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When was online dating invented? You could wonder if they have really authentic. The 1st online dating questionnaire was designed in 1959 for the IBM 650 computer. The questionnaire was created to provide fits to potential users depending on their answers to the questionnaire. Today, the net is explored over hundratrettiofem, 000 conditions each month. Inspite of their earliest days and nights, the concept of online dating services is still well-known and getting http://siup.esy.es/program-magang-bandara/ attraction. The Internet is certainly an indispensable a part of our daily lives.
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Singapore passed amendments to its Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA) on Tuesday, in the first comprehensive review of the Act since its 2012 enactment.
The updated Act aims to strengthen consumer trust through organisational accountability as well as enhance effectiveness of enforcement, consumer autonomy and data use for innovation. Ministers believe it will allow organisations to keep pace with technological changes, and position Singapore as a key player in the digital economy.
The amended PDPA updates, restructures and clarifies exceptions to the consent requirements for use of personal data, or deemed consent provisions, and adds business improvement, new legitimate interests and an updated research exception to this list.
To rely on these legitimate uses of personal data, organisations must conduct a risk assessment and satisfy themselves that the overall benefit of collecting, using or disclosing the data outweighs adverse effect on an individual. They must also disclose when they rely on such an exception.
Under the new rules, deemed consent has been extended to include passing personal data contractors in order to fulfil a contract with the customer, where reasonably necessary.
Organisations may also now use exceptions to utilise personal data for business improvement purposes such as operational efficiency and service improvements; developing or enhancing products or services; and knowing the organisations’ customers. Related corporations can collect and disclose personal data among themselves for these purposes, if bound by a contract, agreement or binding corporate rules.
Additionally, the update revises the previous PDPA research exception to support commercial research and development not immediately fof productisation, for example, institutions carrying out scientific research and development, social sciences research, or market research to identify and understand potential customer segments.
Under “consent by notification”, organisations may notify customers and give a reasonable period to opt out before their data is used for new purposes.
Other key measures include raising the maximum financial penalty for breaching certain parts of the PDPA to 10% of an organisation’s annual turnover in Singapore or S$1million, whichever is higher. It introduces compulsory notification of a significant or harmful data breach, and describes new offences for disclosure or use of personal data, as well as introducing a new data portability obligation – a relatively novel concept in Singapore.
In a speech given at the second reading of the Bill, Mr S. Iswaran, Minister for Communications and Information, referred to the “inherent tension” between protecting consumers’ personal data and allowing them more control and autonomy over it, and supporting legitimate use of data by organisations and the use of data for growth and innovation.
“The proposed amendments seek to strike a judicious balance between them”, he said.
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At Best Autocentres we aim to provide solid, honest advice to keep you well informed and in control. That’s why we have take the trouble to put together a comprehensive knowledge base that provides all of the major points about your vehicle, the law and correct procedures.
Tyres and Wheels
Understanding The Tyre Law
Understanding The Tyre Law
The legal minimum tread depth for car tyres in the United Kingdom is 1.6mm throughout a continuous band comprising the central three quarters of the breadth of tread and around the entire outer circumference of the tyre.
Most car tyres have tread wear indicators which are small raised blocks in the main tread grooves, and when the tread surface becomes level with these blocks the tyre is at the legal limit and must be replaced.
The law applies to motor vehicles up to 3500 kg gross vehicle weight and cars and passenger vehicles with up to 8 passenger seats.
Best Autocentres offer a comprehensive range of quality tyres at competitive prices, contact us now.
UNDERSTANDING TYRE SIZES
UNDERSTANDING TYRE SIZES
It is no wonder that people get confused about tyre sizes when they are a mixture of
metric, imperial and percentage measurements.
In the diagram opposite the width of the tyre is 205mm from sidewall to sidewall. The diameter of the wheel rim is 14″ and the height of the tyre from the top of the Wheel to the top of the tyre (often called the profile) is 70% of the width of the tyre.
When converting to low profile performance tyres from standard tyres, it is important to remember that the overall height of the tyre must remain similar or else the circumference will change and alter the speedo and mileage readings. To achieve this, the wheel diameter must be increased to allow the profile to be decreased. i.e to change to a 60% profile on the example shown a 15” wheel would be required, and the tyre size would be 205/60×15
Best Autocentres offer a comprehensive range of quality tyres
at competitive prices, contact us now
TYRE SPEED RATINGS
TYRE SPEED RATINGS
The other important part of a tyre size is the load and speed rating. These take the form of two numbers and a letter i.e. 84T. The 84 is the load carrying capacity of the tyre, in this case 500 kg per tyre. This indicates that the overall weight of the car must not exceed 2000kg (500kg x 4 tyres). The T is the tyres maximum sustained speed code(see table).
Whilst it is not against the law to change the original specification, the speed rating of a tyre is usually used in relation to the performance of the car, therefore the original rating should be fitted in accordance with the car manufacturer’s recommendation. Failure to do so could void any warranty or insurance claim.
Best Autocentres offer a comprehensive range of quality tyres at competitive prices so contact us now for more details.
Wheel Alignment (Tracking)
Wheel Alignment (Tracking)
REGULARLY CHECKING YOUR WHEEL ALIGNMENT IS NOW MORE VITAL THAN EVER IF YOU HAVE ANY KIND OF ADAS CAMERA OR RADAR DEVICES ON YOUR CAR i.e lane assist, brake assist etc. INCORRECT WHEEL ALIGNMENT CAN SERIOUSLY AFFECT THE SETTINGS ON THESE SENSORS.
Misalignment of the wheels is usually caused when the front wheels hit potholes, speedhumps or the kerb. Noticeable signs of misalignment are, wear on the edges of both front tyres, the car may pull to one side or the steering wheel may be off centre.
All car wheels should be parallel when in motion, in the example shown the wheels are toeing in, this will cause the tyres to drag rather than roll, thus causing rapid tyre wear on the edges reducing the life of your expensive tyres.
It is important to regularly check the alignment, at BEST Autocentres we will check it free and only charge if it needs adjusting.
Contact us now to book your free wheel alignment check
It is important for all wheels to be balanced, this is usually done when new tyres are fitted.
It is virtually impossible to manufacture tyres and wheels without heavy spots.
When tyres rotate at speed any heavy spot is accentuated causing violent vibrations which can cause wear on other components and driver discomfort particularly through the steering wheel. This is most usually apparent when the car reaches speeds of around 70mph.
The problem is overcome by the use of weights attached to the wheel opposite the heavy spots.
A typical braking system as shown, consists of disc brakes at the front and drum brakes on the rear connected by a series of metal pipes and hoses. Most new cars have disc brakes all round. When you step on the brake pedal, you are actually pushing against a plunger in the master cylinder which forces brake fluid through the connecting pipes to a braking unit at each wheel.
On a disc brake you have a rotating disc attached to the wheel which runs through a caliper with brake pads attached. When the foot pedal is depressed fluid pushes through the system and squeezes the brake pads onto the discs. The operation is very much the same as on a bicycle except that the calipers are operated hydraulically rather than via a cable. Drum brakes have a wheel cylinder where the hydraulic fluid pushes a small piston outwards in both directions which in turn pushes the brake shoes outwards against the drum in which they sit.
On both types of brake it is important to change the pads/shoes before they wear out. BEST Autocentres recommend that brake pads are changed when the friction material has worn down to 3mm and brake shoes are changed at
2mm. It is vital that brakes are replaced evenly across an axle, if only one side is replaced an imbalance will occur and the car will pull to one side on braking.
Understanding the Master Cylinder
The master cylinder is located in the engine compartment and is typically actually two cylinders in one housing, each connected to two wheels. In this way if one side fails, you will still be able to stop the car. The master cylinder should be checked regularly to ensure the correct level of brake fluid is in the system. If the fluid is low the entire system should be checked for leaks.
VACUUM PUMP (BRAKE POWER BOOSTER)
The vacuum pump is usually mounted on the master cylinder and is directly connected to the foot pedal. Its purpose is to amplify the foot pressure applied to the brake pedal by drawing power from a vacuum created by the engine. The pump will only work whilst the engine is running which is why your brakes do not work so well with the engine off. To test the pump, put your foot hard on the brake pedal with the engine off, then turn on the engine and the pedal should depress slightly.
Understanding BRAKE FLUID
Brake fluid is a special oil designed to withstand very high temperatures.The most commonly used Brake fluid is DOT4 which is Hygroscopic. This means that it absorbs water. As the fluid becomes more and more contaminated with water the boiling point reduces (the fluid boils at 240c, water boils at 100c). When the degraded fluid starts to boil as your brakes get hot, air bubbles will appear in much the same way as in a boiling kettle, and when air gets in the braking system your brakes will take much longer to operate and the foot pedal will become spongy. BEST Autocentres will check your brake fluid boiling point free of charge, when it boils at 180c or lower it will need to be pumped out and replaced. Manufacturers recommend replacing brake fluid at least every two years.
ABS (ANTI LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM)
The system works by sensing abnormally fast deceleration of the wheel, such as in an emergency braking situation. The ABS limits the fluid pressure so as to avoid the wheel locking up and causing a skid. Under emergency braking the ABS will rapidly pump and shut off the fluid at more than ten times a second and you will feel a dramatic vibration on the foot pedal, this is normal and indicates the system is working. This should not be confused with brake judder under normal braking which would indicate a fault with the discs.
The ABS tests itself each time the ignition is turned on, if a failure is sensed the warning light on the dashboard will come on and the car should be checked immediately.
Understanding COMPENSATOR VALVE
These valves are mounted between the master cylinder and the rear brakes and are designed to equalize the braking across the front and rear wheels. As you hit the brakes the weight of the car will be thrown forward on to the front wheels causing the front to need more braking pressure to stop them. The harder you brake the more the valve will limit the pressure on the rear brakes in order to minimize rear wheel lockup.
Exhaust systems have 3 main functions… to direct exhaust fumes away from the passengers… to improve engine performance… and to reduce noise.
Most modern cars have a catalytic converter at the front and one or more silencer boxes joined by shaped pipes, these are normally aluminised steel but can be replaced by stainless steel or coloured performance silencers.
Exhausts can corrode from inside and outside. Unlike most car components, exhausts will wear out quicker the less the car is used as the condensation inside the exhaust will lay in the system until the car is run and the exhaust gets hot.
A faulty exhaust will roar if it has a hole in it or the silencing baffles in the box have become detached.
Damaged exhausts will affect the performance and fuel economy of your car.
Basically, the clutch on a car is used to connect or disconnect the drive of the wheels from the constantly spinning engine.This is done by pushing a friction plate in the clutch on to the flywheel in the engine. As the clutch plate comes in to contact with the spinning flywheel the plate itself is forced to spin which in turn drives the connections to the road wheels. If the clutch plate is worn or has oil on it, it cannot grip the flywheel and will therefore not spin at the required speed and drive the wheels.
Common clutch faults are:-
Slipping- usually caused by leaked oil on the friction plate or worn friction plate
Difficulty with gear selection- possibly cable adjustment or sticking plate
Judder- usually warped or broken components.
Best Autocentres only fit quality new clutches, we do not recommend the fitment of reconditioned
clutches. If you think you may have a problem with your clutch, why not
get in touch now for a friendly, informal chat about the problem.
Understanding the Catalytic Converters
Catalytic converters are now fitted to all cars to remove harmful emissions from the exhaust gases.
Although they often look like a normal exhaust silencer they are in fact a high tech device with ceramic cores and expensive catalysers incorporating platinum or palladium.
The catalytic converter will also normally have attached to it the Lambda sensor which measures the percentage of Oxygen in the exhaust gas and transmits information to the vehicles engine management system.
If the catalytic converter or Lambda sensor are not working correctly it is likely that the car will fail its MOT test due to an excess of harmful exhaust emissions. The car will also run poorly as the engine management system attempts to correct false information from the sensor.
Although catalytic converters are designed to have a long life expectancy and will not rust, they can be damaged if the engine is not properly
tuned and excess fuel or oils run through them. Due to their delicate ceramic insert they can also be damaged by sudden jolts such as vehicle impact or bump starting the car.
Long life or standard servicing
Standard or Long Life servicing
Some modern cars now have long life servicing regimes. These are generally set at 20,000 miles or two years but some hi tech engines monitor the engine oil quality and advise when a service is required with information on the dashboard. Long life servicing requires special oil and Irridium or Platinum Spark Plugs which are generally far more expensive. All cars can be run with long life or standard servicing options. This simply requires different oil and spark plugs
The benefit of long life is that you have your car serviced less regularly, however BEST Autocentres are not convinced this is a good thing as other components i.e. brakes are not checked as regularly.
BEST Autocentres recommend servicing annually, alternating between a Major Service one year and a Medium service the following year. If your car has not been serviced regularly or you don`t know its service history then we would always recommend a Major service first. We also do a minor service which is only recommended as a 6 monthly intermediate service between annual services for vehicles that do exceptionally high mileages.
We are able to service brand new vehicles that are under warranty without affecting the warranty. These will always be done to manufacturers specifications or in most cases higher, usually at a fraction of the prices charged by main dealers.
UNDERSTANDING Suspension & Shock Absorbers
Suspension & Shock Absorbers
There are many types of suspension fitted to modern cars. The most common type of suspension is the shock absorber combined with a coil spring. The coil springs are fitted to the vehicle under load and no attempt should be made to remove them without specialist equipment.
The coil spring also helps to absorb shocks and holds the car at its correct ride height. The actual shock absorber is in effect a hydraulic piston that constantly exerts a downward pressure forcing the tyre to have constant contact with the road. Without shock
The usual cause of Shock Absorber failure is leakage of the hydraulic fluid from its rubber seal. As with all rubber seals, they will perish with age and use. As the fluid level decreases the hydraulic pressure pushing the tyre to the road reduces and the wheel begins to bounce off the road causing reduced grip and braking and increasing uneven tyre wear. If one shock absorber is better than the other then one side of the car will have better grip and braking causing an imbalance, this is why shock absorbers should always be fitted in pairs. Most shock absorber manufacturers recommend changing shocks at 40,000 miles
Shock absorbers are checked for leaks on an MOT test but no test is currently made on their hydraulic effectiveness, The coil springs are also checked for damage on the MOT test. We also offer performance enhancements using uprated sports shock absorbers and/or lowering kits.
A turbo can significantly boost an engine’s horsepower without significantly increasing its weight.
Turbochargers are a type of forced induction system. They compress the air flowing into the engine. The advantage of compressing the air is that it lets the engine squeeze more air into a cylinder, and more air means that more fuel can be added. Therefore, you get more power from each explosion in each cylinder. A turbocharged engine produces more power overall than the same engine without the charging. This can significantly improve the power-to-weight ratio for the engine.
In order to achieve this boost, the turbocharger uses the exhaust flow from the engine to spin a turbine, which in turn spins an air pump. The turbine in the turbocharger spins at speeds of up to 150,000 rotations per minute (rpm) — that’s about 30 times faster than most car engines can go.
One little understood fact is that turbos work better in winter, this is because colder air is denser, therefore more air is squeezed into the cylinder which in turn enables more fuel to be added. This of course will decrease MPG.
Final point….. DO NOT DRIVE THROUGH PUDDLES….. Turbos are easily damaged by water and the air intake on most modern cars is close to the ground. Driving through puddles can also hydrolock your engine which generally wrecks it.
Understanding MOT TESTING
Understanding Coolant & Antifreeze
Coolant & Antifreeze
Most people understand the importance of oil in the engine, but most do not realise that the coolant and antifreeze are just as vital. Without Coolant a car engine would quickly overeheat and seize up resulting in costly repairs.
When the engine is running, the coolant circulates through it stopping it from overheating. After absorbing the heat, the coolant then circulates back through the radiator, normally located behind the front grill, and is then itself cooled by the fan and the air that enters through the grill when the car is at speed.
The coolant is predominantly water but needs an antifreeze additive to stop it freezing in cold weather. If it freezes it expands and could crack the engine block or cylinder head. Antifreeze also raises the boiling point of the coolant ensuring that it remains liquid for effective cooling. Most antifreeze solutions also contain a rust inhibitor.
coolant is normally added via the radiator cap or a seperate coolant reservoir, extreme care must be taken when removing the caps as pressurized steam can be emitted when it is still hot. You should also be aware when handling antifreeze that it is poisonous.
BEST Autocentres always check & top up the antifreeze as part of a full or Major Service, but we also offer a free check at any time if required
Understanding ADAS - Advanced driver assistance systems
As time goes on you will hear more and more about ADAS systems on modern cars. Advanced Driver Assistance Systems are computerised systems utilising small cameras and satnav technology that assist drivers in everyday driving and ultimately are the systems that, put together, will lead to autonomous self driving cars.
over recent years many cars have been fitted with the fore runners of these systems including:- Adaptive cruise control, Anti lock braking systems and satellite navigation systems. More recently other systems are becoming common place:- Blind spot detection, Lane control, Road sign detection, Automatic headlight beam control, Automatic anti collision braking systems and even Automatic parking systems.
Most of these systems rely on an increasing number of camera or radar systems hidden within the structure of the vehicle and are increasingly vital to its safe operation. if your car has an accident or you are considering altering your car i.e adding lowered suspension or fitting oversized wheels, then you should always get the ADAS systems recalibrated to realign the cameras/radars. Failure to do so sould be very dangerous.
Understanding Auto BATTERIES
Conventional car batteries are Known as Lead Acid. It is made up of several sections (cells) that each have one lead plate(negative) and one lead dioxide(positive) plate which are submerged in Sulphuric acid. When the ignition is switched on it creates a chemical reaction that produces electons which in turn create electricity for the starter motor, lights, radio etc.
WHY DO BATTERIES FAIL Batteries are susceptible to failure in both and cold weather. Low temperatures slow the chemical reaction and at 0c a battery is 30% less effective and added to the degradation of the plates over time this may not be enough to crank the engine. Extreme heat accelerates the break up of the negative plates and increases the evaporation of the acid as well as increasing the discharge rate.Overheating can also be caused by overcharging by the vehicle charging system. Plate sulphation decreases the efficiency of the chemical reaction in the battery and this occurs far more when either the vehicle is not used for a period of time or the vehicle charging system is undercharging. BEST Autocentres can quickly check the state of the battery and the charging system, this can pre-empt inconvenient starting problems. Most manufacturers guarantee batteries for 3 years.
ELECTRIC VEHICLE BATTERIES EV batteries are very different to conventional car batteries as they are used to drive the vehicle as opposed to just starting it. Currently most EVs use lithium-ion batteries. These work similarly to leadacid batteries but instead of the lead plates they use lithium cobalt for the positive plate and carbon for the negative and various electrolytes I.e lithium salt solution are used instead of Sulphuric acid. In order to have enough power to drive the vehicle EV batteries need to be much bigger and therefore Lithium ion batteries are much more suitable as they are considerably lighter and can generate more electricity. EV batteries are likely to last approximately 10 years and most manufacturers guarantee them for 100,000 miles which is good because EV batteries can cost in excess of £1000. Some car manufacturers are currently experimenting with solid state batteries. The main difference is that the electrolyte used in LA & Li batteries is liquid but in solid state batteries it is solid. It just so happens that this change improves nearly all the battery’s characteristics. Solid-state batteries tick all the boxes of our fantasy battery tech. They’re lightweight, have a low environmental impact, use plentiful components, are less likely to catch fire, and offer more power. The downside to SS is that the components and manufacturing process are extremely expensive | <urn:uuid:a96d3aaa-225b-43c0-a87d-aca2aec4af3d> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.bestautocentres.com/knowledge-base/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572043.2/warc/CC-MAIN-20220814143522-20220814173522-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.936507 | 4,452 | 2.359375 | 2 |
Silicon-based impurities are ubiquitous in natural graphite. However, their role as a contaminant in exfoliated graphene and their influence on devices have been overlooked. Herein atomic resolution microscopy is used to highlight the existence of silicon-based contamination on various solution-processed graphene. We found these impurities are extremely persistent and thus utilising high purity graphite as a precursor is the only route to produce silicon-free graphene. These impurities are found to hamper the effective utilisation of graphene in whereby surface area is of paramount importance. When non-contaminated graphene is used to fabricate supercapacitor microelectrodes, a capacitance value closest to the predicted theoretical capacitance for graphene is obtained. We also demonstrate a versatile humidity sensor made from pure graphene oxide which achieves the highest sensitivity and the lowest limit of detection ever reported. Our findings constitute a vital milestone to achieve commercially viable and high performance graphene-based devices.
Large-scale, cost-effective methods for producing high-quality and functional atomically thin two-dimensional (2D) materials with unmatched properties are critical to realising commercial applications of these promising materials1,2,3,4,5. However, the current top–down synthesis methods are prone to contamination, which can adversely affect properties, such as optical absorption and emission, electrochemical properties, carrier mobility, biological activity and toxicological properties6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13. These contaminants can cause inferior or unpredictable properties and are at the heart of many seemingly inconsistent reports on the properties of 2D materials8,14,15. For instance, several contradictory reports on electrochemical properties, electrocatalytic activity and biological properties of graphene and graphene oxide (GO) were ultimately understood to be the result of metallic impurities or acidic residues7,8,16,17,18,19,20. Such inconsistency prevents the development of a robust regulatory framework governing the implementation of such layered nanomaterials, especially if they are destined to become the backbone of next-generation devices. Perhaps, more importantly, this has stymied the emergence of a major application or the so-called “killer app” for graphene-based systems21, a long-promised but as-yet unrealised goal. Graphene may therefore follow the same trajectory of carbon nanotubes14,21, which were once billed as being transformative but have so far failed to make a significant commercial impact.
The need for methods that can produce higher quality and purity graphene and other 2D-based materials is widely recognised for device fabrication. Despite this, there seems to have been little effort devoted to understanding what effect impurities are having on the performance. The graphene glut in recent years has resulted in an increase in the use of cheaper alternative feedstocks21. However, to date, no rigorous quality-control mechanism has been put in place to understand the detrimental effects of impurities on the final performance of devices, mainly due to the lack of knowledge of the types of impurities and their potential influence. As graphene is a 2D material system, which is basically only a surface, any contaminant can alter its intrinsic properties dramatically by affecting surface active sites6,14 and/or by reducing the available surface area, as shown schematically in Fig. 1. This can result in decreased performance in active surface area-dependent applications. Moreover, this also indicates the possibility that the as-exfoliated graphene layers can each have different properties, again highlighting the importance of pure 2D materials. For instance, the adulteration of carbon bonds in real-world, two-electrode supercapacitors severely affects the double-layer capacitance22. This leads to capacitance values much lower than the theoretical capacitance of graphene (550 F/g)23, with values of 409 F/g being the highest reported to date24. As the production capacity of graphene and other 2D materials grows exponentially, the demand for high-performance 2D material-based devices will become significant2,21. This calls for a broad effort to identify the types and extent of impurities present and the best way to deal with them to achieve the maximum potential of the broad family of 2D materials.
Here direct visualisation of the surface of various solution-processed graphene reveals the existence of significant amount of silicon-based contaminations at the atomic level. High-angle annular dark field (HAADF) imaging combined with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) in an aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM) was employed to detect and image these impurities. The present study addresses the challenge of obtaining high-purity graphene and GO from graphite (top–down approach) and offers a broad and comprehensive perspective on how to dramatically enhance the final performance of such materials in diverse applications. We identify the most prominent factor impacting the performance of graphene-based devices, namely inherent contaminants arising from impure graphite feedstock. Ultra-high performance humidity sensors and supercapacitors from graphene materials were then achieved through eliminating the adverse impact of endogenous silicon impurities.
Atomic resolution observation of silicon impurity on graphene
The presence of molecularly dispersed silicon-based contamination was not evident through high-resolution TEM bright-field (BF) analysis of GO samples (Fig. 2). Monodisperse, amorphous materials are typically very difficult to resolve in conventional phase-contrast high-resolution TEM/STEM imaging particularly in the presence of contaminants25. However, the situation changes dramatically when using HAADF imaging. The atomic resolution capabilities of aberration-corrected STEM permits single-atom imaging in HAADF mode by virtue of its high atomic number sensitivity (the contrast is roughly proportional to Z2, where Z is the mean atomic number)26. Therefore, the higher atomic number of silicon with respect to carbon and oxygen ensures that Si (and other high atomic number element) atoms are visible as bright spots in HAADF micrographs, while this was not possible with conventional BF images. Figure 2 shows silicon-based contamination as molecules and clusters thereof cover a large fraction of the surface area of GO, which produced from graphite of low purity (i.e. 98%). The existence of these impurities is also further verified by performing EDS in parallel with HAADF on the same region. The EDS spectrum of GO sheet (Fig. 2e) identifies a significant amount of silicon-based contamination. The peaks at ~0.277, 0.525 and 1.739 keV in the EDS spectrum are due to C, O and Si, respectively, while the peak at 0.930 keV is from the Cu (support) grid. Comparing the EDS spectra of two neighbouring regions, one clean (dark) and the other bright (contaminated) confirms silicon to be the contaminant (Fig. 2 f, g and Supplementary Figure 1). The contaminated region (red boxed region in Fig. 2d) showed a noticeable peak at 1.739 keV (Fig. 2f), while the clean regions (green box in Fig. 2d) showed no such silicon peak (Fig. 2g).
Oxidative exfoliation of graphite, i.e. modified Hummers’ method, was used here27,28 and requires several chemical treatment steps any, or all of which, could contribute to the observed silicon-based contamination. However, the impurity was also present in solvent-exfoliated graphene layers prepared by bath sonication of graphite powder in a very pure exfoliating solvent (Fig. 3 and Supplementary Figure 2). Solvent exfoliation of graphite uses a solvent (ca. N,N-dimethylformamide) for the exfoliation process to give graphene in the liquid phase (monolayer and few layers) without any additional oxidation step29. This showed that silicon-based compounds are ubiquitous contamination in graphene-based materials when using top–down production approaches and is not caused solely by reagents or particular chemical processes (i.e. modified Hummers’ method used here27,28). Therefore, the silicon contamination originated from the graphite precursor.
HAADF imaging of the parent graphite (98% purity) demonstrated a significant amount of silicon-based contamination (Fig. 4). Detailed images of the three different subareas highlighted in this figure are shown in Fig. 3b–d. EDS shows regions to be iron-contaminated, clean and silicon-contaminated (Fig. 4e–g, respectively). Clean regions showed a perfect graphitic lattice structure with very little or no silicon presence, whereas other areas showed intractable and widespread silicon-based contamination along with some iron clusters. Natural graphite is mined and then purified using floatation. The purification in this process is based on differences between the surface chemistry of soil rock and graphite mineral30. However, the floatation process is not able to remove high abundance mineral impurities, such as silicon. These impurities are commonly removed by using chemical or thermal treatments31. Graphite particles in the purity range of 80–98% are typically refined using only floatation. For purities >98%, additional refinement steps are carried out following floatation32. This provides two options to eliminate the contamination: (a) purification of the exfoliated materials and (b) employing purer graphite precursors.
Producing high-purity graphene
As important as the removal of this contamination on the surface of GO is, it proved to be an almost impossible task (Fig. 5). Various methods were evaluated including extensive washing of the as-prepared GO material with boiling 5 M NaOH (Fig. 5a, b). However, the silicon-based contaminants proved to be persistent and appeared to become more widely dispersed across the surface. Purification with such a strong basic solution resulted in an irreversible agglomeration and restacking of GO sheets (Supplementary Figure 3). Consequently, the impurities are confined between the layers and remain following the purification process. Even chemical–reduction of GO proved to be unsuccessful in removing the impurities effectively (Fig. 5c). This, however, was not surprising as silicon–oxygen-rich compounds (i.e. silica) are typically considered to be corrosion-resistant materials and the only reagent that can effectively etch them is fluoride. However, even using NH4F to remove the impurities proved to be unsuccessful (Fig. 5d and Supplementary Figure 3–4), and this also resulted in an irreversible agglomeration of GO layers. Generally, increasing the ionic strength or decreasing the pH of GO suspensions results in loss of the surface charge and restacking of GO particles then occurs33. Moreover, the set-up and the process parameters that need to be optimised for the removal of silicon impurities are complex and hazardous and result in a significant increase in the cost of production34.
A better approach is therefore to improve the quality and purity of the feedstock and to avoid the use of inexpensive and contaminated feedstocks, which are now typically used in non-research applications. Evaluation of various GO produced from graphite with a range of purities (98% to 99.9999%) revealed that purities of ≥99.9% result in almost contaminant-free GO (Fig. 6a–e & Supplementary Figure 5). Interestingly, a commercially obtained GO material, which was tested as a control, showed very significant silicon-based contamination. Furthermore, EDS spectra of GO derived from graphite with a purity of ≥99.9% showed no detectable silicon-based contamination (Fig. 6g–k). Nevertheless, the HAADF images still showed very limited numbers of impurity atoms (bright dots) even in the very high purity GO (Fig. 6d, e & Supplementary Figure 6). It has been shown previously that oxidation of graphite introduces varying types of impurities into the graphene materials, and their origin can be traced to impurities within the chemical reagents used during the synthesis7. This was confirmed by analysing a typical solvent-exfoliated graphene, derived from high-purity graphite (Supplementary Figure 7) and solvent, which represented a very pure surface (Fig. 6f and Supplementary Figure 8). The HAADF imaging technique also revealed regions where multiple layers of GO were present as rafts or plateaus. Presence of such oxidised rafts has been suggested through indirect characterisation techniques before15,17,18,35. These oxidised rafts are brighter than the single sheet areas as the HAADF image contrast is a function of both Z2 and thickness.
Characterisation of the impurity
X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic (XPS) measurements were performed to further characterise the silicon-based impurities. GO samples derived from graphite with two different purities, 98% and 99.9%, were prepared by drop casting on a gold-coated wafer. Since XPS is extremely surface-sensitive with a sampling depth of only a few nm, we decided to use XPS depth profiling in order to probe the chemical composition at different depths. The use of an Ar cluster source instead of a conventional Ar ion gun enables sputtering (etching) of a wide range of materials, including organic compounds, while minimising damage to the chemical structure during the sputtering process. A comparison of the high-resolution C 1s spectra of the two materials provided strong evidence that the GO in both cases was essentially identical (Fig. 7a, b). Similar levels of Si (0.09%) were detected on the surface of both GO samples with the binding energy of the Si 2p peak (102 eV) indicating the presence of an organosilicon compound rather than an inorganic Si oxide (SiO2), which would be expected at 103.5 eV (Fig. 7c and Supplementary Figure 9)36,37. This compound was completely removed after only 30 s of etching (Fig. 7d), suggesting it to be a very thin layer of adsorbed surface contamination. In contrast to the low-purity sample, an extensive washing and careful handling of the high-purity GO resulted in the removal of this adsorbed surface contamination (Supplementary Figure 10–11). Subsequent etching revealed a clear difference between the two GO samples below the surface: in the case of the purer GO (99.9%), Si was never detected again above the detection limit of the technique (ca. 0.01 %), confirming the high purity of the material; in the case of the lower purity GO (98%), Si reappeared over the etching and was thereafter present at about 0.15 atomic%. The Si 2p peak position remained at about 102 eV, characteristic of Si-O and Si-C bonds. We also note that, even under the very mild etching conditions used, the bombardment of the GO surface with Ar clusters caused a significant reduction of the GO (Supplementary Figure 12–13), which is consistent with the literature38. Interestingly, the purer GO (99.9%) was reduced much more rapidly than the lower purity GO (98%), probably due to a more pristine and uncontaminated surface.
In order to evaluate the average amounts of silicon contamination in the bulk materials, wavelength dispersive X-ray fluorescence (WD-XRF) spectroscopy was used. Results similar to the XPS depth profiling measurement, were obtained with 0.04 ± 0.007 and 0.25 ± 0.01% silicon found in the pure and non-pure samples, respectively. Furthermore, silicon-based impurities adversely affected the photoluminescence (PL) property of the GO materials as shown in Fig. 7e, f and Supplementary Figure 14. The origin of the PL in GO is due to the electronic transitions among and between the non-oxidised carbon regions and the boundary of oxidised carbon atom regions39. It appears that silicon-rich impurities can effectively hinder this electronic transition as well as being a physical barrier on the GO functional groups. It should be noted that the size of graphite (Supplementary Figure 15) and the resultant GO sheets in both samples (contaminated and pure GO) were almost identical (Supplementary Figure 16) eliminating the association of the observed phenomena to any size effects. Other physical properties measured by ultraviolet–visible (UV-Vis), Raman, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and XRD spectra were almost identical among these GO samples (Supplementary Figure 17–20). This, together with the marked similarity in the C 1s spectra (see XPS discussion above) and the aforementioned equal size distribution, confirms that the chemical and physical properties between GO samples are indistinguishable, except for the presence of Si. As we will show in the following section, these silicon-based impurities play a pivotal role in affecting the performance of graphene-based devices.
Identifying atomically dispersed and relatively low molecular weight impurities in graphene and other 2D materials is very challenging, as they are not easily visualised by routine imaging methods. In the case of silicon-based impurities, in contrast to metallic impurities11, indirect detection through electrochemical measurements is not feasible due to the lack of an electrochemical redox response. Other analytical methods, such as inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, are also not effective as silicon-based compounds (i.e. silicon oxides) are unreactive in all acids except hydrofluoric acid (HF) and all three Si isotopes are subject to N- and O-based interferences40. These factors may explain why the existence of such ubiquitous contamination on solution-processed graphene, and other similar 2D materials, has not been previously reported in the literature.
It should be noted, although there are many methods to purify graphite such as hydrometallurgical purification methods (acid washing, floatation method) and pyrometallurgical methods (chlorination roasting method and the use of extremely high temperatures, >2700 °C), these methods are not applicable after the exfoliation in liquid media or device fabrication. In the case of hydrometallurgical purification methods, usually a purification level of up to 98% can be achieved. This method, although very efficient in the removal of metallic impurities, cannot be applied to remove Si-based impurities. On the other hand, heating the graphene at high temperature (>2700 °C) is not a viable option in most cases, as this will limit the versatility of end-product device fabrication. These limitations are much more significant in the case of delicate dispersions of graphene and GO. As such, using high-purity graphite (commercially available) in the first place is recommended.
An important question is whether the impurities described here have any undesirable effect in the final performance of practical devices. Oxygen-containing functional groups on the hydrophilic surface of GO provide a high potential to adsorb water molecules41. Therefore, GO-based relative humidity (RH) sensors have shown great promise in this respect42,43,44. However, the detection range and moisture uptake reported so far, although promising, represent just an incremental improvement over existing technologies. We anticipated that silicon-based contamination might act as a barrier, blocking the moisture absorber sites and thus adversely affect the sensor performance. Therefore, the first test of our hypothesis was to evaluate this effect by fabricating an RH sensor from a variety of GO materials.
Three almost identical thin films of GO derived from various feedstocks (a commercial GO and two derived in-house from graphite of 98% and 99.9% purities) were deposited on a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) to fabricate the RH sensors. All QCM-based humidity sensors (Fig. 8a) revealed strong dynamic responses with excellent reproducibility towards even the lowest humidity level (see Supplementary Table 1). Notably, the GO prepared from the highest purity graphite (99.9%) showed a significantly higher sensitivity (66.5 Hz/% RH) when compared to that of less pure materials (53 Hz/% RH) (Fig. 8b). This sensitivity towards humidity was over two times higher than the highest ever reported sensitivity of 28.7 Hz/% RH using a copper metal–organic framework as the sensitive layer (also see Table S1)45. Such high sensitivity results in an exceptionally high signal-to-noise ratio (~2000 Hz/Hz) thus allowing for trace levels of humidity to be detected. This high level of sensitivity corresponded to a very high humidity uptake, ranging from 7.5 wt% at 2.5% RH up to 32 wt% at 90% RH. The highest purity GO sheets displayed an extremely low limit of detection (LOD) of 0.006% RH at 27 °C, which is equivalent to 1.5 mg/m3 (2 ppm) absolute humidity; a level which has not been reported to date. This LOD is at least two orders of magnitude superior to the best-performing 2D MXenes (LOD of 0.8% RH) and around one order of magnitude better than the lowest reported LOD in the literature46. Similar trend was found when the effect of temperature is considered (Fig. 8c and Supplementary Figure 21). The GO sensor was also found to possess excellent repeatability and selectivity (Fig. 8d and Supplementary Figure 22), which puts it at the forefront of the best-performing humidity sensors reported in the literature.
GO is an amphiphilic material consisting of both hydrophobic domains (graphenic domains) and hydrophilic parts27,47. However, the structure is mainly hydrophilic leading to easy adsorption and adherence of moisture (water) molecules onto the surface41,48. Our results show the existence of organo-silicon based contaminants on the surface as a hydrophobic and non-hygroscopic component detrimentally affects the final performance of the sensor leading to lower device performance49. Interestingly, the selectivity was not much influenced by the impurity implying that the impurity acts only as a passive barrier. This superb performance can be attributed to the much higher available hydrophilic surface area of the employed GO (99.9% purity) when the surface contamination is eliminated. This sensors’ detection range is shown to be from trace levels to up to >90% RH with unparalleled accuracy and selectivity. Therefore, the sensor developed from high-purity GO can eliminate the need for employing multiple sensors to detect the different humidity levels for any given application. Moreover, as the amount of the material on each sensor is typically around 50 μg, the use of more expensive high-purity precursor does not affect the overall production cost significantly.
To evaluate the effect of silicon-based contamination on the performance of GO after the reduction process, we investigated the double-layer capacitance of reduced GO as a function of contamination. It is a well-established fact that the capacitance behaviour of graphene-based materials is very sensitive to the available surface area50,51. Thus the masking effect of the surface contamination can adversely affect the double-layer charge storage capability. The performance of the three types of reduced GO (rGO) was evaluated. These were compared based on their cyclic voltammetric (CV) responses at 100 mV/s (Fig. 8e). All systems showed a near-rectangular CV curve, except for the commercial rGO. It was evident that the material prepared from high-purity graphite (99.9%) showed a superior capacitive performance and higher electrical conductivity: GO 99.9%: 320 ± 12 s/cm vs GO 98%: 210 ± 13 s/cm and commercial GO: 150 ± 16 s/cm. The near-rectangular CV curves presented in Fig. 8f are representative of excellent double-layer charge storage performance even at high scan rates. Moreover, the maximum capacitance value of 523 F/g recorded at 10 mV/s is close to the theoretical capacitance limit of graphene sheets (550 F/g)23. This clearly illustrates that the presence of silicon-based impurities can significantly impair the capacitive performance of graphene sheets.
The findings presented here illustrated how the performance of graphene-based devices is critically dependent on the impurity content, predominantly silicon-based. Furthermore, we showed that the cleaning methods to remove this resilient contamination were not successful, and as such the use of a high-purity precursor in order to obtain high-purity graphene is necessary. Humidity sensors and double layer supercapacitors fabricated with such materials showed significantly improved performance surpassing all existing reported materials and technologies. This emphasises that the silicon-based contamination is a ubiquitous problem in 2D materials produced by exfoliating naturally occurring layered crystals. It also highlights the critical importance of material purity and the need for a quality-control approach to the production and application of 2D-based materials.
GO was synthesised with a method described previously4,27,28,47, using graphite sources of varying purities (shown in parentheses): natural graphite flake (98%), natural graphite powder (99%), natural graphite flake (99.8%), natural graphite flake (99.9%), natural graphite powder (99.9995%), synthetic graphite (99.9995%), and natural graphite powder (99.9999%) from Alfa Aesar. A commercially available GO was also tested as a control. Briefly, graphite powder (1 g) and sulphuric acid (200 mL) were mixed and stirred in a flask for 1 h. Then KMnO4 (10 g) was added to the mixture and stirred for 1 day. The mixture was transferred into an ice bath, and Milli-Q (200 mL) water was added slowly before H2O2 (50 mL) were poured into the mixture. Having stirred for another 30 min, the GO particles were then washed and centrifuged three times with HCl solution (9:1 water/HCl by volume), then centrifuged again and washed with Milli-Q water until the pH of the solution became about 4–5.
Specimens for electron microscopy were prepared by deposition of GO suspensions on a holey carbon support film on a copper grid (a droplet of 50 μg/mL). The specimens were stored in glass desiccator to avoid contamination. STEM examination was carried out using an aberration-corrected JEOL ARM200F microscope operating at 80 kV to minimise radiation damage to the specimens. The instrument was fitted with a cold field emission electron source and a JEOL large area (1sr) EDS. This was coupled to a Noran System Seven analytical system. All imaging and analysis was carried in scanning transmission mode (STEM) using a high-resolution imaging probe of approximately 30 pA current and 0.1 nm diameter with a convergence semi-angle of 24.9 mrad. Imaging was carried out in HAADF and BF modes, yielding mass thickness and diffraction contrast information, respectively. The inner and outer acceptance angles for HAADF imaging were 68 and 280 mrad, respectively, and for BF imaging, the acceptance semi-angle was 17 mrad. Scanning images were captured using the Gatan’s DigiScan hardware and DigitalMicrograph software.
Scanning electron microscopic (SEM) analysis were carried out by first depositing GO sheets from their dispersions on pre‐cleaned and silanised silicon wafer (300 nm SiO2 layer), as described previously52. Briefly, silane solution was prepared by mixing 3‐aminopropyltriethoxysilane (Aldrich) with water (1:9 v/v) and one drop of hydrochloric acid (Sigma–Aldrich). Precut silicon substrates were silanised by immersing in aqueous silane solution for 30 min and then washed thoroughly with Millipore water. GO sheets were deposited onto silanised silicon substrates by immersing a silicon substrate into the GO dispersion (50 μg/mL) for 5 s and then into a second container containing Millipore water for 30 s and then air‐drying. As‐deposited GO sheets were directly examined by SEM (JEOL JSM‐7500FA). The lateral size distributions of ~500 isolated GO sheets were determined from several SEM images and analysed using the image analysis software (ImageJ, http://rsb.info.nih.gov/ij/). The lateral size of GO sheets was defined as the diameter of an equal-area circle. Similarly, the size of the graphite particles was measured using optical microscopy.
PL spectra of GO suspensions in water were acquired with a Horiba Jobin Yvon Fluoromax-4 fluorometer with an excitation wavelength of 350 nm. Optical absorption spectra of the same suspensions were obtained on an Agilent Cary60 UV-Vis spectrophotometer. FTIR spectroscopy of GO powders was carried out using a Perkin-Elmer Frontier spectrometer equipped with a Pike GladiATR attenuated total reflectance stage.
XPS analysis was performed using an AXIS Nova spectrometer (Kratos Analytical Inc., Manchester, UK) with a monochromated Al Kα source at a power of 180 W (15 kV × 12 mA), a hemispherical analyser operating in the fixed analyser transmission mode and the standard aperture (analysis area: 0.3 × 0.7 mm2). The total pressure in the main vacuum chamber during analysis was typically between 10−9 and 10−8 mbar. Survey spectra were acquired at a pass energy of 160 eV. C 1s high-resolution spectra were recorded at 40 eV pass energy, yielding a typical peak width for polymers of 0.8–1.0 eV. Each specimen was analysed at an emission angle of 0° as measured from the surface normal with an analysis depth of between 5 and 10 nm. Depth profiling experiments were conducted using an Ar Gas Cluster Ion Source (GCIS; Kratos Analytical Inc. Minibeam 6) operated at a cluster size of Ar1000+ with impact energy of 10 keV, equating to partition energy of 10 eV per atom. For the ion beam, a raster size of 1.4 × 1.4 mm2 was employed. WD-XRF spectrometer Model S4 Pioneer, Bruker AXS Gmbh, Karlsruhe, Germany was used to evaluate the average amounts of silicon contamination in the powder form.
QCM transducer fabrication and characterisation
The 10 MHz QCM devices were fabricated using optically polished AT-cut quartz substrates (Ø = 7.5 mm) upon the surfaces of which metal electrodes (Ø = 4.5 mm) were e-beam evaporated. The two metal electrodes were each made up of 300 nm of Ti and their sensitivities were calculated to be 4.39 ng/cm2/Hz. Prior to humidity sorption experiments, the mass of GO material deposited on the QCM devices was determined using an Agilent E5100A network. The centre frequency changes of the QCMs were monitored throughout the humidity sorption tests using a Research Quartz Crystal Microbalance (RQCM, Maxtek), which has a frequency resolution of ±0.03 Hz. The QCM response magnitudes were normalised using the mass deposition data in order to obtain a better understanding of the affinity (based on mass) of each material towards humidity.
Material transfer onto the QCM
In order to make a RH sensor for testing GO from different sources, a 10 MHz QCM transducer with sensitivity of 4.39 ng/cm2/Hz was employed. Three almost identical thin films of GO were deposited on the QCM devices for testing. Commercially available GO was deposited on the first QCM while the other two consisted of synthesised GO in-house from graphite with purities of 98% and 99.9%. GO dispersions (1 mg/mL) from these sources were drop cast (75 µL) onto the QCM device and were dried at room temperature. The change in the QCM frequency (before and after material deposition) confirmed that similar masses of each GO material were deposited on their respective QCM devices. These deposited mass values were used to normalise the humidity uptake of the materials.
Humidity uptake measurements
The humidity uptake measurements were performed in a custom-built environmental chamber, which housed the QCM devices while maintaining a constant operating temperature of 27 °C. The total gas flow rate was kept constant at 200 mL/min throughout the experiments using a multi-channel gas delivery system, employing mass flow controllers (MKS instruments, Inc. USA). The humidity levels were generated using an RH generator (V-Gen from InstruQuest). This humidity level constantly produced by the generator was equivalent to 100% RH at 27 °C or 25.6 g/m3 of water vapour in air. This level of humidity was diluted (by mass flow controllers) to obtain the different concentrations of water vapour required. The humidity sensing experiments throughout the study were such that the sensors were exposed to humidity for 15 min prior to being allowed to recover for a further 15 min under a dry nitrogen atmosphere. The humidity exposure and recovery events combined are referred to as a “pulse” from here on. The signal was determined from the highest humidity exposure (response magnitude) while the noise was determined from a blank profile used in the LOD calculations53,54.
The selectivity and repeatability experiments were performed with a 50% RH level at 27 °C. Selectivity tests involved exposure to ammonia, acetaldehyde, ethylmercaptan, dimethyl disulphide and methylethylketone with/without the presence of humidity. The contaminant gases and their concentrations were chosen due to their relevance in industrial environments. Repeatability experiments involved the exposure to 50% RH at 27 °C over 10 pulses in a continuous manner. For sensor performance comparison, the response time (t90), detection limit, sensitivity and selectivity parameters were used in this study46,54.
Double-layer capacitor performance
The active layer on the electrodes was fabricated through deposition of 5 µL of GO solution (1 mg/mL) on Pt electrodes. The chemical reduction was performed by immersing the electrodes in a solution containing 5 wt% ascorbic acid at 80 °C for 4 h. The double-layer charge storage was investigated using CV experiments using a two-electrode set-up and H2SO4 (1 M) electrolyte. Please note, in order to highlight the effect of silica contamination (as a barrier) and in order to minimise the effect of restacking of GO sheets on the performance, thin films (<1 µm thickness) of GO were deposited on the electrode. However, for large-scale device fabrication a much higher mass of active material is recommended. This is discussed in the literature55,56.
The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding authors upon reasonable request.
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Xu, Z.-W. et al. Enhancement on the surface hydrophobicity and oleophobicity of an organosilicon film by conformity deposition and surface fluorination etching. Materials 11, 1089 (2018).
El-Kady, M. F., Strong, V., Dubin, S. & Kaner, R. B. Laser scribing of high-performance and flexible graphene-based electrochemical capacitors. Science 335, 1326–1330 (2012).
Yang, X., Cheng, C., Wang, Y., Qiu, L. & Li, D. Liquid-mediated dense integration of graphene materials for compact capacitive energy storage. Science 341, 534–537 (2013).
Jalili, R. et al. Organic solvent-based graphene oxide liquid crystals: a facile route toward the next generation of self-assembled layer-by-layer multifunctional 3D architectures. ACS Nano 7, 3981–3990 (2013).
Kabir, K. M. M. et al. Selective detection of elemental mercury vapor using a surface acoustic wave (SAW) sensor. Analyst 140, 5508–5517 (2015).
Kabir, K. M. M. et al. Mercury sorption and desorption on gold: a comparative analysis of surface acoustic wave and quartz crystal microbalance-based sensors. Langmuir 31, 8519–8529 (2015).
Ke, Q. & Wang, J. Graphene-based materials for supercapacitor electrodes – a review. J. Mater. 2, 37–54 (2016).
Cheng, C. et al. Ion transport in complex layered graphene-based membranes with tuneable interlayer spacing. Sci. Adv. 2, e1501272 (2016).
The authors thank the Australian National Fabrication Facility and funding from the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence Scheme (Project CE 140100012). D.E., R.J., E.D.G. and A.K. acknowledge Vice Chancellor’s Fellowship scheme at RMIT University. This research used the JEOL JEM-ARM200F funded by the Australian Research Council (ARC) – Linkage, Infrastructure, Equipment and Facilities (LIEF) grant (LE120100104) located at the UOW Electron Microscopy Centre. S.H.A. acknowledges the financial support from Pasargad Institute for Advanced Innovative Solutions (PIAIS) under Supporting Grant scheme (Project SG1-RMS1705-01) and Equipment and Infrastructure Grant scheme (EI1-MC1709-01). The authors acknowledge Anton Paar GmbH. and Varesh Chimie Bahar Co. for particle size analysis measurements. E.D.G. thanks the ARC for financial support through a DECRA (DE170100164). R.J. thanks the ARC for financial support through a DECRA (DE180100215). The authors acknowledge the facilities and the scientific and technical assistance of the Australian Microscopy & Microanalysis Research Facility at the RMIT Microscopy & Microanalysis Facility, at RMIT University.
The authors declare no competing interests.
Publisher’s note: Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
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Jalili, R., Esrafilzadeh, D., Aboutalebi, S.H. et al. Silicon as a ubiquitous contaminant in graphene derivatives with significant impact on device performance. Nat Commun 9, 5070 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-07396-3 | <urn:uuid:3c1c341d-4070-4435-ad66-ec1deb90e36b> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-018-07396-3?WT.feed_name=subjects_graphene&error=cookies_not_supported&code=776aff77-bf3b-41b3-8009-dfe526095c2b | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571538.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20220812014923-20220812044923-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.913851 | 10,293 | 2.546875 | 3 |
Georgi Daskalov. Zograph in the “embrace” of the Greek state 20th century. In Bulgarian
The main accent of the study is the Bulgarian Zograf monastery on Mount Athos in the context of the complicated Bulgarian—Greek relations which went through stages of open hostility, purposeful anti-Bulgarian propaganda to warming and mutually beneficial arrangements.
|Publisher||St. Kliment Ohridski University Press|
|Size||16 х 24 cm| | <urn:uuid:75026616-34c5-417d-a97e-04823646b6f7> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://bibliophilia.eu/contemporaneity/contemporary-history/contemporary-balkan-history/zograph-and-the-greek-state | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572212.96/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815205848-20220815235848-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.772095 | 163 | 1.867188 | 2 |
Trump EPA raises bar for justifying new clean air regulations
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will announce on Wednesday its final rule changing how it measures the costs and benefits of proposed new curbs on pollution, a move likely to limit the incoming administration's power to impose stringent regulations. Industry groups praised the change, but environmental and public health groups called for President-elect Joe Biden to immediately reverse it when he takes office in January.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will announce on Wednesday its final rule changing how it measures the costs and benefits of proposed new curbs on pollution, a move likely to limit the incoming administration's power to impose stringent regulations.
Industry groups praised the change, but environmental and public health groups called for President-elect Joe Biden to immediately reverse it when he takes office in January.
EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler unveiled the final rule at the conservative Heritage Foundation, which has been critical of the criteria previous administrations used to justify tougher regulations.
"Today’s action ensures that EPA is consistent in evaluating costs and benefits when developing broad-reaching policies that affect the American public,” said Wheeler.
He said the rule was part of broader reform of assessments of benefits and costs that underpin regulatory actions under the administration of President Donald Trump, and that there were no regulations that ensured that EPA analyzed benefits and costs consistently.
Public health and environmental groups said the move undermines future regulators' ability to set stricter limits on air pollution because they will not be able to account for the full range of health benefits of a proposed rule if they mainly factor in its cost to justify it.
“This benign-sounding update will deliberately discount the health benefits of air pollution standards, which would artificially reduce the ‘value’ of air pollution cleanup," American Lung Association President Harold Wimmer said.
Wimmer and other environmental group leaders called for Biden's EPA to reverse the rule, which now would require a formal process.
The EPA moved in April to revise the cost-benefit analysis used by former president Barack Obama's administration to write the Mercury and Air Toxic Standards rule. Trump's EPA said the costs of compliance far outweighed direct public health benefits.
The calculations used by Obama accounted for indirect benefits too, because pollution-control equipment at coal plants would reduce emissions of particulate matter and other harmful substances that come out of smokestacks, in addition to just mercury.
President of the National Mining Association Rich Nolan said previous analyses were "improperly used to target the coal industry through unjustifiable regulations."
(Reporting by Valerie Volcovici; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and David Gregorio)
This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
By Robin Emmott and John Irish | BRUSSELS/PARIS BRUSSELS/PARIS France and Germany will agree to a U.S. plan for NATO to take a bigger role in the fight against Islamic militants at a meeting with President Donald Trump on Thursday, but insist the move is purely symbolic, four senior European diplomats said.The decision to allow the North Atlantic Treaty Organization to join the coalition against Islamic State in Syria and Iraq follows weeks of pressure on the two allies, who are wary of NATO confronting Russia in Syria and of alienating Arab countries who see NATO as pushing a pro-Western agenda."NATO as an institution will join the coalition," said one senior diplomat involved in the discussions. "The question is whether this just a symbolic gesture to the United States
BEIJING Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday called for greater efforts to make the country's navy a world class one, strong in operations on, below and above the surface, as it steps up its ability to project power far from its shores.China's navy has taken an increasingly prominent role in recent months, with a rising star admiral taking command, its first aircraft carrier sailing around self-ruled Taiwan and a new aircraft carrier launched last month.With President Donald Trump promising a US shipbuilding spree and unnerving Beijing with his unpredictable approach on hot button issues including Taiwan and the South and East China Seas, China is pushing to narrow the gap with the U.S. Navy.Inspecting navy headquarters, Xi said the navy should "aim for the top ranks in the world", the Defence Ministry said in a statement about his visit."Building a strong and modern navy is an important mark of a top ranking global military," the ministry paraphrased Xi as saying. | <urn:uuid:fbbb37cd-8c22-4d4f-87d9-c77873000f60> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.firstpost.com/business/trump-epa-raises-bar-for-justifying-new-clean-air-regulations-9095891.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572043.2/warc/CC-MAIN-20220814143522-20220814173522-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.948434 | 928 | 1.945313 | 2 |
Providing healthcare services reliably and effectively requires a lot of information about patients. This especially so in the age of personalized medicine. Managing, sharing, and accessing medical records is a often a headache for healthcare providers. Blockchain technology may provide an answer. Hear from experts on the promise and challenges of incorporating blockchain in healthcare settings.
Moderator: Patricia Burnett (Attorney, Weiss Brown)
Dr. David Hanekom (CEO, Arizona Care Network)
Melissa Soliz (Attorney, Coppersmith Brockelman)
RSVP for this event HERE. CLE credit: 1 hour
Wednesday, March 20, 2019
12:00pm to 1:30pm, Lunch provided
Beus Center for Law and Society
111 E. Taylor St.
Phoenix, Arizona 85004 | <urn:uuid:6c6f2adb-a381-4fc1-a9fa-aaf9cbd5a57d> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://events.asucollegeoflaw.com/blockchain/healthcare/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572212.96/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815205848-20220815235848-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.86976 | 172 | 1.59375 | 2 |
One of the single biggest points of leverage in a person’s life, is one that is often overlooked and taken for granted.
It is trust.
If you want to dramatically increase your success and effectiveness as an entrepreneur, as a leader, as a spouse or partner in a relationship, and with your customers, you must begin that process at the level of trust.
If you drive down to the core of who we are as a social species, trust is the most valuable asset in the world, because trust means safety.
Trust is often the difference between life and death. A lack of trust is what allows us to avoid dangerous people or situations, and it’s also what allows us to function as a society as we drive down a road towards other people at 70 mph with nothing more than a painted line to seperate us.
When you have trust, you can let your guard down. It means you can turn off the security guards in your brain that keep you on alert and looking for danger, allow yourself to go into the part of your mind that’s creative and abundant.
When people trust each other, it creates speed of efficiency, because you know that you can count on the other person to do what they said they would do.
It creates loyalty with consumers who learn that they can trust you and your company to keep your promises.
Your goal, is to become the high-trust person and brand in your market. If you can establish trust over time, you will win, so to help us learn more about trust is the man who literally wrote the book on the subject, Stephen MR Covey.
Stephen is the heir to the Franklin Covey empire. He is the CEO of one of the largest and most successful business consulting firms in the world, and he is here today to teach you how to take your life and your business to the next level, by becoming a person and a brand of trust. | <urn:uuid:27221f84-9633-4a72-bb52-6b011ef2bb9b> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://selfmademan.com/?episodes=the-most-effective-way-to-grow-your-business-with-stephen-mr-covey | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571911.5/warc/CC-MAIN-20220813081639-20220813111639-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.977004 | 396 | 1.773438 | 2 |
MikroTik Basic training course was designed to make students familiar with RouterOS software and RouterBoard products.
The Training course includes 1 day of hands-on training and intense lab workshops with basic concept.
316-F1, 4th floor, Jeff Heights Gulburg iii Lahore
For Training Information
+92 322 4611722
+92 322 7950967
Anyone can join this Training,
What is the target audience?
- This course is intended for anyone interested in learning MikroTik from basic.
- Anyone who want to build the carrier in networking
March 01, 2020
Training Terms and Conditions
- The duration of the workshop is 1 day
- The Training Time 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM
- Minimum 10 Students required to Conduct this workshop, In case required participants does not registered 1 day before this workshop date then this event considered suspend or delay.
- Every candidate must bring their own Laptop.
- Training Lab Material ( Class use only )
- Why MikroTik as compared to other vendors
- This is important to discuss, How to get high salaries jobs Being IT Network Certified.
- Technician Level
- Engineer Level
- Expert Level
- Administrative Level
- This is tough call for beginners but anyone can be !
- A IT Network Engineer can be more skilled with MikroTik Certified Training,
- What is the market Value and growth of MikroTik Products in Pakistan and Worldwide!
- Being MikroTik Certified , you have open opportunities to serve your Services around the World. We have ideas for you.
- You can be MikroTik Certified Consultant and earn more money.
- Our experts will guide you right path.
- We will guide you how to use right product as per your requirements.
- Our Experts will guide you how to use MikroTik Router as SOHO router as compared to other vendors in less time and more features.
- Our Experts will chose one topic for you for configuration like
- To be discussed on Workshop day.
German Academic Lecturer
He has 30 years Business experience around the World. | <urn:uuid:0e88172c-f5fc-4eaf-8bd6-ab8d4c2afbac> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.tristar.net.pk/buy/mikrotik-basic-course-training/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572043.2/warc/CC-MAIN-20220814143522-20220814173522-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.888492 | 499 | 1.546875 | 2 |
Event planning is a complicated process; therefore, it will be tough to come up with a successful event if you are new in this industry. Many activities are involved in the process, like research, planning, coordination, and advertising through pop-out banners and other print media.
To have an event that will ensure your goal is achieved, you will have to follow the required protocols. In this article, you will learn five great ways to achieve maximum success in your next event and create a memorable experience for your attendees.
1. Conduct a thorough research
Research is a priority before anything else; hosting an event is complicated, and when you are not keen, you will incur problems. To avoid any unnecessary losses, you will have to conduct in-depth research. Under research, you will have to check on the following:
Goals and objectives definition
Identify and stick to your event’s goals and objectives to have outcomes that you want to get at the end. For example, you can be introducing a new commodity in the market; therefore, it’s upon you to decide what you want. It can be, aiming to attain close sales or enhance the product awareness in the market and get new deals.
Summarize your event activities and determine if it is feasible
Everyone has ideas; it is tough for one to run short of them. No matter how brilliant the ideas might be, if they are not practical, you will have a hard time organizing the stage. Timing is another thing you will have to abide by; identify the perfect time to set up the event.
Know your audiences
Have an explicit knowledge and understanding of your targeted audiences, as this will help you know how you can address them.
Come up with a timeline.
Now that your ideas and approaches are in place, create a pre-production timeline. The timeline varies with the scope of the event, but there is one thing it will help you in, it will give you a humble time to reserve everything and develop a buzz on occasion.
Create a budget
Events are sensitive to budget, mainly when you have it on behalf of another company or brand. Drafting a budget will enable you to have your priorities in place and know what the event can give out. Budgeting prevents mismanagement of resources, funds, and time.
At this phase, you will have to consider everything that will enable you to develop a successful event. You will have to account for catering, venue, event program, guest, space, time the event will start and end.
The list of the things to consider is endless, and it can be hectic sometimes; the best way to go about it is by distributing them amongst your team. You can also ask for help from external events experts to help you with some work, or they give you some ideas on how to go about the activity.
3. Advertise your event early enough
Before the actual date of the event, go around creating awareness to the people about the coming event. Brief the targeted audiences on the event’s objectives convince them to attend. It is tough to convince, but you use some tricks like promising the attendees will get free hampers, food, or drinks. In addition, you can tell them that there will be a special appearance of a celebrity they love.
If your company has stable social media platforms, you can create awareness there. Another option is printing banners and having them at places where audiences can see—request for RSVPs to know the number of the attendees. People have a lot in their minds; you can remind them a week before the event through short messages, emails, and phone calls.
4. Event coordination
After all the necessary preparation is in place, the event is well planned, and the guests are happy. Now comes the time to accomplish the event itself; this is the most complicated event planning stage since you have to merge all the elements and supervise the entire production.
At this phase, be sure that something might go south; that’s why event planning requires an event producer who is good at dealing with such issues. The event producer should be able to identify the problem before it is too late. Have a backup plan just in case everything goes unexpectedly.
Double-check everything, ensure they are in place, have frequent communication with your production team and the suppliers. Now comes the D-day; make your way to the event as early as you can; at this moment, all you will be doing is counter checking everything and doing final touches. Check if the venue has been cleaned and ready to receive the guests.
Evaluation is the final stage; at this phase, the event is over; now it is time for you to precisely evaluate the event, check on what went as planned and what went wrong, and why? Were your guests pleased? Did you meet your goals? With all this data at hand, you can go the extra mile and address the press, increasing your brand awareness.
To be a successful event organizer, you will need to have unique approaches and be flexible. Host your events in a legendary way such that everyone will remember you for that, and they will be calling to help them in their event planning. | <urn:uuid:c083213e-3bd8-4d88-bd80-2087b554f626> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.sme-news.co.uk/5-ways-you-can-achieve-greater-success-in-your-next-event/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571210.98/warc/CC-MAIN-20220810191850-20220810221850-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.956207 | 1,080 | 1.632813 | 2 |
Generation of peanut line with drought tolerance by plant cell technology
Keywords:Cystatin gene, drought resistance, irradiation resistance, peanut, scar tissue, water loss resistance
Scar tissue of peanut cultivar L18 was processed by dry blower during 9 hours and in combination with gamma ray irradiation with dose of 2 krad and results showed that 198 peanut lines have been generated. By evaluation of drought tolerance of selected peanut lines at the fifth generation, 3 peanut lines RM48, RM47 and R46 with highly drought tolerance were chosen, of which RM48 line derived from callus dehydration tolerance and radiation tolerance proved to be the best drought tolerance. Cystatin gene sequence of the RM48 peanut line had 19 different nucleotide positions compared with that of the L18 cultivar (original cultivar with low drought tolerance) and had 23 different nucleotide positions compared with that of the L23 cultivar (high drought tolerance). Cystatin of the RM48 line had amino acid sequence which was different at 6 and 7 positions compared with that of the cultivars L23 and L18, respectively. Based on evaluation of drought tolerance and analysis of cystatin gene sequence, the peanut line RM48 was selected. This line derived from dehydrated callus of L18 peanut cultivar by 9 hour dry blow and gamma ray irradiation at the dose of 2 krad. The line RM48 with highly drought tolerance could be introduced to participate in field trial test to generate a new drought-resistant cultivar. | <urn:uuid:d45a4979-206c-43ab-9e7f-acdde5f2d5c0> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://vjs.ac.vn/index.php/vjbio/article/view/3391 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571911.5/warc/CC-MAIN-20220813081639-20220813111639-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.935672 | 336 | 2.5 | 2 |
The Mindfulness-Based Emotional Balance Workbook
Available on Amazon.com now
“In an increasingly topsy-turvy world, finding emotional balance is more important than ever – and Margaret Cullen and Gonzalo Brito show you how, walking with you step by step, drawing on brain science, ancient wisdom, and the power of mindfulness. Comforting and powerful, down-to-earth and profound, this book is a clear path from stress, frustration, and irritation to calm strength, happiness, and inner peace.”
Rick Hanson, Ph.D.,
author of Buddha’s Brain: The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love, and Wisdom
[English audio] Margaret Cullen - Equanimity in a World on Fire
A conversation with Margaret Cullen, one of the founding teachers of the Compassion Cultivation Training program (CCT), co-author of the Mindfulness and Emotional Balance (MBEB) program and an American psychotherapist, about one of the least studied...
Meet Margaret Cullen, and read an excerpt from "The Mindfulness-Based Emotional Balance...
Susan Kaiser Greenland
Margaret Cullen is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and a Certified Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) Teacher. One of the pioneers of mindfulness-based programs, Margaret has created a number of mindfulness programs in health care... | <urn:uuid:d4dadaed-dfd3-472b-a38d-601bf1acb030> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.margaretcullen.com/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572043.2/warc/CC-MAIN-20220814143522-20220814173522-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.883178 | 289 | 1.5 | 2 |
Browsing Educational Leadership, Administration, and Foundations by Subject "Developmental mathematics"
Now showing items 1-1 of 1
Are college student success courses effective corequisites to developmental mathematics in community colleges?The purpose of this study was to examine the differ ences in the achievement rates of developmental mathematics students when a student s uccess course was taken in combination with mathematics. The study investigated changes t hat occurred in the developmental mathematics completion rates of the learners by exa mining age and the course sequence of mathematics in conjunction with a student success c ourse at a large community college in central Florida. Age was of interest as it related to the time lapsed from high school graduation and potential for mathematics atrophy. Course sequence was valued to determine if taking a student success course during or within one year of develop mental mathematics could enhance mathematics course completion. These attributes we re further divided and assessed according to the two specific developmental mathematics courses. Level 1 consisted of learners in deep remediation needing the most basic developmental ma thematics course. Level 2 was composed of people who placed into the developmental mathema tics course just below that of 100-level coursework. The results of the study from multiple analyses of association revealed that developmental mathematics course completion was sig nificantly correlated to student success courses. Students who took a student success cours e as a corequisite to their developmental mathematics course completed their mathematics cour se more often than those who took mathematics alone. Additionally, students in the h igher level developmental mathematics course also performed significantly better when a student success course was taken before but within one year of their developmental mathematics course. In the age groups of participants in the study, st udents who had been out of high school longer did not experience any observable mathematic s atrophy when taking mathematics without a student life skills course. As compared to young er students (20 years of age or younger), older students had a significantly higher course completi on rate. Moreover, all age groups in the study were shown to have benefitted significantly from th e inclusion of a student success course. Younger learners in the lowest level developmental mathematics course, however, benefitted most. This study provides implications for practic es and policies that enhance developmental mathematics course completion and facilitate academ ic momentum to degree completion in community colleges. It also provides insights to e nhance developmental mathematics curriculum success from an approach peripheral to the discipli ne. | <urn:uuid:31c96628-6b9f-4036-9440-4522b3bf0f80> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://scholars.indstate.edu/handle/10484/5557/browse?type=subject&value=Developmental+mathematics | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571911.5/warc/CC-MAIN-20220813081639-20220813111639-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.957162 | 490 | 2.015625 | 2 |
Re-inventive Financial Planning – What’s your plan?
By: Dr. Carlana Ramlochansingh | September 17th, 2020 | Related To: Aspire Fund Management Company Limited
As the Covid-19 outbreak began, so did widespread panic purchases. The credit cards, savings and salaries of many were exhausted on stock piling supplies. As prices rose for staple purchases those that were comfortable with the exorbitant spending represented a sector of the population. Others were dependent on salaries to survive month to month. The loss of income and increase in expenses showed us as a people just how unprepared we are for a crisis.
In these uncertain times we know the topic of finances and investing wisely can seem all too unimportant.
While our physical well-being and mental health are clearly paramount, we need to take good care of our financial health as well.
A crisis environment like this reminds us that limiting impulse purchases just can be the ticket to planning for generations. The simple idea of financial planning can be overwhelming for most of us. As too often people assume, they aren’t capable of creating their own financial plan, let alone realizing their dreams.
Truth be told, you don’t need to be a business tycoon to grow your wealth, you can harness it by buying into real businesses and you can start with small amounts of money that would allow you to facilitate someone else’s talent and grow your own wealth. But here’s the secret! You have to become an investor.
If that sounds simple enough, what is blocking most individuals from getting started immediately? The limiting belief is that the rules of the game are known only to a sophisticated few and are unavailable to the rest of us but nothing can be further from the truth. The solution starts with understanding a few basic concepts and implementing them day to day in your own life.
At Aspire Fund Management, our team of experienced professionals continuously searches for the best investment opportunities based on a comprehensive screening analysis where passion, innovation and strategic insight align. We seek out next-generation opportunities most in their growth phase, while some can be identified from inception to impact. Speak to your financial advisor or come chat with us to learn more about starting your financial journey. | <urn:uuid:bee621ec-c067-40bb-9956-26f32fe3d9b8> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.whoswhotnt.com/re-inventive-financial-planning-whats-your-plan/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572043.2/warc/CC-MAIN-20220814143522-20220814173522-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.96053 | 461 | 1.5 | 2 |
There is no specific time table for the lifespan of any servo motor. In ideal conditions a servo motor can last 20+ years, and under extreme conditions can last less than one year. Most OEM (original equipment manufacturers) contribute the lifespan of their servo motors to the lifespan of the bearings.
Some of the OEMs have listed bearing lifespans (if properly lubricated) at:
Indramat: 30,000 working hours
Allen Bradley: 20,000 working hours
Yaskawa: s 20,000 working hours
Siemens: 20,000 working hours
Many variables can affect the lifespan of a servo motor. The lifespan can vary significantly depending on the application and type of environment it is used in. All components of a servo motor are subject to mechanical wear or deterioration over time.
Application parameters effects:
- The lower the speed the lower input power is needed and the longer the motor will last. Some motor models are rated for lower speeds but input power is still comparable.
- higher duty cycle shorter the lifespan
- contaminants- dust, oil, grease, etc.
- extreme heat
- improper installation
- poor maintenance
If you are hearing an unusual noise or if there is a vibration, it is a sign your equipment needs to be serviced. When having your equipment repaired at Repair Zone, worn or damaged components are replaced with new so you will see very little difference in the lifespan of a repaired motor versus new. You will also save up to 70% by choosing repair or 50% by choosing a re-manufactured servo motor.
To view the servo motor inventory at RepairZone, click the link below:Servo Motors Available at RepairZone | <urn:uuid:1f03c582-09da-48a7-91dc-642a04c8d8a0> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | http://blog.repairzone.com/lifespan-of-a-servo-motor/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572043.2/warc/CC-MAIN-20220814143522-20220814173522-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.895675 | 370 | 1.898438 | 2 |
The last decade has been witness to a flurry of social, technological, and political change which has certainly impacted culture and cultural outputs.
In the last few years especially, the world has changed significantly, and it looks as if cultural outputs around the world are only going to change more as time goes on.
Although there have been many different cultural changes and shifts over the past 10 years, below are a few of the most significant changes we have seen.
The digital revolution
The digital revolution has changed nearly every aspect of everyday life. Whether it is the currency we use, the way we communicate, how we shop, or how we navigate through the world, it has all been shaped and changed by digitization.
Culture has also become digitalized, as we are certainly all aware. One of the biggest cultural changes has been the way that we have fun and find entertainment. For example, the video game industry is now set to eclipse the movie and music industries in terms of popularity and profitability.
Another area that has significantly changed is how we play games of chance or gamble. Online casinos were formerly considered to be used mostly for the novelty aspect, however, over the course of the last 10 years, they have become incredibly popular.
Online casinos are now set to overtake brick-and-mortar casinos in both popularity and profitability in the next few years.
This may surprise some, but online casinos such as skycitycasino.com have cornered the market by offering gamblers extensive game libraries which cannot be found in physical casinos. Online casinos have also grown in popularity due to their convenience and portability, just like many other digital services.
Culture consumption trends
Another seismic shift that has occurred relates to the ways in which we now consume culture and entertainment. Although the topic has been talked about to death, it is worth taking a moment to reflect on just how significant a change there has been.
Instead of buying CDs, stereos, and cable packages, most consumers now have subscriptions to various services such as Spotify, Netflix, and Disney+. This has essentially broken the iron grip which the recording industry and film industry previously had over production.
The result has been that many more shows, artists and movies than ever before are finding that they have a platform, an audience and a chance at success.
This model certainly is not perfect, as the pitiful payments from Spotify illustrate. That being said, this new form of media consumption is still in its infancy and it is likely to change and adapt in the future. The important thing is ensuring that it changes into a more equitable system.
Our relationship with nature
Scientists and activists have been warning about climate change for decades, but only in the last few years have we really begun to experience the effects of mass industrialization and pollution.
\As it becomes increasingly difficult to ignore climate change and its impacts, our social and cultural connection with nature has begun to change and will likely change more as the climate becomes more extreme and unforgiving.
It has now become much more commonplace for people to express their support for environmental measures and there is increased awareness and acceptance of people who are fighting for vegan diets, animal rights or better climate change policies.
This has had a cultural impact as well as allowed climate consciousness to seep into our everyday understanding of the world around us and how we perceive ourselves.
Social justice and #metoo
The impact of social justice and #metoo is undeniable. Conversations are now being had every day, which even 10 years ago would have been considered awkward, extreme or unnecessary.
The place of underrepresented and oppressed demographics in professional and academic settings has been reconsidered, but perhaps the biggest change of all has been a cultural shift.
There is now less tolerance for bigoted perspectives in cultural outputs than previously existed. Casual misogyny, racism and homophobia are not tolerated in the same way they once were.
This has not necessarily solved any issues, but it is certainly a step towards greater equitable changes being made in the future.
These are just a small handful of the many ways in which culture has changed and developed over the course of the last 10 years. It is certainly daunting to consider just how different our lives and culture might be in another 10 years. | <urn:uuid:e49cb51e-3a98-4795-a4b5-58b032478415> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://kulturehub.com/cultural-shifts-decade/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571911.5/warc/CC-MAIN-20220813081639-20220813111639-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.978485 | 862 | 2.515625 | 3 |
SACRAMENTO - There is growing talk about California seceding from the United States. It's certainly far-fetched, but the movement now has some big money behind it.
Across the state, there were a lot of people disappointed with the results of this election and angry over Donald Trump's victory.
As protesters took to the streets, on Twitter, the hashtag "Calexit" started trending as people pondered the idea of California seceding from the United States.
A group called "Yes California" held a rally held a rally outside the State Capitol in Sacramento on Wednesday.
Members of the political action committee are calling for California to withdraw from the union and become its own nation.
Their movement began 2 years ago but it's gaining momentum after Trump's surprise win.
The California secession movement may get a financial boost. Some silicon valley venture capitalists are promising their support.
Shervin Pishevar, whose company has invested in Uber and Airbnb, says he will help fund a legitimate campaign to help California become it's own nation.
Our state is the 6th largest economy in the world. Legal experts say secession is unlikely.
The Yes California campaign intends to launch an initiative for a special election to ask Californians whether they want to break away from the U.S. | <urn:uuid:d5adae91-9dad-49c0-b929-1ef26a9b1dc1> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.fox5dc.com/news/calexit-group-calls-for-california-to-secede-from-the-united-states | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572043.2/warc/CC-MAIN-20220814143522-20220814173522-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.97134 | 267 | 1.664063 | 2 |
The sites affected are Winfrith, Bradwell and Harwell in England, Chapelcross in Scotland and Trawsfynydd in Wales
On Monday 10 October, the UK Civil Aviation Authority removed the Prohibited/Restricted Area designations around five nuclear facilities.
‘Freeing up more Class G for GA,’ as a spokesman confirmed to Pilot, the CAA’s move will be welcomed by private pilots, who have long been required to either avoid these areas or obtain permission to overfly them.
Many would say the release of these sections of airspace is long overdue.
At some of the sites listed, reactors were shut down many years ago and any significantly radioactive material removed soon afterwards.
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Image(s) provided by: | <urn:uuid:6160bf29-50de-4d7d-a4a7-04520a1712cb> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://pilotweb.aero/flying/prohibited/restricted-area-designations-removed-from-decommissioned-nuclear-sites-6266026/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571538.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20220812014923-20220812044923-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.940283 | 167 | 1.710938 | 2 |
February 15, 2013 • 1 Samuel 18:6-11 & Ephesians 4:26-27
Think about how many of the words that we use to describe anger have to do with heat or fire. An angry person, we say, is steaming, fuming, burned up, fried, hot under the collar. Their anger smolders until it boils over. They have a short fuse, then erupt like a volcano. All of those powerful, hot words are telling us that anger is extremely dangerous. Anger is the sin that will most quickly lead to injury, the sin which is swiftest to shed blood. If anger is so dangerous in us, is there really even such a thing as righteous anger? How can we best be cautious to keep any type of anger from leading to down a regret-filled path? Let's dig into scripture today to learn about anger and what we can do about it. | <urn:uuid:40775597-9d88-4b7d-8d47-c199a3c4160b> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://groundworkonline.com/episodes/anger | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571538.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20220812014923-20220812044923-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.953946 | 189 | 2.078125 | 2 |
Crescent ♉ Taurus
Moon rises at sunrise and sets at sunset. It's part facing the Earth is completely in shadow.
Moon is passing first ∠2° of ♉ Taurus tropical zodiac sector.
Lunar disc is not visible from Earth. Moon and Sun apparent angular diameters are ∠1895" and ∠1912".
Next Full Moon is the Pink Moon of April 2018 after 13 days on 30 April 2018 at 00:58.
There is high New Moon ocean tide on this date. Combined Sun and Moon gravitational tidal force working on Earth is strong, because of the Sun-Moon-Earth syzygy alignment.
At 01:57 on this date the Moon completes the old and enters a new synodic month with lunation 226 of Meeus index or 1179 from Brown series.
The length of the lunation is 29 days, 9 hours and 51 minutes. It is 1 hour and 56 minutes longer than the next lunation's length. The lengths of the following synodic months are going to decreasing with the true anomaly getting closer to the value it has at the point of New Moon at perigee (∠0° or ∠360°).
The length of the current synodic month is 2 hours and 53 minutes shorter than the mean synodic month length. It is 3 hours and 16 minutes longer compared to 21st century's shortest synodic month length.
The true anomaly is ∠296.5°. At the beginning of the next synodic month the true anomaly is going to be ∠321.7°.
8 days after point of apogee on 8 April 2018 at 05:32 in ♑ Capricorn. The lunar orbit is getting narrow, while the Moon is moving towards the Earth. It will keep this direction over the next 4 days, until the Moon reaches the point of next perigee on 20 April 2018 at 14:44 in ♊ Gemini.
The Moon is 378 245 km (235 031 mi) away from Earth and getting closer over the next 4 days until the point perigee when Earth-Moon distance is going to be 368 713 km (229 108 mi).
6 days after descending node on 10 April 2018 at 08:09 in ♒ Aquarius. The Moon is located south of the ecliptic over the following 7 days, until the lunar orbit crosses from South to North in ascending node on 23 April 2018 at 12:19 in ♌ Leo.
20 days since the beginning of current draconic month in ♌ Leo, the Moon is navigating from the second to the final part of the cycle.
8 days since the previous standstill on 7 April 2018 at 14:37 in ♑ Capricorn when the Moon has reached South declination of ∠-20.320°, the lunar orbit is extending northward over the next 4 days to face maximum declination of ∠20.445° at the point of next northern standstill on 21 April 2018 at 07:38 in ♋ Cancer.
The Moon is in a New Moon geocentric conjunction with the Sun and thus forming Sun-Moon-Earth syzygy alignment. | <urn:uuid:d70493d0-f442-4de5-bef7-3395bae3ebed> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://lunaf.com/lunar-calendar/2018/04/16/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572043.2/warc/CC-MAIN-20220814143522-20220814173522-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.900399 | 682 | 2.796875 | 3 |
There are many reasons that people seek out telehealth physical therapy, or virtual PT. Some have children keeping them busy and can’t make time for an in-person therapy session. Other people are wary of going to a brick-and-mortar therapy clinic because of COVID concerns.
No matter what reason you’ve chosen to do virtual PT, there are some things you should know about it. First of all, virtual PT is a technology-based service. It typically involves meeting with a physical therapist over a secure online video feed. In addition, you should know what to avoid so that your telehealth physical therapy session will run as smoothly as possible.
Avoiding these four mistakes can help your telehealth physical therapy session run smoothly
You might be a little apprehensive if you’re new to telehealth physical therapy appointments. Your physical therapist and the platform they use will do their best to ensure a smooth visit. Yet there are also some common mistakes that you can avoid to help ensure a worry-free session. Four of the mistakes you should try to avoid are:
- Logging in exactly on time — Much like going to an in-person appointment, it’s a good idea to get there early. Most virtual PT sessions will be set up so that you can get in up to 15 minutes early. Trying to log in early gives you time to troubleshoot a problem if one does pop up.
- Not checking your equipment — There are several pieces of equipment you’ll need for a virtual PT session. These include a:
- Computer or smartphone
- Functioning camera
- Functioning microphone
It’s a good idea to check that each of these items is operating correctly before your session begins. That will allow you to deal with any issues before the session and not waste your session time getting your equipment up and running.
- Using a space that’s too small — Often, your virtual therapist will ask you to perform movement tests. These tests help them diagnose your condition and formulate a therapy plan. They may also have you perform some therapy exercises.
Neither of these things will be possible if the space you’re using for the session is too small to move around. This is why it’s a good idea to check that you can move around easily in your space prior to the session.
- Failing to address distractions beforehand — There are many things in your home that can distract you from your virtual PT session. Unattended children or pets can be especially distracting, and distractions can reduce the effectiveness of your session.
For this reason, you should treat virtual PT sessions much like in-person sessions and take steps such as:
- Informing work colleagues, friends and family members of the session to avoid phone calls.
- Finding someone to watch your children during your session.
- Placing pets in another room before the session begins.
Find effective telehealth physical therapy from Agile Virtual PT
Looking for effective telehealth physical therapy? Our team at Agile Virtual PT is primed to help you find the top-notch therapeutic care you’re searching for. Our virtual therapy platform is staffed by 400+ licensed clinicians. These specialists can help diagnose the issue causing your symptoms, and they can build you a personalized therapy plan designed to reduce your symptoms.
Contact our team today for more information about all the issues we can help treat or to schedule an initial appointment. | <urn:uuid:482d3fce-a324-4118-99b4-509e073e7fe9> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://agilevirtualpt.com/blog/four-mistakes-you-want-to-avoid-during-your-telehealth-physical-therapy-appointment/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571911.5/warc/CC-MAIN-20220813081639-20220813111639-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.926405 | 708 | 1.71875 | 2 |
Nurses at Dr Steevens hospital in 1981
The County Kildare Decade of Commemorations Committee invites former and current nurses to share photographs and memories of their training and working life in order to create a photographic archive of nursing life in County Kildare.
A selection of these photographs will be published in the local media, including the Leinster Leader.
The Irish Nurses Union was founded in 1919, and an event planned for 25 April to mark the contribution of nurses to Kildare life over the past 100 years was cancelled due to the current pandemic.
The Kildare Decade of Commemorations committee has said it would like to celebrate and acknowledge their work in another way.
To participate please email your photo(s) to email@example.com.
Each photo should be in the highest resolution possible. Please supply the following information:
Name of the photographer.
If sending more than one photograph, please number them, and for each one provide the date, location, and name(s) of anyone who is in the photograph (going from left to right).
We look forward to receiving your photographs which will provide visual record of nursing in County Kildare.
A digital photographic archive will be created and kept at the Local Studies, Genealogy and Archives department, Kildare County Library, Newbridge, Co Kildare.
Please note that by submitting photos, it is assumed that contributors have provided full consent and the photos may be used in the newspapers or online.
They may also be used in future exhibitions, publications and/or on social media channels.
“We would like to thank all of our frontline nurses and healthcare workers, for their heroic work during this challenging time,” said the committee.
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Keep up with the latest news from Donegal with our daily newsletter featuring the most important stories of the day delivered to your inbox every evening at 5pm. | <urn:uuid:8793bcc8-1976-45fb-aab9-3eb89f7e2763> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.kildarenow.com/news/news/546641/calling-all-kildare-nurses-do-you-have-old-pictures-of-life-on-the-wards.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572043.2/warc/CC-MAIN-20220814143522-20220814173522-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.938034 | 457 | 1.5625 | 2 |
A new Covid variant that needs more antibodies to fight it and has more severe symptoms has been found by the National Institute of Virology in Pune. The variant - B.184.108.40.206 - was detected in samples from two travellers from Brazil but not from anyone in India.
The new variant is seen to have "increased severity" and higher levels of antibodies are needed to neutralise the B.220.127.116.11 variant, NIV sources told NDTV. The strain was found in people who came from Brazil and the UK.
"We found it earlier but it is not in circulation in the country now so we do not see it as a matter of public health importance," the sources said.
Meanwhile, forty-four crore doses of Covid vaccines will be made available to the country from August, the government today said amid a raging shortage that has forced a closure of vaccine centres in many states. These doses will be delivered between August and December 2021, the Union Health Ministry said.
The health ministry announcement -- that orders have been placed for 25 crore doses of Covishield and 19 crore doses of Covaxin to achieve universalization of vaccination -- came a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a fresh vaccine policy.
The new policy takes back the onus of vaccine purchase from the states. The finance ministry said today that the new programme will cost around Rs 50,000 crore and the Centre has the necessary funds.
India reported less than one lakh new coronavirus infections after a gap of 63 days, while the daily positivity rate dropped to 4.62 per cent, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Tuesday.
A single day rise of 86,498 cases were registered, the lowest in 66 days, taking the total tally of COVID-19 cases to 2,89,96,473,
The COVID-19 death count climbed to 3,51,309 with 2,123 daily deaths, the lowest in around 47 days, the data updated at 8 am showed.
A total of 81,466 new cases were recorded in a span of 24 hours on April 2.
Also, 18,73,485 tests were conducted on Monday taking the total cumulative tests conducted so far for detection of COVID-19 in the country to 36,82,07,596.
The daily positivity rate has dropped to 4.62 per cent . It has been less than 10 per cent for 15 consecutive days, the ministry said.
Meanwhile, a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that the Centre is taking back vaccine-buying from states, the Finance Ministry said the programme will cost around ₹ 50,000 crore and the government has the money.
"We don't need to go for the supplementary grants immediately as there are enough funds. We may have to go for this in the second round, near the winter session of Parliament. At present we have the money," Finance Ministry sources said.
Here are the Live Updates on Coronavirus:
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday reviewed the COVID-19 situation and its management in the state and emphasised on the advance preparatory measures for the possible third wave of the pandemic, reported news agency ANI.
During the review meeting with senior government officials and district collectors, Mr Patnaik said, "Even though the situation has improved in the state, we are still not completely free from the effects of the second wave, so with the advent of various festivals, we need to be more vigilant."
Keeping in view the number of Covid cases in some districts of the state, Telangana has extended the lockdown for another 10 days, starting June 10, reported news agency ANI.
"The spread of Covid is not under control in Satthupalli, Madhira, Nalgonda, Nagarjuna Sagar, Munugode, Devarakonda, Miryalguda Assembly segments. Therefore, it has been decided to extend the existing lockdown," the state cabinet said.
The cabinet has also decided to ease restrictions between 6 am to 5 pm during the lockdown and also granted an additional one hour, till 6 pm, for people to reach home from their offices.
US' Washington is offering "joints for jabs," in the latest innovative bid to get more Americans vaccinated against Covid-19 as inoculation rates continue to slow.
Altogether 450 people, including artistes and technicians, were vaccinated on Tuesday as the Federation of Cine Technicians and Workers of Eastern India began a free COVID-19 inoculation drive in the city.
FCTWEI President Swaroop Biswas said the drive was conducted at the ''Chalachchitra Satabarsha Bhaban'' in south Kolkata evoking a huge response.
"We aim to vaccinate 6,000 people in the industry in the coming days as part of our initiative to ensure vaccination for all in the entertainment sector. We call upon all stakeholders to come forward so that we can make our shooting zones free from the threat of coronavirus," Mr Biswas said.
Uttar Pradesh's COVID-19 caseload surged to 16,99,787 on Tuesday with 797 fresh infections while the death count climbed to 21,425 as 94 more people died due to the disease.
Lucknow reported the highest number of fresh cases at 50, followed by 33 from Pilibhit, 31 from Gorakhpur, 29 from Varanasi, 27 from Kanpur Nagar, 25 from Meerut, 24 from Siddharthnagar, 23 from Kushinagar, 22 from Allahabad, 21 from Ghaziabad and 20 each from Muzaffarnagar and Gautam Buddh Nagar, according to a health department bulletin.
Congratulating Prime Minister Narendra Modi for relief given to COVID-19-hit 80 crore people, Uttar Pradesh Vyapaari Kalyan Board Chairman Ravi Kant Garg has requested PM Modi to offer a similar facility to middle class and small traders.
"Over 30 crore middle class and small traders are suffering from first and second waves of the pandemic. They need government assistance as they also have reached hand-to-mouth stage, and are under heavy debt," Ravi Kant Garg, chairman of the Uttar Pradesh Vyapaari Kalyan Board, said in a virtual interaction with the reporters on Tuesday.
He said the electricity department's existing minimum bill system is a "curse for small traders and the middle class", as they used the least amount of power.
Bandipora in Jammu and Kashmir has achieved 100 percent vaccination of eligible persons in 45-plus age group in 20 villages while the overall percentage of vaccinated persons in the targeted age group was 85 percent in the district, an official said on Tuesday.
Deputy Commissioner, Bandipora, Owais Ahmad said the district administration has been able to administer one lakh doses and vaccinate the 100 percent population of the eligible age group in 20 villages of the district.
The Goa government on Tuesday said it will open up COVID-19 vaccination for persons in the 18 to 44 age group, who need to travel abroad, from Wednesday onwards.
Taking to Twitter, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said the state will administer the first dose of vaccines to people in 18-44 age category, who need to travel abroad for work, education and sporting events, as per the centre's guidelines.
Indian Naval Ship Tarkash on Tuesday brought in critical medical supplies from Kuwait and Saudi Arabia to Mumbai harbour in its third trip as part of operation Samudra Setu II, an official said.
As per a release issued by the Navy, INS Tarkash had first entered Al Shuwaikh Harbour in Kuwait on May 31 and took in 785 oxygen cylinders.
The ship then took in 300 oxygen cylinders from Ad Dammam Port in Saudi Arabia on June 1 and entered Mumbai harbour with the medical consignment on Tuesday morning, the release stated.
As COVID-19 cases show a declining trend in the Union Territory, the Chandigarh administration on Tuesday eased restrictions, allowing all shops to remain open till 6 pm and reducing the night curfew timing, news agency PTI reported.
The administration also allowed all restaurants, bars, gyms, clubs and spas to open with 50 per cent capacity.
However, the cinema halls and theatres will continue to remain closed.
The city is witnessing a consistent drop in daily number of infections. On Monday, Chandigarh had registered 48 new cases, taking the infection tally to 60,707.
A day after the civic authorities relaxed certain curbs, the daily count of COVID-19 cases in Mumbai's Dharavi rose to six on Tuesday, a senior official of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said.
With the addition of six new cases in the last 24-hours, the tally of infection in the slum-dominated area has reached 6,844, the official said.
At least 6,465 patients have recovered from the infection so far, leaving the area with 20 active cases, he said.
Jharkhand reported six fresh COVID-19 fatalities, the lowest in a single day in May and June so far, raising the death count to 5,060, a health department bulletin said on Tuesday.
The state reported 358 new infections, which took the tally to 3,41,576, it said.
Jharkhand now has 5,312 active cases, while a total of 3,31,204 patients have recovered from the disease, including 726 during the last 24 hours.
As markets opened in Jammu and Kashmir as part of the unclock process following a month-long Covid-induced lockdown, the Old City of Jammu on Tuesday witnessed a huge rush of people who flouting all Covid-protocols, news agency ANI reported.
The Old City market of Jammu is filled mostly with readymade garment shops, and the local administration had allowed the opening up of these shops on Tuesday. But considering that the market is a congested one, and with a huge influx of visitors on the first day of its opening, there are fears of a high probability of the spread of Covid-19 infection.
Divyam Sharma, a local resident said, "We Indians do not realize the intensity of it all. After the first wave, we all got too lenient and we could see the effect of it in the second wave. Now again, it's not even been a week that the situation has started improving, and people are back on streets...many of them don't even have masks on".
China has approved the emergency use of a Covid-19 vaccine for those as young as three, the drugmaker confirmed Tuesday, making it the first country to offer jabs to young children.
Since the coronavirus first emerged in central China, Beijing has mostly managed to bring the country's outbreak under control, and has administered over 777 million vaccine doses after a sluggish start.
A spokesperson for Sinovac told AFP its vaccine had been approved for use on children.
Covid vaccine allocation to states may be negatively affected by high wastage rates, the government said Tuesday as part of revised guidelines for the national vaccination drive.
Guidelines released today said the government will procure 75 per cent of vaccines produced in India and distribute them to states "based on criteria such as population, disease burden and progress of vaccination". "Wastage of vaccine will affect the allocation negatively," it said.
Amid the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic, at least 10 per cent of people who recovered from the coronavirus infection are being admitted to hospitals again in Dehradun due to post-Covid complication like fungal infections and shortness of breath, officials said.
"Patients who are coming to the hospital after recovering from corona are facing black fungus, lung infection, chest pain, persistent cough, fever, weakness, uncontrolled sugar and kidney problems. Among them, the number of elderly people is more," said Dr Narainjeet Singh, Covid Nodal Officer, Doon Hospital, Uttarakhand.
According to Dr Singh, the second wave of the pandemic is more serious as patients need oxygen support even after recovery from the viral infection, leading to their hospitalisation.
Govt of India releases revised guidelines for national COVID vaccination program, to be implemented from June 21- ANI (@ANI) June 8, 2021
"Vaccine doses to be allocated to States/UTs based on population, disease burden & vaccination' progress. Wastage will affect allocation negatively," guidelines say pic.twitter.com/rUsm0MZmwN
Bihar CM Nitish Kumar announces relaxations in #COVID19 restrictions; relaxations applicable for next one week- ANI (@ANI) June 8, 2021
Lockdown ends, night curfew to continue from 7 pm to 5 am. Govt & pvt offices to function till 4 pm with 50% strength. Shops will open till 5 pm. Pvt vehicles permitted pic.twitter.com/QfS1tpZdTr
Agra: Seven patients including COVID infected died in a private hospital due to alleged oxygen shortage on April 26&27- ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) June 8, 2021
There were 22 critical patients admitted in the hospital but have no details of their death. We'll look into the video surfaced about their death:Agra DM(07.06) pic.twitter.com/9shp2OYFWr
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on Monday that the decision on vaccinating all above the age of 18 for free should have been taken long back and the delay has cost many lives. | <urn:uuid:88052ea1-bb70-4038-b10c-60664601323e> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/coronavirus-live-updates-centre-to-provide-free-vaccines-to-states-for-all-above-18-years-2458650 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571210.98/warc/CC-MAIN-20220810191850-20220810221850-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.957039 | 2,864 | 1.820313 | 2 |
10 Career Choices for Your Criminal Justice Degree
The criminal justice field changes often, and the demand for qualified professionals continues to grow. That’s why we revisited this post from 2017 and updated it for 2019.
Seasoned criminal justice professionals understand that their job opportunities reach beyond a career as a police officer. They can create positive change for their communities by using their degree and experience to serve and excel in many different positions. < Click to Tweet
Whether you are currently employed in the field or are considering a career change, here are some options for careers with a criminal justice degree, as well as their educational requirements.
1. Law Enforcement
Police officers and detectives are some of the most visible and commonly-known criminal justice professions. The individuals in these positions are charged with responding to emergency calls, patrolling assigned areas, obtaining warrants, arresting suspects, collecting evidence, writing reports and much more.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, many federal agencies and police departments require some college coursework or a college degree. The BLS also projects a 7% increase in law enforcement jobs from 2016-2026. Those who choose law enforcement as their criminal justice career can expect a competitive job search process. Applicants who have a college degree, like Columbia Southern University graduate Neil Fetner, can stand out compared to their peers. Those with military experience and the ability speak a second language can also gain an edge.
2. Homeland Security
The Department of Homeland Security employs more than 240,000 professionals across multiple disciplines. The DHS currently includes U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the U.S. Secret Service, the U.S. Coast Guard and many other areas. Criminal justice graduates are qualified for many of these positions, but job seekers looking for careers in this area may be interested in a degree in homeland security.
Cybersecurity is one of the fastest growing career fields, and there are many applications within criminal justice. A degree in criminal justice with coursework in cybersecurity will increase your value to potential employers like the Central Intelligence Agency. Overall, the median annual salary for information security analysts in May 2018 was $98,350, and employment is projected to increase by 28% from 2016-2026.
4. Arson Investigation
Firefighters looking for a new career path may be interested in arson investigation. Fire investigators collect and analyze evidence, interview witnesses, determine the origin and cause of a fire, and much more. A degree in criminal justice – or fire investigation – will give applicants an advantage over their peers. The BLS projects the fire inspectors and investigators field to grow 10% from 2016-2026.
Correctional officers oversee individuals who have been arrested and are awaiting trial or who have been sentenced to serve time in jail or prison. Many positions are available with regional and state correctional institutions, but some of the best prospects will be with private sector prison companies that are now being contracted to provide services to state prison systems. For employment in federal prisons, entry-level correctional officers are required to have a bachelor’s degree.
Many career choices exist within the judicial system. While the local sheriff's department may handle security for court locations, there are other related criminal justice jobs, including clerks, records personnel and transcriptionists.
7. Social Services
Social service choices in the field of criminal justice include social work, juvenile justice and alcohol and drug counseling, among others. Most of these options require a minimum of a college degree, internship and professional licensing. Many agencies also employ full-time social workers, professionals who manage family relational issues and serve as a source of information for their department.
8. Public Relations
Reputation management is important for any government organization. Public relations specialists play a key role for agencies in the public sector, whether it’s organizing press conferences or responding to social media comments. The public relations field is projected to grow 9% from 2016-2026, and communicators with a criminal justice degree are uniquely qualified for these roles.
9. Support Services
Many jobs that were once performed by officers have been civilianized. These specialized duties require additional education and professional training and could include crime scene technician, accident re-constructionist or property and evidence manager. A strong background in statistics, science and management are helpful for careers in criminal justice support services.
A criminal justice career as a police, fire or ambulance dispatcher can be gratifying, and the number of telecommunicator jobs is expected to increase by 8% from 2016-2026. The availability of cell phones has increased the number of calls telecommunicators handle daily. Those with a military background in communications often perform well in this career field, and education is helpful when advancing to management-level positions.
Your Next Steps
It’s an understatement to say that education is important for criminal justice professionals. Learn more about criminal justice degree options available at CSU by visiting ColumbiaSouthern.edu/CJ. | <urn:uuid:a7a77457-0d53-4c55-8194-2d5decaac29b> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.columbiasouthern.edu/blog/blog-articles/2019/may/careers-with-criminal-justice-degree/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571911.5/warc/CC-MAIN-20220813081639-20220813111639-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.948647 | 1,034 | 1.992188 | 2 |
We want to lead students into lives that are filled with Grace, Hope, and Purpose!
We know Jesus Christ has supplied all three and we would like to show you how this plays out in our lives.
Thursday Night Bible Study @ 6:30 PM
This year, we are meeting on Thursday evenings at 6:30 PM. Join us for Bible study and fun games or adventures every Thursday.
We are currently learning what it means to pray like Jesus. If Jesus felt the need to talk so much with God the Father, couldn't we find something more to learn about prayer from Jesus? Why did someone who knew the heart of God so well feel like he needed to pray? Join us on Thursday as we figure it out.
We are students who want to know what it means to live life how God has empowered us to live it. Jesus tells us that the two greatest commandments are to love God and to love neighbor. We cannot do that on our own, but we look to Jesus to lead us in God's ways.
Life can be difficult at times, but knowing Jesus and the hope we have in him changes our perspective. We as students need that hope and need to see how awesome life can be because of Jesus. | <urn:uuid:ace152a4-60c8-48e6-a269-6277bd50cf62> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.bookcliffbaptist.org/youth | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572043.2/warc/CC-MAIN-20220814143522-20220814173522-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.97832 | 256 | 1.515625 | 2 |
The holiday of Hanukkah, also known as The Feast of Dedication or Feast of the Maccabees begins tonight at sundown.
This holiday is a man-made holiday, not a feast day ordained by God, so it is not mentioned in the Jewish bible; the Torah, the Haftorah or Tanakh, but is celebrated by Jews around the world. Hanukkah is a sequence of 8 days set aside to praise and thank God for his faithfulness and miraculous power. The celebration is remembering a victory of the Jews over the Greko/Syrians in 165 B.C. by the retaking and re-dedication of the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem. The highlight of Hanukkah is known as the Miracle of Lights which involves the large 7-branch menorah in the temple. The menorah, or eternal lamp (Ner Tamid) was re-lit by the priests to let the people know that the temple had been reconsecrated. There was only enough oil to keep the menorah lit for 1 day and it would have taken 8 days to prepare new oil. A decision was made to light the menorah anyhow. The miracle is that the menorah continued to stay lit for 8 days on 1 day's worth of oil.
Hanukkah in the New Testament
While Hanukkah is not mentioned in the Old Testament it is mentioned in the New Testament as the Feast of Dedication:
And it was at Jerusalem the feast of the dedication, and it was winter.
And Yeshua walked in the temple in Solomon's porch.
Then came the Jews round about him, and said unto him, How long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Messiah, tell us plainly.
Yeshua answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me.
But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you.
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
And I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.
I and my Father are one.
What is most interesting is at that time the second Jewish Temple built by the proclamation of Cyrus the Great of Persia was the standing temple, yet during the feast of dedication Yeshua was walking among the remains of the 1st Jewish Temple built by Solomon which is the actual temple that was retaken and reconsecrated by the Jews from the Greeks.
What is the difference between a 7 branch and 9 branch menorah
The first Jewish menorah was the one with 7 branches that was lit by Kohanim (priests) at the Holy Temple. It is the symbol of the Jewish people and the State of Israel. The 9 branch menorah, called in Hebrew 'Chanukiyyah', is used only during the holiday Hanukkah. The tallest candle on the menorah is called the 'Shamas' or 'Serving' candle. Yeshua Messiah came not to be served, but to serve. In John 8:12 Yeshua also said, "I AM the Light of the World"
Rabbi Scott Sekulow of Beth Adonai has some more fascinating things to share about the connection between Yeshua and Hanukkah in the following video:
And here is a worship song about the Light of the World: | <urn:uuid:412d1d6a-c504-458d-8d4a-c9968fe04562> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://yeshua.org/who/messiah-yeshua-and-hanukkah-are-connected/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571538.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20220812014923-20220812044923-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.971387 | 764 | 2.875 | 3 |
International Journal of Chemical Studies
Vol. 2, Issue 5 (2015)
Analysis of various parameters in Water
Author(s): Neha Babbar
Abstract: Water from the various sources (Tap water, Pond water, Ground water) was taken and analysed for chloride ion content, Hardness and COD. The need for such type of estimation arose due to arising certain diseases which are caused due to contamination of water, corrosion of the underground water pipes, sewerage pipes, machine parts, retardation of the growth plants, coating of the geyser pipes which results in the bursting of geysers. The main interest on this topic is the investigation of the carcinogenic elements or compounds which are responsible for the various health hazards (food pipe cancer, breast cancer, intestine cancer) in the malwa region.
Pages: 72-73 | 1360 Views 17 Downloads
How to cite this article:
Neha Babbar. Analysis of various parameters in Water. Int J Chem Stud 2015;2(5):72-73. | <urn:uuid:5ce23b10-00c5-4e97-9409-6ea84286c8a0> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.chemijournal.com/archives/?year=2015&vol=2&issue=5&ArticleId=142&si=false | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571911.5/warc/CC-MAIN-20220813081639-20220813111639-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.885 | 218 | 2.078125 | 2 |
Company wellness is important for the workforce who values their mental health and growth potential. When businesses choose to address wellness within the workspace, they’re able to provide their employees with the proper tools for improving their performance.
Here are 10 reasons you can use to convince your boss to invest in a VR headset for your company.
Your ability to focus is instrumental to your success in the workplace. The more time and concentration you’re able to devote to a task, the greater the quality of work you’ll produce. It allows you to not only complete tasks quicker, but ensure they’re error-free. VR is a great way to reset, focus, and quiet the mind. Immersion plays an important role in helping people stay focused on the task at hand. VR directs users’ full attention to the VR experience. In the average workday, there can be a lot of disruptions. VR helps users train their brain to tune out distractions which in turn creates better performance.
Work is one of the top three sources of stress for Americans. In 2019, statistics show that 94% of American workers report experiencing stress at their workplace. Studies show that VR can reduce stress, leaving users with more positive mood states. VR can’t remove a potentially stressful environment, but it can help employees become more stress-resilient. VR reduces anxiety and stress by engaging you in virtual environments designed to lower your body’s stress responses.
The average person will forget 50% of new information given orally or visually within the first hour of hearing it. Within one day we have forgotten 70% of the details, and without repetition, we only retain 10% of the information after a month. Our brain retains information better when we have an emotional response to it.
When we are submerged in VR we are essentially rewiring our brain into thinking we’re in a real situation. This allows the emotional responses to heighten our brain’s capacity to remember things that have been learned. Because VR simulations are interactive, users are present and focus on the task at hand. Immersive learning is an efficient way of training and enhancing the process of learning. Therefore, if VR is used for training purposes it can be a quicker and more effective way of learning. So while it targets how we learn and process information, it makes the experiences unforgettable, so that forgetting it becomes almost impossible.
Stress and anxiety impact productivity levels. Over 50% of US workers are not mentally engaged in their work or their work relationships. VR can boost productivity in many ways. Through various training programs, VR can provide effective and time-efficient training for new and seasoned employees. With VR, employees can also facilitate meetings and presentations, organize data and files, improve collaboration, and manage physical and mental health at work. Whether you use VR apps that increase efficiency or apps that exercise mental health, both can help enhance company productivity.
Burnout is the result of heavy workloads, stressful meetings, and frustration within the workplace. Employees who are unfulfilled and unmotivated are less likely to want to show up to work. However, when employees have tools that can tackle stress, heavy workloads, and anxiety, they’re more likely to self-manage negative feelings. Healium provides an outlet for employees to self-regulate their emotional well-being. Nature-based escapes give employees a four-minute virtual vacation to the beach, the mountains, and more. By taking a virtual break, staff feel more present when returning to this reality.
Companies looking to implement the latest trends in the workplace are turning to virtual reality. Do you have workplace perks like an espresso machine, an office gym, and free snacks in the vending machine? Help your boss see how they can up the cool factor at the office by incorporating a virtual reality headset. Apps can be used by multiple staff and you can get competitive with apps like Beat Saber. Even adding augmented reality (AR) into the equation allows companies to create a sense of community even though they aren’t present in the office. VR can completely transform your idea of company culture for the better.
VR headsets can be set up anywhere and used at any time of the day. This level of accessibility can be so important in any size office. When you need a quick break, you can use the VR headset for a physical workout, a mental health break, and more. It’s a wellness program for your office that’s never been easier to implement.
Virtual reality headsets come with access to an expansive ecosystem of apps. Healium is just one app that you can download. By downloading additional apps, the VR headset becomes a multi-functional tool for your workspace.
Here are some of our favorite apps for VR:
Supernatural is an immersive, virtual reality fitness experience that combines music, coaches, and beautiful destinations into your own workout. Within the app, you can set up four profiles for individualized stats and workouts. If your office doesn’t have a gym to provide workout space, Supernatural is a great way to offer gym-like benefits to employees in a small space with just a VR headset!
Beat Saber is a fun, competitive game that’s easy to play during a quick 10-minute break. Slice through the music blocks on the beat on easy, normal, hard, expert, and expert plus levels. Just like an arcade, leave your name when you reach a new high score and keep it competitive around the office? Think you can beat Craig from Human Resources?
Spatial is a meeting space that brings people together via photo-realistic avatars. Using the built-in microphone on the VR headset, users can chat as if they’re on Zoom, but with the ability to move around the shared space, and interact with other attendees. It provides a distraction-free meeting zone that brings everyone together in one virtual space. Even those without a headset can join via the desktop version with a webcam.
Talespin hosts a variety of platforms that can be used for talent management, training, and collaboration. Using virtual, augmented, and mixed reality, Talespin provides tools that are shaping our workforce for the future. For example, their Propel platform uses object- and process-based learning modules. Learning modules built with Propel immerse learners in foundational knowledge and simulate complex tasks that are typically difficult to train and practice.
Of course, we have to give a recommendation for our own app! It can be used in two ways. One, use it without a wearable for a meditative, relaxing experience to calm your mind in our nature-based experiences. Tune into the scene all around you and listen to the story. The second way to use Healium is for human performance training. Using an EEG headband, integrate your brain waves directly into the VR experiences and see how your brain responds to the content. Use your feelings of focused calm to float up the side of the waterfall or make flurries fly in a magic snow globe. The VR environment will respond to your success for the focused calm protocol. That neurofeedback lets you know how the experience is working and helps build mental resilience.
Healium has a published, peer-reviewed study about how VR can improve your mood state. Our library contains over 25 guided relaxation and meditation stories. Each story immerses you into a virtual world and guides you into “open eyes” meditation to achieve peace, all in as little as four minutes. If you can convince your boss to buy a headset, Healium will be a must-have app for the entire office to use.
Most programs just have a one-time cost for the hardware such as the headset. Investing in a company subscription costs significantly less than purchasing for just an individual. Apps such as Healium pay off in the end with all the benefits that come as a package deal, available to everyone in the company.
Start the conversation with your boss by letting them know that you value wellness in your company the importance of providing tools and resources to employees. VR is a great way to decrease overall stress, anxiety, and increase collaboration. Companies might consider investing in a VR headset to try new ways to be organized and create a deeper community in the workplace. Talk to your boss and see how you can change your company culture! | <urn:uuid:d13d70fa-0fe7-47a8-96a6-bfafa270ff1e> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.tryhealium.com/2020/12/03/10-reasons-to-convince-your-boss-to-buy-a-vr-headset/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571911.5/warc/CC-MAIN-20220813081639-20220813111639-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.938137 | 1,705 | 1.59375 | 2 |
There are many different types of office cabling solutions available for businesses. The most common type of cabling is Ethernet, which is used to connect computers and other devices to the internet. Other types of cabling include fibre optic, twisted pair, and coaxial. Selecting the right type of cabling for your business can be a challenge, but there are a few things you can keep in mind to help you make the best decision.
Solutions for Businesses
The first thing you need to consider is the type of devices you will be connecting to the network. For example, if you only need to connect a few computers, then ethernet cabling should be sufficient. However, if you need to connect a large number of devices, then you may need to consider fibre optic or twisted pair cabling.
Another thing to keep in mind is the amount of data you will be transferring over the network. For large amounts of you should consider fibre optic or twisted pair cabling.
Finally, you need to consider the distance you will be running the cabling. If you only need to run the cabling a few feet, then Ethernet cabling should be sufficient. However, for cables runs in excess of 100ft, fibre and twisted pair cabling will offer the better solution.
These are just a few things to keep in mind when selecting the right type of office cabling for your business. If you take the time to consider all of these factors, you should be able to find the perfect solution for your needs.
This type of cable is made up of tiny glass or plastic strands that are used to transmit data. Fibre optic cable is able to transmit data at much higher speeds than twisted pair cable. Additionally, fibre optic cable is less likely to be affected by electromagnetic interference.
This type of cable is made up of two copper wires that are twisted around each other. Twisted pair cable is less expensive than fibre optic cable and is able to transmit data at slower speeds. However, twisted pair cable is more susceptible to electromagnetic interference.
Office Cabling Safety
If you are planning to install office cabling in your business or office space, it is important to make sure that the products and installation are compliant with CPR Regulations. Working with a certified installer can help to ensure that your office cabling meets all of the necessary requirements.
CPR Regulations are developed and maintained by the European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardisation (CENELEC). Office cabling products and installations must meet certain fire safety requirements in order to be compliant with CPR Regulations. In order to ensure that products and installations meet these requirements, manufacturers and installers must follow specific guidelines and testing procedures.
CPR Regulations are important because they help to ensure the safety of people and property in the event of a fire. By specifying the minimum acceptable level of performance for office cabling products and installations, CPR Regulations help to reduce the risk of fire spread and damage.
Another important consideration when installing office cabling is cable management. Proper cable management can help to ensure that your office cabling system is organised and efficient, and can help to prevent problems such as tangled cables or tripping hazards.
There are a variety of products available to help with office cable management, including:
Working with a certified office cabling installer can help you to choose the right products for your office space and needs. They can also provide guidance on the best way to route and organise cables to ensure optimal performance and efficiency.
Office Cabling Summary
Office cabling is the process of installing cable infrastructure in office buildings. This includes running data and power cables through walls, ceilings, and floors. Cabling is a critical part of office infrastructure, as it allows for the proper functioning of office equipment such as computers, printers, and copiers. Proper office cabling also ensures that office equipment is properly protected from power surges and other electrical problems.
For all your business requirements contact our sales team for a free site survey and a quote. Our Engineers at EIS are fully skilled with a vast amount of experience. The team here at EIS can guide you through various office requirements. From design, installation, maintenance, and expansion, our team have worked with offices of all sizes and requirements. | <urn:uuid:336cc6de-973f-42ff-b3e7-32a34f8af360> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://electricalinstallationservices.co.uk/office-cabling/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572043.2/warc/CC-MAIN-20220814143522-20220814173522-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.93495 | 908 | 1.84375 | 2 |
Fed Rate Hike Cycle: Can We Rely on Historical Reaction?
The history of Fed rate hike cycles and equity market behaviour may be different this time. Cost push inflation is not something the Fed has much control over. Powell told us in his recent testimony to Congress that they have the tools, but we beg to differ. The table below was compiled by LPL using Bloomberg data. It shows the rate hike cycle over the past 40 years. The problem is that it was in an era of falling inflation pressure unlike the 1970s. To be clear, this is not likely the 1970s, but it seems more like it every day. The conclusions of the research are missing this key point. The hiking cycle in the stagflationary 1970s did not show equities higher over the next year.
LPL research sets the tone with the following points. The S&P 500 Index is off to its worst start to a year since the Covid-fueled selloff in March 2020. The world is now it’s facing the largest ground war in Europe since World War II, and the fastest inflation since the 1980s.
They content that history shows U.S. stocks are poised to experience more volatility following the rise in rates in that the first 3 months is a coin toss. But that it doesn’t mean that the bull run is over. While the first rate hike came in June 1999 and the markets were higher 1 year later, it was the breaking of a massive bubble as all will know. The first rate hike following that bubble break was in June 2004 and the peak did not come until October 2007. But that was another incredible bubble that burst. We could argue elements of both housing and valuation bubbles this time around.
They note the oil shocks and the economic downturns in the mid-1970s, early 1980s and early 1990s, but seemingly dismissed the market impacts to rate hikes in the 1970s. This is a clear case of data mining. They correctly point out that this quarter and the next two are historically some of the weakest of the four-year presidential cycle.
Looking at the 1970s, inflation, and the rate hike cycles and one does not get a dismissive concern that a Fed policy mistake is a very high probability. What is causing inflation today is not demand pull, it’s supply side via labour issues and resource scarcity. High rates will not fix those problems. The Fed suggesting it does is understood, what else are they going to tell Congress, but the reality is likely a bit different.
This week on our Spring 2022 virtual Berman’s Call roadshow, we will take a look at periods of Fed tightening cycles and inflation and how to tilt your portfolios to get you through the period. Join us weekly (Thursday 7pm ET) through April 28th. Keep an eye on The Investor’s Guide to Thriving website for more information on how to sign up for notifications. The theme this year is Berman’s Call deep dives. More in-depth looks on combining fundamentals and technicals to mine for investment ideas. Should be a great series. If you have learned a few things over the years from our educational segments, please consider supporting one of my favourite charities. Dementia and Alzheimer’s research at the Baycrest Hospital/Rotman Research Institute is world class. Each year I raise money for this cause and match all BNN viewer donations. In the past 9 years we have raised almost $500,000 thanks to you. Please consider sponsoring here.
ETF Capital Management: ETFCM.com | <urn:uuid:30843700-e3db-4667-ade3-deb3b50077d6> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.bermanscall.com/markets-views-analysis/fed-rate-hike-cycle-can-we-rely-on-historical-reaction/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572043.2/warc/CC-MAIN-20220814143522-20220814173522-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.96753 | 732 | 1.804688 | 2 |
Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a chronic, recurring skin disease that often causes painful abscesses and boils to form in the armpits, groin, buttocks, under the breasts or around the navel.
It usually starts with one or more spots of acne-like pimples in an area but may become scarred over time. Hidradenitis suppurativa can also be found on other body parts not listed above, such as fingers, toes and scalp. The leading cause for this condition is unknown, but it has been linked to polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). PCOS occurs when there are high levels of male hormones, called androgens, produced by a woman’s ovaries. Androgens are naturally occurring hormones that stimulate hair growth on a woman’s face, chest, abdomen and underarms. Hormonal therapies for PCOS have been shown to improve HS-related acne in some cases.
Effect of Hidradenitis Suppurativa on PCOS
The effect of the condition on PCOS can be debilitating for women who have it. It can cause emotional distress due to pain, embarrassment and discomfort, all of which leads to low self-esteem, depression and anxiety about leaving the house.
It is important for women living with PCOS to see a dermatologist if they suspect they may have HS, as it is often confused with simple acne. If you think you might have HS, you should visit your local dermatologist or general practitioner.
The effects of the condition do not stop with skin problems. A 2004 study of reproductive-age women (ages 15 to 44) found that the most common symptoms reported by those with HS were similar to those among women with PCOS: pain and tenderness in the affected areas, absence of a regular menstrual cycle and excess body or facial hair.
A frequent finding in women who have PCOS and acne is the presence of acanthosis nigricans. This is a condition characterized by hyperpigmentation, or darkening, of the skin that occurs in body folds such as the neck, groin and underarms. The skin appears thickened or velvety in texture.
The cause of acanthosis nigricans is not fully understood, but it has been linked to obesity, PCOS, insulin resistance and diabetes. Acanthosis nigricans is commonly associated with obesity. In most cases, it can be addressed through weight loss and improvements in insulin resistance. In the case of HS, acanthosis nigricans also responds to treatment with antibiotics or hormonal therapies.
Hidradenitis suppurativa is a chronic skin disease affecting millions of Americans, which often causes painful abscesses, boils and cysts, which can eventually scar. While it has been linked to polycystic ovarian syndrome, the exact cause is unknown.
Like many other skin conditions, hidradenitis suppurativa may worsen with obesity and lack of proper hygiene during menstruation. Hormonal therapies for PCOS have shown some success in treating HS-related acne and acanthosis nigricans. Treatment involves antibiotics to control infection, antiandrogens to reduce male hormone levels and hormonal therapies for PCOS.
While many people can still lead normal lives with HS, it is better to prevent the condition from occurring at all. Maintaining a healthy weight, practicing good hygiene, avoiding wearing tight clothes or white socks, and getting regular exercise will help reduce developing HS.
Treatment of Hidradenitis Suppurativa
Treatment of hidradenitis suppurativa often requires a team effort involving dermatologists, general physicians and surgeons. In addition to antibiotic creams to treat milder forms of HS as well as anti-inflammatory medications, surgery may be needed in order to drain abscesses or remove affected tissue in severe cases.
Hormonal therapies for PCOS have been shown to improve HS-related acne in some cases. It is recommended that those with PCOS and skin problems such as acne and acanthosis nigricans discuss the condition with a doctor. | <urn:uuid:4b570094-79b2-4fe1-a009-8cae0830588d> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.fertilitytips.com/hidradenitis-suppurativa-a-possible-side-effect-of-pcos/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571911.5/warc/CC-MAIN-20220813081639-20220813111639-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.951518 | 838 | 2.546875 | 3 |
Family mission statement template, Audited financial statements, which have been prepared by a CPA for a business or charity, are all utilized to give accountability and precision to a firm’s shareholders and people with a vested interest in the corporation. I can prepare a financial statement I need certain financial reports from the corporation. The business should supply their income statement, balance sheet, and statement of cash flows alongside supply records to support these accounts.
A business’s income statement can also be known as the P&L (Gain and Loss) and Statement of Operations. The earnings statement demonstrates revenue earned (the top line) in the sales of products and services before expenses are removed, is changed into the web earnings (bottom line), the end result after revenue and expenditures will be accounted for. The earnings statement records whether the company made a profit or not through a documented time period.
Compiled financial statements provide lowest degree of confidence. One of the chief reasons that these are used instead of different statements is to get the timely release of financial information regarding an organization. Compiled statements are a demonstration of different financial reports and documentation, that’s the representation of management or owners of an organization. Compilation standards enable the organization to omit notice disclosures provided that there is no intent to mislead the users. Here is the only type of financial statement which lets omitted disclosures.
An unqualified opinion in an audited financial statement suggests that the CPA is in agreement with all the methods employed by the enterprise to prepare their financial records. The audit is found to be true, complete and fairly introduced to fulfill the requirements of this US GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles). The audit provides that the CPA a reasonable basis for their opinion the financial statements are free of material misstatements or false/missing data. A skilled opinion indicates that the CPA is not in agreement with facets of their financial statements and/or methods used to prepare their financial records. A professional opinion suggests that the CPA is not convinced that the financial statements are correct or accurate.
Occasionally an opinion won’t be given within an audited financial statement. This may be a result of the fact that there have been insignificant documents available to correctly prepare the audit, or there have been problems that need to be addressed before evaluating the validity of the fiscal records. A deficiency of opinion usually indicates that a provider needs to increase their accounting practices in order that they can meet the requirements of the US GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles). | <urn:uuid:b62609c7-65a3-4c01-9112-d91eb08280b2> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://nucampusministry.org/family-mission-statement-template/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572212.96/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815205848-20220815235848-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.944988 | 509 | 2.1875 | 2 |
Sharpless 2-132 is a very faint emission type nebula on the Cepheus/Lacerta border. It lies at a degree southeast of Epsilon Cep, and has a size of about 40 arc minutes.
Imaging telescopes or lenses: Takahashi FSQ130ED
Imaging cameras: FLI ML16200
Mounts: Takahashi EM 400 Temma 2M
Guiding telescopes or lenses: Takahashi FS60CB
Guiding cameras: QHY CCD QHY 5 II
Focal Extender / Reducer: None
Software: PHD 2, Pleiades Astrophoto PixInsight , Astro Pixel Processor (for stacking), Sequence Generator Pro SGP (for capture)
Filters: Astrodon Ha, SII, OIII.
Accessories: Robofocus Focuser, ATIK EFW3
Original Resolution: 4341x 2894
Dates: 28th Sept – 7th Oct ’20
Astrodon Ha 48 x 10′
Astrodon SII 42 x 10′
Astrodon OIII 42 x 10′
Total Time: 22 Hours | <urn:uuid:c21ed511-2f26-4b50-b027-7d91b57f950c> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://apod.grag.org/2020/10/21/sh2-132-lion-nebula/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572043.2/warc/CC-MAIN-20220814143522-20220814173522-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.68779 | 245 | 1.5625 | 2 |
Campania, or the shin of the Italian boot, is a case study of its own. The region is home to an amazingly rich collection of traditional grapes, matched only by the extraordinary territorial differences that characterize it: There are vineyards on volcanic slopes, in extremely high elevations and on the smaller satellite islands. It is no exaggeration to say that Campania makes some of Italy’s best wines.
White grapes include Falanghina, Greco and Fiano and each has a beautiful ability to reflect the mineral nuances from Campania’s volcanic soils. The delicate notes of white stone and flint found here are not unlike what you find in the whites of France’s Sancerre. The region’s main red grape—the dense and tannic Aglianico—makes Taurasi, a wine that is often referred to as the Barolo of the south.
The main appellations are Fiano di Avellino, Greco di Tufo and Taurasi; there is a vibrant community of winemakers in the region who craft these wines. One of the most successful, Feudi di San Gregorio, can be credited with bringing these wines to the attention of wine lovers the world over.
The gnarled toe of the Italian boot is the most isolated and insular part of Italy. Centuries of earthquakes, poverty, warring feudal landlords, malaria and Mafia have permanently disfigured this already rugged region. But in ancient times, this was Magna Graecia: a Greek colony so rich and wealthy, one of its trading towns, Sybaris, inspired a word for luxurious decadence.
Today, Calabria is the diametric opposite of sybaritic, but traces of Magna Graecia can be found in the vast genetic patrimony of the region’s grapes. Researchers have embarked on ambitious projects to identify and catalogue hundreds of undiscovered clones and varieties that would otherwise face extinction. The number of grape genes is so great, Calabria is like the Galapagos Islands of the wine world.
“This region is a symbol of the potential of the future,” says Antonio Statti, who runs an estate with 247 acres of vines near Lamezia Terme with his brother Alberto. “Calabria may be last now, but its focus on indigenous varieties will make it a model for the rest of Italy.”
For now, two grapes fuel the majority of Calabria’s wines. Almost all red wines are made with Gaglioppo and white wines are made with Greco Bianco. Gaglioppo is a drought-resistant grape that produces a light-colored wine with high alcohol and tannins. Calabria’s most famous wine is Cirò, which is made with Gaglioppo near Crotone, on the underside of the toe.
Basilicata is an arid, desolate territory located between Calabria and Puglia at the arch of the boot. The birthplace of Roman poet Horace, Basilicata was once covered by lush forests that have long since disappeared. More recently, the region was associated with the scandalous poverty described in Carlo Levi’s Christ Stopped at Eboli.
Today, Basilicata’s luck has changed and the region has at least two great things going for it. First, its rock-embedded city, Matera, is among the most memorable and moving sites in Italy, up there with the Sistine Chapel and the Rialto Bridge. Second, its austere red wine, Aglianico del Vulture, is an undiscovered gem of Italian enology.
Aglianico del Vulture confirms one’s faith in the winemaking potential of southern Italy. The wine is shaped by two factors: the quality of the Aglianico grape, which is naturally low in yields and renders structured, tannic wines that need years of aging; and the unique mineral composition as well as the cool temperatures of Monte Vulture, an extinct volcano. Expect to hear more from Basilicata as new producers set up shop and as the region begins to introduce itself on an international level.
Small, sparsely populated and mountainous, Molise is located directly above the spur of the boot on the Adriatic side. Only a couple of producers’ wines are available in the United States, but these robust wines make Molise a worthy inclusion in this report.
Borgo di Colloredo is a 200-acre estate run by brothers Enrico and Pasquale Di Giulio, who are winemaker and vineyard manager respectively. Di Majo Norante makes some of the best wines south of Rome. “We may be small in size, but we are big in territory with vineyards from the sea to the mountains,” says Alessio Di Majo Norante. His estate is dedicated to “enological archeology,” or the recovery of indigenous varieties.
Molise’s red wines are largely composed of Montepulciano and Aglianico and fall under the Biferno appellation. The region’s white wines are often based on Trebbiano and Bombino. Sangiovese, Greco, Falanghina and international varieties are also planted here. Steep, hilly valleys and climatic extremes make it possible to achieve a careful balance between structure and acidity.
Rumors have persisted for decades that when producers in Tuscany and Piedmont can’t coax their wines into maturity, they blend in a spot of Puglia red to improve the color, concentration and fruitiness of their wines. Such is the reputation of this region blessed with abundant sunshine and hardworking vintners.
The time has come for Puglia to shape its own winemaking identity. A wine renaissance has washed over the region, thanks to outside investments and a new focus on quality winemaking in the vineyard and the winery. “Over the past 10 or 15 years, wines from Puglia are more appreciated abroad because there has been a noticeable jump in quality yet [they] have maintained attractive prices,” says Piernicola Leone de Castris, whose family runs one of the region’s most historic wineries.
Puglia is primarily a red wine region and its production relies on meaty grapes such as Montepulciano, Bombino Nero, Malvasia Nera, Negroamaro and Primitivo (a genetic twin to California’s Zinfandel). It is also the Italian region most closely associated with excellent rosé production.
Southern Italian Stars
In 1878, Mastroberardino was officially registered with the Avellino Chamber of Commerce. But a 130-year-anniversary is only a small part of what makes this winery noteworthy today. More crucial is the role it has played in safeguarding the traditional varieties of Campania that came close to extinction only a few decades ago.
An enormous patrimony of indigenous grapes such as Fiano, Falanghina and Aglianico would not exist today if it weren’t for the efforts of Antonio Mastroberardino, who embarked on a massive replanting effort in the 1950s. Following in the footsteps of his father, Piero Mastroberardino has successfully exported his family’s wines to foreign markets. “Campania has so much going for it today,” says Piero Mastroberardino.
Wines to look for: Naturalis Historia Taurasi.
Nicodemo Librandi, one of two brothers who run the Librandi winery in Cirò Marina in Calabria, is the Charles Darwin of Italian wine. Like Darwin’s search for new species, Nicodemo and his family have combed through the Calabrian back hills to discover new grape varieties.
Once collected, these mysterious and unclassified vines have been planted in Librandi’s 620-acre Rosaneti vineyard that was acquired in 1997 to be one of the south’s biggest experimental vineyards. So far, an amazing 175 varieties have been rediscovered in the Librandi study, revealing one of the largest collections of grape diversity in the world. Many are vinified by Librandi.
Wines to look for: Librandi Magno Megonio and the Efeso.
With its crenulated towers and tall ramparts, Castello Monaci is one of the most beautiful estates in the Salento, the southernmost area of the Puglia peninsula. It is surrounded by centuries-old olive trees and long, flat rows of vines that extend to the horizon. Today, Gruppo Italiano Vino, based in northern Italy, owns the winemaking activities of Castello Monaci and the estate has recently unveiled an ambitious makeover in terms of wine quality and image.
Castello Monaci is an excellent source of value wines. Enologist Francesco Bardi has shaped three well-priced reds that accurately portray the tastes of Puglia.
Wines to look for: Maru Negroamaro, Lianta Negroamaro and Piluna Primitivo.
Cantine del Notaio
Cantine del Notaio (Winery of the Notary Public) is dedicated to making some of the best wines you will taste from Basilicata.
Much of the winery and the underground cellars are housed inside tufo rock grottoes that have been used in these parts since the 1600s as housing, storage and, in some cases, as underground churches. Today, these romantically ruined caves provide the perfect conditions for aging stellar wines. Editor's Pick.
Wines to look for: Il Sigillo Aglianico del Vulture and Il Repertorio Aglianico el Vulture.
Check out Southern Italy wine reviews in the Buying Guide >>> | <urn:uuid:abe3ada3-b507-4e26-8684-4fced93ac632> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.winemag.com/2013/08/12/southern-italy-hit-list/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572043.2/warc/CC-MAIN-20220814143522-20220814173522-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.94407 | 2,111 | 2.3125 | 2 |
February 19, 2016
And now, an “every-day dish” from the famous ancient Roman gastronome Apicius. Just a little something to put on the table when you’re too tired to attempt a serious culinary effort! Its from his book, De Re Coquinaria (“On the Subject of Cooking”).
Nobody knows who Apicius really was, but it’s believed he lived around the year 100. The texts we have were all written a few centuries later.
It’s a fascinating group of recipes that offer serious insights into what life for the wealthy Roman of the time must have been like.
See for yourself:
Apicius considered that an “everyday dish.” Want to see the special occasion version?
A few notes on the ingredients:
Origany, I imagine, is oregano
Mallows are a foraged wild green.
Pullum raptum: fowl plucked while still living.
Lucanian sausages continue to be popular in Rome. Here’s a recipe
Tarantinian sausage, cooked in the ashes: I can find no reference for this exact name, but I’m supposing that it refers to sausage from Taranto, in Puglia. Which is interesting, as this is a sausage made from tuna belly.
Categorised in: Uncategorized | <urn:uuid:3fe146fa-23f8-4ef9-8130-04ad06453861> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://ruthreichl.com/2016/02/a-vintage-recipe-from-the-deep-past.html/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571911.5/warc/CC-MAIN-20220813081639-20220813111639-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.945411 | 291 | 1.992188 | 2 |
Promoting Responsible Business Ethics
Our regulatory compliance program is based on sound business principles and common sense, and complies with applicable legislation. The program is designed to encourage a high degree of personal and professional integrity. It consists of a whistleblower policy and manuals in the following areas: anti-corruption, competition, data protection and trade sanctions.
All employees who discover wrongdoing can report this through the whistleblower function without risk of reprisal or discrimination. The intention is to make it possible to proactively bring up an issue rather than ig- noring a problem or seeking an alternative solution outside the company. Handicare pledges to combat modern slavery Modern Slavery Act.
Code of Conduct
The Code of Conduct is an integrated part of Handicare. The Code consists of guidelines for how our operations are conducted and how we can conduct ourselves appropriately in ethical, social and environmental matters.
The Code is presented in three general areas: anti-corruption and ethics, working conditions, human rights and the environment. All employees, managers, Directors and business partners must com- ply with the Code of Conduct. The Code is based on sound business ethics and responsibility as well as common sense, and is intended to encourage a high degree of personal and professional integrity. As a part of Handicare’s new employee introduction program, all employees partic- ipate in digital training in the Code of Conduct, which is also available on the business’s intranet.
In 2020, anti-corruption training was provided for the company’s salaried employees.
Responsible Purchases – Suppliers
Responsible purchasing means purchases that comply with Handicare’s values when it comes to ethical, social and environmental issues as well as fulfilling our expectations in the areas of anti-corruption, labor standards and human rights.
Handicare has a global network of suppliers divided into five categories:
- 1. Product-related suppliers;
- 2. Suppliers of complete products (for example, floor lifts);
- 3. Suppliers unrelated to products (for example, cleaning services);
- 4. Group-internal suppliers; and
- 5. Not classified (for example, single purchases less than EUR 50,000). Purchases from Categories 1 and 2 fall within the framework of Handicare’s purchasing policy, which also encompasses our supplier code of conduct. The supplier code of conduct addresses ethical, social and environmental issues and describes our expectations in terms of anti-corruption and ethics, labor standards and human rights, and the environment.
Handicare has close long-term relationships with most of its suppliers, and our assessment is that the risk of human rights violations among our suppliers is low. However, to ensure that they understand our Code of Conduct and the importance of our expectations, our goal is for all of our product-related suppliers to sign our Code of Conduct.
Potential breaches of Handicare’s Code of Conduct are reported to Group management.
Transparent Communication – Certifications
Safety is always a matter of the highest priority for us, and our existence as a company is predicated upon it. Handicare is subject to regulation by national and/or local authorities in the markets where we manufacture and sell our products. These authorities are charged with monitoring compliance with applicable legislation in the relevant areas. Handicare has established a quality management system that ensures the quality of our products and services, and that we follow applicable legislation, regulations and industry standards in the jurisdictions where we operate.
Handicare’s efforts to be a better, more sustainable business in terms of environmental and social responsibility have led to the follow certifications: ISO 13485 Medical devices, ISO 9001 Quality management systems, ISO 14001 Environmental management, and ISO 18001 Health and safety management standard.
Business Ethics Documents
Code of Conduct
- Code of Conduct Chinese
- Code of Conduct Danish
- Code of Conduct Dutch
- Code of Conduct English
- Code of Conduct French
- Code of Conduct German
- Code of Conduct Italian | <urn:uuid:137c7443-9d27-4690-8f60-8f95fe22c870> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.handicaregroup.com/sustainability/prosperity/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571911.5/warc/CC-MAIN-20220813081639-20220813111639-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.935862 | 837 | 1.742188 | 2 |
[ntp:questions] NTPd looses sync regularly / 12 hour intervals.
hart at ntp.org
Wed Sep 8 15:33:19 UTC 2010
On Wed, Sep 8, 2010 at 06:40 UTC, Michael Nielsen <hael at tv2.dk> wrote:
> I have two ntp servers set up in the local network, from which another
> 40 odd servers synchronise.
> Some of the servers do function as expected, and keep time quite
> accurately, however, the
> majority of servers rapport an error that I cannot lock down, and it's
> currently baffling me...
> (It's probably something obvious I'm overlooking or so I hope).
> The logs on the systems that have problems usually show the following
> Sep 7 17:43:48 sn ntpd: synchronized to 10.7.100.28, stratum 2
> Sep 7 17:57:51 sn ntpd: time reset +71.784598 s
> Sep 7 17:59:10 sn ntpd: synchronized to 10.7.100.27, stratum 2
> Sep 8 05:29:11 sn ntpd: no servers reachable
> Sep 8 05:34:37 sn ntpd: synchronized to 10.7.100.28, stratum 2
> Sep 8 05:35:52 sn ntpd: time reset +74.977115 s
> Sep 8 05:36:41 sn ntpd: synchronized to 10.7.100.28, stratum 2
Since the problem happens on most but not all NTP clients, the NTP
servers can probably be assumed to be working correctly. Are some of
these 40 NTP clients virtual machines? A repeated pattern of losing
time due to lost interrupts could be caused by the virtualization
environment and the load on the real hardware.
If that doesn't pan out, compare logs from multiple NTP clients
covering the same time period to see if there's a pattern of server
misbehavior to be detected.
More information about the questions | <urn:uuid:2ffe9887-45d3-487a-85da-1cffbdea8e61> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | http://lists.ntp.org/old-archives/questions/2010-September/027561.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571911.5/warc/CC-MAIN-20220813081639-20220813111639-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.840827 | 495 | 1.65625 | 2 |
A slight feeling of patriotism is in the air for many Americans living in Cape Town. President Obama visited Cape Town two weeks ago as part of his State visit to South Africa. In addition to Obama’s visit, we just observed Independence Day, bringing memories from past 4th of July celebrations.
Last year, Nashvillian friends and I watched fireworks while (ironically) reflecting on what we loved most about America. Whether I knew it at the time or whether the absence of such things now made me appreciate their value—S’mores, Michael Jackson, Dollywood, chocolate chip cookie dough, Mexican food, and live blues concerts were on the top of my list. However, 4 July 2012, I was very far from what I would call patriotic.
Although after nine months of living outside of the country, my perception of the United States has shifted. I wouldn’t say that America is the greatest nation, but I have a much deeper appreciation for it now. Living in another country has given me significant insight in the strengths and weaknesses of the United States. Throughout daily life in South Africa, it is impossible not to compare the two countries and notice how different parts of life are better and worse in each place.
While I miss faster internet and the life of convenience found in the US, it is appalling how little Americans, in general, know about the world. I certainly wouldn’t say I’m suddenly an authority on international affairs, but in nine months I have been far more exposed to diverse cultures in Cape Town than my entire life in the United States. This is partially due to the fact that I’ve only lived in Tennessee, but even my education gave me little knowledge of international affairs and foreign languages.
Americans’ exposure of international affairs at a superficial level is also exasperated by the over-saturation of American affairs in international markets. The world knows so much about my culture and I know so little about the world. The best and worst qualities of American culture are on display, often making Americans completely overbearing and the object of ridicule. It is hardly fair. Luckily, I better understand the negative stereotypes of Americans and do my best to leave them unfulfilled; I even make fun of the US and Americans with my international and South African friends. However, I sometimes find myself defending my culture and feeling frustrated when people think the American experience is the same for everyone.
This phenomenon has led me to welcome time with other Americans, because I don’t have to constantly define the realities and myths of American stereotypes broadcasted to the world. While I am grateful of my time with South Africans and other foreign nationals, I look forward to the time when I do not have to explain myself for using an excessive amount of ketchup. Until then, I will value the insight I receive from viewing the US through international perspectives. | <urn:uuid:e4e2d576-7f39-45ee-a8df-df5ef40b5367> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://lumos.belmont.edu/a-sentimental-4th-of-july/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572212.96/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815205848-20220815235848-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.961899 | 586 | 1.5625 | 2 |
CARBON DIOXIDE GENERATION, TRANSPORT AND RELEASE DURING THE FERMENTATION OF BARLEY MALT
MacIntosh, Andrew John
MetadataShow full item record
Carbon Dioxide (CO2) is a major fermentation product generated during the production of beer, the subsequent release of this gas within the fermentor results in agitation that is necessary for sustained industrial fermentation. CO2 is sometimes monitored allowing brewers to stoichiometrically relate CO2 released to other products. In this manner the rate of gas release from the fermentor may be used to assess, control and predict other aspects of fermentation. The dynamics of CO2 generation, transport and release are explored throughout this thesis over several studies. The tools used to examine CO2 production were scrutinized including a miniature assay using various modeling techniques. A miniature scale fermentation assay included in the methods of the American Society of Brewing Chemists was compared to industrial scale fermentations. It was found that discrepancies were possibly due (at least in part) to fermentor geometry. Following this study, a literature review of CO2 solubility in aqueous sugar, and ethanol solutions was conducted. This study exposed previously undescribed inaccuracies in literature, i.e., it was found that several gas solubility tables were empirical derived and are therefore unlikely to accurately reflect all styles of beer. The next study scrutinized the consumption of sugars during barley fermentation and found that these fermentations often exhibit asymmetric sigmoidal attenuation. A five parameter logistic model was introduced to model this sugar consumption more accurately than previously described techniques. Using methods refined during the aforementioned studies, a fermentation was conducted where a mass balance was used to track all major fermentation parameters (the consumption of individual sugars, and the production of ethanol, carbon dioxide, yeast biomass and glycerol). This allowed an assessment of Balling’s theorem as compared to modern theory. It was shown that while accurate in predicting original extract, Balling’s theorem incorrectly quantified other fermentation parameters. This has large ramifications for both industry and research as the estimation of fermentation parameters (such as ethanol and fermentation time) is now better understood. From these studies, the production of beer becomes less of a “black box” operation, and CO2 saturation, transport and release can be better explained. Of the many fermentation aspects monitored during these studies, most were predicted by theory, however, there were notable exceptions. For instance, it was found that both the inhibition of maltose consumption and yeast sugar consumption dynamics (which remained relatively constant throughout the fermentation at ~ 50 pg·h-1 for cells with an average mass of ~ 40 pg). were found to deviate from previously described reports. These, and other findings improve our understanding of brewing fermentations allowing for additional applications of theory and recommendations in industrial operations. | <urn:uuid:1c5b742e-1777-46ac-b8f0-7b226e4573c3> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://dalspace-dev.library.dal.ca/handle/10222/40671 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571911.5/warc/CC-MAIN-20220813081639-20220813111639-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.96104 | 592 | 2.453125 | 2 |
Objective Raising the price of tobacco products is considered one of the most effective ways to reduce tobacco use. In addition to excise taxes, governments are exploring other policies to raise tobacco prices and minimise price dispersion, both within and across price tiers. We conducted a systematic review to determine how these policies are described, recommended and evaluated in the literature.
Data sources We systematically searched six databases and the California Tobacco Control library for English language studies or reports, indexed on or before 18 December 2013, that included a tobacco keyword (eg, cigarette), policy keyword (eg, legislation) and a price keyword (eg, promotion). We identified 3067 abstracts.
Study selection Two coders independently reviewed all abstracts and identified 56 studies or reports that explicitly described a public policy likely to impact the retail price of tobacco products through non-tax means.
Data extraction Two coders independently identified tobacco products targeted by policies described, recommendations for implementing policies and empirical assessments of policy impacts.
Data synthesis The most prevalent non-tax price policies were price promotion restrictions and minimum price laws. Few studies measured the impact of non-tax policies on average prices, price dispersion or disparities in tobacco consumption, but the literature includes suggestions for crafting policies and preparing for legal challenges or tobacco industry opposition.
Conclusions Price-focused evaluations of well-implemented non-tax price policies are needed to determine whether they can deliver on their promise to raise prices, reduce price dispersion and serve as an important complement to excise taxes.
- Public policy
- Advertising and Promotion
This is an Open Access article distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
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Raising the price of tobacco products is considered one of the most effective ways to reduce consumption1–3 and is a highly recommended tobacco control strategy worldwide.1 ,4 ,5 Although excise taxes have effectively raised average product prices in many jurisdictions, additional policies that rely on mechanisms other than taxation may be needed to maintain higher prices and prevent price discrimination resulting in lower prices for price-sensitive smokers.6–8
Countries all over the world have used tobacco taxes to increase prices and reduce consumption,9 but not all tax initiatives are equally successful. The tobacco industry works to defeat or limit proposed increases through lobbying and other tactics,10 and in many places other political barriers exist, resulting in tax and price geographic variation.11 ,12 In the USA in 2014, average prices for a pack of cigarettes ranged from US$5.06 in Missouri, where the lowest excise tax is levied, to $10.56 in New York, home of the highest.13 The structure of a tax is also relevant. Tax structures that rely primarily on ad valorem approaches, which tax based on a per cent of product value, may have weaker health impacts by facilitating substitution to cheaper brands,14 ,15 compared to specific taxes, which are levied on a specific quantity and therefore impact all brands equally. Specific taxes that are not indexed to inflation, however, devalue over time.10–16
Even when well-structured high taxes are successfully implemented, tobacco companies engage in price discrimination to offset their effects. Price discrimination is the process by which firms with monopoly power segment their market and set lower prices for those consumers who are most price-sensitive.17 Tobacco companies accomplish this by offering select retailers and consumers price promotions, including volume-based discounts, multipack offers and coupons,18–23 and by providing products in different price tiers, including higher priced ‘premium’ products and lower priced ‘discount’ products.24 ,25 This produces a cigarette market characterised by price dispersion, both within and between price tiers.
As tobacco taxes rise, incentives for the industry to engage in price discrimination to avoid losing price sensitive customers increase. In the US alone, dollars spent on cigarette advertising and promotion rose from $8.37 billion in 2011 to $9.17 billion in 2012. Price discounts has been the largest marketing expenditure category since 2002, and in 2012 it accounted for more than 85% of marketing spending by the industry.26 In some places, price gaps between premium and discount price tiers have gotten larger as well, possibly due to disproportionate shifting of tax increases to higher priced brand variants to maintain options for price sensitive customers.27 ,28 Elsewhere, however, this pattern appears reversed, perhaps due to extensive price promotions for premium brands.29 ,30
Tobacco users respond to opportunities to purchase lower priced products.31 In various surveys, between 25% and 40% of respondents report using discounts and/or cheaper brands. Several US studies found that purchasing cheaper brands, or buying with a discount or multipack offer, was associated with price reductions of up to $1 per pack.32–35 People who engage in price-minimising strategies make fewer cessation attempts and are less likely to reduce their smoking.36–38
Some of the highest risk groups for tobacco initiation and use, including youth and people with lower incomes,39–42 are also the most price sensitive, so price dispersion may be a particularly important policy target. Furthermore, groups engage in different price minimisation strategies, so understanding whether a policy is likely to change average prices, prices within a specific price tier, or the availability of low price tiers, is important for understanding potential impacts on vulnerable populations. For example, more than one-third of youth smokers report exposure to price coupons43 and young adults are both more likely to use coupons or promotions, and less likely to smoke discount brands, compared to older smokers.44 ,45 Policies that shrink tier-specific price dispersion may therefore have a particularly strong impact on youth. Lower income smokers, however, are more likely to buy discount brands,29 ,37 ,45 so policies that target low price tiers might ameliorate socioeconomic disparities in smoking.
To boost prices in low tax areas and counteract tobacco industry price reduction strategies, many governments are exploring policies to increase tobacco prices through mechanisms other than taxation, including setting minimum prices or banning promotional discounts. Although the impact of tobacco tax policies has been previously summarised,10 ,14 the practical and substantive advantages and disadvantages of other price policy options have not been similarly explored. To fill this gap, we conducted a systematic review of the literature to determine how non-tax tobacco price policies are described, recommended and evaluated.
We searched six databases of peer-reviewed literature (PubMed, CINAHL, EMBASE, Scopus, Academic Search Premier and Legal Trac), and ROVER, a grey literature library maintained by California's Tobacco Control Library. We identified studies and reports that contained one tobacco-related word (cigarette* or tobacco*), one policy-related term (eg, ‘public policy’ or ‘law’) and one price-related term (eg, ‘promotion,’ or ‘discount’). After eliminating duplicates, this search produced 3067 abstracts.
Two coders independently reviewed all English language abstracts or full text publications that described, analysed or discussed a public policy likely to directly impact retail tobacco prices through means other than taxation. We initially excluded 2824 abstracts that failed to reference any price-relevant tobacco control policy, and an additional 187 articles that focused on policies outside the scope of this review, described potential price-related policies but made no explicit mention of price impacts, were not an appropriate format (eg, news reports), or were not in English. Following these exclusions, 56 articles (35 peer-reviewed studies and 21 reports) were included in the review (figure 1).
One of two authors (SDG and MHS) read each article to extract: publication year, policies described, geographic location in which policies were considered, targeted tobacco product, any empirical policy evaluation results, and other key findings or conclusions. Each article was then read by the second reviewer to collect information around three key themes: (1) policy justification; (2) policy descriptions and recommendations; and (3) potential impacts of policies on price, consumption or disparities.
We calculated frequency measures for the policy types, locations and targeted products, and then summarised the key theme data using principles of qualitative analysis.46 Given the paucity of empirical evaluations and heterogeneous policy types and outcomes, we were prevented from conducting a meta-analysis. Instead, we summarise the findings of each policy evaluation individually.
With the exception of a 1986 article describing the potential for advertising bans to impact product prices,47 all non-tax policy articles in this review were published in 1999 or later, and 71% (n=40) were published since 2010 (figure 2). Non-tax policies were discussed with similar and increasing frequency in the US and global contexts. Reviewed articles described a variety of non-tax price policies, including price promotion restrictions (n=41), minimum price policies (n=27), fee-based policies (n=6) and price capping laws (n=4; see online supplementary figure). These policies are defined in table 1. Price-relevant aspects of other policies, such as sunshine laws, which require reporting of industry price discounting and promotional payments,48 were mentioned but not substantially discussed in five articles. The majority of articles described policies specifically targeting cigarettes (n=48) or all tobacco products (n=33). A small number of articles addressed policies related specifically to cigars (n=2), smokeless (n=2), other tobacco products (n=4) or electronic cigarettes (n=1).
Almost half of the articles (n=29, 48%) elaborated on reasons that non-tax tobacco price policies are needed. In most of these (n=22), evidence of industry efforts to keep prices low through advertising and price promotions,11 ,36 ,47 ,49–53 price setting54 or antiprice policy lobbying55 was used as a rationale, with some emphasis on disproportionate targeting and tobacco use among youth, African-Americans and residents of neighbourhoods with higher percentages of price-sensitive smokers.56–59 A few articles analysed or cited evidence of public support for price-related policies,60 ,61 identified other policy benefits, like offsetting tobacco-related public costs,62–64 or referenced similar policies implemented for other products.54 ,65 Finally, several authors identified gaps in existing legislation that needed to be filled.53 ,66
Policy descriptions, recommendations, political factors and legal issues
Regardless of policy type, more than one-quarter of the articles (n=15) recommended combining non-tax price policies with taxes to prevent the use of price minimising strategies. Nearly half of all articles (n=26) described political or legal issues related to price-related policies, including: tobacco industry opposition to, or efforts to circumvent, price-related policies; the importance of considering rules related to commerce, free speech and policy pre-emption by a higher level of government; the value of consulting legal counsel in legislation design; and concerns about the implications of price policies for low income consumers. Recommendations, political factors and legal concerns specific to each of the most cited non-tax policy types are outlined in table 1, and summarised below.
Price promotion restrictions and bans
The review highlighted two different strategies for restricting the ability of tobacco companies, wholesalers or retailers to use price promotions to reduce tobacco prices: comprehensive tobacco marketing legislation that includes price promotion restrictions or standalone legislation restricting price promotions only. Specific price promotion policy components include banning or restricting: tobacco product coupons; value-added promotions like multipack discounting or cross-product promotions; and/or buy-down or master-type programmes in which manufacturers offer price discounts to retailers or wholesalers.
Nearly all of the articles discussing price promotions as part of comprehensive marketing bans reference Article 13 of the WHO's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, which recommends marketing bans on both direct and indirect advertising, including the distribution of promotional discounts.4 ,67 Several authors argued that few countries implement truly comprehensive marketing bans, often because the bans fail to include point-of-sale or price promotion bans.68–70 Throughout the marketing ban papers, authors noted the importance of implementing comprehensive bans to ensure advertising opportunities were not simply moved to different channels following partial bans.71–74 For example, Moodie et al75 documented an increase in pack-based marketing, including price-related offers on the pack, following the passage of the British Tobacco Advertising and Promotion Act which eliminated many other forms of marketing. In addition to moving into new marketing venues, authors cautioned that the tobacco industry would maximise marketing where restrictions are non-existent, work to weaken any marketing regulation that is introduced and use cross-border advertising to their advantage.72
Stand-alone price promotion policies were primarily discussed in the USA, where the 2009 Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act (TCA) bans redemption of coupons by mail, but does not address the use of promotions in the retail setting.36 The TCA permits state and local governments to regulate the sale and distribution of tobacco products, and also amended earlier legislation to allow states and localities to regulate the time, place and manner,76 but not the content, of cigarette advertisements or promotions. Although two reports highlighted successful implementations of city policies,57 ,77 most of the US price promotion literature investigated potential legal barriers and offered recommendations for legally defensible legislation. State and local governments were cautioned to limit burden on interstate commerce, and ensure their legislation does not go beyond legislation at higher levels of government.57 ,78 To maximise legal viability, authors recommended restricting advertising only within a specific jurisdiction, banning the redemption of coupons rather than their distribution and targeting actual price reductions rather than specific advertising messages.49 ,51 ,53 ,57 ,78 ,79 In places where tobacco licenses are issued, adherence to price promotion rules could be tied to licensing maintenance50 ,80 or restrictions on price promotions could be added to existing minimum price legislation.53 ,81 ,82
Minimum price policies
Minimum price laws (MPLs), originally implemented to protect tobacco retailers from predatory business practices,11 ,82 establish a minimum mark-up on the retail and/or wholesale price of a tobacco product. Most literature on this topic came from the US, where MPLs operate in about half of all states by levying a per cent mark-up on a basic cost price.82 To eliminate discount brands from the market, and for ease of administration, several authors recommended a floor price structure, which sets a level below which a product cannot be sold or a combination of a floor price with either mark-ups50 ,58 or price capping policies.56 In addition, three strategies to enhance the impact of MPLs were suggested: (1) eliminate the use of coupons, buy-downs or other promotional strategies to lower prices below minimum levels;11 ,36 ,51 ,52 ,58 ,63 ,82 ,83 (2) ensure that mark-ups are high enough to result in prices above those determined naturally by the market by setting high initial rates and indexing them to inflation;52 ,58 ,83 ,84 and (3) impose strong penalties for violation and provide resources for enforcement.83 ,85
MPLs were recognised as strategies that could complement high excise taxes, or be more politically palatable in places where raising excise taxes has been difficult.63 Authors cautioned, however, that MPLs may be challenged as infringing too much on free market competition52 ,86 or interstate commerce.52 To prevent such attacks, legislation should be drafted in a way to stave off accusations of price fixing and to ensure that retailers within and outside of the jurisdictional area are treated the same way.51 ,52 ,63 Several authors also noted additional potential consequences of MPLs, including increasing profits for the tobacco industry and retailers in the place of increased revenue from excise taxes,50 ,56 ,83 ,85 ,87 ,88 providing a basis for marketing products as sold at the ‘minimum legal price,’83 or encouraging cross-border purchasing if implemented irregularly.11
Although fees are similar to taxes because the amount added to the price returns to government, we include them in our review as distinct from taxes for two reasons. First, the funds raised by fees cannot exceed the costs of implementing the services to which they are attached; their allowable size must be determined through careful analysis. Second, fees are a policy option available in some local communities that do not inherently have taxing authority. Articles in this review described two types of fees: mitigation and licensing fees. Cigarette butts are a common type of litter89 that creates chemical hazards in public spaces and incurs governmental costs for removal. Mitigation fee policies levy per-pack fees to offset these costs and eliminate some waste by-products. Two articles specifically described the process and results of calculating the San Francisco litter abatement policy; the author estimated that cleaning up cigarette litter costs about 22 cents per pack,64 ,90 but also noted that cities could use national or comparable place figures to calculate appropriate fees. Licensing fees are charged to retailers to fund the administration of retailer licensing programmes. Although the initial search generated many articles describing licensing fees, only two explicitly described the the potential impact on product prices. Authors noted that substantial fee increases (perhaps beyond what is justifiable in terms of costs) might be needed to raise prices,63 and that indexing fees to inflation or product prices could ensure they are sustained at relatively high levels.62
Four articles describe or propose price capping policies, which set limits on the maximum price level that the industry can charge for a product. By setting price caps close to the level of production costs, authors argue that the large companies that currently dominate the market will no longer be able to target specific audiences with low prices, because they cannot make up the profit loss through higher prices on other products or in other venues. Implemented by itself a price cap would then compress prices, but might actually lower average product prices. Supporters of price caps therefore recommend pairing them with high excise taxes.54 ,56 ,91 In this way, product sales generate ‘profits’ that are realised by the government, rather than by the manufacturers or retailers.
Although most of the articles discussed the potential of non-tax price policies to reduce tobacco prices, consumption and/or related health problems (n=46, 77%), only 16 articles (27%) empirically examined policy impacts. Nine of these measured the effect of a policy package without specifying outcomes for price-related components. For example, seven articles used the SimSmoke model to evaluate or predict the impact of different recommended tobacco control strategies, including comprehensive marketing bans, but did not isolate the effect of price promotion restrictions within those bans. The remaining six empirical impact articles explicitly assessed the impact of either MPLs or price promotion restrictions a relevant outcome.11 ,12 ,68 ,73 ,74 ,83 ,92 Of them, three cross-national comparisons documented positive associations between stronger price promotion restrictions policies and decreased awareness of promotional offers, two found no evidence that average cigarette prices were higher in places that had implemented MPLs, and one found no average price impacts of a voluntary, industry-led policy. Findings of each article are further described in table 2.
Policies targeting tobacco prices through mechanisms other than taxes are gaining attention in the literature. The articles reviewed here provide detailed definitions of price promotion bans, minimum price legislation and other policies, as well as suggestions for making them as strong and legally robust as possible. Policymakers or practitioners interested in exploring these options, therefore, have resources that could guide policy development. Given the economic and legal complexities outlined in many of the reviewed works, as well as industry and political challenges faced by most tobacco control legislation,49 ,51 ,52 ,58 ,78 this guidance may be necessary before adoption and sustained implementation of any price-focused policies is commonplace.
Infrequent in the literature, however, are assessments of the effectiveness of non-tax price policies as tobacco control strategies. Associations between higher tobacco prices and lower levels of tobacco consumption are already well established;1–3 what is not yet known is whether other policies can bring about average price increases through means other than tax hikes. Our search generated a small number of empirical assessments which failed to isolate price effects; measured only proximal outcomes like promotion awareness, or found no evidence that policies successfully raised average cigarette prices.
Furthermore, we found little discussion and no evaluation of the potential impact of the reviewed policies on price dispersion, either within or between price tiers. Yet several of these policies may prove particularly useful in shrinking price dispersion, eliminating opportunities for the industry to leverage differential profit margins to target marketing or offer discount brands to price-sensitive smokers. More specifically, policies that reduce price dispersion within price tiers may particularly impact those smokers who are brand loyal, but frequently exposed to coupons, like youth, whereas policies that reduce price dispersion between price tiers could reduce consumption among groups currently using deep discount brands, like low income smokers. Understanding whether a policy impacts price dispersion and how it does so, is therefore critical to predicting the impact of that policy on vulnerable populations, another topic that received little attention in the reviewed literature. More rigorous evaluation is needed to identify the impact of reviewed policies on average prices, as well as price dispersion and tobacco use among price sensitive groups.
To support such endeavours, we hypothesise potential mechanisms through which non-tax policies might influence average prices and price dispersion, both within and between price tiers and illustrate these in figure 3. In the first panel, which represents an initial cigarette market, the black line tracks the initial average price of cigarettes across a range of price tiers and grey shading surrounding the line illustrates depicts price dispersion (figure 3A). Although the angle of the line, as well as the size and placement of the shading, are hypothesised in the figure, we used the empirical research described above about the proportion of smokers who engage in price minimisation to guide its development. In particular, since fewer than half of smokers report using price promotions, we presume that there are fewer purchases but a larger range of prices below the average than above. The next six panels illustrate potential impacts for each described policy. Price promotion bans reduce price dispersion within price tiers by eliminating the lowest prices, which has the effect of raising average prices (figure 3B). MPLs, when implemented using an inviolable floor structure, might eliminate deep discount brands from the market altogether and slightly raise average prices for middle price tiers whose initial dispersion included below-floor values (figure 3C). In combination with price promotion bans, MPLs also shrink price dispersion within all tiers (figure 3D). Fee policies shift the market upward by the amount of the fee, and therefore only impact average prices (figure 3B). Finally, price caps are designed to shrink industry profits, leaving fewer resources to offset discounts on specific brands or make deep discount brands feasible.54 Since they set a cap on what the manufacturer can charge for the product, if implemented alone they may actually lower average prices (figure 3F); to raise average prices, they would need to be accompanied by a tax increase to shifts the market upward (figure 3G).
Despite the potential promise illustrated in figure 3, price promotion bans, MPLs, fee policies and price caps, when implemented in isolation, are not without shortcomings. Although isolated implementation may be necessary where tax hikes are politically challenging, most of these policies will be most effective as complements, rather than substitutes, to excise taxes. Furthermore, each policy design has limitations. MPLs may generate higher profits for retailers or tobacco companies that could be used on other marketing efforts, perhaps undercutting their effect. Promotional bans must be carefully constructed within the context of free speech rules. Fee policies, because they are tied to the real government costs, may only have a modest impact on per unit prices and thus limited influence on smoking behaviour. In addition, the extent to which a retailer licensing fee is passed on to the consumer price of a tobacco product is unclear, so price impacts could be even smaller. The ability of price caps to influence price dispersion presumes diminished profit shifting in the industry. Since most tobacco companies operate in many markets worldwide, they may be able to offset lost profits from price capping policies in single countries with profits generated elsewhere. Finally, some policies that could reduce disparities if they prompt lower income smokers to quit, like floor price policies that eliminate discount brands, could alternatively have a regressive impact if low income smokers switch to higher priced products instead of reducing consumption. Other policies like price promotion bans, however, may be less regressive if the coupon use they eliminate is currently more prevalent for premium brands.29
In addition, none of the described policies alleviate problems with tax evasion and avoidance. Estimates from the International Tobacco Control (ITC) Policy Evaluation project indicate that in several countries, more than 10% of consumers recently purchased from a low or untaxed source, whether through legal or illicit means.93 These rates grow in places that border low tax areas.94 Geographic variation in price policy that produces different prices in neighbouring places, as well as limited resources dedicated to policy enforcement, may facilitate tax avoidance. Unless the price policies described in this review are implemented in a way to reduce this variation (eg, at national levels or simultaneously in neighbouring jurisdictions), they are unlikely to reduce this problem and like tax increases, could increase it. Other tobacco control policies, like enhanced tax stamps, track and trace technologies and licensing laws are likely necessary for all price policies to fulfil their potential.95
Our review also unveiled little discussion of promotional bans, MPLs, price caps and fees in reference to non-cigarette tobacco products. Smokeless tobacco products are popular among youth, and prevalence of use exceeds that of cigarettes in many countries, especially in South-East Asia.96 In the USA, cigars, little cigars and smokeless products remain an important source of tobacco for many people, with little decline in prevalence in recent years97–100 and use of electronic cigarettes is rising, especially among youth.101 Pricing policies that apply primarily to cigarettes may create a different type of price dispersion, based not on price tier but on product type, perhaps encouraging price-sensitive consumers to switch or use both cigarettes and other products, instead of quitting altogether.102 Although extending tax policies to non-cigarette products can be challenging, due to variations in sizes, packaging and brands, extensions of some non-tax price policies, like price promotion regulations, might be straightforward. Additionally, in places like the US, state and local governments may have more flexibility to regulate pricing and promotions for other tobacco products than they do for cigarettes, due to less pre-emption by federal laws.66
Our search has several limitations. Since our search was completed, several major changes have occurred in the tobacco control landscape, including the issuing of the Surgeon General's report of 2014 and the Food and Drug Administration's proposal to extend regulation to more tobacco products in the USA In each of these, federal agencies highlight non-cigarette products, which might have spurred further discussion of them elsewhere in the literature. Although our search terms and strategy resulted in a seemingly comprehensive set of relevant policies, some key literature could have been omitted. We searched for tobacco and cigarette-specific terms rather than product names, anticipating that articles that referred to a particular product, like snus, would also reference tobacco or cigarettes. Our search was also limited to English language articles, and the library used to search grey literature was based in the USA. We may therefore have missed some relevant literature, such as legal commentary, from abroad. Finally, the small number of empirical studies prevented us from conducting meta-analyses or comparing the quality of their approaches. We caution readers to review the methodology of each before extrapolating results more generally.
Although increasing tobacco excise taxes is a central tenet of comprehensive tobacco control,103 these policies alone may be insufficient for maintaining high prices, or reducing price discrimination, due to industry tactics to keep at least some prices low.50 ,104 ,105 Policies that set pricing floors, limit the ability of the industry to use price variation in marketing and recoup public costs of tobacco use are gaining attention in practice and in the scientific literature. More empirical evaluations are needed to ascertain the extent to which these policies can complement or substitute for excise taxes by generating higher prices, shrinking price dispersion, reducing consumption and ameliorating tobacco-related disparities. A number of articles and reports focused on design and implementation of most non-tax price policies, however, are currently available, and may be valuable to policymakers and tobacco control professionals interested in investigating these options further.
What this paper adds
Minimum price laws and restrictions on price promotions are gaining research attention as promising complements to excise taxes.
Given the paucity of empirical studies, there is limited evidence to date that non-tax policies can successfully raise tobacco prices.
Most non-tax approaches focus on cigarettes; thus policymakers have an opportunity to apply these policy approaches to non-cigarette tobacco products.
Policymakers should consult legal assistance to navigate the specific constraints of their regulatory environment when drafting non-tax policies.
The authors would like to thank Lisa Peterson, M.L.S, California ‘Rover’ Tobacco Control Library, University of California, Davis for her invaluable assistance in searching the grey literature.
This web only file has been produced by the BMJ Publishing Group from an electronic file supplied by the author(s) and has not been edited for content.
- Data supplement 1 - Online supplement
Contributors SDG conducted the search and managed the review process. SDG, MHS and KMR developed an article coding strategy, with input from ECF, AR and TR. SDG and MHS abstracted all data and drafted the manuscript. ECF, AR, TR and KMR provided input into the interpretation and discussion of the results, and edited manuscript drafts. All authors reviewed and approved the final version of the manuscript.
Funding Research reported in this paper was supported by grant number CA154281 from the National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health as part of the ASPiRE study (Advancing Science and Policy in the Retail Environment), and M H Smith's fellowship was supported by grant number 1P50CA180907-01 from the National Cancer Institute and FDA Center for Tobacco Products (CTP). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH or the Food and Drug Administration.
Competing interests KMR is a Special Government Employee and member of the Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee for the FDA Center for Tobacco Products—the views expressed in this paper are his and not those of the FDA. KMR has served as an expert consultant in litigation against cigarette manufacturers and Internet tobacco vendors.
Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed. | <urn:uuid:ea2cecac-0e36-455f-8cee-be6f877d7c6a> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/content/25/4/377?ijkey=153353621694fdfb7022cf579938b277f37d1a46&keytype2=tf_ipsecsha | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572043.2/warc/CC-MAIN-20220814143522-20220814173522-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.933888 | 6,488 | 1.734375 | 2 |
The US has confirmed it would resist efforts to put the internet under the control of the United Nations.
At present several non-profit US bodies oversee the net's technical specifications and domain name system.
They operate at arms-length from the US government but officially under the remit of its Department of Commerce.
There has been speculation that other nations will push for a change later this year, but they cannot force the US to comply.
The US has set out its position in documents filed with the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) - the UN agency responsible for encouraging the development of communications technologies.
The ITU is hosting a conference in December in Dubai to which representatives from 178 nations have been invited to review the International Telecommunications Regulations (ITR).
The ITR is a 1988 treaty which set out rules for how traffic should flow between different telecom networks, and how to calculate charges for traffic exchanged between carriers in different countries.
The rise of the internet and mobile devices has led to calls for it to be revised, but countries are expected to disagree over the changes needed.
The US's ambassador to the conference, Terry Kramer, outlined his worries in a statement published by the country's Department of State.
"The US is concerned that proposals by some other governments could lead to greater regulatory burdens being placed on the international telecom sector, or perhaps even extended to the internet sector," he wrote.
"The United States also believes that existing multi-stakeholder institutions, incorporating industry and civil society, have functioned effectively and will continue to ensure the health and growth of the internet and all its benefits."
The ITU does not publish submissions by each country - leaving it up to the individual states to decide which material to release. But a site called Wcitleaks.org has posted proposals leaked to it.
They include a submission from Russia suggesting the ITU could become responsible for allocating at least some of the internet's addresses as well as the "determination of the necessary requirements".
At present US-based Icann (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) co-ordinates the codes and numbering systems, deciding which new internet address endings should be allowed as an alternative to .com. It then leaves it to ISPs (internet service providers) to assign individual addresses.
President Vladimir Putin has signalled Russia's final submission could go further. In 2011 he said he was keen to discuss "establishing international control over the internet using the monitoring and supervisory capabilities of the International Telecommunication Union".
The Russia Today news service has since reported that China and India had backed this stance.
But the ITU has made it clear that any changes to the treaty must have unanimous support, and it would block members trying to put any matter to a vote.
"We never vote because voting means winners and losers and you can't afford that," Dr Hamadoun Toure, the ITU's secretary-general told the BBC.
"Whatever one single country does not accept will not pass."
He acknowledged that some countries were unhappy with the way Icann had looked after the internet address system.
"Some people are saying the governments are not consulted enough," he said.
But he played down the idea that there would be a serious effort to seize control of its functions and pass them to the ITU.
"Has anybody suggested to take responsibility from Icann? No, it's never been done. I truly believe there is a complementarity involved between our work - we can work together." | <urn:uuid:b39e3654-cac0-424a-8f16-70fb19ee9870> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-19106420 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572043.2/warc/CC-MAIN-20220814143522-20220814173522-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.970152 | 723 | 2.609375 | 3 |
Cash Limit At Home: How much cash can you keep at home legally in India: These days raids are being conducted on cash kept in people’s homes. These raids are being conducted by the ED. When any person is unable to give correct information about the cash found at his house, then legal action is taken against him.
How much cash is too much at home: Big investigative agencies like Income Tax, ED, CBI have raided many places in the past and recovered cash worth crores of rupees from people’s homes. In a major crackdown in West Bengal, the Enforcement Directorate or ED seized Rs 50 crore in cash from Arpita Mukherjee’s flat. Similar action has been taken many times in the past as well.
How much cash can a common man keep in his house? How much cash is kept in your house, are you safe and not afraid of any investigative agency? Today we are going to tell about this in detail.
How much cash can you keep at home?
According to the rules of the Income Tax Department, you can keep any amount in your house, but if it is caught by the investigating agency, then you will have to tell its source. If you have earned that money legally and have complete documents or filed income tax return, then there is no need to panic. But if you are not able to tell the source, then the agency will take action itself.
Get point wise here
- Failure to disclose the source of the money kept in the house can lead to a fine of up to 137 percent.
- Transactions in cash exceeding Rs 20 lakh in a financial year can attract penalty.
- According to the CBDT, it is necessary to provide PAN number for deposit or withdrawal of more than Rs 50,000 in one go.
- If a person deposits Rs 20 lakh in cash in a year, then he will have to give details of PAN and Aadhaar.
- Failure to provide PAN and Aadhaar details can result in a fine of up to Rs 20 lakh.
- Purchases cannot be made in cash above Rs 2 lakh.
- For cash purchases above Rs 2 lakh, copy of PAN and Aadhar card will be required.
- Any person can come under the radar of the investigating agency for the purchase and sale of cash assets of more than Rs 30 lakh.
- During the payment of credit-debit card, if a person pays more than one lakh rupees at a time, then there can be an investigation.
- Cash amount not exceeding Rs 2 lakh cannot be taken from relatives in a day. This has to be done through the bank.
- The limit for donating cash has been fixed at Rs 2,000.
- No person can take a cash loan of more than 20 thousand from any other person.
- TDS will be levied on cash withdrawal of more than Rs 2 crore from the bank. | <urn:uuid:f586c5b4-77d7-48f6-9799-4a793ebc2116> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.rightsofemployees.com/cash-limit-at-home-how-much-cash-you-can-keep-at-home-know-limit-and-details/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572043.2/warc/CC-MAIN-20220814143522-20220814173522-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.963038 | 594 | 2.0625 | 2 |
The biggest fear of our children is uncertainty and insecurity. The child, who does not know his / her limits, suffers from not knowing what is right and what is wrong and in which situations the right thing can be wrong.Rules must be specificChildren who are uncertain about the rules to be taught in the family. As a result, he either shows a rebellious attitude and tends to violence or gives up and closes. The message ün You are free to do anything you want z does not give happiness to a child. On the contrary, since the limits of his freedom are not set, he is surprised by his fear of making mistakes and being punished. The child tries to create his personal morality by understanding what is right and what is wrong from his parents' actions and attitudes. If parents do the opposite of what they say, they observe and imitate their actions. Consistency is importantInconsistency reduces the child's confidence and he or she may begin to adopt a similar attitude. For this reason, it is important to be in harmony between what we say and what we do and to make it a rule not to lie next to our child. Mother and father's harmony is also very important for the child. The child becomes unbalanced if the other imposes a punishment. He can approach the permissive side and develop a hostile attitude towards the other. Freedom of errorMaking mistakes is the development. Every child should have the freedom to make mistakes so that they can gain life experience. Enduring the consequences of their actions is also a basic condition for taking responsibility. There is a mistake in our society in the way we approach our children in general. If the child commits an unwanted act or makes an indecent word, he is first slapped or scolded; she begins to cry and is held by the mother or father who cannot bear tears. If we examine it in stages; the child takes an action or discourse. This action or discourse is inappropriate. If family members are doing similar behaviors or making profanity words with children, it is up to you to blame the child. That it is not; Assuming that the child has acquired this attitude from outside, it is not correct that the reaction of the parents will involve physical or verbal violence. The child's fear, surprise and cry is a natural situation. Emotional blackmail mother or father who can not submit to hugs, kisses, smells. An impression is created as if nothing had happened a minute ago. If such attitudes are repeated continuously; the parent who reacts or punishes undertakes the calming process; if one punishes and calms the other, the child develops a sense of insecurity resulting from inconsistency. Negative resultsIt is normal for an individual to expect affection after each negative behavior, to enter into an expectation of the same kind after being an adult, to identify punishment with love, to tend to violence unless it is met, or to be withdrawn. Unfortunately; the reason why there are so many violent individuals in our society; unconscious and inconsistent approaches of parents in childhood. | <urn:uuid:f9b985af-b1f4-4a99-ad84-18e38adef7fc> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://rw.hillarykids.com/1186-your-childs-personality-is-shaped-with-you.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572212.96/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815205848-20220815235848-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.970187 | 609 | 3.265625 | 3 |
Rio de Janeiro
In the following lines, ET sheds light on the most important world events that took place on December 19.
On September 2, many important events took place.
Brazil named Rio de Janeiro and three other cities as host venues for the Copa America.
Samba schools in Rio de Janeiro decided on Thursday to delay Brazil’s most famous Carnival parade that would normally have been held in February 2021.
The bodies of the 10 victims of a fire that ravaged accommodation for youth players at Rio club Flamengo have been identified, Brazilian media reported on Saturday, saying all were between 14 and 17.
Early exit polls in Brazil boosted hopes among supporters of right-wing presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro that he could defy projections and win a first-round victory.
A preliminary report showed that 700 Egyptian artifacts were all destroyed in the fire that ripped through a 200-year-old National Museum in Rio de Janeiro late Sunday.
The Foreign Ministry said on Monday that it is coordinating with the Egyptian Embassy in Brazil to check the status of Egyptian artifacts.
Kurdish refugee turned Cambridge University math professor Caucher Birkar was among four winners Wednesday in Rio de Janeiro of the prestigious Fields prize.
Brazil and China are poised to take their trade in agricultural goods and other products "to new levels" amid an escalation of global trade wars.
First, Anitta conquered Brazil. Now, the singer best known abroad for her smoldering, booty-shaking video "Vai Malandra.
Temer on Saturday arrived in Rio de Janeiro to begin implementing his decree giving the military full control over security in crime-plagued Rio de Janeiro.
Rio de Janeiro's colorful samba parades begin Sunday, a chance for a city struggling with violence and poverty to stage the "greatest show on earth."
Imagine putting on the biggest show in town, pulling in thousands of people, but still wondering if you'll be able to fund basic things like loudspeakers.
Rio de Janeiro’s opulent Municipal Theatre has gone quiet this year as months of unpaid wages emptied its calendar of major works and pushed many ballerinas
A top Brazilian prosecutor says general elections in 2018 will be the climax of the country's biggest ever corruption probe, known as Operation Car Wash.
An American diplomat stationed at the U.S. Consulate in Rio de Janeiro was shot in the foot night during an attempted robbery about 90 miles outside the city.
Police shot and killed a Spanish tourist in a Rio de Janeiro slum on Monday after the car she was riding in failed to stop at a police road block, authorities said.
Rio de Janeiro police launched raids Tuesday against "an international corruption scheme" accused of bribing the IOC to vote for the city's bid to host last year's Olympic Games.
Bossa nova may have largely disappeared from Rio de Janeiro, but its musical cousin jazz is having a moment. | <urn:uuid:df6e1206-636e-4c70-95c1-541e3d8fd7f2> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.egypttoday.com/Tag/8465/Rio-de-Janeiro | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572043.2/warc/CC-MAIN-20220814143522-20220814173522-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.959215 | 606 | 2.078125 | 2 |
Encryption plays a key role in keeping information safe by ensuring that it can't be obtained through theft or eavesdropping. As part of its overall program to ensure appropriate measures to protect PII and other sensitive data in a robust and least-intrusive manner, Arizona State University provides requirements for encrypting data in transit and storage.
ASU’s data and applications are stored and deployed in increasingly complex IT environments. Based on the data classification type (Public, Internal, Sensitive, Highly Sensitive), Arizona State University implements encryption with various data storage strategies.
ASU provided recommendations and step-by-step instructions to achieve a given goal or mandate.
The most effective and efficient proven techniques, procedures and methods to protect the ASU network and the university community on your remote devices.
Routine things we do every day put us at risk of identity theft. Students are often especially vulnerable because their personal information is more available and they may not be as aware of the need to protect it.
ASU continues to drive forward into the globalization of IT and respective support. The following documents are tools that are available to units that wish to establish international remote workers, while carefully assessing the associated risks.
To prevent hacking of devices connected over the internet, known as Internet of Things(IoTs), ASU provides various security measures.
Arizona State University advocated tactics, techniques and procedures to protect against attacks over the internet on your devices.
ASU leverages the Splunk enterprise logging management tool for collecting system logs across the organization. System logging is ingested into Splunk from each endpoint that is running the Splunk Universal Forwarder.
Physical Security is essential to protect the organization’s assets and facilities. Arizona State University recommends various measures to prevent potential physical security threats.
A library of policies to elevate development standards, protect information, and secure data infrastructure.
Arizona State University cyber security tips on Do’s and Don’ts.
Telecommuting, mobile and travel security guidance ensure protection of ASU’s information assets and technology infrastructure. | <urn:uuid:d7248fc8-3b40-4ab6-a81c-4ed7f17276b9> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://getprotected.asu.edu/policy-and-practices | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572212.96/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815205848-20220815235848-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.911067 | 423 | 2.03125 | 2 |
December 18, 2015 This Week in Horror Movie History – London After Midnight (1927)
This week in Horror movie history, MGM Studios released the American silent mystery film London After Midnight on Saturday December 17, 1927. Directed by legendary Tod Browning, London After Midnight preceded some of his biggest films such as 1931’s Dracula and 1932’s Freaks. Basing the movie on his short story The Hypnotist, it was Browning’s first attempt at a Vampire film. Although the last known copy of London After Dark perished in 1967 during a vault fire at MGM, Turner Classic Movies reconstructed the film in 2002 using the original script and film stills assuring the films history was restored for generations to follow.
The Man of a Thousand Faces, Lon Chaney (The Hunchback of Notre Dame 1923, The Phantom of the Opera 1925) not only starred as Professor Edward C. Burke of Scotland Yard, but also as the film’s iconic Vampire; he also provided uncredited makeup for the cast. Some of the effects he used for the role included sharpened teeth and a haunting eye effect which required monocle-like wire fittings. Fishhooks in his cheeks created the character’s eerie grin. He exaggerated the Vampire-like qualities of the nemesis to differentiate it from the film’s investigator, which he also portrayed. Modern filmmakers of The Babadook (2014) found inspiration and incorporated Chaney’s dark-hatted character in their own monster. The film included Chaney’s famous makeup case as an on-screen prop.
Chaney’s presence added a melancholy menace to the movie in which the cast visited the abandoned home of a wealthy man, Roger Balfour (Claude King: Bella Donna 1923, Mystery of the Wax Museum 1933), who supposedly committed suicide five years earlier. However, ghoulish figures skulked the shadowy courtyards. Marceline Day (The Beloved Rogue 1927, The Cameraman 1928) portrayed female lead Lucille Balfour, who imagined her deceased father called to her from the garden. Sir James Hamlin (Henry B. Walthall: Wings 1927, A Tale of Two Cities 1935) and Conrad Nagel’s Arthur Hibbs (Forever Yours 1945, All That Heaven Allows 1955) assisted the lovely Miss Balfour by aiding the investigation into the mysterious matters. Other castmates include Percy Williams (Children of Divorce 1927, Infatuation 1930), the Balfour’s butler, and Polly Moran (Adam’s Rib 1949, The Yellow Cab Man 1950), the comedic, frightened new maid. Edna Tichenor (The Silent Accuser 1924, One Night in Rome 1924) portrayed Luna the Bat Girl, with Andy MacLennan (The Blackbird 1926, The Show 1927) as her assistant.
In the movie, sinister-looking strangers moved into the abandoned Balfour estate. Neighbor Sir James Hamlin, executor of Roger Balfour’s estate, insisted his friend did not commit suicide and required Inspector Burke’s expertise. Also present were Sir James’ nephew; Arthur Hibbs, his grown daughter; Lucille, and Williams; the butler. They discovered Roger Balfour’s body missing from its tomb. The new maid neared hysterics when describing encounters with a stranger in a beaver hat. Arthur feared Vampires had taken over the place. Hypnotism, requests for trust, gunshots, and an abduction spurred the action until they solved the mystery.
Reportedly, when the film premiered at the Miller Theater in Missouri, set musicians Jack and Sam Feinburg heightened the suspense and added luster to the supernatural aspects of the movie by performing works by Grieg, Rappe, Wagner, and Ase. Despite an estimated production budget of $152,000, the film grossed approximately $721,000 at the domestic box office, marking a successful collaboration between Chaney and Browning. Contemporary critics at the New York Times criticized the “somewhat incoherent storyline,” and Harrison’s Reports felt it nonsensical. However, Film Daily called it “a story certain to disturb the nervous system of the more sensitive patrons.” The Warren Tribune noted Chaney’s presence in most every scene “in a dual role that tests his skill to no small degree.” One ill-intentioned soul cited Chaney’s portrayal in this film as an unsuccessful defense for an attack. Despite the mixed feelings of the film, it is unquestionably a classic and left a lasting impression on popular culture. In fact, Californian songwriter and musician Sean Brennan began a Gothic Rock band named London After Midnight. So kick back and dig into history to learn a bit about the culture of a Fright film. | <urn:uuid:1bb8af6d-03ce-4865-8845-3b62e3d0604f> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://crypticrock.com/this-week-in-horror-movie-history-london-after-midnight-1927/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572212.96/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815205848-20220815235848-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.934196 | 1,004 | 2.109375 | 2 |
OR WAIT null SECS
Don't question your data security after a breach. Here are six strategies to keep protected health information safe.
Technology has changed the face of patient care. But it has also opened a Pandora's Box of lurid and potentially expensive data breaches. Don't be lulled into a false sense of security because you may think your practice is too small to be a target for hackers. The lessons for large health systems are as relevant as those for small, independent practices. Data security can't be left to chance.
Ike Devji an Arizona-based asset protection and risk-management attorney works with physicians to help them develop policies to protect their practice data and minimize liability risk. He says most doctors suffer from what he calls "risk myopia," meaning that they are focused too intently on mitigating malpractice risk. But what about identity theft or HIPAA violations or securing patient financial data? "If [data breaches] could happen to the most sophisticated companies in the world, who have entire dedicated teams of IT security professionals, believe me, it can happen to your medical practice," cautions Devji.
So what should you do? There are many ways that your practice can protect itself against data breaches, even if your technology budget is slim. Here's how our experts say you should start.
TAKE DATA SECURITY SERIOUSLY
Even before you invest in software and support services to protect your patient data, you need to be clear about how your practice will approach data security. Too often, practice policies are absent or left up to individuals to haphazardly carry out. According to Devji, that is asking for trouble.
Devji's experience has taught him that practices often don't take cybersecurity seriously enough. He says that crimes happen most often when there is opportunity - it is easier for hackers to target a small practice and steal patient credit card numbers, than it is to, say, break into American Express.
Another concern for practices is making sure they are compliant with HIPAA regulations. In 2013, HHS released the HIPAA Omnibus Rule that strengthened the original provisions in HIPAA, bringing the total number of regulations up to 49, says Marion Jenkins, chief strategy officer at 3t Systems, a healthcare consulting company. He says the regulatory landscape is complex, and even a small practice could be looking at hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines for an unintentional HIPAA violation.
Devji says his firm makes sure that clients have an appropriate data security plan in place that includes HIPAA protections, limits staff access to protected health information (PHI), and also identifies the individual(s) who will be responsible for implementing and monitoring the plan. Here are five other key provisions that should be part of any data security plan.
FIND QUALIFIED IT SUPPORT
Because smaller practices don't generally have an IT support budget, they tend to gravitate to free tools and solutions, which can be problematic, says Boatner Blankenstein, senior director of solutions engineering for Bomgar, an enterprise technology solutions company. "Without having IT resources, there's just a lot of opportunity for misuse of technology. Scams and things - people calling and saying they're here to help you and they are really not," he says.
Jenkins says that the strongest leg of your risk-prevention strategy should be finding professional IT support that you can trust. "I have a three-question quiz that [practices] can give to an IT provider … The quiz has to be given orally, because the first question is 'How do you spell HIPAA?' The second question is 'What does it stand for?' and the third question is 'What is the difference between HIPAA security and HIPAA privacy?' If they can't answer those three questions, then you probably have a HIPAA problem waiting to happen," he says.
PROVIDE STAFF TRAINING AND EDUCATION
Your staff members are not able to learn your data security policies through osmosis. So, you must make data security a priority and teach them how to approach it. Devji says many times HIPAA violations occur through simple mistakes, like failing to lock computers and mobile devices with passwords, and copying sensitive data to an unencrypted USB drive.
Your staff training should cover at a minimum:
• The use of practice computers for personal e-mails and Internet surfing;
• Transporting data offsite using mobile devices;
• Protocols for departing staff members, e.g. changing passwords and network access;
• Educating staff on HIPAA requirements;
• The use of mobile devices at home and work; and
• Encrypting all patient data, regardless of the device.
INSTALL AND UPDATE ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
In the course of a normal business day, practices are communicating electronically with multiple websites and healthcare networks, like CMS, third-party payers, and the CDC, for example. It is vital to have adequate virus and malware protection programs installed on all desk-top computers and mobile devices, especially if they are used to access the practice's EHR system.
"[Anti-malware, anti-virus protection, anti-spam] are absolutely required by HIPAA. One of the 49 requirements is you have to protect your systems from malicious software," says Jenkins.
But don't stop there. Your software must be updated on a continuous basis. How many times have you skipped over software updates for your computer because you are too busy to stop what you are doing? Unfortunately, when you do that, you are missing out on critical security patches. Devji says "many of those updates are security specific and are continually patching vulnerabilities that are found in those programs." Skipping updates just makes it that much easier for hackers to access your computer system.
ADOPT DATA ENCRYPTION
Protecting your patient data doesn't always require a sophisticated security solution. The safest thing a practice can do is guard against the loss or theft of mobile devices and make sure that all data is encrypted - both at rest and in motion. The Verizon 2014 Data Breach Investigations Report found that together, insider misuse, miscellaneous errors, and physical theft and loss accounted for 73 percent of security breaches in the healthcare industry.
The report recommends:
• Encrypting mobile devices, like laptops and USB drives;
• Backing up sensitive data; and
• Securing mobile devices with locks to immovable fixtures, like cabinets, when not in use.
CONDUCT SECURITY AUDITS
Many practices are not aware that conducting an internal risk assessment is required by HIPAA, says Jenkins. He says he has conducted over 100 HIPAA security assessments, and the number of practices that have passed is "less than 5 percent." He says that while there are templates available through the HHS Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology's website, practices should consider soliciting professional help, as "some of [the assessment] is pretty technical."
Some key action points here are:
• Engage an IT security expert or EHR vendor to audit your networks, equipment, and processes.
• Make sure that software upgrades are current on all equipment and devices.
• Review your anti-virus software to make sure it provides adequate protection.
Medical practice data security can't be left to chance; the stakes are just too high. Fortunately, after securing professional advice, there are simple things you can do to secure your information.
Take these steps to ward off loss of data and equipment:
• Create a practice data security plan
• Provide staff training on data security
• Install anti-virus and anti-malpractice software
• Adopt data encryption
• Conduct security audits
OUTRAGEOUS HIPAA VIOLATIONS
From dumping patient records in a physician's driveway to posting information about a patient's sexually transmitted disease on Facebook, real life is far more unbelievable than fiction. Find out how these average medical practices ran afoul of HIPAA, visit bit.ly/outrageous-HIPAA.
Erica Sprey is associate editor for Physicians Practice. She can be reached at email@example.com.
This article originally appeared in the March 2015 issue of Physicians Practice. | <urn:uuid:46b86368-f495-4651-b220-e927205d06cd> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.physicianspractice.com/view/protect-your-practice-data-against-breach | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571911.5/warc/CC-MAIN-20220813081639-20220813111639-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.946789 | 1,698 | 1.804688 | 2 |
Harvey Nininger was eating a hamburger at a lunch counter in Sterling, Colorado, where he had placed a small stony meteorite beside his drink glass. A cattle truck driver sat at the counter beside Nininger and noticed the stone. After examining it he noted, "You know, my brother-in-law over in Nebraska may have one of these things in his yard. It's a big thing. He bumped into it when he was plowing several years ago in the field where there were no other rocks. He brought it up to the house and it's been lying in the yard ever since." First suspicious, Nininger gave one of his now-famous booklets to the driver to help him recognize meteorites, and he later received many fragments of the Potter meteorite fall from the finder.
More about the find and it's circumstances : After being struck by a plow a large number of meteorite fragments were recovered. Lying close together on a hillside, it is not possible to separate possible fragmentation upon impact from the influence of terrestrial weathering. Inspections reveal indistinct chondrules within a largely equilibrated, but brecciated grayish matrix. Prominent veins, especially, appear to be products of both preterrestrial shocks and subsequent terrestrial weathering. Compositionally, equilibrated olivine (Fa23) and low Ca-orthopyroxene ('hypersthene') are characteristic of the L-chondrite geochemical group. Mineralogically, the meteorite consists primarily of dominant olivine accompanied by pyroxene along with minor troilite and Fe-Ni metal. Much of the kamacite has been altered or removed by weathering. Accessory chromite and ilmenite have also been reported.
The main mass is at the at Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago. Another large mass is also found at ASU's Center for Meteorite Studies in Tempe (45.179 kg in 2017). The Bushnell (H4, 1939 find) and Dix (L6, 1927 find) were also found in nearby counties largely in response to the recovery efforts of Harvey H. Nininger during those years.
Glen Huss later purchased the remainder of the meteorite shortly after the Owasca and Oliver meteorites appeared.
The material being offered here was part of the Robert S. Dietz collection (a respected scientist, Google him for more information) and was deaccessioned from a major university collection.
Refer to the photos. The black centimeter cube is shown for scale and is not included. You are purchasing a small fragment like the one shown. Your purchase will include a labeled gemjar for safe storage. | <urn:uuid:c5da6097-7a1b-48ab-84ec-626cacb48705> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://galactic-stone.com/potter-rare-nebraska-l6-ex-dietz-coll-micromount/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572212.96/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815205848-20220815235848-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.968438 | 557 | 2.734375 | 3 |
The majority of hereditary uterine cancer is due to Lynch syndrome, which is caused by a mutation in one of five genes: MLH1, MSH2, MSH6, PMS2 and EPCAM. A person who has a mutation in one of these genes has increased lifetime risks for colon, uterine, ovarian, stomach, skin and other cancers.
Does uterine cancer run in families?
About 5 percent of uterine cancers are linked to hereditary factors. If several members of your family have had endometrial cancer or Lynch syndrome (also known as hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer) you may be a candidate for genetic testing.
What is the main cause of uterine cancer?
Uterine cancer usually happens after menopause. It is more common in women who have obesity. You also have a higher risk if you took estrogen-only hormone replacement therapy (menopausal hormone therapy) for many years. Tests to find uterine cancer include a pelvic exam, imaging tests, and a biopsy.
What cancers have a hereditary component?
Some cancers that can be hereditary are:
- Breast cancer.
- Colon cancer.
- Prostate cancer.
- Ovarian cancer.
- Uterine cancer.
- Melanoma (a type of skin cancer)
- Pancreatic cancer.
What is the rarest form of uterine cancer?
Uterine leiomyosarcoma is an extremely rare form of cancer, estimated to occur in 6 out of every 1,000,000 women in the United States each year. The average age at diagnosis is 51. Uterine leiomyosarcomas account for 1-2 percent of all malignant tumors of the uterus.
Who is most likely to get uterine cancer?
Uterine cancer most often occurs in women over 50. The average age at diagnosis is 60. Uterine cancer is not common in women younger than 45. Obesity.
Will a hysterectomy cure uterine cancer?
The most successful treatment for early cancer is total hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, in which the uterus, cervix, ovaries, and fallopian tubes are removed.
Where does uterine cancer spread first?
In general, uterine cancer can metastasize to the rectum or bladder. Other areas where it may spread include the vagina, ovaries and fallopian tubes. This form of cancer is typically slow growing and often detected before it has spread to more distant areas of the body.
What were your first signs of endometrial cancer?
The most likely symptoms are:
- Abnormal vaginal bleeding or discharge, which occurs in nine out of 10 women with endometrial cancer. …
- Vaginal discharge that may range from pink and watery to thick, brown, and foul smelling.
- Difficult or painful urination.
- An enlarged uterus, detectable during a pelvic exam.
What percentage of cancers are genetic?
Inherited genetic mutations play a major role in about 5 to 10 percent of all cancers. Researchers have associated mutations in specific genes with more than 50 hereditary cancer syndromes, which are disorders that may predispose individuals to developing certain cancers.
How many cancers are hereditary?
Only about 5% to 10% of all cancers result directly from gene defects (called mutations) inherited from a parent. This information is about those cancers.
What is Lynch syndrome?
Lynch syndrome, also known as hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC), is the most common cause of hereditary colorectal (colon) cancer. People with Lynch syndrome are more likely to get colorectal cancer and other cancers, and at a younger age (before 50), including.
What are the warning signs of uterine cancer?
Signs of Uterine Cancer
- Unusual vaginal bleeding or spotting. …
- Abnormal vaginal discharge that may be bloody or non-bloody.
- Any bleeding from the vagina after menopause.
- A mass or tumor in your lower abdomen (belly) that you can feel.
- Pain in your pelvic area or lower abdomen (belly)
- Losing weight without trying.
How fast does uterine cancer grow?
If left untreated, endometrial cancer can spread to the bladder or rectum, or it can spread to the vagina, fallopian tubes, ovaries, and more distant organs. Fortunately, endometrial cancer grows slowly and, with regular checkups, is usually found before spreading very far.
Can endometrial cancer come back after hysterectomy?
Endometrial cancer is most likely to recur in the first three years after the initial treatment, though late recurrence is also possible. If you would like to speak with a physician at Moffitt Cancer Center about endometrial cancer or undergoing a hysterectomy, we invite you to request an appointment. | <urn:uuid:96ea6e4a-faae-40b3-adb3-760e2d353b8c> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://proceedings-szh.com/tumor/is-there-a-genetic-component-to-uterine-cancer.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572212.96/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815205848-20220815235848-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.933927 | 1,044 | 2.890625 | 3 |
- Press Release
- August 12, 2022
NASA Announces Two Media Briefings on Latest Solar Mission
NASA and ESA (European Space Agency) scientists will discuss Solar Orbiter, the agencies’ collaboration set to launch next month on its journey to the Sun, during two media teleconferences on Monday, Jan. 27.
A Spanish-language briefing will begin at 11 a.m. EST. An English-language briefing will begin at 2 p.m.
During the briefings, mission experts will discuss Solar Obiter’s uniquely tilted orbit, how the mission will capture the first images of the Sun’s north and south poles, and its ability to tackle major solar mysteries with its suite of 10 different instruments.
Audio of both briefings will stream live on the agency’s website.
Participants in the Spanish-language briefing are:
· Teresa Nieves-Chinchilla, NASA deputy project scientist for Solar Orbiter at the agency’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland
· Yaireska Collado-Vega, space weather forecasting team lead, Community Coordinated Modeling Center at Goddard
· Luís Sanchez, head of development of science operations for Solar Orbiter at ESA’s European Space Astronomy Centre in Madrid, Spain
Participants in the English-language briefing are:
· Nicola Fox, director of the Heliophysics Division in the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington
· Chris St. Cyr, former NASA project scientist for the mission at Goddard
· Yannis Zouganelis, ESA deputy project scientist for Solar Orbiter at the European Space Astronomy Centre in Madrid
To participate in either teleconference, media must provide their name and affiliation to Miles Hatfield at email@example.com by 10 a.m. Monday, Jan. 27. Please specify which conference you plan to join.
For more information on the Solar Orbiter mission, visit: | <urn:uuid:771bfc95-13d1-454c-9b57-ee57708f102e> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://spaceref.com/press-release/nasa-announces-two-media-briefings-on-latest-solar-mission/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572043.2/warc/CC-MAIN-20220814143522-20220814173522-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.815584 | 407 | 2.1875 | 2 |
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Regarding my statement that the criticism of Christian Science...
Regarding my statement that the criticism of Christian Science is due to an endorsement of material sense as opposed to spiritual understanding, you say, "We measured them with all the 'sense' at our command." Allow me to ask what sort of sense you employ when you accept the teaching, "God is a Spirit." Material sense denies the Master's teaching. It declares, "I do not see any spirit, I do not believe there is any spirit." Setting aside material testimony, however, the Christian endorses the Master's teaching, and it is only necessary to be consistent with this teaching to endorse the whole of Christian Science.
As to the authenticity of the carnal mind or mortal mind, please note the following from St. Paul: "The carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be." God, good, the infinite Spirit, the divine Mind, is Truth opposed to error. The carnal mind, being at enmity with Truth, is properly denominated error or false sense, and this manifestly is the identical thing that Jesus had in mind when he said of the devil that he "abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him." He evidently meant that Satan has no real existence, does not really abide, because he has no reality (no truth) in him.
THE FUNCTION OF THE MIRACLE
M. G. KAINS, M.S.
EDMUND K. GOLDSBOROUGH, Jr.
"DRAW NEARER TO GOD"
FLORENCE HOWELL JOHNSON.
IGNORING VERSUS DENYING
ROBERT N. ROSS.
It is quite likely that there were humorists in the time of...
George Shaw Cook
It is an extraordinary fact that gentlemen who usually...
According to report the clergyman offered his tribute...
William J. Bonin
"WHICH GIVETH US THE VICTORY"
Annie M. Knott
THE CHRISTIAN GENTLE-MAN
John B. Willis
with contributions from Frank B. Homans, Troy L. Davis, Richard P. Verrall, Grant E. Mouser, Wellington D. Rankin, Guy Leroy Stevick, F. A. Turner
On my way home from a Thanksgiving service I particularly...
Cecile Lorraine with contributions from Cornelis van Rennes, A. F. van Rennes, Sr., Editor, J. E. van der Meulen
Moved by a genuine spirit of gratitude to Christian Science...
Francis E. Gazzola
Sincere gratitude impels me to express the joy I feel for...
Frau Hedwig Worreschk
Before I became interested in Christian Science I had...
Virginia A. Wolfe
May I be permitted from this most westerly port in...
C. J. Waddington
FROM OUR EXCHANGES
with contributions from Thomas Phillips, Andrew Gillies | <urn:uuid:6d5189f0-c3ef-41a1-af96-485636978618> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://sentinel.christianscience.com/issues/1912/1/14-21/regarding-my-statement-that-the-criticism-of-christian-science | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572212.96/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815205848-20220815235848-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.877044 | 788 | 1.773438 | 2 |
Stretching does not alleviate muscle soreness or prevent injury. However, it can make you a more powerful athlete as it produces a large range of motion increasing torque. Check out this link written by Dr. Mirkin, a physican is well known to be the expert on fitness. http://www.drmirkin.com/fitness/1394.html
Calories burned shoveling snow based on a 150 lb person – 408 calories/one hour. Muscles involved: Deltoids, abdominal, erectors (lower back), quads, hamstrings, gluts, lats, obliques. Many, many muscles and in my opinion also great for your heart! | <urn:uuid:3dff839b-64b3-48d1-9a9d-58ffc18e716f> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://n2shape.com/tag/muscles/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572212.96/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815205848-20220815235848-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.934866 | 144 | 1.617188 | 2 |
Near–Surface Seismic Processing/Refraction
RadExPro includes Plus–Minus and GRM methods for seismic refraction.
First–break picking is made semi–automatically for all shot points at once, in one window.
In the automatic mode of Plus–Minus method, refracting boundaries are built in one click—the only thing required is prior assignment of time–curve segments to layers. In the manual mode, an experienced geophysicist can control the whole process and make some fine–tuning at any stage: building composite travel time curves, leveling of reciprocal times, computing velocity analysis and time–depth functions, and, finally, building the refraction boundaries.
In cases that are more complicated, use of GRM instead of Plus–Minus allows simultaneous reconstruction of both geometry of refracting boundaries and lateral changes of velocities along them more accurately. | <urn:uuid:1b549e5b-eef9-4ed1-af40-843998589920> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://radexpro.com/scope/data_processing/refraction/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572212.96/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815205848-20220815235848-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.911913 | 187 | 1.914063 | 2 |
As a law student, you may already know precisely which field of law you’d like to practice. However, if you’re interested in studying law but don’t yet know which legal specialty you’d like to pursue, you’re not alone.
Is it better to practice a niche specialty or diversify your skillset? Which branch of law is the easiest to enter? Which law firm offers the best fit? There are countless young attorneys and students wrestling with the same questions.
While I cannot make these decisions for you, I’ve compiled a list of suggestions to help you plan for a successful future in the legal field.
1. Research Legal Firms in Your Preferred Destination
You may not have settled on your specialization yet, but perhaps you have a preferred place to live. If you would like to reside in a particular area, research the local law firms. You may be able to discover an untapped market for a particular law specialty.
For example, if you’re set on living in Los Angeles, California, you may discover that the area is oversaturated with personal injury and divorce lawyers. However, there may be a need for attorneys specializing in asset protection. By researching your target market, you may be able to narrow down your selections for a productive career.
2. Choosing Your Law Firm – Small or Large?
If you’re looking to gain experience across a wide range of specialties, you may consider training at a small firm. Depending on each individual client’s needs, you’ll find yourself addressing a plethora of cases spanning a considerable spectrum of practice areas.
However, if you already have some sense of the fields that are most interesting to you, you may choose to enter a larger firm. You’ll receive in-depth experience regarding that field’s nuances and be able to determine whether it’s the right fit for you.
3. Take Advantage of Trustworthy Self-Assessments
There are a number of self-assessments and quizzes that you can use to narrow down your search for a specialty. The American Bar Association has put together an impressive list of self-assessments for law students at each stage of the process. You’ll get a glimpse of what each field entails, and there are more detailed quizzes for each particular area of interest. Yale Law also offers high-quality self-assessments that can supplement those provided by the American Bar Association.
However, it’s important to select the specialization that you are drawn to. While quizzes and self-assessments serve to gauge your interest or knowledge of fields of legal practice, it’s perfectly acceptable to disagree with their results. You should never feel pressured to pursue a specific subject.
4. Consider Your Career Trajectory
Imagine where you see yourself in ten years. Will your chosen field still be engaging and exciting to you that far in the future? Although it’s certainly possible to change your practice area, doing so may be stressful, expensive, and time-consuming. By choosing a field that aligns with your ethical beliefs, life goals, and unique skillset, you’ll find yourself positioned for success.
5. Consult With Attorneys & Advisors
Your professors and the attorneys at the local law firms have been in your situation before. Take advantage of their experience and insights into the profession. By sitting down with your advisors and discussing the pros and cons of specific specialties, you’ll be able to make an educated decision as to which field you’d enjoy most.
Additionally, many established attorneys offer free consultations to new clients. Reach out to your local law firms to see if one of their lawyers would be willing to conduct a short interview with you. You can find local attorneys through a quick Google search or a professional networking platform, such as LinkedIn.
Make sure to prepare a list of questions about your interview. You may want to ask why they chose their practice area, what kind of cases they regularly handle, and what they’ve found challenging about their role.
Take Your Time & Enjoy the Process
There’s no right or wrong way to approach your career path. I encourage you to pursue your interests, take advantage of advanced self-assessments, and consult with the advisors and attorneys around you. By seeking out insights from those already involved in the field and following your passion, you’re more likely to settle in an area of law that you’ll enjoy for many years to come. | <urn:uuid:107f1304-5ea1-4058-9d5c-ebba1825075d> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://abaforlawstudents.com/2021/12/17/how-to-select-your-legal-specialty/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572043.2/warc/CC-MAIN-20220814143522-20220814173522-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.950484 | 944 | 1.546875 | 2 |
Virtual Reality Activity Station
Location: LRC-4th floor, Library Information Commons (LINC)
- Oculus Rift S VR system with Headset and Touch Controllers
- VR Computer
- Steam Content Library
Go to the One-Stop Library Service Desk and check out the two touch controllers. Then, go to the VR Activity Station, select a program, put on the Oculus Rift S headset, grab the Touch controllers, and immerse yourself in a VR experience. No appointment necessary. Check availability of controllers.
Try Google Earth VR and travel through the entire world by flight and 360 pictures. (Great for missions and international students.)
Notes: You can pick up a one-time use opens new windowVR headset eye mask cover from the One-Stop Library Desk. For Steam update login help, inquire at the One-Stop Desk. Users must be logged into Facebook to play. | <urn:uuid:69d8fe1a-d137-4ee5-b6e4-d2b0a67a6490> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://oru.libguides.com/avr/vr-activity-station | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573699.52/warc/CC-MAIN-20220819131019-20220819161019-00265.warc.gz | en | 0.823182 | 188 | 1.78125 | 2 |
The first UK anti-fracking protesters found in contempt of court for breaching an injunction should not have been brought before the courts, lawyers argued today.
Three campaigners are challenging the ruling that they breached the injunction in force at Cuadrilla’s Preston New Road site. They are also appealing against the suspended prison sentences they received.
At a hearing at the Court of Appeal in London today, Kirsty Brimelow QC for the three said the injunction order granted to Cuadrilla was unclear and uncertain. She said:
“There should not have been a committal on an unclear order.
“It should not have been used to commit protesters for contempt of court.”
The case dates back to July 2018 when Katrina Lawrie, Christopher Wilson and Lee Walsh locked their arms inside tubes in a protest in the Preston New Road site entrance.
Almost a year later, in the first case of its kind in the UK, Mr Justice Pelling QC ruled that they had breached the injunction granted to the fracking company.
In September 2019, he sentenced them to four weeks in prison, suspended for two years. Ms Lawrie was sentenced to a further two months, suspended for two years, to run consecutively, for two other protests outside the site.
All three campaigners had been acquitted at the magistrates’ court of the criminal offence of obstructing the highway in the lock-on protest.
Ms Brimelow said the Cuadrilla injunction was having a chilling effect on protest.
“These are people who are not used to the court environment. It is stressful and it is difficult. The court should not underestimate the impact it has on ordinary citizens.”
She said the civil law of injunctions should focus on private trespass.
“It is simply too uncertain to try to tackle potential obstruction of the highway. That should be the place of the criminal law.
“These are complex issues that should not find themselves within a civil order and they should not be applicable in an order that has that amount of ambiguity to it.”
“Manifestly excessive sentence”
Ms Brimelow described Judge Pelling’s sentences as “manifestly excessive”. She said no penalty or sanction should have been applied in this case.
Judge Pelling had failed to pay “proper attention” to the sanctions that would be used in the criminal courts, she said.
There the maximum penalty for obstructing the highway is a £1,000 fine. People who are convicted in protest cases are often given conditional discharges.
Ms Brimelow also contested Judge Pelling’s view that he did not need to consider the issue of proportionality when making the sentence. He said this had been considered during the granting of the order.
Changes to the order
The court also heard that the injunction order used to convict the three for contempt of court included an “intention to damage” Cuadrilla. This was undesirable, Ms Brimelow argued.
Since the committal, the word “intention” was removed from the order and replaced with “having the effect of damaging” Cuadrilla, Ms Brimelow said.
The change followed the successful challenge in the Court of Appeal earlier this year by campaigners against sections of a similar injunction granted to Ineos. Judges in that appeal had ruled that two sections of the Ineos injunction were unlawful and ordered the company to return to the High Court to examine whether two other aspects were lawful.
Cuadrilla opposed today’s appeal and defended its injunction order.
Tom Roscoe QC for the company gave evidence of protests which, he said, justified the injunction.
Lord Justice Underhill asked whether an uncertain order may deter people from doing things they were legally entitled to do so.
Mr Roscoe said drafting attempted to avoid uncertainty. Orders that were too wide were unworkable, he said.
But he added than an uncertain order was no reason not to commit people for breaching an injunction.
He said the words “intention to damage” in the Cuadrilla order could have been left out of the order because it included examples of obstruction and inconvenience to Cuadrilla.
The hearing is listed for two days and is expected to continue tomorrow (11 December 2019). The proceedings have been live streamed. | <urn:uuid:a41df992-4045-468b-9884-fe4e673b6213> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://drillordrop.com/2019/12/10/campaigners-challenge-contempt-of-court-ruling-over-injunction-at-cuadrillas-fracking-site/?replytocom=151042 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571911.5/warc/CC-MAIN-20220813081639-20220813111639-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.975535 | 918 | 1.726563 | 2 |
A clinical инженерный центр tool is everything intended to be made use of for medical purposes due to the patient. Clinical gadgets enhance the lifestyle of clients through assisting health care professionals in detecting and also dealing with patients as well as helping people in getting over ailment or condition.
The main kinds of medical gadgets are actually diagnostic resources used in medical facilities and also other health care facilities. They may include a stethoscope, high blood pressure screens, and also image resolution makers made use of in the imaging of different parts of the physical body. Analysis units may likewise be clinical devices that assists the patient in sustaining a good condition.
These gadgets may differ depending on to the kind of therapy they are actually meant for. Some of these tools are actually tailored to offer quick comfort to the individuals while others can easily extend the lifestyle of the patient.
Health care tools may also feature operative tools. Surgical instruments are actually typically made use of to aid in conducting different kinds of methods such as getting rid of lumps, repairing ruined body organs, and also extracting unwanted body components.
Among one of the most vital forms of surgical gadgets is actually the robot body which assists in conducting surgical procedures and other techniques in an even more reliable method. Robots are actually currently offered in the marketplace which may be made use of combined with the tools to do different treatments.
Yet another type of clinical tool is the robotic arm, which permits doctors to manipulate the physical body as well as give better medical support to individuals. Lots of clients favor to possess a robot upper arm in spot of a specialist in order to assist them in specific health care treatments.
There are numerous types of clinical devices that help to lessen pain and stress. One of the most popular ones are rubbing devices, physical body massagers, and electrical muscle mass stimulation bodies which are all used to help to ease the client’s ache and stress amounts. These tools assist in decreasing fatigue as well as worry and also boost the wheelchair.
The kinds of clinical gadgets are actually on call in different assortments, which are created to comply with the necessities of distinct clinical health conditions. Various kinds of medical devices are also accessible which assist to deliver better safety to the individual. As an example, those units that are actually specifically designed for patients suffering from cardiac or even mind injuries or those that are actually aimed to stop blood clotting might likewise assist in the recuperation method of people experiencing brain or even heart disease.
Surgical devices are likewise commonly used through people in order to minimize pain, distress, or even swelling and also for different sorts of reasons. A number of these units include rubber bands, rubber and also plastic bands, and also rubber band splints. These units are actually commonly used through people that require to use their palms while dealing with various sorts of commercial tools and machinery.
Other types of health care gadgets are additionally available to help individuals with hearing reduction. These devices are normally made use of to provide the hearing impaired people with much better hearing capabilities as well as to listen to usually.
Some various other medical devices include eye decreases that are actually implied to aid patients with completely dry eyes. A wide array of clinical units are additionally accessible that may help individuals relieve discomfort, pain, as well as inflammation induced through arthritis.
Various other forms of health care units are actually also beneficial to individuals experiencing different allergic reactions and health conditions which can be handled with breathing or treatment. The absolute most prominent among these is actually antihistamines as well as nasal sprays. There are actually also numerous tools that are made to help folks suffering from cancer and other health problems, such as radiation treatment drugs.
A medical unit is actually a machine created to become made use of in the clinical area. Health care units advantage individuals via assisting doctor diagnose and address clients successfully, through strengthening the lifestyle of people and making therapy much more reliable.
Typically, gadgets are actually gadgets that could be used to deal with various health care ailments. One instance of a gadget utilized in the clinical field is the defibrillator. These gadgets are actually usually utilized in medical centers and also other health care locations to aid offer efficient and also quick therapy for cardiac clients.
Another instance of clinical gadgets is actually the high blood pressure display. This type of device aids health care employees track and also gauge an individual’s high blood pressure. These gadgets are actually utilized widely in medical facilities and also various other medical resources.
As stated over, clinical tools been available in several kinds and also dimensions. These gadgets are additionally accessible in various price varieties. Most individuals choose reasonable tools, especially if they have actually restricted budgets. Nonetheless, some people decide on premium units to guarantee they get the best end results achievable.
Health care tools come in 2 different groups: non-disposable as well as non-reusable. Throw away units are made use of once and also may be thrown away after make use of, while non-disposable tools are utilized over again till they wear out.
Because non-reusable medical devices are used frequently, they need to have to become able to resist the continuous abuse as well as usage. An excellent non-reusable medical gadget has to be actually made from resilient product including stainless steel or even polypropylene.
Health care gadgets additionally differ in functionality. Some clinical gadgets are actually used mostly for identifying a client’s problem and also to give aid during the course of surgical treatment, while others are actually made to identify and also alleviate even more sophisticated ailments including cancer cells. | <urn:uuid:1427caa7-269d-43b6-9081-2b68f804c9d9> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | http://www.study-arabic.com/2020/09/29/knowing-medical-devices-is-actually-simple-in-all-you-only-required-an-excellent-instructor/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572043.2/warc/CC-MAIN-20220814143522-20220814173522-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.964904 | 1,136 | 2.953125 | 3 |
SPAN 300: Cervantes' Don Quixote
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Cervantes' Don Quixote
SPAN 300 - Lecture 5 - Don Quixote, Part I: Chapters XI-XX (cont.)
Chapter 1. Prose, Heroism and Irony [00:00:00]
Professor Roberto González Echevarría: Now, let us begin today with just some general issues that I think are very pertinent to the reading of the Quixote. How significant is it that the Quixote is written in prose, not in verse? The prose, it is because it is the prose of the world, of everyday life. Every day life is prosaic, and this is the life that is being depicted in the Quixote. It is devoid of the order and the rhythm of poetry. Hence the novel, from now on, will be written in prose, with exceptions. Remember my allusion in the last lecture to the Divine Comedy and the order of the Divine Comedy, and that central line in the very middle of the whole comedy alluding to Dante and the highly structured nature of that poem down to the tercets and to every line, with its rhyme, with its meter. The same, of course, is true of the Aeneid, with its exquisite form and shape. In the Quixote what is represented is, I repeat, the prosaic. The prosaic is that which is common and ordinary and not apt to be expressed in verse, although there are, as you have seen, in some episodes, bits of verse. Now, another general issue after the Marcela episode — remember, when Don Quixote interferes and doesn’t allow anyone to chase her into the woods — we have to ponder if Don Quixote is a hero. If he is, how does he differ from Ulysses, from Aeneis, from the Cid, from Roland and other heroes of the preceding western literary tradition? Is he mostly a moral hero? This is something that we should ponder as we continue to read the novel.
And the last general issue that I’d like to bring up is, again, the issue of irony. José Ortega y Gasset, who was a very important Spanish philosopher of the twentieth century, the most important Spanish philosopher of the twentieth century — He’s known in the English speaking world mostly for a book called The Rebellion of the Masses, and also for… he has a very important book on the Quixote, Meditations on the Quixote, and yet another that is even better, known than that called The Dehumanization of Art, which is about the avant-garde, the art of the avant-garde — He said:
Irony can become sarcastic but not in Cervantes. Cervantes’s irony, as you have already noticed, I’m sure, is mild and humorous rather than cutting or sarcastic. The dialogue on which the book depends so much is essentially ironic, because we can see the errors of both protagonists as they speak with each other, errors that they point out to each other. In the case of Don Quixote, as you will notice, once and again he points out the errors that Sancho makes in speaking, but Sancho will also catch Don Quixote in a few mistakes himself.
Chapter 2. Juan Palomeque’s Inn and Its Characters [00:05:26]
Now, we move to one of my favorite parts in the book which are the scenes in Juan Palomeque’s inn. You have to remember the names of these characters. His name is Juan Palomeque. I’m sure you did not quite retain this name. He is the innkeeper, the most important innkeeper in the first part of the Quixote. Among the most famous and important episodes in Don Quixote are those at his inn. I have already spoken about the importance of inns in the plot of the Quixote when commenting upon the first inn, in which Don Quixote was knighted, if you remember. Karl Ludvig Seilig, retired now, Professor at Columbia University, wrote, “Formally, structurally, thematically the inn is an important focal point, a place of configurations and conflations.”
Inns in the Quixote or in Cervantes are derived from the picaresque tradition where they figure very prominently, in books like Lazarillo de Tormes and Guzmán de Alfarache, that I have mentioned here several times. In those books, the inns play a similar role. In fact, as we remarked, the first innkeeper was a retired pícaro and he tells with relish his life of picaresque adventures, where he visited or stayed at the most notorious picaresque emporia throughout Spain. I also spoke of how inns provide a kind of archaeology of society, using that metaphor, because characters from different social classes and professions meet in them. The one run by Juan Palomeque is, by far, the most important building in Part I of the Quixote, even more important than Don Quixote’s house. In part two, there will be other buildings, as you will discover. I, again, emphasize that it’s good to remember the names of these secondary characters, like Juan Palomeque, who play significant roles in the novel. They sometimes, as I have all ready mentioned, have interesting names, in some cases the names are interesting because they’re so common, as Pedro Alonso — remember? — the neighbor who picks him up, or Pero Pérez, the priest, and so forth. In the case of Juan Palomeque, his last name has something to do with pigeons; ‘paloma’ is a pigeon in Spanish. The ‘-eque’ ending doesn’t sound very good, like ‘-ote’ in Quixote, Palomeque, so it’s a last name that is mostly funny.
Now, if the road — as we have come here, as we have arrived at the inn coming on the road — was for the most part a sunny, bright, realm, and this will change in the episodes after the inn. The inn is in a kind of a chiaroscuro — I’m sure you’ve heard this word, but I guess I’m determined to teach a lot of very pedantic words that you can use in further life, even if you become a lawyer or something, ‘chiaroscuro’ in Italian means ‘bright dark’; it’s a combination of darkness and brightness, and it’s normally associated with Baroque art. And I will be speaking about the Baroque in later lectures because the cliché is that the first part of the Quixote is mostly Renaissance, and the second part is Baroque. This is one of those clichés, so I’ll be talking about the Baroque. But, so it is a dark place. In Juan Palomeque’s inn, people eat, fight, have erotic encounters, and live in very close proximity, very close proximity, as you have noticed, making for a great deal of friction, real and metaphoric, in this case, as the characters rub against each other in the very confined quarters of this inn.
Now, at the inns the humor is very theatrical, they are like a stage — and, in fact, in later episodes the inn will become really a stage with characters coming in and out, like actors on a stage — Theatrical in the sense of slapstick comedy; slapstick comedy, because it’s a comedy in which characters hit each other with that stick that has a slap and makes it sound like it’s a very hard blow, you hit somebody — pow! — and it sounds. It comes from the commedia dell’ arte. Commedia dell’arte was a kind of Italian theater of the fifteenth century in which there was no dialogue; the characters just slapped each other, and kicked each other, and so forth, and went around. The word in Spanish for slapstick is very funny; it’s called matapecados — I bet even the native speakers didn’t know that word — Matapecados, sin killer. It’s a stick with which you hit somebody else and — So, it’s a slapstick kind of comedy.
This comedy involves physical violence, mistaken identities and rowdy behavior. In episodes such as these, Cervantes displays his talent for comedy, which he put to good use writing his very successful entremeses or interludes — Remember, the entremés is the one-act funny play that is usually staged between acts of a larger play — Humor culminates in these episodes, when Don Quixote’s imaginings suddenly appear to mesh with what is happening in the tawdry world in which he finds himself. He takes the innkeeper for a nobleman in his castle, as he did with the first inn, and Maritornes as a damsel in love with him, when she is really an ugly prostitute on her way to meet the carrier, who happens to be lodging there, too. The point seems to be that even the rather concrete reality, tangible reality of the inn can be transformed by the characters needs, desires, and imaginings, because this inn is as far as possible from a castle and the characters as far as possible from those in the romances of chivalry.
Don Quixote’s erotic desires have been aroused by the innkeeper’s daughter. Remember, the innkeeper has a young daughter whom we imagine as a mere teenager and is described in the text as, quote: “a very comely young maiden.”
This episode is the most explicit erotic display by Don Quixote in the entire book, erotic in a sense of explicit sexuality, is the most explicit in the whole book. But more than anything the episodes at the inn are an instance of the social, being subverted by erotic desire, that of the carrier and Maritornes, as well as Don Quixote’s. The ensuing violence involves even the law, as the representative of the Holy Brotherhood intervenes, and remember, brings Don Quixote with a candleholder in the darkness of the inn.
What does this show? Well, that the sublimated eros of literary tradition has its counterpart, perhaps it’s real driving force on these unleashed erotic forces that propel the characters to violence. Cervantes is not moralizing here, and he hardly ever does. All he seems to be doing is showing the real, as it were, subconscious of literature, the counterpart, let’s say, of the romances of chivalry and the pastoral, what lurks underneath the romances of chivalry and the pastoral. This is the reason for the darkness, it represents all of these forces as opposed to the pastoral. Pastoral literature always occurs in daylight, and the eclogues — eclogues are long poems on a pastoral theme, the most famous were by Virgil — The time of an eclogue is the time span of a day, so here it is the complete opposite; the darkness revealing the real forces underneath those pastoral poems, and so forth, and the romances of chivalry.
Now, let me go over the cast of characters in Juan Palomeque’s inn. As you, I’m sure, have noticed already, Cervantes relishes in the presentation of characters drawn from the lower strata of society and tries to give a rounded view of them, meaning that, along with their coarseness, they often display kindness and human understanding. These characters, again, are drawn from the picaresque, but also drawn from the extensive juridical or judicial documents of the period. Spain generated a very extensive judicial system in the sixteenth century with hundreds and thousands of documents stored in archives about the comings and goings of characters, such as the ones we see here. But Cervantes, as I always emphasize, tries to give a rounded view of these characters drawn from the lowest classes and also from the criminal classes, rounded view showing that they can be kind, also. And they are not stereotypes, they are individuated or individualized by their moral and their physical features. The best case is Maritornes — Maritornes, the character about who I am going to speak now, whom I hope whose name I hope you will retain. I have mentioned her a couple of times, and I want you to remember her name from now on — They all have individual features, physical as well as moral.
The first character is the innkeeper Juan Palomeque, el Zurdo, the left-handed, lefty — I’ll speak about that in a minute. Remember, I told you to look for details. This is a significant detail, as you will see a little later. Look for details — his wife and the daughter, that’s the family running the inn. Number two, Maritornes. She is an Asturian wench, meaning, who in spite of her profession is kind towards Don Quixote and Sancho — Remember, that she gives him a drink at the end when he’s leaving and so forth. He’s very kind of her — Notice that she is from Asturias.
There are maps of Spain on the website and I have been urging you to use them so that you can situate yourself. We have now met the Basque or Biscainer, as Jarvis calls him, who’s from the Basque countries, remember? I spoke about the Basques; we met the Yanguesans, who were really from Galicia, northwestern Spain, and here we have someone from Asturias. The Galicians are of Celtic origin, they’re something like the Irish. They play bagpipes like the Irish [I hate bagpipes] but the Galicians are known for their bagpipes. I will speak more about the Galicians as we go on — But Maritornes is from Asturias, a northern province, a region of Spain. They are very proud, the Asturians, because the Reconquest, the war against the Moors, began in Asturias, so they take great pride in that, that it began right away, after the Moors occupied Spain. So the fact that she’s Asturian might be a joke on the part of Cervantes, they are very proud, and here we have an Asturian prostitute.
And Cervantes was obviously a proud Castilian, and he has enough Castilians who are not exactly beings, being one to be proud of, but he has a view, a particular view, of the people from various regions of Spain. So Maritornes is a wench from Asturias. She takes pride in being reliable in her professional dealings as a whore. She keeps her dates, in this case, with catastrophic results. Though Maritornes is no princess as Don Quixote imagines, she is responsible within her profession and generous. Cervantes is not a moral relativist, but he has an understanding of human frailty and the tumbles of individual fate — If you read with care, you will have learned that Maritornes is a prostitute because of a series of misfortunes have brought her down, not because she’s inherently inclined to sin — and as I have said, and I emphasized she is ethical within the expectations of her trade she delivers.
Cervantes also liked to show how morality can be a code coherent within a given context — You will see this better in Part II, when there is a gang of outlaws, and within that gang, within its rules there are sets of ethical behavior — In his own case, as you have read the essay by Durán in the Casebook, which you should have by now, you will know that the women in Cervantes’s family because of financial pressures were involved in questionable activities at certain points — and I do hope that you read that very fine and succinct essay by Durán from which I quoted a little bit in the last class emphasizing the fact that Cervantes was an insider and outsider at the same time in Spain.
Now, I’m going down the list of characters at the inn: the carrier, a muleteer, who happens to be an acquaintance, or even a relative, of Cide Hamete Benengeli, the alleged author of this story. It’s another instance of Cervantes’s self reflexivity. Here we have a character who is related to the real author. Now, it is true that Moriscos — fellows of Moorish origins — tended to be carriers like this, but Cervantes is making, again, another hilarious connection between the fictional and the real worlds of his novel. Now, going down the list of these characters — and I’m doing this as this had been a play, because, as I said, the inn is very much like a stage — there is an officer from the ancient Holy Brotherhood of Toledo, who represents the law, and he’s the one who hits Don Quixote on the head with a candleholder, and I explained in the last class what the Holy Brotherhood is, or was at the time, and it plays an important role, because it is the police force that is pursuing Don Quixote and Sancho.
Now, finally, there are Pedro Martínez and Tenorio Hernández, who are among the rowdies who participate in Sancho’s blanket tossing at the end of this episode. You remember when they go out and toss Sancho on a blanket, a practice that was mostly reserved for animals during carnival time. They would do it to poor dogs, to blanket toss them like that. A point to consider is that these are rowdies, but not inherently evil characters — again, in spite of their social station. Notice, again, the very common name Pedro Martínez, who happens not to be the current pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies, formerly with the Boston Red Socks and the New York Mets, he is the Dominican pitcher who’s now making a comeback with the Philadelphia Phillies and who happened to be named Pedro Martínez. Being named Pedro Martínez is like being called Peter Smith in English, so it’s not unlikely that this coincidence would happen, but whenever I get to this episode I mention this and wonder how many baseball fans there are in the crowd, because I am, as you probably know, a baseball fan and also a writer, I write on baseball, and so forth. In any case, this Pedro Martínez is the not the pitcher for the Phillies. He is a rowdy who participates in this blanket tossing of poor Sancho.
Chapter 3. The Phenomenology of Ugliness; The Staging of Basic Drives [00:26:23]
Now, these characters, like Don Quixote himself, tend to have physical defects or scars. The source here, if there has to be a specific source is La Celestina — Remember, the work that I have mentioned several times, in which the protagonist is an old whore and go–between, who has an ugly scar on her face. The faces of these characters are scarred by time, by temperament, by profession, by crimes, by illness, by class. In this, Cervantes is also very much like Velázquez; he finds beauty in the ugly, and this is very much a part of the modernity of Cervantes and Velázquez. He finds beauty in the ugly, the deformed, even the monstrous; and some of Velázquez’s characters and Cervantes’s characters are monsters. These characters have features that make them apt to be displayed, to be seen, to be admired, like Velázquez’s midgets. And so, I have asked Elena to provide us with some examples of Velázquez’s midgets. I am not going to remember their names. Is that clear enough, or should I lower the curtains?
As you can see, Velázquez has painted this midget with a book, so that you can see the relative size, as I mentioned in the last class. He’s very tiny, indeed, and that physical feature is that which makes him a specific individual, and it is that deformity that makes him interesting, esthetically interesting. These are others. Some of them have, as the one in Las Meninas, and will it see in a minute, a kind of an air of idiocy on their faces as if they were also retarded. Next. This one, I think, is the most famous one and do you remember the name of this one? I had the name. Yes, I think this one is El Niño de Vallecas or Sebastián de Morra.
Student: Morra. El de Vallecas viene despues.
Professor Roberto González Echevarría: Yes, these are characters in the court. They were used for entertainment and for amusement. Next. Yes, this one has, you can see, an air of idiocy in his face. Next. All right, and then we get to Las Meninas, back to Las Meninas, with that flat round face, and that gesture, and that face of sort of idiocy, I wonder if even Down’s Syndrome or something like that. Such characters can and were turned into spectacles for amusement as is done, by the way, with Don Quixote in several episodes because of their peculiar features. It is their defects that make them esthetically valuable and different, but Velázquez was a master at showing individuals features and suggesting a relationship between these and the personality of his subjects. He did this even in the portraits of kings — I think I mentioned in the last class, some of these Hapsburgs had a large jaw; because of inbreeding in these lines such features were emphasized genetically, and so he did not stop at… and he would paint the kings like that. It is the same as Cervantes’s penchant to characterize based on peculiarities of body and mind.
Don Quixote is thin and cerebral, Sancho is fat and physical. Each, however, is mental or cerebral or physical, in a particular way. But while focusing on these ugly characters, let us not forget Marcela’s perfect beauty and that of other young women and men about to appear in the novel. These follows models of beauty derived from Renaissance art, which in turn derived from classical models. Think of Botticelli’s Venus, and The Primavera, variety is the norm in the Quixote with frequent contrast between extreme ugliness and stunning beauty. You will find this in characters such as Dorotea, that are about to appear in this central part of the novel.
At the inn, the first character with a physical defect is Juan Palomeque himself, who is left-handed. Until very recently, left-handedness was considered a defect, and in school children were forced to use their right hands. My Basque maternal grandfather was left-handed, and he was forced, physically forced, to use his right hand in school; otherwise he would be beaten. And when he went home to do his homework he would do it left-handed, which is more comfortable, and as a result, he could write with both hands. But I’m trying to emphasize that because now, of course, we are very far from thinking that left-handedness is a physical defect — How many left-handers here? You are a real minority. It’s okay — But, of course, now it’s common. I have relatives who are left-handed and so forth, but the most remarkable character in terms of physical traits is Maritornes. Her name, by the way, could suggest an inversion of virginity, or the opposite of virginity, Mari, Maria, Virgin Mary, -tornes, turns around. Maritornes would be the reverse of a virgin. She’s, in fact, a whore. Let me read the descriptions of Maritornes. First, on page one-eleven of your book:
Remember, again, the midget in Las Meninas, that we just saw; the face is broad, flat, the nose deformed, her being stooped or hunchbacked suggests her being inclined, literally, to the ground, to the base, to that which is low, not to the heights. Her defective eyes had a touch of grotesqueness, but also signals limitations in perception that are at the core of what happens at the inn in the dark, when they can’t see each other very well. These are only her physical attributes. Later, when Don Quixote seizes Maritornes we get the rest of the picture on pages 114-115:
Now, we move here to a kind of phenomenology of ugliness, how does it feel, how does one perceive ugliness, of the repulsive, as Maritornes more contingent and secondary characteristics are itemized. The reader is given this chance features depending on what she wore and how she smelled on that particular night, and what her breath was like, owing to her last meal. The phrase: “the other things good wench had about her” is a polite circumlocution a periphrastic way of sparing the reader of further probably more revolting traits. That’s what that phrase stands for there.
The aesthetics of the ugly and repulsive is very much contingent on temporality, on the passing time that wears down bodies and endows them with undesirable though temporary qualities. Deformities are contingent individuating, particularizing, in contrast to perfect models that are timeless — Contingency, by the way, since I’m using the word a lot: that may or may not happen, possible, happening by chance, accidental, fortuitous, conditional, these are definitions of contingency — This is the aesthetic counterpart of the statement by Don Quixote, when he’s mauled by the windmills that he took for giants. Everything is subject to change. It is the realm mischievous enchanters that alter things, like walling up his library and turning this damsel, this beautiful princess that he thinks he’s holding, into this repulsive whore.
Don Quixote mistakes to apply the model of beauty, the Renaissance blonde model of beauty, which is blonde and beautiful young woman, to the grotesque Maritornes. His mistake reveals, however, that what he passes off as sublime love is really lust. The episode lays bare appropriately in the middle of the night, and in total darkness Don Quixote’s subconscious. We should not miss the point that as a prostitute, an embodiment of lust, Maritornes is the opposite of what one would normally consider sexually desirable. We are here at the lowest point of love, at its basest.
So the episodes at Juan Palomeque’s inn, fraught with erotic violence and culminating with Don Quixote and Sancho’s violent bowel movements and vomiting, are like a phantasmagoria in which the basic, the most basic drives behind the protagonists’ actions are staged as it were. They are reduced to their oral — these characters, these protagonists — are reduced to their oral, anal and even genital stages, if we’re going to use Freudian terminology; they are reduced to that basic level.
Don Quixote’s desire for the innkeeper’s daughter shows his physical desires, which are surely behind his transforming Aldonza Lorenzo. Aldonza Lorenzo, remember, is the young woman near Don Quixote’s village that he turns into Dulcinea, so we see what is behind that turning Aldonza into the sublime Dulcinea. Aldonza is not ugly, as we will see. She is a brawny, but attractive. Don Quixote’s lust for her is typical of an upper class older gentleman for a lower class woman, whom he considers sexier and more sexual than women of his social class. Spanish literature is full of situations in which a lustful aristocrat tries to ravage a peasant woman; all of European literature is full of this. Don Juan, of the famous Don Juan tradition is such a case, but there are others that I will mention during the course of the semester.
Don Quixote’s and Sancho’s bodily evacuations provoked by Fierabras’s balsam dramatized the violent forces behind their basic drives to live. Remember that Don Quixote claims to have the recipe or the prescription for this balsam, that he learned in the romances of chivalry that if you drink it will make you whole again, even if you have been sliced or cut in two. You drink the balsam and, boom!, you’re made whole again, you’re cured. And he asks for the ingredients, and he makes it, and they drink it and, of course, the results are horrendous, because both Don Quixote and Sancho have violent bowel movements and vomiting, and all of that.
This is particularly so with Sancho, who, by the way, will defecate again soon out of fear — if you have gotten to that nice episode with the fulling-hammer. But note that the balsam is supposed to restore their bodies to make their physiques whole again, erasing the ravages of violence and, more broadly, of time. The balsam would erase those ugly physical features or scars that identified them. Here, the balsam stands for something that would erase those marks on their bodies, the marks that I have been speaking about. Excreting is a mock form of purification, a rejection of the material world that they have ingested. Ironically, Don Quixote does get better; perhaps, medically speaking, he needed to be cleansed out, and so taking this which turns out to be a violent laxative makes him feel better, but Sancho almost dies, because he vomits and has diarrhea, and everything that you saw there. I will return to this unsavory topic soon.
Chapter 4. Juan Palomeque’s Inn as an Internal Emblem for the Novel [00:42:46]
Now, the flimsy construction of Juan Palomeque’s inn leads us to a topic that I have mentioned several times before: improvisation, evident in Velázquez’s gesture — He’s improvising, he’s going to paint — and discussed at length in the prologue to Don Quixote. Juan Palomeque’s inn is the most important building in Part I and is an internal emblem, I think, of the book’s careless genesis and structure, or its deliberately careless genesis and structure. I’m equating here the inn and its construction with the composition of the book Don Quixote. The inn is the one shelter the protagonists do find repeatedly in Part I, but they enjoy no protection or peace within its walls, because it is so dilapidated that it barely keeps them out of the elements. It is not a meaningful and fulfilling end to the road, but a way station. That is, is not a home to return to, and it’s meaningful, and it shelters them, and gives them solace, and so forth. It is just a way station, its parts are in a sorry state of disrepair and do not match harmoniously with each other. The camaranchón is the word in the Spanish in the original. It’s camaranchón, in the original, or attic, where Don Quixote’s bed is set up: “gave evident tokens of having formerly served many years as a hayloft.”
Sebastián de Covarrubias, whom you must remember from my earlier lectures — remember the lexicographer who wrote the first dictionary of the Spanish language and published it in 1610 — says that ‘camaranchón’ is derived, obviously from the Latin ‘camera,’ chamber, and it’s a disparaging term for the highest spot in a house, an attic or loft, where old junk heterogeneous by its very nature is stored. This the reason the stars can be seen through the gaps on his flimsy roof, which is why it is called in the Spanish an “estrellado establo” or starlit loft, that is, if you think of the inn like this, the camaranchón would be here.
So, from the inside, you could see the roof, which has holes, and it’s starry because you can see through the roof, the holes in the roof, you can see it’s a very primitive drawing, but you can see through its roof, you can see the stars. This suggests that the inn was originally a small house to which additions were made haphazardly, incorporating the stable and it’s hayloft to its living quarters to accommodate more paying guests.
Also, a roof so full of holes that the stars are visible from within comically suggests that the inn has cosmic connections, as did Greek, Roman and Aztec temples, as well as the Renaissance counterparts by the alignment to celestial bodies. In other words, in Classical architecture, in Aztec architecture, the temples were aligned to the stars, to the constellations, so that the building would be part of this cosmic world. Do you understand what I’m trying to say? The buildings were aligned in such a way. Also, such a star spangled ceiling would be nature’s counterpart to the elaborate ones of certain palaces, in which zodiac signs were often depicted in the roof. Which is the closest example we have to that today, those of us who live in the northeast, that we see it all of the time?
Student: Grand Central.
Professor Roberto González Echevarría: Grand Central Station! The next time you go to Grand Central Station, look up — not too long, or they might take your wallet — but look up, and you will see that the roof has drawn on it all of the constellations. It is as if there were no roof, as if you could see actually the stars, and that is a device used in Renaissance palaces. And so, it is an ironic allusion to it, that the roof of this very humble building is starlit.
Against the background of the inns ramshackle improvised architecture, such illusions are hilarious, and highlight that it is no architectural jewel built following a careful plan and classical models. It would seem as if during its construction, which was gradual and ruled by chance, everything in it has been transformed by contingency — there is contingency again — and the passage of time. “Many years” it says in the quote that I read you. The provisional nature of its furnishings is evident in Don Quixote’s bed, which [quote]: “consisted of four not very smooth boards upon two not very equal trestles”. [Unquote]. Predictably, during the free for all provoked by Maritornes nocturnal appointment, the mule driver climbs on it and makes it collapse, quote: “the bed which was a little feeble and its foundations not of the strongest being unable to bear the additional weight of the carrier came down with them to the ground.”
You remember that scene, I’m sure. The improvised patchwork architecture of Palomeque’s inn reflects that of the structure of the Quixote Part I, with its interpolated stories of which you’re going to read some very soon. And also Cervantes’s notorious errors, and even Don Quixote’s practice of letting Rocinante’s whim dictate the direction of his journey.
Chapter 5. Cervantes’s Notorious Errors [00:49:09]
Now, the Quixote is the only classic that about which there is a whole bibliography about its errors. All classics have — you know, they say that Homer fell asleep here, and something happened, and the Odyssey is not perfect, and this and that, but the errors in the 1605 Quixote are a notorious part of it, and a lot has been written about them, because improvisation can lead to errors, and there are quite a few in Part I. Let me list some of them. There are errors that the characters make that cannot be attributed to Cervantes but to their haste, that is, the haste of the characters, their carelessness, but all of that is within the fiction. These are the errors that later on you will find, Dorotea makes them while playing Princess Micomicona, Don Quixote makes a few; in chapter IV he says that seven times nine is seventy-three — this could be a typo. Later he says that the biblical Samson removed the doors of the temple, when it was the gates of the city of Gaza that Samson ripped off. And there are other kinds of errors that can be blamed on Cervantes and his editors. For instance, the mistaken chapter titles and numbers. The title of chapter X reads — not in your translation, where it was fixed, but in the original it reads, “Concerning what further befell Don Quixote with the gallant Basque and the danger in which he found himself with a band of Galicians from Yanguas.”
But the episode with the Basque is over, and the fracas with the Yanguesans doesn’t come until five chapters later, after the Grisóstomo and Marcela interlude. Chapter XLIV appears in roman numerals as chapter XXXV, and so on. But the grandest mistake was the theft of Sancho’s donkey, which you have not reached yet; but in chapter XXV the reader finds out that Sancho’s donkey is not just missing, but that it was stolen! After twelve chapters, we started worrying about the lost of recovered donkey, here reappears gradually. His trappings are mentioned, until in chapter XLVI he is there, again, miraculously in the inn’s stable! This is all in the first Juan de la Cuesta 1605 edition — Juan de la Cuesta was the publisher of the 1605 edition.
Actually, the very first printing was late 1604, but it was given the 1605, if you want to be really pedantic. But it’s the 1605 date that is given — This is all in the first Juan de la Cuesta edition, the princeps edition. But in the second 1605 printing, it’s also well — a new printing had to be made — also by Juan de la Cuesta, the theft of the donkey appears in chapter XXIII and it’s recovered in chapter XXX, and Cervantes has added a series of paragraphs to justify all of this — these are hilarious paragraphs. The writing in these added passages reads very much like Cervantes’s prose to me, though not to other scholars, who think that this is somebody else writing, so editors have incorporated them into the final version of the model.
A critic, named Lathrop, thinks that the additions were by the editor, and believes that all of these mistakes were put it the Quixote on purpose by Cervantes. Once you have something like this, there are critics who can claim anything, that it was not a case of careless improvisation but a plan to simulate it. The issue is mute for me. In either case, willed or not, the mistakes reveal a hasty, shoddy composition, and imperfection and lack of finish, as it were, and fits with the topic of improvisation introduced in the prologue, when the narrator, or Cervantes, claims that he doesn’t know how to write the prologue and presents himself as someone who is not in total control of his creation.
Chapter 6. The Deepening Relationship between Don Quixote and Sancho [00:53:42]
Now, back to Juan Palomeque’s inn. I hope you have understood my equating the improvisation and the ramshackle character of the inn, and that of the 1605 Quixote. Now, Sancho’s blanket tossing — I must mention the last event at the inn, because Sancho never forgives Don Quixote for not defending him, and the failure of his master to act is something that casts doubts in his mind about Don Quixote’s courage. Don Quixote justifies it because he claims that he’s not supposed to enter into battle against commoners, and that Rocinante froze. The importance of this episode is that Cervantes is building up the relationship between his two protagonists, which will deepen in the next episodes, first when Sancho helps to cure Don Quixote when he’s wounded by the shepherds defending their sheep, and later when Don Quixote, angry at Sancho for laughing at him, strikes his squire — You remember when Don Quixote hits him over the head — This deepening relationship is one of the great virtues of the novel. Cervantes displays a profound and caring knowledge of human nature and of the transformations of human relationships; it’s something to learn from the book. This is new for a fiction, that their relationship transcends the social differences between them and becomes profound and complicated because of these spats that they occasionally have.
The following episodes follow the same pattern. Don Quixote and Sancho mistake what they see with catastrophic consequences. It’s the same pattern established in the episode of the windmills. The first is the battle with the herds of sheep — that I hope you found as hilarious as I always do when I reread it. Don Quixote is, again, fooled by a real world that seems to conspire to look like what he has in his head. In this case, the sheep reflect what you must have read in Elliott about the importance of sheep farming, and of the wool industry in Castile — It’s still very important, and I have been suddenly in a Castilian town and a whole sea of sheep come by, they are being herded to the north or to the south, as the case may be. Wool was a very important product of Castile, as you have read in the Elliott, and, of course, this sheep at the distance could look like an army. So Cervantes is reflecting here not only the reality of everyday life, but also the broader, socioeconomic realities of Spain of the period.
Don Quixote translates everything that reminds him of the world or romances of chivalry into their language. His arguments with Sancho and others about the nature of the real are one of the sources of humor in the novel, of course. Here, Cervantes displays his own gift for linguistic invention and parody. The names of the knights involved are hilarious, as is his description of the imaginary battle, has a mock epic quality. Don Quixote, hurt by stones whose names, almonds, they’re called at one point, understate their ability to hurt, lose its teeth, as he had before lost part of an ear. These are the scars of time on his body that I have mentioned before. His body has diminished as the work progresses, contributing to his sorry appearance and leading to the name that Sancho gives him in the next episode. Notice that Don Quixote kills several sheep and that he has, again, been involved in a fight. Hence, he has committed crimes that come under the jurisdiction of the Holy Brotherhood, so besides the disputes about the real and the parody of the romances of chivalry it must be noted that Don Quixote and Sancho are criminals who are fugitives from justice.
Now, I want you to — I’m sure you did — that Don Quixote and Sancho vomit on each other, here. And I want to ponder about this little episode. We already saw the purging involved in the character’s evacuations, but here, I believe, that there is another suggestion. I was going to read you that passage, but the time is short, but I’m sure you remember it. Vomiting here and in the inn suggest the existence of a concretely repulsive language of pure meanings. The mouth, amidst concrete, it’s a language whose effect is repulsion, mutual repulsion, but that is never a form of communication. One vomit elicits — that it is nevertheless, a form of communication — one vomit elicits the other. It is in this sense a pure language, an ironic fusion of words and things.
If you think that words merely reflect reality, vomit is reality itself expressed as words, this is what I’m trying to say. Vomit contains objects, not signs, and produces bodily effects as when, in the case in the next episode, when Don Quixote smells Sancho’s feces, another expression on the part of Sancho, and he asks him to move away. This consideration of language dovetails with all of the meditations about language and literature that are in the book, and it is very appropriate. I think that it should occur in an episode, where there is such a marvelous display of literary language in the description of these battles and all of these knights. So we have that literary language, and then, this concrete language of vomit, when they express each other in such a way.
I think that I’m going to leave the next two episodes for the next class, the one about the dead body, because there is very significant moment there when Sancho names Don Quixote “The Knight of the Sorrowful Figure,” and also the one of the fulling-hammers, to which I have just alluded because of this hilarious moment when Sancho defecates out of fear, and so we shall move on with next series of episodes, too, which take us to the core of Part I. The core of Part I, which are the episodes that take places in the Sierra Morena.
[end of transcript]Back to Top
|mp3||mov [100MB]||mov [500MB]| | <urn:uuid:ecf7c687-fff5-4ac2-ac59-81e4973878d5> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://oyc.yale.edu/spanish-and-portuguese/span-300/lecture-5 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572212.96/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815205848-20220815235848-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.971411 | 9,867 | 2.21875 | 2 |
I ran into a guy recently who was well qualified for a contract I was offering and even already had code to do it. The only thing preventing me from hiring him was that his code was under the GPL. When asked if he would do a dual license, he flatly refused at any price.
I appreciate what the GPL stands for, which is that source code should be available. But as a practical matter the best code generally comes from people who are paid, and businesses able to pay for code tend to want to maximize profits on what they have done. And one possible tool to maximize profit is to not have the software open-source.
RakNet is open-source because it helps me make money. More users, fewer support costs, contributions from users, and market appeal count among the benefits of being open-source. I’m not worried about theft because the businesses capable of paying license fees have so much to lose were they to violate copyright that it doesn’t make financial sense for them to not pay.
On the other hand, if I were to make a commercial game, open source means I’d be unable to discourage piracy. People would release for free games based on my source which would compete with my own sales. While it’s relatively easy to enforce copyright against major companies, that’s not true against the entire internet.
In the game industry you’re basically forbidden from using any GPL code. From time to time this means I haven’t used code I otherwise would. It’s never been the case, nor do I expect it to be, that because I used a GPL component I was forced to release my source where I wouldn’t have otherwise. It just means I won’t use the GPL code to begin with. | <urn:uuid:b33623f7-0907-450c-b133-f1500d9fc27c> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://rakkar.org/blog/index.php/2009/09/24/gpl-just-means-your-code-probably-wont-be-used/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572043.2/warc/CC-MAIN-20220814143522-20220814173522-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.978576 | 371 | 1.726563 | 2 |
Luke and the Lost
My brother was young and creative in his early years. Impressed by what he learned from a weather documentary about the relative calm in the middle of hurricanes that wreaked havoc at times, he wrote a song about it…”Living in the Eye of the Storm”. I think of the lyrics at times when I experience that calm in the middle of the chaos of my life. The stuff of life that seems out of control can actually bring us closer to our Savior! Think about it.
The funnels of hurricanes sweep through and have the ability to clean off the earth in minutes. They wreak havoc all around them. But in the middle of the funnel the noise is relatively less, if you look up the sky is clear, the air pressure pulls you up, higher and higher. Mm Figuratively speaking, the middle of the storm brings calm to everything else going around you. Look up, be lifted up to the Creator who has you on His mind and loves You beyond what you can imagine.
This flashback brings us to the familiar story of God’s power and majesty demonstrated by Jesus, the Christ who calms the storm on a turbulent sea.
Luke 8, The Message
22-24 One day he and his disciples got in a boat. “Let’s cross the lake,” he said. And off they went. It was smooth sailing, and he fell asleep. A terrific storm came up suddenly on the lake. Water poured in, and they were about to capsize. They woke Jesus: “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!”
Getting to his feet, he told the wind, “Silence!” and the waves, “Quiet down!” They did it. The lake became smooth as glass.
25 Then he said to his disciples, “Why can’t you trust me?”
They were in absolute awe, staggered and stammering, “Who is this, anyway? He calls out to the winds and sea, and they do what he tells them!”
This reminds me of another song…
In Christ alone my hope is found,
He is my light, my strength, my song;
this Cornerstone, this solid Ground,
firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace,
when fears are stilled, when strivings cease!
My Comforter, my All in All,
here in the love of Christ I stand.
The question that leaps off the page for us today…”Why can’t you trust me?” –Jesus
Dear Heavenly Father,
THANK YOU for lifting us up in the middle of the storms of life and offering peace and calm. While the unknowns of life swirl violently around us we trust You, our Known God who knows all, is in all and is in control. You’ve got this. You are God and we are not. Continue to be with us…
In Jesus Name, Amen | <urn:uuid:d0282619-c789-40f4-a8e7-1f91b43c8edd> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://randscallawayffm.blog/2015/04/15/living-in-the-eye-of-the-storm/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571911.5/warc/CC-MAIN-20220813081639-20220813111639-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.964495 | 646 | 1.929688 | 2 |
When I look at the Presidential candidates, I am quite discouraged. None of them appear to be the kind of leader America needs. I do know of some who would be up to the task, but they wouldn’t have a chance of gathering enough support in our present fixed, two-party, oligarchical system. Perhaps in the big picture, it doesn’t matter which one is elected, for the mess we have will likely only get messier. As far as past presidents, I think we could learn a great deal by studying their lives, writings, and philosophies. For Lincoln, I would particularly recommend reading The Real Lincoln: A New Look at Abraham Lincoln, His Agenda, and an Unnecessary War by Thomas J. Dilorenzo. This book will deconstruct the many myths of the sanitized and Saint Lincoln that the revisionist historians and biographers have created.
If you would like to consider politics from a Southern and conservative point of view, I would encourage you to listen to Dixie Broadcasting for this online program. I promise you, it will make you think:
The best-selling book, The South Was Right! by the Kennedy Brothers will be presented all this week on DixieBroadcasting!
Over 100,000 copies of this book have been sold in hardback over the last 10 years… now it’s also available on cassette tape from Pelican Publishing.
Listen to the different chapters of this book all this week during the “Dixie Dynamite” show at 7am & 7pm Eastern, Monday – Saturday
Here is the link: http://dixiebroadcasting.com/
One area a writer should always strive to develop is that of vocabulary. I’ve learned some new words I wanted to share with you.
At the Kimball Art Museum, I learned these:
Ewer – a pitcher. In a religious context, of course these would hold holy water, wine (for communion) or perhaps oil.
Reliquary: A small container that would hold relics of saints.
A Thought for Black History Month. Here is a marker about a famous man of color in Texas during the Civil War:
Marker Title: Primus Kelly
Year Marker Erected: 1965
Marker Location: From Navasota take SH 6 S approx. 12 mi. to roadside park.
Marker Text: A faithful Negro slave. Came to nearby Courtney, Grimes County in 1851 with his master, John W. S. West from North Carolina. West was a prominent and wealthy pioneer planter and landowner. At the outbreak of the Civil War, West sent Kelly “to take care” of his three sons– Robert M., Richard and John Haywood– who joined the famous Terry’s Texas Rangers, where they served with distinction. Kelly was not content “to wait on” his charges but joined them in battle, firing his own musket and cap and ball pistol. Twice Kelly brought to Texas the wounded Richard, twice took him to the front again. After war, bought a small farm near “Marse Robert”, raised a large family and prospered. Died in 1890s. The courage and loyalty of Kelly was typical of most Texas Negro slaves. Hundreds “went to war” with their masters. Many operated the farms and ranches of soldiers away at war, producing food, livestock, cotton and clothing for the Confederacy. Others, did outside work to support their master’s families. They protected homes from Indians, bandits and deserters and did community guard and patrol duty. At war’s end, most slaves, like Primus Kelly, became useful and productive citizens of Texas. | <urn:uuid:a6fc3451-ef70-419f-a841-29535086c745> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://bardofthesouth.com/2008/02/page/2/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571911.5/warc/CC-MAIN-20220813081639-20220813111639-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.964897 | 780 | 1.929688 | 2 |
Selecting the correct electric motor to fit a specific car is not all the time easy. VTO’s major objective is to decrease electric motors’ price, volume, and weight whereas maintaining or rising efficiency, effectivity, and reliability. Students discover the variations between manual and automated transmissions and learn to diagnose and restore issues in every. General, Ford had 9 models show up among the worst for reliability, however its small cars had the worst efficiency of any Blue Oval section.
This program prepares graduates for employment in automotive dealerships and service centers. BLDC is trending because of its excessive power to weight ratio and High torque in low power. 2 Typically, to avoid requiring handicapped persons from having to possess an operator’s license to use one, or requiring tags and insurance coverage, powered wheelchairs shall be specifically excluded by regulation from being thought-about motor automobiles.
As the rotation of the second disc directly depends on the quantity of engine energy delivered, the prime results of fluid coupling is an computerized clutch action, which drastically simplifies the requirements for gear shifting. If you look into motors, most of the time you might be considerably restricted by the type of vehicle it’s going into and the gears being used.
College students even have the chance to study in the direction of ASE certification while at SSC, which increases scholar opportunities in the work place. It was instantly followed by a greater design, the contra engine” wherein the cylinders were arranged opposite each other. Multi-Automobile Discounts: When you’ve got multiple cars insured beneath the identical insurance coverage firm, then your company may offer you a multi-automobile discount.
A lot of my friends discover it unusual after I speak about my Jeep’s four.0-liter ‘œmotor,’ as they assume that time period is reserved only for electrical cars. Jobs in the industry embody greater than repair technicians at new car dealerships. I stated the larger electric motor that is primarily used for propulsion in a Toyota Prius or Ford hybrid actually has a set ratio to car velocity.” The large motor is called MG2 in a Prius transaxle. | <urn:uuid:ad318a47-b9a6-4298-aea3-2ca64f6f33eb> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://indiaclimatesolutions.com/slot-car-motor-merchandise-2.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572212.96/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815205848-20220815235848-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.951035 | 447 | 1.945313 | 2 |
I have crossed over to the “dark side.” I am now an assistant principal. Although I transitioned from a teacher leader to an assistant principal over two months ago, I made this decision back in 2013. It was a tumultuous year, one in which I decided that the safest place for my students and me was my classroom, room 134. Most of my colleagues were hiding in our rooms due to a hostile working environment and poor leadership. Sitting at my desk that April, I had an idea that school should be very different—more like a garden than anything. A leader, I said to myself, should be the gardener: Planting seeds, nurturing them and promoting growth. Since becoming an assistant principal two months ago, I have to admit that I am not yet tending a healthy and tranquil garden. Each day I struggle. I struggle to be the leader our staff needs and to place myself in the shoes of the educators I work with. I fight to remember what it feels like to be a teacher, including the incredible pressure I felt to meet the ongoing needs of students, always keeping myself focused on what is best for them. Each day I go home tired, worn out and wondering if the decisions that I have made in the day are the right decisions. I laugh at what I thought this job would be like before I began. I had such thoughts of grandeur about how I was going to “revolutionize” my school. Sometimes I question the impact I make. In a moment of being very hard on myself, I thought, “Am I truly making a difference?” Then a staff member will stop by my office and thank me for replying to her emails so quickly. “That means so much to us,” she will say. At those moments, I remind myself that I may not yet be tackling the heavy stuff to make a huge difference, but being a positive force does not always require a huge accomplishment. I take a breath and determine to focus on being a PC(3) leader—not one who is politically correct, but a leader who is present, who communicates, is compassionate, and composed. That’s PC(3). The teacher in me says, “That may not be everything, but it is a very fine way to start.”
To truly support our teachers, I have to be where they are. I conduct regular informal walkthroughs and make it a priority to get into halls and classrooms. Every morning I greet teachers with a friendly hello, and the end of the day say goodbye and thank them. I want the staff to know that I care about them beyond their job. I care about them as people.
On-going, authentic, two-way communication is hard to come by these days. But nothing as various and complex as a school environment can grow and thrive without it. I make and seek out opportunities to have two-way communication with staff and encourage the teacher leader that resides within them. Open communication leads to transparency, and transparency is a vital part of a safe and trust school. That’s why I always give timely feedback after walking through a classroom. As an educator, I yearned for a meaningful response to my work. Now I see this feedback as the water that encourages growth. When possible, it’s best to communicate in person. I don’t handle volatile situations over email. Teachers tell me they feel more listened to when I respond to an angry email by showing up in their room to talk it over. Maybe we can get more done over the Internet, but an important personal connection is sacrificed in our pursuit for efficiency.
The other day, I was speaking with a staff member behind closed doors, and she became very upset about something personal. I had no words, but I asked her, “Can I hug you?” She opened her arms said, “I am so glad you’re here.” A compassionate leader is empathetic and responsive. We don’t always have all of the answers, but if something is important to my teachers, it should be important to me. I just want to love on my teachers the same way I did for my students.
There are many situations that will arise during a school day that may present difficulties, but an instructional leader must remain composed and poised under the pressure. Just recently, I had a situation today where all of the staff members were crying in the room due to a serious situation. As much as I wanted to cry, as my empathy was kicking in, I knew that I had to remain calm and provide some assurance and continuity. When everyone else feels pulled apart, a leader has to be the glue. Do I miss the classroom? God, yes. But I know I am where I am needed, tending our garden. I never want teachers to feel like I felt in 2013. Not on my watch.
Kelisa Wing is the author of "Weeds & Seeds: How To Stay Positive in the Midst of Life’s Storms" and "Promises and Possibilities: Dismantling the School to Prison Pipeline" (both available on Amazon). She also is a 2017 State Teacher of the year, speaker, teacher and activist for discipline reform. Kelisa holds a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Maryland University College, a ... | <urn:uuid:6dc8637f-adf8-42fd-a435-0e5aaa36410e> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.edpost.com/stories/being-an-assistant-principal-has-taught-me-a-lot-of-lessons-about-leadership | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571911.5/warc/CC-MAIN-20220813081639-20220813111639-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.980718 | 1,111 | 1.570313 | 2 |
Online advertising spending continues to grow, increasing by 35% from 2005 to 2006 to reach $16.9 billion. This trend is expected to persist with a projected 2011 figure of $36.5 billion . Despite this trend consumers have shown increasing annoyance with online advertising, resorting to specialized software and restrictive Web browser settings in an effort to reduce the number of pop-ups and other forms of advertising . Although the banner format is still the most prominent form of Web advertising, corporations are starting to give alternative formats serious consideration.
One potential alternative to the banner is the use of background graphics, which present information in a less obtrusive manner. Web pages typically employ background images for aesthetic reasons, but rarely to convey specific information. Both the foreground and background of Web pages provide a means of exposing consumers to brands and logos. Unlike traditional advertising, the intent of these ads is to increase product awareness rather than direct sales generation through click-through. The potential use of ads for increasing brand salience is not unreasonable, given that most banner ads are merely seen and not acted upon. Ironically, while most Web pages use some form of background imagery, little is known about the effects of background image exposure on consumer perceptions in an online advertising context.
Background images possess several features that make them an attractive alternative to traditional advertising formats, such as banner ads. First, background images can be larger in size because increasing the size of these images does not affect the text layout. Second, the background images can increase a visitor's exposure time because they are visible even if the user scrolls to the bottom of the page. Finally, being an integral part of a page, background exposures are not targeted by the assortment of ad blocking software currently on the market. This ensures the visitor is exposed to the ad even if other traditional ad formats are blocked. This study compares the recall and recognition of the typical (468 x 60) banner ads to two versions of background wallpaper ads: background images that use the entire page and sidebar images that use the left margin of the page.
The influence of advertising can be both covert and overt. Exposure to information may influence a person's opinions, attitudes, or choices without his or her explicit recollection of the causal event . Viewers are able to recall ad banners even after only a single exposure and these exposures may result in significant attitude changes . These attitude changes, in turn, can ultimately influence behavior. On the Web, behavioral intentions include a wide range of activities, including actions to add a Web page to a user's revisit consideration set (for example, creating a bookmark or desktop shortcut), a return visit to a particular Web page, or an actual purchase. For attitude and behavioral changes, remembering a brand, consciously or unconsciously, is a key first step.
Even as advertisers have standardized on a relatively small number of advertising formats, changes in Web standards such as Dynamic HTML and scripting languages extensions (including Macromedia's Flash, Microsoft's ActiveX, and Apple Computer's Quicktime) offer new opportunities for conveying messages to Web users. Banner ads, the de facto format for Web advertising, are colorful, rectangular images that are hyperlinked to more detailed brand information. These images are prominently displayed and are usually one of the first objects to appear as a Web page is loaded.
A seemingly less-intrusive alternative solution to banner ads is to place the image (or a modified version) in the background. The HTML standard provides for the inclusion of an image that appears superimposed over Web page text. Prior research has examined a number of aspects of these backgrounds, including how background complexity influences recall and purchase intention , as well as how background "priming" affects product preferences .
In general, HTML background images can take one of two forms. In the first, the image is superimposed over the text (that is, background). Because these images are in the background, the brand is actually intertwined with the main content of the Web page. In the second, the image is separate from the main text of the page. This is achieved by widening the text margins to expose part of the background image. Thus, like banners, these images are prominently displayed yet still enjoy the advantage of being HTML background images.
Background images have a number of advantages over the traditional banner format. One such advantage is that scrolling down the page does not result in the banner image being placed outside of the viewing area. This scroll-off effect associated with the banner format places an upper limit on a viewer's attention time. A solution to scroll-off and its effects on exposure time is to increase the size of the image relative to the page. Increasing the size of images in the foreground, however, carries with it the penalty of displacing non-advertising information and slower loading times. These penalties have been recognized by a growing number of advertisers who have resorted to separate non-scrolling areas for banner advertising, either within the page (a frame) or as a separate window (a pop-up). Using HTML background images allows the ad information to be visible to the viewers as long as they remain on the page. In general, a background image on a Web page will have a longer exposure time than a foreground image because of the latter's susceptibility to the scroll-off effect. Longer exposure time increases the opportunity for a viewer to notice the stimuli and, as a result, the opportunity to form a mental representation of the stimuli .
A second beneficial effect is that HTML background images result in a repetition effect because images in the background are repeated to fill the full area of a page. The advantage is not in the repetition itself, but rather because the background ad image has a higher probability of being one of the last items seen (and thus remembered) on a page by a visitor. Previous research has suggested that "recency effects" (from a user having just seen an image or piece of text) have a positive influence on information retention . Thus, while foreground images ordinarily have a memory advantage due to their prominence , exposure time and recency effects should serve at a minimum to equalize the memory disadvantages of the less prominently placed HTML background images. Given these advantages, one would expect users would recall and recognize ads placed in the background or sideground (termed sidebar ads) of a site with greater ease and frequency than those placed in the foreground. Sidebar ads, with both prominence and repetition advantages, are posited to perform the same or better than background ads.
To test these alternative ad formats an online experiment was conducted using ads of equal size and layout to avoid confounding. Subjects were 155 undergraduate students enrolled in an introductory psychology class at a large state university; 61% were male.
Research Method. A traditional banner ad was tested against each of the background format and sidebar format, which in turn were both tested using two levels of repetition (scrolling with the text stationary). In the scrolling condition, the ad image and the text moved in synchronization, while in the stationary (watermark) condition, the image did not move even when the text was scrolled. The result was a two- (ad format) by-two (repetition) between-subjects design with the banner ad serving as the control condition for comparison purposes.
Stimuli and Procedures. Besides the traditional ad banner (see Figure 1), two variants of the HTML background ads were created and tested (see Figure 2 and Figure 3). To control for possible effects due to ad size, the banner image was used to generate both the sidebar and background images while altering neither the dimensions of the non-white space portion of the ad nor the content of the image. The background format was faded slightly to improve the readability of the text on which it would be superimposed. Credit cards, a high familiarity product category, were chosen as the focus of this research. Furthermore, the tested brand (Visa) is a high familiarity brand within this group.
In order to avoid undue focus on the ads, subjects were told the purpose of the research was to examine reading comprehension. A business case (Fall from Grace: Anatomy of the Bennett Funding Collapse), discussing the ethical questions regarding a "reputable" business that used an information system glitch to its advantage, was used as a filler task so that subjects would not spend undo attention on the advertisements. The case was divided into five approximately equal-length Web pages. The ad appeared on the third page in all treatments. In order to more closely simulate normal Web conditions, the other four case pages contained non-brand distracter images so that subjects would not give undue attention to the treatment page. Thus, all five pages were relatively uniform in appearance. (In the case of the banner page, a faint background containing no text or brand information was included so that all five case pages had a background). Scripts were used to randomly assign treatments, record responses, and measure the time spent on the treatment page. At the end of the case, subjects answered questions related to the advertisements, the content of the story, and a number of demographic items.
To ensure the validity of our results, we held certain factors constant. Prior exposures to the Web site and specific ads used were controlled through the development of unique Web pages and ads for this particular study. All subjects read the same business case. There was no mention of the brands chosen for this study (or their competitors) within the case. Subjects were not previously exposed to any similar tests.
Measures. Independent measures included the manipulated factor (ad format and ad repetition) as well as gender, Web familiarity, and exposure time as controls. Web familiarity was measured using the item "How would you rate your experience level with using the Web?" with endpoints "not familiar" (1) and "familiar" (7). Exposure time to the ad was also recorded. A script was used to measure the time between the initial display of the page containing the ad and the initial display of the following page. For simplicity the view times were converted into three categories: short (less than one minute), medium (one to three minutes), and long (greater than three minutes). It should be noted that each measured view time necessarily overestimates the actual view time for the banner format because the length of the case text precluded reading the entire page without the banner being scrolled out of view.
Two dependent measures also were included, those being brand recall and recognition. Brand recall was measured by asking subjects to list as many brand names as they could remember from the case they just viewed. Ad recognition was measured by presenting a list of brands that included the pictured brand (Visa) and six other brands that did not appear in the case pages. Subjects were asked to indicate whether or not they recognized the brand from the exercise.
Results. Results were analyzed via separate logistic regressions for recall and recognition. The average recall and recognition rates are reported in Table 1. Analysis using the banner format (foreground) as the reference group indicated that banner image recall performance was similar to that of sidebar (43% vs. 49%; p=0.70) and background format performance (43% vs. 36%; p=0.091). Banners were remembered similarly to sidebar images (91% vs. 90%; p=0.39) but more than background images (91% vs. 66%; p=0.002). Analysis comparing background images to sidebar images indicate sidebar images are no better in terms of recall (49% vs. 36%; p=0.081), but that sidebar ads are superior to background ads in terms of ad recognition (90% vs. 66%; p=0.002). In addition, longer exposure times and watermark images (as opposed to scrolling images) resulted in better recall, while differences in recognition were attributable to ad format alone.
One important question is whether alternative formats would be viewed negatively with respect to current standards. Negative effects for the alternative formats could, in turn, negatively impact the attitude toward the brand as well. Attitude toward each ad format was measured via three seven-point Likert scales ranging from strongly disagree (1) to strongly agree (7). These include, "I enjoyed the advertisements" and "These advertisements were annoying" (reverse scaled). The measures displayed a high level of reliability (Cronbach's alpha = 0.77). An analysis of variance (ANOVA) was conducted comparing average attitude ratings of the three formats using a second group of 157 respondents. Attitudes toward the traditional ad format (M=3.30, SD=0.99) did not differ significantly for either background (M=3.38, SD=0.98) or sidebar (M=3.72, SD=1.07) treatments (F (2,150)=2.59; p=0.78). Thus, the alternative formats were just as acceptable as the current banner standard.
The results of this study suggest alternative ad placements can act as a viable alternative to banner ads when increasing brand salience is the goal. Sidebar ads (non-scrolling) proved to be the most effective format. The performance of background ads was slightly worse than the performance of banners, but this may have been due in part to the fading process necessary to ensure text readability and the position of the text that was superimposed over the image. Given these findings, it is clear that sidebar advertisements are a sound alternative to banner ads, though further research is warranted. Consistent with previous banner ad research , these findings show the significant impact alternative ads can have on advertised brands even with a single exposure (see Table 2).
What is revealed by this research is that, like previous studies of "traditional" media outlets (print, television, and movies), ads that are less conspicuous to viewers (such as sidebar and background ads) still affect their brand recollection and recognition. Furthermore, because such ads cover a larger area of the screen than banners, they are less susceptible to the ad avoidance (scroll-off) behavior typically given to traditional banners. In the current study, we restricted the alternative formats to banner-sized images but, in actual applications, larger ads could be used to potentially achieve even higher levels of recall. Thus, companies seeking to expand their brand awareness through Web advertising have additional options not previously considered. Given that companies will undoubtedly want to retain the ability to receive direct response from ads (click-through) in some situations, we see two scenarios for alternative ad formats: first, as enhancers to clickable formats, and second, as primers to future brand information, including clickable and traditional ads, ads in other media, and the brand itself (see Table 3).
The findings also suggest marketing managers would be wise to redirect some funds toward these alternative ad formats given the increasing popularity of ad blocking software. Banner ad blocking software firms, such as AdSubtract, tout the benefits of their software (most notably faster download times) through customer feedback. Through the use of the HTML background option used in this study, sidebar and background placements allow adequate download time while still allowing the brand ad to load.
As with any research, there are limits to this study that must be understood. First, the sample, drawn from a university population, is relatively young (the median age is 19 years old). Although younger users have historically made up the majority of Web users, the Web user population is becoming increasingly diverse. Further research on Web users of varying ages is required in order to generalize across age groups.
Second, this study employed a business case as its focus that required subjects to search within rather than between pages. Because subjects were not searching for any particular facts within each page, they proceeded from top to bottom with little or no deviation. In cases where subjects search for particular facts within a page, search patterns are likely to be less linear and result in different ad exposure patterns and exposure times. Thus, it is necessary to further explore if the results obtained here hold true across different task types and viewing patterns.
Third, this study focused on a highly familiar brand, Visa, with readily recognizable symbol, name, and brand colors. Although this undoubtedly enhanced recognition and recall across all three treatments, treatment differences may be less (or more) pronounced with less familiar brands. Future research should therefore examine less familiar brands in order to give advertisers information on how to market the two types of brands (high and low recognition) most effectively online.
Finally, the effects of adding animation or interactivity to banner ads was not included in this study for control purposes. Although previous research has indicated that animation does not enhance a consumer's memory (recall and recognition) of online banner ads [2, 4], sidebar animation may have a greater impact and is worthy of a follow-up investigation. It is also possible that the alternative formats can be combined (for example, sidebar and background together) or used in conjunction with traditional banner ads and subsequent research should include both competitive and complementary aspects of these formats.
4. Burke, M., Gorman, N., Nilsen, E. and Hornof, A. Banner advertisements hinder visual search and are ignored. Extended Abstracts of ACM CHI 2004: Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, (Vienna, Austria, 2004), 11391142.
©2008 ACM 0001-0782/08/0200 $5.00
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The Digital Library is published by the Association for Computing Machinery. Copyright © 2008 ACM, Inc.
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Jimmy Fallon. Drew Barrymore. The Sox. Of course, folks, we’re talking about the cinematic pearl Fever Pitch, a romantic comedy gem set upon the backdrop of the beloved Red Sox’ memorable 2004 World Series championship. But Fenway isn’t the only park in the greater Boston area; there are actual non-corporate areas with beautiful flowers and plants where people go to congregate.
So whether you’re a film buff green thumb inspired by beloved Fever Pitch characters Ben Wrightman and Lindsay Meeks—who probably went to a park in one scene—or you’re a city transplant who grew up around gardens, many of us feel the desire to dig our fingers into some dirt, plant a few seeds and watch them grow because, along with the coming warm weather, live flowers and greenery have serious mood-boosting power. They also have the ability to liven up almost any façade, and add appeal (and potentially value) to both urban and suburban properties. But, you can’t just slap a fern on your frontage and call it a day. Climate, placement, species, and, you know, how to actually keep the things alive all matter when considering landscaping and planting in urban settings.
What, and Where?
First things first: You’ve got to figure out what is best to plant. As much as you like roses, your desire for them to grow doesn’t mean they are going to grow, let alone thrive, on your small balcony space that gets very little sun but lots of brownish water dripping from the drain pipe above.
“Primarily, the thing that condos are doing currently, and it makes sense, as it’s highly cost-effective—is opting for low-cost/low-maintenance perennials, as they come back year after year,” says Kathy Curtiss, co-owner and designer at Doug Curtiss Landscape Designing, Inc. in Southborough, Massachusetts “And there are many factors to be considered: is the area in which you’re planting water-accessible? How much sunlight does it receive? But there are plenty of shades and perennials that you can plant. It’s also nice to spot in some annuals, to provide some off-season color. Because perennials give you nice color and texture at specific times, but no perennial blooms for weeks on end, while annuals can bloom for three solid months, should you plant at, say, the end of May.”
“One of the common mistakes I see,” says Mandi Maloney, a horticulturist, landscape environments specialist and integrated pest manager with Garrick-Santo Landscape Co. in Malden, Massachusetts, “is that people will go to a garden center and buy the prettiest things they see.” The problem, she adds, is that the “prettiest” plant on display may not last through the season, leading to disappointed residents. When planning landscaping—whether for an extensive suburban property or an urban courtyard—all four seasons should be taken into consideration. Spring, when winter-weary residents are looking for mood-brightening color, is the shortest season. Summer plantings, Maloney says, will begin in late April or early May, followed by fall plantings in mid-August to mid-September. And even winter gets attention with evergreens in containers, or even cut branches or arrangements that will provide texture and color.
Of course, in urban areas like Boston, populated with tall buildings, open sunlight is a rarity, and water access can be more difficult to come by than in the suburbs. But light is easy to correct for, Maloney says, by selecting shade-loving plants. A bigger challenge, she says, are “heat islands” in city gardens. “People don’t always recognize how hot it is. In a small space, plants tend to dry out.” To avoid evaporation from the soil, it’s important to use mulch in gardens, or moss in container plantings. Water-holding crystals can also be worked into the soil during planting, she says.
Water, she adds, will help to mitigate the effects of heat. “But it’s also possible to over-water,” she cautions—a situation that’s not unusual when volunteers or condominium staff are maintaining garden spaces.
How Does Your Garden Grow?
After you’ve selected the appropriate blossoms for your patch of green, think about the real estate itself and don’t try to diversify too much. “Gardens look best when there are groupings of plants, not just lots of different things,” says Jeanette Dragonetti, ASLA, a landscape designer at Dragonetti Brothers in Brooklyn, New York. “Try to make a more natural landscape where there would be areas of five to seven plantings, not individual plant types mixed together in ones and twos. Often the most impressive gardens give a sense of abundance, balance, and lushness, and that is achieved with planting many of the same type of plant in cohesive patterns. Better to have just [a few] types of plants in your building’s entrance garden planted densely than 20 different types all competing for attention.”
A common error that can be made by landscape committees, notes Maloney, is a lack of scale. Residents who move into suburban condos or large buildings after living in single-family homes may be thinking about their previous small entry-way gardens. “It’s a different scale than a large building or a group of buildings,” she says.
Gardens are, of course, meant to be admired, but take care not to let your fans trample, trash or, if they have four legs, pee on your plants. “Dogs and people are the biggest threats to plants in front of buildings or within tree pits,” says Rebecca Bullene, founder of Greenery NYC, a plant garden design company. “We often see people litter or let their dogs relieve themselves there, and that can be harmful for plant displays. And of course there is also the occasional well-meaning child picking a flower for mom, which is adorable, but not good for residents trying to bring color to their entrance garden!”
Bullene suggests that when it comes to gardens, lead by example—i.e., prune and tidy for the garden you want, not necessarily the garden you have. “We’ve found that keeping the area really clean helps signal to people that it is a well-loved space that should be treated well.” She further advises that a layer of mulch two to three inches deep may protect roots from dog waste.
Ever the soothsayer, Curtiss says that, “there are plenty of insects and diseases out there, but as people buy from reputable local nurseries or growers, they should be able to get stronger plants that are resolute to area threats, and are mostly insect and disease resistant. Not that insects don’t come—they still do. But there are plenty of hearty plants that bloom forever: marigolds, geraniums, impatiens in the shade. Again, a lot of it depends on if you have irrigation. If it’s minimal, I recommend planting dark-colored annuals, such as celosia or angelonia. They bloom all season and don’t require a lot of water.”
“And compost!” Curtiss continues, with verve. “Use amended soil. With properly amended soil, your plants are going to do better, and they’re going to be drought-tolerant.”
Overall, the success of your succulents, sunflowers and sage depends on selection, placement and care, the experts say. “Every site is different,” Maloney says. “Plant selection can be the hardest part for a landscape committee. There are lots of options, even if you have just a postage-stamp lawn.” And landscape color doesn’t mean flowers. “There’s lots of foliage plants on the market, and foliage color can last longer than flowers,” she adds.
Learn the Roots
Luckily, there are a lot of people out there passionate about perennials and are eager to help aspiring gardeners. “Masshort.org is a great resource,” suggests Curtiss. “And UMass Amherst extension provides a ton of information on insects, diseases, and soil testing. There’s also the Boston Flower and Garden Show every March. Many cities have something similar.”
Any properly accredited, pro landscaping firm can offer solid advice for small and large projects, and their responsibility to a condo building or property taking on the project is to set realistic goals and a working budget. Building staff or volunteers following watering instructions and a monthly or quarterly maintenance program will ensure that fertilizing, pest control and pruning are properly implemented. All of the above combine for a successful enhancement of the property.
In order to get the best result from your relationship with a landscaping firm or designer, Bullene suggests that, before even meeting with a designer, the committee should meet to outline its goals. “Do they want a space for edibles or growing flowers, or just stately evergreens? Do they want to care for the garden themselves or pay for professional maintenance? Clearly articulating how involved the committee wants to be from the outset can help a designer come up with a plan that best fits the group. If you have a committee of avid gardeners eager to get their hands dirty, a designer can put together a plan that will give them lots to work on throughout the season with deadheading and pruning. If you have a committee that doesn't have the time or inclination for that level of involvement, a designer can put together a low-maintenance plan that focuses more on evergreen shrubs or plants that grow slowly, or propose a professional maintenance plan.”
That plan will plot out exactly what a year of your garden looks like and the work required to achieve those gardening goals. Bullene explains that a first visit in the spring will assess and clean up winter damage and perform pep work for plans ahead; a second visit in the late spring or early summer is for planting; the third visit in late summer is to trim, tidy and perform upkeep and the final visit in the fall is meant to prep for the winter to come.
Truly, the number one ingredient to a healthy garden is patience. Less tangible than mulch and less trendy than a pair of gardening gloves, patience is necessary every step of the way. Add a pinch of consistency and you will most likely be on your way for a picture perfect garden. And, when the first green slivers appear through the soil, as Bullene astutely points out, “It’s worth the dirty work.”
Rebecca Fons is a freelance writer and a frequent contributor to New England Condominium. Associate Editor Pat Gale and staff writer Michael Odenthal contributed to this article. | <urn:uuid:4e3eff1e-4fd9-467a-9eec-936da41242e4> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://newenglandcondo.com/article/flowers-forever | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572212.96/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815205848-20220815235848-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.944896 | 2,343 | 1.570313 | 2 |
How perfect that award-winning children’s book artist Terry Widener has done the pictures for the new picture book by Jonah Winter (just released by Schwartz and Wade) about the greatest all around baseball player ever — Willie Mays.
Terry brings a background of high level advertising and editorial illustration and something else to the many children’s books he’s done on sports figures: The sensibility of a gifted athlete.
Too small to play football on school teams, Widener focused on baseball and mainly golf, which he still avidly plays. In fact he attended art school at the University of Tulsa on a golf scholarship.
After graduation Terry had to choose between two job offers — one as the golf pro at a country club, the other as an ad agency art director. It could have gone either way; Terry went the advertising art route because it paid just a little more per week.
He went on to do design and illustration work for major publications and ad agencies — for national and international clients like Coca Cola, Burger King, The Franklin Mint and Aesculap (a German orthopedic implant manufacturer. )
His first kids’ book illustrations were for Lou Gehrig — The Luckiest Man by David Adler (Gulliver Books/Harcourt Brace) named a Boston Globe/Horn Book Honor book, a Texas Blue Bonnet Reading List selection, an American Library Association Notable Book of the Year and an SCBWI Golden Kite Finalist, and received the IRA Teacher’s Choice Award.
Since then his books have attracted more honors and recognition, including Smithsonian Notable Book of the Year, School Library Journal Best Book of the Year, the Junior Library Guild List, the Society of Illustrators Original Art Show, the Bank Street Best Children’s Book of the Year and other awards.
Terry paints in acrylics. He’s experimented with a variety of styles in this medium, though now he works in a more painterly, naturalistic style, in the “Old School” children’s book art style of N.C. Wyeth and Howard Pyle.
That he’s done so many children’s biographies of sports heroes is purely coincidence, he says. What’s no coincidence is the sophisticated-simple design that he brings to these pictures of action and excitement in the ball field, boxing ring and competitive swim lanes — and the comfy authority with which he treats historical settings and scenes.
These videos are excerpts from an in-depth interview Terry gave me for students in the Make Your Splashes — Make Your Marks! course. For more information about this online course on illustrating children’s books, or to receive e-mail news from the “Marks and Splashes” online learning community, go here.
You Never Heard of Willie Mays? by Jonah Winter (Schwartz and Wade) features a lenticular cover illustration. You know those “wiggle pictures” that seem to move when you look at them from different angles? You’d find them sometimes as surprises inside Cracker Jacks boxes. Schwartz and Wade wanted to use lenticular printing for the covers for this series of picture book sports bios.
The process required Widener to come up with three paintings for the cover. The paintings would animate Mays knocking the ball out of the park, in one of those 50 home run hits of his career.
Terry had to model himself swinging a bat to avoid relying solely on the photos and videos he’d pulled together of the real Willie Mays in the moment — lest he and the publisher end up in a battle with The New York Times and Sports Illustrated over intellectual property!
When dealing with images of sports icons and other stars, be careful to not copy your source material, Terry cautions. Your references are probably all copyrighted! He couldn’t even render newspaper sports pages of the day as they were, he says. To use them in an illustration he had to change them up a bit — even the wording in the headlines!
With his art director wife Leslie Widener (also a children’s book author-illustrator) Terry lives in a 100-year-old house in historic McKinney Texas, a few miles north of Dallas, Texas. They’re members of the North Texas chapter of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI.)
Terry enjoys doing school visits and receives many invitations for them each year. He can often be coaxed to draw for students in a collaboration where they “art direct” his improvised sketches on the white board.
Terry doesn’t illustrate only books on sports heroes. He takes on a variety of projects, like this series of picture books on folks songs with Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul and Mary.
Mark Mitchell and Terry Widener share a chuckle at Texas Educational Service Center Region One school librarian’s conference in Harlingen, Texas in September 2012.
(Photo by children’s author-poet Laura Purdie Salas) http://www.laurasalas.com)
Austin SCBWI Kick It Up a Notch! conference delights and inspires
Renowned illustrator and fine artist E.B. Lewis headlined the Austin SCBWI 2013 conference, Kick it Up a Notch! last weekend at St. Edward’s University. (Below) E.B. drew for pre-K and K students at the Regents School in Austin, Texas.
He also inspired middle grades at the school.
E.B. Lewis dazzled illustrators and writers alike with an impromptu watercolor demonstration at a Sunday workshop following Kick It Up a Notch!
Austin, Texas based illustrator Patrice Barton received the SCBWI Crystal Kite award for her art for the picture book Mine! by Shutta Crum (Knopf) in the reception that kicked off the Austin conference. She and Crum presented a workshop about the making of Mine!.
See the video interview Patty did with this blog about illustrating Mine!
Caitlin Alexander won first place in the conference Portfolio Showcase that was judged by E.B. Lewis, publisher Neal Porter and agent Rubin Pfeffer. Caitlin receives full tuition to next year’s Austin SCBWI conference and a $200 cash prize from the social media firm, Alter Endeavors, owned by Austin SCBWI’s Nick Alter. Erin McGuire won second place and Laura Logan and Amy Farrier tied for third place in the portfolio competition. All won gift cards from Jerry’s Art Supplies. Photo by author Cynthia Leitich Smith.
Sign up to see the full recording of the workshop on Google Drive and other great Google tools for illustrators, presented by Pooja Srinivas. Yes, it’s free!
And finally, here is my nomination and vote for the ultimate Valentines Day book.
* * * * *
Mark Mitchell, who sometimes edits this blog wrote this post. | <urn:uuid:b1cac333-075b-416b-aedb-b400bd195e2c> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://howtobeachildrensbookillustrator.wordpress.com/tag/childrens-book-illustrators/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572212.96/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815205848-20220815235848-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.938522 | 1,467 | 1.570313 | 2 |
The number of job openings in May was 11.3 million, down slightly from April’s number of 11.4 million. Though still high, this slight drop is a sign that the job market is on a track to depressurize, rather than deflate. The unemployed people to job openings ratio held at 0.52 in May, signaling the tight labor market has not gotten any tighter. Fed Chairman Jerome Powell has emphasized the importance of introducing slack into this market. The Fed hopes their fights against inflation will allow for a soft landing. In that scenario, the job openings ratio would increase to around 1 due to a decrease in job openings, rather than a jump in unemployment.
Layoffs held at a very low rate of 0.9% in May, a reassuring sign that the labor market is not deflating. In recessionary times, it’s common to see a panicked surge in layoffs. However, with such high openings numbers, companies are able to adjust by lowering their demand for workers, rather than diminishing their existing workforces. Our current labor market is so red-hot that there’s plenty of room to adjust to recession fears before any dramatic increases in layoffs are necessary. The largest increase in layoffs came from the technology industries, which rose to 1.0% from 0.9% in April. Even at their highest, sector-specific layoffs are incredibly low.
Depressurization is most apparent in two sectors: Manufacturing and Business and Professional Services. In both sectors, job openings decreased sharply. Consumer spending on durable goods dropped in May, and manufacturing businesses may have responded to that shift by cutting back on job openings. For similar reasons, businesses are tightening their expenses and delaying investments due to economic uncertainty, translating into a pullback on plans for workforce expansion. In both sectors, layoffs remain low. If other sectors follow this pattern, the Fed’s dream of a soft landing is well within reach. | <urn:uuid:25bf2cb9-bee1-4196-9a8e-18471ab7706c> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://recruitonomics.com/job-openings-fell-in-may-has-depressurization-begun/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572212.96/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815205848-20220815235848-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.967616 | 395 | 1.734375 | 2 |
5 Reasons Why Business Degrees Are a Good Fit for Veterans
Skills gained while serving in the military can be applied to many different careers. Many veterans find that they have exactly what employers are looking for, from communication skills to time management and more.
One area in which veterans can excel after their military careers is business. In fact, the skills and qualities that veterans bring to the table are one of the primary reasons for initiatives like the VOW to Hire Heroes Act of 2011, which has gained support from such major companies as Starbucks, Amazon and Microsoft. Other major companies, such as Proctor & Gamble, are also being led by veterans.
So why are service members so well-suited to business careers? What makes them the ideal candidates for business degrees like MBAs? Here are just a few of the attributes that create the perfect fit:
Although not every veteran comes out of the military a great leader, every soldier is trained in leadership and most have the opportunity to put their leadership skills to the test while serving. Not only do veterans have experience working under leaders and learning how to follow orders – and thus experience in what makes a good versus poor leader – many had military responsibilities that required them to lead others.
Military leadership is essentially all about the qualities taught in business leadership: excellent communication and listening, developing goals and plans to reach those goals, delegating responsibilities in the execution of those plans, and constantly evaluating and measuring the success of actions to make changes and adjustments.
The military is all about teamwork. Regardless of one’s background or role, soldiers are trained and focused on a common goal: to serve and protect. In every exercise and mission, soldiers work together to fulfill their responsibilities, understanding that every person is important to the outcome.
Such collaboration is often challenging in the civilian world, where personal goals, egos and other factors often overshadow the desire to work as a team. Adding a veteran to the team not only adds the dimension of someone who really understands teamwork and their role, but a veteran can also be a leader and role model for others. That’s not to say that civilians never excel at teamwork, but a military veteran can be a solid addition to a team that struggles in this area.
A common saying in the Marines is “improvise, adapt and overcome.” In other words, things are always changing, and it’s a soldier’s job to respond to those changes in such a way that they can continue to fulfill their mission.
Much like a battlefield, the world of business is always changing. Business leaders must be constantly aware of new threats and opportunities, and they must be prepared to make decisions to ensure that the company meets its goals and objectives. Veterans have been trained in being more adaptable and flexible, and therefore they are prepared to handle the rigors of business in a cool, calm and collected manner.
If there is one thing that almost everyone associates with the military, it’s organization. When we say organization, we’re referring to qualities such as punctuality, a desire for order, and time management. In the military, you are expected to be early for everything – on time is late – and to meet standards for professionalism, dress and preparedness.
In business, time is money, and veterans are often better prepared to meet deadlines and to manage their business with precision. Veterans’ attention to organization extends to all aspects of their work, from planning to execution to measurement, ensuring that all objectives are met and that the company is progressing toward its goals.
The business world isn’t the place for someone who is unsure of themselves or easily gives up in the face of challenges. Great business leaders are tenacious, and they are able to persevere even in the face of seemingly insurmountable obstacles.
Military veterans are known for their tenacity and their ability to be tough when necessary. It goes back to their adaptability and leadership skills, and the training of service members to always look for ways to meet their objectives.
Use Your Skills
These factors, combined with skills in accounting, marketing, finance and other business principles taught in a business degree program, make it possible for military veterans to succeed in nearly any organization. Veterans are especially well-suited to putting in the time and effort to make sure their pursuit of a business degree ends up being worth the investment.
Recognized as one of the top schools for military students, Columbia Southern University offers flexible online degree programs and affordable tuition rates. If you’ve completed a self-assessment and have decided to pursue a business degree while on active duty or in your post-military career, check out CSU’s business programs at ColumbiaSouthern.edu/Business. | <urn:uuid:36f52210-99bb-4cfa-8209-c1e95dc21d3d> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.columbiasouthern.edu/blog/blog-articles/2019/may/is-a-business-degree-a-good-fit-for-veterans/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571911.5/warc/CC-MAIN-20220813081639-20220813111639-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.968846 | 999 | 1.992188 | 2 |
Strontium Isotope and Major Ion Geochemistry of Yalahau Fracture Zone Waters, Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico
Wednesday, December 5, 2018: 3:20 p.m.
Exhibit Hall- C4 & C5 (Las Vegas Convention Center)
The Yalahau Region, located in the northeastern portion of the Yucatán Peninsula, hosts a series of elongated depressions trending north/south in the direction of Isla Holbox, identified as the Yalahau Fracture Zone (aka Holbox). Previous studies have explored the geomorphology and various hydrologic characteristics of the Yucatan Peninsula; however, there is a gap in data concerning the interior region where the Yalahau fractures are located. Strontium isotope and major ion geochemistry data on the surface and groundwater of this region will serve as a hydrogeochemical fingerprint to aid in constraining the hydrological boundaries, determining direction of groundwater flow, and characterizing hydrogeochemical processes that impact the composition of the groundwater within the region. 87Sr/86Sr isotope ratios and ion concentrations are expected to differ from previously published data on surrounding aquifers and flow regimes, with the potential to distinguish different areas of groundwater recharge, storage, and flow direction. Gaining an understanding of the geochemical processes and the identification of the source region(s) of the waters is critical in determining the impact of various activities (e.g. extensive tourism, drinking water withdrawal, wastewater discharge/injection) that occur within the Yucatán Peninsula. The results of this study may have a significant effect on the contaminant risk of municipal water supplies that face northern coastal cities of the Yucatán including Chiquilá and the increasingly popular tourist destination, Isla Holbox. | <urn:uuid:fb3bfeeb-d855-42ce-bbd7-23ce4e73c0cb> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://ngwa.confex.com/ngwa/gw18/webprogram/Paper12392.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572212.96/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815205848-20220815235848-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.906605 | 374 | 2.03125 | 2 |
Hardening off is the term used to describe the process of acclimating plants that have been grown indoors, or in a greenhouse, to conditions outdoors prior to planting them in the ground or positioning outdoors on a permanent basis. The acclimation period allows the plants to slowly adjust to new fluctuations in light, temperature and humidity in addition to strengthening them to other abiotic factors such as wind and rain. The process will slow down plant growth while the plant moves carbohydrates (food) to the roots and thickens its cuticle. Failure to harden your plants prior to planting is highly likely to result in plant shock due to the sudden change in conditions and this could cause the plants to die after all the hard work of growing them from seeds.
There are several different methods of hardening off your seedlings depending on where you started them. For example, plants which were raised in a heated glasshouse should preferably be transitioned to an unheated glasshouse before being moved outdoors, whereas plants grown by a window in your house or in an unheated glasshouse can start the process directly outside in the garden. The seed starting conditions will also play a role in determining how long the process will take before the plants are ready to live outdoors permanently i.e. the more protected your plants have been, the longer the hardening off process will take.
Very commonly, seedlings will have been started in the house by a bright window. In this instance, you should start the hardening off process by moving your plants to a shady, sheltered place outdoors e.g. beside a South facing wall and leave them out for a couple of hours before bringing them back indoors. Gradually increase the time your plants are outside by 1-2 hours each day making sure you bring them back indoors overnight. After 3 days of doing this, begin to place your seedlings in direct sunlight in the morning, moving them back to shade for the afternoon period. Continue to do this for a week. After this period, your seedlings should be capable of withstanding a full night outdoors (temperatures permitting). Allow the seedling to spend a few nights outside before transplanting.Transplant the seedlings on an overcast day to minimize stress and soak the plants well after planting.
Begin the process by moving plants to a shady, sheltered place outdoors e.g. beside a South facing wall | <urn:uuid:9a6e54dd-79df-4ee3-855c-034b42783da9> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://plantvillage.psu.edu/posts/3406-general-best-method-for-hardening-off-plants-in-spring | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882570767.11/warc/CC-MAIN-20220808061828-20220808091828-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.944814 | 481 | 3.546875 | 4 |
The listing is based on the Wärtsilä 31 engine’s highest fuel efficiency levels, with its diesel fuel consumption being as low as 165 g/kWh. This is far lower than any other 4-stroke diesel engine currently available on the market.
The Wärtsilä 31 engine is designed to serve various types of vessels in the Offshore, Cruise & Ferry, and other marine segments where the power range requirement is from 4.2 to 9.8 MW. The engine can be operated using a range of different fuels, and comes in three alternative versions; Diesel, Dual-Fuel (DF) and Spark-Ignited Gas (SG). The multi-fuel capabilities that the Wärtsilä 31 brings to the market extend the possibilities for operators to utilise different qualities of fuels, from very light to very heavy diesel, and a range of different qualities of gas.
“The marine industry is focusing more than ever on efficiency and flexibility. The validation of the Wärtsilä 31 by Guinness World Records as being the most efficient 4-stroke diesel engine in the world speaks for itself. Ship owners and operators now have the chance to take a more efficient approach to improving vessel operations and reducing costs. The Wärtsilä 31 clearly redefines efficiency,” says Roger Holm, Senior Vice President, Engines, Wärtsilä Ship Power.
Link to Guinness World Records homepage:
Link to Wärtsilä 31 page on wartsila.com
Wärtsilä 31 on wartsila.com
Caption: The Wärtsilä 31 engine.
Caption (2 pictures): The official Guinness World Records placards acknowledging that the Wärtsilä 31 is the Most Efficient 4-Stroke Diesel Engine.
Mr Giulio Tirelli
Director Engines Portf. & Applications
Wärtsilä Ship Power
Tel: +39 040 319 5654
Ms Marit Holmlund-Sund
Senior Manager Marketing, Communications, Ship Power
Tel: +358 10 709 1439
Wärtsilä in brief:
Wärtsilä is a global leader in complete lifecycle power solutions for the marine and energy markets. By emphasising technological innovation and total efficiency, Wärtsilä maximizes the environmental and economic performance of the vessels and power plants of its customers.
In 2014, Wärtsilä's net sales totalled EUR 4.8 billion with approximately 17,700 employees. The company has operations in more than 200 locations in nearly 70 countries around the world. Wärtsilä is listed on the NASDAQ OMX Helsinki, Finland. | <urn:uuid:7aa73161-40fc-4c63-bffa-0fba56e32e6c> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.wartsila.com/media/news/02-06-2015-new-wartsila-31-engine-achieves-guinness-world-records-title | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571911.5/warc/CC-MAIN-20220813081639-20220813111639-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.891935 | 643 | 1.679688 | 2 |
by Helen Snape
Contributing Author, Conscious Reminder
Protecting our energy is important because it enables us to get the most out of life.
For those who are highly sensitive, or have a tendency to always be helping other people, learning to protect your energy is crucial to ensure you don’t give and give and give until you give up.
Before we get to specific techniques you can use to protect your energy, we first need to establish our weekly energy map.
What drains and replenishes your energy?
Are there specific environments or events that sap your energy and others that light you up? What about particular people or groups? Are there times of the day or week when you have more or less energy? How about sounds and smells?
Tip: Keep an energy diary for a couple of weeks. Every evening, write down what you have noticed has left you feeling low in energy and what has boosted your energy.
I find rooms with no windows, crowds and travelling draining and that being in nature, meditation and singing energy boosting.
Techniques to protect your energy
Build in rest times – there may be activities you enjoy, but you know they will leave you feeling drained. Common examples are attending large group gatherings, travelling and exercise. Make sure that you build in the rest time you need afterwards so you are not trying to run on an empty tank.
Avoid or minimise time spent with energy ‘vampires’ – once you have identified who seems to sap your energy, you might simply choose to spend less time with them, or not see them at all. Why spend time with someone who leaves you feeling drained? Where this option isn’t possible, for example it’s the colleague you sit next to at work, the next tip will help.
Assert loving boundaries with others – learn to say ‘No’ more often. Manage others’ expectations – decide what time you will spend with someone, be clear about it and stick to it. When dealing with drama queens (that person that always has problems they want to tell you about), you might choose not to ask them how they are! Protect your space too – for example, you get to decide who to let into your home, for how long and what behaviour is acceptable.
Shielding – this is a visualisation technique that you can use in situations that you expect to be difficult. Slow down and take several slow deep breaths. Visualise a bright white shield that surrounds your entire body. This shield will only let in that which is positive and loving. It blocks anything negative, stressful or toxic.
Grounding – reconnecting with the earth helps us feel safe and relieves any pressure we might be feeling. If you are able to, walking barefoot in nature is a great way to do this. If you can’t do that, you could keep a really nice stone that you can hold to ground yourself. A short grounding meditation also works effectively.
Work on your own issues – our energy gets absorbed in our own unresolved issues. So when someone presses your emotional ‘buttons’ and you feel angry, scared, sad or anxious, take a step back, slow down and take the time to reflect on what is going on for you. It may be that your self-esteem needs some attention. Working on your own healing means less things will trigger you in the future and absorb your energy.
Dream about your ideal life – now you know what drains and what boosts your energy, you can imagine what your life would look like if you maximised all the things that give you energy and took away all the things that drained your energy. How amazing would that be?! Once you have the vision of your ideal life, you can then begin to take steps towards it.
Developing an understanding of what drains and what boosts your energy and applying some of these techniques will help you protect your energy in different situations.
In addition, think about what you could do to bring more positive energy into your life. And what one thing could you do to reduce the negative energy in your life this week?
∼If you like our article, give Conscious Reminder a thumbs up, and help us spread LOVE & LIGHT!∼ | <urn:uuid:d585b1d3-7618-478c-ba2e-ef7cea0edbde> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://consciousreminder.com/2019/09/21/how-to-protect-your-energy/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572043.2/warc/CC-MAIN-20220814143522-20220814173522-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.952718 | 872 | 2.71875 | 3 |
Despite somewhat confusing attempts to suspend it, Myanmar's Ethnic Youth Conference in Shan State went ahead on Tuesday in Panlong Town, the historic site of the 1947 peace deal between independence leader Aung San and ethnic rebel groups.
But amid the last-minute questions of whether the conference, involving hundreds of young people from a number of Myanmar's ethnic groups, would proceed or not, another depressing drama was playing out behind the scenes.
Two Muslims attached to the ethnic Burmese delegation were being pushed out.
The trouble, according to interviews with the two, started when the Burmese (or Bamar, the largest ethnic group in Myanmar) delegation arrived at a guesthouse in Panlong.
In the group there were 30 people, including the two Muslims, a man named Hlwan Moe Aung, 33, and a woman named Thet Suu Yee, 34. Both are from Bago region.
Hlwan Moe Aung said his National Registration Card identifies him as Muslim, and he was told after arriving by the coordination committee for the National Ethnic Youth Conference that he could not participate, only observe. He left in frustration.
"They told me I am not a member of an ethnic group and they want pure Bamar [Burmese]," he toldCoconuts Yangon in an interview on Wednesday.
To understand what happened, you have to understand the composition of a National Registration Card.
There is one space for "Ethnicity/Religion."
Hlwan Moe Aung said that this space on his card lists him as "Myanmar Muslim/Islam."
That would seemingly explain the committee's decision, but he said that in the past, a man named U Phay Khin attended the original conference in 1947 as a "Bamar Muslim."
The same should be applied to him, his reasoning suggested, and he believed he had a right to a seat at the table.
"This conference was done by a lot of Civil Society Organizations and I am feeling so sad about this," he said. "My dad was a political prisoner and he died in prison because of a hunger strike. We also sacrificed for the better future. I want to ask them, who loves the country more, us or them?"
The committee also started worrying about Thet Suu Yee, who is of South Asian heritage, a fact reflected on her card in the ethnicity and religion section. It says: "India+Bamar/Islam."
Responding to the issue, the Burmese delegation was split over what to do, but ultimately agreed not to put up a fight for either of them, according to interviews.
Both believe it had little to do with splitting hairs over ethnic affiliation and more to do with religious prejudice and fears that Buddhist nationalists would react angrily to the inclusion of Muslims.
Thet Suu Yee also left in frustration, speaking by phone on the road back.
"They shouldn't do this. This is discrimination not only on the religion but also the ethnicity. I am feeling sad. They shouldn't do this because our country is now on the way to a federal state," she said.
Around 600 people are attending the five-day conference, whose discussions are of a nonbinding, brainstorming nature.
These aren't official talks, but they are happening at the same time as ethnic rebel leaders are meeting in Kachin state, and as Aung San Suu Kyi prepares to meet with a handful of holdout rebel groups in Naypyitaw.
Min Hnaung Htaw, the 31-year-old spokesman for the conference and a member of the coordination committee, confirmed that the two left, but said they were not pushed out.
"Actually, we didn't ask them to leave. They just left when we talked about representation. We told them that this is prioritized for the ethnic [groups] in Myanmar," he said in an interview.
"We let them attend as observers [not as participants]. If they have an ethnic base, it is fine," he said. "We're not inviting individuals. We just invited Bamars so Bamars have to explain about this."
Members of the delegation could not immediately be reached for comment.
One of the organizers, however, later said on Facebook that the Kaman ethnic group, a Muslim minority in Rakhine state, was represented at the conference.
Buddhist-Muslim tensions have been running high since 2012 clashes in Rakhine State that left scores dead.
In the run-up to last year's election, Myanmar's ultimately victorious National League for Democracy came under fire from rights groups for not fielding a single Muslim candidate, something that many believed happened out of fear of angering Buddhist nationalists.
The situation has left Muslims, who make up about 4 percent of the population, feeling left out of the discussion for the new Myanmar.
When the election was over and parliament convened in February, it was said to be the first time in Myanmar's history that Muslims had no seats.
CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story neglected to note that the Kaman, an ethnic group of Muslims from Rakhine state, were said to participate in the conference. Both the headline and the article have been amended to reflect this information. | <urn:uuid:98290590-ad36-42d7-8252-42f838a5c964> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://arakandiary.blogspot.com/2016/07/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571538.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20220812014923-20220812044923-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.978087 | 1,089 | 1.796875 | 2 |
A huge PET recycling plant has begun operations in the Los Angeles area, and details have been released about equipment working in the vertically integrated facility.
The Vernon, Calif. rPlanet Earth facility has come on-line, one year after Plastics Recycling Update first wrote about the 302,000-square-foot facility a year ago. The plant, which had its official grand opening on Oct. 11, takes in bales of post-consumer PET and processes them into bottle preforms, sheet and thermoform packaging. The final products can contain a range of recycled content, up to 100 percent RPET.
Led by co-CEOs Bob Daviduk and Joe Ross, rPlanet Earth has received financing from a number of private and public sources. Already, more than $100 million has been invested in the plant.
In addition to grants, loans and tax breaks from the state of California and the U.S. Treasury Department, the Closed Loop Fund on Oct. 10 announced it was investing $1.5 million into the project. And, in addition to an earlier $2 million loan and $3 million grant from the state, the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) on Oct. 16 approved loaning rPlanet Earth another $2 million through the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Revolving Loan Program.
With a capacity of 80 million pounds per year, the rPlanet Earth facility includes equipment for sorting, washing, decontaminating, boosting intrinsic viscosity, extruding and injection molding. Equipment suppliers recently provided details about the equipment used in the plant.
Advanced sorting system
After incoming bales are broken, they go through a front-end sorting system provided by Eugene, Ore.-based Bulk Handling Systems (BHS). The system includes a number of optical sorters and robots.
The BHS system sorts more than six tons per hour, running nearly 24 hours a day. It includes BHS screen, Nihot air, NRT optical and Max-AI robotic sorting technologies.
Specifically, it has five National Recovery Technologies (NRT) optical sorters with In-Flight Sorting capabilities. In-Flight Sorting means items are scanned and identified after they have left the belt and are in mid air. The approach avoids ejection errors that can occur when items shift position on the belt after they’ve been scanned but before the air jet has been triggered. At the rPlanet Earth facility, the sorters are removing metals, mixed plastics and colored PET.
Performing final quality control is a Max-AI AQC-2 robotic unit, which relies on material recognition software using artificial intelligence. Two robotic sorters are housed in the unit.
BHS also supplied the recently launched Total Intelligence Platform, a system that automatically provides operators with detailed information from the controls system and motors, optical and Max-AI equipment, scales, baler and other sensors.
Graham Engineering and Nordson Polymer Processing Systems, which supplied other equipment for the facility, issued a press release covering their technologies. According to the release, after PET is sorted, it’s sent to dry grinders to produce flake.
“Water is avoided because it is a carrier for inks and adhesives that can negatively affect the quality of the finished rPET,” according to the release.
The flake then enters a wash tank before moving to a float-sink tank, where the PET sinks and other polymers and contaminants such as labels and adhesives float and are skimmed off.
Then, the washed flake enters a MetaPure reactor provided by German company Krones, which supplies packaging and bottle machines. There, it’s heated to about 200 degrees celsius under a vacuum to decontaminate it, according to the release. In the Krones system, solid state polymerization (SSP) is used to boost the intrinsic viscosity (IV) of the plastic. According to Krones, the MetaPure system is unique for low energy use, because flakes can be decontaminated quicker than pellets.
Without pelletizing, the rPlanet Earth plant moves the plastic directly into one of several pieces of processing equipment.
“By skipping the pelletizing of rPET we potentially avoid degrading our products’ appearance, since a melting step that can negatively affect color is completely eliminated,” Daviduk stated in the release.
The facility is using seven plastics processing lines to make its final products. It uses two injection molding machines, provided by Bolton, Ontario-headquartered Husky Injection Molding Systems. They produce the bottle preforms.
The plant also relies on three Welex brand extrusion lines provided by Graham Engineering of York, Pa. The extrusion lines produce sheet up to 75 inches wide for use in rPlanet Earth’s in-house thermoforming equipment or for sale to outside thermoformers.
The extrusion lines rely on Graham’s conical twin screw technology, which is more compact and streamlined than conventional twin-screw systems, Ross stated in the press release. The extrusion system also uses various components supplied by Nordson, headquartered in Westlake, Ohio. The screen changers from Nordson, for example, have in-line backflush capabilities that allow rPlanet Earth to avoid shutdowns because of contamination build-ups, Ross noted.
The in-house thermoforming occurs on two Lyle brand machines. The thermoformed products made by rPlanet Earth may include drinking cups, produce packaging, clamshell containers and other packaging types, according to the release.
More stories about processing | <urn:uuid:1a0ba8ff-9064-47df-b047-2aeef1b4ceeb> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://resource-recycling.com/plastics/2018/10/17/a-glimpse-at-the-technology-inside-rplanet-earth/?amp | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572212.96/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815205848-20220815235848-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.928865 | 1,167 | 2.203125 | 2 |
The specimen pictured was caught in Trivandrum, the
capital and the largest city of the Indian state of
Kerala. This city is now known as Thiruvananthapuram.
Clarias dussumieri has undergone a sharp
decline (more than 80%) in Kerala over the last 20
years generally caused by loss of habitat, pollution
and overfishing. Although over its entire range the
species is facing similar threats, it has not undergone
such rapid declines over the last 10 years. It is
therefore inferred that the overall rate of decline
may be less than 30%, hence it is assessed as Near
Threatened. However this calls for an urgent assessment
of the status on the ground to understand overall
population declines and also implement conservation
recommendations.(IUCN). Diet: Predatory,
feeds on small fishes and insects. Remarks:
Found in ditches and prefers lower reaches of streams,
rivers and canals with muddy bottom; commonly found
in ponds, swamps and paddy fields.
South Asia: Goa, Karnataka, Kerala and Pondicherry.
Type locality: Malabar, Mahé,
Froese, R. and D. Pauly.
Editors. 2009. FishBase. World Wide Web electronic
publication. www.fishbase.org, version (02/2016). Abraham, R. 2011. Clarias dussumieri.
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2011. Ferraris, C.J. Jr., 2007. Checklist
of catfishes, recent and fossil (Osteichthyes: Siluriformes),
and catalogue of siluriform primary types. Zootaxa | <urn:uuid:55f8a937-587d-4a8d-9282-ff4ae0000ba0> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | http://www.scotcat.com/clariidae/clarias_dussumieri.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572043.2/warc/CC-MAIN-20220814143522-20220814173522-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.82777 | 474 | 2.90625 | 3 |
The labs of Rice University chemist James Tour and Christopher Arnusch, a professor at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Israel, introduced a batch of graphene-enhanced composites that can be a step towards more robust packages.
By infusing laser-induced graphene with plastic, rubber, cement, wax or other materials, the lab made composites with a wide range of possible applications. These new composites could be used in wearable electronics, in heat therapy, in water treatment, in anti-icing and deicing work, in creating antimicrobial surfaces and even in making resistive random-access memory devices.
“LIG is a great material, but it’s not mechanically robust,” said Tour, who co-authored an overview of laser-induced graphene developments in the Accounts of Chemical Research journal last year. “You can bend it and flex it, but you can’t rub your hand across it. It’ll shear off. If you do what’s called a Scotch tape test on it, lots of it gets removed. But when you put it into a composite structure, it really toughens up.”
To make the composites, the researchers poured or hot-pressed a thin layer of the second material over LIG attached to polyimide. When the liquid hardened, they pulled the polyimide away from the back for reuse, leaving the embedded, connected graphene flakes behind.
Soft composites can be used for active electronics in flexible clothing, Tour said, while harder composites make excellent superhydrophobic (water-avoiding) materials. When a voltage is applied, the 20-micron-thick layer of LIG kills bacteria on the surface, making toughened versions of the material suitable for antibacterial applications.
Composites made with liquid additives are best at preserving LIG flakes’ connectivity. In the lab, they heated quickly and reliably when voltage was applied. That should give the material potential use as a deicing or anti-icing coating, as a flexible heating pad for treating injuries or in garments that heat up on demand.
“You just pour it in, and now you transfer all the beautiful aspects of LIG into a material that’s highly robust,” Tour said. | <urn:uuid:ca192252-49af-47af-8394-49a8d0417a1a> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.graphene-info.com/rice-and-bgu-present-range-exciting-new-graphene-enhanced-composite-materials-0 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571911.5/warc/CC-MAIN-20220813081639-20220813111639-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.91024 | 475 | 3.375 | 3 |
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Find more Notable Children's Books
This list was compiled by the Notable Children’s Books Committee of the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC). Librarians throughout the U.S. helped to select the titles from the several thousand children’s books published during 2008. Included are books of fiction, information, poetry, and pictures—all of special interest and value to children through age 14. The winners of the 2009 ALSC Newbery, Caldecott, Sibert, Batchelder, and Geisel Awards and the Honor Books for those awards are automatically included on the list. Notable children’s books that were also given 2009 Coretta Scott King Awards, Schneider Family Book Awards, Pura Belpré Awards, and Best Books for Young Adults designations are noted below as well.
Are You Ready to Play Outside? By Mo Willems. Illus. by the author. Hyperion, $8.99 (9781423113478).
The easily approachable text and expressive drawings tell the story of Piggie and Gerald, who experience the ups and downs of a rainy day. The 2009 Geisel Award winner.
Before John Was a Jazz Giant: A Song of John Coltrane. By Carole Boston Weatherford. Illus. by Sean Qualls. Holt, $16.95 (9780805079944).
John Coltrane’s childhood echoed with sounds. The formative experiences of the legendary musician and composer are portrayed in rhythmic language and stylized, mixed-media illustrations. A 2009 Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Book.
Beware of the Frog. By William Bee. Illus. by the author. Candlewick, $15.99 (9780763639204).
Living alone in the forest, Old Mrs. Collywobbles needs protection from the Greedy Goblin, the Smelly Troll, and the Giant Hungry Ogre. Her pet frog jumps out of folklore to come to her rescue and gives Mrs. Collywobbles more than she anticipated.
Buster Goes to Cowboy Camp. By Denise Fleming. Illus. by the author. Holt, $16.95 (9780805078923).
After a week at Cowboy Camp for Dogs, Buster’s homesickness evaporates as he joyfully joins the controlled canine chaos of camp activities. Fleming’s richly colored multimedia art details the camp’s layout and tracks the animals’ constant motion.
Chicken Said, “Cluck.” By Judyann Ackerman Grant. Illus. by Sue Truesdell. HarperCollins, $16.99 (9780060287238).
Earl and Pearl shoo Chicken away as they work on their pumpkin patch, but as the story comes full circle, it’s Chicken who does the shooing and saves the day. A 2009 Geisel Honor Book.
A Couple of Boys Have the Best Week Ever. By Marla Frazee. Illus. by the author. Harcourt, $16 (9780152060206).
Using lively, detailed, subtly retro cartoons, Frazee gently pokes fun at adult expectations and captures the unbounded joy of two friends experiencing a parent-free summer adventure. A 2009 Caldecott Honor Book.
Garmann’s Summer. By Stian Hole. Illus. by the author. Tr. by Don Barlett. Eerdmans, $17.50 (9780802853394).
In this tale of a six-year-old’s last summer before starting school, a humorous and poetic text combines with surreal and multilayered artwork to create a unique, complex book about the universality of fear and uncertainty. A 2009 Batchelder Honor Book.
Ghosts in the House! By Kazuno Kohara. Illus. by the author. Roaring Brook, $12.95 (9781596434271).
Faced with a houseful of ghosts, a little girl and her cat come up with a creative solution for repurposing them. Orange and black linocuts, collaged with rice paper “ghosts,” enliven this appealing package for very young children.
Goose and Duck. By Jean Craighead George. Illus. by Priscilla Lamont. HarperCollins/Laura Geringer, $16.99 (9780061170768).
Goose imprints on the boy who finds his egg; Duck imprints on Goose, and both follow the boy around until autumn, when they figure out who they are and join their fellows flying south.
The Hinky-Pink: An Old Tale
. By Megan McDonald. Illus. by Brian Floca. Simon & Schuster/Richard Jackson, $16.99 (9780689875885).
Until young seamstress Anabel finds the perfect bed for the Hobbledy-gob Hinky- Pink, she will get no sleep, and the princess’ dress will never be ready in time for the ball.
The House in the Night. By Susan Marie Swanson. Illus. by Beth Krommes. Houghton, $17 (9780618862443).
This timeless bedtime verse offers reassurance to young children that there is always light in the darkness. Elegant lines, with touches of golden watercolor, evoke the warmth and comfort of home as well as the joys of exploring the wider world. The 2009 Caldecott Medal winner and the 2008 Booklist Top of the List winner for picture books.
How to Heal a Broken Wing. By Bob Graham. Illus. by the author. Candlewick, $16.99 (9780763639037).
On a busy street, young Will stops for an injured pigeon. Soft watercolor panels depict the family’s care of the bird and its subsequent release into the sky over the city.
Just in Case: A Trickster Tale and Spanish Alphabet Book. By Yuyi Morales. Illus. by the author. Roaring Brook/Neal Porter, $17.95 (9781596433298).
Vibrant jewel-tone colors masterfully capture Señor Calavera’s quest to find the perfect birthday gift for Grandma Beetle. Part ghost story, part trickster tale, the book features motifs from Mexican culture that represent each letter of the Spanish alphabet. The 2009 Pura Belpré Illustrator Award Book and a 2009 Pura Belpré Author Honor Book.
Maybe a Bear Ate It! By Robie H. Harris. Illus. by Michael Emberley. Orchard, $15.99 (9780439929615).
When a favorite book goes missing, the frantic narrator conducts a frenzied search, imagining the worst. Cartoon-style art illustrates the emotions that come with losing and finding a cherished object.
Old Bear. By Kevin Henkes. Illus. by the author. Greenwillow, $17.99 (9780061552052).
During his annual hibernation, Old Bear dreams of the seasons of his youth. Seasonal changes and Old Bear’s sense of wonder are gently evoked in Henkes’ ink-and-watercolor pictures.
One Boy. By Laura Vaccaro Seeger. Illus. by the author. Roaring Brook/Neal Porter, $14.95 (9781596432741).
Seeger leads readers to discover words within words through a distinctive die-cut design and clean, bold illustrations. A 2009 Geisel Honor Book.
Papá and Me. By Arthur Dorros. Illus. by Rudy Gutierrez. HarperCollins/Rayo, $16.99 (9780060581565).
Lively artwork tells the story of a father and son who spend a special day together in the city, culminating in a visit with Papá’s parents. A 2009 Pura Belpré Illustrator Honor Book.
Stinky. By Eleanor Davis. Illus. by the author. RAW Junior/TOON, $12.95 (9780979923845).
Stinky the swamp monster is at first determined to rid his beloved “muddy, slimy, smelly swamp” of Nick, only to realize that this dreaded “kid” is not the appallingly clean intruder he supposes him to be. A 2009 Geisel Honor Book.
A Visitor for Bear. By Bonny Becker. Illus. by Kady MacDonald Denton. Candlewick, $16.99 (9780763628079).
The simple backdrop of Bear’s forest home sets the stage for a visit from the persistent and irritating mouse that insists the two will become friends.
What Can You Do with a Rebozo? By Carmen Tafolla. Illus. by Amy Cordova. Tricycle, $14.95 (9781582462202).
Rich, vibrant colors swirl and swoosh across full-page spreads, depicting the home of an imaginative, young Mexican American girl who playfully invents modern-day uses for the traditional Mexican rebozo, or long scarf. A 2009 Pura Belpré Illustrator Honor Book.
What’s Up, Duck? A Book of Opposites. By Tad Hills. Illus. by the author. Random/Schwartz & Wade, $6.99 (9780375847387).
Adapting Duck and Goose for the board-book crowd, Hill whimsically presents concepts such as loud and quiet, far and near, and heavy and light in clear, child-appealing watercolors.
Wolfsnail: A Backyard Predator. By Sarah C. Campbell. Illus. by the author and Richard P. Campbell. Boyds Mills, $16.95 (9781590785546).
Magnified photographs and an informative text provide a look at the carnivorous wolfsnail trapping and devouring its victim. This science book will attract readers and amaze them. A 2009 Geisel Honor Book.
Abe Lincoln Crosses a Creek: A Tall, Thin Tale (Introducing His Forgotten Frontier Friend). By Deborah Hopkinson. Illus. by John Hendrix. Random/Schwartz & Wade, $16.99 (9780375837685).
Taking a boyhood story about Lincoln as inspiration, Hopkinson provides a lively, tongue-in-cheek telling with as many bends as Knob Creek. Hendrix’s broad, cartoonlike illustrations visually suggest several possible outcomes to the boys’ predicament.
All Stations! Distress! April 15, 1912, the Day the Titanic Sank. By Don Brown. Illus. by the author. Roaring Brook, $17.95 (9781596432222).
Selecting just the right amount of essential information, Brown artfully captures the drama of what happened to the unsinkable Titanic on that fateful night.
Bird. By Zetta Elliott. Illus. by Shadra Strickland. Lee & Low, $19.95 (9781600602412).
A young boy, Mehkai, nicknamed Bird because he loves to draw birds, finds solace in his artwork when his beloved grandfather dies and his admired older brother succumbs to drug addiction. Winner of the Coretta Scott King 2009 John Steptoe New Talent Award.
The Blacker the Berry. By Joyce Carol Thomas. Illus. by Floyd Cooper. Amistad, $16.99 (9780060253752).
This collection of 12 poems celebrating and affirming both the variations in skin color and individuality of African American children is illustrated with richly colored paintings that complement the imagery of the free verse. The 2009 Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award Book and a 2009 Coretta Scott King Author Honor Book.
Boys of Steel: The Creators of Superman
. By Marc Tyler Nobleman. Illus. by Ross MacDonald. Knopf, $16.99 (9780375838026).
Part picture book, part graphic novel, this is the fascinating story of how two high-school friends created a superhero who endures to this day.
Buffalo Music. By Tracey E. Fern. Illus. by Lauren Castillo. Clarion, $16 (9780618723416).
Pioneer Mary Ann Goodnight saves her beloved Texas buffalo from extinction by shipping those that escape slaughter to Yellowstone to become part of a new national herd. Spare scenes of primitive abstract art create a stunning visual landscape.
Christo and Jeanne-Claude: Through the Gates and Beyond
. By Jan Greenberg and Sandra Jordan. illus. Roaring Brook/Neal Porter, $19.95 (9781596430716).
Beginning with a description of the dramatic “Gates” project installed for two weeks in Central Park in 2005, this attractive book introduces readers to the extraordinary pair, whose art, in its immense scope, has amazed and astounded the world.
Elizabeth Leads the Way: Elizabeth Cady Stanton and the Right to Vote. By Tanya Lee Stone. Illus. by Rebecca Gibbon. Holt, $16.95 (9780805079036).
This introductory biography outlines Elizabeth Cady Stanton’s childhood realization of the secondary status of women and continues with her later activism that led to the right to vote for women. Folk art expands the text.
Frogs. By Nic Bishop. Illus. by the author. Scholastic, $17 (9780439877558).
Bishop presents salient facts about frogs through a clear text, augmented with eye-popping photographs of species from around the world. Even the frog-phobic will be fascinated.
The Graveyard Book. By Neil Gaiman. Illus. by Dave McKean. HarperCollins, $17.99 (9780060530921).
A child marked for death by an ancient league of assassins escapes into an abandoned graveyard, where he is reared and protected by its spirit denizens. A delicious mix of murder, fantasy, humor, and human longing, Gaiman’s tale is told in magical, haunting prose. The 2009 Newbery Medal winner and a 2009 Best Book for Young Adults.
Horse Song: The Naadam of Mongolia
. By Ted Lewin and Betsy Lewin. Illus. by the authors. Lee & Low, $19.95 (9781584302773).
Alternating lavish watercolors and lively cartoon sketches, the artists document their travel to Mongolia, capturing the excitement and beauty of Naadam, a summer festival, where young boys and girls compete in horse racing.
How I Learned Geography. By Uri Shulevitz. Illus. by the author. Farrar, $16.95 (9780374334994).
Recounting memories of his family’s flight from Warsaw and his years as a refugee during World War II, Shulevitz employs watercolor and ink to depict a boy liberated from his dreary existence through flights of fancy inspired by the map his father buys in the village market. A 2009 Caldecott Honor Book.
Knucklehead: Tall Tales & Mostly True Stories about Growing Up Scieszka. By Jon Scieszka. illus. Viking, $16.99 (9780670011063).
A hilarious saga of growing up in a household with five brothers during the 1950s and 1960s by the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, illustrated with candid pictures from the period.
The London Eye Mystery. By Siobhan Dowd. Random/David Fickling, $15.99 (9780375849763).
In a race against time, 12-year-old Ted, with his sister Kat, uses his special skills and perceptions to discover how their cousin Salim disappeared while riding the London Eye, the world’s tallest observation wheel. A 2009 Best Book for Young Adults.
Masterpiece. By Elise Broach. Illus. by Kelly Murphy. Holt/Christy Ottaviano, $16.95 (9780805082708).
An artistic beetle with a yen for adventure and a lonely 11-year-old boy team up to catch the thief who has stolen a priceless Albrecht Durerfrom the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit
. By Nahoko Uehashi. Illus. by Yuko Shimizu. Tr. by Cathy Hirano. Scholastic/Arthur Levine, $17.99 (9780545005425).
Balsa, a female warrior, accepts the task of protecting a young prince, the guardian of the sacred spirit, from both demons and his father’s assassins. Together, Balsa and Prince Chagum must find in each other the source of strength they need to prevail. The 2009 Batchelder Award winner.
Pale Male: Citizen Hawk of New York City. By Janet Schulman. Illus. by Meilo So. Knopf, $19.99 (9780375845581).
Lush watercolors and a personable narrative bring to life the story of Pale Male, a male hawk that nests atop a swanky Fifth Avenue apartment building and sparks a battle between residents and conservationists for his habitat.
Piano Starts Here: The Young Art Tatum
. By Robert Andrew Parker. Illus. by the author. Random/Schwartz & Wade, $16.99 (9780375839658).
Employing a first-person narrative, Parker imagines renowned jazz pianist Tatum’s early years, taking readers from his Toledo youth to big-city clubs and concert halls. Luminous watercolors compellingly extend the text. A 2009 Schneider Family Book Award winner.
Planting the Trees of Kenya: The Story of Wangari Maathai. By Claire A. Nivola. Illus. by the author. Farrar/Frances Foster, $16.95 (9780374399184).
Naïf, charming pictures and well-chosen details illuminate the life and work of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Wangari Maathai, who responded to the impending desertification of her native Kenya by instigating the planting of 30 million trees. A 2009 Amelia Bloomer Book.
The Porcupine Year. By Louise Erdrich. HarperCollins, $15.99 (9780060297879).
Set in 1852, the third in the Birchbark House series finds Omakayas, a young Ojibwe girl, now 12, and her family facing serious challenges as they move westward from land the U.S. government has claimed.
Rapunzel’s Revenge. By Shannon Hale and Dean Hale. Illus. by Nathan Hale. Bloomsbury, $18.99 (9781599900704).
In a vibrantly illustrated graphic novel set in a make-believe frontier land, an untraditional Rapunzel escapes the tower, uses her long braids as weapons, and takes revenge on the wicked Mother Gothel. A 2009 Great Graphic Novel for Teens.
A River of Words: The Story of William Carlos Williams
. By Jen Bryant. Illus. by Melissa Sweet. Eerdmans, $17 (9780802853028).
Sweet’s mixed-media collage and primitive watercolors flow seamlessly with Bryant’s prose to reveal the important bits and pieces of Williams’ ordinary—yet extraordinary—life as a doctor and poet. A 2009 Caldecott Honor Book.
Savvy. By Ingrid Law. Dial, $16.99 (9780803733060).
This rich first-person narrative draws readers into a wild bus ride that winds through the countryside and becomes a journey of self-discovery for Mibs Beaumont and her companions. A 2009 Newbery Honor Book.
Silent Music: A Story of Baghdad. By James Rumford. Illus. by the author. Roaring Brook/Neal Porter, $17.95 (9781596432765).
Ali, a young boy in contemporary Baghdad, loves calligraphy and practices his art to shut out the sights and sounds of war. Mixed-media illustrations employ rich color, lush texture, bold silhouettes, and flowing calligraphy.
Six Innings: A Game in the Life
. By James Preller. Feiwel and Friends, $16.95 (9780312367633).
The heart-stopping action of a Little League baseball game frames a personal introduction to the players, the strategies, and 12-year-old Sam, sidelined by cancer.
The Storyteller’s Candle/La velita de los cuentos. By Lucia Gonzalez. Illus. by Lulu Delacre. Children’s Book Press, $16.95 (9780892392223).
Pura Belpré, the first Puerto Rican librarian hired by the New York Public Library, introduced immigrants living in El Barrio to the library and hosted the neighborhood’s first Three Kings’ Day fiesta. A 2009 Pura Belpré Author Honor Book and a 2009 Pura Belpré Illustrator Honor Book.
The Underneath. By Kathi Appelt. Illus. by David Small. Atheneum, $16.99 (9781416950585).
Intertwined stories of an embittered man, a loyal hound, an abandoned cat, and a vengeful lamia tell of love, loss, loneliness, and hope. A 2009 Newbery Honor Book.
Wanda Gág: The Girl Who Lived to Draw
. By Deborah Kogan Ray. Illus. by the author. Viking, $16.99 (9780670062928).
This intimate portrait of the creator of Millions of Cats combines Gág’s own words with more-detailed text to describe a girl who never let go of her dream. Lush illustrations suggest Gág’s style and versatility.
Way Up and Over Everything. By Alice McGill. Illus. by Jude Daly. Houghton, $16 (9780618387960).
Stylized watercolors illustrate a storyteller’s account of five newly purchased Africans who escaped the horrors of slavery by flying away from the Georgia plantation where her great-grandmama’s mama lived and worked.
Ways to Live Forever. By Sally Nicholls. Scholastic/Arthur A. Levine, $16.99 (9780545069489).
Using clever lists, insightful questions, thoughtful journal entries, and drawings, 11-year-old Sam shares his perspective on his leukemia and his upbeat attitude as he faces the end of his life.
What to Do about Alice? How Alice Roosevelt Broke the Rules, Charmed the World, and Drove Her Father Teddy Crazy! By Barbara Kerley. Illus. by Edwin Fotheringham. Scholastic, $16.99 (9780439922319).
Growing up as the daughter of the president was not easy, but being the president and father of Alice Roosevelt wasn’t easy either. Kerley’s playful use of language and Fotheringham’s rollicking illustrations converge in energy and outrageousness as they detail Alice’s life. A 2009 Sibert Honor Book.
When the Wolves Returned: Restoring Nature’s Balance in Yellowstone
. By Dorothy Hinshaw Patent. Illus. by Dan Hartman and Cassie Hartman. Walker, $17.95 (9780802796868).
Lively photographs capturing images of wildlife and an easy text make clear to young readers the beneficial impact to the ecosystem when wolves were reintroduced in Yellowstone.
Young Voices of Afghanistan. By Tony O’Brien and Mike Sullivan. Illus. by the author. Bloomsbury, $18.99 (9781599902876).
Young people of various backgrounds from around Kabul share their hopes and dreams in this amazing and heartrending collection, illustrated with full-color photo portraits.
After Tupac and D Foster. By Jacqueline Woodson. Putnam, $15.99 (9780399246548).
Bonded by Tupac’s music, three girls explore the lure of freedom and build a friendship that redefines their own identities. A 2009 Newbery Honor Book, a 2009 Best Book for Young Adults, and a 2009 Rainbow Project Book.
Ain’t Nothing but a Man: My Quest to Find the Real John Henry
. By Scott Reynolds Nelson and Marc Aronson. National Geographic, $18.95 (9781426300004).
Historian Nelson, with coauthor Aronson, explains how he connected bits of information acquired in a larger research project to identify the actual story and person behind the John Henry folk song. A 2009 Best Book for Young Adults.
Bodies from the Ice: Melting Glaciers and the Recovery of the Past
. By James M. Deem. illus. Houghton, $17 (9780618800452).
In this exploration of glacier archaeology, Deem’s visual presentation engages readers through period newspaper illustrations, paintings, maps, and photographs of ice mummies and artifacts from four continents. A 2009 Sibert Honor Book.
Chains. By Laurie Halse Anderson. Simon & Schuster, $16.99 (9781416905851).
Sold as a slave to an influential New York Tory family, 13-year-old Isabel spies for the patriot side during the American Revolution in a desperate hope to gain freedom for herself and her 5-year-old sister. A 2009 Best Book for Young Adults.
Here Lies Arthur. By Philip Reeve. Scholastic, $17.99 (9780545093347).
Reeve places his Arthur in Britain’s Dark Ages, where the Merlin-like Myrddin embellishes his story like a medieval spin doctor turning the straw of brutal fact into the gold of heroic legend. A 2009 Best Book for Young Adults.
The Hunger Games. By Suzanne Collins. Scholastic, $17.99 (9780439023481).
In this futuristic page-turner, Katniss takes her younger sister’s place as one of 24 youths who are turned over to the Capitol to participate in a deadly reality game in which only one contestant can survive. A 2009 Best Book for Young Adults.
Keeping the Night Watch. By Hope Anita Smith. Illus. by E. B. Lewis. Holt, $18.95 (9780805072020).
While the rest of the family welcomes his father’s return, 13-year-old CJ cannot hide his hurt and anger over his father’s abandonment. Smith’s graceful poetry delves deeply into CJ’s emotional life. A Coretta Scott King Author Honor Book.
The Lincolns: A Scrapbook Look at Abraham and Mary
. By Candace Fleming. illus. Random/Schwartz & Wade, $24.99 (9780375836183).
Short articles, vignettes, excerpts from letters, historical photographs, and documents form the scrapbook that depicts the intertwined lives of the Civil War president and his devoted but unbalanced wife, giving equal attention to both subjects.
Nation. By Terry Pratchett. HarperCollins, $16.99 (9780061433016).
After a tsunami, island native Mau and shipwreck survivor Daphne construct a nation that blends each other’s customs, science, and faith in this multilevel novel of survival and politics. A 2009 Printz Honor Book and a 2009 Best Book for Young Adults.
Reaching Out. By Francisco Jiménez. Houghton, $16 (9780618038510).
In this poignantly written autobiography, Jiménez recounts his days as a young Mexican American student who is the first in his family to attend college. Against great odds, he is determined to complete his education. A 2009 Pura Belpré Author Honor Book.
The Surrender Tree: Poems of Cuba’s Struggle for Freedom
. By Margarita Engle. Holt, $16.95 (9780805086744).
Hauntingly beautiful free verse breathes life into this finely crafted story that illuminates Cuba’s fight for independence from Spain in the 1800s. A 2009 Newbery Honor Book, the 2009 Pura Belpré Author Award Book, and a 2009 Best Book for Young Adults.
Tiger Moon. By Antonia Michaelis. Tr. by Anthea Bell. Abrams/Amulet, $18.95 (9780810994812).
In colonial-era India, a betrayed woman facing death, an unlikely hero, and a sarcastic white tiger come together in a magical story within a story. This masterfully crafted tale moves seamlessly from reality to fantasy as it reveals the profound power of story. A 2009 Batchelder Honor Book.
The Trouble Begins at 8: A Life of Mark Twain in the Wild, Wild West. By Sid Fleischman. illus. Greenwillow, $18.99 (9780061344312).
This rip-roaring biography of America’s quintessential humorist is as outrageous as its subject. Twain’s early life is conveyed through memorable quotes and period photographs as Fleischman disentangles facts from fiction. A 2009 Best Book for Young Adults.
Waiting for Normal. By Leslie Connor. HarperCollins/Katherine Tegen, $16.99 (9780060890889).
Even as she longs for the loving family life her younger half sisters share with her former stepfather, resilient sixth-grader Addie copes with living in a trailer in Schenectady, New York, with her neglectful mother. A 2009 Schneider Family Book Award winner and a 2009 Best Book for Young Adults.
Washington at Valley Forge. By Russell Freedman. illus. Holiday, $24.95 (9780823420698).
Freedman’s customary graceful prose, eye for the telling detail, and clear narrative arc are all here as he describes the winter Washington’s troops spent at Valley Forge.
The Way We Work: Getting to Know the Amazing Human Body
. By David Macaulay and Richard Walker. Illus. by David Macaulay. Houghton/Walter Lorraine, $35 (9780618233786).
The amazing human body, its systems and functions, gets an equally amazing treatment here. Thorough explanations, written and visual, offer an inside look at the body’s marvels.
We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball
. By Kadir Nelson. Illus. by the author. Hyperion/Jump at the Sun, $18.99 (9780786808328).
This fascinating and well-documented history of Negro League Baseball is told in the voice of an Everyman narrator. Dignified, riveting, full-page illustrations capture the spirit of these larger-than-life men who loved the game, despite the prejudice they faced. The 2009 Sibert Medal winner, the 2009 Coretta Scott King Author Award Book, a 2009 Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Book, and the 2009 Booklist Top of the List winner for youth nonfiction.
A Is for Art:
An Abstract Alphabet. By Stephen T. Johnson. Illus. by the author. Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman, $16.99 (9780689863011).
In this amazing tour de force, Johnson creates an original piece of abstract art for each letter of the alphabet. Playful touches include hidden letters, alliterative text, and details on the construction of each piece.
Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out. By the National Children’s Book and Literacy Alliance. Candlewick, $29.99 (9780763620677).
One hundred and eight of children’s literature’s finest authors and illustrators tell both the historical and human stories of a beloved national landmark.
Wild Tracks: A Guide to Nature’s Footprints
. By Jim Arnosky. Illus. by the author. Sterling, $14.95 (9781402739859).
Life-size footprints depicting more than 60 North American wild animals make this an enticing field guide for young explorers.
Notable Children’s Books, 2009, committee members: Caroline Ward, chair, The Ferguson Library, Stamford (CT); Betty Carter, Coppell (TX); Elise DeGuiseppi, Pierce County Library System, Tacoma (WA); Eliza T. Dresang, University of Washington, Seattle; Roxanne Hsu Feldman, The Dalton School, New York (NY); Darwin L. Henderson, College of Education, University of Cincinnati (OH); Barbara Immroth, School of Information, University of Texas, Austin; Kathleen Isaacs, Pasadena (MD); Marie Orlando, Suffolk Cooperative Library System, Bellport (NY); Sally Anne Thompson, Paradise Valley (AZ); Martha M. Walke, Children’s Literature New England, Inc., South Strafford (VT). Ilene Cooper, consultant, Booklist, Chicago (IL).
Free Trial, activate profile, or subscribe | <urn:uuid:7b97e97c-7171-47b0-8640-06e485217ffe> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.booklistonline.com/Notable-Children-s-Books-2009/pid=3351711 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571911.5/warc/CC-MAIN-20220813081639-20220813111639-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.868285 | 7,153 | 1.640625 | 2 |
Years ago, I saw a quote on Facebook that really stuck with me. It said, “Entrepreneurs are willing to work 80 hours a week to avoid working 40 hours a week.” (Lori Greiner) Eschewing the corporate life and work structure for the “freedom” of working for themselves – but then becoming chained to their new work paradigm more deeply than before.
I know that many of you can relate to that deeply.
Over the years, and especially more recently, the idea of a 40-hour workweek and working 9 am-5 pm has come under scrutiny. As a business owner, you may laugh at these concepts thinking, “I would LOVE a 40-hour week and the chance to work 9-5 pm! That would be a break from the long days I have put in to move my company forward.”
Yes, it certainly would.
And while we made this choice to work long hours in the pursuit of building thriving businesses, as entrepreneurs, we can certainly understand why people want flexibility as it relates to their schedule.
Where Did the 9-5 pm/40-hour Work Week Come From?
I did a little digging to understand where these ideas for work and time working came from – and the short answer is that in the past, working hours and conditions were abysmal compared to what we experience now. But by the 1920s – through labor strikes, research, and law – a set work week of fewer than 50 hours was established with some indication that productivity waned beyond this length of time at work.
But these ideas pertained mainly to workers in a factory. (You can check out this short history on Quora.)
For knowledge workers and business owners, while we cannot ask our employees to work more than 40 hours, there is no limit to when we can choose to be ‘on’ for work. We control this. We control when we work, where we work, and how long we work.
Work and the Workplace Have Changed
More people than ever are working from a home office – not just consultants and business owners, but also employees whose workplaces allow work from home.
Now, even more people are experiencing work creep – a concern in 2019 – and making a major issue today.
Article after article has been written in the last two years expounding on working from home and having a work-life balance.
And, like so many things that we are trying to fit into our new world of work, our ideas about our work and time need to be revisited.
Where and How Can We Be Flexible About Work?
I propose that we embrace a more flexible and adaptable way of working because work and the workplace have so drastically changed. But what should we be looking at? Where can we look to make changes? I believe we need to look at our workday, workweek length, and work completeness.
Workday – Few of us have constrained ourselves to the 9-5 workday, and it’s time to allow this to be ok. We have examples all around us that show few places where this truly works. For example, entertainment, education, healthcare, retail, and manufacturing all have hours outside of 9-5, and we expect that to be the case.
Additionally, each of us has a “Biological Prime Time” – where we have our most energy and are at peak productivity. This should definitely be a time when we are working – even if it means 6 a.m. for me and 9 p.m. for you. (Clemson.edu has put together a brief chart to help you track your energy levels and figure out your Biological Prime Time.)
Let go of the idea that you can and should work from 9 am-5 pm.
Workweek Length – I would not go as far as to suggest that we all adopt a 4-hour workweek as Tim Ferris recommends; there is no reason to be tied to a specific number of hours or days at work.
But research has shown that well being increases with a shorter than 40-hour workweek. However, that same research also indicates that more employees are disengaged and report less job satisfaction with a shorter workweek.
The problem is more complex than how many days per week you work.
Let go of the idea that you must work 40 hours to be productive.
Work Completeness – There are two components to work completeness. The first is the idea that your day cannot be “over” until you finish your to-do list or get a certain number of things accomplished. The second relates to the need for everything to be “perfect” or reach a specific level of “doneness” before you can move on.
These ideas can create unrealistic expectations, extremely long days, and a work-life balance that never has a chance to be…balanced.
Let go of the idea that everything needs to be done today and that it needs to be perfect in order to move forward.
What Should We be Looking at?
If you’re ready to be more flexible with your work, then there are some things you should look at.
When do your customers, employees, and vendors need you to be available?
While the times need not be 9am-5pm, consider the work that is being done and when it makes sense to have available times. Work can be done outside of these times but knowing when everyone needs to be ‘on’ and available allows work to happen in sync – and for tasks like meetings, client-facing work, and customer service, that is important.
What is needed for the tasks at hand?
Instead of expecting 9 am-5 pm or 40 hours, look at what each project needs. That could be a longer week to complete a launch or roll out or a shorter week if all areas are following a routine and operating smoothly. One thing I know for sure is that work will fill the time that you allow it. So, if you shorten the time available, you will prioritize and complete what is needed in that time. It’s easier to do this when you are thoughtful about how much time each task will reasonably take and when it must be completed. Decide when a project is ‘done’ and allow that to be the end of it. This requires setting clear expectations for ‘done’ before the project has gotten underway.
Overall, like everything we have explored over these last two years since the pandemic began, it’s time to be critical of how and why we choose to work as it relates to the number of hours and when we work. Prioritize the projects and work that will further your business objectives and set clear boundaries on when tasks are completed without using arbitrary deadlines, work hours or week lengths.
Please comment below, I would love to hear from you. | <urn:uuid:d1e7c6b0-ca1e-4ec7-ac27-d21d95f68540> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.nettieowens.com/professional-organizing-blog/flexible-scheduling-not-9-5/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571911.5/warc/CC-MAIN-20220813081639-20220813111639-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.966649 | 1,432 | 2.046875 | 2 |
Using research to combat internalized bias
Combating internalized biases is an important step in building equitable, fair societies. Sometimes internalized biases are implicit, meaning individuals may unknowingly associate stereotypes with certain social groups or have certain beliefs that they are not aware of. In other instances, they may be conscious of their biases but have difficulty overcoming them. Identifying strategies to combat this type of bias is critical for fighting prejudice and discrimination.
Despite growing support for policies and programs aimed at tackling discrimination, more research is needed to identify which strategies are effective and in which contexts. Research in social psychology, for instance, has developed several techniques to help individuals overcome their biases. While these have been shown to be effective in lab settings, there has been little work to study such strategies in real-world contexts. This research is essential for incorporating effective approaches into everyday programs.
With these considerations in mind, J-PAL hosted a webinar on April 11, 2022 focused on combating discrimination. We were joined by Sule Alan (European University Institute), Diag Davenport (University of Chicago), and Jenan Mohajir, Senior Director of Special Projects at Interfaith Youth Core, for a conversation moderated by Marianne Bertrand (University of Chicago; Co-Chair, J-PAL Labor Sector). The speakers shared their work and discussed the need for more evidence around effective programs to combat discriminatory practices. Read on for a recap of key insights from the panelists.
The state of the field
During the session, the panelists discussed their priorities related to combating bias and highlighted how research can help further our understanding of effective strategies.
Sule Alan, a professor of economics, presented findings from a randomized evaluation in Turkey that found promising impacts of using an approach from social psychology known as perspective-taking to reduce bias against Syrian refugee students. This approach, which involves helping individuals learn to understand the point of view of someone they are biased against, has often been tested in lab settings with promising results. Professor Alan and her collaborators drew from those learnings to design a curriculum for Turkish classrooms and found that the intervention reduced violence and victimization and reduced social isolation. Increased friendships between Turkish and Syrian refugee children also persisted 2.5 years later, despite school closures that occurred as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Diag Davenport, a PhD student in behavioral science, discussed preliminary evidence and open questions on the intersection of algorithmic decision-making and human bias. He highlighted the need for research around methods to reduce the “double penalty” that occurs when humans make biased choices on top of a set of biased options presented by algorithms. Algorithms and machine learning present potentially valuable opportunities to mitigate the effects of internalized biases—for example, they can be trained to detect and demote bias-inducing situations and actions, but they present many challenges as they are currently designed and used.
Jenan Mohajir, Senior Director of Leadership, shared insights from Interfaith Youth Core’s IDEALS research project that examines how college students engage with religious and worldview diversity. Results from longitudinal surveys show that the environment and setting in which relationship building takes place are important factors in how students overcome biases to form meaningful relationships across differences in religion, ideology, and other elements of identity.
Together, these panelists highlighted the importance of combating bias in both in-person and online spaces, providing suggestions for approaches that may be particularly effective.
Overcoming internalized bias is a critical step towards fighting discrimination and building equitable societies. Fortunately, tools and strategies that can help individuals recognize and overcome biases they may not be aware of have been developed and tested for decades in laboratory settings by researchers from different fields. Adapting these tools to real-world settings and testing their ability to prevent discriminatory behavior and practices can help practitioners understand what policies and interventions are particularly effective in changing mindsets and beliefs.
This work is important not just for in-person interactions but also online. As people around the world are increasingly interconnected via social media, better understanding the impact of algorithms on decision-making and the ways in which algorithms themselves may also be biased is a prerequisite for combating bias and discrimination in online platforms.
An important next step is to combine the expertise of practitioners in this space, who have spent decades developing and implementing context-specific programs, and of researchers, who bring experience in conducting real-world evaluations that can elucidate how and why such programs are effective. Doing so in a systematic way will shed light on what types of interventions are particularly impactful at changing mindsets and worldviews, reducing bias in decision-making, and–ultimately–combating discrimination.
Missed the webinar? You can watch it here. | <urn:uuid:a52d2dd0-6224-4528-b5e0-c0a77d0d7cd6> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.povertyactionlab.org/blog/5-3-22/using-research-combat-internalized-bias?lang=fr | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572043.2/warc/CC-MAIN-20220814143522-20220814173522-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.945835 | 962 | 2.984375 | 3 |
history [edit ]
Malta first participated at Eurovision in 1971, although the history of National song contests organized in the maltese islands dates back to 1960 when the first Malta Song Festival took place. Malta has never won the contest, although it has twice finished second and twice finished third. At beginning, the island state sent songs in its native language, maltese, but it failed to rank highly, finishing last in its foremost two attempts in the contest in 1971 and 1972 and withdrew after the 1975 contest.
Malta ‘s return key to the contest in 1991, after a 16-year absence, proved to be more successful, with eight consecutive top 10 placings ( 1991–1998 ) and finishing in the peak 10 in 12 out of 15 contests from 1991 to 2005. These results included third-place finishes in 1992 for Mary Spiteri and in 1998 for Chiara and second-place finishes in 2002 for Ira Losco and in 2005 for Chiara, who in 2009 became the first performer to represent Malta at three contests, finishing 22nd. [ 1 ] [ 2 ] Malta ‘s two seconds and two thirds, make it the most successful state not to win the contest. In the end 15 contests, Malta has alone reached the top 10 doubly, with Gianluca Bezzina finishing one-eighth in 2013, and Destiny Chukunyere finishing one-seventh in 2021. Fabrizio Faniello, who had previously finished ninth in 2001, finished last in the 2006 final, and since then the country has failed to qualify from the semi-final round seven times, in 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2015, 2017 and 2018. together with France, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom, Malta is one of the few countries that has not missed a contest since 1991. All of Malta ‘s entries since 1991 have been sung in its early official speech, English, which it was one of the few countries allowed to use in the contest between 1977 and 1999, being a early british colony which ( as seen below ) has had a close relationship with the UK within the contest. The only consumption of the maltese language was three lines in the 2000 entry “ Desire “, performed by Claudette Pace. The maltese broadcasters of the show are the Public Broadcasting Services ( PBS ). All shows are transmitted live on TVM and Radio Malta. besides, along with Croatia and Sweden it was the lone country never to be relegated, under the previous rules of the contest, that was n’t a separate of the Big Four .
choice serve [edit ]
Malta uses a telecast home final to select its entrance. From its introduction in 1971 through 1976, Malta Song Festival, an existing birdcall festival that had been created in 1960 was used to select the entrant, with the winner going to represent the state at the Eurovision Song Contest. Malta did not participate in the contest between 1977 and 1990. Since its retort in 1991, national finals under assorted names were held to select the submission, including Malta Song for Europe ( maltese : il-Festival Kanzunetta għall-Ewropa ), Malta Eurovision Song Contest, and Malta Eurosong. During this time menstruation, the organization of the event was taken over by the maltese broadcaster Public Broadcasting Services ( PBS Malta ). A distinctive national concluding would consist of : the rules for submissions by composers, authors, and singers being published in October, inaugural elimination rounds in December, and semifinalists announced in January. The semifinal was then held in February, followed two days late by a final examination to choose Malta ‘s representative at the Eurovision. In 2009, a fresh format of the contest was introduced, the Malta Eurosong contest, with eight semi-finals held over November 2008 to January 2009, with a final of 20 songs competing in February. [ 3 ] [ 4 ] In 2010 six semi-finals were held over December 2009 and January 2010, and a final was once again held in February 2010. [ 5 ] This format was discontinued for the 2019 contest, with PBS alternatively using X Factor Malta to select the artist .
participation overview [edit ]
|X||Entry selected but did not compete|
Awards [edit ]
Marcel Bezençon Awards [edit ]
winner by OGAE members [edit ]
Barbara Dex Award [edit ]
relate interest [edit ]
gallery [edit ]
Notes [edit ]
- Spain primitively gave its 12 points to Israel and 10 to Norway. After the broadcast it was announced that spanish broadcaster incorrectly tallied the votes and Germany should have got the clear check – 12 points – rather of being snubbed, as it happened. The err was corrected and thus Germany was placed 7th over Norway. Israel and Norway both received 2 points less than in the first place and Croatia, Malta, Portugal, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Belgium, Estonia and Turkey all received one target less than indicated during the air .
- Contains some words in maltese
- According to the then-Eurovision rules, the crown ten non- Big Four countries from the former year along with the Big Four mechanically qualified for the Grand Final without having to compete in semi-finals. For model, if Germany and France placed inside the top ten-spot, the 11th and 12th spots were advanced to future class ‘s Grand Final along with all countries ranked in the top ten-spot .
- The 2020 contest was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
- Contains one repeated phrase in french
far learn [edit ]
References [edit ]
Read more: The 100 Greatest Songs of All Time | <urn:uuid:f15f191b-efe3-4730-b5f3-4ffcd7fa96c2> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://kubet.io/malta-in-the-eurovision-song-contest-1640903512/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572043.2/warc/CC-MAIN-20220814143522-20220814173522-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.966617 | 1,261 | 2.015625 | 2 |
- Primary research
- Open Access
miR-190 promotes malignant transformation and progression of human urothelial cells through CDKN1B/p27 inhibition
Cancer Cell International volume 21, Article number: 241 (2021)
Although miR-190 has been reported to be related to human diseases, especially in the development and progression of cancer, its expression in human bladder cancer (BC) and potential contribution to BC remain unexplored.
RT-qPCR was used to verify the expression level of miR-190 and CDKN1B. Flow cytometry (FCM) assays were performed to detect cell cycle. Soft agar assay was used to measure anchorage-independent growth ability. Methylation-Specific PCR, Dual-luciferase reporter assay and Western blotting were used to elucidate the potential mechanisms involved.
Our studies revealed that downregulation of the p27 (encoded by CDKN1B gene) protein is an important event related to miR-190, promoting the malignant transformation of bladder epithelial cells. miR-190 binds directly to CDKN1B 3’-UTR and destabilizes CDKN1B mRNA. Moreover, miR-190 downregulates TET1 by binding to the TET1 CDS region, which mediates hypermethylation of the CDKN1B promoter, thereby resulting in the downregulation of CDKN1B mRNA. These two aspects led to miR-190 inhibition of p27 protein expression in human BC cells. A more in-depth mechanistic study showed that c-Jun promotes the transcription of Talin2, the host gene of miR-190, thus upregulating the expression of miR-190 in human BC cells.
In this study, we found that miR-190 plays an important role in the development of BC. Taken together, these findings indicate that miR-190 may promote the malignant transformation of human urothelial cells by downregulating CDKN1B, which strengthens our understanding of miR-190 in regulating BC cell transformation.
Bladder cancer (BC), the most frequent cancer of the urinary tract, is a highly prevalent deadly disease in developed countries. In 2018, there were approximately 81,190 new cases in the United States, of which 17,240 resulted in death . Worldwide, the new incidence for BC is 549,393 and the total number of deaths is 199,922 . At present, approximately 70% urothelial carcinomas (UC) are low-grade superficial papillary/non-muscle invasive tumors (NMIBC) with a relatively benign prognosis; the remaining 30% UCs are diagnosed as advanced muscle-invasive forms (MIBC) with poor outcomes [3,4,5,6]. Thus, elucidation of the mechanisms underlying the development and progression of BC is highly significant in improving diagnostic accuracy and clinical treatment.
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a type of non-coding RNAs of approximately 21 to 23 nt. They bind the 3’-untranslated region (UTR) to regulate the expression of most mRNAs and have important roles in the regulation of cellular processes [7, 8]. Therefore, the identification of miRNAs in human BC can provide valuable information for identifying new biomarkers for BC prognosis and/or new targets for treatment patterns. miR-190 is located in the intron region of the talin2 (TLN2) gene on chromosome 15q22.2 . Previous studies have reported that miR-190 promotes hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell proliferation and metastasis by acting as an oncogene, targeting PHLPP [10,11,12]. miR-190 also acts as a tumor suppressor in breast and gastric cancer [13, 14]. However, the expression and role of miR-190 in BC are rarely reported. We found that miR-190 expression was upregulated in human BCs by analyzing the TCGA database . In the current study, we found that miR-190 promotes the malignant transformation of cells through the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1B (p27Kip1/p27), which is encoded by the CDKN1B gene in humans. It encodes a protein that belongs to the Cip/Kip family of cyclin-dependent kinase (Cdk) inhibitor proteins. The main function of p27 is to control the cell cycle progression at G1, stop or slow down the cell division cycle by inhibiting cyclin E-CDK2 or cyclin D-CDK4 complex activation . We revealed that miR-190 directly binds to CDKN1B 3’-UTR and impairs its mRNA stability. In addition, miR-190-mediated hypermethylation of the CDKN1B promoter resulted in the downregulation of CDKN1B mRNA in human BC cells. The downregulation of the p27 protein is an important event related to miR-190 and promotes malignant transformation of BC cells. The results also showed that C-Jun promoted the transcription of TLN2, thereby upregulating the expression of miR-190 in human BC cells.
Materials and methods
Reagents, antibodies, and plasmids
TRIzol reagent (15596026) and SuperScript™ First-Strand Synthesis system (#1808-051) were purchased from Invitrogen (Grand Island, NY). Actinomycin D (sc-200906) was purchased from Santa Cruz Biotechnology (Dallas, TX, USA). The dual-luciferase assay kit was purchased from Promega (Madison, WI, E1960). The specific antibodies against DNMT3b (GTX129127), TET1 (GTX124207), TET2 (GTX124205), and GAPDH (GTX100118) were purchased from Genetex (Irvine, CA, USA) and antibodies specifically against p-c-Jun Ser73 (3270 S), c-JUN (9165 S), c-Jun(D) (5000 S), PARP (9542P), and Elk-1 (9182 S) were purchased from Cell Signaling Technology (Beverly, MA, USA). Antibodies specific for cyclin D1(sc-20044), DNMT3a (sc-373905), JunB (sc-46), CDK4 (sc-601), CDK6 (sc-7180), c-fos (sc-52), and Ets-1 (sc-55581) were obtained from Santa Cruz Biotechnology (Santa Cruz, CA, USA). Antibodies against β-Actin (66009-1-Ig) were purchased from Proteintech (Rosemont, IL, USA). V5-DEST-MIR190A and its control construct were kindly gifted by Dr. Ping-Yee Law (Department of Pharmacology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA), and GFP–p27 was likewise a gift from Dr. Gustavo Baldassarre (Division of Experimental Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico, National Cancer Institute, Aviano, Italy). The human miR-190 inhibitor was purchased from GeneCopoeia™ Inc. (Rockville, MD, USA). The human p27 promoter (− 1324 to + 162) was cloned into the pGL3-basic luciferase reporter. Human CDKN1B and TET1 3′UTR were cloned into the pMIR-report plasmid. Plasmids were prepared using the Plasmid Preparation/Extraction Maxi kit (Qiagen, Valencia, CA, USA).
MiRNA expression data and corresponding clinical data for bladder cancer patients were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) data portal [TCGA Data Portal]. Normalized miRNA expression data were collected from the TCGA Data Portal using the Arraytool. Two different online tools, miRDB (http://www.mirdb.org/) and Target scan (http://www.targetscan.org/vert_72/) were used to identify target genes of miR-190.
Cell cycle analysis
Constructed transfectants were cultured in each well of six-well plates to 70–80% confluence using normal culture medium. The cell culture medium was replaced with 0.1% FBS DMEM with 2 mmol/L L-glutamine and 25 µg gentamicin, and the constructed transfectants were again cultured for 24 h. Cells were then suspended in 70% ethanol for 24 h at 4 °C, then incubated with RNase A at 37 °C for 30 min, and stained with propidium iodide (PI) at 4 °C for 30 min. DNA content was determined by flow cytometry using the Epics XL flow cytometer (Beckman Coulter Inc., San Diego, CA), as previously described .
Cell culture and transfection
UROtsa was cultured in 1640 with 10% FBS and UMUC3 was cultured in DMEM with 10% FBS. Cells were transfected with plasmid DNA using PolyJet™ DNA In Vitro Transfection Reagent (SignaGen Laboratories, Gaithersburg, MD, USA). Stable transfectants were selected with the corresponding antibiotics for 3–4 weeks, depending on the different transfected antibiotic resistance plasmids.
Dual‐luciferase reporter assay
The dual luciferase assay kit was purchased from Promega (Madison, WI, USA). BC cells were co-transfected with either the TLN2 and CDKN1B promoter-luciferase reporter constructs or CDKN1B and TET1 3′-UTR-luciferase reporter constructs, together with the Renilla luciferase vector pRL-TK. After stabilization, the cells were treated with passive lysis buffer according to the dual-luciferase assay manual and then measured with a luminometer (Lumat LB9507, Berthold Tech., Bad Wildbad, Germany). For each analysis, the firefly luciferase signal was normalized to the Renilla luciferase signal to eliminate the difference in transfection efficiency, as previously described .
Reverse transcription-qPCR (RT-qPCR)
Total RNA from the cells was isolated using the trizol reagent. Total RNA (5 µg) was then used for reverse transcription with oligo dT primer through the SuperScript™ First-Strand Synthesis system IV (Invitrogen, Grand Island, NY). Specific primer pairs were designed to amplify human CDKN1B (forward: 5′-CAA GTA CGA GTG GCA AGA G-3′, reverse: 5′-ATG CGT GTC CTC AGA GTT AG -3′) and GAPDH (forward: 5′-AGA AGG CTG GGG CTC ATT TG-3′, reverse: 5′-AGG GGC CAT CCA CAG TCT TC-3′). Total miRNAs were extracted using the miRNeasy Mini Kit (Qiagen, Valencia, CA, USA). Total RNA (1.0 µg) was used for reverse transcription following the manufacturer’s instructions, and miRNA expression was determined by the Q6 real-time PCR system (Applied Biosystems, Carlsbad, CA, USA) using the miScript PCR Starter Kit and miScript PCR kit II RT Kit (Qiagen, Valencia, CA, USA). U6 was used as the endogenous normalizer. The primer for miR-190 (5′- TGA TAT GTT TGA TAT ATT AGG T-3′) was synthesized by Genewiz Biotechnology (South Plainfield, USA). The cycle threshold (CT) value was measured, and the relative expression of mRNA was calculated based on the value of 2−ΔΔCT as described in our published studies .
Whole cells were washed twice with ice-cold PBS and then extracted using cell lysis buffer (10 mM pH7.4 Tris-HCl, 1% SDS, 1mM Na3VO4, and proteasome inhibitor) on ice. The materials were heated at 100 °C for 10 min and then ultrasonicated to destroy all nucleic acids. The protein concentration was measured using a NanoDrop 2000 spectrophotometer (Thermo Scientific, Holtsville, NY, USA). The cell extracts were subjected to Western blot analysis with each antibody. The protein bands specifically binding to the primary antibodies were detected using an alkaline phosphatase (AP) conjugate secondary antibody and enhanced chemifluorescence (ECF) Western blot analysis system (Amersham Pharmacia Biotech, Piscataway, NJ) as previously described . The results shown are from at least three independent experiments.
In brief, 1 × 104 UROtsa (miR-190), UMUC3 (miR-190 inhibitor), UROtsa (miR-190/GFP-p27), and UMUC3 (miR-190 inhibitor/shp27) stable transfectants and control vector transfectants were exposed to Basal Medium Eagle (BME) containing 0.33% agar and seeded on the bottom layer of 0.5% agar in 10% FBS BME in each well of six-well plates. The cultures were maintained at 37 °C in a 5% CO2 incubator for 3–4 weeks, and the cell colonies with > 32 cells were scored. Colonies were observed and counted under a microscope (DMi1, Leica, Germany). The results are presented as the mean ± SD of colony number per 10,000 seeded cells in soft agar as described in a previous paper .
DNA extraction, bisulfite DNA modification, and methylation‐specific PCR
CpG islands were predicted using MethPrimer 2.0 (http://www.urogene.org/ methprimer2/) for the upstream region of the CDKN1B Promoter. Genomic DNA from UROtsa and UMCU3 cells was extracted using a DNeasy Blood and Tissue Kit (# 69504, Qiagen, Valencia, CA, USA). Sodium bisulfite modification of DNA and subsequent purification was performed according to the manufacturer’s instructions for bisulfite conversion of unmethylated cytosines in DNA (EpiTect Bisulfite kit; #59104, Qiagen, Valencia, CA, USA).
Then, the bisulfite-treated genomic DNA was optimized for a methylation-specific PCR protocol, that is, 20 µL reactions containing 10 ng template, 10 µL 2× EpiTect Master Mix (Qiagen, Valencia, CA, USA), and 0.4 µM of a given set of methylation primers (Methylation-F, GTA GAT TAC GAG GTG GGG GTC; and Methylation-R, CTA AAA CGA AAC CTA AAA TTC GAA) or 0.4 µM each unmethylation primers (Unmethylation-F, TAG ATT ATG AGG TGG GGG TTG T; and Unmethylation-R, CCT AAA ACA AAA CCT AAA ATT CAA A). Touchdown PCR was then performed as follows: 95 °C for 10 min followed by five cycles of 94 °C for 30 s, 70 °C for 30 s, 72 °C for 30 s; five cycles of 94 °C for 30 s, 65 °C for 30 s, 72 °C for 30 s; and 30 cycles of 94 °C for 30 s, 60 °C for 30 s, 72 °C for 30 s. The final extension was performed at 72 °C for 7 min. All products were then separated on 2% high-resolution agarose gels and visualized by ethidium bromide staining. All PCR products were run in duplicate using EpiTect PCR Control DNA Set (#59695, Qiagen, Valencia, CA, USA).
Student’s t-test was used to determine significant differences between the treated and untreated groups. Results are expressed as the mean ± SD from at least three independent experiments. P < 0.05 was considered to be a significant difference between the compared groups. All data were analyzed using GraphPad Software 6.0 (La Jolla, CA, USA).
miR-190 was overexpressed in human BC tissues and contributed to bladder urothelial cell transformation
We used the TCGA database to analyze the expression of miR-190 in 417 BC tissues vs. 19 normal bladder tissues. The results showed that miR-190 was upregulated in BC tissues (Fig. 1a). The levels of miR-190 were also assessed in human BC cell lines (T24 and UMUC3) and normal urothelial cells (UROtsa). The miR-190 expression in T24 and UMUC3 cells was significantly higher than that in UROtsa cells . These results indicate that miR-190 plays an important role in the development of BC. To evaluate the effects of miR-190 on the development of human BC, miR-190 was stably transfected into UROtsa cells. The stable transfectants vector control UROtsa (pLKO.1) and miR-190 overexpression UROtsa (miR-190) were established and identified by qPCR, miR-190 level was significantly higher in UROtsa (miR-190) than that in its control UROtsa (pLKO.1) cells (Fig. 1b). EGF has been reported as a common tumor promoter in many experimental systems, such as human urothelial cells [24, 25]. We next used EGF to establish an EGF-induced cell malignant transformation experimental system, and then evaluated the ability of miR-190 to transform UROtsa cells. The results showed that overexpression of miR-190 led to a profound increase in anchorage-independent growth upon EGF exposure in comparison to that in UROtsa (pLKO.1) cells under the same experimental conditions (Fig. 1c, d), suggesting that miR-190 has a potential promoting effect on cell malignant transformation. To elucidate the role of miR-190 in BC cell lines, we inhibited miR-190 expression in UMUC3 cells, which have a high level of miR-190. The stable transfectants UMUC3 (LacZ) and UMUC3 (miR-190 inhibitor) were established and identified by qPCR, miR-190 level was significantly inhibited in UMUC3 (miR-190 inhibitor) compared with its control UMUC3 (LacZ) cells (Fig. 1e). The results from soft agar assay indicate that the anchorage-independent growth ability significantly decreased in UMUC3 (miR-190 inhibitor) cells compared to UMUC3 (LacZ) cells (Fig. 1f, g). These results suggest that miR-190 serves as a potential oncogene responsible for promoting human bladder urothelial cell transformation.
Down-regulation of p27 plays a crucial role in miR-190’s induction of the S phase in cell cycles of BC cells
To determine the mechanism(s) behind miR-190’s promotion of BC cell transformation, the effect of miR-190 on the regulation of cell cycle progression was determined by flow cytometry in UROtsa and UMUC3 cells. As shown in Fig. 2a–d, miR-190 induced a significant G1/S phase transition, suggesting that the G1/S phase transition might be associated with the promoting effect of miR-190 on human BC cells. We used miRBD and TargetScan databases to analyze the potential target genes of miR-190. A total of 117 genes overlapped in the two databases. GO analysis showed that only CDKN1B/p27 was associated with the G1/S transition (Fig. 2e). We compared the expression levels of essential proteins related to the G1/S transition between UROtsa (pLKO.1) and UROtsa (miR-190), as well as between UMUC3 (LacZ) and UMUC3 (miR-190 inhibitor) cells. As shown in Fig. 2f, g, p27, cyclin D1, and CDK6 protein expression was profoundly decreased in UROtsa (miR-190) cells compared to that in UROtsa (pLKO.1) cells. As expected, p27, cyclin D1, and CDK6 was also markedly upregulated in UMUC3 (miR-190 inhibitor) compared with UMUC3 (LacZ) cells. Other cell cycle-related protein such as CDK4 does not meet the corresponding trend. Considering the fact that only p27 is a tumor suppressor gene and the result of the above-mentioned bioinformatics analysis, we thought that p27 may be a downstream effector of miR-190 and negatively regulates the transformation ability of BC cells.
To determine whether p27 was responsible for the promoting effect of miR-190 on BC cell transformation and anchorage-independent growth, UROtsa (miR-190) cells were stably transfected with a GFP-tagged p27 to restore p27 expression (Fig. 2h). As shown in Fig. 2i, j, ectopic expression of GFP-p27 markedly decreased EGF-induced anchorage-independent growth induced by miR-190, compared with that in scramble control vector cells. UMUC3 (miR-190 inhibitor) cells were also stably transfected with specific shRNA to knock down p27 expression (Fig. 2k). As shown in Fig. 2l, m, p27 knockdown profoundly increased anchorage-independent growth inhibited by the miR-190 inhibitor, compared with that in scramble control vector cells. These results indicate that overexpression of p27 reverses the promotion of miR-190 in BC cells. Overall, the above data indicate that the p27 protein downregulation is one of the important events associated with miR-190 in BCs in terms of promoting the malignant transformation of cells.
miR-190 targeted CDKN1B mRNA 3’-UTR and downregulated its mRNA stability in human BC cells
miRNAs play biological roles by modulating target gene expression through binding to the 3′-UTR of target genes, thereby causing changes in mRNA stability or protein translation inhibition . To investigate the molecular mechanism underlying miR-190 regulation of CDKN1B, qPCR was performed to examine mRNA expression (Fig. 3a, b). The results showed that CDKN1B mRNA level was significantly lower in UROtsa (miR-190) than that in UROtsa (pLKO.1) cells; on the other hand, CDKN1B mRNA was profoundly higher in UMUC3 (miR-190 inhibitor) than that in UMUC3 (LacZ) cells, indicating that miR-190 suppresses CDKN1B at mRNA levels. The mRNA regulation includes transcription and mRNA stability. Therefore, we first examined the stability of CDKN1B mRNA. Upon treatment with actinomycin D (Act D), CDKN1B mRNA degradation rates in UMUC3 (miR-190 inhibitor) cells were much lower than those in UMUC3 (LacZ) cells (Fig. 3c), revealing that miR-190 inhibition stabilizes CDKN1B mRNA in human BC cells. Furthermore, the CDKN1B mRNA 3′-UTR activity of UMUC3 (miR-190 inhibitor) cells was significantly higher than that of UMUC3 (LacZ) cells (Fig. 3d), suggesting that miR-190 negatively modulates the stability of CDKN1B mRNA by acting on the 3′-UTR of CDKN1B. To determine whether the effect of miR-190 on CDKN1B mRNA stability suppression was due to its specific binding to a potential binding site in CDKN1B mRNA 3′-UTR, CDKN1B mRNA 3′-UTR-driven luciferase reporter (WT), and CDKN1B mRNA 3′-UTR mutant luciferase reporter (MUT) constructs were generated using the pMIR-Report luciferase vector, as shown in Fig. 3e. WT and mutant CDKN1B 3′-UTR luciferase reporters, with pRL-TK, were transiently transfected into UMUC3 (LacZ) and UMUC3 (miR-190 inhibitor) cells. As shown in Fig. 3f, the miR-190 inhibitor significantly increased the CDKN1B 3′-UTR WT luciferase reporter activity, whereas mutation of the miR-190-binding site at the CDKN1B mRNA 3′-UTR impaired the miR-190-inhibition-mediated increase in CDKN1B 3′-UTR luciferase reporter activity. This result indicates that miR-190 directly binds to the CDKN1B 3′-UTR and regulates its mRNA stability.
miR-190 simultaneously inhibits CDKN1B transcription by upregulating its promoter methylation
The level of CDKN1B mRNA in UMUC3 (miR-190 inhibitor) is up to 4 times higher than that in UMCU3 (LacZ) cells, and the half-life of CDKN1B mRNA is increased by approximately half. This led us to explore the possibility that CDKN1B is regulated at the transcription level. Therefore, we next transfected human CDKN1B promoter (from − 1324 to + 162)-driven luciferase reporters into UROtsa (miR-190), UMUC3 (miR-190 inhibitor), and their control transfectants. The results showed that overexpression of miR-190 decreased CDKN1B promoter-driven reporter transcription activity (Fig. 4a), and that inhibition of miR-190 increased CDKN1B promoter-driven reporter transcription activity (Fig. 4b), revealing that miR-190 also inhibits CDKN1B mRNA transcription. The CpG-rich region in the promoter region of cancer-related genes can be hypermethylated by epigenetic modification, which is an important mechanism for human cancer development . To investigate whether miR-190 inhibited the CDKN1B transcription due to its promoter hypermethylation, we bioinformatically analyzed the potential CpG island of the human CDKN1B promoter (Fig. 4c) using the MethPrimer v1.1 beta database and then assessed the methylation of CDKN1B promoter from − 1324 to + 162 [28, 29]. The results showed that the CDKN1B promoter contains two CpG islands with sizes of 302 bp (-454 to -153) and 226 bp (-122 to + 103). To verify the methylation level of the CDKN1B promoter region, two independent predicted primer sets were used in the methylation-specific PCR (MS-PCR) system to amplify the methylated and unmethylated regions. As shown in Fig. 4d, the overexpression of miR-190 upregulated methylated DNA (M), resulting in a 205 bp band, accompanied by downregulation of unmethylated DNA (U), producing a 205-bp band, whereas the inhibition of miR-190 downregulated methylated DNA (M) accompanied by upregulation of unmethylated DNA (U) (Fig. 4e). To further investigate the role of promoter hypermethylation in miR190-mediated CDKN1B transcription downregulation, 5-aza-2′-deoxycytidine (5-Aza), a DNA methyltransferase (DNMT) inhibitor, was used to inhibit genomic DNA methylation in human BC cells . The results showed that 5-Aza treatment reversed the miR-190 inhibition on the p27 protein (Fig. 4f, g). These results strongly suggest that miR-190-mediated CDKN1B promoter hypermethylation leads to CDKN1B mRNA downregulation in human BC cells.
miR-190 downregulated TET1 by binding its CDS region and mediated CDKN1B promoter hypermethylation
DNMTs can transfer a group of methyl groups of the universal methyl donor S-adenosyl L-methionine to the 5′ position of cytosine residues in DNA . The ten-eleven translocation (TET) enzymes (TET1, TET2, and TET3) are evolutionarily conserved dioxygenases that catalyze the conversion of 5-methyl-cytosine (5-mC) to 5-hydroxymethyl-cytosine (5-hmC) and promote DNA demethylation [32,33,34]. To investigate the potential role of any DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs) or demethylase in the hypermethylation of p27, DNMTs, and demethylase protein expression was evaluated among UROtsa (pLKO.1), UROtsa (miR-190), UMCU3 (LacZ), and UMUC3 (miR-190 inhibitor) cells. The results showed that miR-190 overexpression in UROtsa cells downregulated the expression of TET1, whereas miR-190 inhibition in UMUC3 cells upregulated the expression of the TET1 protein, suggesting that TET1 may be involved in miR-190-mediated CDKN1B hypermethylation (Fig. 5a, b). To explore this possibility, we stably transfected TET1 into UROtsa (miR-190) cells, as shown in Fig. 5c. TET1 overexpression markedly promoted p27 protein expression. Furthermore, we found that TET1 is also a direct target of miR-190. Bioinformatics analysis showed that both the CDS and 3′-UTR of TET1 mRNA have miR-190 binding sites (Fig. 5d). To verify whether miR-190 acts on TET1 CDS or 3′-UTR, we cloned the TET1 CDS and 3′-UTR with the predicted miR-190 binding site region into the pMIR-report vector (Fig. 5e) and co-transfected with TK in UMUC3 (LacZ) and UMUC3 (miR-190 inhibitor) cells. UMUC3 (miR-190 inhibitor) cells transfected with pMIR-TET1-CDS exhibited an approximately 2.5-fold increase in luciferase activity compared to UMCU3 (LacZ) cells (Fig. 5f), whereas no obvious change was observed in pMIR-TET1-3′-UTR activity. These results indicate that miR-190 may inhibit TET1 by binding to the CDS of TET1 mRNA. We further site-mutated 8 nucleotides (UGAUAUGU) of the miR-190 binding site (Fig. 5g) and transfected the mutated constructs into UMUC3 (LacZ) and UMUC3 (miR-190 inhibitor) cells. As shown in Fig. 5h, the mutation of miR-190 binding sites abrogated the promoted effects of the miR-190 inhibitor on TET1-CDS luciferase reporter activity. Collectively, these data demonstrate that TET1 is a potential direct target gene of miR-190.
C-Jun Mediates miR-190 up-regulation via promotion of TLN2 transcription
miR-190 is conserved in mouse, rat, and human genomes and is located in the intron region of the TLN2 gene (Fig. 6a) . TLN2 can also regulate the expression of miR-190 [10, 36]. Therefore, we measured TLN2 mRNA levels in UROtsa and UMUC3 cells (Fig. 6b), and the results showed that TLN2 mRNA expression in UMUC3 cells was significantly higher than that in UROtsa cells. Then, the promoter activity of TLN2 was evaluated and compared between UROtsa and UMUC3 cells. As shown in Fig. 6c, the promoter activity of TLN2 was significantly increased in UMUC3 cells, indicating increased transcription of TLN2/miR-190 in UMUC3 cells. Next, we performed a bioinformatics analysis of the TLN2 promoter region and identified the potential binding sites of several transcription factors in the TLN2 promoter region, including Ets1, YY1, AP-1, JunB, and Elk-1 (Fig. 6d). To define the specific transcription factor(s) involved in the regulation of TLN2, the protein expression of these transcription factors was examined in UROtsa and UMUC3 cells. As shown in Fig. 6e, c-Jun protein expression and phosphorylation at ser73 were both increased in UMUC3 cells, consistent with the alteration of relative AP-1 activity between UROtsa and UMUC3 cells (Fig. 6f). Therefore, the c-Jun dominant-negative mutant TAM67 was transfected into UMUC3 cells to determine the potential contribution of c-Jun to the activity of the TLN2 promoter (Fig. 6g). Moreover, the ectopic expression of TAM67 successfully blocked TLN2 promoter activity (Fig. 6h), TLN2 mRNA (Fig. 6i), and miR-190 level (Fig. 6j) as well as increased p27 protein level (Fig. 6g), suggesting that c-Jun plays an important role in the upregulation of TLN2 mRNA and miR-190 levels. Taken together, these results demonstrate that c-Jun promotes TLN2/miR-190 transcription, thereby upregulating miR-190 expression in human BC cells. Our results conclusively indicate that c-Jun upregulates miR-190 to promote bladder cell transformation by inhibiting CDKN1B mRNA stability. In addition, miR-190 targets TET1 CDS to inhibit TET1 protein expression and attenuate the demethylation of the CDKN1B promoter, thereby inhibiting CDKN1B mRNA transcription, as summarized in Fig. 6k.
Many studies have shown that miR-190, as an oncogene or tumor suppressor gene, is involved in regulating the proliferation and metastasis of tumor cells [12, 13]. However, few studies have investigated the role and mechanism of miR-190 in BC. We found that miR-190 was overexpressed in human BC tissues and contributed to bladder cell transformation. A further study found that p27 downregulation plays a crucial role in miR-190, inducing S phase in the cell cycles of BC cells. The cyclin-dependent kinase (Cdk) inhibitor p27 (also known as KIP1) was discovered as a mediator of growth arrest . A previous study showed that p27 impedes cell cycle progression by inhibiting cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) by transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) . p27 expression is reduced in various tumors including lung , head and neck , colorectal , and ovarian cancers , and is associated with prognosis. The expression of p27 in cells is strictly regulated, including transcription , protein translation , nuclear to cytoplasmic transport , and protein degradation , among others. Our results showed that miR-190 simultaneously downregulates the p27 protein by directly acting on the p27 mRNA and TET1-mediated hypermethylation level to suppress transcription. Mechanistic research showed that miR-190 mainly downregulated p27 in terms of mRNA levels, which can inhibit p27 mRNA stability by binding to p27 mRNA 3’-UTR. On the other hand, miR-190 simultaneously inhibits p27 transcription by upregulating p27 promoter methylation in human BC cells. The methylation level in the promoter region is mainly mediated by DNMTs and demethylases. DNMTs can transfer a group of methyl groups of the universal methyl donor S-adenosyl L-methionine to the 5 position of cytosine residues in DNA. The TET enzymes (TET1, TET2, and TET3) catalyze the conversion of 5-mC to 5-hmC and promote DNA demethylation. The TET enzymes family are Fe2+ and 2-oxoglutarate-dependent dioxygenases, and TET1 and TET3 contain a CXXC zinc finger domain at their amino-terminus, which is known to bind CpG sequences . Our results suggest that TET1 plays a key role in mediating the hypermethylation level of the p27 promoter. Furthermore, miR-190 downregulated TET1 by binding its CDS region, as well as mediated p27 promoter hypermethylation. Therefore, we conclude that miR-190 simultaneously downregulates the p27 protein by directly acting on p27 mRNA and TET1-mediated hypermethylation levels to suppress transcription.
The expression of miR-190 varies in different tumors, and this expression is increased in BC, but the mechanism behind this remain unclear. c-Jun is a proto-oncoprotein that can heterodimerize with c-Fos to form the activator protein-1 (AP-1) . The absence of c-Jun results in elevated expression of the tumor suppressor gene . Previous reports have shown that c-Jun enhancement of androgen receptor transactivation is associated with prostate cancer cell proliferation . Our data indicate that the transcription of TLN2/miR-190 in UMUC3 cells was increased. c-Jun protein and c-Jun phosphorylation (ser73) levels were increased in UMUC3 cells. Furthermore, ectopic expression of TAM67 successfully blocked TLN2 promoter activity, TLN2 mRNA, and miR-190 levels as well as increased p27 protein levels. Therefore, we concluded that c-Jun promotes TLN2/miR-190 transcription, thereby upregulating miR-190 expression in human BC cells.
In summary, the current study showed for the first time that miR-190 is upregulated in human BC tissues and contributes to bladder cell transformation. Moreover, c-Jun mediated miR-190 upregulation via promotion of TLN2 transcription. miRNAs play biological roles by modulating target gene expression through binding to the 3’-UTR of target genes or by up-regulating p27 promoter methylation to cause mRNA stability alteration or protein translation suppression. Taken together, these results indicate that miR-190 is a critical cancer-promoting molecule in BC and that miR-190 and its target genes may serve as potential targets for early diagnosis and/or as targets for the treatment of BC patients.
Availability of data and materials
The datasets generated and analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
- Act D:
Non-muscle invasive tumors
Muscle invasive tumors
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The results published here are based entirely on data generated by the TCGA Research Network (https://cancergenome.nih.gov/). We thank participants who developed TCGA bladder cancer data set resources, specimen donors and research groups for their contributions to the database construction.
This work was partially supported by grants from the Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC81601849), Zhejiang Provincial Medicine and Health Technology Project (2019RC217), Wenzhou Science and Technology Bureau (Y20180109).
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Huang, S., Hua, X., Kuang, M. et al. miR-190 promotes malignant transformation and progression of human urothelial cells through CDKN1B/p27 inhibition. Cancer Cell Int 21, 241 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12935-021-01937-5
- Bladder epithelial cell transformation | <urn:uuid:f5da57da-2d61-4f79-9311-1a0086db975a> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://cancerci.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12935-021-01937-5 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571538.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20220812014923-20220812044923-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.885188 | 12,164 | 1.929688 | 2 |
How Optical Transceiver Works
The optical module is mainly composed of an optical transmitter (Transmitter Optical Subassembly, TOSA), an optical receiver (ReceiverOptical Subassembly, ROSA), a high-speed transceiver integrated driver chip, and a controller (Microcontroller Unit, MCU).
TOSA converts electrical signals into optical signals, ROSA converts optical signals into electrical signals, and the high-speed transceiver driver chip is responsible for driving the light-emitting components and light-receiving components.
The MCU mainly has three functions: one is to exchange data with the host device (Host) in real-time, monitor the entire module system, manage the logic input and output of control signals, configure the function pins of the driver chip, and write the initialization configuration parameters;
Read the ambient temperature, update the bias current and modulation current of the driver chip in real-time, and perform temperature compensation on the laser to ensure that the output optical signal always meets the requirements of the transmission link. Intelligent monitoring of the road.
The specific working process is as follows: after the module is powered on, the MCU controller starts to work, which is responsible for configuring the driver chip and setting parameters; the high-speed transceiver driver chip starts to work normally after setting the parameters and converts the high-speed differential electrical signal received from the Host into the signal of the driving laser.
Bias current and modulation current, drive TOSA to emit light and transmit optical signal; the optical signal received from ROSA is converted into an electrical signal by ROSA and then sent to the high-speed transceiver driver chip limiting amplifier for amplification, and then sent to the Host for processing; MCU drives the driver The working parameters of the chip are adjusted in real-time, and the TOSA is controlled to maintain a stable working state under various environmental conditions. The MCU is interconnected with the driver chip through an input/output (I/O) interface and an I2C data interface.
Applications of Optical Transceivers
The optical module is the carrier used for transmission between switches and devices, and is the core device in the optical fiber communication system. The main function of the optical module is to realize the conversion of photoelectric signals in the optical communication network, which mainly includes two parts: the optical signal transmitter and the receiver.
Optical transceivers, optical transceivers, switches, optical network cards, optical routers, optical high-speed domes, base stations, repeaters, etc. Generally, the optical interface boards of transmission equipment are equipped with corresponding optical modules.
High-Speed Optical Transceivers Development
Optical modules are the basic building blocks of 5G bearer networks, data center interconnection, and all-optical access networks. With the rapid development of upper-layer business applications, data centers are gradually transitioning from 100Gb/s (click here) to 400Gb/s, and high-speed optical modules have become key elements of high bandwidth and wide coverage in various application fields.
This article will introduce the development trend of the high-speed optical module market and propose follow-up development suggestions.
According to Omdia data, the market size development trend of high-speed optical modules is shown in the figure below. In terms of 400Gb/s intensity modulation optical modules, 400Gb/s optical module products based on single-wavelength 100Gb/s have begun to occupy an important position in the deployment blueprint of operators and data centers, and there will be a large demand space in the next few years.
Among them, 400Gb/s DR4/FR4/LR4 optical module products have basically matured, and shipments have gradually increased based on market demand; 400Gb/s ER4 is expected to mature in 2022. In terms of 400Gb/s phase modulation optical modules, Acacia, Nanophotonics, etc. already have 80~120km coherent optical module product capabilities.
With the rapid growth of DCI demand, they will quickly occupy the main 400Gb/s coherent market in the next few years. In terms of 400Gb/s phase dry optical modules with transmission distances of 1000km and above, mainstream equipment manufacturers already have long-distance transmission capabilities based on probability shaping technology 90+GBd DP-16QAM-PCS, and domestic operators have completed 1000km transmission in 2021. The current network pilot; Using 128GBd DP-QPSK can theoretically achieve a longer transmission distance and is currently in the technical research stage.
According to the evolution trend of switching chips, market demand, and technology maturity, 800Gb/s intensity modulation optical modules will enter the market in 2022 and 2023 and will be applied on a large scale around 2026.
In the early stage, the 8×100Gb/s solution (2×400G CWDM4) will be used. The priority is to realize the smooth evolution from 400Gb/s to 800Gb/s. In terms of 800Gb/s phase modulation coherent optical modules, it is expected that the DP-16QAM code type non-pluggable modules will be commercialized earlier, and the pluggable modules are expected to enter the testing phase in the second half of 2023 and achieve small-scale commercial use in 2024.
In the longer term, with the continuous evolution of high-bandwidth chip devices and algorithm technology, the transmission distance of 800Gb/s coherent optical modules will develop from 80km and below to long-distance, and the application scenarios will gradually shift from DCI to metropolitan, provincial, and even Backbone network expansion.
The rapid development of 5G bearer, data center, and upper-layer business applications has brought opportunities and vitality to the optical module market, and it also poses higher challenges to optical modules such as high speed, high performance, low power consumption, and low cost, especially high speed is the core.
Demands, 400/800Gb/s high-speed optical modules are important technical nodes for various application scenarios. The upstream and downstream of the industry chain and all parties in the industry need to further strengthen cooperation, focus on consensus, and coordinate to promote the healthy development of the high-speed optical module technology industry from the aspects of strengthening technological innovation, guiding market aggregation and strengthening the industrial foundation. | <urn:uuid:21e6d22d-1317-4548-88a4-5f5f60769cf9> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://gamingkk.com/high-speed-optical-modules/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572043.2/warc/CC-MAIN-20220814143522-20220814173522-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.899072 | 1,306 | 3.359375 | 3 |
Filmmaking is never easy. An experienced director could make a tiny movie over a few weeks with minimal actors and it would still be a nightmare to organise funding, hiring an ensemble, writing a script, putting together a crew, and constructing sets. It doesn’t matter if you filmed dozens of movies or you’ve been in show business for half a century – directing is one of the hardest jobs in the world.
And yet, there are some directors who went beyond the call of duty to get their work greenlit, filmed, or released. Productions can fall into chaos due to money problems, studio interference, or actors refusing to perform the most reasonable requests. When this happens, the director, like a captain caught in a storm, must take charge before losing control. To get things back on track, filmmakers will do anything they can. Directors have sold their bodies for funding, filmed scenes in secret, or reshot entire chunks of their movie to ensure their work saw the light of day. Here are ten directors who went to crazy lengths to get their movies made.
Orson Welles Pretended He Wasn’t Filming Scenes That The Producers Hated – Citizen Kane
For most of his career, Orson Welles’ work was hampered by producers. But because of his non-interference contract over Citizen Kane, the studio couldn’t alter a single frame of the finished film.
But, man, did they try!
Because Welles’ magnum opus is based on William Randolph Hearst, the media mogul did everything in his power to destroy the production. Terrified at suffering Hearst’s wrath, the film executives did all they could to ensure Welles didn’t depict him in a negative light. When they showed up unannounced on set and saw scenes they didn’t like, Welles pretended the actors were merely rehearsing. The studio suspected this and so, sent spies to the set. Welles got wind of this and had his crew play softball until the spies left!
During filming, Welles was informed that Hearst had arranged a naked woman to jump at him when he entered his hotel room while one of Hearst’s men took a picture. Knowing this photograph would besmirch his reputation, Welles slept elsewhere on the night he learned of this.
Even though everything seemed to be against Welles, he made Citizen Kane the way he wanted, allowing it to become one of the most influential films in cinema. note: Devil Buster Free Movie
Zack Snyder Deliberately Disobeyed Producers – Justice League
When Batman v Superman underperformed, the big-wigs at Warner Bros. felt the need to be more hands on for the follow-up, Justice League. They wanted to change almost every aspect of the movie including the tone, the length, and the design of the characters.
In the early stages, director, Zack Snyder made it clear he wanted Superman to don a black costume as a homage to the outfit he wore in the famous Reign of the Supermen storyline. The executives shot this idea down, simply because it wasn’t the red-and-blue costume that movie fans were familiar with.
Refusing to compromise his vision, Snyder shot Henry Cavill’s scenes with his traditional costume, but with the intention of changing the Man of Steel’s suit to black with CGI. When the studio complained the main villain, Steppenwolf, looked too scary, Snyder gave the character a more generic appearance. Once again, he intended to swap this look out for his original design in the eleventh hour without the producers’ consent.
We had to wait until The Snyder Cut was released to see these changes but there’s no question that Snyder’s alterations were the right move.
Cobbled A Trailer Together To Shut Up The Critics – Batman
For millions of people, Michael Keaton will ALWAYS be their Batman. Countless DC fans are so excited to see Keaton put the cowl back on in the upcoming Flash movie, it’s hard to believe people were up in arms when it was announced he was portraying the titular character in Tim Burton’s Batman. Because Keaton was known as a comedian at the time, it was impossible to envision him playing the Dark Knight. When he was cast, some devoted fans believed this was a sign the film would have a more comedic spin, akin to the 1966 tv series.
To put everyone at ease, Warner Bros rushed out a trailer to show the film would be faithful to the source material. Now, rushing out a teaser for a blockbuster is nothing new. However, Burton hadn’t shot enough to release a cohesive trailer. As a result, the director scrambled to film as many complete shots as he could, edit them, and shove them together for the trailer.
Tim Burton Trained Squirrels To Attack An Actress – Charlie And The Chocolate Factory
Even though Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory was very faithful to Roald Dahl’s classic children’s story, there was one major deviation. In the book, there was a scene where Wonka’s group of nut-tapping squirrels toss the spoilt brat, Veruca Salt, down the trash chute. Because this scene would be a nightmare to film, it was cut.
When it was announced the squirrel scene would be in Tim Burton’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, viewers weren’t surprised. After all, the film crew can make the squirrels with CGI thanks to the wonders of modern special effects, right?
But contrary to popular belief, the squirrels in the remake were real. Obviously, the little critters were brought to life with animatronics and CGI for certain shots but this was purely for the actors’ safety. When you see the squirrels inspecting nuts, those guys are the real deal. To accomplish this scene, Burton had these rodents trained daily for ten weeks to sit on a stool, tap walnuts, open them, and deposit their contents on a conveyor belt.
Because viewers assume the squirrels are CGI in every shot, this scene never gets the credit it deserves.
Sam Raimi Filmed An Action Scene To Prove Tobey Maguire Could Play A Superhero – Spider-Man
After years of false starts, the film adaptation of Spider-Man finally got the green light. Being Marvel’s most prized superhero, it was no surprise that every Hollywood star was considered to portray the wallcrawler including Leonardo DiCaprio, Charlie Sheen, Josh Hartnett, Heath Ledger, and Tom Cruise. With all these A-list names thrown around, no one suspected that the role would go to Tobey Maguire.
Don’t get me wrong – Maguire is a great actor. At the time, he had already proven to be a leading star with performances in Pleasantville and The Cider House Rules. Because of his timid manner and friendly face, it was easy to picture him as Peter Parker. But it seemed like nobody could see him playing a superhero, save for Spider-Man’s director, Sam Raimi. Despite the fact Tobey bulked up massively for the role, the producers were still not convinced.
To prove he was worthy to portray the wisecracking webslinger, Raimi filmed a scene of Tobey’s Spider-Man kicking the crap out of a bunch of thugs. After the producers saw the footage, they agreed he was perfect for the part. | <urn:uuid:3f658fb5-3cc1-4242-8a6c-2121f0066900> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://mugendaily.club/filmmaking-is-never-easy-directing-is-one-of-the-hardest-jobs-in-the-world/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572212.96/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815205848-20220815235848-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.967753 | 1,568 | 1.84375 | 2 |
MacM3 focuses on research in mobility, technology and aging. We collaborate with teams from multiple different disciplines including; rehabilitation science, engineering, computational statistics, geography and earth science, and humanities.
The overall goal of our program of research is to improve, through the use of advanced technologies, the identification and assessment of early mobility limitation at the individual, home, and community level among older Canadians. Our specific aims are:
- To explore the conceptualization of early mobility limitation from the perspective of a diverse group of stakeholders (older adults, health providers, researchers) with the aim of developing a more comprehensive definition and corresponding operationalization for subsequent stages of research;
- To determine the model and variables that predict the onset and progression of early mobility limitation in older Canadians;
- To examine differences in how older adults with differing levels of early mobility limitation move within their homes and community environments;
- To begin the development of a prototype for a mobility self-monitoring tool for older adults and their caregivers.
See the ‘Our Research’ tab for more detailed descriptions of our ongoing projects. | <urn:uuid:f4e1b6c5-1734-49c1-b9a1-db9a3bb33343> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://macm3.com/research/about-us/?shared=email&msg=fail | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571911.5/warc/CC-MAIN-20220813081639-20220813111639-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.914692 | 222 | 1.804688 | 2 |
Thanks to a new set of Duke-based research, medical science may be a step closer to understanding attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
The research, published in today's issue of Science, one of the most prominent scientific journals, suggests that ADHD might be caused by an imbalance of the neurotransmitter serotonin rather than dopamine, which is the more commonly suspected culprit.
Little is known about ADHD, which affects thousands of children in this country. Between 3 percent and 6 percent of children between ages 4 and 14 are thought to have the condition.Children with ADHD have difficulty paying attention to directions and often have trouble learning. In some cases, affected children experience problems controlling what they say or do, sometimes hitting other children.
When doctors diagnose ADHD, treatment often includes psychiatric treatment as well as drug therapy. But doctors and parents are increasingly turning to the popular psychostimulant Ritalin to calm their children. No one is quite sure how Ritalin works, although before the recent study it was believed to have acted on the dopamine system. Patients with ADHD "behave as if they have a dopamine imbalance" said Caron, although he stressed that the exact chemical cause of ADHD is not known.
But study authors Marc Caron, professor of cell biology and Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator, and Raul Gainetdinov, a research associate, concluded that Ritalin acts on the receptor of the neurotransmitter serotonin rather than on a receptor of the neurotransmitter dopamine.
In the experiment, Caron and his team used "knockout" mice to isolate the dopamine system. "Knockout" mice are mice that have been genetically engineered to lack a certain trait, which is thus "knocked out." These "knockout" mice were created with no dopamine receptors, which are molecules that "clean up" leftover dopamine. This made the dopamine in their brains reach five times a normal level.
Both normal and "knockout" mice were given Ritalin The amount of dopamine in their brains was then measured after 20 minutes. Results showed that normal mice had increased levels of dopamine while the "knockout" mice had no such change.
"This finding indicated that Ritalin couldn't be working on dopamine," Gainetdinov said in a press release.
The researchers then gave the "knockout" mice a drug that blocks the reuptake of serotonin-known by the market name Prozac. Consequently, serotonin levels increased in the mice's' brains, which in turn reduced their hyperactivity.
The findings can help scientists "design drugs that are more selective and safer than existing drugs" Caron said. One of the drawbacks to Ritalin is its side effects such as insomnia, nausea and, less commonly, anorexia.
Caron went on to say that further research is needed to determine which serotonin receptor Ritalin affects.
"We know serotonin is mediated by 15 receptors. We need to find the one that psychostimulants affect," Caron said.
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Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time. | <urn:uuid:d310dde3-1105-4a12-a4d9-028d9d96066e> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.dukechronicle.com/article/university-scientists-discover-role-serotonin-adhd | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572043.2/warc/CC-MAIN-20220814143522-20220814173522-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.962974 | 637 | 3.234375 | 3 |
Sympathetic nervous system activation, angiogenesis and tumor growth
Women diagnosed with breast cancer experience chronic stress, but the impact of such stress on tumor development is not well understood. We explore the role of an important stress pathway, sympathetic nervous system release of norepinephrine and epinephrine, in tumor growth and metastasis. In vitro studies suggest that these neurotransmitters can promote tumor angiogenesis, the growth of new tumor blood vessels. We have begun to test this possibility in vivo by asking how sympathetic nervous system activation or blockade of norepinephrine and epinephrine alters breast tumor growth and metastasis.
We are also currently exploring the interactions between sympathetic nerve fibers and associated blood vessels within breast tumors. A unique aspect of this project is to determine if sympathetic nerve fibers influence the effectiveness of antiangiogenic therapy. Antiangiogenic therapy shrinks tumors by destroying tumor blood vessels, but stopping therapy elicits rapid tumor revascularization accompanied by aggressive tumor growth. Our studies will elucidate the influence of sympathetic nerve fibers on blood vessel development and function in the growing tumor, and after termination of antiangiogenic therapy. Our goal is to identify new therapeutic targets that improve current antiangiogenic therapies by promoting long-term inhibition of tumor vascularization.
These experiments take advantage of the advanced imaging capabilities of multiphoton laser scanning microscopy (MPLSM) to examine the structural and functional relationships between sympathetic nerves fibers and tumor blood vessels. Ultimately, understanding how a stress pathway influences tumor growth and progression will open the door to therapeutic options targeting the sympathetic nervous system. We hope to use this understanding to develop more effective therapies in breast cancer.
Sympathetic nerves (green) associated with blood vessels (red) in a breast tumor growing in a mammary fat pad of a SCID mouse. Using standard immunofluorescent staining techniques, blood vessels were detected with anti-CD31 and sympathetic noradrenergic nerves were detected with anti-tyrosine hydroxylase. (40X)
Tumor vasculature revealed by two photon laser scanning microscopy.
Researcher: Edward Brown III, Ph.D.
Multiphoton Laser Scanning Microscopy, novel in vivo imaging and measurement techniques, tumor biology, angiogenesis | <urn:uuid:5661450d-f3a4-49cd-a3c1-f58c8b6ac9ac> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | http://www.hajim.rochester.edu/bme/research/sympathetic-angiogenesis.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572212.96/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815205848-20220815235848-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.895243 | 467 | 1.59375 | 2 |
The Procreate software is a fantastic tool for drawing and painting on the move; however, it might be difficult to eliminate layers in Procreate.
This article contains an easy-to-follow guide with images for selecting, moving, deleting, and grouping layers in Procreate.
Understanding how to erase layers in Procreate is quite useful when designing. Delete unnecessary layers to organize your project better! I aim to keep my projects to 15 layers, depending on the project itself.
To keep your project to fewer than 15 layers, you can merge layers or delete unnecessary ones.
How To Delete Layers In Procreate
Go to the layers panel: This may be accessible by tapping the icon that resembles two squares piled on each other in the upper left corner of your Procreate toolbar.
Tap on the layer: Choose the layer you wish to erase using your pointing finger or the Apple pencil. Once chosen, it will turn blue.
Turn left on the layer: Use your index finger to swipe left on the selected blue layer. Three options, Lock, Duplicate, and Delete, are displayed.
PRESS “DELETE”: To erase a layer, you should see a red “delete” button; click it.
If you mistakenly erase the wrong layer, do not panic; undo the action.
How Do I Delete multiple layers in Procreate?
In the layers panel, swipe right on each layer you wish to pick. You notice that all of the chosen layers have turned blue.
If you wish to delete numerous layers in Procreate, you must first be able to select all of those layers.
Once all layers have been chosen, click “delete” in the upper-right corner of your layers panel.
How To Undo A Deleted Layer In Procreate
If you have accidentally deleted layers or performed an unintended action, click the back button at the bottom of the toolbox on the screen’s right side.
The “undo” keyboard shortcut in Procreate is to touch the screen with two fingers.
This immediately undoes your previous action.
If you keep holding down two fingers on the screen, your design process will be undone until you reach the desired state.
How to get procreate for free?
This week, the famous sketching and painting app Procreate Pocket for the iPhone is available for free download through all the Apple Store apps.
The iPhone app Procreate Pocket offers a variety of painting, sketching, and drawing skills.
To obtain the application, please follow these steps:
- Launch Apple’s Store app.
- Select “Stores” from the app’s bottom tab bar.
- Scroll to the “iPhone Upgrade Program” section.
- Three swipes to the left will reveal the Procreate icon.
- Tap the symbol.
- Select “Download for free now.”
- Once you are sent to the App Store, enter your password and click “Redeem.” The application will begin downloading immediately.
Alternately, the software can be accessed by navigating to the bottom of the “Featured” tab and tapping the “Download Procreate for free” banner.
How to Select in Procreate
Use the Selection button on the top left toolbar to pick certain items on a layer in your artwork. The Selections option enables you to modify only the selected work areas.
This is quite useful for intricate digital artwork!
After clicking the Selections option, you have four alternatives to pick from to select portions of your artwork.
You can select Automatic, Freehand, Rectangle, or Ellipse.
The automated selection method chooses a piece of your work automatically. You may quickly alter the extent of the selection by touching on a point on the threshold % bar and swiping left or right without lifting your finger or pad off the canvas.
- If you drag your finger up the % bar, your option will become larger.
- The threshold percentage bar will show directly beneath the menu bar at the top of the screen.
Also Read : Easiest Way How To Delete A Minehut Server
The freehand option method provides extensive selection control. It allows you to select using both freehand and straight lines.
To utilize the Freehand option, draw the lines with a stylus or your finger as if you were drawing.
To create a perfectly straight line, tap where you want the line to begin and again where you want it to stop.
To close a selection, it is necessary to tap the selection’s beginning. A dot will appear at the beginning of the selecting route.
You may use straight lines and freehand selections to alter your artwork with the Freehand Selections tool, and if you lift your finger or Apple Pencil, your selection will not be canceled!
This feature allows you to create rectangle-shaped choices in your artwork. Tap the screen with one finger, move the rectangle to the desired shape and size, and then release.
You can touch and drag your shape using two fingers to produce a perfect square.
The Ellipse selection option functions similarly to the rectangle selection option. The ellipse selection tool permits the selection of oval-shaped regions.
Tap the display with one finger and move the ellipse to the desired size and shape before releasing it.
Tap and drag your ellipse form with two fingers to produce a perfect circle.
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frequently asked questions
1. How do I delete layers in Procreate IPAD?
Swipe left on each layer you wish to eliminate, then tap the “Delete” button. You may also erase multiple layers simultaneously by swiping right on each one to select it and then hit the “Delete” button at the top of the Layers panel.
When you swipe left on a single layer, a succession of buttons will appear, including a “Delete” button.
To delete a single layer, swipe left on it and then hit the delete button. If you need to delete numerous levels at once, select them by swiping right on each layer.
Once all appropriate layers have been selected, click the “Delete” button at the top of the Layers panel.
2. How do you select and delete in Procreate?
To pick several layers in Procreate, open the Layers panel and then swipe right on each desired layer. Your primary layer will be accentuated with brilliant blue color.
The other selected layers will be displayed in a dark blue color. Swipe each layer again to the right to remove it from the selection. Once all appropriate layers have been selected, click the “Delete” button at the top of the Layers panel.
3. How do I remove layers from a photo?
You can delete a layer from an image or clear a layer’s contents. Clearing the contents of a layer maintains the layer within the image; raster and vector layers become translucent, and the background level is filled with the existing background color and material.
You might also tap the circle adjacent to the layer to conceal it. Or, swipe left and right with three fingers to remove the layer. There are several methods to eliminate it. If you are unfamiliar with Procreate’s fundamental features, I recommend consulting the Handbook.
4. How do I delete unused layers in Photoshop?
You can remove all hidden layers (Eye icon off) by selecting “Delete Hidden Layers” from the Layer panel’s flyout menu (4-line icon in the upper right of the panel).
5. Is procreate a one-time purchase?
Downloading Procreate costs $9.98. No subscription or renewal fees apply. You only pay for the application once. This deal is enticing if you already own an iPad Pro and Apple Pencil.
Understanding how to erase layers in Procreate might be challenging. I hope this article has been helpful by offering a step-by-step explanation and some tips and tricks for using the app!
If you have any comments and questions regarding anything I’ve discussed here, please leave them in the section below! | <urn:uuid:4fd71b79-c58d-4731-b419-02d99aa73002> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://doom10.org/how-to-delete-layers-in-procreate/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572212.96/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815205848-20220815235848-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.87905 | 1,719 | 2.484375 | 2 |
This case traces the development of high-definition TV from a public-policy perspective over the years 1986-91. After a brief description of the main technical questions, the case examines industrial policy issues related to HDTV in the EC, US and Japan. It is accompanied by three satellite cases: High Definition Television in Europe: British Sky Broadcasting, High Definition Television in Europe: Philips Consumer Products and High Definition Television in Europe: Thomson Consumer Electronics.
To illustrate the difficulties of industrial targeting in areas of rapid technological progress.To introduce participants to the analysis of markets with network externalities.
- HIGH DEFINITION TELEVISION
- DEVELOPMENT OF HIGH-DEFINITION TV | <urn:uuid:9ff85d32-f17e-4881-bdb5-3cc3af941636> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://publishing.insead.edu/case/high-definition-television-europe | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572212.96/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815205848-20220815235848-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.807026 | 144 | 1.523438 | 2 |
Written by Cameron Seay, Open Mainframe Project Governing Board member, co-chair of the COBOL Working Group and Adjunct Professor at East Carolina University
This content was originally published on the ASG Technologies’ blog.
Why are Large Enterprises Still Using COBOL?
Large enterprises – public and private – made enormous investments in automation over the past few decades, starting with COBOL (COmmon Business Oriented Language). At the time (the 1960s), COBOL was the best available tool. It was, and is, well suited to the typical data processing that enterprises in insurance, banking, financial services, and public services (e.g., government) do:
- Personally identifiable and demographic information management
- Accounts and balances management
- Abstracting and formatting reports, statements, and other communications
It is an indisputable fact that these programs capture and execute much of each enterprise’s unique commercial and public service posture. It’s equally indisputable that it may be difficult to abstract those unique business rules and port them to another application language or operating system – and hold innumerable exceptions to those rules, as applied over years of short-term objectives.
Having said that, we must recognize that these mission-critical applications just work. Despite all the complaints, they accomplish the tasks efficiently and effectively. They should be viewed the same way we view the roads in the interstate highway system – there are stretches that were laid decades ago, and, while imperfect, they are recognizably adequate for the amount and type of traffic they carry. Should every mile of concrete and asphalt be torn up and re-laid along the same paths, just because there is newer road surface technology available?
This is not to say that coding practices for applications developed decades ago – yes, there is still mainframe code from the 1970s that is still executing today in the financial ecosystem – were as elegant and thoughtful as they should have been. Decades ago, there was a lack of internal code documentation, decisions to cut corners for short-term financial benefits, spaghetti logic from poor coding practices resulting from poor training, and overburdened coders.
Still, while the IBM/mainframe line item(s) in the budget may be sizeable numbers, the financial benefits of deconstructing these large programs so they can be refactored in other languages and deployed on other technology stacks are questionable. It can take years, sometimes decades, to break even – and that’s before accounting for the institutional risk to reputation, failures, false starts and incorrect outcomes, as well as the professional risks for individuals who are responsible for the projects. It is a hard balance to find, particularly for the largest enterprises with the greatest dependence on them.
All that said, there are enterprises who bite the bullet and take the risk, with varying degrees of success – from seamless transition to abandoned efforts. While my above stance may seem parochial, I do see some positive, impactful trends. Namely: encapsulating mainframe applications behind APIs so that changes don’t have to be made all at once. Once encapsulated, complexity analysis tools can be applied to help automate the deconstruction of large COBOL programs as a first step to making changes. Results of the analysis can be used to help IT professionals make informed decisions about what functions can be better served from a less expensive – though possibly less reliable, available, and serviceable – technology stack. Those functions can be refactored as microservices that stand behind the API and minimize the disruptions.
Are Younger COBOL-skilled Professionals Emerging?
Certainly! Nature abhors a vacuum, and the market will drive what skills are available and the compensation they will command. Some changes – in terms of geographic location, cultures, and customs – are inevitable, though rest assured that young IT pros are recognizing the opportunity that working with mainframe represents.
In fact, I see them stepping up to the challenge everywhere I go – at SHARE in the U.S., Guide Share in Europe, at our customers’ data centers and in our own ASG development sites in Chennai and Hyderabad. If you want to see and hear some of the successes, follow Cameron Seay, Ph.D., on LinkedIn and other social media. I am greatly impressed with his posture and voice to all of us.
It is fair to say that an IT pro with five years of experience with COBOL programs may not be able to sit down and immediately understand all the COBOL of an application that originated 30 years ago. Though it is equally fair to say they likely come better prepared by their education and with better tools than their retiring predecessors did at the same five-year mark in their careers.
We can decry decisions and poor coding choices made by our predecessors in the enterprise. However, things are what they are. Our best path forward is to set aside that negative thought and apply critical thought to what works well in the enterprise – and what can continue to work cost-effectively.
For more COBOL Resources: | <urn:uuid:bde50e53-bca7-41b0-930d-7445a5035f93> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.openmainframeproject.org/blog/2021/02/19/the-case-for-cobol-in-the-mainframe-even-for-millennials | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572043.2/warc/CC-MAIN-20220814143522-20220814173522-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.950824 | 1,046 | 2.28125 | 2 |
The Gadfly is a series of letters offering commentary on local issues and published in the Warrensburg Gazette.
A week or so ago we read of a highly-ballyhooed bill signing; the new law supposedly provides incentives to get companies to expand employment. When any government use the word "incentives" what it really means is giving up tax revenue to favored businesses; it's another word for corporate welfare.
I went to the state website (www.senate.mo.gov) and looked up SB343 to see exactly what it does. First I checked the fiscal note (that's where they estimate the amount of revenue or expense the bill will cause for state and local governments). The estimate is officially "unknown." So we have a tax giveaway bill with no idea of the financial effect on the state.
Then I read the details. Essentially, if a business qualifies by creating a specified number of new jobs paying at or above the county average wage, it gets to keep most or all of the state income tax generated by the jobs. The business is required to pay at least half of the employees' health insurance, which leads me to wonder about cutting subsidized health care for low income people while subsidizing it for those in good jobs.
The bill does more. It increases the amount of money available for Tax Increment Financing (TIF) projects and reduces some of the costs that can be charged to the developer. TIF is the program under which one local governmental body (normally a city) declares an area "blighted" and gives away property tax money from other governmental bodies (normally a county, school district, hospital, etc.) to subsidize the development. That was tried locally back in 1998 when a illegally-structured TIF project for the Applebee's development failed in City Council on a 3-2 vote. TIF has been used in conjunction with eminent domain (condemning property) in other areas of the state.
I'm pro-business, but I think businesses should make their decisions without artificial incentives that skew the marketplace. What government should do to help business is to drop artificial regulations that serve little useful purpose; there's something ironic about government greasing the wheels on one hand while blocking the tracks with the other.
This website compliments of | <urn:uuid:5dfbf1e7-6f72-40e1-9440-c5b6e1109a32> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | http://olddrum.net/gadfly/gadfly300.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572212.96/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815205848-20220815235848-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.95 | 480 | 1.804688 | 2 |
Exclusive Central Otago Spray Free Extra Virgin Olive Oil
New Zealand’s Finest
Against Central Otago’s extreme climate olive trees flourish producing an extra virgin olive oil with a unique flavor profile.
We grow mainly Tuscan varieties including Leccino, Frantoio and Pendolino.
Beside the beautiful shores of Lake Dunstan, Dunford Grove produces premium extra virgin Olive oil and delicious fresh hazelnuts.
Dunford Grove Lies on the quiet shores of the unbelievably blue Lake Dunstan. We, Jocelyn Robinson and Sandy Black, moved to this stunning spot in May 2015 just in time for harvest. While the first olive trees were planted in 2005 the remaining 450 olives and 400 hazelnuts were planted in 2007. We grow the Italian varietals Leccino, Frantoio and Pendolino – olives best suited to our southern climate.
Often likened to a desert, Central Otago’s extreme weather of very cold winters and hot dry summers provide ideal conditions for growing healthy disease-free trees. Because of this, we are able to practice a spray free regime. | <urn:uuid:d6d289b5-8f04-421a-bcba-b6c928c1b83c> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://dunfordgrove.com/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572043.2/warc/CC-MAIN-20220814143522-20220814173522-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.875526 | 237 | 1.539063 | 2 |
Water Evaluation and Planning (WEAP) Training
On the 28th of June, Stockholm Environment Institute Asia Center (SEI Asia) hosted and organized an online training on Water Evaluation and Planning System (WEAP) with funding support of the Swedish Government through SEI Rapid Response Fund.
WEAP is a tool designed for integrated water resources planning that allows users to model natural hydrological system as well as man-made infrastructures, their development, and operations. The software's capability to simulate scenarios helps users to predict impacts of various changes within the basin, from climate change, land use change to new reservoir construction. It provides a comprehensive, flexible, and user-friendly framework for planning and policy analysis.
The training is being provided by SEI, an international, independent, no-profit research institute whose mission is to bridge science, policy and practice to develop the best science possible to support policy making processes around the world focusing on sustainable development.
The objectives of the training are being able to build capacity and skills among the civil societies organizations and academic institutes to use the WEAP software and provide a deeper understanding of how WEAP can support in planning water allocation through scenario analysis and engagement of diverse stakeholders in an open decision- making process.
The approach of the training is to use a basic WEAP model to explore the various features and functionalities of the software and look at the previously developed WEAP models in Chindwin and Sittaung river basins of Myanmar to discuss the impacts of climate change on flows, domestic demands, agriculture demands and other key uncertainties and how the tool can be used to consider various response strategies by providing hands-on training, ensuring all participants actively engage and learn, with a consideration for gender balance in participants and participation.
In the pre-workshop session, each participants introduce themselves and trainers and resource persons helped with installing WEAP application, checking material, camera, microphone and registering license.
The workshop overview are as follow:
- Session 1: Introduction and Icebreaking
- Session 2: Baseline WEAP Setup
- Session 3: Scenario analysis
- Session 4: Discussion
Session 1: Introduction and Icebreaking
The first session of the workshop started with an introduction to the training and overview of WEAP's application in Myanmar. Firstly, Dr. Chayanis Krittasudthacheewa, SEI Asia Deputy Director welcomed the Participants and then introduced Stockholm Environment Institute, SEI. She generally described the models and scenarios of LEAP and WEAP that have been used as decision support tools for Myanmar to prepare the Second National Communication UNFCCC report. She also explained the training objectives, approach and introduced Trainers and resource persons.
Secondly, Dr. Thanapon Piman, SEI Asia Senior Research Fellow discussed the overview of WEAP such as application, strength, and the types of result WEAP can produce. He also listed the organizations which are using the WEAP application to make decisions on the project and mentioned the result that WEAP can produce.
Lastly, we took some group photos and took a short 10 minutes coffee break to continue the next session.
Group photo of training participants with trainers and resource persons
Session 2: Baseline WEAP Setup
Mr. Uttam Ghimire, SEI Asia Research Associate/Modeler was the trainer for WEAP one day workshop and he started the second session by confirming that every participant had downloaded the application and training files. He also helped with the license registration for the new participants. Then, he went straight into the lecture of developing a WEAP schematic, import land use information, input water demands information, calibration and validation of Soil Moisture model (Baseline simulation and finally demand and supply analysis. He demonstrated every step to make sure the participant's resulted are the same since this is important for the training in next session.
Session 3: Scenario analysis
In the 3rd session, we reviewed the previous work and then continued with 10 minutes of Q and A session for the participants who got errors in the project. Then, the trainer demonstrated importing climate change scenarios and Baseline vs Scenario comparison. After that, Miss. Parichat Pinsri, SEI Asia Research assistant guided how we can present and download our project in different kinds of format.
Scenario of the chart in different formats
Session 4: Discussion
At length, Ms. Than Htway Lwin, SEI Asia Myanmar National Coordinator who also helped out explaining the lecture in Burmese, requested the participants for completing the online survey as their feedback for today's training. Then, Mr. Kyaw Moe Aung, SNC-BUR Project Coordinator/National Consultant talked about the Vulnerability and Adaptation Assessment of Climate Change in Myanmar with analyzed data and research papers.As a closing notes, Dr. Thanapon Piman said despite the short time and a lot of information to assimilate in one day training, he hoped that participants would gain a tangible foundation and would be able to apply the knowledge from this extensive training in their projects in the future .The participants also thanked the instructors for sharing valuable knowledge and training materials and showed appreciation to all the trainers an resource persons for sharing key information to start using WEAP and to organizers for the impressive and perfect training. It was the most knowledgeable and valuable one day training.
If you are interested in integrated water resources planning and want to model a natural hydrological system, you can download WEAP' software and materials here and watch the tutorials on Stockholm Environment Institute YouTube Channel. | <urn:uuid:e02b9617-7986-494c-af58-ededcc139d5c> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.myanmarwaterportal.com/news/2733-water-evaluation-and-planning-weap-training.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572043.2/warc/CC-MAIN-20220814143522-20220814173522-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.919878 | 1,129 | 2.234375 | 2 |
After joining a CIC, or Common Interest Community, each member receives governing documents they must follow in respect to how the community and individual units are operated and used. In most cases, governing documents include a declaration, bylaws, articles of incorporation, and rules and regulations. Those documents will describe important administration or financial info like the association’s rights and responsibilities, the homeowner’s rights and responsibilities, how the annual budget is created, and the procedure to follow when electing a board.
Most importantly, the governing documents will also outline the powers granted to that elected board, which exists to help operate and preserve the association. The board will typically have the power to create or amend rules and regulations in the CIC, create procedures and parameters for fining when owners are not compliant, adopt an operating budget (which sets “dues”), hire vendors to provide services to the association, etc.
Additionally, if damages or other issues occur on association property, the governing documents disclose the insurance coverage of the CIC and how the responsibility between the association and unit owner differ. In many cases, documents may define that anything outside an individual unit becomes a responsibility of the association, while maintaining and repairing damage inside the unit boundaries becomes a responsibility of the unit owner. It’s important to understand that distinction while owning the unit, which the governing documents and board will uphold.
When a homeowner decides to sell their unit, the governing documents will most likely include regulations to follow during that process. In Minnesota, under the Minnesota Common Interest Ownership Act, the seller of a unit must provide the governing documents to a prospective buyer to view before purchasing.
In every step of the association member’s ownership, the governing documents are necessary to read and learn in order to understand the operation of their Common Interest Community. | <urn:uuid:0d9dab55-4432-4706-94a7-b83111d7e3a9> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://sharpermanagement.com/2019/03/understanding-your-governing-documents/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572212.96/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815205848-20220815235848-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.947061 | 370 | 2.28125 | 2 |
Last night, President Donald Trump fulfilled his constitutional duty to read a lot of words to both houses of Congress. The address provided an encouraging data point for people who fret about the supposed dumbing-down of the State of the Union address (and by extension, America): A high school freshman could understand it.
Slowly but surely, State of the Union addresses have been becoming easier to understand, as measured by the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level test. President George Washington’s addresses were, on average, written at a 18th-grade reading level. James Madison hit an all-time high with his 21st-grade reading level. (No doubt a reflection of the large number of early 19th century Americans with doctoral degrees.) Yet no president since Warren G. Harding has managed to get an average readability level beyond 12th grade. Barack Obama’s final State of the Union speech came in at an 8th-grade reading level. Yet Trump (and his speechwriters) bucked the trend by crafting an address at a 9th-grade reading level.
Of course, rating SOTU speeches by this metric is dumber than the dumbness it supposedly illustrates. Eighteenth and nineteenth-century presidents were delivering formal, often written, speeches to elite audiences, not producing moments made to be televised, YouTubed, and tweeted in seven-second soundbites. And the memorableness or impact of a particular address has little to do with its ostensible readability or sophistication—we’re still living with the fallout from George W. Bush’s 2002 “axis of evil” speech, which was written at a 10th grade reading level.
And the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level test is not a good way to evaluate the how “smart” a speech is. It’s calculated from the average number of words per sentence and the average number of syllables per word, which doesn’t tell you anything about a statement’s content, style, or seriousness. (It can’t even tell if it’s analyzing another language or encoded text.) And the words a president reads off a teleprompter tell us less about his intellectual capacity or mental faculties than the words he speaks extemporaneously.
Trump chalked up another trivial statistical achievement last night. His speech clocked in at an hour and 20 minutes, the longest spoken SOTU since 2000, when Bill Clinton went out with a nearly 89-minute valedictory. In 1972, Richard Nixon got in and out in under 29 minutes. No one remembers either of those speeches.
When it came to word count, Trump didn’t set any new records. His prepared text was 5,190 words long. In comparison, Obama usually hit the 6,000- to 7,000-word range. And no one has gotten near Theodore Roosevelt, who in 1907 presented members of Congress with copies of a 27,397-word statement, which they were forced to listen to someone else deliver. It was written at a level that could be understood by a 21st century college junior. Was it any smarter than modern addresses? Apparently not: A British paper complained that “the portentious [sic] length of the document is not compensated by any boldness of conception or originality of ideas.”
In case you were curious, this article has a Flesch-Kincaid reading level of 9.8; that’s 0.4 points higher than the score for Trump’s State of the Union. (It was 9.5 but then I quoted a 111-year-old newspaper, which made it seem more sophisticated.) | <urn:uuid:9d85bb5d-c074-44b2-9e0e-f6ffa89f5999> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://adops.motherjones.com/politics/2018/01/trumps-state-of-the-union-was-slightly-less-dumb-than-it-could-have-been/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571538.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20220812014923-20220812044923-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.95993 | 766 | 2.546875 | 3 |
The Queen's role
As Queen of St Lucia, Her Majesty maintains a unique relationship with this beautiful Eastern Caribbean island, keeping informed of day-to-day Government matters via her representative in the country, the Governor-General. Royal visits during her reign have helped mark key milestones in the country’s national life and that of its Monarch.
The Queen is a ‘constitutional monarch’ in St Lucia, meaning that she acts entirely on the advice of her Government ministers on the island who brief her regularly via her private secretaries.
Her Majesty is represented in St Lucia by a Governor-General. He or she is appointed by The Queen on the advice of the ministers of St Lucia and is completely independent of the British Government. The Queen has direct contact with the Governor-General, although she delegates executive power to the Governor-General in virtually every respect.
Speaking during his visit on behalf of The Queen in 2012, The Earl of Wessex referred to his mother’s long-standing pride and interest in her role as Queen of St Lucia:
I know that she regards her role as your Head of State and your Queen as being an enormous privilege. As you have developed as a nation, the fact that you wanted to remain as a realm, and wanted The Queen to remain as your Queen, is something that has always meant a great deal to her ... and she follows your fortunes here in Saint Lucia with great interest.
From The Queen's first visit to the islands in 1966, to Princess Alexandra joining anniversary independence celebrations in 1979, Royal visits have helped strengthen the relationship between St Lucia and its Monarchy.
St Lucia has had a steady stream of Royal visits during The Queen's reign. Her Majesty visited St Lucia for the first time during her Caribbean tour of 1966, when she opened the Winban Research Centre and learnt more about the local agriculture. The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh also enjoyed traditional dancing and steel band music on board HMY Britannia and watched a fireworks display from Point Seraphin.
The following year St Lucia became self-governing, and in 1979 achieved its independence. Princess Alexandra represented The Queen in St Lucia as part of their independence celebrations.
In 1985 The Queen laid the foundation stone for a new Red Cross headquarters; visited a residential home for the elderly and visited the Girls' Vocational School where they met children involved with The Duke of Edinburgh's Award Scheme on the island.
The Prince of Wales attended the island's tenth anniversary of independence celebrations in 1989.
The Queen's Diamond Jubilee celebrations in 2012 were marked with a visit from The Earl and Countess of Wessex, who joined Independence Day celebrations and visited the St Lucia School of Music in Castries.
Prince Harry visited St Lucia in 2016, as part of his Caribbean visit on behalf of The Queen.
The Prince unveiled St Lucia's dedication to The Queen's Commonwealth Canopy at Castries Water Works Reserve and presented Duke of Edinburgh's Awards as part of his visit. | <urn:uuid:328b1a06-0e13-4f35-8796-230fa9cb4efd> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.royal.uk/st-lucia | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572043.2/warc/CC-MAIN-20220814143522-20220814173522-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.97193 | 608 | 2.5625 | 3 |
We have crafted many worksheets covering various aspects of this topic and many more. This worksheet is made up of awesome 1st grade basic addition skills which will enable kids excel well in math both at home and in the classroom.
Addition worksheets for grade 1 pdf are inspirational resources made up of fun and interactive real life approach that will make your kids feel excited about math.
Addition first grade math worksheets for grade 1. Designed by education professionals for young learners these first grade addition worksheets and printables introduce addition in an interactive and engaging way. We try to encourage students to read and think about the problems carefully and not just recognize an answer pattern. 1st grade math worksheets on addition add one to other numbers adding double digit numbers addition with carrying etc subtraction subtraction word problems subtraction of small numbers subtracting double digits etc numbers number lines ordering numbers comparing numbers ordinal numbers etc telling time a m.
And p m reading time. Click on the images to view download or print them. Choose your grade 1 topic.
Adding sums to 10 using pictures objects. Grade 1 addition worksheets in first grade children add single digit numbers and practice the addition facts with numbers from 0 to 10. These worksheets are appropriate for first grade math.
We provide math word problems for addition subtraction time money fractions and lengths. Our grade 1 word problem worksheets relate first grade math concepts to the real world. We hope you find them very useful and interesting.
Word problem worksheets for grade 1. No regrouping is included in our grade 1 exercises. They solve addition problems with a missing number missing addend and use addition to solve simple subtraction problems.
These grade 1 math worksheets use pictures to help students conceptualize addition by showing the connection between combining two groups of objects counting and creating and evaluating an addition sentence. Worksheets math grade 1 addition adding with pictures. Grade 1 addition worksheets these math worksheets start with simple addition using pictures or number lines followed by one digit math facts and then progress through number bonds adding doubles missing addends adding whole tens and adding in columns.
Simple word problems review all these concepts. Easy no regrouping pages missing addends and more challenging addition worksheets. These printable 1st grade math worksheets help students master basic math skills.
1st grade math worksheets printable pdfs. A brief description of the worksheets is on each of the worksheet widgets. Free 1st grade addition worksheets in pdf format with no login needed.
First grade means many students first math experience so start it right with our first grade addition worksheets and printables. Worksheets math grade 1 word problems. The initial focus is on numbers and counting followed by arithmetic and concepts related to fractions time money measurement and geometry. | <urn:uuid:5cd3b9c7-7f23-4739-8f3c-c42bb032c14c> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://kidsworksheetfun.com/addition-first-grade-math-worksheets-for-grade-1/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572212.96/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815205848-20220815235848-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.902312 | 586 | 4.21875 | 4 |
Starting from the assumption that space is a language and that food isalso a language, what we will try to show in this paper is how these two languages,together, carry specific concepts of animality. For this reason, we will focus on twodifferent places of food consumption that place animals at the centre of their proposaland that in recent years have spread in urban environments: cat cafés, wherecats are conceived as subjects to pet, endowed with a predominantly emotionalvalue, and dog restaurants, where dogs are in fact the real restaurant clients.
|Titolo della pubblicazione ospite||Semiotics of Animals in Culture. Zoosemiotics 2.0|
|Stato di pubblicazione||Published - 2018| | <urn:uuid:b5680876-feb1-457d-9840-99b8ac963681> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://pure.unipa.it/it/publications/cat-caf%C3%A9s-and-dog-restaurants | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572212.96/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815205848-20220815235848-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.902761 | 167 | 1.671875 | 2 |
Workshops for aspiring writers who struggle with
depression or other mental illness.
author, editor, speaker
Jessica Kantrowitz is the author of three books, The Long Night: Readings and Stories to Help You through Depression, 365 Days of Peace, and Blessings for the Long Night: Poems and Meditations to Help You through Depression. She writes about her own struggles in a way that creates space for others to feel seen, and safe to tell their own story.
She has a BA from Tufts University and an MDiv from Gordon-Cornwell Seminary, and many years of experience as an editor helping people convey their thoughts clearly and concisely.
Her writing has appeared in Sojourners Magazine, The Good Men Project, and the Madeleine L’Engle blog, and she has worked as a storyteller for Together Rising. She has also worked as a campus minister, youth minister, ESL teacher, and small-group facilitator.
You can read more at jessicakantrowitz.com.
The Finding Your Voice Writing Workshops
are for aspiring writers who struggle with depression or other mental illness. You will receive affirmation and encouragement, as well as an overview of different genres of writing.
FYV 101 explores how poetry and fiction offer techniques and skills that carry over into our nonfiction writing. FYV 102 (coming soon!) explores the crafts of essay writing and creative nonfiction.
Through four writing assignments you will have the opportunity to try out different ways of writing, to receive feedback on your work from me and the other participants, and to offer feedback to others.
By the end of each workshop, you will have pieces of writing to build on, and a community of other writers to support and encourage you in your work.
FYV 102 (coming soon!)
Finding the Value of your voice
Finding your voice through poetry
Finding your voice through fiction
Finding your voice your way
To begin, we will discuss the particular challenges of writing with mental illness and chronic illness in general, and why your story is important.
I will give an overview of the course and the genres we will be working in, and give you your first writing assignment, as well as instructions for sharing your work and giving and receiving feedback.
This week we will explore the power of poetry, as well as the fears and hesitations we often have about writing it. I will read some of my favorite poetry, giving you lots of different styles and options, and with much encouragement and reassurance give you your second writing assignment.
This week we will explore the power of fiction as a way to tell a story through metaphor, myth, and allegory. I will read a few short stories and assign others, and give you your third writing assignment.
This week we will have a short review of the genres we have covered, and I will give you some more tools and resources to move forward in your writing and pursuing publishing, including tips on building a platform, writing pitches, using social media well, and creating community with other writers. I will give you your last writing assignment.
Weekly schedule: Each week you will receive the lecture and assignment on a Friday. You will post your assignment by Monday night / Tuesday morning, and then offer and receive guided feedback Tuesday through Friday. You will be asked to give feedback on at least three of your teammate's pieces, and will receive feedback from at least three people.
"The Long Night will bring hope to the hurting and comfort to the weary. It's a book I'll keep by my bedside forever."
~Glennon Doyle, #1 New York Times best-selling author of Untamed and Love Warrior; founder of Together Rising
"Please read this book. It will help you heal wounds and remind you that you aren't alone. Jessica Kantrowitz has given us a very precious gift--may we accept the invitation to receive it."
~Kaitlin Curtice, Author of Glory Happening: Finding the Divine in Everyday Places and Native: Identity, Belonging, and Rediscovering God
"Highly recommended for readers seeking spiritual, mindful approaches to depression, with clear, simple coping strategies."
"To me, the only thing more ridiculous than tragedy is when someone offers a suffering soul a book to pacify their pain. But now I will be that someone. Because Kantrowitz isn't offering a book here. She is offering herself."
~Matt Bays, Author of Finding God in the Ruins and Leather and Lace
"Jessica is a poet who writes little benedictions for the end of the day and now they are published, so you can buy them for a whole year! I'm someone who doesn't currently like prayer and never liked platitudes, and who most of the time is just really f**king enraged at the unfairness in the world - and yet I like these. Jessica doesn't piss about. Nor does she wallow. Recommended, particularly if you're perpetually pissed off and would like to burn things down. They remind me what hope is like."
~Alex Booer, Co-Author of Ineffable Love: Exploring Christian Themes in Good Omens
"No part of life - no experience, no pang, no sensation, no rhythm - escapes Jessica's gaze. Through her lens, the hard and the heavy narratives of life soften and bend. Her words are sutures, gently pulling my frayed and throbbing edges together at the end of day; the benedictions my child-soul ever asked for and never received. Let her gently stitch you up too."
~River Paasch, Author of Millenneagram: The Enneagram Guide for Discovering Your Truest, Baddest Self
"In a world that's just this side of madness most days, this book serves as a respite. 365 Days of Peace: Benedictions to End Your Day in Gentleness and Hope is such a gift, as is its author. Jessica's voice is a balm. Unerringly kind and unflinchingly honest, her nightly musings on Twitter became such a source of comfort for so many of us. Give yourself the gift of this soft place to fall at the end of the day."
~Laura Parrott Perry, Co-founder of Say it Survivor and author of She Wrote it Down: How a Secret-Keeper Became a Storyteller and Homeward | <urn:uuid:21ccab99-d9cc-4230-8627-6e26d5dd8a58> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://workshops.jessicakantrowitz.com/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572043.2/warc/CC-MAIN-20220814143522-20220814173522-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.955954 | 1,348 | 1.640625 | 2 |
Bulbophyllum freitagii Photo: R. Amsler
Bulbophyllum diplohelix & B. freitagii; compairison Photos: R. Amsler
Abstract: Rudolf Jenny describes and illustrates Bulbophyllum freitagii, a new species from New Guinea.
The Author saw this species recently in the orchid collection of Swiss expert grower Roland Amsler, who specializes in Bulbophyllum.
Bulbophyllum freitagii belogns to the recently described section Hoplandra and is closely allied with Bulbophyllum diplohelix. Its lateral sepals are much shorter than B. diplohelix and do not spiral around each other; the lip is about twice the size with a lumpy surface. The hairs are much longer, and the ovary and pedicel are shorter.
It is so far only known from the type locality in West Papua where it grows in evergreen forest.
Bulbophyllum freitagii is named after Walter Freitag (16.11.1963 to 7.1.2018), a passionate Swiss gardener, friend and travel companion of Roland Amsler.
Published in The Orchid Review, March 2019: 33 - 35 | <urn:uuid:256c339e-97ad-4002-be8d-dcfb1ce65127> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | http://www.bulbophyllum.info/news/a-new-species-of-bulbophyllum | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572212.96/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815205848-20220815235848-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.834904 | 285 | 2.375 | 2 |
US banks and retailers are, reportedly, lagging behind other countries in deploying secure high-tech credit cards to tackle card related frauds.
The US credit card fraud rates, which was once lowest in the world, have doubled in the last decade as secured chip cards spread throughout Europe, reported The Washington Post.
With continuous pressure from credit card companies, some major banks and retailers have started rolling out the credit cards, which features a computer chip and security software that hides customer’s account and other details.
MasterCard Worldwide senior vice president, Carolyn Balfany, was quoted by the publication as saying that introduction of high-tech credit cards in the US will take time.
"The U.S. is the largest and the most complex market to move, so that will influence the migration," Balfany added.
Though, some retailers like Wal-Mart and Target have deployed new terminals to read the new chip cards, it is unclear how long the small businesses would take to make the switch. | <urn:uuid:5a7731eb-2afc-42c2-a90c-6245f2c69e90> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.electronicpaymentsinternational.com/news/us-banks-slow-to-tackle-credit-card-frauds-reports-220114-4163660/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571538.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20220812014923-20220812044923-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.969899 | 206 | 2 | 2 |
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