Daily Archives: January 11, 2022

NASA’s newly launched X-ray space telescope is ready to start observing the cosmos – Space.com

Posted: January 11, 2022 at 2:41 pm

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. NASA's newest space observatory, the Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE), is set to begin spying on some of the universe's most dramatic objects black holes and neutron stars potentially changing our understanding of the cosmos in the process.

The 730-pound (330 kilograms) IXPE satellite launched to orbit on Dec. 8 atop a previously flown SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, bound for an equatorial perch where it will peer out into the universe, helping to unlock the mysteries of some of its most enigmatic residents.

Following its successful liftoff, the $214 million satellite has spent the past month checking out its various systems. According to the mission's lead, astrophysicist Martin Weisskopf of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland, its three identical detectors (built by Ball Aerospace) are set to begin a two-year campaign to observe the polarization of light emanating from these cosmic entities.

"I'm pleased to tell you that the commissioning phase has been successfully completed," Weisskopf said Monday (Jan. 10) during a news briefing held during the 239th meeting of the American Astronomical Society (AAS). "Tomorrow we'll start taking our first science data."

Related: Our X-Ray universe: Amazing photos by NASA's Chandra X-Ray Observatory

X-rays are one tool that astronomers can use to observe and understand the universe. X-rays are a high-energy type of light that typically emanates from extremely energetic objects like superheated jets spewing from black holes or the explosions of stars and enables astronomers to study these events in a way they can't by using other wavelengths.

But X-rays are tricky because they can be studied in detail only from space, as they're mostly blocked out by Earth's atmosphere. To that end, NASA has launched a fleet of space-based observatories to peer inside cosmic sources like the gaseous nebulae where stars are born, and to probe the mysteries of black holes.

One such observatory, called Chandra, launched in 1999 and is NASA's flagship X-ray space telescope. It's tasked with detecting X-ray emissions from the extremely hot regions around exploded stars, galaxy clusters and black holes.

Chandra works in tandem with two other NASA space observatories the Neutron Star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER) telescope, which flies on the International Space Station, and the Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuStar) as well as the European Space Agency's XMM-Newton to study the X-ray universe.

These observatories have detected stellar nurseries and provided solid evidence of the existence of dark energy, and even a way to estimate its density.

But IXPE is about to look at the X-ray universe in a way that's rarely been done before: through the polarization of light.

The use of imaging X-ray polarimetry is what sets IXPE apart from its predecessors. Polarization refers to the orientation of light wave oscillations. It can provide scientists clues about how X-rays were made and what type of matter they traveled through.

This will, in turn, provide scientists with helpful information like the orientation of incoming electric and magnetic fields. Armed with this data, astronomers can glean more information from the X-rays emitted by astrophysical phenomena.

The IXPE satellite will provide astronomers with a new tool to probe the mysteries of the universe. The refrigerator-sized satellite is equipped with three identical telescopes that will be able to study the polarization of light from cosmic sources such as black holes and superdense stellar corpses known as neutron stars. With IXPE's observations, astronomers will be able to study the structure and mechanisms that power these types of enigmatic cosmic objects.

"The launch of IXPE marks a bold and unique step forward for X-ray astronomy," Weisskopf told Space.com before the launch. "IXPE will tell us more about the precise nature of cosmic X-ray sources than we can learn by studying their brightness and color spectrum alone."

IXPE's first target is a supernova remnant called Cassiopeia A (Cas a for short). Located approximately 11,000-light-years from Earth, it's the remains of an exploded star. Using its three identical telescopes, IXPE will observe the stellar corpse for a period of three weeks.

Follow Amy Thompson on Twitter @astrogingersnap. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom or Facebook.

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HBO Max’s ‘Station Eleven’ is post-apocalyptic sci-fi without the Strong Survival Gun Guy – SFGate

Posted: at 2:41 pm

In my role as copy chief at SFGATE, I have also become our official pandemic timekeeper, marking the days, since the first cases were reported (Dec. 31, 2019), since the pandemic was declared (March 11, 2020), since the first shelter-in-place orders were announced in the Bay Area (March 16, 2020). Every few months, I have to remind a writer that its not the past year or the past 18 months since the pandemic started, that time continues to move forward, that its been two years since COVID-19 first entered our lives.

So as I watched the first episode of HBO Maxs Station Eleven unfold, which featured title cards marking time (10 days before, 80 days after), I felt my chest tighten with recognition. I knew this feeling, this endless marking out of days, the way they seem to trudge by and also vanish, lurching you into an unforeseen future.

Station Eleven is a post-apocalyptic drama based on the novel of the same name by Emily St. John Mandel (written in 2014, filming began in January 2020) about a flu that sweeps through the world almost overnight, killing millions and leaving the few survivors to reckon with what it means to go on when civilization falls.

The story involves a famous actor trying to launch a late-career renaissance, a religious zealot and a Shakespearean acting troupe known as the Traveling Symphony, but at the heart is a comic book called Station Eleven. Station Eleven, the comic, follows a mysterious character named Doctor Eleven who floats through space before finding himself on a stalled space station inhabited by warring factions.

Two children, Kirsten and Tyler, both find themselves with copies of the rare comic book around the time of the plague, reading it obsessively. When we see them as adults, 20 years after civilization has collapsed, they are both defined by the story. Tyler becomes a sort of Pied Piper, luring children away from settlements of pre-pan survivors with the prophecy, a retelling of Doctor Elevens story in which there is no before. Kirsten, the star actress of the Traveling Symphony, tattoos herself with a symbol from Station Eleven for each person shes killed to ensure her own survival.

Plenty of post-apocalyptic fiction is about what happens when society unravels, often starring a Strong Survival Gun Guy in a world without laws or tax brackets. What sets Station Eleven apart is its focus on how traumatic events can sever our connections to others, and the ways in which we continue to reach for each other even when a deadly plague is spreading and we have no way of knowing whos sick and whos safe. Thats shown in the character who shelters a child actor when her family goes missing, even though it will mean more risk for him, or in the Traveling Symphony, which brings music and theater to the small settlements that have sprung up in the wake of disaster.

The series adaptation departs enough from the story of the novel to make it entirely fresh, meaning theres no telling when someone will get stabbed or mauled or when a bomb will go off (as of the second-to-last episode, my count is three bombs, plus a couple instances of arson). And it has clearly been influenced by real life. Small moments provide the texture of a global illness. In one scene, a swanky hotel hands out complimentary room-sealing kits with masks and duct tape to cover the vents. Im reminded of the strip of tape running down the center of my tiny dining room table, where my partner and I would unpack and wipe down our groceries, moving them from dirty to clean as if that would protect us.

In its own way, Station Eleven became a comfort to me as I read it near the start of the pandemic. Here was a world hit by a devastating and mysterious respiratory illness, and yet ultimately, the tone of the book is one of hope. Its a world where even without electricity or modern medicine, people still create art and find meaning in the works of Shakespeare. Its a work that says we can get through this, if we find each other.

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Top 100 Teacher: This is the biggest difference between good and bad golfers – Golf.com

Posted: at 2:40 pm

By: Zephyr Melton January 10, 2022

According to Top 100 Teacher Martin Chuck, the biggest difference between good and bad golfers can be seen before they even swing.

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There are countless differences between good golfers and bad ones, and you can probably even name a few distinctions yourself. They have different clubs. They dress different. They use different terminology. And, obviously, they swing different.

However, according to one GOLF Top 100 Teacher, the biggest difference between good and bad golfers is not on the list above. In fact, the largest distinction can be seen before a player even initiates their swing.

The simplest thing is poor routine, Martin Chuck says. The best players have a routine that puts them into almost a subconscious trance.

Exhibit A: Tiger Woods. While his swing was (and is) among the best of all time, its his repeatable pre-shot routine that put him in position to succeed over and over.

Every time he would decide on his shot the moment he took a step toward the golf ball until the ball was in the air was pretty much spot-on timing, Chuck says. I could take a brand-new golfer and teach them how to walk into a golf shot and you would think they are fantastic golfers. All it would take is me teaching them the routine of a good player.

The best pre-shot routines calm the mind and put you in a mental state that allows for a solid swing. Chuck likens a good pre-shot routine to triggering an auto-pilot mentality. And even if you dont hit a good shot every time after going through your routine, you are at least eliminating a variable and controlling one more thing in the process.

That little dance prior to hitting a shot really separates poor players from good players, Chuck says. And thats something you dont even have to hit a golf ball to learn.

Zephyr Melton is an assistant editor for GOLF.com where he spends his days blogging, producing and editing. Prior to joining the team at GOLF.com, he attended the University of Texas followed by stops with Team USA, the Green Bay Packers and the PGA Tour. He assists on all things instruction and covers amateur and womens golf.

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Grimes Has a 35-Track Nightcore Album That "Needs to Come Out" – Exclaim!

Posted: at 2:40 pm

It's been a work-in-progress since 2015

Published Jan 10, 2022

"After my albums [sic] out I have like a 35 track nightcore album I've been making since 2015 that I think rly [sic] needs to come out," the famous Marxist wrote on Twitter this Saturday (January 8), adding: "I don't think it makes a ton of sense but it's getting so absurdly long lol."

The album in reference is presumably her mysteriousBook 1, from which she shared first chapter "Player of Games" last month, alongside a videowhere she faces off with a stand-in for ex Elon Musk.

Now, you might be worriedly thinking to yourself, "What evenisnightcore?" It's kind of embarrassing that you don't know, but we'll break it down in brief: named after the Norwegian DJ duo credited with spearheading the sub-genre in the early 2000s, nightcore is based in the practice of pitch-shifting and speeding up trance or Eurodance tracks. (Hyperpop is considered a derivative of it.)

Basically, it's a reverse Red (Taylor's Version) vinyl situationin that it sounds like playing a record pressed at 33 1/3 RPM at 45 RPM.

Since a tracklist of 35 songs goes even beyondDondaterritory, one Twitter response suggested that the artist create a server that hosts all of her music and automatically uploads new demos to give fans "a constant drip," to which she replied:"Let's dooooo it."

It sounds like some high-pitched, high-speed music of the night could be coming down the pipeline anytime now. See the tweet from Grimes below, which includes a selfie for good measure.

After my albums out I have like a 35 track nightcore album I've been making since 2015 that I think rly needs to come out i don't think it makes a ton of sense but it's getting so absurdly long lol pic.twitter.com/8vZDBlcOEo

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Roy Lacroix and Kyle Zuck go hard on thumping "Elevate": Listen – We Rave You

Posted: at 2:40 pm

American house producers and labelmates Roy Lacroix and Kyle Zuck have come together to put out a deep new house collaboration called Elevate. You may not have heard of them before, but this track will surely make you know their names.

The duo, releasing a song together for the first time, are both still relatively up and coming in the greater EDM scene. If this song is anything to go by, that status wont stick with them for too much longer. The pair are both signed to burgeoning New York City label Holy Mol Music; Lacroix, based out of Los Angeles, also makes music under Psycho Disco and OFDM. Similarly, New Yorks Zuck also produces under the banners of Box of Cats and Popgang.

Elevate wastes no time getting into the groove- from the moment it begins, razor-sharp cymbals and subtly strong drums invite and entice you in before you know it, youve been put under an unshakeable spell. The house side of the song shines through clearly, but theres also a hint of trance flavor to the track thats just impossible to ignore. The captivating repetition of the songs few lyrics (Everyday I elevate/I need it just to regulate) combines with a bass line and synths that creep in and slowly take over. The result is a track that grows on you over time- like an old classic, you find something new and interesting every time you revisit it. Itll certainly claim a spot on your playlist.

To listen to Elevate, from Roy Lacroix and Kyle Zuck, click here to check it out via Youtube or here for links to Holy Mol Winter Fresh Volume 3, the compilation where the song is featured.

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Pegboard Nerds and Sophon Team Up for Drum & Bass Banger "Shine" – EDM.com

Posted: at 2:40 pm

The relationship betweenPegboard Nerdsand Monstercatis the gift that keeps on a giving.

The Scandinavian bass music duo are longtime favorites of the Monstercat faithful, releasing music on the powerhouse indie electronic music label at a dizzying pace over the course of the last decade. Tracks like 2012's "Disconnected" and 2016's "Weaponize" continue to be rinsed by their dance music contemporaries in DJ sets and music festival performances.

Pegboard Nerds have now returned to Monstercat with a riveting single called "Shine," which arrives under the imprint's "Uncaged" banner. A drum & bass banger, the new track was produced in collaboration with fellow electronic music duo Sophon, the side project of Pegboard Nerds' Alexander Odden and producer Subsquare. Take a listen below.

"Its kind of a perfect Scandinavian sandwich of drums and bass, topped with the retro gaming-esque leads, chant-able hooks, and high production quality Pegboard Nerds are known for," the duo said in a joint statement. "We have always dabbled with drum and bass, but its fun to just go all-in on a track like this. It is such a banger and has such a joyous feel and a dance-floor ready drop. Sadly weve only had a few gigs so far during the pandemic, but on every single one, 'Shine' has made the crowd lose their minds. Its been a sight for sore eyes during this crappy time."

"Were excited for the first Sophon release on Monstercat," added Sophon. "Its been a lot of fun to work on this. Alex and I share many melodic sensibilities, having grown up with a lot of dance and trance music in the 90s. When we started Sophon, we used the opportunity to switch things up, production-wise, and 'Shine' is the first track where weve used BitWig Studio all the way through.

You can listen to "Shine" on your go-to streaming platform here.

Facebook: facebook.com/PegboardNerdsTwitter: twitter.com/PegboardNerdsInstagram: instagram.com/pegboardnerdsSpotify: spoti.fi/3fqsro9

Twitter: twitter.com/sophonkicksnareInstagram:instagram.com/sophonkicksnareSpotify:spoti.fi/3HIKl1o

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Opinion | Cant wrap a pretty bow over the ugliness of social media – The Pitt News

Posted: at 2:40 pm

Oh, the holidays!

Just hear those coins jingle-ing and notifications ring-ting tingle-ing as exemplary adults prank their laughable children on camera before humbly surprising them with overpriced toys. Viral trends are replacing vital traditions. The overcommercialization of holidays has left family time behind and brought competition for consumers to boast expensive presents for online clout.

Traditional holidays have morphed into something unrecognizable. Many of us have been consumed by the lure of social media. Screens all around the world displayed events that were bright, shiny and perfect. But the holidays as I remember it entail quarreling with family and friends, missing flights and last-minute shopping everything but perfection, just the way Macaulay Culkin and I like it. Messy emotions, interpersonal dynamics and ugly sweaters are what make people crave the holiday nostalgia every year. Those stuck in the interweb are dispirited when coming back to our beautifully chaotic reality.

Vulnerable social media users lose their holiday cheer when they compare their own lives to one-minute staged videos. The actual reality of the holidays begins to merge with the fabricated version created by social media, setting unrealistic standards that minimize peoples self worth if they cannot meet them.

Algorithms boost videos that show large, wealthy, nuclear families since they attract the most engagement. This happy-go-lucky picture falsely portrays what festivities truly looked like for many people this year travel restrictions, budget issues, illnesses and more. Many hide their struggles from social media, yet continue dancing for all of the likes and comments, pleasing strangers rather than prioritizing time with their loved ones.

I fell on my own sword over break by downloading TikTok. Sure enough, I witnessed countless videos of children recorded like puppets as they opened their presents, obliviously in front of millions of viewers. Parents are just as susceptible to social medias trance as their kids, wanting to fit in, show off and be accepted by others. They post their children receiving expensive presents and luxurious vacations to play the part of a good parent in the eyes of viewers. The value of holidays are now determined by the quality of gifts rather than quality time. Memories are not being lived, but instead stored in our phones and saved for later.

Influencers posing with the newest must-have items are the first dominoes to fall before everyone rapidly winds up with the same things. Online gift guides and viral products have stripped away the personalization and uniqueness of presents. For example, as I searched through Google for dad gifts, I went through several different sites showing the same sponsored lists. Holiday presents were once a form of communication, connection and love, but have since emerged into competition, approval and striving for perceived status.

I worry people are becoming cookie-cutter versions of one another, losing all individuality by copying viral styles, products and whatever else is trending next. The holidays are supposed to look different to everyone, but users are falling for social medias glamorized portrayal of what celebration is supposed to look like. Those who cannot meet the high expectations feel inferior to those performing online. Younger audiences are disconnecting from traditions and disengaging from intimacy due to these depictions. They become the pawns in this commercialized game and continue the cycle by re-posting themselves, entrapping the next victims.

I always imagined my future children running down the staircase, ripping open their gifts made by Crayola, as Disney channel commercials play in the background just as I did. But as I watch social media swiftly captivate the world, I fear that it has already influenced the holiday experience for my future family. I may have unknowingly celebrated my very last traditional holiday.

Anita Bengert writes primarily about her perspective of 21st century America, the influence of social media, and the humor behind societal flaws.

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Neurotech for intuitive human-machine interactions and faster gaming | Waterloo News – uwaterloo.ca

Posted: at 2:39 pm

Ning JiangProfessor, Faculty of Engineering> Director, Waterloo Engineering Bionics Lab> Co-founder and CSO, Brink Bionics

Ning Jiang has an early memory of visiting the hospital where his parents worked in China and seeing someone walking with the aid of a prosthetic. This experience and others he had as the son of two physicians, led Jiang to begin thinking how technology could be used for good. A professor in the Department of Systems Design Engineering, Jiang is fascinated with devices and technology that can enhance human health and the way people experience the world around them.

Jiang is also the founder and director of theWaterloo Engineering Bionics Lab, where new interfaces and technologies that augment human capabilities are designed and tested.

My goal is to develop technologies that are easier to use and more accessible, technologies that will allow people to better interact with the external world, especially when there is a medical need but also for productivity and entertainment purposes.

Operating since 2015, research at the Waterloo Engineering Bionics Lab has focused mainly on building assistive and rehabilitation devices for persons with disabilities, such as upper-limb prosthetics or brain-controlled devices that aid stroke victims recovery. Research is also being done in other areas, such as health monitoring, a field of study in which devices provide feedback and data on human cardiac and cognitive stress levels and other measurements.

The bionics labresearchesnon-invasive neuro-signals that can enhance the performance of human-machine interactions. During these interactions, a brain-computer interface (BCI) extracts signals from the brain and immediately communicates to the technology so that it behaves exactly as the user intended. For example, a stroke patient or someone with spinal cord injuries may not be able to move their hands or legs. But the interface translates signals from the patients brain into a machine such as an exoskeleton, allowing the patients hands or legs to move.

Another example is patients with amputations. Using EMG signals from contracting muscles, the technology decodes the patients intention, such as moving a finger, and transmits the results to the prosthetic hand, which then moves exactly as the patient intended. The advantage of using these types of signals is that the technology can easily interpret human intentions. Prosthetics of this type are smoother and more intuitive for patients than typical prosthetics, which only use one set of muscles and require the patient to learn to control those muscles independently.

The development of this neurotechnology led to the founding of the first company out of the Engineering Bionics Lab in 2018.Brink Bionicswas founded by Ning Jiang, along with co-researchers Jiayuan He and Erik Lloyd (MASc19). It began as a bionic arm company, winning theVelocity Fund Pitch Competition,and has leveraged entrepreneurial support offered by theVelocity incubator. The company has since pivoted to use neurotechnology for gaming, filling a gap in the market left by conventional gaming controllers. Their commercial product, the ImpulseNeurocontroller, allows for faster reaction time. The device, which is worn like a glove, uses sensors to interpret the movement intentions of the player before they move, allowing for reaction time that is up to 80 milliseconds faster than mouse-click actions. This increased reaction time provides significant advantages for gamers.

"During my time in the Engineering Bionics Lab, I was encouraged to pursue neurotechnology research that had the potential to impact lives beyond the conventional goals of scientific publications, says Lloyd, CEO of Brink Bionics.

Because of this entrepreneurial attitude, as well as the engineering resources and support made available by the University of Waterloo, we founded Brink Bionics. To date, we have raised close to $500,000 in funding from pitch competitions and venturecapital, andlaunched our first neurotechnology product. We are now in another VC fundraising round to build out the next version of our gaming gear for neuro-enhancement.The company continues to be a means for our team to explore big ideas, as we are developing both implanted and wearable neural interface technologies that will augment the way we interface with devices in every aspect of our lives."

Researcher and Brink Bionics co-founder and CTO, Jiayuan He holdsa smart prosthetic prototype,designed in the Engineering Bionics Lab.

Jiang says filling medical and health-care needs is still the main direction for the Waterloo Engineering Bionics Lab, which partners with Grand River Hospital, McMaster University and the University of Toronto to conduct trials with patients.

Jiang remembers watchingRobocopwhen he was a kid, a science fiction movie that left questions in his mind about the way technology can be used as a force for good or evil. He believes we will see a shift in the next few years in which bionics becomes a regular part of our lives and people increasingly incorporate biotechnologies into their bodies to enhance capabilities.

Right now, things like electronic implants are more in the fringe or subculture of society, he says. But humans will be integrating more technology and bio-machinery to enhance their functionsin the near future. There is a lot of research happening in these areas and advances are being made at a fast pace.

Get updates on the latest research and innovation at the University of Waterloo. From breakthroughs in quantum technology and cybersecurity to leading-edge climate research and innovations in health care, youll get to know some of Waterloos most inspiring minds.

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Stryker Takes the Digital Route with New M&A – Medical Device and Diagnostics Industry

Posted: at 2:39 pm

Stryker has stepped away from deals involving the capital equipment and elective procedures space in its latest M&A effort.

The Kalamazoo, MI-based company said it will instead focus on enhancing its digital presence by acquiring Vocera Communications for about $3.09 billion. The deal, which is one of the first billion-dollar medtech acquisitions of 2022, is expected to close in the first quarter. It is also the biggest deal Stryker has been involved with since its $4 billion acquisition of Wright Medical.

San Jose, CA-based Vocera was founded in 2000 and has a portfolio comprised of multiple products including clinical communication, secure text messaging, alarms & notifications, patient experience, and analytics tools.The importance of this growing segment has continued to expand throughout the pandemic as it aims to reduce cognitive overload for caregivers and enables them to deliver the best patient care possible.

During a call discussing the deal, Stryker Chairman and CEO Kevin Lobo spoke about the company focusing on expanding its digital capabilities.

This is not a new trend for us, Lobo said during the call. Weve been focused on digital for probably the last decade. Its been very progressive and every once and awhile we make a step-change by bringing on technology such as Vocera that really propels us to the next level. I would say that we are going to continue. A clear component of our R&D investment will be digital. Everything we launch will have some smart features or some digital components to it on all of our new products.

The timing of the deal couldnt be better said Stryker executives.

Vocera really has hit kind of an inflection point, Lobo said during the call. If you look that [3Q21] EBITA margin, very high profitability in addition to very high growth. Weve liked the asset for at least five years. Weve been in close connection, and weve run alongside Vocera in hospitals. And weve also done a very nice job of delivering on the Wright [Medical] acquisition, so were now in a position where we can actually financially do this deal. So, its a combination of our ability to generate cash and pay down the Wright debt and with the growth [Vocera] has experienced themselves, the stars have aligned for this to be a great time to do this [deal]. Vocera is really starting to take off and we think were going to help accelerate that.

Ryan Zimmerman, a BTIG analyst, commented about the timing in a research note.

Strykers expansion into digital communications comes at a time when health systems are overburdened and under-staffed, Zimmerman wrote. Vocera addresses these issues through connected platforms and care coordination but over time we expect the Vocera products to integrate with Strykers acute care products to offer customers a more seamless experience.

Strykers potential acquisition of Vocera is similar to Hillroms 2019 acquisition of Voalte, Mike Matson, a Needham & Company analyst wrote. (Editors Note: Hillrom was acquired by Baxter in 2021 for about $12.4 billion. That deal helped strengthen Deerfield, IL-based Baxters digital presence.)

The deal would also be beneficial to Vocera because it would help the company reach a virtually untapped market outside of the U.S.

We really do see as part of our deal thesis international being an important part of future value for the acquisition,said Andy Pierce is Group President, MedSurg and Neurotechnology. [Vocera] has a generally smaller presence today in international markets. We sell in about 10 markets today and its roughly 10% of the overall business of Vocera, so you can imagine if 90% of the business is done in the U.S., well have a really strong upside to expand through our very capable, very competent, medical organization and all of the Stryker relationships that exist with international customers.

Although this is a sizeable deal, Stryker executives did not rule out the potential for tuck-in deals in the future. About four years ago, the company employed the strategy of focusing on tuck-in deals to enhance its growth. In this time Stryker acquired companies like Entellus Medical, SafeAir AG, and Invuity, just to name a few.

We will preserve the right to do very small tuck-in deals, just like the discipline we showed following the Wright Medical acquisition, where we deleveraged very significantly, Lobo said. So, we will continue to be looking at small tuck-ins across the whole portfolio of Stryker.

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The Answer To Parkinson’s And Alzheimer’s Is All In Your Eyes – Themississippilink

Posted: at 2:39 pm

Look into my eyes. What do you see? the man says to his wife.

I see Parkinsons, Alzheimers and MS, she replies.

Not the most romantic interchange.

But imagine if gazing into someones eyes were the key to diagnosing neurological disorders, which are the worlds leading cause of disabilityand cost some $800 billion a year in direct treatment expenses.

The correlations between oculometrics (the biometric measurement of the movement and condition of the eyes) and neurological conditions is a much-researched area of study, with over 750 papers published in journals such as The Lancet, Nature and Neurology.

Developing a technology that can decode the data from the eyes has proven to be challenging, however. No one has successfully made strides toward commercializing an oculometric approach.

Until now.

In October 2021, Tel Aviv and Austin, Texas-based startup Neuralight launched out of stealth with a $5.5 million seed investment and a goal of digitizing and even automating neurological evaluation and care.

You can only improve what you can measure

Neurological exams have traditionally relied on a subjective, manual assessment of symptoms.

The physician will ask 50 questions, like how hard is it to button your shirt? Or the doctor asks the patient to walk across the room so they can assess their gait, explains Neuralight CEO Micah Breakstone.

The lack of objective criteria has prevented pharmaceutical companies from developing effective drugs. Breakstone notes that for dementia, studies have shown that two physicians looking at the same patient on the same day could have a 35 percent variable in diagnosis.

We need a statistically significant result, Breakstone says.

Neuralights technology is not a cure or a treatment for neurological disease.

Rather, the platform is meant mainly to accelerate pharmaceutical development, with an initial focus on Parkinsons, Alzheimers and multiple sclerosis.

The platform automatically extracts microscopic eye movement measurements that serve as digital endpoints for neurological disorders.

A physician will record a short, five-minute video of a patients eyes. Neuralights imaging tools clean up the video, then artificial intelligence and machine learning get to work at deciphering whats behind the eye movements.

Once Neuralight has extracted ocular metrics on a patient, it plans to sell the data to pharma companies. As Breakstone tells ISRAEL21c, You cant improve what you dont measure.

Digital endpoints are the future of neurology, adds Rivka Kreitman, the companys chief innovation officer and the former head of global innovative research and development at Israeli pharmaceutical giant Teva.

This technology has been the missing piece pharma has needed to make drug development for neurological diseases effective and ultimately more successful.

Privacy compliant

In Breakstones ideal world, all the data extracted from videos by Neuralight would be processed on the Neuralight cloud, which he says is HIPAA compliant with all data de-identified (We dont need to see a patients face, only his or her eyes).

Some organizations do want to keep the data in-house for privacy reasons; in those cases, Neuralight brings its own server.

Neuralight does not require eye-trackers, making the process simpler for patients because they dont have to sit still for a relatively long period of time.

Instead, a simple iPhone or even Zoom recording is fine. A Neuralight video recording takes 10 minutes vs. 40 minutes when working with an eye-tracker.

Neuralights AI amplifies and augments standard video resolution so you can glean from standard video signals what you could traditionally do only with professional lab equipment, Breakstone explains.

He likens the resolution to how satellites in space can make out the numbers on a cars license plate using a similar kind of super-resolution.

Neuralight analyzes close to 100 parameters, including blinking rate, how quickly the patient can fix on a specific object, and the speed of pupil dilation (the latter is highly correlated with Parkinsons).

Digital biomarkers

Breakstone cofounded Neuralight with CTO Edmund Benami after Breakstone sold his previous startup, Chorus.ai, to ZoomInfo for $575 million.

I could have retired, but that would have been a little empty, he says. His grandfather suffered from Alzheimers, and that led Breakstone to want to do something to make the world a better place, something I deeply believed in, he tells ISRAEL21c.

Digital biomarkers are very much in vogue, he says, and investors agreed.

Initial funding for Neuralight came from VSC Ventures, Operator Partners, Clover Health CEO Vivek Garipalli and Noam Solomon, the CEO of Immunai.

While most of the 19-person team is in Israel, where R&D is based, Breakstone relocated to Austin to build up the companys connections in the United States.

Neuralight has a working MVP (tech speak for minimum viable product) and Breakstone hopes to receive initial FDA clearance by the end of 2022 with the first commercial contracts signed in 2023.

Clinical trials are due to kick off in the next few months. Neuralight is in conversations with three large pharma companies.

Although neurotechnology is a booming industry, Breakstone says most of Neuralights competition is doing things with devices, not with the eyes. Boston-based Beacon Biosignals, for example, uses EEG data to create biomarkers for neurological disorders, which he says will be harder to be adopted as a universal solution.

Fortunately for the billion people suffering from neurological disorders, Breakstone feels that Neuralight is on an urgent mission. We are building a value-driven company.

For more on Neuralight, click here.

Produced in association with ISRAEL21c.

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The Answer To Parkinson's And Alzheimer's Is All In Your Eyes - Themississippilink

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