Category Archives: Technology

PHILADELPHIA The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded a grant of up to $25,000 to Marshall University through its People, Prosperity and the Planet (P3) program. The funding is part of approximately $800,000 awarded to 32 student teams nationally to develop and demonstrate projects that help address environmental and public health challenges.

As EPA celebrates its 50th anniversary, this month, we are highlighting ways the agency supports the next generation of environmental leaders, said Jennifer Orme-Zavaleta, EPAs principal deputy assistant administrator for science and EPA science advisor. The P3 program helps foster environmental education among students to support the next generation of scientists and engineers working to tackle some of todays most pressing environmental issues.

Im very excited that Dr. Sukjoon Na and Dr. Sungmin Youn have been selected for an EPA People, Prosperity and the Planet award, said Dr. Isaac Wait, chair of the Department of Civil Engineering at Marshall. This is a highly competitive grant program, and Dr. Na and Dr. Youn had their proposal selected while competing against other teams from across the country. That they were successful is an important external confirmation of the quality of their proposal and the promise of the research they have planned. The funds provided by EPA will support the involvement of a multidisciplinary student team, including undergraduate and graduate students from the Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Computer Science programs.

This years winners are addressing a variety of research topics including efforts to reduce microplastics waste and food waste, creating innovative and solar-driven nanomaterials, building a stand-alone water treatment system that can provide potable water for indoor use in single family homes and removing PFAS (polyfluoroalkyl substances) from water using liquid extractions. These teams are also eligible to compete for a Phase II grant of up to $100,000 to further implement their design in a real-world setting.

Phase I grantees from the EPA Mid-Atlantic Region include student teams from the following universities:

Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pa.

VOC Sensors for ppb-Level Detection and Speciation

Marshall University, Huntington, W.Va.

Nanoclay Reinforced Recycled HDPE to Replace PVC and PE Water Pipe Materials

Temple University, Philadelphia, Pa.

Biochar Filter for Philadelphia Water Pb Removal

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech), Blacksburg, Va.

Rare Earth Elements Recovery Using Food Waste

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EPA awards grant to Marshall student team for technology project - Huntington Herald Dispatch

Image: Thomas Reaubourg on Unsplash.

A new wind generation record was set over the weekend, hitting a high of 17.278GW during a half hour period on Saturday.

This allowed a combination of onshore and offshore wind to produce 43.2% of the electricity mix, however this does not break the record set in August of 59.9%.

Between 1pm and 1:30pm wind generated more during a single period than ever before, beating out the 17.1GW record set on 2 January 2020.

It has been a record breaking year for renewable generation more broadly, jumping 32% in Q2 compared to the previous year for example, partly driven by lower demand due to lockdown but also due to growing capacity. This kept coal off of Britains grid for a record 67 days, the longest period by far since the Industrial Revolution.

Wind got off to a particularly strong start to the year as storms battered the UK, driving up generation. Storm Ciara in February for example pushed wind power to 44.26% of the power mix, breaking the record set the previous December.

RenewableUK's deputy chief executive Melanie Onn said it was great to see onshore and offshore wind smashing another record, "generating more power on a cold December day than ever before, just when we need it most".

We expect to see many more records set in the years ahead, as the government has made wind energy one of the most important pillars of its energy strategy for reaching net zero emissions as fast and as cheaply as possible. This new record is an early Christmas present we can all celebrate".

The amount of wind generation in the UK is set to continue to grow dramatically over the next decade and beyond, in particular with the Prime Minister setting a target of 40GW of offshore wind by 2030 in October.

This target has been further reiterated in key government policy documents, including the long awaited energy white paper published last week.

As energy demand rises with the cold weather, the need for strong renewable generation has been thrown particularly into light, especially in recent weeks, with National Grid ESO having to post Electricity Margin Notices as low winds threatened supply.

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Wind generation sets another record in banner year for the technology - Current News

After months of negotiations, Massachusetts state lawmakers sent a sweeping compromise police reform bill to the desk of Gov. Charlie Baker earlier this month.

But one particular provision has emerged as a new focal point of disagreement.

Im not going to sign a bill into law that bans facial recognition, Baker told the State House News Service earlier this month, after sending the entire bill back to legislators, threatening a veto unless a number of changes were made,including the removal of a section that would limit the ability of law enforcement to use facial recognition technology.

The move elicited a backlash from progressives, including Rep. Ayanna Pressley, as well as the entire Boston Celtics team, who urged the states Democratic legislative supermajorities to reject Bakers changes.

Studies have found that many facial recognition programs misidentify people of color at a disproportionately high rate. Amid racial justice demonstrations this past summer, Boston banned the use of the technology by city officials, and big tech companies including Amazon, IBM, and Microsoft announced they would stop letting police use their facial recognition software.

This technology supercharges racial profiling by police and has resulted in the wrongful arrests of innocent people, the Celtics team wrote in a Boston Globe opinion piece last week.(Even when used properly, civil liberty advocates say the technology presents privacy concerns, especially in the absence of defined rules and oversight.)

Not quite.

It would place a general moratorium on the use of technology which can automatically identify individuals based on scanned images of their physical characteristics for all local and state agencies, except for the Registry of Motor Vehicles, which could keep using it for its drivers license database.

The bill would also create a commission to study facial recognition technology and make recommendations for future rules regarding its use.

However, in the meantime, there would be some exceptions allowing law enforcement to use facial recognition through the RMV.

If they get a warrant from a judge, agencies could get the RMV to run a facial recognition search for investigations involving violent felony offenses. And even without a warrant, law enforcement officials would be able to ask the RMV to do a search in the case of life-threatening emergenciesinvolving immediate danger of death or serious physical injury.

During the moratorium period, law enforcement officials would have to file a sworn statement with the court system within 48 hours of accessing any data obtained through facial recognition explaining the reason for the search.

The RMV would also be required to document each facial recognition search it does for law enforcement and report a breakdown of the overall number on its website each year.

Police have had access to the RMVs system since the agency started using it in 2006, but thats not the only facial recognition program available to law enforcement in Massachusetts.

The FBI has a separate and much larger database that state police in Massachusetts can access, and theres evidence of private companies pushing their own programs to local departments.

While the city of Boston and a half dozen other communities in Massachusetts have banned public use of facial recognition, emails obtained by the local American Civil Liberties Union chapter last year showed how one private firm aggressively pitched its technology to the Plymouth Police Department. Additionally, a BuzzFeed investigation found in Februarythat a number of Boston-area police departments had run facial recognition searches using the technology of a different company.

If passed in its current form, the police reform bill would at least temporarily make it illegal for Massachusetts police for access the FBIs database or any private systems (while still allowing limited access to the RMV database, as detailed above).

Kade Crockford, the director of the Technology for Liberty Program at the ACLU Massachusetts, says the changes are absolutely appropriate, given the current lack of statewide regulation of the emerging technology.

While state police stress that they use facial recognition only for clearly defined law enforcement purposes and under rigorous protocols, Crockford says the lack of actual rules means theres nothing ensuring thats the case. Currently, there are no requirements that law enforcement officers must meet to ask the RMV to run a search. And records obtained by the ACLU suggest that the RMV has never declined a police request to perform a facial recognition search.

In addition to the accuracy and bias concerns, Crockford also notes that theres evidence suggesting potential misuse; the records reviewed by the ACLU found dozens of instances in RMV logs where solely the word Karen was written where a law enforcement officials name and department was supposed to be.

That indicated to us that the system was in some dire need of reform, Crockford said in an interview.

Right now, with no regulations in place, police in Massachusetts could be taking pictures of people outside an AA meeting, she said. They could be taking pictures of people at protests and sending those to the RMV and asking the RMV to identify those people, and theres literally nothing to stop that from happening.

Dave Procopio, a state police spokesman, said the agency uses facial recognition as an investigative tool, not a surveillance tool.

In an email, Procopio noted that the technology is used to compare and potentially match images of unidentified suspects to known persons, but that police also confirm or rule out those leads with other evidence.

We do not use these potential matches alone as the foundation for criminal charges, he said.

The images used for facial recognition have been obtained through prior investigative steps, and any potential identifications made through the technology are subsequently confirmed or rejected by other investigative methods, Procopio said. When used, the technology greatly assists our efforts to solve crimes and provide justice to victims.

Still, other places have seen the use of facial recognition go awry. Crockford notes how it led to the wrongful arrest of a Black man in the suburbs of Detroit earlier this year, which was hardly the first example. The lack of oversight in Massachusetts, she says, is a huge problem.

Baker, however, feels the benefits outweigh the risks.

In a letter to lawmakers sending back the police reform bill, the Republican governor wrote that the proposed facial recognition section fails to balance legitimate oversight of policing with the necessary work of solving crime and keeping the public safe and proposed striking the moratorium from the 129-page bill.

The restrictions on the technology, with only significantly limited exceptions for law enforcement, ignores the important role it can play in solving crime, Baker wrote. For example, in the last few years here in Massachusetts, a child rapist and an accomplice to a double murder are both now in prison thanks to facial recognition technology.

However, supporters note that the bill would still allow police to access the RMVs facial recognition system for those types of criminal investigations through the warrant process or through the life-threatening emergency exception included in the legislation.

If police really think face recognition will help solve crime, let it go through the same process as every other invasive investigative tool, Celtics players argued in their Globe piece.

Crockford even indicated that the ACLU, which has been campaigning for a statewide moratorium on facial recognition technology for several years, would support a compromise to also give police in Massachusetts the same regulated access to the FBI database.

We are not the obstacle to that, she said.

Bakers office says he is generally eager to compromise and supports almost every section of the legislation as a whole. However, aides indicated that Bakers opposition to the facial recognition section also has to do with its loose relation to the legislations larger police accountability focus.

He amended sections dealing with facial recognition and training sections that do not affect the Administrations and Legislatures common goal: creating accountability for all law enforcement in the wake of too many tragedies against people of color, Sarah Finlaw, Bakers press secretary, told Boston.com in a statement. And while he cannot support a final package that does not reflect these amendments, he is proud that Massachusetts is now closer than ever to enacting this important bill.

Crockford acknowledged that the facial recognition section is more forward-looking than the other parts of the bill.

The bulk of the police reform legislation aims to undo harms that have unfolded historically, she said. This is the only piece of the police reform bill that aims to prevent harm in the future.

But that isnt a good reason to eliminate the entire section, Crockford said.

We are very, very hopeful that the legislature and the governor will not miss out on this crucial opportunity, she said, reiterating the ACLUs openness to further discussions to get language that everybody can agree is the right set of regulations.

We cannot risk something happening in Massachusetts like what we saw happen in Detroit, where multiple black men have been wrongfully arrested because the technology is totally unregulated, Crockford said.

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How the Massachusetts police reform bill would actually affect law enforcement use of facial recognition technology - Boston.com

HOWELL, N.J., Dec. 21, 2020 /PRNewswire/ --Greenland Technologies Holding Corporation (NASDAQ: GTEC) ("Greenland"), a technology developer and manufacturer of forklift transmission and drivetrain systems, announced today strong initial sales of the Company's new integrated drive train system for electric forklift trucks. The new EV product, which uses lithium batteries, has already ramped to over 800 units in monthly sales both manufactured and delivered since last month's launch.

Raymond Wang, CEO of Greenland, commented, "This is our fastest product ramp ever. The strong customer response further validates the significant opportunity we are targeting in the electric vehicle market. Our new integrated drive train checks all the boxes. We designed our system with a lithium battery, which is a big selling point for OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) customers across the material handing industry, as they try to meet increased environmental regulations.By combining the improved performance and material cost reduction of lithium batteries, we expect our newest drive train will continue to gain customer traction as we move into 2021."

Developed by Greenland's research and development team, the new system integrates the transmission, driving axle, electric motor and lithium battery power source into a single efficient drivetrain for OEM forklift manufacturers to develop the next generation of electric forklifts.

The new integrated drive train system for electric forklift trucks is being manufactured in Greenland's state-of-the-art 485,000 square foot factory located in the coastal city of Xinchang, China. The facility is equipped with advanced manufacturing capabilities for precision processes and new product development. The site has the capacity to produce up to 200,000 sets of drivetrain systems annually.

About Greenland Technologies Holding Corporation

Greenland Technologies Holding Corporation (NASDAQ: GTEC) is a developer and a manufacturer of transmission and drivetrain systems for material handling machineries and electric vehicles, as well as electric forklift trucks. For more information visit http://www.gtec-tech.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains statements that may constitute "forward-looking statements." Such statements reflect Greenland's current views with respect to future events and are subject to such risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the control of Greenland, including those set forth in the Risk Factors section of Greenland's Annual Report on Form 10-K and Definitive Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"). Copies are available on the SEC's website, http://www.sec.gov. Words such as "expect," "estimate," "project," "budget," "forecast," "anticipate," "intend," "plan," "may," "will," "could," "should," "believes," "predicts," "potential," "continue," and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements include, without limitation, Greenland's expectations with respect to future performance. In addition, there is uncertainty about the further spread of the COVID-19 virus or the occurrence of another wave of cases and the impact it may have on the Company's operations, the demand for the Company's products, global supply chains and economic activity in general. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein as intended, planned, anticipated or expected. Statements contained in this news release regarding past trends or activities should not be taken as a representation that such trends or activities will continue in the future. Greenland does not intend and does not assume any obligation to update these forward-looking statements, other than as required by law.

SOURCE Greenland Technologies Holding Corporation

http://www.gtec-tech.com

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Greenland Technologies Ramps to Over 800 Units in Monthly Sales of New Integrated Drive Train System for Electric Forklift Trucks - PRNewswire

NEW YORK, Dec. 21, 2020 /PRNewswire/ --Q Biomed Inc., Inc. (OTCQB: QBIO)is pleased to announce that its technology partner Mannin Research Inc.. (MRI), a private Canadian biotechnology company, is a member of the Canadian national COVID Cloud consortium.

The platform will be used by MRI to help understand, predict, and treat COVID-19 with molecular precision.

MRI is developing a host-directed approach to treating patients with COVID-19 suffering from Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS). MRI is contributing to the development of the COVID-19 platform so as to provide information that will improve the effectiveness of its novel therapeutic for COVID-19 patients, code named MAN-19.

The Canadian national consortium will expand development of a software platform for genomics and health data and apply it to COVID-19 research and drug development utilizing $5.1M CAD in co-funding by Canada's Digital Technology Supercluster and aims to increase Canada's capacity to harness exponentially growing volumes of genomics and biomedical data to advance precision health. With a global death count of over 1.4 million people and record numbers of cases nationally, solutions that can help Canada respond to ongoing challenges of the pandemic are urgently needed.

The consortium isa collaboration between BioSymetrics, Centre of Genomics and Policy at McGill University, DNAstack, FACIT, Genome BC, Mannin Research, McMaster University, Microsoft Canada, Ontario Genomics, Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, Roche Canada, Sunnybrook Research Institute, and Vector Institute. It leverages past work of partners to address needs of infectious disease research with guidance from domain experts.

"We are very proud to contribute to such an important effort in Canada, as it will have an impact not only on Canadian's healthcare but on COVID-19 patients around the world, as we learn more about the disease and ways we can treat patients with it," said George N. Nikopoulos, President and CEO of Mannin Research Inc.

For more information, visit dnastack.com/solutions/covid-cloud.

About Mannin Research Inc.

Mannin Research is a research-stage biotechnology company focused on the discovery, development, and commercialization of first-in-class therapeutics for vascular diseases. Mannin Research main platform is built on the expertise in activation of Angiopoietin-Tie2 signalling pathway, a major regulator of vascular endothelium with a broad range of therapeutic applications.

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a major severe complication of viral respiratory infections and the primary cause of mortality of COVID-19 patients. It is associated with profound vascular inflammation leading to pulmonary edema and hypoxemic respiratory failure. In the face of the global COVID-19 pandemic, Mannin Research is developing novel therapeutics to stabilize lung endothelial barrier integrity and reduce vascular leakage. These therapeutics offer novel virus-independent, host-directed strategies to support patients with critical respiratory illness and prevent negative outcomes.

About Digital Technology Supercluster

The Digital Technology Supercluster solves some of industry's and society's biggest problems through Canadian-made technologies. We bring together private and public sector organizations of all sizes to address challenges facing Canada's economic sectors including healthcare, natural resources, manufacturing and transportation. Through this 'collaborative innovation' the Supercluster helps to drive solutions better than any single organization could on its own. The Digital Technology Supercluster is led by industry leaders such asD-Wave,Finger Food Advanced Technology Group,LifeLabs,LlamaZOO,Lululemon,MDA,Microsoft,Mosaic Forest Management,Sanctuary AI,Teck Resources Limited,TELUS,Terramera, and1Qbit. Together, we work to position Canada as a global hub for digital innovation. A full list of Members can be found here.

About the COVID-19 Program

The COVID-19 Program aims to improve the health and safety of Canadians and support Canada's ability to address issues created by the COVID-19 outbreak. In addition, the program will build expertise and capacity to anticipate and address issues that may arise in future health crises, from healthcare to a return to work and community. More information can be found here.

Please visit http://www.QBioMed.comfor more information on our various pipeline products.

About Q BioMed Inc.Q BioMed Inc. is a biotech acceleration and commercial stage company. We are focused on licensing and acquiring undervalued biomedical assets in the healthcare sector. Q BioMed is dedicated to providing these target assets; strategic resources, developmental support, and expansion capital to ensure they meet their developmental potential, enabling them to provide products to patients in need.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release may contain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Such statements include, but are not limited to, any statements relating to our growth strategy and product development programs and any other statements that are not historical facts. Forward-looking statements are based on management's current expectations and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could negatively affect our business, operating results, financial condition and stock price. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those currently anticipated are: risks related to our growth strategy; risks relating to the results of research and development activities; our ability to obtain, perform under and maintain financing and strategic agreements and relationships; uncertainties relating to preclinical and clinical testing; our dependence on third-party suppliers; our ability to attract, integrate, and retain key personnel; the early stage of products under development; our need for substantial additional funds; government regulation; patent and intellectual property matters; competition; as well as other risks described in our SEC filings. We expressly disclaim any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward looking statements contained herein to reflect any change in our expectations or any changes in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based, except as required by law.

Contact:Denis Corin CEO Q BioMed Inc. +1(646) 884-7017

Investor Relations:Keith Ppinder+1(404) 995-6671ir@qbiomed.com

View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/q-biomed-technology-partner-mannin-research-inc-announced-as-member-of-canadian-national-covid-19-consortium-301196800.html

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Q BioMed Technology Partner Mannin Research Inc. Announced as Member of Canadian National COVID-19 Consortium - BioSpace

Across America, the top issue on many minds as 2020 comes to a close is the economy. Iowa is no different for many Iowans, it is their primary concern, second only to the coronavirus pandemic. It isnt hard to see how the two are linked. Before COVID-19, Iowas trajectory for economic growth was more promising than ever. But the pandemic has upended everything about how we live, including how we do business.

It isnt all bad news, though Iowa is uniquely positioned to make the most of this moment. In recent years, weve seen some of the worlds biggest tech companies make Iowa their home, and entrepreneurs and exciting new businesses remain core drivers of innovation and economic growth in communities across the state. An increasingly digital mindset was paying off well before the pandemic. Still, even more so now as small and medium-sized businesses have fallen back on a digital safety net of tools and strategies to survive over the past few months.

That digital fail-safe can be traced back to Iowas tech companies helping to create the new toolbox for operating in the internet age. Adopting new methods of doing business has included everything from online ordering and delivery services for restaurants and the expansion of e-commerce and shipping logistics for retail. In ways big and small, the technology that has its roots in Iowa has kept local businesses resilient despite all the challenges 2020 has thrown at them.

While a lot of larger businesses and industries in Iowa were well-positioned to make the transition from physical to digital pre-COVID, some of the most remarkable innovations have come from the areas we might not expect mom and pop businesses, K-12 education, even local government. Thats great news for everybody the barriers to entry have never been lower for those looking to leverage technology to adapt to changing circumstances.

At the Technology Association of Iowa, we believe every Iowa company is a technology company. Were dedicated to helping foster new relationships and empowering businesses of all sizes to invest in Iowas innovation ecosystem. But just like many small businesses have learned over the past few months, we cant go it alone. We need robust support for innovation and the digitization of business from our representatives at every level. Our lawmakers must understand the critical role technology has played over the past few months and the role it will play in building back a strong economy that works for all of us small business owners, the customers who patronize them, and the state as a whole.

With 2020 nearly behind us, its time to look forward and envision a brighter future. As this pandemic continues, I hope that our representatives in Congress and the statehouse will work to ensure all Iowans have quality broadband access connecting them to the digital tools that move their businesses forward, and wont create policy that limits employers and small business owners using digital technologies to maintain responsible and safe operations. We put our faith in policymakers at the ballot box in November, and now its time for them to show us that they understand the mandate to help facilitate a robust, technology-driven economic rebound.

Brian Waller is president of the Technology Association of Iowa.

Brian Waller

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Technology will lead Iowa's business recovery - The Gazette

Polestar 2 features highly advanced lighting technology which contribute to its premium offer. The electric performance fastback brings new technology to the compact premium electric segment. Being developed in Scandinavia, its well adapted to even the darkest of nights and days.

When you drive Polestar 2, especially in the dark, you really understand how much this technology increases safety, comments Polestar CEO, Thomas Ingenlath. LED lighting also allows for creativity, and the light signatures we have designed are unmistakable. They are distinctive and people will know you are driving a Polestar.

Pixel LED headlights, fitted as standard at launch, feature active high beam technology as well as a welcome sequence that activates when the vehicle is unlocked.

A total of 84 individual LED pixels form a matrix in each lamp and each LED is controlled individually, allowing the headlights to shade out their light in the path of up to five leading or oncoming vehicles when in motion. The functionality allows the driver to leave their lights on high beam, enabling maximum forward visibility at all times without dazzling other road users, and without having to think about switching between modes.

Front fog lights with cornering support utilise energy efficient LED technology and activate automatically at low speeds according to steering or turn signal input, further enhancing visibility when manoeuvring the vehicle.

At the rear of Polestar 2, the signature rear lighting features 288 LEDs in a distinctive full-width wrap-around light bar, featuring unique welcome and farewell lighting sequences. The rear light bar includes adaptive lighting technology. In daylight, the brightness is increased to ensure optimal visibility of the light signature. At night, the LEDs automatically dim to prevent drivers behind Polestar 2 from being dazzled.

SOURCE:Polestar

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Polestar 2 greets winter solstice with advanced lighting technology - Automotive World

The U.S. home care industry is at an inflection point.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, an increasing number of payers and health care providers began to recognize the value of non-medical home care, particularly when it comes to chronic disease management and preventative care. That recognition has grown even stronger in 2020, with home care often playing a leading role in emerging care delivery models, including hospital-at-home and SNF-at-home programs.

That momentum will continue in 2021, most home care executives believe. To stay relevant, though, agencies will need to embrace new technologies, invest in staffing and boldly go where no home care operator has gone before.

For a clearer picture of home cares future, Home Health Care News asked 14 executives to look into their crystal balls and describe what lies ahead. You can read their predictions below, edited for length and clarity.

HHCN previously shared our executive forecast for the home health industry on Dec. 14.

* * *

We all know that 2020 was unarguably one of the most difficult years in recent history. One aspect of the pandemic that influenced senior care is that aging in place as well as the demand for home care accelerated. And it will continue to accelerate in 2021. We predict that there will be a significant change in the mindset of seniors to favor aging at home instead of in congregate residences such as long-term care facilities, plus assisted living and independent living communities.

This influx of demand for home care will come with its own challenges, mainly the need for additional qualified staffing. As home care industry leaders, we need to ask ourselves, How can we make caregiving a profession that will attract the best talent in the coming years? Regardless of the hardships that the pandemic caused, we need to view these challenges as potential opportunities in both business and in life.

* * *

Demand is running high for caregivers and senior homes. We believe well see a wave of ingenuity and innovation in senior living solutions. Weve seen the tiny home movement model on TV thats popular with millennials; we think we might also see that with seniors as well to help combat the loneliness epidemic. The idea is that older adults have their own bedroom, bathroom and living space, but theyll walk down a short path to join others for meals and engagement.

The tiny home park allows caregivers to operate more easily because the seniors are aggregated more so than they are in a traditional neighborhood home. This model allows seniors to maintain their independence but also offers much higher engagement with others.

Companies will try to bust that loneliness and isolation bubble were seeing so much of, which has only been escalated in 2020.

* * *

Heading into 2021, the need for home care will drastically increase as a result of the COVID-19 crisis. Over the past year, it has become evident that in-home care is a much more attractive option for families looking to care for their aging relatives, without needing to place them in a restrictive or possibly unsafe nursing home or long-term care facility. Theyve learned that there is a huge difference between aging at home while being in your own community and aging in a facility where you have little to no control.

Individuals dont want to put themselves or family members into a situation where they are restricted from their family. This lesson has been burned into the minds and psyches of people who are aging and their search for non-medical home care and assistance with daily living activities is going to strengthen the home care industry in the coming years.

* * *

Personal Care benefited from amazing positive awareness in 2020. I predict that there will be a divergence in 2021 of agencies who stay the course, and those who capitalize on this awareness and press the advantage for greater utilization within the health care continuum and attention from payers.

I foresee this divergence also spreading to include agencies that innovate on how they recruit, retain, train and incentivize their caregivers, and those that continue to struggle with enough staff. I feel we will look back on this time as a watershed moment in home care, where we truly saw advancement in the industry. 2021 is the year to truly make that a reality.

* * *

While we cant wait for 2020 to end, 2021 probably wont be much different for the first half of the year. We are looking at 2021 being a bifurcated year. More of the same for at least the first quarter and probably most of the second quarter, but we should start to see some significant relief from the virus by late spring of next year as the vaccine hits our communities broadly. Nonetheless, we have to prepare ourselves for potential glitches in the role-out of the vaccine and that helping hospitals discharge COVID-positive patients may consume more of the year than we hope. We are continuing to stock up on PPE and hire and train aides for COVID cases, but it would be great to get to a point where we are throwing away PPE in 2021!

* * *

After a year like this one, where every business and employee has had to adapt, I expect 2021 to continue to drive innovations that bring care to the consumer, leverage new technology and increase our talent pools.

From hospital-at-home programs to home care agencies innovating their offerings, each will bring solutions that increase independence and the ability to live at home longer. Integrated solutions bringing care and support to the home will enable consumers to be more compliant with care plans and will enhance revenues.

I predict this innovation will come from two approaches. One, strategic partnerships will help optimize the consumer experience and reduce redundancies. Second, technological solutions that help manage a consumers ongoing care and anticipate changes in health proactively.

My final prediction: We will experience new candidate pools for positions across the health care continuum. Those companies with strong training programs will be able to differentiate themselves and will see faster growth. By retooling workers from other service industries into meaningful, needed roles in health care, home care especially may see dramatic improvements in staffing and quality.

* * *

In 2021, providing home care is going to be harder but the quality of care will be much better. Itll be harder since COVID-19 isnt going away, but itll also drive improvement in care quality through better infection control, faster restaffing when a caregiver reports flu-like symptoms and other innovations that pay dividends into the future. This means the bar to operate becomes higher. Home care companies will have to invest more in technology and tools to deliver the new level of expectation likely leading towards further consolidation in the industry

* * *

2021 will be all about people and technology. Every industry webinar talks about the need to create an engaged and empowered workforce. Its no longer a talking point industry survival depends on it. Every company without a specialized caregiver engagement focus will lose. Business models that address caregiver wages will win.

This year has demonstrated more than ever the need for touchless strategies to serve the customer and the employees. Virtual onboarding and virtual visits will become the baseline. Stakeholders will expect real-time interventions.

* * *

COVID has been a catalyst for a major shift in how we serve seniors. 2021s opportunity lies in more data, analytics and partnerships. Isolation is fatal! Providers need to start moving their models away from high-touch-only, to high-touch and high-tech. There is tremendous opportunity to connect to value-based opportunities, which require more analytics to provide better care across integrated delivery systems and prove efficacy. High-tech augments high-touch and intelligently and thoughtfully supports our ability to address workforce demands, cost, and meet the growing need for effective whole-person community-based options.

* * *

In 2021, as we transition out of the COVID-19 pandemic into a normal way of life, we will begin to see the marriage between the old way of how traditional home care was done with the new way, including technology-process integration. As home care agencies are looking to stay ahead, we will see a major shift toward telehealth services over traditional aide services while we look to continue placing an emphasis on keeping patients both healthy and happy in the comfort of their own homes. 2020 has taught home care clients the necessity of including a tech component within their homes. As patients have become more comfortable with this change, we will continue to see an increasing number of seniors seek out home care technology alongside an aide as part of their home care solution.

* * *

After an unprecedented year in 2020, home care needs to stay the course on its momentum prior to the pandemic and the tailwinds after. The desire for seniors to age in their home has increased even more since the pandemic, and the best news is that the health care system is supporting that as well. Home care agencies must look to data-driven outcome strategies to help families understand their loved ones ability to age safely in their home. Agencies who embrace partnerships and technology solutions will enable this to happen. 2021 offers a bright future for those agencies that adapt to a value-based care environment.

* * *

In 2020, we asked, Who or what is essential? Our caregivers were heroes before 2020, but the year brought their heroics into the spotlight. The goal in 2021 and beyond is to never forget this fact. As more and more baby boomers become senior citizens, they will require companionship and assistance at home or at a facility, not just clinical care. We must focus on recruiting and retaining by attracting new caregivers and welcoming back the heroes sidelined due to the pandemic. We will also need all in the non-medical care industry to embrace existing and emerging technological services, such as those designed to connect receivers with loved ones or doctors. We saw tremendous success among our own receivers and expect the efficiency and quality of these systems to improve and grow in popularity in 2021.

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In 2021, I think the home care industry will see proof that the private equity groups that are consolidating the industry are creating huge competitive advantages over smaller independently-owned businesses and franchisees. Any home care agency that operates in a top-20 market and is under $15 million in revenue in their local market will continue to struggle in caregiver recruiting, online marketing and operational efficiency. Our industry is just starting to see what can happen when you scale a business nationally, with geographic concentration of caregivers, clients and referral sources in local markets.

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Home care has long been an underappreciated element of health care. The vital role it has played during COVID-19 reminded the industry and society of the value of providing quality in-home care to keep vulnerable populations safe. In 2021, I predict that home care will ride this momentum by supporting managed care organizations to reduce overcrowding in hospitals and extend their ambulatory care management bandwidth while lowering costs. I predict an increase in Medicare Advantage plans that offer home care as a supplemental benefit. Because of the compelling data and positive outcomes that demonstrate the holistic benefits that home care provides to its members and the plans, its a no-brainer to meet this demand similar to what we witnessed in the past with outpatient physical therapy (PT) and hospice care.

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Turnover, Tiny Homes and New Technology: 2021 Predictions from 14 Home Care Executives - Home Health Care News

We admit it: previous Global Defence Technology end-of-year prediction articles have been a bit hit or miss, forecasting as they have a military year filled with railguns, lasers, exoskeletons and AI weapons. If theres one thing weve learnt, its that the near future will be shaped more closely by whats happened during the previous year rather than lofty sci-fi ideas.

With that in mind, this year we examine some key themes and projects weve seen emerge during 2020 and round up expert opinion on how they will develop throughout 2021. We look at whether optionally crewed systems will be the tactical and financial solution theyve been pitched as, what the Biden administration means for the New START nuclear treaty, how the military Internet of Things (IoT) is poised to dominate, whether cyber in space is the new hybrid domain, and how interoperability will shake up armed forces strategy.

Theoretically, programmes to develop optionally crewed systems offer the best of both worlds while keeping budgets down. But practically they can represent an unacceptable compromise for both uses.

Naval and army systems are the poor cousins when it comes to optionally crewed solutions, with most solutions heavily weighted towards one or another. However, some notable optionally crewed naval and ground systems made progress in 2020. In October, the US Army relaunched its Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle (OMFV) programmes, with Rheinmetall, Raytheon and Textron throwing their hats in the ring.

Automation is well-suited for marine operations, not least minehunting, but crewed operations seldom add value. For example, the US Navys Large Unmanned Surface Vehicle (LUSV) programme, still earmarked for construction in 2020 despite cutting it fine, is designed for uncrewed operation but can host sailors if required.

But it is in aircraft where optionally crewed designs offer the most potential. Tempest is the proposed sixth-generation fighter aircraft concept under development for the UK Royal Air Force by the Team Tempest consortium consisting of BAE Systems, Leonardo UK, Rolls-Royce, MBDA UK and the Ministry of Defence. It was launched with great spectacle as part of the UKs Combat Air Strategy in 2018 and is due to enter service in the mid-2030s, using swarming technology to control drones while in flight.

While a lack of industry events meant that the all-too-familiar scale model wasnt rolled out in every UK industry pavilion as usual, 2020 saw some optimistic news for Tempest. In October, analysis by PwC, commissioned by BAE Systems on behalf of Team Tempest, found that the project to develop a future fighter will contribute at least 25bn to the UKs economy and support an average of 20,000 jobs a year between 2026 and 2050.

However, Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies fellow Justin Bronk cautions that Tempest might not be the all-round solution armed forces are seeking.

There are notable drawbacks to proceeding with an optionally piloted solution for future combat aircraft, as they promise to retain the downsides of both crewed and uncrewed systems without the main benefits of either approach, he says. An optionally piloted fighter aircraft would have to have extremely complex software capable of high levels of lethal autonomy in flight, whilst also still paying the weight, space and signature design penalties of a cockpit and life support systems.

President-elect Joe Biden, due to take office in January, has already made clear his commitment to arms control treaties. Biden is set to seek an extension to the New START treaty, which governs the US and Russias nuclear arsenals.

Biden, who was in office as Obamas vice president when the New START treaty was first signed in 2010, is widely expected to seek an extension to the treaty and use it is a basis to negotiate future arms control agreements.

Bidens election campaign website states: President Biden would take other steps to demonstrate our commitment to reducing the role of nuclear weapons. As he said in 2017, Biden believes the sole purpose of the US nuclear arsenal should be deterring and if necessary, retaliating against a nuclear attack. As president, he will work to put that belief into practice, in consultation with our allies and military.

On Iran, Biden has signalled his ambition to re-enter the US into the Iran Nuclear Agreement or Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action should Tehran return to compliance with the terms of the deal. With the agreement reinstated, Biden would then push to strengthen and extend the deal.

In November, US Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Will Roper confirmed that the US Air Forces Internet of Military Things, or Advanced Battle Management System (ABMS), was ready for its delivery phase.

Roper said: We have worked earnestly for a year and [a] half to demonstrate data-centric, internet-enabled warfighting constructs. I have witnessed the birth of IoT.mil capabilities in ABMS demonstrations. We are no longer asking if we can build an IoT.mil. We have graduated to how and when [we can give it] to warfighters ready to field and train. Consequently, ABMS is graduating to its next phase with demonstrations run by our chief architect and fielding by our integrating PEO.

Further development has been placed into the hands of the US Air Forces Rapid Capabilities Office (RCO), which helped to field the X-37B spaceplane.

ABMS is part of the US wider plans for a joint all-domain command and control (JADC2) concept, which aims to connect sensors from the army, navy, air force, and marine corps into a single network.

In the past year, the US Air Force held three ABMS demonstrations and the system was even used to assistthe Department of Defenses pandemic response.

Concepts for a similar system is also being explored in the UK, with service chiefs detailing plans for a future digital backbone to connect the UKs Armed Forces. At the recent British Army Warfighting Experiment (AWE) 2020, command and control technologies were a focus of development efforts.

Here at Global Defence Technology, we get very excited about military space stories.

In 2020, the UK followed the USs 2019 Space Force example, announcing a Royal Air Force Space Command capable of launching Britains first rocket in 2022. And when, in November, the US Marine Corps activated a Marine Corps Forces Space Command, we had visions of an Aliens-style expedition eliminating adversarial xenomorphs.

However, the truth is more prosaic and might see more keyboard warriors in action than flamethrower-wielding combatants.

There has been increased focus on offensive and defensive cyber capabilities in the space domain throughout 2019 and 2020, as the latter is increasingly seen as contested by the worlds military powers, says International Institute for Strategic Studies research fellow and future warfighting specialist Franz-Stefan Gady.

The US Space Force was established in December 2019 and is exploring AI-enabled cyber defence solutions for its 180 space mission systems. Space-based assets are vulnerable to distributed denial of service attacks or hijacking via cyberspace. Space and cyberspace are intrinsically intertwined.

Space-based assets like satellites rely on cyberspace links for the flow of data to and from them linking command, control, communications, computers and intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance systems. They not only provide crucial cyber ISR but are also capable of delivering offensive cyber effects. Cybersecurity solutions for space are first and foremost software-driven as air-gapped solutions or bringing down a satellite for upgrades is not an option.

As military powers are standing up space forces and commands, tailored cybersecurity solutions, perhaps AI-enabled, for use in space that take into account the specific nature of this domain (for example, high radiation levels) will increasingly be sought after in 2021.

The UK is putting collaboration between the branches of its Armed Forces and allies front and centre as it moves forward with plans to revamp defence and security, as demonstrated by its impending Integrated Review, the recently announced integrated operating concept and an interoperability agreement with the US.

Across the board, the UK is looking at how it can more closely tie together the arms of the state. The Integrated Review, due to be published next year, is a key part of this, taking a broad look at security, defence, development and foreign policy.

In September, the UKs Chief of the Defence Staff General Sir Nick Carter and Defence Secretary Ben Wallace announced the integrated operating concept and a fundamental change to the armed forces way of thinking.

Carter said: This posture will be engaged and forward-deployed armed forces much more in use rather than dedicated solely for contingency with training and exercising being delivered as operations. It will involve capacity building and engagement in support of countries that need our support.

This could include partnered operations against common threats particularly violent extremism. And this may involve combat operations. It will also place a premium on building alliances and improving interoperability to make us more allied by design and thus able to burden share more productively.

In October, during the Atlantic Futures Forum, the US and UK navies announced plans to operate more closely together, aiming for interchangeability between the two forces.

US Navy chief of naval operations Admiral Michael Gilday said: I am proud to announce that the [UK] First Sea Lord [Admiral Tony Radakin] and I will sign a future integrated warfighting statement of intent that will set a cooperative vision for interchangeability.

The signing followed the embarkation of US Marine Corps F-35 jets on HMS Queen Elizabeth, which will be followed up by another embarkation of US F-35s on the British carriers maiden operational deployment in 2021.

Moving forward, integrated forces between allies and the different arms of the state are set to become ever more important.

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Defence technology in 2021: our predictions - Army Technology

Collaboration Strengthens Peijia's Position for Competing in a Largely Untapped Market and Supports Global Expansion of HighLife's Technology

SUZHOU, China and PARIS, Dec. 20, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Peijia Medical Ltd (HK Stock Code: 09996) and HighLife SAS, a Paris-based medical device company, focused on the development of a unique transeptal mitral valve replacement ("TMVR") system to treat patients suffering from mitral regurgitation, announced that they have entered into a license agreement pursuant to which HighLife has granted to Peijia an exclusive license regarding certain proprietary TMVR products currently in development by the Licensor. Under the Agreement, Peijia is entitled to, among other things, manufacture, develop, and commercialize the products in the greater China region, and HighLife is in return entitled to receive an upfront fee and subsequent milestone payments.

Interventional treatment for mitral regurgitation is considered to be one of the most challenging areas in the field of structural heart disease, yet also represents huge market potential. The TMVR technology developed by HighLife uses a transeptal approach to treat patients with MR, and is currently evaluated in international clinical studies in more than 20 sites on three continents.

"We've evaluated the transapical approach in the very beginning, but it is clear now that transeptal delivery is the gold standard," said Nicolo Piazza, M.D., of the McGill University Health Centre. Dr. Piazza, a Key Opinion Leader in the field of interventional heart valve treatment and the Principal Investigator of HighLife's TMVR products, said he believes that "HighLife is well advanced in terms of technology and shows promising results. The TMVR device has a small cathetersimilar to that of a TAVR systemand is extremely user-friendly. I think the transcatheter aortic valve operators will be very comfortable deploying this valve."

Under the License Agreement, Peijia and HighLife will establish a joint review committee to enhance a mutual sharing of information about the development as well as commercialization of the TMVR products, further deepening cooperation between the two companies. The terms also allow cross-licensing on future improvements of the products, encouraging both companies to focus on innovations.

HighLife sees this agreement with Peijia as a major endorsement since its first venture capital financing led by Sofinnova Partners in 2017. "This is an important milestone for HighLife, which supports our ambitions to go global and benefit from the extremely dynamic Chinese structural heart market through our partnership with Peijia," said Georg Brtlein, HighLife's CEO and Founder. "We remain committed to bringing the best treatment option for the broadest patient population to market. The initial results from our multi-centric clinical studies suggest that our transeptal approach improves patient outcomes and can be used effectively by multiple operators."

Peijia views the collaboration as an important step in strengthening its structural heart pipeline by adding potentially first-in-class clinical-stage TMVR products. "This collaboration marks a major milestone to further build up Peijia's technology leadership in the structural heart." said Dr. Yi Zhang, Founder and CEO of Peijia Medical. "We always strive to provide more innovative products and solutions for patients. The collaboration with HighLife demonstrates Peijia's commitment to technology leadership with best-in-class partners from around the world. We firmly believe that this kind of collaborative innovation will benefit more patients in China."

HighLife was founded in 2010 by Georg Brtlein, who previously co-founded CoreValve Inc., a pioneer in the development of trans-catheter aortic valve implantation, which was supported early on by leading European life sciences venture capital firm Sofinnova Partners until the sale to Medtronic in 2009 for more than $700 million. Sofinnova Partners, the historical VC lead investor in HighLife, is joined by other blue-chip investors, USVP, Andera Partners, Sectoral, and VI Partners.

About Peijia Medical

Peijia Medical Limited was established in 2012 and is headquartered in Suzhou, China. Peijia Medical focuses on the high-growth interventional procedural medical device market in China, and aims to become a world-renowned medical device platform that provides total treatment solutions for structural heart and neurovascular diseases. The Company was listed on The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited in May 2020 under the stock code of 9996.

About HighLife

HighLife SAS was established in 2010 and is headquartered in Paris, France, with offices in Irvine (California). It is focused on the development of a novel transeptal replacement system for treating mitral valve regurgitation. The technology aims at a beating heart procedure reducing trauma to the patients through a purely endovascular approach.

Caution: The HighLife Transeptal Mitral Valve is an investigational device and not available for sale.

View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/peijia-medical-and-highlife-enter-into-license-and-technology-transfer-agreement-for-transeptal-mitral-valve-replacement-in-greater-china-301196505.html

SOURCE Peijia Medical

Company Codes: HongKong:09996

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Peijia Medical and HighLife Enter Into License and Technology Transfer Agreement for Transeptal Mitral Valve Replacement in Greater China - BioSpace