Category: Uncategorized

Breast cancer is the second most common cancer worldwide, affecting approximately 7.8 million women in the past seven years. Current 3D breast cancer treatment focuses on treatment, tissue regeneration, and physical recovery. From prosthetics to drug-loaded implants, challenges persist. With a novel 4D technology, complexity and customization combine to improve breast cancer management. 

Generally, 3D treatments are well-established due to many advantages, such as rapid prototyping, ease of accessibility, structural control, and cost-effectiveness. It also requires low energy, so from an environmental perspective, 3D treatments are eco-friendly, reduce waste production, and do not involve chemicals. There are some hurdles when it comes to 3D treatments, however. Some of these include build size, post-processing, and lack of regulation. 

When it comes to revolutionizing the standard treatment for breast cancer, 3D printing has shown a significant impact when it comes to diagnosis, treatment, and aesthetic outcomes. 

To help surgeons plan and make decisions, breast and tumor prototypes are used for diagnostic tasks, surgery training, preoperative planning, treatment optimization, and drug screening. These prosthetic models mimic patient anatomy. The 3D models, from a practical perspective, were created to localize tumors and provide physical models for resection guidance. 

With 4D treatments, the advantages and disadvantages of 3D technology are present, but 4D can offer a higher level of complexity and customization features. Combined with programmed functionalities, the dynamic abilities of 4D treatments are advantageous for breast cancer treatment. 

Some challenges of 4D treatment include material availability, technical aspects, and the design process. New materials and improved biocompatibility should be the primary focus when it comes to printability. 

Acceletronics is an industry leader in delivering the best equipment performance and service reliability from CT Scanners and Linear Accelerators across all major brands and models. Call 610-524-3300 to learn more.

Written by the digital marketing team at Creative Programs & Systems: https://www.cpsmi.com/ 

A building’s electrical system is a complex and critical infrastructure few know much about. Most people take advantage of flipping a switch and receiving automated light or functionality from a machine without much consideration of how it occurs. This blog introduces a few major products that make it all possible: panelboards, switchboards, and switchgear.  

Panelboards

Panelboards are usually found in commercial buildings due to their large size and the amount of power they can handle. They are designed for single-phase or three-phase applications, depending on your needs. The primary function of a panelboard is to distribute power from the source to other devices in your building or facility through breakers designed for specific voltages ranging from 120 to 600 volts or higher, depending on your location. They are the most common circuit breaker box type and are always mounted to a wall. They are used to distribute power to an entire building or other areas. Panelboard covers protect these devices from damage by keeping them dry and clean while providing easy access for maintenance and repair.

Switchboards

Switchboards are typically used where a large amount of equipment requires a lot of power to operate. These devices are designed to control the flow of electricity through multiple breakers without manually closing each one after every use. Like panelboards, switchboards are usually rated for up to 600 volts, but they can manage higher currents, up to 5,000 amps. Switchboards are floor mounted and covered with a panel to provide protection and easy access for maintenance and repair.

Switchgear

Switchgears are used on larger projects, such as factories or warehouses, where there is a need for more than one circuit breaker or fuse within a single enclosure due to increased demand for power or space limitations. This type of equipment is also used in residential homes to automatically shut down the electrical system in the event of a short circuit or other malfunction. Switchgear is for individual components and is the largest of the three. It can be rated for up to 38 kV and run a current of up to 6,000 amps.

Overcurrent protective devices (OCPDs) are devices that send power from the source to the end user. These are sometimes simple devices like light bulbs, or sometimes they’re massive systems that run entire buildings. The three main options for organizing, housing, and utilizing OCPDs are panelboards, switchboards, and switchgear. All three allow for easy access to your power needs in one way or another, but each has its pros and cons that you should consider.

At J&P Electric, we specialize in large industrial electrical equipment, from new surplus to hard to find/reconditioned to like new. Not sure we have what you need? Call us and find out!

J&P Electrical is a full-service electrical supply company. At J&P, we source contractors, end-users, and supply houses with new surplus, quality reconditioned, and obsolete electrical equipment. We also purchase a wide range of heavy industrial electrical equipment such as bus plugs, bus duct, transformers, circuit breakers, fuses, and switchboards. Call us at 877-844-5514 for assistance.  

Written by the digital marketing team at Creative Programs & Systems: https://www.cpsmi.com/

According to a report released by Technavio, ready-to-eat meals (specifically focused on emergencies) are expected to grow by $2.88 billion from 2021 to 2026 at a rate of 7.23 percent. 

The report segments the emergency food market by product type, distribution channel, and geography. Some product types include ready-to-eat meals, non-perishable pasteurized milk, infant food, dried food, and more. How these product types perform will be explored worldwide, both online and offline. 

The largest contributor to the skyrocketing marketing growth is the ready-to-eat sector, powered by pre-cooked, pre-cleaned, and packaged food for consumers. The increasing number of working women, the growing Millennial community, quick consumption habits, and hectic work schedules all contribute to the expanding segment.

Maximum growth will be especially seen throughout Northern America, which is anticipated to contribute up to 31 percent of the global market growth, thanks to the United States. 

Vendors are strategically analyzing the difference between organic and inorganic strategies, as the market is fragmented. 

The emergency food market is experiencing stagnation as a result of the growth of the organized retail sector. As consumers can effortlessly choose from a wide range of ready-to-eat products, an increase in the number of retailers is predicted to raise market growth during the forecast period. 

Though the emergency food market is expected to grow significantly, there is at least one challenge: the requirement to adhere to strict guidelines and regulations. Several food safety organizations throughout the world, such as the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), set regulations that can be laborious for the emergency food market. Overcoming these hurdles and abiding by the law is essential, as consumers are swiftly made aware of incompliance or deviation. 

These factors and more will affect the growth of the ready-to-eat market during the forecast period. 

Are you looking for emergency food for you and your family? Check out our wide selection of delicious freeze-dried and ready-to-eat meals today. 

Wolf Survival Gear is a hub for your prepping and survival needs. We are your trusted resource for concerned families, avid hunters, or serious preppers. Make us your one-stop-shop and prepare now, before you need it later. 

Written by the digital marketing team at Creative Programs & Systems: https://www.cpsmi.com/ 

The Wahkiakum school district in southwest Washington argues that the levying system leaves rural school children with crumbling, outdated buildings. The small community of about 2,000 residents has appealed to the states Supreme Court and is waiting for the attorney general’s office to respond.

In 2012, the state Supreme Court favored the McLeary case, in which Washington state was found to be underfunding K-12 schools. After years of litigation, the state’s highest court ruled that Washington needed to pay nearly $2 billion to fund teacher salaries rather than rely on local levies.

Today, the same argument is applied to school bonds. School bonds provide funding for building new schools, attaining property, and renovating and repairing facilities and systems within buildings. In contrast, levy dollars pay for educational programs and day-to-day operations such as teachers, support staff, classroom supplies, technology, extracurricular activities, transportation, utilities, and insurance. 

Washington School Superintendent of Public Instruction, Chris Reykdal, thinks the way schools are funded needs to change. Bigger, wealthier school districts usually don’t have difficulty in passing a bond vote as school construction bonds in property-rich communities cost minimally on every $1,000 of assessed property value for each taxpayer. However, in rural areas with less valuable property, bonds are much more expensive for individual households, making them harder to pass.

Reykdal further explains that without bond approval, districts can’t qualify for state match funding. Like most other states throughout the U.S., school districts are initially funded by property taxes based on the local tax base. Constituents vote on the applied tax rate, and the money ultimately comes in levies. That money is then supplemented by state aid.

Experts said that property tax has historically been used for school budgets because they are stable and less likely to fluctuate with the economy, unlike other revenue, like income and sales taxes. Additionally, voters usually like holding local control over neighborhood institutions.

Washington is not the only state suffering from an unbalanced levying and construction bonding system. While every state varies within its specific guidelines for school funding, more than half of states have per-pupil funding levels below the national average. Sometimes, even within the same district, students face a disparity.

Luckily, a lot of attention is being drawn to closing America’s education disparity gaps. The Century Foundation (TCF) has created a report that estimates what is needed to provide each child in America the opportunity to succeed.

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At Construction Bonding Specialists, we work with new and experienced contractors to find the most satisfactory bond solutions. As a distinct surety-bond-only agency with decades of bonding experience, we work to discover surety solutions for all types of cases ranging from ordinary to challenging. Call us at 248-349-6227 to learn more.

Written by the digital marketing team at Creative Programs & Systems: https://www.cpsmi.com/

Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge are two Internet browsers that use extended spellcheck features to transmit form data, including Personally Identifiable Information (PII) and passwords to their parent companies. 

While this feature is intended to assist the browser user, it does raise privacy concerns and calls the efficacy of password protection to question.  

“Spell-jacking” is the term used to describe the process of a browser sending PII from spellcheck to Google, Microsoft, and the like. Transmitted PII form data can include Social Security Numbers, Social Insurance Numbers, personal names, addresses, e-mails, dates of birth, contact information, bank information, and so much more. 

Josh Summit, co-founder and CTO of JavaScript security firm otto-js, unearthed this issue while testing script behaviors for his company. When Google Chrome Enhanced Spellcheck or Microsoft Edge Editor is enabled, nearly everything you type in form fields is instantaneously transmitted to Google and Microsoft. Clicking on “show password” can spell-jack your data. 

Summit stated, “Some of the largest websites in the world have exposure to sending Google and Microsoft sensitive user PII, including username, e-mail, and passwords, when users are logging in or filling out forms. An even more significant concern for companies is the exposure this presents to the company’s enterprise credentials to internal assets like databases and cloud infrastructure.” 

Though the transmission of form fields is securely sent through HTTPS, what happens to the user data after it reaches Google’s server, for example, is not exactly clear. Some companies have mitigated the issue by adding ‘spellcheck=false’ to all input fields; however, this could cause problems for users who can no longer use the spellcheck feature. 

Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge users can turn off spellcheck (or remove Edge’s Editor add-on) until the companies revise their code to exclude passwords and other PII from sensitive fields. 

Do you need assistance with adding or removing spellcheck from your browser? Has your data already been compromised? Contact the computer experts at CPS today – we can assist!  

Founded in 1994, Creative Programs and Systems provides professional results for all computer needs. We design, create, and code an array of custom software programs and websites; offer top-notch digital marketing services including enhanced Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and paid advertising; repair and provide support for computers of both residential and professional nature; build custom systems and servers, and offer secure data backups. Need assistance or want to learn more? Call us at 810-224-5252 or e-mail info@cpsmi.com.

Written by the digital marketing team at Creative Programs & Systems: https://www.cpsmi.com/

Don’t be fooled by the technology surrounding us – marketing still matters. Businesses of all sizes can use tried-and-true tactics to attract new customers, lock in brand awareness, create notoriety, and much more. Read on to discover some creative ways to increase your company’s visibility. 

Be A Sponsor
Call your city council or community center to learn about future events, and then offer to sponsor them. Look for children’s sports teams, canned food drives for humans or pets, trade shows, grocery store carts, etc. 

Give Away Branded Merchandise
One of the most effortless ways to help get your business’ name and logo in the public eye is to give away items with your logo on it. Consider getting banners, signs, flyers, postcards, and other handheld materials for your clients. 

Socialize
Social media is a must for all companies trying to reel in more customers. According to Fundera, 74 percent of consumers rely on social media to sway their purchases. 

Sweepstakes
Remember the good ol’ buzz-creating sweepstakes of yesteryear? They still exist; only now, they mainly run through social media. Offer a special item (tablet, gift card, expensive coffee machine, headphones, etc.) as a prize, and watch the entries come in. 

Establish Loyalty
Implementing referral discounts on products or services can help promote exclusivity. Build a refer-a-friend program, offer special codes, add incentives, etc. Publish these on social media or send a physical postcard blast throughout neighborhoods to hook potential clients.  

After brainstorming some marketing strategies, create a plan while staying true to your brand. Choose the techniques that make the most sense for your business and can really showcase your brand. Marketing is an ever-evolving strategy; trust the process and be as creative as possible.

Econo Print is your one-stop shop for marketing materials. We’ve got you covered whether you want to print a postcard, yard sign, banner, invitation, label, or more. Contact us today to learn more.

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At Econo Print, we strive to deliver the highest-quality printed products possible. We produce top-rated goods in a timely fashion at a competitive price. Listening to our clients and helping them achieve their business goals is our top priority. We are proud of the strong roots we’ve built in the community and pride ourselves on using cutting-edge technology. Our products, commitment to service, and level of expertise exceed our clients’ expectations. Contact us today to learn how we can help launch your business to the next level.

Written by the digital marketing team at Creative Programs & Systems: https://www.cpsmi.com/

Many people assume they have to stay on Medicare once they are a member, which isn’t always the case. Government rules state that those 65 or older need to either be on Medicare or have an employer plan that meets Medicare guidelines. To avoid penalties, it’s crucial to have at least one type of insurance coverage.

If a new employer offers insurance that meets the Medicare-specific rules, the employee can unenroll from Medicare Part A and Part B. In this case, there’s no issue with going in-and-out of Medicare. Without re-enrolling in Medicare, an employee can end up paying for both plans.

If you are over 65 and losing your job, when you leave the company, your employer is required to fill out a form confirming you have been on that plan since you were at least 65. That form is helpful for enrolling in Medicare; they will give you a period where you are eligible to join Medicare after reaching 65.

Under the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA), workers and their families who lose health benefits have the right to choose to continue group health benefits provided by their group health plan. For limited periods and with specific limitations (job loss, reduction in work hours, job transition, death, divorce, etc.), qualified individuals might be required to pay the entire premium for coverage up to 100 percent of the cost of the plan.

COBRA might be beneficial in a pinch, but overall, it could be a more expensive proposition. Typically, employers foot some or much of the monthly premiums; without an employer, you’ll be paying in full. Also, COBRA coverage doesn’t count as qualifying insurance instead of Medicare.

The different parts of Medicare play a critical role in creating the most tailored plan to suit your needs. Have a backup plan to pay for the things that won’t be covered under Medicare, such as dental work and routine hearing or vision care, long-term care, cosmetic procedures, or medical care overseas.

Medigap – a supplemental policy – is typically paired with Medicare to help cover out-of-pocket costs like deductibles and coinsurance. These are standardized regardless of which insurance company sells them. Depending on where you live, the premiums can vary among locations.

To learn more or consult with a representative about Medicare, contact the experts at Senior Health Medicare today.

Senior Health Medicare is a superior resource for Medicare guidance, information, and ongoing client support. Selecting a Medicare plan is not a flippant decision. It requires annual revisiting and re-evaluating in order for the member to retain the most cost-effective plan. Senior Health Medicare is here to serve as your resource through all the years to come. Contact us today at 888-404-5049 or visit us on the web at www.seniorhealthmedicare.com.

Written by the digital marketing staff at Creative Programs & Systems: www.cpsmi.com.

The United States Food and Drug Administration recently authorized a novel product that recent Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) shows might protect athletes’ brains from traumatic injury.

A c-shaped, non-invasive device dubbed the “Q-Collar” goes around the neck and applies compression, which increases blood volume, therefore reducing brain movement.  

Several FDA studies proved the effectiveness and safety. One such study included a long-term analysis of 284 participants, age 13 and older. A total of 139 athletes wore the collars, and 145 did not; both underwent head MRI before and after the season.

To compare structural changes after a season of play, researchers also generated diffusion tensor imaging of the brain. Significant differences were noted in the deep tissue involved in transmitting electrical nerve signals in 73 percent of the collarless group. Those who were equipped with the Q-Collar showed no change in white matter throughout 77 percent of the group.

“These differences appear to indicate protection of the brain associated with the device use. No significant adverse events were associated with device use,” The FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health reported.

An estimated 3.8 million sports-related traumatic brain injuries occur in the United States yearly, according to The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.

Along with the Q-Collar manufacturer Q30 Sports Science, FDA officials hope the device will lower this number, reducing “slosh” by creating a tighter fit of the brain in the skull through increased blood volume.

The Q-Collar should not be used in place of helmets or other protective devices. Athletes with a history of seizure disorders, brain blood clots, or problems with blood clotting, in general, should not use the device.

For more information, read the full FDA report.

Acceletronics is an industry leader in delivering the best equipment performance and service reliability from CT Scanners and Linear Accelerators across all major brands and models. Call 610-524-3300 or visit our website: https://www.acceletronics.com.

Written by the digital marketing staff at Creative Programs & Systems: www.cpsmi.com.

Stages of deep sleep can significantly change our consciousness, just as it does in a coma or under anesthesia. Scientists have hypothesized that brain activity declines when we sleep, using research conducted with electroencephalography (EEG), a process that uses electrodes placed along a patient’s scalp to measure brain activity.

Anjali Tarun, a doctoral assistant at EPFL’s Medical Image Processing Laboratory within the School of Engineering, decided to investigate brain activity during sleep using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI.) Dimitri Van De Ville, lab lead, said, “MRI scans measure neural activity by providing important information in addition to EEGs.” Tarun used EEG to identify when study patients fell asleep, pinpointing the individual sleep stages. The MRI images were later used to produce spatial maps of neural activity, specifying brain states.

Deep sleep is reasonably challenging to achieve while undergoing an MRI, as the machines are quite noisy. Despite the hurdle, Tarun was able to leverage simultaneous MRI and EEG data from roughly thirty people. “Two hours is a relatively long time, meaning we were able to obtain a set of rare, reliable data,” she said. “MRIs carried out while a patient is performing a cognitive task usually last around 10 to 30 minutes.”

The data Tarun collected was surprising. “We calculated exactly how many times networks made up of different parts of the brain became active during each stage of sleep. We discovered that during light stages of sleep – that is, between when you fall asleep and when you enter a state of deep sleep – overall brain activity decreases. But communication among different parts of the brain becomes much more dynamic. We think that’s due to the instability of brain states during this phase.”

Van De Ville said, “What really surprised us in all of this was the resulting paradox. During the transition phase from light to deep sleep, local brain activity increased and mutual interaction decreased. This indicates the inability of brain networks to synchronize.”

Neural networks might be linked to our introspection process, memory, and spontaneous thoughts, all associated with consciousness. “We saw that the network between the anterior and posterior regions broke down, and this became increasingly pronounced with increasing sleep depth. A similar breakdown in neural networks was also observed in the cerebellum, which is typically associated with motor control.” At this point, the researchers aren’t sure why this happens; their findings are a novel step toward a better understanding of our sleep consciousness.

“Our findings show that consciousness is the result of interactions between different brain regions, and not in localized brain activity. By studying how our state of consciousness is altered during different stages of sleep, and what that means in terms of brain network activity, we can better understand and account for the wide range of brain functions that characterize us as human beings,” said Tarun.

For further reading, find the original article from EPFL.

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Written by the digital marketing staff at Creative Programs & Systems: www.cpsmi.com.  

More effective therapies could potentially be introduced thanks to a new magnetic resonance spectroscopy technique that can accurately measure how well the mitochondria are functioning in patients with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS.) This non-invasive procedure may help measure the efficacy of treatments for ALS (also known as Motor Neuron Disease [MND]) patients.

Scientists from Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN) from the University of Sheffield in the United Kingdom tested how the 31-phosphorus magnetic resonance spectroscopy performed, publishing their findings in the January 13 issue of Brain.

Lead study author Dr. Matilde Sassani, a neurodegeneration researcher at Sheffield, said, “In this study, we found that phosphocreatine levels were depleted in the brain compared to healthy controls and, in this muscle, we found that inorganic phosphates were elevated in patients with MND. Both of these findings are consistent with mitochondrial dysfunction occurring in these people living with MND.”

People with ALS suffer from impaired mitochondrial function, so having a technique that can effectively and accurately measure mitochondrial activity could be critical to treatment.

In the study, the imaging technique was used to measure a chemical involved in the cell’s energy metabolism. ALS patients were compared to healthy age and gender-matched controls. The procedure resembles an MRI; the process allows investigators to capture a direct measurement of chemicals. This snapshot gives them the appropriate data needed to calculate a comprehensive view of a patient with MND.

Senior author Dr. Thomas Jenkins, a clinical senior lecturer at SITraN, said the newfound technique could pave the way for more effective MND treatments and potentially measure how effective medications are.

Jenkins said, “Treatments that aim to rescue mitochondrial function in MND are being investigated in labs around the world. This non-invasive tool can demonstrate whether medications in development are successfully targeting mitochondria, which is an important step in selecting treatments to take through clinical trials.”

Patients with other forms of neurodegenerative diseases might also benefit from this technique, though further research is needed.

To read additional information, refer to the article in the latest issue of Brain, a Journal of Neurology.

Acceletronics is an industry leader in delivering the best equipment performance and service reliability from CT Scanners and Linear Accelerators across all major brands and models. Call 610-524-3300 or visit our website: https://www.acceletronics.com.

Written by the digital marketing staff at Creative Programs & Systems: www.cpsmi.com.