Daily Archives: September 7, 2022

Alphabets CEO says the company has plenty of competition. Why thats not enough to satisfy antitrust regulators – Fortune

Posted: September 7, 2022 at 5:53 pm

With great power comes great competitionor so Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai half-convincingly argued Tuesday.

In an interview at Vox Medias Code Conference, the chief of Google and YouTube made the case that his iconic brands already face stiff challenges from well-established rivals and aspiring upstarts. The comments came as Google faces multiple investigations and lawsuits, each of which allege that the Alphabet unit has employed anti-competitive practices to build and maintain its market share in various tech sectors.

The thing about being in tech is the competition comes from nowhere, Pichai said. None of us were talking about TikTok three years ago, so I think you have to be open-minded. He cited classic rivals to Googles core business, such as Amazon, Microsoft, Apple, and Facebook, as well as upstarts like TikTok, which is putting pressure on Googles YouTube video business. He even cited competitors from China, such as Tencent and Alibaba.

Pichais claim reveals a strategic framing of Alphabets relationship with competition, one that fails to differentiate between external threats and internal practices. In doing so, Pichai does little to reassure Alphabet shareholders that the company will easily fend off antitrust regulators circling the company.

While its a bit unfair to extrapolate Pichais full thoughts on competition from a two-minute snippet during an interview, its telling that the Alphabet leader chose to focus on the quantity of adversaries. By invoking the names of several tech mammoths and the fastest-growing app on the market, Pichai implies that Alphabets business faces more than enough competition.

And in some respects, Pichai has a point.

While Google remains far-and-away the leader in ad revenue, pulling in $34 billion more than Meta, Amazon, and Microsoft combined in the first half of 2022, some of its tech brethren are ever-so-slowly snagging some market share. Amazon and Microsoft both reported ad revenue gains of 20% to 25% in the first six months of the year, while Alphabet posted 16% growth. Apple doesnt divulge marketing revenues, but Bloomberg reported last month that the iPhone maker wants to more than double its current ad sales total.

Theres also no denying the success of fast-ascending short-form video app TikTok. Insider Intelligence estimates suggest YouTube users in the U.S. spent 13% more time on the app in 2021 when compared to 2019, while time on TikTok jumped 46% during that stretch. TikToks rise also forced YouTube to develop its own short-form video feature, YouTube Shorts, which Alphabet hasnt been able to monetize as well as its legacy platform.

Yet antitrust regulators arent arguing that Alphabet faces insufficient competition from deep-pocketed peers. Rather, theyre building cases around Alphabets own behavior over the past several years.

When the Department of Justice and 11 state attorneys general sued Google in 2020, government officials cited the Alphabet units entry into a series of exclusionary agreements that collectively lock up the primary avenues through which users access search engines, and thus the internet. As an example, DOJ and state prosecutors cited Googles multibillion-dollar deal to serve as the iPhones de facto search engine.

Similarly, European Union regulators are probing whether Google essentially paid off Meta to abandon efforts to build competing ad technologies and shun Google competitors. If the allegations are proven, the deal would restrict and distort competition in the already concentrated ad tech market, to the detriment of rival ad serving technologies, publishers and ultimately consumers, EU officials said in March.

The Department of Justice also is expected to sue Google later this year amid allegations that the unit abuses its role as both a broker and auctioneer of digital advertisements to steer itself business at the expense of rivals, The Wall Street Journal reported. While the lawsuit hasnt been filed, Alphabet has already offered to split up its ads business into more than one company, the Journal reported.

In all three instances, notice that the allegations center on Google foreclosing competition, not Google lacking competition.

It would be naive to expect Pichai to admit to anticompetitive practices on a conference stage, particularly with litigation pending on multiple fronts. At the same time, rattling off a list of rivals does little to bolster faith in the fairness of Googles practices. Its certainly not enough for domestic and foreign regulators.

Want to send thoughts or suggestions forData Sheet?Drop me a linehere.

Jacob Carpenter

Still the same cost.Apple unveiled its latest line of iPhones on Wednesday, debuting a base and pro version with an unchanged price from the previous iteration. Company executives largely highlighted advanced camera and battery life features on the new iPhone 14 models, which will arrive in mid-September. The phones will go on sale at a time when many consumer electronics companies are seeing a slowdown in sales, though Apple reported no significant slippage in the first half of the year. Apple leaders also introduced upgrades to the company's smartwatch and wireless headphones.

Better luck after next year. A top Samsung executive warned Wednesday that a slowdown in semiconductor sales likely will extend into 2023, adding to growing concerns about an extended slump, The Wall Street Journal reported. Kyung Kye-hyun, Samsungs co-CEO and semiconductor unit chief, said during a media briefing that the outlook on chip sales doesnt really seem to show a clear momentum for much improvement in 2023. Semiconductor executives throughout the industry have forecasted a rough second half of 2022 amid a pullback on consumer electronics spending.

A split decision. A judge ruled Wednesday that Elon Musk can use a Twitter whistleblowers claims about major security lapses in his defense against a lawsuit demanding that he complete a $44 billion acquisition of the company, Bloomberg reported. However, the judge also denied Musks request to delay the start of a trial in the case, which is expected to begin in mid-October. Musk has argued that revelations provided last month by Twitters former head of security, Peiter Mudge Zatko, offer more evidence that the company violated terms of a takeover agreement.

Giving up the fight. Industry associations representing many of the largest U.S. telecommunications providers have dropped their legal objections to Maines strict internet privacy law, potentially opening the door for other states to enact similar statutes, The Associated Press reported Tuesday. The law, first enacted in 2020, forces internet service providers to obtain permission from customers before sharing or selling user data collected by the companies. Groups representing internet providers argued the mandate violated their First Amendment rights.

Very much made in China. Breaking up with Chinaor at least changing to a more-open relationshipwill be hard to do for Apple. The New York Times reported Tuesday that the iPhone makers budding efforts to shift manufacturing to other Asian nations would require uprooting deep ties to China, where the company contracts with an extensive web of assemblers and component makers to push out its products. Sources told the Times that Apples latest iPhone, unveiled Wednesday, relied more than ever on Chinese partners. At the same time, Apple is exploring options for moving manufacturing to India, Vietnam, and other countries in the region amid worsening U.S.-China relations and frustration with the republics COVID policies.

From the article:

The critical work provided by China reflects the countrys advancements over the past decade and a new level of involvement for Chinese engineers in the development of iPhones. After the country lured companies to its factories with legions of low-priced workers and unrivaled production capacity, its engineers and suppliers have moved up the supply chain to claim a bigger slice of the money that U.S. companies spend to create high-tech gadgets.

The increased responsibilities that China has assumed for the iPhone could challenge Apples efforts to decrease its dependency on the country, a goal that has taken on increased urgency amid rising geopolitical tensions over Taiwan and simmering concerns in Washington about Chinas ascent as a technology competitor.

Bidens $270 billion semiconductor bill to battle China isnt that big a deal, Goldman says. Unless theres some kind of huge international conflict, by Tristan Bove

125 founders reveal how theyre cutting costs to prepare for the downturn, by Jessica Mathews

Torrential rains are forcing CEOs in Indias Silicon Valley to ride tractors to work, by Saritha Rai and Bloomberg

How A.I. technologies could help resolve food insecurity, by Danielle Bernabe

Ethereum Classic sees double-digit jump as merge begins and miners seek new home, by Taylor Locke

Deepfakes are stealing the show on Americas Got Talent. Will they soon steal a lot more too?, by Jeremy Kahn

A lesson in cybersecurity. Its back-to-school season for hackers, too. The Associated Press reported Tuesday that cybercriminals launched a Labor Day weekend attack on Los Angeles Unified School District, the nations second-largest district, causing a shutdown of the organizations information technology systems. Los Angeles Unified becomes the biggest district to date hit by hackers, who have increasingly taken over schools online systems and demanded payment in exchange for relinquishing control. However, the superintendent of Los Angeles Unified said the hackers havent sought money from the district, and the attack appeared limited to business-related information. There was no cyber snow day, either, as classes were back in session Tuesday.

Continued here:
Alphabets CEO says the company has plenty of competition. Why thats not enough to satisfy antitrust regulators - Fortune

Posted in First Amendment | Comments Off on Alphabets CEO says the company has plenty of competition. Why thats not enough to satisfy antitrust regulators – Fortune

Theater of Thought Review: Werner Herzog Crafts a Bracing Exploration of Neurotechnology and Consciousness – Hollywood Reporter

Posted: at 5:52 pm

Having made a film on every continent, tireless searcher Werner Herzog keeps things stateside for Theater of Thought. Even so, he travels far, exploring one of the last great frontiers, the human brain, from a rich multitude of angles. The result is one of his most piercing inquiries yet.

In Silicon Valley and in the laboratories and conference rooms of academia, he speaks with more than two dozen people working at the forefront of neuroscience and neurotechnology, the catch-all term for cutting-edge inventions that link the nervous system to electronic and other devices. Herzog is the clear-eyed student at times amazed and delighted, and, at others, skeptical and alarmed. Amid the cryostats and nanoparticles and fiber optics, the clunky gadgets and impenetrable-to-the-layperson diagrams, he summons a wry and lyrical mix of awe and foreboding.

The Bottom LineA quintessentially Herzogian fusion of hope, horror, humor and heart.

Like his 2020 doc, Fireball, a film that studied meteors through chemistry, geology and mythology, entering the kind of territory Joseph Campbell called the inner reaches of outer space, Theater of Thought navigates the places where science and poetics diverge, entwine and sometimes fuse. (Both films were edited with crisp precision by Marco Capalbo.) Herzogs interviewees are entrepreneurs, mathematicians, surgeons, philosophers. For good measure, he spends quality time in the Catskills with a renowned high-wire artist. Crucially, he includes a clip from a Soviet-era silent film, Earth, that captures a character at the brink of death; another character wants him to report back from the other side. The possibility of afterlife communication is one of the what-ifs Herzog asks the experts to ponder, his questions driving the documentarys progression from interview to interview, synapse to synapse.

As Theater peers beneath the skull its only literal glimpse at the pulsating gray matter is a brief one the movie is as steeped in metaphysics as it is in brain science. Its also a trenchant, deeply felt warning: When computers can extract information directly from the brain or feed commands straight into it, privacy, autonomy and the very sense of self are at stake.

For all the unease over ethical questions, the film opens with a pastoral sense of calm: Side by side on a rock beneath trees in brilliant full leaf, Herzog and neurobiologist Rafael Yuste, the films chief scientific adviser, gaze at a laptop. We cant see whats on the screen or hear what theyre saying, but their unforced camaraderie hints at the spontaneous bursts of tenderness that punctuate the doc as when Herzog interviews Cori Bargmann and Richard Axel, scientists who are married to each other, and catches them off guard with his questions about music, and dinner conversation, and the possibility of communicating with animals. Such moments bring to the fore the unspoken challenge that courses through the film: Could a brain-computer interface conjure such emotion, such unexpected chords of sweet, awkward, lovely feeling?

Herzog draws a beaming smile from Daro Gil, IBMs head of research, when, after a tour of the quantum-computer lab, he asks him about fishing. The oceans another frontier whose depths have only begun to be plumbed becomes a subtheme. After posing the somewhat loaded question How stupid is Siri? to AI expert Tom Gruber, one of the creators of the virtual assistant, Herzog admires videos from Grubers dives, sparking a discussion of collective blindness in schools of fish and human societies alike blindness to trawling nets, blindness to destructive courses of action. Neuroscientist Christof Koch insists that Herzog interview him only after hes had his morning row on Puget Sound, immersed in the bliss of being all motion in the flow without thought.

A different kind of flow, one that leaves no room for fear, defines the mental prowess of Philippe Petit, the high-wire artist who enthralled the world with his 1974 walk between the two towers of the World Trade Center (a story told in the magnificent documentary Man on Wire). Its enthralling too to see him nearly 50 years later, practicing his art in his rural New York backyard. Herzogs visit with Petit follows his conversation with Joseph LeDoux, who has mapped the mechanisms of fear in the brain.

At the heart of all this is the mystery of how a mass of ridged and folded tissue, the cerebral cortex, gives rise to consciousness a mystery that remains unsolved even as the experts find ways to interact with neurons, control the nervous system and counteract disorders with such therapeutic procedures as deep brain stimulation. For people who have suffered a stroke or have Parkinsons, the results can be miraculous. An engineer shares his prototype for a chip implant that might restore sight to those with optic nerve damage.

It goes without comment in the film that research on animals is apparently still part and parcel of many of the innovators and scholars work. Herzog is concerned with how people are the guinea pigs. The new brain technologies can regulate behavior and thought in ways that, bioethicist Sara Goering notes, would gratify advertisers. Talk about direct-to-consumer! And so the field of neurorights is a growing legal focus. In 2021, when Herzog was making Theater of Thought, Chile became the first nation to amend its constitution to protect mental privacy and personal identity from invasive technologies. The doc acknowledges this landmark without explaining the amendment, which is being regarded as a potential model for other countries.

Herzogs stateside travels bring him, inevitably, to the projection booth of an old-school movie theater, the Roxie in San Francisco, where he meets neuroscientist Jack Gallant, who studies the human visual system and decodes mental imagery. Surfacing here and in other conversations is another underlying anxiety about neurotechnology, one thats close to Herzogs heart: Will tech-enabled telepathy and other hot-wired feeds to the nervous system render filmmaking and movie watching as we know them obsolete? Or maybe, Herzog ventures, everything we think is real has been a delusion all along. Are we, he asks hauntingly, as only he can, behind our facades, ghostwritten? Having contemplated what makes us human via spectacular prehistoric evidence, the auteur asks us to consider a science fiction future thats closer than we might want to believe.

Continued here:

Theater of Thought Review: Werner Herzog Crafts a Bracing Exploration of Neurotechnology and Consciousness - Hollywood Reporter

Posted in Neurotechnology | Comments Off on Theater of Thought Review: Werner Herzog Crafts a Bracing Exploration of Neurotechnology and Consciousness – Hollywood Reporter

Elon Musk seeks to expand his empire in the world of neurotechnology – Gearrice

Posted: at 5:52 pm

Im sure you know at least one of the companies of the billionaire Elon Musk, his dream began looking to facilitate online transactions, that is

digital payments through PayPal. Subsequently, Tesla, focused on the electrification of the automobile industry. Later, SolarCity with the aim of populating rooftops with solar panels. Not to mention SpaceX and its related interests in establishing a colony on Mars! As you can see, the richest person in the world has very interesting plans for the coming years in multiple sectors.

Now he has in sight the power to support people who have suffered the loss of a specific function and even improve the lifestyle of the population and surely you can imagine how he could do it, since it is about installing microchips in the brain to develop functions or, simply, to recover aspects such as mobility lost by accident.

Neurotechnology is within its investment plans and, of course, it is carrying out various projects related to the cause. The last of them has been the probe that has been made regarding the company Synchron, a firm especially focused on the incorporation of brain chips.

The first three places of best-selling gadgets in Amazon Mexico

Alarming detection of nanoplastics in the air

The first thing that should be mentioned is that this possible contact would be directly linked to the difficulty that is taking place in the development of the Neuralink program. Various technical complications have meant that it has not been possible to establish a coordinated proposal and, of course, that the established deadlines are not being met.

Neuralink accumulates a series of delays, which have begun to deteriorate Elon Musks relationship with his own employees. This new agreement could encourage the improvement of its technology over the coming months. It should be remembered that the company hoped to be able to carry out tests on human beings at the end of 2021, this objective having been missed due to the lack of capacity to carry out the program or, simply, due to the lack of knowledge to carry it out.

The main difference that Synchron has with respect to Neuralink is that, in order to work, it is not necessary to cut part of the skull. This may be a differential factor for Elon Musk to have decided to contact Thomas Oxley, the greatest exponent of the North American company. In a way, we find ourselves before a company that is much more capable of carrying out this type of research program. In fact, it has already carried out tests with up to a total of 4 people in Australia.

It should be noted that, according to Reuters information, Synchron has about 60 employees and has so far raised about $65 million from investors. On the contrary, Neuralink employs about 300 workers, so it has, a priori, more alternatives to be able to carry out a project in depth.

Follow this link:

Elon Musk seeks to expand his empire in the world of neurotechnology - Gearrice

Posted in Neurotechnology | Comments Off on Elon Musk seeks to expand his empire in the world of neurotechnology – Gearrice

VoxNeuro Announces Collaboration with Boston University and Launch of Clinical Studies Focusing on Concussion and Alzheimers Disease – Yahoo Finance

Posted: at 5:52 pm

BOSTON, September 07, 2022--(BUSINESS WIRE)--VoxNeuro Inc. ("VoxNeuro" or the "Company"), a commercial stage Software-as-a-Medical-Device (SaMD) brain health company that analyzes brain biomarkers to assess cognitive function, announced a new partnership with Boston University ("BU"), a world-class institution and private research university at the forefront of neuroscience and neurotechnology.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220907005212/en/

From left: Dr. Andrew Budson, MD, Boston University; Dr. Kyle Ruiter, PhD, VoxNeuro; Dr. Katherine Turk, MD, Boston University (Photo: Business Wire)

In partnership with BU, VoxNeuro has launched two studies that will evaluate its cognitive health assessment platform in an outpatient setting to assess diagnostic accuracy. The studies will focus on patients suffering from mild-Traumatic Brain Injury (mTBI)/Concussion and Alzheimers disease, respectively.

On a combined basis, mTBI/Concussion and Alzheimers disease affect over ten million Americans annually, and the inefficiencies of current behavior-based screening methodologies results in considerable excess cost and time to patients, clinicians and the healthcare system. VoxNeuros cognitive health software is expected to provide additive diagnostic information to improve clinical management beyond traditional testing methods. This represents a significant step forward for brain health as VoxNeuro provides for better identification and management strategies.

The studies will be led by Dr. John Connolly, PhD, VoxNeuros Chief Science Officer and Dr. Kyle Ruiter, PhD, VoxNeuros Vice President of Clinical & Scientific Affairs, alongside co-investigators Dr. Andrew Budson, MD, Professor of Neurology at Boston University School of Medicine and Associate Director of Boston Universitys Alzheimers Disease Research Center, and Dr. Katherine Turk, MD, Assistant Professor of Neurology at Boston University School of Medicine and co-Leader of the Outreach, Recruitment and Engagement Core at the Boston University Alzheimers Disease Research Center.

Story continues

"We are excited to test the hypothesis that by combining EEG brainwaves and cognitive testing clinicians may be able to diagnose correctly who is suffering from Alzheimers disease or a brain injury in a manner that may not require a research laboratory to interpret the data," said Dr. Budson.

Dr. Ruiter echoed this excitement, saying, "we are thrilled to be partnering with Boston University, an institution that continues to be at the head of neuroscience research, discovery and innovation. BUs best-in-class team is a pillar of Bostons globally recognized biotech hub and through our collaboration with them we anticipate rich insights into VoxNeuros unique and proprietary data sets that will help drive the development of our second-generation product. Together, we are going to continue to push the boundaries of brain health through innovation."

VoxNeuro anticipates that this will continue to enhance its market awareness and will improve the ability of clinicians to accurately diagnose, treat, and aid in the management of patients suffering from mTBI/Concussion and Alzheimers disease. The Company also anticipates that this work may support new regulatory filings with the FDA and Health Canada.

About VoxNeuro Give the Brain a Voice

VoxNeuro is pushing the boundaries of brain health and empowering healthcare providers with a breakthrough SaMD technology that uses validated brain biomarkers. The Companys EEG-based reports deliver a comprehensive understanding of how a brain is functioning through the objective measurement of a patients attention and concentration, information processing, and working memory. VoxNeuro complements existing clinical workflow to provide clinicians and patients with a more complete picture of brain health, and to inform clinical decision-making.

Visit voxneuro.com to learn more.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements contained in this press release may constitute forward-looking statements under Canadian securities legislation. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "expects" or "it is expected", or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "will" occur. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from results contemplated by the forward-looking statements. Accordingly, the actual events may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. When relying on forward-looking statements to make decisions, investors and others should carefully consider the foregoing factors and other uncertainties and should not place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements, except as may be required by applicable securities laws.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220907005212/en/

Contacts

MediaDouglas Martin416-388-7734media@voxneuro.com

Investor Relations1-833-869-6387investorrelations@voxneuro.com

See the rest here:

VoxNeuro Announces Collaboration with Boston University and Launch of Clinical Studies Focusing on Concussion and Alzheimers Disease - Yahoo Finance

Posted in Neurotechnology | Comments Off on VoxNeuro Announces Collaboration with Boston University and Launch of Clinical Studies Focusing on Concussion and Alzheimers Disease – Yahoo Finance

Tri-anim Health Services announces exclusive relationship to distribute BrainScope’s breakthrough technology for mild head injury including…

Posted: at 5:52 pm

DUBLIN, Sept. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Tri-anim Health Services, a specialty distributor of respiratory, anesthesia and critical care products and therapies, announced today that it has entered into an exclusive relationship to represent and distribute the BrainScope device in hospital Emergency Departments. This innovative point of caredecision support tool is used to objectively assess mild head injured patients for intracranial hemorrhage and concussion at point of care in 20 minutes or less.

BrainScope is an FDA-cleared, handheld Class II medical device that uses artificial intelligence derived algorithms to identify distinctive profiles of structural brain injury and concussion. The solution consists of the BrainScope handheld decision support tool, as well as the BrainScope single-use disposable electrode headset for use with the device.

Tom Metcalf, President of Tri-anim Health Services, said, "This exclusive agreement supports Tri-anim's mission to be the best partner to those who save and improve patients' lives. We are thrilled to bring the breakthrough BrainScope technology to our Emergency Department customers to help them quickly and effectively assess risk of intracranial bleeding in patients with mild head injuries helping to reduce unneeded CT scans, objectively assess concussions, and improve patient experience and satisfaction."

"This partnership with Tri-anim Health Services brings BrainScope to immediate commercial scale. It is a perfect fit for us as Tri-anim's national sales team is already focused on providing innovative solutions to Emergency Departments," said Susan Hertzberg, CEO of BrainScope. Hertzberg added, "America's Emergency Departments are moving beyond COVID care and the demand for BrainScope is rapidly growing to fill a major assessment gap that exists for the nearly 5 million people that present with mild head injuries each year. Up until now, clinicians have had just one tool, the CT scan. With BrainScope they can more confidently rule out those patients that do not need a CT scan while also objectively assess concussion. We are excited to have the commercial reach that Tri-anim provides."

The BrainScope solution has been highly clinically validated with 10+ years of development, 8 successfully executed research contracts funded by the U.S. Department of Defense, and 33 peer-reviewed publications. When integrated into clinical decision making, experience has demonstrated an average 46% reduction in unnecessary CT utilization, a 40% reduction in patient Emergency Department length of stay, and improved patient experience and satisfaction.

"BrainScope helps answer key clinician and patient questionswhether the patient has suffered a brain bleed or concussion, and whether they are ready to resume normal activities. The technological change that BrainScope brings has immediate benefits to both the patient and the Emergency Department," said Dr. Diku Mandavia, Chief Medical Officer at BrainScope.

Attila Morgan, Eastern Area Vice President of Sales for Tri-anim Health Services added,"BrainScope easily fits into the Emergency Department current workflow for mild head injuries. The device can be operated by non-nursing staff and assessments take less than 20 minutes from start to finish. By avoiding unnecessary CT scans, BrainScope's assessment can help Emergency Departments save significant time and hospital resources."

About Tri-anim Health Services

Tri-anim Health Services provides innovative respiratory, anesthesia and critical care products and therapies to hospitals, health systems and other patient care facilities nationwide. As a leader in healthcare excellence for over 45 years, Tri-anim offers targeted solutions, value-oriented programs, clinical expertise, and in-service training to help provide effective and efficient patient care. For more information, visitwww.tri-anim.com.

About BrainScope

BrainScope is a medical neurotechnology company that is improving brain health by providing objective, diagnostic insights that enable better patient care. BrainScope is leading the way in the rapid and objective assessment of brain-related conditions, starting with mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), utilizing multiple integrated assessment capabilities, artificial intelligence (AI), and digitization. The Company's technology supports the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) Choosing Wisely campaign to avoid CT scans of the head in Emergency Department patients with minor head injury. BrainScope's innovative neurotechnology platform uses EEG-based, AI-derived algorithms empowering physicians to quickly make accurate head injury assessments, addressing the full spectrum of traumatic brain injuries from structural (brain bleed) to functional (concussion) injuries, providing for the first time a full picture of the injury, and doing so in less time and without radiation. For more information, please visit http://www.brainscope.com.

Media Contact:

Beth Scott, Director of Marketing Communications: 614.760.5000 Beth.Scott@sarnova.com

Cision

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/tri-anim-health-services-announces-exclusive-relationship-to-distribute-brainscopes-breakthrough-technology-for-mild-head-injury-including-concussion-into-emergency-departments-301618276.html

SOURCE Tri-anim Health Services

See the rest here:

Tri-anim Health Services announces exclusive relationship to distribute BrainScope's breakthrough technology for mild head injury including...

Posted in Neurotechnology | Comments Off on Tri-anim Health Services announces exclusive relationship to distribute BrainScope’s breakthrough technology for mild head injury including…

Interaxon Inc. (Muse) Highlights Myndlifts Preliminary Study and the Benefit of Partnerships for Digital Therapeutics Research – BioSpace

Posted: at 5:52 pm

TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Myndlift, a health technology company that offers digital mental health programs using the Muse leading consumer EEG technology platform, recently completed a retrospective study using real-world data that offers preliminary efficacy of remote neurofeedback therapy (NFT) on improved mental health outcomes from 593 participants. Little is currently known regarding the effectiveness of remote NFT systems in supporting disorders such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), anxiety, and depression. With this nascent research and continued validation of Myndlifts combination of traditional neurofeedback, CBT tools, and coaching Myndlift hopes to improve access to mental health tools that can remotely support the general focus and wellbeing of patients with these disorders as a low-cost alternative to clinic-based EEG.

Study participants engaged in remote brain training sessions via Myndlifts mobile app utilizing Muses EEG technology to measure their brain activity and complete pre-and post intervention in-app assessments throughout the course of the study. Improvement was measured from self-reported assessments that included validated symptom questionnaires, a cognitive test of attention and executive functioning (ie, continuous performance task), and resting electroencephalography (EEG) markers. Preliminary findings suggest reduced symptom severity from pre- to post-assessment for general psychological health, ADHD, anxiety, and depression, as well as adjusted resting EEG neural markers for individuals with symptoms of ADHD. The full paper was funded by McGill University and published in JMIR Publications in July 2022.

As the digital health space continues to grow thanks to advances in health technology, Muse will continue supporting developers and SDK partners by prioritizing efforts that allow them to leverage their EEG technology in the development of systems that will support the overall health and wellness of patients. The partnership with Myndlift is an indication of the type of applications and subsequent positive impacts that can result when the right wellness and health partnerships and the best quality resources and technology are connected.

There are ample benefits of accessing clinical-grade technology like EEG for accurate and personalized metrics of brain activity which is why the work Muse is doing to make this technology more widely accessible is so important, said Dr. Walter Greenleaf, Stanford Neuroscientist, Digital Medicine expert, and Interaxon Chief Scientific Officer. By continuing to identify ways to support SDK partners like Myndlift in their development of such applications of these innovative technologies, we all work together to push the health tech space forward and develop more accessible and affordable health and wellness solutions.

Improving Access to Clinical Mental Health Treatment with EEG Technology

Neurofeedback training is currently used to support a range of mental health disorders, though there are several barriers to entry that may prevent patients from receiving quality neurofeedback therapeutics. Typically, EEG (electroencephalography) systems are expensive and are usually only accessible in clinical settings. Traditional neurofeedback training programs can range from $6,000 - $8,000 USD. Muse pioneered making EEG technology widely accessible via their brain-sensing headbands for meditation and sleep, which, as a result, have been used in several clinical studies. As an SDK partner, Myndlift has been able to leverage Interaxons technology to offer a more cost-effective solution to their digital health program. Using Muses EEG technology and brain-sensing hardware, neurofeedback therapy can be offered remotely and at a far more affordable cost at an average of $1,500 USDapproximately an 81% cost decrease from traditional training programs.

"We're very proud of these fantastic results, said Aziz Kaddan, Co-Founder and CEO of Myndlift. This peer-reviewed study is one more step in our roadmap to bring data-driven mental wellbeing solutions to market. What's coming is even more exciting!"

Ongoing Opportunities for HealthTech Developers to Contribute to Advances in Healthcare and Wellness Applications

Muse is continually seeking out opportunities to support developers and SDK partners like Myndlift who are taking strides toward creating true innovation within the health and wellness space. As the digital health space, in particular, continues to transform, developers and potential partners interested in using Muses clinical-grade EEG technology to further reimagine health and wellness applications can access Muses SDK for free online. Continually supporting innovators by offering access to their technology and resources remains a key priority for Muse in 2022 and beyond.

Developers and SDK partners who are interested in collaborating can visit http://www.choosemuse.com/sdk to learn more.

About Interaxon Inc.

Interaxon is a late-stage venture company in the neurotechnology space, with a brain and biosensor platform of hardware and software products, a sophisticated data-cloud infrastructure, popular consumer and licensable B2B products, the largest database of brain data in the world, and an IP fortress with several fundamental granted brain, biosignal, VR and AR patents with early priority dates. Interaxon recently completed a Series C investment round to support converting the company's current up-front cost model to an integrated subscription model, further research partnerships, and validation of an industry-first feature tracking longitudinal changes in the brain. Interaxon is headquartered in Toronto, Canada, and has subsidiaries in the U.S. and Ireland.

About Myndlift

Myndlift is a health technology company offering digital mental health using brain-sensing technology and therapist-guided programs. Utilizing Muses EEG technology, the Myndlift platform and hardware allow users access to guided neurofeedback training and digital mental health resources wherever they are. Myndlift works with hundreds of clinics worldwide, and has thousands of users training via the app, available on the App Store and Google Play.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220907005266/en/

Read more:

Interaxon Inc. (Muse) Highlights Myndlifts Preliminary Study and the Benefit of Partnerships for Digital Therapeutics Research - BioSpace

Posted in Neurotechnology | Comments Off on Interaxon Inc. (Muse) Highlights Myndlifts Preliminary Study and the Benefit of Partnerships for Digital Therapeutics Research – BioSpace

National Weather Service Northern Indiana radar will be down beginning Monday for upgrades – WANE

Posted: at 5:50 pm

SYRACUSE, Ind. (WANE) The National Weather Service Northern Indiana office has announced a radar outage will occur in September for approximately two weeks. The outage is planned to begin on Monday, September 12th.

The outage is due to a major upgrade to the pedestal of the radar. The upgrade is part of the weather services Service Life Extension Program (SLEP). The program is designed to extend the life of the radar. The first part of the project replaced the radars signal processor. The second part refurbished the radars transmitter. The current phase of the program is to replace and refurbish the radars pedestal. After this part is completed, eventually the final phase of refurbishing the equipment shelters surrounding the radar will be completed. The entire $135 million program is expected to be completed in 2023 after servicing the 159 operational weather service radars.

The pedestal is responsible for antenna rotation and positioning to capture data in all directions. It has been over 25 years since the pedestal has been replaced, which is longer than the recommended life-span. The goal of replacing the pedestal is to keep the radar functioning for another 20 or more years.

In order to complete this phase of the project, the radome of the radar and the pedestal will need to be removed from the radar and then reinstalled when work on the pedestal is completed. This will require the use of a crane and specific weather conditions. These components are extremely heavy and a wind over 18 mph will halt the removal or reinstallation process. The pedestal itself is around 16 feet tall and weighs approximately 15,000 pounds. Weather permitting, the radome and pedestal will be removed on Friday, September 16th for renovations.

While the radar is down, you will not be able to access radar data that relies on the NWS Northern Indiana radar. During the downtime, other nearby radars that can be used are Indianapolis, Chicago, Grand Rapids, Wilmington, and Detroit. You can access any of these surrounding radar sites by visiting this link. If you use our WANE Weather App, do not worry. You can still use a national radar that relies on a blend of radars nearby while the Northern Indiana radar is down.

Michael Lewis, Warning Coordination Meteorologist with the National Weather Service Northern Indiana office, says the radar being down will not significantly impact their ability to monitor the latest weather conditions and issue weather alerts. They have to maintain their radar and they will rely on data from other radar sites while their radar is down. The offices purpose is to save lives regardless of where the data comes from. They issue warnings based on the best radar data, the most current spotter information they can get, the partner inputs they get from their local media stations, and emergency managers.

To learn more about the radar outage and the SLEP program, visit this link on the National Weather Service Northern Indiana website.

Here is the original post:

National Weather Service Northern Indiana radar will be down beginning Monday for upgrades - WANE

Posted in Life Extension | Comments Off on National Weather Service Northern Indiana radar will be down beginning Monday for upgrades – WANE

Renault Trucks Will Give New Life to Old Parts – Ward’s Auto

Posted: at 5:50 pm

Renault Trucks will set up a vehicle disassembly plant to recycle serviceable parts from trucks being scrapped to reuse in other vehicles.

It is part of the French automakers effort to transition its industrial operations to a circular-economy approach. Renault Trucks Used Parts Factory is among the first steps in repurposing and remanufacturing operations for used trucks conducted respectively in Renaults facility in Bourg-en-Bresse and its plant in Limoges. At this industrial facility located in Vnissieux, the brands trucks will be dismantled and their parts reused.

The automaker says it has been investing in its circular economy over the past five years, applying a three-pronged approach that consists of regenerating, repurposing and recycling trucks. At the same time, it is conducting numerous initiatives to extend the lifetime of the vehicles it sells. For example, used trucks are remanufactured at the Used Trucks Factory and are updated with the latest technologies in the reconditioning center in Lyon. There also are used special-series models for sale.

The Used Parts Factory is an extension of this strategy where an industrial site is devoted entirely to recycling trucks and reusing the parts and raw materials recovered from them.

The 32,300 sq.-ft. (3,000 sq.-m) plant built near Renault Trucks logistics center is designed to handle used vehicles with high mileage, along with some parts that still have substantial potential for reuse.

End-of-life Renault trucks will enter the factory where operators will remove the components previously identified as suitable for reuse, including engine, gearbox, cabin, fuel tank, bumpers and deflectors.

Once the parts intended for reuse have been removed, the other components will be recycled. The rails, for example, will be cut up and sent to the nearby foundry. The metal extracted from the parts will be used to manufacture a new vehicle.

The components intended for reuse will then be checked, cleaned and labeled for listing and traceability purposes. These used spare parts will be sent to the nearby Renault Trucks spare parts store, just like new spare parts, and made available to dealers on the manufacturers online spare parts marketplace. These used spare parts will be covered by a manufacturers warranty and their cost will be significantly lower compared to new spare parts.

Regarding used parts for its old vehicle ranges, Renault Trucks is continuing to work with Indra Automobile Recycling and will offer its dealership network a range of parts obtained through dismantling operations carried out by the recycling specialist.

Read the original:

Renault Trucks Will Give New Life to Old Parts - Ward's Auto

Posted in Life Extension | Comments Off on Renault Trucks Will Give New Life to Old Parts – Ward’s Auto

Stop the stigma and step in – Farm Progress

Posted: at 5:50 pm

A tragedy recently struck in Towner County, N.D. a triple-murder suicide that took the lives of four individuals, according to the countys sheriff department. So far only one victim of the tragedy has been identified Leeds farmer Doug Dulmage.

Dulmage is described by his friends and family as being a pillar of the farming community, who served as Benson County Farm Bureau president and as a volunteer first responder. He was a quiet and gentle leader who had a great passion for agriculture, says North Dakota Farm Bureau President Daryl Lies.

No further details have been made public at this time. But the tragedy is a reminder to the rural community, especially those in agriculture, that situations rife with anxiety and tension are common. And with the stress of harvest season here, North Dakota State University Extension specialists share ways to respond to people in emotional or mental distress.

Knowing what to watch for in friends, family and community members can start a course of action to help individuals in distress.

Some of the signs of distress can be shown as:

After recognizing one or more of these signs of distress, the specialist say to express your concerns to the person. For example, inquire about stressful circumstances brought up by the individual, share that youve noticed their absence for their usual morning coffee, or simply say youre concerned for their health and want to help.

If the person has had prolonged periods of distress, mentions self-harm or suicide, exhibits confusion or isolation, makes ending statements such as I cant go on anymore, or makes statements about hurting or killing others, NDSU Extension says you need to consider if they pose an imminent threat to themselves or others right away. Talk with the individual if you can, asking more about behaviors exhibited in these warning signs.

Sometimes deciphering what behaviors should be immediately concerning versus someone experiencing a rough week can be difficult. Behaviors can be lumped into three categories:

1. Imminent danger is clearly present. Such a situation would require immediate professional intervention. Examples include:

These situations are serious and should immediately lead to calling 911. If you feel safe, stay with the person until help arrives and talk to them to gather any information you can. If the person becomes violent or has a gun, immediately leave and call 911.

2. Threat of imminent danger is unclear. Situations that could be unclear about the presence of imminent danger includes:

In these circumstances, NDSU Extension says to stay with the person, and call or text a local or national suicide prevention lines (988 for call; 800-273-8255 for call or text). If the person is not a family member, ask the person for permission to contact their family. If the person leaves and youre concerned for their safety, call 911.

3. No danger is present. Sometimes situations in life can lead to difficult times without the presence of imminent danger. Seeing a person crying or angry after getting off of the phone, saying things are difficult financially or otherwise is normal as long as there are no other warning signs.

Seeing a co-worker or friend deal with a major family illness can be struggling to emotionally manage, but again as long as there are no accompanying warning signs this can be normal.

For these instances, reach out and as much as you are comfortable with to listen and provide support. Make plans to check in with them again soon, and discuss options for counseling services or other help for the person. If other warning signs begin to emerge, remember how to determine the presence of imminent danger.

While there may be stigma in the agriculture industry when it comes to asking for mental health support or offering that support to another, NDSU Extension says that your health is important. Life stresses can be overwhelming, and that doesnt make anyone weak, just human.

Feeling stress, or being exhausted or blue doesnt make anyone a failure, the specialists say. These feelings can be similar to a check engine light on your vehicle. They may mean that a break is needed to focus on your most important asset in farming and ranching your health.

For more ways to help yourself and community members, check out NDSU Extensions publication on recognizing warning signs of distress.

Check out these resources offering help on depression, anxiety, suicide risk or substance abuse:

211. A call to 211 connects you to a 24-hour helpline for health and human services information. Visit myfirstlink.org for further resources.

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Call 988, or call or text 800-273-8255 for 24-hour crisis support in the case of suicidal or mental health issues.

Crisis Text Line. Text the word HOME to 741741 across the country to connect with a trained crisis counselor for assistance 24/7.

Local help. Many communities have mental health resources through clergy members, medical professionals, emergency room personnel, mental health professionals, school counselors, social workers or other professionals.

911. Always call 911 for any emergency situation where an imminent threat is determined.

NDSU Extension contributed to this article.

Read more from the original source:

Stop the stigma and step in - Farm Progress

Posted in Life Extension | Comments Off on Stop the stigma and step in – Farm Progress

Empire Wind and WCS Announce Extension of Historic Near Real-Time Acoustic Marine Monitoring Project In New York Bight – Business Wire

Posted: at 5:50 pm

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Empire Wind and the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) announced today the extension to 2028 of their historic agreement to monitor large whales in the lease area of Empire Wind, an offshore wind project located in the New York Bight off the southern coast of Long Island.

The new agreement ensures that important data to protect wildlife in the New York Bight will be collected during the pre-construction, construction, and post-construction phases of the wind project.

Two deployed moored acoustic monitoring buoys located in the New York Bight within Empire Wind lease area have already compiled more than 2,000 days of monitoring data and have detected more than 18,000 whale sounds in near real-time, including more than 2,600 detections this year alone. The acoustic monitoring agreement is between Empire Wind, a joint venture between Equinor and bp, and the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) with the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), which invented and operates the buoys.

As a new industry, it is crucial that we establish best-in -class practices throughout the development phase of our projects from the start. The technology that will be deployed over this ten-year agreement provides Equinor the ability to assess our activities in real-time and ensure that we are putting marine life first in our operations, said Siri Espedal Kindem, President Equinor Wind US.

New York State is proud to lead offshore wind development in the U.S. through an industry that is backed by science and environmental research and data. We applaud Equinor and the Wildlife Conservation Society for expanding their partnership and ongoing commitment to environmental stewardship and understanding marine life setting a strong example for how strategic collaboration can mitigate potential risks and support responsible project development, said Doreen M. Harris, President and CEO, NYSERDA.

The two buoys use WHOI-developed near real-time passive acoustic monitoring (NRT PAM) technology that detects the distinct sounds of different whale species (there is also an archival recorded aspect as well). Data collected will result in considerable new knowledge on whale occurrence and behavior in and around the Empire Wind lease area. The sounds that are detected and recorded by the buoys to date came from four large whale species: fin, humpback, sei, and North Atlantic right whales. The most commonly detected whale sound was a low frequency downsweep, called a 20Hz song note, that is produced by fin whales.

The data from this acoustic monitoring and our analyses clearly demonstrate that several large whale species are seasonally present, and some for extended periods of time in the New York Bight. This ongoing collaboration provides invaluable data on how these whales are using the New York Bight. In turn, this data can be used to inform best practices to minimize impacts on wildlife from the development of offshore wind energy, said Dr. Howard C. Rosenbaum, the Project Principal Investigator and Director of WCSs Ocean Giants Program.

The whale vocalizations detected by the buoys over the past six years highlights the importance of developing offshore wind responsibly and seeking ways to minimize impacts on marine mammals and other wildlife. Combined with individual sighting data from boats and aircraft, the vocalizations provide important baseline information on the frequency and number of animals present in and around the project area. We are delighted to continue our collaboration on this important topic with the experts at WCS, said Scott Lundin, Head of US Permitting and Environmental Affairs, from Equinor.

Mark Baumgartner, Project Principal Investigator and WHOI Marine Ecologist, said, These buoys are part of a network of identical buoys deployed all along the U.S. east coast designed to monitor for whales and alert stakeholders in near real time. This network is especially helpful for reducing risks to the North Atlantic right whale, a critically endangered species that lives on the east coasts of the U.S. and Canada.

The two acoustic buoys supported by the project are deployed as part of a broad effort to generate important data prior to construction of the Empire Wind project. The effort will continue to provide near real-time monitoring for more than a decade, both during and after construction, for the four species of large whales. This information will help Empire Wind and future offshore wind developments mitigate risks to these species from project activity, while also offering insight into any potential impact that wind farm construction and operation might have on these species. WCS began this monitoring in 2016 and Equinor began supporting it in 2019.

Information that is collected from the project is available to the public on whalesofnewyork.wcs.org and dcs.whoi.edu The data can also be accessed at an exhibit kiosk at WCSs New York Aquarium in Coney Island.

About Empire Wind

Empire Wind is being developed by Equinor and bp through their 50-50 strategic partnership in the US. Empire Wind will power more than 1 million homes and generate 2.1 GW of power. For more information, please visit http://www.empirewind.com.

About Equinor Renewables US

Equinor is one of the largest offshore wind developers in the U.S., where it operates two lease areas, Empire Wind and Beacon Wind. The projects plan to provide New York State with 3.3 gigawatts (GWs) of energyenough to power nearly two million homesincluding more than 2 GWs from Empire Wind and 1,230 megawatts from Beacon Wind 1.

bp in the US

bps ambition is to become a net zero company by 2050 or sooner, and to help the world get to net zero. bp has a larger economic footprint in the United States than anywhere else in the world, investing more than $130 billion in the economy and supporting about 245,000 jobs. For more information on bp in the US, visit http://www.bp.com/us.

WCS (Wildlife Conservation Society)

MISSION: WCS saves wildlife and wild places worldwide through science, conservation action, education, and inspiring people to value nature. To achieve our mission, WCS, based at the Bronx Zoo, harnesses the power of its Global Conservation Program in nearly 60 nations and in all the worlds oceans and its five wildlife parks in New York City, visited by 4 million people annually. WCS combines its expertise in the field, zoos, and aquarium to achieve its conservation mission. Visit: newsroom.wcs.org Follow: @WCSNewsroom. For more information: 347-840-1242. Listen to the WCS Wild Audio podcast HERE.

About Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) is a private, non-profit organization on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, dedicated to marine research, engineering, and higher education. Established in 1930, its primary mission is to understand the ocean and its interaction with the Earth as a whole, and to communicate an understanding of the oceans role in the changing global environment. For more information, visit http://www.whoi.edu

More here:

Empire Wind and WCS Announce Extension of Historic Near Real-Time Acoustic Marine Monitoring Project In New York Bight - Business Wire

Posted in Life Extension | Comments Off on Empire Wind and WCS Announce Extension of Historic Near Real-Time Acoustic Marine Monitoring Project In New York Bight – Business Wire