Whatfix for ISVs Is Now Available, Helping Partners and Customers Accelerate Technology Adoption and Digital Transformation – AiThority

Posted on by

Whatfix, the leader in Digital Adoption Solutions, announced a new offering that allows the integration of its platform with the technology solutions of Independent Software Vendors (ISVs), Whatfix for ISVs. Whatfix for ISVs is a Digital Adoption Solution built for the unique complexities of companies that make and sell their own software. With this new offering, ISVs can be confident that all their customers will be happy and productive from day one. Whatfix for ISVs provides digital guidance thats contextual, interactive, real-time and autonomous, assuring successful product on boarding, enhancing training effectiveness, and reducing the overall support cost of any ISVs suite of products.

Recommended AI News: HR Path Expands the SAP SuccessFactors Practice in North America

Integrating the Whatfix platform into our offering helps us drive digital adoption and improve engagement at some of the worlds largest companies by creating easy-to-follow, real-time, learn-by-doing onboarding experiences and providing self-help guided support, saidGeorge Painumkal, Director of Product Management at Icertis.

Whatfix for ISVs allows the ISV community to provide digital adoption strategies built specifically for them, such as Content Provisioning, KnowledgeBase Aggregation, and Whatfix Versioning to provide in-app help, manage learning-focused content, and successfully roll out feature upgrades and analytics. These new capabilities allow ISVs to easily deliver to their customers the benefits of Whatfixs leading Digital Adoption Solution improved time to value, enhanced training, and reduced support costs.

Our team at Whatfix has long recognized the importance and unique technology needs of the ISV community, saidKhadim Batti, CEO and co-founder at Whatfix. In a world where over 70 percent of digital transformations fail to launch properly, Whatfix for ISVs allows for the complete integration of their offerings with our unique approach to digital adoption and efficiency. The ultimate beneficiary is our joint customers, who will be able to achieve maximum output from their technology stack, with a shorter ramp-up period for their entire employee base.

Recommended AI News: Nomura SRI International Innovation Center (NSIC) Announced to Exclusively Service Corporate Japan

Digital adoption solutions can provide high value to an organization looking to improve adoption of existing tools. Performing tasks more quickly can enable new employees to become fully productive faster and existing employees to change rapidly as business processes change, per the Gartner Hype Cycle for the Digital Workplace, 2020 report*.

Digital Adoption solutions have become an increasingly standard expectation for major software deployments and technology implementations. In a recent survey of ISV professionals from over 100 companies, Whatfix found that:

Recommended AI News: How Coronvirus Could Knock Off All the Good Work of Global Fund Partnership

Read the original:

Whatfix for ISVs Is Now Available, Helping Partners and Customers Accelerate Technology Adoption and Digital Transformation - AiThority

How can Japan remain a world competitor in Science and Technology? – Open Access Government

Posted on by

How can Japan remain a world competitor in Science and Technology?

For a resource-limited Japan (with a decreasing population) to maintain its international competitiveness and realise an innovative society and economy, it is vital that it leads the world in science and technology (S&T) capabilities. The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) is responsible for the science and technology policy in Japan. Lead by Minister Koichi Hagiuda, MEXT plans and formulates basic policies concerning S&T policy, produces concrete plans concerning promotion and research and development (R&D), and coordinates with government agencies in relation to promotion and S&T.

Policy and innovation surrounding S&T is administered in a planned manner following the Science and Technology Basic Plan, which is determined every five years. Originally established 20 years ago the current basic plan is Japans fifth, (2016-2021) and consists of four major objectives, each with its own targets:

Enabling technologies big data, artificial intelligence, bio- and nanotechnology Japan places the utmost importance on realising a super smart society. This consists of prioritising the development of cutting-edge IT and technology for IoT (Internet of Things), while also paying particular attention to other countries IoT-related technology promotion policies Germanys Industry 4.0, the United States Advanced Manufacturing Partnership, and Chinas Made in China 2025. Big data analytics, AI (Artificial Intelligence), cyber security and networking will also be promoted as the fundamental technologies necessary to build the super smart society service platform.

A number of numerical goals have been set by the Japanese Government, such as:

The number of researchers moving among universities, research institutes and commercial companies will increase from 10,000 in 2013 to 12,000 by 2020.

Increasing the proportion of full-time university faculty less than 40 years old to 30% or more by 2020 on a nationwide level.

The proportion of female researchers among new hires mentioned in the 4th Basic Plan (30% of the total in natural sciences overall, 20% in physical sciences, 15% in engineering, 30% in agriculture sciences, and 30% in medicine, dentistry and pharmacology combined), has not yet been achieved, and is now being pushed further.

Increasing the investment from commercial companies into university-oriented research projects from JPY 39 billion in 2013 to about JPY 80 billion by 2020.

Making the total public and private-sector R&D investment reach at least 4% of GDP (about JPY 26 trillion) by 2020 (this is a high-level goal.)

Concepts such as open science, networked science, and citizen science indicate a more inclusive approach to managing the countrys research and development. Increased participation between ministries, within ministries, and among funding agencies is also being prioritised. Small and medium-sized businesses will receive additional support regarding standardisation.

It is valuable to note that Japan currently has the worlds second-highest number of Nobel Prize laureates in the 21st century for natural sciences, which reinforces the countrys presence in science and technology around the world. This 5th Plan, however, stresses that this world standing in S&T is in decline and dropping in competitiveness, in comparison to other countries which are further strengthening their science and technology policies year after year. To combat this and remain a serious competitor in world Science and Technology, it is extremely important for Japan to foster and secure human resources in science and technology and promote its activities. MEXT is therefore currently working on comprehensive human resources development measures spanning everyone from children to leading researchers and engineers. MEXT is doing this by developing the talents and broadening the horizons of children who like science, fostering environments where diverse people including young, female, and international researchers can exercise their abilities, and promoting a professional engineer system.

MEXT has recently published a brochure providing an overview of their initiatives against the COVID-19 pandemic in the field of education. First and foremost, MEXT promises to take whatever measures necessary to ensure childrens learning as much as possible, without anyone being left behind. To provide schools across the country with the necessary human and material resources for ensuring effective learning, MEXT has assigned large numbers of additional teachers, school support staff, funding, and more. The ministry is also providing all elementary, junior high, and high schools nationwide with funding to support school reopenings in the hope of taking quick, flexible countermeasures against COVID-19 and ensuring quality learning. Starting the GIGA (Global and Innovative Gateway for All) School Program will optimise learning by providing one computer per student and high-speed Internet for schools.

Alongside these measures, Japan is also preparing environments for home study using ICT. In the face of the COVID-19 crisis, integrated preparation of hardware, software, and personnel under the GIGA School Program will be accelerated and strengthened. The overriding aim is the early installation of these measures to maximise potential. Through these initiatives, it is ensured that all children can learn by using ICT even in emergency situations, such as temporary school closures due to natural disasters or infectious diseases in the future.

In terms of higher education, MEXT has allocated $95 million in the governments supplementary budget for support in preparing an IT environment that will enable universities to set up a system and equipment for conducting distance learning classes and to provide advanced education using digital technology. The ministry is also providing financial support to those most adversely affected.

Prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, education was already driving forward science and technology in Japan. MEXT has been promoting Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), a global, UNESCO-led initiative. For a more sustainable society, ESD aims to develop students values and behaviour, helping them to solve various issues. Commenting on this initiative, MEXT stated; in a world that will need to keep dealing with COVID-19 for the foreseeable future, the importance of initiatives such as ESD is growing more and more apparent.

Editor's Recommended Articles

Follow Open Access Government

View original post here:

How can Japan remain a world competitor in Science and Technology? - Open Access Government

German Sensor and Measuring Technology Association Report Q2 Business Decline Metrology and Quality News – Online Magazine – "metrology…

Posted on by

The Germany Association for Sensors and Measurement (AMA), polls its approximately 450 members, about the economic development in the second quarter 2020. According to the AMA gathered data, the industry generated a drop in sales of 8% in the second quarter compared to the previous quarter. Incoming orders in the industry also developed negatively, falling by 13%. The share of AMA member companies that have registered short-time working rose to 55% in the second quarter.

AMA has stated that it is interesting to note that large and small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) show similar sales trends, but expectations differ. While SMEs had predicted a 14% drop in sales in the first quarter, they generated a result less negative than originally expected, at negative 8%. The large companies expected a decline of only 3% and have to cope with a drop in sales of 9%.

For the current quarter, SMEs are expecting a 3% decline while the large companies are predicting a 1% decline.

Suppliers to the strongly sensor-driven automotive, mobility, mechanical and electrical engineering sectors suffered the sharpest falls in sales. Expectations for the current quarter are also clouding significantly in these sectors. Suppliers to the semiconductor and medical technology industries and to the companys own sensor and measurement technology sector are more confident.

The entire German economy experienced a significant decline in economic output in the first half of the year, says Thomas Simmons, AMA Managing Director. Subsequently, this development also pulled sensor and measurement technology into a downward trend. Weak demand from export markets is additionally flanking this sales trend. It is not yet possible to estimate quantitatively how severe the slump will be for sensor and measurement technology manufacturers.

For more information: http://www.ama-sensorik.de

HOME PAGE LINK

Latest Headline News

Waygate Technologies (formerly GE Inspection Technologies), has launched the next generation of its versatile industrial 2D radiography and 3D CT system Phoenix V|tome|x S240. While maintaining its industry-proven, optional combination

Closed-Loop is a term used in state-of-the-art bevel gear manufacturing, but has not been widely used, at least not as a term, in the cylindrical gear world. The Closed-Loop in

Hutchinson Aerospace is a leading systems supplier to the aviation sector due to its expertise in the areas of materials, engineering and production, in combination with on-site and aftermarket services.

GKN Powder Metallurgy is the global leader in metal powder production and in precision powder metal parts for the automotive and industrial sectors. GKN is increasing operational flexibility and worker

ZEISS Industrial Quality Solutions has announced it will install ZEISS AICell trace at a premier electric vehicle manufacturer in North Americain 2020. The correlation-free measuring cell is the most accurate,

Teton Simulation Software, a pioneer intechnology for 3D printing, has launched itsinaugural software product, Smart Slice forUltimaker Essentials. The new solution has been created to solve a major problem inthefused-filamentfabrication(FFF)additive

The miniaturization and integration of components is driving a growing demand for high-resolution metrology. This is particularly the case when access is required to measure part characteristics not attainable with

High quality laser scan system manufacturer SCANLAB GmbH of Germany has a new affiliate company. TecInvest Holding AG, the parent company of SCANLAB GmbH, is taking a 25 percent stake

The Shanghai Manufacturing Platform for Smart Manufacturing Co. Ltd. (SPSM) is committed to developing and advancing new manufacturing technologies. High-precision measurement technology plays a key role in its research areas

When a robot grasps a cylinder block weighing 50 kilos and approaches a saw or milling cutter, any vibration or sliding motion must be avoided. But deviations from target production

The BMW Group is using a new augmented reality (AR) application in vehicle concept and prototype engineering, speeding up the process by as much as twelve months, from individual vehicle

In recent years the concept of keeping a digital twin of a manufactured part has moved from being a concept in military aviation to a reality across many industries. The

Flexible, digital, efficient and sustainable: Factory 56 embodies the future of production at Mercedes-Benz and sets new standards for the automotive industry. With an investment of approximately 730 million Euros,

3D Imaging is Everywhere 3D point cloud image capture and RGB-Z color images are becoming indispensable tools for a wide range of applications. From Apples FaceID to industrial machine vision,

Manufacturing success has always required the careful collection and analysis of data. Since the dawn of the Industrial Revolution in the late 18th century, shops have been performing increasingly sophisticated

Original post:

German Sensor and Measuring Technology Association Report Q2 Business Decline Metrology and Quality News - Online Magazine - "metrology...

New knees, happy hips with Mako Robotic-Arm Assisted Technology – Post Register

Posted on by

Like most people whove had a hip or knee replacement which replaces an arthritic or damaged joint with an artificial implant 60-year-old Walt Renton will tell you that he feels more mobile than he has in years.

Before Mr. Renton had the knee surgery, just walking up a flight of stairs was painful. Now he can walk up and down hills, chase horses, and get out and about and it doesnt hurt. In Mr. Rentons case, as in many cases, replacing a knee or hip especially using the latest techniques and technologies can restore the ability to get up and go.

Recent improvements in technology and surgical techniques have given us the ability to perform these kinds of procedures much more effectively. The latest advancements in joint replacement surgery have significantly transformed the way knee & hip reconstruction is performed.

Bingham Memorial Hospital, a member of Bingham Healthcare, was the first hospital in Eastern Idaho to offer knee and hip surgeries with the Mako Robotic-Arm Assisted Surgery System, and they are still the only team actively using the Mako in the region. Bingham is proud to have four extremely talented orthopedic surgeons who are trained on the Mako: David Peterson, DO; Nathan Richardson, MD; Benjamin Allen, MD; and, Nicholas Pearson, DO.

Mako robotic-arm assisted surgery has dramatically changed the way joint replacement procedures are performed by providing each patient with a personalized surgical experience based on their specific diagnosis and anatomy. Using a virtual 3D model, the Mako System allows surgeons to create each patients surgical plan pre-operatively, before the patient even enters the operating room.

During surgery, the surgeon can validate that plan and make any necessary adjustments while guiding the robotic-arm to execute the procedure exactly as planned. Its exciting to be able to offer this transformative technology to perform knee and hip replacements to the patients of Eastern Idaho.

Some of the other latest advances include:

Computer-guided surgery. Sensors are placed on the patients body and a computer assists with navigation so the surgeon can place the implant with greater accuracy and precision.

Minimally-invasive techniques. Using minimally-invasive surgical techniques today involves much smaller incisions, causing less muscle injury and soft tissue damage.

Material upgrades. Many of the advances in joint replacement result from the materials used to create the artificial joints. For example, hip replacements can be performed using components made of metal, ceramic or high-tech plastic, all of which can last 20-30 years or more.

Better fit. The companies that manufacture hip and knee replacement components today offer a broad range of sizes and shapes that fit almost anyone, which wasnt always the case. Many women used to experience discomfort after knee replacement surgerybut now dontbecause standard components often were slightly too big and hung off the bone a bit, causing pain.

Better pain management and physical therapy. Newer pain treatment options, such as nerve blocks, can help decrease the perception of painhelping patients participate more actively in the rehabilitation needed for a complete recovery. More aggressive physical therapy also helps patients get back to regular activities, even exercise, much sooner than in the past.

And thats not all. Bingham Healthcare Orthopedics & Sports Medicine is always looking for new treatment approaches, materials, and techniques, all of which help surgeons achieve the best possible results. In the early days of knee replacement, one-size-fits-all implants replicated a simple hinge. Now, more than 150 types of implants, constructed from durable materials like titanium and high-tech plastic, are made to accommodate patient characteristics and mimic the roll-and-glide motion of the joint.

New Knee or Hip, Pain-Free

Suffering from persistent knee or hip pain or both? Please feel free to reach out to one of our Mako-Certified Providers to schedule an appointment.

Benjamin J. Allen, MD

As an orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist, Dr. Allen treats sports-related injuries and is Mako-Certified for joint replacement for the knee. He is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon with advanced fellowship training in sports medicine, and he covers the Idaho State University Athletics where he serves as the Head Team Orthopedic Surgeon.

To schedule an appointment with Dr. Allen, please call (208) 239-8000. He sees patients in Pocatello, Blackfoot, and American Falls.

Nicholas B. Pearson, DO

As an orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Pearson specializes in arthritis and minimally invasive joint replacement for the elbow, knee, and hip, and is a Mako-certified provider. He is a fellowship-trained orthopedic surgeon with a specialty in sports medicine.

He sees patients in Blackfoot and Idaho Falls. To schedule an appointment, please call (208) 524-9400.

David J. Peterson, DO

As a leading orthopedic surgeon in Eastern Idaho, David Peterson, DO, specializes in arthritis and minimally invasive joint replacement for the knee and hip. He is board certified in orthopedics and fellowship trained in total knee replacement.

Dr. Peterson sees patients in Pocatello, Blackfoot, and Idaho Falls. If you have questions about your knee or hip health, or are ready to find relief from constant knee or hip pain, call (208) 782-2999 to schedule an appointment.

Nathan Richardson, MD

Dr. Richardson has highly advanced training for shoulder and elbow surgeries and is constantly researching new treatment approaches, materials, and techniques, all for better patient outcomes. As a leading orthopedic shoulder surgeon in Eastern Idaho who is a Mako-certified provider, his reputation as an excellent and extremely experienced shoulder surgeon makes him one of the most sought after doctors in the region.

For more information about how Dr. Richardson can help you with your shoulder or elbow pain, call (208) 239-8000. He sees patients in Pocatello and Soda Springs.

Learn more about the Mako system or these Bingham Healthcare providers by visiting http://www.BinghamMemorial.org/Mako.

Read the original post:

New knees, happy hips with Mako Robotic-Arm Assisted Technology - Post Register

Editor’s question: What are the advantages of using automation technology and how are such capabilities secure? – Intelligent CIO ME

Posted on by

Intelligent automation will play a critical role in shaping a new, technologically-enabled, post-pandemic future of work, according to new research by Pegasystems, the software company empowering Digital Transformation at some of the worlds leading enterprises. The global study, conducted by research firm, Savanta, surveyed over 3,000 global senior managers and frontline IT staff for their thoughts on technologys future role in a significantly altered business landscape.

The research found that preparedness for future pandemics or similar disruptions was still the main focus for many, with an overwhelming majority (84%) of respondents identifying it as a high priority an unsurprising figure when you consider that nearly one in three (31%) said they were either totally unprepared or not very prepared for the impact of COVID-19. It also found that intelligent automation has emerged as one of the key technologies used to future-proofbusinesses against disruptive events.

A total of 76% of respondents said the pandemic will cause them to increase their intelligent automation investment. Meanwhile, 74% of survey participants agree that further external shocks that temporarily remove people from the workplace will result in more intelligent automation and Artificial Intelligence (AI) investment, while 76% also say that unpredictable mass illness and/or self-isolation will drive increased business demand for intelligent automation. Over half (51%) of respondents also said they would increase investment in AI and cloud solutions to guard against the business impact of future pandemics.

More broadly, the study found that technology will have a profound effect on the way we work in the future, with 86% of respondents expecting technology to either significantly change or produce quite a lot of change in the way people in their organisation work over the next five years. Tellingly, 0% of respondents said that technology would drive no change over that period.

Additional findings highlight how other types of technology could also profoundly change the way we work, our job satisfaction and who or what we work with:

We talked to the experts who offer their best practice advice on how automation can provide business advantages and how such capabilities are secure.

David Shepherd, Global VP of Sales Engineering at Ivanti: As the business landscape continually evolves, its important that enterprises can keep up and investing in automation is key to achieving this. The current global pandemic has placed more impetus on businesses to digitally transform in order to continue supporting their employees while they work from home, in the same way as they would be supported working on-premise. The shift to fluid working has increased the demand on IT and security teams, which they must continue to meet at the same level as before, even though they may have less resources available.

Cybercriminals are taking advantage of the remote working shift and will likely continue to do so as the equilibrium between remote and office-based working is eventually reached. Remote working places much more responsibility in the hands of employees to protect their corporate networks, which has led to a rapid rise in cyberattacks an increase of 63% according to the Information Systems Security Association. Whats more, with cybersecurity pros moved from security onto other tasks, such as IT support to enable the smooth transition to remote working, this invaluable business practice risks being left to the wayside.

This is where automation comes into play. However, due to the current complexity and dynamic nature of IT and security, it needs to be taken further than basic workflow automation and conversational bots. Businesses should therefore invest in hyper-automation in order to secure their assets and infrastructure, which Gartner defines as the combination of multiple Machine Learning, packaged software and automation tools to deliver work. With hyper-automation, businesses will be able to self-heal, self-secure devices and self-service end-users proactively, predictably and continuously.

Promoting a shift-left approach with hyper-automation and moving problem resolution as close to the end-user as possible can do much for cybersecurity. At its peak, hyper-automation can enable devices to autonomously self-heal and will help businesses react more quickly to real threats. Hyper-automation means autonomous discovery can take place to continuously monitor for changes to the IT environment, giving security teams maximum visibility. Algorithms will then use this information to anticipate and prioritise threats responding to the most critical first and proactive and adaptive remediation will take place autonomously in response to this information.In practice, this capability can respond to a critical patch being released by identifying those devices that need it installed, prioritising it above other updates and proactively installing it before any vulnerabilities are exposed.

With the addition of hyper-automation, security teams can take advantage of automated and predictive analytics to keep on top of their business cybersecurity, despite battling with limited resources. Ultimately, this means security alerts will be responded to faster, and security teams will face less pressure as devices self-heal without alerts or tickets crossing the desks of staff.

Mark Anderson, Senior Director, Global Solutions Architecture EMEA, Equinix: Discussions around robots taking over human processes traditionally conjure up images of a dystopian world where machines reign supreme. While this may be the basis of countless Hollywood scripts and science fiction novels, the reality of using robotics to automate human processes is far more useful.

Machines that automate everyday processes today often focus on simple tasks like packing boxes and monitoring inventory. Because these robots are pre-programmed and assigned specific tasks, supply chain issues can arise when they encounter previously unseen variables. To embrace the next generation of robotics and machine automation, companies across the technology sector have been investing in the development of complex machines capable of leveraging applied sensor-based technology and AI capabilities.

Maximising the future of automation is dependent on a distributed, hybrid multi-cloud IT architecture with low latency and ultra-secure connectivity for the exchange of highly sensitive data. This type of infrastructure provides unrivalled computing power and storage resources to enhance autonomous machine capabilities far beyond the current level.

The term cloud robotics is often used to describe the technology that improves the core AI models in the cloud with insights gathered by connected robots at the digital Edge. This ultimately allows machines to offload all data-intensive tasks to the cloud including image recognition, mapping systems, Machine Learning and software updates. This convergence of IoT, AI and their supporting IT architectures can infuse greater intelligence into robots and will be vital in optimising the autonomous capabilities of machines and delivering better business outcomes.

Cloud robotics will be key in realising the true potential of Industry 4.0 (the next phase of the Industrial Revolution), which aims to improve processes via increased automation, machine-to-machine communication and Internet of Things (IoT) deployments. Ultimately, this maximises efficiency in the overall manufacturing process. The advent of 5G is set to accelerate the true realisation of Industry 4.0 as enterprises from a wide range of sectors look to take advantage of its increased download speeds.

Equinixs flagship cloud connectivity platform, Equinix Cloud Exchange Fabric (ECX Fabric), directly, securely and dynamically connects distributed infrastructure and digital ecosystems on Platform Equinix. Via ECX Fabric, enterprises can quickly add connectivity to hundreds of cloud providers, network providers and other ECX Fabric participants, ensuring access to the systems and applications they need to remain competitive.

This solution also provides a superior level of security because it is based on interconnection the direct and secure transfer of data between businesses, away from the public Internet. The highly secure, scalable nature of interconnection will be fundamental in delivering the next generation of automation as companies look to move, store and process data at the digital Edge to bring about better business outcomes.

Facebook Twitter LinkedInEmailWhatsApp

Link:

Editor's question: What are the advantages of using automation technology and how are such capabilities secure? - Intelligent CIO ME

Soccer Technology and Experience Brand TOCA Welcomes Soccer Hall of Famer Abby Wambach and Global Marketing Executive Richelle Parham to Board of…

Posted on by

COSTA MESA, Calif., Sept. 23, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- TOCA Football, Inc. (TOCA), the world's first soccer-focused and technology-enabled experience company, has appointed Abby Wambach and Richelle Parham to its Board of Directors.

"We are honored to have both Abby and Richelle supporting the future of TOCA with the invaluable experience and expertise they both bring to the table," said Erik Anderson, WestRiver Group (WRG) Founder and CEO and Co-Chairman of TOCA. "Our team is growing stronger by the day, and we're proud our board reflects the diversity we hope to see more of in the world of sports."

Wambachis a two-time Olympic gold medalist and FIFA World Cup Champion. She was the United States' leading scorer in the 2007 and 2011 Women's World Cup tournaments and the 2004 and 2012 Olympics. An activist for equality and inclusion, Abby is the author of the New York Times bestsellers "Forward: A Memoir" and "Wolfpack." She is co-founder of Wolfpack Endeavor, which is revolutionizing leadership development for women in the workplace and beyond through her champion mindset, individualized coaching and team-bound focus.

"Soccer is the most-loved sport in the world, and TOCA is on a mission to give players and fans alike a chance to practice and play in a truly unique way using its proprietary technologies," said Wambach. "I'm excited to be part of a company that's dedicated to sharing the joy of this sport with everyone, no matter their age, background or skill-level."

Parham is Managing Director at WRG where she leads the Experience sector. Prior to joining WRG, Parham was a partner at Camden Partners, a private equity firm focused on lower middle market growth stage investments, and she served as Chief Marketing Officer of eBay. Richelle's experience also includes serving in numerous executive leadership positions at Visa, Rapp and Digitas. She is currently a member of the Board of Directors of Best Buy, LabCorp and e.l.f. Beauty. Richelle has been named one of the "50 Most Influential CMOs in the World" by Forbes and one of the "Most Creative People in Business" by Fast Company.

"The soccer industry has never seen a company quite like TOCA before, and that's why I am so excited to join its board," said Parham.

"TOCA is primed and ready for exciting expansion across the globe.We are honored to be advised by an unparalleled Board of Directors comprised of renowned leaders from the sport, experiences and technology industries," said Yoshi Maruyama, CEO of TOCA.

TOCA's Board of Directors include:

In addition, TOCA recently secured $15 million in a new financing facility. To date, TOCA has raised a total of $65 million in capital and is expected to release additional funding updates later in 2020. TOCA previously announced the closing of its Series D funding led by existing shareholders WRG, RNS and affiliated family office investors with roots in the technology sector.

TOCA was founded in 2014 by two-time U.S. World Cup and former MLS and English Premier League midfielder Eddie Lewis. Lewis led the development of TOCA's training platform, which employs a proprietary ball machine (the patented TOCA Touch Trainer), digitalized and integrated targets (the patented TOCA Smart Targets) and a data-enhanced app to track player progress, for players at every level. Young children play alongside top professionals in the company's growing number of purpose-built sport studios, where over 42 million balls have been delivered to date.

TOCA currently has 12 training centers throughout North America, including in Washington state, Southern California, Georgia and British Columbia, with an aggressive growth plan to open 300 more centers in the next 10 years. In addition, the company recently announced its newest concept TOCA Social, a gamified soccer-themed entertainment venue which will open at The O2 Center in London during summer 2021.

For more information on TOCA, visit http://www.tocafootball.com.

ABOUT TOCA FOOTBALLHeadquartered inCosta Mesa, California, TOCA Football, Inc. is a soccer-focused, technology enabled experience company that aims to transform the sports experience and to build communities that inspire everybody to play. TOCA provides an authentic soccer experience on demand, making players better and getting fans playing.This shared TOCA experience is the basis of a global, inclusive TOCA community in which we all share our love of the World's Game. TOCA is backed by more than$65 millionof capital raised through multiple fundraisings. TOCA was named to Forbes' list of Top 500 Startup Employers in 2020 For more information please visitTOCAfootball.comor follow @tocafootball on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

MEDIA CONTACTS

Aaron Blank and Nikki Arnone, Fearey for TOCA[emailprotected]

SOURCE TOCA Football, Inc.

http://www.tocafootball.com

Visit link:

Soccer Technology and Experience Brand TOCA Welcomes Soccer Hall of Famer Abby Wambach and Global Marketing Executive Richelle Parham to Board of...

Creavo Medical Technologies Appoints Martin Frost as Chairman – Business Wire

Posted on by

COVENTRY, England--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Creavo Medical Technologies Ltd (Creavo), the medical device company developing innovative diagnostics techniques, has announced that it has appointed Martin Frost as Chairman of the Board of Directors. In this role, Martin will drive Creavos fundraising plans, and guide its strategy to scale the business and commercialise its diagnostic technologies.

Creavo has designed and built a platform device to map and analyse the magnetic fields of the heart. Based on this platform, the Company is developing Corsens, a medical device intended to be used by non-specialist staff to scan patients through clothing, at the point of admission to emergency departments. The non-invasive product has been designed to improve speed and accuracy in the ruling out of potentially life-threatening heart problems, to reduce patient anxiety and save hospitals valuable time and resource.

With over 20 years of industry experience, Martin co-founded CMR Surgical in 2014. As CEO of CMR he was recognised as UK Disruptor of the year in the 2019 Entrepreneur of the Year awards, and Executive of the Year at the 2019 MedTech Insight awards, recognising his success in taking CMR from inception to global commercialisation with its surgical robot, Versius. To scale CMR, Martin raised over 250m, a record for any private European medical devices business. Previously Martin has held several C-suite positions including CEO and CFO of Sagentia, the leading technology development company based in Cambridge, which he listed on the London Stock Exchange. Martin qualified as a Chartered Management Accountant, graduated from Cambridge University, and is Chair of the Peek Vision Foundation.

Martin succeeds Robert Barr who has championed the technology with Creavo founder, Professor Ben Varcoe, since 2009 and has chaired the Board from company inception in 2014. Robert helped to successfully spin out Creavo from the University of Leeds through proof of concept studies to a point where the technology can be deployed into hospital trials.

Martin Frost, Chairman of the Board at Creavo, commented: I believe that the technology developed by the team at Creavo has the potential to make a substantial difference in emergency medicine, which is an area of urgent unmet clinical need. Creavo has every opportunity to become a significant UK medical devices company and I look forward to working with Steve and the Board on that journey.

Steve Parker, Creavo Medical Technologies Chief Executive Officer, said: I am delighted to welcome Martin to Creavo, particularly at a point where we are rapidly progressing towards commercialisation. His considerable experience in successfully growing medical device businesses will make a significant difference and add value to the company and for our shareholders. I would like to thank Robert for his commitment to Creavo and his guidance and support, which has enabled us to get where we are today.

For more information please visit: http://www.creavomedtech.com

Read the original here:

Creavo Medical Technologies Appoints Martin Frost as Chairman - Business Wire

Musk downplays vehicle-to-grid technology: It has lower utility than you think – The Driven

Posted on by

Tesla boss Elon Musk has downplayed hopes that the companys high performing and best selling electric cars will soon be delivering vehicle to grid (V2G) options, saying that the utility of the service is overplayed.

Vehicle to grid sounds good but has much lower utility than people think, Musk said in response to questions at the conclusion of the companys Battery Day presentation, which unveiled improvements that will lead to a halving in battery costs and a 50 per cent-plus improvement in range.

Musks line was basically this, that unless you have your power cut off at your home, then sending back energy to the grid is just creating a back-flow on the network, and while there were many who thought V2G could deliver essential services to the grid at times, it could restrict peoples ability to drive when they want.

People want the freedom to be able to drive, and charge at their house, he said.

V2G, or Vehicle to Home is seen as a major new development in the switch to a renewables-based grid because the amount of energy stored in a mostly electric transport fleet could be considerable.

Numerous trials are occurring in Australia and overseas to test the technology and how it would work, and grid operators are openly talking about how to plug in to that potentially massive storage capacity. Some car manufacturers, such as Nissan, are already rolling out V2G capable cars, such as the new Nissan Leaf.

Musk and Tesla have some reason not to be so enthusiastic about it, even if the new developments in battery storage technology deliver longer life batteries that may not be so impacted by the more regular cycling in V2G.

Tesla has a rival product the stationary storage units such as Powerwalls and also has grand plans for autonomous driving, creating a fleet of robo-taxis that will be in near continuous use, at least when they are not charging. That means it might come down to how much an EV is paid to provide services to the grid compared to operating as a transport service.

It will be problematic if you get to the morning, and instead of being charged, (the car) has discharged, Musk said. It will be better to have a Powerwall and a car operating separately. Then everything works.

The irony is that Musk suggested that providing the V2G in a Tesla EV could be as simple as updating the software. And he said it was offered in the companys first product, the Roadster but nobody used it (which is perhaps not surprising given the nature of the vehicle).

Giles Parkinson is founder and editor of The Driven, and also edits and founded Renew Economy and One Step Off The Grid. He has been a journalist for 35 years and is a former business and deputy editor of the Australian Financial Review.

Original post:

Musk downplays vehicle-to-grid technology: It has lower utility than you think - The Driven

Volante Technologies Collaborates with Goldman Sachs to Launch Digital Transaction Banking in the Cloud – PRNewswire

Posted on by

NEW YORK, LONDON, DUBAI, United Arab EmiratesANDMEXICO CITY, Sept. 23, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Volante Technologies, the global leader in cloud payments and financial messaging, today announced that Volante has been collaborating with Goldman Sachs Bank USA ("Goldman Sachs") to provide the payments technology underpinning the bank's recently launched digital transaction banking service built entirely from scratch in the cloud, an industry first. Volante has also become a client of the platform.

The Goldman Sachs Transaction Banking Platformis designed to benimble, secure, and easy for the bank's corporate clients to use and for partners to connect to. The platform is fully API-enabled and incorporates rich analytics, liquidity management, virtual accounts, and payments. At the core of this platform is Volante's cloud-native VolPay, providing unified end-to-end processing of domestic and international payments, including foreign exchange/FX, across U.S. wires, ACH, SWIFT cross-border payments, and other payment rails.

Luc Teboul, Managing Director and engineering lead for the Goldman Sachs Transaction Banking platform, said, "In launching digital transaction banking for our customers, we needed both cutting-edge functionality and the agility to meet ambitious targets. At the same time, we always aim to collaborate with companies who have the desire to be long term partners. Volante met our top criteria for an ideal collaborator: modern cloud-native technology, deep payments and transaction banking expertise, and the ability and flexibility to deliver against aggressive deadlines. We welcomed them as a client very early on in our journey."

Uday Thakur, Co-founder & CTO, Volante Technologies, added, "We are delighted to be collaborating with an innovative and disruptive organization like Goldman Sachs. This is truly a two-way street: our payments solutions and know-how have enabled Goldman Sachs to rapidly launch a superior cloud transaction banking service, while they worked closely with us in the certification process with US domestic and cross-border payment networks."

Thakur continued, "We are excited about the platform we have built, and the proof is in our decision to become Goldman Sachs Transaction Banking customers ourselves. We look forward to extending our collaboration in both directions, helping Goldman Sachs evolve their transaction banking roadmap, while we benefit from their advanced payments, FX, and cash management services."

About Volante TechnologiesVolante Technologies is a global leading provider of technology and software as a service to accelerate digital transformation and modernization in financial services. Our clients include the world's largest banks, market infrastructures, exchanges, clearing houses, corporate treasuries, and card networks.

Volante's ecosystem of business services simplifies and automates complex systems and processes in payments, capital markets, and financial message integration. As a result, our clients are able to stay ahead of emerging market trends, become more competitive, deliver superior customer experiences, and grow their businesses through innovation.

Founded in Silicon Valley in 2001, Volante today serves as a trusted, strategic business partner to over 90 financial institutions in 35 countries.

For further information please visit: http://www.volantetech.com

SOURCE Volante Technologies, Inc.

http://www.volantetech.com

Read more:

Volante Technologies Collaborates with Goldman Sachs to Launch Digital Transaction Banking in the Cloud - PRNewswire

Blue World Technologies addresses emerging market: The future of climate-neutral heavy-duty – Automotive World

Posted on by

Blue World Technologies addresses the heavy-duty market based on market demand and a solid technology match, where the methanol fuel cell technology can contribute to the decarbonisation of a sector where direct electrification alone is not possible.

Electrification of road transport is gaining momentum as a solution for long-term decarbonisation of the global transportation sector is necessary. For passenger and light-duty vehicles direct electrification with batteries is a promising and energy-efficient candidate for reducing CO2 and other harmful emissions. For heavy-duty trucks with short-range requirements and frequent stops and starts operating in urban areas, direct electrification with batteries is a potential solution for efficient and sustainable transport of goods. However, for most heavy-duty freight transport, direct electrification with batteries is challenging given the energy storage requirements for long-range operations carrying heavy payloads.

Worldwide the interest in the green transition of the transportation sector has increased significantly within the past years, and the focus is going beyond direct electrification. For instance, it can be seen when looking at Power-to-X technology, where renewable electricity can be turned into liquid methanol as an alternative fuel to gasoline or diesel. Based on that, we see the heavy-duty market as a very promising market for us to address, says Mads Friis Jensen, CCO, and Co-founder at Blue World Technologies.

An alternative road for decarbonisation of heavy-duty freight transport is through indirect electrification with renewable liquid electro-fuels in combination with fuel cell technology or internal combustion engines. Liquid fuels, such as methanol (CH3OH), produced from renewable electricity are highly compatible with existing distribution and refuelling technologies enabling a cost-effective, safe, and flexible transition from fossil-based fuels to renewable and CO2-neutral fuels. The future of heavy-duty freight carriers is most likely to be a combination of different drivetrain technologies designed to meet specific demands and operations in specific areas.

Fuel cells is a prominent technology for indirect electrification through renewably produced methanol to overcome the inherent disadvantages of batteries in heavy-duty applications. A methanol fuel cell drivetrain is equipped with an onboard reformer converting the liquid methanol into a hydrogen-rich gas. The fuel cell converts the reformate gas into electricity powering the electric motors. The combination of onboard reforming and high-temperature PEM fuel cells creates a thermal symbiosis offering high electrical efficiency while eliminating NOx, SOx and particle (PM) emissions. Methanol from biomass and renewable origin also eliminates CO2 emissions from a well-to-wheel perspective and truly enables CO2-neutral mobility.

Methanol is a high-density energy carrier which is liquid at atmospheric pressure making it simple and cost-effective to refuel and store in large volumes onboard heavy-duty vehicles. Providing high vehicle availability, long driving range, and superior drivetrain energy density, methanol is comparable with diesel engine heavy-duty trucks and it exceeds beyond batteries and other renewable energy carriers. A high drivetrain energy density enables equivalent payload as todays diesel trucks is an essential element for transportation companies. Compared to hydrogen-powered fuel cells, a methanol fuel cell system eliminates some of the difficult challenges linked to handling and distribution, infrastructure investments, and low volumetric energy density.

Light and heavy-duty freight trucks account for 27.9% of all road transport emissions in Europe and in connection to the Paris Agreements goal of becoming climate-neutral in 2050, it requires fundamental changes to production and usage of transportation fuels to meet the goals. Methanol is already commonly used in the industry, and therefore widely available around the globe. Today, methanol is mainly produced from natural gas and coal, however, with the ongoing expansion of renewable energy production from wind and solar, the need for energy storage and Power-to-X solutions are on the rise and multiple businesses throughout Europe are already exploring the potential of converting different feedstocks, including renewable electricity, biomass and solid waste, into methanol. A complete map of activities related to renewable methanol can be found here.

The potential applications for renewable methanol are endless. Methanol is already used in maritime applications, light and heavy-duty transportation, passenger vehicles, and for stationary power generation. In China, Geely commercial vehicle brand has developed the worlds first pure methanol combustion heavy-duty truck providing significant reductions of CO2 and other tailpipe emissions. Methanol is a biodegradable and clean-burning fuel, and MAN Energy Solutions has developed a dual-fuel methanol engine to meet the stringent emission regulations in sea freight transport. Multiple countries, including Denmark, are exploring different blending strategies to reduce CO2 emissions from combustion engine vehicles. A methanol/gasoline blended fuel for existing gasoline vehicles is a cost-effective approach for achieving CO2 reductions while avoiding massive investments in new vehicles and infrastructure development, as methanol is compatible with the existing refuelling facilities.

SOURCE:Blue World Technologies

Follow this link:

Blue World Technologies addresses emerging market: The future of climate-neutral heavy-duty - Automotive World

Are you getting the most out of your Medicare plan? – The Columbian

Posted on by

If the year 2020 has taught us anything, its that change is one of the few constants we can count on. Your health insurance is something you should always be able to rely on, but a little-known fact that catches a lot of folks off guard is that their Medicare plans can change from year to year.

Medicare Advantage and Prescription Drug plans often undergo changes from year to year, which is why its so important to review your coverage annually. Private companies that administer Medicare Advantage and Prescription Drug plans are in competition with one another to offer comprehensive benefits at low costs, so its important to compare your options. Its common to see benefits like dental coverage, alternative medicine, chiropractic and massage therapy, and wellness incentive programs appear and disappear from plans so comparing and contrasting your choices is key.

If youre on a Medicare plan, your company will send you a letter called an Annual Notice of Change. Also referred to as an ANOC, you can expect these letters to arrive by the end of September each year. Your insurance company sends these letters to tell you about the specific parts of your plan that will be changing in the next calendar year.

If youre not a fan of the changes to your Medicare plan, never fear! The Medicare Annual Enrollment Period runs from October 15th to December 7th of every year, and during that time you can sign up for or change your Medicare Advantage or Prescription Drug plan. Even if you like your plan, you should shop around and weigh your options just like you would if you were thinking of buying a new car or a new furniture set for your home. Remember to think about your doctor preferences, medications, and medical needs. The choices can be overwhelming, so it may be advantageous to have a local insurance broker guide you.

Health Insurance brokers train year-round to stay on top of important Medicare regulations and products. Independent brokers like the agents with Your Insurance Gal Agency contract with multiple companies and go through special trainings to learn about what each of their plans has to offer.Some agents are even involved with member organizations that monitor state and federal legislation regarding health insurance. These are great agents to partner with!

Read more from the original source:

Are you getting the most out of your Medicare plan? - The Columbian

How Can Liberal Democracy Respond to the Rise of QAnon? – Byline Times

Posted on by

CJ Werleman explores the overlap between those with hard right beliefs and people with a desire to lead alternative lifestyles via the conspiracy theory group which believes Donald Trump is saving the world from cannibals and paedophiles

The US Presidential Election will go a long way to determining whether or not democracy, liberalism, and political parties of the left are able to survive in the social media age.

If American voters re-elect Donald Trump a President who is on tape admitting that he downplayed a virus that has killed more than 200,000 people and put 30 million more on the unemployment line, while at the same time smearing dead US soldiers as losers and suckers and being credibly accused of sexual assault for the 42nd time then it will be in part because 56% of Republican Party voters steadfastly believe that he is defending the planet from a secret cabal of Satan-worshiping paedophiles and cannibals: a conspiracy theory known as QAnon, which contends that the secret end goal of liberalism is to legalise child sex.

A Trump victory in November would make evidently clear that a majority of voters are unable to discern truth from fiction, information from disinformation, and decency from vulgarity.

But the QAnon conspiracy is not confined to the US. It has now landed in the UK, in the midst of the countrys second COVID-19 wave.

This has to do with the QAnon movement, a late-middle-aged man who described himself a member of the English Democrats, told Byline TV during anti-mask protests held in London over the weekend.

We are a lot of people sitting at home while COVID-19 is going on and looking on their computers and finding out actually what is going on, he said. QAnon is giving people lots of information, and its asking you to use your mind. Its the best thing. I mean, I really didnt know what was going on for years and years. Now obviously theres an illness COVID-19 but its not to the extent it is they are giving and they are using COVID-19 to control the population. Its as simple as that. As Q would say, get on your computers, go out there and get the information for yourself.

In the real world, Q the alleged source of the conspiracy does not exist, originating instead as a poster on the far-right message board 4Chan, which has become popular among neo-Nazis, white nationalists and white supremacists.

When Q began accusing Democrats, Deep State government officials and liberal Hollywood elites of running a secret child-sex trafficking ring, QAnon conspiracy theorists began showing up at Trumps campaign rallies in 2018. Two years later, they are winning Republican Party primaries and on the verge of being elected to the US Congress.

In many ways, QAnon has become a one-stop-shop for right-wing extremists, anti-vaxxers, 5G conspiracy theorists, 9/11 truthers and anyone else seeking a simple reading of a complex world. But even more concerning is the way in which the movement seems to be evolving and is now associated with New Age hippies, Peloton mums, astrological forums and yoga communities.

It is remarkable how dramatic of a demographic shift QAnon has undergone in about two months, observes NBC investigative reporter Ben Collins. Suburban white women have completely taken over this movement.

Those following the evolution of the conspiracy movement have observed how female social media influencers, from mothering advice accounts to alternative health pages, have given QAnon a more feminine touch by softening the messages, videos and traditional imagery that would be associated with QAnon narratives, according to PhD researcher Marc Andre Argentino. This branding is the polar opposite of raw QAnon.

Slate magazines Lili Loofbourow says that, at the same time the QAnon conspiracy retains its violent roots, with subtle and not so subtle pleas for vigilante and anti-democratic retributions against its targets, its appeal is becoming more morally ambiguous, simultaneously frightening, and perfectly crafted to draw in a certain slice of suburban women.

Its worth mentioning that the FBI has identified QAnon conspiracy theorists as extremists who pose a potential domestic terrorism threat and that the EUs counter-terrorism coordinator, Giles de Kerchove, has warned about a future wave of terrorism rooted in conspiracy theories and technophobia.

We have already seen small-scale acts of violence caused by a belief in conspiracy theories for example, against telecom masts and given the amount of disinformation online, we could see more serious examples of this in the future, Kerchove told the counter-terrorism journal CTC Sentinel.

The growing nexus between the New Age movement and neo-Nazism that is forming via QAnon is especially troubling because it is undermining traditional liberal alliances the kind needed to withstand anti-democratic and pro-authoritarian movements.

Jules Evans, a fellow at the Centre for the History of the Emotions, documents how the New Age movement overlapped with far-right politics in Germany during the 1920s and 1930s. Not only did astrological organisations endorse Adolf Hitler, but the Nazis supported alternative medicine, homeopathy, natural healing and anti-vaccination conspiracy theories.

Hitler and his fellow Nazis sold the German people a simplistic, supernatural fantasy and conspiracy theory, in which all their problems were caused by a hidden global elite of monsters/vampires/demons that is, the Jews but the magical light-warriors of the Nazi Party would defeat them in a cosmic battle, ushering in a golden age of peace and love, writes Evans.

Does this sound like Q to you? she asks, rhetorically.

Gaia.com, a subscription-based platform, is not only for yoga and meditation enthusiasts but truth seekers and believers empowering an evolution of consciousness. The site, which boasts 300,000 members, also promotes David Icke, who has spoken of anti-Semitic conspiracy theories such as questioning the official narrative of Auschwitz and blaming powerful Jewish elites for the Holocaust, while also arguing that the world is being controlled by a secret group of shapeshifting reptilian humanoids.

Professor Gregory Stanton, the worlds most pre-eminent scholar of genocide, has said that QAnon is a Nazi cult but rebranded and draws comparisons between it and the anti-Semitic conspiracy that Nazi propaganda promoted that a secret Jewish cabal is taking control of the world, kidnapping and killing children to gain power from their blood, while mongrelising and curtailing the white master race.

The world has seen QAnon before, Stanton added. It was called Nazism. In QAnon, Nazism wants a comeback. The QAnon conspiracy theory has now spread to neo-Nazis in Germany, where over 200,000 German QAnon accounts infest the internet.

QAnon is flourishing at the same time as faith and trust in democratic institutions and scientific and academic expertise is declining, alongside the rise of social media algorithms trapping many in a sea of unfiltered disinformation.

Belief in conspiracy theories appears to be driven by motives that can be characterised as epistemic (understanding ones environment), existential (being safe and in control of ones environment), and social (maintaining a positive image of the self and the social group), according to a study conducted by the University of Kent.

It is reasonable to conclude that, in a world besieged by a global pandemic, climate change, terrorism, and economic decline, all three of these motives are gaining a foothold.

No democracy can survive when more than half of the voters belonging to one of the two major political parties believes its elected leader is keeping the world safe from Satan-worshipping paedophiles and cannibals and that his defeat represents a biblical Armageddon.

How will evidence-based centre-left and centre-right political parties in the US, UK and Europe withstand this intellectual onslaught?

Read more:

How Can Liberal Democracy Respond to the Rise of QAnon? - Byline Times

What Are the Health Benefits of Qi Gong? – Health Essentials from Cleveland Clinic

Posted on by

Its safe to say many of us are under more stress than usual these days. And sure, youd love to do something to lower your stress and improve your health. But who has time for that?

Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services.Policy

Actually, if you have 10 minutes a day, you have enough time to do qi gong. This ancient Chinese practice can reduce stress and help your body function at its best.

Integrative medicine specialist Yufang Lin, MD, talks about this age-old practice. It requires no special training or equipment and has some amazing potential health benefits.

Qi gong originated in China about 4,000 years ago. It is based on traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) principles, which state that qi, or energy, is present in everyones body.

According to TCM principles, a persons qi must flow throughout the body in order for people to feel their best, Dr. Lin explains. If qi becomes stagnant in a certain area, health problems can occur.

Qi gong uses simple poses and breathing patterns to promote a healthy flow and reduce stagnation of qi. Proper flow of qi can help the body engage its own healing processes. The literal translation of qi gong is to work with qi.

Qi gong is not a form of yoga. Yogas poses tend to require more strength, balance and stretching than qi gong. Yoga also originated in ancient India and is not rooted in TCM.

As a child in Taiwan, I would see people doing qi gong in the park on my way to school, Dr. Lin recalls. A lot of them were older people. The slow, purposeful movements of qi gong are less challenging to your balance. These movements are easy for most people to do and you can modify them. People can also do chair-based qi gong if they cant stand.

Dr. Lin says many smaller studies have shown that qi gong offers a variety of benefits. However, more large, controlled studies are needed to prove that qi gong can treat or even prevent health problems. Still, Dr. Lin says, qi gongs potential benefits make it well worth the effort. Its generally safe and easy for nearly anyone to try. Heres what the research says about qi gong:

One study found that qi gong could reduce symptoms of depression. In this study, those who practiced qi gong also experienced less anxiety and better moods as compared to those who didnt. Qi gong was also shown to have positive effects on bone and cardiovascular health and improve balance.

Chronic fatigue syndrome is a common disorder that causes extreme tiredness. There is no known cause, and it doesnt go away with rest. It can be difficult or nearly impossible for someone with chronic fatigue to function in their daily life.

In a study, 64 people with chronic fatigue experienced improvements in their symptoms after four months of practicing qi gong. They had better mental functioning and less fatigue than those who didnt. If youre tired all the time, and your doctor has ruled out any medical conditions, qi gong could help.

Your immune systems job is to fend off unwanted guests like viruses, bacteria and diseases. Thats an important responsibility. And qi gong may give your immune system a little extra help.

A review of several studies found that qi gong had a noticeable impact on immune functioning. It increased levels of certain immune cells in people who practiced it regularly.

Many people who are undergoing cancer treatment need relief from side effects and the stress of treatment. Often, they turn to alternative medicine practices like acupuncture, yoga or massage. Qi gong may have a place on this list, too.

Some evidence suggests that using qi gong can help patients with cancer fight fatigue and mood disturbances. This boost may be a welcome relief.

Keep in mind that qi gong is not an overnight fix. Like any exercise, you need time to master it to get the full benefits.

While taking a class is helpful, Dr. Lin says this isnt necessary. Many people learn qi gong from online videos and instructions. Pay attention to the form and learn it properly. Then you can focus on breathing and being present, Dr. Lin says.

Qi gong can help you feel your best plus, its free, easy and doesnt require much time. Not many other wellness activities can make those claims.

Regular exercise such as 30 minutes of walking a day is also an effective way to improve your health, reduce stress and help you sleep better. If you exercise regularly or plan to start, qi gong is a great addition to your routine. Working it in could be the healthy one-two punch you need during stressful times.

See the original post here:

What Are the Health Benefits of Qi Gong? - Health Essentials from Cleveland Clinic

The German Sleep Society (DGSM) Recognizes PAT based Technology in its New Sleep-Related Breathing Disorders Guidelines, Further Benefitting Itamar…

Posted on by

Updated guidelines represent a significant milestone in the adoption of Itamars Peripheral Arterial Tonometry (PAT) based Home Sleep Apnea Testing (HSAT) in Europe, following adoption in the UK, Holland, and Sweden

CAESAREA, Israel, Sept. 21, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Itamar Medical Ltd. (NASDAQ and TASE: ITMR), a leading medical device and digital health company focused on the diagnosis of sleep apnea and other respiratory sleep disorders, is pleased to report that The German Sleep Society (DGSM) has released an update to its clinical guidelines for Sleep-Related Breathing Disorders (SRBD) recognizing Peripheral Arterial Tonometry (PAT) technology as an equivalent alternative to polygraphy-based Home Sleep Apnea Testing (HSAT) systems. The new guidelines were published in Somnologie Magazine on September 9th, 2020.

These guidelines set the specifications for accepted technologies and practices to be used in the diagnosis and treatment of SRBD, marking another major achievement in the recognition and adoption of PAT technology and PAT-based HSAT systems in Europe. Accreditation by the foremost medical society clinical guidelines, in any market, serves as a fundamental first step in the pathway towards full reimbursement. As such, these updated guidelines may assist in paving the way for the reimbursement of the companys WatchPAT devices in Germany.

We are very pleased to see the recognition of PAT technology by the German Sleep Society, said Eilon Livne, Vice President of Sales and Channels Development EMEA at Itamar Medical. This is an important landmark as we are committed to removing obstacles in sleep medicine markets worldwide and specifically expanding our reach within the European market. We are excited to begin delivering a comprehensive solution to aid the diagnosis and treatment of sleep apnea patients in Germany and continue filling the substantial gap in the current clinical pathway which leaves the vast majority of Sleep Apnea patients undiagnosed.

Sleep apnea, which affects approximately 1 Billion people worldwide, is a sleep disorder in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts, and is also often associated with other serious health problems, especially cardiovascular disease. Itamar Medicals PAT technology, based on a physiological signal acquired non-invasively from the finger, allows for the simple and accurate diagnosis of this disorder, supporting the companys efforts to provide an easy access solution to address the estimated 80% undiagnosed Sleep Apnea patient population.

To date, PAT is the only alternative technology to airflow-based systems, that is accredited and endorsed by U.S, Dutch, UK, and Swedish sleep-related clinical guidelines.

The PAT technology provides sleep physicians with unprecedented access to information regarding sleep and sleep disturbance in comparison to standard outpatient recording, said Prof. Dr. med. Boris A. Stuck, Professor and chair of the Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University Hospital Marburg, Germany. In this context, sleep duration, sleep architecture and sympathetic arousals are of particular interest. Moreover, the technology is easy to handle for both physician and patient.

About WatchPAT

WatchPAT, the FDA-approved flagship product developed by Itamar Medical, is used for diagnosing Sleep Apnea in the home environment. The WatchPAT is an easy-to-use patient-led alternative with unique abilities to interpret test results automatically, as well as produce a full sleep report. It provides a variety of respiratory indices, distinguishes between sleep and wakefulness, and provides a complete sleep architecture that includes the analysis of sleep stages such as light sleep, deep sleep and REM sleep. The WatchPAT also records snoring volume and body position information throughout the night. The FDA-cleared Central PLUS Module also enables specific identification of Central Sleep Apnea (CSA).

About Itamar Medical Ltd.

Itamar Medical is a medical technology company focused on the development and commercialization of non-invasive medical devices and solutions to aid in the diagnosis of respiratory sleep disorders. Itamar Medical commercializes a digital healthcare platform to facilitate the continuum of care for effective sleep apnea management with a focus on the core sleep, cardiology and direct to consumer markets. Itamar Medical offers a Total Sleep Solution to help physicians provide comprehensive sleep apnea management in a variety of clinical environments to optimize patient care and reduce healthcare system costs. The Companys key product, WatchPAT, is commercially available within major markets including the US, Japan, and Europe. Itamar Medical is a public company traded on the Nasdaq and on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchanges, and is based in Caesarea, Israel with U.S. headquarters based in Atlanta, GA. For additional information visit http://www.itamar-medical.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and other applicable securities laws. Statements preceded by, followed by, or that otherwise include the words "believes", "expects", "anticipates", "intends", "estimates", "plans", and similar expressions or future or conditional verbs such as "will", "should", "would", "may" and "could" are generally forward-looking in nature and not historical facts. For example, when we discuss obtaining reimbursement for our products, we are using forward-looking statements. Because such statements deal with future events, they are subject to various risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including events and circumstances out of Itamar Medical's control and actual results, expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, could differ materially from Itamar Medical's current expectations. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to, risks, uncertainties and assumptions discussed from time to time by us in reports filed with, or furnished to, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Israel Securities Authority (ISA), including our latest Annual Report on Form 20-F which is on file with the SEC and the ISA. Except as otherwise required by law, we undertake no obligation to publicly release any revisions to these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

Itamar Medical Company ContactItamar Medical Ltd.Shy BassonChief Financial OfficerPhone: +972-4-617-7700bshy@itamar-medical.com

Itamar Medical Investor Relations Contact (U.S.)Leigh Salvo or Caroline PaulGilmartin GroupPhone: +1-415-937-5412investors@itamar-medical.com

View original post here:

The German Sleep Society (DGSM) Recognizes PAT based Technology in its New Sleep-Related Breathing Disorders Guidelines, Further Benefitting Itamar...

Brian O’Connell Now: Where is Naturopathic Healer Today? Is He in Jail? – The Cinemaholic

Posted on by

Naturopathy refers to a form of alternative medicine wherein nature-based treatments are used to heal the body. Practices like acupuncture, herbal massages, and nutritional counseling fall under its purview. However, it must be noted that many of the techniques in naturopathy actually stem from colloquial and folk wisdom, and are not necessarily based on scientific evidence. This article takes a look at a self-proclaimed naturopathic doctor whose unconventional practices actually had fatal consequences.His story has been covered in Oxygens License to Kill: Death By Miracle Cure.

It all goes back to 2003. Sean Flanagan, who was suffering from Ewings sarcoma, was being treated by Brian OConnell. Chemotherapy stopped having an effect on Seans cancer, and so his parents sought alternative medicine as a last resort. OConnell was a self-proclaimed naturopathic doctor who operated out of Wheat Ridge, Colorado. Laura and Dave Flanagan, Seans parents, recalled OConnell saying, No Irish kid is going to die on my watch. However, a few days later, that is exactly what happened.

In December of 2003, OConnell began treating the 19-year-old cancer patient with photoluminescence, which was a form of energy medicine that made use of light waves to eradicate the disease. What the supposed healer did was that he exposed a vial of Seans blood to the light, mixed it with hydrogen peroxide, and injected it back into his patients body. Laura said, We thought he was a physician, a pharmacist. We thought he had all these types of degrees. Brian OConnell told us that this would help him, so we were just grasping at straws hoping this was going to be the answer.

Two days after this, Sean was rushed to the hospital due to lower oxygen levels in his system. But six days later, Brian OConnell carried out the procedure again. Sean passed away, months before his doctors said he would. These were his harrowing last words No more. God, please, no more. This was not an exclusive case by any means, unfortunately.

Another cancer patient, 45-year-old Rory Gallegos, was given a black salve by OConnell and was told to rub it on his skin. Rory was a patient of liver and colon cancer, and apparently, the salve was to bring the tumors to the surface so that they could be removed through lesions. The third case was that of Gladys, the wife of retired Denver police lieutenant, Jimmie Shoemaker.The Flanagans paid OConnell $7000 for the treatments, whereas the then 85-year-old Jimmie paid him $17,000, saying, I was losing my wife money meant nothing to me. I would have done anything.

Brian OConnell had been lying about his qualifications all this time. Firstly, he was practicing medicine without a license or a medical degree.Secondly, The Flanagans found out about OConnell through a website where he had presented misleading information about his background and experience in medicine. In fact, he even falsely referred to himself as chief of internal medicine, and provided a long list of letters, resumes, and website entries.David Flannagan said, The certification and accreditations were plastered all over his wall. There wasnt a bare spot. Everything seemed legit.Brians only training that pertained to healing was from the Herbal Healer Academy, which is a non-accredited correspondence school in Arkansas. One of the certificates on OConnells wall of credentials was from the American Naturopathic Medical Association (ANMA), which seems to be more of amail-order health-care qualification service than an actual organization.

In 2005, the Flanagan family reportedly sued the untrained holistic healer, and the case was settled for an undisclosed sum.In 2006, a 38-year-old Brian OConnell pleaded guilty to criminally negligent homicide, practicing medicine without a license, assault, theft, and perjury. Before he was sentenced, he said, When someone passes away, I take it very personally. I didnt get into natural healing for money or prestige.For the aforementioned charges, Brianwas given a 13-year sentence. District Court Judge Margie Enquist said, People came to you in the most desperate situation and you took advantage of them. According to a petition filed on Care2, he is at the Huerfano County Correctional Center in Walsenburg, Colorado.

Read More:Where Is Dr. James Jim Kauffman Now?

Here is the original post:

Brian O'Connell Now: Where is Naturopathic Healer Today? Is He in Jail? - The Cinemaholic

Want to Take Turmeric for Arthritis Pain? Here’s What to Know – Healthline

Posted on by

Arthritis is the most common joint disorder in the United States, and knees are often the first joints affected by the condition.

One study found that in people above age 60, more than 10 percent of men and 13 percent of women had symptoms of arthritis in their knees.

OTC and prescription pain medication can offer relief, but are frequently associated with side effects. These side effects include kidney damage and heart problems.

Almost 20 percent of Americans report some degree of knee pain, according to figures published in 2006 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Pain can range from mild stiffness to levels that are nearly disabling.

Recent studies have found that turmeric, a flavorful spice popular in India, may help relieve joint pain. The spice is popular in Ayurvedic medicine, but is mainly used in food in the United States and not as a medication.

Experts say that there is increasingly clear evidence that the active ingredient in turmeric may have health benefits.

It is widely believed that curcumin, which is the active ingredient in turmeric, has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. And for this reason, its frequently used as a supplement by many people to help with joint symptoms, Dr. Nagendra Gupta, FACP, CPE, an internist at Texas Health Arlington Memorial Hospital, told Healthline.

A study published in the medical journal Trials compared the effectiveness of turmeric to that of an anti-inflammatory drug called diclofenac.

The randomized trial gave 139 patients with knee pain either a 500-milligram (mg) capsule of curcumin three times a day or a 50-mg diclofenac pill twice daily. Scientists found that both groups experienced significant pain relief.

Curcumin has similar efficacy to diclofenac but demonstrated better tolerance among patients with knee OA. Curcumin can be an alternative treatment option in the patients with knee OA who are intolerant to the side effects of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, the study authors wrote.

In another study, published this week in the Annals of Internal Medicine, researchers at the University of Australia in Tasmania assigned 70 participants, over age 40, with knee osteoarthritis (OA) and swelling diagnosed by ultrasound, to receive either 1000 mg per day of turmeric or a placebo.

After 12 weeks, the randomly controlled placebo trial found that an extract of turmeric was more effective than a placebo in reducing knee pain in people with knee osteoarthritis.

Those taking turmeric reported significantly less knee pain at the end of the study, according to the standardized questionnaire.

Researchers emphasized that more research is needed, and the only limiting factor of their study was the small number of participants.

This research also received funding from Natural Remedies PVT Ltd, a company that offers Ayurvedic medicines and herbs.

While this may indicate a conflict of interest, previous research also supports this spices effectiveness for pain relief.

Turmeric (Curcuma Longa) is a frequently used spice in South Asian foods like curries, and it can add a warm orange or yellow color to meats and rice dishes. It also has a long history of use in Ayurvedic medicine.

The active ingredient in turmeric is curcumin, and research finds that it has a surprisingly wide range of beneficial properties.

Curcumin, unlike some NSAIDs, has also been determined to be nontoxic. NSAIDs, such as ibuprofen, taken in excess can cause symptoms that include convulsions, coma, and acute renal (kidney) failure.

Experts say that given turmerics known health benefits, including it in meals is best.

Eating turmeric with fats or oils can improve absorption.

Turmeric however, specifically the phytonutrient curcumin, has so many health benefits, so definitely incorporating turmeric into meals would be ideal as part of an overall healthy lifestyle plan, said Reema Kanda, RD, a clinical dietitian at Hoag Orthopedic Institute.

Incorporating turmeric into meals that contain fats and oils or black pepper will enhance absorption.

Kanda emphasized that the quality of the turmeric powder can also affect bioavailability. She also said, You want to be sure the turmeric powder is free of contaminants that are often found when making powders.

She added that many studies have utilized turmeric extracts over turmeric powder, which has higher amounts of curcumin. Because of that, the studies recommended extracts for therapeutic use for health benefits such as improving in joint pain.

Theres strong evidence that eating the Mediterranean diet may provide significant knee pain relief in people with OA.

Researchers reviewing three different studies found that people with symptoms of arthritis had an improved quality of life after starting the Mediterranean diet.

According to the study, the Mediterranean diet may benefit OA because of its anti-inflammatory properties, tendency to reverse metabolic syndrome (a risk factor of diabetes), and reduce obesity.

Researchers say the diet is also rich in polyphenols (plant compounds), which can prevent inflammation and cartilage destruction, and this could also be why it shows benefit.

While there is no specific diet that works as a cure for arthritis, various studies have shown that a Mediterranean diet can help fight the inflammation associated with arthritis and slow the disease progression, said Gupta.

As always, getting the right dosage is key to staying healthy. While turmeric may help joint pain, more is not always better.

Consuming large amounts of turmeric can have side effects.

Subjects in a 2006 small dose-response study reported a range of adverse reactions from using 500 mg to 12,000 mg of curcumin daily, although the researchers found overall participants tolerated the high levels of the spice.

Of 24 participants, seven reported side effects that included headache, diarrhea, and skin rash. All but one of the people with side effects were taking over 4,000 mg of turmeric.

Turmeric is also high in oxalate, a chemical that in large doses can combine with calcium to create kidney stones.

According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), curcumin, the active ingredient in turmeric, is generally recognized as safe. However, the FDA has previously warned that turmeric from Bangladesh contained excessive levels of lead, which can adversely affect health.

Studies have shown that turmeric can have strong anticoagulant effects, which could affect how blood-thinning drugs work in the body.

If you want to try using turmeric to treat joint pain, its always a good idea to speak with your doctor first to make sure it wont interact with medications youre already taking.

Joint pain, especially in the knee, due to arthritis affects about 1 in 10 older Americans.

Research finds that an ingredient in the spice turmeric can significantly reduce knee pain in people with osteoarthritis but it wont improve swelling or change cartilage.

Although considered safe by the FDA, there is strong evidence that turmeric can interact with blood-thinning drugs, and the agency has warned that turmeric imported from Bangladesh has shown high levels of lead.

Read more from the original source:

Want to Take Turmeric for Arthritis Pain? Here's What to Know - Healthline

Alternative and Complementary Medicine Market is projected to experience substantial growth in the next few years – BioSpace

Posted on by

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) refers to medical products and practices that are not part of mainstream practices. While complementary medicine can be used along with mainstream medical practices, alternative medicine are used in place of standard medical treatments. Some CAM therapies have been found to be safe and effective unlike some that have been found to be ineffective or possibly harmful.

Complementary and alternative medicine includes a host of botanicals and nutritional substances such as herbal supplements, dietary supplements, and vitamins. A large number of CAM products are regarded to be safe as they are produced by nature or are present in nature. However, this may not be necessarily true for all natural products. In addition, some naturally sourced medicines may affect the action of other medicines. For instance, St. Johns wort a herb which is used for depression may interfere with the way certain anticancer drugs work.

Get Brochure of the Report @ https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=B&rep_id=2531

Herbal supplements can have unwanted effects when used on their own, in combination with other drugs, or in large doses. Vitamins can also be harmful on the body. Too much of vitamin can be detrimental on health, even in a healthy person. Supplements do not need approval from federal government before being commercially available.

Patients of chronic diseases who are considering using complementary or alternative medicine need to talk to their doctor or nurse. This is because some therapies of complementary and alternative medicine may interfere with mainstream medicine or can be also be harmful. The claims of efficacy of complementary and alternative medicine therapy needs to be ascertained before bringing into use.

Global Alternative and Complementary Medicine Market: Overview

The global market for alternative and complementary medicines is projected to experience substantial growth in the next few years. The rising expenditure of the healthcare facilities is considered as the major factor that is likely to encourage the growth of the overall market in the coming years. In addition, the increasing number of initiatives being taken by Governments across the globe to promote alternative and complementary medicines is projected to accelerate the markets growth. Thanks to these factors, the global alternative and complementary medicine market is likely to exhibit a promising growth rate in the near future.

Global Alternative and Complementary Medicine Market: Key Trends

A significant rise in the number of initiatives by NGOs and government organizations to encourage the use of alternative and complementary medicines is estimated to bolster global market in the near future. In addition to this, technological advancements in this field and the rising inclination of consumers towards these medicines and practices are likely to offer lucrative growth opportunities for the leading players operating in the alternative and complementary medicine market across the globe. However, the lack of scientific results is expected to hamper the overall growth of the market in the next few years.

Buy this Premium Report @ https://www.tmrresearch.com/checkout?rep_id=2531&ltype=S

Global Alternative and Complementary Medicine Market: Market Potential

Alternative and complementary medicines make use of several tradition methods to help the patients, most of which are not completely supported scientifically. As a result, the use of these medicines in several developed economies is comparatively less. Nonetheless, with a rising focus on research and development activities in order to find clinical support and the emergence of new methods and medicines are anticipated to encourage the growth of the global alternative and complementary medicine market throughout the forecast period.

Global Alternative and Complementary Medicine Market: Regional Outlook

From a regional perspective, Europe is considered as one of the leading segment, thanks to the significant revenue contribution in the last few years. This region is expected to account for a large share of the global alternative and complementary medicine market with the rising use of botanicals. In addition to this, the increasing awareness among consumers regarding the availability of effective alternative and complementary medicines and the benefits they offers are expected to encourage the growth of the Europe market in the coming years.

Furthermore, with the rising popularity of medical tourism, the alternative and complementary medicine market in Asia Pacific is projected to witness a steady growth in the next few years. Moreover, the presence of a large number of new players operating in this region is likely to offer promising growth opportunities over the forecast period. The Middle East and Africa segment is anticipated to experience a healthy growth in the alternative and complementary medicine market in the near future.

Global Alternative and Complementary Medicine Market: Competitive Analysis

The global market for alternative and complementary medicines is presently at a highly competitive stage and is predicted to experience an intense level of competition among the leading players in the coming years. The prominent players in the market are focusing on the expansion of the product portfolio so as to attract a large number of consumers across the globe. This is likely to help them in creating a brand name and acquiring a leading position in the global market. Some of the leading players operating in the alternative and complementary medicine market across the globe are Herb Pharm, Yoga Tree, Quantum Touch Inc., Helio USA Inc., Pure encapsulations, Inc., Pacific Nutritional Inc., Deepure Plus, Herbal Hills, Iyengar Yoga Institute, The Healing Company, and Nordic Naturals.

Get Table of Content of the Report @ https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=T&rep_id=2531

About TMR Research

TMR Research is a premier provider of customized market research and consulting services to business entities keen on succeeding in todays supercharged economic climate. Armed with an experienced, dedicated, and dynamic team of analysts, we are redefining the way our clients conduct business by providing them with authoritative and trusted research studies in tune with the latest methodologies and market trends.

Contact:

Rohit Bhisey

TMR Research,

3739 Balboa St # 1097,

San Francisco, CA 94121

United States

Tel: +1-415-520-1050

Visit Site: https://www.tmrresearch.com/

Read the rest here:

Alternative and Complementary Medicine Market is projected to experience substantial growth in the next few years - BioSpace

This yoga instructor is fighting the rise of QAnon in the wellness community – CBC.ca

Posted on by

Read Story Transcript

Seane Corn never thought her duties as yoga instructor would one day include warningpeople about the dangers of an international right-wing conspiracy theory.

The Los Angelesyoga teacher is one of several high-profileInstagram influencers using their platforms to combat the rise of the QAnon conspiracy theory in wellness spaces.

"I just didn't think that I would be having to talk about things like a cabal of people in the U.S. that are kidnapping children and drinking their blood to gain power," Corn told As It Happens host Carol Off.

"I never thought that this would be a conversation I would have to have with my community to say, like, 'This isn't true. This isn't happening. Please use more discernment.'"

QAnonis a conspiracy theory thatposits thatU.S. President Donald Trump is secretly fighting an internationalcabal of Satan-worshipping, leftist eliteswho arerunning a global child sex traffickingring.

It tends to overlap with conspiracy theories that involve anti-vaccination and anti-mask beliefs, and has roots in anti-Semitism and white supremacy.

Once relegated to the fringes of the internet, QAnon hasrecently made its way into more mainstream spaces. QAnon supporterMarjorie Taylor Greene recently won the Republican nomination in Georgia's primary race, and the president himself has referred to the conspiracy theory's followers as people who "love our country."

But it's also started gainingsignificant traction among people who are into wellness,yoga, spiritualityand alternative medicine.

Conspirituality, a podcast that examines the links between wellness and conspiracy, has curated a listof more than two dozen wellness influencers who have alluded to QAnon in their posts.

Corn says she started to notice it creeping into her social media feed at the start of the pandemic, with its followersusing "yoga speak" and wellness branding to radicalize people online.

"The colours might be pastel. The fonts are very specific. There's maybe one post of someone doing yoga. Then the next day it's their food. The next day, it's a lifestyle shot," she said.

"But on maybe the fourth day, there's going to be a post that says, you know, very prettily "COVID is a hoax" and then a bunch of slides that keep giving misinformation and invite you to another link that then gives you more misinformation."

For Corn, the conspiracy theory's proliferation in her community is not all that surprising.

"In the wellness community, there's often a lot of magical thinking," she said.

For example, she says people may turn tocrystals or prayer as a Band-Aid solution for their life's problems, without engaging with those problems on a deeper level.

"I think that some of the messaging in QAnonis appealing to magical thinking. People are afraid. Their instincts are telling them that there's something else going on, but 'I just don't know what it is. I think I'm being lied to,'" she said.

"Someone is coming in and saying, 'Actually, you are,' and taking them down this rabbit hole."

Ali Breland,a reporter for Mother Jones who has been covering the overlap between QAnon and wellness, agrees.

He toldCBC Radio's Day 6 earlier this monththat wellness communities were already rife with anti-vaccination sentiment.

"[It's the idea that] these big powerful interests these external interests that are beyond us, like Big Pharma, that we can't conceptualize, are trying to hurt our children ... and we need to protect them because no one else will," she said.

"That's the prevailing belief of QAnon."

Annie Kelly, a researcher who studies digital extremism,recently wrote in the New York Times that QAnon's "ranks are populated by a noticeably high percentage of women."

While suburban moms with yoga mats might not be the first image that pops into most people's mindswhen they think about onlineconspiracy theorists, Corn says it actually makes a lot of sense especially as QAnon followersflood hashtags like #SaveTheChildren.

"There's a lot of women in this community who are sensitive and empathic. And so you bring in, you know, victimized children and you're going to appeal to that part of them that wants to do something, that wants to engage," Corn said.

Corn, with her 100,000 Instagram followers, is trying to stem the tide by sharing posts that attempt to neutralize the disinformation.

Others are also heeding the call. Shannon Algeo, aL.A. yoga and meditation teacher with 25,000 followers, is one of several influencers who shared an Instagram posttakingstand against the QAnon movement.

"I have a community that stands behind me, or rather stands with me," Corn said."I'm not alone in this effort."

It's the kind of stance that could, at best, cost them some of their followers and income, and at worst, invite harassment and even violence.

Last week, a Texaswoman was charged withaggravated assault with a deadly weapon after shestruck two strangers with her car. According to the arrest affidavits, she believed they were pedophiles. Two people who knew her told the website Right Wing Watch she followedQAnoncontentonline and sent them pro-QAnonmessages.

Still, Corn says she has to speak out. She's already done interviews with the New York Times, Rolling Stone and more.

"I would feel worse being silent. That would make me complicit, and I just can't live with myself in that way,"she said. "So, hopefully, I'll remain safe and we'll see what happens."

Written by Sheena Goodyear. Interview produced by Chloe Shantz-Hilkes.

Read more:

This yoga instructor is fighting the rise of QAnon in the wellness community - CBC.ca

The Impact of the COVID Pandemic on Global Economy and Bitcoin – BitBoy Crypto

Posted on by

The end of the global economic status quo might be approaching as the COVID-19 pandemic continues. What does this represent for Bitcoin in the Future?

To learn more about how the current pandemic affected the two biggest economic powers and its effect on Bitcoins value, make sure to click here.

John McAfee, one of the most recognizable names in the crypto world, predicted back in 2017 that Bitcoin would hit $1 million by 2020.

Although the actual outcome didnt match his predictions, its interesting to note that his logic didnt rely as much on Bitcoins value increasing as on the value of the dollar decreasing.

It is currently possible to observe a downtrend on the dollars value as the Chinese economy explodes, almost as if one was directly the consequence of the other. This is likely to be the case, given the economic conflict that has been taking place between the two countries.

Many experts believe that acquiring as much Bitcoin as possible could be the best way for crypto investors to prepare for the still-developing economic struggles caused by the pandemic.

With Covid-19 still making headlines in the news every day, it is possible to see that the pandemics effects have been far greater than anyone could have predicted. Wall Street and American companies were not ready for an event of this magnitude and the disruptions it caused in the American Economy.

However, while the United States presents political diversion and economic distress, China has grown stronger as an economic superpower by the hour.

Some sources indicate that Covid-19 could have emerged from a laboratory in Wuhan. Although not entirely confirmed, its believed that an animal with coronavirus bit a human in this lab, with the following infections taking place first in Wuhan and soon expanding to other countries.

This has resulted in theories that propose that the initial infection might not have been caused by an accident, given the quick recovery that China experienced and the positive effects it had on its economy.

China was set to overtake the United States economy over the next four years according to most predictions. However, many believe that a plan was orchestrated by the Chinese government to expedite their political and economical supremacy.

The existence of one superpower is a common trend in the worlds history and seems to repeat every few centuries with different countries taking the leading role.

Past eras saw the world ruled by the Roman Empire, then there were the British, followed by Germany in two different instances, and even the U.S.S.R created a dominant nation for itself.

The U.S. has no longer found itself competing with another nation when it comes to military or economic domination after successfully beating the U.S.S.R on the race that ensued after WW2.

That was until now, when China began to rise as a superpower by gaining international recognition, especially in the last year, transforming itself in the only challenger for the United States.

Although China was the epicenter of the pandemic, its economy has surprisingly improved throughout 2020 as its stock market stabilized and has been going up ever since, while 60% of American businesses that have closed might be permanent closures.

China is the second-biggest economy at this time and its expected for it to reach the same GDP as the U.S by the end of 2020. The next target is to surpass the U.S. dollar, which is the federal reserve currency of the world at this time as all countries must own U.S. dollars to do business.

The American government is devaluating its currency, unintentionally assisting the Chinese government, by increasing the issuing of dollars. As so, due to the dollars current loss of value and the growing inflation caused by mass printing, the United States is likely to fall behind if conditions don't change.

It is highly likely that Bitcoins value will skyrocket as demand by investors increases, asBitcoin has proven to be a successful hedge tool when it comes to shielding from drops in USDs value.

As such, a rise in the demand for Bitcoin would be tied to the American Dollars value, which in turn is tied to the American economy. This means that BTCs value will go up as the American Dollar drops.

If the predictions regarding the loss of the USDs position as the world reserve currency occurs, Bitcoins values will be even greater as investors around the world would prepare for the chaos and race that would follow by buying BTC.

Even if the theories about the Chinese government's involvement in the current pandemic are not true, China is still a waking dragon that will eventually devour the US if there are no immediate changes. In any case, the crypto market is waiting to act accordingly.

To learn more about this topic as well as Clintext, a project that aims to reduce healthcare costs using blockchain, make sure to watch Bitboys video bly scrolling up or clicking here.

Articles on Bitboy may contain affiliate links that help us to remain profitable. It might come as a surprise, but all these great articles aren't cheap to produce. If you don't mind helping us out, please click on the links!

The rest is here:

The Impact of the COVID Pandemic on Global Economy and Bitcoin - BitBoy Crypto

Extrapolating The Future of Cryptocurrency – hackernoon.com

Posted on by

@StealthEX.ioStealthEX.io

Crypto exchange platform. No need to register or enter personal data. More than 250 coins to swap.

Over the past decade, cryptocurrency has become a breaker of old approaches in monetary policy, finance, economics, and e-commerce. The speed at which the crypto industry is growing today is very impressive. The global cryptocurrency market volume is predicted to reach $1,758 million by 2027 with a compound annual growth rate of 11.2%.

More and more people are getting faced with the digital currency so the questions on the future of cryptocurrencies are becoming especially relevant today.So what is the future of cryptocurrency? In this article, well try to figure this out.

Predicting the crypto worlds future is impossible without knowing the current situation on the cryptocurrencies market.

What trends can we observe today?

The growth of digital currencies around the world allows making some predictions about the future of crypto market. Lets look ahead to the future and try to forecast the prospective trends in the crypto world development.

Bitcoins reign will not end

The first thing that worries many crypto holders is What will happen to Bitcoin?

The ups and downs of Bitcoins rate, rumors about the next hard fork, legalization in some countries, and prohibition in others all these kinds of news makes people guess what will come up with the most popular coin. Experts have different opinions from a complete drop in price to the status of the only currency in the world.

Most experts are leaning towards that Bitcoin will maintain its current positions and even strengthen them. For example, John McAfee, businessman and computer programmer, says:

You cant stop things like Bitcoin. Its like trying to stop gunpowder.

He also made a bet that if Bitcoin will not cost $500,000 by the end of December 2020 he will eat his ownwell, you know.

James Altucher, Americanhedge-fund manager,author,podcasterand entrepreneur, is not sure that BTC price will reach 1000000 USD:

Will it be a million dollars in 2020? Maybe. Will it be 2021? 2022? Who knows.

He also predicted that:

At least one countrys currency is likely to fail soon likely Argentina or Venezuela. This will lead to mass adoption of Bitcoin among that populace. That will in turn lead to Bitcoin rising by more than $50,000 when it happens.

And just a few days after this forecast, the Venezuelan President announced that they are planning to release national crypto called El Petro. Right now a lot of countries like China, Tunisia, Senegal, Sweden, Singapore, Uruguay, Thailand, Turkey, and Iran are also working on the creation of national cryptocurrency.

So what will happen to Bitcoin? No one knows. The only thing in which many experts agree is that Bitcoin will stay as a gold standard in the crypto world for a long time.

Cryptocurrencies will be mainstream

Cryptocurrencies is a fashionable investment and a sign of belonging to the special community this idea is actively promoted by various sports organizations, popular performers, public figures that release their own altcoins.

According to CoinMarketCap, there are already more than six thousand cryptocurrencies, and their total capitalization is $353 billion. A couple of years ago, the digital currency was almost unknown to anyone except geek developers and crypto enthusiasts. However, things are changing:prospects for businesses, rising prices, and strong community support will step by step make cryptocurrencies mainstream around the world.

Market volatility will not disappear

Cryptocurrencies are unstable by their nature, and their volatility is one of the reasons why someone becomes a millionaire and the others lose fortunes.

The strong volatility of crypto is caused by the fact that they are still at an early stage of development. Cryptocurrencies have huge growth potential if they can enter the mass market.

But every news about cryptocurrencies either hints at the possibility of markets going down or rising up. The volatility in the cryptocurrency markets will continue to be felt as the news affects the market, and it is only at the stage of rapid development.

The future of tradingdecentralized exchanges

In the near future, we will see a prime of decentralized exchanges. Many believe that DEXes is not yet ready for mass adoption. But there are factors for a favorable development of events.

First of all, centralized exchanges dont fit the purpose of cryptocurrencies cause the key advantage of digital coins is decentralization. In decentralized exchanges, transactions can be made directly between users (peer-to-peer) without the need for a trusted intermediary, which means there are no transaction fees for users.

On top of this, decentralized exchanges are much more secure against hackers as there no single point of failure like in centralized exchanges. Everyone knows the cases with Mt.Gox, Bitfinex, Coincheck when people lost millions and millions. The need for more security will lead users to decentralized exchanges.

The rise of crypto loans

Cryptocurrency is convenient to take on credit not long ago this idea seemed like a wild ride since the digital currency has high volatility. But today the popularity of lending in digital currencies is increasing and here are the main reasons:

Nowadays, the entire crypto loaning industry is estimated at $4.7 billion and the number of crypto loan platforms will continue growing.

Regulators gonna regulate

In the early days of cryptocurrencies history, traditional financial institutions sharply criticized crypto enthusiasts. The crypto market, however, has proven that it is sturdy against these kinds of attacks. Nowadays traditional institutions opinion regarding cryptocurrency is changing. In the future, stakeholders can have an increase in the flow of funds from Wall Street to cryptocurrencies.

There is no doubt that this will require more transparency and regulation in the crypto market. Today government and regulatory agencies around the world, including the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Federal Bureau of Investigation, United States Department of Homeland Security, and the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (and this is only within the US borders) are giving more and more attention to cryptocurrencies. The regulation of the crypto in different states is realizing in diverse ways: in some countries, it is legally recognized as a means of payment, in others its use is prohibited.

The G20 summit participants, following the discussions on cryptocurrencies, came to the conclusion that a complete prohibition of crypto will not solve anything as nowadays the digital currency plays a significant role in the economy. And if the digital currency cannot be prohibited, it must be regulated:

Technological innovations can deliver significant benefits to the financial system and the broader economy. While crypto-assets do not pose a threat to global financial stability at this point, we are closely monitoring developments and remain vigilant to existing and emerging risks.

As we can see the world is changing very quickly. The speed with which cryptocurrencies are integrating into the global financial system is a clear indicator that traditional financial institutions can no longer have a monopoly on the management of financial flows.

The year 2020 is the start of a new decade for the cryptocurrency industry. The next ten years will bring us key changes in traditional finance when blockchain and cryptocurrencies will become a daily thing in most countries of the world.

What are your thoughts on the future of cryptocurrencies? Tell us your ideas in the comments below.

The views and opinions expressed here are solely those of the author. Every investment and trading move involves risk. You should conduct your own research when making a decision.

Previously published at https://stealthex.io/blog/2020/09/15/is-cryptocurrency-really-the-future/

Subscribe to get your daily round-up of top tech stories!

The rest is here:

Extrapolating The Future of Cryptocurrency - hackernoon.com