Legal / Law: Criminal Law

St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department Now Using STRmix

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WASHINGTON (PRWEB)

The Metropolitan Police Department, City of St. Louis is the 69th organization in the U.S. to approve the use of STRmix™, sophisticated forensic software capable of resolving mixed DNA profiles that previously were regarded as too complex or degraded to interpret.

With nearly 2,000 employees, the Department is the primary law enforcement agency for the city of St. Louis, MO. It plans to use STRmix™ in its scientific testing of crime scene evidence.    

Since its introduction nearly a decade ago, STRmix™ has established a highly successful track record of producing usable, interpretable, and legally admissible DNA evidence in a wide range of criminal cases. It has proven to be particularly effective in resolving violent crime and sexual assault cases, as well as cold cases in which evidence originally dismissed as inconclusive was able to be reexamined.

“To date, STRmix™ has been used to interpret DNA evidence in more than 300,000 cases worldwide,” says John Buckleton DSc, FRSNZ, Forensic Scientist at the New Zealand Institute of Environmental Science and Research (ESR) and one of the developers of STRmix™.

According to Buckleton, STRmix™ relies on proven methodologies routinely used in computational biology, physics, engineering, and weather prediction to assess how closely multitudes of proposed profiles resemble or can explain an observed DNA mixture.

“The probability of the observed DNA evidence can be calculated by assuming the DNA originated from either a person of interest or an unknown donor,” Dr. Buckleton explains. “These two probabilities can then be presented as a likelihood ratio (LR), inferring the value of the findings and level of support for one proposition over the other.”

In addition to the Metropolitan Police Department, City of St. Louis, STRmix™ is currently being used in the U.S. by such well-known agencies as the FBI and the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). In addition, nine state and territory forensic laboratories in Australia and New Zealand, and 14 labs in other countries including the U.K., Ireland, Canada, Finland, Switzerland, and Denmark are now using STRmix™.

A new version of STRmix™, Version 2.9, was recently launched. STRmix™ v2.9 contains a number of new features, including: the introduction of a batch maker mode, allowing multiple interpretations to occur simultaneously and database search templates; memory usage improvements, which are particularly significant in dealing with higher order DNA profile mixtures; and improvements to biological modelling calculations designed to improve the modelling of stutter peaks.

The success STRmix™ has enjoyed to date led the team behind its development to introduce two related products which in combination with STRmix™ complete the full workflow from analysis to interpretation and database matching:

  • DBLR™, an application which when used with STRmix™ allows forensic laboratories to undertake superfast database searches, visualize the value of their DNA mixture evidence, and carry out mixture to mixture matches, now allowing kinship analysis; and

  • FaSTR™ DNA, expert forensic software which rapidly analyzes raw DNA data generated by genetic analyzers and standard profiling kits and assigns a number of contributors (NoC) estimate.

For more information, visit http://www.strmix.com.

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Health

Asha Marwah Hamilton Joins Autism Learning Partners as Chief Operating Officer

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“I’m proud to be joining this impactful organization whose vision and values distinctly align with my own. I’m looking forward to expanding our commitment to effectively serve our families who benefit from our fundamental care,” said Asha.


PASADENA, Calif. (PRWEB)

Autism Learning Partners (ALP), a national leader in the treatment of autism and other developmental disabilities, is pleased to announce that Asha Marwah Hamilton has joined their leadership team as Chief Operating Officer. Asha will play a crucial role in safeguarding and advancing the ALP standard in providing resources to families and communities throughout their nationwide expansion.

Asha has established over 20 years of experience in operational leadership positions within the healthcare industry, partnering with field teams in population health and various subspecialties. Most recently, she served as Vice President of Population Health at Sound Physicians. Previously, she advanced to the Divisional Vice President role at Davita Dialysis, where she had oversight of 50 clinics and 700 employees in the Dallas/Fort Worth, TX area.

“Asha is a seasoned and trusted leader who is aligned with our mission and shares our unyielding passion for helping families with autism live more fulfilling lives. We look forward to seeing her success in executing strategies that are key to meeting the changing needs in our field,” said Gina T. Chang, Ph.D., BCBA-D, CEO of ALP. ​​

Asha is especially impressed by ALP’s mission-driven team, led by highly intelligent women in both clinical and operational lanes, who are dedicated to making a difference. Their outstanding leadership parallels the support philosophy she ascribes to – caring for a team, so they may care for those they serve.

“I’m proud to be joining this impactful organization whose vision and values distinctly align with my own. I’m looking forward to expanding our commitment to effectively serve our families who benefit from our fundamental care,” said Asha.

About Autism Learning Partners

ALP is a national leader in the special needs field for over 30 years. They are headquartered in Pasadena, CA, employ over 280 Board Certified Behavior Analysts (“BCBAs”) and have a total workforce of 3,000, including Behavior Technicians providing in-home and in-clinic ABA-based care across the country. Services include: Applied Behavioral Analysis and additionally offer speech, occupational, physical therapies, and diagnostic services in select regions. Treatment is now offered in 19 states including California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Rhode Island, Texas, Utah, and Washington.

To learn more about Autism Learning Partners and its services, please visit AutismLearningPartners.com.

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Health

Origins’ Retrospective Study Reveals Successful Treatment Outcomes

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DALLAS (PRWEB)

Origins Behavioral HealthCare announces the release of its second retrospective outcomes study. Conducted with four years worth of alumni input, it reveals that Origins’ treatment model, across all programs, is extremely effective in helping people recover from substance use disorders.

Origins partnered with the OMNI Institute, a nonprofit social science consultancy, which provided consultation and external oversight to the design, implementation, and reporting of results. OMNI Institute previously worked with the National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers (NAATP) to complete a multi-program outcomes study and was also instrumental in the design of the NAATP Outcomes Measurement Toolkit.

“The overwhelming majority of our study’s participants found their treatment experience to be ‘very helpful,’ and 74% reported complete abstinence from all substances since leaving treatment,” said Dr. John Dyben, Chief Clinical Officer for Origins Behavioral Healthcare. “Additionally, 73% of those who reported some use since completing treatment reported using less than before.”

The study included responses from Origins Behavioral Healthcare alumni who finished treatment within 2017-2021. It included survey data from 439 participants, ages 18–65+. The following participant outcomes were reported throughout Origins’ residential and intensive outpatient (IOP) network:


  • 74% reported complete abstinence from all substances since leaving treatment

  • 85% reported complete abstinence from all substances in the last 30 days

  • 85% said the relationships with the people most important to them had improved

  • 88% said their overall quality of life had improved since treatment

  • 79% said their physical health had improved since treatment

“For the second year in a row, the data in the survey presents statistically significant evidence that patients who sustain abstinence after treatment report better physical health, better relationships, and better overall quality of life compared to those who do not,” concluded Dyben. “Relatedly, patients who follow treatment and aftercare recommendations are more likely to report sustained abstinence. The bottom line is that even during a pandemic, treatment done well transforms lives and restores relationships.”

About Origins Behavioral HealthCare:

Origins Behavioral HealthCare is a licensed provider of substance use and co-occurring disorder treatment for men, women, and older adults. Their mission is to provide a clear path to a life of healing and restoration. With corporate headquarters in Dallas, the company’s innovative programs comprise a comprehensive continuum of care for patients and families seeking recovery. Origins’ residential and outpatient campuses include these carefully chosen, premier locations: South Padre Island, Texas; Dallas, Texas; and Hanley Center at Origins in West Palm Beach, Florida.

About OMNI Institute:

The OMNI Institute is a nonprofit social science consultancy that provides integrated research and evaluation, capacity building, and data utilization services to accelerate positive social change. OMNI works across three primary domains: Public and Behavioral Health, Human Development, and Adult and Juvenile Justice, and has honed a service delivery model focused on rigorous research and application of best practices, authentic engagement with our clients and their stakeholders, and the cross-systems expertise and insights needed to address complex social issues. Learn more at omni.org.

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Technology: Computer

Apcela Announces Multicloud Extension in the Arcus Platform

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Multicloud is the next step to optimizing network applications and performance in the cloud


RESTON, Va. (PRWEB)

Apcela, a leading innovator in software-defined, cloud-optimized network services, is expanding the Arcus platform to include a Multicloud solution. The Arcus platform enables enterprises to seamlessly integrate core data centers, regional offices, and remote users with SaaS and IaaS Providers, all as a service.

Multicloud is an approach that utilizes multiple cloud computing and storage services sourced from more than one vendor in a single architecture. More often to not, this refers to utilizing two or more public clouds as well as multiple private clouds. Benefits include reduced reliance on any single vendor, selection of best-of-breed capabilities, cost-efficiencies, increased flexibility, and more.

The movement towards Multicloud is not new – in a recent Gartner survey of public cloud users, 81% of respondents say they are working with two or more cloud providers(1). One of the biggest use cases is for enterprises using cloud services across multiple geographies.

“Essentially, with such a distribution of cloud services, the aim is to eliminate the reliance on any single cloud provider while also increasing the scope and spread of services,” shared Kunal Thakkar, Head of Solutions Engineering at Apcela. “During countless discovery calls, design & engineering sessions, and technical discussions with customers and prospects, the Apcela team of engineers and architects have discovered that a majority of customers would like to have a select group of vendors provide various functional stacks for Multicloud.”

At the center of Apcela’s solution is the Arcus Platform, a software-defined approach to the multi-cloud environment which consists of Arcus Connect, Arcus Secure, and Arcus Intelligence. The Multicloud solution incorporates private fiber connectivity to Cloud/SaaS regions (cloud on-ramps). And orchestration of standardized network and security transit architectures at the AppHubs and in public CSP (Cloud Service Provider) infrastructure to offer the most cost optimal means of achieving Multicloud connectivity while maintaining security and compliance requirements.

The Arcus Platform and Multicloud expansion relies on AppHubs, virtual data centers in the cloud. Instead of having one or two premise-based data centers per region, we manage a dynamic, global footprint of over 60 AppHubs around the world. Instead of taking months or years to build out, we can stand-up a customer in days. Additionally, proximity to end users is key when it comes to application performance.

“Apcela’s Arcus platform is built ground-up to integrate various solutions in a modular manner depending on the needs and preferences of the customers who have existing investments. We can lift and shift stacks to the cloud, and extend the reach of their networks,” says Thakkar. “Multicloud is the next step to optimizing network applications and performance in the cloud.”

1.Gartner, Why Organizations Choose a Multicloud Strategy, Laurence Goasduff, May 7, 2019 https://www.gartner.com/smarterwithgartner/why-organizations-choose-a-multicloud-strategy

About Apcela

Apcela provides software-defined, cloud optimized networks for the digitally transforming enterprise. Delivered as a service, we enable enterprises to easily deploy and operate a software-defined network and security architecture that was built for a multi-cloud world.

Connect with us on Twitter #GoFaster or LinkedIn.

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Health

Bleep, LLC Wins $1.7m NIH SBIR Grant Award For Pap Innovation

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Bleep has the only clinically proven no leak PAP on the market, and the only fully made in USA PAP mask.


CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (PRWEB)

Bleep, LLC. has been awarded a $1.7 million SBIR grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to optimize positive airway pressure (PAP) mask design for use in home and acute care/hospital settings.

Bleep, LLC hopes to add value in patient comfort and compliance with PAP therapy and may help reduce healthcare costs related to lack of PAP compliance. Over 54 million adults in the U.S. have obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Almost half of this population are undiagnosed, costing ~$150b USD annually with a CAGR of 5-12%.

30 percent to 50 percent of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) users are not compliant due to headgear/mask complaints. Untreated and non-compliant OSA treatment has been linked to type 2 diabetes, hypertension, decreased immunization effectiveness, poor mental health, and nocturnal stroke, among other issues. Bleep’s PAP primary mask design focuses on having no headgear or straps and resolving leaks that arouse the end user, thus driving higher improved sleep consolidation. The awarded grant helps Bleep take a step forward in addressing pain points with a significantly reduced footprint.

“Bleep has the only clinically proven no leak PAP on the market, and the only fully made in USA PAP mask. Eclipse, our generation two product will not only continue to address patient comfort and compliance, but will also focus on rapid on-off interface, creating a sleek, no leak interface for both home and acute care use. The sleek design is expected to aid in reduction of claustrophobia, a common CPAP mask concern, reduction in forced air pressure, improvement in AHI, and improvement in uninterrupted sleep goals. These improvements combined with greater fit should improve patient comfort and compliance, leading to improved health and decreased health costs,” states Bleep founder and Executive Chair, Stuart Heatherington.

With this NIH grant, Bleep, LLC will optimize its Eclipse PAP technology and produce validation data necessary for successful market commercialization.

About Bleep Sleep (bleepsleep.com)

Bleep Sleep Solutions, based in Chapel Hill, NC is a sleep solution company focused on improving sleep and sleep related health outcomes. The DreamPort® is a one-size-fits-all, single SKU CPAP solution with zero headgear. It has been clinically proven not to leak, eliminates mask lines and facial irritation. It is compatible with all CPAP machines and covered by all major insurance plans. DreamPort is FDA cleared, and manufactured entirely in the United States. DreamPort provides respiratory support for patients who need continuous positive air pressure solution, such as sleep apnea.

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Health

KLAS Performance Report Recognizes SureTest with Highest Customer Experience Level

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FRANKLIN, Tenn. (PRWEB)

SureTest, Inc., which provides a turnkey test automation solution to health systems for their EHR and third-party application testing processes, has earned high customer experience marks from KLAS Research for the company’s test automation solution.

The company garnered an A+ across all Key Performance Indicators and a 100% rating in overall customer satisfaction from a small but significant database of current SureTest customers, representing academic and large hospital health systems as well as smaller hospital systems. KPIs measured were: support integration goals, executive involvement, product functionality, and the respondents’ likelihood of recommending the SureTest solution to other hospital systems.

“We are delighted to see how our game-changing solution is making such a huge difference for our clients,” says Laura O’Toole, chief executive officer and SureTest co-founder. “It’s a turnkey managed service solution that gives back thousands of hours each year to analysts and clinicians so they can focus on other strategic initiatives.”

Customers polled in the report also cited SureTest’s customer support. According to one health system manager, “SureTest’s customer support is really good. We opened a new department, and that was a script we hadn’t provided, but SureTest was very adaptable. Their support and willingness to bend over backward to ensure they are providing the best service they can is phenomenal. I wish other vendors were more like SureTest.”

KLAS data and reports are a compilation of websites, healthcare industry reports, interviews with healthcare, payer, and employer organization executives and managers, and interviews with vendor and consultant organizations. They also represent the combined candid opinions of actual people from healthcare, payer, and employer organizations regarding how their vendors, products, and/or services perform against their organization’s objectives and expectations. Significant variables—including a respondent’s role within their organization as well as the organization’s type (rural, teaching, specialty, etc.), size, objectives, depth/breadth of software use, software version, and system infrastructure/network—impact opinions and preclude an exact apples-to-apples comparison or a finely tuned statistical analysis.

About SureTest

Founded in 2020, the company began as a vision of its partners, who are former leaders at Santa Rosa Consulting. SureTest provides an intelligent test automation solution to empower health systems to transform their entire EHR and other third-party application testing process and redeem thousands of staff hours annually. This is truly a turnkey test automation solution allowing you to optimize staff, realize game-changing efficiency, and improve patient care. Our solution precisely emulates your end-user experiences and validates workflow integrity so quickly it will revolutionize your entire approach to system upgrades and new implementations. For more information, visit SureTest.health, call 615.721.3233, or email connect@SureTest.health. You can also follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.

About KLAS Research

KLAS is a research and insights firm on a global mission to improve healthcare delivery by amplifying the provider’s voice. Working with thousands of healthcare professionals and clinicians, KLAS gathers data and insights on software, services and medical equipment to deliver timely reports, trends and statistical overviews. The research directly represents the provider voice and acts as a catalyst for improving vendor performance. Follow KLAS on Twitter. Learn more at: https://www.klasresearch.com.

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Health

One Medical Passport and Mnet Health Announce the 2021 Winner of ‘Everyday Heroes Program’ to Honor the Unsung Heroes of Outpatient Surgery

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Anthony Novella, Director of Nursing at Orthopaedic Surgery Center at Bryn Mawr Hospital

Anthony is such an AMAZING role model and leader. He comes to work every day with a positive attitude ready to tackle all obstacles that come his way. – Dawn Porrini, Pre-op/PACU Nurse Manager at Orthopaedic Surgery Center at Bryn Mawr Hospital


ALISO VIEJO, Calif. (PRWEB)

One Medical Passport and Mnet Health announced the launch of their second round of the Ambulatory Surgery Everyday Heroes Program in July 2021. The program was initially launched in 2020 as a way to give back to the ASC community and recognize, honor, and reward the remarkable outpatient surgery professionals who have gone above and beyond their role and touched the lives of so many.

“We want to give back to the ASC community that we’ve worked so closely with for more than 20 years,” said Stephen Punzak, MD, Founder of One Medical Passport. “As an anesthesiologist, I know that it is the nurses and techs who are the heart of outpatient surgery. We created the Ambulatory Surgery Everyday Heroes Program to celebrate these unsung heroes who make every surgery happen.”

The program received hundreds of inspiring stories of Everyday Heroes from surgical facilities across the country. The program committee narrowed down those submissions to the Top 10 Contestants. The voting polls then opened up, where the public casted votes for their favorite Everyday Hero.

The program committee then tallied up all votes to determine the Top 3 Finalists. Finalists included Anthony Novella, Director of Nursing at Orthopaedic Surgery Center at Bryn Mawr Hospital; Colbie Page, PreOp/PACU Nurse and Pharmacy Nurse at Texas Health Joint Replacement Surgery Center; and Andy Hernandez, Lead Endoscopy Technician at Arrowhead Endoscopy & Pain Management Center.

A panel of judges, including Joanna Geisinger, CEO of Torq; Stephen Punzak, MD, Founder of One Medical Passport; and Derek Smith, CEO of Mnet Health, reviewed each story and video submission and also took into consideration the number of votes each Finalist received. After careful consideration, the 2021 ASC Everyday Hero winner is Anthony Novella, Director of Nursing at Orthopaedic Surgery Center at Bryn Mawr Hospital; a ValueHealth facility.

Anthony received hundreds of votes from the ASC community. Dawn Porrini, Pre-op/PACU Nurse Manager at Orthopaedic Surgery Center at Bryn Mawr Hospital expressed, “Anthony is such an AMAZING role model and leader. He comes to work every day with a positive attitude ready to tackle all obstacles that come his way. In the midst of being new to the Director of Nursing role, he shined like the star that he is during the COVID pandemic. He kept his staff safe, working hard, and staying positive during the everyday changes that were happening. Just being in his presence makes the working day more pleasant. He makes each staff member feel important and makes time for them throughout the day. I learn so much from him and thrive to be the nurse and fabulous person that he is. We are so lucky to have him as the Director of Nursing of our facility.”

The teams at One Medical Passport and Mnet Health are so honored to recognize and celebrate Anthony as the 2021 ASC Everyday Hero. Anthony received a $2,500 cash prize, $2,000 donated to the charity of his choice and $500 towards lunch for the Orthopaedic Surgery Center at Bryn Mawr Hospital.

About Mnet Health

We believe every patient deserves a helpful, transparent, easy-to-navigate financial experience in healthcare.

Mnet is the premier revenue cycle management & technology provider to the surgical industry. Mnet provides customized patient-pay solutions to surgical hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers. Mnet Health partners with over 900 surgical facilities nationwide and is the preferred vendor to the leading ASC management companies in the US both directly with and in support of centralized billing offices. Mnet’s tailor-made brand, PaySUITE, is a white-labeled payment technology platform that helps surgical facilities, and their providers grow their business by helping patients pay. Mnet’s patient-pay solutions significantly increase self-pay collections while creating a better financial experience for patients. For more information, visit mnethealth.com.

About One Medical Passport, Inc.

One Medical Passport (1MP) is the leading provider of cloud-based workflow solutions to the ambulatory surgery industry. 1MP is dedicated to continuously improving outpatient surgery for patients, staff and physicians alike. For more information visit, 1mp.com.

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Health

Lonza Walkersville, Inc. Donates to Glade Valley Community Services

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“Lonza Walkersville has a long-standing relationship with GVCS and we are proud to continue our partnership and support our local community.” – Philipp Künti, Lonza Walkersville Site Head


WALKERSVILLE, Md. (PRWEB)

Lonza Walkersville, Inc. recently made a $6,400 donation to Glade Valley Community Services, Inc. (GVCS), a local non-profit providing services to residents of Walkersville, Woodsboro, and the surrounding Glade Valley areas in Frederick County, Maryland. Lonza made the donation to celebrate the opening of its employee fitness trail. Lonza employees participated in a Walk/ Run Challenge and the company donated $1 for every mile participants walked or ran.

Vicki Poole, Vice President of GVCS commented: “Lonza’s donation will help fund the GVCS Emergency Relief Fund program, which assists residents in need with paying their rent, utilities, medical and transportation bills. It will be a huge help in continuing our programs and our mission of meeting the needs of families and individuals in the Glade Valley area through the coordination of donations of time, talent, money and other resources. We really appreciate the honor of being selected as the recipient of the proceeds from Lonza’s Walk/Run Challenge!”

Philipp Künti, Lonza Walkersville Site Head, added: “A total of 62 Lonza employees took part in the Walk/Run Challenge on the 5,400 foot Lonza Walkersville Fitness Trail, which takes advantage of the rustic setting of the site to provide a place for our employees to take a walk or run. Our fitness trail offers an opportunity to help our employees improve their health and collaborate through walking meetings or fundraising activities such as the Walk/Run Challenge. Lonza Walkersville has a long-standing relationship with GVCS and we are proud to continue our partnership and support our local community.”

About Lonza

Lonza is the preferred global partner to the pharmaceutical, biotech and nutrition markets. We work to enable a healthier world by supporting our customers to deliver new and innovative medicines that help treat a wide range of diseases. We achieve this by combining technological insight with world-class manufacturing, scientific expertise and process excellence. Our unparalleled breadth of offerings enables our customers to commercialize their discoveries and innovations in the healthcare sector.

Founded in 1897 in the Swiss Alps, today, Lonza operates across five continents. With approximately 15,000 employees, we comprise high-performing teams and individual talent that make a meaningful difference to our own business, as well as to the communities in which we operate. The company generated sales of CHF 2.5 billion with a CORE EBITDA of CHF 847 million in H1 2021. Find out more at http://www.lonza.com

Follow @Lonza on LinkedIn

Follow @LonzaGroup on Twitter

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Health

Usage of Phase-Appropriate Quality Systems in Drug Development,…

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In this free webinar, attendees will learn about how a phase-wise approach in drug development can simplify vendor management, quality management systems as well as batch manufacturing, line clearance…

(PRWeb December 02, 2021)

Read the full story at https://www.prweb.com/releases/usage_of_phase_appropriate_quality_systems_in_drug_development_upcoming_webinar_hosted_by_xtalks/prweb18367812.htm

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