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NORTHBUD $NBUD.ca – Legal #pot industry more than doubles contribution to Canada’s #GDP since #legalization: StatsCan $CGC $ACB $APH $CRON.ca $OGI.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 4:32 PM on Monday, March 9th, 2020

SPONSOR: NORTHBUD (NBUD:CSE) Sustainable low cost, high quality cannabinoid production and procurement focusing on both bio-pharmaceutical development and Cannabinoid Infused Products. Learn More.

Legal pot industry more than doubles contribution to Canada’s GDP since legalization: StatsCan

  • Canada’s cannabis industry represented $7.24 billion to the country’s gross domestic product in December
  • Illicit cannabis market’s contribution to Canada’s GDP has fallen by over 20 per cent

The country’s legal cannabis market represents $3.0 billion of economic output to Canada’s GDP, an increase of 138 per cent when recreational pot was legalized in Oct. 2018. Meanwhile, the illicit cannabis market’s contribution to Canada’s GDP has fallen by over 20 per cent to about $4.18 billion in that same time.

Source: https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/cannabis-canada-pot-industry-added-nearly-7-24b-to-gdp-in-august-statscan-says-1.1397728

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Healthcare IT #Mhealth Market Worth $511.06 Billion by 2027 SPONSOR: CardioComm Solutions $EKG.ca – $ATE.ca $TLT.ca $OGI.ca $ACST.ca $IPA.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 1:15 PM on Monday, March 9th, 2020

SPONSOR: CardioComm Solutions (EKG: TSX-V) – The heartbeat of cardiovascular medicine and telemedicine. Patented systems enable medical professionals, patients, and other healthcare professionals, clinics, hospitals and call centres to access and manage patient information in a secure and reliable environment.

Healthcare IT Market Worth $511.06 Billion by 2027

  • Healthcare IT market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 13.8% from 2019 to reach $511.06 billion by 2027.

London, March 06, 2020 – According to a new market research report “Healthcare IT Market by Product (EMR, mHealth, PHM, RIS, PACS, RCM, Healthcare Analytics, Telehealth, SCM, HIE), Component (Software, Service), Delivery Mode (Web, Cloud) and End User (Hospital, Payer, Pharmacy, Ambulatory, Homecare)- Global Forecast to 2027”, published by Meticulous Research®, the healthcare IT market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 13.8% from 2019 to reach $511.06 billion by 2027.

Health Information Technology (Healthcare IT) is a broad term that defines the technology and infrastructure utilized to record, analyze, and share patient health data in healthcare organizations. The aim of Healthcare IT solutions is to offer better care for patients and help accomplish health equity. It also endorses recording of patient data to improve healthcare delivery and allow for analysis of information for both healthcare practitioners and ministry of health/government agencies.

With increasing pressure to curtail healthcare cost and improve healthcare quality, investments in healthcare IT are gaining traction and are largely driven by the need for savings, economies of scale, and improving cash flow. According to a survey performed by Octopus group, more than 100 global institutional investors have planned to increase their investment in healthcare infrastructure, including health IT, by $200 billion over the next five years. By adopting various healthcare IT solutions such as EHR, PACS, and CPOE among others, healthcare organizations have reduced the operational cost and improved savings along with better patient care. For instance, with increasing adoption of Cerner Dynamic Documentation platform, Northern Light Health (U.S.) saved an estimated $1.3 million annually, by increasing provider efficiency, improving satisfaction with their electronic health record, and streamlining the discharge process. Similarly, by adopting Cerner ITWorks, University of Missouri Health Care (U.S.) reduced the organization’s IV obsolescence rate by more than 43% over three months. In addition, the university also adopted Cerner’s revenue cycle management solutions in 2018.

The healthcare IT solutions market study presents historical market data in terms of value (2017, and 2018), estimated current data (2019), and forecasts for 2027 – by product, component, delivery mode, end-user, and geography. The study also evaluates industry competitors and analyzes their market share at the global and regional level.

Based on product type, the healthcare providers solutions segment accounted for the largest share of the healthcare IT market and is slated to grow faster during the forecast period. The large share of this segment is primarily attributed to the factors such as growing focus on patient safety & care, increasing demand for integrated healthcare solutions, rising investments in development of healthcare infrastructure in emerging countries, increasing number of government initiatives & regulatory mandates on implementing eHealth solutions, increasing demand for quality healthcare, and rising awareness about electronic health records (EHRs). In addition, growing geriatric population & related ailments and patient workload on healthcare systems across the globe are also driving adoption of digitization solutions among healthcare providers.

Based on component type, the services segment held the largest share of the overall healthcare IT market. The largest share of this segment is mainly attributed to the increasing need to reduce healthcare costs, shift towards cloud-based services, rising adoption of digital solutions across healthcare organizations, and growing need to reduce administrative overheads of the healthcare industry.

Based on delivery mode, the overall healthcare IT market is segmented into web/cloud based and on-premises. Web & cloud-based solutions accounted for the largest share of the overall healthcare IT solutions market owing to its benefits such as on lower upfront cost, on-demand self-serving deployment model, excessive storage flexibility, and greater security.

Based on the end user, healthcare providers held the largest share of the overall healthcare IT market and is projected to grow at a fastest CAGR during the forecast period. The largest share of this segment is mainly attributed to rising patient volume, growing awareness about electronic health records (EHRs), growing healthcare spending by the countries across globe, and increasing adoption of healthcare IT solutions by healthcare providers.

The report also includes extensive assessment of the product portfolio, geographic analysis, and key strategic developments adopted by leading market participants in the industry over the past 4 years (2016–2019). The healthcare IT solutions market has witnessed number of new product launches, agreements, partnerships & collaborations, expansions, and acquisitions in the recent years. For instance, in October 2019, Cerner collaborated with ResMed (U.S.) to help providers make more informed treatment decisions, control costs, and deliver seamless care across health systems. Similarly, in July 2019, McKesson opened its new distribution center in Puyallup, Washington, U.S. to serve hospitals, health systems, community pharmacies, and national retail pharmacies across the state of Washington.

The key players operating in the global healthcare IT market are McKesson Corporation (U.S.), Optum Health (U.S.), International Business Machine Corporation (IBM) (U.S.), Allscripts Healthcare Solutions, Inc. (U.S.), athenahealth, Inc. (U.S.), Epic Systems Corporation (U.S.), Dell Technologies Inc. (U.S.), GE Healthcare (U.S.), Cerner Corporation (U.S.), Oracle Corporation (U.S.), Cognizant Technology Solutions Corporation (U.S.), Nuance Communications, Inc. (U.S.), eClinicalWorks (U.S.) NextGen Healthcare, Inc. (U.S.), Computer Programs and Systems, Inc. (CPSI) (U.S.), Conifer Health Solutions, LLC. (U.S.), 3M Company (U.S.), Koninklijke Philips N.V. (The Netherlands), and Infor, Inc. (U.S.) among others.

Source: https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2020/03/06/1996384/0/en/Healthcare-IT-Market-Worth-511-06-Billion-by-2027-Exclusive-Report-by-Meticulous-Research.html

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The new election frontier: #Deepfakes are coming and often target women – SPONSOR: Datametrex AI Limited $DM.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 12:45 PM on Monday, March 9th, 2020

SPONSOR: Datametrex AI Limited (TSX-V: DM) A revenue generating small cap A.I. company that NATO and Canadian Defence are using to fight fake news & social media threats. The company announced three $1M contacts in Q3-2019. Click here for more info.

The new election frontier: Deepfakes are coming and often target women

By C.J. Moore

  • Deepfake technology has been called a powerful feat in artificial intelligence and machine learning at its best, and unsettling — even sinister — at its worst
  • “Deepfakes could be used to influence elections or incite civil unrest, or as a weapon of psychological warfare,” per the report
  • Also notes that much of deepfake content online “is pornographic, and deepfake pornography disproportionately victimizes women.”

Deepfakes are media — usually videos, audio recordings or photographs — that have been doctored through artificial intelligence (AI) software to fabricate a person’s facial or body movements. They can easily spread by sharing over social media platforms and other websites. 

One well-known example is a video that circulated in August 2019, in which actor Bill Hader does an impersonation of Tom Cruise. The video is edited so Hader’s face morphs into a realistic image of Cruise, giving the impression that it’s the latter talking.

Beyond that, deepfake circulation could be damaging in 2020 and future election cycles. Along with celebrities, government leaders are the most common subjects of deepfakes, according to a February Science and Tech Spotlight from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO).

“Deepfakes could be used to influence elections or incite civil unrest, or as a weapon of psychological warfare,” per the report. It also notes that much of deepfake content online “is pornographic, and deepfake pornography disproportionately victimizes women.”

In 2018, Reddit shut down r/deepfakes, a forum that distributed videos of celebrities whose faces had been superimposed on actors in real pornography. The computer-generated fake pornography was banned because it was “involuntary,” or created without consent. 

Much of the same technology used to make those videos could be used to exploit women running for office, according to a GAO official.

“We can’t speak to intent, but the result is definitely that the majority of these do target women,” said Karen Howard, a director on GAO’s Science, Technology Assessment and Analytics (STAA) team.

Read More: https://www.michiganadvance.com/2020/03/09/the-new-election-frontier-deepfakes-are-coming-and-often-target-women/

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For #Edtech startups, it’s raining money – SPONSOR: BetterU Education Corp. $BTRU.ca $ARCL $CPLA $BPI $FC.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 11:52 AM on Monday, March 9th, 2020
SPONSOR:  BetterU Education Corp. aims to provide access to quality education from around the world. The company plans to bridge the prevailing gap in the education and job industry and enhance the lives of its prospective learners by developing an integrated ecosystem. Click here for more information.

For edtech startups, it’s raining money

Tracxn data reveals that Bengaluru-based companies attracted the lion’s share (about $944 million) of investments in the edtech space in the last one year, the highest across cities in India.

By Debojyoti Ghosh

  • Education-technology or edtech companies have mastered the art of wooing investors.
  • The numbers are telling.
  • In less than three months into the new year, edtech ventures have garnered a whopping $686.32 million in 21 funding rounds, a steep surge from $450 million in 87 rounds in the entire 2019, according to data from analytics firm Tracxn.

The data reveals that Bengaluru-based companies attracted the lion’s share (approximately $944 million) of investments in the edtech space in the last one year, the highest across cities in India.

According to data Fortune India has collected, Mumbai-based startups were next in line: raising $109.3 million during the same period. Startups based in Gurugram raised a total of $33.19 million, coming in third. The data includes funding rounds between January 1, 2019, and February 29, 2020.

This year alone, Bengaluru-headquartered Byju’s raised about $500 million, says Tracxn, at an estimated valuation of close to $8 billion. Last month, smaller crosstown rival Unacademy raised $110 million in a funding round led by Facebook and General Atlantic. At the same time, Bengaluru-based interactive online tutoring platform Vedantu raised $24 million, led by global venture capital firm GGV Capital.

Can this buoyancy be sustained?

In the last few years, edtech companies have ramped up their interactive online tutoring content, targeting school students and candidates preparing for competitive examinations and government jobs across metros and tier 2 cities.

RedSeer Consulting, a research and advisory firm focussed on the consumer internet market, noted in its last year’s report that the first wave of edtech companies saw players focussing on high-quality content and live streaming, most often catering to metro/tier 1 users and in English as the major medium of instruction.

“However, our research on learners across market segments (K12, test prep, professional learning) clearly shows a strong need for vernacular education—something which most offline and online platforms fail to provide adequately as of now. Thus, there is a strong underlying need for digital education in vernacular languages,” the RedSeer report said.

Players such as Gurugram-based Doubtnut target students in smaller cities providing learning content in vernacular languages. In January, Doubtnut raised $15 million in a Series A funding round, led by Chinese investor Tencent. Existing investors Omidyar Network India, AET, Japan, Cure.fit co-founder Ankit Nagori, and Sequoia Capital India also participated in the funding round.

Online learning platform Adda247—which provides live video classes, on-demand video courses, mock tests and test prep focussing on examinations for government jobs—also caters to the vernacular segments, particularly the Hindi-speaking belt.

“Across the K12 and professional learning space, players with video lectures have been tailoring to blend English and Hindi in their delivery to drive customer engagement,” RedSeer said.

Other funding announcements this year for edtech startups include Testbook, which in January raised about $8.3 million in a Series B round led by venture capital fund Iron Pillar. The Mumbai-based online preparatory platform provides learning content and test prep for competitive government examinations. Noida-based edtech startup Classplus raised $2.5 million in a pre-Series A funding round from Blume Ventures, Sequoia Capital and others.

With funding available across the various stages of growth, only time will tell if edtech companies can maintain the momentum for the rest of the year.

Source: https://www.fortuneindia.com/bengaluru-buzz/for-edtech-startups-its-raining-money/104233

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Hollister Biosciences $HOLL.ca Signs Definitive Agreement to Acquire Venom Extracts With $16.4 Million in Revenue and $2.48 Million EBITDA $WEED.ca $CGC $ACB $APH $CRON.ca $OGI.ca $FAF.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 4:48 PM on Friday, March 6th, 2020
  • This highly accretive acquisition will strengthen Hollister’s brand portfolio and broaden its distribution across multiple states
  • For the year ended December 31, 2019, Venom Extracts reports having generated CDN$ 16.4 million in revenue and CDN$ 2.48 million in EBIDTA from its product line of Cannabis Concentrates, P.H.O Concentrates and Cartridges.

VANCOUVER, March 6, 2020 – Hollister Biosciences Inc. (CSE: HOLL, FRANKFURT: HOB, OTC: HSTRF) (the “Company” or “Hollister“) – a diversified cannabis branding company with products in 220 dispensaries throughout California, is pleased to announce the Company has entered into a definitive agreement  (the “Agreement“) on March 6th, 2020 to acquire Venom Extracts ( “Venom“), one of Arizona’s premier extract brands and one of the state’s largest producers of award-winning medical cannabis distillate and related products.

On February 25, 2020, the Company first announced a Letter of Intent to acquire Venom, including the following financial figures and terms.

HIGHLY ACCRETIVE $20,000,000 ACQUISITION

For the year ended December 31, 2019, Venom Extracts reports having generated CDN$ 16.4 million in revenue and CDN$ 2.48 million in EBIDTA from its product line of Cannabis Concentrates, P.H.O Concentrates and Cartridges. 2019 Revenue and EBITDA for Venom Extracts are as reported by Management. Though Hollister believes the figures to be highly reliable, their audit will be part of the ongoing due diligence before closing.   

The all stock purchase price is anticipated to be CDN$ 20,000,000, with 70% to be paid upfront and 30% to be paid upon milestone achievements related to revenue targets for Venom. The acquisition is expected to close by March 31, 2020 subject to normal course due diligence.

KEY TERMS OF THE AGREEMENT:

  • The Company will acquire Venom Extracts for CDN$20,000,000 with such payment to be issued in Hollister common stock (the “Payment Shares“)
  • The stock price will be determined based on the greater of:
    • The 14-day VWAP (Volume Weighted Average Price) capped at $0.25 subsequent to announcing the transaction and $0.20
  • Once the share price is established, 70% of the Payment Shares will be issued upon closing of the transaction, subject to hold periods
  • The remaining 30% of the Payment Shares will be issued when and if the following milestones have been met on or prior to December 31st, 2021:
    • 20% (of the total number of Payment Shares) will be issued when revenue of Venom Extracts reaches CDN$ 30,000,000 (calculated in accordance with IFRS from January 1, 2020).
    • 10% (of the total number of Payment Shares) will be issued when revenue of Venom Extracts reaches CDN$ 40,000,000(calculated in accordance with IFRS from January 1, 2020).

“We are very pleased to have entered into a definitive agreement to complete this transformational acquisition”, shared Carl Saling, Founder and CEO of Hollister Biosciences, Inc.  “Financially, we are bolting on substantial revenue and EBITDA, while strategically, this allows for the opportunity to bring Venom into the California marketplace and help scale Hollister’s existing operation. Likewise, it allows for the opportunity to introduce Hollister’s products into the Arizona and Nevada marketplaces to start with.” 

“This is an exciting acquisition and we are happy to be taking this critical step toward closing”, shared Jacob Cohen, Founder of Venom Extracts.  “This transaction represents the next step in ensuring the future growth of both Hollister and Venom.  We are looking forward to increasing the geographic scope of our operation by expanding into the California marketplace through Hollister’s existing platform, as well as, exploring expansion of our existing product scope collectively.”

In association with the acquisition, Hollister will not be assuming any long-term debt, a new control position will be created and there is no change in Management, or the Board of Directors of Hollister being contemplated at this time.

Finder’s fees will be payable in accordance with the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange.

This press release is available on the Company’s CEO Verified Discussion Forum, a moderated social media platform that enables civilized discussion and Q&A between Management and Shareholders.

About Hollister Biosciences Inc.

Hollister Biosciences Inc. is a diversified cannabis company with multiple, high-quality products now carried in 220 of Indus Holdings (CSE: INDS), Hollister’s exclusive distribution partner’s 600 dispensaries. This level of penetration is expected to grow as the Company accelerates its seed to shelf, high margin business and product development model.

Capitalizing on this success, Hollister’s vision is to become the sought-after premium brand portfolio of innovative, high quality cannabis across multiple states and hemp products nationwide.

Our wholly owned California subsidiary, Hollister Cannabis Co, is the 1st state and locally licensed Cannabis Company in the City of Hollister, California, the birthplace of the “American Biker” from which we embrace the outlaw roots of Hollister to drive our Company fearlessly down the road of success.

Products from Hollister Cannabis Co. include HashBone, the brand’s premier artisanal hash-infused pre-roll ranked as California’s #1 hash infused pre-roll, along with solvent-free bubble hash, pre-packaged flower, pre-rolls, tinctures, vape products, and full-spectrum high CBD pet tinctures.

Website:  www.hollistercannabisco.com 

About Venom Extracts

Venom Extracts is one of Arizona’s premier extract brands and one of the state’s largest producers of award-winning medical cannabis distillate and related products.  With an experienced management team and unparalleled reputation for quality, Venom Extracts prides itself as a differentiated extraction company by producing legal Marijuana products at a price point that allows retailers to generate higher profits.  Focused on proprietary efficiencies, the Company is able to produce more product per square foot than its competition, maintaining lower costs and risks than a typical extraction company. The company’s expansion strategy is centered on entering new markets/states that are approved for medical cannabis use and/or approved or have a reasonable expectation to be approved for recreational use in the near future.  

Website:  www.venomextracts.com

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-Looking Information: This news release includes certain statements that may be deemed “forward-looking statements”. The use of any of the words “anticipate”, “continue”, “estimate”, “expect”, “may”, “will”, “would”, “project”, “should”, “believe” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes that the expectations and assumptions on which the forward-looking statements are based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking statements because the Company can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. Since forward-looking statements address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. These statements speak only as of the date of this News Release. Actual results could differ materially from those currently anticipated due to a number of factors and risks including various risk factors discussed in the Company’s disclosure documents which can be found under the Company’s profile onwww.sedar.com.

View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/hollister-biosciences-signs-definitive-agreement-to-acquire-venom-extracts-with-16-4-million-in-revenue-and-2-48-million-ebitda-301019220.html

SOURCE Hollister Biosciences Inc.

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#Palladium, #rhodium demand to remain, despite #virus outbreak SPONSOR: New Age Metals $NAM.ca $WG.ca $XTM.ca $WM.ca $PDL.ca $GLEN

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 5:40 PM on Thursday, March 5th, 2020

SPONSOR: New Age Metals Inc. The company owns one of North America’s largest primary platinum group metals deposit in Sudbury, Canada. Updated NI 43-101 Mineral Resource Estimate 2,867,000 PdEq Measured and Indicated Ounces, with an additional 1,059,000 PdEq Ounces Inferred. Learn More.

Palladium, rhodium demand to remain, despite virus outbreak: analyst

  • Though the coronavirus outbreak may affect near-term automobile demand, long-term demand for palladium and rhodium will remain unchanged

By: Nick Jonson

Washington — Though the coronavirus outbreak may affect near-term automobile demand, long-term demand for palladium and rhodium will remain unchanged unless automakers substitute for other metals, managing director Frederic Panizzutti of MKS Dubai said.

“If I was a carmaker, I would definitely stock palladium while the price is lower, and I believe this is going to keep palladium strong, even if the demand goes down in China, the UK, or the demand for parts decreases,” Panizzutti said in an interview this week.

Rhodium and palladium, along with platinum, are used in automobile catalytic converters to control emissions of certain greenhouse gases and pollutants.

“It’s a bargain for car manufacturers to be able to acquire palladium if it goes lower; it’s been a one-way street for months now,” Panizzutti said, referring to the recent rallies in palladium and rhodium.

NYMEX palladium has risen nearly 25% since the start of the year to reach an intraday high of $2,789.80/oz on February 27. NYMEX palladium for June delivery closed at $2,469.40/oz on Thursday.

Rhodium, which is not traded on major exchanges, has risen nearly 114% since the start of the year. The Platts New York Dealer rhodium price was assessed at $12,700-$13,000/oz on February 27.

Analysts have attributed the sharp price increase to automakers trying to secure enough metal for catalytic converters that meet new emissions standards in China, India and Europe, as well as the US and UK.

Further spread of the coronavirus outbreak globally could reduce automobile demand, along with the projected 1 million oz supply deficit in palladium, Panizzutti said.

The China Passenger Car Association on Wednesday said new car sales in China had plummeted 80% in February from a year ago, the biggest monthly decline on record, though it declined to provide a figure.

Analysts attributed the declining sales to government restrictions to limit the spread of the coronavirus in China, where it began in Hubei Province. Hubei is a major auto manufacturing hub in China.

But even if the coronavirus outbreak becomes a global pandemic, governments and businesses will have to adapt as they do nearly every year with widespread influenza outbreaks, Panizzutti said.

Automobile production, and by extension palladium and rhodium demand, would continue, though possibly at a lower rate, he added.

PLATINUM SUBSTITUTION

“I believe the palladium price now is far over the threshold that automakers are willing to accept,” Panizzutti said.

But substituting platinum for palladium in catalytic converters takes time due to design and testing procedures, he noted.

“In my opinion, it should happen, whether it takes several months or longer because the palladium situation is unsustainable. And I see no reason why the situation should change if nothing changes in the supply/demand balance,” Panizzutti said.

“And the only way to change the supply/demand balance is to switch partially or totally from palladium to platinum. If there is no switch, the situation will be the same and will remain a struggle for manufacturers to get hold of material,” he said.

Source: https://www.spglobal.com/platts/en/market-insights/latest-news/metals/030520-palladium-rhodium-demand-to-remain-despite-virus-outbreak-analyst

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Trusting video in a fake news world – SPONSOR: Datametrex AI Limited $DM.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 5:10 PM on Thursday, March 5th, 2020

SPONSOR: Datametrex AI Limited (TSX-V: DM) A revenue generating small cap A.I. company that NATO and Canadian Defence are using to fight fake news & social media threats. The company announced three $1M contacts in Q3-2019. Click here for more info.

Trusting video in a fake news world

  • fake news is a tricky problem to solve, is probably not news to anyone at this point
  • However, the problem stands to get a lot trickier once the fakesters open their eyes to the potential of a mostly untapped weapon: trust in videos

By: Mansoor Ahmed-Rengers

That fake news is a tricky problem to solve, is probably not news to anyone at this point. However, the problem stands to get a lot trickier once the fakesters open their eyes to the potential of a mostly untapped weapon: trust in videos.

Fake news so far has relied on social media bubbles and textual misinformation with the odd photoshopped picture thrown in here and there. This has meant that, by and large, curious individuals have been able to uncover fakes with some investigation.

This could soon change. You see, “pics or it didn’t happen” isn’t just a meme, it is the mental model by which people judge the veracity of a piece of information on the Internet. What happens when the fakesters are able to create forgeries that even a keen eye cannot distinguish? How do we distinguish truth from fact?

We are far closer to this future than many realise. In 2017, researchers created a tool that produced realistic looking video clips of Barack Obama saying things he has never been recorded saying. Since then, a barrage of similar tools have become available; an equally worrying, if slightly tangential, trend is the rise of fake pornographic video that superimpose images of celebrities on to adult videos.

These tools represent the latest weapons in the arsenal of fake news creators – ones far easier to use for the layman than those before. While the videos produced by these tools may not presently stand up to scrutiny by forensics experts, they are already good enough to fool a casual viewer and are only getting better. The end result is that creating a good-enough fake video is now a trivial matter.

There are, of course, more traditional ways of creating fake videos as well. The White House was caught using the oldest trick in the book while trying to justify the barring of a reporter from the briefing room: they sped up the video to make it look like the reporter was physically rough with a staff member.

Other traditional ways are misleadingly editing videos to leave out critical context (as in the Planned Parenthood controversy), or splicing video clips to map wrong answers to questions, etc. I expect that we will see an increase in these traditional fake videos before a further transition to the complete fabrications discussed above. Both represent a grave danger to the pursuit of truth.

Major platforms are acutely aware of the issues. Twitter has recently introduced a fact checking feature to label maliciously edited videos in its timeline. YouTube has put disclaimers about the nature of news organizations below their videos (for example, whether it is a government sponsored news organization or not). Facebook has certified fact checkers who may label viral stories as misleading.

However, these approaches rely on manual verification and by the time a story catches the attention of a fact checker, it has already been seen by millions. YouTube’s approach is particularly lacking since it doesn’t say anything about an individual video at all, only about the source of funding of a very small set of channels.

Now, forensically detecting forgeries in videos is a deeply researched field with work dating back decades. There are many artefacts that are left behind when someone edits a video: the compression looks weird, the shadows may jump in odd patterns, the shapes of objects might get distorted.

Source: https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/digitaliberties/trusting-video-fake-news-world/

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DEA Proposes New #Mhealth Rule for Substance Abuse Treatment SPONSOR: CardioComm Solutions $EKG.ca – $ATE.ca $TLT.ca $OGI.ca $ACST.ca $IPA.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 12:14 PM on Thursday, March 5th, 2020

SPONSOR: CardioComm Solutions (EKG: TSX-V) – The heartbeat of cardiovascular medicine and telemedicine. Patented systems enable medical professionals, patients, and other healthcare professionals, clinics, hospitals and call centres to access and manage patient information in a secure and reliable environment.

DEA Proposes New Mhealth Rule for Substance Abuse Treatment

A proposed rule change would allow providers to use mHealth tools more freely in substance abuse treatment programs, but it isn’t the rule that telehealth advocates have been anticipating.

By Eric Wicklund

March 04, 2020 – Federal officials have proposed easing restrictions on the use of mHealth in substance abuse programs – but the changes aren’t what everyone has been expecting.

Under a notice of proposed rulemaking published last month in the Federal Register, the US Drug Enforcement Agency would allow registered narcotic treatment programs (NTPs) using “mobile components” to consider those connected health elements as a coincident activity.

“The NTP registrants that operate or wish to operate mobile components (in the state that the registrant is registered in) to dispense narcotic drugs in schedules II-V at a remote location for the purpose of maintenance or detoxification treatment would not be required to obtain a separate registration for a mobile component,” a summary of the rule states.

“This proposed rule would waive the requirement of a separate registration at each principal place of business or professional practice where controlled substances are dispensed for those NTPs with mobile components that fully comply with the requirements of the proposed rule, once finalized,” the summary continues. “These revisions to the regulations are intended to make maintenance or detoxification treatments more widely available, while ensuring that safeguards are in place to reduce the likelihood of diversion.”

The notice is different from what telehealth and mHealth providers have been waiting for: a rule that would ease federal restrictions on the prescription of scheduled drugs via telemedicine, and one that federal officials had been expected to unveil. It even prompted Virginia Sen. Mark Warner to issue a press release congratulating the DEA on making that move.

“The opioid and addiction epidemic has had a devastating impact on communities in Virginia and across the country,” Warner, who had sent a letter to the DEA in January, said in a press release that has since been deleted. “We need to use every tool at our disposal to ensure that individuals struggling with addiction can access the treatment they need, and telehealth is an important part of that. I am pleased the DEA has finally issued proposed rulemaking that will improve telehealth access for these patients and I hope they will work quickly to finalize this rulemaking once stakeholders have had an opportunity to weigh in.”

With the Special Registration for Telemedicine Act of 2018, which was part of the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act signed into law by President Donald Trump in late 2018, the DEA had until October 24, 2019 to set the ground rules for providers with a special registration to prescribe controlled substances.

That deadline passed without action. In November, the Justice Department announced plans to issue a proposed rule to create that registration process. But nothing has happened since then, and the DEA and other federal agencies have refused to give any updates.

Last month’s ruling leaves healthcare providers looking for more leeway in treating substance abuse issues both pleased and disappointed. It’s a step in the right direction for programs using digital health tools, but not the leap forward that so many have been anticipating.

Source: https://mhealthintelligence.com/news/dea-proposes-new-mhealth-rule-for-substance-abuse-treatment

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Tech Reskilling in India a Necessity #Edtech – SPONSOR: BetterU Education Corp. $BTRU.ca $ARCL $CPLA $BPI $FC.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 11:54 AM on Thursday, March 5th, 2020
SPONSOR:  BetterU Education Corp. aims to provide access to quality education from around the world. The company plans to bridge the prevailing gap in the education and job industry and enhance the lives of its prospective learners by developing an integrated ecosystem. Click here for more information.

Tech Reskilling in India a Necessity

  • Behind the AI and data analytics boom, lies the story of a massive talent gap as workforce struggles to remain employable
  • The skills’ shelf life has shortened, with technology changing exponentially over the last decade, skills that were relevant at the beginning of the career have become obsolete

By Kasmin Fernandes

While skill development gets a major chunk of CSR funding, reskilling in India isn’t a priority. Even with the third-largest developer base and a substantial tech-savvy talent pool, India lags behind its peers on major AI indicators. This is despite a thriving startup ecosystem, high-growth companies which have made a substantial investment in setting up CoEs (centres of excellence) and the Government investing in building a robust tech infrastructure.

Behind the AI and data analytics boom, lies the story of a massive talent gap as workforce struggles to remain employable. The skills’ shelf life has shortened, with technology changing exponentially over the last decade, skills that were relevant at the beginning of the career have become obsolete. In order to remain employable, the workforce needs reskilling in India.

Reskilling in India can fill gaps

The rise of edtech companies in India is not surprising, given the huge clamour for continuous learning that has taken root in the professional sphere. This is backed by the rise of emerging technologies — Artificial Intelligence, its subset Machine Learning and Data Science which has spawned a booming job market revolving around new technologies that has substantially transformed India’s IT labour market.

The changing job economy has resulted in new opportunities for the Indian workforce. As estimated by a consulting major,

AI has the potential to add 15% of India’s current gross value in 2035. The booming economy, fuelled by AI and advanced analytics requires more Indians to enter the workforce with a different skill-set. As per estimates, close to 97,000 AI positions lie vacant in India.

However, the challenges are also increasing multifold — on the one hand Indian companies are struggling with disruptions like automation that are redefining jobs and secondly, it is grappling with finding the right talent with the right skillset for AI/ machine learning and data science teams. Meanwhile, the upcoming generation that will enter the workforce soon is fed on an outdated curriculum that hasn’t kept up with the industry’s demands.

What can key players do?

In order to capitalise on these opportunities, IT companies, educators and policymakers need to develop a deeper understanding of the existing workforce, the skill-set required in the future, and the gaps that will need to be addressed. This implies that these three key players need to align the broader economic developer agenda with the shifting job market and work towards building a strong talent that has the baseline and digital skills required for current landscape.

The government’s involvement in reskilling in India is a must. A joint report by industry body NASSCOM and FICCI level says that the IT workforce will become obsolete without government involvement. Policy makers will have to assess secondary and postsecondary education and align it with the skills that are required for tomorrow. Many leading Indian IT majors have undertaken employer-training initiatives, pre-employment training and have also provided their own courseware.

Collectively, the key stakeholders can foster a workforce development ecosystem and provide domain specific training

with a job-first approach. Given this scenario — educational stakeholders have made a very strong business case for reskilling in India and have actively partnered with renowned educational institutions to launch technical certifications and degree programmes tailored to fill the skill gap.

Source: https://thecsrjournal.in/tech-reskilling-india/

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Empower Clinics $CBDT.ca Announces Advancement of Joint Venture with Heritage Cannabis in the United States $WEED.ca $CGC $ACB $APH $CRON.ca $HEXO.ca $OGI.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 8:24 AM on Thursday, March 5th, 2020
  • Announced the advancement of its previously announced Joint Venture Partnership with Heritage Cannabis Holdings Corp. (CSE: CANN), based in Sandy, Oregon, USA.
  • Now advancing the JV with the order and installation of extraction and post-production equipment units at Empower’s existing licenced hemp processing facility in Sandy, Oregon,
  • Will immediately begin performing hemp-based product manufacturing for proprietary formulations, tolling services, and third-party white labelling services for other distributors throughout the United States

VANCOUVER, BC / March 5, 2020 / EMPOWER CLINICS INC. (CSE:CBDT) (OTC:EPWCF) (Frankfurt 8EC) (“Empower” or the “Company“), a vertically integrated and growth-oriented life sciences company is pleased to announce the advancement of its previously announced Joint Venture Partnership (“JV”) with Heritage Cannabis Holdings Corp. (CSE: CANN) (“Heritage”), based in Sandy, Oregon, USA.

In September 2019, Empower announced it had entered into a Letter of Intent (“LOI”) to form a 50/50 ownership JV with Heritage for the extraction of hemp for CBD oil production, and formulated CBD products. The JV is equally funded by both parties and since formation CDN$250,000 has been provided to the JV.

Heritage and Empower are now advancing the JV with the order and installation of extraction and post-production equipment units at Empower’s existing licenced hemp processing facility in Sandy, Oregon, in order to immediately begin performing hemp-based product manufacturing for proprietary formulations, tolling services, and third-party white labelling services for other distributors throughout the United States.

The proprietary branded products will be distributed through Empower’s corporately owned physician staffed health clinics in Oregon and Arizona, online at www.sunvalleyhealth.com and in upcoming new franchise locations, which currently have access to over 165,000 patients.

Additionally, related downstream equipment is now being installed including gel cap processing, tincture bottle and vape cartridge filling, as well as labelling, packaging, storage and shipping services, to offer full-service end-to-end products to third parties.

Heritage is providing training and supervision related to the proprietary methods of extraction and oil production that is already being successfully produced in Canada by Heritage.

“Having the backing of an experienced partner with the financial strength of Heritage Cannabis is proving to be so beneficial for the development of our first extraction facility”, said Steven McAuley, Chief Executive Officer of Empower. “Together, we have already identified numerous opportunities to bring new orders to the JV facility, ensuring we leverage the capacity we are building.”

“We are very pleased to be advancing our U.S. strategy through this mutually beneficial partnership with Empower, which provides Heritage ease of access to the world’s largest cannabis market”, stated Clint Sharples, Chief Executive Officer of Heritage. “The installation of extraction units is the next phase of the JV and another step toward successfully furthering our growth strategies.”

ABOUT EMPOWER

Empower is a vertically-integrated health & wellness brand with it’s first hemp-derived CBD extraction facility under development, the Company produces its proprietary line of cannabidiol (CBD) based products and distributes products through company owned and franchised clinics, with wholesale partnerships, online channels and with new retail opportunities nationwide in the U.S. The company is a leading multi-state operator of a network of physician-staffed wellness clinics, focused on helping patients improve and protect their health, through innovative physician recommended treatment options. The company has commenced activity on how to connect its significant data, to the potential of the efficacy of alternative treatment options related to hemp-derived cannabidiol (CBD) therapies.

About Heritage Cannabis Holdings Corp.

The Company is focused on becoming a vertically integrated cannabis provider that currently has two Health Canada approved licenced producers, through its subsidiaries Voyage Cannabis Corp. and CannaCure Corp. both regulated under the Cannabis Act Regulations. Working under these two licences, Heritage has two additional subsidiaries, Purefarma Solutions, which provides extraction services, and a Medical Services Division which is focused on cannabis based medical solutions. Heritage as the parent company, is focused on providing the resources for its subsidiaries to advance their products or services to compete both domestically and internationally.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS:

Steven McAuley
Chief Executive Officer

CONTACTS:

Investors: Steven McAuley
CEO
[email protected]
604-789-2146

Investors: Dustin Klein
SVP, Business Development
[email protected]
720-352-1398

For French inquiries: Remy Scalabrini, Maricom Inc., E: [email protected], T: (888) 585-MARI

DISCLAIMER FOR FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This news release contains certain “forward-looking statements” or “forward-looking information” (collectively “forward looking statements”) within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements and are based on expectations, estimates and projections as at the date of this news release.Forward-looking statements can frequently be identified by words such as “plans”, “continues”, “expects”, “projects”, “intends”, “believes”, “anticipates”, “estimates”, “may”, “will”, “potential”, “proposed” and other similar words, or information that certain events or conditions “may” or “will” occur. Forward-looking statements in this news release include statements regarding; the Company’s intention to open a hemp-based CBD extraction facility, the expected benefits to the Company and its shareholders as a result of the proposed acquisitions and partnerships; the effectiveness of the extraction technology; the expected benefits for Empower’s patient base and customers; the benefits of CBD based products; the effect of the approval of the Farm Bill; the growth of the Company’s patient list and that the Company will be positioned to be a market-leading service provider for complex patient requirements in 2019 and beyond. Such statements are only projections, are based on assumptions known to management at this time, and are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results, performance or developments to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements, including; that the Company may not open a hemp-based CBD extraction facility; that legislative changes may have an adverse effect on the Company’s business and product development; that the Company may not be able to obtain adequate financing to pursue its business plan; general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; failure to obtain any necessary approvals in connection with the proposed acquisitions and partnerships; and other factors beyond the Company’s control. No assurance can be given that any of the events anticipated by the forward-looking statements will occur or, if they do occur, what benefits the Company will obtain from them. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements in this release, which are qualified in their entirety by these cautionary statements. The Company is under no obligation, and expressly disclaims any intention or obligation, to update or revise any forward-looking statements in this release, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by applicable laws.

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