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Atmospheric Chemist Susan Solomon Awarded the 2026 Tang Prize in Sustainable Development, Unraveling the Mystery of the Ozone Hole and Advancing Global Environmental Governance

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TAIPEI, June 15, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The Tang Prize, one of the world’s leading academic awards established to address the critical needs of the 21st century, recognizes achievements in four major fields: Sustainable Development, Biopharmaceutical Science, Sinology, and Rule of Law. Beginning today, the Tang Prize Foundation will announce the 2026 laureates over four consecutive days, with each prize carrying a cash award of NT$50 million. The first award to be announced today, June 15, is the Tang Prize in Sustainable Development, which has been awarded to American atmospheric chemist Professor Susan Solomon. Professor Solomon is recognized “for groundbreaking advances and leadership in atmospheric and climate sciences that shaped global policy for Sustainable Development.”

Climate change is one of the most urgent issues facing global sustainable development today. Professor Solomon is world-acclaimed for her seminal work on ozone layer depletion and climate change. By combining Antarctic field research, modeling innovations, and deep engagement with policy and the public, she has played a pivotal role in both the success of the Montreal Protocol and global climate negotiations. Her major contributions include proving that chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) were indeed the cause of the widening ozone hole in Antarctica; proposing the heterogeneous chemical reactions that explain ozone hole formation; demonstrating that the impacts of CO₂ emissions are largely irreversible for more than 1000 years; and co-leading the production of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)’s Fourth Assessment Report on the Physical Science Basis of Climate Change, which comprehensively synthesized key knowledge in climate science.

Professor Solomon is currently the Lee and Geraldine Martin Professor of Environmental Studies in the Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). She began her scientific career at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) from 1981 to 2011, and joined MIT in 2012 after 30 years of service at NOAA. Over the course of her career, she has received nearly 70 international awards and honors, including the U.S. National Medal of Science, the U.S. National Academy of Sciences Award for Chemistry in Service to Society, and the Blue Planet Prize. Her receipt of the Tang Prize comes exactly forty years after she first led expeditions to Antarctica in 1986.

From 1986 to 1987, Professor Solomon served as the Head Project Scientist of the U.S. National Ozone Expedition at McMurdo Station, leading teams to Antarctica and collecting the first direct measurements of reactive atmospheric chlorine compounds. These measurements confirmed that CFCs were indeed the main cause of the expanding Antarctic ozone hole. Her findings provided one of the scientific cornerstones for the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, the landmark international agreement to phase out ozone-depleting substances, widely regarded as one of the most successful environmental treaties in history. Few scientists have had such a direct and lasting impact on a global treaty that safeguards the biosphere. In 2016, her research group at MIT identified the first encouraging signs of ozone recovery over Antarctica as a direct result of international cooperation to phase out the ozone-depleting chemicals— a landmark moment in sustainability science.

In 2009, Professor Solomon published a groundbreaking study indicating that the climate impacts of CO₂ emissions on surface temperature, rainfall, and sea level are largely irreversible for more than 1000 years, even after CO₂ emissions cease. This paradigm-shifting finding demonstrated the long-term environmental harm caused by global warming, crystallized the urgent need for early and sustained action on climate mitigation, and had a lasting influence on both scientific understanding and international policy, reinforcing the link between science and sustainability.

Professor Solomon also showed how the thickness of the ozone layer in the Southern Hemisphere affects atmospheric flows and temperatures all the way down to ground level. For more than 40 years, her pioneering research on the impacts of human-influenced trace gases on the Earth’s climate system has contributed enormously to our fundamental understanding of Earth’s chemistry-climate interactions.

Her proposed mechanism of heterogeneous chemical reactions showed that, under the extremely cold conditions of the Antarctic stratosphere during winter and spring, polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs) form, and the surfaces of their ice crystals provide highly effective reaction sites. These surfaces allow chlorine gas (Cl₂) to form much more rapidly than it would in the gas phase. This mechanism has become an indispensable theoretical foundation for stratospheric chemistry models and is regarded as a classic in environmental science.

From 2002 to 2008, Professor Solomon co-led the production of the IPCC’s Fourth Assessment Report on the Physical Science Basis of Climate Change. The IPCC was awarded the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize for its work. The report brought together the world’s leading climate science research, provided a comprehensive synthesis of scientific knowledge, and became a cornerstone for global climate negotiations. She also communicated key scientific findings to international policy-makers, which helped inform the language of the 2015 Paris Agreement. Its message of “Warming of the climate system is unequivocal” and “Most of the observed increase in global average temperatures since the mid-20th century is very likely due to the observed increase in anthropogenic greenhouse gas concentrations” has set the fundamental tone of the world’s deliberations on adaptation, mitigation, vulnerability, and resilience.

In 1994, Antarctica’s Solomon Glacier (78°23’S, 162°30’E) and Solomon Saddle (78°23’S, 162°39’E) were officially named in her honor, recognizing her outstanding leadership and contributions to Antarctic research. For a scientist who has devoted her career to the study of polar regions and planetary systems, this recognition carries special significance.

Beyond her scientific achievements, Professor Solomon has also been an extraordinary ambassador for connecting science to sustainability. She has delivered hundreds of lectures around the world, briefed national governments and international bodies, and testified before the U.S. Congress on climate and atmospheric issues, actively advancing the integration of scientific knowledge into public policy.

About the Tang Prize
Since the advent of globalization, humanity has enjoyed unprecedented benefits from advances in civilization and science. Yet a multitude of challenges, such as climate change, the emergence of new infectious diseases, the widening wealth gap, and moral degradation, have surfaced along the way. Against this backdrop, Dr. Samuel Yin established the Tang Prize in December 2012. It consists of four award categories: Sustainable Development, Biopharmaceutical Science, Sinology, and Rule of Law. Every two years, four independent and professional selection committees, comprising many internationally renowned experts, scholars, and Nobel laureates, choose Tang Prize laureates who have made substantive contributions and generated a far-reaching impact on the world, regardless of race, nationality, gender, or religion. A cash prize of NT$50 million (approximately US$1.6 million) is allocated to each category, with NT$10 million (approximately US$320,000) of it being a grant intended for research or educational outreach programs to encourage professionals in every field to examine mankind’s most urgent needs in the 21st century, and become leading forces in the sustainable development of human society through their outstanding research outcomes and active civic engagement.

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SOURCE The Tang Prize Foundation

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SQAIRZ Launches SQAIRZ Medical

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September 10, 2026

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New Division Introduces the First Integrated Balance & Stability Platform to Help Combat Fall Risk and Support Lifelong Movement, Vitality and Independence

WINDHAM, N.H., Sept. 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — SQAIRZ, the biomechanically driven performance footwear company built on the belief that performance starts where you stand, today announced the launch of SQAIRZ Medical, extending the company’s expertise in stability and human movement into one of the most significant health challenges facing an aging population: fall risk and the loss of mobility, vitality and independence that can follow.

At the center of the new division is SENTRX™ purpose-built Balance & Stability footwear engineered from the ground up by SQAIRZ to help create a more stable foundation for everyday movement. In addition, SQAIRZ Medical has developed a holistic clinical framework designed to provide a critical continuum of support.

That framework integrates a Balance & Stability Protocol that connects objective fall-risk assessment, SQAIRZ’s biomechanically engineered footwear, individualized clinical intervention, and ongoing outcomes tracking into a single approach that optimizes support at every stage of the balance and stability journey.

The need is urgent. One in four U.S. adults over age 65 falls at least once every year. For adults over 80, the risk increases to one in two. Fall-related injuries account for more than $80 billion in annual U.S. healthcare spending, while also diminishing an individual’s ability to fully engage in the relationships and experiences that define quality of life.

“For more than a decade, SQAIRZ has studied the relationship between the ground, the foot, stability and human performance,” said Bob Winskowicz, Founder and CEO of SQAIRZ. “SQAIRZ Medical represents the next evolution of that work. We believe that better stability should not only help an athlete perform better. It can help people continue living better. Our goal is to identify risk earlier, provide meaningful intervention and help people maintain the movement, confidence and independence that make a full life possible.”

Beyond the Shoe: A Complete Solution

The SQAIRZ Medical approach begins with a simple premise: you cannot effectively address a risk you have not first measured.

Through the SQAIRZ Balance & Stability Program, healthcare providers can use Kinetisense® Risk of Fall and Gait Assessment technology to perform a rapid 3D movement assessment that evaluates walking speed, stride pattern, body sway, compensatory movement and an individual’s fall-risk percentage.

Those insights help inform an individualized stability plan. The SQAIRZ clinical pathway is designed around escalating levels of intervention based on identified risk, ranging from neuromuscular education and baseline guidance for lower-risk patients to appropriate orthopedic solutions.

That includes SENTRX, purpose-built balance and stability footwear engineered with a wider natural base of support, a toe box that allows the toes to spread naturally for better balance, and a high-traction outsole that helps maintain connection with the ground; and, where appropriate, Thrive Orthopedics lateral or anterior AFO bracing. Follow-up testing and outcomes tracking allow providers to reassess patients over time.

Integrates into Clinical Care

SQAIRZ Medical is being developed around the realities of clinical adoption, patient access and reimbursement.

For patients whose assessment indicates a greater need for stabilization, the SQAIRZ clinical pathway incorporates Thrive Orthopedics AFO solutions, including pathways identified in SQAIRZ materials under L1952 and L1933. The broader program is supported with provider education, treatment-pathway guidance, documentation tools, chart-note templates and letters of medical necessity.

SQAIRZ patient materials indicate that SENTRX footwear may be covered through Medicare, depending on patient qualification and coverage. Patients may also have HSA/FSA payment options.

The goal is to create a Balance & Stability solution that can live not only in consumer commerce, but inside real patient-provider workflows.

Built with Medical Expertise

The development of SQAIRZ Medical is supported by a multidisciplinary Medical Advisory Board spanning orthopedics, podiatry, physical therapy, biomechanics, sports medicine and movement science.

The advisory group includes physicians, surgeons, podiatrists, physical therapists, researchers and biomechanics experts with experience across leading medical institutions, professional sports and clinical practice. Their role extends beyond product endorsement, helping inform clinical protocols, research priorities, provider education and the continued development of evidence-based approaches to balance and stability.

“In podiatry and sports medicine, we see every day how much the relationship between the foot and the ground influences balance, confidence and movement,” said Dr. Paul Klutts, DPM, Director of Fellowship for Kentucky and Indiana Foot and Ankle. “What is compelling about SQAIRZ Medical is that it approaches stability as a system: measure risk, create a stronger foundation at the foot and connect that intervention to ongoing clinical care. SENTRX is designed to make that foundation part of everyday life.”

“Fall risk is not a single-variable problem, and it should not be addressed with a single-variable solution,” said Dr. Larry Benz, PT, DPT, OCS, MBA, MAPP, FAPTA, Founder and CEO of Confluent Health. “The opportunity with SQAIRZ Medical is to connect objective assessment, footwear, individualized intervention and outcomes tracking in a way that can fit within the continuum of care. That kind of integrated approach can help clinicians move from reacting to falls toward identifying and addressing risk earlier.”

From Performance Footwear to Performance throughout Life

SQAIRZ Medical represents a natural expansion of the company’s original mission.

SQAIRZ was founded on the belief that performance starts where you stand. Across golf, baseball, softball and pickleball, the company has focused on the relationship between the ground, the foot, stability and human movement. SQAIRZ Medical applies that same foundational thinking to a different stage of life.

“People don’t wake up wanting a stability shoe. They want to keep doing the things they love. They want another walk with their spouse, another vacation, another birthday, another afternoon with their grandchildren. They want to remain active, vital and independent for as long as possible,” Winskowicz said. “That is what we mean by SQAIRZ FOR LIFE. From helping an athlete perform to helping someone maintain their movement and independence as they age, we want SQAIRZ to be The Foundation of Human Movement throughout every stage of life.”

About SQAIRZ

SQAIRZ is a biomechanically driven performance footwear company founded on the principle that performance starts where you stand. Through footwear engineered to enhance stability, ground connection and movement, SQAIRZ serves athletes across golf, baseball, softball, pickleball and now consumers through SQAIRZ Medical. For more information, visit SQAIRZ.com or SQAIRZMedical.com.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sqairz-launches-sqairz-medical-302874411.html

SOURCE SQAIRZ

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MHK and MCG Partner to Connect Evidence-Based Clinical Guidance with Standards-Based Prior Authorization

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September 10, 2026

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New integration to help health plans streamline prior authorization and prepare for CMS-0057-F compliance

SEATTLE, Sept. 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — MCG Health, part of the Hearst Health network and the industry’s source of truth for trusted clinical guidance, announces a newly certified integration with MHK, a leading healthcare technology provider and a sibling Hearst Health company. The new integration connects the MCG Path interoperability solution directly with the MHK CareProminence prior authorization workflow, helping health plans streamline authorization processes while supporting standards-based interoperability required by the CMS Interoperability and Prior Authorization Final Rule (CMS-0057-F).

The prior authorization process has historically required healthcare providers and health plans to navigate separate clinical, documentation, and administrative requirements. When required clinical information is not clearly identified at the point of request, submissions may be incomplete, resulting in requests for additional information, manual follow-up, longer review cycles, and ultimately, delayed care for members. Simultaneously, health plans seek to balance adapting their current utilization management workflows to the evolution of standards-based interoperability.

The new MHK CareProminence and MCG Path integration brings highly trusted clinical guidance and documentation requirements directly into the authorization workflow, connecting capabilities that have traditionally operated as separate steps. Using HL7® Da Vinci Project burden reduction standards – including Coverage Requirements Discovery (CRD), Documentation Templates and Rules (DTR), and Prior Authorization Support (PAS) – the integration surfaces evidence-based MCG clinical indications and structured documentation requirements at the point of a prior authorization request.

The integration is designed to help health plans:

Support evidence-based decision-making by incorporating the nationally recognized MCG care guidelines into the prior authorization workflowReduce administrative burden by helping providers identify and submit required clinical documentation earlier in the processPromote more consistent reviews by making structured clinical requirements available within existing workflowsAdvance interoperability readiness by supporting HL7 Da Vinci standards associated with CMS-0057-F API requirements that are primarily due January 1, 2027

One of the first to utilize the MHK-MCG integration will be Mountain Pacific, a multi-state nonprofit organization with a long history of innovation and healthcare quality improvement.

“We’re excited to integrate MHK CareProminence and MCG into our medical necessity review process for prior authorization as part of our continued commitment to modernizing healthcare delivery,” said Jill Alessi, Chief Executive Officer at Mountain Pacific. “By connecting trusted, nationally recognized, evidence-based clinical guidelines with clearer documentation requirements, this integration has the potential to reduce administrative burden, streamline the review process, facilitate timely care, strengthen collaboration, and support a more efficient experience for providers and their patients.”

“Prior authorization works best when clinical guidance, documentation requirements, and the authorization workflow are connected rather than operating as separate steps,” said Carol Helton, COO of MHK. “Bringing MCG’s trusted clinical guidance directly into CareProminence enables health plans to simplify that process while giving providers clearer information at the point of request. Equally important, this integration gives our customers a practical path toward the standards-based interoperability required under CMS-0057-F.”

“We’re seeing tremendous momentum for MCG Path as health plans across the country prepare for the next era of interoperable prior authorization,” said Jon Shreve, President and CEO of MCG Health. “Our partnership with MHK is a critical part of that progress, bringing the trust of MCG directly into the workflows health plans already use. Together, we’re driving more confident decisions that help patients get the right care.”

The certified MHK-MCG interoperability integration is currently available to health plans, and demonstrations can be requested via the MHK and MCG websites at mhk.com/contact/schedule-a-demo/ or mcg.com/contact-us/schedule-a-demo/.

About MCG Health

MCG, part of the Hearst Health network, is the trusted source of truth for clinical guidance in the healthcare industry. MCG combines evidence-based guidelines and analytics with artificial intelligence to guide efficient and accurate clinical decisions. MCG solutions are licensed by a vast majority of health plans, thousands of hospitals, and many state and federal government agencies to drive quality health outcomes while controlling costs. For more information, visit mcg.com.

About MHK

MHK, formerly MedHOK, is a leading provider of healthcare SaaS solutions for health plans, pharmacy benefit managers, and provider-sponsored organizations. MHK’s platforms support utilization management, case management, population health, pharmacy management, enrollment, and compliance. Headquartered in Tampa, Fla., MHK partners with payers nationwide to optimize operations, improve outcomes, and deliver superior member experiences. For more information, visit mhk.com.

About Mountain Pacific

Established in 1973, Mountain Pacific has decades of experience collaborating with healthcare professionals, consumers and communities across multiple states to deliver innovative solutions. Through federal, state and commercial funding and partnerships, Mountain Pacific brings national public health priorities to the local level to achieve better health outcomes, lower costs, greater access to high-quality care and improved patient experiences. Learn more at mountainpacific.org.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/mhk-and-mcg-partner-to-connect-evidence-based-clinical-guidance-with-standards-based-prior-authorization-302868125.html

SOURCE MCG Health

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NuxGame Heads to SBC Summit Lisbon 2026 With Its Full Ecosystem and a Seat on the Compliance Stage

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September 10, 2026

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LIMASSOL, Cyprus, Sept. 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — NuxGame, a B2B iGaming software provider, will take part in SBC Summit Lisbon 2026, held from Sept. 29 to Oct. 1 at the Feira Internacional de Lisboa. The team will be based at Stand A326 in Hall 1, the event’s Networking Lounge sponsored by NuxGame, where operators can sit down with senior staff from the product and commercial teams.

From Software Provider to Open Ecosystem

The timing suits where the business now stands. NuxGame began in 2018 as a software provider for operators launching their first projects, and today it runs an open ecosystem built around operator growth. Lisbon is one of the few occasions in the year when all of it can be seen in one place, by the people who would use it day to day.

What Operators Will See at Stand A326

Across the three days, the team will walk operators through the NuxGame Ecosystem in full:

An award-winning turnkey casino and sportsbook platform.

A game aggregator with 18,500+ titles from 140+ providers.

Sweepstakes-ready infrastructure.

A vetted network of partners covering CRM, payments, orchestration, and traffic.

That last part saves time. Instead of assessing vendors market by market, operators plug into partners already working in the regions they are entering, with the software underneath coming from a single provider. It is all backed by a service team whose client satisfaction has averaged 4.8 out of 5 over the past six months.

Denis Kosinsky on the Compliance Tech Stage

On Thursday, Oct. 1, NuxGame Chief Product Officer Denis Kosinsky will join the panel “Closing the Loopholes: How to Combat Bonus Abuse” on the Regulation & Compliance stage, part of the summit’s new Compliance Tech track. The session looks at how operators can recognize evolving patterns of bonus exploitation and keep promotional spend flowing to the players it was designed for.

“A bonus budget is one of the most powerful growth tools an operator has, and it works best when the money reaches genuine players. The instinct is to tighten the rules for everyone, but that’s like locking the whole building because one window doesn’t shut. Better to find the window. When you can see clearly how a promotion is actually being used, you close that one gap and leave the offer generous for everybody else.”

— Denis Kosinsky, Chief Product Officer at NuxGame

Book a Meeting in Lisbon

“Lisbon is where a lot of operators decide what their next year looks like. We wanted a space where those conversations can happen properly, with the platform, the content, and the partner network all in the room at once. Twenty minutes with the right people will tell you more than three months of comparing suppliers on paper.”

— Daniel Heywood, Chief Executive Officer at NuxGame

Operators, affiliates, and partners attending the summit can book a meeting with the NuxGame team in advance, or stop by Stand A326 in Hall 1 on any of the three days.

About NuxGame

NuxGame is a B2B iGaming company founded in 2018 that has grown from a software provider into an open ecosystem for operator growth. It combines an award-winning casino and sportsbook platform, a game aggregator with 18,500+ titles from 140+ providers, sweepstakes-ready infrastructure, and a vetted network of partners covering CRM, payments, orchestration, and traffic, supporting 100+ operators worldwide as they launch, scale, and enter new markets. In 2026, NuxGame was named Casino Platform of the Year at the iGaming News Awards. Visit https://nuxgame.com/ for more information and inquiries.

Media Contact: Yanina Kaplya, CMO at NuxGame, info@nuxgame.com

Original Source: https://nuxgame.com/blog/nuxgame-sbc-summit-lisbon-2026

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SOURCE NuxGame

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