Category Archives: Technology

SALT LAKE CITY, July 27, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sarcos Technology and Robotics Corporation (Sarcos) (NASDAQ: STRC and STRCW) will participate in the following investor conference on Wednesday, August 10, 2022:

Jefferies Industrial Conference, New York:

For more information on Sarcos, its leadership team, and its award-winning product portfolio, please visit http://www.sarcos.com.

About Sarcos Technology and Robotics CorporationSarcos Technology and Robotics Corporation (NASDAQ: STRC and STRCW) is a leader in industrial robotic systems that augment human performance by combining human intelligence, instinct, and judgment with the strength, endurance, and precision of machines to enhance employee safety and productivity, enable remote operations and reduce operational costs. Sarcos mobile robotic systems, including the Guardian S, Guardian GT, Guardian XO, Guardian XT and theSapien family of robotic arms, along with Sarcos Detect computer vision software and Intellect autonomy software, are designed to revolutionize the future of work wherever physically demanding work is done. Sarcos is headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, and has a second location in Pittsburgh, PA. Shares of Sarcos trade on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol STRC and the companys stock was added to the Russell 2000 index in 2022. For more information, please visitwww.sarcos.com.

Investor Contact: Ben MimmackHead of Investor Relations(801) 419-0438pr@sarcos.com ir@sarcos.com

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Sarcos Technology and Robotics Corporation to Participate in Upcoming Investor Conference - GlobeNewswire

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The "Nasal Drug Delivery Technology Market by Dosage Form (Nasal Drops, Sprays, Powder, Gel), by Therapeutic Applications (Rhinitis, Congestion, Vaccinations), End User (Hospitals, Homecare) and by Region - Forecast to 2029" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global market size for nasal drug delivery systems is estimated to be USD 63.6 million in 2021 and is expected to witness a CAGR of 6.81% during the forecast period.

Companies Mentioned

Rising consumer preference for nasal drug delivery due to convenient administration and enhanced efficacy, coupled with growing adoption of self-administration practices in the current pandemic situation are the major factors driving the nasal drug delivery market. However, complications associated with the overuse of nasal sprays, and regulatory hurdles regarding manufacturing of these drug delivery system are the factors hindering the growth of the nasal drug delivery market.

This exhaustive research report focuses on market size and forecast at global, segmental, regional and country level along with key market trends and dynamics from 2021 to 2029.

The nasal drug delivery market report is categorized into the following segments and subsegments:

Nasal Drug Delivery Market, By Dosage Form (Revenue, 2021-2029, USD Million)

Nasal Drug Delivery Market, By Containers (Revenue, 2021-2029, USD Million)

Nasal Drug Delivery Market, By Therapeutic Application (Revenue, 2021-2029, USD Million)

Nasal Drug Delivery Market, By End User (Revenue, 2021-2029, USD Million)

Nasal Drug Delivery Market, By Region (Revenue, 2021-2029, USD Million)

North America

Europe

Asia Pacific

Latin America

Middle East & Africa

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/rqmsfo

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Global Nasal Drug Delivery Technology Market to 2029 - Featuring Novartis, Pfizer and AstraZeneca Among Others - ResearchAndMarkets.com - Business...

Technology and consumer electronics products have transformed life in just two generations but theyve come with heavy environmental and social consequences, including ecosystems disrupted by mining and unrecycled e-waste. We talk with Andreas Nobell, development manager at TCO Development, which publishes an independent nonprofit environmental and social responsibility certification for technology products, the TCO Certified label. The TCO Certified label is available for 12 types of products, including computers, mobile devices, monitors, and data center equipment. TCO Development is a type of consumers union that emerged in the technology purchasing community and works to hold the tech industry accountable for its products impact on people and the planet.

Andreas discusses how the electronics industry is making progress by reducing the energy to make and use a phone or PC, and by discarding far less waste from the manufacturing process, reducing the use of toxins, and investing to support e-waste recycling. But, he says, there is still a long way to go. You can learn more about the TCO Certified program in Earth911s recent article, Certification for Greener IT Products, and try out a search for low-impact, socially responsible electronics at tcocertified.com.

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Earth911 Podcast: TCO Certified's Andreas Nobell on Choosing Sustainable Technology - Earth911.com

AMDs new graphics 22.7.1 driver brings support for the new noise reduction technology.

Noise Suppression technology, Source: AMD

AMD Noise Suppression is a new feature coming to AMD Software stack. According to AMD, this technology works in real-time, and it is boosted by deep learning algorithm. The main purpose is to reduce background noise and improve audio clarity, no matter if its for the important meeting or a competitive gaming.

AMD Noise Suppression reduces background audio noise from your surrounding environment, providing greater clarity and improved concentration whether you are focused on an important meeting or staying locked-in on a competitive game. By using a real-time, deep learning algorithm to reduce background audio noise, this new feature works for both your input and output devices across any AMD-powered system, removing unwanted background noise captured on your microphone or from someone elses device.

[AMD] Intelligent Audio Enhancement (304 views)

One should note however, that Noise Suppression is only available for Ryzen 5000 and Radeon RX 6000 or newer hardware. It is not stated when or if support for older hardware is planned.

Furthermore, AMD announces a major OpenGL performance uplift with 22.7.1 driver. The company claims up to 92% better performance in Minecraft OpenGL when running Radeon RX 6000 series GPU at 4K. Unfortunately no other game or GPU configuration is mentioned.

Starting today, for those who enjoy games that run on OpenGL, AMD Software now includes OpenGL optimizations, providing updated support where you can experience up to a whopping 85% increase in performance in titles such as Minecraft!

OpenGL update in AMD 22.7.1 GPU driver, Source: AMD

You can download the new driver here.

Source: AMD

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AMD's new driver features Noise Suppression technology and up to 92% better OpenGL performance in Minecraft - VideoCardz.com

NEW YORK (PRWEB) July 27, 2022

The Healthcare Technology Report is pleased to announce The Top 25 Healthcare Technology Leaders of New Jersey for 2022. This list of awardees is comprised of highly adept individuals who have deep experience in the field and have carefully honed their leadership abilities over years in the healthcare technology industry.

Sherine Aly of BioCentric is motivated by her passion for public health and, through her decades of experience, supports her team in their mission to promote optimal patient care through educational services and technology. Tom Xie, Founder, and CEO of CIMS Global, has dedicated his career to research and clinical trial design, data management, and analysis, which has enabled him to stand out as a leader in the industry. And Kevin Ali, CEO of Organon, works together with his team to achieve their mission of delivering impactful medicines and solutions so that women can live healthier lives every day.

These awardees are dedicated to their work and, through their passion, innovation, and expertise, continue to provide the best technology and services to the healthcare industry. Please join us in recognizing The Top 25 Healthcare Technology Leaders of New Jersey for 2022.

Robert Lacaze (Mnemo Therapeutics), Sherine Aly (BioCentric), Brad Schreck (VectraCor), Tom Xie (CIMS Global), Tom Polen (BD), Giovanni Caforio (Bristol Myers Squibb), Ashu Tandon (Syngene International), Kevin Ali (Organon), Chirag Patel (Amneal Pharmaceuticals), Ana Bastiani-Posner (Kyowa Kirin), Manny Soman (Verista), Mark Fleischer (Propel Health), Irene Zhang (Everest Clinical Research), Ken Keller (Daiichi Sankyo), Scott Delaney (Unichem Laboratories Limited), Aki Tomaru (M3 USA), Shannon Campbell (Merus N.V.), Ami Simunovich (BD), Steve Cutler (ICON plc), Bill Hanlon (Labcorp Drug Development), William Compton (Integra LifeSciences), Kirsten Doerfert (Konica Minolta Healthcare Americas), Sheri Lydick (BioAtla), Kelly Ketterson (Genomic Prediction), Amy Landucci (GSK).

The full article can be read at https://thehealthcaretechnologyreport.com/

About The Healthcare Technology Report

The Healthcare Technology Report provides market research and insights, business news, investment activity updates, and important corporate developments related to the healthcare technology sector. Based in New York City, the firm is run by a seasoned team of editors, writers, and media professionals highly knowledgeable on healthcare technology and the various companies, executives, and investors that make up the sector.

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The Top 25 Healthcare Technology Leaders of New Jersey for 2022 - PR Web

Technology has changed our lives by increasing the speed of time. We were human. We invented and developed the technologies to change our lives to their best. Now that technology is changing our lives every second.

Robots are our new human model and in the end, only robots control this world. Technology is now trying to go inside our body its almost there and the target is human blood and emotions. So, far! Technology is successful in that.

In business, the use of Artificial Intelligence, cloud computing, machine learning, predictive analytics, and business intelligence tools, applications now creating new methods to conduct, operate, and manage the business. Uses of Artificial Intelligence in Daily Life

The rise of cloud computing, cloud storage, Artificial intelligence, and Machine learning is the example, that we will be soon on the node that connects our body and capture the data of human activities in real-time.

The invention and development of Technology have changed our life positively and negatively. The new technologies and inventions are the result of our curiosity, creativity, and problem-solving techniques.

What else we will do on this earth if were not improving ourselves every day. But its important that technological development should be environmental and human-friendly. Technology is a flower for life, not a productivity killer.

Were looking like robotic humans and its the biggest example of how technology has changed our lives positively and negatively.

Technology is in the air, water, food, education, business, office, electricity, marketing, data storage, communication, cars, parking, traveling, foods, shopping, and banks etc. Its almost everywhere and in everything that is involved in our daily life.

Technology is the king and humans are slaves. But if a slave is clever, knowledgeable enough then they can manipulate the king (technologies).

Do you know when you get up in the morning what you think? For example: How to improve my writing? How to market products, how to earn more money, how to live the life you want to live, how to achieve your goals and dreams and how to make this world better. These are things in which technologies help us.

And for you, there are thousands of businesses and people ready to help you on the internet. You have to search and get. They are selling you change products on the internet and everywhere. Almost all the companies talk about change in their advertisement. They use technologies to target you.

E.g. How to change the world by following 7 habits? How to change your life in 30 days? How to get 1000 visitors to your business website by buying this or that. What is that? That is the impact of technology on our thinking, communication, habits and social activities. We depend on technologies to help us. And technologies really help us in good and bad ways.

Explore:Top 20 Articles on Technology Gain Critical Tech Insights

Technology changed the ways of education and learning methods. We are not able in the past to get data, information, and knowledge so quickly with flexibility. The school was very far from home. We learned that was not interesting in certain ways.

But today because of technology there are online schools. Anyone can do degrees online by using the internet and computers. There are various types of online courses for everyone with different contents. If youre interested, learn more:Online Basic Computer Courses Learn Essential Computer Skills

This is how has technology changed education. It is a positive change.

Even after machine learning, its highly possible that robots and machines start contributing to training people.Here you can learn the dedicated articles:

How has technology improved education?

How important is technology in education

Today we have mobile, internet, computer and social media, video conferencing tools, and mobile apps to communicate with anyone around the world. It was not possible in the past. The benefit of communication change is that its the fast, easy, and quickest method to communicate.

In the past, a letter takes 10 days to reach the destination such as money orders, greeting cards, personal letters and thousands of other communication sources are not fast enough.

But technologies changed that now you can send an email. You can transfer the money from your mobile phone. This is a technology and its non-stop.

Learn a dedicated article:How Technology affects communication

With technology changes, we got new kinds of habits and its tough for parents to solve such kinds of problems. Its because they dont know the solutions. Most kids, teens are addicted to the internet. For them, technology is a toy. This can be a good change, but what about creativity and brain development.

Is artificial intelligence is the new tool of creativity? I dont think so. And after 20 years, the Internet will be boring for them. Then they will use robots for their work as today were using the internet or Google.

Dedicated Article:How to Stop Being Addicted to Your Mobile Phone

Technology has a positive and negative impact on our daily life. Today we live more appearance-filled the life. The craze and disadvantages of taking selfies in risky areas are well known. We do online shopping and there are varieties and price comparison tools.

Technologies have an internet of things that anyone can use in their daily life. We are busier than productive. 30 years ago people have time for friends and families. They live and enjoy their life in real-time. At the same time, they are emotional, care for nature and humanity.

Today, we do the same things on social media but without emotions. This is a technological effect. And were responsible for this change. Its is good or bad, depends on the users, how theyre using it.

Related: Importance of computer education in school for students

Technology has increased the pace of our life, but the quality is reduced. Technology impacted our life positively and negatively. Today we have more health care technologies the past. But the reason, behind the inventions of health technologies, is the overuse of technology in daily life.

In old times people have less electric equipment for houses and fieldwork. In old-time people, physical stamina is better than todays fitness freaks.

They lived their life longer without technology but today after technology the average human age is reducing. Were greedy and we want more, faster, and in fewer efforts.

Thats why business God is selling air purifiers, mineral waters more confidently other than inspiring humans to plant trees and grow natural sources. Even after the technological development in medical science, doctors are not confident in sayings about life is safe for a patient after an operation in certain cases.

Today most people do not invent, they do business to solve peoples problems. They can sell anything and every human being is targeted, customers. They are collecting data, what you search, where you click, what you buy, how you react to certain copywriters text. This is impacting our life because they are creating products based on our search results and technologies habits.

All are doing searches, everyone wants to read the easy explanation, people dont have time to think, and they do searches. Why think? When there are search engines who give even instant suggestions to search this or that.

Were not able to think critically thats why we are inventing artificial intelligence for the future generation. The positive is we can get knowledge information and data by using technology. But the negative is too much data, an overload of information, and overuse of technology equipment making us addicted to the tech tools.

We cant analyze, understand easily without seeing visual examples. This is how I think technology is impacting our critical thinking.

In the old times (My childhood) no tuition classes anything, everyone read and learn based on the power of the brain. Today, even admitting kids in the best schools need tuition and extra classes. Why? Might be subjects and syllabus is advanced thats why they need technologies in the classroom.

Related: Importance of internet in education at schools.

It was not in the past. People live without less tension. They have less tension than todays humans. Todays robotic humans are tenser and fighting with analysis paralysis problems.

Today, people think and analyze everything because today were living more risky life. Were at the speed of filling greed store and technology is the tools and root.

The latest information technologies are impacting our work and the way we do business. Almost everything soon will be automated. New business models are technology-based. I dont think there is a single business around the world that is not using technologies.

People are thinking more about passive incomes and more than one source of income in fewer human efforts. Thats why cloud computing, marketing automation, cloud storage, hybrid cars, and robots, etc. very soon start changing this world again.

The reason is more profit in less time and without humans. It is because everyone is in a hurry to end the journey before competitors.

But then the next problem will come. There are already millions of people around the world in different countries who are facing an unemployment problem. And after the use of such new technologies, the unemployment problem will grow even more.

Thats why the new generation especially people in between 18th to 30th need a practical computer science or technologies related knowledge to get a job after degree.

But what are the solutions at that time? The solution is simple then again someone from us will create the next technology for them. It continues the process, I dont know when and where it ends.

Dedicated Article:How Technology has changed business

Discover: Online Computer Courses – Learn Basic and Advanced Computer Skills

I think you know about it. Now you dont have to store your personal and business data on your hard drive, pen drive or DVD. You can upload it to clouds and access anywhere, anytime.

Such as Google Drive and one drive. You dont need to buy the business application and have to spend time installing it on your computer and server. Its already in the cloud, in which you and your employees can use it anytime from anywhere.

But why cloud computing? because we want to earn money with less effort. And business owners want to solve day-to-day maintenance problems in the company thats why it is now growing in the internet market.

Here you can learn more about it:Top 8 powerful benefits of cloud computing for business

Now its clear that technology affects our work habits. We want productivity and its great for business.

Technology has changed our daily business. You can measure the quality of your products and services. You can speed up the production process. You can reduce your marketing cost by using online marketing automation applications. You can sell products on the internet and can get money from the bank directly. You can research the market, you can analyze your competitors, you can learn about technological equipment.

And such technological changes in business will reduce your production cost and increase profit. Using communication technology you can do video conferencing, chats, and online meetings.

Here you can learn more: Top 25 powerful advantages of the internet for business

Above productivity example, by the use of technologies, you can apply in the workplace that not only decrease cost, time, and labor but increase the quality of the product. So, you can fight with your competitors based on quality, speed, and price.

The negative of technologies in business productivity is only when youre not using them correctly.

For example, if you or your employees are busy watching YouTube videos and using Facebook in-office time then it will reduce the productivity level at some point. If you have more IT infrastructure or fewer quality products then it cost you time.

Another negative is that these new technologies are more advanced and highly practical. If you dont have enough budget, knowledge and dont know how to implement a particular technology in your business then it will be risky.

But generally, I dont think anything is negative to use technologies in the workplace. The best technologies with technically sound staff have not any productivity loss.

We are losing our patience. Our behavior is changed in a second. For example, if the internet is slow then you can see your face how it is. If someone is late to reply, then see your reaction.

Technologies changed our patience level from high to low and low to high within the speed of a second. As I explained above that in old times people have more patience than today. We behave very badly for small things e.g. to the people who are less technical and dont have high-quality mobile and money.

We changed our minds after seeing likes and comments. We stop doing the most important work when we get a new notification or message. Thats how we are now affected by technology.

We are searching for friends on the internet. But dont know about neighbors and their problems. We are sharing thousands of motivational and life quotes on the internet. But no one is taking care of animals, plants, water, and nature.

Yes, we can buy mineral water! But why buy things when they are free? But who cares about natural resources? Is there are any government in India or any country spending their most budget on natural resources?

Not that many, you can count on fingers. They are spending on industrialization. Do you know why? Because they have great minds who think that industrialization can reduce unemployment or it is the development.

But the truth is industrialization can give them more money other than natural resources. And also working in such companies is like a GULAMI. And our institutions are teaching, How to become better Gulam. And you know the truth that after spending 4-5 lacs, were not able to get 10000 as a salary after degree. This is the truth.

This can be the reason, why engineers are doing suicide? Why employees working in IT companies, are frustrated with their job?

While I think government investment in nature will give a great return, and the returns are clean water, less pollution, fresh air.

Our youth have the power to develop and invent technologies that the world will follow for the right cause. But youth needs the freedom to choose the subject and they want practical teachers.

Here you can learn and share:How to make the best use of the internet as a small business owner

But who cares about the talent? Even our society is influenced by Bhakts on the Internet, mobile messages, and technologies. Election Commission is an external examiner for politicians. Then who cares? No matter if criminals are giving the exams (fighting election). What will society do in this changing world? I dont know.

But I think if society is well educated about the technologies then it will be great. But in our society, every third person that you meet knows about politics, they are even able to criticize PM and CM. But if check common sense, you will get very bad results.

If our society and social leaders spend some time to learn and educate about the technologies to common people then our India will grow fast. After the knowledge of technologies, we can be number 1 in many things.

But our society is influenced by Politicians more than technologies. But soon, our society will be educated then we can hope our next generation will live in adeveloped country. I and you can help to educate society about such technologies.

I have more to say but let it be, I know youre not interested! And we cant find a solution here. But implementing technologies in political structures can be a solution especially in India.

Were now more addicted to technologies, not productive use. We dont use technology based on our work, home, business, and job duties. We use whenever, whatever it is, no matter it is doing loss.

Such above changes are greed or human behaviors and technology speed up the process of corruption, data privacy and security to solve it, use it and improve it.

Technology is always depending on the user and it will be. I hope and believe that our computer scientists or scientist from various fields created the control button of technologies. Else, you can imagine the future.

The youth is totally dependent on technology for everything. Even from school. A piece of small information or practical knowledge is not produced by the teachers in the class but by the use of the internet.

Technology is making children older. They are learning and watching the things that were not possible to watch 25 years ago. This is how technology is affecting our youth negatively.

Our youth is ready to fight on social media but unable to run on the road and even cant able to take a bucket of water in the home. But on the internet, he/she is not less than the army. This is positive or negative?

Youth patriotism is well known on the internet and at the same time, some of these people dont care to save water, clean atmosphere, and girls safety.

There are so many positives of technologies. And its technology has increased career opportunities for the youth. Anyone with some sort of skill can start an online business. They can become a programmer, designer and be able to provide services remotely.

Here you can learn more:Online Business Courses Learn Essential Business Skills and Get Inspiration

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Top 12 Examples, How Technology Has Changed Our Lives

Now more than ever, it is essential that companies meet the needs of employees, especially as more and more people return to the office. Workplace technology directly correlates to productivitymaking updated tech a necessity in every office.

One of the biggest questions companies should be asking themselves: Is our technology meeting the needs of todays workers?

Technology is an essential component of the workplace. However, choosing and implementing a modern solution that benefits both employees and the business can be challenging for company leaders.

A recent survey of 500 C-suite and HR professionals nationwide from OnePoll and Paycom confirmed employees are missing more than three deadlines per month due to HR-related tech mishaps, with data showing nearly 80% of employees get frustrated with outdated technology at work.

The frustration level of employees should be a warning sign to employers struggling to retain talent, said Jennifer Kraszewski, Paycom vice president of human resources. The good news is that the solution is attainable: adopt user-friendly HR technology to stand out from competitors, retain top talent and enhance productivity.

The survey results show employees are more frustrated with workplace technology and processes than leaders realize:

In a Q&A with Kraszewski, she explained how technology in the workplace needs to constantly be keeping up with the times.

Allwork.Space: What role does up-to-date technology play in employee productivity?

Jennifer Kraszewski: Updated technology allows employees to seamlessly manage their payroll, request time off, and take care of their benefitsall aspects of the job from recruitment to retirement. This allows employees to focus on their actual job, increase productivity and be a generally happier employee.

Allwork.Space: What essential technologies should companies be implementing to keep up with modern times?

Jennifer Kraszewski: Nearly 80% of employees get frustrated with outdated technology at work and nearly 70% dont believe their company prioritizes digital transformation, according to a survey conducted by OnePoll.

Employee frustration levels should be a warning sign to employers struggling to retain talent. The good news is that the solution is attainable: Adopt user-friendly HR tech to stand out from competitors, retain top talent and enhance productivity.

Technology must enhance the entire employee life cycle, allow employees to own their own dataall in a single software.

For example, Paycom launched a product last year, Beti, which allows employees to access, view, verify, troubleshoot, and approve their paychecks before payroll runs. The ability to see the details of their check is among the top three most useful aspects employees would like to see in their HR tech, according to OnePoll. Payroll errors can greatly increase employee stress and lead to disengagement.

Allwork.Space: How can having the wrong software in an office contribute to disengagement and miscommunication?

Jennifer Kraszewski: It turns out, outdated technology is contributing lots of stress, causing employees to miss more than three deadlines per month according to OnePoll data, and lose trust in their employers. With the Great Resignation, employers must be firing on all cylinders to retain talent.

Providing employees with technology that frustrates them hurts retention. User-friendly technology keeps employees focused on doing the work they are passionate about and allows them to meet deadlines early. Americans spend hours and hours each day using mobile devices to communicate, order coffee, check bank balances and more.

Once employees get used to having tech that simplifies their work lives in the same way apps simplify their personal lives, they do not want to go backwards. They look for digitally savvy companies when job hunting or choosing to grow in their current workplace.

Allwork.Space: Why should leaders make a conscious investment in leveraging top technologies?

Jennifer Kraszewski: Using the right technology can provide strong ROI. For example, Ernst & Young recently conducted extensive research into the costs associated with common HR-related tasks. Its study concluded that, on average, a single entry of data performed without the aid of the right HR technology costs $4.70 to complete.

The right HR technology can help quantify a businesss return on investment in real time, allowing employers to see the cost savings associated with changes made by employees and to drill down into specific aspects of the software to determine exactly where additional savings can be achieved.

As more businesses realize the power of 100% employee usage of their HR technology, they are seeing returns to their HR department.

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Is Technology Meeting The Needs Of Today's Workers? - Allwork.Space

Nina, the mother of an autistic teenager, had never experienced a panic attack until Covid-19 closed her sons school in March 2020. Then they began coming with alarming regularity. Single parenting a disoriented child she couldnt leave unattended meant she had to quit her job and was homebound, with no one to help with necessities like food shopping.

In desperation, Nina (not her real name) called a local clinic, and was lucky to find one with a corps of clinicians, counselors, and social workers using a model of primary care that integrates services to support physical, mental, and social well-being. They rapidly assessed her and her home situation via telehealth, explained and normalized her symptoms, prescribed medication, and gave a warm hand-off to mental health counselors. They also arranged deliveries from community food banks and helped her apply for unemployment benefits. The clinic became her lifeline, giving Nina and her son life-saving physical, mental, and social support through a year of isolation until schools reopened.

For years, many primary care practices have stepped up to address the multiple health crises roiling communities across America a surge in mental illness that behavioral health providers cannot absorb, a rise in addiction, persistent strains on rural health care, and the health effects of social stressors especially for people of color and those with low incomes, or disabilities. Covid exacerbated these interrelated crises. Economic stress contributes to higher rates of anxiety, depression, suicidality, substance abuse, and addiction. As rural hospitals and clinics close, lack of access to trusted health care providers deprives these and other disadvantaged communities of another important layer in the social safety net and increases the risk of poor health and life outcomes. The pandemic has made clearer than ever the vital roles that primary care plays.

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The resilience of primary care cannot be taken for granted. Signs abound of the strain on many practices under current financing and payment arrangements. Primary care lost an estimated $15 billion in 2020 and, a year later, fully one-third of practices reported not having recovered financially. As a result, a growing number of once-independent practices have been acquired by hospitals or private equity firms.

But even before the pandemic, primary care was already struggling under fee-for-service systems. A clinical team needs time to provide psychological support, understand a persons social context, and tailor outreach to appropriate community groups and agencies to truly solve a patients problem. Taking time to fully understand a patients problems and tailoring actions to solve those problems are lumpy and unpredictable demands in a clinicians day that are antithetical to fee-for-service payment. Americas reliance on primary care and expectations for it keep growing, but the countrys investment in it has not kept up.

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A meaningful step forward would be to empower primary care with flexible, adequate payments and technology so all practices can integrate physical, mental, and social supports, and partner with other service sectors. The integrated model of care that Nina was fortunate enough to find is not widely available, precisely because current payment structures and chronic underpayment for primary care create insurmountable barriers to incorporating behavioral health and social supports for most practices. Federally qualified health centers that can offer integrated care often rely on cost-based reimbursement to build this infrastructure. The Veterans Administrations whole health model similarly relies on predictable annual budgets and salaried staff. Paying for collaborative psychiatric care, as Medicare is now doing, is a start. A better way would be to convert a substantial portion of primary care payment to periodic and predictable lump sum payments. That would free practices from chasing more visits and more billings and allow them to focus on the patients in front of them.

A multi-disciplinary team, telehealth, e-consults, home-monitoring tools, connections to and relationships with community-based service partners, and peer-to-peer support from specialist colleagues can form a chassis that gives primary care providers the resources and capabilities they need. But few practices, especially those serving rural or minority or low-income communities, can afford to make these investments on their own. National investment in teams and tools, whether from public or private insurers, could be a much more effective expenditure than paying for the downstream costs and health burdens of neglecting to provide truly whole-person care.

It is possible to rebuild this necessary backbone of the U.S. health care system with a combination of these up-front investments and then offering primary care providers a sustainable business model through value-based payment programs that have already shown success by rewarding high quality and contained spending.

Based on experience in other countries and comparisons of different U.S. communities, investments in primary care would pay for themselves over time in reduced total health care spending from fewer specialty and hospital services, and reduced health burdens that lead to lost work productivity and lost years of life. A broad and growing coalition of stakeholders is coming together to advance a policy agenda for reforming primary care payment, based on recommendations from the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM). Rural providers, mental health advocates, safety net clinics and health systems, primary care practices, payers, employers, and consumer advocates all understand that they cannot afford not to act. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has offered various pilot payment programs for primary care, but none with the duration or degree of investment recommended by NASEM that can be scaled across the country.

The Biden administration and Congress should support what the evidence shows: primary care is the only part of the U.S. health care system that, with additional investment, will improve population health across all communities.

Hoangmai Pham is the president and chief executive officer of the Institute for Exceptional Care and former chief innovation officer for the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation. Michael O. Leavitt is the founder and chair of the Board of Managers for Leavitt Partners, an HMA Company, and cochair of HMA. He is also the former governor of Utah, and former Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services.

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Empower primary care with adequate payments and technology - STAT

A round-trip flight from San Francisco to New Yorkmelts 54 square feet of Arctic sea iceper person, when you account for the warming effect of carbon emissions. Take one less flight at that distance, and your personal carbon footprint falls to the equivalent of driving 18 fewer miles per day and eating all local food, combined.

The good news is that flights might not always be so carbon-intensive. A June 9 report from the International Council of Clean Transportation (ICCT)calledVision 2050: Aligning Aviation With the Paris Agreementfinds that its technically possible to reduce flight-related carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions to nearly zero by 2050.

The bad news? Technology wont save us if the number of flights keeps skyrocketing.

Thats the lesson of aJune 15 blog postby Dan Rutherford, director of the ICCTs aviation and marine programs and a co-author of Vision 2050. In The Tortoise and the Hare? The Race to Decarbonize Aviation Rutherford explains that for the next three decades, technological change will be in a race with demand growth to keep aviations emissions in check. If growth in traffic slows, or better yet stalls altogether, adopting alternative technologies might keep aviations CO2 emissions to manageable levels. But if global traffic growth continues at the same breakneck rate as it did before COVIDaround 7 percent per yearaviation will soar past its carbon budget with no landing in sight.

What exactly is a carbon budget? In 2021, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) calculated how much more carbon dioxide the world could emit by 2050 while giving us a two-thirds chance of keeping temperature rise below 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit). This number, 400 gigatons, is known as the global 1.5-degree carbon budget. In Vision 2050, the ICCT delegates 2.9 percent of this budget to aviation, based on flights current share of emissions. So, 2.9 percent of 400 gigatons is 11.6 gigatons: aviations 1.5-degree carbon budget. (A similar process will give you the 1.75-degree budget, 2-degree budget, etc.)

The biggest takeaway of Vision 2050 is that they couldn't reach the 1.5-degree goal. Even with every assumption about alternative fuels, new technologies, and efficiency made as optimistic as possible, the ICCTs most ambitious scenariocalled Breakthroughpredicted cumulative aviation emissions of 22.5 gigatons, almost twice the 1.5-degree budget.

Still, Breakthrough is impressive. It brings emissions in line with a goal of 1.75 degrees Celsius warming, or 3.15 degrees Fahrenheit. This is not as low as many frontline communities are fighting for, but still well under the commonly cited 2-degree goal (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit). To do this, it calls for aviation emissions to peak as soon as 2025a very scary number, concedes report co-author Sola Zheng, but one that says a lot about the urgency of taking action. In the short term, emissions begin to fall due to efficiency improvements and an immediate uptake in biofuel use. A notable longer-term efficiency improvement was formation flying, in which planes draft off one another to use less fuel.

But efficiency improvements arent enough, and neither are biofuels: growing crops for fuel often either displaces food production and/or requires clearing new land. This creates carbon emissions of its own while posing other sustainability concerns, so biofuel production has its limits. For this reason, the report calls for huge amounts of synthetic e-fuels.

These e-fuels have two main ingredients. The first is carbon, either captured from another source of emissions or sucked directly from the atmosphere. Both techniquesuse expensive technologies unproven at scaleand direct air capture in particular requires large amounts of electricity. The second is hydrogenfor this to be clean, it must be derived from water (rather than methane, as most hydrogen today is), a process that also requires significant electricity. All of this electricity, of course, must be renewable or the tech does not sufficiently reduce emissions. E-fuels are currently far more expensive than conventional jet fuel (estimates range from two to eight times), so the report suggests taxing the latter to help even the playing field.

While biofuels and e-fuelstogether known as sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs)account for most Breakthrough emissions savings and efficiency makes up most of the rest, two other fledgling technologies help: battery-powered electric planes and planes that directly burn liquid hydrogen. However, the heavy weight of batteries means electric planes likely wont be able to go very far. And using hydrogen requires new airplane designs, so many experts dont think it will be a factor for decades to come (althoughone reportsuggested 60 percent of planes might be hydrogen by 2050). In Breakthrough, hydrogen contributes about 5 percent of emissions savings.

Despite its technological ambition, the ICCT is more cautious when it comes to decreasing demand. For all scenarios, the ICCT assumed a baseline of 3 percent traffic growth per year, measured in passenger-miles. (If 5 people fly 100 miles, that is 500 passenger-miles.) This growth rate will dip slightly, the report predicts, but not by much, as more expensive fuels result in higher ticket prices and a few people shift flights to high-speed rail.

This lack of ambition helps explain why Breakthrough can only get to 1.75 degrees. As the report notes, To get to 1.5C, out-of-sector action [such as increased carbon capture from the air] and/or significant direct curbs to traffic growth would be needed. Vision 2050 did not explore these options, however,preferring to emphasize technological shifts rather than anything that would cost airlines, the conclusion explains. But Rutherfords follow-up analysis shows that dampening traffic growth is just as critical as technology.

The Vision 2050 assumption of 3 percent growth per year is already a reduction from the pre-COVID norm of 7 percent per year. If the 7 percent rate returns, Rutherford explains, even with Breakthrough technology, aviation blows by the 1.5-degree budget within a few years and by 2050 reaches emissions consistent with well over 2 degrees of warming. This scenario is even more devastating for the climate than just keeping 3 percent growth and making no technology changes at all.

By contrast, if reductions in business and leisure travel cap aviation traffic at 2019 levels, Breakthrough technology can bring emissions in line with less than 1.6 degrees warming, reducing total CO2 emissions by roughly a third compared to the 3 percent-growth scenario. Reaching 1.5 degrees would require flying even less, especially in the short-term when alternative fuels are in short supply.

Even if global air traffic doesnt shrink, the rich still need to fly less. The United States emits more each year from aviation than the next 10 countries combined, primarily driven by those who fly several times a year. In fact,about half of flight-related emissions can be attributed to the top 1 percent of flyers, and only11 percent of the worldhas ever been on an airplane. If people in other countries begin to fly more, as is expected, this should be offset by the wealthy flying less.

Trains, too, are part of the solution. Vision 2050 posits that after 2030, about 20 percent of passengers on short flights (466 miles or less) between cities will opt for high-speed rail instead. This is fairly conservative: In a March 29blog postZheng explained that in China, high-speed rail had helped offset flights up to 1,400 miles, three times farther than Vision 2050s prediction (although, she tellsSierra, rails effects may be less reliable at longer distances). And short flights might be entirely replaced by rail with government ambition. In France, flights arenow bannedif there is a rail route that takes less than 2.5 hours.

In the end, flying less may be better for the planet even after fossil fuels. Vision 2050 calculates that the amount of electricity needed to power flights in 2050, primarily used to make e-fuels and hydrogen, is nearly equal to all renewable electricity produced today (including hydropower and bioenergy). If we wanted to power 2050s flights purely on solar and wind, we would need to quadruple current global capacityand that is on top of all the solar and wind we will need to power our homes, businesses, ground vehicles, and more.

Solar and wind are wonderful, far better than fossil fuels, but they are not infinite. They require metals, create waste, disrupt ecosystems and threaten endangered species from the desert tortoise to the whooping crane. This does not mean we should stop using electricity, or even stop flying, but it does mean we should think twice before putting so much energy toward planes when trains are far more energy efficient.

Vision 2050 is a useful document, as much for what it doesn't show as for what it does. Technologies like e-fuels and hydrogen, as well as improvements in aircraft efficiency, no doubt have their uses. But there is only one solution that is already available today, with no need to scale up new fuels or introduce new plane designs, and thats flying less.

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Technology Alone Wont Green the Aviation Industry - Sierra Club

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Maggie Hallbach, senior vice president for Verizon Public Sector, has been named to the Northern Virginia Technology Council (NVTC), the trade association representing the region's technology community. As the head of Verizon Public Sector, Hallbach oversees the team of professionals dedicated to partnering with Verizons federal, state, local, education and public safety customers to deliver innovative technology solutions and services. This includes Verizon Frontline, the advanced network and technology built for first responders. Hallbach brings over two decades of technology and government experience to NVTC.

Maggie is an outstanding leader, who is well known for developing strategic relationships with CIOs and assisting government agencies in adopting innovative technology solutions as part of their modernization strategy, said NVTC President and CEO Jennifer Taylor. Her unique perspective and ideas will help guide NVTCs strategy and advance its mission to grow our tech industry and create greater access to the thousands of open jobs in our region.

It is a career highlight to join 17 other distinguished professionals as part of NVTCs new incoming board of directors, said Hallbach. Together, we will cultivate and grow Northern Virginia as a sought-after next generation technology hub, attracting a wide range of industries. As a resident of the area, I have a vested interest in promoting a diverse, inclusive and welcoming community for our citizens and businesses.

Maggie earned a Master of Business Administration in marketing and finance from the University of Marylands Robert H. Smith School of Business and holds a Bachelor of Arts in history from Brown University. She is also on the board of directors at the United Service Organizations (USO). Maggie is committed to the inclusion of youth and adults with special needs, dedicating time to TOP Soccer and Best Buddies International and supporting the Arc of Northern Virginia.

The NVTC Board of Directors consists of 72 voting members, as well as Chair Emeriti, Honorary Members, and Senior Advisory Members. The NVTC membership recently elected 18 three-year-term members to the NVTC Board of Directors. For more information, visit NVTC.org.

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Maggie Hallbach appointed to Northern Virginia Technology Council Board of Directors - Verizon