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Showing posts from April, 2024

TWIA Individual & Family Dental Insurance

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TWIA Insurance Group’s Individual and Family Dental Insurance Whether you’re a business owner, self-employed, or someone without group dental health insurance, finding affordable and reliable dental coverage can be challenging. Dental health is crucial, but the lack of appropriate insurance often leads to delayed check-ups and treatments, escalating minor issues into major health concerns for you and your family. Neglecting dental health due to inadequate insurance can result in discomfort and significant future expenses. As a professional managing your own business or career or prioritizing your family's well-being, the last thing you want is the added stress of unforeseen dental bills. Without coverage, even routine dental care can become a financial burden, let alone unexpected treatments or emergencies. Introducing TWIA Insurance Group’s Individual and Family Dental Insurance, your gateway to comprehensive and hassle-free dental care. Our plans are designed to provide the f

3 workers die in Pennsylvania highway construction zone crash

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Listen to the article 2 min This audio is auto-generated. Please let us know if you have feedback . Three construction workers were killed early Wednesday morning when a large box truck entered an active work zone on I-83 in Fairview Township, Pennsylvania, according to state police. The truck, driven by Reed Davenport, 24, collided with a construction vehicle inside the work zone around 3 a.m. and entered the shoulder of the highway, where it then struck the construction workers, who were sealing highway cracks , AP News reported. Other details, such as the speed Davenport was traveling when he hit the workers, has not been released.  The workers were pronounced dead at the scene, and have yet to be identified. The collision coincided with “Go Orange Day,” encouraging citizens to wear bright orange as part of PennDOT’s Work Zone Awareness Week , designed to encourage careful driving around roadway work zones.  In Pennsylvania, interstate constructi

How Biden’s apprenticeship push could affect builders

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https://twiainsurancestore.com/how-bidens-apprenticeship-push-could-affect-builders/

Embedded fleet spend management - a new era of profitability

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Being a fleet operator in today’s climate is hard – skyrocketing operating costs, exacerbated by volatile fuel prices, are only intensifying the economic pressure operators have been facing since 2020. The expectation is to achieve more with less—smaller budgets, fewer skilled workers and outdated tech has solidified a tough new norm for operators. Moreover, the lack of technological innovation long-plaguing these industries means leaders are now using too many different systems to manage their day-to-day operations, and these require more manual overhead than available. Operators are facing a proliferation of unactionable data across all aspects of their business due to these siloed systems. Worse, this is allowing hidden cost centers, like fraudulent spending to quietly drain bottom lines. To shed light on how pressing these issues are today, Motive surveyed 1,000 leaders across trucking and logistics, construction, oil and gas and more, to understand the depth of these challenges. C

Greenwashing lawsuits could be headed for construction

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Listen to the article 6 min This audio is auto-generated. Please let us know if you have feedback . Garrett Gibson is a trial attorney in the Houston office of national law firm Eversheds Sutherland. Opinions are the author’s own. Issues around greenwashing practices have hit home with industries across the country in the past five years as numerous government and private plaintiffs have filed lawsuits alleging that companies’ claims about sustainability achievements and environmental friendliness are overstated.  At its core, greenwashing occurs when a company makes an untrue or unverifiable claim or gives the impression that its products, services or supply chain are more environmentally friendly than they actually are. Greenwashing lawsuits are often brought as false advertising claims: Consumers or regulators assert a claim that a company inflated its environmental bona fides to attract buyers. Greenwashing-related lawsuits have affected nearly every major industry in recent ye

Disneyland gets initial nod for $1.9B investment

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https://twiainsurancestore.com/disneyland-gets-initial-nod-for-1-9b-investment/

The country’s top apartment builder says higher prices are here to stay

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https://twiainsurancestore.com/the-countrys-top-apartment-builder-says-higher-prices-are-here-to-stay/

Unveiling the Mysteries of Life with Imageomics

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According to one of the founders of the discipline, Imageomics, a burgeoning field of science, has made remarkable strides over the past year and stands at the precipice of significant breakthroughs in understanding life on Earth. Scientists are using machine learning to analyze photos of wildlife. Image Credit: Getty Images At the American Association for the Advancement of Science’s annual meeting on February 17th, 2024, Tanya Berger-Wolf, Faculty Director of The Ohio State University ’s Translational Data Analytics Institute, gave a presentation on the state of imageomics. Berger-Wolf said in an interview before the meeting, “ Imageomics is coming of age and is ready for its first major discoveries .” The goal of the emerging multidisciplinary scientific field known as “imageomics” is to use machine learning techniques to decipher biological traits - specifically, the biology of organisms - from images. In addition to camera traps, satellites, drones, and even vacation photos of ani

Lendlease losses continue amid strategy shift

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Listen to the article 3 min This audio is auto-generated. Please let us know if you have feedback . Dive Brief: - “We’re not there yet,” was Lendlease CEO Tony Lombardo’s message on the company’s continued strategy shift that favors real estate investment over building and developing. The firm reported its first half earnings Monday for fiscal year 2024, recording a net loss of 136 million Australian dollars ($89.3 million). - CFO Simon Dixon attributed the loss to sinking valuations in the company’s property portfolio, reorganization costs and charges due to U.K. building remediation regulations.  - Lendlease has been pivoting from building and developing to an investment-led model. With that change, it has been more selective with its projects amid higher borrowing costs, but the turnaround continues to be arduous. Lombardo said the company has struggled to get capital from development into the investment segment to drive higher earnings. Dive Insight: Lendlease previously had to

Insights From the Ogasawara Islands Biodiversity Study

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The Ogasawara Islands are a chain of tiny volcanic islands located thousands of km South of Tokyo, deep within the world's largest ocean. Here, isolated from human habitation and the warm Kuroshio current that shuttles marine species from Taiwan over the Ryukyu Islands and up the Pacific coast of mainland Japan, nature has been allowed to flourish on its own terms. The research vessel, used to collect samples of seawater for the study. Right: Underwater scenery at the Ogasawara Islands. Image Credit: James D. Reimer. The islands, which are home to many endemic animal species and up to 70% of trees, have earned the moniker “the Galápagos of the East” for their significance as a hotspot for biodiversity and as the birthplace of scientific inquiry. They were recognized in 2011 as a UNESCO Natural World Heritage site. Although there has not been much direct human involvement with the environment here, climate change poses a global threat to biodiversity. Geographic remoteness is a boon

Uncovering How to Protect Nerves in Neurodegenerative Diseases

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Researchers at the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine have led a team that has discovered a novel therapeutic strategy for treating neurodegenerative illnesses, raising the prospect of better care for conditions like multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and Vanishing White Matter disease . Paul Tesar. Image Credit: Case Western Reserve University According to the National Institutes of Health, neurodegenerative diseases, which impact millions of people globally, arise when nerve cells in the brain or nervous system eventually stop functioning and die. The two most prevalent diseases are Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. The study team's latest work, released online in the journal Nature Neuroscience , concentrated on astrocytes, the most prevalent type of brain cells that typically support normal brain function. There is mounting evidence that astrocytes in neurodegenerative diseases can transition to a detrimental state that accelerates

Proposed $1.5B Colorado Solar Farm Undergoes Environmental Assessment

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Construction of the planned 971-MW Sun Bear solar farm could start later this year, if regulators sign off on the plan. https://twiainsurancestore.com/proposed-1-5b-colorado-solar-farm-undergoes-environmental-assessment/

Wind Farm Fight Could Cost Builder $300M Without Talks, Say Experts

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Court order to remove the 150-MW Texas project could be 'yellow flag' to other companies building on Native American sites without full rights above ground—and below—according to attorneys. https://twiainsurancestore.com/wind-farm-fight-could-cost-builder-300m-without-talks-say-experts/

$11B SunZia Power Project Suit Has March 7 Federal Court Hearing

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Quanta Services' 550-mile transmission line under construction in Arizona faces pushback from tribes, others over claimed threats to historic and cultural sites in San Pedro River Valley. https://twiainsurancestore.com/11b-sunzia-power-project-suit-has-march-7-federal-court-hearing/

UV Pasteurisation Technology Brings Significant Savings to Dairy’s Energy Bill

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With the help of Lyras’ cutting-edge technology, a dairy now cuts off 91 per cent of its energy consumption for the inactivation of microorganisms in processing water. Inactivation now happens through UV-driven raslysation rather than traditional heat treatment. The new tech provides full microbial control whilst bringing massive energy savings and reducing the environmental impact.  Apart from nine-tenths of the energy expenditure, Lyras’ safe pasteurisation replacement, raslysation, also removes all risks of glass contamination. The raslysation system is constructed in such a way that there is no direct contact between the treated liquid, water, and the ultraviolet lamps, while a log 12 reduction is achieved on microorganisms in water.   “ The dairy has replaced its pasteuriser for water treatment with a raslysation system from Lyras. This ensures the desired water quality and prevents the product from spoiling when it is flushed from tanks and pipes. The risk of glass contamination

ENPICOM Partners With Erasmus University Medical Center in Groundbreaking Effort to Discover Nanobodies Against Cancer

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ENPICOM, an innovative bioinformatics software solutions provider, has announced a collaboration with Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, a distinguished leader in cancer research. The aim of this partnership is to identify and develop nanobodies against cancer by utilizing ENPICOM’s immune repertoire data analysis services and software solutions. ENPICOM’s immune repertoire data analysis software solution. Image Credit: ENPICOM " We are excited that Erasmus MC, a distinguished leader in cancer research, has chosen ENPICOM to advance the frontier of nanobody-based treatments .” stated Paul van der Velde, CEO at ENPICOM. “ Nanobodies hold immense potential as a transformative tool in cancer therapy .” Compared to traditional antibodies, nanobodies are much smaller, enhancing tissue penetration and tumor infiltration. Moreover, nanobodies tend to have longer CDR3 regions, enabling them to better recognize hidden epitopes. Their simple single-chain structure also grants nanobodies gre

Genetic Insights and Conservation Challenges of Nara's Sacred Deer

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In a world where human activities have left an indelible mark on ecosystems, the preservation of species and natural landscapes has become an urgent global concern. Despite such trends, Traditional taboos rooted in religious beliefs have sometimes served as influential mechanisms for species conservation. Sociocultural systems have established sacred natural sites as an asylum with their rich biodiversity. Yet, research on species within these sites unveils conflicts between societal values and the imperative for nature conservation. In Nara City, Japan, the sacred Japanese sika deer (Cervus nippon), protected for over a millennium, has recently seen a population surge around Nara Park. Genetic analysis reveals mixing between sacred deer from the sanctuary and common lineage deer, posing a risk to the sacred deer's unique genetics. Image Credit: ANSAI Shun The case of Nara in Japan, where the sacred sika deer have been protected for over a thousand years, illustrates the complexiti

Shedding Light on NEM 3.0’s Impact on California Solar Market and Insurance

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As the United States continues its transition toward sustainable energy, California has been at the forefront, leading the charge in adopting solar power. Net Energy Metering (NEM) has played a crucial role in incentivizing solar adoption, but the recent rollout of NEM 3.0 poses some tough challenges for the California solar industry and environmental insurance market.  In this blog post, Canaan Crouch, Specialty Managing Director at Jencap Specialty Insurance Services and environmental expert, sheds light on what NEM 3.0 entails, what it means for the California solar industry, and how it impacts insurance agents and carriers. What Is the Net Energy Metering (NEM) Program? Over the last several years, California has seen exponential growth in the number of solar installations, particularly in the Sun Belt. Much of that has been driven by California’s Net Energy Metering program, which first rolled out in 1996 and incentivizes consumers to install solar panels through an energy buy-bac

Study Reveals Gut Microbiome's Influence on Premature Aging in Chronic HIV Patients

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The Wistar Institute's associate professor Mohamed Abdel-Mohsen, Ph.D., has demonstrated, with his lab and collaborators, a connection between viral damage to the gut and premature biological aging. The group found that this pro-aging connection can contribute to both gut permeability and premature systemic & intestinal tissue aging in people living with chronic HIV infection, and their discovery is detailed in the newly published paper titled, "Distinct Intestinal Microbial Signatures Linked to Accelerated Systemic and Intestinal Biological Aging," published in the journal Microbiome . When people's bodies age faster than their chronological years -; a condition known as accelerated biological aging -; they become more vulnerable to serious health issues usually seen in older adults, including cancers, heart diseases, brain disorders, severe infections, and reduced vaccine effectiveness. Dr. Abdel-Mohsen investigates what drives this rapid aging and how to create

'Synthetic tongue' identifies and kills oral bacteria

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From the discomfort of plaque buildup on the teeth to the unpleasant condition of halitosis, bacteria play a significant role in oral health. A new chemical sensor array detects and inactivates several disease-causing dental bacteria. Image Credit: Maxx-Studio/Shutterstock.com When dental diseases emerge, prompt diagnosis and treatment are essential. However, identifying the specific microorganisms responsible for an infection often proves to be a time-consuming and costly endeavor. In a recent study published in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces , researchers have developed a chemical sensor array, commonly referred to as an artificial tongue, capable of distinguishing various types of dental bacteria and effectively deactivating them. Finding the source is the first step in treating dental diseases like cavities or periodontitis that are thought to be caused by bacteria. Conventional techniques for detection and identification may include sophisticated equipment-based culturing

Strengthen Your Resolve

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https://twiainsurancestore.com/strengthen-your-resolve/

Virginia pioneers adoption of offsite construction code

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https://twiainsurancestore.com/virginia-pioneers-adoption-of-offsite-construction-code/

How Location Influences Insurance Premiums

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In "How Location Influences Insurance Premiums," we explore the impact of geographical location on insurance rates. Whether you're a homeowner, property investor, or business owner, understanding how your location influences insurance premiums is crucial. This blog post will provide valuable insights into the current insurance market for property and highlight key factors that can affect your insurance rates based on where you're located. Being informed about these geographic influences can help you make better decisions when it comes to your insurance coverage. Geographical Impact on Insurance Rates Insurance premiums are influenced by a multitude of factors, and one significant determinant is geography. Where you live can have a substantial effect on the cost of your insurance coverage. From climate conditions to natural disasters, crime rates, and population density, each aspect plays a role in determining the premium you pay. Understanding these geographical influ