Inkhabar webdesk

Washington (dpa) – A drug originally developed to treat Alzheimer's disease may also help teenagers with autism improve their communication skills, according to a new study. The drug, called memantine (sold under the brand name Namenda), works by blocking brain receptors for glutamate, a chemical messenger that can be harmful in high amounts. However, lowering glutamate levels can slow brain damage in certain conditions. One brain region with many glutamate receptors is the pregenual anterior cingulate cortex (pgACC), which plays a role in social behaviour and emotional awareness. Autism spectrum disorder – an umbrella term for various forms of a developmental disorder – begins in early childhood and affects around 1 in 127 people worldwide. Children with autism have difficulties in social interaction and communication. They exhibit stereotypical behaviour and have limited interests, often avoiding physical or eye contact. At the same time, they are often reliable, honest and direct and have special talents in certain areas. Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard University tested memantine in a new clinical trial, giving the drug at higher doses to a specific group of children with autism. The study included 33 participants between the ages of eight and 17, most of them boys, who did not have intellectual disabilities. Half received 20 milligrams of memantine daily for 12 weeks, while the other half received a placebo. The strongest improvements were seen in children with unusually high glutamate levels in the pgACC. About 21% of the placebo group showed meaningful progress, but memantine had a greater effect, especially among children with higher glutamate levels, who often also struggle more with communication. However, the researchers noted some limitations. The participants were mostly white, which means the results may not apply to all racial or ethnic groups. In addition, the trial only included teens without intellectual disabilities, so the findings may not represent all children with autism. The following information is not intended for publication dpa yyfx n1

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)

By John Revill ZURICH (Reuters) -SoftBank Group said on Wednesday it has agreed to buy the robotics business of Swiss engineering group ABB in a $5.4 billion deal. The deal marks a major push by SoftBank founder and CEO Masayoshi Son into robotics as he expands investing activity after a period of retrenchment. SoftBank, whose forays into robotics include the humanoid Pepper, has investments in the segment including in Berkshire Grey and AutoStore. The deal means ABB has abandoned its original decision to spin off and separately list the industrial automation business, which competes with Japan's Fanuc and Yaskawa, as well as Germany's Kuka in making factory robots. The decision is the first major move under ABB CEO Morten Wierod, who took charge last year, and comes after the robots business has struggled with falling profitability and sales in recent years. "ABB and SoftBank share the same perspective that the world is entering a new era of AI-based robotics and believe that the division and SoftBank's robotics offering can best shape this era together," said Wierod in a statement. "ABB Robotics will benefit from the combination of its leading technology and deep industry expertise with SoftBank's state-of-the-art capabilities in AI, robotics and next-generation computing," he added. ABB shares were indicated 3% higher in pre-market activity in Zurich after the sale announcement. SoftBank's shares rose around 1% in afternoon trading following the announcement but were still down 1.57% compared to Tuesday's close. Its shares have surged on a wave of enthusiasm for companies considered beneficiaries of artificial intelligence, more than tripling in the previous six months to hit a record intra-day high of 21,695 yen on Tuesday. The transaction is expected to close in mid-to-late 2026 and generate cash proceeds of roughly $5.3 billion from the divestment, ABB said. It said the money will be used towards its long-term capital allocation principles, which include investing in organic growth, acquisitions and returning capital to shareholders through dividends and share buybacks. The robotics business, which employs 7,000 people, generated sales of $2.3 billion last year, equivalent to 7% of ABB's total revenues, but ABB saw limited crossover with the rest of its business, which is largely focused on electrification and automation. Robotics has struggled with subdued demand in Asia, with companies delaying capital investments due to economic uncertainty. New installations remained largely unchanged at 542,000 units in 2024, according to the International Federation of Robotics. (Reporting by John Revill; Additional reporting by Sam Nussey in Tokyo; Editing by Miranda Murray and Muralikumar Anantharaman)

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) -Optasia, a fintech company partly owned by Ethos Capital, said on Wednesday it planned to list on South Africa's Johannesburg Stock Exchange and raise up to 6.3 billion rand ($375 million) by selling a combination of new and existing shares. The company, which operates AI-powered financial services in 38 countries, will raise about 1.3 billion rand in an initial public offering and also hold a private placement of at least 5 billion rand for existing shareholders, it said in a statement. "An IPO will allow us to accelerate our growth, raise our visibility as a leading global fintech and continue innovating to expand financial opportunity where it is needed most," CEO Salvador Anglada said. Optasia, headquartered in Dubai, provides micro-financing and mobile phone airtime credit to people who often don't have traditional bank accounts, primarily in emerging markets. The company said it had around 121 million monthly active users and processed over 32 million loan transactions daily. It was founded in 2012 and operates mostly in Africa, the Middle East and Asia. Its distribution partners include South African mobile operators MTN, Vodacom and Airtel ($1 = 17.2488 rand) (Reporting by Nqobile Dludla Editing by Mark Potter)

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) -Optasia, a fintech company partly owned by Ethos Capital, said on Wednesday it planned to list on South Africa's Johannesburg Stock Exchange and raise up to 6.3 billion rand ($375 million) by selling a combination of new and existing shares. The company, which operates AI-powered financial services in 38 countries, will raise about 1.3 billion rand in an initial public offering and also hold a private placement of at least 5 billion rand for existing shareholders, it said in a statement. "An IPO will allow us to accelerate our growth, raise our visibility as a leading global fintech and continue innovating to expand financial opportunity where it is needed most," CEO Salvador Anglada said. Optasia, headquartered in Dubai, provides micro-financing and mobile phone airtime credit to people who often don't have traditional bank accounts, primarily in emerging markets. The company said it had around 121 million monthly active users and processed over 32 million loan transactions daily. It was founded in 2012 and operates mostly in Africa, the Middle East and Asia. Its distribution partners include South African mobile operators MTN, Vodacom and Airtel ($1 = 17.2488 rand) (Reporting by Nqobile Dludla Editing by Mark Potter)

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)