Latest news with #AIMS
The Guardian
10 hours ago
- Health
- The Guardian
Jean Robinson obituary
Described as 'a troublemaker of the very best kind', the health activist Jean Robinson, who has died aged 95, championed the rights of patients, pregnant women and disadvantaged people for more than 50 years. She was chair of the Patients' Association, president of Aims (the Association for Improvements in Maternity Services) and a lay member and outspoken critic of the doctors' regulatory body the General Medical Council. In 1988 she wrote the explosive booklet A Patient Voice at the GMC, laying bare its inadequacies and contributing to its reform. Robinson's activist career took off in 1966, when, living in Oxford and looking after her young son, she was invited to become a lay member of the regional health board. She was not prepared to be a rubber stamp appointment and said the board statistician nearly fell off his chair when 'the token housewife' came to his office with detailed questions about perinatal mortality rates. Robinson always worked in a voluntary capacity and had no clinical or social care background. But that gave her independence to scrutinise healthcare decisions and champion patients. She said: 'I am always concerned about people who think they can make decisions about other people's lives. In politics we have had a degree of democracy, whereas in education, medicine and healthcare we have not had any power from the bottom.' She was passionately keen to educate herself about the workings of the regional health board. Armed with a medical dictionary and library card, she read voraciously, scrutinising even the driest hospital management circular. Condescending officialdom infuriated her and the more she found out about how healthcare was run in her patch, the more she felt obliged to speak out, calling out, for example, the way children living with Down's syndrome were closeted away in an old-fashioned asylum. She was not afraid to antagonise colleagues. In fact, in 1973 Richard Crossman, the Labour secretary of state for health, asked to meet her, saying: 'I've never in all my public life seen so much pressure to get rid of anyone. They absolutely hate you.' They had a good exchange and Crossman did not sack Robinson, but as she had been on the health board for seven years she decided to leave and take up a new challenge. She then joined the Patients' Association, which had been set up in the wake of the thalidomide scandal. The founder wanted to retire, so Robinson became its chair. She spent the next three years answering hundreds of complaints each week from the public. Many were from new mothers. Robinson said: 'Letters about birth leapt off the page.' In the 1970s, 60% of women were given an oxytocin drip to induce labour, which caused severe and sudden contractions. It could be very traumatic, inducing a form of shell shock. Robinson set out to study the research underpinning this practice. She found one main study, carried out in Glasgow, was on far too small a sample. The researchers wanted to see if inducing births could reduce the rate of stillbirth and gave oxytocin to 100 women, comparing them with others receiving standard care. However, the rate of stillbirth at this time in Glasgow was three in 1,000, so such a small study could not prove anything. Robinson wrote to the Lancet medical journal pointing out this, along with many other flaws. To sceptical detractors who thought her letter was drafted by an obstetrician, Robinson retorted: 'No doctor has written it for me. All I needed was a Bodleian reader's card and letters from 400 women who have had induced labour.' When young widows had a higher risk of cervical cancer, it was presumed it was because they swiftly took new sexual partners. But Robinson posed the question 'Who gets widowed early?' It was often wives of men in occupations such as construction, mining or asbestos, and as she pointed out, women's exposure to carcinogenic chemicals could have played a part. In 1975, when her term as chair of the association ended, Robinson joined Aims as its honorary research officer. It was a role she said fitted her like a glove, combining taking calls on the helpline with writing summaries of the latest obstetric research in plain English for its quarterly journal. Listening to distraught new mothers on the phone every day opened her eyes to mental health issues. She persuaded the Department of Health to recognise suicide as a key cause of maternal death and the letter she wrote with Beverley Beech in 1987 to the British Journal of Psychiatry about nightmares after childbirth is credited in medical literature as the first identification of postnatal PTSD. Robinson also challenged routine episiotomies and championed women threatened with removal of their babies, exposing the fact that social services had targets to increase adoptions. In 1979 Robinson was appointed a lay member of the General Medical Council, where she heard cases on the professional conduct committee. She was shocked that the public were so poorly served. For example, GMC rules allowed only eight weeks to complain about a GP, starting from the event, not from the time the person was aware of a problem. If a woman with a breast lump was not examined properly by her GP, for example, it might take her months to realise the lump was growing, by which time the deadline would have expired. In 1988 Robinson wrote A Patient Voice at the GMC, described as 'a remarkable insider's account'. It detailed all the problems, explaining why three-quarters of complaints submitted were not even heard. Meeting her, the Conservative secretary of state for health Kenneth Clarke said the booklet was rather critical and winked: 'I'm not opposed to that.' The booklet fuelled a growing clamour for change. Pressure from politicians, the British Medical Journal and others, as well as events such as the Bristol heart scandal in the 1990s, eventually brought about major changes at the GMC. She was born in Southwark, London, the second of three children of Charles Lynch, a clerk at Tate and Lyle, and Ellen (nee Penfold). When the second world war broke out in 1939, Jean and her two brothers were evacuated to Somerset, and 18 months later to Cornwall. When she returned to London in 1945, her parents urged her to do a secretarial course so she might get a white-collar job. While she was on the course, she joined the Labour League of Youth, much to the disappointment of her working-class Tory parents. But, she said: 'From the earliest age I was interested in people being less privileged and that something should be done about it.' She got a job at the Daily Herald, a national Labour newspaper, and then became secretary to the MP Geoffrey de Freitas, who encouraged her, aged 23, to apply to Ruskin College in Oxford to do a two-year diploma in politics, history and economics. She savoured the chance to learn. Entering the Bodleian library for the first time, she said: 'I felt overwhelmed with riches. If you'd put me in a room full of jewels, it could not have matched what I felt.' Halfway through the course, she spent a year as an exchange student at Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, New York, where she studied American politics. While at Ruskin College, she met the labour market economist Derek Robinson, whom she married in 1956. The couple adopted Toby in 1965, had a daughter Lucy four years later, and made their home in Oxford. She got a secretarial job at the market research company Nielsen, which led to work with the Oxford Consumers Group. However, she discovered job opportunities in Oxford were scarce and volunteering could be the route to much more interesting work, so in 1966 she agreed to be a lay member of the regional health board. As well as her work at the GMC, Robinson remained involved with Aims, and was elected its president in 2010, retiring only in 2018. From 1995 to 2006 she wrote a column for the British Journal of Midwifery, giving midwives an insight into issues from a user's perspective, and in 1997 she was made a visiting professor at Ulster University, giving lectures on medical ethics. She was also a trustee of a women's refuge in Oxford. Derek died in 2014. Robinson is survived by Toby and Lucy, four grandchildren, Al, Sean, Stevie and Vegas, and two great-grandchildren, Cassius and Vida. Jean Robinson, medical activist, born 17 April 1930; died 4 June 2025
Business Wire
a day ago
- Business
- Business Wire
JAGGAER Becomes First Source-to-Pay Company to Achieve Elite ISO/IEC 42001 Certification for Artificial Intelligence Management System
RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--JAGGAER, a global leader in Source-to-Pay and supplier collaboration, today announced it has achieved ISO/IEC 42001:2023 certification for its Artificial Intelligence Management System (AIMS). This landmark achievement positions JAGGAER as the first company in the Source-to-Pay (S2P) industry to attain this rigorous international standard, underscoring its commitment to the responsible and ethical development and secure deployment of AI technologies. JAGGAER, a global leader in Source-to-Pay and supplier collaboration, today announced it has achieved ISO/IEC 42001:2023 certification for its Artificial Intelligence Management System (AIMS). Share ISO/IEC 42001 is the world's first AI management system standard, designed to help organizations establish, implement, maintain, and continually improve an AIMS. The standard provides a framework for managing the unique challenges posed by AI systems, focusing on trustworthiness, transparency, accountability, and the mitigation of AI-related risks. 'This certification is more than a compliance milestone—it reflects our belief that AI must be built on trust, transparency, and accountability,' said Gopinath Polavarapu, Chief Digital and AI Officer at JAGGAER. 'We're proud to lead the S2P industry in setting a new bar for responsible AI that helps our customers make smarter, safer decisions.' The ISO/IEC 42001 certification validates JAGGAER's systematic approach to managing AI, ensuring that all AI-driven features within the JAGGAER One platform are developed and operated with considerations for ethical implications, data governance, security, and continuous improvement. As AI transforms the procurement landscape, this proactive stance on AI governance is not only critical but also confirms the company's longstanding track record in delivering advanced, trustworthy solutions. "Achieving ISO 42001 certification is about delivering real value and confidence to our customers," said Michael Garvin, Chief Information Security Officer at JAGGAER. "It's our commitment that AI is guided by clear, ethical principles to work effectively and fairly for your business. We proactively manage AI risks like security threats and bias, so you can leverage our innovative tools knowing your data and operations are secure. This certification validates that our solutions are built on a foundation of trust and transparency, giving you dependable, high-performing AI you can count on. I would like to congratulate the GRC team and everyone at JAGGAER who helped in this effort." JAGGAER's AI-powered solutions are designed to help organizations optimize their procurement processes, enhance supplier relationships, and gain actionable insights from their spend data. This certification further solidifies JAGGAER's position as a trusted partner for businesses embarking on their digital transformation journeys. About JAGGAER: JAGGAER is a global leader in enterprise procurement and supplier collaboration, and the catalyst for enhancing human decision-making to accelerate business outcomes. We help organizations to manage and automate complex processes while enabling their highly resilient, accountable, and integrated supplier base. Backed by 30 years of expertise, our proven AI-powered industry-specific solutions, services, and partnerships form JAGGAER One, serving direct and indirect, upstream, and downstream, in settings demanding an intelligent and comprehensive source-to-pay solution. Our 1,200 global employees are obsessed with helping customers create value, transform their businesses, and accelerate their journey to Autonomous Commerce.
Malaysian Reserve
3 days ago
- Business
- Malaysian Reserve
Raft and N3bula Systems Merge to Accelerate Mission-Critical AI Defense Innovation
Strategic Merger Powers AI and Data Backbone for a Unified Joint Force—Raft Leads the Charge in Defense Modernization MCLEAN, Va., June 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Raft, the defense technology leader powering a new era of autonomous warfare, today announced its merger with N3bula Systems—a powerhouse partnership that will dominate the next era of unified joint force operations. N3bula Systems—the pioneering team behind a critical defense infrastructure that seamlessly connects sensors, shooters, and weapons systems across services and domains—selected Raft from a highly competitive field, fusing proven fires integration expertise with cutting-edge agentic AI to deliver the unified, machine-speed operational backbone that transforms how America fights and wins. 'N3bula Systems is one of the most impactful teams in defense technology—the minds behind a critical defense infrastructure,' said Shubhi Mishra, Founder and CEO of Raft. 'They chose to partner with us because we represent a New Prime. We embed directly with warfighters as trusted edge nodes, scale proven AI across mission-critical operations, and deliver real solutions to real battlefield problems—faster than established players. This signals a fundamental shift toward edge-native defense innovation. The merger creates a unified AI and data backbone that transforms fragmented military systems into a seamless, machine-speed operational network. This directly supports the new administration's defense priorities while advancing critical initiatives like Golden Dome and supporting the mission for the Department of the Air Force's PEO C3BM. 'The decision came down to mission alignment and execution capability,' said Ryan Mize, Founder and President of N3bula Systems. 'Raft demonstrates consistent delivery of what warfighters actually ask for. As a new prime, they represent the future of defense contracting—impact over bureaucracy, and we want to be part of that.' N3bula Systems, founded in 2020 and headquartered in Colorado Springs, engineered the connective tissue for modern joint operations across the U.S. Navy, DARPA, and U.S. Air Force programs. Combined with Raft's agentic AI products like its AI Mission System, [R]AIMS, the partnership enables 10x faster decision-making through autonomous data fusion while providing 24/7 threat monitoring, zero-latency tactical-to-strategic handoffs, and 99.9% uptime in contested environments. Together, they create seamless AI agent deployment across both legacy and modern military systems. 'N3bula Systems' infrastructure expertise combined with Raft's agentic AI creates unified command and control operating at machine speed across every domain,' said Bhaarat Sharma, CTO of Raft. This technological combination enables the seamless sensor-to-shooter integration that military leaders have identified as essential for maintaining operational advantage against near-peer threats at global scale. Since 2018, Raft has grown to 350+ Rafters and is trusted by 25+ federal agencies while maintaining the agility that enables delivery of exactly what warfighters need. This merger—Raft's first since receiving Washington Harbour Partners investment in May 2024—represents a decisive step toward scaling innovation while preserving the mission-first approach that differentiates Raft from established defense contractors. 'With this merger, Raft is continuing to help solve the hardest challenges facing the national security ecosystem with a clear eye on the mission,' said Mina Faltas, Founder and Chief Investment Officer of Washington Harbour Partners. 'Washington Harbour has been proud to support Raft and looks forward to continuing to work together to ensure our military and warfighters have the capabilities necessary to win.' Together, Raft and N3bula Systems will continue building the AI and data backbone that unifies operations across domains and allied forces, accelerating kill chains and decision-making to the speed of the fight while ensuring decisive advantage in any operational environment. About Raft Raft is the leader in autonomous data fusion and agentic AI, equipping the Department of Defense and national security organizations with cutting-edge solutions to drive mission success. Trusted by over 25 federal agencies, Raft enhances current mission systems and accelerates modernization with limited-language, agentic AI, enabling smarter, faster decisions from the tactical edge to headquarters. Raft's autonomous AI agents, powered by modular machine learning and edge-to-enterprise data solutions, deliver greater mission impact without the cost, time to operation, or disruption of full system replacements. For more information about Raft, please visit: Follow Raft: LinkedIn | X (Twitter) Media Contact: Meghan Grumbach | RaftPR@
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Photo of elusive creature off Aussie coast reveals incredible feat: 'Invaluable'
A striking photo of a small boat approaching an elusive creature off the Aussie coast has highlighted an incredible feat. For over a week, a team of researchers perched in the vessel for hours with the hope of catching a glimpse of whales migrating along Western Australia. But they had their sights set on one species in particular — the endangered and evasive pygmy blue whale. Despite their incredible stature, with some measuring up to 24 metres in length, 'very little' is known about the animal's population size, and researchers are eager to learn more. After waiting patiently for days, the crew of scientists were able to tag their first pygmy blue whale of the season, named Nyinggulu, with a satellite tracker, allowing them to follow its movements and behaviour, Dr Michele Thums, a research scientist for the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) told Yahoo News after returning from the water. 'In our case, we are attaching them to pygmy blue whales on their northern migration to see where they go, the routes they take and where they spend most of their time,' she said. 'The tags we are using not only record the position of the whales, but also their diving behaviour along their migratory paths, allowing us to learn more about their foraging and feeding behaviour.' When the whales surface to breathe, the tags transmit data via satellite to a processing centre and then, to AIMS for analysis, she explained. During the recent venture off WA's coast, experts were able to attach the 'state-of-the-art' tags to a total of four pygmy blue whales. After locating a whale, the team manoeuvred their boat as close as possible and used specialist equipment to implant the tags, which are equipped with short barbs, into the outer blubber layer. They will fall off after a few weeks or months. 'Attaching tags to pygmy blue whales is a very difficult process as they only surface to breathe for a few seconds before diving into the deep again for 15 to 20 minutes,' Dr Thums said. 'When they surface to breathe is the only opportunity we get to attach tags.' The research scientist told Yahoo the team hoped to tag as many whales as they could find, but the work depends on the weather and the whales themselves. 'Pygmy blue whales migrate through an area off the Ningaloo coast which is just off the continental slope where rough seas are often found,' Dr Thums said. 'Being an endangered species, their numbers are low and they can be hard to find. In addition, they can be shy of boats approaching them.' 📸 Incredible creature spotted just metres from shore thrills Aussie tourists 🛥️ Tourists witness brutal event as whales 'change their behaviour' in seconds 🐳 Amazing drone footage confirms start of exciting phenomenon off coast Dr Thums said the four pygmy whales are already providing 'excellent' and 'invaluable' data that could help keep the mysterious species safe. The information will provide experts with insight into which areas 'along their vast ranges' are more important to the marine animals, which can live for up to 90 years. 'It's important to identify and protect the areas where pygmy blue whales search for food (foraging areas) and feed, because food fuels the whales' migration and breeding activities, which is key to their recovery,' Dr Thums told Yahoo. 'Governments and industry can use this information to better manage their important habitats, such as by reducing potential threats to the endangered pygmy blue whales in these areas. The more we know about the whales the more that can be done to protect them.' Since partnering with the Centre for Whale Research in 2019, AIMS has been able to tag a total of 29 whales of varying species. To track the pygmy whales' progress, click here. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@ You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
NDTV
08-06-2025
- Business
- NDTV
ATMA 2025 Results Declared, Here's How To Check
ATMA Results 2025: The Association of Indian Management Schools (AIMS) has announced the results of the AIMS Test for Management Admissions (ATMA) 2025. Candidates who appeared for the exam can check their results by visiting the official website, Steps To Check ATMA 2025 Results Step 1: Visit the official website at Step 2: Click on the result link on the homepage Step 3: You will be redirected to a new page Step 4: Enter your login credentials Step 5: View and download your result Step 6: Take a printout for future reference Meanwhile, AIMS has also commenced the application process for the ATMA 2025 July session. Eligible and interested candidates can register through the official website. • Registration deadline: July 15, 2025 • Last date for fee payment: July 13, 2025 • Last date to reprint the application form: July 17, 2025 • Admit card release date: July 23, 2025 • Exam date: July 27, 2025 (2:00 PM to 5 pm; reporting time: 1 pm) • Result declaration: August 2, 2025 (after 5 pm) ATMA is a national-level entrance exam conducted three to four times a year for candidates seeking admission to MBA or PGDM courses offered by participating B-schools, excluding the IIMs. The test is center-based, conducted online, and lasts three hours. It consists of Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs). Candidates are advised to keep their scorecards safe, as they are required during the admission and counseling process. In case of any discrepancies in the result, contact AIMS authorities immediately using the contact details provided on the official portal.
