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Florida’s First Pediatric Cardiac Robotic Surgery Performed at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital

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Cardiovascular Surgeons within Nicklaus Children’s Hospital Heart Institute Have Completed the First Robotics-Assisted Atrial Septal Defect (ASD) Repair in Florida and One of Few in the Nation

MIAMI, Aug. 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The cardiovascular surgery team at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital Heart Institute and Baptist Health Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute have successfully performed the first pediatric robotics-assisted cardiac surgery case, a first in Florida and one of few in the nation. Surgeons completed an atrial septal defect (ASD) repair on a teenager using robotic assistance. The milestone further establishes Nicklaus Children’s as a leader in advanced, minimally invasive care for children and adolescents with congenital heart disease, the most common birth defect, affecting nearly 1 percent of newborns in the U.S.

Performed using a robotic-assisted surgical system, this procedure reflects the growing role of robotics-assisted technology in highly specialized pediatric cardiac surgery. In this approach, the surgeon remains in full control of the operation at all times, using robotic instruments to translate the surgeon’s hand movements into precise, minimally invasive motion within the chest. For qualified patients, this technique can offer important benefits compared with traditional open-heart surgery, including smaller incisions, avoidance of sternotomy, less postoperative discomfort, faster recovery, and improved cosmetic outcomes.

The procedure was led by Dr. David Kalfa, chief of cardiovascular surgery, co-director of the Nicklaus Children’s Heart Institute as well as professor and researcher at FIU Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, in collaboration with Dr. Tom C. Nguyen, system chief medical executive of Baptist Health Heart & Vascular care, director of minimally invasive surgery with Baptist Health Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute, Barry T. Katzen Endowed Chair at Baptist Health, and chair and professor of the Department of Cardiovascular Sciences at FIU Medicine, and Dr. Makoto Hashimoto, cardiac surgeon at Baptist Health Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute and director of robotic cardiac surgery at FIU Medicine. This achievement reflects the strength of a collaboration among Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, Baptist Health Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute as well as Florida International University, who brought these partners together, helping foster the academic and clinical collaboration that supported the introduction of this advanced capability in South Florida.

“The successful completion of this case demonstrates what is possible when innovation, preparation and multidisciplinary expertise come together in the service of children with heart conditions,” says Dr. Kalfa. “This milestone reflects a powerful collaboration among Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, Baptist Health Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute and FIU, and we are proud to bring this advanced, minimally invasive option to pediatric patients in South Florida.”

“Small incisions make a big difference, especially in children. This milestone demonstrates what can be achieved when highly specialized teams come together around a shared commitment to advancing patient care,” said Dr. Nguyen. “By bringing together expertise in pediatric and adult cardiac surgery, we were able to support an innovative approach while maintaining the careful planning, collaboration and focus on patient safety that complex cardiac care requires.”

While robotic systems have been widely adopted in adult surgical specialties, their use in pediatric and congenital heart surgery remains limited to a small number of highly specialized centers nationwide because of the technical expertise, multidisciplinary coordination and careful patient selection required. Nicklaus Children’s Hospital is now among the few hospitals in the nation offering cardiac interventions utilizing robotics-assisted technology for pediatric patients.

This achievement underscores Nicklaus Children’s Hospital’s continued commitment to innovation and to expanding safe, thoughtful treatment options for young patients with heart defects. By bringing this advanced capability to South Florida, the hospital is helping broaden access to leading-edge congenital heart care close to home for children and families in the region.

About Nicklaus Children’s Health System Where Your Child Matters Most ™
For more than 75 years, Nicklaus Children’s Health System has stood as a beacon of hope for children and families across the state of Florida and beyond. Nicklaus Children’s Hospital is South Florida’s #1 nonprofit, freestanding specialty licensed hospital exclusively for children. Nicklaus Children’s provides pediatric care across a growing network of hospital and community-based partnerships, including care within NCH North Hospital in Naples, Jupiter Medical Center, select Baptist Health Hospital pediatric emergency units, and Nicklaus Children’s Hospital Fort Lauderdale and Nicklaus Children’s Hospital Coral Springs each located on the campuses of Broward Health. The hospitals and their network of more than 35 outpatient care locations offer lifesaving care in Miami-Dade, Broward, Martin and Palm Beach counties. Outpatient locations include an array of urgent care, pediatric primary care and subspecialty care centers and are either hospital-based or outpatient locations under Nicklaus Children’s Pediatric Specialists, LLC (NCPS). Providing a pipeline of future physicians and groundbreaking research, Nicklaus Children’s is an academic and clinical affiliate of the Florida International University Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine. Nicklaus Children’s is home to centers of excellence including the Helen & Jacob Shaham Cancer & Blood Disorders Institute, the Nicklaus Children’s Orthopedic, Sports Medicine and Spine Institute, Nicklaus Children’s Neuroscience Institute and Nicklaus Children’s Heart Institute. The 474-bed system is renowned for excellence in all aspects of pediatric medicine, with many programs routinely ranked among the nation’s best by U.S. News & World Report since 2008. Nicklaus Children’s also includes a nonprofit physician practice subsidiary with more than 40 pediatric specialties and an ambulatory surgery center. For more information, visit nicklauschildrens.org.

Contact:
Alejandra Sanchez, PR Specialist
Nicklaus Children’s Health System
Alejandra.sanchez@nicklaushealth.org

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SOURCE Nicklaus Children’s Health System

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Media advisory – Parliamentary Secretaries Bardeesy and Chi to highlight major investments to attract top researchers to Canada

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August 27, 2026

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TORONTO, Aug. 27, 2026 /CNW/ — Karim Bardeesy, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Industry, and Maggie Chi, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health, will highlight federal investments to attract top researchers from around the world through the Eddie Goldenberg Research Chairs of Canada and Canada Impact+ Emerging Leaders programs.

The announcement will be followed by a media availability.

Date: Friday, August 28, 2026

Time: 1:00 pm (ET)

Location: Toronto, Ontario

Members of the media are asked to contact ISED Media Relations at media@ised-isde.gc.ca to receive event location details and confirm their attendance.

Stay connected

Find more services and information on the Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada website.

Follow Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada on social media:
X (Twitter): @ISED_CA | Facebook: Canadian Innovation | Instagram: @cdninnovation | LinkedIn: Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada

Follow Canadian Science on social media.
X (Twitter): @CDNScience | Facebook: Canadian Science

Follow the Tri-agency Institutional Programs Secretariat on social media.
X (Twitter): @TIPS_SPIIE | @LinkedIn: Tri-agency Institutional Programs Secretariat (TIPS)

SOURCE Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada

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Cineverse’s RetroCrush Acquires Streaming Rights to Classic Anime Series and Films from VIZ Media

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August 27, 2026

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Contents from popular franchises BLEACH, Hunter x Hunter, Hikaru no Go, Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, NARUTO, and more coming soon to the RetroCrush app for the first time

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Cineverse (Nasdaq: CNVS), an entertainment technology company and studio, announced a deal between its anime streaming service and RetroCrush and VIZ Media to add major titles for the first time. This includes the movies from BLEACH, Hunter x Hunter, Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, NARUTO, as well as TV-series such as Captain Tsubasa, Hikaru no Go, and more. This announcement was made timed to RetroCrush’s participation in the annual Anime NYC convention.”

This deal represents RetroCrush’s first acquisition of content from the beloved anime franchises, reconnecting fans of these titles with the selection of classic film adaptations. Coming soon to the RetroCrush SVOD app, the newest additions features TV and film titles including:

Naruto the Movie: Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow – Naruto and his team are sent on a mission to guard Yukie Fujikaze, a popular actress starring in the hit movie “The Adventures of Princess Gale.”Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon R Movie – Sailor Moon and the Sailor Guardians save Earth from an alien force! Mamoru gave a rose to an alien who helped him with the loss of his parents. His friend has searched for a flower worthy of his gesture, the Xenian flower, which has a very dark side.BLEACH: Hell Verse – Ichigo must travel into the depths of Hell to stop a group of vicious Sinners and save his younger sister Yuzu, unaware that his actions could bring Hell to the World of the Living.Hunter X Hunter: Phantom Rouge – Someone has stolen Kurapika’s eyes—and another survivor from his clan whose members were massacred for their Scarlet Eyes! Gon and Killua begin investigating on his behalf, but shortly after they’ve begun, the Phantom Troupe appears!Hikaru no Go – Hikaru Shindo life changes when he finds an old go board. The ghost of an ancient go master named Fujiwara-no-Sai was trapped in the board and soon becomes a part of Hikaru’s consciousness. Together Hikaru and Sai make an unstoppable go-playing team.Accel World – The year is 2046. Haruyuki Arita is a young boy who finds himself on the lowest social rungs of his school. Ashamed of his miserable life, Haruyuki can only cope by indulging in virtual games. But that all changes when Kuroyukihime, the most popular girl in school, introduces him to a mysterious program called Brain Burst and a virtual reality called the Accel World.Captain Tsubasa – Tsubasa Ozora, young soccer prodigy newly arrived at Nankatsu elementary school. His dream is to conquer the title of national champion.Captain Tsubasa: Junior Youth Arc – The International Junior Youth Tournament in Paris is about to begin, and Tsubasa and team are ready. Japan’s elite are to face off against the world’s best. Germany’s Schneider awaits, along with a host of other new rivals. Let the battle begin!Vampire Knight – Yuki Cross can’t remember anything from before she was saved by Pureblood vampire Kaname Kuran. Now Yuki, and Zero, are Guardians at Cross Academy, where the Day Class and Night Class coexist—despite the fact that the Night Class are all vampires!

“We’re thrilled to bring such adored anime franchises like Naruto, Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, BLEACH, Hunter X Hunter, Hikaru no Go, and more to RetroCrush, offering fans the chance to take in some of the best moments these franchises have to offer,” said Matt Kodner, Programming Manager for RetroCrush. “This new slate gives fans a chance to revisit beloved characters and franchises while discovering new favorites from VIZ Media’s deep anime library, including classic sports titles and hidden gems.”

RetroCrush is dedicated to the Golden Age of anime, highlighting classic anime movies and series for old and new fans alike. The RetroCrush line-up includes more than 200 series and features. It is available at www.retrocrush.tv and as a standalone app; as a SVOD option on Prime Video Channels, Comcast and The Roku Channel; and as a linear FAST channel on Fubo, Philo, Plex, Pluto TV Canada, Samsung TV Plus, Sling Freestream, TCL+, The Roku Channel, Vizio WatchFree+, and Zone TV. Follow RetroCrush on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, X and on Discord.

In addition to RetroCrush, Cineverse owns and/or operates a wide range of premium streaming brands, from free, ad-supported streaming television (FAST) channels to subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) apps. These span fandoms – from single IP channels around pop cultural icons such as Bob Ross and The Dog Whisperer with Cesar Milan, to channels curated for fans of Horror (Screambox, Midnight Pulp), Pan-Asian shows and films (AsianCrush), Comedy (Gorilla Comedy+), Independent Film (Fandor), Romance (Dove Channel) and True Crime (Crime Hunters), to name a few.

About Cineverse

Cineverse (Nasdaq: CNVS) is an entertainment technology company and studio. Fiercely innovative and independent, Cineverse develops and invests in technology and content that drives the future of the industry. Core to its business is Matchpoint® – a growing tech ecosystem designed to prepare, distribute, monetize, and continuously improve content across any platform. Matchpoint helps studios large and small operate at scale and improve performance and efficiency in an increasingly fragmented distribution environment. Additionally, Cineverse distributes a vast library of premium films, series, and podcasts, across theatrical, home entertainment, and streaming; operates dozens of digital properties that super serve passionate fandoms around the world; and works with leading brands to connect them with audiences they value. From award-winning technology to the highest-grossing unrated film in U.S. history, Cineverse has created a playbook that marries tech and content to redefine the next era of entertainment. For more information, visit cineverse.com.

Investor Contact:
Julie Milstead
investorrelations@cineverse.com

Media Contact:
The Lippin Group for Cineverse
cineverse@lippingroup.com

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cineverses-retrocrush-acquires-streaming-rights-to-classic-anime-series-and-films-from-viz-media-302862308.html

SOURCE Cineverse Corp.

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UP Argues the Social Media Industry Is Moving From Optional Safeguards Toward Safety by Design

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August 27, 2026

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WICHITA, Kan., Aug. 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Meta’s agreement to pay up to $18 billion in aggregate settlements and make significant changes to Facebook and Instagram marks more than a legal turning point. According to UP, Inc., it marks the arrival of a new market category: Safe Social.

The settlement requires Meta to limit users under 18 to two hours per day across Facebook and Instagram, restrict overnight access, reduce notifications during school hours, strengthen age assurance and parental controls, limit visible “likes” and certain filters, and offer young users a non-algorithmic feed option. Several protections can become stricter if other major platforms adopt comparable terms.

The agreement came during Instagram President Adam Mosseri’s testimony and before Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg was expected to testify. Meta denied wrongdoing.

“This settlement validates what families have said for years: social media should not be designed to keep people scrolling at any cost,” said Nick Rotola, founder and CEO of UP, Inc. “UP began with a more fundamental question: what if safety was not a setting, but the structure of the product?”

Meta has called on TikTok and YouTube to adopt the same framework. UP believes that pressure confirms that safer defaults are becoming an industry expectation, not a discretionary feature.

But UP argues that guardrails added to an engagement-centered platform are not the same as building a platform around safety from the beginning.

UP screens creators and brands before they can publish. Its standards exclude explicit, violent, hateful, substance-promoting, predatory, and manipulative material. UP does not allow unsolicited direct messages or open comments. Its Scroll Happy® system ranks video around how it may leave a viewer feeling, while mood-based feeds provide greater control.

“Meta is being required to add guardrails around an open, engagement-driven network,” Rotola said. “UP vets who can publish, curates what enters the feed, removes unsolicited direct messages, and ranks content for how it leaves a person feeling. That is the difference between safety controls and safety by design.”

The risk extends beyond screen time. A 2025 Thorn study found that one in five teens surveyed had experienced sextortion. TIME has also reported allegations concerning Meta’s former enforcement thresholds and recommendations connecting potentially inappropriate adults with teens. Meta disputed those allegations.

“The press is calling this social media’s tobacco moment. I see it as a millstone moment: a reckoning with what happens when products built to capture attention are allowed to shape children before they are ready to defend themselves,” Rotola said. “The settlement matters. But a safer version of the same incentive system is not enough. Families deserve a real alternative.”

UP calls that alternative Social with Standards.

UP is available as a free download for iPhone and Android. To learn more, visit www.ScrollHappy.com or download UP through the Apple App Store and Google Play.

About UP, Inc.

UP, Inc. is the company behind UP – Scroll Happy®, a social video platform built around vetted creators, curated content, safer interaction, and user well-being. UP gives people an alternative to doomscrolling through Social with Standards.

Media Contact
UP, Inc.
Nick Rotola
421609@email4pr.com
615-715-7267

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/up-argues-the-social-media-industry-is-moving-from-optional-safeguards-toward-safety-by-design-302862305.html

SOURCE UP, Inc.

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