How Congress can take action on climate change today | TheHill – The Hill

Posted on by

The presidents recent decision to pull out of the Paris agreement, the international climate agreement by which each nation voluntarily committs to addressing climate change in their own country, is an intentional choice to bury his head in the sand. We cant ignore reality, and we dont have the luxury of just sitting this one out.

From wildfires in California to hurricanes like Harvey, Americans are already seeing and facing the costly impacts of a changing climate. This has been shown again and again by the surge in costly extreme weather events across the country. Those costs are rising, projected to reach upwards of $500 billion annually in the U.S. by the end of the century.

The risks to our health, economic prosperity, national security, and to all future generations necessitates that we engage. Americans want to be able to spend time outside without increasing risk of heat stroke, or take out a mortgage on a house without having to worry that it will be underwater before the end of the mortgage. If we want to keep living the way we do now, we must act to preserve a livable climate.

The science tells us that we must attain net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 at the latest to mitigate the worst impacts of climate change. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 2018 report found that the threat of climate change is more severe than previously thought. According to that report, even at 1.5C degrees of temperature rise (which we are expected to hit by 2030), climate change would result more people exposed to water scarcity, extreme heat, and displacement from sea-level rise and severe weather events. It is a call to action we must act upon with seriousness and speed.

It is vital that Congress engage both the public and private sectors to do everything we can to reduce carbon pollution. The New Democrat Coalition is the largest caucus of Democrats in the House with 104 Members, and New Dems are working to build support - from both parties whenever possible for bills that will restore American leadership on climate.

As co-chair of the New Democrat Coalitions Climate Change Task Force, I helped lead the effort to create policy principles and legislation to combat climate change. Our goal is to enact economy-wide, market-oriented solutions and pro-climate incentives for businesses to make the shift we need to stop the climate crisis. We support policies to push markets in the right direction and help spur the clean energy transition. We also want to increase research and accelerate adoption of technologies that will help us address climate change.

A key component of this package is that there are enormous opportunities here for this country to create jobs in a clean energy economy. While we are putting forward some nuts and bolts of climate policies that are ready to go now, we are also working on long-term climate policies that comprehensively address the big picture. For example, we have good decarbonization and clean energy technologies in the United States, but they need to be more widely adopted. The federal government has the ability lead when it comes to research and development to help drive this shift in the private sector.

We also need to send strong price signals, clear emission standards, and reduction targets so that we are cultivating the economic incentives that move us in the right direction. As part of that conversation, just like we tax cigarettes for the harm they produce, we must put a price on carbon to ensure that our carbon polluters pay for the costs theyve impose on society for their pollution. Its important that we really push to make these shifts as quickly as we can, because many American communities are already getting hurt badly by climate change.

The Coalition has endorsed several bills to make this shift to combat climate change, from setting energy standards to advancing new technologies to my bill the National Ocean and Coastal Security Improvements Act. This bipartisan bill would support coastal communities ability to prepare for and respond to a variety of coastal threats, including extreme weather events, climate hazards and changing ocean conditions by improving coastal infrastructure and supporting coastal research, resiliency, conservation and restoration work. Our states and localities are literally and figuratively underwater in their ability to become climate-resilient. This bill would help address these unmet, imminent needs and ensure we have viable coastal economies for future generations.

For years Democrats were in the minority and could only talk about acting on climate while working quietly on policy solutions to help. Now we are acting. The Democratic-led House of Representatives has put the spotlight on climate, and the New Democrat Coalitions Climate Change Task Force is here to show we have solutions that can help.

Beyer is New Democrat Coalition Climate Change Task Force co-chair and Safe Caucus Climate co-founder.

View post:

How Congress can take action on climate change today | TheHill - The Hill

Hidden in the Tory manifesto is a vile and racist attack they hope you wont notice – The Canary

Posted on by

On 24 November, the Conservatives released their manifesto, which has drawn widespread criticism for its misleading claims and shady costing. But whats received less attention is two sentences that are utterly vile, racist, and dangerous. In fact, they tip into ethnic cleansing for some of the most vulnerable and discriminated people in the UK.

Allegedly as part of its offer to make our country safer, the manifesto states:

We will tackle unauthorised traveller camps give the police new powers to arrest and seize the property and vehicles of trespassers who set up unauthorised encampments, in order to protect our communities make intentional trespass a criminal offence, and we will also give councils greater powers within the planning system.

The full implications of these two sentences are utterly chilling. As a member of the travelling community told The Canary, this manifesto pledge is:

backed up with incredible and intense force, criminalisation, destruction of property (everything the Gypsy couple own), forced homelessness and of course with that the removal of children. Its disproportionate and unnecessary when the better solutions already exist, like negotiated stopping or creating more sites.

The manifesto entrenches an announcement made by home secretary Priti Patel on 3 November. This proposed giving police new powers to arrest members of Gypsy, Roma and Traveller (GRT) communities and seize their homes on private or public land. It becomes a criminal offence to stop anywhere in the UK without prior permission. At the time, Patel claimed:

Unauthorised encampments can cause misery to those who live nearby, with reports of damage to property, noise, abuse and litteringThe public want their communities protected and for the police to crack down on trespassers.

On 4 November, just before parliament went into recess, Patel made a chilling announcement that she wanted to test the appetite to go further in criminalising travellers.

What makes this even more concerning is that, in 2011, Patel herself challenged Conservative policy, acknowledging:

There are not enough authorised sites. If travellers had authorised sites they wouldnt need illegal sites.

But as George Monbiot noted:

Its a Conservative tradition, during election campaigns, to vilify Romany Gypsies and Travellers: it tends to play well on the doorsteps of middle England. But [this] is something else. It amounts to legislative cleansing.

Twitter user Roadside Mum, meanwhile, explained the implications of these new laws:

This new policy also has devasting implications for every member of the GRT community with children:

She also explained that this gives the state powers to strip travelling people of everything:

If the Tories win this general election, this policy will affect thousands of people.

In the UK, there are an estimated 63,000 people who identify as Gypsies and Travellers. But this figure is likely to be an underestimation. This data comes from the 2011 census, which included an ethnic category to collect data on Gypsy, Traveller and Irish Traveller communities. These communitiesare:

recognised as two distinct ethnic minority groups in law because they are recognised as members of communities with a shared history, culture and language stretching back over hundreds of years.

Assuch, they have in principle the sameprotectionsas other ethnic minorities in the UK under the Equality Act. But as a 2017report found, GRT people face pervasive prejudice and discrimination daily, and:

These experiences of prejudice are seemingly so common that they have almost become normalised for these communities.

Theres also another community of New Travellers who are cultural rather than ethnic travellers. This includes many boat, truck, and van dwellers. But thisgroup isnt a legally recognised ethnic minority group.

However, all these groups suffer from racism and discrimination. As charity Friends, Families and Travellers explains:

Members of the Gypsy and Traveller communities can often face harassment and discrimination on a daily basis as a result of negative stereotypes and deeply ingrained cultural prejudices.

As one traveller called Wilski told The Canary:

Im filled with disgust at this proposal. Its an attempt by the elite to infringe on minority cultures who already face constant discrimination and racism. Its especially foul given Johnsons open-faced lies about most aspects of life with no regard for others.

This manifesto pledge entrenches this discrimination further because, as a member the GRT community told The Canary:

Its a brutal law that draws a distinction between a Tory minister stopping in a layby with his car and caravan and a Gypsy couple doing the exact same thing on the grounds simply of not having a brick and mortar house.

As they also noted, the core principle of British law is that its one law for all. Yet the Tory pledge means:

This is not one law for all, its a pogrom against those not guilty of any offence My living in a vehicle hurts no one. I dont deserve this. Ive never crashed a football field or left litter. Ive never committed a crime or even generated a police complaint.

But this proposal is utterly terrifying:

The violence of me and my family being forcibly destroyed should scare all reasonable people. Its ethnic cleansing.

This isnt an empty warning. Attacks on GRT communities also have a chilling legacy. Because the Nazis murdered up to 500,000 Roma during the Holocaust. And as far-right populism rises in Europe, so too have hate crimes and attacks against the continents 10-12 million Romani inhabitants.

These two sentences in the manifesto prove just how right-wing another Tory government will be. We have one chance on 12 December to stop this.

Featured image via screengrab

Continue reading here:

Hidden in the Tory manifesto is a vile and racist attack they hope you wont notice - The Canary

Boston overhauling pot review process to close race gap – Concord Monitor

Posted on by

Boston is overhauling its process of reviewing marijuana businesses to boost involvement of minority entrepreneurs in Massachusetts burgeoning pot industry.

The City Council on Wednesday approved an ordinance calling for the creation of an independent Cannabis Board to oversee local review of prospective marijuana businesses.

The proposal by Councilor Kim Janey also requires Boston to ensure that at least half of its marijuana licenses go to companies from communities affected by the war on drugs.

And it creates Massachusetts first local fund supporting minority-owned marijuana companies, according to Janey and other city officials.

Bostons new Equity Fund will provide qualified business technical assistance. It will be financed through local industry fees.

Janey said the goal of the overhaul is to make Bostons opaque and vague marijuana business application process more transparent.

She said it also provides economic justice to marginalized communities that have suffered for years under harsh drug enforcement policies and have so far not benefited from the lucrative legal pot industry.

The evidence is clear: without intentional focus on equity, the status quo will prevail, Janey said as the council weighed her proposal. Larger and wealthier companies will lock out smaller, diverse companies from our communities.

Activists across the country have complained that black and Latino business owners have struggled to break into the legal marijuana trade, often because of prior, drug-related criminal records.

Since Massachusetts voters approved recreational marijuana use and sales in 2016, more than 200 licenses have been issued statewide, according to the state Cannabis Control Commission. Only 10 are considered owned by minorities or disadvantaged populations.

Massachusetts first two retail pot shops opened their doors Nov. 20, 2018, in Northampton and Leicester. One year later, there are 33 stores operating statewide, but none is in Boston.

Bostons ordinance sets a national standard for local vetting of prospective marijuana businesses, suggested Shaleen Title, a member of Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission that issues the state licenses required for opening a marijuana business.

Theres transparency, there are criteria that are fair, there are people in charge who are accountable for making those decisions, and theres financial assistance available, she said after observing Wednesdays vote in City Hall. Those four things create a model that other cities and towns should look to.

Democratic Mayor Marty Walsh, whose office oversees the marijuana review process, commended Janey for her efforts and said hell sign the measure into law. Hes also expected to issue an executive order creating the cannabis oversight board in the coming days.

Together, we will ensure those who have been impacted hardest by the War on Drugs can benefit most from this new economic opportunity, he said in a statement. Since the start of this new industry, we have worked to ensure the process is fair, transparent and equitable for all who wish to participate in it.

The proposed overhaul also comes as federal prosecutors are investigating local corruption in Massachusetts cannabis industry.

A federal grand jury has issued subpoenas to communities across the state, including Boston, seeking information about their compensation agreements with marijuana companies.

U.S. Attorney Andrew Lelling and others have voiced concern about the potential for abuse in the negotiation process between communities and companies, which is largely done out of public view.

Lellings office recently charged Fall Rivers outgoing Mayor Jasiel Correia with extorting hundreds of thousands of dollars from marijuana companies seeking to operate in his city near the Rhode Island state line.

See the original post here:

Boston overhauling pot review process to close race gap - Concord Monitor

Nature on Your Terms: Envisioning a Chattahoochee River that is Accessible to… – SaportaReport

Posted on by

By Walt Ray, Director of the Chattahoochee River Program with The Trust for Public Land

On a recent sunny afternoon, a group of people with disabilitiesriding in motorized wheelchairs joined over a dozen members of the visually impaired community and their families to enjoy a nature walk and birding experience along the Chattahoochee River. Walk participants learned to identify birds by ear and stopped at sensory stations with scented leaves and textured bark as families chatted and children played against a backdrop of fall leaves framing the sights and sounds of the river.

It wasn't chance that brought them together; this ramble along the river was part of the Chattahoochee RiverLands Greenway Study. Everyone in the group volunteered their time and expertise to contribute to a plan that will ensure people of all abilities can enjoy the river and surrounding areas on their own terms. Commissioned by The Trust for Public Land, the Atlanta Regional Commission, the City of Atlanta, and Cobb County, and led by nationally renowned landscape architecture and urban design studio SCAPE, this 18-month effort will result in a Greenway study for a public realm of connected trails, parks and other amenities spanning a 100-mile stretch of the river, from Buford Dam in Gwinnett County to the north, to Chattahoochee Bend State Park in Coweta County in the south. That gathering of advocates and friends of the differently abled was just one of many targeted small-group excursions along the river to help the team developing the plan understand the unique ways specific audiences interact with nature.

The emotional, physical and spiritual benefits of time outdoors should be accessible to all, and there's more to accessibility than ramps for wheelchairs and grab bars in bathroom stalls. That's why we're going beyond the basics and imagining how the Chattahoochee River can become a destination that not only passively welcomes people with disabilities, but actually removes barriers to experiencing all that nature has to offer.

Mobility impairments don't have to prevent individuals from enjoying the splendor of paddling down the Chattahoochee's invigorating water and taking in the fresh air and breathtaking surroundings. People who are visually impaired can enjoy the sounds of a bird call on a birding expedition. Children with learning disabilities deserve the same opportunity to discover forests' natural wonders through environmental education classes. We can design a RiverLands system that encourages and enables everyone to make this river their own.

The Greenway study will take into consideration needs such as abundant handicap parking, accessible trails, and navigable surfaces to trailheads and water access points. Boat launches will be designed to accommodate everyone. Wayfinding features and interpretive signage can offer opportunities to engage multiple senses to learn about the river and experience nature. Everyone will have the opportunity to smell the leaves, feel the water, and hear the wind.

"River Rambles" like the nature walkfor people with disabilities are just one part of the comprehensive and deliberate engagement process informing the Study. These small, intentional gatherings are also impacting the people who participate:

"Thank you for embracing the diverse community of people with disabilities and recognizing that public lands and parks and opportunities for nature experiences should be accessible and shared by everyone. I know that the enthusiasm, abilities and comments of the participants gave a new perspective to those team members who attended."

Cathy Barnard, board member with the Chattahoochee Parks Conservancy

"The participants pointed outmany smallthings we would not have thought of. They helped us see that the main idea is to remove the barriers and stress that people with disabilities can experience when they recreate outdoors."

Byron Rushing, Atlanta Regional Commission, Bicycling and Walking Program Manager

"Attending the River Ramble was a beautiful opportunity to connect with others who have diverse abilities and backgrounds and helped us all understand how creating accessible spaces not only connects people to the healing powers of nature, but also to other people and our communities. Everyone left with new friends and new experiences that will continue to impact us all."

Aimee Copeland, Director of the Aimee Copeland Foundation

"The huge turnout for this River Ramble showed the immense support of the community of people with disabilities for the inclusion of accessible outdoor spaces along the new Chattahoochee RiverLands. These individuals generally have few opportunities to get outdoors and explorenature, and this event gave them a chance to enjoy its sensory experiences with their families and others in the community.Part of what made this event amazing was that the stakeholders were directly involved and able to share their perspectives for the planning of accessible features for this project."

Evan Barnard, Founderand Leader of Nature for All

"During the walk, we focused on listening to birds and learning about the different ways they communicate. Identifying birds by call is arguably more important than visual identification, as many birds prefer to stay hidden from predators and are thus detected only by sound. In fact, there are certain birds that look so similar that they can only be reliably identified by their calls. I was so impressed with the level of knowledge and enthusiasm amongst the ramble participants and I loved getting the chance to work with them."

Lillie Kline, Education Coordinator with Atlanta Audubon

The Trust for Public Land works with and not just for communities to champion thoughtful community engagement practices to gain better access to public spaces for all by co-creating shared vision and prioritizing investments that renew the power of public land to serve a greater public good. Along with the other partners in the Study, we are grateful to the participants and organizations who made this River Ramble possible, including: Nature for All, the Georgia Council of the Blind, Aimee Copeland Foundation, Atlanta Audubon Society, Shepherd Center for Spinal Cord and Brain Injury Rehabilitation, Center for the Visually Impaired, Friends of Disabled Adults and Children, National Park Service and the Chattahoochee Parks Conservancy.

If you haven't yet interacted with the Chattahoochee RiverLands Greenway Study, check out the website it is updated regularly as the plan evolvesand share your ideas and feedback.

Go here to see the original:

Nature on Your Terms: Envisioning a Chattahoochee River that is Accessible to... - SaportaReport

Scotiabank Supports Artificial Intelligence Research at University of Alberta – CSRwire.com

Posted on by

The $1.25 million donation will fund Scotiabank Artificial Intelligence Research Initiative in the Department of Computing Science

EDMONTON, Alberta, Nov. 25 /CSRwire/ - Scotiabank announced a donation of $1.25 million to the University of Alberta this morning, to fund the Scotiabank Artificial Intelligence Research Initiative in the Department of Computing Science.

The Scotiabank Artificial Intelligence Research Initiative aims to understand and build practical tools and predictive models for fraud detection and speech to text analytics. In addition, this investment supports the growth and development of women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), by funding student participation in a variety of initiatives including in the Canadian Women in Computers Conference and the Grace Hopper Celebration, the world's largest gathering of women technologists.

The use of artificial intelligence at Scotiabank has already illustrated significant potential by providing customers with more customized products and services and resolving customer inquiries more efficiently.

"Leveraging academic partnerships with leading research in the field of artificial intelligence will continue to provide a unique pipeline for idea generation and innovation to support the building of future solutions for Scotiabank customers," says Mark Wagner, Vice President Analytics Practice and Corporate Functions at Scotiabank. "Our partnerships with academia are fostering the next generation of talent by building communities of practice for artificial intelligence and machine learning."

"We are grateful to Scotiabank for their support of our artificial intelligence initiatives at the University of Alberta," says Matina Kalcounis-Rueppell, Dean of the Faculty of Science at the University of Alberta. "We need to be intentional about working together to build a balanced, diverse, and inclusive science pipeline more reflective of today's world. This donation not only supports our students but also provides important training for postdoctoral fellows, increasing our research capacity in AI and positioning our leaders of tomorrow to address global challenges and societal needs."

Young people are our future leaders and Scotiabank's goal is to help ensure that they have the necessary skills and resources they need to support their success. This investment in education is an investment in the long-term security, stability and growth of our communities.

About Scotiabank

Scotiabank is Canada's international bank and a leading financial services provider in the Americas. We are dedicated to helping our more than 25 million customers become better off through a broad range of advice, products and services, including personal and commercial banking, wealth management and private banking, corporate and investment banking, and capital markets. With a team of more than 100,000 employees and assets of over $1 trillion (as at July 31, 2019), Scotiabank trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: BNS) and New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: BNS). For more information, please visitwww.scotiabank.comand follow us on Twitter @ScotiabankViews.

About University of Alberta

One of Canada's top teaching and research universities, the University of Alberta punches well above its weight for artificial intelligence research, ranking third globally over the last 25 years, according toCSRankings.org. The University of Alberta's Department of Computing Science is the oldest and one of the largest computing science departments in the country, with an international reputation for contributions in the many fields of computing, both in foundations and applications.

See more here:

Scotiabank Supports Artificial Intelligence Research at University of Alberta - CSRwire.com

Taking the Pulse of the Community through ‘Vital Signs’ – DiscoverWestman.com

Posted on by

The Brandon Area Community Foundation launched their first Vital Signs report this past week to a roomful of stakeholders from across Westman.

The Wednesday noon meeting was held at the Keystone Centre where Bev Cumming and Brian Cottom shared statistics and stories about the benefits and accomplishments of the BACF, as well as the needs of the communities in Westman.

Bev Cumming steer-headed the initiative together with Laura Kempthorne, General Manager of the BACF. The goal of our community check-up report is to identify the granting needs in Brandon and the area we serve states Bev Cumming, past Chair of BACF and Chair of BACFs Vital Signs committee. We want to understand our communitys strengths and needs in order to work together and move forward.

Brian Cottom is the Director as well as the Secretary for the BACF. Cottom is also on the Investment Committee for the Foundation.

It is a compilation of information about our community in a number of different areas, says Cottom. Its helping us to figure out how healthy is the community. Are we doing good things? And, were using that information to help guide us as to how we grant money from the Foundation.

Theres always a need, he says, and what were trying to do is develop a process where we can direct money to areas where we think the greatest need or the greatest benefit it.

Historically, I think weve been doing it, explains Cottom, but more by good luck, than by good management. So, this will hopefully give us the tool to be a little bit more intentional with our granting and looking in areas that need help and in areas where if we come to the table, we might even be able to fix it.

So, its just a different way of doing our work.

Statistics shared in the Vital Signs report includes data on population, education & literacy, physical and mental health, housing, homelessness and poverty, sports and recreation and more. With the aid of the Brandon University Faculty of Health Studies and Student Research Unit, data was collected and compiled to measure several indicators of community needs and vitality in several areas.

Cottom says there was some unexpected data in the report that they didnt expect to see. The biggest thing that stood out is, we were thinking that with this information it was going to answer questions. What we very quickly found was its making us ask more questions.

So, while it doesnt answer all of what we were hoping it would answer, I think that now the questions that we are asking are better questions and getting us much better quality information about some of these areas that I dont think we were aware of before.

The BACF Board of Directors has members from a variety walks of life and skill sets that they bring to the table, and which they lean on to make informed decisions upon the awarding of grants. Cottom says this report has brought questions even to those with the expertise in specific areas.

Questions raised include the question of the overlapping of services when looking at the data on homelessness and poverty in the area. Cottom says the statistics raises the question as to how to enable social services to be better utilized and cost-efficient by bringing all the stakeholders into the same room. Were finding that there may be a duplication of efforts and we are now focusing on and asking the question, How can we help? And, when it comes to funding, who is the right party to support?

Or, is there an opportunity that if they work together and put their skill-sets together we can come to the table with some granting and can we achieve something that is more than what each of us would have achieved on our own.

From the podium Cottom shared how the BACF looks at impact investment when looking at granting applications. Later, he cited the example of how funding a local day-care in a small community has the impact investment that theyre looking for.

A small community with a good day-care facility has both people living and working in their own community and not leaving their community. So, we realized that a day-care is a key asset for a small community. So, if we could provide funding to help them get these facilities constructed, that was a very clear example of impact investment; our investment in that daycare was going to make a huge difference in that community.

These are the kinds of things that the Vital Signs report will help us with.

This community assessment report is based on the principles of Community Foundations of Canada and measures a number of indicators of community needs and vitality in several areas.

Vital Signsis a national program led by community foundations and coordinated by Community Foundations of Canada that leverages local knowledge to measure the vitality of our communities and support action towards improving our collective quality of life.

More than 65 communities in Canada and around the world are using Vital Signs to mobilize the power of community knowledge for greater local impact.

For your own copy of the Brandon Area Community Foundation Vital Signs report, visit the BACF office in Brandon.

See the rest here:

Taking the Pulse of the Community through 'Vital Signs' - DiscoverWestman.com

MTS Expands Presence in Wind Energy and Aerospace Markets Through Acquisition of Danish Engineering Firm – PRNewswire

Posted on by

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn., Nov. 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ --MTS Systems Corporation (Nasdaq: MTSC), a leading global supplier of high-performance test and simulation systems and sensors, announced today that, on November 22, 2019, it signed a definitive agreement to acquire the operating entities of R&D, including R&D Test Systems, R&D Engineering, R&D Steel, R&D Prague, RGDK Engineering Private Limited and R&D Tools and Structures (collectively, "R&D"). R&D brings the following to the MTS portfolio:

R&D, a Danish company founded in 2005, is a recognized leader in the design and manufacture of test systems that accurately simulate the extreme operating environments often encountered by large, rotating structures, such as wind turbines, and aircraft engine propulsion systems. The acquisition is expected to close by December 31, 2019 after the completion of normal and customary closing procedures for this type of transaction.

From its roots in northern Europe, wind power is emerging rapidly as a leading source for clean, renewable electricity around the world. Through the use of advanced composite materials and modern design methods, wind turbines have now become a preferred source for renewable power, driven by dramatic improvements in reliability, performance and cost per kilowatt hour. While continuing to expand on land, wind turbines are rapidly expanding offshore into ocean environments, which offer much higher and more consistent wind conditions for energy generation. It is estimated that over $1 trillion of investment will be made in offshore wind energy by 2040, with key growth markets being Europe, U.S., China and India. Instrumental to reaching this market level is the continued introduction of larger, more complex, turbine systems, which brings with it a requirement to fully validate these systems using large scale, laboratory-based simulation systems. Once developed, these technologies can then be effectively leveraged into adjacent markets, such as those central to advanced aero propulsion systems.

Following closing, the R&D operations will be reported as part of the MTS Test & Simulation segment. Once integrated,R&D will leverage MTS' global sales and service network to further accelerate growth, particularly in the US, China and India. In addition to exciting new technology and applications, MTS will gain an expanded local engineering and manufacturing base in its European market, including a new design center in the Czech Republic, along with excellent access to the Asian markets and a very talented leadership team.

R&D is expected to contribute over $40 million in incremental revenues in fiscal 2020 and to be accretive to Adjusted EBITDA margins for the Test & Simulation segment. R&D is further expected to be neutral to earnings in year one, exclusive of transaction costs. The acquisition is structured with an upfront payment of approximately $55 million, which will be funded primarily through MTS' existing revolving credit facility, with expected earnout payments of up to an additional $25 million based on financial performance through June 2021. Given the strong backlog position of MTS at the end of fiscal 2019, the solid backlog position of R&D, and the expected incremental Adjusted EBITDA generation, MTS expects rapid strengthening of its balance sheet following the closing of this acquisition, with a forecasted year-over-year net reduction in leverage by the end of fiscal 2020.

"We are very excited about adding R&D to the MTS family as we continue to expand our technical offerings and customer applications in the Test & Simulation space. With their demonstrated success in the wind energy market, and successful expansion into aerospace propulsion applications, R&D has delivered strong growth momentum and margin performance which we believe is sustainable as we leverage the MTS global sales and service infrastructure. Moreover, the combination of MTS's long history of innovation in materials and structures testing for the energy and aerospace markets, in combination with the added capabilities of R&D, will position MTS as an even more valuable partner to these rapidly growing customers and markets around the world," stated Dr. Jeffrey Graves, President and Chief Executive Officer of MTS.

ABOUT MTS SYSTEMS CORPORATION

MTS Systems Corporation's testing hardware, software and services solutions help customers accelerate and improve their design, development and manufacturing processes and are used for determining the mechanical behavior of materials, products and structures. MTS' high-performance sensors provide measurements of vibration, pressure, position, force and sound in a variety of applications. MTS had 3,500 employees as of September28, 2019 and revenue of $893 million for the fiscal year ended September28, 2019. Additional information on MTS can be found at http://www.mts.com.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This release contains "forward-looking statements" made pursuant to the safe harbor provision of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that are subject to certain risks and uncertainties, as well as assumptions, that could cause actual results to differ materially from historical results and those presently anticipated or projected. Words such as "may," "will," "should," "expects," "intends," "projects," "plans," "believes," "estimates," "targets," "anticipates," and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements in this release. Such statements include, but are not limited to, statements about the expecting timing of the closing of the acquisition of R&D, the expected financial and operational impact of the acquisition of R&D, and the opportunities and outlook for the Test and Simulation segment as MTS integrates R&D into its operations, and other statements that are not historical facts. These statements are based on MTS' current expectations and beliefs and are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. Risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause MTS' actual results to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, those described in the "Risk Factors" section of MTS' most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") and updated in any subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and other filings with the SEC. The reports referenced above are available on MTS' website at http://www.mts.comor on the SEC's website at http://www.sec.gov. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which statements are made, and MTS undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date on which such statement is made to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events or circumstances.

SOURCE MTS Systems Corporation

http://www.mts.com

Read the original:

MTS Expands Presence in Wind Energy and Aerospace Markets Through Acquisition of Danish Engineering Firm - PRNewswire

Aerospace Education Weekend sets cadets up for a bright future – WDTV

Posted on by

HARRISON COUNTY, W.Va. (WDTV)-- Those aging from 12 and older spent time at the Robert C. Byrd National Aerospace Center on Nov. 23 and 24 to learn different aspects of aviation.

From the mechanics to the skills and factors they need to know, the weekend long event provided the cadets with knowledge to go toward their future careers.

"I've learned a lot about aerospace, astronomy, ground search and rescue, emergency services," said Cadet Capt. Josiah

Cadet Capt., Katherine Weinhold, said she's excited to share what she's learned with others.

"I love teaching classes at my home squadron, so I love going out of our area to get knowledge on how to teach better basically."

Dr. Brad Gilbert, the interim director at the facility, said this is a great way for the cadets to focus in on their interests.

"As the technology continues to change and as the aviation here in north central West Virginia continues to expand, this is going to be a wonderful future for them," he said.

"Not only in this area but throughout the country."

The project officer, Capt. Bruce Dawson said the need for those in aerospace continues to expand.

"We have a need of over 750,000 mechanics in the next ten years and it's getting to a critical level so that's why we started this," he said.

Capt. Dawson is hoping that this is a start that will hopefully keep the cadets on board.

"We're trying to get the kids to realize what there is in West Virginia in the aerospace industry. We have a lot of company's here in Bridgeport that are a big footprint in the aerospace that nobody knows is here."

Continue reading here:

Aerospace Education Weekend sets cadets up for a bright future - WDTV

Space Startup Aims to Launch Cubesats on Balloon-Lofted Rockets – Space.com

Posted on by

Balloons could help the small-satellite revolution reach new heights.

Los Angeles-based startup Leo Aerospace is developing a system that will loft bantam spacecraft using a rocket dropped from a giant hot-air balloon about 60,000 feet (18,000 meters) above Earth's surface.

Such "rockoons" had something of a heyday in the 1950s, when they were employed on dozens of suborbital atmospheric-research flights. But they haven't made much spaceflight noise since. (Today's prominent air-launch vehicles, such as Northrop Grumman's Pegasus rocket and Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo spaceliner, are carried aloft by planes.)

Related: Cubesats: Tiny, Versatile Spacecraft Explained (Infographic)

Leo Aerospace's autonomous aerostat, named Regulus, is far more advanced than the simple helium balloons of 60 years ago. The autonomous Regulus features multiple thrusters to maintain stability and orientation, for example, as well as a proprietary rail system for the three-stage, 33-foot-long (10 m) rocket.

That rocket will be capable of launching 73 lbs. (33 kilograms) of payload to a 340-mile-high (550 kilometers) sun-synchronous orbit, or 126 lbs. (57 kg) to a circular orbit 186 miles (300 km) up, according to Leo Aerospace's website.

The company also plans to conduct suborbital missions using Regulus and a 10-foot-long (3 m) rocket, which will be able to get 220 lbs. (100 kg) to an altitude of 250 miles (400 km).

Those rockets will be expendable, but Regulus is designed for rapid and extensive reuse. Indeed, each individual balloon will be able to fly 100 missions, Leo Aerospace co-founder Bryce Prior said earlier this month during a presentation at the U.S. Air Force's first-ever Space Pitch Day.

And the system is mobile, essentially employing a semitruck as a launchpad.

"We can launch from anywhere that you can fit a cargo container," said Prior, who also serves as Leo Aerospace's head of operations and strategy.

Prior did not disclose exactly how much the company plans to charge for an orbital launch. But he did say the cost will likely be just one to three times what customers currently pay for "ride-share" access on big rockets like SpaceX's Falcon 9.

Ride-share participants don't have total control over where their satellites are deployed; as hitchhikers, they must make do with the mission profile required by the primary payload. Leo Aerospace will offer small-satellite operators that control with a dedicated launch, Prior said.

This business plan is similar to that of Rocket Lab, a pioneer in dedicated small-satellite launches. But Leo Aerospace aims to carve out a niche by focusing on even tinier spacecraft; Rocket Lab's 57-foot-tall (17 m) Electron booster can loft about 500 lbs. (225 kg) to orbit on each roughly $5 million liftoff.

Leo Aerospace has some competition for this slice of the spaceflight pie. Spanish startup Zero 2 Infinity has similar goals, for example, and is also developing a rockoon system, which performed its first rocket-powered test flight in 2017.

Regulus will come online as a high-altitude platform by the middle of next year, if all goes according to plan, Prior said. This system will have utility in its own right, even without a rocket on board. For example, Regulus could help engineers test technology for Mars entry, descent and landing. (The air thins out considerably high above Earth, providing a decent analogue of the Red Planet's atmosphere.)

Leo Aerospace aims to start providing suborbital launches in 2021 and orbital missions by the end of the following year, Prior added.

Editor's note: This story originally stated that Leo Aerospace received $750,000 earlier this month at the U.S. Air Force's first Space Pitch Day event. That is not correct; the company presented at Space Pitch Day but did not make a "closed-door pitch" for on-the-spot funding. Leo Aerospace is instead applying for government funding as part of the normal Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II process and expects to hear back about a potential award soon.

Mike Wall's book about the search for alien life, "Out There" (Grand Central Publishing, 2018; illustrated by Karl Tate), is out now. Follow him on Twitter @michaeldwall. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom or Facebook.

Read the original:

Space Startup Aims to Launch Cubesats on Balloon-Lofted Rockets - Space.com

Aerospace Insurance Market Insights, 2019-2024 – ResearchAndMarkets.com – Business Wire

Posted on by

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The "Aerospace Insurance Market: Global Industry Trends, Share, Size, Growth, Opportunity and Forecast 2019-2024" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global aerospace insurance market is currently experiencing stable growth

The thriving aviation industry, along with an increasing number of airports around the world is the key factor driving the growth of the market.

In recent years, the number of passengers opting for air travel has increased substantially. In order to meet this surging demand, both the emerging and developing nations are modernizing and expanding their existing airport terminals as well as creating new ones.

Moreover, the development of smart airports that utilize various automated solutions such as self-check-in kiosks and automated baggage handling systems is also contributing to the market growth. Furthermore, with the growing need for aircraft fueling and group handling, aerospace product liabilities are likely to increase, thus catalyzing the demand for insurance services.

Apart from this, increasing space exploratory activities using drones, spaceships and aircraft is also favoring the market growth. Insurance buyers safeguard themselves and equipment against accidents and any damage caused by climatic changes, equipment failure and collisions.

Besides this, the declining insurance premium rates are ensuring an increase in the number of policy takers, which is positively impacting the market growth.

Competitive Landscape

The report has also analyzed the competitive landscape of the market with some of the key players being Allianz SE, American International Group, Global Aerospace, Hallmark Financial Services Inc., Marsh Inc, China Life Insurance Company, Travers Aviation, Malayan Insurance, AXA, ING Group, Old Republic Aerospace, Hiscox Group, Wells Fargo, Avion Insurance, etc.

Key Questions Answered in This Report

Key Topics Covered

1 Preface

2 Scope and Methodology

3 Executive Summary

4 Introduction

4.1 Overview

4.2 Key Industry Trends

5 Global Aerospace Insurance Market

5.1 Market Overview

5.2 Market Performance

5.3 Market Breakup by Type

5.4 Market Breakup by Application

5.5 Market Breakup by Region

5.6 Market Forecast

6 Market Breakup by Type

6.1 Life Insurance

6.2 Property Insurance

6.3 Others

7 Market Breakup by Application

7.1 Service Providers

7.2 Airport Operators

7.3 Others

8 Market Breakup by Region

8.1 North America

8.2 Europe

8.3 Asia-Pacific

8.4 Middle East & Africa

8.5 Latin America

9 SWOT Analysis

9.1 Overview

9.2 Strengths

9.3 Weaknesses

9.4 Opportunities

9.5 Threats

10 Value Chain Analysis

11 Porter's Five Forces Analysis

11.1 Overview

11.2 Bargaining Power of Buyers

11.3 Bargaining Power of Suppliers

11.4 Degree of Competition

11.5 Threat of New Entrants

11.6 Threat of Substitutes

12 Competitive Landscape

12.1 Market Structure

12.2 Key Players

12.3 Profiles of Key Players

12.3.1 Allianz SE

12.3.2 American International Group

12.3.3 Global Aerospace

12.3.4 Hallmark Financial Services Inc.

12.3.5 Marsh Inc.

12.3.6 China Life Insurance Company

12.3.7 Travers Aviation

12.3.8 Malayan Insurance

12.3.9 AXA

12.3.10 ING Group

12.3.11 Old Republic Aerospace

12.3.12 Hiscox Group

12.3.13 Wells Fargo

12.3.14 Avion Insurance

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/603gmm

View post:

Aerospace Insurance Market Insights, 2019-2024 - ResearchAndMarkets.com - Business Wire

Israel Aerospace Industries to expand headquarters in Virginia – The Jerusalem Post

Posted on by

Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) is planning to expand its American headquarters in Virginia, according to a statement by the Governor's Office and the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority (FCEDA).Fairfax County is part of the suburban area of Washington, D.C.Virginia's Governor Ralph Northam announced the expansion on Wednesday, following a meeting with IAI officials in Tel Aviv.The expansion will create 50 new jobs in the headquarters. "Fairfax is at the center of the aerospace and defense market here in the United States, it is close to many of our clients' head offices and provides the opportunity for increased coordination and synergy realization for our enterprise growth goals," Swami Iyer, CEO of IAI North America said. IAI describes itself as "Israel's largest aerospace and defense company specializing in developing and manufacturing advanced, state-of-the-art systems for air, space, sea, land, cyber and homeland security.""Fairfax County has long been a location of choice for major aviation and aerospace companies, and we are delighted to see that important industry cluster expand further with IAI," said FCEDA President and CEO Victor Hoskins. The organization opened an office in Tel Aviv in 2004 to offer support to Israeli companies interested in addressing the U.S. market. According to the statement, over 30 Israel-based companies have a presence in Fairfax County.

Go here to see the original:

Israel Aerospace Industries to expand headquarters in Virginia - The Jerusalem Post

Radius Aerospace Expands in Hot Springs, Will Hire 65 – Arkansas Business Online

Posted on by

We were unable to send the article.

Titanium components maker Radius Aerospace of Hot Springs, formerly a division of Triumph Group, announced Monday an expansion that will create 65 jobs.

Radius Aerospace produces complex fabricated metallic assemblies and components used in the military, commercial, business jet, regional jet, general aviation and helicopter markets.

The Hot Springs plant, which employs 385, makes products including aircraft skins, leading edges, doors, covers and ribs. Economic developers called it one of the largest expansions in Hot Springs and Garland County in several years.

"We're excited to expand and modernize our Hot Springs site with this state-of-the-art facility," Darren Hill, vice president of supply chain, said in a news release. "The quality of work our fine employees produce has enabled us to grow and continue to support both the aerospace and defense industry, which is so important to our nation.

"This expansion is further evidence of our commitment to continued growth and placing a high emphasis on being a good corporate neighbor to our community and stakeholders."

Gov. Asa Hutchinson said the Arkansas Economic Development Commission worked six months with Radius Aerospace and regional economic development on the project

"The strength of our workforce makes Hot Springs an excellent choice for this expansion," Hutchinson said.

The company said it's seen an increase in demand in the commercial and military aerospace industry for custom configured titanium components.

Go here to read the rest:

Radius Aerospace Expands in Hot Springs, Will Hire 65 - Arkansas Business Online

Aerospace Adhesive & Sealants Market Provides in-depth analysis of the Aerospace Adhesive & Sealants Industry, with current trends and future…

Posted on by

This report undertakes a comprehensive study of the Aerospace Adhesive & Sealants market to track its growth over the years to forecast its growth trajectory. It reflects on the Aerospace Adhesive & Sealants market and gives an analysis of the significant data collected over the years 2014 to 2018 and the current standing of the industry along with an extensive analysis of the market in the forecast period 2019 to 2026. It looks at principal sectors of the industry that plays a significant part in the growth of the market. This report looks at the major companies in the industry and their role in the progress of the market.

A conscious effort is made by the subject matter experts to analyse how some business owners succeed in maintaining a competitive edge while the others fail to do so makes the research interesting. A quick review of the realistic competitors makes the overall study a lot more interesting. Opportunities that are helping product owners size up their business further add value to the overall study.

FREE Sample copy of Report available on demand @ https://www.marketexpertz.com/sample-enquiry-form/64274

Product research:

An extensive study of the product application and services conducted by subject matter experts assessing the Aerospace Adhesive & Sealants market will help product owners to make a wise decision. From analysing which products companies should produce, expand to how brands should position their product the study covers all that business owners require meeting the buyers requirement. Performance of the product and services across different segments and geography are thoroughly assessed during the research. Apart from this, the research brings to light real-time data about opportunities that will completely transform the trajectory of the business environment in the coming years.

Market competition by top manufacturers, with production, price, revenue and market share for each manufacturer; the top players including:

PPG Industries3MFlamemasterChemetallRoyal Adhesives & SealantsDow CorningHenkelPermatexMaster BondCytec Solvay GroupOthers

!!! Limited Time DISCOUNT Available!!! Get Your Copy at Discounted [emailprotected] https://www.marketexpertz.com/discount-enquiry-form/64274

Market segment by geographical Regions, this report covers:

North America

Europe

China

Japan

Middle East & Africa

India

South America

Others

On the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split into:

By Resin TypeEpoxySiliconePUOthersBy TechnologyWater-basedSolvent-basedOthers

On the basis of the end users/applications, this report focuses on the status and outlook for major applications/end users, consumption (sales), market share and growth rate for each application, including:

Commercial AviationMilitary Aviation

Browse complete Aerospace Adhesive & Sealants report description And Full TOC @ https://www.marketexpertz.com/industry-overview/global-aerospace-adhesive-sealants-market

Get to know the business better:The global Aerospace Adhesive & Sealants market research is carried out at the different stages of the business lifecycle from the production of a product, cost, launch, application, consumption volume and sale. The research offers valuable insights into the marketplace from the beginning including some sound business plans chalked out by prominent market leaders to establish a strong foothold and expand their products into one thats better than others.

The global Aerospace Adhesive & Sealants market report answers some important questions for you:

In this study, the years considered to estimate the market size of Aerospace Adhesive & Sealants are as follows:

Inconclusion, the Aerospace Adhesive & Sealants Market report is a reliable source for accessing the Market data that will exponentially accelerate your business. The report provides the principal locale, economic scenarios with the item value, benefit, supply, limit, generation, request, Market development rate, and figure and so on. Besides, the report presents a new task SWOT analysis, speculation attainability investigation, and venture return investigation.

Get 15% free customization on this report @ https://www.marketexpertz.com/customization-form/64274

See the article here:

Aerospace Adhesive & Sealants Market Provides in-depth analysis of the Aerospace Adhesive & Sealants Industry, with current trends and future...

Is Cubic Corporation (CUB) Stock a Good Buy in Aerospace & Defense – InvestorsObserver

Posted on by

Cubic Corporation (CUB) is near the bottom in its industry group according to InvestorsObserver. CUB gets an overall rating of 38. That means it scores higher than 38 percent of stocks. Cubic Corporation gets a 32 rank in the Aerospace & Defense industry. Aerospace & Defense is number 40 out of 148 industries.

Click Here to get the full Stock Score Report on Cubic Corporation (CUB) Stock.

Finding the best stocks can be tricky. It isnt easy to compare companies across industries. Even companies that have relatively similar businesses can be tricky to compare sometimes. InvestorsObservers tools allow a top-down approach that lets you pick a metric, find the top sector and industry and then find the top stocks in that sector.

These scores are not only easy to understand, but it is easy to compare stocks to each other. You can find the best stock in an industry, or look for the sector that has the highest average score. The overall score is a combination of technical and fundamental factors that serves as a good starting point when analyzing a stock. Traders and investors with different goals may have different goals and will want to consider other factors than just the headline number before making any investment decisions.

Cubic Corporation (CUB) stock has fallen -0.27% while the S&P 500 has gained 0.64% as of 10:57 AM on Monday, Nov 25. CUB is down -$0.16 from the previous closing price of $60.10 on volume of 144,612 shares. Over the past year the S&P 500 has risen 17.09% while CUB is down -9.44%. CUB earned $1.67 a per share in the over the last 12 months, giving it a price-to-earnings ratio of 35.78.

To see InvestorsObservers Sentiment Score for Cubic Corporation click here.

View post:

Is Cubic Corporation (CUB) Stock a Good Buy in Aerospace & Defense - InvestorsObserver

Airbus and Strata Celebrate 10-Years of Partnership Shaping UAEs Aerospace Industry – Al-Bawaba

Posted on by

Airbus celebrates 10-years of partnership with Strata shaping the UAEs aerospace industry, highlighting key milestones achieved with the UAE-based manufacturer throughout the past decade.

As part of the UAEs drive to create a world-class aerospace industry to deliver on its diversification strategy, Airbus is increasing its Middle Eastern footprint through industry cooperation with local entities to contribute to the nations economic growth. Abu Dhabi-based Strata Manufacturing has risen to become a regional supplier of Airbus aircraft parts in the Middle East, playing a major role in Airbus global supply chain.

Since its inception, Strata has developed expert capabilities to manufacture the latest generation aircraft parts to meet industry demand fromits cutting-edge facility in Al Ain.Operating with a 700-strong workforce, Strata plays an integral role in shaping the future of the global aerospace industry that will contribute to growing a knowledge-based competitive economy in the UAE.

Since 2009, Airbus has enjoyed a decade-long cooperation with Strata, which has acted as a key supplier on the assembly line for Airbus long-haul commercial aircraft range. The collaboration led to the development of the Al Ain-based manufacturers350,000 square foot facility in the Nibras Al Ain Aerospace Park.

Months after completion of Stratas world-class facility, the aero composites manufacturer began supplying Airbus with aileron panels and flap-track fairings. In 2010, Strata shipped its first consignment of parts to Airbus for its A330 and A340 aircraft.

Strata further developed its manufacturing capabilities in 2015 by building parts of the wing for the Airbus A330, A340 and flap tracks for the A380. The same year, Airbus appointed Strata as its single-source supplier of ailerons for Airbus A330 aircraft. Deepening the level of cooperation between the two companies, 2016 became an important year with Airbus and Strata signing a landmark agreement to manufacture the Inboard Flaps for the A350-900.

Since 2010, Strata has delivered 2,353 shipsets and 30,073 components to Airbus

Mikail Houari, President for Africa and Middle East at Airbus said:Strata is a proud example of UAE excellence and success on so many levels.

In addition to being a regional supplier of Airbus aircraft parts, Strata is also made up of a 700-strong workforce, of which 90 per cent are female and 50 per cent are Emirati. As such, the manufacturer is testament to the UAEs long-term vision of promoting gender equality and Emiratisation. Strata is also a clear reflection of how we do business, advancing the UAEs aerospace industry and the importance we place on purposeful collaboration and knowledge sharing at all levels.

Ismail Ali Abdulla, CEO of Strata Manufacturing said: As a UAE-based manufacturer, we are proud to enjoy a long and important global partnership with Airbus.

We have grown rapidly this past decade to cement our role as a leading aerospace manufacturer by enhancing our capabilities to meet the growing complex requirements of global aerospace companies such as Airbus.

Stratas strategic partnership with Airbus is a multi-faceted supplier agreement that extends Airbus footprint in the Middle East and supports the development of Abu Dhabi and the UAEs aerospace industry.

See original here:

Airbus and Strata Celebrate 10-Years of Partnership Shaping UAEs Aerospace Industry - Al-Bawaba

Graduate’s documentary looks at the next generation of women in aerospace – Deadline News

Posted on by

A recent Edinburgh Napier TV graduate is boldly going where no previous TV graduate has gone before with his debut documentary film.

Adam Smith who graduated from Edinburgh Napier in July this year has recently released Space Queens; his first feature documentary that takes an in depth look at the women behind Apollo 11s mission to the moon.

Produced for his final year project at Edinburgh Napier, the film features some of the key women from the last 50 years at NASA, as well as looking forward to the organisations return to the moon and the first manned mission to Mars scheduled for 2020.

The film is already gaining interest with streaming platforms and festivals and has been selected for screening at next years Edinburgh Science Festival alongside being made available to watch on Amazon Prime. In doing so, Adam has become the first Edinburgh Napier TV student to have his work selected for the streaming service.

Sci-fi fan Adam filmed the documentary throughout his last year at the University which included a two week trip to Florida to film within NASAs headquarters and the Kennedy Space Centre. He was supported in his trip with a grant from the Santander Universities Mobility Fund.

The 25 year-olds film features an interview with Christina Korp, former manager of Apollo 11 moonwalker Buzz Aldrin, alongside NASA civil engineer Barbara Kennedy, and Mimi Aung, project lead at the NASA Jet Propulsion Lab in California. Mimi is leading a team that aims to land a helicopter on Mars next year.

For Edinburgh-born Adam, the early success of the film is justification for sticking to his guns and undertaking the ambitious final year project.

He said: Im not really a person that takes no for an answer and when I pitched the idea to the TV team and fellow students at Edinburgh Napier, you should have seen their faces! However, I was grateful for the willingness from people to get involved and Im glad I persisted with my original idea.

I had to be quite creative in tracking down my interviewees for the project a student getting permission to film at NASAs headquarters in America is no mean task. But through social media and lots of phone calls, I soon made progress and thanks to funding from Santander, I was soon on my way to Florida for filming.

Im so thankful for all those that have believed in the film so far. From those who have watched it, to people who supported me like my lecturer Kirsten McLeod and to those who are featured in it I really couldnt have done it without you all.

Space Queens can be viewed on Amazon Prime here.

Excerpt from:

Graduate's documentary looks at the next generation of women in aerospace - Deadline News

Introduction to Spacecraft Thermal Design. Cambridge Aerospace Series Part No. 48: Thermal Circuits, MLI & Limiting Resistance -…

Posted on by

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The "Introduction to Spacecraft Thermal Design. Cambridge Aerospace Series Part No. 48" book has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

Develop a fundamental understanding of heat transfer analysis techniques as applied to earth based spacecraft with this practical guide. Written in a tutorial style, this essential text provides a how-to manual tailored for those who wish to understand and develop spacecraft thermal analyses. Providing an overview of basic heat transfer analysis fundamentals such as thermal circuits, limiting resistance, MLI, environmental thermal sources and sinks, as well as contemporary space based thermal technologies, and the distinctions between design considerations inherent to room temperature and cryogenic temperature applications, this is the perfect tool for graduate students, professionals and academic researchers.

Key Topics Covered:

1. Introduction;

2. Conduction heat transfer analysis;

3. Radiation heat transfer analysis;

4. The space environment;

5. Space-based advanced thermal conductance and storage technologies;

6. Sensors, instrumentation, and test support hardware;

7. Fundamentals of cryogenics;

8. Developmental and environmental testing

Authors

Eric Silk NASA-Goddard Space Flight Center.

Dr. Eric A. Silk is a Senior Lecturer in the Aerospace Engineering Department at the University of Maryland, College Park with 22 years of engineering experience in thermal system design and analysis for space based systems and serves.

For more information about this book visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/r2rms

More:

Introduction to Spacecraft Thermal Design. Cambridge Aerospace Series Part No. 48: Thermal Circuits, MLI & Limiting Resistance -...

Does The China Aerospace International Holdings Limited (HKG:31) Share Price Fall With The Market? – Simply Wall St

Posted on by

If youre interested in China Aerospace International Holdings Limited (HKG:31), then you might want to consider its beta (a measure of share price volatility) in order to understand how the stock could impact your portfolio. Volatility is considered to be a measure of risk in modern finance theory. Investors may think of volatility as falling into two main categories. First, we have company specific volatility, which is the price gyrations of an individual stock. Holding at least 8 stocks can reduce this kind of risk across a portfolio. The other type, which cannot be diversified away, is the volatility of the entire market. Every stock in the market is exposed to this volatility, which is linked to the fact that stocks prices are correlated in an efficient market.

Some stocks are more sensitive to general market forces than others. Beta is a widely used metric to measure a stocks exposure to market risk (volatility). Before we go on, its worth noting that Warren Buffett pointed out in his 2014 letter to shareholders that volatility is far from synonymous with risk. Having said that, beta can still be rather useful. The first thing to understand about beta is that the beta of the overall market is one. A stock with a beta below one is either less volatile than the market, or more volatile but not corellated with the overall market. In comparison a stock with a beta of over one tends to be move in a similar direction to the market in the long term, but with greater changes in price.

View our latest analysis for China Aerospace International Holdings

Looking at the last five years, China Aerospace International Holdings has a beta of 1.48. The fact that this is well above 1 indicates that its share price movements have shown sensitivity to overall market volatility. Based on this history, investors should be aware that China Aerospace International Holdings are likely to rise strongly in times of greed, but sell off in times of fear. Beta is worth considering, but its also important to consider whether China Aerospace International Holdings is growing earnings and revenue. You can take a look for yourself, below.

With a market capitalisation of HK$1.3b, China Aerospace International Holdings is a very small company by global standards. It is quite likely to be unknown to most investors. Relatively few investors can influence the price of a smaller company, compared to a large company. This could explain the high beta value, in this case.

Beta only tells us that the China Aerospace International Holdings share price is sensitive to broader market movements. This could indicate that it is a high growth company, or is heavily influenced by sentiment because it is speculative. Alternatively, it could have operating leverage in its business model. Ultimately, beta is an interesting metric, but theres plenty more to learn. In order to fully understand whether 31 is a good investment for you, we also need to consider important company-specific fundamentals such as China Aerospace International Holdingss financial health and performance track record. I urge you to continue your research by taking a look at the following:

If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned.

We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading.

See the original post:

Does The China Aerospace International Holdings Limited (HKG:31) Share Price Fall With The Market? - Simply Wall St

52 UC San Diego Researchers Are Most Highly Cited in Their Fields – UC San Diego Health

Posted on by

Fifty-two faculty members and researchers at the University of California San Diego are among the worlds most influential in their fields. The Web of Science Group, an information and technology provider for the global scientific research community, compiled its2019 Highly Cited Researcherslist of more than 6,000 scientists from around the world whose studies were among the top 1% of most-cited publications in their field over the past 11 years.

The number of highly cited researchers from UC San Diego increased by 13% over last years number of forty-six. The listing covers 21 fields of study as well as a cross-field category for researchers who are widely cited across multiple fields. UC San Diego had researchers listed in 14 fields, with the most cited in cross-field (23), followed by molecular biology and genetics (5), clinical medicine (4) and social sciences (4).

UC San Diego has some of the most dedicated, brilliant and hard-working faculty and researchers in the world. Their inclusion on the list of highly cited researchers is a measure of their impact in their respective fields of study as they continue to advance the frontiers of knowledge, said Chancellor Pradeep K. Khosla.

Of particular note is Director for the Center of Microbiome Innovation Rob Knights inclusion in three separate areas of study (biology and biochemistry, environment and ecology, microbiology). Out of 6,216 highly cited researchers, only 11 were cited in three fields, making Knight part of a super elite 0.3% of those listed.

There were also 23 Nobel laureates on the list, one of whom, Roger Tsien, was a distinguished professor of both Pharmacology in the School of Medicine and of Chemistry and Biochemistry at UC San Diego until his death in 2016. He shared the Nobel Prize in Chemistry with two others in 2008 for discovering and developing green fluorescent protein.

David Pendlebury, Senior Citation Analyst at the Web of Science Groups Institute for Scientific Information said that the highly cited researchers create gains for society, innovation and knowledge that make the world healthier, richer, more sustainable and more secure.

It is especially encouraging to see not only the number of highly cited researchers at the university, but the broad range of fields in which they are cited. It really speaks to the fact that UC San Diego conducts groundbreaking research across a wide range of disciplines, said Vice Chancellor for Research Sandra A. Brown. I congratulate everyone on their excellent research and contributions.

The 52 UC San Diego faculty members named by Web of Science and the fields of study in which they were cited are:

Gregory Aarons,social sciences

Ludmil Alexandrov, molecular biology and genetics

David Brenner,cross-field

Kristin Cadenhead,psychiatry/psychology

Kelli Cain, social sciences

Shu Chien, cross-field

Don Cleveland,neuroscience and behavior

Seth Cohen,chemistry

Pieter Dorrestein,cross-field

Mark Ellisman, cross-field

Mark Estelle,plant and animal science

Michael Folger, cross-field

Anthony Gamst, cross-field

Christopher Glass,molecular biology and genetics

Uri Gneezy,economics and business

Antonio Gonzalez, microbiology

Kun-Liang Guan,molecular biology and genetics

Trey Ideker,cross-field

Michael Karin,molecular biology and genetics

Arthur Kavanaugh,clinical medicine

Dusan Keres, space science

Rob Knight,(listed in 3 fields) biology and biochemistry, environment and ecology, microbiology

Razelle Kurzrock, clinical medicine

Lisa Levin, cross-field

Irene Litvan, neuroscience and behavior

Rohit Loomba, clinical medicine

Prashant Mali, biology and biochemistry

Eliezer Masliah, cross-field

Victor Nizet, cross-field

Jerrold Olefsky,cross-field

Bernhard Palsson,biology and biochemistry

Veerabhadran Ramanathan,cross-field

Bing Ren,molecular biology and genetics

Jeremy Rich, cross-field

Douglas Richman,cross-field

Michael Sailor,cross-field

James Sallis,social sciences

William Sandborn,clinical medicine

Bernd Schnabl, cross-field

Julian Schroeder,plant and animal science

Terrence Sejnowski, cross-field

Claude Sirlin, cross-field

Murray Stein,psychiatry/psychology

Steffanie Strathdee, cross-field

Roger Tsien, cross-field

Ming Tsuang,psychiatry/psychology

Joseph Wang,chemistry

Shang-Ping Xie,geosciences

Gene Yeo, cross-field

Kun Zhang, cross-field

Liangfang Zhang,cross-field

Yunde Zhao, plant and animal science

Shu-Hong Zhu, social sciences

You can read about Web of Sciences methodology on their website.

UC San Diegos Studio Ten 300 offers radio and television connections for media interviews with our faculty. For more information, email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

See more here:

52 UC San Diego Researchers Are Most Highly Cited in Their Fields - UC San Diego Health

Newly Published Research Shows that Hologic’s Molecular Assays for Diagnosing Vaginitis are More Effective than Traditional Methods – Business Wire

Posted on by

MARLBOROUGH, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Clinical evidence demonstrating the effectiveness of new FDA-cleared assays for the detection of vaginitis has been published online in the Journal of Clinical Microbiology. The prospective, multi-center clinical study is the first in the United States to formally validate the performance of the Aptima BV and Aptima CV/TV assays, available from Hologic, Inc. (Nasdaq: HOLX) on its fully automated Panther system.

Vaginitis, a condition that affects millions of women every year, is responsible for up to half of all gynecologic visits in the United States, as well as significant expense to the healthcare system.1

As leaders in womens health, we delivered on the need for new, molecular assays for vaginitis that have higher sensitivity and specificity than traditional methods, said Kevin Thornal, Hologics division president, Diagnostic Solutions. This study demonstrates that our assays are better at diagnosing infection than previously available options, which ultimately will ensure women receive the right treatment sooner.

The study notes that women suffering from vaginitis are often underserved by the current paradigm of inaccurate or incomplete diagnosis guiding inadequate or inappropriate treatment. Prior to the introduction of molecular assays, clinicians had no choice but to analyze fresh vaginal discharge samples using a combination of older, subjective methods pH, a potassium hydroxide (KOH) whiff test and Gram-stained microscopic examination to identify the underlying cause.

The new Aptima molecular tests circumvent barriers to accurate diagnosis associated with the use of these traditional methods, including absence of proper equipment, lack of training, and access to microscopy in the clinic. These and other barriers can result in many women being misdiagnosed, which the study says can lead to incorrect, misguided or prolonged treatment.1 In fact, separate research shows that when treatment is based on diagnosis with these traditional methods, more than half of women with vaginitis experience recurring symptoms.2

Many women try to self-diagnose and self-treat before eventually visiting a healthcare provider, assuming that abnormal vaginal discharge, itching or irritation is due to a simple yeast infection, said the studys corresponding author, Dr. Jane R. Schwebke, professor of medicine at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. But BV or TV left untreated or improperly treated can put women at risk for a variety of complications, including an increased chance of getting sexually transmitted infections (STIs) such as chlamydia or HIV, pelvic inflammatory disease, and pregnancy-related risks including premature delivery, low birth weight and infertility.2,4 These objective and comprehensive diagnostic tests will mitigate such risks and allow clinicians to feel more confident that theyre properly treating women.

BV (bacterial vaginosis) is the most common vaginal infection in the U.S., affecting an estimated 21 million women a year.3 Together with CV (vulvovaginal candidiasis) commonly known as yeast infections and TV (trichomonas vaginalis), individually or in combination, these three vaginal infections cause about 90 percent of vaginitis infections.2,4 Each cause of vaginitis has its own characteristics, consequences and treatment recommendations, which vary between BV, CV and TV, further reinforcing the need for accurate diagnoses.

Study Details

Subjects in the multi-center, cross-sectional diagnostic accuracy study for the Aptima BV and Aptima CV/TV assays were at least 14 years old with symptoms of vaginitis such as abnormal vaginal discharge, vaginal odor, genital itching or irritation, pain or discomfort during sexual intercourse or urination, edema or erythema. They were enrolled at 21 U.S. sites, including clinical research centers and emergency medicine, family planning, public health, STI and family medicine/obstetric-gynecologic (OB-GYN) facilities between June and October 2018.

Patient- and clinician-collected vaginal swab samples obtained from women with symptoms of vaginitis were tested with the Aptima BV and Aptima CV/TV assays. The prevalence of infection was similar for clinician- and patient-collected samples: 49 percent for BV, 29 percent for CV due to the Candida species group, 4 percent for CV due to C. glabrata, and 10 percent for TV. Sensitivity and specificity estimates for the tests in clinician-collected samples were, respectively, 95.0 percent and 89.6 percent for BV, 91.7 percent and 85.8 percent for the Candida species group, 84.7 percent and 99.1 percent for C. glabrata, and 96.5 percent and 98.9 percent for TV. Sensitivity and specificity were similar in patient-collected samples.

Hologic offers 16 FDA-cleared assays on the Panther system that detect more than 20 pathogens, offering the only high-throughput molecular diagnostic platform in the U.S. to combine comprehensive sexual health, cervical health, viral load, respiratory testing and open channel functionality on a fully automated system.

For more information on the Aptima BV and Aptima CV/TV assays, visit http://www.hologic.com.

About Hologic

Hologic, Inc. is an innovative medical technology company primarily focused on improving womens health and well-being through early detection and treatment. For more information on Hologic, visit http://www.hologic.com.

Hologic Forward-Looking Statements

This press release may contain forward-looking information that involves risks and uncertainties, including statements about the use of Hologics diagnostic products. There can be no assurance these products will achieve the benefits described herein or that such benefits will be replicated in any particular manner with respect to an individual patient. The actual effect of the use of the products can only be determined on a case-by-case basis depending on the particular circumstances and patient in question. In addition, there can be no assurance that these products will be commercially successful or achieve any expected level of sales. Hologic expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any such statements presented herein to reflect any change in expectations or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statements are based.

Hologic, Aptima, Panther and The Science of Sure are registered trademarks of Hologic, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries.

Source: Hologic, Inc.

____________________

Go here to see the original:

Newly Published Research Shows that Hologic's Molecular Assays for Diagnosing Vaginitis are More Effective than Traditional Methods - Business Wire