Daily Business Report-May 10, 2021
UC San Diego Health is region’s first
to use augmented reality in spine surgery
Spine surgeons at UC San Diego Health are the first on the West Coast to begin using a form of augmented reality in their practice. The three-dimensional navigation system and headset allow surgeons to “see” inside the body, helping them quickly and accurately place implants in each patient’s unique anatomy. This system lets surgeons maintain their focus directly on the patient, rather than on a distant screen displaying the patient’s CT scans.
Richard (Todd) Allen, M.D.was the first orthopedic surgeon to use the system at UC San Diego Health. For him, the technology is like an advanced car navigation system — except instead of looking back and forth between the car’s screen and the road, the directions are superimposed on to the road ahead. Without the augmented reality headset, surgeons rely on feel, X-ray and CT images taken throughout the procedure.
The first time Allen used augmented reality was during a complicated spinal fusion procedure in which multiple vertebrae were brought together and stabilized with two rods and several screws. Allen said he and the operating team, which included Spine Fellow Paul Bagi, MD, were able to accurately place the screws in approximately half the time it would normally require.
PHOTO: Richard (Todd) Allen, left, uses an augmented reality headset during a spine surgery at UC San Diego Health. (Courtesy UC San Diego)
SDG&E using goats to take a bite out of
potential wildfire sources and carbon emissions
San Diego Gas & Electric initiated its Goat Grazing pilot program last week, a vegetation measure that utilizes goats to clear brush and other vegetation-ignition sources around electric infrastructure. The program, a first of its kind for the utility, is designed to help keep communities safe from potential utility-related wildfires.
“This is the first SDG&E program to explore an alternative concept to reduce flammable fuels within open space transmission corridors,” said SDG&E Landscape Project Manager Bill Click. “The pilot program will be in effect at various locations within the SDG&E service territory this year. Once the evaluation process is completed, an informed decision can be made to further implement prescribed grazing.”
Some of the environmental benefits of goat grazing include keeping corridors open, preventing the spread of noxious weeds, and promoting the growth of local vegetative species through moderate grazing.
The initial grazing area is within SDG&E-owned transmission corridor property in Chula Vista, while other company locations are being considered as well.
Improving the nexus of mind, machine
and motor in construction robots
Construction robotics is a fairly new field researchers are still exploring. Its interdisciplinary scope has fascinated Reza Akhavian, assistant professor of civil and construction engineering, who developed a project that converges the disciplines of engineering, computer science, and social science.
Growing up in Tehran, Iran, Akhavian developed an early interest in science that produces concrete results, which led him to civil engineering and built environment science. Since fall 2019, he has been teaching construction technology courses at San Diego State University, and researching human and robot interactions in construction zones.
Akhavian received the prestigious National Science Foundation CAREER award given to early career faculty this spring. It brings $691,000 in funding over five years to support his research and education program on ways to enhance worker safety and efficiency in construction job sites by improving worker-robot interactions which have not yet been studied in-depth.
New county initiative allows businesses
to host mobile vaccination events at work sites
The County of San Diego is making it easier for businesses and community organizations to host mobile vaccination events at their places of business. Businesses can fill out an online request for a mobile vaccination team to come to their worksite.
This initiative is an effort to increase access to COVID-19 vaccines, especially for employees whose work schedules make it difficult to obtain a COVID-19 shot at a traditional vaccination site. The San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce joined the County today for an event promoting business participation.
Organizations interested in hosting a COVID-19 vaccination event at their site can sign up online.
General Atomics to deploy MATCHBOX system
General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS) announced that it has been awarded a contract by the Austere environments Consortium for Enhanced Sepsis Outcomes (ACESO), a program of the Naval Medical Research Center in collaboration with the Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine Inc. to deploy its MATCHBOX prototype portable molecular diagnostic system.
Under a six-month base contract period, GA-EMS will deploy MATCHBOX systems with Febrile and Respiratory assay panel cartridges for use at Naval Medical Research Units and partner sites located in Peru and Cambodia. The contract also provides for two additional option years to support further field trial use.
National AI Initiative Office launches
online portal for programs, initiatives
ExecutiveGOV
The White House’s National Artificial Intelligence Initiative Office has launched the AI.gov websiteto offer public information about federal initiatives and programs related to the emerging technology.
Lynne Parker, deputy U.S. chief technology officer and director of NAIIO, wrote in an official post the online resource is designed to help site visitors learn how they can pursue AI opportunities and what the government is doing to facilitate its adoption.
She said the U.S. AI strategy is structured around research and development prioritization; research infrastructure modernization; technical standards facilitation and management of trustworthy AI; workforce training; international engagement; AI and national security integration.
NAIIOwas established in January within the White House Office of Science and Technology to serve as the central hub for technical and program information communication between agencies and external stakeholders. The office is accepting suggestions and recommendations through its website on how it can achieve goals toward the advancement of AI technology.
Salk scientists show how to transform
carbon into industrially useful materials
Plants are unparalleled in their ability to capture CO2 from the air, but this benefit is temporary, as leftover crops release carbon back into the atmosphere, mostly through decomposition. Researchers have proposed a more permanent, and even useful, fate for this captured carbon by turning plants into a valuable industrial material called silicon carbide (SiC)—offering a strategy to turn an atmospheric greenhouse gas into an economically and industrially valuable material.
In a new study, published in the journal RSC Advances on April 27, 2021, scientists at Salk transformed tobacco and corn husks into silicon carbide and quantified the process with more detail than ever before. These findings are crucial to helping researchers, such as members of Salk’s Harnessing Plants Initiative, evaluate and quantify carbon-sequestration strategies to potentially mitigate climate change as CO2 levels continue to rise to unprecedented levels.
General Dynamics NASSCO hold hiring event May 15
General Dynamics NASSCO will hold a hiring event on Saturday, May 15, for skilled journeyman in the following trades: electrician, electrical technician, maintenance electrical technician, maintenance machinist, pipe welder, welder.
Requirements:
• Ability to pass a trade assessment.
• At least two years of marine experience preferred.
• Minimum of two years of journeyman level experience required.
Location: 1225 Schley St., Lot 3, San Diego 92154
How to Help Senior Citizens in Isolation Socialize
A 2020 study by UC San Diego reports that 85 percent of residents in independent senior housing communities experience feelings of loneliness ranging from moderate to severe. This spurred on an array of movements in support of senior residents, including the fundraising campaign No Seniors Alone Initiative. Organized by the San Diego Seniors Community Foundation, its goal was to raise $1 million that would be used to support isolated elderly residents across San Diego County.
While these movements are vital in caring for our elderly loved ones, it’s not always up to movements to help the elderly. As a relative or caretaker of a senior citizen, these are just some of the things you can do to help them socialize and stay connected in these trying times.
Schedule Regular Video Calls
Communication is an effective way to fight off loneliness. What you can do is assist your elderly loved one in setting up their device, so that they can accept video calls. Register their contacts list and teach them how to schedule video calls whenever they feel like it. This could give them something to look forward to and a direct (albeit digital) opportunity to socialize with family and friends.
Some user-friendly applications that you can use for your video calls include Zoom and Skype. Zoom is a reliable application where users are not required an account to sign in, but it has a time limit for calls with more than two participants. Skype is a good option too, just be sure to walk your loved one through the signup process. Alternatively, you can teach them how to hop on calls through apps they might already be familiar with, like Facebook Messenger or Viber.
Sign Them Up for Online Activities
Staying entertained can also help distract seniors from being disconnected, and games are an excellent avenue for this. Moreover, a study published by the Frontiers in Medicine journal shares that online games and activities can improve the cognitive skills of older adults. This includes their reaction time, ability to focus, and visuospatial functions.
So, why not try something like bingo given that it is already a favorite pastime for the elderly? The good news is that bingo easily translates to the digital sphere in terms of ease of gameplay and the ability to find different games. There is also a huge benefit of playing bingo online that will help combat social isolation – it’s an effective avenue for players to socialize with fellow bingo players. Foxy Bingo incorporates this social element into their online bingo platform with its thriving online community and easy-to-use chat features. This allows players to easily communicate with each other and form new meaningful relationships. Even though it is digital, it will more than help senior citizens maintain their overall wellbeing while in isolation.
Of course, bingo isn’t the only game seniors can enjoy. There are plenty of other games they can play if they’re willing to try something new. For example, Words with Friends is a digital version of Scrabble that lets you play against other people. Other examples are online Mahjong and chess that could be ideal.
Enlist in Companion Services
For elderly loved ones who require daily assistance, it might be worth considering companion services. This refers to a form of home care where a caregiver provides non-medical support to seniors. This service includes assistance with daily chores and hygiene practices. Before looking through your options, it’s worth talking to your elderly loved one about whether this is something they’re comfortable with.
Some of the reputable home care service providers in San Diego County are Right at Home, Home Instead Senior Care, and Partners in Home Care. Make sure to read up or inquire about their services before hiring, to ensure the safety of your older relative.
These three methods of helping isolated seniors may seem simple, but you’d be surprised at how effective they will be. Taking the time to interact and attend to your elderly loved ones makes waves in alleviating their isolation.
