Aesthetic Medicine Market Research Report by Type, by Gender, by End Use – Global Forecast to 2025 – Cumulative Impact of COVID-19 – Yahoo Finance

Posted on by

Aesthetic Medicine Market Research Report by Type (Invasive Procedures and Non-invasive Procedures), by Gender (Female and Male), by End Use - Global Forecast to 2025 - Cumulative Impact of COVID-19

New York, Sept. 18, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Aesthetic Medicine Market Research Report by Type, by Gender, by End Use - Global Forecast to 2025 - Cumulative Impact of COVID-19" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p05953101/?utm_source=GNW

The Global Aesthetic Medicine Market is expected to grow from USD 9,485.16 Million in 2019 to USD 18,123.69 Million by the end of 2025 at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 11.39%.

Market Segmentation & Coverage:This research report categorizes the Aesthetic Medicine to forecast the revenues and analyze the trends in each of the following sub-markets:

Based on Type, the Aesthetic Medicine Market studied across Invasive Procedures and Non-invasive Procedures. The Invasive Procedures further studied across Breast augmentation, Eyelid Surgery, Liposuction, Nose reshaping, and Tummy tuck. The Non-invasive Procedures further studied across Botox injections, Chemical peel, Laser hair removal, Microdermabrasion, and Soft tissue fillers.

Based on Gender, the Aesthetic Medicine Market studied across Female and Male.

Based on End Use, the Aesthetic Medicine Market studied across Ambulatory Surgical Center, Beauty Center & Medical Spa, Dermatology Clinic, Home Setting, and Hospital.

Based on Geography, the Aesthetic Medicine Market studied across Americas, Asia-Pacific, and Europe, Middle East & Africa. The Americas region surveyed across Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, and United States. The Asia-Pacific region surveyed across Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, South Korea, and Thailand. The Europe, Middle East & Africa region surveyed across France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Spain, United Arab Emirates, and United Kingdom.

Company Usability Profiles:The report deeply explores the recent significant developments by the leading vendors and innovation profiles in the Global Aesthetic Medicine Market including Allergan, Inc, Alma Lasers, Anika Therapeutics, Inc., Cutera, Inc., Cynosure, El.En. S.p.A., Fotona D.O.O, Galderma S.A., Johnson & Johnson., Lumenis, Mentor Worldwide LLC, Merz Aesthetic, PhotoMedex, Solta Medical, Syneron Candela, Valeant International, and Zeltiq Aesthetic.

FPNV Positioning Matrix:The FPNV Positioning Matrix evaluates and categorizes the vendors in the Aesthetic Medicine Market on the basis of Business Strategy (Business Growth, Industry Coverage, Financial Viability, and Channel Support) and Product Satisfaction (Value for Money, Ease of Use, Product Features, and Customer Support) that aids businesses in better decision making and understanding the competitive landscape.

Competitive Strategic Window:The Competitive Strategic Window analyses the competitive landscape in terms of markets, applications, and geographies. The Competitive Strategic Window helps the vendor define an alignment or fit between their capabilities and opportunities for future growth prospects. During a forecast period, it defines the optimal or favorable fit for the vendors to adopt successive merger and acquisition strategies, geography expansion, research & development, and new product introduction strategies to execute further business expansion and growth.

Cumulative Impact of COVID-19:COVID-19 is an incomparable global public health emergency that has affected almost every industry, so for and, the long-term effects projected to impact the industry growth during the forecast period. Our ongoing research amplifies our research framework to ensure the inclusion of underlaying COVID-19 issues and potential paths forward. The report is delivering insights on COVID-19 considering the changes in consumer behavior and demand, purchasing patterns, re-routing of the supply chain, dynamics of current market forces, and the significant interventions of governments. The updated study provides insights, analysis, estimations, and forecast, considering the COVID-19 impact on the market.

The report provides insights on the following pointers:1. Market Penetration: Provides comprehensive information on the market offered by the key players2. Market Development: Provides in-depth information about lucrative emerging markets and analyzes the markets3. Market Diversification: Provides detailed information about new product launches, untapped geographies, recent developments, and investments4. Competitive Assessment & Intelligence: Provides an exhaustive assessment of market shares, strategies, products, and manufacturing capabilities of the leading players5. Product Development & Innovation: Provides intelligent insights on future technologies, R&D activities, and new product developments

The report answers questions such as:1. What is the market size and forecast of the Global Aesthetic Medicine Market?2. What are the inhibiting factors and impact of COVID-19 shaping the Global Aesthetic Medicine Market during the forecast period?3. Which are the products/segments/applications/areas to invest in over the forecast period in the Global Aesthetic Medicine Market?4. What is the competitive strategic window for opportunities in the Global Aesthetic Medicine Market?5. What are the technology trends and regulatory frameworks in the Global Aesthetic Medicine Market?6. What are the modes and strategic moves considered suitable for entering the Global Aesthetic Medicine Market?Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05953101/?utm_source=GNW

About ReportlinkerReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place.

__________________________

Story continues

Go here to see the original:

Aesthetic Medicine Market Research Report by Type, by Gender, by End Use - Global Forecast to 2025 - Cumulative Impact of COVID-19 - Yahoo Finance

$25 million donated to the TCU and UNTHSC School of Medicine – TCU 360

Posted on by

The TCU and UNTHSC School of Medicine received a $25 million donation, contributing to the Lead On campaign.

Chancellor Victor Boschini announced the donation from Anne Marion, who died in February, and the Burnett Foundation on Tuesday in an email to students and faculty.

Instituted as The Anne W. Marion Endowment, the donation will be used to help the school become a top provider of medical education, equipping its students with the skills they need to handle complex health care issues, including those involved with serving patients during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The endowment will enhance the School of Medicines communication-based curriculum designed to cultivate empathetic scholars.

Marions Fort Worth family has been a contributor to TCU for over a century, and individually, she was known as a philanthropic leader and a supporter of the universitys advancement.

I am inspired by the vision of the School of Medicine to transform medical education, Marion said before she died. This school is bringing considerable advances and innovations that are reshaping curriculum and preparing its graduates to better serve the community. I am pleased to make this gift.

The Burnett Foundation has been a longtime benefactor to the Fort Worth community, enriching the citys arts, humanities, education, and health and human services.

This contribution bring the Lead On campaigns total funds raised to $671 million, putting it closer to the goal of $1 billion announced last October.

Read more: Lead On campaign to raise $1 billion

The campaign was initiated to strengthen the universitys endowment and its support of scholarships and academic programs, as well as to increase the diversity and inclusiveness of the student population.

With a goal of $1 billion, Lead On is the most ambitious campaign in the schools history.

View original post here:

$25 million donated to the TCU and UNTHSC School of Medicine - TCU 360

Wisconsin Medicine: Livestream on ending Alzheimers – Wisbusiness.com

Posted on by

MADISON,WI(September 17, 2020) Robert Golden sees the danger of Alzheimers disease.

Among the 10 most deadly diseases [in America], he said, its the only one that cannot be prevented or cured at this time.

Golden is the dean of UWMadisons School of Medicine and Public Health, and he hosted a conversation about Alzheimers research during the Wisconsin Medicine Livestream event on September 15. Goldens guests included several of the UWs leading dementia researchers: Sanja Asthana, the founding director of the Wisconsin Alzheimers Disease Research Center; Sterling Johnson, the Finley Professor of Geriatrics and Dementia; Cynthia Carlsson, the Holland Professor of Alzheimers Disease; and Carey Gleason, a clinical neuropsychologist and member of the UW faculty.

Asthana noted that six million Americans suffer from Alzheimers and gave an overview of UW studies of the disease. He urged viewers to see the value of the universitys work. It is quite clear that the only way we can [beat] Alzheimers is through cutting-edge research, he said.

The key biomarker for Alzheimers is a buildup of amyloid proteins, and Johnson described efforts to increase doctors ability to recognize amyloid accumulations. Our goals are to identify Alzheimers before its symptoms appear, he said. You think of Alzheimers affecting the brain, and that means we have to get in and study the brain.

Carlsson added that amyloid isnt the only risk factor. Alzheimers also tends to show up more often in people who have high blood pressure, diabetes, poor sleep, traumatic brain injury, depression, and stress. The good news is these are things we can do something about, she said. She showed how a decrease in these other risk factors project to a 10 percent reduction of U.S. Alzheimers cases by 2050.

Gleason discussed recruitment for research projects, which have often drawn on an overrepresentation of white people, even though the prevalence of Alzheimers among Black and Native American populations is much higher. The UW has made a concerted effort to improve recruitment of underrepresented populations in its dementia studies, and the universitys success in this area is due to the way it has involved subjects as partners in the research process. We see them as true partners, she says, and not just bodies from which we collect data.

Golden brought forward questions from some of the hundreds of viewers who watched the event live on YouTube. To hear more from the members of the panel, view a recording of Wisconsin Medicine. The series is offered via YouTube and will continue into the fall. The next event will be September 29 and will cover the future of medicine.

See the rest here:

Wisconsin Medicine: Livestream on ending Alzheimers - Wisbusiness.com

The Wright Medicine: Getting to the ‘heart’ of the matter – Valley Advantage

Posted on by

I have a warm heart for our community. As a NEPA native, Im inspired by the ways The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education and our larger community have navigated together this unprecedented and very challenging time of uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. As a longtime, passionate primary care provider and medical educator, I am especially proud to be witnessing and experiencing the very best of what Ive always known about the noble profession of medicine: that the people maintaining the front lines of health care delivery do so for all the right reasons, striving to serve humanity with an abundance of courage, care and compassion, especially for the most vulnerable among us.

With World Heart Day coming up on Sept. 29, its important to acknowledge that although we dont know what the ongoing public health crisis still has in store for us, there is no doubt that taking care of ourselves and each other and promoting cardiovascular health are just as important as ever.

According to the World Heart Federation, cardiovascular disease is the No. 1 cause of death on our planet, and its primary causes are all too familiar to our regional community: smoking, diabetes, high blood pressure, sedentary lifestyles and obesity. Heart failure which happens when the heart fails to pump enough blood to the body and brain, resulting in symptoms like breathlessness, fatigue and swollen limbs affects 26 million worldwide and it is the top cause of hospitalization. Most concerning at this time is that people with underlying conditions, such as diabetes and heart disease, are most vulnerable to complications and death from COVID-19.

And yet one of the most troubling trends during the pandemic has been that many patients, including those with cardiovascular issues, have been avoiding routine medical care, preventative immunizations and even foregoing emergency room visits for fear of contracting the novel coronavirus within our healthcare systems.

Its absolutely critical that we tackle the double-edged threats cardiovascular disease and COVID-19 pose through raising awareness and promoting prevention and early detection, while offering reassurance. As everyone remains vigilant about staying safe and slowing transmission of the virus by wearing face masks, washing their hands frequently and continuing social distancing, I want to make sure the message is loud and clear that your primary care and specialty doctors offices and hospital emergency rooms are safe.

Please keep your health care on track, including timely acute and chronic disease management visits and also vaccination and cancer screening prevention services. The risks of undertreated hypertension and diabetes and untreated heart attacks and stroke far outweigh the risks of contacting COVID-19. And in times of cardiovascular troubles like heart attacks or strokes, every second counts.

The biggest keys to fighting cardiovascular disease education and prevention through healthy lifestyle behaviors are at the heart of two major Wright Center innovations aimed at enhancing the quality of and lengthening the lives of people in NEPA and across the country.

One is relatively brand new. Our Lifestyle Medicine initiative launched this summer as both a focused field of study for our resident doctors and fellows, as well as a key component of our patient-centered care for all routine clinical visits.

The other initiative is celebrating its 10th anniversary: our pioneering Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship, which launched in response to NEPAs well-documented cardiovascular health needs under the leadership of Dr. Samir Pancholy, with support from Geisinger, the Wilkes-Barre Veterans Affairs Medical Center and Commonwealth Health System.

Lifestyle Medicine encourages prevention by empowering patients to make better choices. We can look after our hearts and help to prevent cardiovascular disease by eating a healthy diet, saying no to tobacco and other risky substances, and getting plenty of sleep and exercise.

Our Cardiology Fellowship, meanwhile, trains doctors in community-based and hospital settings throughout Lackawanna and Luzerne counties. Over the course of their years in the program, fellows train one-on-one with our globally and nationally recognized, NEPA-based, board-certified cardiologists and cardiothoracic surgeons. Under our distinguished facultys guidance and on rotations through cardiac consultations, cardiac care units, cardiac catheterization and cardiovascular surgeries, our fellows acquire the knowledge and skills needed to provide state-of-the-art cardiac care, all while advancing our regional healthcare delivery system through their research projects and system improvement efforts.

The last decade of our Cardiology fellowship has produced a number of cardiac specialists who have stayed in NEPA to serve our community and to make meaningful contributions to our regions comprehensive care opportunities.

Celebrate World Heart Day by paying worthy attention to your self care and optimizing your cardiovascular health. Learn more about Lifestyle Medicine and the Million Hearts National Campaign. Most importantly, when you need help, reach out to your doctor and stay connected to other resources within our local health care community.

Linda Thomas-Hemak, M.D., a primary care physician triple board-certified in pediatrics, internal medicine and addiction medicine, leads The Wright Center for Community Health as CEO and serves as President of The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education. She lives with her family and practices primary care in Jermyn. Send your medical questions to news@thewrightcenter.org.

Read more from the original source:

The Wright Medicine: Getting to the 'heart' of the matter - Valley Advantage

Easing the Burden of Cancer Beyond Medicine through the Astellas Oncology C3 Prize – OncoZine

Posted on by

Cancer doesnt stop even in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. While daily routines and outlooks have changed for the greater population, the complexities of the cancer journey have increased during the past six months. The added emotional, financial, and physical strain from COVID-19 is only a fraction of the concerns racing through the mind of someone living through cancer.[1][2]

From my early days in the clinic as a pediatric oncologist in training to my work now at Astellas Pharma, where my team oversees the development of new medicines for hard-to-treat cancers, Ive always strived to help people navigate the cancer journey by putting myself in their shoes and delivering care where the person is at the center. Now, more than ever, the healthcare industry needs to look for ways to help ease the journey for people impacted by cancer, both from a clinical development perspective and outside of medicine. This is why five years ago, Astellas Oncology created the C3 Prize as an extension of the companys overall mission to address everyday needs and challenges facing people impacted by cancer.

the C3 Prize is looking for ideas beyond medicine that can help ease the cancer journey, including initiatives that can assist with the increased burden for people facing cancer due to COVID-19, as well as health disparities.

Understanding the need for non-medical cancer innovations The Astellas Oncology C3 Prize is a global competition that gives people the chance to apply for U.S. $ 200,000 in grants and resources to advance ideas that make a big impact in the cancer community. This year, the C3 Prize is looking for ideas beyond medicine that can help ease the cancer journey, including initiatives that can assist with the increased burden for people facing cancer due to COVID-19, as well as health disparities.

At Astellas Oncology, we recognize that not only do people with cancer need medicine, but they also need comprehensive care through innovative technologies, support tools, services, and other ideas all of which can be discovered through the C3 Prize. We hope the program will continue to spark developments in cancer care across the broader spectrum for the entire healthcare ecosystem patients, caregivers, providers and the healthcare system.

How to share your potentially life-changing idea As doctors on the front lines of cancer care, we witness firsthand some of the greatest challenges of the cancer journey and aim to put ourselves in patients shoes to provide the best possible care. These experiences have sparked the ideas of many C3 Prize past finalists and winners, who have been in academia and healthcare professionals, driven to make a difference for their patients.

Many past winners have also lived through the challenges of cancer firsthand as a patient or a caregiver, fueling their passion to ease the journey for others. In fact, my Astellas Oncology colleague Mark Reisenauer, who leads the oncology business unit, conceived the idea for the C3 Prize when he discovered how difficult it was to navigate the cancer journey as a caregiver for his father.

The concept is simple: we all have the power to change cancer care. We encourage anyone who has an idea that has the potential to greatly impact cancer care to apply to the Astellas C3 Prize by submitting an application at http://www.C3Prize.com.

No idea is too big or too smallPast winners and finalists have been able to help those with cancer with ideas that provide new and innovative support for the patient. For example, Audrey Guth, 2019 C3 Prize Grand Prize winner, a cancer survivor, and mother of four established the Nanny Angel Network in 2009 after she found a gap in health care and social services for mothers with cancer and their children. She saw mothers choose between looking after their children and going for treatment. In part due to the Astellas C3 Prize, the organization has been able to continue to live out their mission despite COVID-19 by delivering meals, providing virtual visits, developing a Homework Club to assist kids with schoolwork, and offering an online support group with a nurse navigator for moms.

Other innovations that have won the C3 Prize include a virtual reality video game designed to keep children with cancer active and informed, and a first-of-its-kind, easy-to-understand digital audio series about breast cancer. The commonality among all winners is their passion to make the lives of people living with cancer, their caregivers, and their loved ones, easier.

If you have an idea, we would like to hear about it. Astellas takes no ownership in the winning ideas; our role is to advance ideas that can make a difference by connecting them to resources and support. I encourage you to visit http://www.C3Prize.com to learn more and submit your idea today. Submissions are open until September 28, 2020. Together, we can help change cancer care.

References[1] Petzold MB, Plag J, Strhle A. Umgang mit psychischer Belastung bei Gesundheitsfachkrften im Rahmen der Covid-19-Pandemie [Dealing with psychological distress by healthcare professionals during the COVID-19 pandemia]. Nervenarzt. 2020;91(5):417-421. doi:10.1007/s00115-020-00905-0[2] Shanahan L, Steinhoff A, Bechtiger L, et al. Emotional distress in young adults during the COVID-19 pandemic: evidence of risk and resilience from a longitudinal cohort study [published online ahead of print, 2020 Jun 23]. Psychol Med. 2020;1-10. doi:10.1017/S003329172000241X

Featured image: Leah Werry receives the 2019 Grand Prize in behalf of Audrey Guth of the Nanny Angel Network. Photo Courtesy: Astellas Oncology/C3 Prize. Used with permission.

Read the original post:

Easing the Burden of Cancer Beyond Medicine through the Astellas Oncology C3 Prize - OncoZine

Cochrane doctor concerned about future of medicine in Alberta – Cochrane Today

Posted on by

Theyre not doctors. Im not going to endanger patients because theyve given themselves power to tell me what Im allowed to do and not do. If my option becomes practice medicine I cant practice in good conscience or leave, I would have to leave.

COCHRANE Embattled doctors are facing new scrutiny from the province with a proposal to release information on physicians' salaries publicly.

On Friday (Sept. 11) Minister of Health Tyler Shandro released details of the provinces Sunshine List Regulations, a list that will make public the salaries and billing information of Alberta Physicians.

The UCP government has given health officials 60 days to release fiscal data from the last three years, and, starting in 2021, the information will be released within 90 days of March 31.

Back in February, Shandro cancelled the contract between the Alberta Medical Association and the government.

Due to the steadily deteriorating relationship between Alberta doctors and the government, the provinces doctors have been without a contract since then and arbitration has not been possible.

The Alberta Medical Association has previously said it is on board with increased financial transparency in Alberta, but, asked to see more context added to the list in regards to expenses.

While physicians in Alberta are some of the highest-paid countrywide, doctors have many costs associated with the profession, said Cochrane Primary Care Centre physician Dr. Candice Knoechel.

Most of us dont care a whole lot, as long as the context is given, Knoechel said. I think the biggest problem and the biggest opposition to the list has always been the perception because the government has framed it based on billings as this is what doctors make, but when you factor in costs, its like saying that a business owner makes whatever the profits for their company are, which isnt realistic.

Knoechel said the average overhead costs doctors pay associated with running a family practice is roughly 30 per cent of their earnings, which is to pay for nurses and other technical staff, equipment, supplies and lease fees. Doctors also need to maintain required memberships, medical licenses, and continuing medical education, as well as medico-legal coverage for their practices.

The added strain of COVID-19 has only increased their costs, Knoechel said.

With enhanced PPE [personal protective equipment] requirements and spacing of appointments for patient safety, I would say were probably looking at closer to 40 or 45 per cent to keep a clinic running smoothly, she said.

Airdrie-Cochrane MLA Peter Guthrie said the Sunshine List is an important step in financial transparency in the province.

Its a way for the public to see how public funds are being spent, Guthrie said. I do know that one of the points, and its a fair point, that the doctors are bringing up is that compensation does not mean take-home pay, because there are other costs associated with it.

He noted, under the strain of COVID-19, the global recession and the crash in world-wideenergy prices, the province has to make some tough fiscal decisions in the coming months.

We are in a fiscal crunch here in Alberta, were going to be running a deficit of $24.2 billion. Weve lost a significant chunk of our revenues and theres tough decisions that are going to be made, from a fiscal perspective, and I think its good for Albertans and our constituents to see where those tax dollars are going, he said.

Alberta has spent years investing heavily in itsmedical systems, which is a huge reason why the province is so desirable to work in as a physician, Knoechel said.

We had a really competitive system. Alberta was a very desirable province to work in and not just because you could make a lot of money, she said. We were just about to turn a corner where all this investment in primary care was going to pay off.

From a taxpayers perspective, she said, it is also frustrating because it is going to end up being more expensive overall.

In dozens of communities across the province, physicians are resigning citing the changes that are being imposed by the UCP, and moving their practices elsewhere in Canada and internationally.

In April, the Moose & Squirrel Medical Clinic in Sundre announced via a Facebook live broadcast that it will no longer be able to offer obstetrical services. The Clinic also withdrew services from the acute care and emergency departments of the Sundre Hospital, citing changes to physician billing structure for the withdrawal.

On Sept. 4, five out of eight practicing physicians from the Moose & Squirrel Medical Clinic in Sundre have announced that they would be leaving the clinic and the province to practice elsewhere, according to letters from physicians published on the Clinics social media.

Guthrie said the recent resignations making headlines in the province may be part of a "tactic" to give doctors a better negotiation position.

We are in a position where we have at least as many physicians here now as we did a year ago, Guthrie said. There is normal variation that happens and we are still within the regular standard deviation of changes that occur from year to year.

Guthrie said that the governments fiscal decisions will not necessarily amount to an overall funding cut in the province.

Right now, we are spending $5.4 billion on physician compensation. That is 10 per cent of the entire budget of the province. What the province is requesting is that we maintain that at a zero per cent increase, he said. We are asking that doctors be maintained at the highest levels in the country.

Knoechel said that if the situation continues on its current trajectory she would be forced to relocate to a different province.

If the government continues to give itself authority to make changes that would impact how I practice medicine, I cant work for a government that does that, Knoechel said. Theyre not doctors. Im not going to endanger patients because theyve given themselves power to tell me what Im allowed to do and not do. If my option becomes practice medicine I cant practice in good conscience or leave, I would have to leave.

Continued here:

Cochrane doctor concerned about future of medicine in Alberta - Cochrane Today

It’s Not Far-fetched to Find Drew Brees in the College of Veterinary Medicine – Purdue Veterinary News

Posted on by

Friday, September 18, 2020

Did you know that Drew Brees is a professor at the College of Veterinary Medicine? A pet professor that is, or rather pet professors.

The legendary football player is represented in the college in the form of two dogs, a Terrier mix named Drew and an Australian Shepherd border mix named Brees. Brees is owned by Dr. Ellen Lowery, director of the Purdue University Veterinary Hospital, while Drew is owned by Dr. Jim Weisman, assistant dean for student affairs.

As far as the name Drew goes, its basically my admiration for Drew Brees. Im a Boilermaker through and through, Dr. Weisman says. Drew is about nine-years-old and Dr. Weisman describes him as a very self-sustained dog. He enjoys playing fetch by himself by dropping a ball down a flight of stairs and bringing it back up to the top. Dr. Weisman says, for a dog, Drew is rather organized. He has his own toy box that he gets his things out of at the beginning of the day, but always brings them back and puts them away at the end of the day.

As for Brees, Dr. Lowery says, Im not the biggest football fan, but I have so much respect for Drew Brees. She says that Brees is about five-years-old and has a calm demeanor overall, but also is not afraid to act like a watchdog when she needs to. Dr. Lowery explains that when theyre home, She keeps all of the squirrels and chipmunks in line. When Brees is off-duty from her watchdog role, she enjoys being a greeter in the College of Veterinary Medicine. Students may find her in a hallway between classes always happy to be petted. Dr. Lowery says that students and staff love having Brees as a local mascot for the college.

Both of these dogs are involved in the colleges Pet Professor program. Animals in the program are often the pets of staff and faculty and provide a way for students to learn the foundations of conducting physical examinations and giving vaccinations to domestic pets as well as practicing ultrasounds and minor physical therapy techniques. Animals like Drew and Brees get a free examination while students get fun friends to play with and learn from, and who wouldnt want a teammate like Drew Brees!

Writer(s): Jonathan Martz, PVM Communications Intern | pvmnews@purdue.edu

Continue reading here:

It's Not Far-fetched to Find Drew Brees in the College of Veterinary Medicine - Purdue Veterinary News

Medical Moonshot: How Novartis and Microsoft Are Using AI to Reimagine Medicine – Cloud Wars

Posted on by

While pharmaceutical companies have traditionally had to devote $2.5 billion and 12 years of to bring a single therapy to market, the stark reality is that only 1 out of 10,000 compounds makes it through clinical trials and into the hands of patients.

Determined to take these challenges head on, Novartis and Microsoft have created an AI Innovation Lab with the audacious goal of shattering those barriers by reimagining not just medicine but also daring to approach R&D in part as a computational challenge.

At the heart of that visionary collaborative effort is the fusion of expertise in deep scientific know-how from Novartis, with AI and data management expertise from Microsoft. On top of all that world-class domain expertise, leaders within both companies say, the other essential ingredient is culture: can the Novartis and Microsoft teams transcend the traditional dynamic of tech vendor and business customer to achieve outcomes that neither company could ever accomplish individually?

The partnership with Microsoft is one that we at Novartis value and cherish, said Novartis chief digital officer Bertrand Bodson, who joined the company 2-1/2 years ago after stints in online retail, digital music, entrepreneurship and Amazon.

It brings together great minds from science, technology and data to find the best ways to build platforms, explore data, and improve the speed at which we operate.

A part of my job I most enjoy is that when I see and talk to the teams doing this incredible work, I cant tell who is from Novartis and who is from Microsoft. And when you achieve that sort of focus and trust, great things can happen, said the relentlessly upbeat and fast-talking Bodson.

Among the great things Novartis hopes to achieve:

A key component to becoming this leading medicines company powered by data and digital is an initiative called data42, which will allow Novartis to derive better insights from its more than 2 million patient-years of clinical-trial data that will serve as the fuel for the AI systems Novartis is creating in collaboration with Microsoft, Bodson said.

In the past, these datasets were not unified so could not be analyzed together as a whole. But now that were doing this, we believe we will be able to build scalable products on the data42 platform, allowing our scientists to be able to gain more insights and deeper insights than has ever before, Bodson said.

The new data architecture developed by Microsoft and Novartis makes it possible for Novartis scientists to analyze and work with vast and aggregated datasets rather than limited and fragmented results that have simply been too small or too limited to drive high-scale innovation at the speed Novartis desires.

We are now able to bring to bear the predictive powers of AI against this massive reservoir of data, Bodson said. For the first time, we can ask, If were not recruiting patients fast enough in a certain geographic area, how should we rethink patient-recruitment so that we reach our goals?

Or we can use those predictive powers to enhance the molecules were creating and work with because we can now more precisely probe biological systems. And that can lead to breakthroughs in vital areas such as smart dosing.

At the center of those efforts is the AI Innovation Lab established in September 2019 by Novartis and Microsoft.

Its charter is to help the market-leading pharmaceutical firm dramatically ramp up its capabilities around data science and AI with a specific focus on healthcare and life sciences.

As we use AI to explore exciting new fields such as generative chemistry by simulating the properties and behaviors of molecules in ways that yield insights faster than ever before, thats where the real magic happens because we are deeply fusing Microsofts expertise in AI and data science with our own deep expertise in biology and life sciences, Bodson said.

Another opportunity for that type of magic is turning those one-off achievements into documented and repeatable processes that can be leveraged across the company and across the world to drive the type of scale that can dramatically reduce the barriers of drug hunting.

An article on the Novartis website about data42 offers this perspective from Pascal Bouquet, whos the Technology Lead for the platform: Of course, we dont know yet what we are going to find when we are using this new data and digital technology. But we firmly believe we will be able to find insights that are not possible today.

We are convinced that we can find nuggets that we have not seen so far and that, in the long run, we can even completely design and discover new drugs based purely on data, Bouquet says in the article (emphasis added).

For that to happen, Bodson says, Novartis must embrace a data culture from one end of the company to the otherwithout that type of environment, it will be impossible to develop the scale needed to shrink the cost and development time of new medicines.

Building a data culture is a very big part of my jobprobably 50% of it, said Bodson. We have to treat data as a high-value asset that belongs to everyone at the company, and is not isolated here or there for only a few people to be able to use. But I must tell you, all of that is easier said than done.

To help foster that essential data culture, Bodson said, the Novartis/Microsoft team running the AI Innovation Lab is taking a decidedly outside-in approach to foster awareness, trust and collaboration from all segments of the vast scientific community within Novartis.

We dedicate time to better understanding the needs and requirements of our teams. What are your top challenges? Where can we help? How can we help you get the insights you need? The team understands that we want them to be active and to push into new areasif they fail, thats fine, but dont be afraid to take chances based on the data you have.

Those efforts from the AI Innovation Lab generally coalesce around two areas: AI exploration, which involves tackling some of the hardest challenges within life sciences, very specific projects, starting with generative chemistry and optimizing cell and gene therapies at scale. The second area is AI empowerment, which Bodson said is a Microsoft term centered on enabling every person to harness AI in their own special and custom ways to reason over diverse information and unlock valuable new insights as they simultaneously reimagine ways to achieve those results more rapidly and at lower cost.

From his role as chief digital officer, Bodson helps align all of those efforts against four strategic pillars for Novartis:

While were confident in our abilities at Novartis to make big contributions, the fields of medicine and biology are simply too big for any one company to handle. Its too big for us to do it alone, Bodson said.

So one of the reasons we were so excited about working with Microsoft is they have the same outlook and the same openness about partnerships. And their expertise in building platforms, in AI, and in helping big global customers like Novartis build with agility is incredibly important to us. We know theyve invested massively to create that expertise, Bodson said.

Its important because some of the big technology players have tried to move into the healthcare business on their own. But one thing I learned very quickly at Novartis is that biology is humbling and amazingly complex.

Were taking on some of the biggest healthcare challenges out there, and for that we need this powerful pairing of science and tech as theyre much, much more than simply computational problems.

Read more here:

Medical Moonshot: How Novartis and Microsoft Are Using AI to Reimagine Medicine - Cloud Wars

Homology Medicines to Participate in Upcoming Conferences – GlobeNewswire

Posted on by

BEDFORD, Mass., Sept. 18, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Homology Medicines, Inc. (Nasdaq: FIXX), a genetic medicines company, announced today participation and presentations at the following virtual conferences:

The live webcast presentations from the Oppenheimer and Chardan conferences will be accessible on Homologys website in the Investors section, and the webcast replays will be available on the website for 90 days following the presentations. For on-demand webcasts from the Cell & Gene Meeting on the Mesa conference, please visit http://www.meetingonthemesa.com for full information.

About Homology Medicines, Inc. Homology Medicines is a genetic medicines company dedicated to transforming the lives of patients suffering from rare genetic diseases with significant unmet medical needs by curing the underlying cause of the disease. Homologys proprietary platform is designed to utilize its human hematopoietic stem cell-derived adeno-associated virus vectors (AAVHSCs) to precisely and efficiently deliver genetic medicinesin vivoeither through a gene therapy or nuclease-free gene editing modality across a broad range of genetic disorders. Homology has a management team with a successful track record of discovering, developing and commercializing therapeutics with a particular focus on rare diseases, and intellectual property covering its suite of 15 AAVHSCs. Homology believes that its compelling preclinical data, scientific expertise, product development strategy, manufacturing capabilities and intellectual property position it as a leader in the development of genetic medicines. For more information, please visitwww.homologymedicines.com.

The rest is here:

Homology Medicines to Participate in Upcoming Conferences - GlobeNewswire

UC College of Medicine collaborates with Johns Hopkins University on new COVID-19 studies – WLWT Cincinnati

Posted on by

The University of Cincinnati College of Medicine is collaborating with Johns Hopkins University on new COVID-19 studies.The universities are working together to assess the effectiveness of convalescent blood plasma as an outpatient therapy for COVID-19 treatment and prevention.This is the first U.S. multi-center, double-blind, randomized clinical trial.Both universities will do these studies to find out how this trial differs from other plasma trials and how it affects the body in people all over the world. The trials will be held at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine.Anyone who has been recently exposed, newly diagnosed with coronavirus and have symptoms can fill out a questionnaire online or call Johns Hopkins University at 888-506-1199. You can click here to find the questionnaire online.Participants will be paid in this study.You can find out more information on the website to see if you qualify for this study.

The University of Cincinnati College of Medicine is collaborating with Johns Hopkins University on new COVID-19 studies.

The universities are working together to assess the effectiveness of convalescent blood plasma as an outpatient therapy for COVID-19 treatment and prevention.

This is the first U.S. multi-center, double-blind, randomized clinical trial.

Both universities will do these studies to find out how this trial differs from other plasma trials and how it affects the body in people all over the world.

The trials will be held at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine.

Anyone who has been recently exposed, newly diagnosed with coronavirus and have symptoms can fill out a questionnaire online or call Johns Hopkins University at 888-506-1199. You can click here to find the questionnaire online.

Participants will be paid in this study.

You can find out more information on the website to see if you qualify for this study.

View post:

UC College of Medicine collaborates with Johns Hopkins University on new COVID-19 studies - WLWT Cincinnati

Mental health help available and more supports coming for Medicine Hat – CHAT News Today

Posted on by

There have been several comments and messages to Chat News from residents saying its been a struggle when reaching out to the mental health system for help.

However, Reeder says there are many in the mental health field here and willing to help if someone is struggling right now.

She says one of the best places to go is your family doctor and they can make referrals for counselling or other psychological services.

The other option is to call 211 and they can help you navigate the services within our community and find the supports that you need.

Reeder says the mental health system can be challenging sometimes, and the CMHA can help navigate where to start as well.

We do support groups. So we have a support group thats starting up right away. Its the hope & healing support group focusing on suicide loss. And we also have a caregiver connections group for family members or friends supporting someone with mental illness or addiction. So those are just two of our groups and I encourage people to check out our Facebook site we post our groups as they come up.

The workshops will be in-person with physical distancing measures in place.

The CMHA provides support and education, not counselling services. But they can point you in that direction.

For counselling she says to connect with Alberta Health Services Mental Health & Addictions at the provincial building.

Reeder adds there has been an increase in people struggling with their mental health right now which is understandable.

There defiantly is a lack of connection that people have had over a number of months, so we just need to really stay hopeful and reach out for help, connect with others, and get the support that youre needing.

The CMHA Alberta Southeast Region is also opening up a recovery college that was started in Calgary.

A recovery college is education-based to help people develop skills to support themselves on a recovery journey. Whether its a mental illness, mental health, or addictions.

So we partnered with Calgary CMHA to do that. And its having people that have experienced mental illness or addiction themselves support in co-facilitating courses around resiliency and how to improve your own resourcefulness.

Reeder adds they are in the course of hiring people for the recovery college and it will be up and going pretty soon. It will be in-person with options to be online as well.

If you or someone you know is in crisis resources are available. In the case of an emergency dial 9-1-1. The Alberta Mental Health Help Line can be reached at 1-877-303-2642. The Kids Help Phone can be reached at 1-800-668-6868.

Read the original here:

Mental health help available and more supports coming for Medicine Hat - CHAT News Today

Eight active COVID-19 cases in Medicine Hat – CHAT News Today

Posted on by

The total number of COVID-19 cases across the province stands at 16,274. There are 1,483 active cases, down 12 from Wednesday, and 14,573 recovered cases, up 194.

There are currently 41 Albertans in hospital, eight in ICU. There have been 254 deaths.

The province conducted 13,003 tests in the past 24 hours.

Alberta is facing a challenge in the coming winter months, said Dr. Deena Hinshaw, and testing is being shifted to a more targeted approach.

We will continue testing any Albertan with symptoms, while targeting asymptomatic testing for those who most need it and where it is most likely to identify positive cases, she said. This is the best way to limit the spread of COVID-19 and to protect the health of Albertans during the winter and flu season.

Anyone with symptoms, any close contacts of a confirmed case and anyone liked to an outbreak will continue to be tested

Asymptomatic testing and those with no known exposure will continue to be offered to priority groups. Those include residents and staff in congregate settings, health-care workers, school teachers and staff and homeless people.

Asymptomatic testing is no longer recommended for other Albertans who have no symptoms and have no known exposure to COVID-19, said Hinshaw.

Hinshaw said that Alberta and every other province in Canada must prepare for a surging demand for tests this winter.

With cold and flu symptoms being similar to those of COVID-19 and people spending more time indoors and therefore in close contact, there will be an increase in the number of people needing to be tested, said the chief medical officer of health.

Hinshaw said she has discussed with her counterparts across the country the need for income support programs for parents who may need to stay home due to their own illness or one in their family.

She called it a critical question.

Unless were able to support individuals who need to stay home either when they themselves are ill or if a child is ill, unless we can do that successfully we will not be able to stop COVID-19 from spreading, she said.

Hinshaw began Thursdays update by issuing a correction to previously reported numbers regarding the rate of positive tests among asymptomatic people and those with no known COVID exposure. She said it has yielded on average seven positive results per 10,000 people tested, not per 1,000 people tested as was reported.

She said that emphasizes the fact that this testing is not contributing significantly to the new cases we are seeing.

There are now 10 schools in the province where outbreaks have been declared. Alberta Healths threshold for declaring an outbreak in school is two cases being in a school while infectious within 14 days.

One of those 10 schools, one St. Wilfrid Elementary School in Calgary is in the Watch classification, which means there are five or more cases.

No local schools are classified as having outbreaks on the provincial website.

The website Support Our Students is tracking instances of cases in schools across the province. The only local school on the list remains Ecole St. John Paul II, which was added in late August.

In the South Zone, there are 1,795 total cases. There are 38 active cases and 1,732 recovered. There are currently no COVID-19 cases in hospital in the South Zone and the zone total remains at 25 deaths.

Cypress County has totaled 31 cases all recovered.

The County of Forty Mile has 28 total cases, six active cases and the rest recovered.

The MD of Taber has 40 total cases one active case and the rest recovered.

Special Areas No. 2 has 13 total cases, all of which are recovered.

Brooks has 1,130 total cases 1,118 are recovered and three are active. Brooks has recorded nine deaths.

The County of Newell has a total of 32 cases 30 recovered and there have been two deaths.

The County of Warner has 62 total cases. There are two active cases, 59 are recovered cases and there has been one death in the county.

The City of Lethbridge has a total of 169 cases. There are seven active cases, 160 recovered and there have been two deaths. Lethbridge County has 44 cases, seven active cases and the rest recovered.

The figures on alberta.ca are up-to-date as of end of day Sept. 16, 2020.

Read the full Sept. 17 update from the province here.

Saskatchewan reported seven new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday, three in the South Zones.

Saskatchewan has a total of 1,757 cases, 109 considered active. There are 1,624 recovered cases and there have been 24 COVID-19 deaths in the province.

Original post:

Eight active COVID-19 cases in Medicine Hat - CHAT News Today

MEPs vote for action on medicines shortages – what should be the next steps? – EPHA – European Public Health Alliance

Posted on by

Our organisations, representing patients, consumers, healthcare professionals and public health interests, very much welcome the INI report on the shortage of medicines voted by the European Parliament on September 17th 2020. We remind that shortages of medicines entail considerable risks for the health and safety of patients, the interests of whom must always come first in any policy aimed at fighting this global threat.

The report recommends several actions that shall contribute to better prevention and management of medicine shortages in Europe. Our organisations jointly call for prioritisation of the following initiatives:

In addition, we believe that diversifying the sources of production of API, raw materials and finished pharmaceutical products is probably more important to fight shortages of medicines than the relocation of production alone, which may not prevent quality issues or problems on the production chain. Nevertheless, if pursued, public funding aimed at incentivising diversification and/or relocation of pharmaceutical production must always be fully transparent and conditioned to clear supply obligations on the European market, as well as accessibility and affordability of manufactured medicines.

We therefore invite the EU institutions and Member States to follow up on the above-highlighted priorities and we urge the European Commission to include them in the upcoming pharmaceutical strategy, as well as in other relevant EU policy actions.

Read more here:

MEPs vote for action on medicines shortages - what should be the next steps? - EPHA - European Public Health Alliance

Blockchain Bites: Airdrops, Record Volumes, $1B BTC on Ethereum – CoinDesk – CoinDesk

Posted on by

There is now more than $1 billion worth of bitcoin on Ethereum, record-setting transaction volume is boosting Ethereum miners revenue and VeChain joins Chinas food safety watchdog to build track and trace capabilities.

Top shelf

Token reflectionsUniswaps decision toairdrop its new governance token was less about competingwith its genetic clone SushiSwap, and more about building a community, CoinDesks Brady Dale reports. I think its genius in every way, Robert Leshner, Compounds founder, said. It brought a huge number of users into the fold. Tokens were airdropped not just to liquidity providers (LPs), but essentially anyone who has played with the app meaning upwards of 250,000 unique Ethereum addresses that have made trades on it could come into possession. This could help Uniswap achieve the effective decentralization necessary to avoid the prying eyes of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. While the token is likely to spur a new round of liquidity mining, bumping up transactions fees on the platform, Dale also suggests UNI could be a means for the protocol which raised an $11 million Series A to repay its investors.

Ethereum recordsEthereumminers earned a record $16.5 millionon Thursday as the number of transactions on the network ticks up. More than 42,763ether(ETH) were paid out in transaction fees for 1.4 million transactions another all-time high. CoinDesks Paddy Baker points to a meteoric rise in decentralized finance (DeFi) to make sense of the surging Ethereum activity. There is currently over $9 billion worth of assets locked in DeFi applications, according to DeFi Pulse, up from approximately $675 million at the start of the year. Decentralized exchanges too are growing led by Uniswap, Curve and Balancer having recently surpassed $16 billion in total monthly volume.

Community pointsThe number of monthly users who earned T-Points, or loyalty points,for bitcoin (BTC) payments on the bitFlyer exchange in Japan reached a record highin August. Though the exchange did not specify the number of users of the service, CoinDesk Japan previously reported approximately 30% of new visitors to the exchange are in their 20s.BTCwas trading at 1.3 million Japanese yen ($12,400) in August for the first time in a year. Midori Kanemitsu, a market analyst at bitFlyer, indicated that this reflects a larger trend: against the backdrop of COVID-19 and global monetary easing, bitcoin is shifting from a speculative investment for individuals to an institutional hedge against inflation.

Track and traceThe VeChain Foundation has become thefirst blockchain-based entity to join the China Animal Health and Food Safety Alliance(CAFA). According to a blog post, VeChain joins the 130 strong member group as its only public blockchain technology provider, and will further provide technical and infrastructural support for member firms. According to the post, CAFA intends to build a farm to table traceability system across China that would record the various stages of the food supply process on the blockchain in order to build trust with consumers.

Wallet challengeU.S. Homeland Securitys Science and Technology Directorate (S&T),wants you to build its next digital wallet.CoinDesks Danny Nelson reports the directorate is putting $25,000 up for grabs in their new digital wallet challenge, a user interface design competition to pair with DHSs work in the blockchain and decentralized identity space. Finalist wallets must demonstrate ease of use and visual consistency, while supporting interoperability, security, and privacy, said Anil John, technical director of S&Ts Silicon Valley Innovation Program (SVIP). Applications are open through Oct. 15, with the chance for three finalists to win $5,000 and an additional $10,000 to the competition winner.

Quick bites

At stake

Judge Joel M. Cohen, the judge who has been overseeing the New York Attorney Generals (NYAG) offices examination pertaining to the sister firms alleged $850 million cover-up, is applying pressure in what appears to be an attempt to speed up what has become a 17-month-long investigation.

Bitfinexs legal fight with the NYAG began in April 2019, when the state prosecutor first alleged that Bitfinex had lost access to $850 million in funds held by Crypto Capital Corp., a payment processor whose operators were later indicted by the U.S. Department of Justice.

Stablecoin issuer Tether extended a line of credit and provided a loan to Bitfinex to cover the shortfall. The NYAGs office requested access to the documents surrounding this deal.

Specifically, the NYAG wants to know where the funds went, whether any of the funds went to company executives and why transfers from Tether to Bitfinex were necessary.

Bitfinex and Tether are now appealing this request for documentation, with its representatives saying it is literally impossible to comply with, because the NYAGs office has asked for all documents aroundUSDT. A legal representative compared the request toasking GM for all documents about cars,earlier this week.

Defendants counsel also argues the investigation is past its prime. Weve now had 17 additional months of disclosure. All the dirty laundry about Crypto Capital has been aired Whatever risk there may have been 17 months ago is gone, Charles Michael, an attorney with Steptoe and Johnson, representing Bitfinex, said.

Cohen didnt set a firm deadline for when Bitfinex and Tether would have to produce these documents, leaving that decision to a special referee, but said a deadline would need to be set. As part of his order, he extended an injunction that would have ended in the next few weeks barring Tether from loaning funds to Bitfinex by 90 days.

Market intel

Indecision reigns?Bitcoin clocked highs of $11,104 and $11,050 on Wednesday and Thursday, respectively, butprinted a UTC closing price below $11,000 on both occasions.Indecision is now the mood of the market. Increasing amounts of bitcoin are leaving wallets associated with miners for exchanges, an indication of selling pressure. According to data source Glassnode, 1,113.85 BTC were transferred to exchange wallets from miner wallets on Sept. 13 the biggest single-day outflow since December. Should the latest indecisive price action end with an upward move, the focus would shift to the next hurdle at $11,200, CoinDesks Omkar Godbole reports.

$1B bitcoinOver$1 billion worth of bitcoin has been tokenized on Ethereumas of Thursday, CoinDesk news reporter Zack Voell found. In January, less than 1,200 BTC were tokenized worth less than $7 million. There are now more than 92,600 tokenized bitcoins (BTC), representing 0.42% of the total BTC supply. Wrapped bitcoin (WBTC), the largest tokenized bitcoin project, has minted over 60,500 tokenized BTC since its launch in early 2019, representing over 65% of the total tokenized BTC supply, while RenBTC, the second largest tokenized bitcoin project, has issued 22,000 tokenized bitcoins since May.

Op-ed

A little realityPreston Byrne, a CoinDesk columnist and Anderson Kill partner,wants American companies to stop issuing tokensand airdrops. Reflecting on Uniswaps decision to distribute their new governance token widely, Byrne writes, Cheerleaders will say that entrepreneurs are leaving money on the table by not doing a Uniswap-style airdrop to the American public. But as a practical matter, many, if not most, of [token sales are securities]. No mental gymnastics, no think-pieces, no cryptographic magic dust, no novel naming conventions, and no gotchas! can work around the fact that courts work with economic reality, and economic reality on this most recent DEX token airdrop looks a lot like an investment contract.

Podcast corner

Pals polemicRaoul Pal, CEO and co-founder of Real Vision, joins the latest episode of The Breakdown for a wide-ranging conversation into the mechanics behind the Federal Reserve, stablecoin disruption and why all macro debates are boring. (Editors note: Not this one.)

Who won #CryptoTwitter?

Here is the original post:

Blockchain Bites: Airdrops, Record Volumes, $1B BTC on Ethereum - CoinDesk - CoinDesk

Worldwide Outlook into the Blockchain Technology Market in Transportation and Logistics to 2024 – GlobeNewswire

Posted on by

Dublin, Sept. 18, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Global Blockchain Technology Market in Transportation and Logistics Industry Market 2020-2024" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global blockchain technology market in transportation and logistics industry market is poised to grow by $811.51 million during 2020-2024 progressing at a CAGR of 54% during the forecast period.

This report on the blockchain technology market in transportation and logistics industry market provides a holistic analysis, market size and forecast, trends, growth drivers, and challenges, as well as vendor analysis covering around 25 vendors. The report offers an up-to-date analysis regarding the current global market scenario, latest trends and drivers, and the overall market environment.

The market is driven by the growing use of blockchain technology for trucking and growing number of cargo thefts.

The blockchain technology market in transportation and logistics industry market analysis includes mode segment and geographical landscapes. This study identifies the booming e-commerce industry as one of the prime reasons driving the blockchain technology market in transportation and logistics industry market growth during the next few years.

The publisher presents a detailed picture of the market by the way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources by an analysis of key parameters.

The report covers the following areas:

The robust vendor analysis is designed to help clients improve their market position, and in line with this, this report provides a detailed analysis of several leading blockchain technology market in transportation and logistics industry market vendors that include Accenture Plc, Capgemini Services SAS, Infosys Ltd., International Business Machines Corp., Microsoft Corp., Oracle Corp., SAP SE, Tata Consultancy Services Ltd., Tencent Holdings Ltd., and Wipro Ltd.. Also, the blockchain technology market in transportation and logistics industry market analysis report includes information on upcoming trends and challenges that will influence market growth. This is to help companies strategize and leverage on all forthcoming growth opportunities.

The study was conducted using an objective combination of primary and secondary information including inputs from key participants in the industry. The report contains a comprehensive market and vendor landscape in addition to an analysis of the key vendors.

The publisher presents a detailed picture of the market by the way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources by an analysis of key parameters such as profit, pricing, competition, and promotions. It presents various market facets by identifying the key industry influences. The data presented is comprehensive, reliable, and a result of extensive research - both primary and secondary. The market research reports provide a complete competitive landscape and an in-depth vendor selection methodology and analysis using qualitative and quantitative research to forecast an accurate market growth.

Key Topics Covered:

1. Executive Summary

2. Market Landscape

3. Market Sizing

4. Five Forces Analysis

5. Market Segmentation by Mode

6. Customer Landscape

7. Geographic Landscape

8. Vendor Landscape

9. Vendor Analysis

10. Appendix

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

Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research.

View post:

Worldwide Outlook into the Blockchain Technology Market in Transportation and Logistics to 2024 - GlobeNewswire

Will Blockchain Become the Next ‘Game-Changer’ for the Insurance Industry? | Infiniti’s Industry Experts Provide In-Depth Insights – Business Wire

Posted on by

LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Blockchain technology can help efficiently and safely share data, process claims, and prevent fraud in the insurance industry. However, the implementation and inception of blockchain in insurance are still in the early stages. Additionally, companies in the insurance industry still have a long way to go in terms of actively working with industry players to figure out the best ways to navigate the potential challenges of blockchain technology.

To gain comprehensive insights and expert guidance on efficiently navigating the challenges of blockchain in the insurance industry, request a free proposal.

Not only does blockchain offer the promise of cost reduction and efficiency, but it could also enable revenue growth, as insurers attract new business through higher-quality service, says an insurance industry expert at Infiniti Research.

One of the most notable tech trends, blockchain technology, is a distributed, peer-to-peer ledger of records called blocks that is virtually incorruptible. In the insurance industry, this technology offers the promise of cost reduction and efficiency. Higher-quality service and the aspect of self-management help insurers attract new businesses. The applications of blockchain in insurance are expected to revamp the way the insurance industry functions. Although it is in the early stages of inception and implementation, there are many benefits to successfully implementing blockchain technology in the insurance industry. In their recent blog, Infinitis experts discuss four key benefits of employing blockchain in the insurance industry.

Unsure about implementing blockchain technology in your organization? To learn the major benefits of blockchain technology in the insurance industry, and why insurance companies should implement it, request more information.

Infinitis experts identified the following four benefits of blockchain in the insurance industry:

About Infiniti Research

Established in 2003, Infiniti Research is a leading market intelligence company providing smart solutions to address your business challenges. Infiniti Research studies markets in more than 100 countries to help analyze competitive activity, see beyond market disruptions, and develop intelligent business strategies. To know more, visit: https://www.infinitiresearch.com/about-us

Go here to read the rest:

Will Blockchain Become the Next 'Game-Changer' for the Insurance Industry? | Infiniti's Industry Experts Provide In-Depth Insights - Business Wire

Can digital blockchain technology improve working conditions in the Global South? – Equal Times

Posted on by

Viewed from above, the shrimp farms that dot the coast of Thailands Surat Thani province form a watery mosaic of pools. The view from the ground, however, presents a different picture: most of these farms are hidden behind high walls, and information about what goes on behind them is hard to come by.

The fishing industry in Thailand, the worlds leading producer of shrimp, has been the subject of years of criticism for its opacity as well as numerous labour abuse scandals at various stages of the production chain. Despite reforms undertaken by the government in recent years, fish farms continue to be a major point of contention in the industry.

Aquaculture workers [in Thailand] are usually hired from other countries, like Myanmar [Burma], and live on-site at the fish farms. Conditions are often harsh as work is performed under the sun, says data scientist Juliette Alemany of FairAgora Asia, a Thailand-based consultancy firm specialising in traceability in the food industry. Hidden behind these walls, some companies dont always register their employees or respect existing labour laws.

But a simple mobile application developed by FairAgora Asia could help to change that by providing a virtual peak behind these walls and shedding some light on what goes on in these fish farms.

Based on digital blockchain (a shared register that guarantees the veracity of internet operations) technology, FairAgora Asia designed its digital platform VerifiK8 to help companies monitor and report on their working conditions and environmental footprint.

Its a digital tool that monitors the social and environmental impact [of companies]. It checks social parameters [provided by the companies] against production data to find out whether companies along the production chain are on the red or green side in terms of their impact, says FairAgora Asia founder Emmanuelle Bourgois.

As Bourgois explains, along with other values, the application can verify the actual number of hours worked by comparing it to production levels, and determine whether companies are committing fraud in their labour reports. According to the US Department of Labours latest report on child and forced labour, child labour has been found in Bangladesh and Cambodia, forced labour in Burma, and both forced and child labour in Thailand in these respective countries shrimp industries.

Blockchain is a protocol that allows for data blocks to be shared between individuals in a process in which the different parties involved confirm the information. It is considered to be a secure, democratic and decentralised technology as none of the parties have control over the data and consensus is required to alter it. Blockchain can be a game-changer when there are multiple stakeholders involved, especially in exporting focused businesses, explains Om Prakash Routray, Vice President of SourceTrace, an India-based consulting firm which is also trying to implement this type of technology in other areas, such as the cotton industry.

The data in blockchains is also permanent. Once it is stored, you cannot modify the original document, it is a fixed point of information, you can only add layers of information to update the document. But you will always have this initial copy saved says Alemany.

Though blockchain was originally developed in 2008 to support crypto-currencies, specifically bitcoin, its use has spread to a number of other sectors that require secure information transactions.

Its definitely a solution that makes a difference because with blockchain you are able to ensure once the data is in the system that it is reliable. [Moreover] it provides the level of transparency across the supply chain that is required, says Kamales Lardi, CEO of Lardi & Partner Consulting GmbH, a consultancy that specialises in improving digitisation in companies.

Like FairAgora Asia, Lardis company is trying to apply this technology to another controversial industry: the palm oil industry. The worlds most consumed vegetable oil has been linked to deforestation, child labour and forced labour, among other practices.

Through its Malaysian subsidiary BloomBloc, Lardi & Partner Consulting is developing a pilot project for the Malaysian Palm Oil Council (MPOC), a lobby that represents the industrys interests in the Asian country. The application allows for individual bunches of oil palm to be identified and tracked on their way to a refinery so that each one can be traced to its plantation of origin. As Lardi explains, the data is also available to the various stakeholders involved, with the aim of increasing the industrys transparency and credibility.

The agricultural industry is often synonymous with informal work, especially in regions like Asia, where almost 70 per cent of the employed population works without a contract. This not only makes workers targets for labour abuse but also negatively impacts their professional future. One of the things that we noticed is that many workers in aquaculture sometimes dont even have written agreements, only oral agreements, and they dont have any tracking or record of their past activities or jobs, explains Alemany. To address this problem, FairAgora Asias application includes a profile of each employee that records a kind of CV, which they can use later when looking for a new job. Even if there is no paper-based working contract there are certain data points [approved] and it is better than nothing, she continues.

The BloomBloc platform also verifies that each bunch of oil palm is associated with a worker who has a contract and whose documentation has been verified, especially if that worker is an immigrant.

We monitor what happens from the plantation to the mill, which is the hardest piece to trace because 40 per cent of the industry are smallholder plantations, explains Kamales Lardi. The system also allows for other more technical elements to be monitored, such as humidity and temperature, if the necessary sensors are installed.

But as Om Prakash Routray of Sourcetrace explains, consumers will ultimately determine the success of these projects: The conversation has been going around for a long time but [] now what we are seeing is not only big businesses [implementing this kind of technology], also small ones. This is due to the fact that consumers are increasingly willing to pay higher prices to finance greater transparency in what they buy. Now businesses can probably get 10 per cent or 15 per cent more if you can tell the story [of your product]. This can be dramatically improved by consumer demand, says Routray.

Indeed, these consultancy firms are also adapting their platforms to help producers, particularly smaller ones, obtain sustainability certifications. FairAgora Asia has initiated a pilot project in Vietnam, for example, while BloomBloc and Sourcetrace are working with frameworks such as the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil and organic certifications.

However, the learning curve required to use these applications can be steep for small-scale producers. The weakest point of the blockchain in the supply chain is really around data entry. So we are trying to make data entry as non-manual as possible to make sure that data is trustworthy, says Lardi. FairAgora Asias pilot programme includes specific training in recording all of the data. It was a long process, but it was a very nice success story, says Alemany.

See the rest here:

Can digital blockchain technology improve working conditions in the Global South? - Equal Times

Coda Is Paying Users to Break Its Blockchain – Decrypt

Posted on by

In brief

Coda, a crypto project building a blockchain light enough for anyone to operate a node, is launching an adversarial testnet that rewards users for trying to break the network.

Coda, developed by O(1) Labs, announced today a limited-capacity signup for its Testworld testnet. Testers can receive shares of 1% of the total supply of Coda tokens by uncovering vulnerabilities and attack vectors against nodes on the testnet Coda blockchain.

Participants will also be qualified to receive a Genesis Grant for helping develop the community and learning more about the technical aspects of the protocol. If successful, the Coda blockchain could create one of the most widely distributed networks spanning millions of smartphones and other connected devices.

The Coda protocol uses zero-knowledge (ZK) SNARK proof technology to verify all nodes are connected to the Coda blockchain, while keeping the data storage requirements for the nodes themselves tiny. ZK SNARK proofs use hash signatures generated from previous blocks in the blockchain to verify that everything in the blocks is in order without needing to know the specific contents of the previous blocks themselves.

Using this system, a Coda node requires just a few dozen kilobytes of data storage, about the amount of data in a few tweets, while still maintaining transaction speeds of up to 100 transactions per second. Other blockchains, like Bitcoin and Ethereum, are several hundred gigabytes in size, and still growing.

Given its minimal size requirements, Coda is clearly focused on maximizing the number of nodes on (and, therefore, decentralization of) the network by being welcoming to newcomers. Moreover, through the Mentor Nodes and the Technical Ambassadors programs, Coda plans to onboard additional users to earn testnet rewards.

Users can accumulate testnet points for producing blocks and SNARKs during the adversarial phase, and novice users can get help with block production and SNARKs in our dedicated mentor-nodes Discord channel, O(1) Labs CEO and co-founder Evan Shapiro told Decrypt.

Weve also onboarded more than 20 Technical Community Ambassadors to help new users get started with running a node. Alongside our technical adversarial challenges, we will also offer community challenges for users who have valuable skills in other areas, such as content creation and community outreach.

O(1) Labs, the developer group behind Coda, was founded in 2017 and has raised $18 million from investors like Coinbase Ventures and Polychain Capital. The Coda protocol mainnet should eventually allow developers to build decentralized games and applications that use the Coda blockchain to deliver decentralized and secure data.

Correction: An earlier version of this story stated that O(1) Labs had raised more than $33 million from investors. According to O(1) Labs, the actual figure is $18 million.

Visit link:

Coda Is Paying Users to Break Its Blockchain - Decrypt

Bitcoins obituary and a Starbucks blockchain: Bad crypto news of the week – Cointelegraph

Posted on by

Its been a tough week for Bitcoin. The price has fallen more than 8 percent and dipped below $10,000 on three consecutive days. Analyst Willy Woo, though, thinks its all looking good. He believes that on-chain indicators, such as the NVT ratio, suggest a bullish outlook, while Su Zhu of Three Arrows Capital believes that a surge to $100,000 is more likely than a fall to $5,000.

The son of gold investor and Bitcoin critic Peter Schiff is convinced. The 18-year-old college freshman just bought some more Bitcoin, against his fathers advice. Asked whether they want to follow the student whos never had a job or the 30-year investment professional, Twitter picked the Bitcoin fan.

At least the young Schiff will be set for the end of the world. Podcaster Adam Curry has told comedian Joe Rogan that the apocalypse is coming, and as you hide in your bunker and battle the zombies, youre going to need a Bitcoin. Its no wonder that Bitcoin is now the worlds sixth-largest currency. And thats despite dying again. As the cryptocurrency lost value this week, the Bitcoin Obituary got to add another eulogy to its list.

As youre mourning the 382nd death of Bitcoin, you might want to hold off on loading up on Bitcoin Cash, though. It turns out that Tim Draper didnt recently buy some or thank Roger Ver. It looks like his Twitter account was hacked or a paid ad went wrong.

But if the apocalypse does come, maybe the GoodDollar will save us. The eToro token will set aside a daily amount as a basic income for the platforms participants. Andrew Yang would like it. Or alternatively, you could just hack a wallet. Crypto Twitter user Alon Gal has declared that he has a wallet containing 69,000 Bitcoins. He just doesnt have the password. Hackers have been trying to crack it for two years with no luck. Did they try password123?

The number of active decentralized autonomous organizations, or DAOs, has jumped over the last year. Its up 660 percent, from ten a year ago to 76 now. At the same time, thefirst phase of the MakerDAO debt auction is reaching its final stages. Bidders have already committed to buying $2 million worth of Maker tokens using Dai.

Its not only DAOs that are on the up, though. Starbucks is now getting ready to deploy a blockchain to trace its coffee beans and enable greater product transparency. Chinas Hainan Wenchang International Aerospace City will use a blockchain to support its Smart Brain Planning and Design Institute. And Bangladesh is about to get its first blockchain-powered remittance service. The service will let Bangladeshi expats in Malaysia send their money home.

There have been a few setbacks too this week. The Texas State Securities Board has detected some more cryptocurrency scams. Texas Securities Commissioner Travis J. Ilesnamed Kumar Babu Bondesi and Darwin Eric Balusek as the alleged operators of the Forex Birds and PEK Universe scams. They could face up to ten years in jail. Balusek is also known as Bitcoin Pope.

And YouTube pulled the plug on Sunny Decrees crypto livestream. The platform said the video violated its policy against harmful and dangerous content.

Finally, Jay Cassano, Cointelegraphs editor-in-chief, has been promoted to CEO. His position will be taken by Jon Rice, previously the managing editor of Cointelegraph Magazine. Congratulations to them both.

Check out the audio version here:

Joel Comm is an internet pioneer, New York Times best-selling author, futurist speaker and co-host of The Bad Crypto Podcast. Thats a fancy way of saying he writes words, says things and loves to play with cryptos.

The views, thoughts and opinions expressed here are the authors alone and do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions of Cointelegraph.

Read more from the original source:

Bitcoins obituary and a Starbucks blockchain: Bad crypto news of the week - Cointelegraph

Blockchain, Cryptography, Smart Contracts are All Technologies that Allow Us to Effectively Manage Our Data, According to John Izaguirre from Ontology…

Posted on by

John Izaguirre, the Business Director, Europe at Ontology, a high-performance or high-throughput blockchain platform, believes that privacy is a basic human right.

Izaguiree notes that data is becoming a very important topic for both individuals and companies. However, he believes that the Internet is still a relatively new technology and that were still learning how to use it effectively and responsibly.

Izaguiree, a graduate from San Francisco State University, points out during a recent podcast that if we look at human history and the achievements [weve made] lets say over the last 500 years[and you compare that to how long the Internet has been around,] then [you realize] its a very young technology.

He added:

Were still trying to learn how to utilize the Internet. On top of the internet, as a technology, its a tool over which several layers have been built over these last 20 years.

He continued:

One of these layers has been the communication technology layers that we now know as social media platformsthese platforms are not the evil corporations that we tend to believe they are. Even though what theyve done in the past isnt the most [appropriate] thing to do or the [morally right] thing to do. I also dont think they have a [special] agenda [where theyre trying to take advantage] of peoples data.

He believes the European Union has done a fairly good job when it comes to promoting the GDPR laws. However, he still thinks effective or proper user data management is still in its early stages just like the Internet.

He adds:

When it comes down to blockchain, cryptography, smart contracts, these technologies are helping with preserving the individuals data and educating societies on how to protect their own data. In terms of technology development, I think what blockchain has achieved in this regard in the last two years is remarkable. [But] were still trying to figure out how to [further] educate people and make people [feel] accountable for their own data.

The Ontology team has been working on various data management solutions that leverage blockchain or distributed ledger (DLT) technology. Recently, Ontology introduced a self-sovereign credit evaluation system, called OScore. Its based on user data that resides on the Ontology blockchain network.

As explained in a blog post by Ontology:

With full integration of ONT ID, Ontologys decentralized identity framework, OScore supports cross-chain interaction and verifiable credentials, connecting user identities with personal accounts on the Ontology blockchain, eliminating third parties from the process. Once a user authorizes their financial data, Ontologys OScore system generates a quantifiable credit score, while ensuring the users privacy is fully protected.

(Note: for more details on how OScore works, check here.)

As covered recently, Ontologys native ONT and ONG tokens may now be swapped to eONT, eONG on Ethereum. Theyre also listed on Uniswap, a leading decentralized ERC-20 token exchange.

Open Banking style benefits are now also available to Ontology Users, after its integration with Fintech Plaid. As reported, more than 6 million decentralized application or dApp related transactions have now been recorded on the Ontology blockchain since its genesis (or first) block was produced.

Read more from the original source:

Blockchain, Cryptography, Smart Contracts are All Technologies that Allow Us to Effectively Manage Our Data, According to John Izaguirre from Ontology...