I want to take a moment to speak about our incredible team at. Despite facing significant financial constraints. A reality for many small biotech companies in the current environment. Their dedication and tireless efforts are truly remarkable. We heard a very powerful message at the ALS summit from Wendy. A courageous individual living with ALS. Who eloquently referred to every ALS patient as a warrior. Brainstorm, we see it as part of our mission to join the ranks of these warriors working every single day to advance preparations for the critical trial. We are succeeding in making substantial progress with the limited financial resources we currently have, thanks in large. To the outstanding support of our dedicated partners. This positions us to move forward with significant agility once we secure a strategic funding deal, which remains our priority. We understand that members of the investment community and the ELF community are eager to know precisely when the first patient will be enrolled. Please note that our focus remains squarely and diligently completing the necessary steps, including securing adequate funding as we are working to advance various funding opportunities that include potential strategic investments and non-dilutive grants. We are simultaneously proceeding on many fronts to be able to initiate the trial as swiftly and responsibly as possible. We are deeply committed to this endeavor endeavor, and we will continue to provide updates as they become available. I will now turn the call over to Dr. Bob Dagher, Grass Chief Medical Officer, who will give a brief summary of his presentation at the ELA summit last week. Bob? Ibrahim Dagher Thank you, Chaim. Hi everyone. As part of my presentation last week, I provided a detailed overview of the design of our planned phase 3 trial and explained the significant changes we made versus our trial phase 3 trial in order to increase the probability of success. As we have previously disclosed, the new trial will be conducted in two parts. Part A is a 24 week double-blind period which will be followed by Part B, a 24 week open label extension designed to evaluate long-term effects on survival and biomarkers. We have set the entry criteria to enroll patients who have early stage ALS. In other words, those with less advanced level of functional decline. The primary endpoint will be the change from baseline to week 24, so at the end of Part A, in the ALSFRSR total score, which is now considered the gold standard in recent registrational trials. The results from Part A at 24 weeks, if they meet our expectations, should be sufficient to support a new BLA. This is covered specifically in our SA agreement with the FDA. In the phase 3D trial, we eliminated the 3 month running period from the previous study and also shortened the screening period from 20 weeks to now 9 weeks to minimize changes between screening and baseline. I will now turn the call over to my colleague, Dr. Blondheim-Shraga, to discuss the ALS biomarkers analysis. Netta Blondheim-Shraga Thank you, Bob. My presentation at the ALS summit focused on biomarkers in ALS and specifically how the experiments we have conducted with biomarkers support the potential multimodal mechanism of action of neuron. There is currently no established universal marker for ALS, as it is a complex disease that may require combinations of biomarkers for accurate assessment. We hypothesize that neuron exerts its biological effects across multiple pathways. Analysis of CSF samples from patients who participated in the prior phase 3 phase 3A study provided us with valuable insight into how neurons may be exerting its effect. CSF samples were collected at 7 time points from all participants in the study, and analysis of these samples showed significant changes in biomarkers that are relevant to ALS pathology. Treatment with neuron was associated with a reduction in neuroinflammatory and neurodegenerative biomarkers and with increase in anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective biomarkers. At the ALS summit, we presented the results from 3 sets of preclinical experiments to investigate the immunomodulation, neuroprotectant, and neuroregenerative properties of neurons. The first of these was an in vitro experimental model of immune activated peripheral blood mononuclear cells, or PBMCs that were co-cultured with neuron cells. We demonstrated that neuron inhibits the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines and decrease the proliferation of certain types of T cells, CD4 cells and CD8 cells that are involved in the inflammatory process. The second was an in vitro hypoxia model that examined the effect of neuron on a motor neuron cell line that had been subjected to hypoxic stress in a low oxygen environment and resulted in about 1 in 3 cells dying. We showed here that when these cells were co-cultured with conditioned media collected from neuron cell cultures, viability was restored to 96.5% of normoxic conditions or 6.5% of normal. Providing evidence of a neuroprotective effect. Finally, we studied an experimental neurite outgrowth model in which human neuroblastoma cells were co-cultured in a no contact transweal system with neuron cells. We showed that neurons enhanced growth of neurites supporting a neuroregenerative role for neurons. As disclosed previously, we reviewed the clinical utility of neurofilament light, or NFL as a biomarker of disease progression and treatment monitoring in ALS. 10 patients who completed the prior phase 3 trial enrolled in an open label expanded access program that spanned 228 week periods. We showed that early treatment with neuron resulted in greater reductions in NFL levels. Among the 6 participants who received neuron in both both phase 3 and the EAP, a continual group level reduction in NFL was observed. In contrast for the 4 patients who received placebo in the phase 3. The group median NFL change was higher at the end of the study, indicating worsening neurodegeneration. After these patients switched to neuron in the EAP, the majority showed a stabilization in NFL levels. As these results were from a very small group, we view them as hypothesis generating and will continue to explore long term effects of treatment in our upcoming phase 3D study. At the conference, we also shared results from a genetic substudy conducted during our phase 3 study. We have examined the underlying genetics of ALS and how it may determine the clinical response to neuron. We are particularly interested in a gene called untertennae, which has been widely studied in ALS. Patients who were enrolled in the prior phase 3 trial had the option to participate in a genetic substudy, and 124 consented. We showed in these patients that the UNC-13A, the M13A genotype, appeared to influence the response to neuron therapy. Patients who were heterozygous carriers of oyolal, had a statistically significant response rate to neuron treatment compared with placebo, supporting further investigation of the uncertain A and other genetic factors and their correlation to treatment effect of neuron in our next trial. I will now turn the call back to Chaim for closing comments. Chaim Lebovits Thank you. For the details on Brainstorm's financials for the quarter ended March 31, 2025. I would refer you to the press release we issued on Thursday. And also to our thank you filed with the SEC. We're now ready for the Q&A, Joyce. Joyce Lonergan Thank you, Chaim. We have four written questions. The first one, can you start the trial without proper funding? Chaim Lebovits Thank you. That's a very good question. While our financials over the past year and a half have reflected a very challenging environment. We have nonetheless been able to make significant strides in preparing for the trial, including technology transfer. FDA regulatory submissions, site selections, and CRO engagements. However, initiating and successfully executing a clinical trial of this nature. Demands a robust and sustainable cash flow. Therefore, while we have diligently progressed to this point with relatively limited resources, securing proper funding is an essential to com commence the trial. As communicated in our recent press release, we are actively pursuing multiple funding avenues to ensure the timely commencement of the trial. These efforts are in various stages. Encompassing a promising $15 million dollar non grant currently will be under review, alongside ongoing negotiations for a strategic partnership. We are focusing on strategic partnerships. Our priority is to secure the necessary capital through such partnerships to confidently initiate and complete this study. Joyce Lonergan Thank you, ho. We have a second question. We see you call the trial endurance. What's the meaning of that? Chaim Lebovits Thank you for that. The name Endurance was carefully chosen. To deeply resonate With ALS community. It stands as a tribute. To the remarkable strength. Tenacity and unwavering spirit demonstrated by individuals living with ALS and their families. For Brainstorm Endurance also underscores our steadfast commitment to persevere in our scientific endeavors and generate the robust data required for regulatory approval of neurons. We believe that this trial embodies the collective resilience of patients and our determined mission to deliver a potentially meaningful therapeutic option for ALS. Thank you. Joyce Lonergan Thank you for that, Hayam. The third question is, will the company also be producing in the US? Chaim Lebovits Thank you, Harold, you want to take that? Hartoun Hartounian Sure. Thank you so much for the question. Absolutely, expanding our manufacturing footprint to the United States is a key strategic objective for us. We're pleased to share that we will be announcing a letter of intent in the coming days with the US-based facility that has a proven track record, having already successfully passed FDA inspection for the production of other other products. This signifies an important step in our plans for future commercialization and supply chain security. Chaim Lebovits Thank you. Joyce Lonergan Thank you for that. Question 4 is, can you update on any advances in the exosome program, or are you not proceeding with that at this time? Chaim Lebovits Thank you, please take that one. Netta Blondheim-Shraga Sure, thank you for this question. We are highly encouraged by the progress of our exosome program as the field of exosome-based therapeutics continues to show strong potential in the treatment of respiratory and inflammatory diseases. Our proprietary allogeneic exosome platform has yielded promising preclinical data demonstrating both therapeutic and preventative effects and models of lung disease. To support these findings, we are preparing a manuscript detailing the efficacy of our exosomes in a preclinical model of COPD. Which would join our existing publication about the efficacy of exosomes in a model of ARDS. Together, these works outline the wide potential of our allogeneic exosome technology, which is derived from neuron cells. Briefly, our new findings demonstrate that early treatment with exosomes significantly reduces lung inflammation in response to bleomycin, as a chemotherapy agent with known lung toxicity, and significantly reduced lung fibrosis two weeks later compared to untreated controls. In light of these exciting new results, we are actively pursuing strategic partnerships to advance the exosome program towards clinical development. In parallel, we are expanding our global intellectual property portfolio and anticipate announcing the issuance of additional patents that will further strengthen the protection of our innovations. Chaim Lebovits Certainly. Operator (Operator Instructions) Jason McCarthy, Maxim Group. Jason McCarthy Good morning, everybody. Thanks for taking the questions. If you can go back to the ANC 13 a discussion that you're having, have you had any communications with FDA in terms of being able to stratify by un 13A in the upcoming phase 3B or was that? Association that you showed through the EAP more of an exploratory study. Kind of, are you locked in with the spy? You don't really have a lot of wiggle room around the ALS FRS to go for on 13A stratification as well? Chaim Lebovits Thank you very much for that question, Jason. In general, the FDA is not yet approving any biomarker as a surrogate, but I would like Bob to elaborate more on that, Bob. Ibrahim Dagher Oh yeah, thank you Jason for the question. So under the special protocol assessment agreement, FDA, the protocol. I wouldn't use the word lock, but It's agreed on with all the details, including the population. It's not, Impossible or difficult to go and and add and make changes will require obviously discussions. However, scientifically speaking, the and we're very excited with the A larger ALS community about these new genetic discoveries and the young 13A story is evolving. However, it remains exploratory and not definitive at this stage in the game of the trial design innovations, etc. We are acutely aware of what's going on. I present the data on our on 13A. Two weeks ago in New Orleans at ISCT it was very well received in oral presentation. It was chosen for that for that target audience as well. So excitement is there but not yet at the level where it will rise to become a stratification point. However, we're going to be obviously exploring. We do post hoc analysis and we cut the populations in however many ways we need to eva evaluate further the effect of neuron in the next study in the phase 3B. Thank you for your question. I really appreciate it. Jason McCarthy Got it. And another, I guess somewhat technical question. You had talked a bit about the hypoxic stress co culture with neuron cells or the neuro media if I call it that, right? And did you say that it restored noroxic activity? And if so, could that Mechanism of action be used as part of a data package when you refill or ffi the BLA the next time around, because I remember last time a lot of questions around Growth factors and levels of this and levels of that came up, but is this more defining of the mechanism of action for neuron that would be supportive of the next BLA. Chaim Lebovits A very good question. Yes, and that she can answer the first part and can answer the second part. Netta Blondheim-Shraga Thank you. Yes, you're correct. What we saw was that the media that was enriched by our cells had a protective effect and a rescue effect really on cells under hypoxic conditions and restored them back to almost 100% of normoxic condition. So 96.5%. This is a cell culture, so it's a simplistic model. It's not a human, live model. It's not a clinical model, but it is supportive, I think of and was included in our ID as well. Jason McCarthy Got it. And just last question on the manufacturing. I know you're aiming to open up additional clean rooms, but currently the Tel Aviv facility, how many excuse me, therapies can it handle? What produced. Chaim Lebovits It depends on how many rules we are using. It will be a rolling enrollment, as with the phrases of the CTA, so it will serve us for the first few months and then we'll start with Pluri, as Harold had specified before, and I believe that next year we'll have the US side also up and running. Jason McCarthy Got it. Thanks for taking the question time. Chaim Lebovits You're very welcome. We have time for one more question, Ali. Operator David Bautz, Zachs Small Cap. David Bautz Hey, good morning, everyone. Thanks for the update this morning. So Haim, I just want to make sure I heard correctly that you guys are looking to open up, is it 15 clinical trial sites and then for each of those sites, obviously financing aside, what needs to occur to TRY to get or to get those sites up and running so that they can enroll patients and then lastly, do you have any estimation of how many patients you can enroll say per month just based on manufacturing capacity. Chaim Lebovits Yeah, so thank you very much for that question. So on you will see a listing of the sites. It's out there, but we didn't yet sign the CTAs. We'll be announcing very soon gradually after we sign CTAs, and yeah, as I just mentioned, we'll start to grow side by side based on a GAN of patient population that we're going to be enrolling based on the manufacturing. So we're working at the final steps steps of those of that GANT, so I can't share exact numbers now. But the plan is, as the 200 patient trial within 2 to 3 years to everyone enrolled and everyone treated. The first part and we'll be deep into the second part as well. And I want to remind you that the BLA would be filed if we have statistical significant result of the first part of the trial. David Bautz Okay great thanks thanks for taking the question. Chaim Lebovits Yeah, so thank you very much. I want to thank everyone for being on the call today. We're hoping to close at 9 o'clock. I see it's exactly 9 o'clock, so thank you very much and have a wonderful day. Operator This concludes today's conference. You may disconnect your lines at this time. Thank you for your participation. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Broadcast Pro
12-05-2025
- Business
- Broadcast Pro
Alfalite to unveil LED and virtual production innovations at CABSAT
The company will present its new offerings in collaboration with Brainstorm. Alfalite, the sole European manufacturer of LED screens, is set to showcase its latest advancements in virtual production and immersive display technologies at CABSAT 2025, taking place from May 13 to 15 at the Dubai World Trade Centre. The company will present its new offerings in collaboration with Brainstorm, a developer of real-time 3D graphics and virtual studio solutions. Alfalite will make its Middle East debut of the MATIX AlfaCOB technology, which features prominently in its latest Neopix and UHD Finepix series of LED panels. A striking 3×3 meter LED wall with a 1.9mm pixel pitch will serve as the centrepiece of the exhibit and a critical element in Brainstorm's live demonstrations of advanced virtual production techniques, including extended reality (XR) and augmented reality (AR). This joint presentation will demonstrate the versatility and power of a fully integrated LED and graphics ecosystem tailored for industries such as broadcast, film, live events, advertising and corporate communications. Alfalite's high-performance LED panels will be paired with Brainstorm's flagship software solutions—InfinitySet, Aston, and Edison Suite 6.2—powered by Unreal Engine 5, to form a complete and interactive virtual production workflow. The setup will include features such as chroma keying, real-time talent teleportation, data-driven AR graphics, and multi-scene management. Designed for efficiency, the system allows presenters to control the entire production using a single clicker. A key highlight of Alfalite's exhibit will be the MATIX AlfaCOB technology, which leverages the company's proprietary ORIM platform. This innovation provides encapsulated LED modules that are highly resistant to physical impacts, liquids, and chemicals. It also delivers performance with ultra-wide 175° viewing angles, reduced glare, superior thermal control, and precise colour consistency—attributes that make it well-suited for demanding visual environments and applications requiring high-fidelity image reproduction. The Neopix series, aimed at rental and virtual production markets, includes pixel pitches ranging from 1.5 to 3.9HB millimetres, while the UHD Finepix line is designed for control rooms and corporate settings, offering ultra-fine pitches down to 0.6 millimetres for unmatched image detail. Silvia C. Natal, International Sales Manager at Alfalite, said: 'We are proud to return to CABSAT with our partner Brainstorm to show how European technology can meet the highest standards of virtual production and immersive storytelling. This event is an opportunity for visitors in the Middle East to experience firsthand the capabilities of our robust and precise LED solutions.' Stand S1-F42
Sydney Morning Herald
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
Nagi Maehashi, John Farnham and Richard Scolyer win at book awards
Nagi Maehashi of RecipeTin Eats has won for illustrated book of the year at the Australian Book Industry Awards, beating fellow cook Brooke Bellamy and others to the prize a week after accusing Bellamy of copying two of her recipes. It's the second year in a row that Maehashi, a contributor to this masthead, has won the award, this time for her cookbook Tonight. Bellamy's Bake with Brooki was on the shortlist in the same category. Maehashi accused Bellamy last week of plagiarism, arguing she was forced to go public after six months of unsuccessfully trying to reach an agreement with Bellamy's publisher Penguin. Both Penguin and Bellamy, who owns three cafes in Brisbane, denied the allegations, and the dispute is unresolved. Penguin, meanwhile, won the title of best publisher for the fourth time in five years. John Farnham was the big winner at the awards, which were announced in Melbourne on Wednesday evening, as he took home the overall award for book of the year, as well as audiobook of the year and biography of the year for The Voice Inside, written with filmmaker Poppy Stockell. Having nearly died during surgery for throat cancer in 2022, Farnham is unsure whether he'll sing again. World-renowned pathologist Richard Scolyer was awarded social impact book of the year for Brainstorm, which tells the story of his life during revolutionary brain cancer treatment. Co-written with Garry Maddox, a journalist with this masthead, the book provides extraordinary insight into living with a terminal illness. Maddox brings an intimate perspective: Scolyer's pioneering immunotherapy treatment helped save him when he was diagnosed with metastasised melanoma. Gina Chick took home the Matt Richell award for new writer of the year for her autobiography We Are the Stars, which she describes as 'a misfit's story of love, connection and letting go'.
The Age
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Age
Nagi Maehashi, John Farnham and Richard Scolyer win at book awards
Nagi Maehashi of RecipeTin Eats has won for illustrated book of the year at the Australian Book Industry Awards, beating fellow cook Brooke Bellamy and others to the prize a week after accusing Bellamy of copying two of her recipes. It's the second year in a row that Maehashi, a contributor to this masthead, has won the award, this time for her cookbook Tonight. Bellamy's Bake with Brooki was on the shortlist in the same category. Maehashi accused Bellamy last week of plagiarism, arguing she was forced to go public after six months of unsuccessfully trying to reach an agreement with Bellamy's publisher Penguin. Both Penguin and Bellamy, who owns three cafes in Brisbane, denied the allegations, and the dispute is unresolved. Penguin, meanwhile, won the title of best publisher for the fourth time in five years. John Farnham was the big winner at the awards, which were announced in Melbourne on Wednesday evening, as he took home the overall award for book of the year, as well as audiobook of the year and biography of the year for The Voice Inside, written with filmmaker Poppy Stockell. Having nearly died during surgery for throat cancer in 2022, Farnham is unsure whether he'll sing again. World-renowned pathologist Richard Scolyer was awarded social impact book of the year for Brainstorm, which tells the story of his life during revolutionary brain cancer treatment. Co-written with Garry Maddox, a journalist with this masthead, the book provides extraordinary insight into living with a terminal illness. Maddox brings an intimate perspective: Scolyer's pioneering immunotherapy treatment helped save him when he was diagnosed with metastasised melanoma. Gina Chick took home the Matt Richell award for new writer of the year for her autobiography We Are the Stars, which she describes as 'a misfit's story of love, connection and letting go'.
