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ChallengeTrojan’s Management wanted to stay in California and increase their competitiveness. The company’s goal was to improve battery assembly production to meet growing demand. To accomplish this goal, Trojan management recognized a need to improve key production processes and reduce cost per unit.
Project objectives included increasing assembly throughput bystandardizing processes and organizing the key constraint point, the ”Post Burning” assembly operations. CMTC® assisted in streamlining manual processes that produced the posts for each battery. The processes were mapped to determine a more fluid flow. Prior to implementing the improved process flow, a comprehensive training program was implemented on Lean manufacturing principles to prepare employees to properly implement and sustain project improvements. Following the training program, several improvements were made to systematically implement the new processes. The project began in March 2006 and was completed in approximately three months.
The manual processes were streamlined by improving the layout of the work area and reducing walk and wait time. As a result, the lead melting and battery post forming processes were made more efficient -- providing a 33% increase in productivity. The Post Burning assembly operation increased productivity from 2,730 to 3,640 batteries per shift.
Financial and Investment Impact
Following project implementation, Trojan Battery recognized a production increase of 900 batteries per shift and a reduction in costs of $218,000.
“With CMTC’s consulting support, we saved 1,283,639 annual kilowatt hours for the same amount of production. We are on our way to reducing our energy costs by $1,000,000 per year.”
Manager Manufacturing Technology | <urn:uuid:fe68038d-3011-4325-9fc6-5bf3e9f1126d> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.cmtc.com/cmtc-case-studies/trojan-battery-company | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280292.50/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00346-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947561 | 326 | 1.640625 | 2 |
JUST a couple of days ago, police were highlighting figures showing fewer road deaths in the Wodonga region in the 12 months to June.
But yesterday morning came a tragic triple fatality at Staghorn Flat that has claimed the lives of a 67-year-old Yackandandah woman and an Allans Flat woman, 33, and her young son.
Their deaths resulted from what can only be described as a freak tragedy; the decoupling of a trailer from a petrol tanker as it rounded the bend and then collided with the two vehicles the women were driving.
Police and other authorities will det-ermine where the faults lay for the crash and why the tanker and trailer separated, but now is a time for the provision of support and sympathy for those who have lost their loved ones in this crash.
It is also time to offer support to the driver of the truck, a local man who bears a most dreadful burden of involvement.
We should also remember and support those emergency services personnel who have responded to this crash and have spent long hours on-site doing their job in the most difficult circumstances.
This tragedy will rock our region and will require our community to come together in the weeks and months ahead. | <urn:uuid:fdf0b89b-2cef-471e-b056-880f6b543d77> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.bordermail.com.au/story/2473671/triple-tragedy-rocks-region/?src=rss | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280872.69/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00310-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963339 | 250 | 1.5 | 2 |
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HBOT can bring about dramatic improvement in many neurological conditions for which we have had very little to offer other than palliative care.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) is defined as the use of oxygen at higher than atmospheric pressure for the treatment of underlying disease processes and the diseases they produce. Modern HBOT in which 100% O2 is breathed in a pressurized chamber dates back to the 1930s, when it was first used for treatment of decompression illness in divers. There are currently 13 FDA-approved uses for HBOT, including decompression illness, gas gangrene, air embolism, osteomyelitis, radiation necrosis, and the most recent addition-diabetic ulcers.
Just as practicing physicians routinely identify off-label uses for medications, over the years HBOT physicians have identified many other conditions that respond to HBOT. A number of chronic neurological conditions including traumatic brain injury (TBI) have been shown to respond particularly well. There is published literature supporting HBOT’s efficacy for TBI, including human trials and animal research, but due to the impossibility of arranging sham pressure there are no rigorous double-blind placebo-controlled trials.1 As a result, HBOT is not FDA-approved for TBI, and insurance will generally not pay for it.
HBOT can dramatically and permanently improve symptoms of chronic TBI months or even many years after the original head injury. This assertion is generally met with skepticism within the medical establishment because we have been taught for generations that any post-concussion symptoms persisting more than 6 months or so after a head injury are due to permanent brain damage that cannot be repaired. Therefore, treatment has been limited to symptom management and rehabilitative services, and any claim suggesting that fundamental healing is possible is suspect. The combination of entrenched skepticism and lack of insurance coverage has made it very difficult for patients to access treatment.
Another source of skepticism has been the large number of disparate conditions that are claimed to be helped by HBOT. A brief review of the mechanisms through which HBOT triggers healing responses, with particular reference to the modern understanding of the pathophysiology of TBI, provides a theoretical framework to explain these claims.
Physiological effects of HBOT
About 97% of the total oxygen in blood is tightly bound to hemoglobin when breathing room air (21% O2) at sea level (1 atmosphere, or 1 ATM; 3% of the oxygen is dissolved in blood serum. This amounts to about 0.3 mL of oxygen dissolved in 100 mL of serum. By the time oxygen diffuses out of the circulatory system and ultimately reaches the mitochondria, there is just a trace amount present. HBOT’s primary mechanism is to temporarily hyper-oxygenate body tissues. HBOT delivered at 1.3 ATM increases dissolved oxygen in serum by a factor of 7. HBOT delivered in hard chambers at 2.5 to 3.0 ATM increases dissolved oxygen by a factor of 15 or more. Oxygen levels in body tissues outside the circulatory system will be increased commensurately.
If a hyper-oxygenated state is maintained for long periods it will cause significant oxidative damage, but when it is “pulsed” for an hour it triggers a variety of healing processes without overwhelming the body’s anti-oxidant system. The currently known mechanisms include a powerful anti-inflammatory effect, reduction of edema, increased blood perfusion, angiogenesis, stimulation of the immune system, stimulation of endogenous antioxidant systems, mobilization of stem cells from bone marrow, axonal regrowth, and modulation of the expression of thousands of genes involved in the inflammatory response and various healing responses.2,3
Pathophysiology of TBI
At each site of impact a contusion can develop-essentially a bruise that may involve local bleeding and neuronal death. Over hours to days an area of inflammation will develop around the contusion, just as inflammation will occur around an injury anywhere in the body. Since the brain is encased in the skull swelling is strictly limited, resulting in increased pressure in the affected area. The increased pressure results in reduced blood flow, damaging a much larger area of cortex than was initially injured. Within this penumbra, neurons may be injured and unable to carry out their prime function of transmitting neuronal impulses, yet they can survive in this stunned or “idling” state indefinitely.4
This understanding of the pathophysiology of TBI explains the typical evolution of symptoms after a concussion. The patient may lose consciousness or may just feel stunned for some time. There may be an initial headache and some degree of confusion, which often improve over the next few hours. However, as the inflammatory process evolves more severe symptoms develop, usually peaking within 1 to 2 weeks. These include headache, “brain fog,” nausea, photophobia, hyperacusis, difficulty with focus and multitasking, impaired memory, difficulty with visual processing with prominent difficulty looking at screens, and profound fatigue. The symptoms eventually stabilize, then begin a slow recovery over several months.
This type of injury is referred to as “mild” TBI, since there is no gross destruction of brain matter. The absence of gross damage is reflected in the typical finding of unremarkable CT and MRI scans even in the presence of disabling symptoms. However, in many cases a brain perfusion (SPECT) scan can image macroscopic areas of reduced perfusion of the cortex.
Treatment protocol for TBI
HBOT is regulated by the FDA as a drug, and like a drug, the appropriate dose can vary with the condition being treated. Dose is determined by the pressure in the chamber and the total hours of treatment. HBOT for FDA-approved indications is most commonly delivered in hospital settings, usually in large multiplace chambers at a pressure of 2.0 ATM or higher. High pressure treatment is superior for infections and for other acute severe problems.
It took several decades to determine that, due to excessive oxidative stress, high pressure HBOT carries a significant risk of further damage in chronic diffuse neurological conditions. Treatment at lower pressures in conjunction with limits on the number of sessions has been shown to be safer and more effective for these conditions, including TBI.
The recommended protocol for TBI is currently one or more blocks of 40, 1-hour HBOT sessions delivered at 1.3 to 1.5 ATM. Treatment can be conveniently delivered in “mild” hyperbaric chambers, soft vinyl chambers limited to 1.3 ATM that are inflated by a small compressor using room air (eliminating the risk of fire). Oxygen is extracted from ambient air by a portable oxygen concentrator, removing the need for oxygen tanks. Oxygen is fed into the chamber through a tube and delivered to the patient via an ordinary hospital oxygen mask.
These chambers are affordable, simple to assemble, simple to operate, and can be used in the outpatient setting. They are considered class II medical devices similar to a continuous positive airway pressure machine, requiring a doctor’s prescription but usable at home without direct medical supervision.
RP is a 55-year-old man who originally entered treatment with a 20-year history of bipolar disorder. His life had been chaotic because of lack of treatment adherence. He was stabilized on a modest dose of lithium and has been in a stable relationship and successfully self-employed for the past 10 years.
When it occurred to me to ask him about concussions, it emerged that there were several significant sports-related concussions during adolescence and at least a half-dozen serious concussions in early adulthood, possibly related to recklessness during manic episodes. His last concussion occurred 30 years before this history was obtained. He was unable to describe any specific post-concussion symptoms, possibly because he had so many concussions starting in adolescence, and could not remember what his functioning was like prior to his concussions. A brain-perfusion SPECT scan showed extensive perfusion defects consistent with TBI, which is a strong predictor of clinical benefit with HBOT. Accordingly, he was offered treatment even in the absence of a clear history of acquired symptoms.
The patient rented a mild-HBOT chamber and did the treatment at home. He completed two blocks of 40 one-hour sessions of mild HBOT (1.3 ATM, 100% O2) over the course of 4 months. A post-treatment SPECT scan was obtained about 56 months after he completed the treatment protocol.
Following is the summary section of the radiologist report for each scan. Note that a normal SPECT scan should show homogeneous perfusion, whereas areas of reduced perfusion or heterogeneous (spotty) perfusion indicate cortical areas of reduced blood flow.
Pre-treatment SPECT scan,
Aug. 29, 2016
“Findings: Decreased tracer perfusion is seen in the right temporal lobe and also there is heterogeneous perfusion in the bilateral parietal and posterior frontal lobes. The cerebellar hemispheres are symmetrically perfused in the correct clinical settings, this may reflect sequelae of traumatic brain injury.”
Post-treatment SPECT scan,
Dec. 27, 2017
“Findings: Brain SPECT images demonstrate homogeneous perfusion of the cerebral hemispheres. There are no asymmetric perfusion defects, with interval resolution of previously seen asymmetrically decreased radiotracer uptake in the right temporal lobe. Similarly, previously seen decreased perfusion in bilateral parietal and posterior frontal lobes has resolved. Impression: Normal brain perfusion SPECT with interval resolution of previously seen areas of decreased perfusion.”
After completing treatment he reported improvement in focus, improved ability to multitask, and generally more stable emotional functioning. He noted that he was using vocabulary that he had not used since he was a teenager, which was readily observable on interview. He found that he was communicating with people in a much more direct way, in contrast to his usual tendency to be tangential with difficulty getting to the point. He stopped using an appointment book for his business, finding that he could keep track of appointments with his clients for several weeks ahead by memory.
This case is not ideal as a teaching vehicle because of the lack of clear documentation of changes in post-concussion symptoms or neuropsychological testing results. However, the normalization of a grossly abnormal SPECT scan is clear indication that HBOT can repair neurological damage even decades after an injury, bringing macroscopic areas of cortex back “on-line.” The changes in the patient’s functioning and demeanor were striking, and clinically there was no doubt about the magnitude of the response. A controlled trial in a series of similar patients including pre- and post-neuropsychological testing, rating scales, and serial SPECT scans was published in 2012.1
Cerebral palsy (CP) can be considered to be perinatal TBI and patients with CP have been shown to respond significantly to HBOT.5 Benefits brought about by HBOT in TBI and CP are generally permanent, although patients may be more vulnerable to reinjury. Clinical experience and compelling case reports suggests that Alzheimer disease and multiple sclerosis can be improved to some extent by HBOT. Benefits in patients with progressive illnesses such as multiple sclerosis will tend to deteriorate over time. A maintenance schedule of perhaps a few sessions per week can slow down and, in some cases, appears to prevent progression.6,7
HBOT can bring about dramatic improvement in many neurological conditions for which we have had very little to offer other than palliative care. Considering the high incidence of many of these neurological conditions, the safety of treatment, and the simplicity and relatively low cost of mild-HBOT, it is unfortunate that it is not more widely available.
Dr Goderez is a psychopharmacologist and integrative medicine practitioner in private practice. He offers hyperbaric oxygen therapy for traumatic brain injury and other neuropsychiatric conditions including dementia and radiation necrosis.
1. Harch PG, Andrews SR, Fogarty EF, et.al. A phase I study of low-pressure hyperbaric oxygen therapy for blast-induced post-concussion syndrome and post-traumatic stress disorder. J Neurotrauma. 2012;29:168-185.
2. Efrati S, Ben-Jacob E. How and why hyperbaric oxygen therapy can bring new hope for children suffering from cerebral palsy: an editorial perspective. Undersea Hyperbaric Med. 2014;41:71-74.
3. Harch, P. Hyperbaric oxygen in chronic traumatic brain injury: oxygen, pressure, and gene therapy. Med Gas Res. 2015;5:9.
4. Harch P, Mccullough V. The Oxygen Revolution. Hobart, NY: Hatherleigh Press; 2010.
5. Mukherjee A, Raison M, Sahni T, et.al. Intensive rehabilitation combined with HBO2 therapy in children with cerebral palsy: a controlled longitudinal study. Undersea Hyperbaric Med. 2014;41:77-85.
6. Harch PG, Fogarty EF. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy for Alzheimer’s dementia with positron emission tomography imaging: a case report. Med Gas Res. 2018:8:181-184.
7. Jain KK. Textbook of Hyperbaric Medicine. New York, NY: Springer International Publishing AG; 2017: 345-348. | <urn:uuid:0590e497-f760-4cba-94dd-2d7370c2c59b> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.psychiatrictimes.com/view/treatment-traumatic-brain-injury-hyperbaric-oxygen-therapy | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571745.28/warc/CC-MAIN-20220812170436-20220812200436-00467.warc.gz | en | 0.947163 | 2,797 | 2.859375 | 3 |
The case of Raymond Davis is getting intensely intriguing. Sad that a legal issue has assumed mammoth political significance. It is now a battle between Pakistan’s elected and unelected institutions. Facts have been lost in the rhetoric and fiction prevails, regurgitating the narratives that we have weaved about ourselves and the rest of the world. Hate the US and blame it for all our weaknesses, even if it entails violating our international obligations.
It is time to ask how an operative can be in Pakistan for almost three years without clarity about his status. If there were doubts about Davis, why didn’t our brave security agencies express these concerns before he killed someone? Why was he not declared persona non grata for the ‘nefarious’ activities he is now being accused of? If he did not enjoy diplomatic status, why didn’t the Foreign Office say so on day one? Why the deliberate ambiguity, fuelled by an orchestrated media frenzy?
This saga illustrates typical Pakistani emotionalism. If the sending state declares someone a diplomat and the receiving state accepts him, that’s the end of the matter. Those who rant that Davis’ visa mentions ‘Official Business’ and he’s a mere contractor need to get their facts right. Pakistan’s diplomatic visa does not carry the words ‘Diplomatic Visa’ imprinted on it. When Pakistani authorities endorse a visa saying ‘Official Business’ on a diplomatic passport, they recognise that the person is travelling to our country under diplomatic immunity. If he stays here on assignment, he gets a diplomatic ID card with his immunity status printed on its back.
It is also well-known that our Foreign Office maintains a list of people who have been extended diplomatic immunity. Article 31 of the 1961 Vienna Convention clearly covers technical and administrative staff, as pointed out by lawyer Asad Jamal in his recent analysis (see The Friday Times, February 11-17). When someone covered by immunity invokes it after committing a crime, the proper procedure is for the police to check that list. It is a matter of a couple of hours at best. There shouldn’t have been confusion about immunity, but motivated officials simply passed the buck. No one wanted to appear to be ‘supporting’ an American ‘murderer’.
In the recently leaked video of Davis’ conversation with the police (why was it videotaped, if not for political mileage), Davis is repeatedly asking for his passport, which could have answered a few questions. But who cares about facts? The popular reaction is that an evil American shot innocent Pakistanis. We are unclear about his diplomatic status because he was a contractor. Once again, I was amused to read stories about how that ‘American stooge’, our ambassador in Washington, gave Davis a visa to conduct secret operations in Pakistan. There seems to be no shortage of black humour in our dear homeland.
We have missed the chance to demonstrate that we are a rule-based state, compliant with international law. Our government could have easily acknowledged the principle of immunity, and demanded that the US waive it (as happened in the famous case of a Georgian diplomat in US) or that Davis be tried in his own country (as happened in case of a Russian diplomat in Canada). Our third legal option was to do what Britain did with Libya: Break off diplomatic relations when Libya refused to waive immunity for a diplomat who killed a British policewoman. Instead, we created an emotional argument and will end up doing many intellectual and legal calisthenics before setting the man free under pressure.
Emotionalism reigns supreme. We hate America but not American aid or arms. We have a former foreign minister scoring brownie points for his honourable defiance of the US, a foreign secretary who is giving unclear signals and a media that wants Davis to be hanged tomorrow, preferably without a trial. The bitter truth is that the merits of Davis’ case are marginal to the current hype in Pakistan.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 16th, 2011. | <urn:uuid:b4fb05bb-c9c7-42f1-8841-a7238e2d26fc> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://tribune.com.pk/story/119334/raymond-davis-case-bitter-truths/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560281353.56/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095121-00069-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967016 | 833 | 1.734375 | 2 |
Use of the <noscript> tag:
1. Definition and Usage
The <noscript> tag is used to provide an alternate content for users that have disabled scripts in their browser or have a browser that doesn't support client-side scripting.
The <noscript> element can contain all the elements that you can find inside the <body> element of a normal HTML page.
The content inside the <noscript> element will only be displayed if scripts are not supported, or are disabled in the user's browser.
2. Tips and Notes
Tip: It is also a good practice to use the comment tag to "hide" scripts from browsers without support for client-side scripts (so they don't show them as plain text):
3. Differences Between HTML and XHTML
4. Standard Attributes
DTD indicates in which HTML 4.01/XHTML 1.0 DTD the attribute is allowed. S=Strict, T=Transitional, and F=Frameset.
The <noscript> tag supports the following standard attributes:
|class||classname||Specifies a classname for an element||STF|
|Specifies the text direction for the content in an element||STF|
|id||id||Specifies a unique id for an element||STF|
|lang||language_code||Specifies a language code for the content in an element||STF|
|style||style_definition||Specifies an inline style for an element||STF|
|title||text||Specifies extra information about an element||STF|
|xml:lang||language_code||Specifies a language code for the content in an element, in XHTML documents||STF|
5. Event Attributes
According to the W3C standard, the <noscript> tag supports event attributes. However, since the noscript element is used to provide an alternate content for users that have disabled scripts, we cannot see any use for this.
|onclick||script||Script to be run on a mouse click||STF|
|ondblclick||script||Script to be run on a mouse double-click||STF|
|onmousedown||script||Script to be run when mouse button is pressed||STF|
|onmousemove||script||Script to be run when mouse pointer moves||STF|
|onmouseout||script||Script to be run when mouse pointer moves out of an element||STF|
|onmouseover||script||Script to be run when mouse pointer moves over an element||STF|
|onmouseup||script||Script to be run when mouse button is released||STF|
|onkeydown||script||Script to be run when a key is pressed||STF|
|onkeypress||script||Script to be run when a key is pressed and released||STF|
|onkeyup||script||Script to be run when a key is released||STF| | <urn:uuid:9adcf8f0-e0b7-4fde-bd91-19c7a4c72540> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | http://www.script-tutorials.com/html-ref/noscript/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571190.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20220810131127-20220810161127-00070.warc.gz | en | 0.709526 | 671 | 3.25 | 3 |
In last week’s Gospel, after Jesus performed the great miracle feeding a hungry crowd with only five loaves and two fish, the people wanted to make him king. Now Jesus had come in order to establish a kingdom, and performed this miracle as a sign of his kingship. Nevertheless, he didn’t let them make him king. Instead, he escaped the crowd and went into the mountains.
They had made a mistake; they missed the meaning of his miracle, seeing it only in worldly terms. They wanted this king who would provide food and economic prosperity, but that was not the kind of kingdom Jesus came to establish.
We continue to make this mistake today, because we look for the “king” (or the system of political government) that will do what Jesus did: miraculously provide the people all their human needs. When people don’t have pensions, government must provide social security. When people don’t have enough money for food, government must provide foodstamps. When people don’t have a roof, government must provide subsidized housing. When a single mother can’t afford education, government must provide a scholarship. When the hurricane destroys the city, government must provide funds to rebuild it. When mortgage companies and auto industries fail, government must bail them out. When people don’t have insurance, government must provide universal healthcare…
It’s not that government (the “king”) doesn’t have a role to support and provide necessary infrastructure for society, but when the government actually assumes the role of providing and taking care of all the needs, government has become the Savior. The name of this form of government is socialism. It is condemned by the Church, but unfortunately, it is where we are headed. (emphasis is mine B)
By escaping the crowd, Jesus was telling them that is not the sort of kingdom and kingship (i.e. government) the people should seek. The truth is, a government cannot be a savior. Jesus can perform a miracle by feeding a hungry crowd because he is the savior, he is divine, and he can bring bread from heaven.
But unlike Jesus, government has to take funds away from one group in order to provide these things for another group: Taxation! The “bread” provided by the government actually comes from your neighbor, not from heaven! It seems like government welfare and assistance programs imitate Jesus and fulfill the precepts of Christianity to feed the hungry, heal the sick, and house the homeless.
But actually they end up making the problems worse, because they 1) burden the true providers, 2) take away rights, and 3) responsibilities.
Socialist bureaucracy is by nature inefficient and wasteful. For example: in this country, we say public education is “free.” Actually, it costs more than double the amount to educate a child in a public school as a private Catholic school, and we provide a better education. The costs of a government program are always higher than the same program being offered in the competitive private sector.
Because socialism takes from Peter to give to Paul, it always sets up a vicious circle of taxation and borrowing that gets worse. Today’s social security checks are taken from the social security funds of today’s workers, and the system is headed to bankruptcy in a few years. Already, there is a 15% tax on every dollar just to pay for social security, not to mention the other taxes: income tax, sales tax, etc. Besides social security, this year our government had to borrow $1.5 trillion to provide all the current services and bailouts it provides, which means future generations will still be paying for the things we are getting now; and is the government going to still provide them the same services? And now on top of everything the healthcare legislation is looking to add another tax on every dollar to provide “free” healthcare. That will greatly affect an operation such as ours, for instance, Christ the King parish and school.
This is the trap of socialism: it burdens the people in order to help them. Jesus would never do such a thing! Jesus can and does bring bread from heaven for the hungry, government only takes bread from Peter to give it to Paul. Socialism sounds good, but it is the opposite of what government should do.
Government cannot be the savior. People always help people, not programs. Government must establish a system of laws that allow people to help each other, but government must not take over the rights and responsibilities of people to take care of themselves and each other.
Besides burdening the citizens, socialism takes away the right and responsibility of people to take care of their own needs, and imposes its own agenda against their will. For instance, government tells people what they can and can’t teach in a public school. If the people of a school district are Christian and vote to have Christmas and Easter parties, and teach their children about their Biblical and Christian heritage, they should be free to do so. It’s their own tax dollars! We used to be able to do this. Socialism takes away rights.
In the more extreme socialist governments, such as China, government goes to far as mandate only one child per family. All the services provided by the government are free, but they will only cover one child. So if you get pregnant a second time, you have to have an abortion. Can you imagine?
This is why we need to be opposed to government taking over healthcare. Soon it will be deciding who gets what medical services, and how the funds are rationed. It’s unavoidable: with socialism the government decides for you exactly what you can and can’t do. People lose freedom and the right to choose.
In addition, socialism takes away responsibility, because the government becomes the provider and parent instead of the family. If you think about it, most government programs are fulfilling the roles that used to be done by the father and provider of the family. Socialism undermines the family unit, encourages the “dead-beat dad” syndrome, and ends up socializes parenting! All of a sudden, “society” is raising the kids, kids are in school or daycare all day, and parents have less and less time to form their children. That’s because they’re both having to work since they are not only paying their household bills but also the huge bills of the government.
So we can understand why Jesus would not let them make him king. His miracle was a sign of something else, it was not the kind of government he intends to establish. In today’s Gospel, Jesus again speaks to the crowd who wanted to make him king the day before. It is the next day, and they find him on the other side of the lake, back in Capernaum, and they wonder how he got there so fast.
Jesus tells them, “Amen I tell you, you’re not looking for me because you saw a sign of God’s Kingdom; you are looking for me because I filled you with loaves of bread.” He’s very upset with them: “Do not work for food that perishes, but rather for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you.” Jesus knows that as long as we are in this world, we are going to have hunger, sickness, suffering. Sure we might be able to take care of some needs today – we can feed a homeless person this week; we can go to the hospital and get healed for some ailment this time – but what about next week or next year. That homeless person is going to be hungry again, we are going to get sick again, and eventually we will get to the point where nothing will help anymore. We are going to have to face the limitations of fallen human nature, our mortality, our death. Do you think the savior government will help us at that point? Yes it will; it will hasten our way out!
No, Jesus knows in this world we will have the cross. What he brings is something new and different. His Kingdom is not of this world, which is passing away. Even though we still live in this tired and corrupted world with all its problems, we must already start living in the new world that he brings, with the new life he brings. Unlike the food we get from healthcare/welfare, which satisfies us today but leaves us hungry and debt-ridden tomorrow, Jesus gives us food that will satisfy for all eternity: “Do not work for food that perishes, but rather for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you.”
The people are thrilled: “Sir, give us this bread always!” But Jesus knows they still don’t understand, they’re still thinking in terms of flesh and blood, in terms of life in this world. So Jesus tells them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, whoever believes in me will never thirst.”
This is what we need to be looking for, working for, trying to achieve. And this is what a wise and good government should be helping its citizens to find: the real bread that will take away hunger, the bread of Jesus Christ. At one point, our American government was such a government. It was established on the premise that people can practice religion without government interference. It knew that it didn’t have the answers but that people would find the answers through their faith, specifically Christianity. It knew its job was not to interfere in that pursuit by imposing a particular brand of Christianity, but allow people to engage in that pursuit freely. What made America great was that unlike so many other places, it knew it wasn’t the savior, and that people had to find their savior.
Today unfortunately, government sees itself as the savior, and we the citizens do too, we have caused the problem. It is scary: govt now resents the idea that citizens would look to their Christian faith, to Jesus Christ, as their savior. It resents the idea of religious people in any way critiquing its agenda. It doesn’t want a Catholic school system competing with its schools. It doesn’t want a Catholic hospital system that refuses to perform abortions and euthanasia.
As Christians living in such a society, we have an urgent duty to bring reform and transformation. We must not fall into the trap of the crowd who wanted to make Jesus an earthly “sugar-daddy” king. Socialism is evil. We need to be careful about politicians and programs that promise to take care of our needs, and examine what it is going to cost us in return, not just in terms of higher taxes, but also in terms of freedoms sacrificed. We must not promote programs that take away or supplant the responsibilities of parents, especially the father, to provide for his family and offspring.
Above all, we must look for candidates and legislation that understands the truth of today’s Gospel: “Do not work for food that perishes, but rather for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you.” A socialist government makes its citizens work for the bread that satisfies today but leaves them hungry again tomorrow. And it makes them work very hard indeed, for the government to be able to provide this “free” bread to everyone.
People must work and labor not for the government, but for God. Jesus tells us what our true labor should be: “This is the work of God, that you believe in the One He sent.” This should be the real priority of our society: Faith and religion. We wouldn’t have these problems today, if we actually returned to these words.
Thanks and a tip of the beret once again to my friend Byron who contributed this to me for my blog. | <urn:uuid:d157a632-bfac-4cda-bfe3-af0b8ec5560b> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://lefleurdelystoo.blogspot.com/2009/08/socialism-ii.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280825.87/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00202-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.973097 | 2,483 | 2.21875 | 2 |
What does Claudy mean?
(female) Clauda, Claudi, ..
(male) Claudo, Claut, .. Middle name pairings:
Claudy Myla (C.M.), ..
How popular is Claudy?
Claudy is an uncommon first name for women but a somewhat popular surname for both adults and children (#81100 out of 150436, Top 54%). (2000 U.S. Demographics)
Which version is better?with its source form and related girl names. Claude, Claudia (#741 from recent data), Claudie and Claudine are the prominent related forms of Claudy (not ranked). Other forms, like Clodia, are uncommon. Usage of these relations of Claudy was more pronounced among parents 8 decades ago (average #1092) and has become much reduced since, with versions like Claudine becoming less stylish. (Top 2000 Names, 2015)
Claudy is pronounced similarly to Cloudy. Other recommended names are Amandy, Blondy, Brady, Caddy, Cadi, Cady, Cadye, Caley, Cally, Cammy, Canda, Candi, Candy▼, Candys, Carey▼, Carly▼, Carmy, Carry, Cary, Cascy, Casey▼, Casidy, Cassy, Casy, Catey, Cathy▼, Caty, Cay, Cazzy, Chanda▼, Chandy, Charidy, Charly, Charty, Chasady, Chassy, Chasty, Cindy▼, Claea, Claire▲, Clairey, Clairy, Clara▼, Clarey, Clari, Clarie, Claris, Clarry, Clary, Claudean, Clayre, Clemmy, Cloey, Cluny, Coady, Cody, Cordy, Cyndy, Elody, Jady, Judy▼, Kady, Lady, Laidy, Maddy, Mady, Mandy▼, Nady, Prudy, Randy, Sandy▼, Thandy, Trudy▼ and Zandy. These names tend to be more commonly used than Claudy.See names in meaning and etymology. | <urn:uuid:e8e9df3e-28f9-4ba3-ae25-86142e73ddb4> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.thinkbabynames.com/meaning/0/Claudy | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560281746.82/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095121-00291-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.852305 | 469 | 1.96875 | 2 |
ROME, Italy — Italians have always had a soft spot for locally grown and homemade products. Now Italy’s government has allied itself with the most notorious American fast food chain — McDonalds — to source food locally.
When he launched the "McItaly menu" in January, former agriculture minister Luca Zaia hungrily bit into a hamburger with “100 percent made-in-Italy meat.” The new menu items feature Italian products such as extra virgin olive oil, parmesan cheese, bresaola (low-fat dry beef sliced thinly and eaten cold), ham, artichokes, onions and pancetta.
According to McDonalds Italy, the McItaly experiment exceeded expectations: More than 3 million “100 percent Italian” hamburgers were sold in the first two months. The menu was offered at the chain's 392 locations around Italy, which serve 600,000 clients a day. Since January, McDonalds said, about 100,000 clients per day have bought a McItaly hamburger. Seventy-eight percent of respondents to a survey taken by the company praised the initiative.
The company used the campaign to enhance its image among locavores in Italy and beyond. McItaly ads, featuring an image of Italy stamped into ground beef, aired not just in Italy, but in Great Britain, Spain, France, Switzerland and Germany.
Of course, not everyone is happy about the collaboration between the government and McDonalds. Slow Food President Carlo Petrini, while willing "to give 'McItaly' a chance," suggested in the newspaper La Reppublica that Zaia "be a bit more cautious before embracing a cause in which he is entrusting an important brand like Italy to a multinational which has turned marketing into its creed." He further asked McDonalds to reveal what it paid for the raw materials that went into making the McItaly products.
Those who most benefitted were the 15,000 Italian cattle breeders based in the north of the country, near the town of Modena, who supplied the beef, McDonalds said. Other suppliers include cheese- and bun-makers from the province of Asiago and four leading agricultural consortiums, such as the parmesan industry.
The McItaly menu offers various types of locally grown fruits and salads as well. The latest trend at McDonalds' Italy restaurants is the so-called kiwi-stick, fruit that can be eaten on-the-go as if it were an ice cream cone or lollipop. The national cultivation of kiwis is concentrated in the Agro-Pontino countryside south of Rome, a former malarial area cleared and recovered for agricultural use in the 1920s by Benito Mussolini. The “kiwi-stick” was launched in March and in just two months more than 330,000 pieces were sold, according to the company.
The kiwis are part of McDonalds' “Frescallegre” (happyfruits) packages, which in the winter include fruits such as apples from the northern Piedmont and peaches from Emilia Romagna. So it seems the company's strategy checks two boxes its American outlets don't — local, and seasonal. This summer Sicilian oranges, the most flavorful in the country, will be used to make ice cream.
The interest of the political forces behind the McItaly collaboration are clear. Italian farmers and breeders are one of the most powerful political lobbies in the country. They are nationally represented by four major associations that have great influence over the government’s decisions. In the past, Italy’s farmers have led fierce battles against the cultivation of genetically modified organisms and the European Union’s milk quotas scheme.
Zaia, who said the campaign would “globally promote the Italian style, diet, flavors and controlled-origin products by turning them into symbols of Made-in-Italy,” is himself a farmer. He is also a member of the nationalist Northern League Party, an ally of premier Silvio Berlusconi, whose party supports boosting national identity, local traditions, products and businesses. Zaia's electoral base includes farmers, agricultural consortiums and cattle breeders.
At the McDonalds Italy headquarters in Milan, strategists and media gurus are preparing for the September launch of another 100 percent "made-in-Italy" menu. But their lips are sealed. A press officer said she “can’t release any kind of information right now because we don’t want to ruin the media effect this new campaign is expected to have.”
The company’s goals are indeed ambitious. When the McItaly menu was unveiled, Roberto Masi, CEO of McDonalds Italy, said the company planned to export several Italian products all over the world. Parmesan salads, for example, have already reached McDonald’s restaurants in France and Switzerland. Sicilian orange ice-cream and Italian “kiwi-sticks” will soon be launched globally as well. | <urn:uuid:6b75231d-3b0f-4a9a-9e6f-0d8be7aa21b1> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | https://www.pri.org/stories/2010-05-25/mcdonalds-calls-local-foods-campaign-success?page=0%2C1 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280410.21/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00457-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966123 | 1,034 | 1.78125 | 2 |
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The first writing system. The plow. The sailboat. The first lunar calendar. These accomplishments and more were the products of the city-states of Sumer, which arose on the flood plains of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers in what is now modern-day Iraq. | <urn:uuid:add1d45d-9cf8-47ba-94b6-49b029917ae1> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.activelylearn.com/catalog-text/teaching-life-in-sumer | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571147.84/warc/CC-MAIN-20220810040253-20220810070253-00477.warc.gz | en | 0.903072 | 192 | 3.265625 | 3 |
Section 14: Disproportionate assessments; measure of damages
Section 14. In cases where the board finds that a taxpayer is being assessed disproportionately with respect to other properties within the same city or town, the board shall compute the measure of damages in the following manner:
(1) by computing an equalized tax rate by dividing the total taxes as assessed for that city or town for the year for which the finding was made by the fair cash value of the city or town, which shall in no event be higher than the equalized value as finally reported to the general court pursuant to section 10C of chapter 58 for that city or town in the year next preceding the year for which the finding was made.
(2) by applying the rate as computed in accordance with subsection 1 to the fair cash value of the property and thereby determine the taxes which should have been paid.
(3) by subtracting the amount of taxes which should have been paid from those actually paid or assessed.
In such cases within a city or town that has been certified for classification by the commissioner under the provisions of section 56 of chapter 40 and has implemented such classification system the measure of damages shall be computed on the basis of the tax rate of the class in which the property has been assessed or should have been assessed, as the case may be. | <urn:uuid:856c83e3-d85d-4316-8135-6133ba62b367> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleIX/Chapter58A/Section14 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560281746.82/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095121-00291-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.978106 | 269 | 1.78125 | 2 |
Susan McCaslin’s new volume of poetry, Painter, Poet, Mountain: After Cézanne (Quattro Books, 2016) will be launched in late Sept. through October of 2016 in Ottawa, Toronto, Vancouver, and Victoria. As well she will be touring with fellow Quattro poet Richard Osler in Ontario and the lower...
Katherine Palmer Gordon
The author of six non-fiction books, Katherine Palmer Gordon has been writing for publications in both Canada and New Zealand since 1995.
Born in England in 1963, her much-travelled family eventually settled in New Zealand. She moved to Gabriola Island, British Columbia, in 2004, where she spent the next 11 years writing about contemporary issues that face societyShe has covered some of the most beautiful regions of the planet; the people who live around us and what they do; and environmental, cultural, and business-related issues. Her first five books were published under the name Katherine Gordon. With the publication of her sixth book, she re-introduced her original name, Palmer, to her readers.
With more than twenty years experience working with First Nations on land claims and inter-governmental relations, Katherine also writes about the complex and human side of treaty negotiations, reconciliation, and the path to justice for First Nations. Her most recent book "We Are Born With the Songs Inside Us" (Harbour, September 2013) profiles a number of young First Nations men and women talking about their lives in 21st century BC and the importance of cultural connection to the successful path they are following (with a Foreword by Shawn A-in-Chut Atleo).
In spring 2016, her story entitled Mother Tongues appeared in a new anthology edited by Danielle Metcalf-Chenaille entitled: "In This Together: Fifteen True Stories of Reconciliation." Contributors are indigenous and non-indigenous writers from around the country, describing their personal experiences with reconciliation.
She is currently residing in New Zealand, where she is working on her next book as well as continuing her work in the Indigenous arena. | <urn:uuid:67b03dff-0c8e-4f62-9f54-515d084403f5> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | https://www.writersunion.ca/member/katherine-gordon | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560279650.31/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095119-00435-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958305 | 430 | 1.515625 | 2 |
Earlier this week, news broke about Google’s RankBrain, a machine learning system that, along with other algorithm factors, helps determine what will be the best results for a specific set of queries.
Specifically, RankBrain appears to be related to query processing and refinement, using pattern recognition to take complex and/or ambiguous search queries and connect them to specific topics.
This allows Google to deliver better search results to users, especially for the hundreds of millions of search queries per day that the search engine has never seen before.
Not to be taken lightly, Google has stated that RankBrain is one of the most important of the hundreds of ranking signals considered by the algorithm.
RankBrain is one of “hundreds” of signals that go Germany Mobile Number into an algorithm that determines which results appear on a Google search page and where they are ranked, Corrado said. Within months of being rolled out, RankBrain became the third most important signal contributing to a search query result, he said.
RankBrain is more likely a “query processor” than a true “ranking factor”. a certain way.
That’s not the only major change to look for in recent memory, though. Over the past few years, Google has made some significant changes to how search works, from algorithm updates to the layout of search results. Google has grown into a much different animal than before Penguin and pre-Panda .
These changes don’t stop at search either. The company changed its structure. With the new, separate “Alphabet” umbrella, Google is no longer an organization, or even the main one.
Even Google’s communication to SEOs and webmasters has l
argely gone the dodo route. Matt Cutts is no longer the “Google go-to” and reliable information has become hard to come by. So many changes in such a short time. It looks like Google is moving forward.
Still, RankBrain is very different from previous changes. RankBrain is an effort to refine the query results of entity search based on Google’s Knowledge Graph. While entity search isn’t new, adding a fully deployed machine learning algorithm to these results is only about three months old.
So what is entity search? How does it work with RankBrain? Where is Google going?
To understand the context, we have to go back a few years.
The launch of the Hummingbird algorithm was a sea change. It was about overhauling the way Google handled organic queries. Overnight, the search went from looking for “strings” (i.e. strings of letters in a search query) to looking for “things” (i.e. ‘entities). | <urn:uuid:f8b94e5d-6144-4751-b2fa-3c938e17ccf8> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.btbdirectory.com/how-rankbrain/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571284.54/warc/CC-MAIN-20220811103305-20220811133305-00474.warc.gz | en | 0.943299 | 571 | 1.789063 | 2 |
The iIMAGINEghana Challenge identifies social innovators from Ghana with the passion and potential to make a strong positive impact on the lives of children. Our goal is to create lasting change for children specifically in the sectors of education; child protection; health and nutrition; water, sanitation and hygiene; and youth participation.
Through the support of UNICEF Ghana and the EU, the iIMAGINEghana Challenge is empowering creative social innovators who are addressing pressing social issues! Together we are driving lasting social change for children!
These 7 amazing social entreprenuers won the 2015 iIMAGINEghana Competition. Click on their photos below to read more about how their projects are changing our society!
Cordie Aziz Environment 360 The project turns trash into cash helping communities stay healthy and creating an means of economic empowerment. ...Read more
Linda Ansong STEMbees A well-equipped STEM studio where kids can learn, brainstorm and build innovative solutions for their communities. ...Read more
Ishmael Hammond Special Attention Project An mEducation solution which enables effective teaching of the English language using the phonetics of the local dialect (Twi ) for children with learning difficulties in Ghana...Read more
Bernice Dapaah Bright Generation Community Foundation BGCF serves women and youth in Ghana. Their mission is to assist the needy and disadvantaged, reduce poverty and instill a spirit of self-reliance. ...Read more
Ernest Gavor Moja App The app incentivizes individuals to contribute blood by providing free access to qualified medical practitioners through live chats, virtual clinics, daily health tips among others....Read more
Wilson & Zakiya Amooro Trash4Books ...Read more
Randolph Rodrigues & Wolanyo Amoah TTD Media Limited Their platform allows anyone to write and share their own stories as well as contribute to those being created by other members of the network....Read more
I agree Our site saves small pieces of text information (cookies) on your device in order to deliver better content and for statistical purposes. You can disable the usage of cookies by changing the settings of your browser. By browsing our website without changing the browser settings you grant us permission to store that information on your device. | <urn:uuid:99ebef18-61d4-486a-ab6c-9373010e6332> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://ghana.reachforchange.org/en/programs/iimagineghana | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572163.61/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815085006-20220815115006-00676.warc.gz | en | 0.897413 | 457 | 1.84375 | 2 |
This is the text (if you need help).
Ten of Japan's famous bullet trains will be scrapped. They were caught in the floods after Typhoon Hagibis hit eastern Japan in October. The typhoon caused widespread damage and loss of life in Japan. There were many photos and TV footage of the 10 shiny bullet trains lined up next to each other at a train yard near the central city of Nagano. They were deep in floodwater after the nearby Chikuma River burst its banks. The trains used to run between Tokyo and a city on the Sea of Japan coast called Kanazawa. The line is now running 80 per cent of its normal services. The bullet train company said it hopes to be running a full service again by the end of March 2020.
Bullet trains are called Shinkansen in Japan. They started in 1964 in time for the Tokyo Olympics. They became an iconic symbol of Japan and were the world's fastest trains. They currently reach speeds of 320kph. The bullet train rail network has expanded to currently consist of 2,764km. People take around 350 million rides a year on the Shinkansen. A Shinkansen president, Yuji Fukasawa, spoke about the flooded trains. He said the floodwater seriously damaged their motors and braking systems. The total cost of the damage is around $135 million. He said: "For stability and safety, we [will] replace the trains with newly built ones instead of repairing them."
Back to the bullet trains lesson. | <urn:uuid:39589ef3-2900-4664-82ac-53affabc9755> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://breakingnewsenglish.com/1911/191109-shinkansen-bullet-trains-reading_100.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573533.87/warc/CC-MAIN-20220818215509-20220819005509-00274.warc.gz | en | 0.977544 | 309 | 2.59375 | 3 |
Organiser: Helena Verrill
Term(s): Terms 1 & 2
Status for Mathematics students: Core for all Maths students except GL11 (for whom it is List A)
Commitment: Independent study with guidance from Personal Tutor
Assessment: Essay 80%, Presentation 20%
Organisation: You can choose your own topic in consultation with your tutor (who must approve it) or base an essay on one of the Maths at Work topics after attending the talks.
Students may, and are strongly advised to, submit a draft of their essay to their tutor by the end of the first week of Term 2. You are expected to have consulted the web pages in the additional resources page on essay writing prior to submission of the draft. The tutor will provide written comments and discuss the draft, normally by Week 4 of Term 2.
Students have to give a 15-minute oral presentation of the essay to their tutor and a small group of other second year students, normally in week 9 of Term 2. This presentation is a compulsory requirement and 20% of the essay mark is allocated to the quality of the presentation. Students should seek advice, e.g. from their tutor, on how to convey the content of their essay within such a short period of time; they must not get bogged down in technicalities but they should not be vague.
- To provide an opportunity for students to learn some mathematics directly from books and other sources.
- To develop written and oral exposition skills.
- To learn how to write mathematics well.
- To practice presenting mathematics orally to a group.
- To develop research skills, including planning, use of library and the internet.
Deadline The essays should be submitted electronically online through Moodle by 12:00 noon on Thursday 29th April 2021. This deadline is enforced by the mechanism described in the Course Handbook section on Assessment.
It is the students' responsibility to choose their essay topic, to prepare the draft on time, to seek advice where necessary, to prepare the presentation on time and to submit the final version of the essay on time.
The essay will be marked by your tutor and a second marker. Your tutor will also award the mark for the oral presentation. Instructions about the essay and information on the marking scheme will be given out by the end of Term 1. Students are advised to read the instructions carefully, since failure to follow one of the University Regulations (on plagiarism, for example) could result in a mark of zero. | <urn:uuid:e2c235fa-98c7-4226-abd3-8102f2ab9f99> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/maths/currentstudents/ughandbook/year2/ma213/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571584.72/warc/CC-MAIN-20220812045352-20220812075352-00678.warc.gz | en | 0.936644 | 520 | 1.859375 | 2 |
Pughsville was one of Winter Haven's earliest neighborhoods, populated predominately by African Americans. These individuals cleared land and settled in what is now the southwest section of the city. For many decades, Pughsville remained a vibrant and thriving community. Pughsville was named in honor of one of the earliest black pioneers, the Reverend Charles Pugh, who was one of the founders of one of the oldest black churches in Pughsville, Zion Hill Missionary Baptist Church. Pughsville boasted three other churches-Bethel A.M.E., St. Paul Holiness, and Church of Christ. During the peak of its existence — 1900(s) - 1950(s) — Pughsville had an African American school, social halls, small grocery stores and restaurants. Many residents worked in the citrus industry, but others were restaurant owners, business professionals, educators, construction workers and domestic workers. Still others worked in local, state and federal government jobs. Pughsville produced Winter Haven's first African-American commissioner, medical doctor, mayor, fire fighter and postal worker. The original Pughsville began to decline during the late 1970s as larger commercial establishments began arriving in the area, driving up property values. | <urn:uuid:ef591df0-4e3f-47d1-a8da-79dc96be348a> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://historicalmarkerproject.com/markers/HMGBH_historic-pughsville-neighborhood_Winter-Haven-FL.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571147.84/warc/CC-MAIN-20220810040253-20220810070253-00471.warc.gz | en | 0.971751 | 255 | 2.734375 | 3 |
Alvar communities may look different from one community to the next due to local influences (fire, grazing, historical land use) though they share key characteristics:
- They occur on flat areas of thin mineral soil over calcareous ( limestone or dolostone) bedrock
- They are naturally open landscapes, with little to no tree cover
- They are subject to seasonal drought and flooding in the summer and exposed to deep frost (heave) in the winter
- They have a distinctive set of plant species
- They may contain many species that are rare elsewhere in the Great Lakes basin
Types of Alvar
Almost all of North America’s alvars are found within the Great Lakes basin. There are several types of alvar, most of which are globally rare and under stress.
Open alvar (alvar pavements and grassland)
- Less than 10% tree cover and less than 25% shrub cover
- High abundance of herbaceous plants or exposed bedrock (may be covered with lichens and mosses).
Shrub alvar (alvar shrublands)
- Less than 10% tree cover with moderate to high cover of shrubs
- Variable amounts of herbaceous, moss, and lichen cover.
Tree alvar (alvar woodlands)
- Partial canopy of trees; savannas 10-25% cover and woodlands 25%-60%
- High cover of shrubs, some trees, herbaceous and moss and lichen cover | <urn:uuid:0573a82e-dd38-4c7b-b4d0-e56f7abd7db9> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://napaneeplain.wordpress.com/what-is-alvar/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571090.80/warc/CC-MAIN-20220809215803-20220810005803-00078.warc.gz | en | 0.945632 | 317 | 3.640625 | 4 |
Reform to Australia’s Privacy legislation began in 2004 – and as of tomorrow, 12 March 2014, there will be a raft of changes to the way in which our privacy is regulated. The Australian Privacy Commissioner, Timothy Pilgrim, provides a high level of overview of the changes in this video.
Australian Privacy Principles
The changes that come into effect tomorrow, include a set of 13 new harmonised privacy principles that regulate the handling of personal information by Australian and Norfolk Island Government agencies and some private sector organisations. These replace the national privacy principles and the information privacy principles that were previously in place. In particular, the following principles apply to marketers:
- Direct marketing: Australian Privacy Principle 7 (APP7) relates to direct marketing. Where you hold personal information about an individual, this principle covers the manner in which that information can be used (or not) for direct marketing purposes
- Cross-border disclosure of personal information: Australian Privacy Principle 8 (APP8) covers the sharing of personal information with an overseas entity. This will apply where you are capturing or sharing information with overseas providers.
Who do the APP apply to?
The short answer is government agencies and organisations with over $3 million in annual turnover – but be sure and check the details:
The APPs cover the collection, use, disclosure and storage of personal information. They allow individuals to access their personal information and have it corrected if it is incorrect. There are also separate APPs that deal with the use and disclosure of personal information for the purpose of direct marketing (APP 7), cross-border disclosure of personal information (APP 8) and the adoption, use and disclosure of government related identifiers (APP 9).
The APPs generally apply to Australian and Norfolk Island government agencies and also to private sector organisations with an annual turnover of $3 million or more. These entities are known as ‘APP entities’. In addition, the APPs will apply to some private sector organisations with an annual turnover of less than $3 million, such as health service providers. More information is available on the Who is covered by privacy and the Privacy Topics — Business pages.
The APP checklist
What has changed and what do you need to review?
Get reviewing now
Remember, the changes come into effect tomorrow. So you’d best get started on that review ASAP! | <urn:uuid:1bea5f64-19e1-4505-aa14-16d02b87e6ee> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://servantofchaos.com/2014/03/one-privacy-act-to-rule-them-all.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560284411.66/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095124-00464-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.92984 | 474 | 1.875 | 2 |
People can be puzzled by the diagnosis they or their child have been given. Over the years, different terms have been used for autism. This reflects the different autism profiles presented by individuals, and the diagnostic manuals and tools used. Misdiagnosis adds to the range of terms people hear.
Autism is a spectrum condition. All autistic people share certain difficulties, but being autistic will affect them in different ways.
These differences, along with differences in diagnostic approach, have resulted in a variety of terms being used to diagnose autistic people. Terms that have been used include autism, autism spectrum disorder (ASD), autism spectrum condition (ASC), atypical autism, classic autism, Kanner autism, pervasive developmental disorder (PDD), high-functioning autism (HFA), Asperger syndrome and pathological demand avoidance (PDA).
Because of recent and upcoming changes to the main diagnostic manuals, 'autism spectrum disorder' (ASD) is now likely to become the most commonly given diagnostic term. However, clinicians will still often use additional terms to help to describe the particular autism profile presented by an individual.
Some autistic people also have learning disabilities, mental health issues or other conditions.
Asperger syndrome profile
A clinician might describe a person as having an Asperger syndrome profile if they do not have learning disabilities and have good language skills (but still have social communication difficulties).
Read more about Asperger syndrome.
A clinician might describe a person as having a demand-avoidant profile, or pathological demand avoidance (PDA), if they are driven to excessively avoid demands and expectations. Underpinning this avoidance is an extremely high level of anxiety about conforming to social demands and of not being in control of the situation.
Read more about pathological demand avoidance.
One of the most common mistakes made by clinicians lacking autism experience is to make a number of observations that don’t take the issues related to autism into account.
Sometimes they may observe issues such as a person's clumsiness (possible dyspraxia), reading difficulty (possible dyslexia), poor attention span (possible Attention Deficit Disorder), difficulty with social communication (semantic pragmatic disorder or social communication disorder), mental health issues, or behavioural issues and diagnose that as the main condition. They may miss the fact that autism is underlying the obvious difficulties seen on the surface.
If you don't understand, or have concerns about, the diagnosis that you or your child are given, discuss this with the professional who made the diagnosis. You can ask for a second opinion, and you have the right to complain if you're not happy about any aspect of referral, diagnosis or care that you or your child receive from an NHS service.
International Classification of Diseases, tenth edition (ICD-10)
The ICD-10 is the most commonly-used diagnostic manual in the UK.
It presents a number of possible autism profiles, such as childhood autism, atypical autism and Asperger syndrome. These profiles are included under the Pervasive Developmental Disorders heading, defined as "A group of disorders characterized by qualitative abnormalities in reciprocal social interactions and in patterns of communication, and by a restricted, stereotyped, repetitive repertoire of interests and activities. These qualitative abnormalities are a pervasive feature of the individual's functioning in all situations".
A revised edition (ICD-11) is expected in 2018 and is likely to closely align with the latest edition of the American Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM).
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, fifth edition (DSM-5)
Although not the most commonly used manual in the UK, DSM-5 is likely to have a significant influence on the next edition of the ICD. This manual has recently been updated and is also used by diagnosticians.
The diagnostic criteria are clearer and simpler than in the previous version of the DSM, and sensory behaviours are now included. This is useful as many autistic people have sensory issues which affect them on a day-to-day basis. It now includes 'specifiers' to indicate support needs and other factors that impact on the diagnosis.
The manual defines autism spectrum disorder as “persistent difficulties with social communication and social interaction” and “restricted and repetitive patterns of behaviours, activities or interests” (this includes sensory behaviour), present since early childhood, to the extent that these “limit and impair everyday functioning”.
In DSM-5, the terms ‘autistic disorder’, ‘Asperger disorder’, ‘childhood disintegrative disorder’ and ‘Pervasive Developmental Disorder – Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS)’ have been replaced by the collective term 'autism spectrum disorder'. This means that it’s likely that ‘autism spectrum disorder’ (ASD) will become the most commonly given diagnosis.
For many people, the term Asperger syndrome is part of their day-to-day vocabulary and identity, so it is understandable that there are concerns around the removal from DMS-5 of Asperger syndrome as a distinct category. Everyone who currently has a diagnosis on the autism spectrum, including those with Asperger syndrome, will retain their diagnosis. No one will ‘lose’ their diagnosis because of the changes in DSM-5.
Research found that using the appropriate techniques, the new DSM-5 criteria correctly identified people who should receive a diagnosis of ASD across age and ability. (Kent R.G. et al, 2013)
Specifiers for Autism Spectrum Disorder
DSM-5 has introduced specifiers to help the clinician to describe associated or additional conditions, eg intellectual impairment, language impairment, genetic conditions, behavioural disorder, catatonia.
One of the specifiers relates to the ‘severity’ of social communication impairments and restricted, repetitive patterns of behaviour. There are 3 levels: requiring support, requiring substantial support, requiring very substantial support. This can allow the clinician to give an indication of how much someone’s condition affects them and how much support an individual needs.
However, people who receive a diagnosis are not automatically eligible for support. DSM-5 explains that ‘severity’ levels may vary by context and also fluctuate over time, that the descriptive severity categories should not be used to determine eligibility for and provision of services, and that 'these can only be developed at an individual level and through discussion of personal priorities and targets'.
Find out how to get extra help in school, social care and benefits.
Social (Pragmatic) Communication Disorder
The DSM-5 now includes a condition called 'social communication disorder', separate to 'autism spectrum disorder'. This would be given where someone exhibits social interaction and social communication difficulties and does not show restricted, repetitive patterns of behaviour, interests or activities.
The DSM and ICD-10 criteria create the foundation for diagnostic tools such as the DISCO (Diagnostic Interview for Social and Communication Disorders), the ADI-R (Autism Diagnostic Interview - Revised), and the ADOS (Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule).
These, and other diagnostic tools, are used to collect information in order to help to decide whether someone is on the autism spectrum or not. The criteria form the basis for the diagnosis, but the individual clinician’s judgement is crucial.
The DISCO diagnostic tool does not rely on the algorithms for ICD-10 and DSM-5. The approach is dimensional rather than categorical. The DISCO not only gives a diagnosis but gives an understanding of the profile and needs.
Find out more about our specialist training in the diagnosis and assessment of autism.
Last reviewed 27 June 2016 | <urn:uuid:b2103a2d-7354-4d32-ba8a-149436698b1d> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.autism.org.uk/DSM-5 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560279650.31/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095119-00432-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.927699 | 1,593 | 3.78125 | 4 |
Gum Disease More Common in U.S. Than Previously ThoughtLast Updated: September 30, 2010. Earlier reports may have underestimated by as much as 50%, experts say.
THURSDAY, Sept. 30 (HealthDay News) -- Officials have underestimated the prevalence of gum disease in the United States by as much as 50 percent, new research suggests.
"This study shows that periodontal disease is a bigger problem than we all thought. It is a call to action for anyone who cares about his or her oral health," Dr. Samuel Low, professor of periodontology at the University of Florida College of Dentistry and president of the American Academy of Periodontology, said in a news release from the organization.
But the chronic inflammatory condition known as periodontal disease can do more than harm the gums and the structures that support the teeth. Without treatment, serious diseases that affect the entire body can develop, including diabetes, heart disease and rheumatoid arthritis, the authors of the news release explained.
"Given what we know about the relationship between gum disease and other diseases, taking care of your oral health isn't just about a pretty smile. It has bigger implications for overall health, and is therefore a more significant public health problem," Low added.
In the study by Paul Eke of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and colleagues, periodontists examined the mouths of more than 450 people older than 35 years of age. They found more cases of gum disease overall than previous research indicated people had, suggesting that the older studies had high levels of misclassification of periodontitis cases and thus have low validity for surveillance and research.
Low said the findings highlight the importance of gum health. "Not only should you take good care of your periodontal health with daily tooth brushing and flossing, you should expect to get a comprehensive periodontal evaluation every year," he said.
The study, by researchers at the CDC and the American Academy of Periodontology, was published in the Sept. 21 online edition of the Journal of Dental Research.
The U.S. National Library of Medicine has more on gum disease.
SOURCE: Academy of Periodontology, news release, Sept. 21, 2010 | <urn:uuid:c4088257-5cda-473f-87ca-576c5b918f11> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.doctorslounge.com/index.php/news/hd/14414 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560281353.56/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095121-00062-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960635 | 463 | 2.390625 | 2 |
Memories of high school camping trips and excursions to the snow in the late 1960s are forever tainted for Jaqueline. During the trips Mark Burnside, a teacher at her Melbourne state school, seduced her and other teenage girls entrusted to his care.
‘He was probably in his 30s and seen as a bit of a stud, and when I was 14 or 15 he’d take me aside and make me feel special saying things like, “I’ll marry you and we’ll buy a farm and have a horse”, that kind of thing. Then he’d find opportunities to get me into bed. I was really, really naive, I thought the sun shone out of his backside.’
When she was 16, Jaqueline found out she was one of dozens of girls, including her sister, targeted by the teacher. In some cases she believes his victims fell pregnant and had abortions. It’s only recently as a mature adult that Jaqueline has been able to reveal details of the abuse to her family, and she believes it’s negatively influenced her ability to relate to others throughout life. As far as she’s aware, Mark was never reported to authorities.
‘It’s only recently I’ve started to understand why I sought relationships with older men from a very early age. That certainly shaped my whole life, and I now realise the impact it had on my education in the early years.’
Jaqueline built a successful career in education. During her career she has been prepared to stand up for those who allege inappropriate treatment by a teacher. ‘When a teacher takes advantage of their position to influence their students, it’s an extreme breach of the trust that exists in that situation.
'Perhaps through my experience as a teenager, the course of action is crystal clear to me – abuse must be reported, and attitudes changed to reflect current social expectations.’ | <urn:uuid:61dcf8a8-c30a-424f-87a0-704d14f7876f> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.childabuseroyalcommission.gov.au/narratives/jaquelines-story | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571538.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20220812014923-20220812044923-00477.warc.gz | en | 0.988889 | 410 | 1.757813 | 2 |
Type in "asteroid sizes" into Google and you'll quickly find a bunch of images comparing various asteroids, putting them all next to each at the same scale. The same goes for planets and stars. Yet the results for galaxies are useless. Not only do you not get any size comparisons, but scroll down even just a page and you get images of smartphones, for crying out loud.
Well, it's time to correct this disgusting nay, bigoted oversight with the following infographics (which is what I gather is now the cool term for "posters"). These were prompted partly because no similar images exist that I can find, and also by recent claims that the largest spiral galaxy has been discovered.
The images I used were selected purely on an ad-hoc basis. Obviously, the Milky Way had to be there. Since really giant galaxies are many times larger than the Milky Way, and those were the ones I particularly wanted to show, that basically ruled out showing any dwarf galaxies (like the LMC and SMC for example). I tried to get a nice selection of well-known, interesting objects. I was also a little limited in that I needed high-resolution images which completely mapped the full extent of each object (often, because of a small field of view, only the central regions are mapped).
Still, I think the final selection has a decent mix, and I reckon it was a productive use of a Saturday.
|Zoomable version here.|
As will be evident from the poster, "my galaxy is bigger than your galaxy" claims should be treated with caution. The latest hoo-ha is about NGC 6872 (very bottom of the poster), which, though indeed enormous, has been stretched by an interaction with another object. Is it really fair to claim it's the largest if it's been stretched ?
Even defining the edge of ordinary galaxies can be tricky. Especially since their various components (gas, stars, dust, dark matter) extend to different distances from their centers. In some cases, truly enormous radio jets extend many times further out than the stars. Should they be included as part of the galaxy ?
To my mind the gigantic (but very faint) Malin 1 has a better claim to the throne than NGC 6872, as its disc hasn't been temporarily stretched by some interaction. How such a large disc formed is a bit of a mystery, but it is at least a true spiral disc, even if it's very faint and not remotely photogenic (it's barely visible with Hubble, for heaven's sake).
But to some extent, all this is just semantics, and it really doesn't matter which galaxy is the largest, any more than it matters who landed on the Moon second or if Pluto is a planet or not. In any case, spirals are puny. The hands-down largest galaxy of any kind is IC 1101. And it is truly, in every way, monstrous.
|Zoomable version here|
I don't just mean it's monstrous in that it's staggeringly vast, although that's part of it. I mean monstrous because it probably got so large by eating its neighbours. cD galaxies like this are found at the center of rich galaxy clusters, where there are plenty of smaller galaxies falling in that can be absorbed. That makes the galaxy heavier, which means their gravity can pull in more and more galaxies. It's like a cannibalistic orgy on steroids*.
* So just like every episode of True Blood then.
Perhaps surprisingly, there aren't many pretty pictures of IC 1101. The galaxy's morbid obesity is offset by its great distance from us, although there are a few nice ones with Hubble (see below). So for the chart, I took the image of M87 (another giant elliptical) and scaled it up. This isn't such a cheap way to do it, because both galaxies are pretty smooth structures, and in any case no image exists that's large enough to display at the massive resolution required.
|IC 1101, as you will have guessed, is the big bright one. More images can be found through the Hubble archive and this website.|
Another point is that while colliding galaxies might be initially spectacular, eventually they run out of gas and stop forming new stars (during the collision, the gas gets compressed, triggering star formation). Eventually, there's nothing left but a huge ball of old, red stars, the blue (short-lived) ones having died off aeons ago. With no gas and no new stars being formed, over time the random motions of the long-lived red stars make the galaxy nothing more than a titanic stellar swarm. And that's why our cannibalistic juggernaut isn't going to win any beauty contests. | <urn:uuid:f6ad0aee-950d-4f60-9232-60d2750847ed> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://astrorhysy.blogspot.com/2013/04/infographic-galaxy-size-comparison-chart.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560281574.78/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095121-00016-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965545 | 979 | 2.375 | 2 |
The varieties of dairy-free milk alternatives continue to expand, and the newest kid on the shelf is cashew milk. Find out how this nutty beverage stacks up against its almond-containing counterpart.
If you don’t do dairy but love the silky mouthfeel of creamer in your coffee, you have options. The first thing to note, though, is that some nondairy creamers actually do have caseins (milk protein) in them, so if you’re vegan, look out for this. Here’s a roundup of six truly dairy-free creamers. Some of them come in several flavors, but for nutrition comparison, we stuck to the originals.
Ice cream — that luscious, creamy treat for which a craving hits every summer and only intensifies with the heat — is always on our minds. In its most-classic form, you need only a few ingredients to churn up the chilling possibilities: cow’s milk (or cream), sugar and egg yolks. So what happens when you remove the milk and replace it with nut-based “milks,” like cashew and coconut? We taste-tested dozens of pints from around the nation and these are our picks for the best dairy-free ice cream America’s churning out today. (Note: Since these ice creams contain zero dairy milkfat, they’re technically classified as frozen desserts.) Read more
What better way to bid farewell to summer than with a bowl of delicious ice cream? Here, rich, creamy macadamia nuts are blended with fresh blackberries to create an irresistible marriage of texture and flavor. Most dairy-free ice creams are made with an all coconut-milk base, and with good reason: The richness of full-fat coconut milk is the perfect replacement for cream. The only downside, if you can call it that, is that the ice creams all taste like coconut. A base made from macadamia nuts offers a nice change of pace, and the nuts’ buttery flavor goes perfectly with the honey and vanilla. With only five ingredients (not counting the water!), this ice cream could not be simpler to make — you don’t even need to turn on the stove. Read more
When Silvana Nardone’s son Isaiah was ten, he was diagnosed with an allergy to gluten and dairy. His first reaction was, “What am I going to eat?” But lucky for him, his mom was more than up to the challenge. “He told me the one thing he really wanted to be able to eat was cornbread, so I spent the next two months trying — and failing — to mimic the exact taste and texture of gluten-full cornbread,” says Nardone, who is also a contributor to Healthy Eats. Eventually, she nailed it and was inspired to keep finding ways to make Isaiah gluten- and dairy-free versions of all his favorite foods. In her latest cookbook, Silvana’s Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Kitchen, she shares what she has learned. Read more
What’s the best way to use up an abundance of summer vegetables? Pizza, obviously. And in as much time as it takes to order delivery, you can make a summer pie that’s bursting with flavor and able to satisfy hungry guests. Bonus points: This pie is gluten-free, meat-free and dairy-free too. So what’s the trick?
Although these whole-grain pancakes are free of gluten and dairy, they are still decadent in the best way and definitely worthy of a special weekend breakfast. The batter is made up of four different forms of coconut: coconut flour, coconut milk, coconut oil and dried coconut. Since coconut has a naturally sweet flavor, you don’t need much in the way of additional sweeteners for a delicious pancake. Plus, the dried coconut flakes, added to the batter as they cook, result in a delightfully crunchy top. A cherry compote offers a quick and easy way to dress the pancakes up, but they are just a good with lots of fresh berries, summer fruit or even just a smear of jam. Read more
These mini cakes are a lot like macaroons: Crisp on the outside, thanks to plenty of almond meal, and tender inside, from the combination of maple syrup and coconut oil. Not only are these little cakes dairy- and gluten-free but they’re also packed with nutritious ingredients, including chia seeds, flaxseeds, and flours ground from whole grains and nuts.
Everyone loves a good bowl of comforting mac and cheese, right? When it’s too hot to turn on the oven to make baked macaroni and cheese, make this easy, stove-top version instead. It’s extra-flavorful and you can whip up this easy dish in no time. I’ve tossed in corn and spinach for added fresh flavor (plus fiber) as well as red pepper flakes for a bit of heat to fire up summer celebrations. And did I mention, it’s both dairy and gluten-free? So you can rest assured your guests all have something to enjoy. Leftovers for this dish taste great the next day added to a fresh bed of leafy greens such as arugula.
Let’s not make dessert complicated this Valentine’s Day. For the easiest, tastiest dessert, all you need are three ingredients and three steps: cinnamon crackers, bananas and chocolate; then melt, roll and freeze! These are ingredients you most likely already have in your pantry, and if you don’t they’re certainly easy to find at any grocery store. The dairy-free chocolate-covered bananas are made extra-special with a crunchy coating of crushed cinnamon crackers. If you have kids, invite them to help out in the kitchen by peeling bananas or crushing the crackers. With such a tasty and simple recipe, this might just become a year round dessert staple. | <urn:uuid:d022cfdc-cc96-41de-bf69-b009665521ec> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://blog.foodnetwork.com/healthyeats/tag/dairy-free/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560285289.45/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095125-00148-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.953185 | 1,256 | 1.53125 | 2 |
A first grader who has been fighting cancer since he was one-years-old is headed on a dream vacation.
Micah Ahern is a first grader at Ditto Elementary in Arlington and he'll celebrate his 7th birthday next week. A week later he's off to Hawaii with his family, where Micah has always wanted to go.
“I get to learn how to surf,” Micah said.
The Make A Wish Foundation is making Micah's dream come true and on Thursday he got a true hero's send off.
"His number one thing was to surf and see a volcano,” said mom Linda Ahern.
Micah was one when he was diagnosed with neuroblastoma, a rare form of cancer that strikes young children. Surgeries brought the cancer under control in 2010, but three years later it was back.
There have been challenges for Micah and his family, but Micah seems to always have strength enough for everyone.
"He does everything with a smile on his face he doesn't know his deal is a bad deal. That going to the hospital is not fun he doesn't know that fighting cancer is a tough thing,” Linda said.
Sometimes when fighting cancer, the bad days can outweigh the good. But Thursday was a very good day for Micah and his family, even as they hope for recovery.
"We're really praying for a miracle and trust God can do that but at this point a miracle is what he needs,” Linda said. | <urn:uuid:bac3dd3f-66ed-4649-b8ea-f7fab93ad38f> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.fox5atlanta.com/health/113557535-story | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280835.22/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00047-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.992268 | 316 | 1.859375 | 2 |
My current research is focused on the sediment transport inside a vegetation patch. Vegetation is a basic component of most natural water environments and has been widely used in river restoration. Yet few practical models exist to predict the incipient motion and rate of sediment transport in a canopy. Using a LDV, a high-speed camera and a sediment-recirculating flume, I will be able to quantitatively connect the sediment motion with the flow characteristics inside vegetation canopies.
Graduate Student (Email: garylei (at) mit.edu)
My project aims to understand how the rate of nutrient flux to the plant changes with the motion and posture of individual blades. The impacts of neighboring blades on nutrient flux will also be examined. I will work with both meadow and model blades which are constructed from low-density polyethylene (LDPE). The LDPE blade can absorb chemicals injected in the flume water, to simulate the nutrient-uptake of sea grass and freshwater macrophytes. This project will extend existing models for drag /flux to individual blades in current, and also explore a predictive model for mass flux based on different flow conditions.
Amir M. Razmi
Postdoctoral Fellow (Email: arazmi (at) mit.edu)
Flow structure and transport processes are markedly complex in the presence of vegetation due to the complex interaction of the turbulent flow with flexible vegetations. The existing physical models are still failed to predict such interactions with the real vegetations due to its complex nature.
My ongoing research is to better understand the impact of real vegetations on canopy flows and study its associated turbulence and re-suspension processes. To do so, I deploy a combination of numerical simulations (LES), lab experiments, and analytical tool.
Applications of my research are in a wide range of environmental problems, including pollution and sediment dispersion surrounding aquatic vegetations, coastal protection against extreme climatic events, and aerosol transport above the terrestrial vegetations.
Manoel Lucas Machado Xavier
International Visiting Student (Email: mavier (at) mit.edu or mavier89 (at) gmail.com)
My current research is focused on developing ways to quantify the time spent by scalars (pollutants, sediments, nutrients, etc.) in the root zone of floating treatment wetlands, as well as the amount of mass that is entering the wetland by using computational fluid dynamics and physical experiments. Both of these metrics are key to quantify how well a wetland is going to perform within a water body since the root zone is the main area where treatment is going to happen. The result of this work is going to be applied at two sites, one in Houston and one in Los Angeles where wetlands are going to be used for stormwater treatment.
Brenda Ellen Pepe Administrative Assistant, Nepf Lab (pepebe (at) mit.edu)
I am a proud Boston College alumnus, class of 1985 (WCAS) and 1989 (GA&S). I live on the South Shore and in my free time I enjoy gardening, reading, travel, and genealogy research. | <urn:uuid:b3044773-9b47-413f-a8cd-61667e508dfe> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://web.mit.edu/nepf/www/people-new.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280761.39/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00089-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.915954 | 643 | 2.1875 | 2 |
[Byron, California USA]
Furious construction activities seen at the 3 MegaWatt (MW) GV1’ (prime) Concentrating PhotoVoltaic (CPV) project.
|From GreenVolts GV1: Rising Sun – Part 2|
Approaching the GV1’ site from Mountain House Road, I could already observe new structures. I delayed visiting after GreenVolts GV1: Rising Sun because of the rainy California winter and my mending broken toe. Early Saturday afternoon, ground preparations were in full swing by the Remedial Construction Services, L.P. (RECON) team.
First, there are now two (2) completed tilt and roll style dual axis trackers each with sixteen (16) arrays. In turn, each array appears to have 16 (sixteen) GreenVolts, Inc. GV-235 230W Concentrator PV Modules, eight (8) mounted east and west of the primary tracker axis respectively. There are four (4) control units mounted on the trackers and what look like central inverters alongside. I estimate 117.8 kW (kilowatt) of CPV capacity has been constructed so far. Many concrete footers have also been prepared at the site for additional trackers. Given the above calculations, around fifty-one (51) trackers will be needed to develop the 3 MW GV1’ project.
As I walked up and then back down the public Kelso Road to photograph the project from different angles, a RECON safety officer and a co-worker approached me. I was not sure what to expect, but my actions were beyond reproach. I addressed their questions, identified myself, and we struck up a conversation about the project.
After a double take, I said the arrays were not tracking the sun. The RECON folks said they had seen the arrays tracking on a regular basis, and a power line was being moved as part of their site preparations. I understand the trackers will fill the leased land at Kelso Road spaced about 40 feet apart. When I later looked for a revised GV1’ site plan at the Alameda County Community Development Agency website, the GreenVolts webpage was gone although there were meeting minutes (GREENVOLTS, INC.,/KUHN, PLN2010-00126) “to consider adoption of a Subsequent Mitigated Negative Declaration (SMND)”.
At maybe twelve (12) feet or 3.66 meters high, the new tilt and roll tracker is much taller than the original, low profile CarouSol design. Instead of visual impact, discussions by the East County Board of Zoning Adjustments focused on land use mitigation including landscaping for a high fence:
and Mitigation Measure 18-4-E Ag Resources Plan, to require 20 acres, instead of a 1:1 ratio, of prime farm land, a minimum of seven acres of which be included under the physical footprint of the solar array portion of the site, cultivated with plant and/or animal crops, with a time period of three years of project completion. Member Goff seconded the motion which carried 2/1 with the Chair dissenting.
The GreenVolts GV1’ development is bulldozing ahead. But how much testing has been done to validate the new GreenVolts design? I did not see a single GreenVolts representative at CPV-7, let alone a paper, poster, or presentation. A renewed GreenVolts patent search results in nothing once again. Perhaps GreenVolts has taken steps to hide their patent applications for as long as possible or maybe they just don’t need no stinkin’ patents!
Speculations aside, it is clear GreenVolts has a fetish for round binary numbers. | <urn:uuid:0676f10d-ad84-4e91-ad11-1e4c39e87031> | CC-MAIN-2016-44 | http://guntherportfolio.com/2011/04/greenvolts-gv1-rising-sun-part-2/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-44/segments/1476988719784.62/warc/CC-MAIN-20161020183839-00427-ip-10-171-6-4.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949247 | 785 | 1.546875 | 2 |
This solution provides 26 libraries which contain 926 electrical symbols from electrical engineering: Analog and Digital Logic, Composite Assemblies, Delay Elements, Electrical Circuits, Electron Tubes, IGFET, Inductors, Integrated Circuit, Lamps, Acoustics, Readouts, Logic Gate Diagram, MOSFET, Maintenance, Power Sources, Qualifying, Resistors, Rotating Equipment, Semiconductor Diodes, Semiconductors, Stations, Switches and Relays, Terminals and Connectors, Thermo, Transformers and Windings, Transistors, Transmission Paths,VHF UHF SHF.
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- Flowchart | Common Flowchart Symbols | <urn:uuid:31860be8-f49f-41cf-86ad-a574666e7358> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.conceptdraw.com/examples/all-mechanical-components-diagrams-with-dimensions | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882570692.22/warc/CC-MAIN-20220807181008-20220807211008-00667.warc.gz | en | 0.796475 | 839 | 2.359375 | 2 |
IT in the District
Information Technology (IT) has now become an integral part of the administration. Computerization not only helped District administration in decision making but also increased the efficiency of the administration to a great extent. Management Information Systems/ databases, developed and implemented in the district, were of great help to the Administration.
|'s wide network & internet connectivity made this geographically remote District|
|no remote al all.|
|COMPUTERIZED LAND ACQUISITION AWARDING SYSTEM|
|WORK ORDER MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AT BLOCK LEVEL|
|DAK MONITORING SYSTEM|
|REVENUE CASE MONITORING SYSTEM|
|CHARACTER VERIFICATION CASES MONITORING SYSTEM|
|GROUP INSURANCE CASE MONITORING SYSTEM|
|ARMS LICENCE MONITORING SYSTEM|
|FUND MONITORING SYSTEM|
|PUBLIC GRIEVANCE MONITORING SYSTEM|
|FUND DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM|
|LAND RECORDS COMPUTERIZATION|
|DATABASE FOR REANG MIGRANTS|
|DISTRESSED PARA POCKETS MONITORING SYSTEM|
|DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM|
|EAS MONITORING SYSTEM|
|INFORMATION & FACILITATION CENTRE|
1. COMPUTERIZED LAND ACQUISITION AWARDING SYSTEM (CLAAS) : The project is running successfully in North Tripura District since June 2001. CLAAS covers all the mandatory stages involved in Land Acquisition - starting from initiation of proposal by the Acquiring Department to disbursing award amount (Compensation) to the landowners. All the forms, notices and letters are generated by CLAAS. The software has been made most user friendly and secured.
2. WORK ORDER MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (WOMS) : The WOMS has been developed for implementation in Block offices. Various options have been provided for performing all the steps starting from receipt of Fund from District Administration to sending Utilization of the funds received. maintenance of registers, submitting monthly reports and returns, answering any type of queries at any point of time, all these are at a mouse click in WOMS.
Help file provided with WOMS covers all type of help including installation and initialization process.
3. DAK MONITORING SYSTEM :- Letters, after being received in the Receipt Section of the office are sent to the Head of the office for a glance through the bunch of letters. Head of office puts his initial on each letter and write the name of concerned section (or Person) who deals with the letter, give necessary instruction in short (e.g. Pls. Put up, file up, Take action within 4 days etc.) accordingly. There are letters, which are for information only, hence no action is required on those letters. They are only to be filed up. After proper marking, letters are sent to the data entry operator of DAK. Data entry operator enters relevant information in DAK and marks the ID no. given by DAK on the body of each letter, take a print out of the list of letters received on that day. The list of letters is grouped section wise. The section wise sorted letters along with the printout for that section to the concerned sections of the office. Monthly/ Weekly, Head of the office can monitors letters received by any section and action taken so far on each letter.
4. REVENUE CASE MONITORING SYSTEM ( RCMS Ver. 2.0): The Revenue cases (Case under section 95 and 96 of TLR & LR Act) are filed in the court of District Magistrate & Collector and entered into the computer using Case entry option of RCMS. The software generates a forwarding letter to the concerned Sub divisional Officer for field level enquiry, wherever required. The RCMS generates a letter no. for forwarding to SDO and gives a Case ID no. to the case entered. A time frame of 15 days generally is given to SDO for enquiry. A Copy of the letter to SDO is also generated by RCMS for sending to the person concerned. Option has been kept for sending the pendency list to the SDOs once in a month. The Case Status wise list can also be generated. The RCMS has also got the option of answering public query.
5. CHARACTER VERIFICATION CASES MONITORING SYSTEM (CVCMS Ver. 2.0): A large No. of Verification Roll/ Attestation Forms are being received from different Govt. organization for verification of Character and antecedence of the persons selected for Govt. job. This needs to be quickly verified and sent to the concerned offices. The CVCMS serves the purpose. The data is entered using Data entry option and forwarding letter is generated by the package for sending the forms to Superintendent of Police(DIB) for enquiry. The letter no. of the forwarding letter contains the ID No. of the case which helps in identification of the case later for updation after enquiry. On receipt of enquiry report a letter is generated by the package for sending the verification report to the concerned Offices. List of cases pending for enquiry are sent frequently to the SP ( DIB). The pending list is generated Police station wise which helps DIB in sending the lists directly to the concerned police station for early disposal. No. of pending cases can be generated year wise and also for each police station.
6. GROUP INSURANCE CASE MONITORING SYSTEM (GICMS) : The govt. employee receives benefit of the Tripura State Govt. Employees Group Insurance Scheme after retirement from the service or in service death. The cases are dealt by the GI section of District Administration. To avoid unnecessary delay in processing the cases and inconvenience to the retired employee or the family of the deceased the GICMS has been developed. The memos are generated automatically for sending the approval to the concerned DDO for early disbursement. Pendency has been removed fully after computerization.
7. ARMS LICENCE MONITORING SYSTEM (ALMS): This contains the records of all the Arms license issued by the District Administration. The ALMS also contains the records of licenses issued by other Districts and renewed only in this District. The name of the gun owner, address of the owner, type of gun, gun no. , date of issuance of the license, renewal date, Name & Address of the issuing authority etc. are the information that are there in the ALMS. ALMS generates reports like list of Guns under a Police Station, list guns where renewal is pending. ALMS can issue letter to the gun owner for renewal of Licenses.
8. FUND MONITORING SYSTEM (FMS): Funds are received from State and Central Governments under various developmental schemes like EAS, JGSY, SJSY, IAY, DWCRA etc. Fund receipts are entered by Fund Receipt option of FMS. The funds are then allocated to various implementing agencies after approval of the DM & Collector. Memos are issued by FMS for allocation of funds and sent to the concerned Implementing agencies. The DM & Collector monitors the current fund position through DAMIS. Reports like details of fund receipt and allocation, details of fund allocated to particular agency, details of fund received and allocated under a selected scheme, summary of fund position for all the schemes are generated with a single mouse Click.
9. PUBLIC GRIEVANCE MONITORING SYSTEM : The public grievances are filed to the District Magistrate in the form of petition. The name of concerned section, name of the field office to act and action to be taken are marked by the DM & Collector on the body of the petition. The petitions are then sent to computer section and data are entered. The user generates a forwarding letter to the concerned field office with a single click and send it to the field office for action within a specified time frame. The records are updated regularly on receipt of action taken report from the field office. This also serves the purpose of answering petitioner(s) the status of his petition.
10. FUND DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM (FDS): Funds of schemes like EAS, JGSY, PMGY, IAY etc. after receipt by the District is to be distributed among GPs of each Block. In FDS, the user enters the amount received and clicks to calculate according to the SC, ST and other population in the GPs. The distribution is according to the formula set by the user. In case of JGSY apart from distribution, bank branch wise credit transfer report, forwarding letter to the Branch Managers on this credit transfer, letter on 2% contingency wherever applicable, are also generated by FDS.
11. LAND RESTORATION : The software contains records of all restoration cases under each subdivision of North Tripura. The information like Name and Address of 1st party and 2nd party, land details like area, Mouza, Khatian and Plot No. , Date of order passed for restoration, whether Land is physically restored, area restored, Date & amount of Assistance provided to Tribal and Non-tribal party etc. Software gives Subdivision wise status of each case.
12. LAND RECORDS COMPUTERIZATION : The land records software "JAMI Ver. 1.0" is running in North Tripura District. The software is in Dbase III+ and compiled by Clipper. Gournagar tehsil is the first Tehsil in the State where distribution of Computerized Khatian has been started. The system was inaugurated by the Chief Secretary of Tripura on 28th January 2000.
13. PAYROLL PACKAGE : The package, developed in XENIX O.S. was running successfully for the last 5 years. Monthly Pay Bill, GPF schedule, Pay slip, Advance schedule, Challans were being generated by this package.
Recently Pay roll system in Windows platform has been implemented in the District and is running successfully for SDOs office Kailashahar also.
14. DATABASE FOR REANG MIGRANTS : The database contains the information like Name of the Head of family and family members, their age, sex, native village in Mizoram, family card No., No. of adults and minors etc. An ID No. has been generated by the software which contains the abbreviation of camp and block name and the card No. of the family. The reports like native village wise list of each family, monthly requirement of rice and cash for the family etc. can be generated by the software.
15. DAMIS (DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM) :- All these softwares mentioned above are installed at the nodes kept in respective Sections of this office. Through DAMIS, DM & Collector opens the required software kept in the machine of that section and checks the present status.
16. INFORMATION & FACILITATION CENTRE (IFC): The software developed by NIC, Tripura State Unit has been implemented in the District. The Centre was inaugurated by the Chief Secretary of Government of Tripura on 28th January 2000.
17. EAS MONITORING SYSTEM : The package has been implemented in this District. Works like entry of project shelf and subsequent approval, memo generation for approval of the projects are all being done by the package.
18. ELECTION DATABASE: The software is being used by the District for Assembly, Parliament, Nagar Panchayat & other bye elections for formation of Polling parties and sending polling teams to Polling stations randomly.
19.DISTRESSED PARA POCKETS: The package is being used by the District for monitoring proposal for distressed and spl. distressed paras. | <urn:uuid:b40a06bb-945b-47bc-8fb6-9175c5530418> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://northtripura.gov.in/it.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280718.7/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00411-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.922776 | 2,462 | 1.828125 | 2 |
399: Design the Interface 6b
||399: Design the Interface 6b
||02/15/2011 - 23:00
||This interface design puzzle is similar to Puzzle 391. There is a loop at the interface which is designable, but this time you are able to insert up to 5 residues and we are using the new disembodied sidechain representation (for Phe 310). See this blogpost (http://fold.it/portal/node/989141) for more info about this new representation and if you are new to Foldit, make sure you have completed the Introductory Design Puzzles (6-1 through 6-4).
Need this puzzle? Log in to download.
No comments yet. | <urn:uuid:0175544c-ec2c-476a-803c-014ab7751b79> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://fold.it/portal/node/989248 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571246.56/warc/CC-MAIN-20220811073058-20220811103058-00269.warc.gz | en | 0.820722 | 244 | 1.539063 | 2 |
By way of Edward Glaeser’s post (via ScienceBlogling Jonah) about the relative stability of housing prices in the New York City area, I was looking at the S&P/Case-Shiller Seasonally Adjusted Home Price Values (I really need new hobbies…). The really odd thing I noticed is that in the metro areas that had huge crashes (greater than twenty percent of the maximal value), there was a huge spike in home prices from 2005-2006 (and which sometimes started in mid-2004), while, in metro areas that haven’t crashed, there was no 2005-2006 spike. So what the hell happened in 2005?
Consider Boston and Denver. Neither metro area had this huge 2005-2006 surge: the maximum increase from 2003 to 2006 was ten percent for both areas with lots of fluctuations, which matches my anecdotal observations. On the other hand, the DC metro area roared ahead in 2005-2006, and then plunged twenty five percent from the high (which also correlates with personal observation). In Miami, the index dropped 39 percent from the 2006 high to its current value. San Francisco seems to be a rare intermediate case; I don’t know what to make of that.
So what the hell happened? It can’t be land scarcity, since Boston wasn’t affected* (and, if it were, why would this suddenly become a problem in late 2004 and 2005?). Does this have something to do with regional and state lending practices? (I’ve been looking and couldn’t find it–and I could be imagining this–but I remember a Boston Globe article that described how Massachusetts had a far less risky housing loan problem than other states). Or are housing markets are still driven by local phenomena, but Big Shitpile is so big that it is crushing local bubbles?
*Once you discount the area of Boston that is covered with water (and obviously uninhabitable), the city of Boston has one of the highest population densities in the U.S. | <urn:uuid:1e0bece1-d533-4ac5-ad37-8da2ff35fac0> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://scienceblogs.com/mikethemadbiologist/2008/12/31/what-caused-the-20052006-housi/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560281450.93/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095121-00178-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959811 | 417 | 1.773438 | 2 |
Dharamshala — A two-day 20th International Himalayan Festival held McLeod Ganj, India, to mark the 26th Anniversary of Nobel Peace Prize on His Holiness the Dalai Lama. The event was attended by hundreds of Tibetans, local Indians, and foreign and domestic tourists.
The crowd who came to witness the grand performances of traditional folk dances and songs that were on display at the Hotel Bhagsu Hotel ground, to honor His Holiness for his noble deeds.
The annual festival, organized by the Indo-Tibetan Friendship Association (ITFA) of Dharamshala, was attended by chief guests; Dr Lobsang sangay, Sikyong or head of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) and Mr Balbir Thakur, Additional District Magistrate of Kangra.
Addressing the event, Dr Sangay underlined the strong bonds of friendship and affinity shared by the people of Himalayan regions particularly the Tibetans and Indians. He called for the need to maintain these bonds and expressed the wholehearted participation and cooperation from the CTA for the same.
Sikyong also expressed gratitude to the state and central government of India for hosting the Tibetan people and His Holiness the Dalai Lama for the last over five decades.
"Since the occupation of Tibet by China in 1959, the Indian government has graciously hosted the Tibetan people in India. We are deeply grateful for the help and hospitality provided by India in our time of trial and tribulation," he said.
Dr Sangay praised His Holiness the Dalai Lama for choosing the Himachal Pradesh as a place for Tibetan refugees to live. He also urged Tibetans to work for the peace, while making the community, to ensure that making environmentally friendly.
Sarween Chaudhary, former minister and MLA from Shahpur, who was the chief guest at the official event the main temple, explained that the two countries share religious, cultural and linguistic connections, and described Tibet as a sacred place for Indians.
Emphasising the centuries-old bonds of friendship shared by Tibet and India, Chaudhary also encouraged the two-communities a mutual respect for each other's traditions and languages.
Explaining the Tibetans are became part of Himachal Pradesh, Mr Thakur said will support the Tibet and its cause. He also expressed his hopes that Tibetans will be able to return to their home one day soon.
Speaking on the festival, the Speaker of the Tibetan Parliament in-Exile, Mr Tsering in his speech said this festival is also symbolizing "the bond of unassailable friendship between the Tibetan people and the local Indian people."
The festival was started in 1995 to commemorate the international recognition of His Holiness the Dalai Lama's peace initiatives with the prestigious Nobel Prize for peace on 10 December 1989.
The organizers say "it is aimed at bringing different cultures and people across the Himalayas on a common forum, and foster understanding, appreciation, exchanges and dialogue among the people of the region."
Jampa Nyendak is a final year BA Journalism student at Madras Christian College. He currently interns at the Tibet Post International. | <urn:uuid:a64a6407-2c01-4a41-828e-e62465aa2d88> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://thetibetpost.com/en/features/arts-and-culture/4835-himalayan-festival-marks-hh-the-dalai-lamas-nobel-peace-prize-day | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560279410.32/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095119-00163-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.953015 | 652 | 2.09375 | 2 |
What’s the news: Viking legend has it that sailors could hold up crystal sunstones to the sky to help them find their way. Turns out the legend could be true. In a study published this week in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, a team of researchers found that a type of crystal called an Icelandic spar commonly found in that country could accurately reveal the position of the sun in cloudy or near-dark conditions. How Vikings Got Around:
- Researchers have long wondered and argued about how the Vikings were able to successfully navigate their way around the Northern Hemisphere in the late eighth to 11th centuries, hundreds of years before the magnetic compass reached Europe around 1300. Besides the direction of the wind, waves, and swell, the only way to navigate during the day away from shore is by knowing the sun’s direction. But that’s not so easy on a foggy or stormy day, or during the long twilight of Northern summers.
- Historians have speculated that, due to their optical properties, crystals of calcite (a common form of calcium carbonate) could have been used to tell direction, but until now the theory hadn’t been tested.
The Magic of Calcite:
- Icelandic spars are crystals of calcium carbonate which have a special property called birefringence: light hitting the mineral is split and follows two parallel paths through it, which explains how calcite makes objects look doubled. The relative brightness of the two images—the amount of light following the two different paths—depends on the light’s orientation to the crystal. The researchers showed that this can be used to locate a hard-to-find light source, like the sun on a cloudy day.
- The basic idea is that at a certain orientation to a light source, the crystal produces two light beams of equal brightness, a contrast the eye can measure surprisingly well. If you figure out what orientation of the crystal produces this effect when the sun is visible, you can repeat the procedure in the fog to find the sun.
- Testing the method with various Icelandic spars, the researchers were able to establish the direction of the sun to within 5 degrees.
Is This the Vikings’ Secret?
- So far no crystals have been found in known Viking settlements or artifacts. But one such crystal was recently found in the 1592 shipwreck of an Elizabethan vessel in the English channel. The researchers think its likely to have been used to aid navigation, due to its shape and their calculation that the presence of even the one large cannon found aboard would interfere with compass readings. This suggests these types of sunstones were in use more than 200 years before polarized light was first discovered, and possibly used even earlier by the Vikings to navigate the open seas.
Reference: Guy Ropars, Gabriel Gorre, Albert Le Floch, Jay Enoch, and Vasudevan Lakshminarayanan. A depolarizer as a possible precise sunstone for Viking navigation by polarized skylight. Proceedings of the Royal Society A. Published online 2 November 2011. DOI: 10.1098/rspa.2011.0369 Image credit: WikiMedia Commons | <urn:uuid:af9c2185-b700-4ee0-9cd8-8ff3fe975d04> | CC-MAIN-2016-44 | http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2011/11/04/low-tech-vikings-may-have-used-mineral-with-funky-optics-to-reach-new-world/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-44/segments/1476988719908.93/warc/CC-MAIN-20161020183839-00157-ip-10-171-6-4.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947523 | 654 | 3.984375 | 4 |
Using Stitched Pins with Patterned Fabric...
When selecting patterns, consider that a pin or brooch should be
no larger than 2 inches diameter. A good tool to help select the scale
of the pattern is your thumb and fore or middle finger. If the total
pattern fits inside, it’s a good candidate for your project.
stitching, I used single strands of silk or 6-strand floss together with
machine embroidery metallics in a full spectrum of colors. Often the
fabric patterns can be left to show through and provide another dimension
for the design. Add a little couching for distinction. Use a metallic
cord and thin machine embroidery to tack it down.
Use contours of the pattern to determine direction of stitches. Keep
all stitches within a color area parallel (all the same direction).
Change stitching direction in adjacent areas when thread colors change.
Stitch from Background to Foreground.
Lay in the colors in back
first. Frequently a simple running stitch can be used for the background
with a very minimal amount running under the surface. Staggered, uneven
lengths of stitches in long parallel line can cover quickly and
Sometimes outlining the border of the shape helps to clarify the
boundary. Use stem stitch to outline. Then stitch directionally across
the shape and over the outline. It’s a nice finished line. Save contrast
and highlights or dark shading till the end.
If you have some neat rubber stamps, try them on plain colored
fabric; monogram your initials; make hearts or stars for your charity’s
donors, or special badges for your stitchery group. Beads and dangles
can add further distinction.
Till next time,
Why Do We Make Temari?
For the sheer pleasure and joy of it. It is at the same time calming and compelling. Temari patterns
develop in ways that are surprising and unexpected, often the inverse of what is assumed. Temari
expands thinking skills.
Like yoga for the mind, it gently exercises, reaching beyond for more flexibility. It extends your thinking processes beyond what is apparent, known and
obvious. But it is utterly logical and completely organized. It is the kind of knowledge that provokes new ideas and different solutions to every day
questions and problems of all kinds. It is “thinking outside the box.”
As a design process, it gives an open invitation to play with colors in proportions and combinations that are unusual. It stimulates new or innovative
combinations of colors because it is non-pictorial. It lures the designer to move into new areas,
unencumbered by Western culture’s symbolic colors, i.e., blue for sky, green for plants, red for flowers, because most temari patterns are symbolic not
pictorial. So, experimentation with color is completely open-ended.
Temari’s measuring technique is like nothing in Western culture. Yet its methods are so simple! We wonder why there is nothing like it any where in the world. Like reading a good book, temari compels you to keep going just to see what happens! Like a
light bulb in your mind, it constantly surprises and delights.
Till next time, | <urn:uuid:8d8cc033-76a1-4e26-8c09-edb1aed62ca8> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.temari.com/journal.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560279650.31/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095119-00434-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.885372 | 691 | 2.484375 | 2 |
For the past couple weeks, I’ve been blogging about the problems newspaper opinion pages have with science. The example I’ve focused on is two columns on global warming by George Will in the Washington Post (and syndicated to 300 newspapers). Will claims that scientists who point to evidence that global warming is having an effect on the planet and reporters who describe their research are all hysterical doomsayers. To make his point, Will offers a range of evidence, from accounts in the 1970s about global cooling to statistics about the area of global ice cover recorded by satellites.
I have argued that George Will’s claims would have not have passed the standard fact-checking carried out by many magazines. He even manages to add extra errors in his second column, which is just a defense of his first. A number of other bloggers have also criticized the Post on similar grounds. The Washington Post editorial staff has responded on three occasions, most recently and at the greatest length this morning. As I’ll explain below, it’s not much of a response.
The first reaction was reported last week in Talking Points Memo. Andrew Alexander, the new Washington Post ombudsman, checked with the editorial page editors and told TPM that they have a “multi-layered editing process” in which columns are fact-checked to the greatest extent possible. They had, in other words, been satisfied that the information in George Will column factually correct in advance of publishing it, and now saw no reason to print any corrections. Then the editorial page editor Fred Hiatt was interviewed Thursday in the Columbia Journalism Review, where he stated that Will may have made inferences from the data that scientists didn’t agree with, and that it was up to those scientists to debate Will. Again, he saw no need for any corrections, and even suggested that pieces like Will’s column helped the public appreciate the uncertainty on issues including global warming, along with other fields like medicine.
I’m not going to deal in detail with these responses here, having already done so yesterday. Instead, I want to take a look at the latest response that came out this morning: a full-blown column in the Washington Post by the ombudsman Andrew Alexander–in fact, Alexander’s first official piece in his new job. You can read it here.
As I read it, I kept hitting one puzzling statement after another. For example, Alexander starts out the piece by focusing his column on what he calls “a key paragraph” about the global area of ice. As I’ve explained before, that paragraph is indeed in error, both in the specifics of the data, and in the way Will uses it as evidence that global warming has not been occurring. It became all the more striking because the scientists whom Will named as his source for the data rejected his claims, and, as I later showed, neither Will nor any of the fact-checkers bothered to contact the scientists to confirm their information. Instead, they pointed to another statement from the scientists as confirming Will’s claim–while ignoring the parts of the one-page statement that showed why Will was wrong.
But as vivid as that case may be, it was only one of numerous errors in the piece. If Will’s columns had indeed been properly fact-checked, the fact-checkers would have drawn attention to other errors in his columns.
For example, Will misrepresents an article by the late great Walter Sullivan in the New York Times in 1975, pretending that it trumpets an imminent plunge into an Ice Age:
The New York Times was — as it is today in a contrary crusade — a megaphone for the alarmed, as when (May 21, 1975) it reported that “a major cooling of the climate” was “widely considered inevitable” because it was “well established” that the Northern Hemisphere’s climate “has been getting cooler since about 1950.”
Here is how that article actually starts:
The world’s climate is changing. Of that scientists are firmly convinced. But in what direction and why are subjects of deepening debate.
The whole article is here [$]. For more on all this, see here and see “The Myth of the 1970s Global Cooling Scientific Consensus,” (free pdf) published in the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society. (In the interest of full disclosure, I should point out that I write frequently for the Times, although only once about global warming.)
Here’s another error Alexander doesn’t address: Will tries to use a recent satellite sensor glitch as evidence that skeptical scientists get attacked for questioning global warming. I explained how scientists have dealt with that glitch and corrected the record, and how the scientists themselves state that the glitch doesn’t affect their conclusion that the Arctic has shown a three-decade trend of shrinking ice area–a result that also comes from climate models.
But Alexander never addresses anything beyond Will’s claims about the global area of ice now and in 1979. When fact-checkers write up their reports, they do not just look at one paragraph and call it a day. I don’t understand why that is acceptable for a report from an ombudsman about the accuracy of a newspaper column.
But even within this narrow scope, Alexander’s conclusions puzzle me. He states:
My inquiry shows that there was fact-checking at multiple levels.
What Alexander then describes is not fact-checking.
It began with Will’s own research assistant, Greg Reed. When the column was submitted on Feb. 12 to The Washington Post Writers Group, which edits and syndicates it, Reed sent an accompanying e-mail that provided roughly 20 Internet reference links in support of key assertions in the column. Richard Aldacushion, editorial production manager at the Writers Group, said he reviewed every link. The column was then edited by editorial director Alan Shearer and managing editor James Hill.
Next, it went to The Post’s op-ed editor, Autumn Brewington, who said she also reviewed the sources.
Fact-checking descriptions of scientific research involves a wee bit more than perusing Internet reference links. It is not just a pattern-matching game, where you see if a sequence of words is the same in two places. Anyone who has actually fact-checked for a magazine like Discover (where I fact-checked for a few years) can tell you that you need to get familiar with the scientific research to see if the description is a good representation of the science itself.
And one essential part of getting familiar with it is calling scientists who live day and night with that research (especially if those scientists were cited explicitly in the piece being checked). A call to the scientists would have immediately sent up red flags (as I found when I got in touch with them on February 21 to satisfy my own curiosity and clear up some questions of my own).
This is not a criticism of the people Alexander names in his column. Newspapers and magazines are responsible for establishing procedures for fact-checking, which staff members must then follow. What I don’t understand is how Alexander can offer us this account of what happened and call it fact-checking at multiple levels.
Even more puzzling is Alexander’s account of his own research into the narrow question of the ice.
The editors who checked the Arctic Research Climate Center Web site believe it did not, on balance, run counter to Will’s assertion that global sea ice levels “now equal those of 1979.” I reviewed the same Web citation and reached a different conclusion.
It said that while global sea ice areas are “near or slightly lower than those observed in late 1979,” sea ice area in the Northern Hemisphere is “almost one million sq. km below” the levels of late 1979. That’s roughly the size of Texas and California combined. In my mind, it should have triggered a call for clarification to the center.
But according to Bill Chapman, a climate scientist with the center, there was no call from Will or Post editors before the column appeared. He added that it wasn’t until last Tuesday — nine days after The Post began receiving demands for a correction — that he heard from an editor at the newspaper. It was Brewington who finally e-mailed, offering Chapman the opportunity to write something that might help clear the air.
Readers would have been better served if Post editors, and the new ombudsman, had more quickly addressed the claims of falsehoods.
I know that I may be sounding a bit Talmudic by spending so many blog posts on this one bit of information, but examining how these Post editors have dealt with it has proven to be very revealing. They never bothered to check with scientists about the validity of a statement in a column, and after thousands of people have complained, they recognize that there was something so amiss that should have called the scientists. But they still can’t manage to make a decision about whether the statement requires a correction.
What’s more, they continue to ignore the broader, more important problem with Will’s discussion of sea ice: the facts that picking out two days from a thirty-year time series is not a meaningful way to look at climate trends, and that climate models do not, in fact, lead you to expect a decrease in global ice cover. And they have not even taken any notice of all the other errors in Will’s two columns.
Alexander’s prescription for the Post is this:
On its news pages, it can recommit to reporting on climate change that is authoritative and deep. On the editorial pages, it can present a mix of respected and informed viewpoints. And online, it can encourage dialogue that is robust, even if it becomes bellicose.
I don’t see why the news reporters at the Post have to recommit to anything. They’ve been doing their job. What really has to happen is for people who claim to be fact-checking to really do some fact-checking. It’s that simple.
Update, Sunday 3/1: In my initial version of this post, I sometimes referred to Andrew Alexander as Anderson by mistake. When I first noticed this mistake, I thought I only did it once and fixed that error. But commenters have kindly pointed out I had left several Andersons behind. I’ve now fixed them all. Apologies for the confusion.
Basically, Mr. Will made three mistakes:
1. He was factually incorrect on the date that he reported his “daily global ice” number. However, he was merely out-of-date with his facts (it was true on Jan 1, but wasn’t 6 weeks later). This is somewhat nit-picky, though it illuminates how fast things can change in a relatively short period of time, meaning that one should be very cautious about drawing any conclusions about climate from an isolated event.
2. Related to that, it is easy to cherry-pick one date here and one date there to compare to support most any view. The important thing is to look at things in the context of long-term changes. That is what NSIDC always tries to convey by comparing to long-term averages.
3. “Global sea ice” simply has no meaning in terms of climate change. The Arctic and Antarctic are unique and separated environments that respond differently. It would be like taking a drought in Georgia and torrential rain in Maine, adding those up and claiming that “rainfall is normal” in the eastern U.S.
Update, 4/7/09: Alexander’s use of “Arctic Climate Research Center” is incorrect.
Links to this Post
- Nice job is you can get it « A Man With A Ph.D. | March 1, 2009
- Checking George Will: The Perils of Time Travel | The Loom | Discover Magazine | March 4, 2009
- The Will Affair … struggling to keep up | March 5, 2009
- Fact Checking . . . and Fact Checking « Blythe’s Blog | March 5, 2009
- Noggin Raisers Vol.10 « | March 6, 2009
- George F. Will goes platinum « Greenfyre’s | March 30, 2009
- The 1970’s Ice Age lie, co-starring George Will and James Inhofe « Greenfyre’s | March 30, 2009
- George Will’s Crack Fact-Checkers Continue Their Nap | The Loom | Discover Magazine | July 23, 2009 | <urn:uuid:c872cb3e-bf7f-4a66-8e10-fa68e7934e6e> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2009/02/28/ice-ice-baby-when-fact-checking-is-not-fact-checking/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280730.27/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00254-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959209 | 2,633 | 1.539063 | 2 |
Transgender Day of Remembrance
See more » Ambiguously Gendered
I confess I feel a bit ignorant to not have known of the Transgender Day of Remembrance.
Trans and intersex individuals are particularly vulnerable to abuse, violence, discrimination, harassment, torture, economic discrimination, arbitrary arrest and detention, and other human rights violations, which are over-looked and often perpetrated by the police and other government officials. The 7th Annual Transgender Day of Remembrance on November 20, 2005 served to memorialize those killed due to anti-transgender hatred or prejudice. In 2004, IGLHRC documented 71 murders of LGBT people, including murders that were specifically targeted at trans people in Chile, Brazil, Honduras, Argentina, Mexico, El Salvador, and Guatemala. | <urn:uuid:15afee8a-dbc8-4679-a760-dc10dbcbc06e> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.pansexualsodomite.org/archives/ambiguously_gendered/transgender_day_of_rememb.php | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280835.22/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00046-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952102 | 156 | 2.4375 | 2 |
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Learners create a word tree poster that illustrates the way a root word can serve as the basis for many related terms. Although designed for a Latin language class, the concepts here could be used with any class study of Latin or Greek roots.
45 Views 110 Downloads | <urn:uuid:523b75b9-1c3c-4c5d-8a54-9ac58aa5af79> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | https://www.lessonplanet.com/teachers/better-vocabulary-through-derivatives | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560285315.77/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095125-00571-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.882807 | 112 | 3.609375 | 4 |
In 2010, the Olympic Games were complemented by Youth Games, where athletes between the ages of 14 and 18 will compete and with a maximum of 3,500 Athletes and 1,500 officials. These Games will be shorter than the senior Games; the summer version will last twelve days.
The Youth Olympic Games were conceived by IOC president Jacques Rogge in 2001 and approved during the 119th Congress of the IOC. The first Summer Youth Games were held in Singapore from 14th –26th August 2010.
The sports to be contested will coincide with those scheduled for the traditional senior Games, however there will be a reduced number of disciplines and events.
Past and Future Summer Youth Olympic Games | <urn:uuid:c2483083-6040-42b3-86b9-739338e36b3c> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.ocasia.org/Game/olygamesl1.aspx?VKZk7uGbk/CJ2ChZBk5tvA== | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280504.74/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00141-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.975962 | 139 | 2.296875 | 2 |
July 17, 2022, 17:02 | Science and technology
Leather products are usually expensive and require special care. Keeping them in good condition is important to extend their service life without losing aesthetics and functionality, informs Ukr.Media.
Although this is not a difficult task, it is necessary to follow some recommendations for cleaning leather bags and wallets.
Leather products are usually an aesthetic addition in combination with clothes. However, they need good care and polishing.
This is true if they are used as a work accessory. For this reason, it is important to clean them by following some specific tips.
Before using any detergent, shake the bag thoroughly to remove all traces of dust and dirt. Some bags are more difficult to remove dust from, so it's important to remove all the items inside and turn it upside down.
Otherwise, dust can seep into the internal parts, making them even more difficult to clean. You can also use a vacuum cleaner to clean small dirt.
Apply soap and water
When all the dry dirt is removed, mix one cup of water with one tablespoon of liquid soap. Wet a cloth and clean leather bags and wallets with this detergent.
Don't forget pockets and smaller areas. This is usually where more dirt accumulates.
While rubbing alcohol isn't always advisable, it can be a great idea to some specific stains on your leather product. For example, stains from ink or dirt.
In this case, use a cotton swab dipped in alcohol and run it over the ink to dissolve it. Then wipe off the remaining liquid with a dry cloth.
Furniture polish for cleaning leather bags and purses
A good tip for adding shine and color of leather products – application of polish for furniture. The same products that give shine to bookcases or display cases can be used to treat leather goods.
However, to remove dirt in this area, it is enough to use a little product on the inside and outside. Just apply it with a dry cloth.
Clean your bags regularly
If your goal is to preserve the shine of the item, cleaning leather bags and wallet should be checked at least once every three days. At least clean the dust quickly. That is, remove all contents from the product and give it a good tap to remove dust.
As for basic cleaning and leather treatment, try to do this every three months if you use the accessory every day. | <urn:uuid:c0bb1690-d5d4-4100-a147-6f709a1e820d> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://thesaxon.org/how-to-properly-clean-a-leather-bag-and-wallet-at-home/2863/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571210.98/warc/CC-MAIN-20220810191850-20220810221850-00477.warc.gz | en | 0.937648 | 503 | 2.171875 | 2 |
Canker sores are painful, shallow sores in the lining of the mouth. They are usually on the inside of lips, inside of cheeks, and gums. They do not cause fever.
The exact cause of canker sores is unknown. Some may result from food that gets stuck in the teeth. Others may be due to forgotten injuries from toothbrushes, toothpicks, rough foods (such as corn chips), hot foods, or biting of the lips or cheeks.
Canker sores are not the same as cold sores. The herpes simplex virus causes cold sores (also known as fever blisters) on the outer lip. This virus does not cause canker sores on the inside of the mouth.
How can I take care of my child?
To reduce the pain, your child can swish 1Â teaspoon of liquid antacid in his or her mouth for several minutes after meals. A child over age 4 with just one ulcer can put an antacid tablet on the sore and let it dissolve. Do this 3 or 4 times a day. Give acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil) as needed for pain (especially at bedtime).
Offer a soft, bland diet to reduce the pain. Cold drinks and milkshakes are especially good. Avoid giving your child salty foods, citrus fruits, and spicy foods. Encourage your child to drink lots of fluids to prevent dehydration. For very young children, give fluids by cup rather than from a bottle because the nipple can increase the pain.
Call your child’s doctor during office hours if:
The pain becomes severe.
Sores occur on the outside of the lips or mouth.
Your child can’t drink enough fluids or refuses to eat.
The sores last longer than 2Â weeks.
You feel your child is getting worse.
Written by Barton D. Schmitt, MD, author of “My Child Is Sick,†American Academy of Pediatrics Books.
Pediatric Advisor 2015.1 published by RelayHealth. Last modified: 2011-06-07 Last reviewed: 2014-06-10
This content is reviewed periodically and is subject to change as new health information becomes available. The information is intended to inform and educate and is not a replacement for medical evaluation, advice, diagnosis or treatment by a healthcare professional. | <urn:uuid:93c8b170-b0e6-40a4-bbc8-bc79124a06ef> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://hhma.org/healthadvisor/pa-svcanker-hhg/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571234.82/warc/CC-MAIN-20220811042804-20220811072804-00078.warc.gz | en | 0.939909 | 506 | 3.40625 | 3 |
Join us at the Agritech Expo
Indeed was unforgettable experience to most cyclists that will ever be told. Spending every single day of their time cycling, visiting VECO East Africa project, chatting with farmers, observing the natural and cultural beauty of the wilderness and sometimes encountering or standing face to face with wild animals like baboons and zebras
Just until recently 63 year old Emmanuel Mushi of Boro village in Kibosho Moshi believed that passion fruit wasn’t worth wasting time to produce leave alone making some cash on even by selling through the surrounding local market. This is due to the notion that the tree climbing vine was considered a wild fruit as the seeds would just be dropped on trees by scavenging birds which would later grow and bare fruits continuously with no agronomic efforts.
There is a Kiswahili saying that says “Kidole Kimoja Hakivunji Chawa” which translates to “One finger cannot kill a louse”. This is precisely the motivation behind (Muungano wa Vikundi vya Kilimo cha Horticulture (MUVIKIHO) which literally means a Union of Horticultural Producer Groups.
In order to tap into this potential market VECO East Africa supported farmers in participating and celebrating the International Year of Pulses (IYP), which was a two days Agribusiness Expo organized by the East Africa Grain Council (EAGC) on 24th and 25th June at Selian Agricultural Research Institute (SARI) in Arusha, Tanzania. The event primary focused at showcasing current innovations in the pulses value chains in order to realize more value and tap into new markets. | <urn:uuid:2e67a8a2-c052-42f6-9778-94e7e9d7fd8f> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | https://eastafrica.veco-ngo.org/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280310.48/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00182-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.950546 | 344 | 1.539063 | 2 |
Hundreds turned out at an annual pilgrimage to commemorate soldiers who gave their lives in service to their country.
On Sunday at 3pm former members of The Mercian Regiment and their families gathered at the War Memorial, in Crich.
The Lords Lieutenant were present, as well as high sheriffs, mayors and civic dignitaries.
Crowd gathered at Crich Stand, a memorial which was originally built to commemorate the 11,409 Sherwood Foresters killed in the First World War.
It is now a memorial site for the Sherwood Foresters, Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters and 2nd Battalion Mercian Regiment.
Those assembled then marched up the hill at Crich to pay homage to their fallen comrades, following which there was was a service of remembrance and 33 flags, including four colours and 29 standards, were on parade.
The pilgrimage was led by the Colonel of the Regiment, Brigadier A R D Sharpe and the Service of Commemoration was conducted by the Venerable Dr Christopher Cunliffe, Archdeacon of Derby.
Cindy Baines, assistant regimental secretary for the 2nd Mercian, said: “It becomes larger every year. We have soldiers named from all four battalions of the regiment on our memorial so people come from a wider area now.”
In 2010, extra space was added to the war memorial at Crich to make way for the names of soliders killed in Afghanistan.
The memorial was built by public subscription in 1923. It originally marked the deaths of men in the regiment who lost their lives in the First World War.
A second memorial for the Second World War was added. Later a third monument was built to commemorate lives lost in conflicts since 1945.
The parade came just days after about 300 soldiers from the 2nd Battalion The Mercian Regiment marched through Derby to mark their return from Afghanistan.
People lined the streets as the soldiers paraded from Back Sitwell Street to the Market Place.
Following the parade, a civic reception was held at the Assembly Rooms where six Derbyshire soldiers received campaign medals.
Two soldiers were killed in action during the tour. | <urn:uuid:c5547197-6787-4aac-9727-d8b01c3972a0> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.derbyshiretimes.co.uk/news/hundreds-turn-out-for-crich-s-annual-pilgrimage-1-4705965 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280266.9/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00495-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.983719 | 443 | 2.046875 | 2 |
The N1 rocket was developed by the Soviets to compete with the US Saturn rocket in the cold war race to the moon. Ultimately, the rocket would be a catastrophic failure that would result in not only the Americans beating them to the moon but the Soviet Union failing to ever achieve the historic benchmark.
Development of the N1 began in 1959 under Sergei Korolev, a man many consider as the father of practical astronautics at his OKB-1 Design Bureau. It was originally designed to lift payloads of 50 metric tons including military space stations and crewed flybys of Mars and Venus. Towards the end of 1959, Korolev presented his N1 design along with a medium-lift (N2) and a small-lift (N2) variant of the rocket. The military was, however not convinced they needed a launch vehicle of that size.
Although it is unclear exactly why the design for the N1 resurfaced at a meeting at Baikonur in March 1961. Korolev was finally given limited funding to begin development with the rocket’s first launch scheduled for 1965. Just months later, however, John F. Kennedy gave a Special Message to Congress announcing the country’s plans to land a man on the moon.
Following Kennedy’s announcement, Korolev proposed the development of a new spacecraft that could be used to beat the Americans to the moon. Naturally, he proposed the N1 to deploy the spacecraft into orbit. However because the N1 was so early in its development, the military asked Korolev’s rival Valentin Glushko to design the rocket’s engine. The two men did not see eye to eye with Korolev blaming Valentin Glushko for his time in a Russian Gulag, an experience he never quite recovered from.
Glushko proposed the RD-270, an unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine (UDMH) and nitrogen tetroxide (N2O4)-powered rocket engine. Korolev, however, felt that the toxic nature of the fuels would put the crew at unnecessary risk. As a result, he proposed they use a kerosene/LOX-powered engine instead. The disagreement that followed would set the programme back a year with Korolev eventually turning to Nikolai Kuznetsov for help. Kuznetsov had little experience with rocket design, a fact that would become clear after he proposed the use of the small NK-15 engine. He proposed the N1 rocket’s first stage utilize a complex cluster of the small engines, a wildly complicated solution.
With the Soviet moon mission collapsing into a political quagmire, development of the NK-15-powered N1 began. Its development would, however, be fraught with complications and problems. To compound matters, in 1966 Kuznetsov died succumbing to complications from his time in the Gulag. Responsibility for the development of the N1 passed to his ill-equipped deputy, Vasily Mishin.
Although the development of the N1 would eventually be completed, it would prove to be more akin to a bomb than a rocket. It was launched four times failing on every occasion. The second attempt on July 3, 1969, would explode before it was even launched releasing almost as much energy as a nuclear bomb. To this day, it is the largest rocket explosion in history. The failure of the N1 was primarily blamed on the wild complexity of its 30-engine first stage. To put it simply, a feud between two people derailed and ultimately killed the Soviet Union’s moon programme. | <urn:uuid:78939dc9-20e3-403e-a1ac-6341c4c96af4> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://rocketrundown.com/the-failure-of-the-soviet-n1-moon-rocket/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882570871.10/warc/CC-MAIN-20220808183040-20220808213040-00266.warc.gz | en | 0.972732 | 737 | 3.828125 | 4 |
The consumer canon dictates that innovations at the high-end eventually find their way into the mainstream. If it flies off the shelves at Neiman Marcus, sooner or later you're going to find it at Wal-Mart.
That process is about to take place with home videos. Smaller, digital camcorders are coming onto the market that will be able to capture home video so sharp it could pass muster in professional studios. And that laborious process of editing the video? It will be nearly as simple as word-processing on a computer.
Traditional camcorders have not exactly been slouches in the innovation race. They've gotten smaller, steadier, and cheaper in the past decade. Their next step, however, represents a huge leap from the old world of analog signals to the new one of digital bits and bytes.
Already popular in Japan, the digital camcorder is making headway in the United States. Last year, for example, sales of digital camcorders represented no more than 1.5 percent of the overall US market. This year, according to one estimate by Sony, sales will easily double.
"It's just been a phenomenal success," says Gregg Nole, senior product trainer for personal video with Sony Electronics Inc. The company's high-end digital camcorder - the DCR-VX1000 - has become so popular it's on back order, even at a suggested retail price of $4,199.
Amateur video buffs are willing to shell out that kind of money because the digital machines have much better quality than traditional consumer-level camcorders. For example, a standard VHS model has some 240 lines of horizontal resolution. All Sony's digital camcorders have at least twice that number. The more lines of resolution, the finer the picture.
Digital camcorders display even finer resolution than laser discs, which serious film connoisseurs use to watch Hollywood movies. Mr. Nole claims the digital camcorder rivals (in picture though not in features) Sony's professional Beta SP video cameras. And those start at $30,000.
The new cameras, especially the minimodels, are also tremendously compact because they use smaller tapes. "MiniDV cassettes are one-tenth the size, one-fifth the weight, half the cost, and twice the capacity of Betacam camcorder tapes," says Bob Doyle, digital video editor of NewMedia magazine.
In a review of the digital GR-DV1 from rival JVC, he described the camcorder as the "Swiss Army knife of video, audio, and photojournalism." Some retailers are selling it for less than $2,000.
Besides their compactness - some newer models weigh 1.3 pounds - the camcorders make video editing much simpler. Using an emerging standard for transmitting digital video, the new cameras can download their material directly to a personal computer.
And because the format compresses each frame individually (instead of over several frames), each frame is as clear as the next. This makes it much easier to grab still photos off the video and make clean cuts from one scene to another. Last Thursday, Sony announced that it will be shipping in April its first video recorder that can play and edit the new digital cassettes. The cost: $4,999.
Some drawbacks remain, however. Under bright lights, a red sports car tends to bleed over the picture, especially in the less expensive cameras that use one chip to record video, instead of the three chips used on higher-end models.
But the models will improve as chip technology improves. And prices will come down dramatically. Already in Japan, some estimates suggest that digital camcorders will grab nearly 70 percent of the overall camcorder market this year. It will take a few more years before the United States posts similar figures.
But the era of digital video recording is quickly approaching - and with it, a whole new era for home videos.
* Send comments to email@example.com or visit my In Cyberspace forum at http://www.csmonitor.com | <urn:uuid:b070a06d-9bc8-4574-85ca-322bfa40963f> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.csmonitor.com/1997/0128/012897.feat.scitech.2.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882570879.1/warc/CC-MAIN-20220808213349-20220809003349-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.933286 | 848 | 1.59375 | 2 |
Women Achieve Big In the UK Elections 2016
The 2016 UK Elections were remarkable in many ways. As well as the huge gain for Labour in London with Sadiq Khan sweeping into victory as London’s Mayor, the Conservatives held an impressive number of seats so soon after a general election. But the UK is so much more than two parties, because women party leaders, along with assembly, council and mayoral candidates, did better than ever before in all sorts of ways.
At the crux of the elections was a focus on the rivalry between Khan and Zac Goldsmith, but as well as showing their desire for political diversity by voting in their first Muslim mayor, Londoners began to show signs of - shock, horror! - voting for gender parity.
Women candidates helped bring their respective parties new successes. The Liberal Democrats’ Caroline Pidgeon, noted as the Greater London Authority (GLA) member to most incisively hold outgoing (in every way) Mayor Boris Johnson to account in meetings, gained an impressive 120,005 votes. It may seem small, but from where the Lib Dems were post-Coalition, it sure looks like a comeback.
And Sian Berry the Green Party candidate who beat her into fourth place, achieved two major firsts in the mayoral election. Not only are the Greens now London’s third biggest party (taking that title from the Lib Dems), but when it came to second preference votes, Berry received 468,318 votes, 80,288 more than Sadiq Khan’s second preference votes, and he’s the one who won the race.
The Green Party hasn’t only helped bring green issues into the manifesto of every major party, but it has also encouraged women to rise up within its ranks. With its sole MP Caroline Lucas a woman, its leader Natalie Bennett a woman too, and a woman to thank for pushing the party into third place in the capital, this party means, and does, ecofeminism.
And of course, there is the performance of The Women’s Equality Party, co-founded by MAKER Sandi Toksvig and Catherine Mayer. Their mayoral hopeful, newcomer Sophie Walker, garnered 53,055 first preference votes, 16,000 more than George Galloway, who, amongst other things, was once called a ‘rape apologist’ by Labour MP Jess Phillips.
Elsewhere, the party did not gain any seats, but, it did receive 350,000 votes scattered across the country. Considering it took UKIP 8 years to win more than 350,000 votes, and WE has only existed for a year, the WE party is the UK’s fastest-growing. Oh, and for the record, it has 47,000 members, that’s as many as UKIP had in 2015, 22 years after it was formed!
The WE party prides itself on creating policy ideas to be pinched by the major parties, as Sandi recently told Vice: “We’re the only party that hopes one day to not need to exist. That would be nice, wouldn’t it? And then we can all take up weaving!”
However, by receiving votes from one in 20 Londoners (either first or second preference) and pushing issues like stalking, the gender pay gap, inaccessible childcare and sexual violence onto the agenda, WE has proven it’s not just a pressure group, nor is it just dealing with one specialist issue. Just like the Greens and UKIP have, in their own very separate ways, made so much impact on the mainstream parties’ attitudes to green issues and EU membership, time will only tell what the Women’s Equality Party could do for Britain’s women.
In the Welsh Assembly, the big surprise was Plaid Cymru creeping in on Labour heartland, with Leanne Wood proving that a female leader can hold sway in traditionally macho ex-mining towns, and over in Northern Ireland, Arlene Foster is now First Minister again, heading up the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP). Sadly, the DUP isn’t exactly as woman-friendly as most would like a woman-led party to be, but still, here is a woman breaking a glass ceiling, let’s hope she lets a ladder down behind her sometime soon.
In the Scottish Parliament, Nicola Sturgeon led the Scottish National Party to its third consecutive win, forming a minority government in Holyrood, firmly set in her goals for a new independence referendum. Her official opposition is now led by Ruth Davidson, who achieved the unimaginable and got the Scots to vote Conservative. This success is so freakish that political commentators are hesitant to put their finger on its precise cause(s). It might not be because Ruth’s a woman. It might not be because she’s an out lesbian. What’s for sure, though, is that simply as a woman of any sexuality existing in a gender imbalanced political system, like all of the politicians mentioned above, she is helping change perceptions of who a British politician can be in 2016. | <urn:uuid:e3d20e23-20a5-4a65-8fc3-0fde9d6fa68b> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.makers.com/blog/women-achieve-big-uk-elections-2016 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280761.39/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00095-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967945 | 1,044 | 1.742188 | 2 |
In recent months the Syrian president has been signaling that he is interested in renewing negotiations for a peace treaty with Israel. The government has been turning a cold - nay, frozen - shoulder. It is indifferent, as if it cannot even hear.
Thirty-five years ago, I went to Golda Meir, excited as could be, bearing an indirect but sanctioned message from the Egyptian president that Anwar Sadat was willing to have peace talks. Golda fixed a cold eye on me and asked, "Do you know what he wants from us? He wants all of the Sinai, and it's out of the question. If looks could kill, I would have been dead long ago."
After this refusal, the Yom Kippur War came down upon us, and four years later, Menachem Begin rose to power, conceded all of the Sinai with the active assistance of Ariel Sharon - and peace became a reality.
The current Syrian bungle reminds me of that Egyptian bungle of 35 years ago. Leaving Golda's room, I was sad, disappointed and worried. She got on the phone to a few of her friends and my friends to report that "something has happened" to Yossi in the past few weeks, that he'd gone completely mad.
Even before Yitzhak Rabin was elected prime minister, an argument broke out between us that intensified after his election, when I was a member of his cabinet. Unlike the public perception, I was actually a "Syriologist," not a "Palestineologist." I felt that the big diplomatic move should be taken in the Syrian arena, and if we were able to reach a settlement there, it would then be easier for us to deal with the Palestinian problem.
Rabin thought otherwise. He subsequently admitted to me that perhaps he had erred, and that it might have been wiser to deal with Syria before Palestine.
Shortly before the murder that disrupted everything, Rabin asked me to his office and disclosed, with uncharacteristic nervousness and in the most surreptitious manner, that he had given the Americans a message in which he had expressed a readiness to withdraw from the entire Golan Heights.
The withdrawal would be in exchange for a peace treaty, normalization of relations, water supply arrangements and early warning systems. Had I not heard Rabin saying it with my own ears, I would not dare to report it. Rabin was succeeded by Benjamin Netanyahu, and according to several sources, both American and Israeli, he too gave his commitment to an Israeli descent from the Golan Heights under identical conditions.
Netanyahu may now deny it, but all of us are familiar with his denials and know how to assess their real substance. Ehud Barak, who succeeded Netanyahu, entered negotiations with the Syrians, and even personally took part in them.
Barak claims to have unmasked the real face of Yasser Arafat at Camp David, but there is no doubt that at Shepherdstown, Barak's face was uncovered. There are contradictory versions of what happened at Camp David, but everyone concurs on Shepherdstown. All agree that at the last minute, Barak got cold feet and without batting an eyelid voided all earlier commitments he had spoken of to the Americans and the Syrians. Thus, a settlement ran aground yet again, for the umpteenth time.
The recent signals from Bashar Assad have succeeded in baffling even our all-knowing intelligence community and the supreme command of the IDF. Opinions are divided - some say Assad is serious, others say he's only maneuvering. In the meantime, we sit on our hands, doing nothing.
The government and the army's explanations for the panicky paralysis are ludicrous and infuriating - Assad is weak, they say, and merely wants to alleviate international pressure to be freed from diplomatic isolation. If that's so, then great.
After all, when are we going to hold negotiations? When the partner's sense of confidence grows stronger and his condition improves? Wouldn't it be better to trap the other side at the negotiating table when he is in a weaker state?
The truth is entirely different. It was and still remains the same truth that guided Golda - you know exactly what Assad wants from us, he wants the entire Golan Heights, and it is out of the question.
After the next eruption occurs, and an ill wind blows in from the north, and after we count our dead, successive generations of chiefs of staff and heads of military intelligence will convene. With the patronage of some prestigious think tank, they will hoist aloft their misguided versions of what happened. Perhaps even an entire Herzliya Conference will be devoted to this fascinating subject.
Ariel Sharon and Benjamin Netanyahu and Ehud Barak will open or close the conference. Shimon Peres will deliver one of his speeches. And only after this will a prime minister be elected here, who like Begin in his time, will withdraw from every last meter of the Golan Heights.
Want to enjoy 'Zen' reading - with no ads and just the article? Subscribe todaySubscribe now | <urn:uuid:d4f835a9-3294-479f-92de-40b3e6c552a4> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.haaretz.com/a-brief-history-of-lost-peace-1.137968 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560282926.64/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095122-00396-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.977945 | 1,050 | 1.53125 | 2 |
Nota di lavoro // Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei: KTHC, Knowledge, technology, human capital 2008,11
For a long time social sciences scholars from different fields have devoted their attention to identifying the causes leading to commit criminal offences and recently lots of studies have included the analysis of spatial effects. Respect to the Italian crime phenomenon some stylized facts exist: high spatial and time variability and presence of 'organised crime' (e.g. Mafia and Camorra) deep-seated in some local territorial areas. Using explanatory spatial data analysis, the paper firstly explores the spatial structure and distribution of four different typologies of crimes (murders, thefts, frauds, and squeezes) in Italian provinces in two years, 1999 and 2003. ESDA allows us to detect some important geographical dimensions and to distinguish crucial macro- and micro- territorial aspects of offences. Further, on the basis of Becker-Ehrlich model, a spatial cross-sectional model including deterrence, economic and socio-demographic variables has been performed to investigate the determinants of Italian crime for 1999 and 2003 and its 'neighbouring' effects, measured in terms of geographical and relational proximity. The empirical results obtained by using different spatial weights matrices highlighted that socioeconomic variables have a relevant impact on crime activities, but their role changes enormously respect to crimes against person (murders) or against property (thefts, frauds and squeezes). It is worthy to notice that severity does not show the expected sign: its significant and positive sign should suggest that inflicting more severe punishments does not always constitute a deterrence to commit crime, but it works on the opposite direction. | <urn:uuid:4eacd677-ee36-4adf-9b78-f45d2b51b34c> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | https://www.econstor.eu/handle/10419/40664 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280825.87/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00202-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.920219 | 345 | 2.140625 | 2 |
A Short History of the Cartography of Africa (African Studies v. 39)
By: Jeffrey C. Stone (author)Hardback
More than 4 weeks availability
Drawing on the recent work of historians of Africa, this volume questions the contemporary wisdom about maps of Africa. Five centuries of pre-colonial mapping took place in the context of what historians see as continuity of imperial purpose by Europe. Consequently, the greatest influence on the evolving map of Africa was not the Age of Reason, but a more recent and short-lived aberration in the otherwise long-standing imperial relationship between Africa and Europe, colonialism. This book suggests that the history of African cartography has been misinterpreted. The transformation or revolution in the evolving cartography occurred not in the 18th century, as much of the literature suggests, but with the imposition of colonial rule, and continued through five or six decades, when map makers responded to totally new requirements. The text reviews the cartography of Africa and its associated literature from earliest times. Detailed studies of the cartographic histories of the former British colonial territories of Zambia, Swaziland and Botswana, from pre-colonial times to independence and beyond, are used to support the author's premise.
Number Of Pages:
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WHSmith High Street Limited Greenbridge Road, Swindon, Wiltshire, United Kingdom, SN3 3LD, VAT GB238 5548 36 | <urn:uuid:e518324e-3bf9-43ae-8157-8ff6769d3dce> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | https://www.whsmith.co.uk/products/a-short-history-of-the-cartography-of-africa-african-studies-v-39/9780773488984 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560281649.59/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095121-00444-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.897585 | 354 | 2.625 | 3 |
Now showing items 1-4 of 4
(2015-03)Albert van Reenen was born in Stellenbosch in 1957. He obtained both his MSc (1985) and PhD (1988) in polymer science at Stellenbosch University. He joined Stellenbosch University as a researcher at the Institute for ...
(Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch, 2006)Inaugural address delivered by Prof Len Barbour on 16 May 2006 at the Stellenbosch University.
From synthetic methodology to making molecules with a mission – a research summary of the first 10 years (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2011-06)Willem van Otterlo was born in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. As a child he moved to Southern Africa and received his primary and secondary schooling in Windhoek, Namibia, and Johannesburg, South Africa. In 1989 he started ...
(Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch, 1997)Inaugural address delivered by Prof Ron Sanderson during 1997, Stellenbosch University. | <urn:uuid:c64f0de0-3d8f-4612-a29a-b089c5dc24d9> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/245/browse?value=Other&type=type | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560282926.64/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095122-00399-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.938289 | 229 | 1.632813 | 2 |
Map Reference SH76NE
Grid Reference SH7897365683
Unitary (Local) Authority Conwy
Old County Caernarfonshire
Community Llanddoged and Maenan
Type of Site ABBEY
Broad Class Religious, Ritual and Funerary
Site Description NAR SH76NE3
There are few if any visible remains of Maenan Abbey, a Cistercian foundation removed here in 1283-4 from Aberconway to make way for the new royal castle and borough (see NPRN 43768). The Abbey was disolved in 1538 when materials were shipped to Caernarvon and a house was built over the west range, presumably the abbot's lodging. This house was replaced by the existing mansion (NPRN 407095) in 1848-52.
Excavations south & south-east of the hotel in 1968 recovered something of the plan of the late thirteenth century church.
Sources: RCAHMW Caernarvonshire Inventory I (1956), No. 1
Butler & Evans in Archaeologia Cambrensis 129 (1980), 37-63
John Wiles 19.03.08 | <urn:uuid:bba8520f-da19-4357-9a34-bbcb8ab8b094> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.coflein.gov.uk/en/site/16475/details/maenan-abbey | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560281353.56/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095121-00072-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.87533 | 248 | 2.125 | 2 |
During 2021, we experienced record breaking changes in employment. In fact, 2021 delivered the highest average on record for employees leaving their employer, which equated to an average of 3.9 million resignations each month.
You may be thinking that is old news, or you may be thinking it really isn’t that important. What these staggering numbers do not address is the impact that significant attrition can have on an organization. When organizations lose experience, knowledge and expertise in large numbers, most organizations have a difficult time maintaining or even regaining their momentum, let alone meeting their annual business objectives.
There are numerous steps organizations can take to help reduce this type of impact and support their ongoing momentum. One suggestion that we will focus on today is to create an Enterprise Project Management Office that will provide:
The structure of an EPMO provides visibility, knowledge of the strategic programs across the organization, and a clear set of methods and processes for teams to follow. All of these are key areas that help prevent loss of knowledge when an organization is facing a high attrition rate.
Additionally, an EPMO can provide guidance on how to implement cost reporting in an organization and to build upon that reporting, can help identify and measure areas of cost savings. An EPMO is often the right organization to assist with data-based decision making as well.
These types of consistent processes and knowledge sharing are key to supporting an effective operational structure that will provide the support needed to achieve business objectives.
If you would like to learn more about how to implement a successful Enterprise Project Management Office in your organization, you may want to work with a small team, with deep expertise and real experience, to help you create the desired outcome.
If you have an interest in learning more, give us a call.
– Kellie Bryan | <urn:uuid:66cd4e3d-3074-4088-b924-1d3bdc6fcbe3> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://corecatalysts.com/epmo-and-attrition/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571982.99/warc/CC-MAIN-20220813172349-20220813202349-00072.warc.gz | en | 0.953407 | 367 | 1.757813 | 2 |
Problem Solving with Industry
The European Study Groups with Industry programme is an innovative and collaborative way of tackling real problems faced in leading industries. These events have been described as "Hackathons for Mathematics"!
A study group is a week-long intensive problem-solving event that brings the wide ranging expertise of mathematical scientists together in a collaborative effort to solve real problems experienced by industrialists.
A Typical Week at a Study Group...
On the first morning, industry representatives present their problems. Often these involve complicated industrial processes that are not scientifically well understood. Some problems are more clear cut than others, for example, there may be a specific question such as How might we prevent this happening?, however this may not necessarily be the case. The academic/scientific participants then select the problem(s) they would like to work on.
During the first afternoon, subgroups of the scientific participants meet with each industrial representative and ask more detailed questions. Ideally, at the end of the day the team should have defined in broad terms the approximate goals for the week. Sometimes a successful outcome may simply be a properly formulated mathematical problem.
During the rest of the week, the group works on the problems and progresses towards a solution. Participants are free to choose which group(s) they would like to work with. Some people like to work intensively on one problem, others prefer to contribute to a number of problems. The industrial partner may or may not be able to attend all sessions, but should be easy to reach if more information is required.
On the last day, all groups present their results to the industry representatives and the other academics. A report describing the work of the group is written in the weeks following and given to the industrial partner.
Study Group Topics
Study group problems can come a wide range of areas. Common topics include
The problems submitted to study groups are extremely varied but they reflect the skills that are expected from a mathematical modeller. Problems are typically broken down into sub-tasks and interim models that are much easier to tackle.
Brewing of Filter Coffee, with Philips Research | <urn:uuid:7161086e-325f-4260-9cc1-d17691d4df21> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://ulsites.ul.ie/macsi/node/42841 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571222.74/warc/CC-MAIN-20220810222056-20220811012056-00665.warc.gz | en | 0.942161 | 425 | 2.515625 | 3 |
London, Aug 18 (ANI): The private lives of today's youngsters are so out in open on the internet, that in future Google would know so much about its users, that the search engine will be able to help them plan their lives, said the company's CEO.Eric Schmidt even suggested that young people should be entitled to change their identity to escape their misspent youth, which is now recorded in excruciating detail on Internet.
"I don't believe society understands what happens when everything is available, knowable and recorded by everyone all the time," the Telegraph quoted Schmidt as telling the Wall Street Journal.
In an interview Schmidt said he believed that every young person will one day be allowed to change their name to distance themselves from embarrassing photographs and material stored on their friends' social media sites.
The 55-year-old also predicted that in the future, Google would know so much about its users that the search engine will be able to help them plan their lives.
Using profiles of it customers and tracking their locations through their smart phones, it will be able to provide live updates on their surroundings and inform them of tasks they need to do.
"We're trying to figure out what the future of search is. One idea is that more and more searches are done on your behalf without you needing to type," said Schmidt.
"I actually think most people don't want Google to answer their questions. They want Google to tell them what they should be doing next," he added.
He suggested, as an example, that because Google would know "roughly who you are, roughly what you care about, roughly who your friends are", it could remind users what groceries they needed to buy when passing a shop. (ANI) | <urn:uuid:b0af4669-4329-4832-819d-397f0fa0641e> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.oneindia.com/2010/08/18/knowall-google-may-soon-help-people-plan-their-livessay.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560285289.45/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095125-00149-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.978547 | 351 | 1.992188 | 2 |
Staying Strong in Your Home
Sep 12, 2013 | 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM
3242 State Route 27
Maintaining strength and balance are essential for seniors who
wish to live safely and independently in their homes. Join Patricia
O’Shea, PT, DPT with University Medical Center of Princeton
at Plainsboro’s Outpatient Rehabilitation Network, for this
informative discussion on how to build strength and stick to an
exercise routine, and learn some simple exercises you can do at
home to build strength, balance and flexibility.
Please include the names of all attendees. | <urn:uuid:815fcb87-f6e9-4476-a311-a40c00e4d6ec> | CC-MAIN-2016-44 | http://www.princetonhcs.org/phcs-home/who-we-serve/community/community-education-amp-outreach/whats-happening.aspx/d=29082/rss=1 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-44/segments/1476988721141.89/warc/CC-MAIN-20161020183841-00417-ip-10-171-6-4.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.84912 | 132 | 1.53125 | 2 |
The evolution of sedimentary basins is largely controlled by a response in the crust to tectonically driven forces. The way in which the crust responds to those forces is controlled by the strength, composition and fabric of the crust at the time of the tectonic event. Knowing the properties of the basement of a sedimentary basin allows prediction of the behaviour of the basin during deformation.
It is the basement that responds to the tectonic stress by extending or contracting. Sedimentation patterns then respond to the resulting changes in the basement.
Potential field data (principally gravity and magnetic data) provide a window to the basement that can cover a wide continuous area. Once calibrated to geology, these data provide information that allows the development of a predictive structural model based on basement composition and structure. Depth to magnetic basement can be modelled from magnetic data and used to produca a structurally-controlled model of basement topography (e.g. SEEBASETM). Once calibrated, basement structure and topography can be used to predict basement-involved and basement-detached structures, fluid migration pathways, source distribution, reservoir and seal quality and distributions throughout the basin. The interpretation techniques and tools are efficient and cost-effective at both the country and permit or concession scale.
The methodology used to develop a comprehensive structural model relies on the integration of all appropriate geophysical and geological information. Individual datasets alone can be ambiguous and when interpreted in isolation often produce poorly constrained results. Integration is achieved by calibration of each dataset with others. Through integration, the model can be tightly constrained.
Once the datasets have been calibrated, a model consistent with all available data can be developed. Then the model can be applied and tested by re-calibrating and checking against the seismic interpretation. Adjustments can bemade as needed to both the model and the seismic interpretation at this stage.
SRK has had considerable success using a range of non-seismic tools to reconstruct basin architecture and map petroleum systems is:
- Difficult areas where volcanic/intrusive and/or salt bodies are present;
- In frontier areas where sparse 2D seismic is available;
- In mature exploration areas where adequate non-seismic data is available in addition to dense 2D and 3D datasets.
The systematic calibration, integration and interpretation of non-seismic and seismic data, working from the basement up is an efficient and effective approach in all areas. The methods are ideal for quickly developing a knowledge platform for designing cost-effective exploration and acquisition strategies in both high-risk frontier areas and more mature areas where existing concepts and dogmas may be a barrier to further exploration.
SEEBASETM is trademarked by FROGTech PTY Limited | <urn:uuid:d5a8c991-7b3c-4a26-bcb8-44d153ff3567> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.srk.com/en/our-services/petroleum/ww-basin-studies | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560284352.26/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095124-00200-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.895983 | 563 | 2.6875 | 3 |
This has been the week we became oddly obsessed with Hillary Clinton’s and Donald Trump’s medical records.
Clinton released a new assessment of her health from a real doctor after a pneumonia diagnosis and a subsequent (and very public) fainting episode, while Trump went on the TV show of known quack Dr. Oz and busted out a couple papers from his personal doctor proclaiming him to be healthy.
That letter highlighted some of the candidate’s basic health stats, like his cholesterol levels (which Oz praised vaguely as “good numbers,” thanks to a statin) and blood pressure. While the letter gave Trump a clean bill of health, a particular combination of numbers suggests Trump isn’t the healthiest he can be. Trump’s height — 6 feet 3 inches — and his weight — 236 pounds — mean the candidate’s Body Mass Index, or BMI, clocks in at 29.5.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention classifies BMIs between 18.5 and 25 as normal, between 25 and 30 as overweight, and anything 30 or higher as obese. Trump comes in just under that obesity threshold.
Crunch the numbers, and we find that Trump would be the third heaviest president, after William Howard Taft (332 pounds) and Grover Cleveland (275 pounds); he’d come in sixth in terms of BMI. The presidents ahead of him on that list (Taft, Cleveland, McKinley, Taylor, and Theodore Roosevelt) didn’t exactly have treadmills or weight-loss drugs at their disposal.
The heftiest president in recent years was Bill Clinton, with a BMI of 28.3 while in office. But his stats aren’t too different from Trump’s — Clinton is 6 foot 2 inches and weighed 234 pounds. Trump’s diet is notoriously not that different from the former president’s, featuring plenty of fast food (Clinton is now on a strict vegan diet).
Trump’s BMI is only part of the story, though. Even the CDC notes that BMI doesn’t measure the fat and muscle composition of a person’s body. The Rock, for example, falls in the obese category. Trump can’t blame his high BMI on a strenuous weightlifting regimen, though. He told Dr. Oz his exercise currently consists of rounds of golf and giving speeches in hot rooms on the campaign trail.
Unfortunately, there’s no official explanation for the orange skin.
Photos via Public Domain, Getty Images / Spencer Platt | <urn:uuid:366b6b03-9d79-4889-934b-e51cb28a9422> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | https://www.inverse.com/article/21084-donald-trump-bmi-presidents | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280791.35/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00366-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952022 | 529 | 1.953125 | 2 |
AFTER six years of meticulous work on one of the most iconic stained glass windows in the country a significant milestone has now been reached.
Experts will next year begin the painstaking task of returning medieval glass to the restored tracery of the huge Great East Window of York Minster.
But in a UK first the country’s largest expanse of medieval glass is being protected with a ventilated protecting glazing system, using an innovative UV-resistant glass made in Germany – and the first panels are now being put in place.
The director of the York Glaziers Trust, Sarah Brown, said: “This is an important milestone in the story of the Great East Window.
“The protective glazing is manufactured using the most up-to-date glass technology available in the world.
“The protection offered by the new UV-resistant glazing system could extend the life of the stained glass well into the next century and hopefully beyond.”
The glass was originally designed and installed by master glazier John Thornton more than 600 years ago.
It was carefully removed in the spring and summer of 2008 allowing the conservation of stone and glass to proceed as part of the continuing restoration of the great cathedral. | <urn:uuid:b384d9a2-785b-4df9-abad-943a99e090c3> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.darlingtonandstocktontimes.co.uk/news/11376420.21st_century_protection_for_15th_century_treasure/?ref=var_0 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280761.39/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00092-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.938845 | 251 | 2.71875 | 3 |
ONE HUNDRED original 1st grade leveled close reading passages and activities are PERFECT for teaching your students to become masters of close reading. There are seventeen standards-based earning targets in this product. Each learning target has 5 passages specifically dedicated to it except for all of the comparing learning targets because they all have a total of 10 passages so that your students can compare away!
Each passage has 2 pages of carefully written and consistent close reading tasks or text dependent questions. The first page of close reading tasks is specifically aligned to the learning target identified at the top of the page.
The second page of tasks is a SPIRAL REVIEW of all the informational learning targets for the grade level. This is perfect for holding those kids accountable for everything they have already learned! No skill slipping on your watch!
THE STANDARDS-BASED LEARNING TARGETS INCLUDED ARE:
•ASK AND ANSWER QUESTIONS (RI.1.1)
•MAIN TOPIC AND KEY DETAILS (RI.1.2)
•WORD MEANINGS (RI.1.4)
•TEXT FEATURES (RI.1.5)
•UNDERSTANDING IMAGES (RI.1.6)
•KEY IDEAS (RI.1.7)
•AUTHOR’S REASONS (RI.1.8)
•COMPARE AND CONTRAST (RI.1.9)
•ASK AND ANSWER QUESTIONS (RL.1.1)
•RETELL STORIES (RL.1.2)
•CHARACTERS AND SETTINGS (RL.1.3)
•SENSORY LANGUAGE (RL.1.4)
•FICTION VS. NONFICTION (RL.1.5)
•THE STORYTELLER (RL.1.6)
•USE THE ILLUSTRATIONS (RL.1.7)
•COMPARE AND CONTRAST (RL.1.9)
This pack includes both of these products:
1st Grade Close Reading Passages and Activities – Informational
1st Grade Close Reading Passages and Activities – Literature
WHAT CAN THIS BE USED FOR?
This is perfect for class-wide close reading, assessments, guided reading groups, or homework. Your students must refer to the text and provide textual evidence of their understanding.
CAREFULLY CRAFTED READING PASSAGES
Each passage falls within the Lexile level of 250-580. You can find a complete listing of the Lexile Levels by downloading the product preview. There are a variety of literature types including narratives, biographies, and letters. The informational text types range between STEM topics, science, history, and opinion pieces. The formats include website simulations, magazine articles, and texts with multiple diagrams. In terms of interest level, EVERY passage is written with a 1st grader in mind.
WHAT STANDARDS IS THIS ALIGNED TO?
This product is most closely aligned to the Common Core standards. However, everything is referenced as “learning targets” so that it is applicable within any 1st grade classroom. There are two options in this download. You can choose to either use a version that makes references to Common Core or a version that does NOT make references to Common Core. The content is the same in both files, but this option gives Common Core schools a specific reference to the corresponding standard, which may be helpful.
If you have purchased my 2nd Grade Common Core Close Reading Passages and Activities, please note that nearly 70% of passages are the same. They have only been modified for less text complexity and to better match the 1st grade standards. However, you will see that the questions and tasks on each of these products are completely different and completely aligned to the grade level standards.
2nd Grade Close Reading – BUNDLE
2nd Grade Close Reading – Informational Texts
2nd Grade Close Reading – Informational Texts DIFFERENTIATION PACK
2nd Grade Close Reading – Literature
2nd Grade Close Reading – Literature DIFFERENTIATION PACK
3rd Grade Close Reading – BUNDLE
3rd Grade Close Reading – Informational Texts
3rd Grade Close Reading – Informational Texts DIFFERENTIATION PACK
3rd Grade Close Reading – Literature
3rd Grade Close Reading – Literature DIFFERENTIATION PACK
4th Grade Close Reading – BUNDLE
4th Grade Close Reading – Informational Texts
4th Grade Close Reading – Informational Texts DIFFERENTIATION PACK
4th Grade Close Reading – Literature
4th Grade Close Reading – Literature DIFFERENTIATION PACK
5th Grade Close Reading – BUNDLE
5th Grade Close Reading – Informational Texts
5th Grade Close Reading – Informational Texts DIFFERENTIATION PACK
5th Grade Close Reading – Literature
5th Grade Close Reading – Literature DIFFERENTIATION PACK
– Alyssha Swanson
Teaching and Tapas | <urn:uuid:fc483167-65b4-486f-8c29-6f7628e29f1d> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.teachingandtapas.com/product/1st-grade-close-reading-passages-and-activities-bundle-fiction-and-nonfiction | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573172.64/warc/CC-MAIN-20220818063910-20220818093910-00270.warc.gz | en | 0.891739 | 1,098 | 3.671875 | 4 |
“Upper body back, sit tall!” That’s a familiar instruction in riding lessons. After all, an upright, centered seat with correct ear-shoulder-hip-heel (ankle joint) alignment – one line that should be perpendicular to the ground – is necessary to give precise aids. That’s how the German FN manual describes it. However, achieving this perfect alignment isn’t as simple as it may sound, especially if your body is not meeting certain prerequisites. For a tall, erect upper body and light rein aids out of supple shoulder joints, the rider’s shoulders need to be both mobile *and* very stable. “A closer look at the anatomy of the shoulder joint illustrates how important shoulder stability is,” explains fitness expert Marcel Andrä. “The head of the humerus is much larger than the joint socket, approximately like a golf ball (head of humerus) to a golf tee (joint socket), the little pin upon which you place the golf ball to tee off. The circumference of the ball is clearly much larger than the small contact area of the pin. To achieve good mobility, stability is indispensable to keep everything in its proper place.”
Therefore it is necessary to strengthen the muscles and soft tissues surrounding the shoulder to achieve the stability it needs to function optimally. Most importantly, we need solid stability and good control over the movement of the shoulder to keep this joint healthy. “The shoulder is one of our most flexible joints that can move in many different plains of motion,” Marcel Andrä explains. “However, this ability can negatively affect stability. Furthermore, riders need to be able to move other body parts efficiently, sometimes in conjunction with but sometimes also independently of the shoulder. Studies have shown that the upper part of the trapezius muscle is used more than the middle and lower parts. This can lead to a timing problem related to the contraction of the muscle. In this case, it becomes impossible – or can only be done under great strain – to bring the shoulders back, which prevents the rider from having a supple seat and upright alignment.”
Mobility requires stability
Good shoulder mobility requires muscle contraction and coordination. In other words: mobility requires stability. Stability is defined as the ability of a neuro-muscular system to keep and control a joint in a certain motion or position. If we lose stability in the shoulder joint, or if our brain notices instability, it reduces the range of motion to prevent injury (self-preservation). “The further a joint is moved from its neutral position, the more difficult it is to stabilize it,” Marcel Andrä cautions. “Mobility problems in the shoulder or shoulder girdle are in fact often stability problems.”
If you tend to tip your shoulders too far forward, or if you have to actively pull your shoulders back to align with the perpendicular line, try to integrate these three exercises into your training routine in order to achieve correct stability and coordination:
Go into a Kneeling Plank. Place your arms on the BLACKROLL® and bring one arm at a time up toward the ceiling. Repeat this exercise 6 to 10 times per side.
Important: Keep knees, hips, and shoulders in one line. In this exercise, arm and shoulder are working – even more on a movable surface.
Go into the Half Kneeling Position. Step into the Superband with your front foot. With your arm on the same side, pull the band straight upwards. Then bend your upper body to the other side, keeping your arm straight up in the air. Repeat this exercise 6 to 10 times per side.
Go into the Half Kneeling Position. Step into the band with your front foot. Your arm on the same side holds the band. The upper arm is held in a 90 degree angle from your upper body. Then rotate your forearm up and back. Repeat this exercise 6 to 10 times per side.
Take the first step to improve your rider fitness and identify your individual strengths, weaknesses and imbalances with your first DressurFit® fitness test for free. Start your free rider fitness test now! | <urn:uuid:9b10ca08-9267-4729-99bb-bacb5399dc6a> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.aubenhausen-club.de/en/fitness-en/3-exercises-to-stabilize-your-shoulders/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882570793.14/warc/CC-MAIN-20220808092125-20220808122125-00672.warc.gz | en | 0.926759 | 881 | 2.46875 | 2 |
Table of Contents
- 1 What credit history score is used when purchasing a motor vehicle
- 2 How to examine all variations of your FICO Vehicle Score
Select’s editorial staff works independently to critique economical products and solutions and create article content we believe our readers will discover beneficial. We might receive a commission when you click on back links for solutions from our affiliate partners.
The pandemic has had a big impression on consumers’ funds and investing patterns. It really is helped several preserve up extra money due to the fact Planet War 2 and certain other people to stay clear of public transit at all fees. These two phenomena are resulting in a history quantity of Us residents to get their fingers on a new set of wheels.
The to start with stage of most big-ticket purchases, such as getting a new (or made use of) car or truck, is normally figuring out financing. Whilst auto loans are getting much more very affordable to offset the steep price of automobiles right now, your financial loan phrases and rates will fluctuate based mostly on your credit history score. Fortunately, you can verify your credit rating rating just before implementing to see what sort of personal loan you may perhaps qualify for.
VantageScore® and FICO® Rating are the two most important scoring versions that provide credit rating scores. Each score individuals on a scale from 300 to 850, and automobile creditors could use possibly to approve you for a new automobile mortgage or lease. Knowing the widely employed FICO Score 8 and 9, and VantageScore 3. and 4., will never damage, but there’s a credit rating score built entirely for automobile creditors that is really worth looking at when hunting to finance a car or truck.
Distinctive auto loan providers check out various credit history scores, so you won’t know for positive which one they will glance at when deciding your vehicle loan application. Your most effective bet, having said that, would be to test some thing identified as an marketplace-precise score.
FICO gives industry-particular scores that customers can refer to when building specified buys like a vehicle or household. (Test out the comprehensive listing of FICO’s score versions for unique money solutions.) Just like a common credit history score, your field-certain rating will help establish foreseeable future bank loan conditions and fascination premiums.
The FICO Vehicle Score considers your usual credit behaviors but places more emphasis on how you’ve managed automobile personal loan payments in the past. It considers factors like: have you continuously manufactured your loan payments, and on time? FICO Automobile Scores vary from 250 to 900 and have many variations, such as FICO Car Scores 2, 4, 5 and 8. The least difficult way to examine all 4 FICO Vehicle Scores at the identical time is through FICO’s credit rating checking service.
Recognizing your car-related credit score can be valuable when funding a auto, given that it can have an impact on your loan conditions and charges. Any maximize in your desire rate can direct to a better every month payment and paying countless numbers of bucks much more in excess of the program of a bank loan.
If you want to finance a car with an auto loan, signing up for one particular of the FICO® Fundamental, Sophisticated or Leading credit monitoring products and services can aid.
All 3 FICO Essential, Innovative and Premier designs present access to 28 versions of your credit history score so you can use it when implementing for any variety of credit score, together with car financial loans, mortgages and credit rating cards. These a few solutions will also warn you of probable fraud, such as somebody opening a new mortgage in your title or a sharp spike in your credit score card harmony.
If all you want are the many variations of your FICO Score, signal up for Primary, the cheapest tier, to preserve a lot more funds each month. Learn a lot more about the discrepancies between each FICO credit rating monitoring provider.
$19.95 to $39.95 for each month
Credit history bureaus monitored
Experian for Primary strategy or Experian, Equifax and TransUnion for Advanced and Premier designs
Credit score scoring product utilized
Dim web scan
Yes, for Advanced and Premier plans
Identification insurance plan
Editorial Be aware: Opinions, analyses, evaluations or tips expressed in this posting are those of the Pick editorial staff’s by yourself, and have not been reviewed, authorized or usually endorsed by any third get together. | <urn:uuid:78960c33-9935-4de6-af29-ab02b82dd7bc> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | http://tomsoutletol.us/what-credit-rating-score-is-used-to-purchase-a-vehicle/?amp=1 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572286.44/warc/CC-MAIN-20220816090541-20220816120541-00272.warc.gz | en | 0.941277 | 933 | 1.679688 | 2 |
On July 22nd, the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) revised the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) to implement the Secretary of State’s May 29, 2015 rescission of Cuba’s designation as a State Sponsor of Terrorism. While Cuba’s removal from this list is a notable symbolic action, and provides some benefit to non-US companies, it will not significantly change the limitations on the ability of US companies to export to Cuba. Unless US companies have a license, or rely on a license exception, they will still be prohibited from exporting to Cuba. For non-US companies that are exporting foreign-origin items containing US-origin content to Cuba, however, this removal of Cuba from the State Sponsor of Terrorism does offer some relief.
Countries designated as State Sponsors of Terrorism are listed in the EAR’s Country Group E:1, and are subject to anti-terrorism (AT) controls. As a result of Cuba’s “State Sponsors” removal it will no longer be subject to AT controls. However, the US embargo against Cuba – though now somewhat relaxed – continues to require that any exports by US companies to Cuba be made pursuant to a license or license exception.
Cuba’s removal from the State Sponsors of Terrorism list also means that it is no longer part of Country Group E:1, and instead is now part of Country Group E:2 – a change that does have some implications.
First, for US-origin items that are incorporated abroad into foreign-origin items, the de minimis threshold will now be 25%, rather than 10%. For those who are uninitiated in export controls parlance, this means that if a non-US company manufactures items outside of the United States that contain US-origin content, the value of that US-origin content can comprise up to 25% of the value of the non-US origin item without subjecting the foreign-origin item to the jurisdiction of the EAR. Before Cuba’s removal from the list the percentage was only 10%. Even with this change, though, certain EAR-controlled items and defense articles controlled under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) are not eligible for de minimis treatment.
In addition – and of note to US companies – exports to Cuba are now eligible for the use of certain license exceptions from which they were previously excluded. These include exports of certain types of replacement parts and components under License Exception RPL; certain transfers to Cuban nationals for US-government-related transactions under License Exception GOV; carrying certain types of encryption-related commodities, software and technology in personal baggage for personal use under License Exception BAG; and certain activities related to aircraft on temporary sojourn under License Exception AVS. Certain transactions related to exports lawfully made under the license exceptions noted above would be permitted under the Cuban Assets Control Regulations, which authorize transactions incident to the export of items pursuant to a valid license exception under the EAR, see 31 C.F.R. § 515.533(a). Other than these limited changes, though, restrictions on exports by US persons to Cuba will remain in place. | <urn:uuid:d7c50377-1d52-4d7b-b499-ed0cec1c7652> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.steptoeinternationalcomplianceblog.com/2015/07/bis-removes-vestiges-of-cubas-state-sponsor-of-terrorism-designation-from-the-ear-with-little-practical-impact/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572833.95/warc/CC-MAIN-20220817032054-20220817062054-00468.warc.gz | en | 0.930898 | 651 | 1.625 | 2 |
Shadow of the Wind
A secret's worth depends on the people from whom it must be kept. My first thought on waking was to tell my best friend about the Cemetery of Forgotten Books. Tomás Aguilar was a classmate who devoted his free time and his talent to the invention of wonderfully ingenious contraptions of dubious practicality, like the aerostatic dart or the dynamo spinning top. I pictured us both, equipped with flashlights and compasses, uncovering the mysteries of those bibliographic catacombs. Who better than Tomás to share my secret? Then, remembering my promise, I decided that circumstances advised me to adopt what in detective novels is termed a different modus operandi. At noon I approached my father to quiz him about the book and about Julián Carax--both world famous, I assumed. My plan was to get my hands on his complete works and read them all by the end of the week. To my surprise, I discovered that my father, a natural-born librarian and a walking lexicon of publishers' catalogs and oddities, had never heard of The Shadow of the Wind or Julián Carax. Intrigued, he examined the printing history on the back of the title page for clues.
"It says here that this copy is part of an edition of twenty-five hundred printed in Barcelona by Cabestany Editores, in June 1936."
"Do you know the publishing house?"
"It closed down years ago. But, wait, this is not the original. The first edition came out in November 1935 but was printed in Paris....Published by Galiano & Neuval. Doesn't ring a bell."
"So is this a translation?"
"It doesn't say so. From what I can see, the text must be the original one."
"A book in Spanish, first published in France?"
"It's not that unusual, not in times like these," my father put in. "Perhaps Barceló can help us...."
Gustavo Barceló was an old colleague of my father's who now owned a cavernous establishment on Calle Fernando with a commanding position in the city's secondhand-book trade. Perpetually affixed to his mouth was an unlit pipe that impregnated his person with the aroma of a Persian market. He liked to describe himself as the last romantic, and he was not above claiming that a remote line in his ancestry led directly to Lord Byron himself. As if to prove this connection, Barceló fashioned his wardrobe in the style of a nineteenth-century dandy. His casual attire consisted of a cravat, white patent leather shoes, and a plain glass monocle that, according to malicious gossip, he did not remove even in the intimacy of the lavatory. Flights of fancy aside, the most significant relative in his lineage was his begetter, an industrialist who had become fabulously wealthy by questionable means at the end of the nineteenth century. According to my father, Gustavo Barceló was, technically speaking, loaded, and his palatial bookshop was more of a passion than a business. He loved books unreservedly, and--although he denied this categorically--if someone stepped into his bookshop and fell in love with a tome he could not afford, Barceló would lower its price, or even give it away, if he felt that the buyer was a serious reader and not an accidental browser. Barceló also boasted an elephantine memory allied to a pedantry that matched his demeanor and the sonority of his voice. If anyone knew about odd books, it was he. That afternoon, after closing the shop, my father suggested that we stroll along to the Els Quatre Gats, a café on Calle Montsió, where Barceló and his bibliophile knights of the round table gathered to discuss the finer points of decadent poets, dead languages, and neglected, moth-ridden masterpieces.
Els Quatre Gats was just a five-minute walk from our house and one of my favorite haunts. My parents had met there in 1932, and I attributed my one-way ticket into this world in part to the old café's charms. Stone dragons guarded a lamplit façade anchored in shadows. Inside, voices seemed shaded by the echoes of other times. Accountants, dreamers, and would-be geniuses shared tables with the specters of Pablo Picasso, Isaac Albéniz, Federico García Lorca, and Salvador Dalí. There any poor devil could pass for a historical figure for the price of a small coffee.
From Shadow of The Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón. Copyright Carlos Ruiz Zafón 2002. All rights reserved. First published in Spanish in 2002 as La Sombra del Viento. First USA publication by The Penguin Group, April 2004. No part of this book may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher.
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No Man's Land
by Simon Tolkien
Inspired by the experiences of his grandfather, J. R. R. Tolkien, during World War I.
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BookBrowse seeks out and recommends books that we believe to be best in class. Books that will whisk you to faraway places and times, that will expand your mind and challenge you -- the kinds of books you just can't wait to tell your friends about. | <urn:uuid:13f713a1-5790-4bda-87d4-1ea457c512bd> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | https://www.bookbrowse.com/excerpts/index.cfm?book_number=1496 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560281069.89/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095121-00270-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961836 | 1,171 | 1.773438 | 2 |
BHP's YEAR OF WOES:
May 2015: Ratings agency Standard and Poor's downgraded BHP's outlook from stable to negative on forecasts of weaker cashflow .
June 2015: Ratings agency Fitch downgrades its credit rating outlook for BHP in the wake of sliding iron ore prices prices.
July 2015: BHP Billiton flags a $US2.8 billion writedown in its US oil and gas assets amid soft prices.
July 2015: The company takes a $US650 million ($A876.31 million) impairment charge due to writedowns and redundancy costs linked to its copper business.
Aug 2015: BHP posts an 86 per cent slump in full year net profit to $US1.9 billion, hurt by the slump in global prices of commodities.
Sept 2015: BHP slashed 2016 capital and exploration expenditure by $US2.5 billion to $US8.5 billion
Oct 2015: The company pares back 2016 capital expenditure for the petroleum business by six per cent to $US2.9 billion ($A3.99 billion).
Nov 2015: Seventeen people die and two are still missing following the collapse of two tailings pond dams at the Samarco iron ore mine in Brazil. The two partners could be liable for billions of dollars in fines and payment of damages.
Dec 2015: Iron ore prices slide through $US40 a tonne level to hit a fresh 10-year low.
Dec 2015: Moody's puts BHP's credit ratings under review for possible downgrades, amid predictions of continued commodity price weakness.
Jan 2016: BHP shares breach the $15 barrier, sliding to a 11-year low of $14.45.
Jan 2016: BHP announces it will write down the value of its US shale assets by $US7.2 billion ($A10.31 billion), after oil prices to a 12-year low of $US30 a barrel amid a gloomy short term outlook. | <urn:uuid:553ce257-84b7-48a3-925d-6324428753b0> | CC-MAIN-2016-44 | http://www.smh.com.au//breaking-news-business/bhps-year-to-forget-20160115-4936o.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-44/segments/1476988720000.45/warc/CC-MAIN-20161020183840-00024-ip-10-171-6-4.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.893363 | 406 | 1.71875 | 2 |
"The real inside story of Iran, of its people--is told in this book."--Judy Woodruff, Correspondent, MacNeil/Lehrer "Newshour"
This fascinating collection lifts their concealing veils to bring us face to face with the women of a contemporary Iranian mountain village. Their situations are primitive and oppressive by Western standards, but the author, an anthropologist who has lived a number of years in Iran, lets the women speak through her deft pen, capturing their voices in tales of domestic power politics, childbearing, barrenness, marriage, old age. Like the relationships in this village of gossipy, intermarried and extended families, the 12 stories are interconnected, revealing a pungent, incisive view of women's society as a whole, and multifaceted portraits of some memorable individuals: Perijan, who was so embarrassed at being pregnant at a relatively advanced age that she hid her condition until after she gave birth; tough, elderly Maryam who, upon being widowed, braved the trials and controversy of remaining on her own land rather than accept a subordinate position in the household of one of her married brothers. Always denied a place in the public arena (even more so in the past decade since the revolution) the women of Deh Koh shape and control the home sphere--an area that these sagacious tales vivify with respect and integrity. (Apr.) | <urn:uuid:be79a1e5-17bb-45ab-89a4-1f13b31edfdd> | CC-MAIN-2016-44 | https://www.cheaptextbooks.org/9780140149937 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-44/segments/1476988721405.66/warc/CC-MAIN-20161020183841-00314-ip-10-171-6-4.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958505 | 288 | 1.875 | 2 |
Chapman Valley History
The Chapman Valley Historical Society Heritage Centre
focuses on the lives of early settlers
IN THE BEGINNING …
The Chapman Valley History website is a dedication to our hardworking pioneers of the agricultural district first known as the Upper Chapman and more recently, Chapman Valley.
This video is an interview of Past President Barbara Sheilds OAM, of the Chapman Valley Historical Society from 2002-2016.
Some Of Our History…
Churches of Chapman Valley
the history of mt erin, nabawa & chapman valley rifle club
The Upper Chapman Railway Line
Love the way everything is displayed. Easy to look at and no clutter. Great place.
Rob & Patricia…Kardinya WA
Amazing displays, enormous amount of research into history of families etc. Need hours to look around. Well done.
One of the best country museums in WA. Exhibits are carefully labelled. 10/10.
Shirley & Ron…Perth WA
The best museum of its kind and a lovely tribute to fallen soldiers. Family grew up in East Chapman
Bill & Pat…Perth WA | <urn:uuid:008876be-c509-4838-9387-5e959d1eb29a> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://chapmanvalleyhistory.org.au | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572833.78/warc/CC-MAIN-20220817001643-20220817031643-00269.warc.gz | en | 0.847438 | 245 | 1.5625 | 2 |
A key purpose of NOAA’s Office of Ocean Exploration and Research is to investigate the more than 95 percent of Earth’s underwater world that until now has remained virtually unknown and unseen. Such exploration may reveal clues to the origin of life on Earth, cures for human diseases, answers on how to achieve sustainable use of resources, links to our maritime history, and information to protect endangered species.
Coral reefs provide habitats for some of the most diverse biological communities on Earth. Most people have seen photographs and video images of shallow-water coral reefs, and many have visited these reefs in person. Shallow-water corals often have microscopic algae called zooxanthellae (pronounced “zoh-zan-THEL-ee”) living inside their soft tissues. Because they are capable of photosynthesis, these algae provide an important source of nutrition for many coral species and may also be involved with the corals’ growth. In deeper waters (below 150 m – 200 m), light levels are not adequate to support photosynthesis; but ocean explorers have discovered extensive mounds of living coral in depths from 400 m to 700 m. These deep-water corals do not contain zooxanthellae, and do not build the same types of reef that are produced by shallow-water corals; but the diversity of species in deep-water coral ecosystems may be comparable to that of coral reefs in shallow waters (for more information, activities, and lessons about coral reefs, visit the National Ocean Service Coral Reef Discovery Kit at http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/kits/corals/welcome.html).
Recently, ocean explorers have discovered a third type of coral ecosystem: light-dependent deep reefs living in what coral ecologists call the mesophotic zone (or “twilight zone”) in depths of 30 m to over 150 m, depending upon water clarity. Shallow-water coral reefs have been intensively studied by scientists using self-contained underwater breathing (SCUBA) equipment, while deep coral systems are being investigated with human-occupied submersibles and remotely operated underwater vehicles (ROVs). Mesophotic coral ecosystems are beyond the safe range of conventional SCUBA equipment, yet are too shallow and close to shore to justify the use of expensive submersibles and ROVs; but advances in undersea technologies over the past decade have begun to make investigating these ecosystems possible. While only a few studies of mesophotic zone reefs have been done using these new capabilities, data from these studies suggest these ecosystems include coral, sponge, and algal species that provide important refuges and nursery habitats for corals and fishes found on shallower reefs.
Scientists believe it is urgent to understand the connections between mesophotic and shallow-water coral ecosystems, because shallow coral ecosystems around the world are threatened by climate change, fishing, pollution, invasive species, and other human activities such as dredging and anchoring. These threats not only jeopardize coral reefs, but also endanger many benefits provided by these reefs such as supporting recreation and tourism industries, protecting shorelines from erosion and storm damage, supplying foods that are important to many coastal communities, and providing promising sources of powerful new antibiotic, anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory drugs.
Mesophotic coral ecosystems are subject to many of the same threats faced by shallower coral ecosystems, but the extent of these threats to mesophotic ecosystems is unknown and needs to be evaluated. Since mesophotic corals are adapted to live in low-light conditions and require sunlight for survival, anything that limits light penetration (such as dredging or sediment runoff from the land) can be very harmful. Mesophotic coral ecosystems may also include species that are only found within this depth range or geographical location. These species are known as endemic species, and are especially vulnerable to disturbances from human activities and may face extinction if they are overexploited.
Pulley Ridge is a mesophotic coral ecosystem off the southwest coast of Florida in 60-80 meters depth, and is the deepest light-dependent coral reef that has been discovered off the United States. Pulley Ridge was originally discovered in 1950, and was found again in 1999 by scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and graduate students from the University of South Florida. Since then, a series of expeditions have revealed that coral ecosystems at Pulley Ridge are considerably healthier compared to many in the Florida Keys, and are unusual because of the variety of life they support. Scientists hypothesize that Pulley Ridge may play an important role in replenishing key fish species, such as grouper and snapper, and other organisms in downstream reefs of the Florida Keys and Dry Tortugas. Since most of Florida’s reefs have severely declined over the past 30 years, this potential role means it is important to protect, and manage, Pulley Ridge as a possible source of larvae that can help sustain Florida’s reef ecosystems and the tourism economy that depends on them.
In 2011, NOAA’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science’s Center for Sponsored Coastal Ocean Research began a five year project to investigate the role that reefs of Pulley Ridge and the northern Gulf of Mexico may play in replenishing key fish species and other organisms in the downstream reefs of the Florida Keys and Dry Tortugas. The overall goal of the project is to create a comprehensive understanding that can support robust resource planning and management in the eastern Gulf of Mexico. The Pulley Ridge Project is a collaboration of more than 30 scientists from eleven different universities pooling their expertise through NOAA’s Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies (CIMAS) in coordination with the Cooperative Institute for Ocean Exploration Research and Technology (CIOERT).
During the project’s first year (2012), fieldwork began that included:
The Coral Ecosystem Connectivity 2013 from Pulley Ridge to the Florida Keys Expedition will continue this work. | <urn:uuid:9a98b4c5-a703-45f4-b3a2-7a56db2caa28> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/explorations/13pulleyridge/background/edu/purpose.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560281226.52/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095121-00383-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.932853 | 1,223 | 4 | 4 |
If you have never been on a road trip, you may want to have one planned before the year ends. It will be an opportunity to go on an adventure, have fun and make memories. Some statistics report that 64% of Americans believe road trips are perfect for experiencing unplanned and unrestrained fun moments. However, for a more purposeful trip, you will want to plan to prevent boredom and emptiness. Below is a list of fun activity tips that may make all the difference as you hit the road alone, with friends or family.
Take a moment to enjoy the scenery
What is the purpose of a road trip if not to enjoy all the things you have been too busy to look at? There are many ways to enjoy a road trip, whether driving or not. For instance, if you’re driving, all it takes is to stop for a moment to enjoy the scenery before you. On the other hand, if you are not the one behind the wheel, you can still look out the window to enjoy the wide expanse of greenery and other natural elements and even take pictures.
Enjoying the natural scenery offers the moment to refocus on the simple things in life. It is also a rare moment to refresh your mind and rejuvenate your senses. The main aim of a road trip is to unwind, and you cannot overlook the importance of relieving fatigue. Thankfully, enjoying the scenery can help achieve this.
Keep a collection of snacks and games on hand
Games are almost synonymous with road trips. They are the ultimate boredom busters on the road. They can be played at rest stops or while driving (with caution). Guessing games are excellent to play while in motion because they do not take your attention from the road. However, when you arrive at rest stops, games like jumble solver, word trail, Hangman, etc., are a few that can keep boredom away. Remember to stock up on ample snacks on a road trip. Hunger can quickly turn a fun trip into a boring one. It would be best if you had the energy levels up to keep the fun going.
Have a collection of your favorite songs
Music is an excellent boredom buster, and a road trip is a perfect opportunity to have your favorite songs blaring from your car’s speakers. Avoid doing this in the city centers, though, as an officer of the law may flag you for playing music above legally allowed decibels. Although there is no federal law on loud music from cars, your state may have some restrictions.
You may also want to keep the sounds at reasonable levels for health and safety reasons. You don’t want to miss or drown out the tooting horns of other vehicles. This is important if you are driving. On the other hand, as a road trip passenger or companion, you may have more advantages. With headphones, you can enjoy as much music as possible without being limited by road or driving regulations. For the best results, testing your music equipment before the road trip is recommended. | <urn:uuid:238a2b22-39e6-4c91-a8e7-9725a56850a0> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://themamalifeblogspot.com/2022/07/smart-tips-for-preventing-a-boring-road-trip/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571097.39/warc/CC-MAIN-20220810010059-20220810040059-00265.warc.gz | en | 0.967306 | 617 | 1.578125 | 2 |
Park, jailed in 2005 for killing his wife more than 30 years ago, was found dead at Garth Prison, Lancashire.
Park was jailed for life after he was found guilty of killing his wife Carol in July 1976. The case had been one of Britain's longest unsolved murders.
He bludgeoned the mother-of-three to death with an ice axe then dumped her body in Coniston Water in the Lake District where it went undiscovered for 21 years. Her body was found in August 1997, trussed up and weighted down at the bottom of the lake — not far from the Park family home near Barrow-in-Furness.
Park, a retired school teacher, was first arrested and charged with murder soon after the discovery of the body but the charges were dropped in January 1998 due to lack of evidence.
However, the charges were reinstated in 2004 and Park was jailed for life the following year. The court heard how Carol had a string of affairs and the couple engaged in wife-swapping.
She disappeared on 17 July, 1976, with Park claiming she had "gone off"' with another lover. Park maintained his innocence and a "Free Gordon" campaign was launched. He was serving a minimum 15-year sentence in Garth Prison in Ulnes Walton near Leyland.
A Prison Service spokesman said: "HMP Garth prisoner Gordon Park was found unconscious in his cell at 8am. Staff and paramedics attended but Mr Park was pronounced dead at 9.40am.
"As with all deaths in custody, the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman will conduct an investigation."Reuse content | <urn:uuid:632dbee4-99b7-42cd-8525-b58f70c9215d> | CC-MAIN-2016-44 | http://www.standard.co.uk/news/lady-in-the-lake-killer-gordon-park-found-dead-in-prison-cell-on-birthday-6776373.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-44/segments/1476988720238.63/warc/CC-MAIN-20161020183840-00190-ip-10-171-6-4.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.990907 | 334 | 1.507813 | 2 |
The papers included in this volume were edited to conform to minimal stylistic consistency. The content and accuracy of the papers are the responsibility of the authors, not the National Bioethics Advisory Commission.
Author(s): Donald Chalmers
Australia has had a comparatively creditable record of ethical research involving humans. The litany of criticism about shoddy medical research documented in the epochal article by Professor Beecher (Beecher 1966, 1968; Levine 1986) has not occurred in this country. Comparatively fine as the Australian record may be, that record is not unblemished. A report commissioned by the Commonwealth Government in 1994 by Professor Margaret Allars into unsatisfactory aspects of the collection, manufacture, and injection of human growth hormone (Allars 1994) recommended that aspects of the research structure had to be reassessed. In particular, the Allars Report recommended a review of the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Statement on Human Experimentationt and the Supplementary Note on Reproductive Technology Procedures. Similarly, the Commonwealth Minister for Health (now called the Commonwealth Minister for Health and Aged Care) referred ethical concerns about two postwar procedures and one multi-center clinical trial in the 1990s to the Australian Health Ethics Committee (AHEC). The two postwar procedures involved first, the inclusion of orphans and State wards in vaccine trials conducted in the postwar years and, second the experimental use of estrogen to reduce the height of "tall girls" in the 1950s. The multicenter trial involved the so-called "morning after pill" (RU486).
Research and experimentation has been a major issue, at least for the research community, in the last two decades in Australia. This "age of skepticism" (pace Eric Hobsbawn) has seen continuing demands for open government and greater public accountability, demands for expanded civil liberties, and demands for privacy protection rights. This wide debate has translated into debate about the protection of subjects in medical research (Laufer 1990; Darvall 1993), its major focus being the maintenance and improvement of ethical standards. This focus of concern is reflected in much of the work of the peak national health ethics body, the AHEC. In particular, the AHEC has conducted two series of National Workshops for Institutional Ethics Committees, a major review of the ethics review system in Australia (Chalmers 1996), and a major revision of the guidelines on research ethics published as the National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Research Involving Humans in mid 1999 (National Statement 1999). Ethical standards in human research and experimentation have not been static. The Australian research ethics community conducted a debate on improving and professionalizing the ethics review system during the late 1980s and 1990s. Researchers, institutions, trial sponsors, academic and professional critics, and changing attitudes to accountability have all contributed to an improvement in the practices and culture of research involving humans in this country.
The AHEC has come far since the Finn Report amalgamated the National Bioethics Consultative Committee (NBCC) and the Medical Research Advisory Committee to form the AHEC. Professor Finn stated in his report that "until the HEC (AHEC) concept is more fully developed and particularized, until the Council addresses more directly the burden of the ethics function...one cannot surmise with any confidence as to the extent to which those differences between the two bodies in their areas of mutual interest are likely to recede or be perpetuated" (Finn 1990 at 14). Considerable advances were made in the first three triennia toward this "evolutionary" change.
The Australian research ethics review system continues to evolve. The system could be described as a hybrid or intermediate system in contradistinction to entirely legislatively regulated systems or voluntary self-regulated models. There is no Australian equivalent of the National Research Act 1974. However, there is greater regulation of the system since the pre-1982 Australian voluntary system. Human Research Ethics Committees (HRECs), which conduct ethics review are not established by specific Commonwealth legislation, but they are recognized within the NHMRC Act 1992. In this major respect, research ethics review in Australia is not a voluntary system; it is better classified now as a regulated system.
Comparisons between HRECs in Australia and Ethics Committees in the United States are misleading. Some HRECs in Australia may perform some of the functions of Ethics Committees, but the comparable institution in the United States is an Institutional Review Board (IRB). As well as the infamous Tuskegee Study (Furrow et al 1995 at 548 - 550), a number of questionable human experiments were disclosed before the U.S. Congress in the early 1970s. Disclosures were made particularly about dubious research conducted in prisons and mental hospitals and on human fetuses. Following these events, the National Research Act 1974 was introduced which required each institution conducting federally supported research involving human subjects to establish an IRB. These IRBs are required to review the ethical aspects of all research protocols within the institution. The general standards for the composition, operation, and responsibility of IRBs are contained in federal regulations (Code of Federal Regulations 1992).
In order to fulfill the requirements of the federal regulations, each IRB is required to follow written procedures for the conduct of initial and continuing review of research and for reporting findings and actions to the investigator and the institution. An IRB determines which projects require review more often than annually and which projects need verification from sources other than the investigator. Changes in approved research may not be initiated without IRB review and approval, except where there are apparent immediate hazards to the human subjects. In addition to reporting to the IRB, there are other safeguards in the system. Both institutional officials and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) must be told of any unanticipated problems involving risks to human subjects or others. Similarly, any instance of serious or continuing noncompliance with federal regulations or the decisions of the IRB (or any suspension or termination of IRB approval) must be reported to the institution or FDA. There are IRB procedural requirements aimed at ensuring proper consideration of the research. Except when an expedited review procedure is used, a research proposal must be reviewed by a majority of the members of the IRB. On review, at least one of the IRB members must be primarily concerned with nonscientific areas, and the proposal must receive the approval of a majority of those members present at the meeting.
American Ethics Committees continue to evolve and are not settled in their functions (Annas 1984; In Re Quinlan 1976; President's Commission 1983). Ethics Committees in the USA include the following roles:
In effect, American Ethics Committees are patient care committees and are often referred to by this title. Some Australian hospital HRECs may perform some of the same functions as American Ethics Committees.
Comparisons are also sometimes made with Research Ethics Committees in the United Kingdom, but, again, their functions do not compare precisely with those of Australian HRECs. The United Kingdom Research Ethics Committees are diverse in their functions and do not directly relate to Australian HRECs in that they operate within the National Health Service. A United Kingdom Department of Health circular of 1989 (HSC (IS) 153) requires that each district health authority appoint a "...properly constituted Local Research Ethics Committee (LREC), which meets regularly, to register, review and approve (or not approve) the research conducted by its staff, or using its premises or facilities, including access to personal health information held by the authority (and research undertaken by general practitioners within its boundaries)." Research Ethics Committees in the United Kingdom are locally established and formally constituted as subcommittees within the health authority system. It has been noted that an "Ethics Committee acts for and on behalf of the Authority" (Brazier 1990).
The growth of ethics committees has followed diverse paths, and a number of other ethics committees have been established beyond the terms of the Department of Health Circular Guidelines (Rawbone 2000). Brazier particularly notes that a number of fertility units have established advisory committees to assist practitioners in making decisions about the admission of individual patients to the program (Brazier 1990).
This report presents background information on the ethics review system in this country, defines the current ethical system, and provides some background information on the new National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Research Involving Humans. This paper considers the current operation of the AHEC and the system of ethical review of research involving humans by HRECs in Australia. The paper also addresses some specific questions posed by the National Bioethics Advisory Commission (NBAC), namely the following:
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A three-tier system of ethics review operates within Australia:
At the first level, the researcher continues to carry ethical responsibilities toward research participants. The National Statement begins with a reference to the researcher and states that the "guiding value for researchers is integrity" (National Statement 1999, Principle 1.1 at 11). The National Statement continues that "the guiding ethical principle for researchers is respect for persons" (Principle 1.2) and that "the ethical principle of beneficence is expressed in researchers' responsibility to minimize risks of harm or discomfort to participants in research projects" (Principle 1.3). Researchers are also required to design their protocols to ensure respect for the dignity and well-being of the participants (Principle 1.4). Researchers should not discriminate in the distribution of benefits and burdens of participation in research or in the selection of research participants (Principle 1.5). Researchers have great responsibility in ensuring participant consent is obtained (Principles 1.7 - 1.12). Researchers must conduct research that has merit and balance the risks and likely benefits to be gained. Only people with the required experience, qualifications, and competence should conduct the research (Principles 1.13 - 1.15). These General Principles are bolstered throughout the National Statement with specific contextual duties of researchers to research participants in relation to the project. For example, in a clinical trial the researcher must declare any conflicts of interest through involvement in business or other similar association (Principle 12.5 at 36). It was a deliberate policy in drafting the National Statement to recognize and reinforce the ethical responsibilities of researchers.
HRECs, which, until 1999 were referred to as Institutional Ethics Committees (IECs), conduct the second level of ethical review. The Australia HRECs compare closely with the U.S. IRBs established under federal regulations. Some HRECs were already operating before the system was formally established in 1982 by amendments to the Statement on Human Experimentationt. The NHMRC issued the Statement on Human Experimentationt, which was the predecessor to the current National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Research Involving Humans, promulgated in 1999. The NHMRC was a nonstatutory body until 1992. In that year the NHMRC became a statutory authority when the Commonwealth Parliament passed the National Health and Medical Research Council Act, 1992 (Cth.). Although HRECs are not statutory bodies, institutions cannot receive research funding from public bodies unless consideration had been given to the research proposal by a properly constituted HREC. Originally, HRECs only considered medical and health research projects. Later, the Australian Research Council (ARC) (the major funding agency for nonmedical research) introduced a similar requirement that, in effect, expanded the jurisdiction of HRECs to all research involving humans.
The third level in the system is the AHEC. This body is established under β 35 and β 36 of the National Health and Medical Research Council Act 1992 (Cth.). The AHEC is required to oversee the operation of the HREC system and receives annual Compliance Reports from every registered HREC (National Statement 1999 Principles 2.46 - 2.48). In addition, the AHEC has the sole authority to publish medical research guidelines. In so doing, the AHEC is required to follow β 11 - 14 of the National Health and Medical Research Council Act 1992, which provides a unique procedure of two stages of public consultation before such guidelines may be issued.
The National Statementreflects a number of significant changes in the ethics of human research. First, the National Statement includes a wider and more comprehensive view about research involving humans, going beyond medical experimentation and extending to all research involving humans. The first Australian guidelines in relation to research, the Statement on Human Experimentationt, followed the Declaration of Helsinki and applied ethical standards to medical research involving human subjects. Gradually, the Statement on Human Experimentationt was applied not only to medical research but other research involving humans particularly in the social and behavioral sciences. The new National Statement recognizes this evolution. Second, the National Statement recognizes the evolution of community and research community acceptance that now "all kinds of research involving or impacting upon humans should conform to the highest standards academic integrity and ethical practice" (National Statement 1999 at 2).
Third, legislation is now more common place in the once self-regulated area of research ethics. Increasingly, Commonwealth and State legislation is impacting on and becoming more relevant to any consideration of research ethics. The regulation of Australian research is no longer a voluntary regulatory system of protection for research participants. Many Commonwealth and State Acts apply directly or indirectly to research. In particular, the NHMRC was brought under a statutory framework with the enactment of the National Health and Medical Research Council Act by the Commonwealth Parliament in 1992. Fourth, in a number of countries there have been efforts to identify a better definitional understanding of what is meant by research. The National Statementnotes that:
There are many definitions of research. These include a systematic investigation to establish facts, principles or knowledge a study of some matter with the objective of obtaining and confirming knowledge. A defining feature of research is the validity of its results.
An alternative approach to finding a definition of research is to list examples for what constitutes research, such as:
It is accepted that it is difficult to find an agreed-upon definition of research. The National Statement accepts that problems may arise from "including activity that would not normally be included, like quality assurance activities or audits and excluding activity that probably should be included, such as research conducted as part of a course of education [and] omitting newly emerged genres of research, of which various kinds of multi-disciplinary research are examples" (National Statement 1999 at 6). The definitional problem of research has been considered seriously in Australia. The issue of the appropriate boundary between research and innovative therapy in practice arose in the inquiry conducted by Professor Margaret Allars in relation to innovative hormone treatment (Allars 1994; Giesen 1995).
Fifth, debates about the protection of subjects in research have expanded from concerns about physical protection to modern concerns about personal information privacy. Public concern about individual privacy is a major emerging challenge. Moves to store medical records on computer (rather than hard copy) have increased fears that privacy will be threatened. In respect of privacy, the federal Privacy Act 1988 (Cth.) was a watershed. The Privacy Act, particularly β 95 dealing with privacy in public research and the Information Privacy Principles (NHMRC 2000) has had a significant impact on public health (Cth.). The Privacy Commissioner has also extended the protections available to individuals in relation to their personal information held in the public sector under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth.) to the private sector with amendments to this Act.
Sixth, peer review and declining funding to research generally and medical research in particular cannot be discounted as an influence on changing research culture. It is far more difficult to obtain research funding. For example, the NHMRC funds only 20 percent approximately of research applications. Finally, moves to encourage private industry to contribute more funds to national research efforts, particularly in the area of genetics, has introduced increasing commercial considerations into the research environment.
All of these developments are leading to a more regulatory environment in Australia but still without specific legislation for the HRECs. Legislation, in the form of the National Health and Medical Research Council Act 1992 (Cth.), establishes a national supervisory committee (the AHEC) and recognizes the HREC system. All public research-funding bodies require ethics approval before research can be undertaken. The Commonwealth statutory authority, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), regulates clinical trials of drugs and devices in the same fashion as the FDA in the United States. Finally, although private institutions and organizations are not obliged to follow NHMRC guidelines, there is a high degree of voluntary compliance on the part of private research organizations.
A brief background is presented of the developments leading to the current system of ethical review in Australia. The primary purpose for the introduction of both codes of research practice and committees to review research has been and remains the protection of the welfare and rights of participants in research. It is axiomatic that the foundation of any system of ethical protection for the welfare and rights of participants depends on the integrity of the researchers themselves. The new Australian National Statement recognizes the centrality of the researcher as the first level of review. The National Statement states that:
Ethics review committees conduct the second level of review. These were gradually introduced during the 1970s and formally so in the 1980s. HRECs grant ethical approval to researchers for their research and, in so doing, aim to protect the welfare and rights of research participants. However, they are not funded to or capable of acting as a policing agency for the work of researchers (Chalmers and Pettit 1998). Finally, in the early 1990s Australia introduced a third level, with the establishment of a national bioethics committee, the AHEC.
Until 1965, the prime responsibility for ethical standards in human experimentation rested with the integrity of the individual researcher subject to the oversight of that researcher's institution and colleagues. Australia ratified the Declaration of Helsinki in 1965. This was an important symbolic act that was later realized by the introduction of committees to review the ethical aspects of research experiments on humans. During the same decade, there was awareness of the concerns for ethical standards in the United States, but it is not clear how far this awareness influenced developments toward the establishment of ethics committees to review research (Editorial 1976). Some institutions in Australia already operated ethics committees in the 1960s, and these influenced the development of the ethics review system. These early ethics committees in Australia predated American developments and may account for differences in the ways in which the Australian system has developed. Australia was essentially proactive in developing standards for ethical conduct in research rather than reactive to revelations or incidents of research impropriety.
A major response to the Declaration of Helsinki was the drafting of Australia's first guidelines on human experimentation, which were prepared by an ad hoc committee of the Medical Research Advisory Committee and adopted by the NHMRC. This first NHMRC Statement on Human Experimentationt was amended in 1973 and again in 1976. This latter amendment was important as it provided that applications to the NHMRC for research grants were required to be submitted to a medical ethics review committee for ethical approval, and that medical ethics research committees were required to be established by institutions conducting medical research and experimentation (Jonas 1969; Fletcher 1973; Gillespie 1988 at 3). Funding was therefore made conditional upon ethical approval. The intention was to ensure peer review. There was only one minimal stipulation in relation to the composition of these committees, namely that one person not connected with the institution was to be appointed.
This marked the first major step toward developing a systematic structure of ethical review by IECs, which in 1999 became known as HRECs in Australia. In an important sense this marked the end of the era of the self-regulation "closed shop." This development was contemporaneous with demands for open government and greater public accountability, demands for expanded civil liberties, and demands for consumer rights. It was also in the mid-1970s that the public was beginning to hear reports of recombinant DNA research, genetic engineering, and the possibilities of IVF.
The next significant steps in the development of ethical review were the revisions to the NHMRC Statement on Human Experimentationt in 1982 and the establishment of the Medical Research Ethics Committee (MREC) in 1983.
IECs were established formally in 1982. There were already many ethics committees in operation, particularly in the teaching hospitals before 1982. The NHMRC issued a new and substantially revised Statement on Human Experimentationt that included four Supplementary Notes (these Supplementary Notes dealt in detail with the following specific topics: IECs; research on children, the mentally ill, those in dependent relationships (including unconscious patients); clinical trials; and IVF and embryo transfer). Supplementary Note 1 provided an expanded statement of the membership and functions of IECs, which were to be composed of men and women reflecting different age groups and including a person not associated with the institution. The minimum composition was a minister of religion; a lawyer; a medical graduate with research experience; and a lay woman and a lay man (NHMRC 1993b; McNeill 1993).
In broad terms, IECs were concerned with the approval of research activities. In this respect a primary concern was ensuring effective consent on the part of subjects in research projects. The IEC reviewed copies of relevant consent forms, the research protocol, relevant past research, the selection criteria for research participants, the scientific method to be employed, the risks and benefits to subjects in the research program, and the perceived benefits of the research. The Supplementary Note established the functions of the IECs that were, in summary, to:
In carrying out the functions defined in Supplementary Note 1, IECs were required to
The MREC, which replaced the Medical Research Advisory Council, was established as one of the standing advisory committees to the NHMRC. It was commissioned to keep under review and make recommendations to the council on ethical principles in relation to human experimentation. In addition, the MREC was required to keep under review the work of IECs. The MREC thus created a third level of ethical consideration, and it was directly related to the systematic development of IECs in Australia.
In 1984 it was decided that the MREC should review the operation of IECs throughout Australia and, in particular, consider the performance and effectiveness of the Supplementary Note on IECs in relation to their composition and function. During 1984 and 1985 a series of workshops were held in the major State capitals dealing with the constitution and functions of IECs (NHMRC 1985). A further round of workshops was held in the late 1980s.
The MREC of the NHMRC was a major step in the evolution toward a national ethics body. The original remit of the committee was to make recommendations to the council on ethical principles in relation to human experimentation, and this the committee did with distinction during the 1980s. For example, the MREC updated the Statement on Human Experimentationt in 1982 and included notes on IECs, research in children, the mentally ill, and those in dependant relationships or comparable situations; therapeutic trials; and IVF and embryo transfer (ET). In 1983 the NHMRC produced Ethics in Medical Research Involving the Human Fetus and Human Fetal Tissue which became Supplementary Note 5 to the Statement of Human Experimentation, and, in 1985 the NHMRC produced the Report on Ethics and Epidemiological Research, which was added as a new Supplementary Note 6.
At the same time as the revisions to the NHMRC Statement on Human Experimentationt in 1982 and the establishment of the MREC, the controversial area of reproductive technology was considered by the NHMRC.
Supplementary Note 4 - In-vitro Fertilisation and Embryo Transfer, adopted by the NHMRC at its 94th session in October 1982, was the "first official, Government-approved regulatory code for the practice of in-vitro fertilisation in this country (or, for that matter, anywhere)..." (Scott 1984 at 3). This Note described IVF as a "justifiable means of treating infertility" (NHMRC 1992 at 14). The note went on to say, however, that "much research remains to be done and the NHMRC Statement on Human Experimentationt and Supplementary Notes should continue to apply to all work in this field." Accordingly, any institution offering IVF was required to have all aspects of its program approved by an IEC with a register being kept detailing parentage, treatment cycles, and records of success. The programs were to "normally involve" the ova and sperm of married partners (NHMRC 1992 at 14). Research remained "... inseparable from the development of safe and effective IVF and ET" and so embryonic development "...beyond the stage at which implantation would normally occur is not acceptable" (NHMRC: 1992 at 15). Finally, with some prescience, cloning experiments were declared ethically unacceptable (NHMRC 1984).
An avalanche of Australian government reports followed this NHMRC Supplementary Note on IVF and embryo transfer (Waller 1982 - 1984; Demack 1984; Chalmers 1985; Cornwall 1984; Michael 1986; NSW Law Reform Commission 1980 - 1989; Family Law Council 1985; Senate Select Committee 1986). Reports on artificial conception from some States recommended State regulatory bodies; other States recommended that voluntary adherence to NHMRC guidelines was adequate without the need to introduce further regulatory schemes.
There were essentially inconsistent recommendations in relation to regulation of embryo experimentation. Then the Commonwealth Senate set up a Select Committee that presented a report on Human Embryo Experimentation in Australia in 1985 (Senate Select Committee 1986). The report made recommendations on the regulation of embryo experimentation. The committee recommended that voluntary adherence to nationally promulgated guidelines monitored by IECs was not adequate (Senate Select Committee 1986, Chapter 4, para. 4.17). Instead, the Select Committee envisaged a national body, issuing research protocols and research licenses that should be required before experimentation of any kind was undertaken on human embryos. The license was to be for a limited time and subject to conditions (Senate Select Committee 1986, Chapter 4, para. 4.25). The committee recommended that a Commonwealth Statute, preferably in company with the States and the Northern Territory, should set down a broad declaration of the principle banning nontherapeutic embryo experimentation that frustrated the development of the embryo and should establish a licensing scheme.
Importantly, in relation to the development of a national ethics committee, the report recommended the national body be controllable through administrative proceedings, where licenses may be issued outside its powers or where the body acted in any way outside its charter. This national body would report to Parliament (Senate Select Committee 1986, Chapter 4, para 4.42), consult with the public (Senate Select Committee 1986, Chapter 4, para 4.43), and formulate guidelines, consider research protocols, and monitor research procedures...and initiate prosecution or injunction against those carrying out prohibited experimenting. Such a body would supersede the NHMRC with its MREC (Senate Select Committee 1986, Chapter 4, para 4.46).
The report by the Family Law Council (a statutory council set up under the Commonwealth Family Law Act 1975 to advise on the development of federal family law) also recommended establishing a National Body (Family Law Council 1985). This report recommended a National Council on Reproductive Technology, which was to take a national approach to research and practice in reproductive technology in Australia (Family Law Council 1985, recommendations 30, 31)
Both the report of the Senate Select Committee and the Report of the Family Law Council echoed the call in 1982 by Justice Michael Kirby, who had promoted some form of institution to tackle questions of ethics and experimentation, particularly in the area of IVF:
Otherwise, it will be the judgment of history that the scientists of our generation brought forth most remarkable development of human ingenuity'but the lawyers, philosophers, theologians and law-makers proved incompetent to keep pace (Kirby 1983 at 12).
Following the publication of the Senate's Select Committee Report, the federal government decided to establish the NBCC. In 1988 the Federal Minister for Health in conjunction with the other Australian State Health Ministers announced that, in view of rapid advances in biotechnology creating bioethical issues, a new body would be established. The NBCC was established by the Health Ministers of Australia (with approval of the States' Attorneys-General), but it was not invested with executive functions and only had advisory powers. The NBCC was limited to issues of artificial conception and was requested to consider and made recommendations in the area of human embryo experimentation.
The committee was multidisciplinary, with representatives in areas of philosophy, moral theology, social science, women's health, law, medical research, nursing, and gynecology. It was effectively and ably led by Ms. Robyn Layton QC of the South Australian Bar. The aim of the NBCC was to search for a more coordinated, national approach to this issue [reproductive technology]...and the National Bioethics Consultative Committee will play an important part in formulating such an approach" (Senate Select Committee 1986).
The NBCC met for the first time in August 1988. During its brief and at times turbulent period, the NBCC produced a number of major reports including the following:
By mid-1990 the NBCC was gearing down as proposals were being considered to incorporate it into the NHMRC structure (Finn 1990).
Before the introduction of the National Health and Medical Research Council Act, 1992 (Cth.), in 1991 formal discussions began between the Chair of the NBCC, Robyn Layton QC of the South Australian Bar, and the Chair of the NHMRC, Dr. Di Horvath, with a view to amalgamating the MREC and the NBCC. The then Minister for Community Services and Health, The Hon. Mr. Brian Howe MHR, had commissioned a report on the advisability of concentrating advice to government on health ethics matters within a principal committee of the NHMRC (Finn 1990). The NBCC was established to handle specific references from the Australian Health Ministers Advisory Committee (AHMAC). As such, the NBCC could never have been a permanent standing committee. By the time of the publication of its Report on Surrogacy (NBCC 1990), the NBCC had completed the review of the key issues in reproductive technology. In a similar vein, the MREC was not the sole repository of ethical advice within the NHMRC.
The Minister for Community Services and Health decided to establish a new committee within the NHMRC to advise on health ethics. The new committee was to take up many of the responsibilities of the NBCC and the MREC as well as the ethical advice, which could flow, from the other principal committees of the NHMRC. In early 1991 it was decided that the new committee would be a principal committee of the NHMRC and was to be tentatively called the Health Ethics Committee (HEC). At early meetings, the broad terms of reference and focus of the new amalgamated HEC were established. These were:
The issue of the continued independence of the proposed HEC was the subject in some of these earlier discussions. It should be noted that the early Terms of Reference specified that the HEC was neither to have the role of providing an ad hoc ethics advisory service to the NHMRC nor to be used as a clearinghouse for reports from other principal committees of the NHMRC. Early discussions conceived of a committee of ten people covering many disciplines, with a national representation and balanced gender mix. It was agreed that the expertise of the NBCC could be broadened with the possible inclusion of a further clinician, health economist, and epidemiologist. Most importantly the expertise of the NBCC had to be supplemented with expertise from the MREC, particularly in relation to the operation of IECs. The success of these negotiations were quickly realized with the presentation of a work program to the June 1991 Council Meeting of the NHMRC.
The processes of the new HEC were discussed in some detail. The new principal committee was to enjoy a fair degree of independence within the structure of the NHMRC with power to set its own priorities. Matters could be referred by the NHMRC, other principal committees of the NHMRC, or from Commonwealth and State ministers. In addition, the new committee:
Finally, it was felt that the NBCC had achieved a high international profile and a style and quality of consultation that was important to maintain. For this reason the title "Australian" was to be added to the original suggested title of HEC to form the new AHEC.
Under the National Health and Medical Research Council Act 1992 (Cth.), the AHEC was made responsible for the administration of the national system of HRECs. While the system was generally recognized as working well during the 1990s, a number of areas of improvement were frequently mentioned in correspondence to AHEC, in the Medical Journal of Australia, and at public seminars, particularly the AHEC sponsored workshops in 1993 and 1995. Some of those included:
In 1995, the Commonwealth Minister for Health, the Hon. Dr. Carmen Lawrence MHR, announced an inquiry into the ethics review system. The review was requested in the context of two events. First, there was the controversy surrounding Family Planning Australia trials of the abortifacient RU486 in 1994. Second, in the same year, the Report of the Inquiry into the Use of Pituitary Derived Hormones in Australia and Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease by Professor Margaret Allars (hereafter referred to as the Allars Report) (Allars 1994) was released. The Ministerial Review Committee was to inquire into the operation of HRECs with particular reference to the problems which have been identified following the Allars Report (Allars 1994) and the RU486 trials. RU486 was the so-called Morning After Pill which was counter-trialed in both Sydney and Melbourne. These trials formed part of an international multicenter study to determine the effectiveness of various doses of the drug and were sponsored by the World Health Organization (WHO). Although much of the controversy surrounding the trials related to ideological differences and concerns as to the appropriateness of the drug importation procedures, issues regarding the adequacy of the ethics committee review process were also raised. A separate and independent review on the RU486 trials (chaired by Professor John Funder) was conducted. That committee reported that ethics committee review had been adequate and recommended, following some modifications to the consent forms, that the trials recommence.
The 1995 Ministerial Review was not required to address the science or ethics of the RU486 trials but was requested to comment on issues relating to consent and the adequacy of HREC operation and review procedures (including issues of membership and decisionmaking). The Allars Report (Allars 1994) also raised fundamental issues relevant to the Ministerial Review relating to monitoring of ongoing research, the distinction between treatment and research, and the importance of consent by, and the duty to warn, research participants. The pituitary hormones program, which was the subject of the Allars Report, had been initiated at a time before the establishment of the ethics review system. In addition, the use of these hormones was considered to be treatment that had already been tested and adopted overseas. Many of the issues raised in the Allars Report concerned poor practice in relation to the collection and use of damaged pituitaries and were beyond the scope of the Ministerial Review. The Review's Terms of Reference required that it have "special regard to issues of concern to women particularly in trials relating to reproductive technology" and to "examine and report on recommendation 10 of the Allars Report" which stated:
10. That the NHMRC
A number of issues, summarized below, were addressed in the Ministerial Review and presented in the Report of the Review on the Role and Functions of Institutional Ethics Committees (Report on IECs) (Chalmers 1996). These issues provide a background to the consultation and led to the publication of the revised National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Research Involving Humans. A list of the actual recommendations is included in Schedule 1. The Report on IECs noted the heavy and increasing workload of IECs, their lack of resources, their limited expertise in dealing with some types of research, difficulties with monitoring and with multicenter trials, and the dominance of scientists on the committees. The following are some of the main areas addressed.
There was no system of formal regional or national ethics review. Each IEC gave approval to research conducted in the institution. The practice had developed for individual IECs to communicate and exchange views with other IECs, particularly in relation to research projects carried out at different centers. The AHEC received numerous requests urging the establishment of a single national research ethics committee to consider multicenter trials involving humans. Researchers raised difficulties experienced in conducting multicenter trials where ethics approval must be obtained from a number of different IECs which may reach different conclusions in relation to the ethical acceptability of the trial. Different procedures, different meeting times, and different IEC membership often resulted in considerable delay in mounting a trial.
The Report on IECs proposed that it was appropriate for one Australian IEC to accept the scientific assessment or reasons for ethical approval of another IEC. There was no reason in principle why this other committee need be Australian based; it could be an approved overseas committee.
Until 1991 all pharmaceutical and device trials were conducted under the auspices of the centralized Commonwealth TGA. Following the Baume Report(Baume 1991) a deregulated Clinical Trials Notification Scheme (CTN) was introduced which allowed IRCs to participate in organized clinical trials of pharmaceutical drugs and devices by notification only to the TGA (AHEC 1992). As a result of the CTN scheme, only a self-selecting group of IECs (now known as HRECs), with appropriate infrastructure support, mainly based in major teaching hospitals, participates in this scheme. This issue is dealt with in Section 6 of this report.
The AHEC considered the issues of compensation, indemnity, and insurance in relation to the introduction of the deregulated CTN scheme for clinical trials of drugs and devices. The concerns of IECs were twofold. First, IECs were concerned that the individual members of the committee might have attracted legal liability from the decisions giving ethical approval to a CTN application (Capron 1985). Second, there were concerns that the institutional arrangements for insurance cover for participants in a clinical trial might not have been clear in relation to existing institutional insurance arrangements.
In relation to the first concern, a number of legal decisions were widely discussed causing concern in the Australian research ethics community. The High Court of Australia decision in Rogers v Whitaker established that a medical practitioner has not only a duty to exercise reasonable care in the diagnosis and treatment of a patient's condition, but also a duty to disclose material risks inherent in any proposed treatment. A risk is material if in the circumstances a reasonable person is likely to attach significance to it, and the medical practitioner knows or should know that the particular patient is likely to attach significance if warned of the risk (this is consistent with U.S. and Canadian case law Canterbury v Spence and Reibl v Hughes). In this respect there is a higher duty of disclosure in the case of research projects: Halushka v University of Saskatchewan. There is further direct authority on the liability for nondisclosure of risks to research participants in the Canadian decision in Weiss v Solomon. This case also excited much critical comment (Freedman and Glass 1990). A number of other American cases have established the liability of hospitals in relation to decisions by Ethics Committees (see, for example, Davis v Rodman; Bouvia v Glenchur; Merritt 1987 at 1250 - 1252).
In relation to the concerns some institutions questioned the compensation limits, which were included in the documentation supporting some protocols for multicenter clinical trials. The AHEC reviewed a number of research compensation arrangements, which included limits on the amount of any claim for compensation by a research subject in a trial. These limits were clearly inadequate in comparison with Australian insurance payouts for injuries. The AHEC had addressed these concerns earlier in a report that required institutions to review their compensation indemnity and insurance arrangements with their insurer and to put in place appropriate compensation cover for research participants (NHMRC 1994). A major national insurer introduced a specific no-fault liability cover for clinical trials, which was taken up by a number of institutions participating in multicenter clinical trials.
This issue was clearly identified through the 1993 Survey of IECs and the Workshops for IECs (AHEC 1993). There was an expansion in workload because of a failure to sufficiently define the distinction between clinical practice and human experimentation. The result was that additional projects were referred to IECs, which would be more properly described as clinical practice and not experimentation. The other major growth in workload arose from referrals of health related and social science research projects to IECs.
Under the NHMRC Guidelines (NHMRC 1992), IECs were required to monitor research. A variety of methods were reported by IECs, mainly taking the form of reports by the investigator. Very few IECs reported systematic methods for monitoring, and only a handful reported the use of "site" visits.
There were concerns that the decisionmaking process was influenced too heavily by those with research interests. The original idea of an IEC was that it should have a majority of outside members. Surveys confirmed that clinicians and medical researchers dominated most IECs in Australia. The NHMRC Statement on Human Experimentationt provided a minimum membership (NHMRC 1992). In fact, the majority of IECs were in the range of 10 to 15 members (16 or more members - 5 percent; 10 to 15 - 55 percent; 10 or fewer - 40 percent) with the majority represented by researchers. Paul McNeill has been a strident critic of this (McNeill 1993). Much of this diversity was due not only to the purpose of the institution and the nature of the research, but particularly to the authority, power, and responsibility given to, or accepted by, or assumed by IECs. In some institutions, the IECs had a broader function providing an advisory, policy and educational role relating to matters of clinical practice and management. Such committees may only rarely consider research proposals.
Many of the IECs reported that they were not well resourced. This had the consequence, in some cases, of inadequate official record keeping. IECs make decisions that can have a direct effect on the reputation or standing of the researcher, the rights of the research subject, and the interests of the institution. The question which arises is whether these decisions ought to conform with the accepted standards of good administrative practice requiring that decisions are recorded and that reasons should generally be given. There is some authority for the proposition that an IEC's decisions are reviewable (R v Ethical Committee of St Mary's Hospital ex-parte Harriott), and it is probable that professional members in an IEC are answerable to the disciplinary authorities of their profession.
The Report on IECs (Chalmers 1996) was accepted by the Council of the NHMRC during 1996, and its various recommendations were steadily introduced culminating in the introduction of the National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Research Involving Humans in 1999. The report recommended that the original NHMRC Statement on Human Experimentationt (NHMRC 1992) required a thorough revision taking into account parliamentary references to the AHEC, issues of public interest, and new ethical questions raised by technological advances.
It is interesting to note the similarities between this Australian Report and a review in the United States by the Office of the Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services. This review noted concerns that the IRBs in the United States have generally been doing "too much, too quickly with too little expertise." The steady move toward more formal, regulated, and professional processes of ethics review of research is, no doubt, a common theme in most countries.
Since its creation in 1937, the National Health and Medical Research Council has been the peak Australian funding body for health and medical research. One of the original aims of the NHMRC was to promote consistency in the health and public health policies of the individual State governments within the federal system. The NHMRC, having been established by Order-in-Council in 1937, was placed under a new statutory framework with the passage of the National Health and Medical Research Council Act 1992. The NHMRC remains the principal independent advisory body on health under the Act. Importantly, it is the principal national body for the provision of advice on matters of health ethics. Under the National Health and Medical Research Council Act, the council is charged with a number of functions including inquiring and issuing guidelines on the improvement of health; the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of disease; the provision of health care; public health research and medical research; and ethical issues relating to health.
The Act confers four obligations on the NHMRC:
The ethics advisory function is carried out by the AHEC, a principal committee of the NHMRC.
The AHEC was established under the National Health and Medical Research Council Act 1992 (Cth.) (see particularly β 35 and β 36). It is a multidisciplinary committee which, under the Act has the following Terms of Reference:
The Minister made such a determination at the time of the Act and conferred further functions on the AHEC as follows:
The NHMRC had some initial challenges in becoming fully acquainted with the expectations of the Senate-initiated AHEC that replaced the MREC (Commonwealth Parliamentary Debates: 1991 at 1089 - 1092). A short time after the passage of the National Health and Medical Research Council Act, it was decided that there should be an external review of the NHMRC. A Canadian academic was commissioned, and a report was presented in December 1993 (Bienenstock 1993). This report recommended that the NHMRC improve its planning processes for developing and setting priorities and strategies; improving the advisory processes of the NHMRC Committees; improving and simplifying the research funding allocation processes; and, finally, recommending substantial changes to the administrative support of the NHMRC.
AHEC was the subject of specific comment in the Bienenstock Report, which is worth quoting at length:
"AHEC is the most recently established of the Principal Committees of the NHMRC, having been in operation for two and a half years at the time of this review. It evolved from the former Medical Research Ethics Committee of NHMRC and the National Bioethics Consultative Committee (NBCC) of the Australian Health Ministers' Conference.
It has continued the work of monitoring and supporting around 150 institutional ethics committees through activities such as workshops, introducing a newsletter and providing advice and speakers on request. AHEC has also developed the broader ethics role, conducting some preliminary work into the ethics of health resource allocation, guidelines to promote ethical conduct in the health field, and issued various discussion papers on health ethics issues.... "
It is apparent that AHEC has had some difficulty in coming to grips with its role and function in what is undoubtedly a complex and extraordinarily wide ranging area. It has attracted considerable criticism from some quarters for failing to provide concrete advice on practical issues relating to research, particularly those relating to the operations of Institutional Ethics Committees (IECs), though some progress appears to have occurred in this area at the most recent Council meeting. It is seen by some people as being dominated by the members of the former NBCC, which was concerned with broader ethical, social and legal aspects of health care, and as having insufficient expertise and involvement by practicing researchers to deal with concrete ethical problems relating to research. On the other hand, some members of AHEC have felt that the Committee has been too occupied with the agendas of subcommittees, particularly the IEC Subcommittee, to be able to define its broader role and activities.
Consideration of the legal and ethical aspects of health will grow in importance in the future. The NHMRC will play a vital part in this development. A balanced approach to this issue must involve recognition by health practitioners that ethical considerations are crucial in their work, and by the NHMRC that health practitioners and researchers must be an integral part of the development of appropriate guidelines. To separate ethical considerations from the practice of health and research is to invite irrelevance rather than independence" (Bienenstock 1993 at 23 - 24).
Professor Bienenstock recommended that AHEC should integrate its activities and priorities with those of the NHMRC as a whole, focus its energies on issues of highest practical and immediate priority, and be accountable to Council for its work. In so doing AHEC was to be restructured to more fully integrated activities with the principal committees of NHMRC (Bienenstock 1993, Recommendation 11). AHEC was to operate as any other principal committee of the NHMRC, but with the unique guideline development function under β 8 of the Act.
Only two of the principal committees of the NHMRC, namely the Research Committee and the AHEC, were specifically mentioned within the terms of the National Health and Medical Research Council Act 1992. By β 35 of the Act, the Minister must establish principal committees called the Medical Research Committee (now the Research Committee) and the AHEC. During the parliamentary debate and particularly those in the Senate, the composition and independent role of the AHEC was established.
β 36 of the National Health and Medical Research Council Act 1992 provides that AHEC is to have the following membership:
The organizational and structural changes recommended by the Bienenstock Report (Bienenstock 1993) were put into place during the first half of the 1990s. By the second triennium of the AHEC (1993 - 1996) the Council of the NHMRC had a clear appreciation of the role and function of the AHEC. In particular, the Council recognized that the guideline development function of the AHEC was neither an advisory role nor a role which could be interfered with by the Council.
The AHEC, in its role as one of the principal committees of the NHMRC, is responsible for developing guidelines for the conduct of medical research involving humans, other advice relating to health, and for providing assistance to HRECs.
The guideline development function of AHEC is critical. Under β 8 of the National Health and Medical Research Council Act 1992 (Cth.), the NHMRC issues guidelines for the conduct of medical research involving humans. However, the guidelines for the conduct of medical research are developed by the AHEC and must be issued by the NHMRC precisely as developed by the AHEC (β 8(2)). It should be noted that guidelines promulgated by the NHMRC do not have the same legal effect as legislation. However, the NHMRC is a creature of statute (National Health and Medical Research Council Act 1992) (Cth.), and the Act provides that the NHMRC may promulgate guidelines. NHMRC guidelines relating to ethics are laid before Parliament before they come into force. It is therefore not accurate to describe the guidelines as voluntary. Guidelines have two specific legal aspects. First, they establish standards of reasonable practice. HRECs must follow these guidelines and in so doing act with fairness. Rules of administrative law deal with the standards of fairness required of committees. In this way HRECs are probably subject to administrative review which looks to standards of natural justice and procedural fairness. Second, and more importantly, the guidelines could be used and admitted as evidence in court proceedings to demonstrate that the deliberations and actions of a HREC are reasonable and fair and provided that the guidelines themselves are reasonable and that the HREC acted within their scope.
This rather unusual guideline-making function was inserted by the Commonwealth Parliament. It appears from the Senate Debates in relation to the Act (Senate Debates 1992, at 1089 - 1092) that this was inserted to ensure that the guidelines were a product of the public consultation process rather than the individual, and possibly medically biased, views of the Council of the NHMRC itself. In this respect the AHEC is a part of the NHMRC but is independent in the development of national guidelines in relation to medical research.
A complex consultation procedure was established under β 11 - 14 of the Act. Concerns that guidelines were "in-house" rather than public products resulted in the introduction of a unique two-stage consultation system. At the first stage, there is an advertisement of the intention to consider and develop guidelines in a particular area. In most cases, the AHEC circulated an information package or Issues Paper on the topic proposed for the guidelines. At the second stage the draft guidelines themselves were circulated for further advice and comment. Through these means it was intended that ex cathedra opinions by AHEC were to be avoided. Later, a decision by the Federal Court of Australia placed additional responsibilities on the NHMRC in relation to public consultation. In the case of Tobacco Institute of Australia Ltd v National Health and Medical Research Council and Others, Justice Finn considered the specific terms of section 12 of the National Health and Medical Research Council Act. This section requires that the NHMRC have "regard" to the submissions presented to consultation and give "genuine consideration to the material." The appellant, Tobacco Institute, had presented copious material to a consultation in relation to a draft Report on the Effects of Passive Smoking and Health (The report contained guidelines and was therefore subject to the two stage consultation requirements of the Act). The working party on the report decided to divide this material among the various members for reading and comment. Accordingly, each member read only part of the material. Justice Finn concluded that the obligation to have regard to the submissions required the NHMRC in its working parties preparing any report to give "positive consideration" to the contents of the submissions as this was a fundamental element of decisionmaking. As a result of this decision, the AHEC introduced lengthy minute taking of all consideration of submissions. AHEC developed a system of recording the acceptance or rejection (with reasons) of particular points raised. The minutes of AHEC in relation to public consultation were always treated as public documents available under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Cth.).
The AHEC is also required to promote community debate and consults with individuals, community organizations, health professionals, and governments on health and ethical issues.
The AHEC is subject to the normal organizational accountability procedures. The AHEC is required to present a work plan to the Council of the NHMRC. In addition, the AHEC is subject to financial and internal audits, presents reports (through the Chair) to meetings of the full Council and prepares a final report that is included in the publicly available Annual Report of the NHMRC (an example is included in Schedule 2).
Public accountability is perhaps best achieved by the public consultation provisions of the National Health and Medical Research Council Act. As described above, the AHEC is required to conduct public consultation, and the guidelines which issue must have proper "regard" and pay positive consideration, to the contents and views expressed in the submissions. As a national organization, it is also subject to professional comment and criticism in the press and academic literature.
The AHEC is also answerable through the political processes. First, the relevant Commonwealth Minister may refer matters for consideration by the AHEC. For example, in late 1997 the Commonwealth Minister for Health and Aged Care referred the issue of human cloning to the Committee for advice (AHEC 1998). Importantly, the Commonwealth Parliament of Australia Senate was modeled on the United States Senate and enjoys the strong investigator committee system of the United States (the Lower House of Representatives reflects the Westminster Parliamentary system, and the Upper House Senate reflects the American Senate; as such the Parliamentary system is often referred to as a "Washminster" Parliamentary system). The Senate Estimates Committee has regularly interrogated the Executive Secretary of the AHEC on its works and finances. This was a deliberate consequence of placing the NHMRC under a Commonwealth statutory framework.
HRECs are the foundation of the ethical review system in Australia. (Breen 1997; Bennett 1997; Skene 1998; Freckelton and Petersen 1999). There are some 217 HRECs operating in Australia and registered with the AHEC. HRECs rely on the voluntary contribution of members, a degree of self-regulation, and modest financial support. The HRECs are responsible for the protection of research participants and ensure that research protocols are considered in conjunction with NHMRC and other applicable guidelines, with support and advice from AHEC.
At the time of this writing there are now 217 registered HRECs in Australia with the following approximate proportional distribution:
There continues to be variation among the HRECs. There are several aspects to this variation, which can be identified. There are a number of different types of institutions within which HRECs operate, ranging from large teaching hospitals to small regional universities, and from research institutes to small, special purpose organizations. Health institutions for example, range from the large teaching hospitals associated with the major medical schools to small rural base hospitals. There are also repatriation (for ex-defense force personnel) hospitals, area health services (in NSW and Queensland), specialist organizations such as the Red Cross and the Bone Marrow Donor Registry, as well as the specialist medical colleges. A third level of variation among HRECs, which can be identified, is the regional differences that arise from the variation in State legislation. For instance, HRECs in different States face different issues when considering a specific type of research (such as embryo experimentation) when State legislation is inconsistent. Therefore, it should be borne in mind that the HRECs in Australia are not entirely homogeneous, though much standardization is under way.
The Preamble to the National Statement clarifies its purpose as a whole and the role of HRECs in particular as the protection of the welfare and rights of participants involved in research. Some submissions to the public consultation in relation to the new National Statement expressed the view that Research Ethics Committees should "facilitate" research. While it is to be hoped that the HREC is not deliberately obstructive, the National Statement clearly places the protectory role on HRECs. Members of a HREC do not have many representative responsibilities to the constituency from which they are appointed. The members do not in any sense represent the constituency. The National Statement again clarifies that the HREC members' responsibility is to decide independently whether conduct of the research proposal involves the proper protection of the welfare and rights of research participants (see, for example, Bennetts v Board of Fire Commissioners of New South Wales). Importantly, HRECs consider all research involving humans and are not confined to the consideration of medical research only. HRECs are required to consider a large number of protocols ranging from drug trials and gene therapy to behavioral or social science research. All research involving clinical trials, regardless of the funding source, are assessed. To date, the review system has managed to cope adequately with the increasing number of clinical trials and research projects. In 1997 around 1,400 clinical trials were approved under the CTN, not to mention those trials under way and being monitored.
Membership of the HREC. The National Statement has increased the core membership of HRECs with a view to ensuring that the HREC responds to its protectory role rather than the institutional interests in promoting research. The membership now consists of:
If, at any stage, further members are added to the HREC, the institution is required to retain the balance and diversity of the institutional/noninstitutional members.
The National Statement has introduced a number of new requirements to ensure proper discussion, contributions from members, and recording of decisions (this is discussed more extensively in Section 5 of this report).
Under the previous Statement on Human Experimentationt, IECs were required to present a minimal report confirming compliance with the guidelines at the end of the calendar year. There was no formal system of certification or accrediting of the committees. Under Principles 2.46 - 2.48 of the new National Statement on Ethical Conduct and Research Involving Humans, the compliance reporting requirements have increased considerably. The AHEC audits the activities of the HRECs to ensure compliance through a detailed Annual Report that seeks responses on issues of membership, meetings, agendas, approvals, rejections of projects, difficulties, and complaints. A failure to present an acceptable compliance report may, after investigation, lead to a removal of external funding from the institution. In this respect, HRECs are required to register with the AHEC as a precondition to being able to submit research projects for funding to the major public bodies.
Before the National Statement, many of the long-standing Research Ethics Committees had established complaints mechanisms. The National Statement now requires that any institution that establishes a HREC must also establish an independent complaint mechanism to handle complaints from research disciplines. In the first instance, it is expected that a research protocol should include a reference to a person nominated by the HREC to receive complaints. If this initial procedure cannot resolve the complaint from the research participant, the HREC must formally refer the complaint to the institution's complaint handling processes. The HREC is also required to ensure that information about pursuing complaints is made known to the research participants at the time of consenting to entering the research protocol.
Independent of these National Statement complaint mechanisms, all States and Territories have established administrative procedures for making complaints about the health system. The Health Complaints Commissioners in the States and Territories receive complaints about medical practitioners and the delivery of medical services. Where these complaints relate to research by a medical practitioner or medical research carried out in the health system, these complaints may be referred to the Health Complaints Commissioner. Very few complaints concerning research have been referred to the Health Complaints Commissioners among the many thousands of general complaints. This may indicate an absence of complaints about the research system or, alternatively, problems in the making and reporting of complaints.
A brief outline of the references, work, and guidelines produced by the AHEC is presented. This illustrates the manner in which the AHEC has established functions both within the NHMRC and nationally within the research ethics committee system.
AHEC met for the first time at the end of August 1991. During its first two triennia (1991 - 1996), AHEC undertook work on a case study of the legal and ethical implications of HTLV-I; information papers on the legal liability of institutional ethics committees, ethical considerations relating to health care resource allocation decisions, nature of qualitative research, human gene therapy, workshops for institutional ethics committee members; monitoring and supporting the HRECs through workshops, newsletters and advice, and, guidelines relating to IVF and embryo transfer, privacy in medical research, and the use of patient tissue samples for research.
The third triennium of the AHEC was marked by a substantial revision on the Statement of Human Experimentation and a formal reference of work on human genetics by the Commonwealth Minister for Health and Aged Care. The work was as follows:
The Statement is discussed below at Section 5 of this report.
The ethics of human genetic research was the major focus of the work of the AHEC during this period. A specific Working Party was convened, and developed and finalized two sets of guidelines are as follows:
Guidelines for Genetic Registers and Associated Genetic Materials and Guidelines for Ethical Review of Research Proposals for Human Somatic Cell Gene Therapy and Related Therapies. The former gave guidance on all aspects of the operation of genetic registers on the collection, use, and access to this material. The guidelines also deal with aspects of recruitment and storage of genetic material. The latter is intended to give guidance to the select HRECs that deal with gene therapy applications. In addition to the two sets of guidelines, the AHEC has published an Information Paper addressing issues of equity, resource allocation, commercialization, and counseling and testing of children in a document entitled Ethical Aspects of Human Genetic Testing: An Information Paper.
Finally, for the first time, the National Statement included a specific set of principles of human genetic research (National Statement 1999, Principles 16.1 - 16.21).
A HREC Operating Manual is in preparation, which will be in the form of annotations to the Statement providing explanation and procedural information to HREC members. It is important to note that the use of the operating manual will not be mandatory and will not prevent HRECs from developing their own operating manuals or varying any published national standard operating manual. It is anticipated, though, that an operating manual at the national level will assist the decisionmaking processes of HRECs, contributing to consistency and predictability in the operation of HRECs in Australia. The manual will be developed in consultation with HRECs and other key stakeholders and is based in part on the Kings College Manual in the United Kingdom.
The AHEC held workshops for HRECs in 1993 and in 1995. There were many calls for another series of workshops as a means of imparting information, discussing issues, and networking for the HRECs. The fifth series of National Workshops were held in 1999 to launch the National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Research Involving Humans.
The Guidelines for the Protection of Privacy in Medical Research were revised and issued under β 95 of the Commonwealth Privacy Act 1988 and provide a framework for the protection of privacy in medical research involving personal information obtained from Commonwealth agencies. The purpose of the guidelines is to ensure that such personal information is protected against unauthorized collection or disclosure.
The AHEC was invited to develop the ethics program for the HUGO Human Genome Meeting (HGM 1999) held in Brisbane, Australia in March 1999.
In January 1998, the Commonwealth Minister asked AHEC to provide advice on the ethical issues and the need for further pronouncement or possible legislation regarding the cloning of human beings.
This advice was published in a report to the Minister entitled Scientific, Ethical and Regulatory Consideration Relevant to Cloning of Human Beings (AHEC 1998).
Given the national and international interest in the possibility of xenotransplantation, the AHEC was asked to consider issuing ethical guidelines on the subject. In view of the risk of rejection and possibility of transmission of unknown infectious agents from animals through immuno-compromised hosts into the general community, the AHEC sought scientific advice from the Research Committee of the NHMRC to clarify the potential risks and benefits before considering necessary action.
The report on IECs (Chalmers 1996) recommended that the AHEC should redraft the Statement on Human Experimentationt and "change its title so that all health investigation involving humans (including non-biomedical research and innovative practice) was encompassed" (Recommendation 5.3.1). The review process incorporated not only the advice in the submissions made but also a number of developments, documents, and practices that may be briefly summarized as follows:
There was a perceived need to take into account international considerations in introducing the new National Statement. Submissions received by AHEC during the public consultation processes included increasing references by researchers, organizations, and community groups to overseas research guidelines, international conventions and treaties, and international practices. The Australian Government, with the consequent implementation obligations had signed some of these Conventions and Treaties. The most notable of these international developments were as follows:
In 1999 the NHMRC concluded its public consultation on a new National Statement for Ethical Conduct in Research Involving Humans (National Statement 1999). The report on IECs had recommended that "The NHMRC in conjunction with other peak bodies responsible for research and clinical practice (Australian Research Council, Australian Vice-Chancellors' Committee, Australian Medical Council) should promulgate guidelines representing a national statement for the ethical conduct of research" (Recommendation 5.2.2.). This was achieved during late 1998 and the first half of 1999, and the Statement was also endorsed by all the national funding agencies, universities, and the learned academies. This is the first time that all research funding agencies, universities, and learned academies have subscribed to a single national code of conduct for the ethical conduct of research involving humans. Importantly, this statement has continued to include a section on clinical trials, which was the subject of considerable comment by researchers, the Australian Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association, institutions, and consumer organizations. The predecessor Statement on Human Experimentationt 1992 contained a Supplementary Note 4 that dealt summarily with key elements of clinical trials.
The National Statement applies universally to all disciplines of research involving humans. The guidelines includes new sections on human genetics research, use of human tissue samples, emergency care research, and some additional guidance in relation to multicenter trials and modified composition of HRECs. This is a significant step in promoting a uniformly high ethical standard for all research involving humans.
Comments are made in this section in relation to parts of the National Statement to provide some background rationale for the Principles.
The Preamble to the National Statement notes that the purpose of the Statement is to provide a national reference point for ethic consideration relevant to all research involving humans. All major bodies involved with human research have endorsed the National Statement . Not only symbolically, but also actually, the National Statement will serve the major national reference point in the future development of research ethics involving humans in this country. If this goal is achieved, it is hoped that not only will there be simplification in place of many differing codes but also improvement in the quality of ethical consideration through uniform standard setting.
The Principles to be Applied. The National Statement includes a more detailed summary of the Principles of ethical conduct than the former Statement of Human Experimentation (Brody 1981; Engelhardt 1986; Beauchamp and Childress 1994; Pellegrino and Thomasa 1996). It is intended that the General Principles (Principles 1.1 - 1.21) will assist in the interpretation of the other parts of the National Statement. Integrity of the researcher is placed at the forefront of these principles. Respect for persons and beneficence are expressed in traditional forms, but the well-being of the participants takes precedence over expected benefits to knowledge, and researchers have a responsibility to minimize risks of harm or discomfort to research participants. For the first time, the principle of justice is included and requires fair distribution of benefits and burdens of participation in research; avoidance of unfair burden by participation; fair recruitment of research participants; and avoidance of discrimination in the selection of participants. The Operating Manual when published will explain the intention of these important principles, which are intended to address concerns about over-researching of particular groups, questionable recruitment practices for participants, and applying selection criteria for the participants which may, in effect, discriminate. The focus, in this respect was on the process of research rather than the results of the research. The National Statement focuses on the dissemination of such findings but does not oblige researchers, sponsors, or others to actually distribute research benefits among the participants.
The National Statement attempts to achieve further development of the established ethics review system. A clear responsibility is established for institutions to establish and properly resource HRECs. Institutions are now required to set clear Terms of Reference for the HREC. If, for example, the HREC is to undertake policy or educational tasks as well as the primary research review function, these additional functions must be provided for in the Terms of Reference. In addition, the institution is required to accept expressly the legal responsibility for the members of the HREC while they are acting within the scope of their approved functions. Where researchers are not affiliated with a particular institution, institutions are encouraged to accept these projects for consideration by the HREC. The aim of this provision is to try to ensure that all research conducted in this country is under the umbrella of the protectory research ethics review system.
No longer are medical graduates required to form the core membership of a HREC. There is now provision to appoint a person with knowledge of and current experience in the research that is regularly considered by the HREC. Thus, if the research considered by the HREC is social science, then the person appointed should be knowledgeable and experienced in social science research. Second, the core membership has been expanded by the inclusion of a person with knowledge of or current experience in professional care, counseling, or treatment. This person was seen as offering additional insights into the way in which research participants may view a research project and the way in which it impacts upon them. This does not have to be a doctor, but can extend to a psychologist, nurse, social worker, or the like depending on the type of research considered by the HREC.
From time to time suggestions have been made that some members of a HREC should be appointed solely for the purpose of representing the research participants (McNeill 1993). This view is misconceived in the sense that all members of a HREC are required to protect the welfare and rights of the research participants.
In addition, the National Statement includes a requirement that institutions should be mindful of institutional and noninstitutional balance in the membership of their HRECs. The National Statement requires that any increase in the core membership of the HREC should retain this balance. This provision was included to address difficulties that have arisen under the old IEC system. Many of the old IECs had, in addition to the five core members, a membership of between 12 to 15 members (See Section 3.2 of this report). Many of these additional members were appointed for research expertise resulting in lay members being in the minority. Institutions must, if membership is increased, maintain the balance of core membership to new members. For example, if another researcher was to be appointed the institution may very well wish to appoint a further lay person.
A number of new provisions are included in relation to meetings for HRECs. The HREC may now invite a researcher to attend to provide advice to the HREC. This formalizes the procedure, which had developed in some IECs. Importantly, a HREC must proceed to deliberate without any conflict of interest by any member. It is the responsibility of HREC members to announce any conflict of interest, which may affect the independence of their decisionmaking. HRECs may seek expert scientific advice on a research protocol. This procedure was introduced to address concerns by many researchers that HRECs were spending too much time deliberating on the scientific rather than ethical aspects of research protocol. As there is no neat division between scientific aspects and ethical aspects of research, the National Statement directs the HRECs' attention to their ethical function but recognizes from time to time that research protocol may require explanation to illuminate the ethical issues involved. Researchers are now required to disclose any funding or any financial interest, which they may have which may be related to the project. A HREC must then decide whether its disclosure in any way affects any relevant ethical considerations in the protocol.
The previous Statement on Human Experimentationt was amended in 1992 to recognize the responsibility of ethics committees or monitoring research. The new National Statement includes Principles requiring the HREC to monitor research. The Principles also recognize that the primary responsibility rests with the institution. In addition, the frequency and type of monitoring which is carried out in relation to research protocol should reflect the relative degree of risk to the participants. In this way, HRECs are encouraged to concentrate on riskier protocols. HRECs are required to receive reports of anything that might warrant review of the original ethical approval or anything which may result in the early discontinuance of the research.
These Principles were intended to address growing concerns among members of ethics review committees that they have neither the expertise nor the resources to conduct effective and timely monitoring of research. Many institutions and ethics committees had, during the 1990s, developed "tailored" monitoring mechanisms, which, as a matter of fact, reflected the degree of risk involved. The National Statement reflects this development and requires HRECs to implement appropriate monitoring mechanisms dependent on the risk involved in their research protocol.
For the first time the National Statement has formalized expedited review for minimal risk research. Recognizing the growing burden on HRECs, the National Statement permits a HREC to nominate classes of research, which may be reviewed in an expedited fashion by the Chairperson and later ratified by the full Committee. However, the National Statement does not permit risky or ethically controversial research to be subjected to expedited review.
The National Statement for the first time sets up two procedures for handling multicenter research. First, HRECs are now permitted to communicate with other HRECs; to accept scientific assessments of other HRECs; to adopt the reasons and ethical decisions of other HRECs; to adopt any procedures of another HREC with a view to avoiding duplication; and to agree on common monitoring responsibilities. Second, there is now a formal procedure, which allows HRECs and institutions to agree before the start of a multicenter research project to nominate the "primary, ethical and scientific assessment process subject to the approval of the other participating institutions and HRECs." These informal and formal multicenter research procedures are intended to address complaints by researchers about delays and inefficiencies in ethical review. Frequently, researchers complained that HRECs were more engaged in difficulties about procedure or documentation rather than points of ethical substance. These procedures are intended to facilitate multicenter research without in any way compromising proper ethical safeguards. In both New South Wales and Victoria efforts are now in progress to develop common application forms and systems to allow multicenter research procedures to be implemented (Kelly and Boyages 1999).
The National Statement includes specific Principles intended to protect participants who are either vulnerable or at greater risk. In the case of children and young people, research should only be permitted where their participation is indispensable and the physical, emotional, and pathological safety of the children and young people are ensured. As with other like categories, a HREC should not approve the research where it is contrary to the child or young person's best interests. Similar provisions apply to research projects that involve participants with an intellectual or mental impairment.
The National Statement recognizes that those in highly dependent medical care situations (emergency, intensive, neo-natal intensive and terminal care) may be unconscious or otherwise impaired in their capacity to communicate. In such cases, it may not be possible for the researcher to obtain consent to the research. However, in these circumstances there may be greater risk of coercion and undue burdens from involvement in research. HRECs, in these cases, may allow the research to be conducted provided it is generally not contrary to the patient's interests; the research is therapeutic; the risks are no greater than those involved in accepted treatment; and there is a reasonable possibility of benefit over standard care. In addition, the patient, guardian, or family is informed as soon as possible of the option to withdraw.
Recognizing the pressures that can be brought to bear in the workplace, education, or in institutions, the National Statement recommends that HRECs should exercise extra care when considering research where there are dependent or unequal relationships. In these cases, the HRECs should be satisfied that the consent is, in fact, voluntary and that no discrimination should follow where a person refuses.
Research on Collectivities (Principle 8). The National Statement includes principles to cover research involving collectivities. Collectivities are defined to include those with common cultural, customary, social organization but not extending to clubs or associations. The term was proposed by the Canadian Tri-Council Code and was considered a helpful contribution to understanding research among the multicultural communities of Australian society. In essence, research in collectivities requires, as well as individual consent, consent by the collectivities recognized legally. In addition, researchers must satisfy a HREC that the customs and beliefs of that collectivity will be respected.
Interim Guidelines were introduced by the NHMRC in 1991 before the establishment of the AHEC. During the public consultation, differences were expressed in this area. Some submissions expressed satisfaction with the existing Interim Guidelines, others suggested new Guidelines and others suggested that the proposed principles on research involving collectivities were sufficient to include Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The Interim Guidelines have been continued in force, and the Interim Guidelines will be reviewed in the future.
This topic is discussed in greater detail in Section 6 of this report.
Innovation is a major part of good clinical practice. The medical practitioner is given freedom to vary standard treatments to find the best and most appropriate treatment regime for his/her patient. The integrity and professional responsibility of the medical practitioner define the limits to the use of this clinical freedom. The Ministerial Review recommended that a guideline be introduced to regularize practice in this area (Chalmers 1996). The National Statement includes a principle that any systematic investigation or innovation to determine efficacy should be considered as clinical research and referred to a HREC for approval. The purpose of this guideline is to permit and encourage clinicians to seek HREC advice and approval where researcher innovation is in fact, being conducted (see Section 3 of this report).
The National Statement includes a number of new principles to facilitate epidemiological research while maintaining proper protections for research participants particularly in relation to privacy. First, the National Statement distinguishes epidemiological research from conventional public health surveillance of public health records by authorized public servants. This definition was included to address concerns by State and Territory government departments in increasing requests for access to records under their control.
Second, the National Statement includes 3 categories of data:
Confusion has arisen in recent years in Australia with access to "coded" information. On the one hand, researchers complained that HRECs set unrealistic and impractical consent requirements in relation to their projects. On the other hand, HRECs are reflecting growing community concerns about privacy and access to personal records. This schema of identified, potentially identifiable, and de-identified data aims to assist HRECs to focus on projects that involve identified or potentially identifiable information. The first category is straightforward. "Potentially identifiable information" refers to information that is coded and may easily be translated into identified information. In addition, the term "potentially identifiable" refers to small population groups (by region or by disease indications) which may be identified by reference to other sources, e.g., post code.
Third, where potentially identifiable data is used by a HREC, the HREC should generally require that once the linkage has been established, the information should be coded and placed in secure storage.
Fourth, these principles permit a HREC to approve access to data without consent when the consent process is likely to cause unnecessary anxiety or prejudice to scientific value and there is no disadvantage to participants. The HREC may also grant access without consent where it is impossible in practice to gain consent because of the numbers involved or accessibility to them. In either of these cases the HREC must again be satisfied that the research interest outweighs to a substantial degree interest in privacy. This expression is used in the Commonwealth Privacy Guidelines in relation to research conducted using Commonwealth data. The expression is also to be used in the new public sector guidelines produced by the Commonwealth Privacy Commissioner. It is used in these Guidelines to develop a consistent approach to personal privacy and research.
The privacy principles were included to address directly researchers' concerns about HRECs setting unrealistic consent requirements in relation to large data sets. The principles also require any new use of the data for a new research project to be resubmitted to a HREC for a new approval. In addition, if clinical knowledge is disclosed to researchers during the research project that information should be made available to health authorities and where possible to participants or their medical practitioner.
Finally, the general principle that research results be disseminated is qualified by further requirement that the results should not identify the participants and should respect cultural sensitivities.
For the first time the National Statement includes principles for the use of human tissue in research. The use of human tissue samples in medical research raises compliance issues with both ethical and legal standards (Magnusson 2000). Samples are defined to include diagnostic, statutory (e.g., Coroner's Inquiry), and research samples not including fetal, reproductive, or autopsy tissue. Institutions are requested to develop policies for research on tissues related to the source, nature, cultural sensitivity, and reason for collection in the purpose for the research. Generally, consent is required for the use of a person's tissue. Where there is follow-up research, the new research should be presented for new approval by a HREC. Consistent with the principles in epidemiological research and genetic research, a HREC may waive consent having regard to the following considerations:
These principles are expressed in relatively general terms. They represent the first step in setting a direction for the more regulated use of human tissue and research. This is a sensitive area where there are public concerns about coronial powers to dispose of human tissue, commercial access to samples, and retention of samples without an individual's knowledge or consent.
A special Working Party was convened to prepare these principles which were developed in close consultation with community groups, professionals, and the Human Genetics Society of Australia. After outlining the special aspects of genetic information and its capacity to stigmatize, HRECs are requested not to approve research with contestable or dubious scientific merit. HRECs are reminded that much genetic research at this stage will be more likely to contribute to knowledge rather than products and treatment. For this reason research proposals must be balanced against the potential for risk to individuals. Research results are to be carefully stored to ensure privacy, and researchers are required to state whether the information will be kept in an identified, identifiable, or de-identified form. Generally, the consent of participants will be required and researchers are required to inform them:
Consistent with the principles on epidemiological research and human tissue, a HREC may waive consent having considered a number of matters (essentially the same considerations as above under Human Tissue). There are also requirements that the institution conducting research has access to current genetic counselling services for the benefit of the participant.
The National Statement recognizes that some research; for example, psychological research involves deception pursuant to purpose or covert observation of individuals. HRECs should approve such research only as an exception where the research cannot be conducted without deception. In these cases a HREC may approve if it is satisfied that:
The Commonwealth Privacy Act 1998 includes a number of Information Privacy Principles defining the proper collection, detection, use, access, challenge, and amendment of privacy information. This Commonwealth Act only refers to information held by a Commonwealth Department or its agency. However, for the last ten years many HRECs have used the Information Privacy Principles as standards for privacy protection for research involving information held by agencies other than the Commonwealth. In this respect the highly unsatisfactory patchwork of Australian law in this area has been remedied to a degree by the practice of some HRECs. The National Statement sets very general Guidelines for the protection of privacy. This is clearly an area, which will require further legislative and guideline development in the future. The privacy of personal information is to be protected using the Information Privacy Principles as a standard.
There is a specific Section 95 in this Act that requires Commonwealth agencies to report to AHEC where the HREC has released information without the consent of the individuals concerned (and in breach of any Information Privacy Principle) but is satisfied that the public interest in the research outweighs, to a substantial degree, the public interest in the protection of privacy (NHMRC 2000).
Ethical review in this country remains, as elsewhere in the world, in a revolutionary stage. Ethical standards in the review of research were never envisaged as constant. For example, in the introduction to the Declaration of Helsinki it was stated that the guidelines should "Öbe kept under review in the future." The Declaration was adopted by the 18th World Medical Assembly, Helsinki, Finland, June 1965 and amended in Tokyo 1975, Venice 1983, Hong Kong 1989, and the Republic of South Africa 1996. The Declaration is currently under review (Bulletin of Medical Ethics 1996) The Australian research guidelines have been regularly reviewed. This section briefly outlines a number of matters, which are likely to command attention in the near future. These matters are clinical trials, the development of a clinical trial register, multicenter research, expedited review, and monitoring of research.
Clinical trials are likely to command greater international public attention. In recent years there has begun a steady stream of media and academic revelations about certain trials.
Before examining the new clinical trial guidelines, some background may be useful (AHEC 1992). Until 1983, sponsors of all clinical trials involving imported products were required to obtain Federal approval prior to the initiation of the trial. Pharmaceutical chemistry, preclinical, and clinical data were required in the same detail as that required to support applications to market a new chemical entity. In February 1983, review times were changed to 45 working days for early phase trials (Phase I and IIa) and 80 working days for later phase trials. In addition, a degree of deregulation was introduced in that sponsors were permitted to undertake additional trials without Federal review of the subsequent protocols, provided that the trial was within the approved dosage range and duration of treatment. Each trial required approval by the IEC of the host institution, and sponsors were required to notify the Federal agency at the time of approval by a HREC.
The TGA is a Commonwealth organization responsible for the registration of therapeutic goods including drugs and devices. The TGA conducts monitoring of licensed manufacturers who must comply with the Code of Good Manufacturing Practice; in addition, the TGA tests drugs and devices, reports and acts on problems, and ensures fair and truthful advertising (Therapeutic Goods Act). The scheduling of drugs is usually conducted under the various drug legislation of the States and Territories. In August 1987, revised procedures for review of clinical trials were introduced incorporating the concepts of a Clinical Trial Exemption (CTX) scheme under which the trial was permitted to proceed if no objection was raised by the TGA within a given time frame.
Under these arrangements, consideration of the essential safety aspects of a product proposed for use in a clinical trial remained a Federal responsibility, and consideration of the inter-related protocol was the responsibility of the HREC at the institution(s) at which the trial was to be conducted. The scientific validity of the study and the ability of the researcher and institution to effectively carry out the particular study were to be included in the HREC's consideration of ethical aspects of the trial.
In the early 1990s following the publication of the Baume Report the centralized system of approval for drug trials was replaced with a devolved approval system. HRECs were given the option of approving drug trials under the CTN. At first, there were considerable concerns about the implementation of this new scheme particularly in relation to potential legal liability (Day 1993). However, the implementation of the scheme has been realized through a process of self-selection under which only HRECs in large hospitals are now undertaking significant involvement in the CTN process. In the early 1990s it was recognized that there had been a major increase in the workload of those IECs that had undertaken this type of work (Chalmers 1996). In May 1991, links between clinical trials in Australia and marketing applications were severed. This allows clinical trials to be conducted while an application for registration for marketing is under review and vice versa.
The introduction of the CTN Scheme at the same time allows for drugs to be released for clinical trial purposes, provided authorities are notified of the trial beforehand and the trial is approved by the ethics committee of the hospital or university where it is to be conducted. Only HRECs complying with the National Statement (National Statement 1999), particularly Principles 2.1 - 2.48 on HRECs, are able to participate in these arrangements.
The main impact of the deregulation of clinical trials, from the point of view of HRECs, has been an expansion of their tasks and responsibilities to include the assessment of toxicological and safety data for trials submitted under the CTN Scheme. This was the subject of a specific review of the introduction of the CTN Scheme which was completed in 1993 (Day 1993). HRECs expressed particular concern over possible legal liability in administering these schemes and the need for appropriate indemnity. Of particular concern was the fact that some HRECs did not have the expertise to assess pharmacology or toxicology data. The responsibility of HRECs was reflected in the Therapeutic Goods Regulations as amended by the Therapeutic Goods Act. This provides that the institution which is responsible for conducting the trial must take advice from the IEC (now HREC) on the conduct of the trial, give approval to the trial (the institution may be responsible for more than one site), set terms of approval for the trial which are no less restrictive that the ethics committee's advice, and withdraw approval for the trial if the ethics committee advises that continuation of the trial is not appropriate.
The move to using the CTN Scheme has been steadily increasing. By mid-1999, the TGA reported that some 1,500 were proceeding under CTN and only 10 under the CTX (information provided by Manager of TGA to AHEC, July 1999). In essence the CTN is a deregulated system where all responsibility for the trial rests with the institution, and notification only is given to the TGA about the conduct of the trial. On the other hand, under the CTX Scheme the TGA remains responsible for the safety aspects of the product and charges fees for this service.
The new Australian National Statement (National Statement 1999) is a comprehensive and uniform set of guidelines which includes general principles and sections (Principles) on many aspects of research (e.g., epidemiological research, genetic research, use of human tissue, psychological research, and multicenter research). The National Statement includes more detailed guidelines of the establishment, composition, operation, functions, and duties of HRECs.
The National Statement includes a section dealing with clinical trials, which are defined to apply to natural therapies and other interventions. The previous Statement on Human Experimentationt included a supplementary note on clinical trials but in considerably less detail than the National Statement. The introduction to Principles 1212.1 - 12.13 states:
A clinical trial is a study involving humans to find out whether an intervention, including treatments or diagnostic procedures, which it is believed may improve a person's health, actually does so. A clinical trial can involve testing a drug, a surgical or other therapeutic or preventive procedure, or a therapeutic, preventive or diagnostic device or service. Any intervention, including so-called natural' therapies and other forms of complementary medicine, can be tested in this way. Other related disciplines also conduct research, which involves similar ethical considerations to those raised in clinical trials.
In pharmaceutical and medical device trials there are established codes of good clinical research practice which define clearly what is meant by a clinical trial for those purposes.
12. Clinical Trials has principal application in the context of biomedical clinical trials but should also apply to any other intervention claiming therapeutic benefit, wherever provided or conducted (emphasis added).
The trial must be properly designed and conducted and be approved by a HREC. The HREC that considers the clinical trial is not required to judge the actual science involved. Rather the HREC must ensure that it is "sufficiently informed on all aspects of a research protocol, including its scientific and statistical validity" (National Statement 1999, Principle 2.8). Principle 12.1 goes on to state:
The aims of every trial must be precisely stated in a protocol presented to and approved by a Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC) and every trial must be conducted by researchers with suitable experience, qualifications and competence and, where applicable, adequate training in relevant procedures including the use of any device being trialed.
See also Principle 12.2, which gives details on scientific hypothesis and methodology.
A HREC, before granting approval to a clinical trial, must be satisfied that the protocol conforms to a number of international obligations in addition to the National Statement as well as relevant Australian laws. The Code of Good Manufacturing Practice issued by the TGA is broadly similar to many equivalent documents in other countries (TGA 1991). In addition, it is recognized that Australian researchers may be involved in multi-center international trials. Indeed, in the case of American trials, Australian researchers are required to comply with American regulations promulgated by the FDA. There was a quite deliberate intention in the revision of the National Statement to ensure consistency with established international guidelines. In this regard, Principle 12.3 of the National Statement provides:
An HREC, before granting approval to a clinical trial, must be satisfied that the protocol conforms to:
Principles 12.12 and 12.13 also refer to relevant standards.
The National Statement also includes a specific guideline on the acceptable uses of placebos in clinical trials and, essentially, outlaws their use where there is an effective treatment available (National Statement 1999, Principle 12.4). There was considerable discussion in relation to this particular guideline. In the end the AHEC, in publishing the guideline, preferred the view that it is difficult to create a research project (testing a hypothesis when there is a treatment available which has been clearly shown to be effective). To ignore a proven effective treatment breaches the medical practitioner's duty to provide best available treatment to the patient.
12.4 The use of a placebo alone or the incorporation of a non-treatment control group is ethically unacceptable in a controlled trial where:
If there is genuine uncertainty about the net clinical benefit of treatment, a placebo controlled trial or a trial with a no-treatment arm may be considered.
Apart from general guidelines against conflict of interest, (National Statement 1999, Principles 1.1 and 2.20) researchers are required to declare financial or business interests in relation to the clinical trial presented for approval before the HREC (National Statement: 1999, Principles 12.5 and 12.6). A researcher is not required to disclose every interest to research participants; rather, a HREC is required to examine the budget of the clinical trial and consider aspects of the budget that raise ethical issues. The HREC then decides whether any information in relation to the financial aspects of the trials should be declared to participants.
12.5 A researcher must inform an HREC of any business or other similar association which may exist between a researcher and the supplier of a drug or surgical or other device to be used in the trial.
An HREC must examine those aspects of the budgets of clinical trials which raise ethical issues, including capitation fees, payments to researchers, institutions or organisations involved in the research, current and consequential institutional or organisational costs and costs which may be incurred by participants. It should be satisfied that:
12.6 Since the early 1990s the NHMRC has published guidelines requiring HRECs to review the compensation arrangements for the trial (NHMRC 1994). Principle 12.7 of the National Statement provides that compensation arrangements must be in place for participants who may be injured in the trial.
12.7 An HREC must be satisfied, before approving a clinical trial, that arrangements exist to ensure adequate compensation to participants for any injury suffered as a result of participation in the trial.
There are, finally, guidelines about the reporting of all serious or unexpected adverse events, review of the trial, suppression of the trial, and privacy of findings (National Statement 1999, Principles 12.8 - 12.11).
The new Principles have deliberately aimed to put greater responsibility on the HREC that approves a trial, the reality being that the preponderance of Australian clinical trials of drugs and devices are performed under the terms of the CTN Scheme. In summary, the HREC must be satisfied that the trial is properly designed (including methods of recruitment and statistical significance). The HREC must also decide whether the trial conforms with the international standards where relevant (CPMP/ICH 1995). Placebos should not be used where they are already proven effective available treatment. In addition, conflicts of interest must be declared, funding arrangements reviewed; compensation arrangements put in place; all serious or unexpected adverse events reported by the researcher; the trial monitored and reviewed; and information on the trials kept in a durable form to protect privacy. The monitoring of trials and research generally has been a continuing difficulty in Australia (Chalmers 1996).
Again, the new Principles are only a start and further questions remain for consideration for the further development for ethical clinical trials. For example, should the same rules apply where the trial involves an entirely new procedure, e.g., malaria vaccine, where new knowledge is being developed and the risks attaching to long-term effects are quite unknown or unpredictable at this early stage? Should there be different rules for autologous immuno-therapies and certain types of oncological gene therapies where the patients are usually suffering from terminal illnesses? Should there be a separation of drug trials conducted in the public institutions as opposed to those conducted in private institutions? Should special rules apply to trials conducted by the doctors in general practice whose primary duties to the patient may conflict with any research protocol in which the doctor is involved? Should different rules apply where the trial involves blood or tissues on which genetic information is to be gathered? This is not a comprehensive list but illustrative only (Mant 1999).
The report of the Review of the Role and Functioning of Institutional Ethics Committees supported the implementation of a clinical trial register in Australia. The report stated that a national register of statistics and data would enable the effectiveness of particular interventions to be monitored over time and would facilitate the effective monitoring of clinical trial operations. This database will be a useful information resource for HRECs and will reduce duplication of efforts. The proposal has appeared from time to time in the pages of the Medical Journal of Australia and was part of the official submission of the AHEC to the Wills Review (Wills 1999). A central Clinical Trial Register would track the results of all trials, not simply the results that are later published in official journals. In this way the poor as well as the best results would be recorded and a proper assessment of the level of clinical trials could be maintained.
The NHMRC Clinical Trials Centre is an NHMRC funded center at Sydney University, with Professor John Zynes as director. At present it has a voluntary system of registration for cancer research only. The benefits of expanding this role to include all clinical trials would significantly add to community confidence and support for research. Data from these clinical trials would significantly assist the long-term follow-up of participants of clinical trials.
Training and continuing education are key elements in the effort to increase the responsiveness of the ethical review system. The continuing professionalising of HRECs requires the introduction of formal accredited courses. For a number of years the Monash Bioethics Centre ran annual residential seminars for HREC members. In recent years other course providers have advertised in their programs. The AHEC has not begun to formally accredit these courses.
HRECs are becoming increasingly concerned about legal aspects of protocols. Often protocols cross legislative boundaries and HRECs must be sufficiently versed in areas such as privacy, guardianship, and other matters addressed in Commonwealth and State legislation. The AHEC workshops, conducted in 1993, 1995, and 1999 provided a forum for networking and information sharing but should not be seen as substitutes for certified, professionally conducted training programs.
A major contract was tendered by AHEC for the preparation of a HREC Operating Manual that will consist of explanatory, textual and reference annotations to the National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Research Involving Humans. The HREC Operating Manual is intended as a resource and reference for all members of HRECs, especially new members.
There has been an ongoing debate in a range of forums that the scientific assessment of clinical trials be undertaken centrally to streamline the process of review and to assist HRECs in focusing their deliberations on the "ethical" issues of the protocol (Cohen 1998; Clarke 1998; Henman et al. 1998; O'Brien et al. 1998; Gandevia et al. 1998). In effect, the TGA undertakes this "centralized" scientific assessment under the CTX Scheme. This debate has also raised the problem of accreditation of ethics committees. The NHMRC does not currently have authority over State institutions to allow a system of HREC accreditation unless there was the necessary referral of power from the States and Territories to the Commonwealth Parliament.
There have been many debates about a form of centralized approval for research; particularly multicenter research is desirable. Suggestions have ranged from the establishment of a "peak" national HREC to the establishment of regional HRECs akin to the United Kingdom LRECs or the New Zealand Regional Ethics Committees. As a matter of practice, there has been considerable and developing cooperation and collaboration between existing HRECs. The process of ethical review of multicenter trials can become complex and protracted, particularly when a number of centers are involved.
The National Statement proposes two options to streamline the ethical review process for multicenter trials (National Statement 1999, Principles 3.1 - 3.8). First, when a project is under way, HRECs are permitted to communicate with each other; accept the scientific assessment of another body; adopt the ethical reasoning for another body; or adopt any other procedure from that body to avoid unnecessary duplication (National Statement 1999, Principle 3.4). Second, there is for the first time in Australia a formal system for initially setting up multicenter research. Under this system institutions may agree before the start of the research that "Öthe primary ethical and scientific assessment be made by one agreed institution or organisationÖ" (National Statement 1999, Principle 3.5). There have already been some efforts in some regions of Australia to streamline the scientific and ethical review of protocols (Kelly and Boyages 1999).
Any system for centralized HREC decisionmaking must preserve local HRECs. Ethical considerations concerning the safety and scientific validity of a proposal may not differ substantially from one HREC to another; however, there may be important local issues. For example, certain institutions may be involved in research with subjects from a particular ethnic, social, or minority group, which might involve special consideration of local cultural, moral, religious, and/or ethical values. In addition, the particular institutional mission will need to be observed. This consideration would apply, for example, for hospitals of religious affiliation.
The recommendations elsewhere in this report to introduce expedited review will assist the HRECs in concentrating on approval and monitoring of research projects involving higher risk. Under these procedures a HREC can determine classes of research which may be subject to expedited review and confer authority on the Chair of the HREC to approve the research subject to later ratification by the HREC (National Statement 1999, Principles 2.27 - 2.29). Expedited review is not suitable for research projects with the potential for harm or where there may be some departure from ethical standards in the Statement. In these cases the full Committee must consider the project.
The Report of the National Council on Bioethics and Human Research in Canada (Canada 1995) encourages Research Ethics Committees considering fewer than 50 research protocols to amalgamate with another or other Research Ethics Committees. In Australia there has been a substantial increase in HREC numbers. There have been suspicions expressed in some submissions that some HRECs may have been established with the researcher interests rather than the subjects in mind. The Canadian approach of amalgamation where a Research Ethics Committees considers less than 50 protocols was not included in the final draft of the National Statement. The Second Consultation Draft included a section inviting small HRECs to amalgamate. This was dropped from the final National Statement in the light of submissions received. Provided a HREC was properly and independently constituted, there were good reasons for the continuation of certain specialized HRECs. For example, the National Red Cross HREC considers few protocols but most are complex requiring considerable discussion by the Committee.
Monitoring responsibilities are constrained by resources. Recognizing this, the National Statement has recommended a strategic approach to monitoring where "the frequency and type of monitoring determined by a HREC should reflect the degree of risk to participants in the research project" (National Statement 1999, Principle 2.33). The National Statement includes minimum reporting and proposes that the HREC adopt "any additional appropriate mechanism for monitoringÖ" provided that researchers immediately report any "serious or unexpected adverse effects on participants; changes to the protocol; and unfit foreseen events" (National Statement 1999, Principles 2.36 and 2.37). The National Statement followed the recommendations of the Ministerial Review Committee and the submissions at the Second Stage Consultation. The National Statement did not introduce a system of public monitor-officials as recommended in the United Kingdom (Neuberger 1992) or as operates in the United States with the Office of the Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services.
Monitoring by a HREC is only one aspect of the overall strategy for the protection of the interests of research participants. Peer review, institutional supervision, ethical integrity of researchers, and effective information and complaints mechanisms should all be promoted to facilitate the earliest possible detection of potential harm in the course of research projects.
The philosophical debates in bioethics rarely operate in a legislative or legal vacuum (Englehardt 1981; Pellegrino and Thomasma 1996). In most areas debated by bioethicists, governments have played a role either in the form of policy development or legal regulation (Breen 1997; Bennett 1997; Skene 1998; Freckelton and Petersen 1999). As examples, mental institutions have been governed by legislation for over a century; marriage laws have to an extent established rules about reproduction; hospitals are legally regulated and within them research is conducted and resources allocated; euthanasia has remained under the fiat of the criminal law; mass screening was a cornerstone of the public health movement and population genetics and the discredited eugenics movement have, at different times influenced governments. There is established case law in relation to doctrines of informed consent and the duty to warn in the doctor/patient relationship. Where children, the aged, the disabled, or the mentally impaired are treated the rules of consent are varied in the circumstances, the courts have a protective jurisdiction. Specific guardianship legislation may apply also in these circumstances. Finally, debates about artificial conception have led to the introduction of specific status of children legislation and restrictions on experimentation either in the form of legislation or guidelines.
Australia has moved gradually from a self-regulatory system of research ethics review to a more regulated system. HRECs in Australia are not directly established by statute but rather, AHEC was given the responsibility for monitoring and advising on the workings of HRECs (see Section 4.2 of this report). The Australian ethical review system has the following regulatory features:
The Australian ethics review system has the following strengths and weaknesses.
Since the formal decision to establish research ethics committees in 1982, there has been a steady development toward an integrated national system of research ethics review (see Section 2 of this report). HRECs are established within institutions under the oversight and guidance of the AHEC. AHEC is the statutory national apex to the research ethics review system. The Report on IECs (Chalmers 1996) (Schedule 3 of this report provides a summary of recommendations from that report) did not recommend that specific legislation be enacted to regulate HRECs. The report considered that the HREC system was operating satisfactorily under the legislative supervision of AHEC. The report further accepted that the AHEC and the HRECs could adapt to meet future demands on the system.
The development of the national research ethics system was particularly prominent during the 1990s (see Sections 1.2, 2 and 3 of this report). A number of events contributed to the accelerated development of the national research ethics system during this decade. Included in these events were the enactment of the National Health and Medical Research Council Act 1992 (Commonwealth), the establishment of the AHEC under this Act, the Commonwealth Ministerial determination to confer responsibility on AHEC for monitoring and advising on HRECs (see Section 4.2 of this report), three rounds of national workshops to consider the operation of HRECs, and the decisions by funding bodies, other than the NHMRC, to require ethics approval for human research projects (see Sections 1.1 and 4.6).
The ethics review system was not imposed but rather recognized by government. The system was introduced through the NHMRC and evolved over a number of years, the members of the HRECs and the institutions themselves have developed a sense of ownership and responsibility for the system. The accelerated development toward an integrated national system of ethics review in Australia was driven largely by those involved in the system. The National Health and Medical Research Council Act 1992 (Cth.) gave detailed prescriptions about the composition and operation of the AHEC but left the "monitoring and advising on HRECs" to be developed by the AHEC in consultation with the HRECs. This sense of ownership was built up during the 1990s in the following ways:
One of the strengths of the AHEC has been the two-stage statutory public consultation requirement (see Section 4.4 of this report). The first-stage consultation operates in the same manner of any other public consultation, namely advertisements are placed seeking submissions on the subject under consideration by the AHEC. The second-stage consultation is conducted in relation to the draft guidelines prepared by AHEC in response to the submissions received at the first-stage consultation. This second stage has the following advantages:
This second stage has added invariably to the quality of the published guidelines. The National Statement is a very good example of quality improvement. The Working Group at First Stage Consultation was persuaded that it should build on the former Statement on Human Experimentationt rather than copying or adopting an available international Code. The draft circulated at the second stage was substantially rewritten in response to the extraordinary number of submissions received. Importantly, the National Statement "Ösignificantly altered many aspects of research involving humans. These changes ranged from research involving deception through to the membership and operating requirements for HRECs" (NHMRC Annual Report 1999 at 70).
Accountability. Although neither Commonwealth nor State legislation create HRECs, there are a number of ways in which the system is publicly accountable (see Section 4.5 of this report).
Researchers are at the first tier of ethical review. Researchers must present all publicly funded research for ethics approval. In addition, a substantial amount of privately funded research (e.g., within private hospitals) is also subject to the ethics review system. Almost all funding bodies now require annual progress reports including reports on any difficulty with the ethical conduct of the project. Importantly, the National Statement clarifies the various circumstances in which it is the responsibility of the researcher to report adverse events during the course of the project or to discontinue the research (National Statement 1999, Principles 1.4, 1.15, 1.17, 1.21, 2.35, 2.44, 245 and 12.8). In addition, researchers must avoid conflicts of interest and, in the case of clinical trials, are required to declare any conflict of interest to the HREC as a condition for approval. (National Statement 1999, Principle 12.5) (see Section 1.1 of this report).
HRECs conduct the second level of ethical review and are also accountable in a number of ways within the system. HRECs are advisory and are accountable within the structures of the institution in which they are established (National Statement 1999, Principle 2.2). The HRECs are also required to report annually to the NHMRC (National Statement 1999, Principle 2.48). These HREC reports are consolidated by the AHEC, which then presents a report to the Council, which is later included in the NHMRC Annual Report presented to Parliament (see Section 4.7). The institutions which establish HRECs carry considerable responsibilities under the National Statement. The institution is required to properly resource the HREC (National Statement 1999, Principle 2.1) and must set out the HREC Terms of Reference including the scope of its responsibilities (National Statement 1999, Principle 2.2). The institution must accept legal responsibility for decisions and advice received from the HREC and indemnify its members (National Statement 1999, Principle 2.3). The institution should ensure that adequate compensation arrangements are in place for research conducted under its supervision. The institution is also required to set up proper complaints handling mechanisms for receiving and promptly dealing with complaints and concerns about the conduct of an approved research project (National Statement1999, Principles 2.39 - 2.43).
The AHEC constitutes the third tier in the review system. It was the express intention of the Commonwealth Parliament, particularly the Senate, to ensure that the NHMRC was an open and accountable public institution. The openness and transparency of the AHEC processes to public scrutiny arise from the following:
Under the terms of β 8(1) and (2) of the National Health and Medical Research Council
Act 1992 (Cth.), the AHEC has sole responsibility for the development of guidelines for the ethical conduct of medical research. This authority combined with the two-stage consultation process has resulted in the production of the series of guidelines with national application. In a federal system, it is difficult to achieve uniformity in legislation and policy in some areas within State and Territory authority. Similarly, uniformity in guidelines is more difficult and elusive in a largely self-regulatory medical research environment. During the early period of efforts by the NHMRC, through the Medical Research Ethics Committee, to establish a national ethics system, many organizations produced guidelines. The NHMRC had an influential but not exclusive function in producing guidelines for health and medical research. Guidelines were frequently published by a variety of funding authorities, medical colleges, and associations. It is difficult to gainsay the importance of the work by the NHMRC in moving toward national uniform guidelines. This process was finally realized and consolidated by the National Health and Medical Research Council Act. Two examples may assist in illustrating the strengths of having a central national committee with authority to publish national guidelines:
In two major areas, there were substantial differences in the conclusions in the reports. These were Research and Experimentation on Embryos and Control and Regulation. Three States in Australia introduced committees to deal with decisions in the area of reproductive technology. These States were in order, Victoria, South Australia, and Western Australia. The Victorian Parliament passed the Infertility Treatment Act 1995 (successor to the Infertility [Medical Procedures] Act 1984), but the Act was not proclaimed for some years afterwards. The relevant legislation in South Australia is the Reproductive Technology Act 1988 and in Western Australia, the Artificial Conception Act 1985.
When the AHEC was set up in 1992, a reference was reserved by the Commonwealth Senate that required the AHEC to consider the publication of guidelines in the area of reproductive technology. The NHMRC published specific guidelines entitled the Ethical Guidelines on Assisted Reproductive Technology 1996 (AHEC 1996). These Guidelines applied uniformly and were later accepted by the Reproductive Technology Accreditation Committee (RTAC). The RTAC is a voluntary organization funded by the Fertility Society of Australia, which accredits centers offering such services. Once the RTAC accepted the AHEC Ethical Guidelines on Assisted Reproductive Technology, they formed part of its Code of Practice for centers using IVF and related reproductive technologies.
In effect, therefore, the nonlegislation States were practically and uniformly covered by the AHEC Guidelines.The Reproductive Technology Councils in South Australia and Western Australia also approved the AHEC Ethical Guidelines on Assisted Reproductive Technology, thus achieving new uniformity in approach to research in the area.
The AHEC also has a representative function for Australian medical research ethics in overseas forums. Following the initial invitation of NBAC, the Summit of National Bioethics Commissions was convened in San Francisco in 1996 and again in Tokyo in 1998. Many countries have appointed national bioethics commissions, although there is far from being comparability in jurisdiction, terms of reference, resourcing, status, and guidelines. The meeting in Tokyo agreed that there were matters of common interest between the various commissions. In particular, it was noted that clinical trials (discussed elsewhere in this report) were an area likely to command public international attention. Developments in the last two years have proved this view to be prophetic. The issue of clinical trials has commanded further public attention with the debates within the World Medical Association to revise the current wording of the Declaration of Helsinki. The amendments proposed by the American Medical Association would include a new Article 18, Access to Health Care, in the following terms:
In any biomedical research protocol, every patient-subject, including those of a control group, if any, should be assured that he or she will not be denied access to the best programme, diagnostic, prophylactic therapeutic method which would otherwise be available to him or her. This principle does not exclude the use of a placebo on non-treatment control groups with such a justified or scientifically and ethically sound research protocol.
Arguably, the proposed changes to wording may lead to "ethical export" where developing countries may be used for the conduct of clinical trials where lesser ethical standards are applied than in developed countries (Nuffield Council on Bioethics 1999; Healy 1999; Bulletin of Medical Ethics 1999b). This would not replace but complement the work which is currently under way with the development of international standards represented in the CPNC/ICH Note for Guidance on Good Clinical Practice (135 - 95).
The AHEC has, on behalf of the NHMRC, sent comments to the World Medical Association consultation. Equally, national bioethics commissions are in the position to liaise with other national bodies to provide information to contribute to the development of improved ethical trials.
A number of weaknesses can be identified within the current ethical review system in Australia as follows:
β 8(1)(ii) of the National Health and Medical Research Council Act authorizes the AHEC to develop medical research guidelines and for the Council to issue those guidelines in the form developed by the AHEC. Infringement of any Principle in the National Guidelines does not constitute a prosecutable legal offence. The sanctions for infringement of the Principles involve the loss of access to or withdrawal of research funds. In practice, this has been threatened on a number of occasions and is treated most seriously by institutions. For example one major metropolitan hospital was noncompliant for part of a year of report. Senior officers from the hospital were granted time to reconsider and ratify noncompliant decisions by the HREC. This particular incident resulted in the review of the sanction procedures of the NHMRC. In particular, a "show cause" opportunity was introduced into the procedures. In another example a major national research institute is required to reconvene with a compliant HREC and reconsider de novo decisions dealing with a noncompliant period. With the statutory requirement for the NHMRC to report annually to Parliament, the NHMRC could name guideline infringers in the report tabled before the Parliament (this has never been done to date).
At one time there was a deal of criticism of the NHMRC for being "in-house" and lacking any "teeth" to prosecute. In defence of the NHMRC, this view confuses police-style prosecutions for anti-social criminal behaviour with the promotion and maintenance of ethical standards in an otherwise orderly research community. It is the difference between as police person patrolling on the assumption that crime is breaking out as opposed to the fire service, which attends when the unexpected fire breaks out (Chalmers and Petit 1998). It is the latter analogy that is more applicable to health and medical research. Nevertheless, the enforceability question is raised frequently by the medical and in the public forum.
In some areas the AHEC has produced national guidelines with national remit. In other areas, the guidelines have not applied uniformly. For example, as noted above the Ethical Guidelines on Assisted Reproductive Technology form a de facto national code in all States except Victoria, where the Infertility Treatment Act 1999 (Vic) overrides the Ethical Guidelines. However, the legislation in the three States (Victoria, Western Australia, and South Australia) have different provisions in relation to human cloning. This will be a barrier to uniform legislation or AHEC guidelines.
In late 1997 and with the benefit of the substantial work done by NBAC (NBAC 1997), the Commonwealth Minister for Health and Aged Care requested a report on cloning from the AHEC. The issue of human cloning was not confined to ethical questions; the issue overlapped substantially with existing regulations in three States. The report from the AHEC (AHEC 1998) has now been referred on for consideration by the Commonwealth House of Representatives Standing Committee on Constitutional and Legal Affairs with a view to introducing uniform or complementary regulation. This lengthy and complex process may be seen as a weakness in the AHEC structure and authority with respect to guidelines. On the other hand the AHEC is essentially advisory only when requested to give a report to a Commonwealth Minister. Admittedly, guidelines would suffer the same lack of force in three States with legislation. In recognition of this, the AHEC produced a recommendation that the Parliament consider legislation. An extract from Chapter 4 of the AHEC Report is included in Schedule 3 to illustrate this jurisdiction limitation in relation to legislation and guidelines relevant to cloning in Australia at the relevant period.
As a matter of law the provisions of the National Health and Medical Research Council Act 1992 (Cth.) do not apply directly to privately funded research (see also comments in Section 7.3 below). So far Australian private institutions have generally complied with NHMRC and other public standards. Some of these institutions informed the AHEC (in the consultation process for the National Statement) that compliance was observed because NHMRC guidelines represented best practice; private institutions were conscious of avoiding possible negligence claims, and all universities, the AVCC, the ARC, and all the Learned Academies had endorsed the National Statement.
Nevertheless, the AHEC recognized in its Report on Cloning (AHEC 1998) that commercial pressures are increasing in this country, and there is no guarantee that the current regulatory and part self-regulatory system of self-restraint will continue. Certainly, in the case of human cloning, it was considered for ethical and commercial reasons that uniform national legislation was required to bolster existing guidelines.
The second-stage consultation process has proved to be a lengthy and costly exercise. The AHEC has profited from the quality and depth of input at the second stage consultation. However, other principal committees of the NHMRC, especially the Health Advisory Committee (HAC), have questioned the value of the process. Many of the reports prepared by the HAC are developed in draft by other major specialist health organizations, and the second-stage consultation is of less value as the specialist input has already been given. For example, the HAC received a report from the Victorian Anti-Cancer Council on Familial Cancers. This report had been prepared over a period of three years and involved the Australian Cancer Network. One stage of consultation was arguably sufficient to inform the public and seek their views on a complex and technical area. In fact, two stages had to be conducted under the terms of the NHMRC Act. In fact very few submissions were received at the second stage.
The NHMRC decided in 1999 to propose amendments to its Act to allow the possibility of one-stage public consultation in most cases rather than exceptional cases. One-stage consultation was previously permitted in exceptional cases under the NHMRC Act 1992 (Cth.). The amendments to the Act were passed by the Commonwealth Parliament in 1999 (NHMRC Annual Report 1999 at 9). The AHEC is most likely to continue to apply the full two stages of public consultation.
At a general level, there is much commonality between the research community in basic ethical principles. There would be little dispute that among the essential values for research is the integrity of the researchers. The Australian National Statement did not invoke any autochthonous principles but referred to the classic U.S. Belmont Report for a statement of the three basic ethical principles for the ethical evaluation of human action (Belmont 1979). These are respect for the person, beneficence, and justice (Beauchamp and Childress 1994; National Statement 1999 at 4). On the other hand, institutions are not so easily transplanted. Committee structure, which operates successfully with refinements, subtleties, and technicalities, may not be suited to the conditions of another country. Adaptation and pruning will always be required (Nyali Ltd. v the Attorney-General per Lord Denning at 16 - 17).
With the cautionary remark about ethical institutional transplants, the following features of the Australian system may be worthy of some consideration by the members of NBAC.
It may seem inconceivable to the international ethics community that the engine-room of modern biomedical research does not have a permanent standing committee considering ethical issues. The reports of the present NBAC, like the Belmont Report (Belmont 1979), remain profound reference points and rich sources for ethical discussion. NBAC contributed significantly to the global debate with its report on Cloning of Human Beings.
There is a lacuna if the NBAC or some other appropriate nationally based ethics body is not operating to organize and encourage the development of international collaboration between national bioethics commissions. NBAC has already fulfilled this role with distinction at the inaugural meeting in San Francisco and the second meeting two years later in Tokyo in 1998. Obviously, NBAC or an equivalent body would be concerned principally with the preparation of national guidelines, reports, or advice on specific matters.
Nevertheless, relations with other national bioethics commissions can be a smaller but highly important roles for a national body. The AHEC has devoted a small but not insignificant percentage of its time dealing with other nations' bioethics commissions. In fact, many of these dealings have involved the collection of reports of documents or seeking advice on specific regulations, guidelines, or procedures from a national bioethics commission.
Under the terms of the National Health and Medical Research Council Act 1992 (Cth.) the NHMRC is required to prepare a plan of work which is presented to the Parliament. In each subsequent year the NHMRC including the AHEC present a report to Parliament. This not only provides an essential and important line of accountability; it requires the NHMRC and AHEC in particular to establish work programs to complete reports in a timely and orderly fashion. As both the Strategic Plans and Annual Reports are presented to Parliament they form public documents which are accessible to the public and interested bodies. The process of reporting to Parliament is recognition of the status of the NHMRC and AHEC.
The two-stage public consultation has been a complex and weildly process. Nevertheless, it has provided an authentic and transparent opportunity for public comment and for that comment to be integrated into the body of the report and guidelines. As noted earlier in this report the second-stage consultation where the draft guidelines are presented for comment has proved to be successful. At this stage, detailed comments on the specific draft guidelines have invariably led to improvement in the content as well as the wording of the final guidelines. Some 200 submissions were received at each of the stages of consultation for the National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Research Involving Humans. In a small population of 20 million this number may be magnified so much in the more populous United States as to present very considerable challenges to the management of the information presented.
NBAC may wish to consider the current principles in the National Statement in relation to epidemiological research, human tissue, and genetic research, which are noted in Section 5.3 of this report. These particular Principles are internally consistent and may offer a modest contribution in these difficult areas.
During the period of the Ministerial Review (the IEC Report) and also during the consultation for the National Statement, comments were made and submissions received expressing concerns that some forms of social science research were not appropriate for consideration by HRECs. In essence, many of these concerns centered on the composition of the pre-National Statement HRECs. Until recently, the former Statement on Human Experimentationt required a medical graduate as one of the core members. Under the terms of the new National Statement a HREC should be composed of a person with experience in the research considered by the Committee. This has removed some of the concerns. Nevertheless, there has been in Australia for a number of years some tension between the nonbiomedical and biomedical researchers. It is too early to tell whether the comprehensive revisions in the new National Statement will assuage these concerns.
The consensus of opinion supported the move to establish a single National Statement as a means to achieving the goal of a universal research culture in this country. Universities in submissions to the public consultation particularly promoted this universal view for the new National Statement. In particular, these submissions stressed the continuing blurring of distinctions between private and publicly funded research and growing of distinctions between medical, health, health-related, and social science research. Many submissions noted that Australia, in line with other countries, was developing research policies to encourage private investment in research. For this and other reasons, it was more appropriate to consider a single research code. Similarly, a researcher has a number of common obligations and ethical duties to the research participant, which are common to research generally.
There is an assumption expressed in the new National Statement that the development of the recognition of human rights and the ethical standards of respect of persons preclude conducting research without the knowledge and voluntary consent of the participant. In this respect, an assumption can no longer be made validly that research is automatically a value to the community. Research, whether privately or publicly funded and whether nonbiomedical or biomedical, must be disclosed to the research participants. The National Statement requires disclosure, information, and voluntary consent. More critically, the Preamble recognizes that the researcher is required to justify the research and that the community expects that research will be conducted in an equitable, professional, and ethical fashion.
The idea of expanded human rights protections in the late 20th century extends far beyond the protection of the physical body of the individual. The doctrines of human rights extend to rights to the protections of law, rights of freedom of speech, rights to nondiscrimination, and equitable treatment as examples. In this sense, the ethical and legal requirements for the respect for persons extends to respecting the privacy of the individual as well as the bodily protection. The National Statement throughout places responsibilities on researchers and HRECs to ensure that risk is minimized and that if risk exists there is a careful balancing of those risks against the potential benefits to be gained within the research project.
Australia conducts research outside of its national borders. The National Statement places responsibilities on researchers to conform not only to the standards within the National Statement but to also conform to any local ethical standards in the country in which the research is conducted. With more research being conducted as part of international multicenter trials, the National Statement recognizes that there are national responsibilities to regulate and supervise research conducted outside Australian borders in overseas countries. The existence of a comprehensive National Statement conveys clearly to all researchers be they non-biomedical or biomedical that the high standards of research integrity expected of researchers conducting research in Australia applies equally to overseas research. There is a responsibility on national governments in their international relations to maintain appropriates standards. In this respect the recognition that trade and commerce standards probably extend to aspects of international research.
There are no compulsory or mandatory powers in the National Health and Medical Research Council Act or in the AHEC to make private institutions comply with the standards of ethical review. The Australian research review system is essentially compulsory in the public arena. Major public institutions including universities and hospitals and research centers have endorsed the National Statement. These bodies recognize that funding from the major public funding organizations (NHMRC and ARC) require approval by a HREC. On the other hand, private companies are essentially complying voluntarily. If they wish to access public funds they are required to comply. In addition, many private companies comply because they are conducting the research in public institutions. Finally, many private companies comply because approval by a registered HREC is considered a prudent step in reducing risks of complaints or possible litigation. As there is an approved national standard for ethical approval from a registered HREC many private companies use the HREC system to ensure that in the event of misadventure a failure to receive ethics clearance would not be seen as a negligent act.
The National Statement applies to de facto private institutions for the following reasons:
The NHMRC in conjunction with other peak bodies responsible for research and clinical practice (Australian Research Council, Australian Vice-Chancellors' Committee, Australian Medical Council) should promulgate guidelines representing a national statement for the ethical conduct of research. Recommendation 5.2.2 The Review Committee endorses the moves by the NHMRC to implement a clinical trials register in Australia. Recommendation 5.6.1
AHEC should redraft the Statement on Human Experimentationt and change its title so that all health investigation involving humans (including nonbiomedical research and innovative practice) is encompassed.
AHEC should re-draft the Statement on Human Experimentationt to include reference to research on distinct cultural groups to the effect that these groups have specific needs that must be addressed. In particular, the guidelines should address the need for an IEC to:
AHEC should re-draft the Statement on Human Experimentationt to:
The redrafted Statement should cover all research on humans and not be restricted to NHMRC-funded research. Recommendation 6.1.3 To improve communication and networking between IECs generally and in particular in relation to multi-center trials, AHEC should prepare an IEC directory which includes the names and contact addresses for the Chairs and Secretaries of all Australian IECs. Recommendation 5.5.4 The annual IEC compliance report to AHEC should require details of monitoring arrangements for high risk projects. Recommendation 5.7.3 A checklist for researchers detailing the requirements for the collection and storage of research data and results should be developed by AHEC, and IECs should be made responsible for monitoring compliance with the checklist on privacy guidelines. Recommendation 5.8.2 AHEC should coordinate the preparation of a national standard form of Application for Approval of a research project before an IEC.
AHEC should supervise the preparation of a Manual of Procedures for IECs following the completion of the re-drafting of the Statement on Human Experimentationt and Supplementary Notes, and AHEC should be allocated adequate resources to fund this project. Recommendation 6.5 AHEC should maintain a clearinghouse function, and be responsible for coordinating, collecting, and disseminating information as well as monitoring IECs in line with its statutory requirements. As well, education of IECs researchers and institutions should form a part of the role of AHEC. Recommendation 7.3.1 AHEC should be funded for the appointment of an IEC officer. This officer is required as a matter of priority to coordinate the development of a resource kit (educational package) for ethics committees. Following the development of the kit this officer should remain responsible for ongoing duties relating to the administration and education of IECs. Recommendation 7.3.2 AHEC through its Research Ethics Working Committee should identify appropriate stakeholders in the ethics committee system and consider appropriate means to facilitate their contribution to the system.
AHEC should examine the issue of appropriate levels of administration fees for IEC approval.
AHEC should revise its current compliance information form to include the following information from IECs:
Institutional Ethics Committees which do not consider more than 50 research protocols should consider amalgamating their IEC with another IEC or IECs. Recommendation 5.5.1 The Review Committee does not recommend the establishment of regional Institutional Ethics Committees. Recommendation 5.5.2 Institutional Ethics Committees should consider procedures for improving the consideration of multi centre research protocols such as communication between chairs of IECs and the acceptance of another IECs scientific assessment of a project where appropriate. Recommendation 5.5.3 An IEC has the responsibility when approving a research protocol to ensure that appropriate and adequate monitoring arrangements are in place consistent with the level of risk involved in the project to research subjects.
An IEC must ensure that appropriate and adequate procedures for monitoring are in place prior to the commencement of the project. Recommendation 5.7.2 An IEC should put in place good administrative and record keeping practices. Recommendation 6.1.1 Where an IEC has grounds for concern about a research protocol, the IEC should initiate consultation with the researcher, and where a protocol is rejected by an IEC, reasons for the rejection should be recorded and made available to the researcher. Where a researcher is unhappy with the decision the complaint should be referred to the institution. Recommendation 6.1.2 An IEC should consider the introduction of a system of expedited of review allowing IECs to grant approval to research projects not involving significant risk to the research subjects. Such expedited review have the following features:
Institutional Ethics Committees should not approve a research project unless they are satisfied that an acceptable Consent Form will be administered to the subjects of the research project. Recommendation 6.4.3 An IEC should have in place appropriate grievance/complaints procedures for participants and these procedures should be included as part of an information sheet provided prior to involvement in the research. This information should include both internal and external contact names and numbers of available participant advisors. Recommendation 6.6 IECs should produce an annual report or contribute to the annual report of their institution. This report should include the compliance information forwarded to AHEC and a listing of all research approved by the committee. Recommendation 9.1.1
An institution should appoint members to the IEC with attention to the following:
An institution should maintain its IEC with the following minimum required membership:
An institution should promulgate the following additional guidelines for the operation of their IEC:
Members of an IEC should be reimbursed for expenses incurred in the conduct of their duty (e.g., parking, additional child care expenses) but should not ordinarily receive a fee for service. In exceptional circumstances a fee for service may be appropriate; however, care should be taken to ensure that this does not result in an apparent or actual conflict of interest for the member(s) concerned. Recommendation 7.2 An institution should make available sufficient (ongoing) funding to enable its IEC members to avail of opportunities leading to improved performance of the IEC (e.g., attendance at seminars/conferences; support for IEC network meetings).
Each institution is responsible for ensuring that adequate resources are made available to its IEC for the assessment and ongoing monitoring of approved research protocols. Recommendation 8.1 An institution should not establish an IEC unless the institution can assure AHEC that there are adequate means for resourcing the committee.
The UK, MRC distinction between innovative therapy/treatment and research should be adopted by AHEC and the Statement on Human Experimentationt modified to reflect that the systematic use of an innovative treatment or therapy be considered as research and consequently be subject to assessment by an IEC.
Researchers should endeavour to simplify all Consent Forms for research subjects and should aim to achieve a form of words which is understandable by a student with Grade 8 schooling. Recommendation 6.4.2
Funded positions should be created in each State for an "area liaison" officer whose duties will involve coordination of liaison between AHEC and IECs and fostering communication/networking between IECs. Recommendation 8.4
I am pleased to report that 1999 has been a very productive year for the Australian Health Ethics Committee (AHEC). Some significant documents have been finalised by AHEC namely the National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Research Involving Humans, Guidelines for Genetic Registers and Associated Genetic Material, and Guidelines for Ethical Review of Research Proposals for Human Somatic Cell Gene Therapy. A number of other documents are close to being completed. One of the highlights for AHEC in 1999 was its organisation of the Ethical, Legal and Social Implications program of the prestigious Human Genome Organisation meeting held in Brisbane.
Objective IV of the NHMRC Strategic Plan 1997 - 2000. ëTo continue to provide high quality ethical advice with respect to health research and health care' concerns the Australian Health Ethics Committee. The documents produced by AHEC in 1999 will allow Council to continue to provide high quality advice about health from an ethics perspective.
To support a strong and well-managed research sector, the Australian Health Ethics Committee completed its revision of guidelines relating to the ethical conduct of research. The National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Research Involving Humans was presented to NHMRC in June 1999, following an intensive period of development.
The National Statement was developed by the Australian Health Ethics Committee and endorsed by the Australian Vice-Chancellors' Committee, the Australian Research Council, the Australian Academy of the Humanities, the Australian Academy of Science and the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia. The Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering also gave the National Statement its support, as did the Ministers for Health and Aged Care, Industry, Science and Resources, and Education and Youth Affairs.
The significance of this level of support for the National Statement should not be underestimated, as it will ensure a very high standard of protection for participants in all areas of research. All research involving human participants conducted in Australian universities, funded by NHMRC or the Australian Research Council, or involving the learned academies, will now have to be conducted in accordance with these guidelines.
In August 1999, the National Statement was the focus of a series of workshops convened in the capital cities of each State and Territory, and including Alice Springs. These workshops were designed to facilitate the use and understanding of the National Statement by those directly responsible for the maintenance of ethical standards of research in Australia. They were attended collectively by approximately 1,000 representatives of Human Research Ethics Committees from around the country.
A further major achievement for AHEC has been the finalisation of two guidelines in the field of genetics: Guidelines for Genetic Registers and Associated Genetic Material and Guidelines for Ethical Review of Research Proposals for Human Somatic Cell Gene Therapy and Related Therapies.
Guidelines for Genetic Registers and Associated Genetic Material covers all aspects of register operation and provides guidelines in such difficult areas as gathering, using and releasing register data and associated genetic material; recruiting people to genetic registers and obtaining their consent; and security and storage of genetic material. The revised document has a wider focus than the original guidelines.
Human somatic cell gene therapy remains experimental. Guidelines for Ethical Review of Research Proposals for Human Somatic Cell Gene Therapy and Related Therapies provides guidance to Human Research Ethics Committees that are asked to review and approve research proposals involving somatic cell gene therapy, and assists researchers to prepare their submissions for ethical review. The document identifies bodies other than Human Research Ethics Committees from which approval may need to be obtained. An information paper on human somatic cell gene therapy, that provides background information to the Guidelines, is included with the Guidelines.
A third genetics document is expected to be finalised early in 2000. Ethical Aspects of Human Genetic Testing'an information paper addresses issues of equity, access and resource allocation; commercialisation; geneticisation; counselling; and genetic testing of children. Although not formal guidelines, this information paper has been the subject of wide consultation'a feature which has strengthened the document.
Genetics is an ever-changing field of research and the guidance and guidelines developed by AHEC will play a crucial role in protecting individuals whilst encouraging a high standard of research.
Compliance by Human Research Ethics Committees with NHMRC ethics guidelines is reported annually to the Research Committee and NHMRC. This process ensures consistent application of the guidelines as well as providing an auditing mechanism to support quality research.
In 1999, AHEC continued to provide support to Human Research Ethics Committees by acting as a focal point for queries and concerns as well as preparing guidelines on issues that are likely to be raised during the conduct of research. A major thrust to this end was the 1999 Workshop series which introduced the new National Statement and gave representatives from the research, academic and HREC sectors an opportunity to discuss issues of concern.
AHEC is developing an operating manual for Human Research Ethics Committees, which is expected to be finalised in 2000. When completed, the manual will form a "how to" guide addressing common questions and providing procedural advice on the application of the National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Research Involving Humans.
Stage two of the public consultation process for the privacy guidelines was conducted in 1999. The Privacy Act 1988 (Commonwealth) authorises the NHMRC to issue guidelines for the protection of privacy in the conduct of medical research. The Federal Privacy Commissioner is also involved in this process. The existing guidelines, Aspects of Privacy in Medical Research, were issued in 1995.
The revision of these guidelines is a result of a number of changes in the environment in which the guidelines operate, namely the introduction of the NHMRC Act 1992 and the National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Research Involving Humans, and developments in privacy regulation.
The guidelines provide a framework in which medical research involving personal information obtained from Commonwealth agencies should be conducted, to ensure that such information is protected against unauthorised collection or disclosure.
The revised Guidelines under Section 95 of the Privacy Act were developed in collaboration with the Federal Privacy Commissioner. Two stages of public consultation were conducted as required by the NHMRC Act, and AHEC endorsed the revised guidelines at its November 1999 meeting. They will be tabled at Council and in the Federal Parliament in early 2000.
AHEC has reaffirmed its commitment to the protection of Indigenous Australians participating in research by planning a revision of the ëInterim guidelines for ethical matters in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health research.' Recognising that the revision must be a transparent and inclusive process, AHEC is committed to full consultation.
AHEC organised the Ethical, Legal and Social Implications (ELSI) program of the Human Genome Organisation's 1999 meeting. The meeting was a vehicle by which AHEC was able to showcase its own work, as well as contribute to the national and international debate on ethical issues.
The ELSI program included a debate, chaired by the Hon. Justice Michael Kirby, that "Too much is expected of human genetics research and the human genome project." It was judged a great success by participants.
Three workshops were chaired by AHEC members and were part of the ELSI program. These were: Commercialisation and benefit-sharing'; Religious and cultural perspectives in contemporary genetics'; and Genetic susceptibility testing.' The financial and intellectual contributions made by the Australian Health Ethics Committee were duly acknowledged. The ELSI program was highly praised by participants and the President of HUGO, and was considered to be one of the best prepared and attended.
This is the third year of the triennium and, in doing my report, I would like to pay tribute to the dedicated and hard-working members of AHEC who have given unstintingly of their time. The Committee's success is due to the combined efforts of members.
It has been my pleasure to chair this Committee for a second triennium. The challenges for AHEC in the future are increasing, especially as a result of the increased use of technology and the improvements in health care testing and information collection.
Professor Donald Chalmers, Chairman
The Commonwealth Government, through the Minister for Health and Aged Care, should reaffirm its support for the UNESCO Declaration on the Human Genome and Human Rights, in particular Article 11, which states that:
Practices which are contrary to human dignity, such as reproductive cloning of human beings, shall not be permitted. States and competent international organisations are invited to cooperate in identifying such practices and in determining, nationally or internationally, appropriate measures to be taken to ensure that the principles set out in this Declaration are respected.
Noting that Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia have legislation regulating embryo research and prohibiting the cloning of human beings, the Minister for Health and Aged Care should urge the other States and Territories to introduce legislation to limit research on human embryos according to the principles set out in Sections 6 and 11 of the NHMRC Ethical Guidelines on Assisted Reproductive Technology.
Noting that there are statutory authorities established in Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia which consider and may approve human embryo research under strict conditions, the Minister for Health and Aged Care should urge the remaining States and Territories to establish similar statutory authorities with power to regulate research on human embryos according to the principles set out in Sections 6 and 11 of the NHMRC Ethical Guidelines on Assisted Reproductive Technology.
The Minister for Health and Aged Care should encourage and promote informed community discussion on the potential therapeutic benefits and possible risks of the development of cloning techniques.
The AHEC proposes that, until legislation is introduced in the remaining States and Territories, the AHEC will collect information from institutional ethics committees (IECs) in these States and Territories on IEC research approvals of projects involving the application of current cloning techniques to human embryos. This information will be obtained in the course of the IEC annual compliance reporting system that is currently in place.
The AHEC proposes that, until legislation is introduced in the remaining States and Territories, the NHMRC should consider the establishment of an expert advisory committee to assist IECs which seek advice on the scientific aspects of research projects involving the application of current cloning techniques to human embryos.
This chapter discusses current State legislation and NHMRC ethical guidelines governing research which deal directly or indirectly with human cloning. The Reproductive Technology Accreditation Committee (RTAC) of the Fertility Society of Australia also issues a Code of Practice for accreditation of all IVF clinics.
The chapter evaluates the adequacy and effectiveness of the current legislation and research guidelines to deal with current and likely future technological processes with human cloning projects.
The definition of cloning in the three States which have relevant legislation is not consistent. The importance of clearly defining this term will be of great importance in ensuring adequate regulation of this expanding area of science.
Some of the work in cloning research may involve human embryos. In this case, the current legislation and ethical guidelines on human embryo experimentation will apply directly to such research proposals.
State and Territory governments established Committees of Inquiry which produced a succession of Australian reports on IVF during the 1980s. These reports also dealt with the difficult and controversial issue of embryo experimentation. There continues to be a tension between views that the embryo is, if not a human being, certainly deserving of respect, and that some experimentation ought to be allowed to uncover information relevant for the purposes of: (a) improving IVF techniques; (b) understanding male infertility; (c) understanding chromosomal abnormalities; (d) understanding gene defects; and (e) improving contraception.
Most reports recommended that no experimentation could be carried out either on embryos produced specifically for research or on embryos excess to IVF requirements.
Victoria was the first state and the first jurisdiction in the world to introduce legislation to regulate infertility treatment. Legislation was later introduced in both Western Australia and South Australia.
The Victorian Infertility Treatment Act 1995 explicitly prohibits certain research which involves the "formation or use of a zygote if the research proposed that the zygote continue to develop to syngamy" amongst other prohibited practices is altering the genetic constitution of a gamete intended for use in a fertilisation procedure.
The Western Australian Human Reproductive Technology Act 1991 contains a list of offences which include conducting unapproved research or diagnostic procedures with an egg in the process of fertilisation or an embryo, and maintaining an embryo outside the body of a woman after fourteen days from the time of mixing of the gametes.
Ministerial Directions under the Human Reproductive Technology Act 1991 (WA) include regulations which would apply if research involving human cloning were to be carried out. Where approval is sought for any research or diagnostic procedure to be carried out involving an embryo, the intention must be that the procedure will be therapeutic and unlikely to have any detrimental effects.
The Reproductive Technology Act 1988, together with the Reproductive Technology (Code of Ethical Clinical Practice) Regulations and the Reproductive Technology (Code of Ethical Research Practice) Regulations, prohibit, except in accordance with a licence, experimenting with "human reproductive material" (meaning a human embryo, human semen or a human ovum).
In October, 1997, the New South Wales Government issued a discussion paper titled "Review of the Human Tissue Act 1983." In the Foreword to this paper, the New South Wales Minister for Health, the Hon. Dr Andrew Refshauge stated that "In response to community concern the Government has decided to introduce a law to ensure that two procedures do not develop in New South Wales. The Government has announced the banning of human cloning and trans-species fertilisation involving human gametes or embryos."
The NHMRC has published specific guidelines dealing with ART which include reference to cloning of human beings. The Ethical Guidelines were tabled in Parliament prior to their release in 1996. These guidelines were accompanied by a recommendation that they form a basis for complementary legislation in the States and Territories which had not yet introduced legislation.
The NHMRC Act authorises the Council to issue guidelines for the conduct of health research and of other purposes related to health. Although infringement of their provisions is not a legal offence, sanctions for infringement usually involve loss of access to research funds from the fund managed and administered by the Council or publication of the names of infringers in Parliament. The guidelines are regarded as national standards of acceptable practice.
The NHMRC Ethical Guidelines include a number of guidelines relating to embryo experimentation. A practical requirement of note is that "the recognition that any experimentation and research involved in these technologies should be limited in ways which reflect the human nature of the embryo, acknowledging that there is a diversity of views on what constitutes the moral status of a human embryo, particularly in its early stages of development."
The NHMRC Ethical Guidelines contain restrictions on research relevant and specifically prohibit certain practices.
In Australia, substantial limits are placed on research involving embryos. Statutory approval for embryo experimentation is required in three States. The effect of the NHMRC Statement on Human Experimentationt and the specific NHMRC Ethical Guidelines which deal with embryo experimentation allow research in this area only in exceptional circumstances. In the other States and Territories an institutional ethics committee (IEC) is required to grant approval for such research in accordance with the NHMRC Ethical Guidelines on Assisted Reproductive Technology.
Cloning techniques of nuclear transfer or embryo splitting could have applications in assisted reproductive programs. One commentator has noted that the nuclear transfer process may have applications in assisted reproductive programs to overcome male infertility problems. An infertile husband could benefit from the asexual nuclear transfer process by contributing his genetic material to the enucleated cell of his wife. Applications of cloning techniques could be used to assist in ART by the splitting of embryos, so increasing the number of embryos for later transfer, facilitating fertilisation in women over 40 (by cloning of the mitochondrial or gene set (cytoplasm replacement)), or replacing defective mitochondrial genes that cause disease.
If any of these procedures were to be undertaken in ART programs, statutory and/or ethical committee clearance would be required. Assisted reproductive technology is regulated by specific legislation in three States. There is a system of self-regulation and accreditation comprising the RTAC and its Code of Practice for units using IVF and related reproductive technologies, with RTAC setting professional and laboratory standards for clinical practice under this system of accreditation.
The status of any child born in an ART program is addressed in State and Territory legislation. This legislation was introduced so that any person donating gametes to another person in an assisted reproductive process was not the parent at law of that child. In essence this legislation established the principle that the recipient social parent, rather than the biological parent, assumed all responsibilities at law for that child. In addition, the legislation also established that the person contributing the gametes did not assume any parenting responsibilities at law under such an arrangement.
This legislation rests on the donation of gametes rather than the contribution of genetic material. In a scenario where an infertile husband contributes his own genetic material by way of nuclear transfer, the genetic as well as legal relationship is to the husband. On the other hand, were the genetic material to be contributed by a person other than the husband, current legislation may not apply.
In Chapter 2 there was discussion about early stage research into the development of cell lines from embryonic stem cells. This research may illuminate understanding of the programming and reprogramming of cell lines. Understanding of the process of differentiation and dedifferentiation could be the key to provide an unlimited source of therapeutic cells from which transplantable tissue and organs might result.
All Australian States have enacted legislation regulating the donation and transplantation of human tissue. The definition of "tissue" is not identical, but in NSW includes "an organ, or part, of a human body and a substance extracted from, or from a part of, a human body." In essence, this legislation requires the consent of the parties involved for the donation and for the acceptance of the human tissue in a transplantation procedure.
Current human tissue legislation may apply to some aspects of proposed cloning techniques. Where a cloning technique uses material from one body for transplantation to another or for research or other purposes, the consent provisions of the human tissue legislation would apply.
The Victorian Infertility Treatment Act 1995 deals specifically with cloning and defines it as the formation "outside the human body" of "a human embryo that is genetically identical to another human embryo or person." The Act prohibits a person from carrying out or attempting to carry out cloning. The Victorian Act contains prohibitions on destructive research on embryos. There are several clauses with a very direct bearing upon cloning.
In Western Australia, the Human Reproductive Technology Act 1991 establishes a regulatory structure and Code or Practice. The Act itself contains a list of offences including any procedure directed at human cloning or producing a chimaera.
The South Australian Code of Ethical Research Practice also contains a list of prohibitions which include: cloning altering the genetic structure of a cell while that cell forms part of an embryo or an ovum in the process of fertilisation; replacing the nucleus of a cell of an embryo or of an ovum in the process of fertilisation with any other nucleus; and placing reproductive material in the body of an animal.
The procedure of nuclear transfer which does not involve human semen may not be regulated by the Act or the South Australian Code of Ethical Clinical Practice. The Code of Ethical Clinical Practice does not contain a definition of the term "cloning."
The NHMRC Ethical Guidelines list a number of practices which are considered to be ethically unacceptable and to be prohibited. These include experimentation with the intent to produce two or more genetically identical individuals, including development of human embryonic stem cell lines with the aim of producing a clone of individuals.
Supplementary Note 7 to the NHMRC Statement on Human Experimentationt clearly states that the introduction of pieces of DNA or RNA into germ (reproductive) cells or fertilised ova is not acceptable, because there is insufficient knowledge about the potential consequences, hazards, and effects on future generations.
Specific accreditation standards have been formulated by the RTAC and the Fertility Society of Australia has included in its Code of Practice a specific prohibition on nuclear transfer.
Embryo splitting and nuclear transfer for the specific purpose of cloning an identical human being is either prohibited or against the intention of the regulatory framework established in Victoria, Western Australia, South Australia and the NHMRC Ethical Guidelines. Production of embryonic stem cell (ES cell) lines is contravened by the Victorian and Western Australian Acts and NHMRC Ethical Guidelines.
There is a general principle that contracts whose formation or performance is contrary to public policy are not enforceable in a court. In determining whether contracts are contrary to public policy, courts can have regard to relevant legislation. Thus, where statutes prohibit cloning, there would be grounds for concluding that a contract to provide tissue for the purpose of cloning an individual human being was contrary to public policy and thus unenforceable. Unenforceability alone does not, of course, provide a ground for prohibition of such contracts and does not mean that the parties by their contract have acted illegally.
A concern at this stage is whether a private, rather than publicly funded, organisation in a State or Territory other than Victoria, Western Australia or South Australia might consider a venture in cloning of human being or cloning of human parts without the approval of an IEC under NHMRC guidelines.
Currently, the NHMRC guidelines are only enforceable against institutions receiving NHMRC funding. The possibility exists that a private institution could decide to undertake such work. Without legislation the NHMRC cannot stop private institutions conducting such work.
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If you need help finding a specific resource, please contact us via email at firstname.lastname@example.org. | <urn:uuid:e431f3bc-7045-46de-9fff-0454afac6064> | CC-MAIN-2016-44 | http://www.onlineethics.org/cms/8069.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-44/segments/1476988719155.26/warc/CC-MAIN-20161020183839-00332-ip-10-171-6-4.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949605 | 33,885 | 2.140625 | 2 |
This award, we assume, given who it’s named after, is an award for killing people and getting away with it. Reality check: That Ted Kennedy is trotted out like some hero each year is repulsive. He left a woman to die. Which makes Cuomo’s receiving the award for his part in massive nursing home deaths apropos.
Cuomo will receive the Edward M. Kennedy Institute Award for Inspired Leadership, in part, for taking dramatic steps to slow the spread of COVID-19 when the pandemic first struck, including urging people to wear masks, stay home and respect social distancing rules.
The governor, who was married to Ted Kennedy’s niece, Kerry, also won praise for implementing a $15 minimum wage, the strongest paid family leave program in the nation and strict gun-safety laws during his three terms in Albany. | <urn:uuid:98b6c410-0a57-4b21-a168-83f04b64b17f> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | http://www.capecharlesmirror.com/news/apropos-ny-gov-cuomo-receives-edward-m-kennedy-institute-award-for-inspired-leadership/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882570767.11/warc/CC-MAIN-20220808061828-20220808091828-00471.warc.gz | en | 0.97335 | 179 | 1.507813 | 2 |
And the Top File Transfer Protocols Are...
Before implementing the secure managed file transfer solution of your choice, it’s a good idea to have a basic understanding of the protocols involved that allow for transfers to remain safe and secure.
Brush up on the introductory file transfer protocol facts below.
The original file transfer protocol, FTP, is a popular file transfer method that has been around for decades. FTP exchanges data using two separate channels known as the command channel to authenticate the user, and the data channel to transfer the files.
With FTP, both channels are unencrypted, leaving any data sent over these channels vulnerable to being taken advantage of. However, it does require an authenticated username and password for access.
Related Reading: Replace Your FTP Scripts to Increase Security
Short for FTP over SSL/TLS (Secure Sockets Layer/ Transport Layer Security), FTPS is a secure file transfer protocol that allows you to transfer files securely with trading partners, customers, and users. The transfers can be authenticated through FTPS-supported methods like client certificates, server certificates, and passwords.
Related Reading: SFTP vs. FTPS: The Key Differences
SFTP stands for FTP over SSH (Secure Shell). It is a secure FTP protocol and a great alternative to unsecure FTP tools or manual scripts. SFTP exchanges data over an SSH connection and provides organizations with a high level of protection for file transfers shared between their systems, trading partners, employees, and the cloud.
Related Reading: Are SFTP and FTP the Same?
An older protocol, SCP or Secure Copy Protocol, is a network protocol that supports file transfers between hosts on a network. It’s somewhat similar to FTP, however, SCP supports encryption and authentication features.
Related Reading: SCP vs. SFTP: Which is Better?
5. HTTP & HTTPS
As the backbone of the WWW (World Wide Web), HTTP (Hyper Text Transfer Protocol) is the foundation of data communication. It defines the format of messages through which web browsers and web servers communicate and defines how a web browser should response to a web request. HTTP uses TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) as an underlying transport and is a stateless protocol. This means each command is executed independently and no session information is retained by the receiver.
HTTPS (Hyper Text Transfer Protocol Secure) is the secure version of HTTP where communications are encrypted by TLS or SSL.
Related Reading: Comparing Transfer Methods: HTTP vs. FTP
6. AS2, AS3, & AS4
AS2, AS3, and AS4 (Applicability Statement 2, 3, and 4) are all popular protocols used to send and secure critical file transfers.
AS2 is used to transmit sensitive data securely and reliably over the internet. AS2 utilizes digital certificates and encryption standards to protect critical information while it’s in transit across systems, networks, and locations. AS2 messages can be compressed, signed, encrypted, and sent over a secure SSL tunnel.
AS3 is a standard that can be used to transmit virtually any file type. It provides a layer of security for data transmission through digital signatures and data encryption. It was created initially to transfer data files like XML and EDI documents for business-to-business data. Unlike AS2, which is a defined transfer protocol, AS3 is a message standard and focuses on how a message should be formatted when transmitting from server to server. Once an AS3 message has been composed, it can be transmitted via any other protocol (FTP, SFTP, HTTPS, etc.) as long as both parties can access the location in which the message has been placed.
AS4 is a protocol that allows businesses to securely exchange data with their partners. It builds on the foundations originally set by AS2 but works with web services and provides improved delivery notifications. As a business-to-business standard, AS4 helps make exchanging documents over the internet secure and simple.
Related Reading: What’s the Difference Between AS2, AS3, and AS4?
PeSIT, short for Protocol d'Echanges pour un Systeme Interbancaire de Telecompensation, is an end-to-end file transfer protocol that was developed in by the French Interbank Teleclearing Systems Economic Interest Grouping (GSIT). Its less widely used in North America and is primarily used to meet European banking standards and transfer communications to and from banks in Europe.
What Do These Protocols Have in Common? - GoAnywhere MFT
MFT utilizes all of these industry-standard protocols. Explore how an MFT solution like GoAnywhere MFT can help you automate, simplify, and streamline all aspects of file transfers all while simultaneously supporting each of the above-mentioned protocols. | <urn:uuid:d975eea2-ff89-481b-b320-b7bc93ea1ea8> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.helpsystems.com/blog/what-are-top-file-transfer-protocols | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571210.98/warc/CC-MAIN-20220810191850-20220810221850-00477.warc.gz | en | 0.888098 | 998 | 3.21875 | 3 |
V1029: RDS-ALERT : RDS advice and problem location for European road trafficFunded under: FP2-DRIVE 1
The project primarily aims to establish internationally accepted standards in radio data systems (RDS), TMC location coding, messages and message management, for use as part of a road traffic information system, bringing together the various national traffic messages developed to date, and creating an agreed international set. An additional objective is to ensure compatibility between the RDS-TMC receiver and other RTI equipment in the vehicle. Current proposals for one-sequence and multi-sequence messages were reviewed and evaluated in order to reach a starting consenus for experimental evaluation. A standardised protocol was successfully developed to achieve many of the driver information system objectives.
Bibliographic Reference: Report: V1029/15 EN (1990) 102 pp., ECU 10
Availability: Available from CEC, c/o Ecotec Research and Consulting Ltd., 28-34 Albert Street, Birmingham B4 7UD (GB)
Record Number: 199330342 / Last updated on: 1995-10-17
Original language: en
Available languages: en | <urn:uuid:bfdac1ee-e805-4530-8683-8d00a6369077> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://cordis.europa.eu/publication/rcn/199330342_en.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280718.7/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00402-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.876656 | 239 | 1.554688 | 2 |
It's become a trend for book adaptations, especially the last in a series, to be split into multiple movies: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows parts 1 and 2, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay parts 1 and 2, the three The Hobbit movies, etc.
What was the first film adaptation of a book to be split into multiple movies?
- It must be a single book adapted into at least two movies.
- It needs to recognizably follow the complete plot of the book. (For instance, I wouldn't count Starship Troopers 1, 2, and 3 because they don't really have anything to do with the book).
- Multiple stories in an anthology having separate adaptations don't count, although one story in an anthology being broken into multiple movies would.
- The films don't have to have been filmed back to back, but subsequent films should be telling more of the story from the same book and intended to be in continuity with each other.
- When in doubt, the spirit of the question is something along the lines of the movies mentioned earlier in this question. | <urn:uuid:4cd0bcaf-86a3-4153-b12e-b55403450563> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://movies.stackexchange.com/questions/63597/what-was-the-first-book-that-was-split-into-two-or-more-films/63620 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572161.46/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815054743-20220815084743-00467.warc.gz | en | 0.964963 | 229 | 1.882813 | 2 |
Development of WIFI Access Point with polymer optical fiber network
- The objective of this project was to developa WIFI Access Point for home and small business networks.
- The device needed to be developed as an extension to client's core product assortment.
- The device was developed as a one stop project with implementation at appointed EMS for production.
- A cross functional team incl. industrial design, mechanical-, hardware- and software development.
- The project enabled the client to develop a competitive device with small volume and option to switch production supplier. It was based on specialist competencies not available in client organisation. | <urn:uuid:911ca3ba-7156-491c-bdad-757ddd6d99e8> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.creadis.com/cases/frankische-rohrwerke/?parent_id=/X/Ue7V/qzPgOKyyxwD/jcnJqSEv7RCTWWgOfCEmVoScuk4PeTgiqFHQtz+OI6nwoQnoXeE= | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572127.33/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815024523-20220815054523-00266.warc.gz | en | 0.92465 | 140 | 1.65625 | 2 |
By Paul Roberts
The ceasefire deal agreed yesterday between Israel and the Palestinians represents a victory for the resistance movement. After 51 days of a relentless offensive Israel has had to stop its aggression and end its massacres and destruction in Gaza. This is a cause for celebration.
It has been reported that Israel has agreed to reopen Gaza’s borders and will allow the rebuilding of the infrastructure it destroyed, so the entry of materials needed for reconstruction will be permitted. Also the fishing limit will be extended from three miles to six miles from shore.
After a month talks are due to take place that will discuss the reopening of Gaza’s airport and seaport.
Israel has suffered a defeat. It failed to force the Palestinians to unconditionally surrender, whilst its invasion of Gaza encountered fierce opposition. Despite superior armaments Israel could not stop the resistance groups, Hamas and Islamic Jihad, from defending Gaza. The defence was courageous and imposed significant loses on Israel, which had 64 of its soldiers killed.
Israel inflicted immense losses on Gaza to try and force its surrender – at least 2,140 Palestinians were killed, overwhelmingly civilians including hundreds of children. Gaza’s only power station, many hospitals, schools and homes were destroyed.
Internationally Israel’s reputation has been eroded as its atrocities were so clearly exposed. And, no doubt, it will try to break its agreement with the Palestinians, as it usually does. It is determined to maintain a siege on Gaza, so Palestinians will need to maintain their unity and resolve.
The struggle for Palestinian liberation will be prolonged. Israel’s racist colonial project has the backing of imperialism. The latter utilises this settler state as a means to exercise influence in the Middle East, a key region for the control of global energy supplies.
Internationally the most appropriate tribute that acknowledges the huge sacrifices Palestinians have made is to build solidarity activity, particularly in countries like Britain that support Israeli aggression and supply it with arms. So if you are not already a member of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign – join it today. | <urn:uuid:986bf056-5004-4a49-8921-71fa16ed828b> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | http://www.socialistaction.net/2014/08/27/palestinians-win-ceasefire-in-gaza/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571758.42/warc/CC-MAIN-20220812200804-20220812230804-00673.warc.gz | en | 0.967387 | 417 | 1.6875 | 2 |
Calcutta University Act
The University of Calcutta was established by an Act of the Legislative Council (Act No II of 1857) of the then British India. A supplementary Act empowering the University to confer some additional degrees was passed in 1860. Another Act was passed in 1884 by which the University was authorised to confer honorary Degree of Law.The University Act of 1904 empowered the University to make necessary arrangements for the instruction of students, and though most of the teaching continued to be imparted in the affiliated colleges, teaching in some of the higher branches began to be organised under the University management.The Calcutta University Act, 1951, which came into operation from March, 1954 brought about important changes in the constitution and character of the University. The Act provided for Postgraduate teaching in some of the affiliated colleges along with the University Colleges. The Calcutta University Act, 1966 was passed with a view to providing for the reorganisation of the University that came into force on September 18, 1968.The University is now being governed by the Calcutta University Act, 1979 as amended up to 31 May, 2006. The Act provided for the reconstitution of the University to enable it to function more efficiently in the fields of teaching, training and research in various branches of learning and courses of study and extending higher education to meet the growing needs of the society and to make the constitution of various authorities and bodies of the University more democratic. | <urn:uuid:decba3ff-a10b-4eef-85e3-2e131da4bf81> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://caluniv.ac.in/about/univ-act.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560279169.4/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095119-00213-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96966 | 290 | 2.796875 | 3 |
Peter Weir’s The Last Wave (1977) is not exactly a horror film but like his previous film Picnic at Hanging Rock (1975), it explores irrational in the rational world, maintaining an atmosphere of mystery and magic as inexplicable events occur that modern science cannot explain. Set in contemporary Sydney, Australia, it stars Richard Chamberlain as an Australian lawyer who takes on the defense of a group of Aborigines accused of killing one of their own. As this rational lawyer is drawn into Aboriginal tribal religion, prophecy, and visions, the elemental dreams and nightmares that have tormented him since he was a child seem to manifest in unprecedented weather events across Australia, from torrential downpours flooding city streets to a sudden hailstorm dropping on a tiny desert town from a cloudless sky.
The initial inspiration for the story, according to the director, came from a trip that Weir made to Tunisia in 1971. “I was suddenly seized with this strange feeling I was going to find something, I even saw what I was going to see. And there it was, on the ground, a carving of a child’s head. I brought it home and thought about it for ages afterwards. What was that experience? Why did I see the head in my mind before I saw it in actuality. And then I started to think, what if a very rational person – a lawyer, say – had had the same experience? How would he cope with it?”
Plays on TCM on Friday, May 9 | <urn:uuid:6d2b25b6-545a-44a1-a564-08784b84e7b8> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.seanax.com/2014/05/07/the-last-wave-on-tcm/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560279915.8/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095119-00284-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.979956 | 309 | 1.742188 | 2 |
• China's president said he took early action behind the scenes
• American from cruise ship docked in Cambodia tests positive in Malaysia
• First coronavirus death outside of Asia reported in France
• U.S. to evacuate Americans from quarantined cruise ship
• San Diego County declares health emergency
• Egypt confirms coronavirus case, 1st in Africa
Chinese president says he took behind-the-scenes action in the early days of outbreak
Chinese President Xi Jinping said in a speech published Saturday night by state media that he took behind-the-scenes action in the early days of the COVID-19 epidemic.
In the speech, delivered Feb. 3 but detailed for the first time Saturday, Xi said he gave instructions to officials on fighting the outbreak as early as Jan. 7. The disclosure came after Chinese leadership was criticized for slow and muted reaction to the COVID-19 disease caused by the novel coronavirus.
It wasn't until late January that officials notified the public about its potential to spread.
Outrage over the death of a young doctor and virus carrier, Li Wenliang, who was reprimanded by local police for trying to warn people about the disease, preceded a shakeup of Communist Party leadership in Hubei province, where the outbreak is centered.
The news of Xi's speech came as the country's National Health Commission reported that the number of new cases, 2,009, is declining compared to the peak of more than 15,000 on Thursday. The number has dropped for three days in a row.
A total of 68,500 confirmed cases and 1,665 deaths were reported Saturday. The commission reported 9,419 people have recovered after contracting the virus. - Associated Press and Dennis Romero
American from cruise ship docked in Cambodia tests positive in Malaysia
An 83-year-old American woman who had been a passenger on a cruise ship that docked in Cambodia has tested positive for the new coronavirus after she arrived in Malaysia, health authorities said on Saturday.
The American woman flew to Malaysia on Friday from Cambodia along with 144 others from the ship, the Malaysian health ministry said in a statement. The woman's husband had tested negative, it said.
The MS Westerdam, operated by Carnival Corp. unit Holland America Inc., docked in the Cambodian port of Sihanoukville on Thursday after being shunned by five countries on fears that passengers could be carrying the virus.
The Westerdam, carrying 1,455 passengers and 802 crew, spent two weeks at sea.
The passengers were tested regularly on board and Cambodia also tested 20 once the ship docked. None were found to have the new coronavirus. — Reuters
First death outside Asia reported in France
An 80-year-old Chinese man has died from a coronavirus related disease in France — the first person to do so outside of Asia.
French Health Minister Agnes Buzyn said the 80-year-old came from China's Hubei Province, where the disease, officially known as COVID-19, is believed to have originated.
Buzyn said he had arrived in France on Jan 16. and was placed isolation nine days later at the Hospital Bichat in Paris, where he was closely monitored.
His daughter is also infected although her condition is not thought to be serious, she said, adding that she was being treated at the same hospital. — Nancy Ing
Beijing orders 14-day quarantine for returnees
Authorities in Beijing have ordered residents returning home from traveling, to place themselves in a self-imposed quarantine for 14 days, in a bid to contain the virus.
The directive for self-isolation from the Beijing Office of Prevention and Control issued on Friday, came as the death toll in mainland China from the outbreak passed 1,500.
It said that those who refuse to accept the new measures of prevention, “shall be held accountable according to law.”— Eric Baculinao
U.S. to evacuate Americans from quarantined cruise ship
American passengers quarantined aboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan where scores of people had tested positive for the novel coronavirus are to be evacuated on Sunday, according to an email sent to them by the U.S. embassy in Tokyo.
"The aircraft will arrive in Japan the evening of Feb. 16," the email said. "Buses will move you and your belongings from the ship to the aircraft."
It said they would "be screened for symptoms and we are working with our Japanese partners to ensure that any symptomatic passengers receive the required care in Japan if they cannot board the flight."
As of Friday 218 of the 771 passengers and crew that have been tested are positive for the virus, also known as COVID-19, authorities said. At least 32 were Americans.
— Dennis Romero
San Diego County declares health emergency
San Diego County declared a public health emergency Friday as American evacuees from Wuhan, China, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak, have been quarantined at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in the city of San Diego.
The base received two flights of Wuhan evacuees last week. Two of the travelers have tested positive for the virus and were described as "doing well" and "fair," respectively, by UC San Diego Health CEO Patty Maysent. Five other Wuhan evacuees were described as persons under investigation. All seven were at UC San Diego Health facilities, university officials said at a news conference Friday.
Additionally, two people intercepted at the U.S.-Mexico border were "possible subjects of investigation" as a result of their travel histories, said Dr. Eric McDonald of the Diego County Health and Human Services Agency. They were in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he said.
County officials emphasized that the emergency, which followed a similar declaration by Santa Clara County in the Bay Area, did not signal increased odds of contracting the virus. They said it allowed local government to more easily tap needed resources. — Dennis Romero
Egypt confirms coronavirus case,1st in Africa
The first coronavirus case on the African continent was confirmed by Egypt's Health Ministry, Friday. The affected person is a foreigner who had been put into isolation at a hospital, it said in a statement.
It added that it had immediately informed the World Health Organization and had taken all necessary preventative measures.
Everyone who had come into contact with the person will be quarantined in their homes for 14 days, Dr. Khaled Mujahid, from Egypt's Ministry of Health, said in the statement. The building where the person was staying had been “sterilized,” he said.
The health ministry did not give the nationality of the affected person or any other details. — Charlene Gubash and Reuters | <urn:uuid:5f6f2bde-d22f-4637-b717-3d97af7790b1> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/coronavirus-updates-u-s-evacuate-americans-quarantined-cruise-ship-n1137331?cid=public-rss_20200215 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573197.34/warc/CC-MAIN-20220818124424-20220818154424-00674.warc.gz | en | 0.978962 | 1,416 | 1.523438 | 2 |
The Tradition of the Jesse Tree
Jesse Trees are a very old Christmas Tradition and first started in medieval times. They are used to help tell the story of the Bible from creation to the Christmas Story.
The name comes from Jesse who was the Father of the great Jewish King David. One prophecy in the Bible, in the book of Isaiah, says:
1 A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.
2 The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him-- the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD--
3 and he will delight in the fear of the LORD. He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears;
4 but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth.
Isaiah 11:1-4 (NIV)
A branch is a sign of new life and new beginnings. Jesus was a descendent of King David and Christians believe that Jesus is this new branch.
The first Jesse trees were large carvings, tapestries or even stained glass windows put in Churches that helped illiterate people (people who can't read or write) to learn about the Bible from creation to the Christmas Story. But now Jesse Trees are used as a kind of Advent Calendar. You can use a normal Christmas tree or a banner in the shape of a tree. Each day through advent (or sometimes just on the four Sundays of advent) a special decoration or ornament (similar to a Chrismon), that tells a story from the Bible, is hung on the tree.
There are very many different stories and symbols you can use. I've listed 25 stories and symbols that I especially like!
|Bible Story:||Where it is in the Bible:||Symbol:|
|Creation||Genesis 1||The earth|
|Adam and Eve /
Garden of Eden
|Genesis 2:4 - 3:24||A tree with fruit or an apple|
|Noah & the Flood||Genesis 6:9 - 9:17||A rainbow|
|Genesis 12:1-7 & 15:1-6||A tent|
|Isaac||Genesis 22:1-18||A ram|
|Jacob's Ladder||Genesis 28:10-19||A ladder|
|Joseph's Coat||Genesis 37 & 50||A multicolored coat or robe|
|Moses||Exodus 2:1 - 4:20||A burning bush|
|Exodus 12:1-42||A lamb|
|The 10 Commandments||Exodus 19:1 - 20:20||Two stone tablets|
|Joshua and the
fall of Jericho
|Joshua 6:1-20||A ram's horn trumpet|
|Ruth||Ruth (Whole Book)||A sheaf of corn|
|King David||1 Samuel 16:1-3||A six pointed 'Star of David'|
|Solomon's Temple||1 Kings 6||The temple|
|1 Kings 18:16-39||A bonfire|
|Isaiah 11:1-11||A tree stump with a single branch
growing from it
|Jonah and the Whale||Jonah (Whole Book)||A whale|
|John the Baptist||Matthew 3:13-17||A scallop shell|
|Mary||Luke 1:26-38||A white lily|
|Elizabeth||Luke 1:39-56||A mother and child|
|Zechariah||Luke 1:57-80||A pencil and tablet|
|Joseph||Matthew 1:19-25||A carpenter's hammer|
|The Shepherds||Luke 2:8-20||A fluffy sheep!|
|The Wisemen||Matthew 2:1-12||A gold star or the
three gifts or three crowns
|Jesus||Luke 2:1-8||A baby in a manger| | <urn:uuid:d20c2aae-f8c2-472b-bf93-49aba896a869> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | https://www.whychristmas.com/customs/jessetrees.shtml | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560279368.44/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095119-00321-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.867399 | 872 | 3.078125 | 3 |
Dhaka: Shipping Minister Shajahan Khan on Thursday stressed the need for mass awareness programmes to combat militancy in the country. “We should be alert against militancy. Mass awareness must be created to combat militancy in the country,” he said this while speaking at a discussion.
The Association for Law and Human Rights (ALHR) arranged the discussion, titled ‘Role of the media in resisting the militancy’, at Dhaka Reporters Unity in the city. UNB News Agency Reported.
President of Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ) Manjurul Ahsan Khan Bulbul, former secretary general of Dhaka Union of Journalist (DUJ) Kuddus Afrad, secretary general of International War Crimes Mass Trail Movement Kamal Pasha Chowdhury, Advocate Hasna Begum and DRU general secretary Raju Ahmed also spoke at the meeting held with ALHR president Jahangir Khan
Shajahan Khan said the government has taken a strong stance against terrorism and militancy, and nobody can protect them.
He also mentioned that there should not be any unity with the people who do not believe in the spirit of Liberation. | <urn:uuid:9a56bcdd-0d3e-4065-9cc0-d6c79caf6c0a> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://greenwatchbd.com/mass-awareness-needed-to-combat-militancy-says-shipping-minister/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560279224.13/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095119-00478-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.932718 | 245 | 1.664063 | 2 |
The Coral Gables Museum is doing its part to bring the culture of the World Cup to South Florida.
Adriana Sabino, co-founder and president of the Centro Cultural Brasil-USA da Florida (CCBU), a non-profit organization established in 1997 with a mission of disseminating Brazilian culture in South Florida, worked with the museum to give locals a broader perspective of the 12 venues hosting the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
“We figure that we could use the interest that the World Cup is generating to show the urban diversity and the sustainable architecture of the stadiums,” said Sabino, who is originally from Brazil and moved to Key Biscayne in 1984. “We feel that it’s a way of expanding the cultural community of Miami.”
The exhibit created by CCBU and the Coral Gables Museum, 12 Stadiums │ 12 Cities: Brazil 2014 World Soccer Destination, begins Friday and will run until Sept. 14. It will include three sections: cities, stadiums and urban soccer culture. The cities will be represented by photos taken by native photographers. The 12 stadiums will be showcased with photos and architectural drawings and models. The exhibit will also include video, kiosks and objects that depict the soccer club fans’ culture.
With five World Cups, Brazil leads all other nations. In 2007, the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) designated Brazil as the host country of the 2014 FIFA World Cup. It is the second time Brazil has hosted the tournament and the first since 1950, when Brazil lost to Uruguay 2-1 in its famed soccer stadium, the Maracanã, in Rio de Janeiro.
The exhibit designer, Wendy Mahr said the authenticity of the work is what makes it worthwhile.
“When things go up on the wall, the exhibit starts coming to life,” said Mahr, a Little Gables resident. “When people first start to see it and enjoy it, it’s great.”
Along with the kickoff to the exhibit, which begins at 6 p.m. Friday, the museum will host another event, Capture Coral Gables. Brazilian artist Rose Max and Ramatis will perform with their five-piece Samba ensemble.
The museum plaza is being converted into a turf soccer field for the exhibit. An architectural panel, including some of the architects who designed the stadiums, as well as lectures about Brazilian culture, films, art workshops for children and viewing parties for the games will all be part of the program at the museum throughout the summer.
For Sabino, the timing of these festivities could not have been better.
“The attention of the world will be toward Brazil, so people from all around the world will want to know more about Brazil,” she said. “It’s a great moment to share our culture with this community, and by doing that, we make Miami even more global.” | <urn:uuid:ba6517cb-1571-4dce-84b5-a32592c7941d> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/coral-gables/article1965427.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280128.70/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00394-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954647 | 603 | 1.90625 | 2 |
Death penalty is in the Sastra, our sacred books. However these rules should be applied according to time and circumstances and not always and indiscriminately.
This is the role of the Acarya, to decide what, how, when and how much a Vedic rule should be applied.
Srila Prabhupada never told us to kill anybody, although he told us that if one kills somebody should be killed. So he said that the principle is correct but did not tell us to actually do it. One thing is culture and another is the applications.
Sri Bhaktisiddhanta said that if someone doesn’t chant 64 rounds a day is a sub-human but Srila Prabhupada told us 16 minimum and, on his order, if we do that we are not sub-humans.
If you are rich and you steal you should be punished more severely than one who steals for hunger, because you do it just for the perverted pleasure to be a disturbance to society.
Stealing is always condemnable, of course, I am not justifying it, but surely if there are people who do not have to eat the government is liable as much as the poor man. A civilized society is that one where no one person in the world are without a house and food.
Societies where there are homeless and hungry people are barbaric.
Personally I am against death penalty. First you straigth up your country, give culture, economy, education and everything necessary for a decent life and after we can talk about the ethics of death penalty.
- Manonatha Dasa (ACBSP)
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Post view 418 times | <urn:uuid:82589865-b753-42f0-ae2a-71f0aca52ca3> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.isvara.org/archive/about-death-penalty/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571584.72/warc/CC-MAIN-20220812045352-20220812075352-00666.warc.gz | en | 0.959645 | 360 | 2.328125 | 2 |
A study from China attests to the Prolonged presence of SARS-CoV-2 viral RNA in faecal samples, published in The Lancet - Gastroenterology and Hepatology Journal.
The authors have presented that their "data suggest the possibility of extended duration of viral shedding in faeces, for nearly 5 weeks after the patients' respiratory samples tested negative for SARS-CoV-2 RNA." According to them,"Although knowledge about the viability of SARS-CoV-2 is limited, the virus could remain viable in the environment for days, which could lead to faecal–oral transmission, as seen with severe acute respiratory virus CoV and Middle East respiratory syndrome CoV"
This is significant in countries where sanitation is sub-optimal. Also, apart from the droplet, aerosol routes of transmission, other routes are not readily known. | <urn:uuid:5793905f-82e5-490b-870b-2a66bce0a0ed> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://covid.scientifique.in/possible-faecal-oral-transmission-of-sars-cov-2/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882570651.49/warc/CC-MAIN-20220807150925-20220807180925-00475.warc.gz | en | 0.943313 | 182 | 2.8125 | 3 |
Shown two cars, people with a preference for similarity would say that they were--two cars!
These people are not into detail and hence tend to prefer big-picture views. They like simple understanding and will see the world more in black-and-white terms. They like the warmth of familiarity that gives them a comfortable sense of control.
They also will like predictability and stability in their daily lives and will tend towards routine and order.
If shown the same cars, other people will immediately notice how they are different. Even if the cars are apparently identical, they will spot scratches, wheel angle and so on.
Those of us who prefer difference have an eye for detail and as a result are good at improving the world around us. They like the stimulation of novelty and are constantly seeking what is new and different.
Difference people are easily bored when they are faced with routine and structure. They will happily design a detailed process for other people, but will not use it themselves.
Few of us who saw the two cars would see only 'cars' and in fact the majority of the population will say they are 'cars' first and then start to point out the differences.
Similarity-then-difference people tend to see the world top-down, beginning at the outside and then working their way into the detail.
In work, they like a steady job, but with interest and variation in it.
The final viewpoint is to see the differences between the cars and then point out that they are, of course, two cars.
These people will see the world bottom-up, starting with the detail and building up to the big picture.
They primarily seek variation in what they do, but also appreciate a moderate amount of stability. They will follow processes they are given only if these make sense and they can understand how they work.
Find out what the people need and then play to these.
Give order and repetition to those who prefer similarity.
Never do the same thing twice with those who prefer difference. Be curious and playful with them. Show them new and different things.
For Difference-first people, start with an explanation then ask or tell.
For Similarity-first people, tell first, then explain. | <urn:uuid:3be14945-e1e6-48f6-b5c4-015a542c7ce1> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://englishspeech.xust.blog.163.com/blog/static/3612526620137213555410/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560282140.72/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095122-00136-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964043 | 460 | 2.9375 | 3 |
Previous Challenge Entry (Level 4 – Masters)
Topic: Click (04/18/13)
TITLE: Sally, My Love
By Virgil Youngblood
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I was out for a drive, getting away from the hassle of a hectic life, communing with God, driving down seldom traveled back-country roads and faded trails. Basking in the glory of His creation, he was rearranging my thoughts. After several hours of meandering I had stopped on a slight rise and stepped out to enjoy the mesmerizing sight of grasses swaying sinuously in a gentle spring breeze.
Standing with my hand on the hood of my car, enjoying the freshness of the outdoors, I could feel the motor purring smoothly. However long I stood was too long. My reverie was shattered by an ominous sound – “Click.” The auto door lock engaged: it is programmed to do that after a time when the key is left in the ignition with the motor running.
So here I am, stuck in the middle of nowhere. My cell phone is in the car. My search to find anything to help me break in has failed. No one knows where I am, including myself. My foot hurts from trying to kick in the windshield. I’d give fifty dollars, maybe more, for a drink of water. I feel like Job.
Okay God. You’ve got my attention. That “click” did it. If I get out of this alive you’re going to have to show off.
To my absolute surprise, shortly after my petition, a whiskery old prospector rode up on a donkey and, I swear, the donkey was wearing a straw hat with a sunflower in it. I thought I was hallucinating. He looked a throwback from an old western movie. But, celluloid prospectors were always in dry gulches or on rocky mountains with tumbling creeks and gravelly stream beds. I pinched myself thinking this is too surreal to be true.
“What’cha problem, young feller?” he asked, nailing my hubcap with a splash of tobacco juice.
Leaping to my feet, slapping my rear with the palms of my hand to knock the dust off I exclaimed, “Sir, may I borrow your pickax? I locked myself out of my car. I need to bust a window to get in.”
He chawed a few moments, looking me over, thinking something behind those rheumy eyes. “Well now, I guess you can” he said. “But, first, let’s have an un’nerstanding.”
“What do you mean?” I asked, suspicious of where this was going. It had been a simple request.
“Sally, that’s my pick” he said. “She’s my livelihood. I got ’tuh have ‘er. If you break her, you trade your life for hers.”
“She’s my work tool. You break her, you gon’na take her place. Un’nerstand?”
“I think so.” I didn’t, really, but I thought it best to humor him. Desperate people do desperate things. I qualified.
“I’ll give you one swing. If Sally glances off, you don’t get another. If the handle breaks, you’ll be picking rock out of Golconda #2 with your hands. You want to risk that?”
“Can I inspect the handle?”
“Nope! You pick it up, the deal’s on.”
“How about you break the window for me? I’ll pay you well to do it. My billfold is in the car.”
Scratching his nose with a stubby forefinger he paused to stain another hub cap. “No sir’ree, young feller. I ain’t a breaking and entering nothing. That’s what got me into the prospecting business. A fool lady said I stole a apple pie out’ta her house but I never done it. The judge gim’me thirty days. I been staying away from trouble ever since. You gon’na have to do your own breaking. It’s a fact, Jack. I don’t even know if that car be yours.”
I bowed my head, thinking, praying. Lord, it’s me again. I know you sent your son on a donkey to save the world. But, have you sent this tobacco spewing character to save me? I want to know Lord. What should I do?
And the thought came resoundingly clear: ‘If I lead you to it, I’ll lead you through it. You prayed, didn’t you? Get moving.’
I hefted Sally, tapping the window to measure the distance, and swung…..
The opinions expressed by authors may not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com.
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JOIN US at FaithWriters for Free. Grow as a Writer and Spread the Gospel. | <urn:uuid:e0ae25f1-897f-446a-837d-886e02fac166> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.faithwriters.com/wc-article-level4-previous.php?id=45513 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560281331.15/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095121-00221-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952588 | 1,153 | 1.539063 | 2 |
If you want to live your life long and full, you need to take care of your brain because as long as your brain is healthy, your body is healthy. Vitamins and minerals are essential micronutrients that help your brain function properly. Vitamin deficiencies can lead to severe neurodegenerative disorders.
Importance Of Adequate Vitamin Status:
A sufficient supply of vitamins can actually “make things happen” in your brain, including improved cognition functions and proper working of brain cells.
Vitamins, especially vitamin B, D, and K, prevent memory loss, reduce the risk of stroke, improve blood pressure and cognitive function, and protect your brain cells from radical damage (1).
Vitamin Deficiencies: More Common Than Generally Thought:
Your brain health relies on vitamins to improve brain health and cognitive function. Vitamin deficiencies have been linked with many psychiatric illnesses. They increase the risk of mental illness and exacerbate the symptoms of many disorders with compromised patient recovery.
For example, vitamin B deficiency has been linked with depressive symptoms, dementia, and cognitive impairment (2).
Vitamin B-12: Effect Of Vegetarian Diets On Brain Health If Not Supplemented:
People who consume vegetarian diets do not get enough vitamin B12, which is essential for boosting brain function. According to a study, women on vegetarian diets are at particular risk of having iron and vitamin B12 deficiency.
Vitamin D And The Brain:
An essential micronutrient that protects neurons and reduces inflammation in the brain cells is vitamin D. The enzymes in the brain and cerebrospinal fluid are activated or deactivated by vitamin D for nerve growth and neurotransmitter growth.
Vitamin D, being a multi-potent nutrient, protects the brain cells and works through various mechanisms, including calcium balance in the brain (3).
Vitamin Deficiencies Result In Depression And Parkinson’s Disease:
An increased risk of depression has been associated with low levels of vitamin B12 and folate. Vitamin D deficiency also causes depression. One study reported supplementation with vitamin D could improve the symptoms of depression (4).
Vitamin D deficiency has also been linked with the onset of Parkinson’s disease. According to a study, patients with Parkinson’s disease had lower levels of serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D. Also, prevalent Parkinson’s disease patients were reported to have cognitive impairment and increased disease severity linked with vitamin D deficiency (5).
- Maqbool MA, Aslam M, Akbar W, Iqbal Z. Biological importance of vitamins for human health: A review. 2018 May 25;2.
- Black MM. Micronutrient Deficiencies and Cognitive Functioning,. J Nutr. 2003 Nov;133(11 Suppl 2):3927S-3931S.
- Anjum I, Jeffery SS, Fayyaz M, Samoo Z, Anjum S. The Role of Vitamin D in Brain Health: A Mini Literature Review. Cureus. 10(7):e2960.
- Rao TSS, Asha MR, Ramesh BN, Rao KSJ. Understanding nutrition, depression, and mental illnesses. Indian J Psychiatry. 2008;50(2):77–82.
- The Role of Vitamin D in Disease Progression in Early Parkinson’s Disease – PubMed [Internet]. [cited 2021 Jul 20]. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28984616/ | <urn:uuid:165a10cc-8a6a-42f8-b5a9-1785eebf9b29> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://esperity.com/vitamin-deficiencies-effect-on-cerebral-neuropathways/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571210.98/warc/CC-MAIN-20220810191850-20220810221850-00472.warc.gz | en | 0.873679 | 729 | 3.390625 | 3 |
Police in Guinea have fired tear gas to disperse protesters demanding the government hold long-delayed legislative elections.
A VOA reporter says police used the tear gas Thursday as demonstrators tried to gather for a march to a stadium in the capital, Conakry. The reporter says the protesters were also attacked by youths who support President Alpha Conde.
There were no immediate reports of arrests or injuries.
Elections were scheduled for July 8 but President Conde postponed them last month, citing technical problems with the voter registration system.
Guinea's last legislative elections took place in June 2002, during the rule of President Lansana Conte.
The European Union, which cut off aid to Guinea after a 2008 military coup, has said the polls must be held before it fully resumes its aid programs.
Guinean opposition parties are demanding an audit of the voter rolls and changes in the country's electoral commission, which they say favors the ruling party.
President Conde was elected in 2010, during Guinea's first free and fair presidential election since independence in 1958. | <urn:uuid:4eb6f7e8-eb7a-4d4f-be3b-d3084589443b> | CC-MAIN-2016-44 | http://www.voanews.com/a/guinea_police_fire_tear_gas_at_protesters/539088.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-44/segments/1476988720845.92/warc/CC-MAIN-20161020183840-00087-ip-10-171-6-4.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.977377 | 215 | 1.6875 | 2 |
These are the unavoidable laws of nature and the universe... 1. Law of Mechanical Repair: After your hands become coated with grease your nose will begin to itch or you'll have to pee. 2. Law of the Workshop: Any tool, when dropped, will roll to the least accessible corner. 3. Law of probability: The probability of being watched is directly proportional to the stupidity of your act. 4. Law of the Telephone: When you dial a wrong number, you never get a busy signal. 5. Law of the Alibi: If you tell the boss you were late for work because you had a flat tire, the very next morning you will have a flat tire. 6. Variation Law: If you change lines (or traffic lanes), the one you were in will start to move faster than the one you are in now. (works every time). 7. Bath Theorem: When the body is fully immersed in water, the telephone rings. 8. Law of Close Encounters: The probability of meeting someone you know increases when you are with someone you don't want to be seen with. 9. Law of the Result: When you try to prove to someone that a machine won't work, it will. 10. Law of Biomechanics: The severity of the itch is inversely proportional to the reach. 11. Theater Rule: At any event, the people whose seats are furthest from the aisle arrive last. 12. Law of Coffee: As soon as you sit down to a cup of hot coffee, your boss will ask you to do something which will last until the coffee is cold. 13. Murphy's Law of Lockers: If there are only two people in a locker room, they will have adjacent lockers. 14. Law of Dirty Rugs/Carpets: The chances of an open-faced jam sandwich landing face down on a floor covering are directly correlated to the newness, color and cost of the carpet/rug. 15. Law of Location: No matter where you go, there you are. 16. Law of Logical Argument: Anything is possible if you don't know what you are talking about. 17. Brown's Law: If the shoe fits, it's ugly. 18. Oliver's Law: A closed mouth gathers no feet. 19. Wilson's Law: As soon as you find a product that you really like, they will stop making it. 20. Murphy's Law: If something can go wrong, it will. | <urn:uuid:cc8d08b2-9cec-41a5-932d-59b662d22919> | CC-MAIN-2016-44 | https://netrider.net.au/threads/friday-funny-unavoidable-laws-of-nature-and-the-universe.68524/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-44/segments/1476988722459.85/warc/CC-MAIN-20161020183842-00344-ip-10-171-6-4.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957152 | 505 | 1.898438 | 2 |
An overview of male yeast infections with everything you need to know about the topic to prevent and treat the condition as soon as possible.
Candida yeasts, particularly Candida albicans, cause thrush, a fungal infection. It mostly affects women, although it can also impact men. Thrush is also known by the labels yeast infection, Candida, candidiasis, candidal balanitis, and moniliasis. In males, thrush can affect the head of the penis as well as the foreskin. Balanitis, or inflammation of the head of the penis, might result.
Take a look at the following article for insightful information about male yeast infections for preventing and treating the condition effectively and as soon as possible.
Although a yeast infection is commonly associated with women, it can afflict anybody, including those who have a penis. If left untreated, a penile yeast infection can cause a variety of painful and unpleasant symptoms. If the infection spreads to your bloodstream, it might cause serious consequences.
Because the fungus that causes yeast infections (candida) is generally found on the skin, especially moist skin, yeast infections are frequent in men. Infection can occur when candida overgrows due to a contributing factor, such as having intercourse with a partner who has a vaginal yeast infection.
Candida, a fungus, is the most common cause of a yeast infection. In most cases, a minor amount of candida is present in the body. A yeast infection can be caused by an excess of candida. A penile yeast infection can be caused by having sex with someone who has a vaginal yeast infection without using a condom. However, you can get an infection even if you don’t have any sexual activity.
Aside from having intercourse with a partner who has a yeast infection, there are several other risk factors that can enhance your chances of getting a yeast infection in your penile.
Factors such as not cleaning your genitals or bathing regularly, having a weakened immune function due to certain medications or health conditions, long-term use of antibiotics, wearing wet clothing or tight-fitting underwear, using skin products or soaps that cause skin irritation, diabetes, using lubricated condoms, being uncircumcised, and obesity
Because the fungus thrives in the moist environment of the foreskin, symptoms are more common in uncircumcised males.
Genital itching, redness and swelling of the foreskin or head of the penis (balanitis), difficulty pulling back the foreskin, cracking or bleeding of the foreskin, white, foul-smelling discharge, small rash-like bumps on the penis that may contain pus, and pain during urination or sex are just a few of the symptoms.
The majority of yeast infections are not spreadable. Infections usually arise when the skin, mouth (mucosal surface), vagina, and penis/foreskin acquire excessive moisture and warmth, which is often coupled with a weakened immune system. Candida has the best chance of growing and multiplying in these conditions.
Yeast infections can be passed between men and women during intercourse on rare occasions. A yeast infection in the vagina, or penis/foreskin, is not considered a sexually transmitted disease because most yeast infections do not spread from person to person.
Antifungal ointments and lotions are usually sufficient to clean up an infection. The majority of antifungal creams are well tolerated and have few significant adverse effects. However, read the label and ask a doctor or pharmacist what to look for if you have a poor response. Here are some recommended medications for treating a male yeast infection:
- Lotrimin AF. It helps to control the natural fungus that causes athlete’s foot, jock itch, and ringworm, which relieves itchy skin and damaged feet.
- Canesten. Ringworm, athlete’s foot, fungal nappy rash, and fungal sweat rash are all fungal skin illnesses that can be treated with this medication.
- Desenex. Athlete’s foot, jock itch, ringworm, tinea versicolor (a fungus that discolors the skin), and yeast infections of the skin are all treated with this medication.
If your symptoms are severe or unexpected, it’s a good idea to contact a doctor. Circumcision may be indicated if the condition is caused by a tight foreskin.
If you opt to self-treat and the OTC medicines don’t work or the yeast infection returns, you should consult a doctor. Undiagnosed diabetes, hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid), HIV, or penile cancer could all be contributing factors to the infection.
If you schedule an appointment with your doctor, they may also suggest an STI screening. If the rash is severe, the doctor may send a swab from around the glans penis and under the foreskin to the lab for testing if they are unclear of the diagnosis or suspect an underlying cause. A biopsy may be required if there are persistent sores or ulcers that do not heal. | <urn:uuid:4220b1cb-f241-4dbc-ad48-2a55c6029b36> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.fungalpoint.com/fungal-infection-penile/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573744.90/warc/CC-MAIN-20220819161440-20220819191440-00472.warc.gz | en | 0.938199 | 1,047 | 2.484375 | 2 |
The F-35 is the hugely expensive, and hugely complicated, fifth-generation stealth fighter jet. Perennially delayed and wildly over budget, it's had its share of problems and rightly earned piles of criticism. So here's some good news for once: The plane---maybe the most expensive weapon ever developed---has successfully taken off from a ski jump.
Before you start laughing, this is actually a significant milestone. The F-35 will come in a number of variants for different operational profiles (one source of complications and cost overruns), including the F-35C, designed for carrier operations with hardware allowing it to land and launch from flat-top aircraft carriers like US Navy's Nimitz and Ford class aircraft carriers, as well as folding wings and some other accoutrements. The F-35A is a more conventional fighter meant for use by the US Air Force and other land-based air forces.
Then there's the F-35B. It's the short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) variant. It's meant to be a replacement for the Harrier "hover jet", and it's able to take off from much smaller ships than the F-35C. It uses fancy hardware to aim engine thrust down, allowing the plane to take off and land at much slower airspeeds or even completely vertically, helicopter-style.
See, full-size aircraft carriers like the American Nimitz class---with longer runways and catapults to make taking off feasible---are incredibly expensive, and many of our allies can't justify the cost. Instead, they build smaller carriers with ski jump-like ramps at the end to assist planes in taking off.
The upward-sloped ramp at the bow simultaneously launches the aircraft upward and forward, allowing planes to take off with more weight onboard and with less speed than horizontal launch systems. Basically it's about saving money, because the ship can be a lot smaller and thus cheaper to build and run. They're used by navies around the world, including those of Britain, Australia, China, India, Italy, Russia, and Spain. The British, Italians, and Australians are all considering the F-35B. The US Marine Corps has committed to buying a number of them as well.
Last week, a BAE Systems (one of the main contractors on the F-35) test pilot successfully flew the F-35B off a ski jump for the first time at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland.
To make the process easier, the F-35B automatically adjusts control surfaces and nozzles for takeoff, allowing the pilot to focus on other things---and again showing how freaking complicated this thing is. If you look at the rear of the plane, you can see the thrust vectoring nozzles on the main engine pointing downward to mix lift and propulsive thrust, helping the plane get airborne.
We're sure the myriad companies involved in building the F-35B will get it all figured out (eventually), and that it'll be awesome once they do. But boy is it costing a lot of money. Depending on who you ask, the whole F-35 program will cost more than $350 billion over its lifetime (it got started in 2006), so it's really important that it, you know, work. This test is one small step in making sure it does. | <urn:uuid:3885a988-fa6d-4c83-bb7b-8cce8e4e868e> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.wired.com/2015/06/wildly-expensive-f-35-jet-makes-first-ski-jump-launch/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882570879.37/warc/CC-MAIN-20220809003642-20220809033642-00670.warc.gz | en | 0.955324 | 690 | 2.34375 | 2 |
The Loyal Citizen's Contract With the American Government:
Considering the responses of Bill Kristol, the Wall Street Journal, and others to President Bush’s affirmation of warrantless domestic spying by the NSA, perhaps it’s time to separate the wheat from the chaff in this America. The Rude Pundit believes a new "contract" of sorts is needed between the government and the American people. Howzabout this:
"I (the undersigned) believe President George W. Bush when he says that the United States of America is fighting a 'new kind of enemy' that requires 'new thinking' about how to wage war. Therefore, as a loyal citizen of President Bush’s United States, my signature below indicates my agreement to the following:
"1. I believe wholeheartedly in the Patriot Act as initially passed by Congress in 2001, as well as the provisions of the Domestic Security Enhancement Act. Therefore, I grant the FBI access to:
"a. my library records, so it may determine if I am reading material that might designate me an enemy of the nation;
"b. my financial records, including credit reports, so it may determine if I am contributing monetarily to any governmentally proscribed activities or organizations;
"c. my medical records, so it may determine if my prescriptions, injuries, or other conditions are indicative of terrorist activity on my part;
"d. any and all other personal records including, but not limited to, my store purchases, my school records, my web browsing history, and anything else determined as a 'tangible thing' necessary to engage in a secret investigation of me.
"I agree that I do not need to be notified if my records have come under scrutiny by the FBI, and, furthermore, I agree that no warrant is needed for the FBI to engage in this examination of my personal records. Additionally, I agree that the FBI should be allowed to monitor any groups it believes may be linked to what it determines to be terrorist activity.
"2. I believe that the President of the United States has the power to mitigate or set aside any and all laws passed by the Congress and that he has such power granted to him by his status as Commander-in-Chief in the Constitution as well as the 2001 Authorization of Military Force, passed by the Congress, which states that the President can use 'all necessary and appropriate force' in prosecution of the war. Therefore, I grant the United States government the following powers:
"a. that the National Security Agency, under the direction of the President, may tap my phone lines and intercept my e-mail without warrant or FISA oversight;
"b. that the President may hold me or other detainees without access to the legal system for a period of time determined by the President or his agents;
"c. that the President may authorize physical force against me or other individual detainees in order to gain intelligence and that he may define whether such physical force may be called 'torture':
"d. that the President may set aside any and all laws he sees as hindering the gathering of intelligence and prevention of terrorist acts for a period as time determined by the President, including, but not limited to, rights to political protest.
"I agree that the Judicial and Legislative branches should be allowed no oversight of these activities, and that such oversight merely emboldens the terrorists. I also agree that virtually all of these activities may be conducted in complete secrecy and that revelation of these activities amounts to treasonous behavior on the part of those who reveal these activities to the press and the citizenry.
"3. Finally, this document is my statement that I believe the President of the United States and the entire executive branch, as well as all departments and agencies involved, as well as all of their personnel, will treat these powers I have granted them with utmost respect. I believe that these powers will not be abused, nor will any of the information I have given them permission to examine be misinterpreted. However, should such abuse or misinterpretation occur, I agree that such actions are mere errors and no one should be subject to investigation, arrest, or employment action as a result.
"My consent freely given,
C'mon, Michelle Malkin, Byron York, John Hinderaker, and all the rest of you good Bush lovers. Sign on up. Send it in to the White House. Let 'em know that you have nothing to hide. Or nothing you don't care about sharing. | <urn:uuid:33e8e8f4-e773-46b5-aed1-8d4875b42ff1> | CC-MAIN-2016-44 | http://rudepundit.blogspot.com/2005/12/loyal-citizens-contract-with-american.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-44/segments/1476988719136.58/warc/CC-MAIN-20161020183839-00468-ip-10-171-6-4.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954317 | 922 | 1.554688 | 2 |
Defining, Establishing, and Verifying Reference Intervals in the Clinical Laboratory, 3rd Edition
This document contains guidelines for determining reference values and reference intervals for quantitative clinical laboratory tests.
This document is available in electronic format only.
This reaffirmed document has been reviewed and confirmed as suitable to remain published without revision to content, as of April 2016. The document’s next scheduled review is generally five years after the reaffirmation date.
Chairholder: Gary L. Horowitz, MD
Date of Publication: October 19, 2010
Order Code PDF: EP28A3CE
ISBN Number: 1-56238-682-4
Order Code Print: print not available
EP28 Additional Details
A CLSI-IFCC joint project.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has evaluated and recognized this approved-level consensus guideline for use in satisfying a regulatory requirement.
A document competency quiz, which is worth 2 P.A.C.E. continuing education credits, is available for this document! Click here for more information.
This document was formerly published as C28-A3c. | <urn:uuid:e11b175d-ded3-4007-ad8e-17a2aeefb9ba> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.clsi.org/standards/products/method-evaluation/documents/ep28/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571150.88/warc/CC-MAIN-20220810070501-20220810100501-00673.warc.gz | en | 0.874039 | 259 | 1.5 | 2 |
The year of 1848 was a busy one in terms of world events. It was a time of unrest throughout the world as numerous revolutions brought out as people fought against oppressive governments. France was at the forefront of that struggle with their own Revolution of 1848. On 4 November, France ratified a new constitution, thus ushering in a new era of government, the Second Republic of France to replace the temporary government that had been put in place. In the United States, 1848 marked the beginning construction of the Washington Monument to honor the country’s first American president and the start of the California Gold Rush.
Meanwhile in Paris, during 1848, the Desjardin Family began their business specializing in the manufacturing of metal tin and white iron aluminum stampings. The world has changed quite a bit since 1848. France has proudly risen above the tragedies it experienced through the first and second world wars and the harsh restrictions placed on its citizens during the German Occupation during the 1940s. During its renewal, some things have come and gone forever, but Desjardin Metal Packaging has remained as one of France’s oldest metal packing manufacturers. To this day, the company remains a leader in the industry and a major exporter of metal boxes worldwide as the company has continued to flourish in both innovation and technology since the mid-1900s.
History of Desjardin
Desjardin’s manufacturing facility was located within the 10th district of Paris from 1848 through 1962. The business specialized in manufacturing tinware, including such items as pots, pans, plates, iron lanterns, storage boxes that were covered with thin layer of tin.
In 1891, with the invention of the 35mm cinema film reel by American inventor Thomas Edison, Desjardin embarked on a new market by creating metal cans for preserving 16mm and 35mm films for the film industry. The company was the supplier of movie tins to Eastman Kodak and Agfa Gaveart for many years and their tins have been used to distribute film copy for all movies theatres run by Laboratories Eclair, LTC.
Just a few years later, Desjardin made an impact on yet another industry; this time the printing industry with its industrial box for packaging printing inks. During the 1900s, Desjardin began to manufacture iron containers for the food industry to be used with packaging biscuits and sweets. Gourmets may be familiar with their packaging for specialty food items from chocolate to caviar. However, the high-quality packaging did not end with food; leading cosmetic manufacturers also began to rely upon the quality metal tins manufactured by Desjardin to package their products.
In 1963, the Desjardin family moved its company from Paris to settle in Gonesse in the Paris region, where it continues to remain today. Until 1981, the Desjardin family owned and operated Desjardin Metal Manufacturing. During that year, current President Pierre Gachot took over the helm of the company and began his quest of modernizing the company and developing new products. One such product was the Caviar box with a vacuum closure introduced in 1988 that was inspired by Gachot’s experience with the development of the vacuum ink box.
Today, Desjardin is recognized for its expertise in the metal tin packaging industry. They produce aluminum tin packaging for various sectors of industry, including offset inks, food, cosmetics and movie theatres.
Desjardin continuously invests in research and development to quickly respond to the growing needs of their customers. Thus the company keeps on shaping the market at the forefront of innovation. The company has mastered the manufacturing process from designing the tin boxes through the use of Computer Aided Design (CAD), producing its own tools for manufacturing, to producing the boxes themselves. The company is able to produce small, medium and very large containers in both iron or white aluminum and is fully automated and equipped with modern machinery.
Desjardin holds a leading role in vacuum packaging throughout five continents thanks to their multilingual sales team. The company’s export activities contribute to 80 percent of its total turnover. They are able to respond quickly to client requests because all design and manufacturing of any required tooling is performed internally.
Desjardin is the world market leader in the production of caviar tins and film tins. The company maintains a clean and safe production environment that benefits their employees and their community. Sustainability is of great importance to Desjardin and it is company policy to only use materials that can be 100 percent recycled. The benefit of metal packaging is that metal, tinplate and aluminum can be recycled indefinitely without the loss of quality and benefits the environment.
Distributed by HeadlinePlus Press Release Distribution
Company Name: Desjardin
Contact Person: Media Manager
Phone: +33 (0)1 34 45 98 00
Address:2, rue du Thillay | <urn:uuid:bd4ac0c5-d352-4613-909c-61ce6868de83> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.getnews.info/572704/desjardin-remains-to-stand-the-test-of-time.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280763.38/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00517-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962925 | 1,020 | 2.8125 | 3 |
McCormick Pediatric Ophthalmology Services
Keith McCormick, MD is a fellowship-trained pediatric ophthalmologist specializing in the care of children’s eyes. With his additional training, experience and expertise in examining children, he has enhanced knowledge of conditions that commonly occur in children. Neurological development of vision occurs up until approximately age 12. Therefore, early detection of misalignment or visual impairment is critical to ensuring a lifetime of good vision. And since eye health can be an indication of overall health, there is the chance that additional health issues can be found and treated. Our specialized pediatric ophthalmology services include the following:
- Pediatric Strabismus – Often referred to as “Lazy Eye”, strabismus is any misalignment of the eyes which can lead to poor visual development.
- Congenital Tear Duct Obstruction – a common condition in newborns causing chronic tearing and discharge from the eye.
- Chalazion – A chalazion is a localized bump in the eyelid of varying sizes.
- Amblyopia – Also often referred to as “Lazy Eye”, amblyopia is decreased vision in one or both eyes due to abnormal vision development in infancy or childhood.
We provide treatment and surgical options for all of these common ophthalmology issues. Keith McCormick, MD also treats adult strabismus, and is now accepting new patients and he will be providing services at our new Southern Pines location in the summer of 2022. | <urn:uuid:fa1c30d0-6c43-4099-a17b-6e21fe90f35c> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://pinehurstsurgical.com/departments-specialties/ophthalmology/ophthalmology-symptoms-services/pediatric-ophthalmology/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573029.81/warc/CC-MAIN-20220817153027-20220817183027-00265.warc.gz | en | 0.939782 | 322 | 1.71875 | 2 |
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Unformatted text preview: for some agreed course of action to follow. Until very recently, however, there has been a gap in the systems tradition, in that there has been no systems approach which has provided a means for critically reflecting either upon the goals attained and means used by hard systems thinking, or upon the nature of the consensus achieved and the changes brought about through soft systems thinking. In this respect Ulrich's book Critical Heuristics of Social Planning , published in 1983, fills a major gap in the literature. The aim in this book is nothing less than to set out an appropriate philosophy for an emancipatory systems approach, and to develop a method which can be used by < previous page page_197 next page >...
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- Spring '11 | <urn:uuid:88b87894-3993-4119-a31a-800a722a9c8a> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | https://www.coursehero.com/file/6223545/page-197/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560279915.8/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095119-00279-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.94476 | 193 | 1.640625 | 2 |
It is tempting to view the recent controversy at York University, in which the administration apparently admonished a professor who refused a student's request to be excused from work with female students on religious grounds, as just another in a long line of "reasonable accommodation" disputes in Canada.
The need for reasonable accommodation lies at the core of multiculturalism, a policy that reflects the basic idea that individuals should be accorded the liberty to retain and exercise cultural and religious practices and beliefs. But because this must happen within the context of a broader liberal democratic society, it routinely comes into conflict with other rights and values.
This can create a difficult balancing act. Should a Muslim man who owns a barbershop be required by law to cut a woman's hair? Can a Sikh boy wear his ceremonial kirpan (a blunted dagger) to school? These are difficult questions which include competing concerns, as they pit religious freedom against equality, or (in the latter case, theoretically) the safety of other students. In other words, it is not always obvious how to reconcile competing rights or values when dealing with disputes over reasonable accommodation.
The York University case, however, is not one of those times. In fact, the incident is emblematic of a pernicious pattern within university administration where decision-makers have completely lost sight of the "reasonable" in reasonable accommodation, and where common sense has fallen to the wayside in dealing with anything that threatens to offend a campus member's personal sensibilities. An especially problematic element of this pattern is universities' inability to defend free speech on campuses, as every year it seems public speaking events of various sorts are allowed to be cancelled or interrupted because some small segment of the campus population are "offended" by the invited speaker's presence.
In rejecting the student's request to not have to meet with his female peers, the professor in this case was upholding a fundamental principle of equality: segregating students at a public institution in Canada is anathema to basic liberal democratic values and very likely contrary to constitutionally-entrenched Charter rights (the Charter does not apply to universities in all contexts, but that is a technical legal question I will avoid digressing into for now). And despite having to turn down a demand premised on what was presumably an honestly-held religious belief, the professor correctly determined the negative impact of doing so clearly meant that accommodating this particular request was patently unreasonable.
I do not for one second believe that the dean, who reportedly ordered this professor to accede to the student's request (the professor, admirably, has not given in), did so because he is sexist. Far more likely is that, like university administrators across the country, the dean in this case is subsumed in an institutional culture that is overly bureaucratized, paranoid about negative publicity (an irony here, of course), risk-averse, increasingly prone to treating students as customers instead of students, and fearful about litigation.
When I contemplate the number of stakeholders that the generally smart, hardworking women and men who take on roles as university administrators have to consider – including governments, students (and their parents), alumni, faculty (especially those who write inconvenient op-eds), staff, research partners, private sector organization, and donors – it is a wonder that we do not see more bone-headed decisions, or even simple institutional paralysis. It is also worth noting that university campuses like York's have student populations larger than most Ontario towns. With that comes diversity, complexity, and sometimes conflict.
But while there may explanations for why such poor decision-making occurs, there is no real excuse for the position of York University in this case. I do not envy the many difficult choices university administrators face in today's climate, but this one was easy and they got it spectacularly wrong. Particularly embarrassing for York is the fact that its "human rights office" apparently also agreed with the dean's decision.
Controversies over reasonable accommodation happen in many different contexts and it should be no surprise that universities are no stranger to them. What is disturbing is an apparent increasing tendency to view each claim for accommodation as legitimate and worthy of support. Indeed, the notion that not all claims should be accepted would come as a shock to the morally relativistic fingernail biters that roam the hallways in some academic buildings.
The administration at York appears to have lost sight of their most important responsibility to students, which is not to shield each individual student from the real world or attempt to provide them with their own morally idyllic experience. Rather, universities must cultivate an educational environment that is most conducive to student learning for the student body writ large and for the generation and dissemination of knowledge. This means that certain basic societal values are inviolable and that, to the extent universities help to develop more active, engaged and responsible citizens, they are duty bound to avoid transforming every individual student's belief – religiously-held or otherwise – into some perverted, sacrosanct version of "the customer is always right."
Emmett Macfarlane is an assistant professor of political science at the University of Waterloo. He is the author of Governing from the Bench: The Supreme Court of Canada and the Judicial Role. You can follow him on Twitter @EmmMacfarlane | <urn:uuid:2d6ae004-45a2-4136-aae1-73c990d45071> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/the-fear-of-offending-is-sapping-universities-of-common-sense/article16277915/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572192.79/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815145459-20220815175459-00069.warc.gz | en | 0.960151 | 1,072 | 1.867188 | 2 |
United States Supreme Court
205 U.S. 444
CHICAGO, BURLINGTON & QUINCY RAILWAY COMPANY v. WILLIAMS
Argued: and submitted March 14, 15, 1907. --- Decided: April 15, 1907
This work is in the public domain in the United States because it is a work of the United States federal government (see 17 U.S.C. 105). | <urn:uuid:70cd3e5d-9f04-4a79-80c4-3c77359a52f1> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Chicago,_Burlington_%26_Quincy_Railway_Company_v._Williams | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280835.60/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00469-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.917708 | 89 | 1.75 | 2 |
Prague Sightseeing: Gavel Market
Havelski market (Havelský TRH, or Havelské TRžiště) – the only historical medieval market, preserved in Prague. It is located on a small pedestrian street between Waclavskaya and Old Town Squares. The first trading ranks here appeared in the XIII century. On the same street at the beginning of the XIV century, the Church of St. Havel was built, the name was later spread to the market.
In the Middle Ages here traded exclusively with products. Today, the market can be purchased as traditional souvenir products from China, which will enjoy the Prague shops and the author’s decorations made of glass, crafts from leather, rag dolls and the famous bohemian glass. For such things in the Havel market, it is customary to bargain. Masters often sell their works themselves and adore telling the details of their manufacture, as well as share local news.
However, farming products, as in the Middle Ages, the Gavel market is also widely represented: here you can buy berries, fruits, vegetables, cheeses, sausages, honey and sweetness, including famous "Melt" – Traditional Czech waffles with filling.
Interestingly, the range of goods varies depending on the day of the week: on weekdays it is a traditional grocery market, and by the end of the week most of the shelves fills souvenir products.
Gavel market works all year round: here you can buy fruits, sweets and souvenirs
Opening hours: Monday-Friday from 6:00 to 18:00, Saturday-Sunday from 8:00 to 18:00. Address: Havelska Street, Prague 1 How to get there: the nearest metro station – Mustek (lines A and B). | <urn:uuid:16e61fe9-7bac-404d-89f3-ae11f0b36031> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://tribtowns.com/sightstation-of-prague-gavelsky-market/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572304.13/warc/CC-MAIN-20220816120802-20220816150802-00471.warc.gz | en | 0.963714 | 376 | 1.945313 | 2 |
North Bengal, where the Himalayas soar from the flat alluvial plains towards Nepal, Sikkim and Bhutan, holds some magnificent mountain panoramas, and also some of India’s most attractive hill stations. Most visitors pass as quickly as possible through Siliguri en route to Darjeeling, Kalimpong and the small, mountainous state of Sikkim. If you’ve time on your hands, it’s worth making a detour east of Siliguri to explore the sub-Himalayan Dooars, with its patchwork of tea gardens and forests that encompasses the Jaldapara Wildlife Sanctuary, home to the one-horned rhino, bison and wild boar.
The region has its fair share of political turmoil. The Gurkhaland movement, centred around Darjeeling, and the Kamtapuri Liberation Front, which purports to represent most of north Bengal south to Malda, have called for a complete break from the state of West Bengal. Occasional strikes called by the Gurkha movement can paralyse the Darjeeling hills and affect traffic. Tourist traffic is usually allowed to exit the district, but you may have to pay an exorbitant fee to the taxi driver. You should check the press and with your hotel before travelling to the region. | <urn:uuid:bb9bcd74-8ad2-416c-9aae-a1bac5b818c2> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | https://www.roughguides.com/destinations/asia/india/kolkata-west-bengal/darjeeling-north-bengal/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560279489.14/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095119-00016-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.932158 | 276 | 1.921875 | 2 |
Melenotte C, Silvin A, Goubet AG, Lahmar I, Dubuisson A, Zumla A, Raoult D, Merad M, Gachot B, Hénon C, Solary E, Fontenay M, André F, Maeurer M, Ippolito G, Piacentini M, Wang FS, Ginhoux F, Marabelle A, Kroemer G, Derosa L, Zitvogel L
Oncoimmunology 9 (1) 1807836 [2020-08-25; online 2020-08-25]
Over the past 16 years, three coronaviruses (CoVs), severe acute respiratory syndrome CoV (SARS-CoV) in 2002, Middle East respiratory syndrome CoV (MERS-CoV) in 2012 and 2015, and SARS-CoV-2 in 2020, have been causing severe and fatal human epidemics. The unpredictability of coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) poses a major burden on health care and economic systems across the world. This is caused by the paucity of in-depth knowledge of the risk factors for severe COVID-19, insufficient diagnostic tools for the detection of SARS-CoV-2, as well as the absence of specific and effective drug treatments. While protective humoral and cellular immune responses are usually mounted against these betacoronaviruses, immune responses to SARS-CoV2 sometimes derail towards inflammatory tissue damage, leading to rapid admissions to intensive care units. The lack of knowledge on mechanisms that tilt the balance between these two opposite outcomes poses major threats to many ongoing clinical trials dealing with immunostimulatory or immunoregulatory therapeutics. This review will discuss innate and cognate immune responses underlying protective or deleterious immune reactions against these pathogenic coronaviruses. | <urn:uuid:187f8317-552e-4744-aa16-7d23520fe8a9> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://publications-covid19.scilifelab.se/publication/99c39777a8b44be79113d736aaa9af74 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572908.71/warc/CC-MAIN-20220817122626-20220817152626-00066.warc.gz | en | 0.830725 | 450 | 2.03125 | 2 |
Eight stories, 1962-85, exploring what Ballard views as a grandiose and mesmerizing yet ill-judged and ultimately doomed enterprise: the manned exploration of space. One of Ballard's finest stories, "The Cage of Sand," describes an abandoned future Cape Canaveral, rustling, littered with evocative hardware, buried in Martian sand. contaminated with a plant-destroying virus. One man walks the only Martian sand he will ever experience; with him a woman waits for the space capsule containing her dead husband to fall from orbit. Another story, "The Dead Astronaut," merely embellishes this latter motif. Later, Ballard introduces an obsession with abandoned, antique aircraft (cf. Empire of the Sun). "News from the Sun" adds the idea of expanding, or slowing, psychological time (cf. "The Voices of Time"). The title piece combines all these ideas; "Myths of the Near Future" rearranges them, as if Ballard is seeking an elusive perfection. Elsewhere, two unrelated stories sparkle. One, reminiscent of top-drawer H.G. Wells, concerns the descent of a space capsule into the Amazon rain forest. In the other, space travel becomes a matter of perception rather than substance. Almost always, Ballard--with his psychological mazes and visual surrealism--impresses and fascinates. But he can irritate, too, by wandering off into private obsessions, by convulsively re-exploring and overembroidering to the point of suffocation. Worthwhile, certainly, but more variety would have served this fine writer more justly. | <urn:uuid:5d40cbe7-2705-4e57-9720-dfab5b3cdf6f> | CC-MAIN-2016-44 | https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/jg-ballard/memories-space-age/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-44/segments/1476988722951.82/warc/CC-MAIN-20161020183842-00211-ip-10-171-6-4.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.91488 | 326 | 1.890625 | 2 |
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