All posts by imreal

Technology: Computer

FaceTec Announces $30,000 Liveness Detection Spoof Bounty Program

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We’ve worked tirelessly to create Liveness Detection that can be trusted in real-world unsupervised scenarios. Our millions of users know ZoOm is already the best defense against digital identity fraud, but we believe it can become even stronger.


SUMMERLIN, Nev. (PRWEB)

FaceTec, the leader in 3D face authentication software, announced today its first-ever public biometric spoof bounty program. ZoOm 3D Liveness Detection is the first and only biometric certified to Levels 1 & 2 in NIST-iBeta Presentation Attack Detection (PAD) testing guided by the ISO 30107-3 standard, and explained in-depth on https://liveness.com. ZoOm has proven to be the most secure Liveness Detection available for the over 10 billion smart devices and webcams in use today, and now FaceTec is putting its software through the ultimate global security test.

After over five years of intensely focused development, ZoOm has been trained to detect tens-of-millions of digital and physical spoof artifacts, including hi-res photos and videos, life-like masks, and mannequin heads. Early on, many of these artifacts could trick the system into returning a positive liveness result, but they are now easily caught by FaceTec’s proprietary AI.

Bounty programs are a tried-and-true method of improving software systems, but the process has not been widely put to use in biometrics until now.

The ZoOm spoof bounty program follows standard bounty program rules, and is open to most individuals, regardless of location. To participate in the program, please visit: https://bounty.zoomlogin.com/signin/

The FaceTec spoof bounty program’s goal is to uncover potentially unknown vulnerabilities in the Liveness AI so they can be patched to elevate ZoOm’s security even higher. There are three progressively more sophisticated spoof artifact categories, representing Levels 1, 2 & 3 in the NIST-iBeta PAD testing criteria. Each category has a corresponding bounty, which in total equal $30,000 in possible payouts. Information about the spoof categories can be found here: https://dev.zoomlogin.com/zoomsdk/#/spoof-bounty-program

“We’ve worked tirelessly to create Liveness Detection that can be trusted in real-world unsupervised scenarios. Our millions of users know ZoOm is already the best defense against digital identity fraud, but we believe it can become even stronger,” said Kevin Alan Tussy, CEO of FaceTec. “We look forward to learning what new, imaginative ideas clever testers will employ to try to spoof ZoOm. And if any are successful, we will immediately create a new patch to stop the bypass. It’s a win-win situation for us, the bounty program participants, and, most importantly, our users.”

More About ZoOm

ZoOm’s advanced AI technology accurately matches 3D FaceMaps while concurrently verifying three-dimensionality and detecting dozens of human liveness traits with a fast, friendly and intuitive user interface. Cross-platform and cross-device compatible, ZoOm works on all modern smart devices and PCs with webcams, and is the only viable universal biometric replacement for passwords.

ZoOm features include:


  • NIST-NVLAP iBeta-Certified Levels 1&2 Anti-Spoofing Liveness Detection

  • Patented UI generates data-rich 3D FaceMap from standard 2D cameras

  • World-leading 1-in-4.2 million FAR at less than 1% FRR

  • Unshareable, unphishable 3D FaceMap ensures trusted, unsupervised – KYC-onboarding and ongoing logins across devices and platforms

  • 100% software, runs on all modern smartphones, tablets, and PCs with webcams

  • Integrated 3D face-to-photo ID matching UI

  • Integrated anonymous age estimation

  • Familiar, fast, intuitive interface enables 98-99% first-time-user success and daily use

  • Simple to integrate, localize-customize, deploy and manage

Developers can download the ZoOm demo app directly from ZoOmLogin.com for iOS, Android and any webcam-enabled browser, and the ZoOm developer SDKs are available free at https://dev.zoomlogin.com/zoomsdk/#/downloads.

About FaceTec

FaceTec’s patented, class-leading 3D face authentication software, ZoOm®, anchors digital identities, establishing the chain of trust for mobile and web applications requiring Certified Liveness Detection. Leveraging decades of experience in computer vision, artificial intelligence and advanced biometrics, ZoOm is fast becoming the global standard in onboarding, KYC, and ongoing authentication. Founded in 2013 with offices in San Diego, CA and Summerlin, NV, ZoOm provides strong biometric security for millions of users on six continents for many of the world’s leading organizations in IAM-IDV, financial services, mobile payments, border security, connected transportation, blockchain-crypto currency, e-voting, and more.

For more information and business inquiries, please visit https://www.zoomlogin.com. For media inquiries, please contact John Wojewidka at JohnW@FaceTec.com.

About Liveness.com

Created as an educational resource for biometrics users, vendors, analysts, media and regulators, https://liveness.com provides a comprehensive history of Presentation Attack Detection, as well as explanations of methods and means for evaluation, certification and testing.

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Technology: Electronics

K4Connect Claims 2020 as the Year of the Smart Senior Living Community, Launches Strategic Technology Initiative

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https://www.prweb.com/

K4Connect

Our Workshop & Technology Assessment method helps the communities we serve better understand where they are today, and the right steps to take as they evolve into what we believe is key to the future of senior living — the transformation toward Smart Senior Living Communities. – Scott Moody


RALEIGH, N.C. (PRWEB)

Senior living has reached a crossroad with innovation that will ultimately shape the future of the industry. National trends in the next-gen resident population, ongoing caregiver staffing challenges and an increasingly competitive market for community operators are turning the industry toward technology for solutions. Today, K4Connect, a purpose-driven technology company that creates solutions that serve and empower older adults and those living with a disability, introduces the K4Connect Workshop & Technology Assessment, a strategic technology initiative that enables senior living communities to transform into a Smart Senior Living Community.

The K4Connect Workshop & Technology Assessment empowers senior living communities to embrace and benefit from the technology disruption impacting the industry. Built on a foundation of decades of enterprise technology experience, patented technologies and established best practices, K4Connect leverages its maturity model method to guide this process. Senior living communities across the country are seeing the benefits of this strategic process through enhanced offerings and business efficiencies, including improved resident experiences, increased competitiveness and streamlined workflows.

“Innovation by nature is a journey with no destination — it’s constantly evolving. We recognize that many communities today are just getting started with technology and it’s critical they have infrastructure in place that prepares them for the future,” said K4Connect CEO, Co-Founder and Chief Member Advocate, F. Scott Moody. “Our Workshop & Technology Assessment method helps the communities we serve better understand where they are today, and the right steps to take as they evolve into what we believe is key to the future of senior living — the transformation toward Smart Senior Living Communities.”

During the two-day Workshop & Technology Assessment, K4Connect leads communities through a step-by-step process that evaluates and educates on technology, culminating with a customized ROI report communities can then leverage to build and implement an execution plan. Core elements of a community’s assessment include:


  • Infrastructure – assessing the current technology infrastructure to identify the physical framework needed to support its digital transformation.

  • Communication – digitizing communications across – and beyond – the community to significantly enhance connectivity between residents and their loved ones, as well as staff.

  • Environments – creating responsive, smart environments through enterprise IoT that generate community-wide data-driven insights for residents, staff and operators.

  • Services – enhancing and expanding community experiences for residents and staff through digital tools, experiences and support.

  • Wellness – leveraging digital health and wellness to better engage residents in their personal health, as well as generate greater visibility and awareness for community staff.

  • Insights – implementing advanced technologies such as AI to provide data-driven intelligence that creates business efficiencies, great experiences for residents and more productive staff.

“We have long recognized the impact technology would eventually have on our industry. Prior to implementing K4Community across our communities, K4Connect’s Workshop & Technology Assessment helped us pinpoint some key focus areas in our innovation-driven transformation across our communities. As we move forward, K4Community allows us to implement the latest in technology, yet do so as part of one integrated system,” said United Methodist Communities President and CEO, Larry Carlson.

K4Connect is the leading provider of enterprise connected-life technologies for senior living communities, currently serving more than 27,000 residents at over 120 premiere continuing care, independent living, assisted living and memory care communities across the nation. The company’s patented operating system, FusionOS, is the first and only of its kind in senior living. To learn more about K4Connect’s Workshop & Technology Assessment or to inquire about scheduling a session for your community, visit us at http://www.k4connect.com/demo.

About K4Connect

K4Connect is a purpose-driven technology company that creates connected-life solutions that serve and empower older adults and individuals living with disabilities, together with the people, communities and organizations that support them. K4Connect’s solutions integrate the latest in Smart Home, Smart Wellness and Smart Living technologies into a single easy-to-use solutions designed specifically for and with those they serve. The Company’s premier solution, K4Community, is currently being used by thousands of senior living residents and staff across the country. For more information, please visit http://www.k4connect.com.

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health and fitness

Meridian Idaho Integrated Medical Clinic Offers New Breakthrough Solution for Those Suffering from Neuropathy

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Meridian Chiropractor, Align Integrated Medical Clinic

Align Integrated Medical Clinic in Meridian, Idaho

The simple fact is that the body is designed to be self-healing and self-regulating. It is completely capable of healing itself if we provide it with the things that it needs.


MERIDIAN, Idaho (PRWEB)

Align Integrated Medical is now providing an incredible breakthrough approach to helping provide a long-term solution for those suffering from neuropathy.

For those who have neuropathy, they understand how debilitating it can be. Neuropathy is a disorder of the peripheral nervous system, the nerves travel into the arms, legs, hands and feet. It can be caused by a number of things including diabetes, chemotherapy and other toxic exposures. When nerves become damaged the result is a wide range of different symptoms including: numbness & tingling, burning, stabbing or electrical pain, difficulty walking or balancing, and more.

Until recently, most people simply thought that your only options were prescription medications or other, more invasive procedures.

However, the doctors at Align Integrated Medical are here to share with their community that there is in fact a better, safer and far more effective approach to helping people with neuropathy. This approach doesn’t involve drugs.

Dr. Chad Woolner, a board certified chiropractic physician and the owner of Align Integrated Medical said “The simple fact is that the body is designed to be self-healing and self-regulating. It is completely capable of healing itself, if we provide it with the things that it needs.”

The problem is that certain things we do or don’t do can interfere with our body’s ability to take care of itself. Things like poor diet, old injuries, inflammation and other imbalances can hinder our ability to heal and recover.

The team at Align Integrated Medical utilize a proven 4-pillar strategy to assist people with neuropathy and help their bodies to begin to heal themselves.

This 4-part system is comprised of:

Pillar #1: Low Level Light Therapy

There is a tremendous amount of research showing that certain specific frequencies of light can help improve blood flow throughout the body, reduce pain and inflammation, and even help nerves begin to heal and regenerate.

Pillar #2: Nerve Re-Activation

By using a combination of specific tools and exercises we can actually begin to “re-awaken” the nerves and help to reestablish proper communication between the brain and the body.

Pillar #3: Nitric Oxide Production

Nitric oxide is a special molecule in the body that helps to open blood vessels and increase circulation in the body. Researchers in the 1990’s actually won the nobel prize for their research on nitric oxide. We use state of the art technology to help increase nitric oxide production. By boosting nitric oxide levels in the body we are able to help improve circulation to the arms, legs, hands and feet and ultimately help to provide greater nourishment to the peripheral nerves that so desperately need it.

Pillar #4: Cytokine Re-Balancing

Cytokines are specific cellular signals in the body. Some are inflammatory, some are anti-inflammatory. People who struggle with neuropathy have a significant cytokine imbalance which means they are dealing with a lot of inflammation. By using a combination of nutritional therapies we are able to help restore that proper cytokine balance.

These strategies are based on the best scientific research and clinical evidence.

The problem with so many other approaches out there is that they are simply incomplete.

This approach is truly comprehensive and provides people with all of the tools and strategies they need.

We are so excited to share this program with our community as we know that it can truly help change people’s lives.

We’ve already seen so many miracles in our clinic from this program.

People who were suffering from neuropathy for years and who felt totally hopeless have been able to get real relief once and for all and reclaim their lives.

For more information, please visit: https://www.alignmeridian.com/problems-we-solve/neuropathy/.

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Industry: Healthcare

Able Services to present at 2nd annual Lab Asset & Facility Management Summit in Pharma Summit in San Diego

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Able Services to participate in a panel discussion titled ‘Excellent Integrated FM’ at the 2nd annual Lab Asset & Facility Management in Pharma Summit in San Diego on October 24, 2019.


SAN DIEGO (PRWEB)

The competitive nature of the pharmaceutical industry requires excellence in Facilities Management. Able Services, an outsourced provider of engineering, janitorial and IFM solutions, works together with pharmaceutical companies to address challenges Facility Managers may encounter. On Thursday October 24th, Able Services will participate on a panel discussion titled, ‘Excellent Integrated FM – What does It Take?’ The panel is a scheduled part of the 2nd annual Lab Asset & Facility Management in Pharma summit. The summit will host 120+ senior experts from Lab Operations, Facility Maintenance, Lab Supplies and Procurement across pharmaceutical, biotech, CROs and research institutions.

The panel, scheduled to be held occur on October 24, 2019 at 10:55AM at the Lab Asset & Facility Management in Pharma summit will address a variety of topics relevant to Facilities Management in a regulated environment. Increasing R&D productivity, avoiding unnecessary downtime, exploring new technology and IoT for asset monitoring and predictive maintenance are examples of topics that will be discussed.

Able Services’ self-perform model and national sub-contract relationships allows Able Services to deliver best-in-class services at the lowest cost of ownership. Our integrated approach increases efficiencies, eliminates fees on fees and delivers sustainable savings and cost transparency. Able’s industry-proven programs and policies ensures efficient and reliable operations. Standardized processes ensure repeatable and sustainable operations for our clients, which mitigates risk, reduces operating expenses and delivers an optimized environment.

Founded in 1926, Able Services provides solutions for facility operations. Working together to deliver valuAble work-life experiences, Able cleans, operates and maintains more than one billion sq. ft. of the built environment for the world’s biggest owners of real estate and facility operators. Employing 20,000 people in 43 states, Able Services is revolutionizing solutions where people work and live.

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Business: Insurance

EverythingBenefits Adds ACA Compliance and Reporting to Product Suite

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https://www.prweb.com/

EverythingBenefits

Leading provider of next-generation automated benefits technology, EverythingBenefits, announces the expansion of its solutions suite to include enhancements for its ACA Compliance and Reporting.


NEW PROVIDENCE, N.J. (PRWEB)

Leading provider of next-generation automated benefits technology, EverythingBenefits, announces the expansion of its solutions suite to include enhancements for its ACA Compliance and Reporting. The offering calculates and monitors compliance on a monthly basis, as well as handles annual compliance.

The benefits space has seen a tremendous evolution over the past seven years. This latest solution from EverythingBenefits helps bridge the industry gap with the latest regulatory requirements on the federal and state level with intuitive user experience and powerful analytics. As an extension of the service, the EverythingBenefits Compliance and Reporting feature provides users with a better ability to predict and plan for the future needs of their businesses.

“As regulatory standards and legislation continue to evolve throughout the industry, companies are dealt the headache of maintaining their compliance using outdated processes and solutions,” says Dmitry Korsunsky, CIO and Co-founder of EverythingBenefits. “At EverythingBenefits we are driving to ensure that our service remains nimble and up to date with the latest regulations without HR teams having to suffer through manual processes.”

The ACA Compliance and Reporting offering is available as a standalone product or in conjunction with any of the EverythingBenefits products and services.

“We are committed to providing our customers with an accessible, streamlined experience,” explains Korsunsky, “As the benefits space continues to transform we strive to expand our solutions and services to meet the ever changing needs of our customers. That way they can focus their time and resources on the advancement of their businesses.”

Since 2015, EverythingBenefits has partnered with hundreds of insurance carriers and benefit providers to make benefits enrollment and administration a less strenuous undertaking – most recently, the platform has integrated artificial intelligence and expanded their offerings to the PEO network. To learn more visit http://www.everythingbenefits.com.

About EverythingBenefits

EverythingBenefits is a leading provider of benefits technology and services, committed to delivering next generation end-to-end benefits solutions that include AI-Powered Benefits Enrollment and Management, COBRA compliance and other benefits automation products. The solutions can be deployed as a standalone or in conjunction with other products in the EverythingBenefits suite. The company’s philosophy is that technology should make life simpler, more rewarding, and more enjoyable. For more information, please visit our web site at http://www.everythingbenefits.com or connect with us via LinkedIn, Twitter, or Facebook.

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Business: Executives

vWise, Inc. Appoints David Ferrigno as Chief Executive Officer

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vWise, Inc.


ALISO VIEJO, Calif. (PRWEB)

Earlier this month, the vWise Board of Directors appointed David Ferrigno as Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Ferrigno will continue to provide leadership as the company executes its strategy of creating innovative technology solutions for the financial services industry. David previously has served as the company’s Chief Financial Officer for five years and the Chief Operating Officer for the past year.

“Over the past 12 months, we have been making big investments in our platform and our team to drive vWise forward with a strong focus on technology and innovation in a way that allows us to better align our products and service models with the needs of our clients. The success of our clients is a top priority.”

“Our team is very excited about the work we’ve done over the past year developing a fresh, new look for SmartPlan 2.0, being released in early 2020. The new back-end architecture is now in place and allows us to efficiently deploy new products, including a new ‘fast path’ for completing the enrollment process in just a few clicks. It’s also enabled us to evolve the traditional linear enrollment path into a modular experience that allows greater flexibility and customization by our clients at the plan level. As our new products roll out next year, we’ll be realigning our Client Service models as well, to better fit the needs of the market.”

A seasoned leader with more than 20 years of experience, David has been a driving force in scaling many fast-growing companies. Prior to vWise, David spent 10 years in the C-Suite developing consumer-facing software and technology solutions for Fortune 500 companies and financial institutions.

About vWise

vWise provides innovative, scalable solutions designed to optimize participant outcomes through personalized experiences that boost confidence and drive participants to take action. Aligned with the way today’s digital-savvy audience consumes content, vWise solutions feature real-time, engaging information in an easy-to-understand format that can be accessed anytime, anywhere, on any device. For more information visit vWise.com.

For more information, please contact:

Stephanie Barr, vWise

Sr. Director of Marketing

(877) 820-8212

sbarr@vwise.com

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Health

Alignment Healthcare and Heal Offer Unique Primary Care Services in the Home With Unmatched Integration for Medicare Advantage Health Plan Members

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This partnership is truly first-of-its-kind and we’re proud to work with Alignment Healthcare to create, what we believe to be, the gold standard of Medicare Advantage partnership programs.


LOS ANGELES (PRWEB)

Heal, the market leader in doctor house calls, today announces Alignment Health Plan members in select cities throughout Los Angeles and Orange Counties (California) can now select licensed, board-certified Heal doctors for primary care. Through the combined power of Alignment’s innovative Medicare Advantage plan and Heal’s award-winning primary care delivery, these two powerhouses are partnering to deliver end-to-end proactive primary care to patients.

“This partnership is truly first-of-its-kind and we’re proud to work with Alignment Healthcare to create, what we believe to be, the gold standard of Medicare Advantage partnership programs,” said Nick Desai, Heal co-founder and CEO. “Together, we’re offering the most coordinated, proactive end-to-end care to Medicare Advantage patients – especially those who struggle finding convenient options for primary care. We’re pleased Alignment Healthcare shares Heal’s commitment to put patients and providers first and that we see eye-to-eye with how technology can make healthcare better for seniors, while lowering costs, offering more services, creating ease of use, and bettering care coordination.”

As of today, members of Alignment Health Plan in Los Angeles and Orange Counties can use the Heal app to choose a primary care provider, book regular appointments with a Heal doctor within a two-hour window, and utilize the power of the Heal Hub for remote monitoring. Heal primary care doctors will provide primary, preventive, sick care and urgent care from the privacy, comfort, and convenience of the patient’s home. While in the home, Heal doctors have the opportunity to assess the patient’s home environment and social determinants of health, review medications and evaluate the patient’s physical health, to ensure they deliver precise, personal care plans, customized based on a patient’s complete health history, medication status, diet, lifestyle and home health environment.

Heal doctors are fully equipped to care for any issue typically seen in a doctor’s office or urgent care facility without requiring patients to travel to the location, sit in a waiting room for, on average, 45 minutes, only to meet with their physician for seven minutes in a rushed appointment. Heal doctors may spend 35 minutes to two hours with each patient, deliver personalized, old-fashioned, high-quality care, and identify environmental and social determinant issues that impact patient health and wellness.

Additionally, all Medicare-eligible individuals who live in Los Angeles and Orange counties will have the option to select one of Alignment’s plans – with exclusive access to its ACCESS On-Demand Concierge program and black card during Medicare’s annual election period, October 15 through December 7, 2019. Available only to Alignment Health Plan members, the ACCESS On-Demand Concierge program provides round-the-clock access to a board-certified doctor by phone or video, a dedicated concierge team, and a special black card that can be used as a debit card to buy eligible items at more than 50,000 retailers across the country.

“Today’s seniors need – and deserve – a simplified process, with coordinated care that addresses their ever-evolving health issues,” said Dawn Maroney, consumer president at Alignment Healthcare. “We’re pleased to expand our in-home physician care options so more of our members can experience the convenience of receiving primary care in the comfort of their own home. With Heal in our network, more of the seniors we serve have immediate and easy access to in-home primary care for their wide-ranging needs, providing peace of mind, simplicity and a greater overall health care experience.”

Heal is available 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., seven days a week, 365 days a year. In less than four years, Heal has grown to provide house calls across California, Atlanta, and Washington, D.C./Northern Virginia, and has reduced unnecessary emergency room and urgent care visits by up to 71 percent. Heal has also reduced hospitalization by 28 percent. In 2019, Heal will perform more than 100,000 house calls, averaging an estimated $53.7 million per year in overall healthcare cost savings, propelling a growth rate of 310% over the last 12 months. Alignment members living in Anaheim, Downey, Fullerton, Montebello, Placentia Linda, and Whittier can now benefit from this unrivaled availability and opportunity for high-quality care.

Alignment members can choose a Heal doctor as a primary care provider by calling their Alignment On-Demand Concierge at 1-833-AHC-ACCESS (1-833-242-2223), TTY 711, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Appointments to see a Heal doctor, in-home, can also be made by phone by calling 1-844-644-4325 or on the web at https://heal.com/.

About Alignment Healthcare

Alignment Healthcare is redefining the business of healthcare by shifting the focus from payments to people. We’ve created a new model for healthcare delivery that cuts costs and improves lives by unraveling the inefficiencies of the current system to drive patients, providers and payers toward a common goal of wellness. Harnessing best practices from Medicare Advantage, our innovative data-management technology allows us to commit to caring for seniors and those who need it most: the chronically ill and frail. With offices and care centers across the country, Alignment Healthcare provides partners and patients with customized care and service where they need it and when they need it, including clinical coordination, risk management, and technology facilitation. Alignment Healthcare offers health plan options to California residents through Alignment Health Plan, and partners with select health plans in North Carolina and Florida to help deliver better benefits at lower costs. For more information, please visit http://www.alignmenthealthcare.com.

About Heal

Heal is bringing technology innovation to re-humanize the practice of medicine in a way that is fulfilling for doctors and patients alike. Offered throughout Atlanta, Georgia; California, New York, Northern Virginia, and D.C., we believe in making healthcare a more personal and convenient experience by creating a more efficient doctor’s office in your home, that inevitably improves healthcare outcomes. Through the touch of an app or a click on our site, a highly-vetted, qualified medical doctor will arrive at your door, twelve hours a day, 365 days a year.

Heal is in-network with all major PPO insurance companies in California, and New York, as well as Medicare, and will soon be in-network with insurers across the country. Heal investors include Fidelity ContraFund, Jim Breyer, the Ellison Family, Lionel Richie, and others. For more information, please visit http://www.heal.com/. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.



Science: Biology

Exposure to Multiple Chemicals in Consumer Products During Early Pregnancy Is Related to Lower IQ in Children

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NEW YORK (PRWEB)

Exposure during the first trimester of pregnancy to mixtures of suspected endocrine-disrupting chemicals found in consumer products is related to lower IQ in children by age 7, according to a study by researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and Karlstad University, Sweden, published in Environment International in October. This study is among the first to look at prenatal suspected endocrine-disrupting chemical mixtures in relation to neurodevelopment.

Scientists measured 26 chemicals in the blood and urine of 718 mothers during the first trimester of their pregnancies in the study of Swedish mothers and children, known as SELMA. These chemicals included bisphenol A (BPA), which is found in plastic food and drink containers, as well as pesticides, phthalates, and other chemicals found in consumer products. Some of the 26 are known to disrupt endocrine (hormone) activity in humans; others have been shown to do so only in animals, or are suspected of endocrine disruption because they share chemical features with known disruptors.

Researchers later followed up with the children at age 7 and found that those whose mothers had higher levels of the chemicals in their system during pregnancy had lower IQ scores—particularly boys, whose scores were lower by two points. Within the mixture, bisphenol F (BPF), a BPA-replacement compound, made the highest contribution to lowering children’s IQ, suggesting that BPF is not any safer for children than BPA.

The study found that other chemicals of concern in the mixture were the pesticide chloropyrifos; polyfluoroalkyl substances, which are found in cleaning products; triclosan, a chemical found in antibacterial soaps; and phthalates, which are found in soft polyvinyl chloride plastics and cosmetics. Many of the chemicals only stay in the body a short time, meaning that even a short-term exposure may be detrimental, so researchers believe this indicates that preventing exposures to pregnant women or women trying to become pregnant is critical to preventing neurological harm to children.

“This study is significant because most studies evaluate one chemical at a time; however, humans are exposed to many chemicals at the same time, and multiple exposures may be harmful even when each individual chemical is at a low level,” said Eva Tanner, PhD, MPH, postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

Carl-Gustaf Bornehag, PhD, Professor at Karlstad University, says it shows that exposure to mixtures of chemicals in ordinary consumer products may affect child brain development and that some chemicals believed to be safer, like BPF, may not be any safer for children.

The chemicals interfere with hormone activity, even at low levels. Previous studies link numerous suspected endocrine disruptors, including phthalates and BPA, to neurodevelopmental difficulties in children.

Some of these chemicals cross the placenta during pregnancy, exposing the fetus and potentially causing irreversible developmental damage. While ending exposure to a short-lived pollutant may eliminate adverse effects in adults, exposure during critical periods of fetal development may be permanent, with subtle endocrine changes potentially influencing health outcomes into adulthood, Dr. Tanner said.

Dr. Tanner says this study only assessed exposure at a single time during early pregnancy, so more research needs to be done to understand how exposures throughout later pregnancy and childhood may influence the results. The researchers note that several of the chemicals studied only stay in the body for a short amount of time, so the mothers in the study may have had additional exposures before or after their blood and urine samples were taken.

Researchers note the study was observational, and further studies are needed to confirm these findings.

Karlstad University, Örebro University, Lund University, and the National Institute for Health and Welfare in Helsinki, Finland, made significant contributions to this research. This research was funded in part by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (R01ES028811-01) and the European Union (EDC-MixRisk 634880).

About the Mount Sinai Health System

The Mount Sinai Health System is New York City’s largest integrated delivery system, encompassing eight hospitals, a leading medical school, and a vast network of ambulatory practices throughout the greater New York region. Mount Sinai’s vision is to produce the safest care, the highest quality, the highest satisfaction, the best access and the best value of any health system in the nation. The Health System includes approximately 7,480 primary and specialty care physicians; 11 joint-venture ambulatory surgery centers; more than 410 ambulatory practices throughout the five boroughs of New York City, Westchester, Long Island, and Florida; and 31 affiliated community health centers. The Icahn School of Medicine is one of three medical schools that have earned distinction by multiple indicators: ranked in the top 20 by U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Medical Schools”, aligned with a U.S. News & World Report’s “Honor Roll” Hospital, No. 12 in the nation for National Institutes of Health funding, and among the top 10 most innovative research institutions as ranked by the journal Nature in its Nature Innovation Index. This reflects a special level of excellence in education, clinical practice, and research. The Mount Sinai Hospital is ranked No. 14 on U.S. News & World Report’s “Honor Roll” of top U.S. hospitals; it is one of the nation’s top 20 hospitals in Cardiology/Heart Surgery, Diabetes/Endocrinology, Gastroenterology/GI Surgery, Geriatrics, Gynecology, Nephrology, Neurology/Neurosurgery, and Orthopedics in the 2019-2020 “Best Hospitals” issue. Mount Sinai’s Kravis Children’s Hospital also is ranked nationally in five out of ten pediatric specialties by U.S. News & World Report. The New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai is ranked 12th nationally for Ophthalmology and Mount Sinai South Nassau is ranked 35th nationally for Urology. Mount Sinai Beth Israel, Mount Sinai St. Luke’s, Mount Sinai West, and Mount Sinai South Nassau are ranked regionally.

For more information, visit https://www.mountsinai.org or find Mount Sinai on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

Technology: Computer

Tricentis Tosca Joins Expanding List of ConnectALL Value Stream Integrations

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Our Tosca integration will be a welcome addition to software engineers’ arsenal, further propelling our goal of unifying and automating every step in the value stream.


ATLANTA (PRWEB)

ConnectALL, an Orasi company, today announced it has added test automation leader Tricentis Tosca to its powerhouse collection of integrations. Tosca is the software industry’s #1 continuous testing platform and the only software test automation vendor to achieve “leader” status in all three top analyst reports — Forrester, Gartner, and IDC.

“Continuous delivery is an overarching goal of enterprises seeking to accelerate their software pipelines to match the speed of agile and DevOps, but conventional approaches to testing have traditionally been an impediment to that objective,” said ConnectALL SVP and GM Lance Knight. “Our mission is to empower global software teams to collaborate in near real-time with seamless integration and insight, improving cost efficiency and reducing business risk. The addition of Tosca to our roster of integrations is a cornerstone of that pursuit.”

With Tricentis Tosca’s scriptless, model-based automation, teams gain the ability to test faster and earlier, improving software quality and extracting real-time insight that provides visibility and traceability for developers, testers and business units. Through the ConnectALL API, companies fully leverage the benefits of Tosca, readily and easily achieving seamless integration with virtually any other solution across the software delivery toolchain including custom-developed agile and DevOps tools.

The enhanced communication and reporting provided by ConnectALL integrations also help teams much more easily detect and mitigate defects and other issues, even on complex, geographically dispersed systems.

“As an award-winning solution that enables automatic, bi-directional data synchronization among distributed software tools, teams and processes, ConnectALL is a key driver of value stream optimization,” said Knight. “Our Tosca integration will be a welcome addition to software engineers’ arsenal, further propelling our goal of unifying and automating every step in the value stream.”

ConnectALL will be a participant at Tricentis Accelerate 2019, November 13-14 in Vienna. We invite attendees curious about the potential of seamless tool, team and process integration to visit with us and learn more about our current and planned capabilities.

About ConnectALL

ConnectALL, an Orasi company, is dedicated to helping companies achieve higher levels of agility and velocity. The company’s enterprise-level application integration platform — ConnectALL Integration Platform — helps with achieving effective Value Stream Management by connecting the applications used to collaborate, drive decisions, and manage artifacts used during the software delivery process, like ALM, Agile and DevOps. With the ConnectALL Integration Platform, IT companies can accelerate software development and enhance collaboration.

Teams from software development and delivery, IT and business units across large and small enterprises worldwide use ConnectALL’s integration platform to unify people, processes, applications, and tools from multiple ALM and DevOps providers, such as Atlassian, Micro Focus, Microsoft, IBM, Salesforce, BMC, ServiceNow, and more. ConnectALL helps companies rapidly create business value by bringing software innovation to market faster and increasing productivity through cross-team collaboration. To learn more, visit http://www.connectall.com

About Orasi

Orasi is a software developer and consulting firm that ensures confident delivery of transformative applications that grow and simplify business. Our experts lead organizations through the complex DevOps Journey from start to finish, with strategic consulting, a spectrum of automation and integration tools — including Orasi’s ConnectALL — and security solutions that minimize application vulnerabilities and data exposure. We leverage enduring partnerships with the world’s most innovative technology firms including Micro Focus, Chef and Delphix, enabling offerings as unique as our clients. Our product lines and services connect Dev and Ops teams, streamline processes, optimize quality and efficiency, reduce the risk of software failure, and drive speed to delivery. To learn more, visit https://www.orasi.com.

About Tricentis

With the industry’s #1 Continuous Testing platform, Tricentis is recognized for reinventing software testing for DevOps. Through agile test management and advanced test automation optimized to support over 150+ technologies, we provide automated insight into the business risks of your software releases—transforming testing from a roadblock to a catalyst for innovation. The result is accelerated software delivery speed, improved cost efficiency, and reduced business risk.

Tricentis is the only vendor to achieve “leader” status in all three top analyst reports (i.e., the “Triple Crown.”) This honor is based on our technical leadership, innovation, and a Global 2000 customer base of 1600+ companies, including global enterprises such as Allianz, ANZ Bank, Cisco, Dolby, Experian, First Data, HSBC, Merck, Office Depot, Samsung, Swiss Re, Starbucks, Telstra, UBS, Vodafone, Whole Foods, and WorldPay. Customers rely on Tricentis to achieve and sustain test automation rates of over 90 percent—increasing risk coverage while accelerating testing to keep pace with Agile and DevOps. 

Tricentis has a global presence in Austria, Australia, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, India, Netherlands, Singapore, Switzerland, Poland, United States and the UK. To learn more, visit https://www.tricentis.com or follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook.

Technology: Electronics

Light Bulb Retailer Shines Bright with Top 5-Star Rating from TopConsumerReviews.com

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When you need new light bulbs, especially the hard-to-find varieties, you can save yourself time and money by shopping at Lamps Plus.


OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (PRWEB)

TopConsumerReviews.com once again gave its best-in-class 5 star rating to Lamps Plus, a leader among online providers of Light Bulbs.

From lamps and chandeliers to outdoor floodlights and accent lighting, there’s no shortage of fixtures in a home that uses light bulbs. Unfortunately, when a bulb burns out, it can be difficult to find the exact replacement. Big-box home improvement stores often carry a limited selection, especially when considering specialized light bulbs like LEDs. For that reason, many customers take advantage of the convenience offered by online shopping: the best light bulb retailers on the internet even have handy guides to help people determine the exact bulb they need, without the hassle of driving around town hoping to find the right one in stock. Better yet, most online providers of light bulbs offer them at prices that often beat traditional brick-and-mortar stores.

“When you need new light bulbs, especially the hard-to-find varieties, you can save yourself time and money by shopping at Lamps Plus,” encouraged Brian Dolezal of TopConsumerReviews.com, LLC. “You’re sure to find what you’re looking for in their inventory of more than 700 different types of light bulbs. And, if you’re not positive which kind will fit your fixture, Lamps Plus has a terrific ‘Easy Bulb Finder’ tool that eliminates the guesswork. You can also reach their customer service staff, all of whom are American Lighting Association experts. Lamps Plus takes customer satisfaction to a new level with a 120% price match policy, 60-day return policy with no restocking fees, and free shipping on any order of at least $50. For all of these reasons, Lamps Plus keeps its position as our highest-recommended retailer of Light Bulbs in 2019.”

To find out more about Lamps Plus and other sellers of Light Bulbs, including reviews and comparison rankings, please visit the Light Bulbs category of TopConsumerReviews.com at https://www.topconsumerreviews.com/light-bulbs/.

About Lamps Plus

Lamps Plus was founded in 1976 to give consumers a winning combination of service, selection and value. As the nation’s largest lighting retailer, they carry all the top brands alongside thousands of exclusive and patented designs in lighting, home furnishings and décor. Browse more than 70,000 designs, plus find daily sale deals, style advice, design-your-own features and more. Most orders ship free within 2 days of purchase from their Southern California warehouse.

About TopConsumerReviews.com

TopConsumerReviews.com, LLC is a leading provider of reviews and rankings for thousands of consumer products and services. From Light Bulbs to Lighting Fixtures and Window Blinds, TopConsumerReviews.com delivers in-depth product evaluations in order to make purchasing decisions easier.

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