Daily Business Report-Sept. 30, 2020
In total, SDSU was awarded an estimated $1.2 million over the five years of the project.
SDSU named to consortium
for terrorism prevention and
counterterrorism research
SDSU News Team
A team of San Diego State University researchers has been selected to join a consortium of partners that will develop technology enhancements and provide training to support personnel to improve the efficiency of border security operations and help prevent terror attacks.
SDSU has been selected as the newest member of the new National Counterterrorism, Innovation, Technology, and Education’s Center of Excellence (COE). The center is part of the Department of Homeland Security-funded consortium for Terrorism Prevention and Counterterrorism Research.
The University of Nebraska Omaha, with its central location, will serve as the lead for the consortium of U.S. academic institutions and other partners, while SDSU will provide its expertise to the southwestern group in the consortium.
In total, SDSU was awarded an estimated $1.2 million over the five years of the project, recognizing SDSU as an expert in developing solutions to counter terrorism threats to the people, infrastructure, and economy in the United States.
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Visualizing the Social Media Universe in 2020
Social media has seeped into virtually all aspects of modern life. The vast social media universe collectively now holds 3.8 billion users, representing roughly 50 percent of the global population.
With an additional billion internet users projected to come online in the coming years, it’s possible that the social media universe could expand even further.
Visual Capitalist takes a closer look at individual social platforms, their trials and tribulations, for example Facebook:
To put it mildly, Facebook has had its hands full. A flurry of companies are boycotting Facebook’s ads, while the platform struggles to fend off the spread of misinformation.
Yet, its stock price continues to advance to new highs while the traditional economy faces less than rosy forecasts. Facebook still possesses the largest cohort of users, inching closer to the 3 billion MAU mark—a breakthrough yet to be achieved by any company.
For the rest of the social media platforms, click here
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Spinal cord stimulation reduces
pain and motor symptoms
in Parkinson’s disease patients
A team of researchers in the United States and Japan reports that spinal cord stimulation (SCS) measurably decreased pain and reduced motor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, both as a singular therapy and as a “salvage therapy” after deep brain stimulation (DBS) therapies were ineffective.
Writing in the Sept. 28, 2020 issue of Bioelectronic Medicine, first author Krishnan Chakravarthy, M.D., assistant professor of anesthesiology at University of California San Diego School of Medicine, and colleagues recruited 15 patients with Parkinson’s disease, a neurodegenerative disorder that is commonly characterized by physical symptoms, such as tremors and progressive difficulty walking and talking, and non-motor symptoms, such as pain and mental or behavioral changes.
The mean age of the patients was 74, with an average disease duration of 17 years. All of the patients were experiencing pain not alleviated by previous treatments.
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San Diego Press Club to host
webinar on broadcast writing
Cliff Albert, news director at KOGO-AM Newsradio 600, will share his favorite broadcast writing tips at the San Diego Press Club’s next “Write Better Right Now,” a one-hour webinar from 6 to 7 p.m. today.
The free webinar, held over the Zoom online meeting platform, is open to the public and will include Albert sharing his favorite broadcast writing tips followed by a question-and-answer time. To register, visit www.sdpressclub.org. The webinar is part of the Press Club’s “Nuts & Bolts” series.
Albert, a Press Club board member, has won numerous awards for writing and broadcasting including several Golden Mikes from the Radio & Television News Association.
Veteran broadcast journalist Kristen Castillo, also a Press Club board member and past Press Club president, will serve as moderator.
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Regional EDC hosts virtual
Manufacturing Day event
The Regional EDC is hosting a virtual manufacturing event on Oct. 1 to discuss the effects COVID-19 has posed on global manufacturing operations. It runs from 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.
The EDC, regional manufacturers, and partners from Mckinsey & Company will discuss ways to maintain supply chain resilience, manage disruptions, develop alternative sourcing strategies, navigate trade restrictions, and touch on local opportunities in the San Diego region. Free supply chain consultation available for event attendees.
Speakers include:
• Susan Lund, a partner of McKinsey & Company and a leader of the McKinsey Global Institute.
• Henry Marcil, engagement manager with McKinsey’s Operations Practice.
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New agricultural water rate program
approved by County Water Authority
The San Diego County Water Authority’s Board of Directors has approved a new and Permanent Special Agricultural Water Rate structure that offers lower water rates to farmers in exchange for lower water supply reliability.
Unlike the current transitional program, the new program will allow new participants to join as a way to strengthen the region’s multibillion-dollar agriculture industry. The program will take effect Jan. 1, 2021, replacing the current program that ends Dec. 31.
Under the permanent program in 2021, participants will pay $1,295 per acre-foot for treated water, while municipal and industrial users will pay $1,769 per acre-foot.
The Water Authority said it will be working closely with its 24 member agencies to implement the program for 2021 by providing program details, such as qualifying criteria and the signup process. Participants in the existing transitional program will be allowed to take part in the permanent program on a temporary basis while being screened for eligibility under the new program. Member agencies have six months, through June 30, 2021, to verify eligibility for existing customers for the new program.
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San Diego Community College
District receives $9 million in grants
The San Diego Community College District (SDCCD) secured more than $9 million in grants during the 2019-2020 fiscal year for initiatives ranging from helping homeless students find shelter to helping those studying the humanities transfer to UC San Diego, according to a report presented to the SDCCD Board of Trustees at its Sept. 24 meeting. The total in grants received is up from $8.4 million during 2018-19.
Nearly $4,817,980 million in grants was for ongoing projects. The $4,244,975 in new grants included, $901,189 for San Diego City College, $127,760 for San Diego Mesa College $1,916,666 for San Diego Miramar College, $945,168 for San Diego Continuing Education, and $354,192 for districtwide projects.
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Confirm BioSciences partners with
Securiport to offer COVID-19 testing
San Diego-based Confirm BioSciences, a provider of comprehensive medical screening tools and solutions, and Securiport, a leader in the design and implementation of civil aviation security, border management, advanced identification, and threat assessment systems, have partnered to offer Confirm BioSciences’ rapid COVID-19 testing kits through Securiport’s Epidemic Control System (ECS).
In 2014, the ECS version 1.0 was developed by Securiport in collaboration with local authorities to combat the Ebola crisis that struck West Africa. By applying cutting-edge biometric technology and proprietary software, the ECS version 4.0, is now able to manage COVID-19 and other infectious diseases.
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Seismic raises $92 million in Series F
funding led by the Permia funds
Seismic, a San Diego company, and Permira, a private equity firm, announced that Seismic has raised a Series F round of $92 million led by a company backed by the Permira funds to accelerate Seismic’s rapid innovation, international growth, and M&A activity. Additional new strategic investors include Ameriprise Financial and EDBI. Existing investors participating in the round include Jackson Square Ventures, Lightspeed Venture Partners, and T. Rowe Price. This round brings the total raised by Seismic to approximately $270 million to-date and values the company at approximately $1.6 billion.
In addition to its primary capital investment, the Permira funds have also made a significant secondary investment in Seismic, becoming Seismic’s single largest shareholder.
