Category: MARYLAND

Will Artificial Intelligence Improve Our Futures?

Gloucestercitynews.net(Dec. 2, 2019)–AI or artificial intelligence uses an enormous amount of data paired with sophisticated algorithms to accomplish an amazing array of tasks that just a few years ago would have been impossible. AI is already being used to automate tasks and to improve customer experiences, and the potential for artificial intelligence applications in the world of tomorrow is huge.

How Is AI Being Used Today?

Within just a few years, artificial intelligence has advanced in leaps and bounds. Almost everywhere you look, there are AI applications changing our lives. Take a look at online gaming, for example. AI is now opening up the

potential for live online gaming

that creates a real-world style experience for players all over the world.

Or how about AI-enhanced map applications that tell you which roads to avoid because of jams on your way home? Take a look around you, and you’ll notice that artificial intelligence is pervading through more and more elements of our everyday lives. It’s influence is often so subtle that we can barely see it unless we look closely.

The Rise Of The Chatbot

One of the top applications for artificial intelligence is chatbots. When customers call their bank or use an online messaging service, they will frequently be

passed to a chatbot first

to determine their requirements and needs before passing them onto a human representative. By personalizing the customer experience right from the start, artificial intelligence holds a lot of potential for the service industry.

Will AI Replace The Need For Humans?

There is an ongoing concern that with the developments in artificial intelligence, human workers will no longer be required. However, this is unlikely to be the case. In fact, experts are predicting that the real future of AI will lie in augmented analytics.

Augmented analytics is, essentially, traditional analytics which has been augmented with artificial intelligence. By collating huge amounts of data and applying algorithms which determine key factors, AI can help to achieve goals such as improving retail margins through the automation of discount recommendations for different products. This kind of use for AI will certainly not remove human agents from the equation since they will still be required to sell the products that the discounts are being offered on.

It’s also likely that more organizations will, within the next few years actually need more human specialists to work behind the scenes with AI algorithms. Experts in customer trust, privacy and behaviour forensics will all be needed to reduce reputation risks for brands when they adopt AI into their existing protocols.

Augmentative AI – Supporting Humans Not Replacing Them

Augmentative AI is already in use in our everyday lives. If you’ve ever used

Grammarly to improve your writing

, you’ll already have benefited! This AI uses sophisticated algorithms which can determine if grammar has been improperly used. It can offer suggestions for improvements and recommend options which would improve phrasing. This doesn’t eliminate the need for human writers – rather it nudges writers in a specific direction, helping to give them greater confidence and reducing their editing workload. It’s likely that this type of AI is where the future is headed – augmentative functionality that makes human’s lives easier.

Augmentative AI

offers the potential to complete operations and tasks that would otherwise be expensive and time consuming for humans to do. Auto-transcription, for example, can take a task which takes hours to complete manually and reduce it to a matter of minutes. Humans won’t miss these unwanted, laborious tasks and will, instead, be able to dedicate their time to more worthwhile pursuits.

Providing Company

Another highly probable future use of AI will be to improve our social experience. Humans are naturally social creatures who enjoy talking with others. As many of us are living increasingly isolated lives, it’s only natural that we look for things to talk to that can replace other humans when there are none around.

Siri and Google Assistant are just two examples of AI that can be a confidant and friend as well as a useful tool. Capable of responding appropriately when spoken to, these voice assistants can already do much more than just retrieving information or playing a song when instructed. Siri already has a raft of responses that are frivolous rather than functional and this will only become better as time goes on, with even more realistic encounters and conversations becoming possible with your AI-enhanced devices in the future.

AI In Our Near Future

For the foreseeable future, it’s likely to be the case that AI augmentation will be the way in which most of us will be directly

interacting with artificial intelligence

. The effect is likely to be so subtle that we barely notice it. Digital products will have a higher quality, fewer errors will appear, the time taken to create works such as writing and art will be shorter.

However, it’s clear that AI is already rewriting all the rules that we have been living by for centuries and within our lifetimes, it’s likely that it will become increasingly hard to discern human-generated responses and content from that created by a compute

Letters to the Editor: Sestak Drops Out of Presidential Race

I want to thank you for the honor of running for President of the United States of America. It has been an endeavor filled with immeasurable wisdom, passions, humor and insights to, and from, the people of America. I have “lived America” … and will cherish every moment, whether a

veteran from a maximum security penitentiary calling to say, “Hey, Joe, the guys have heard you’re running for President, and they want you to know they’re going to organize Philadelphia for you,” or the tears of a transgender youth as she quietly told me she just wants what everybody else wants. I could never pay enough for what I experienced, and the men and women I met.

It’s a marvelous fabric we Americans have woven together throughout the centuries. I know there is a tear in that fabric right now; but it can be repaired by someone who can lead, and therefore unite, all Americans. It’s been done before, beginning with the best, George Washington, as he lay on the ground after battle to sleep in a cloak together with his men even before he was a President who united America.

A moral compass for our great ship of state is the beacon most needed today. And it is for the Captain of State who offers it that all Americans will provide the fair winds and following seas to advance us. That is necessary for us both at home and abroad, to convene the world to advance our policies and commitment to democratic values for our collective good.

Again, thank you for this priceless opportunity as I end our campaign together. Without the privilege of national press, it is unfair to ask others to husband their resolve and to sacrifice resources any longer. I deeply appreciate the support so many of you offered — whether by volunteering, offering financial contributions or coming to our campaign events. I will miss the opportunities I had in experiencing America in such a wonderful way!

With my deepest appreciation, please accept my final note of service to you … Joe Sestak

Track Latest Gadgets News Easily

Gloucestercitynews.net (Dec. 2, 2019)–In recent decades technologies firmly integrated into our life. Indeed, no human activity isn’t without gadgets. Everyone has a mobile phone and uses any household equipment. No matter how hard some people stood against the dissemination of technologies, science doesn’t stand still. All we can do to be a modern man is to be aware of the newest updates in technology. The benefits of their usage are obvious.

If you look for the service to know the latest technology news, pay attention to

4Promedia

. It’s one that can replace several technology-oriented web-sites. Convenience is the major people’s priority today. Here you can find anything you want to know about the hi-tech world. Despite that any article can be short, it doesn’t prevent it from being the most informative and useful for people.

No matter who you are: the technology-lover, who admires the achievements of modern science or person, whose professional activity is connected to the high-tech world. This web-site won’t let you miss the latest gadgets news. The success and popularity of the web-site are due to the authors. Our team consists of people who are real tech geeks. We always try to visit the most important events dedicated to gadgets and computers to share with you.

Why Should You Use 4Promedia?

Some people consider computer or gadget as something dire and inaccessible. And when it comes to reading information about technologies such as people fall into despair. Often technology news is written in such complicated language that it’s like you’re reading something in Hindi. We’re against such and want to be available and easy for everyone. The writers understand the importance of high-quality presentation of information.

You’re free to choose the sections, which apply to you most. The page with the best tech news informs you about the latest launches of the world-famous corporations: Apple, Google. The articles also dedicated to our impressions after various technological expos. If you used to buy a new gadget immediately after its presentation, monitor our web-site. We try to publish the thought about them as soon as possible. 4Promedia is the best way to know the authoritative views of our authors.

The separate section of the web-site is focused on gadgets. Here you can find the news and reviews on various novelties: Google Pixel, AirPods Pro, Smart Home gadgets, electric vehicles, and many others. At the same time, we try not only focus on prominent brands. Our task is to illuminate and open the whole high-tech world to you. So we’re deeply exploring this sphere to find uncharted, but promising corporations and brands.

Another advantage of our service is that we post compilations with top items from time to time. The process of choosing gadgets in the modern world is really tough. The wide range of items often baffles an inexperienced person. 4Promedia aims at helping people to be skilled and aware of science and technologies. You can find the articles with top of smartwatches, smartphones, or gadgets with detailed descriptions of their advantages. Dive into the high-tech world with us!

The Top 6 Frequently Made Automation Mistakes and How to Solve Them

Gloucestercitynews.net (Dec. 1, 2019)–Testing is a vital procedure in the development of products, software or hardware, separate components in order to find and eradicate errors, ensure that it’ll perform well and have good output.

Test automation can also be described as a method of utilizing an automated testing tool to check, analyze and predict expected results to actual ones. It intends using software to automatically perform the  most difficult testing jobs or carry out ones that may appear many times, usually more than once or twice. The main advantage of

automation testing

over manual is that it’s much faster and more correct and accurate.

While automation is anything but difficult to perform whenever done right, it\’s much simpler to fail to understand the situation.

Using test automation every time

Automation shouldn\’t be viewed each time since certain issues don\’t even require robotization. Some of the tests ought to be done manually. A strategy for figuring out which test way to employ ought to be created to spare automation testers from burning through their time and vitality on automating what must be done in manual way or doing manually what should be automated.

Here’s the solution: Automated testing is reasonable for tests with a great deal of information, tests that give precise results, rehashed tests, and so on, while manual testing is appropriate for API,UX and UI tests.

Utilization wrong automation tools

Using an inappropriate device to take care of the correct issue will prompt awful results. Additionally, in the event that you have very few testings\’ to mechanize, it wouldn\’t be right to utilize only one computerization device. Thus, utilizing only a device to tackle every one of your issues via automated testing will bring terrible outcomes in light of the fact that various issues more often than not may require various methodologies and instruments.

Proposed solution: Analyze each issue you have and decide which tool is the most appropriate in each case.

Neglecting validation test

Validation

is significant in testing automation since it is required to affirm the framework is working as wanted and the normal outcomes are acquired. In this manner, dismissing the approval stage may prompt getting undesired results if there had been bugs in the framework that wasn\’t recognized in light of the fact that approval was skipped during testing.

Consider this solution: Validation testing can be performed successfully utilizing instruments like Appium, HP quality focus or Selenium.

Drive testing through the UI

Embracing this technique means one thing: slow results. The whole process initially runs smoothly, but then becomes slower and slower over time. There are continuous delays in the display of test results and if there was a mistake during the procedure, the results are affected and the whole procedure has to be started all over again.

Solution: use of a test tooling system through an upgraded UI

Separating tests from advancement

Initial stage

of automation testing is writing of codes. The written codes may along the line contain bugs which will be corrected, and then the test runs smoothly. The problem is, there is set back on the feedback from development to testing. The code may not have the necessary qualities to test it.

Solution: create tests at the beginning that can be managed by a tester or software.

Duplicating or pasting test codes

In the case of a rush and the programmer decides to save time by copying and pasting instead of writing the codes. Some procedures will have an intermediary link or phase before proceeding. Copying/pasting will break off the automation of each stage. This makes the testing procedure disorganized. This makes the testing methodology complicated.

Proposed solution: fix duplicated codes or even better, compose new codes. Capacities for intelligent procedures can also be made.

Seniors in Pain find Relief with Cannabis

Stephanie O\’Neill:

September 18, 2018

Megan Baker (left) of Papa & Barkley Co., a cannabis company based in Eureka, Calif., shows Shirley Avedon different products intended to help with pain relief. (Stephanie O’Neill for KHN)

Shirley Avedon, 90,­­ had never been a cannabis user. But carpal tunnel syndrome that sends shooting pains into both of her hands and an aversion to conventional steroid and surgical treatments is prompting her to consider some new options.

“It’s very painful, sometimes I can’t even open my hand,” Avedon said

.

So for the second time in two months, she’s climbed on board a bus that provides seniors at the Laguna Woods Village retirement community in Orange County, Calif., with a free shuttle to a nearby marijuana dispensary.

The retired manager of an oncology office says she’s seeking the same relief she saw cancer patients get from smoking marijuana 25 years ago.

“At that time [marijuana] wasn’t legal, so they used to get it off their children,” she said with a laugh. “It was fantastic what it did for them.”

Avedon, who doesn’t want to get high from anything she uses, picked up a topical cream on her first trip that was sold as a pain reliever. It contained cannabidiol, or CBD, but was formulated without THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol, marijuana’s psychoactive ingredient.

“It helped a little,” she said. “Now I’m going back for the second time hoping they have something better.”

As more states legalize marijuana for medical or recreational use — 30 states plus the District of Columbia to date — the cannabis industry is booming. Among

the fastest growing group

of users: people over 50, with especially steep increases among those 65 and older. And some dispensaries are tailoring their pitches to seniors like Avedon who are seeking alternative treatments for their aches, pains and other medical conditions

.

On this particular morning, about 35 seniors climb on board the free shuttle — paid for by Bud and Bloom, a licensed cannabis dispensary in Santa Ana. After about a half-hour drive, the large white bus pulls up to the parking lot of the dispensary.

About half of the seniors on board today are repeat customers; the other half are cannabis newbies who’ve never tried it before, said Kandice Hawes, director of community outreach for Bud and Bloom.

Residents of Laguna Woods Village, a retirement community in Orange County, Calif., ride a free shuttle to a marijuana dispensary in August.

(Stephanie O’Neill for KHN)

“Not everybody is coming to be a customer,” Hawes said. “A lot are just coming to be educated.”

Among them, Layla Sabet, 72, a first-timer seeking relief from back pain that keeps her awake at night, she said.

“I’m taking so much medication to sleep and still I can’t sleep,” she said. “So I’m trying it for the back pain and the sleep

.”

Hawes invited the seniors into a large room with chairs and a table set up with free sandwiches and drinks. As they ate, she gave a presentation focused on the potential benefits of cannabis as a reliever of anxiety, insomnia and chronic pain and the various ways people can consume it.

Several vendors on site took turns speaking to the group about the goods they sell. Then, the seniors entered the dispensary for the chance to buy everything from old-school rolled joints and high-tech vaporizer pens to liquid sublingual tinctures, topical creams and an assortment of sweet, cannabis-infused edibles.

Jim Lebowitz, 75, is a return customer who suffers pain from back surgery two years ago.

He prefers to eat his cannabis, he said.

“I got chocolate and I got gummies,” he told a visitor. “Never had the chocolate before, but I’ve had the gummies and they worked pretty good.”

“Gummies” are cannabis-infused chewy candies. His contain both the CBD and THC, two active ingredients in marijuana.

Derek Tauchman rings up sales at one of several Bud and Bloom registers in the dispensary. Fear of getting high is the biggest concern expressed by senior consumers, who make up the bulk of the dispensary’s new business, he said.

“What they don’t realize is there’s so many different ways to medicate now that you don’t have to actually get high to relieve all your aches and pains,” he said.

But despite such enthusiasm, marijuana isn’t well researched, said Dr. David Reuben, the Archstone Foundation professor of medicine and geriatrics at UCLA’s David Geffen School of Medicine.

While cannabis is legal both medically and recreationally in California, it remains a Schedule 1 substance — meaning it’s illegal under federal law. And that makes it harder to study.

The limited research that exists suggests that marijuana may be helpful in treating pain and nausea, according to a

research overview

published last year by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine. Less conclusive research points to it helping with sleep problems and anxiety.

Reuben said he sees a growing number of patients interested in using it for things like anxiety, chronic pain and depression.

“I am, in general, fairly supportive of this because these are conditions [for which] there aren’t good alternatives,” he said.

But Reuben cautions his patients that products bought at marijuana dispensaries aren’t FDA-regulated, as are prescription drugs. That means dose and consistency can vary.

“There’s still so much left to learn about how to package, how to ensure quality and standards,” he said. “So the question is how to make sure the people are getting high-quality product and then testing its effectiveness.”

And there are risks associated with cannabis use too, said

Dr. Elinore McCance-Katz,

who directs the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

“When you have an industry that does nothing but blanket our society with messages about the medicinal value of marijuana, people get the idea this is a safe substance to use. And that’s not true,” she said.

Side effects can include increased heart rate, nausea and vomiting, and with long-term use, there’s a potential for addiction, some studies say.

Research suggests

that between 9 and 30 percent of those who use marijuana may develop some degree of marijuana use disorder.

Still, Reuben said, if it gets patients off more addictive and potentially dangerous prescription drugs — like opioids — all the better.

Jim Levy, 71, suffers a pinched nerve that shoots pain down both his legs. He uses a topical cream and ingests cannabis gelatin capsules and lozenges.

“I have no way to measure, but I’d say it gets rid of 90 percent of the pain,” said Levy, who — like other seniors here — pays for these products out-of-pocket, as Medicare doesn’t cover cannabis.

“I got something they say is wonderful and I hope it works,” said Shirley Avedon. “It’s a cream.”

The price tag: $90. Avedon said if it helps ease the carpal tunnel pain she suffers, it’ll be worth it.

“It’s better than having surgery,” she said.

Precautions To Keep In Mind

Though marijuana use remains illegal under federal law, it’s legal in some form in 30 states and the District of Columbia. And a growing number of Americans are considering trying it for health reasons. For people who are, doctors advise the following cautions.

Talk to your doctor.

Tell your doctor you’re thinking about trying medical marijuana. Although he or she may have some concerns, most doctors won’t judge you for seeking out alternative treatments.

Make sure your prescriber is aware of all the medications you take. Marijuana might have dangerous interactions with prescription medications, particularly medicines that can be sedating, said Dr. Benjamin Han, a geriatrician at New York University School of Medicine who studies marijuana use in the elderly.

Watch out for dosing.

Older adults metabolize drugs differently than young people. If your doctor gives you the go-ahead, try the lowest possible dose first to avoid feeling intoxicated. And be especially careful with edibles. They can have very concentrated doses that don’t take effect right away.

Elderly people are also more sensitive to side effects. If you start to feel unwell, talk to your doctor right away. “When you’re older, you’re more vulnerable to the side effects of everything,” Han said. “I’m cautious about everything.”

Look for licensed providers.

In some states like California, licensed dispensaries must test for contaminants. Be especially careful with marijuana bought illegally. “If you’re just buying marijuana down the street … you don’t really know what’s in that,” said Dr. Joshua Briscoe, a palliative care doctor at Duke University School of Medicine who has studied the use of marijuana for pain and nausea in older patients. “Buyer, beware.”

Bottom line:

The research on medical marijuana is limited. There’s even less we know about marijuana use in older people. Proceed with caution.

Jenny Gold and Mara Gordon contributed to this report.

This story is part of a partnership that includes

NPR

and Kaiser Health News.

KHN’s coverage of these topics is supported by

John A. Hartford Foundation

and

The SCAN Foundation

PRELIMINARY THREE-DAY BEAR HARVEST RESULTS

HARRISBURG, PA

– Through three days of Pennsylvania’s general bear season, hunters have harvested 1,498 bears, with bears taken in 52 counties.

That compares to a three-day 1,833 in the 2018 general season. However, the 2019 general season harvest is complemented by a large bear harvest during new and expanded early bear seasons for muzzleloader, firearms and archery hunters. Factoring in the early season harvest, 3,373 bears have been taken through Tuesday. That already tops the 2018 total bear harvest of 3,153, with plenty more bear hunting still to go.

After the season’s third day, two bears of more than 600 pounds have been added to the list.

A 743-pound bear taken Tuesday morning with a rifle in Greene Township, Pike County, by Matthew J. Erdie Jr., of Nazareth, ranks as the third-heaviest bear taken across all 2019 bear seasons.

Meanwhile, a 661-pounder taken Monday morning with a rifle in Lake Township, Wayne County, by Michael A. Biduck II, of West Abington, now ranks as the fifth-heaviest bear in 2019.

The largest bear through all 2019 seasons continues to be the 813-pound male taken with a rifle on the opening day of the general season in Smithfield Township, Monroe County, by Victor M. Vassalluzzo, of Kintnersville.

The heaviest bear ever taken in Pennsylvania was an 875-pounder harvested in 2010 in Middle Smithfield Township, Pike County. Since 1992, seven black bears weighing at least 800 pounds have been lawfully harvested in Pennsylvania hunting seasons.

Other large bears taken in the 2019 general season’s first three days – all taken with a rifle – include: a 747-pound male taken in Wright Township, Luzerne County, by J. Kripp Jr., of Mountaintop; a 696-pound male taken in Penn Forest Township, Carbon County, by Brian J. Borosh, of Jim Thorpe; a 657-pound male taken in Franklin Township, Columbia County, by Nicholas A. Podgurski, of Elysburg; a 656-pound male taken in Hanover Township, Luzerne County, by Dale J. Kobal, of Hunlock Creek; a 623-pound male taken in Beech Creek Township, Clinton County, by Mikael J. Catanese, of Sewickley; a 620-pound male taken in Miles Township, Centre County, by Reuben Kennel, of Turbotville; and a 604-pound male taken in Gallagher Township, Clinton County, by Steven Z. Rohrbach, of Lock Haven.

The top bear-hunting county in the state over the general season’s first three days was Lycoming County with 113 bears. It was followed by Tioga County with 107 bears.

Three-day preliminary harvests by county and region are:

The preliminary three-day bear harvest by Wildlife Management Unit was as follows:

WMU 1A

, 11 (17 in 2018);

WMU 1B

, 44 (100);

WMU 2A

, 3 (5);

WMU 2C

, 69 (115);

WMU 2D

, 92 (114);

WMU 2E

, 38 (56);

WMU 2F

, 170 (198);

WMU 2G

, 309 (344);

WMU 2H

, 49 (59);

WMU 3A

, 85 (99);

WMU 3B

, 138 (117);

WMU 3C

, 56 (45);

WMU 3D

, 161 (141);

WMU 4A

, 76 (123);

WMU 4B

, 32 (53);

WMU 4C

, 50 (83);

WMU 4D

, 92 (112);

WMU 4E

, 21 (48);

WMU 5A

, 1 (4);

WMU 5C

, 1 (0).

Three-day harvests by county and region are:

Northwest (221)

: Warren, 61 (52); Clarion, 35 (37); Venango, 30 (68); Forest, 26 (52); Jefferson, 25 (64); Butler, 20 (17); Crawford, 19 (49); Mercer, 4 (12); and Erie, 1 (15).

Southwest (114)

: Somerset, 34 (57); Armstrong, 30 (25); Indiana, 24 (30); Fayette, 14 (32); Cambria, 7 (13); Westmoreland, 4 (11); and Greene, 1 (0).

Northcentral (626)

: Lycoming, 113 (103); Tioga, 107 (86); Clinton, 87 (119); Potter, 76 (54); McKean, 59 (43); Clearfield, 53 (72); Elk, 51 (46); Centre, 35 (46); Cameron, 30 (61); and Union, 15 (13).

Southcentral (154)

: Huntingdon, 49 (76); Bedford, 34 (51); Fulton, 17 (33); Perry, 16 (14); Blair, 15 (21); Juniata, 8 (15); Mifflin, 6 (10); Franklin, 5 (14); Cumberland, 3 (4); and Adams, 1 (4).

Northeast (349)

: Pike, 66 (46); Monroe, 44 (46); Luzerne, 39 (50); Bradford, 36 (46); Wayne, 35 (29); Sullivan, 30 (30); Susquehanna, 29 (10); Wyoming, 19 (24); Lackawanna, 18 (15); Carbon, 16 (25); Columbia, 12 (17); and Northumberland, 5 (17).

Southeast (34)

: Dauphin, 14 (25); Schuylkill, 13 (17); Berks 6 (1); and Lebanon, 1 (7).

Op-Ed: Peyton’s Law –

Empowering Student Athletes/Parents to be Proactive about Cardiac Arrest Prevention

By Sen. Mike Regan

Nov 2019/

The Center Square

Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) is reported to be the leading killer of student athletes in the United States and the leading cause of death on school campuses. An average of one in 300 student athletes have undetected abnormal heart issues that could lead to SCA.

Recognizing these staggering statistics, I introduced

Senate Bill 836

, known as Peyton’s Law, in an effort to educate every student athlete and their parents about electrocardiogram (EKG) testing to detect underlying heart conditions.

This bill has been a top priority for me because it honors a young woman who was taken from us six years ago at the young age of 19. Her name is Peyton Walker, and she died from Sudden Cardiac Arrest. Peyton was a graduate of Trinity High School in Camp Hill, and she was a sophomore at King’s College in Wilkes-Barre when she died. Her mother, Julie Walker, established and now heads The Peyton Walker Foundation, which advocates for the use of EKG testing to screen for underlying electrical issues in the heart that can lead to SCA. The foundation conducts free EKG screening events at schools across Pennsylvania and has screened several thousand students.

Unfortunately, Peyton’s family is not alone in losing a loved one to SCA. Based on Cody’s Law, recently enacted legislation in Texas named after Cody Stephens, a young football player who died of SCA, Peyton’s Law builds on the important groundwork of Act 59 of 2012, the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Prevention Act.

Thanks to Act 59, student athletes and their parents currently are provided an information sheet with symptoms and warning signs of SCA. However, there is no guidance on what steps can be taken if a parent wants to be proactive or if the student athlete has experienced any of the signs or symptoms of SCA.

Peyton’s Law requires information be provided to student athletes and their parents regarding electrocardiogram testing and notice be given of the option to request the administration of an electrocardiogram in addition to the standard physical examination.

This is a common-sense piece of legislation aimed at educating our student athletes and their families at a time when every hour of every day we lose a child to SCA. And the majority of those deaths are attributed to detectable and treatable heart conditions that went undiagnosed due to the limited scope of standard sports physicals and well-child check-ups.

As a father of four, Peyton’s story, as well as so many others, has hit close to home. Knowing a simple test could save my children from becoming a victim of SCA motivated me to have my own boys screened, and my legislation provides life-saving information to all parents and empowers them to take the same steps I did. And while the legislation speaks specifically to student athletes, I want all parents to be part of the bigger conversation – to be aware of SCA, its warning signs, and their ability to seek an EKG if they are worried about their child having an underlying heart condition.

Peyton’s Law has garnered tremendous support and momentum in the legislature, and I commend my colleagues for recognizing the importance of this issue. It is unusual for a bill to see such quick action, but the fact that I met with Julie Walker on this issue in July, introduced the bill in August, and by October it had achieved unanimous passage in the Senate, is a testament to the merits of the bill.

The legislation now awaits consideration in the House of Representative’s Education Committee, chaired by Representative Curt Sonney, R-Erie. I have had the pleasure of meeting with Chairman Sonney to discuss the significance of this issue, and I look forward to the bill’s passage in the House and it being signed into law by the governor.

Peyton’s Law will undoubtedly help save the lives of many young people in Pennsylvania while honoring the life and memory of a young woman gone too soon.

published here with permission of

The Center Square

Cellphone shock: Pennsylvanians Paying More in Fees Than Most

By Steve Bittenbender |

The Center Square

Nov 26, 2019

Pennsylvanians are paying more taxes on their cellphone bill than all but one of their neighbors and significantly more than the national average. That’s

according to a report

by a nonpartisan tax policy research group.

The combined local, state and federal taxes on a resident’s cellphone bill is 25.4 percent. The Washington-based Tax Foundation noted that was the seventh-highest rate in the nation. Excluding the federal 9.1 percent rate, Pennsylvania’s state and local tax is slightly more than 16.3 percent.

A state resident who has a $100 monthly bill from their wireless provider pays more than $304 in taxes per year. The average U.S. resident pays about $260 annually in local, state and federal levies.

“It’s important that people keep an eye on these things because they are well-hidden within people’s phone bills,” said Ulrik Boesen, a senior policy analyst for the foundation.

Two things stand out regarding Pennsylvania’s higher than average costs. First, Boesen said Pennsylvania charges a 5 percent gross receipts tax that’s in addition to the 6 percent sales tax.

Telecommunications is one of five industries on which Pennsylvania levies a gross receipts tax. The others include electric utilities providers, transportation companies, private bankers and managed care organizations.

The other surcharge that Boesen noted was the $1.65 monthly fee for state wireless 9-1-1 service. That represents a tax rate of nearly 4.4 percent. By comparison, Ohio’s charge is just 25 cents per number per month for state and local wireless 9-1-1.

While 9-1-1 is an essential service for residents, Boesen said that doesn’t mean it should have its own tax.

“In general, we don’t like when you have specific taxes for specific services,” he said. “We like it more when you broaden your tax bases to be as broad as possible and as low-rate as possible.”

A year ago, Pennsylvanians were paying a rate of 22.9 percent, but the bulk of that is due to a nearly 2.5 percent increase in the federal surcharge, which provides funding for certain organizations, such as schools and hospitals, in communities with higher than normal costs. The federal tax also can assist low-income residents in those areas.

Among neighboring states, only New York residents paid a higher percentage of taxes, as its 18.7 percent state-and-local rate ranks fourth in the U.S. Maryland was also in the top half of states at 14.7 percent, 14th highest.

West Virginia was 32nd overall at 10.2 percent, New Jersey landed at 38th at 9 percent, and Ohio residents pay 8.5 percent in state and local taxes, which ranked 43rd. Delaware’s rate of 6.6 percent is 49th in the study, which also includes Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia.

A Guide to Preparing Your Home for the Holidays

(Gloucestercitynews.net)(Nov. 29, 2019)–The festive season is rocketing into view and, as all grown-ups know at this time of year, that means more work, more guests, more mouths to feed and more joy and laughter to nurture. The festive period is full of fun for your close and extended family, and visiting friends, but it’s also a time during which your home will be sheltering more heads than usual – and as such, it’s an important time to be prepared for. In this handy guide, you’ll learn how to best prepare your home for the holiday season in order to make your Christmas as wonderful and carefree as possible.

Seating Arrangements

Your first task is undoubtedly simply to understand how so many more people arriving in your home will find places to sit, talk, socialize, make merry, and – most importantly – eat. If you’re unable to find enough chairs for all the guests you’re expecting, you may wish to hire some more from a local furniture warehouse, or else buy some second-hand from local furniture stores. Meanwhile, make sure you know how to cater to everyone who visits. You may wish to invest in some

elegant furniture

for your new arrivals – in order to provide seats, beds, couches and tables for everyone who’ll be attending your home this Christmas.

Cleaning and Tidying

With a host of guests due to arrive in your home, there is the usual cleaning and tidying to undertake in order for you to present the home interior that you want to promote to your friends, family, and guests. Go around your home

fastidiously to clean each and every corner

– and be especially careful to hide or secure some of your more precious belongings: Christmas is a time of indulgence, and those who’ve had a little too much cherry may find themselves breaking items that you’ve left out.

The Kitchen

Hands-down the most important room in the house during the festive period, the kitchen will require some work before your guests begin to arrive. You need to make sure that everything’s clean, and that you have enough plates, knives, forks and cooking accessories for some of the feasts you have planned. It goes without saying that you should also check the food in your fridge, and stock up on meat, dairy and beverages to keep you ravenous and excited guests happy throughout the duration of their stay.

Festive Touches

With all the preparation out of the way in terms of seating, sleeping and cleaning, it’s time to add the flourishes that can make your home sparkle and gleam with the

red-and-green festive feel of Christmas

. Whether that means hanging stockings and mistletoe, heaving a Christmas tree into the main room, or adding little cutlets of ivy and holly to your mantelpiece, this is the final stage to decorating your home in the anticipation of a festive frolic with all your closest loved ones this festive period. Decorate in order to luxuriate in a truly Christmas-themed interior this holiday season.

Prepare your home for the festive season with the four tips outlined above – guaranteeing all of your guests a merry, wonderful time!

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Cancer linked with a more than doubled risk of dying from stroke

Credit: Getty Images utah778

Newswise — People living with or beyond cancer are more likely to die from stroke than the general public, according to new Penn State research, and certain types of cancer may boost the risk

even more.

Researchers at

Penn State College of Medicine

found that compared to the general population, people who have or have had cancer are more than twice as likely to die of a stroke, and the risk increases with time. Additionally, cancers of the breast, prostate or colorectum were the type most commonly associated with fatal stroke.

Nicholas Zaorsky

, assistant professor in radiation oncology and public health sciences, said the

results

– recently published in Nature Communications – may help physicians identify patients at risk for fatal strokes.

“Previous research has shown that most cancer patients aren’t going to die of their cancer, they’re going to die of something else,” Zaorsky said. “A stroke is one possibility. Our findings suggest that patients may benefit from a screening program to help prevent some of these early deaths from stroke, as well as help identify which patients we could target with those preventative efforts.”

According to the researchers, cancer is the leading cause of death in the United States, with stroke being the fifth leading cause. But while institutions like the American Heart Association and the National Comprehensive Cancer Network provide separate guidelines for stroke prevention and advice for people beyond cancer treatment, there is little guidance for preventing strokes in people who have or have had cancer.

Zaorsky, a member of the

Penn State Cancer Institute

, said he and the other researchers were interested in identifying those at the highest risk of stroke to help future prevention efforts.

The researchers used data gathered from the National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) program. SEER includes data about cancer incidence, survival, treatment and age and year of diagnosis, and covers 28 percent of the U.S. population.

For the current study, the researchers used SEER data on more than 7.2 million patients who had been diagnosed with invasive cancer – cancer that has spread beyond the tissue in which it originally developed – between 1992 and 2015.

The researchers found that out of 7,529,481 cancer patients, 80,513 died of a stroke. Males and females had equal chances of dying from a stroke, but those diagnosed with cancer at a younger age had a higher chance of a fatal stroke.

Additionally, they found that among those diagnosed with cancer before they turned 40, most strokes occurred in people treated for brain tumors and lymphomas. In patients diagnosed with cancer above the age of 40, fatal strokes were most commonly associated with cancer of the prostate, breast and colorectum.

Zaorsky said one explanation for the increased risk could be that many people who are diagnosed with cancer are in a “prothrombotic” state, which means they are more likely to form a blood clot.

“That blood clot may then go to the lungs and cause a pulmonary embolism, for example, or cause a stroke if it goes to the brain,” Zaorsky said. “In general, it’s an underlying theme and risk factor for a lot of cancer patients. And because certain cancers like those of the prostate, breast and colorectum are some of the most common cancers, that could also help explain that high association.”

Brad Zacharia

, assistant professor of neurosurgery, said another explanation may stem from the effects of certain types of cancer treatment.

“We can speculate that a subset of cancer patients are receiving chemotherapy or radiation treatments that may have a direct effect on the blood vessels to the brain and could increase stroke risk,” Zacharia said. “This may be particularly true in patients with brain cancer.”

The researchers added that future studies could help pinpoint mechanisms and further establish the relationship between cancer and strokes.

Ying Zhang, Penn State; Leila T. Tchelebi, Penn State; Heath B. Mackley, Penn State; and Vernon M. Chinchilli, Penn State, also participated in this work.

About Penn State College of Medicine

Located on the campus of

Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center

in Hershey, Pa.,

Penn State College of Medicine

boasts a portfolio of nearly $100 million in funded research. Projects range from development of artificial organs and advanced diagnostics to groundbreaking cancer treatments and understanding the fundamental causes of disease. Enrolling its first students in 1967, the College of Medicine has more than 1,700 students and trainees in medicine, nursing, the health professions and biomedical research on its two campuses.