Your Guide to the Rise and Evolution of the Pot Store

(Gloucestercitynews.net)(December 9, 2019)–To say that marijuana has been booming into the avenues of business, politics, and the cultural zeitgeist would be an understatement.

With the advent of more and more legalization across the United States and other countries, the humble pot store has gone from humble origins to big business interests.

Where did it all start? Where does it all lead? The cannabis industry is riding high and we\’re here to follow its evolution.

The Humble Beginnings

Marijuana has long since been a common medicine for calming nerves and healing inflammation and other cases. It wasn\’t until the 20th century that prohibition movements banned the drug and started a mistrustful campaign against it.

In the 21st century that is all overturning and with it comes a rise of many variants on the pot store. Back in the 60s and 70s, the pot business was a bit more wild and uncertain. Dealers sold it almost anywhere and in cheap bundles.

The biggest reason for the coming growth comes from the fast unfolding band of legalization.

Legalization on Multiple Levels

It started with a few states legalizing the use of medical marijuana. Then came the likes of Utah and Washington allowing recreational usage of the plant.

With more and more pressure on the government, the idea of nationally legalized marijuana may be soon around the corner.

With the bounds of government banning coming down, this only invites the potential markets of big business. With the potential of

big profits showcased in Nevada

and Washington, many entrepreneurs are eager to invest in the pot store.

Working Around the Restrictions

For now, there is still legislation from stopping full-on major investment. This hasn\’t stopped any companies so much as made them change tactics.

Figuring out ways to work within the law has been a common theme in many businesses.

1. Vertical Integration

Vertical integration

refers to a company that owns all levels of its production. This means they grow the plant, harvest the plant, process the plant, and sell the plant and its byproducts.

This allows companies to control their limited markets. Because federal law still prohibits marijuana from crossing state lines, this is a good foundation to have.

2. Mergers and Buyouts

Big companies are pushing and moving in preparation for something bigger. Some say that the legalization of marijuana at the federal level is inevitable and some businesses seem to think so.

While the Canadian pot industry is already booming due to its full legalization, American companies are not far behind. Major corporations are snatching up the small-time pot growers who have come from the initial legalizations.

Their ever-growing product and company base pushes them for massive pot franchises and huge superstores.

The Pinnacle of Pot Store Levels

All of this corporate moving and big investments lead to only one thing and that is massive pot store showcases. Things like the

Planet 13 Superstore

may be a common thing in the near future.

The humble pot store is now far from humble. There is a lot more change on the horizon as the potential of full legalization unleashes the floodtides of corporate interests.

History, Information, and the News at Your Fingertips

Your local pot store may become not only a more common site but bigger and more corporate. These changes look to be inevitable as a lot of investments and resources pour in. What this evolution will bring is anyone\’s guess.

For all things news in the South Jersey and Philadelphia areas, we have you covered. Check out our other articles for more items and keep yourself updated.

Why Do You Need to Use Practice Tests to Explore Microsoft MS-200 Exam Topics?

(Gloucestercitynews.net)(Dec. 8, 2019)–MS-200 is one of the Microsoft recently introduced certification exams. It is designed for the messaging administrators who configure, troubleshoot, deploy, and monitor mail protection, recipients, permissions, public folders, and mail flow in both on-premises and Cloud environments. These professionals are responsible for managing messaging infrastructure, disaster recovery, hybrid configuration, hygiene, client access, migration, and high availability. The certified administrators work in partnership with the Microsoft 365 enterprise and security administrators to performa topology that will fulfill the requirements of an organization for its business.These specialists have knowledge of licensing, authentication types, and integration with the applications of Microsoft 365.

Microsoft MS-200 is part of the prerequisites for obtaining the Microsoft 365 Certified: Messaging Administrator Associate certificate. This test includes 40-60 questions with the allocated time of 120-150 minutes. It is available in English only. The exam fee is $165. If you are not in the United States, you should check the certification webpage to find out the specific fee that applies to you because it may vary from one country to another. After passing Microsoft MS-200, the candidates can proceed to take the second test to earn their certificate. The second one, Microsoft MS-201, is designed to validate the students’ skills in planning and implementing hybrid configuration & migration, managing organizational settings, and securing messaging environment. However, this certification guide will focus on the first exam, Microsoft MS-200. Let’s dive into it and its objectives.

http://www.exam-labs.com/dumps/MS-200

Microsoft MS-200 Exam: Skills Measured

The MS-200 test measures three different core skills that include management of the following areas:

Modern Messaging Infrastructure – 45-50%;

Mail Flow Topology – 35-40%;

Recipients &Devices – 15-20%.

It is crucial to mention that the associated percentage on each of the skills refers to the weight of questions that may be expected from each of the topics. This means that the objectives with higher percentages are likely to have more questions in the delivery of a particular exam. However, it is recommended that you gain mastery in all the topics to be able to achieve success in the Microsoft MS-200 certification test. To help you prepare for it, we will explore each of these objectives in detail.

Managing ModernMessagingInfrastructure

This topic takes up the bigger chunk of the skills that will be measured in the exam.Almost half of the whole test. It requires that the candidates understandthe management of databases. Therefore, they have to understand the process involved in mailbox database prerequisites planning; creating, troubleshooting, and configuring mailbox databases. The skills in managing DAG are also required. For this, the individuals must be able to create it; plan and manage DAG members and settings; manage and deploy site resilience; test datacenter and database fail-over scenario; measure Exchange services health; and troubleshoot DAG issues. The students should also understand the techniques required in client access management and implementation. This entails planning namespaces; configuring policies, URLs & virtual directories, global OWA policies, and auto-discover for Exchange. The test takers also need to know how to manage the lifecycle of the Exchange certificates and troubleshoot connectivity issues.

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/certifications/exams/ms-200

Additionally, the applicants should know a thing or two about disaster recovery management. This entails planning a strategy of backup & recovery; implementing and performing backups; restoring databases, mailboxes, and servers. The skills in the management of messaging infrastructure lifecycle are also needed so you can attain the desired success in this Microsoft test. Therefore, the candidates should have competence in planning the installation of Exchange Server; installing and updating Exchange services; preparing AD for Exchange.

Managing Topology of Mail Flow

The skills you need here include planning transport pipeline, managing connectors, managing mail flow, and troubleshooting mail flow issues. Therefore,the individuals need to study up on designing mail flow with multiple sites; planning solutions for high availability mail flow. They also need to understand all about planning connectors, configuring them, as well asknow a thing or two aboutSend and Receive ones.The test takers should also know how to manage transport rules& domains. In addition to this, they need to know about the validation of outbound and inbound mail flow; monitoring of mail flow; investigation of transport logs; handling of NDRs; configuration of messaging tracking.

Managing Devices&Recipients

This topic has the least percentage, which means the questions from it are likely to be lower than the first two. However, you can’t afford to discard this subject in the course of your preparation because it might just be the deal-breaker for your success in the actual exam. Having said this, it is crucial that you prepare for it. You will be required to manage the recipient resources. This entails managing groups and mailboxes, including archive mailboxes, resource mailboxes, and mailbox permissions, as well as configuring mailbox policies. It also covers the skills in evaluating license options and managing shared mailboxes. Additionally, the candidates for Microsoft MS-200 must have competence in mobile devices management. This includes managing mobile device access and configuring mobile device mailboxes policies.

NOTE:

If you want to easily study all these topics in order to pass the exams and get your Microsoft certification, you need to find reliable sources and resources. Microsoft offers various prep tools that the students can use to prepare for the MS-200 test. You can also explore other platforms to get the necessary and relevant resources. Exam-Labs is one of the sites that offer extensive study materials to prepare for this Microsoft certification exam. They are study guides, video tutorials, practice tests, braindumps, blog articles, etc. Visit this website to know more.

Conclusion

Success in the Microsoft MS-200 exam can be ensuredif you take the time to study these topic areas in depth. The great news is that there are the relevant resources that will equip you with the skills and knowledge you need to understand all these objectives. The Microsoft Learning platform has a wide array of study materials to prepare for the test, including training with the certified instructors who will lead you through the whole course; official practice tests;study groups where you can ask questions and get answers to them. There are many resources that you can explore on Exam-Labs to get ready for this certification exam. Use them wisely and obtain the credential that will change your personal and professional life.

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.

5 Pieces of Essential Equipment for a New Dental Surgery

(Gloucestercitynews.net)(Nov. 29, 2019)–A surgeon is only as good as their tools, and this also goes for a dentist. When opening, upgrading or launching a new dental surgery, it’s vital that you first have all the supplies you need to provide excellent care for your patients.

Your skill and technique might be top of the class from all your training and qualifications, but if you don’t have the necessary tools to make use of those skills, they will all go to waste.

Before you open your new dental surgery to the public, make sure you have these essential instruments and pieces of equipment at hand.

X-Ray Equipment

Some dental treatments require an insight that you cannot get by eye, which is why you need to

invest in X-ray equipment

. Digital X-rays are much more efficient and less harmful than traditional X-rays; there is a lot less radiation which makes it safer for both the dentist and the patient. What’s more, instead of waiting for X-ray images to develop, you can access them immediately on a computer.

Sterilization Equipment

Maintaining sterile equipment and a sterile environment is vital for good quality care and for the health of your patients. If your equipment isn’t sterile, it can pass on contagious germs and infect multiple patients. There are multiple types of sterilization equipment that you will need throughout the office, including but not limited to:

Dental instrument washers & dryers

Dental sterilizers

Sterilization is essential; even if your other equipment and instruments are of excellent quality. If they aren’t sterile, you won’t be providing excellent care.

Curing Light Units

For treatments like veneers, specialized instruments and equipment are required for the procedures. If you plan to offer cosmetic teeth treatments, you will need a wide range of instruments specifically used for these types of treatments.

One of these instruments is a dental curing light

that will become essential for any procedure that involves materials that need curing by light.

Dental Operatory Lights

To be able to see all the way into patients’ mouths, you will need a strong dental operatory light. When you have a good view of the patient, you can provide more accurate and tailored care for the current condition of their teeth and their mouth.

Cabinets

While cabinets aren’t directly correlated to patient care, they are correlated to how well you perform as a dentist. Organization is key when you have a lot of instruments and equipment in the office. Having cabinets will allow you to organize and store all the essential equipment you need so that you can access it with ease when you are treating a patient.

Reaching for an instrument and knowing exactly where it is, looks much more professional than taking a long time to look for it and wasting the patient’s time.

—

Whether you are starting a new dental office from scratch or updating one that’s already running, it is important to remember the essentials before anything else.

image courtesy of unsplash.com

A Glimpse From The First Cannabis Café in America

(Gloucestercitynews.net)(Nov. 28, 2019)–Cannabis has been recognized for both its benefits and contributions to one’s society. With this, the usage of marijuana has extended into different sectors and services. Alongside this growth and development, the first-ever Cannabis Café in America has become available for service and open to the public.

A weed café, similar to other cafeterias and shops, is a place that offers food and various marijuana products to consume. A guest can afford to order any food from their menu with several marijuana offerings. Upon the establishment of the first weed café, the importance and dominance of cannabis can’t be neglected. Other people choose to visit such a place to obtain

the advantages of taking CBD oil

and marijuana.

Here’s What To Expect From The Lowell Café

Lowell Farms is the first legal business that has a complete cannabis-consumption license. This place allows its customers to smoke weeds while enjoying its ambiance and served food. At the same time, the said restaurant is also believed to create history. It was able to successfully surpassed government negotiation and processes for more than three years before its operation.

This café has also been recognized for its trendy and aesthetic ambiance. Its design is based on the Californian inspiration. With this, it has brick walls, thick ferns, olive trees, and neon signage. The only thing that differs in this shop is its huge air purifiers that help maintain the environment despite the smoking of its customers. Thus,

marijuana

users can continuously consume the plant while enjoying the services and products offered in this restaurant. To explain further, here is a list of things to love from the Lowell Café:

Unique and One-of-a-kind

The legality of marijuana allowed people to consume the plant in the comforts of their home. However, similar to other foods and drinks you consume, several people would also want to try cannabis outside their home. Other people might want to try the plant served and made by professionals. At the same time, customers might also be limited in their homes and can’t use cannabis at home. It may be caused by having children or elderly in the house. Lastly, tourists may seek to visit the country to try cannabis legally. For whatever reason, the establishment of the first café had made a landmark for both long-term and first-time users of marijuana.

Welcoming and Safe

an article

posted by CNN, the Lowell Café is created to have an open place for anyone to enjoy cannabis. Thus, the owners seek to offer a welcoming destination for everyone. With this, it can be your go-to place even if it is your first time to try cannabis. At the same time, the café also seeks to provide a safe environment for its customers. Having a legal world of cannabis, this café has proven the success of creating a community that believes in the wonders of the plant.

Well-Served Food and Drinks

This café is more than just the availability of different variants, tools, and flavor of cannabis that you can enjoy. Instead, it also provides its customers with quality food and drinks for everyone to enjoy. By having such, it has proven that it is indeed a café with delicious food to consume and fill one’s tummy.

Powerful Vents

One of the common fear of its potential customers is the threat of smoke due to the vaping and burning of marijuana. There are industrial-sized vents around the restaurant to extinguish the odor of the plant and cigarette that solves this issue. Thus, customers are guaranteed to have clean scenery and ambiance instead of plumes of smoke. At the same time, the café also ensured that the odor and smoke would not get in contact with its neighbors.

The Bottom Line

The significant development established by America’s first weed café paved the way to the changes in view and acceptance to Cannabis users. Despite being limited by state policies, it is considered as a stepping stone towards the acceptance of people regarding marijuana use. At the same time, the creation of the Lowell Farms made a safe and fun place for users to establish its community and for users to interact. With this, it had made history changed negative perspective taken against marijuana.

image courtesy of unsplash.com

4 Amazing Technologies Improving Our Health Every Day

(Gloucestercitynews.net)(Nov. 28,2019)–

We’ve come a long way from leeches. The high-tech boom of the Information and Innovation Ages has melded with the healthy-living craze. Cutting-edge technologies help us live longer, happier, and healthier lives.

Here are four amazing technologies for improving our health every day …

1. Software as a Medical Device

We get it—you already had to learn what SaaS means, but now you have to learn SaMD? Nevertheless, according to

Orthogonal

, “SaMD is proving to be a major disruptive force in the way healthcare professionals do their work, in areas such as bioinformatics, drug discovery, genomics, point-of-care diagnostics, robotics, and therapeutics.”

SaMD basically uses software to perform one or several basic medical functions. Examples include:

Artificially-intelligent software that examines MRI scans for signs of cardiovascular disease.

Software that recommends insulin dosage for a diabetic patient based on inputs from a patient’s cloud-based food log.

Software that determines the correct dosage of the medication for an individual, based on that individual’s cloud-based medical records.

Software that identifies signs of respiratory conditions based on breathing patterns recorded by the microphone.

Software that tracks the risk factors contributing to epileptic seizures.

SaMD should be distinguished from SiMD (software

a medical device) which includes programs that automate surgical robots or the magnets inside an MRI machine.

Instead of performing these mechanical functions, SaMD apps work in tandem with cloud-based data and wearable devices to provide medical professionals with a wealth of actionable data they couldn’t possibly get from a brief clinic visit (or the clipboard you fill out before the visit).

2. Wearable Health-Tracking Devices

There’s no need to guess when the doctor asks you whether you lead an active or sedentary life. Why guess when a

cheap pedometer

will tell you exactly how many steps you have taken over the course of a week? A month? A year?

In a way, wearable tech started with the wristwatch or pocket watch and took a long leap forward with the cell phone and then the smartphone. Technologies like the Apple Watch have made a clunky transition into the mainstream, but FitBits made a huge splash. HuffPo estimated that by 2018, 130 million wearable devices would have been delivered to consumers.

According to Business Insider Intelligence, a whopping 80%+ of consumers express a willingness to wear fitness technology.

It’s not just about tracking steps, though. Wearable electrocardiogram (ECG) monitors stand to make a huge difference for patients living with heart conditions. A wearable ECG monitor can transmit data directly to your doctor, as well as your atrial fibrillation and details like your elevation, distance, and pace.

This year, Omron Healthcare debuted the first wearable blood pressure monitor to track daily blood pressure readings for patients at risk of hypertension, correlating it with geographical, environmental, and physical exertion data.

Phillips also released a wearable biosensor patch, like those given to astronauts, which shows the promise of an almost 89% reduction in preventable respiratory or cardiac arrest. What a time to be alive … and, presumably, stay alive.

3. Blockchain

No, we don’t mean we will pay all our medical bills with Bitcoin.

Blockchain technology usually makes the news for its role in the cryptocurrency craze. But while crypto is built on blockchain,

blockchain is not crypto.

The reality is far less sexy … and far more revolutionary.

“Blockchain” refers to a process where “blocks” of data exist on a “chain,” a digital, decentralized, and public ledger that exists simultaneously on thousands of individual computers.

As a result, blockchains are

easy to audit and almost impossible to hack or falsify.

This is why people trust it with systems of currency.

Where else do you need transparency, security, and integrity of data. All over the medical profession, of course. According to

Healthcare Weekly

, “Digital blockchains stand to revolutionize how the medical industry creates drugs, runs clinical trials, gathers medical records, and renders care.” In other words, pretty much the whole shebang.

How does blockchain do this? In many ways:

Warehousing of Pharmaceutical Data.

Blockchain and AI technology could standardize and maintain the integrity of the data that pharma companies use to create drugs.

Fighting Counterfeit Pharmaceuticals.

Pharma companies could reduce the $200+ billion in losses they suffer from counterfeit drugs by shoring up the supply chain with unhackable, unimpeachable blockchain records.

Siloing Clinical Trial Data.

No technology shows more promise than blockchain to create unalterable, auditable, secure databases of clinical trial data, which can be browsed by AI for relevant patterns. Blockchain could also bring data integrity to the identification of viable trial subjects.

Managing Patient Consent.

Blockchain’s biggest contribution to the business community may be “smart contracts”—e-signature records beyond reproach. This could apply to patient consent, as well as other hospital contracts.

Patient Intake.

Hey, what if you

didn’t

have to fill out a clipboard in every hospital waiting room and then wait for that data to be input before the doctor sees you? Blockchain offers a secure solution for patient intake

before

you arrive at the doctor’s office.

Verifying Physician Credentials.

Fraudulent physicians and unlicensed quacks are a real liability for hospitals. A transparent, easily-audited blockchain database could replace “scout’s honor” or burdensome research to verify a provider’s qualifications.

The global healthcare marketplace is expected to spend $5.61 billion on blockchain technology by the year 2025 …

and save $100-$150 billion as a result.

Online medical records facilitated by blockchain could work together with wearable devices and SaMD to completely change how patients track their health and how medical professionals deliver care.

4. Genomics

The mapping of the first human genome in 2003 was a medical milestone. The next frontier is the mapping of

your

own genome. Yes, each person’s unique genome, which contains its own inalterable “blockchain” of data about that person’s physiology.

Genomics stands to take personalized medical treatment to the next level. Doctors can take a much less scattershot approach to treatment, therapy, and medication, instead of tailoring a treatment plan to the data found in the patient’s genome. It really is the application of a data-driven age to the very cells of our body and the DNA inside of them.

Genomics stands to:

Reduce our intake of inefficient medications.

Reduce the application of unnecessary surgeries.

Revolutionize the treatment of cancer.

Provide treatment options for genetic disorders like Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, Angleman’s Syndrome, and many more.

How Long Do Resin Beads in a Water Softener Last?

(Gloucestercitynews.net)(Nov. 26, 2019)–Whether you have just purchased a water softener or still using the one you bought on your last shopping, one of your many worries include when to replace the resin bed. This leads to asking – how long do resin beads in

industrial water softeners

last?

Also, you inquire further about the kind of maintenance it requires, how they work, and which of these resin beads the best is for you. In this post, we\’ll provide answers to these questions and help you get the most out of your resin beads.

What is a Water Softener Resin

Water softener resin

is a media to remove the hardness of your water. This media uses an ion exchange process to eliminate the high amount of heavy metals and other minerals, causing hardness of water, leaving the water in your plumbing network soft.

While the water conditioner does not remove the hardness in water, the resin descales it. For salt-based models, the resin bed plays an integral part in making your water soft. In most commercial and residential houses, water treatment includes the water softening resin to get rid of minerals, causing hardness.

How the Resin Works

The resin bed of a water softener is a collection of thousands of resin beads located in the unit\’s tank. When you turn on the tap, water flows into the water softener and passes through the resin bed, where it comes in contact with the plethora of resin beads in the tank. During the process, the resin beads trap calcium, magnesium, and other minerals, allowing only soft water to flow out in your kitchen outlet.

Type of Resin

In the market today, there are two main types of water softeners, which includes:

Fine mesh resin

Standard ion exchange resin.

It\’s vital that you know more about each model before heading to your local store to purchase just any water softening resin that comes your way. However, you should choose the one that best suits your needs.

Fine Mesh Resin

This type of resin is excellent for removing high concentrations of iron. It comes with small-sized resin beads that are capable of removing as high as ten parts in a million dissolved iron.

That\’s not all: it helps make your drinking water taste better since this resin is sometimes blended with activated carbon. Besides, this type features small-sized resin beads; you must place a flow basket on the upper part to help avoid resin migration when it\’s regenerating.

Standard Ion Exchange Resin

This is the most popular water softener type on the market. Unlike fine mesh resin, the standard ion exchange resin is only capable of removing up to 5 parts per million of dissolved iron. When it comes to water purification, this model does it better.

Further, standard ion exchange resin uses sodium chloride or potassium chloride to regenerate the resin.

Crosslink Percentage

Crosslink is a crucial factor to consider when trying to pin down the best water softening resin. Crosslink is a measure of the amount of divinylbenzene (DVB), which a resin bed contains. Products featuring higher crosslink percentage, often come with a hefty price tag.

However, it doesn\’t mean resin with a higher crosslink percentage is the best choice for every homeowner.

To begin with, there are two variations of crosslink percentage – 8 and 10 percent. Let\’s take a look at each variation and why you should consider it.

8% Crosslink

The 8% crosslink is the most used

water softening resin percentage

. It\’s suitable for removing dissolved iron up to 3 – 5 parts per million while softening your water wholly. This resin should serve you for about 10 -15 years, which is based on your water quality. You can expect maximum effectiveness from this unit when used with non-chlorinated water.

10% Crosslink

When it comes to softening hard water, 10% crosslink packs a lot of strength. This type is recommended for people dealing with chlorinated iron-free water. Higher crosslink helps handle the high amount of chlorine in your water. Besides, it permits a huge capacity for water.

Sadly, owning a high crosslink resin can be way over your budget and often leads to a significant drop in water pressure.

Which is best

Still not sure which resin suits your needs? Let\’s help you make an informed decision.

For homeowners with water offering 5 P.P.M of chlorine, then you should lean more to resin with 8% crosslink. This option is also suitable for people looking to treat their city water.

But if you have got water featuring higher than 5 P.P.M of chlorine, which means you need a strong resin to handle oxidation. Fine mesh or 10% crosslink resin is an ideal choice. Also, for people with well water, you can make sure of any of the resins to remove hardness.

How long do they last

Needless to say, water softener resin requires replacement after a while. Most brands out there boast of a lifetime within 10 – 15 years. But, in the end, it boils down to the

quality of your water

and the number of times it regenerates.

In addition, keep in mind that the concentration of iron in your water and organic coating of your resin determines how long resin beads last. To simply say, a high amount of chlorine or iron can kill the resin bed faster.

MD Anderson at Cooper Leading the Way in Pancreatic Cancer in SJ

CAMDEN CITY, NJ (Nov. 21, 2019)–Pancreatic cancer is the 4th leading cause of

cancer death in the United States and the second most common gastrointestinal cancer in the U.S.

There are two types of pancreas cancer:

pancreatic adenocarcinoma

, which makes up more than 95% of all pancreatic cancers, and the rarer

pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor

. The symptoms and treatments for neuroendocrine tumors are different than those of pancreatic adenocarcinomas. For this article we will focus on pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

photo Jamin C Morrison, MD

“There are several reasons mortality rates related to pancreatic cancer are so high,” says

Jamin Morrison, MD

, medical oncologist at MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper.

“Pancreatic cancer is an aggressive cancer and it generally spreads silently, without symptoms,” says Morrison. “About 80% of pancreatic cancers are diagnosed after the cancer has spread to other organs, which makes them hard to treat.”

“The pancreas is set deep inside the body, behind several other organs, making it difficult to feel or see without special equipment,” he explains.

“Also, there are no screening tests for pancreatic cancer for those at average risk,” Dr. Morrison continues. “Screening is generally limited to people at high risk, such as those with certain inherited

Your pancreas is about 6 inches long and lies horizontally behind the lower part of your stomach back toward the spine. The pancreas is an essential organ in the digestive process. It produces enzymes that aid in digestion and it makes insulin and other hormones that help the body manage sugar.

gene mutations.”

Advanced Treatment Options

Treatment for pancreatic cancer may include surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, interventional radiology procedures, or a combination of these options. “Coordinated, multidisciplinary care like we have at MD Anderson at Cooper is crucial to good outcomes,” says Dr. Morrison.

“Today we are able to offer some exciting new chemotherapy regimens that are more effective in treating pancreatic cancer than ever before,” says Dr. Morrison. “There have been great advances in our understanding of how pancreatic cancers behave, and the more we know about the cancer the more effective treatment can be.

“We often treat patients with an aggressive chemotherapy regimen before surgery to shrink the tumor and make the surgery more effective,” he explains. “And we have a new clinical trial underway where we are delivering chemotherapy directly into the tumor.”

photo Francis R Spitz, MD, FACS

When pancreatic cancer is confined to the pancreas, and sometimes when it has spread only to nearby lymph nodes, the tumor can be removed with surgery. “Complete removal of the tumor with surgery is often the best chance at curing pancreatic cancer,” says

Frank Spitz, MD, FACS

, Director of the Pancreatic Cancer Program and Deputy Director of MD Anderson at Cooper.

“Research shows that patients who have their surgery at high volume centers like MD Anderson at Cooper have fewer complications and lower mortality,” says Dr. Spitz. “Our team performs the most pancreatic cancer surgeries in South Jersey. The experience of our surgeons and team makes a difference.”

The most common technique used to remove a pancreatic tumor is known as the

Whipple procedure

. This complex operation is performed when the cancer is located in the pancreatic head. The surgery involves removal of parts of the pancreas, intestine, nearby lymph nodes, gallbladder, bile duct, and sometimes parts of the stomach. Often, we can offer minimally invasive surgery for tumors located in the body and tail of the pancreas – which means smaller incisions, shorter hospital stays, less pain, and a faster return to normal activities.

Advanced radiation therapy technologies are also being used to treat pancreatic cancer at MD Anderson at Cooper.

David J Mulvihill, MD

“Patients with pancreatic cancer can receive radiation treatments before or after surgery; either to shrink the tumor pre-operatively or destroy any remaining cancer cells after surgery. Radiation therapy can also be used to destroy the tumor if surgery is not an option or to ease symptoms,” says

David Mulvihill, MD

, radiation oncologist at MD Anderson at Cooper.

In spring 2020, MD Anderson at Cooper will be one of the first centers in the U.S. to offer a ground-breaking new radiation treatment to patients with pancreatic and other cancers – the MR Linac.

“We’re very excited about this technology,” says Mulvihill. “It allows for greater precision during treatment, especially with tumors that move during breathing and/or the body’s natural internal movements.”

“Pancreatic cancer continues to be a challenge for cancer experts, but the team at MD Anderson at Cooper is committed to improving the odds for patients and is leading the way in pancreatic cancer care in South Jersey,” says Dr. Spitz.

For more information about the

Pancreatic Cancer Program at MD Anderson at Cooper

or if you’d like to make an appointment with one of our specialists call 855.MDA.COOPER (855.632.2667).

Jefferson Health in New Jersey Receives MAAPE Proficiency Award

CHERRY HILL, NJ (Nov. 22, 2019)–Jefferson Health in New Jersey (JHNJ) recently received a Proficiency Award from the nonprofit Mid-Atlantic Alliance for Performance Excellence (MAAPE). The award is the next tier in JHNJ’s journey to achieve Baldrige Performance Excellence, after receiving MAAPE’s Commitment Award in 2017.

JHNJ began its Baldrige journey in 2017 — under the leadership of Dr. David Condoluci, Senior Vice President and Chief Patient Safety & Quality Officer; Kathleen Victor, Corporate Director for Performance Improvement; and Abbey Driendl, Performance Excellence Specialist — by using the

Baldridge Health Care Excellence Framework

. Many organizations use the framework to reach their goals, improve and sustain results, and become more competitive.

“I am pleased we have been awarded the next tier level in the Baldrige Journey,” said Joseph W. Devine, FACHE, President, New Jersey Division. “This is a monumental achievement for our program, after just two years on the journey. The award acknowledges our commitment to excellence, and our drive to establish and execute processes for continuous improvement.”

The MAAPE is a Baldrige-based awards program serving Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware. MAAPE helps organizations improve their performance and outcomes; it uses the leading-edge Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence as the basis for its process and for giving feedback to applicants. The result of this feedback supports JHNJ’s performance advancement and achieving increasing levels of excellence through MAAPE and, eventually, at the national level through the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).

The Baldrige Framework helps JHNJ accelerate its performance in 17 Health Care Criteria in leadership, strategy, customers, measurement, analysis and knowledge management, workforce, operations, and results. Dr. Condoluci, who last spring completed the nationally recognized

Baldrige Executive Fellowship Program

, says, “We are excited to see this framework shape our organization to be a high-performing healthcare system dedicated to improving lives by putting people first, doing the right thing, and being bold and thinking differently.”

Devine will accept the award at MAAPE’s annual Awards Banquet & Conference, in Malvern, PA, on Nov. 13. Among the six other award recipients will be Abington – Jefferson Health, who will receive MAAPE’s Excellence Award, the highest level of recognition. For more, visit

www.midatlanticape.org

Jefferson Health New Jersey Using MyChart for Patient Medical Records

On September 28, Jefferson Health in New Jersey transitioned to a new patient portal called MyChart. The innovative, user-friendly platform will enhance the safety and security of the organization of medical records, as well as offer unique benefits to

patients.

MyChart allows patients to access real-time results, right at their fingertips, explains Brenda Gorman, oncology assistant at the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center – Washington Township.

“It’s one chart – everywhere you go,” said Gorman. “That’s what we are so excited about! All of the patient’s information will be comprehensive, in one spot, to help us provide the best possible care.”

If you’re a Jefferson Health patient using MyChart through a secure, internet connection, you can:

Schedule medical appointments during or after office hours.

Swap your appointment for an earlier one.

Message your provider directly (*note: not meant for urgent matters).

Schedule video visits with Jefferson Health doctors.

View test results electronically – no more waiting for a phone call or letter in the mail.

Request prescription refills at Jefferson pharmacies.

View your health information while you\’re in the hospital, with

MyChart Bedside

, a 24/7 tool that provides you with safe and secure access to your medical record, treatment plan, test results and more.

If you or a loved one requires additional assistance in managing and navigating medical care, you can also

assign a Proxy

through MyChart. If you are a parent, legal guardian or other designated adult, you might be eligible to become a designated proxy.

Gorman and all other clinical employees at Jefferson Health in New Jersey have received extensive training in MyChart and Epic (the new internal electronic medical record system).

“It’s our priority to have complete accuracy in each patient’s chart,” continued Gorman. “In addition, no one can access patient records without a proper, credential login, and we can see everyone who views a chart. We want these records to be as safe as our patients.”

With this transition, you’ll be able to manage your healthcare information like never before. You can sign-up for MyChart at your next Jefferson Health visit.

To learn more about MyChart, including how to login, schedule an appointment, pay your bill online, and more, click

HERE

Check out Jefferson Health in New Jersey\’s journey to implementing Epic and MyChart by watching the video below!