Foods Your Local Food Bank Needs the Most

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Cell Communication Key to Halting Melanoma Growth

Engineer and sales executive Steve Verschoor left a two decade-long career with the Santa Clara-based supply manufacturer Applied Materials to start his own company, a solar energy firm called GTSP Global. In his personal life, Steve Verschoor is a melanoma patient and advocates for advances in the disease’s treatment and research.

Melanoma is a form of skin cancer that develops due to abnormalities in melanocyte cells. A recent study released by researchers at the University of California, Irvine, sheds new light on the biological mechanisms that inhibit melanoma growth. After investigating the effects of a genetic mutation known as BRAF, these scientists discovered that skin cells engage in a type of feedback system using protein signals that stops the growth at a certain limit.

Prior to this finding, researchers believed that mole growth stops due to premature aging caused by mutations. This new development suggests that understanding the cells’ communication process may be an effective approach for stopping the excessive cell growth that leads to melanoma. 

How Washington Acted Fast to Safeguard Seniors from COVID-19 Exposure

An engineer, Steve Verschoor serves as the head of sales at GTSP Global, a premier manufacturer of solar power components. Overseeing sales and client relationships in markets on both sides of the Pacific, Steve Verschoor has secured numerous contracts for the company. Besides GTSP, he was one of the original co-founders of Molecular Testing Labs, which was contracted by the State of Washington in early 2020 to conduct COVID-19 tests for senior home residents and staff.

At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the State of Washington stepped in to safeguard the lives of seniors living in senior living facilities. Because of the congregate nature of these centers and the susceptibility of their residents to severe infection, state secretary for health John Wiesman announced new orders for senior homes patient and staff testing. In the orders, all facilities were required to complete universal testing for COVID-19 on staff and residents. Those who had not yet done the tests on April 1, 2020, were required to have done them by June 12, 2020.

To ensure all facilities carried out the tests, the State of Washington partnered with Molecular Testing Labs as well as the University of Washington’s Department of Virology to conduct the testing. Molecular Testing Labs, through its validated protocols for at-home testing, sent out sample collection kits to registered facilities and coordinated the testing and results delivery processes. It then billed either the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid or the Washington State Health Care Authority.

CDC Issues Guidelines for Home-Based HIV Testing

Sales executive Steve Verschoor is the head of sales for GTSP Global, a leading solar parts manufacturer with clients across Asia. A resident of Boise, Idaho, Steve Verschoor is one of the co-founders of Molecular Testing Labs which was, on May 15, 2020, highlighted by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as one of the labs offering convenient and effective home-based kits for post-exposure HIV testing.

Following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, health care systems that cater to people who’ve tested positive for HIV/AIDS have had to adapt their mode of operations, shifting to telehealth and phone triage services to minimize contact with their patients. Others, such as those that offer pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), have had to close or reduce working hours. These measures, while necessary, could lead to an increase in HIV infections.

Even in these times, keeping HIV infections down is a public health priority. Timely testing and administration of PrEP are two crucial steps to doing that. CDC issued guidelines for clinics challenged by the COVID-19 pandemic on how they can reallocate resources to continue offering HIV testing and make available PrEP available to patients who have recently been exposed. While indicating that lab-only visits were its preferred method of testing for HIV and providing PrEP, it recommended two other options when lab visits were not possible: home specimen collection kits and self-testing with oral swab tests.

For home specimen collection kits, CDC recommended labs like Molecular Testing Kits which have protocols for sending out sample collection kits to patients by order of a clinician. The patient can receive the kit, collect a blood sample by fingerstick, then send the sample to the lab for testing. The test is covered by a majority of insurance plans and test results, once ready, are communicated to the patient’s clinician. This method is more preferred over oral swab tests because of its higher sensitivity. Clinicians can then put patients who test negative on PrEP.

How to Support Food Banks During the Coronavirus Pandemic

An accomplished entrepreneur, Steve Verschoor is the head of sales at GTSP Global, a solar power manufacturing company that he co-founded. Besides his professional endeavors, Steve Verschoor and his wife volunteer to support foodbanks around the Boise, Idaho area.

Foodbanks have played a major role during the COVID-19 pandemic as they have provided essential food supplies and resources to people in need. Job losses, unreliable work, and increased childcare commitments have pushed many families to get help from food bank facilities which are now overstretched as a result of a surging number of people and strain on their resources. Supporting your local food bank is a great way you can help.

For starters, find out what your local food bank needs as they often post this information on their online resources. Items in demand include food supplies, toiletries, sanitary, and cleaning products. Besides buying supplies and donating them, foodbanks also rely on volunteers to help them distribute supplies.

Other ways to assist include giving in memory where you can donate to a food bank as a way to celebrate the memory of a loved one or asking your friends and family to make a charitable donation instead of bringing presents at a birthday, anniversary, or wedding. In addition, you can donate in-kind, such as providing roadworthy vehicles, office space, and equipment to help foodbanks substantially reduce their operational costs. Some volunteers also provide legal and financial help.

The ABCDE Criteria for Spotting Melanoma

An experienced engineer based in Boise, Idaho, Steve Verschoor co-founded GTSP Global in 2006 and serves as head of sales at the polysilicon equipment manufacturer. Steve Verschoor is a stage 3 melanoma cancer patient and is taking part in his second clinical trial.

Melanoma is a type of skin cancer that commonly presents itself as brownish moles on the legs of women and the central part of the body on men. These growths can resemble benign moles, but have distinct characteristics and can often be detected by following the asymmetry, border, color, diameter, and evolution (ABCDE) criteria.

The majority of melanomas are asymmetrical (A) and tend to have uneven or notched borders (B). They also generally have varied shades of brown, tan, or black, whereas benign moles are typically one uniform color (C). As melanoma lesions expand in size, they may also display hues of red, white, or blue. Regarding diameter (D), if the lesion is bigger than 6 millimeters it should immediately be checked by a doctor. Evolution (E), meanwhile, covers any changes in the lesion's appearance or new symptoms such as bleeding or itching.

While these signs can be of concern, the good news is that early detection by following the ABCDE criteria makes a dramatic difference in the melanoma survival rate. The five-year survival rate for Americans whose melanoma is diagnosed early is 99 percent. This falls to 65 percent if the cancer has spread to the patient's lymph nodes.

Trends in Solar Energy for 2020

Engineer Steve Verschoor of Boise, Idaho, works with solar power product manufacturing. Having traveled to Europe, Asia, and the Middle East as a part of his job with GTSP Global, Steve Verschoor is a part of an industry that is growing worldwide.

As of 2020, the US has enough installed solar power energy to bring power to 13.5 million homes. A new innovation in solar energy is concentrated photovoltaic designs. Conic reflective mirrors within the panel are expected to improve efficiency 20 times through concentrated light. Moreover, concentrated solar panel designs will allow for generation of power over a wider area.

While new designs will impact manufacturers, other trends will directly affect consumers. For example, the Federal Solar Tax Credit will taper off, falling from 30 percent in 2019 to 26 percent in 2020 and continuing to decline.

Demand for solar energy storage continues to increase. Moreover, the use of electric vehicles will see a demand for more solar energy to power them, with some manufacturers even including it as a feature of their vehicles.