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Our children are bombarded by every form of secular media. From social media to video games, to TV on demand and the internet, every possible distraction is delivered up except for what they really need and long for — engaging and culturally relevant Christian media. The unreached people groups of the world are mostly made up of those who cannot read or comprehend the printed page. They are starved for visual content that reveals God’s truth. The most effective way to reach them is proven — engaging and culturally relevant Christian media. From our families to the field, RevelationMedia is at the forefront of delivering engaging and culturally relevant animated films. Films that promote Biblical literacy, discipleship and world evangelism. Films that are ALWAYS free to the missionary and to those who support our work. In his epic allegory The Pilgrim’s Progress, John Bunyan wrote of Christian, his main character: One here will constant be, Come wind, come weather There’s no discouragement Shall make him once relent His first avowed intent To be a pilgrim. Once required reading in schools, the 1678 classic is said to be the second most read book in the world, surpassed only by the Bible. But today, fewer and fewer people are familiar with the story. Steve Cleary, founder and CEO of RevelationMedia, is on a quest to reverse that trend. He wants to see the beloved classic once again embraced by Christians worldwide. That’s why Cleary, in partnership with AFA, has produced an animated version of The Pilgrim’s Progress that he hopes will be used in mission work across the globe. Cleary has a broad range of experience in Christian media. He recently spoke with AFA Journal about his new version of The Pilgrim’s Progress. AFA Journal: Besides The Pilgrim’s Progress, what have you worked on? Steve Cleary: I am one of the founders of Cat in the Mill Studio in Costa Rica. We are partners on the Torchlighters series for Vision Video and Christian History Institute. I also played a role in the creation of AFA’s feature film Summer Snow and the Ryan Defrates cartoon series. Recently, I completed a docudrama titled Tortured for Christ for the Voice of the Martyrs. Pilgrim’s Progress Vanity Fair Clip AFAJ: What inspired you to focus on Christian media? SC: Thirty-eight years ago, Campus Crusade (now Cru) created the Jesus Film Project. Millions of people worldwide have watched that film, and many are still watching it. But kids and teenagers see it as something their parents and grandparents watched. I believe it is time for something new. What’s interesting about that aspect is that Americans can see a new Christian movie every two weeks, but most of them do not make their way to the mission field or are not appropriate for the front lines of mission work. We get plenty of new movies here in the U.S., but missionaries get the crumbs. Giant Despair Scene AFAJ: What do you mean by “not appropriate?” SC: I don’t mean these movies are bad, I mean some are culturally inappropriate. For example, Mom’s Night Out is a good movie, but no one is going to show that in a Syrian refugee camp, because moms there don’t get nights off. They live in tents and are just trying to keep their kids alive. On the other hand, The Pilgrim’s Progress is a story for every Christian in all places and all times. It exists in a world of its own while revealing profound biblical truths. That’s why its appeal has been universal. I might add that although the story is animated, it is for adults and children. It is a common misconception that animation is automatically for kids. The Pilgrim’s Progress is aimed at families and, in general, is recommended for ages eight and over. We chose to animate our version because the story translates more effectively to that format than to other kinds of media. AFAJ: There are many great stories you could have animated. Why did you choose The Pilgrim’s Progress? SC: The Pilgrim’s Progress was written 370 years ago by a pastor in prison who was experiencing persecution for his faith. Christians across the globe can relate to it regardless of the level of trials or persecution they are enduring. In times past, it was read by nearly everyone, but we have an upcoming generation for whom the story is completely unfamiliar. They’ve never heard of the character named Christian. They don’t know about Apollyon the dragon, or about Faithful and his sacrifice. AFAJ: How close are you sticking to Bunyan’s original story and language? SC: If we tried to do the full story scene for scene, it would be over 20 hours long. We are condensing it to a normal, feature-length film. However, we’ve tried to stay as close to the original story as possible. Some of the language has been updated for modern viewers. We have maintained the characters’ names as well as the various locations in AFAJ: How will you make it free to missionaries? SC: Anyone doing the work of missions can contact RevelationMedia. We will send them the movie with permission to show it as many times as they like for free. Consider this: Homeless shelters can’t show movies because they can’t afford the licensing fees, but they will be able to show The Pilgrim’s Progress. The same goes for ministries working in inner cities or refugee camps. We are not waiting until we sell 100,000 DVDs before we make the movie available for free to these ministries. It will be available to them the same day it is available to anyone for purchase. Our goals for the film include translating it for mission work across the world. Right now we have the support to translate it into 20 languages. Our ultimate goal is 100 languages. That will reach over 90% of the world’s population. AFAJ: Tell me about the StoryBox. SC: For ministries that have no means to show the movie, RevelationMedia is currently developing a portable projection system called the StoryBox. It can turn any room or village church into a theater. Everything needed comes in a weatherproof box that contains an iPad with a projection system, a full sound system, and a wrinkle-free screen. Everything is powered by rechargeable batteries that can run for 20 hours on a single charge. So whether the mission front line is inside a homeless shelter or a refugee camp, missionaries can show The Pilgrim’s Progress or any other digital media we put on the iPad. It is an incredible tool. AFAJ: When will The Pilgrim’s Progress and the StoryBox be in the hands of missionaries? SC: The Pilgrim’s Progress will be released in some 700 selected theaters on April 18 and 20. The film will also immediately be available to the mission field. The StoryBox is still in development, but we have five working prototypes. Our plans are to begin distribution of the StoryBox later this year. Classic story coming for Easter The Pilgrim’s Progress will debut during Holy Week in theaters across the U.S. for two nights only, April 18 and April 20. It will simultaneously be offered to the global missions community, and It will be available at afastore.net or 877-927-4917. Producer Steve Clearly has partnered with the AFA online store on other video projects such as the Ryan Defrates series and the feature movie Summer Snow. Learn more at revelationmedia.com.
The Civil War monument on Baker Street in Patchogue Village is collapsing, and officials are doing what they can to restore the historic keepsake. The monument, depicting a soldier gripping a long rifle, was erected in 1870 and is etched with 180 names representing former residents who risked their lives during the conflict. Village officials last week approved a measure making the structure the first addition to its long-standing historic registry. Village Trustee Susan Brinkman, who spearheaded the initiative in November, said the designation was deserved. “It’s an amazing piece of our history,” she said. But while officials contend the monument is something to be proud of, the structure has fallen into disrepair over the years, likely due to the brittle material from which it’s made, experts say. The base of the white, bronze zinc statue has begun cracking, and the soldier is leaning backward, currently held up with the help of a steel ladder. Village officials said restoration costs are about $60,000, more than half of which has been raised through donations. Civil War veteran Edwin Bailey of Patchogue created the sculpture, which was originally placed in front of what was then Patchogue High School at Academy Street and South Ocean Avenue, village officials said. It was relocated to the front of the American Legion Hall in the 1920s. Patchogue-based Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, a group of Civil War descendants who conduct research and re-enactments of the conflict, is raising money for repairs. “The creation of this landmark status is instrumental in the fundraising efforts of our historic Civil War monument,” Thomas Badamo, a member of the group, wrote in a letter to village officials. “All around us history is being destroyed.” “This monument, as well as our historic cemeteries, are in many cases the only link we have to that past,” he added. Zinc sculptures weren’t made in the United States until the 1850s, but became popular for the remainder of the century, experts say. They reflected cultural history during the 19th century in small towns and were customized to mirror battles of war, according to “Zinc Sculpture in America 1850-1950” by Carol A. Grissom of the Smithsonian Institution. “While urban centers had sources of revenue enabling erection of expensive bronze monuments, small communities throughout the country could afford zinc statues purchased from trade catalogues and shipped by railroad,” wrote Grissom, one of the nation’s authorities on statues. Village Mayor Paul Pontieri said the historic designation allows for officials to request state and federal grants to assist in restoring the monument and protects it from being removed or changed without permission. “It’s been part of this community for over 130 years; it needs to be protected,” Pontieri said. He added that many village streets such as Smith, Mott and Conklin are named after soldiers whose names are engraved on the statue. “Their relatives are still here,” Pontieri said. Those listed on the monument fought in New Orleans and Atlanta during the war, officials said. For more information on the monument, call 631-569-1076.
Clip \| Heat Clip: Special \| 5m 37s \| Video has closed captioning. The human body has natural systems to regulate heat. But as temperatures rise, can we adapt? Few people feel the heat like football players in Florida. We hear firsthand accounts of climate change from the football team at the University of South Florida. We also explore the science behind heat exhaustion and recovery. Problems Playing Video? \| Closed Captioning
Dutch painter Titus de Jong ( 24-03-1957) has been fascinated by the Far East, and specially by Far Eastern painting, from an early age. Living in Wageningen in the eighties he is fortunate that Japanese artist Eiko Kondo is giving classes in this small town. She teaches him the basics of sumi-e, in the following years he further develops himself. Since 1997 he works as a semi=professional artist, frequently taking part in exhibitions and giving workshops. His main subject is nature; with sumi-e technique he tries to make visible the vitality and calmness he senses in nature. The art of sumi-e lies in using a few brushstrokes to (re-)create a whole world. Giving an impression rather than a perfect copy. The nature of the materials used asks for a resolute spontaneous way of painting. The paper is very absorbing so, to create a clear line, it is necessary to work quickly. Before the brush touches the paper you have to know what you're going to do; hesitation results in blurry lines. This knowing beforehand can be the result of an image growing inside; the actual painting is not unlike a tree shedding its leaf.
Lakes of Maine Search information about a lake in Maine. Are you interested in learning more about Maine’s beautiful lakes? If so, you must visit www.lakesofmaine.org, the most comprehensive source of online information about Maine’s lakes, including . . . maps, charts, scientific data, photos, and more. This is the go-to website for anyone who is planning to visit a Maine lake, with a need to know anything about that lake’s size, depth, water quality, fish, etc. Check it out! Both full-time residents, and hundreds of thousands of visitors who spend their summers here, greatly value the pristine lakes that characterize the Maine experience. For more than 45 years, Lake Stewards of Maine has worked with thousands of conservation-minded people who volunteer their time to monitor the water quality of “their” lakes, and screen them for aquatic invaders. For more information, visit: https://www.lakestewardsofmaine.org/ 24 Maple Hill Rd Auburn, Maine 04210 - Phone 2077837733 - Website www.lakestewardsofmaine.org
Attracting an adventure pool, playground or maybe a mini zoo? Here we have collected our best tips for the active family - activities all year round, both outdoors and indoors. Explore the exhibitions at Umeå's museums Umeå for children Fun activities during Easter Easter is a sign of longer, warmer and brighter days. A time to fill with fun excursions and activities. Here are our best suggestions on what to do during Easter! Welcome to Umeå's new science center, an exciting place for young and old who want to experience and explore science and technology. There is room for curious questions in science and technology for all ages. Interactive experiences, events and exciting experience kits in the shop for fun adventures with the family. Open in the evenings on Wednesdays Make a visit after school or work, Wednesdays from 4-7 p.m. Join us on exciting film adventures in the dome theater, create in the Makerspace, play games and explore our exhibitions. Free admission for anyone under the age of 20. A fun place for the whole family, offers a wide range of activities for swimming, exercise and relaxation. The adventure area has water slides, a stream channel and a climbing wall. Navet is in the city centre of Umeå. Family-friendly museum that depicts the county's cultural history in exhibitions, program activities, art, textiles and documentary photography. The museum has a studio for young and old, a well-stocked museum shop and a cosy café. Various activities for family and friends, such as Laserdome, Prison Island and Phazerzone. There is also a billiards and games room. Slides, climbing walls, trampolines, a mini sports arena and much more is what you can find in this indoor playground. Your selected filters:
Impaired systemic production of prostaglandin E2 in children with cerebral malaria. Additional Document Info Prostaglandins (PGs) are important mediators of macrophage activity, vascular permeability, fever, erythropoiesis, and proinflammatory responses to infection. Our recent studies have shown that plasma levels of bicyclo-PGE2 (a stable end product of PGE2 metabolism) and leukocyte cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 gene expression are suppressed in children with malarial anemia. Since the role of PGs as immunomodulators of human cerebral malaria (CM) has not been examined, we investigated urinary levels of bicyclo-PGE2/creatinine in children with varying clinical outcomes of CM. Among parasitemic children, those with asymptomatic parasitemia had the highest levels of bicyclo-PGE2/creatinine, whereas those with CM had significantly lower levels of bicyclo-PGE2. Systemic levels of bicyclo-PGE2/creatinine were not significantly associated with parasitemia, hemoglobin levels, or levels of the PG-regulatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor- alpha but were positively correlated with levels of interleukin-10. The results presented here show that impaired systemic production of PGE2 is associated with adverse outcomes of CM, whereas elevated levels of PGE2 in asymptomatic parasitemia suggest a potential role for PGs in protective immunity.
Sohee Park, Ph.D. Gertrude Conaway Vanderbilt Professor of Psychology; Professor of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences and Medicine, Health & Society Overview of Interests Dr. Park’s main research interests lie in elucidating neural bases of anomalous cognitive, affective and social behavior in people with schizophrenia and individuals at risk for psychosis. She utilizes behavioral, neuroimaging, psychophysiological and pharmacological methods to understand normal and abnormal experiences that characterize psychosis. She has studied abnormalities in working memory, attention, affect and social cognition in schizophrenia and related conditions for more than two decades. This line of work has contributed significantly towards elucidating neurocognitive basis for social impairments in schizophrenia. For example, she has shown that working memory is needed for mental simulation of actions of others, which lie at the heart of social cognitive processes, and that simulation ability is impaired in schizophrenia. Thus, the ability to manipulate, maintain and use mental representations to guide behavior may be compromised in schizophrenia. This suggests a possible route for remediation. Simulation exercises via virtual reality (VR) are low-stress, and enjoyable means to improve targeted behavior. The notion that it is possible to change brain function by non-invasive behavioral exercises is gaining momentum. Park’s lab has worked on a neuroplasticity-based cognitive training study of survivors of brain cancer in collaboration with the Compas Lab, and found that frontal cortical dysfunctions can be normalized with a computerized brain-training program. Two decades of research on the key components of social cognitive deficits in schizophrenia and more recent work on computerized brain training programs motivate new projects that focus on intervention. Current projects include an intervention study that capitalizes on the recent advances in emotion-sensing VR technology to train social skills in schizophrenia patients and determine if VR training leads to better social attention which in turn may lead to better social outcome using, multiple measures. This approach exemplifies interdisciplinary research that is focused on developing effective and high-compliance intervention method for social cognitive deficits.
Over the past few months, there have been a series of petitions concerning drug reform in the UK. One petition in particular, to make the production, use and sale of cannabis legal, rapidly reached over ten thousand online signatures. The petition proved to be incredibly popular, attracting lots of attention from the media, and helped bring the issue of drug law reform to a wider audience among the UK public. Building on this success, young activist Jacob Barrow launched a petition proposing to reschedule cannabis. If successful, rescheduling would make it easier to conduct research into the medicinal qualities of cannabis, and may lead to cannabis products becoming available for medicinal use. In a testament to the recent attention raised around drug law reform, the Government swiftly issued a response to Jacob’s petition, reiterating their policy that ‘Cannabis in its raw form… (does not have) any medicinal purposes…’ Dissatisfied with the Government’s reasoning, Jacob wrote to VolteFace, expanding upon his own reasons for starting the petition: I launched the petition as the UK, Ireland and France are the only nations in Europe that fail to identify the therapeutic benefits of herbal cannabis. I was diagnosed with Chronic and Neuropathic pain eight years ago, leaving me the challenge of finding the safest and most effective medicine. After years of researching, testing and comparing my own experiences I have found that herbal cannabis in its floral form is by far the most effective option for me. Under specialist guidance I trialled Sativex, a cannabis oil spray, but had to stop soon after starting as it did little to relieve my discomfort. The Government have allowed GW Pharmaceuticals to develop medicinal cannabis products, some of which are developed from high THC strains – ideal for treating of Chronic and Neuropathic pain conditions. However, none of these products have been made available thus far. I was lucky enough to have the chance to visit the Netherlands to test the Jack Herer cannabis strains, upon which Bedrocan, a herbal cannabis strain developed for medicinal use, is based. I found these high-THC strains incredibly effective for pain relief, similar to the THC varieties I rely upon in the UK. Within minutes of use, the Jack Herer strains, cleared all my symptoms: no pain, no spasms, I felt happy and focused. It disappointed me that the petition committee decided to consult the Home Office, rather than the Department of Health, as I believe that they would be far better suited to address this matter. In their response, the Home Office failed to cite any scientific evidence to support their claim that cannabis ‘is harmful and can damage human health’. If the Uk Government were to look to Israel, they would find that anecdotal evidence has developed into legitimate scientific findings in support of medicinal cannabis. I want to ask the UK Government if they will allow me the opportunity to relieve my symptoms with clinically regulated herbal cannabis from Bedrocan. This is a medication that has been proven to be safe and effective, and is easily importable from mainland Europe. I also wonder why the NHS, Home Office and Department of Health are comfortable with my having to use opiate based medicine, which makes me feel mentally and physically ill (and indeed exacerbates my symptoms), while herbal cannabis, which helps relive my symptoms, remains a Schedule One substance. Having to produce my own medication leads puts me in a difficult position, and puts me under considerable additional mental strain, not to mention the huge costs. If I were to be prescribed Bedrocan, then a large physical and mental weight would be lifted, and I would be able to keep the symptoms of my condition at bay, without fear of additional stress and illness. I want to be able to rely upon my national healthcare system, to be able to collect my medication knowing that it has been rigorously tested during its development, to know that it will have a high enough THC content that will let me live my life comfortably without fear of my symptoms flaring up and putting me in hospital. The right strains of cannabis have kept me out of hospital, out of bed and away from sickness. To know that Bedrocan, which has successfully treated thousands upon thousands of patients in Europe with conditions similar to mine, is less than 400 miles away, is deeply saddening, and leaves lacking trust in the healthcare system of my home country. If the UK Government will not reschedule cannabis then I must make a desperate plea that they immediately allow the importation and prescription of the medical varieties available from Bedrocan so that I, and thousands of others like me (many of whom are forced to rely upon the black market for their medication), can have access to a medication that works without making me a criminal. Jacob Lawrence Barrow
City of Casper: Don’t Flush Wipes In the midst of a toilet paper shortage, the City of Casper is urging residents not to flush "toilet paper alternatives” even if their packaging claims they are flushable. Non-flushable items include hygiene wipes, baby wipes, napkins, facial tissue and paper towels. “Despite some packaging claims of being flushable, these items must be thrown away in the trash,” Krista Johnson, Casper sanitary sewer and the stormwater manager said in a news release Friday. Lines can back up into homes and cause public health issues and property losses, Johnston said. “It is important that this shortage of toilet paper does not create another public health issue for our community." There would be no definitive timeline for sewers to be cleaned out and service restored should they back up. Homeowners and renters insurance doesn't always cover such property losses.
[WAttention X FIELDS Research Institute] Explore the fascinating world of Japan’s subcultures with insights from the inside Interview with David OReilly and Caleb Wood Japanese anime, manga and video games have great followings in the west, but how do western creators look at such Japanese contents? At GEORAMA 2016 – an animation festival held mainly in Shibuya and Koenji from February 2 to 23 – animated films from throughout the world were brought together. WAttention was on site, and had the chance to interview two worldwide acclaimed artists, David OReilly and Caleb Wood. David OReilly is a self-taught Irish 3D animation film maker and game developer based in Los Angeles. At the festival, his short films “Please Say Something”, “External World” and “THE HORSE RAISED BY SPHERES” were shown in Japanese cinema. Many of his works capture modern pop culture in a satirical way, but also have something genuine and emotional about them. He is also responsible for animating a scene in “her”, the 2013 movie directed by Spike Jonze. In 2014, OReilly created “Mountain”, a game best described as a mountain simulator. This was his first achievement as an independent game developer. Caleb Wood is an independent American animation artist based in New York. After graduating from Rhode Island School of Design in 2011, he has been active as a freelance animation artist. “Little Wild”, “Totem” and “Goodbye Rabbit, Hop Hop” are some of his best known works. His works are abstract and generally have no narrative. It is the animation itself, the movement and the sound that tell the story. At GEORAMA 2016, he drew a live animation by painting on a wall, a unique method not seen before. Japan, a country of contrasts WAttention: What are your impressions of Japan? Caleb Wood: My first visit in 2013 was a transition to a totally different culture. I was here for JAPIC AAIR, a residency program in Tokyo for foreign animation artists. I had three months to stay in Tokyo and made a film. During my stay, I visited Yoyogi Park every day and would just sit down and draw. “Goodbye Rabbit, Hop Hop” is the short film I made in this period. It incorporates the experience of getting out of the city and being enclosed by nature. I wanted to express the freedom you feel when entering the park. I also recorded the sounds here. Some of it is very urban and industrial, while the more natural sounds were recorded in Yoyogi Park. Caleb Wood: I have really fond memories of staying in Tokyo, and coming back here now 3 years later feels like coming back to an old house. There’s definitely a lot of nostalgia to it for me. WAttention: How about you, David? There are many things I find inspiring here. Japan is a country of contrasts. There is a different way of looking at the world here, probably because it is an island. Island cultures tend to have their own unique eco-systems of culture. The first thing I really loved about Japan was the psychedelic music of the seventies. J.A Seazer for example, made a lot of incredible compositions. He was also responsible for a lot of music in the films of director Shuji Terayama. It was truly a revolutionary art movement at the time, and it was amazing to see how much emotion they put in their work. It has aggression and beauty at the same time, and is a great example of the contrasts that exist in Japanese culture. The people here are very polite and reserved, yet produce very extreme and strong culture. WAttention: Do you feel that this is because the society here can be very strict? That the Japanese have a stronger will to put their emotion into their creations as they aren’t allowed to do so in everyday life? David OReilly: Yes, I think so. Everybody is human and there are always going to be emotions escaping somehow. The people here are generally less extraverted than in the west, but what they want to say is often expressed in their art. It is very easy to say that for example the Soviet Union was evil and bad, but at the same time, it did produce Tarkovsky, one of the greatest artists of the last century. The sense of timing in Japanese anime WAttention: What do you think about Japanese anime? Caleb Wood: I find the sense of timing very interesting. American animations have all become very similar to each other. People expect the same thing regarding how stories are told and how scenes should be animated. Japanese animation feels more unfamiliar and opens the mind. This is especially so for independent work, but even the bigger works – say Ghibli Studios – also have their own specific timing. WAttention: We feel that the movement and sound in your works, especially “Little Wild”, have things in common with Ghibli Studios. Were you influenced by them? Caleb Wood: Not the background scenery or story, but definitely the movement. A Japanese animator I especially respect is Shinya Ohira. He is a freelance animator that does scenes for many major Japanese animation studios. If there is a scene in a Japanese anime you find especially spectacular, there’s a pretty big chance it was done by him. Wattention: Are there any other Japanese animators or directors you like? Caleb Wood: Although very different from my own approach, I think that the editing of Satoshi Kon, the director of “Millennium Actress” and “Paprika” is amazing. His works are really more like film than animation. Japanese games, looking forward and backward WAttention: How about other mediums than animation. David, you developed “Mountain”, an indie game in 2014. Are there any Japanese video games you grew up with? David OReilly: Definitely. Growing up playing Japanese video games and at the same time watching old cartoons, reading comics and watching European and Asian cinema are the biggest components of influences for my works. Although I was not allowed to play that many video games, I endlessly played Super Mario Land on the Gameboy in my early years. When Final Fantasy VII came out, I was about 12, and the game totally got into my imagination. It was a huge leap of technology back then. WAttention: What are you expecting from the upcoming Final Fantasy VII remake? David OReilly: It’s a really unusual time in culture where classics are constantly being remade. As a creator you always want to go to the source and see what the magic is. I will definitely play the remake because it will be a chance to revisit my childhood. That being said, I cannot think of a remake that is better than the original. When something original is made, it has a quantity of experimentation going on and looks forward, while a remake is obviously a process of looking back. It required a Japanese mind to make the purest thing WAttention: Are there any more recent Japanese games you enjoy playing? David OReilly: Dark Souls is one of my favorite series today. When I first played it, I totally hated it. It was way too masochistic and unbelievably hard. But once I understood how the game develops it took over my head. It’s a very pure game experience that makes you feel like you are in a dream. The feeling, the tone, how the characters interact is mindless and possessed in a zombie like way. The world looks realistic, but it is so abstract. It gave me a feeling I have never felt before. The environment is what you are experiencing, much more so than the narrative. The game is a western RPG, but it required a Japanese mind to make the purest thing. It is very interesting to see how Japanese creators absorb ideas from other cultures. Also, just by playing the first few hours of Metal Gear Solid V made me feel like there’s no reason to ever make an action movie again. The game does everything an action movie does, only 10 times better! Dancing and experimenting WAttention: I would like to end this interview by talking a bit about how the two of you work. What is most important for you as an artist? Caleb Wood: When creating, there’s not something in specific I’m conscious about. I don’t really have a plan either. I just let the drawings become what they want to become and do what the animations tell me. It’s kind of like dancing. The narrative comes naturally through the movement. David OReilly: When I try to make something, I want to do something new and see where it goes. We tend to be amazed and inspired by new things and they change the way we see the world. If I do a new project, it’s always because I want to learn something new and grow my technical knowledge. To make a project interesting I have to learn new things. Doing new things is always risky, but without it a project is not as exciting. WAttention: Thank you both for your time! This article was written with the assistance of Fields Research Institute, which conducts research in entertainment.
Having time to relax is something we should all have however most people seem to not take time for themselves. This means we are burning our selves out, causing our bodies stress, seeing our friends and family less and most importantly letting our mental health deteriorate. Making time to relax is not selfish. You don’t have to change your lifestyle to help reduce street and feel mentally better. Just taking some time out if your day for yourself. Clear your mind This means leaving work at work and even for 5mins stop thinking about your problems and try keeping a clear mind. Have fun and do things you enjoy This tip seems very obvious but many people believe they do not have time to enjoy their hobbies. Even sitting down for 5 minutes and watching a bit of TV may help you relax. Improve your sleep quality Having quality is important to relaxing your mind and your body. When talking about quality sleep, we mean 7 – 8 hours of sleep not bits of sleep. Process your emotions Think about what emotions you’re feeling and what your emotions are doing to your body. Unnecessary stress can cause stress on the body. Overall there are many positives to taking time relax and making sure you take to look after your physical and mental wellbeing.
Why Katowice? A Basic Guide To The City Are you moving to Katowice? Or the decision about relocation is still ahead of you? See why Katowice is really a perfect place to live. There are hundreds of reasons. We give you the main ones, you have to discover the rest yourself. Katowice is a city full of contrasts: on one hand, we have beautiful, historic buildings and on the other hand modern skyscrapers. In the past, the city was focused on coal mining and the production of many things in steelworks. Till now the image of Katowice in some people’s minds is that the city is full of heavy industry and coal mine landscape. Katowice has changed over the last 10 years immeasurably and this isn’t the end of changes. The footprints of the past are still visible behind every corner but in a completely different way. A great example of this change is the building of the Silesian Museum that is located in the old coal mine “Katowice” area. Little by little, the glory of Katowice townhouses is being rebuilt and it’s becoming a showcase of the city. Katowice has a lot to offer. We have museums, beautiful architecture, and astonishing landscapes. Everyone will find something interesting here. What’s important, instead of tons of tourists, here you have only a lot of possibilities. It makes Katowice not only a great place to visit but also to live in. Here are some facts about Katowice: - it’s quite a young city, it was granted a town charter in 1865 - it’s the capital of Silesian Voivodeship and GZM Metropolis - the GZM is the first metropolis in Poland: - it consists of 41 cities and communes in which lives over 2 million people - within its territory operate 240,000 companies and enterprises, generating approximately 8% of our country GDP - in Katowice live almost 300,000 people - 42% of the area of the city are forests and green spaces The development of the city In the past, the main sectors of industry in Katowice were mining and metallurgy. Nowadays, the city is dominated by skyscrapers instead of mineshafts. The skyscrapers are offices for companies like IBM, Unilever, and Deloitte. The industrial heritage was not forgotten. The entire area of the Silesian Voivodeship has dedicated economical areas. In these areas, automotive parts, different types of machines, and even aircraft engines are produced. Office and coworking market is developing rapidly. In 2020 it’s space was estimated to be 500,000 square meters! The best examples of the development are the KTW towers and Global Office Park. Both projects are going to be finished in 2022 and they’ll host the biggest international companies such as Keywords, Hyland, LKQ Europe, or Hays. Thanks to that, Katowice’s labor market has many offers for highly skilled workers from the IT and services sector. The main advantages of Katowice’s market are economic stability, the municipality support for the investors, cost competitiveness, and many universities with over 24,000 highly skilled students graduated every year. For many years the city has been renovated and most of the new investments are well connected with the city and the whole region. Katowice is a well-located city. Within 100 km there are two international airports – Katowice Airport and Kraków Airport. Besides that, the city crosses over two very important roads – highways A1 and A4. The first one goes across Poland from south to north. The other one, A4, is the longest highway in Poland that is part of the 3rd Pan-European transport corridor which goes from Brussels to Kyiv. Moreover, Katowice Railway Station is a starting point for trains to hundreds of places in Poland and around Europe. For example, a trip from Katowice to Krakow takes about an hour. If we take the fastest train in Poland – Pendolino, we’ll be in Warsaw within 2 hours. And if we plan a further trip, we’ll easily get to Prague, Berlin, or Budapest. 50 coal mines were historically launched only in the area of Katowice. Only 3 of them are still working. According to the European Union decision, all coal mines in Poland must be closed by 2049. Some of the mines were turned into museums. The Silesian Museum is located in a no longer working “Katowice” mine. On the other hand, The Guido Mine and The Queen Louise Adit in Zabrze are living proof of the region’s past. Both of them are rearranged for tourist visits. Make sure to visit them when you are in Katowice. Throughout Silesia leads the Industrial Monuments Route. Its parts are not only coal mines but also steelworks, historic settlements, and train trails. For more information about the Industrial Monuments Route check out our blog. Greenery in the city Katowice isn’t only an international city, full of skyscrapers and historic mines. The city is also full of green, 42% of it is woods! In the downtown, the biggest park is the Kościuszki Park which was settled in the XIX century. After a 30 minutes walk from Market Square you’ll be in a totally different world – the Three Ponds Valley. In summer, it changes into a concert scene of one of the most important Polish music festivals – OFF Festiwal. In Katowice there are also nature reserves – Las Murckowski and Ochojec. Outside of Katowice, there are many other beautiful places, full of trees and nature. Silesian Park, one of the biggest city parks in Europe, is just next to Katowice in Chorzów. Katowice – the city of music We already mentioned one of the festivals that take place in Katowice – OFF Festival. Besides that Katowice has other famous festivals – Tauron Nowa Muzyka, Rawa Blues, and a new one – FEST Festival. OFF Festival is a great option for all those who like alternative music. Tauron Nowa Muzyka is for all who like mixing styles. FEST Festival gathers all the biggest stars from Polish and international music scenes. For more information about music festivals in Katowice go to our blog post. Culture and architecture Music festivals are mostly summer entertainment, but Katowice offers many attractions that are available for the whole year. The most popular ones are of course the Nikiszowiec Historic Neighbourhood, Silesian Museum, and Spodek. Less known but still worth seeing are the Porcelain Factory and the Rolling Mill. The Wilson Shaft Gallery used to be a coal mine but currently, it hosts numerous festivals and modern art exhibitions. To find out more about Katowice and discover the beauty and history of the region, we recommend you to check out the “Discover Silesia” section. One thing is certain: our city is outstanding!
Renowned theoretical physicist Albert Einstein in a 1929 magazine interview put it this way: “I am enough of the artist to draw freely upon my imagination. Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.” If such a brilliant thinker, whose name has become synonymous with being a genius, recognized the priority of imagination, what’s happened to us to stifle and devalue our imaginings? Why is it that we live in a world whose leaders most often try unsuccessfully to solve the same old problems with the same old unimaginative solutions that hadn’t worked before? Why is it that the dominant ideas in politics are the same old ones that assume the rich can only exist by being dependent upon and ensuring that a class of people stay poor? For how many millennia have religious leaders been preaching at the world to stop the same old sinning — and yet, here we are, rife with the same old sins, especially those so-called “Seven Deadly” ones? How long have we tried the same old militaristic solutions to problems and find so many still thinking that war is the way to peace while we create even more enemies? World War I was called “the war to end all wars,” wasn’t it? In other words, why no Einsteinian revolution in our foundational moral, social, and political thinking? It sure would have been fitting if he did, but it wasn’t really Einstein who defined insanity as “doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” That astute quip actually originated in one of the 12-step communities. So, what’s happened to our ability to imagine and find really creative solutions? Where are those new ideas that we should expect to still be drawn freely from creative imaginations? Will even this very discussion of imagination’s value be tsk-tsked as too unrealistic? Has our dominant culture so lost the ability to creatively imagine alternatives that those who tell us that imagination is worthless for “really important” thinking are right in saying we’re hopelessly stuck in some culturally defined straightjacket with little wiggle room? Have we sidelined imagination to those fields that we consider unessential, even eccentric, frills such as the arts or creative writing? They’re certainly some of the first areas our leaders choose to get the ax when educational budgets are cut, aren’t they? Have we reached the end of the line for any new ideas that aren’t just improvements in technology? Is “blue-sky thinking” just a temporary luxury that must always be limited by the pull of a gravity defined as someone’s ideas of practicality and realism? We certainly did much better at fantasizing about how anything could be different when we were very young. What if the what-ifs of children before they’ve been sufficiently conditioned by grownups and institutions around them weren’t just dismissed as “childish” but actually reminded us somehow about a natural human imaginative and creative potential? Teaching children to grow up, to understand the world “as it really is,” as adults think it should be, and as we conditioned people want them to see that they must understand it to be in order to get along, usually comes at a price of stifling their imaginations, dreams, fantasies, and real creativity. At some point we’ve internalized the “limits” of “reality” as defined by our cultures. Of course, there actually are limits to reality. But the problem is that these teachings about the boundaries of thinking come with stifling warnings that function mainly to keep the current system intact. Fantasy and imagination must give way to what is considered efficient, what supports the status quo that we take for granted, and what keeps consumerism energized. Soon kids are told that they won’t get a job, get ahead, or get wealthy with those “wild” ideas. They’ll find themselves on the outside of society. So, they slowly learn what is acceptable about creativity and what it’s okay to imagine, through “Art Appreciation” or “Music Appreciation” courses. Good art, they’ll learn, is what only the rich can afford and in their charitable generosity might give to a museum for the rest to view — with the benevolent donor’s name on a plaque beside it. “Good” music won’t be that of their band that gets together in a garage to jam but music that sells online or is played on the airways. You’ll know music is good because it makes one financially prosperous. They’ll come, then, to value their own art and music as successful to the extent that it makes money. The words “good” and “valuable” will be capitalist commodities. But imagination and creativity have no inherent standards, after all. They’re not constrained by what’s considered rational or normal. They might be feared because they’re hard for the establishment to control. They might cause too many to accept that their own artistic creations and own musical compositions are more valuable than that “good” costly stuff they would now not need to buy and download to keep the marketplace going and to confirm that the wealthiest rightfully belong at the top setting the standards. People might discover that they can enjoy the music in their own head or can without apology hang the art that they themselves create on their walls. And when it comes to solutions to societal and world problems, imagination and creativity — when not marginalized to people stereotyped as eccentric, quirky, even queer, “artists” — might challenge the solutions of the so-called important people, threaten the security of the powers that be, question the nobility of those who are monetarily at the top, propose new religious options that dispute the value of tired orthodoxies, or upset an economy stuck in its addiction to consuming and profit-making. Valuing imagination might mean that there’s a whole set of inefficient, “unrealistic” questions to be asked in order to develop new and better solutions to what we’ve been relentlessly taught is the inevitable way things are. What is “realistic” could transcend the limits of our economy. When my son was in preschool, he asked: “Dad, what if there were a fourth primary color?” Now, that’s a truly creative question. And I’m glad that at that moment I was dumbstruck without falling back on norms of efficiency and money-making to tell him it was silly, unrealistic, inefficient, impractical, or wouldn’t get him anywhere in life. Later as a teenager he enjoyed guitar lessons and became good enough that his teacher recommended bands he could audition for. Trying to encourage him, I said a dad thing: You know that guitarists in bands get awfully popular with people they might want to date. But with the pleasure of imagination, experimentation, and creativity he experienced for himself, he didn’t want more – his music back in his room brought him joy. And the home I lived in, as a by-product, was happily filled with it. This is why to me it always seems important personally and for our society’s future to ask every so often: Are we free enough from our system’s unimaginative demands to indulge in imagining other possibilities? One stereotype is that queer people are — that coming out to themselves means they have already faced and contradicted so much that culture’s tried to convince them was really, really important such as worn out and destructive societal patterns about sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity and performance, and that they are somehow more “artistic” and creative. There’s certainly truth in that for anyone who’s flaunted so many of the straight norms of society, because once you have, why not feel more comfortable outside that straightjacket exploring the realm of imagination and creation in many even forbidden ways? Is imagination and creativity, then, even a little too frightfully “queer” for many? Or is it way past time for all of us to let go and ask: when was the last time I was free enough to indulge my imagination? Professor Emeritus of Religious Studies at the University of Kansas where he taught for 33 years and was department chair for six years, Robert N. Minor (he/him), M.A., Ph.D is the author of 8 books as well as numerous articles and contributions to edited volumes. He is an historian of religion with specialties in Biblical studies, Asian religions, religion and gender and religion and sexuality. His writing has been published in Whosoever since 2005 and he continues to speak and lead workshops around the country. In 1999 GLAAD awarded him its Leadership Award for Education, in 2012 the University of Kansas named him one of the University’s Men of Merit, in 2015 the American Men’s Studies Association gave him the Lifetime Membership Award, and in 2018 Missouri Jobs with Justice presented him with the Worker’s Rights Board Leadership Award. He resides in Kansas City, Missouri and is founder of The Fairness Project.
Weather is on a transition mode right now. The cold winter season has officially come to an end, making way for long summer days. While the nature is at its best phase during this time of the year, it also brings along several skin and hair-related issues. Season change often makes our hair dry and undernourished, leading to excessive hair fall. During this time of the year, you might notice some more strands in your brush after combing or clogged shower drain. This is why experts suggest taking extra care of your hair during the change of season. While you might find multiple advises on the internet on what to apply to get strong and nourished hair, we believe, it all starts with a healthy diet. That’s right. A balanced diet, with every essential nutrient in it, helps strengthen overall health and nourish us (and our hair) from within. It seems celebrity nutritionist Lovneet Batra also has the same opinion. (Also Read:Keep Your Hair Protected This Summer: The Ultimate Hair Care Guide) Lovneet Batra recently took to her Instagram to speak at length about how to take care of our hair. And she began by saying, “A healthy diet and proper care can keep your mane a head above the rest.” Alongside, she also listed the essential nutrients (and their food sources) that can help boost healthy and nourished hair. Let’s take a look. Here Are 8 Essential Nutrients To Add To Your Hair Care Diet: 1. Vitamin A: It helps our hair to stay moisturized. Vitamin A also helps in hair growth. Foods that are rich in vitamin A include sweet potato, pumpkin etc. B-vitamins help carry oxygen and nutrients to your scalp, aiding hair growth. Some of the most common food ingredients rich in B-vitamins are whole grains, banana, legumes etc. (Also Read:Vitamin B12 Foods: Foods You Must Eat To Avoid Vitamin B12 Deficiency) 3. Vitamin C: It is needed to make collagen and helps prevent hair from ageing. The best instance of vitamin C rich food is citrus fruits. 4. Vitamin E: Vitamin E helps prevent oxidative stress and boost hair growth. Foods like almonds, spinach, pumpkin etc are rich in vitamin E. (Also Read:22 Vitamins And Minerals You Didn’t Know Your Body Needs) Did you know, deficiency of iron is a major cause of hair loss? This is why nutritionist Lovneet Batra suggests loading up on iron-rich foods like beans, peas and legumes for a good hair health. Including zin-rich foods in your diet can help reduce dandruff and boost hair growth. Some of the most popular zinc-rich foods are legumes, nuts and seeds. Include a good amount of protein in your diet for healthy hair growth. Some of the best and most easily available protein-rich foods are legumes, dairy products and eggs. (Also Read:7 Diet Tips To Grow Hair Naturally – Expert Reveals) Biotin has been linked to keratin production and improving dandruff condition. Some of the most common biotin-rich foods are egg yolks, sweet potatoes and mushrooms. Besides, Lovneet Batra also advises to get into the root cause of the problem. According to her, “When it comes to hair care it’s not only about nutritional deficiency or nutrient intake but also to understand the root of the problems (hormonal changes, genes, stress, medical condition)”. Finally, she suggests proper diagnosis of hair-related problem and its treatment at the earliest to enjoy a strong and healthy hair. Now that you have gone through the expert advice, we suggest, follow these tips and keep your hair healthy. Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.
Chester Crown Court \|Chester Crown Court\| \|Coordinates\|\|53°11′09″N 2°53′30″W / 53.1858°N 2.8918°WCoordinates: 53°11′09″N 2°53′30″W / 53.1858°N 2.8918°W\| Listed Building – Grade I \|Designated\|\|1 June 1967\| Chester Crown Court is a judicial facility at Castle Square in Chester, Cheshire. The building, which forms part of a series of imposing buildings at Chester Castle, is a Grade I listed building. Discover more about Chester Crown Court related topics The current building replaced a previous shire hall which had been built just outside the main gate in 1310 but which was in a derelict state by the late 18th century. In 1785 the justices insisted that an architectural competition be held for a new shire hall as well as a new prison to be located behind the new shire hall: the site selected for the new complex formed part of the outer bailey of the castle. Work on the new complex began with the demolition of the old buildings in 1788. The new shire hall was designed by Thomas Harrison and completed in 1801. The design involved a symmetrical main frontage with nineteen bays facing onto Castle Square with the end bays projecting forwards slightly; the central section of seven bays featured a large hexastyle portico with twelve Doric order columns (in two rows), projecting forwards by about 10 feet (3 m) with a plain tympanum above. Its two-storey façade was about 250 feet (76 m) long and 25 feet (8 m) high. Internally, the principal room was an imposing main courtroom which was inspired by the School of Anatomy in Paris. It was described by Charles Dupin as "most assuredly the handsomest of this kind that is to be seen in Europe." The prison, which Harrison had also designed and which had been located behind the shire hall, was demolished in 1902. A statue of Queen Victoria, designed by Frederick William Pomeroy, was unveiled outside the share hall by the Lord Lieutenant of Cheshire, Wilbraham Egerton, 1st Earl Egerton, on 17 October 1903. The building was used as a facility for dispensing justice from the early 19th century and was latterly used as a Crown Court. Famous trials at the court have included those of the Ian Brady and Myra Hindley, known as the Moors Murderers, in April 1966. Bullet proof glass was erected around the dock to ensure the two defendants were protected during the trial. The court was also the venue for the trial of Peter Reyn-Bardt, accused of murdering his estranged wife, Malika de Fernandez in December 1983; Reyn-Bardt was convicted based on his confession even though the human remains which had been dug up and which had led to his arrest were subsequently dated to the Roman period. The court also saw the trial and conviction of Howard Hughes for the murder of Sophie Hook in June 1996. Discover more about History related topics Source: "Chester Crown Court", Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, (2023, March 6th), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chester_Crown_Court. Get our FREE extension now! History of Lancashire Thomas Harrison (architect) Countess of Chester Hospital Grosvenor Bridge (Chester) St John the Evangelist's Church, Warrington Queen Elizabeth II Law Courts, Liverpool Preston Crown Court List of works by Thomas Harrison Statue of Queen Victoria, Chester St Nicholas Church, Wallasey Truro Crown Court Reading Crown Court Shire Hall, Bedford County Hall, Chester Mold Law Courts - ^ a b Historic England. "Assize Courts Block, Chester (1271823)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 19 September 2019. - ^ a b c d Barrow, J S; Herson, J D; Lawes, A H; Riden, P J; M V J, Seaborne (2005). "'Major buildings: Castle', in A History of the County of Chester: Volume 5 Part 2, the City of Chester: Culture, Buildings, Institutions". London: British History Online. pp. 204–213. Retrieved 19 September 2019. - ^ a b Champness, John (2005), Thomas Harrison, Georgian Architect of Chester and Lancaster, 1744–1829, Lancaster: Centre for North-West Regional Studies, Lancaster University, pp. 47–49, ISBN 1-86220-169-2 - ^ "Chester's architecture in Grosvenor Museum exhibition". BBC. 15 November 2014. Retrieved 19 September 2019. - ^ The Builder, volume 21, p. 204 - ^ Morris, Edward; Roberts, Emma (2012), Public Sculpture of Cheshire and Merseyside (excluding Liverpool), Public Sculpture of Britain, vol. 15, Liverpool: Liverpool University Press, p. 66, ISBN 978-1-84631-492-6 - ^ "Courts". Cheshire Live. Retrieved 19 September 2019. - ^ "Chester Crown Court". Gov.uk. Retrieved 9 October 2020. - ^ a b "How The Chester Chronicle covered the infamous Moors Murders trial". Chester Chronicle. 20 April 2016. Retrieved 19 September 2019. - ^ Sammut, Dave; Craig, Chantelle (23 July 2019). "Bodies in the Bog: The Lindow Mysteries". Distillations. Science History Institute. Retrieved 28 August 2019. - ^ "Sophie jury visits murder site". Herald Scotland. 2 July 1996. The content of this page is based on the Wikipedia article written by contributors.. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence & the media files are available under their respective licenses; additional terms may apply. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization & is not affiliated to WikiZ.com.
Trails grants help communities and recreation areas fund the creation and improvement of trails for walking, hiking, cycling, horseback riding, and cross-country skiing. These grants help make communities more livable, create regional trails systems, and open up beautiful outdoor spaces for people to enjoy. WWRP is the largest source of trail support in the state of Washington. The Tacoma Metropolitan Park District will use this grant to construct approximately one-half mile of 20-foot wide trail and a pedestrian bridge over Pearl Street. This Missing Link project is the final one-half mile segment to create a 7-mile waterfront pedestrian connection from downtown Tacoma along Ruston Way to Point Defiance Park. Additional improvements include parking, lighting, utilities, landscaping, signage and trail amenities. The primary recreation opportunity provided by this project is non-motorized trail use.
LCD microscopes are a popular choice for anyone who wants a closer look at the items they are examining. They’re small, portable, and affordable, making them a good option for inspecting detailed items. If you’re looking for an affordable and high-quality microscope, you’ll want to consider the five budget friendly LCD microscopes we recently tested. Each of these microscopes offers excellent value for the price, and they are perfect for students, scientists, or anyone who wants an easy way to get started with microscopy. XClifes LCD Digital USB Microscope I love this well-designed XClifes microscope. This model is a crystal-clear magnifier of your finest objects, allowing you to examine things that are too small for your naked eyes. With this USB microscope, I can see my skin cells, observe insects, and take pictures or videos of what’s happening inside and outside my house. Easy to handle: You will enjoy the ergonomic design; it’s easy to hold and operate. With a lightweight and easy-to-carry design, this microscope can take you anywhere. Large screen and precise imaging: The microscope is equipped with a 7-inch large screen, which helps make the image clearer for better observation. This microscope also comes with a wired controller for more straightforward operation. Superior Magnification: A 12mp video camera allows you to capture clear and detailed videos and images to save as a record of your findings. With 1-1200x Magnification, you can view objects up close at various Magnification levels. Electronic Focusing System: the microscope comes with a focusing knob that allows you to adjust the focus of your subject for greater clarity. Easy operation: All buttons are designed on the screen, allowing you to operate the microscope efficiently when placed on a flat surface. Connecting your phone to this microscope with a micro USB cable will automatically turn on and start running. And when you disconnect your phone from this microscope, it will automatically turn off. High-quality image and video recording: this microscope is equipped with high-quality optics, which help produce clear, high-definition photos and videos on its 7-inch large screen. You can use it in horizontal and vertical positions, allowing you to position the camera to suit your needs. The manufacturer has added a high-quality lens with a large aperture to increase the camera’s light, creating brighter images. You can enjoy both high-definition video and photo shooting with two cameras. ANNLOV 7′ LCD Digital Microscope This ANNLOV 7-inch LCD digital microscope is an ideal choice for you. The microscope adopts an advanced optical lens system and digital image processing technology showing every image in high definition. It gives you many clear and vivid pictures since it is not simple enlargement equipment. Besides, it is also featured with its easy operation and high portability, making your life more enjoyable. Rotatable HD Screen: The portable microscope has a rotatable LCD screen that is touch-sensitive and can be rotated 360 degrees. It is also possible to tilt the screen up and down for convenience. 50x-1200x Magnification: With a magnification range of 50x-1200x, this microscope has a wide range for you to select. You can also change the magnifying power by rotating the dial in the center of the microscope. 12MP Ultra-Precise Focusing Video Camera: This microscope comes with a 12MP ultra-precise focusing video camera that allows you to capture high-quality images. 8 LED Fill Lights: This microscope comes with eight bright LED lights that can be turned on or off according to your preferences. These lights will provide excellent illumination for your videos and pictures. Two years warranty: ANNLOV provides a two-year warranty for this product. You may contact the manufacturer directly for assistance if there is any problem. Elikliv LCD Digital Microscope EDM11 is a brand new digital microscope with the latest 3.0 inch LCD which f, features 800×600 super high resolution. It adopts a double optical system; one is a 4X/20X Eyepiece lens (providing magnification power from 4X to 20X), and another is a 0.5MP CMOS camera connected to the 2.4-inch LCD screen. The device uses DC 5V voltage and includes a 2000mAH lithium battery and a wall charger so that you can use it anywhere at any time. Whether you are a biologist, medical school student, laboratory worker, or someone who loves science and nature, this digital microscope is perfect for you. It features a 180-degree swivel rotating lens that makes it easy to take photos or videos of your samples. It’s also great for looking at coins, stamps, and other small items up close. •Dual Lenses For Versatile Uses- The microscope adopts two types of lenses: a biological lens and a digital lens, to meet various needs in daily life. The natural lens is suitable for examining tiny organisms and objects, while the digital lens is used for photographing, video chatting, and electronic circuit board testing • 7-inch Large IPS LCD Screen- The 7-inch large IPS screen provides a high-definition image of up to 1920 x 1080 pixels, allowing you to observe the details of the object at a high resolution. • Connect to PC- I also love how it connects to my PC with a USB cable, and it can capture images and videos with a camera. It also allows you to take photos directly on your phone. • Adjustable LED Lights- With an 11 LED light design, the LED lights are adjustable for any environment. • Perfect for circuit board testing- This microscope adopts 11 LED light designs and large-aperture objectives to offer a clear and vivid image quality. It makes it perfect for viewing PCBs, ICs, mini components, and other small objects. Andonstar AD409 HDMI Digital Microscope This LCD microscope is on our list and is already an industry favorite. It was recently named the best digital microscope for jewelry inspection by Jewelers Circular Keystone. This is the most versatile model Andonstar offers, with an incredible 10X to 200X magnification range. It is perfect for any application that requires a high-quality, universal microscope at an affordable price. Unique Design: With an extensive metal base for better stability and a TFT LCD screen for a clear image. It is the best tool for coin collection, small parts inspection, PCB board soldering, jeweler’s workshop, lab equipment maintenance, and more. High Definition: The head can be adjusted to any angle horizontally and vertically. With a high resolution of up to 300x zoom, this microscope has a large field of view and great depth of field. You can easily view your work’s details and make minor adjustments. New Technology: Equipped with LED lighting technology, it has higher brightness and color temperature. It is more suitable for observation in low-light conditions. Picture Quality & Clarity: With a wide-angle camera lens, you can easily capture larger objects like insects or bugs. The resolution is up to 1280*720 pixels, which is decent enough for general use. Sometimes I wish this model was a little clearer than Elikliv EDM11 in terms of the price range. Stable & Durable: The stand is made of metal material, which provides better stability while working on small parts or PCB boards. Celestron – LCD Digital Biological Microscope Take a closer look at your world through the eyes of a professional. Celestron’s LCD digital microscope is the perfect tool for many applications, including jewelry inspection, plant and insect examination, and much more. Enjoy magnifications from 40x to 400x with ease while using simple controls that let you switch between modes effortlessly. Take advantage of 1:1 and 4:1 modes for crisp images with stunning detail, or enjoy the versatility of 10:1 for an ultra-wide view. See your world in an entirely new way with this high-quality microscope. •This high-quality microscope is perfect for a wide range of applications, including jewelry appraisal, coin and stamp collecting, scientific research, industrial parts inspection, biology and medicine education, and training • With a full-color LCD, you can capture magnified images or videos of your specimens and quickly transfer them to your computer • The camera uses a 10x objective lens with a 40mm focal length, allowing you to view objects with up to 40x magnification. The image is captured by a 5MP digital camera, giving you high-quality ideas to share with friends and family • The stage has three different positions, allowing you to position the object at any angle, giving you more flexibility when working with your specimen. • Using dual illumination sources, this microscope allows you to view your samples under brightfield illumination and polarized light. This feature allows you to view different types of easy models and is especially useful for biology applications What is the best way to choose the LCD Microscope? If you are in the market for a quality microscope, you will want to consider purchasing an LCD microscope. LCD microscopes offer many advantages over traditional microscopes, such as higher resolution and greater ease of use. To choose the proper LCD microscope for your needs, it is essential to consider the following factors: There are various types and models of microscopes, so it can be challenging to decide which is right for you. In this buying guide, we will discuss the different types of microscopes and recommend a few that we believe are the best for general use. The first type of microscope is the reflector microscope. These microscopes use a mirror to direct light onto the object being observed. They are suitable for examining small things close to the eyepiece and are relatively cheap. The second type of microscope is the fluorescence microscope. These microscopes use fluorescent dyes to observe cells and other biological materials. They are great for looking at complex samples and can be used to see details that are not visible with a reflector microscope. However, they can be more expensive than reflector microscopes. 1. Resolution: The resolution of a microscope is the amount of detail that can be seen. The higher the resolution, the more detailed the image will be, and LCD microscopes typically have higher answers than traditional microscopes. 2. Optical Design: The optical design of a microscope determines the extent to which light is transmitted and reflected. The better the visual design, the sharper and clearer the image. 3. Eyepieces: The eyepieces of a microscope determine the magnification that can be achieved. The eyepieces of an LCD microscope are typically more versatile and offer greater versatility when viewing different types of specimens. 4. Magnification: This is the first and foremost thing you must consider before purchasing a microscope. The microscope’s magnification will tell you how clear the images will be, and you should choose a model with a higher magnification if you need to view minute details. 5. Size: The size of the microscope should also be considered before making the purchase. You should select a compact and lightweight model if you need a microscope for travel. 6. LED Lighting: The LED lighting system of the microscope is another essential factor to consider. The microscope should have a bright light to view the images. 7. Cost: The cost of the LED microscope is another critical consideration, and you should decide your budget before purchasing. What’s the difference between a standard microscope and an LCD microscope? Standard microscopes use a magnifying glass to increase the viewing size of an object, while LCD microscopes use an LCD screen to display an image. This allows for a much more detailed view of the object being viewed. Additionally, standard microscopes use a light source, while LCD microscopes do not, which gives them better sensitivity in dark environments. Another difference between standard and LCD microscopes is that standard microscopes are typically larger and heavier. In contrast, LCD microscopes are more portable and can be used on various specimens. How much should I spend on good quality, reliable, and easy-to-use Microscopes? When it comes to quality, reliability, and ease of use, there is no better choice than a quality LCD microscope. Depending on your needs, you may want to spend anywhere from $30 to $1,000. However, if you are looking for a quality scope that is affordable and easy to use, we recommend the ANNLOV 4.3-inch Handheld USB Microscope. This microscope is inexpensive and features a user-friendly interface that makes it easy to navigate. The digital zoom and 10x eyepoint make it an excellent choice for research and lab work. What’s the first thing you notice when you look through an LCD Microscope? When you look through an LCD microscope, you will notice the incredible detail now available to researchers and scientists. This technology has revolutionized the way scientists study biological specimens and has made it easier for them to identify and understand the structures and functions of cells and tissues. The magnification of an LCD microscope ranges from 100x to 10,000x, which makes it possible to see even the most minor details. Additionally, the high resolution of the images makes it possible to identify individual proteins and other molecules. When combined with the microscope’s digital capture capabilities, researchers can now capture and store images in a digital format for future use. Overall, LCD microscopes are a must-have for scientists and researchers who want to explore the world of biology in a detailed and innovative way. If you had the chance to own this microscope which one would you choose and why? There are several excellent options for LCD microscopes on the market, but if we had to choose just one, the Olympus BX41 would be our top pick. This microscope is lightweight and easy to transport and has a high-resolution image that is clear and easy to view. It also features a built-in digital camera so you can easily take pictures and videos of your specimens. Furthermore, the BX41 has many applications, including pathology, histology, and plant biology. It is perfect for students, scientists, and hobbyists looking for an easy-to-use microscope with excellent image quality. What are the different types of microscopes, and what are their differences? There are various LCD microscopes, but the most common types are phase-contrast and digital microscopes. Phase-contrast microscopes use a contrast medium to make it possible to see the contrast between two different light waves, which is why they are often called black-and-white microscopes. Digital microscopes use digital imaging technology to create images, which is why they are often called digital microscopes. The main difference between these two types of microscopes is that digital microscopes are more versatile and can be used to see a broader range of images. They are also faster and more accurate, making them ideal for research laboratories and medical settings. How do you clean and maintain it? The LCD microscope must be well-maintained to provide clear images free from distortion and noise. Here are a few tips to help you clean and maintain your microscope: 1. Always use a neutral detergent and warm water when cleaning the microscope. 2. Dry the microscope thoroughly after every use. 3. Once a month, clean the eyepieces and lenses with a soft cloth and mild lens cleaner. 4. Check for any dust or dirt on the eyepieces and lenses and clean them as needed. 5. Check for any scratches or damage on the lens and replace it if necessary. 6. Periodically check the focus and adjust it as needed. How do you fix the focus on this Microscope? If your LCD microscope is not focusing correctly, there are a few things that you can do to fix the issue. First, check to see if the lens is dirty. Wipe it clean with a soft cloth and then reinstall the lens. Next, ensure that the microscope is level and that the object being viewed is centered on the objective lens. If the object is not centered, you may need to adjust the focus using coarse or fine adjustment knobs. Finally, ensure that the light source is aligned with the microscope and that the power switch is turned off. If all these steps fail to fix the focus, you may need to replace the microscope lens. Finally, we have come to the end of our blog series on LCD microscopes! In this final post, we will compare and contrast the five top-quality LCD microscopes we have tested recently – all of which are highly rated and recommended by our readers! If you’re in the market for an affordable, convenient, and powerful LCD microscope, I recommend XClifes LCD Digital USB Microscope as the best option. Thanks for reading! I am an enthusiastic student of optics, so I may be biased when I say that optics is one of the most critical fields. It doesn’t matter what type of optics you are talking about – optics for astronomy, medicine, engineering, or pleasure – all types are essential. Table of Contents 1 thought on “5 Top-Quality LCD Microscopes We Tested Recently: Comparison With Video” Pingback: See Every Detail: 5 Top Microscope for Coin Collectors and Numismatists
Cybercrime has been on the rise in recent years. The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center revealed that internet product clients lost over 1 billion USD to scammers. If you are an online consumer, you must learn tips on how to stay safe online by doing simple things. Read on to find out the simple things you should do to stay safe online. Use Strong Passwords Use strong passwords on your online accounts. The longer the password, the stronger it tends to be. When creating your password, ensure that you use a combination of letters, numbers, and symbols. It would be best if you use stronger passwords, especially for essential accounts like online banking. Strong passwords help to prevent your account from being hacked. It would help if you also considered changing your password frequently. Use Secure Payment Methods When Shopping Online Online shopping is slowly becoming the order of the day. You can now purchase almost anything from online stores. As you make your purchases ensure you use a secure payment method like credit cards and PayPal. Secure payment methods offer buyer protection protecting you from online fraud. It would be best if you were wary of fake shopping apps that can be found on both the App Store and Play Store. Such apps trick users into buying non-existent goods. Confirm Whether The Website Is Secure Before you make purchases from any website, ensure that it is secure. Furthermore, you should only feed your credit card details into a secure site. So, how do you tell if a website is secure? Look out for the following: - The website URL must start with https://, the ‘s’ indicates that the site uses a secure connection. - There must be a padlock icon in the address bar next to the website URL. In other instances, the padlock is green. - Click the padlock symbol to check the website’s certificate, which reveals who has registered the site. If you get a warning about the certificate, stay away from the site. Beware Of Phishing Scams Phishing scams use deceitful emails and websites to trick you into divulging your private information. The fraudsters usually target your login and financial information. To avoid getting into these traps, do not click any links or attachments or pop up ads from sources you do not know. Be Careful When Using Public Wi-FI Public WI-FI offers you a great way to stay connected when you are on the move. But, there are many security risks associated with public WI-FI connections. Cybercriminals usually use public WI-FI to hack into your emails, private documents, and passwords. The rule of thumb on public WI-FI is to assume someone is watching. Only share information that you wouldn’t mind if it were stolen. Share Information on Social Media Sparingly Nowadays, people tend to live their everyday lives on Twitter, Facebook, Tik Tok, and other social media apps. People share a lot of information on social media, for instance, their children’s names, birthdays, where they live, and other personal information. Anyone with a computer can access this information. To protect yourself from malicious internet users, limit the amount of information you share on social media. Only share information you would be comfortable sharing with a stranger you met on the streets. Check App Permissions and Turn Off Location Services When you install apps onto your smartphone, they usually request access to certain functionalities to work well. Make sure you check app permissions and disable access to features they don’t need. For instance, an e-reading app shouldn’t have access to your camera. Also, turn off location services on apps you’re not using.
How Can Someone Find Out What Subject People Will Want to Read? There are several ways to find out what subjects people will want to read: - Research the market: Look at the bestsellers in your chosen genre and see what topics are currently popular. Also, pay attention to new releases and upcoming books to see what topics are emerging in the market. - Look at online reviews: Check out the reviews of books on websites like Amazon, Goodreads, and other book review sites. This will give you an idea of what people liked and didn’t like about the book. - Study the competition: Look at other books in your genre, and see what topics they cover. This will give you an idea of what’s already out there and what you can do differently. - Use social media: Follow popular book blogs, authors, and book reviewers on social media. They often share information about upcoming books, review books, and discuss popular trends in the book industry. - Analyze online conversations and trends: Use tools like Google Trends, Twitter, and Reddit to see what people are talking about and what topics are trending. - Get feedback from others: Speak to friends, family, colleagues, and experts in your field, and ask for their opinion on what topics they think would be interesting to read. - Look at demographics: Consider your target audience, research their interests, and try to understand what they would want to read. In order to find out what subjects people will want to read, you can research the market, look at online reviews, study the competition, use social media, analyze online conversations and trends, get feedback from others, and consider the demographics of your target audience. By taking these steps, you can identify what topics are in demand, and tailor your book to meet the interests of your target readers. How do I Come up With the Right Topics for my Non-Fiction Book? There are several ways to come up with the right topics for a non-fiction book: - Identify your area of expertise: Consider your own personal knowledge and experience, and think about what you are most passionate about. What are the topics that you are most knowledgeable and experienced in? This can be a great starting point for finding the right topic for your non-fiction book. - Research the market: Look at what non-fiction books are currently popular in your chosen genre. What are the current trends and what are people most interested in? This can give you an idea of what topics are in demand and which ones you could explore further. - Look for gaps in the market: See what is already available on the market, and look for gaps in the existing literature. Are there any topics that have not been covered in depth, or any new perspectives that could be added to a existing topic? - Get feedback from others: Talk to friends, family, colleagues, and experts in your field and ask for their input. They may have insights or ideas that you haven’t considered yet. - Be open to inspiration: Sometimes inspiration can come from unexpected places, so keep your mind open to new ideas and be open to inspiration from different sources. - Reflect on your personal experiences: Consider your own experiences, and think about what you have learned and how it can be helpful to others. Personal experiences can be a great source of inspiration for non-fiction books. The way to come up with the right topics for a non-fiction book, you can identify your area of expertise, research the market, look for gaps in the market, get feedback from others, be open to inspiration, and reflect on your personal experiences. By taking these steps, you can find a topic that is both interesting and relevant to your target audience.
17 Oct Better collaboration urged to further Wisconsin biotech Oconomowoc, Wis. – How important is the biotech industry to the economy of a region? Just ask Philadelphia. Or San Diego. Or Boston. Better yet, look at the numbers. That’s what Ross DeVol, director of regional economics for the Santa Monica-based Milken Institute, did for a landmark study released last summer at the Biotechnology Industry Organization’s annual meeting, held in Philadelphia. Philly leaders wanted to know where that city stood in comparison to heavy hitters Boston and San Diego, so DeVol and his staff spent months crunching statistics. DeVol spoke last week at the annual conference of Wisconsin Biotechnology and Medical Device Association, held in Oconomowoc. The conference was attended by over 300 enthusiastic business, research, and academic leaders from Madison, Milwaukee, and beyond. On a scale of 1 to 100, Philly ranks in the top five in most categories: R&D, availability of risk capital, numbers of degrees granted, numbers of clinical trials and FDA approvals for new drugs, and others. Other strong regions are San Franciso, Raleigh/Durham, Los Angeles, New York, Minneapolis, Chicago, and Dallas. Wisconsin is not yet on that list. Wisconsin ranks high in the area of research, but research alone isn’t enough to catalyze business creation and new jobs. Wisconsin needs “serial entrepreneurs,” willing to invest in risky but promising start-ups, DeVol said. “Not just money, but smart money.” Collaboration among researchers, industry, and financiers is key, he added. “Unless you provide economic opportunity for talent creation, you’re going to lose it.” His study predicts 150,000 jobs will be created nationally over the next decade in biotech and related fields. “Wisconsin needs to capitalize on that, and not let it drift outward to places like California.” In the area of stem cell research, that’s already happening, he said. The Geron Corporation of Menlo Park, California, which financed groundbreaking embryonic stem cell research at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, will begin human clinical trials next year of a method to regrow nerve cells in the spinal cord, DeVol said. Irene Hrusovsky, WBMDA president and president and CEO of Madison-based EraGen Biosciences, called DeVol’s study “real sophisticated and very credible.” Tim Keane, director of the Marquette Golden Angel Network, said the key for Wisconsin is finding investors who know and understand biotech. “If I have a biotech idea, the very best investor is someone who’s done it before,” he said. In Wisconsin, he added, “it’s a needle in a haystack.” WBMDA vice-president James Leonhart says the group plans to start organizing to carry out some of DeVol’s suggestions. “The message is that there’s no state coordinated effort,” he said. “Now, there’s interest in doing something.”
Sadly, falls among the elderly are a common occurrence due to age, physical instability and sometimes neglect. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that each year more than 1,800 adults in assisted living facilities die because of a fall; many of those who do not die suffer severe head injuries leading to permanent disability. Falling can be a sign of deeper health issues, or issues with the facility the elderly individual is living in. Negligence can create a rapid decline in a nursing home resident’s health, and further injury can cause depression and isolation for the individual. If you or a loved one experienced a fall in a nursing home because of a caretaker’s negligence, you may be entitled to compensation based on the pain and suffering you experienced as a result of the injuries. The law offices of Jonathan Perkins Injury Lawyers believe that the elderly need to be defended and advocated for, which is why we fight for the rights of our clients with compassion and confidence. We will always seek the MAXIMUM amount of compensation due to the victims of nursing home abuse and their families. To find out how we can help, simply fill out the Free Case Evaluation form located on the right side of the page — it’s 100% FREE, there is no obligation to proceed and the details of your case will always remain confidential. What Causes A Nursing Home Fall? Older people with chronic conditions are given to fall for a number of reasons. In addition to the physiological factors, abuse or neglect of the elderly individual can have a severe impact on their health and overall well-being, which will increase their chances of nursing home slip-and-falls. Some of the most common causes of falls in nursing homes include: - Dangerous steps - Gait problems - Ill-fitting shoes - Improperly fitted or maintained wheelchairs - Incorrect bed height - Incorrect use of walking aids - Muscle weakness - Poor foot care - Poor lighting - Sedatives and anti-anxiety medications - Unsecured railings - Unstable chairs - Wet floors - To name a few. In the age group encompassing those aged 65 and older, this group comprises only 5% of total nursing home residents, but accounts for 20% of the total number of nursing home slip-and-fall deaths in the nation. Have you been injured in an accident or fall? Do You have question and want to know your legal options. Call 203-437-6190 for a free consultation and remember there is NO FEE unless WE Win. How Can Falls Be Prevented? Because of the number of factors involved in a nursing home resident’s potential to fall, preventing such an occurrence can be challenging. What is important, however, is to take into account the contributing factors and make any changes needed to improve conditions and eliminate fall fatalities and injuries. The following tasks should be performed to help prevent falling incidents in assisted care facilities: - Assessment of resident’s current health care needs - Continuing staff education on the hazards of falls and how to spot risk factors - Improving nursing home environmental safety - Installing handrails, lowering toilets and raising bed heights - Implementing exercise programs for residents - Providing hip pads for residents to prevent shattering hips - Educating residents on measures they can take on their own to avoid falls Generally, these methods are more likely to prevent falls than the use of physical restraints, which is no longer the preferred method of fall prevention. According to the CDC’s report, each year, nursing homes with 100 beds report 100-200 falls, and many others go completely unreported. If you suspect your loved one is suffering from abuse by their caretaker or in an assisted living situation, don’t let the negligent party avoid accountability. Contact a skilled elderly care attorney today to explore the rights you and your family may have in your case. Contact Our Connecticut Nursing Home Abuse Law Firm The personal injury lawyers at Jonathan Perkins Injury Lawyers realize the impact that nursing home abuse can have on not only on the victim’s life, but also on the family’s, too. We know that these injuries bring unnecessary pain to the victims and our legal team, with over 140 years of combined legal experience, will fight for the MAXIMUM compensation that you may be eligible to receive. Our offices are located in New Haven, Bridgeport, Hartford, Waterbury and New London. Call 800-PERKINS or complete the 100% FREE and COMPLETELY CONFIDENTIAL Case Evaluation form to see how the lawyers at Jonathan Perkins Injury Lawyers could help you on your road to recovery from elevator accident injuries.
Basic Optics: Principles and Concepts addresses in great detail the basic principles of the science of optics, and their related concepts. The book provides a lucid and coherent presentation of an extensive range of concepts from the field of optics, which is of central relevance to several broad areas of science, including physics, chemistry, and biology. With its extensive range of discourse, the book’s content arms scientists and students with knowledge of the essential concepts of classical and modern optics. It can be used as a reference book and also as a supplementary text by students at college and university levels and will, at the same time, be of considerable use to researchers and teachers. Category: \| Ophthalmology Basic Optics : Principles and Concepts ISBN: 9780128053577 \| Publisher: Elsevier Health Sciences \|GoodReads Please allow 7-15 days for delivery of this item 100% Original Free Return \|Publisher\|\|Elsevier Health Sciences\| Only logged in customers who have purchased this product may leave a review. There are no reviews yet.
Written and edited by acknowledged masters in the field, this two-volume full-color text is the most comprehensive and current reference on head and neck radiology. It features more than 10,000 images and covers every disorder in every region of the head and neck.The first two sections cover applied imaging fundamentals and general pathology, pathophysiology, patterns of disease, and natural history of head and neck disorders correlated with imaging appearance. Subsequent sections focus on specific anatomic regions: the eye, orbit, visual pathways, and cranial nerves III, IV, and VI; sinonasal and craniofacial region including cranial nerve V; temporal bone, posterior skull base, posterior fossa, and cranial nerves VII-XII; infrahyoid neck and cervico-thoracic junction (thoracic inlet); thyroid and parathyroid glands; major salivary glands; nasopharynx; oropharynx; oral cavity and floor of the mouth; larynx, hypopharynx, and cervical esophagus; trachea; hypopharynx; and cervical esophagus. The text covers all current imaging modalities, including plain film, MRI, CT, ultrasound, and nuclear medicine including PET.A companion website will offer the fully searchable text and images. The first two sections will be online only. Category: \| Radiology Head And Neck Radiology ISBN: 9781605477152 \| Publisher: Lippincott WW \|GoodReads Out of stock 100% Original Free Return Only logged in customers who have purchased this product may leave a review. There are no reviews yet.
What is the difference between monofocal and multifocal lens DEC 03, 2010 Please explain the difference between a single lens for cataract surgery and multiple lens. Thank you. I believe you are referring to a monofocal lens compared to a multifocal lens. The monofocal lens has one point of focus which is usually set for your distance vision but you would be blurred for near vision. In many cases, one eye can be set for a distance focus and the other eye for a near focus (so called "monovision") to reduce the need for reading glasses. This type of lens is usually covered by your health insurance. Multifocal lenses are considered "premium lenses" and patients have to pay additional fees both for the lens and for the surgeons to implant the lens. These lenses have both a near and a distance focus out of the same lens (much like bifocal glasses) so the need for reading glasses is reduced and both eyes see both far and near. Their are advantages and potential disadvantages to either type of lens so you need to discuss your options with your surgeon.
On-screen text reads, 'Journey to a Medieval Angkor: Animated Accounts of a 13th Century Visit to Cambodia Part II. [Monash University, 2014].' Animations based upon: Zhou Daguan's A Record Of Cambodia: The Land And Its People. Text sourced from the translation by Peter Harris, Silkworm Books, Bangkok, 2007.' Chinese script oriented vertically. On-screen text reads, 'The great Mandate of Heaven that the sacred dynasty has received includes everywhere in the four seas…' (Bells ring musically) On-screen text reads, 'In the second month of… the year bingshen in the Yuanzhen reign period (1296), we left Mingzhou… We arrived in Cambodia in the autumn, at the beginning of the seventh month.' On-screen text reads, 'Excerpt from: General Preface.' Animation of tri-masted ships sailing the open seas on a full moon night. On-screen text reads, 'If you set sail from Wenzhou and go south-southwest by the compass… and… cross the Seven Islands Sea and the Jiaozbi Sea… with the wind behind you, you will… get from Champa… to Zhenpu on the frontier of Cambodia in about fifteen days.' On-screen text reads, 'Excerpts from Chapter 18: The Landscape.' (Insects and birds chirp, monkeys howl) Shot of a broad river flowing through thick mangrove forest. On-screen text reads, 'Coming up from Zhenpu, you skirt many tree-covered plains and forests… Birds and animals make a riot of sound in the dark, shadowy forests… …with their old trees and tall bamboos.' On-screen text reads, 'Excerpts from: General Preface.' A bird's eye view of a city amongst cultivated fields. On-screen text reads, '…Zhenla, also called… Gambozhi… has long been a trading country…' A flock of birds fly over the city. Although I could not get to know the land, customs and affairs… in every particular, I could see enough to get a general sense of them.' On-screen text reads, ' Excerpts from Chapter 34: Villages.' Animation of two men with joined palms standing before officials on horseback. On-screen text reads, '…In every village… where the population is quite dense… …there is… an official called "maijie"… who is responsible for the security of the village.' Animation of the men bowing to the official as he rides away. On-screen text reads, 'Excerpts from Chapter 26: Fish and Reptiles.' Underwater bubbling of water) Shot of fish swimming amongst river vegetation. On-screen text reads, '…there are very many fish… all of them coming from the Freshwater Sea.' Silhouette of a crocodile swimming on the surface of the river. On-screen text reads, 'There are crocodiles as big as boats. They… look exactly like dragons except they have no horns.' A fisherman on canoe stares at a floating crocodile. On-screen text reads, 'Excerpts from Chapter 4: Officials.' (Bells jingle, rustling) Shot of an official sitting on an elephant with retainers walking beside it carrying banners and umbrellas. On-screen text reads, 'As in China, the country has officials with the rank of chief minister, commander-in-chief-of-the-army… and so on…' On-screen text reads, 'Below them are various kinds of junior officials… In general, those who take on these positions are the king's relatives.' On-screen text reads, 'Excerpts from Chapter 27: Fermented Liquor' Animation of a drunk man staggering through a village on a full moon night On-screen text reads, 'Down by the banks of the estuary they… have a palm starch wine, which they make from… a type of palm that grows on the riverbank.' On-screen text reads, 'Excerpts from Chapter 24: Animals.' Shot of ox-drawn carts laden with goods travelling through a jungle trail. On-screen text reads, 'There are a great many cows. People do not venture to ride them when they are alive, or eat them when they are dead, or flay their hides for leather…' They are used to haul carts and nothing else.' On-screen text reads, 'Excerpts from Chapter 11: Savages.' (Cicadas chirp, monkey yelp) Shot of a thick rainforest. On-screen text reads, 'There are two kinds of savage…' Animation of men carrying spears and bows and arrows stalking through the jungle. On-screen text reads, 'The first… are sold into the towns as slaves… The second… have no homes to live in, but move from place to place in the mountains.' A man fires a bow into the trees. On-screen text reads, 'By nature they are very ferocious…' The man picks up his kill and the men move on. On-screen text reads, 'Excerpts from Chapter 13: New Year and the Seasons.' Men work on tall scaffolding. On-screen text reads, These people always take as their first month… the tenth Chinese lunar month…' A palace is silhouetted against the sunset. On-screen text reads, 'A large stage is set up in front of the royal palace. Facing it on the bank… are tall structures… made of wood joined and bound together… Rockets and fireworks are placed on top.' Men stand on top of the scaffolding. People watch fireworks. On-screen text reads, 'The rockets can be seen from more than 100 li away…' On-screen text reads, '…and their explosions shake the city.' (Bells jingle musically) On-screen text reads, 'Even in a barbarian kingdom… these people do not fail to recognize what is due to a king.'
A die casting surface finish can provide durability, protection, and a decorative appearance. Over the next few months we will explore different types of finishes and how they are beneficial for different types of die cast parts. Due to the fact that a die cast part needs to be heated during decorative finishing processes (such as plating and painting), it is vital for the die cast part to have both a good internal structure and good surface finish. These are achieved through good design for both the tool and the component. Planning ahead for the finish you need can help to potentially minimize surface finish problems as well as any potential porosity issues. Types of decorative finish: • Smooth and Shiny: In cases where a smooth and shiny surface is required, the density of the casting itself must be higher so that the part can be plated and buffed repeatedly. This type of finish requires the most preparation of the casting to achieve a smooth surface under the coating. Smooth and glossy finishes have the least ability to hide any surface imperfections. • Satin and Textured: For satin finishes, brushing or media blasting can be used to achieve the desired surface finish before coating. The 5 Most Common Decorative Finishes: 2. Powder Coating 4. Ceramic Coating Lacquers, paints, and enamels can easily be applied to die cast parts and work for both decorative and protective purposes. As with any finish, special considerations must be taken at the design stages of the part to plan for the type of painting finish you need. Precautions are taken in order to remove any oils from the cast surfaces. For best results, a conversion coating is applied after cleaning to ensure good adhesion of the coating to the die cast surface. 2.) Powder Coating Powder coating is commonly used as a decorative finish because it is able to hide minor flaws in the surface, the thickness is better controlled and more uniform, it is quite durable, very glossy, and has great color consistency and vibrancy. Powder coating yields a very hard, high anti-corrosion finish which makes it better at resisting dings and scratches. Unlike paints, powder coating reaches its final cured hardness during the baking cycle. Paints continue to cure for a period of time after baking, which may cause a delay in subsequent assembly operations. Powder coating is also quite environmentally friendly because the process produces no hazardous air pollutants or waste byproducts. In order to create an antique look, zinc castings electroplated with copper (or any other of its alloying agents), can be covered in a layer of colored components, such as copper sulfide. This casting is then ‘relieved’ – a process which entails the removal of some of the colored layers on highpoints in order to present the underlying layer of the yellowish brass or the reddish copper. The parts are then treated with lacquer in order to prevent tarnishing. 4.) Ceramic Coating Ceramic coatings provide a very thin and decorative coating for die castings. Similar in thickness to anodizing, ceramic coatings can be applied to the entire part surface and in some cases even internal threads can be coated. Since the coating is very thin, any surface imperfections in the die casting will show through. Care must be taken with surface prep operations to ensure the desired final finish is achieved. Plating can be applied to die castings using either the electroless or electro-plating processes. Electroless plating is used primarily as a protective and/or used to enhance electrical conductivity. In some cases, it can be used as a decorative coating. Electro-plating is capable of achieving the best cosmetic plating finish on die castings, since multiple layers of plating are applied and buffing/polishing can be performed after each layer. In general, plating processes are the poorest at hiding underlying surface conditions and require the most surface prep operations to achieve the desired final finish. With over 75 years of die casting surface finishing expertise, our engineers will evaluate your requirements to recommend the best design and finishing options. Contact A&B Die Casting today!
What is a Globar? A globar is a heated silicone carbide rod used as a thermal radiation device with emissions in the middle infrared (IR) frequency range. A globar is used in conjunction with a dichroic or interference filter to emit IR radiation in the middle IR spectrum. This emitted IR radiation is used in infrared spectroscopy as a diagnostic and measurement tool in research, industrial, and forensic analysis applications. Due to the lack of oxidization of the rod in air, globars need not be enclosed in vacuum tubes as is the case with alternate IR light sources. All heated matter emits thermal radiation to varying degrees. Thermal radiation is not the same as thermal energy which is felt as heat but rather electromagnetic emissions in the infrared spectrum of invisible light. Different materials all reflect or absorb this radiation differently depending on the exact wavelength of the emissions and the type of material involved. These known factors allow infrared radiation to be used as a diagnostic tool in the science of spectroscopy. When paired with a interference filter, a globar emits thermal radiation in the middle spectrum of the IR range at approximately 4 to 15 micrometer wavelengths. The heated material used in a globar is silicone carbide in the form of a small rod typically 0.2 to 0.4 inches (5–10 mm) in diameter and 0.8 to 1.2 inches (20–50 mm) in length. To start the radiation process, the rod is electrically heated to between 1,832° to 3,002° Fahrenheit (1,000° - 1,650° Celsius). Due to the lack of oxidation of silicone carbide in air at these temperatures, there is no need for the rod to be enclosed in a vacuum tube. If it is enclosed, it is simply as a safety measure. An interference filter is placed between the globar and the test sample which produces a specific, know IR wavelength used to conduct the tests. Alternate middle IR emitters used in infrared spectroscopy include chrome nickel alloy coils, high pressure mercury lamps, and older Nernst lamps. The globar is, however, one of the more practical and efficient sources of mid range IR radiation particularly in the new generation of portable spectroscopy equipment. The name globar is also a trademark of a range of silicone carbide resistors produced by several companies. Technically the term correctly refers to the IR emitter application, however, and the globar resistor reference is merely a trade name. Discuss this Article Post your comments
In the last section, we learned about the various political parties that exist in the United States today. In this section, we studied how the parties nominate their candidates and how campaigns are run. In this assignment, you’ll put your knowledge from both of these sections together to create a fictional presidential candidate from the party of your choice. Follow the steps below to complete this assignment: Select one of the minor parties (not Democrats or Republicans). You may use thePolitics1 website or any other resource to select and research your party. After you’ve researched your party, create a list of 5 issues that will comprise your candidate’s platform. Make sure it is properly based on the issues supported/opposed by your chosen party. Write a brief biography of your candidate. What is his/her background? Why is he/she running for president? Be sure to include factors like gender, age, occupation, etc. Write a 1-2 page campaign speech that your candidate could give explaining his/her platform and reason for wanting to be elected. Be sure the speech is persuasive and realistic. Once you’ve completed this activity, submit your platform list, biography and speech to your instructor. Be sure to include a list of sources you used in your research of your party. This list should include at least two sources, with one being the party’s official homepage. Point value: 50 points Candidate�s party is a minor party � 5 points 5 issue list of platform (stances on issues) is accurate to the chosen party�s points of view � 10 points Brief (1-2 page) biography of the candidate answering the questions presented (at minimum) � 10 points Campaign speech that is between 1-2 full pages in length, realistically written, containing mention of the platform issues � 25 point Are you looking for a similar paper or any other quality academic essay? Then look no further. Our research paper writing service is what you require. Our team of experienced writers is on standby to deliver to you an original paper as per your specified instructions with zero plagiarism guaranteed. This is the perfect way you can prepare your own unique academic paper and score the grades you deserve. Use the order calculator below and get started! Contact our live support team for any assistance or inquiry.[order_calculator]
Ongoing COVID-19 pandemic . Within a four-week timeframe, they had been capable to reconfigure existing liquid-handling infrastructure in a biofoundry to establish an automated highthroughput SARS-CoV-2 diagnostic workflow. In comparison with Thromboxane B2 Cancer manual protocols, automated workflows are preferred as automation not just reduces the possible for human error considerably but in addition increases diagnostic precision and enables meaningful high-throughput outcomes to become obtained. The modular workflow presented by Crone et al. incorporates RNA extraction and an amplification setup for subsequent detection by either rRT-PCR, colorimetric RT-LAMP, or CRISPR-Cas13a having a sample-to-result time ranging from 135 min to 150 min. In specific, the RNA extraction and rRT-PCR workflow was validated with patient samples along with the resulting platform, having a testing capacity of 2,000 samples each day, is currently operational in two hospitals, but the workflow could nonetheless be diverted to alternative extraction and detection methodologies when shortages in certain reagents and gear are anticipated . six. Cas13d-Based Assay The sensitive enzymatic nucleic-acid sequence reporter (SENSR) differed from the abovementioned CRISPR-Cas13-based assays for SARS-CoV-2 detection because the platform uses RfxCas13d (CasRx) from Ruminococcus flavefaciens. Equivalent to LwaCas13a, Cas13d is an RNA-guided RNA targeting Cas protein that doesn’t demand PFS and exhibits collateral cleavage PF-06873600 site activity upon target RNA binding, but Cas13d is 20 smaller than Cas13a-Cas13c effectors . SENSR is actually a two-step assay that consists of RT-RPA to amplify the target N or E genes of SARS-CoV-2 followed by T7 transcription and CasRx assay. In addition to designing N and E targeting gRNA, FQ reporters for each and every target gene had been specially designed to include stretches of poly-U to make sure that the probes were cleavable by CasRx. Collateral cleavage activity was detected either by fluorescence measurement using a real-time thermocycler or visually with an LFD. The LoD of SENSR was found to become one hundred copies/ following 90 min of fluorescent readout for each target genes, whereas the LoD varied from one hundred copies/ (E gene) to 1000 copies/ (N gene) when visualized with LFD following 1 h of CRISPR-CasRx reaction. A PPA of 57 and NPA of one hundred were obtained when the functionality of the SENSR targeting the N gene was evaluated with 21 constructive and 21 adverse SARS-CoV-2 clinical samples. This proof-of-concept work by Brogan et al. demonstrated the possible of utilizing Cas13d in CRISPR-Dx and highlights the possibility of combining Cas13d with other Cas proteins that lack poly-U preference for multiplex detection . On the other hand, the low diagnostic sensitivity of SENSR indicated that additional optimization is essential. 7. Cas9-Based CRISPR-Dx The feasibility of using dCas9 for SARS-CoV-2 detection was explored by each Azhar et al. and Osborn et al. . Each assays relied on the visual detection of a labeled dCas9-sgRNA-target DNA complicated with a LDF but employed diverse Cas9 orthologs and labeling methods. Within the FnCas9 Editor-Linked Uniform Detection Assay (FELUDA) created by Azhar et al. , Francisella novicida dCas9, and FAM-labeled sgRNA have been utilised to bind with the biotinylated RT-PCR amplicons (nsp8 and N genes) as shown in Figure 3A. FELUDA was shown to become capable of detecting 2 ng of SARS-CoV-2 RNA extract plus the total assay time from RT-PCR to outcome visualization with LFD was identified to be 45 min. I.
Donate to the Robb House Endowment Fund Today! Your contributions will benefit the ongoing maintenance and historic preservation of the Robb House Medical Museum. The Robb House in Gainesville, Florida, is a Medical Museum and the home of the Alachua County Medical Society, Alliance and Auxiliary. The house was originally the home and office of Drs. Robert and Lucretia Robb, one of Florida’s first husband and wife physician teams. Post restoration, the Robb House stands as a monument to the early physicians of Alachua County and to the practicing and retired physicians of today. The Medical Museum houses the original furniture and medical equipment used by the Drs. Robb. Many early medical artifacts including instruments, furniture, a restored pharmacy front, and medical equipment reflect medicine as it was in the late 1800’s. In 1882, at the age 42, Robert Lee Robb, M.D., a homeopathic physician, came to Gainesville from Chicago in hope of recuperating from tuberculosis. Dr. Robb was born in 1840 in Iowa. He graduated from the Missouri Homeopathic College of Medicine in 1873. His wife, Sarah Lucretia Robb, M.D., three daughters and a son joined him in Gainesville in 1883. Dr. Lucretia Robb had obtained a nursing degree from Hahnemann Medical College in Philadelphia. Her husband, whom she married on February 14, 1872, recognized Lucretia’s potential as a doctor. She was refused entry by U.S. medical schools, since it was unusual at the time for a woman to be a doctor. Dr. Robert Robb took her to Germany, where after two years of study, she received her medical degree. The Drs. Robb entered into many civic endeavors, while they practiced medicine in Gainesville. Dr. Robert Robb was instrumental in establishing the Oddfellows Home, a newspaper, a furniture factory, and one of the first private boarding schools in Alachua County, and he was a member of the county school board. Dr. Lucretia Robb was one of the founders of the Gainesville Garden Club, a member of the First Presbyterian Church choir, and was known for her tailoring and handiwork. Together they wrote the Robb Family Physician, which embodies the holistic approach to medicine we are seeing revived today. Dr. Robert Robb died in 1903 at the age of 62. Dr. Lucretia Robb continued to practice medicine in her office and as a “horse and buggy” doctor, administering to the sick and delivering babies. She retired in 1917. In retirement, she continued to be an active member of the community and church until her death on May 3, 1937, at age 83. Joseph Avera, a local blacksmith, constructed the Robb House in 1878. It was located at 406 East Liberty Street – now East University Avenue. In 1898, the Robbs purchased the house for $1,000 and a year later added another office on the southwest side of the building. The addition resulted in two unique bays, one triangular in shape and one square in shape. When Dr. Sarah Lucretia Robb died, the Robb house was willed to Margaret Gross, her housekeeper. In 1938, Mrs. Gross gave the house to Dr. Robb’s three daughters. In 1939 the house was sold to Joe C. Jenkins, Sr., an attorney, and in 1973, the house was sold to a group of attorneys represented by Henry L. Gray. The house was used as a dance studio, karate center and apartment rental. After several years, it fell into complete disrepair and was scheduled for demolition by the city. The Alachua County Medical Society became interested in it as a future office. The house was purchased by the Society April 11, 1981, and moved to a new site, 235 S.W. 2nd Avenue. Restoration was completed in nine months at an approximate cost of $90,000. A feasibility study and historical assay were prepared by professors and students of architectural preservation at the University of Florida. Family members provided photographs and background information for authenticity. The formal dedication of the Robb House was held April 17, 1982 by Henry J. Babers, M.D., past President of the Florida Medical Association. Furniture, equipment, instruments, and other artifacts have been donated to the museum through the generosity of physicians and members of the community. The living room has the original furniture of the Robbs and other appointments are as close to the original as possible. The Robbs Room was the medical office of the Robbs and houses a collection of books, instruments, pictures, handwork, and the original chairs used in the office. The Board Room has a display of photographs of physicians who have served as president of the Alachua County Medical Society and the Florida Medical Association. The Museum Room has artifacts dating back to a Civil War Amputation Kit in mint condition. There are surgical, gynecological, opthalmological, and other instruments representative of those used in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Operating tables, clinic pieces, a collection of patented medicines, physicians’ bags including a medical saddlebag used on horseback, and a restored pharmacy front are exhibited. Historical notes and identification of the artifacts are part of the displays The Medical Museum and Alachua County Medical Society and Auxiliary offices are located in the historic Robb House at 235 S.W. Second Avenue, Gainesville, Florida 32601. The Medical Auxiliary conducts tours of the house and museum by appointment. Tours may be arranged by calling (352) 376-0715 weekdays. For further information email: email@example.com
San Francisco, CA – Did you know if you’re a smoker, you could gain almost immediate benefits as soon as you quit, regardless of your age? Within 20 minutes, blood pressure and pulse rates drop to normal. Eight hours after quitting, the oxygen level in the blood increases to normal. One day after quitting, the odds of having a heart attack start to drop. Within 48 hours nerve endings start re-growing and the ability to smell and taste is enhanced. Within two weeks, lung function will have increased by up to 30 percent. Two weeks to 3 months after quitting, circulation improves and walking becomes easier. One year, the body’s energy level increases and the risk of coronary heart disease will be half that of a smoker. Since 1977, the American Cancer Society and Citizens for a Smokefree America have sponsored the Great American Smokeout (TM) each November, an event based on the idea that smokers who can manage to quit for a day can quit for good. In support of kicking the habit, clinical interns at the American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine will be offering ear acupuncture treatments to the public at it’s donation-based clinic in Potrero Hill. The ear clinic operates Mondays and Tuesdays from 1:30 – 4:15 pm, and Wednesdays and Thursdays from 9:0 am to 11:45 am. The Ear Clinic is located at 555 De Haro Street, Classroom D, in San Francisco. No appointments are necessary, and no one will be turned away for lack of funds. In the treatment of addictions, traditional Chinese medicine utilizes auricular (ear) acupuncture, where four to five very small needles are inserted into points corresponding to the lung, kidney and nervous system. It is thought that these needles increase the flow of endorphins, morphine-like hormones that induce a deep state of relaxation. This state is prolonged and leads to a lessening of cravings for nicotine and other drugs. Acupuncture can also help ease the jitters, irritability and restlessness people commonly complain about when trying to quit. Acupuncture as an alternative approach to smoking cessation has a growing number of converts. In fact, acupuncture is often a court-mandated treatment for drug addicts because of its ability to curb withdrawal symptoms and manage cravings. Ear acupuncture is a safe and effective option for people looking for treatment with few to no side effects. Cigarette smoking is the most preventable cause of death in the U.S., says the American Cancer Society, but each year it kills more Americans than AIDS, alcohol, car accidents, suicides, murders and fires combined. According to the American Lung Association, 1 in 5 adults smoke, and smoking-related diseases claim an estimated 440,000 American lives each year. Cigarettes and cigarette smoke contain over 4,000 chemicals, including 60 known to cause cancer. An estimated 8.6 million people suffer from smoking-caused chronic conditions such as chronic bronchitis, emphysema, and other cardiovascular diseases. Smoking greatly increases the risk of heart attack, stroke, cancer, heart disease, asthma, and women’s reproductive disorders. Millions of Americans will stub out their cigarettes on November 19, 2009. For individuals truly motivated to stop smoking, acupuncture can be just the help they need. Join American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine and make the Great American Smokeout (TM) the first day of your smoke-free life! For more information on the donation-based ear clinic, or to make an appointment in the College’s full-service Community Clinic, please call (415) 282-9603. Click here to view upcoming ACTCM events. About American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine (ACTCM) has provided affordable, quality health care to the public and trained professionals in acupuncture, massage and Chinese medicine since 1980. In addition to its graduate curriculum, ACTCM offers continuing education, public education, community outreach and clinical services in acupuncture and herbal medicine. ACTCM has been the recipient of many awards for its curriculum, faculty and clinic, and has been voted “Best of the Bay” by both the San Francisco Weekly and the San Francisco Bay Guardian. ACTCM is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine and is a private, nonprofit, 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization.
- I26 Playback - Talkback Device - The I26 combines all necessary functions for studio headphone and speakers and includes a complete talkback section. Suited for 4U Integrator frames - The Playback - Talkback device is equipped with volume and balance control, a remoteable DIM circuit, phase flip switch that changes the phase of the right channel, MONO switch, PFL, Headphone output and volume control and separate cut controls for the studio speakers and headphones. - The inputs of the I26 are electronically balanced and are medium impedance for a level of + 6dBu. The inputs are usually connected with the output of a control room select module I21 or I64. Naturally, connection to any arbitrary source is possible. - The DIM circuit is internally adjustable by a trim pot between 6 and 24dB. The release can take place by either the DIM key or by a control signal. An opto coupler also electrically isolates this signal; the control signal operates within the range of between 9 volts to approx. 30 volts. - The PHASE switch flips the phase in the right channel. The MNO switch converts the signal to mono by use of an internal matrix that can be set to 3 dB or 6 dB mode by an internal jumper. The BAL control makes it possible to correct the center of the speaker system. The characteristic of the pot is optimized for a pure direction control without affecting the total loudness. In the L and R positions of this control the opposite channels are muted. The rotary volume control is selected for minimum ganging error. - The level of the playback headphone amplifier is also controlled by the main volume control. The additional offset control makes it possible to adjust a matching volume of speakers and headphones. The headphone amplifier is able to drive up to 5 headphones. The output is additional connected to XLR connectors. The only limitation is, that all the attached headphones should have the same impedance. Besides the separate cut switches for speakers and phones, there is a remote input for the cut of the speakers. - The talkback system has a build in condenser mic and a microphone preamplifier. A trim pot on the top plate can adjust the gain of the preamp. The T/H switch determines the operation mode of the talkback switch. In the H position the switch latches. A control input for remote switches is available. If released, the talkback is mixed to the audio signal. The audio signal is attenuated by 12 dB and a pot with a range of 0 to -30 dB controls the level of the talkback. In addition there is a separate balanced talkback output. The output can be set by internal jumpers to be switched by the talkback control or to be always on. An external talkback audio signal can be used instead of the internal microphone. A switch determines if the internal mic, the external source or both of them are used for the talkback. - The playback - talkback device fits into slot 9 of any 4U high frame or into every slot of the 4U high /E frame with extended wiring.
The Boeing 767 was developed as a long-range, wide-body series of airliners capable of carrying from 181 to 315 passengers over a distance of 9,000 to 12,000 km. Created as a replacement for the aging Boeing 707, the 767 were the first next-generation passenger jets, far surpassing all other airliners of the time (1960s-70s) in terms of efficiency and taking advantage of the latest technology on the market. The 767 was developed in parallel to the smaller Boeing 757, and as a result both jets share many design features. In all, the Boeing 767 series was produced in three series. The original series was the 767-200; the plane's fuselage was later elongated to produce the 767-300 series, and then elongated even further to give the 767-400 series. Originally the Boeing Corporation also considered making a shorter, 180-passenger version of the plane, the 767-100, but dropped the idea because the plane would have been too similar to the Boeing 757 line and thus redundant. The first Boeing 767-200 came into service in 1982 with United Airlines, flying intra-continental routes within the United States. In 1984, El Al became the first airline company to use the modified 767-200ER (Extended Range), which was capable of farther flights and could traverse the Atlantic Ocean from Europe to the US without needing to refuel. In 1986, the first Boeing 767-300 began service with Japan Airlines. The plane had a longer fuselage and was able to fit more passengers than the previous model. It was produced alongside two variants: the Boeing 767-300ER (Extended Range), first purchased by American Airlines, and the Boeing 767-300F (Freighter). The Boeing 767-400 was specifically designed for the companies Delta Air Lines and Continental Airlines, who were both looking to replace their fleets of Lockheed L-1011s and Douglas DC-10s. The -400 series featured an even longer fuselage than the -300 and had a larger wingspan. The first 767-400ER began making commercial runs in the year 2000. Unlike its predecessors and indeed most other Boeing families, this latest series includes only the ER version of the plane; there is no base 767-400 model.
铭心刻骨用英语说" always"，在日常中也可以翻译为"engraved on the heart"，在《英语汉语大辞典》中，共找到13个与铭心刻骨相关的译文和例句。 Although this for me is a hitting pain, I am willing to chew it slowly. 2. engraved on the heart 铭心刻骨翻译为engraved on the heart。 Love a person attitude, how to deep-rooted. 3. be imprinted on one's bones and in one's heart -- bear in mind forever 铭心刻骨翻译为be imprinted on one's bones and in one's heart -- bear in mind forever。 A moment in too many Mingxinkegu, could not help tears. 4. undying gratitude 铭心刻骨翻译为 undying gratitude。示例：The Navy has earned our undying gratitude. The Army is undefeated. How well I remember ( 终归铭心刻骨 ) How well I remember ( 终归铭心刻骨仍然是 ) Unforgettable Flesh & Bone Larger Than Life Try To Remember ( 刻骨铭心 ) absoluteresentment ( 形容怨恨刻骨铭心 ) A Groovy Kind Of Love Unforgettable love ( 刻骨铭心的爱 ) So unforgettable ( 如此刻骨铭心 ) No Ordinary Love ( 刻骨铭心之爱 ) Our unforgettable memories We etched memories ( 我们刻骨铭心的回忆 ) I loved you with a fire red ( 我刻骨铭心的爱过你 ) 1. You feel it through your body? 译文:刻骨铭心的伤痛 You feel it through your body。 2. The thing that underpinned this was excruciating vulnerability. 3. But it's heart-stopping. it's mind-blowing stuff. 4. indeed it is a history lesson in stone. 5. - Yes. - is she the love of your life? 6. - And it was probably one of the most intense things i've ever experienced, too, and... 译文:- 这可能是我生命中所经历的最刻骨铭心的事了.。 7. Trust me. it's because he's just getting out of a serious relationship. 8. Don't these kind of people matter to you too? With all due respect, after surviving Auschwitz, i don't think a beating is going to break him. 9. "So much love carved into our hearts. 10. You still feel things as deeply. 11. i bet failing has to be difficult for a guy like you. 12. "Sometimes it lasts in love But sometimes it hurts instead" 13. One experience with a woman, kinda took away my faith in love, and i guess, everything. 14. People will definitely remember this. 15. He told her of his marriage to Maria Elena, and their deep love and their terrible fights. 译文:他聊到他跟爱莲娜的婚姻以及刻骨铭心的爱情还有惨痛的争执吵闹。
American actor, comedian, author, producer, musician, activist, sex offender William Henry Cosby Jr. is an American stand-up comedian, actor, musician, author, and convicted sex offender. Cosby began his career as a stand-up comic at the hungry i in San Francisco during the 1960s. He then landed a starring role in the television show I Spy, followed by his own sitcom The Bill Cosby Show, which ran for two seasons from 1969 to 1971. In 1972, using the Fat Albert character developed during his stand-up routines, Cosby created, produced, and hosted the animated comedy television series Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids which ran until 1985, centering on a group of young friends growing up in an urban area. Throughout the 1970s, Cosby starred in about half a dozen films, and occasionally returned to film later in his career. In 1976, he earned his Doctor of Education from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. His dissertation discussed the use of Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids as a teaching tool in elementary schools. You Might Like
Increasing devolution of powers to countries, cities and regions of the UK brings with it increasing demand for subnational statistics to monitor the economy. The Bean Review made various recommendations on the need for regional economic statistics in the face of growing devolution: - a need for more timely regional statistics - a need for greater flexibility to provide statistics for different geographic areas - more use of administrative data sources in regional statistics In response to this, on 5 September 2019, the Office for National Statistics introduced country and regional volume estimates of gross domestic product (GDP) for the first time, with additional granular industry-level information for Wales and the nine English regions. These estimates will make use of VAT returns for almost two million business units recently made available for use in official statistics, to show the economic performance at a regional level. These estimates will complement the annual estimates of regional gross value added (GVA, a close relation of GDP) that are currently available, but will be produced twice as fast and on a quarterly basis. Estimating the size or change to the size of the economy is complex. The national estimates of UK GDP make use of many data sources and undergo extensive quality assurance before a final estimate is arrived at. Estimating economic activity on a regional basis introduces additional challenges. Regional data is more volatile than national estimates and so regional GDP needs to be carefully interpreted alongside economic trends both in the regions and in the UK. There are also significant challenges in forming regional estimates of GDP. This article explains how these challenges were overcome, as well as the future developments that will build upon the work already done.Back to table of contents In the national accounts, business survey information is the primary data source for short-term estimates of GDP. While these surveys are only based on a sample of the population, the data go through extensive quality assurance and are designed to produce good quality estimates of GDP at the level at which we publish. Subsequently, some of the survey information for smaller businesses, which have a low sampling rate, is replaced by VAT turnover information. As an administrative data source, we have less control over the collection of VAT data, however, it has the benefit of holding information on every business registered for VAT in the UK (accounting for the vast majority of turnover generated). This means that the sampling error inherent in sample surveys that are based on data from far fewer businesses does not apply to the VAT data. Their inclusion therefore allows for overall better quality and more stable estimates of GDP. Ideally, direct regional data would be readily available for us to use in estimates of regional GDP. This would accurately capture the amount of economic activity that was taking place at the regional level. While they are available for some industries, for large parts of the economy we only have data for the UK as a whole. In these cases, we need a method to regionalise the data that ensure they accurately represent the regions they are trying to measure. Regionalising survey information, however, can be problematic, since the surveys we conduct are not designed to give regional estimates of GDP. This can lead to results which are of lower quality than the national estimates and potentially misleading for those looking to the estimates as a signal of economic performance within a region. For this reason, most industries covered by these estimates will be based entirely on VAT turnover information. Since this data source is effectively a census, this means that each region will have complete coverage and no sampling error, allowing for higher quality and more representative estimates of regional GDP.Back to table of contents The method of regionalisation is of equal importance as the choice of data source. No matter how good the quality is of the national data, a poor method of regionalisation can lead to the introduction of bias and overall lower quality estimates. Regional estimates of GDP are regionalised using the Inter-Departmental Business Register (IDBR). The IDBR is the main sampling frame for business surveys in the ONS, but is also an invaluable source of information on the employment and structure of every business in the UK. In particular, it gives employment information for every site or workplace in the UK. This information allows us to apportion the VAT turnover for each business based on their employment share within any region. For those interested in calculating estimates of regional economic performance, this has long been an established method of apportioning national data to regions, and is considered to be a very reliable model for doing so. However, there may be some cases where this relationship does not hold. For example, businesses in the financial industries may have large turnover and relatively low employment, and so apportioning the turnover based on employment may lead to inaccurate results. Therefore, where possible, alternative data sources are used in these cases, to ensure our estimates are representative of the regions they are aiming to measure.Back to table of contents The regionalisation of the VAT turnover data means that our dataset consists of modelled turnover values for each site or workplace in the UK. As well as allowing us to produce regional estimates of GDP, it also gives us a choice as to how we classify the turnover to an industry or activity, either based on the activity of the site or based on the activity of the overall business. As a stylised example, take a large retail chain that operates a bank in a region. The activity of the overall business would be retail, but the activity of the site would be in finance. Therefore, depending on which classification you choose, you could end up classifying the turnover generated by the bank to either retail or finance. If applied to all businesses, the industry estimates derived from the data would likely be different depending on the classification used. Regional estimates of GDP will be based on the activity of the site, as our aim is to help users understand the economic activity actually taking place in their region. This is in line with the approach taken within our annual regional accounts estimates, but differs slightly to short-term estimates of economic activity published by Scotland (Quarterly Scottish GDP) and Northern Ireland (composite economic index). These are based on an industry classification that is a hybrid between the site-level activity and the overall business activity. It is worth noting that for most businesses the overall business and the site are the same so, while the actual difference between the estimates based on the two different classifications is not known, it is believed to be small.Back to table of contents Regional GDP has been designed to produce good estimates of short-term movements in GDP at a regional level. However, we also produce regional accounts on an annual basis, which gives annual estimates of regional GVA. GVA is a close relative of GDP, with GDP being derived from GVA by adding taxes on products and subtracting subsidies on products. Regional accounts have a time lag of between one and two years, but represent our best estimates of regional economic performance because of the rich annual data sources that it utilises. For this reason, regional GDP will benchmark its results to these annual estimates up to the year that they are available. This means that regional GDP will align with the annual growth rates determined by regional accounts, while fitting a quarterly path based on the underlying regional GDP data. Since regional accounts themselves are constrained to national estimates of GDP, this process of benchmarking ensures that regional GDP are also broadly in line with the national estimates. However, there may still be inconsistencies between our regional GDP data, post regional accounts benchmarking, and our short-term estimates of GDP. This is because there are some clear differences in the data sources and methods used (for example, in the extent to which VAT data is used). This means that while regional GDP aims to produce the best estimates at a regional level, the sum of the regions (adding in published estimates for Scotland and Northern Ireland) may not equal the national total in the time period following the regional accounts benchmarking. To address this, we have constrained our regional GDP estimates to the all-industry national totals for this period in such a way that minimises changes to the region by industry quarter on quarter growth rates. The industry totals will not be constrained as they are on a different conceptual basis (see the Industry classification section). However, they will be broadly in line because of the benchmarking to regional accounts industry totals in earlier periods. The overall impact of the constraining on the regional estimates is small. Additionally, in line with the short-term national estimates of GDP, regional GDP will use movements in turnover values as a proxy for movements in GDP.Back to table of contents Following data collection, a series of statistical techniques are applied to the data to arrive at our final estimates. These include deflation (removing the effect of prices), seasonal adjustment and constraining (see section above). Deflation is carried out using national level deflators, as regional price information is currently not available.Back to table of contents Regional GDP estimates will be provided as seasonally adjusted chained volume measures (with the effect of prices removed), broken down by broad industry grouping (20 categories) in the form of indices and growth rates. In addition to the data tables, a statistical bulletin will be made available highlighting the most interesting features of the dataset. Only all-industry estimates for Scotland and Northern Ireland will be made available, since their industry estimates are produced on a conceptually different basis. However, industry estimates are available in the Scotland and Northern Ireland publications.Back to table of contents While this work represents a big step forward for the ONS as part of its transformational journey, additional work is planned to further build on these estimates. Over the coming months we will continue to refine our methods alongside the regular production of these statistics and will consult users on their use and need for these statistics. Over the longer term, we are aiming to produce these estimates at a more granular geographic level with plans to do so in the next five years. Another planned development is to convert our annual estimates of GVA into estimates of GDP by adding taxes and subtracting subsidies on products. It is common to use movements in GVA as a proxy for GDP in the short term (because of the lack of information on taxes and subsidies for this time period). However, it is our aim that our most robust annual estimates of GVA – our regional accounts estimates – should measure as closely as possible the concepts required in short and longer term regional estimates of GDP.Back to table of contents \|A\|\|Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing\|\|Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA), Forestry Commission, Marine Management Organisation\| \|B\|\|Mining and Quarrying\|\|VAT turnover, Coal Authority, Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS), Workforce Jobs\| \|C\|\|Manufacturing\|\|VAT turnover, BEIS\| \|D\|\|Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning\|\|BEIS\| \|E\|\|Water supply, sewerage, waste management\|\|VAT turnover, Monthly Business Survey\| \|F\|\|Construction\|\|Output in the Construction Industry publication data\| \|G\|\|Wholesale and retail trade\|\|VAT turnover\| \|H\|\|Transportation and storage\|\|VAT turnover, Office of Road and Rail (ORR), Department for Transport (DfT), Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), Post Office\| \|I\|\|Accommodation and food service activities\|\|VAT turnover\| \|J\|\|Information and communication\|\|VAT turnover, Monthly Business Survey, Public Sector Employment\| \|K\|\|Financial and insurance activities\|\|Bank of England\| \|L\|\|Real estate activities\|\|VAT turnover, Household Final Consumption Expenditure\| \|M\|\|Professional, scientific and technical activities\|\|VAT turnover, Workforce jobs\| \|N\|\|Administrative and support service activities\|\|VAT turnover\| \|O\|\|Public administration and defence\|\|General Government Final Consumption Expenditure\| \|P\|\|Education\|\|VAT turnover, Department for Education, General Government Final Consumption Expenditure, Workforce Jobs\| \|Q\|\|Human health and social work activities\|\|VAT turnover, General Government Final Consumption Expenditure, Workforce Jobs\| \|R\|\|Arts, entertainment and recreation\|\|VAT turnover, General Government Final Consumption Expenditure, Labour Force Survey, ONS Family Spending report\| \|S\|\|Other service activities\|\|VAT turnover, Workforce jobs, Labour Force Survey\| \|T\|\|Activities of households as employers\|\|Labour Force Survey, Family Spending report\| Download this table.xlsx .csv Contact details for this Methodology Telephone: +44 (0)1633 456620
San Diego County CA— The San Diego region will receive nearly $16 million to fund four projects that increase the safety and mobility of pedestrians and bicyclists, enhance public health, and advance efforts to achieve greenhouse gas emission reduction targets in the San Diego region. Funding for these projects will be dispersed over four years from the regional competition for the 2019 Active Transportation Program (ATP), funded from various federal and state sources appropriated in the annual California State Budget Act. The ATP is administered by the California Transportation Commission (CTC), which adopted the list of projects at its May 15 meeting following a recommendation by the SANDAG Board of Directors. In total, 45 projects competed in the regional competition, requesting approximately $145 million in funding. In this award cycle, close to $750,000 will improve nearly 1.6 miles of bike trail through the Escondido Creek Trail Transit Center Bicycle Path Improvements Project, filling gaps along the trail and adding lighting, crosswalks, signage, and other infrastructure improvements. In National City, approximately $5.2 million will be awarded to construct a one-way cycle track and multi-use path to connect the 32nd Street Naval Base with the trolley and the National City Southwestern Community College campus. SANDAG will receive approximately $9.9 million for two biking projects. The University Bikeway Project will make vital connections within San Diego’s urban core by building three miles of dedicated bikeways and bike boulevard features along University and Estrella avenues. This project will increase bicyclist protection from vehicle traffic and provide greater visibility through key infrastructure improvements, including buffered bike lanes, signal-protected crossings, and bikeway markings. Additionally, the SANDAG GO by BIKE San Diego: Education and Encouragement Start-Up Program will build community awareness, enthusiasm, and support of new bike infrastructure projects in the City of San Diego and encourage ridership as bike projects open. The Program will educate the public on how to safely navigate construction areas and provide businesses and commuters affected by construction activities information about the progress. The ATP is competitively awarded in two stages, beginning with a statewide competition led by the CTC, followed by the regional competition. Four projects in the San Diego region were adopted by the CTC as part of the statewide competition in January 2019. Since the program began in 2014, the San Diego region has successfully competed for and received approximately $79 million in funding for 28 projects in the statewide competitions and received approximately $68 million in funding for 22 projects in the regional competitions. To learn more, visit sandag.org/atpfunding.
Handling an emergency situation – first aid kit and proper training While we may wish very hard that our pet never gets hurt or sick, hopeful thinking is not enough. Being well prepared is what prevents a not so great situation from turning into a critical one. To actually be able to do something, you need to have the proper first aid kit! Here is a great article that lists all the tools you must have, and what they are useful for: http://vetmedicine.about.com/od/veterinaryqa/f/FirstAidKits.htm Tools are not enough if you are unable to do a quick situation diagnostic or if you do not know how to use them. This is when proper training comes handy. There are several courses available around the country that can be given by a specialised company such as Kilookas, by training centers such as Guides Canins, or by other organizations as useful fundraisings activities, this event from le Repaire de Sasha, for instance:https://www.facebook.com/events/383551898340864/ Knowing what to do and having what you need makes it a lot easier to be calmer in a situation when your pet needs you! And obviously, in all first aid kit, contact information of a trusted veterinarian is a MUST!8 Mars 2012
How to Move/Resize Partition \| MiniTool Partition Wizard Tutorial [Help] About Move/Resize Partition Move/Resize Partition is capable of changing partition size and location in Windows with ease. It helps: - Enlarge a small partition or shrink a large partition when Windows Disk Management tool does not offer Extend Volume and Shrink Volume features. - Extend or shrink a FAT partition in Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows Server 2008, etc. - Extend a partition to the left contiguous unallocated or free space. - Extend a primary partition to contiguous free space. - Move unallocated or free space to be contiguous to the partition users need to extend. How to Move/Resize Partition In general, Move/Resize Partition contains 3 operations – shrink partition, extend partition, and move partition. Let’s see these operations in detail. Step 1. After successful installation, please launch MiniTool Partition Wizard to get its main interface. Step 2. Select the partition to operate and activate Move/Resize Partition from the left action panel or choose Move/Resize from right-click menu. Step 3. The blue handle represents partition while the blank area means unallocated space. Do the followings and click OK to go back to the main interface. - To shrink a partition, shorten the handle by dragging the triangles. - To extend a partition, lengthen the handle to occupy more unallocated space. - Alternatively, users can manually type specified partition size in MB, GB, or TB. To move a partition, drag the whole partition handle towards unallocated space or manually define unallocated space before or after the partition. Step 4. From the main interface, users can preview that the selected partition has changed its position. At this time, please click Apply button in the upper left corner to apply the change. This is the end of the tutorial on Move/Resize Partition feature in MiniTool Partition Wizard.
A new report from Mitie looks at the rise of digital transformation in M&E services. Here, Carlo Alloni, managing director of technical services, discusses the findings and the business benefits of embracing digital Digital transformation is happening all around us. In our personal lives we’re constantly connected, and it’s increasingly complementing our working lives too, although some sectors are clearly more advanced than others. As an industry, there is real opportunity to be gained from digital transformation – both in terms of evolving our M&E services, identifying new opportunities and, ultimately, delivering better value for clients. In particular, we’re finding that data analytics, digital twins, automation and building management systems are creating new opportunities for predictive maintenance. So we decided to dig a little deeper and find out what facilities managers really think in our recent report, Digital Transformation: Is Facilities Management Ready?. Downtime is money Everyone wants their buildings and infrastructure assets to run at optimal levels, without disruption. It’s a no brainer really – businesses need to be able to function. However, for many companies, minimising downtime is essential to an organisation’s productivity and its bottom line. For example, if you’re running a manufacturing plant, every minute lost impacts production. As the saying goes, prevention is better than the cure, so if we can pre-empt that cause, we can offer an invaluable service to clients. Such initiatives to reduce risk are in high demand, so it’s unsurprising that an overwhelming 95% of respondents to our recent survey believe digital transformation will either have a high or at least medium impact on mechanical and electrical (M&E services) asset installation, replacement and maintenance over the next five years. Digital transformation offers the opportunity to gather the data we need to implement resilient infrastructure assets. That data can be drawn from a range of sources, including a business’ buildings, processes and people, or from specially installed Internet of Things (IoT) sensors. In fact, a high proportion of new mechanical and electrical equipment on the market today is pre-wired to be IoT-ready. However, the real value of digital transformation is not in the data collection. It’s in analysing the data to drive real, actionable insights. It sounds simple, but the conversion to action is a step many people neglect. We already do this for many of our customers today from our Service Operation Centre in Bracknell. We create what is essentially a ‘digital twin’, an exact cloud-based replica of a customers’ sites allowing us to remotely monitor and analyse the performance of their facilities. This ‘digital twin’ can monitor anything from infrastructure assets to energy management, and wellbeing and comfort policies. Predict to prevent When it comes to maintaining assets, knowing a certain piece of kit is likely to fail means you can prevent issues before they arise. This is transformative for M&E services. Engineering maintenance today is largely reactive and driven by human interaction, but digital transformation can change all that. In fact, we think the revolution is already here, as more than a quarter of our survey respondents (27%) claimed to have already made significant progress on digitising their “asset installation, replacement and maintenance”. Suppliers who aren’t part of the movement will surely be left behind. Reactive repair will eventually be obsolete as when an asset fails, its fix is reliant on someone noticing and logging a fault. An engineer is then called, who travels out to check on the issue, diagnoses the problem and orders apart, which can take days to be delivered, and then the engineer still has to travel back to the site again to make the repair. This involves at least two engineer journeys and many hours of asset downtime, which could seriously impact production, performance, and comfort within the business. In comparison, a predictive repair approach instead detects an anomaly by monitoring essential operating parameters and checking for anything falling outside of tolerance, such as vibration within an air conditioning unit. Analytics identify the source of the anomaly and predict component failure. A replacement part is ordered and an engineer scheduled to arrive onsite to coincide with the delivery of the part. So far, all this has happened automatically. The engineer arrives onsite, replaces the part, tests it and the asset returns to normal operation with minimal disruption. Journeys to the site and delays have been reduced and the work has been completed with zero downtime and minimal impact to the customer’s site. It essentially means that you can resolve customer maintenance issues before they even happen. It’s what we want to happen at our own sites, so this is exactly the level of service I think we should be providing to our customers. Bump up your BMS It all sounds great, right? But none of this is possible without the assistance of a decent building management system (BMS) – and by decent, I don’t mean it has to be flashy. An existing BMS can provide a bridge between new digital innovations and existing legacy infrastructure. A third (34%) of the people in our survey are clearly keen to leverage their BMS system, as they said “automated building controls” are an essential element of delivering a digitally connected workplace. A site’s assets may typically be older but, by using a BMS to connect into these legacy assets, you can monitor them without the investment of a huge capital project or needing to buy new assets with built-in sensors. We’re seeing that the benefit of connecting to older assets via a BMS is particularly relevant, given that 39% of our survey respondents cited “legacy system replacement costs” as one of the top barriers to realising business value. However, a BMS isn’t necessarily a panacea, as they can become outdated themselves, creating barriers of their own. If a system is “closed protocol”, it’s harder for anybody to go in and maintain it, connect to it, pull the data out, and start to run analytics algorithms. So, in order to create true connection, organisations need to ensure they have a modern open protocol BMS, which enables connectivity and software optimisation. The Connected Engineer The potential impact of digital transformation on M&E services doesn’t end there. The advent of industrial 5G and the resulting boost to augmented reality capabilities opens up new opportunities. We’re already exploring a new service called the Connected Engineer through which field engineers equipped with mixed reality smart glasses can, quickly and conveniently, draw upon a wealth of up-to-the-minute data and additional expertise. Combining augmented reality with wearables allows our engineers to do the work they need to, hands-free, yet still have up-to-date asset data without having to carry documents, drawings or manuals. They can also share what they’re seeing with our remote monitoring Service Operations Centre team to draw upon additional experience, support and specific asset expertise should they need to. Essentially, it ensures an optimum, efficient right-first-time fix, which is a win for our client and a win for us. It’s clear that there are digital transformation opportunities for M&E maintenance, repair and installation, and it’s something our clients are looking for us to deliver. It’s also core to us in adding value for our clients, whether that be reduced downtime or limiting the irritation of lengthy fixes on faulty assets. And digital transformation goes even further than this. It enables us to capture information, and therefore provide insights that offer benefits way beyond just maintenance to almost every aspect of the business – such as energy savings, CO2 reduction and ensuring the most efficient use of assets and space. One thing is certain: suppliers who don’t use digital transformation to create tangible building and business resilience will be left behind. Managing director, technical services
\|PDH Online Course Description\|\|PDH Units/ Learning Units (Hours) A. Bhatia, B.E. In earlier years, buildings were designed to exploit naturally available cooling. Some structures were sophisticated and constructed to take advantage of daily temperature variations, convective breezes, shade, evaporative cooling, and radiation cooling. Today, with higher electrical costs and growing environmental concerns, many of these simpler techniques, are once again becoming more attractive. This 4-hour course will introduce you to the passive cooling systems and is intended to be used as guidelines to choose technologies that are suitable to different situations. The course includes a multiple-choice quiz at the end, which is designed to enhance the understanding of course materials. NY PE & PLS: You must choose courses that are technical in nature or related to matters of laws and ethics contributing to the health and welfare of the public. NY Board does not accept courses related to office management, risk management, leadership, marketing, accounting, financial planning, real estate, and basic CAD. Specific course topics that are on the borderline and are not acceptable by the NY Board have been noted under the course description on our website. AIA Members: You must take the courses listed under the category "AIA/CES Registered Courses" if you want us to report your Learning Units (LUs) to AIA/CES. If you take courses not registered with AIA/CES, you need to report the earned Learning Units (not qualified for HSW credits) using Self Report Form provided by AIA/CES.
Clostridium difficile infections can cause life-threatening diarrhea. Experts estimate that half a million people contract C diff infections annually and nearly 30,000 die. Once people develop C diff, they are at risk for recurrent diarrhea. What Can Be Done to Overcome Recurrent Diarrhea? A new study in the Annals of Internal Medicine shows that multiply recurrent C diff infections have increased by 189% in the past decade. The authors note that recent use of antibiotics, corticosteroids or PPI-type acid suppressing drugs are potential risk factors for such repeat infections leading to recurrent diarrhea. Treatment with antibiotics becomes less effective for these patients. Instead, doctors are beginning to employ fecal microbiota transplantation even though it is expensive and relatively unregulated. Ma et al, Annals of Internal Medicine, July 4, 2017 Although this treatment for recurrent diarrhea caused by C. diff has a strong ick factor, gastroenterologists have embraced it. Researchers published an early study in 2013. Here is what we wrote back then: Fecal Transplant Fights C. Diff: The nasty infection, Clostridium difficile, that can cause debilitating diarrhea often appears in the aftermath of antibiotic treatment. Killing off many other bacteria that are normal residents of the gastrointestinal tract leaves an ecological niche that C. diff exploits. As a result, antibiotic treatment for C. diff is not always effective. Dutch researchers reported that fecal transplant worked better than the usual treatment with the heavy-duty antibiotic vancomycin. The feces from healthy donors provided a diverse array of bacteria and were delivered through a nasoduodenal tube. The only side effects were mild cramping and diarrhea (van Nood et al, New England Journal of Medicine, Jan. 17, 2013). There are many reports from readers who have suffered C diff following a course of the antibiotic clindamycin. Read them here. You can also learn more about what People’s Pharmacy visitors have said about fecal transplants.
It's great to know that managed print is efficient, effective, and reliable, but do you know how it works? Today we'll show you what makes managed print "tick!" Today's documents don't just exist on a piece of paper or in a filing cabinet. Instead, they're spread out across multiple platforms and online tools--which means that document management needs to be able to keep up. Here's everything you need to know about physical document management versus digital! Document management comes with all kinds of great features, but perhaps one of the best is version control. What is version control, why is it important, and what can it do for your company? Let's find out! You wouldn't make any old choice when it comes to the perfect car or the perfect house, so why rush into decisions about something that's just as important for your business? Document management systems can be your company's best friend--but only if you choose the right one for your needs. If you're worried about record-keeping--how to make it efficient, how to keep it secure, and how to be sure it won't break the bank--then look no further. Document management is just the solution you need! When you really think about it, business is just about talking--but talking efficiently, intelligently, and with the intent to help one another. Of course, communication like that requires top-notch collaboration--and that's where document management comes in. "Change" can be a pretty scary word for some companies--but change isn't always a bad thing, especially when it comes to document management. Here's a quick look at the changes you can expect from document management, and why they're something to celebrate--not worry about. By now, you've probably heard plenty about document management--what it is, how it works, and why it's everyone's favorite business solution. However, do you know the one thing that makes document management a perfect solution for companies of all kinds? Read on to find out! Making the switch to a digital workflow can seem stressful--but with solutions like document management, it's easier than ever. Of course, no matter how great your solutions are, you still need to prioritize security during the transition--and here are a few tips to help you do just that. Most people don't hear the word "audit" and immediately think about increased efficiency, but that's exactly the case when it comes to print audits from managed print services. Today we'll tell you everything you need to know about print audits--and why they're such a great option for your business.
Planting Season Management for High-Yield Soybeans Key Steps to Maximize Yield: Soybean Variety Selection Match an appropriate variety to fit specific field conditions taking into consideration geographic location, expected rainfall, soil type, tillage system, drainage, and diseases. Resistance or field tolerance to Phytophthora root rot, iron deficiency chlorosis, specific races of SCN, or other diseases may be essential to achieving high soybean yields in a particular field. Pioneer Premium Seed Treatment with EverGol™ Energy Pioneer Premium Seed Treatment contains active ingredients that protect soybeans from seed- and soilborne diseases caused by Rhizoctonia solani, Fusarium spp., Pythium spp., and Phomopsis longicolla. PPST with EverGol Energy showed a positive yield advantage over a non-treated check in 47 of 57 research locations from 2010 to 2012, a win rate of 82%. The 3-year average soybean yield advantage for PPST with EverGol Energy was 1.34 bu/acre over the non-treated check across all 57 locations. Soybeans have some ability to compensate for reduced stands; however, too much reliance on this ability can lead to poor stands and limit top-end yield potential. Other benefits of higher planting rates include: Quicker shading of the ground Reduces reflective heat coming off hot soils that can inhibit tender seedling growth. Reduces the effect of early weed competition. Lowers the rate of soil moisture evaporation. Helps prevent potential yield reductions or replanting when seedbed conditions, weather, or pests are likely to reduce stands. Has shown a benefit in reducing iron deficiency chlorosis on high pH soils. Eliminate weed competition early. Glyphosate-resistant weeds are becoming increasingly common. Use a preemergence herbicide with residual activity to reduce early season weed competition with the crop. Additional postemergence herbicides may also be necessary to prevent escapes of weeds not controlled by glyphosate. Apply postemergence treatments at the recommended weed size according to herbicide label guidelines. Include multiple modes of action in a herbicide program. Product responses are variable and subject to many factors including soil type, management practices and environmental stress as well as disease and pest pressures. Individual results may vary.
Out of stock An outstanding oak-leaf variety! Bronze Arrowhead Lettuce (Lactuca sativa) won “3rd place” at the All American Selections in 1947 and has been called the most delicious type for home gardens. Beautiful, reddish-green leaves are sweet, tender and delicious; ready for harvest in 40-50 days. Here are our best tips on How to Grow Lettuce, too! Each packet contains approximately 250 seeds. Planting and Harvesting Tips: Plants require partial shade in warm climates, rich, well-drained soil and regular water. Sow directly into prepared beds 2-4 weeks before the last expected frost. Try broadcasting over a wide row and gently rake or tamp to a depth of 1/8 inch deep — barely cover! To harvest, pinch or cut leaves just above the soil surface and allow to grow back. Continue harvesting over several months, or until plants begin to lose flavor. Once plants bolt (flower), the harvestable leaves will become bitter.
Olof von Dalin Comprehensive information about Olof von Dalin including biographical information, facts, literary works, and more. Olof von Dalin (29 August 1708 – 12 August 1763) was a Swedish nobleman, poet, historian and courtier. He was an influential literary figure of the Swedish Enlightenment. This educational Olof von Dalin resource has information about the author's life, works, quotations, articles and essays, and more. Articles about Olof von Dalin or articles that mention Olof von Dalin. Here are a few random quotes by Olof von Dalin. All Olof von Dalin Quotes
Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas will visit the White House this week for the first time in three years. By all accounts, his host is eager to resume Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations. “I’m working very hard,” President Donald Trump told reporters recently, in the hopes of “finally finding peace between the Palestinian people and Israel.” The president’s rhetoric on the peace process does not appear empty: He has consistently expressed his desire to make “the deal that can’t be made” in the region. Yet Trump’s efforts are ultimately doomed to the same failure of his predecessors if he does not address the biggest obstacle to an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement: Gaza. Since the terror group Hamas expelled the Palestinian Authority from the territory in 2007, the potential for a two-state solution has been microscopic. The Bush and Obama administrations chose to support negotiations strictly between Israel and Abbas’ West Bank-based Palestinian leadership. Both administrations preferred to leave Gaza as some unsolvable Pandora’s Box, doomed to perennial conflict with Israel while under Hamas’ rule. Yet this is fatally flawed logic. Any feasible peace agreement between the Israelis and Palestinians will require serious concessions from both sides. And no Palestinian leader sitting in the West Bank can compromise on the most sensitive issues in Palestinian politics — the status of Jerusalem, refugees, borders, etc. — while a rival party controls half the territory of a future Palestinian state. The very real fear for Abbas is that were his compromises to become public, Hamas would easily be able to rally public sentiment (and possibly action) against him and his Fatah party. Last year, a Palestinian negotiator who was involved in the 2013 peace talks led by then-Secretary of State John Kerry told me Gaza was a “periphery issue,” and insisted that Abbas doesn’t need to control the Strip to negotiate on its behalf. Abbas doesn’t govern Palestinians in Syria or Lebanon, the official argued, yet he still negotiates on their behalf as leader of the Palestinians. This is flawed logic for one simple reason: The Palestinians are not claiming Syria or Lebanon as their territory in a future state. Still, the answer to the Gaza conundrum was in the official’s reasoning: Abbas may not have to control Gaza, but he does need a legitimate claim to it in order to sign an agreement. He will not get it through reconciliation with Hamas. In the decade since the civil war, the gaps between the two Palestinian factions have only grown wider as successive reconciliation agreements collapsed. The ideological differences between both Fatah and Hamas, coupled with a long and bloody history, means both sides are incapable of viewing the competition as anything but zero-sum. Earlier this month, Abbas’ religious adviser called on Gazans to overthrow Hamas. In response, Hamas raided Palestinian Liberation Organization offices in Gaza. Just last week, Abbas halted payments for Gaza’s electricity. Even Hamas’ new political document acknowledging the 1967 borders is less a gesture of good faith than a cynical ploy to secure regional funding and swipe at Fatah’s support base. Hamas is not going anywhere in the Palestinian body politic, and neither force nor wishful thinking will diminish its ability to spoil the chances for a peace agreement. Whether through suicide bombings in the 1990s or the recent 2014 war, Hamas has historically sought to derail any progress made in peace negotiations through the use of terror. Rather than ignoring Hamas, the U.S. can support a political process that not only diminishes the terror group’s standing but also gives the more pragmatic (albeit flawed) Fatah-dominated Palestinian Authority a chance at re-establishing a legitimate claim to Gaza in future negotiations. A renewed push for a new Palestinian political process will undoubtedly evoke memories of the George W. Bush administration, which insisted on holding elections in 2006 — with the support of Abbas — and inadvertently paved the way for a Hamas electoral victory that the U.S. then refused to recognize. But the Bush administration’s errors were tactical, not strategic. Not enough was done at the ground level to prevent Hamas’ triumph. Though policymakers will be loath to risk another round of balloting, elections are still the strongest path for the relative pragmatists in Palestinian politics to garner legitimacy. The first step would be for the Palestinian Authority to announce presidential and legislative elections in 60 days. This is the period of time mandated in Palestinian Basic Law if and when a succession crisis occurs. By announcing elections on this time frame, Abbas and Fatah will be able to portray themselves as the “rule of law” party. Additionally, this would give the 82-year-old Abbas — who is 12 years into a four-year presidential term — an opportunity to either step down or compete in new elections. The second step would be for Abbas to initiate a general reform of Fatah. The strongest argument against another round of Palestinian elections — and the reason there hasn’t been any meaningful contests in over a decade — is the chance that Hamas could repeat its stunning 2006 victory. Yet in those elections Hamas merely won a plurality, not a majority, of votes by gaining 44 percent to Fatah’s 41 percent. Fatah entered the elections with deep divisions over who would be the party’s official candidates, and as such saw many of its disenfranchised members run as independents. For the Jerusalem district’s six parliamentary seats, for instance, Hamas fielded four candidates to Fatah’s six, but 29 candidates ran as independents and together garnered roughly 40 percent of the vote. In Gaza, approximately 28 independents who ran against the eight official Fatah candidates were affiliated with Fatah. Where Hamas never fielded more candidates than seat allotments, Fatah and its discontents diluted their support among voters. Crucial to the success of another round of elections is preventing similar disunity among Fatah. Yet reforming Fatah is arguably the biggest hurdle in revitalizing Palestinian democracy. Fatah is even more divided today than it was in 2006. Abbas’ recoronation at the party’s congress in November solidified his grip on power. For elections to work in Fatah’s favor, however, Abbas will have to reach out to disenfranchised party members — including those allied with his rival Muhammad Dahlan — and unify the party behind one list in each district. The third step is to place conditions on participation in the elections. In 2006, the Bush administration refused to pressure Abbas into placing requirements — such as the renunciation of violence and adherence to the PLO’s prior agreements with Israel — on who could participate in the elections. This allowed Hamas to field candidates without reneging on the terror group’s platform. American officials would later lament this decision. “Forced by the Palestinian logic to choose between canceling the elections entirely or allowing Hamas-linked candidates to run, we chose the latter,” one former administration official wrote. “In retrospect, the decision was wrong in both principle and practice.” Placing requirements on participation is a key source of leverage in the internal Palestinian political dynamic. Hamas officials will be posed with a dilemma: renounce violence and participate in the first free and fair elections in over a decade, or refuse and risk looking obstinate and out of touch with the Palestinian people. If the former, the U.S. should feel confident with a unified Fatah’s chances of defeating Hamas. If the latter, then the Palestinian street will see clearly which of the two major parties turned down the chances at democratic representation. This plan is not without risks. Hamas could participate and win, Fatah could fracture at the last minute, or elections could take place only in the West Bank. And admittedly, the West Bank leadership’s incitement, endemic corruption and payments to families of terrorists make it far from an ideal peace partner right now. Still, that should not prevent U.S. policy from thinking creatively about Gaza. A Palestinian leader needs both the willingness to sign an agreement and the ability to deliver on its implementation. That is impossible so long as a leader in the West Bank does not, at the very least, have a legitimate claim to Gaza.
GM told engineers to avoid using dozens of words when communicating about vehicle problems that could potentially lead to recalls, including everything from “safety” to “Kevorkianesque.” A Powerpoint presentation included in the company’s consent agreement with NHTSA unveiled Friday shows the nation’s largest automaker told engineers to avoid terms both absurd and mundane for fear of e-mails leaking to the media or regulators. The presentation, given in the first quarter of 2008, was meant to teach engineers to use sparing, non-emotional language to describe problems that could potentially lead to auto recalls. “Be factual, not fantastic, in your writing,” the Powerpoint notes at one point, adding later: “For anything you say or do, ask yourself how you would react if it was reported in a major newspaper or on television.” The consent agreement, in which GM also agreed to implement safety reforms and pay more than $35 million in fines, brings to an end NHTSA’s investigation of GM’s delayed recall of millions of cars with faulty ignition locks. That defect has been linked to at least 13 deaths. As part of the agreement, GM admitted it knew about the problem for years and did nothing. At a press conference Friday, acting NHTSA Administrator David Friedman said the company’s training was part of the reason GM employees did “clearly communicate up the chain when they suspect a problem.” “Kevorkianesque,” apparently a reference to Jack Kevorkian, the doctor who claimed to have helped more than 130 patients commit euthanasia, was one of the presentation’s “judgment words” to be avoided. Others included: “apocalyptic,” “Band-Aid,” “Challenger,” “Cobain,” “Corvair-like,” “death trap,” “decapitating,” “disemboweling,” “genocide,” “grenadelike,” “Hindenberg,” “impaling,” “rolling sacrophagus (tomb or coffin),” “spontaneous combustion,” “Titanic,” “widow-maker” or “words or phrases with biblical connotation.” While many of these words or phrases are understandably over-the-top, the list also includes relatively plain language, such as “always,” “fail,” “defect,” “defective,” “bad,” “flawed,” “never,” and even “safety” and “safety-related” were included. The company’s Powerpoint also included a list of phrases that were examples of “comments that do not help identify and solve problems,” including “scary for the customer” and “this is a lawsuit waiting to happen.” Instead of calling something a “problem,” engineers were told to identify it as an “issue, condition, or matter.” Instead of “defect,” they were supposed to say a part “does not perform to design.” “Safety” was to be replaced with “has potential safety implications.” Part of the consent agreement involves GM agreeing to “expressly disavow statements diluting the safety message” like those included in the Powerpoint. Since the recall scandal broke earlier this year, GM has started a new campaign to tell rank-and-file employees to speak up and tell top executives about safety issues. ”We have learned a great deal from this recall,” GM CEO Mary Barra said in a statement. “We will now focus on the goal of becoming an industry leader in safety. We will emerge from this situation a stronger company.”
Nose surgery is simply a surgical operation conducted on the nose to either improve its function or change its shape. Nose surgery is basically carried out for medical reasons, which include correcting breathing problems that have to do with the nose or correcting disfigurement that results from birth defects or trauma. Nose surgery can also be undergone for cosmetic reasons – to alter the shape and appearance of the nose. What Is Nose Surgery Houston? Nose surgery, called nose job or Rhinoplasty, is the surgery performed to alter the nose either for a medical purpose (to improve its function) or cosmetic purpose (to alter its appearance and shape). Nose surgery can be performed to either increase or reduce the size of your nose, or to change the shape and size of your nostrils, the bridge, or the tip. Are You Eligible for A Nose Surgery Houston? To be eligible for nose surgery in Houston, you must be unhappy with either present appearance or shape of your nose and seek a way of improving it to fit the way you want. More so, to be eligible, you must have a good general physical health, you must be psychologically stable and above all, you must have realistic expectations. But Would You Know If Your Expectations Are Realistic? Foremost, you need to consult your doctor to discuss your expectations about nose surgery. Your doctor would ask you what gives you concern about your nose and what you would like to change about your nose, and how you would like to change it. More so, your doctor would examine and evaluate the current state and structure of your nose to determine whether your expectations are realistic or not and whether the nose surgery will improve your facial aesthetics or not. Deciding on a Nose Surgery Houston Are you deciding on a nose surgery Houston? You need to schedule a consultation with the nose surgery doctor to discuss it. During the consultation, you need to discuss your goals, what bothers you about your nose, and what you would like to change about it. Always remember that there is nothing like a perfect nose. The nose surgery can only improve your facial features and enhance your natural beauty. The nose surgery doctor would suggest to you the various nose changes that would enhance your appearance and make you face unique. The nose surgery doctor would also examine your overall physical to determine if you are eligible. Your doctor should explain to you all the likely risks involved in the surgery, the expected nose surgery recovery time, and the total costs involved. If you have an insurance plan, it may do you good to check with your insurance company in advance to know if your nose surgery procedure is covered or not. Most insurance companies don’t pay for surgical procedures that are undergone for cosmetic reasons. This will help you to know what percentage of the total cost would be paid for and how much you would need to pay out of your pocket – or maybe you would have to pay the total bill yourself. Step-by-Step Procedure to Nose Surgery Houston The nose surgery Houston follows an outpatient procedure i.e. the patient receives the treatment right in the hospital but does not stay overnight there. During the procedure, the patient will be given either a local or general anaesthesia. The general anaesthesia would make the patient stay unconscious and sleep all through the procedure. However, the local anaesthesia will only sedate the patient and numb the nose so that the patient can stay awake and relaxed during the procedure without feeling any pain. During the procedure, the doctor would make cuts within the nostrils. In some severe cases, the doctor may have to make cuts across the base of the nose as well. After that. The doctor will reshape the inner bone of the nose and the cartilage to get the desired and more pleasing appearance. Since nose surgery Houston involves such an intricate procedure, it is advisable that you get the nose surgery doctor to handle your Rhinoplasty. Nose Surgery Recovery After the nose surgery procedure, patients normally have to put on a nasal splint during the first week. Few hours after the nose surgery procedure, it is normal for the patient to experience some bruising and swelling around the eyes. This bruise and swelling should, however, begin to improve after the second or third day. Generally, the swelling and bruise shouldn’t last more than two weeks. Afterward, expect a little swelling around your nose, which can possibly be noticed by only you and your doctor. This pain will take about six months to go away. After then, the new shape of your nose will become apparent. During the nose surgery recovery, it is important to avoid strenuous activities for about 3 to 6 weeks after the nose surgery. You may choose to return to your normal activities after 2 to 3 weeks of no recognizable signs of having undergone the nose surgery. What Is a Structure Nose Job? A structure nose surgery is a type of surgery where only a small amount of cartilage is removed from the nose. The final change in the shape of the nose is obtained by either adding cartilage grafts to the nose or by remoulding the existing cartilage. Since only a little amount of cartilage is removed in this procedure, this procedure maintains the structural strength of the nose. And by so doing, the shape and structure of the nose will be maintained as the nose heals. Nose surgery Houston is performed to alter the nose for either cosmetic reasons or for medical reasons. Cosmetic reasons include altering the shape and appearance of the nose to add to facial aesthetics. Medical reasons include altering the shape of the nose to improve its function. Generally, nose surgery involves increasing or reducing the size of your nose, altering the shape and size of the nostrils, the bridge, or the tip. Nose surgery involves an intricate procedure and should, therefore, be handled by the nose surgery specialist for the result. Altogether, the nose surgery recovery period should not exceed 6 months. During this period, some pain and discomfort may be felt but these should not last long and can be reduced by taking some over-the-counter painkillers. To learn more about nose surgery or to find answers to your inquiry about nose surgery procedure, contact any of our professional surgeons today.
Up until recently only seven of the in total 13 islands that belong to Spain politically but lie just off the coast of Morocco were officially referred to as “Canary Islands”. Since the end of June however the smallest inhabited island of the group, La Graciosa, has been accepted as its own administrative unit making it the 8th Canary Island. Gracefully lying in the waters of the Atlantic Ocean Only about a kilometer off the shore of Lanzarote lies the tiny island of La Graciosa, “the graceful one”. Around it there are four even smaller islands, hardly more than rocks in the water. Together they all form the so called Chinijo Archipelago. With its already modest size of about 29 sqkm La Graciosa is still the biggest island of this archipelago. The most important difference to the rest of the island though is, that La Graciosa is inhabited. There are about 700 people living in the only proper small town of the island, called Caleta del Sebo. So far La Graciosa and its inhabitants were under the administration of the commune Teguise in the bog neighbour island Lanzarote. As of the 26th of Juni 2018 however, the Spanish senate has officially made the island its own administrative unit. Meaning the number of the Canary Islands has changed from the former seven to now eight. It also means that El Hierro in the west is no longer the smallest island of the group. The reason for this decision was a petition by the inhabitants of La Graciosa and the party Grupo Parlamentario Popular that had been signed by about 4000 people. The island is now supposed to get its own administration office in Caleta del Sebo. The smallest Canary Island: A portrait If you have ever been up on the Mirador del Río on the northern cliffs of Lanzarote, you have probably already had a chance to see the small island with its sandy landscape and the four reddish-brown volcanoes towering out of the desert. The white houses of Caleta del Sebo and the harbor are clearly visible from here. If you take a closer look you can even spy the seconder tiny settlement of the island, Pedro Barba. There is no airport on La Graciosa so the only way to get there is via Lanzarote. Ferries go a few times a day between the northern fishers’ village Órzola and the harbour of Caleta del Sebo. There are two companies whose ships cross the “Río” between both islands. As an adult you pay about 20€ for the roundtrip. During summer it is popular amongst Lanzarote’s tourists to do a daytrip to La Graciosa. It can definitely be worth is staying there a little longer though. If you are looking for the last place (technically) Europe that is untouched by mass tourism and offers ultimate quiescence you may have just found it here. Time rests in Caleta del Sebo Caleta del Sebo is where the entire life of the island is happening. All of the islands inhabitants live here and since it’s the harbour town this is also where almost every visitor disembarks onto the island. Because of this, the place has partially adapted to the first steps of tourism happening here. There are no paved streets between the cute little houses. Only paths of sand. There are however a few restaurants and cafés welcoming visitors. Three supermarkets and a few small shops make for all the shopping opportunities on the island. One of the supermarkets has decided to open its doors even during the usually closed afternoon hours of the siesta to cater to tourists. Full streets are a seldomly viewed sight here. Time seems to rest in Caleta del Sebo and that makes for all the appeal of it. A holiday on La Graciosa – ultimate peacefulness If you decide to stay on the island a little longer than the usual daytrip you can expect a holiday in absolute peacefulness. Only you, the wind, the sea and the dusty landscape. Just like in the main town, there are no proper streets on any part of the island. Sandy roads connect the mayor points of interest and the only motorized vehicles are a few rovers owned by the locals. For a few bucks they will occasionally drive one or the other tourist to the farther beaches. The usual way to get around is by bicycle or by foot. The landscape might seem meagre, lacking vegetation but it holds its own fascination for hikes or biking trips. Just be sure to bring cover for your head and water along the way since shadow is hard to find. The second settlement on La Graciosa is called Pedro Barba and lies in the northeast of the island. It is only inhabited during summer months though since all the houses are holiday homes, mostly for residents of the other Canary Islands. There are however a few houses available for rent to tourists here. The biggest appeal to stay here for a couple of days would be the beautiful beach just next to the place. Most of the beaches on La Graciosa are in fact quite intriguing. Things to see on La Graciosa On the other side of the island in the northwest lies La Playa de las Conchas, which can easily be called one of the most beautiful beaches on the Canaries. Pristine golden sand and the pure turquoise waves of the Atlantic are what awaits the visitors here. The theme of calmness and secludedness always continues on this island. A true paradise to everyone, who just wants to relax with sand under their soles and wind in their hair. If you ever get tired of all that there you might want to take a boat trip around the archipelago and get a guide to show you the diverse bird life and marine fauna.
St. Anthony's Hospital is committed to health care technology leadership. We were the first healthcare provider in the region to introduce cardiac catheterization and we continue to set the standard with the newest, most effective diagnostic heart testing procedures and imaging technology. Angiograms - An imaging test that uses X-rays to study narrow, blocked, enlarged, or malformed arteries in the heart and other areas including the abdomen and legs. Cardiac Stress Test - A stress test, or exercise electrocardiogram, is used to evaluate the heart and vascular system after your heart has been put through physical exercise forcing it to perform at an increased workload. A stress test compares your baseline EKG (the heart at rest) to the EKG after you have exercised in a controlled manner on a treadmill or a stationary bicycle. Diagnostic and Interventional Cardiac Catheterization - During a catheterization procedure, a thin, flexible tube, or catheter, is inserted into an artery or vein through a very small incision. The catheter is then gently moved further into the arteries or the heart. It can be used as a diagnostic tool to figure out what is wrong with a patient's cardiovascular system or it can also be used as a form of treatment for coronary artery disease. When a partial or complete blockage of one or more coronary arteries is diagnosed, a similar catheter is used to reopen the artery (called angioplasty) by the interventional cardiologist. A stent may also be inserted through this catheter into the artery to keep it open after the procedure. Echocardiograms - An imaging test that uses sound waves to create a moving picture of the heart. The picture is much more detailed than X-ray image and involves no radiation exposure. If the echocardiogram is unclear, a transesophageal echocardiogram, or TEE, may be performed. With TEE, the back of your throat is anesthetized, and a scope is inserted down your throat to obtain a two-dimensional image of your heart. Electrocardiograms (ECGs or EKGs) - An electrocardiogram is a recording of the heart's electrical activity. This shows the heart's rate and rhythm, and can also detect decreased blood flow due to cardiac ischemia (partial or complete blockage in a coronary artery), enlargement of the heart, and the presence of either current or past heart attacks. An EKG that takes readings over 24 hours is called a Holter monitor, and when performed during exercise, an EKG is called a stress test. Event/loop recording uses a monitoring device that a patient can wear for weeks and is activated by the patient only when symptoms are felt. Intracoronary Ultrasound - This procedure uses ultrasound to create images of the heart and coronary arteries using a tiny ultrasound "camera" that is threaded into the heart on the tip of a flexible catheter. These imaging studies can: - Assure that a stent is correctly placed and guide the optimal expansion of the stent to improve its safety and efficacy. - Clearly identify regions containing plaque, and distinguish these regions from normal tissue. MRIs - Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a safe and painless test that produces three-dimensional images of the body's tissues, even through bone and other obstructions. Because of its safety and clarity, MRI is a valuable tool that can aid in the diagnosis of a wide range of conditions. Nuclear Medicine for Heart Disease (PET and MUGA scans) - Nuclear imaging evaluates how organs function using small amounts of a radioactive solution that is safe and has no side effects. A special camera is used to generate a series of images of the areas of interest. PET (Positron Emission Tomography) scans look for coronary artery disease by examining how blood flows through the heart. It can also evaluate damage to heart tissue after a heart attack. A MUGA (Multiple Gated Acquisition) Scan - also called radionuclide angiography (RNA) - evaluates heart function by measuring how much blood is pumped out of the ventricles of the heart with each heartbeat. Tilt testing - Tilt table testing is one of the diagnostic tools used by our physicians to pinpoint the cause of syncope, or fainting. This test involves lying flat on a table. The patient is tilted upright to a 70-80 degree angle, with the head always above the feet, for twenty to thirty minutes. Patients are never tilted upside down. As the patient is tilted toward the upright position, an ECG records the heart’s electrical activity while monitoring the patient's blood pressure. In some patients, this simple maneuver will reveal abnormal cardiovascular reflexes that produce syncope. If you are experiencing symptoms of heart disease, please contact your physician or cardiologist so that you can be tested and receive immediate treatment. Don’t have a physician? Search for a BayCare physician near you. If you are experiencing pressure, heaviness or pain in the chest, arm or below the breastbone alone or in combination with sweating, nausea, extreme shortness of breath or irregular heartbeats, you may be having a heart attack. Please call 911 immediately. For more information about the heart care services at St. Anthony's Hospital, please call (727) 825-1100.
Humor Sometimes Makes Stressful Situations Better What kind of humor helps people deal with stress? Posted Jun 21, 2017 Humor can be a great mechanism for dealing with stress. Jokes and witty conversation can make you feel closer to the people around you. In addition, a key element of jokes is that they force you to look at the same situation in different ways. Puns, for example, involve taking a word or phrase and recognizing that it can have two distinct meanings. This process of looking at situations in more than one way can also be applied to stressful situations themselves. Reappraising a difficult situation involves recognizing that it may have a hidden benefit or may not be as bad as it first appeared. Not all humor may help with stress. For example, people may use humor to insult or belittle others in ways that may actually decrease social support from others. Or people may make jokes at their own expense, which might actually make people feel worse about themselves when times are tough. The influence of humor on stress was explored in some detail in a paper in the June, 2017 issue of Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin by Heidi Fritz, Leslie Russek, and Melissa Dillon. One study just looked at the overall influence of humor on stress. This study examined 21 patients suffering from the chronic pain disorder Fibromyalgia. These patients experience a lot of physical discomfort, and also have difficulty sleeping. These patients filled out a mood scale and scales measuring their mental and physical functioning on a daily basis for four days. This diary included a measure of their psychological distress (measured as the presence of anxiety, depression, and anger and the absence of calm and well-being). They also filled out a scale measuring their use of humor. This study found that the tendency to use humor (overall) was associated with lower levels of psychological distress. Two other studies looked at this more carefully. One study focused on having undergraduates reflect on a difficult experience they had during the previous three years. A second study begin in October, 2001, and tracked people for three months measuring their stress related to the 9/11 attacks. Each of these studies measured levels of psychological distress. The three-month study allowed the researchers to compare stress levels at the start and end of the study. The studies also looked at overall use of humor as well as the use of particular potentially positive and negative styles of humor. These studies also assessed whether people felt like they had a lot of social support and whether they engaged in strategies to reappraise difficult situations. Both studies found that overall use of humor tends to decrease stress. Positive forms of humor like telling jokes and using jokes to make people feel better about themselves was related to feelings of social support, which decreased stress. Self-defeating humor (in which people make jokes at their own expense) tended to increase stress and was associated with lower levels of social support. Finally, in the three-month study, the decrease in stress associated with humor from the first measurement in October to the second one in January was associated with the tendency to reappraise situations. That is, people who used humor a lot were more likely to find new ways to think about the stressful situation, which was related to decreases in stress. In this study, people who used self-defeating humor showed a tendency to reappraise less often, leading to higher levels of stress. This study suggests that humor can benefit people experiencing stress, but only if it is used in the right way. Humor has two benefits. Being witty and telling enhancing jokes increases people’s social support, which helps people feel better in difficult times. In addition, the use of positive forms of humor can help people to think about stressful situations in new ways. However, negative forms of humor—particularly jokes that people make at their own expense—can backfire. These jokes can decrease social support and can make it harder for people to reappraise situations. Ultimately, these jokes may lead to higher levels of stress. Of course, these results need to be treated with some care. It may be that the kinds of people who make themselves the butt of their own jokes are also people who have difficulty gaining social support from others and have trouble seeing situations in new ways. Studies still need to be done to determine whether humor causes these observed differences or is a result of psychological differences that make people better or worse at dealing with stress. Fritz, H.L., Russek, L.N., & Dillon, M.M. (2017). Humor use moderates the relation of stressful life events with psychological distress. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 43(6), 845-859.
It was four years ago when Adam Silver took over for the longest tenured commissioner in team sports: David Stern. The paint wasn’t even dry on the new commissioner’s office before he was hit with a major controversy; Donald Sterling — the former owner of the Los Angeles Clippers — was recorded making racist remarks about African-American players and Lakers owner Magic Johnson. Racism in America never surprises me, but yes: in a league like the NBA it’s just weird to have a racist owner in a league where the league is seventy percent African-American. But Donald Sterling shows us again that racism knows no bounds. This situation was great for Adam Silver. While it wasn’t great to have a racist owner in the NBA, this allowed Silver to assert himself immediately, forcing the other owners to work with him on a difficult and critical situation. The owners, along with Silver, decided to place a lifetime ban on Donald Sterling; the franchise is now currently owned by Steve Ballmer. In a recent interview on CNN, Jay-Z criticized the move saying that it allowed all the closet racist to stay in closet. Adam Silver, in a recent interview on CNN, stood by the decision. So whether you like the move or not, Silver attacked the issue and got results. The next crisis facing the NBA is the one-and-done rule for young men going from high school to the NBA or high school to college. College basketball has had a long history of payoffs and behind-the-scene scandals of teams paying-off players and their families to attend their universities. This was on full display at the University of Arizona when then-head coach Sean Miller was allegedly caught by FBI wire offering $100k to a recruit. The NBA’s current rule says a player can’t go to the NBA right out of high school; many believe this leads to the corruption in college and at the AAU level. Adam Silver sees the issue and is going to make a change. The NBA is rumored to be offering a G-league alternative to the college game, or heading overseas to play out of high school. Silver’s ability to think outside the box and bringing the game young people has the NBA ratings and franchises worth more and more every year. No one wants to see these payoffs and scandals surround basketball at any level, so the NBA is doing something smart like baseball: create a legit minor league system that fans can enjoy and players can get paid legally as they develop. According to business journalism, the Sacramento River Cats (a MLB affiliate: San Francisco Giants) are worth $38 million dollars in 2013. David Stern did his job transforming the league from one filled with drugs and race issues. Know that his predecessor is transforming the league in a different way that will take the NBA to more places than ever before. If this change works, Adam Silver’s moves will continue to turn into NBA Gold.
Neyveli was reported to be planning 600MW of Indian solar capacity in August. . Flickr: Sanyam Bagha Neyveli Lignite Corporation (NLC), an Indian state-owned mining and power company, is tendering for 260MW of grid-connected solar PV capacity in two Indian states. The firm has released a notice inviting bids, under a reverse bidding process, for four separate projects of 65MW capacity each, with two blocks in the mining and power generation township Neyveli, Tamil Nadu, and the other two PV blocks in Barsingsar, Rajasthan. For these projects, NLC has obtained Viability Gap Funding (VGF). This means players have the choice whether or not to bid under Domestic Content Requirements (DCR), which mandates a certain amount of solar equipment to be sourced from Indian manufacturers. The tender includes a 12-month deadline to complete the design, engineering, manufacture, inspection at supplier’s works, supply, insurance, transport, storage, erection, testing, commissioning and provisional takeover of the projects. It also includes also includes operation and maintenance for five years including a one year warranty period. The deadline for receipt of bids is 8 March this year. A pre-bid conference will be held on 2 February.
Research degrees for creatives Whether you want to start or continue your research career, our vibrant community contributes towards a collaborative, cross-disciplinary and industry integrated approach to research. We believe in fostering a supportive intellectual environment that encourages our researchers to address real-world problems with innovative, practical solutions. Real world, real impact Working closely with partners from government and industry, we lead the development of creative industries locally, nationally and internationally. Jump start your career Expand your career options by working on cutting-edge research and development. Understand and dictate future trends in your creative industry. Master of Philosophy The Master of Philosophy (MPhil) offer you a unique interdisciplinary program that provides the opportunity to gain practical and theoretical research skills across the creative and cultural industries. This degree will allow you to develop networks in your chosen industry and provide pathways to higher level research degrees such as the Doctor of Philosophy or Doctor of Creative Industries. Doctor of Creative Industries The Doctor of Creative Industries (DCI) is a course for the curious, for those wishing to deepen their conceptual and practical engagement within their chosen industry in a range of government or corporate settings, creative enterprises or tertiary creative industries practices. Doctor of Philosophy A Creative Industries Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) allows you to build upon previous research expertise to explore real-world issues and develop new theories, methodologies and models making significant improvements across media, design or the creative arts. Join our research community Join our research community As a Creative Industries researcher, you will work alongside our world-leading academic staff and engage with our extensive networks to deliver meaningful and innovative contributions to knowledge within the creative industries. Creative Industries hosts three research centres across our key research areas: creative practice, design and digital media. Each centre and lab specialises in a number of different topics within their broad research area - visit their websites for more information. The QUT Creative Lab builds high impact, transdisciplinary research in the key priority areas of the performing and screen arts, and creative practice. The QUT Design Lab drives Change by Design through collaborative and transdisciplinary design-led research across three core programs: health and wellbeing, technologies of tomorrow, and communities and resilient futures. Digital Media Research Centre The DMRC is a leading Australian centre for media and communication research, collaborating across disciplines to address the challenges of digital media for journalism, public communication and democracy. Our $80 million Stage Two of the Creative Industries Precinct is a cutting-edge educational development with state-of-art sound recording, visual art and design studios and exhibition spaces. If you'd like to make an enquiry about postgraduate research study, contact our higher degree research team.
Radley Horton is a Lamont Associate Research Professor at Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory. His research focuses on climate extremes, tail risks, climate impacts, and adaptation. Radley was a Convening Lead Author for the Third National Climate Assessment. He currently Co-Chairs Columbia’s Adaptation Initiative, and is Principal Investigator for the Columbia University-WWF ADVANCE partnership, and the NOAA-Regional Integrated Sciences and Assessments-funded Consortium for Climate Risk in the Urban Northeast. He is also the Columbia University lead for the Department of Interior-funded Northeast Climate Science Center, and is a PI on an NSF-funded Climate Change Education Partnership Project. Radley has been a Co-leader in the development of a global research agenda in support of the United Nations Environmental Program’s Programme on Vulnerability, Impacts, and Adaptation (PROVIA) initiative. He serves on numerous national and international task forces and committees, including the Climate Scenarios Task Force in support of the 2018 National Climate Assessment, and frequently appears on national and international television, radio, and in print. Radley teaches in Columbia University’s Sustainable Development department.
Length and structure Senior Cycle (SC) is delivered over the final two years of the Medicine programme in RCSI-affiliated teaching hospitals located throughout Ireland, providing you with different learning opportunities. The SC structure is as follows: \|Medicine and Surgery, Ophthalmology, Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) \|\|Medicine and Surgery (24 weeks) \|Medicine and Surgery of Childhood and Neonatal Medicine \|\|Sub-internship (4 weeks) \|Obstetrics and Gynaecology \|\|Student Selected Clinical Attachment (4 weeks) Senior Cycle 1 Senior Cycle 1 is a year of two semesters, divided into five seven-week rotations. It comprises modules in General Practice (GP), Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Paediatrics, Psychiatry and Medicine and Surgery. The Medicine and Surgery module (formerly known as C-Med) is a blended one comprising Ophthalmology, Otorhinolaryngology (ENT), prescribing instruction, ethics and clinical competencies. For the greater part of this year students are attached to clinical teams in RCSI Bahrain's three affiliated teaching hospitals: King Hamad University Hospital, Bahrain Defence Force Hospital and Salmaniya Medical Complex, and Bahrain’s Family Medicine Health Centres. The students’ clinical immersion is underpinned by their participation in a structured programme of active teaching and formative assessment delivered by senior academic staff in all departments. Written and clinical summative assessments are carried out at the end of each rotation (except GP) and the end of the academic year (except Medicine and Surgery). Senior Cycle 2 Senior Cycle 2 is comprised of a single module – Clinical Medicine and Surgery – delivered over two semesters in seven 4-week rotations. The focus is on four immersive clinical rotations in Medicine and Surgery, and their major sub-specialties, in our three partner hospitals that are complemented by comprehensive online lectures, taught revision lectures, small group classroom instruction during 3 teaching weeks and extensive bedside clinical teaching. In addition, students are formally prepared for internship and autonomous clinical practice during their Sub-Internship rotation and the ‘Essentials of Clinical Practice’ (ECP) sub-module. In ECP simulated emergencies in Medicine, Surgery and Anaesthesia are taught by senior academic staff, along with delivery of interactive small group sessions on professionalism, communication, legal medicine and medical therapeutics. Students are supported in applying for North American clerkships during their Student Selected clinical component (SSCA) and Sub-Internship rotations to increase their opportunity to match directly into residency programmes in the US and Canada after their internship. Students engage in continuous assessment activities throughout the year (case presentations, TOSBAs , ethics case presentations, and assessment of sub-internship administrative and procedural competencies). Written and clinical high-stakes’ assessments, including OSCEs and combined medical and surgical direct observed histories (‘long cases’), happen between March and May. Each rotation is assessed independently by a selection or combination of continuous assessment, portfolio, logbook, case presentations, end of rotation clinical examination of both a child and a newborn infant and end of year written examination. Below is an example of a seven-week rotation in Paediatrics/Neonatal Medicine for a SC1 student. - Week 1-6: All students attend RCSI Bahrain on Day 1 for orientation. Students are then assigned for two-week rotations to the Paediatric Departments in our three affiliated teaching hospitals. During this time, students will also gain experience in Neonatal Medicine and other Paediatric subspecialties. - Week 7: All students spend the last week undertaking self-directed learning outside the hospitals. The end of rotation exams are held over three days in week 7 of your rotation. You will be assessed in a clinical examination of both a child and a newborn infant. During your attachments, you will do ‘on-call’ in the Emergency Department at each of the three affiliated teaching hospitals.
Music and art classes in Singapore are wonderful activities for kids. Children brain is developing fast, so children manage to imitate almost every move and pattern, they see. That’s why setting a good example for your kid is important. Children benefit a lot from teachers and knowledge, which they have the opportunity to acquire, so the result is as much knowledge is available as possible. Art classes include painting, drawing and other really fun activates that will develop child’s abilities. Music classes can include singing or playing some instrument. Small children find a lot of fun in music rooms. There is nothing cuter, than a toddler who finds out, what drums are for. Benefits from art classes for kids Benefits are enormous because art can be unlimited, but we will try to explain those which are most obvious. Imagine that your kid should paint a house and a family next to it. Do you know how many decisions your kid should take just to start drawing? First, he should choose paper, materials, shape of the house, how many people, type of the garden etc. Decision-making is one of the best abilities and Muzart Art Classes for kids have all the advantages for your kids. What if my child doesn’t have a talent? Educators will teach students of different methods of painting and different tools. It won’t be as long as you think when your child will draw a masterpiece. More parents can believe that their children are capable of drawing this way. Actually, drawing is not only a talent but efforts, too. Children manage to master their motor skills while learning how to hold brush and pencil properly. It sounds like an easy-peasy for adults, but in fact, children just have met these tools. There is a whole list of things that children can learn in an art class for kids in Singapore, like what are a line, space, shape and contrast. All this knowledge will help them in their future education. Music classes have many advantages, too. Probably, you have heard about this fact, but we will explain it deeply. Music and academic skills have a lot in common. Music is a pattern and recognition so children get used to find patterns. This is extremely helpful for math students. Memorizing lyrics can develop short and long-term memory. Actually, patients who suffer from dementia have to memorize poems and songs to improve their abilities. Physics is another thing that toddlers and children can acquire. Imagine your child holding a guitar – he will have to understand and learn harmonic and sympathetic vibrations. Music can develop physical skills. Yep, both things seem to look really in distance but actually, they are not. Motor skills are required to be able to play to almost every musical instrument. Sometimes hands are not enough, music sometimes requires legs and arms movements, too. Imagine how you play viola without moving your shoulders – it is impossible. Another great benefits of music classes are ho children get used to uncomfortable poses no matter how uncomfortable they are. Playing the viola, is not the most comfortable body position, as you may have noticed. However, music and art classes are going to challenge your kid to know and understand more. Children can use their limitless energy while learning new things. This way they will develop their abilities as much as it is possible. Don’t forget that talent is not everything, a big part of success is the effort.
Salvador Nadal is the creator of the project workshop of "El nebot del persianer" that while the name of this collection of furniture and lighting blinds made from reused. A set of timeless furniture vocation that offers some currents and creative solutions to the problem of workspace and where, at the time, incorporating elements of our craft tradition. Just look at their prototypes to appreciate them Footprint Carpenter manual process, as opposed to the resource industry. Moreover, the use of fragments of blinds on your furniture is not just a clever way to recycle and give new life to an object fallen into disuse; it is also a cry of protest poetry to warn of a past that we will, from the hand of our old craftsmen. With them will also be a world of knowledge and practical wisdom, a way to make earth-bound, the nature and customs of the people of each site. El nebot del persianer, claims reviewing this model and commitment to enhancing the products of our lands. The design is a reflection of society; we understand that we need models that provide different solutions to the challenges and future of humanity. The aim is to create a sustainable future connected to our emotions. We support green, intelligent and exciting design. . We know the strong bond that is developed between object and user when the sensitive flows. We empower traditional and autochthonous, and we believe it is the best way to create objects by and for the people. Reinterpret the past, reinvent it invented. El nebot del persianer designed for today's activity, but their furniture speaks of a legacy that we must not lose. This project stems from a family tradition, your uncle has been a manufacturer, installer and repairer of blinds since 1955.
The next big film is the Shahid-Kareena-Alia star-packed Udta Punjab based on Punjab's drug problem. Bathinda is the only district in Punjab to start a movement 'Rising Bathinda' to find out what is the drug situation on the ground and aims to address it. On the third leg of their journey from the foothills of the Himalayas to the Arabian Sea, Rediff.com's Archana Masih and photographer Rajesh Karkera meet Swapan Sharma, senior SP, Bathinda, and visit a drug rehabilitation centre. - Day1: Dehradun: 7 States. 6 Days. 2,148 km and a journey of a lifetime - Day2: Ramgarh village: This girl is going to grow vegetables after a PhD Day 3: Bathinda, Punjab At 8 am on a Sunday morning, Bathinda in Punjab is stirring to life. Girls on scooters make their way to tuition classes in a city which is said to be the tuition capital of Punjab. Bathinda is part of Malwa, a region dubbed as the cancer capital of Punjab. It has had so many cases of cancer that the 54704 Jodhpur-Bathinda Passenger is called the 'cancer train' for transporting patients to a hospital in Bikaner, Rajasthan, that provides free treatment. The presence of lead in the water caused by harmful pesticides is cited as a reason for the cancer cases and one notices many hospitals, pathology centres and nursing homes in Bathinda and neighbouring Patiala. In the 1980s and early 1990s, the insurgency demanding a separate state of Khalistan had ripped through the state's social fabric. "Night shows were banned. We would bunk class and often watch the 9 am film show," recalls Dr Mayank Jyot Singh, a Rajasthani Jain whose family settled in Bathinda many decades ago. In recent years, the state has been grappling with another threat -- drugs. Udta Punjab, a film that opens later this month, focuses on the drug addiction destroying Punjabi youth. Heroin produced in Afghanistan makes its way through Pakistan into Punjab in well-packed, egg shaped, waterproof 1 kg packets which are smuggled through pipes from across the border. Deterred by the vast desert of Rajasthan and a border heavily guarded by the Indian Army in Jammu and Kashmir, drug smugglers have found ways to breach the border in Punjab. "The Government of India has great fortification at the border -- two levels of barbed wire/electrified fencing and sophisticated weapons -- but there are black sheep," says Swapan Sharma, the senior superintendent of police, Bhatinda. Last year, while serving in the border district of Fazilka, Sharma and his men arrested a senior Border Security Force constable with 4 kg of heroin and around 4 crore (Rs 40 million) rupees. "Punjab is not a consuming state, it is a transit state. Here, not more than 1 per cent consume drugs from across the border. Punjab's drug problem has been blown out of proportion," says Sharma who has started an initiative, 'Ubharda Bathinda' or 'Rising Bathinda' to analyse the drug situation and increase awareness. 80 per cent of the heroin that comes in is transported out of the state in less than 24 hours. The remaining 20 per cent is shifted out in a week or so. The state does maximum recoveries and registers maximum cases, says Sharma, a 2008 batch Indian Police Service officer whose wife serves in the Indian Foreign Service. 95 per cent of the total chronic drug users in Punjab use poppy husk or bhuki, 5 per cent use synthetic drugs, explains Sharma. "In the olden days, opium or afeem was given to farm labourers as they set out for a hard day of manual work in the fields, it did not directly affect their health because they were strong men," the police officer adds. "The problem has been caused by the heroin that is crossing the border." Punjab, he says, does not produce poppy for use and bhuki shops in neighbouring Rajasthan have been banned. The previous director general of the Punjab police's drive to admit addicts to rehabilitation centres last year registered 330,000 users. Most of them did not need hospitalisation, says Sharma, as a majority used poppy husk which can be treated with two weeks of medication. While Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and his son Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal -- who have been at the helm of the state for two terms and hail from Bathinda -- have underplayed the extent of the problem, Punjab has opened five rehabilitation centres. There are plans to have one centre in every district. An exclusive centre for women opened in Amritsar last week. The government rehab centre is Bathinda is on the outskirts of the town, while the de-addiction centre is within the premises of the civil hospital. One of the five big districts of Punjab, Bathinda has several private de-addiction and rehab centres. "Once the patient had been de-toxified, he is sent here. This facility is basically for counseling and helping him go back into the mainstream," says Dr Mayank Jyot Singh, the chief medical officer. The facility in Bathinda is well-equipped and opened recently. The fee was slashed from Rs 200 to Rs 50 per day subsequently. Thirty eight patients have sought treatment so far, though it had no patients at that time we visited, 7 patients were expected the next day. "The situation is grave no doubt," says Dr Singh. "Drug usage is rampant, so is alcohol. Many are consuming heroin." 5 grams of heroin costs approximately Rs 10,000. An All India Institute of Medical Sciences report in January deduced that opiates worth Rs 7,500 crore (Rs 75 billion) were consumed in Punjab. Heroin's share alone accounting for Rs 6,500 crore (Rs 65 billion). With a population of around 27.7 million pople, the AIIMS study said Punjab has more than 123,000 heroin-dependent people. SSP Swapan Sharma vehemently refutes the AIIMS report and questions the sample survey. The police officer feels there is too much propaganda against the state. "In reality there won't be more than 15 per cent youth on drugs," he says, dismissing the figure that 70 per cent of Punjab youth use drugs. "We haven't been able to differentiate between the occasional sniffers and chronic users and all have been clubbed as drug users," says Sharma. "People from good families in bigger cities in other states are also known to sniff once in a while," he adds, "but in Punjab you get badnaam (a bad name) because of this hype." There are more drug users in Delhi and Rajasthan than in Punjab, he says, adding, "Our focus has to be on the chronic users." If the drug situation is not as bad why then the need for a drug awareness initiative like 'Rising Bhatinda', I ask. Sharma says it was started because the issue of drugs came up in interactions with the public. "The real purpose of the initiative is to find the real situation through a real survey," the officer points out. The Ubharda Bhatinda or Rising Bathinda initiative will assess the ground situation and identify chronic drug users with the help of 5-member committees spread over 303 villages in the district. While the government rehab centre with its wards, counselling rooms, gymnasium and activity room looks deserted without any patients the day we visit, the medical officer says it needs at least six months at the facility for a patient to make a full recovery. Patients are eager to leave quickly because they come from far off areas and cannot be made to stay by force. "They don't like the discipline here and are prone to getting their fix again after leaving," says Indrajeet Singh, a staffer at the centre. On its walls are messages advocating the virtues of a life without drugs. Of the 38 patients who were treated at the facility, most were young men from economically weak backgrounds. The rich go to private de-addiction centres. An addict administering drugs intravenously, says Indrajeet Singh, does not live beyond two or three years. "Don't know what kick they get that they keep craving it," adds Dr Singh, "This needs a multi-pronged approach -- the government, police, family and society -- all have to work." What you should also know about Bathinda: It is home to one of the largest cantonments in India. The road from Patiala to Bathinda was being constructed as we traveled and the worst stretch we encountered on our journey. We were told there was another route that was better. You can have local Punjabi breakfast near the railway station.
The fundamental purposes of the European Union are to promote greater social, political and economic harmony among the nations of Western Europe. The EU reasons that nations whose economies are interdependent are less likely to engage in conflict. These goals are pursued through the unification of European markets under a single currency, the Euro, and through sets of legal standards to which all prospective and member nations, are held. Supranational institutions work with national governments to govern the implementation of these standards and help the EU to act as a unified body on the world stage. Calls for the unification of Europe began in the 1940s and '50s as a reaction to the violent disunity demonstrated by the World Wars. As the continent rebuilt its industries, the advantages of pooling natural resources and strengthening bonds became attractive to national leaders, whose countries’ post-imperialism economies relied heavily upon trade with one another. Thus, the primary concept of European unification was predicated on peace and prosperity. The modern European Union traces its origins to economic coalitions formed between Belgium, France, West Germany, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands during the 1950s. Full market unity, however, did not come into force until 2002 with the introduction of the Euro. As European prosperity grew, so did the ambitions of the EU. The EU now lists among its goal the promotion of human rights, mobility of its citizens between member nations and the development of a more transparent and democratic government.
Visual course material [TU-E2030 - Advanced Project-based Management] This Advanced Project-based Management course was organized concurrently with FITech's Advanced Project-based Management course with Aalto University as the host university in 2018. FITech (Finnish Institute of Technology) is a network of universities of technology in Finland and it is funded by the Ministry of Education and Culture. The course is organized in cooperation with Aalto University (Prof. Karlos Artto), Åbo Akademi University (Prof. Kim Wikström), Tampere University of Technology (Prof. Tuomas Ahola), and University of Oulu (Prof. Jaakko Kujala). I was commissioned to develop a consistent visual language across the diverse course content emerging from different professors from different universities.
Abilene's downtown library still looking toward former Lincoln Middle School Members of the Friends of the Abilene Public Library and other stakeholders are exploring the idea of a new main branch library in the former Lincoln Middle School, envisioning a historic but revitalized setting that would straddle the traditional and the technological. In an email, Lori Grumet, head librarian, said that staff and board members from various library-related boards met Tuesday with a consultant working with the Abilene Heritage Square project to “hear from us some of the vision we have for the future of the library.” Though she characterized the meeting as “preliminary,” Grumet said that “space needs, technology and equipment were among the topics mentioned.” Grumet said staff and others attending the meetings described the library's present conditions and how expansion in a new location could help meet future needs. “Specifics as to technology were not detailed, it was more on the lines of a facility that will be flexible enough to accommodate any changes in technology with sufficient infrastructure, ease in reconfiguring interior space to meet program needs, etc.,” she wrote. Friends of the Abilene Public Library board president Emerald Cassidy said that those gathered heard from Maureen Arndt with 720 Design, a firm that, according to its website, works to help craft libraries that are both “beautiful and functional.” Its name, Cassidy noted, comes from the Dewey Decimal System, 720 being the reference number for “architecture” in the classification scheme. ‘It was a really collaborative conversation,” Cassidy said. “No topic was off limits, and everyone contributed ideas.” Building from history Originally designed by renowned West Texas architect David S. Castle, the building complex at 1699 S. First St., is known to most as either the old Abilene High School or Lincoln Middle School. After being vacant for more than 10 years, a committee was formed to re-envision and resurrect the property that was given to the city. The proposed concept includes restoring the historic auditorium and the high school gym, the "Eagle's Nest." A proposed redesign by Weatherl & Associates won an award from the American Institute of Architects Abilene Chapter in August. It contains an addition to the main building that could house a new library main branch. The historic building complex consists of three primary structures constructed between 1921 and 1948. The 1921 main facade faces the railroad tracks, the Bankhead Highway (now known as South First Street) and Grape Street. The concept also includes spaces for special events, meeting rooms, a coffee shop, a business incubator, miscellaneous offices, children's programs and exhibits. “It’s obviously a very large project, so we are very carefully developing the plans for it,” said Laura Moore, part of Abilene Heritage Square’s steering committee. “Integral to that is the programming of the space. So what transpired this past week was the beginnings of exploring how the library would be developed.” The hope, Moore said, is for a library that will serve the region and be a gathering place, with a design ethos “that is of today’s design.” “The complex, as a whole, we’re hoping to be the community’s gathering place – a living room, so to speak,” she said. Done correctly, Moore said, “I feel that it (a new library) would be something that when people walked into it, it would be life-changing." What’s envisioned, Cassidy said, is the sort of books and resources that the traditional library offers. “But then, to leverage the programming our library staff hosts and (ask) could we do more of that?” she said. Cassidy said that lessons learned at the library system’s successful South Branch could be brought into the picture, as well as other current trends in the library landscape. The South Branch, for example, included more space for teens and children. “We have more adult learners now,” Cassidy said. “So should we offer more spaces for study groups and offices and more multimedia equipment? Looking at what’s going to play out in the next year or so for our adult learners is something we’re going to take into priority.” Living in harmony Making all components of Heritage Square harmonize inside and out is a goal, Moore said. In addition to the library space, that means looking at how to properly use spaces such as the auditorium to augment, rather than replace, what already exists in the community, she said. “There will be some exhibition space, for example,” Moore said. “What does that look like? How does that complement what we already have (in Abilene)?" The project as a whole is working with a “whole host” of potential funding sources to make Heritage Square a reality, Moore said. “We are really moving into the phase of developing the final drawings,” she said, with a goal of having the whole project completed before 2023. “I wouldn’t want to present that as set in stone, but that’s the goal,” she said. One thing that will help, she said, is that there is both a great love for libraries and for historic preservation, along with great nostalgia many carry for the Abilene High/Lincoln site itself. “I think all of the above would be sources of strong support,” she said. As far as the Friends, Cassidy said the group has already invested a significant amount of time and capital into the library's South Branch and saw subsequent reward. “So I wouldn’t see why we wouldn’t maintain those same efforts to fundraise for Abilene Heritage Square,” she said. “I think it’s something that’s going to benefit everyone. There were some critics of the South Branch location, but I think it’s been overwhelmingly successful. That just gives merit for our fundraising efforts for Heritage Square."
* U.S., China must curb carbon emissions, official says * Cost of carbon content should be added to imports * Too early to focus on "carbon tariff" provisions By Doug Palmer SHANGHAI, July 17 (Reuters) - To address the serious threat of global warming, Americans should be required to "pay" for the carbon content of goods they consume from countries around the world, a top U.S. official said on Friday. "It’s important that those who consume the products being made all around the world to the benefit of America — and it’s our own consumption activity that’s causing the emission of greenhouse gases, then quite frankly Americans need to pay for that," Commerce Secretary Gary Locke told the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai. Locke spoke to the business group after meetings this week with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and other officials on how the two countries could work together to reduce carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions blamed for global warming. Unless China, the United States and other countries begin to reduce output of the heat-trapping gases, the world faces a "catastrophe" in the form of more frequent floods, droughts and rising sea levels, Locke said. The U.S. House of Representatives has passed legislation that creates a market for companies to trade permits to emit greenhouse gases, which would be capped at a certain level and then reduced over time. The bill also contains "carbon tariffs" that would allow the United States to slap duties on imports of carbon-intensive goods such as steel, cement, paper and glass from countries that have not taken steps to reduce their own emissions. Locke said Chinese officials raised concern about those provisions this week. "They feel in essence it’s a tax on their carbon activity," he said. China has recently surpassed the United States as the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases. Its emissions come largely from production of steel, cement, aluminium, paper and chemicals, most of which are consumed in China rather than exported. In contrast, U.S. greenhouse gas emissions come mainly from domestic consumption, such as fuels to heat and cool buildings and to power vehicles. Only about 25 percent of U.S. emissions are caused by factories. Though U.S. President Barack Obama has expressed concern about the House "carbon tariffs", Locke said it was an open question whether he opposed them or not. "The president has not taken a position on any particular element of the legislation," Locke said. "It’s simply premature to talk about individual pieces of the legislation without seeing it in it’s totality," Locke said, noting the Senate still has to pass its version of the bill. Once that happens and negotiations begin between the House and the Senate, the administration will weigh in more heavily on various elements of the bill, Locke said. (Editing by David Fogarty) (Via Beijing newsroom)
There have been multiple studies in recent years on the benefits of regular sleep. That applies to all of us, but it’s particularly important for teens and young adults. Sleep impacts the strength of our immune system, decreases the risk of accidents and improves academic and extracurricular performance. It also plays a big role in mood and mental well-being. Experts say the optimal amount of sleep for teens is between 8.5 and 9.5 hours per night (not just on weekends!). Suffice to say that not many teens pull this off on a regular basis. With that in mind, here are some articles on sleep worth reading and passing along to your student: Wishing you and your family a restful night’s sleep!
The first day of the World Congress of Families summit in Salt Lake City was focused on restricting access to abortion — the program described the day’s theme as “the value of life in all its stages and conditions.” During one anti-abortion panel, Charmaine Yoest of Americans United for Life — which Miranda once described as a sort of ALEC of the anti-choice movement — celebrated the movement’s recent successes and mapped out a cultural and legal strategy to overturn Roe v. Wade, a strategy grounded in portraying abortion as harmful to women and the pro-life movement as pro-women. Yoest told the audience to be encouraged, citing a graph from the pro-choice Guttmacher Institute showing that “more abortion restrictions have been enacted since the tidal wave election of 2010 than were enacted in the entire previous decade.” Said Yoest, “I’m really proud of this progress, because it comes from a deliberate strategy that we have enacted as a movement to concentrate on state legislatures.” Yoest said after the 1983 failure to pass a constitutional amendment in Congress, activists convened their own congress and strategized. “We came up with a strategy and emerged with a plan: focus on the statehouses and test the limits of Roe v. Wade. The story of the next several decades is one of trench warfare and gaining ground under the radar.” This summer, she said, the Planned Parenthood videos have provided an “earthquake” which gives anti-abortion movement an opportunity to move forward strategically. [See PFAW’s report on the anti-Planned Parenthood attacks.] The legal strategy is aimed at Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy’s writing that overturning Roe would come with a “certain cost” to women who rely on it. “As pro-lifers, we need to understand that that’s the way he thinks, and his fellow justices on the court,” said Yoest. “But they are ignoring that there is a certain cost to the culture of death.” Yoest said abortion brings women grief and dramatically increases a woman’s suicide risk. “What an Alice in Wonderland world that we live in where the defenders of so-called women’s health are the promoters of abortion. Let’s call them abortion harm deniers.” Yoest cited Ruth Bader Ginsburg writing in dissent in Gonzales v. Carhart that “women cannot enjoy equal citizenship status” without access to abortion. And she quoted a feminist author telling women who have had abortion that she hopes they will begin to know their own power. Ladies and gentlemen, our strategy for the next decade must engage this debate. Abortion for women is not power; it is poverty…. This is our way forward. We must engage a mother-child strategy. The mother-child strategy is rooted in a very careful study of the Supreme Court’s abortion jurisprudence. The court has told us pretty clearly what they think about abortion. Going back again to Planned Parenthood v. Casey, they told us that the state has two areas of legitimate interest: one is protecting the health of the woman and two is protecting the life of the fetus that, according to them, may become a child. Anything that we bring before two courts – the court of public opinion and the Supreme Court — must engage both of these elements, both the mother and the child. We must keep coming back to what we know to be the truth: pro-life is pro-woman. Yoest paraphrased a saying by G. K. Chesterton — seemingly the most quoted conservative at the conference — saying that fairy tales are “more than true,” not because they tell us dragons are true, but because they tell us dragons can be beaten. “The culture of death,” she concluded,” is a dragon that must be beaten.”
The current opioid epidemic in the United States has been universally recognized as one of the most important public health issues of our time. Opioid overdoses have increased by 200% since 2000, with more than 33,000 individuals dying from opioid overdoses in 2015 alone. The national opioid epidemic is also overwhelming hospitals, with nearly 1.3 million Americans needing emergency visits or inpatient stays in the last year. In this insightful podcast interview with RANE founder David Lawrence, RiverMend Health Scientific Advisory Boards Chairman, Dr. Mark S. Gold, discusses how evidence-based treatment is needed to address the opioid crisis and explores the challenges corporations are facing to implement systems and programs to adequately help addicted professionals in the workplace and address the potential safety, economic, and legal issues related to this complex problem. You can listen to the podcast by clicking here!
Estonia re-enacts WWII anti-soviet failure The “Erna Retk” games, which have been held each year since 1993, were launched on Thursday by Estonian Defense Minister Jaak Aaviksoo. He said the exercise serves the highest purpose, just like “the Erna group, which landed 68 years ago in the Red Army-occupied Estonia,” Delfi news agency cites him as saying. This year 25 teams are to participate in the event, including seven teams from abroad. Finland, the Netherlands, Denmark and Germany are taking part in the games. Participants will make a sea landing and practice land navigation, dodging the “soviet patrols” impersonated by Estonian border guards. However, due to the financial crisis the program was shortened. It will last just three days as opposed to the usual week and Estonian participants had to pay an 80 euro ($115) fee to participate. The Erna group was formed by Estonian nationals on Finnish territory under the supervision of Nazi German military intelligence in 1941. In August of that year it crossed the Baltic Sea and landed on Estonian territory to disrupt communication lines and assist guerilla forces fighting against soviet troops in the wake of the German offensive. Several days after penetrating they were surrounded and most of their members killed. Estonians treat the Erna as national heroes and freedom fighters. Russia sees them as Nazi collaborators and calls the military games a glorification of Nazism.
Ana (name has been changed to protect her identity) is a boisterous 7-year-old-girl so skinny her shorts were falling off her hips. She is a charming, bouncy ball of energy. When Ana came to SalusCare for therapy she said “I get so mad at school and hit them, but I like them. They’re my friends.” Ana’s grandmother feels without help, her worst fear will come true: Ana will ultimately be sent to jail when she gets older. With tears in her eyes, Ana’s grandmother explains that Ana has been escorted out of class just this morning for throwing chairs. Her mother was the same way, grandmother explains, aggressive towards other children, her siblings and adults. During the evaluation process, grandmother explained she has primary custody of Ana because mom suffers from paranoid schizophrenia. Throughout outpatient therapy, Ana shares her feelings of not being loved by her mom. Ana is worried and fearful because her mom doesn’t pay attention to her and is emotionally absent. “Mom stays in bed all day with the lights off,” Ana says. Ana wishes her Mom would come to her school open house to meet her teachers, braid her hair and just hug her. While helping Ana build her knowledge about her mom’s severe mental illness, Ana learns her mom isn’t hugging her because she doesn’t love her, but because of the mental illness. Today, Ana is feeling valued in her family, respecting classroom rules, sharing feelings and caring about others. With her mom now receiving psychiatric treatment and outpatient counseling at SalusCare as well, Ana and her mom have a much-improved and more loving relationship.
Sargent and Greenleaf's high-security electronic locks are proven to withstand military-level EMP attacks, giving you full access to your valuables even after an EMP emergency. S&G tested its most popular gun safe locks, using the U.S. military’s highest EMP impact standard. An independent lab applied a radiant transient electromagnet field on a variety of S&G keypads, following the Military Standard MIL-STD461F, Method RS105 at 50 kV/m peak exposure. At the end of the testing series, the S&G locks were still fully functional. S&G credits the locks’ resilience to the expertise our engineers have from working with high-security locks for U.S. government facilities. Electromagnetic pulses (EMP) are short bursts of electromagnetic energy that can interfere or damage electrical equipment, thus disabling their functionality. An EMP can occur naturally, such as the pulse from a massive solar flare, or be created by technological devices, typically nuclear weapons. The high-energy particles from such an explosion would cascade down to Earth, interacting with the planet's magnetic field and destroying the electronic systems below, thus crippling the nation's power system. "Cyberattacks, intentional electromagnetic interference weapons and high-altitude EMP attacks produced by the detonation of a nuclear device above the atmosphere could cripple our critical infrastructure." "The grid is utterly unprotected from an EMP attack. It's not adequately protected from cyber or physical sabotage." "The potential for a devastating attack on the U.S. electricity grid remains high on the minds of utility and government leaders, especially in light of the deadly terrorist actions in Paris on November 13." "The EMP threat is real and growing."
Friday, August 2, 2019—As the saying goes, "you are what you eat." But did you know that healthy eating and physical activity are just two components that can make up and help increase a students' ability to learn? Join us for our first ever Wellness meeting on Wednesday, August 7th from 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM. We will be discussing topics such as: - How an environment can support a students' well-being - How creating an environment can support a students' health and wellness - How healthy eating and physical activity can support a students' ability to learn … and more! The meeting will be held at Syracuse Academy of Science High School's main conference room. Please enter through the West Genesee Street entrance. Parking will be made available on Lakeview Avenue. We hope to see you there!
Birds are unable to recognise a transparent pane of glass. We can help to prevent them from flying into glass and killing themselves by applying these silhouettes of Birds of Prey to windows, conservatories, noise protection screens, bus shelters, etc. Official studies have shown, for example, that two Birds are killed annually for each running metre of transparent noise reduction screens. This is a shockingly large number and every effort should be made to avoid further losses. In a time during which nature is becoming increasingly depleted, we should avoid doing anything that causes further victims in the bird world and sacrifices nature. Stickers attached close together over the entire surface, for example, silhouettes, patterns, stripes, are ideal for completely preventing bird strikes. available in different colours Material: Self-adhesive, high quality plastic film, UV-resistant, which will last many years outdoors. Density: In an extreme case, up to 9 motifs may be necessary for a window area of one square metres. It is sometimes useful to stick them on both sides (mirror effect). Sheets: Each sheet contains three silhouettes in different sizes. Cleaning: Clean only with water and not with any abrasives. Never use stringent cleaning products; also in the interest of the environment. White → Order No. 00 435/2 Black→ Order No. 00 436/9 Red→ Order No. 00 437/6 Bestellnummer: See product description Diesen Artikel im Shop aufrufen
As a doctoral student at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Jessica Watkins wrote her dissertation on the extended landslides that occur on Mars. She relied on images from orbiting satellites and NASA’s rovers, the closest most planetary geologists will ever come to the martian surface. But now, as one of NASA’s newest astronauts, Watkins just might someday get the chance to visit those terrains. This month, the postdoc at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) in Pasadena was one of just 12 people chosen to join NASA’s astronaut corps. And the new group may be uniquely equipped to help NASA achieve its goals of returning humans to space on an array of new vehicles and eventually sending them to Mars. Although a majority of those deemed to have the right stuff are active military personnel with extensive flight experience, four of the new astronauts are civilians who hold science and engineering Ph.D.s. Watkins is one of two geologists in the class who have been keeping a close watch on the Red Planet. The other, Zena Cardman, a doctoral student in astrobiology at Pennsylvania State University (Penn State) in State College, has spent years working on projects that use Earth as an analog for understanding contemporary Mars and how it evolved. The civilian science roster also includes Warren “Woody” Hoburg, an assistant professor of aeronautics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge. Hoburg is the first astronaut candidate to be plucked from the ranks of a tenure-track faculty position at a major research university. “We are used to being raided by other universities in search of world-class scientists,” notes geophysicist Maria Zuber, vice president for research at MIT, which counts 41 alumni as astronauts, “but not by NASA.” (A fourth new astronaut, Robb Kulin, earned an engineering Ph.D. and works for SpaceX in Hawthorne, California, and two military pilots who were chosen also hold medical degrees.) For Hoburg, Watkins, and Cardman—an assistant professor, postdoc, and graduate student, respectively—being selected for the astronaut corps fulfills a lifelong dream. However, none ever expected to be chosen, given the long odds. (There were a record 18,300 applications for this 22nd class of astronauts, bringing the total selected to 350.) And each one had already laid down a solid scientific base before they received that fateful call beckoning them to Houston, Texas, where in August they will begin 2 years of rigorous training. Their unique paths toward the goal of flying in space also illuminate how the next generation of U.S. scientists and engineers are being trained. Here are their stories. Hoburg: optimizing success To understand what makes Hoburg tick, consider what he might have worked on next had NASA not picked him this year: an unmanned, solar-powered airplane that could fly nonstop around the world. “That’s the type of thing I was excited to do,” says Hoburg, 31, who was an amateur rocketry buff as a teenager. He went on to earn a bachelor’s degree from MIT in 2008 and then returned in 2014 to take a faculty position after receiving his doctoral degree in electrical engineering at UC Berkeley. If successful, Hoburg’s lab would have been the first in the world to accomplish such a circumnavigation. Pushing the envelope is a familiar theme in his life, be it as a skier, rock climber, pilot, EMT, or member of a search and rescue unit. Equally important, however, the solar plane would have been built using GPkit, a software tool he developed that connects the mathematics of geometric programming with engineering design. GPkit had already helped him and his MIT colleagues choose the optimal design for Jungle Hawk Owl (JHO), a lightweight drone built for the U.S. Air Force to provide long-term communications in responding to a disaster anywhere around the world. JHO was designed to meet the tight constraints imposed by the Air Force: a vehicle that could hold a 4.5-kilogram payload over the same location for 5 days at an altitude of 4600 meters. None of its current planes is well-suited for the job, Hoburg says. And GPkit helped researchers make the counterintuitive decision to go with a gas-powered plane rather than one powered by the sun. “What we found is that the solar plane blows up in size to the point where it is ridiculously large,” says Hoburg, “whereas the gas-powered plane was reasonably sized. And GPkit allowed us to make a very informed decision early on, with limited information.” JHO went airborne last month, although for only a few minutes at low altitude. Hoburg hopes the team will be able to demonstrate the drone’s staying power by the end of the summer. The JHO project was carried out as part of a capstone project for seniors in MIT’s aeronautics and astronautics department. And Hoburg says not being able to work with college students may be his biggest regret in leaving MIT. “As a NASA astronaut, I will have a lot of outreach opportunities to speak to school groups, and encourage them to pursue science and engineering and math,” he says. “And I’ll probably be more motivational as an astronaut. But what I’ll miss is teaching students. It’s awesome to be able to get into the technical details of how things work from an engineering point of view. I won’t be able to get as deep with these outreach efforts.” Hoburg says being an astronaut “has been in the back of my mind since I began building rockets.” But he says he never gave himself permission to think that it might happen. MIT’s reputation as providing a launching pad for so many astronauts was “absolutely” not a factor when he applied for a faculty position, he insists, and even after he became one of 50 finalists in the new class, he kept the news from his parents. “I didn’t want to get them stressed out,” he says. “It seemed so unlikely.” (His father, James, is a retired professor of electrical engineering at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where Hoburg grew up and where his mother raised him and a younger brother.) Now that it’s a reality, however, Hoburg is working on a smooth transition that will allow his graduate students to continue their projects under other advisers. “I’m hoping to remain as an unpaid [principal investigator], so I can stay on my students’ [theses] committees.” At the same time, he has forced himself to accept the fact that he won’t be around. “Once I report to Houston I’ll be gone for good,” he says. “I have a lump in my throat when I think about leaving MIT. But I can’t say no to NASA. It’s too crazy an opportunity.” Watkins: a foot on two planets If Watkins could walk on Mars, one place she’d definitely want to visit is the Naukluft Plateau. The planetary geologist would love to scramble over the rocks and ledges that were deemed too dangerous for NASA’s Curiosity rover, which has spent the past 5 years exploring the Red Planet’s Gale crater. “It would be great to get my hands dirty, to examine those fractures and try to understand their origin and distribution and how they differ from one another,” Watkins says. Watkins, at 29 the youngest member of the new class, has wanted to be an astronaut for as long as she can remember. However, her love of geology came much later, as an undergraduate at Stanford University in Palo Alto, California, and only after she scrapped her initial plan to become a mechanical engineer. “I thought that [engineering] was the path I should take to becoming an astronaut,” she says. But “a devilish combination of engineering classes” during her sophomore year, taken in the midst of the rugby season, forced her to rethink her career plans. “So I had to reconcile those two things,” she recalls. “I would either have to find a new way to be passionate about something that would help me attain that goal [of becoming an astronaut], or give up the goal. I looked for another open door, and that’s how I found geology.” The long runoff landslides she studied as a graduate student at UCLA occur largely on Valles Marineris, a 4000-kilometer-long, 7-kilometer-deep canyon on Mars. But similar landslides take place on Earth, often on glaciers. Planetary geologists think the phenomena are related, and that connection is precisely what appeals to Watkins. “It had always been important to me to keep a foot on Earth, as it were, and to have terrestrial geology be the foundation for planetary geology,” she says. So after graduating from UCLA, Watkins sought a postdoc with geologist John Grotzinger, then project scientist for the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) and its Curiosity rover, managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Grotzinger, now chair of Caltech's division of geological and planetary sciences, was already familiar with her work, which he says falls in the mainstream of the field. But her commitment to another career caught him by surprise. “We were talking about rugby and I asked whether she planned to try out for the national team in preparation for the 2016 Olympics the next year,” he recalls. “Now, she doesn’t like to brag. But she told me, ‘I was on it. And I decided not to keep going because I want to be an astronaut.’” “Holy smokes, she really means it,” he remembers thinking. “Now, I’ve had a few students over the years who’ve told me that,” he continues. “And I usually think, ‘Sure, but that’s not going to happen.’ However, there was something different about how she said it.” Grotzinger says Watkins’s work ethic made it possible for her to contribute to both the operational and scientific teams working on MSL. “That’s unusual,” he explains. “Operations is very labor intensive, and mentally challenging, and most people don’t have the energy to get involved in the science, too.” For Watkins, however, doing both was a no-brainer. “I felt so lucky to do both parts of the job,” she says. “To be one of the first people to see the images coming down from Mars, I wouldn’t trade it for anything. But I really enjoyed the operational side, too, helping to decide what data we wanted to acquire every day.” She’s revising a manuscript describing an unconformity in the sedimentary layers of Mount Sharp, within the Gale crater, a record of the alternating wet-dry cycles on the planet. She hopes to finish it off before heading to Houston in August. Asked whether she could imagine returning to academia at some point, Watkins says she’s taking life one step at a time. But Grotzinger is skeptical she’ll ever return to campus. “Academic research is so competitive,” he says. “Once you’ve been away, it would be hard to catch up.” And there’s another reason. “Jessica has a burning desire to be an astronaut,” he says. “It’s just part of who she is.” Cardman: seizing her opportunities Before Cardman decided she wanted to go into space, she took aim at the most remote destination on Earth: Antarctica. “I read an article about a student who had gone there to do research, and I set my heart on it,” says Cardman, 29, who had just entered the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, where she would eventually major in biology. “I wanted to see that extreme environment for myself and do research. So I looked up 80 scientists who had done work in Antarctica and shamelessly wrote to them, saying: ‘Hi, my name is Zena. I’m an undergraduate and I don’t have any [research] experience. But please take me with you.’” Not surprisingly, most ignored her unsolicited query. A few politely brushed her off, citing a lack of funding or a full roster. But Darlene Lim, a geobiologist at NASA Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, California, offered her a chance to do something almost as cool: a research project at a Canadian lake that would examine the early fossil record and also provide the chance to simulate what it would take to do science on Mars. Cardman immediately said yes, and for the past decade she has spent a few weeks every summer at Pavilion Lake in British Columbia. “It’s been a joy to have her,” says Lim, who launched the project as a postdoc. “It was a small team, and everybody had to do everything. (“I think my official job description was to schlep the scuba tanks to the lakes,” Cardman recalls.) “Zena excels at everything she does,” says Lim, a Canadian citizen who once made it to the final round of a competition to choose that country’s next crop of astronauts. (There have been only 12.) “She can lead and also be part of a team. She just makes everybody better.” Lim now also runs a similar dual-purposed research project, called Biologic Analog Science Associated with Lava Terrains, that is looking at hydrothermal variations in the basalt terrains of volcanoes in Idaho and Hawaii. Cardman also works on that project, which is helping lay down rules for the fledgling field of analog science, in which terrestrial studies also simulate working conditions on other planets. It’s a direct line from those projects to what Cardman hopes to be doing next. “It simulates having an astronaut collecting the samples who may not be the actual expert in that science, and then relaying the correct information back to a remote team that does include the experts,” she explains. And the logistics required to make that chain function properly are daunting, from coping with transmission delays of up to 30 minutes to making sure the astronauts and the experts are working as a team in choosing the most promising sites to sample. Maximizing the technology being deployed is another goal. “We’re also learning where to put the camera,” Cardman adds. “That requires deciding between getting a close-up of the sample versus showing a larger context, as well as whether it’s important to see [the astronaut’s] hands to know they are collecting the sample correctly.” Cardman has been able to participate in these and other projects thanks to funding from two federal programs now under attack by the Trump administration. Her initial visits to Pavilion Lake and some of her work toward a master’s degree were subsidized by the North Carolina Space Grant program, which gets a block grant from the same NASA Office of Education targeted for elimination in the president’s 2018 budget request. And her pursuit of a doctoral degree has been fueled by a Graduate Research Fellowship from the National Science Foundation, which has proposed shrinking the prestigious program by half to cope with a proposed cut of 11% for 2018. In fact, Cardman has chalked up so many valuable field experiences that her current Ph.D. adviser, Penn State geomicrobiologist Jennifer Macalady, says that “I made an executive decision in planning her graduate program that I didn’t need to schedule a ton of field work.” (Cardman eventually made three trips to Antarctica as an undergraduate, working on a long-running ecological research project at the U.S. Palmer Station on the western peninsula.) Cardman was halfway through her doctoral work on cave biofilms when NASA called, and she says she’s not sure whether she’ll ever complete it. “Our schedule is very regimented for the first 2 years,” she says. “But then there’s more flexibility.” “Maybe at that point I’ll decide I really want to finish my Ph.D.,” she muses. “Or maybe I’ll feel that it won’t make me a better astronaut, and that it might prevent me from being assigned to a ground projects, or even to a flight.” Whatever she decides, Lim will be rooting for her. “My place is to do the very best I can so that, when Zena goes to Mars, she’ll be totally set up for the trip.”
ACLU Stops Illegal Voter Purges in Michigan Voting in Michigan isn't easy or even possible for some. ACLU's fight for voting rights moves forward with a big win. Image cc Secretary of State's "One Stop Voter Caging" Ends "Scoop" Independent News Judge Karen Nelson Moore of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit issued an order that ends the Michigan Secretary of State's unlawful purging of voters from the registration rolls (court decision). The decision also orders Michigan officials to restore the registration status of 5,500 identified citizens who had been unlawfully removed previously. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) brought suit for the Michigan State Conference of NAACP Branches, plaintiff, and plaintiff-appellees the ACLU of Michigan and the U.S. Student Association Foundation. Attorneys from both the national and Michigan ACLU are working on the case which is expected to be appealed. State election officials followed Michigan code by purging any voter whose voter identification mailing was returned as "undeliverable" by the postal service. The program began in January 2006. It has a disproportionate impact on college students and minorities. Michael J. Steinberg, Legal Director of the Michigan ACLU said, "We are thrilled that thousands of voters who were illegally removed from the voter rolls will be able to vote in next week’s historic presidential election. Disenfranchisement undermines our democracy and the court decision restores a measure confidence in our electoral system." Steinberg was positive about the broader impact of the ACLU action: "We have reason to believe that many more people will be restored to the voter rolls as the litigation moves forward after the election. For example, Detroit officials have said that nearly 30,000 voters are removed from the rolls each year because their voter ID cards are returned as undeliverable." Michigan Secretary of State Terri Lee Land, a Republican from Grand Rapids, is one of her party's top vote getters but she's selective about who is allowed to vote. Michigan law has a special twist to voter registration. The state receives a voter's registration, enters it into a Qualified Voter File, and then sends out a voter identification card. The law states: "[I]f the 'original' voter identification card is not returned to the clerk’s office, its receipt is presumed and an applicant becomes a registered voter in the State of Michigan." Defs.' Mot. for Stay at 5-6; see also Mich. Comp. Laws S.S. 168.499(3), 168.500c. If, however, "the original voter identification card is returned to the clerk by the post office as nondeliverable, the clerk shall reject the registration and send the individual a notice of rejection." (court decision) This is the target of the court case brought by the ACLU. College students, people who've moved, minorities, and transients would be more likely than most to fall victim to what the court pointed out is an unlawful scheme according the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (NVRA). The decision reasoned: "Once the state takes the step of identifying individuals as active voters, those individuals clearly become 'registrants' protected by the NVRA. Federal district court issued an order prohibiting the Secretary of State form enforcing this law. The court relied on the NVRA as the ruling law that determined who is a 'registrant.'" (court decision) The court considered defendant Land's arguments then demonstrated that the totality of the Secretary's position resulted in voter disenfranchisement. Land et al argued "that court orders affecting elections may result in voter confusion and cause a chilling effect." The defendants then claimed that even if a qualified voter were rejected due to a cancelled registration, the voter would still have the option to vote on a "provisional" ballot. The court noted that the 5,500 voters affected would hardly represent any level of voter confusion. Then the court shut the door on defendant's argument by stating that "this argument ignores Michigan law, which allows for some provisional ballots to go uncounted. In fact, in the 2006 elections, only 19.1% of all provisional ballots cast in Michigan were counted." Judge Moore then noted that there would be no harm to voters or the general public by upholding the federal district court's injunction. The Judge allowed for expedited review by a higher court. Michigan ACLU Legal Director Steinberg remarked: states are not free to ignore federal laws that prevent disenfranchisement." "There are lawmakers in Michigan and elsewhere who purposely make it difficult for students to vote. This victory reaffirms the principle that Michigan's Former One Stop Voter Caging Program Republican partisans use voter caging to challenge and remove legitimate voters from the registration rolls. Project Vote defines voter caging succinctly: "Voter caging is a practice of sending mass direct mailings to registered voters by non-forwardable mail, then compiling lists of voters, called “caging lists,” from the returned mail in order to formally challenge their right to vote on that basis alone. Other methods, such as database matching, have been used more recently to compile voter caging lists. The practice is used almost exclusively by officials or members of the Republican Party, local and national." Project Vote Voter caging programs target poor and predominantly minority voters who typically favor for Democrats by large margins. There are clear similarities between Secretary Land's operation and voter caging conducted for political purposes. They both rely on mailings to registered voters to establish the validity of the registration based on the voter's original address in the state registration files. They both rely on the use of returned envelopes ("unforwardable") as sufficient proof that the intended recipient is not qualified to vote. In the case of the Michigan Secretary of State's outlawed behavior, the simple event of the state receiving a returned voter registration envelope triggered the immediate removal of the voter from the rolls. Republican partisans engaged in voter caging travel a more involved path to stealing the vote from legitimate voters. They must go to the polls on Election Day to challenge voters or submit their voter lists based on unforwardable mail to local or state election official with a request that named voters be removed from the voting rolls. The state of Michigan was a de facto and de jure one stop voter caging operation The Michigan law and practices by elections officials were a clear violation of the National Voting Rights Act of 1993. The language of the act is crystal clear. It protects voters against "discriminatory and unfair registration laws and procedures can have a direct and damaging effect on voter participation in elections for Federal office and disproportionately harm voter participation by various groups, including racial minorities" (NVRA of 1993). State officials should have known better. Perhaps they did. The unlawful treatment of voter registration in Michigan is part of a broader disregard for federal voting rights and election law. After a 2007 federal court request for ballots from the 2004 presidential election, 56 out of 88 Ohio county election boards destroyed some of all of the 2004 presidential ballots. These were to be retained according to both state and local law and a federal court order mandating retention of the ballots until further notice from the court. There was no action taken against the Ohio elections officials for their flagrant disregard for the law and a federal court order. November 2, 2008 will push the current voting system to the wall. This election will also generate considerable legal activity. Most significantly, we will see millions of voters disenfranchised again as a result of intended or unintended actions by elections officials. It's all entirely unnecessary. Election laws are not that complicated and the process of conducting elections should be a simple one. But open, fair, and convenient voting by as many citizens as possible isn't necessarily the goal for some politicians and elections officials. Permission to reproduce part of this entire article granted with attribution of authorship, a link to this article, and acknowledgement of images, where
Dovetailing business with pleasure could prove an important way to maximise ancestral tourism’s potential says George MacKenzie In today’s changing world, more and more people are seeking an answer from their ancestors. Online access to millions of demographic records is fuelling a surge of interest in ancestral research. But for many, this is only the start of the journey. They want to find the names and dates of their families, then they want to follow in their footsteps. That gives us a great opportunity to bring more visitors to Scotland. With Homecoming 2014 just around the corner and over 50 ancestral and clan-related events already in the programme, the timing couldn’t be better. Ancestry is the sleeping giant of Scottish tourism. Recent research for VisitScotland shows ancestral tourists already pump over £100 million a year into the economy, and there is potential to grow this market substantially, up to £2.5 billion. Ancestral visitors are especially important because they come over a longer season, stay longer and spend more. To realise the full potential of ancestral tourism, we need to engage accommodation providers, tour companies, heritage properties, tartan suppliers. We must train staff to understand the needs of ancestral visitors and ensure the welcome visitors get is consistent, coherent and high quality. That is the refreshed remit of the Ancestral Tourism Steering Group (ATSG) which I have recently begun chairing, supported by VisitScotland. Plenty is happening already. A new guide to ancestral tourism, aimed at the business market, was launched by finance secretary John Swinney in July. Packed with practical ideas, it showcases how tourist providers have developed services to attract ancestral visitors. Building on the guide, a series of workshops across Scotland rolls out over the autumn and winter to give tourist businesses the information and skills to tap into this lucrative market and be ready to seize the opportunities of Homecoming 2014. This aims to position Scotland on the international stage as a dynamic and creative nation and extend the benefits and opportunities offered by the Commonwealth Games and Ryder Cup. A year-long, co-ordinated programme of events celebrating some of Scotland’s greatest attractions will welcome visitors from around the world. Data stretching back five centuries Scotland has a big advantage, with some of the best-preserved and accessible family history records in the world. The ScotlandsPeople website holds data on 90 million people stretching back five centuries, so it’s easy for anyone with Scots ancestry anywhere to start searching online. VisitScotland’s dedicated website, AncestralScotland.com is a great starting-point. For visitors to Edinburgh, the ScotlandsPeople Centre is a must-visit destination, a treasure-house for historians and genealogists alike. There is also a growing network of family history centres. Local authorities in Glasgow, East Ayrshire, Borders, Highland and Perth and Kinross, have already opened centres, with others in the pipeline. Visitors can access the national digital resources, plus additional records from the area – and get help from knowledgeable local staff. What is the ancestral visitor looking for? Some want to do further research. Some want help from local experts, some want to attend clan events. But many want to find out about the places their ancestors lived. They want to follow in their footsteps, experience what life was like in the past, and search out visible traces of their families’ lives. A couple of years ago a US Congressman and his wife visited Scotland, came to Register House to see the records of their ancestors, then went to Lismore to re-take their marriage vows in the church where his great-grandparents married. A South African professor wrote about his emotional journey to worship in the Scottish Borders church his family had used 100 years before. We need to understand the peculiar pull of the past. Local archives and libraries can help with regional guides, records and information. We’ll be working with the Scottish Council on Archives to co-ordinate efforts across the country. Our aim is to give ancestral tourists the best possible welcome, one that is friendly, knowledgeable and helpful. Family history societies, with around 40 local groups and several thousand expert members, are ideal ambassadors for ancestral visitors. The Orkney model, where society members work alongside local authority staff helping with family history inquiries, is worth copying. The ATSG will be working with the Scottish Association of Family History Societies to get more members involved in helping visitors. With a strong ancestral theme to next year’s Homecoming, there couldn’t be a better time for Scottish businesses to gear up for this lucrative and growing segment of the tourist market. Whether you have a whisky shop, a golf course or run a historic house there’s a great opportunity to cross-sell ancestral services to your customers. With 2014 set to be a historic year for Scottish tourism, let’s all work together to welcome the world. • George MacKenzie is Chair of the Ancestral Tourism Steering Group www.visitscotland.org
You hear it time and time again: Texting and driving is dangerous. And while you understand it to be true, it doesn't necessarily mean that every driver on the road is taking the same level of caution with the hopes of preventing an accident. Driving in tight spaces, such as in a city setting, is much different than the open road of the highway. It calls for you to adjust your driving style, all with the idea of avoiding an accident and reaching your destination without incident. You know there are drunk drivers all over the road. You also know that one of these people could cause a serious accident without notice. While this is enough to scare you, it doesn't mean you can stay off the road for the rest of your life. It's difficult enough to drive in snowy conditions when the road is perfectly flat. But if you find yourself tackling a hill, you'll soon realize that you're facing even more challenges. No matter when you take to the road, there's always a chance you could find yourself driving in heavy traffic. Even if this is part of your daily routine, it doesn't make it any easier to prevent trouble and maintain your safety. You're excited about embarking on a long journey in your vehicle, but that doesn't mean you won't have any concerns. Above all else, you must take steps to maintain your safety from the minute you leave home until the minute you arrive at your destination. Sharing the road with commercial trucks is easier said than done, as these large vehicles take up a lot of space. When you combine this with the fact that some truckers don't follow the rules of the road, it's not always easy to maintain your safety. As much as many in Ocean County may hate to admit it, advancing age brings with it certain physical limitations. One's reaction times may slow, and their vision may deteriorate, making things that they were able to do with relative ease in the past (such as driving a vehicle) difficult. It may be tough to tell one who ie entering their elder years that they need to cut back (or even stop doing) the daily activities that once seemed routine to them. Yet their physical limitations may ensure that allowing them to continue to do them puts others at risk. Some of the dangers that New Jersey drivers face while on the road aren’t discussed often enough. For example, people don’t usually talk about what should be done if faulty tires bursts or comes off of the rim while the driver is in motion. This can lead to a crash regardless of how fast a driver is going. Most in Ocean County are likely well aware of the duty one has to remain at the scene of a car accident that they have been involved in. Yet despite this being fairly common knowledge, hit-and-run accidents continue to occur. Indeed, the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety reports that 737,100 such incidents happened in 2015 in the U.S. alone. The main reason why most believe it is required that one stay at the scene of an accident is to provide law enforcement officials with the details of the collision. Yet while such information is important, state law actually gives two other reasons as to why one cannot flee the scene of a car accident.
THE inaugural Singapore FinTech Festival organised by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) in November last year was significant on multiple fronts, and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) here would do well to take notice. First, financial technology (fintech), along with innovation, is gaining momentum in Singapore as it is across the globe. In fact, the momentum is such that last year alone, more than US$20 billion was invested in fintech globally, according to research by consulting firm Deloitte, business school Insead and venture capitalist Life.Sreda. Fintech is an umbrella term that covers companies that focus on a broad spectrum of new technologies such as blockchains and sandboxes, new forms of payments such as mobile and contactless, global and online commerce platforms, as well as social phenomena such as crowdsourcing and crowdfunding, all of which hold the allure of enhanced business security and productivity. Next, the fintech event in Singapore, which was strongly supported by the Republic's major banks, also heralds a change in the landscape of financial services here in a couple of ways. Where once the ubiquitous bank held sway as the single point of contact for every conceivable financial need, the rise of fintech businesses has changed the financial services landscape to the point where more and more consumers are prepared to seek out specialist providers for specific needs. In addition, many banks, once wary of a new type of competition from fintech providers, are increasingly adopting a more collaborative approach, seeking to work with fintech providers for the benefit of everyone. As a leading financial services hub in Asia, Singapore has seen fintech companies flourish. Why leverage fintech? Given this evolving financial services environment, progressive and growing SMEs, particularly those with global aspirations, can take advantage of fintech advancements to improve their own competitiveness in order to navigate the uncertain waters of the current economic climate. Here are some of the benefits that accrue after distilling the technology and innovation from a business perspective. Much of the innovation of fintech has to do with increasing the options available for SMEs to conduct business or support financial transactions. At the simplest level, for example, leveraging the ubiquity of the Internet allows for greater business reach regardless of time or geography. It also comes as no surprise that increased competition will, over time, reduce the cost of acquisition. Newer companies are not slowed down by cumbersome legacy systems and can implement automated processes that lower the cost of doing business for the SME. An example of this is international wire transfers for cross-border payments. Where many banks still have semi-manual processes in place, fintech organisations may leverage technology to optimise this service. By focusing on specific technologies or innovations, fintech companies can more effectively meet customer needs in that area. This also allows them to grow quickly across the globe in order to meet the needs of their customers. While the benefits to SMEs of utilising fintech services can be both tangible and significant, a valid concern remains regarding the credibility of such companies. After all, the last thing SMEs want to spend time worrying about is whether a fintech can be trusted to manage significant sums or money or investments. In Singapore, SMEs can also draw confidence from the nation's intrinsically strong financial regulatory regime, and they should ensure that the fintech companies they work with are regulated by MAS. Better yet, those that are able operate within a global environment, and are able to meet each the diverse and stringent requirements wherever they operate. The fact that the Singapore Fintech Festival was supported by banks shows that the entire banking ecosystem can benefit from financial technology. SMEs can take confidence in the fact that the underlying robust financial infrastructure does not change. Fintech companies often collaborate with many different banks to provide their services. The bottom line is that for progressive SMEs willing to look beyond traditional banking offerings, and open to leveraging fintech while exercising appropriate due diligence, the exercise can be most worthwhile. - The author is managing director of World First Asia
Reference standards header The Quality Manual, the procedures and operating instructions of LAT Calibration Centre No. 143 have been drawn up in accordance with the following set of standards. UNI CEI EN ISO\IEC 17025:2018 General Requirement for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories ISO 17034:2017 General requirements for the competence of reference material producers. ISO GUIDE 35:2017 Reference materials – General and statistical principles for certification EA-4/02 M:2013 Expressions of the Uncertainty of Measurement Results ILAC P10:01/2013 ILAC Policy on Traceability of Measurement Results UNI CEI EN ISO/IEC 17000:2005 Conformity assessment- Vocabulary and general principles UNI EN ISO 6141:2015 Gas analysis - Contents of certificates for calibration gas mixtures (ISO 6141:2000) ISO 6142-1:2015 Gas analysis - Preparation of calibration gas mixtures - Gravimetric method (ISO 6142:2001) UNI EN ISO 6143:2007 Gas analysis – Comparison method for determining and checking the composition of calibration gas mixtures (ISO 6143:2001) ISO 7504:2001 Gas analysis – Vocabulary UNI EN ISO 10012:2004 Measurement management systems - Requirements for measurement processes and measuring Technical directives of the Calibration Laboratories Department of Accredia.
Banking on Hadoop: 7 Use Cases for Hadoop in Finance Hadoop is present in nearly every vertical today that is leveraging big data in order to analyze information and gain competitive advantages. Many financial organizations firms are already using Hadoop solutions successfully and the ones who are not have plans to do so. If they don’t, they risk enormous market share loss. Following are a few of the most intriguing and essential big data and Hadoop use cases. Fraud detection: Fraud, financial crimes and data breaches are some of the most costly challenges in the industry. Hadoop analytics help financial organizations detect, prevent and eliminate internal and external fraud, as well as reduce the associated costs. Analyzing points of sale, authorizations and transactions, and other data points help banks identify and mitigate fraud. For example, big data technology can alert the bank that a credit or debit card has been lost or stolen by picking up on unusual behavior patterns. This then gives the bank time to put a temporary hold on the card while contacting its account owner. Risk management: Every financial firm needs to assess risk accurately, and big data solutions enable them to to do so by effectively evaluating credit exposures. Banks analyze transactional data to determine risk and exposure based on simulated market behavior, scoring customers and potential clients. Hadoop solutions allow for a complete and accurate view of risk and impact, enabling firms to make the best, most informed decisions. Contact center efficiency optimization: Ensuring customers are satisfied is of utmost importance when it comes to finances, and big data can help resolve problems quickly by allowing banks to anticipate customer needs ahead of time. Analyzing data within the contact center provides agents with timely and concise insight that satisfies customers quickly and efficiently, ensuring cost effectiveness and even improving cross-sales success rates. Customer segmentation for optimized offers: Big data provides a way to understand customers’ needs at a granular level so that banks and financial organizations can deliver targeted offers more effectively. In turn, these more personalized offers result in higher acceptance rates, increased customer satisfaction, higher profitability and greater retention. Detailed information about customers derived from social media and transactions can be utilized to reduce customer acquisition costs as well as turnover. Customer churn analysis: Everybody knows that it’s cheaper to keep a customer than it is to go out and find a new one. Big data and Hadoop technologies can help financial firms keep retain more of their customers by analyzing behavior and identifying patterns that lead to customer abandonment. When are customers most likely to leave for the competition, and why? What causes customer dissatisfaction? Where did the firm fail? This information for determining how to avoid customer abandonment is priceless. It’s imperative for financial firms to learn the right steps to implement in order to meet customer needs and save their most profitable customers. Sentiment analysis: Hadoop and advanced analytics tools help analyze social media in order to monitor user sentiment of a firm, brand or product. If a bank is running a campaign, big data tools can monitor social media by name and report on it by hashtag, campaign name or platform. Analytics on the fine-grained details are insightful, and the bank could then make decisions more accurately based on these insights in terms of timing, targeting and demographics. Customer experience analytics: As consumer-facing enterprises, financial institutions need to take advantage of the customer data that resides in all of the silos across various lines of business. These include portfolio management, customer relationship management, loan systems, contact center, etc. Big data can provide better insight and understanding, allowing firms to match offers to a customer or prospect’s needs. This then helps the firm to optimize and improve profitable and long-term customer relationships. The bottom line is that all enterprises, especially financial firms, need to use big data and Hadoop technologies to their fullest potential now, particularly with the overwhelming amount of data and transactions amassed on a daily basis. In order to remain competitive and maintain current customers while attracting new ones, financial firms should start planning to utilize big data technologies today or risk losing more customers to competitors utilizing these tools. That doesn’t necessarily mean in every way possible – it just means in the best way possible for each organization. Big data and Hadoop technologies are powerful and help financial organizations stay ahead in the market. Set them in motion and watch them deliver results. Check out some of these technologies and financial use cases here. You must log in to post a comment.
The SMIBIO Project aims to achieve the following specific objectives: - To enlarge the scope of exploitable biomass feedstock in the biorefinery by using domestic and agro-industrial biomass residues and livestock waste at full-scale to create better conditions in rural areas in LAC countries and EU for the deployment of production sites close to agro-industrial areas. - To obtain reliable experimental data, both for material and energy, so that the best process biorefineries configurations can be modeled. - To develop a highly integrated biorefinery concept by incorporating individual processes (LCB and ADB) that synergistically converts different biomass feedstocks (dry and wet) into power, biofuels and value-added chemicals. - To determine the best strategy for the implementation of the new bio industry-oriented concept into the existing food agribusiness based on business prospect, environmental sustainability, and social impact. Four different rural/urban small-scale biorefineries (2 in EU and 2 in LAC countries) will be extensively studied, simulated and modeled under proper and real conditions. For each business case the biomass availability based on cost supply curves at regional level, the logistic supply chain, the market needs and local and national regulations shall be studied and assessed. Thus the best technical-economic integrated biorefinery to process the local biomass for each considered region shall be identified. The SMIBIO Project outcomes are expected to contribute significantly to the successful implementation of future biomass policies for reducing the risk of health and environmental impacts caused by the non-optimal use of agro-industrial wastes and significantly increase farm productivity and thus improve household livelihoods of farmers. The possible biomasses can be categorized as either dry or wet. The bioconversion of dry biomass (in general lignocellulose) into added-value products usually involves fractionation and hydrolysis of polymers (carbohydrates and lignin) into monomers that can further be converted into a wide variety of products. The conversion of wet biomass (livestock manures and wastewater streams) generally involves fermentation or anaerobic digestion. Lignocellulosic Biorefinery (LCB) In terms of technology development the Lignocellulosic Biorefinery (LCB) concept is probably the most advanced. Lignocellulosic biorefineries utilize “naturally dry” biomass feedstock such as wood, agricultural residues, energy crops and municipal waste. The concept represents a logical progression of a 2nd generation lignocellulosic bioethanol facility towards a more advanced biorefinery system producing a broader array of products. Lignocellulosic biomass is a rich source of fixed carbon incorporated into a range of polymers comprising mainly polysaccharides and lignin. Lignocellulosic plant biomass also contains a wide range of less abundant chemicals and polymers including those derived from extractives (phenols, sterols, waxes and fatty acids) as well as proteins and/or pectins. In the LCB, the hexose and pentose sugars will be converted into bioethanol and higher value chemicals, such as organic acids. Lignin itself represents a potentially valuable resource for aromatic high-added value chemicals, such as phenols, vanillin and derivatives or it can be utilized for biomaterial applications or as a fuel to provide heat and power for the LCB. Anaerobic Digestion (AD) Anaerobic Digestion (AD) is a proven technology for livestock and wastewater treatment. However, as the organic material becomes more valuable and is being treated as resources, traditional AD processes need to be further developed to increase value creation. AD can be part of sustainable biochemical and biofuels-based biorefinery concepts (Anaerobic Digestion Biorefinery, ADB) as it can derive value from wet streams. The biorefinery concept to be developed within the SMIBIO Project is a highly-integrated energy-efficient complex, incorporating individual processes (LCB and ADB) that synergistically convert different biomass feedstocks (dry and wet) into power, biofuels and value-added chemicals and biomaterials. These small-scale biorefineries will be able to use a biomass–feedstock mix to produce a multiplicity of most various products by the integration of multi-technologies with the objective of creating new employment opportunities, generate new economic incomes and contribute to reduce environmental impacts in rural CELAC and Europe regions. Methodologies and Technologies The research activity will be focused on the implementation and simulation of bioprocesses, most of them region-specific, to produce bio products, biomaterials, bulk chemicals and biofuels from the most common biomass found in rural and small urban areas in LAC countries and the EU. To model and predict the performance of the new integrated biorefinery concept, processes in both, the LCB and ADB value chains will be split into their constituent elements (steps) for an individual study of the performance. The process characteristics for all value chains (e.g. flowrates, compositions, temperatures, pressures, properties, equipment sizes, etc.) will be predicted using analysis techniques such as mathematical models, empirical correlations and computer-aided process simulation tools (e.g. ASPEN Plus). In addition, the process analysis will involve the use of experimental means to predict and validate the performance. In order to investigate different conditions for the chosen integrated biorefinery plant, simulations will be performed. Moreover, as well an economic analysis will be conducted. Along with biological conversions (either for the anaerobic digestion platform or also for the lignocellulose platform), green chemistry processes will be simulated since their target products shall evolve mainly from hemicelluloses-derived materials and lignin-derived products. The business opportunities created by the new integrated biorefinery will be assessed in selected rural/urban areas taking into account socioeconomic and societal impacts and aspects of the intervention. The foreseen criteria include the potential internal rate of return, market uncertainty, technical/regulatory uncertainty and time-to-market. Technical and nontechnical barriers for setting up new spin off farmer-owned processing facilities will be also evaluated.
365 \| 2019 \| 2016 1 Day, 9:00-4:00 This course shows you how to use Power Pivot (an Excel add-in) to connect to your enterprise databases, import data from various sources, analyze data, and create dynamic reports in Excel. This course is for students with a sound working knowledge of Microsoft Excel and general computing proficiency, including those who will be using Excel to make business decisions. Getting Started with Power Pivot Manipulating Power Pivot Data Using DAX Functions in Power Pivot Creating Power Pivot Reports Distributing Power Pivot Data \|Public Course at Softek\|\|Private Course at Your Office\|\|Private Course at Softek\| \|$325 per student\|\|$1400 flat fee up to 8 students\|\|$1550 flat fee up to 8 students\| \|or 1 voucher\|\|$1600 flat fee up to 12 students\|\|$1750 flat fee up to 12 students\| \|10% discount when 3+ attend\|\|$100 per additional student\|\|$100 per additional student\| Private group courses are cost effective when you have a group of students who need the same course. Pricing is based on the maximum number of students anticipated per day per course. Volume discounts of 5% to 20% are available when five or more training days are scheduled. For classes conducted at your office, you are responsible for the classroom setup, including student computers, instructor station, LCD projector, and software installation. For courses conducted at Softek, we take care of classroom setup.
Click above for larger graphic • Original image • Index of Scripture Graphics and posts by Scripture reference From the Confessions: The Defense of the Augsburg Confession Concerning Love and the Fulfilling of the Law It is clear that James does not contradict us since he is making a distinction between dead and living faith, and admonishes the idle and self-satisfied who imagine that they have faith when they do not. He says that faith is dead if it does not bring forth good works, and that faith is living if it brings forth good works. We have frequently shown what we call faith, not meaning idle knowledge such as devils have, but a faith that resists the terrors of conscience, and cheers and consoles terrified hearts. Such faith is neither an easy matter, as the adversaries dream, nor a human quality, but a divine power by which we are regenerated, and by which we overcome the devil and death. Paul says that faith is effective and overcomes death because of the power of God: “in which you were also raised with him through faith in the working of God” (Col 2:12). Since this faith is a new life, it necessarily produces new movements and works. Accordingly, James is right in denying that we are justified by a faith that has no works. Pulling It Together One cannot create faith by deciding to believe in the historical Jesus, but then, going on to live the same old, natural life. This is the sort of dead faith to which James refers. However, faith that is given by God creates a new person. Those who have been born again will be different from the old, lifeless persons they had been before God gave them faith. They will begin to produce fruit for Christ’s kingdom. Dead trees produce no fruit. Living trees, by nature, produce fruit. What else can they do? Yet, trees do not bear fruit because they have somehow decided to do so. They produce fruit because they were created for that purpose. Even so, you who once were dead, have been recreated by the power of God so that you may produce the fruit of good works (Eph 2:10). If the Spirit of God dwells in you through a living faith, you are a new creation and will bear fruit because that is what you have been created to do. It is your new nature. What else could you do—since the power of Jesus Christ is at work in you? Prayer: Live in me today, Lord, bringing forth good fruit for your glorious kingdom. Amen. Receive these daily Sola Devotions by email. Write firstname.lastname@example.org with "Subscribe" as your subject. To unsubscribe, send an email to the same address with "Unsubscribe" as your subject. Connections is a magazine for evangelical Lutheran Christians filled with meaty articles as well as lighter spiritual fare. Connections provides great food for the soul. Articles and features are contributed by individuals and ministries of LCMC, NALC, CALC, Lutheran Core, and other evangelical Lutherans from congregations across North America.
As the capital of Scotland, Edinburgh is a beautiful city characterised by its countless castles and abundance of summer festivals. But once you’ve visited the must-see city sights (Edinburgh Castle, Arthur’s Seat, and the Scottish Parliament), then where do you go? Well, if you’re looking for offbeat Edinburgh, then you’ll likely find it in one of these quirky, unusual, hidden, and downright secret spots in Edinburgh: The Wild West of Edinburgh In Morningside, a former advertising campaign set looks like an abandoned ghost town. With its wooden façades and shuttered windows, the buildings wouldn’t look out of place in a Hollywood Film set. Instead, they can be found on the fringes of the Scottish Capital and are well worth a quick peek if you’re passing by. In what is likely the most picturesque area of the city, Dean Village is a beautiful place to go if you love history, photography, or simply want to find a quiet space to relax, away from the hustle and bustle of busy city life. First constructed for mill workers, today the village is some of the most prime real estate to be found anywhere in Scotland. National Museum of Scotland roof terrace Of course, everyone knows about the National Museum of Scotland, which is an absolute must-see on any trip to the Scottish Capital. But did you know that it has a hidden roof terrace, tucked away at the very top of the building? And with breathtaking views of the castle and beyond, you can’t go wrong by dedicating a sunset to admiring Edinburgh from above… In a little courtyard, just metres from the Royal Mile, the Writers’ Museum is dedicated to all things related to the written word. Of course, Edinburgh is well known for as the home of Harry Potter author JK Rowling, but the city was also once home to great writers such as Robert Burns, Walter Scott and Robert Louis Stevenson. The Writers’ Museum is just one of the elements which contributed to Edinburgh being named as a UNESCO City of Literature in 2004. Read more: How to spend three days in Edinburgh. Library of Mistakes Open from Monday to Friday and dedicated to the study of financial history, the Library of Mistakes was set up to document all of the economic mistakes experts made in both 1929, and then again in 2008. The collection comprises of some 2000 economic and financial literature and can be visited by appointment only. Just a little way along the street from Cowgate, a small chapel is open during select days of the week. Free to enter, the pretty interior contains the only set of 16th-century stained to have survived the Reformation. The chapel itself was constructed in 1541 for a trade guild and was where several protestant martyrs were taken prior to their burial during the 16th-century. Today, Magdalen Chapel is used as the headquarters of the Scottish Reformation Society. Read more: A visit to Magdalen Chapel. Edinburgh’s underground town of Mary King’s Close Today, the Royal Mile is a road spanning roughly a mile in distance between Edinburgh Castle and Holyrood Palace. It’s probably the best known-street in the capital, if not all of Scotland, and thousands of tourists and locals meander along it on a daily basis. But what many of these people don’t know- and you may not either- is that there’s a maze of alleyways and abandoned houses beneath the street. Head to the Real Mary King’s Close for the truth behind this long forgotten underground city in the heart of Edinburgh. Tom Riddle’s Grave Everyone knows that Greyfriar’s Kirkyard, visible from the Elephant House, inspired plenty of Harry Potter characters. Many wander through the ancient cemetery and yet few know that Tom Riddle’s Grave can be found in the very heart of this 16th-century graveyard. Other names to be spotted amongst the tombstones are those of iconic poet William McGonagall and Mrs. Elizabeth Moodie, whose name is thought to have inspired the fictional character of ‘Mad-Eye’ Moody in the books. Of all the unusual things to do in Edinburgh, strolling through Greyfriar’s Kirkyard is certainly one of the quirkiest. Read more: Harry Potter tour of Edinburgh. The mausoleum is Craigentinny crescent is precariously perched in the most unusual place. Now surrounded by a housing estate, the 19th-century tomb is 30 foot high and was built in 1848, following the death of William Henry Miller, an MP and owner of Craigetinny House. At the time, the mausoleum was on its own in the middle of nowhere. Its towering heights were meant to deter body snatchers, and the marble and granite work is reminiscent of ancient Greek or Roman marbles. A truly unique sight to see in the centre of the city! Museum on the Mound Dedicated to all things money, the Museum on the Mound is a museum which is often forgotten in favour of local favourites such as the Museum of Childhood, as well as the National Museum of Scotland (home to Dolly the Sheep). However, if you want to see what a million (fake) pounds look like in real life, as well as explore the history of money in the Scottish capital, then you simply must head to this free museum! Water of Leith Running through Edinburgh, the Water of Leith is a beautiful slice of nature, cutting its way through the industrial buildings of the Scottish capital. A dedicated walkway now follows the River’s course as it snakes its way through Edinburgh, passing by local favourites such as Colinton Village and Dell, the Union Canal, Saughton Winter Gardens, Murrayfield Stadium, the Royal Botanic Garden and Leith along. The river walk is the perfect escape from the hustle and bustle of busy city life for families and couples alike. The ruins of St Anthony Sure, everyone’s heard of Arthur’s Seat. But did you know that there are the 14th-century ruins of a chapel dedicated to St Anthony around halfway up the steep slope? Little is known about the origins of its crumbling walls, though it’s thought that perhaps the chapel once had connections to nearby Holyrood Abbey (which also now lies in ruin and can be visited at the same time as Holyrood Palace). Read more: Hiking an Extinct Volcano in Edinburgh! Kyoto Friendship Garden In the grounds of Lauriston Castle and Grounds, you’ll find the Kyoto Friendship Garden. This calm space remains a hidden gem of the city to this day. Located in green and leafy Cramond, the green space is one of the top three Japanese gardens in the UK and celebrates the twinning of Edinburgh and the prefecture of Kyoto in Japan. The pretty tidal island of Cramond lies just off mainland Scotland and can be accessed twice a day when the tide recedes. Now uninhabited, it’s thought that the island was once an outpost for Roman troops. In the estuary nearby, the most important Roman find ever found in Britain was discovered in the form of the Cramond Lioness. The quaint village of Cramond itself is just metres from Cramond Beach, on the edge of the mainland. Just outside the village centre, Cramond Falls is Edinburgh’s (albeit small) answer to Niagra Falls! Read more: Day trip to Cramond Island. Surgeons’ Hall Museums The anatomical museums that form Surgeons’ Hall Museums are part of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. Open to the public every day of the week from 10 Am to 5 PM, you can see the collections for a small fee, though under 16s must be accompanied by an adult. The Royal College of Surgeons was first founded in the early 1500s, while the museum itself has been open to the public since 1832. On the fringes of the city, one of the best secret spots in Edinburgh can be found in the form of the city’s least known castle. Lauriston Castle is the former mansion home of Mr and Mrs Reid and was first constructed in the 16th-century as a tower house. 19th-century additions were added before the castle and its grounds were donated to the City of Edinburgh in the 1920s. Today, you can visit the Castle for a small fee, while the grounds are free to visit and enjoy a picnic in. Read more: Best Castles in Edinburgh.
Bamboo is the fastest-growing woody plant in the world; capable of growing up to four feed a day! Bamboo creates less of an ecological footprint compared to that of even organic cotton. Shoo-Foo; our linen expert – goes to great lengths to support the original manufacturing process used by local farmers in China; to minimize their mark on the environment and create a quality product in the context of sustainable development. We all live in a world of choices. We know that there are some terrible environmental business practices, growing and manufacturing out there – and people are starting to wake up. Too many chemicals used; too much land and too many local eco-systems are being ruined, and way too much waste is generated from having to re-purchase items too often. It is within us to change and choose from great alternative choices that are out on the marketplace and continue to be invented. Wrap yourself in eco-comfort every time you go to sleep. For a limited time, pre-order Shoo-Foo’s Natural color Bamboo Bed Sheets at 40% off retail price and add our PROMO CODE “indulge” for an extra 10%!! —THIS GIVES YOU AN AMAZING LIMITED TIME OFFER OF 50% OFF. Use the code INDULGE to save a total of 50%!!! Only until Oct 27 2017. The smooth material made from the cellulose of bamboo is extremely soft, silky, absorbent, and breathable. It is a real pleasure for the skin - Support Diefenbaker – local Richmond, BC. elementary school build a new playground. Shoo-foo has a towel set up on the auction block. Check it out here Check out this great gift idea: Order an aromatherapeutic in-home spa experience – Inhalation therapy: Add 2-3 drops in hot of cold water, soak cloth in that water, and wring out. Take a few moments to mindfully inhale the therapeutic benefits through the cloth and exhale. The perfect duo – Bamboo face cloths and your choice of 100 % PURE essential oil. https://shoo-foo.com/bamboo-linen-shop/shoo-foo-bamboo-gift-ideas-and-certificate-promotion/bamboo-essential-oils-fall-pampering/ We hope you will give bamboo a try. Leave us a comment on your experience with bamboo products. Choices for a better today and tomorrow. #gogreen #ecofriendly #soulfulindulgence #happyhalloween
What is gluten? Gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye, and barley. Gluten has binding properties that give food structure, so it is added to many processed and packaged foods. Some individuals are not able to tolerate gluten. Read further to learn why. Some individuals who are not able to tolerate gluten may have celiac disease. Celiac disease is an inherited autoimmune disorder that causes damage to the lining of the gut. This affects the body’s ability to absorb certain nutrients. Symptoms of undiagnosed celiac disease include, weight loss, anemia, cramping, bloating and diarrhea. Some people are diagnosed in childhood, while others are diagnosed as adults. Currently, there is no cure for celiac disease. The only known treatment is the avoidance of gluten in the diet. Non-celiac gluten sensitivity Some individuals who cannot tolerate gluten may have non-celiac gluten sensitivity. This is a condition where the consumption of gluten causes a variety of symptoms including bloating, abdominal pain, diarrhea, constipation and nausea. While some of the symptoms may be similar to celiac disease, there is no damage to the lining of the gut, as in celiac disease, so nutrients can be absorbed. Those with non-celiac gluten sensitivity often feel better and have relief from their symptoms by avoiding gluten containing foods. For more information on celiac disease or the gluten free diet, please visit:
Citation Bolton SC (2006) Dignity at work is about more than good people management practices. People Management, 12 (12), pp. 46-46. http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.stir.ac.uk/ehost/detail?vid=4&hid=10&sid=2b24df5a-0e35-41d5-925f-f16f637ebd46%40sessionmgr10&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=buh&AN=21372508 Abstract This article discusses a multi-dimensional analysis of the concept of dignity at work. The research proposes that, rather than talking in general terms about dignity at work, it helps to delineate different dimensions, dignity in work and dignity at work. The analysis aims to clarify some of the complexities involved in understanding dignity at work and give far greater transparency to the role that government policy, organizations and management practice might play.
“If you or someone you know is affected by domestic abuse, then please let us help you.” That’s the plea from Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council as the Government’s Domestic Abuse Bill makes its way through Parliament. Domestic abuse can take many forms including psychological, physical, sexual, financial and emotional abuse, and controlling or coercive behaviour. And in Stockton-on-Tees, the Council contracts specialist charity, Harbour, to provide a range of support services to people affected by it. “Everyone has a right to live without fear and domestic abuse in any form is completely unacceptable,” said Councillor Jim Beall, the Council’s Cabinet Member for Health, Leisure and Culture. “Sadly, it’s a huge problem and one we need more people to report because we firmly believe is very much under-reported. “Our message to anybody affected by domestic abuse, whether you’re a victim or know somebody who’s being abused, or you’re a perpetrator yourself, is please let us help you. “Our domestic abuse services are provided by Harbour – they’ve been helping people for more than 40 years and they’ve changed many lives for the better. They can help very quickly and nobody will judge you. “You don’t have to go through this alone.” If you or someone you know is affected by domestic abuse contact Harbour’s 24-hour helpline 03000 20 25 25 or visit www.myharbour.org.uk. And remember, if somebody is immediate danger call the police – dial 999.
“Improving access to college and helping students complete their education remain worthy goals. Strada’s mission is to go a step further, ensuring that Americans gain the workplace skills they need to launch meaningful careers.” William D. Hansen President and CEO, Strada Education Network In several key respects, from producing groundbreaking research that seeds innovation to graduating students with strong economic prospects, America’s colleges and universities remain the best in the world. But too many Americans are being left behind by a system that in other crucial ways feels broken and irrelevant. Huge numbers of undergraduates – disproportionately from low-income and minority communities – start college but don’t make it to graduation and fail to enjoy the benefits that come with degree completion. Millions more working-class adults don’t have a foothold in the postsecondary system at all, in an era when developing and sustaining skills after high school is more important than ever for career advancement. Even those who earn degrees may find themselves ill-prepared for a fast-changing labor market, a disconnect often noted by employers but too little recognized by education providers. At Strada Education Network, we see these systemic failures as a serious threat to opportunity – but also as a chance to deploy our distinctive network to make good on education’s promise of social and economic mobility. Our mission is straightforward but ambitious: to improve lives by forging clearer and more purposeful pathways between education and employment. We promote learning opportunities that help prepare Americans for better jobs in three main ways: - Research on consumer views of postsecondary education and on the future of work that yields new insights into how postsecondary education can adapt to best meet the needs of more learners. - Philanthropy and investments that catalyze promising, evidence-based strategies, especially for helping low-income Americans. - A network of affiliate organizations delivering on-the-ground solutions for the needs of learners and educational institutions. As we pursue our mission, serving the education consumer is central to our vision for change. It has become clear to us that we need new pathways for more learners to navigate a postsecondary education and training system that is more accountable, accessible, and relevant. That’s why we’ve been systematically surveying an unprecedented sample of American adults – now more than 340,000 of them – to better understand their experiences and their aspirations. Where the system falls short, their insights can help suggest solutions to the widening gap between education and the workplace. This focus on the consumer also drives the New Learning Ecosystem, which puts learners at the center of seamless transitions between education and employment throughout their work lives. Our Institute for the Future of Work has identified five elements crucial for effective lifelong learning and reskilling: - Helping learners navigate their learning options; - Creating effective funding models; - Giving learners precision education and support services; - Finding better ways to recognize diverse learning experiences and skills and endorse them for employers; and - Opening doors to jobs through clear alignments of applicants’ skills and the talent needs of employers. But turning these research-driven ideas into action will require a hard-headed look at what has and hasn’t worked in the past. On the public policy front, massive federal investments in education and training have yielded disappointing results: in fifty years we have barely moved the needle on the percentage of students from the bottom quartile of family income attaining a college degree by age 24. As for employers, more than half of the $170 billion they invest in formal training each year is targeted at workers who already have bachelor’s degrees. To find better practical solutions, especially for the new majority of adult learners, Strada is working closely with governors and state policymakers on the front lines of reform. By investing in states and communities, we help innovative policymakers align education and workforce development to increase economic mobility for those who need it most. In our state work, as in everything we do across our network, from research, grantmaking, and investing to the work of our affiliates, we care deeply about achieving results. To measure outcomes, we have distilled what matters most to us to three things: completion, value, and purpose. - We want to see more Americans complete postsecondary credentials, not just by navigating the current system but through new and more accessible paths. - We want them to be satisfied with the career and financial value of whatever postsecondary education they pursue, inside or outside the traditional system. - We want their credentials to give them purpose through objective measures like getting jobs, increasing earnings, and forging good career paths. Each of these outcomes is vital, but none by itself is sufficient. Like three legs of a stool, completion, value, and purpose must all be in place to be effective. We know enough about the challenges of this work to know we can’t do it alone. Lasting change will require the focused efforts of states, innovative educators, committed employers, mission-driven nonprofits, and strategic investors. As we push to make education more career-relevant, to help adult learners, to connect hiring to skills, and to promote multiple credential pathways, we are proud to inform, fund, and amplify the efforts of many others. Together, we can create an education to employment system that is truly centered on consumers. It’s time to get to work.
Amazon web services (AWS) is an on-demand cloud computing platform that is a subsidiary of Amazon.com that provides cloud computing services to individuals, companies and governments based on paid subscription. Amazon web services help to avoid managing the low level details of the infrastructure. The AWS platform can provide you with cloud solutions that are extremely flexible, scalable, and cost-effective. It has multiple tools and capabilities for you to choose from, depending on the needs of your business. It has a tremendous amount of experience operating at scale and help reap the rewards of using battle hardened services. Cloud computing is one of the leading industries around the world which is experiencing astounding growth year over year. Amongst the cloud providers, Amazon web services is regarded as one of the of the leading cloud providers across the globe. Easy usage and pay-as-you-go pricing have increased the popularity of AWS cloud among both start-ups and large enterprises in the recent years. According to the latest stats and figures, jobs requiring these skill sets pay higher than most of the jobs posted on public job boards. The annual salaries for these professionals could be as high as $100,000 as well. Therefore, knowledge and expertise in AWS could be very valuable for your career. This course in Amazon Web services – storage, s3 & CloudFront will let you dive into various storage services offered by AWS and see them in action. You will learn the different aspects and options provided by these services so that you can choose the right service for that particular business scenario. You will be able to get to grips with storage and CDN services in Amazon cloud such as AWS S3, EBS, EFS, & CloudFront through this courseas well. - Why consider learning at study 365? - Larning outcomes - Access duration - Who is this course aimed at? - Entry requirements - Method of assessment - Certification and awarding body - Tutor info - Progression and career path - Other benefits With so many commitments in our lives, we may not have the time to learn new skills. The beauty of studying online is that you get to find this balance between your education and your daily commitments Study 365 offers hundreds of online courses to students across the world. Gaining new skills has never been this easy as many of our courses are open to students with little or no qualifications or previous experience. All the courses are up-to-date, relevant, affordable, and will build on existing expertise or give you a jump-start to a new career. The courses are meticulously designed and equals what is offered in a classroom setting. With a solid reputation that has established and made us made us one of the most trusted and reliable online course providers we offer the most convenient path to gain recognised skills and training that will give you the opportunity to put into practice your knowledge and expertise in your chosen career. You can learn at your own pace at Study 365 and you will be provided with all the necessary material, tutorials, qualified course instructor, narrated e-learning modules, interactive quizzes and free resources which include Free CV writing pack, free career support and course demo to make your learning experience enriching and more rewarding. - Learn the AWS architecture and how to implement its services - Understand the different AWS storage services, and how to use them competently for your business needs - Gain an insight into how to utilise S3 and its capabilities to host a static website, and configure and upload files in any format - Get an understanding of how to use EBS as a persistent storage mechanism for your EC2 instances, with its capabilities like—flexibility and scalability. - Understand how to employ the CloudFront CDN to update, monitor and deliver selective content across the world, based on your requirements. The course will be directly delivered to you, and you have 12 months access to the online learning platform from the date you joined the course. The course is self-paced and you can complete it in stages, revisiting the lectures at any time. - IT students - Job seekers - IT professionals At the end of the course, you will have one assignment to be submitted (you need a mark of 65% to pass) and you can submit the assignment at any time. You will only need to pay £19 for assessment and certification when you submit the assignment. You will receive the results within 72 hours of submittal, and will be sent a certificate in 7-14 days if you have successfully passed. Those who successfully complete the course will be awarded the Amazon Web Services Masterclass: Storage, S3 & cloudfront certificate by CPD & iAP. The qualification will make you valuable to employers, and your motivation at gaining new skills will be recognised. Manuj Aggarwal is an entrepreneur, technology enthusiast, and visionary. Manuj Aggarwal brings with him over two decades of extensive experience encompassing a broad gamut of software skills. His experience and expertise have transformed several ideas into viable, profitable businesses. He has been instrumental in developing and setting up core technology, teams, and products for startups in addition to designing robust software architecture. Manuj is a proven industry leader in exploring innovative ideas and disruptive technologies in global vertical markets. His mastery in leveraging engineering resources and translating them into commercial products remains unequalled. With the demand for skills related to AWS, this certificate in Amazon Web Services Masterlcass: Storage, S3 & CloudFront could be the additional qualification which will help you grab a rewarding job position in the IT or cloud computing field. If you are an employee, this certificate can help pave the way for your career progression and for you to demand for salary increments and job promotions from your employer as well. Below given are few of the job positions this course will be worthwhile for, along with the average UK salary per annum according to https://www.payscale.com/career-path-planner, - Software engineer – £34,671 per annum - Senior software engineer – £46,513 per annum - Technical specialist – £36,497 per annum - Technical consultant – £36,234 per annum - Written and designed by the industry’s finest expert instructors with over 15 years of experience - Repeat and rewind all your lectures and enjoy a personalised learning experience - Gain access to quality video tutorials - Unlimited 12 months access from anywhere, anytime - Save time and money on travel - Learn at your convenience and leisure - Eligible for TOTUM discount card - Free Career Support Service - 25% Discount on personal Statement and covering letter writing service - Free Access to Over 150 courses for 2 days (48 hours) - Free access to course before you purchase (For selected courses only) \|1: WELCOME AND INTRODUCTION\| \|Welcome and introduction\|\|00:00:00\| \|Get ready for AWS storage services\|\|00:00:00\| \|2: INTRODUCTION TO AWS\| \|Introduction to AWS\|\|00:00:00\| \|Benefits of AWS cloud\|\|00:00:00\| \|Who is using AWS? and Why?\|\|00:00:00\| \|Services provided by AWS\|\|00:00:00\| \|Services provided by AWS # 2\|\|00:00:00\| \|AWS – a leading cloud platform\|\|00:00:00\| \|3: INTRODUCTION TO AWS STORAGE SERVICES\| \|Introduction to AWS storage services\|\|00:00:00\| \|The AWS storage service landscape\|\|00:00:00\| \|Introduction to AWS S3\|\|00:00:00\| \|Introduction to AWS EBS\|\|00:00:00\| \|Introduction to AWS Glacier\|\|00:00:00\| \|Introduction to AWS EFS\|\|00:00:00\| \|Introduction to AWS CloudFront\|\|00:00:00\| \|4: AWS S3 – AWS OBJECT STORAGE SERVICE\| \|Get ready for AWS S3\|\|00:00:00\| \|Get started with AWS S3\|\|00:00:00\| \|Setup and configure AWS S3 bucket\|\|00:00:00\| \|Using AWS S3\|\|00:00:00\| \|5: AWS EBS – AWS BLOCK STORAGE SERVICE\| \|Get ready for AWS EBS\|\|00:00:00\| \|Provision AWS EC2 instances\|\|00:00:00\| \|Mount EBS volumes on AWS EC2 instances\|\|00:00:00\| \|6: AWS CLOUDFRONT – AWS CDN SERVICE\| \|Get ready for AWS CloudFront\|\|00:00:00\| \|Create AWS CloudFront distribution\|\|00:00:00\| \|Configure AWS CloudFront distribution # 1\|\|00:00:00\| \|Configure AWS CloudFront distribution # 2\|\|00:00:00\| \|Finalize AWS CloudFront distribution\|\|00:00:00\| \|7: VALIDATING AWS CLOUDFRONT SETUP\| \|Prepare for validating AWS CloudFront setup\|\|00:00:00\| \|Prepare AWS CloudFront distribution\|\|00:00:00\| \|Deploy AWS EC2 instances\|\|00:00:00\| \|Validate AWS CloudFront setup\|\|00:00:00\|
Separate names with a comma. Discussion in '2012-2013 Boss 302 Mustang' started by Modular Racing, Aug 20, 2012. Question for you guys in a race car like this what do you do with the coolant hoses that are in the front of the cylinder heads ? Thanks In advance The front fittings we make would go to the radiator or water pump. No really getting it can you explain it please? Basically these fittings allow you to replace the factory components with AN hoses and fittings for increased reliability.
Whether you’re headed home for the holidays or surrounded by people who actively voice an opinion different than your own, there is no doubt that having conversations about sensitive subjects can be challenging. A group of students are successful in their efforts to bring the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) chapter back to campus and plan to discuss ways to bring awareness of equality. An exploration of the TCU fact book presented in several data visualizations. Pocket Points is a new app where students can earn rewards by locking their phone in class. TCU's annual Pinwheel Project raises awareness for child abuse prevention. Chancellor Boschini emailed students about the new university-wide committee that focuses on diversity issues on campus Monday. The university had its most diverse student body ever this year, but is continuing to push for more. One new organization promoting natural hair on campus is creating community and inspiring women to love their hair. Provost Donovan wants testing centers to stay as is. Student attendance has grown this season due to a better record and new facility.
The Moral of the Story Christmas is around the corner and many children across the UK will be flicking through the Argos catalogue finding the presents they are going to be nagging for this year. Although this may be a favourite past time for all youngsters around Christmas, there is a significant lesson to be learnt. It is important that we teach our children to be gracious when receiving gifts, even when it is almost a mandatory event in certain circumstances such as Christmas or birthdays. Despite them already assuming they will be receiving everything they have wished for, being on Santa’s ‘nice list’ or not, we must teach them that an act of kindness or gratitude can go a long way. We may taunt and tease the younger generation, insisting that ‘Santa Claus has been watching their behaviour all year’, but it is essential that we explain what type of behaviour is good behaviour and what will not be tolerated. Educational and Enjoyable TeacherBoards Community have created some useful Christmas list templates that you can use at home or in the classroom. The first list includes a ‘reasoning’ process that must be filled in before it is sent off to Santa (or to mum if the surprise has been spoilt). This reasoning process means that children must fill in different reasons or scenarios that show they deserve the gifts they are asking for and are willing to put effort in to receive them. In the classroom, you can use this template as a fun Christmas related lesson plan, which helps ensure children will work harder in the classroom to show they are capable of the tasks they have set themselves. One example of this could be ‘I deserve this present because: I will/have handed in my homework in on time all term.’ This helps children set tasks for themselves over the winter period which can be beneficial to you and for them. These educational based tasks can help children work on aspects of their learning that they may be struggling with by taking a certain amount of time out to read a book, or to spend two nights a week practising spelling, and so on. Home and Away Alternatively, if you aren’t using the templates in a school environment, you can ask them to create a different sort of ‘reasoning process’ that can relate to housework or behaviour outside of school. For example ‘I will keep my room tidy and organised’ or ‘I will be kind and polite to everybody I meet, hurtful or inappropriate comments will not be accepted’. This will teach that not only is good behaviour essential, but what good behaviour consists of and how to achieve it. You could argue that children have grown to expect presents for Christmas, good behaviour or not, but it can be beneficial for them to understand that hard work can pay off. It is difficult for children to reform a spoilt attitude once it has been embedded in them and even if you are able to give them everything they want, it might not be what they need.
Astrobiology Magazine posts an intriguing report today: The American Psychological Association is looking seriously at the question of astronauts’ mental health. It’s an issue that has sometimes been swept under the rug, says the APA’s press release: Historically, astronauts have been reluctant to admit to mental or behavioral health problems for fear of being grounded. […]Continue reading Why you should listen Engineer and daredevil explorer Bill Stone is obsessed with discovery. After years of crawling through the deepest unexplored caves on the planet, he's building robots to go where he can't. His company Stone Aerospace built DepthX, an autonomous robot, which descended 1,099 feet down Mexico's deepest watery sinkhole. In 2009, Stone and his team completed a successful mission to Antarctica. ENDURANCE, an expedition sponsored by NASA, was developed to explore and map under the ice of Lake Bonney in Antarctica. But this was just a test for the real mission (which is explained in a National Geographic documentary, Journey to an Alien Moon): building a probe with NASA to bore through miles of ice on Jupiter's moon Europa, then swim through the buried Europan sea in search of alien life. He's also hoping to singlehandedly jump-start commercial human space exploration by offering spacefarers affordable fuels and consumables extracted from the moon. His new Shackleton Energy Company, or SEC, intends to raise $15 billion (as he points out, this is about the cost of a North Sea oil production platform complex) to mine ice thought to be trapped on the moon's southern pole at Shackleton Crater, and to sell derived products (including propellants and other consumables) on the moon and in low earth orbit (LEO) to international consumers. Read about his 2014 expedition to the Chevé system, perhaps the deepest cave on Earth. What others say “With a doctorate in structural engineering and 11 patents to his credit, Stone is the archetypal modern-day explorer, a multidisciplinary maverick constantly inventing tools in the name of discovery lust” — Wired Bill Stone’s TED talk More news and ideas from Bill Stone For the next two weeks, we’re presenting some of our favorite TEDTalks from among the 270+ talks and performances we’ve posted since June 2006. Look for brand-new TEDTalks starting August 18. Until then, enjoy these gems — and suggest your own by writing to firstname.lastname@example.org or joining the conversation on TED.com. Bill Stone, a maverick […]Continue reading Bored with Earthly beach destinations this summer? Does the word “Carribbean” not ring exactly, well, “exotic” these days? With this week’s news that (highly acidic) water has been tasted on Mars and an ethane lake has been discovered on Saturn’s moon Titan, perhaps it’s time to investigate otherworldly destinations for fun in the surf. Grab […]Continue reading
Ground floor,Shyam tower Sikar house,Chandpole Bazar,Jaipur,Rajasthan,India. Aayushi Silk Fabric is start 2010 in jaipur. We are manufacturer Basement,radha vallabh satsang bhawan,RB Road,Sanganer,Opp.Shilpi Handicrafts,Jaipur,India We are Brij Creation is Wholesaler in All types of Fabrics,We sal 239,PADMAWATI COLONY- 1ST,KINGS ROAD,AJMER ROAD,Jaipur,Rajasthan,India We Are Is Manufacturer,Supplier,Exporter And Wholesaler Of All Na manufacturer of Bhagalpuri Designer Dupatta Jaipuri Print Fabric wholesaler Plain Handblock Kurtis manufacturer Manufacturers of Flower Table Cloth Bed Sheet Manufacturer manufacturer of Colorful Printed Fabric supplier of Panel Printed Bed Sheets Much of the garments are dependent on which type of fabric you’ll use for fabrication. There are mainly three categories that used in fabrication of garments: woven, non-woven, and knit. The woven fabric is made up of yarns that set in horizontal and vertical manner. Also it uses the warp and weft process to accomplish the garments. Non-woven fabrics are bonded, produced using the synthetic fibers. These bonded fabrics are used in linings. Knit fabrics are also used warp and weft process to create the best garments. In weft knits the knitting pattern runs across the width and in the warp knit it goes vertical with the zigzag stitches. So these are the technique which plays an important role to make a garment fabric. Which types of fabric you will choose as per the mentioned process fabricate your garment with ease, comfort and free-feeling? If you are looking for the finest garment fabric at wholesale range then choose the best market for it in Jaipur, Rajasthan,. You’ll get it at the lowest price with the superfine quality. We TIM listed the wholesalers from Jaipur, Rajasthan who are popular for their services and quality material. So get ready to add the new essence to your business. Is this page helpful? Average Ratings 4.6 (184 Ratings) copyrights © 2020 Textile Infomedia all rights reserved.
You would like to pursue an acting career or even act as a hobby but you may be wondering where to start. If you have no experience you need to first understand the commitment required. When going to an audition the casting director will select the best candidate. What does this mean for you as the aspiring actor/actress? You will need to make time for the audition as well as learn the lines for any roles you may be selected for. Being great at something often requires practice and taking the time to learn. You can pick up books and start reading. This will help you to get a feel for different types of acting skills and help develop your understanding of the terminology used in the industry. Sign up for acting workshops in your area. Take an acting class at your local college. Try out for a part in community plays. The latter suggestions not only will help your development as an actor but also allow you to engage with other actors. You probably won't get every part so make sure that you can financially support yourself during the process of obtaining acting jobs. If you're working another job, save your paid time off and sick days to help cover for audition days. Find ways to save money in case your day goes unpaid. If it won't jeopardize your current employment then talk with your employer and be honest about what you are perusing. It might be possible to change a shift to accommodate your audition/acting schedule or work some overtime. Another opportunity to get a feel for the business is to work backstage. Working on a set can expose you to many aspects of the business as well as key personnel in those productions. Remember that working backstage is just as important as what's happening on stage. Understanding both aspects is a great advantage for any developing actor. It's also helpful in learning the acting lingo used on a set. Sign up with a casting agency. Working with an insider who has access to many sources of potential auditions will lend to more opportunities for you. A casting agent will work to find roles that are a fit for you and the client they represent. Casting companies can also be a way to get acting jobs as an extra in films and commercials. Surrounding yourself with others that share a similar passion for acting will open other opportunities you may not have been aware of. You may end up finding a great rehearsal partner or even a mentor to help guide your career. Get to know the casting agents and directors. Be social! Most importantly take care of yourself. Staying out late the night before an audition is probably not the best idea. Get sleep, eat healthily and stay hydrated. A well-rested and nourished individual will have a better performance than one who is not. It can be a tough business so allow yourself to be at your very best.
TBC works with a wide range of community partners who implement relief, recovery, community-driven development and natural resource management initiatives to conflict-affected communities in southeast Myanmar, where an estimated 400,000 people remain displaced. Key partners include (in alphabetical order): Alin Thit Social Development Group ALT is a civil society organisation working towards peace and development in Mon, Shan and Kayah/Karenni States. It works to build peaceful relationships between people of different ethnic and religious traditions, faiths and environments. Its mission includes “to promote sustainable peace and development for disadvantaged people and communities through advocacy, capacity building and empowerment.” ALT conducts trainings, advocacy, technical activities, workshops, forums, community development action plans and capacity building with the goal to improve the livelihoods of vulnerable households. It also works on disaster reduction, relief and awareness-raising. Community participation, mobilisation and capacity development leading to self-management are cornerstones of the organisation’s work, including with village development committees and sub-committees. Backpack Health Worker Team The BPHWT is a long-established organisation that promotes increased access to health services for vulnerable populations in Southeast Burma. Through mobile health teams, the group provides primary health care and community health education and prevention for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and other vulnerable populations in conflict-affected and rural areas. The organization also enhances food security through facilitating improved water supply, sanitation, and nutritional awareness. It also assists village committees with coordination, monitoring and technical support. Committee for Internally Displaced Karen People The CIDKP was formed in 1998 to raise awareness about the plight of internally displaced Karen/Kayin people and to deliver humanitarian assistance in response to their needs. The organization has field staff in all townships of Karen/Kayin State, as well as in parts of Tenasserim/Tanintharyi Region, northern Mon State and eastern Bago Region. Its main programme activities include the delivery of relief assistance to displaced communities who have experienced shocks to their livelihoods. It also supports a prosthesis workshop for people injured by landmines. Karen Department for Health and Welfare The KDHW promotes increased access to health services for vulnerable populations in Southeast Burma/Myanmar. Through mobile clinics, trainings, and home visits, the organisation provides reproductive health care, malaria and trauma care, and primary health care services, as well as community health education and prevention, to vulnerable communities in Karen/Kayin state. KDHW has a liaison office in Hpa’an, the state capital, which is due to work at engagement, collaboration and joint implementation with the Burma/Myanmar Ministry of Health and Sports(MoHS). This includes joint technical refresher trainings and expanded immunisation in non-state controlled areas of the state (supported by the MoHS) and in villages adjacent to the Thailand-Burma border (supported by Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health). KESAN is a grassroots, non-profit organisation working alongside local communities in Karen State to ensure sustainable livelihoods by preserving indigenous knowledge, building capacity and promoting practice and policy change. The organisation works with local communities, community leaders and local authorities, as well as regional and international decision-makers to ensure that environmental policies and practices adopted and implemented are environmentally friendly, culturally beneficial, economically viable and socially equitable for both men and women. TBC has supported KESAN to work on community-based livelihoods initiatives and livelihood restoration, including restoration of irrigation canals, creation of rice banks, supporting traditional medicine production and clinics. Other initiatives include community forest management committees, community-based peace support networks, land surveys and micro-hydro power projects. For updates on KESAN’s activities, see https://www.facebook.com/kesan.karen More than twenty years of research, reports, data, images and videos shedding light on the human rights situation and the challenges faced by villagers and civilians in conflict-affected parts of Karen/Kayin State and other areas are available on the website of the Karen Human Rights Group (KHRG). The group’s detailed research and documentation over two decades has helped provide insights into the challenges, injustices and difficulties experienced by ordinary people in conflict situations, and the many ways they have sought to survive and find solutions. TBC has supported the KHRG to facilitate human rights education through a Village Agency project, to supplement human rights documentation with mapping data and to establish an office in Yangon to expand national and international advocacy efforts. For updates on the KHRG’s activities, see https://www.facebook.com/karenhumanrightsgroup KORD was formed in 1993 as a community-led organisation to deliver emergency relief assistance and facilitate participation in planning processes amongst internally displaced Karen/Kayin communities in Karen/Kayin State, northern Mon State and Bago Region. The organisation has also been a partner in TBC’s monitoring of conditions among the displaced, and in programmes promoting local responses to promote self-reliance. KORD is a founding member of the Ethnic Community Development Forum (ECDF), a network of social and community development organisations from Burma/Myanmar’s ethnic nationalities. The KWO traces its origins to 1949 and has a membership of around 49,000 women in the camps and Karen/Kayin State. Among its many activities in the Thai sites are included the support of livelihood, education, health and social welfare initiatives. In Burma/Myanmar, TBC has supported KWO to facilitate maternal and child health education and distribute baby kits for new mothers in Karen/Kayin State, northern Mon State, and Tenasserim/Tanintharyi and East Bago regions. For updates on the KWO’s activities, see https://www.facebook.com/karenwomenorganization/ KEG was formed in 1996 and is currently a lead Karenni organisation focusing on environmental issues. Its main project areas are community forest management and protection, hydroelectric dam research, medicinal plants research and environmental awareness and education. TBC supports KEG’s community forest management and promotion activities. The KNWO is a non-profit grassroots organization founded in 1993 by Karenni/Kayah women who sought asylum in Thailand. It currently has more than 600 members in the refugee camps and inside Karenni/Kayah state. The organisation strives to empower women through skills development and capacity building, secure and uphold the rights and protection of women and children, and work in cooperation and collaboration with other women’s organisations and political organisations. The KNWO has offices in Mae Hong Son in Thailand and Loikaw, the capital of Karenni/Kayah state. TBC has supported the organisation to raise awareness about gender-based violence and women’s health, and promote livelihood opportunities for women in Karenni/Kayah State. For updates on the KNWO see www.facebook.com/KarenniNationalWomenOrganization Karenni Social Welfare and Development Center The KSWDC was formed in 1996. It works to enhance food security and reinforce community strategies for coping with shocks and stresses to livelihoods, mainly through the distribution of cash transfers in Karenni State. The organisation also promotes food security and livelihoods by assisting village development committees to identify priority needs, develop project response plans and proposals, coordinate and monitor project implementation, and evaluate project impacts. KSWDC has been a regular contributor to TBC’s annual surveys of conditions in Southeast Burma/Myanmar. Kayan New Generation Youth The KNGY was founded in 2002 as an ethnic grass-roots youth group working to promote democracy, human rights and federalism in Burma/Myanmar. The organisation has worked with CBOs, CSOs, NGOs and INGOs to strengthen community development and infrastructure in Kayah/Karenni State. It promotes increased access to education services for vulnerable populations in Southeast Burma/Myanmar by training and supporting volunteer teachers in Karenni/Kayan ethnic schools in Karenni/Kayah, Shan, and Karen/Kayin states. KNGY is exploring the use of village level support programmes for schools, including convergence opportunities with the Kayah (Karenni) State Education Department in collaboration with the Karenni Education Department. For updates on the organisation’s activities, see https://www.facebook.com/kngymm/ Among other activities promoting human rights, HURFOM enhances food security and livelihoods through facilitating the restitution and registration of land tenure for victims of land confiscation. It also facilitates participatory livelihood and natural resource assessments. These have included documenting the potential social costs of proposed coal power plants in southern Mon State. It has surveyed confiscated lands in Mon ceasefire areas and advocated for greater protection of customary land users. For updates on HURFORM activities, see https://www.facebook.com/Rehmonnya-Human-Rights-Foundation-of-MonLand/ Mon Relief and Development Committee The MRDC was founded in 1990 to facilitate coordination after an influx of Mon refugees led to the establishment of camps in Thailand. Field staff are located in the Mon ceasefire areas in northern Tenasserim/Tanintharyi Region and southern Mon and Karen/Kayin States. The main programme activities relate to the distribution of food aid and coordination of community development projects in Mon resettlement sites, and the distribution of cash transfers. MRDC’s community development programme has also been supported by the Burma Relief Centre and it has been a regular contributor to TBC’s annual surveys of conditions in Southeast Burma/Myanmar. Mawduklarmae Social Development Association The MSDA enhances food security and livelihoods through interventions that promotes skills development in sustainable agricultural practices in Karenni/Kayah State. This includes facilitating participatory assessments of agricultural opportunities, and promoting soil conservation, organic gardening, and cooking stove production. The group also exposure trips to support learning on agriculture. The SSDF was founded in 2013 as an amalgamation of the Shan Education Committee, the Shan Health Committee and the Shan Relief and Development Committee. It enhances food security and reinforces community strategies for coping with shocks and stresses to livelihoods, through the distribution of cash transfers in Shan State. It promotes food security and livelihoods by assisting village development committees to identify priority needs, develop project response plans and proposals, coordinate and monitor the projects’ implementation, and evaluate project impacts. It has provided occasional monitoring support for TBC in Shan IDP camps, and has been a regular contributor to TBC’s annual surveys of conditions in Southeast Burma/Myanmar. Tenasserim River & Indigenous People Network TRIP-NET consists of community representatives in the Tenasserim/Tanintharyi Region who are addressing the emergence of rapid economic activities in the region. The organization was formed in 2014 after several years when founder members worked with local communities on local development issues. TRIPNET enhances food security and strengthens livelihoods by building the capacities of local communities to rehabilitate and manage natural resources and provides assistance to village committees to identify priority needs, develop project response plans and proposals, coordinate and monitor the project implementation, and evaluate project impacts. The organisation supports people’s engagement in development and believes that sustainable development can be achieved only when local people have the right to participate, and to control and manage their natural resources in accordance with their traditions and cultures.
In search of EU ambition This was one of the messages from last Monday’s official Dutch launch of the 2013 European Report on Development (ERD), In terms of The ERD 2013, prepared by the Overseas Development Institute (ODI), the Deutsche Institut für Entwicklungspolitik (DIE) and the ECDPM, aims to enable a post-2015 dialogue on the EU-level and therefore focuses particularly on the role of the EU in the post-2015 process. Above all, this role is one of mixed feelings. On the one hand, the EU is praised for its strong commitment to the MDGs, as demonstrated by the European Consensus on Development and the more recent Commission’s Agenda for Change and A Decent Life for All. The EU has become the world’s largest Official Development Assistance (ODA) donor, thereby playing an important role in helping to achieve the MDGs. In addition, the ERD emphasizes the efforts made by the European institutions and the member states in ensuring Policy Coherence for Development (PCD). With the Lisbon Treaty, PCD became a legal obligation. Article 208 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU states that: ‘The Union shall take account of the objectives of development cooperation in the policies that it implements which are likely to affect developing countries’. In this sense, PCD can provide a more systematic and complementary instrument for global development. Yet, some important challenges lie ahead. Although the ERD emphasizes the need to move beyond traditional aid, it underscores the necessity to maintain the EU’s ODA promise and to push for the 0.7% target. This might be a difficult task politically, in light of member states’ austerity measures. In addition, the ERD argues that the EU should make more effort to move beyond traditional support and explore new ways of supporting global development, for example by strengthening PCD. As reaffirmed by Nicole Metz, Policy Advisor at Oxfam Novib, there is a lot to win in terms of achieving policy coherence at the EU level. Niels Keijzer, researcher at DIE, strikingly showed that EU policies on trade, investment and migration largely undermine the EU’s broader development aims, due to the prevalence of restrictive and often conflicting individual member states’ interests . Despite the potential financial gap and shortfalls in terms of PCD, a main challenge that remains for the EU is the formulation of a joint post-2015 position which should be effectively promoted during international negotiations. Due to difficulties in reaching consensus between 27 member states, the EU frequently proved itself to be unable to speak with one voice on external policies. As highlighted by Niels Keijzer, EU positions on development (such as the recent The lack of ambition became apparent when participants debated the Dutch position on post-2015. Both Rob Swartbol, Director-General of International Cooperation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Heleen Bakker, Head of the EU External Policy Division at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, welcomed the ERD report with its call for economic transformation. Yet, when discussing the necessary means, it became clear that this will not be part of the official Dutch input to the post-2015 process. Pushed by the Dutch government, consensus has been reached on the issue of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR). Participants agreed, however, that the aims could have been set much higher. Although, member states are apparently more inclined to pursue their own interests in UN negotiations, rather than avail themselves of the EU’s collective bargaining potential. The ERD highlights the opportunities and challenges for the EU in the process of formulating the post-2015 development agenda. Its recommendations might well provide valuable input for the EU to live up to during the negotiations within the Open Working Group on Sustainability (OWG) and the upcoming post-2015 negotiations between the UN member states. Without doubt, for the EU to fulfill its potential in promoting a more sustainable and inclusive development agenda, the EU should make a strong effort to formulate a single position that is effectively shared by its member states
Women in the Middle East and North Africa region (MENA) are making appreciable strides in social development. They now outnumber men attending universities in most Arab countries. Disparities in literacy and enrollment in primary and secondary education have fallen dramatically in the last few decades. The impact of these changes can be seen in the labor market as well. As a result of better educational opportunities and growing economies, employment for women has been rising at a faster rate than for men. Vendors in Tahrir Square have been doing a brisk business selling T-shirts of various colorful designs that usually have “January 25” emblazoned on the front. Certainly the first day of the Egyptian revolution, when tens of thousands initially gathered in Cairo’s central square, was a milestone. Now, with the television cameras largely gone and souvenir stands taking over, the revolution might appear to be over. Egyptians know better, perhaps none more than Hossam El-Hamalawy. Egypt, led by Egyptians, is today at a very special juncture. Egyptians have a remarkable opportunity to shape a new and better destiny for their country. And the rare combination of both willingness and ability comes wrapped in a new sense of purpose, energy and engagement on the direction of the country. Upon entering the office of the American University in Cairo President Lisa Anderson, you’ll admire the beautiful colored globe prominently displayed on a table. But dozens of globes? There’s a collection of smaller globes on a bookshelf. There are bowls of tiny globes (key chains, actually) on a coffee table. Globes, globes, everywhere. Butler is harsh on the tendency in the West, especially among feminists, to categorically condemn the veil. “Negotiating questions of sexuality and gender is not always done according to the same language you find in the U.S. or in France,” she explains. Due to its geography and political standing, Egypt has interacted with the wider world throughout its long history. In taking its place on the international stage, it has produced honored statesmen and Nobel laureates. It has provided numerous global public servants, including a secretary general of the United Nations and a director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Wine chemist discovers sweet news Chocolate may be the despair of dieters, but it also contains a class of chemicals that might help lower the risk of heart disease, according to researchers at the University of California at Davis. Wine chemist Andrew Waterhouse and his colleagues have long studied the possible health benefits of compounds called phenolics. These chemicals are abundant in red wine and are believed to help prevent so-called "bad" cholesterol from clogging coronary arteries with fatty substances known as plaque. In a issue of the medical journal Lancet, the UC Davis group suggests that the phenolics in chocolate might be beneficial, despite the fact that the candy is high in fats, sugar and caffeine. Although cholesterol is found in animal fats, it is also made by the body and is needed to help build cell walls as well as many hormones. But before cholesterol can be transported through the bloodstream, it must be combined with fats and proteins into particles called lipoprotein. Low-density lipoprotein, or LDL, are known as the "bad" cholesterol, and they are the artery-blockers. The "good" high density lipoprotein, or HDL, are believed to scavenge excess cholesterol from the bloodstream and carry it to the liver for excretion. Phenolics, according to current thinking, are among several compounds in foods that prevent oxygen from combining with low-density lipoproteins a process called oxidation. This minimizes the ability of LDL to damage artery walls and contribute to the buildup of plaque. In their laboratory experiments with extracts of cocoa powder, Waterhouse and his colleagues found that the phenols in cocoa strongly inhibited the oxidation of low-density lipoprotein taken from samples of human blood. But whether the same phenols from various forms of chocolate would have the same effect in the human body remains unknown, Waterhouse said. The researchers estimate that an ounce and a half of milk chocolate contains 205 milligrams of phenolics, while a cup of hot chocolate has 148 milligrams. By comparison a typical glass of red wine contains about 210 milligrams of phenolics, Waterhouse says. "We certainly aren't suggesting that people start eating chocolate to prevent coronary heart disease," Waterhouse said. 'The results of this study simply indicate that if dietary phenolics do act as antioxidants in the body, then chocolate would he a good source of those antioxidants."

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