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The wellness industry revitalizes opportunities for older adults


ICAA State of the Wellness Industry Report 2022

A significant commitment to wellness is forecast to shift industry models in senior living, as 61% of respondents believe that by 2025 their community will be based in a wellness lifestyle with options for care.

As the world adapts to the pandemic era, the respondents to a new survey from the International Council on Active Aging® (ICAA) believe that in this 21st century, updated approaches that recognize the longer health spans, longer work lives and active lifestyles of older adults are the future. The guiding force directing the renewal is wellness, which encompasses all areas of a person’s life, as an integrated whole.

To assist organizations with housing, services and programs aimed at adults about 60 years and older, ICAA surveyed 459 members and associates to take the temperature of industry leadership and staff members. The ICAA State of the Wellness Industry 2022 report details the status of wellness culture, wellness programs, priorities, budgets and staffing, plans for remodeling and building, and public access to facilities. Among the brick-and-mortar organizations included in the ICAA State of the Wellness Industry 2022 report, most (68%) represent senior living and care organizations, followed by community-based active adult “seniors” centers and agencies (14%) and businesses with older adults participants (medical fitness, health clubs and studios).

“Wellness is defined by ICAA as ‘our ability to understand, accept and act upon our identity and capacity to lead a purpose-filled and engaged life…so we can embrace our potential to pursue and optimize life’s possibilities,’” said Colin Milner, CEO of International Council on Active Aging. “All the department heads and staff members can apply that philosophy to their work. Shouldn’t each individual’s purpose-filled and engaged life be the goal for everyone working at an organization with services for older adults?”

Key points emerged across the wide-ranging ICAA State of the Wellness Industry 2022 survey:


  • Wellness, meaning the influences on all areas of a person’s life, is an elevated priority among many organizations. Among all respondents, 81% believe executives give wellness a high or essential priority in 2022.
  • In organizations where executives give wellness a high or essential priority, onsite lifestyle programs, recruiting and retaining staff members, onsite food service/dining and technology or technology infrastructure are being emphasized.
  • A significant commitment to wellness is forecast to shift industry models in senior living. Among 242 senior living and care organizations, 61% of respondents believe that by 2025 the community will be based in a wellness lifestyle with options for care. This belief is more common among those who work with independent older adults, as opposed to people working with older adults in a nursing environment, where a community based in care with options for wellness was stated. (The term “senior living” includes continuing care/life plan and independent living communities, and assisted living or memory care, many with nursing services.)
  • The shift towards a wellness model is supported by the fact that many people (53%) who answered the survey believe that the organization where they work is based in a culture of wellness, which involves all leaders, staff members and the older adults they serve in providing services and experiences that enable clients, residents and members to participate in life-affirming choices.
  • Recruiting and staffing wellness positions, along with all others, is a major challenge. Although some organizations have budgeted for additional staff members, it has been difficult for fill open positions with qualified candidates.
  • In-person programs and services have resumed, and a hybrid format of in-person and virtual presentations is projected. Currently, 69% of wellness lifestyle programs are being delivered in-person across all the organizations. Some respondents said that a limited number of programs are virtual (38%) or there is a 50/50 mix of in-person and virtual programs (14%).
  • When considering the people they observed at their workplaces, respondents said about 71% of older adults attend indoor programs; 58% attend outdoor programs. Those who attend in-person may also join virtual wellness programs at home (46%) or with others in a public space or recreation center (36%).
  • Wellness staff members plan to feature emotional, social and spiritual wellness in their programs, noting that the pandemic showed how important these are.
  • Technology will be an important integration into programs, services and facilities. Organizational plans for 2022-2023 are to add technology infrastructure and capabilities to current buildings (62%), redesign/remodel current public rooms (40%) and design and build new buildings (34%) or add new additions to existing buildings (25%).

“ICAA issued a Call to Action early in 2021 to ‘reclaim health and well-being for older people by integrating wellness throughout all organizational strategies and operations,’” said Colin Milner, CEO of International Council on Active Aging. This survey shows that the people in senior living and active-adult organizations are emerging from the pandemic crises and, while keeping to all safety measures, are motivated to help older adults renew the quality of their lives through wellness.”

While there are many issues to contend with, professionals who work for older adults are committed to maintaining and improving the services and lifestyle they offer. The philosophy of wellness, framed by seven dimensions, is a map to guide their purpose.

The ICAA State of the Wellness Industry 2022 report is available on the ICAA website under Research, Report.

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New Season of the Global Wellness Summit Podcast Kicks Off in Conversation with Dr. Michael Roizen, Longevity Expert with the Assertion That “90 Will Become the New 40”


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Episodes of Global Wellness Conversations take a deeper dive into wellness topics that matter

The Global Wellness Summit (GWS) has released yesterday the 54th episode of its popular wellness podcast, which now can be found under its new name: Global Wellness Conversations (GWC). First recorded at the 2019 GWS in Singapore, GWC has grown into a year-round series featuring inspiring, thought-provoking conversations with leading voices in the business of wellness. While informed by the annual Summit, the podcast name change reflects the approachable and practical conversational dialogue in each episode, allowing wellness thought leaders to inspire not only with deep industry insights but also with their rich personal stories and business highs and lows.

The GWS is an organization that brings together industry luminaries to positively shape the future of the $4.4 trillion global wellness economy. Its annual gathering, held at a different location around the globe each year, is where thought leaders and experts from the worlds of medicine, science, business, technology, investment, academia, design and hospitality come together to shape the future of wellness globally.

The GWC podcast—which for the first time this season will also post videos of each interview on the GWS YouTube Channel—makes topics influencing the business of wellness accessible to the world at large. This dynamic communications platform also provides another avenue for discussing the Global Wellness Institute’s (GWI’s) Wellness Moonshot: A World Free of Preventable Disease by sharing practical, research-backed information that listeners can apply in their own lives. The topics range from the role of the gut biome to tips for financial wellness; from the nuances of wellness architecture to the science of sleep. Host, Kim Marshall, a 25-year veteran of the wellness industry, acts as an entertaining and humorous conduit between the experts and podcast listeners.

Podcast guests this season include:

  • Dr. Michael Roizen, Professor, Learner College of Medicine of Cleveland Clinic at Case Western Reserve University and Emeritus Chief Wellness Officer Emeritus, Cleveland Clinic — The author of four New York Times best sellers, the host of a weekly podcast and syndicated newspaper column, Dr. Roizen was also the Co-Chair of the 2021 Global Wellness Summit in Boston. We explore why he has the audacity and insight to make the claim that soon “90 will be the new 40.”
  • Belgin Aksoy, Founder of Global Wellness Day (GWD) — Learn how this cancer survivor’s vision became a reality and how GWD grew from a one-day event dedicated to sharing free wellness education and experiences in one country in 2014 to what it is today: a wellness event celebrated in 7,000 locations in 150+ countries on six continents and endorsed by Oprah Winfrey.
  • Carolee Lee, Founder of Women’s Health Access Matters (WHAM) — Hear how the creator of one of the fashion industry’s most popular accessory brands used her powerhouse circle of female friends to change a long-accepted reality in the medical world. Before founding WHAM, women were historically left out of clinical trials, with findings defaulting to the male “norm,” even when specific diseases affected women up to three times more.
  • Susie Ellis, Co-Founder and CEO of the Global Wellness Summit & Global Wellness Institute — Find out the origin story behind this modern-day wellness icon. Hear how she learned at the “feet of the masters” and was driven to establish credibility for the wellness industry by establishing an independent research institute that quantifies the global wellness economy and provides scientific evidence supporting wellness modalities. Ellis shares her organization’s forward-looking trends for 2022 and her predictions for the future of the business of wellness.


“Episodes of Global Wellness Conversations take a deeper dive into wellness topics that matter, and, crucially, expose more people to the important work both organizations are doing,” explains Nancy Davis, Chief Creative Officer & Executive Director for both GWS and GWI. “Our goal with the podcast is to bring our content—including research findings, trend reports and Summit speakers—to an even larger audience. Kim’s background in and passion for the wellness industry coupled with her natural warmth makes each episode interesting and delightful. It’s like listening to conversations between friends.”

This season’s sponsor is Access Corporate Group (ACG)—an innovative brand management company with offices in US, Canada, China, Australia and New Zealand that oversees a family of online wellness and beauty brands found at http://www.vtnstore.com and a marketplace of 100,000 influencers who share their knowledge and experience with the platform’s 12 million users. ACG’s proprietary ecosystem of business intelligence, product development, influencer marketplace, international distribution and marketing has resulted in a dynamic international success story in the world of wellness retail.

S’Well The Agency, a public relations and strategic firm specializing in wellness storytelling, produces the Global Wellness Conversation podcast with Nova Media, a full-service podcast production agency. The GWC podcast is free to listen to on Apple & Google Podcasts, Spotify, Audible, and everywhere podcasts are available.

Images to accompany this news are found here.

About the Global Wellness Summit —The Global Wellness Summit is the premier organization that brings together leaders and visionaries to positively shape the future of the $4.4 trillion global wellness economy. Its future-focused conference is held at a different global location each year and has traveled to the United States, Switzerland, Turkey, Bali, India, Morocco, Mexico, Austria, Italy and Singapore. GWS also hosts other virtual and in-person gatherings, including Wellness Master Classes, Wellness Sector Spotlights, Investor “Reverse Pitch” events and Symposiums. The organization’s annual Global Wellness Trends Report offers expert-based predictions on the future of wellness. The 2022 Summit will be held in Tel Aviv, Israel from October 31–November 3.

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Ideal Option Opens Low-Barrier Addiction Medicine Clinic in Conway


Ideal Option, a national leader in evidence-based treatment for addiction to methamphetamine, fentanyl, heroin, alcohol and other substances, is now welcoming new patients in Conway. The new outpatient clinic, located at 1355 Dave Ward Dr, Ste 102, will provide evidence-based medication-assisted treatment led by an onsite provider.

According to a recent release from the Arkansas Department of Human Services, methamphetamine is currently Arkansas’s greatest drug threat. 

“Since 2014, the number of methamphetamine overdose deaths has quadrupled,” said Arkansas State Drug Director Kirk Lane. The release goes on to state that by itself, methamphetamine use is dangerous enough, but mixing it with opioids drastically increases the risk of overdose and death.

Ideal Option data from 2021 show 44% of patients in Arkansas tested positive for multiple substances at enrollment, most commonly opioids and methamphetamine. The data also support the effectiveness of treatment. Among patients who remained in treatment with Ideal Option during 2021, urine drug testing shows:

  • 78% less methamphetamine use
  • 80% less total opioid use
  • 92% less fentanyl use
  • 93% less heroin use

The new clinic in Conway is Ideal Option’s sixth location in Arkansas and is opening at a time of desperate need for expanded access to evidence-based treatment from experienced and specialized providers. Ideal Option has been specializing in addiction medicine for 10 years and currently operates 76 clinics across 10 states.

“Since opening our first clinic in 2020, Ideal Option has already helped hundreds of individuals in Arkansas struggling with substance use disorder, and we are thrilled to expand to Conway,” said Aaron Bunch, community outreach coordinator for Arkansas. “We are excited to offer our services here and change lives for the better so that this great community can thrive.”

The new Ideal Option clinic in Conway is open Monday – Thursday, 7:30 a.m. – 6 p.m. and is located at 1355 Dave Ward Dr, Ste 102, Conway, AR 72034.

Most forms of insurance are accepted, including Medicare and Medicaid, and patients can typically get started on treatment for fentanyl, heroin, alcohol or other substances within 1-3 business days.

Patients can make an appointment by calling 1.877.522.1275 or visiting http://www.idealoption.com.  

About Ideal Option 

Headquartered in Kennewick, Washington, Ideal Option was founded in 2012 and has since helped more than 50,000 patients through a network of 77 office-based medication-assisted treatment (MAT) clinics across 10 states. With a mission to serve under-served communities, Ideal Option accepts all forms of insurance including Medicaid and Medicare. Financial assistance and payment plans are also available. 

Ideal Option’s team of medical providers carry certifications in Addiction and Emergency Medicine, Internal, and Family Medicine, among other specialties. The company also employs social workers, caseworkers, counselors, and mental health practitioners. This holistic approach helps drive positive outcomes, including family stability, stable housing, improved overall health, and reduced rates of recidivism. 

In all the communities it serves, Ideal Option collaborates with existing stakeholders and providers to improve the continuum of care. This approach includes partnerships with emergency rooms and county jail systems, where individuals with substance use disorder often appear, as well as collaborating with numerous support agencies and municipal programs addressing social needs such as housing, mental health, and nutrition support.

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Six Physicians at Garden State Pain & Orthopedics Have Been Approved By NJ Top Docs


Garden State Pain & Orthopedics

Garden State Pain & Orthopedics



NJ Top Docs has reviewed and approved six physicians of Garden State Pain & Orthopedics for 2022. The following Garden State Pain & Orthopedics physicians have been reviewed and approved as 2022 NJ Top Docs:

  • Deepan Patel, MD
  • Dev Sinha, MD
  • Dipan Patel, MD
  • Jahnna Levy, DO
  • Neil Sinha, MD
  • Saurabh Dang, MD

Garden State Pain and Orthopedics takes pride in their ability for Same-Day Appointments. Between all of their locations, they are able to get patients into the office at their earliest convenience. In fact, a new office will be opening this summer in West Orange, New Jersey. That facility will focus on Pain Management and Orthopedics.

The team at Garden State Pain and Orthopedics often host events to raise awareness of pain. These events give back to essential workers, while educating gyms and school systems.

To learn more about this NJ Top Docs practice, please visit: https://njtopdocs.com/nj-doctors/gardenstatepainorthopedics/

About Us

NJ Top Docs is a comprehensive, trusted and exclusive healthcare resource featuring reviewed and approved Top Doctors and Dentists in New Jersey online in an easy to use format. NJ Top Docs only reviews and approves providers based on merit after they have been extensively vetted.

NJ Top Docs is a division of USA Top Docs which allows patients to meet providers online before making their appointment.

For more information, please click here to contact us or visit http://www.NJTopDocs.com.

You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter, & Instagram.

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VEXXHOST Launches Atmosphere, a New Open Source, OpenStack Deployment Tool


Atmosphere Logo

The tool is tried and tested, as VEXXHOST has been using it for a long time in their public clouds, and private clouds, and recommending it to their consulting clients.

VEXXHOST Inc., a leading Canadian cloud computing provider has announced the launch of Atmosphere, a new tool that can deploy a fully integrated OpenStack environment. Furthermore, the company has made the technology open source so that it benefits all of the users of the cloud-based infrastructure-as-a-service platform. The announcement was made a few days ahead of the Open Infrastructure Summit happening in Berlin, where the company is a premier sponsor.

Built with open source technologies at its core, including Ansible, Prometheus, Kubernetes and Helm, Atmosphere is capable of integrating all key elements needed for a production-level cloud environment. The tool allows you to deploy a cloud that supports virtual machines (VMs), block and object storage, load balancers as a Service (LBaaS), Kubernetes, bare metal, and many more.

Atmosphere – Need and Benefits

“We are very excited about the launch of Atmosphere. It stems from a need we identified while working with OpenStack and its various users” says Mohammed Naser, CEO of VEXXHOST. “When speaking to different organizations who are looking to deploy OpenStack, many seem to be at loss attempting to turn all the right knobs to get a solid cloud up. For some, OpenStack configuration can be hard, with many tool options, and a lack of clarity on how to use them. So we used our 11 years of experience using the platform to curate the perfect combination of tools.”

With Atmosphere, users save a lot of time, as the deployment tool removes the burden of research to find and integrate many different OpenStack elements. Furthermore, it supports high availability controllers, and passes Tempest validation tests, allowing users to deploy OpenStack much faster.

Open Source Nature

According to VEXXHOST, Atmosphere can be a solution for anyone from single developers to multinational companies. OpenStack system administrators of any level can run the tool easily and deploy cloud environments according to their preferences.

“VEXXHOST has demonstrated extensive experience deploying the latest OpenStack versions in challenging production environments. With the launch of Atmosphere, anyone can now tap into that accumulated decade of experience and lessons learned.” says Thierry Carrez, general manager, OpenInfra Foundation. “It’s great that such an engaged, long standing supporter of the community and the project has stepped up to give everyone the power they’ve created to run their own, OpenStack-powered public cloud.”

The tool is tried and tested, as VEXXHOST has been using it for a long time in their public clouds, and private clouds, and recommending it to their consulting clients. Making the tool open source ensures that the global open infrastructure community also benefits from it.

“Open source has been at the core of VEXXHOST’s values since its inception,” says Mohammed Naser. “We’re transparent that different open source communities have helped us get to where we are and we thought that this would be a great way to give back. Also, if you feel like contributing to this tool, we welcome you to do so,” he adds.

In an ever-changing cloud computing world, the VEXXHOST team is committed to collective technological growth – the launch of Atmosphere and making the tool open source are testaments to this commitment. This move aligns with the company’s mission of providing efficient and secure services while being community-driven. Users can access Atmosphere with its source code and learn more about it in the documentation.

About VEXXHOST

Founded in 2006, VEXXHOST Inc. is a Canadian cloud computing provider offering OpenStack-powered public cloud, private cloud, and consulting services to its customers. From small businesses to governments in over 150 different countries, VEXXHOST delivers high-level expertise to help clients optimize their cloud infrastructure.

For more information, visit https://vexxhost.com.

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American Headache Society® Delivers Cutting Edge Educational Content During the Upcoming 64th Annual Scientific Meeting®


“It is an exciting time in the field of headache medicine. During the meeting, attendees will have an opportunity to see the latest in research, hear from the world’s leading experts in headache medicine.” – Dr. Amynah A. Pradhan Ph.D., Chair of the AHS Scientific Meeting planning committee.

The American Headache Society®(AHS), a professional society of healthcare providers dedicated to the study and treatment of headache and face pain, will host its 2022 Annual Scientific Meeting on June 9-12 in Denver, Colorado. Attendees can participate in-person or virtually, gaining practical, clinical, evidence-based information on the diagnosis, management, and treatment of headache disorders.

“It is an exciting time in the field of headache medicine. During the meeting, attendees will have an opportunity to see the latest in research, hear from the world’s leading experts in headache medicine and discuss therapies to improve the lives of people with migraine and other headache disorders,” said Dr. Amynah A. Pradhan Ph.D., Chair of the AHS Scientific Meeting planning committee.

New research will be presented during the following sessions:


  • Migraine Prevalence has Remained Stable While Disability has Increased in US Population Studies
  • Headache Disability in Children and Adolescents Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic
  • Symptoms of Increased Peripheral and Central Sensitization Predict the Response to anti-CGRP Monoclonal Antibodies
  • Classifying Migraine Using Deep Learning Methodology

[The full program Meeting program is available on the AHS Meeting website. Media can obtain passes to gain access to all Annual Scientific Meeting content. Online access to presentations will be available on-demand for six months.

AHS is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education (CME) for physicians.

AHS is actively monitoring the health and safety guidance from the Centers for Disease Control as well as state and local health departments. All attendees, speakers, and exhibitors are required to be vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus at least 14 days prior to arriving for the event. Details related to AHS’ COVID-19 protocols can be found here.

For more information about the American Headache Society and its events, programs, and membership, visit americanheadachesociety.org. Live Meeting updates will be posted on all AHS outlets, @ahsheadache, and is easily searchable using #AHSAM22.

About the American Headache Society (AHS) The mission of the American Headache Society is to improve the care and lives of people living with headache disorders. The American Headache Society (AHS) is a professional society of health care providers dedicated to the study and treatment of headache and face pain. The Society’s objective is to promote the exchange of information and ideas concerning the causes and treatments of headache and related painful disorders. Educating physicians, health professionals, and the public and encouraging scientific research are the primary functions of our Society. For more information about AHS, visit americanheadachesociety.org.

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Family Source Consultants Mark Pride Month With a New Webinar for Hopeful Gay Parents


Two fathers with their baby

Gestational surrogacy is a popular option for gay parents who wish to be biologically related to their child.

At Family Source, we understand that LGBTQ individuals and same-sex couples face unique challenges on their path to parenthood. Gestational surrogacy is a beautiful way for gay intended parents to create or expand their family.

Hosted exclusively by Family Source Consultants, the free webinar “Surrogacy for Gay Parents” will be held on Wednesday, June 15, 2022. The 45-minute session is designed to educate and inspire would-be gay parents about the process of building a family via third-party reproductive techniques, including egg donation and surrogacy.

Surrogacy for Gay Parents will also feature couples who have already had biological children through FSC and are eager to share their surrogacy journeys with other prospective parents.

Family Source CEO and owner Staci Swiderski says that although many gay couples and singles dream of becoming parents, they are often uncertain about how to approach the surrogacy process.

She felt that Pride Month would be the perfect opportunity to help the gay community realize the possibilities of family-building through surrogacy.

“At Family Source, we understand that LGBTQ individuals and same-sex couples face unique challenges on their path to parenthood,” Swiderski says. “Gestational surrogacy is a beautiful way for gay intended parents to create or expand their family.”

As an agency committed to equality in family-building, FSC has already helped thousands of gay couples and singles realize their dreams of starting a family. Around half of the FSC client base are members of the LGBTQIA+ community, including parents from more than 30 countries around the world. Family Source is also a proud supporter of the organizations Men Having Babies and Family Equality.

Among FSC’s many success stories is that of Client Relations Manager Jérôme Brun. Jérôme and his partner welcomed their baby boy into the world in February 2020 after using an egg donor and a surrogate.

Now, Jérôme loves sharing his knowledge and expertise of international surrogacy for LGBT parents with FSC’s French and German-speaking clients, as well as many English-speaking European-based clients, providing both professional and personal insights.

FSC’s Client Relations Specialists Peter Li and Ben Xu are also experts in helping intended parents in Asia navigate the third-party reproduction process. Like Jérôme, Peter and Ben are doting dads to a son and daughter born via surrogacy and egg donation. They know how important it is for other hopeful parents to hear of their first-hand experience.

“We wanted to join the FSC team to let more people know how great they are at helping intended parents realize their family dream,” says Ben.

Though the webinar will address issues specific to gay parents, the Surrogacy for Gay Parents webinar is open to anyone who wishes to know more about creating a family through surrogacy, egg donation, and IVF, regardless of sexual orientation or marital status.

Those interested are invited to register through the Family Source website at https://www.familysourceconsultants.com/event/surrogacy-for-gay-parents/

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Intetics ML&AI Algorithms for Neural Implant Insertion Received an Honorable Mention in Health and Software Categories of Fast Company’s 2022 World Changing Ideas Awards


2022 World Changing Ideas Awards

“The new application we developed helps surgeons navigate neural implant insertion. With the honorable mention by Fast Company, we can spread our client’s success story to assist others in dealing with similar innovation driven MedTech challenges”

The winners of Fast Company’s 2022 World Changing Ideas Awards were announced, honoring clean technology, innovative corporate initiatives, brave new designs for cities and buildings, and other creative works that are supporting the growth of positive social innovation, tackling social inequality, climate change, and public health crises.

Intetics Inc. ML & AI algorithms for neural implant insertion received an honorable mention in Health and Software categories. The project was conducted for a medical device company developing innovative therapies for patients suffering from Central Nervous System (CNS) diseases. Within 12 months, the Intetics team implemented an FDA-approved solution so that the client managed to certify the entire hardware and software complex and start selling in US clinics.

The AI & ML-based application allows surgeons to insert the client’s neural implant in a much safer and more informed manner – thus giving hope to the millions of people suffering from stroke symptoms.

Now in its sixth year, the World Changing Ideas Awards showcase 39 winners, 350 finalists, and more than 600 honorable mentions—with climate, social justice, and AI and data among the most popular categories. A panel of eminent Fast Company editors and reporters selected winners and finalists from a pool of more than 2,997 entries across transportation, education, food, politics, technology, health, social justice, and more. In addition, several new categories have been added this year including climate, nature, water, and workplace. The 2022 awards feature entries from across the globe, from Switzerland to Hong Kong to Australia.

Fast Company’s Summer 2022 issue (on newsstands May 10, 2022) will showcase some of the world’s most inventive entrepreneurs and companies tackling global challenges. The issues highlight, among others, probiotics for coral reefs, easy-to-assemble kit homes for refugees or disaster survivors, a 3D printed vaccine patch, an electric truck, a system to heat homes from the waste heat of a name-brand factory, and prosecutor-initiated resentencing for overly long prison sentences.

“Intetics engineers are inventing medical devices that reach deep into the body while having less impact on tissues. The goal is to decrease the surgical burden – and one of our clients inspired us for a breakthrough in this field. We are delighted that Intetics AI & ML algorithms project has been recognized as a 2022 World Changing Ideas honoree. The new application we developed helps surgeons navigate neural implant insertion. With the honorable mention by Fast Company, we can spread our client’s success story to assist others in dealing with similar innovation driven MedTech challenges. Greatly appreciate this,” said Boris Kontsevoi, CEO and President at Intetics.

“We are consistently inspired by the novelty and creativity that people are applying to solve some of our society’s most pressing problems, from shelter to the climate crisis. Fast Company relishes its role in amplifying important, innovative work to address big challenges,” says David Lidsky, interim editor-in-chief of Fast Company. “Our journalists have identified some of the most ingenious initiatives to launch since the start of 2021, which we hope will both have a meaningful impact and lead others to join in being part of the solution.”

About the World Changing Ideas Awards: World Changing Ideas is one of Fast Company’s major annual awards programs and is focused on social good, seeking to elevate finished products and brave concepts that make the world better. A panel of judges from across sectors choose winners, finalists, and honorable mentions based on feasibility and the potential for impact. With the goals of awarding ingenuity and fostering innovation, Fast Company draws attention to ideas with great potential and helps them expand their reach to inspire more people to start working on solving the problems that affect us all.

About Intetics Inc.: Intetics Inc. is a leading global technology company providing custom software application development, distributed professional teams’ creation, software product quality assessment, and “all-things-digital” solutions built with SMAC, RPA, AI/ML, IoT, blockchain, and GIS/UAV/LBS technologies.

Based on proprietary pioneering business models of Offshore Dedicated Team® and Remote In-Sourcing®, an advanced Technical Debt Reduction Platform (TETRA™), and measurable SLAs for software engineering, Intetics helps innovative organizations capitalize on global talent with our in-depth engineering expertise based on our Predictive Software Engineering framework.

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Brentuximab Vedotin and Chemotherapy an Effective Treatment for Hodgkin Lymphoma


Kara Kelly, MD, led research showing that brentuximab vedotin with standard chemotherapy is safe and effective as treatment for high-risk pediatric/adolescent Hodgkin lymphoma.

“This study was the first to he first to establish that brentuximab vedotin in combination with chemotherapy is safe and effective in children and adolescents with high-risk Hodgkin lymphoma. The benefits we observed are pronounced enough to support a change in clinical practice.”

New research led by Kara Kelly, MD, of Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center and presented today at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) 2022 Annual Meeting in Chicago shows that a combination of brentuximab vedotin (Bv) and standard chemotherapy is safe and more effective than standard chemotherapy in pediatric patients up to age 21 years with newly diagnosed high-risk Hodgkin lymphoma. The findings from a phase 3 National Cancer Institute-supported multicenter Children’s Oncology Group clinical trial (NCT 02166463) are being presented by first author Sharon Castellino, MD, of Emory University and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta in an oral abstract session today at 2:12 p.m. CDT.

Bv is an antibody-drug conjugate designed to selectively kill tumor cells expressing the CD30 antigen, a marker of Hodgkin lymphoma, while generally sparing healthy cells. The FDA has approved the use of Bv for the treatment of adults with advanced-stage Hodgkin lymphoma.

“We’re sincerely excited about the results from this phase 3 clinical trial conducted at Roswell Park and 150 other treatment centers, which was the first to establish that brentuximab vedotin in combination with chemotherapy is safe and effective in children and adolescents with high-risk Hodgkin lymphoma,” says Dr. Kelly, Chair of the Roswell Park Oishei Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders Program and the Waldemar J. Kaminski Endowed Chair of Pediatrics at Roswell Park, and the study’s senior author. “The benefits we observed are pronounced enough to support a change in clinical practice.”

In the four-year study, 587 eligible children and adolescents aged 2 to 21 years with newly diagnosed, previously untreated, high-risk Hodgkin lymphoma were randomized to receive five cycles of either Bv combined with doxorubicin, vincristine, etoposide, prednisone and cyclophosphamide chemotherapy (Bv-AVE-PC) or standard pediatric dose-intensive regimen of bleomycin-containing chemotherapy consisting of doxorubicin, bleomycin, vincristine, etoposide, cyclophosphamide and prednisone (ABVE-PC).

The dose-intensive Bv-AVE-PC regimen was superior to standard chemotherapy, with a three-year event-free survival rate of 92% compared to 82% — which amounts to an overall risk reduction of 59% — with no increase in toxicity and fewer patients receiving radiation compared to prior pediatric trials for high-risk disease. Rates of disease relapse were lower in patients who received Bv-AVE-PC (7%) than in those who received standard chemotherapy (17%). Researchers found no difference in serious adverse events or rates of myelosuppression or neuropathy between groups.

The researchers concluded that Bv in combination with AVE-PC chemotherapy has superior efficacy to the standard ABVE-PC regimen in pediatric patients up to age 21 years with high-risk Hodgkin lymphoma and could be used as a frontline treatment in this patient population.

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Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center is a community united by the drive to eliminate cancer’s grip on humanity by unlocking its secrets through personalized approaches and unleashing the healing power of hope. Founded by Dr. Roswell Park in 1898, it is the only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center in Upstate New York. Learn more at http://www.roswellpark.org, or contact us at 1-800-ROSWELL (1-800-767-9355) or ASKRoswell@RoswellPark.org.

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Optical Head Amplifiers From Balluff Offer IO-Link, Adjustable Speed Frequency


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“The new version-11 amplifiers are optimized to set them apart from our legacy models. They are very configurable and offer IO-Link versions, but my favorite feature of these new amps is the ability to switch the speed frequency on them.”

Balluff’s new generation of optical head amplifiers delivers precise detection and high speeds for small-scale processes. And IO-Link versions make it possible to parameterize, monitor, and centrally control any of Balluff’s more than 125 remote optical heads.

The new external BAE SA-OH amplifiers from Balluff pair with exceptionally small through-beam and retroreflective optoelectronic sensor heads, as well as sensor heads for tubes and light bands. There are also sensor heads designed specifically for water detection and for ultra-high vacuum settings. Their size makes them suitable for extremely tight spaces and quickly moving machine elements.

They are available in four versions to meet a variety of application needs: basic, premium analog, smart, and premium.

The basic version provides a single switching signal channel, a 500 kHz speed, and PNP or NPN; the premium analog version provides one analog output, 8 kHz speed; the smart and premium versions each offer two switching signal channels with two set points each, single and two-point operating modes, and PNP or NPN, push/pull or IO-Link output. The smart version delivers 500 kHz speed, while the premium version delivers 4 kHz speed.

In addition, the smart and premium versions offer the ability to sync up to 8 amplifiers to avoid cross-talk. Additionally, these models offer OLED displays to provide a graphical interface for data visualization and configuration.

“The new version-11 amplifiers are optimized to set them apart from our legacy models. They are very configurable and offer IO-Link versions, but my favorite feature of these new amps is the ability to switch the speed frequency on them,” said Logan Welch, technical sales specialist for photoelectric sensors at Balluff. “This allows a user to increase the speed for high-speed applications or slow it down to increase accuracy on slower applications. Standard speed is 500 hertz, but it can be boosted to up to 4 kHz in the premium version and 8 kHz in the premium analog version.”

These new amplifiers are ideally suited for applications requiring high accuracy sensing or placement, such as pill counting, bubble detection, level detection, or wafer positioning.

Features:


  •     Compatible with all Balluff BOH Sensor heads
  •     IO-Link functionality including counters and monitoring
  •     Intuitive usability ensures a fast and efficient setup
  •     Various operating and speed modes to fit any use case
  •     Synchronization of up to 8 devices

Learn more at https://www.balluff.com/en-us/news/new-bae-amplifier-generation

About Balluff Inc.: Balluff Inc., the U.S. subsidiary of Balluff GmbH, Neuhausen, Germany, is a leading manufacturer of a wide range of inductive, photoelectric, vision, capacitive and magnetic sensors as well as linear position transducers, RFID systems, and networking products. Balluff products for OEM and factory floor solutions are used to control, regulate, automate, assemble, position, and monitor manufacturing, assembly, and packaging sequences for industries including metalworking, automotive, plastics, material handling, wood processing, aerospace, alternative energy, medical, electrical, and electronics

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