Daily Business Report: Nov. 27, 2024
Researchers develop clinically validated, wearable
ultrasound patch for continuous blood pressure monitoring
By Liezel Labios | UC San Diego
A team of researchers at the University of California San Diego has developed a new and improved wearable ultrasound patch for continuous and noninvasive blood pressure monitoring. Their work marks a major milestone, as the device is the first wearable ultrasound blood pressure sensor to undergo rigorous and comprehensive clinical validation on over 100 patients.
The technology, published on Nov. 20 in Nature Biomedical Engineering, has the potential to improve the quality of cardiovascular health monitoring in the clinic and at home.
The patch is a soft and stretchy device, about the size of a postage stamp, that adheres to the skin. When worn on the forearm, it offers precise, real-time readings of blood pressure deep within the body. The patch is made of a silicone elastomer that houses an array of small piezoelectric transducers sandwiched between stretchable copper electrodes. The transducers transmit and receive ultrasound waves that track changes in the diameter of blood vessels, which are then converted into blood pressure values.
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Lobbying activity during summer
Cost a record-breaking $168 million
By Calmatters
Big Tech and Big Oil drove a record-setting lobbying blitz this summer that saw nearly $168 million spent to influence state policymakers in just the third quarter of this year.
That’s up from this past spring, the previous quarter, when another record was set with more than $131 million spent on lobbying by labor unions, companies and nonprofit organizations, according to a CalMatters analysis of data from the California Secretary of State.
Overall spending to lobby state legislators was nearly $420 million in the first nine months of 2024, compared to $484 million in all of 2023 and $443 million in the entirety of 2022. Both 2023 and 2022 set records for lobbyist spending.
Google was the single largest spender in the most recent quarter, reporting more than $10.7 million, most of it to buy advertising through consulting firms. That’s the single largest quarterly lobbying tab in a decade.
Viasat joins 5G Automotive Association to support
satellite-enabled autonomous vehicles and predictive safety
CARLSBAD — Viasat, Inc. , a global leader in satellite communications, announced it has joined the 5GAA alongside some of the world’s largest technology firms and automotive companies to enable connected transport applications like autonomous vehicles and predictive safety and maintenance. 5GAA is a cross-industry organization bringing together automotive and technology companies to enable a unified connectivity ecosystem for transport, known as “cellular Vehicle-to-Everything,” or C-V2X.
C-V2X is a connected mobility platform designed to allow vehicles to interact with their surroundings, such as other vehicles, cyclists, pedestrians, road infrastructure, or mobile networks, in real-time. By connecting individual vehicles and enabling cooperative transport systems, C-V2X could transform traffic and supply chains to enhance travel, reduce pollution, and increase road safety.
Future applications being worked on by 5GAA include supporting fully autonomous cars, real-time supply chain tracking, safety systems for passenger transport, pedestrians, and cyclists, and predicative maintenance alerts to prevent breakdowns, with connectivity a critical enabler.
Cubic Defense participates in UK Cobra Warrior exercise
Cubic Defense, the world’s leading provider of advanced air combat training, participated in the Royal Air Force’s (RAF) Cobra Warrior exercise. The three-week large force employment (LFE) consisted of multiple nations with various aircraft types operating out of several UK RAF bases. Cubic’s Simplified Planning Execution Analysis and Reconstruction (SPEAR) has been part of this exercise since 2022.
Operational in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, and the Middle East; SPEAR’s data architecture allows for ingest and lossless export of objective and subjective data including, live, virtual, and constructive, kinetic and non-kinetic effects, shared between geographically separated locations.
Northrop Grumman delivers Stand-in-Attack
weapon Test missile to the U.S. Air Force
Grumman Corporation has delivered the Stand-in Attack Weapon (SiAW) test missile, which is designed to verify that the launch aircraft can safely carry and separate the weapon. SiAW is an air-to-ground weapon that will provide strike capability to defeat rapidly relocatable targets as part of an enemy’s anti-access/area denial environment. The U.S. awarded the SiaW contract to Northrop Grumman in September 2023. The company is continuing to develop the weapon, conduct platform integration and complete the flight test program for rapid prototyping and fielding by 2026. For more information about SiAW, click here.
California invests $24.7 million to support
8,270 apprenticeships in key industries
During the 10th Annual National Apprenticeship Week, the California Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) and its Division of Apprenticeship Standards (DAS) announced $24.7 million in funding awarded to 65 registered apprenticeship programs across key sectors, such as health care, transportation, education, advanced manufacturing, information technology, and the public sector. This is the second round of Apprenticeship Innovation Funding (AIF), which helps foster economic growth by creating earn-and-learn pathways to meet current industry workforce demands. This funding will support 8,270 apprentices, who earn an average wage of nearly $32 per hour. Awardee list
USD opens center focused on creating more sustainable food systems
The College of Arts and Sciences at University of San Diego has launched the Center for Food Systems Transformation (CFST), an initiative designed to address critical issues in food systems and promote sustainable practices. The CFST will be a hub for research, education and community engagement aimed at transforming food systems and addressing climate change and other issues of justice. It will foster collaboration among students, faculty and community partners to tackle challenges like food insecurity, sustainability, public health and animal cruelty. Along with the launch of the center, the University of San Diego established a Food Studies minor this year, whichintroduces students to the many issues that arise in the study of food.
MiraCosta College secures $3.6 million to advance workforce training
MiraCosta College announced the award of over $3.6 million in grants dedicated to expanding and developing apprenticeship programs in several high-demand industries. These funds will empower MiraCosta College to further its mission of providing accessible, high-quality education and training opportunities, focusing on supporting historically minoritized groups. It includes $1.5 million to establish paid apprenticeship programs in key technology fields, including Digital Marketing, Software Development, IT Helpdesk, Data Analytics, and Cybersecurity.
64 Clean Earth workers vote to unionize
A group of 64 workers at Clean Earth has voted to unionize with Local 63. Clean Earth is a hazardous waste disposal company. At four California facilities in San Diego, Riverside, Pomona, and Compton, these new Teamsters collect and dispose of hazardous waste from major retailers and pharmaceutical companies. With Teamsters representation, they are ready to secure a strong contract.
“Clean Earth tried everything to stop this group from organizing, said Chuck Stiles, director of the Teamsters Solid Waste and Recycling Division. “But these Clean Earth workers showed that they truly have what it takes to be Teamsters.”
