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My work in addiction treatment has shown me just how important it is to continue to raise the bar on treatment methodology today. The 2017 National Rx Drug Abuse and Heroin Summit in Atlanta served to reinforce my belief that modernizing addiction treatment is the key factor in saving more lives from the deadly clutches of substance abuse and dependency. With new treatment approaches at the forefront of the industry today, I believe all of us in addiction treatment need to make a new commitment to creating a positive environment where those struggling with addiction can survive, thrive and find new life in recovery.

The annual Rx Summit brings together professionals and advocates involved with addiction treatment and prevention to discuss the public health emergency known as addiction in this country. The summit was first established in 2012 and includes a collaboration between lawmakers, researchers, business owners, treatment providers and others impacted by the national drug abuse crisis. I attended the conference in April and was inspired by the advancements that have been made in addiction treatment. At the same time, the information presented served as a reminder there is much more work to do.

I attended the conference in April and was inspired by the advancements that have been made in addiction treatment. At the same time, the information presented served as a reminder there is much more work to do.

Age of Ultron opens with a massive battle scene that finds the Avengers advancing on a large castle-like structure that houses a Hydra outpost.  Inside is Baron von Strucker who has been working on enhancing human abilities using Loki’s scepter. The result of his experimentation are a brother and sister duo Pietro (Quicksilver) with the power of super speed, and Wanda (Scarlet Witch) who can manipulate minds and throw energy bursts.  After the running battle, Tony Stark captures Loki’s scepter and all return to Stark’s tower that has become the base of operations for the Avengers.

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Investor enthusiasm for highly valued private tech companies waned substantially in the fourth quarter last year, with new data revealing that the growth of the so-called ‘unicorn’ herd slowed dramatically.

Just nine tech companies last quarter became unicorns, or venture-backed companies valued in the private market at $1 billion or more, according to data released on Thursday by CB Insights, which tracks venture capital and angel investments globally into private companies.

That compares to 23 companies that became unicorns in both the second and third quarters last year.

“Sentiment got very negative” toward the end of the third quarter, Anand Sanwal, CB Insights CEO and co-founder, said in an email. “And while we expected that would manifest in the funding stats, we were surprised to see the hit so quickly – in just the next quarter.”

With an abundance of cash available in the private market, startups have stayed private much longer than in previous tech booms, sustained by funding rounds of hundreds of millions, and even billions, of dollars. Along the way, their valuations swelled.

According to CB Insights, there are 144 unicorns globally with a cumulative valuation of $525 billion.

But market turbulence last summer brought anxieties about those valuations to the forefront, and investors began showing more discretion.

San Francisco mobile payments company Square Inc took a 42 percent discount in its initial public offering in November, stoking fears that the public market would not support highly priced tech companies.

The data from CB Insights offers new evidence that investors have responded by tightening their purse strings. In the fourth quarter of last year, there were 39 financing deals of $100 million or more. There were 72 such deals in the third quarter and 65 in the second quarter.

These so-called mega-deals first appeared in 2014, according to venture capital analysts.

“Some of these big deals are cannibalizing what would have been IPOs,” said Tom Ciccolella, U.S. venture capital leader at consulting firm PwC.

Overall venture capital funding fell 29 percent to $27.3 billion in the fourth quarter from $38.7 billion in the third quarter. The number of financing deals also dipped from 2,008 to 1,743.

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Apple suppliers Cirrus Logic Inc and Qorvo Inc estimated third-quarter revenue below analysts’ expectations, exacerbating fears about softening iPhone demand.

Cirrus shares slumped 9.5 percent to $24.25 in after-market trading on Thursday, while Qorvo’s fell 12.4 percent.

Cirrus said it expected third-quarter revenue of about $347 million, well below analysts’ average estimate of $385.9 million, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

Chipmaker Qorvo said it expected third-quarter revenue of about $620 million, well below the average analyst estimate of $723.7 million.

Japanese daily Nikkei, citing parts suppliers, said output of the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus models would be cut by about 30 percent in the January-March time frame so dealers could offload stock.

(This story corrects the first paragraph to say Cirrus and Qorvo estimated third-quarter, not current-quarter, revenue below analysts’ expectations. It also corrects the headline to conform.)

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The alliance between automakers Renault and Nissan will launch more than 10 cars with self-driving technology over the next four years in the United States, Europe, China and Japan, the partnership’s leader said on Thursday.

The alliance also said it hired technology executive Ogi Redzic to lead its connected car efforts as senior vice president for connected vehicles and mobility services. Redzic most recently worked at mapping business Nokia HERE overseeing the automotive business group.

Vehicles with self-driving technology will debut this year, said Carlos Ghosn, CEO of Renault and chairman of the Renault-Nissan alliance. The cars will have a feature called “single-lane control” that allows them to drive autonomously on highways without switching lanes.

Renault-Nissan will also launch an app for mobile devices this year that allows users to interact remotely with their cars, such as by controlling music or the car’s temperature.

By 2018, Ghosn said the alliance will start selling vehicles with “multiple-lane control,” meaning they can autonomously change lanes on highways and navigate heavy traffic. By 2020, the alliance will have cars that can drive through city intersections and heavy city traffic on their own.

Several companies, including Tesla Motors (TSLA.O) and Google Inc (GOOGL.O), are working to build self-driving cars and technology that allows users to control their cars from their smartphones.

Renault-Nissan is a partnership between Paris-based Renault and Japanese carmaker Nissan that combined the companies’ engineering teams. They still operate as two separate companies.

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Yahoo is working on a plan to cut its workforce by at least 10 percent and it could start the process as early as this month, Business Insider reported, citing sources.

“We are not confirming this rumor or commenting further”, Sarah Meron, a spokeswoman for Yahoo told Reuters on Thursday in an e-mail.

The layoffs, which would result in more than 1,000 people leaving the tech giant, is set to affect Yahoo’s media business, European operations, and platforms-technology group, Business Insider said on Wednesday.(read.bi/1ZawbOm)

This move follows activist investor Starboard Value LP’s letter to Yahoo on Wednesday ramping up pressure on Yahoo, taking aim at Chief Executive Officer Marissa Mayer and her leadership team and raising the prospect that a proxy battle is approaching.

Starboard implied that Mayer and her officers needed to go, without naming her specifically.

The activist investor also threatened to shake up the board if Yahoo’s stock continued to suffer.

Yahoo spokeswoman Rebecca Neufeld said the company will provide more details on its turnaround plan prior to its fourth quarter earnings call later this month.

Starboard, which owns about 0.75 percent of Yahoo, has been pushing for changes at the Internet company since 2014, urging it to separate its Asian assets and auction off the core business.

The investor, together with other shareholders, has demanded Yahoo separate the Asian assets, including stakes in Chinese e-commerce company Alibaba Group Holding Ltd (BABA.N) and Yahoo Japan Corp (4689.T), and conduct an immediate public auction of the core business, including search and advertising businesses.

But Yahoo is resisting, instead pursuing a tax-free spinoff of the core business, which could take at least a year.

Yahoo had appointed management consulting firm McKinsey & Co, in November, to help with the reorganization of its core businesses.

The company also had plans to make big changes to its media unit, restructuring and consolidating it, including making cuts and shuttering some efforts.

In December, Yahoo shelved plans to spin off the Alibaba stake and said it would create a separate company that would house Yahoo’s Internet business and its stake in Yahoo Japan.

Pizza On A Budget: 10 Tips From The Great Depression

Rare disease drugmaker Shire Pharmaceuticals Plc (SHP.L) is preparing to announce its roughly $32.5 billion acquisition of U.S. peer Baxalta International Inc (BXLT.N) as early as Monday, according to people familiar with the matter.

The deal would come after Reuters first reported on Dec. 22 that Shire’s latest offer for Baxalta had met the latter’s valuation expectations. It would be one of the healthcare sector’s largest mergers in 2016.

The cash-and-stock deal will value Baxalta at around $48 per share, with a cash component just shy of $20 per share, the people said on Thursday.

Baxalta shares were trading on Thursday just under $39 and Shire stock was at $190.45 a share.

Both parties are confident tax concerns arising from Baxalta’s spin out from Baxter International Inc (BAX.N) will not be an impediment to the transaction but are waiting for a formal legal opinion to come through before signing their merger agreement, the people added.

The sources asked not to be identified because the negotiations are confidential. Shire and Baxalta declined to comment.

The acquisition would mark the culmination of a long pursuit hinged partly on how much cash Shire could offer without triggering additional taxes for Baxalta. Reuters first reported Shire’s renewed effort to court Baxalta in November.

Shire has been eyeing the maker of rare disease drugs since July, when it proposed an all-stock deal for just over $45 per share that was rejected by Baxalta’s board.

Baxalta was initially concerned that accepting a cash offer too soon after being spun off from parent company Baxter could violate rules designed to prevent spinoffs from being used to dodge taxes.

Baxalta develops biotech treatments for rare blood conditions, cancers and immune system disorders. The deal would advance Shire’s strategy of building out a broad platform within the rare diseases space.