Probike, one of Thailand’s leading bike and accessory distributors, gets into competition cycling with the inaugural Classique Duathlon 2018 taking place next month in Suphan Buri.

The town, which is often referred to as the City of Gold and also City of Sports, is hosting the event at its Provincial Stadium on July 21 and 22.

Is a duathlon a step below the triathlon?

“We wouldn’t say it like that,” says Natee Chaisinthop, marketing executive of Probike.

“This event is very challenging. A cyclist can ride 120 kilometres but can’t run five kilometres. Likewise, a runner can do a marathon but can’t ride 30 kilometres. Exercise helps us survive any emergency and it’s known to be good for people suffering from panic disorders and anxiety.”

For this first event, the duathlon has its own motto – “Challenging Never Ends”, which Natee says means “everybody must be happy and safe.”

“It’s our dream to build a sports culture in this country,” he says, “We have been in the business for 28 years and have always promoted the challenges and enjoyment of this alternative sport. Most importantly, it helps us to make friends easily. So now, we’re organising a duathlon and encouraging cyclists to challenge their limits.

“We have organised many bike events over the last 28 years including the ‘Probike Family Day’, which had as its slogan ‘Together We Make a Family.’ By ‘family’ we don’t just mean people who are related but all cyclists. We also held the Probike 24 Hours MTB Race, the Probike MTB Challenge in Sattahip and Century Ride, which has now been held more than 50 times and draws large families with lots of kids. This time, we are offering a challenging and safe experience under the rules of the International Triathlon Union.

Natee says Probike selected Suphan Buri as the venue because of its reputation as a city of sports. “The roads are very wide,” he points out.

Probike has chosen to collaborate on the event with Suphan Buri Football Club.

“Suphan Buri doesn’t have any hills – just five flyovers that are considerably smaller than hills. But we see an increasing number of people coming to the stadium to exercise, whether running, cycling, skateboarding or playing futsal,” says Warawut Silpa-archa, son of Chart Thai Pattana’s late party leader Banharn and president of the Suphan Buri Football Club.

The duathlon is divided into four groups for men – 18 years and up, 30-39 years old, 40-49 years old and 50 and over, and two groups for women – 18 years and up and 30 plus. All bicycles are accepted except folding bikes and fatbikes.

The event will also feature a Probike Mini Expo at the stadium offering bikes and sports gear at bargain prices, food trucks and sponsor zones. Proceeds from sales will go to charity.

Pedal power

– The Probike Classique Duathlon 2018 is limited just 500 participants.

– Registration costs Bt3,000 and should be made at https://RideRight.probike.co.th.

A new pair of headphones from premium manufacturer Audio-Technica, the ATH-ANC700BT come with QuietPoint Wireless Active Noise-Cancelling technology, which allows you to enjoy listening to music even in the nosiest of environments.

The default is set to the noise cancelling function when you turn on the Bluetooth headphones but can switched off simply by covering the touch panel on the left ear cup with your left hand. You repeat the process to turn them back on.

The ANC700BT is designed to use its built-in microphone to pick up noise from the surrounding environment, like the sound of vehicles and the hum of the air conditioner, then cancel out that noise by producing sounds in a negative phase. This results in a reduction in the sounds in your environment. The product’s noise-cancelling function mainly reduces noises of 300 Hz or lower. Because of this, it has almost no effect on noises above that frequency, such as ringtones or someone speaking.

During the test, I found the headphones gave me a quiet listening environment in my bedroom, effectively shielding off the loud humming of my air-conditioner.

However, used in Bluetooth mode, the phones do not support High-Resolution Audio sounds because they lack Hi-Res Audio Bluetooth streaming formats of either LDAC or aptX HD. Instead, they support Bluetooth streaming codecs of aptX, AAC and SBC.

Despite that, the sound quality is good with excellent clarity and powerful bass. The phones use 40mm drivers and have a high sensitivity of 98dB when the battery-powered noise-cancellation is used. The sensitivity drops to 95dB when the noise-cancellation is turned off. The ANC700BT has impedance of 150 ohms when the noise-cancellation is used or 35 ohms without.

The headphones also have good battery life, lasting up to 25 hours when both Bluetooth and noise cancellation are turned on. When only the Bluetooth is used, the battery can last up to 30 hours.

I was able to enjoy Hi-Res Audio signals on the ANC700BT with a provided 1.2-metre detachable audio cable. The headphones have a frequency response of 5 to 40,000 Hz.

I found that when the headphones were used with cable in Hi-Res Audio mode, the sound quality was great with very good music details and a deep and powerful bass. In wire mode, I was able to turn on the power switch on the left ear cup allowing me to use only the noise cancellation function to enjoy high-quality sound in a quiet environment.

Another nice feature in Bluetooth mode is that the phones provide a touch panel on the left ear cup for controlling music playback and talking on the phone.

For example, while listening to music, you can touch the Audio-Technica logo in the middle of the left ear cup to play or pause the music. You hold it for a little longer to activate the speech recognition function, such as Siri.

You can touch the top part of the left ear cup to increase the volume and the bottom part to decrease the volume.

You swipe the touch panel down to play the previous track and swipe up it up to play the next track. I tried this with the JOOX music app and it worked well.

To take an incoming call to the smartphone connected to ANC700BT, simply touch the middle of the touch panel to answer it. You can also touch and hold it for two seconds to reject it and if you want to hang up during the call just touch in again. Increasing and decreasing the phone volume works the same way as for playing music.

The headphones are light and comfortable so I was able to wear them for hours on end. The ANC700BT comes with a foldable design and a carrying pouch is provided, so you can conveniently carry them around with you.

Audio-Technica ATH-ANC700BT is distributed by RTB Technology with a suggested retail price of Bt7,990.

Key Specs

– Driver Diameter: 40 mm

– Frequency Response: 5 – 40,000 Hz

– Sensitivity: 98 dB/mW (when noise-cancellation used); 95 dB/mW (when noise-cancellation not used)

– Impedance: 150 ohms (when noise-cancellation used); 35 ohms (when noise-cancellation not used)*

– Battery: DC3.7 V lithium polymer rechargeable battery

– Battery Life: Maximum 25 hours (when Bluetooth and noise-cancellation used); Maximum 45 hours (when only noise-cancellation used)

– Charging Time: Approximately 5 hours (for 0100% charge)

– Weight: 250 g without cable

– Cable: Detachable 1.2 m cable

– Connector: 3.5 mm stereo mini-plug, L-shaped

– Accessories Included: 30 cm USB charging cable, protective pouch

– Microphone: Condenser

– Sensitivity (Microphone): 44 dB (1V/Pa at 1 kHz)

– Frequency Response (Microphone): 50 – 4,000 Hz

– Polar Pattern (Microphone): Omni-directional

– Communication System: Bluetooth Version 4.1

– RF Output: 3.2 mW EIRP

– Output: Bluetooth Specification Power Class 2

– Maximum Communication Range: Line of sight – approximately 10 metres

– Compatible Bluetooth Profiles: A2DP, AVRCP, HFP, HSP

– Support Codec: aptX, AAC, SBC

The fair, which takes place at Siam Paragon’s Fashion Hall from Thursday (June 14) through June 17, also features a workshop on pagakayaw fabric.

Khunying Suchada Kiranandana, chairmwoman of the Phufa Working Committee, says Phufa Day 2018 is the greatest sale of the year and will feature a range of products from handwoven blankets and handkerchiefs, to pagakayaw shawls, silk, patek fabric, batik, loincloths, piggy banks made from coconut shells as well as clothing and accessories sporting Princess Sirindhorn’s paintings such as polo shirts, T-shirts, canvas bags, pens, glasses, flasks, notebooks, watches, towels, umbrellas and hats. The event aims to thanks Phufa’s customers for their support.

Income from the shops is spent on improving the quality of life of people in remote areas by creating various careers and providing educational support, while also launching lunch programmes for school children and novices. Over the past six years, more than Bt149 million has been spent on supporting these.

The products selected for this fair include items for the household and cloth bags made of patek fabric crafted by a group of Muslim women in the South including the Baanbike Village occupational development group in Yala and the Bann I-Buetae group in Narathiwat, both of which are supported under the Royal project.

The handwoven cotton known as pagakayaw gets its name from the ethnic groups living in the highlands of Tak province and Chiang Mai. Products include bags, key rings, tissue boxes and cloth dolls.

Also on sale are herbal teas with medicinal qualities such as bitter gourd, lemongrass, pandan leaves, grass sprouts, bael and ginger made by villagers from Chachoengsao and Nan. All the herbs are grown without the use of chemical substances and adopt the highest sanitary standard for processing.

Keep up with the news at Facebook: PHUFA, http://www.phufa.org or call (02) 655 62423.

While more research is needed before the test is ready for widespread use, experts say it has the potential to reduce fatalities and complications from the 15 million premature births per year worldwide.

The test can also be used to estimate the mother’s due date “as reliably as and less expensively than ultrasound,” said the report in the journal Science.

The test measures the activity of maternal, placental and fetal genes, assessing levels of cell-free RNA, which are messenger molecules that carry the body’s genetic instructions.

“We found that a handful of genes are very highly predictive of which women are at risk for preterm delivery,” said co-senior author Mads Melbye, a visiting professor at Stanford University and CEO of the Statens Serum Institut in Copenhagen.

“I’ve spent a lot of time over the years working to understand preterm delivery. This is the first real, significant scientific progress on this problem in a long time.”

Another top researcher was Stephen Quake, professor of bioengineering and of applied physics at Stanford University, who led a team that created a blood test for Down syndrome in 2008 — now used in more than three million pregnant women per year.

Defined as a baby arriving at least three weeks early, premature birth affects nine percent of US births and is the top cause of death before age five among children worldwide.

Until now, some tests for predicting premature birth were available but they tended to work only in women at high risk, and were accurate only about 20 percent of the time, according to the report.

To develop the test, researchers examined blood samples from 31 Danish women to identify which genes gave reliable signals about gestational age and prematurity risk.

After more research is done and the test eventually comes to market, researchers say it will likely be simple and inexpensive enough to use in poor areas.

The 19th Korea Mice Expo (KME), South Korea’s largest tradeshow for incentive planners and meeting professionals, will be held at the Songdo Convensia in Incheon on June 14 and 15.

The event will provide 2,000 industry professionals a chance to meet 300 exhibiting local service providers, including convention bureaux, unique venues and travel agencies.

To foster a business-friendly event, this year’s expo will ditch the usual sitdown gala dinner and forums.

“We want it to be bigger and more meaningful for all participants,” says Chulbeum Park, director of the Korea Tourism Organisation Meetings & Incentives Team.

A standing networking party will replace the usual gala dinner to let guests interact freely. Also, convention bureaux will showcase not only their MICE expertise but also their local food specialities during the reception.

For the first time, the expo will have a theme – “Hallyu meets MICE” – offering participants new venues, activities and discussions related to popular Korean films, dramas and music.

One highlight will be the opening keynote by Ahn Soowook, executive director of SM Entertainment, one of the leading showbiz groups in South Korea.

He will discuss ways to incorporate hallyu (Korean wave) in the MICE industry.

The expo will also introduce new programmes, such as Destination Presentations, a Knowledge Cafe and Young MICE Professionals booth, cultural performances and tours of popular destinations.

“Korea has become a favoured destination for incentive travel, especially for groups coming from Southeast Asia,” says Baeho Kim, acting executive director of Korea MICE Bureau.

“The increasing number of groups returning is testament that the country has an infinite selection of places and activities that are able to please varying preferences.”

The number of returning incentive visitors to Korea in 2017 grew by 24 per cent from the previous year, with 240 groups carrying 36,720 delegates.

Since 2000, the Korea MICE Expo has been the sole national MICE exhibition, enlivening the industry, fostering specialists and strengthening marketing competitiveness.

The industry has achieved an unprecedented pace of development over the last 10 years, and the exposition offers an international stage to verified potential, not just in Korea but around the world.

With more than 250 MICE service agencies and 300 qualified buyers, you can seek up-to-date trends and vision at the Korea MICE Expo.

The Korea Tourism Organisation invites event professionals to attend the expo. Email mice@knto.or.kr.

Find out more about the KMB support programme at http://www.KoreaConvention.org.

Princess Sirindhorn was warmly greeted on her arrival by representatives from Ramathibodi Foundation and the Faculty of Medicine, Ramathibodi Hospital including Emeritus Prof Dr. Kasem Watanachai, Prof Rachata Rachatanawin, Prof Piyamitr Sritara, Khunying Wanna Sirivadhanabhakdi, Khunying Jada Wattanasiritham and Emeritus Prof Termsak Krishnamara.

After the meeting, Princess Sirindhorn inspected the country’s biggest “Healing Rooftop Garden” located on the 10th floor of the hospital.

Prof Piyamitr Sritara, dean of the Faculty of Medicine and president of the Ramathibodi Foundation, reaffirmed the hospital’s commitment to continually increasing efficiency and being the main force in the development of the country’s healthcare service. He spoke of the mega project that aims to raise standard and increase capacity of medical service as well as produce new medical staff – the Chakri Naruebodindra Medical Institute (CNMI), which opened at the end of last year. When operating at full capacity, the CNMI will be able to take 1 million outpatients and 17,000 inpatients per year.

“Moreover, Ramathibodi Hospital plans to open the country’s mid-town ‘Therapeutic Roof Garden’, which is part of our determination to build a truly Green hospital. This garden, which is supported by the Ramathibodi Foundation on the concept ‘Man-healing garden, City-healing garden’, has been built by resurfacing the 10th floor of the Somdech Phra Debaratana Medical Centre. Turning the hard surface into a green space will help absorb rain and heat, thus decreasing the temperature inside the building and purifying the air,” he said.

“This garden is the prototype of holistic treatment and will see ecotherapy being used as part of the healing process as well as for social activities and relaxation.

Asst Prof Supatara Leelapiwat, secretary and executive director of the foundation said: “For more than 49 years, we have served as a fund-raising centre both through donations and sales of souvenirs. We have received generous support from government and private organisations, as well as from the artists who volunteer. They all contribute to the treatment of more than 2 million patients per year through our projects, which include assistance to poor patients, procurement of medical equipment such as Thailand’s first robot for brain surgery, a hybrid surgery room for patients with complicated illnesses that make them unsuited to conventional surgery, as well as medical research and development and the construction of this Therapeutic Roof Garden.

The 1,500-square-metre garden boasts a flower room, a multi-purpose space decorated with paintings of flowers and kanpai Mahidol (the plant that serves as the symbol of Mahidol University) and a pergola, a shaded tunnel walkway and shelter that can serve up to 200 people.

The Recycle Wall has been created from more than 700 recycled saline bags as a plant wall, while the Aroma Garden and Braille Railing are used for therapeutic purposes. The walkway is designed to help gait training and is filled with different sizes of pebbles to alternate weights while walking, and handrails for the blind are covered with the Braille code of the poem “Love Song”, which was written by Princess Sirindhorn.

There is also an urban farming, plant and herb study area for students and others supported by the Faculty of Pharmacy, Mahidol University and a Healing Circle Amphitheatre for holding small to medium sized shows and performances.

Ramathibodi Hospital’s Therapeutic Roof Garden will open soon. This garden is considered a new dimension of sustainable healthcare supported by nature.

 Two major studies released Sunday show that many people with breast and lung cancers may forgo chemotherapy and still live longer, signalling a waning need for what was long seen as the standard of cancer care.

The findings were released at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) meeting in Chicago, the world’s largest annual cancer conference.

The first study, described as the largest breast cancer treatment trial to date, found that the majority of women with a common form of breast cancer may be able to skip chemotherapy and its toxic, and often debilitating, side effects after surgery depending on their score on a genetic test.

As many as 65,000 women in the United States alone could be affected by the findings.

Until now, women have faced considerable uncertainty about whether to add chemo to hormone therapy after a diagnosis with hormone-receptor positive, HER-2 negative breast cancer when found at an early stage, before it has spread to the lymph nodes.

“With results of this groundbreaking study, we now can safely avoid chemotherapy in about 70 per cent of patients who are diagnosed with the most common form of breast cancer,” said co-author Kathy Albain, an oncologist at Loyola Medicine in a Chicago suburb.

A 21-gene test called Oncotype DX, available since 2004, has helped guide some decisions on proper care after surgery.

A high recurrence score, above 25, means chemo is advised to ward off a recurrence, while a low score, below 10, means it is not.

The current study focused on those whose scores were in the middle range, from 11 to 25.

More than 10,000 women, aged 18 to 75, were randomly assigned to receive chemotherapy followed by hormone therapy, or hormone therapy alone.

Researchers studied their outcomes, including whether or not cancer recurred, and their overall survival.

“For the entire study population with gene test scores between 11 and 25 – and especially among women aged 50 to 75 – there was no significant difference between the chemotherapy and no chemotherapy groups,” said the findings, published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

The results show that all women over 50 with a recurrence score of 0 to 25 can be spared chemotherapy and its toxic side effects.

For women under 50 with a score of 0 to 15, chemo can be skipped.

However, among younger women with scores 16 to 25, outcomes were slightly better in the chemotherapy group, so in those cases doctors may urge patients to consider a chemo regimen.

The results “should have a huge impact on doctors and patients,” Albain said.

“We are de-escalating toxic therapy.”

According to first author Joseph Sparano of Montefiore Medical Centre in New York, “any woman with early-stage breast cancer 75 or younger should have the test and discuss the results” with her doctor.

Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in women worldwide, causing some 1.7 million new cases annually and over half a million deaths.

The study’s primary funding came from the US National Institutes of Health (NIH).

The second study tested a form of immunotherapy against chemo, in the most common lung cancer worldwide, known as non-small-cell lung cancer.

It found that Merck pharmaceutical’s drug Keytruda (pembrolizumab) – which famously helped former US president Jimmy Carter stave off advanced melanoma that had spread to his brain – helped lung cancer patients live four to eight months longer than chemo.

More than 1,200 people enrolled in the study, the largest clinical trial to date of pembrolizumab as a stand-alone therapy for lung cancer. The drug was approved in 2014 for melanoma and in 2015 for lung cancer.

“These are responses that are unlike anything we have seen in the past for non-small-cell lung cancer,” said lead author Gilberto Lopes, a medical oncologist at the University of Miami Health Centre.

Still, he acknowledged that most patients with this form of advanced cancer will die within months, and “we need to do a lot more work.”

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death worldwide, taking 1.7 million lives per year.

John Heymach, a professor at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Centre who was not involved in the Merck-funded study, described it as a “true milestone” and “a real important advance for patients”.

“We are now leaving an era where the only choice for non-small-cell lung cancer patients was to start with chemotherapy,” he told reporters at the ASCO conference.

“Now, the vast majority of patients can potentially receive benefits from immunotherapy instead,” he added.

“Immunotherapy is here to stay for the vast majority of non-small-cell lung cancer patients as a first-line treatment.”

For most women, a diagnosis of breast cancer means weeks of chemotherapy, radiation and in many cases a lumpectomy or mastectomy with no guarantee that the disease won’t return down the line.

For those with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer, the prognosis is particularly worrying, as the drug of choice, trastuzumab, used both with and without chemotherapy, is often too expensive for the patient to afford.

However, under the leadership of Her Royal Highness Princess Chulabhorn, Thais afflicted by HER2-positive breast cancer will soon be able to receive a biologic trastuzumab monoclonal antibody treatment at an affordable price as Thailand moves towards industrial-scale production of the treatment. It is expected to become widely available within the next three years.

For the past decade, dedicated scientists with the Biotherapeutic Research Centre of the Chulabhorn Research Institute (CRI) have been focusing on the development of biologics and establishing know-how in the design and construction of recombinant DNA, cell line engineering and process development on a commercial scale.

For the first product in the pipeline, CRI has developed a biologic for the treatment of breast cancer patients who are HER2-positive.

The biologic is bio-similar to the trastuzumab monoclonal antibody, a man-made antibody that has proved effective in women over-expressing the HER2 protein in the tumour cells. About 25 per cent of breast cancer patients carry this gene and are considered HER2-positive.

The institute started from the design of the DNA encoding trastuzumab and achieved a cell line that produces a highly similar monoclonal antibody to trastuzumab and with good yield.

Now the institute is ready to boost the process to an industrial scale. For this it will partner with the National Biopharmaceutical Facility at King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi, which has experience in the process development of biologics at an industrial scale and also boasts a production facility that complies with Good Manufacturing Practice standards. Clinical studies will follow to ensure the biologics are indeed safe for human use.

Extensive quality control assays are implemented at every production step to ensure the productivity, recovery and quality of biologics and that the product meets relevant international standards and guidelines.

Thailand currently imports most biologics and in 2012 spent Bt20 billion on them. For this reason alone, the successful production of the trastuzumab monoclonal antibody will play an important role in firming the country’s national drug security while also reducing the cost of biological drug treatment.

A biological product is defined as a product that contains bio-molecules, especially protein and carbohydrate. Such products include vaccines, blood product, cell or gene therapies, and recombinant protein.

Princess Chulabhorn, herself a prominent scientist, founded the Biotherapeutic Research Centre to focus on developing biological products. For this, she sought collaboration with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the United States and has since led researchers and senior officers to study the work of MIT and other leaders in the production of biological drugs in India and the US.

Products in the pipeline at CRI include novel biologics for the treatment of many cancers, as well as infectious and rare diseases.

This is the second success in Sea Life’s in-aquarium breeding programme following 2017 and its only baby named Happy.

This year, the aquarium welcomed a group of fluffy toddlers and recently celebrated with a special photo shoot featuring Racing, the toddler son of Napapa “Pat” Tantrakul, dressed up as a baby Gentoo for the occasion.

Closely supervised and monitored by experts at Sea Life, the proud parents were well looked after during the breeding process right through to the hatching. Gentoo penguins lay eggs in rounds, just like hens. Without breeding, the eggs will not develop into chicks. Gentoo eggs are 55-60 millimetres wide, 70-75 millimetres long, and weigh around 120-140 grams. Once the eggs have hatched, Gentoo parents take turns in keeping the eggs warm and feeding the newborns until they are one-month old.

Meet the fluffy toddlers today at Sea Life Bangkok on floors B1-2 of Siam Paragon. Entrance is Bt990 for adults and Bt790 for kids aged three to 11.

For more information, visit http://www.SeaLifeBangkok.com or Facebook.com/SEALIFEBangkokOceanWorld

The famous Ghost Festival features a two-day religious ceremony, traditional rituals and a parade of local folks wearing oversized masks made from coconut-tree trunks and topped with wicker sticky-rice steamers to make them taller and grotesque.

Visitors can show off their creativity in the mask dance competition and enjoy a market selling handicrafts as well as musical and cultural performances.

Find out more at http://www.TatNews.org.

All loved up and ready to wed

Couples can enjoy a complimentary five-night honeymoon in Sunset Coast Samui’s One-Bedroom Villa when booking their wedding at any Avani Hotels & Resorts property before the end of the month.

Valid through December 15 for s wedding with at least 200 guests, romantic destinations include the Avani Riverside Bangkok, the Avani Atrium Bangkok, the Avani Hua Hin Resort & Villas, the Avani Pattaya Resort & Spa and the Avani Khon Kaen Hotel & Convention Centre.

Set up your special day at http://www.AvaniHotels.com.

Island in the sun

Phi Phi Island Village Beach Resort welcomes the green season with a full-board package that continues through October.

Guests can enjoy luxury accommodation surrounded by lush tropical gardens, a welcome drinks and fruit on arrival, daily breakfast, free Wi-Fi, lunch and dinner and one beverage during lunch and dinner, including local beer, soft drink, mineral water or juice.

Book your stay by calling (075) 628 900 or email reservations@phiphiislandvillage.com.

The billionaire’s escape

Pink Sands Club on the Caribbean island of Canouan celebrates its new chapter as a Mandarin Oriental hotel with a Land & Sea in Luxury package that’s available until May 31.

Starting at US$62,000 (Bt1.98 million), the package includes a four-night stay in a two-bedroom Patio Villa, a private yacht charter for seven-night island hopping with Churchill Yacht Partners, Wi-Fi, Pirates Kids’ Club access, watersports and fitness activities with daily honour bar.

Check out the best rates at http://www.MandarinOriental.com.

Best offer in Bali

Vacationers can save up to 30 per cent when using the promotional code StayNSave to book a consecutive two to four-night stay at Movenpick Resort & Spa Jimbaran Bali this Ramadan.

Guests will be rewarded with daily breakfast, complimentary Wi-Fi and an exclusive US$20 restaurant voucher.

Online booking can be made at http://www.Movenpick.com/en/asia/indonesia/bali/jimbaran-bali.