Livingston Reporting - page 165

Blended Family Estate Planning

We have all seen blended families portrayed on TV.  They are always depicted by happy, wholesome family members that love each other to the depths of their hearts.  In reality however, this is not always true. The love factor may always resonate but elements can fade when it comes to the passing of a loved one and their estate.  Often time’s things get messy.

In order to skip that mess and to have a better plan, it is important to hire an estate planning attorney whose firm specializes in family law who will help you create a plan to prevent any uneasiness between family members upon your passing.  However, before you do that, you should really consider your future. In doing so, you should alleviate any guess work and but incorporate all the metrics which can give you a real insight into what lies ahead. Also, it can be said that the future of your blended family depends upon who owns the estate, how many members have a right to it, and are there any preliminary steps already taken by the estate owner.

There are three basic considerations to think about when you are estate planning.

1) Trusts

Trusts are established in order to ensure a healthy distribution of the assets of a remarried couple. There are many types of trusts, the QIPT, Marital, and Bypass trusts. However, choosing the right trust depends upon the financial status of the real estate.

It should also be noted that whatever trust you are establishing, you should always consider placing your children as the intermediate beneficiaries. By doing this, you conserve their rights as on your death they will be paid some amount.

On the other hand, if you name surviving spouse as your successor trustee, then chances are that the differences between him or her and your children will pull the family in troubles in the future.

2) The Power of Wills and Attorneys

It doesn’t matter which kind of trust you establish. If you’re living will says something otherwise than what the trust says, then your will is the one that is going to be preferred. We recommend you set up a living will and also establish power of attorney not only for your medical decisions but also for the financial decisions when you are no longer able to take them yourself.

This practice can eliminate the confusion and the emotional stress that would prevail in your family upon your terminal ailment. Also, someone who is experienced and sound minded will help you indirectly steer things the way you want it to go.

3) Life Insurance Policies and Retirement Plans

Both of these require you to name beneficiaries for the assets that they bear. Upon your death, the beneficiary that you have named will be given all the assets. Thus, it is necessary for everyone to check the beneficiaries which they have named so that a minor or a former spouse is not listed.

Finding the right estate planning in a blended family can be a tough task because in such families the tendency of complexities is more. Thus, in order to get everything right, work with an elder law attorney that offers specialized services in family law.

Learn more about attorney Sean J. Nichols and the legal services he provides for clients including: estate planning, elder law issues, Medicaid planning, elder care, probate law, guardianships, and power of attorney (POA) at www.seanjnichols.com.  To contact the offices of Sean J Nichols call 734.386.0224 today.

Targeting Cancer with Radiation Treatment Machines

Searching for the right radiation oncology positioning device and quality radiotherapy equipment services can be hard. However, there are certain parameters which you should consider in buying the right positioning devices from the right people without having to compromise on targeting the cancer cells effectively while treating them through the cancer treatment machines.

While it might be thought that the techniques for positioning that were used in the early days can still be used, the fact should be kept in mind that new devices have been developed that have totally eliminated the disadvantages for those early techniques.

What Is a Positioning Device?

Before we could plunge into knowing the parameters which we talked about, let us first know in true terms what really a positioning device is and what it is used for.  A positioning device in oncology is anything that can help the oncologist in maintaining a firm and steady position of his or her patient during treatment.

These devices are needed in order to fix the patient in the appropriate position so that there is no radiation leakage to any healthy visceral parts. Too often, positioning errors pose great dangers not for the patient only, but also for the oncologist or radiologist who is carrying out the radiation session. Thus, with the help of positioning devices, these errors can be mitigated to a greater level.

The Need for Positioning Devices

As we have explained the main objective of the immobilization devices, let us see what other needs call for the installation of these devices.

  • Patient’s Fear

The worries of those who are already battered by lingering cancer that they suffer from could be reduced by using devices that can position them in a better way. Normally, every patient knows the dangers that radiation therapy poses to healthy tissues. In this way, there is a need to assure them of the safety that certain devices can provide.

  • Daily Set Up Time

The time that is wasted in positioning a patient without the help of immobilization devices can be reduced with the help of them. Since the radiation therapy spans over several days and the radiation has to be targeted on the cancerous cells from different positions, it is indispensable to use positioning devices.

  • Making a Body Part Rigid

During a radiation therapy session, due to the fear of the patient or any other reason, the body part under treatment can experience flexion. This can put immense pressure on the radiologist or oncologist and thus can reduce the efficiency of the process. So, in order to eliminate any possible chances of the body part, different positioning devices can be used which comply with the structure of that part.

What should you look for immobilization devices?

In order to buy immobilization devices that can target cancer cells effectively, there is a need to pay heed to the following characteristics.

  • The device should be easy in usage and construction
  • Patient should not experience any discomfort
  • The device should be appropriately structured according to the body type of the patient and his or her external contours
  • It shouldn’t come in the way of the radiation beam
  • It shouldn’t change shape over time
  • It should position the patient optimally
  • The material with which it is made
  • Its ability to be reused

Considering the above needs and the parameters, you should buy the appropriate radiation oncology positioning device from quality radiotherapy equipment services.

Learn more about Radparts and the variety of services and parts they offer to repair medical equipment including: linear accelerators parts, CT scanners parts, linac parts, and radiation oncology equipment at www.radparts.com.  To contact one of our medical equipment repair specialists for parts or service call toll free 877.704.3838 for 24/7/365 support.

Water Softeners Compared to Water Filtering System

Water is truly an elemental part of our lives. We need it to survive. We need it to stay healthy. The need for daily consumption of water means that we have to make sure that we have access to non-contaminated water. Drinking water that contains any kind of organic or metallic contaminants could end up becoming a health issue.

The search for the best possible way to get rid of contaminants in water has been long. We have been able to come up with several solutions that could prove to be efficient, but some are more common and useful than others without a doubt.

Softeners vs Filter Systems

There are many people out there who wonder about the difference between water softeners. The truth is that water softeners are best for taking out bad smells, and iron build-up while water filtering systems are often used to remove foreign containments within the water. Water softeners are more likely to end up removing a larger number of contaminants and this makes them ideal for consumption.

Choosing Water Filtering

Water softeners could be used for this too, but they will out on anything that is not hardness causing. This means that it will remove calcium and magnesium, but not other contaminants or even industrial chemicals. The best way to do this is to use water filtering if you want to ensure the removal of as many contaminants as possible.

Water softeners are perfect when you have issues such as lime buildup. If the water has a strange taste to it, the filter is going to be the most reliable option. The key thing to consider is that water softeners and water filtering systems are both useful. You just need to know when to use each one. There are several scenarios with water contamination and each one needs its own treatment process.

Both Products Have Advantages

Both water filtering and water softeners are pretty good at purifying water, but they both have different uses without a doubt. Just learn which situation fits each of those solutions better and you are going to get very good results in the process. Filtering systems are the most common in households and they get the job done efficiently. Just make sure that you can find quality filtration systems or softeners. This is essential if you want to be able to get results that are ideal for your needs.

At Reynolds Water Conditioning Company we are here to help make sure our clients don’t buy water treatment systems that they don’t need.  We are here to make sure you find a water softening system that gives you the results you are looking for, whether it is to remove iron or odor from you water; we have a solution that will help!  For more information contact our experts at 800.572.9575 or at our website https://reynoldswater.com.

Safely Refurbishing Manufacturing Equipment after a Flood

Flooding can cause much devastation.  One of them being the ability to ruin the workability of electrical equipment. Manufacturing equipment is much like any other electrical equipment in the way it reacts to water flooding inside its circuits. If you are the owner of such machinery, and it has been hit by a flood or any other water spill, then you don’t need to worry because you have an option to refurbish these electrical components.

Reconditioned electrical components can save you from spending extra money on buying new equipment. Also, it can save your time because installation of new equipment and getting it working just like the previous one can be hard.

However, manufacturing equipment requires prudent considerations in order to safely refurbish them. Let us go through these considerations.

  • Assess the damage

The first thing before even considering repairing or refurbishing any electrical component is to check the extent of the water damage that it has received. In order to do that, you would need to gather all the information that you have about the equipment. That information can include all the pertinent drawings and documentation that had come with the instrument.

Once you have that information, you can either yourself do the inspection or have a specialized team to do it. Too often, an electrical component is well insulated by the manufacturers against any water intrusions. Thus, through valuable knowledge about the machinery and the assessment of the damage, one can get an idea if it needs to be repaired.

  • Never try plugging the equipment

Water has electrical properties. When it seeps inside an electrical component, it floods all the circuits therein. If the component is running when it experiences water seepage, then it can result in short circuits. Alternatively speaking, if equipment is turned on after it has received water seepage, then it can still cause short circuits. Either way, the machinery is damaged, and thus, whether equipment is on or off before the flood, you should never plug them into the electrical socket to see if they are working.

  • Leave the equipment for drying

As we said before, you should never plug in the manufacturing equipment in electricity socket. What you should do is let them get dried. Nobody should be allowed to get near to it unless some decision is reached on whether the equipment should be completely removed or its individual parts are taken out for refurbishing.

  • Hire refurbishing professionals

What we talked about in the above paragraphs are main considerations on the part of the owner and the operators of the manufacturing equipment. However, when it comes to repairing the equipment after flooding, proper refurbishing professionals should be hired.

These professionals know the working of equipment and also the makeup of its complex circuits. They can guide you better regarding whether the components should be completely renewed or repaired.

Refurbished electrical components can work just like they used to when they weren’t damaged. Some people have a fear in their hearts regarding these reconditioned electrical components. However, they should know that the repairers are there to bring a damage component to life without compromising its workability.

Learn more about J & P Electrical Company and their vast line of new, surplus, and refurbished industrial electrical components including: circuit breakers, bus ducts, bus plugs, disconnects, fuses, panel switches, tap boxes, and transformers at https://www.jpelectricalcompany.com/assetmanagement.php.  To contact one of our product reconditioning specialists call 877.844.5514 today.

 

Human Serum Difference in Biological Research

Innovations are happening all around us and the progressive track of technology has enabled us to do so much that were previously considered impossible. From voice assistance to machines that can make decisions on their own, we’ve come a very long way. In the same manner, the innovations in biological sciences has boosted significantly. With better equipment and latest technologies, scientists have been able to unearth minute details of the human body, recreate tissues and synthetic materials. One such significant success in the biological sciences sector has been the extraction of human serum.

Where is Human Serum Used?

Human serum is widely used for various reasons from medical purposes to scientific research. It a useful fluid obtained from human blood after applying certain method of extraction, with useful properties beneficial most significantly in biological research.

The human serum is extracted from blood plasma after a factor fibrinogen and other similar clotting factors have been removed from it. This serum is most commonly used while researching immunity of human body and devising medicines and supplements that can boost the immune system. Another use of human serum includes usage in cell culture media, that is, synthetically growing cells and studying bacteria growth and resistance to medicines. Human Serum is more effective and provides a more feasible environment for cell growth in contrast to animal serum. A more particular usage is while working with immune cells like lymphocytes and macrophages.

Human serum can be extracted from individuals or pooled donors of serum which can be classified on the basis of sex, age and disease states, based on the requirement of your research.

Types of Human Serum:

There are different kinds of serums which differ in nature based on the use. For instance, off-the-clot serum is extracted from blood which has been left to clot spontaneously after the process of centrifugation. Note that, this doesn’t contain anticoagulants.

Another type of serum, known as type AB serum is used while studying immunoactivity. The reason for so is that it doesn’t contain in itself any interfering anti-A or anti-B antibodies that skew the observations of the experiments performed.

Complement human serum involves proteins which get activated on sequential basis when the antibodies in the blood get the chance to interact with the respective antigens. These proteins degrade very quickly if the storage and preparation methods are inadequate. To ensure optimal quality of the serum, it should be collected fresh and stored in cold temperatures.

Proper Care and Storage

We take special care in preparation and storage of human serums, because we understand how important it is for biological research. Accuracy of your research depends on the quality of the product and we ensure that we deliver the best. For more information and queries regarding our products, feel free to get in touch with us through email or our hotline number.

Learn more about Innovative Research and our high quality research materials including human, plant, and animal biological, ELISA & Assay Kits, proteins, antibodies, cell cultures, blood, serum, plasma, and more.  More information can be found at https://www.innov-research.com/ or by calling 248.896.0145.

Why Black Aluminum Fencing Is Popular Amongst Homeowners

Putting up a fence on any property, commercial or residential, comes with many benefits. For example, a good quality and beautifully crafted fence in the front yard adds character to the landscape and enhances curb appeal. For practical reasons such as safety, deterring trespassers from entering a property, keeping the children or pets from wondering off or for any other purpose, the right type of fence should speak volumes about the owner of the property as does the color of the fence.

Black Is So Versatile

In terms of quality, durability, longevity, and design, black aluminum metal fencing checks off all the boxes. A beautifully installed and crafted black metal fence, double swing gate, farm gate, driveway gate, estate gate or security gate is one of the highest selling black metal fencing style so far not only because they are built for strength and to hold up against all the elements of summer and winter, but black is a color that blends in well with the surrounding environment.

There are also a wide variety of black metal fence panels that are not only powder coated easy maintenance and durability, but they also come in a wide range of ratings, styles, colors, and elevations that will match a structure’s design and landscape and provide safety, security, boundary demarcation.

Long Lasting Quality

In addition to adding much needed curb appeal to any property, the most appealing attraction about black metal fencing is that unlike other iron fences, black aluminum fences hardly ever get rusty and take years to age – an aspect that will give you unlimited peace of mind and security.

A maintenance-free alternative to wrought iron or other fencing options, black aluminum fences are also designed with easy installation in mind, which makes aluminum fences the ideal choice that can be used for a wide selection of residential purposes. For example, residential aluminum fence combines the lightweight materials of the residential grade fencing, but with the sturdy appearance of a heavier fence in order to render a fence strong enough for most uses and will beautify and add class to any property.

Great Sense Of Security

Commercial grade black metal fencing that is often used in high traffic areas or spaces requiring additional security such as schools, industrial complexes, factories, public recreation facilities, or hospitals are heavier and also durable fencing product just as the residential fences because they utilize the heaviest gauge extrusions for high visibility and substantial protection. Therefore, when you are looking for an added attractive security, this is a great choice for you and the best alternative on the market today to enhance your property without breaking the bank.

Normally, other types of fences will disappear in the background, and they often are problematic to fit on a different landscape layout. This is not the case with black metal fences that not only make a beautiful backdrop, but they can be easily used on a hillside or slope.

Learn more about iFence USA and their vast line of custom aluminum fencing options with various grades of aluminum fence to choose from including: Commercial Grade Aluminum Fencing, Residential Grade Aluminum Fencing, Pool Grade Aluminum Fencing, and Industrial Aluminum Fencing at http://ifenceusa.com/residential.php.  To contact one of our aluminum fence experts call toll free 800.762.2907 or via email at info@ifenceusa.com.

 

How Gutters Improve the Life Of Your Roof?

The average costs of installing a new roof made of low-quality shingles can be somewhere near eight to one hundred dollars per square foot.  Considering the expense it is understandable why homeowners delay installing a new roof.  One way homeowners can maximize the lifespan of their current roofs and avoid having to replace their current roof is through maintenance.  Taking care of the homes roof helps to avoid the extra expense of a new roof in the future.

When it comes to taking care of a roof one of the most important elements that needs attention are the roofs gutters. The homes gutters save your roof from many problems associated with water and its leakage.  When water is allowed to enter the home through the roof interior damage will occur from ceiling leaks to the growth of mold.

The Purpose of Gutters on Your Home

Gutters are installed on the perimeter of the roof in order to facilitate water removal.  They help to ensure that water is drawn away from the home. If water accumulates in larger quantities on the roof or along the roof line it can cause a great deal of degradation and reduce the lifespan of your homes roof. Excess water on the roof leads to a number of issues including:

  • Moss Growth

Moss is a plant which grows when there is an abundance of water left to sit. The water in which moss prefers to grow is stagnant. This occurs if there is an abundance of stagnant water on the roof.  Without gutters the water on the roof is often not efficiently removed and water is allowed to accumulate near the periphery of the roof or even in the middle. The problems which are associated with this are the damage which shingles bear and the growth of the mosses.

Mosses and other organisms can grow in these locations including dark algae and fungus. Just like the moss, these organisms also don’t do anything good to a roof. Their roots penetrate deep in the shingles causing cracking which can lead to complete weathering of them in the long run.

  • Extension of Pores of Shingles

It is said that water determines its own path whether that path is through huge holes or even the tiniest ones. If you think that shingles and other roof components do not have pores, then you are wrong. Even the smoothest surface has tiny pores through which water can find its way in.

Chemistry of Water

Having said that, we know that water is a universal solvent. When the droplets of water fall down from the clouds, they dissolve a lot of chemicals in their way down. These chemicals, such as sulfates and carbonates can find themselves crystallizing in the pores of the surface in which they are taken by the water. Thus, with the passage of time, this crystallization can mount up and eventually can produce cracks and joints on the surface.  Considering the result of water seepage, there is a need to eliminate water from the roof. This is where gutters provide us their applications.

Gutters can become clogged from the fallen leaves from nearby trees, ice dams, or any other coagulant agent. This can totally reduce the capability of the gutters and can, in turn, damage them. For this purpose, there is a need to keep your gutters clean so that the water from the roof doesn’t find its place either in the attic or in the basement.

Cleaning Your Gutters

Often times, gutters cannot be cleaned by the house owners because of the difficulty they face in working on a ladder. If you are one of those, then you can hire a roofing company or any residential roofing contractor to assist.

Learn more about Home Pro Roofing and their vast line of custom roofing options installed by professional roofing contractors including: metal roofing, metal roof repair, and new metal roof installation at http://homeproroofingmi.com/residential-roofing-services-metal-roofing.php. To contact one of our roofing contractors call 810.225.9080 today.

How to Sell or Buy a Home In Any Market

Selling or buying a home in any market can be tough if a seller or buyer doesn’t pay attention to some basic principles that are followed by both potential buyers and sellers. Being prepared before placing your home on the market, proper preparation and planning for your home selling or buying process reduces stress once the process of showing your home to prospective buyers begins. Whatever decisions you make surrounding the details of home selling, remember, the home has to sell itself. Always make sure that the home displays its value to customers so that they will be willing to give a value that matches the home.

Your Reason For Selling

The most critical component in the whole home selling process is the reason for selling. Why are you selling your home? Is it time to resize your household and move to a larger home? Are you downsizing and looking for lower maintenance living? Are you relocating for employment? Are you selling because you want to or because you have to? This is the key question that you must answer, as it will be the driver for everything else in the selling process. A must sell answer will require a more aggressive approach to the preparation, pricing, and marketing. The want to sell answer can allow for a more laid-back strategy.

Begin Preparation

Preparing a home for sale should be made a priority as soon as you have decided to sell. If you take time to clean and ensure that it is clean, home price can increase and the seller holding time reduces. Today’s buyers frequently want a move in ready home that requires as little work as possible. They want to move their personal belongings in, hang their pictures and start enjoying the home as soon as the movers are gone.

Using a Realtor Or Not

Next, a home seller must decide if they are going to use a realtor or sell their home themselves. Both come with a cost. If you don’t choose the best realtor in your market area, the one with the hard data available to demonstrate their success in the home selling process, you could be in for a stressful and unpleasant selling experience. When selling the home personally, so that you may save some money, be ready to have enough time and have your patience tested every time a prospective buyer enters your home.

When you decide to sell or buy a home, their various factors that lead to a successful sale. The above three are only the beginning of the items that need to be considered as you move forward with the selling process. Buyers are out there in every market and the planning and preparation you do today can help you get your home sold in the shortest amount of time, for the highest possible price and with the least amount of stress.

Learn more about C21 Lady of the Lakes Realtors and the numerous services they offer including: buying a new home, selling a home, or renting a home at www.ladyofthelakes.com.  To contact one of our real estate agents call 734-426-6060 today.

The Best Option in Product Labeling

Shrink sleeve labeling is the talk of the town. And why shouldn’t it be? We know that marketing has risen to new heights. A product is only valued if it has a good packaging and good advertisement. Owing to this, the customers of today give more value to the way a product is labeled with the brand that it belongs to.

There are many ways in which a product can be labeled according to the needs of the company owning it. However, none of the ways can be deemed parallel to shrink sleeve design and labeling.

Benefits of the shrink sleeve labeling and packaging

To get an understanding of why businesses are using shrink sleeves to label new products and rebranding products within the brand.

1) Full 360 Degree Product Body Coverage

Shrink labels are advantageous in being able to wrap around any container of any shape without any hassle. The labels simply fold around the packaging in a manner that does not leave any place uncovered.

Unlike other conventional packaging methods, these labels are known to provide greater space for creativity to the product manufacturers. This ability brings us to our second point.

2) Greater Exposure

There has been an increase in the demand for stretch sleeves over the past decade. This increase can be attributed to the fact that these labels can easily accommodate larger and complex graphics of labels. As we have established above that labeling is one of the major parts of brand exposing strategies, having a label which totally gives you the freedom to concoct designs that can lead to customer attraction can be an extra edge over the competitors.

3) Durability

Durability is not an option but the need of every brand owner in terms of both his or her product and its labeling. When it comes to sleeve labeling, the shrink film bears the majority of the printing. The labels are printed in reverse on it and are sealed safely by a thinly layered film. Having this ability, these labels basically increase the shelf-life of the labels of your product by saving them from scuffing, marring, or tearing.

4) Consumer Connection

One of the many reasons that shrink labels have captured the attention of the packaging community all around the world is its ability to create a deep connection with the customers.

Popular Consensus

The claim that we made has been confirmed by a 2011 Eastman Chemical Company study. The study was carried out by AC Nielson by incorporating an 800-consumer pool, and its main reason was to know about the preferences of the customers in terms of attractiveness of the different kinds of labels. What the researchers learned from this study was that majority of the consumers preferred the products which had stretch or shrink sleeve designs.

Contact Us

Learn more about Anchor Printing and their vast line of custom product label & packaging options including: Shrink Sleeve Labels, Flexible Packaging, Roll-Fed Labeling, Pressure Sensitive and Cut & Stack Labels at http://www.anchorprinting.com.  To contact one of our label specialists call toll free at 800.748.0209 or via email at info@anchorprinting.com.

Popular Options for Treating Cancer

Cancer is the second leading cause of death, morbidity, and mortality worldwide and was responsible for 8.8 million deaths in 2015. Staying away from tobacco and alcohol, limiting time in the sun, being physically active and eating healthy foods has been credited with reducing the risk of developing most types of cancers. There are also various screening tests that can be done for some types of cancers so they can be found as early as possible and before they have spread.

Effective Treatments

Significant improvements can be made by detecting cancer early and avoiding delays in care. This can be achieved through early diagnosis, which consists of clinical evaluation, diagnosis, staging, and access to care. There are also screening programs such as visual inspection for cervical cancer, mammography screening for breast cancer, or HPV testing for cervical cancer that aim to identify individuals with abnormalities suggestive of specific cancers.

Common types of cancers, like breast cancer, oral, and colorectal, cervical cancer have increased cure rates when caught and treated early. There are also vaccines that have proven useful in treating cancers that are caused by viruses such as the human papilloma virus (HPV).

Medical equipment such as the linear accelerator machine has the ability to deliver another type of cancer treatment using intensity modulated radiation therapy. Linear accelerator machines use excessive energy x-ray, commonly known as microwave technology, fit to the tumor’s shape to destroy cancer cells while protecting the surrounding healthy tissue.

This next point is geared toward addressing various safety concerns of patients that come with using this medical equipment. It doesn’t matter whether the linear accelerator machine is new or a refurbished LINAC system because, in the hands of a competent radiation oncologist, patients can expect to receive the appropriate treatment volume and dosage.

Proper Testing an Maintenance

Doctors who work with linear accelerator machines also perform consistent safety checks before treatment is given and the regular maintenance of the equipment is not only to alleviate the delivery of a higher dose than the radiation oncologist has prescribed but also to ensure that any malfunctions during the treatment process never occurs.

A new or refurbished LINAC system will make clicking or whirring sounds similar to a vacuum cleaner, which may scare patients. The radiation therapist controls the movement and checks to ensure that the equipment is working properly and he or she is there to stop the machine if by any chance a patient is concerned about anything that is happening in the treatment room or feels uncomfortable during the treatment.

Quality Treatment

Continual improvement of medical imaging equipment is important, especially when a medical practitioner wants to benefit his practice in both patient quality care and staff productivity. Not only have new technological advances in radiation therapy made life easier for cancer patients, but ongoing investment in new technology is now making treatments quicker, accurate and effective, therefore making this form of therapy a popular option for treating cancer and reducing its recurrence.

Acceletronics is an independent service company dedicated to delivering the best equipment performance and service reliability from Linear Accelerators and CT Scanners across all major brands and models. Learn more about Acceletronics and their selection of new and refurbished linear accelerators and CT scanners today at http://www.acceletronics.com.  To contact one of our LINAC experts call 610.524.3300.