All posts by imreal

Science: Biology

Partnership Unites Arizona Science Center and Science North to Create Groundbreaking Traveling Exhibition:Skeletons: The Wonders Within

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Drawing upon their shared commitment to science education, this dynamic partnership brings together the expertise, resources, and innovation of both science centers to develop a one-of-a-kind traveling exhibition that will engage visitors of all ages and backgrounds. Skeletons: The Wonders Within will celebrate vertebrate biodiversity by exploring the science of osteology, skeleton form and function, the relationships between humans and the animals around us, and develop an appreciation and conservation ethic for the natural world.Through hands-on exhibits, multimedia experiences and real and replica specimens guests will explore the world of osteology and gain a greater appreciation for the incredible biodiversity on our planet.

Exhibition Key Messages:

  • Why we have bones and how skeletal diversity informs a variety of forms, functions, and specific movement abilities
  • Osteology and its role in forensics, medicine, and the stories bones can tell
  • Why biodiversity on our planet is important

“We are excited to partner with Arizona Science Center and Skulls Unlimited to create this innovative traveling exhibition that will immerse our audiences in fields of science that are directly tied to their everyday lives,” said Ashley Larose, Chief Executive Officer, Science North. “By combining our resources and expertise, we will maximize accessibility to reach broad audiences across North America by offering the experience in Spanish, French and English while inspiring a greater appreciation and awe for the wonders of science and learning.”

“Collaboration is at the heart of scientific progress, and this partnership and the development of Skeletons: The Wonders Within exemplifies our commitment to working together to educate and inspire the next generation of scientists and innovators,” Guy Labine, The Hazel A. Hare President & CEO, Arizona Science Center added.

Skeletons: The Wonders Within is co-produced and presented by Science North, Skulls Unlimited International, and Arizona Science Center. To learn more visit sciencenorthinternationalsales.com.

About Arizona Science Center

Located in downtown Phoenix, Arizona Science Center features more than 300 hands-on exhibits, a state-of-the-art planetarium, a five-story giant-screen theater, live demonstrations, traveling exhibitions, and exciting science programs. The Center offers programs for all ages, including Science on Wheels, CAMP INNOVATION, Teen programs, Professional Development, and Adults’ Night Out: Science With A Twist. Whether onsite or at your location–get ready to embark on a hands-on STEM learning journey you’ll never forget. To learn more or to reserve tickets, visit azscience.org or call 602.716.2000.

About Science North

Located in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, Science North is Northern Ontario’s most popular tourist attraction and an educational resource operating the second and eighth largest science centres in Canada. Science North’s attractions include a science centre, IMAX® theatre, digital Planetarium, butterfly gallery, special exhibits hall, and Dynamic Earth: Home of the Big Nickel. Science North also oversees an award-winning International Sales unit, which develops custom and ready-made exhibits and multimedia experiences for sale to science centres, museums, and other cultural institutions all over the world. As part of its mandate, Science North provides science experiences throughout Northern Ontario and has a permanent base in Thunder Bay and Sault Ste. Marie. Science North is an agency of the Government of Ontario. For information, visit sciencenorth.ca.

About Skulls Unlimited

Located in Oklahoma City, UK Skulls Unlimited includes four distinct divisions serving the retail, hunting, medical and research sectors:

SkullsUnlimited.com – With retail and scientific offerings of skulls and articulations, SUI has a reputation for offering the highest quality, professional services, and the largest variety of natural bone specimens with some of the most prestigious museums (E.G. – Smithsonian) & educational facilities around the world.

SkullCleaning.com – Serving the hunting, research and museum communities, each specimen is carefully prepared by hand, cleaned with Dermestid beetles, and then degreased and whitened using our proprietary chemical process. The result is an attractive and highly sanitary trophy finished to museum-quality standards.

SkeletonMuseum.com – This osteology museum highlights hundreds of skulls and articulated skeletal specimens acquired by founder Jay Villemarette over the decades. These specimens provide insights into the workings of the animal kingdom. The museum serves as an educational experience to spark an appreciation of the natural world and promote conservation in the future.

Media Contact

Megan Sawyer, Arizona Science Center, 1 6025013030, [email protected], www.azscience.org

SOURCE Arizona Science Center

Health

She Did it!! Ultra Marathon Swimmer Sarah Thomas Completes Swim Across Lake Mead Swimming 47.5 Miles to Make Waves to Fight Cancer for Swim Across America

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Sarah was accompanied by her support boat that included her husband Ryan Willis, who served as pilot, their friend Craig Lenning, who was crew chief, and her friend Celeste Jacroux, who was her official time-keeper.

Sarah adds the Lake Mead swim to a long list of record-breaking feats.

  • Sarah Thomas is the first person to complete a four-way crossing of the English Channel in 54 hours and 10 minutes in 2019. She did so one year after completing treatments for breast cancer!
  • She holds the world record for the longest continuous (unassisted, non-wetsuit) swim done in current-neutral conditions. That record-breaking swim covered 104.6 miles over 67 hours in Lake Champlain (USA) in August of 2017.
  • She is the first person to complete a two-way crossing of the North Channel in 21 hours and 46 minutes in 2022. The North Channel is the body of water bounded by Northern Ireland (to the west), Scotland (to the east), Isle of Man (to the south), and the Atlantic Ocean (to the north).
  • She is the first person to complete a two-way swim of Lake Tahoe (lengthwise) in 2013. The swim is 42 miles and Sarah completed it in 22 hours and 30 minutes.

Though Sarah holds many records in open water swimming, in her words, she doesn’t swim to “be the first.” She swims large bodies of water because she loves seeing the beauty in each corner of the world.

“After my first visit to the Hoover Dam in February 2021, I knew I had to swim across Lake Mead,” said Sarah. “Water levels in the lake are in danger of dropping so low that a swim may not always be possible across this beautiful and important body of water.”

Sarah’s swim across Lake Mead started in South Cove, where her favorite river, The Colorado, enters the lake. She then followed the lake 50 miles until she ran out of water at the Hoover Dam.

Sarah hopes to raise money for Swim Across America through her monumental swims.

“I was diagnosed with stage two breast cancer in 2017 at the age of 35,” said Sarah. “It was a terrifying time and we didn’t know how much my treatments would impact my ability to swim in the future. Being able to partner with Swim Across America combines two of my passions: open water swimming and doing everything I can to fight cancer so that others won’t have to go through what I went through.”

Sarah has supported Swim Across America since 2018, when the inaugural Swim Across America – Denver swim was held in her home community. As a breast cancer survivor, she hopes to raise money for cancer research and bring hope and new treatment options to others.

“Cancer treatments tested me in a way I never thought possible,” noted Sarah. “Despite undergoing chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation therapy, I never gave up on my dream of doing a swim that most people thought was impossible.”

A year after completing treatments, she did the impossible – becoming the first person to complete a four-way crossing of the English Channel.

Swim Across America was founded in 1987 with its first open water event in Long Island Sound. Since that time, the nonprofit organization has raised more than $100 million to fight cancer. In its 36 years of “making waves to fight cancer,” more than 100,000 swimmers and 150 Olympians have swum the circumference of the earth three times, uniting a movement to fight cancer that has created a groundswell of support spanning all generations. Today, more than 24 communities hold open water swims and charity pool swims each year, from Nantucket to under the Golden Gate Bridge, which support innovative cancer research, detection and patient programs.

Swim Across America’s funding of clinical trials for patients helped contribute to four FDA approved life-saving immunotherapy cancer treatments: Yervoy, Opdivo, Tecentriq and Keytruda. In June of last year, a clinical trial at Memorial Sloan Kettering was published in The New England Journal of Medicine that showed a 100 percent success rate in treating patients in a phase 2 clinical trial for advanced rectal cancer with dostarlimab, an immunotherapy treatment produced by GlaxoSmithKline. The clinical trial at Memorial Sloan Kettering was funded by early-stage grant funding from Swim Across America. More than 60 scientific grants are funded each year and there are now ten dedicated Swim Across America Labs at major institutions including: Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, John Hopkins Medicine Baltimore, Rush University Medical Center Chicago, Baylor Scott & White Charles A. Sammons Cancer Center in Dallas, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center New York, Infusion Center at Nantucket Cottage Hospital, UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland and San Francisco, the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, The Swim Across America Pediatric Research Lab at Columbia University Medical Center New York, and at Meyer Cancer Center at Weill Cornell Medicine.

To follow Sarah’s progress or support her cause, visit swimacrossamerica.org/sarahthomas.

Swim Across America, Inc. (SAA) is dedicated to raising money and awareness for cancer research, prevention and treatment through swimming-related events. With the help of hundreds of volunteers nationwide and past and current Olympians, Swim Across America is helping find a cure for cancer through athleticism, community outreach and direct service. To learn more visit swimacrossamerica.org or follow on Facebook @SwimAcrossAmerica or on Instagram or Twitter @SAASwim.

Media Contact

Jenifer Howard, Swim Across America, 1 203-273-4246, [email protected], http://www.swimacrossamerica.org 

SOURCE Swim Across America

Science: Biology

Hahn Agency and Silent Quadrant Offer New Cybersecurity Rapid Response Workshop to Celebrate Cybersecurity Awareness Month

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With the increasing unpredictability and sophistication of cyber threats, Hahn and Silent Quadrant conducted research interviews with senior-level communication executives and IT professionals to further understand what may be causing a disconnect between those two departments on prioritizing cybersecurity.

The findings showed:

  • Current level of cyber attack preparedness is low or confusing with unclear implementation.
  • Cybersecurity is ranked lower overall in organizational priority despite its potential to have higher negative impacts on core business operations.
  • Most cyber attacks are handled internally until external resources are needed due to additional expertise needed or not enough staffing.

Based on the research findings, Hahn and Silent Quadrant offer three key solutions to bridge the cybersecurity gap that are further built on in the workshop:

  • Build a cyber-aware culture with regular cybersecurity reviews and employee training to recognize and respond to threats.
  • Build a joint cyber rapid response plan with regular updating and testing and collaborate with cybersecurity experts to assess security posture and vulnerabilities.
  • Build an effective method to communicate the plan, simplify technical jargon for clarity, and involve all internal stakeholders in training and understanding the procedure.

An aligned, companywide cyber rapid response plan enables organizations to respond swiftly to cyber attacks, maintain consistent communication with stakeholders and promptly take remedial actions.

For those interested in securing their spot, Hahn and Silent Quadrant invites them to register for their Cybersecurity Rapid Response Workshop at hahn.agency/cybersecurity-preparedness-workshop.

“Whenever a client not only entrusts us with their brand, but also their data, it’s paramount to our success that we can guarantee that not only their data, their people, and our teams are all operating in a secure environment.” – Tim Weinheimer, Chief Innovations Officer at Hahn

About Hahn Agency

Through an array of marketing and communication services, Hahn promotes and protects brands that provide the essentials of daily life. Hahn traces its roots back to 1974 with the founding of Bonner, Inc., which later became TateAustin. Jeff Hahn acquired TateAustin in 2007. Company staff are located in San Antonio, Houston, Fort Worth and Denver, Colorado. The home office is the historic Weaver Homestead at 5203 Brodie Lane in Austin. Learn more at Hahn.agency.

About Silent Quadrant

For nearly three decades, Silent Quadrant has partnered with and protected the most influential firms in America. The clients we serve trust us to remain ever-vigilant in a rapidly evolving digital world. Leveraging the fabric of resilience and the agency of trust to provide precisely tailored digital protection. The work our clients do is critical, and protecting their reputation and influence is paramount. Learn more at silentquadrant.com.

Media Contact

Kami Bailey, Hahn Agency, 1 3614827654, [email protected], https://hahn.agency/

SOURCE Hahn Agency

Science: Biology

The Consortium of Brunello di Montalcino returns to the US with the newest edition of Benvenuto Brunello

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New York, Miami, and Dallas will host this year’s event on November 28 for a preview of the latest vintages of Brunello.

NEW YORK, Oct. 10, 2023 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — Consorzio del Vino Brunello di Montalcino is thrilled to announce its return to the United States for the latest edition of Benvenuto Brunello. This annual, exclusive wine tasting event offers a unique opportunity to get an early taste of the newest vintage releases, featuring Brunello di Montalcino 2019 and Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 2018.

Over the years, Benvenuto Brunello has evolved into one of the most eagerly awaited events in the wine world. It serves as a grand showcase for one of Italy’s most iconic, celebrated, and beloved wines. This year, Consorzio Brunello di Montalcino is excited to host the event simultaneously in three vibrant cities: New York, where it will take place at the Public Hotel; Miami, hosted at Briza on the Bay; and Dallas, at the Tower Club. All three events are scheduled for November 28th.

The event will kick off with a seminar that provides an overview of the appellation, soils, and weather patterns of the 2018 and 2019 vintage for a select group of media, critics, and sommeliers from the United States under the guidance of experts such as Mark Guillaudeu, MS, in New York, Lyn Farmer DipWSET in Miami and James Tidwell, MS in Dallas. Members of the trade and media will have the opportunity to taste over 70 labels from nearly 40 renowned Brunello producers.

“From Italy and Montalcino to the world: Benvenuto Brunello showcases the newest vintages of Brunello 2019 and the Riserva 2018. This international event will be an opportunity for media and trade to discover our unique terroir in terms of biodiversity and quality—characteristics of excellence that make Brunello di Montalcino an ambassador of ‘Made in Italy‘ in the world,” says Fabrizio Bindocci, President of Consorzio Brunello di Montalcino. “This recognition is a great responsibility, our motivation to be constantly committed to maintain the high quality of the grapes and authenticity in our wine production”.

Brunello di Montalcino is made from the Sangiovese grape, a variety traditionally referred to as Brunello in the Montalcino area. Renowned for its thicker-skinned berries, Brunello yields wines characterized by exceptionally bold fruit flavors, vibrant acidity, and robust, age-worthy tannins. Brunello can only be released onto the market on January 1st of the fifth year, or 6 years for the Riserva, after harvesting and must undergo a minimum of two years of aging in wooden barrels, followed by at least four months of bottle aging, or 6 months for the Riserva.

Benvenuto Brunello promises to be a journey through the diverse and exquisite expressions of Brunello di Montalcino, allowing attendees to gain a deeper understanding of the craftsmanship and artistry that goes into each bottle.

For more information about Benvenuto Brunello 2023, contact [email protected] [[email protected] __title__ ]

About Consorzio del Vino Brunello di Montalcino
The Consortium of Brunello di Montalcino, established in 1967 shortly after the DOC designation, is a voluntary association of vineyard owners dedicated to safeguarding and highlighting the qualities of Brunello di Montalcino. The consortium plays a pivotal role in preserving the wine’s distinct characteristics, promoting it nationally and internationally, and ensuring its quality. It boasts approximately 200 members, including producers and bottlers, representing a majority of the region’s wineries. The consortium is committed to protecting the Montalcino territory and promoting environmental sustainability through eco-friendly farming practices and responsible resource management. Its primary objective is to elevate the status of Brunello di Montalcino on a global scale, emphasizing the wine’s quality, history, culture, and regional heritage. https://www.consorziobrunellodimontalcino.it/en/home/home

About Colangelo & Partners
Colangelo & Partners specializes in premium food, wine and spirits brands, and has long-established relationships with the key press that drive these business categories and help determine the industry leaders. Agency principals have years of experience in retail and distribution as well as communications, a rare combination that gives Colangelo & Partners invaluable insights into consumer purchasing behavior. The agency focuses on “closing the loop” between creative communications programs, distribution, promotion, publicity and the consumer in order to maximize the efficiency of its communications programs and deliver measurable results. http://www.colangelopr.com

Media Contact
eleonora vatteroni, Colangelo & Partners, 6466242885, [email protected]

SOURCE Consortium of Brunello di Montalcino

Society: Social Services

Rise Against Hunger’s Third Annual ‘Chef Showdown’ Competition Celebrates World Food Day 2023

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The participating chefs are:

  • Nacho Aguirre and Susana Mijares — This husband and wife duo are owners of DIlice Chocolatier & Patisserie in San Antonio, Texas. Nacho is also Food Network’s 2018 “Spring Baking Championship” winner. Nacho and Susana are competing for the second consecutive year.
  • Cristina Bowerman — Cristina is a Michelin-star-rated chef at Glass Hostaria, a restaurant in Rome, Italy. She has a passion for creating dishes with a blend of flavors from around the world.
  • Michelle Adrillana — Michelle is a chef, food and beverage consultant, content creator and Filipino cuisine advocate from the Philippines.
  • Nicole McLaughlin — The producer and star of Allrecipe’s food series “You Can Cook That,” Nicole hails from Birmingham, Alabama, and has over 20 years of experience in the culinary industry. Competing in the competition for the second time, she won the Chef Showdown last year, taking home the Golden Whisk award.

The Chef Showdown supports Rise Against Hunger’s mission by driving awareness and encouraging action toward addressing global food insecurity. “Rise Against Hunger’s work to end hunger is made possible by people joining our movement and coming alongside us as we tackle this critical issue,” said Jolynn Berk, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer at Rise Against Hunger. “The Chef Showdown helps us share our mission and the importance of ending world hunger with the chefs’ combined 193,000 followers on Instagram and Facebook.”

The It Starts With a Meal™ Chef Showdown is one of Rise Against Hunger’s annual signature events that enable people to engage with the organization’s mission of ending global hunger. Last year’s Chef Showdown videos received over 55,600 views and nearly 3,800 engagements.

About Rise Against Hunger

Rise Against Hunger, an international humanitarian organization, is growing a global movement to end hunger by empowering communities, nourishing lives and responding to emergencies. Through a global network based in the U.S. and with six international offices, the organization provides immediate nourishment for those facing hunger today and implements sustainable solutions that will lift entire communities for years to come. Rise Against Hunger has facilitated volunteer meal packaging of more than 600 million meals to be distributed to countries around the world. To learn more about Rise Against Hunger’s efforts to end hunger worldwide, please visit www.riseagainsthunger.org.

“The Chef Showdown helps us share our mission and the importance of ending world hunger with the chefs’ combined 193,000 followers on Instagram and Facebook.”

Media Contact

Hannah Payne, Rise Against Hunger, 1 (919) 839-0689 6, [email protected], https://www.riseagainsthunger.org/

SOURCE Rise Against Hunger



Health

Accuity Unveils AI-Powered Clinically Intelligent Technology to Enhance its Comprehensive Middle Revenue Cycle Support Services

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The Amplifi engine’s logic was built by mapping Accuity’s physicians’ clinical expertise for a complete set of MS- and APR- DRGs resulting in more than 175,000 decision pathways and 330,000 logic nodes. Following the vision and leadership of Accuity Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Hani Judeh, every inpatient clinical scenario was built and validated by sub-specialty physicians. Therefore, the engine looks at each chart from a specialist’s vantage point to uncover gaps that only a physician with relevant bedside experience could identify. To stay aligned with hospital criteria and in compliance with coding guidelines and rules, the diagnosis blueprints at the core of the Amplifi engine are continuously refined by Accuity’s experts.

“With Amplifi in play, the entire medical record is clinically analyzed in comparison to its assigned DRG and codes as soon as it comes in from our clients,” said Dr. Judeh. “You get the one-two punch of technology that can ingest a large amount of information quickly and run it against a physician-created algorithm followed by the experience and critical thinking of our physician-led interactive review teams that validate the opportunities and complete the process. The result is more actionable opportunities and decreased turnaround times.”

Amplifi is now available immediately to all current and new Accuity clients.

Accuity will be hosting a live online presentation about how the addition of Amplifi positively impacts its service and its clients’ results on Thursday, December 14th at 2PM EST / 11AM PST. Register for free here.

For more information about Accuity, please visit accuityhealthcare.com.

About Accuity

Headquartered in Mount Laurel, NJ. Accuity’s tech-enabled physician-led platform provides hospitals with accurate, higher-quality clinical documentation and compliant coding so they can thrive in today’s complex value-driven environment. Accuity’s triad inpatient clinical documentation review strategy incorporates physicians, CDI specialists, and coders combined with data-driven proprietary analytics to identify clinical documentation improvement opportunities. Accuity’s clients realize optimized reimbursement, better educated and engaged physicians, and improved quality measures. Clients engage with a 60-day proof of concept Pilot offer, driving proven rapid results in advance of fees.

Media Contact

Lori Cross, Accuity, 1 816-778-2475, [email protected], www.accuityhealthcare.com 

Twitter, LinkedIn

SOURCE Accuity



Legal / Law: Criminal Law

NAIFA CEO Represents Advisors and the Consumers They Serve in Meeting With Administration Officials on DOL’s Fiduciary Proposal

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Since that federal appeals court ruling in 2018, the Securities and Exchange Commission has implemented and begun enforcing Regulation Best Interest (Reg BI), which requires broker-dealers and registered representatives to put their clients’ interests ahead of their own. Additionally, forty states have enacted the National Association of Insurance Commissioners’ (NAIC’s) model regulation that creates a best-interest standard for annuity transactions.

In addition to the federal and state regulations, NAIFA members abide by a Code of Ethics that requires them to put their clients’ interests first.

“NAIFA regularly meets with Administration officials to discuss issues important to financial professionals and the consumers NAIFA members serve,” Mayeux said. “NAIFA members work in their clients’ interests because it’s the right thing to do and because it’s good business. Backing that up is a strong slate of existing state and federal regulations. Additional action by the DOL at this time would create confusion for advisors and consumers without providing meaningful consumer protections. There is no need for the DOL’s current fiduciary proposal, and it would very likely bring unintended consequences harmful to the consumers the DOL aims to protect.”

“NAIFA supports all business models skilled financial professionals use to serve their clients,” Mayeux continued. “A brokerage model with commissions works very well for many consumers while others are better served by fee-based models. The current landscape offers an array of choices that the DOL proposal would seek to restrict.”

NAIFA is an advocacy partner of the Latin American Association of Insurance Agencies and the National African American Insurance Association, and Mayeux told the OIRA that a fiduciary-only rule would hit Black and Hispanic communities particularly hard, potentially increasing the racial wealth gap by 20% based on the size of IRAs.

“I would like to thank the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs for meeting with us,” Mayeux said. “NAIFA will continue to work with the Administration and members of Congress on behalf of financial professionals and the consumers who depend on them to oppose an unnecessary and potentially harmful DOL Fiduciary Rule.”

ABOUT NAIFA: The National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors is the preeminent membership association for the multigenerational community of financial professionals in the United States. NAIFA members subscribe to a strong Code of Ethics and represent a full spectrum of financial services practice specialties. They work with families and businesses to help Americans improve financial literacy and achieve financial security. NAIFA provides producers a national community for advocacy, education, and networking along with awards, publications, and leadership opportunities to allow NAIFA members to differentiate themselves in the marketplace. NAIFA connects with members in 267 different local areas between State Chapters, Local Chapters, and Local Affiliates. NAIFA members in every congressional district advocate on behalf of producers and consumers at the state, interstate, and federal levels.

Media Contact

Mark Briscoe, NAIFA, 703-770-8111, [email protected], www.naifa.org

Twitter

SOURCE NAIFA