Daily Business Report-Dec. 11, 2020
The all-new Expanse supercomputer at the San Diego Supercomputer Center on the UC San Diego campus. (Image: Owen Stanley, SDSC/UC San Diego)
San Diego Supercomputer’s
‘Expanse’ formally enters production
National Science Foundation-funded system
now available to academic & industry researchers
By Jan Zverina| UC San Diego
The San Diego Supercomputer Center (SDSC) at UC San Diego announced that its new Expanse supercomputer formally entered service for researchers following a program review by the National Science Foundation (NSF), which awarded SDSC a grant in mid-2019 to build the innovative system.
At over twice the performance of Comet, SDSC’s current petascale supercomputer, Expanse supports SDSC’s theme of “Computing without Boundaries” with powerful CPUs, GPUs, and a data-centric architecture that supports a wide range of scientific workloads including experimental facilities, edge computing, and public clouds.
“The name of our new system says it all,” said SDSC Director Michael Norman, the principal investigator for Expanse and a computational astrophysicist. “With innovations in cloud integration and other features such as composable systems, as well as continued support for science gateways and distributed computing via the Open Science Grid (OSG), Expanse will allow researchers to push the boundaries of computing and substantially reduce their times to discovery.”
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Board of Supervisors approves
tobacco retail licensing program
The County Board of Supervisors approved an ordinance Tuesday that will place additional restrictions on the sale of tobacco products in the unincorporated area of the county and facilitate enforcement of the new rules once they go into effect in July 2021.
Tuesday’s actions establish a tobacco retail licensing program, or TRL, that will allow the Board to regulate the operation of businesses that sell tobacco products. The TRL will require business owners to obtain a permit and stay in compliance with federal, state, and local tobacco control and youth tobacco access laws, or risk the suspension of their license.
The TRL will also cap the number of establishments that can sell tobacco products in the unincorporated area to 330 businesses.
In addition to prohibiting the in-person sale of tobacco and flavored tobacco products to those 21 or younger, the ordinance will ban the placement of tobacco vending machines in the unincorporated area of the county. Businesses that have onsite pharmacies will no longer be allowed to sell tobacco products.
The TRL will be transferable among immediate family members, as long as the business location does not change. The new owner will also have to meet the age requirement for selling tobacco products, meaning a TRL will not be transferable to anyone under the age of 21.
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COVID-19 Vaccine: Who is getting it first?
The novel coronavirus vaccine is expected to arrive in San Diego County soon.
Distribution of COVID-19 vaccine will be done in phases. The vaccine allocation was determined by the federal Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, which advises the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on the distribution of all vaccines.
The county is expected to get about 28,000 doses of a vaccine made by Pfizer in the next few days, after it receives emergency use authorization. Critical care health workers will be the first people to get it, followed by long-term care facility residents and employees. As other pharmaceutical companies receive emergency use authorization, more vaccines will arrive in the region.
Click here for a listing of all distribution phases.
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Salk neuroscientists receive
$4.4 million for brain studies
Salk Institute neuroscientists Edward Callaway, Sreekanth Chalasani, and Nancy Padilla Coreano have been named recipients in the 2020 round of grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to gain new insights into brain function.
The grants, totaling $4.4 million, are awarded through the BRAIN Initiative, as part of a large effort to use knowledge about how the brain works to develop more effective therapies for neurological disorders.
Four NIH BRAIN Initiative grants will support the research of the following three Salk scientists:
Edward Callaway, a professor in the Systems Neurobiology Laboratory, was awarded two BRAIN grants totaling $1.6 million to explore the organization and function of multiple types of neurons involved in function of the cerebral cortex
Sreekanth Chalasani, an associate professor in the Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, was awarded a $2.6 million grant to investigate the use of ultrasound waves to control specific neuronal cells in mouse brains, a system that would be useful for reversing electrophysiological and behavioral deficits seen in epilepsy, for example.
Nancy Padilla Coreano, a senior postdoctoral fellow in the lab of Salk Professor Kay Tye, was awarded a $123,390 grant to study how the brain represents social dominance.
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Heather O’Shea installed as first woman
president of Verbal Behavior Associates
Heather O’Shea has been installed as the new president of Verbal Behavior Associates, succeeding company founder Matthew Howarth, who will remain as company CEO. O’Shea is the first woman president of the company.
Over the past 16 years, Heather O’Shea held a variety of positions at ACES (Comprehensive Educational Services Inc.), culminating in her tenure as the company’s chief clinical officer. ACES provides services similar to those VBA delivers. O’Shea holds a Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the California School of Professional Psychology; a BA (Psychology) from the University of California, San Diego; and is a board-certified behavior analyst since 2005.
Her depth of knowledge regarding operations, ABA therapy, diagnostics, counseling and speech therapy for children and young adults on the autism spectrum ensures she’ll bring a broad perspective that will help VBA expand the delivery of high quality assessments, behavior management, and language development services to individuals, particularly with moderate to severe needs.
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Sudberry Properties’ Civita Apartments
and property management team honored
Sudberry Properties’ luxury apartments at Civita and its property management team were honored recently at the “Mark of Excellence Awards” sponsored by the Southern California Rental Housing Association. The competition solicited hundreds of entries from San Diego, Imperial and parts of Riverside counties.
Genevieve Gundogar, assistant manager at Purl, won top honors in the Leasing Professional of the Year 301+ Units category for her work at West Park, where she was manager.
Narciso Corona, service supervisor, earned first place in the Maintenance Supervisor of the Year 301+ Units category. Gundogar and Corona have worked at Sudberry’s apartments in Civita for eight years. Both are now at Purl, the newest apartment community in Civita.
Leasing professional Eric Rimmer won third place in the Leasing Professional of the Year 301+ Units category for his contributions at West Park.
West Park and Circa 37 tied for third place in the Rental Community of the Year 301+ Units category.
Sudberry Properties established an in-house residential property management division two years ago. The new property management team oversees approximately 1,600 apartments that are occupied or under construction.
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Javier Guerrero appointed
president and CEO of Coastal Roots Farm
The Board of Directors for Coastal Roots Farm, a nonprofit Jewish community farm and education center in Encinitas, unanimously voted to appoint Javier Guerrero to president and chief executive officer, where he will now be a full voting member of the board.
Guerrero was named the first full-time executive director of Coastal Roots Farm in June 2018.
In his first two years at the Farm, he built and led a dynamic team to expand and deepen educational programming, including School and Group Visits for Pre-K to 12th grade students, year-round Farm Camps, high school and college Internship Program, community harvest festivals and events, and virtual programming. He has secured funding for new infrastructure projects, such as the Education Farm and Gardens, Farm STEM-Science Lab, and new Nature Play and Educational Learning Space.
Over the last year the Farm’s food production increased by 35 percent, resulting in over 58,000 pounds of fresh organic produce reaching over 30,000 people. Guerrero has expanded and diversified earned and contributed revenue while engaging new supporters and philanthropy to increase the Farm’s impact in the community.
Most recently, Guerrero has guided the Farm through the unprecedented impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic when a community farm is needed more than ever. The Farm’s Pay-What-You-Can Farm Stand and food donations continue to operate throughout the pandemic, providing access to fresh, organic, nutrient-dense food for those suddenly out of work and otherwise adversely impacted.
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Why converting Word files into PDFs is a good idea
Document sharing is one of the most important things related to running a business. Businesses know how important it is to protect their files, which is why they go to different lengths to make sure that their files don’t get compromised. In a world that is constantly being altered by technology, you need to make sure that you are using the best tech possible. Despite the growing popularity of different word-processing programs, Microsoft Word still takes charge as the best document writing platform. However, there are several instances when word files may not be fit for sharing.
Here are some reasons why you should convert your word files into PDF for secure sharing:
PDF Documents Can’t Be Altered
When you are running a business, you need to make sure that your internal business files are not altered without your permission. If any outside party is able to get access to your files and able to alter them, it could cost millions. So, you need to choose a file format that is safe from future alterations, which is exactly what PDF offers. PDF comes in very handy when you are sending documents such as invoices, contracts, or results.
PDF Documents Keep Their Formatting
The best thing about the PDF format is that it is platform-independent, which means it doesn’t matter if you open it on Windows, macOS, or Linux; it will keep the document formatting regardless. However, on the other side, word documents may look completely different if you share it from Windows to Mac. You can easily convert any word file into PDF using this tool and share your files without any worries.
PDF Documents Are Mobile Friendly
In an age where information needs to be extracted anytime and anywhere, your files should be mobile friendly. As mentioned before, PDF files keep their format regardless of the platform; they also retain their formatting on mobile devices. You can easily open PDF files from your browser as you don’t need to install any third-party app, which is another plus.
PDF Documents Can Be Protected
Where word limits the file security by only providing read-on mode (in which you can still copy the text), PDF takes it one step further by providing the user with the option to password-protect their files. All you need to do is to open the usage restrictions section on your file and add a password to your file.
PDF Documents Have Only One Version
Last but not least, you might have noticed that some word files get changed with versions. Microsoft Word is constantly altering its software and making it better; however, with newer versions of the program, older version files may not be supported, or its formatting might get messed up. As PDF documents are not linked to a specific version, you don’t need to worry even if you are opening a PDF file from ten years ago, and it will still work the same way as it used to.
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Kevin Faulconer to become visiting professor
at The Pepperdine School of Public Policy
The Pepperdine School of Public Policy (SPP) announced the appointment of outgoing San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer as visiting professor of community leadership and government innovation for the 2021 calendar year.
He will begin his service to the University on Jan. 1, 2021. During his term, Faulconer will teach a new graduate course, titled “Innovative Local Leadership,” in the school’s State and Local Policy specialization. He will also provide regular public lectures and consult on the development of coursework for the Master of Public Policy (MPP) program and forthcoming online degree program.
Faulconer, who is officially completing his second and final term as mayor of San Diego, is looking forward to the new chapter.
“I’m honored to join the faculty of Pepperdine’s distinguished School of Public Policy,” Faulconer said. “California is where new opportunities take hold and new ideas take flight, and our government must embrace these values so it can better serve the public. I’m proud to share with the next generation of public servants the successes, lessons, and insights learned during my time as mayor and city councilmember in San Diego, and to work with Dean Peterson to envision new leadership programs for the school.”
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Petco announces nationwide
same-day delivery, new digital offerings
Petco announced a newly redesigned website, an enhanced Petco app experience, new online tools for pet parents as well as same-day delivery, available nationwide in partnership with DoorDash.
The partnership marks the first time Petco has offered customers a same-day delivery service through petco.com and the Petco app, powered exclusively through DoorDash.
Featuring a brand-new interface that makes shopping easier, faster load times and more information for managing your pet than ever before, petco.com allows guests to buy products and book services appointments in ways that work for them.
The revamped website is designed with a health and wellness-forward approach in a new modern look and feel, enabling pet parents to easily shop their local store and pick up what they need, in-store or curbside, as well as book health and wellness services like vet, grooming and training, including new offerings like online training.
A new feature that Petco app and online shoppers can explore is the Right Food Finder tool. The tool allows customers to input information about their pet such as age, breed and other special requests like sensitive stomach or weight management, and receive a customized food recommendation based on their pet’s unique needs.
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n-Lorem Foundation receives $500,000
for treatment of ultra-rare diseases
n-Lorem Foundation, a nonprofit organization that provides free, lifetime supplies of individualized RNA-targeted medicines to patients living with ultra-rare diseases, announced that J. Wood Capital Advisors has contributed an unrestricted donation of $500,000.
The donation will be used to help further n-Lorem Foundation’s mission by providing hope to patients and families affected by ultra-rare diseases.
n-Lorem Foundation helps provide potentially life-saving treatments to patients in need by coupling advanced genomic diagnostics with antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) medicines to create individualized genetic medicines that are designed to correct genetic defects in patients with ultra-rare conditions (1 to 30 patients, worldwide).
The foundation uses a scalable, charitable model to develop their personalized, lifetime treatment. Given the extraordinary demand for experimental ASO treatments for these ultra-rare patients, n-Lorem needs additional support so it can continue providing immediate hope for these “n-of-1” patients.
