This article is obtained from here.

Much as Intel processors are the power inside PCs, A.I. algorithms may emerge as the power behind some advanced medical applications.

Virtual Radiologic, a U.S. company that provides diagnostic services to thousands of hospitals and medical facilities around the world, is developing a deep learning algorithm to review CT images taken in the emergency room. The company, also known as vRAD (an affiliate of MEDNAX), is grooming the algorithm to find signs of intracranial hemorrhage. The algorithm is designed not to diagnose but to prioritize CT images for review by neuroradiologists in the vRAD network. Patients with intracranial hemorrhage, for example, due to stroke or trauma, such as a car accident, require immediate treatment to prevent brain damage or death.

vRAD’s algorithm could be helping to save lives in the near future. The company plans to integrate the DL algorithm into its existing PACS, its picture archiving and communications system, which has a 510(k) clearance from the FDA.

“We will be running it through the FDA to accommodate the use of deep learning technology as part of the PACS,” said Shannon Werb, vRAD chief information officer, explaining that the vRAD’s patent filing will provide the basis for its submission to the FDA.
Werb says the company has begun putting together an FDA application for the algorithm, Werb told me. He did not indicate when it would be submitted.

If and when the algorithm is cleared for routine use, it could have a big effect on patient outcomes. Werb explains that the algorithm, when integrated into vRAD’s PACS, would prioritize CT images for interpretation. If, for example, there were a dozen vRAD neuroradiologists, all licensed in the state where the CT images were taken, the algorithm would channel the suspected intracranial hemorrhage case to the top of each of these physicians’, he told me, “so that the next available neuroradiologist would immediately open the (suspected intracranial hemorrhage) study.”

Werb estimates that doing so would cut in half the average time of “getting eyeballs on images,” reducing the current 10 or 15 minutes that elapse between exam and interpretation to five or 10 minutes.

Development of deep learning is part of the company’s broader effort to move technology close to the patient” so as to “tap the doctor on the shoulder a lot more rapidly.”

vRAD has developed a global network of radiologists, many of them specialized in specific fields such as neuroradiology. The company typically partners with local radiology practices, Werb said, to provide preliminary interpretations during the day, as well as specialty and after-hours final interpretations.

The company acquires images from provider facilities and assigns them through a worklist that ushers cases to radiologists in this network on the basis of their availability or special training. The goal behind developing the intracranial hemorrhage algorithm is to reduce the time needed for the diagnosis and, thereby, accelerate the time to treatment.

When cleared for routine use, the DL algorithm will function as part of the PACS as an aide in distributing images to physicians for their review. As such, it would work as a cog in the company’s existing machinery for distributing images among the radiologists in its network.

Today vRAD works with 40% of the healthcare facilities in the United States. Cases suspected of intracranial hemorrhage, due to stroke or trauma, are prioritized by physicians.  The use of this DL algorithm now in development by vRAD would dramatically cut the time needed for this process. Future iterations might even show where in the images radiologists should look for the hemorrhage, Werb said.

In the future vRAD plans to develop DL algorithms to accelerate the interpretation of other high priority patients, such as those suspected of pulmonary embolism or aortic tears. Collaborations with the equipment makers, he told me, might even lead to algorithms built into the CT scanners themselves, flagging patients who must be evaluated immediately because they may have life threatening conditions.

“Imagine the scanner with an embedded deep learning algorithm, identifying the possibility of an intracranial hemorrhage while the patient is still on the CT table,” he said.   “That (would) move the care of the patient much closer to the point at which they are being seen.”

The following article is in French and English.

Renault à l’avant-garde du sport automobile 100% électrique

Source from here.

Pionnier du véhicule 100% électrique avec la gamme Z.E. et ses modèles emblématiques tels que ZOE et TWIZY, Renault est également un acteur incontournable du sport automobile avec un palmarès unique pour un constructeur généraliste. Fort de cette double expertise, Renault encourage l’émergence d’une nouvelle forme de course automobile, plus accessible et respectueuse de l’environnement.
À travers ce double engagement, Renault marquait sa volonté d’accélérer les progrès technologiques du véhicule 100% électrique en améliorant les performances des moteurs et l’autonomie des batteries.
À l’aube de la saison 2015/2016, Renault renforce son engagement sportif au sein de l’écurie Renault e.dams championne en titre en développant son propre groupe motopropulseur. Renault met ainsi son expertise technique au service exclusif de l’écurie Renault e.dams qui est déterminée à jouer les premiers rôles et vise le doublé Écuries/Pilotes en saison 2.Ces technologies de pointe, développées par les équipes de Renault Sport F1, pourront donc également bénéficier directement ou indirectement aux véhicules de série de la gamme Z.E.

Michael van der Sande, SVP Global Marketing, Groupe Renault

“Le sport automobile est une composante essentielle de l’ADN de Renault.  Il est  naturel que Renault soit un acteur majeur de ce nouveau championnat 100% électrique compte tenu de son palmarès unique en sport automobile et de son expertise dans le domaine des véhicules électriques. Après avoir remporté le premier titre Equipes de l’histoire de la Formule E, nous sommes convaincus que notre engagement sera encore cette saison un véritable accélérateur de développement pour nos véhicules électriques de série.”

———————————————

Renault is at the forefront of the electric automotive sector

Ranking amongst some of the most innovative companies in the world, Renault is at the forefront of the electric automotive sector with vehicles such as its Z.E. range, as well as the iconic ZOE and Twizy. And thanks to its motorsport commitments and unique racing pedigree in a range of categories, the French carmaker is also helping to foster the move towards more sustainable racing.

Renault participation in Formula E is a real boost for the development of the electric range of road-going vehicles. Renault’s commitment to the sport has equally portrayed its readiness to apply the technological progress to all-electric vehicles in general, boost engine performance and improve battery autonomy.

For the 2015/16 season Renault has increased its involvement with reigning Teams’ title-holders, Renault e.dams. Producing its own powertrain, Renault has exclusively devoted its technical expertise to the team, which is determined to continue fighting at the front and has both the Drivers’ and Teams’ titles in its sights for season two. The cutting-edge technologies developed by Renault Sport for Formula E could subsequently benefit the constructor’s Z.E. range of road-going cars.

Michael van der Sande, SVP Global Marketing, Renault Group

“Motorsport is an essential part of Renault’s DNA. Given its unique racing pedigree and leading expertise in electric vehicles, it was then only natural for the constructor to become heavily involved in this new all-electric series. After winning the inaugural FIA Formula E Teams’ title, we’re convinced that stepping up our participation will further boost the development of our electric range of road-going vehicles this season.”

Nico Prost

Source for this posting is taken from here.

The following article is obtained from here.

Greg Hubbard spoke with Boston.com about the newest Chevrolet Volt and the much-anticipated Bolt EV.

New fund aims to widen network of charging points across the country in the UK.

This article originates from here .

The government wants more drivers to choose electric cars by providing more charging points. Photograph: Clive Gee/PA

Britain is to get its first “electric service stations” as part of a £40m government fund to encourage drivers to switch to plug-in cars.

Four new stations are to be built, with at least one being located on the M1, ,which became the UK’s first inter-city motorway when it was opened in 1959. The state-of-the-art hubs will make it easier for electric vehicle drivers on motorways and in city centres to charge their car and will ease concerns over the range of the vehicles.

Similar service stations are popular in the Netherlands, and those in the UK will offer drivers the chance to “grab a coffee and use the Wi-Fi while rapid chargers top up their car in as little as 20 minutes”, according to government sources.

The location of all four stations will be unveiled on Monday tomorrow when transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin awards £40m to cities which have been bidding for funds to develop innovative green technology.

The fund will add an additional 750 charge service areas across the country and will install points at several Park and Rides on the edge of towns and cities to make them electric-vehicle friendly. It is hoped the facilities will encourage people to consider switching to a plug-in car.

McLoughlin said: “The UK is already a world leader in the production and use of electric cars, but I want to see us go much further. We are investing £600m by 2020 to improve air quality and create jobs so that we can achieve our goal of every new car and van in the UK being ultra-low-emission by 2040.

“Towns and cities across the country have come up with game-changing ideas and our backing will mean thousands more greener vehicles on our roads,” he added.

This article is taken from here

A map for other people’s faces has been discovered in the brain. It could help explain why some of us are better at recognising faces than others.

Every part of your body that you can move or feel is represented in the outer layer of your brain. These “maps”, found in the motor and sensory cortices (see diagram, below), tend to preserve the basic spatial layout of the body – neurons that represent our fingers are closer to neurons that represent our arms than our feet, for example.

The same goes for other people’s faces, says Linda Henriksson at Aalto University in Helsinki, Finland. Her team scanned 12 people’s brains while they looked at hundreds of images of noses, eyes, mouths and other facial features and recorded which bits of the brain became active.

This revealed a region in the occipital face area in which features that are next to each other on a real face are organised together in the brain’s representation of that face. The team have called this map the “faciotopy”.

The occipital face area is a region of the brain known to be involved in general facial processing. “Facial recognition is so fundamental to human behaviour that it makes sense that there would be a specialised area of the brain that maps features of the face,” she says.

Following the Davos World Economic Forum, the Philippe Couillard, the prime minister of Quebec announced the distribution of 16 Million Canadian dollars towards the initiative in the domain of components for high performance electric vehicle.  This investment will support the partnership of PSA Peugeot Citroen, France with Exagon Motor, Investissement Quebec and IndusTech, Canada.

Original article at this link

Création d’une co-entreprise franco-québécoise pour développer des composants de véhicules électriques.

En marge du Forum économique mondial de Davos, le premier ministre du Québec, Philippe Couillard, accompagné du ministre de l’Économie, de l’Innovation et des Exportations, Jacques Daoust, et du ministre de l’Innovation, des Sciences et du Développement économique du Canada, l’honorable Navdeep Bains, a annoncé l’attribution d’un soutien financier de 16 millions de dollars canadiens afin d’appuyer la réalisation au Québec, en partenariat avec PSA Peugeot Citroën, Exagon Motors, Investissement Québec et IndusTech, une filiale d’Hydro-Québec, d’une initiative innovante de recherche et développement visant le partage d’expertise dans le domaine des composants pour véhicules électriques haute performance.

L’apport gouvernemental consiste en une prise de participation de 10 millions de dollars et en un prêt de 6 millions de dollars. À ces sommes s’ajoute une contribution d’Hydro-Québec de 4 millions de dollars, en plus des services offerts par sa filiale TM4 pour le développement d’une motorisation électrique.

« Mon gouvernement entend faire du Québec un chef de file en matière d’électrification des transports. Notre engagement dans le projet annoncé aujourd’hui et le Plan d’action en électrification des transports 2015-2020 constituent un pas de plus dans le développement du secteur de l’auto électrique et permettront d’étendre la culture d’innovation au Québec », a affirmé le premier ministre Philippe Couillard.

La coentreprise ainsi formée compte PSA Peugeot Citroën, la PME française Exagon Motors, Investissement Québec ainsi qu’IndusTech, la filiale d’Hydro-Québec, agissant comme actionnaires. Son premier mandat sera de réaliser une étude de préfaisabilité estimée à 30,8 millions de dollars. Cette étude pourrait mener, dans un premier temps, au développement de composants pour véhicules électriques haute performance.

« Le gouvernement du Canada est résolu à promouvoir l’innovation au sein de l’économie canadienne et à faire valoir son rôle visant à encourager les nouveaux investissements, l’exportation et la croissance. Le soutien financier accordé à la coentreprise formée de PSA Peugeot Citroën, Exagon Motors, Investissement Québec et Hydro-Québec, est un exemple probant que nous sommes déterminés à soutenir les entreprises qui misent sur l’innovation et la collaboration » a déclaré l’honorable Navdeep Bains, ministre de l’Innovation, des Sciences et du Développement économique.

« Ce projet est une retombée concrète de notre mission à Londres en 2014, au cours de laquelle j’ai pu rencontrer cette compagnie prometteuse afin de l’attirer au Québec. Notre appui à cette initiative est une occasion de croissance unique pour la filière québécoise des véhicules électriques. Elle permettra au Québec et à ses entreprises d’acquérir une expertise de pointe auprès d’acteurs clés du secteur automobile mondial et engendrera des retombées économiques pour l’ensemble du Québec », a déclaré le ministre Jacques Daoust.

PSA Peugeot Citroën apporterait son expertise pour l’intégration automobile de ces composants, dont il deviendrait le principal client pour la diffusion mondiale. Carlos Tavares, président du directoire, a ainsi souligné que « cet accord avec Investissement Québec, Exagon Motors et Hydro-Québec démontre l’agilité de notre groupe à saisir toutes les occasions qui contribuent à renforcer son avance technologique. Ce partenariat souligne également l’intérêt de notre entreprise pour le développement de composants pour véhicules hybrides et électriques de haute performance. »

Exagon Motors, pionnier des chaînes de traction électrique à haute performance, conçoit, assemble et met au point des véhicules électriques de compétition et développe des plateformes technologiques innovantes pour différents fabricants d’équipement d’origine (OEM). « Je me réjouis à l’avance de ce partenariat unique qui nous permettra de proposer une technologie qui réconcilie performance et environnement, et où le plaisir et la passion pour l’automobile seront présents. Cette formidable aventure, qui a pris naissance entre les murs d’Exagon, se concrétise grâce à la détermination sans faille de chaque partenaire, notamment PSA Peugeot Citroën et Investissement Québec, ce dernier ayant été un véritable catalyseur pour le projet », a ajouté Luc Marchetti, président d’Exagon Motors.

« Hydro-Québec est heureuse de soutenir un projet concret dans le secteur de l’électrification des transports, une priorité pour notre entreprise. Nous sommes très actifs dans ce secteur avec notamment le Circuit électrique, notre réseau de recharge public, et nos technologies de pointe développées à l’Institut de recherche d’Hydro-Québec. L’intérêt d’un grand constructeur comme PSA Peugeot Citroën pour les produits de TM4 témoigne de leur qualité et de leur réputation enviable à l’échelle internationale », a mentionné Éric Martel, président-directeur général d’Hydro-Québec.

The following article is retrieved from here

Former Boulder Mayor Will Toor’s letter to City Council urging it to take a leadership role in encouraging adoption of electric vehicles presents the council with an interesting dilemma.

On the one hand, accelerating the adoption of electric cars would help to reduce vehicle emissions, an important part of the city’s climate action plan.

On the other, the leadership of this council has been trying to achieve that goal by coercing people out of their cars onto buses or bikes, so it may find it difficult now to embrace cars of any kind.

As Toor acknowledged in a meeting with the Camera’s editorial board last week, much of the strife around recent transportation policy, including the battle over reducing lanes on Folsom Street, comes from a sense that city officials are wagging their fingers reprovingly at drivers for doing what most Americans do — getting from place to place by car — while providing no realistic alternative for many of them.

Toor’s proposal casts drivers as part of the solution and offers hope of a less divisive municipal approach to reducing emissions. With the country now on a course to clean up its sources of electric power, EVs present an opportunity to transfer those gains over time to the transportation sector. Even if the city were to meet its highly optimistic projections of behavior modification, Toor contends it would get only about halfway to its auto emission reduction goals. Another solution is needed.

Electric cars are not exactly in their infancy, having debuted in the 19th century, but technology is improving their utility rapidly. Tesla has revolutionized the field with high-end, high-performance cars. It is an open secret in the tech community that Apple is working on its own electric car, according to Tesla’s CEO, Elon Musk. Traditional car companies’ electric offerings are improving their range per charge slowly but surely.

Although Boulder likes to think of itself as cutting edge in environmental matters, it trails the cities leading the way in automobile innovation, perhaps because of its leadership’s apparent antipathy for cars generally. As Camera business columnist Sean Maher pointed out earlier this month, leading cities are aggressively enabling experiments with self-driving cars. On Thursday, the Obama administration proposed a 10-year, $4 billion campaign to speed development of that technology. Combine it with EVs and car-sharing applications, and we could see fleets of shared, driverless, electric cars, reducing congestion, emissions and the need for on-site parking.

“If you are skeptical about encouraging more cars in Boulder, consider the evidence that driverless cars will be amazingly green,” Maher wrote. “In his book, ‘Clean Disruption,’ entrepreneur and Stanford professor Tony Seba argues that autonomous vehicles will eventually be all-electric and operate under a business model that is a cross between car share and Uber. If Seba is right — and he makes a very persuasive case — this disruptive force will not only make auto travel safer and faster, it will make it infinitely cleaner and less intrusive.”

The city could take a number of steps to encourage this future, including converting city-owned fleets, offering incentives for workplace chargers and joining Boulder County in a group-buying program that offers substantial discounts to electric car buyers. The county’s program last fall resulted in a quadrupling of electric car sales in a four-month period — with only a single dealership participating. More are expected to join the program this year.

City staff has laid the groundwork for some of these initiatives. Last year, the planning department, along with the county and CU, contracted with the Southwest Energy Efficiency Project, where Toor runs the transportation program, to evaluate Boulder’s electric vehicle infrastructure. But, as Toor pointed out, it needs council’s active support to become a core part of the climate plan.

Technological innovation in this field seems likely to whiz past Boulder’s 20th-century central planning based on bikes and diesel buses. Shared fleets of electric cars could even solve mass transit’s first mile/last mile problem in spread-out jurisdictions like Colorado. If technology ultimately provides a way for each car to be cleaner and serve more people, next-generation autos might yet turn out to be the best solution to the issues of climate and congestion that now plague us. It is time Boulder’s elected officials opened their minds to this possibility.

—Dave Krieger, for the editorial board. Email: kriegerd@dailycamera.com. Twitter:@DaveKrieger