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“There is a material reality to the internet,” explains Isaac Wilder, 21, on Motherboard TV’s new 30-minute documentary Free the Network. “Most people look at the internet as magic; you click a button and something happens and you get the information.
“They don’t care to acknowledge the actual physical infrastructure that’s moving that data. It’s fiber optic cables in the ground which are owned by corporations.”
That, in short, is what Wilder’s Free Network Foundation is trying to get around. In the fall, he was the man behind providing Occupy Wall Street protesters with Internet access. His Freedom Towers — consisting of a modem, router and radio — let protesters in Los Angeles, Austin and New York communicate with each other without fear of government surveillance.
Regardless of what you think of Occupy Wall Street‘s politics, the reality is that the question of who controls the Internet is only going to become more pressing as it takes an increasingly central role in our lives.
Already the fight has become messy. The SOPA blackout, the rise of Anonymous, the financial blockade of WikiLeaks — all of these, at their heart, have been about who has the right to regulate what happens on the web.
Recently, President Barack Obama’s message to Iran to take down its “electronic curtain” underscored the seriousness of the issue:
“Increasingly, the Iranian people are denied the basic freedom to access the information that they want. Instead, the Iranian government jams satellite signals to shut down television and radio broadcasts. It censors the Internet to control what the Iranian people can see and say.”
In the Arab Spring, as in the Occupy Wall Street protests, social media was an important tool in assembling and organizing large crowds. Threaten access to the Internet and you threaten the movement. Or, as Wilder puts it, “If there is any prospect of a successful global revolution, it’s contingent on our ability to build an information infrastructure outside of those [corporate] entities.”
Ideology aside, the practicality of turning something originally developed by the Department of Defense into something completely and open and free will be no easy task. I talked to a much more clean-shaven Wilder at the Free the Network premiere in New York last night and he seemed optimistic about the progress he and various other developers are making into what he calls “free networks.”
I decided to contact another person I heard about, Liam Young, who works with a think tank called Tomorrow’s Thoughts Today. Inspired by the upheaval in the Middle East, Young and his team went about constructing drones that transmit Wi-Fi signals.
“Our project is able to swarm into formation, broadcast its pirate network, and then disperse, escaping detection, only to reform elsewhere,” he wrote to me from London, where he is based. “At a larger scale you can imagine these systems crossing back and forth across nation borders, occupying international airspace so that it is more difficult for particular jurisdictions to legislate against them. The more slippery and fluid the infrastructure is, the more difficult it is to close it down.”
Right now, the fleet of drones can transmit signals out about 200 to 300 meters, although by adding more drones Young hopes to dramatically expand that range. They recharge themselves autonomously, flying to a battery station when they run out of power.
Ultimately, Wilder’s Freedom Towers and Young’s drones are providing alternatives to the corporate-owned, government-regulated fiber optic cables running underneath us. Do we need them? That depends on your politics. It doesn’t change the fact that they’re coming. | <urn:uuid:9a5171ef-acf1-49f2-bcdf-ac8f130ae8c0> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://techland.time.com/2012/03/28/occupy-the-internet-protests-give-rise-to-diy-networks/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573533.87/warc/CC-MAIN-20220818215509-20220819005509-00275.warc.gz | en | 0.945548 | 779 | 1.890625 | 2 |
Microsoft might not be the only company working on HoloLens by the end of the year, with new reports claiming Asus is in talks to join the augmented reality project.
Asus CEO Jonney Shih and Microsoft vice president of Windows and devices Terry Myerson confirmed the talks were happening to CNET. Myerson said it was “up to Shih” to evaluate the technology and begin work on a compatible hardware device.
From what we know, Asus is the first company to look into a partnership with Microsoft on augmented reality. The deal could save Asus a great deal of time on the software side, while improving the hardware and cost.
The HoloLens is a new type of “mixed reality,” capable of showing superimposed 3D images in a room. Microsoft is working to make these images capable of interacting with the environment, as seen with the recent Project: X Ray demo at the hardware event on Oct 6.
It is not all fun and games however, as Microsoft has partnered with NASA to send HoloLens to astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS), and is working with AutoDesk on enterprise applications for the device. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said healthcare, construction, and other areas were also being looked at for potential HoloLens applications.
Asus would need to adhere to Microsoft’s rules for HoloLens, which may mean waiting a few years before launching a commercial model. Nadella said in an interview the HoloLens was a “five year journey,” which we may assume would only then arrive at the commercial launch of the device.
HoloLens differs from Google Glass, another mixed reality headset, by offering a much larger headset for specific tasks, instead of everyday wear. This allows Microsoft to stuff more power inside the headset, without borrowing from a nearby phone or computer.
Myerson said that HoloLens is a preview of what Windows has to offer, similar to the Surface Book and Surface Pro 4. This approach is netting Microsoft more hardware income, but by investing time into building the hardware internally it might be pushing away potential partners who don’t want to compete with Microsoft.
- Top 10 Windows shortcuts everyone should know
- Meta wants you to use its creepy Portal as a secondary monitor
- Apple mixed-reality headset: Everything we know about Apple’s VR headset
- How many folds can the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 survive? Spoiler — it’s a lot
- This weird touchscreen keyboard shows Apple how it’s done | <urn:uuid:afa7e2b1-c89f-45fb-bbb1-ad8e7d783704> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/asus-hololens-rumor/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571982.99/warc/CC-MAIN-20220813172349-20220813202349-00066.warc.gz | en | 0.947193 | 523 | 1.757813 | 2 |
Considered to be the wave of the future in the manufacturing and design industries, IYRS’ Composites Technology program offers students unique exposure to composite building materials, emerging technologies, mold-making and infusion processing, all with a heightened focus on career preparation and certification.
Demand for skilled workers and technicians who understand advanced technologies and materials is growing rapidly in the United States and around the world. IYRS graduates are recruited for quality jobs in industries such as aerospace, construction, wind and solar energy, marine and automotive.
IYRS’ Marine Systems program is an immersive learning experience with a curriculum guided by the needs of industry-leading companies. Covered over six-months are techniques and skills needed to maintain and repair all essential marine systems, as well as career planning, key certification exam preparation and real-world internship experience.
IYRS Marine Systems students emerge with a base of knowledge that will take them into any professional situation with the ability to succeed. IYRS graduates are sought after for careers such as a diesel mechanic, systems engineer or technician, electrician, electrical designer, electronics installation specialist and outboard technician.
IYRS’ Boatbuilding & Restoration program is a comprehensive two-year program which combines the time-honored craft of wooden boatbuilding with the modern problem solving skills to succeed in today’s thriving job market. IYRS’ curriculum is regarded as the best in the industry, training the next generation of master craftspeople.
A fundamental understanding of the skills used by craftspeople can be an extraordinary beginning to a career of making with any materials, traditional or modern. IYRS alumni are considered master craftspeople and enjoy careers in boatbuilding, carpentry, furniture repair and restoration, joinery specialists, boat/yacht repair and woodworking. | <urn:uuid:aa9b260c-6c09-4387-b2e7-ca9692e380c2> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | https://iyrs.edu/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280761.39/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00100-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955398 | 371 | 1.90625 | 2 |
Creative thinking is a way of looking at problems or situations from a fresh perspective that suggests unorthodox solutions. Creative thinking can be stimulated both by an unstructured process such as brainstorming, and by a structured process such as lateral thinking.
Creative Thinking Involves 4 Stages:
- Preparation – formulate the problem and collect facts and materials necessary for finding new solutions.
- Incubation – the unconscious thought process of finding a solution to the problem.
- Illumination – the sudden flash of idea i.e. the ‘eureka’ experience.
- Verification – evaluate the validity of the solution.
The 3 Keys to Creative Thinking Process:
- In-the-box: This applies knowledge accumulation and critical thinking to the problem. Based on their expertise, innovators can generate many relevant ideas and make connections later.
- Out-of-the-box: This is a wide-angle and unfocused thinking process. It allows the innovators to imagine an entire universe of possibilities.
- New-box: Once ideas are evaluated, they need to be synthesized by rearranging and reconstructing through dot-connecting, then refined and put into place in a new context.
8 Creative Thinking Techniques:
- Mind Mapping – brainstorming or spider diagram
- The Checklist – why, where, when, who, what, how
- Thinking Hats – facts, emotions, judgment, logic, creativity, control
- Lateral Thinking – side stepping
- Random Word – imagine association
- Picture Association – imagine association
- Change Perspective – in other people’s shoes
- Get Up and Go Out – let your mind wander
An entrepreneur is someone who exercises initiative by organizing a venture to take benefit of an opportunity and, as the decision maker, decides what, how, and how much of a good or service will be produced. An intrapreneur takes risks and drives innovation within a business for better serving the marketplace through increased goods and services.
Tackling inefficiencies within a large and complex industry such as healthcare or agriculture requires subject matter expertise. Because an intrapreneur is focused on resolving a specific issue, such as increasing productivity, he possesses the domain knowledge directly applicable to his assignment. An entrepreneur interested in organizing a venture to address healthcare or agriculture will do well by partnering with an intrapreneur from such industry.
Driving innovation requires technical knowhow and engineering skills, something healthcare and agricultural professionals typically do not possess. An intrapreneur able to interpret trends in the marketplace and visualize how the company needs to evolve to stay ahead of its competition will do well by partnering with an entrepreneur fluent in science and technology.
Startup Weekend Ventura County, April 21st-23rd, 2017, will bring together healthcare and agriculture entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs. We expect amazing innovations and great business ideas to come out of this union. Come join us.
iVitals: Continuous vital sign monitoring system with clinical algorithms
Dr. Natalie Shum
Renew Hope: Objective oncology guidance as a patient advocate
Dr. Robert Lum
Splash Guard: Retractable endoscopic sleeve to prevent spread of infection
Dr. Bennet Lipper
Shopmedic: Platform for patients to compare elective surgery prices
BettyBot: Help hospitals reduce patient readmission
Accelerating innovation requires both political leadership and private sector leadership. The best leaders have the ability to do both the urgent things that demand attention today and at the same time lay the groundwork for innovation that will pay dividends for decades.
When we innovate, we create millions of jobs, we build the companies that lead the world, we are healthier, and we make our lives more productive. And these benefits transcend borders, powering improvements in lives around the world. Our global culture of innovation has been most successful at those moments when science, technology, and great leadership come together to create miracles that improve modern life.
It’s important to remember what made the moonshot the moonshot—that is, what transforms political rhetoric into game-changing breakthroughs. A moonshot challenge requires a clear, measurable objective that captures the imagination of the nation and fundamentally changes how we view what’s possible. And it requires marshaling the resources and intellect of both the public and private sectors. When we do that, we chart a course for a future that is safer, healthier, and stronger.
Click here to read the full article on Quartz.com.
Electronic health records (EHR) are expected to be in 95% of health care facilities by 2020, according to research. This is not just your doctor’s notes and your prescription records. The EHR will include your X-rays, scans, test results and everything to do with your medical history. The goal of the EHR is for it to become the one source for your entire medical history, following you from doctor to specialist to hospital to outpatient recovery.
IDC, a leading market research firm, estimates that by 2020 we’ll have 35 zetabytes of medical data alone, which is a 44-fold increase from 2009. If you piled this up in tablets, you’d get about one-third of the way to the moon or fill up a 500-bed hospital 11.3 times over.
And this data is already beginning to make a meaningful difference to patients’ lives by looking for patterns and finding ways to use preventative steps to keep patients from returning to the hospital for lengthy stays and expensive treatments.
The potential benefit to human lives is going to be huge, as Big Data companies step forward to help hospitals, physicians and even insurance companies analyze the copious amounts of data collected in EHRs and even from the medical devices. This will lead to improvements in medical care and medical technology. In fact, the spending on all aspects of the medical IoT is estimated to reach $1 trillion by 2025.
Source: October 6, 2016 – Technology
Research article notes that globally, most of the increase in agricultural production over the past 50 years can largely be attributed to rising crop and livestock yields rather than to the expansion of acreage devoted to farming.
Private sector investments comprise a greater and growing share of overall R&D spending. “Agriculture is more dependent on scientific innovation than any other industry,” said Catherine Woteki, USDA’s Chief Scientist and Under Secretary for Research, Education and Economics. “This study shows the great job that private industry is doing in research, much of which was built on the genetic technology USDA scientists have been working on for decades. It’s crucial that we continue supporting this kind of R&D.”
Reliable estimates of publicly funded agricultural research have previously been available, and studies have established strong links between these investments and the long-term growth of the productivity of American agriculture. But the ERS (Economic Research Service) study is the first of its kind to provide comprehensive estimates and analyses of private sector R&D for agricultural input industries, even for global companies with R&D endeavors in different countries and sectors. The report defines agricultural inputs as animal genetics; animal nutrition; animal health; farm machinery; fertilizers; crop seed and biotechnology; and agricultural chemicals.
Findings reported in the Science article include:
- Globally, about half or more of all private investment in food and agricultural research and development have been devoted to food manufacturing, not toward input industries and other areas that directly increase agricultural production.
- Recent increases in private agricultural input research have mostly centered on crops, including farm machinery and some biofuels investments; livestock-related research and crop protection chemicals have experienced less growth.
- Research into biofuels has become increasingly important, with estimated global investments by private companies at approximately $1.47 billion in 2009.
- In both crop seed and animal breeding, biotechnology research was an important driver of consolidation in these industries.
- Private spending contributed to the overall growth in R&D for agricultural in the face of slowing or stagnant public R&D resources, but addressed a narrower set of research topics and input industries than publicly funded R&D.
- Public policies have a major influence on private-sector incentives to invest in agricultural research. Intellectual property protection, regulatory frameworks, and especially, public investments in basic science that opens up new technological opportunities, have been important drivers of the growth of private agricultural R&D.
The article can be found at: http://www.sciencemag.org/content/338/6110/1031.full
Americans waste an unfathomable amount of food. In fact, according to a Guardian report released this week, roughly 50 percent of all produce in the United States is thrown away—some 60 million tons (or $160 billion) worth of produce annually, an amount constituting “one third of all foodstuffs.” Wasted food is also the single biggest occupant in American landfills, the Environmental Protection Agency has found.
What causes this? A major reason is that food is cheaper in the United States than nearly anywhere else in the world, aided (controversially) by subsidies to corn, wheat, milk, and soybeans. But the great American squandering of produce appears to be a cultural dynamic as well, enabled in large part by a national obsession with the aesthetic quality of food. Fruits and vegetables, in addition to generally being healthful, have a tendency to bruise, brown, wilt, oxidize, ding, or discolor and that is apparently something American shoppers will not abide. For an American family of four, the average value of discarded produce is nearly $1,600 annually. (Globally, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that one-third of all food grown is lost or wasted, an amount valued at nearly $3 trillion.)
The Atlantic: July 15, 2016
While US consumers were aware that wasted food is a problem, those surveyed tended to blame others. Nearly three-quarters said they wasted less food than the average American, and 13 percent claimed they didn’t waste any food at all. “Tossing food that spoiled in the refrigerator has become habitual behavior so that people don’t necessarily see that as waste, because once something has spoiled it’s not seen as food anymore.”
Worry over food poisoning was the most popular reason for discarding food, leading Neff to conclude that consumers could use additional guidance to explain factors beyond age that can make food unsafe to eat, such as contamination and improper storage. One policy change she suggests: Encode the sell-by dates on perishable food labels so that only grocers can read them. “In the survey, a fifth of the people said they threw out food—especially milk-based food—on the sell-by date, which we know has nothing to do with whether that milk is safe to drink,” she says. Sell-by dates are merely the manufacturer’s estimate of peak freshness, not deadlines for safe consumption. A desire to “eat only the freshest food” was the number two reason respondents gave for wasting food. One reason for this, Neff thinks, is a foodie culture fostered by celebrity chefs and cooking programs that has convinced many to seek only perfect, unblemished food.
John Hopkins Magazine, Fall 2015
Health care spending in the U.S. far exceeds that of other high-income countries, though spending growth has slowed in the U.S. and in most other countries in recent years. Even though the U.S. is the only country without a publicly financed universal health system, it still spends more public dollars on health care than all but two of the other countries. Americans have relatively few hospital admissions and physician visits, but are greater users of expensive technologies like magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machines. Available cross-national pricing data suggest that prices for health care are notably higher in the U.S., potentially explaining a large part of the higher health spending. Finally, despite its heavy investment in health care, the U.S. sees poorer results on several key health outcome measures such as life expectancy and the prevalence of chronic conditions. Mortality rates from cancer are low and have fallen more quickly in the U.S. than in other countries, but the reverse is true for mortality from ischemic heart disease.
U.S. Healthcare Ranked Dead Last Compared To 10 Other Countries
Source: Healthcare Dive
Hospital inefficiencies not only interfere with workflow, but also cost hospitals billions of dollars each year. Some of the most common hospital inefficiencies are:
- Inadequate communication methods – The results of the Ponemon Institute survey found that the primary reasons for communication challenges were the inefficiency of pagers, the inability to use text messaging and lack of Wi-Fi availability.
- Duplicate documentation requirements – Eliminating inefficiencies in documentation methods will allow clinicians to spend more time with patients and also helps with patient flow.
- Poor patient flow – Dealing with a large number of patients moving in and out of the hospital and from one department to another will inevitably lead to patient flow issues.
- Inappropriate hospital admissions and lengths of stay – Practitioners sometimes admit patients to the hospital or keep them longer than necessary because they don’t have an alternative place to send them.
- Incomplete medication reconciliation – One of the reasons hospitals have difficulty with medication reconciliation is that patients are often poor historians when it comes to their medications, which makes it difficult to develop a complete ‘entry’ list.
One of the key reasons we spend more and get less than the rest of the world is because we have a patchwork system of for-profit payers. Private insurers necessarily waste health dollars on things that have nothing to do with care: overhead, underwriting, billing, sales and marketing departments as well as huge profits and exorbitant executive pay. Doctors and hospitals must maintain costly administrative staffs to deal with the bureaucracy. As a result, administration consumes one-third (31 percent) of Americans’ health dollars, most of which is waste.
Single-payer financing is the only way to recapture this wasted money. The potential savings on paperwork, more than $400 billion per year, are enough to provide comprehensive coverage to everyone without paying any more than we already do. | <urn:uuid:94f85fda-539f-4dc3-aa5f-212c7d91e57f> | CC-MAIN-2016-44 | http://www.techstars.com/content/geographies/camarillo/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-44/segments/1476988719027.25/warc/CC-MAIN-20161020183839-00303-ip-10-171-6-4.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.943396 | 2,962 | 3.484375 | 3 |
|3D model (Jmol)||Interactive image|
|Molar mass||24.82 g·mol−1|
|Density||2.1 (hBN); 3.45 (cBN) g/cm3|
|Melting point||2,973 °C (5,383 °F; 3,246 K) sublimates (cBN)|
|Electron mobility||200 cm2/(V·s) (cBN)|
Refractive index (nD)
|1.8 (hBN); 2.1 (cBN)|
|hexagonal, sphalerite, wurtzite|
|19.7 J/K mol|
|14.77 J/K mol|
Std enthalpy of
Gibbs free energy (ΔfG˚)
EU classification (DSD)
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).
|what is ?)(|
Boron nitride is a heat- and chemically resistant refractory compound of boron and nitrogen with the chemical formula BN. It exists in various crystalline forms that are isoelectronic to a similarly structured carbon lattice. The hexagonal form corresponding to graphite is the most stable and soft among BN polymorphs, and is therefore used as a lubricant and an additive to cosmetic products. The cubic (sphalerite structure) variety analogous to diamond is called c-BN; it is softer than diamond, but its thermal and chemical stability is superior. The rare wurtzite BN modification is similar to lonsdaleite and may even be harder than the cubic form.
Because of excellent thermal and chemical stability, boron nitride ceramics are traditionally used as parts of high-temperature equipment. Boron nitride has potential use in nanotechnology. Nanotubes of BN can be produced that have a structure similar to that of carbon nanotubes, i.e. graphene (or BN) sheets rolled on themselves, but the properties are very different.
- 1 Structure
- 2 Properties
- 3 Natural occurrence
- 4 Synthesis
- 5 Applications
- 6 Other forms of boron nitride
- 7 Health issues
- 8 See also
- 9 Notes
- 10 References
- 11 External links
Boron nitride exists in multiple forms that differ in the arrangement of the boron and nitrogen atoms, giving rise to varying bulk properties of the material.
Amorphous form (a-BN)
The amorphous form of boron nitride (a-BN) is non-crystalline, lacking any long-distance regularity in the arrangement of its atoms. It is analogous to amorphous carbon.
All other forms of boron nitride are crystalline.
Hexagonal form (h-BN)
The most stable crystalline form is the hexagonal one, also called h-BN, α-BN, g-BN, and graphitic boron nitride. Hexagonal boron nitride (point group = D6h; space group = P63/mmc) has a layered structure similar to graphite. Within each layer, boron and nitrogen atoms are bound by strong covalent bonds, whereas the layers are held together by weak van der Waals forces. The interlayer "registry" of these sheets differs, however, from the pattern seen for graphite, because the atoms are eclipsed, with boron atoms lying over and above nitrogen atoms. This registry reflects the polarity of the B–N bonds. Still, h-BN and graphite are very close neighbors and even the BC6N hybrids have been synthesized where carbon substitutes for some B and N atoms.
Cubic form (c-BN)
Cubic boron nitride has a crystal structure analogous to that of diamond. Consistent with diamond being less stable than graphite, the cubic form is less stable than the hexagonal form, but the conversion rate between the two is negligible at room temperature, as it is for diamond. The cubic form has the sphalerite crystal structure, the same as that of diamond, and is also called β-BN or c-BN.
Wurtzite form (w-BN)
The wurtzite form of boron nitride (w-BN; point group = C6v; space group = P63mc) has the same structure as lonsdaleite, a rare hexagonal polymorph of carbon. As in the cubic form, the boron and nitrogen atoms are grouped into tetrahedra, but in w-BN the angles between neighboring tetrahedra are different.
analogous to graphite
analogous to diamond
analogous to lonsdaleite
|Knoop hardness (GPa)||10||45||34||100|
|Bulk modulus (GPa)||100||36.5||400||400||34||440|
|Thermal conductivity (W/(m·K))||3||600 ∥, 30 ⟂||740||200–2000 ∥, 2–800 ⟂||600–2000|
|Thermal expansion (10−6/°C)||−2.7 ∥, 38 ⟂||1.2||2.7||−1.5 ∥, 25 ⟂||0.8|
|Magnetic susceptibility (µemu/g)||−0.48 ∥, −17.3 ⟂||−0.2...−2.7 ∥, −20...−28 ⟂||−1.6|
The partly ionic structure of BN layers in h-BN reduces covalency and electrical conductivity, whereas the interlayer interaction increases resulting in higher hardness of h-BN relative to graphite. The reduced electron-delocalization in hexagonal-BN is also indicated by its absence of color and a large band gap. Very different bonding – strong covalent within the basal planes (planes where boron and nitrogen atoms are covalently bonded) and weak between them – causes high anisotropy of most properties of h-BN.
For example, the hardness, electrical and thermal conductivity are much higher within the planes than perpendicular to them. On the contrary, the properties of c-BN and w-BN are more homogeneous and isotropic.
Those materials are extremely hard, with the hardness of bulk c-BN being slightly smaller and w-BN even higher than that of diamond. Polycrystalline c-BN with grain sizes on the order of 10 nm is also reported to have Vickers hardness comparable or higher than diamond. Because of much better stability to heat and transition metals, c-BN surpasses diamond in mechanical applications, such as machining steel. The thermal conductivity of BN is among the highest of all electric insulators (see table).
Boron nitride can be doped p-type with beryllium and n-type with boron, sulfur, silicon or if co-doped with carbon and nitrogen. Both hexagonal and cubic BN are wide-gap semiconductors with a band-gap energy corresponding to the UV region. If voltage is applied to h-BN or c-BN, then it emits UV light in the range 215–250 nm and therefore can potentially be used as light-emitting diodes (LEDs) or lasers.
Hexagonal and cubic (and probably w-BN) BN show remarkable chemical and thermal stabilities. For example, h-BN is stable to decomposition at temperatures up to 1000 °C in air, 1400 °C in vacuum, and 2800 °C in an inert atmosphere. The reactivity of h-BN and c-BN is relatively similar, and the data for c-BN are summarized in the table below.
|Solid||Ambient||Action||Threshold T (°C)|
|Mo||vacuum 10−2 Pa||reaction||1360|
|Ni||vacuum 10−2 Pa||wetting[a]||1360|
|Fe, Ni, Co||argon||react||1400–1500|
|Al||vacuum 10−2 Pa||wetting and reaction||1050|
|Si||vacuum 10−3 Pa||wetting||1500|
|Cu, Ag, Au, Ga, In, Ge, Sn||vacuum 10−3 Pa||no wetting||1100|
|Al2O3 + B2O3||vacuum 10−2 Pa||no reaction||1360|
Thermal stability of c-BN can be summarized as follows:
- In air or oxygen: B2O3 protective layer prevents further oxidation to ~1300 °C; no conversion to hexagonal form at 1400 °C.
- In nitrogen: some conversion to h-BN at 1525 °C after 12 h.
- In vacuum (): conversion to h-BN at 1550–1600 °C. 10−5 Pa
Boron nitride is insoluble in the usual acids, but is soluble in alkaline molten salts and nitrides, such as LiOH, KOH, NaOH-Na2CO3, NaNO3, Li3N, Mg3N2, Sr3N2, Ba3N2 or Li3BN2, which are therefore used to etch BN.
The theoretical thermal conductivity of hexagonal Boron nitride nanoribbons (BNNRs) can approach 1700–2000 W/(m·K), which has the same order of magnitude as the experimental measured value for graphene, and can be comparable to the theoretical calculations for graphene nanoribbons. Moreover, the thermal transport in the BNNRs is anisotropic. The thermal conductivity of zigzag-edged BNNRs is about 20% larger than that of armchair-edged nanoribbons at room temperature.
In 2009, a naturally occurring boron nitride mineral (proposed name qingsongite) was reported in Tibet. The substance was found in dispersed micron-sized inclusions of qingsongite (c-BN) in chromium-rich rocks in Tibet. In 2013, the International Mineralogical Association affirmed the mineral and the name.
Preparation and reactivity of hexagonal BN
Boron nitride is produced synthetically. Hexagonal boron nitride is obtained by the reacting boron trioxide (B2O3) or boric acid (H3BO3) with ammonia (NH3) or urea (CO(NH2)2) in a nitrogen atmosphere:
- B2O3 + 2 NH3 → 2 BN + 3 H2O (T = 900 °C)
- B(OH)3 + NH3 → BN + 3 H2O (T = 900 °C)
- B2O3 + CO(NH2)2 → 2 BN + CO2 + 2 H2O (T > 1000 °C)
- B2O3 + 3 CaB6 + 10 N2 → 20 BN + 3 CaO (T > 1500 °C)
The resulting disordered (amorphous) boron nitride contains 92–95% BN and 5–8% B2O3. The remaining B2O3 can be evaporated in a second step at temperatures > 1500 °C in order to achieve BN concentration >98%. Such annealing also crystallizes BN, the size of the crystallites increasing with the annealing temperature.
h-BN parts can be fabricated inexpensively by hot-pressing with subsequent machining. The parts are made from boron nitride powders adding boron oxide for better compressibility. Thin films of boron nitride can be obtained by chemical vapor deposition from boron trichloride and nitrogen precursors. Combustion of boron powder in nitrogen plasma at 5500 °C yields ultrafine boron nitride used for lubricants and toners.
Boron nitride reacts with iodine fluoride in trichlorofluoromethane at −30 °C to produce an extremely sensitive contact explosive, NI3, in low yield. Boron nitride reacts with nitrides of alkali metals and lanthanides to form nitridoborate compounds. For example:
- Li3N + BN → Li3BN2
Intercalation of hexagonal BN
Similar to graphite, various molecules, such as NH3 or alkali metals, can be intercalated into hexagonal boron nitride, that is inserted between its layers. Both experiment and theory suggest the intercalation is much more difficult for BN than for graphite.
Preparation of cubic BN
Synthesis of c-BN uses same methods as that of diamond: Cubic boron nitride is produced by treating hexagonal boron nitride at high pressure and temperature, much as synthetic diamond is produced from graphite. Direct conversion of hexagonal boron nitride to the cubic form has been observed at pressures between 5 and 18 GPa and temperatures between 1730 and 3230 °C, that is similar parameters as for direct graphite-diamond conversion. The addition of a small amount of boron oxide can lower the required pressure to 4–7 GPa and temperature to 1500 °C. As in diamond synthesis, to further reduce the conversion pressures and temperatures, a catalyst is added, such as lithium, potassium, or magnesium, their nitrides, their fluoronitrides, water with ammonium compounds, or hydrazine. Other industrial synthesis methods, again borrowed from diamond growth, use crystal growth in a temperature gradient, or explosive shock wave. The shock wave method is used to produce material called heterodiamond, a superhard compound of boron, carbon, and nitrogen.
Low-pressure deposition of thin films of cubic boron nitride is possible. As in diamond growth, the major problem is to suppress the growth of hexagonal phases (h-BN or graphite, respectively). Whereas in diamond growth this is achieved by adding hydrogen gas, boron trifluoride is used for c-BN. Ion beam deposition, plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition, pulsed laser deposition, reactive sputtering, and other physical vapor deposition methods are used as well.
Preparation of wurtzite BN
Wurtzite BN can be obtained via static high-pressure or dynamic shock methods. The limits of its stability are not well defined. Both c-BN and w-BN are formed by compressing h-BN, but formation of w-BN occurs at much lower temperatures close to 1700 °C.
Whereas the production and consumption figures for the raw materials used for BN synthesis, namely boric acid and boron trioxide, are well known (see boron), the corresponding numbers for the boron nitride are not listed in statistical reports. An estimate for the 1999 world production is 300 to 350 metric tons. The major producers and consumers of BN are located in the United States, Japan, China and Germany. In 2000, prices varied from about $75/kg to $120/kg for standard industrial-quality h-BN and were about up to $200–$400/kg for high purity BN grades.
Hexagonal BN (h-BN) is the most widely used polymorph. It is a good lubricant at both low and high temperatures (up to 900 °C, even in an oxidizing atmosphere). h-BN lubricant is particularly useful when the electrical conductivity or chemical reactivity of graphite (alternative lubricant) would be problematic. Another advantage of h-BN over graphite is that its lubricity does not require water or gas molecules trapped between the layers. Therefore, h-BN lubricants can be used even in vacuum, e.g. in space applications. The lubricating properties of fine-grained h-BN are used in cosmetics, paints, dental cements, and pencil leads.
Hexagonal BN was first used in cosmetics around 1940 in Japan. However, because of its high price, h-BN was soon abandoned for this application. Its use was revitalized in the late 1990s with the optimization h-BN production processes, and currently h-BN is used by nearly all leading producers of cosmetic products for foundations, make-up, eye shadows, blushers, kohl pencils, lipsticks and other skincare products.
Because of its excellent thermal and chemical stability, boron nitride ceramics are traditionally used as parts of high-temperature equipment. h-BN can be included in ceramics, alloys, resins, plastics, rubbers, and other materials, giving them self-lubricating properties. Such materials are suitable for construction of e.g. bearings and in steelmaking. Plastics filled with BN have less thermal expansion as well as higher thermal conductivity and electrical resistivity. Due to its excellent dielectric and thermal properties, BN is used in electronics e.g. as a substrate for semiconductors, microwave-transparent windows, and as a structural material for seals.
Hexagonal BN is used in xerographic process and laser printers as a charge leakage barrier layer of the photo drum. In the automotive industry, h-BN mixed with a binder (boron oxide) is used for sealing oxygen sensors, which provide feedback for adjusting fuel flow. The binder utilizes the unique temperature stability and insulating properties of h-BN.
Parts can be made by hot pressing from four commercial grades of h-BN. Grade HBN contains a boron oxide binder; it is usable up to 550–850 °C in oxidizing atmosphere and up to 1600 °C in vacuum, but due to the boron oxide content is sensitive to water. Grade HBR uses a calcium borate binder and is usable at 1600 °C. Grades HBC and HBT contain no binder and can be used up to 3000 °C.
Two-dimensional hBN (monolayer thick sheets) has been shown to be an excellent proton conductor, yielding unexpectedly high proton transport rates. This high proton transport rate, combined with the high electrical resistance of h-BN, may lead to important advances in research such as fuel cells and water electrolysis.
h-BN has been used since the mid-2000s as a bullet and bore lubricant in precision target rifle applications as an alternative to molybdenum disulfide coating, commonly referred to as "moly". It is claimed to increase effective barrel life, increase intervals between bore cleaning, and decrease the deviation in point of impact between clean bore first shots and subsequent shots.
Cubic boron nitride
Cubic boron nitride (CBN or c-BN) is widely used as an abrasive. Its usefulness arises from its insolubility in iron, nickel, and related alloys at high temperatures, whereas diamond is soluble in these metals to give carbides. Polycrystalline c-BN (PCBN) abrasives are therefore used for machining steel, whereas diamond abrasives are preferred for aluminum alloys, ceramics, and stone. When in contact with oxygen at high temperatures, BN forms a passivation layer of boron oxide. Boron nitride binds well with metals, due to formation of interlayers of metal borides or nitrides. Materials with cubic boron nitride crystals are often used in the tool bits of cutting tools. For grinding applications, softer binders, e.g. resin, porous ceramics, and soft metals, are used. Ceramic binders can be used as well. Commercial products are known under names "Borazon" (by Diamond Innovations), and "Elbor" or "Cubonite" (by Russian vendors). Similar to diamond, the combination in c-BN of highest thermal conductivity and electrical resistivity is ideal for heat spreaders. Contrary to diamond, large c-BN pellets can be produced in a simple process (called sintering) of annealing c-BN powders in nitrogen flow at temperatures slightly below the BN decomposition temperature. This ability of c-BN and h-BN powders to fuse allows cheap production of large BN parts.
As cubic boron nitride consists of light atoms and is very robust chemically and mechanically, it is one of the popular materials for X-ray membranes: low mass results in small X-ray absorption, and good mechanical properties allow usage of thin membranes, thus further reducing the absorption.
Amorphous boron nitride
Layers of amorphous boron nitride (a-BN) are used in some semiconductor devices, e.g. MISFETs. They can be prepared by chemical decomposition of trichloroborazine with caesium, or by thermal chemical vapor deposition methods. Thermal CVD can be also used for deposition of h-BN layers, or at high temperatures, c-BN.
Other forms of boron nitride
Boron nitride nanomesh
Boron nitride nanomesh is a nanostructured two-dimensional material. It consists of a single BN layer, which forms by self-assembly a highly regular mesh after high-temperature exposure of a clean rhodium or ruthenium surface to borazine under ultra-high vacuum. The nanomesh looks like an assembly of hexagonal pores. The distance between 2 pore centers is 3.2 nm and the pore diameter is ~2 nm. Other terms for this material are boronitrene or white graphene.
The boron nitride nanomesh is not only stable to decomposition under vacuum, air and some liquids, but also up to temperatures of 800 °C. In addition, it shows the extraordinary ability to trap molecules and metallic clusters which have similar sizes to the nanomesh pores, forming a well-ordered array. These characteristics promise interesting applications of the nanomesh in areas like catalysis, surface functionalisation, spintronics, quantum computing and data storage media like hard drives.
Boron nitride nanotubes
Boron nitride nanotubes were predicted in 1994 and experimentally discovered in 1995. They can be imagined as a rolled up sheet of boron nitride. Structurally, it is a close analog of the carbon nanotube, namely a long cylinder with diameter of several to hundred nanometers and length of many micrometers, except carbon atoms are alternately substituted by nitrogen and boron atoms. However, the properties of BN nanotubes are very different: whereas carbon nanotubes can be metallic or semiconducting depending on the rolling direction and radius, a BN nanotube is an electrical insulator with a bandgap of ~5.5 eV, basically independent of tube chirality and morphology. In addition, a layered BN structure is much more thermally and chemically stable than a graphitic carbon structure.
Composites containing BN
Addition of boron nitride to silicon nitride ceramics improves the thermal shock resistance of the resulting material. For the same purpose, BN is added also to silicon nitride-alumina and titanium nitride-alumina ceramics. Other materials being reinforced with BN include alumina and zirconia, borosilicate glasses, glass ceramics, enamels, and composite ceramics with titanium boride-boron nitride, titanium boride-aluminium nitride-boron nitride, and silicon carbide-boron nitride composition.
Boron nitride (along with Si3N4, NbN, and BNC) is reported to show weak fibrogenic activity, and to cause pneumoconiosis when inhaled in particulate form. The maximum concentration recommended for nitrides of nonmetals is 10 mg/m3 for BN and 4 for AlN or ZrN.
- Here wetting refers to the ability of a molten metal to keep contact with solid BN
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- S. M. Lee (1992). Handbook of Composite Reinforcements. John Wiley and Sons. ISBN 0471188611. | <urn:uuid:073173ac-ee93-4f1d-89ea-66ae406630ea> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boron_nitride | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560279489.14/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095119-00010-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.757654 | 8,822 | 2.640625 | 3 |
Cosmic inert energy is generating the world
The basic cosmic inert energy is generating the world, maintaining it and finally dissolving it by the will of God.The basic inert energy present in a human being is qualitatively the same cosmic energy. The difference is only quantitative and hence, the limited basic inert energy of a human being represents the unlimited cosmic inert energy in qualitative sense. In this way, the inert energy of human being representing the cosmic energy is told as the maintainer of this real materialistic world.
Universal Spirituality for World Peace | <urn:uuid:035e49aa-7fc9-45d3-baf1-caa8a2cd4ecd> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.speakingtree.in/blog/cosmic-inert-energy-is-generating-the-world | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560283008.19/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095123-00082-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.884168 | 110 | 1.90625 | 2 |
Background: Brain radiotherapy is used in the management of melanoma brain metastases (MBM) and can result in radionecrosis. Anti-PD-1 is active in the brain and may increase the risk of radionecrosis when combined with radiotherapy. We studied the incidence, associated factors and management of radionecrosis in longer-term survivors with MBM treated with this combination.
Methods: Patients with MBM treated with radiotherapy and anti-PD-1 who survived > 1 year were identified to determine radionecrosis incidence (Cohort A, n = 135). Cohort A plus additional radionecrosis cases were examined for factors associated with radionecrosis and management (Cohort B, n = 148).
Results: From Cohort A, 17% developed radionecrosis, with a cumulative incidence at 2 years of 18%. Using Cohort B, multivariable analysis confirmed an association between radionecrosis and elevated lactate dehydrogenase (p = 0.0496) and prior treatment with ipilimumab (p = 0.0319). Radionecrosis was diagnosed based on MRI (100%), symptoms (69%) and pathology (56%). Treatment included corticosteroids, bevacizumab and neurosurgery.
Conclusions: Radionecrosis is a significant toxicity in longer-term melanoma survivors with MBM treated with anti-PD-1 and radiotherapy. Identification of those at risk of radionecrosis who may avoid radiotherapy is required. | <urn:uuid:472b733a-b19c-408d-856b-7799c8cdb79f> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://research-repository.uwa.edu.au/en/publications/incidence-features-and-management-of-radionecrosis-in-melanoma-pa | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571502.25/warc/CC-MAIN-20220811194507-20220811224507-00071.warc.gz | en | 0.923017 | 321 | 1.59375 | 2 |
Lean is a dynamic, knowledge-driven, and customer focused philosophy that continuously eradicates waste and generates value, with a goal to improve a company's productivity, efficiency, and quality. Successful implementation of lean does not only offer cost reduction and improved quality and productivity, but also provides efficient guidance for organizations to attain significant and continued growth. Although its adoption by companies has proven successful in developed countries, there is no sufficient evidence of its successful implementation in developing countries such as Saudi Arabia. A review of the literature indicates that there is a need to study lean transformation in developing countries as part of a comprehensive approach to their survival in the global economy. The purpose of this research is to develop a framework for a successful lean transformation in developing countries. The framework was developed by conducting a thorough literature review analysis and interviewing key personnel in ten local and eight multinational Saudi Arabian companies. The framework reacted to general data about lean transformation in developing countries, assessed a lean transformation level, and constructed the Interpretive Structure Molding (ISM) for barriers to achieve a successful lean transformation. Expert opinions were used for validation of the main components of this study, which are assessment, barriers, ISM and framework. Similar to the literature findings which indicated that the level of successful lean transformation in developing countries is low, the assessment revealed that the lean transformation level in local companies in Saudi Arabia is between 30% and 40%, and in multinational companies the level is between 50% and 60%. Both local and multinational companies in the case of Saudi Arabian industry considered lack of suppliers' involvement, lack of cooperation from suppliers, lack of good quality suppliers, and slow response to market due to demand fluctuations as the root barriers that need to be addressed at the primary stages of lean transformation. The resulting framework provides clear phases with an estimated timeline for each phase, from the foundation phase to the excellence level phase. In addition, it involves executive leaders and a cross-functional team to mentor and assess the transformation after each phase. The framework comprises several methods and tools that can be considered critical success factors for lean transformation, which will enable companies in developing countries to move toward achieving a successful lean transformation and sustainability, as well as reaching higher and persistent levels of growth.
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Andejany, Murad, "A Framework for Lean Transformation in Developing Countries: The Case of Saudi Arabian Industry" (2017). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 5626.
Restricted to the UCF community until August 2020; it will then be open access. | <urn:uuid:c4a9f805-c761-42ca-8daf-6458c9019b84> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://stars.library.ucf.edu/etd/5626/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573172.64/warc/CC-MAIN-20220818063910-20220818093910-00273.warc.gz | en | 0.928042 | 700 | 1.976563 | 2 |
Ethnic Politics and Nationalism in Multi-Ethnic Societies
- Quarters: Winter
- General Education Requirements: I&S
- Instructors: Jonathan Warren
Provides a broad theoretical base, both descriptive and analytical, for the comparative study of ethnicity and nationalism. Examples drawn from ethnic movements in different societies. Some previous exposure either to introductory courses in political science or to courses in ethnicity in other departments is desirable. | <urn:uuid:f117e461-89a7-468c-bea5-9a8e9a200f82> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://jsis.washington.edu/course/jsis-b-436-ethnic-politics-and-nationalism-in-multi-ethnic-societies/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571150.88/warc/CC-MAIN-20220810070501-20220810100501-00670.warc.gz | en | 0.897904 | 87 | 2.1875 | 2 |
The logic behind the Amateur Draft is based on the draft settings each franchise has selected as well as the draft board those settings have generated.
The amount a franchise spends in High School Scouting and/or College Scouting impacts the number of players scouted from that sector. The more you spend, the more players you'll scout and the more accurate your projections will be. However, a franchise with a smaller budget can scout a player that a franchise with a higher budget doesn't. The ratio of college/high school scouting budgets will also impact the number of players chosen from that sector. For instance, if you have $14M allotted to college scouting and only $7M to high school scouting, your draft results should result in more college players taken than high school players since you'll have scouted more players from that sector. But, you'll still take a high school prospect if he's clearly better than his college counterpart. What you see on your draft board is what you should expect to draft.
The positions listed with each player is what your scouting department (HS or college) projects him to play at the big league level. For example, a better scouting department will project a SS coming out of high school to be more likely to play 3B at the big league level.
Each draft consists of the same allotment of players at each position. The quality varies from draft to draft, however.
Each draft also consists of a different set of 32 franchise draft settings. As a result, drafts vary. If everyone goes for a high number of starting pitchers one draft, then you might not be able to meet your target count because the available list of starting pitchers may be drafted.
When it comes to meeting a position target count, if the only thing remaining is partially scouted players at that position, your department will take a gamble and draft an unscouted player. This may pan out or it may not.
If a player's signability indicates he'll only sign in the first round or first five rounds and you draft him in the proper round, then he's considered a safe candidate. If drafted later than that, then he probably won't sign.
Players with leverage will ask for higher demands and take their time to sign, so don't panic. You'll always hear back as to whether they want to sign, ask for more money, or have decided to pursue another path.
College seniors that are drafted but do not sign will become free-agents the following season. First round picks that don't sign result in a compensation pick for the drafting franchise.
Currently, non college seniors that are drafted but don't sign are not in the following season's draft class. We plan on adding this at some point in the future. | <urn:uuid:da09af6d-70e4-4a5e-8c07-fad98c80122b> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://help.whatifsports.com/hc/en-us/articles/360014111972-How-does-the-Amateur-Draft-work-exactly- | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571234.82/warc/CC-MAIN-20220811042804-20220811072804-00072.warc.gz | en | 0.976264 | 554 | 1.695313 | 2 |
This is an introductory semester course in computer programming/software engineering and applications. The course introduces students to the fundamentals of computer programming. Students will learn to design, code, and test their own programs. The course will introduce basic programming concepts to beginning students through the Python programming language, preparing them for the second semester where they will learn object-oriented programming skills in an Internet environment.
You will need access to the following in order to successfully
complete the course:
- A computer with a connection to the Internet.
- A webcam and a microphone for a computer.
Unit 1 - Introduction to Computer Programming with Python
Unit 2 - Exploring Python Syntax and User-Defined Functions
Unit 3 - Data Structures and for Loops
Unit 4 - Diving Deeper with Python
Unit 5 - Putting It All Together
Please contact Ben Glover at
or call 248-3933 with for more information to register . | <urn:uuid:140f1941-3ce7-4e78-b0c5-ef5f90413f44> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.theacademy.net/computer.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280128.70/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00391-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.837064 | 189 | 2.8125 | 3 |
Primary pupilsí planting brightens up park entrance
A splash of summer colour will be introduced to the entrance of Hazlehead Park thanks to the efforts of local school children.
Pupils from Hazlehead Primary School today [Friday 04 July] helped plant six containers of bedding plants on the road to the popular park.
Ben Reid Garden Centre donated £300 worth of plants through the Friends of Hazlehead which was matched by Aberdeen City Council's environmental services.
Aberdeen City Council Housing and Environment Convener Councillor Neil Cooney said: "The children's efforts are fantastic and I would like to congratulate them for their hard work.
"Ben Reid Garden Centre and the Friends of Hazlehead must also be commended for their continued support for the park and the surrounding area.
"The children planted sustainable species mixed with bedding plants which endorses the theme of Hazlehead as Scotland's first Climate Change Park.
"I'm sure they will take great delight seeing the flowers grow through their summer holidays."
Simon Fraser, Managing Director of Ben Reid Garden Centre added: "We were delighted to be able to support the Friends of Hazlehead and Aberdeen City Council with this project and look forward to seeing the children's efforts in full bloom." | <urn:uuid:b99465e3-afdd-4c6c-a4eb-5d8102df717d> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.aberdeencity.gov.uk/CouncilNews/ci_cns/pr_hazlehead_flowers_040714.asp | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560279410.32/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095119-00162-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959552 | 261 | 1.96875 | 2 |
Aug 10, 1945. A gathering to discuss surrender terms took place in Emperor Hirohitos bomb shelter; the participants were stalemated. Hirohito settled the question, believing continuing the war would only result in further loss of Japanese lives. A message was transmitted to Japanese ambassadors in Switzerland and Sweden to accept the terms issued at PotsdamJuly 26, 1945, except that the Japanese emperors sovereignty must be maintained. The Allies devised a plan in which the emperor and the Japanese government would administer under the rule of the Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers, and the Japanese surrendered.
August 10, 2022 all-day | <urn:uuid:7059d875-7c86-4d82-a653-53fc3ae1a28c> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://geneabloggers.com/event/japan-surrenders-wwii-ends-anniversary/?instance_id=4924 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882570871.10/warc/CC-MAIN-20220808183040-20220808213040-00274.warc.gz | en | 0.934844 | 162 | 2.625 | 3 |
Work with management to identify new process improvement opportunities in the areas of quality, cost, performance, and preventive and predictive maintenance.
Evaluate and analyze current process metrics and performance to identify areas requiring improvements.
Analyze and identify opportunities to reduce process variation, improve process capabilities and optimize process performance.
Develop process improvement initiatives to increase operational efficiency and productivity.
Facilitate the deployment of new and changed processes to provide improved results.
Develop standard procedures and policies to be followed by the Engineers.
Train and guide resources as needed.
Work with various teams to reduce process and business variations.
Assist Managers in management for capital projects.
Prepare project presentations for management when needed.
Review and update business procedures and documents based on project requirements. | <urn:uuid:1d99c1ee-2325-487a-9b04-3c1c4cc41be2> | CC-MAIN-2016-44 | http://www.resumebaking.com/job-responsibilities/process-improvement-engineer-responsibilities/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-44/segments/1476988719843.44/warc/CC-MAIN-20161020183839-00293-ip-10-171-6-4.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.893831 | 156 | 1.789063 | 2 |
Gordon Thomas, the author of "The Pope's Jews," is a British journalist who has written numerous works, a number of them on the intelligence services of Great Britain and the United States, and a couple on the Vatican.
In this book, he relies on personal interviews with Catholics and Jews who lived in Rome during World War II and the archival sources of diplomats, especially the British and Americans who lived in the Vatican during that period.
This gives Thomas interesting perspectives on the day-to-day life of those in Rome under Mussolini, Italian fascism and German occupation. He is able to place the specific decisions made by Pope Pius XII and Vatican officials with regard to harboring Jews into the larger context of the Italian Resistance to the Germans and efforts by Allied diplomats and Vatican representatives to give refuge to Allied soldiers fleeing capture by the Germans.
The result is a highly readable, and often riveting, book that gives a very good sense not only of the difficulties faced by the Catholics in saving their fellow Jewish Italian citizens but in surviving the daily obstacles of finding food for themselves.
For this book, Thomas relied on a network of "researchers" from the current Jewish community of Rome and in Israel, some of them close relatives of the people whose lives he narrates in the book, as well as in the United Kingdom and the United States. He is thus able to draw on memories, memoirs and diaries, some for the first time, in sketching the portraits of those involved, including Pope Pius XII.
Thomas describes the actions of the spies of various countries, including the plot by some in Germany to kill Hitler and Hitler's plot to kidnap the pope, and the awareness of and reactions to these by the Vatican. He describes the "secret network" of British spies and Catholic priests who worked with the Vatican to bring to safety within the Vatican and Castel Gandolfo Allied troops who had escaped from the Germans and who worked also to bring Jews to Italy from occupied countries and into the safety of the many Vatican properties in Rome.
He narrates the perilous work of Catholic religious such as the Sisters of Sion who hid thousands of Jews both before the German roundup of Jews and especially afterward. He notes the role played by Vatican Radio in exposing the anti-Semitic actions of the Nazis -- broadcast content that the pope would have had to approve. This in itself belies the false charge that Pius XII was "silent" about the fate of the Jews.
This is a rich, complex story, and one filled with ambiguities, from which the author does not shirk, of "what ifs" and "it could have been more effective if." In general Thomas concludes that the activities of church personnel, much with the direct knowledge of the pope. Thomas often uses the phrase "the pope ordered" when referring to the actions of Catholic authorities and religious to save Jews. Certainly these saving deeds were done with his knowledge and approval, though not necessarily at his "order." Indeed, many would not have needed "orders" to save Jews.
My one major criticism is of his scant, less than two-page summary of the treatment of Jews by the bishops of Rome over the centuries. That treatment, in the main, was far more positive and protective of Jews, often in times in which they were persecuted elsewhere, than Thomas describes. This overall relatively consistent positive treatment of the Jews explains much in terms of Pope Pius desire to help the Jews, on the one hand, and the sense on the part of the Jews that the pope would (and could) defend them as popes had in the past on the other. | <urn:uuid:c50554a3-2497-4f9b-b1da-e2223cbc3892> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.catholicsentinel.org/Main.asp?SectionID=6&SubSectionID=31&ArticleID=19840 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560282935.68/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095122-00246-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.978238 | 743 | 2.859375 | 3 |
A new Episcopal Health Foundation (EHF) report examining the health impacts of increased government investment in public health and social services found increased public spending on services like public health; fire and ambulance; housing and community development; and libraries would likely lead to improved health outcomes for Texas counties.
Researchers analyzed per-capita government spending on areas like education, housing, parks, police, and public health in Texas. Then, they compared those public spending rates with county-level health rankings that are based on obesity rates, premature deaths, overall health status, and more. Using the data and new models, researchers predict that a 10 percent increase in per-capita spending on certain public services could improve a county’s national health ranking by one to seven spots within just four years.
The report found that counties differ in their social service investments. Some healthy counties prioritize a smaller number of larger services, such as education, while other healthy counties allocate higher spending across a number of “smaller” services, such as parks, libraries, and more, researchers found.
Along with showing the level of total government social service spending by county, the report’s model estimates how increased investments by dollar amounts and/or social services categories could change a county’s health ranking.
Contact: Brian Sasser | <urn:uuid:47d3e227-0a87-4042-8a17-e15da770dedc> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.gih.org/philanthropy-work/reports/episcopal-health-foundation-houston-tx-6/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571869.23/warc/CC-MAIN-20220813021048-20220813051048-00074.warc.gz | en | 0.947836 | 288 | 2.328125 | 2 |
With the development of the internet and multimedia, enterprises have, in an effort to increase their brand influence, placed increasing weight on their advertising and publicity outlays. However, big data on market regulation in recent years reveal that the number of cases of adverting law violations has doubled. Additionally, the abuse by professional whistleblowers of their rights presents a serious test for enterprises in their compliant operations.
Prohibition on a limited number of words and the indicated connection principle. The Advertising Law only expressly bans the use of the words “national/state level”, “top class” and “best” in advertising. However, from the examples of advertising law violation cases, a limited number of adjectives that express superlatives are also commonly deemed by the competent administrative authorities to be words banned under article 9 of the Advertising Law.
These limited words are also required to point to the business operator itself, or the products or services it is publicizing. If a limited word is used only to describe an objective phenomenon or method, e.g., “our hotel is in a state-level scenic area”, then it is not deemed illegal advertising language.
Disparagement and misleading principle. To prevent the elimination of legitimate competition from competitors in the same industry, and the misleading of consumers, the law does not permit advertisers or advertisement publishers to compare their products or services directly with those of competitors. “Most favoured by consumers”, “leading by far in sales volume” are common illegal advertising phrases subject to investigation in practice.
Cited information is required to be complete, true and accurate. The law does not prohibit the citing of third-party data or information in advertising language. However, the third-party data cited are required to be complete, true and accurate. In practice, there has been one illegal advertising case in which the advertiser cited the true sales ranking of its product, but was investigated and penalized for failing to indicate the year of compilation of the data. Furthermore, objectively citing a title or honour lawfully bestowed on an enterprise, e.g., “recipient of a national technical advancement prize”, is not prohibited by law.
Certain goods are required to comply with the review rules of special laws. In addition to applying with the Advertising Law, advertisers and advertisement publishers that market special goods in China are required to pay attention to special regulations. Taking medical devices, health foods or pharmaceuticals as examples, the advertising activities for these products are additionally subject to the Administrative Measures for the Review and Publication of “Three Product One Device” Advertisements.
The advertising language for such products may not contain assertions or guarantees as to the efficacy of the product, may not describe the product’s effective rate or cure rate, and may not contain content that runs counter to scientific laws, or scientific content, that cannot be substantiated.
Expressions of subjective vision/business philosophy not deemed illegal advertising language. The reason that the law bans absolute wording and prohibits false publicity is to prevent consumers being deceived and misled. If the advertising wording only expresses the advertiser’s pursuit of its business philosophy, or the acclamation of its corporate culture, it does not violate the law. Phrases such as “pursuit of ultimate safety”, etc., used by a number of retail enterprises in their advertising language, do not constitute a description of the attributes or features of their products and/or services, and even though some of the limited wording appears, the same is not usually penalized as an illegal act.
Internal comparison not deemed illegal advertising language. If comparative words such as newest appear in advertising language, and are used to compare old and new lines of products of an enterprise or brand, the technical standards used, etc., they do not seek to eliminate the same type of product or service and do not constitute prohibited advertising language, e.g., “fully equipped vehicle model”.
The jurisdiction defence. The Advertising Law applies to advertising activities in China. However, due to the special nature of the transmission of advertisements published in online media, it is difficult to distinguish whether they constitute an advertising activity in China. From current judicial practice, with respect to illegal advertisements published on websites not registered with the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, and whose IP servers, advertisers and advertisement publishers are all located abroad, the competent authorities will generally not treat China as the place where the illegal act occurred, and assess penalties, even if the illegal advertisements are transmitted into China.
Defence against complaints lodged by professional whistleblowers. The State Administration for Market Regulation expressly proposes the seeking of opinions in the Measures for the Handling of Market Regulation Related Complaints and Tip Offs (Draft for Comment). Professional whistleblowers are not consumers who purchase and use goods or services for purposes of personal consumption, and the regulators will not accept their complaints.
If an enterprise encounters a professional whistleblower maliciously reporting an illegal advertisement for profit, it may use phone recordings or other means to attain relevant evidence, and with this substantiate that the complainant is not a genuine consumer, and raise an objection with the regulator.
Argument for exemption from penalties. If an enterprise genuinely violates regulations in its advertising activities, but such violation satisfies the criteria for the circumstances being minor, or the harmful consequences being insignificant, the competent administrative authority will usually reduce or even not assess penalties. Particularly for advertisements published on the internet, the number of clicks on, and the number of times an advertisement is accessed, are usually key factors that the competent administrative authority will consider when determining the seriousness of a violation.
Taking Shanghai as an example, when issuing the List of Minor Illegal Business Acts in the Market for Which Penalties Are Exempted, the Shanghai Municipal Administration for Market Regulation specifically provided for the circumstances under which penalties can be exempted for different types of illegal advertisements, which serves as a tolerance mechanism for “minor” violations by enterprises. If an enterprise’s illegal advertisement falls within the minor violations specified, it should pay attention to rectifying the matter as soon as possible, and actively present its case to the competent administrative authority.
Zhou Le and Zhou Yeli are associates at Tiantai Law Firm
Tiantai Law Firm
29/F, T1 Building, Raffles City
No.1133 Changning Road, Changning District
Shanghai 200051, China
Tel: +86 21 5237 7006
Fax: +86 21 5237 7009 | <urn:uuid:c38cc553-66e5-46f6-86a5-b21d14444095> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://law.asia/advertising-language-responses-penalties/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572215.27/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815235954-20220816025954-00678.warc.gz | en | 0.931326 | 1,354 | 2.046875 | 2 |
December 9-10, 2013
OP Jindal Global University collaborated with the Schusterman Center in creating an Israel Studies workshop for members of their School of International Affairs. Brandeis faculty Ilan Troen, Gannit Ankori, Yehudah Mirsky and Rachel Fish all presented lectures at the New Delhi event, and were accompanied by President Fred Lawrence.
The organizers for OP Jindal were alumni of our Summer Institute for Israel Studies, Rohee Dasgupta and Robert Barnidge.
Israel Studies Seminar in China
Using the Schusterman Center’s Summer Institute as a model, Peking University and Shandong University in China created China’s first workshops in the field of Israel, which took place July 12-17, 2009 at Peking University and and July 19-31 at Shandong University, and were funded by the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation. These Israel Studies seminars were attended by more than 100 professors, high school educators, graduate students, and undergraduate students. Schusterman Center director Ilan Troen helped create and organize the China seminar, and invited faculty members from Israel to be seminar instructors.
The Israeli professors that joined Troen teach Israel Studies from a variety of disciplines and are recurring faculty at SIIS. Elie Rekhess, a Dayan Center Senior Fellow and director of the Konrad Adenauer Program for Jewish-Arab Cooperation at Tel Aviv University, is an expert on the Arab minority in Israel; Sammy Smooha is former dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences and sociology professor at the University of Haifa and is a specialist in comparative ethnic relations; and Yitzhak Galnoor is a political science professor at Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Ilan Troen, himself a historian, sparked a lively discussion on representation, national liberation, and democracy by analyzing in comparative perspective the American Declaration of Independence, the Israeli Declaration of Independence, the Palestinian Liberation Organization Charter, and the Hamas Covenant.
“What is so remarkable is that in China there is an interest in Israel that is based not only on geopolitics, but on cultural curiosity in a country where there are literally tens of thousands of Imams and mosques, but only a handful of rabbis and congregations," said Troen. | <urn:uuid:0df24639-1ca6-4213-98a5-05a05c36a329> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.brandeis.edu/israelcenter/SIIS/siis_related.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280891.90/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00159-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.943824 | 460 | 1.59375 | 2 |
Autore: Welcome to Fudzilla
Start paying tax you fokkers
In an open letter to fellow leaders of the G8, written as the UK takes over the presidency, David Cameron asked his fellow leaders to coordinate global efforts to stop tax avoidance by multinational businesses. Cameron said co-ordinated action is needed to make major corporations and wealthy individuals pay their fair share of tax.
He points out that it is jolly unfair that taxpayers work hard and pay their fair share of taxes only to see rich multi-nationals get away with murder. Eric Schmidt, Google’s executive chairman, has said that he is “very proud” of the way that the company arranges to pay as little tax as legally possible, saying it “is called capitalism”. It seems that the “do no evil” thing has long since disappeared.
Tax avoidance by Google, Starbucks and Amazon are big news in the UK as there is a lot of support to have the the buggers jailed for “immorally” minimising its tax bills. It is a little ironic as 300 years ago they would have transported to the colonies for theft. Now just the money is being transported and people are miffed. | <urn:uuid:4d43d839-ca99-4d35-a793-c2fabbf5d4ee> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://monimega.com/blog/2013/01/03/uk-calls-for-google-to-get-a-canning-by-the-eu/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560284405.58/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095124-00032-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.981841 | 255 | 1.570313 | 2 |
Team UAlberta’s Beelab focused on performing in vivo experimentation on the efficacy of protoporphyrin IX (PPIX) at inactivating Nosema ceranae spores and the function of our Antifungal Porphyrin-based Intervention System (APIS) prototypes. Our work for our Beelab included collecting and housing honeybees for experimentation under various treatment conditions.
The main motivation behind using live honeybees rather than other animal models, or cell lines, is that N. ceranae is an obligate parasite of honeybees. N. ceranae infections have only been found to infect the Asian honeybee, Apis ceranae, and only recently has it been documented in the Western honeybee, Apis mellifera . Use of cell line studies were also considered but honeybee cell lines are notoriously difficult to acquire and maintain. Published alternatives, such as Lepidoptera-based cell lines have been infected by N. ceranae, but are cited as not suitable for propagating spores .
As propagating spores was necessary for our experiments and due to the of the physiology of N. ceranae and limitations in vitro testing, Team UAlberta opted to use live honeybees for our experiments as it would provide the best route for evaluating our designs. Find the full justification for live honeybee experimentation here.
In order to demonstrate the feasibility of our APIS design, we identified four critical outcomes that our technology must achieve:
- Excess intracellular PPIX must not have any toxic effects on our E. coli chassis as the function of the APIS construct hinges on producing PPIX above natural concentrations. This aspect was focussed on in our Wetlab section.
- Our E.coli chassis itself must not be harmful to the health of both Nosema-infected or uninfected honeybees treated with it.
- The PPIX therapy must function as intended so that ingestion of PPIX must decrease Nosema spore loads in vivo or prevent the spread of infection.
- PPIX must not have a negative effect on the health of both Nosema-infected and healthy honeybees health. We must ensure that bees, both health and unhealthy, do not experience negative health consequences by consuming PPIX.
Achieving these four outcomes individually would provide a set of proof-of-concepts that demonstrate the functionality of APIS, and that our novel strategy of using biosynthesized PPIX as an antifungal therapeutic is effective against N. ceranae infections in vivo.
Establishing a Honeybee Hive
In order to perform our in vivo experimentation, we needed a source for Western honeybees (Apis mellifera). Luckily, we were introduced to Jason McKinnon, a friend of one of our supervisors, who had been looking to start a beehive of his own. With his cooperation, we set up a new honeybee hive in south Edmonton, AB, from which we would collect honeybees!
Our team purchased three hive boxes, a few dozen frames, and the basic accessories for starting a hive. With the hive ready to go, Jason and our team travelled to Hove Apiaries, owned by Alvin and Judy Hove, where we got a five frame nuc of Italian honeybees (Apis mellifera ligustica) which is a subspecies of the Western honeybee . The nuc included brood frames, honey frames, a mated queen honey bees, and thousands of worker bees. Judy and Alvin were also very generous as they donated nine drawn frames for us to use when our hive grows and expands. After transplanting the nuc into our brand new hive, we let the honeybees get settled for a couple of weeks while Jason helped our team tend to the hive in the meanwhile. Watch our hive building process here!
Before any experimentation took place, our team defined our sample specimens as honeybee hives have different castes that exhibit different physiology. Thus, the subjects of our experiments were to be worker honeybees, as they are the most abundant caste and would be the major carrier of N. ceranae in hives
However, workers are found in a distribution of ages in hives. So, our team had two options of which workers to collect:
- Newly emerged bees which are adult bees that have just finished pupation and have just emerged from their wax-capped cells. These bees ages can be determined and should have a known pathogen load as they would have not been in contact with other bees. Or,
- Non-newly emerged bees which are worker bees found in and around the hive. The age of these bees cannot be determined and their pathogen load is unknown as they have been potentially exposed to unhealthy bees. From now on, non-newly emerged bees will be referred simply to as adult bees.
If our team ended up collecting drone bees, or even the queen bee, our protocol was to return them to the hive.
After letting our hive establish its new home, we began collection procedures for our various Beelab experiments. First, we consulted with Paul Greidanus, a commercial honey producer, about the effects of collecting honeybees on hive health. He told us that hives regularly lose hundreds of workers daily without adverse effects as healthy queens are consistently laying new brood (eggs). With this information, our team was reassured that we could collect enough bees for our experiments without harming our hive.
Our team’s first choice was to use newly emerged bees as more variables can be accounted for. To collect newly emerged bees, we placed frame cages around capped brood. Our frame cages were enclosed nets which would trap any workers that had just emerged. However, we quickly realized that bees did not emerge consistently in large numbers for our experiments which reduced the number of bees we could collect for a given day.
Due to this limitation, our team changed our approach and collected adult bees instead. Our decision was further justified by the idea that collecting a distribution of workers would be a closer approximation of the age variation within actual hive, thus providing a more realistic dataset for demonstration. To collect adult bees, we removed frames from the hive and ran our container across it. This caused multiple bees to gently fall into our container, which was faster than trying to individually collect bees. Paul Gredanius showed us this method of collecting bees and it drastically streamlined the process.
To house our bees in our laboratory, we created custom bee cages according to previous methods . Our design is depicted below. These cages had the appropriate openings for both feed inlets and removal of honeybees. Our mesh walls and flooring were designed to provide our honeybees with necessary ventilation and drainage.
Our standard feed for the honeybees was filter-sterilized 2M sucrose solution. These were poured into our feeding tubes which were 15 mL disposable centrifuge tubes with one to three holes drilled at the ends. When filled and capped, a vacuum is created which prevents the feed from pouring out while still allowing the solution to drip out slowly so that the honeybees are able to feed.
For all our experiments, our members performed daily check-ins on the bees. Each day, the number of dead bees was counted and then removed from the cage. If the feeding tubes had a volume of less than 5 mL, they were refilled with the appropriate feed. The number of dead bees per cage and the initial and final feeding tube volumes were recorded.
Our termination protocols prioritized the welfare of the honeybees. Through our conversations with bee-researchers, we found out that honeybees are classified to have no experience of pain, only a reflex to pain stimuli. However, our team still decided to create termination procedures that both reduce any pain stimuli the bees might experience and are consistent with established methods. Termination, by instantaneous decapitation/physical destruction, was conducted swiftly in order to eliminate the possibility that the bees might experience a pain stimulus. Our termination protocols were only used when the honey bees had fulfilled their intended purpose for our experiments, meaning that we plan on terminating no bees unless we can obtain quality measurements from them.
Nosema ceranae Spore Counts
After dead honeybees were collected, or live bee sacrificed, N. ceranae, spore counts were conducted when appropriate. Individual or multiple bees were homogenized in 1 mL of PBS per bee and depending on the spore load, the liquid fraction was diluted further with PBS. 10 uL of each sample were then loaded onto a hemocytometer and Nosema spore were counted using a phase contrast microscope at 400x magnification.
With our bees specimens collected and with our four ultimate goals in mind, we designed several experiments to answer the following questions:
Experiment 1: Is PPIX toxic to E. coli?
Given that APIS is based on increased production of PPIX above natural levels in E. coli, it was necessary to test whether high concentrations of PPIX would have adverse effects on our chassis. Therefore, before commencing on live bees, we conducted an PPIX minimum inhibitory concentration assay for E. coli which is further detailed in Wetlab.
For our various Beelab investigations, unless explicitly referred to as biosynthesized PPIX, the PPIX we used was a HPLC-grade reagent sourced from Enzo Life Sciences. Stock solutions were prepared by dissolving solid PPIX in a 1:1 Tris-base:10 mg/mL EtOH solution in the dark and further diluted into experimental solutions.
Experiment 2: Will E. coli make our bees sick?
To demonstrate the feasibility of APIS, it was also necessary to test whether feeding bees E. coli, which is not native to the bee microbiome, has an adverse effect on their health. To test this, we designed a bacterial toxicity assay (Figure 6). We introduced varying concentrations of our expression strain, E. coli BL21 (DE3), to the bees’ food source. These tests were conducted in both healthy adult bees and Nosema-infected bees. Groups were observed over the course of a week, during which we monitored their behaviour and observed the overall survival trend. Given the success of previous iGEM teams, UBC 2015’s Probeeotics and NYMU-Taipei’s Bee.coli, at introducing E. coli into bee intestines via introduction into their food source , we hypothesized that the introduction of E. coli into Nosema-infected bees would not negatively affect bee mortality.
A note on the above plot, first looking at the healthy, uninfected bees, we found that only one group fed with E. coli statistically differed from the healthy bees fed only with sugar water. While this initially caused alarm, the statistically different group was the one fed the lowest concentration of bacteria. If this effect was due to toxic effects from the bacteria, we’d expect the groups with higher concentrations to have the same or lower survival rates, which we did not see. Thus, while we’re not sure of the exact cause, we believe that the significant difference is not a result of bacteria toxicity, but rather an anomaly.
Interestingly, when we look at the Nosema-infected bees, we don’t see any significant differences between any of the bacteria-fed groups against the infected bees that were just fed sugar water, making us comfortable with the conclusion that the bacteria did not cause increased bee mortality. Even the highest tested E. coli concentration did not lead to a significant difference in bee mortality over time or in the overall survival trend. Bee mortality over the time course is therefore expected to a function of natural causes in the variably-aged bee population.
With no pronounced toxic effects induced by ingestion of E. coli, results demonstrate a valuable proof-of-concept that E. coli could be a feasible delivery vehicle of our therapeutic treatment.
Experiment 3: Does PPIX lead to a reduction in spore load?
Of course, we needed address our primary hypothesis: Will ingested PPIX, the same chemical that APIS will produce, decrease the N. ceranae spore load in honeybees in vivo? Both healthy and infected bees were fed with sugar-water supplemented with PPIX at a concentration of 80 uM, which is around the expected production levels enabled by our APIS construct.. In parallel, healthy and uninfected controls were fed regular sugar-water. PPIX was introduced to the feed 24 hours after Nosema infection, then this concentration was held constant for the duration of the treatment. PPIX tubes were wrapped in tin foil to minimize exposure to light and mitigate photosensitive degradation of PPIX. Altogether, there were six conditions tested:
- Healthy bees fed regular sugar-water
- Healthy bees fed PPIX treatment
- Healthy bees fed Tris-base:Ethanol solvent system (solvent control)
- Nosema-infected bees fed regular sugar-water
- Nosema-infected bees fed PPIX treatment
- Healthy bees fed Tris-base:Ethanol solvent system (solvent control)
We controlled for the solvent system in which our store-bought PPIX was prepared by introducing it into the sugar water solution, such as not to mistakenly attribute the possible action of the solvent system to PPIX’s therapeutic capability, as this might skew our results.
After ten days, honeybees were collected for spore counting according to the procedure described below. Spore load in healthy and infected bees treated with PPIX were compared to that of the sugar water-only control groups. It was hypothesized that the PPIX treatment would lead to a significant reduction in spore load, ultimately protecting the infected from the detrimental effects of Nosema infections.
As our results will show, the PPIX-treated group experienced a significant decrease in the spore load. Our results indicate that the spore load was unaffected by the solvent system alone, and thus the significant decrease in spore load is due to the action of PPIX alone. In fact, when comparing treated Nosema-infected groups treated with PPIX to the healthy, untreated controls, there was no significant difference in spore count. These results, within the scope of this preliminary experiment, demonstrate a definitive reduction in spore count as a function of our novel porphyrin treatment.
Experiment 4: Will PPIX negatively affect the health or longevity of the bees?
After finding that our therapy was capable of reducing spore load, we had to make sure that extended treatment was fully helping the bees in the long term as opposed to ultimately hurting them. To test whether increased concentrations of PPIX affects bee longevity or health, we designed a PPIX toxicity time course study for the duration of 18 days. We fed Nosema-infected and healthy honeybees with sugar-water supplemented with PPIX 80 uM. Bee death was recorded daily, such that a mortality trend could be observed. It was hypothesized that PPIX would not have a negative health effect on infected bees or healthy bees. This hypothesis was based on a previous study which used a chemically synthesized PPIX derivative and demonstrated that porphyrin-based treatments had no negative effects on bee longevity or behaviour .
This experiment has recently been completed, though the data analysis remains to be completed.
That said, given the therapeutic effects observed in Experiment 3, we anticipate that our findings will be consistent with that of literature, and thus, by extension, that our hypothesis will confirm that PPIX is a safe therapeutic which does not exhibit any adverse health risks to the target population. Validation of this outcome, again, is still forthcoming.
Upon answering our questions, through experiments 1 to 3, Team UAlberta obtained promising results that suggest APIS is a feasible method to treat Nosema ceranae infections in vivo. Our team anticipates that these experiments provide an experimental foundation which justifies continued experimentation with the finalized genetic construct. As shown in our Wetlab results here, we are close to demonstrating that our genetically engineered device successfully functions as a dedicated PPIX-producing machine. In subsequent work, we anticipate that the completion of Experiment 4 and the other methods described above will serve as a successful framework in which we can test the finalized construct’s therapeutic ability, and hopefully demonstrate that this technology is a promising solution to the threat of Nosema ceranae, whether via direct introduction into the bee diet, or as a tailored biosynthetic means of high-level production PPIX production. The latter feature may be made possible via incorporation of our design into a large-scale bioreactor to fill the gaping hole in apicultural antifungal therapies.
M. L. Smith, "The Honey Bee Parasite Nosema ceranae: Transmissible via Food Exchange?," PLoS ONE , vol. 8, no. 8 , pp. 1-6, 2012.
Gisder S, "A cell culture model for Nosema ceranae and Nosema apis allows new insights into the life cycle of these important honey bee-pathogenic microsporidia,” Ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, 2018. [Online]. Available: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20880328. [Accessed: 16-Oct- 2018].
“About Honey Bees”, www.uaex.edu, [Online]. Available: https://www.uaex.edu/farm-ranch/special-programs/beekeeping/about-honey-bees.aspx#top. [Accessed 16-Oct-2018]
Williams et al. “Standard methods for maintaining adult Apis mellifera in cages under in vitro laboratory conditions,” Journal of Apicultural Research, vol. 52, no. 1, pp. 1-35, 2013
NYMU-Taipei, "Entering of Bee. coli," 2013. [Online]. Available: https://2013.igem.org/Team:NYMU-Taipei/Project/Enter. [Accessed 28 5 2018].
University of British Columbi iGEM. , "Probeeotic Prototype Testing Details," 2015. [Online]. Available: https://2015.igem.org/Team:British_Columbia/Design. [Accessed 16 10 2018]. | <urn:uuid:2cd28382-b43e-410f-aaef-a274d9cd702f> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://2018.igem.org/Team:UAlberta/BeeLab | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573118.26/warc/CC-MAIN-20220817213446-20220818003446-00667.warc.gz | en | 0.954113 | 3,849 | 2.84375 | 3 |
Item description: Letter, dated 9 August 1863, from Annie M. Schon to her sister Bettie M. Kimberly in Chapel Hill, N.C. She discusses the devaluation of Confederate currency and difficulties in obtaining household goods, specifically shoes and clothing.
[Transcription available below images.]
Mrs. J. K.
Chapel Hill N.C
Atlanta Aug 9th ’63
I received on yesterday your letter of the 2nd and am glad you like the apron pattern. It fits Johnnie exactly with the exception of being a great deal too low in the neck, the pattern of the sleeve I like for muslin aprons, but for linen or [diaper?] I like the band at the hand. I was delighted that I had one made to send with the pattern I have now made another just like it and am soon going to work to make up a set of them. You speak of the prices in Chapel Hill, they are just the same here, and it is frightful to think how much we pay for so little but when we think of the value of our currency we ought not to be surprised at the cost of things for in reality one dollar now is not work more than ten cents used to be. But I think it is shameful Mr. Kimberly’s salary has not been raised. I don’t know how the professors can be expected to live on the same amount they received formerly when prices have increased so much. If not an impertinent question what is Mr. Kimberly’s salary? The house and $18.00 was it not? Well I tell you what I think! It is that we will yet see the day when we will look back even upon the present prices and consider them very low, and I have now deter-mined to buy as soon as possible every thing I will need for the next year, and I would buy for 2 years to come but Mr. Schon thinks it is best not to do so, as he thinks in a year we will have brighter times, but I have given up the hope & since our late misfortunes, think the war may continue for years. Yes as bad as I hate it, I have ordered 2 lawn dresses for next summer at $3 a yard, but I can’t do without them, so I have made up my mind to it. And I am going in to have my measure taken for winter shoes. We have found a shoe maker who makes very nice leather shoes for $25.00 a pair & that is very cheap for a good shoe now. If you can’t do better & would like me to order any for you and the children write and I will do so immediately, for I suppose by winter they will be $35.00 or $40.00 a pr. You must not think of sending me that linen Bettie, but must keep it. such things are always essential with children, and it may not be long before you will have to make up more baby shirts, so take my advice and hold fast to every shred of linen. And I have now become reconciled to cotton bands & sleeves to cotton chemises, and I have no hope of getting any more linen made up until the war is over & mine will not last me much longer, but I intend to have the good of them & wear them constantly. The girls have such a splendid supply of linen, I do almost envy them, but they always have an abundance of everything, and if I ever live to see good times and moderate prices again, I shall always keep on hand of every thing for Mr. Schon, John, and myself. But I must tell you of such a splendid present Mr. Schon received from his former clerks in the Quarter Master’s department. They call came out last Thursday night and present-ed silver egg boiler with the cups & spoons lined with gold. It is the handsomest one I ever saw I appre-ciate the motive even more than the gift. At the same time the presented me Madam LeVert’s travels bound beautifully & tried to find something for Johnnie but could not. Have you heard of the death of Mrs. John M. Bass? I was surprised to see her death announced in the Chattanooga Rebel a few days since she was in Missouri on a visit to her relatives. Old Mr. Vanleer is also dead. Well I must close. Give my best love to Mr. K. & the girls and ever so many kisses to the darling children. Kind regards to all friends. O how I wish I could see you. With best love,
Your devoted sister,
Annie M. Schon | <urn:uuid:eaa40f16-009c-4687-b75d-f214e039b57e> | CC-MAIN-2016-44 | http://blogs.lib.unc.edu/civilwar/index.php/2013/08/09/9-august-1863/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-44/segments/1476988721387.11/warc/CC-MAIN-20161020183841-00447-ip-10-171-6-4.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.976619 | 964 | 1.726563 | 2 |
Monetary policies and inflation targeting in emerging economies: Executive Summary. Several emerging-market economies have adopted inflation targeting as their institutional framework for conducting monetary policy.
Several emerging-market economies have adopted inflation targeting as their institutional framework for conducting monetary policy. This volume focuses on the experiences of Brazil, Chile, Czech Republic, Indonesia, South Africa, and Turkey.
OECD Territorial Reviews: Istanbul, Turkey, aims to provide a detailed diagnosis and solutions for improving the competitiveness and governance of the Istanbul metropolitan area.
English, , 76kb
Country inventory from Turkey on fisheries services submitted in 2007.
The OECD Working Group on Bribery has serious concerns about Turkey's implementation of the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention.
This report summarises the social, economic and policy context in Turkey and its position compared to other OECD countries, and outlines a number of specific actions that Turkey should take in education reform over the next decade to move the nation forward.
English, , 37kb
This note, taken from Chapter 2 of Economic Policy Reforms: Going for Growth 2007, contains information about the progress in implementing reforms in line with the 2006 priorities for Turkey.
This Roundtable discussed Turkey’s recent experience with strategies for enhancing the enabling environment for investment, focusing on the relevant aspects of regulatory reform and their impact on the investment climate.
Two major OECD reports on Turkey this week on corporate governance in Turkey on 17 October and an Economic Survey of Turkey on 18 October, coinciding with an official visit to Istanbul and Ankara by the Organisation’s Secretary-General, Angel Gurría.
During his official visit to Turkey, Angel Gurría met with key officials, and presented two major reports: the 2006 OECD Economic Survey of Turkey, and a report on corporate governance in Turkey. | <urn:uuid:bdd02076-3afb-4dbb-8df2-8b936b8af3d0> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.oecd.org/turkey/publicationsdocuments/12/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560284352.26/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095124-00199-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.891323 | 364 | 1.820313 | 2 |
“The MSPCA at Nevins Farm has just taken in 32 cats from a single home in Tewksbury, MA after their overwhelmed owner could no longer care for them, and 59 others were sent to Tewksbury Animal Control and other humane groups.
All of the cats but three are suffering from upper respiratory infections, and they all have painful, itchy ear mites as well as periodontal disease. The majority of the cats have also experienced severe, irreversible eye changes as a result of untreated infections.
“This is a case where one of the owners had died and the surviving spouse just could not take care of all these cats, especially as their health issues got more serious, and [he] was desperate for help,” said Meaghan O’Leary, the director of operations at the MSPCA at Nevins Farm.
We will be testing the cats for ringworm later this week, and the results of these tests, as well as how they respond to treatment for their respiratory infections, will determine the timeline of their availability for adoption.
The cats range in age from six months to about 10 years. We should have an update on their availability next week – in the meantime, the cost of care is expected to reach $10,000. We’re fortunate to be able to help in these situations, and our sole intention is to help the cats heal and then place them into loving homes.” -MSPCA-Angell. | <urn:uuid:167177a2-79e2-440d-b365-46bd6cbe8655> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.newbedfordguide.com/100-massachusetts-cats-rescued-hoarder-need-homes/2022/02/25 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571745.28/warc/CC-MAIN-20220812170436-20220812200436-00479.warc.gz | en | 0.979035 | 317 | 1.59375 | 2 |
Press Release Summary:
Indexable mold dating insert allows molders to make fast changes to day, month, year or work shift without completely removing insert from mold. Date changes can be made with turn of screwdriver, while snap-in-place indexable adjustment ensures insert remains fixed in correct date position during production. Mold dating inserts are available in diameters of 6, 8, 10, 12, 16 and 20mm. Inserts are machined from stainless steel.
Original Press Release:
Patented Indexable Mold Dating Insert Makes Part Dating A Snap For Plastics Molders
Patented indexable mold dating insert makes part dating a snap for plastics molders Date changes can be made with a quick turn of a screwdriver, while snap- in-place indexable adjustment ensures insert remains fixed in correct date position during production
November 2001 - D-M-E's indexable mold dating insert takes the difficulty out of dating plastic parts for batch identification and quality control. The patented insert (U.S. Patent No. 5,788,872) allows molders to make fast changes to day, month, year or work shift without completely removing the insert from the mold, maximizing machine up-time and production.
Metric-dimensioned insert assemblies consist of an outer ring, which is press- fitted into the mold, and a front-removable inner insert with slotted indicator arrow. The inner insert mounts inside the outer ring and requires only a screwdriver to quickly modify date information or change inserts. The inner insert is engineered to allow three complete CCW adjustment revolutions while remaining flush with the Patented indexable mold dating insert makes part dating a snap for plastics molders outer ring. Positive-stop "snap-in-place" design ensures the inner insert remains fixed in the proper indexed position throughout production runs.
Mold dating inserts are available in diameters of 6, 8, 10, 12, 16 and 20mm. The long-lived inserts are machined from rugged 55Rc stainless steel for maximum corrosion and wear resistance, and can withstand temperatures to 300°F. Outer ring numeral depth is 0.2mm. The inner insert arrow is 0.4mm and also serves as the screwdriver slot.
D-M-E Company is one of the world's largest manufacturers and distributors of mold tooling, mold components, hot runner systems, and electronic controls for the plastics industry. A subsidiary of Milacron, Inc., D-M-E Company also manufactures and sells standard tooling for the die casting industry. | <urn:uuid:cf2e0b33-9f56-4c62-88ce-18e7d9ffbaf9> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://news.thomasnet.com/fullstory/mold-dating-insert-snaps-in-place-4332/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882570977.50/warc/CC-MAIN-20220809124724-20220809154724-00469.warc.gz | en | 0.870987 | 525 | 1.679688 | 2 |
Against the backdrop of a third report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change summarising the toll of our warming climate, the World Earth Day movement is calling on businesses and individuals to #InvestInOurPlanet for a sustainable future.
For many years, operators of Airbus helicopters have been working behind the scenes to play their part, sometimes in ways that pass unnoticed to the untrained eye. That may mean servicing the alternative energy industry, redressing the wrongs done to natural habitats, enabling cleaner construction, deterring poachers, or simply conducting research.
Winds of change: helicopters help maintain offshore turbines
Year-round, helicopters transport mechanics and equipment to offshore wind farms, no matter how challenging the weather conditions are. Helicopter Travel Munich (HTM) specialises in transporting service technicians to offshore windfarms and, once there, hoisting them down onto the turbines. In addition to several H135s employed across the German Bight area, where some of the biggest North Sea wind farms are located, HTM has been operating several H145s since 2017. “We help the offshore wind energy industry to get their turbines back online,” says Bernd Brucherseifer, HTM Managing Director. “This is our part of the change towards renewable energy.”
Test your knowledge! In 2020, the average capacity of one U.S. commercial wind turbine was 2.75 megawatts. This equates to power for how many average U.S. homes per month?
Answer: 940 U.S. homes. (Source: USGS)
Restoring the natural balance of lakes in Sweden with H125s
The acidification of Scandinavia’s lakes is caused when sulphur and nitrogen oxide in the atmosphere return to Earth as acid rain. At its mercy are fish stocks, zooplankton and phytoplankton. One tactic to lower freshwater pH levels is by spraying lime (calcium) on lakes to restore the natural balance. Swedish operator Scandair Helicopter uses its fleet of three H125s to drop powdered lime on the region’s lakes, releasing 30,000 sling loads annually. "We have made our own equipment, including a GPS-controlled bucket system. This allows our pilots to simply focus on flying at a slow airspeed while the system automatically signals the bucket when and where to make a drop and how much," says Marius Johansen, Executive Director of Scandair and himself a pilot.
Protecting Africa's endangered species with aerial surveillance
Heroic efforts are taking place to combat wildlife crime, not least by two Namibian organisations that employ H125s to perform anti-poaching and game counts, plus park management: the Ministry of Environment and Tourism, and more recently, the African Wildlife Conservation Trust, which took delivery of a new H125 in 2021.
“One advantage of the aircraft is [that] constant aerial surveillance of the area does deter people,” says Carl-Heinz Moeller, chief pilot at the African Wildlife Conservation Trust. In nearby Botswana, the police service employs one of their four regular H125s for anti-poaching missions, as does the South African National Parks to help protect wild rhinos. A searchlight on the helicopter aids in discouraging potential misdeeds in the country’s notable game reserves.
Test your knowledge! Poaching is estimated to be responsible for the deaths of how many elephants per year?
Answer: An estimated 20,000 elephants are killed by poachers each year for their ivory. (Source: WWF)
Construction minus destruction: helicopters play a key role in environmentally-conscious energy infrastructures
French company AIRTELIS proves its commitment to sustainable processes through the aerial work of its H225 in power line construction. Numbering among the benefits are shorter project timelines, fewer ground vehicles (thus protecting biodiversity), and less need for access roads. “We are associated with stakeholders during each project to improve the consideration of biodiversity, including avifauna,” says Laurent Giolitti, Executive President of AIRTELIS.
Helicopters also play a role in washing high- and medium-voltage power transmission lines in Chile, where operator Ecocopter uses the H125 to clean electrical insulators. The benefits include a savings of between 60% and 85% less water needed for washing versus ground methods. Demineralised water removes dirt and residue resulting from pollution and salinity, ensuring the country’s energy infrastructure performs with maximum efficiency.
Test your knowledge! Maintaining clean, dirt-free electrical insulators is advisable for what basic reason?
Answer: Maintaining clean electrical insulators increases their electrical conductivity and reduces the risk of discharges like flashovers.
A short HOP to climate data
The Brazilian Navy carries out the logistics for the country’s Antarctic Programme (PROANTAR) using an H135 to transport staff, equipment and supplies to the ice-bound continent. Some of the research missions, especially those related to paleontology, are carried out in very remote areas that require navigation across Antarctica’s Weddel Sea. For these missions, the helicopter plays an indispensable role as it helps guide the ship’s course.
With its proximity to the Atlantic Ocean and Everglades National Park, the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science collects and studies climate data with a modified H125 dubbed the Helicopter Observation Platform (HOP). The flying laboratory’s sensors, cameras, radar and computers allow for remote sensing of marine ecosystems and research into the exchange of gases and dust at the Earth’s surface. Roni Avissar, Dean of the Rosenstiel School says, “A lot of incremental research is being done, spread over many years, and the information we’re collecting is being analysed and translated into understanding the climate system.”
In Norway, Helitrans operates flights on behalf of the government to study moose migrations and the activity of coastal birds. With Norway’s mountains, forest and coastline a treasure worth protecting for sightseers and researchers, the company’s H125s also do duty as firefighting assets to make sure the natural beauty remains.
Test your knowledge! A 2020 study showed that people experienced health benefits from spending how many hours a week in natural (green) spaces?
Answer: Study participants reported feeling better when they had spent at least 2 hours a week in green spaces. (Source: Yale Environment 360) | <urn:uuid:637f4b22-61ac-40dd-9fcb-53c28ef8fe32> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.airbus.com/en/newsroom/stories/2022-04-earth-day-2022-investing-in-our-planet-with-the-help-of-helicopters | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882570692.22/warc/CC-MAIN-20220807181008-20220807211008-00678.warc.gz | en | 0.924899 | 1,349 | 2.78125 | 3 |
Glaucoma Eye Drops
A team of Italian researchers may have developed a new type of eye drop for glaucoma treatment, according to an article published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science.
Researchers noted that elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) in glaucoma leads to loss of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) as well as damage to the optic nerve. Although IOP is controlled with medication, no treatment is currently available to restore retinal and optic nerve function.
In this new study, rats with glaucoma were treated with the eye drops containing a protein known as nerve growth factor. When researchers determined that these drops prevented nerve degeneration in these rats, human tests were initiated on three patients with advanced glaucoma.
After three months of treatment all three participants showed improvements in visual sharpness and ability to detect contrast. Two of the three participants showed improved visual fields, while the visual field stabilized for the third.
The team, led by Alessandro Lambiase of the University of Rome, reported that improvements were still evident three months after the treatments were finished.
SOURCE: Experimental and clinical evidence of neuroprotection by nerve growth factor eye drops: Implications for glaucoma, Lambiase, et al, Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, Aug. 3, 2009.
Ultrasound Treatment for Glaucoma
Eye Tech Care, a French company, is testing a new way to treat glaucoma using ultrasound technology. The device would treat the cilliary body (the part of the eye that produces humour, the watery fluid that fills the front part of the eye) in order to decrease the amount of fluid in the eye, and, by extension, reduce the intraocular pressure within the eye.
The device has only been tested on twelve patients suffering from the rare refractory glaucoma, but if trials are successful they may begin testing it on the more common open angle glaucoma. About 25 years ago researchers tried to use ultrasound technology to treat animals, but the technology of the time was too limited.
According to the International Glaucoma Association, which reported on this new development, ultrasound treatment for glaucoma would be quicker and less invasive than the current Argon laser procedures currently used to treat the disease. | <urn:uuid:c51d8d46-dc3e-4489-b343-aa9762e76669> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.naturaleyecare.com/blog/new-glaucoma-treatment-may-be-on-the-horizon/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560279410.32/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095119-00164-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.941495 | 482 | 2.90625 | 3 |
Florida’s Panhandle took stock on Thursday (October 11) of the hammering destruction wrought by Hurricane Michael, with homes obliterated or reduced to rubble and power lines and trees ripped up by the third most powerful storm ever to strike the U.S. mainland. In Panama City, 20 miles (32 km) northwest of Mexico Beach, buildings were crushed and boats were scattered around. Michael left a trail of utility wires on roads, flattened tall pine trees and toppled a giant truck on to its side.
Florida Governor Rick Scott warned residents to stay off the roads as recovery efforts got underway.
“This hurricane was an absolute monster, and the damage left in its wake has yet to be fully understood,” Scott said.
Michael, now weakened to a tropical storm as it doused Georgia and the Carolinas with drenching rain, crashed ashore on Wednesday near the small town of Mexico Beach carrying winds of up to 155 miles per hour (250 kilometers per hour) and causing deep seawater flooding. The storm killed two people. | <urn:uuid:08a65d1e-e501-4cc7-bb90-d49ad93fdc92> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://news.ntvhouston.com/2018/10/storm-michael-churns-towards-the-carolinas-after-slamming-florida-panhandle/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571234.82/warc/CC-MAIN-20220811042804-20220811072804-00071.warc.gz | en | 0.972319 | 213 | 2.0625 | 2 |
St. Paul has 287,151 residents. It is located in Ramsey county.
The average in-state tuition for full time undergraduate students in web development schools in St. Paul during the 2009 - 2010 school year was $20,731.00. The average tuition was $21,194.00 for non-residents studying in Minnesota.
The cost, on average, for books and supplies needed for web development schools in St. Paul is $1,110.00. The average cost for room and board for students living on campus at web development schools in St. Paul was $7,283.00. The average cost for students living at home was $3,295.00 for the 2009 - 2010 school year. Students have a choice of one web development college in St. Paul to attend. In the 2008 - 2009 school year, reportedly 6 students completed web development programs in St. Paul.
|Profession||Average Salary||Number Employed in City|
|Computer and Information Systems Managers||$119,260.00||8,090|
|Computer Software Engineers, Applications||$89,380.00||13,580|
|Computer Support Specialists||$49,330.00||9,370|
|Computer Systems Analysts||$76,270.00||10,600|
|Network Systems and Data Communications Analysts||$83,730.00||4,810| | <urn:uuid:401ee095-efeb-42aa-ba69-c3ea1e1b166a> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.unixl.com/dir/web-development/minnesota/st-paul/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560281746.82/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095121-00283-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.92623 | 296 | 1.617188 | 2 |
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While you create content material round these keywords and phrases, you improve your probabilities of ranking greater for these keywords on the search engine results web page. Some of the world’s most promising tech startups gathered on the International Commerce Heart, Hong Kong’s tallest constructing, on November 8th to pitch their enterprise ideas within the Elevator Pitch Competitors (EPiC) hosted by the Hong Kong Science and Expertise Parks Company (HKSTP).
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Accounting is the measurement, processing, and communication of monetary information about financial entities 15 16 similar to companies and companies The modern discipline was established by the Italian mathematician Luca Pacioli in 1494. 17 Accounting, which has been referred to as the “language of business”, 18 measures the results of an organization’s economic actions and conveys this data to a variety of customers, including buyers , creditors , management , and regulators 19 Practitioners of accounting are known as accountants The phrases “accounting” and “financial reporting” are often used as synonyms.
After I was selling my job search books I started to place up advertisements on bulletin boards around local faculties. Then, seeing my ads people who were operating bulletin board companies called me, and I employed them to do the work for me instead. You’ll be able to either provide your providers placing up notices for shoppers on public bulletin boards, or you will get more subtle and develop proprietary bulletin boards that you simply get native businesses or organizations to conform to display for you. For example, you might checklist vacationer sights and put up the bulletin board at native hotels.
There’s something particular about the first version of a rare guide and people will spend massive money to search out the precise book they need. And then there may be the store itself, a uncommon guide shop is such as fantastic antidote to our means-too-busy Web world. Sure, you may make cash with rare books but it is a profession that I counsel you ease your means into steadily, getting very comfy with market demand and pricing, earlier than investing in inventory. | <urn:uuid:2e1225c7-cfd2-4858-a609-cd477b951bcf> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://hobophoto.co.uk/atlanta-website-positioning-firm.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571056.58/warc/CC-MAIN-20220809155137-20220809185137-00676.warc.gz | en | 0.949914 | 744 | 1.523438 | 2 |
For all the weight automakers are shedding on their vehicles, all the hybrid offerings they're putting on the road and all the cylinders they're removing from their engines, the push to improve fuel economy amid stricter government standards omits one key element from the equation – drivers.
It seems we just can't keep unintended acceleration incidents out of the news these days. The latest report of such an occurrence comes from Ellijay, Georgia, where a 1995 Volvo 960 (nope, not a Toyota this time) barreled through the crowd of bidders at Blue Ridge Auto Auction at about 8:15 in the evening on Tuesday.
- Most and least efficient car companies
- Fastest-depreciating cars in the United States
- Find and compare 2017 Models | <urn:uuid:b6ecf7fc-5cfd-42e5-88a6-3ec33734772c> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.autoblog.com/tag/accelerator/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280730.27/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00250-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.941839 | 155 | 1.703125 | 2 |
Audley is not a French name, but I checked a few databases for you anyway.
According to Geopatronyme.com, there was one one birth for someone with the name Audley within the last 100 years in all of France - just one! (This is a mostly reliable database that holds birth data extracted from official French government records.) Here is a link:http://www.geopatronyme.com/cgi-bin/carte/nomcarte.cgi?nom=A...
I also checked GeneaNet.org, which is the largest French genealogical database of user contribute data, with almost 500,000 family trees and hundreds of millions of user contributed records, somewhat like Ancestry.com's Member Contributed Trees. There were a couple of Audleys in the Vendee region far, far back, in the 1300s, but no others. All other dozens of other Audleys in the database are from the UK.
There are some possibilities how a name like Audley might be spelled in French, but it would just be my best guess.
Perhaps you have a French ancestor who married someone with the name Audley from England? You will need to do further research.
Bonne quête ! | <urn:uuid:777380b0-d0c4-407f-b678-cc5fb0e47c95> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://boards.ancestry.com/localities.weurope.france.haute-normandie/546.1/mb.ashx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560285289.45/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095125-00144-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95565 | 258 | 1.546875 | 2 |
This document describes the life cycle of a bug in the WebKit open-source project. In most ways this is the same as the life cycle of a bug in any Bugzilla project. The Bugzilla site also includes more details about the life cycle of Bugzilla bugs.
Joost de Valk (AlthA on the #webkit IRC channel) has volunteered to answer questions about the WebKit bug life cycle. You can reach him on IRC or via email at webkit at joostdevalk dot nl.
Fresh, Unconfirmed Bugs
A freshly-created bug starts out in state UNCONFIRMED. Often it is in component New Bugs, but some bugs will be given an initial component in the initial bug-reporting step.
The next step is for someone with Bugzilla canConfirm privileges to review the unconfirmed bug and decide whether it has enough useful information to move forward. The possible changes to the bug at this step include the following:
- Resolution changed to DUPLICATE if the bug is determined to have the same cause as a bug reported earlier.
- Resolution changed to WORKSFORME if the bug seems to not be present in the latest sources.
- Resolution changed to INVALID if the bug does not describe a problem with WebKit.
- Resolution changed to WONTFIX in the rare case that the bug seems valid but there's a specific reason why it should not be fixed in WebKit (usually this would be a cross-browser compatibility issue).
- Comments/questions added if the bug does not have enough information to move forward.
- Status changed to NEW if the bug is reproducible or otherwise has enough information to move forward. Along with changing the status, the component should also be set to an appropriate one more specific than New Bugs if necessary.
Each bug is initially assigned to the person designated as owner of the component. The assignee should move the bug from status NEW to status ASSIGNED after they have read the bug and are satisfied that it represents a real problem in WebKit. If they are not satisfied about this, they should perform one of the actions mentioned in the Confirming Bugs section above. The same procedure is followed for bugs with status REOPENED (see Verifying Fixes below).
The assignee represents the person who is expected to take the next step in investigating or fixing a bug. If someone other than the assignee is investigating or fixing a bug, the assignee should be changed to the person doing the work. This helps prevent duplicated work. It's always helpful to add a comment explaining why an assignee has been changed.
A proposed patch should be added as a new attachment. The attachment should have the patch checkbox checked, and the review flag set to ?. This marks the patch as awaiting review. If the patch requires the specialized knowledge of a particular reviewer, the submitter or another reviewer should put the requested reviewer's email address in the Requestee field. Otherwise this field should be left empty. The state is left at ASSIGNED at this point; it isn't changed to FIXED until a fix has been checked into the source tree.
When the review flag's state is changed, or when a comment is made in the Edit form for an attachment, email is automatically sent to the webkit-reviews mailing list. The reviewers all subscribe to this list, and anyone else is free to do so as well.
If the submitter of a patch changes their mind about wanting a review, they should clear the review flag by choosing the blank choice in the review pop-menu.
More details about how to prepare code changes can be found elsewhere on this site.
Reviewing Proposed Fixes
A reviewer will read through each proposed patch. If the patch is ready to commit, the reviewer will change the review flag to +. For clarity, it's helpful for the reviewer to add a comment when approving a patch. Often this comment is just "r=me", which is simply shorthand for "I have reviewed this patch and it's ready to commit".
A patch might not be ready to commit for various reasons. The bug fix might be incorrect. The test cases included in the patch might be insufficient. The bug fix and test cases might be fine but the coding style might be incorrect. The reviewer should always explain in detail why a patch is not ready to commit, so the submitter or someone else can revise the patch.
When a submitter proposes an updated patch, they should check the obsolete checkbox on the previous version of the patch. This causes it to appear crossed-out in the list of attachments on the bug's main page. At the same time as marking the old patch obsolete, the submitter should also clear the review flag. This would happen automatically in a perfect world, but doesn't currently in this one.
After a patch has been approved, someone with commit privileges in the WebKit source repository will commit the patch into the source code repository. The committer should change the state of the bug to FIXED; generally the assignee is left unchanged at this point.
All of the people with commit privileges should be subscribed to the webkit-reviews mailing list, and so they will receive email when a patch is approved and thus ready to be committed. If an approved patch has not been committed for what seems to be an inordinately long time, the patch submitter could send email requesting status to this mailing list. As a last resort, the patch submitter could contact the reviewer directly. Due to everyone's busy schedules, some delays in getting patches reviewed, and then in getting them committed, are inevitable.
If the bug report mentions that the same bug is represented in Apple's internal Radar system, and the person who commits the bug has acces to Radar, then the person who commits the bug should also set the state of the Radar bug to Software Changed/Integrate.
After the patch for a bug has been committed, the fix still needs to be verified. Typically this step is done by the person who originally submitted the bug report. If the submitter is not available or does not feel that they can verify the fix, the verification step can be done by anyone with bug editing privileges who is familiar enough with the originally reported problem to be confident about testing it. Note that once a bug is in the FIXED state, the assignee can no longer be changed. This means that a bug that needs to be verified will not usually be assigned to the person expected to verify the bug.
To verify a bug fix, build and run the sources that include the fix, and check whether the originally reported problem still occurs. If the problem no longer occurs, change the resolution to VERIFIED. If the problem does still occur, change the resolution to REOPENED and assign it to the person who submitted the patch.
Fixed bugs have the VERIFIED resolution until a version of WebKit that includes the fix has been publicly released. At this point, the resolution is changed to CLOSED. | <urn:uuid:a886c479-786b-44dd-837f-70d833781577> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://git.webkit.org/?p=WebKit-https.git;a=blob_plain;f=WebKitSite/quality/lifecycle.html;hb=5d7d805186d2a9743e733850662b07c87a37bf5a | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882570767.11/warc/CC-MAIN-20220808061828-20220808091828-00478.warc.gz | en | 0.931768 | 1,460 | 1.71875 | 2 |
If you have diabetes you may soon be able to stop pricking your fingers.
Checking your blood sugar could be as easy as a new pair of contact lenses.
At first glance it looks just like a regular contact lens, but researchers at the "Google X" Lab say it can do a lot more than just improve your vision.
This prototype contains tens of thousands of tiny transistors that are designed to sense glucose.
It's just one of several medical devices researchers are working on to help diabetes patients.
Google X Engineer Brian Otis says, "We're testing a smart contact lens that we built that measures the glucose levels in tears using a tiny wireless chip and a miniaturized glucose sensor."
Researchers hope to have the new contacts ready for consumers in about five years. | <urn:uuid:b4fedb50-5bf2-4606-bb1b-1b549c2aef2e> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.fox16.com/life/health/family/contact-glucose-sensor | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280929.91/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00425-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.93423 | 161 | 2.609375 | 3 |
The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives has released its 20th Alternative Federal Budget (AFB) which would strengthen the economy, create jobs, shrink the income gap and reduce carbon emissions.
Alternative Federal Budget 2015: Delivering the Good clearly shows that we can afford to make choices and ensure that every community has safe drinking water, affordable housing and effective infrastructure.
Under the AFB:
- The poverty rate for seniors would drop by 43% and child poverty would be reduced by 25%.
- The bottom 70% of Canadian families would see a net benefit from the AFB’s program spending, tax and transfer measures.
- Canada’s personal and corporate tax system would be reformed to restore fairness and progressivity.
- 300,000 jobs a year would be created or sustained, bringing Canada’s employment rate back to its pre-recession level.
- Cuts to public services would be discontinued, reviewed and reversed; and public services would be strengthened, including restoring public service staff levels, in order to rise to the challenge of growing inequality, joblessness and climate change.
- Funding and investments to First Nations programs would be increased or sustained in order to address safe drinking water, education, housing and other issues among First Nations.
- Unsustainable oil sands development would be offset with carbon tax while diversifying the Canadian economy.
- Affordable childcare for working parents would be instituted.
- Small federal deficits would be created as a necessary means for achieving sustained economic growth, particularly next year, without affecting the federal debt-to-GDP ratio.
The AFB also demonstrates that the federal government’s on-going obsession with austerity and balancing the budget comes at the cost of higher household debt, fewer public services and weakened job growth.
The expected surpluses that the federal government boasts about in future budgets are not the product of any special economic prowess but were created by cuts to public services. Some of the direct effects of those cuts include a significant increase in Canadians unable to receive help by phone with employment insurance, closures of Veterans Affairs offices and fewer food inspectors working for the Canada Food Inspection Agency. | <urn:uuid:f933196b-22c0-420b-872b-a490b91fe969> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://psacunion.ca/ccpa-releases-20th-alternative-federal-budget | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560279650.31/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095119-00433-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961497 | 434 | 2.375 | 2 |
There is a belief among some -- perhaps out of fear, or prudence -- that children today should study Mandarin Chinese as their second language. If China is going to rule the world in a few decades, at least my kid will be able to communicate.
That's an interesting idea, but the reality is that no matter who is ruling the world, if your kids don't live in China, their lives are much more likely to involve software than speaking Chinese.
So make sure the second language they study is code. Then their third language can be anything you'd like -- Mandarin, Spanish, Latin, French, whatever.
That's not to say that everyone should become a computer scientist -- that's not practical. But it's a good idea for everyone to at least understand how computers and software work, and how to write rudimentary code. It can be as simple as HTML, or as complex as C -- that part is up to the individual, and the actual languages will change every so often. But a little code is good for everyone.
Why? What's the point?
Think about how profoundly software has changed industries like, say, communication. The phone in your pocket even ten years ago was lucky to have a black-and-white display with a built-in game like "Snake". A decade later, your iPhone screen has more pixels than your old TV, thousands of software applications are a click away, and you can message someone across the world in a second.
Apply that change to every industry, from education -- our focus today -- to medicine, construction, the arts, etc. And we morph again, from a manufacturing economy to a service economy to a software economy. Again, not everyone will be writing code. But many more people will be ordering it, writing it, managing it, and interacting with it. It makes sense to understand it and to be able to create at least a little.
Personally, I don't regret spending seven years of my life learning French -- it's cool to be able to say hello and order a croissant in Paris in the local language, before the waiter responds in perfect English.
But I do wish I'd spent at least some of that time instead learning how to write computer software.
As it is, I managed to self-teach myself HTML in the mid-90s, a skill I use every day. But I wish there was a stronger focus on computer engineering in my elementary and high school curriculum, even at the expense of a foreign language.
That's not to say that people shouldn't be able to learn Chinese. Various reports -- the Economist, the New York Times -- have traced the growth of Chinese language programs in American schools. But in reality, it's not all that practical. See this point-counterpoint from BusinessWeek.
Some of our future will surely involve doing business with Chinese corporations and people. But much more of it will involve science, software, mathematics, and engineering. Software is the real future. So teach your child how to code first -- and how to speak Chinese second.
More from The Future of Learning special report: | <urn:uuid:e1ccf27b-ef7b-4262-909e-01e4e6cd0076> | CC-MAIN-2016-44 | http://www.businessinsider.com/learning-code-chinese-2011-12 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-44/segments/1476988717954.1/warc/CC-MAIN-20161020183837-00508-ip-10-171-6-4.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962912 | 637 | 2.28125 | 2 |
Report: Apple Eyes $3.2 Billion Bid for BeatsThursday, May 8, 2014
Apple Inc. reportedly is looking to acquire Dr. Dre’s Beats Electronics, the Santa Monica maker of premium headphones that earlier this year launched a subscription-music service.
The potential $3.2 billion deal would be Apple's largest acquisition ever, according to media reports Thursday. Beats had estimated revenue of about $1.2 billion last year.
Beats was founded by hip-hop music mogul Andre Young, better known by his stage name Dr. Dre, and Jimmy Iovine. Investors include Vivendi's Universal Music Group, where Iovine is a senior executive. Carlyle Group and Access Industries Inc. also are large investors.
Beats By Dr. Dre headphones cost several hundred dollars a pair, and the company in January launched a $9.99-a-month subscription music service. Though it has a free streaming-music service called iTunes Radio, Apple currently lacks a subscription service and its smart phones and music players typically come with earbuds offering lesser-quality sound.
The Silicon Valley Business Journal reported that the deal would make Dre the first billionaire from the rap world, putting him ahead of Sean “Puffy” Combs, whose net worth is estimated at about $700 million.
Previous Los Angeles Business Journal coverage: | <urn:uuid:f4fbc153-db48-4314-939e-786bd6e6da41> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://labusinessjournal.com/news/2014/may/08/report-apple-eyes-32-billion-bid-beats/ | 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 | 0.94699 | 278 | 1.546875 | 2 |
For example, someone who is polysexual may be attracted to people of every gender except for women. Meanwhile, a pansexual person my be attracted to men, women, nonbinary people, and people of any other gender identity.
Many people use the terms pansexual and omnisexual interchangeably. While they are closely related, there are differences between the two. Those who identify as pansexual feel attraction to people without noticing their gender, while omnisexual people recognize the gender of potential partners.
The primary sign that you are pansexual is that you find yourself attracted to not just men or women or nonbinary folks, but to people all across the gender spectrum. It doesn't mean you are attracted to every single person, but rather that you are capable of finding people of any gender sexually desirable.
Pansexuality is a sexual orientation, defined as the sexual attraction to people of any gender. Panromantic is a romantic orientation: the ability to feel romantic attraction to people of any gender. Meanwhile, asexuality is a sexual orientation where the person is sexually attracted to no one.
List of pansexual people
|Bella Thorne||Born 1997||Actress, singer|
|Brendon Urie||Born 1987||Actor, musician, lead singer of Panic! at the Disco|
|Dreya Weber||Born 1961||Actress, producer and aerialist|
|Mae Whitman||Born 1988||Actress, singer|
They can be gay, straight, bisexual, or pansexual, and may have any gender identity. The prefix “demi” means half — which can refer to being halfway between sexual and asexual. Demisexuality can be a type of graysexuality.
Here are Signs That Indicate You are a Demisexual
Dec 13, 2020 | <urn:uuid:2ecc60f4-2155-4cd0-a1f5-b8ee6096ceee> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | http://www.byllcd.com/en/what-is-an-example-of-a-pansexual.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571190.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20220810131127-20220810161127-00069.warc.gz | en | 0.931363 | 378 | 2.53125 | 3 |
New technology can reveal the interaction between proteins and provide a powerful tool for the study of membrane proteins
Creative Biostructure has a wealth of experience and advanced technologies in the field of membrane protein. From the membrane protein production, purification, crystallization and structure determination, one stop service is the solid foundation for drug research. In the field of membrane protein research, they have never stopped.
Recently, researchers have developed a new technique for studying human protein expression
. This technique can be used to track the interaction between membrane proteins and other proteins.
Membrane proteins account for approximately 1/3 of all human proteins, and more than 500 diseases are associated with disability. The difficulty of membrane protein research is to understand its role and its interactions with other proteins.
New technology provides a new tool for examining membrane proteins in human cells in a natural environment. The sensitivity is sufficient to detect the trace changes in the drug, so it has important significance for the research and development of cancer and nerve diseases.
The researchers used a new technique called MaMTH (mammalian membrane two hybrid) to determine the role of CRKII protein in the most common lung cancer—non small cell lung cancer. The CRKII protein interacts with the epidermal growth factor receptor protein, and the gene mutations of the epidermal growth factor receptor can lead to the proliferation of cancer cells.
CRKII is most likely to regulate the stability of mutant epidermal growth factor receptor, and promote tumor growth by promoting signaling transfer or communication between cancer cells. It is found that a combination therapy of these mutant receptors and CRKII may be useful in the treatment of lung cancer.
The researchers took 4 years to improve technique for the protein interactions in yeast, and developed a new MaMTH technology. The next step they will study the mutant proteins in other human diseases.
I believe that Creative Biostructure will also benefit from this technology in near future with the protein engineering | <urn:uuid:1d442110-f228-496c-891f-2afd1760ed1b> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | https://pitchengine.com/contactbiostructure_gmail_com/2016/10/24/new-technology-can-reveal-the-interaction-bet/002519250005623131958 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280899.42/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00577-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.937407 | 400 | 2.84375 | 3 |
critic: Elena MANFERDINI.
suckerPUNCH: Describe your project.
Asli TUSAVUL: This project is working within a contemporary rereading of the politics of the envelope, producing new models of “faciality.”
The site in Geneva, Switzerland, next to Jean Tschumi’s building, can be read as canonical in the European modern movement. The main aim of this project was to challenge the classical reading of this building’s facade. Rather than reading the building from right to left or top to bottom by having the plinth raised off the ground, the facade is read in two different zones: upper and lower.
The coloration of the facade creates a tension between reality and illusion, derived from Italian painters quadraturisti (to achieve illusionistic effects). The project applies quadraturisti to the contemporary problem of faciality of architectural envelopes. The upper and lower zones have completely contrasting coloration techniques, aiming to generate a perception of duality in the building. The area with lighter-colored images represents the new ground level, and the other describes an underground level with multiple darker-colored images. The textures challenge everyday imagery and graphics, creating differentiation between abstract and photorealistic figures, as well as colorful and monochrome shading. The coloration of the envelope affects the organization of the form, generating multiplicity within the whole—one mass becomes five separate masses through the coloration and texturing techniques.
Extrusions on the facades generate a shallow depth effect that creates an optical illusion; in other words, from the front view these extrusions do not seem to exist but are perceived from different points of view. Texture stretches from the exterior toward the interior, challenging the flat notion of the envelope and integrating more architectural elements and openings. The mirrors used on both the facade and the interior of the extrusions create reflections that transform the two-dimensional imagery into perceived three-dimensional spaces, giving movement to the space. Also, the plinth level plaza and ground level ramp organize flows throughout the building, and to Jean Tschumi’s building, allowing pedestrians to move continuously between inside and outside.
sP: What or who influenced this project?
AT: René Magritte, Petra Blaisse, Jean Tschumi, and Bernard Tschumi.
sP: What were you reading/listening to/watching while developing this project?
AT: Reading Alejandro Zaera-Polo, “The Politics of the Envelope” and Sylvia Lavin, “Petra Envy:The Designs of Petra Blaisse.” Listening to Nigel Kennedy.
sP: Whose work is currently on your radar?
AT: Rem Koolhaas; CEBRA Architecture; Rei Kawakubo; Elena Manferdini; Andrew Zago; and Florencia Pita. | <urn:uuid:a6c83931-deaa-49e5-9f5c-30a144b223b8> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.suckerpunchdaily.com/2015/02/12/building-the-picture/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560281649.59/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095121-00446-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.904306 | 609 | 1.695313 | 2 |
Precision plastic parts / precision machined components
Precision turned parts and milled parts made of plastic
We manufacture high-precision CNC turned and milled components made of thermoplastic materials. Machined in accordance with our clients’ specifications.
Prototypes, small series or large series
Having very tight tolerances, thin wall thicknesses and an excellent surface quality.
Which level of precision do we base the manufacture of our plastic parts on?
The precision a component requires is always determined by the application. Every year, we machine several thousand demanding and complex turned and milled parts individually for our customers in accordance with the respective drawings. Based on this experience, we know: every component has different requirements in terms of geometry, tolerances and surface finish. Our employees use state-of-the-art CNC machining centres and are happy to assist you in designing your components. This know-how on precision components made of thermoplastic is based on more than 50 years of experience.
Dimensions & Tolerances
What dimensions and tolerances can be reliably achieved in our turned and milled precision components? We produce demanding CNC precision parts in sliding/fixed headstock automatic lathes and in milling machines having the parameters listed below:
Diameter up to 1000mm and lengths of 3000mm, depending on shape and geometry
Tolerances of a few 1/100mm
Surface quality down to Ra 0.05µm depending on the production process
What materials do we use to manufacture precision plastic parts?
Röchling Industrial's entire range of thermoplastic is available for the production of precision plastic parts. These include, for example, our globally proven brand materials such as Sustarin® (POM), SustaPEEK and Polystone® (PE and PP).
Our precision plastic parts are primarily used in industries where components have to meet very high requirements. For several decades, we have been producing precision turned and milled parts for medical devices, process measuring and control technology, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, aviation, the food industry and many other industries.
Further processing - precision plastic parts
Production of assembly
The processes in our production are designed for the manufacture and assembly of complete assemblies made of various components and materials. We would be happy to assemble your CNC precision parts according to your specifications with other components to form a complete assembly. Assembly processes include:
Labels: Laser marking and colour printing
Our offer covers the individual labelling of precision components – for example using the logo, emblems, serial numbers, article numbers or design codes. For this purpose we use the processes listed below:
Laser marking medium CO2 and UV laser
Colour printing: Digital and screen printing
Ink jet labelling
Based on our modern production technologies, we manufacture precision components having outstanding surface finishes. For this purpose, we use the processes listed below:
Blasting: Glass beads, polyamide, organic blasting material
Grinding: manual reworking of surfaces
Dry ice blasting
Vibratory grinding: Rotation and vibration using different media
Our experienced technicians know exactly what is feasible in CNC machining of plastics. We manufacture precision plastic parts to suit any application and we would be happy to assist you all the way, from material selection to design and machining. Based on our own toolmaking, we have the competence and flexibility to develop our own cutting tools especially for complex components. Feel free to contact us. | <urn:uuid:74340705-97c1-48b2-a9d2-622487bfc8d8> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.roechling.com/us/industrial/products/thermoplastics-machined-components/precision-plastic-parts | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573172.64/warc/CC-MAIN-20220818063910-20220818093910-00266.warc.gz | en | 0.893345 | 794 | 2.0625 | 2 |
Fit Five is a column by health science major and USF track sprinter Shannon Gordon. Drawing from her education and experience, Gordon lists five ways to improve health and fitness.
Anyone who’s visited USF’s Riverfront Park, located east of campus on Fletcher Avenue, might have noticed its large, wooden jungle gym. Though this ropes course is usually uninhabited, this weekend it will be open for anyone looking to get a workout high above the ground.
This Saturday, the Campus Recreation Center is holding an open house for the high ropes course, which is about three miles away from the Marshall Student Center. With spring officially in full swing and bringing prime weather with it, the event is a great excuse to get outside and try something new. The open house will go from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and costs $10 for USF students. The high ropes course is 55 feet tall with three different levels and 25 elements.
The course requires a proficient amount of physical strength and flexibility, but it is more enjoyable and gratifying than it is physically taxing. The course is usually done with a large group of people, so teamwork is a must. It is a positive way to keep your mind engaged while relieving stress and tension building up before exam time kicks in. So get outside and get climbing.
1. Upper body strength
The upper body benefits the most from the physical challenges of the course because the muscles in the hands, forearms and upper arms are engaged substantially. The muscles most effectively targeted in rope climbing are the biceps brachii and the brachialis, which are both located on your upper arms.
These muscles are responsible for bending your elbow and helping you climb. The variety of climbing techniques within the ropes course can help increase overall body strength.
2. Working overlooked muscles
Built entirely of rope and wooden beams, the course requires balance and concentration. Many sports and exercise activities incorporate repetitive techniques, so the muscles not incorporated in these exercises may be extremely weak.
Balance exercises incorporate the muscles located in the spine, abdominals and back, which are often looked over in recreational activities. These muscles are extremely important for a healthy and injury-free body. Strong back muscles and abdominals help improve balance and flexibility.
3. Lower body strength
Balance exercises are also extremely important for enhancing and strengthening the muscles in the lower leg, which contribute to the movement and support of the ankle.
Ankle strength is necessary for good balance, increased performance and reducing the chance of injuries from everyday activities and challenges.
4. Team building
The course not only strengthens and stretches muscles, but also builds teamwork and enhances risk-taking and communication skills. The course puts climbers in positions that cannot be worked through individually.
Each team will have to work together and communicate effectively to get through each challenge. Teams will experience conflict and will have to engage in conflict resolution and proper decision making to get through the course.
5. Boosts self-confidence
The challenges of the course help instill positive personality characteristics like self-esteem and trust in the climber.
By pushing you to reach certain personal achievements within the course, self-confidence is built and strengthened. The course expands climbers’ comfort zones and introduces situations that may help them conquer certain fears, as well as enhance their trust in their teammates. | <urn:uuid:912e3126-0f79-49e1-a77c-b6c6449b9930> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.usforacle.com/2012/04/12/fit-5-benefits-of-the-ropes-course/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882570793.14/warc/CC-MAIN-20220808092125-20220808122125-00669.warc.gz | en | 0.954323 | 686 | 2.21875 | 2 |
RULE 804. HEARSAY EXCEPTIONS; DECLARANT UNAVAILABLE
(a) Definition of unavailability. "Unavailability as a witness" includes situations in which the declarant --
(1) is exempted by ruling of the court on the ground of privilege from testifying concerning the subject matter of the declarant's statement;
(2) persists in refusing to testify concerning the subject matter of the declarant's statement despite an order of the court to do so;
(3) testifies to a lack of memory of the subject matter of the declarant's statement;
(4) is unable to be present or to testify at the hearing because of death or then existing physical or mental illness or infirmity; or
(5) is absent from the hearing and the proponent of a statement has been unable to procure the declarant's attendance (or in the case of a hearsay exception under subdivision (b) (2), (3), or (4), the declarant's attendance or testimony) by process or other reasonable means.
A declarant is not unavailable as a witness if the declarant's exemption, refusal, claim of lack of memory, inability, or absence is due to the procurement or wrongdoing of the proponent of a statement for the purpose of preventing the witness from attending or testifying.
(b) Hearsay exceptions.
The following are not excluded by the hearsay rule if the declarant is unavailable as a witness:
(1) Former testimony.
Testimony given as a witness at another hearing of the same or a different proceeding, or in a deposition taken in compliance with law in the course of the same or another proceeding, if the party against whom the testimony is now offered, or, in a civil action or proceeding, a predecessor in interest, had an opportunity and similar motive to develop the testimony by direct, cross, or redirect examination.
(2) Statement under belief of impending death. A statement made by a declarant while believing that the declarant's death was imminent, concerning the cause or circumstances of the declarant's belief in impending death.
(3) Statement against interest. A statement that:
was at the time of its making so far contrary
to the declarant's pecuniary or proprietary interest, or so far tended to subject the declarant
to civil or criminal liability or to render invalid a claim by the declarant against another or
to make the declarant an object of hatred, ridicule, or disgrace, that a reasonable person in
the declarant's position would not have made the statement without believing it to be true.
A statement tending to expose the declarant to criminal liability and offered to exculpate the
accused is not admissible unless corroborating circumstances clearly indicate the
trustworthiness of the statement. A statement or confession offered against the accused in a
criminal case, made by a codefendant or other person implicating both the declarant and the
accused, is not within this exception.
(A) a reasonable person in the declarant's position would have made only if the person believed it to be true because, when made, it was so contrary to the declarant's proprietary or pecuniary interest or had so great a tendency to invalidate the declarant's claim against someone else or to expose the declarant to civil or criminal liability; and
(B) is supported by corroborating circumstances that clearly indicate its trustworthiness, if it is offered by the defendant in a criminal case as one that tends to expose the declarant to criminal liability. A statement or confession offered against the defendant in a criminal case, made by a codefendant or other person implicating both the declarant and the defendant, is not within this exception.
(4) Statement of personal or family history.
(i) A statement concerning the declarant's own birth, adoption, marriage, divorce, parentage, relationship by blood, adoption, or marriage, ancestry, or other similar fact of personal or family history, even though declarant had no means of acquiring personal knowledge of the matter stated; or
(ii) a statement concerning the foregoing matters, and death also, of another person, if the declarant was related to the other by blood, adoption, or marriage or was so intimately associated with the other's family as to be likely to have accurate information concerning the matter declared.
(5) [Transferred to Rule 807]
(6) Forfeiture by wrongdoing. A statement offered against a party that has engaged or acquiesced in wrongdoing that was intended to, and did, procure the unavailability of the declarant as a witness.
Rule 804 was amended, effective March 1, 1990; March 1, 1998; March 1, 2000; ______________.
Rule 804 is taken in the main from the Uniform Rules of Evidence (1974).
Subdivision Paragraph (b)(3) differs from the comparable federal rule by excluding from
this exception statements made by a codefendant which implicate both the codefendant
and the accused. Such statements may not be against interest, and the area is one in which
constitutional rights of the defendant may preclude their admission. Rather than proceed
on a case-by-case basis, it was decided to preclude admission of such statements entirely.
Paragraph (b)(3) was amended, effective ____________, to make the paragraph more easily understood and to make style and terminology consistent throughout the rules.
Rule 804 was amended, effective March 1, 2000, to follow the December 1, 1997, federal amendment. The contents of Rule 804(b)(5) are transferred to new Rule 807. The addition of Rule 804(b)(6) provides for forfeiture of the right to object on hearsay grounds due to a party's own wrongdoing.
Sources: Joint Procedure Committee Minutes
: of September 30, 2011, pages____; April
28-29, 2011, pages 26-27; September 24-25, 1998, page 4; April 30-May 1, 1999, page
16; March 24-25, 1988, page 12; December 3, 1987, page 15; September 23-24, 1976,
pages 29-30; April 8, 1976, pages 9, 10, 11, 12 9-12; October 1, 1975, page 8. Rule
804(a), (b)(4), Federal Rules of Evidence; Rule 804(b)(1), (b)(2), (b)(3), (b)(6), Uniform
Rules of Evidence (1974); Rule 804, SBAND proposal. | <urn:uuid:be528d72-a2cf-4ef7-8456-e464ff342630> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.ndcourts.gov/court/jp/agendas/sept2011/Rule804.ev.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560283689.98/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095123-00353-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.932766 | 1,373 | 1.679688 | 2 |
With the Holiday Season right around the corner there are safety issues that are lurking around. Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day rank as the peak days for kitchen fires as well as other safety problems. We get so wrapped up with the hustle and bustle of cooking, cleaning and shopping that we overlook day to day problems that could arise. Here are some Holiday Safety Tips to get through the season safely.
Decorating – Your up on that ladder putting up the beautiful Christmas lights and lose your balance – one trip to the Emergency Room changes everything. Use caution when up on the ladders and don’t stand on small chairs or stools! If you have small children keep plugs out of their reach as well as decorations that might be breakable.
What those fire risks – One of the biggest Holiday Safety Tips we have to you is to watch the water in your live tree. Check those tree lights for exposed wiring or shorts and certainly keep your tree away from your fireplace. Never leave candles unattended or light in reach of children.
The dreaded “shopping” – While shopping, Watch your Surroundings!!!! Always park in well lit areas and don’t leave your shopping bags in view in your vehicle. Lock those gifts in the trunk. Avoid carrying a large amount of cash and check your bank accounts daily in case of fraud or identity issues. Thieves love to do their own shopping with your card during the holidays.
While on your way to the In-Laws – Watch for “aggressive drivers” and watch for ice and snow on the road and drive accordingly. If you plan on having an “adult beverage”, find someone to drive you home. The Police are out and watching so that they can protect YOU and Others from drunk drivers.
Cooking Holiday Safety Tips – Where to begin??? Don’t leave your stove or burners unattended. Keep kiddos out of the kitchen while you are playing Betty Crocker. Keep your kitchen towels and napkins away from the oven or burners.
After the “Hoop-La” – Do throw those leftovers away after a few days and don’t leave the food out for “grazing” longer than 2 hours. Wash those hands every time you touch food as not to contaminate the food while cooking it and make sure that meat is cooked thoroughly.
Many of the Holiday Safety Tips mentioned are common sense however when you get busy, you certainly can make some mistakes that you normally wouldn’t make. Make the most of your family and friends this Holiday Season and stay safe and smart. Happy Holidays!!!
We are pledged to the letter and spirit of U.S. policy for the achievement of equal housing opportunity throughout the Nation. See Equal Housing Opportunity Statement for more information. | <urn:uuid:5d934855-0d3e-4294-afc4-d755c04c239e> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.enterprisesrpm.com/holiday-safety-tips | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573118.26/warc/CC-MAIN-20220817213446-20220818003446-00678.warc.gz | en | 0.952906 | 578 | 1.796875 | 2 |
Armoured protected patrol vehicle
Gross Vehicle Weight
AJBAN 440A is a multi-purpose protected patrol variant of the AJBAN-class of 4×4 tactical vehicles designed and developed by NIMR Automotive, a military vehicles manufacturer based in the UAE.
Featuring modular design, the vehicle can be configured for a variety of tactical missions such as reconnaissance, surveillance, patrol, combat, CBRN defence, command and control, and transportation.
The UAE Armed Forces plans to order 115 AJBAN 440A vehicles armed with anti-tank guided missiles.
The vehicle’s capabilities were demonstrated to the Czech Republic Ministry of Defence in Vyskov in February.
NIMR entered an agreement with VOP CZ in the same month to market, distribute and manufacture its vehicles, including AJBAN 440A to Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, and the Czech Republic.
AJBAN 440A design and features
Based on a 4×4 chassis, the AJBAN 440A armoured vehicle features a double crew cab and an open-top cargo compartment. It has a length of 5.6m and a wheelbase of 3.3m, while its height and width are 2.35m.
With a gross weight of 10,750kg, the vehicle can carry mission payloads weighing up to 1,200kg.
The armoured crew cabin can hold up to four personnel, including a driver and a commander. The personnel enter or leave the vehicle through two doors fitted on either side. A bullet-proof glass window is provided on each door to provide situational awareness and ballistic protection for crew members.
The standard configuration of the vehicle is equipped with a self-recovery winch, a self-sealing protected fuel tank, and a battery management system.
The AJBAN 440A armoured vehicle features a remotely operated turret on a ring mount fitted to the roof of the crew cabin. The turret can be armed with a variety of weapons based on the mission requirements.
The standard configuration uses a 12.7mm heavy machine gun for self protection from light armoured vehicles, personnel and military installations.
Crew survivability can be further improved through the addition of up to eight smoke grenade launchers.
Protection features of AJBAN 440A armoured vehicle
The AJBAN 440A tactical vehicle comes with advanced protection capabilities for defence against ballistic threats, improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and mine blasts.
The crew and passenger compartments can be fitted with an overpressure protection system to safeguard the occupants against chemicals, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) threats.
Protection from rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) can be achieved through the installation of a RPG protection net. A fire suppression system can be installed to extinguish fire in the vehicle.
Ballistic protection is provided to the compartment to safeguard the engine from fragmentation and small arms fire.
The vehicle can be optionally equipped with a winterisation kit to meet vehicle heating requirements in cold weather conditions.
Thermal sighting systems
An optional day / night thermal sighting system, consisting of electro-optical and thermal cameras, can be fitted to the turret to provide the commander and gunner with the ability to engage targets at night or during the day.
The vehicle can also be integrated with a C4I (command, control, communications, computers, and intelligence) system for intelligence and surveillance missions.
Driven by a 221kW diesel engine, the AJBAN 440A armoured protected vehicle can achieve a maximum speed of 110km/h and a cruising range of 700km when travelling at a speed of 100km/h.
A six-speed automatic transmission system enables the engine to run at a rotational speed of 1,500rpm to develop a torque of 1,100nm.
The engine and transmission systems are mounted in the forward portion of the vehicle and offer improved fuel economy.
The vehicle is equipped with two circuit air-over hydraulic brakes, which are aimed to provide increased safety by controlling two wheels each.
AJBAN 440A performance
The tactical vehicle has the ability to climb grades of 60% and 0.4m-high steps. It can traverse through 1m-deep waters and has a kerb-to-kerb turning circle diameter of ±0.5m.
Fitted with run-flat inserts and central tyre inflation systems, the vehicle offers superior mobility and reliability on off-road terrains in operating temperatures ranging from -19°C to 49°C.
The Global Armoured and Counter-IED Vehicles Market 2011-2021
This project forms part of our recent analysis and forecasts of the global armoured and counter-IED vehicles market available from our business information platform Strategic Defence Intelligence. For more information click here or contact us: EMEA: +44 20 7936 6783; Americas: +1 415 439 4914; Asia Pacific: +61 2 9947 9709 or via email. | <urn:uuid:a54adf99-2e7c-4958-9a8b-21426f85afa4> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.army-technology.com/projects/ajban-440a-protected-patrol-vehicle/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572408.31/warc/CC-MAIN-20220816151008-20220816181008-00670.warc.gz | en | 0.905055 | 1,061 | 1.578125 | 2 |
Tag: Working Capital
The tight lending market has spurred demand for alternative sources of financing for small businesses. One potential source of funds is the merchant cash advance. Learn how merchant cash advances work, and what you need to watch out for.
There are alternatives for the small business owner to get the working capital that they need for their business outside of traditional capital sources, such as banks. One of these alternatives is for the business owner to use the future credit card sales of their business to meet their current cash flow requirements.
Equipment leasing will allow your business to maintain credit lines with the banks. Learn how to use equipment leasing to grow your business and your cash flow.
All of the planning in the world is an exercise in futility without the working capital to successfully carry out the plan. If a business sells to customers on terms, then working capital availability is dependent on cash flow timing. | <urn:uuid:18551bb4-de62-4438-92c3-b85eb20a8fcd> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | https://www.powerhomebiz.com/tag/working-capital | 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 | 0.954593 | 181 | 1.929688 | 2 |
When it comes to RNA-messenger, or m-RNA, in this period the thought immediately turns to vaccines for the Sars-CoV-2 virus that exploit this technology. But obviously this is not a kind of “exclusive” for preventive vaccination for Covid-19.
Messenger RNA can also be a weapon for unravel other mysteries and it could even become a kind of “Indicator” for some genes that regulate the body’s clock, to the point of revealing even the possible risk of pre-term birth.
What makes him think is a research coordinated by Hanne Hoffmann, which appeared in Journal Biology of Reproduction.
The test in the second quarter
There are two genes that, in some way, can function as real “clocks” of the body’s rhythms, and therefore become a real “timepiece” based on chronobiology studies. Their names? One is called Clock and the other CRY2.
The analysis of American researchers focused precisely on the m-RNA of these genes, who studied just over 150 mothers who had not had previous premature births, a third of which then went into an advance within nine months. Studying the information related to the second quarter, and in particular around the twentieth week, the experts found that in women destined to anticipate the end of the pregnant woman there was a specific RNA-messenger rate of the two genes in question lower than the others.
The hypothesis that derives from this is therefore that this simple blood test could help to reveal who is most at risk of premature birth, with consequent more careful and targeted monitoring of the conditions of mother and baby. The analysis could be particularly useful for women who have already had an early birth and therefore can be reassured about the timing of pregnancy. Obviously the study of the “derivatives” of the clock genes, which also includes other genes, could be useful to understand the future risks of preclampsia and gestational diabetes.
The size of the problem
According to recent data, 7% of the total births in Italy, about 32,000 per year, are pre-term. What does this mean? That the newborn is particularly “hasty” and therefore comes to light early, before the thirty-seventh week of gestation. There are elements that increase the possibility of this happening, such as the fact of expecting twins or in any case carrying more future babies, as well as impacting a possible premature birth earlier.
Regardless of the mechanisms that can contribute to accelerate the first cry, it must however be remembered that if the baby is highly premature and anticipates the birth much, the team of specialists, assisted by technologies, must keep under control different parts of the body, not yet perfectly formed. . First of all, the risk of infections in addition to the respiratory system and lungs must be kept under control: if the childbirth is much anticipated, indeed, their development is far behind.
Especially to consider is the so-called respiratory stress syndrome, linked to the deficiency of a substance called surfactant. This compound has the task of keeping the pulmonary alveoli open, operational units of the respiratory system where the exchanges between air and blood take place, and when these do not open sufficiently, breathing becomes difficult so it is necessary to keep the babies incubated.
Not only. Particularly in the small premature the blood vessels the walls of the arteries are very thin and this greatly increases the risk of bleeding, particularly in the developing brain. The control of cerebral hemorrhages, which can sometimes be responsible for neurological deficits after some time, is carried out with special ultrasound scans repeated regularly. Attention should also be paid to the heart and other organs, such as the eyes. | <urn:uuid:f60d7802-678e-4c18-baee-d1421d842273> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://trendyqueen.net/health/a-spy-in-the-blood-reveals-the-risk-of-giving-birth-early/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571719.48/warc/CC-MAIN-20220812140019-20220812170019-00277.warc.gz | en | 0.9613 | 772 | 3.234375 | 3 |
Understanding College and Post-Secondary Education Options
There may be several ways for your son or daughter to reach his or her career goals. The descriptions below are designed to give you an idea of the different options that are available for students interested in continuing their education beyond high school.
Public and private colleges- what's the difference?
Public colleges and universities are funded in part by state tax dollars and residents of the state pay a lower tuition rate than out-of-state students. Private colleges and universities are funded by tuition, donations and endowments. While private colleges are often more expensive at first glance, a family's out-of-pocket cost can't be determined until they have received a financial aid package. Learn more about the difference between public and private colleges at Collegeconfidential.com.
Career Colleges and Schools
Career Colleges and Schools provide training for a specific job or field. Cosmetology schools are an example of a type of career school many people are familiar with. With innovations in technology and expanding need in different job markets, there are a wide array of career training programs, such as computing, technology, dental assisting, home inspection, massage and many more. Click on the links below for more information.
Two-Year Public Technical and Community Colleges
Public technical and community colleges in Ohio are institutions that offer Associates in Arts degrees in one or more subjects. At these schools, students can pursue a two-year degree in a specific job field or they can complete the first two years of a four-year degree. Listing of technical and community colleges and four-year public colleges and universities in Ohio.
Last Modified: 1/26/2016 3:45:06 PM | <urn:uuid:ee1aafcf-4662-4177-a06d-92574a3a612d> | CC-MAIN-2016-44 | http://education.ohio.gov/Topics/Other-Resources/Family-and-Community-Engagement/Getting-Involved-with-your-Child-s-Learning/Ohio-Resources-for-College-and-Career-Planning/Understanding-College-and-Post-Secondary-Education | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-44/segments/1476988718866.34/warc/CC-MAIN-20161020183838-00004-ip-10-171-6-4.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967732 | 347 | 2.53125 | 3 |
A big red sign. I should have known that meant bad news. The Cordoba Casa de Sefarad Jewish museum boasted a big red sign about the holidays celebrated (or barely celebrated) by Marranos.
The sign explained that as the Dark Ages wore on for Spain’s hidden Jews, their observance of holidays simply faded with their memories. Pretending to be faithful Christians, the conversos/ cryptoJews/ marranos/ annusim/ etc. were looked upon with disdain by many Jews and with suspicion by the Catholic church.
With every passing year, the conversos kept less and less mitzvot, and limited even those to whatever could be practiced in absolute privacy. Heartbreaking. As in other periods of Jewish history, often only the women were able to keep the flame burning (literally).
Over the four hundred years of the Inquisition, the conversos mostly forgot Hebrew, Torah learning, prayers, and the customs that were usually celebrated publically. Still, Shabbat became a Friday night social gathering followed by prayers, Purim “Saint Esterica” was treasured, Pesach “The Lamb Easter” was rescheduled to coincide with the Easter holiday, and Yom Kippur remained “The Great Day”.
Yom Kippur was the conversos’ most important holiday. They called it “The Great Day” with “The Forgiveness Fast,” and they celebrated it on September 10, instead of 10 Tishrei, when all suspected Jews were watched like a hawk. Yom Kippur was the day that kept them going for the rest of the year.
I first learned these facts two weeks ago on a research trip to Spain for an upcoming musical that I am co-writing with the talented Avital Macales. “HIDDEN – The Secret Jews of Spain” follows a faithful Jewish family in Andalusia, as it suffers the consequences of the infamous Inquisition. We had so many questions about the lives of conversos, the horror-filled Inquisition and the insistence by so many to remain in Spain at the risk of their lives, that we decided to explore these questions close-up. Joining in our Spanish adventure was HIDDEN’s associate producer Bati Katz.
In a whirlwind trip, we visited Juderios (Jewish quarters), the existing Jewish museums, an Inquisition museum that we could barely complete, and Spanish and Moorish palaces. We searched for the very few signs of Jewish heritage and tried to absorb the Sierra Nevada mountains into our souls. Many of our questions were left unanswered in Spain, but we came home with a respect for those Jews who were forced to live a lie, and who often died for the truth.
The essential prayer for conversos was the holiday’s pre-amble, Kol Nidre. Well, no surprise there, Kol Nidre is a critical prayer for Jews the world over.
My son, the rabbi told me that Kol Nidre was written for the converso Jews. Forcibly converted to Christianity or voluntarily doing so to save themselves from the horrors of the Inquisition, they sought a Divine pardon for the Christian vows and acts that they undertook. Kol Nidre, they felt, cleansed their souls.
Ashley Perry, head of the Reconectar organization, which aims to reconnect the descendants of Spanish and Portuguese Jewish communities and the Jewish world, added this, “In the Yom Kippur Machzor of the Spanish and Portuguese Jews, Western Sephardim, minhag London, we [still] say during a Mi Sheberach prayer immediately after Kol Nidre: ‘A todos nossos Irmaos, prezos pela Inquisicao’ (For our brothers and sisters held in the prisons of The Inquisition)… while the Inquisition may not be physically active, its effect carries on today with millions … still cut off from their people.“
MYSTERY TO KOL NIDRE’S ORIGINS
My son and generations of rabbis indeed believed that Kol Nidre was created in response to the conversos’ plight and their need to nullify their conversion vows. However, its true origins are a mystery.
Some believe that Kol Nidre was introduced in 613 CE (613, really) when the Visigoths forced 90,000 Spanish Jews to convert to Christianity. Some point to the period of forced conversions to Islam by Spain’s Almohads of 1146. Others say that Kol Nidre was the answer to the dilemma of the Jews of the Inquisition, beginning 1478.
Still, others completely negate any Spanish connection and contend that Kol Nidre’s origins lie in Babylonia of the 6th and 7th centuries.
Perhaps we’ll never find out who inserted the Kol Nidre declaration as a preface to the Yom Kippur service. However, if we just read the words slowly for a moment, we can almost imagine the converso Jews intoning these utterances with tears in their eyes. And whether Kol Nidre was written with the conversos of Spain in mind or any other threatened Jews of any century or country, it really doesn’t matter. Kol Nidre allowed tormented Jews or hidden Jews to rid themselves of the burden of a false faith, at least for that night.
“With the approval of the Omnipresent and with the approval of the congregation; in the convocation of the Court above and in the convocation of the Court below, we sanction prayer with the transgressors. Kol Nidre, all vows, prohibitions, oaths…we regret them henceforth…Our vows shall not be valid vows; our prohibitions shall not be valid prohibitions; and our oaths shall not be valid oaths.”
Gmar chatima tova. | <urn:uuid:fb3f317e-260f-4a93-be6a-093cbc0be0ef> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.jewishpress.com/judaism/holidays/yom-kippur-and-the-hidden-jews/2017/09/27/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572089.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20220814234405-20220815024405-00074.warc.gz | en | 0.961187 | 1,221 | 2.265625 | 2 |
With RefWorks you can create a bibliography from a list of references, without creating a document. This reference list may contain all your references, references in your My List area or select a specific folder from which to create the bibliography.
To create a bibliography from a specific folder or from your entire RefWork account:
Note: When generating a Reference List from the Bibliography area, the final output is sorted based on the output style you have chosen. If the output style is based on the order cited in a document, since there is no document, it defaults to alphabetical by first author.
Email it: After the bibliography is created you may also email the list. The email address in your RefWorks account is automatically entered, but you can overwrite it with another address. Only one email address can be entered. | <urn:uuid:932049dd-296d-4387-a060-aaca56f48e42> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://libguides.utep.edu/The_Great_Depression/RefWorks_generate_bibliographies | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882570913.16/warc/CC-MAIN-20220809064307-20220809094307-00072.warc.gz | en | 0.888847 | 169 | 1.6875 | 2 |
Lupus and arthritis are different conditions, but lupus often causes people to develop arthritis or joint pain.
There may be a genetic link between lupus and arthritis, though there are also significant genetic differences.
In this article, we look at the connection between lupus and arthritis. We also look at the symptoms, treatment, and outlook.
Lupus is a chronic autoimmune condition characterized by an overactive immune system mistakenly attacking healthy parts of the body.
The areas lupus impacts include:
- skin and mucous membranes
- internal organs, such as the kidneys
- bones and joints
The effect lupus has on the body can be severe but varies between individuals.
Around 1.5 million Americans are believed to have lupus, and it is most common in women aged 15 to 44.
There are several different types of lupus. Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) accounts for around 70 percent of lupus cases.
Arthritis is a chronic health condition affecting around
Arthritis causes inflammation in the joints, which tends to worsen over time and can cause permanent joint damage. Arthritis typically begins to develop in people of more than 45 years of age.
The two most common types of arthritis are:
- Rheumatoid arthritis (RA), which is an autoimmune disease that occurs when the immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissue in the joints.
- Osteoarthritis, where the protective tissues in the joints are slowly degraded by wear and tear, with a much lower level of chronic inflammation than RA.
Arthritis erodes the tissue in the joints that stops the ends of bones from scraping against each other. The friction this creates leads to further inflammation. This causes pain and swelling in the joints, eventually restricting their mobility.
Lupus causes widespread inflammation throughout the body, including in the joints. This means that it can trigger arthritis. Arthritis or joint pain that doctors refer to as arthralgia is among the most common symptoms of lupus.
People with lupus typically develop arthritis or arthralgia with several other symptoms, such as skin rashes and fatigue.
The form of arthritis triggered by lupus is different to that caused by RA. But, a small subset of people with lupus will have severe joint involvement, and an RA-like picture. This rare complication is referred to as rhupus.
Despite this one example of a crossover, there are major differences between RA and arthritis caused by lupus.
These differences include:
- lupus is not erosive while RA can be
- lupus arthritis is much less severe than RA
- the primary joints affected are different
Arthritis in people with lupus tends to affect:
While autoimmune diseases can share genetic risk factors, there are also significant differences between groups. More research is required to understand what triggers the genetic influences responsible for these conditions.
Both lupus and arthritis are diagnosed based on symptoms. Blood tests can be helpful, too, as can imaging studies. For instance, if hand X-rays show joint erosions, then RA is more likely to be the cause than lupus.
Doctors will first take a person’s medical history and then conduct a physical exam. They will look for signs of inflammation and reductions in the range of motion for affected joints.
A doctor may recommend blood tests to look at the blood cell count, the density of antibodies in the blood, and the type of antibodies present. This blood analysis can help to determine the nature and severity of an autoimmune condition.
Doctors also use lab tests that measure inflammation, such as the ESR or CRP tests, to follow disease activity or support evidence of a flare.
The ESR (sed rate) or CRP (C-reactive protein) lab tests enable doctors to measure inflammation. They are used to track disease activity or support evidence of a flare, for example. Cells known as autoantibodies do not correlate with the progression.
In lupus diagnosis, doctors may recommend CT scans for suspected interstitial lung disease or to look for swollen lymph nodes.
With lupus, doctors may also recommend a kidney biopsy if they suspect the involvement of the kidneys, such as with glomerulonephritis.
There are currently no absolute cures for lupus or arthritis. However, some treatments are effective for managing symptoms, reducing further damage to the joints and organs, and for improving someone’s quality of life.
Treatments usually involve medication and lifestyle changes. If the conditions have progressed, some people may need surgery to correct damage or prevent further changes.
People with lupus may require strong immunosuppression, which doctors would not recommend for arthritis.
Lupus primarily affects women of childbearing years, so it is vital that doctors also address and prevent problems during pregnancy.
Doctors use a range of different drugs to reduce inflammation in the body. Controlling inflammation is critical for controlling symptoms and reducing people’s discomfort.
Types of medications can include:
- nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
- disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) to cut immune system activity, which may lower inflammation
- hydroxychloroquine, which is recommended extensively for lupus and may also prevent pregnancy-related complications
DMARDs work well and can have additional benefits, such as reducing the risk of kidney problems and high blood pressure. However, because they suppress the immune system, they can also increase a person’s chances of contracting infections.
Also, doctors do not often recommend DMARDS during pregnancy, so a person should always ask for advice before taking medication while pregnant.
Researchers are also developing new approaches to reduce symptoms.
An example of this is a drug called rituximab that
These drugs may be effective in some situations as an off-label use, but research is ongoing to find out their long-term impact.
Benlysta is a drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for lupus. It is a biologic that was previously only available as an intravenous or IV infusion but that recently became available as an injection.
Doctors may also use steroids to control symptoms. Steroid creams can reduce skin rashes, and steroid injections are a fast-acting way to reduce inflammation in the joints.
A doctor may also recommend steroid tablets over longer periods of time to reduce kidney or blood inflammation.
Being active is an important part of keeping the joints healthy and preventing further damage.
Doctors often recommend physical therapy alongside medication to reduce the joint problems caused by arthritis.
This kind of therapy usually involves a series of stretches and exercises designed by a physiotherapist to reduce pain, prevent further damage, and increase the mobility of the joints.
Both lupus and arthritis are chronic health conditions that may become worse over time. Arthritis or arthralgia are common symptoms of lupus, causing mild to severe joint problems.
When a doctor can make an early diagnosis and manage the condition effectively, people with lupus and arthritis may experience mild or minimal symptoms for many years.
As it causes widespread inflammation, lupus is an unpredictable condition and varies considerably from person-to-person. It can often have a serious impact on well-being, particularly if it affects internal organs such as the kidneys.
Researchers are developing new medications that appear to be effective in relieving some symptoms, but more high-quality research is needed. | <urn:uuid:25270ba7-6f39-4e45-8572-4aaf975d7e2a> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323059 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882570767.11/warc/CC-MAIN-20220808061828-20220808091828-00474.warc.gz | en | 0.951901 | 1,610 | 3.34375 | 3 |
Wondering how many checkpoints are in the Duolingo Spanish tree? There are currently 10 Checkpoints in the Duolingo Spanish Course.
What is a Checkpoint?
In order to pass the Checkpoint or unlock it, you need to complete all of the lessons that come before that checkpoint. That means you need to have earned at least 1 crown in each topic.
Once you’ve finished all the lessons and earned at least one crown for each, then you can pass the last checkpoint in Duolingo Spanish and finally earn your Duolingo Owl!
Once you’ve passed a checkpoint, it’s no longer a checkpoint and it turns into a “Unit.”
Can You Test Out of the Checkpoints in Duolingo Spanish?
Yes, you can test out of these Checkpoints if you feel like you’re ready! Just click on the checkpoint and it will give you the option to start the test.
Although it’s tempting to want to jump ahead and just take the tests that allow you to pass that Checkpoint faster, I would only recommend doing this if you are already quite fluent in the language.
If not, you probably need that practice, and skipping those easier lessons won’t do you any good.
How Many Mistakes Can I Make at a Checkpoint in Duolingo Spanish?
Although this is subject to change, right now you can only make 4 mistakes before you fail the checkpoint test in Duolingo Spanish. So make sure you’re ready before you get started! | <urn:uuid:2f97a792-0c65-4abf-a346-5acc7301ae20> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://happilyevertravels.com/how-many-checkpoints-duolingo-spanish/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572221.38/warc/CC-MAIN-20220816060335-20220816090335-00072.warc.gz | en | 0.934279 | 325 | 2.296875 | 2 |
Reading Coaches for Kids
In partnership with the Sycamore Readers from Indiana State University (ISU), the VCPL LifeLong Learning Center is a reading coaching site for elementary school-aged children. Struggling readers in grades K -5 are pre-tested for their reading level and matched to an ISU student who has been trained in a literature-based coaching program. Reading Coaches and children are matched one-to-one, for two 30 – 45 minute sessions each week. Post-testing is conducted to assess gains in reading levels.
Registration forms are available in the LifeLong Learning Center. The program begins approximately 3 weeks after each ISU semester begins and ends prior to ISU’s final exam week.
Call the LifeLong Learning Center at 812–232–1117 for more information. The Sycamore Readers ISU office number is 812–237–2944. | <urn:uuid:d7e80222-b39f-4035-9e57-61c581745243> | CC-MAIN-2016-44 | http://mailto:questions@vigo.lib.in.us/llc/reading-coaches | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-44/segments/1476988718285.69/warc/CC-MAIN-20161020183838-00106-ip-10-171-6-4.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.950695 | 186 | 1.585938 | 2 |
FREE SHIPPING on orders over $50.
Based in Toronto, Canada, Eurofase has been presenting artful and innovative illumination since 1989. They continually promote the use of cost-saving lighting technologies, including LED, halogen and compact fluorescent, in an effort to provide for the lighting needs of an expanding energy efficient culture.
The Anello Pendant/Flushmount is available with the following:
- Finish: Chrome
- Material: Metal
- Shade Material: Glass
- Frosted White glass shade
- Chrome finish
- Ceiling canopy
- ETL Listed
- Made In China
Size: Small, Large
- Small Option: One 24 Watt (1875 Lumens) 120 Volt/277 Volt G5 Bi-Pin Base Fluorescent Lamp(s) (Not Included)
- Large Option: One 39 Watt (3300 Lumens) 120 Volt/277 Volt G5 Bi-Pin Base Fluorescent Lamp(s) (Not Included)
LumensThe amount of light that comes from a bulb, which has commonly been measured in watts. The more lumens, the brighter the bulb.
WattageA measurement of the power delivered to a component of an electric circuit (allowing a one-ampere current to flow through the component under the pressure of 1 volt.)
Bulb ShapeBulb shapes are denoted with a letter, which describes the shape, and a number, which indicates the size. The number indicates the diameter of the light bulb at its widest part in eighths of an inch.
BaseThe part of the bulb that connects to the fixture and its power supply. Bulb bases are denoted with the letter E, and a number which indicates the diameter of the bulb base at its widest part in millimeters.
VoltageIndicates how much voltage a bulb can accept via the fixture it's installed in.
Light Color TemperatureThe relative color from a light source, measured on the Kelvin temperature scale. Warm light is lower in color temperature (2700-3000 K) and cool, blue light is higher (5000 K).
Average Rated LifeThe average amount time that a bulb is expected to last.
CRICRI = color rendering index. This number, which can go from 0 to 100, measures the ability of a light or bulb accurately renders colors. The higher the number, the better, with most quality bulbs these days measuring at least in the 80s.
- Small Option Cable: Length 72"
- Small Option Fixture: Width 23.25", Height 3.75", Depth 1.75"
- Small Option Suspension: Length Adjustable To 75.75"
- Large Option Cable: Length 72"
- Large Option Fixture: Width 35", Height 3.75", Depth 1.75"
- Large Option Suspension: Length Adjustable To 75.75"
Manufacturer IDs: view
Need help with some of our terminology? Check out Lumens' Lighting & Design Glossary.
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The Illuminating Experiences Elf Pendant, designed by Stephen Blackman, features an elongated luminous tube suspended from a steel raceway creating ceiling mounted linear lighting. Illuminating Experiences, located in New Brunswick, NJ, is reputable for creating and importing unique and stylish ...
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The Axo Light Framework Rectangular Pendant is both an architectural device and light source, bringing dimensional variation to ceilings with slender lines and indirect illumination. Resembling a decorative molding or trim lifted in the air, the white frame traces definition ... | <urn:uuid:6a773081-ecd6-46fc-b143-f3f583ea86ba> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.lumens.com/anello-pendant/flushmount-by-eurofase-uu489248.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560283008.19/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095123-00082-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.881983 | 792 | 1.6875 | 2 |
When it comes to formulating a marketing strategy for your business, there are many things you need to consider. This article will share with you the right ingredients you’ll need to create a successful marketing strategy.
Conduct a SWOT Analysis
Any good marketing strategy should start with a thorough SWOT analysis. This will help you understand your company’s strengths and weaknesses, as well as the opportunities and threats that it faces. To conduct a SWOT analysis, you will need to gather data from a variety of sources, including financial reports, customer surveys, and competitor analyses. Once you have this information, you can start identifying the key areas you need to focus on in your marketing strategy. If you are not familiar with SWOT analysis, there are many resources available online that can help you get started.
Identify Marketing Strategy Goals
You can’t just start throwing money at marketing initiatives and hope for the best – you need to have a plan with specific goals in mind. Do you want to increase brand awareness? Drive more traffic to your website? Increase sales of a specific product? Once you know what you’re trying to achieve, you can start putting together a strategy to help you get there. You’ll need to consider your target audience, budget, and the most effective channels for reaching your goals. With all of these factors in mind, you can start to create a cohesive plan that will get results. Investing in marketing is essential for any business, but it’s also important to make sure that you’re taking a strategic approach.
Inbound or Outbound Marketing
Before you launch a marketing campaign, it’s important to take a step back and consider your strategy. One of the key decisions you’ll need to make is whether to focus on inbound or outbound marketing. Inbound marketing involves attracting customers to your brand through content marketing, search engine optimization, and social media. On the other hand, outbound marketing involves proactively reaching out to customers through advertising, cold-calling, and email blasts. Both inbound vs outbound marketing approaches have their pros and cons, so it’s important to choose the one that makes the most sense for your business. If you’re not sure where to start, consider speaking with a marketing consultant who can help you develop a custom strategy that meets your specific needs.
Have a Thorough Market Analysis
Any good marketing strategy starts with a thorough market analysis. This means taking a close look at your target customer base and understanding their needs and wants. What are they looking for in a product or service? What motivates them to make a purchase? Once you understand your target market, you can begin to craft a marketing strategy that will resonate with them. Keep in mind that your market analysis should be an ongoing process. As your business grows and changes, so too should your marketing strategy. By regularly assessing your target market, you can ensure that your marketing efforts are always on point.
Delve More into Branding and Messaging
You need to think long and hard about your brand before you can even begin to formulate a marketing strategy. Your brand is what sets you apart from your competitors and will be the first thing that potential customers notice about you. That’s why it’s so important to make sure that your brand is well-designed and that your messaging is clear and concise. If you don’t put effort into branding, you’ll likely see your marketing efforts fall flat. So take the time to really think about who you are as a business and what you want to achieve, then craft a brand that reflects those ideals. Only then can you start to develop a marketing strategy that will help you reach your goals.
Integrate the Right Marketing Channels
When developing a marketing strategy, choosing the right marketing channels for your business is important. There are a variety of factors to consider, including your budget, target audience, and the type of product or service you’re selling. Depending on your business, some channels may be more effective than others. For example, if you’re selling a physical product, online channels like eCommerce websites and social media platforms can be great ways to reach potential customers. If you’re providing a service, offline channels like print ads or direct mail can be more effective. Ultimately, the best way to determine which channels to use is to experiment and see what works best for your business. By trying out different channels and seeing what drives results, you can develop an effective marketing strategy that helps you reach your goals.
Finally, don’t forget to measure the results of your marketing campaigns so that you can make adjustments as needed. By following these steps, you can develop a successful marketing strategy to help you achieve your business goals. | <urn:uuid:927618dc-046c-4951-87cb-30fdac3ac92f> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://forcreativegirls.com/things-need-consider-marketing-strategy/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571284.54/warc/CC-MAIN-20220811103305-20220811133305-00477.warc.gz | en | 0.942326 | 984 | 1.632813 | 2 |
The supply chain crisis is well documented, and there are of course a multitude of causal factors, none more so than a global pandemic. I can understand why a marooned container ship would make the news but, what surprises me is the lack of attention given to transparency in the modern supply chain. As a brand owner, wouldn’t I expect to know exactly what inventory I have on that ship? Why do we accept that this kind of information is not readily available?
At EVRYTHNG we believe that we should expect more. If I can track my Amazon shipment worth $4.99 surely, I should be able to track my container worth $499,000. Right?
First, let’s break down what we mean by supply chain transparency. Think of it as the final step in the supply chain digitization journey.
- Visibility, knowing where my inventory is and what state it is in.
- Traceability, the origin story of my products, where they came from and how they got here.
- Transparency, the sharing of traceability information. Whether that be telling a product item’s story to a consumer or the facilitation of trade with my business partners.
Resilience to disruption is one driving force for supply chain digitisation and certainly dominates the headlines, but there are other equally important forces at play.
What forces are driving change across supply chains?
- The influence of conscious consumerism
A new generation of consumers are buying products based on factors other than cost and necessity. They want to know the social, economic, and environmental impact of the product, too.
- The shift to ecommerce and DTC
In 2020, digital sales represented 21.3% of total retail in the US, and 27.% in the UK1. To capitalize on this seismic change in shopper behaviour, brands need to scale their ecommerce capabilities. In addition to overcoming challenges with inventory visibility and fulfillment, the shift to ecommerce also requires a more effective 1:1 connection with end consumers in order to grow direct-to-consumer (DTC) sales.
- The growing threat to supply chain and brand integrity
Fuelled by the ecommerce explosion, counterfeit and product diversion are growing. One in four consumers have unintentionally purchased non-genuine goods online2.To effectively tackle this problem brands need to both restrict supply of counterfeit goods in the market and restrict demand by enabling consumers to authenticate pre-purchase.
- Sustainability top of the agenda
The need for better sustainability measurement and tracking is acute. Supply chains are responsible for 90% of companies’ environmental impacts, but according to a recent study by The Sustainability Consortium (TSC), less than one-fifth of 1,700 respondents have a comprehensive view of their sustainability performance3. Sustainable long-term growth requires organizations to implement circular strategies into all aspects of their business. Investor, shareholder and consumer pressures demand it.
- Navigating the compliance minefield
For manufacturers operating across markets and categories, the regulatory landscape is ever more complex. Demand for healthier, eco-friendly, responsibly sourced products is driving governing bodies to introduce more regulations. Examples include new labelling requirements in Russia, a ban on products from China’s Xinjiang region, and the forthcoming US digital care label initiative for apparel. Developing bespoke compliance solutions on a reactive, country-by-country basis is neither scalable nor cost effective.
- The influence of conscious consumerism
So how do we create a pathway to supply chain transparency?
Sound like a pipe-dream? Well, I’m here to tell you that it’s not as treacherous as you might think. That’s not to say it’s easy, it is not. That’s not to say it won’t require investment, it will. However, we now have the technology and the standards to make sure that effort and investment is justly rewarded with scalable transparency solutions.
Step 1: connect
To provide transparency we need item-level traceability, each item manufactured has its own story to tell and in order to tell that story we need to distinguish one seemingly homogenous widget from another. The good news is that there is an industry standard for identifying and connecting items and it’s called the GS1 Digital Link. This is base camp, with unique identifiers on all your product items. From the point of manufacture, the product itself can become the storyteller. It’s not a trivial step, but it is a path well trodden, EVRYTHNG has been helping brands connect millions of items for the past 10 years – it’s what we do.
Step 2: collect
Without doubt the single most important factor for achieving transparency in the supply chain of tomorrow is interoperability. Quite simply, it has to work with your existing enterprise systems and work with the enterprise systems of your trade partners. A problem that is screaming out for an obvious solution of standardization. Any solution without standardization is by definition bespoke and even if the solution works for you right now, will that work for you tomorrow? New contract manufacturer, new bespoke integration requirements. New 3PL, new bespoke integration requirements… and so on. It’s a price that you will be continuing to pay for decades to come.
Finally, the industry standard we crave, we need, is here. A GS1 standard called EPCIS 2.0 (Electronic Product Code Information Services).
EVRYTHNG has already published an article on this standard, so I won’t repeat that detail here but one thing I would like to emphasise is that this standard wasn’t developed by any one technology pioneer. The development of EPCIS 2.0 has been a monumental effort over the past four years with contributions from more than 180 global experts, united by a common goal – to standardize the way in which supply chain information is captured and shared.
The standard is in the final stages of community review and due to be ratified in Spring 2022.
Due to EVRYTHNG’s involvement in the standard’s development we have been able to build EPCIS 2.0 native support into the EVRYTHNG Product Cloud® and it is open for beta right now. In fact, EVRYTHNG staked the claim for the world’s first EPCIS 2.0 integration, back in early 2020.
What does this look like in practical terms?
OK, so we have an industry standard to get behind, but does this mean you have to capture the serialised identities as they make their way through the chain? The simple answer is no. While this is possible with technologies like RFID (such as supply chain loss insights), we know that this is not feasible for all consumer goods brands. For this reason, when product items are packed, we capture the information for brands through aggregation events. Simply put, we need to know which items went in which cartons, and which cartons went in which pallets. This means brands do not have to change existing downstream business processes – serial shipping container codes (SSCCs) can be scanned into warehouses just as they are now – but now we know which serialised items are in a particular SSCC.
This is a good place to note that in an article such as this, I am using broad brush strokes. We have a team of professional services colleagues ready to understand your supply chain and help design the enabling business and technical changes.
Step 3: understand
EPCIS 2.0 is a gamechanger, (I think I have made my thoughts on this point quite clear!) but we must consider what it is, and what it is not.
What it is
- A protocol for standardising supply chain event data structure
- A protocol for capturing supply chain events
- A protocol for sharing supply chain events
What it is not
- An analytics layer, the standard does not define how you interpret or aggregate data for business insight
- A connection between supply chain data and other important data elements in your enterprise, for example unless you know all of your GTINs by heart, you will need your product attributes as well
- An application that business folks can use
In my next article I will explore some (of the many) use cases for supply chain transparency in greater detail. What were once difficult questions to answer, become simple table stakes.
- How much Autumn-Winter 2021 product do I have across all my distribution centers?
- Is my purchase order going to be shipped on time to execute my launch date?
- How much inventory do I have that was manufactured with materials from supplier A?
- I need to execute a recall, where are all the items that consumed a defective batch of materials?
- My shipment was short, where is the missing pallet?
- Is this shipment in the correct market?
- How can I prove provenance to my consumers?
- How can I share supply chain data with my trade partners?
- How can I prove product compliance and safeguard speed of chain?
To answer these questions, yes we need to capture supply chain events but we also need master data (e.g. products and locations). We need data analytics to piece together individual events to answer questions. We need a product cloud.
Can an off-the-shelf product answer these questions?
It can, and this is exactly why we built the EVRYTHNG Product Cloud® on a foundation of EPCIS 2.0 native support. We are able to capture supply chain data from your network so that we can make sense of it and provide simple user interfaces for insight and out-of-the box services for sharing information.
I’m not going to pretend otherwise, we have a vested interest in EPCIS 2.0 – not just as the vehicle that facilitates supply chain interoperability, but also as the foundation that enables us to offer supply chain transparency as a product, not bespoke software. We are able to interpret the data whether you work with cotton or coffee beans, and for you that means regular product releases and improvements without expensive version migrations. If you are ready to take those first steps on the pathway to supply chain transparency we would love to hear from you, contact us. | <urn:uuid:16219d07-9fec-4c4a-a52c-e7ca23cb9348> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://evrythng.com/the-pathway-to-supply-chain-transparency-is-not-as-treacherous-as-you-might-think/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572163.61/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815085006-20220815115006-00667.warc.gz | en | 0.944202 | 2,139 | 1.875 | 2 |
Human rights 'are not a luxury'
A legislator has criticised security chief Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee for treating human rights as a 'luxury' by saying that rights advocated by the Catholic Church might only exist in heaven.
Margaret Ng Ngoi-yee also urged the Government to exercise its discretionary power in handling abode cases more often.
During a forum with youngsters last month, Secretary for Security Mrs Ip said a balance must be struck between human rights and the rule of law.
Ms Ng said: '[It is] as if the two were opposed to each other, instead of the protection of the rights of the individual being an accepted objective of the rule of law. This kind of statement is possible only on a distorted view of human rights as a luxury and of the rule of law as a relentless use of the law by the Government as a weapon for social control,' Ms Ng said in RTHK's Letter to Hong Kong.
Commenting on the Catholic Church's plea for the right of families in abode cases to be reunited, Mrs Ip has said such things might be rights in heaven, but not on Earth.
Ms Ng, who raised the abode issue with a United Nations committee in Geneva last week, said the committee members were surprised by the Government's attitude towards human rights.
In a statement, the Government said family reunion was not an absolute right.
It said the Immigration Director could not exercise discretionary power in all cases, saying it would be unfair to those waiting in the queue. 'It will also lead to the collapse of our entire immigration regime,' a Government spokesman said.
Director of Immigration Ambrose Lee Siu-kwong said more right of abode claimants had volunteered for Government repatriation over the past month. He said 150 mainlanders had been sent back voluntarily since the grace period following the final court ruling against them expired at the end of March. | <urn:uuid:83fbd3dd-442e-4f1e-b75d-5585c6f097d1> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.scmp.com/article/378834/human-rights-are-not-luxury | 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 | 0.972997 | 391 | 1.867188 | 2 |
Because education is often focused on attaining a narrowly defined job or role, the learner is left at a disadvantage if that job or role disappears, is automated away, or if she is not interested in the role for which she has prepared. If instead, a learner is charged to learn to ‘create value’ around a defined problem, the ability to do so will continue to be an asset until the problem is solved. The innovation of a problem-based approach to exploration is that it challenges people to connect their professional training, disciplinary knowledge and humanity to make a difference in the world in their own unique way.
The Realm of Possibility offers a new way for institutions to help students to actively explore based on a problem of concern or an inner imperative instead of focusing primarily on money, power, or prestige. Furthermore, it has the potential to reinvigorate the
spirit of exploration, entrepreneurship and innovation into a risk- averse generation. Schools can frame their curricula, not only as a set of courses, but as a way to understand a problem of concern from a variety of disciplinary perspectives so that they may be a part of the solution come graduation, and as they inherit society.
At the Realm of Possibility, we pioneered Problems & Challenge Career Networks, which unearth how individuals from different disciplines and professions come together to address important problems and challenges in the world. Access to these networks is stratified on education and race. We are committed to making this cultural capital more accessible to students who may not have had access to this information in their household or community, Collectively, Possibility Profiles offer an opportunity to help students think about perspectives they may never have imagined, and they help students to understand ways that their liberal arts education can be used to make the world a better place. | <urn:uuid:c876661b-3eec-4282-b18e-a2d3f9aabea9> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | http://therealmofpossibility.org/background/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572286.44/warc/CC-MAIN-20220816090541-20220816120541-00277.warc.gz | en | 0.962538 | 366 | 2.59375 | 3 |
If your monitor's resolution is not high enough to represent a smooth line, your computer uses antialiasing, a software technique that makes the jagged edge of the image smooth. If you work with graphics in your business, antialiasing enables your computer to minimize the distortion artifacts that appear when you display a high-resolution image on a low-resolution monitor. Antialiasing consumes system resources and decreases your video card's performance. If you don't need it, disable this feature by adjust your video card's settings.
Nvidia Video Cards
Open the Nvidia Control Panel window by clicking the Nvidia icon in the system tray or the Start menu.
Click the "Manage 3D Settings" link in the 3D Settings section.
Click the "Antialiasing - Mode" option to select it, and then select "Off" in the box next to it.
Click "Apply" to apply the new settings, and then close the Nvidia Control Panel window.
ATI Video Cards
Open the Catalyst Control Center window by clicking the Catalyst icon in the system tray or in the Start menu.
Click the "3D" node in the left pane, and then click the "Anti-Aliasing" link to view the antialiasing settings in the right pane.
Select the "Use application settings" option in the "Smoothvision HD: Anti-Aliasing" section. Each application uses its own antialiasing options, so you just need to turn off the antialiasing option in the application's settings.
- Jupiterimages/Comstock/Getty Images | <urn:uuid:4d8bbaba-9204-4fac-a90f-abdeb6fa5fb0> | CC-MAIN-2016-44 | http://smallbusiness.chron.com/disable-antialiasing-video-drivers-56086.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-44/segments/1476988719677.59/warc/CC-MAIN-20161020183839-00561-ip-10-171-6-4.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.842534 | 329 | 2.40625 | 2 |
From: American Chemical Society
Beer found to contain potent antioxidant
Better source than red wine, green tea or soy products
Researchers have discovered a potent antioxidant in beer that gives new meaning to the traditional toast: "to your health." The finding is reported in the September issue of the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Chemical Society, the world's largest scientific society.
Hops, used in most beers to provide flavoring, contain substances known as prenylated flavonoids. They are a better source of antioxidants than red wine, green tea and soy products, according to Donald Buhler, Ph.D., lead author of the study from Oregon State University. (Antioxidants - substances that protect against the damaging effects of oxygen and nitrogen in the human body - help prevent high cholesterol, heart disease, cancer and Alzheimer's disease.)
But to maximize the health benefits of hops, you'd have to drink some 450 liters of beer per day, according to Buhler. The most likely outcome for the research, therefore, is a pill that captures their enhanced antioxidant activity, he said.
"I tell people they can't cure their disease by drinking beer - and it might just help," Buhler said. "The bottom line is that you're going to get some, but not preventative, levels of antioxidants by drinking beer."
Different beers have varying levels of antioxidants, ranging from a high of four milligrams per liter for some lager beers to negligible levels in some microbrews.
Previous research indicates that beer has cancer-fighting characteristics and antioxidant properties. The current research identifies the heretofore-unknown reason for these healthful qualities and suggests, for the first time, their source: the prenylated flavonoids in hops - specifically, the compound xanthohumol, Buhler said.
Xanthohumol (zan-tho-HUGH-mol), found exclusively in hops, is six times more effective than antioxidants found in citrus fruits and almost four times more effective than antioxidants found in soy products, Buhler said. Combined with vitamin E, xanthohumol has even greater antioxidant activity, he noted.
The compound's chemical structure could explain its added potency, Buhler said. As a prenylated flavonoid, xanthohumol has an additional layer of protection that allows it to survive longer in the body than other known flavonoids. A prenyl group has a particular arrangement of carbon and hydrogen molecules that have protective properties.
Flavonoids have been known to be antioxidants for years. Because they are a natural product, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration does not regulate them. Flavonoids are widely sold in pill form in health food stores and supermarkets, where they are presented as nutritional supplements.
"All we're saying is that the compounds we tested have better antioxidant activity than previously known flavonoids," Buhler said. "It takes less of these to do the same job as others and they do a better job with the same amount."
The research was funded by the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University, the Hop Research Council and a grant from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.
The online version of the research paper cited above was initially published July 21 on the journal's Web site. Journalists can arrange access to this site by sending an email to firstname.lastname@example.org or calling the contact person for this release.
Donald Buhler, Ph.D., is a professor in the department of environmental and molecular toxicology at Oregon State University.
A nonprofit organization with a membership of 161,000 chemists and chemical engineers, the American Chemical Society publishes scientific journals and databases, convenes major research conferences, and provides educational, science policy and career programs in chemistry. Its main offices are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio. | <urn:uuid:23ffd3e9-8fda-4ee0-9e7d-6ec8b1634585> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www3.scienceblog.com/community/older/2000/A/200000241.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280065.57/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00539-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948432 | 810 | 2.75 | 3 |
Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item:
|Scopus||Web of Science®||Altmetric|
|Title:||Personality characteristics and attributes of international medical graduates in general practice training: implications for supporting this valued Australian workforce|
|Citation:||Australian Journal of Rural Health, 2016; 24(5):333-339|
|Caroline O. Laurence, Diann S. Eley, Lucie Walters, Taryn Elliott, Claude Robert Cloninger|
|Abstract:||Objectives: To describe the personality profiles of International Medical Graduates (IMGs) undertaking General Practice (GP) training in Australia. A better understanding of the personal characteristics of IMGs may inform their training and enhance support for their vital contribution to the Australian rural workforce. Design: Cross-sectional self-report questionnaires. Independent variables included socio-demographics, prior training, the Temperament and Character Inventory, and the Resilience Scale. Setting and participants: GP registrars (IMGs = 102; AMGs = 350) training in the Australian General Practice Training rural and general pathway and the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine independent pathway. Main outcome measures: Univariate analysis explored the differences in levels of traits between IMG and AMG registrars. Results: Compared to the general population both groups have moderately high resilience, and well-organised characters with high Self-directedness, high Cooperativeness and low Self-transcendence, supported by temperaments which were high in Persistence and Reward Dependence. IMGs were different than AMGs in two temperament traits, Novelty Seeking and Persistence and two character traits, Self-directedness and Cooperativeness. Conclusions: Factors such as cultural and training backgrounds, personal and professional expectations, and adjustments necessary to assimilate to a new lifestyle and health system are likely to be responsible for differences found between groups. Understanding the personality profiles of IMGs provides opportunities for targeted training and support which may in turn impact on their retention in rural areas.|
primary health care
rural medicine education
|Rights:||© 2016 National Rural Health Alliance Inc.|
|Appears in Collections:||Aurora harvest 7|
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Items in DSpace are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated. | <urn:uuid:9392c7c3-8b4a-408d-a2a8-c793b416c365> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://digital.library.adelaide.edu.au/dspace/handle/2440/103792 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882570977.50/warc/CC-MAIN-20220809124724-20220809154724-00466.warc.gz | en | 0.861243 | 688 | 1.671875 | 2 |
NASA awardee Delhi student wants Indian talent showcased globallyMay 14th, 2009 - 8:42 pm ICT by IANS
New Delhi, May 14 (IANS) Twenty-year-old Gurpreet Singh, a Delhi student, still can’t get over his NASA experience that won him two awards for designing a vehicle which can run unmanned on the surface of the moon.
Excited about the achievement, Singh Thursday said educational institutes in India need to be better informed of such global events for students of the country to showcase their talent.
He said the Indian government and schools in the country take less interest in sending their students for such international events.
“India should send students for such programmes often and acknowledge the talent they have,” Singh told reporters.
Singh and his teammates, all in the first or second year of graduation, designed the vehicle, which he named Moon Hummer after a famous vehicle brand of General Motors, at the US space agency during the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Annual Great Moon Buggy Race in April.
Singh, a student of the Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha university (GGSIPU), along with four others from the Kirori Mal College of Delhi University participated in the event.
Moon Hummer went on to win them two awards - the Best Initial Design and the Safety System award in the competition.
An exhilarated Singh shared his NASA experience at the Indraprastha university.
“We made a 70 kg moon buggy from mild steel which could run on the surface of the moon, unmanned. We called it the Moon Hummer,” Singh told reporters.”
“We were the smallest and the the youngest team there because all the students in our team were either from first year or second year graduation. Call it destiny, but this achievement means a lot to us,” he said.
A total of 33 teams took part in the competition from across the world. Of them, five were from Delhi. | <urn:uuid:adc6edd1-45f8-4d90-8c27-43628424cafa> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/uncategorized/nasa-awardee-delhi-student-wants-indian-talent-showcased-globally_100192498.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280483.83/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00299-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96525 | 422 | 1.601563 | 2 |
What Is MPEG Video Compression Standard?
There are many important ramifications of the technologies incorporated
into the the MPEG specifications, but what seems to get the most
press is the video compression system. Robust video compression and
transport approaches are essential for operations over emerging
ATM-based broadband ISDN. The MPEG video compression standard is discussed
in this paper.
Most physical entities convey some type of "information" and need a fixed number
of parameters towards this purpose. In many instances however, this fixed number
is prohibitively large for storage and transmission purposes. The compression
process attempts to represent the entity by employing fewer than the total
set of parameters. The compression technique can be divided into two parts.
If all the information is conveyed using the subset of the parameters, the
compression is called lossless. On the other hand, if less than the complete
information is conveyed, it is termed lossy compression.
Video signals are spatio-temporal signals or simply stated, a sequence
of time varying images. The information they convey is "visual". A monochromatic
still image can be mathematically represented by x(h,v), where x is
the intensity value at the horizontal location h and vertical location
v. The monochromatic video signal can be represented by x(h,v,t),
where x is the intensity value at the h horizontal, v vertical
and t temporal locations respectively. Figure 1 shows these representation
of the video signal.
Color video signal is merely a superposition of the intensity distribution of the
three primary color primitives(R,G,B) or equivalently of one luminance,
(Y) and two chrominance components(U,V). This is shown in the Table. 1.
||= 0.30R' + 0.59G' + 0.11B'
||= -0.15R'- 0.29G' + 0.47B'
||= 0.62R'- 0.52G' - 0.10B'
After a brief description of analog video signals, this paper analyzes the need
towards digital video and the need for video compression. Finally, the main part of this
paper alanyzes the MPEG video compression standard.
2.MPEG Compression Standard
The most common form of the video signal in use today is still analog. This signal
is obtained through a process known as scanning. In this section the analog
representation of the video signal and its disadvantages are discussed.This part
also describes the need towards digital representation of video signal. After
describing the need for compression of video signal, this paper describes the MPEG compression
technique for video signals.
2.1 Analog Video Signal
Analog signal is obtained through a process known as scanning. This is shown in
Figure 2. Scanning records the intensity values of the spatio-temporal signal only
in the h direction. This signal is coupled with the horizontal and vertical
synchronization pulses to yield the complete video signal. Scanning can be either
progressive or interlaced. Progressive scanning scans all the horozontal lines to
form the complete frame. In the interlaced scanning, the even and the odd
horizontal lines of a picture are scanned seperately yielding the two fields of
a picture. There are three main analog video standards.
In the composit standard, the luminance and the two chrominance components
are encoded together as a single signal. This is in contrast to the component
standard, where the three components are coded as three distinct signals. The
S-Video consists of seperate Y and C analog video signals.
Today, the technology is attempting to integrate the video, computer and
telecommunication industry together on a single mutimedia platform. The video signal
is required to be scalable, platform independent, able to provide interactivity, and
be robust. The analog unfortunately fails to address these requirements. Moving to
digital not only eliminates most of the above mentioned problems but also opens door
to a whole range of digital video processing techniques which can make the picture
2.2 Digital Video Signal
To digitize the spatio-temporal signal x(h,v,t), usually, the component form
of the analog signal is sampled in all three directions. Each sample point in a frame
is called a pixel. Sampling in the horizontal direction yields the pixels per
line, which defines the horizontal resolution of the picture. Vertical resolution
is controlled by sampling vertically. Temporal sampling determines the frame rate.
Digital video too has its share of bottlenecks. The most important one is the
huge bandwidth requirement. Inspite of being digital, it thus still need to
stored. The logical solution to this problem is digital video compression.
2.3 MPEG Compression Standard
Compression aims at lowering the total number of parameters required to represent
the signal, while maintaining good quality. These parameters are then coded for
transmission or storage. A result of compressing digital video is that it becomes
available as computer data, ready to transmitted over existing communication
There are many different redandancies present in the video signal data.
Spatial redandancy occurs because neighboring pixels in each individual frame of a video
signal are related. The pixels in consecitive frames of signal are also related, leading
to temporal redundancy. The human visual system does not treat all the visual information
with equal sensitivity, leading to psychovisual redundancy. Finally, not all parameters
occur with the same probability in an image. As a result, they would not require equal
number of bits to code them (Huffman coding).
There are several different compression standards around today (CCITT recomandation H. 261).
MPEG, which stands for moving pictures experts groups, is a joint coommitte of the OSI
and IEC. It has been responsible for the MPEG-1(ISO/IEC 11172) and MPEG-2(ISO/IEC 13818)
standards in the past and is
currently developing the MPEG-4 standard. MPEG standards are generic and universal. There are
three main parts in the MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 specifications, namely, Systems, Video and Audio.
The Video part defines the syntax and semantics of the compressed video bitstream. The Audio
part defines the same for audio bitstream, while the System part specifies the combination of
one or more elementary streams of video and audio, as well as other data, into a single or multiple
streams which are suitable for storage or transmision.
The MPEG-2 standard consists of a fourth part called DSMCC, which defines a set of protocols for
the retrieval and storage of MPEG data. We shall now examine the structure of a non-scalable video
bitsream in some deatil to understand the video compression.
The video bitstream consists of video sequences. Each video sequence consists of a variable number
of group of pictures(GOP). A GOP contains a variable number of pictures(p), Figure 3.
Mathematically, each picture is really an union of the pixel values of the luminance and the
two chrominance components. The picture can also be subsampled at a lower resolution in the
chrominance domain because the human eye is less sensitive to high frequency color shifts(more rods
than cones on the retina). There are three formats:
These formats are shown in Format.fig.
- 4:4:4---the chrominance and luminance planes are subsampled at the same resolution.
- 4:2:2---the chrominance planes are subsampled at half resolution in the horizontal
- 4:2:0---the chrominance information is sub-sampled at half the rate both vertically
Pictures can be devided into three main types based on their compression schemes.
I or Intra pictures.
P or Predicted pictures.
B or Bidirectional pictures.
The frames that can be predicted from previous frames are called P-frames. But what happens if transmission
errors occur in a sequnce of P-frames?. To avoid the propagation of transmission errors and to allow
periodic resynchronization, a complete frame which does not rely on information from other frames is
transmitted approximately once every 12 frames. These stand-alone frames are "intra coded" and are called
The coding technique for I pictures falls in the category of transform coding. Each picture is divided
into 8x8 non-overlapping pixels blocks. Four of these blocks are additionally arranged into a bigger
block of size 16x16, called macroblock. The DCT is applied to each 8x8 block individually, Figure 4.
This transform converts the data into series of coefficients which represent the magnitudes of the
cosine functions at increasing freqncies. The quantization process allows the high energy, low
frequency coefficients to be coded with greater number of bits, while using fewer or zero bits for
the high freuency coefficients. Retaining only a subset of the coeffients reduces the total number
of parameters needed for representation by a substantial amount. The quantization process also helps
in allowing the encoder to output bitstreams at specified bitrate.
The DCT oefficients are coded using a combination of two special coding schemes- Run length and Huffman.
The coefficients are scaned in a zigzag pattern to create a 1-D sequence. MPEG-2 provides an alternative
scanning method. The resulting 1-D sequence usually contains a large number of zeros due to DCT and
the quantization process. Each non-zero coefficients is assosiated with a pair of pointers. First, its
position in the block which is indicated by the number of zeros between itself and the prevoius non-zero
coefficient. Second, its coefficient value. Based on these two pointers, it is given a variable length
code from a lookup table. This is done in a manner so that a highly probable combination gets a code
with fewer bits, while the unlikely ones get longer codes. However, since spatial redundandancy is
limitted, the I Pictures provide only moderate compression.
The P and B pictures are where MPEG derives its maximum compression efficiency. It is done by a
technique called motion compensation(MC) based prediction, which exploits the temporal redundancy.
Since frames are closely related, it is assumed that a current picture can be modelled as a translation
of the picture at the previous time. It is possible then to accurately "predict" the data of one frame
based on the data of a previous frame. In P pictures, each 16x16 sized macroblocks is predicted from
macroblock of previously encoded I picture. Since, frames are snapshots in time of a moving object,
the macroblocks in the two frames may not correspond to the same spatial location. The encoder searches
the previous frame(for P-frames, or the frames before and after for B-frames) in half pixel increments
for other macroblock locations that are a close match to the information that is contained in the current
macroblock. The displacements in the horizontal and vertical directions of the best match macroblocks
from the cosited macroblock are called Motion vectors, Figure 5.
If no matching macroblocks
are found in the neighboring region, the macroblock is intra coded and the DCT coefficients are encoded.
if a matching block is found in the search region the coefficients are not transmitted, but a motion vector
is used instead.
The motion vectors can also be used for motion prediction in case of corrupted data, and
sophisticated decoder algorithms can use these vectors for error concealment( refer to article1).
For B pictures, MC prediction and interpolation is performed using reference frames present on either
side of it, Figure 6.
Compared to I and P, B pictures provides the maximum compression. There are other advantages of B pictures.
B pictures themselves never used for predictions and hence do not propagate errors. MPEG-2 allows for both
frame and field based MC. Field based MC is spatially useful when the video signal includes fast motion.
- Reduction of noise due to the averaging process.
- Use of future pictures for coding.
3. Concluding Remarks
In this paper, principles for video compression using MPEG standard have been discussed. I-, P- and B-frames
and encoding techniques has been described.
The MPEG compression algorithm is a clever combination of a number of diverse tools, each of which exploit
a particular data redundancy. Spatial, Temporal, Psychovisual and coding redundancies were discussed in this
paper. The end result is that the coded video needs a far lower bandwidth compared to the original, while
maintaning extreamly good quailty. Currently, the technology is gearing up towards an exciting phase with
the advent of HDTV and DVD. Video compression is a key factor in these new technologies and MPEG has become
the most sophisticated industry standard. There many advantages in choosing MPEG. The MPEG guarantees a means
for universal interoperability. It also reduces the cost of video compression codecs by triggering a mass
production of ASICS.
ISO ----International Standardization Organization.
IEC ----International Electrotechnical Commision.
GOP ----Group Of Pictures.
DCT ----Discrete Cosine Transform.
MC ----Motion Compensation.
DVD ----Digital Video Disk.
HDTV ----High Definition TeleVision.
- ISO IS 13818-1 -ITU-T Recomandation H.222.0, Information technology - Generic coding of moving picture
and associated audio information, part 1: systems,November,1994.
- ISO IS 13818-2 -ITU-T Recomandation H.222.0, Information technology - Generic coding of moving picture
and associated audio information, part 2: systems,November,1994.
- D. Le Gall. MPEG: A video compression standard for multimedia applications. Communications
of the ACM, April 1991.
- ISO WD 13818-9 -Draft ITU-T Recomandation H.222.x, Information technology- Generic Coding
of Moving pictures and associated audio information, part9: Real time Interface specifications,
- MPEG Faqs
- Introdution to MPEG
- MPEG compression by SHAN(sab@doc)
Last modified by k-c-rajh (firstname.lastname@example.org) | <urn:uuid:bc098b28-3c17-460d-a55a-fc016662521c> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.doc.ic.ac.uk/~nd/surprise_96/journal/vol2/ck4/article2.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560284411.66/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095124-00462-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.861483 | 3,049 | 3.234375 | 3 |
Recorded as Makins, Makings, Meekin, Meekins, Meakins, Meakings, and others this is an English surname. It has two possible origins. Firstly, it may derive from May-kin, a diminutive form of the male given name Mayhew or Matthew, from the Hebrew Matityahu meaning "gift of God". As an example Maikin de Eylesburi was noted in the register of St. Bartholomew's Hospital, city of London, and dated 1213 - 1223, whilst Henry Maykin appears in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire in 1273. The second possibility is that the surname althou7gh applied to a male, derives from the Middle English word "maide, meaning a girl or young woman of marriageable age, with the addition of the diminutive suffix "kin" to imply "son of".Early examples of the surname from this source include Robert Maidekyn of Kent in 1327, and Jeva Maydekyng of Cambridgeshire in the same year. Recordings from London Church Registers include the christening of Robart, son of Samuel Meekins, at St. Botolph, Bishopsgate, on March 27th 1590, and the christening of William John Meekings, at St. Mary, Whitechapel, in March 1777. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of John Mekyns, which was dated August 24th 1549, christened at St. Michael's, Cornhill, London, during the reign of King Edward V1, known as "The Boy King", 1547 - 1553. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.
© Copyright: Name Origin Research 1980 - 2022 | <urn:uuid:59148efe-a73b-47ad-8ec7-8ec2d42cd56b> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.surnamedb.com/Surname/Meekin | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572581.94/warc/CC-MAIN-20220816211628-20220817001628-00065.warc.gz | en | 0.954622 | 406 | 2.640625 | 3 |
£12.5 million Cold War museum opens next month
A new 7000m² museum, designed by UK based Feilden Clegg Bradley is dedicated to the memories of the Cold War. The term Cold War was first used by Bernard Baruch during a congressional debate in 1947 and drew to a close in the late 1980s following the launching of Mikhail Gorbachev's reform programs, perestroika and glasnost.
but concerns have been expressed in the UK press that it is premature to consign the Cold War to history.
The design concept originates from the idea of two opposing ideologies of the cold war era. Two triangular volumes are forced up out of the ground creating a ‘fault line’ along their adjoining edges with the metaphor continued in the twisted plane geometry of the roof. This fault line creates a strong axis running the length of the building and is articulated in the exposed steel structure of the huge wall punctuated by a central 70 metre wide opening.
The National Cold War Exhibition is due to open on 8th February.
view front aerial image
view back aerial image
view side image | <urn:uuid:70c45b48-a881-4793-92bb-cba2293fe72d> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.worldarchitecturenews.com/project/2007/806/feilden-clegg-bradley/national-cold-war-museum-in-bridgnorth.html?more=t | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560284405.58/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095124-00035-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.945327 | 230 | 2.34375 | 2 |
Amarillo has 173,627 residents. It is located in Potter county.
The average in-state tuition for full time undergraduate students in computer science schools in Amarillo during the 2009 - 2010 school year was $816.00. The average tuition was $1,680.00 for non-residents studying in Texas.
The cost, on average, for books and supplies needed for computer science schools in Amarillo is $1,292.00. There is one computer science college in Amarillo for students to choose from. Computer Science programs in Amarillo reportedly graduated 70 students in the 2008 - 2009 school year.
|Profession||Average Salary||Number Employed in City|
|Computer Software Engineers, Applications||$72,630.00||50|
|Computer Software Engineers, Systems Software||$73,880.00||60|
|Computer Support Specialists||$42,930.00||280|
|Computer Systems Analysts||$63,850.00||150|
|Network and Computer Systems Administrators||$62,270.00||270|
|Network Systems and Data Communications Analysts||$61,690.00||90| | <urn:uuid:9ade60f0-8c39-417f-b697-e8da59b3a47b> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.unixl.com/dir/computer-science/texas/amarillo/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560284352.26/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095124-00195-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.879058 | 246 | 1.539063 | 2 |
When Microsoft released the first version of Windows NT in April 1993, the company's marketing and public relations campaign heavily emphasized the NT (i.e., New Technology) in the operating system's (OS's) name. Microsoft promoted NT as a cutting-edge OS that included all the features users expected in an OS for workstations and small to midsized servers. Although NT was a new OS in 1993, with a new API (i.e., Win32) and new user and systems-management tools, the roots of NT's core architecture and implementation extend back to the mid-1970s.
And now...the rest of the story: I'll take you on a short tour of NT's lineage, which leads back to Digital and its VMS OS. Most of NT's lead developers, including VMS's chief architect, came from Digital, and their background heavily influenced NT's development. After I talk about NT's roots, I'll discuss the more-than-coincidental similarities between NT and VMS, and how Digital reacted to NT's release.
A Brief History of NT
NT's history is closely tied to that of David N. Cutler, NT's chief architect. After graduating from Michigan's Olivet College in 1965, Cutler worked for DuPont. Although computers weren't his first interest, he ran simulations on Digital machines as part of his job at DuPont. Before long, Cutler was knowledgeable about software and decided he wanted to develop OSs rather than application software. He joined Digital in 1971 and worked at Digital's famous "Mill" facility in Maynard, Massachusetts, developing OSs for the PDP-11 family. RSX-11M is the first OS in which Cutler incorporated major concepts and design principles that later surfaced in NT. RSX-11M is a PDP-11 OS Digital developed for industrial and manufacturing control.
In 1975, Digital realized that its competitors were developing 32-bit processors and that this technology would lure customers away from PDP's 16-bit architecture. Gordon Bell, a legendary figure in computer history and then vice president of engineering for Digital, drove the development of the 32-bit processor, which Digital eventually named VAX. By this time a star within Digital, Cutler was part of the initial VAX development team. Digital had charged Cutler, along with Dick Hustvedt and Peter Lipman, with designing VAX's OS, VMS. Digital's primary design goals for VAX hardware included backward compatibility with PDP-11 processors and enough flexibility that VAX could be the basis for low-end desktop workstations as well as enterprise-level servers. Digital also made VMS backward compatible with RSX-11M and designed VMS to run on different size machines. Of this development period, Digital states in its company history that it was "betting the business" on VAX and VMS. In an eerie echo of Digital's statement, Bill Gates recently claimed that Microsoft is "betting the business" on NT 5.0.
In 1977, Digital announced VAX-11/780 and VMS 1.0, making the first product shipments in 1978. As the project leader and one of VMS's main architects, Cutler continued work on successive releases of VMS, but he became restless at Digital. In 1981, Cutler threatened to leave Digital. To retain its star developer, Digital gave Cutler about 200 hardware and software engineers. Cutler moved his group to Seattle and started a development center. This elite group's goal was to design a new CPU architecture and OS that would lead Digital into the 1990s. Digital called the Cutler group's hardware project Prism, and its OS Mica.
In 1988, Digital executives cancelled Cutler's project and laid off many of its group members. Cutler decided to leave Digital, but before he could do so, Microsoft executives learned of the development and realized they had an ideal opportunity to hire Cutler. At the time Cutler left Digital, the release of VMS was version 5.0 (today's version is 7.1).
In August 1988, Bill Gates hired Cutler. One of Cutler's conditions for moving to Microsoft was that he could bring around 20 former Digital employees with him, including several Prism hardware engineers. Microsoft readily met this demandthe company knew hiring an OS architect of Cutler's stature was a coup, and few engineers had Cutler's track record. In addition, Gates felt that Microsoft's long-term future depended on the development of a new OS that would rival UNIX.
Microsoft's internal project name for the new OS was OS/2 NT, because Microsoft's intention was for the new OS to succeed OS/2 yet retain the OS/2 API as its primary interface. The success of Windows 3.0 in April 1990 altered Microsoft's thinking and its relationship with IBM. Six weeks after Microsoft released Windows 3.0, Microsoft renamed OS/2 NT as Windows NT, and designated the Win32 API (a 32-bit evolution of Windows 3.0's 16-bit API) NT's official API. Gates decided that compatibility with the 16-bit Windows API and the ability to run Windows 3.x applications unmodified were NT's paramount goals, in addition to support for portions of the DOS, OS/2, and POSIX APIs. From 1990 to NT's public release in August 1993, Cutler's team was in a mad dash to complete NT, and the project grew to involve more than 200 engineers and testers. Figure 1 shows a timeline of the major events in the history of NT.
|TABLE 1: VMS and NT Terminology Translations|
|VMS Term||NT Translation|
|Interrupt Priority Level (IPL)||Interrupt Request Level (IRQL)|
|Asynchronous System Trap (AST)||Asynchronous Procedure Call (APC)|
|Fork Procedure||Deferred Procedure Call (DPC)|
|I/O Request Packet (IRP)||I/O Request Packet (IRP)|
|Bug Check||Bug Check|
|System Service||System Service|
|Paged Pool||Paged Pool|
|Nonpaged Pool||Nonpaged Pool|
|Look aside List||Look aside List|
NT and VMS
Most of NT's core designers had worked on and with VMS at Digital; some had worked directly with Cutler. How could these developers prevent their VMS design decisions from affecting their design and implementation of NT? Many users believe that NT's developers carried concepts from VMS to NT, but most don't know just how similar NT and VMS are at the kernel level (despite the Usenet joke that if you increment each letter in VMS you end up with WNTWindows NT).
As in UNIX and most commercial OSs, NT has two modes of execution, as Figure 2 shows. In user mode, applications execute, and OS/2, DOS, and POSIX execute and export APIs for applications to use. These components are unprivileged because NT controls them and the hardware they run on. Without NT's permission, these components cannot directly access hardware. In addition, the components and hardware cannot access each other's memory space, nor can they access the memory associated with NT's kernel. The components in user mode must call on the kernel if they want to access hardware or allocate physical or logical resources.
The kernel executes in a privileged mode: It can directly access memory and hardware. The kernel consists of several Executive subsystems, which are responsible for managing resources, including the Process Manager, the I/O Manager, the Virtual Memory Manager, the Security Reference Monitor, and a microkernel that handles scheduling and interrupts. The system dynamically loads device drivers, which are kernel components that interface NT to different peripheral devices. The hardware abstraction layer (HAL) hides the specific intricacies of an underlying CPU and motherboard from NT. NT's native API is the API that user-mode applications use to speak to the kernel. This native API is mostly undocumented, because applications are supposed to speak Win32, DOS, OS/2, POSIX, or Win16, and these respective OS environments interact with the kernel on the application's behalf.
VMS doesn't have different OS personalities, as NT does, but its kernel and Executive subsystems are clear predecessors to NT's. Digital developers wrote the VMS kernel almost entirely in VAX assembly language. To be portable across different CPU architectures, Microsoft developers wrote NT's kernel almost entirely in C. In developing NT, these designers rewrote VMS in C, cleaning up, tuning, tweaking, and adding some new functionality and capabilities as they went. This statement is in danger of trivializing their efforts; after all, the designers built a new API (i.e., Win32), a new file system (i.e., NTFS), and a new graphical interface subsystem and administrative environment while maintaining backward compatibility with DOS, OS/2, POSIX, and Win16. Nevertheless, the migration of VMS internals to NT was so thorough that within a few weeks of NT's release, Digital engineers noticed the striking similarities.
Those similarities could fill a book. In fact, you can read sections of VAX/VMS Internals and Data Structures (Digital Press) as an accurate description of NT internals simply by translating VMS terms to NT terms. Table 1 lists a few VMS terms and their NT translations. Although I won't go into detail, I will discuss some of the major similarities and differences between Windows NT 3.1 and VMS 5.0, the last version of VMS Dave Cutler and his team might have influenced. This discussion assumes you have some familiarity with OS concepts (for background information about NT's architecture, see "Windows NT Architecture, Part 1" March 1998 and "Windows NT Architecture, Part 2" April 1998).
|TABLE 2: Significant VMS and NT Similarities|
|Process scheduler implements 32 priority levels split into halves||Process scheduler implements 32 priority levels split into halves|
|Process scheduler never lowers a process' priority below the priority level the application programmed||Process scheduler never lowers a process' priority below the priority level the application programmed|
|Uses boosting to handle CPU hogging||Uses boosting to handle CPU hogging|
|Supports SMP||Supports SMP|
|Digital introduces kernel threads in VMS 7.0||NT 3.1 uses kernel threads|
|Relies heavily on memory-mapped files||Relies heavily on memory-mapped files|
|Uses demand-paged virtual memory for physical memory management||Uses demand-paged virtual memory for physical memory management|
|Uses working sets with a clock-based replacement algorithm||Uses working sets with a clock-based replacement algorithm|
|Balance Set Manager uses swapping to handle the system's memory demands||Balance Set Manager doesn't use swapping|
|Supports a layered-driver model throughout the device driver stacks||Supports a layered-driver model throughout the device driver stacks|
|Implements asynchronous packet-based I/O commands||Implements asynchronous packet-based I/O commands|
|Represents resources as objects managed by an Object Manager||Represents resources as objects managed by an Object Manager|
|Security subsystem based on objects with access control lists (ACLs)||Security subsystem based on objects with ACLs|
NT's processes are virtually the same as VMS's processes (Table 2, page 118, shows a comparison of VMS and NT processes). In NT, as in VMS, the process scheduler implements 32 priority levels. The process with the highest priority is always running, and processes with equal priority are scheduled in a round-robin pattern. The system considers the 16 high-priority levels realtime or fixed priorities, because the process scheduler doesn't manipulate priority in processes the system assigns to that range. The 16 low-priority levels (except 0, which the system reserves for the idle thread that executes when nothing else can) are dynamic because the scheduler, often with the input of device drivers, bumps priorities up in reaction to various conditions, such as when the process receives input from a device. This bumping procedure is called boosting. A defining aspect of the NT and VMS schedulers is that they never lower a process' priority below the priority level the application programmed. To handle CPU hogging, in which a process burns CPU cycles without regard to other processes in the system, the scheduler boosts the priority of starved processes that haven't executed for a defined period. Both VMS 5.0 and NT 3.1 schedulers support symmetric multiprocessing (SMP), which let them execute processes simultaneously on different CPUs in order to increase applications' performance.
A major difference between NT process management and VMS process management is that NT processes contain one or more threads of execution, and NT's scheduler gives CPU time to threads, not processes. Digital didn't introduce kernel threads into VMS until version 7.0 in 1995. This addition is one of several enhancements Digital has made to VMS since NT's release that appear to be in response to NT capabilities. In turn, Microsoft added lightweight user-mode threads support to NT 4.0 in 1996, which it copied from the VMS implementation of threads.
The memory managers in NT and VMS are also similar. Both OSs implement virtual memory address maps that the system splits between the currently executing application and the kernel. Both NT and VMS rely heavily on memory-mapped files, especially for mapping the code for executing applications and implementing copy-on-write functionality (because of VAX hardware limitations, VMS provides less efficient copy on demand funtionality). Physical memory management in NT and VMS relies on demand-paged virtual memory. VMS's memory manager assigns each process upper and lower limits (called working sets) for the amount of physical memory the system can assign them. This feature compartmentalizes applications so that an application with heavy memory demands minimally affects other processes. NT's memory manager incorporates working sets, along with many subtleties of the VMS working-set tuning algorithms.
As with the process manager, notable differences exist between NT's and VMS's memory manager. VMS's Balance Set Manager moves entire processes' memory footprints out of memory to paging files and back to memory in response to the overall memory demands of the system. Microsoft did not carry this mechanism, known as swapping, into NT's Balance Set Manager, although some of NT's Balance Set Manager's secondary responsibilities are the same as the secondary responsibilities of VMS's Balance Set Manager.
NT's I/O Manager is closely based on VMS's I/O Manager. Both OS's I/O Manager support a layered-driver model throughout the device driver stacks for different device types and implements asynchronous packet-based I/O commands, and its device drivers dynamically load and unload. Stackable and loadable drivers make NT and VMS very extensible. Either OS can divide functionality among several device drivers, with each driver implementing a different abstraction level. For example, the system can insert a fault-tolerant disk driver between a file system driver and a disk driver. This configuration lets the fault-tolerant disk driver receive a request the system sends to one logical drive (e.g., the C drive), then send the request to multiple physical drives to implement mirroring or striping. Asynchronous I/O enables applications and the kernel subsystems to initiate device requests and work while the requests are in progress, rather than wait idly for the requests to complete. NT's device driver architecture and interrupt-request priority scheme are based on VMS. Descriptions of these aspects of the I/O Manager are applicable to both OSs with little variation.
As you can see by comparing Figure 2 and Figure 3, page 117, the Executive subsystems exhibit the most significant resemblance between VMS and NT. But many minor similarities exist in which it is clear that Microsoft derived NT's capabilities from VMS. For example, both NT and VMS represent resources as objects that the system manages through an Object Manager, which implements uniform reference counting and accounting. The Object Manager regulates resource allocation and calls the Executive subsystem functions that request notification of certain object operations. VMS object management is not formalized, like it is in NT, and the VMS Object Manager is just a loose connection of functions. Microsoft extended NT's Object Manager so that it provides a uniform naming model for all kernel resources.
NT's security subsystem is based on objects with discretionary access control lists. DACLs determine which users can perform various operations on those objects. Digital added a DACL enhancement to VMS's security model in version 4.0 in 1984. Therefore, VMS's security implementation is the predecessor to NT's. Microsoft even included systems tools similar to VMS's in NT, including the Performance Monitor, which is based on MONITOR, the extensible VMS performance monitor. VMS included a utility called BACKUP long before Microsoft developed NT's backup utility.
"Why the Fastest Chip Didn't Win" (Business Week, April 28, 1997) states that when Digital engineers noticed the similarities between VMS and NT, they brought their observations to senior management. Rather than suing, Digital cut a deal with Microsoft. In the summer of 1995, Digital announced Affinity for OpenVMS, a program that required Microsoft to help train Digital NT technicians, help promote NT and Open-VMS as two pieces of a three-tiered client/server networking solution, and promise to maintain NT support for the Alpha processor. Microsoft also paid Digital between 65 million and 100 million dollars.
The Evolution of NT and VMS
Although Microsoft presents NT as a homegrown OS, NT is actually much older than its official 1993 birthdate. NT contains architectural and design influences from another company's flagship OS. Interestingly, throughout the 1990s, Digital introduced many NT features to VMS, and Microsoft has added VMS developments to NT. For example, VMS featured native clustering support in 1984, and 64-bit memory and system APIs in 1996. Microsoft did not introduce clustering support to NT until late last yearand only on a limited scaleand several years might pass before Microsoft releases 64-bit NT. Reciprocally, Microsoft released NT's first version with support for kernel-mode threads, system-wide event logging, and a configuration database called the Registry. VMS introduced kernal-mode threads in VMS 7.0 in 1995, and VMS 7.2 will include NT-style event logging and a Registry.
The saga goes on. Now that Compaq has acquired Digital, will VMS continue to evolve, or will NT seal the fate of its predecessor? One thing is certain: NT will continue to grow, leaving its origins further and further behind. | <urn:uuid:f7351662-e82f-48aa-869e-a79ec20c954d> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://windowsitpro.com/windows-client/windows-nt-and-vms-rest-story | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280483.83/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00300-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.944522 | 3,883 | 2.578125 | 3 |
The root of the ginger plant, or Zingiber officinale, has a long history in the treatment of digestive disorders. The aromatic and slightly pungent root is also a food source used extensively in Asian and Middle Eastern cooking. While ginger is an herb of choice for treating an upset stomach, it may trigger heartburn in high doses. See your doctor if heartburn persists, and do not use ginger to self-treat a medical condition.
It starts with a burning sensation behind your breastbone that may get worse if you lie down or bend over. Heartburn doesn’t affect your heart; instead, it’s a symptom of stomach acid backing up into your esophagus, the pipe that carries food from your mouth to your stomach.
Ginger’s Effect on Digestion
Ginger, used in herbal circles to reduce nausea and vomiting, acts as a digestive aid to treat minor stomach upsets by increasing bile and gastric juices, according to the “PDR for Herbal Medicines.” Gingerol and shogaol are the active components in ginger responsible for this effect. In most cases, ginger soothes the stomach and promotes digestion.
Adults may take up to 4 grams of ginger daily to ease nausea or a sour stomach. This amount represents a total of all sources of ginger, including ginger cookies and ginger ale. Ginger is available as a fresh root, which may be grated and used to season food or to make an herbal tea, in dried capsule form or as a liquid extract. At these doses, ginger is unlikely to cause heartburn.
High Doses and Heartburn
At doses higher than 4 grams per day, side effects may occur, including mild heartburn, the University of Maryland Medical Center notes. Additional side effects may include belching and stomach upset and are less likely to occur if you use ginger capsules instead of fresh ginger. If you experience heartburn, discontinue taking ginger and visit with your doctor. People with bleeding disorders and those taking blood-thinning drugs should not take ginger unless directed to do so by their doctors. Do not give ginger to children. | <urn:uuid:070cd252-4e46-4ecb-acd3-6c121649788e> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.livestrong.com/article/478715-does-ginger-cause-heartburn/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280761.39/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00098-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.915156 | 439 | 2.921875 | 3 |
From James Monroe
Albemarle June 27. 1793.
I have been favored with yours of the 4th. and shall observe the instruction respecting the fund in the hands of Mr. Pope by directing its immediate application to Mr. Barrett.
In my last I made some observations evincing the propriety and policy of our neutrality in the present European war, but as that sentiment appears to be general, I refer to it now only as a proof that it is likewise mine. It leaves me more at liberty to comment on the conduct of the Executive since, which I do the more freely as I do not know what part you have borne in it. The measure I particularly refer to is the proclamation declaring this neutrality, with the reply to the address of some merchants of Phila. and the order for the prosecution of two marines who had embarked in a privateer licensed by the French minister. I must confess I had considerd the proclamation at first as only an admonition to the people to mind their own business, and not interfere in the controversy; and in this view altho’ I could not perceive the necessity of the measure, yet I was inclined to deem it harmless. As the executive magistrate, the competent authority having not otherwise declared, the President might, if he was distrustful of his constituents, endeavor to restrain them within the limits such authority had prescribed, or rather allowed; if indeed there exists in the government, a right to inhibit the citizens of the States from taking commissions from either of the powers at war and fighting in their service. I did not suppose it was intended as a matter of right to declare what should be the conduct of these States in relation to that controversy, but the reply to the merchants and the prosecution above mentioned seem to denote the contrary, and to shew that the President meant it as such. Upon this construction I deem it both unconstitutional and impolitick.
I cannot conceive upon what principle the right is claimed. I think the position incontrovertible that if he possesses the right to say we shall be neutral, he might say we should not be. The power in both instances must be in the same hands, for if the Executive could say we should be neutral, how could the legislature, that we should war. In truth a right to declare our neutrality, as a distinct authority, cannot exist, for that is only the natural state of things, when the positive power of declaring war is not exerted; and this belongs to the legislature only. Any interference therefore with it, by the Executive, must be unconstitutional and improper.
As little can in my opinion be said in favor of its policy. Tis possible G. B. might wish to keep us neutral: if such were her disposition it became her interest to cultivate our friendship, by surrendering the posts &ca. Whilst our conduct was in suspense that anxiety would be increased; but by this precipitate declaration the point has been given up. And for what object? What do we gain by it? We committed no offence untill we should violate the laws of neutrality, and no power could compel us to say what part we would take in the controversy, by holding aloof on that head none could be dissatisfied except France in case she should claim the guarantee. Declarations of neutrality I believe generally succeed applications for them, or the contrary course. Had France applied for our aid, or had Britain that we would not aid her, then in either case, such notification would have been regular. But a declaration like ours is I suspect without precedent. It loses the merit of having not refused France, or of accomodating Britain. It gives us no claim upon either court. France indeed it outrages, for it denies her claim of guarantee, or yeilding it up, the merit of the concession. And Britain it assures of an accomodation where she may wish it, without even the trouble of asking for it.
Again, why prosecute our citizens, for taking commissions in the French service? against what law have they offended, or upon what principle are they charged? The mere acceptance of the commission cannot be deemed criminal, and the act of hostility upon the British vessel was without the jurisdiction of these States, as I presume upon the high seas—and the doctrine is well established that no offence can be committed against the laws of any society beyond the limits within which they operate: for instance that an offence, such as murder or the like, committed in France can not be punished here; and if upon the sea, the principle is the same, unless the party be a pirate, and in that case amenable to the admiralty tribunals of every country. The subsequent act of bringing the vessel into port here, does not I suppose constitute the ground for prosecution, more than if these men had carried, or aided in carrying her, to the Island of St. croix or elsewhere and returned here, for if it does the purchasers or mariners afterwards hired, to take care of her, are equally criminal. This I take to be the doctrine of the common law—Tis certainly the basis upon which seperate and independent societies are erected. Nor has it been enlarged by any act of the legislature that I know of; tho’ indeed I have not the acts with me. So far upon the idea that the French commission gives no seperate rights or1 immunities, to one of our citizens, otherwise than if he had none. But does it give none, and of which he may avail himself against the opposit power, and even against his own country? If taken can he be treated as a pirate? The laws and usages of Nations are otherwise. Can we be made answerable for his conduct? If we had hired him to France or Britain, as the Swiss in particular do, we could not be. As a volunteer then we certainly are not.
I do not absolutely deny the right of a society to restrain its members from the commission of certain enormities, beyond the limits of its own jurisdiction, under such penalties as it may impose—tho’ according to my present view of the subject, but few if any benefits can be derived from it, and some objections occur. The local tribunal will always be sufficient for his punishment if apprehended, and if he escapes, yet the power disposed may surrender him to justice. This I should think enough either for the suppression of vice, or national security. But to give our laws cognizance of offences committed in other countries, must be deemed not only sanguinary as it respects our citizens, but a derogation of the sovereignties, in which they may be. The offence for instance, by a fiction of the law must be considered as committed here. May we demand then and rescue him from their courts to be punished here, or shall he be twice punished for the same offence? Nor am I an advocate for privateering; on the contrary could wish the practice suppressed—but presume such reformation should be brought about by conventions throughout the world, and not the desultory operations of any one nation. But by taking the laws as they are, I cannot perceive wherein they have offended, or upon what principle the prosecution can be supported. In this position I think myself founded in relation to foreign authorities, for there where the doctrine of allegiance binds the subject in perpetual obedience to his sovereign, it has never been otherwise construed or applied, than to prohibit the right of expatriation and of course, the taking up arms against his native country. To fight in the service of one Prince against another was never denied I believe to any one. I suspect it was never asked unless the party were already in the service of his own. But with us, will not the rights of citizenship be construed more freely? will that of expatriation be denied? and may not the mere act of accepting a commission in a foreign service be deemed such if the party pleases? In this state there is a law to authorize it, but that law is drawn in such cautious terms, as to leave the point as it stood before, upon foreign authorities, improved by the principles of our revolution, and was intended not to abrogate any rights2 but to make sure, what had been doubted.
But admitting it to be an offence and punishable by our Laws, why prosecute these people untill formally demanded by that court, in case she had a right to demand it? Is it that we affect an extraordinary degree of refinement and political purity? The parties at war will not I apprehend ascribe it to that motive. Nations more generally shelter their citizens from punishment when due and demanded than otherwise. But to commence it ourselves, unauthorized, as I believe, and pursue it with such rigor will be ascribed to some other. If we so seriously abhorred vice, and were disposed to banish it from our country, has no other instance of enormity presented itself worthy reprehension?
I have but little hope of a fortunate issue from the negotiation in spain, for I observe that it is conducted on the part of that court by Gardoqui a subtile and malignant little wretch, highly incensed against us for defeating him on that point here, and he well knows the support he received upon that occasion from a party still high in office and all powerful in the present administration. The association of Carml. too will I fear prove a Clog on it, for tis possible he might deem a rapid success as a feather to his colleague taken from himself. And with Britain my expectation is on the same level, for our conduct to her since the adoption of the present government, as more fully shewn by this declaration of neutrality, and the acceptance of her patronage (for such I presume to be the case by our comrs. taking the rout of Niagara) to obtain our peace with the Indians, must convince them of our subservience to their views, or how extremely impotent and contemptible we are. We forced that nation to abandon those very Indians in her treaty with us, and now when opposed to them alone, divided too on their part, and strengthened on ours by alliances with several tribes, we accept, if not solicit, her aid to make our peace with those whom they had sacrific’d. Either this nation must be among the most unprincipled, or she will endeavor to compensate her allies at our expense. To expect the contrary, unless we have the fullest assurance of her perfidy, must shew the weakness of our councils. I trust that our humiliation has attained its lowest point, when we are capable of placing ourselves in a situation so degrading and shameful. But the solidity of our credit with the brokers at Amsterdam is a medicine of sufficient virtue to heal every wound that can be given to the national honor and reputation. Excuse this letter which has exceeded the bounds I had contemplated, and be assured of the sincerity with which I am your affectionate friend & servt.
RC (DLC); endorsed by TJ as received 8 July 1793 and so recorded in SJL.
1. Monroe here canceled “authorities.”
2. Preceding two words interlined. | <urn:uuid:117704a1-a36d-4e6a-a659-3ff496eb12c0> | CC-MAIN-2016-44 | http://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/01-26-02-0347 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-44/segments/1476988719286.6/warc/CC-MAIN-20161020183839-00498-ip-10-171-6-4.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.976459 | 2,283 | 1.796875 | 2 |
By Maxmilian Wechsler
WITH consumers the world over rapidly acquiring a taste for whiskies and other premium drink products, it will come as no surprise to learn that the number of counterfeiters and smugglers trying to cash in on this booming business is also on the increase – and they include persistent offenders here in Thailand.
High on their target list of fake and smuggled products is Scotch whisky, one of the UK’s most valuable exports worth 4.3 billion UK pounds in 2012, representing an astonishing 25% of all Britain’s food and export drinks. It’s little wonder that the British government and the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA), the industry’s watchdog, are seriously concerned about counterfeiting and smuggling.
Aside from Thailand, other countries pinpointed by the SWA where illicit alcoholic liquor is produced in significant quantities include China, India, Italy, the Dutch territory of Curacao in the Caribbean, and Australia.
Now the whisky industry in Scotland, which employs more than 10,000 people, is tackling the problem of forgeries and protection of its brand through a legal device known as a “geographical indication” or GI, in a number of markets, including India, Turkey, China and Thailand, according to the SWA.
GI means Scotch whisky is recognised as a product that can only be made in Scotland according to the Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009. This covers drinks that are passed off as Scotch whisky through their labeling, packaging and names.
In 2012, Thailand was Scotch whisky’s 10th largest export market by volume, with a value of 39 million UK pounds, according to SWA. The most valuable market for Scotch is the US, followed by France, Singapore, Spain, Germany, Taiwan, South Africa, South Korea, Venezuela, and Mexico.
Although Scotch whisky has been a protected GI in Thailand since 2009, the SWA is apparently not entirely satisfied with the measures taken here. Its director of legal affairs, Glen Barclay, said after meetings here with the Thai Department of Intellectual Property (DIP), the British Embassy and the EU officials: “A number of legal issues still need to be addressed: incomplete implementation of the WTO TRIPS Agreement on the protection of geographical indications; and lack of enforcement – there is confusion as to which enforcement agency is responsible for unfair competition issues; and that the quality and consistency of decisions over trade mark protection are mixed.
He noted that there is no compulsory definition of whisky here, and suggested that education and training was needed by enforcement agencies regarding intellectual property matters.
The value of Scotch exports has now increased by 87% over the last 10 years. Interestingly, exports of single malt have risen by 190% during that period, reflecting improved consumer knowledge of Scotch whisky across the globe.
Meanwhile, Australia has been branded as “one of the worst markets for the sale of fake Scotch whisky,” by lawyers acting on behalf of the SWA.
Mr Barclay has added that some Australian companies were diluting Scotch with other spirits and then trying to pass it off as whisky, while others are taking cheap whiskies and adding oak staves to try to make them taste older than they are.
In India, courts have halted the sale of several whisky brands after being accused of passing off local liquor as authentic Scotch whisky through their labelling and packaging.
The SWA said the injunction bars the two firms from including reference to “Scotch whisky” on drinks that are not genuine Scotch whisky. It also prevents the sale of their local whiskies under the trademark or trade name “Glenmon” or any name with the word “Glen” in it.
“The defendants have indirectly misled the general public by using the word ‘Glenmon’. They are directly misleading the general public by using the words ‘Scotch whisky’. Such dishonest adoption of brand names invites an order of injunction,” said the SWA.
In order to be called Scotch whisky, the beverage must be produced at a distillery in Scotland and meet various other stringent regulations.
In China, a wholesaler was sentenced to four years in prison and fined £50,000 for misusing the term “Scotch whisky.” Some of the products were labelled as Scotch whisky when actually they were Chinese spirits containing artificial flavouring.
The SWA has taken action against more than 1,000 brands and opposed the registration of some 3,000 trademarks. – C.H.
COUNTERFEITING of alcoholic drinks has been going on in Thailand for decades. Brands targeted include cognacs like Rémy Martin, Hennessy and Martel; vodka - especially Absolut and Grey Goose - and wines such as Carlo Rossi Wine and Chateau Lafite Rothschild. Even beer has been copied.
Fake whiskies include Teacher’s, Jack Daniel’s and Glenfiddich. But it is Johnnie Walker, the most widely distributed brand of blended whisky in the world that seems to attract the greatest interest from counterfeiters here.
Thailand is ranked third after the US and Brazil among 180 markets for Johnnie Walker whisky sales for the third consecutive year.
The suppression of counterfeit alcoholic beverages has traditionally been handled in Thailand by the Royal Thai Police, but recently the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) stepped in following a complaint received from the Verisec, a firm hired by Diaego Moet Hennessy (Thailand), which is responsible for Johnnie Walker products here.
Verisec specializes in brand protection, intellectual property consulting and corporate investigations.
“After our bureau received the complaint, we were given information from the company and also samples of counterfeit Johnnie Walker Red Label and Black Label bottles obtained from a retail outlet. We conducted a further investigation that lasted for about two weeks and presented the evidence we gathered to the Central Intellectual Property and International Trade Court, with a request for a search warrant, which was granted by the judge,” said Police Lieutenant Colonel Sumit Chanovit, Director of Section 1 of the DSI’s Intellectual Property Crime Bureau.
“Armed with the search warrant, a team of about 20 DSI officers led by Pol Lt Col Sumit along with several Verisec representatives raided a liquor shop and storage facility in Bang Bua Thong district of Nonthaburi province near Bangkok on May 22 this year. We found and seized 595 one-liter bottles of counterfeit Johnnie Walker, both Red and Black label. We arrested the owner, Khun Bang-on Taikam, and charged her with trademark violation.”
“Khun Bang-on was released on 100,000 baht bail. If convicted, she could face a fine of up to 400,000 baht and a jail term not exceeding four years, or both. The shop was selling both fake labels for the price of the originals,” Pol Lt Col Sumit said.
“We don’t know where the fake whiskey was produced but we strongly suspect it was in Thailand. When we asked the suspect where she got it, she said that someone came to her shop and offered it to her and she had no idea it was not genuine. We believe that she did know it was not the genuine product, however.
“In fact, the seized bottles contained genuine Johnnie Walker whisky mixed with other brands of cheap whiskey. The blend was not physically harmful to the consumer, only of much lesser quality.”
Pol Lt Col Sumit said that in the past there had been seizures of counterfeit Johnnie Walker and other fake alcoholic drinks in Thailand that contained harmful, toxic chemicals. “When you opened the bottle it smelled like gasoline. The manufacturers obviously intended to cheat the customers and didn’t care about the consequences.”
In 2003, the Food Standards Agency in the UK issued a health warning about whisky contaminated with unacceptable levels of methanol. Bottles of contaminated Johnnie Walker Black Label containing methanol were discovered by the Customs Department and police at a bottling plant in Berkshire.
Tests carried out on the counterfeit whisky “show that it has been contaminated with methanol. At the levels detected, consumers would be at risk of harmful effects including severe stomach pain and blindness.”
Johnnie Walker Scotch is now the most widely distributed brand of blended whisky in the world, selling annually about 130 million bottles worldwide.
Asked how consumers can identify genuine Johnnie Walker from counterfeit brands on store shelves, Pol Lt Col Sumit replied: “This is not easy. I compared the packaging and bottles seized by the DSI with the original product smuggled from a neighboring country, but couldn’t detect any differences on the outside. The bottles and the boxes appeared to be the same.
“The staff of Verisec possesses a special tool that will immediately identify whether the Johnnie Walker is original or counterfeit. The DSI doesn’t possess this equipment,” continued the Pol Lt Col. The device is placed on the top of the bottle; if it is original a green light will come on, and if counterfeit a red light shows, apparently due to a code introduced in the packaging process.
“There are some other ways to identify counterfeit Johnnie Walker from the original but I can’t disclose them because if published it could help the counterfeiters. But no question, the special device is the most accurate way to distinguish the real from the fake.”
Pol Lt Col Sumit stressed that to find counterfeit Johnnie Walker whisky is Thailand is not easy.
“The probability that you will be sold counterfeit Johnnie Walker is very low in Thailand. You can absolutely trust all big stores here.”
The entertainment industry is particularly prone to fake products. “We suspect that some pubs, restaurants, clubs and discotheques may offer complimentary branded whisky during various promotions which is, in fact, a counterfeit product. Most of these establishments know what they are serving is fake, but order it in order to reduce costs,” said Pol Lt Col Sumit.
“The criminals collect genuine empty bottles of popular spirits from the garbage or buy them from entertainment places,” Pol Lt Col Sumit warned.
Smuggled Johnnie Walker at Klong Toey
FINDING out whether counterfeit Johnnie Walker is for sale in places like Klong Toey market is difficult because fakes are difficult to identify, as Pol Lt Col Sumit mentioned. At stores visited by a team of reporters, Johnnie Walker on sale carried approximately the same price as the genuine article.
However, it was possible to locate smuggled Johnnie Walker Black and Red in an area accessible to authorized people only. It wasn’t difficult to find a ‘salesman’ and through him, reporters were able to by one-litre bottles of smuggled Red Label for 550 baht and Black Label for 900 baht. A large liquor store in Bangkok sells the same genuine items for 829 and 1,349 baht respectively.
The Red Label purchased was wrapped in a black plastic bag with a sticker attached to the top of the bottle that said “Duty not paid.” Our reporters were told that it was possible to buy this particular brand at any time and in large quantities. Other brands of alcohol, including wines are allegedly sold cheaply at the port as well.
The bottle was later examined by Pol Lt Col Sumit, who could identify from a “secret” mark on the bottle that it was smuggled from Malaysia.
Counterfeit Johnnie Walker is available at Klong Toey but only sold to selected merchants. Foreigners normally have very little chance of tracking down counterfeit or smuggled Johnnie Walker because the sellers don’t trust them as they could be working for the company or for the government. | <urn:uuid:f543fd7a-7f12-4320-8e56-c91633b452de> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.thebigchilli.com/feature-stories/scotch-on-the-rocks | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572021.17/warc/CC-MAIN-20220814083156-20220814113156-00067.warc.gz | en | 0.963395 | 2,453 | 1.617188 | 2 |
Moments after terrorists set off an improvised explosive device in southern Afghanistan on Aug. 4, 2010, a Marine and his dog clung to life.
“Max’s wounds were inexplicable,” Julie Schrock said about her son. “(The surgeons) had seen soldiers with far less severe wounds who have died, but he just wouldn’t quit.”
U.S. Marine Cpl. Max Donahue had already lost both of his legs and would later have his right arm amputated. In addition to wounding another member of his unit, the remotely detonated blast wounded the 23-year-old Marine’s trusted military working dog, Fenji.
“Fenji was a new dog, and this was her first deployment,” Julie told The Unknown Soldiers. “Max was her first handler, so he worked with her a lot.”
In Afghanistan, Max had developed a reputation for shielding those around him. He displayed the same trait as a young boy growing up in the Denver suburb of Lone Tree, Colo.
“He was very protective,” Max’s mother said. “For many years, I was a single mom, so he, his younger brother and I were a very tight unit.”
When al-Qaida attacked the United States on Sept. 11, 2001, Max — like so many volunteer warriors of his generation — became a “fighter” who was determined to defend his country from future attacks.
“I was driving him home from school, and he said, ‘You know, Mom, I should be signing up,’ ” Julie said. “And I said, ‘As an American woman, that makes me proud, but as a mom, it makes me scared.’ ”
A month after his 19th birthday, Max was headed for boot camp.
“His sweet soul didn’t change, but his body was definitely different,” Julie said. “He also became much more organized and clean ... when he became a Marine; he followed the code.”
When her son deployed to Iraq in 2008, Julie agonized over the possibility that Marines would one day inform her that Max wasn’t coming home alive.
“I was very fearful,” she said. “I realized that when Max joined the Marines, the whole family joined.”
One of Julie’s most treasured memories was being surprised by Max after he secretly drove to Denver after returning from Iraq.
“I walked into my office, shut the door, and there was Max,” the Marine’s mother said.
For the young Marine, it was a great source of fulfillment to become a dog handler and train dogs such as Fenji to search for IEDs that were harming coalition troops and civilians.
“He was very proud of it, and he was very good at it,” Max’s mom said. “One of his promotions was done meritoriously. ... It was expedited because of his accomplishments.”
Soon after Max and Fenji left for Afghanistan on June 4, 2010, Julie realized that the risks were even greater than his previous combat tour.
“He was out on a lot more patrols and a lot more dangerous patrols,” she said. “In Iraq, they were looking for the weapons caches and the bad guys, and in Afghanistan, they were looking for the IEDs.”
In the early hours of Aug. 4, 2010, Julie said her son informed his fellow Marines that he and his dog would be taking the lead on a dangerous mission.
“He wouldn’t have wanted anyone else to take his place,” she said.
After Fenji sniffed out four enemy IEDs, Max lay on his stomach and prepared for a possible firefight. It was then that a terrorist flipped a remote detonation switch.
Max died two days after suffering catastrophic wounds in the blast, according to his mom. Max’s wounded teammate survived, as did his loyal dog.
“Fenji had eye damage and hearing damage, but she recovered and has since been deployed,” the fallen Marine’s mom said.
As Fenji continues searching for roadside bombs, a base in Afghanistan — Camp Donahue — has been named after the dog’s fallen handler. The hero Marine’s mom, who wrote a book called “Missing Max: Finding Hope After My Marine Son’s Death,” is also carrying on in honor of Cpl. Max Donahue.
“As a Gold Star mom, one thing that’s very important to me is I do want people to remember,” Julie Schrock said about the war in Afghanistan, “it’s still going on.” | <urn:uuid:75320d64-22fa-4441-a208-dc3c9f5791a1> | CC-MAIN-2016-44 | http://www.centredaily.com/opinion/article42838620.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-44/segments/1476988721595.48/warc/CC-MAIN-20161020183841-00478-ip-10-171-6-4.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.991384 | 1,028 | 1.78125 | 2 |
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — In this Music City Milestone in Black History, Torri Yates-Orr takes us to Citizen's Bank, which is the oldest continuously operating bank owned by a minority in the entire country.
Posted at 8:52 AM, Feb 18, 2020
and last updated 2020-02-18 09:52:02-05
Copyright 2020 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. | <urn:uuid:94f98e55-d5c3-48a0-9f54-1ea2cf313147> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.newschannel5.com/news/music-city-milestone-citizens-bank | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882570871.10/warc/CC-MAIN-20220808183040-20220808213040-00275.warc.gz | en | 0.896585 | 107 | 1.914063 | 2 |
Rapid COVID tests have proven to be a complete disaster.
The FDA announced that the pharmaceutical company Celltrion USA has recalled 45,500 COVID-19 rapid tests.
The reason cited is that the tests were giving out a “high number of false positive reports.”
The Food and Drug Administration announced Wednesday that a healthcare company has recalled 45,500 COVID-19 rapid tests due to a “high number of false positive reports.”
Pharmaceutical company Celltrion USA announced on Feb. 28 it is recalling specific lots of the DiaTrust COVID-19 Ag Rapid Test due to the high number of false-positive reports, an FDA recall webpage read on Wednesday.
The FDA says that a false-positive test result can lead to a delay in “the correct diagnosis and treatment for the actual cause of a person’s illness.”
The COVID-19 rapid tests also displayed a shelf life of 18 months, but the FDA’s emergency use authorization states that the tests can only be used for 12 months.
Rapid tests are not the only thing giving out false positives.
Massachusetts was forced to lower its pandemic death count after a change in COVID reporting rules.
Nicolas Menzies, Associate Professor of Global Health at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health admitted that COVID deaths can not be identified with 100% certainty.
How many other COVID tests are giving out false positives? | <urn:uuid:61538c9d-7b31-4279-88ca-e60232087991> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | http://mastercreator.atwebpages.com/2022/03/19/45500-rapid-covid-tests-recalled-high-number-of-false-positive-reports/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572161.46/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815054743-20220815084743-00468.warc.gz | en | 0.915812 | 315 | 2.234375 | 2 |
Distance from Kiribati to Philippines
Distance from Kiribati to Philippines is 8,980 kilometers. This air travel distance is equal to 5,580 miles.
The air travel (bird fly) shortest distance between Kiribati and Philippines is 8,980 km= 5,580 miles.
If you travel with an airplane (which has average speed of 560 miles) from Kiribati to Philippines, It takes 9.96 hours to arrive.
|GPS Coordinates (DMS)||1° 52´ 15.3120'' N |
157° 21´ 45.3600'' W
Kiribati Distances to Countries
|Distance from Kiribati to Sri Lanka||13,478 km|
|Distance from Kiribati to Seychelles||16,355 km|
|Distance from Bhutan to Kiribati||12,082 km|
|GPS Coordinates||12° 52´ 46.9920'' N |
121° 46´ 26.4720'' E
Philippines Distances to Countries
|Distance from Philippines to Sudan||9,856 km|
|Distance from Andorra to Philippines||11,365 km|
|Distance from Philippines to Guadeloupe||16,754 km| | <urn:uuid:f3701ef7-99d0-411a-bbc9-d4ca6a084b6d> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.distancefromto.net/distance-from-kiribati-to-philippines | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560281151.11/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095121-00112-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.738321 | 266 | 2.171875 | 2 |
Increasingly employees are finding that expectations relating to work also now traverse their private lives, not just through the increase in mediums such as social media, but also through employees being directed by their work to get healthy.
Many employers now place great emphasis on health and wellbeing at work – an idea that in itself is generally well intentioned and has merit.
However, when it comes to a more direct order to lose weight or get healthy at work, the question is inevitably raised on where the line is between your work and personal life and can an employer reasonably tell their employee they have to be thinner or fitter for work?
As an employment lawyer, I have seen a number of these situations recently. One case involved a mine worker whose employer put him on a performance improvement plan that required him to lose 5kg a week. If he didn't lose the weight, his job was under threat. Another case involved a transport company that required its truck drivers to undergo a fitness test that involved running on a treadmill, riding a bike, doing step-ups and lifting 40kg from the floor to a shelf. If they failed the assessments, the company threatened to take their jobs away and place them in an alternative role, whilst at the same time making them go on a personal health plan that included gym sessions, diet plans and weigh-ins.
There have also been instances where workers have been suspended from work for being overweight. I have encountered bus drivers suspended because seats can't hold over 130kg and mine workers who have been told they can't work because their equipment can only take weight of up to 150kg. I know of an employee in an advertising agency that was demeaned because she was overweight and treated as though she had less to contribute than other workers.
The reality is that there is a fine line in the law. Employers are required to provide safe workplaces, and employees also need to be suitable to do the role that is required of them.
But does a truck driver need to be able to run on a treadmill, ride a bike, walk up stairs or lift forty kilos to drive a truck? The answer in all likelihood is no. A mine worker is also very likely able to operate machinery and perform duties irrespective of their weight, and arguably a bus driver does not need to be able to run up a hill in order to drive people to work in the morning. The important point to recognise is that someone's contribution to output in a workplace is not diminished simply because they are overweight or unfit.
Any employer requiring a worker to pass a fitness test or meet certain health requirements must do so only for reasons relating to that person's capacity to do the parts of their job that are essential to their role. They should not make generalisations that require all of their employees to meet the same requirements. It is not necessary to test if an employee can climb stairs or do heavy lifting if the employee does not work in a warehouse and in fact works in an office.
Employers claim that the issue of weight and health have to be managed, especially in high-risk industries. This may be the case, but it is essential that an employer genuinely consider the work that person is actually doing and what actual risks there are in their work, rather than make general assumptions about what they can and can't do or what is required of them at work.
While it is also unfair and incorrect for an employer to treat someone differently because of an assumption that being overweight or unfit means a person is lazy, unhealthy or may be likely to have future health issues, the law, other than in Victoria, does not allow for claims of discrimination on the basis of physical attributes. It does however prevent discrimination against someone on the basis of their weight if their weight is caused by an illness or disability.
A perception of what is thin and healthy varies from person to person. An employer should not be able to discriminate against an employee based on their own view of what weight or level of fitness is appropriate, or based on their own prejudice.
Sadly, the reality is that many people with weight or fitness issues already experience discrimination when it comes to finding work and being offered opportunities for advancement, often with very little protection from the law and for reasons not based in fact. Not surprisingly, this kind of discrimination can be extremely humiliating.
Prejudice against people in a society that aligns thin with health and beauty is ever increasing. And so is the control employers exercise over our conduct outside of work. We must be very careful that the prejudices and assumptions about people do not creep into the world of work in a way that allows an employer to treat someone differently, or even suspend or terminate an employee, simply because they are overweight or may be considered unfit. A person's livelihood should not be affected by assumptions about their capacity or the potential risk of injury that are not relevant to the job they are doing.
Emma Thornton is a Senior Associate in the Employment and Industrial team at Maurice Blackburn's Brisbane office. | <urn:uuid:acec0206-794e-4309-a379-b92d672e9d22> | CC-MAIN-2016-44 | http://www.canberratimes.com.au/comment/can-your-work-force-you-to-lose-weight-or-get-fitter-20140928-10mu1x.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-44/segments/1476988719416.57/warc/CC-MAIN-20161020183839-00365-ip-10-171-6-4.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.98261 | 1,010 | 1.609375 | 2 |
Calf Strain Rehabilitation
A structured rehabilitation program is important for optimum recovery from a calf strain. We outline an example of a calf strain rehab schedule below for grade 1,2 and 3 injuries. This rehabilitation programme is intended as a guide only. We recommed seeking professional advice before carrying out any form of exercise. All timelines are given as an indication only.
Grade 1 calf strain
(A minor tear with up to 10% of the muscle fibres involved)
Stage 1: Days 0 from time of injury
Rest as much as possible. Ice - this should be applied for 15 minutes every 2-3 hours. Make sure you wrap the ice in a wet towel to prevent skin burns. Compression - apply a compression bandage, calf support or elastic tubi-grip type bandage to help reduce swelling and bleeding. Elevation - put your feet up and read about treatment and rehabilitation of your injury. Elevating the leg will help swelling and blood run away from the injured muscle.
Stage 2: Days 3 since injury
If it is comfortable do Calf strain stretching exercises very gently, 3-5 times a day.
Start with active stretching and if an exercise is painful do not do it. Visit a sports massage therapist who can perform calf strain sports massage techniques. Electrotherapy such as ultrasound may also be beneficial in reducing swelling and relaxing the muscle. Continue to rest from any aggravating activities. Continue to wear a compression bandage or calf support.
Stage 3: Days 7 since injury
Continue to stretch on a daily basis. A calf stretcher is a useful piece of kit to aid the stretching the calf muscle in the later stages of rehabilitation. Continue with sports massage as necessary.
As the muscle gets stronger then massage techniques will become deeper and the time between treatments longer. Begin calf strain strengthening exercises.
Resistance bands can be used initially, followed by calf raises and then eventually single leg calf raises. Remember not to do any exercises if they are painful. Once you can acheive 3 sets of 20 single leg calf raises, pain-free gradually incorporate running into the rehab program. Eventually plyometrics or hopping exercises should be done to return to full match fitness and prevent the injury recurring.
Grade 2 injury
(A more severe tear involving up to 90% of the muscle fibres)
Stage 1: Days 0
Rest as much as possible - use crutches if necessary. Ice - this should be applied for 15 minutes every 2-3 hours. Make sure you wrap the ice in a wet towel to prevent skin burns. Compression - apply a compression bandage or tubi-grip bandage to help reduce swelling and bleeding.
Elevation - put you feet up and read about treatment and rehabilitation of your injury. Elevating the leg will help swelling and blood run away from the injured muscle. Once it is comfortable to do so, perform some active stretches - pull your toes towards you, hold for 2-3 seconds and then relax and repeat 10-20 times. If you are walking, try using heel pads to temporarily shorten the calf muscles and take the strain off them.
Stage 2: Days 7
Continue to wear the compression bandage. Continue to rest from any aggravating activities.
If it is comfortable to do so try to gently stretch both calf muscles 3-5 times a day. Instead of icing, try alternating hot and cold for 5 minutes each, for 20-30 minutes 3 times a day. Visit a sports injury professional for a sports massage. Electrotherapy may also be beneficial.
Stage 3: Days 14
Start to gently strengthen the calf muscles if it is comfortable to do so. Start with resistance band plantarflexion and progress to calf raises and then single leg calf raises. Continue to stretch regularly. Continue with sports massage if necessary. Gradually incorporate some running into your program once you can acheive 3 sets of 20 single leg calf raises, pain-free!
Grade 3 injury
(Usually a very severe strain or complete rupture of the muscle)
Stop playing and rest immediately. If you are concerned that the muscle may be ruptured, go straight to a Doctor or Hospital. If the muscle is ruptured or there is considerable damage the usual treatment involves an operation to repair the muscle. If the muscle is not completely torn, follow a grade 2 program. | <urn:uuid:a4dfa067-0f49-477a-8453-806b3df38839> | CC-MAIN-2016-44 | http://www.sportsinjuryclinic.net/sport-injuries/ankle-achilles-shin-pain/calf-strain/calf-strain-rehabilitation | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-44/segments/1476988720000.45/warc/CC-MAIN-20161020183840-00025-ip-10-171-6-4.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.91456 | 891 | 2.25 | 2 |
It’s not hard to find critics of the Assad government in the Governorate (Muhafazat) of Homs or for that matter, to varying degrees in Syria’s other thirteen Governorates according to Syrian analysts interviewed by this observer and reports from human rights groups including lawyers representing dissidents in Syria. However, after nearly 27 months of turmoil, the public opinion pendulum is markedly shifting back in support of the current regime.
One international political result was registered at the United Nations this past week when a US-Qatari-Saudi drafted General Assembly Resolution that was designed to increase pressure on the Assad government stumbled badly and fell far short of what the Saudi Ambassador to the UN and other US allies predicted would be an overwhelming vote in favor.
Effect of shift in popular opinion in Syria
Over the past four or five months it has become increasingly clear that public opinion in Syria is shifting for reasons that include, but are not limited to the following:
While inflation at the grocery stores in probably the most common complaint heard from a cross-section of society here, the population is adapting somewhat to higher prices and it appears to credit the government for efforts, some successful, to soften the impact of the illegal US-led sanctions that target this same Syrian population for purely political reasons to achieve regime change.
While Syrians demand dignity and freedom from oppressive security forces and an end to corruption, as all people do in this region and beyond, they are witnessing a return to near normalcy with respect to supplies of electricity, benzene, mazout fuel oil, bus schedules, schools, and a host of public services such as garbage collection, street sweeping, park maintenance, and sympathetic traffic cops who are rather understanding of short-cuts taken by drivers and pedestrians due to “the situation”.
In addition, public service announcement and even text messages demonstrate that the government is aware of the degree of suffering among the population, accept partial blame, and are focusing on remedial measure and crucially, ending the crisis with its horrific bloodshed. One observes here a definite trend of the pulling together of a high percentage of Syrians who share a very unique history and culture and who are deeply connected to their country and who are increasingly repelled by the continuing killing from all sides including the recent barbarisms of body mutilations and summary executions videotaped and broadcast on utube by jihadist elements. The latter who these days come from nearly three dozen countries, paid for and indoctrinated by enemies of Syria’s Arab nationalism and deep rooted pillar of resistance to the occupation of Palestine.
In addition, many among Syria’s 23 million citizens, who initially supported the uprising following government reaction to event in Deraa in March 2011, now have serious second thoughts about who exactly would replace the current government. Events in Syria are also making plain that the army is still loyal to the Assad government, and according to Jane’s Defense Weekly, is actually gaining experience and strength as well as the well-known fact that as western diplomats are admitting, the “opposition militias” are hopelessly fractured, turning one another, many essential mafia outfits, and beginning to resemble their fellow jihadists from Libya, Chechnya and in between.
Opinion in Damascus and surrounding areas visited this past week, confirms this observers experience the past five months of a sharp and fairly rapid shift in opinion that now strongly favors letting the Syrian people themselves decide, without outside interference, whether the Assad regime will stay, and indeed, whether, the Baathist party will continue to represent majority opinion, not through wanton violence but rather via next June’s election. Many express confidence in the run up to this critical vote, noting that the election will be closely monitored by the international community to assure fairness.
Perhaps aided by the current glorious May weather, a certain optimism, that was more scarce in the past, pervades many neighborhoods.
For different reasons, foreign powers, including the USA, Turkey, European Union, the UK Jordan and even the majority population of the six Gulf Cooperation Council family run countries, according to Pew Research, are shifting their earlier positions which were based in part of the US administration, NATO, and Israeli assurances that the Assad government would surely fall quickly, “A matter of days, not weeks” US President Obama promised. That was two years ago.
As noted above, this trend has accelerated since the UN General Assembly vote with last weeks which did not go as planned on the biased and politicized non-binding draft resolution on Syria.
The public reaction in Syria and across the Middle East is substantially that the “Friends of Syria” non-binding GA resolution contradicts the reality on the ground, backs terrorism in Syria and hinders the international efforts to help achieve a political solution to the crisis in this country. Only 107 states voted in favor of the resolution, 12 against while 59 countries, mostly from Africa and Latin America, abstained from voting.
One reason the vote fell short of the 130 favorable votes that the basically same resolution garnered the past two times is that it is widely viewed as ignoring the crimes and atrocities committed by the armed jihadist groups in Syria and the flow of thousands of international terrorists backed by the West, the Gulf states and Turkey who provide them with weapons and money. According to the Russian delegate, backed by several other speakers, “the resolutions ignores all the terrorists’ heinous crimes and denounces what it called the escalation of the attacks by the Syrian government”. Afterward one Latin American Permanent Representative told Inner City Press that the count would have been below 100 if not for some “last minute arm-twisting.” As it turned out, 15 countries didn’t vote at all, opting to “get coffee,” as one African Permanent Representative put it before the vote.
Syria’s Ambassador al-Jaafari exposes a hoax in the Gulf
Syria’s permanent Envoy to the UN Bashar al-Jaafari said his country regretted the adoption of a biased and unbalanced UN resolution, thanking the countries that rejected the resolution “for their responsible positions which support the UN principles and the international law articles”. He noted that the decrease in the number of countries that voted in favor and the increase of numbers of those who abstained from voting indicates the growing international understanding of the reality of what is happening in Syria due to the foreign interference, support of terrorism, the spread of extremism and incitement besides the refusal of dialogue.
“We rely on the UN and its member states to support Syria and its people against the culture of extremism and terrorism, and to encourage the comprehensive national dialogue to peacefully resolve the Syrian crisis.” he said. In a statement released after the vote on the UN draft resolution on Syria, al-Jaafari He said that the French delegation had foiled the issuance of a number of UN press releases to condemn the terrorist acts committed by al-Qaeda-linked armed groups in Syria which claimed the lives of thousands of Syrians as it foiled a UN release to condemn the attempt of assassination of the Syrian Premier.
After Qatar’s ambassador spoke in favor of the resolution his country drafted (and re-drafted several time), Ja’afari revealed that there existed an e-mail, from the representative of the Syrian opposition given to Syria’s embassy in Qatar, showing Qatar’s involvement in the kidnapping of UN peacekeepers by the Yarmouk Martyrs Brigade. He read out a phone number from the e-mail as several Gulf diplomats grimaced or scowled, and three left the Chamber.
Visibly stunned, the UK Permanent Representative Lyall Grant called the whole matter “deeply confusing”. Another Permanent Representative, from a militia contributing country, said that if true, it’s “very problematic.” The reasons include the fact that UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon had just thanked Qatar for its roles in the release of the UN Peacekeepers the earlier kidnapping of whom the Qatari government may have planned, paid for and executed.
Meanwhile, Ban Ki-moon’s spokesperson Martin Nesirky said he would not disclose any more about the “negotiations to free the peacekeepers or who was behind the crime.”
Score a major diplomatic victory for Syria’s UN Ambassador as public opinion shifts in favor of the Assad government and pressure as well as certain optimism builds in the run-up to the Geneva II conference being organized by the White House and the Kremlin.
Franklin Lamb is doing research in Syria and Lebanon and can be reached c/o firstname.lastname@example.org | <urn:uuid:0cbe68fd-be39-481b-b18d-42f9440580bb> | CC-MAIN-2016-44 | http://www.counterpunch.org/2013/05/17/un-general-assembly-vote-reflects-shift-in-syrian-public-opinion/print | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-44/segments/1476988720153.61/warc/CC-MAIN-20161020183840-00323-ip-10-171-6-4.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960197 | 1,771 | 1.78125 | 2 |
The Venezuelan government has called the first steps toward refinancing its foreign debt a resounding success after it released a public statement confirming that the process of refinancing the country's external debt is aimed at complying with its foreign obligations.
The document also stated that "despite the attempts made by the Office of Foreign Assets Control, an entity linked to the U.S. Department of the Treasury, to prevent this," with measures aimed at attacking the Venezuelan economy and hindering the country's foreign economic commitments, the government intends to fulfill its obligations “regardless of the difficulties we face and malicious intentions of blockades."
This success did not prevent Standard & Poor from downgrading Venezuela's debt status Tuesday to SD, or selective default, penalizing the country for what it said was late payment, but at the same time, the ratings agency conceded that overall, Venezuela is still committed to honoring its international debts.
The first meeting between Venezuelan authorities and foreign debt holders on Monday was attended by 414 investors, including U.S., European and British banks.
Venezuela's Vice President Tareck El Aissami presided over the meeting, which was held in the capital Caracas. It included representatives of financial institutions holding Venezuela's debt. El Aissami detailed the blockade and financial siege imposed on the country by the United States and the European Union.
President Nicolas Maduro announced on Sunday that the government had reached an agreement to refinance and restructure the Venezuelan debt with Russia. "We have reached an agreement with Russia, this week we will be signing an agreement where refinancing is established," adding, “We have complied with all our international commitments." | <urn:uuid:92a2ff64-fde6-4f73-a09e-5e92fd2e75f8> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.telesurenglish.net/news/Venezuela-Considers-Initial-Debt-Refinancing-a-Great-Success-20171114-0018.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572581.94/warc/CC-MAIN-20220816211628-20220817001628-00072.warc.gz | en | 0.960104 | 335 | 1.554688 | 2 |
RoboPad is an application that makes controlling your PrintBots via an Android device easy and fun. Using the bluetooth module of “Mi Primer Kit de Robótica” or the ZUM BT-328 board with bluetooth integrated, you can operate your PrintBot remotely via your mobile or tablet.
Follow these simple steps for using RoboPad++:
1. Download the RoboPad++ application for your mobile or tablet from Google Play by clicking on the image:
2. Load the corresponding program on your robot by connecting the brain board to your computer via USB: press this button to download the programs. Remember the program corresponding to the board that you have and the type of PrintBot (Renacuajo, Beetle or Evolution).
The file includes a version in .ino format so that it can be opened via the Arduino IDE, and another version that can be opened using bitbloq. If you don´t know how to use bitbloq or how to load a program on your board, follow the first steps with your PrintBot guide.
If you are using the PrintBot Beetle, make sure you calibrate the pincers before using RoboPad. Press here to see how to calibrate it.
3. Open the application and the select the robot that you will be using:
When you press on an icon, it will show you how to connect all the vitamins (a special term used to refer the non-printed components):
4. Connect everything up, connect the bluetooth and… it´s play time!
NB: If you are launching the bluetooth module for the first time, try using password 1234.
You can easily adjust the position of the movements by pressing them or by dropping them into the bin to the delete. You can delete the entire sequence of movements or save it for later.
EXTRA! EXTRA! New PrintBot on RoboPad!
You can now control the new PrintBot Evolution remotely, which includes the new “obstacle-dodging” feature with sounds and entertaining movements. To enable it to detect obstacles, simply press on the third orange button at the bottom of the RoboPad screen. | <urn:uuid:c22a4f58-93fc-4c6c-9cf5-5fc96e4fbe2a> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | http://diwo.bq.com/en/robopad-3/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571950.76/warc/CC-MAIN-20220813111851-20220813141851-00665.warc.gz | en | 0.855887 | 461 | 1.929688 | 2 |
Onsite / Technical SEO
At PBJ we have many special digital marketing skills, but SEO has always been at the core.
It’s a process that takes time, effort and a whole lot of knowledge.
Have a project for us?
What is onsite SEO and why is it important?
Onsite SEO is the process of making your website search engine friendly. In simple words this means adjusting certain elements on your website so that search engines are able to crawl and understand the content and structure of your website.
Working and fixing potential problems related to on-page SEO is the 1st step you should take when optimizing your website for search engines and in particular Google. Simple changes such as your page titles and descriptions, internal links, accessibility and content can greatly improve your SEO rankings, and implementing them into your onsite SEO isn’t difficult considering the benefits it can bring.
To fully benefit from onsite SEO, it should be applied throughout your website and not solely focused on the homepage. Each and every page you have should have effective and well-thought out keywords, titles and URLs.
The content should be readable, grammatically correct, and internally link to other pages on your site. Content management can help improve your rankings, better your brand, and make your company more reputable and trustworthy. If you do not provide anything of substance on your website, then Google will not only recognise your site as “spammy,” but your customers will too.
Onsite & Technical SEO Tactics:
- SEO Keyword Research - Extensive research of your industry and recommendations on which keywords and phrases will… Learn More
- Technical SEO Audit - We perform a technical SEO audit of your website and will look at… Learn More
- Onsite SEO Implementation - We can work with your website team to install all our SEO recommendations… Learn More | <urn:uuid:aeb916f6-64dc-4467-8d33-e377db0ebc92> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://pbjmarketing.com/services/onsite-seo/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882570868.47/warc/CC-MAIN-20220808152744-20220808182744-00070.warc.gz | en | 0.918652 | 383 | 1.679688 | 2 |
Periodically, readers will need to access files off old computers that they have kept stashed away for years (I still have my PowerBook 150, and will probably never get rid of it). If you are one of these people and have protected your old Mac with OS 9's password protection, there may be a chance you have forgotten your log-in password and cannot access your system. As with OS X, in order to get around the password protection in OS 9 you will need a boot CD, in this case preferably one that's loads the classic Mac OS.
To reset your OS 9 password, insert your classic OS installation CD and restart the computer while holding down the "C" key. The system will launch and display the hard drive on the desktop as usual. Open the drive and go to the "System Folder," followed by the "Preferences" folder. From there, remove the preferences pertaining to keychain access and any keychains. After this, restart the system and it should not require a password to log in anymore.
While you can do this from the Terminal using an OS X DVD, this will only work on computers that support OS X and have DVD players. Additionally, it is much easier to use the classic Finder to navigate the file system and remove these files.
Another option is to just reinstall Mac OS 9, which will require you to first rename the current system folder to something like " Old System Folder" and then use the OS 9 installer to put a fresh system on the computer. After doing this you should be able to boot into the system and retrieve files, and also drag items from your old system folder to the new one, if needed.
If you do not need your old Mac, and are just interested in retrieving files, there are several ways to get files off the computer. The first is to get OS 9 to run and then burn files to CD if you have a burner, or also network your OS 9 computer and grab files that way. Optionally, if your old Mac has either FireWire or USB capability, you can try mounting an external hard drive when booted off the installer disk and copy files from the Mac's drive to the external one.
The other way is to use Target Disk mode (for computers with built-in FireWire) to mount your old Mac's hard drive on your new computer and copy files over (keep in mind that since this makes the drive fully accessible, this option can be used as an alternative to booting off the classic CD to remove the keychain preference files in OS 9). To do this, boot the computer while holding the "T" key down until the FireWire symbol displays on the screen, and then connect the computer to another one with a FireWire cable.
Lastly, you can place your old hard drive in an external ATA enclosure (some options available here) and attach it to your computer via USB or FireWire. This may be the only option for computers that do not support FireWire and that do not have a functional CD burner or networking capability. | <urn:uuid:b39a71fd-deeb-4df6-97d4-6dd56d6e749f> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | https://www.cnet.com/news/bypassing-the-os-9-log-in-password/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280763.38/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00522-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.918613 | 622 | 1.710938 | 2 |
Social protection, including child benefits, social pensions and other forms of cash transfers, is recognised as a key strategy to reduce poverty and reach many other of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). As for which types of interventions are most effective, however, views differ.
Many people believe that ‘targeting the poor’ is the best means of ‘reaching the poor.’ The argument for this is often that efficient targeting, rather than broad or universal programmes, will maximise the impacts of limited development finance. Intuitively, this aligns well with the 2030 Agenda commitment to leave no one behind. But the research report Hit and miss: An assessment of targeting effectiveness in social protection, which examines over 30 social protection programmes in low- and middle-income countries, suggests otherwise.
The report shows that programmes targeted at those living in poverty exclude the majority of the intended recipients, while universal schemes are much more effective in reaching the poorest. Universal programmes are also more popular, which means that they are more likely to continue to be allocated adequate resources by governments than poverty-targeted schemes.
Stephen Kidd, one of the authors of the report, will present the policy context and results of the report, followed by a discussion with Sara Heikkinen Breitholz, Member of Parliament and of the Foreign Affairs Committee (Social Democratic Party), and Kenneth Nelson, Professor of Sociology at the Swedish Institute for Social Research, Stockholm University.
The seminar is organised by Act Church of Sweden and FUF, and will be moderated by Karin Klerby, FUF Board Member. Most welcome!
Dr Stephen Kidd is a Senior Social Protection Specialist at Development Pathways. He has engaged on social protection in over 30 countries across Africa, Asia, the Pacific and Latin America. His experience ranges from advisory support to national governments – including on policy development – designing social protection programmes, research on a wide range of topics, and training. He previously worked for DFID, including leading its Social Protection and Equity and Rights policy teams, was Director of Policy and Communications at HelpAge International and a lecturer in social anthropology at the University of Edinburgh.
Please note that the venue is located half a floor below street level with no elevator. The seminar is held in English. | <urn:uuid:a829dc40-8abf-499a-b6ab-367c18da83c8> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://fuf.se/targeting-the-poorest-missing-the-mark/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573399.40/warc/CC-MAIN-20220818185216-20220818215216-00072.warc.gz | en | 0.95116 | 460 | 2.46875 | 2 |
- Research article
- Open Access
Temporal dynamics in total excess mortality and COVID-19 deaths in Italian cities
BMC Public Health volume 20, Article number: 1238 (2020)
Standardized mortality surveillance data, capable of detecting variations in total mortality at population level and not only among the infected, provide an unbiased insight into the impact of epidemics, like COVID-19 (Coronavirus disease). We analysed the temporal trend in total excess mortality and deaths among positive cases of SARS-CoV-2 by geographical area (north and centre-south), age and sex, taking into account the deficit in mortality in previous months.
Data from the Italian rapid mortality surveillance system was used to quantify excess deaths during the epidemic, to estimate the mortality deficit during the previous months and to compare total excess mortality with deaths among positive cases of SARS-CoV-2. Data were stratified by geographical area (north vs centre and south), age and sex.
COVID-19 had a greater impact in northern Italian cities among subjects aged 75–84 and 85+ years. COVID-19 deaths accounted for half of total excess mortality in both areas, with differences by age: almost all excess deaths were from COVID-19 among adults, while among the elderly only one third of the excess was coded as COVID-19. When taking into account the mortality deficit in the pre-pandemic period, different trends were observed by area: all excess mortality during COVID-19 was explained by deficit mortality in the centre and south, while only a 16% overlap was estimated in northern cities, with quotas decreasing by age, from 67% in the 15–64 years old to 1% only among subjects 85+ years old.
An underestimation of COVID-19 deaths is particularly evident among the elderly. When quantifying the burden in mortality related to COVID-19, it is important to consider seasonal dynamics in mortality. Surveillance data provide an impartial indicator for monitoring the following phases of the epidemic, and may help in the evaluation of mitigation measures adopted.
The first COVID-19 cases in China were reported in December 2019, spreading quickly first to neighbouring countries like Japan and South Korea and, then across Europe, including Italy. On the 13th of July, the WHO declared the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic currently affecting 210 countries and a death toll of almost 600,000 deaths and around 13 million cases . A recent estimate suggested the burden can reach 1.0 to 2.4 billion people with severe COVID-19 cases, among those more vulnerable due to underlying clinical conditions .
The COVID-19 epidemic has been unique from several points of view in Italy , starting well before other European countries, with over 200,000 cases reported and one of the highest fatality rates worldwide (from 0·3% in the 30–39 age group to 20·2% in the 80+ age group) and with males at greater risk [4, 5]. From the first stages of the epidemic, the burden on hospitals and intensive care units was significant [6,7,8]. Moreover, the epidemic had a heterogeneous geographical distribution, with northern Italy being hit hardest with 90% of the COVID-19 death toll .
Standardized mortality data from rapid surveillance systems, capable of detecting variations in total mortality at population level and not only among the infected, can provide an unbiased and independent insight into the impact of epidemics like COVID-19 [10,11,12]. At the European level, the EuroMOMO surveillance network which includes 24 countries (including Italy) and is part of ECDC surveillance, estimated an overall excess from week 1 to 18 of 2020 of 185,287 deaths thus higher than the official COVID-19 estimates .
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak, data from the Italian rapid mortality surveillance system (SiSMG), has been used to estimate the impact on mortality in near-real time in terms of excess deaths, and results have been published in weekly reports and publications [14, 15]. To date, a comparison of total mortality and COVID-19 deaths has not been carried out in Italy and can help quantify the overall burden and evaluate the direct and indirect effects of the epidemic.
SiSMG reports have shown a greater excess in mortality among the elderly (+ 49% in 15–64 age group to + 103% in the 85+ in northern cities) and among males as shown in previous studies on COVID-19 deaths in Italy. Recent patient cohort studies confirm a higher infection and mortality risk among males and in the elderly [16, 17].
When quantifying the overall burden, the seasonal dynamics in mortality and the role of concurrent risk factors that influence mortality trends, especially among the pool of frail elderly with a compromised health conditions and short life span [10, 18] that are at greater risk, need to be considered. Specifically, the potential role of below-average mortality in months prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, possibly associated to the moderate influenza intensity and above average winter temperatures, need to be accounted for when estimating excess mortality.
The paper aims to analyse the temporal trend in total excess mortality and COVID-19 deaths defined as deaths among subjects with microbiologically confirmed SARS-CoV-2 reported to the Italian National Surveillance system . Furthermore, the study estimates the burden of total mortality taking into account the potential role of the mortality deficit in months prior the outbreak, by geographical area (north and centre and south), age and sex.
SiSMG mortality data
Since 2004, an ad-hoc rapid mortality surveillance system (SiSMG) for the real-time monitoring of daily deaths has been operational in major Italian cities and allows for the routinely evaluation of the health impact of extreme weather events and influenza epidemics [10, 20]. SISMG data was provided by DEPLAZIO who manages the system on behalf of the Ministry of Health [14, 21]. Individual records include: date of birth and death, sex, place of death (in-hospital, out-of-hospital), and municipalities of birth, residency and death. SiSMG data includes deaths occurring among residents dying in the municipality of residency. The study period was comprised between 1/12/2020 and 20/04/2020.
COVID-19 deaths data
Data on COVID-19 deaths was provided by the Italian National Health Institute (ISS) that coordinates the Italian National Integrated COVID-19 Surveillance System that collects laboratory RT-PCR confirmed cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection in Italy through an online secure database . A COVID-19 related death is defined as any death with a laboratory confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection, regardless of pre-existing disease. Each record also reports information on the municipality of residence, region of death, sex, and age. Data is published in near real-time and epidemiological reports are provided weekly. Data was available for the same period as SiSMG data.
The 31 Italian cities included in SiSMG, corresponding to 53.8% (10,593,915 residents) of urbanized Italian areas, were grouped in into two geographical areas: north (12 cities) and centre and south (19 cities). The two areas had extremely different patterns of COVID-19 onset times, absolute numbers of cases, velocity of infection spread and mortality toll, therefore were analysed separately. Daily baseline mortality was computed as the average number of deaths registered in the same week and weekday of the previous five years for each area, age group and sex. Excess daily mortality was calculated as the difference between observed and baseline mortality counts. We then split the time-series into a pre-COVID and a COVID period starting from the date in which consecutive COVID-19 deaths were recorded (north: 29th of February, centre and south: 11th of March). For the COVID period, we calculated total excess mortality and compared it to the number of COVID-19 deaths. Residual deaths were derived by difference.
Deficit mortality in the pre-COVID period was quantified to have a measure of the potential mortality displacement in the pool of susceptible individuals which were then exposed to the virus. Finally, we computed the ratio between the deficit mortality in the pre-COVID period and the total excess in the COVID period as an estimate of the mortality displacement phenomenon.
All analyses were conducted using R statistical software (version 3.6.0) .
Figure 2 shows a consistent deficit in mortality in the pre-COVID period (green area) in both geographical areas. In northern cities total mortality increased abruptly from the beginning of March, reaching a peak at the end of the month, mirrored by the trend in COVID-19 deaths but not in absolute numbers. The plot on the right shows the temporal trend in the proportion of excess deaths not reported as COVID-19 deaths. At the beginning, when total numbers were low, the residual component was limited, while it reached its maximum in correspondence to the peak of the epidemic and greatest excess in mortality. In central and southern Italy, total excess mortality due to COVID-19 started later on and was more contained, and the gap between total excess mortality and COVID-19 deaths was limited with no clear trend.
Total excess mortality and COVID-19 deaths by age and sex, for the two periods, are shown in Fig. 3 and Table 1. In the north of Italy, excess mortality in the COVID-19 period (red bars) was greater than COVID-19 mortality (yellow bars): out of a total of 5028 excess deaths, only 52% were coded as COVID-19. The excess was only marginally explained by the deficit in mortality in the pre-epidemic period (green bars, Fig. 3). The harvesting fraction, quantified as the portion of the excess needed to fill the gap in mortality occurred during the pre-COVID period, was, of 16% overall (Table 1).
Results by age showed very diverse patterns, with COVID-19 deaths explaining almost all the excess among the youngest groups and only a minor portion among the very old (aged 85+ years). Conversely, the proportion of excess explained by the mortality deficit in the pre-COVID period rapidly declined from 67% in the youngest to 1% to the oldest age group. Results by sex showed a negligible displacement in both men and women (16% of the total excess mortality), with a higher fraction of excess explained by COVID-19 deaths among males (63%).
In central and southern cities, deficit mortality in the pre-COVID period was greater, and excess mortality during the epidemic was more contained (Fig. 3). Overall, COVID-19 deaths accounted for 62% of the total excess mortality, with similar differences by age group as in northern cities. The mortality deficit in the pre-COVID period was greater than the excess mortality registered during the outbreak among those aged below 85 years and among females, resulting in proportions of potential displacement greater than 100% in these subgroups (Table 1).
Our study provides a useful insight on the impact of COVID-19 in Italy both in terms of total excess mortality and the proportion of COVID-19 deaths. Standardized total mortality surveillance data and laboratory confirmed COVID-19 cases are important tools for public health, not only for monitoring the impact but also for a more efficient response of health services towards those most at risk. Moreover, total mortality data paralleled by COVID-19 laboratory confirmed deaths can provide a more detailed picture of infection severity on a population, and the possible indirect effects (e.g. due to containment measures). Results confirm that cities in the North of Italy had the greatest mortality burden and only half of the excess deaths were reported as COVID-19 deaths. Moreover, a consistent difference by age group was observed: in the youngest groups (15–64 and 65–74 years) COVID-19 deaths account for all the excess, whereas among subjects aged 85+ years only 37% of excess deaths were reported as COVID-19 deaths. It should be noted that in the younger age groups the excess is mostly among subjects aged 50 years or more, as reported in other studies [4, 5].
The mismatch between excess mortality and COVID-19 reported deaths may be attributed to differential testing strategies and to hospital and health system overload especially during the epidemic peak as documented in previous studies both from Italy and other countries [12, 25]. Different aspects need to be taken into account when interpreting the difference in the portion of the excess explained by COVID-19 deaths by age group. In fact, at the beginning of the epidemic, the test was recommended for patients with more severe clinical symptoms related to COVID-19 and required hospitalization, while it was uncommon among subject with mild symptoms, or symptoms not directly attributable to COVID-19. This could be the case for the elderly population due to the difficulties of recognizing COVID-19-like symptoms or even to a non-regulated discrimination in favour of the youngest for the limited testing offer. Furthermore, among those residing in nursing homes, testing was possibly carried out with some delay when the epidemic had already spread in the closed setting of high-risk patients. In the province of Bergamo in the Lombardy region, more than 600 elderly residing in nursing homes died between the 7th and the 27th of March, 2020 .
In this study, age and sex were confirmed as risk factors for COVID-related mortality. The elderly (aged 65+ years) and males show a higher mortality, confirming previous findings [5, 16, 27,28,29]. A possible explanation of the excess in mortality in the oldest age group can be due to multiple comorbidities which rapidly deteriorate with virus infection and cannot be distinguished from COVID-19 clinical signs. Moreover, the excess in males could be related to a greater susceptibility to viruses related to male hormones [17, 28]. In our study, the overlap between total and COVID-19 related mortality was greater among males, suggesting a more severe clinical progression requiring hospitalization, as suggested by the pro-inflammatory pathway activated in old men by the reduced testosterone levels [16, 28].
In parallel, the COVID-19 epidemic produced an unprecedented mobilization of the health system to respond to this emergency, thus reducing elective treatments in all settings. While on the other hand, the use of emergency services saw a dramatic decline during the COVID-19 outbreak, suggesting a collective fear of being infected within a hospital setting. A study conducted in the Lazio region, Italy showed a drop in emergency room visits during the COVID-19 epidemic, with a 50% reduction in acute coronary syndrome and acute cerebrovascular disease with a possible impact on mortality . Similarly, a US study showed a reduction in emergency room visits during the containment period suggesting that underlying determinants are not affected by population characteristics . Interestingly, the study also found a larger reduction in myocardial infarction among males and in the 65–74 age group, providing another potential explanation of the observed heterogeneity in the proportion of COVID-19 deaths by age and gender . An increase in out-of-hospital cardiac arrests was also reported in the Lombardy Region during COVID-19 outbreak . Other studies suggest a reduction in cancer screening rates during lockdown periods in some countries . Maintaining continuity of essential services and empowerment of citizens is essential to protect the population especially elderly, with chronic diseases.
Furthermore, our study provides estimates of total excess mortality taking into account mortality deficits in previous months. Below average mortality was observed mostly in the 75–84 age group in previous months and was greater in central and southern cities. It is interesting to note is that the mortality deficit during the COVID-19 epidemic was exceeded in the northern regions, while in central and southern cities, when taking into account the mortality deficit of previous months, no excess was observed. Among the very old (85+ years) there was hardly any displacement in mortality as one would expect among this frail population. Results show that when quantifying the mortality burden related to COVID-19, it is important to consider seasonal dynamics in mortality and possible deficits in previous months.
The Italian Government issued national lockdown on the 9th of March, with an escalation of mitigation measures such as staying at home, closure of schools, shutting down of non-essential businesses such as restaurants and bars, and the transition to smart working where possible across public and private sectors . From the 4th of May measures were relaxed across Italy and we entered the re-opening phase. Epidemic models suggest that mitigation measures in Italy, probably had a key role in reducing the impact in central and southern regions compared to the north suggesting their potential effectiveness in containing the epidemic [35, 36].
Whether the new coronavirus is similar or not to other viruses of the same family is still unclear. Other coronaviruses had a strong seasonality with a winter peak and very limited virus circulation in the May to November period . Some scenarios have been hypothesized for the coming months, one possibility is that the higher temperature of the coming months could reduce virus transmission as suggested by a few studies .
Our results underline the importance of considering both total excess mortality and COVID-related death, the temporal trends and the potential displacement in mortality of the pre-pandemic period when assessing the impact of the epidemic in order to account for indirect effects and the potential under notification of cases due to testing policies put in place. Data from SiSMG and the National COVID-19 Surveillance System are valuable tools for the monitoring of the following phases of the epidemic, and will allow the evaluation of mitigation measures adopted at both local and national level.
Availability of data and materials
The data that support the findings of this study are available from the Ministry of Health and the National Health Institute but restrictions apply to the availability of these data, which were used under license for the current study, and so are not publicly available. Data are however available from the authors upon reasonable request and with permission of the two public authorities.
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2
Italian rapid mortality surveillance system
Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction
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Riccardo F, Andrianou X, Bella A, Del Manso M, Urdiales AM, Fabiani M, et al. [Italian National Integrated Surveillance System of COVID-19: National update to 7 May 2020]. Rome, Italy; 2020. [in Italian] https://www.epicentro.iss.it/coronavirus/bollettino/Bollettino-sorveglianza-integrata-COVID-19_7-maggio-2020.pdf. Accessed 13 May 2020.
De’Donato FK, Leone M, Noce D, Davoli M, Michelozzi P. The impact of the February 2012 cold spell on health in Italy using surveillance data. PLoS One. 2013;8:e61720. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0061720.
Michelozzi P, de’donato FK, Bargagli AM, D’Ippoliti D, de Sario M, Marino C, et al. Surveillance of summer mortality and preparedness to reduce the health impact of heat waves in Italy. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2010;7:2256–73. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph7052256.
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Forchini G, Lochen A, Hallett T, et al. Report 28 - excess non-COVID-19 deaths in England and Wales between 29th February and 5th June 2020 | Faculty of Medicine | Imperial College London. Imperial College Reports 2020. https://www.imperial.ac.uk/mrc-global-infectious-disease-analysis/covid-19/report-28-excess-deaths/. Accessed 19 Jun 2020.
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Authors would like to thank the Ministry of Health, the National Health Institute and regional members of the Italian Integrated Surveillance system of COVID-19.
The Italian Mortality surveillance system is included in the National Heat-Health Prevention Plan funded by the The Ministry of Health Center for Disease Prevention and Control (contract number for year 2020 CUP: J85J19000390005). The Ministry of Health contributed to the design of the study with author PR, but had no role in data collection and data analysis.
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Not applicable, mortality data are daily counts and did not require consent of ethics approval.
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Michelozzi, P., de’Donato, F., Scortichini, M. et al. Temporal dynamics in total excess mortality and COVID-19 deaths in Italian cities. BMC Public Health 20, 1238 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-020-09335-8
- Surveillance system
- Total excess mortality
- COVID-19-related death
- Mortality displacement
- Demographic factors | <urn:uuid:dbc87055-a74b-446e-89b7-edcadeaae8a0> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-020-09335-8 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573193.35/warc/CC-MAIN-20220818094131-20220818124131-00472.warc.gz | en | 0.914293 | 7,211 | 2.59375 | 3 |
|Miu Miu: "Le Donne della Vucciria"|
In Le Donne della Vucciria, sixth Miu Miu Women's Tale, Palestinian female director Hiam Abbass contemplates the transformative power of clothes, music and dance in a charming, evocative study of the women of the Sicilian city of Palermo. In the Vucciria, the heart of Palermo's historic old city, strains of quintessentially Italian traditional music drift into a dressmaker's workshop on the warm breeze, carrying the anticipation of the long summer evening, and perhaps a little magic too. The dressmaker sews in time, creating a mysterious collection of traditional puppet costumes, while the square below comes alive with music and dancing. As a cast of vibrant women rise and join the musicians in a crescendo of spinning polka dots and clapping metallic suede heels the dressmaker looks on, leaving us to wonder who really pulls the strings of this intoxicating fiesta. | <urn:uuid:6a0650c3-c133-4841-8547-4448e52f9726> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://maisonchaplin.blogspot.com/2013/09/miu-miu-presents-le-donne-della.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560279915.8/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095119-00273-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.878859 | 210 | 1.53125 | 2 |
This year’s 8th annual Monmouth All-Sports Camp welcomed 300 boys and girls from nine states, from Florida to California and several Midwestern states in between. They were able to receive specialized instruction in three sports or activities during the week from a list of 18 possible choices including fishing, horseback riding, archery and rollerblading.
the past few months, Monmouth College has provided meaningful opportunities and services to so many individuals, that the figure exceeds the college’s current enrollment.
In July, more than 300 youth from around the U.S. attended one of the two weeks of the Monmouth All-Sports Camp, and another 175 youth were part of this summer’s Fighting Scots camps for girls basketball, boys basketball and track. During June, Monmouth’s 32nd annual College For Kids drew 440 youth from western Illinois. CFK attendees could choose from a list of 58 courses in such areas as fine arts, science, foreign language, mathematics, logic and social studies.
“Experiencing Monmouth College in the summer is a great opportunity for young people to get interactive with our campus, professors and our great facilities,” said Kathy Mainz, MC’s coordinator of camps and conferences. “Everything from College for Kids to athletic camps helps us offer an exciting glimpse of what college can be for our young guests. I’m thrilled to be able to help coordinate these programs for our area young people.”
In March, more than 180 Boys Scouts, ages 12-18, attended MC’s first Merit Badge University, during which they had the opportunity to earn a broad variety of merit badges. They represented 12 counties in Illinois and Iowa.
Not only young people benefit from Monmouth College programs. While the total of youth that have been served in the past few months is around 1,100, the figure exceeds 1,500 when those helped by MC’s Volunteer Tax Assistance Program are added in. This year, VITA prepared 449 state returns and 443 federal returns.
“We did quite well this year considering we closed the Galesburg site and had less students than last year to work with,” said accounting professor Judy Peterson, who coordinates the program. “Many times we felt overwhelmed, but our students really stepped up to the plate.”
The numbers back up Peterson’s claim. During VITA’s record year of 510 federal returns in 2011, 39 students participated. This year, her team did nearly the same amount of work, even though there were just 25 students available. | <urn:uuid:903e39c1-71e6-4107-a02b-2c22cc787b53> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.monmouthcollege.edu/information/newsEvents/newsDetails.aspx?Channel=%2FChannels%2FCampus+Wide&WorkflowItemID=6244c7b6-bd55-45d4-b921-15f1c8480383 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280364.67/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00027-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964088 | 538 | 1.609375 | 2 |
(Bylaws Art. VI, Sec. 5)
The Social Justice Ministry Team is responsible for three primary ministries: Environmental, Faith in Action, and Open and Affirming.
- Environmental Ministry is committed to actively cherishing and protecting the good Earth that our Creator has provided as our home.
Statement of Responsibility – 8 July 2018
WHO WE ARE / WHAT WE DO
The Environmental Ministry Team’s main task is to introduce church members and others to an understanding of our connection to natural world and all Earth’s physical and biological systems. We will work towards helping members and our community understand the need to protect and conserve our natural resources; our air, soil, water, plants, and animals, in a manner that ensures our posterity’s future in harmony with nature, as well as the continued survival of the rich diversity of life on Earth. We will initiate projects in order to strive towards these ends. For us, there is no Planet B.
To assist us, the Environmental Ministry works with the Tehachapi Branch of Farmworker Institute for Education and Leadership Development (FIELD.) A FIELD crew helps us with landscaping projects, such as those shown below. FIELD also handles TCC’s recycling program. This ministry encourages the congregation in their recycling efforts.
FIELD Landscape Crew Improving Church Gardens
The United Church of Christ is an eco-conscious church, committed to caring for the environment.
Faith in Kern Vision Statement: Co-creating a more just, inclusive, and equitable Tehachapi.
Faith in Kern Mission Statement: The Faith in Kern ministry, along with staff members from Faith in the Valley Kern, a community organizing non-profit works to live out our faith and the church’s commitment to justice, inclusion, and compassion in our community. The Faith in Kern Ministry provides an opportunity for all to step into that faith, to build a more just and equitable Tehachapi. We actively work for a day when all have access to quality healthcare, affordable housing, clean air and water, good-paying jobs, and justice for our immigrant family, friends, and neighbors.
We stand ready to live out the UCC’s purpose statement from the Gospel of Matthew: to love God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength, and our neighbor as ourself. Our work is aligned with the recently released United Church of Christ mission and vision statements, particularly in the call for welcome and a just world for all.
- Open and Affirming Ministry (ONA) supports the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, or Questioning Community (LGBTQIA.)
(Above right) Local LGBTQIA activists, with help from Stephanie Smith from the Faith in Kern Ministry at TCC, cooperated in organizing Tehachapi’s first public Pride event, June 30th, in the Philip Marx Central Park. Over 100 attendees came from Tehachapi, Lancaster, and as far away as Los Angeles, for food and fellowship.
The following statement was adopted by TCC in 2015:
The justice we seek is by its very nature a universal concept, embracing and welcoming all people. We recognize that the LGBTQIA (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning/queer, intersex, and asexual ) community has been the target of discrimination and judgment, and we consciously choose to renounce that discrimination and judgment, by declaring ourselves an open and affirming (ONA) church, embracing justice and welcoming people of diverse sexual and gender orientations into the full communion of our church and to our friendship. | <urn:uuid:e2f44b9e-6c54-4d4f-b1e5-bb4b71816ac8> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://tcccucc.org/social-justice/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572089.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20220814234405-20220815024405-00077.warc.gz | en | 0.935115 | 743 | 1.664063 | 2 |
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
The 7 Joys of Life
Nagpal makes it clear that self-knowledge in some form or other is essential for living a joyful life.
With a Foreword by Alan Jacobs, a retired professional life coach based in England and author of six books, Nagpal’s likable, easy-to-read, contagiously encouraging book draws on seven major joys of life -- knowing yourself, connecting with self, discovering deepest passion, making decisions with wisdom, relating with people, rejuvenating ourselves and pampering ourselves.
The book starts with a prologue discussing, “What is joy after all?” and ends with an epilogue on the joy of giving and contributing back to society. It is only after creating joy in our own lives that we can spread it around.
Designed to be a holistic guide to living joyfully, the book is not only a life manual in some ways, but also intends to create a paradigm shift in our attitudes. Some of these intended shifts include:
Money is not the only source of joy
Personal Growth can be a source of joy
Primary reason for meditation should not be to reduce stress but to add joy
Pampering oneself need not be accompanied by guilt.
The book also includes major barriers to joy, such as office politics and emotional baggage. One must learn to handle these barriers with the right attitude or they can sap all of one’s energy. The 7 Joys of Life, published by ‘The Publisher’, is targeted for people who may have lost their vision for the future, and who thirst for joy and a sense of fulfillment. It is available through Nagpal’s web site: http://www.dramitnagpal.com. | <urn:uuid:60f5fbc2-4bcf-4e8d-954c-6dc18a35de18> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://uponthesacredstage.blogspot.com/2012/11/the-7-joys-of-life.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560281162.88/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095121-00532-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.943364 | 367 | 1.96875 | 2 |
As allergy season rolls around each year, many of the 50 million peoplebattling allergies find themselves wondering; can allergies be cured for good?
Viaskin Peanut is a patch currently being developed to reduce the risk of reactions to the accidental ingestion of an allergen (peanuts). DBV Technologies is developing a patch to deliver a small amount of allergen (peanuts) to the skin each day. Viaskin Peanut is currently in Phase 3 clinical trials showing some positive results. Despite its Fast Track & Breakthrough Therapy status, recent news from the FDA indicates that modifications and additional data are needed for future approval.
Allergic rhinitis, commonly known as hay fever, occurs when your body has an allergic reaction to an allergen such as pollen, dust mites or dander. Probiotics are healthy bacteria or yeast that can provide health benefits when eaten. There have been a few recent studies showing that probiotics may be beneficial in reducing the symptoms of allergic rhinitis. Make sure to consult a doctor or pharmacist with any questions about probiotic use.
If you’re suffering from allergies and can’t get your nose to stop running, you want relief fast, so the biggest question on your mind is likely “How long does it take for Claritin to work?” | <urn:uuid:257d09e0-6af1-400d-b8b2-d20ea9ebc4ec> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://allergies.org/category/treatment/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573193.35/warc/CC-MAIN-20220818094131-20220818124131-00477.warc.gz | en | 0.94341 | 274 | 2.234375 | 2 |
One or two readers seized on remarks I made in a recent posting to recruit me to various views on assisted dying, etc. Mr ‘R’, for instance, wrote (first quoting me) :’ “This, in my view , is because the NHS is a sort of Anti-Death League , which mainly intervenes in people’s bodies with scalpel or drug (or both) when they are already very ill, and is very much influenced by modern society’s unwillingness to accept that death is the natural end of life, which we must all undergo.” Which is exactly what the Liverpool Care Pathway prevents - unnecessary and invasive treatment to people who are dying. Unfortunately, this government as a result of a campaign by your sister paper is removing.’
I think the problem with the ‘care pathway’ is that a scheme with humane, benign intent, in the hands of a rigid, target-driven bureaucracy heavily (and terrifyingly) influenced by incentive payments, became in practice something quite different – hence (for example) the many episodes remarked upon (I think) by Lady Neuberger in which patients were wrongly denied water, a denial which is very close to torture when applied to a conscious person. Something had gone very seriously wrong, and I think the campaign by the Mail on Sunday's sister paper was entirely justified and will result in more kindness in the world, rather than less. This is generally a laudable objective in any moral system.
But I do concede that this business of keeping people alive is very complicated indeed, and I was interested to see one contributor quoting Arthur Hugh Clough’s ‘The Latest Decalogue ‘ Thou shalt not kill, but needst not strive officiously to keep alive’ in *support* of the idea that we might make less effort to keep the serioulsy ill from dying. I’m not at all sure that was what Clough himself (whose ‘Say Not the Struggle Naught Availeth’ is one of my favourite poems) intended us to understand, though he was writing about very different times. By the way, I’d also recommend the same author’s ‘Through a Glass darkly’ as a thoughtful examination of the problems of religious belief.
The whole tone of the ‘Decalogue’ poem (there is more than one version, by the way) is a bitterly sarcastic attack on the dubious morals of his own hypocritical late 19th Century (Interesting question: was that era *worse* than our own because they knew that they were being hypocrites, or *better* than our own because they knew they were being hypocrites?)
One version runs
‘Thou shalt have one God only; who
Would tax himself to worship two?
God's image nowhere shalt thou see,
Save haply in the currency:
Swear not at all; since for thy curse
Thine enemy is not the worse:
At church on Sunday to attend
Will help to keep the world thy friend:
Honour thy parents; that is, all
From whom promotion may befall:
Thou shalt not kill; but needst not strive
Officiously to keep alive:
Adultery it is not fit
Or safe, for women, to commit:
Thou shalt not steal; an empty feat,
When 'tis so lucrative to cheat:
False witness not to bear be strict;
And cautious, ere you contradict.
Thou shalt not covet; but tradition
Sanctions the keenest competition.’
Another version ends with this extra sneer:
‘The sum of all is, thou shalt love,
If any body, God above:
At any rate shall never labour
More than thyself to love thy neighbour.’
So I think we should be careful about using the rather tortured Mr Clough, that High Victorian apostle of doubt and sorrow, as a sort of scriptural warrant for switching off the life support machine. The modern problem of medicine which can keep the body alive long after it would have failed in any other age or civilisation, didn’t exist in Clough’s time, and he wasn’t referring to it.
The old Commandment from the original Decalogue (if you acknowledge any such) stands : ’Thou Shalt Do No Murder’ (Gospel According to St Matthew, 19th chapter, 18th verse, words of Christ himself, Authorised or , for Americans, ‘King James’ Version).
This plainly forbids us from killing an innocent human being. What it permits us to do is open to perpetual debate, as in the limits of Just War, and the activities which can be included in such a war, bot to emntion self-defence, or the defence of another under attack, or just punishment for a heinous act. My contention is (for instance) that the execution of some heinous murderers, by performing a redemptive, just and deterrent purpose, is justified in the constant war that ordered societies fight against lawless, selfish violence. I also think that prohibition against ‘murder’ rather than ‘killing’ leaves us with an alarming latitude.
What if (as happens to a character in William Boyd’s ‘The New Confessions’ ) a soldier is begged by another soldier to shoot him. In this case, the man doing the begging is drowning slowly in a shell-hole, and cannot be rescued, but similar, and worse, events are recorded in many memoirs of war. Shall we be forgiven for helping such people to a swift death? Do the morphine packs carried by soldiers in combat , perhaps, allow them to give an appallingly wounded man a dose from which he is unlikely to wake. Does this happen? I suspect so. Little good would be done by publicising these events. I am myself entirely against bereaved relatives being told that their sons, fathers, brothers or husbands have been killed in the appallingly misnamed incidents of ‘friendly fire’ that are so common in warfare. It does not do to think too much about this, nor about the modern ability to save the lives of soldiers terribly wounded on the battlefield, so allowing them to live on, terribly injured in body and sometimes mind.
I’ve always found it hard to be dogmatic about the hard cases which are frequently given large publicity by the BBC, in its endless campaign for weakening the laws on euthanasia. Have they never heard the old saying that ‘Hard Cases Make Bad Law’, a maxim which seems to me to be invariably true? Why is it that so much of the political and cultural left are so keen on weakening the laws on euthanasia? Why is this campaign so persistent and unending, if it is not intended to have a profound effect? And whose interests will it serve, if the old and ill can more easily be snuffed out without fear of investigation or prosecution?
My view has tended to be that ( as in the Aleck Bourne abortion case of 1938 (discussed here http://hitchensblog.mailonsunday.co.uk/2007/10/safe-legal-and-.html), if people truly think that aiding someone’s death is an act of mercy, they should be ready to stand trial for those beliefs. I think it was right that Dr Bourne was acquitted. I admire Dr Bourne greatly. Yet I also believe, with great reluctance, that what he did was in fact morally wrong. The aborted baby had played no part in the appalling crime ( a gang rape by soldiers) which had impregnated the young woman, actually a girl of 14. The baby could have been adopted. I am well aware of the difficulties of this position, and do not know what Dr Bourne knew about the young woman involved, which led him to conclude with absolute firmness that her life was in danger, the only defence in law to the charge he faced. I strongly suspect that, had I been him I would have done what he did, and I don’t doubt that mercy is available in such dreadful circumstances. For what doth the Lord require of Thee but to do Justly, and to love Mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? (Micah (not Clarke), 6th chapter, 8th verse). But I think the existence of a firm law is crucial to protect *all* doctors from undue pressure to do things which are much, much more questionable. The abolition of such a law (as happened with the Abortion Act of 1967) has been shown in practice to lead to a general collapse of resolve. Technically, the 1967 Act contains safeguards. In fact, these safeguards are worthless in practice.
I am not interested in the sort of people who will seize immediately on my admission that my position has grave weaknesses. I admit them because they exist, and because moral judgment, in practice, is so often so very difficult, and because we so often fail to get it right. They are not interested in civilised or generous debate, and I am not writing this for them. I expose these weaknesses precisely because the problem is so difficult and often rends the heart. But I think that Dr Bourne’s action was wholly different from that of those doctors who now provide what is in effect abortion on demand, as a form of contraception. And my best witness for that is Dr Bourne himself, who became a founding member of the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children, refused to perform any further abortions for the rest of his life (he was often asked) and wrote, in 1963 : ’ Those who plead for an extensive relaxation of the law [against abortion] have no idea of the very many cases where a woman who, during the first three months, makes a most impassioned appeal for her pregnancy to be 'finished,' later, when the baby is born, is thankful indeed that it was not killed while still an embryo. During my long years in practice I have had many a letter of the deepest gratitude for refusing to accede to an early appeal.’
In the comparable problems of the care of the very old, or the very ill, or very badly injured, for whom life appears not to be worth living, who are in grave pain and distress, what is murder? In my view, I am afraid murder may be involved when the person’s life is ended for the benefit of others. I don’t just mean legacies and property, though these may be involved. I also mean when the person’s life is ended for the convenience of others.
Of course many difficulties are caused by the ‘advance’ of medical science. One example of this common problem is Pneumonia, which used to carry off many old people when they were ready to go, and now doesn’t because of antibiotics and other treatments. But once these treatments are available, isn’t it then a wilful act to withhold them? I think this is why the passage from Clough, about ‘officious striving’ has become so well-known, way out of its true context, in modern times.
Has medicine, in fact, taken a completely wrong turning? Has it become too concerned with combating disease, in the abstract, and too little concerned with preserving the health of the actual person, and with relieving actual pain? I was astonished, during the final illness of an elderly relative some years ago, how reluctant doctors were to allow sufficient pain relief, in one case on the grounds that the person involved, clearly dying, might become ‘addicted’. I began to wonder whether the people I was talking to were entirely sane, but it was probably just bureaucracy at work, as usual, that dreadful inadequate substitute for experience, skill, wisdom, initiative and thought.
The law, it seems to me, must remain in place. Hard cases cannot be used to abolish it. It is precisely when we are most vulnerable that we most need the law’s protection. Those who campaign against the existing law do so, doggedly, repeatedly, determinedly, because they wish to be free to behave differently, and they wish to free everyone else to behave differently too. Will the old be safer if they are so permitted? Of course not. I suspect that many old and ill people are already being quietly shuffled into the next world, as it is.
If the actions involved are genuinely selfless and compassionate, then let those who do them selflessly face the possibility of prosecution. It seems to me that if their arguments are as good as they claim, they will not face any serious risk of conviction.
18 July 2013 2:47 PM
21 June 2011 8:26 AM
I will turn in a moment to comments on this week’s column. But first I’d like to take up once more a discussion we had last week about ‘anger’ in debate. This arises from my appearance on Sunday on BBC1’s ‘The Big Questions’, which is still on the iPlayer if anyone wishes to watch it.
The second half of the discussion was devoted to the Israeli-Arab question. I repeated the arguments I made in my article from Gaza last autumn, which was posted here. But the Palestinian case was put mainly by a man in a chequered keffiyeh scarf and matching tie, and by a female alleged comedian from Glasgow who made several interjections along the standard propaganda lines of the current anti-Israel campaign.
Were either or both of these people consumed with anger? Would those who make this claim about my public appearances (with the intention of invalidating my arguments) make the same claim about either of them? I would be interested to know.
My suspicion is that they would not. Most people are perfectly happy to see their own opinions forcefully and passionately expressed, and I would imagine my critics have pretty much swallowed the current anti-Israel orthodoxy of the blathering classes. Yet in one of these cases I think the speaker actually damaged his cause by being so impassioned. Nor did he have the excuse that he needed to shout to get heard. He had been given a prominent position, his own microphone and a pretty-much-guaranteed major role in the discussion.
In answer to comments, I called the author Sir Terence Pratchett because he chose to accept a knighthood. As far as I know, it was given in that form, and if it hadn’t been, it would have been absurd. The formulation ‘Sir Terry’ is ridiculous and incongruous, and if people don’t wish to be addressed by their full names they shouldn’t accept titles of honour.
I have heard the position of the new atheists well summed up elsewhere as ‘God doesn’t exist – and I hate Him!’ But I wasn’t aware that Sir Terence (whose books I have not felt compelled to finish, or explore further, after sampling one or two) had said he hated God for not existing. Both positions are of course nonsensical. Sir Terence has no idea if God exists or not, and can believe in Him tonight if he chooses to do so. You cannot hate someone who is not there.
My own view is that both believers and atheists fear that God exists, but believers also hope that he does. The passion which atheists devote the subject suggests (as such passion almost invariably does) a grave uncertainty underneath. So do the linguistic and debating tricks employed by some atheist bores (and there is no more expert and accomplished room-emptier than one of these) to strip them of any responsibility for their religious opinions, which they have somehow been ‘forced’ into.
Mr ‘Avid Fan’ tells me I am self-righteous and asks me to assert that his grandmother is better off now than if she’d committed suicide some years ago. He interprets her stated wish to join her late husband, when she was still coherent, as a desire to do so. Or so it seems to me.
I believe that the Christian religion (though not Judaism) has set its canon against self-slaughter. I am also (incidentally) haunted by a macabre Charles Williams story in which a man kills himself and finds that nothing has happened except that he is exactly where he was before, only in a perceptibly darker, more sinister version of the world he was attempting to leave, populated by others like himself, and with a rope still uncomfortably round his neck. What if suicide, far from being an escape, is a way deeper into the woe that takes us there?
For me, therefore, there is no choice in the matter. It is something I must not do, and must not aid another to do. Others are in a different position, especially if it becomes legal to assist suicide. Would I be let off if (for instance) I were in some state of unutterable despair which was not of my own making – say in the midst of being tortured slowly to death in some despot’s dungeon? I like to think so. But I don’t know.
One of the main reasons for this prohibition, though not the principal one, is (I think) the unending puzzled grief and guilt which suicide leaves behind it.
Many old and bereaved people speak longingly of their wish to rejoin their lifelong companion. Many others just speak of their wish to be dead. Yet very few of them take their own lives, even so, though they have the power to do so.
I am not sure it is self-righteous to advance the arguments I set out. Did Mr Avid Fan ever ask his grandmother if he could help her achieve this end, which would be the logical conclusion of thee view he now expresses? I have to say that I very much doubt it, and it is easy to imagine why he didn’t. Most of us, self-righteous or no, would feel there was something grotesque and ugly about such an offer, even made out of kindness. And we might also suspect that the answer would be pretty brusque (old, ill people can be surprisingly forceful when they choose). In which case is it fair to use her statement of wistful longing as a retrospective justification for sending her into the Big Sleep now?
One of the problems with senility and dementia, as with many other states of being on the fringe of life, is that we have little or no idea of what the person is actually feeling and experiencing. My own suspicion is that the horrible mismatch between bodily decay and mental decay which makes so many final years so ghastly to behold is a consequence of our modern way of life and of modern medicine’s futile ability to prolong physical existence without being able to prolong health. But that does not permit us to look at the result and say we will deal with it with a lethal injection, a plastic bag or a dose of barbiturates.
There should be far more hospice places, far more concentration on making death more bearable for the dying and for those who love them. But modern medicine, which strives with enormous officiousness to keep people alive up to a certain point, becomes cold and dismissive once they are old. I suspect that many old people are now effectively starved and thirsted to death, while many others are connected to the morphine pump , ostensibly to relieve their pain with no real expectation that they will ever wake up.
In answer to Mr Perrin, this country will not leave the EU until a political party committed to this object is elected with a clear majority. I have explained at length how that could be brought about. It starts with the destruction of the Tory Party. I do not believe in referendums, and am uninterested in the futile Euro-elections to the Brussels Supreme Soviet. Why give this farce legitimacy by taking part in it?
Juries (as described at length in my ‘Abolition of Liberty’, in the chapter ‘Twelve Angry Persons’) used to be selected on the basis of a property qualification, which was in effect an age and education barrier. When this was got rid of, nothing was done to replace it because the government were afraid to do so. Anything they suggested was bound to offend someone. At the time, the minimum voting age was 21, which is bad enough. It is now 18, and may well soon be 16, which will mean 16-year-old jurors.
I was astonished at the age of the woman Fraill. But it did seem to me that a combination of age and educational qualification would be enough to rule out most such people.
Though I am in principle a defender of juries, I sometimes think that the liberal elite has set out to make them look silly and ineffectual, as part of a long-term campaign (which is undoubted, see ‘the Abolition of Liberty’) to get rid of them altogether so that our legal system can be fully merged with that of the EU (where proper independent juries are unknown outside the United Kingdom and the Irish Republic).
A Mr ‘maccamfc’ , in a posting on the frontiers of literacy and coherence, says he ‘became’ a heroin ‘addict’ as if this was beyond his control, and he caught this affliction as one might catch flu. I do not believe this was the case. He started taking heroin, as all heroin abusers do, because he enjoyed it and wanted to, well knowing that it was both illegal and wrong.
No doubt I shall be accused of being callous towards this individual. I don’t think so. It is the wilful drugtaker who is callous to his family and neighbours, not the person who condemns this selfishness and seeks to deter it with punishment.
Whether I am ‘upper class’ or not ( lower upper middle class is my own self-description), I bet his working class neighbours and family have had plenty of cause to regret his choice, even if he thinks he hasn’t. Though I doubt he would admit to that, and he writes under a pseudonym so he needn’t take full responsibility for the truth of his posting.
He also asks us to believe that while he enjoyed himself taking this very expensive drug, which tends, ah, to undermine the work ethic, he was able to support himself for many years (17 by my calculation) and not to rob anyone else. Why, in that case is he now taking methadone, paid for by me and many others out of taxes we would rather spend on something good and useful? Why didn’t he just stop taking heroin, far easier to give up than cigarettes? I have no idea if he is poor. He is certainly undeserving.
Neil Saunders should be aware of the reason why capital punishment is different from abortion and euthanasia.
To be justly executed, you have to be found guilty of a particularly heinous murder by an impartial jury, to fail in repeated appeals and to be refused a reprieve by the Home Secretary after careful individual consideration of all aspects of your case..
To be aborted or euthanised, you just have to be weak and inconvenient.
It is Mr Hentoff (whom I rather admire) who is inconsistent.
19 June 2011 12:48 AM
This is Peter's Mail on Sunday column
There's only one suicide I would cheerfully assist. If the Tory Party wants to go to Zurich and end it all, I will accompany it, hold its hand, help it swallow a cocktail of poison, refuse its pleas for water at the last moment (for its own good, of course) and listen to its death gurgles. It would be a mercy.
But the Tory Party is just a rather slippery and dishonest organisation. There’s nothing immoral about pushing it gently but firmly through the dark door marked ‘Exit’. In fact I’d have fewer qualms about that than I would about putting down an elderly guinea pig.
Any human being, by contrast, is immensely, uniquely valuable. We cannot kill our fellow creatures, except under very special circumstances of self-defence or deterrent justice.
And yet we do. And we will do so even more quite soon. A society that baulks fussily at the death penalty for guilty murderers has become adept at excusing the convenient killing of innocents.
Using the advanced techniques of a perverted science, we hunt down imperfect babies in the womb and kill them. Or we kill perfect babies because their birth might disrupt our comfy lives. And we tell ourselves that it is all right because our victims aren’t fully human, though in our hearts we know they are.
When the law which permits this massacre was first proposed nearly 50 years ago, we were told that it would be for exceptional and very difficult cases only. I do not know if those who campaigned for the change really believed that – but their opponents warned that it would lead to abortion on demand. And that is what happened, because that is what suited the baby-boom generation to which I belong.
Now that generation and its children (the ones who weren’t aborted) have a new fear and
a new desire. And the BBC – the voice of the boomers – has begun to express their secret concern, louder and louder. The old are a burden. They must die sooner, in the interests of the State, and of the middle-aged.
Couldn’t you see the unspoken thought – that it might be more convenient for the old and ill to be hurried into the grave – lurking behind the black-clad figure of Sir Terence Pratchett as he presented his pro-death programme at the licence-payers’ expense last week?
Sir Terence is no doubt innocent of such thoughts himself, and motivated entirely by understandable fears of his own Alzheimer’s. But there must be many homes in this country where men and women are secretly hoping that their parents will die in a reasonable, timely manner – and above all that they will not consume their inheritance with endless care-home fees before they go.
Unhappily, many of those parents may also be guiltily wondering if they should hang on to life when it means that the home they have bought over many years of careful saving may have to be sold to pay for their care, instead of being passed on to their offspring.
Meanwhile, the State is consumed with a similar fear, that the NHS may fall to pieces trying to cope with the coming wave of old people living on into their 90s and demanding ever more care, space and medicine. It is this fear that lies behind the current frenzied attempts at reform. Taxation simply will not pay for it.
I predict that if assisted suicide is made available here, it will gradually become commonplace, just as abortion did. And it will not necessarily stay voluntary. In the Netherlands, that supposed paradise of liberal thought, there are about 1,000 instances every year of a patient’s life being ended by a doctor, without an explicit request. As a brilliant analysis of the issue by Professor John Keown, of Georgetown University in Washington DC, states: ‘Dutch courts have held that just as the relief of suffering can justify the termination of patients who request euthanasia, it can equally justify
the termination of those who cannot.’
And once it is commonplace, as with abortion, those who oppose it will be a noisy but powerless minority, because so many of us will have become accomplices in kindly murder, that we will not dare to call it murder, and will get angry with those who do. But it will be murder all the same.
New signs, same lousy schools
Education Secretary Michael Gove has just declared that another batch of schools are to become ‘academies’. I’ve yet to see any proof that ‘academies’ are better than other schools, though they have nice new signboards. But at this rate, all the schools in the country will be ‘academies’ by the time Mr Gove has finished – and no doubt all the children will be above average, and all the exam results will be ‘As’ and ‘A-stars’.
And still nobody will know anything. The really sad thing about this is that Michael Gove is an intelligent man, who knows this is all rubbish and window-dressing. In fact, he is himself window-dressing for a government that couldn’t care less about the schooling of the poor.
Is it the State’s job to rob us on behalf of addicts?
Undeserving Poor Latest: Abusers of illegal drugs in this country receive something like £1.7 billion a year in benefits, from you and me. £730 million alone is squandered on giving methadone to people who have chosen to ruin their lives (and those of everyone who knows them) by taking illegal heroin.
The figures are revealed and explained by Kathy Gyngell today in a devastating pamphlet, Breaking The Habit. The logic behind this seems to be that if the State robs you on the drug-users’ behalf, they won’t need to burgle your house or mug you. Something wrong here?
At last the monstrous myth of ‘ADHD’ and the unspeakable drugging of healthy children is being questioned. It’s a small start, but the Association of Educational Psychologists is calling for a review into the use of Ritalin on children, many as young as five. Not a moment too soon. There are now nearly 700,000 prescriptions being handed out each year. Which Minister will risk the wrath of the mighty and spiteful Ritalin lobby by launching such an inquiry?
Idiots like Joanne Fraill shouldn’t be allowed to sit on juries. Yet she did, and contacted the defendant via Facebook, the Morons’ Directory. How couldn’t she have realised this was wrong? Isn’t it time we introduced a much higher minimum age and a serious education qualification for jurors, many of whom are not fit to go out on their own, let alone decide the fate of a fellow creature?
Still they won’t admit the real reason for the abolition of weekly bin collections. So I’ll say it again. It’s the European Union Landfill Directive, stupid.
30 January 2010 6:34 PM
I am tired of being bombarded with emotional blackmail in favour of mercy killing. The opposite case is in my view better, but the emotive tragedies caused by legal euthanasia will only become obvious when it is too late, as happened with abortion.
There now seems to be a near-unanimous belief across the media that the need for a law allowing the tactful killing of the decrepit, the miserably sick and the terribly injured is beyond question.
People have always suffered injury and disease in great pain, in ways that appear quite unbearable. Yet suddenly they have become a major feature of the courts and big news. Why?
Every time one of these gruelling cases is dragged through the justice system, sometimes with the stricken central character on display with wheelchair and respirator, our reasoning minds are overwhelmed by pity.
And the half-spoken assumption is encouraged, that the existing law is cold and cruel and inflexible and must be changed. Where does this propaganda come from?
Are there pressure groups that seek changes in the law? There are. Are they superb at publicity? They are. Do they have allies in the Establishment? I think they do. Are they right? No they are not.
I am not going to go into any of the recent cases in detail because it would take pages to do so and also because the campaigners for aborting adults (which is what they are) would immediately portray me as callous and unfeeling.
Maybe I am. Maybe only the callous and unfeeling can see through the propaganda and glimpse the sour truth, that the large-scale lawful killing of the old, sick and disabled is likely to become general in this country if we are not careful.
I am very struck by the way in which the case against Kay Gilderdale was brought – by Keir Starmer, a Director of Public Prosecutions who is known to favour weakening the law on assisted suicide.
She had pleaded guilty to a lesser charge. Why then would the CPS – known for its reluctance to risk acquittals – press the matter? Did Mr Starmer in fact intend this prosecution to end in failure and amid complaints that Mrs Gilderdale had been cruelly handled?
I am reminded of the famous Chatterley trial, which led directly to the permanent fiesta of pornography and bad language we now suffer. The myth of the Chatterley affair is that the wicked Establishment sought to suppress a wonderful work of art, and was rebuffed by an enlightened jury.
The truth is that the prosecution called no major witnesses and made no serious case, while the defence of this rather bad book (which anyone could get hold of if they really wanted it) was supported by a phalanx of fashionable bishops, authors and academics – just the same sort of people who think the sanctity of human life is an outdated notion, wrong then, wrong now, wrong always.
We’ll be sorry if we fall for this. Some of us will be terrifyingly sorry, but don’t know it yet. The existing law is based on a knowledge of human wickedness and selfishness, things that never go away.
Slithery Blair, and a flash of real integrity
Compare the magnificent Elizabeth Wilmshurst with the slithery Anthony Blair.
Ms Wilmshurst, whose resignation from the Foreign Office was a rare flash of honour and integrity in the Iraq affair, gave her evidence to the Chilcot Inquiry with clarity and honesty.
She epitomises the
Establishment we used to have, properly educated, principled, wholly
committed to the rule of law. When will someone give this excellent woman a gong?
Mr Blair, questioned in a feeble and disorganised way, talked himself out of trouble by answering questions he hadn’t been asked and not answering the ones he was asked.
His interrogators mostly didn’t notice
this simple trick, which dishonest people instinctively use. He
reminded me, at least, of the national shame we underwent when such a
person became Prime Minister.
Only once did he say anything interesting, moaning that he had been under pressure to go to war from the Tories. This is quite true. The Opposition’s failure to question this birdbrained adventure should not be forgotten and at least one senior Tory should be invited before the inquiry to explain it.
This might make them wonder about their current
support for the mistake we are now making, the bloody and futile Afghan
war, whose purpose nobody can explain.
But only if the media magnate Rupert Murdoch, who seems to have bought David Cameron wholesale, actually allows them to think about this.Brainwashing’s no way to stop school bullies
As compulsory sex education draws closer, the leader of the Conservative Party says that teaching homosexual equality and the benefits of civil partnerships should be ‘embedded’ in British schools.
He claims, absurdly, that this will help stop the bullying of homosexuals. In fact, as most people with any experience of schools know, the establishment’s obsession with homosexuality has turned the word ‘gay’ into a general playground insult.
Bullying of all kinds can and should be stopped without the need for indoctrination.
Wakefield’s only crime was to put patients first
The Establishment spite against Andrew Wakefield is extraordinary. You would think that he had killed at least 150 patients, and tortured several more, to judge from the righteous condemnation issued against him.
I’ve been back to his original Lancet article and am struck by how modest and cautious it is – and also by the weight it rightly gives to the sincere fears of parents.
Some of those parents still harbour reasonable fears about the MMR jab, and I urge any pro-MMR fanatic to spend an afternoon with the fantastically stoical Heather Edwards and her terribly damaged son Josh and see if they stay as certain as they are now.
Anthony Blair – who haughtily refused to say if his own child had been given the MMR – did far more to reduce take-up of this injection than Dr Wakefield.
Dr Wakefield’s crime was to put patients first, and bureaucracy second.
* Do Left-wing governments change public opinion for the worse? I think
the Social Trends survey shows that they do. The collapse of support
for strong, lasting two-parent families has been brought about by
decades of deliberate propaganda in schools and on the BBC.
Comprehensive schools – as they were meant to do – have undermined
Christianity, social conservatism and patriotism. But all is not lost.
You can hit back. The growing doubts of the British people about cannabis show that where conservatives actually fight, they can win.
* The Himalayan glaciers won’t disappear by 2035. Recent bad weather
isn’t caused by global warming. Those polar bears weren’t drowning. And
so on, one after another, almost every day. The sneaky dishonesty of
climate-change fanatics is more and more evident in the affair of the
leaked emails and the attempt to evade Freedom of Information laws. The
least we can ask now is that those with doubts about this cult should
in future be treated with more civility.
26 September 2009 6:06 PM
This is Peter Hitchens' Mail on Sunday column
We seldom know exactly when we cross the border between good and evil. Normal, gentle, kindly people discover too late that they have become collaborators with wickedness, and dare not condemn crimes they have themselves committed.
This is the reason for the hatchet-faced defence of abortion by the liberal elite. They took part in the massacre of the unborn in large numbers before mass immigration provided them with legions of cheap live-in nannies and so made parenthood compatible with the two-career lifestyle.
Very often we start to do dreadful things because we are convinced that they are in fact good. Everyone now recoils in disgust from the German National Socialist eugenics and euthanasia programmes.
Hitler, being composed of almost pure evil, simply took the filthy idea to its logical conclusion. Non-German supporters of eugenics – like the contraception fanatic Marie Stopes – were embarrassed into silence by finding themselves in company with such monsters.
But the problem has not gone away. The killing of the inconvenient is always attractive to some, either because they think they can make a perfect world, or because the old, the demented and incontinent are expensive and unproductive. Not one of us, if we are honest, is safe from this temptation.
There is only one reliable barrier to getting rid of them – an unalterable moral law which says such things are always wrong and a criminal law which takes the same view.
Without that, we slither into mass murder. I will predict it for you. Within a few years of the law’s relaxation, we will all – doctors and relatives alike – slip across the boundary.
Keir Starmer, the Director of Public Prosecutions, gave it all away when he said that as a society we had ‘moved on’ since the days when it was a crime to assist a suicide. Indeed we have, just as we have ‘moved on’ from the days when most people could read and write, mobs were not allowed to persecute people to death, and Saturday night streets were not full of drunks and puke.
By the time Keir Starmer is old, and his children are wondering what to do with him, we may have ‘moved on’ further still, largely thanks to his extra-parliamentary law-making. But will it be in the right direction? And if by then he has a different opinion on the subject, will anyone listen to his feeble whispers of protest?
Spot on Colonel, the UN is useless
Colonel Gaddafi’s comical rage at the United Nations ought to remind us that the UN is obliged to take unhinged despots of this kind seriously, and provides them with a surprising amount of power and influence. This is one of many reasons why the UN should be swiftly wound up.
Then again, we might recall how the fatuous supporters of the Iraq War (some still exist, amazingly) claimed that his decision to abandon his completely non-existent Weapons of Mass Destruction showed that toppling Saddam had put the fear of Uncle Sam into the hearts of all Islamic tyrants.
The same people now rave in a lunatic way about attacking Iran and Pakistan, countries which actually learned the opposite lesson – that Washington will leave you alone only if you have the Bomb.
Then there’s the ridiculous claim America is somehow angry with us for letting Abdelbaset Al Megrahi (who plainly had nothing to do with the Lockerbie outrage) out of jail. This is supposed to be behind Barack Obama’s unwillingness to meet Gordon Brown for more than five minutes.
If this were true, it would be monstrous. Those who are desperate to blame every bad thing in the world on Gordon Brown seem to have let political partisanship cancel out patriotism. How dare Mr Obama snub us over the release of one innocent man – when more than 200 of our soldiers have died fighting America’s war in Afghanistan?
Actually, that’s the real problem.
Mr Obama snubbed Britain, not Mr Brown. To him, we are an unimportant European country which has nothing to offer him. He’s probably forgotten we even have troops in Afghanistan – another reason we should pull them out.
Czechs know all about Tory piffle, Dave
Davd Cameron is said to be encouraging the Czech President Vaclav Klaus to hold out against signing the EU Constitution (alias the Lisbon Treaty) if the Irish vote for it this week. Apparently Mr Cameron has let Mr Klaus know that Britain will stand by him if the going gets rough.
Oh, really? How can anyone be fooled by this piffle? First, I should have thought Mr Cameron wants
a referendum on Lisbon about as much as he wants a bout of malaria or a broken nose. If Britain then votes ‘No’, what will he do?
The EU would make us vote again and say ‘Yes’. Or we would leave the EU. Mr Cameron is clearly in favour of staying in the EU. In that case, he ought to be honest and admit it and – along with many other Tories – stop pretending to oppose something he in fact supports.
As for the heroic President Klaus, I suggest he recalls a previous occasion when a British Conservative leader promised to help the Czechs against a continental empire. Chap with a moustache and an umbrella. Neville something. Didn’t work out.
Dispersing the migrant camps at Calais will do nothing to stem the problem. Our daft laws and benefits system are magnets for alleged refugees, and our frontiers are half-open. Many of them will get here in the end.
But this is nothing to what is coming. Far too few of us are aware of the revolution which has swept the European continent in the past few years. I know because I frequently travel across European borders, and I can tell you that they no longer exist. Recently, I travelled from Berlin to Vienna via Prague by train – a journey that would once have required two visas and five passport inspections. Now there is nothing at all.
From the old Russian frontier fortress of Brest, all the way to Calais, there are no frontiers. Even Switzerland and Norway, non-EU members, have been strong-armed into abolishing their border posts in a devastating assault on sovereignty.
Sooner or later – I give it five years – Britain will be compelled to submit as well. And then the camps at Calais will disappear because their inhabitants will all be here.
Nine-year-old Steven Cheek didn’t know what ‘racism’ was until he was reprimanded for playing soldiers. Now he knows it’s a word used by the ignorant and conformist to control thought and speech. Some dimwit teacher knew nothing about history and even less about boys, and so concluded that for Steven to say
‘We’ve got to shoot the German army’ to a Polish boy was ‘inappropriate’. Why? I imagine such thoughts are often expressed in Polish schools, most of which had to be rebuilt after the German army passed by in 1939. | <urn:uuid:c26e08fe-f901-441c-b675-c27df0f1aef2> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://hitchensblog.mailonsunday.co.uk/euthanasia/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280065.57/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00546-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.973329 | 9,374 | 1.726563 | 2 |
U.S. retail sales increased less than expected in November as Americans cut back on discretionary spending despite a strong labor market, raising fears the economy was slowing a bit faster than anticipated in the fourth quarter.
The report from the Commerce Department on Friday bucked a recent raft of fairly upbeat data on the labor market, housing, trade and manufacturing that had suggested the economy was growing at a moderate speed despite headwinds from trade tensions and slowing global growth.
The Federal Reserve on Wednesday kept interest rates steady and signaled that borrowing costs were likely to remain unchanged at least through next year amid expectations the economy would continue to grow modestly and the unemployment rate remain low.
"Just when it looked like the economy was getting stronger, consumers faltered in November," said Chris Low, chief economist at FHN Financial in New York. "Because consumption accounts for the lion's share of GDP these days, a consumer spending slowdown is a concern, especially in the fourth quarter, when consumption is seasonally strongest."
Retail sales rose 0.2% last month. Data for October was revised up to show retail sales increasing 0.4% instead of climbing 0.3% as previously reported. November's meager sales gains are at odds with reports from retailers of brisk Black Friday business.
Economists speculated that a late Thanksgiving this year compared to 2018 pushed some sales into December and could have thrown off the model that the government uses to strip seasonal fluctuations from the data, holding back sales. Some believed the data would be revised higher when the government publishes December's retail sales report in January.
Economists polled by Reuters had forecast retail sales would accelerate 0.5% in November. Compared to November last year, retail sales increased 3.3%.
Excluding automobiles, gasoline, building materials and food services, retail sales edged up 0.1% last month after rising by an unrevised 0.3% in October. These so-called core retail sales correspond most closely with the consumer spending component of gross domestic product.
Consumer spending, which accounts for more than two-thirds of U.S. economic activity, grew at a 2.9% annualized rate in the third quarter. As a result of November's small rise in core retail sales some economists trimmed their GDP growth estimates for the fourth quarter to below a 1.5% rate from around a 1.8% pace. The economy grew at a 2.1% pace in the third quarter.
"As a result, real consumption growth appears to have slowed to between 1.5% and 2.0% (rate) in the fourth quarter, a little weaker than we had anticipated," said Andrew Hunter, a senior economist at Capital Economics in London. "The risks to our forecast that overall GDP growth was 1.5% may also now lie slightly to the downside."
Slowing consumer spending is boosting inventories at retailers, which could limit the downside to fourth-quarter GDP growth.
In a separate report on Friday, the Commerce Department said retail inventories excluding autos, which go into the calculation of GDP, increased 0.7% in October after rising 0.2% in September.
IMPORTED INFLATION SUBDUED
Despite the slim gains in retail sales in November, consumer spending likely remains supported by a strong labor market. The government reported last week that the economy created 266,000 jobs in November and the unemployment rate fell back to 3.5%, its lowest level in nearly half a century.
Last month, auto sales increased 0.5% after rising 1.0% in October. Higher gasoline prices lifted receipts at service stations by 0.7%. Online and mail-order retail sales increased 0.8% after increasing 0.6% in October.
Sales at electronics and appliance stores increased 0.7%. Receipts at building material stores were unchanged and sales at clothing stores fell 0.6%. Spending at furniture stores edged up 0.1%. Americans cut back on spending at restaurants and bars, with sales falling 0.3%.
Receipts at healthcare and grooming stores also fell. Spending at hobby, musical instrument and book stores dropped 0.5%.
A third report from the Labor Department on Friday showed imported inflation remained subdued in November. Import prices increased 0.2% last month, lifted by higher prices for petroleum products, after declining 0.5% in October.
Import prices exclude tariffs. Last month's increase in import prices was in line with economists' expectations. In the 12 months through November, import prices decreased 1.3% after dropping 3.0% in October.
© 2022 Thomson/Reuters. All rights reserved. | <urn:uuid:bf33b334-1453-48dc-9384-86baf87637cf> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://cloudflarepoc.newsmax.com/finance/economy/retail-sales-consumer-spending/2019/12/13/id/945816/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573876.92/warc/CC-MAIN-20220820012448-20220820042448-00069.warc.gz | en | 0.966045 | 948 | 1.804688 | 2 |
Profiling white-collar criminals: what is white-collar crime, who perpetrates it and why?
Bethune, Richard Alan
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Following a period of resurgence in academic interest in the subject over the last 30-40 years, white-collar crime has found greater prominence within criminology. Efforts over this period have however failed to produce a single satisfactory and agreed-upon definition, a consistent and coherent body of research, and a single theory which can account for all forms of white-collar crime. This thesis aims to address certain shortcomings in the current state of white-collar crime theory and understanding. Part 1) addresses the issues of both conceptual definition of white-collar crime and specific behaviours as proscribed within the Legislation. Part 2) examines current criminological theory and research on individual differences (arguably the biggest gap in current knowledge in the area of white-collar crime); it examines the origins and current state of offender profiling in crime prevention, before Part 3) presents original research on establishing offence-specific white-collar criminal profiles based on demographic, sociological, psychological, organisational and motivational factors. Part 4) examines why certain individuals may perpetrate certain crimes in certain situations, beginning with a review of those few white-collar crime specific theories that do exist, before reviewing traditional sociological theories and attempting to apply them to white-collar crime; finally in Part 5) a new conceptual framework for white-collar crime is presented, which is referred to as the theory of ‘Differential Assimilation’. I bring together each of these chapters and situate the thesis within current research and literature, summarising how it engages and contributes to the field of white-collar crime. I include suggestions for the practical application of certain white-collar crime prevention techniques within organisations. | <urn:uuid:0a1e5937-0a72-4c06-82ae-09c9eced66e0> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | https://www.era.lib.ed.ac.uk/handle/1842/10609 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280730.27/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00247-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.906399 | 370 | 1.851563 | 2 |
The US Department of Education has awarded a total of $8,610,632 in federal grants to 11 projects in Hawaii to support Native Hawaiian education.
Maui Now reports that the Hawaii Congressional Delegation announced the funding, and each county in Hawaii will have access to the grant money for projects including initiatives to improve academic achievement, strengthen early childhood literacy and readiness programs, assist homeless families, and foster mentorship and academic support programs.
Big Island Now reports that Rep. Tulsi Gubbard (D, 2nd District of Hawaii), a member of the four person congressional delegation, says that the funding to support Native Hawaiian education is an investment in the next generation of Native Hawaiians. She spoke of her recent travels across Hawaii where she visited with Hawaiians who had their lives changed by the Native Hawaiian Education Act’s projects. She believes that the preservation of the rich and unique culture, language, and values of the Native Hawaiian people will be strengthened by the funding.
“By providing support for Native Hawaiian education, we are making an investment in the next generation of Native Hawaiians,” said Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard in a joint press release announcement. “I recently traveled across Hawaʻi and visited with students, parents and teachers whose lives have been impacted greatly by the Native Hawaiian Education Act’s grants and programs.”
US Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) said the money will support the 11 programs and address the needs of Native Hawaiian students through the use of culturally relevant materials and curricula. He added that the people of Hawaii have already seen how a focus on Native Hawaiian education can increase student achievement.
“That’s why I am working to make sure we continue to make investments in Native Hawaiian education programs and give more students a better shot at success,” said Schatz.
Senator Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) agreed:
“Native Hawaiian traditions are a core part of our state’s identity and each new generation of students should have the opportunity to learn in a culturally-appropriate way. This funding ensures that organizations that provide Native Hawaiian focused learning programs have the resources they need to improve achievement of Native Hawaiian students, reach rural communities, and expand Hawaiian language and cultural education.”
The Asian American Press writes that Rep. Mark Takai (D, 1st District of Hawaii) believes the results of the funding will be, in part, that Hawaiian children are prepared to succeed in “today’s competitive environment.” He is anxious for students in under-served communities to be given every opportunity to expand their education opportunities.
“I would like to extend a warm mahalo to the U.S. Department of Education for recognizing the unique challenges that the Native Hawaiian community faces and for taking action to help address this situation.” said Takai.
The Hawaiian delegation has sponsored funding for the Native Hawaiian Education Act (NHEA) annually since 1988. This year, the delegation introduced the Native Hawaiian Education Reauthorization Act of 2015 (H.R. 895 and S. 464) to update the program to ensure it continues to support education for Native Hawaiian students. Language to reauthorize the NHEA is included in both H.R. 5, the Student Success Act, and S. 1177, the Every Child Achieves Act, which both reauthorize the larger No Child Left Behind education law, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. Both H.R. 5 and S. 1177 have passed the House and Senate and await reconciliation between the two bills. | <urn:uuid:730ced07-aa9a-442f-a251-7c0c923b784f> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.educationnews.org/education-policy-and-politics/native-hawaiian-education-programs-awarded-8-6-million/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280310.48/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00190-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955836 | 745 | 2.015625 | 2 |
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Not only did it kill hunger pangs, it also had a long history as a social grace. George looked at his picture staring deeply into its eyes. He studied the recesses of the face and lingered over each feature.
She shrank from the consequences of a literary fame, had none of George Sand's love of notoriety or desire to impress herself upon the world. It was her hope that George Eliot and Mrs. Lewes would lead distinct lives so far as either was known outside her own household; that the two should not be joined together even in the minds of her most ...
THE MARRIAGE CLINIC. A Scientifically-Based Marital Therapy. John M. Gottman, Ph.D. W.W. NORTON & COMPANY New York London A NORTON PROFESSIONAL BOOK. 2 In memoriam To my friend and colleague, NEIL JACOBSON. Noble Gadfly, dedicated to Truth, to accountable and effective marital therapy
The “Great Awakening” of the mid-eighteenth century, for example, be- gan in Britain and traveled to America in large part through the efforts of the English evangelist George Whitefield. American evangelists later carried religious ideas from the New World back to the Old. The Atlantic Context of Early American History
Well into the twentieth century, scholars proceeded as if, in Ernest Renan’s infamous phrase, Muhammad was “born in the full light of history.”6 Orientalists confidently claimed to distinguish a factual biographical core from the overlay of legend or the underpinning of political-sectarian bias.7 Alford Welch pronounced the Qur’an ...
Oddly, it sounds like Macon approves. Then again, he never did get along with his father. Not many people did. George Saint was a beast, and I learned early on to avoid him. “Well . . .” I drift off, unable to think of a thing to say. “Well,” Macon repeats as if agreeing. “Macon . . .” “Delilah.” My name is a singsong taunt. | <urn:uuid:ac030b0d-63c8-427a-8c1c-d1ef6fae8d01> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://search.yahoo.com/mobile/s?p=how+did+george+sand+paint+herself+as+a+martyr+in+history+definition&ei=UTF-8&norw=1&fr2=p%3As%2Cv%3Aw%2Cm%3Ars-bottom%2Cct%3Agossip&_tsrc=apple&b=29&pz=7&bct=0&xargs=0 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882570793.14/warc/CC-MAIN-20220808092125-20220808122125-00674.warc.gz | en | 0.964592 | 463 | 2.0625 | 2 |
MPL508 is an eight canal, laboratory LVDT meter working with any LVDT transducer of AC/AC group. The gauge is a free standing instrument, it consists of eight Eurocard standard canals, power supply and digital indicator. Like the rest devices made in Peltron MPL series meter has been designed “in house” by Pelron engineers. The gauge supplies transducers and convert transducers’ a/c output voltage to standard voltage signals (±10VDC, ±5VDC, 0÷10VDC, 0÷5VDC) or current signals (4÷20mA, 0÷20mA). The gauge is equipped in one, (altered) LED digital indicator 3,5 or 4,5 digit showing readout in both displacement or output signal units. Power supply 230VAC or 24VDC. The casing is a free standing type, aluminum, IP30. | <urn:uuid:acec8265-5176-4402-aff0-395d8a1ab5de> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://peltron.pl/en/produkty/lvdt-meter-mpl508/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571234.82/warc/CC-MAIN-20220811042804-20220811072804-00068.warc.gz | en | 0.848698 | 199 | 1.625 | 2 |
THE NATIONAL FAMILY CAREGIVER SUPPORT PROGRAM
Support programing outlined by Title III-E of the Older Americans Act provides services to help family caregivers to care for their loved ones at home for as long as possible. Services are available to adult family members who provide in-home and community care for a person age 60 or older or to grandparents age 55 or older who serve as caregivers for children 18 and younger.
FAMILY CAREGIVER PROGRAMS
Families are the major provider of long-term care, but research has shown that care-giving exacts a heavy emotional, physical and financial toll. Many experience conflicts between being a caregiver and work or other responsibilities. Often caregivers are over age 50. This makes them more vulnerable to a decline in their own health, and necessitates having excellent supports and strategies to support themselves while supporting their loved one.
When respite is needed to provide a break from the task of caring for a loved one the Area Agency on Aging is here to assist with service referrals to respite care providers and vouchers to help decrease the financial impact. Please reach out to your local Senior Coordinator to find out if this program is available for you and your family
SENIOR FAMILY ADVOCACY
Legal assistance is often needed with complicated elder caregiver matters such as medical advanced directives, power of Attorney, long term care, elder abuse, conservatorship, wills, estates, and probate., Additionally, special legal resources are needed for a family caregiver when the caregiver is a grandparent caring for a grandchild. Legal resources for these challenging family caregiver situations can be accessed through our Senior Coordinator, The Area Agency on Aging Office.
As a family caregiver there often comes a time when support is needed to negotiate the best interests and dignity of family members living in a Long-Term Care facility. Ombudsman educate the public about long-term care before there is a need to make a decision about nursing home care for themselves or a family member. They consult with families to help them choose the long-term care facility that best meets their needs.
Ombudsman work with residents, families, and staff of long-term care facilities to educate them about resident’s rights and quality of life issues. Ombudsman always ask the question “What does the resident want in this situation?” seeking to provide information and advocacy to meet the Long-Term Care Residents and their families desire for safety, dignity and quality of life.
Should you , as a family caregiver, have concerns about your loved one who lives in a Long-Term Care Residence or require information as your explore long-term care please contact our local Ombudsman for assistance.
GRANDPARENTS AS PARENTS
Grandparents are raising millions of children in this country. While extended families have always helped with child rearing, grandparents increasingly are becoming primary caretakers because their grandchildren have become neglected, abused, or abandoned due to parental neglect, drug abuse, imprisonment, mental illness, or a life threatening disease.
While raising a child is never easy in the best of circumstances, The NECALG Area Agency on Aging is here to support Grandparents raising Grandchildren with vouchers to assist with items such as school supplies or other pressing expenses.
Contact The Area Agency on Aging at 970 867-9409 to speak with us about your needs as a grandparent who is raising your grandchildren. | <urn:uuid:b691a9f3-9eb0-45ab-8325-af990e5f1ece> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.necalg.org/family-caregivers | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571097.39/warc/CC-MAIN-20220810010059-20220810040059-00266.warc.gz | en | 0.943921 | 710 | 1.515625 | 2 |
The International Criminal Court (ICC) is facing its toughest test in its short history as the first trial of a deputy head of state begins on Tuesday September 10. Kenya's deputy president, William Ruto, is due in the dock at The Hague that day, whereas his boss, President Uhuru Kenyatta, is due to be tried in a separate but related case that commences one month later.
The two trials come five years after the violent aftermath of a disputed election that pushed East Africa's biggest economy to the brink of civil war. Initial attempts to prosecute those most responsible for orchestrating the clashes in Kenya itself failed, and the ICC process has been dogged by delays and continual attempts by the country's political elite to derail the cases.
The latest of these came on Thursday, when Kenya's Parliament debated a resolution to remove the country from the list of signatories to the Rome statute that established the ICC. The debate was largely symbolic as any resolution would not be binding, nor would it affect the imminent proceedings.
Ruto and Kenyatta face related indictments accusing them of mobilising their respective communities against each other in 2007 and 2008 in a campaign of ethnic cleansing, theft and murder that left at least 1 500 people dead.
The accused have used the time since then to forge a canny political alliance that stirred up nationalist feeling in Kenya against the ICC and won them a narrow victory in broadly peaceful elections in March.
Their alliance also embarrassed Kenya's Western allies, who warned there would be consequences for the country's economy and international relations if voters chose the indicted duo. These threats have not materialised, which leaves the ICC looking somewhat isolated.
A third man, Joshua Arap Sang, a radio broadcaster, is also facing trial alongside Ruto. Some witnesses who were prepared to testify against Kenyatta and his deputy when they were merely ministers are unwilling to do so now that they run East Africa's biggest economy and its well-resourced intelligence service. The withdrawal of witnesses resulted in charges being dropped altogether against Francis Muthaura, the former head of the public service and a co-accused in the case against Kenyatta.
Nonetheless, international legal observers suggest the weakness of the prosecution's case has been overstated.
"We won't know until the evidence is tested in court what the strength of the case is," said Elizabeth Evenson, an international law expert with New York-based lobby group Human Rights Watch.
Partisan coverage in local media has helped to give the impression that the cases against the two leaders have been fatally weakened.
Victims' groups inside the country, who stand to receive compensation, complain that they are being warned against even watching the hearings on television.
Since the election, support in Kenya for the international tribunal has waned. Approval ratings for the tribunal that once ran at more than 70% have now sunk to 50%, roughly the same proportion of the country that voted for the accused.
"The spin has focused on the celebrity of the accused and not on the fact of the atrocities," said James Gondi, a lawyer and head of advocacy group Kenyans for Peace with Truth and Justice. "At last, the evidence will return to centre stage."
Ruto failed in his application to have the hearings moved from the Netherlands to Kenya or neighbouring Tanzania. A ruling is expected shortly on a similar appeal from Kenyatta. The defendants' attempts to rally support for dropping the prosecution at the United Nations Security Council came to nothing.
The African Union condemned the cases, but no African state has withdrawn from the Rome statute that establishes co-operation with the ICC.
Meanwhile, Ruto clearly intends to bring a circus of supporters with him to The Hague. About 100 Kenyan MPs will travel to the initial hearings with another 30 legislators to be flown in on rotation to each of the first two months of scheduled proceedings.
The one certainty with the ICC is that justice will not be swift. A panel of three judges will oversee the trials, with two of them presiding over both cases. This means that simultaneous hearings will not be possible. | <urn:uuid:cc2516c0-e369-4859-8422-c06976dd7388> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://mg.co.za/article/2013-09-06-00-kenyas-top-two-headed-for-icc-dock/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882570921.9/warc/CC-MAIN-20220809094531-20220809124531-00277.warc.gz | en | 0.970502 | 834 | 1.859375 | 2 |
Rangers in Garamba National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a UNESCO World Heritage site where the Lord's Resistance Army has aggressively poached elephants for funding. By Jonathan Hutson/Enough Project
Fueled by militant groups and controlled by organized crime, the illegal wildlife trade has grown into a $19 billion a year business worldwide. As rangers and authorities from South Africa to Vietnam struggle with underfunding, corruption, and violent opposition, the trade has expanded from a conservation concern into becoming a legitimate security threat for many countries. Is that realization what's required to invite comprehensive, international action?
There's clear evidence that militant and insurgent groups in Africa, including Joseph Kony's Lord's Resistance Army and al-Shabab, are funding their actions with ivory and rhino horn, and their aggressive tactics have decimated Africa's large mammals. Two-thirds of Africa's forest elephants have been poached in the last decade, the western black rhino was poached to extinction, and poaching of southern white rhinos has increased 5000 percent since 2007.
At the same time, rising demand for ivory and rhino horn in increasingly-affluent southeast Asian countries has made criminal groups powerful enough to be legitimately untouchable, while the corruption and bribe culture cultivated by the wildlife trade has cascaded into other damaging activities, such as the illegal logging that's robbing Laos of the value produced by its natural resources.
Let me put it in plain terms: Even if you don't give a hoot about existential threats to rapidly-disappearing animals and wild lands, wildlife trafficking has become too big, and too crime-ridden, to ignore.
The fact of the matter is that, with how politics has always worked, the wildlife trade is going to get more attention as a security concern than an environmental one. While traditional conservation and environmental crime groups have been discussing the horrors of the trade for years—and with elephants and rhinos being killed in record numbers year after year, the trade has indeed been an environmental crisis for a long time—the growing breadth of parties looking to combat the wildlife trade is telling.
Even if you don't give a hoot about existential threats to rapidly-disappearing animals and wild lands, wildlife trafficking has become too big, and too crime-ridden, to ignore.
For example, the World Bank announced earlier this year that it was concerned with the trade's human toll.
In a blog post, the World Bank's Valerie Hickey wrote, "Wildlife crime is leading to the proliferation of guns in exactly those areas that need less conflict, not more; it is providing money for corruption, in exactly those countries in which corruption has already stalled all pro-poor decision-making and doing business legitimately is already hard enough; and it is oiling the engine of crime and polluting efforts at good governance, democracy and transparency in exactly those communities that need more voice, not more silence."
That quote received prominent placement in a massive new report by the International Fund for Animal Warfare (IFAW) looking at the criminal side of the wildlife trade. As the report notes, the wildlife trade has become the fourth-largest illegal economy in the world, following only behind narcotics, counterfeiting, and human trafficking.
The drug trade is a good analog for much of the wildlife trade; richer consumers, rising demand, and incomplete enforcement efforts (caused largely by corruption and less by the sheer volume of product moving around, as is the case with narcotics) have sent prices skyrocketing.
A ranger in Chad looks over the carcass of an elephant killed by poachers. Armed with small arms like AK-47s, rangers in central Africa are regularly outgunned by militant groups dominating ivory poaching. Photo: Darren Potgieter/CITES/UNEP
That's why the wildlife trade is of concern to more people than simple animal lovers: Because it mirrors the drug trade so closely, it's fueling the same exact problems. Rising prices have attracted criminal elements from the world over, and the strongest have risen to the top, leaving a trail of human violence. More than 1,000 rangers in 35 countries were killed in the last 10 years, notes the IFAW report, and the untouchable wildlife kingpins in Asia are now nearing Pablo Escobar levels of power.
Considering that the wildlife trade now has many of the same social costs as the drug trade, when will there be a global response akin to the war on drugs? And would that even work?
In short, the groundwork has already been laid to develop heavier international enforcement efforts like those created in the drug war. In a landmark speech last November, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced that wildlife trafficking had become a priority for the State Department. Importantly, she noted that it's become more than an environmental issue, saying, "What’s more, we are increasingly seeing wildlife trafficking has serious implications for the security and prosperity of people around the world." She also pledged State Department funds to help develop a more robust international enforcement network.
Current Secretary of State John Kerry spoke to these problems last May while still a senator, saying, "The net effect of these depredations is more insecurity, more violence, and more corruption—not to mention the devastation of existing and potential opportunities for tourism and economic development—and ultimately the depredation with respect to the stability of whole regions."
It's important to point out that framing the wildlife problem as a national security issue doesn't diminish the environmental impact—the goal either way is to kill the trade, which means stopping poachers and vendors, as well as convincing southeast Asia's newly rich that rhino horn doesn't give you erections, and that ivory isn't a object of class and wealth.
Note that no one has thrown out the specter of terrorism—thank goodness—in discussing the trade, which is important. While the last 12 years may suggest otherwise, something being a national security concern does not mean that said concern requires military action. The destabilizing effects of the wildlife trade is of concern to American interests, but it's also clear that it remains largely a criminal issue, and the last thing the US needs to do is start drone strikes in central Africa under the guise of protecting elephants.
Now, there's one enormously obvious problem with the US and allies ramping up enforcement action to mirror what drug enforcement agencies are currently doing: the global drug war remains a failure, and the efforts of the US and others in trying to stop that trade has become a geopolitical minefield. Do we really want to spend the time, money, and political capital to help developing countries crack down on their own leaky borders?
There's one major difference between the drug and wildlife trades, however, that makes enforcement of the latter possible: While the supply of narcotics is essentially unlimited, due to the ease of their growth and production, the supply of wildlife products is not. So while it's easy for anyone to cook meth—which thus making killing the meth market impossible—it's a hell of a lot harder for someone to grow a rhino and take its horn.
The Philippines recently destroyed its five ton stock of legal pre-ban ivory, which is a huge move towards clearing up any questions about legality of ivory in the country.
The supply of elephants, rhinos, tigers, pangolins, and everything else is rapidly dwindling (which is the entire point, of course), which makes protecting what's left an easier proposition.
For example, stopping the rhino horn trade is comparatively simpler than, say, stopping people from moving cocaine around the world. There are three main problems right now: There aren't enough rangers to protect rhinos in South Africa, corruption in southeast Asia means horns are easy to traffic, and legal loopholes, such as those regarding antiquities, mean not every horn is illegal, hampering authorities' ability to crack down on items they may find.
But those problems, compared to the diffuse nature of the drug trade, can be directly combated. Increased support for rangers on the source side, and more international pressure on the sale side, could go a long way towards cutting back on the already-small supply of key wildlife products out there. On top of that, clearing up the ridiculously convoluted semi-legal status of ivory, rhino horn, and tiger products—something the UN could truly pressure China and others on—would make enforcement even more effective.
Imagine if heroin was legal if it was older than 100 years—oh, and that you couldn't actually guess its age by looking at it—and that it was sort-of legal in countries that had a pre-ban supply and illegal in others. That's the state of the wildlife trade right now, and it's only going to change with coordinated international pressure.
While strides have been made recently through traditionally environmental channels—especially via this year's CITES conference, during which Thailand announced it would ban its legal ivory trade—the next level of diplomatic action will most likely only happen if the trade is given higher priority as a national security issue. I think it's clear that such a massive trade network is a threat to American interests. The good news is that the US State Department and other politically-powerful entities are increasingly admitting as such, which offers hope that protectors of our disappearing wildlife will get the support they need. | <urn:uuid:a95c9ed8-d0fd-446e-a37e-76155989bf65> | CC-MAIN-2016-44 | http://motherboard.vice.com/blog/wildlife-trafficking-is-a-national-security-issue | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-44/segments/1476988719468.5/warc/CC-MAIN-20161020183839-00530-ip-10-171-6-4.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963223 | 1,911 | 2.265625 | 2 |
Letter from an unknown woman to Manuel de Bolea, pseudonym of Jaime Manobel, priest.
The author explains to Jaime Manobel what she and other friends of him are doing to help him, and asks him to send back a mule which is being reclaimed by her owner.
The accused in this process was Jaime Manobel, priest. In 1590 he was accused of sorcery by the Inquisition Tribunal of Toledo, because he was trying to cure Francisco Leal (a young carpenter) from impotency by means of a spell. While he was imprisoned in the jail of San Lorenzo de El Escorial he received letters in which he was called with the pseudonym of Manuel de Bolea. These letters were seized afterwards, when he was moved to the jail of the Inquisition Tribunal in Toledo. Eventually, he was condemned to abjure «de levi», he was suspended from his orders and he was banished from the district of Toledo for two years. | <urn:uuid:5c02c841-eece-469b-888e-8fd04934d360> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | http://teitok.clul.ul.pt/postscriptum/es/index.php?action=psdx&cid=Revistas/ModernizadasTeitok/anotadas_ES/PSCR6060.xml&tpl=translation | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573699.52/warc/CC-MAIN-20220819131019-20220819161019-00270.warc.gz | en | 0.958452 | 397 | 1.867188 | 2 |
Clean air zones could price 500,000 drivers off the road
Up to half a million drivers in major UK cities could be “priced off the road” this year by charges for clean air zones, according to new analysis.
The AA says that many people who rely on their cars for essential trips are at risk of being forced off the road by regulations aimed at cutting urban air pollution.
Its president, Edmund King, warned that lockdown was likely to make matters worse as people turn to private vehicles in an effort to avoid public transport.
Clean air or low emissions zones are urban areas where drivers of older, more polluting vehicles face daily charges for entering or using the road.
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In London owners of pre-Euro 4 petrol or pre-Euro 6 diesel cars have to pay £12.50 per day to use their cars within its ULEZ, which currently covers the same parts of the city as the Congestion Charge. This applies to those who live within the zone and drivers travelling into it.
From October, the London ULEZ will be expanded to cover the whole of London within the North and South Circular Roads.
Also this year, Birmingham is to introduce its own clean air zone where drivers will be charged £8 per day if their cars don’t meet minimum emissions standards.
The AA estimates that there are currently between 250,000 and 300,000 non-compliant vehicles in London’s ULEZ and the expansion of the zone will add another 100,000 to this. A similar number of vehicles in Birmingham will be affected when its clean air zone comes into effect on 1 June, meaning drivers of up to 500,000 non-complaint vehicles face paying steep daily charges or being forced to abandon their car.
Other UK cities including Edinburgh, Glasgow, Bath and Bristol are also considering their own low-emissions zones, raising the prospect of millions of drivers being priced off the roads.
Edmund King, AA president, commented: "Millions of drivers in London will find themselves on the wrong side of the road when the Ulez scheme is expanded.
"There is a very real risk that many people who rely on their car for essential journeys will be priced off the road.
"With the whole country back in lockdown, this is likely to have an even bigger impact than previously thought as more people will be trying to avoid public transport by using private cars."
Euro 4 and Euro 6 are standards designed to limit the maximum tailpipe emissions of cars and other vehicles. All petrol cars registered from 1 January 2006 are Euro 4 compliant while most diesel registered from 1 September 2015 are Euro 6. Some diesels built before that date but not registered until later (up to September 2016) may still have a Euro 5 engine. This can be checked with the manufacturer. | <urn:uuid:177a5388-3467-4404-8825-886d5f6315c8> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.banburyguardian.co.uk/lifestyle/cars/clean-air-zones-could-price-500000-drivers-off-the-road-3131291 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573172.64/warc/CC-MAIN-20220818063910-20220818093910-00270.warc.gz | en | 0.957861 | 690 | 1.859375 | 2 |
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Business 101: Structuring your Business
Once you have decided to start a business, you will then need to set yourself up for success. An important part of the equation is determining your business structure.
Business 101: Registering your Business
Once you have decided to start a business you will then need to set yourself up for success. This includes elements such as identifying the right structure, naming your business, setting up a financial system and filing for appropriate permits.
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Gluten has been receiving significant amount of negative media attention over the past several years. Inspiring some concerns centered on its consumption but is this basic grain protein really a negative nutrient or is it simply getting a bad rap?
Box Jump Training
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Advanced Training Systems
Training systems have long been used to exploit specific adaptations for strength, power, mass and metabolic enhancements. This course walks you through the individual systems, identifying specific benefit and programmatic factors that make them work. | <urn:uuid:64083851-0eb5-425c-98c5-64dc8b325f3d> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://ncsf.org/recertify/ceu-courses | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573172.64/warc/CC-MAIN-20220818063910-20220818093910-00275.warc.gz | en | 0.925142 | 806 | 1.890625 | 2 |
Why It's Every Person's Responsibility to Stand Up to Racism
I'd already learned English from a summer's worth of television and, thanks to Sesame Street, some Spanish, too. Neither language helped me comprehend the hate and derision the other children instantly felt toward me. Their faces and laughter taught me that lesson. Their epithets were powerful punches to my face and body.
When I first came home in tears, my parents, both fluent in English, knew exactly what the slurs meant. But they were newly displaced, too, and discombobulated, and demoralized by their sudden inability to protect me. What they offered was undoubtedly true but of little solace: "Those children are ignorant. They just don't know any better." So, in school, I learned to protect myself by becoming mute. I still have my report card with the D− in "oral communication."
I long ago chose not to have children, but it took me years to trace my decision back to the North Carolina state line. When I share my memories of being bullied and how those long-ago experiences have affected my adult life, the person I'm talking to will inevitably stop me to commiserate: "Oh, honey, children are the cruelest. We were all called names growing up."
The first point isn't true. I've never met a child as cruel and cunning as an adult. The second point is more complicated. Yes, other children were also subjected to name-calling, perhaps even related to their body and appearance (Four Eyes, Metal Mouth, Fatso). But that doesn't lessen the specific hurt of being singled out for your race or ethnicity. Whether the speaker intends to or not, her point that we all share a common hurt ignores context, ignores history, and refuses to see me for who I am.
I've often asked myself how my parents could have comforted me. Maybe they could have said they knew how much it hurt to be mocked, that in my place, they too would cry. But this might be the wrong question. The responsibility to protect me belonged to every adult in that small town. They failed to model kindness. They failed to impart empathy. They exposed their children to the grotesque language of bigotry. They failed their children, and they failed me.
I can't look inside anyone's heart and see why it expands toward some people and contracts against others, so I can't presume to offer a how-to for compassion. That necessary work is for each of us to do for all the children in our lives. Not just our own.
Want more stories like this delivered to your inbox? Sign up for the Oprah.com Inspiration Newsletter! | <urn:uuid:d93b88c8-ba3f-4cd1-ab6f-141d184e452e> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.oprah.com/inspiration/vietnamese-refugee-on-racism | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573104.24/warc/CC-MAIN-20220817183340-20220817213340-00471.warc.gz | en | 0.984299 | 551 | 2.40625 | 2 |
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