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__label__neg Posts Things You Should Know About AntifreezePosted on: 15, November, 2010 Do you remember that fairy tale where a lion insults a mouse only to get caught in a trap? The mouse returns to chew the ropes and help the lion become free again? That story taught us the important lesson that even small things can be very useful in the long run. The same is the case with maintenance of the family vehicle as well. We spend so much time focusing on the engine, transmission and other important and expensive components in the truck that we forget the role of antifreeze in the maintenance of your cars, trucks, motorcycles and vans as well. To prepare your vehicle for the winter season, make sure your antifreeze is mixed properly, or you could see serious damage to your vehicle’s radiator. Often in Summer, water is the only component used in radiators to ensure the engine remains cool. As Winter approaches, many forget to remove the water when the seasons change and add antifreeze. Temperatures reach thousands of degrees in automobiles and the proper mixture of antifreeze and water is required to keep the engine cool no matter how cold it is outside. If the mixture is not at the right levels, the water freezes inside the engine, ice will expand and the internal parts of the radiator shall crack. The water will flow out when the engine is running and you end up in a scenario where there is no water left to cool the engine. The end result is that your engine will get overheated even in the middle of a snowstorm and you will get stranded. Antifreeze ensures that this problem does not arise. The water shall be prevented from freezing up and will always remain flowing no matter how cold it is on the outside. Robert’s Auto Repair is here to serve you and make sure your radiator and engine coolants safely see you through each journey. Call us at 831-373-1534 to schedule an appointment to check your antifreeze levels anytime before or during a service check-up or an oil change. You will receive a FREE automobile safety inspection if you mention this blog before the end of November.
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__label__neg The Security Industry Association (SIA) has stepped in to help broker a deal between the electronic security industry and environmental groups concerned over the energy efficiency of security devices. October 25, 2009 ADT Security Services has put together a list of tips to help prevent carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning this winter season. With the increased use of fuel-burning space heaters and portable generators during the colder months comes an increased need for CO poisoning prevention. October 22, 2009 If a leading fire-safety association prevails, automatic sprinkler systems would be code-required across the country for new construction of single-family and two-unit dwellings. The requirement would open a new business opportunity for companies that install fire protection and life-safety systems, sources tell SSI. October 18, 2009 Fire and life safety provider SimplexGrinnell highlighted its emergency planning and preparedness capabilities at ASIS 2009 Seminar and Exhibits in Anaheim, Calif. October 05, 2009 NOTIFIER of Northford, Conn., releases its high-speed NOTI-FIRE-NET fire alarm network, which operates nearly 40 times faster than its standard network platform while supporting twice as many nodes, according to the company. SSI Staff · October 04, 2009 Mull over the safeguarding of a casino and instantaneously video surveillance comes to mind. But how about considering the fire/life-safety perspective? A Reno, Nev., facility serves as an example of what it takes to provide casinos with solutions that satisfy both codes and the unique demands of these customers. October 04, 2009 The National Burglar & Fire Alarm Association (NBFAA) has taken another step toward securing congressional approval of its life safety alarm installation language for colleges. The House Committee on Education and Labor passed H.R. 3221, the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act, in late July. July 29, 2009 For a business owner, responding to a disaster - be it natural or man made - begins with careful preparation long before the calamity ever strikes. Having a detailed disaster preparedness plan to implement when called for can mean the difference between getting a business running again quickly or rendered entirely ineffective for an extended period. Or even worse. By Rodney Bosch · June 30, 2009 PERS is a term that is gathering familiarity in the electronic security industry vernacular. Known as personal emergency response systems, these monitored devices are designed to summon help in the event of various urgent situations such as when an elderly person falls. May 31, 2009 The Oklahoma Blood Institute called on STAMPSCO Fire & Security to design and overhaul its fire/life-safety system to accommodate multisite operations in two states. The integrator provided a solution that includes voice evac, expandable networking and remote monitoring. April 30, 2009
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__label__neg A Times Editorial A question of fairness answered © St. Petersburg Times published March 7, 2003 During Thomas Joe Miller-El's murder trial, Texas prosecutors used their peremptory challenges to eliminate 10 of the 11 potential African-American jurors. Miller-El, a black man, was later convicted and sentenced to death. And for the next 17 years he tried challenging the fairness of a trial before a jury stripped of African-Americans. Last month, the U.S. Supreme Court finally gave him a friendly ear. In an 8-to-1 ruling, the court said Miller-El's claims of discrimination should get a hearing. The court did not grant him a new trial, just an opportunity to question whether his initial trial was fair. The decision in Miller-El vs. Cockrell could have widespread implications for prisoners both on and off death row. The court directed federal appellate courts to be more generous to prisoners who are challenging the constitutionality of their trials. In effect, the high court reasserted the role of federal courts in policing the fairness and legality of state court proceedings. The question before the court involved its interpretation of the 1996 Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act. Congress passed the law because it was tired of the way death row inmates were using habeas corpus in what it viewed as frivolous challenges. The law sets up roadblocks to habeas petitions, one of these being an end to the automatic right of a prisoner to appeal a denial of habeas relief in a federal district court. Inmates who seek to appeal the lower court's judgment must first obtain a "certificate of appealability." Various federal appeals courts, including the 5th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals that covers Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi, had set a high bar before granting a certificate, essentially requiring the inmate to prove the merits of his case. In a decision written by Justice Anthony Kennedy, the court reminded the lower federal courts that a certificate of appealability is not the same as an inquiry into the merits of a habeas petition. The court said a certificate should be granted whenever the constitutional claim being made by the inmate has a reasonable basis, not necessarily a winning one. Opening federal appellate courts to more claims by inmates will reintroduce a layer of review and scrutiny to state court processes that has been missing in recent years. The court's decision was a victory for fairness for Miller-El and the justice system as a whole. © 2006 • All Rights Reserved • Tampa Bay Times 490 First Avenue South St. Petersburg, FL 33701 727-893-8111 From the Times Opinion page Editorial: A question of fairness answered Editorial: Medicare disservice Editorial: Unwelcome surprise at Perkins Letters: Law school at FAMU will be racially diverse
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__label__neg People wash their hair and go swimming more often in the summer, and with more water entering the ears along with damage caused by improper cleaning, symptoms, for example, pain, itching, secretions and odors, can also occur more frequently. Otolaryngologists, or ear, nose and throat doctors, have recently seen a 30 percent increase in cases of acute otitis externa, or swimmer’s ear, which if left untreated could get worse and cause the eardrum to rupture, do damage to the middle ear, and possibly affect one’s hearing. Swimmer’s ear is very common during the summer months. Wu Sih-wei, director of Taichung Hospital’s Department of Otolaryngology, says that around 90 percent of swimmer’s ear cases are water-related. Water can easily enter the ear when washing one’s hair, rinsing off in the shower or taking a dip in the pool to cool off. When the inside of the ear is wet and moist, people will usually want to dig around in their ears, but because the skin inside the ear canal is quite thin, damage can easily be done, causing inflammation if the water inside the ear is unsanitary. Many people this summer with ear infections are exhibiting the symptoms of pain and itching, and subsequently digging moist, odorous secretions out of their ears. In severe cases, people are not going to the doctor until pus starts running out of their ears. Most of the cases that doctors are seeing are swimmer’s ear. If the condition grows worse, it could cause the eardrum to rupture or otitis media, commonly called middle ear infection. Aside from swimmer’s ear, many people are also getting chronic infections due to outer ear infections caused by mold, which also causes pain, itching and secretions. 今日單字 1. inflammation n. 發炎 (fa1 yan2) 例: Inflammation can be caused by infection. (感染可引起發炎。) 2. symptom n. 症狀 (zheng4 zhuang4) 例: A runny nose and a sore throat are typical symptoms of the common cold. (感冒常見的症狀包含流鼻涕與喉嚨痛。) 3. cotton swab n. phr. 棉花棒 (mian2 hua1 bang4) 例: Using cotton swabs is not a medically recommended method for removing earwax. (用棉花棒掏耳垢不是醫界推薦的方法。) Wu suggests wearing earplugs when swimming to keep water from entering the ears, and says people should not use cotton swabs or Q-tips to clean their ears after taking a shower or washing their hair to avoid doing damage to the ear canal and causing infection. Wu also adds that people should not use the same cotton swabs or Q-tips that have been used by other people when visiting hair or beauty salons. (Liberty Times, Translated by Kyle Jeffcoat) 夏季洗頭、游泳機會多，耳朵容易進水加上不當掏耳受傷，出現耳朵痛、癢、分泌物濕臭等不適，耳鼻喉科醫師觀察急性外耳炎患者增加三成，如果惡化，耳膜破損、傷及中耳，可能影響聽力。 夏季常見民眾罹患急性外耳炎，台中醫院耳鼻喉科主任吳思緯指出，約有九成患者與耳朵接觸水有關。洗頭、沖涼或是游泳消暑，都使得耳朵容易進水，當耳朵悶濕就會想掏耳朵，耳道皮膚薄，常因不當掏耳造成破皮，一旦水質不潔就容易感染細菌發炎。 今夏許多患者的耳朵出現疼痛、發癢症狀，又動手掏耳朵掏出又濕又臭的分泌物，有人嚴重到耳朵流出膿液才就醫，大多數是罹患急性外耳炎，再惡化可能造成耳膜破裂、中耳炎。 除了急性外耳炎，也有許多患者外耳感染黴菌造成慢性發炎，一樣又痛又癢，出現分泌物。 吳思緯建議，游泳戴耳塞，以避免耳朵進水，洗澡、洗頭後也盡量不要用棉花棒或用掏耳棒挖耳朵，以防耳道彎曲受傷造成發炎，也不要到理髮廳或理容院，與其他人共用掏耳棒清耳朵。 （自由時報記者蔡淑媛）
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__label__pos There are naked people at Harvard and they're not just posing for a figuredrawing class. "Oh, "you may scoff, "I haven't seen all that many of my classmates naked" (or "nekkid" if you're from the South). All I can say is, they may not show up in the buff to the Omelet Station at Special Dinners, but there are nudists among us and their name is Legion. Actually, one of their names is Kitt. Kitt Hirasaki '96 is most comfortable sitting around his room or running up and down the halls not completely nude, but clad only in his tighty-whities. "It's a pretty recent development," he said, speaking of his penchant for pantlessness. "I guess since I came to college. I'm from Texas, where it's not that socially acceptable to sit around in your underwear in public. Still, I used to walk around in my underwear all the time when I was at home and when I came here I didn't see any reason to change that and I figured, the whole place is my home. My roommates don't seem to mind." Mitch McClure, '96, one of the roommates in question, upholds Hirasaki's assertion. "It doesn't bother me," he says of his roommate's exhibitionistic tendencies. "But I hate to be naked. I always wear clothes, especially in the shower." It's not just a few aberrant personalities like Hirasaki who frolic around the houses half-dressed (or undressed). Some entire sub-groups embrace nudity as a bonding ritual. The First-year Outdoor Program, in particular, has a reputation for exhibitionistic excess. I once attended a party where four men and one woman, wearing bobby socks, penny loafers and a red scrunchy in her hair, danced completely naked. When I brought up the subject in a later conversation, the person next to me said "Oh. FOP people were there." Although skinny-dipping is a ritual part of the FOP experience, some FOPpies like to preserve the magic by getting naked whenever they're together. Certain sports teams also like to undress en masse, to various degrees of nudity. Gaelen B. Phyfe '96 says that the women's sailing team falls into this category of athletes with a penchant for taking their clothes off. "Sailors get topless more than they get naked--at least at Harvard," Phyfe reports. "Usually late at night at a party, one person starts it...by taking another person's top off." When asked why sailors shed their tops, Phyfe conjectured, "People are probably comfortable in their bodies. I don't know why they do it, but I don't know why they wouldn't. Everyone's pretty mellow and self-assured." After all, if you've got it, flaunt it. Many do. Still, it's not quite as simple. There are more important issues here, questions that must be answered. For example, why are some of us more likely to enjoy getting naked than others? There are those who think that in such a diverse community, cultural background may have something to do with it. Julia E. Starkey '95 supports those theorists who think that enjoyment of nudity, gymnophilia, may have cultural roots. "I'm naked a lot," she says. "I'm perfectly comfortable being naked when most people aren't because my mom's Swedish and in Sweden kids run around naked until they're 10. My mom never raised me to think it was wrong." Upon arriving at Harvard, Starkey was dismayed to discover that not everyone shared a similar nonchalance Puritanical. I walk from the shower to my dorm room in my towel. She changes in the shower a lot." As promised in the admissions brochure, Starkey and her roommate learned from each other's cultural differences. "Now she's not as traumatized if I run around half-naked. Or what she'd consider half-naked-a T-shirt and my underwear." Starkey's ideas of what is appropriate in terms of public exposure have been modified with time, she explains. "It never occurred to me until I was in middle school that you're not supposed to run around naked." "You're not. You are NOT," added a shocked Nathan Lump '96. Clearly Lump is not among the Harvard minority which believes that clothing is a harmful artificial construct that is far better avoided in favor of the purity of nudity, the ultimate in meta-fashion. Starkey, on the other hand is strongly in favor of mass nudity. "I think it's weird that people don't walk around naked. If more people were naked more, it would be a better society. At this point we've all taken bio, we've all see people naked, or at least a picture of someone naked. I refuse to believe that people make it to college without ever seeing a person naked, at least obliquely if not personally." That's tough logic to dispute, but there are those who love their clothes and believe that only the select few should exhibit their wares. Even Hirasaki, for all his love of lounging in lingerie, admits, "We thought about having a naked party, a party where everyone would have to come completely naked, but then we realized--most people, you just don't want to see them naked." FM could not disagree more. *Editors' Note: As true menschen, it is our Duty to inform you about fashion.
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__label__pos Sell in May and go away could be the oldest stock market adage but new research indicates that it is not the most fruitful strategy — if only because you will forego the interim dividends paid by many companies. A study from Bestinvest, a wealth management group, shows that investors who kept their money in the market in the summer enjoyed average annualised market returns of 10.9 per cent — including dividend payments — over the past 25 years. Those who left received an average return of 9.8 per cent. The “Sell in May” advice harks back to the era when City boys
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__label__pos What drives small and mid-sized companies (SMEs) to incorporate sustainable practices into their business? Knowing the answers to this question will aid trade associations and other trusted advisors in developing their outreach and support programs aimed at the SME market. Sustainability4SMEs identified in a previous post that trade associations and a variety of other advisory organizations (e.g. chambers of commerce, economic development agencies) are the primary go-to sources of sustainable business information. In the largest U.S.-based study to date on sustainability adoption and hurdles to implementation for SMEs, Sustainability4SMEs asked survey respondents to identify the drivers to implementing sustainability. Recognizing that there are myriad reasons influencing company decisions, the participants were allowed to check multiple responses. The results of the question, shown in the figure below, were startling; inverse to what was expected. Regulatory Compliance was the least often cited as a sustainability driving factor in spite of ever increasing regulations at all levels of government. This shows that government can impose as many onerous requirements on SMEs as it desires, but it remains unimportant in encouraging them to build sustainable practices into their ongoing operations. From a carrot-stick perspective, adding more and more regulations for businesses only contributes to a business faltering or worse, failing. Regulatory compliance is an overhead cost adding to business’ balance sheets, certainly not a motivator for the income statement. Upstream Supply Chain Imperatives and Financial Incentives also reside in the category of least frequently cited driving factors. Upstream Supply Chain Imperatives include the ability to obtain a steady source of raw materials for a company’s outputs. This data is consistent with an earlier question in the survey identifying the type of business responding to the study. Respondents weigh heavily in the professional services sector (e.g. accounting, legal) which are knowledge-based industries. Raw materials are not a concern to this demographic. Financial Incentives should have been a strong driver for implementing sustainability initiatives in small and mid-sized firms. A common market perception is that going green is expensive so one might think that the availability of a wide variety of incentives (block grants, utility rebates, federal, state and local rebates, etc.) would be a major consideration. However, based on this body of research, money is almost the least of a business’s concerns when it comes to sustainability. This may be due to a lack of knowledge of available funding sources to pursue. Here is another opportunity for trade associations, chambers of commerce and other trusted advisors to add value to their constituents. The bulk of the remaining response options all fall within 15 percent of each other. Clearly there are numerous factors driving SMEs to implement sustainability initiatives, with Customer Demand being at the higher end of the scale. Our study bifurcates between those implementing sustainability initiatives and those who are not pursuing a green strategy. This particular question was answered only by those who are pursuing sustainability. Our last post addressed the hurdles and barriers for those not implementing sustainability. No matter which side of the fence your company is on regarding sustainability, we’d like your input into this body of work. Click here to complete the 28-question survey. Thanks for reading, participating and engaging with great comments. We look forward to sharing additional data from this research project.
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__label__neg 2011 Barrytown College Phone Survey Results Submitted to the President and the Board of Directors Unification Theological Seminary by Josephine Hauer, Ed.D. March 24, 2011 Introduction After reviewing the findings of the Barrytown College Project Survey (July, 2010) that explored the interest of the Unificationist community in America in an undergraduate program on Barrytown campus, the Board of Directors of the Unification Theological Seminary asked for a follow-up survey to target a subset of families and to further explore interest in college majors. The target population consisted of Unification families living in the United States with children who would be college age within the years 2013-2017. This population was estimated to include approximately 650 families based on demographic data from the Blessed Family Association database. 300 families from this population were randomly selected to request their participation in a telephone survey. Telephone surveys were conducted by volunteers over a three month period (December, 2010 – February, 2011) and results were recorded in an online database using Zoomerang. Over 200 families were successfully contacted by phone and asked to participate in the survey resulting in 121 completed surveys. Description of the Sample 68 males and 55 females completed the telephone survey. 8% of respondents indicated their age as 24 years or younger. 9% were between 25-44 years and 83% were 45 years or older. 94% indicated that they had at least one child between the ages of 12 – 18 years old or at least one child over 18 that had not yet completed an undergraduate college program. 24% of respondents came from New York; 22% from New Jersey; 11% from New England; 23% from West Coast states; and 20% from states in the Midwest or Southwest. 92% rated their child’s ability to speak and write in the English language as excellent. 32% indicated yearly income as $49,000 or below; 35% reported income between $50,000 – $75,000; 18% reported income between $75,000-99,000; and 8% reported income above $100,000. Chart 1 Total Household Income Chart 2 shows 56% of survey respondents indicated they were “definitely interested” or “interested” in Barrytown College. 31% reported to be “somewhat interested”. Chart 2 Interest in Barrytown College Results showed interest within the Unification community for an undergraduate college emphasizing academic rigor and moral values within a supportive environment for Unificationist marriage and family traditions. Over 70% of respondents indicated marriage and family life preparation and affordability as very important. Other “very important” features were academic rigor and personal relationships with professors. Chart 3 Important Features for Barrytown College Participants were asked to rank their preference (from 1-most interested to 6-least interested) in the following proposed majors: Media Arts, Business, Philosophy and World Religions, Psychology and Family Studies, Nonprofit Leadership and Economics. 30% indicated Media Arts as the major of most interest; 23% indicated Business and 20% indicated Philosophy and World Religions. Media Arts and Business were preferred as the first or second choice of major compared to other options (see chart below). Chart 4 Preferred Academic Majors Participants also identified from one to three other majors of interest. The most frequently occurring majors within the 101 responses were the following in descending order: Arts, Science, Engineering, Education, Business, Media and Music. After listing these majors, participants rated their interest in attending the college if none of the majors listed previously was available. 13% indicated strong interest, 67% indicated some interest and 20% indicated no interest. Affordability and Attendance Respondents rated the likelihood of attending Barrytown College under various cost scenarios. The decreasing blue and gold bars in Chart 5 (from left to right) show that attendance would be greatly influenced by affordability or the expected parental contribution in a financial aid package. Chart 5 Affordability and Likeliness to Attend Participants were asked to provide comments at the end of the survey on the development of Barrytown College at UTS campus. Selected quotes are provided below under common themes that were found within the 85 responses to this section. a) Support for the Barrytown College Project I think it sounds like a great idea. My answers aren’t meant to sound unenthusiastic but I am already a junior in college and am not looking to transfer. I like the idea that the college would be something that could replace STF – that you could be at school but you would also be with other BCs. When I was looking for school I was looking for something that was interesting to me and was really affordable. In Brigham Young University, almost all of the Mormon tithing money goes to support the school so a lot of kids can afford to go there. Great idea! An important way to influence the culture and leave a legacy. I like the idea that the college would be something that could replace STF – that you could be at school but you would also be with other BCs. b) Suggestions for majors and importance of career development Be able to prepare for a professional career. Education must be useful! Degree must qualify student for a job in society. c) Suggestions for other features, programs Professors having good relationship with students. Administration is also very important, financial aid, etc. Student’s ability to attend must be flow from start to finish – No STRESS to attend. Team work and good communication with college admin essential. Internships are an important aspect to create hands-on experiences for students – students learn a lot more that way. Academic rigor is very important. Extracurricular activities are important. I would be MOST interested in a 2-year program from which a student could transfer. The first year of college is the most sensitive and I would like to see a 2-year college. At least initially, consider a 2-year possibility so someone could get associates degree after two years. That would be a real plus, whether someone went on directly to a four-year degree, or worked before continuing, an associates program would be a good initial option. The option of a 2 year program enabling students to grow in practical life experience (overcoming obstacles) is attractive. Also the exposure to world religions is interesting for student. d) Comments about the proposed location or management. Student life is pillar of education and should well managed. Atmosphere, facility, extracurricular activities. Barrytown is terribly run down and not attractive. Barrytown offers an excellent locale for study and spiritual development. Limitations of the Study The study aspired to identify a sample of 200 Unificationist families representing a “target market” for the initial years of Barrytown College. A small percentage of families contacted were not eligible to participate in the study because they did not have children in the proper age range. Other individuals contacted who chose not to participate did so because of a language barrier. Many Unificationist families in America have one parent from Korea or Japan who are not fluent in English. The findings of this study may not be representative of those types of Unificationist families or individuals. Recruiting volunteers who speak Japanese or Korean will be important in future studies. It is important to note that the sample represents a population of “core” or strongly self-identified Unificationist families who have submitted contact information to the Blessed Family Association database. This group does not include couples who have attended a Unification Church Blessing Ceremony where at least one of the partners did not consider themselves to be Unificationist. Some ‘Blessed Couples’ with children who identify themselves individually or as a family as another religion (or no religion) may represent another target market for recruitment. It is important to identify this more religiously diverse group of families loosely associated with the Unification Church in America to gauge their interest in the college. Implications of the Study The findings from this survey are, in the overall sense consistent with many of the findings from the previous studies regarding highly valued features of the college and level of interest expressed by participants. Key demographic patterns such as income distribution were also consistent with those in the previous studies. Affordability continues to be a key for college decisions. Highly relevant implications of the findings from this study are as follows: 1) Media Arts is somewhat more preferred than Business as a possible major to consider including in the initial degree program offerings besides Religious Studies (or Religion and Philosophy) and Psychology and Family Studies. Creating partnerships for internships at the Manhattan Center or other organizations/businesses will be an important feature to attract more career-minded students. 2) 80% of survey participants indicated at least some interest in the college even if none of the other majors of interest were offered. This shows that the primary interest in this college is based on factors other than academic major offerings, such as a learning environment that supports Unificationist marriage and family traditions and affordability. 3) Providing opportunities for students to develop a range of professional skills such as communications and public speaking, financial literacy, management competencies, etc. in contexts outside the classroom could be a highly attractive feature for the college. 4) Overall the study suggests that at least 65% of the total 650 Unificationist families in the target market would consider Barrytown College as an option for college attendance for one or more of their children. Another source of demographic information on Unificationist 2nd Generation children born in the United states identifies 1,767 who will turn 18 from 2012 – 2016 or 350 per year. If 28% of this group are similarly “definitely interested” and another 28% are “interested,” it is projected that 42% (all of the “definitely interested” and half of the “interested”) would likely be interested in applying to Barrytown College. It is reasonable to expect approximately 150 applicants per year with a projected 70% accepted, resulting in 100 students accepted for admission per year. Of those admitted, it is expected that 50 would attend in Barrytown College each year. This estimate is supported by the findings from all three studies. If an initial high quality program was priced competitively, Barrytown College would likely be able to admit a class of 50-60 students from Unificationist families living in America per year for the first five years.[1] [1] Board member Dr. Anthony Guerra, founder and chairman of My College Advisor, a college admissions consulting business, estimates enrollment to be 40-50 American students per year. He explains that he arrived at that by multiplying the 350 students turning 18 each year by 56% (“definitely interested” and “interested”) thus equaling 196 students. Assuming that only 40% of them complete applications we arrive at 78 applicants. With 100% acceptance and at a 60% yield that would lead to 47 enrolled students. A slightly lower acceptance leads to 40 enrolled students per year. He suggests looking for 10 or more additional students from other sources, either international or from families that may not be counted where only one parent is a member, etc.
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__label__pos The earth provides all the necessary resources for human beings to survive and prosper. But as the global population grows and develops, the demand for energy and consumer goods increases. This has led to increased pollution and misuse of natural resources, causing great damage to the environment. In turn, people’s health, food supplies and livelihoods are increasingly threatened. Be it the release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere that contribute to climate change, the overuse of agricultural soil that deteriorates the ground and often leads to deforestation, the contamination of water through bacteria and chemicals or the loss of biodiversity - environmental challenges are plentiful. Today, many people speak about “sustainability” when highlighting an alternative model of how human beings can develop economically and socially without putting too much strain on the environment. Sustainable development is defined as “development that meets the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” This clearly shows that youth are at the heart of the sustainability debate. As politicians sometimes lack the necessary long-term thinking that is needed to effectively address pressing environmental issues, it’s key that global youth have a say in environmental policies, which have a direct impact on the current and future environment they live in. Researching issues connected to the environment, you might want to check out these resources: United Nations Environment Programme - Tunza United Nations - Sustainable Development YOUNGO - Youth and Climate Connect 4 Climate - Connecting to Tackle Climate Change Web Ecoist - 25 Environmental Organizations This is a speech I made for my Architectural Essays class as an introduction to our class. Hel... In 2017, we renew our commitment towards Zimbabwean children and its young people. For us it is a... Do you want to be a leader? Do you have a passion? Do you want to make a difference in this world? If you answered yes to this questions, you and I already have few things in common. My name is Ximena Coronado, I'm 15 years old, and I'm an environmental activist. It all truly began when... The biggest challenge impacting the youth of today's generation is the battle they fight from with... The Commonwealth Youth Council is currently working on a two-year project, ‘I am Able’, to raise awareness of the lives of young people with disabilities across Commonwealth member states. The Commonwealth believes this is an important issue, as too often the voices, desires, needs and s... After hearing about the Global Goals in 2015 by Hank Green, I was determined to help them become accomplished anyway possible. I decided that the best way to help accomplish those goals was to have a town hall meeting. It is very important to me that people become aware of these goals becaus... Returning to fundamentals, far from perceiving compatibility on the basis of social ratings and mutual series fanatics, let’s imagine relationships as a matter of compatibility in PCs, where you get yourself a brand new clean computer, and you start personalizing this device, through inser...
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__label__pos Feb. 24, 2014 – The Wisconsin Judicial Code would specifically authorize judges to give litigants, including self-represented litigants, information or use techniques to simplify legal proceedings, under a petition that received a public hearing today at the state supreme court. The supreme court also heard testimony on a petition that would authorize the Office of Lawyer Regulation (OLR) to post public notice on its website when a lawyer is being formally investigated for alleged ethical misconduct (see more on this petition from a recent article in WisBar InsideTrack). The court did not discuss either petition as public hearings consumed the entire day and left no time for an administrative conference. Thus, the court will hold both petitions for consideration at a later date. Judges Turn Out to Support Pro Se Petition Numerous Wisconsin judges and attorneys appeared in support of petition 13-14, which would amend and create Wisconsin Judicial Code rules to make clear that judges can take “reasonable efforts” to facilitate the ability of all litigants, including self-represented litigants, to be fairly heard. The petition, submitted by the Wisconsin Access to Justice (ATJ) Commission in 2013, recognizes the significant number of Wisconsin citizens who enter court proceedings each year without a lawyer, especially in family law cases. It largely codifies the sorts of discretionary acts that many judges are already using, explained former Appeals Court Judge Margaret Vergeront, who testified for the ATJ Commission. Specifically, judges could use their discretion in “using techniques that enhance the process of reaching a fair determination in the case.” Judges who don’t want to take such measures would not be required as the proposed language simply allows judges to use their discretion. It also aplies to "all litigants," not just pro se litigants. For instance, judges could take reasonable steps to explain legal concepts in everyday language, provide information about the proceedings, or permit narrative testimony, among other actions included within the petition’s non-exhaustive list. Judges, attorneys, and associations support the petition as a way to improve access to justice for the increasing number of self-represented litigants and create efficiencies for judges and commissioners who hear their cases. The State Bar of Wisconsin supports the petition, as does the Wisconsin Trial Judges Association, the Wisconsin Committee of Chief Judges, the Court of Appeals, and the Wisconsin Association of Judicial Court Commissioners, among others. Appeals, circuit, and municipal court judges testified in support of the petition at today’s public hearing, including Jeffrey Kremers, chief judge of the Milwaukee County Circuit Court. State Bar President Patrick J. Fiedler also testified in support of the petition, noting that the State Bar’s Board of Governors voted 37-3 to support it. Kremers and other judges said the rule simply authorizes what many judges across the state are already doing to address the high volume of pro se litigants, and judges who are hesitant to use such techniques would have assurance that the rules allow it. Justice Patience Roggensack raised concern that the proposal undermines the adversarial system, questioning how far judges could go in helping pro se litigants. “I see a lot of problems,” Justice Roggensack said. “It may be that we need to change our system, but what you are portraying is not an adversarial system. I have concern that our courts could be turned into social service agencies.” Chief Justice Shirley Abrahamson seemed to support the proposal. She suggested the best solution is allowing court appointed counsel in civil cases, but that solution is not currently achievable given the costs involved. “If we can’t do the best thing, we should not be stopped from doing something,” the chief justice said. Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Mary Kuhnmuench said the proposal addresses a "changed landscape.” Historically, litigants had lawyers, and judges are now dealing with a massive number who do not. “That’s the bench now,” Kuhnmuench said. “We better recognize it and figure it out.” Michael Gonring, a partner at Quarles & Brady LLP in Milwaukee and long-time advocate for access to justice initiatives and pro bono programs, said a represented side, in his experience, is grateful when a judge makes efforts to inform a pro se litigant. “I do not see this as an assault on the adversarial system at all,” Gonring said. “Cases involving pro se litigants can get messy, and we hope the judge takes control and makes things easier because that makes things easier for us and our clients.”
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__label__pos "It is not easily followed." What can I say, a single guy, never a dad, about the importance of traditional marriage? How? Why? Why am I so concerned about something like traditional marriage? One important reason I can think of is because I come from a family wherein marriage was anything but 'high and noble'. My parents were completely irresponsible, negligent, abusive alcoholics. Yes, they did the best they could, but they had huge unresolved, unaddressed issues which affected how they parented. The were indiscreet in their sins, acting them out in full view of the kids, not simply through drunkenness, open sexuality, physical and mental abuse of one another, but their extramarital exploits were not well disguised or unknown. Immorality is a horrible example to set for kids. It is an abuse. In our day, single parents, unmarried parents, and kids of divorce are so common - in every economic strata - yet this fact can offer no justification to reorder, or redefine marriage between a man and a woman. Likewise, same sex couples, pretending to be married, cannot present a moral alternative to the failure of marriage in our culture. It is precisely because there is, and has been, such a crisis of marriage that same sex marriage is even considered as a viable and acceptable proposition. It is not. Anyway. The Archbishops of Westminster & Southwark have issued a Pastoral letter on the redefinition of marriage to be read this weekend at all the Masses. I wanted to share a part of that text: The reasons given by our government for wanting to change the definition of marriage are those of equality and discrimination. But our present law does not discriminate unjustly when it requires both a man and a woman for marriage. It simply recognises and protects the distinctive nature of marriage. Changing the legal definition of marriage would be a profoundly radical step. Its consequences should be taken seriously now. The law helps to shape and form social and cultural values. A change in the law would gradually and inevitably transform society’s understanding of the purpose of marriage. It would reduce it just to the commitment of the two people involved. There would be no recognition of the complementarity of male and female or that marriage is intended for the procreation and education of children. We have a duty to married people today, and to those who come after us, to do all we can to ensure that the true meaning of marriage is not lost for future generations. Most Reverend V. Nichols Most Reverend P. Smith They might have added: "Changing the legal definition of marriage will screw kids up." That said, I'm pretty sure nothing will stop it - it is on a trajectory of its own. H/T St. Mary Magdalen Blog, Fr. Blake
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__label__neg MALAYBALAY CITY – The volume of corn losses due to post-harvest facility wastage is higher than the volume of corn actually consumed in Bukidnon, one of the country’s top corn-producing provinces. The Provincial Agriculture Office, in its 2011 to 2016 Corn Roadmap of Bukidnon, a copy of which was obtained by Bukidnon News recently, showed that Bukidnon loses 87,766 metric tons or 26 percent of its corn production intended for local markets. The PAO projected to cut down the losses from 26 percent in 2011 to 17 percent in 2016. The road map also showed that corn for local food use will increase from 21 percent in 2011 to 24 percent in 2016. Of the 338,684 left for the local market, 21.4 percent or 72,670 metric tons goes for “food use.” Most of Bukidnon’s local corn consumption at 177,710 metric tons or 52.4 percent goes to its local livestock industry as “feeds.” About 51 percent of Bukidnon’s corn production of 554, 297 metric tons in 2010 went to “outside” market. Bukidnon needs to avail of additional units of post harvest facilities (PHFs) from the Department of Agriculture, local government units, and private investors, the five-year plan prepared by the Provincial Agriculture Office, said. More PHFs have been identified as among the six interventions needed in the province to obtain its conservative targets for 2016. Bukidnon has produced 554,297 metric tons in 2010. The road map showed that Bukidnon intends to produce 773,995 metric tons in 2016, or 32.4 percent higher from its 2010 production. According to the projections cited in the PAO road map, with a population of 1.27 million, Bukidnon has total corn usage of 338, 684 metric tons out of its 691,073 metric tons projected production until December 2011. With the figure, the province enjoys a 104-percent sufficiency rate, Estellita Madjos, deputy provincial agriculture officer, said Saturday. The road map also showed that while PAO also intends to increase sufficiency ration to 115 percent in 2016, the share of corn for local consumption will go down from 49 percent in 2011 to 46 percent in 2016. The Provincial Agriculture Office has also recommended that Bukidnon strengthen its research, development , and agricultural extension programs; and promote innovative farming technologies for sustainable development; encourage strong partnerships and linkages with government and non-government organizations. The road also recommended “strong market linkages with processors.” The PAO cited in the “infrastructure development” section of the road map that Bukidnon has a total of 1,610 metric tons of post harvest facilities’ capacity. The biggest three are ran by the Mindanao Grains company in Aglayan, Malaybalay City with a 480-metric ton capacity; Castech in Cabanglasan town with 400 MT and Cagayan Corn Products in Maramag town with 400 MT capacity. Limketkai Grains firm also runs a 200-MT post harvest facility in Malaybalay City. Farmers’ associations, multi-purpose cooperatives, and local government units also operate post harvest facilities. But their combined capacity, the PAO cited in the road map, is only 50 metric tons. For feed millers and processors, San Miguel Corporation operates the bulk, 30 tons of Bukidnon’s 42-ton exiting feed millers and processors, the road map showed. For dryers, Bukidnon has a total of 2,238 multi-purpose drying pavements, including basketball courts, spread around the province. The PAO also accounted about, three mobile flash dryers, 36 flat bed dryers and 205 columnar dryers in the province. According to the Bureau of Post Research and Extension (BPRE), in 2004, Bukidnon is home to a total of 180 stationary corn mills, 141 mobile corn mill rollers, and about 320 warehouses or storage facilities. The Provincial Agriculture Office pushed as the top recommendation for more post harvest facilities in Bukidnon even if they cited Bukidnon existing post-harvest facilities. The PAO have set three goals in the road, including the “increase in farmers’ productivity and income,” “production of quality corn for food and feeds,” and to “minimize post harvest facility losses.”(Walter I. Balane) Truck loads of corn in sacks wait for weigh in at the Mindanao Grains Processing Co. Inc. plant in Aglayan, Malaybalay City File photo by Arthur Fabrigas/Courtesy of Central Mindanao Newswatch Workers load sacks of yellow corn to a jeepney along the highway in Aglayan, Malaybalay City File photo by Arthur Fabrigas/Courtesy of Central Mindanao Newswatch Also visit www.mindanews.com for more stories on Bukidnon Filed under: Development in Bukidnon | Tagged: Agriculture, Bukidnon, Department of Education (Philippines), Malaybalay, Maramag Bukidnon, Mindanao, Non-governmental organization, San Miguel Corporation | 1 Comment »
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__label__neg New Zealand is sitting rosy when it comes to education, according to the latest OECD report, Education at a Glance 2016. Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment Minister Steven Joyce and Education Minister Hekia Parata says shows the performance of New Zealand’s education sector, at all levels, compares well with those of other developed countries. The OECD report measures 35 countries on the output of educational institutions, the impact of learning, financial and human resources invested in education, and participation. “New Zealand is seeing more of our adults with higher qualifications relative to the rest of the world,” Joyce says. “The proportion of adults aged 25-64 with a level 4 or higher qualification is in the OECD’s top six. Our completion rates for tertiary study are also comparatively high,” he says. Joyce says the results are great news for our economy and society. “We need people with world class skills and knowledge that will boost the productivity of the New Zealand economy. A better educated and skilled workforce is essential,” he explains. “It’s great to see 68% of adults aged 25-64 participated in either formal or non-formal education. Participation in non-formal education is particularly high with 64% of adults taking part, compared with the OECD average of 46%. The high participation rates extend to vocational programmes and part-time study,” says Joyce. “Our workforce continues to become more qualified and New Zealanders are becoming better educated than ever before.” According to Joyce, the Government spends over $4 billion, or 1.7% of gross domestic product, on tertiary education. “This report shows our careful management of the tertiary system is helping a higher proportion of young people to achieve qualifications at higher levels and gain the skills they need to succeed in the job market,” he adds. Education Minister Hekia Parata says other areas of education are also performing strongly. “No other OECD country spends a higher percentage of its public funding on education as New Zealand,” she says. “Public expenditure in early childhood education (ECE) is in the top third and the teacher-child ratios in ECE are amongst the lowest in the OECD. “Our Government has a strong record of increasing investment in education which now stands at a record $11 billion. Funding for our youngest learners has more than doubled since 2008 to $1.797 billion,” says Parata. Parata says New Zealand’s funding in ECE is paying off with the participation of children three years and under in the top third of OECD countries. “Over the past decade, this growth has been ahead of the OECD average, demonstrating that the work we’ve been doing to encourage students to stay in school longer is having an impact,” she adds. The figures for participation in this year’s report are from the Ministry of Education’s Early Learning Information database. This means that children are no longer being double counted when they attend more than one ECE provider. In secondary schooling more 15-19 year olds have been staying in education past NCEA Level 1.
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__label__pos January 2013 diagnosed with hypothyroidism and, at the same time, other conditions that I am sure are a result of the hypothyroidism – more on this below. During the last six months day-dreams have been a bit of saving grace and I feel compelled to share this one. The other day, on my way to work, I found myself imagining how brilliant it would be if they had a Strictly Come Dancing for ordinary members of the public (comme moi!). My partner would be Artem Chigvinstev and we would dance a hot salsa to Earth, Wind and Fire. I imagine our first meeting - I walk into a dance studio with floor to ceiling mirrors, and, by way of preparing him for our future routines I, after a few pleasantries, utter “I’ve got rhythm and osteoporosis.” In this day-dream scenario, rhythm would be a definite strength. (I teach music.) However, I feel it important to establish my limitations in case of any difficult lifts…throws (…on reflection ….they don’t “throw” as such do they)….shall we say “manoeuvres” that he may be planning. At this point I found myself musing on whether any of the celebrities have osteoporosis, hypothyroidism (where DO they get all that energy…?) or the like. To matters more serious. I have read that: “thyroid hormones help with normal bone growth”. (Thank you Mary Shomon: Living Well With Hypothyroidism.) I started breaking bones back in 2007 and it was, thankfully, a bone density scan, which I asked for in Autumn last year, then the follow-up blood tests that finally revealed the extent to which “things were out of kilter”. Over the last few years as my health has deteriorated, so my diet (already good) has improved. I have noticed how, in comparison to everyone around me, I have to really (I mean REALLY….) look after myself. Sleep (or lack of it) has also been an issue since 2007 (a vintage year). In fact, as I have stumbled around in an exhausted fug (as opposed to day-dreaming!), I wonder about the extent to which the sleep problems have resulted in my intimate acquaintance with the local fracture clinic. Whilst determined to look ahead, I now, with the benefit of hindsight, think that I can start to see how these seemingly random health “events” fit into the bigger picture.
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__label__pos Weddings are entrenched in age old traditions and rituals that some of us in the modern world choose to partake in and others that we leave behind. Today we’re going to talk about some things that have been bothering me since I got engaged over 6 months ago and that, my friends, are wedding diets and bridal expectations. I’ve had poor body image since sixth grade. My eating disorder began gradually in seventh grade and became uncontrollable my freshmen year of college. 3 months of inpatient rehab later, hours of therapy, an unbreakable support network of the best friends a girl could ask for, and I would consider myself in recovery for the last 6 years. I’m not perfect and my past with my eating disorder does not define me, but I still find it influencing my body image and relationship with food as years go by. The reason I bring up this issue now is that in my last post I blogged about the joys of finding the perfect wedding dress. I absolutely LOVE my dress, I cannot wait to wear it for an entire day because it is beautiful and I feel beautiful in it. But that doesn’t mean I wasn’t having an internal battle with myself and my dormant eating disorder. Wedding dresses are beautiful, but you aren’t always going to fit into the sample size dress. You are also sometimes going to get measured in front of a mirror in your bra and underwear, something I like to think of as my own personal hell. All I could think was, thank god this is happening now, when I am strong and stable in my recovery. First thing’s first, a wedding diet is an option, NOT an obligation. Going on a wedding diet is not like hiring an officiant or getting a marriage license, it’s a choice, not a necessity and you can still tie the knot without one. After you get engaged there are a slough of questions, where are you getting married? What color will your bridesmaids wear? Asking about a wedding diet or “new” exercise routine, should not be among questions that a bride gets during wedding planning. Asking about a diet or “new/special” exercise routine implies you need to go on a diet whether that is your intention or not. While externally I might respond with confidence and poise saying something to the effect of “absolutely not, Eric is marrying the me today not the me minus 20 pounds”. But internally, you have set off an alarm that sounds a little more like “oh gosh is she asking because my arms look flabby or she can see that my stomach does not resemble a six pack? Should I be going to bridal boot camp or joining hundreds of other brides in giving up carbs and sweets before their big day?” Let’s get the record straight here, skinnier does not equal better or more beautiful. Shouldn’t it be more important that you look and feel like yourself? For hundreds of years society has been telling men and women that skinnier and more fit people are happier and more beautiful. Why do we continue to buy into this myth? Lastly, your wedding day does not also have to be the day you will look the absolute best you will ever look, EVER. What kind of bar is that? Welcome to marriage, you can only go downhill from here. In fact, I want to go uphill, I want to get hotter with age like Jennifer Aniston or Julia Roberts. I don’t want to say that on September 24th, 2016 I peaked. To make a long story short, if shedding a few pounds or toning your biceps are what makes you feel more confident and beautiful for your wedding then by all means, proceed. But getting married and going on a diet do not need to coexist. I could write a whole other blog post about the pressures women are feeling versus men in this whole wedding business, but alas I will end with this. Your partner is marrying you for who you are and how you make them feel and they are attracted to you as is because you are utterly beautiful and perfect in every way shape and form. And if your partner is anything like mine, he (or she) would prefer you to continue enjoying pizza and ice cream with them for the next year of wedding planning because what fun would wedding planning be without the cake tasting or a celebratory beer!
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__label__neg What is Evohydro (Whey Protein Hydrolysate)? Evohydro (Whey Protein Hydrolysate) is a protein obtained from Whey Protein Isolate after having been subjected to a hydrolysis process. It offers a high content of proteins with a very low amount of carbohydrates, fat and sodium. Evohydro (Whey Protein Hydrolysate) is a Whey Isolate Hydrolysate whose main functions will be: Promoting muscle growth Supplying a fast absorbing protein Accelerate post-training recovery Indeed, Evohydro (Whey Protein Hydrolysate) belongs to the protein segment classified as Hydrolysates (WPH). Its molecular structure has been modified in order to improve absorption speed. This type of hydrolysed protein, which can be found among the HSN Sports products, is the fastest absorbing protein source. Evohydro (Whey Protein Hydrolysate) dissolution is important, as the final texture is fantastic. It has been manufactured in EU certified laboratories and meets the most demanding quality controls, which you can see here. The relevance of Evohydro (Whey Protein Hydrolysate) Evohydro (Hidrolizado de Aislado de Suero) is especially recommended for those people with digestive problems. This is thanks to the raw ingredients used in Evohydro (Whey Protein Hydrolysate), as it has been excipient reduced (fat and lactose). Evohydro (Whey Protein Hydrolysate) can be used by people with lactose intolerance. Evohydro (Whey Protein Hydrolysate) and its Absorption Rate The most interesting aspect of Evohydro (Hidrolizado de Aislado de Suero) is its fast absorbing ability due to this special manufacturing process: hydrolysis. Here, protein fractions are broken down in smaller units. These units are the amino acid chains that make up proteins. Thus, these chains have different types of amino acid bonds, which is known as peptides. There are di-peptides, tri-peptides, tetra-peptides, oligopeptides, etc. Human body absorbs protein through peptides. And here is when Evohydro (Whey Protein Hydrolysate) stands out: Evohydro (Whey Protein Hydrolysate) is composed by a great amount of di-peptides and tri-peptides. The higher the hydrolysis degree, the greater the absorption rate of protein. Evohydro (Whey Protein Hydrolysate) Benefits Evohydro (Whey Protein Hydrolysate) is a high performance protein that will prove its results as long as it is optimally combined with a good nutritional and training plan. This product stands out: Evohydro (Whey Protein Hydrolysate) and Muscle Growth This muscle mass growth needs 3 factors to occur: Training: in order to generate the necessary stimulus to create new adaptations. Nutrition: to supply the necessary nutrients for our physical goal and condition. 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Evohydro (Whey Protein Hydrolysate) and Allergies There are many people intolerant to lactose who cannot consume dairy products, but they shouldnt suppress this whey supplement as Evohydro (Whey Protein Hydrolysate) has been specially designed to solve this problem. Evohydro (Whey Protein Hydrolysate) and Satiation Protein is the macronutrient with the highest satiation rate regarding fat and carbohydrates. Consuming a milk protein like whey Hydrolysate can affect cholecystokinin digestive hormone that is in the small bowel due to the opioid activity of peptides: they act on the gastrointestinal tract, slowing down intestinal transit and increasing satiation, as it reduces fluid secretion. A whey fraction called glycomacropeptide stimulates cholecystokinin, which modulates that satiating sensation. Evohydro (Whey Protein Hydrolysate) and Insulin Sensitivity Insulin sensitivity is how our cells catch glucose and prevent it from accumulating in the fat adipocyte. A direct consequence is precisely an increase of insulin sensitivity due to an increase in GLUT4. Taking milk protein hydrolysates like Evohydro (Whey Protein Hydrolysate) enhances GLUT4 concentration, optimizing muscle mass glucose gathering. Evohydro (Whey Protein Hydrolysate) and a Stronger Immune System The amino acid content of a protein is an indicator of its quality. In this regard, certain elements of this type are not only used by the body as 'building tools' but also involved in other complex physiological processes. This is the case of the contribution of the amino acid L-Cysteine by Evohydro (Whey Protein Hydrolysate); together with Glutamic acid and Glycine they will form a type of antioxidant called Glutathione, which will be the most powerful of our body. Its function is to reduce oxidative damage at a cellular level caused by the activity of free radicals. The ability of glutathione synthesis decreases over the years so that the contribution of such antioxidant precursor is very recommended, and in this sense, Evohydro (Whey Protein Hydrolysate) will be an excellent way to raise glutathione levels. Evohydro (Whey Protein Hydrolysate) Evohydro (Whey Protein Hydrolysate) has some features that make it different from Whey Protein Concentrate or Isolate, which is a molecular breakdown in small units to accelerate the absorption process. In fact, Optipep 90® Carbery is what makes this possible: Each serving of Evohydro (Hidrolizado de Aislado de Suero) delivers: Up to 85% of hydrolysed protein from Whey Isolate More than 5000 mg of BCAAs More than 4000 mg of Glutamine Enzyme Complex Aminogen® Evohydro (Whey Protein Hydrolysate) and Optipep 90® Optipep 90® of Carbery is a protein formula with a high degree of hydrolysis from Whey Isolate, providing dipeptides, tripeptides and free amino acids. Thanks to this, the absorption capacity and effective delivery of nutrients to facilitate muscle growth and recovery gets maximized. Optipep 90® Features Excellent predigested protein with a unique composition rich in peptides High Biological Value: extraordinary source of essential amino acids (EAAs) and naturally high in Branched Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs): leucine, valine, and isoleucine Extremely low in lactose Extremely low in fat Suitable for vegetarians Optipep 90® Benefits Digestion and absorption rate Perfect digestibility High availability of amino acids to stimulate protein synthesis more efficiently and optimize muscle growth Filling muscle glycogen deposits for more intense workouts Mitigate muscle damage and reduce soreness of delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) to reduce recovery time Support for building adaptations induced by high-intensity exercise to increase performance Evohydro (Whey Protein Hydrolysed) and Aminogen® Aminogen® is a Digestive Enzyme Complex patented from protease enzymes Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus oryzae. Its main function is to improve the digestion of proteins, and thus optimize the process of absorption and delivery of nutrients to provide essential elements related to muscle regeneration. Also, another important benefit will improve symptoms that may be caused by a high protein diet, such as bloating or swelling. How to take Evohydro (Whey Protein Hydrolysate) As previously mentioned, Evohydro (Whey Protein Hydrolysate) is a fast absorbing protein that we can use in the right moments of the day to obtain the right results. Evohydro (Whey Protein Hydrolysate) is recommended: Just out of bed, fasting After training This way it will guarantee its essential nutrients in two situations very similar nutritionally, after nocturnal rest and after a muscle impact along with an energy depletion after training. Evohydro (Whey Protein Hydrolysate) in this case will fulfill its function to get a positive nitrogen balance. Evohydro (Whey Protein Hydrolysate), Who Benefits? Evohydro (Whey Protein Hydrolysate) is an excellent protein source whose characteristics make it a whole 'protein yield'. Among those who may benefit from taking this hydrolyzed protein: People, athletes or sportsmen with some lactose intolerance and seeking a safe product that causes no discomfort. Persons seeking to provide an excellent protein source to improve your health and promote benefits regarding body recomposition. Athletes or sportsmen looking for a tool to optimize the recovery phase, stimulate protein synthesis and muscle growth. Evohydro (Whey Protein Hydrolysate) and Other Supplements As a part of a nutritional plan including supplementation, Evohydro (Whey Protein Hydrolysate) is totally compatible with the rest of products, such as: Other proteins Amino acids Carbs Multivitamins Supplements to help reduce fat Hormone enhancers
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__label__pos Samba: the sense of community in participatory music View Date2016 Author Monteiro, Dana MetadataShow full item record Permanent Linkhttp://hdl.handle.net/2144/19554 Abstract This ethnographic study examined the relationship between the sense of community and music education within the community of Santa Marta in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and a public high school in New York City. Guided by Turino’s (2008) framework for participatory music making and McMillan and Chavis’s (1986) framework for the sense of community, the pedagogical and musical practices of Santa Marta were observed and analyzed to form a definition of a participatory music community. This definition was used to examine the impact of participatory practices on a samba ensemble within a New York City high school. The findings describe how participatory music education both influences and is influenced by the participants’ senses of community in both settings and explores applications of participatory music methods to school-based music, particularly within urban settings. Participatory characteristics were found to be imbedded in samba’s musical structure, including the repetition of rhythms, the simultaneous use of advanced and simplified patterns, and the flexibility of the size of the ensemble. Music events in Santa Marta often lacked artist-audience distinctions with situations of performance and learning occurring simultaneously. Decentralized group learning was found to be a pedagogical tool with information stored in the community’s memory. Inclusive pedagogies, which allowed players of various skill levels to perform together in the same ensembles, maximized participation in both sites. These characteristics created a pedagogical structure that addressed many of the identified challenges of urban school music and provided opportunities for active student engagement. This study presents a possible way forward for music education in urban settings, a path based on creating an inclusive educational environment. In schools where sequenced music programs, funding, and stabile student populations don’t exist, participatory music has the potential to create ways for students of varying skill levels to find a place in school music communities.
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__label__pos My Big Fat Greek Shotgun Wedding by Peter Tchir Posted May 11, 2011 . It seems clear that the citizens of Greece are sick and tired of dealing with the austerity being placed on them. I cannot imagine that they like the idea of selling assets to pay foreigners. Whether or not they fully understand the consequences of a default (or restructuring) it seems like they have made their choice. Only yesterday, I tried to compare the latest round of Greek bailout discussions to an arranged marriage. It is difficult to watch the protests on TV and read about the impact of the strikes and not think that the wedding has moved to the shotgun stage So we have evolved from the image of a country going with hat in hand to its neighbors for a hand out, to a reluctant bride doing what they are told because it is expected of them, to someone who is being bullied and dragged to the altar to take part of something they not only don’t want, but now know is the wrong choice. Greece has to do what is best for Greece Recently, almost all the arguments against a near term Greek default (restructuring) are based on the fact that Germany, France, and the ECB would be hurt. It is not Greece’s responsibility to worry about what impact a default would have on outside creditors. The situation has gone beyond that. Greece has to act responsibly throughout the restructuring process so that it can access capital markets again over time, but honestly, that is a low hurdle. Wall Street and Investors have a very short memory, and if restructured Greek debt performs well, there will be plenty of money available for future new issues. The bottom line is that the situation has deteriorated to the point it is clear to everyone that this is a solvency issue, and regardless of the pressure brought to bear by other countries, Greece must do what is right for Greece. A Default is not the end of the world for Greece The ‘doomers’ (and yes it is strange for me to refer to someone else as a doomer) would have you believe that a default would send Greece back to the dark ages. Argentina defaulted in 2001. It is doing better than ever. Were there some disruptions in Argentina at the time? Yes, but they fixed their problems and now have an economy growing at a rate much of the world is envious of. Default does not have to be a big negative on the people of that country. As I’ve argued before, defaulting now allows Greece to move forward with real long term solutions. It should be easier for people to accept reforms when they are part of a new sustainable Greece, rather than to meet the demands of foreign borrowers. Since courts cannot really enforce injunctions against Greece, they can attempt to implement some policies that benefit internal debt holders, especially individuals. Greece can also attempt to use programs similar to Brady bonds to help banks avoid having to take immediate write downs. Given the focus on mark to market, I am not sure that would help as much as in the past (and personally I don’t think it should) but it is worth a try. Greece doesn’t need to know what the future holds to restructure now More people have jumped onto the bandwagon that Greece should keep taking IMF money and maybe even so new bailout money until they figure out what their long term capacity to pay debt is. I just don’t understand that at all. First off, this argument is coming for a lot of analysts who thought the problem was solved a year ago. Will there ever be a time when everyone will ‘KNOW’ the right debt level? Probably not, and even if they did, the borrower will want the maximum haircut while the lenders will want the minimum haircut. So negotiate now and deal with the future as it comes up. The future will always be unclear so waiting is unlikely to provide much help, and in the meantime, real progress is delayed as the country is faced with work disruptions and growing bitterness towards the foreign bankers. Whatever you do, do NOT pledge collateral or sell assets Greek debt issued under International Law will help prevent Greece from hurting itself. I just do not see why Greece would agree to pledge collateral or sell assets to pay debt. I can understand (somewhat) why last year when the Greek government actually believed their problem was one of liquidity created by soon to be shirtless hedge funds, that they agreed to some collateral provisions with the IMF. But a year later, with the hedge funds wearing fancy new monogrammed shirts, the Greek government is aware that this isn’t merely a liquidity problem. There is a growing certainty that they cannot meet their future obligations, so any pledge of collateral is likely to be executed on. They should avoid this at all costs. The nature of a sovereign default puts them in the driver’s seat for any negotiation. Most investors will have trouble winning relief against the government in Greek courts, and then even more trouble enforcing those judgments. Providing specific collateral against further lending makes no sense at this time. Save it for the future. If Germany, France, and the ECB are really so desperate to avoid a default, they will cave on this demand. Written by aurick 12/05/2011 at 12:10 pm Tagged with AIG, American International Group, Capital Markets, Creditors, European Central Bank, financial crisis, France, Germany, Greece, Greek debt crisis, Greek sovereign collapse, Insurance Companies, International Monetary Fund, Mark to Market, sovereign debt, sovereign default
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__label__neg New South Wales is set to splurge more than $60 billion on infrastructure over the next four years as the state seeks to attack traffic congestion and provide for growth in key corridors such as Sydney’s West. Unveiling the 2014/15 State Budget on Tuesday, the government said it would spend around $61.499 billion on infrastructure over the four year forward estimates period, including $15.038 billion in 2014/15 - up from the latest estimate of $14.135 billion in the current financial year. And whilst investment in utilities is set to average just $4.3 billion per annum over the next four years (down from $4.6 billion per year in the three years to June 2014 and $5.9 billion per annum in the four years prior to that), the state’s own contribution general infrastructure will average $8.8 billion per year from 2014/15 to 2017/18 - well up, for instance, against the $5.9 billion annual average in the four years to June 2011. A further amount of almost $9 billion over the forward estimates period will come from Commonwealth investment. In 2014/15, around $863 million will be spent on the North West Rail Link whilst $398 million, $265 million and $103 million will go to WestConnex, the CBD to South East Light Rail and the South West Rail Link respectively. The government will also fund a feasibility study into a Northern Beaches motorway tunnel, an extension of the F6 and route corridor for the M9 – North, South and West. Meanwhile, in the housing sector, the upper threshold in order to qualify for the First Home Owners Grant will rise from $650,000 to $750,000. The latest announcements come as the government forecasts a deficit of $283 million in 2014/15, along with an expected return to surplus the following year. The 2014/15 result was negatively skewed by a decision on the part of Federal Treasurer Joe Hockey to bring forward a $703 million payment to the state relating to Pacific Highway upgrades which was originally slated for 2014/15 into 2013/14. Without that, and recently announced federal cuts to school and hospital funding, the state government says the result would have been a surplus of nearly $2 billion. Treasurer Mike Baird said the state’s infrastructure program was necessary to address congestion, especially in Sydney’s fast growing western suburbs. “Each year a Sydney commuter, who goes to and from home, is subject to an extra 185 hours of travel time per year due to congestion. Stranded on a train platform, or sandwiched on a bus, sitting in a car on the M4, M5, M1, or on roads like Victoria, Parramatta, The Spit or the Princes Highway,” Baird said. “An extra 185 hours equates to losing a full week, every year stuck in traffic. Every year, it’s costing the people of New South Wales $5 billion. “We could, as Labor did, put up the 'no vacancy' sign, declare it all too hard, and not build for our future. Alternatively, we can take action to deliver generations of benefits.” The budget follows last week’s announcement that the state government had approved a plan to sell off around 49 percent of the state’s electricity distribution network.
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__label__neg Lawsuit Expanded To Include U.S. Department Of Education FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: (212) 549-2666; media@aclu.org LOUISVILLE, KY - On behalf of five families, the American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of Kentucky filed an amended complaint in federal court today charging that segregating classes by sex in Breckinridge County Middle School is illegal and discriminatory. The ACLU's lawsuit expands a previous lawsuit filed by a private attorney against the Breckinridge County School District and other county entities to include the U.S. Department of Education. "The Breckinridge County sex-segregated classrooms are not only unlawful because they deny boys and girls equal opportunities in education these kinds of experimental programs are also misguided in that they distract from efforts that we know can improve all students' education like improved funding, smaller classes, more parental involvement and better trained teachers," said Emily Martin, Deputy Director of the ACLU Women's Rights Project. The ACLU lawsuit argues that Breckinridge County Middle School's sex-segregated classes are fundamentally unequal and unlawful and violate the Fourteenth Amendment's equal protection clause, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, the Equal Educational Opportunities Act, and the state sex equity law. It also argues that by issuing federal regulations that encourage school districts to segregate students by sex, the U.S. Department of Education has violated the law. The Breckinridge County School District instituted sex-segregated classrooms in its middle school in 2003, shortly after the U.S. Department of Education announced its intention to loosen federal restrictions on sex-segregated education. According to the Department of Education's own review in 2005, there was no strong evidence that sex-segregated instruction was beneficial to students or improved their education. Nevertheless, the Department of Education issued regulations in October 2006 that, for the first time in 30 years, allowed public coeducational schools to segregate students by sex. In doing so, it broke with over 20 other federal agencies that continue to have regulations on the books forbidding such segregation, which apply to many public schools including Breckinridge County Middle School. Nevertheless, in the wake of the Department of Education's actions, public school districts across the country have created single-sex programs. At Breckinridge County Middle School, the classes for boys, the classes for girls, and the coeducational classes differ from each other significantly, apparently using different textbooks and covering academic material at different rates. Although in previous years parents were given the option of whether to participate in sex-segregated classes, in the 2007-2008 school year, students were assigned to all-male, all-female, or co-educational classes with no input from the students or parents. Only after parents complained did the school notify parents - several weeks later - that they could opt out of the segregated classes. However, because in at least some instances the available coeducational classes were not equal to the sex-segregated classes, parents who would otherwise have preferred their children benefit from the diversity of a coeducational setting could not remove their children from the same-sex classes without sacrificing the best instruction available for their children. In addition, when the best class in a particular subject was a single-sex class, students of the opposite sex were unable to participate in the best education the school had to offer. "More and more public school districts around the country are experimenting with sex-segregated schools and classrooms, often presenting these programs as quick-fix solutions to an array of problems facing their local public schools," said Michael Aldridge, Executive Director of the ACLU of Kentucky. "Sex-segregated education diminishes real diversity in education. One of the strengths of public schools is the opportunity they provide for students of different sexes, races, and religions to learn from each other." Frankie Anthony, whom the ACLU is representing, has two daughters who attend Breckinridge County Middle School. He is concerned about the school's sex-segregated program and wants the best education possible for his daughters. His older daughter, Nikki, is a talented math student assigned to an all-girl math class. "I think my daughters will be less prepared to succeed in the world if they can't socialize, compete and work together with boys in school, but I can't take my daughter out of her math class without compromising her education, because it's the best math class in the school. At the same time, boys don't even have the option to be in her math class," said Anthony. "Real life doesn't put boys in one room and girls in another," added Nikki Anthony. "I don't think it's fair that the smartest boys in my grade can't take math with me or that I can't take English with them." Compounding the problem, the Breckinridge County School District has recently hired as a consultant David Chadwell, Director of Single-Sex Initiatives in the South Carolina Department of Education and board member of the National Association for Single Sex Public Education - an organization that advocates questionable "brain science" theories that sex segregation is necessary because boys' and girls' brains are so different. In his writing and on his website, Chadwell urges teachers to treat boys and girls very differently - for example, allowing boys to talk loudly in class and insisting that girls remain quiet; encouraging boys - but not girls - to toss balls while answering questions; and giving boys - but not girls - time limits for academic tasks. Organizations that have previously opposed the single-sex regulations promulgated by the U.S. Department of Education include the National Education Association and the American Association of University Women. The case is A.N.A. et al. v. United States Department of Education et al. Attorneys on the case include Martin, Lenora Lapidus and Araceli Martinez-Olguin of the ACLU Women's Rights Project and David Friedman and William E. Sharp of the ACLU of Kentucky. The ACLU complaint can be found online at: www.aclu.org/womensrights/edu/35388lgl20080519.html Sample lesson plans for sex-segregated classes in South Carolina, where Chadwell is Director of Single-Sex Initiatives, are posted on the South Carolina Department of Education website at: http://ed.sc.gov/agency/Educational-Services/Public-School-Choice/ SingleGender/LessonPlansforBoys.html Podcasts of the Anthony family and Martin discussing the sex segregation in the Breckinridge County School District and more information on the ACLU Women's Rights Project's work on sex segregation is available at: www.aclu.org/womensrights/edu/30129res20070614.html More information on the ACLU Women's Rights Project's work on sex segregation is available at: www.aclu.org/sexsegregation
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__label__neg This site uses cookies. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies. Health Insurance Report™ helps you track and analyze legal, legislative, and regulatory developments affecting the health-insurance industry throughout implementation of the Affordable Care Act... Jan. 22 — The denial of tax credits to individuals who buy health insurance through federally facilitated exchanges would have “disastrous consequences” for individuals and insurance markets in states that have elected not to create their own exchanges, the Obama administration told the U.S. Supreme Court Jan. 21. Government attorneys told the high court that challengers to an Internal Revenue Service rule that makes tax credits, or subsidies, available to all purchasers, regardless of whether they buy insurance through an exchange run by a state or the federal government, have construed the Affordable Care Act incorrectly. If their argument that the ACA makes credits available only to those who buy insurance on state-run exchanges is accepted by the court, then they have doomed insurance markets in the remaining states to death spirals, the government’s response brief said. Additionally, in the brief responding to arguments posed by petitioner David King and others, the government said that more than 5 million of the people who obtained coverage through exchanges in 2014 lived in one of the 34 states with an exchange run by the federal government. The “overwhelming majority of those people relied on tax credits to pay their premiums every month,” the brief said. Through this lawsuit, the petitioners “seek to upend the Act and extinguish the coverage of millions of Americans,” the government said. The challengers' position, set out in a Dec. 22 opening brief on the merits, is that the Internal Revenue Service overstepped its bounds when it published a rule, 26 C.F.R. § 1.36B-1, that would allow individuals access to tax credits for buying insurance on either a state-run or federally facilitated exchange. The challengers argued that the ACA, in a section codified in the Internal Revenue Code, 26 U.S.C. § 36B, limited the availability of subsidies to individuals who buy insurance on exchanges established by the states. This would mean that subsidies aren't available to individuals who live in states that have elected to allow the federal government to operate exchanges within their borders. The government disputed this argument, saying the ACA section on which it was premised doesn't, in fact, so limit the subsidies' availability. Section 36B provides that a tax credit shall be allowed for any eligible taxpayer and that the amount of the credit shall be determined based on the premium paid for an insurance plan “offered in the individual market within a State” that was “enrolled in through an Exchange established by the State under” 42 U.S.C. § 18031. The act provides for the creation of exchanges by the states in Section 18031, but it gives the states “flexibility” in meeting the requirement. A state may elect to set up its own exchange, but if it doesn't, the federal government “shall establish and operate such Exchange within the State,” 42 U.S.C. § 18041(c)(1). Each federally facilitated exchange, though run by the Health and Human Services Department, “is the same state-specific Exchange the State otherwise would have established,” the government said in its brief. Insurers offering policies on the exchanges are regulated by the states, and the premiums are based on factors unique to each state. Contrary to the challengers' argument, the phrase “an Exchange established by the State” under Section 18031 “is a term of art that includes both an Exchange a State establishes for itself and an Exchange HHS establishes for the State,” the government said. Section 18041(c)(1) says the HHS shall “establish and operate such Exchange within the State,” if the state elects not to do so. “The term ‘such Exchange,'” as used in this section “conveys that an Exchange HHS establishes as a statutory surrogate for a State fulfills Section 18031(b)(1)'s requirement that ‘[e]ach State' establish an Exchange,” the government's brief said. For the ACA's purposes, therefore, a federally facilitated exchange is “an Exchange established by the State” under Section 18031. Competitive Enterprise Institute General Counsel Sam Kazman criticized the government's argument in a Jan. 22 press release. “The government takes an incredibly carefree approach to the English language by arguing the text of the Obamacare law plays second fiddle to the law’s alleged overriding purpose,” Kazman said. “By claiming the phrase ‘established by the state’ reflects ‘style and grammar,’ the government argues ‘establish’ is no longer a verb; it's an ornament.” Kazman referred to a section of the brief that claimed the phrase “established by the state” only identified the exchange in a particular state and “reflects style and grammar,” not a substantive limitation on the type of exchange. CEI, in Washington, is coordinating and funding the case. Robert Weiner, of Arnold & Porter in Washington, disagreed. The government's brief is “devastating,” he told Bloomberg BNA Jan. 22. “It provides example after example of how the Petitioners’ interpretation is not only inconsistent with other provisions of the Act, but renders them inoperative.” The government's argument also “shows how the Petitioners make their ‘plain meaning' argument only by disregarding the inconvenient fact that Congress defined the terms that are in dispute,” Weiner said. “When Congress provides a definition, that is what the word means in the statute, not what we might understand them to mean if we were talking on the street.” The government also asserted that the availability of tax credits to purchasers on all exchanges is “essential to the Act's nationwide insurance market reforms.” The act “relies on three interdependent reforms,” it said. The act prohibits insurers from denying coverage or raising premiums based on a person's medical history; it imposes a tax penalty on people who fail to obtain and maintain coverage; and it subsidizes the purchase of insurance by people who otherwise couldn't afford it. The third and second prongs are essential to the success of the first prong, the government said. It noted that some states, in the past, adopted anti-discrimination provisions that prohibited insurers from refusing to insure or raising rates for people with certain medical conditions. These provisions, however, often led insurers to pull out of the states because they couldn't afford to do business under those terms. An inability to raise rates, married with a dearth of healthy subscribers, led the insurance markets in those states to fall into a “death spiral,” the government said. By requiring everyone to have health insurance, and by providing subsidies for people who otherwise wouldn't be able to afford it, the ACA ensures that insurers will get paid, even if they may not exclude certain individuals or charge them more for their coverage. Without the subsidies encouraging people to buy insurance, the markets would face the same “death spiral” that they previously faced in the states, the government said. The government also argued that the ACA's “structure and design” confirmed that tax credits are available on exchanges in every state, and that the law's legislative history didn't support the challengers' claim that the subsidies were meant to act as “carrots” to induce states to establish exchanges. It was “well understood when the act was passed” that not every state would establish its own exchange, the brief said. Still, the tax credits weren't “structured as a conditional-spending program designed to induce the States to take action.” The credits are federal in nature, and are provided to federal taxpayers as “an integral part of national reforms” intended to apply regardless of state action, the government said. Moreover, the brief said, “no Member of Congress ever suggested that tax credits would be available only in States that established their own Exchanges.” The case is at the court for review of a decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit that upheld the IRS rule. In an unusual move, the court granted review in November 2014, even though there was no existing circuit court split on the issue. There are at least three other pending cases that raised the same issue. Oral arguments are scheduled for March 4. Donald B. Verrilli Jr., Joyce R. Branda, Ian Health Gershengorn, Edwin S. Kneedler, Beth S. Brinkmann, Brian H. Fletcher, Mark B. Stern, and Alisa B. Klein of the U.S. Department of Justice, Washington; Christopher J. Meade, of the Department of Treasury, Washington; M. Patricia Smith, of the Department of Labor, Washington; and William B. Schultz, of the Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, represented the government. To contact the reporter on this story: Mary Anne Pazanowski in Washington at mpazanowski@bna.com To contact the editor responsible for this story: Fabia Mahoney at fmahoney@bna.com All Bloomberg BNA treatises are available on standing order, which ensures you will always receive the most current edition of the book or supplement of the title you have ordered from Bloomberg BNA’s book division. As soon as a new supplement or edition is published (usually annually) for a title you’ve previously purchased and requested to be placed on standing order, we’ll ship it to you to review for 30 days without any obligation. 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__label__neg Nymox Announces New Positive Results at 54 Months in Long Term Study of NX-1207 for Benign Prostatic HyperplasiaHASBROUCK HEIGHTS, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr 30, 2008 - Nymox Pharmaceutical Corporation (NASDAQ: NYMX) today announced new positive results from a long term outcome study of NX-1207 for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). The study evaluated symptomatic progress of U.S. patients involved in the Company's two Phase 1-2 studies initiated in 2003. Patients treated with NX-1207 were followed-up on an unselected and as available basis and assessed for symptomatic improvement, treatment outcomes, and durability of efficacy 54 months after NX-1207 treatment. These subjects were last assessed at 42 months after treatment. Overall, 75% of the patients in the new outcome study treated with NX-1207 reported no current drug treatment for their BPH and had a mean improvement of 11.1 points in AUA Symptom Score. In addition, 38% of the patients reported no other approved treatments at any time for their BPH since their original treatment with NX-1207, with a mean improvement of 9.8 points. This sustained improvement in BPH symptom score after NX-1207 treatment compares favorably to the 3.5 to 5 points reported in published studies of currently approved BPH drugs, which, unlike NX-1207 treatment, require uninterrupted, daily administration to be effective. Paul Averback, CEO of Nymox, said, "This new data on NX-1207 showing sustained symptomatic improvement after 54 months provides further evidence of enduring benefits from NX-1207 treatment for BPH. NX-1207 thus far has had none of the well known sexual and other bothersome side effects of other BPH treatments." In the NX-1207 studies, subjects received a one-time single dose of NX-1207 administered by intraprostatic injection by a urologist in an office setting. The entire procedure lasted on average 5-10 minutes, with the injection taking 1-2 minutes, and did not require anesthesia or catheterization. There have been no significant side effects from NX-1207 in the trials to date. Overall, subjects in the most recent study's Intent-to-Treat group who received 2.5 mg of NX-1207 reported a mean improvement in total AUA BPH Symptom Score of 9.71 points after 90 days as compared to the mean improvement of 4.13 points for subjects randomized to finasteride, an approved drug treatment for BPH. This difference was statistically significant (p=0.001). The AUA BPH Symptom Score measures self-assessed severity of BPH symptoms in 7 areas: 1) sensation of incomplete emptying of the bladder; 2) need to urinate frequently; 3) stopping and starting during urination; 4) urgent need to urinate; 5) weakness of urinary stream; 6) need to push or strain during urination; and 7) urination during sleep (nocturia). Published studies of currently approved drugs for BPH show AUA BPH Symptom Score improvement typically in the 3.5 to 5 point range. The results of the blinded clinical trials to date have shown that men treated with NX-1207 reported statistically significant improvement in BPH symptoms 3 months after a single NX-1207 treatment. In two multi-center Phase 2 U.S. prospective randomized blinded clinical trials, the aggregated mean improvement in the Primary Endpoint of BPH Symptom Score for 2.5 mg NX-1207 was 10.3 points or a 44% improvement in Symptom Score. To date, subjects treated with NX-1207 have reported no serious side effects from the treatment, including no (0%) significant sexual side effects. BPH treatment represents a growing market with more than 100 million men worldwide being estimated to suffer from BPH symptoms. The disorder is a common affliction of older men, affecting approximately half of men over age 50 and close to 90% of men by age 80, and is associated with growth in prostate size as men age. BPH causes difficulties with urination associated with aging, such as urination at night, urge to void frequently, hesitancy, weak stream, and other problems, and can cause acute urinary retention requiring immediate medical attention. More information about Nymox is available at www.nymox.com, email: info@nymox.com, or 800-936-9669. This press release contains certain "forward-looking statements" as defined in the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and the actual results and future events could differ materially from management's current expectations. The conduct of clinical trials and the development of drug products involve substantial risks and uncertainties and actual results may differ materially from expectations. Promising early results do not ensure that later stage or larger scale clinical trials will be successful or will proceed as expected. Such factors are detailed from time to time in Nymox's filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission and other regulatory authorities. Contact Nymox Pharmaceutical Corporation Roy Wolvin, 1-800-93NYMOX www.nymox.com Posted: April 2008
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__label__pos The new realm for IT sourcing managers is that they must update their Unified Communications and Collaboration (UC&C) solutions to support the changing workplace or be left behind. Legacy products not originally designed to support mobile workers need to be removed, as they do not easily accommodate the multitude of measures in which people need to work together today. This means sourcing managers must focus on solutions that connect across platforms, increase user participation, improve the quality of meetings, support mobility, ensure security and drive enhancements in total cost of ownership (TCO) – and the answer to all this is Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS). The success or failure of an organization completely relies on its ability to communicate and collaborate effectively. Every organization has different groups of employees, both internal and external, which it needs to keep on one platform for effective and continuous business communication. Whether the organization is looking to accelerate innovation, increase efficiency or improve customer experiences, building and streamlining quality communication connections between employees has always been essential. In the IT industry, solutions that assist to build and maintain these real-time quality connections are known as unified communication and collaboration (UC&C). UC&C was introduced more than a decade ago but, until recently, the adoption rate of UC&C was low and it failed to deliver on its potential of transforming how organizations communicate, collaborate, work, and share information. However, challenges associated with UC&C such as adoption and usage challenges still remain, including identifying and deploying the technologies, features, and applications that are most suitable for each organization. More specifically, challenges related to operation include the inherent complexity of UC&C and lack of end-user training. However, the shift to less capital mode, easier-to-deploy, and more IT-friendly UCaaS solutions will address some of these challenges. UCaaS is a combination of communication and collaboration technologies delivered over the cloud, which offers organizations a flexible, hosted service substitute that delivers cost-effective, easy-to-manage UC&C functionality, with pre-determined monthly costs and SLAs. Sharing knowledge and impeccably working together anytime, virtually through any device or any location is fueling much of the current market momentum. UCaaS offers organizations a pay-as-you-go model, so they can better predict costs and pay for only what they use without needing any additional investment or expense to get started. Mobility and BYOD (Bring Your Own Device), the growing popularity of videoconferencing and exploding demand for collaborative applications and cloud delivery models are key to the adoption and success of UCaaS. In today's fast-paced and increasingly mobile, global, and virtual environment, clear communications and collaboration are crucial in maintaining operational efficiency, superiority of employees and constant developments. Successful organizations are driving business innovation through unified access to new methods of communicating and collaborating, and by investing in UCaaS solutions. Moving communications systems to UCaaS helps organizations transform the process of operations at every juncture of the business cycle, from strategy formulation to execution and implementation. At the same time, UCaaS allows IT teams to focus on core, strategic projects that drive the company’s objectives and business. Some of the benefits of UCaaS includes: opex and capex cost savings, reliable and secure communication, business continuity, increased agility, simplified operations and greater flexibility. The evolution and maturity of the cloud and UCaaS market has also enabled service providers to broaden their scope of offerings. System Integrators have realized the value of UC&C implementations on the cloud, and have taken an active role in deployment and support of UCaaS. Broader suites of offerings in terms of consulting, managed services, and integration capabilities to the communications market has shifted the focus of CIOs from UC&C to UCaaS. For enterprise buyers, UCaaS has enabled them to switch their sourcing strategy from a multi-vendor best-in-class sourcing to a single vendor managed service provider. This change enables buyers to draw cost savings of approximately 50%-60% on UC&C expenses. In regard to direct benefits associated with UCaaS – it assists organizations to realize savings worth $400 - $600 annually, per employee, including a 14%-15% reduction in capital costs. Further, implementation of UCaaS involves indirect benefits, which include 3%-4% increased worker productivity through enhanced collaboration tools, improved first-reach metrics and a 4%-5% reduction in travel expenses through universal global connectivity platform between employees.
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__label__pos Top10Doctor insights on:Can Stool Softeners Give Me Diarrhea 2,085doctors shared insights Loose stools is a symptom in which a person's stool (poop) does not hold its shape after it goes into the toilet. Instead of remaining a shaped piece of poop, the poop spreads out in the toilet bowl water. Very loose stool is called diarrhea. Loose stool can be caused by infections, certain foods or drinks, ...Read more 226 yr old. Had constip. Went semi normal after fiber and stool softener. Now diahrea. Could diet change and softeners be the cause? Scared. 3Have cdiff but constipated. What can I do. I am on vancomycin and forastor. I never have diahrrea like a lot do. Should I take stool softener or what? 4My daughter, 14 months is constipated despite giving her fluids. Used stool softener for a month. If I stop medication, she is constipated again. Constipation:3 important facts: 1 did she pass meconium or the dark sticky stool in the 1st day of life? 2 did this start when you transitioned her from formula to whole milk? 3 are you attempting potty training if the answer to all 3 is yes then this is likely transient and will pass with time. I would continue the stool softener and hold off on potty training for now. Wean the stool softener. ...Read more 5My 5yr oh hold her poop till she throws up. Then she still hold it. She has accidents constantly says it hurts. Can i give her stool softener everyday? Please see doctor:I think the simple answer is a yes, 'but answer. This sounds like a significant situation that must be fully studied. I am sure your pediatrician can help and even recommend a specialist for pediatric gastroenterology. Please do not just give your daughter stool softeners without a full evaluation and diagnosis of the underlying problem....Read more 3doctors agreed: 6I think my 1 year old son could benefit from stool softener. Is there a natural remedy or OTC product I can give him? Will prune juice do the trick? 3doctors agreed: Prune juice / karo:You can try some prune juice or karo syrup. You can give a tablespoon for every 4 oz of milk. Less or more depending on stool frequency....Read more 1doctor agreed: 7Why did they give stool softener pill plus milk magnesia. And how do I have bm if pelvis fracture? 1doctor agreed: Avoid constipation:Pelvic fractures can lead to slowing of peristaltic movement of colon, which controls bowel movements. Bed rest and pain medications are often the only initial treatment for pelvic fractures; these two markedly slow down normal colon movements. Do whatever necessary to get those bowels moving: drinks lots fluids, including prune juice, stool softener, fiber combined with fluid, senna, mom......Read more 1doctor agreed: 8My mother is 82 year old recently she been constipated been give lots of water, fiber, fruits, prunes juice, and stool softener she has very bad hemor? 1doctor agreed: 3,228doctors shared insights Talk to a doctor live online for free Stool softeners diarrhea Probiotics give me diarrhea Yogurt gives me diarrhea Ask a doctor a question free online Coffee gives me diarrhea Gatorade gives me diarrhea Beer gives me diarrhea Alcohol gives me diarrhea Talk to a urgent care specialist online for free
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__label__neg I want to let out my property; do I need to tell the mortgage lender?Yes, you must obtain permission from your mortgage lender and inform us of any special conditions that they impose. We may require written evidence of this. I don't have the time to manage my property can you provide any assistance?We offer four service packages to our landlords, so no matter how much or little involvement a landlord may want in the process of letting their property, one of our flexible solutions will provide the required level of support. Do I need an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC)?It is a legal requirement for all rental properties in England and Wales to have an EPC. Once obtained the certificate it is valid for 10 years. An EPC measures the energy efficiency of a property using a scale of A-G. How do I know how much rent to charge?We will assess the potential rental value in current market conditions and recommend the type of tenant that would be most suitable for the property. We will also agree with you the terms on which the property will be marketed, including any restrictions. If I let out a property do I have to provide the tenant with any furniture?No, you can let out your property; fully furnished, partly furnished or unfurnished. However when deciding whether to provide furniture with a property or not consider the type of tenant you are targeting and what their needs are likely to be. It is also important to note the condition of the furniture provided in the inventory. How do I know I am getting a good tenant?We conduct identity and residency checks on all applicants. We also obtain a credit reference and take up employer and current landlord references. For applicants who have a clean credit history but who are financially weak for the rental commitment we either ask for a guarantor or obtain full settlement of rent in advance for the tenancy term. For non-UK applicants we have access to international referencing facilities, which cover many countries. What do I do about a deposit?We collect a security deposit from the tenant as cleared funds before the Tenancy Agreement is signed and register the deposit with an approved Tenancy Deposit Scheme. Who has to pay the council tax on the property?A tenant is responsible for the payment of council tax during the period of the tenancy (as long as this is stated in the Tenancy Agreement). However when the property is vacant the landlord or homeowner is responsible for paying the council tax. Who is responsible for the TV licence, the tenant or the landlord?It is both the landlord and tenant's responsibility to ensure that the address has a valid TV licence. However the responsibility on who has to pay for the licence is usually stated in the Tenancy Agreement. However if the landlord provides a television with the property then they would be expected to pay for the TV licence, particularly in any communal areas. What is an inventory?A list detailing every item contained within a rental property and the condition each listed item is in, usually checked by all parties on the day the tenant moves in and signed by all parties. Martin & Co can provide a comprehensive inventory service for landlords. What happens about insurance when I let out a property?It is a good idea for the landlord to have insurance on the property and for any contents, such as furniture and white goods they have provided in the property. Tenants are responsible for insuring their own contents left in the property (however it is a good idea to state this in the tenancy agreement). How do I receive my rental income?We arrange for the tenant to sign a standing order or direct debit mandate for rent and account to you for all rent received, less outgoings, fees and commission accompanied by a statement, normally within 7 days of rent being cleared into our account. What should I do if a tenant has left furniture in the property after they have moved out?Property left behind is still classed as the tenants and if removed, or sold a claim can be made against the landlord for the value of the goods. The landlord becomes a bailee when the goods are left behind and can only legally sell or remove them under the Torts (interference with goods) Act 1977. Landlords are not permitted to sell the goods for compensation on any damage caused by the tenant or for any unpaid rent. However in practice a landlord cannot get a court order for each tenant that leaves property behind, and a landlord has to make a judgement, and with items of value keep clear evidence that they have done all they can to contact the former tenant in question. Who can help me if I have problems with my local Martin & Co office?If you have a complaint about the service that you have received from a Martin & Co local office you should put your concerns in writing to the Martin & Co office concerned. The correspondence will be acknowledged within 3 working days. The matter will then be investigated and a full response sent to you within 15 working days. If you feel the matter remains unresolved you need to address your complaint to the proprietor at the relevant Martin & Co office, marked for the attention of the proprietor, who will conduct an investigation and will give a final viewpoint. In the unlikely event that you remain dissatisfied then you may refer the matter to the Property Ombudsman at the following address: The Property Ombudsman Milford House 43-55 Milford Street Salisbury Wiltshire SP1 2BP If you still have any questions, please contact your local Martin & Co office.
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__label__neg Examine whether contaminants in your water supply met two standards: the legal limits established by the Safe Drinking Water Act, and the typically stricter health guidelines. The data was collected by an advocacy organization, the Environmental Working Group, who shared it with The Times. Speculator V Chart Key 1 or more tests taken in the month 1 or more positive detections 1 or more tests above health limit 1 or more tests above legal limit Speculator (v), New York. Serves 408 people. 1 contaminant below legal limits, but above health guidelines In some states a small percentage of tests were performed before water was treated, and some contaminants were subsequently removed or diluted. As a result, some reported levels of contamination may be higher than were present at the tap. Number of Tests Contaminant Average result Maximum result Health limit Legal limit Total # Positive result Above health Above legal Monthly Testing History Chart key at top of page E.P.A. regulated Alpha particle activity 1.20 pCi/L 1.20 - 15 1 1 1 0 Yes 8 contaminants found within health guidelines and legal limits Number of Tests Contaminant Average result Maximum result Health limit Legal limit Total # Positive result Above health Above legal Monthly Testing History Chart key at top of page E.P.A. regulated Barium (total) 2.50 ppb 5 2000 2000 2 1 0 0 Yes Bromodichloromethane 0.57 ppb 1 100 80 3 2 0 0 Yes Bromoform 0.53 ppb 1.60 800 80 3 1 0 0 Yes Chloroform 0.40 ppb 0.70 70 80 3 2 0 0 Yes Dibromochloromethane 0.83 ppb 1.60 60 80 3 2 0 0 Yes MTBE 3.50 ppb 3.70 - - 2 2 0 0 No Nitrate 0.77 ppm 0.82 10 10 5 5 0 0 Yes Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) 2.33 ppb 4.90 - 80 3 2 0 0 Yes Units: ppb: parts per billion, pCi/L: picocuries per liter, ppm: parts per million, mrem/yr: millirems per year, MFL: million fibers per litre 121 contaminants tested for but not found 1,1,1,2-Tetrachloroethane, 1,1,1-Trichloroethane, 1,1,2,2-Tetrachloroethane, 1,1,2-Trichloroethane, 1,1-Dichloroethane, 1,1-Dichloroethylene, 1,1-Dichloropropene, 1,2,3-Trichlorobenzene, 1,2,3-Trichloropropane, 1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene, 1,2,4-Trimethylbenzene, 1,2-Dichloroethane, 1,2-Dichloropropane, 1,3,5-Trimethylbenzene, 1,3-Dichloropropane, 2,2-Dichloropropane, 2,4,5-TP (Silvex), 2,4-D, 3-Hydroxycarbofuran, Acetone, Alachlor (Lasso), Aldicarb, Aldicarb sulfone, Aldicarb sulfoxide, Aldrin, Antimony (total), Aroclor 1016, Aroclor 1221, Aroclor 1232, Aroclor 1242, Aroclor 1248, Aroclor 1254, Aroclor 1260, Arsenic (total), Asbestos, Atrazine, Benzene, Benzo[a]pyrene, Beryllium (total), Bromobenzene, Bromochloromethane, Bromomethane, Butachlor, Cadmium (total), Carbaryl, Carbofuran, Carbon tetrachloride, Chlordane, Chloroethane, Chloromethane, Chromium (total), cis-1,2-Dichloroethylene, cis-1,3-Dichloropropene, Copper, Cyanide, Dalapon, Di(2-Ethylhexyl) adipate, Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, Dibromoacetic acid, Dibromomethane, Dicamba, Dichloroacetic acid, Dichlorodifluoromethane, Dichloromethane (methylene chloride), Dieldrin, Dinoseb, Endrin, Ethylbenzene, Ethylene dibromide (EDB), Gross beta particle activity (pCi/L), Heptachlor, Heptachlor epoxide, Hexachlorobenzene (HCB), Hexachlorobutadiene, Hexachlorocyclopentadiene, Isopropylbenzene, Lindane, m-Dichlorobenzene, m-Xylene, Manganese, Mercury (total inorganic), Methomyl, Methoxychlor, Methyl ethyl ketone, Methyl isobutyl ketone, Metolachlor, Metribuzin, Monobromoacetic acid, Monochloroacetic acid, Monochlorobenzene (Chlorobenzene), n-Butylbenzene, n-Propylbenzene, o-Chlorotoluene, o-Dichlorobenzene, o-Xylene, Oxamyl (Vydate), p-Chlorotoluene, p-Dichlorobenzene, p-Isopropyltoluene, p-Xylene, Pentachlorophenol, Picloram, Propachlor, Radium-228, sec-Butylbenzene, Selenium (total), Simazine, Styrene, tert-Butylbenzene, Tetrachloroethylene, Thallium (total), Toluene, Total haloacetic acids (HAAs), Total polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), Toxaphene, trans-1,2-Dichloroethylene, trans-1,3-Dichloropropene, Trichloroacetic acid, Trichloroethylene, Trichlorofluoromethane, Vinyl chloride
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__label__pos Rep. Dwight Kiefert is the sponsor of HB1215 which, if passed, would allow local school districts to decide if they want to allow concealed carry of weapons on school property. The bill would also allow those schools to keep that decision a secret if they choose. I was curious about Rep. Kiefert why schools should be able to decide this matter in secret. I wondered if the bill might not get some push-back from parents wanting to know if concealed carry was happening at the schools where they send their children. Kiefert explained that his concern is that school districts which debate the issue and decide to ultimately not allow concealed carry might be making targets of themselves, notifying would-be shooters that their schools will continue to be vulnerable. Kiefert acknowledged, however, that the bill would allow schools to make their decisions public if they wish. Kiefert’s bill is separate from HB1283 which doesn’t have the provision allowing the decision to be made in secret and which also removes the state prohibition on concealed carry in churches. I’m sympathetic to Kiefert’s justification for the secrecy, but I’m not sure I’m convinced. Our schools are already “gun free zones” by default, which I’m afraid makes them targets by default. I’d like to see schools end the “gun free zone” nonsense for the sake of making all our children safer, but that debate should be had out in the open.
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__label__neg Evaluation of Mini Plates Anchorage With Forsus Fatigue Resistant Device Overview This trial is active, not recruiting. Condition malocclusion, angle class ii, division 1 Treatments ffrd and mini plates group, conventional ffrd Sponsor Sherif A. Elkordy Start date January 2015 End date August 2016 Trial size 50 participants Trial identifier NCT02475785, CU001 Summary The purpose of this study is to determine if the Forsus Fatigue resistant Device appliance with direct skeletal mini plates anchorage is capable of achievement of skeletal mandibular effects while preventing the excessive proclination of the lower incisors at the end of the treatment when compared to the conventional Forsus Fatigue resistant Device appliance applied to the upper and lower dental arches in female patients with skeletal Class II malocclusion Study Design Allocation randomized Endpoint classification safety/efficacy study Intervention model parallel assignment Masking single blind (outcomes assessor) Primary purpose treatment Primary Outcomes Measure correction of the skeletal Class II profile time frame: expected average of 10 months Secondary Outcomes Measure Dento-alveolar side effects time frame: expected average of 10 months Angle of soft tissue convexity time frame: expected average of 10 months Position of lips and Chin time frame: expected average of 10 months Eligibility Criteria Female participants from 10 years up to 13 years old. Inclusion Criteria: - Skeletal Angle Class II division 1 malocclusion with a deficient mandible. (SNB ≤ 76°) - Horizontal or neutral growth pattern. (MMP ≤ 30°) - Increased overjet (min 5 mm) with Class II canine relationship. (minimum of half unit) - Mandibular arch crowding less than 3 mm. - At the time of insertion of the FFRD, the patients had to be in the "Middle Phalanx of the Middle finger" stage G or H (MP3 G or MP3 H stage) according to Rajagopal. Exclusion Criteria: - Systemic Disease. - Any signs or symptoms or previous history of temporomandibular disorders (TMD) as clicking, crepitus, pain, limitation or deviation. - Extracted or missing upper permanent tooth/teeth (except for third molars). - Facial Asymmetry. - Para-functional habits. - Severe proclination or crowding that requires extractions in the lower arch. Additional Information Official title Evaluation of Mini Plates Anchorage in Conjunction With Forsus Fatigue Resistant Device for Correction of Skeletal Class II Malocclusion in Growing Subjects: A Randomized Controlled Trial Principal investigator Sherif Elkordy, Phd Description 1. Background: Class II malocclusions are characterized by an incorrect relationship between the maxillary and mandibular arches due to skeletal or dental problems or a combination of both. The prevalence of this malocclusion was recently found to be 20.6% in the Egyptian population in the age between 11 and 14 years with mandibular retrusion as its most common characteristic. It was also mentioned that other populations showed the predominance of the mandibular retrusion (80%) as opposed to only 20% expressing excessive maxillary development. Class II profiles attractiveness was previously investigated in the literature. It was found that patients, their peers, orthodontists and oral surgeons, rated subjects with Class I profiles as more attractive than others with Class II profiles. It was also reported that the profile of normal adolescent patients were more favorably perceived by laypersons than untreated Class II division 1 malocclusion subjects. In growing patients having Class II mandibular retrusion, functional orthopedic appliances are commonly used for mandibular advancement based on the concept of growth modification. However, two main problems appeared to compromise the desired treatment outcomes of these appliances; the need for patient cooperation and the lack of the possibility of combining their use with fixed appliance therapy in order to shorten treatment duration. Many systematic reviews and meta-analyses were recently performed in the literature answering the question of whether removable functional appliances (RFAs) produced skeletal effects for correction the skeletal discrepancy through inducing actual increase in mandibular dimensions. Most recently two systematic reviews concluded that the skeletal effects of RFAs were minimal and could be considered of negligible clinical importance. They mentioned that treatment of Class II malocclusion with RFAs was associated with a minimal stimulation of mandibular growth, a minimal restriction of maxillary growth and more significant dento-alveolar and soft tissue changes. Fixed functional appliances were first introduced by Emil Herbst in 1905. Many types of fixed functional appliances were developed since then; including Jasper jumper and Twin force Bite corrector . The Forsus Fatigue Resistant Device (FFRD) was introduced by Bill Vogt in 2006. It represented a semi-rigid fixed functional alternative that was intended to overcome breakage problems of flexible fixed functional appliances. However, it was proven that dental changes were more significant than skeletal changes in the final occlusal results. These changes included mesial movement of the mandibular molars and proclination of the mandibular incisors. These unwanted tooth movements appeared to compromise the actual skeletal correction and jeopardize the stability of the results. Several attempts were proposed to counteract the unwanted dento-alveolar side effects of fixed functional appliances. Use of lingual arches, increase the dimensions of the archwires, the introduction of negative torque in the archwires and the use of lower incisor brackets with lingual crown torque are some examples. Some studies used the mini implants in an attempt to limit the unwanted dental effects of fixed functional appliances. These studies proved that mini implants anchorage reduced the lower incisors proclination but they in turn increased the upper incisors retroclination and were not able to achieve significant skeletal mandibular effects. Titanium mini plates were introduced for the use for orthodontic anchorage in 1999 as a skeletal anchorage system for open bite correction. They were proven to be well accepted by patients and providers, safe and effective adjunct for complex orthodontic cases. Other uses of mini plates in orthodontics included maxillary and mandibular molars distalization and orthodontic anchorage where it was reported that they were able to provide absolute anchorage. Bone anchored maxillary protraction using mini plates was reported to be successful in producing significant forward maxillary growth in Class III growing subjects. Recently mini plates were used for the direct loading of FFRD for correction of skeletal Class II malocclusion. They reported actual skeletal changes through the increase in the mandibular length with minimal dento-alveolar side effects. However, these results are only preliminary and have to be taken with caution because the study did not include control group. 2. Research Hypothesis: The null hypothesis (H0) of this research is that use of direct mini plate anchorage in conjunction with FFRD will not be able to induce skeletal rather than dental effects for correction of the skeletal Class II malocclusion in comparison with conventional FFRD therapy or with untreated growing Class II control subjects. 3. Objectives: The primary objective of this study is to determine if mini plates use in conjunction with FFRD will induce supplemental growth of the mandible in Class II malocclusion subjects with mandibular retrognathism. Secondary objectives include To determine if mini plates use in conjunction with FFRD will be able to: - Reduce the dento-alveolar side effects produced by fixed functional appliances in treatment of skeletal Class II subjects - Correct the soft tissue convexity in Class II subjects - Correct molar and canines relationships - Develop a patients' well-accepted treatment modality for correction of skeletal Class II malocclusion. 4. Study design According to the norms of the CONSORT STATEMENT, this study will be clinical with intervention, in which the allocation of the subjects will be randomized (block randomization). This study will be parallel with blinding for the outcome assessors. The primary purpose of this study will be treatment. 5. Participants - Settings and locations where the data are collected The treatment will be performed in the outpatient clinics of Department of Orthodontics of Cairo State University. This public university predominantly serves low-income population living in Cairo, Egypt. Data will be collected from April 2015 through August 2016. 6. Interventions Two groups will receive treatment. Group 1 will be treated with the FFRD and mini plates anchorage for 10 months or until the correction of the malocclusion . Group 2 will be treated with conventional FFRD for 10 months or until the correction of the malocclusion. A third untreated control group will be included with an observation period of 6-8 months. 7a. Sample size Our sample size calculation is based on a study which compared the use of Herbst appliance with and without mini implants anchorage and reported a significant increase in the Herbst mini screw group over their control group. The mean change in the mandibular length in the treatment and control groups were 4.6±2.43 mm and 0.9±2.09 mm respectively. Thus the mean difference was 3.7 with the within group standard deviation set at 2.26. Because three groups will be compared, Bonferroni adjustment was used as alpha level/number of comparisons = 0.05/3= 0.0167 to adjust for multiple comparisons. Power and Sample size calculation (PS) software (department of biostatistics Vanderbilt University) was used for sample size calculation. A t test was performed with the power was set as 0.9, allocation ratio of 1:1:1 and the Type I error probability (alpha) associated with this test was set as 0.0167. Results of the test showed that "The Group sample sizes of 11, 11 and 11 achieve 90% power to reject the null hypothesis of equal means with a significance level (alpha) of 0.0167" Therefore, 33 subjects will be needed, with 12 subjects in each group. To account for patient loss to follow up (attrition), a sample size of 45 patients will be selected and divided into three groups, fifteen each. 7b. Interim analysis and stopping guidelines In the group with mini plates anchorage, in case of mobility in the mini-plates in any subject, the load will be removed for about two weeks. After that, the load will be restored. If the mobility persists, surgical exposure of the mini plate will be done and either insertion of longer mini screws ion the same mini plate or a change in the position of the mini plate will be done. Any harms, adverse effects or unintended effects of the study intervention will be documented and reported. Post-surgical swelling and pain are anticipated and will be addressed by antibiotics and pain killers. Other unanticipated surgical harms have to be immediately managed and will be reported. Harms related to the orthodontic appliances will be managed by the principal investigator. 8. Randomization 8a. Sequence generation The randomization of the recruited subjects will be done with a randomized list, using random.org website. This list is made by an individual not involved in the clinical trial (S.B.) 8b. Type The type of randomization will be block randomization. The number of blocks and block sized were be blinded to the investigators. 9. Allocation and concealment mechanism - Each patient will be allocated a number from sequentially numbered opaque sealed envelopes after fulfillment of the inclusion criteria and signing the informed consent to be enrolled in the study. - According to the number, the patients will be then allocated into one of the groups using a randomization table. 10. Implementation Before the beginning of the research, the allocation sequence will be generated by a person not involved in the study (Dr S.B.). The random list will be sealed from the principal investigator who will enroll participants. After the participant takes a sealed number, S.B. will be contacted to implement the allocation. All the study contributors will have no access to the random list. The envelopes will be closed with the type of treatment selected for storage of the information. 11. Blinding Blinding will be carried out only for the data assessment because the researchers, participants and subjects can not be blinded. Therefore, a person who does not know the nature of the trial will analyze the data. Call for more information Phone Principal Investigator Trial Trial ID Institution Location
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__label__neg To the Editor: Regarding Ari Armstrong’s article “Rational Morality Requires Amnesty for Rights-Respecting Illegal Immigrants” (TOS Blog, July 2, 2014), I agree with Mr. Armstrong that illegal immigrants have the same moral rights to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” as everyone else. But I disagree with his claim that they do not have a right to welfare. Illegal immigrants contribute to our system just as U.S. citizens and legal residents do, and they should have the same rights, including a right to welfare. Even legal residents who commit vicious crimes remain eligible for welfare. Why shouldn’t illegal immigrants who violate no one’s rights be eligible? Laina Taelor Deerfield Beach, Florida Ari Armstrong Responds: The implicit premise in Ms. Taelor’s letter is that rights are granted by government. But this premise is mistaken. Real rights, moral rights—such as the rights to life, liberty, and property—are not granted by government; they exist prior to government. The reason we need government is to protect these preexisting rights. The alleged right to welfare stands in contradiction to these rights; most obviously, it contradicts the right to property, the right to keep and use the product of one’s effort, including the money one earns. When government takes money from those who earned it and gives that money to those who did not earn it, which is what government does when it “provides” welfare, it violates the property rights of those from whom it seizes the money. When a person takes someone else’s money by force, we recognize that as a violation of property rights, and we properly call it theft. When government takes someone’s money by force and hands it to other people, this too is a violation of rights, and, although it may be legal, it is still theft and it is morally wrong. Immigrants do not have a right to welfare—and neither do U.S. citizens or legal residents. Toward the ultimate goal of eliminating welfare programs altogether, government must phase out welfare handouts, not expand them. Accordingly, government should exclude immigrants from welfare handouts and begin sharply cutting welfare handouts to existing recipients. People don’t need welfare. They need freedom to work and to keep and use what they earn. Ari Armstrong Denver, Colorado
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__label__neg <p>Despite the almost daily advances in the <a href="https://www.verywell.com/what-is-hiv-aids-48621" data-component="link" data-source="inlineLink" data-type="internalLink" data-ordinal="1">HIV</a> sciences, the shadow of <strong>AIDS denialism</strong> still looms large, casting doubt and distraction among those who are often in the most need of care.</p><p>While the major voices of dissent (Peter Duesberg, Celia Farber) may no longer be able to grab the media spotlight they had back in the 1980s and 90s—when far less was known about HIV and fear provided a ready platform for those on the fringes of legitimate science—their messages and methods still have impact today.</p><p>To dismiss their ideas as medical "quackery" or remnants of a less enlightened past greatly underplays the effect that denialism has on the public's perception about HIV, as well as the unspoken fears and emotions they feed into.</p><p>As recently as 2007, a survey conducted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) showed that 51% of minority <a href="https://www.verywell.com/men-who-have-sex-with-men-msm-48993" data-component="link" data-source="inlineLink" data-type="internalLink" data-ordinal="2">men who have sex with men (MSM)</a> agreed with the statement "HIV does not cause AIDS."</p><p>Research suggests that conspiracy views among this group was not so much driven by dissident beliefs per se, but by <a href="https://www.verywell.com/the-real-reasons-why-people-dont-use-condoms-49669" data-component="link" data-source="inlineLink" data-type="internalLink" data-ordinal="3">negative attitudes toward condom use</a>, as well as a general distrust of governmental and/or healthcare authorities.</p><h3>Where Does AIDS Denialism Begin?</h3><p>According to the Oxford Dictionary, a denialist is "a person who refuses to admit the truth of a concept or proposition that is supported by the majority of scientific or historical evidence."</p><p>Chris Hoofnagle, senior staff attorney of Samuelson Law, Technology & Public Policy Clinic at the University of California, Berkeley, extends the definition by stating:</p><blockquote><em>"Since legitimate dialogue is not a valid option for those who are interested in protecting bigoted or unreasonable ideas from scientific facts, their only recourse is to use... rhetorical tactics."</em></blockquote><p>Some of the rhetorical tactics identified by Tara C. Smith, associate professor of epidemiology at the University of Iowa College of Public Health, and Dr. Steven Novella of Yale University School of Medicine include</p><ul><li>Portraying mainstream science as either intellectually compromised or interest-driven (e.g. biased by "drug money").</li><li>Selectively choosing which authorities to believe and which to dismiss in order to frame a conspiracy argument, or to suggest that a proven science is being debated.</li><li>Lowering the status of the denied science to that of deeply rooted (often persecuted) faith, while characterizing scientific consensus as dogmatic and suppressive.</li><li>"Pushing back the goalpost" by demanding more scientific evidence than is currently available, and then insisting upon new evidence when those demands are met.</li></ul><h3>Vulnerable to Denialism?</h3><p>Meanwhile, members of the public who embrace denialist beliefs are often seen to be vulnerable to misinformation or fraud, or simply lacking the education needed to make an informed judgment. Research from the University of Connecticut seems to suggest otherwise.</p><p>Of internet users in the study who endorsed a specific AIDS denialist belief, ratings for trust and believability were higher for a mainstream medical website (Tufts Medical School) than for two denialist websites they were shown (Matthias Rath, Jonathan Campbell). This seems to indicate that denialist messages don't as much instigate personal belief, but rather validate the suspicions and doubts of those unwilling (or unable) to accept medical fact against their own better judgment.</p><p>According to study conducted by the CDC, only 44% of Americans <a href="https://www.verywell.com/what-are-my-hiv-testing-options-49621" data-component="link" data-source="inlineLink" data-type="internalLink" data-ordinal="4">diagnosed with HIV</a> are linked to medical care. Misinformation about HIV—tied in with the fear of disclosure and lack of HIV appropriate care—is considered a key reason as to why many choose to delay treatment until the onset of <a href="https://www.verywell.com/symptoms-of-hiv-by-stage-48785" data-component="link" data-source="inlineLink" data-type="internalLink" data-ordinal="5">symptomatic disease</a>.</p><p>So while AIDS denialism may seem like ancient history to some, its ability to confound and disrupt remains just as potent as ever.</p><p><strong>More on AIDS Denialism - <a href="https://www.verywell.com/top-five-aids-denialists-48694" data-component="link" data-source="inlineLink" data-type="internalLink" data-ordinal="6">Top 5 AIDS Denialists</a> </strong></p><p><strong><sub>Sources:</sub></strong></p><p><sub>Bogart, L. and Thorburn, S. <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15671808" data-component="link" data-source="inlineLink" data-type="externalLink" data-ordinal="7">"Are HIV/AIDS conspiracy beliefs a barrier to HIV prevention among African Americans?"</a> <em>Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome.</em> February 1, 2005; 38(2):213-8.</sub></p><p><sub>Hutchinson, A.; Begley, B.; Sullivan. P.; et al. <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17704688" data-component="link" data-source="inlineLink" data-type="externalLink" data-ordinal="8">"Conspiracy beliefs and trust in information about HIV/AIDS among minority men who have sex with men."</a> <em>Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome</em>. August 15, 2007; 45(5):603-5.</sub></p><p><sub>Smith, T., Novella, P. <a href="http://www.plosmedicine.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pmed.0040256" data-component="link" data-source="inlineLink" data-type="externalLink" data-ordinal="9">"HIV Denial in the Internet Era."</a> <em>PLoS Medicine.</em> August 21, 2007; 4(8): e256.</sub></p><p><sub>Kalichman, S.; Eaton, L.; and Cherry,C. <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3015095/#R19" data-component="link" data-source="inlineLink" data-type="externalLink" data-ordinal="10">"There is no Proof that HIV Causes AIDS": AIDS Denialism Beliefs among People Living with HIV/AIDS."</a> <em>Journal of Behavioral Medicine.</em> December 2010, 33(6):342-440 (Table 3).</sub></p><p><sub>Skarbinski, J.; Furlow-Parmley, C.; and Frazie, E. <a href="http://www.retroconference.org/2012b/Abstracts/43173.htm" data-component="link" data-source="inlineLink" data-type="externalLink" data-ordinal="11">"Nationally Representative Estimates of the Number of HIV+ Adults who Received Medical Care, Were Prescribed ART, and Achieved Viral Suppression-Medical Monitoring Project, 2009 to 2010-US."</a> 19th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI); Seattle, Washington; March 8, 2013; oral abstract #138.</sub></p>
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__label__neg Something From Nothing: Fried Rice Hi, I’m Alexis from Bean and Bee. I write about sustainable living in the suburbs, whether it be growing your own food, making less toxic choices for your home, or reducing waste. Today, I’m sharing one of my favorite recipes that you can make with a few staple ingredients and whatever leftovers you have on hand – fried rice! This is a one skillet dish, so clean up is easy. Since this fried rice recipe makes use of a lot of leftovers, your refrigerator will have more room as well. I usually make it when we haven’t been to the grocery store in a week and we are down to random bit of food. “Something From Nothing Fried Rice” is a crowd-pleaser in my home. My kids will actually happily eat whatever veggies work their way into the mix and it’s heavy enough that my husband and I feel satisfied after a bowl. Cooking this meal is more art than science, but there are a few essential ingredients. Rice ( leftover is perfect) and soy or teriyaki sauce are key. You also need a protein – eggs work well, as does leftover meat. In the version shown in the pictures, I used two eggs and a leftover grilled pork chop from the night before. One of the beautiful things about this dish is you can use up food that otherwise wouldn’t be enough to make another meal out of. Less food waste saves you money and reduces the amount your household sends to the landfill. Less waste in the landfill means less creation of methane, a dangerous greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming. Who knew a recipe could save the Earth? Let’s get started! 1. Gather Ingredients Essential Ingredients Cooked Rice ( estimate about a quarter cup of rice per serving) Soy or Teriyaki Sauce Protein – Egg and/or Meat Flexible Ingredients Use what is about to go south in your vegetable drawer, these are just suggestions. Onions ( I prefer white, yellow, or green) Peas Leafy Greens Carrots Celery Red or Green Bell Peppers 2. Prep Ingredients Dice your meat, if you have some, and any vegetables you’re using. If you’re using eggs, scramble them in a bowl and set aside. 3. Begin Cooking Brown your onions in a large skillet. Add vegetables and cook about halfway though. Stir in the rice. Add sauce to taste by drizzling over the vegetable / rice mixture and allow to cook for 1 minute. It’s ok if it gets a little crisp on the bottom. If using egg, make a well in the middle of the rice and poor the egg in. Allow the egg to cook halfway through before mixing into the rice and vegetables. Add the diced meat, if using. Let the mixture cook a few more minutes, stirring occasionally until all proteins are heated through. Once heated through, remove from heat and serve in bowls. If you like it a spicy, drizzle a little Sriracha on top. Enjoy! For the version pictured, I used leftover brown rice, 2 eggs and a grilled pork chop, onions, frozen peas, and leftover green salad ( arugula, red pepper carrots, cherry tomatoes). It made enough for two adults and two children with some leftover.
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__label__pos I love the story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden and its usage of great metaphors. It’s a story that can be taken away by anyone for its moral value regardless of your religious beliefs. It’s a story about a man and woman who were made for each other and loved one another. Adam and Eve had innocence. Both shared their lives together before guilt and sin became a part of their daily lives. There they were exuding purity in its highest form. They were nude metaphorically as well as literally. Then one day, they were told about the forbidden fruit from the Tree of Knowledge and were warned that that very fruit was something they needed to reject. Eve, like millions of women (and men) out there, became curious about the forbidden fruit. The metaphor of the forbidden fruit goes beyond the idea of someone eating a piece of fruit. The forbidden fruit can be anything that we indulge in sinfully, whether it’s food, sex, love, alcohol, or even shopping. Things we let take control of us…almost to the point of developing an addiction. What’s your forbidden fruit from the Tree of Life? Now Eve is standing there being tempted to take a bite of that juicy piece of fruit. The fruit she was given initially was not as appealing as the one hanging on the vine. She soon forgets what she had in her hand and reaches for that unattainable fantasy…a dream. The thing she’s curious about is something she finds out is not all that she hoped for. The symbolism of it all is quite remarkable. While she ignores the first fruit she was given, she reaches for something newer and more exciting. Comparing the fruit in the Garden of Eden to our life experiences takes some thought. Specifically, I am comparing the Garden of Eden to love and the love you are given. If you ignore love long enough, it shrivels up and becomes rotten. You end up disappointed and ruin a good thing. That forbidden piece of fruit you took a bite out of, ends up causing you a stomach ache and you become disappointed. That forbidden fruit that sneaks its way into your love life has split your significant other and you apart. You might try to salvage the original piece of fruit (love) you had and say, “damn it” and ultimately are left with nothing because it’s too late. This is what happens in relationships. We always search for the next best thing while what we have right there in front of us is what’s right for us. We keep searching and searching and neglect the love we already have. Don’t get me wrong, not all relationships are meant to last. There are situations where it’s best for a couple to go their separate ways. I find it interesting though that we live in a society where nearly 50% of all marriages end in divorce. Family therapist William Doherty reports that “…over 40% of divorced people regretted their divorce and thought it was preventable (Smart Marriages Conference, 1999).” So there you have it—there is still hope that a relationship can be saved. I woke up in the middle of the night and had this epiphany. Ok, as a marital and family therapist, I will admit I am a bit ashamed of myself because this has always been something I talk to my clients about, but I believe if a relationship is gone into with maturity, hope, trust, and selflessness; there is a chance it can last for a lifetime. I myself started dating someone who has taught me to think of “us” in “our relationship” instead of “me” and “my relationship.” Instead of searching for another love to replace the man who found me, I choose to work things out. People are not perfect. I’ve noticed myself to search for that perfect man; my knight in shining armor. I finally woke up to realize that my perfect knight does not necessarily mean he has to reflect the woman I have grown to be. How long should I search for that perfect someone? Is perfection even possible? What is perfection supposed to look like, anyways? His outer core may not be as shiny and perfect as that forbidden fruit on the tree in the Garden of Eden. That perfect piece of fruit or that perfect person…there just isn’t such a thing. Why are our expectations so high to the point it ultimately leaves us with rotten fruit in our hands? I believe there is something in our past relationships and frame of minds that make us have such high expectations. Our epistemology can be defined as: a philosophical approach to defining how we know what we know…our belief system. For example, when I was a little girl, I was once bit by a dog. My epistemology (belief system from past experiences and knowledge), told me to be cautious the next time I met a dog so that I would not be bitten again. The same theory happens in love and how we enter and stay in loving relationships. The past hurts and broken relationships we have endured are carried into the present relationships we have. Heck, the relationship I’m in has had its ups and downs, yet, we have the desire to maintain our love for each other. I can’t imagine a future without him. This means that we must learn to demonstrate trust, love, and loyalty in our relationships. It is not ALWAYS possible to do ALL the time…there are times my honey over thinks things and that bugs me at times and I know there are times he thinks I’m being bitchy or too demanding of him. Once again, this goes back to looking at our epistemologies and our knowledge on how we expect things to be in life. We seem to overlook details concerning the commitments we make and so this is where we fail in our personal relationships. It’s no longer about what makes ME happy and what I need. Once I found someone who confessed his love and adoration for me, and asked me to be in his life forever, it became what makes us happy together as a couple. Without the “we” and “us” mentality, you have a recipe for failure! This is something I learned from the man I love. I admire and respect his passion and ability to risk it all for love. A relationship is a team effort. It takes work, risks, and trusting the process and the love of your life. Love is not just a word or feeling. Love is an action that requires effort. Love is something you don’t take for granted and expect to just fall in your lap. Rate This Post: Did you like this article? Submit it to your favorite social bookmarking sites:
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__label__neg What could life have been like for such a monolith of the sea? Many theories float around about the megalodon's habitat and prey. Megalodon fossils have been discovered far and wide, from Japan to the United States, so researchers conclude that megalodon was an intercontinental species, living all over the world's ancient oceans. Due to the coastal locations where the most fossils have been discovered, experts believe the megatooth shark had similar habitats as the great white of today -- living offshore in more temperate climates and setting up nurseries in warm, shallow water closer to coastlines [source: Renz]. In 2009, a group of paleontologists from the University of Florida in Gainesville discovered the fossilized remains of a megalodon nursery in Panama that was made up almost entirely of juvenile megalodon tooth fossils. Between this new discovery and a breeding ground found in South Carolina, scientists believe that an infant megalodon could have been an average 20 feet (6 meters) long, the same size as an adult great white. Because of its sheer size, this species was the top predator of its time and would have needed to eat a lot to survive. Experts estimate that the average adult female weighed between 50 to 100 tons (45 to 90 metric tons -- about the size of half of a blue whale) and could eat up to 2,500 pounds (1,136 kilograms) of food per day. That's over 500 pounds (227 kilograms) more than the average American eats in an entire year. Life at the top of the food chain meant the megalodon could eat whatever it wanted, and with its supersized, serrated teeth and a wide mouth, it could disable whales and seals easily before gulping them down. A team of researchers in Australia determined the megalodon's bite force was so strong, it could crush the skull of a whale as easily as a human can eat a grape [source: Wroe]. So what happened to the megatooth shark that knocked it from the top of the food chain to complete extinction? Find out on the next page.
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__label__neg When you’re a new B2B writer or copywriter, one of your biggest challenges isn’t finding prospects to approach. Rather, it’s about narrowing down your field. It can feel as if everyone’s a prospect. And even when you’ve decided to focus on the corporate market, that still leaves you with millions of potential companies you could contact. So where do you start? And whom do you target? You have to prioritize. I’m about to show you an extremely powerful prioritization tool that will save you countless hours of wasted effort. And it will dramatically increase your chances of getting quick wins. It’s called the List Kickstarter Matrix (LKM). The LKM will not only help you prioritize your outreach, it will also help you build that initial list of prospects. Let me first explain what each quadrant represents by giving you examples of who belongs in each quadrant, and then I’ll show you how to use this to create your list. Golden Nugget One of your all-time best friends is the marketing director at a midsize medical equipment company. They produce a lot of written materials. That would obviously be an ideal Golden Nugget. However, at this stage in your journey, even someone who could use your services in their own business could be a Golden Nugget. For instance, let’s say that your real estate agent is pretty marketing-savvy and puts out a lot of content for his prospects. Or maybe a relative of yours owns a pretty successful IT consulting business and seems to know a bit about marketing and the importance of copy and content. As you move through your launch journey, those types of prospects may not be ideal. But for now, as long as you know them well and as long as they appear to understand the importance of marketing, they could be classified as a Golden Nugget. Connector Your next-door neighbor is VP of operations at a logistics company. He’s obviously not a marketer, but he may be able to refer you to his marketing VP. Also, he’s very well-connected in the local business community, so he can probably refer you to prospects that would be well-suited for you. Solid Prospect You have a key contact in an organization that produces a lot of written content and where your particular work background and experience could make you an ideal freelance resource. Helping Hand Your sister owns a small bakery. She wouldn’t be a prospect. In fact, she doesn’t really understand what you do for a living. But you’re confident that she’d be willing to hear more about what you’re doing and possibly refer you to some of her personal or business contacts who may be a better fit for you. Poor Connection Your friend Nate introduced you to his cousin at a party you attended last weekend. His cousin seemed like a very nice person. He even gave you his business card. But (a) you just met him, and (b) he owns a very small landscaping company. So he wouldn’t really be a good prospect or even a source of referrals. How to use the LKM Here’s how you can use the LKM to prioritize and organize your prospecting efforts. First, focus on people you already know. Here’s how to do that: 1. Grab a notepad and divide a blank page into three columns. Title the first column “Golden Nuggets,” the second column “Connectors” and the third column “Helping Hands.” 2. Open your contact management application (or your Rolodex, address book, etc.). Go through each name one by one and decide if it fits into one of these three columns. 3. Try not to judge too much at this point. Remember, you’re not just looking for Golden Nuggets. You’re also looking for potential Connectors and Helping Hands. 4. Don’t ignore or write off Helping Hands. One of the Helping Hands in my network is completely responsible for my being where I am today in my business. That gentleman introduced me to someone who referred me to yet another individual who hired me 14 years ago. And that particular job was the impetus for my going freelance in 2006. I also probably wouldn’t have had the success I’ve enjoyed had I not reached out to one specific Connector early in my freelance career. That lady introduced me to what ended up becoming my longest-running client (seven years!). Next, make an initial list of 10 Solid Prospects. Again, think of Solid Prospects as companies or organizations that produce a lot of copy or written marketing content … and where your particular work background and experience could make you an ideal freelance resource. In other words, you don’t know them and they don’t know you. But because you chose them a bit more carefully, they have a higher probability of being receptive to your message than a random prospect from the Yellow Pages or a local business directory. I found that it’s better to start with a small batch. That’s why I recommend you make a list of only 10 prospects (for now). If you try to assemble a bigger list, you’ll never take action. Instead, work with a small initial list, make the outreach, add to the list, take action, and so on. Because you’re going to be adding and removing names from this list over time, this is going to be a dynamic list. It will evolve and change. And it will be the list you’ll spend the most time on because you’ll keep adding to it. Here’s the basic criteria for assembling the first group for your Solid Prospect list: 1. They have to be a decent-size company (i.e., they have multiple departments, as opposed to a small, local company where the few employees wear multiple hats). 2. Also, look for companies that produce a lot of written materials (as evidenced by what they have posted and available on their website). 3. If you have a defined target market (or markets), focus on companies that are in those industries. 4. Target companies you think might be receptive to your outreach based on your overall work background and experience AND based on the nature of the products or services they sell. So when you look at your background, experience, past clients, etc., consider: • Which industry or industries sell products and services that are fairly expensive? (When a product or service is relatively expensive, the value needs to be explained and justified. And that creates a need for marketing content.) • Which of these industries are more prone to sell products or services that don’t just sell themselves? In other words, they’re not commodities or products that can are typically purchased off a website. Instead, they’re “considered” purchases. • And finally, which industry or industries from your background sell products and services that are complex? (Your potential client has to spend time and resources explaining those products and services … and what those products and services DO for their customers.) 5. Don’t overthink this. You’re NOT trying to come up with the optimal list of 10 prospects. That’s impossible at this point. Just come up with 10 that look promising enough based on the criteria I just gave you. If you end up with more than 10, that’s fine. But try to come up with at least 10. Need Some Help? If you’re trying to get your B2B writing or copywriting business off the ground — or if you’ve already launched but are still struggling to break past that $1,500-per-month income ceiling — I may be able to help you. My superpower is helping freelancers get their business off the ground quickly and with less risk. I will work with you to help you get results faster, land progressively better clients and gain serious momentum. I don’t make these coaching and training opportunities available very often. But I’ve just opened a window. And enrollment closes next week. You can learn more about it here: This opportunity is not for everyone. You have to be hungry. You have to be serious, focused and determined to make this business work. Sound like you? Visit this page to learn more before the enrollment window closes.
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__label__neg The Power of Sharing: Why VNA Foundation Joined the Reporting Commitment January 23, 2013 Rob DiLeonardi is Executive Director of the VNA Foundation in Chicago, where he manages its grantmaking program and daily operations. He is co-founder and former Chair of the Board of the Association of Small Foundations (ASF), a national organization of 2,900 grantmaking foundations holding over $60 billion in assets. He has a longstanding interest in foundation transparency and outcome sharing; VNA's website and annual reports have eight times received a Council on Foundations' Wilmer Shields Rich Award for Excellence in Communications. During the two decades I've worked for and with small grantmaking foundations, I've addressed problems ranging from healthcare access to domestic violence to homelessness. One of the most vexing problems I've faced over the years, however, relates not to the subject matter of my grantmaking, but rather to the results of it. Time and again, I've helped develop a grantmaking program to address a particular problem, only to find out after the fact that another foundation was funding the identical issue, often with a remarkably similar approach, in the same or a nearby area. We were addressing the same need, often via the same method, but doing so in blissful isolation. In short, we were reinventing the wheel, sometimes only a few miles apart. Similarly, our foundation's board and staff have often wondered about latest funding trends. With only a limited number of dollars in our coffers, we want to spend them in the most effective possible way. It would be helpful for us to know exactly where other philanthropic dollars were being directed, both geographically and programmatically, as this knowledge would aid us in filling a gap or funding a complimentary niche -- a favorite strategy to maximize the impact of our grantmaking. For these reasons, over the years I've tried many different approaches to ensure that the staff of the VNA Foundation is aware of other funders' work and that they are aware of ours. We subscribe to many electronic and hard copy newsletters, periodicals, and reports. We attend local, regional, and national conferences and networking groups. We convene grantmakers and grantees around common challenges, and encourage dialogues about successes -- and failures -- in addressing them. And we work hard to make our website an interactive, timely, and appealing resource. Yet, despite these various efforts, both the grantmaking data we share and that which we receive is often either stale (months or sometimes even years old by the time it reaches end users) or lacking the key details to make it useful. My interest, therefore, was quickly piqued when I learned of the Foundation Center-supported Reporting Commitment, and the opportunity for the VNA Foundation to become a participant in it. The Reporting Commitment finally allows foundations the opportunity, and the mechanism, to release grant information in a consistent, open, and frequent manner. Although the Commitment's founding participants were large foundations, as soon as I became aware of the initiative I knew there would be value in participation by foundations of VNA's size. Small to medium-sized foundations are far more common in number, size and grantmaking level than their larger brethren. In fact, small foundations account for approximately half of America's total foundation grant dollars, and often provide the kind of essential local support that impacts lives on a daily basis. In addition, most observers judge foundations by their effectiveness, efficiency, and transparency, not their asset size. Participation by smaller foundations like VNA (foundation philanthropy being one of the few settings in which a $50 million bank account is considered "small") is key, in my opinion, to making the Reporting Commitment's impact felt in more than a handful of sectors. I am delighted to say that the VNA board of directors immediately saw the value in our participation in the Reporting Commitment, and my colleagues at peer foundations are seeing the light as well. All across the country, every day, foundations large and small are working to bring about small miracles or serve as catalysts for systemic innovation. With the help of the Reporting Commitment, perhaps our field finally has a mechanism by which that work can effectively be shared with colleagues and the public alike. -- Rob DiLeonardi
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__label__neg First quarter earnings season is winding down and as of this evening, all 30 stocks in the Dow have reported earnings for the most recent quarter. Prior to today's large sell-off (largest for the S&P 500 and Nasdaq since Bernanke hinted at QEII) the major markets were all up more than 8% in the first month and half of the year. Much has been made about the strong earnings season, accelerating economic growth and positive tailwinds of fiscal and monetary policy. Based on the rampant bullishness pervasive in the market, it would seem only natural that individual stocks would have reacted positively to their strong earnings reports. Since the market has performed so well, I was curious about individual stock performance and decided to dig for some further information. As of Friday's close, 27 of the 30 Dow stocks had reported earnings for their most recent quarter. I decided to look at each stocks individual performance in the first three days after reporting. Calculating the results for one day after reporting earnings, 14 stocks were up and 13 were down. The average move was slightly negative (-0.15%), paced by a more than 7% gain in General Electric (GE) and a 14% loss for Cisco (CSCO). Cumulative returns two days after reporting showed 12 stocks higher and 15 lower, with the average return a bit more negative (-0.36%). Returns worsened again after 3 days of cumulative returns (-0.65%), as only 9 stocks had risen while 18 had dropped. Considering the supposed strength in recent earnings reports, these results were somewhat surprising. Knowing how well the entire Dow performed during earnings season, I decided to take the research a step further and calculate the cumulative returns for each stock since three days after reporting earnings. For this metric, the period of time varied significantly, however the results were interesting nonetheless. In the period from three days after reporting earnings until Friday's close, an incredible 25 out of 27 stocks moved higher. The average return was over 3.5%, including significant gains from Bank of America (BAC), Alcoa (AA), Proctor & Gamble (PG) and Boeing (BA), which had each fallen more than 4% in the few days following their earnings reports. There are numerous interpretations of this data but I'll suggest a couple. The market has been expecting good earnings, so actual reports offered a buy the rumor, sell the news opportunity. After a few days, rumors of strong future earnings lifted nearly everyone. A different view might be that individually the earnings stories aren't that great, however expectations for future earnings are substantially positive enough to outweigh recent, backward looking earnings reports. (Interesting note: The remaining three Dow stocks reported earnings today. Home Depot (HD) and Walmart (WMT) both reported during pre-market hours and finished the session lower. Hewlett Packard (HPQ) reported after the close and was down nearly 8% at last check.) As today's market showed, a couple weeks of gains can be lost in a day. An interesting look at the best yearly starts in stock market history shows nearly all gains being given back in the first quarter before almost always moving higher toward the year end. Will this year be the same? Revolutions in the Middle East are creating significant headline risk and continue to spark upward pressure on oil prices. Something to consider, rising oil prices act as both a tax on the consumer and have a deflationary effect. As the Middle East consumes the headlines, European sovereign debt has been pushed off the radar. However, Portugal's yields have been moving higher and remain above 7%, the level that forced Greece and Ireland to accept bailouts. Don't be surprised if Portugal is forced to accept a bailout before the month's end. Also, austerity is starting to take hold at state and local levels in the U.S., as witnessed by recent rallies and shutting of schools in Wisconsin. These factors will all likely provide headwinds to the economic recovery and stock market as the year moves along. In regards to individual stocks, I recently sold my position in R.R. Donnelley (RRD) after a 20%+ gain. Although it's underperformed the market in the past couple months, I'd still recommend Abbott Labs (ABT) under $47. After today's move, I'd recommend starting positions in Microsoft (MSFT), under $26.70, and Astrazeneca (AZN), below $48.50. If the sell-off continues further, I'd look to add Walmart at $53. These suggestions are meant for investors with a time horizon of at least 2-3 years. Disclosure: Author has no position in RRD but holds long positions in ABT, AZN, MSFT and WMT.
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__label__neg Many people have given up on God. They feel that because things have not worked out the way they planned, serving God is not worth the time or the effort. This feeling and attitude comes from not understanding God. There are some things that man must understand in order to grasp God’s love and greatness of God. It must be understood that God is not man. God is omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent. Man makes a mistake when he tries to bring God down to his level. That cannot be done. Man’s ways and God’s ways are not the same. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the Earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8-9). Down through the ages, men have tried to help God when they thought things should happen a certain way, the way they wanted things to go. Our world would be a different place today if Abraham and Sarah had realized that God did not need their help. When Sarah could not bear children, she gave her handmaiden, Hagar, to Abraham to have his child. From this relationship, Ishmael was born. Later, after Sarah had the promised child Isaac, the Bible states she dealt harshly with Hagar and Ishmael so that they fled from her. The descendants of the two boys have been fighting ever since. Men need to learn to study and apply God’s word to their lives. It needs to be understood that while God is not man, God is for man. When we look at the Biblical account of creation, we see that God prepared the Earth for man to inhabit before he created man. God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the fowl of the air and over the cattle and over all the Earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the Earth” (Genesis 1:26). Man had air to breath, land to stand on, water to drink, plants for food and work to do (Genesis 1:29, 2:15). When God saw man was alone, God made help for man. (Genesis 2:20-25). The family was formed, with Adam and Eve living in the garden God prepared for them. God provided all the things man needed. Then when Satan tempted mankind, man gave in and failed to obey God’s commands. Yet even when man rebelled against God, God still cared about them. The great love God has for man was seen in his willingness to send Christ to die for all men. This is the greatest love story ever known to man; God is for man. Finally, it must be understood that God waits for man. God gave man the ability to choose whether or not to follow God. God has given man all that is needed to make the right choice. He gave the only sacrifice that could be given for man (Christ); he has given his word to be written down so that everyone can know what is expected of them. God wants all men to be saved, but he will not make man follow him. Peter wrote, “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). God’s word teaches the necessity of faith, but not faith alone (James 2:17-19). Man must be willing to change his life or to repent, to confess that Jesus is the son of God, and then to be baptized for the forgiveness of sins.
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__label__neg No one can deny that the economy right now is awful and looking like it won’t be getting better any time soon. Millions of people go to work daily knowing that it is possible that they could get laid off at any time. For many young workers, this is their first exposure to such uncertainty and the tough times look like they are here to stay. Even though our President has said he is going to concentrate on jobs, you get the feeling it won’t make much difference and Obama jobs are just not going to materialize. If you are one of the unlucky ones that is without a job, you need to do as many things as you can to give yourself the best chance of getting hired again. Sitting around all day complaining and feeling sorry for yourself isn’t one of those productive things. You can try to make money from home online but for most people, getting a real job is the best option. Use The Online Job Sites Nowdays, you must have your resume posted at the online job search sites if you want to give yourself the best opportunity to have an employer find and hire you. Many companies now do some or even all their recruiting online. If you don’t have your resume online where employers can find it, you are at a big disadvantage to everyone else who does. If you are one of those people who still resists technology and computers, now is the time to start learning. The top free job search websites are: 1) Job.com is free and is one of the biggest websites where you can search for jobs in your area and post your resume online so employers can find and view it. 2) Monster.com is free and is the biggest of all the job web sites. You can both pst a resume and search for jobs. 3) Snagajob is also free and if you are looking for part time or hourly work, this site is the first place you should go. Go To Job Fairs If you are one of the ones looking for a job, you should seek out all the job fairs in you city. Even if they are not for the exact field you are in, it might be beneficial to go to all the ones that are related in any way to what you do. You never know what ideas you might get and what connections you might make by just getting yourself out there and mingling with both job searchers and employers. Job fairs are great because they are a collection of companies that are all hiring or foresee hiring in the near future. Jobs are not going to come to you if you just sit home all day and getting out and making contacts is the smart thing to do. Tell Your Friends and Neighbors Along the same line is to tell everyone you know that you are looking for a job. This includes friends, relatives, past co-workers, neighbors and anyone else that you are friendly with. This does not mean to go out and beg your friends to help you get a job: it just means to let people know that you are looking and if you are lucky one of them might be able to give you a lead or two. In this economy, your pride is not something that you should be worried about as everyone from janitors to company presidents are finding themselves out of work these days. Use Employment Agencies and Recruiters Many middle salary jobs are found through employment agencies and recruiters. You will find that many times, if you post your resume online at one of the job web sites, your resume will be seen by recruiters. The call or email you get will not be from the company itself but from a recruiter they have hired to help find potential candidates. Not only are you looking for a job but companies are always on the lookout for good talent that might fit in with their corporate culture. Job finding and has evolved and become a big business where there are lots of middlemen (recruiters) who’s only job it is to find people that might might qualify for jobs and to send them on to the various companies they work for. Companies of all sizes use recruiters to sift through all the job candidates and find the ones that have the most attributes they are looking for. You too can use an employment agency or recruiter to help you with your job search but you will have to be prepared to pay for it.
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__label__pos This report presents analysis of a database of global geothermal drilling success. The database, compiled by IFC, covers geothermal fields that together supply power to 71 percent of the world's installed geothermal electricity generating capacity, making it the largest database of its kind. ... See More + This report analyzes that data to gain a better understanding of the probability of drilling a successful well, and the factors that influence such success, which will be of interest to geothermal developers, and to financers engaged in the risk assessment of such projects. The core objective of this project was to develop a sufficiently large database to allow statistically significant conclusions to be drawn on the success rates of geothermal wells worldwide (expressed as the number of successful wells developed as a proportion of total wells drilled in any given field). This report seeks to assess the extent of any improvements in well success rates, and how far the likelihood of success increases as a developer learns more about any specific resource. For more publications on IFC Sustainability please visit www.ifc.org/sustainabilitypublications. See Less - Other Environmental Study 78230 JUN 01, 2013 Allen, Mike; Avato,Patrick Alexander; Gehringer,Magnus; GeothermEx; Harding-Newman,Tom; Levin,Jeremy; Loksha,Victor B.; Meng,Zhengjia; Moin,Sonia; Morrow, James; Oduolowu,Akin O.; Pantelias,Alexios; Sanyal,Subir Kumar Disclosed Title Document Date Report No. Document Type Also available in Success of geothermal wells : a global study (English) See More + JUN 01, 2013 78230 Other Environmental Study
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__label__neg WASHINGTON, Dec. 6 (Xinhua) -- The number of Americans applying for unemployment aid fell for the third consecutive week last week as the superstorm Sandy effect waned, the Labor Department said Thursday. The advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims for jobless benefits was 370,000 in the week ending Dec. 1, down 25,000 from the previous week's revised figure. However, the four-week moving average, which helps smooth out week-to-week volatility, still increased to 408,000, remaining above 375,000, considered the threshold for sustained job growth. Applications have mostly stayed near that level since spring, a level consistent with modest job growth. The advance figure for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending Nov. 24 was 3.205 million, a decrease of 100,000 from the prior week. Jobless claims data were elevated for the past month by superstorm Sandy which swept the East Coast from North Carolina to Maine in late October. The Labor Department said the storm had little effect on the latest data. Although the storm-ravaged region has continued to recover, the global slowdown and looming U.S. fiscal tightening weighed on private hiring. To boost the anemic economic growth and labor market, the U.S. Federal Reserve announced in September that it would expand its holdings of mortgage debt until the labor market improved significantly.
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__label__pos By Gordon Gray, Director of Fiscal Policy at the American Action Forum It has been asserted as fact that the negotiations that produced the 2011 “What happened in 2011 is that Republicans in Congress demanded – said they would let America default for the first time in its history if they did not get the items on their agenda. That was consequential and it was unprecedented, and the result was bad for everyone.” -- White House Press Secretary Jay Carney Budget Control Act, which increased the debt limit in exchange for spending reduction, were unique. This assertion has been deployed by the administration to paint Republicans as irresponsible and to advance an argument that Congress should cede its authority over the debt limit. But history has shown that debt limit debates produce a legislative rarity – bipartisan deficit reduction. A review of past debt limit increases suggests that the August 2011 debate was neither unprecedented nor irresponsible, but rather it shared key characteristics with the debt limit debate of the mid-1990s. This debate equaled, if not exceeded the rancor and stretched the technical capacity of the Treasury’s ability to avoid default. Of note, it also preceded a period of fiscal surplus that saw a $450 billion increase in borrowing authority suffice without increase for 59 months. A Legislative History of Debt Limit Increases The Debt Limit In Context There are several unique aspects of this legislative experience. The first of which is the April 6, 1993 temporary increase in the limit, which would have seen the Treasury’s borrowing authority snap back to $4,145 billion after September 30th of that year. It is unclear how such a reversion would have been resolved if it had been allowed to transpire, but such an eventuality certainly would have threatened potential default on tranches of debt coming due after September 30th. The April 6th measure is the last time the United States enacted a temporary increase in Treasury’s overall borrowing authority. Another key feature, and one also not seen since, is the pair of temporary exemptions in borrowing needed to liquidate Social Security obligations. These measures reflect the degree to which the United States had reached its technical borrowing limit. If these measures had not been put in place the United States could have missed the timely payment of Social Security benefits or risked default on other elements of Treasury’s debt portfolio. During this same period, the Secretary of the Treasury exercised extraordinary powers to operate under the debt ceiling without breach. Outside observers were also noted the great uncertainty that attached to this episode of executive-legislative tug of war. Both Fitch and Moody’s placed certain tranches of Treasury debt on review for downgrade – a significant precedent at the time. The adversarial dynamic that existed between the Republican Congress and the Clinton administration at the time equaled or perhaps exceeded the degree of hostility that currently prevails. In addition to the two well-known government shutdowns, President Clinton vetoed 10 bills sent by the Congress, including a debt limit bill. Several distinctions emerged from the resolution of the debt-limit confrontation of the mid to late 1990s that should inform any assessment of current and looming debt limit negotiations. These debates are messy, but should serve as rare catalysts for policymakers to acknowledge minority views and establish a framework for the difficult task of deficit reduction. The 2011 debate reflects these characteristics. President Obama had super-majorities in both chambers of Congress for two years of his presidency. But once that partisan advantage was gone in 2011, he could not expect to sign into law a clean debt-limit increase passed along near pure party lines (George Voinovich and Evan Bayh essentially swapped votes) as he did after the Congress increased the debt limit on Christmas Eve in 2009. Rather, the debt limit debate of 2011 required the president to acknowledge the opposition party – and the debt crisis – in a way that he had not since taking office. The result, while certainly produced through an imperfect process, was the first meaningful deficit reduction discussion of the Obama presidency. Gordon Gray currently serves as the Director of Fiscal Policy at the American Action Forum (AAF). Prior to joining AAF, Gray served as senior policy advisor to Senator Rob Portman and as policy director on the Senator's campaign. Gray has also worked for the Senate Budget Committee as professional staff and before that was deputy director of domestic and economic policy for Senator John McCain's presidential campaign. Gray also spent several years with the American Enterprise Institute. Politics & Government Debt American Action Forum Congress
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__label__pos Why You Must Encourage Family Days Out There are lots of parents who are more likely to spend their time at work and lesser time with their children due to burdensome and stressful work schedule as well as lack of finances. Previous researchers suggest that families of today spend as little as 49 minutes per day together. Family days out could provide lots of benefits for each and every member of the family whether you believe it or not. Below, I have cited some benefits that you and your family can enjoy when engaging in such activity. Create family bonds – your family is basically your first support network and you can create a sense of security by strengthening your bond with them. With this, everyone would be connected emotionally to each other and prevent arguments to take place. Improving academic performance – the beauty of having family days out is the fact that it is packed with opportunities to learn and new experiences. Getting your children to be interested in nature, science, history, reading and so on could have a huge impact on how they are going to cope up with their academics. Your children will see you as their first teacher so everything that you do from how you communicate and behave, they will do it as well. You can actually extend this by having family days out. Options: 10 Mistakes that Most People Make Less behavioral problems – if you give much importance to the communication and collaboration of your family, then your kids will have less issues with their behavior. The most effective way to battle problems and make us to express ourselves is through communication. Building social skills can help your children to know how they can deal with issues that they are facing in the future. It can open up the opportunities to talk about important conversations with family days out. Smart Ideas: Events Revisited Parental fun – what’s basically the point to have a child if he/she does not give you excuse to act one? Days out provide the chance for parents and their kids as well to unwind, focus on the stress of life and have fun. In an effort to catch up with them and make new memories too, it is essential that you use your time wisely. When they live independently, for sure you would be happy that you made lots of pictures and memories those days. Keeping active – there are many different activities done in family days out. It is vitally important to get out of your home as it promotes physical health of everyone. Having a sedentary way of living can lead to negative impact for you and for your kids. A wonderful way to stay active and have fun at the same time is by exploring new places and going for a walk. Recent Posts Recent Comments Archives Categories Sitemap
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__label__neg More than half of Americans believe that patients in the US receive better quality of care than elsewhere in the world, but only 45% say that the US has the best healthcare system in the world. In a previous post, I took a quick look at the US healthcare system and compared it to other developed countries on cost, quality and access. A recent report examines the latest scientific evidence available in comparing the US to other countries on quality of care. Quality of care, for starters, is defined as “doing the right thing at the right time in the right way for the right person and having the best results possible.” The most important indicators of quality include life expectancy, amenable mortality, screening rates, vaccination rates, disease-specific morbidity and mortality rates, cancer survival rates, and medical error rates. It is well known that US does not perform well on life expectancy at birth. However, when life expectancy at age 65 is considered, the US is above the average of most developed countries (the reason being that all Americans over 65 have good coverage under Medicare). On “amenable mortality,” a measure of deaths that could have been prevented with good healthcare, the US ranks dead last among 19 developed nations. On preventative care, the evidence is a bit mixed. One study reported that the US has higher percentages of women reporting having had a pap smear and a mammography in the last two years than five other countries. Also, the US has the highest rate of cervical cancer screening rate among 22 developed countries, and above-average flu vaccination rates for senior citizens among 30 developed countries. However, childhood vaccination rates in the US are lower than the average for all developed countries. On chronic conditions, adult hospital admission rates for asthma (an indicator of low quality care) was the second highest in the US among 17 other countries, while US-asthma mortality rates was double the average observed 25 countries. On the other hand, US diabetic patients rank high compared to other countries on receiving recommended services for their conditions. One of the brightest spots on the American quality report card comes from cancer care. Compared to 17 European countries, the US is #1 on survival rates for cancer of the colon, rectum, breast and prostate, and among the highest on survival rates for melanoma, ovarian cancer, cervical cancer and Hodgkin’s-disease and non-Hodgkin’s disease lymphoma. International comparisons on patient safety are problematic due to differences in reporting of errors between the countries, but some evidence suggests that the US may have more medical mishaps. In summary, debates on whether quality of care in the US system is the best in the world should be based on more scientific and disease-specific data. On some areas, such as cancer care, we do really well. On other areas such as mortality from conditions that could be prevented and treated, we do less well.
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__label__neg The opinion of the court was delivered by: Reagan, District Judge Trial is set to commence in this case on February 28, 2011. The sole remaining issue is whether the Defendants used excessive force against Plaintiff in violation of the Eighth Amendment. Before the Court is Plaintiff Richard G. Titus's Motion in Limine, aimed at excerpting the first four minutes of the videotape capturing the cell extraction at issue in this case (Doc. 107). Plaintiff asserts that the initial four minute segment of the video does not contain relevant evidence, or to the extent the segment is relevant, it is unfairly prejudicial and should be excluded pursuant to Federal Rule of Evidence 403, due to unfair prejudice and confusion of the issues (see Docs. 107 and 120). Plaintiff contends that his conduct prior to his removal provides absolutely no defense to the use of excessive force. In response, Defendants counter that the initial four minute segment is relevant to establishing the need for the cell extraction, the degree of force necessary to restore discipline, and Plaintiff's and Defendants' respective mental states (see Doc. 116). The purpose of a motion in limine is to allow the trial court to rule on the relevance and admissibility of evidence before it is offered at trial. See Luce v. United States, 469 U.S. 38, 41, n.4 (1984)("although the Federal Rules of Evidence do not explicitly authorize in limine rulings, the practice has developed pursuant to the district court's inherent authority to manage the course of trials");Fed. R. Evid. 104(a)("Preliminary questions concerning the qualification of a person to be a witness ... or the admissibility of evidence shall be determined by the court...."). Although found neither in the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure nor in the Federal Rules of Evidence, Deghand v. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., 980 F. Supp. 1176, 1179 (D. Kan. 1997), motions in limine aid the trial process "by enabling the Court to rule in advance of trial on the relevance of certain forecasted evidence, as to issues that are definitely set for trial, without lengthy argument at, or interruption of, the trial." Palmieri v. Defaria, 88 F.3d 136, 141 (2d Cir. 1996). Motions in limine also may save the parties time, effort and cost in preparing and presenting their cases. Pivot Point Intern., Inc. v. Charlene Products, Inc., 932 F. Supp. 220, 222 (N.D. Ill. 1996). Often, however, the better practice is to wait until trial to rule on objections, particularly when admissibility substantially depends upon facts which may be developed there. See Sperberg v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., 519 F.2d 708, 712 (6th Cir.), cert. denied, 423 U.S. 987 (1975). The movant has the burden of demonstrating that the evidence is inadmissible on any relevant ground, "for any purpose." Plair v. E.J. Brach & Sons, Inc., 864 F. Supp. 67, 69 (N.D. Ill. 1994). The court may deny a motion in limine when it "lacks the necessary specificity with respect to the evidence to be excluded." Nat'l Union Fire Ins. Co. of Pittsburgh v. L.E. Myers Co. Group, 937 F. Supp. 276, 287 (S.D.N.Y. 1996). Moreover, the court may alter an limine ruling based on developments at trial or sound judicial discretion. Luce, 469 U.S. at 41. Plaintiff premises his objection upon Federal Rule of Evidence 403, which provides: "Although relevant, evidence may be excluded if its probative value is substantially outweighed by the danger of unfair prejudice, confusion of the issues, or misleading the jury, or by considerations of undue delay, waste of time, or needless presentation of cumulative evidence." Fed.R.Evid. 403. " 'Rule 403 was never intended to exclude relevant evidence simply because it is detrimental to one party's case.' " United States v. Perkins, 548 F.3d 510, 515 (7th Cir.2008) (quoting United States v. Dennis, 497 F.3d 765, 769 (7th Cir.2007)). Rather, the relevant inquiry is whether any unfair prejudice from the evidence substantially outweighs its probative value such that the jury may be induced to decide the case on emotional grounds or some other improper basis. See id.; United States v. Harris, 536 F.3d 798, 809 (7th Cir.2008). Evidence is relevant if it possesses "any tendency to make the existence of any fact that is of consequence to the determination of the action more probable or less probable than it would be without the evidence ." Fed.R.Evid. 401. The inquiry that must be performed for a claim of excessive force is "whether the force was applied in a good faith effort to maintain or restore discipline or maliciously and sadistically to cause harm." Hudson v. McMillian, 503 U.S. 1, 6-7(1992). Factors to be considered include: "the need for an application of force, the relationship between that need and the force applied, the threat reasonably perceived by the responsible officers, the efforts made to temper the severity of the force employed, and the extent of the injury suffered by the prisoner." DeWalt v. Carter, 224 F.3d 607, 619-620 (7th Cir. 2000). Seventh Circuit Pattern Jury Instruction 7.15, setting forth the elements of an Eighth Amendment excessive force claim, provides that the jury may consider, among other things, the need to use force, the relationship between the need to use force and the amount of force used, and whether the defendant reasonably believed there was a threat to the safety of staff or prisoners. The first four minutes of the videotape show Plaintiff's and Defendants' words and actions, which bear on the factors the jury must consider. By viewing the time period leading up to the extraction, the jury will be able to assess whether the treat perceived by Defendants and their reactions were reasonable in context. Therefore, the video is relevant. Although the video could be perceived as depicting Plaintiff in an antagonistic and threatening manner, the Court does not perceive that any resulting prejudice is unfair. The Court does not perceive that watching the initial four minutes of video will invite or cause jurors to ignore limiting and/or cautionary instructions, or instructions regarding the burden of proof. Jurors are presumed to follow instructions, absent something that one could not reasonably be expected to be able to put out of one's mind. See Serafinn v. Local 722, International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Chauffeurs, Warehousemen and Helpers of America, 597 F.3d 908, 916 (7th Cir. 2010). IT IS THEREFORE ORDERED that Plaintiff Richard G. Titus's Motion in Limine (Doc. 107) is DENIED; the first four minutes of the videotape capturing the cell extraction at issue in this case will not be excerpted. MICHAEL J. REAGAN UNITED STATES ...
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__label__neg تنزیل استفاده از خویشتن داری، مدیریت رفتار مشکل و خطر ابتلا به اوتیسم شدید کد مقاله سال انتشار مقاله انگلیسی ترجمه فارسی تعداد کلمات 31526 2013 10 صفحه PDF سفارش دهید محاسبه نشده Publisher : Elsevier - Science Direct (الزویر - ساینس دایرکت) Journal : Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, Volume 7, Issue 10, October 2013, Pages 1211–1220 چکیده انگلیسی The current study examined whether a history of experience with children with autism affected the rate of discounting of a delayed or probable consequence. Experiment 1 utilized a temporal discounting task to compare the discounting rates of adults who have worked in an autism service setting and have experience with physical restraints to that of adults who have little or no experience with these populations. The results showed that adults with a history of contact with autism made less optimal choices and discounted restraint responsibilities more steeply than adults with no such history, indicating increased avoidance of engaging in restraints. Experiment 2 investigated how the same groups discounted child problem behavior, and showed that those with experience with autism preferred to delay working with children with severe problem behavior and discounted the student's problem behavior more steeply, again demonstrating increased avoidance. Experiment 3 examined risk tendencies in relation to having children with diminished functioning in parents who have children with autism and those who have only worked with them. Results showed that parents made riskier choices than non-parents. Overall, all 3 experiments showed that those with increased experience with children with autism tended toward more impulsive and risky choices. مقدمه انگلیسی Diagnoses of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) have increased at an alarming rate in recent years. Now approximately 1 in every 88 children receives the diagnosis (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2012). With the rapid rise in diagnoses, families with children with autism will also seek treatment at increasing rates. Beyond understanding the behavior of the children with autism, then, a further analysis of the decision making and behavior of service providers will become increasingly important. In 2006, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reported a turnover rate of approximately 50% for direct support professionals serving individuals with intellectual disabilities or other developmental disabilities in vocational programs and residential programs. Additionally, an estimated 96% of all direct support professionals hired in this area will be hired to replace those leaving their current positions. Skinner (1972) suggested that the positive behavior of even the most compassionate care workers will not last if the environment is not supportive of these behaviors, and the facts on turnover appear to support this position in regard to those who work with children with disabilities (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2006). An analysis of factors relating to these problems is warranted so that the environment of these service providers may be effectively altered and the future of effective services is not compromised. Relative to the vast body of research on treatment and assessment of autism populations, investigations of staff behavior and choices are relatively few. For example, working with children with frequent challenging behavior and/or administering physical restraints may be burdensome tasks for staff who work with aggressive populations. An analysis of interviews with staff following engagement in a physical restraint demonstrated that staff primarily report negative emotions and discomfort (Hawkins, Allen, & Jenkins, 2005). Also, when working with clients with challenging behavior, brief training packages with instruction, role play, and rehearsal have been shown to increase confidence working with these populations, though no effects were observed for coping or perceived control (McDonnell et al., 2008), and staff who avoid such training exercises are unlikely to improve (Campbell, 2007). Much of the research in this area has identified problems such as these, and further variables must be examined to determine their influence to form a more comprehensive account of staff behavior and choices. One particular area that may be troublesome for staff in the field of autism services is the delay to consequences. For example, intervention or other effective treatments may require an extended exposure before problem behavior is significantly reduced, or the child may require a large number of trials before demonstrating mastery in an academic task or demonstrating independence in a skill. The effects of delay to consequences or the probability that a consequence will be contacted following a certain choice can have major influences on decision making and current behavior. In order to quantify the effect that a delayed or probabilistic outcome will have on current behavior, a discounting task is often employed. In tasks of this type, participants are often presented hypothetical choices between a consequence available immediately (or for sure) versus a consequence that is often more advantageous, but is available only after a certain delay (or will be received at a certain probability). Those who more readily choose the immediate consequences of lesser value are then deemed impulsive, while those who make more optimal choices and choose to wait for a consequence of larger value are deemed self-controlled (Critchfield & Kollins, 2001). Once a discounting task has been completed, the devaluation of rewards to be received after a delay can be predicted by a hyperbolic discounting function: equation(1) View the MathML sourceV=A1+bXS Turn MathJax on In the previous equation, V is the subjective value of the reward, A is the maximum reward amount available, X is the delay to the reward or the odds against earning the reward, b is the discounting rate, and s is a non-linear scaling parameter (e.g., Holt, Green, & Myerson, 2003). Once the data obtained from a discounting task is plotted using this equation, responding toward delayed or probabilistic rewards can be predicted. These models of impulsivity have shown high consistency in comparison to scenarios where actual outcomes were available as choices ( Johnson & Bickel, 2002), have been found to produce an accurate model of responding (e.g., Dixon et al., 2006, Johnson and Bickel, 2002 and Kirby and Marakovic, 1995), and show strong reliability when a variety of commodities are used such as body image, dating, retirement, or money ( Weatherly, Derenne, & Terrell, 2011). Examinations of delay discounting in various populations or clinical groups have provided behavioral researchers and service providers with knowledge and tools to further understand the behavior and choices of members of these populations and create interventions or programs that will more effectively remedy problems related to delayed consequences and risk. For example, Reed and Martens (2011) administered a brief delay discounting task in an elementary school classroom where children were asked to choose between a small amount of a reward available immediately and a larger amount of a reward that they could have later. After this assessment, students were rewarded during instruction with tokens for on-task behavior that could be traded for access to items after a short delay. Later, students were rewarded with tokens that could only be exchanged before instruction the next day. Overall, the responses to the delay discounting task predicted the children's adaptability to the newly implemented schedules. That is, more impulsive children were observed to be more on-task when reinforcement was available after minimal delays, and the behavior of students deemed more self-controlled in the assessment improved even under the conditions where the rewards were delayed. Further, insights into impulsivity and self-control have led to the development of methods to train more self-controlled decision making and tolerance to delay through the manipulation of reward quality and effort (Neef, Bicard, & Endo, 2001), experience with progressive delays (Schweitzer & Sulzer-Azaroff, 1988), and the availability of other activities to “bridge the gap” to the final reward (Dixon & Cummings, 2001). Discounting studies have produced similar understanding of behavior and decision making in other clinical populations such as problem and pathological gamblers (Dixon et al., 2006 and Dixon and Holton, 2009) adult smokers (Reynolds, Richards, Horn, & Karraker, 2004), adolescent smokers (Reynolds, Karraker, Horn, & Richards, 2003), children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (Wilson, Mitchell, Musser, Schmitt, & Nigg, 2011) and so on. Due to the frequency of delays to reinforcement involved in work in the field of autism, researchers may wish to employ similar methods of investigation to determine how delayed consequences affect staff behavior and decision making and how impulsive behavior may develop through contact with children with autism. Similar to staff who work with clients with autism, the choice behavior of parents may be an important area for investigation in the future construction of a comprehensive treatment model. For example, Hastings et al. (2005) examined choice of coping strategies for parents with children with ASD, and found that parents frequently choose avoidance, denial, problem-focused, or positive coping methods to deal with their parenting responsibilities. Further, parents with avoidance or denial strategies reported significantly greater anxiety and depression, which may warrant consideration if parents are to provide daily care or continue a treatment regimen in the home setting. Probability discounting, or an examination of risk and avoidance tendencies, may also have applications in the field of autism, but are rarely utilized to investigate the responses of parents. First, for example, parents of children with autism may encounter a probabilistic choice scenario when selecting among treatment options. There exist several empirically supported treatment regimens, such as behavioral therapy or other highly structured educational practices, demonstrated to be higher probability solutions. However, despite the frequently reported success of such intensive interventions, no single form of therapy will produce the same outcomes for every child due to idiosyncrasies of the environment, problem behaviors, or family configuration so outcomes always remain probabilistic to a certain degree. Still, some parents continue to choose unproven, lower probability solutions, such as facilitated communication or fad diets, despite the frequent availability of more advantageous options (Schreibman, 2000). Last, causes of autism such as vaccinations or poor parenting practices that lack empirical support still circulate and affect behavior (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2012). An analysis of probabilistic outcomes may further our understanding of how adults or parents with children with autism behave and make choices, so that choice scenarios may be manipulated to promote better decision making. Overall, both probability and delay discounting research may provide a useful methodology with which to build the necessary knowledge base to be able to more fully understand and predict behavior and to more effectively manipulate the environment to promote more optimal choice making for parents and staff. Further, investigations outside of typical delay discounting involving hypothetical amounts of money may provide further insight as to whether impulsivity and self-control are state variables that can change due to context or whether these variables are a trait or personality characteristic. The argument is currently unresolved. For example, pathological gamblers completing a delay discounting task in a neutral location will demonstrate more self-controlled choices than when completing the same task in a gambling context where triggers related to their gambling problems are prevalent suggesting that one's level of impulsivity may be subject to context and easily influenced by the immediate environment (Dixon et al., 2006). However, studies involving repeated measures or discounting of various commodities provide evidence that impulsivity is pervasive in one's repertoire (Odum, 2011) and recent neurological evidence shows that impulsivity may be associated with activation of brain regions involved in executive control and mental stimulation (Yu, 2012), which may suggest a more permanent trait-like tendency to behave impulsively. Thus, the purposes of the current study are to apply delay and probability discounting methodology in areas related to autism to build a further understanding of choice behavior by service staff and parents, how experience with children with ASD shapes those decisions, and to provide a basic foundation on which to build interventions to support the positive behavior of staff and parents. In addition, the study proposes to examine novel commodities rarely examined with discounting methodology to provide further evidence in the argument of whether impulsivity is a state or trait variable. Experiment 1 examined patterns of discounting of adults in the field of rehabilitation and adults with little or no interaction with children with ASD by employing a delay discounting task to assess decision making in regard to administration of physical restraints to children engaging in aggressive behaviors. Experiment 2 compared the responding of the same groups, but in regard to the delayed provision of services to children with ASD demonstrating varying severity of problem behavior. Experiment 3 examined the choice behavior of parents of children with ASD and other adults who have only worked with these children and how the risk of giving birth to a child with ASD affects choice.
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__label__neg By: Justin M. Smigelsky, Esq. Pursuant to N.J.S.A.2A:34-23(j)(2), Where the obligor seeks to retire prior to attaining the full retirement age as defined in this section [eligible to receive benefits under section 216 of the Social Security Act], the obligor shall have the burden of demonstrating by a preponderance of the evidence that the prospective or actual retirement is reasonable and made in good faith. Both the obligor’s application to the court for modification or termination of alimony and the obligee’s response to the application shall be accompanied by current Case Information Statements or other relevant documents as required by the Rules of Court, as well as the Case Information Statements or other documents from the date of entry of the original alimony award and from the date of any subsequent modification.The statute then lists several factors for the Court to consider in determining whether the alimony obligor has met his or her burden to demonstrate that his or her prospective or actual retirement prior to attaining full retirement age is “reasonable and made in good faith.” In a recent, published decision of the Ocean County Superior Court, the Honorable Lawrence R. Jones, J.S.C., addressed when and how an alimony obligor may seek to modify or terminate his or her alimony obligation based upon prospective retirement. In Mueller v. Mueller, Judge Jones reasoned that, although the amended alimony statute does not set a specific minimum or maximum time period for obtaining an advance ruling on a prospective retirement, “the spirit of the amended statute…inherently contemplates that the prospective retirement will take effect within reasonable proximity to the application itself, rather than several years in advance of same.” Judge Jones went on to explain that when an obligor reasonably approaches retirement age, and files a motion setting forth a specific proposed plan for a prospective and projective retirement in the near future, a court may now address and consider the merits of same under the amended alimony statute, and render a ruling regarding a proposed termination or modification of alimony, to take effect upon the obligor’s actual retirement in accordance with the proposed plan.In Mueller, Judge Jones determined that an application filed five (5) years in advance of the contemplated retirement, without a detailed plan for retirement in the near future, constituted speculation and a “general desire to someday retire” which is insufficient under the statute. Although a Chancery Division case and, therefore, not binding precedent, Judge Jones’ well-reasoned decision is helpful in guiding the alimony obligor and family law attorney as to modification and termination of alimony based upon prospective retirement. If you have any questions in regards to divorce in New Jersey, alimony, child support, equitable distribution, or family law, you may wish to consult with an experienced family law attorney. This article is for information purposes only, and is neither legal advice nor the creation of an attorney client relationship. Justin M. Smigelsky, Esq. / Timothy J. Little, P.C. / 2017 – All Rights Reserved Timothy J. Little, P.C. is a full-service law firm with offices in Woodbridge and Chesterfield, New Jersey. Timothy J. Little, P.C. offers specialized legal assistance to individuals, families and businesses throughout New Jersey including Middlesex County (Old Bridge, Woodbridge, Sayreville, East Brunswick, Spotswood, Perth Amboy, Dunellen, Colonia, Sewaren, Iselin, Avenel, Fords, Keasbey, Menlo Park, Port Reading, South Amboy, Monroe, Edison, Carteret, Cranbury, Helmetta, South River, Milltown, Highland Park, Jamesburg, Laurence Harbor), Monmouth County (Hazlet, Aberdeen, Matawan, Middletown, Freehold), Union County, Ocean County, Somerset County, and Burlington County. If you have any questions or concerns regarding family law or divorce, please contact the attorneys at Timothy J. Little, P.C. Family Law Practice Specialties: Divorce, equitable distribution of assets and liabilities, alimony, domestic violence, child custody, child support, parenting time, emancipation applications, removal applications, Marital Settlement Agreements, post-judgment enforcement and modification applications http://timothyjlittlelaw.com/firm/attorneys/justin-m-smigelsky-esq/ http://timothyjlittlelaw.com/practice-areas/family-law/
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__label__neg Tire pressure is crucial for safety in cars, and bicycles are no different. Since your tire is your contact point to the road, maintaining the proper pressure determines the handling and performance of the bicycle, which in turn impacts your speed and your ability to control the bike. Riding on a tire that is too flat can even cause damage to the tire and rim. Understanding how to determine the proper PSI for your tire is an important skill for any cyclist. Bicycle Tires The standard tire type found on most road and mountain bikes is a clincher tire. Clincher tires have two metal hoops running on the inside edge of the tire, with an open bottom that nests inside the rim. The tire is usually made from a mesh of nylon coated in rubber. The tire contacts the rim on the bead, which forms a tight seal between the rim and the outer tire. Inside of this outer tire is a tube, which is what holds the air. Tubes are inexpensive and easily replaceable, making most flat tires a quick fix. Tire Pressure A bicycle tube can expand like a balloon to many times its size when inflated, but when it rests inside a clincher tire, it provides outward force to the inside of the tire that is stronger than the weight of the bicycle and rider. PSI, or pounds per square inch, is a measure of this pressure. Since different tires, bicycles, and loads exert different forces on a bicycle tire, the optimal PSI is different for every bike. Contact Patch Air in a bicycle tube pushes outward equally on all sides of the tire and rim. Because of this, the base of the tire where it contacts the road is where the air is pushing directly downward against the road surface. This point is called the contact patch, where the tire is flat against the road surface. The PSI of the tire must equal the weight placed against the tire, so the size of the contact patch will be the weight load divided by the air pressure, approximately. If the bicycle and rider weigh 200 pounds, each tire supports 100 pounds of weight. Thus, a 1-inch wide tire inflated to 100 PSI will have a contact patch of about 1 inch. Wider tires require lower PSI to maintain a contact patch since there's more contact width-wise. Determining Optimal PSI An optimally inflated tire will give a visual cue for the best inflation. After filling a standard 700c tire to a low PSI of around 50, check the tire under the weight of the bicycle and rider. The tire should bulge visibly under the weight of the rider and bicycle. If it doesn't deflect at all above the contact patch, it's over-inflated. An over-inflated tire gives a harsher ride and is prone to bouncing on rough terrain, interrupting traction. An under-inflated tire will deflect too much, allowing the rim to contact the inside of the tire or place pressure on the sidewalls. An under-inflated tire is prone to pinch flats and can even come off the rim while cornering. Follow the manufacturer's guidelines for PSI, but use visual cues while riding to determine if your tires are over- or under-inflated. Photo Credits Photos.com/Photos.com/Getty Images
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__label__pos As Richard Martin and Harold Koda noted in Waist Not, “[s]eldom does fashion confirm the natural waist.” This was never more true than at the beginning of the nineteenth century, when women’s dress emulated the Neoclassical line, which placed the waistline just below the breasts. The columnar silhouette was first rendered in sheer cottons and linens, which revealed a woman’s unencumbered body below the “waist” and drew up and supported the breasts above. By the 1810s, the same silhouette hardened through the use of heavier silks and stays underneath. Unlike the conical stays of the eighteenth century, early nineteenth-century stays were long and compressed the hips in furtherance of the columnar line, and they introduced gussets underneath the breasts in order to support them above the high waistline. From the late 1810s through the 1820s, the waistline slipped downward by degrees until it was just above natural position in the 1830s. By the 1830s, the ideal silhouette was a wide open triangle atop generous bell-shaped gored skirts short enough to reveal the ankles. The breadth of a woman’s upper torso was achieved through a combination of underpinnings. Stays were boned, which provided pressure on the waist, and had bust gussets, which pushed the volume of the bosom upward, and featured shoulder straps, which held the shoulders down and away from the neck. Sleeve supports, made of down or of cotton shaped with whalebone, filled enormous leg o’mutton sleeves, which further widened the upper torso. The skirts were supported by corded or stiffened petticoats. In the 1840s, the defining elements of the silhouette slipped downward on the body until the ballooning sleeves disappeared altogether. By the 1850s, the open triangle created by sloped shoulders was still a key element of the silhouette and the expanding skirts were often boxed pleated or gauged, rather than gathered, at the waist and reached the floor. This new, broad-based silhouette made the waist appear even smaller. That effect increased with the transition from multiple layers of petticoats to the cage crinoline. With its introduction around 1856, as Richard Martin and Harold Koda note in Bare Witness, “lateral expansion achieved its zenith; crinolines afforded light support for massive skirts and for the wide expanse of upper chest visible above the bust, a breadth which now extended even off the shoulders.” Made of hoops of whalebone, cane, or steel held together with cloth tapes or encased in fabric, the light, effective support of the cage crinoline allowed dresses to achieve an expanse as great or greater than that provided by eighteenth-century panniers. By the 1870s, the expansive base of the cage crinoline had fallen out of fashion but women were loath to discard the voluminous dresses that had covered them; fashion evolved into the bustled silhouette that replaced the belle of the 1860s. Fabric which had previously spread over the cage was pulled to the back of the dress, creating a silhouette that was, from the side, almost a right triangle supported by back-heavy petticoats or new hooped crinolines modified for the new silhouette. From the front, the silhouette reflects increasing control being brought to bear on the waistline by corsets shaped to an hourglass silhouette. The bustle silhouette slipped downward and almost off the dress until the early 1880s, when it reappeared projecting off the back of the dress at a near right angle. This form of bustle was compared to an ottoman, and it tended to be upholstered similarly, which further increased its mass. It was supported underneath by a variety of structures, many advertised as healthy alternatives to the horsehair structure that had supported some 1870s bustles. The torso atop the bustle also reflected increasing technological innovation in the construction of foundation garments. With the increased reliance on steel boning and ever more complex pieced construction, the corset became capable of delivering an armored underpinning to conform the body to an hourglass silhouette. The innovations in corset construction also allowed for more pressure to be placed on the waistline than had been possible in the eighteenth century. This would place the objet de luxe which the corset had become at the center of increasing controversy over health issues attributed to the wearing of corsets, but not before the hourglass silhouette it offered had become iconic to the whole of the nineteenth century. Glasscock, Jessica. “Nineteenth-Century Silhouette and Support.” In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/19sil/hd_19sil.htm (October 2004)
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__label__pos The short- and long-term effectiveness of anti-piracy laws and enforcement actions Tylor Orme Journal of Cultural Economics, November 2014, Pages 351-368 Abstract: Film studios have spent the past two decades lobbying extensively to establish new legislation restricting access to copyrighted materials online. While there is growing evidence of the effect film piracy has on studio profits, the evidence on the impact of anti-piracy legislation is limited. If anti-piracy legislation is having the film industry’s desired impact, we would expect film revenues to be consistently higher following the passage of major laws that restrict access to pirated content, or major enforcement actions, such as the shutdown of Web sites that provide illegal content for download. This paper applies an intervention analysis approach to weekly data on movie box-office revenues in the USA to determine whether the passage of new anti-piracy policy has generated significant changes in box-office revenues during the period from 1997 to the present. These effects are evaluated in both the short and long term, which allows an assessment of the duration of effectiveness of government actions. The results show that four of the six included policies are ineffective in the long term and those policies that do impact revenues in the short term often harm film studios, rather than help them. “Piracy is not theft!” Is it just students who think so? Michał Krawczyk et al. Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics, February 2015, Pages 32–39 Abstract: A fair share of studies analyzing “online piracy” are based on easily accessible student samples. However, it has been argued that the youth tend to have more lax social and ethical norms concerning both property rights and online behavior. In this study we present the results of a vignette experiment, i.e. a scenario survey where responders are asked to provide an ethical judgment on different forms of unauthorized acquisition of a full season of a popular TV series described in a number of hypothetical stories. The survey is conducted both on a student sample and on a sample of individuals who openly endorse protection of intellectual property rights for cultural goods. In this way we can investigate the possibly limited external validity of studies relying solely on the student samples. The vignette experiment concerned ethical evaluation of unauthorized acquisition of cultural content in both virtual and real context and was focused on six dimensions previously identified as relevant to the ethical judgment. Surprisingly, we found that the rules for the ethical judgment do not differ between our samples, suggesting that the social norms on “online piracy” follow similar patterns in student and in other populations. Findings from studies relying on ethical or moral judgments of students may thus be valid in a much broader population. With a nod to Kevin Lewis for finding these...
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__label__pos The crash of a gong reverberated through the Classic Center every 15 minutes Thursday, causing the crowd to cheer. They knew the sound meant another 5,000 children would be fed. In town for the annual meeting of the North Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church, volunteers from across the state worked to package 200,000 meals for hungry children Thursday. Sponsored with an anonymous $50,000 donation to the feeding group Stop Hunger Now, teens and adults crowded around long tables and worked in an assembly line to measure and package dehydrated meals that will go next week to feed school children in Nicaragua. "It's a tremendously efficient way to carry out our mission to God's hurting people," said Lance Sligar, a convention delegate from Norcross. Sligar participated in one of five two-hour packing sessions when 100 to 300 volunteers at a time boxed up 40,000 meals each session. The prepackaged meals of rice, vegetables, soy protein and chicken flavoring include 21 essential vitamins and minerals chosen especially for malnourished people. Each reusable plastic bag provides servings for six people, has a shelf life of three to five years and costs about 25 cents to make. Each time a pallet of 5,000 meals was ready to be carted to a waiting truck, event organizers banged a gong, but volunteers' cheers quickly drowned out the sound. "Each time I hear the gong, it makes me want to do more, go faster," said Ariana Allison, 15, who came with an enrichment program at her Atlanta high school to participate. Stop Hunger Now tried to inspire that kind of enthusiasm. "What we're trying to do here is create a sense of excitement," said founder and President Ray Buchanan. "When these people go back to their church, they'll want to work to end hunger abroad and in their own communities, and that's how we're going to change the world." About 90 percent of the meals Stop Hunger Now packages go to schools, while the remaining 10 percent gets distributed in disaster areas. The organization already had more than 1.5 million packaged meals on the ground in schools in Haiti before the country's devastating earthquake in January. Those meals were immediately distributed to victims, along with 4.5 million more the group was able to send in the first few weeks following the disaster. Each organization that receives meals from Stop Hunger Now is vetted by the group in a four-month process that ensures shipments will reach the people the group has agreed to feed, according to program coordinator Mickey Horner. Adequate storage and access to clean water also is necessary because the food is dehydrated. The Methodist conference gave the opportunity for a massive Stop Hunger Now project, but local people and churches already work to feed people here. "There are several churches and organizations here in Athens that feed the hungry in their own backyard," said John Page, associate pastor at Athens First United Methodist Church. Page worked over the past six months to pull together volunteers and resources for the event. "Hopefully, this will help connect them to the need to feed the hungry internationally, too." While the Methodists packed meal boxes for three of Thursday's sessions, Athens locals manned the other two shifts. Betty King, 64, learned about the project from HandsOn Northeast Georgia and drove to Athens from her home in Lexington. "I was thinking of how many thousands of meals we were making, and it's just amazing," King said. "I packaged food before in Oglethorpe County, but I've never seen anything like this." Holly Haynes, 32, came with 30 volunteers from Grove Level Baptist Church in Maysville after her youth pastor told her about the event. "There are a lot of children that are going to be fed now," said Haynes, who has two young daughters at home in Baldwin. "As a mother, that's a good feeling." Thursday's event was the largest that the Raleigh, N.C.-based hunger relief group has hosted in Georgia in its 12-year history. Smaller events at churches and Rotary clubs with around 40 volunteers have sent 10,000 meals to schools and disaster areas across the world. Stop Hunger Now plans to open an Atlanta facility by summer's end that will help local groups raise the money for the packaged meals. "We could package a lot more meals mechanically, but the only way we're going to end hunger is to create a movement," Buchanan said. "These volunteers now have the beginnings of an education that can make a big difference at home and abroad." Stop Hunger Now plans to hold another packaging event at next year's conference in Athens, though it may be the last for the Methodist conference if organizers determine the Classic Center isn't big enough for the group. Roughly 2,800 people attend the conference each year, and organizers are using every available space in the Classic Center and its adjacent building. "We're happy to be in Athens for this conference. The city is so receptive, and we hope in some small way we can be a blessing back to the community," Page said. Information about organizing your own Stop Hunger Now event can be found at www.stophungernow.org/Atlanta. © 2017. All Rights Reserved. | Contact Us
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__label__pos The Zoning Board of Adjustment heard testimony Wednesday afternoon concerning the proposed development of ten new townhomes at 1901 Lombard Street, a project that has been subject to negotiations between the developers and the Center City Residents Association since early this year. Developers Noah and Harvey Ostroff are seeking variances related to height and lot coverage, and are hoping to subdivide one existing lot into ten separate lots for each of the proposed homes. The zoning board did not decide the case immediately. The project calls for eight four-story houses fronting on Lombard Street, with a two-story house fronting on 19th St. and another two-story house fronting on S. Uber St. The four-story houses will be just over 43 feet tall, with “pilothouses” adding another ten feet on top of each, according to the developers’ attorney, Hercules Grigos. The project would also include 20 off-street parking spaces, and each house would have a green roof and a roof deck. If approved, the project will replace an existing multi-unit apartment complex and surface parking lot on the north side of Lombard Street between 19th and S. Uber streets. The same developers have another project one block east of the site on Lombard. Grigos said that the height variance is necessary because the developers want to provide adequate parking without installing garages in front of the houses. He said that if they were to use street-facing garages, they wouldn’t need to put parking amenities in the rear portions of the properties. But because they want to avoid street-facing garages, which would interrupt the pedestrian environment, they need to build parking in the rear, which is what caused the project to miss the minimum rear yard depth. To make up for the square footage they say they’ll lose by putting garages in the back, they want to build taller. The current proposal includes only one curb cut. Neighbors and members of the Center City Residents Association have negotiated with the developers for certain concessions. For example, the current proposal contains four less parking spaces than the original, and the scale of the houses on either end has been reduced. But some neighbors still have concerns about the height of the buildings and their impact on access to light and air. Some, acknoweldging that they like the developers’ nearby project and that they had been responsive to several of the neighbors’ concerns, oppose the variances because they feel the project could diminish the value--both monetary and personal--of their own properties. One neighbor, Richard Dickinson, said that the backyard of his Waverly Street house is a “tranquil oasis,” and that if the project is built, he’ll get a view of a brick wall marking off the parking area for the new homes. Dickinson said he has put his house on the market and plans to move if the project is built. “The aggrievement I have is that I will lose light and air,” Dickinson said. Hercules Grigos said that many of the neighbors concerns would not be resolved even if the project were built completely by right, and thus they are not directly related to the zoning variances being sought. He also noted that over the course of the negotiations some neighbors have asked for the developers to dedicate part of the property as an alleyway, or to compensate them financially for the loss of light and air they say it will bring. Others support the proposal. Ann Frumkin, who lives a block and a half west of the sites, said that the houses would be a “wonderful” and “gorgeous” addition to the neighborhood, and reproached some of those who opposed the project for not recognizing what she sees as a positive change for the area. “If you want lots and lots of sunlight,” Frumkin said, “you have to go into the suburbs.” Jared Brey covered development, zoning policy, historic preservation, and city government for PlanPhilly from 2011-2016.
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__label__neg Life Insurance Corporation of India The insurance sector in India dates back to 1818 when first insurance company, The Oriental Life Insurance Company, was established, at Calcutta. Thereafter, Bombay Life Assurance Company in 1823 and Madras Equitable Life Assurance Society in 1829 were established. In 1912, the Indian Life Assurance Companies Act was enacted as the first statute to regulate the life insurance business. In 1928, the Indian Insurance Companies Act was enacted to enable the Government to collect statistical information about both life and non-life insurance businesses. The Insurance Act was subsequently reviewed and a comprehensive legislation was enacted called the Insurance Act, 1938. The nationalisation of life insurance business took place in 1956 when 245 Indian and foreign insurance and provident societies were first amalgamated and then nationalised. The Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) came into existence by an Act of Parliament, viz. LIC act, 1956, with a capital contribution of Rs.5 Crores from the Government of India General Insurance Corporation Of India The General insurance business in India started with the establishment of Triton Insurance Company Limited in 1850 at Calcutta .In 1907, the first company, The Mercantile Insurance Ltd. Was set up to transact all classes of general insurance business. General Insurance Council, a wing of the Insurance Association of India in 1957, framed a code of conduct for ensuring fair conduct and sound business practices. In 1968 the Insurance Act was amended to regulate investments and to set minimum solvency margins. In the same year the Tariff Advisory Committee was also set up. In 1972, The General Insurance Business (Nationalisation) Act was passed to nationalise the general insurance business in India with effect from 1st January 1973. For these 107 insurers was amalgamated and grouped into four company’s viz., the National Insurance Company Ltd., the New India Assurance Company Ltd., the Oriental Insurance Company Ltd. And the United India Insurance Company Ltd. General Insurance Corporation of India was incorporated as a company. Current Scenario In new economic policies formulated since 1991, globalisation, privatisation and liberalisation have become new buzzwords. Under new economic policies, many economic and financial reforms took place. Like liberalising licensing policy, attracting FDI, allowing foreign equity in public sector undertakings. The financial reforms restructured banking sector by allowing entry of new private and foreign banks. They also allowed private sector and commercial banks in mutual funds investment business, rationalising the EXIM policy and so on. Liberalisation of Insurance markets Liberalisation of Insurance involves transformation of the industry from a Government monopoly to a competitive environment. Free markets allow for better resource allocation and creation of wealth and prosperity of people and the country. It enables development of health care, education and infrastructure of the country. In a liberalized insurance market, consumers are able to choose from different insurance providers having a wide range of products. A liberal insurance market is one in which the market determines who should be allowed to sell insurance, what, how and the prices at which these insurance products should be sold. The issues like market access and equality of competitive opportunity and national treatment will decide who will be allowed to sell insurance. Second and fourth items commonly deal with issues such as product, price and market conduct regulation. There are certain pre-conditions to make liberalisation of insurance effective: -Sound competition law -Efficient and reliable regulation - Phased liberalisation -Consistency and impartiality between competitors -Optimum quantum of regulation -Efficient disclose and dissemination of information to the society. -Insurance markets in India possess certain imperfections justifying the need for competition as well as regulation.
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__label__pos The United Nations increasingly finds itself at the center of world events in an age of rapid globalization. Now, more than ever, it is imperative that we understand its structure and functions. In this highly readable book, a prominent news correspondent at the UN provides a colorful introduction to its activities and goals.UN correspondent Linda Fasulo draws on her own observations as well as on the insights of other individuals who have been active in the UN, including US ambassadors Richard Holbrooke, Madeleine Albright, and John Negroponte. She explains how the UN came into existence, what governing principles guide its operation, and what it is like to be a participant. She describes the organization, responsibilities, and often-tense politics of the Security Council. Surveying the many humanitarian, crime-fighting, and peacekeeping programs of the UN, Fasulo concludes that there are important reasons for Americans to give the United Nations their support.
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__label__pos Army-ants storm through the jungles of Panama a million strong devouring any and every living creature in their path. Some clever birds have found a way to capitalize on the mayhem: Stay close to the ants and eat the leaping, running, and scampering insects that attempt to escape. Antbirds and ovenbirds, the main ant-following species, have different strategies for using the ants to their advantages. Some birds only follow the ants within their own territories, but stop when they reach the borders. Others dabble in ant following, hitting them up for an easy meal but supplementing this by foraging on their own. Finally, the true loyalists rely solely on the ants to scare up their prey. One species of ant-following antbird in the Thamnophilidae genus Rob Brumfield, an Assistant Curator of Genetic Resources at the Museum of Natural History at Louisiana State University has studied the ant-following birds’ behavior. He describes the process of locating army-ants in the dense jungle: “I can hear in the distance the snap, crackle and pop of a million marauding army-ants marching through the leaf litter. They are consuming every insect, spider and lizard in their path. And traveling with the army-ants is a boisterous flock of birds.” Army-ants are routinely found in the birds’ stomach contents, but scientists are split on whether or not the birds intentionally eat the army-ants or if the ants just happen to be attached to the prey.
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__label__pos Homelessness – What’s happening in Northern Ireland? Everything at once! ( and not a lot of it good) The Three Main Events Homelessness Strategy for NI 2012 -2017 Housing Strategy for NI 2012-2017 Housing Related Support Strategy 2012-2015 Homelessness Strategy - Objectives To place homelessness prevention at the forefront of service delivery To remove the need to sleep rough To reduce the length of time households & individuals experience homelessness by improving access to affordable housing To improve services to vulnerable households and individuals Housing Strategy - Themes Ensuring access to decent, affordable sustainable homes across all tenures Meeting housing needs and supporting the most vulnerable Driving regeneration and sustaining communities through housing Housing and Welfare Reform Getting the structures right Housing Related Support Commissioning Quality and outcomes Drive efficiency and value for money Early intervention Client involvement and personalisation Accessing and exiting services And the rest.... Review of the NI Housing Executive Review of Temporary Accommodation Review of Social Housing Allocation Review of the Administration of Supporting People Review of Housing Associations Homelessness Very little overt mention of Supported Temp. Accommodation Strategic function moving to DSD away from NIHE Possibility of most of SP funding transferring to Health Homelessness Strategy not integrated into the Housing strategy Introduction of competitive tendering for SP funding Move towards floating support and the re-modelling of hostels Any new allocation policy social housing likely disadvantage singles for to The Elephant in the Room Excess Payment Award 7,000 households Under-occupation in Social Housing 32,000 applicable households LHA drop to 30th percentile 53,000 households, with approx 30,000 new applicants per annum SAR 5,300 claimants January 2012, 3,000 new claims p.a. Non-dependent deductions 3,500 Benefit Cap 3,000 claimants The housing market Social housing 119,000 homes 90% of social housing stock in single identity estates 20% of stock in PRS 84 HMOs in rural NI 5% of stock 1 bedroom across all tenures 8,400 HMOs 70% for students 15.2% of stock 2 bedrooms across all tenures continued Banks not lending House prices continue to fall 80% of HB paid directly to landlords in both sectors DHP potentially to be subsumed into new Social Fund. No mention of ringfencing housing costs increased competition for PRS and no need to reduce rents £6.8m DHP to cover £24m shortfall in just SAR &underoccupation which are current priorities. Homeless presentations up 21% in 1st quarter 2012/13surprise! The overall picture 24% of workers in NI below the living wage of £7.20 per hour. Highest in UK 60% population have IT access. Lowest rate among unemployed Lowest rate of broadband coverage in the UK 12% households do not have bank account which allows money to be paid in or DDs to be paid out. 36% of social tenants have NO bank account 32,500 households Estimated NI will take 10 1600 public sector jobs to go due to Universal Credit more years to come out of recession continued 46% of private landlords were unaware of the changes to LHA after it was introduced No tenants in social housing have been formally made aware of the change in HB for under-occupation 60% of tenants knew nothing of LHA changes at all, until they were informed of a drop in their entitlement WR Bill aiming for Royal Assent March 2013 Under-occupation to be implemented April 2013 A little good news.. Direct payment of housing costs to landlords to continue Universal credit delayed for 6 months Split payments in households Consideration of 6 month delay in implementing Under-occupation Fortnightly payments of universal credit May chuck it completely! The disconnect Very little acknowledgement of the impact of WR on the new Strategies – or even mature reflection Severely restricted budgets, ideological change and the prevention agenda Dependency on the PRS in a time of housing ‘bust’ Rhetoric of affordability as unemployment rises, there is no more work or better paid work – or even a work programme for NI Likely consequences Homelessness will increase Temporary accommodation will change in form and function Policy development likely to ‘follow the money’ Housing policy in NI will be adapted to fit Westminster legislation New vision for the purpose of social housing
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__label__neg Most people would agree that raising the minimum wage sounds like a good idea, but arguments arise concerning if this increase would benefit the economy. Jared Bernstein believes that a minimum wage increase would positively affect the American economy. He argues that the economy is driven by consumer spending and lowincome workers are very likely to spend their extra earned money. On the contrary, Douglas HoltzEakin strives to make the point that raising the minimum wage would not be beneficial to the economy. He argues that there would be no reduction in poverty because only a small percent of minimum wage workers are in poverty, while most are unemployed. An examination of raising the minimum wage will reveal why it will benefit American society. According to Jared Bernstein raising the minimum wage would help. Bernstine suggests that the American economy is made up of 70 percent consumer spending. He argues that an extra dollar earned by a wealthy person is less likely to be spent than an extra dollar earned by a lowincome person. In addition Bernstein points out that this leads to the lowincome worker being much more likely to consume their extra dollar of earnings. Similarly one might argue that a minimum wage increase that directly raises the pay of a relatively small share of the workforce by a small amount is unlikely to be a big deal. Raising the minimum wage is a growth strategy and should be used to try to revive our economy. The wage increase would help families struggling on minimum wage salaries. These families would see these new earni ngs as a chance to spend on new things and will slightly help macroeconomic growth. Helping the economy on the margin while also helping these families make ends meet. One should conclude that raising the minimum wage will help families in need and in terms help the economy. According to Douglas HoltzEakin Raising the federal minimum wage will neither reduce poverty nor boost growth. HoltzEakin suggests that increasing the minimum wage would ensure that millions of Americans got raises that they would presumably turn right around and spend. He argues that unfortunately the money for a raise has to come out of the wallet of another American. In addition HoltzEakin points out that the minimum wage hike for one lowwage worker comes directly out of the pocket of another. In contrast one might suggest that the wage increase is neither antipoverty nor stimulus. According to Holtzs article companies may not be able to hire as many workers if the wage is increased. The money may not come directly from another working americans pocket but it has to come from somewhere. Businesses may suffer from the increase. Some businesses may not even be able to hire as many employees as necessary, taking away jobs. One should conclude that increasing the wage may harm other americans not directly affected by the increase. According to Jared bernstein the moderate increases in the minimum wage boost the earnings of most lowwage workers without leading to large employment losses. He argues that The increase favored by the president and congressional Democrats, would place the real value of the wage floor back where it was in the late 1960s. In addition Bernstein suggests that this increase would directly affect about 13 percent of the workforce. He argues a vast majority of low wage families would benefit from the increase. Similarly one might suggest that some families struggling to make ends meet have 2 or 3 minimum wage jobs. These families with multiple minimum wage jobs will greatly benefit from the increase. This research does not put into account that many families struggling on minimum wage have multiple minimum wage jobs. Now these families would have extra earnings to make ends meet and stimulate the economy. Since minimum wage workers are more likely to spend their extra dollars,the american economy will benefit from extra consumer spending. One should conclude that raising the minimum wage would help lower class families who depend on minimum wage. According to Douglas HoltzEakin the minimum wage is a poor tool to fight poverty because it does not target those in poverty. HoltzEakin suggests that only 2 percent of workers earn the minimum wage, and only 20 percent of those are in poverty. He argues that the reality is that the dividing line between being poor and being nonpoor is having a job. In addition HoltzEakin points out that only 7 percent of those who have a job are in poverty, while more than 27.5 percent of those without jobs are poor. Courtney from Study Moose Hi there, would you like to get such a paper? How about receiving a customized one? Check it out https://goo.gl/3TYhaX
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__label__neg The search for happiness is universal. People from everywhere and in all circumstance seek this illusive thing called happiness. Can you remember the last time you were happy? Was it hours ago? Days? Weeks? Years? What was happening in your life at the time? What made you happy? Happiness is a goal for many people.But there are different ideas floating around about what exactly makes people happy. Is money the key to happiness? It’s been studied and determined that, for people who are struggling to provide for their basic needs (food, clothing, shelter), more money can make them happier, but only up to a point. When a person is able to provide for themselves and their families at a basic but comfortable level, more money doesn’t increase their happiness. So, if you earn $50,000 a year, earning $300,000 a year isn’t going to make you happier. What about beauty, or dressing well, or having people look up to you? These qualities, like money, focus on external values, and can make some difference in the level of happiness a person experiences, but not much. What many studies have shown is that happiness is increased by things that are more internal: having close friends and family, being loved, feeling needed, doing or witnessing acts of kindness.These things all increase a person’s feeling of happiness. Recently, many articles and books have noted a connection between kindness and happiness. A study in 2005 by Hebrew University in Israel noted that there is a link between kindness and a gene that releases dopamine. Dopamine is a chemical in the brain that makes us feel happy. So, not only does kindness make the person on the receiving end feel good, it makes the person being kind feel good as well. When my daisies were in full bloom, my daughter went and delivered bouquets to several neighbors. The look on her face (and theirs) was one of pure joy. If you’ve ever done an act of kindness, be it buying someone coffee, helping at a shelter, or shoveling a neighbor’s driveway, you understand the rush of good feelings that occur. The connection between kindness and happiness is real. This doesn’t mean paying someone’s library fine is immediately going to fix the world. It can, however, bring a little bit of light into a dark space. And that light may multiply and grow. Kindness has a way of reaching far beyond the original act of benevolence and morphing into something much bigger. Years later, the acts of kindness people experience live on.
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__label__pos The SPiDER is a scanner that can calculate its position in the manhole shaft by using its sensor data to measure its incremental motion. This technology frees inspections from problems associated with inaccurate, poorly calibrated cable counters and poorly managed cables. SPIDER weighs less than 30 lbs. and can be hand carried to easements or other previously difficult to access sites. This portability is possible because the processing computer and battery supply are integrated into the scanner. Additionally, SPiDER does not require an inspection truck or other piece of equipment (other than the included tablet) for operational use. SPiDER collects millions of 3D measurements during each manhole inspection. The raw data is post processed to a 3D point cloud that provides engineering and survey quality information on manhole geometry and condition that can be used for structural assessment, pre- and post-rehabilitation analysis (i.e. lining thickness), hydrological surveys, as well as general condition assessment. SPiDER also provides live-video stream and recorded video making it an ideal tool for Infiltration and Inflow (I&I) studies which depend on live video to detect moving water. According to CUES Manhole Inspection Division director, Pierre Mikhail, the SPiDER scanner will provide a new outlook on how manhole data is collected and applied. “CUES has a long-standing reputation for innovation and excellence in manhole/pipeline inspection and rehabilitation technology,” he says. “It currently offers a range of tools from hand held pole mounted units to automated truck mounted units that provide unsurpassed productivity in manhole inspection and measurement. The SPiDER scanner is the future of making intelligent choices and prioritizing investment decisions using color three dimensional point clouds.” CUES is a leading manufacturer of pipeline TV inspection and rehabilitation equipment. With headquarters and a new manufacturing facility located in Orlando, Fla., Cues continues to design, build and support its product line with an experienced and dedicated team.
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__label__pos A Marshall plan for FATA The News, July 21, 2008 Ayaz Wazir The new government has announced major reforms in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) of Pakistan. The prime minister made the historic announcement of abolishing the draconian Frontier Crimes Regulations (FCR) in his inaugural speech and his administration is now planning the nitty-gritty of reforms in the areas. The FCR and the legal and governance regime it perpetuate are the biggest hurdle in the way of progress and prosperity in the Tribal Areas. It kept FATA backward in the past six decades of our independence. With a population of nearly seven million, the Tribal Areas form a 27, 220 sq. kilometre arch along the Afghan border. This region, was divided by the British Raj and subsequent Pakistani governments into somewhat artificial seven units called agencies and the adjoining Frontier Regions. Each tribal agency is headed by an administrative officer called the political agent who represents the central government in Islamabad and its regional representative – the governor NWFP. Though some line agencies under the NWFP government provide services to FATA, it has no authority or say in the affairs of these regions. The political agents have absolute powers with little checks and balances. They are not public servants rather they have a master-slave relationship with the local tribesmen. All of the political agent’s powers stems from the FCR, which makes him the local administrator, judge, jury, police chief and head of all service delivery institutions. To elaborate his absolute authority let’s look into a few specific examples. The political agent can arrest any one under his jurisdictions for three years without assigning any reason. The period can be extended for as long as he wishes. It cannot be challenged in any Pakistani courts of law. Under sections 20 and 21 of the FCR, the political agent can put behind bars the entire tribes and seize, confiscate or demolish their properties. The PA often engages in invoking the collective tribal and territorial responsibility to punish the whole tribe or community for the crimes of an individual. The part of establishment and bureaucracy that benefits from the governance regime in the Tribal Areas has also perpetuated a lot of negative myths and propaganda about these regions and its inhabitants. For instance, an impression has been created that the tribal area is inaccessible and its people are difficult to govern. Nothing can be further from truth. This region is home to historic passes that connected the Subcontinent and Central Asia for thousands of years. Poverty and other circumstances in the tribal areas have forced its people to become on of the most mobile communities in Pakistan. Today thousands of tribal families are living in the urban centres of NWFP and other major cities, which testify to the fact that they want a peaceful emancipated existence like other citizens of the land. The current security situation in FATA is the result of complex regional and international geo-politics. In fact, tribesmen are the worst victims of the prevailing situation in their homeland. The Pashtun society in the tribal areas is inherently egalitarian and thus best suited for practicing modern representative democracy. One of the first political reforms in the Tribal Areas will be to extend the Political Parties Act to FATA. This is perhaps the only region in the world where people have adult franchise but political parties are banned. As the bureaucracy in Peshawar and Islamabad is one of the biggest hurdles in bringing meaningful reforms to the Tribal Areas, this should be thoroughly streamlined and reoriented to be the true servants of the tribesmen. Some past and present bureaucrats are too attached to the colonial notions of keeping FATA in the dark ages. They need to learn lessons from the mess they have created and have a mercy on the impoverished tribesmen. The basic concern of the new system should be the welfare of the border tribes rather than serving some misguided notions of grandeur strategic designs. Tribesmen deserve all the rights and privileges guaranteed by the constitution. However, it is highly unlikely that any political reforms will succeed without a compatible economic package. In reality, FATA needs something on the scale of Marshall Plan to be implemented on urgent basis. If our government can get it right, reforms and development in FATA will not only transform Pakistan but the entire South and Central Asian region. The writer is a former ambassador. Email: waziruk@hotmail.com.
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__label__neg Font Size: Detecting Falls with Location Sensors and Accelerometers Last modified: 2011-08-04 Abstract Due to the rapid aging of the population, many technical solutions for the care of the elderly are being developed, often involving fall detection with accelerometers. We present a novel approach to fall detection with location sensors. In our application, a user wears up to four tags on the body whose locations are detected with radio sensors. This makes it possible to recognize the user’s activity, including falling any lying afterwards, and the context in terms of the location in the apartment. We compared fall detection using location sensors, accelerometers and accelerometers combined with the context. A scenario consisting of events difficult to recognize as falls or non-falls was used for the comparison. The accuracy of the methods that utilized the context was almost 40 percentage points higher compared to the methods without the context. The accuracy of pure location-based methods was around 10 percentage points higher than the accuracy of accelerometers combined with the context. Full Text: PDF
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__label__pos SF: Meditation Mondays and Sexy Salad :) Sorry -- you may have to turn up the volume. Then I talked to members of the National Ground Water Association [30 min 22 MB MP3] Title: Unsustainable groundwater management: Robbing from your neighbors or yourself? Summary: Aquifers are complicated, but groundwater management institutions are more complex. Sometimes they match the complexity of the aquifer, but it's more common to have mismatched institutions that reflect past conditions, asymmetric power relations, and external influences. I will discuss a typical profile of unsustainable management, some simple economic tools for managing groundwater, and speculate on why those tools are not often used.
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__label__pos New Delhi [India], Nov. 6 (ANI ): The Centre for Biodiversity Policy and Law (CEBPOL) recently organized a workshop with the title "Workshop on Synergies among Biodiversity related Multilateral Environmental Agreements" in Manesar, which is being pursued under the Indo-Norwegian cooperation. When most people think of biodiversity, they think of verdant Amazonian rainforests or vibrant coral reefs in tropical seas. But even a typical house in the suburbs teems with an amazing diversity of life. The work on biodiversity is being further pursued under the Indo-Norwegian cooperation. The National Biodiversity Authority of India (NBA) and the Norwegian Environment Agency (NEA) are involved in a bilateral programme on biodiversity with the aim to establish a Centre for Biodiversity Policy and Law (CEBPOL) as a centre of excellence focusing on biodiversity law and policy. The topic of the workshop is especially relevant these days when funds are limited and the challenges faced in conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity are vast. Norway and India both have showed initiative internationally. Now the countries pool resources, draw on each other's expertise, reduce duplication and make joint funding bids and thereby achieve enhanced implementation through strengthened cooperation. The workshop included presentations on the ongoing work at the international level on synergies between the key multilateral biodiversity conventions. Further, the representatives shared lessons about their work and all participants discussed possibilities and avenues of increased cooperation and synergies . Deputy Minister Lars Andreas Lunde from the Ministry of Climate and Environment in Norway and Norwegian Ambassador Nils Ragnar Kamsvag participated in the workshop together with Additional Secretary Amita Prasad from the Indian Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change. The other participants were National Focal Points and associates for the conventions in India, national and international Non-Governmental Organisations in India. Finally, potential areas of future support to be provided by CEBPOL in this field were discussed. The areas include access and benefit sharing, invasive alien species, nature index and biosafety. (ANI )
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__label__neg Oregon's public records law has long seemed to us to have a curious lack of emphasis on the rights of the public. We say curious because, after all, the public - which is to say, all of us - is mentioned pretty frequently in the law. We're right there in the title, even. The concept of the law is admirable - that each of us is entitled to look at and listen to and basically to scrutinize, to whatever degree we please, the records that our public agencies produce. These are, after all, public records. We paid for them, they were produced ostensibly on our behalf, hence we own them. Too often, though, the way in which public entities apply the law, including state agencies as well as cities, counties, school districts and police departments, falls well short of the ideal expressed in the statute. Attorney General John Kroger found plenty of nits to pick in the law when he took office two years ago. Last week Kroger unveiled a series of changes to the 38-year-old law that he wants the Legislature to make this year. To his credit, Kroger, unlike several of his predecessors, thinks government officials ought to have fewer reasons, not more, to keep the public from getting its hands on public records. He suggests the Legislature do away with about 100 of the 400 or so exemptions under which officials can deny records to the public. But Kroger's proposal, though it would improve the situation, doesn't do enough to ensure that the law lives up to its name. Our chief complaint is that even with Kroger's revisions the law would encourage public officials to presume that records should be denied to people who ask for them. To put it another way, the burden would remain on the citizen to prove to officials, who are in essence trained to be suspicious, why he or she should be able to see a document that, under the law, any citizen is entitled to. This is precisely opposite of how things ought to work. Another major flaw in Kroger's proposal is that although state agencies would have to comply with the changes as soon as Gov. John Kitzhaber signs the bill into law, cities, counties, school districts and other local government agencies would be exempt for two years. Yet the public records that many citizens are interested in are held by those local agencies, not by the state. Here's what we'd like to see from Kroger and the Legislature: Instead of giving public officials 10 working days to decide whether to give a citizen access to public records (plus the option of adding 10 more days to the waiting period), the state should emphasize to public officials that the vast majority of public records are not exempt. Further, Kroger should send a memo to each of those agencies reminding officials that public records don't belong to the agency, they belong to the public. And he should stress that the revised law shields public officials from liability should they mistakenly release exempt records. Oregon's public records law will fulfill its lofty aspirations only when the typical response that a citizen receives, on asking for a record, is "sure, come on over to the office, we're open until 5." That happens occasionally now, but not nearly often enough. The scenario that Kroger's proposal would enable - "I'll get back to you in 10 days - or maybe 20" - makes the records law's purported goal sound like a cruel tease. Certain public records should be exempt, of course. Citizens shouldn't have access to employees' personal data, for instance - the law should not be an aid to identity thieves or stalkers. But those records are a tiny fraction of the total. And if a citizen asks for records that don't contain any personal information, it shouldn't take 20 days, or 10, to pull the requested files. The easiest thing for Kroger might be to suggest public officials pretend they're librarians. Librarians might tell you to keep your voice down, but they let you take pretty much any book in the place.
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__label__pos By India Powell Cultivating an appreciation for farming doesn't necessarily mean you have to love getting dirty. That's something Mary Blackmon learned early in life on her family's land. However, growing up on the family farm in Arkansas gave her a deep and lasting passion for the place and the way of life. In 2008, after her mother passed away, Blackmon and her younger brother, Douglas, were faced with the decision of what to do with the family farm. "The idea of letting the farm go was just too much. It felt like I was letting my family go, and I just couldn't do that." So she switched from a life in Los Angeles and New York City running her successful internet-based business—the multi-million dollar national spa and wellness industry website Spa-Addicts.com—to running that family farm in Arkansas. "I was immersed in whipping my farm back into shape and, as a result, I saw farming through a whole new perspective as a participating adult. I soon had a newfound appreciation and heightened respect for farmers and farming overall. Trust me, it's not for the faint of heart." Going All In The spark of Blackmon's love for farm life was instantly rekindled and the seeds of inspiration were planted for her current project, a new kind of digital venture based in Atlanta: Farm Star Living. This sudden immersion was a 180-degree change from the life she had established. Now, eight years later, she says her life is "a complete integration" of her two worlds. Through Farm Star Living's online resource and directory, Blackmon inspires people across the country to bring farming into their lives in perpetually exciting and perspective-expanding ways. "I think that where our food comes from has been taken for granted by so many of us," Blackmon says. "The joke is that when you ask children where a type of food comes from, they say 'the grocery store'! But we all have to eat, and we all need farmers to make that happen. There actually could be a shortage of farmers in the near future, as the median age of a farmer is just shy of 60. So there are legitimate concerns about needing more people to go into farming. I think with better appreciation by the public there will be more and more support for going into farming as a career." Putting the Star in Farm Star Blackmon thought about the way Americans have elevated many chefs to exalted, rock-star status, and she felt it was time to put farmers in the spotlight. "I felt that it was now the farmer's time," she says. Through Farm Star Living, people can find farms to visit for agri-tourism stays, meet real farmers, locate farm-to-table restaurants, discover new recipes using fresh food and learn more about the journey taken by food before it ends up on the table. "I have always thought that farming has been a noble profession that is too often thankless and misunderstood," Blackmon says. "Farming and farmers have been the backbone of our country. So few of us have actually been out of the city and visited a farm, let alone seen exactly where our food comes from. I felt that people were yearning for a connection to the countryside—to the earth—and while they may not want to farm on their own, per se, they still want to feel a connection to it." A Deep Connection That desire to connect people to farming, even (and especially) if they don't want to live the life of a farmer, is rooted in Blackmon's own youth spent enjoying the farming experience in her own unique way. "My grandfather, Big Daddy (Garrard Mountjoy), and grandmother, Mary Mary (Mary Kimball Mountjoy), owned the farm, [as did] Mary Mary's parents before her. It was initially a tree farm, which my grandfather converted into a rice farm in the late 1950s," Blackmon explains. "While I wasn't one for getting all dirty, the passion for the farm from my parents to my grandparents wasn't missed by me." Making a commitment to take over that farm brought a deeper level of understanding for Blackmon. Realizing that keeping the farmland meant figuring out things like how to repair broken-down wells gave Blackmon a "freak-out moment," after which she dove in and began the process of learning by doing. "I was being 'schooled' and making some rookie mistakes while trying to just do the best I could. I was completely in over my head as a 'country gal' who had been living in New York City and Los Angeles for 20 years—almost my entire adult life," Blackmon recalls. "I was overwhelmed because there was so much to learn, and it was not easy and a very different way of life. Farmers use their street smarts, their farming experience and their education, whether from college or from a family of farmers before them." Now, she and her brother retain ownership of the family farm in Arkansas and have established a relationship with some dedicated people who operate it while they both reside in Atlanta. "Luckily, my brother supported whatever I wanted to do, and he was a great sounding board during the process. My brother and his wife live here, and this whole process made me want to be closer to him, be a part of his children's lives, and put down my own roots here." She moved to Atlanta to make that happen. What It Takes Blackmon says she was impressed with not only their depth of knowledge about the environment and business savvy of the local community of farmers, but also with the courage, optimism and perseverance she saw within each of them. "They were optimistic environmental warriors and huge risk-takers. One farmer told me that [most people go] to sleep with their money safely in a bank. Not farmers—their money is getting rained on or beaten down from the sun every day until harvest. An iron stomach is needed to weather a year of farming, because you don't know what the outcome will be until the very last field has been reaped, if that is even possible. "People need to know the breadth of knowledge needed to be a successful farmer," Blackmon says. "Biology, finance, business, agriculture, as well as an optimism that can outlast any drought or bad crop year. One year, not too long ago, we had a great crop until a few weeks before harvest, when a hurricane blew our crops down so badly you couldn't salvage much. But the attitude is, and has always been, 'Next year will be better.'" Seeing the Long View In the years to come, Blackmon sees food labeling as a defining issue in the industry. She says the topic will heat up as people "start understanding what the ingredients in food actually are and what they mean to them." Blackmon says she hopes once people start learning more about the things that can go into many processed foods, such as syrups, preservatives and additives, they will be encouraged and motivated to add into their diets even more whole, farm-fresh foods. As Farm Star Living continues to expand, Blackmon aims to help people live more farm-centric in ways that fit their lifestyles. "I intend to continue educating and, hopefully, inspiring more people to bring a bit of the farm into their lives," she says. "I hope by offering a one-stop destination that has farm-to-everything, we can educate and empower people to lead a more farm-conscious and healthy life." Details: farmstarliving.com
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__label__neg Facebook is facing potential investigations in Europe after it disclosed last week that it deliberately manipulated the emotional content of the news feeds by changing the posts displayed to nearly 700,000 users to see if emotions were contagious. The company did not seek explicit permission from the affected people — roughly 1 out of every 2,500 users of the social network at the time of the experiment — and some critics have suggested that the research violated its terms of service with its customers. Facebook has said that customers gave blanket permission for research as a condition of using the service. In response to widespread public anger, several European data protection agencies are examining whether Facebook broke local privacy laws when it conducted the weeklong investigation in January 2012. That includes Ireland’s Office of the Data Protection Commissioner, which regulates Facebook’s global operations outside North America because the company has its international headquarters in Dublin. The Irish regulator has sent a series of questions to Facebook related to potential privacy issues, including whether the company got consent from users for the study, according to a spokeswoman. The Information Commissioner’s Office of Britain also said that it was looking into potential privacy breaches that may have affected the country’s residents, though a spokesman of the office said that it was too early to know whether Facebook had broken the law. “We’re aware of this issue, and will be speaking to Facebook, as well as liaising with the Irish data protection authority, to learn more about the circumstances,” a spokesman for the British regulator said in a statement. Neither regulator, however, has launched an official investigation into Facebook’s practices. In the study, Facebook changed the number of positive and negative posts that some users saw in their feeds to gauge how emotions can affect social media. Richard Allan, Facebook’s director of policy in Europe, said that it was clear that people had been upset by the study. “We want to do better in the future and are improving our process based on this feedback,” he said in a statement. “The study was done with appropriate protections for people’s information, and we are happy to answer any questions regulators may have.” The Federal Trade Commission, the US regulator that oversees Facebook’s conduct under a 20-year consent decree, has not publicly expressed similar interest in the case, which has caused an uproar over the company’s ethics and prompted the lead researcher on the project to apologize.
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__label__neg Famous New York City publisher Al Goldstein used to rate the erotic appeal of porn flicks on the Peter Meter in his now-defunct Screw magazine. Now, doctors are using the quality of erections to predict something much more serious — the likelihood of a heart attack. Researchers at the Sax Institute in Sydney, Australia crunched questionnaires and hospital admission data for over 95,000 Australian men aged 45 and over. Their key finding was that erectile dysfunction is a pretty good predictor of future cardiovascular disease. In fact, they concluded that “risks of (cardiovascular disease) and death increased steadily with severity of erectile dysfunction.” Comparing men reporting severe erectile dysfunction to those who say they have no erectile problems yielded a risk ratio of 1.6 for ischemic heart disease. Statistically, the erectile dysfunction group was 60 per cent more likely to experience a medical condition relating to impaired blood flow to the heart — anything from angina pain to a heart attack. Other ailments such as heart failure and peripheral vascular disease were also more likely in men with erectile dysfunction. The authors certainly don’t suggest that erectile dysfunction causes cardiovascular disease. They do, however, consider it a “biomarker” that can help doctors evaluate “the severity of underlying pathological processes such as atherosclerosis and endothelial dysfunction.” This has been pointed out before, in studies such as the landmark Massachusetts Male Aging study in 2004. What’s new is the finding that the degree of erectile dysfunction is such a good indicator of poor blood flow in other parts of the body. Commenting on their results, the researchers suggest that erectile dysfunction may provide an early warning of “silent heart disease” and they urge men to discuss erectile dysfunction openly with their physicians. Sometimes even those sexy TV ads for uplifting drugs are not enough to persuade a guy to ask what is often called the “hand on the door question” (because it tends to be asked at the end of a visit to the doctor.) Nipping a possibly fatal heart problem while its still treatable may provide further incentive to overcome the natural embarrassment. The erectile dysfunction data gathered in this survey was all self-reported, so there could be some fudging or wishful thinking. Still, it’s such a large sample size that the numbers bear quoting. But first, we need to understand what the degrees of erectile dysfunction actually mean. Fortunately, there’s a single question for that. Are you (always, usually, sometimes, never) able to get an erection good enough for sexual intercourse? Those four choices map into the erectile dysfunction categories of none, mild, moderate, and severe. The Australian investigators found the rates of severe erectile dysfunction among study participants were 2.2 per cent for men aged 45 to 54 years, 6.8 per cent for men aged 55 to 64 years, 20.2 per cent for men aged 65 to 74 years, 50 per cent for men aged 75 to 84 years, and 75.4 per cent for men aged 85 years and over. There are technological ways to measure tumescence, often on an overnight basis, to see if a man is capable of achieving an erection. Real-life Peter Meters have ranged from the simple expedient of attaching postage stamps to see if the perforations get broken to high-tech mercury filled gizmos called plethysmographs. In fact, there’s a whole, if somewhat questionable, science around penile plethysmography. The device was first developed in the 1950s in Czechoslovakia, and used on men seeking military exemptions on the grounds of homosexuality. In 2010, it came to light that Youth Forensic Services in Burnaby, B.C., had been using the plethysmography for years — on adolescent boys in their custody who were suspected of sexual misconduct, as a sort of genital lie detector. Supposedly in the interest of planning their treatment, staffers exposed young males to provocative images and suggestive audiotapes, while measuring their degree of arousal. Aside from the inherent creepiness of all this, These devices are notoriously unreliable, and subject to operator error and faking by the subject. For these reasons, plethysmography results are generally not admissible in court as evidence. When the story broke, the B.C. Ministry of Children and Family Development decided to permanently cancel the use of phallometric testing. In 2011, a panel of experts reviewed the practice and concluded that it is not possible to come to a definitive finding about the effectiveness of plethysmography testing in terms of the treatment of youth sexual offenders. However, they advised against reinstating the program. We’ve come a long way since the days when Goldstein was rating movies in his magazine, and the Czechs were trying to ferret out non-gay draft dodgers. Still, the good old Peter Meter keeps popping up, for both good and bad reasons. Dr. Tom Keenan is an award winning journalist, public speaker, and professor in the Faculty of Environmental Design at the University of Calgary.
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__label__pos Is the emigration of Chinese a drain on the country's human resources? Two scholars, a foreigner and a Chinese, enlighten us with their views. Xu Youyu Social justice can reverse the flow The emigration of an increasing number of the social elite from China in the past decade has drawn the attention of the media, the government and the public alike. Emigration and immigration are an obvious outcome of globalization, and were expected to increase in China after the reform and opening up. So, are the media and public overreacting to the emigration of Chinese people in the past 30 years, especially because the first three decades of the People's Republic of China saw almost no flow of people across the borders? The answer is "no", because emigration over the past 10 years has been really high and has special implications on the country. To be honest, China has seen an inflow of talent, too. Most people can be classified into two categories. Many of them are Chinese with a degree from universities abroad and the experience of working in foreign countries. They, at least a majority of them, return home in search of greener pastures in a more familiar environment. The other group comprises entrepreneurs from Taiwan and Hong Kong, who have shifted to the Chinese mainland, attracted by the favorable policies its local governments offer and the lure of making greater profits by exploiting its cheap labor. In this sense, the flow of manpower has been a two-way traffic for the mainland, indicating that the country is catching up with the developed nations and regions in terms of the economy, social development and living standards. Chinese citizens and foreigners both may be benefiting from the increasing freedom to move across borders, but we should not forget that members of neither group are eager to change their citizenship, for they migrate in search of better opportunities. In contrast, most of the Chinese emigrants are too eager to change their nationality or at least strive to get a long-time residency permit from the government of the country they migrate to. A remarkable difference between this generation of emigrants and those who emigrated in the 1980s is that the first group was trying to look for better working and living conditions. But most of the new generation of emigrants represent the so-called successful class and already enjoy a much higher social status at home. Such people opt to emigrate for the lure of the West even if they have to start life anew. This means China's elite are ready to sacrifice the comforts they enjoy at home in exchange for the citizenship of a foreign country. Such people choose to do so mainly because they don't believe their country's legal system, because of its uncertainties, cannot guarantee them a "successful and peaceful" life. Apart from a sense of security, the Chinese elite also emigrate in search of better living environment and world-class education for their children. And so enamored are they by everything Western that they fail to see the prosperity and stability they could get back home in the long run, and are ready to trade the comforts they enjoy at home for the lure of a rosy future abroad. Such a brain drain is bound to harm China's economic construction and modernization, because the elite' knowledge, innovativeness and creativity, and funds are valuable resources to build a better future. The emigration of such people robs China of not only valuable manpower, but also the resources they have. More importantly, their emigration is a loss of collective confidence, especially because the elite are setting a bad example for their less-privileged countrymen by disregarding the needs of the country in exchange for the mundane benefits of everyday life. The flight of the elite thwarts the country's modernization process, too. Hence, it is doubly sad to see local governments not doing enough to contain this flow. The increase in the number of elite emigrants is a rude reminder that the government has to reform the legal system. It is important to establish the rule of law not only to retain the elite in China, but also to ensure that the rights of the underprivileged are well-protected. The government has to cleanse the bureaucracy of corruption and see to it that the grievances of all citizens, irrespective of their social status, are redressed. It has to establish a clean and honest police administration and independent judiciary so that people can rely on their intelligence and hard work, rather than bribes and guanxi (connections), to succeed in life. What kind of society do we need? The government should be worried over the emigration of the elite and loss of social resources. But it should not just try to attract as many outstanding talent as possible to help the country build a better future. Moreover, since the common people are not inferior to the elite, offering favorable policies only to the latter would be unfair. The elite are already an advantaged group because of the money, knowledge and privileges they enjoy. The government should thus focus more on the lower strata of society. Justice is the source of confidence. A just society is what people will be emotionally attached to. And that applies to all citizens, whether they are the elite or the common citizens. The author is a research scholar with the Institute of Philosophy, affiliated to the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
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__label__pos If you ever use miles for part of a trip or buy separate tickets for a journey, you’re going to want to pad your next flight booking. The Oneworld Alliance, which includes major airlines like American, British Airways, and Iberia, just changed its rules, removing some of the most essential traveler conveniences and safety nets that save you time and money. Tight connection? Even if you're traveling on the same airline, but with tickets booked separately, your bags are no longer guaranteed to be checked to their final destination. You'll potentially have to allocate additional connection time to leave the gate area, grab your bags, and re-check them. Boarding passes? So along with re-checking your bags, you’ll also need to venture out past security, going through the whole ordeal all over again just to get your next boarding pass. Security lines are not getting any shorter, which creates the potential for serious chaos. Miss a connection on a separate ticket? It gets even worse. If you miss a connection, you may need to buy a last-minute, super expensive ticket, losing your current reservation entirely. Last-minute tickets are not cheap. Though airlines can sometimes over-deliver and help travelers with these issues, they are no longer required to, leaving travelers with uncertainty and without any guarantee of getting to their final destination. What does this all really mean? If your American Airlines flight, which connects you to your British Airways flight, is delayed and you miss your British Airways flight, you now may need to buy a whole new ticket, even if the delay is of no fault of your own and even though the two carriers are partners. Whether you miss it or not, you’ll now also need additional time to redo the check-in and bag drop process. This move puts Oneworld on par with SkyTeam and Star Alliance, which allow their airlines to curate individual policies (or none at all). With any hope, competition will mean airlines err on the side of helping travelers—and their bags—reach their destination seamlessly. But even if airlines may take the initiative to help fliers, taking away the essential rules protecting travelers is certainly disconcerting. As with all bad news, what’s most important is how to avoid it. Get the scoop from your airline as to how they’ll handle your reservation and check-in baggage before you travel, leave more time for connections and, most importantly, be quick to get in touch with your airline as soon as you foresee any problems. Oh, and of course, pack an extra-awesome carry-on bag.
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__label__pos Construction Frogs Perhaps to get evolutionists to rethink their beliefs, the Creator has provided many inventive and unique structures. There are so many of these that even the longest evolutionary timescale could not account for their evolution. Let's focus on a few examples among frogs for a moment. Frogs need to keep their eggs moist. Water must be available for their tadpoles. Frogs have many different ways of doing this. The Venezuelan marsupial frog has a skin pouch, just like a kangaroo, except hers is on her back. The female marsupial frog stores her eggs in the pouch. There is plenty of moisture and protection in her pouch for the young frogs. When they are mature, the skin pouch sort of unzips, and out come up to 20 young frogs! The Brazilian tree frog uses a completely different approach. This frog actually builds a pool of mud, near a pond, in which it lays its eggs. This pool is usually built so that by the time the eggs have developed into strong tadpoles, the regular tropical rains wash the pool, along with the swimming tadpoles, into the pond! In Job 38:36, the Lord asks Job, "Who has put wisdom in the mind?" It is obvious to us that only the Lord, the Creator of heaven and earth, could have given frogs these abilities and this knowledge. And it is just as clear that it is nonsense to say that chance and time made these frogs and their abilities.
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__label__pos Islamic endowments ( waqfs) have an important history in Muslim countries, serving both as a means for individuals to do good works and as a way to avoid Islamic regulations concerning inheritance. In most places, due to a combination of colonial rule and the perception that waqfs stood in the way of economic progress, this institution declined precipitously in the 19 th century. But among the Palestinians, especially in Jerusalem during the period of British rule (1917-48), it uniquely flourished. In a densely written and meticulous study, Reiter shows why: in part because Palestinians saw in the waqf a means of keeping land from being sold to the Zionists, in part because of its economic utility for managing property. Interestingly, Reiter notes that the establishment of waqfs declined during the period of Jordanian control over Muslim Jerusalem (1948-67), only to revive when Israel won control over the whole city. His study casts new light on a central Islamic institution and on the detailed complexity of the Arab-Israeli conflict.
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__label__pos In this tougher economy, couples are finding it necessary to take the jobs they can get, and that means more couples work different shifts. If one of you works a “graveyard shift” or rotating shift job that limits your time together; the difference in your shifts and commutes may mean you actually get to spend very little waking time together. You’ve heard a lot from various experts about how important communication and intimacy are to the health and survival of your relationship. But they don’t talk about how to stay in touch when you barely see each other. Phone calls, e-mails, photos and instant messages help, but it’s hard to feel as close when you don’t see each other. It’s also difficult to make joint decisions when one of you doesn't experience the problems your partner is facing. Spending most of your time apart due to shift changes may be so far from your original expectations of marriage that you don’t really know how to handle it. You may be squabbling about being stuck with all the household chores while your partner feels cut off from the world by a night shift; and both you and your partner may be feeling all the intimacy and partnership gradually draining out of your relationship, leaving you with an empty shell where your marriage used to be. Spouses at home during the day have to deal with all the household problems: plumbing that doesn’t work, financial decisions to make, all the child rearing and discipline, and all the chores usually shared by two. Spouses at home at night are lonely, isolated, and feeling out of touch with your family. Schedule juggling can present an enormous problem in this situation, because you are not always in control of when you’re required to be away from home. You are not at home at the same time, you must solve problems about how the household chores will be handled, bills will be paid, and children and pets will be cared for. The other major problem with two different commuting schedules is finding time to be at home together. It is also possible to have so much to catch up on when you’re both home that there is little time for the two of you to reconnect. When your schedules mesh well, it means that one of you can take care of things while the other is gone, and you get enough time together to enjoy each other and feel like a family. When it works well, this type of alternate commuting can make it possible to have two incomes and still care for children, family members and household responsibilities. Long-term Situations If separate shifts are a long- term situation, your situation offers some benefits and some problems. The benefits are that you have time to establish your routine, develop support systems, and even develop a re-entry system that works. The problems, of course are that you are spending a lot of time apart, and keeping your connection and intimacy feeling fresh is not easy. Long-term schedule problems present transition problems because you need to plan for long-term solutions, such as: Household maintenance: If you are working different shifts, you may need to change your expectations about how well your house or yard will be maintained in one partner’s absence. The dayshift partner may not have enough time or expertise to get it all done alone. The nightshift partner might have to sleep most of the daylight hours. Neither of you have a lot of time for maintenance and housekeeping. If your budget permits, you can pay for some of the maintenance jobs (lawn mowing, basic housekeeping) that you once handled together. Ongoing childcare: Often children are the main reason for splitting shifts in the first place, so at least one parent can be home when the kids are. Keeping on the same page about parenting issues can be tough. Social networks and support: You might find that having a social life is difficult, but most couples need the support of friends and family. You may have to do your social activities separately, much of the time. New routines: for meals, cooking, shopping: If you don’t cook and your partner is not at home, eating and feeding your family can present another problem. For the short term, eating take-out or in restaurants can work OK, but in a long- term situation, you’ll find you may have to develop new resources of food or abilities to cook. A partner who is used to shopping and cooking for two or for the family may find that eating alone becomes a problem. While this is a great time to go on that diet you’ve wanted to try, but haven’t because your partner isn’t on it; it does require some uncomfortable adjustment and rethinking. Ways to communicate: about marriage business: If you’re on split shifts for a long period of time, you may need to find a different way to make decisions about bill paying, hiring help, and budgeting. Especially if one partner is sometimes incommunicado, at work, the at-home partner needs to have the ability and permission to make occasional unilateral decisions. This can create an uncomfortable change in the power structure of your partnership. How to stay emotionally close: When the time you have together is scarce for a long period of time, you need to change your routines for keeping in contact and maintaining a strong emotional connection. Splitting shifts for an extended period can be very lonely for both partners, and even if you have close family relationships or strong friendships, it doesn’t replace “pillow talk,” physical affection, and shared experience. Making your split shift marriage work begins with getting as realistic a picture of your situation as you can, and then making plans to solve each problem that you envision, as well as learning to solve new issues that arise on the spot. Navigating these uncharted waters will involve making a lot of joint decisions, and will help you develop teamwork. Try this method of solving problems, and take each problem one at a time. Steps for Solving Problems Whether You’re Apart or Together 1. Make an appointment: Don’t ambush each other with a problem, especially when you’re getting ready for bed, about to make love, rushing off to work, or during an unplanned telephone conversation. Or, if you realize a discussion is building into an argument, stop it by making an appointment to discuss the issue later. To make an appointment by e-mail or IM when you’re apart, or briefly in person when you’re together, say: “I have a problem I’d like to discuss. Will you have time tonight after dinner (or this weekend, or tomorrow afternoon)?” Make an appointment when you’ll both have time to think and respond thoughtfully. Alternatively, if you won’t have time to talk in the near future, agree on an e-mail heading (e.g.: problem discussion) that will alert your partner that you are asking to work on a problem, then describe your problem as in the next step. 2. Think through the problem and describe it carefully: This is not the time to just blurt out whatever comes to mind. Writing it down first is very valuable here. Also, try to state your problem as a problem for you, and not to blame your partner or anyone else. For example, say “I feel frustrated when you come home late, because I worry that something’s wrong.” Rather than: “Why can’t you be on time?” or “You’re always late, and it makes me mad.” Before your appointment time, figure out what your problem is and how to state it so your partner will understand and not feel attacked. Ask your partner to agree that he or she will hear and try to understand what you’re saying without interrupting. Then, ask your partner for his or her opinion of what you can do together to fix the problem. Do not get into who’s right or wrong, but focus on understanding each other and coming up with a solution. “It doesn’t work for me not to know what checks you wrote. I understand you’re busy, but can we find a way to fix it? Maybe we can get checks with carbon copies, and then when you come home, you can put your copies in the checkbook, so I can figure out what our balance is.” 3. Generate Options: Take turns challenging each other to come up with the best solution for the problem. Have fun with it, don’t be afraid to be silly, and you’ll free up your thinking so you’ll come up with more creative options. “I know, let’s win the lotto, then we won’t need to know how much we have in the bank!” “Maybe we can have an account with online access, then I can input the checks I write, and you can check the balance any time.” 4. Discuss the possibilities: When you have enough ideas of what to do, discuss them – which would be best for both of you? Consider how your partner would feel about any decision, as well as how you feel. Try decisions on and imagine how they would work. 5. Try it on: If you’re not sure which decision would work, consider trying one or two of them out for a short time, to learn from your experience. For example: If you’re struggling about your time schedule, and one of you feels like you don’t have enough time together, while the other feels pulled by work commitments, try a schedule change that you may not think will work, just to see what you can learn from it. If you’ve been a stay-at-home parent and you need or want to go back to work, take a temporary job for a couple of months to see how it feels and how it changes your family life. If your job offers you a shift change, talk over how the changes will affect your day-to-day life: who picks up the kids, who shops, who cooks, how you’ll get the maintenance done, and what time off you’ll have together. Once you’ve done the research or tried the change on, you’ll have a lot better idea of which solution will work for both of you. 6. Clarify your choice: It’s unfortunately easy to think you’ve agreed upon something when you actually are thinking two different things. To avoid this problem, when you think you’ve reached a decision, state it out loud. “OK, so we’re agreed: we’re going to…” It can even help to write it down, in case your memory is different later. If find yourself disagreeing about what you decided, you can check with your written agreement. You can go back and follow these steps any time you’re having trouble finding a solution or making a decision. They work great even when a decision you previously made needs renegotiation. Tina Tessina, Ph.D., has been a licensed California psychotherapist for more than 30 years. She has authored more than 11 books, including "Money, Sex and Kids"; “The Commuter Marriage: Keeping your Relationship Close While you’re Far Apart”; "How to Be a Couple and Still Be Free"; "The Unofficial Guide to Dating Again"; and, “It Ends with You: Grow Up and Grow Out of Dysfunction.” Tina can be reached at tina@tinatessina.com.
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__label__pos Omega-Caps® are specially formulated with a blend of essential fatty acids and vitamin E to help support the immune system of your dog or cat. The active ingredients in Omega-Caps snip tips also help maintain joints, heart health, and normal brain function. Formulated with Omega-3 fatty acids, EPA and DHA, which are essential to the healthy functioning of your pet's body, especially the brain and nervous system. They also play a key role in vascular health by supporting normal function of the cardiac muscle and promoting normal circulation. These fatty acids cannot be produced by your pet's body and so must be obtained through secondary sources like Omega-Caps snip tips. The antioxidant, Vitamin E, assists your pet's body in combating environmental pollutants by helping the body remove damaging free radicals. These fish flavored snip tip gels are an easy way to help maintain a healthy immune system, brain and nervous system, and a healthy heart in your dog or cat. Simply, snip the end and squeeze the gel out for your pet to readily consume these nutrients. Omega-Caps snip tips for Cats and Smaller Dogs is formulated for pets up to 45 lb, for pets weighing more, try Omega-Caps snip tips for Medium and Large Dogs. For Use In: Dogs and Cats Key Features: Eicosapentaenoic Acid (EPA) 540 mg Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA) 350 mg Vitamin E 3 IU You probably do not have the Flash Player installed for your browser or the video files are misplaced on the server! DISCLAIMER: The results described on the testimonials on this site, are the individual experiences and personal opinions of those who have purchased and used the products. These testimonials are not intended to make any claims that the products can be used to diagnose, treat, mitigate, cure or prevent any disease or medical condition.Click here to see all reviews Good product by Cindy from Oakland County, Michigan01/25/2013 Purchased from vet originally. Better price purchasing from here. Best price purchase by Phil from Waterford, Michigan08/07/2013 Best price purchase and recommended by the customer help line. Just started using productlast week, it will be difficult to know if product will make a difference as my dog is 14 years old and he takes other supplements. Great replacement for 3V Caps by Z2Crew4 from Southern California11/15/2011 Great for Sheltie coat and skin. Use scissors to cut tip and press on food. Our Shelties get them 3-4 times a week. Good Product, Delivery System Just OK by KateLR from Arkansas11/25/2013 I turned to this product when I could no longer get a similar one. It seems to be working as well as the other, but the snip tips are inconsistently made. One capsule opens easily, others are very hard to open, and the contents can squirt out in ANY direction, without warning. Using scissors to open them gets the liquid on the scissors, which then have to be washed. Twisting the tips off and squeezing the capsule gets the liquid on my hands.But since my Golden Retriever refuses to eat the whole capsule, no matter how well I hide it in his food, it's just going to be a messy procedure! Controls Skin Allergies by airedalemom from Phoenix, AZ06/14/2014 Keeps both my terriers out of the vet's office for steroid shots. True Fish Oil by Rozzie from Woodland Hills, California03/13/2013 You have to be careful squeezing these in the right place.....because if it gets on your skin or anything else it has a very bad smell. My Labs coat is looking better and I'm hoping that it helps his heart and bones as well. Too Messy ... by Pdxportie from Portland, OR02/28/2011 I travel a lot with my three porties in my motorhome ... I don't like smelling like fish oil!!!! It's probably an OK product ... still too early to tell! Much prefer the soft gels just thrown in with the dogs' food ... Good value by Sue11/07/2012 I purchased a similar product from my veterinarian prior to purchasing Omega-Caps. The bottle was much smaller and cost about the same. Good product by Mac from Central Florida05/08/2014 My dog's breeder recommended putting him on omega oils for his coat. His coat is looking much better now. Snip Tips are convenient, easy to use, and do not have a fishy smell.
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__label__pos Pokémon Go: Pokémon Go I think it’s safe to say that the Pokémon Go craze has pretty much taken over our lives. Even if you haven’t jumped on the bandwagon, you’re at least very aware of, and possibly annoyed by, its existence. People from different generations and walks of life are all participating in this one collective experience. What makes the game so great is, for one thing, it is encouraging people to become more active. Whereas with most virtual reality games you have to remain stasis for long periods of time, in order to succeed at the game you actually have to physically go out into the world. The game mixes virtual reality and, well, reality in such a way that gamers from all walks of life are being compelled to, well, walk. Not only does it encourage an active lifestyle, but this is the first scenario where walking around with your face plastered to your phone will end up allowing you to interact with new people. It is so easy to meet and strike up a conversation with a fellow Pokémon Go player. We are all being drawn to the same locations and we all already have something very big in common. Getting children (or adults) to be active is wonderful. However, there are some pitfalls. The game is very addictive, which can take up quality family time. Another downfall is that children are walking with their eyes focused on phone and not paying attention to where they are in fact walking. There have already been reported accidents of people not paying attention and walking into traffic. Stay safe by teaching children safety rules about Pokémon Go. Make rules based upon not only safety but what you feel is necessary for your child and your family. With just a little preparation, Pokemon Go can be a delight to each family member!
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__label__neg Reacted Calcium 180 caps Details Ingredients Send to friend Customers Also Bought Customer feedback Reacted Calcium 180 caps | Ortho Molecular Products Four different forms of calcium are used in the Reacted Calcium formula to maximize absorption in the body.* Reacted Calcium has three unique forms of highly-absorbed calcium to ensure maximum absorption of this important macromineral. While most calcium supplements use only a single source of calcium, which can easily overwhelm a single pathway of absorption and limit uptake, Reacted Calcium takes advantage of three unique pathways of absorption by providing calcium in the hydroxyapatite, di-calcium malate, and glycinate forms. In addition, Reacted Calcium includes vitamin D and phosphorus, both critical nutrients for bone mineralization and remodeling* Reacted Calcium 180 caps | Ortho Molecular Products Product rating Reviews Disclaimer *Your results may vary from those listed above. *These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. *This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Since we do not know everything about your medical history and medications, please consult with your health care practitioner before implementing any new protocols and supplements. Do not construe any information listed on this site as a substitute for actual medical advice. The info you receive from us is not intended to replace medical advice by your doctor. Forrest Health, Inc. does not dispense medical advice, prescribe, or diagnose illness. We offer nutritional programs and supplements that support your health. The views and nutritional advice expressed by Forrest Health, Inc. are not intended to be a substitute for conventional medical service. If you have a medical condition, see your physician of choice.
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__label__neg Many of us find it difficult to compose a sympathy message to a bereaved acquaintance. It can be especially difficult if you have never written out condolence cards before. There are many questions as to what you should say, or what would be considered appropriate. When sending condolences it is important not to procrastinate. There are occasionally delays that cannot be helped, but in general it is a good idea to keep a supply of simple, dignified sympathy cards on hand so that your message can go out quickly. If you are concerned about what you should say, keep in mind that brevity and simplicity are always appropriate. Don't overwhelm yourself searching for flowery, heart-rending phrases; they wouldn't be suitable anyway. Start with a salutation. Your salutation should be based on whether the card is going to a close friend or family, a business associate or employee, or an acquaintance. Dear Susan and Family, Dear Mr. Willis, Dear Gloria, Bobby and Ruth, Dear Johnson Family, Dear Friends, Even if the sympathy card you have already chosen has a printed sentiment, it would be a nice gesture to add a personal note below the printing. You can start by expressing your sympathy. My/Our sincere (heartfelt/deepest) sympathy/condolences on the death (loss/passing) of your mother/husband (or use the deceased's first name). If you knew the deceased well enough to make a more personal statement, you can do so with a few extra words. I/We will always remember his bright smile and sunny temperament. I/We will miss her wise counsel. She/he will be sincerely missed and warmly remembered by so many of us. Try to stay away from writing anything that presumes what the bereaved is thinking or feeling. Your sympathy cards really shouldn’t be the place to offer advice, counseling, platitudes, or your personal religious views. You may however, want to add one last thought letting the bereaved know of your concern. You are in my thoughts and prayers. You and your family are in our thoughts. Once you are finished composing your message, you may close, above your signature, with: Sincerely, With sincere caring, In loving sympathy, Remember to put your clearly legible name and address on the envelope. It will make it much easier for the bereaved to keep track of whom they received cards from. Composing condolence cards doesn’t have to be a difficult process, even if you have never done it before. The bereaved will appreciate the sentiment, and you can rest assured that your card was both appropriate and comforting.
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__label__pos Phone technology plateaued two years ago about the time of the Apple iPhone 6 and 6 Plus. Since then improvements have been incremental. Sure todayís processors are faster and cameras are better. Battery life is a little longer. Some apps are smarter. None of this changes much in the real world. You wonít be much more productive with a 2016 phone than with a two year old one. Nor will you have much more fun. Since 2014 upmarket phones from top brands have been good enough for most purposes. There could be an evolutionary jump when mobile networks move to 5G. And thereís always a possibility a new technology will emerge from left field. That’s all folks Yet for the most part, thatís it. Phones have evolved to the point where they do everything we need and they do it well enough for most people. There are few compelling reasons to upgrade phones. Unless youíre rough with your hardware, there is no urgent need to spend on new kit every two years or so. You may want the newest features, but you wonít get productivity benefits or more fun. The returns on phone investment have diminished. At this point it becomes a matter of fashion or cosmetics. Some many view phones like they see jewellery. Nobody needs a phone that does iris recognition. Features like this are like chrome and tail fins on 1960s American cars. They do little more than tell you this yearís model is different from last yearís model. Todayís phone market is a replacement market. Wear and tear Phones wear out. They wear out faster than PCs. Thatís because you use them more often. You drop them more often, charge and discharge their batteries more often. You can expect to get a good two years from a phone so long as you donít drop it or use it to stop bullets. If you are more careful, three or four years is possible. There are people using even older phones. Switching from constant upgrades to a replacement market means phone sales will stop growing. They may decline. This is already happening. Top of the phone market declining faster The downward sales trend is more noticeable at the top of the market. And itís even more noticeable in the Android world. With Apple you get the benefits of a wider ecosystem if you also use iPads and Macs. This effect is less pronounced with Android. There are no less expensive ways to get an Apple ecosystem phone. Samsungís top phones are twice the price of similar models from, say, Huawei. Most of us would struggle to think of useful things to do on, say, a Galaxy S7 that we canít do on a Huawei P9. Where more means less The more expensive phone may have five or ten percent more functionality. It could be worth the money if the extra features make you more productive or stay entertained longer. Otherwise, itís money that could be better spent elsewhere. This poses a problem for phone brands like Samsung and Apple. For now, they still have momentum from the glory years and there may be pockets of untapped growth. Yet they need to find ways to persuade existing users to upgrade before existing models wear out. They need to give users reasons to switch brands. They are running out of headroom.
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__label__pos There's no glamour in consolidation. Often sold as a way to rein in IT costs, CIOs are usually stuck with selling what's perceived as a negative by most agencies. Staff members dislike the disruption, the change and cost cutting. In the end, many CIOs end up drained of all momentum for initiating anything of strategic value. That's not the case with Utah CIO Steve Fletcher. In 2005, out of the dysfunction and failure of running IT as separate agency fiefdoms, the state created the Department of Technology Services (DTS) and hired Fletcher to run what has become one of the nation's few fully centralized state IT departments. Fortunately the state hired someone with both prior government IT experience - as CIO for the U.S. Department of Education - and a solid business private-sector background. Fletcher also has a flair for leadership that enabled DTS to succeed. Since taking over, Fletcher streamlined how technical staff service remote government locations in the large, mountainous state - reducing travel time and labor costs. He also took control of an IT project that many government CIOs would gladly avoid: a state enterprise social service system. It is, in theory, a Holy Grail of systems integration. In reality, it can be an unwieldy IT project that may often buckle under the weight of federal policy mandates, cost overruns, cultural issues and inflexible software. Fletcher took over the state's fledgling enterprise program for health and human services (HHS) eligibility and case management, after removing the systems integrator who was struggling to keep the project on track. Fletcher made DTS the project integrator, partnered with the system's software vendor to ensure quality in the system's modules, and worked with the state's HHS agencies to maximize project management success. Why did Fletcher believe it would succeed? "For one thing, we have control over the entire project and it's cheaper this way," he said. That control is balanced by solid relationships with the software vendor and the various business managers who have a stake in the project's outcome. Fletcher's unique background as both a public CIO and businessman makes him uniquely positioned to lead government IT in the 21st century.
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__label__neg In the United States, the average median psychologist salary is reported to be about $86,000 per year or about $ per hour. The top 10th percentile of psychologists make about $110,000 or more per year or about $ or more per hour. The bottom 10th percentile earns annual wages of $68,000 or less or hour wages or $ or less. The middle 50% of psychologists (majority of them) have salaries ranging from $76,000 to $98,000 per year which is between $ and $ per hour. Psychologists can be put into two broad areas. These are clinical and counseling psychologists. The average salaries for both fields differ slightly. According to information from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the average salary for clinical psychologists is $64,000 per year. The bottom 10th percentile earns $38,000 or less per year and the top 10th percentile earns about $106,000 or more per year. Counselling psychologists earned slightly higher. They earned an average of $69,000 per year. The bottom 10th percentile earn about $40,000 or less per year and the top 10th percentile earn about $112,000 or more per year. As with most jobs, there will be factors that influence the salary of a psychologist. These factors include number of hours worked, number of year of experience on the job, geographical location of the job, type of establishment, industry of establishment and skills level. Each of these factors can either slightly raise or lower the wage. When considering a psychologist salary based on the industry they work in, the breakdown is as below: Those working in the offices of other health professionals earned an average of $81,000 per annum. Those that work in psychiatric and substance abuse hospitals reported an average annual income of about $75,000 per year. Those working in educational support capacities such as school counselors had an average salary of about $67,000 per year. Psychologists working in outpatient care centers reported income of about $68,000 per annum on average. Our report also found that psychologists in Rhode Island received the highest average salary in the country followed by Hawaii and New York. Psychologists may also be entitled to benefits from their employers. Employers generally pay benefits such as social security, bonuses, pension, healthcare benefits, 401K and paid time off. When these benefits are added to the base salary, the total remuneration package could come to a median of about $120,000 per year. Those in self-employment are responsible for paying these benefits. Job description of a psychologist Psychologists are responsible for evaluating, diagnosing and treatment of mental and emotional disorders in patients. Psychologists will often find themselves classified under one of the following subspecialties: Clinical psychologist Counselling psychologist Developmental psychologists Forensic psychologists Industrial-organizational psychologists School psychologists Social psychologists Clinical psychologists often work in private practices, hospitals, counselling centers and clinics. They provide mental and emotional disorder patients with a way of adjusting to their life. They often help patients that have undergone some form of trauma deal with their post traumatic syndromes. A clinical psychologist’s clients list can include people dealing with persona crisis such as injury, the death of a loved one and divorces or heartbreaks. Most of what they do involves talking to patients. They make diagnosis by talking to patients to better understand what they are going through. They use treatments ranging from psychotherapy and medication. Where medication is concerned, they often consult with other physicians to determine which medication is should be prescribed. Counselling psychologists work with patient’s case history, interviews as well as observation to provide counselling service to patients. They aim to help people achieve personal goals and deal the stress of day to day living. They often give advice to their patients. They may often deal with people’s problems such as low self-confidence, social problems and people wanting to make changes in their lives. How to become a psychologist Programs include Bachelor of Science in Human Services, Bachelor of Science in Psychology in Addiction, and more. Approved as an education provider by the National Association for Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors (NAADAC). Courses cover topics such as addiction science, assessment, prevention, and treatment. Students learn how to identify, plan, and use resources to help improve client situations. Programs: Psychology MS in Psychology - Applied Behavior Analysis Specialization MS in Psychology - General Psychology And more... Bachelor of Science in Psychology program helps students prepare for careers in counseling, marketing/sales, human services, ministry, and more. The School of Psychology & Counseling received a 95% match rate for 4th year Psy.D. student internships in 2015. Programmatic accreditation for psychology programs is provided by the American Psychological Association (APA). Regionally accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). Programs: Master of Science in General Psychology Bachelor of Science in Professional Studies - Psychology Bachelor of Science in Psychology Ranked one of the Best Online Bachelor’s Programs in 2014 by U.S. News and World Report. Offers a no-obligation, 3-week trial period where students may determine if the university is right for them before they commit to it. Strives to be a student’s partner in lifelong learning; committed to helping them achieve their goals. Serves students of all ages, from first-graders learning to read to professionals seeking postgraduate training. Provides career-oriented diploma through master’s programs in fields such as healthcare, business, legal and paralegal services, information technology, criminal justice and design. Programs: Bachelor of Science in Psychology : Applied Behavior Analysis Master of Science in Psychology : Applied Behavior Analysis Master of Science: Psychology And more... Locations:Hagerstown Programs: Drug & Alcohol Treatment Specialist Join the community of thought leaders at University of the Rockies. Pursue your graduate degree from the University’s School of Professional Psychology or School of Organizational Leadership. Programs: MA in Psychology, General Psychology MA in Psychology, Health and Wellness Psychology Doctor of Psychology, Sports and Performance Psychology And more... Earn your graduate degree online with Northcentral University. We offer online programs focused on doctoral and master’s degrees in the schools of business and technology management, education, psychology and marriage and family sciences. Programs: Psychology - BA General Psychology - PhD of Psychology Health Psychology - PhD of Psychology And more... CTU can help you connect to what matters most: a powerful professional network, faculty who are real-world professionals and innovative technology. And now several CTU degree programs are ranked by U.S. News Best Online Programs for 2015. Are you in? Programs: Bachelor of Science in Psychology - Consumer Behavior Bachelor of Science in Psychology - Organizational Behavior Bachelor of Science in Psychology The Chicago School is a not-for-profit, regionally accredited institution with more than 4,285 students at campuses across the country (Chicago, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C.) and online. TCSPP has been an innovator in the field of psychology and related behavioral science for more than 30 years. TCSPP offers more than 20 degree programs and a wealth of opportunities for international experiences. Programs: M.S. Applied Behavior Analysis Ph.D. Business Psychology, Consulting Track Ph.D. International Psychology And more... Locations:Washington See What’s Possible When You Earn a Degree at Florida Tech 100% Online Whatever your motivation for considering an undergraduate or graduate degree, Florida Tech offers programs online that can meet your needs. Here are a few reasons Florida Tech may be the right choice for you. Programs: Associate of Arts in Applied Psychology Bachelor of Arts in Applied Psychology Bachelor of Arts in Applied Psychology/Clinical Psychology And more... Programs: Bachelor of Arts in Psychology Most psychologists hold either a master’s doctoral or specialist degrees. For those wanting to become clinical psychologists, they will need to have either a Ph.D. degree in psychology or another degree known as a Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.). The Ph.D. in psychology degree is a generally a research based degree. Students qualify for this degree by completing an extensive examination and doing a dissertation through original research. The second degree, Psy.D. is more of a clinical degree. Students undertake more practical experience instead of a dissertation. They must also pass an extensive exam. Psychologists with a master’s degree often find themselves working as industrial-organizational psychologists. They can however work in clinical, research or counselling settings as assistants to psychologists with doctorial qualifications. If you want to study psychology in graduate school, you should know that entry into this program is very competitive. Although a bachelor’s degree in psychology is not a pre-requisite for admission, you are required to have done some coursework in experimental and introductory psychology and statistics. If you want to practice psychology or be called a psychologist, you will need to get licensed or certified in most states. In every state, a license is required to operate your own individual practice. In most states it is required that the psychologist have a doctoral degree, undertake an internship, have about 1 – 2 years of experience and pass an exam in order to get a license. Most are required to have some sort of supervised training from a qualified psychologist before they are allowed to practice. Verdict on psychologist salary Psychologists undergo extensive education and treatment and often work in stressed environments. A lot of them open their own practices or have private consultations. As such a psychologist salary should be a very rewarding one. How much you end up earning depends on so many factors. It is not uncommon to see very large discrepancies in the salary of psychologists with similar qualifications.
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__label__neg GDP in Hungary increased by 2.6 percent during the second quarter of 2016, an outstanding figure in EU comparison and the second highest level of Q2 growth within the European Union. Despite the fact that the level of EU funding received by Hungary was again lower than expected in the second quarter of the year, the growth trajectory of the Hungarian economy continues to show promising signs. Hungary’s GDP is currently 10 percent higher than its 2010 level. The total rate of growth for the first half of 2016 was 1.9 percent, which was significantly contributed to by the fact that practically every sector performed well between April and June. Industrial production increased by 3.9% compared to the first quarter and despite flood, storm and frost damage agriculture is expected to produce an excellent harvest. The sector’s production increased by 13.4 percent compared to the same period last year, thanks to a significant extent to the fact that 8 million tons of maize are expected to be harvested in the autumn compared to 6.5 million tons last year. The service sector also achieved significant growth, thanks in part to the fact that the population is gradually earning more money: gross incomes increased by 6-6.5 percent during the first half of the year. The demand-stimulating effect of the increase in real wages also led to growth of some 8 percent in the retail and tourism sectors. Thanks to the above, consumption broke a 13-year record: household consumption grew by 5.1 percent, the highest increase since 2003. Other factors leading to the increase in addition to the outstanding wage dynamics include the close to zero percent inflation environment and the significant year-on-year increase in employment of some 140 thousand people registered in Q2 of this year. In addition to consumption, net exports also had a tangible stimulating effect on growth, in harmony with the increase in industrial production. (Ministry for National Economy)
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__label__neg human evolution Hominid Evolution The earliest known hominids are members of the genus Australopithecus, the earliest of which date to more than 4 million years ago. Unlike other primates, but like all hominids, australopithecines were bipedal. Their crania, however, were small and apelike, with an average cranial capacity of about 450 cc in the gracile species and 600 cc in the robust forms. Australopithecines that have been considered ancestral in the lineage leading to the human genus Homo include A. afarensis (an important skeleton of which is popularly known as Lucy) and A. africanus. The exact position of these and other early species on the hominid family tree continues to be disputed. The first member of the genus Homo, a small gracile species known as H. habilis, was present in east Africa at least 2 million years ago. H. habilis was the first hominid to exhibit the marked expansion of the brain (with an average cranial capacity of about 750 cc) that would become a hallmark of subsequent hominid evolutionary history. By about 1.6 million years ago, H. habilis had evolved into a larger, more robust, and larger-brained species known as Homo erectus. Cranial capacities ranged from about 900 cc in early specimens to 1050 cc in later ones. H. erectus persisted for well over a million years and migrated off the African continent into Asia, Indonesia, and Europe. Between 500,000 and 250,000 years ago, H. erectus evolved into H. sapiens. Transitional forms between H. erectus and H. sapiens are referred to as archaic H. sapiens. With the exception of H. sapiens neandertalensis (see Neanderthal man), no additional subspecies are recognized. Indeed, some scientists consider Neanderthal a separate species. Archaic H. sapiens changed gradually, becoming somewhat larger, more gracile and larger-brained through time. Cranial capacity, for example, increased from about 1150 cc in early transitional forms to the current world average of just over 1350 cc. By 150,000 years ago in Africa and Asia and 28,000 years ago in Europe (see Cro-Magnon man), the transition to H. sapiens was complete, and fully modern humans became the single surviving hominid species (with the possible exception of the humans represented by the remains found on Flores, Indonesia, which may represent a dwarf hominid species that survived until 13,000 years ago). Sections in this article: The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2012, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved. See more Encyclopedia articles on: Human Evolution
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__label__pos Financial Lessons from an African Dictator by Rich Checkan, Investment U Contributor Friday, June 24, 2011: Issue #1542 [ Editor's Note: Richard Checkan is one of the smartest investment minds I know. The Vice President of Asset Strategies International, Rich has often contributed unique moneymaking insights to Investment U. His specialty: building wealth using gold, silver and other hard assets. Today's piece is one of his most provocative... and potentially valuable. ~ Garrett Baldwin] Core holdings. These represent your emergency finances. Your ace in the hole - the gold and silver (and maybe some platinum) that you hope you never have to use, but thank the heavens you have if you do. They are your bridge across social, political and economic chaos. And the world is full of chaos. With Libya now looking like America's third war in little more than a decade, it's hard to imagine what the people of Tripoli are doing in order to make ends meet with the country burning around them. I was reminded of the importance of core holdings recently when I saw a Financial Times article about Libya's beleaguered dictator, Col. Moammar Gadhafi. The article explained that Gadhafi had only one hope of financing his war against the insurgents who were threatening to topple his regime. He couldn't borrow the money. He couldn't even access funds Libya had moved abroad. His accounts were frozen worldwide... Gadhafi Saved By Libya's Core Holdings in Gold His only source of funds was his "core holdings" - the gold that he had stored at the Libyan Central Bank. While most central banks store their gold in London, Switzerland, or New York City, this is not the case with Libya. Gadhafi had always insisted that Libya's gold be stored at the Libyan Central Bank in Tripoli. We're not talking about some coins or bars tucked away in a safe-deposit box, by the way. Libya's gold holdings rank in the top 25 in the world. It is estimated that the bank is sitting on roughly 144 tons of the world's oldest and best form of money. At today's prices, that is $6.5 billion worth of the yellow metal. That may only represent a few minutes worth of government spending in this country; but in Libya, it's enough to finance a war. So while no legitimate business or government will loan Gadhafi money now, or even trade with him, his hoard of gold may be the answer to his financial needs. He can use it to acquire currency, arms, food and other supplies for his military. Wealth Insurance: Core Holdings of Gold and Silver As I read the article, I was struck by this real-world example of the message we have preached so many times: When markets are volatile, you need some "core holdings" of gold and silver. There is simply no better "wealth insurance" than having precious metals as part of your portfolio. We saw the value of gold as emergency money when the Vietnamese refugees fled South Vietnam in the 1970s. We saw it repeated when South Korea emerged from the Asian currency crisis several years ago. Gold helped them rebound faster than most other countries from the Asian flu. We saw it in this country when the stock market tumbled. In many cases, margin calls could only be met by the liquidation of gold and other precious-metals holdings (which, by the way, maintained their value while paper assets were crumbling). Time and time again, we have seen the value of gold as wealth insurance. Granted, almost every cause is nobler than that of Libya's dictator. In good times and bad (and for good guys and bad), throughout history the role gold can play in solving a financial emergency is well-documented. A Liquid Store of Value for Financial Emergencies Simply put, gold is a store of value, in a liquid form, for a financial emergency that you pray you never have. You buy it and you hold onto it regardless of price fluctuations. If you have a financial emergency, you sell the gold to meet those obligations. That's what it is there for. And successful investing begins by conceding that - to a degree - uncertainty will always be your companion. That's why it's critical that you have a sound strategy that does more than just "diversify." The Investment U Asset Allocation Model provides a sound philosophy that helps you invest in an array of domestic and foreign stocks, bonds and precious metals. Doing this has allowed us to survive, prosper and build our wealth during the longest bear market since the Great Depression. And precious metals are an important part of your portfolio. You don't need an African dictator to remind you of that... Good investing, Rich Checkan Editor's Note: For more information about core holdings, email Rich Checkan at info@assetstrategies.com or call 800.831.0007. When you write or call, be sure to ask for a free subscription to ASI's weekly alerts and monthly newsletter, Information Line. They won't cost you a penny.
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__label__pos The French may be making lots of noise about trying to upgrade quality and make the appellation system really mean something, but it seems that a spot of bad weather is enough to dissolve those good intentions. In the Rhône Valley at any rate, which admittedly suffered dire weather leading up to the 2002 harvest without enough sunshine to ripen the grapes fully and with galloping rot thanks to a surfeit of rain, the minimum alcoholic degree for virtually all red wines has been conveniently reduced by 0.5 so that Côtes du Rhône musts, for example, needed only to reach 10.5 per cent alcohol to be granted full appellation status. I was assured by a spokesperson for the region however that this was not too important since all the wines would simply receive an extra half a degree's worth of added sugar. So that's ok then. You may ask whether half a degree of alcohol can matter much but I think it would be an important statement of intent if wine producers were to acknowledge that Nature doesn't always cooperate and pay the price of living in a climate which, because it is not guaranteed to ripen the grape fully, usually produces wines of such subtlety. What I think we all want to see is a dramatic decrease in the amount of 2002 wine sold under top labels in much of Europe. This will show real intent and consciousness of true quality - and could provide us with some reasonably priced second- and third-tier wines that will be ready for drinking much sooner than usual.
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__label__neg Energy efficiency means making wise choices to use less energy like: reducing unnecessary usage by turning lights off when you leave a room setting your thermostat at comfortable rather than cold setting on a hot day installing efficient appliances and electronic devices that are ENERGY STAR® rated Heating and cooling equipment accounts for half of a home’s energy use, followed by large appliances and electronic devices, water heating equipment, and lighting. At the bottom of the page there are more tips on how to reduce your energy usage. Remember—the less energy you use, the more money you save! KPUB offers several programs to help customers use less and save more, including: POWERHOUSE™ Education, Residential Energy Audits, Tree Power, and Weatherization. Click on the links to the left for more information on those programs. In addition, KPUB is currently reassessing its Energy Efficiency/Renewable Energy efforts to ensure that KPUB programs are up to date with the newest technologies and cost saving opportunities! Tips: Set your thermostat between 78 and 80 degrees during warm months. During colder months, a thermostat setting of between 68 to 70 degrees is recommended. Use a programmable thermostat to manage your daily heating and cooling needs. Try ceiling or portable fans to circulate air and make a room feel cooler. Turn off the television, fan and lights or lamps when you leave a room. Buy CFLs to replace less-efficient incandescent bulbs. Purchase energy-efficient appliances and products. Check the Energy Guide label and look for the ENERGY STAR® logo when purchasing these items. Turn off or unplug electronic devices, such as computers, power tools, cell phone chargers, digital cameras, and MP3s, when they are not being used. Reduce your use of hot water – take short showers, use cold water to wash clothes, etc. Call us for a Residential Energy Audit to reduce common inefficiencies. Smart Meters: Here are a few publications from the Public Utility Commission of Texas regarding smart meters and safety: The following link describes KPUB's current remote read meter infrastructure and illustrates KPUB's preliminary plans to evaluate the need for "smart grid" technologies:
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__label__pos Doctors at a Swedish eating disorder clinic are reporting that at least one modelling agency is trying to recruit female patients right on the clinics doorstep. Some reports even claim a modelling scout approached a girl who was so weak she was being transported in a wheelchair. In an interview with the Metro, The Director and Chief Physician at the clinic, Dr. Sandeberg said, “We think this is reprehensible. People have stood outside our clinic and tried to pick up our girls because they know they are very thin." According to staff reports, this appalling behaviour by talent scouts has been going on for more than a year and many of the girls are very sick teenagers. These girls have a BMI that is far below what is considered healthy or even underweight. What makes this particularly disturbing is the fact that, aside from the behaviour of the scouts being deplorable, what they are doing has the potential to do a great deal of harm. By offering someone a modelling job when they have an eating disorder, it can reinforce the persons eating habits and reward their negative body image. It could also encourage young people who have disordered eating patterns to take their behaviours to the next because they see it as a legitimate way to become a model. Christina Lillman-Ring Borg, a care coordinator says that her daughter was approached by the agency when she was in for treatment. She told the metro, “It is awful. Part of the disease is that you have a distorted body image, and you get a sudden flattery and a job offer. It does not facilitate the treatment of the disease." This type of behaviour could set eating disorder treatment back years as it reinforces the negative relationship with food that all ED’s have. Currently the only country that has laws that could stop this sort of behaviour is Israel. They recently passed a law that makes it illegal to use clinically underweight models. It is also illegal to display underweight models in catwalk shows and advertisements .
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__label__neg Smoking in pregnancy – the debate continues Pregnancy news News & Gossip 0 New research shows increase in childhood psychiatric problems if mums-to-be carry on dragging on the cigarettes Smoking in pregnancy has hit the headlines recently with research linking the bad habit to childhood psychotic problems, damaging an unborn son’s sperm and the increased risk of asthma and obesity. Adding to this list of health implications is new research by the Turku University Hospital, which has found the first direct links between mums-to-be smoking and psychiatric problems later on in childhood. Not only does smoking while pregnant put babies at risk of asthma and respiratory problems, but it also increases the chances of depression and ADHD later on in the child’s life, the research found. Based on birth records of over 175,000 children born in the late 1980s in Finland, the results found that the children who were exposed to smoke in the womb were 32% more likely to take a psychiatric drug later in childhood than those who had non-smoking parents. Pregnant women who smoked more than one packet of cigarettes a day raised the risk even higher, with 44% of their children most likely to suffer mental problems. If you’re pregnant and struggling to kick the habit, check out MFM’s guide on why you should do it. By Kyrsty Hazell 0 Comments Share Like this article? Showing of Uh-oh! You need to be logged in to do this... Sign In Sign Up Load more posts Write a comment
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__label__pos Komli Media , India’s leading digital advertising and technology company, today announced the beta launch of ViziSense MediaMix , India’s first online media planning tool that helps media planners and marketers identify the optimal mix of websites to attract the relevant target audience for online campaigns. ViziSense MediaMix has been developed with the aim of delivering accurate and reliable India-specific Web statistics for media planners, media buyers, and marketers. The easy-to-use MediaMix user interface can filter through thousands of websites and identify those that a selected target audience is most likely to visit. Media planners and buyers have so far lacked reliable demographic level data that identifies online preferences and browsing habits of the Indian audience. Moreover, marketers have often been challenged with the lack of an unduplicated view of their target audience across multiple websites. “The lack of reliable standards in online audience measurement has been one of the main reasons why Internet advertising has seen such a low share of overall ad budgets,” said Prasanth Mohanachandran, Executive Director – Digital Services, . “ViziSense Media Mix helps us overcome this issue and further allows targeting of specific audiences on the Internet, enabling us to take full advantage of the medium.” ViziSense MediaMix presents a site’s demographic composition for the selected target audience, along with overall statistics on unique unduplicated visitors, reach, and page views. MediaMix also contains features that allow agencies and marketers to save, export and compare media plans for future use. Uma Sivakumar, Head of Online Media, Tribal DDB India said, “We feel that this tool has come at the right time and will help online planners in creating media plans that are more scientific. It also helps that Komli Media is an indigenous company and hence has a better appreciation of the Indian Internet scene.” Currently in beta, MediaMix is based on the ViziSense platform, which employs statistical techniques and industry-led best practises to combine data from two continuously monitored sources: The ViziSense Panel, which captures the complete Internet behaviour and consumption pattern of more than 15,000 online users in real time. Panelists are recruited across a cross section of various demographic segments to ensure a well-diversified and representative sample. The ViziSense Tag, embedded by publishers on their Web pages, that provides actual traffic data for a given Web site. Satish Kadu, Vice President of Products, Komli Media said, “In our continuing efforts to improve audience measurement standards, we’re confident that MediaMix will be a useful tool for the Indian online advertising industry.” Access to ViziSense MediaMix is currently available by invitation only.
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__label__neg An email marketing consultant can help your business develop campaigns of the highest quality. With professional assistance, you can get amazing returns on your investment while branding your business, building a better image and rapidly increasing awareness of the products or services you provide. You can look forward to higher open rates and improved click-thru rates. This means that not only will more people be opening your emails, but they’ll be using these to navigate directly to your sales pages as well. Why hiring an email marketing consultant is so important Email marketing can be one of the cheapest forms to engage in for maximum outreach. It can also be one of the most efficient. Learning strategies that get people to open your transmissions, however, is critical. This is actually one of the top reasons to hire an email marketing consultant. Web users are inundated with marketing messages and many of these individuals are reluctant to willfully expose themselves to more by opening the transmissions that they receive from companies. Consultants can devise recognizable sender information for your business and create subject lines that are guaranteed to pique the interest of email recipients. These professionals also have a clear understanding of how often these transmissions should be sent and how to structure purchasing incentives so that they provide the best improvements to your bottom line. Deciding whether to have a full-time person in-house or work with consultants Few growing businesses can justify the costs of hiring a full-time professional who is solely dedicated to these efforts. An in-house provider will have to deliver phenomenal results in order to produce an acceptable return on investment. Consultants, however, can be secured at a much lower cost and can increase open and click-thru rates in a relatively nominal amount of time. These providers don’t need to be a regular part of your team in order to have a comprehensive understanding of your industry, the needs of your business and your customers. Regardless of the size of a company and the magnitude of its outreach, it’s generally best to choose consultants over salaried employees. What to look for when hiring consultants These professionals are also results-driven and can prove it by showing their successes with past or present clients, offering statistics concerning their improvements in open and click-thru rates and by showing how their strategies improve bottom lines. They also have a clear understanding of the connection between social media and email outreach, and maintain a presence on all of the most popular social media platforms. These individuals will be able to tell you all about the benefits and drawbacks of working with different email marketing service providers. Their knowledge in this area will speak volumes about their experience and their flexibility when it comes to structuring campaigns that are specific to the individual needs of a business and its targeted market. Need immediate Email Marketing talent? Click here!
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__label__pos Xenophon, suppose I think you have a spear. You deny it. You had a spear at one time, you say, but you got rid of it. Yet I believe you retain it. Could you convince me you do not? Of course I could, wise Socrates. I would swear an oath that I had no such weapon. But suppose you are not the man of honor I know you to be. Suppose you lack integrity, and have lied and deceived many times before. Should I be convinced merely by your oath? By the gods, you should not. Then how else might you convince me? You might enter my home and see for yourself I have no spear. Could I search your home, that is, not simply observe, but inspect? Certainly. And could I come at any time, without announcement? If this was required to redeem my honor, then yes, you could. And could I bring a group of men with me to validate my findings? Of course. But if we assume you are a man of guile, would you hide a spear in your home, where there is a chance it might be found? I am certain I would not, were I such a man. Would you hide a spear in the places where spears once were manufactured? Surely not. Would you hide it where spears were known to have been stored? That would be absurd. Even spears forgotten but thought destroyed would make me look a liar. But if you were artful in the ways of trickery, might you not bury the spear in the desert, in a place far from those traversed by men, and give no indication to me that such a place exists? That would be a superior stratagem. Who can know every desert dune? And if more clever still, perhaps you could place your spear in a wagon full of goods, a nondescript cart that is kept moving and seems a mere part of the city bustle? I could hide many spears in many such carts. I could move them between cities, between countries. You would be none the wiser. Indeed. And perhaps spears could be kept in the private homes of those I would have no reason to suspect. Could I possibly search every building in the city? Such an undertaking would require many hundreds of men and a like number of days. So you could hide your spear, and thus deceive me. It seems that it would be so. You would be content. Undoubtedly. But let us assume that you are not satisfied. Let us assume you are psychopathic and paranoid. And that you rule over a city that is held in awe and fear of your wrath. Very well. You commit torture and murder when necessary. As it must be. But you also subvert with various forms of influence, bribery, blackmail, extortion. Such is the way of things. Would you not try to so influence me? Would you not seek to blunt the vigor of my inquiries through some corrupt means? This is foolishness. What man would seek to corrupt Socrates? Then consider those who conduct the inspections for me. Perhaps they would be more corruptible? It seems likely. A few, at least. And if some of the spear seekers were so influenced, would I likely be able to find a spear? It is doubtful. Were some of the men seeking the spear under my thrall, they could tell me in advance where you would look, and I could move the spear before you arrived, if necessary. But let us assume that I have been seeking your spear from a position of true knowledge. Assume that I know a spear exists, in fact, many of them do, and I may even know where they are. But how could you, wise one? Could I not have informers? Could I not have sources of information from within your city? Could not the fear you inspire also lead to betrayal? Would not other cities that fear your spears give me information they have amassed from years of patient observation? This would be reasonable. Yet, if you knew such, why not reveal it? Perhaps the information was given me by someone close to you. Perhaps the source would be compromised if I let the information be known. And maybe I have more important things for the source to accomplish in the future. Prudence would counsel against such a revelation. This, too, is reasonable. Nevertheless, could you then not simply tell your seekers the information in private and let them appear to find the spear on their own, without artifice? But we have already concluded that you may have corrupted them. I cannot trust them. Just so. Giving them information might also compromise the source or sources that you value. So again, it appears that deception prevails. This is a conundrum. But all is not lost, young warrior. One can suggest hints that will guide the assistants. One can make insinuations that point to the truth. Such methods would not betray my sources. Moreover, even a blind squirrel will find an occasional acorn. Hope is a slim reed, Socrates. True. But bear in mind your task. You must prove to me that you do not have the spear that I already know you have. You set an impossible charge, my teacher. I cannot prove false what you know to be true. So you would give me the spear? I would not. If you cannot speak the full truth, I can continue to deceive. If no spear is uncovered, it will seem as though there is no spear to be found. If you cannot convince others, they will think you demented. They will give up the search. Therefore, reality is reduced to mere words and perceptions, and the chanting of the hoi polloi. It would seem so. And the spear remains hidden, until such time as you need to use it. Barring my ill fortune, it does. But I am not convinced, for I know the truth. Yet, O Socrates, does the truth matter? Given what we have concluded, what can one man do armed only with the truth? Assume also precision-strike weapons. — James S. Robbins is a national-security analyst & NRO contributor.
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__label__neg 464 pages, Figs, tabs For many, Africa is regarded as a place of mystery and negative images, where reports of natural disasters and civil strife dominate media attention, with relatively little publicity given to any of the continent's more positive attributes. Africa has at last begun to receive the depth of interest it has long deserved, in the shape of debates about trade, aid and debt, the 'Make Poverty History' campaign, and the UK 'Commission on Africa'. But, behind the superficial media facade, Africa is a diverse, complex and dynamic place, with a rich history and a colonial engagement that, although short-lived, was fundamental in determining the long-term future of the continent. At the start of the second decade of the twenty-first century, when the world is engulfed in a major financial crisis, Africa has the dubious distinction of being the world's poorest continent. This book introduces and de-mystifies Africa's diversity and dynamism, and considers how its peoples and environments have interacted through time and space. The background and diversity of Africa's social, cultural, economic, political and environmental systems is examined as well as key development issues which have affected Africa in the past, and are likely to be significant in shaping the future of the continent. These include; the impact of HIV/AIDS, sources of conflict and post-conflict reconstruction, the state and governance, the nature of African economies in a global context, and future development trajectories. Africa:Diversity and Development is a refreshing interdisciplinary text which enhances understanding of the background to Africa's current position and clarifies possible future scenarios. It is richly illustrated throughout with diagrams and plates, and contains a wealth of detailed case studies and current data. Chapter 1. Africa: Continuity and Change Chapter 2. Africa's People Chapter 3. African Environments Chapter 4. Rural Africa Chapter 5. Urban Africa Chapter 6. Health Chapter 7. Conflict and Post-conflict Chapter 8. African Economies Chapter 9. Developing Africa Chapter 10. What Future for Africa? There are currently no reviews for this product. Be the first to review this product! Tony Binns is Ron Lister Professor of Geography at the University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand. Alan Dixon is a Senior Lecturer in Geography at the University of Worcester, UK. Etienne Nel is an Associate Professor in the Department of Geography at the University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
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__label__pos Blanca Murillo’s morning routine, for the most part, would seem unremarkable to any woman: she washes her face, brushes her teeth, runs a comb through her hair and daubs on makeup. Then, as she has for the past seven years, she tugs on her girdle. Known as a faja, from the Spanish word for wrap, it was imported from Colombia, one of the world’s cosmetic surgery centers, where until recently it was used mostly for postoperative wear by recovering liposuction patients to keep swelling to a minimum and ensure that the skin tightens properly. But it has been embraced by young Latinas — and increasingly by other women — as a shortcut to a curvaceous body. For over 50 years, women in America have largely cast off such constrictive undergarments, which feminists criticized as symbols of repression. The nylon and Lycra underwear brand Spanx has been credited with reintroducing, and reacclimating, women to the concept of extra help for figure problems, but it may have also opened the door to a new generation of young women embracing the faja, which is far closer to the real thing — in all its organ-shifting, curve-exaggerating strength. Such girdles are a resurgent fashion phenomenon to a growing number of women who wriggle into them each day without a thought of what Gloria Steinem might say. Their newfound popularity is very much in evidence — or at least, the results are — on the streets of Corona, Queens, where Reggaeton music accompanies the rumble of the elevated subway, and where many immigrants from Colombia live.Continue reading the main story “You see the love handles?” asked Ms. Murillo, 33, a trim hairdresser who stands a doll-like 4 feet 3 inches tall, as she pinched a small fold of flesh at her midsection and lifted her shirt to reveal a well-worn faja. “With this, you hide it.” The comeback of fajas has surprised even those in the business of selling them; they had fallen out of favor before they were adopted for medical use. “I’m from the ’70s; we rejected it,” said Lisa Cipriani, 57, the proprietor of Caralinda Mis Fajas, one of the dozens of stores in Queens specializing in fajas. “This is the new generation,” she said, “and this is an option.” The demand has been soaring. Colfajas, which manufactures fajas and exports them from Colombia, raised its production by 47 percent last year and exported 60,000 items, thousands more than in past years, said Jean Pierre Velez, who helps run the family-owned company. Y & K, a small clothing and lingerie shop on Roosevelt Avenue in Jackson Heights, Queens, regularly sells out the roughly 4,000 fajas it ships in each year. The fajas comes in a variety of shapes and sizes, from full-body jumpsuits to tight belly bands, for women as well as men. The effects depend on the fabric heft of the fajas; they come in Lycra, cotton, nylon and latex. The less forgiving the material, the more flattering the effect. Prices typically run from $20 to over $70, depending on the fabric and how much of the body it covers. “There is a Spanish saying, you want to look ‘like a Coke bottle,’ ” said Lilliana Rios, 33, who reflects on the faja on her blog ThingsLatinosLoveorHate.com. “A lot of Spanish songs talk about women with shapes like a guitar, so that’s the curved look that Latina women want.” Getting the look requires some grit. Tugging on a faja can become a desperate bout of woman versus fabric. Flesh must be coaxed inside, battened down by hooks and, finally, sealed with a zipper that can force the air out of your lungs. “The first day you can’t stand it,” Ms. Murillo said. “But then it loosens it up.” Hidden under clothes the results may be sexy, but fajas are not. Most are the color of an Ace bandage and resemble body casts. Some are configured to squeeze certain areas and leave others to jiggle. Juan Lopez and his partner, Monica Arias, import the PonteBella brand of fajas from Colombia to Valley Stream, N.Y., on Long Island. Though they started out selling to medical spas and plastic surgeons, orders from the fashion market overtook medical sales about five years ago, Mr. Lopez said. More recently, calls have been pouring in from unexpected places: retailers in Great Neck and Garden City, also on Long Island, where the Latino populations are small. “In the beginning, it was almost only for Latinos and black women,” Ms. Arias said. “Now the white people are asking for fajas.” Recognizing the changing market, Ms. Arias said, the company began selling softer versions to appeal to a wider audience: some women’s ideal body might not involve the roller-coaster curves favored in Latin America. Girdles, once de rigueur, mostly disappeared during the 1960s, said Valerie Steele, the author of “The Corset: A Cultural History” and the director and chief curator of the Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology. “Clothing was showing more of the body, so it wasn’t good enough to just push the fat around,” she said. “The other reason was the thought that you shouldn’t have to rely on it, you were supposed to be healthy and in good shape already.” The feminist movement, Ms. Steele added, rejected the girdle as a symbol of repression, even as it fell out of fashion. The newfound popularity of fajas comes at a time when skyrocketing obesity rates crash into a body ideal that seems skinnier than ever. “There’s this radical disjunction between an ideal, which is slender and muscular, and a reality that more and more people are dramatically overweight,” Ms. Steele said. At Aishti, his store in Jackson Heights, Queens, Moussa Balaghi has begun carrying girdles in size “extra small,” because, to his shock, so many teenagers and even younger girls were coming in to request them. “Only chubby fat girls used to use this; now, everybody is,” he said, shaking his head. “If she has the smallest little thing at her waist, she wants to use this.” Ms. Rios, the blogger, said new fabrics had replaced the rubberized material of the old corsets, which were often reinforced with stiff struts called boning. And implicit celebrity endorsements helped popularize the new version for a new generation. “Fajas to me were something my mother would wear,” Ms. Rios said. “Now Spanx came along and you see Eva Longoria wearing it, Jennifer Lopez wearing it. Now it’s at a comfort level that women at any size and any age are wearing them.” At Caralinda Mis Fajas, clients ease their way into tighter and tighter fajas. A seamstress will resize the faja once or twice as a customer’s weight shifts downward. And it often does: a faja can hold the stomach so tight, Ms. Cipriani said, the wearer loses her appetite.Continue reading the main story
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__label__pos Last summer, Bob Litan and Lesa Mitchell of the Kauffman Foundation sent a short memo to Esther Lee at the Dept. of Commerce entitled “Accelerating the Commercialization of Government-Funded University-Based Research.” Although the Foundation, based in Kansas City MO, has been interested in university tech transfer at least since 2003 when it issued a report “Accelerating Technology Transfer & Commercialization in the Life & Health Sciences” (PDF at end of posting), this memo attracted little attention until, in December, The Harvard Business Review named it as containing one of the “Ten Breakthrough Ideas for 2010.” The alleged breakthrough is the proposal in the memo that, while universities will continue to own inventions made with Federal funding, professors should be free to not use their university’s technology transfer office (TTO), but to have the option of licensing their inventions through whatever agency they prefer. The Kauffman premise, to put it bluntly, is that most TTOs are “suboptimal” and that professors would be better off, in many cases, shopping their technology to faster-moving licensing entities (of some sort). The stated goal is to speed up the commercialization of new technologies while allowing universities to collect the same royalties as under the current system. So the Kauffman team feels that there are lots of professors with under-appreciated technologies who would benefit by being able to leave the corral of their institution’s TTO and ride off, if not into the sunset, into the arms of a third-party licensing entity who would make the translational connection needed to get the technology “from bench to bedside.” Really? To begin with, it is difficult to see how this would work in practice. The Kauffman memo suggests that the professor might have the option to prevent the TTO from even trying to license the technology while he or she shops it. Or will we now have dueling TTOs trying to license the same technology? (The memo suggests that a professor with an automotive invention who lives in, say, Kansas might want to use a TTO in Detroit.) And what will prevent third-parties from taking most of the licensing royalties? The memo mentions ownership, but it does not seem to consider who will pay for the patent costs, especially if a statutory bar date looms. A system in which the professor’s TTO is paying the patent costs while the professor is out trying to license the IP portfolio via a different organization is difficult to imagine. And about conflicts of interest…. The Kauffman fellows seem to have no sense of the chaotic history of tech transfer prior to Bayh-Dole (BD) (or in its early years). When I was doing patent prosecution at a big IP firm, one client I was given was a professor from a prestigious university that did not have a tech transfer policy. Since he was free to do what he wanted with his new method of cancer treatment pre-BD, he had paid the firm to file applications on it, and eventually licensed them to big pharma for a lot of money (in those days). The university got nothing at all. The first talk I ever gave was about the BD Act and the audience was professors, not administrators. Also, there were a number of “for-profit non-profit” entities gathering up loose technologies from universities without technology policies (let alone TTOs). Research Corp. Technologies (RCT) was one of the most successful. RCT would not take on a technology unless it could get an assignment (not a license) from the inventor(s) and institution(s) in question (if the university even asserted any ownership rights). RCT would then front all the patent costs and attempt to license the technology. If it was successful, the inventor(s), and sometimes the institution (if it cared), would get some of the royalties. Before the rise of TTOs that developed their own licensing expertise, RCT and other organizations like it scored some major tech transfer homeruns, but they could only handle so many proposals at once. BD has been referred to as an “unfunded mandate,” but it did motivate universities and other institutions getting NIH and other Federal funding to step up to the plate and swing, at least at the fat pitches. There are still a few lone wolves out there trying to make it as “hired guns” (pardon the metaphors). Believe it or not, I am still approached by small companies that want to file on inventions brought to them by university professors who are either unaware that their universities have TTOs (or at least tech transfer policies) or think they can ignore them. They can’t. The present system is not “optimal,” but at least it is organized. A few years ago, a prominent researcher told me that his colleagues used to look down on him because he was patenting his discoveries and licensing them (often to start-ups). He was using a TTO, incidentally. He said that today it is the professors who are not patenting and licensing who are considered to be out of step. I don’t believe that there are hoards of break-through technologies languishing in dusty lab notebooks in academe and, if there are, I don’t believe that loosing professors trained in life sciences to bring them to market is going to change anything for the better. TechTranPanel_Report.pdf
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__label__pos Phnom Penh’s much-maligned waste-collection firm Cintri yesterday used a meeting with City Hall to ask for help in collecting between $10 million and $20 million in unpaid fees it says it’s owed by residents in the capital. Speaking after the meeting – which was held to discuss the company’s performance – Cintri manager Ith Chenda said the municipality should push customers to pay and help find a solution, complaining many simply ignored the waste-management charge. “According to the agreement, the company will collect, transport and clean, while the authority has the responsibility to encourage people to pay the fee,” Chenda said. Chenda said the figure, which fluctuated regularly, included debt from the beginning of the firm’s service in September 2003 and comprises between 10,000 and 20,000 individuals and corporations – the latter, he said, were “most responsible” for the arrears. “Some of them have not paid for 157 months, meaning from the beginning of our service,” Chenda said, saying staff constantly reminded residents about their debt. “We cannot force them to pay.” He added that the company was not considering legal action against households, but had pursued some companies in the courts. The issue, born of vague contracts which do not stipulate which agency is ultimately responsible for collecting payment, according to an expert, is one of many challenges in a tumultuous relationship between authorities and the city’s sole garbage collector. After years of threatening to cancel its contract over poor services, City Hall officials in July extended the firm’s contracts for four districts and gave it four new districts to service. Coming after a review of the firm, the decision appeared to reflect improvements in Cintri’s performance, with Phnom Penh Governor Pa Socheatvong even vowing the city would cover losses the company incurred from households not paying, provided the “service is good and the capital is trash free”. Reached yesterday, City Hall spokesman Mean Chanyada would not confirm the figure, saying “what the company says is up to them”. Chanyada noted that some citizens, disputing their bill, refused to pay, but said the only solution the municipality could provide was to facilitate negotiations between customers and the company. Daun Penh District Governor Kuoch Chamroeun also said it was not authorities’ responsibility to collect the cash. “It is not our duty,” he said. Fees for garbage collection are tacked on to residents’ power bills, which are collected by state-run energy utility Electricite du Cambodge. Larger commercial operations, however, have direct contracts with Cintri. EdC chief Keo Ratanak could not be reached yesterday. However, an employee who answered the agency’s phone said the group was not responsible for collecting waste-management fees listed on their bills. “For waste, it depends on the customer; if they want to pay or not it is up to them; if they want to pay, we will accept it,” they said. Phnom Penh-based waste-management consultant Jon Morales said that the problem was that contracts between the company and authorities did not stipulate exactly who was responsible for collecting unpaid fees. “The contracts are just really, really vague in every direction,” Morales said, adding Cintri had long complained about unpaid fees. “There are no real enforcement mechanisms.” Morales also added that Cintri’s calculation of the unpaid fees may also be off, as the company had been known to include areas that it didn’t service. Additional reporting by Shaun Turton
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__label__pos Today is Friday and we have a rather delicate message, in the form of the Three of Arrows. It carries the key word of “jealousy” and with it, a cautionary piece of advice. Friday nights are often the start to the weekend and for some, that is where the problems can start. Remember, that Arrows in this deck are Swords in most RWS / WCS decks. From a wrong word said in a semi drunken state, to blaming going off with the wrong partner on drink to saying something out of turn or letting someone get under your skin for whatever reason, jealousy can hit at any time and its causes can be infinite. Social insecurity is something of a regular cause for it. The trick, is not letting the negative feeling burn us, which is what might happen here if the fire in this heart is not extinguished soon. However, it is bleeding, so the fire is probably of lesser consequence to the bearer. But probably not to the tree supporting the heart in question. Now, what to do about it? Usually, with a fire, you’d pour water onto it: can we do that here? In truth, this might not be any exception. Letting the emotions pour out so that they can be dealt with and discussed, rather than just with logic, which is what the Arrows hint at. Also, keeping things to yourself probably won’t help. The longer you keep negative thoughts in your head, the longer the fire might burn. There will always be someone who has more, who are more gifted with good fortune. The book suggests that healing balm is humility, forgiveness and acceptance, even in the face of bitter rivalry and anger. And that is the hard part: refocusing your energy into a positive and creative momentum in your own life. If you’d like some help in this regard, you can buy your reading here.
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__label__neg APPENDIX 3 THREATS TO THE ENVIRONMENT AND HEALTH POSED BY TRANSGENIC OILSEED RAPE THREATS TO BIODIVERSITY THROUGH OUTCROSSING AND GENETIC POLLUTION The large-scale growing of genetically engineered crops has given rise to a number of serious concerns including the effects on volunteer and feral populations and wild relatives of the crop. Genetically engineered (GE) oilseed rape is a particular threat since the crop is a member of the Brassica family, which has its centre of origin in Europe. Nine hundred species of the Brassica family can be found in Europe. This means that Europe is an important centre of diversity and there are many related plants growing in close proximity to cultivated oilseed rape. Natural biodiversity could be placed at special risk by gene flow from GE oilseed rape to wild relatives. Local cultivars, called "land races", and isolated populations of wild species, are particularly vulnerable to genes crossing out from new crop varieties. Gene transfers could lead to the loss or permanent alteration of these wild species or landraces. Smaller populations might literally get swamped by the incoming genes (Ellstrand 1992). Such hybridisation has been implicated in the extinction of five wild species, including the wild ancestors of maize, hemp, pepper, date palm, and sweet pea (Small 1984). Recent studies suggest that significant levels of gene flow could occur from genetically engineered oilseed rape fields following their full commercial release (Wilkinson et al 1995). Therefore, hybridisation is a major concern with GE oilseed rape when introduced into its centre of origin in Europe. If the introduced gene gives a competitive advantage over other plants, for example by enabling the plant to resist diseases or habitat influences such as droughts, the gene is likely to persist and the likelihood of becoming a damaging weed in the ecosystem is increased (Ellstrand et al 1990). This is of particular concern with GE oilseed rape. Studies in France have shown that hybridisation occurs between oilseed rape and hoary mustard ( Hirschfeldia incana). It was found that, under competitive conditions, these hybrid plants do better than hoary mustard (Lefol et al. 1995). In addition, Danish researchers observed that hybrid plants resulting from crosses between genetically altered oilseed rape and a weedy relative ( Brassica campestris) were highly fertile (Mikkelsen et al 1996). Furthermore, genetic modification may result in unintended side effects which can give a competitive advantage. For example, Monsanto's GE tomato for delayed ripening sets more seed than the unmodified parent (USDA/APHIS 1995), and the delayed softening trait in Calgene's GE tomato has conferred increased resistance to fungi which normally infect ripening fruits (Kramer et al 1992). AgrEvo's/PGS's GE oilseed rape contains a gene for herbicide tolerance, a gene for antibiotic resistance, a gene for male sterility and a fertility restoration gene, any of which has the potential to trigger unexpected side effects in the varied environmental conditions in which it will be grown. There is also the potential that a transferred gene reduces the fitness of a native plant, leading to the eventual demise of a population. Such an effect has been implicated in the extinction of wild rice in Taiwan. The transfer of genes from cultivated rice could have made the wild rice less adapted to reproduction under varying conditions (Oka 1992). Similar concerns apply to the GE oilseed rape. The GE oilseed rape, although fertile, still carries the male sterility gene together with the fertility restoration gene. It is possible that in case of crossbreeding with another species the gene recombination could not be complete, meaning that part of the transgenes might get lost. For example, only the male sterility gene without the compensating fertility restoration gene could be transmitted, resulting in a male sterile plant which is no longer able to produce pollen. Possible negative effects such as loss of feed for pollen-feeding insects, or threatening endangered plant species by reducing their fitness, cannot be ruled out and have not been assessed. 3.1.1 Gene transfer from GE oilseed rape to related species AgrEvo claims that the risk of cross pollination with wild relatives under natural conditions will be minimal (Rasche et al 1995). However, recent research suggests that the risks of cross pollination are significant. Oilseed rape is pollinated by both bees and wind. Scientists at the Scottish Crop Research Institute have show that significantly more pollen escapes from large fields of genetically engineered oilseed rape than is predicted from earlier experiments on smaller plots. They found that escaping pollen fertilised plants up to 2.5 kilometres away (Timmons et al 1994). In addition, researchers have found that gene flow occurs between fields of crops sown in the spring and autumn, and between field and experimental feral populations. They conclude that significant levels of gene flow will occur from genetically engineered oilseed rape fields following their full commercial release (Wilkinson et al 1995). Studies have shown that gene dispersal from genetically engineered glufosinate resistant rapeseed to weedy species like B. campestris or B. juncea occurred under field conditions after just two generations (Frello et al 1995, Joergensen et al 1994, Mikkelsen et al 1996), suggesting a possible rapid spread of foreign genes from oilseed rape to its weedy (and non-weedy) relatives. Other studies show that the release of herbicide-resistant oilseed rape can lead to spontaneous hybridisation between the crop and its weedy relatives. Research at INRA in France demonstrates that hybridisation can occur in the field between oilseed rape and wild radish (Raphanus raphanistrum). The progeny of the crop/weed hybrid exhibited characteristics of both parents (Darmency et al 1995). Other studies in France have shown that hybridisation occurs between oilseed rape and hoary mustard ( Hirschfeldia incana). It was found that, under competitive conditions, these hybrid plants do better than the hoary mustard (Lefol et al 1995). Danish researchers also observed spontaneous hybridisation between oilseed rape and another weedy relative ( Brassica campestris) under field conditions. The hybrid plants were highly fertile and carried a transgene from the oilseed rape (Mikkelsen et al 1996). Another recent French study on the gene flow from GE oilseed rape to wild radish ( Raphanus raphanistrum), which was performed under field conditions over four generations, has shown that under natural conditions an intergeneric (between different species) gene flow might mainly occur, although slowly, by transgene introgression within the genome of the weed (Chèvre et al 1997). In Germany, the Robert Koch Institute, the competent authority for authorising the marketing of glufosinate resistant oilseed rape, states that "the introgression of genes from oilseed rape into related species such as Brassica campestris is possible. Hybridisation of different oilseed rape lines and thus the transfer of herbicide tolerance from the genetically engineered oilseed rape line to other oilseed rape varieties is also possible." (Robert-Koch-Institute 1996) Once transfer occurs an introduced gene may become a permanent feature of the genetic make-up of the plant, with unpredictable effects. 3.1.2 GE oilseed rape becoming established in ecosystems Oilseed rape ( Brassica napus) has escaped cultivation to become widespread in many parts in Europe (Sukopp et al 1993). Adolphi (1995) reports on a frequent incidence of the wild growth of Brassica napus (in Germany). Unharvested and incidentally spilled seed can give rise to huge populations of oilseed rape. In growing amongst subsequent crops in rotation, at the edges of fields or on roadside verges, it is likely to escape cultivation and become established in ecosystems in many parts in Europe. The impact this will have on the environment has no precedent and is unknown. Once a crop escapes cultivation, it may become a permanent plant in the non-agricultural environment, with totally unpredictable effects. 3.1.3 Conclusion Current scientific studies and knowledge demonstrate that GE oilseed rape, when commercially released in Europe, may inevitably transfer genes to other oilseed rape and wild related species. These hybrids and the GE oilseed rape itself may become a permanent feature of ecosystems and fields. Their overall effects are unpredictable, and once these species are introduced it may take tens or even hundreds of years to recognise their effects. EU Directive 90/220, under which the authorisation for GE rape was granted, requires that adverse effects on the environment must be prevented. The commercial growing of GE oilseed rape bears the potential for serious environmental harm. Europe is the centre of origin of oilseed rape and gene transfer from GE rape to wild species is very likely. This means the authorisation allowing large-scale release of GE oilseed rape in Europe should be withdrawn immediately. Europe should base its decision-making on the precautionary principle.
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__label__pos Jazz is one of the most influential American art forms of our times. It shapes our ideas about musical virtuosity, human action and new forms of social expression. In Going for Jazz, Nicholas Gebhardt shows how the study of jazz can offer profound insights into American historical consciousness. Focusing on the lives of three major saxophonists—Sidney Bechet, Charlie Parker, and Ornette Coleman—Gebhardt demonstrates how changing forms of state power and ideology framed and directed their work. Weaving together a range of seemingly disparate topics, from Frederick Jackson Turner's frontier thesis to the invention of bebop, from Jean Baudrillard's Seduction to the Cold War atomic regime, Gebhardt addresses the meaning and value of jazz in the political economy of American society. In Going for Jazz, jazz musicians assume dynamic and dramatic social positions that demand a more conspicuous place for music in our understanding of the social world.
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__label__pos Is Your PIN at Risk from Revalidation The revalidation process has seen a large spike in the amount of concerns amongst practicing nurses and midwives that their PINs could be at risk. Brought in as an attempt to rectify the failures of institutions such as Stepping Hill by improving standards of care amongst all practicing nurses and midwives, it also means that a more thorough approach to renewing your membership/PIN has been introduced. The NMC backed process will require nurses and midwives to submit online evidence that they are: Keeping up to date with the industry’s ever changing procedures and medicinal developments Maintained a safe and effective practice in their work Show they have undertaken means to improve their caring standards During the revalidation process these seven key requirements must be demonstrated and submitted to the NMC's online portal. Practice Hours – a minimum of 450 hours over a three year period Continuing Professional Development (CPD) – 40 hours of professional development (20 of which is participatory learning) Practice related feedback – Five pieces of practice-related feedback Reflection & Discussion – A minimum of five written reflections on the Code of Practice and your professional development or feedback. Health & Character – An acknowledgement of any formal cautions or criminal conviction imposed during the last three years. Professional indemnity Arrangement – Demonstrate you have an IA in place. Confirmation from a third party – Have a third party sign off the fact you have completed the previous six steps. With this new structure in place, all nurses and midwives must keep on top of their registration details including when their renewal date is due. This is because of a more robust enforcement of lapsed and incomplete registrations by the NMC. Currently nurses and midwives who allow their registration to lapse are immediately stricken from the register with their PIN removed in the process. They are then made to undertake a four to six week period of readmission during which they cannot work. Those who do continue to practice without a PIN could face criminal charges and long term suspensions from the NMC. So an inability to complete revalidation fully and submit it on time will result in your PIN being removed from the NMC registration resulting in a loss of income and money after paying the re-entry fee. Revalidation may seem overly complicated at first but do not worry as in practice the process is very simple and we are happy to assist you with any problems you encounter. If you have any questions regarding the revalidation process please contact a member of the Search Medical team in your nearest England office or visit our specialist revalidation page - go.search.co.uk/revalidation By Jason Paterson
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__label__pos China Pushes the Use of Clean Coal in Hopes to Curb Air Pollution Chen Jining, China’s environmental protection minister said that the country is now promoting the clean use of coal in hopes to curb air pollution. The air quality in China is mainly caused by the energy structure, specifically coal consumption. China attaches great importance in adjusting the energy structure and is part of one of the tasks in the drafting of the 13 th five year plan. The country is promoting the use of clean coal which is now being boosted by low emission facilities for coal fired power plants that rival gas powered or fired plants. Considered a revolutionary effort that will overturn conventional wisdom that coal is not clean and will positively help efforts in curbing smog. China is also cutting down emissions form household bulk coal, as emission from one ton of coal is already equivalent to five or ten tons of coal that is used on power plants. Since living standard is rising, so is the bulk coal consumption increases as well. Emissions coming from bulk coal contribute to the heavy smog last year, and the government is now looking for ways in curbing them. Experts are saying that there will be a long period of adjusting to the energy consumption structure wherein they are prompting the use of clean energy, strengthen adjustments to energy consumption and to further promoted the use of clean coal.
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__label__pos The great divide over detox It is midday and the mood in the room is intensifying. Separated by flimsy hospital curtains, three men are battling to push an addiction out of their bodies and the fight is getting physical. Tom moans and mutters as he paws at the wall. Rafik flings his bare legs repeatedly against the metal barriers around his bed. Jonathan tries to haul himself away. Their detoxification from opiate dependency will peak within the next hour as the drug naltrexone purges the body's sensitivity to heroin or its synthetic substitute, methadone. It is like going cold turkey on fast forward, with all the symptoms of withdrawal packed into a couple of hours. The men are sedated, so they will remember nothing of this afternoon's struggle in the small treatment room behind an Ultimo medical centre. But they are conscious enough to breathe and swallow independently and respond to instructions. A doctor and a nurse calm them, repeatedly whispering in their ears, stroking and soothing them, taking their blood pressure and checking vital signs. They lie quietly for a moment, then the fight starts up again. When they wake they will feel exhausted and wrung out. Insomnia, appetite loss, aches and pains and possibly nausea and diarrhoea, will persist for a week or two. But the soul-tearing agony of withdrawal itself will be behind them. Before they leave, each will have a slow-release pellet of naltrexone implanted in his abdomen. For the next three months it ensures that even if they were to take an opiate they would feel no effect from it. Long considered the rogue in the addiction treatment pack, rapid opioid detoxification is back. With revised treatment regimes, heavy-duty psychological support to keep the recently detoxed on track, and $150,000 in grants from health minister Tony Abbott, its proponents say it has a new legitimacy. Certainly its old image was thoroughly tarnished. The last time the technique was in the news was in 1999, when Dr Siva Navaratnam's Liverpool clinic, which had conducted an aggressive publicity campaign, offered to waive its $7000 fee for people referred by an MP. The local state MP, Paul Lynch, complained in Parliament: "Heroin addicts have quite enough difficulties without being exploited in this fashion." The clinic later closed its doors. The people Ross Colquhoun treats in the Ultimo clinic, Psych n Soul Addiction Treatment and Psychology Services, are far removed from stereotypical street users. At least a third want to be free of methadone - the government-funded maintenance drug for addicted users- rather than illegal heroin. Almost all hold jobs and have family responsibilities. For one young father recently detoxed at the centre, "not even his wife knows what's going on," says psychologist Colquhoun. "Each of them reports being overwhelmed by an addiction that's hard to beat and has the potential to destroy their lives. There's a whole lot of issues, particularly for men. They find it difficult to confront mental health issues." Colquhoun says the ethical way to offer rapid detox is to select patients who are highly motivated to succeed, maybe only 10 per cent of those wanting to go drug-free. They must commit to counselling to tackle their addiction psychologically as well as physically, and they need good social support. They also need to be able to pay. The package of six counselling sessions and the detox costs $3500, plus $1000 for an implant, which is not registered for medical use in Australia and is imported under a waiver. Counselling costs $150 a session. It is critical because naltrexone wipes out the drug-tolerance patients have built up, so there is no safety net if they start using again. Overdosing at this stage is a real risk, and can be fatal. Colquhoun says he will soon publish a study of his patients that found 80 per cent of 41 patients given an implant had not returned to drug use six months later, compared with 55 per cent of 42 who took naltrexone orally. So in the range of treatments for addiction, where does naltrexone fit? "In a museum," says Dr Alex Wodak. "In a glass case, with a panel on the front saying this treatment was popular from this period to this period .. The evidence tells us it's expensive, it's ineffective and it kills people." Wodak, the director of alcohol and drug services at St Vincent's Hospital, says methadone service providers have a responsibility to help people off the treatment, but only if they are medically, psychologically and socially prepared. "You tell me you've been on methadone for four years and haven't been on heroin for 18 months, and you're back with your husband, and your parents see you again, and you've paid off your debts, and you've got your little girl back, and you think you can manage; then we'll make out a plan and I'll help you to do this - slowly and carefully," he says. Phasing methadone doses down to zero typically takes three to six months, says Wodak. Statistics do not say who is in methadone maintenance, or for how long or how successfully. Of about 50,000 in NSW who have ever been treated since its debut in the 1970s, 16,000 are receiving treatment now. The NSW Health Department says 38 per cent of people who start methadone treatment are still in the program a year later. It is apparent that many people do quit methadone; whether this is a happy transition to a drug-free life or through death and disaster is unclear. According to a pooled analysis of 13 Australian drug treatment trials, conducted by the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre in 2001, rapid detoxification was the most effective way of getting people off drugs in the short term, but in the longer term many dropped out of naltrexone treatment. By contrast, methadone was judged the most cost-effective therapy and patients were more likely to remain in treatment. For every 100 people retained on methadone for a year there are 12 fewer robberies, 57 fewer break and enters and 56 fewer vehicle thefts, according to an estimate last year by the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research. If Abbott's largesse to the naltrexone camp is meant to express disapproval towards services like methadone, which keep people away from crime and unsafe injecting, then Wodak is livid. "What's wrong with the guy? Rapid opioid detoxification has failed as a science - there isn't a study he can quote that shows it works - and it's failed in the market." But Wodak says drugs policy may be very different from drugs politics. "Publicly they attack harm-minimisation. Then discreetly, when no one's looking, they're very supportive they've given $70 million over seven years to enhance needle and syringe programs, and that's a wonderful policy. Thank God they didn't walk the talk. I far prefer them being hypocritical than being ideological." When Dr Andrew Byrne saw Abbott's cheque go to naltrexone, he called the minister's office in dismay. If anyone could use a cash infusion it is Byrne, a Redfern GP whose methadone clients suffer horrendous poverty and social dislocation on top of their addiction. "The naltrexone implant industry apparently continues unchecked, uncontrolled and largely unreported, despite hundreds of Australians having these implants every year," says Byrne. "It's distressing to think that either it's a good modality that you can't extend [because there is insufficient scientific evidence to convince authorities], or you believe good doctors shouldn't be touching it with a barge pole. We're dealing with a life-threatening condition. It's not the place for amateurs, enthusiasts or people with a good hunch." That does not move Colquhoun. He detects a lingering view in some quarters that, "if you don't do a hard detox you're not going to appreciate it". But every patient he treats has made previous attempts to come off drugs - in residential facilities, where the dose is agonisingly scaled down, or alone in bed. Rapid detox, he says, "gives them a positive start to their recovery. They've suffered enough in my view. They deserve an option."
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__label__neg Do you know what PPI is? PPI can be helpful to some people, but for others may be an unnecessary drain on funds. 07:52 09 September 2013 Insurance is a touchy subject for some people. Most insurance is helpful to people because it simply offers protection in the event an individual suffers from a negative setback. Insurance covers many things, and it’s usually wise to protect your most important investments such as vehicles and homes. Anyone who has been out of work due to medical related issues would probably tell you that Payment Protection Insurance is helpful, but not everyone feels the same way. Here are a few ways to know if Payment Protection Insurance is right for you: Eligibility—makes sure you understand and meet the eligibility requirements. If you are unemployed, self-employed, or a contract worker at the time you think about applying for Payment Protection Insurance you would never be able to receive the benefit. If you fall into any of those categories it is a safe bet that you would be wasting money to purchase the protection. Big-ticket items—if you don’t have mortgage payments to make, a vehicle payment, or significant credit card debt, then you do not need Payment Protection Insurance (PPI). PPI won’t actually replace your income, it only makes partial or full payments directly to loans that you have. If you don’t have any loans and don’t intend to acquire any, you would be wasting your funds. Ideal protection—in order to reap the benefits of paying into Payment Protection Insurance you would need to be employed according to the acceptable guidelines. This protection is meant to prevent your credit rating from suffering, and to take over some key loan payments so you don’t lose a vehicle or home if you have an issue that reduces or depletes your income, like a layoff. Remember that Payment Protection Insurance is voluntary, so if you believe you don’t need it or shouldn’t have it, cancel it and fill out forms offered by the government for refunds.
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__label__pos Life can seem so hard when your relationships are out of balance, especially when someone is always jumping over your fence and intruding in your life with unwelcome expectations, criticism, or impositions. It happens to all of us at some time or another and it can turn our lives upside down. We all want to be valued, respected and loved by the people in our lives, but the truth is that has to start within ourselves first. The key to great relationships, including the one we have with ourselves, is good fences, or boundaries. Building healthy boundaries with each person in your life creates a sense of wellbeing, a solid respect for yourself and others, and it allows you to be your most confident and genuine self. Terry Barnett-Martin’s award winning book, Tending Fences is a timelessly insightful collection of parables that explore relationship boundaries through the adventures of its main character, Avery Soul. Avery discovers that in order to feel safe and happy, he must build and maintain the fences that run between his ranch and his neighbors’ land. "Good fences make good neighbors.” Robert Frost “Tending Fences is quietly brilliant. The stories get into your heart, sort out complicated relationship boundaries, and make a real difference.” Ann F. “I read Tending Fences when I was struggling to find a balance in some difficult relationships in my life. These parables put them into a concrete light, and by seeing them that way I was able to create the boundaries I needed to make my life more secure. This is a book you want on your bookshelf to go back to again and again.” Phyllis L. “What I appreciate about Tending Fences is that the stories are not about blaming someone for problems in a relationship. Rather, they are focused on fixing or building a fence that creates a safer, more respectful connection.” Joseph F. M.
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