GRANADA HILLS, Calif. (PRWEB)
December 03, 2019

“Since giving up a six-figure rocket scientist’s salary to devote full time to the ministry, I have worked many 20 hour days on 4 hours sleep” says Aaron Schwartzbart, founder, president and pastor of MotorGospel Ministries. “I and my colleagues were highly-educated and well taken care of in the space program but I was never sure of whether I was doing any good for mankind. Now I work for free in my tiny office lined with pictures of lives that have been touched or possibly even saved by MotorGospel Ministries. I no longer doubt whether I am benefiting mankind. It ain’t rocket science but it is probably the most important contribution I will make in my lifetime.”

Schwartzbart founded MotorGospel Ministries in 2001 but was a self-described “amateur minister” until he left the day job in 2012. The ministry has both Christian activities and non-religious benevolent activities such as the unique anti-street-racing campaign that MotorGospel operates in cooperation with the Los Angeles Police Department, the courts and Los Angeles City Councilmember John Lee. The anti-street-racing campaign features a variety of elements such as after-school auto shop and legal 150 MPH driving instruction at racetracks throughout Southern California. With degrees in physics and theology, Schwartzbart is a 4-time champion race car driver and an ordained minister. He has personally coached over 100 students one-on-one at the track and reached millions with the anti-street-racing message via print, broadcast and social media.

The tiny ministry is also unique in that they never ask for donations and they have no paid employees. Plenty of people do donate spontaneously and the ministry puts the donations to good use, but they never ask. Schwartzbart’s model for charity is to extend a hand to the needy, not to donors.

So it is ironic that MotorGospel Ministries (EIN 46-4682864) has received the Guidestar Platinum Seal. Guidestar lists approximately 1.8 million charities. Many of them have highly-compensated executives and lavish fundraisers. By focusing on charitable work instead of bureaucracy and fundraising, MotorGospel Ministries has received the Guidestar Platinum Seal. This puts the tiny ministry in the top 1/2 of one percent of Guidestar’s 1.8 million charities in terms of trustworthiness and transparency. (see https://www.guidestar.org/profile/46-4682864)

For more information about this little organization making a big impact, see this excellent writeup from Brett Becker: https://nasaspeed.news/columns/must-read/taking-racing-off-the-streets/

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WASHINGTON (PRWEB)
November 27, 2019

The Houston Forensic Science Center (HFSC) and Northeastern Illinois Regional Crime Laboratory (NIRCL) are the latest U.S. forensic labs to announce plans to use STRmix™ to resolve DNA profiles in criminal investigations.

Developed in New Zealand and South Australia, STRmix™ is sophisticated forensic software that can be used to resolve mixed DNA profiles previously thought to be too complex to interpret.

HFSC examines and provides scientific analysis of evidence for the Houston Police Department (HPD). The Center manages HPD’s Crime Laboratory and Crime Scene Unit, as well as parts of its Identification Division.

NIRCL provides forensic services to 57 member law enforcement agencies which govern and fund its operations. NIRCL provides accurate, objective, and timely forensic services for Chicago’s suburbs and collar communities, serving an estimated population of approximately 1.6 million citizens.

With the addition of the two new forensic labs, a total of 48 U.S. labs now regularly use STRmix™. Other labs announcing plans to use STRmix™ in just the past year include the Nebraska State Patrol, the University of Nebraska Medical Center Human DNA Identification Laboratory, the Massachusetts State Police Crime Laboratory, Orange County (CA) Crime Laboratory, and Los Angeles Police Department Forensic Science Division.

Those labs join a national list of labs that includes the FBI and the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). STRmix™ is also in various stages of installation, validation, and training in more than 60 other U.S. labs.

“Forensic labs are turning to STRmix™ because it has greatly improved their ability to produce usable DNA evidence in a wide range of criminal cases,” says John Buckleton DSc, FRSNZ, Forensic Scientist at the New Zealand Institute of Environmental Science and Research (ESR) and one of the developers of STRmix™.

According to Dr. Buckleton, agencies using STRmix™ are reporting an increase of interpretable DNA in gun cases from about 40% to more than 70%. STRmix™ is also proving to be highly effective in sexual assault cases.

“Given the considerable resources invested in both resources and staff time to clear Sexual Assault Kit backlogs, forensic labs are quickly recognizing that STRmix™ is producing a much better return on investment by delivering a significantly higher rate of interpretable results,” Dr. Buckleton explains.

Since its introduction in 2012, STRmix™ has been used to interpret DNA evidence in more than 120,000 cases around the world. It has also been used successfully in numerous U.S. court cases, including 28 successful admissibility hearings.

A new version of STRmix™, STRmix™ v2.7, was introduced in September. STRmix™ v2.7 includes several new features in direct response to recommendations for improvements made by forensic labs to better address the on-the-job needs they regularly encounter. DBLR™, an application used with STRmix™, was also introduced earlier this year. DBLR™ allows users to undertake superfast database searches, visualize the value of their DNA mixture evidence, and carry out mixture to mixture matches.

In addition, an updated STRmix™ Defense Access Policy gives defense legal teams even easier access to STRmix™ software. The updated Access Policy includes definitions of the extended items that can be provided under the policy, updated non-disclosure agreements (NDAs), and an abbreviated NDA for use in some specific circumstances.

For more information about STRmix™ visit http://www.strmix.com.

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DALLAS (PRWEB)
November 19, 2019

The attorneys at Wormington & Bollinger have filed a product liability lawsuit against Prometheus Laboratories, Inc., the manufacturer of anti-gout medication Zyloprim (allopurinol) (Turner, et al v. Prometheus Laboratories, Inc; Cause No. 19STCV26461 in The Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles). This prescription medication is made and marketed by the San Diego-based pharmaceutical company, Prometheus. Plaintiff alleges in the lawsuit that Prometheus failed to fully warn consumers and physicians of the harmful side effects of Zyloprim, including Stevens-Johnson Syndrome (SJS) and Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis (TEN).

Plaintiff’s Complaint alleges that SJS and TEN are extremely serious conditions that are often times fatal or result in catastrophic permanent injuries. Both can be caused by a reaction to a specific medication, such as drugs used to treat gout. Allopurinol is a known cause of SJS and TEN, yet Prometheus failed to warn consumers of important information concerning this potential side effect.

The firm represents clients on cases across the nation involving SJS and TEN. The firm is currently accepting cases of SJS and TEN caused by Zyloprim, Allopurinol, Lamictal, Lamotrigine, Toradol, Ketorolac, Bactrim, Advil, Motrin, Tylenol, Ibuprofen, Aspirin, Ciprofloxacin, Amoxicillin, Zithromax, and many other drugs known to cause SJS and TEN. If you or a loved one have been injured or have been diagnosed with SJS or TEN after taking a specific medication, call 888-967-6529 today to speak with one of our experienced attorneys.

Wormington & Bollinger is a nationwide law firm specializing in complex pharmaceutical litigation. The firm has successfully resolved cases against some of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world. Members of the firm have been selected as Thompson Reuters Super Lawyers and admitted to the Million Dollar Advocates Forum. For more information visit http://www.wormingtonlegal.com.

Contact Information:

Jeremy Friesen

Wormington & Bollinger

212 E. Virginia Street

McKinney, Texas 75069

972-569-3930

http://www.wormingtonlegal.com

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WASHINGTON (PRWEB)
November 15, 2019

STRmix™ – sophisticated forensic software used to resolve mixed DNA profiles previously thought to be too complex to interpret – recently played a key role in the trial of a Chicago gang member accused of murdering nine-year-old Tyshawn Lee.

Jurors found Dwright Boone-Doty guilty of murder in the first degree for shooting Lee (Illinois v. Dwright Doty, 16CR 08715-02). He faces up to life in prison at sentencing.

The prosecution in the case detailed how probabilistic genotyping using STRmix™ had linked Boone-Doty to DNA evidence found on Tyshawn’s basketball.

Testifying in the case, STRmix™ co-developer John Buckleton, DSc, FRSNZ, noted that forensic analysis by the Illinois State Police found “very strong support” that Boone-Doty’s DNA contributed to the mix found on three out of four samples from the basketball and “strong support” for the fourth sample.

Buckleton testified that the analysis also found statistical support for Boone-Doty’s profile being included in the DNA mixture on several swabs taken from the alleged getaway car.

An accomplice of Boone-Doty, Corey Morgan, was also found guilty of the boy’s murder in a separate trial. A third man, Kevin Edwards, pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in exchange for a 25-year prison sentence.

The Cook County case marked the first time evidence produced by probabilistic genotyping had been used in a state court in Illinois.

Since its introduction in 2012, STRmix™ has been used to interpret DNA evidence in more than 120,000 cases around the world. It has also been used successfully in numerous U.S. court cases, including 28 successful admissibility hearings.

STRmix™ is currently being used by forensic labs at 47 U.S. agencies – including the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) – and is in various stages of installation, validation, and training in more than another 60 U.S. labs. Internationally, it is being used by nearly two dozen forensic labs in Australia, New Zealand, England, Scotland, Ireland, Finland, Dubai, Denmark, and Canada.

According to Buckleton, forensic labs have turned to STRmix™ “because it greatly improves the usability of DNA to produce evidence in a wide range of criminal cases.” He notes that agencies using STRmix™ are reporting an increase of interpretable DNA in gun cases from about 40% to more than 70%. STRmix™ is also proving to be highly effective in delivering a significantly higher rate of interpretable results in sexual assault cases.

A new version of STRmix™, STRmix™ v2.7, was introduced in September. STRmix™ v2.7 includes several new features in direct response to recommendations for improvements made by forensic labs to better address the on-the-job needs they regularly encounter.

In addition, an updated STRmix™ Defense Access Policy gives defense legal teams even easier access to STRmix™ software. The updated Access Policy includes definitions of the extended items that can be provided under the policy, updated non-disclosure agreements (NDAs), and an abbreviated NDA for use in some specific circumstances.

For more information about STRmix™ visit http://www.strmix.com.

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“We are excited to have access to the guidance of technology veteran partners at WRVI Capital, who have built successful technology companies and understand the transformational impact of Industry 4.0 platforms like Quartic.ai on manufacturing,” said Rajiv Anand, CEO of Quartic.ai.

SAN JOSE, Calif. (PRWEB)
November 06, 2019

Quartic.ai, a full-stack industrial AI and IIoT software provider, has completed a $5 million Series A round of financing led by WRVI Capital, with additional funding through private investors. The investment will allow Quartic.ai to accelerate deployment of its Industry 4.0 technology and serve a larger customer base.

“We are excited to have access to the guidance of technology veteran partners at WRVI Capital, who have built successful technology companies and understand the transformational impact of Industry 4.0 platforms like Quartic.ai on manufacturing,” said Rajiv Anand, CEO of Quartic.ai.

The Quartic Platform has been deployed to modernize legacy automation to Industry 4.0 architecture in process manufacturing applications such as pharmaceuticals, mineral processing, and petrochemicals. The platform consists of two main components: the illuminator™, an industrial OT data pipeline, and eXponence™, an automated machine learning, contextual analytics and complex event processing engine. The hardware-agnostic platform addresses the IT/OT convergence challenge with a software-defined architecture, allowing distribution of intelligence at the edge, fog and the cloud.

“Verticalization is key to making AI beneficial for business, but verticalization of AI for manufacturing at scale requires a smart combination of deep subject matter expertise with technology,” explained Dr. Steve Fu, Partner at WRVI Capital. “Quartic.ai is uniquely positioned to tackle this challenge with a team made up of manufacturing veterans leveraging great AI talent in Canada and distributed computing experts in India.”

“Our mission is to put AI in the hands of industrial subject matter experts,” explained Anand. “When AI applications are built by those who best understand the manufacturing process and equipment, the trust and adoption of AI is much higher and sustainable results can be achieved. Our platform approach has been very well received by the industry, and its success with our Fortune 500 customers has further validated our approach.”

About Quartic.ai

Quartic.ai is a technology company based in Toronto, Ontario, and San Jose, California with a development centre in Bengaluru, India. Its flagship product, the Quartic Platform, accelerates the adoption of Industry 4.0 by enabling process manufacturing users and engineers to develop and deploy their own AI and IIoT-based solutions using only their subject matter expertise, without the need for a formal data science or coding background. The Quartic Platform won the 2019 Pharma Innovation Award for Pharma 4.0 and Quartic was recognized in the Microsoft Great Canadian Innovators 2018 Yearbook. For more information, contact Quartic.ai at 1-866-QUARTIC or visit http://www.Quartic.ai.

About WRVI

WRVI Capital is a leading venture capital firm that invests in exceptional entrepreneurs and disruptive technologies that will help shape the future. Through our unique mix of intellectual capital, expertise, and network of relationships, we empower founding teams and drive continuous and measurable progress for our portfolio companies. WRVI Capital is headquartered in California. For further information about WRVI Capital, please visit wrvi.vc.

Company Contact:

Jacob Issac

jacob@quartic.ai

+91 9833683147

Media Contact:

Mark Tordik

mtordik@broadpathpr.com

215-644-6503

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MEXICO CITY (PRWEB)
November 05, 2019

The Mexico City office of global law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP received the Law Firm of the Year – White Collar Crime Award at The Latin American Lawyer Energy & Infrastructure Awards 2019.

The awards ceremony and dinner took place on Oct. 23 at the JW Marriot in Mexico City, gathering guests from the Energy and Infrastructure legal sectors from numerous Latin American countries. Hugo López Coll, a shareholder in the White Collar Defense & Special Investigations Practice in Mexico City, accepted the award on behalf of the firm.

“We are honored to receive this recognition as a reflection of our commitment to excel in client service,” said López Coll. “Our White Collar Defense & Special Investigations Practice has consistently been ranked as one of the strongest, not only in Mexico and Latin America, but globally. Our global practice utilizes the significant knowledge of veterans in related fields across the firm to develop and integrate global strategies for our clients.”

The event aims to highlight the excellence of lawyers in firms who are experts in the energy and infrastructure sector in Latin America. Winners were selected by a jury composed of general counsels from leading industry companies in the region, according to the publisher.

“We are very pleased to receive this award, as it reflects our attorneys’ commitment to our clients throughout Latin America,” said the Co-Chairs of Greenberg Traurig’s Global White Collar Criminal Defense Practice Nathan J. Muyskens and Barry Vitou in a joint statement. “We have handled many high-profile criminal cases in Mexico and Latin America, and look forward to continuing our role as strong advocates for all of our clients in the region.”

López Coll advises Mexican and regional entities and their holding companies, both in regulated and non-regulated industries, on regulatory and compliance matters with Mexican laws, and assists clients with issues arising under the laws comprising the Mexican National Anti-Corruption System, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), the OECD Convention, and the UN Convention Against Corruption. He also represents domestic and international clients on mergers and acquisitions, private equity, regulatory and compliance matters, internal investigations, shareholders’ disputes, and gaming issues.

About Greenberg Traurig’s White Collar Defense & Special Investigations Practice: Greenberg Traurig’s White Collar Defense & Special Investigations Practice protects companies and individuals under government scrutiny. GT’s creative defense lawyers in the US, Europe, Latin America, and Asia Pacific are at the forefront of white collar defense, with wide-ranging experience in structuring internal investigations, developing guidelines, implementing compliance programs, and addressing issues of voluntary disclosure. Their representations involve alleged securities and commodities fraud, Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) violations, health care/pharmaceutical fraud, environmental crimes, money laundering, financial services fraud, public corruption/campaign finance, tax corruption, defense contracting, and bankruptcy fraud. In addition, the majority of GT’s litigation shareholders and counsel have first-chair trial experience.

About Greenberg Traurig Mexico: Greenberg Traurig’s Mexico City office offers clients innovative, strategic advice and legal services that span both traditional fields and contemporary regulatory sectors. The office has more than 60 bilingual attorneys who have been contributors to major national projects in Mexico and leverages the resources and reach of the firm’s global platform to provide clients with tailored legal services reflective of the specific industry and market conditions in which they operate. The Mexico City office is an integral part of the firm’s award-winning Latin America Practice, and has been recognized with leading banking, corporate, M&A, infrastructure, real estate, privacy, energy, administrative litigation, and competition practices in Mexico.

About Greenberg Traurig: Greenberg Traurig, LLP (GT) has approximately 2100 attorneys in 41 locations in the United States, Latin America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. GT has been recognized for its philanthropic giving, diversity, and innovation, and is consistently among the largest firms in the U.S. on the Law360 400 and among the Top 20 on the Am Law Global 100. Web: http://www.gtlaw.com Twitter: @GT_Law.

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