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warc | 201704 | Indonesia’s endangered orangutans are fighting for survival as wildfires destroy forests and send dangerous heat and smoke across the country.
Spurred by drought and the effects of El Niño, Indonesia is suffering through its worst fire season since 1997. At least 19 people have died and half a million have been sickened by poor air quality as a result of thousands of blazes. More than 8,000 square miles of forest have burned; that’s larger than the state of New Jersey.
The fires are also taking an environmental toll, emitting more carbon dioxide each day than the entire U.S. economy.
National Geographic photographer Tim Laman recently spent 10 days documenting the impact of fires on local people and the iconic orangutans in interior Borneo. Laman wore a mask throughout his trip but still suffers lung irritation.
“A thick, smoky haze covers much of the island, which is really unhealthy for the people there,” says Laman. (See Laman’s photos of birds of paradise.)
Many of the fires were intentionally started by farmers seeking to clean their fields of last year’s waste crop material after harvest. Some of those have raged out of control. Many fires also burn in the lands licensed to large oil palm and other agricultural interest, despite burning of such plots being illegal according to Indonesian law. In many cases, the peaty soil of the forest has ignited. That can burn for days and can result in collapse of trees.
As a result of the heat and disruption, orangutans are being driven out of the forest, toward rivers and other bodies of water. This can put them in increased danger from poachers or mean they may have trouble finding enough food, since they are used to roaming over large territories looking for fruits. | 1,784 | 965 | 1.848705 |
warc | 201704 | Summer officially arrived last week, and with it will come a bounty of fresh fruits and vegetables, courtesy of Canadian farmers and growers. And while strawberries, tomatoes and carrots might be some of the friendliest produce to the palate, this is a great time to expand your horizons to the green, leafy vegetables that are the rulers of the nutritional kingdom.
KALE
Could kale be one of the most nutritious foods on Earth? That’s the claim in the newly-released
Book of Kale by Sharon Hanna.
While there is no singularly agreed upon way of determining which food is the most nutritious, you could certainly make the case that kale could find itself at or near the top of the pile. Eaten raw, a cup of kale provides more vitamin C than an orange, along with two days’ worth of vitamin A and a week’s worth of vitamin K. Cooking kale can destroy some of the vitamin C, but the vitamin A and vitamin K content increase. On top of that, a serving of cooked kale provides about 10% of our calcium needs for a day, about the same amount as a 100-gram container of yogurt.
Hearty and tolerant, kale is easy to grow, and is available from spring until late fall, when its frost tolerance makes it a popular addition to fall gardens. While the raw leaves do possess a certain bitterness, they still make an enjoyable addition to salads and even smoothies. But in its cooked form, kale really shines; plus, it’s remarkably easy to prepare.
Beyond sautéing or stir-frying, perhaps the most popular way to enjoy this nutritional superstar is in the form of kale chips. According to Hanna, the trick to preparing kale chips at home is to make sure you don’t burn the leaves; the cooking process should focus more on drying, rather than roasting the leaves. Simply wash and trim the kale, then brush lightly with olive oil and add a sprinkling of sea or kosher salt. Spread the leaves out on a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper, then bake at 325F for 10 to 15 minutes, checking occasionally to ensure the leaves don’t burn. If you’ve enjoyed them before, then you know how addictive kale chips can be; if you haven’t, you might be amazed to see family members — who would otherwise run screaming from green, leafy vegetables — gobbling them up.
SWISS CHARD
Another staple at farmer’s markets and roadside stands at this time of year, Swiss chard is a dark green, leafy vegetable that might be thought of as “kale lite.” While slightly lower in vitamins C and A than kale, a cup of raw Swiss chard still boasts more than a day’s worth of vitamin K, and the same portion of cooked chard also provides about 20% of your daily iron needs and more than a third of your daily magnesium and potassium, two important nutrients for blood pressure and bone health.
Available most commonly with a white or light green stem, or as rainbow chard with red and yellow stems, chard is also available throughout the summer. Like kale, the simplest way to cook chard is to sauté it with garlic, onions and a touch of salt, and enjoy it as a side dish or as part of a stir-fry.
BEET GREENS
As discussed in a recent column, beets are a hot commodity for endurance athletes. The root of the beet is rich in nitrate, a compound that increases nitric oxide production, which in turn can help improve blood flow to working muscles. But before you throw out the top of the beet in the name of a better Sunday morning run, don’t forget the leafy stuff’s good, too. Beet greens are another brilliant nutritional choice, with a similar profile as Swiss chard. Rich in vitamins A, C and K, cooked beet greens are one of the best vegetable sources of calcium, providing about 15% of your daily needs for a cup of cooked greens. As with other leafy greens, cooked beet greens are also a good source of vitamin E, a difficult-to-obtain vitamin that is largely found in nuts and seeds, which is important for heart and brain health.
THE BOTTOM LINE
When it comes to dark, green, leafy vegetables, it’s hard to put a foot wrong. Whether raw or steamed, stir-fried, or even baked into chips, these veggies provide us with more nutritional value than almost any other food. So next time you’re at the grocery store or farmer’s market, take a chance on a green that you haven’t tried before, and enjoy one of the great pleasures of Canada’s summer.
PREPARING LEAFY GREENS
Whether you’re preparing kale, chard, beet greens, or even spinach, there’s a similar routine for getting these veggies ready for the plate:
• Start by washing thoroughly, then trim the toughest parts of stems.
• Slice the leaves into smaller segments, about one-two inches wide.
• Meanwhile, in a wok or pan, sauté onions and garlic in olive oil on medium heat, then add the green vegetables and cook until the leaves are soft and wilted.
• Adding a dash of sweet vinegar, such as apple cider vinegar, soy sauce, or sesame seeds can add a nice bit of flavour to finish.
—Jennifer Sygo is a registered dietitian at Cleveland Clinic Canada, which offers executive physicals, sports medicine and prevention and wellness counselling in Toronto. | 5,253 | 2,467 | 2.129307 |
warc | 201704 | When it opens next month, Vancouver Island’s Smoke ‘N Water restaurant may be the first in Canada to institute a no-tipping policy — a trend that one expert says may well spread thanks to a climate of “tipping fatigue.”
During the past couple of years, restaurants have been trying to control the well-entrenched social norm by slapping auto-gratuities on large parties and prompting tips via debit and credit terminals that automatically asks the diner tip after tax, said Bruce McAdams, a professor of tourism and hospitality at the University of Guelph, who studies tipping behaviour.
This system is messed up
That, combined with a wider trend toward a more rule-driven restaurant environment in which the chef wants diners to eat the meal the way he or she created it, has resulted in a tense exchange in which both diners and servers and restaurateurs feel under pressure.
“It’s a cultural norm in the industry: We have tipping, we don’t think about it, we work with it, we live with it, we make the best,” he said. “[Now] these guys are coming in from outside and saying ‘This system is messed up — not only does it not do the things it’s supposed to, but it creates a lot of really negative ramifications for the organizations.'”
Three years ago, Prof. McAdams wouldn’t have thought this model had a chance. But he has studied a restaurant in San Diego called The Linkery, which eliminated tipping and saw service improve. Popular New York City restaurant Riki has found its footing with a tip-free set-up.
He believes we’ll see more of a European-style service come in if tipping were abolished — giving people what they need, when they need it, sans the high-gloss, personalized, almost-phony service style.
The BBQ and wood-fired pizza menu items at Smoke ‘N Water, which will open at the Pacific Shores Resort in Parksville, B.C., June 2, will be 18% pricier than in a comparable restaurant. This will help owner David Jones pay his service staff $20 to $24 an hour and his cook staff $16-18 an hour.
The policy, to be marked by little ‘no tipping’ signs on each table, is designed to save diners the mental math of calculating tip as well as eliminate the judgment from a sometimes fraught-interaction between diner and server. It’s meant to stamp out competitiveness between wait-staff — promote teamwork and ditch the natural discrimination that can come when servers up their game to get tips.
While the exchange may be more convenient for the diner, it can also result in the customer feeling less than special — the opposite of how a person wants to feel when they go out for dinner, says Gabor Forgacs, a professor of hospitality and tourism management at Ryerson University.
“You’re taking a tool away, and the customer loves to have that power, loves the illusion of the power — ‘I’m powerful because I may tip or not,” he said. “[For the server], it’s a lovely, nice, steady paycheque but if I work my butt off or just have an average day, I make the same money.”
Ainsley Bauman takes pride in her work as a server in downtown Toronto and thinks a guaranteed wage would offer some stability and respect for a profession often considered a pit stop on the road to something better. That said, it would be a “tradeoff” — the busy nights and slower nights had best average out to around $20-25 an hour, or else a server may be more inclined to hustle for tips at a busier restaurant without the restrictions.
“In theory it sounds like a good idea,” she said, “But in practice I don’t know that it would actually work.”
Along with a reliable paycheque, Smoke ‘N Water would also give its employees benefits — something restaurants across Canada have begun to do. But staff are expected to pay into these benefits, and would also have to automatically give their money over to payroll taxes like Employment Insurance and the Canada Pension Plan.
“I’m not sure he’s figured that one out yet,” said Garth Whyte, the president and CEO of the Canadian Restaurant and FoodServices Association. Restaurants already help to manage tips by providing prompts recommending a percentage amounts on debit and credit card terminals.
Mr. Jones also believes he’ll be able to attract more experienced servers with the higher salary rate.
At Toronto’s Paintbox, Canada’s only registered social enterprise restaurant, owner Chris Klugman already had to abandon an equal pay strategy because it prevented him from attracting higher calibre employees to train the newcomers. And when the host, servers, line cooks and dishwashers all made the same amount, they lingered for nearly an hour at the end of their shift so they could make another $15.
“It depends on how deep pockets the restaurateur has,” he said, when asked about the potential success of the Vancouver Island restaurant.
“I think it’s going to be an expensive proposition in that the restaurant is going to have to compete with restaurants that do not subsidize wages to the same extent.”
Consumers, he said, tend not to calculate the tip and tax when they look at restaurant prices. “If the restaurant next door has a Caesar salad for $10 and they’re going to have to charge $15 it’s going to be hard, because that salad’s not going to be a whole lot better.”
But for diners at Brand 158 in Glendale, Calif., the no-tipping policy makes the restaurant a destination. Staff is trained at the bar and on the floor and paid $20 an hour.
“People love the idea,” said owner Gabriel Frem. “You have the comfort of not having to judge someone, there’s also the comfort that the employees are paid [well],” he said. Diners can linger at a table and not feel as if they’re limiting the server’s money-making potential.
“If you give your employees no money and say ‘Go hustle it from the guests,’ then it is a conflict between the ‘hospitality’ [you purport to offer] and the environment you’re creating.”
The bill arrives in a little silver bucket and reads: “We do not accept tips. Our reward is when you come back.”
National Post, with files from Postmedia News | 6,418 | 3,018 | 2.126574 |
warc | 201704 | The Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC) oversees the intelligence agencies – MI5, MI6 and GCHQ, and all of its members are under the Official Secrets Act, meaning they see the most sensitive documents.
For some, the ISC too often fails to act as a proper watchdog – it was not the ISC that brought the scale of bulk surveillance to public attention, but NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden.
Now, though, they have concerns. The draft bill "undermines the importance of the safeguards" for people's privacy: there are no "universal privacy protections".
The main objection is that the snoopers' charter is a mess. Theresa May introduced the bill as a "comprehensive and comprehensible" piece of legislation that would bring the rules governing the security services up to date.
Instead, the draft bill "fails to deliver the clarity that is so badly needed in this area", according to the ISC report; it "appears to have suffered from a lack of sufficient time and preparation."
The ISC has three main concerns: bulk personal datasets; hacking by GCHQ for purposes other than acquiring intelligence and communications data.
None of these are clear enough for the ISC. And that's everyone else's main objection to the bill: there is a lot of detail which is maddeningly vague and so perhaps frighteningly sweeping.
The science and technology committee, which published its own report on the bill last week, was baffled by the proposal around "internet connection records" - the plan to store everyone's internet history for one year.
The problem with internet connection records is no one knew exactly what they meant.
The same went for encryption: the bill can't decide whether proper end-to-end encryption, to protect data, is a good or bad thing.
On Thursday, we get a final report – from the joint committee formally appointed to scrutinise the legislation. Expect that to clear things up even less.
So far, the bill has been rushed.
Partly that's through self-imposed necessity – emergency legislation (introduced when the existing legislation was found to violate our basic rights) expires at the end of 2016.
But if we want a serious piece of legislation that at least comes close to answering some of the most important and controversial issues of our time, the Home Secretary needs to slow down. | 2,351 | 1,235 | 1.903644 |
warc | 201704 | There appears to be growing anger over the lack of library media specialists in Duval’s middle and high schools.
Because of budget constraints, School Superintendent Dr. Nikolai Vitti recommended, and the board approved, letting principals decide whether to hire a media specialist, a reading coach or a test coordinator this year. The majority it seems chose a test coordinator, whose job it is to administer and oversee standardized tests.
Colleen Wood, who founded the public school advocacy organization 50th No More, says, unfortunately, there is just too much riding on standardized tests for principals to pass up the opportunity.
“The school grade is tied to the test scores. Their job performance. We’ve seen what happens when principals have made mistakes with testing procedures so they certainly have a need,” she said.
That may be what principals need, says retired Duval County media specialist Frances Pickard, but students need their librarians.
“The students are missing out on reading resources. They are also missing out on instruction on how to use electronic data, on how to sort out and critique the kind of information they’re using for research,” she said.
Pickard says some schools have closed their media centers while others are relying on teachers and community volunteers to keep theirs open. She knows of at least one middle school that side-stepped the issue completely by giving the media specialist the test coordinator title.
District 7 school board member Jason Fischer says money for school staffing stayed the same. The difference, he says, is that this year, principals had more choice about who to hire.
“We asked them, if we’re going to give you a staff allocation for a reading coach or a media specialist, which would you rather have?" He said. "The same with test chair. Overwhelmingly, the principals wanted to have a test coordinator over a media specialist. And that’s why there’s specific allocations for those two positions.”
According to Fischer, schools have always had the option of swapping out a teacher position for that of a media specialist.
The board, he says, will revisit the district’s staff allocation model this spring. As for test coordinators, Fischer says that need could diminish as the board works to reduce the number of standardized tests students will have to take next year. | 2,424 | 1,162 | 2.086059 |
warc | 201704 | Sarah Nitsche and Norma Sullivan are NPS middle-school math/science teachers involved in LIFT2 (Leadership Initiatives for Teaching and Technology), a professional learning program that brings teachers into STEM organizations for summer internships and provides additional training during the year. (Sarah wrote about last summer’s internship here.)
Inspired by LIFT2, both Norma (who has completed the program) and Sarah (currently enrolled) have been bringing STEM professionals into their classrooms to raise awareness and pique interest around STEM-related fields. Here’s what they have to say:
Norma Sullivan writes:
I have been participating since January in a program called sciencefromscientists.org, a Boston-based non-profit company that strives to improve science and technology awareness in middle schools. Every other week, the same scientist comes to my classroom and teaches a topic that meets the requirements of MCAS and state curriculum frameworks. The lessons have been fun, hands-on, informative and engaging.
Our visiting scientist is Darshan Pandya, who is working on his masters at BU Medical and is doing research at Beth Israel on Alzheimer’s. We have covered topics such as Acids and Bases, Polymers, How Do You “DO” Science, Separation of Substances, and Observation.
Sarah Nitsche writes:
At the beginning of the year I sent a letter home asking for volunteers who work in a STEM-related field to come speak to my math classes about their career. I was blown away by the responses. Parents and the community want to get involved. The response was so great that I’ve had to choose among them, focusing on the topics most closely related to our classwork. So far I have had three speakers — an environmental engineer and two architects — all of whom are parents of students I teach. As a result of frequent communication and collaboration, the speakers have been a fantastic success!
Once I made contact with interested speakers, I let them know the major topics I cover in 7th grade math and gave them a general idea of what I think the students would enjoy and be interested in. Here’s the format we used:
10-15 mins talking about career and how they got into that field (a PowerPoint with interesting slides to capture the career goes over very well) 20-30 mins doing an activity to simulate on a smaller scale what the speaker does on a regular basis and could be involved with (a hands-on activity is crucial) 5 mins for Q and A
I gave the speakers at least a month’s notice, and throughout that time, we exchanged ideas and I previewed everything beforehand. I encouraged the parents to speak and consult with their children to get ideas as well. This keeps the lines of communication open for everyone. These parents were excited about contributing and wanted to get involved. It did not take much planning on my part at all. With a little direction and communication, this truly can be inspiring for many students. | 3,009 | 1,541 | 1.952628 |
warc | 201704 | Different doses of supplemental vitamin D maintain interleukin-5 without altering skeletal muscle strength: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study in vitamin D sufficient adults Tyler Barker 1, 8Email author, Thomas B Martins 2, Harry R Hill 2, 3, Carl R Kjeldsberg 2, 3, Vanessa T Henriksen 1, Brian M Dixon 4, Erik D Schneider 4, Adam Dern^ 4and Lindell K Weaver 5, 6, 7 9:16 DOI: 10.1186/1743-7075-9-16
© Barker et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. 2012
Received: 5 December 2011 Accepted: 9 March 2012 Published: 9 March 2012 Abstract Background
Supplemental vitamin D modulates inflammatory cytokines and skeletal muscle function, but results are inconsistent. It is unknown if these inconsistencies are dependent on the supplemental dose of vitamin D. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to identify the influence of different doses of supplemental vitamin D on inflammatory cytokines and muscular strength in young adults.
Methods
Men (
n = 15) and women ( n = 15) received a daily placebo or vitamin D supplement (200 or 4000 IU) for 28-d during the winter. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D), cytokine concentrations and muscular (leg) strength measurements were performed prior to and during supplementation. Statistical significance of data were assessed with a two-way (time, treatment) analysis of variance (ANOVA) with repeated measures, followed by a Tukey's Honestly Significant Difference to test multiple pairwise comparisons. Results
Upon enrollment, 63% of the subjects were vitamin D sufficient (serum 25(OH)D ≥ 30 ng/ml). Serum 25(OH)D and interleukin (IL)-5 decreased (
P < 0.05) across time in the placebo group. Supplemental vitamin D at 200 IU maintained serum 25(OH)D concentrations and increased IL-5 ( P < 0.05). Supplemental vitamin D at 4000 IU increased ( P < 0.05) serum 25(OH)D without altering IL-5 concentrations. Although serum 25(OH)D concentrations correlated ( P < 0.05) with muscle strength, muscle strength was not changed by supplemental vitamin D. Conclusion
In young adults who were vitamin D sufficient prior to supplementation, we conclude that a low-daily dose of supplemental vitamin D prevents serum 25(OH)D and IL-5 concentration decreases, and that muscular strength does not parallel the 25(OH)D increase induced by a high-daily dose of supplemental vitamin D. Considering that IL-5 protects against viruses and bacterial infections, these findings could have a broad physiological importance regarding the ability of vitamin D sufficiency to mediate the immune systems protection against infection.
KeywordsVitamin D Interleukin-5 Skeletal muscle function Introduction
Vitamin D status is influenced by a variety of factors, including but not limited to geographical latitude, season and supplement use. Living in extreme northern and southern climates and the winter season result in low vitamin D levels [1, 2], while supplemental vitamin D increases serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) in a dose-dependent fashion [3–5]. Serum 25(OH)D is the best indicator of vitamin D status [6], but 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D
3 (1,25(OH)D) is the active form of vitamin D that regulates biological functions. In kidney and immune cells, 1α-hydroxylase (1α-OHase) converts 25(OH)D to 1,25(OH)D. This enzymatic conversion is limited by substrate availability since 1α-OHase operates below its K m. Thus, an adequate circulating 25(OH)D concentration is necessary to maintain substrate availability for the enzymatic conversion of vitamin D to its active form.
Low serum 25(OH)D concentrations result in skeletal muscle weakness [7, 8], and in pathophysiological and physiological conditions, correlate with muscular strength or physical performance [9–14]. These findings suggest that increasing serum 25(OH)D concentration improves muscular strength. Consistent with this deductive reasoning, supplemental vitamin D reversed vitamin D deficiency-induced weakness in elderly [10, 15] and in patients with diverse diseases or illnesses [16–18]. Although we previously demonstrated that serum 25(OH)D concentration is influential on muscle strength recovery following ligamentous injury and surgery in active adults [19], it is unknown if supplemental vitamin D increases muscular strength simultaneous with serum 25(OH)D concentrations in young, reportedly active and healthy adults.
Vitamin D regulates inflammatory cytokines, which orchestrate host defenses by the immune system. Interferon (IFN)-γ is a cytokine that regulates T helper 1 (T
H1)-type cells and pathways [20–22], and in immune cells, is regulated by vitamin D [23–25]. Interleukin (IL)-5 and IL-10 regulate T H2-type cell pathways [26–30] and are modulated by vitamin D [31–34]. Despite previous reports identifying the influence of vitamin D on cytokine production in vitro, evidence illustrating concurrent alterations in serum 25(OH)D and cytokine concentrations in humans is more ambiguous. For example, in healthy-adults during the winter, low serum 25(OH)D concentrations corresponded with increased IFN-γ and IL-10 production [35], while supplemental vitamin D (cholecalciferol) increased IL-10 in congestive heart failure patients [36] but was ineffective at modulating IFN-γ, IL-5 or IL-10 in overweight or obese subjects [37]. Currently, it is unknown if supplemental vitamin D modulates inflammatory cytokines concomitantly with serum 25(OH)D concentrations in young, healthy adults during the winter.
To date, one study has examined the influence of different doses of supplemental vitamin D on serum 25(OH)D simultaneously with circulating cytokines in healthy adults during the winter, and the range of supplemental vitamin D (cholecalciferol) doses were narrow (i.e., 200, 400 and 600 IU/d) [38]. Additionally, it is unknown whether short-term and different doses of supplemental vitamin D modulate muscular strength similarly despite divergent serum 25(OH)D concentration responses. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to identify the influence of low and high doses of supplemental vitamin D on serum 25(OH)D, inflammatory cytokines and muscular strength in young adults during the winter. We hypothesized that a 'low' daily dose of supplemental vitamin D maintains serum 25(OH)D concentration, and that a 'high' daily dose is necessary to modulate circulating cytokines and muscular strength in young adults during the winter. To test this hypothesis, subjects were provided a daily placebo supplement or supplemental vitamin D at different doses (200 or 4000 IU) in a randomized, double-blind experimental design. Supplements were taken for 28-d during the winter, and serum 25(OH)D, cytokine and muscular strength measurements were performed prior to and during the supplemental intervention in young, reportedly active and healthy adults. We demonstrate in young adults who were vitamin D sufficient prior to supplementation that a low-daily dose of supplemental vitamin D prevents serum 25(OH)D and IL-5 concentration decreases, and that muscular strength does not parallel the 25(OH)D increase induced by a high-daily dose of supplemental vitamin D.
Methods
The Institutional Review Board at Intermountain Healthcare (Murray, UT, USA) approved this study. Subjects were informed of the experimental protocol and procedures and provided both written and verbal consent prior to participation. Recreationally active (minimum of 30 minutes of continuous exercise at least 3 time per week for 1 year prior to enrollment), non-smoking males and females between the ages of 18 and 45 years of age were recruited to participate in this study. Subjects were excluded from participation if they experienced a lower-extremity injury or injuries during the year prior to enrollment. Subjects were also excluded from participation if they were taking a daily dietary-supplement during the previous year, planning on increasing or decreasing the amount of time spent in the sun or tanning bed, or traveling south of 37°N latitude during enrollment. Subjects were asked to refrain from using any other supplements during study participation. Data was collected during two successive winters. First, between December 1, 2009 and April 26, 2010, and second, between December 1, 2010 and March 15, 2011 in Salt Lake City, UT USA (40°N latitude). We chose to collect data during the winter because that is when vitamin D levels are at their nadir. This occurs because the solar angle during the winter is inadequate to stimulate cutaneous vitamin D synthesis from sun (ultraviolet B radiation) exposure.
Study design and protocol
This study consisted of a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled experimental design. Subjects were randomly assigned to one of three groups: vitamin D (cholecalciferol) supplementation at: (1) 200 or (2) 4000 IU, or (3) a matching-placebo. Supplements were taken daily for 28-d. Supplements were permutated into random blocks of six. Subjects were asked to refrain from using aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen sodium, and acetaminophen throughout the duration of the study.
It should be noted, that upon study initiation, 200 IU/d of vitamin D was the recommended-adequate intake and 4000 IU/d was double the upper limit for the targeted population. Currently, 200 IU/d is lower than the current recommended dietary allowance and 4000 IU is the upper limit for the studied population. These recommendations are provided by the Institute of Medicine for the United States and Canada [39]. Although recommendations changed during the course of this study, the experimental design (randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled) and the examination of two different doses of supplemental vitamin D are strengths of this investigation.
Analytical procedures
Each subject provided five fasting blood draws: (1) prior to (Pre), and (2) 7-, (3) 14-, (4) 21- and (5) 28-d after supplementation. Subjects were asked to refrain from physical activity 72-h prior to each blood draw to ensure that prior activity did not confound serum 25(OH)D and cytokine concentration results. Fasting blood draw samples were obtained from the antecubital vein into one 4.0 ml purple-top Becton Dickinson (BD) Vacuatainer tube (K2 EDTA 7.2 mg), one 4.5 ml light green-top BD Vacutainer tube (PST Gel and Lithium Heparin, 83 units), and one 6.0 ml red-top serum BD Vacutainer tube. Plasma was separated by centrifugation (Heraeus Labofuge 400 series, Buckinghamshire, England) at 2400
g for 6 min within 20 min of sample collection. Following separation, plasma samples were sent to clinical laboratories for analytical chemistries (see below). Serum was separated by centrifugation (VWR International, Clinical 50 Centrifuge) at 1100 g for 20 min within 20 min of sample collection and after coagulation. Serum samples were immediately stored at -80°C (Revco Freezer, GC Laboratory Equipment, Asheville, NC, USA) until the day of 25(OH)D and cytokine concentration analyses (see below). Serum 25(OH)D concentrations
Serum 25(OH)D concentrations (ng/ml) were measured at USANA Health Sciences, Inc. (Salt Lake City, UT USA) using a modified Bligh-Dyer technique for extraction [40] and a scaled-down and modified method as previously described [41]. Briefly, 100 μl of serum was added to 400 μL of a 2:1 methanol:chloroform solution containing dueterated 25(OH)D
3 as an internal standard (10 ng/mL in the stock solution; 40 ng/mL final concentration) in a 2 mL centrifuge tube. Samples were immediately vortexed and allowed to sit on ice for 10 min. Samples were then spun at 15,000 g for 5 min and the supernatant transferred to a new 2 mL centrifuge tube containing 500 μL chloroform. Samples were vortexed and allowed to stand for 5 min. To achieve phase separation, 750 μL of ddH 2O was added, vortexed, and centrifuged for 2 min at 15,000 g. The aqueous phase (top), and any debris between the two phases, was removed and discarded. The remaining organic phase was dried down to completeness in a centrifugal vacuum concentrator for 18 min at 45°C under negative pressure. The pellet was then resuspended in 100 μL of methanol and added to high performance-liquid chromatography (HPLC) vials.
Analytes were separated by injecting 10 μL into an Agilent HPLC (series 6410, Model G6410B, Santa Clara, CA USA) and a Phenomenex Inertsil 3 micron, 150 × 4.60 mm column. Method conditions were: 0-8 min, 90% MeOH/10% (0.03% formic acid in water); 8-15 min, 30% MeOH/70% 2-propanol; 15-20 min, 90% MeOH/10% (0.03% formic acid in water). 25(OH)D
2 and 25(OH)D 3 were detected on an Agilent tandem mass spectrometer (Series 6410, Model G6410B, Sant clara CA USA) using atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) detection (350°C gas temperature, 400°C vaporizer). The 25(OH)D 3, dueterated 25(OH)D 3 and 25(OH)D 2 precursor ions were 383.3, 386.3 and 395.4, respectively. The 25(OH)D 3, dueterated 25(OH)D 3 and 25(OH)D 2 productions were 365.3, 368.3 and 208.9, respectively. Serum 25(OH)D 2 and 25(OH)D 3 concentrations were determined relative to authentic standards and corrected for recovery of the 25(OH)D 3 internal standard. The detection limit was determined to be < 1 ng/ml for all analytes. The sum of 25(OH)D 2 and 25(OH)D 3 concentrations was used as the 25(OH)D total concentration. However, since serum 25(OH)D 2 was not detected in any subjects, serum 25(OH)D total concentrations are referred to as serum 25(OH)D concentrations hereafter. Cytokines
A multiplex microsphere-bead array was used to measure a number of circulating inflammatory cytokines (pg/ml) as described previously [42, 43]. Briefly, IFN-γ, IL-5 and IL-10 were quantitated using a multiplexed sandwich capture assay developed in the ARUP Institute for Clinical and Experimental Pathology (University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA) using the Luminex Multi-Analyte Profiling system (Luminex, Austin, TX, USA) [42].
We have reported the procedural precision of this multiplex-cytokine bead assay previously [42, 43]. In brief, using independent control samples of low, medium, and high concentrations the coefficient of variation was calculated on 5 replicates. The intra-assay coefficient of variation was predominantly less than 10%. The inter-assay coefficient of variation was predominantly less than 15% for the medium and high control samples and up to ~30% for the low control sample [42, 43].
Clinical chemistries
Plasma parathyroid hormone (PTH; pg/ml) and calcium (mg/dl) concentration measures were performed at ARUP Laboratories (Salt Lake City, UT USA). Plasma creatinine (mg/dl) concentrations were measured at the Central Laboratory with Intermountain Healthcare (Murray, UT USA).
2) was calculated by the following equation: Single-leg strength testing
Subjects with strength or power output asymmetry (i.e., > 5% difference in peak isometric or power output between legs) were excluded from participation. Leg strength from a single randomly selected leg was performed prior to (Pre) and 28-d after (Post) placebo or vitamin D supplementation. Single-leg strength testing was performed on a horizontal plyo-press (Athletic Republic, Park City, UT USA). Plyo-press output data were measured from output signals obtained from a mounted force plate (Advanced mechanical Technology, Watertown, MA USA) and displacement transducer (UniMeasure PA-50-NJC, Corvallis, OR USA). All data were sampled at 200 Hz with a low-pass filter at 10 Hz using DartPower software (Athletic Republic, Park City, UT USA, version 2.0). Before every testing session, the mounted force plate was zeroed and load calibrated.
For the single-leg peak isometric force measurements, the plyo-press sled was adjusted for each subject to align the knee and hip joint flexion angles to 90° with the abdominal, lower back region secured and stabilized to the plyo-press sled with a harness. The plyo-press sled position was documented and reproduced to achieve the desired knee and hip joint flexion angles at the follow-up visits. Leg selection was randomized. Subjects were verbally instructed and strongly encouraged to exert maximal force against the mounted force platform. Each subject performed three maximal single-leg isometric contractions. Each isometric contraction was 3 sec in duration and separated by approximately 1 min. Peak isometric force (N/kg) was defined as the highest resultant force applied during the 3 sec test for each trial. To calculate average isometric force, peak isometric forces from the 3 trials at each visit were averaged.
Single-leg peak power output measures followed the single-leg isometric contractions and were measured on the same horizontal plyo-press with the same securing procedures described above. Starting from an extended position (full extension = 0°), subjects performed repetitive single-leg jumps (i.e., hip and knee flexion-extension cycles) as fast as possible. Subjects were instructed to jump as high as possible. Each test was 20 sec in duration with the weight-stack resistance set at 75% of body mass. The time-aligned product of the resultant forces (N) acquired from the force platform and weight-stack velocities (m/s) data obtained from the displacement transducer were used to calculate power output and expressed relative to body mass (W/kg). Peak power output was defined as the highest power output produced during the 20 sec test for each leg. The peak power output for each jump during the 20 sec test were averaged to provide an average power output for each testing session in each leg.
Statistical analyses
To achieve normality, rank transformations were performed on eGFR, serum 25(OH)D changes from Pre, and serum cytokine changes from Pre. Transformations were checked for normality with a Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. Statistical significance of data were assessed with a two-way (time, treatment) analysis of variance (ANOVA) with repeated measures, followed by a Tukey's Honestly Significant Difference to test multiple pairwise comparisons. One-way ANOVA tests were performed on subject characteristics. Relationships between variables were examined with a Pearson Product Moment Correlation. All statistical analyses were performed with SysStat software (SigmaPlot 10.0, SigmaStat 3.5, Chicago, IL, USA). Statistical significance was set at a
P < 0.05. Data presented as mean (SD) unless otherwise noted. Results Subject characteristics
Subject characteristics
Placebo
200 IU
4000 IU
n (males/females)
10 (5/5)
10 (4/6)
10 (6/4)
Age (y)
30.2 (4.8)
26.6 (3.2)
29.0 (5.0)
Height (cm)
167 (14)
169 (9)
173 (9)
Body mass (kg)
72.5 (17.2)
69.4 (17.2)
73.3 (15.3)
Body mass index (kg/m
25.5 (3.0)
24.0 (4.1)
24.2 (3.6)
Baseline vitamin D status
Upon enrollment, serum 25(OH)D concentrations were 32.2 (10.0) ng/ml. Prior to randomization, 13.3 (
n = 4), 23.3 ( n = 7) and 63.3% ( n = 19) of the subjects were vitamin D deficient (serum 25(OH)D ≤ 20 ng/ml), insufficient (serum 25(OH)D 21-29 ng/ml) or sufficient (serum 25(OH)D ≥ 30 ng/ml), respectively.
Following randomization, 30, 20 and 50% of the subjects in the placebo group started study participation vitamin D deficient, insufficient or sufficient, respectively. In the 200 IU group, 10% were deficient, 20% were insufficient and 70% were sufficient, and in the 4000 IU group, 30% were insufficient and 70% were sufficient when starting study participation. Based on these data, starting vitamin D status was sufficient at the group level and in groups assigned to different supplemental treatments.
Serum 25(OH)D concentrations P< 0.05) increased in 4000 IU group and compared to those in the placebo and 200 IU groups (Figure 1). Surprisingly, supplemental vitamin D at 200 IU increased serum 25(OH)D concentrations compared to those in the placebo group (Figure 1). albeitnon-significantly) to be higher in the 200 IU group upon study enrollment (Figure 1), serum 25(OH)D was normalized to Pre concentrations (change from Pre). Serum 25(OH)D concentration changes were not significantly different in the placebo or 200 IU groups (Figure 2). In contrast, serum 25(OH)D concentration changes significantly ( P< 0.05) increased in the 4000 IU group and compared to those in placebo and 200 IU groups (Figure 2). At 21-d and 28-d, serum 25(OH)D concentration changes were significantly ( P< 0.05) different between the placebo and 200 IU groups (Figure 2).
Altogether, these data indicate that 200 IU of supplemental vitamin D protected against a seasonal decrease while 4000 IU induced a rapid increase in serum 25(OH)D concentrations.
Clinical chemistries
Plasma clinical chemistries
placebo
200 IU
4000 IU
PTH (pg/ml)
Pre
36.1 (13.9)
36.1 (14.6)
31.4 (10.3)
7-d
40.7 (16.5)
35.8 (16.4)
30.8 (11.4)
14-d
38.5 (11.0)
31.7 (13.1)
30.3 (7.9)
21-d
35.0 (13.5)
31.1 (11.0)
25.9 (8.3)
28-d
35.5 (12.6)
33.0 (17.9)
32.1 (11.4)
calcium (mg/dl)
Pre
9.22 (0.27)
9.36 (0.26)
9.32 (0.22)
7-d
9.06 (0.16)
9.21 (0.38)
9.38 (0.26)
14-d
9.15 (0.24)
9.22 (0.27)
9.41 (0.21)
21-d
9.09 (0.31)
9.38 (0.29)
9.30 (0.28)
28-d
9.16 (0.24)
9.39 (0.35)
9.35 (0.23)
creatinine (mg/dl)
Pre
0.93 (0.08)
0.91 (0.14)
0.98 (0.17)
7-d
0.92 (0.08)
0.97 (0.16)
0.98 (0.15)
14-d
0.94 (0.09)
0.92 (0.13)
0.97 (0.17)
21-d
0.92 (0.13)
0.92 (0.15)
0.98 (0.15)
28-d
0.94 (0.16)
0.91 (0.15)
1.01 (0.13)
eGFR (ml/min/1.73 m
Pre
90.9 (15.6)
91.9 (12.6)
87.7 (11.3)
7-d
91.1 (12.3)
85.5 (15.0)
87.5 (10.2)
14-d
89.1 (13.0)
89.7 (9.2)
89.5 (12.5)
21-d
91.6 (8.0)
91.0 (13.2)
88.0 (12.5)
28-d
90.2 (12.1)
92.1 (14.3)
84.7 (9.3)
Inflammatory cytokines P< 0.05) IL-5 decrease in the placebo group (Figure 3C). Furthermore, IL-5 significantly ( P< 0.05) increased in the 200 IU group and compared to that in the placebo group at 28-d (Figure 3C). Vitamin D supplementation at 4000 IU/d did not significantly change serum IL-5 concentrations (Figure 3C). When taken in the context that our cytokine data was variable and collected in healthy adults who were monitored for only 28-d during the winter without exposure to any undue distress, these robust and unique findings illustrate that supplemental vitamin D maintains serum 25(OH)D and IL-5 concentrations. Single-leg isometric forces and power outputs P< 0.05; Figure 5A) and average ( P< 0.05; Figure 5B) power outputs, thereby indicating a learning effect. Correlations
Although supplemental vitamin D did not significantly change isometric forces, peak (
r = 0.27, P < 0.05) and average ( r = 0.29, P < 0.05) isometric forces correlated with serum 25(OH)D concentrations. Discussion
Vitamin D regulates inflammatory cytokines and skeletal muscle function, especially in isolated immune cells and various pathophysiological conditions in humans. In the present investigation, we extend those previous reports by providing several original and impactful results obtained from healthy adults during the winter. First, we provide new data identifying serum 25(OH)D and IL-5 concentration decreases. Secondly, supplemental vitamin D at 200 IU/d prevented serum 25(OH)D and IL-5 concentration decreases. Third, supplemental vitamin D at 4000 IU/d induced an immediate increase in serum 25(OH)D concentrations without modulating circulating IL-5. Finally, despite serum 25(OH)D concentrations correlating with muscle strength, supplemental vitamin D did not moderate muscular strength alterations. These unique data indicate that subtle fluctuations in serum 25(OH)D concentrations modulate a T
H2-type cytokine, and that muscular strength does not parallel the rapid serum 25(OH)D increase induced by a high-daily dose of supplemental vitamin D in young, reportedly active and healthy adults.
As expected, serum 25 (OH) D concentrations responded disparately to different doses of supplemental vitamin D (Figures 1 and 2). Compared to serum 25(OH)D concentrations prior to supplementation, we observed a 15% increase after 7-d, which progressively inflated by ~50% after 28-d of supplemental vitamin D at 4000 IU/d. Thus, in subjects with mean serum 25(OH)D concentrations in the low-30 ng/ml range prior to supplementation, 4000 IU/d of supplemental vitamin D induced a rapid and continuous increase in serum 25(OH)D concentrations during the winter for 28-d. Conversely, in the 200 IU group, serum 25(OH)D concentrations did not change, while serum 25(OH)D concentrations decreased in the placebo group (Figure 2; 21-d and 28-d). These are important findings because they establish consistency with previous studies that identify a decrease in serum 25(OH)D concentrations during the winter [1, 38]. Moreover, our results indicate that at our geographical location, 200 IU/d of supplemental vitamin D plus daily dietary intake of vitamin D is adequate to maintain serum 25(OH)D concentrations and vitamin D sufficiency during the winter, at least in adult non-smokers and during 28-d. However, our data obtained at 200 IU/d of supplemental vitamin D dispute previous findings. Specifically, Barnes et al. [38] recently demonstrated that 200 IU of daily vitamin D supplementation was ineffective at maintaining serum 25(OH)D concentrations during winter [38]. The more Northern geographical latitudes (51° and 55°N) and plausibly the longer supplementation duration (22 weeks) in the study by Barnes et al. [38] could be contributing factors for the discrepancy in maintaining serum 25(OH)D concentration between studies that were conducted at the same reported supplemental dose of vitamin D. This interpretation would further suggest the dose of supplemental vitamin D (plus dietary intake) required to maintain a given serum 25(OH)D concentration increases with increasing Northern latitudes during the winter. Another explanation for the discrepancy between Barnes et al. [38] and those herein could be differences in dietary vitamin D intake. Unfortunately, neither Barnes et al. [38] nor do we report vitamin D intake from dietary sources. Future studies are encouraged include dietary sources (and sun exposure) of vitamin D when investigating serum 25(OH)D concentrations at daily doses of supplemental vitamin D that are easily achievable through dietary sources. Finally, it is probable that subjects randomized to the 200 IU group had a lower percentage of body fat compared to those by Barnes et al. [38]. This could potentially lower the physiological needs of vitamin D in the 200 IU group due to less sequestering to adipose tissue. We speculate that the good vitamin D status reflected by our subjects prior to supplementation is indicative of sun exposure during the preceding summer and fall and daily dietary habits that include vitamin D, such as the consumption of oily fish and vitamin D fortified food sources.
A novelty of the present investigation was the IL-5 results obtained with and without supplemental vitamin D (Figure 3C). In the placebo group, there was a transient IL-5 decrease, while in contrast, IL-5 increased in the 200 IU and remained unchanged in the 4000 IU group. Due to the small sample and effect sizes, it is plausible that 200 IU of supplemental vitamin D maintained as opposed to increased IL-5. This premise is logically harmonious with the data obtained in the 4000 IU group, which in sum suggests that supplemental vitamin D maintains serum 25(OH)D and IL-5 concentrations during the winter. However, consistent with our increase in the 200 IU group, Qi et al. [44] demonstrated that vitamin D (i.e., 1,25(OH)D) pre-treatment in rats injected-intraperitoneally with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) increased IL-5 gene expression in the spleen [44]. Similarly, IL-5 production increased in CD4
+ cells obtained from mice when incubated in 1,25(OH)D and stimulated with IL-2, phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) and ionomycin [45]. These results indicate that the active metabolite form of vitamin D increases IL-5. However, results vary. In an experimental mice model of pulmonary eosinophilic inflammation, subcutaneous 1,25(OH)D injections abrogated IL-5 production in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid [46]. Furthermore, when stimulated with PMA and ionomycin in the presence of 1,25(OH)D, IL-5 production decreased in T H0-cells and remained unchanged in T H1- and T H2-cells [47]. Regarding no change in IL-5, Yusupov et al. [48] demonstrated that vitamin D (cholecalciferol) supplementation at 2000 IU/d for 3 months was ineffective at altering circulating IL-5 concentrations in young, healthy adults. Thus, these latter studies potentially conflict with our results at 200 IU but are in agreement with those reported herein at 4000 IU. Collectively, these findings highlight that the cytokine-modulating property of vitamin D could be physiologically dependent on the supplemental dose (and/or environmental factors and dietary intake), the immunological challenge (or lack thereof), experimental model (i.e., humans, rodents, or cell), duration of vitamin D treatment, the timing of data collection, and importantly, the form of vitamin D studied.
Regarding the form of vitamin D, most studies have investigated the influence of 1,25(OH)D on inflammatory cytokines
in vitro, which makes it is difficult to equate or interpret results relative to supplemental D or serum 25(OH)D concentration studies in humans that do not report 1,25(OH)D. Recently, Zhang et al. [49] demonstrated that 15 ng/ml of serum 25(OH)D was ineffective at suppressing LPS-induced cytokine (i.e., IL-6 and TNF-α) production in human monocytes studied in vitro. In contrast, 30 ng/ml of serum 25(OH)D significantly inhibited cytokine production and was comparable to that shown at 0.04 ng/ml of 1,25(OH)D [49]. These paramount findings indicate that serum 25(OH)D concentration, and importantly a specific circulating concentration (i.e., ≥ 30 ng/ml), is of physiological relevance regarding the anti-inflammatory property of vitamin D because its availability in the circulation influences the local tissue production of 1,25(OH)D [49].
Vitamin D receptors are located on T-cells and mast cells [50, 51], and along with eosinophils, are sources of IL-5 [52]. IL-5 is essential for promoting eosinophil growth, differentiation, survival and activation, and is often expressed with other T
H2-type cytokines, such as IL-4 and IL-13 [53, 54]. GATA-3 is a transcription factor that promotes IL-5 gene expression and promoter-transactivation in T H2-cells [48, 55]. In CD4 + cells derived from mice, GATA-3 message expression increased when incubated with 1,25(OH)D [56]. In an experimental mouse model of allergic induced-asthma, 1,25(OH)D up-regulated the message expression of GATA-3 [57]. Thus, we speculate that maintaining serum 25(OH)D concentrations is necessary to sustain substrate availability for the conversion to 1,25(OH)D, which subsequently modulates GATA-3 expression and prevents IL-5 decreases. With that said, it is unclear why IL-5 did not increase in the 4000 IU group, unless there was a transient increase (or decrease) that was not detected with the timing of our blood sampling procedures.
Evidence indicates that several types of hyper-eosinophilic syndromes are mediated by IL-5 [58]. In patients with hyper-eosinophic syndrome, an anti-IL-5 monoclonal antibody (i.e., mepolizumab) spared corticosteroid use [59], which is of clinical importance since long-term corticosteroid use is associated with adverse events. Anti-IL-5 treatment also reduced the disposition of extracellular matrix proteins in bronchial biopsies obtained from atopic asthmatic patients [60], suggesting that neutralizing IL-5 minimizes the repair process following airway injury and eosinophilia. However, the increase in IL-5 could be beneficial. In addition to increasing eosinophils, IL-5 enhances immunoglobulin A (IgA) production [61, 62], which protects against a variety of viruses and bacterial infections [for review see [55]]. Recently, Halliday et al. [63] found that serum 25(OH)D concentrations inversely correlated with frequency of illness in collegiate athletes. Perhaps, maintaining or increasing IL-5, as observed in our supplemental vitamin D groups (Figure 3C) who also maintained or increased as opposed to decreased serum 25(OH)D concentrations (Figure 2), could be beneficial by inducing IgA and the resistance against infectious challenge, such as the influenza virus [64]. Clearly, this premise warrants additional research.
In contrast to our hypothesis, supplemental vitamin D did not increase muscular strength (Figure 4A and 4B) or power (Figure 5A and 5B) despite serum 25(OH)D concentrations increasing by ~50% in the 4000 IU group (Figure 1). This finding extends previous reports [65–67] suggesting that supplemental vitamin D does not improve muscular strength. However, previous reports, and including the results here, are not consistent with the majority of the data. There could be several reasons for the inconsistencies. First, vitamin D insufficiency or deficiency results in muscular weakness [7, 8]. Compromised muscle strength correlated with serum 25(OH) concentrations in vitamin D deficient adolescent girls [7, 9]. In vitamin D deficient elderly and stroke and osteomalacia patients, supplemental vitamin D improved muscle strength concurrently with serum 25(OH)D concentrations [15, 16, 18, 68]. Furthermore, increasing serum 25(OH)D concentrations from ~9 to 16 ng/ml improved muscle strength and function; further but less pronounced strength and function improvements occurred from ~16 to 38 ng/ml in elderly [11], thereby indicating a diminished return in muscle strength with increasing serum 25(OH)D concentrations. In the present investigation, serum 25(OH)D concentrations were ≈ 32 ng/ml for all subjects prior to supplementing (Figure 1), and therefore, subjects were vitamin D sufficient prior to supplementing. Evidence supporting vitamin D sufficiency is also provided by the PTH and calcium concentrations (Table 2), which were within normal clinical reference ranges prior to and following supplementation and despite 25(OH)D decreases in the placebo group. Based on the existing literature and the data presented here, individuals with vitamin D insufficiency or deficiency could be more prone to muscular strength improvements with increasing serum 25(OH)D concentrations than those who are already vitamin D sufficient [68, 69]. This theory would explain why muscle strength did not improve despite an increase in serum 25(OH)D concentrations following vitamin D supplementation at 4000 IU/d in subjects who were already vitamin D sufficient.
Another probable explanation for the inconsistencies in the literature is that there are few prospective, randomized studies investigating the influence of supplemental vitamin D on serum 25(OH)D concentrations and muscular strength. The majority of the evidence identifying the beneficial influence of vitamin D on muscular strength or physical performance is correlative [9, 11, 12, 14, 69] or between groups demarcated on circulating 25(OH)D concentrations [13, 19]. From these data, authors have concluded that increasing circulating 25(OH)D concentrations improves muscular strength or physical performance. Finally, our study was conducted in young adults (men and women). Studies identifying the positive influence of supplemental vitamin D on muscular-based outcomes have been conducted in elderly [10, 15], in patients with diverse diseases or illnesses [16–18] or in experimental animals [70, 71]. It is plausible that healthy lifestyles in young adults mask the influence of supplemental vitamin D on muscular strength [72]. Although few arguments exist refuting the influence of vitamin D on muscular strength, future randomized trials incorporating various vitamin D dosing regimens that increase serum 25(OH)D concentrations differentially are required to confirm causation in young adults.
Study limitations include: first, a rather short-intervention phase. Future studies are encouraged to conduct longer durations of supplemental interventions when examining the influence of vitamin D on inflammatory cytokines and muscular strength. Second, the level of physical activity was not stringently examined. Recording activities and activity intensities and volumes performed during the preceding seasons both indoor and outdoor is recommended. Third, this study consisted of thirty subjects total (
n = 10/group). Future studies investigating the influence of different doses of supplemental vitamin D on inflammatory cytokines and muscle strength are encouraged to include a larger sample size. Fourth, our data collection was limited to weekly blood draws and emerging evidence is suggesting that the cytokine modulating property of vitamin D could be time sensitive [34]. Thus, future studies should consider the temporal cytokine response mediated by vitamin D, especially at higher doses of supplemental vitamin D that increase serum 25(OH)D concentrations rapidly. Next, there was variability across time in the cytokine data. To account for this variability statistically, we performed a rank transformation to achieve normality and equal variance. Finally, serum 25(OH)D, inflammatory cytokines and muscular strength might respond differently in diverse populations or conditions, such as in obese, smokers, elderly or critically ill. Thus, extrapolating the present findings to other populations is not recommended.
In summary, low and high doses of supplemental vitamin D prevented serum 25(OH)D and IL-5 decreases in vitamin D sufficient adults during the winter. These impactful findings defy current belief by suggesting that a low dose of supplemental vitamin D (plus dietary intake) that is easily attainable through dietary sources maintains serum 25(OH)D and IL-5 concentrations.
Additionally, despite concentrations correlating with muscle strength, our shocking data reveal that muscular strength does not parallel the increase in serum 25(OH)D concentrations induced by supplemental vitamin D at 4000 IU/d. We conclude that maintaining serum 25(OH)D concentration during the winter prevents a T
H2-type cytokine decrease, which could be influential in protecting against viral and bacterial infections; and apparently in reportedly healthy and vitamin D sufficient adults, that a further increase in serum 25(OH)D mediated by a high dose of supplemental vitamin D does not improve muscular strength. Abbreviations 1α-OHase:
1α-hydroxylase
1:
25(OH)D: 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D
25(OH)D:
25-hydroxyvitamin D
eGFR:
Estimated glomerular filtration rate
IL:
Interleukin
IFN:
Interferon
PTH:
Parathyroid hormone
T H1:
T helper 1
T H2:
T helper 2.
Declarations Acknowledgements
We would like to thank all the subjects that participated in this study. Supplements were generous gifts from USANA Health Sciences, Inc. (Salt Lake City, UT, USA). USANA Health Sciences, Inc. provided certificate of analyses for the vitamin D (cholecalciferol) and matching-placebo supplements. This study was funded in part the Deseret Foundation (Intermountain Healthcare, Salt Lake City, UT USA) and by the ARUP Institute for Clinical and Experimental Pathology (Salt Lake City, UT USA).
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This article is published under license to BioMed Central Ltd. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. | 56,416 | 21,709 | 2.598738 |
warc | 201704 | Glenn and I were at a Florence + the Machine concert at the Palladium once. We were standing in line at the bar behind some ladies who were clearly having a good time. Up walks a tall man who starts chatting them up. They look a little perplexed. I smell douchebag.
Me: Excuse me. Do you know these ladies?
Mr. D. Bag: Uh… (stammer-stammer-looks at floor)
Me, to ladies: Do you know this guy?
Girl, bemusedly: No
Me: Line starts back there, buddy.
Mr. D. Bag: slinks off looking a bit perturbed and cursing under his breath
This sort of thing tweaks my ire. Cutting in line is a tiny example of the many ways that people feel entitled to take advantage of others’ politeness or unwillingness to speak up for themselves. The rules don’t apply to these assholes. They’re above that. They analyze the system and know how to work it to their advantage. They bully. They have no concern for how their actions affect other people. Or worse yet, they revel in it.
The effects of this sort of assholery extend far beyond me being one person later to get my damned drink. I’m guessing that Mr. D. Bag has made plenty of people’s lives suck, to a greater or lesser degree. Maybe he was the bully on the playground. Or maybe he was the kid who egged the bully on behind the scenes, never fighting his own fight but always the one responsible. Ms. D. Bag (assholery knows no gender) might be the person who cut you off in traffic this morning or stole your idea at work and passed it off as her own. She might be the person who has 5 Moscow Mules at Bolsa, then gets behind the wheel (because remember, the rules don’t apply to her) and kills someone.
Where do these people get the idea that they can get away with all of this shit?
In part because trusting, kind, good people let them.
It takes energy and strength and vigilance to stand up to bad behavior. I fancy myself a crusader for good, but I have days where I just think that it’s all too much and I don’t have the energy for a fight. Many of us are too polite or too tired to call people on their shit. Or we want desperately to believe that people are good and have the good of others in mind, so we ignore those warning signs that say “this person is not healthy” or “this person is up to no good”. Let’s face it: If Bill Cosby abused women for years, there were many people in his orbit who looked the other way, or even assisted him.
We don’t want a fight. We don’t want to hurt someone’s feelings if we’re wrong. We want to play peacemaker. And in so doing, the bad guys win.
Every day, there are big heroes and little heroes and every kind of hero in between. Most of us will (thankfully) never be called upon to be the big hero, to rescue someone from a burning building or shield someone from a bullet. But we can be little heroes in our own way. By standing up for ourselves. By standing up for those who are being abused. By saying “FUCK YOU!” to the bullies and takers and showing them that their behavior isn’t welcome in our world.
Be your own hero. And when you say “FUCK YOU” to the assholes, do it in the most polite way possible. It makes them really nervous. | 3,255 | 1,615 | 2.01548 |
warc | 201704 | In order to return to…
OPEC cut oil production by…
A bipartisan coalition of U.S. senators is trying to rally support for a bill that would bypass the White House and green light the controversial Keystone XL pipeline project.
Co-sponsored by Senators John Hoeven (R-ND) and Mary Landrieu (D-LA) and introduced on May 1, the legislation is essentially a construction permit for the project, and cuts out the State Department, under whose jurisdiction the project falls, completely.
So far, the measure has the support of all 45 Senate Republicans and 11 Senate Democrats. Sixty votes are needed for passage, so four more Democrats need to be persuaded.
There are several Democrats on the fence that the pro-Keystone XL group is trying to court, including Tim Johnson (SD), Michael Bennet (CO), Tom Carper (DE), Chris Coons (DE), Bill Nelson (FL) and Mark Warner (VA). Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid opposes the pipeline but has indicated he may allow the bill to come up for a vote.
The House has already passed a bill to approve the Keystone XL. President Barack Obama could still veto the measure if Senate supporters are able to rally the required 60 votes,
Meanwhile, the multi-year delay may force Keystone’s parent company, TransCanada, to lay off workers. “There will be several hundred [people] that will be impacted by this decision, both employees and contractors,” CEO Russ Girling said at the company’s annual meeting in Calgary. “At this point in time, there’s a very low probability that we would have a decision in time to meet this year’s summer construction period.”
By James Burgess of Oilprice.com
James Burgess studied Business Management at the University of Nottingham. He has worked in property development, chartered surveying, marketing, law, and accounts. He has also… | 1,863 | 1,038 | 1.794798 |
warc | 201704 | 533 F2d 1347 Penn Central Transportation Company United States Central Railroad Company of New Jersey Timpany
533 F.2d 1347
In the Matter of PENN CENTRAL TRANSPORTATION COMPANY, Debtor.
Appeal of UNITED STATES of America. In the Matter of CENTRAL RAILROAD COMPANY OF NEW JERSEY, Debtor. Appeal of R. D. TIMPANY, Trustee of the Property of the Central Railroad Company of New Jersey.
Nos. 75-1902, 75-2031 and 75-2151.
United States Court of Appeals,
Third Circuit.
Argued Jan. 12, 1976.
Decided March 3, 1976.
Rex E. Lee, Asst. Atty. Gen., Washington, D. C., Robert E. J. Curran, U. S. Atty., Philadelphia, Pa., Morton Hollander, David J. Anderson, James F. Dausch, Dept. of Justice, Washington, D. C., for United States, appellant in No. 75-1902 and No. 75-2151, and appellee in No. 75-2031; John Hart Ely, Gen. Counsel, Jerome E. Sharfman, Michael T. Haley, Dept. of Transp., Washington, D. C., of counsel, for appellant in No. 75-1902.
James E. Howard, Philadelphia, Pa., for Robert W. Blanchette, Richard C. Bond and John H. McArthur, Trustees of the property of Penn Central Transportation Co., Debtor, appellees in No. 75-1902 and No. 75-2151.
Frederic L. Ballard, Lewis A. Grafman, Philadelphia, Pa., for Institutional Investors Penn Central Group and Indenture Trustees, appellees in No. 75-1902.
Morris Raker, Stewart W. Kemp, Boston, Mass., for Richard Joyce Smith, Trustee of the property of The New York, New Haven, and Hartford Railroad Company, Debtor, appellee in No. 75-2151; James Wm. Moore, New Haven, Conn., Gratz, Tate, Spiegel, Ervin & Ruthrauff, Philadelphia, Pa., Sullivan & Worcester, Boston, Mass., of counsel.
Stanley Weiss, Robert E. Turtz, Newark, N. J., for R. D. Timpany, Trustee of the property of The Central Railroad Company of New Jersey, appellant in No. 75-2031; Richard B. Wachenfeld, Newark, N. J., of counsel; Dean R. May, Newark, N. J., on the brief.
Before HASTIE, GIBBONS and ROSENN, Circuit Judges.
OPINION OF THE COURT
HASTIE, Circuit Judge.
Two orders, No. 1884 and No. 1981, issued May 16, 1975 and August 4, 1975, by the District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania in the Penn Central railroad reorganization and an order, No. 764 issued July 22, 1975, by the District Court for the District of New Jersey in the New Jersey Central railroad reorganization, have been appealed to this court. The three orders adjudicate similar controversies about the terms upon which the courts should require the trustees of the railroads in reorganization to accept federal financing of their operations. They have been consolidated for hearing and disposition.
These controversies have been generated by the Regional Rail Reorganization Act of 1973 (hereinafter, the Rail Act) 45 U.S.C. § 701. In that Act, Congress has provided for the organization and financing of a new corporation, Consolidated Railway Corp. (hereinafter, ConRail) that is to supply essential rail service after it shall purchase whatever property of the railroads now in reorganization may be needed for its operations. But Congress also recognized that the implementation of this plan would take time and that during the interim the trustees of the railroads in reorganization would have no choice but to continue to provide rail service at a substantial loss to the insolvent corporate estates. Accordingly, the 1973 Act and its 1975 amendments authorize interim federal financial aid to the trustees.1 In dispute here are, the terms upon which aid is to be provided.
We begin with the appeals of the United States from the two judicial refusals to require the Penn Central trustees to accept federal financial aid upon terms proposed and insisted upon by the Federal Railroad Administrator (hereinafter, FRA), the responsible federal officer2 who administers the federal financial assistance to railroads in reorganization that is authorized by sections 213 and 215 of the Rail Act.
Pending the conveyance of railroad properties to ConRail, section 215 provides for federal financing of interim maintenance and improvement of railroad properties and for government acquisition of "interests in such rail properties . . . or in purchase money obligations therefor". The same section specifies that funds, not to exceed $300,000,000, for these purposes shall be obtained through obligations to be issued by the United States Railway Association and guaranteed by the United States. And in this connection it is expressly required that "the Corporation (ConRail) . . . (shall) assume any such obligations" when it takes over the railroad service. There is a further provision that in the final system plan under which ConRail shall operate, the Secretary of Transportation may designate a portion of these obligations "from which . . . (ConRail) shall be released . . . ."
The federal financing transactions proposed and in question here are, in the language of section 215, governmental acquisitions of "interests in . . . purchase money obligations" of the now bankrupt railroad. More particularly, the "obligations" are in essence long term conditional sale contracts under which Penn Central has acquired rolling stock and other essential equipment. Under section 215, FRA could, simply and without more, pay to equipment sellers whatever installments become due under Penn Central's purchase money contracts. Beyond this, any mutually acceptable resultant obligation of the railroad to the United States can be defined by agreement between the parties.
In the present case, FRA and the Penn Central trustees have been unable to agree what obligation to the government, if any, the bankrupt estate should assume in return for the government's payment of the railroad's equipment obligations. FRA insisted upon agreement by the trustees that, upon payment of any installment of a purchase money contract, the United States Railway Association should acquire "the same rights as the original obligees under such equipment obligations" enjoyed before payment to them. However, the government would stipulate that as long as the trustees remain in possession of the equipment, they will be excused from the payment of interest or principal to the Railway Association. Nothing was to be said about the nature or extent of the rights against the Penn Central estate that would survive after ConRail's acquisition of the equipment. The trustees refused to agree to these terms and FRA petitioned the reorganization court to order them to enter into the agreement as proposed. In Order No. 1844 of May 16, 1975, the first of those from which these appeals have been taken, the court denied FRA's petition. Thereafter, FRA and the trustees continued to negotiate about federal financing under section 215. These negotiations resulted in agreements, subsequently approved by the reorganization court, for the use of section 215 grants to pay for scheduled maintenance-of-way and maintenance-of-equipment expenditures that otherwise would have consumed about $144,000,000 of the railroad's operating revenue. In these circumstances, the trustees were able to pay equipment obligation installments out of operating revenues as they matured through the month of July, 1975.
In the meantine FRA addressed a new petition to the reorganization court asking that the trustees be required to agree, under terms like those outlined above, to FRA purchases of other Penn Central equipment obligations that would mature during the months ahead. The district court's decision on that petition, Order No. 1981, is the subject of the second appeal that will be considered in this opinion.
Because the trustees have now paid out of operating income those installments of equipment operations that matured before August, 1975, and because financing of subsequently maturing obligations is the disputed matter on the second appeal, we hold that the first appeal, at our No. 75-1902, has been mooted by events subsequent to the district court's order.
We turn now to Order No. 1981 and the appeal from it at our No. 75-2151. Order No. 1981 was entered on August 4, 1975, after FRA and the Penn Central trustees had presented differing forecasts of Penn Central's anticipated deficit and need for additional financing in order to continue rail service through the second half of 1975 and until that time in 1976 when ConRail probably will take over the railroad operation. The parties also continued to disagree whether, in any event, the trustees should be required to accept the terms upon which FRA proposed to purchase monthly installments of equipment obligations.
The reorganization court adhered to its view, stated in its earlier Order No. 1884, that, on the proof before it, the trustees should not be required to accept FRA's terms. But it also recognized that, on appeal, this court might disagree with its view. Moreover, if the trustees did not accept FRA's proposal, they would be obliged to pay monthly installments of equipment obligations out of operating revenue, and they planned to continue to do so. Thus, the matter in dispute might again be mooted before we could decide an appeal from this second denial of an FRA petition.
Moved by these considerations, the reorganization court ordered the trustees to accept the terms of FRA's proposal for government purchases of August and September installments of equipment obligations. But, over FRA's objection, the court included a provision that gave the trustees the right to repay the government and thus discharge its debt before ConRail should take over this equipment and the operation of the railroad.3 Pursuant to this order the government paid August and September equipment obligation installments aggregating some $11,000,000.
On this appeal, the government asks that we reverse so much of Order No. 1981 as authorizes the trustees to discharge their debt by reimbursing the government. On the other hand, we are advised that the trustees have already tendered the government a check for $11,000,000 in full payment of the debt incurred in August and September, that the tender has been refused and that the trustees have set aside in a special account funds sufficient to cover the tendered payment.
Throughout this controversy FRA has complained and argued that the trustees and the reorganization court are frustrating FRA's effort to respect a Congressional purpose, declared in section 101 of the Regional Rail Reorganization Act, to maintain essential rail service through "necessary Federal financial assistance at the lowest possible cost to the general taxpayer." 45 U.S.C. § 701(b)(6). At least at first blush, therefore, it seems strange that the government should object to a judicial order that Penn Central trustees reimburse the government for expenditures it has made for Penn Central's benefit. Indeed, the trustees' tender of $11,000,000 to reimburse the government, as authorized by the reorganization court, seems a direct way of immediately minimizing any "cost to the general taxpayer" of financial assistance to Penn Central. Moreover, earlier in this reorganization, in connection with 1974 emergency government payments of Penn Central equipment loan installments the United States and the trustees had agreed that "the Trustees may . . . pay to the United States any amount which it has paid . . . ."4
In any event, the trustees' repayment of the $11,000,000 obligation can possibly impose additional cost upon the general taxpayer only if the resultant depletion of Penn Central's cash will necessitate an additional infusion of federal money to maintain service until ConRail shall take over. Unless that is the case, the government's argument is not even colorable.
We do not know, however, what the needs of the railroad operation are and will be, or what resources are and will be available to satisfy them during the remaining short period of Penn Central railroad service. All of the circumstances considered, we think the reorganization court should make a new current and final appraisal of the need for and effect of any repayment of equipment obligations during this period. To facilitate that process we add the following observations to what has already been said in this opinion.
We have pointed out that the equipment obligations are in the nature of long term installment contracts of conditional sale under which Penn Central purchased rolling stock and other equipment that the trustees now continue to use to provide rail service during reorganization. The trustees have had no choice but to assume these obligations. For, under section 77(j) of the Bankruptcy Act, a railroad reorganization proceeding does not affect the contractual right of a conditional seller of railroad equipment to repossess the equipment in case of default.
Since this equipment is in continuing use, it is depreciating apace. It follows that, in an accounting view, each payment of a matured installment on a railroad equipment obligation has three components: (1) interest on deferred purchase money, (2) a payment on the now depreciated part of the equipment's original value and price, and (3) a remaining amount by which the value of the railroad's equity in the equipment is increased. The present record indicates that the third of these components is only a minor fraction, probably less than 20 per cent of each of Penn Central's 1975 purchase money installments. More than 80 per cent of each payment represents interest and depreciation, both elements of the cost of continuing to operate the railroad, as Congress has required in the public interest, after any prospect of successful reorganization on an income basis has disappeared.
In these circumstances, the trustees and the reorganization court are properly concerned that, insofar as possible, interest and depreciation, that are costs of enforced continuing section 77 operation, be paid currently out of operating income so that the insolvent estate will not be burdened with an additional multi-million dollar deferred cost of administration.5 Although the Regional Rail Reorganization Act has supplemented and modified section 77 procedure to the extent necessary to accommodate the projected inauguration of rail service by a new corporate entity, the section 77 reorganization of Penn Central Transportation Company has not ended. The section 77 trustees and the reorganization court have not been relieved of their responsibility to consider and deal equitably with all claimants who have an interest in the Penn Central estate. True, the Supreme Court has determined that Penn Central creditors have an ultimate remedy under the Tucker Act for erosion losses the government has forced upon the bankrupt estate. Regional Rail Reorganization Act Cases, 1974, 419 U.S. 102, 95 S.Ct. 335, 42 L.Ed.2d 320. And the Court deemed that remedy constitutionally adequate. But the legitimate interests of Penn Central creditors are fairly and more fully served by additional measures calculated to prevent or minimize erosion losses and thus to avoid the long delays and practical uncertainties about recoupment that unavoidably will attend resort to a Tucker Act remedy.
In this case, the reorganization court was properly reluctant to approve any agreement that, as that court's opinion characterized it, would "create additional high priority debt in order to finance loss operations of the railroad . . . (while) government planners are . . . seeking to devise a 'Final System Plan' . . . ." Unpersuaded that resort to this financing device was unavoidable, the court adopted the expedient of authorizing financing on the government's terms for the time being, but requiring that the trustees be allowed to repay this high priority debt, leaving FRA and the trustees to find some other arrangement for supplying any unfilled cash requirements of the government imposed interim railroad operation.
FRA counters by arguing that any responsibility the reorganization trustees might normally have to safeguard the interests of creditors is legislatively overridden here by the Rail Act's general declaration of Congressional purpose to provide "necessary Federal financial assistance (for essential rail service) at the lowest possible cost to the general taxpayer". 45 U.S.C. § 701(b)(6). We read this language as an earnest entreaty to economize, addressed to those who are authorized to spend many millions, ultimately billions, of dollars in preserving and subsidizing essential rail service.6 Indeed, Congress seems to have spoken in contemplation of the high cost of financing the contemplated ConRail project, not merely the smaller cost of interim financing before the ConRail takeover. In any event, the legislative language does not even purport to be a directive to the judiciary. This is not to deny that a court asked to approve a proposed scheme of deficit financing under the Rail Act, should seriously consider, as the reorganization court has done here, the general concern of Congress to avoid unnecessary cost to the general taxpayer. But that is not the only proper and relevant consideration. A reorganization court must also be mindful that it is the government that has compelled the insolvent railroads to continue in the public interest to supply rail service,7 unavoidably consuming their dwindling assets in the process, and that it is the creditors of the railroad who are forced, for the time being at least, to bear the burden of that erosion. Fairness, beyond minimum constitutional requirement, to those thus harmed is also a legitimate consideration.
In our view, a reasonable accommodation of interests can and should be achieved. In late winter, 1976, the ConRail takeover of rail service is sufficiently imminent8 to permit a reliable forecast of both the expenditures that must be made before takeover and the resources that are or can be made available to the trustees to meet them. The picture of interim financing needs and potential under sections 213 and 215 for each and all of the insolvent railroad operations should now be clear and complete. Thus informed, the court can determine whether the money the trustees would use for repayment of equipment related debt to the United States is needed to finance the continuation of rail service until April.
To this end the reorganization court's present blanket direction that the trustees shall repay their equipment debt to FRA will be vacated and the trustees will be required to justify whatever repayment they propose by showing to the satisfaction of the reorganization court that the funds needed to support the continuation of adequate Penn Central rail service until the ConRail takeover can and will be provided without the use of the money in question.
In dissent, Judge Gibbons expresses the view that the Regional Rail Reorganization Act has "stripped the reorganization courts of their powers of equitable oversight" over arrangements that may be made between FRA and the trustees for federal financing of ongoing section 77 operations. While our disagreement with that conclusion has already been expressed, the present posture of this case prevents the dispute over the originally proposed terms of federal financing from being a critical issue now. For the Penn Central trustees, as well as the New Jersey Central trustee, have executed the agreements for government financing of equipment loan installments on the terms proposed by FRA. The only question is whether and under what circumstances the trustees may reimburse the government before the ConRail takeover.
The dissenting opinion points out the probability that the government will recoup part of its investment in Penn Central equipment loans by way of reduction of the price ConRail would otherwise have to pay the Penn Central estate for that equipment. This circumstance is relied upon as an indication that we should not permit repayment now. But repayment in full now must be more advantageous to the general taxpayer than some partial recoupment that may be realized later when it is determined how much ConRail must pay for the Penn Central rolling stock. The dollar value of the possible future benefit to ConRail could not exceed, probably would be much less than, the amount of the equipment installments which the trustees propose to repay now. And to the general taxpayer, for whose financial burden Congress has expressed concern, the certainty of present repayment in full to the federal financing agency that rendered assistance can hardly be less beneficial than a prospective accrual of a part, or even all of that sum, for the future benefit of another corporation that is dependent upon the government for much of its financing.
There is nothing in the Regional Rail Reorganization Act that prohibits or discourages reorganization trustees from reimbursing the government for financing railroad operations. The dissenting opinion points out that section 215(b) empowers the Secretary of Transportation to prescribe "reasonable terms and conditions" upon which financial assistance will be provided. But we do not believe refusal to accept repayment is comprehended by this language. To us it seems a proper function of the reorganization court to determine whether such reimbursement will be fair to the interested parties and can be accomplished without jeopardizing the service which the trustees must continue to provide, probably until about April 1. To dispose of this case we think it is sufficient to indicate the considerations that should influence that determination and to instruct the district courts to make a new adjudication of each reimbursement proposal before the contemplated April 1 transfer of property and operating responsibility to ConRail.
In the New Jersey Central railroad reorganization, the reorganization court was persuaded that a government purchase of the railroad's equipment obligation installments in the amount of $223,698.51, on terms essentially like those originally rejected by the Penn Central court, was necessary to enable the trustee to continue rail service until the ConRail takeover. As in the Penn Central case, the resultant debt to the government is a high priority claim that has been deferred.
The New Jersey Central trustee now argues that there neither was nor is justifying need for this type of financing to the disadvantage of creditors. Here too, we think that, whatever financial predictions may have been reasonable last summer, the imminence of the ConRail takeover now permits a much better informed determination whether this debt need be left unpaid in March, 1976. To that end we will affirm Order No. 764, but the trustee shall be permitted to show the reorganization court, if he can and will, that resources at hand or about to become available are sufficient to permit repayment of the debt in question without jeopardizing the continuity of rail service.
At our No. 75-1902, the appeal will be dismissed because of mootness.
At our No. 75-2151, the order of the reorganization court will be modified to require that the trustee show, in conformity with this opinion, that current resources, considered in the light of operating needs, justify each proposed payment of the equipment debt to the government.
At our No. 75-2031, the order of the reorganization court will be affirmed and also supplemented by leave granted to the trustee to show, in conformity with this opinion, that current resources, considered in the light of operating needs justify payment of some or all of the equipment debt to the government. Each party to bear its own costs.
Our mandate shall issue forthwith.
GIBBONS, Circuit Judge (concurring and dissenting).
I agree with the majority that the No. 75-1902 (Penn Central) appeal can at this stage be dismissed as moot. But because I cannot agree with the majority's assumption that the Regional Rail Reorganization Act of 1973 (RRRA), 45 U.S.C. § 701-93, as amended, Pub.L. No. 94-5, 89 Stat. 7 (1975), preserves intact the equitable power vested in the reorganization court by § 77 of the Bankruptcy Act, 11 U.S.C. § 205, to protect the debtor estate from erosion that is not of constitutional dimensions, I cannot join in the balance of the court's opinion. And because I believe that the majority has erred in holding that the Penn Central and Jersey Central Trustees have a conditional right to repurchase equipment obligations acquired by the United States Railway Association (USRA), I respectfully dissent from the disposition of No. 75-2151 (Penn Central) and No. 75-2031 (Jersey Central).
I am neither unaware of nor insensitive to the plight of the financially beleaguered creditors and bond-holders of both Penn Central and Jersey Central. See, e. g., In re Penn Central Transportation Co. (Columbus Options), 494 F.2d 270 (3d Cir.), cert. denied, 419 U.S. 883, 95 S.Ct. 147, 42 L.Ed.2d 122 (1974). That the estate of a railroad in reorganization must not be uncompensated for an erosion-taking in violation of the fifth amendment is made plain in the decisions of both the Special Court, In re Penn Central Transportation Co., 384 F.Supp. 895 (Sp.Ct.1974) and the Supreme Court, Regional Rail Reorganization Act Cases, 419 U.S. 102, 95 S.Ct. 335, 42 L.Ed.2d 320 (1974). And whether and under what circumstances and upon what conditions the estate of a railroad in reorganization can be forced to bear operational losses that do not amount to a fifth amendment taking are matters within the prerogative of Congress and not the courts. See generally the New Haven Inclusion Cases, 399 U.S. 392, 90 S.Ct. 2054, 26 L.Ed.2d 691 (1970); Penn-Central Merger and N & W Inclusion Cases, 389 U.S. 486, 88 S.Ct. 602, 19 L.Ed.2d 723 (1968).
It is at this point that the majority and I part company. Judges Hastie and Rosenn agree with Judge Fullam that notwithstanding the Regional Rail Reorganization Act and its 1975 amendments, the reorganization court retains the equitable power to balance the competing interests of the taxpaying public on the one hand and of the debtor estate on the other in determining what form interim federal funding pending takeover by ConRail will take. I (and apparently Judge Whipple) am of the opinion that Congress has in the RRRA stripped the reorganization courts of their powers of equitable oversight, and has given to the Secretary of Transportation discretionary authority to determine how the appropriated funds should be disbursed.
* Because the RRRA has engendered this controversy, a brief review of its substance and structure is worthwhile. The provisions of the Act as originally enacted are reviewed with characteristic thoroughness in Judge Friendly's opinion for the Special Court, 384 F.Supp. at 904-10, and Justice Brennan's opinion for the Supreme Court, 419 U.S. at 109-17, 95 S.Ct. at 342-45, 42 L.Ed.2d at 334-38, and those discussions will be incorporated by reference here. Briefly, the RRRA establishes a United States Railway Association to prepare a "Final System Plan" for restructuring the railroads in reorganization into a "financially self-sustaining rail and express service system." § 206(a)(1) of the Act, 45 U.S.C. § 716(a)(1). Upon implementation of the Final System Plan designated rail properties will be conveyed to ConRail, a private, nonprofit corporation, established by Congress to acquire and operate the conveyed properties pursuant to the Final System Plan. §§ 301-02 of the Act, 45 U.S.C. §§ 741-42. The properties will be conveyed in exchange for securities of the USRA. § 303 of the Act, 45 U.S.C. § 743.
Recognizing that the railroads in reorganization would require cash assistance in order to continue operations pending implementation of the Final System Plan, Congress authorized $85 million in grant money for the purpose of sustaining interim operations. § 213 of the Act, 45 U.S.C. § 723. Congress also authorized $150 million in expenditures for "the acquisition, maintenance, or improvement" of rail properties to be conveyed under the Final System Plan.
By the beginning of 1975 nearly all § 213 funding had been depleted and, because of defects in draftsmanship, no substantial quantities of § 215 funds had been distributed. To insure a continuation of interim rail operations pending the ConRail takeover, an infusion of new funds was required. Accordingly, Congress passed the Regional Rail Reorganization Act Amendments of 1975. Section 213 was amended by increasing the amount of direct assistance available under that provision. § 6 of the 1975 Amendments, 89 Stat. 8. More importantly, § 215 was recast to unfreeze the funds authorized thereunder by expanding the uses to which those monies could be put. As amended, § 215(a) provides:
(a) Purposes. Prior to the date upon which rail properties are conveyed to the Corporation under this chapter, the Secretary, with the approval of the Association, is authorized to enter into agreements with the trustees of the railroads in reorganization in the region (or railroads leased, operated, or controlled by railroads in reorganization)
(1) to perform the program maintenance on designated rail properties of such railroads until the date rail properties are conveyed under this chapter;
(2) to improve rail properties of such railroads; and
(3) to acquire rail properties for lease or loan to any such railroads until the date such rail properties are conveyed under this chapter, and subsequently for conveyance pursuant to the final system plan, or to acquire interests in such rail properties owned by or leased to any such railroads or in purchase money obligations therefor.
§ 45 U.S.C. § 215(a), as amended, Pub.L.No. 94-5, § 7, 89 Stat. 8.
In its declaration of policy, which serves as a preamble to the substantive provisions of the RRRA, Congress asserted its paramount fiscal purpose to be to provide "necessary federal financial assistance (to the railroads in reorganization) at the lowest possible cost to the general taxpayer." § 101(b)(6) of the Act, 45 U.S.C. § 701(b)(6). Pursuant to this congressional directive the Secretary of Transportation sought in 1975 to exercise his statutory authority under § 215(a)(3) to purchase maturing equipment obligations of both Penn Central and Jersey Central. Although appropriated but unexpended § 213 funding was available that made such purchases not absolutely necessary, the Secretary realized that § 213 expenditures were unrecoverable grants. To see the railroads in reorganization through the expected year-end cash crisis, the Secretary decided to combine § 213 grants with § 215 expenditures for the improvement of rail properties designated for conveyance to ConRail, and purchases of maturing equipment obligations. Because the government would be entitled to seek an offset of monies expended for the purchase of equipment obligations against compensation ultimately due to the bankrupt railroads upon conveyance of their rail properties, see § 303(c)(1)(A) (i) of the Act, 45 U.S.C. § 743(c)(1)(A)(i), to the extent that monies expended could be recovered, the cost to the taxpayer of maintaining interim rail operations would be minimized.
The Trustees of both the Penn Central and Jersey Central Railroads refused to agree to the purchase of equipment obligations. The Penn Central reorganization court said that in exercising its power of superintendence over the bankrupt estate under § 77, it would not direct the Trustees to enter involuntarily into any such agreement absent affirmative proof that such action was necessary to consummate the Final System Plan. 400 F.Supp. 920, at 922. Because a residuum of § 213 grant money remained unexpended, the court determined that it would not force the Trustees to accede to a method of financing that would further diminish the worth of the debtor estate. Accordingly, Judge Fullam ordered only the conditional sale of equipment obligations to the government. Judge Whipple, in contrast, was of the view that the Jersey Central Trustee's resistance to the funding scheme impermissibly frustrated the policies of the RRRA. The court therefore ordered the Trustee to enter into the agreement proffered by the Secretary for the purchase of maturing equipment obligations. I would reverse the judgment and order of the Penn Central reorganization court appealed from in No. 75-2151 and affirm the Jersey Central reorganization court in No. 75-2031.
II
Although it is now authoritatively established that the RRRA supplements but does not supersede the provisions of § 77 of the Bankruptcy Act, see Regional Rail Reorganization Act Cases, supra, 419 U.S. at 109, 95 S.Ct. at 342, 42 L.Ed.2d at 334, Congress has ordained that to the extent that provisions of the two statutes are irreconcilable, the text of the RRRA controls. Section 601(b) of the Act, 45 U.S.C. § 791(b), provides:
"The provisions of the . . . Bankruptcy Act are inapplicable to transactions under this chapter to the extent necessary to formulate and implement the final system plan whenever a provision of any such Act is inconsistent with this chapter."
It is not the appointed task of this court to exercise discretion and balance equities in the decision-making process where Congress has expressly or by implication decreed that we should not do so. The argument is made that Congress in the RRRA intended to truncate the reorganization court's equitable power under § 77 to superintend administration of the debtor estate by conferring upon the Secretary and the USRA discretionary authority to determine how appropriated funds should be spent. Our task is confined to determining whether preexisting limitations upon the exercise of that authority (e. g., § 77) survive the RRRA's enactment, and if so, whether that power is in any way circumscribed by constitutional considerations. We do not sit in judgment on the wisdom of otherwise valid legislation.
* In considering the question of congressional intent, we can quickly dismiss the Penn Central Trustees' objection to the Secretary's general authority to purchase equipment obligations. The RRRA as originally enacted did not in terms authorize such purchases. This omission was corrected with the 1975 amendment to § 215. Although the congressional reports accompanying the 1975 amendments make no reference to the purchase money obligations, the statutory authorization is clear and unambiguous.1
Both the Trustees and Judge Fullam rely heavily upon the following language of revised § 215(a) to support their position opposing the Secretary's proposed action:
"(a) Purposes. Prior to the date upon which rail properties are conveyed to the Corporation under this chapter, the Secretary, with the approval of the Association, is authorized to enter into agreements with the trustees of the railroads in reorganization in the region . . . (to purchase equipment obligations). (emphasis supplied).
It is said that this language merely delineates the Secretary's power to enter into an agreement for the purchase of equipment obligations with Trustees willing to enter into such a bilateral arrangement. The Trustees argue, however, that § 215(a) does not authorize the Secretary to unilaterally impose a contract upon them. Although in vacuo this would appear to be a plausible interpretation of the statutory language, § 215(a) must be read in conjunction with § 215(b). This latter provision provides:
"(b) Conditions. Agreements pursuant to subsection (a) of this section shall contain such reasonable terms and conditions as the Secretary may prescribe." (emphasis supplied).
Section 215(b), in my view, lays to rest the notion that the Trustees of the railroads in reorganization are to be coequal arbiters with the Secretary of the form federal financial assistance is to take, or even that they are to have any say at all. The unmistakable thrust of § 215(b) is to confer upon the Secretary discretionary authority to establish the terms upon which equipment obligations are to be purchased and, by necessary implication, discretion to determine who shall be a party to such a contract. This conclusion is inescapable if § 215(a)(3) is viewed as codifying the result in In re Penn Central Transportation Co., 373 F.Supp. 185 (E.D.Pa.1974), appeal dismissed, 508 F.2d 270 (3d Cir. 1975); see note 1 supra.
It seems plain to me that § 215 must be construed as establishing the primacy of the Secretary's determinations if the RRRA's articulated purpose of minimizing the cost to the taxpayers of interim assistance is to be realized. As has been noticed above, § 213 allocations are, for all intents and purposes, irretrievable grants to the railroads. Each dollar of funding made available under that section ultimately costs the taxpayers one dollar. Section 303(c) (1)(A)(i) of the Act, 45 U.S.C. § 743(c)(1)(A)(i), however, provides that:
(c) Findings and distribution. (1) After the rail properties have been conveyed to the Corporation and profitable railroads operating in the region under subsection (b) of this section, the special court, giving due consideration to the findings contained in the final system plan, shall decide
(A) whether the transfers or conveyances
(i) of rail properties of each railroad in reorganization, or of each railroad leased, operated, or controlled by a railroad in reorganization, to the Corporation in exchange for the securities and the other benefits accruing to such railroad as a result of such exchange . . . are in the public interest and are fair and equitable to the estate of each railroad in reorganization in accordance with the standard of fairness and equity applicable to the approval of a plan of reorganization or a step in such a plan under section 205 of Title II, or fair and equitable to a railroad that is not itself in reorganization but which is leased, operated, or controlled by a railroad in reorganization; (emphasis supplied).
The government in its brief contends that its purchase of the debtors' maturing equipment obligations can be characterized as an "other benefit accruing to such railroad" within the meaning of § 303(c)(1)(A)(i),2 and hence can be counted as part of the consideration owing to the railroad estates after the conveyance to ConRail of rail properties has been completed. The benefit of these purchases accrues to the railroad upon conveyance of the properties to ConRail. At that time ConRail is required by the RRRA to assume all outstanding obligations of the debtors on rolling stock conveyed under the Final System Plan. § 303(b)(3) of the Act, 45 U.S.C. § 743(b)(3). Included in the obligations assumed by ConRail would be the railroads' liability to repay USRA for monies expended in acquiring maturing equipment installments. Because the railroads remain in possession of the equipment, its equity is increased by the amount (or some fraction thereof not representing depreciation or interest) of the obligation assumed. To avoid compensating the railroad for equity purchased at the government's expense, the Special Court will be asked under § 303(c)(1)(A)(i) to include a set-off against compensation due the conveying railroads some or all amounts spent in acquiring their equipment obligations. Every cent that is recaptured in this fashion represents a return to the taxpayer of money that could not have been recovered utilizing § 213 financing. At first blush, then, the selection of § 215(a)(3) in preference to § 213 financing would seem to advance the congressional policy of minimizing the burden to the taxpayer of maintaining interim rail operations pending implementation of the Final System Plan.
The Trustees argue, however, that this apparent economy is more illusory than real. They point out that § 215(c) authorizes USRA to release ConRail from any § 215 obligations that it may have incurred or acquired. Because the Final System Plan recommends that all but $36 million of the $300 million authorized under § 215 should be forgiven, United States Railway Association, Final System Plan, Vol. 1, at 92 (1975), the purchase of equipment obligations will accomplish no substantial saving for the taxpayer. But I am not prepared to say that the Secretary unreasonably concluded that a saving of this magnitude was not insubstantial and in any event preferable to expenditures no part of which could be recaptured.
Summarizing, I believe that the RRRA, as amended, gives to the Secretary of Transportation broad discretion in selecting the nature of federal financial assistance to the railroads in reorganization under the Act. As long as the Secretary's decisions are not arbitrary, capricious or otherwise an abuse of discretion, neither the railroads' Trustees in bankruptcy nor the reorganization courts have any license to resist or obstruct implementation of those determinations. On this record I perceive no basis for denying the Secretary the relief he seeks from the Trustees' obstinate refusals to enter into agreements for the purchase of equipment obligations. I do not believe that to be entitled to the remedy which he seeks the Secretary is obliged to affirmatively prove that the proposals for financial assistance which he tendered to the Trustees will in fact be more economical (from the perspective of the public fisc) than proposals advanced by the Trustees or the reorganization courts. I am satisfied that the Secretary reasonably could have concluded that his plan was consistent with the congressional mandate. The financing plan which the Secretary seeks, with the assistance of this court, to implement seems to me to be the antithesis of arbitrary and capricious action, including generous allotments of § 213 grant money and § 215(a)(1) and (a)(2) maintenance and improvement money, in addition to smaller sums designated for the purchase of equipment obligations. The proposal demonstrates less a callous disregard for the predicament of the debtors' creditors than a sensitiveness to the not-inconsiderable congressional dissatisfaction with the preexisting methods of interim financing for the railroads in reorganization methods which were likened by some pundits to pouring money into a bottomless pit. See, e. g., 121 Cong.Rec.H. 847 (daily ed. Feb. 19, 1975) (remarks of Representative Latta); 121 Cong.Rec.S. 1023 (daily ed. Jan. 28, 1975) (remarks by Senator Brock). Unless to do so would be unconstitutional, I believe that the RRRA requires this court to acquiesce in the Secretary's exercise of discretion and to order that the Penn Central and Jersey Central Trustees enter into unconditional agreements with the Secretary for the purchase of maturing equipment obligations.
B
In granting the government only a conditional right to purchase maturing equipment obligations, the Penn Central reorganization court indicated its belief that such purchases would be the functional equivalent of a high-priority, interest-free loan that would defer further administration expenses (state and local taxes and leased-line rentals having been previously deferred), and in all probability work an unconstitutional erosion of the debtor estate. 400 F.Supp. at 925-26.
But this erosion will occur only if the maturing installments on the equipment obligations which are deferred are at some later point to be taxed against the debtor estate. Section 303(b)(3) of the RRRA, 45 U.S.C. § 743(b)(3), however, stipulates that ConRail is to assume any outstanding obligations for equipment conveyed to it under the Final System Plan:
Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Act, if railroad rolling stock is included in the rail properties to be conveyed, such conveyance may only be effected if the profitable railroad operating in the region or the Corporation to whom the conveyance is made assumes all of the obligations under any conditional sale agreement, equipment trust agreement, or lease in respect to such rolling stock and such conveyance is made subject thereto; and the provisions of this chapter shall not affect the title and interests of any lessor, equipment trust trustee, or conditional sale vendee or assignee under such conditional sale agreement, equipment trust agreement or lease under section 205(j) of Title II. (emphasis supplied).
At the very least, this provision must be read as substituting ConRail for the debtor as principal obligor under the conditional sales agreements. By assuming thence-forward the entire obligation ConRail would thus relieve the Trustees of their duty to repay USRA for monies expended in the purchase of the equipment obligations. Although liability on the obligations would carry forward as to ConRail, the direct liability of the debtor estate would be extinguished, and there would be no deferral of administration expenses that would contribute to the erosion of the estate.
The Trustees reply that even if the estate's primary liability on the obligations is extinguished, it may still be secondarily liable as surety of ConRail's performance, and that the threat of erosion persists. It is noteworthy, however, that nothing in § 303 or its legislative history suggests that after conveyance the debtor can be held secondarily accountable on the assumed obligation. It is certainly arguable that the debtor's liability is at that point wholly expunged by novation. Furthermore, counsel for the government in this case has stipulated that
"USRA and FRA are willing to agree that the Trustees would nevertheless be relieved of any responsibility with respect to the installments acquired by USRA, either as principal obligee (sic) or as surety for Conrail."
Reply Brief for United States in No. 75-1902 at 13. I question whether an Assistant Attorney General can bind the United States not to pursue a legal remedy against Penn Central, otherwise available to it, by a concession in this litigation. See In re Penn Central Transportation Co., supra, 384 F.Supp. at 939 n.90. Nevertheless, it is far from clear that a railroad in reorganization can legally be held accountable in the event of a ConRail defalcation, and even if it can, it is uncertain that any such liability would be enforced. Perhaps most significantly, it is almost inconceivable that ConRail would default on the payment of the assumed equipment obligations in the first place. These obligations are, after all, for rolling-stock, and as the majority points out, under § 77(j) of the Bankruptcy Act, 11 U.S.C. § 205(j), the title to rolling-stock sold on conditional sales agreements is unaffected by a railroad reorganization proceeding. It is highly improbable that ConRail would ever default on these obligations and risk repossession of essential equipment, even if the debtor estate is held as a surety.
Although I am unable to say with moral certainty that the purchase by USRA of maturing equipment obligations will not lead to a fifth amendment taking from the bankrupt estates, I do not believe that in this case the threat of erosion is sufficiently palpable to warrant judicial interference with the Secretary's exercise of discretion. And even if it is assumed that such an erosion would occur, I do not believe that creditors would go uncompensated for their loss.
As noted above, § 303(c) of the RRRA, 45 U.S.C. § 743(c), directs the Special Court, after all rail properties included in the Final System Plan have been conveyed, to determine whether the consideration paid to the conveying railroads is "fair and equitable" within the meaning of § 77 of the Bankruptcy Act, 11 U.S.C. § 205. At a minimum, the amount of compensation paid must satisfy the demands of the fifth amendment. If the Special Court determines that the consideration paid is inadequate, it can order ConRail to close the deficiency. § 303(c)(2) of the Act, 45 U.S.C. § 743(c)(2).
If the debtor estate has been subjected to an unconstitutional erosion prior to the time when the Special Court closes the books on the takeover, then that taking will be compensated for in the § 303(c) proceeding in the Special Court. If, however, the putative confiscation occurs after the Special Court has approved the terms of the ConRail takeover, then the debtor could still pursue a Tucker Act remedy in the Court of Claims. See Regional Rail Reorganization Act Cases, supra; In re Penn Central Transportation Co. (Special Court), supra. Although I do not expect that recourse to either of these remedies will be required, their very availability fortifies my conviction that the proposed action of the Secretary under review in this case is unfair neither to Penn Central nor to Jersey Central. Accordingly, I would reverse the judgment of the Penn Central Reorganization Court in No. 75-2151 to the extent that it permits the Trustees to repurchase equipment obligations acquired by USRA. I would affirm the judgment of the Jersey Central reorganization court.
See sections 213 and 215 of the 1973 Act, 45 U.S.C. §§ 723, 725, as amended by Pub.L. 94-5, approved February 28, 1975
The Federal Railroad Administrator is the delegate of the statutory authority and responsibility of the Secretary of Transportation for providing and administering federal financing needed to assure continuation of rail service pending the transfer of railroad property and operating responsibility to ConRail
In a subsequent Order No. 2100 the Court has permitted government purchases of installments becoming due in November, 1975, and thereafter, subject, however, to the trustees' right to repurchase before the ConRail takeover
The text of that agreement is set out in In the Matter of Penn Central Transportation Co., E.D.Pa.1974, 373 F.Supp. 185, 189
The reorganization court points out that it has been able to avoid deferral of administration expenses other than taxes and interline obligations
Since funds for section 215 financing come not from federal tax collections but from borrowings by United States Railway Association, and ConRail is required to assume these obligations, the risk to the general taxpayer, though real and a matter of proper concern, is only that of a guarantor
See section 304(f) of the Rail Act, 45 U.S.C. § 744(f)
April 1, 1976, appears to be the target date
In March, 1973, almost a full year before the 1975 amendments to the RRRA were adopted, the government petitioned Judge Fullam for an order directing the Penn Central Trustees to agree to the purchase of $10.8 million in maturing equipment obligations. The reorganization court granted the government's petition. In re Penn Central Transp. Co., 373 F.Supp. 185 (E.D.Pa.1974), appeal dismissed, 508 F.2d 270 (3d Cir. 1975). It is likely that this episode influenced Congress to make explicit the Secretary's authority to enter into, indeed insist upon, such agreements
The Senate Report accompanying the legislation said:
Subsection (c)(1) requires the special court, in passing on the fairness and equity of conveyances by railroads in reorganization to the Corporation, to consider not merely the value of the securities received by the railroad but also the other benefits accruing to it as a result of the exchange, especially those benefits accruing to a railroad in reorganization by virtue of its reorganizing under the bill. Such benefit would include, for example, the value of the right to discontinue rail service and abandon rail properties pursuant to section 304 or receive a reasonable rate of return on any rail properties the continued operation which is maintained through a rail service continuation subsidy, the value of an expedited decision on the sale of rail properties to a profitable railroad operating in the region, the value of obtaining freedom from current contractual liabilities, and the value to the estate of each railroad in reorganization of having Government-financed employee protection and severance payments made (under title VI of the bill) to the employees of the railroad who would otherwise have claims against it for such payments.
S.Rep.No.93-601, 93d Cong., 1st Sess., 1973 U.S.Code Cong. & Admin.News 3274-75 (emphasis supplied). | 52,500 | 18,243 | 2.877816 |
warc | 201704 | There are websites about every single subject under the sun, which is part of what makes the internet such a wonderful place to explore. In many cases, website owners will start a blog or page about a subject that is of great interest to them, with the problem being that said subject is completely seasonal. These are sites about political elections, summer vacations, ski resorts, Olympics, World Cup, and other sporting events. It is expected that traffic to these sites will waver during certain periods, and that can have an effect on advertising income. There are some things that site owners can do to keep the visitors coming and the ad revenue alive, so let’s take a look at a few.
Understand your traffic patterns When you have a seasonal site, you need to be aware of when the highs and lows are coming. If you are aware of that, you can better adjust your ad rates, customize ads and content that will soften their effects to your traffic numbers by offering or showing something that make viewers come back for more. You can create deals and special content during the slow periods that may make it enticing for visitors to hit your site even when they have no other real reason to do so. Know your advertisers Many of the advertisers that you have on your seasonal site will be those who also do seasonal business. However, that doesn’t mean they don’t want to sell their products or services year-round. Their goal is likely aligned with your own. The goal of these types of businesses is to keep their brand visible and recallable to the buying public, even when they are entering a slow period. There are plenty of advertisers out there who may be seasonal, but who want to have a major online presence every single day of the year if the returns on their advertising investment makes financial sense. Deliver advertising deals For every seasonal business looking to get their ads out all year, there are others who are working on a tighter budget. They still want to advertise all year, but simply don’t have the budget to do so. If you can offer these businesses a deal in the slower months, you will be doing them a favor and it also benefits your business as well. With this arrangement, they will also remember you when the peak season comes around, and will likely be happy to pay your higher rates at that time. Building relationship takes time but it offers a big long-term benefit. Pay attention to your budget You don't want to shell out a lot of money in the month’s where business is slower, which means you have to become financially savvy with your own expenses. One of the most effective ways to do this with online advertising is to go with an adserver that allows you to scale up or down as needed so you can save on your ad ops. That means choosing an ad server with a flexible contract or no contract at all. Get creative with content Diversification is key. No matter what sort of niche industry you are in, there are a number of sub-categories or related categories that can be tapped and explored. These are still interesting to the viewers regularly visit your site but they expand your available offerings. Start thinking about what that content might look like, and get ready to deliver it when things start to slow down. This will help keep people coming on a regular basis, and will help prevent serious dips in viewership. However, seasonal effects might be very strong for certain niches that no matter what you do, there will still be a decrease in advertising income during these slow periods. Thus, it is not a bad idea to adjust your expectation accordingly. AdSpeed adserver offers a reliable and powerful ad serving and ad management solution that serves your ads, tracks impressions & clicks, reports ad statistics in real-time. AdSpeed ad server for publisher helps you control your ad inventory effectively from anywhere, maximize your ad revenues and minimize operational costs. Driven by the changing needs, AdSpeed ad server’s goal is to help you execute your online advertising strategy efficiently. | 4,091 | 1,880 | 2.176064 |
warc | 201704 | We’ve all heard of recycling. It’s been a very long time since we were first bombarded with that concept. Together we have made significant strides in reducing our impact on the environment. But … there is always more that can be done.
Consider, if you would, a truly forward-thinking idea — that of “precycling.” It essentially eliminates the need for recycling; it reduces waste by not producing it in the first place.
A simple, everyday example: while recycling paper is encouraged, reducing the number of pages that are printed is an even greener endeavor. Before hitting the “print” button, many business people now consider whether hard copies are really necessary. Instead of recycling, they are thinking ahead and are “precycling.”
Beyond paper, many Pagosans are actively employing the concept of precycling in their daily lives. For example, those folks who use cloth bags to haul their groceries out of the store are reducing waste by not using the store’s plastic or paper bags. Another example, obvious for those of you who know me, is bicycling to where you want to go rather than driving in order to precycle gasoline. If you are thinking green, precycling is greener than ever.
Here at the recreation center we try to conserve every way possible. We see an average of about 120,000 user-days per year. Ninety-five percent of them use either the showers, toilets or sink faucets. This translates into a whole lot of water. Earlier this spring, the Pagosa Area Water and Sanitation District pitched in to help us further conserve our water consumption by providing newer, water-saver shower heads, waterless urinals and faucet aerators — all at no cost to us. These improvements were funded through a grant that PAWSD received from the Colorado Water Conservation Board.
Looking to use the sun’s energy for the recreation center’s hot water supply, we just successfully saw the installation of a highly efficient solar thermal system. Energy efficiency, yeah!
Solar water heating is not awfully high-tech or complicated, but it is cost effective. Up to 60 percent of installed costs could be covered by the Governor’s Energy Office and a new federal tax credit.
Although new solar industry standards promote quality products and installations, some things haven’t changed. You still need to be a smart shopper to be sure solar water heating can meet your expectations for performance and savings.
Here in this country, a typical solar water-heating system is likely to meet more than half of a household’s water heating needs over the course of a year. That means your bill for water heating could be cut in half. The system at the recreation center is sized to meet almost all of our domestic hot water demand based on an average of 450 gallons per day.
The amount of water you use is an important factor in solar economics. Solar contractors usually figure that an average person uses 20-30 gallons of hot water per day and that an average household has three people. Also, bear in mind that electric water heating accounts for only 8 to 14 percent of a typical homeowner’s electric bill. Before incentives, the typical installed cost for a two-panel household solar water heating system today runs between $5,000 and $9,000, depending on the level of freeze protection and other features.
So, if you think you might be interested in solar energy, you might find that solar water heating is the simplest and most cost-effective way that you can put this renewable resource to work. If you would like to look at the Recreation Center’s new system, please call us at 731-2051. We will be happy to show you how it works.
Here are more details of the recreation center’s solar water heating system for those who might be interested. We hired Endless Energy to install seven 4x10 thermal solar collectors with black chrome absorbers on the south facing roof over the natatorium. They also installed three 120-gallon solar storage tanks with internal heat exchangers next to our existing water heater. The total cost of this system was $27,966. After the Governor’s Energy Office rebate of 30 percent and a federal tax credit of another 30 percent, the final cost to us is only $11,186. | 4,314 | 2,056 | 2.098249 |
warc | 201704 | If you have a brick paver driveway chances are you have an oil spot or oil spots on it that you would like to clean off. Even if it is not from our own vehicles there has probably been a service vehicle or delivery truck that has leaked oil while on your driveway. A few small spots, even on a large driveway can be very eye cathing and take away from the beauty of a brick paver driveway.
There are a few methods you can try to remove oil spots from brick pavers. The trick is removing the oil spots without discoloring the bricks. There are many cleaners that will take care of the oil spot but leave you with a brick that is bleached from its original color.
The first method is to use a simple degreaser like simple green or any degreaser that you fin at the big box stores. For some fresh oil stains these will work if done right away and will not harm the pavers.
Another method is to use hot water to clean the paver. At Paver Protector we use this method for most oil spot removals because our pressure washing equipment has a diesel burner which heats the water up to over 200 degrees. Without this equipment you might try using heated water from a microwave along with a degreaser and scrubbingto remove the oil spot from the brick pavers.
If you cannot remove the oil spot on your own call Paver Protector for a free consultation to see if it is something we can remove for you. Odds are we can remove it, if not we have other methods of hiding or relocating the stain so that it is not a distraction to the appearance of your brick paver driveway. For deep stains that cannot be completely removed Paver Protector can often pull the stained pavers and switch them out with pavers ina more hidden location like under a grill or along a far side of the driveway. This is a great alternative to pulling the stained pavers and replacing with new since brick pavers always fade from the sun and new pavers will be a darker color, sometimes sticking out more than the stain itself.
The good news is there are other ways that Paver Protector can help you restore the orignal beauty of your brick paver driveway after being damaged by oil or other stains. Even driveways as badly stained as the one below that had a snowplows oil case burst when plowing the driveway resulting in all of the trucks oil spilling onto their concrete brick pavers.
To have oil stains or any other stains removed from your brick paver driveway, patio or walkway in the Northern Illinois area call Paver Protector Inc at 630-488-0069 or email us at Info@PaverProtector.com Paver Protector Serves the following areas of Northern Illinois- Barrington, Inverness, Palatine, Schaumburg, Bartlett, Elgin, Dundee, South Elgin, Algonquin, Lake in The Hills, Crystal Lake, Huntley, Hampshire, Pingree Grove, Elburn, Burlington, St. Charles, Wasco, Geneva, West Chicago, Sycamore, Dekalb, Batavia, North Aurora, and other surrounding areas. | 2,921 | 1,376 | 2.12282 |
warc | 201704 | we have no plan
Big Gav, commenting on my methane post said:
And finally, Monkeygrinder notes there is a lot of methane about, and that it doesn't smell all that good. Personally I'm a bit conflicted about this - both from an economic viewpoint (I like investing in natural gas producers, and they bring a lot of money into the country)
I've got nothing against methane, or even a hypothetical well built, safely constructed LNG terminal. I use natural gas. I'm writing this on a computer. We all deal with the contradictions of living in the world as it is, while pointing a way to what is next. At present, high energy technology is not sustainable. Peak energy folk live to point out anachronisms before they exist.
So I say, invest in methane, take care of your family, and yourself. These ports will likely be empty twenty years out. Provided they don't blow up. Then they will be empty sooner.
Building yet more infrastructure to maintain a way of life that is about to vanish doesn't address our true needs. We have more energy right now available to us than ever before; this may be the last year in which that can be said. Why not build something sustainable with it? People talk about "gateway" technology, the god in the gaps on our journey to green energy. In my opinion this is supporting the status quo. Somehow, we'll get to keep our cars. We'll turn coal and turkey guts into liquid fuel, and burn methane to generate hydrogen for our fuel cells. Solar and wind, repeat it like a mantra.
What a poor plan.
We humans have two material problems. One is climate change resulting in part from carbon inputs. The other problem is we are running out of the high energy fuel that caused the first problem. Neither of these is affect planet earth, just us and the squirrels. For now, I cautiously imagine that depletion of oil and natural gas and uranium is a good thing for humans. We can't totally destory our habitat.
That leaves us needing infrastructure to support our population during depletion. Our current living arrangement is reliant on liquid fuels. Industrial farming, suburbs, Wal-Mart - they've all got to go. If we wait to take action, people die. We need organic, LOCAL, food production, cities surrounded by farms and rivers, (Think Paris; Phoenix will be a disaster), and the good news is we can do this. Doubtless converting to an agrarian society will be unpopular in this bling addled age.
Yet, in the U.S. there are even congress critters debating alternative energy, all of a sudden, in addition to more typical crybabies like Senator Ron Wyden.
Do we have the will to give up our cheesy poofs now, or shall nature take her course? | 2,677 | 1,422 | 1.88256 |
warc | 201704 | Duncan has faced a storm of criticism on Twitter over the comments, with Carol Burris summing up many of the attacks with her own criticism of Duncan:
@arneduncan I think you need to apologize. Moms are smart enough to oppose the CC on merits. It is not about their egos. Awful. — Carol Burris (@carolburris) November 17, 2013
While there is a lot of outrage over Duncan's comments, he's simply voicing thoughts many education reformers are having these days.
As I pointed out in this post yesterday, what Arne Duncan told this group of state superintendents comes straight from the Ed Deform Shock And Awe Playbook as given to us by AEI fellow and Education Week blogger Rick Hess.
The plan was always to try and shock suburbanites into believing that their kids' schools were terrible, as bad as the urban schools deformers have already targeted for reforms, and create a clamor for the same kinds of reforms in suburban schools.
Hess dubbed this plan the "Common Core Kool-Aid," and wrote that he was dubious that it would work:
After failing miserably to convince suburban and middle-class voters that reforms designed for dysfunctional urban systems and at-risk kids are good for their children and their schools, Common Core advocates now evince an eerie confidence that they can scarethese voters into embracing the "reform" agenda. And this conviction has become the happy Kool-Aid that allows would-be reformers to ignore the fact that they're not actually offering to tackle the things (like access to exam-style schools, world language mastery, music and arts instruction, and so on) that suburban parents are passionate about.
Hess raises some salient points for why the Ed Deform Shock And Awe Playbook would not work the way deformers thought it would in the suburbs.
After all, parents can see the quality of their kids' schools and teachers and while neither are perfect they are in no way "dysfunctional" or failing.
Also, suburban parents are less likely to get on board the No Excuses Charter Express and push for suburban schools to turn into test prep factories like Eva Moskowitz's Success Academies or the KIPP schools.
The linchpin for convincing suburban moms and dads that their kids' schools and teachers suck and radical reform was needed to right things was always the Common Core test scores.
New York was the second state to roll out the Common Core tests (rolled out even before the Common Core curriculum was fully developed) and the state education commissioner and Regents chancellor both evinced an eerie confidence that kids were going to fail these tests in large numbers long before the tests were even given.
It was as if they knew large numbers of kids would fail because they planned to set the cut scores to a level that would ensure large-scale failure.
And last summer, sure enough, NYSED Commissioner King and Regents Chancellor Tisch happily announced that 70% of children around the state had failed to reach proficiency on the state tests and radical reform was needed to right the public education ship.
Luckily for all of us, they had rolled out a reform agenda that included more testing, teacher evaluations tied to testing, a sped-up Common Core implementation and possible state takeover of failing schools and even districts, so all would be well if we would all just jump on board the SED/Regents Reform Express.
The only problem was, suburban moms and dads were not only
notconvinced by the Common Core test scores that their children weren't reading or doing math at or above grade level, they weren't convinced that their children's schools were failing or their teachers were ineffective either.
The Common Core test scores underscored the uneasiness about the Common Core standards many parents were feeling, as their children came home with math homework that parents couldn't help them with because they could understand it or hid under the bed and feigned illness because they didn't want to go to school anymore and do the drudgery of the Common Core lessons.
The uneasiness over the Common Core standards, coupled with the anger over the Common Core cut scores, exploded into mass protests in NY State that finally made headlines in the media when NYSED Commissioner King got verbally abused in Poughkeepsie last month at a Common Core town hall meeting.
King canceled future town halls after the Poughkeepsie mess, but was forced to add additional town halls when the furor over the Common Core grew.
Since then, King and Regents Chancellor Tisch have met criticism over the Common Core standards, the Common Core tests, the state teacher evaluation system that mandates so much of this testing, and the state data collection project that will hand student information over to Bill Gates and Rupert Murdoch whether parents want that to happen or not.
King and Tisch have said repeatedly that they are listening to the criticism, hearing what parents are saying, but that nothing will change in the way the state implements the Common Core or pushes "full speed ahead" with the SED/Regents reform agenda.
Deformers got little resistance to their reform agenda so long as it was aimed at black and brown children in urban districts. But once they set their sights on suburban districts, on children in schools in places like Scarsdale and Great Neck, East Setauket and Mineola, the deformer assault on public education met resistance.
It seems deformers did not envision that the challenges would be as tough and resistant to their propaganda as they have turned out to be.
Every meme the deformers churn out, from the "Schools are failing and your kids cannot compete in a 21st century global economy" to "The Common Core tests demonstrate just how bad your schools are and how ineffective your children's teachers are," has failed to convince parents in the suburbs that they need the No Excuses Charter Express to roll into their town and take out the schools and teachers on a fast track to oblivion.
In fact, the more Duncan, King, Tisch and their fellow reformers try and convince suburban parents here in NY State and around the country that the Common Core standards are good for their children, the Common Core tests are reliable measures of what students should know, teachers should be evaluated based upon these test scores and fired if found wanting, and all this data needs to be collected and collated and handed over to third party vendors for the improvement of future instruction, the larger the movement against the reforms grows.
In the end, the eerie confidence Rick Hess described deformers demonstrating as they talked about their plans to prove to suburban parents that their children's schools were failing and radical reform was needed to improve the system turned out to be delusional.
The reactions we are seeing from deformers - Arne Duncan insulting "white suburban moms" or John King getting shrill in the face of criticism in Poughkeepsie - is symptomatic of a reform movement that until now has had everything go their way but now that challenges to their success have arisen, they have no back-up plan to sell their agenda.
I wrote yesterday that
the evidence is in already as the anti-Common Core movement grows and grows by the month - parents aren't buying the ed deform snake oil Uncle Arne and his fellow corporate ed deformers are selling and I just don't think insulting "white suburban moms" to get on board with the Core is going to save the sinking ed deform ship.
Let me double down on that statement from yesterday.
Arne's criticism of white suburban moms stems from frustration over the challenges he and his deform movement are now facing as they attempt to do to the rest of the country what they have down to D.C., New Orleans, Detroit and other inner cities.
It is also evidence that Duncan and the deform movement are flailing and have no idea what to do to put their reform movement back on the fast track to success.
Taking the deform movement to the suburbs, deformers have met their matches in suburban moms and dads who see through the snake oil the deform movement has been trying to sell them.
In short, the Shock And Awe that the reformers planned for the suburbs has been turned back on them. | 8,276 | 3,490 | 2.371347 |
warc | 201704 | Online loans save money, avoid hassles
No matter how determined you are to stay within your budget, when you live from paycheck to paycheck, the smallest emergency or unexpected expense can leave you short of cash until payday. You have choices: You can use a credit card if you have one or you can let the bills slide until next payday. But why not save money and avoid hassles by applying for an online payday loan instead?
Think twice about credit cards
When you use a credit card to bridge the gap until payday, it’s all too easy to spend more than you should. Anyone who’s ever been surprised by the balance on a credit-card statement knows how long it can take to pay the debt off. A credit card is an expensive way to borrow money, and the longer it takes you to pay it off, the more expensive it becomes.
Online loans are fast and convenient
Next time you need money in a hurry, apply for a quick online cash advance. An online loan offers all the convenience of a credit card without the risk of overspending. Bad credit isn’t an issue and credit checks are rarely required. Up to $1,000 can be deposited directly to your bank account. You can then withdraw cash immediately, write checks or make purchases with a debit card.
Add up late fees and related costs
Before you decide to let the bills slide, take a minute to add up all the late fees you’ll incur. Then consider the risk of overdraft fees and other bank charges. While you’re at it, assign a reasonable dollar amount to the grief those unpaid bills will cause you until payday. Add these things up and you’ll see how much it really costs to pay your obligations late.
Online loans are economical
Payday loans are a form of short-term credit, meaning that the debt is paid off very quickly. With a cash advance, you know right up front how much you can spend and how much it will cost. Most cash advances are paid in full on your next payday, getting you out of debt and back on your feet instantly. If you prefer to stretch payments over a longer period, installment payday loans and installment loans for bad credit both allow you to do that.
Start your online loan application HERE! Start Your Loan Application Tags:borrow money, cash advance, cash until payday, credit cards, installment loans for bad credit, installment payday loans, need money, online cash advance, online loans, online payday loan, payday loan, quick loan | 2,441 | 1,152 | 2.118924 |
warc | 201704 | This week I discussed with university students various professional financial designations. As well, potential career paths that the different finance related certifications may offer.
There are a multitude of available financial designations. Three common ones include: Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), Certified Financial Planner (CFP), and even Chartered Accountant (CA) or Certified Public Accountant (CPA).
Today, I want to quickly link to a few posts I have previously written on this topic.
CFA Versus CFP Versus CA/CPA
Before embarking on any path to a professional designation, you need to understand the differences between the various programs. All may be finance related, but in differing degrees.
For example, a CFA may perform more analytical work or deal more with corporate matters than a CFP. Perhaps managing a mutual fund, analyzing equities, structuring investment products, or working on an Initial Public Offering. The CFP may work more with individual clients. Perhaps advising clients on proper asset allocations, appropriate financial products for their portfolios, selling them funds or insurance, maybe even providing rudimentary tax advice.
In “Careers as a CA/CPA, CFA, or CFP”, I look at the different designations. As well, I link to other articles and posts which delve a little deeper into each career path.
Many lawyers and MBAs work in finance related positions. Those too are viable options.
For example, consider a career in Investment Banking. All of the above, except the CFP designation, should open the door for opportunities (subject to your area of specialization).
Many Other Designations
There are many possible financial designations out there in addition to the above.
The names and numbers seem to shift yearly, so stay current. Investopedia is always a good source for information.
CFA is a Challenging Route
In representing the CFA Society at the Career Fair, I mainly discussed the CFA designation and career options.
I tried to emphasize that it is a very challenging program.
Pass rates are low for exams. Level I writes twice a year (June/December) and Levels II and III only once per annum (June). If you do not pass, you have a significant wait before being able to resit.
In this post I look at the CFA exam process.
And add a few thoughts on improving the odds of passing each Level.
After passing the exams, you also must accrue relevant work experience before earning the designation. Make sure you understand what does and does not qualify. No sense spending at least three years writing exams and find your work experience is inadequate.
CFP is also a Good Career Route
In my opinion, very different career than with a CFA. But different does not mean bad.
This post adds further thoughts for those considering a CFP designation.
I believe that the CFP designation is much easier to attain than the CFA or financial accounting designation. That may impact the choice of some students.
Think Outside the Box
Finance work is one part technical skills, one part industry knowledge.
You cannot audit a car dealership without knowing something about car dealerships and manufacturers. You cannot value an oil company without understanding the industry. And so on.
If you want to improve your chance of landing a job, you should try and add some industry knowledge to go with your technical training. If you do, you will be in the minority. Most young finance professionals concentrate almost solely on the finance skills but ignore the practical side.
Develop some industry specific knowledge while still in school. Or in your summer job or extracurricular activities.
Further Information
For further information on the Canadian CFP designation (country specific certification), visit the Financial Planning Standards Council. The Counsel is the governing body for the CFP designation in Canada. For those in other locations, google “CFP Australia” (or your own country) and you will quickly find the right website.
For further information on the CFA designation, visit the CFA Institute. CFA designation is global, so one stop shopping. But local chapters may offer seminars, assistance with exams, joblines, etc. A local Society usually reflects a critical mass. So they may be city, state, province, or country sized. For example, CFA Society Los Angeles versus CFA Society Saskatchewan versus Swiss CFA Society.
For further information on financial accounting designations, google your own country’s governing body. In Canada, the national body is the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants. | 4,617 | 2,143 | 2.154456 |
warc | 201704 | The Selfish Genewas a landmark book in many ways: the first to lay out for a general audience the gene-centred view of evolution, but also one of the first to re-invigorate (arguably since the 1920s) science popularization as a part of the cultural conversation – and to show how beautifully written it should aspire to be. Dawkins might be divisive today for a variety of reasons, but science popularizers owe him a huge debt.
That’s why it is good and proper to have
The Selfish Genecelebrated in Matt Ridley’s nice article in Nature. You can tell that I’m preparing to land a punch, can’t you?
Well, sort of. You see, I can’t help but be frustrated at how Matt turns one of the most problematic aspects of the book into a virtue. He suggests that Dawkins’ viewpoint was the inspiration for the discussions of selfish genes presented in
Naturein 1980 by Orgel and Crick and by Doolittle and Sapienza. And it is true that The Selfish Geneis the first citation in both papers.
But both cite the book as one of the most recent discussions of the issue. As Orgel and Crick say, “The idea is not new. We have not attempted to trace it back to its root.” So it is not at all clear that, as Matt says, “a throwaway remark by Dawkins led to an entirely new theory in genomics”.
The problem is not simply one of quibbling about priority, however. Matt points out that this “throwaway remark” concerns the “apparently surplus DNA” – in the hugely problematic later coinage, junk DNA – that populates the genome, and which Dawkins suggested is merely parasitic. Yes indeed, and this is what those two later
Naturepapers discuss – as Orgel and Crick put it, DNA that “makes no specific contribution to the phenotype”.
But is this what
The Selfish Geneis about? Absolutely not, and that’s why Dawkins’ remark was throwaway. His contention was that allgenes should be regarded as “selfish”. Orgel, Crick, Doolittle and Sapienza are specifically talking about DNA that is produced and sustained by non-phenotypic selection. This, they say, is what we might regard as truly selfish DNA. Now, one can argue about the word “selfish” even in that context – it perhaps only makes sense if this DNA becomes detrimental to the survival of the organism. But the implication is that the phenotypic DNA is then not selfish, and that the term should be reserved for parasitic DNA. That makes good sense – and it is precisely these waters that Dawkins’ title muddied.
I can’t resist also asking what Matt means by saying that “genes that cause birds and bees to breed survive at the expense of other genes”. (“No other explanation makes sense…”) It seems to me more meaningful to say “genes that cause birds and bees to breed survive while helping other genes to survive.” I don’t exactly mean here to allude to the semantic selfish/cooperative debate (although there are good reasons to have it), but rather, it seems to me that Matt’s statement only makes sense if we replace “genes” with “alleles”. This is not pedantry. Genes do not, in general, compete with each other – at least, that is not the basis of the neodarwinian modern synthesis. Although one might find examples where specific genes do propagate at the expense of others, in general it is surely
different variants of the same genethat compete with each other. And when a new allele proves to be more successful, other genes come along for the ride. To fail to make this distinction (which of course Matt recognizes) seems to me to propagate a very common misconception in evolutionary genetics, which is that genes are little pseudo-organisms all competing with one another. That isn’t a helpful or accurate way to present the picture.
Matt understands all this far better than I do. So I am quite prepared for him to tell me I have something wrong here. | 4,036 | 1,870 | 2.158289 |
warc | 201704 | Yeah. "If you don't quit harming yourself we will punish you" sounds pretty stupid (to some of us) now a days. But at one time it was all that we had. There was no evidence to support any other way of treating substance addictions. We now know something else. Thanks to people like Alan Marlatt who died on Monday (14 March).
And you thought that just because the Communists Utopians were discredited that all Utopians were discredited? Perish the thought. Don't you know that if every one believed in the right God the right way and acted properly on those beliefs we could end misery and suffering forever? It says so in some book or other. Some very old book. It must be true. Trouble is that it is in several old books and the books seem to disagree on several important details. I'm all in once it gets sorted out. For years, the prevailing approach to confronting addiction in the U.S. could be summed up as "just say no." Abstinence was the only goal; addicts had to agree to quit drugs or booze entirely as a precondition for treatment. The pioneering work of Alan Marlatt, a professor of psychology at the University of Washington, profoundly changed that attitude in recent decades. Dr. Marlatt advocated "harm reduction," an approach that meets addicts "where they are" instead of demanding immediate detox and abstinence. Counselors strive to reduce drug or alcohol consumption, for example, while minimizing public-health costs through programs such as needle exchanges. It's a model Dr. Marlatt called "compassionate pragmatism instead of moralistic idealism." And research shows it works.
But back to addiction.
I guess telling the truth is more effective than lying to people. Who knew? While now widely accepted, some of Dr. Marlatt's ideas were considered heretical when he first started writing and talking about them decades ago, colleagues said. For example, counselors once shunned discussion of relapses when talking with alcoholics, believing it would only encourage further drinking. Dr. Marlatt challenged that as unrealistic. His research showed it was more effective to acknowledge the likelihood of relapses and help patients cope with them. "When I first heard him talk about that in the late 1970s, people got up and accused him of killing alcoholics," said Frederick Rotgers, president of the Society of Addiction Psychology. Now think of all the money that could be saved if we asked police to quit Herding Junkies. Dr. Marlatt supported Seattle's controversial apartment building for the city's most troublesome street alcoholics. The 1811 Eastlake building, which opened in late 2005, provides a home to dozens of hard-core alcoholics, who are allowed to drink in their rooms. Though that concept drew plenty of criticism, a 2009 study found it saved taxpayers $4 million a year. That's because the residents were drinking less and not winding up as often in the emergency room or detox.
Which is one reason Dr. Robert Marks [pdf] calls the whole exercize:
It does seem a bit harsh. But when you consider that we have been at it for nearly 100 years with no substantial effect other than to destroy supplier and transit countries and enrich criminals in America as well, what else explains it but psychosis? A disconnect from reality. Oh. Maybe not the small reality. But the bigger picture. And both Alan Marlatt and Dr. Marks have proved that even the small reality doesn't work the way most people think it does. More from Dr. Marks: THE DRUG LAWS: A CASE OF COLLECTIVE PSYCHOSIS So we are harming the drug users. And harming the taxpayers. Who is making out in all this? Uh. Let me think. It is on the tip of my tongue. Give me a couple of days. I'm sure it will come to me. I am a consultant psychiatrist in Widnes, northern England and prescribe hard drugs such as heroin and cocaine. Ironically I may not prescribe hasheesh, nor opium nor coca. This is like being able to prescribe cognac but not wine. Nevertheless this policy has eliminated drug deaths, there is no H.I.V. infection, and a police study of our program shows a 15-fold fall in drug-related acquisitive crime. Most interestingly, the incidence of addiction has fallen 12-fold. HARM MAXIMISATION AND INHUMANITY Daniel Roche is a citizen of Widnes. In adolescence he experimented with drugs. He gained a liking for cannabis. Avoiding the black market, he grew his own cannabis on local unused wastesites. He supplied himself, in this way, peacefully, for eighteen years. He was a cable layer, working for a large electrical company. He paid taxes. He had his own house. He was married, with children successful at school. In 1988 the police seized his cannabis, and he was fired from his job. He couldn’t pay his mortgage, so he lost his house. More cannabis was found growing in his garden. He was sent to prison and his family split up. He is now still in prison in Liverpool. I call this policy “harm maximisation”.
I have never understood the concept "if we make life more painful for those taking unauthorized pain medications they will stop chasing unauthorized pain relief". You would have to be some kind of Utopian with a very old book to believe such a thing. Because it is very hard to understand how you can come to such a syllogism through logic and reason.
Cross Posted at Classical Values | 5,347 | 2,738 | 1.952885 |
warc | 201704 | The mucus plug is the small amount of mucus that has sealed the cervix for nine months during pregnancy. It has been a barrier during the pregnancy to make sure that no bacteria is able to enter the uterus.
As labor approaches, the cervix thins and dilates, and the plug isn't large enough to fill the space anymore. The plug may come out all at once, or it may come out slowly in the vaginal discharge over a couple of days.
Mucus Plug and the Start of Labor
Losing the mucus plug is a sign that your cervix is dilating and your body is starting to prepare for labor. You may lose it as early as one to two weeks before the signs of true labor appear or just as labor itself is beginning.
What Does a Mucus Plug Look Like?
A mucus plug may be clear, slightly pink, or may be tinged with blood. The plug may consist of stringy mucus, or it may be sticky discharge. Many women don't even notice when they lose it because there is already so much vaginal discharge during pregnancy and especially during the time leading up to labor and delivery
. | 1,053 | 569 | 1.850615 |
warc | 201704 | No prescription pharmacy websites: 10 ways to protect yourself Prescription drugs are easy to find and replace. Just get a prescription, fill it and you’ve got pain relief, sedation, or help concentrating (from opioids, depressants or stimulants respectively). However, the misuse and abuse of prescription drugs has been on the rise since the 90’s. Teens, college students, young adults and even the elderly are subject to an increased trend to take prescription drugs for non-prescription use. Perhaps if you are reading this, you are using prescription drugs for non-medical reasons. If you are ready to seek help for prescription drug addiction, call 1-800-662-HELP.
Although I believe prescription drugs can be misused, I do realize that people will continue to order prescription drugs from online sources. In the spirit of doing this safely, and to avoid even bigger health problems, I offer the following suggestions to help you distinguish good pharmacy websites from questionable no prescription pharmacy websites.
10 ways protect yourself when looking for drugs online
1. Do a background check of the pharmacy with the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) or the Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice (VIPP) website.
2. Look for privacy and security policies that are easy to find and easy to understand. Make sure that the site will not sell your personal information unless you agree. 3. Make sure the site provides contact information. 4. Make sure the site has a pharmacist available for questions. 5. Make sure the site allows you to talk to a person if you have problems or questions. 6. Don’t buy from sites that sell products that are not approved by the FDA. 7. Don’t provide personal information (social security number, credit card, medical history, etc.) unless you are sure the site will protect it. 8. Buy only from licensed online pharmacies located in the United States. 9. Avoid sites that offers prices that are dramatically lower than the competition. These sites might sell you products that contain the wrong active ingredient, too much / too little of the active ingredient, or dangerous ingredients. 10. Remember that selling prescription drugs without a prescription is against the law. Pharmacy sites that do sell drugs without a prescription are not regulated by the U.S.
Feel free to add to this list. Or let me know what you think of it. As always, I will publish any reasonable comment, question or feedback. Here’s a quick little equation to work out or comment on. How will internet access to legal or illegally distributed prescription drugs affect use?
Prescription drugs pain meds, sedatives and stimulants = Internet =access to pharmaceutical providers Internet + sales of prescription drugs= ??? | 2,786 | 1,307 | 2.131599 |
warc | 201704 | Mumbai, Mharashtra India (PressExposure) May 03, 2011 -- Organizations can replace much of their legacy systems
It is common for all vendors and consultants to say that their products are the best. But when eresource makes such a claim it holds a concrete evidence to support that claim. The commendable feature of web-based eresource ERP is that employees enter information only once and that information is then available to all systems company-wide. Business activities across the organization is tracked or triggered by the eresource ERP are also automatically captured in the enterprise's general ledger, without the risk of re-entry errors. This means everyone in the company can make decisions based on accurate, real-time information.
eresource ERP system manages everything from order capture to accounting and procurement to warehousing. eresource makes timely changes in their modules with the requirement and its functionality has grown in both breadth and depth to suit small to large scale industries. As companies integrate business units through consolidation, shared services, or global operations, their IT ability also to be stretched to support these changes. With eresource ERP's broad functionality, any organization can replace much of their legacy systems. eresource ERP is capable of providing better support for these new business structures and strategies.
An efficient and completely integrated web-based ERP system like eresource ERP could capture and create accurate, consistent and timely relevant data, and assist in intelligent business decision-making. The effect of ERP/e-Business integration is will be clearly visible. The result will be reflected in every level of operations, ranging from reduced inventory and personnel level to improved order and cash management. It can also result in improved customer responsiveness, reduced IT costs and the availability for value-added activities.
With eresource ERP customer orders can be handled easily and efficiently on a time-bound basis. Like when a customer service agent receives a phone call from an existing customer the agent can quickly locates the customer's account, records the order details, prices the order, and checks the availability date. The customer confirms the order details and the agent books the order. That single entry triggers everything from allocation of the finished product against the order to delivery and billing. That is, based on existing demand and allocation rules, eresource ERP system will determine whether the product should come from current finished goods in a warehouse, in-process goods, scheduled production, or new production. It will set the order up for shipment based on information from either the customer or the customer master record, and, once the order is shipped, prepare an invoice and an accounts receivable entry.
However, along with efficient customer handling method, organizations must also have operational efficiency to succeed in business process. Because just keeping customers happy and offering personalized service will not have any effect if the operating efficiency of the company is poor. In order to improve efficiency and to have better information integration, companies should have an effective Web-enabled ERP system in place. There is no doubt that an efficient and well-implemented ERP system like eresource ERP can raise the productivity to unprecedented levels.
For more information kindly visit: http://www.eresourceerp.com/eresource-tracks-business-activities-across-organization.html
Please Contact us at:
TMA House, 1st Floor,Road No 16, Plot No. 6, Wagle Industrial Estate, Thane (West) 400 604, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India Tel: +91 22 25827692 +91 22 25828775 +91 22 65130234 +91 22 41118000 / 8049 (50 lines)
E-mail : info@eresourceerp.com | 3,822 | 1,791 | 2.134003 |
warc | 201704 | Endnote software is an absolutely essential part of my work process. I use it all the time and it would be hard to carry on with writing, research, and teaching without it. I am constantly amazed at colleagues and students who do not use Endnote, or one of the other bibliography databases. With Endnote you can’t leave citations our of your bibliography by accident, you don’t have to cut and paste bibliographies, you don’t have to reformat references by hand for different journals. You can download citations from the library and from many online databases, and you can exchange bibliography files with colleagues. Its easy to compile bibliographies on particular topics or themes for students or others.
My views of bibliographies and references may not be typical. I am a bibliography nut. I want to have all the relevant sources (for whatever purpose or project) at hand. Of various potential criticisms of my papers or proposals, one of the worst for me would be that I had missed one or more major sources on a topic. When I look at a new paper or publication, I often start with the bibliography. Who is citing what? I often judge the usefulness of works by whether or not I have gotten some new useful citations from the bibliography. I am impressed when students cite good sources I’m not familiar with. I could not have done a good job at some professional tasks without Endnote, including a book review editor, and a contributing editor (Handbook of Latin American Studies).
When I started graduate school, fellow student Clark Erickson was keeping his bibliographies on 3x5 index cards in old library card-catalog drawers. I quickly followed suit, and by the time I started using bibliography software in the late 1980s I had 8 or 10 drawers full of cards. I still have those old cards sitting around somewhere (I almost tossed them when I moved from Albany to Arizona). My Endnote file now has over 13,000 entries.
No, I’m not being paid by the makers of Endnote. In fact, I have some complaints about the program and the company. But I couldn’t live (as a scholar) without Endnote or something similar, and I’m amazed at people who manage without it. I’d rather be writing papers (or blogs) instead of copying and pasting references from one paper into another (and leaving some out in the process). | 2,361 | 1,175 | 2.009362 |
warc | 201704 | HARI SREENIVASAN: Paul Salopek is a two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter who has immersed himself in his reporting. From riding a mule across Mexico to canoeing down the Congo, he's been a committed foreign correspondent.
But beginning next month, Salopek will embark on a 21,000-mile walk from Africa to Patagonia, tracing the ancient path of human migration. The journey, sponsored in part by "The National Geographic," will take an estimated seven years to complete.
Paul Salopek, thanks for joining us.
PAUL SALOPEK, National Geographic fellow: Good to be here.
HARI SREENIVASAN: So, the first question most people ask is, why?
PAUL SALOPEK: Storytelling. That's the bottom line of this walk. It's not an athletic event. It's not an endurance feat. It's all about communicating in the 21st century, slowing people down.
HARI SREENIVASAN: And so why that slow journalism? Is it something -- is it a reaction to what you have seen and the speed of Twitter and Facebook and everything else?
PAUL SALOPEK: I'm not against Twitter or Facebook. I think they're wonderful ways of getting information around.
But I'm interested in long-form journalism, long-form storytelling. And I worry about finding a space for them in today's world, stories with beginnings, middles and end. So if I slow down stories to three miles an hour, let's see if people follow along.
HARI SREENIVASAN: And what kind of updates are we going to see from you? I know there's one big National Geographic story per year, but in between, what kind of -- how are you going to be updating us?
PAUL SALOPEK: We have a joint Web portal between all of my partners, outofedenwalk.com, where there will be episodic reports. There will be reports that come up as the human topography merits it.
If it's a great story, the story will surface. But what I won't be doing -- at least I don't contemplate doing it -- is micro-blogging the Johnny. I think that would get boring very fast. I will save the good stuff, gather the string, and then spring it on people.
HARI SREENIVASAN: So, what are the topics that you are interested in covering?
PAUL SALOPEK: Stories that I have covered in the past, climate change, conflict, economic development, local innovations. I'm interested in finding local solutions to big problems, stories that don't get told because we're moving too fast to see them.
HARI SREENIVASAN: And so this is, as we mentioned, a seven-year trip. And when we take a look at that route, you're leaving Africa, going through Central Asia, up around China, across the Bering Strait -- I'm assuming you're taking a boat there -- and then down through the Americas.
PAUL SALOPEK: Yes.
HARI SREENIVASAN: One of those, as I'm noticing, the straight line goes right through Iran. How are you going to get through that?
PAUL SALOPEK: I think that, Iran, straddles an ancient migration path into Central Asia. And, ideally, it would be wonderful to set off on foot across Iran.
I'm going to see what relations are like in late 2015. Hopefully, they're well enough, good enough, to allow me to go through Iran.
HARI SREENIVASAN: And if there's a necessary detour, how long does that take to get around?
PAUL SALOPEK: It's a big place to walk around.
Part of the beauty, I think, of this long project is that there are going to be obstacles that I don't know answers to about how to get around them until I get there. And we will see.
Serendipity is a big part of this project.
HARI SREENIVASAN: And what are the types of steps you have been taking? You have been planning this for the last couple of years. So, what are we talking about, visas, immunizations? What else?
PAUL SALOPEK: There's a lot of logistical planning that's gone into getting mainly governments comfortable with somebody walking through their territories. It's an unusual request, as you might imagine.
But a lot of it also is just finding the stories en route, pre-reporting them, and, frankly, leaving some of it open. Don't overplan it, because when our ancestors dispersed out of Africa, they didn't have a map. They didn't have a plan. And so we're kind of matching that spirit.
HARI SREENIVASAN: Now, you're doing something interesting. I read that you are going to be doing these transects every hundred miles. Explain what those are.
We have got a couple videos of them, but what are we seeing?
PAUL SALOPEK: Basically, as well as the long-form literary writing that I hope to do episodically, every 100 miles along this 21,000-mile route, I will be stopping to take a set of narrative readings, whether it's a 360-degree panorama of the Earth's surface, a recording of the ambient sound of the Earth's surface, a photograph of the sky, a photograph of the surface of the Earth, to create these shards in a larger mosaic that will give basically a picture, a slice of life on the surface of the Earth at the turn of the millennium.
HARI SREENIVASAN: And you're carrying everything. There's not a huge SAG wagon, so to speak, in ultra-marathon race terms. Everything you have got is going to be on your backpack and you're just hiking.
PAUL SALOPEK: That's correct.
The idea is to go light, to -- and the trend in technological miniaturization is going in my direction. Things are getting smaller. The kind of communications gear I will be carrying now will be obsolete by the time I'm halfway through, and that's part of the story, too.
HARI SREENIVASAN: Yes.
And I think that some folks are going to be concerned about your physical safety from other humans, but I'm also as concerned about your biological safety. What are you going to be taking with you? Antibiotics? Any other precautions? You're eating and drinking whatever is available out there.
PAUL SALOPEK: That's right.
The idea is to live close to the ground, to eat what local people are eating. All I can say is that I have sort of -- I have had a background, 15 years of living around the world, where I have got a pretty good immune system. I have got a pretty good stomach. I will be taking a small med kit with the usual antibiotics, et cetera.
Preventive medicine is going to be the key here, because I cannot carry a pharmacy on my back.
HARI SREENIVASAN: And what about -- what about safety the old-fashioned way? Who's looking out for you? Who's got your back in case you do run into a sticky situation?
PAUL SALOPEK: I have got a collection of friends and supporters back here, not just National Geographic but The Knight Foundation, the Nieman Foundation at Harvard, the Pulitzer Center, who will be helping me basically navigate these trouble spots, if there are new ones along the way that I'm not aware of.
HARI SREENIVASAN: So, we're raising your awareness. There are other people around the world that are.
What is the danger here in potentially becoming a celebrity? I call it the Forrest Gump effect. There you are running along. You just start to pick up more people along the way. How are you going to deal with that?
PAUL SALOPEK: It's a really important -- it's a conundrum, because my reporting method is observational, quietly watching the world unfold around me, getting into people's lives.
And for them to admit me in their lives, I have to be quiet. I have to listen. If this becomes too much of a spectacle, I can't work. And so I'm still figuring this out. In today's wired world, how anonymous can I be? I am on TV, after all.
HARI SREENIVASAN: All right.
(LAUGHTER)
HARI SREENIVASAN: That's right. | 7,490 | 3,312 | 2.261473 |
warc | 201704 | In practice, what is a good process for finding the best propeller for an electric model airplane? This is a lot harder than it looks.
Introduction
I get a lot of emails from folks wanting to optimize the performance of their electric power systems. They want to know if they are going about it the right way. They also want to make sure they do not burn up their components in the process.
The following email does a good job of explaining the challenges. After the email, I will give some tips on how best to proceed.
Email That I Received First I would like to thank you for the weekly editions of your tips. They have led me in the right direction numerous times. I am having a difficult time understanding exactly what to do in order to accomplish the correct combination of battery, motor, and propeller to make the plane perform. Here is my tale. I purchased the cub from Hobby Zone with floats. It was having a difficult time getting off the water if there was no wind so I converted the 400 brushed motor using a 10×8 prop (similar to a slow flyer) to a 480 brushless 890Kv using a 9x6E prop and actually there was very little change for getting off the water and into the air. I read your article on wattmeters and purchased one. I found that the 480 with a 9x6E was developing 130 watts. I put on a 10x8E and it developed 190 watts and the thrust was much increased. The motor did not recommend that larger prop but rather the 9x6E. The 10x8E accomplished the added power I needed to get off the water easily. The motor was only warm. Here is my question. Do I try to prop to get as close to the maximum watts (in this case it is 250) in order to have the best power? I would have assumed that the longer prop and more pitch would grab more air and is that why the wattage went up? It did not seem to affect the length of flying time but again I was using less throttle after takeoff. Is using the watts reading the proper way to measure to get close? Is that wattage correlated to thrust or is there another variable? I am having the same issue with using a E-Flite 25 in place of a E-Flite 15 on a Apprentice utilizing the recommended props. In this case, I used a 4 cell on the 25 in order to increase the power over the 15. I haven’t tried my watt measurement yet on the 25, but I am thinking that increasing the diameter and pitch might accomplish what I did with the cub. Then I could continue to utilize the three cell if I can get enough thrust at 100% throttle. I just want to know what I need to be measuring to accomplish (I think the thrust) and still be within the proper ranges for the motor. I always overcompensate with the ESC since I don’t like that burnt smell. It kind of spoils a good day when that happens. The Goal is Efficient Thrust
Let me be very clear: the only goal for a power system is to provide thrust efficiently. Everything else is secondary.
Optimize the power system for the airspeed at which you are going to be flying most of the time. I call this the cruise airspeed. In this steady state situation, the thrust from the propeller has to match the drag on the airplane as a whole.
A practical model airplane also needs to provide thrust at other flying airspeeds. For example, at zero airspeed when at the start of the take off. But efficiency at this airspeed is not important, since you are only going to be in the process of taking off for a few seconds.
You also need to have excess thrust to climb and to accelerate. But again, efficiency in these situations is usually not too important.
Measuring Efficiency
Efficiency of a power system is output power divided by input power. You would need a series of sensors to accurately measure the efficiency of your power system during cruising flight. At a minimum measure the input power coming from the battery in watts (volts * amps). You also need an air pressure or pitot tube to measure the airspeed. Technically you also need to measure the battery temperature to gauge the loss of efficiency within the battery pack itself.
Something like an Eagle Tree eLogger can take and record these measurements. This is an off-the-shelf solution that is not terribly expensive.
Drawbacks to In-Flight Data Gathering
I understand why fully instrumenting your model airplane to collect in-flight data is not too popular. An eLogger with sensors will set you back about $150. Not too bad, but not free, either.
The bigger problem is time. It takes time to install the eLogger and sensors in your model airplane. It takes time to test fly all the different propellers that you want to measure. It takes time to analyze all the data that you would collect.
Measuring Thrust on the Bench
What most of us do instead is bench test the power system. Measuring the thrust from a propeller on the bench involves a bit of work but is very doable. The main challenge here is minimizing the thrust measurement errors.
You see, propellers do not behave the same way at zero airspeed than they do at cruising airspeed. With a thin electric propeller, the results will be unpredictable if the blade angle is more than ten degrees. The propeller in that case could be partially or fully stalled on the bench.
If the blade pitch angle is not too high, the bench results will be reasonably accurate.
Extrapolating from RPM to Thrust
It is a lot easier to measure the RPM of a propeller than to measure its thrust. Can you measure the RPM of a propeller on the bench and use that as a facsimile for the thrust it will produce at the cruising airspeed? Well, only as a poor substitute.
First, you need to be very careful with slow flyer propellers. These propellers distort at high RPMs. In fact, you could get to the point where increasing the RPM does not give you any more thrust. If you want to bench test these by measuring the RPM, stay well within their normal operating RPM range.
I have learned that low quality electric propellers distort even at moderate RPMs. They really behave more like slow flyer propellers.
Even if you avoid these pitfalls, there is no reliable way to extrapolate from a given RPM to the amount of thrust produced on the bench. Different brands of propellers behave differently. Even the diameter and pitch values printed on a propeller are often wrong.
Measuring Input Power
Using a wattmeter to measure the input power on the bench is pretty easy. But that is only the input side of the power system equation. If that is all you do, ignoring the amount of thrust produced, you are really just poking around in the dark. The efficiency of the motor and the propeller vary quite a bit. You would also be ignoring the loss of efficiency inside the battery pack, which in some cases can be quite large.
Recommended Approach
I hate to say it, but it is exactly these types of challenges that drove me to write my electric power system calculator in the first place.
The results from the calculator are only as good as the input data. I already wrote a series of articles that took you step by step through the process of measuring the motor constants. Someday I will write a similar series of articles on how to measure the propeller constants.
What did you say? That you have never heard of the propeller constants? You are wondering why propeller manufacturers never publish those, like they do the motor constants? These are all excellent questions! The answers will be in a future article.
Bottom line: relying on just a wattmeter, or a wattmeter and tachometer combination, is just not a good way to measure and increase the efficiency of your power system. I wish I had better news.
Test flying your model until the battery runs down and only using a stopwatch has value. The main challenge is matching the airspeed across test flights.
Avoiding Burnt Components
An entirely different issue is keeping the blue smoke inside your motor and speed control. That has really nothing to do with increasing its efficiency, but of course if you are trying out different propellers you are at risk of overloading your power system.
In practice, it is harder to burn up your components than it used to be. Batteries have gotten so good that staying within their C rating is usually not a problem. Most (all?) modern speed controls have thermal overload protection. If they are shutting themselves down, chances are that they will also protect the motor from damage in the process.
Regardless, bench testing the power system at 100% throttle with a wattmeter is still good advice. | 8,531 | 3,652 | 2.33598 |
warc | 201704 | This book covers in detail and in an integrated manner the entire process of materials management in its actual applicationa topic crucial to all manufacturing units. The author discusses the procedures, policies and systems required to govern and monitor the systematic and cost-effective procurement of materials and to manage related activities.The book also highlights the various interest groups and stakeholders that an integrated materials management system encompasses and the different roles that each of these stakeholders play. Emphasising practical applications, the author encompasses all the key aspects of materials management, including: - the purchase function - sourcing the right material - managing inventories - overseas procurement, including managing transit risks - logistics of material movement | 822 | 422 | 1.947867 |
warc | 201704 | This study focused on measuring spatial market integration between urban and rural food markets in South Africa. The study was influenced by continual debate on the issue of high food price increases among the basic agricultural foods which have impact on food price differentials that exists in market locations. Higher food price differentials between market locations can have negative implications for households’ livelihoods. In South Africa the majority of lower-income earners live in rural areas, which implies that the disposable incomes of those households are affected differently by higher price differentials. To ensure that there are lower price differentials between market locations, spatial market integration is required.The main objective of this study was to measure spatial market integration between urban and rural food markets. This objective was achieved through the modelling of secondary price data of the 2.5 kg package of super maize meal. Data used in the study was collected by the NAMC and Stats SA during the period of November 2006 to July 2012. The study used a co-integration model, together with the Vector Error Correction Model (VECM) and the Autoregressive Distributive Lag (ADL) model.The study revealed that out of the nine markets which were measured for spatial integration, six of the rural food markets were co-integrated with urban markets. Estimation of the six co-integrated markets with the VECM revealed a long-run equilibrium relationship between urban and rural food markets. The VECM results further showed different speeds of price adjustments to the long-run equilibrium which was faster (65% on average) in five markets and slower (40 %) in one market. The fast speed of price adjustment to long-run equilibrium relationships suggests that transaction costs have significant effects on markets linkages. Markets also showed different time of adjustments which was between three and five months. Short-run dynamic effects were found in only three markets and could not be established in the other six rural food markets. Price information flow, transportation costs and transaction costs are seen as bottlenecks that prohibit integration of markets in the short run. With regard to price relationships, the study found statistically significant differences between urban and all rural food market mean prices. This suggested that the price of 2.5 kg maize meal was generally high in all rural markets, as compared with urban markets. Markets with very high price increases were those located in the lower production potential areas of the maize commodity.The Impulse Response Function (IRF) was employed to establish the effects of negative and positive price transmission shocks from the urban to the rural food markets. One standard deviation was put into the model to establish the response of markets to shocks. The markets tested revealed a period of between two and eleven months for the negative and positive impulses to be cleared in all the markets. A high degree of spatial market integration was found when negative and positive shocks did not exhibit price diversion from the long-run equilibrium relationship.
Description:
Dissertation (MScAgric)--University of Pretoria, 2015. | 3,255 | 1,387 | 2.346792 |
warc | 201704 | Carbon dynamics of a dairy pasture: annual balance and impact of cultivation CitationExport citation
Wallace, D. F. (2010). Carbon dynamics of a dairy pasture: annual balance and impact of cultivation (Thesis, Master of Science (MSc)). The University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/10289/4343
Permanent Research Commons link: http://hdl.handle.net/10289/4343
Abstract
Maintenance of soil carbon (C) content is important because a relatively small percentage change in the global soil C store has the potential to cause a large change in atmospheric CO₂ concentration. Losses of soil C can also lead to a decline in soil quality and its capacity to be productive and carry out other services such as the filtering of pollutants. Globally, research on soil C dynamics has largely focused on forests, croplands and natural grasslands, while intensively grazed pasture has received much less attention. In New Zealand, the dynamics of soil C content and C cycling in intensively grazed dairy systems are poorly understood but large losses of soil C (1 t C ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹) have recently been reported for grazed dairy pastures. The objective of this research was to build on current knowledge of the C balance of intensively grazed dairy farm systems. To achieve this objective, net ecosystem CO₂ exchange (NEE) and water use efficiency (WUE) were measured over intensively grazed dairy pasture using eddy covariance from 15 December 2007 to 15 December 2009. Net ecosystem carbon balances (NECB) were then calculated for 2008 & 2009 from NEE measurements combined with measurements and estimates of C imports (feed) and C exports (milk, silage, methane). A further objective was to determine the impact of periodic cultivation of contrasting soils on the C balance of a dairy farm. To achieve this objective, measurements of soil CO₂ emissions were made using the closed chamber technique following the cultivation of three paddocks of Horotiu soil (Typic Orthic Allophanic) and three paddocks of Te Kowhai soil (Typic Orthic Gley). Annual NEE of the farm was -1,212 ± 500 kg C ha⁻¹ for 2008 and -2,280 ± 500 kg C ha⁻¹ for 2009. Including imports and exports of C to the farm resulted in an annual NECB of -199 ± 500 kg C ha⁻¹ and -1,014 ± 500 kg C ha⁻¹ for 2008 and 2009, respectively. Applied uncertainty is at 90% confidence bound and derived from previous studies reported in the literature. The site was a net sink of C during both 2008 and 2009 in agreement with EC studies performed over grasslands in Europe. The large difference in NEE and NECB between years was due to a drought in 2008, when the site was a C source for the first four months of this year. Average daily water use efficiency (WUE) for 2008 (4 g C kg⁻¹H₂O) and 2009 (4.2 g C kg⁻¹ H₂O) were not substantially different between years and agreed with international field and laboratory studies for pasture. Soil CO₂ loss following cultivation was measured using the closed chamber technique. During the period of cultivation photosynthesis ceased, and potential C input (NEE) to pasture during this time was estimated at -750 kg C ha⁻¹from the adjacent EC study site. To calculate the maximum net soil CO₂₋C loss the potential C input from photosynthesis (NEE) must be added to measured CO₂ emissions. Total soil C loss from the Te Kowhai was between 2,880 kg C ha⁻¹ (CO₂ flux only) and 3,742 kg C ha⁻¹ (CO₂ flux + NEE) while the Horotiu soil lost between 2,082 kg C ha⁻¹(CO₂ flux only) and 2,944 kg C ha⁻¹ (CO₂ flux + NEE). The significant difference in C loss between the two soils was likely a result of their contrasting clay mineralogy and drainage. The Horotiu soil contains allophanic clays with a very high specific surface area, which protects soil C from decomposition. Additionally, poorly drained soils such as the Te Kowhai tend to lose more C following cultivation due to aeration caused by cultivation which increases oxygen penetration into the soil and accelerates decomposition of soil C. Based on these results this grazed pasture was a net sink of C for 2008 and 2009 which is in contrast to the measured decline of 1 t C ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ from New Zealand’s flat to rolling dairy pastures. Cultivation of dairy pasture soil resulted in net C losses, however, these losses were not large enough to account for the measured decline in soil C from New Zealand’s flat to rolling dairy pastures. Further research is required to investigate long term soil C recovery following initial cultivation of pasture in order to be confident of this conclusion.
Date2010 Type Degree Name Supervisors Publisher
The University of Waikato
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Collections Masters Degree Theses [1552] | 5,109 | 2,195 | 2.327563 |
warc | 201704 | One of my recently-discovered TV shows is Person of Interest starring Jim Caviezel and Michael Emerson. It was introduced to me by my housemate, Aaron, so thanks to him I’ve been binge-watching the last four seasons on Netflix.
I don’t want to give too much away, but the basic gist of the show’s storyline is that a man named Harold has built an extremely advanced artificial intelligence which he simply refers to as “The Machine”.
One of my favourite scenes from Season 4 was a flashback in episode 11 (“If-then-else”) where we see Harold teaching The Machine to play chess. The Machine is taking a very long time to make its opening moves because it is checking all the possible moves and permutations. The Machine is effectively stuck in what is commonly known as “Analysis Paralysis”, so Harold speaks to the machine. Harold’s dialogue in the show is typically very profound, but I found what he says in this scene particularly striking.
Each possible move [in chess] represents a different game… By the second move, there are 72,084 possible games. By the third, 9 million. By the fourth there are more possible games of chess than there are atoms in the universe. No one could possibly predict them all, even you. Which means that that first move can be terrifying. It’s the furthest point from the end of the game, there’s a virtually infinite sea of possibilities between you and the other side. But it also means that if you make a mistake, there’s a nearly infinite amount of ways to fix it. So you should simply relax and play.
– Harold Finch, Person of Interest
My personality type certainly predisposes me towards Analysis Paralysis. Like The Machine, I’m often afraid of making a mistake, so much so that I spend protracted periods of time considering all the options and possible consequences. Now while prudence is a good thing, this kind of analysis can be debilitating. It’s a problem when you’re so risk averse that you never actually take a course of action.
It is here that I find Harold’s words comforting. In life, much like in a game a chess, it’s virtually impossible to check every possible scenario and say for absolute certain what will happen, but the sooner you start, the sooner you can make adjustments.
“So…simply relax and play”. | 2,389 | 1,206 | 1.980929 |
warc | 201704 | Year
2011
Degree Name
Master of Computer Science
Department
School of Computer Science and Software Engineering
Recommended Citation
Li, Nan, Self-certified digital signatures, Master of Computer Science thesis, School of Computer Science and Software Engineering, University of Wollongong, 2011. http://ro.uow.edu.au/theses/3404
Abstract
Digital signatures are used for proving the authorship of a given message. It is an important primitive of modern cryptography. To verify a signature, a user has to be equipped with a valid public key of the signer. A public key certificate issued by a trusted third party is required for public key authentication. It is necessary to verify the validity of a public key prior to verifying a signature, through a Public Key Infrastructure (PKI). However, the complexity of certificate management [ARP03] is a problem. Although the notion of identity-based signatures [Sha85] is introduced as a solution, key escrow is still an inherent problem.
The efficiency of a signature scheme and the size of a signature are two important aspects in evaluating a signature scheme. Taking PKI-based ring signature schemes as an example, they are inefficient in a large scale of applications [ALSY07]. This is due to the transport and verification costs of public key certificates. Low computational cost for signature signing and verification processes is required in practice. This thesis provides an efficient scheme to solve public key certificate management and key escrow problems, and reduce the communication cost of ring signature schemes.
To eliminate the need of public key certificates from traditional PKI and the problem of key escrow in identity-based cryptography, the concept of self-certified public keys was put forth by Girault [Gir91]. In this thesis, we propose an efficient and novel self-certified signature scheme, which requires only one modular multiplication in signing with pre-computation. One of the features of our scheme lies in its batch verification in both single-signer and multi-signer settings. Pairing computations in the batch verification are independent from the number of signatures. Our scheme is proved to be secure in the random oracle model.
Two similar solutions of the certificate management problem and the key escrow problem were proposed in 2003, namely certificateless public key cryptography andcertificate-based cryptography. In the signing process, both of them require two pieces of information where one is from a trusted third party and the other is chosen by a user itself. The validity of a user's public key is implicitly verified during the signature verification. However, it is different in self-certified signature schemes. The user's public key can not only be implicitly verified in the verification algorithm, but can also be computed explicitly. The computational cost of signature verification is reduced since there is no need to verify the user's public key after a valid key has been recovered. However, in the either certificateless signature schemes or certificatebased signature schemes, public key verifications are indispensable.
We also present a new notion called self-certified ring signatures (SCRS), to provide an alternative solution to the certificate management problem in ring signatures and eliminate the key escrow problem in identity-based ring signatures. A precise definition and elaborated security model of SCRS are provided, along with a concrete construction. We prove that our proposed scheme is secure in the random oracle model. This scheme captures all features of ring signatures, and exhibits the advantages of low storage, communication and computation cost. | 3,704 | 1,549 | 2.39122 |
warc | 201704 | Abstract
Pomelos (
Citrus maxima) are known for their thick peel which—inter alia—serves as energy dissipator when fruits impact on the ground after being shed. It protects the fruit from splitting open and thus enables the contained seeds to stay germinable and to potentially be dispersed by animal vectors. The main part of the peel consists of a parenchymatous tissue that can be interpreted from a materials point of view as open pored foam whose struts are pressurized and filled with liquid. In order to investigate the influence of the water content on the energy dissipation capacity, drop weight tests were conducted with fresh and with freeze-dried peel samples. Based on the coefficient of restitution it was found that freeze-drying markedly reduces the relative energy dissipation capacity of the peel. Measuring the transmitted force during impact furthermore indicated a transition from a uniform collapse of the foam-like tissue to a progressive collapse due to water extraction. Representing the peel by a Maxwell model illustrates that freeze-drying not only drastically reduces the damping function of the dashpots but also stiffens the springs of the model. 1. Introduction
The thick peel of the pomelo (
Citrus maxima) gives rise to the question of its ‘biological purpose’, especially as it constitutes a large amount of the fruit's volume and thus is quite cost-intensive for the plant in terms of material consumption. Free-fall tests with whole pomelos showed that the peel constitutes—besides other functions—an impact protection layer, preventing the fruit from splitting open when impacting on the ground after being shed, and thereby from being afflicted by mould spores or decaying bacteria [1,2]. This is particularly relevant as on the one hand mould and bacteria reduce the germination capacity of the contained seeds [3] and, on the other hand, destructive fungi and microbes compete with bigger animals for these resources [4,5] and render the fruits unpalatable for potential seed dispersing animals [4,6,7].
From an anatomical point of view the pomelo peel is very similar to that of other
Citrus fruits [8] with the sole difference that it is much thicker. Apart from the epidermis which—together with few hypodermal cell layers—emerges from the exocarp, it consists of flavedo and albedo, which both emerge from the mesocarp. Whereas the flavedo consists of tightly packed parenchymatic cells, the albedo exhibits considerable air-filled intercellular spaces, gradually changing in size towards the fruit pulp [9]. Even though the albedo exhibits large intercellular spaces, neighbouring cells are in direct plasmodesmatal connection [8]. The albedo also constitutes the largest part of the peel. Except for the lignified vascular bundles running through the whole peel, and the collenchymatous hypodermis, the peel consists of parenchymatous cells which only have a primary cell wall. The cell wall can be regarded as a fibre matrix compound consisting of cellulose fibres and the cell wall matrix, whose main constituents are pectins and hemicelluloses [10]. This cell wall encloses the living tonoplast which is filled with liquid and organelles. Extensive work about the hierarchically structured plant cell walls is available [11–13] and the mechanical properties of cell walls are reviewed in Agoda-Tandjawa et al. [14].
Unlike many other biological cellular materials, e.g. apple cortex, which can be regarded as a pressurized fluid-filled closed cell foam [10], cork, which can be regarded as an air-filled honeycomb [15], or trabecular bone, which can be seen as an open celled foam [16], the albedo represents an open celled foam whose struts (consisting of elongated parenchyma cells) are pressurized and filled with fluid. The mechanical properties of the peel are influenced on the one hand by the mesoscopic structure of the tissue but, on the other hand, they also depend on the individual strut cells that become more flaccid owing to displacement of cell fluids out of the cell [17].
Relaxation tests showed that this peel is highly viscoelastic and that its mechanical behaviour can be represented in good approximation by a Maxwell model [18]. This means that the mechanical behaviour can be modelled by means of hookean springs and dashpots. In the specific case the mechanical behaviour of the pomelo peel is represented as a parallel array of one spring and three Maxwell elements, which for their part consist of a spring and a dashpot in series [18].
The aim of this work is to analyse the influence that the water content of the cells (and cell walls), constituting the struts of the foam-like tissue, has on the energy dissipation capacity of the pomelo peel under dynamic loading situations. For this purpose, fresh and freeze-dried peel samples were compared by submitting them to drop weight tests allowing for the calculation of the coefficient of restitution (COR), which is the ratio of rebound velocity to impact velocity of the impactor. This parameter is a constant that depends not only on the material properties of the impacting bodies but also on the impact velocity. It indicates the degree of elasticity of an impact and can take values between 0 (perfectly plastic impact) to 1 (perfectly elastic impact) [19].
2. Material and methods 2.1. Sample preparation
Cylindrical peel samples used for the drop weight tests were prepared from whole pomelos (
C. maxima variety ‘honey pomelo’) with the aid of a cork borer (for details see [18]). In order to remove all remnants of the fruit pulp they were trimmed with a razor blade (see also [18]). From each individual fruit, samples for being tested in a fresh state as well as samples for being freeze-dried before testing were prepared, so as to minimize the influence of natural variability of individual fruits on the test results. 2.2. Freeze-drying of the samples
Samples were quenched in liquid nitrogen and subsequently vacuum freeze-dried overnight in a Christ Alpha 2–4 LCS freeze-dryer (Martin Christ Gefriertrocknungsanlagen GmbH, Osterode am Harz, Germany) at 2°C and 1.25 mbar. After removing from the freeze-dryer the samples were stored for a maximum of 2 days over silica gel (Carl Roth GmbH+
Co. KG, Karlsruhe, Germany) until being tested. 2.3. Mechanical tests
The dynamic tests were performed on a custom-made drop weight test rig as illustrated in figure 1. It consists of flat-ended rigid aluminium impactor (0.0605 kg) that is dropped from a given height onto the sample. The impact velocity is regulated by adjusting the drop height of the impactor by means of a release pin inserted into holes at specific heights of the guiding tube (0.125 m–1.250 m). The sample is placed on a steel anvil under which a 20 kN force sensor (model 8402–6020, Burster Präzisionsmesstechnik GmbH & Co KG, Gernsbach, Germany) is mounted which records the force exerted by the impactor and transmitted through the sample (raw data in the electronic supplementary material). The sampling rate is 10 kHz. A high-speed camera (model MotionPro Y4, Integrated Design Tools, Inc., Tallahassee, FL, USA) records the impactor striking the sample, at 16 300 fps (four exemplary compressed videos in the electronic supplementary material). The whole system is mounted on a massive granite pedestal (
ca 95 kg). Releasing of the impactor triggers the data acquisition of the force sensor and the recording of the high-speed camera. 2.4. Data evaluation
The velocity of the impactor (
v 1) immediately prior to striking the pomelo peel sample was calculated as follows:2.1with h being the drop height of the impactor and g the gravitational acceleration (=9.81 m s −2). The rebound velocity ( v 2) of the impactor was assessed by analysing the high-speed videos using the motion tracking software Motion Studio 2.11.00 (Integrated Design Tools, Inc., Tallahassee, FL, USA) (raw data in the electronic supplementary material). In order to enable the software to properly track the impactor, the latter was marked with a stochastic pattern. After calibration of the system, using a video frame that shows a reference scale made with exactly the same setting, seven marking points were randomly chosen to be tracked. The velocity of the impactor was calculated by averaging the velocities of the individual track points (figure 2). The intersection of the linear regression lines (the regression can be assumed to be linear as the time period is very short), calculated from the velocity versus time data points of the impact phase and the rebound phase, was defined as the rebound velocity ( v 2).
The COR is the absolute value of the ratio of
v 2 to v 1:2.2The relative kinetic energy (Δ E kin,rel.) that was dissipated by the peel sample during impact was calculated as follows:2.3with m being the mass of the impactor and its kinetic energy E kin being2.4The raw data from the force sensor were processed using the R software package (v. 2.15.3). For each individual drop test dataset, the measured forces were corrected by the baseline offset which was computed from acquired data points before the actual impact (free-fall phase of the impactor, figure 2). The time of the beginning ( t 1) and end ( t 2) of the impulse was determined manually for each set of data. The impulse ( I), i.e. the area under the force ( F) versus time ( t) curve, is given by integral (2.5) which was solved numerically by applying Simpson's rule.2.5The accuracy of the force signal was validated by comparing the values of I calculated according to equation (2.5) with values for I that were calculated by performing a momentum balance (equation (2.6)) [20] (hereafter referred to as I and i I mb, respectively). 2.6 Combining (2.5) and (2.6) gives (2.7). 2.7 Note that impact velocity ( v 1) and rebound velocity ( v 2) are vector values and therefore opposed in sign, v 2being negative.
The maximal compression (i.e. maximum strain) of the peel sample was determined by direct measurements from the high-speed videos using the Fiji image processing package [21]. As high-speed videography faces the trade-off between temporal and spatial resolution, the video frames had a maximum spatial resolution of 1016×260 px. For this reason, the aforementioned measurements were validated by calculating the (maximum) strain indirectly from the force sensor signal using the formula (2.8), which gives the peel sample displacement
x( t),2.8and2.9which gives the strain ε( t), with l 0 being the sample height [20]. 3. Results
Freezing of the peel samples via liquid nitrogen led to freeze-cracking of the peel tissue in some cases (figure 3). Especially the denser regions of the samples, i.e. epidermis and flavedo of the peel, were affected (figure 3
a). Specimens with visible cracks in the mesocarp were discarded. The mean mass loss owing to water sublimation during freeze-drying was 78.99±1.89%. A tendency was found that higher samples, resulting from a thicker part of the pomelo peel, had a slightly greater weight loss. The reduction in height of the samples was found to be 4.52±5.35%. As the lateral shrinkage was anisotropic (figure 3 b), it was measured at three different positions: at the epidermis (lateral shrinkage: 10.47±2.29%), at the middle of the sample height (lateral shrinkage: 13.11±2.64%) and at the top of the sample, corresponding to the most inner part of the peel (lateral shrinkage: 10.02±3.01%).
The COR is a measure of the elasticity of an impact, and as such it is an important parameter for the analysis of the experiments depicted above. Figure 4 shows the COR for fresh and for freeze-dried pomelo peel samples that were compressed by a rigid impactor that was dropped from different heights. Two facts become obvious: (i) the COR is strongly related to the drop height of the impactor, it decreases with increasing drop height, and thus also with increasing impact velocity, and (ii) freeze-dried samples behave more elastic during an impact than fresh samples.
The relative fraction of dissipated kinetic energy during the impact by the samples is shown in figure 5. For the range of impactor drop heights used during these tests, fresh samples dissipated a greater fraction of the kinetic energy of the impactor (cf. equation (2.3)) than did the freeze-dried samples. For both types of samples the energy dissipation increased with the impactor drop height.
Figure 6 shows four representative force versus time curves of the force exerted by the impactor on the pomelo peel samples and recorded by the sensor. The curves originate from tests where the impactor was dropped from 0.125 m (minimal drop height) and 1.250 m (maximal drop height), respectively, onto fresh and freeze-dried samples. For reasons of better comparability, samples with a similar height were chosen for the respective exemplary force versus time curves. In the case of the 0.125 m drop height for the fresh peel sample, the impact duration is longer and the peak force is lower as compared with the same variables in the case of the freeze-dried sample. In the case of the 1.250 m drop height, the fresh peel sample shows a higher peak force, whereas the impact duration is almost the same as for the freeze-dried sample (a detailed presentation of these values can be seen in figures 8 and 9 and will be analysed later). Freeze-drying also led to a double peak in most of the force signals (for the drop heights 0.125 m and 0.250 m, however, it was less pronounced), while fresh peel samples did not entail this feature, except for very few datasets. The area under the force curve (shaded areas in figure 6) represents the impulse and, as can be seen from equation (2.7), is an appropriate method to validate the force signal. If the impulse as calculated from the momentum balance (equation (2.6)) is the same as the impulse as calculated by integrating the force curve (equation (2.5)), which are independent measuring methods, the force signal can be regarded as reliable. The ratio of both values is represented in figure 7.
The individual impact durations of the impactor striking the peel samples are shown in figure 8. It can be seen that for low drop heights, the impact duration is longer for fresh samples compared with freeze-dried samples. In fresh peel samples the impact duration markedly increases with increasing sample height. This tendency is much less pronounced for freeze-dried samples.
Contrary to the impact duration, the peak of the transmitted force tends to decrease with increasing sample height and to increase with increasing impactor drop height (figure 9). Also in this case the relationship is more pronounced in fresh samples. Owing to lateral shrinkage of the samples during freeze-drying, the differences of peak stresses between fresh samples and freeze-dried samples are higher than could be expected from the force versus time curves alone. Stresses in freeze-dried samples would be relatively higher than in fresh samples. As, however, the lateral shrinkage was anisotropic in the tested samples, we forbear from presenting stress calculations for the tested samples.
Measurement of the maximum strain (e.g. maximum compression) was performed in two different ways: (i) by integrating the force signal (see equations (2.8) and (2.9)) and (ii) by analysing the high-speed videos of the impact. Figure 10 shows that for fresh samples both methods yielded very similar values, with significant differences only at impactor drop heights of 1.125 m and 0.75 m. In the case of freeze-dried samples, the values for maximum strain resulting from the different measuring methods differ more strongly from each other. The differences between fresh samples and freeze-dried samples are significant for drop heights from 0.125 m to 0.875 m, independently from the measuring method.
4. Discussion
Freeze-drying of biological (plant) tissues not only removes the water from the protoplast by ice sublimation but also the amorphous cell wall matrix is dehydrated, inducing glass transition, which renders the formerly ‘rubbery’ and viscoelastic cell wall ‘glassy’ and more elastic. Water thus has a severe impact on the mechanical properties of the peel parenchyma, which are mainly governed by the cell wall properties and the turgor pressure [22,23]. The latter results from the protoplast, which is filled with an incompressible and highly viscous fluid, the cell sap, exerting hydrostatic pressure against the cell wall. The turgor loss of the individual cells, as well as contraction stresses resulting from mechanical disequilibrium due to ice sublimation, explain the shrinkage of samples that could be observed. As the parenchymatous tissue of the peel samples exhibits a density gradient [9], the shrinkage was slightly anisotropic (figure 3). During slow freezing ice crystals tend to grow outside cells, entailing damage by cell collapse and rupture [24]. Therefore, and because of the relatively large volume of some samples, we decided to induce fast freezing by quenching the samples into liquid nitrogen, which resulted in freeze-cracking of some of the samples. Even though freeze-cracked samples were discarded, it cannot be completely ruled out that some samples had small internal cracks.
In an earlier paper, we depicted how the relaxation of fresh pomelo peel samples can be represented by a Maxwell model consisting of one hookean spring and three Maxwell elements [18]. Even though this is a phenomenological model, and thus the individual springs and dashpots cannot directly be related to the composition and the structural features of the plant tissue [19], it is useful for the interpretation of mechanical data. In a first order approximation, the springs can be assigned to the cell wall cellulose fibrils and microfibrils and the dashpots to the cell-wall matrix [25] and the cell sap contained in the protoplast. The finding that the COR of the impactor generally is higher for freeze-dried peel samples compared with fresh samples, which is an indication for a more elastic impact, allows to hypothesize that freeze-drying diminishes the viscous component of the pomelo peel. This is in line with the finding of Telis
et al. [26] that dried foods generally are more rigid than fresh products and that they become more elastic, which was also shown for raisins [27,28] and prunes [29]. This shift in properties can be explained by the fact that forcing cell fluids through cell membranes and the cell walls is responsible for a large amount of the viscoelastic behaviour that plant cells exhibit when being compressed [17,30]. As stated by Niklas [23], evacuation of cell fluids through intercellular spaces, which in the case of pomelo peel are quite large, can also result in considerable viscous resistance. Figuratively speaking, freeze-drying removes the viscous liquid from the dashpots.
As the mesoscopic structural features of the peel samples remain in first approximation unaltered during freeze-drying [31], it can be said that the decrease of the COR with increasing impact velocity, is mainly based on these structural features and thus affects both fresh samples and freeze-dried samples. This overall loss in elasticity with increasing impact velocity can thus be regarded as plastic and/or visco-plastic failure of the sample. In fresh samples the cells probably burst under fast loading with high impacting forces, because the cell fluids have not enough time to evacuate from the protoplast as the permeability of the plasma membrane is limited [23]. The freeze-dried cells fail in a more brittle manner. The effect of moisture on artificial plant cell walls was shown by Cybulska
et al. [32], who reported a marked increase in brittleness of artificial cell walls with decreasing relative humidity. The double peak in the force–time curve (figure 6) that resulted from compacting freeze-dried samples suggests shear failure within the sample. Plastic shear failure of freeze-dried samples extends the impact duration by creating macroscopic (internal) crack surfaces and thus leads to a reduced force peak especially for higher impact energies. Fresh peel samples tend to fail in a more uniform manner. These findings could be used for deriving a more sophisticated phenomenological model by incorporating friction, fracture and/or contact elements [33–35] or by introducing two-dimensional arrays of conventional elastic and viscous elements [17,35].
The finding that fresh peel samples were further compressed during impact than freeze-dried samples—at least for impactor drop heights between 0.125 m and 0.875 m where the difference is significant—results in an increased stiffness of the hookean springs of the Maxwell model for freeze-dried samples. It can safely be said that this is caused by the dehydration of the cell walls on a microscopic level, which is corroborated by Niklas [23] who stated that dehydrated tissues typically have higher Young's moduli. Also Lewicki
et al. [36] found that water loss during drying resulted in rigidification of cell walls, which is probably due to the fact that only a highly hydrated, amorphous cell wall matrix allows for gliding or ‘slipping’ of the cellulose microfibrils. When the matrix of the cell wall is hydrated, the pectins of the matrix can behave as gel [23]. As a result, freeze-dried pomelo peel samples dissipate less of the kinetic energy of the striking impactor than do fresh samples.
The main task of every impact absorber serving, for example, as padding in the packaging industry or as personal protection gear that aims to reduce severe injuries is to keep the forces that occur during a drop or a crash at an undercritical level [37,38]. For an impact of a given energy, this means that it is favourable to extend the impact duration during which the force acts and thus to keep the force at every moment of the impact below the critical value.
Verification of the force sensor data by comparing
I i and I mb (figure 7) shows that it is quite reliable and that the parameters extracted from the force curves can be trusted. It can be seen that the impact duration for fresh peel samples being compacted is strongly related to the sample height, while this is not the case for freeze-dried samples (or only to a very much lesser extent). This finding may be explained by a more uniform collapse of the fresh peel tissue that occurs during impact, i.e. these samples are uniformly deformed over their entire height as opposed to progressively collapsing freeze-dried samples where layer after layer is collapsing (cf. [39]). This behaviour is also reflected by the peak impact force that is decreasing with sample height in the case of fresh samples, whereas it stays more or less constant in the case of freeze-dried samples, probably also due to the aforementioned shear failure that occurs at a specific critical stress. The more fresh samples are compacted, the stiffer they become as cells in the whole sample are tautened [9], whereas during progressive collapsing in freeze-dried samples the failure of each layer happens at the same stress (owing to the anisotropy of the shrinkage, calculation of exact stress values would lead to spurious results). As the peel, however, exhibits a density gradient, the compacting pattern also depends on the exact layer of the peel that is being compacted; the less dense peel regions are collapsing first as the force acts on fewer struts and thus the stress for the individual strut is higher [18]. The comparably high peaks of force that occur during the impact of fresh samples when the impactor falls from relatively great heights is caused by the fact that the samples are bottoming out owing to their relatively low stiffness.
Finally, it should be pointed out that these results cannot directly be related to the effects that occur during the impact of a whole pomelo fruit: partly because also the fruit pulp deforms and is involved in energy dissipation, but mostly because the peel as such must be regarded as an integral functional unit. Excising samples from the peel in order to test them does not reflect the intact peel's mechanical behaviour in all its sophisticatedness but helps to understand the importance of specific peel structures and the dependence on cell and tissue properties as such, e.g. water content.
5. Conclusion
By performing drop weight experiments, it was shown that the water contained in the living cells constituting the peel parenchyma of the pomelo (
C. maxima) peel has a strong impact on its mechanical properties. Based on the COR, it was found that freeze-drying clearly reduces the relative energy dissipation capacity of the peel. Measuring the transmitted force during impact furthermore indicated a transition from uniform collapse of the fresh foam-like tissue to progressive collapse due to water extraction in freeze-dried samples. Representing the peel as a Maxwell model led to the conclusion that freeze-drying not only drastically reduces the damping function of the dashpots but also stiffens the springs of the model. These effects are caused on the one hand by the lack of damping, which in fresh samples is caused by forcing cell fluids to flow through cell membranes and walls, and on the other hand, by changes of the mechanical properties of the cell walls. Data accessibility
The raw data supporting this article can be viewed at doi:10.6094/UNIFR/10090.
Authors' contributions
M.T. participated in designing the study, in carrying out the experiments, and in interpreting and discussing the data, analysed the data and drafted the manuscript; T.S. participated in interpreting and discussing the data; R.S. participated in designing the study, carrying out the experiments and discussing the data. All authors gave final approval for publication.
Competing interests
We have no competing interests.
Funding
The authors acknowledge the German Research Foundation (DFG) for funding this project within the priority programme 1420 ‘Biomimetic Materials Research: Functionality by Hierarchical Structuring of Materials’.
Acknowledgements
We gratefully acknowledge the help from J. Schmidt and D. Schächtele from the technical workshop of the Institute of Biology II/II, University of Freiburg, for technical support during the development of the drop weight test rig. We also thank E. Heizmann and UNIVEG Freiburg, Germany, for providing the pomelos and the Beyer workgroup, Institute of Biology II, University of Freiburg, for putting their freeze-dryer at our disposal.
Received September 20, 2014. Accepted May 14, 2015.
© 2015 The Authors. Published by the Royal Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/, which permits unrestricted use, provided the original author and source are credited. | 27,082 | 10,359 | 2.614345 |
warc | 201704 | Deserts are very hot or very cold places that receive less than 10 inches of annual rainfall. They are vast areas of extremely dry barren, rocky or sandy landscapes that have sparse or no vegetation. Deserts are one of the planet's main types of ecosystems occupying around 20 percent of the Earth's surface. There are approximately 20 large deserts and many other smaller ones on the planet. The exact number however, varies because there are substantial differences of opinion about desert boundaries and areas, and also because of changes in climate and landscape.
Deserts of the Americas
The Great Basin (190,000 square miles) is the largest sand and gravel desert in North America. The Chihuahuan Desert (175,000 square miles), a high plateau, stony and mountainous desert in Mexico, is the second-largest and the Colorado Desert (130,000 square miles) is the third largest. The Sonoran Desert (120,000 square miles), covered with sand and gravel, has the most rainfall, whereas the Mojave Desert (15,000 square miles), also covered with sand and gravel plains, has salt flats.
Deserts in South America include the the cold-winter Patagonian (260,000 square miles) desert in Argentina and the cool-coastal Atacama (54,000 square miles) desert in Chile, the driest place on earth.
Deserts of Africa
The Sahara Desert (3.5 million square miles) covers most countries in northern Africa -- an area stretching from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Coast where 4 million people live. It is the largest sandy subtropical desert in the world. Farther south, the Kalahari Desert (220,000 square miles) in southwestern Africa is also a sandy subtropical desert. It spans South Africa, Botswana and Namibia. The Namib Desert, also in southwestern Africa is the oldest desert (13,000 square miles) that has the highest sand dunes on Earth. This cool-coastal desert stretches across the coastal borders of Angola, Namibia and South Africa.
Deserts of Asia
The Arabian Desert (1 million square miles) in southwestern Asia is the largest sandy subtropical desert in the Arabian peninsula, whereas the cold-winter Iranian Desert (100,000 square miles) is the smallest in Asia. Other deserts in Asia include the Gobi (500,000 square miles), a vast plains rocky desert that stretches across China and Mongolia. The Taklamakan (105,000 square miles) is China's largest sand desert. In Central Asia, the Kara-Kum (135,000 square miles) with its black sandy plains, spans across Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan and the Kyzyl-Kum (115,000 square miles) desert stretches across Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan. Farther south, the Thar (175,000 square miles), which has sand plains and hill landforms, stretches across northern India and Pakistan.
Deserts of Australia
Apart from the Antarctica, Australia is the driest continent on Earth. Deserts account for 18 percent of the total land. The Great Victoria Desert is the largest Australian desert. It is a subtropical desert (250,000 square miles) that stretches across western and south Australia. The second largest is the Great Sandy Desert (150,000 square miles) with stretches of red plains and rock formations that span across northern Western Australia. The Gibson Desert, the smaller of the three deserts, is a subtropical desert (120,000 square miles) with sand hills that stretch across Western Australia.
Polar Deserts
The Antarctic in the Southern Hemisphere (5.5 million square miles) is the largest (cold tundra) desert in the world. It receives very little precipitation and thus remains barren and covered in snow most of the year. Likewise, the Arctic is also considered a cold tundra desert. Slightly smaller in size (5.4 million square miles), it stretches across many countries in the Northern Hemisphere, including Alaska, Canada, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia. | 3,858 | 1,557 | 2.477842 |
warc | 201704 | As I’ve learned from dance and yoga teacher training, the gift of a good instructor lies not simply in how much knowledge she may possess or even how well she communicates it, but by how the student progresses as a result of their encounter. I thought of the teacher-student relationship when reading a post on KevinMD.com about a different sort of personal exchange – the one between a doctor and patient.
Cardiac electrophysiologist David Lee Scher, MD, outlines five ways physicians can better engage patients in their health so that medical advice dispensed during an office visit gets put to use in a patient’s everyday life for the long term. Tips include bedside-manner recommendations and effective use of technology as well as involving caregivers in a plan.
From the post:
2. Improve the patient and caregiver knowledge base.Much of patient behavior is driven by fear of the unknown. The purpose of each test and what it entails, the overall suggested plan, the possible diagnoses and their probabilities should all be touched upon. This need not be done in great detail but in a way in which the patient gets the overall picture. The reason for each medication prescribed and its most common potential side effects is something not always done, leaving patients with prescriptions and many questions even five minutes after leaving the office. A well-informed patient is the best patient.
And if you learn best through the combination of audio, visual and kinesthetic cues, check out this video of “The Cardiac Dance | The Spirals of Life,” which uses movement to explain the structure and function of a healthy or diseased heart.
Previously: “You belong here”: A recap of Stanford Medicine X, Why engaging patients in their own care benefits the health-care system, Personal essays highlight importance of cost-conscious medical decisions and Alan Greene talks about Medicine 2.0 and the future of doctor-patient communication | 1,980 | 1,064 | 1.860902 |
warc | 201704 | Edmunds.com, a popular supplier of online automotive pricing tools, thrives on constant innovation. Innovation...
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requires experimentation, which can imply serious risks. Keeping the balance between fast turns and safe steering has required a lot of change in IT at Edmunds.com. Taking on continuous software development let the engineering and operations teams try new ways of programming without introducing undue instability.
According to Ajit Zadgaonkar, senior director of software engineering at Edmunds, there was -- and is -- a shift in the company's focus on technology. The business is driving interest in new technologies such as automation and cloud infrastructure, as well as new techniques such as DevOps and design thinking. When implemented properly, these components naturally add up to continuous software development.
The vice president of engineering and operations at Edmunds Inc., Stephen Felisan, called the switch to continuous delivery a tremendous success, with huge benefits to both the development team and the organization. However, the successes were met with no fanfare whatsoever. According to Felisan, before implementing continuous software development, he heard a lot of complaints about the difficulties of deploying, and afterward he simply heard nothing. "The organization quickly started taking it for granted that automated deployment would just work," he said.
Stephen FelisanVP of engineering and operations, Edmunds Inc.
According to Felisan, the QA organization -- and Edmunds.com in general -- had to go through some difficult changes to make continuous delivery feasible. "A lot of folks don't like change," Felisan said, "and that's not just within the QA team; that's across the board." Although change is often hard, people do tend to accept it once they see the value in it.
Find a more collaborative strategy
The development team once depended on product owners to define requirements, from capability to availability. Developers, project managers and operations now meet with product folks at the beginning of a new development project to come up with preliminary estimates for what the project will require.
"Business folks are frequently just guessing when we ask them about technical details, like how much availability they'll actually need," Zadgaonkar said. Because they lack technical experience, it can be difficult for them tell if their business services will need five nines, or nine nines or only two.
Under Edmunds.com's current continuous software delivery model, the developers and business stakeholders collaborate to write service-level agreements (SLAs) based on design-thinking assessments of business needs and technical capabilities. The SLAs serve as both living requirements and living code documentation. "That information goes into the source code and becomes the responsibility of the people that actually manage it," Felisan said.
He said it makes sense to take those technical aspects out of the purview of the business folks and give it to the development team. Developers know how fragile their applications are, they know how far they can push their applications, and they know how to fix their applications. Sometimes the part that needs fixing is the SLA.
When disconnects arise between what the business is asking for and what development is delivering, the two have to sit down together and cooperatively decide on the right way to get the project back on track. This is where project managers shine. Effective project managers are the collaborative glue that holds teams together and keeps everyone focused on reaching shared goals.
Keeping it all together
The software developers at Edmunds.com had great success with incorporating SLAs into the source code, which prompted them to also incorporate text content and media control of video and pictures from their content management system into the source code. They further expanded their source code to include all the configurations from their infrastructure. Most recently, they've added processes for wikis and other outside sources so they can also be packaged into the source code.
Keeping everything in the source code expands the benefits of continuous software delivery and makes applications at Edmunds.com easier to maintain. The developers there depend on source code management tools from Perforce. "Perforce is foundational," Zadgaonkar said. "We view everything as software, and Perforce keeps all our software in one place." Zadgaonkar was also impressed with the versioning capabilities Perforce offers, which make forensic code analysis much easier. Alternatives to Perforce include Microsoft Team Foundation Server, IBM Rational Team Concert, Apache Subversion and others.
A little history and flavor
Like most enterprise development shops, things have changed a lot at Edmunds.com over the past decade. Prior to 2005, Edmunds.com was taking a Waterfall approach to software development. Then, it started to go Agile and in 2006 decided on an iterative Scrum approach. It spent four years growing as an Agile organization before looking into continuous software development. The real push for continuous delivery started late in 2011 and hit a real height of change in 2012, when the company adopted design thinking.
Design thinking is an approach to innovation championed by Stanford University and embraced by firms such as Ideo. In many ways, design thinking is very similar to Agile development, but it spreads beyond the development of software specifically. Felisan described design thinking as a collaborative process between various roles that keeps the whole team focused on the end goal, rather than their individual roles.
Next Steps
Ancestry.com on its top lessons learned in switching to continuous delivery | 5,971 | 2,635 | 2.266034 |
warc | 201704 | Introduction Acacia Research (NASDAQ:ACTG) is a long misunderstood company with a low valuation vs. its peer group, high underused intellectual property, high capital, little direct competition and strong balance sheet with at least 25% of market capital in its balance sheet.
Through researching assets, which are trading at a bargain compared to its true realized valuation, we have unearthed - Acacia Research Group.
Background
Acacia Research Corporation is an industry captain in patent licensing. To summarize, its business model consists of joint ventures with inventors and patent owners (universities, research labs, corporations, VCs…) to package a portfolio of patents that in turn get licensed to corporate users. ACTG will then negotiate a 50/50 revenue share agreement. This model is repeatable, proven to work, and continues to bring in new patents to license out for more revenue.
Since April 2013, ACTG has generated approximately $936 million in licensing revenue. Through its subsidiaries the company controls over 275 patent portfolios (29% CAGR), covering technologies used across a wide variety of industries (semiconductor, wireless, automotive, medical, energy, and dozens more…).
Currently, Acacia Research has 1,200+ licensing agreements in its portfolio covering 154 technologies and been to trial only 4 times in 10 years (something to keep in mind for discussion below).
ACTG's TTM revenue of $250 MM is still in early stages of revenue potential for existing portfolio base - which represents ~39% CAGR over a six year time-frame. In simple terms, the business is driven by portfolio growth, which leads to revenue-producing licensing programs (that hold dozens of patents and agreements), which then turn into licensing revenue (Income Sheet).
Intellectual property (IP) is one of the most important intangible assets of a company. It is a central component of innovation, and is at the heart of our knowledge driven economy - which represents a growing piece of the total pie.
Intellectual Property: center of innovation and value creation in world economy A patent is a temporary legal monopoly protected by US constitution and issued by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Licensing in US has grown to a $500 billion industry in the last 30 years Criteria for patent: has to be "useful, novel and non-obvious" Controversy: the patent system has been abused by "patent-trolls" who use aggressive tactics to assert frivolous claims (more on this later)
These criteria reduces startups from quickly challenging entrenched industry captains. The ability to monetize and market IP, however, has become increasingly difficult for patent holders without a licensing partner. With a sole focus on this market Acacia has become the dominant player in the partnering / licensing model.
Change in Patent Landscape
Companies are demanding IP monetization and have low resources to do so themselves. Acacia solves this problem. Such a replicable business process gives ACTG a huge advantage. By scaling and expanding licensing programs of existing assets to more licensees, the company continues to generate cash that helps fund its growth in acquiring more partnership programs.
No shortage of controversy; Legal Overview
When it comes to patent infringement, in many cases firms are unaware they've violated someone else's property rights, and thus are very surprised when a claim is made against them. In the process, they become a defacto victim themselves - given there was never any intent of wrongdoing. However, does that mean if someone unknowingly, yet unlawfully, makes use of your property you should just look the other way?
In our opinion, prior knowledge or not, the point is moot. The essential most basic component of our capitalistic society, and arguably the most critical aspect of the west's prosperity, is the ownership of property and the contracts and legal rights attached to it. A robust legal system to enforce these rights, despite the bureaucracy and unwanted externalities it might create, is absolutely necessary and does more good than harm.
Having grown up in a country where corruption is rampant and rights of all kind are arbitrarily violated, I have come to appreciate the US justice system and its contribution to the vitality and dynamism of its economy.
Can the legal system be more efficient? Yes. Should the government strive to reform it? Yes. Can reform squash the rights of lawful owners to enforce their property right? Absolutely not.
Should patent trolls worry about the Shield Act, Patent Act and America Invents Act? Certainly, but if you look at the provisions being proposed closely it is pretty clear that Acacia will be largely unaffected.
Paul Ryan, the CEO, has actually said that the most recent "executive actions" by Obama are a net positive for Acacia. The truth is Acacia is tired of having its reputation tarnished and would favor reform that puts a stop to the frivolous lawsuits (Source).
Curbing abusive tactics that target downstream mom-and-pop end users by enforcing overly broad and low-quality patents that are arguably worthless, has to be stopped. Shakedowns and extortion through the legal system is too prevalent. It is worth noting that Acacia views itself to be in the transaction business not the litigation business.
Investment thesis
The basic premise of the thesis is that ACTG is an attractive play on the growth of IP as an asset class -- by investing in a specialized IP asset management firm with the technical / engineering / legal expertise to essentially buy, sell and make a market in a large and growing, but still pretty inefficient market.
The business model is quite attractive - scalable, capital-light and high-return/margin -- and has a number of similar characteristics to that of a traditional asset manager. Essentially, growth in AUM - in the form of patent portfolios - is the key leading indicator to future revenue growth and margin expansion as scale is achieved.
Of course, the key driver to driving portfolio growth is human capital. Acacia employs 55 people in Newport, CA and about 30 of them are IP investment professionals who have the backgrounds, the industry contacts and possess the skills to shop around and underwrite a portfolio of patents in their respective verticals. These "analysts" (official position titles are usually VPs of Engineering) provide the basis, fundamentals and thesis of say, a patent portfolio of automotive airbag / sensor technologies or virtualization software used in cloud computing, and then evaluate the potential for enforcement and commercialization with business development, licensing and legal experts at the firm's headquarters (Source).
In interviews we've had with management and a few of its VPs it's clear that its due-diligence and decision making process is very much focused on generating attractive risk-adjusted-returns. They aren't looking for home runs, instead focused on singles and doubles. They use words like NPV, IRRs, time and risk-adjusted returns... Everybody involved is pretty aligned as incentive compensation is linked to incoming deals and performance in addition to the stock-heavy compensation structure. Upper management also seems to think the stock is a bargain buying up stock in the open market (insiders own ~3%).
Their track record and approach to underwriting IP investments is quite impressive. Here is a slide from the presentation that I think is worth highlighting:
They think like asset managers with an ROI mindset Not looking for home-runs; mainly singles and doubles Better information, brokers and market makers are emerging creating efficiencies in market. Acacia seeks portfolios that will provide predictable licensing revenues over uncertain litigation - which can be costly, time-consuming and incredibly unpredictable Look to deploy capital, ink-deals and approach settlements taking into account timing of monetization / cashflows and magnitude (build DCFs for portfolios) IRR and NPV focused Eat risk-adjusted returns
A unique feature of its business model is the variety of ways they can structure a deal with a potential IP partner. Please check out the PowerPoint for a complete overview. Here are some points that describe the basic sales-proposition to IP owners:
ACTG provides a turnkey solution and acts like a proxy for patent authors and large companies to execute licensing agreements through subsidiaries without fear of IP counter-suits It enables the monetization of non-core assets while avoiding the marketing / legal complexity of enforcement and marketing Comprehensive licensing agreements are becoming increasingly attractive for big firms like Qualcomm or General Electric. This represents a multi-billion dollar opportunity for Acacia.
By partnering with legal firms on a contingency basis and structuring revenue share agreements with both small and large firms they essentially own free / or very cheap options on portfolios that can generate potentially hundreds of millions of dollars without much up-front investment. It is worth noting that because of these minority / shared interests ACTG's balance sheet doesn't reflect a lot of the IP they own.
More recently, however, as ACTG has gained scale the full outright purchase of entire portfolios has also proven to be a great source of profitable returns.
In addition to approaching valuation by looking at multiples on our expectations for revenues and earnings in the next few years (see presentation); we also can approach it by using a SOTP of sorts, and estimating the potential revenues for monetized IP, un-monetized IP and new IP.
Using past performance, monetization time-frames / and trends as a guide we can get a ballpark idea of the revenue potential, GM profits and required opex and capital needed to get them there. Note: the new IP essentially is a proxy for a terminal value estimate since it is value we believe will be created through future deal-making; however to be conservative we don't capitalize it indefinitely (offset by discounting it fewer years). Some difficulty arises in estimating the timing of the CFs since the business model is clearly lumpy. Nevertheless we discounted the entire cash flows on a weighted basis to arrive at our PT of $38 for 2013. This is essentially a DCF looking out 4 years out taken to the present (Cash Flows).
Thesis Overview & Summary Contrarian idea with good risk/reward: investment isn't for everyone… headlines will create volatility. Risk of persecution from government can't be dismissed Capital light; high ROIC business with plenty of runway to reinvest in profitable growth (optionality upside) Cheap with very strong growth potential Strong balance sheet with >25% of mkt cap in cash Operating leverage in an asset class and market that is growing No direct competition; structural advantages over fragmented one / two man legal shops Stock Price: $22.00; Market Cap ~$1100 MM $327 MM in cash ($6.67 per share); no debt EV of ~$800 MM 5.8x on 2013 EBITDA; 4.0x on 2014 EBITDA Cash EPS >> GAAP EPS; 2013 cash EPS of $2.25 (excludes amortization & non-cash comp) Run-rate is $2.25+ next 3 years and $3.00 to $4.00 in next 5 yrs. Strong secular dynamics that benefit IP generators / owners / partnerships. Acacia offers a go-to-market partnership structure that can help assess value, pursue growth opportunities and monetize assets 60% of IP is severely underutilized. These are perishable assets that need to be farmed out by small companies, individual inventors, universities and research labs Opportunity set has extended to large corporations that view Acacia as a resource to execute its licensing IP business. Disclosure: I have no positions in any stocks mentioned, and no plans to initiate any positions within the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article. | 12,112 | 5,647 | 2.144856 |
warc | 201704 | Selkirk College Nursing Program student Suzanne Larocque’s frustration with Canadian politics has led her to take action through an awareness campaign.
Starting Friday, Larocque will be setting up a voter registration booth on the Castlegar Campus to encourage her fellow students to make a difference by heading to polling stations in the upcoming federal election. The third-year student will be setting up five times in total during March.
Selkirk College Nursing Program Student Suzanne Larocque is setting up a voter registration booth on the Castlegar Campus five times in March in hopes of inspiring her peers to get engaged with the democratic process.
“From the discussions I have had with individuals since starting this project, I found that most are angry with Canada’s government,” says Larocque. “They also have little understanding of each political platform and truly believe that their vote will not matter, since none of the parties or politicians can be trusted in the first place. This was sad to hear, but is something I can relate to.”
Larocque started the project because she is interested in the political aspect of nursing and how political involvement affects the health of communities. Using it as her semester practice placement, Larocque has built on research compiled by fourth-year nursing students Megan Hansen and Paula Gilberd who conducted a survey within Selkirk College and completed an extensive literature review.
“They found that hosting registration booths on campus would be a great way to increase voter turnout on Election Day,” says Larocque, who is originally from Mission, B.C. “In fact, their research showed that being registered to vote increased a person’s likeliness to cast a ballot by 30 per cent, so this seemed like a good place to start. Megan and Paula compiled some great information and suggestions on how to move forward with the project, which made whole thing possible.”
Young Canadians Feel Disconnected from Politics
Based on her own research and that of her Nursing Program peers, Larocque says the two main reasons why youth don’t vote is a lack of political knowledge and a disconnect with the traditional political process. That’s not to say young people are not interested in making their vote count.
“Youth are overwhelmed and discouraged, but they are certainly not apathetic,” she says. “In fact, youth are highly political and become involved in political issues through petitions, blogs and rallies, but simply avoid Canada’s mainstream systems. Party websites are not easy to follow if you are looking for facts, plans or statistics. Instead, the websites are thick with propaganda promoting general ideas rather than actual facts or plans. Youth are smart, they are constantly in connection with massive amounts of information and can tell when they are being manipulated or mislead, so they choose not to engage.”
Post-secondary students have a lot to gain by taking an interest in how decisions are made provincially and federally. Issues like tuition fees, access to quality health care and minimum wage are just a few issues where young people could use a stronger voice. Larocque feels that the education system and general treatment of politics in Canadian society has not done much to inspire engagement.
“Many youth don’t understand how our government works and this makes them cautious about proceeding with the voting process,” says Larocque. “Canada has become so obsessed with avoiding conflict that we often avoid discussing politics or religion for fear of sparking a heated debate. This lack of exposure has damaged youth. They hear almost nothing of politics as they are growing up and then all of sudden they turn 18 and are expected to help shape Canada through a system they do not understand.”
Plenty of Opportunity for Students to Get Engaged
Larocque will be set up in The Pit on the Castlegar Campus starting March 13 between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. She will then continue with the voter registration booth on March 18 (11 a.m. to 3 p.m.), March 19 (10 a.m. to 2 p.m.), March 23 (10 a.m. to 2 p.m.) and March 25 (11 a.m. to 3 p.m.). Students require their social insurance number (SIN) and proof of current address to register.
The next federal election is scheduled for October 19, 2015 and Larocque wants to start conversations now that will lead to better voter turnout amongst youth come autumn.
“I hope to take a small step toward reconnecting youth with Canada’s democratic process,” she says. “It’s not about the number of people who register through my booths. I will be satisfied if a few individuals start to think more about how their participation can shape Canada’s future for the better. Youth are powerful, smart and passionate; I want them to know that Canada will be a better place with their involvement.”
You can learn more about Elections Canada online at elections.ca. | 5,051 | 2,273 | 2.222173 |
warc | 201704 | September 8, 2010 "When freeing criminal defendants is conservative"The title of this post is the headline of this terrific commentary by Marie Gryphon in the "Supreme Court Insider" section of The National Law Journal. here is how it starts:
Criminal defendants can't get a break from conservative judges, according to conventional wisdom. Former Chief Justice William Rehnquist reinforced the stereotype with his famously inartful remark that a "judge who is a 'strict constructionist' in constitutional matters will generally not be favorably inclined toward claims of either criminal defendants or civil rights plaintiffs — the latter two groups having been the principal beneficiaries of the Supreme Court's 'broad constructionist' reading of the Constitution." But Rehnquist was speaking specifically of constitutional claims at a time when expansive, policy-driven readings of the Fourth, Fifth and Sixth amendments were, for better or worse, revolutionizing police and courtroom procedures.
Not all criminal cases involve constitutional issues. When a case involves a disagreement about how to interpret a criminal law, a judge who takes a "strict constructionist" or textualist approach to interpreting the law is very likely to side with a criminal defendant. There is nothing inherently unconservative about reversing the conviction of a defendant who has not clearly violated the law. On the contrary, one of the oldest mandates of the common law is to protect the public from arbitrary prosecutions under vague statutes.
The Court's decisions during this past year undermine the common claim that its Republican appointees decide criminal cases based on the identity of the parties rather than the content of the law. In the nine criminal cases the Court decided last term that raised questions of statutory rather than constitutional interpretation, Justice Antonin Scalia, Chief Justice John Roberts Jr. and Justice Anthony Kennedy were among the most "liberal" on the Court: They sided with the criminal defendants in these cases eight out of nine times. The only justice with a more pro-defendant record on these cases last term was John Paul Stevens.
The opinions in these cases demonstrate why Scalia and Roberts, both "textualist" judges, so often side with criminal defendants. Scalia and Roberts take the same literal approach to interpreting federal statutes that they take to interpreting constitutional provisions. In neither case are they inclined to expand the meaning of a provision beyond its clear terms in order to effectuate some overarching policy goal. Although Kennedy is less wedded to a textualist interpretive approach in general, he also prefers to read criminal statutes narrowly.
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Thanks for the link. Exactly right - the conservative judge is not the natural foe of the criminal defendant. Sometimes there is a bit of deviation by Scalia, but my guess is Roberts may bring textural interpretation to a new level.
Posted by: beth | Sep 8, 2010 5:50:42 PM
Not on the side of the criminal defendant. This is masking ideology, lawyer lying propaganda.
On the side of more lawyer procedure and make work for lazy, worthless, government workers.
The lawyer traitor does not care if he is protecting terrorists, who will return to attack our brave warriors, as long the terrorist had a lengthy, prolonged, meaningless lawyer procedure before release to fight again.
Posted by: Supremacy Claus | Sep 9, 2010 12:27:45 AM
I agree that not all the conservative justices decide criminal cases based on the identity of the parites rather than the content of the law. One clearly does though - Alito.
Posted by: lawyer | Sep 9, 2010 10:00:21 AM
Posted by: lawyer | Sep 9, 2010 10:00:21 AM
And I would argue that plenty of time the liberal wing decides cases based on what they think would be a good idea rather than what the law says. I find both behaviors odious.
Posted by: Soronel HaetirH | Sep 9, 2010 11:32:54 AM
Soronel: And it is particularly odious because the Court is not balanced. The conservatives outnumber the liberals 5-4, have for some time, and will for the foreseeable future. They also outnumber the liberals in the lower federal courts. There is simply no way around the fact that many judges are result-oriented, particularly in criminal cases. That is why it is so important to balance the judiciary, with former defense lawyers as well as former prosecutors, for example. Alas, the judiciary, including the Supreme Court, is slanted in favor of former prosecutors.
Posted by: lawyer | Sep 9, 2010 11:45:09 AM
"deciding criminal cases based on the identity of the parties rather than the content of the law"?
Why, the first name that comes to mind is....Alito!
Posted by: agreed | Sep 9, 2010 11:50:14 AM
There are no liberals on the court, only conservatives and moderates.
Posted by: John K | Sep 10, 2010 9:56:45 AM
I don't know if I'd say Scalia and Roberts are friends of the criminal defendant. On the issues that are heard on the merits in the USSC, they may be more balanced than conventional wisdom implies. But that is in part because Scalia and Roberts play a significant part in granting review on the type of issues (textualist interpretation of federal criminal statutes) that interest them.
I don't know if I'd want either one as my trial judge, as I wouldn't expect to find them especially receptive to my run-of-the-mill challenges (suppression arguments, etc.). But maybe I'm wrong about that. Nonetheless, I do think there is a logical problem with basing conclusion on judges' votes in a set of cases that is not a representative cross-section, but rather a set largely comprised of cases dealing with specific issues that are of interest to those judges.
Posted by: Anon | Sep 13, 2010 12:33:17 PM | 6,069 | 2,701 | 2.246946 |
warc | 201704 | A friend of mine who got married last year and has been looking for a home in the resale market told me he has given up looking. The COV sellers are asking for is just too high and being financially conservative, he & his wife would rather squeeze in a bedroom in his parents place than to be deep in debt. He still hopes to get a flat via the HDB balloting but that is like winning lottery these days.
"
ProvidingHDB's Role Affordable, Quality Homes" -
One of the words frequently abused in Singapore is affordable. Affordable?...What does it mean? After rising something like 35%-40%, the word affordable can still be used. HDB was selling the most expensive public housing in the world before that sharp rise. Minister Mah keeps repeating this phrase "HDB flats are still affordable" based on the fact that 'most' people can pay for their monthly instalments. The simple trick to making the instalments small is to stretch the loan repayment period. This is not a good way of measuring affordability. Singaporeans shouldering high debt burdens in a 'hire & fire' economy (vs lifetime employment) has resulted in 33,000 defaulting (3 months arrears) on their HDB loans[Link]. That is 1 in 12 or 8% of HDB loans. In the height of the subprime crisis the 90-day deliquency of housing loans in US was less than 5%[Link]. How can the word 'affordable' be used on our public housing when it results in such a high default rate? The problem will be worse because the recent surge in prices means Singaporeans will have heavier housing debt.
The other word I have an issue with is AVERAGE. You notice that I rarely use terms like such as "average income" in my blog. See, the word "average" is highly misleading because our income distribution is so skewed: the 2008 average household income is $6,800 but the median income $4,800[Link].
A 3-room flat goes for $250-300K on the resale market. $370-$400K for a 4 room flat and $470-$600K for a 5 room flat. Prices are still going up and you can expect transactions at higher prices because the COV has surged[Link]. It is quite remarkable since we have been in recession and facing anaemic growth for the next 1-2 years. The above letter attributes the rising prices to changes in our demographics - we have a large and increasing number of PRs and new citizens. HDB has not responded to the increase demand and Singaporeans have to pay higher prices for housing. Such high prices can only lead to higher default rates and more trouble ahead. The way for Singaporeans to avoid trouble is to buy a very small unit, say a 2-room flat or stay with their parents. A 2-room flat which is about 45 sq meters in size has one bedroom and a living room - one reason why some Singaporean couples don't have children is they don't have space for children. Singaporean workers will find it very hard to compete when their cost of living is so high....the only way to compete globally is to live miserably - small homes, late or no retirement, foregoing little luxuries and not having children.....life can only get tougher for Singaporeans... | 3,089 | 1,596 | 1.935464 |
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warc | 201704 | Presentation on theme: "Social enterprises – the grand solution to today’s social ills? Ulrika Levander School of social work, Lund university, SWEDEN."— Presentation transcript:
1Social enterprises – the grand solution to today’s social ills? Ulrika Levander School of social work, Lund university, SWEDEN
2The social enterprise in Sweden Is in today’s political discourse presented as a new & innovative way to approach welfare challenges (strongly supported by the Swedish government) Increases: duplication over the last four years Is surrounded by a positive rhetoric
3The focus of my study …how the understanding of the social enterprise is constructed in Sweden today? …what the implications and dilemmas of the solutions to welfare challenges advocated in the prevailing discourses of social enterprises are?
4The definition provided by the Swedish government (Work-integration) social enterprises Enterprises operating business… with the overall purpose to integrate people, who have great difficulties to achieve and/or keep a job, in the society and in the labour market who creates participation to their employees through ownership, formal agreements or in other well documented ways who mainly reinvest its profit in its own or similar activities (not for-profit) who is organisationally independent of the public sector (Näringsdepartementet - Ministry of Enterprise, Energy and Communication 2010)
5Different institutional features Business political force – operates business, creates new job openings Labour-market policy tool – workfare- and activation-measures/work-rehabilitation Social policy actor – a third sector welfare- producer, subcontractor to the public sector
6The politicized discourse of social enterprises in Sweden By operating business the social enterprises can create new job openings for groups of people that traditionally have difficulties to be established in the labour market Reduces social exclusion Take advantages of people’s abilities – often talked of as ‘participation’ The enterprises present innovative measures to combat social exclusion by offering jobs that take advantage of people’s abilities and create alternative tracks to work- rehabilitation Handlingsplan för arbetsintegrerande sociala företag, Näringsdepartementet 2010
7As a labour-market policy tool Solution to social exclusion = the grand ‘social ill’ of today (i.e. being unemployed/ “standing outside” the labour market) The intensification of Swedish activation policies (the mid 1990’s and onwards) The unemployed shall be made “ employable ” Control and demands of quid pro quo Unemployment are viewed as a problem of activation rather than a problem of structural redistribution
8Problem? Subsidized employment programs for socially excluded people usually show vague or negative effects for possibilities to get a job Recirculation between open unemployment and workfare measures “Lock-in” effects in benefit dependency
9Solution needed? The creation of activation and rehabilitation measures that lead to “ real ” jobs The enterprises present innovative measures to combat social exclusion by offering jobs that take advantage of people’s abilities and create alternative tacks to work-rehabilitation Handlingsplan för arbetsintegrerande sociala företag, Näringsdepartementet 2010 Prop. 2009/10:55 En politik för det civila samhället: Social enterprises are particularly emphasised as organizations that can undertake workfare assignments within the “Jobb- och utvecklingsgarantin” (2007)
10Contradiction: Focus on offering jobs Three types of social enterprises are described by the government. Enterprises with… 1)paid employees 2)an emphasis on work-rehabilitation to a job at another working-place 3)An emphasis on pursuit and a sense of social fellowship …only one of these types offer ‘real jobs’
11As a third sector welfare producer – a subcontractor to public authorities Increased interest for actors of the third sector to produce and deliver welfare services Political ambition to develop new forms of collaboration between the public sector and the third sector New ways of citizen participation and political participation are implemented in Swedish social policies (e.g. Överenskommelsen mellan regering, idéburna organisationer inom det sociala området och Sveriges Kommuner och Landsting)
12Hopes and “promises”? A positively framed discourse (of social enterprises – as well as of the third sector) Catchwords : participation, empowerment, social capital, self-help
13Problems? Lack of knowledge regarding the civil society The extent to which third sector organisations perform welfare operations on behalf of the public sector No collected statistics regarding social enterprises and their effects/result
14Still: The idea of participation is a central feature in the talk of social enterprises Social enterprises “ create participation ” for its employees (but everyone is not employed) The participation distinguishes the social enterprises from other work-rehabilitation initiatives (Nutek 2008) ”…create unique conditions for personal development, empowerment ” (Nutek 2008) “… unique in their emphasis on participation” (Arbetslivsinstitutet 2002) “… participation creates empowerment and rehabilitating effects (Arbetslivsinstitutet 2002)
15Query Can social enterprises both create participation for excluded people and – at the same time – offer effective workfare-measures ?
16Two competing discourses of the social enterprise The self-governing discourse Excluded people make their own solutions Self-help Challenges the paternalism implied by welfare solutions traditionally offered by the public sector Mobilises excluded groups The exclusion discourse An efficient labour market policy tool People learn to take responsibility, becomes self- sufficient Combat social exclusion Economically viable for the society
17Key differences The identities of people within the social enterprises are negotiated From being people who has the capacity to create their own solutions ( acting agents ) To being people who need societal support ( objects of change )
18Different ideological implications From being individuals who make changes of the institutional environment – and challenge prevailing power structures, the social entrepreneurs are framed as… …people who shall be changed in order to be able to “ fit into ” society and into the labour market, i.e. already existing institutional structures
19Ideological dilemma of the social enterprise To conduct ‘ treatment ’ of benefit- recipients according to prevailing labour market policies and to allow excluded groups to form their own ‘bottom-up’ solutions according to ideas based on solidarity, self-help and participation
20Therefore: important to look into constructions of the social enterprise – and its implications How are different social enterprises presenting themselves?
21A double speech The success story Benefit-recipients become businessmen Excluded people have recourses and abilities, which are utilized The treatment story T he client is in focus – not the businessman The human-service content of the services provided by social enterprises are emphasised: “We address needs” (rather than recognize abilities) “…offer structure and support” (rather than utilize recourses)
22Negotiated institutional legitimacy The various stories offers different ways to shape legitimacy for social enterprises, as …innovative businesses and job creators …alternative and efficient rehabilitation actors The narratives offer various possibilities to handle the ideological and institutional dilemmas of the social enterprise
23Conclusions… Consistent ambiguity regarding the social enterprises role as job-creators and rehabilitation actors Creates queries regarding the quality of the work integration solutions provided by social enterprises Need for a more critical debate regarding the social enterprise as the grand solution to today’s social ills | 8,406 | 3,332 | 2.522809 |
warc | 201704 | It is a simple fact of life that medicines have side effects. One must always weigh the benefits with the risks involved. I know this in my own life. I have been on a daily medicine for seven years now for an auto-immune disease. Taking it allows me to function relatively pain-free and to maintain a good quality of life. It is also poison. I have had various side effects from it over the years and I try to keep my dosage the lowest possible in order to maintain the desired results with the minimum amount of damage to my body. Yes, sometimes medicine is necessary, but it almost always has a health cost.
Sometimes, however, medicines are dispensed with little thoughts to the consequences. The birth control pill is often seen as a rite of passage for women. You get to a certain age - you go on the pill. It is given out by doctors without them informing women of the consequences. Women presume it is as safe as taking a Tylenol. Women have a right to know what they are doing to their bodies (and potential pregnancies) in order to make an informed decision. This article gives concrete evidence of the health risks women are taking by being on the pill: Poisoned by the Pill | 1,187 | 641 | 1.851794 |
warc | 201704 | Irony is when there is a situation that is strange because things happen in a way that seems to be the opposite of what you expected. A good example of the word ironic was when New England was settled. Two good examples of the irony during the settlement of New England were the religious and political repressions.
The religious repression in New England was a great example of irony. This is so because Puritan separatist groups moved across an ocean to find religious freedom. Some went to Holland, but they quickly realized that Dutch culture was not for them. In consequence, some separatists moved to the New World. When they got to New England and landed at Plymouth Rock, they created a theocratic government.
One would be inclined to believe that if you left one-or in some cases, two different countries and sailed all the way across the Atlantic Ocean to find Religious freedom, you would in turn offer it to the inhabitants of your new settlement. Unfortunately, that is not what happened. When New England began to expand and grow more popular, obviously it became more diverse. At this time, there were people moving into New England that did not fit the criteria that the puritans who described themselves as “saints” did. Since they were a theological government, if those not so pure colonists living in New England were not part of the church, they in turn were not a part of the government.
These new immigrants now faced a decision. Stay and adapt to the ways of the strict puritans in some of the colonies of New England, or move to a place more tolerant of religious freedom. It is extremely ironic that the same people who moved thousands of miles away to find a place more accepting to their religion did not feel empathy towards the newcomers that were not the same religion as them, they turned them away at the door.
In hand with the religious repression, the political repression was another good example of irony. During the four month ship-ride to the New World, the puritan “saints” signed a document called the Mayflower Compact. In it, they stated that they would create a civil government. To an extent, they did just that. The civil government that they created just happened to also be a theocratic government. Like it says above, the puritan “saints” were not open to other religions having any freedom.
Since it was a theocratic government, once more people began to move to New England, the government was not a civil government anymore, because you had to be a member of the church to be able to vote or have political power. However, a man named Roger Williams changed that in what came to be Rhode Island. He argued that there must be a separation of church and state to keep the church free from the corruption that comes along with politics. He was banned from Massachusetts,because the church was threatened by his ideology, but that did not stop him.
He then made Rhode Island the only colony at that point in time to have true religious freedom. In time, all of the colonies had religious freedom. For a good stretch of time though the “civil” government that the puritan “saints” claimed they had created was in fact not civil because you had to be a member of the church to have any say at all.
In all, the puritan “saints” that founded New England portrayed two different situations of irony- the religious and political repressions. The religious repression showed irony because they moved countries to find religious freedom, and then did not offer it to the people moving into their settlements. The political repression was a good example of irony because the puritan “saints” had a “civil” government that required you be a member of the church to even be able to vote, let alone be a politician.
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warc | 201704 | Book Review – Lean In: Women, Work and the Will To Lead by Sheryl Sandberg
Sheryl Sandberg is everywhere right now. Turn on CNN and she’s talking to Soledad O’Brien. Pull up Harvard Business School’s website and she’s the lead story. She’s talking to Oprah. Her book launch was the talk of the twitterverse and everyone wants to weigh in on whether she’s a genius and an icon of women’s progress in breaking the glass ceiling or an over privileged Harvard grad who got her opportunities handed to her on a silver platter. All because of her new book
Lean In: Women, Work and the Will to Lead which is currently #1 on Amazon.
I thought I’d read the book and hear what she has to say.
Let’s start with the good (and there’s quite a lot of it):
Men are Not the Enemy– It’s quite refreshing to hear a modern day feminist take the position that women and men are not adversaries but partners in the search for success and balance. In multiple parts of the book, Sheryl talks about the need for collaboration and support between women and men in order for women to make it to those seats on boards and to the c-suites. She also takes the novel position that men might also benefit from a shift in how the working world views their parental priorities. It’s the right tactic. Women will never make progress if men are the enemy. Addressing the Criticisms– Sheryl comes right out and addresses the main criticisms others have made about her, and she does so in a very straightforward way that doesn’t come across as defensive so much as realistic. She says early on that this is her story of what works for her, and that she understands women come from different backgrounds and have differing resources. She acknowledges that there are many varied ideals of success and that not all women want what she wants. She also says that she has had advantages that helped her along the way. But she also asks women to take responsibility for their own paths; to decide that while it’s true that institutions must change when they don’t promote women as often as men, women must also take accountability and do the work to show those institutions that they are motivated and committed and worth investing in. Readability– I don’t know if Sheryl had help writing this book or not, but it feels and sounds very authentic. Her voice comes through loud and clear, and she held my attention throughout with a cohesive, consistent storyline that neither bogged down into an academic treatise, nor glossed over complex topics without providing backup and facts. There’s a huge reference section in the back and the text is chock full of fascinating statistics to back up her statements and add a solid grounding of facts to her conclusions. I read the whole book over two days and never once felt bored or like I was being patronized.
I really only had one critique of the book – overall I think
Lean In is a great read for working women, and encourages the right actions. Connect with people. Partner with men, don’t demonize them. Stay committed until there’s a real obstacle instead of quitting because there might be one in the future. But despite these positives, I couldn’t help but come away with a bit of a mixed message about women who choose not to be in the workforce or who choose to do so part-time. Sure, Sheryl acknowledges that there are lots of definitions of success, and in fact some of her most honest moments in the book are when she talks about the constant “grass is greener” competition between Working Women and Stay-at-Home Moms. She points out that this undercurrent of competition is unhealthy for both groups, but she clearly comes down on the side of her own choice. She agrees that there’s huge value in the work done by mothers in the home, but at the end of the day it’s clear that she wants women to stay in the workforce, to find ways to make it work, to stay in for the sake of all women.
And in case you are a guy and wondering if this book has anything to offer you, I’d say yes. While it’s clearly full of advice for women, there’s plenty here which is of value to men who work with women, men who manage women, and men who are in relationships with women. It’s not a feminist manifesto (ok maybe it is a little one…) so much as an analysis of where we are now, how we got here, and what’s next for women in the workforce.
Looking for more ideas on how to grow your management and leadership skills? Why not join the Survive Your Promotion group on LinkedIn? Share management and leadership resources, ask questions, make connections and help other emerging leaders! | 4,768 | 2,237 | 2.131426 |
warc | 201704 | A friend of ours from our Hong Kong years visited us last week. During dinner one evening, Henry told us about his childhood. His parents had divorced when he was young and his father exited the scene. “He was not a good guy,” Henry said.
Growing up without a father left a hole in Henry’s childhood. “But one day I realized that God had protected me with my father’s absence,” Henry said. “I think it would have been far worse to have been emotionally damaged by an abusive father than to just not have him around.”
What struck me about Henry’s perspective was that he had found a way to come to peace with a less than ideal situation. By doing so, he let his father “off the hook” and discovered God’s love for him from a different angle.
Henry is an amazing husband and father. His fatherless childhood did not stop him from growing into the man God called him to be.
How does this fit into the simple life? Don’t we all know people who spend much of their energy blaming others for their less than ideal circumstances? I sure do.
Henry chose a better path. Simpler, healthier, happier.
Was there a time in your life when you knowingly chose the “better” path? What did you learn from that choice? ### | 1,287 | 699 | 1.841202 |
warc | 201704 | 1. Priori, Silvia G., et al. (författare) Task Force on Sudden Cardiac Death, European Society of Cardiology 2002 Ingår i: Europace. - 1099-5129. ; 4:1, s. 3-18 Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract The European Society of Cardiology has convened a Task Force on Sudden Cardiac Death in order to provide a comprehensive, educational document on this important topic. The main document has been published in the European Heart Journal in August 2001[1].The Task Force has now summarized the most important clinical issues on sudden cardiac death and provided tables with recommendations for risk stratification and for prophylaxis of sudden cardiac death.The present recommendations are specifically intended to encourage the development and revision of national guidelines on prevention of sudden cardiac death.The common challenge for cardiologists, physicians of other medical specialties and health professionals throughout Europe is to realize the potential for sudden cardiac death prevention and to contribute to public health efforts to reduce its burden. 2. 3. 4. | 1,089 | 589 | 1.848896 |
warc | 201704 | What is it?
23 Things for Professional Development, also known as cpd23, is a self-directed, self-paced, inclusive, practical and free online programme open to librarians and information professionals at all stages of their career, in any type of role, any sector, and from any part of the world. It encourages information professionals to explore and discover social media ‘Things’, including Twitter, RSS feeds and file-sharing, as well as other ‘traditional’ CPD routes, such as gaining qualifications, presenting skills and getting published. Participants will be asked to assess how each Thing can assist them in their professional development, and then to blog about each Thing and share their thoughts, views and expertise. The programme is completely informal and no prior knowledge or experience is expected or assumed.
What will I have to do?
Each week, details about one or more of the Things will be posted on the central cpd23 blog (http://cpd23.blogspot.com). We’ll then invite you to explore the Thing in question – and don’t worry, we’ll provide lots of guidance and support – and then to record your response on your own personal blog. Please don’t worry if you haven’t already got a blog as we’ll cover that in Thing 1, but feel free to use an existing blog if you’ve got one. We’ll ask you to register your blog with us as part of Thing 2, just so we know that you’re taking part and can say hello! And we’ll list all the participants-about 280 so far, from all over the world, and rising all the time-on a Delicious page and in an RSS bundle so you can find other people taking part. We think each Thing will take about an hour to complete, so there’s no major time commitment involved. There are also plenty of ‘catch-up’ weeks built in, and you can complete the course at your own pace.
What will I gain from it?
23 Things for Professional Development is a great way to supercharge your CPD, no matter what stage of your career you’re at, what role you have, or how professionally involved you already are. It aims to assist participants to explore their own professional development and to reflect on it. We hope that it will enable participants to learn about the different ways to enhance their careers and to equip them with the tools, skills, knowledge and confidence to boost, underline or kickstart their CPD. We also hope that it’ll be a lot of fun and a brilliant opportunity to meet and get connected to other information professionals, as well as an incentive and an excuse to think about-and talk to others about-your career advancement.
I’ve done a 23 Things programme before. What’s different about cpd23?
The 23 Things framework is tried, tested and trusted, and there have been lots of other programmes. If you’ve already done one, that’s great! We still think there’s a lot to gain from taking part in cpd23, and you’ll have a headstart because you know what to expect. With cpd23, we’ve used the existing framework, but given it a bit of a twist, and it differs in two ways. First, unlike other programmes, it’s not just about social media, but includes plenty of offline Things too, and some of the social media Things which we’ve included might be different from those used by other programmes. Second, it’s got a different focus: it isn’t about whether or how you could integrate each Thing into your working life, but about how you could use it for your professional development. Cpd23 is a little more personal and more reflective than other programmes.
How do I join in?
23 Things for Professional Development starts officially on 20th June, 2011 and it runs until October. To join in, just visit the central cpd23 blog and get started! The list of Things is already available online, as well as plenty of other information. On 20th June we’ll post some guidance and instructions about how to set up and register your blog. And if, at any time, you’ve got any questions at all, please don’t hesitate to contact the team either by leaving a comment on our blog, or by tweeting us @cpd23. Please use the hashtag #cpd23 so we can see how you’re getting on.
Anything else?
One last thing is that while we will offer you as much support and guidance as we can, nothing at all can beat the face-to-face support of your colleagues, so encourage them to take part too. So spread the cpd23 message!
Acknowledgements
Our 23 Things for Professional Development programme was inspired by 23 Things Cambridge, and is based on the original 23 Things programme at the Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County in the USA in 2006.
Maria Giovanna De Simone, Information Assistant, Careers Service Library, Cambridge, UK, is one of the CPD23 organising team members. | 4,899 | 2,173 | 2.254487 |
warc | 201704 | A magnitude 7.7 earthquake hit south-central Pakistan on Tuesday this week. Reports of hundreds of casualties highlight the awful scale of the tragedy, made more difficult for rescuers by the remote location of the quake, 270km north of Karachi.
The quake was caused by movement of the Earth on a fault in the crust at rather shallow depth, around 15km below the surface. The movement at the fracture was a rupturing, as the oceanic crust of the Arabian tectonic plate is dragged down, or “subducted”, beneath the Eurasian continental plate at Pakistan. It is part of what geologists term the “Makran subduction zone”, which extends parallel to the Indian Ocean coast south of Pakistan and Iran.
Earlier this year, the Makran subduction zone was shown as a potential lurking tsunami threat. It has history. A tsunami of occurred there on November 28, 1945. Caused by a magnitude 8.1 earthquake, it triggered a landslide under the ocean that generated a 15m high tsunami, resulting in the deaths of more than 4000 people along the Makran coast. It was the second worst tsunami event in the Indian Ocean, after the more recent 2004 Boxing Day Sumatra earthquake.
Part of the reason for the tsunami threat at Makran is the build up of huge piles of submarine sediments. As the Arabian oceanic plate is being subducted beneath the Eurasian continental plate, moving northward towards Iran and Pakistan, ocean floor sediment rocks get scraped off the top of the oceanic crust and stuck onto sea floor at the base of the coast. Over geological time, it has created one of the largest wedges of sediments on Earth, more than 7km thick in places. Earthquakes can make landslips in the wedge, but bizarrely sometimes they can cause islands too.
Tuesday’s earthquake shook those offshore sediments to the south of Pakistan. They are mainly muds and sands, rich in the rotted remains of dead sea life that have fallen into the sediments over the millennia, decomposed to gases like methane. When shaken up on Tuesday, these sediments seem to have erupted in a “mud volcano”, driven by the ease of burping methane from the depths. An island of mud rose above the sea, emitting gas that could be set light. In fact, locals who tried this had difficulty quenching the flame.
Mud volcanoes have been seen at the Makran subduction zone many times before. The 1945 earthquake triggered a number of mud volcanoes and offshore islands formed in the same region. More recently, one formed off Pakistan in November 2010. They all disappeared soon after, washed away by the oceans waves and storms. It is likely that this week’s new island will only make a temporary appearance, subsiding beneath the waves as the Earth settles back to another period of temporary quiescence. In the meantime, an opportunity remains to really find out more about the nature of these ephemeral islands, that pass like ships in the night. | 2,944 | 1,429 | 2.060182 |
warc | 201704 | Citation
Caron, Jennifer (2003)
Edward Lewis and radioactive fallout: the impact of Caltech biologists on the debate over nuclear weapons testing in the 1950s and 60s. Senior thesis (Major), California Institute of Technology. http://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechETD:etd-03292004-111416 Abstract
The work of Caltech biologists, particularly, Edward Lewis, on leukemia and ionizing radiation transformed the public debate over nuclear weapons testing. The United States began testing hydrogen bombs in 1952, sending radioactive fallout around the globe. Earlier more localized fallout was generated starting in 1945 from tests of atomic weapons at Nevada test sites. The Atomic Energy Commission claimed the tests would not harm human health. Geneticists knew from animal and plant experiments that radiation can cause both illness and gene mutations. They spoke out to warn the policymakers and the public. Edward Lewis used data from four independent populations exposed to radiation to demonstrate that the incidence of leukemia was linearly related to the accumulated dose of radiation. He argued that this implied that leukemia resulted from a somatic gene mutation. Since there was no evidence for the existence of a threshold for the induction of gene mutations down to doses as low as 25 r, there was unlikely to be a threshold for the induction of leukemia. This was the first serious challenge to the concept that there would be a threshold for the induction of cancer by ionizing radiation. Outspoken scientists, including Linus Pauling, used Lewis?s risk estimate to inform the public about the danger of nuclear fallout by estimating the number of leukemia deaths that would be caused by the test detonations. In May of 1957 Lewis?s analysis of the radiation-induced human leukemia data was published as a lead article in Science magazine. In June he presented it before the Joint Committee on Atomic Energy of the US Congress
Item Type: Thesis (Senior thesis (Major)) Subject Keywords: atomic bomb; Beadle; Brown; Caltech; genetics; Hydrogen bomb; Nobel; Pauling; Sturtevant; World War II Degree Grantor: California Institute of Technology Division: Humanities and Social Sciences Major Option: History and Philosophy of Science Thesis Availability: Public (worldwide access) Research Advisor(s): Thesis Committee: Defense Date: 8 January 2003 Record Number: CaltechETD:etd-03292004-111416 Persistent URL: http://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechETD:etd-03292004-111416 Default Usage Policy: No commercial reproduction, distribution, display or performance rights in this work are provided. ID Code: 1190 Collection: CaltechTHESIS Deposited By: Imported from ETD-db Deposited On: 02 Apr 2004 Last Modified: 11 Jun 2013 20:33 Thesis Files
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warc | 201704 | UConn employees who currently have supervisory responsibilities and those who are promoted or newly hired into management jobs will soon receive valuable training to help them develop and hone those skills.
UConn’s labor relations office is working with its offices of audit, compliance and ethics; diversity and equity; and human resources to begin the management training over the next few months. Feedback from participants in a recent pilot program is being used to create the training, and participation will be mandatory for all current and new supervisors.
The University began developing the training with support from the labor unions on campus to provide tools to supervisors to deal with the complex and often challenging situations they confront in their leadership roles.
The training program aims to help supervisors clearly understand UConn’s management philosophy and its core institutional values, policies, and procedures, officials say.
It also addresses unique and nuanced areas of managing employees, and will give managers the tools to model UConn’s core values and ensure their staff members comply with UConn’s expectations and regulations.
About 500 employees throughout UConn’s campuses are managers or have related supervisory duties in their job requirements. All existing supervisors will be contacted within the next few months to attend their mandatory training this spring or summer, and it will be offered on a quarterly basis after that for all employees newly hired or promoted into management roles.
Some of the training topics will include effective methods for managing employees, particularly in challenging situations; conducting performance evaluations; recognizing and diffusing conflict; building effective communication skills; and several other areas important to supervisor success at UConn.
One particularly important area will focus on training managers on their responsibilities and duties under UConn policies and federal and state laws prohibiting any form of harassment based on an employee’s race, sex, creed, sexual orientation, or other personal characteristic.
Elizabeth Conklin, the University’s associate vice president of the Office of Diversity and Equity and Title IX Coordinator, says the training will include guidance for managers on their reporting obligations and the most effective ways to assist and respond to victims of sexual harassment and assault.
That portion of the training will also focus on how to identify and stop sexual harassment, including by recognizing the smaller-level aggressive behaviors that can grow into more severe problems if left unchecked.
“As we planned this component of the training, we asked ourselves, ‘What are the calls and questions we receive every day?’ The idea will be to provide very practical skills and tips, along with reviewing case studies and, for new managers, a lot of opportunity for discussion and candid questions,” says Conklin, who recently led a discussion group on related topics at a workshop of the National Association of College and University Attorneys.
The management training sessions are being set up in small groups, which the University expects will help facilitate discussions among supervisors from different areas and opportunities to learn from each other’s experiences. | 3,381 | 1,541 | 2.19403 |
warc | 201704 | Ashley Redmond: I'm Ashley Redmond for Morningstar.ca and I'm on the line with Russ Koesterich from BlackRock.
Russ, thanks so much for joining me.
Russ Koesterich: Thanks for having me Ashley. Redmond: Today we're going to talk about emerging markets, which are off to a rough start this year, and that's thanks to various factors such as slow growth in China. So, many investors are looking elsewhere to put their money. One option may be frontier markets. Russ, do you think emerging markets and frontier markets are created equally? Koesterich: Ashley, they are not. We actually view them as separate asset classes, although obviously they are related. Frontier markets for those unfamiliar with the term refer to those countries that have not yet graduated into the emerging markets index. So these are countries at a very early stage of their development; places like Bangladesh, Vietnam and many countries in Sub-Saharan Africa.
One thing that separates them from many emerging markets is that the companies in these indices are very domestically focused. We’re talking about local banks and local manufacturers. They have very different characteristics than some of the global players that are increasingly dominating emerging market indices.
Redmond: Why do you view frontier markets in this way? Koesterich: We believe that frontier markets have now graduated to the point where they can be viewed as a separate strategic asset class. In other words, in addition to having some allocation to emerging markets, we believe that most investors also want some long-term allocation to frontier markets as well. They offer superior growth, and we think to some extent, diversification. Redmond: Russ, there is talk lately of frontier markets being the next emerging market of emerging markets. What's your take on this? Koesterich: Well, there is some truth to that. One way to think about frontier markets is [that] they represent where emerging markets were 20 years ago. And one way this plays out is that emerging markets have become increasingly correlated with developed markets. And the reason for that is [because] many of the large companies that dominate the EM indices are now global players influenced by the global economy.
Conversely, if you look at the companies that dominate in frontier markets, they're very local and they're very domestically focused. Because of that they're not as correlated with the global economy or the global stock market as some of the companies in the emerging market indices. So, this is another reason that we think frontier markets are where emerging markets were 15 to 20 years ago.
Redmond: Frontier markets are extremely risky with political corruption; there is instability and even a fickle regulatory environment. So, are frontier markets only for high risk investors? Koesterich: No, but I think you bring up some very important points, which is that this is a risky asset class. It is more volatile than many of the domestically oriented indices. It is also a very liquid asset class. This is not an asset class that you want to trade in and out off. So, a couple of things to guide you; one it is a long-term strategic holding. This is not a tactical play. The second is that we do think that even some conservative investors should have a small allocation to frontier markets over the longer term, but it is going to be a small allocation. Not something that is going to compare with what you might have, for example, to domestic equity markets. Redmond: Is there any frontier markets that you can mention that you think currently hold the most promise for investors? Koesterich: Generally, this is an asset class where given most of the vehicles around today, you're more likely to buy the entire spectrum. And the reason is that most of the vehicles that give access to frontier markets for individual investors really focus on the entire asset class, rather than allowing you to buy a particular country or a particular stock. Redmond: Thanks so much, Russ. Koesterich: Thank you Ashley. Redmond: To find out more about frontier markets and emerging markets, visit the markets page of Morningstar.ca. | 4,177 | 1,715 | 2.435569 |
warc | 201704 | Flying under the legislative radar this past week was potential McCain vice presidential running mate and governor of Louisiana Bobby Jindal's signing into law of Senate Bill 733, which allows "local school systems to approve the use of supplemental instructional materials for teaching science classes." What opponents are up in arms about is that, with SB 733, teachers could supplement evolutionary teachings with materials on creationism or "intelligent design."
Having just celebrated America's independence a few days ago, neither Gov. Jindal nor any politician should hesitate to legislate pro-Creator educational platforms or fear anti-theistic swells that try to shut God out of America's classrooms. Our Founders didn't. And neither should we.
What many might not realize is that our Founders were familiar with naturalistic and evolutionary views of the sciences. Evolution has been around a lot longer than Darwin. And criticism for it also has been around a lot longer than Ben Stein's movie "Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed." The Founding Fathers were familiar with the arguments for and against theism and naturalism from well before the time of Christ. I'm not citing them here as an irrefutable argument for "intelligent design" in the classroom, but as a congruent historical voice with SB 733 that demonstrates science and theism are not mutually exclusive.
Though Thomas Paine was probably the most outspoken against religion among the Founders, he stood for creationism in schools: "It has been the error of schools to teach astronomy, and all the other sciences and subjects of natural philosophy, as accomplishments only; whereas they should be taught theologically, or with reference to the Being who is the Author of them: for all the principles of science are of divine origin. Man cannot make, or invent, or contrive principles; he can only discover them, and he ought to look through the discovery to the Author."
James Wilson -- a signer of the Declaration of Independence, twice elected to the Continental Congress, and notable power behind the creation of the U.S. Constitution -- asked, "When we view the inanimate and irrational creation around and above us, and contemplate the beautiful order observed in all its motions and appearances, is not the supposition unnatural and improbable that the rational and moral world should be abandoned to the frolics of chance or to the ravage of disorder?"
John Quincy Adams also wrote about his opposition to naturalism minus theism: "It is so obvious to every reasonable being, that (God) did not make himself; and the world which he inhabits could as little make itself that the moment we begin to exercise the power of reflection, it seems impossible to escape the conviction that there is a Creator. … The first words of the Bible are, 'In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth."
John Adams describes those who pretend to understand the scope of the cosmos and deny the existence of God: "It has been long -- very long -- a settled opinion in my mind that there is now, never will be, and never was but one Being who can understand the universe, and that it is not only vain but wicked for insects (like us) to pretend to comprehend it."
Benjamin Franklin echoed his affirmation in a Creator: "For, if weak and foolish creatures as we are, but knowing the nature of a few things, can produce such wonderful effects … what power must He possess, Who not only knows the nature of everything in the universe but can make things of new natures with the greatest ease and at His pleasure! Agreeing, then, that the world was a first made by a Being of infinite wisdom, goodness, and power, which Being we call God."
According to Franklin, atheism was virtually nonexistent in America in those days. He explained in his 1787 pamphlet to Europeans, "Information to those who would remove (or move) to America": "To this may be truly added, that serious Religion under its various Denominations, is not only tolerated, but respected and practised. Atheism is unknown there, Infidelity rare & secret, so that Persons may live to a great Age in that Country without having their Piety shock'd by meeting with either an Atheist or an Infidel. And the Divine Being seems to have manifested his Approbation of the mutual Forbearance and Kindness with which the different Sects treat each other, by the remarkable Prosperity with which he has been pleased to favour the whole Country."
It is no coincidence that Thomas Jefferson penned the founding document, the Declaration of Independence, with an emphasis on God throughout: "The Laws of Nature and of Nature's God … all Men … are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights … appealing to the Supreme Judge of the World for the Rectitude of our Intentions. … And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm Reliance on the Protection of divine Providence."
The Declaration of Independence from Great Britain was truly a declaration of dependence upon God. That is another reason I believe that from political corridors to public classrooms, we need not fear nor resist our Creator's inductions. | 5,212 | 2,517 | 2.070719 |
warc | 201704 | Despite a nasty, uninvited guest — the “Snowquester,” a winter storm that closed roads, canceled flights, and cut power from the Midwest to the Mid-Atlantic — The Work Truck Show raged on in Indianapolis.
And even though some attendees couldn't make it to Indy due to the weather, The Work Truck Show from March 6-8 was bigger than ever in terms of exhibit space and educational programming, and the total verified attendance of 10,351 was the second-highest in National Truck Equipment Association (NTEA) history — just 60 short of the record set in 2012, also in Indy.
New-product introductions played a significant role in creating buzz in Indy. With more than 120 products debuting at the event, two major product categories dominated the news: vans and fuel-saving technology.
Commercial vans were shown by Chevrolet & GMC Commercial Truck, Daimler Vans USA LLC, Ford Commercial Truck, Nissan North America, and Ram Trucks & Commercial Vehicles.
Attendees checked out the latest vocational trucks, vans, equipment and accessories from more than 520 exhibitors covering more than 500,000 square feet of exhibit space. Exhibitor demand has led show organizer NTEA to further expand the exhibit floor in 2014. More than 95% of display space for The Work Truck Show 2014 has already been sold.
Echo Automotive won the Editors' Choice Award for its new EchoDrive bolt-on hybrid electric kit for fleet vehicles, beating out more than 120 other new products. The system was selected by a panel of trade media editors and fleet managers looking for the most innovative product introduced through the show's
New Product Spotlight and New Product Media Guide programs.
Unlike other fuel efficiency solutions, EchoDrive does not replace the vehicle's existing drivetrain. It includes an advanced battery system, electric motor, inverter and charger that provide additional energy and fit most vehicles with adapter plates and brackets. Modular battery packs allow fleets to customize the system to their needs and avoid waste. EchoDrive is cost-effective; users should be able to recoup their initial investments in 24 months or less, the company says.
At the Work Truck Show, Echo Automotive featured the system on the Ford E250 van. A cutaway model was displayed in the company's booth and a working version was available for test drives as part of the Green Truck Ride-and-Drive.
Odyne Systems LLC won the Green Award for an advanced hybrid commercial vehicle it developed with ComEd.
Odyne used the event to introduce a walk-in van equipped with a plug-in hybrid system providing electrical power from a large advanced battery system. The batteries can be recharged for uninterrupted extended operations at the work site by the chassis engine, or through cleaner energy from the grid. The new hybrid system provides benefits during driving and stationary operations by reducing fuel consumption, emissions and work site noise.
Designed for ComEd's underground electrical maintenance work in Chicago, the van is built on a chassis from Freightliner Custom Chassis utilizing a Utilimaster walk-in van body and Team Fenex manhole air delivery system. The vehicle can be parked above a manhole to provide workers below with all their electrical needs, plus cooled or heated fresh air. The system significantly reduces chassis engine idling and delivers over 14 kW of power for tools and other applications without the need for a separate diesel generator.
Shawn Jacobs, president & CEO of STS Trailer & Truck Equipment, was installed as the 49th president of NTEA.
Jacobs accepted the gavel from immediate past president Frank Livas, president of Brake & Clutch Inc at the President's Breakfast and NTEA Annual Meeting.
“A main focus for me over the next year as president of the NTEA will be to make fellow NTEA member companies aware of all the opportunities and connections the Association offers,” Jacobs said.
Also serving on the 2013-2014 Board are Executive Committee Members: first vice president Mark Woody, president of Palfinger North America; second vice president Jeffrey Messer, president of Messer Truck Equipment; third vice president and treasurer Matt Wilson, president of Switch-N-Go, AmeriDeck & Bucks Divisions of Deist Industries Inc; and secretary Steve Carey, executive director of NTEA.
Serving alongside Executive Committee members are: distributor trustees Todd Davis, vice president of Phenix Enterprises Inc, Brian Glover, president/owner of Tampa Crane & Body Inc, Adam Keane, general manager of Allied Body Works Inc, Bill Kohler, president of Kranz Automotive Body Co, John Wartenbee, vice president of Northern Truck Equipment Corp, and Terry Wieseler, general manager of Truck Equipment Inc; and manufacturer trustees Brett Collins, president of Venco/Venturo Manufacturing Inc and Ross L Haith Jr, president of Masterack Division, Leggett & Platt, CVP.
The Work Truck Show returns to the Indiana Convention Center March 5-7, 2014, with educational programming and the Green Truck Summit kicking off March 4. Online registration opens at NTEA.com in October.
Find the NTEA Work Truck Show Report archive with articles from 2012 to present | 5,221 | 2,551 | 2.046648 |
warc | 201704 | A number of weeks ago, my students and I had the opportunity to experience a factory tour at Tesla Motors, located down the street from the ThinkTank Fremont Center. Three rising seniors pursuing interest in the field of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) were chosen for this special opportunity: Justin Wan (mechanical and aerospace engineering), Andy Jiang (computer science), and Erik Wong (computer science). The factory tour impacted everyone attending in profound ways. As an education consultant, it reaffirmed my social mission:
I not only guide students toward the college of their dreams but also more importantly ignite their passion and love for learning.
For my students, the tour clarified their respective paths toward realizing their dreams, both academically and professionally, and showed them how they could contribute toward the tech revolution.
Making Connections
Erik made the connection between his own success and Tesla’s current success- that Tesla’s breakthrough in the industry was a result of leadership that reinforces a continual “effort toward working toward your goals.”
“As I look into my future, I understand that I have a long way to go, and I can’t ever get too comfortable.”
Erik is further motivated to learn more about how he could use computer science to make positive impact in the tech industry and society.
Teamwork is Key
Likewise, Justin learned that teamwork is integral to Tesla’s business model, similar to the Industrial Revolution, which he learned about in his U.S. history course.
“The factory was a hub of activity, in which no one had a greater role as there was a sense of camaraderie.”
Inspired by Tesla’s environmentalist mission, Justin is further committed to becoming an exceptional engineer who could one day build robots like the ones at Tesla, and advance the vision for a more sustainable planet.
Diversity Drives Innovation
Finally, Andy learned the value of collaborative diversity at all levels: from the hardware and software engineers to the executives and managers to the workers on the assembly line.
“The production requires a larger amount of effort from a variety of fields.”
A future computer science student, he appreciated the cooperation of computer, robot, and human labor in producing cars. As a result of the experience, he is further determined to improve computer software to all aspects of human life, including work and play.
ThinkTank Learning Drives Passion for Learning
At the end, Erik, Justin, and Andy were very grateful to ThinkTank Learning for coordinating this trip. As a part of ThinkTank Learning, I am thankful the privilege of helping ignite these students’ passion and love for learning. While the factory tour provided a glimpse into Tesla’s business operations, these students were able to progress outside of their comfort zones to learn more about themselves and their respective journeys. Through programs like this tour, ThinkTank Learning continues to inspire all students to not only thrive, but also be leaders in their communities. | 3,150 | 1,503 | 2.095808 |
warc | 201704 | By Julie Davis
An age-old beauty treatment gets a face-lift – and is more slick than ever
It’s been a beauty secret of women across the globe for centuries – slather the skin with oil for a soft, youthful, healthy glow. But the idea of applying oil to the face, here in the United States, has always been a big beauty no-no.
It makes sense, really. Why in the world would anyone want to smother their skin in oil? The word alone conjures up images of Wesson dancing in a frying pan. But what many women don’t know is oil, of the essential variety, can do wonders for the complexion. The products themselves are anything but oily.
“People are afraid to put oil on their skin thinking they will break out. But that is quite the opposite,” says Tara Dayan, an aesthetician at the Warren Tricomi salon in Shrewsbury. “Oil works with the natural oils in the skin to create harmony. Often times when people have dry skin, their body knows it’s dry and will produce more oil in the skin causing them to break out. The skin then becomes out of balance. By using oil it will balance the skin.”
In recent years, several beauty companies have reformulated their existing blends (even changing the name so not to include the word oil). Many are producing new and improved varieties – ones that are lightweight, multitask, absorb quickly and seriously treat the signs of aging.
Josie Maran’s Argan Oil is among one of the most popular – and potent – new oils that can be applied to the skin, hair and nails. It’s made with 100 percent pure Argan oil, which is rich in vitamin E and essential fatty acids, to help hydrate, nourish, soften and smooth. Caudalie, a French-based skin-care company who claims grape-seed polyphenols as their fountain of youth, sells a host of beauty oils, brilliantly disguised as concentrates.
Says Dayan, “Caudalie’s Pulpe Vitaminée Concentrate is great for skin lacking vitality. It’s a blend of grape-seed oil, neroli oil, and musk rose to regenerate the skin. For dry, sensitive skin, try Vinosource Concentrate with rose, jojoba, and grape-seed oil. Just warm a few drops in the palm of your hand and massage into the skin before you apply your moisturizer.”
From fine lines to dull skin, beauty oils are quickly becoming the treatment of choice in the battle for a radiant, youthful complexion. Whether you soak up the trend or not, there’s no denying these skin-loving, multitasking elixirs are rather, well, slick.
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warc | 201704 | Abstract
Following a year of data gathering and planning during the 2010-2011 academic year, the University of Louisville launched the African American Male Initiative (AAMI) in the fall 2011 semester. The AAMI was designed using national best practices and current research findings as it relates to supporting African American male undergraduates. Now at the end of its first year, this practitioner’s brief provides an overview of the AAMI structure, design, and implementation.
Recommended Citation
Anthony, Michael D.; Skerritt, Lyston; and Goodman, Joseph (2012) "The African American Male Initiative at the University of Louisville,"
Kentucky Journal of Higher Education Policy and Practice: Vol. 1 : Iss. 2 , Article 6. Available at: http://uknowledge.uky.edu/kjhepp/vol1/iss2/6 | 799 | 504 | 1.585317 |
warc | 201704 | In a victory for defense attorneys fighting discovery battles with prosecutors, the Supreme Court of Virginia has reversed a sharply split Court of Appeals, expanding the scope of material that the government must turn over to defendants in criminal cases.
In Bly v. Commonwealth, the commonwealth conceded it withheld exculpatory evidence that undermined the trustworthiness of a police informant, but it claimed the failure to disclose caused no prejudice because other evidence was sufficient to convict.
The unanimous Supreme Court held that, when weighing an alleged
Brady violation, courts must consider any possible use the defense might make of the non-disclosed information. In this case, the court held, details that tainted the informant might have been used to discredit the entire police investigation.
Corinne Magee, president of the Virginia Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, said some prosecutors engage in gamesmanship. “Many prosecutors attempt to elicit a plea prior to disclosing the exculpatory evidence, when the line of cases explaining
Brady make it clear that the prosecutor’s duty is to disclose the information as soon as it becomes known to the Commonwealth,” she said.
By Peter Vieth | 1,242 | 668 | 1.859281 |
warc | 201704 | Local and regional anesthesia techniques in veterinary practice have many advantages. These techniques
Illustration by Elaine Kurie
Provide effective preemptive and multimodal analgesia Reduce the amount of inhalational agent needed to maintain anesthesia, resulting in improved cardiopulmonary stability during anesthesia Modulate the sympathetically driven stress response to surgical trauma Reduce the development of central sensitization.
Multimodal analgesia can be provided with combinations of local anesthetics, opioids, and alphaIn this article, we give an overview of drugs used for local and regional anesthesia and then discuss five anesthetic techniques—infiltration anesthesia, splash blocks, digital nerve blocks, intravenous regional anesthesia, and soaker-type catheters. We will discuss additional techniques—intra-articular stifle blocks, brachial plexus nerve blocks, intercostal nerve blocks, intrapleural nerve blocks, maxillary and mandibular nerve blocks, and epidural anesthesia and analgesia—in subsequent articles throughout this year. All of these techniques are easy to perform, do not require special equipment, and can greatly enhance the analgesic management of veterinary patients.
2 agonists.
DRUGS USED FOR LOCAL AND REGIONAL ANALGESIA AND ANESTHESIA
Three general drug groups are used to produce regional anesthesia and analgesia in veterinary patients—local anesthetics, opioids, and alpha
2 agonists.
Local anesthetic drugs
Local anesthetics are weak bases that are poorly soluble in water. Commercially available preparations are formulated as acidic hydrochloride salts to improve stability and water solubility. The pH of commercial preparations of local anesthetics ranges from 3.9 to 6.6. Most local anesthetics are marketed as racemic mixtures of left and right enantiomers. The enantiomers vary in pharmacokinetic, pharmacodynamic, and toxic properties.
TABLE 1: Characteristics of Amide-linked and Ester-linked Local Anesthetics 1,2
Structure and effects. Local anesthetic molecules consist of a lipophilic unsaturated aromatic ring and hydrophilic portion, usually a tertiary amine, separated by a connecting hydrocarbon chain. The lipophilic portion is essential for the anesthetic activity. Local anesthetics are categorized as amino esters or amino amides based on the chemical bond between the aromatic ring and the hydrocarbon chain of the molecule ( Table 1). Although lidocaine (known as lignocaine in the United Kingdom) and bupivacaine are most commonly used in small-animal practice, a variety of local anesthetics are available, varying in their chemical structures, potency, onset of action, and duration of effect ( Table 2). 1,2
Local anesthetics block nerve conduction in all types of neurons, including all pain (A delta and C fibers), sensory, motor, proprioceptive, and sympathetic nerve fibers (
TABLE 2: Local Anesthetics and Their Physical, Chemical, and Pharmacodynamic Properties Table 3). The minimum concentration of local anesthetic necessary to block conduction is higher for motor nerve fibers than for sensory fibers, so sensory anesthesia can occur without muscle blockade. Typically, autonomic preganglionic B fibers are blocked first. A delta and C sensory fibers are blocked before and at lower concentrations than larger sensory A beta, motor A alpha, and proprioceptive A gamma fibers. The order of blockade varies with anatomical location, the specific nerve, and the local anesthetic used. 1,2
The active form of local anesthetics, the nonionized base, diffuses across the axonal nerve membrane where it blocks the generation and conduction of nerve impulses by inhibiting voltage-gated sodium channels. The degree of drug ionization depends on the local anesthetic's dissociation constant (pK
TABLE 3: Types of Neurons Blocked with Local Anesthetics a) and the surrounding tissue's pH. When the pK a and pH are identical, 50% of the drug is ionized and 50% is nonionized. The dissociation constants of local anesthetics vary from 7.6 to 9.1, which means that less than 50% of local anesthetic exists in the active, nonionized form at the normal tissue pH of 7.4. The potency, speed of onset of nerve blockade, and duration of anesthesia are related to the degree of ionization of the local anesthetic molecule and, thus, lipid solubility. Alkalizing the local anesthetic by adding sodium bicarbonate increases the percentage that exists in the nonionized, lipid-soluble form and also reduces pain on injection. Thus, buffering the local anesthetic solution with sodium bicarbonate before administration may increase efficacy as well as decrease pain on injection. Acidosis at the injection site, as occurs with tissue infection, increases the ionized portion of the drug, decreasing the local anesthetic's efficacy. 1,2 | 4,841 | 2,114 | 2.289972 |
warc | 201704 | Top Secret Fat Loss Secret Releases Body Fat Solution
Discover information in this top secret fat loss secret diet review to find out how to get fit and losing weight in sections as follows:
What Is Top Secret Fat Loss Secret? How Will The Product Work And Help You? What Are The Pros And Cons of Top Secret Fat Loss Secret? How Much To Get Started? Is It Guaranteed That Top Secret Fat Loss Secret Will Work For You?
Top Secret Fat Loss Secret is a losing weight program of the big author – Dr. Suzanne Gudakunst who wants to share all of those to get the
body fat solution and they can know how to lose weight naturally and effectively.
As a doctor of colon diseases, Suzanne Gudakunst also has researched the problems of overweight. According to her, overweight is involved with colon and intestinal pollution. When intestinal plaque is clogging your internal organs or colon, bowel worms and parasites live in these organs and feed your body off. Therefore, Suzanne Gudakunst’s method is to get rid of these pollutants out of your body, then you can improve functioning of internal organs as well as the colon. Finally, secrets about how to get fit are considered an easy task for you to complete.
The
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Now, after reading my writing about Top Secret Fat Loss Secret, it is your choice to get started. If you have anything unclear or something to share about this program, just leave your comments below! Are you ready to try it now? | 4,437 | 1,957 | 2.267246 |
warc | 201704 | VOICES Ideas and Insight From Explorers
Fingers crossed that China is serious, and will effectively enforce their announced ivory ban. We are all counting on it.
What President Obama’s decision on oil and gas leases in the Arctic means for life on Earth.
The pursuit to establish a marine protected area in Antarctica brought me to the Ross Sea four times. It brought my wife, and eventually my daughter, whom we named after a penguin. – John Weller
Safina Center Fellow Ben Mirin travels to the rainforests of Andasibe, Madagascar, and learns the legend of Babakoto…the indri lemur.
Safina Center Fellow Ben Mirin travels to Anja, Madagascar, to record wild soundscapes. While there he finds a community grappling with how to balance protecting nature with making a living.
Acutely, an elephant’s problem is ivory. Chronically the problem is shrinking space. Rich or poor, humans seem too much of a good thing. One wonders where this trend of growing human numbers and appetites, afflicting elephants and humans alike, is headed.
When predator animals like tigers, lions, bears and wolves attack livestock animals like goats, cows and horses, you need to kill off the predators to reduce livestock deaths, right? Wrong.
While that “regulated” ivory sale idea might sound nice on paper, experts say it has now been officially debunked.
A new law passed in California supports the idea that the captivity of orcas and other cetaceans is abusive and unnecessary.
Moving forward, it’s important to continue vouching for the environment if we want to continue seeing positive change. And, every action—no matter how small it seems—matters.
Experts say it’s time to focus on fish for the sake of orca survival in the Pacific Northwest.
Whales leave us with questions so puzzling they are unsettling, unshakeable, at times even disturbing. Are whales a product of magic, or something else?
Co-authored by Erica Cirino About a year and a half ago, Melissa Ursey was riding in the car as her husband Jerry drove across the Southern California desert back to their home in Rancho Mirage from their friends’ house in Desert Springs. As the car cruised through the town of Palm Desert, Jerry noticed something…
By Jessica Perelman Jessica is a recent graduate of the University of Southern California with a degree in biological sciences. She will attend veterinary school next year and plans to pursue a career in wildlife and conservation veterinary medicine. When I first stepped through the doors at the Woods Hole Science Aquarium ten weeks ago, I… | 2,623 | 1,412 | 1.857649 |
warc | 201704 | Like many of the other bloggers and readers here at the VC, I hold many extreme political views – “extreme” in the sense that they are distant from those of most of the general public. I’m probably among the most libertarian 1-2 percent of the American population. On the other hand, there are clearly libertarians out there who are more extreme than I am. They favor an even smaller role for government or would abolish the state entirely. Some also diverge from majority opinion more than I do in other ways. Why do I disagree with “extremists” who are even more extreme than I am?
Economist Bryan Caplan has an interesting post devoted to that kind of question:
I’m an extremist. I freely admit it….
Still, no matter how extreme you are, there are almost always people on “your side” who are even more extreme than you are…. [Y]ou probably spend a lot more time attacking those who don’t take your views far enough rather those who take them too far. But the fact that there are people more extreme than you is revealing. You must think there’s some reason why it’s wrong to be any more extreme than you are.
My question: What precisely are those reasons?
The most obvious umbrella responses:
1.
Public relations. Views more extreme than your own are counter-productive because they alienate the moderates you need to convince to get better results.
2.
Transition costs. While you agree with the extremer extremists about the ultimate goal, they underrate the transition costs of getting from here to there….
3.
Latent pluralism. Despite your often one-sided rhetoric and disdain for the “other side(s),” they actually make some valid points; they just overstate them. Thus, even if you habitually dismiss the view that statist policies give bad incentives, you might ultimately agree that your policies would provide disturbingly bad incentives if they were pushed further than you advocate. Picture a socialist who opposes a 100% marginal tax rate….
4.
Papered-over fundamental differences. Even if you psychologically and sociologically identify with your extremer extremists, you don’t philosophically identify with them. They’re just fellow travelers who fail to grasp the principles that really count….
Bryan’s point 1 isn’t really a reason to reject the more extreme view. At most, it’s a justification for not revealing that you hold that position, in order to avoid alienating moderates. A genuine “extremer extremist” can still choose to seem more moderate than he really is for public relations reasons. In any event, I don’t soft-pedal the substance of my views on issues I regularly write about for the sake of attracting moderates, though I am very conscious of this issue when it comes to questions of style. I might act differently if I were running for public office or gunning for a judgeship. But fortunately I’m not.
Point 2 is potentially significant. There are various government programs whose creation I consider to be unjustified that I would not abolish immediately, because of reliance interests. In most such cases, however, I would still want to abolish them gradually rather than leave them in place permanently. So this is not really a big area of disagreement between me and more extreme libertarians.
The fourth point is a bigger issue for me. Many of the libertarians who are more extreme than I am believe in absolute property rights, whereas I do not. I think utilitarian considerations matter also, and individual rights (including property rights) can sometimes legitimately be sacrificed if there is a large enough utilitarian benefit. However, some libertarians who are more extreme than I am actually hold very similar fundamental values. Economist David Friedman and Bryan Caplan himself are good examples. Both of them also reject absolute rights and are partial utilitarians.
The really big factor for me is ultimately point 3, “latent pluralism.” There are a few market failures (mostly certain public goods problems) that I think private sector institutions can’t handle, while government has at least a reasonable chance of doing better. I think liberals and conservatives (to say nothing of socialists) greatly overstate the frequency of such examples. But I believe they are correct about a small but important set of cases. I’m familiar with the more extreme libertarian and anarchist literature arguing otherwise, some of which makes excellent points. But I don’t find it fully convincing.
I plead guilty to spending much more time criticizing views that are less libertarian than mine than those which are even more so. Bryan suggests this is a result of “my-side” bias. Perhaps so. But it’s also because libertarians more extreme than me are fairly rare and have very little influence. If I lived in a much more libertarian society where my views were closer to the middle of the political spectrum, I would certainly devote more time to writing about libertarians who are more extreme than I am.
That said, I have in fact devoted a few posts to airing my differences with more extreme libertarians, such as here, here, and here. And here’s an audio of a debate on libertarianism and foreign policy between Bryan and myself, which addresses one major example.
UPDATE: In the initial version of this post, I accidentally forgot to include a link to Bryan’s post. I have now fixed that error. | 5,558 | 2,531 | 2.19597 |
warc | 201704 | Contributing Writer for Wake Up World
With over 20 years experience helping women manage safe and successful home births in Utah and Idaho, U.S., Donna Young was shocked to deliver her first stillborn baby on May 8, 2013. When she attended the baby’s funeral service several days later, she noticed an unusually high number of infant grave sites at the cemetery — all with recent dates. Instead of turning a blind eye and brushing her observation off as an unfortunate coincidence, she decided to investigate.
Young lives in Vernal, Utah — a veritable gold rush of fracking activity. When Young began connecting the dots between fracking and the spike in newborn deaths, those involved with the industry didn’t take kindly to her questions.
Lives Destroyed
Before the hate campaign began against Young, she had between 18 to 25 clients a year, and a spotless, statewide reputation. All that changed once she began to question the harm fracking was causing to those most vulnerable: babies. Presently she’s down to five clients and she’s not sure how she’ll be able to manage her ranch if things don’t turn around. Young also sleeps with a gun after receiving death threats and having someone attempt to poison her livestock. Next were the nurses and doctors who warned pregnant women to steer clear of Young because she was incompetent. The implied message: she had killed babies and would kill theirs too.
Her crime? Questioning the high infant mortality rate in the valley. The town of Vernal is small, about 10,000 people. When she stumbled upon the fact that an inordinate number of babies were dying — at least 10 in 2013 alone — she sought information from county officials, to no avail. Young didn’t give up and continued to press the issue, eventually prompting TriCounty Health to sponsor a study in 2014 to evaluate the deaths. But Young and experts in Salt Lake City were convinced the study was designed to fail, especially since the study ignored facts pertaining to Vernal air pollution, where “
ozone readings rivaled the worst days of summer in New York, Los Angeles or Salt Lake City; particulate matter as bad as Mexico City; and ground air fraught with carcinogenic gases like benzene, rogue emissions from oil and gas drilling,” writes Paul Solotaroff of Rolling Stone magazine.
He adds:
“[T]he Basin, which is bound on all four sides by mountains, is a perfectly formed bowl for winter inversions, in which 20-below weather clamps down on the valley and is sealed there by warmer air above it. During those spells, when the haze is visible and the air in one’s lungs is a cold chisel, the sun’s rays reflect off the snow on the ground and cook the volatile gases into ozone. The worst such period in the Basin’s recent history was the winter of 2012-13, when nearly all the Uintah mothers whose babies died were pregnant.”
The Uintah Basin is home to more than 11,000 fracking wells, which spew an enormous amount of soot and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into Vernal. With an inversion-filled winter, like the one in 2012-2013, the VOC count equates to the exhaust of 100 million cars.
TriCounty also overlooked research that links mothers’ exposure to polluted air with fetal problems like developmental disorders, birth defects and stillbirths. The conclusion of the study? The deaths were classified “not statistically insignificant.” When asked about possible causes for the deaths, Sam LeFevre, an epidemiologist with the Utah State Health Department who handled the study for TriCounty, suggested health problems of the mothers, including diabetes, prenatal neglect and smoking.
Which brings us back to Solotaroff, who rightly asks: “How many dead infants does it take before you’ll accept that there’s a problem?”
A Surge in Birth Defects and Miscarriages
Young not only saw a dramatic increase in stillborns around the winter of 2012-2013, but also a spike in birth defects as well. One girl was born with a rare and extreme vision disorder that requires the child to wear coke bottle glasses. This was the first baby with a birth defect that Young had delivered in all her years as a midwife. Several more followed in the next 15 months. A girl with a malformed epiglottis, which causes choking when she attempted to feed. A boy born tongue-tied and clubfoot; a girl tongue-tied and lip-tied. In all cases, surgeries were required within a few days of birth.
But this wasn’t the end of the tragedy. A few weeks after Solotaroff returned home from interviewing the people of Vernal, he received a call from Young, saying 4 of her 5 clients had miscarried within weeks of each other. Apparently, all the women who lost their babies lived in town and said their water tasted bad. Young went to the women’s houses and took samples, then employed a monitoring device used by drillers to test the water. Most were found positive for toxicity from hydrogen sulfide — an exceptionally deadly gas that’s often released by drilling. Small amounts of it can cause miscarriages.
The levels of hydrogen sulfide Young discovered in the samples were 7,000 times greater than the acceptable limit set forth by the Environmental Protection Agency.
When all is said and done, the bottom line is this: If we care about the health of the planet — and its inhabitants — fracking needs to end.
Learn more, spread the word and get involved. Here are several resources to get you started:
Gasland Part II
Gasland Part II documents how the stakes have been raised on all sides in one of the most devastating environmental issues rapidly spreading the globe. This sequel further enriches the argument that the gas industry’s portrayal of natural gas as a clean and safe alternative to oil is a lie, where in fact fracked wells inevitably leak over time, and vent exuberantly more potent greenhouse gasses such as methane in cumulative effect, not to mention the continued string of cases of severe water contamination across the United States and even cases as far away as Australia.
Triple Divide
Actor Mark Ruffalo co-narrates this 18-month cradle-to-grave fracking investigation by Public Herald, an investigative news nonprofit co-founded by journalists Joshua Pribanic and Melissa Troutman. Triple Divide features never before seen interviews with industry giants and advocates, exclusive reports with impacted landowners, uncovered state documents, and expert testimonies.
Dangers of Fracking presents an interactive display that clearly describes the process of fracking, how it harms our health and the environment and actions to take to ban fracking. Americans Against Fracking is a national coalition to ban fracking. In the past year, the organization has stopped plans to open the Delaware River Basin to fracking, prevented fracking from coming to New York, passed legislation to ban fracking and fracking waste imports in New Jersey, achieved a long term moratorium in Vermont, and passed over 200 local measures to prevent fracking or to support statewide bans from California to Ohio, Colorado to North Carolina and elsewhere. Frack Action works to protect our water, air, and public health from the dangerous practice of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking. The group is engaged in a public awareness campaign aimed at exposing the truth on fracking and a grassroots organizing campaign building the critical mass necessary to stop it. Occupy features trending fracking news articles from around the United States. Article sources: http://www.rollingstone.com/culture/features/fracking-whats-killing-the-babies-of-vernal-utah-20150622 http://www.truth-out.org/opinion/item/23885-dead-babies-and-utahs-carbon-bomb# http://www.newsweek.com/2014/05/30/utah-boom-town-spike-infant-deaths-raises-questions-251605.html http://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/1306722/ Previous articles by Carolanne Wright: From Stardom to Serving and Surrender: Hip Hop Artist Plants Seeds of Love in Uncertain Times Glyphosate Nation: Troublesome Roundup Herbicide Found Throughout U.S. Food Supply – Organics Too The Miracle of Cannabis Gives Back a Young Girl Her Life Is Roundup Driving The Autism Epidemic? Leading MIT Researcher Says YES Over 100 Scientific Studies Agree: Cannabis Annihilates Cancer Emotional Energetic Healing: The Future of Medicine is Here Why Every Parent Should Consider Unschooling The Greenhouse of the Future: Grow Your Own Food Year-Round With This Revolutionary System First U.S. City Produces More Electricity Than It Uses — With 100% Renewable Technology Dry Skin Brushing Can Strengthen Immunity, Spark Detoxification and Reverse Aging Autistic Boy with Higher IQ Than Einstein Discovers Gift After Removal from State-Run Therapy Enhance Spiritual, Mental and Physical Well-being with a Pineal Gland Detox DIY $2 Self-Watering Garden Bed – Grow Produce Easily, Even in the Toughest Conditions How Being Too Clean Can Lead to Cancer, Multiple Sclerosis, Celiac Disease and More | 9,099 | 4,559 | 1.995832 |
warc | 201704 | Bauxite ore is the world largest naturally occurring source of aluminum, with over 90% of global volume obtained by processing bauxite. Alumina is aluminum oxide which is an intermediate product during the manufacturing of aluminum from bauxite. Australia and China are the largest producers of bauxite with a combined production of over 110 million metric tons in 2012. However, production in countries such as India and Indonesia has been on the rise and Asia pacific accounted for over 45% of global production in 2012 as compared to 16% ten years ago. The increase in non captive bauxite volume has resulted in increased bauxite trading and shipping leading to varying market dynamics.
Bauxite and alumina are primarily consumed in the manufacturing of aluminum. However, owing to their distinct physical and chemical properties, they are used in a variety of other applications. Calcined alumina, a synthetic corundum of bauxite, is extensive used as an abrasive material in polishing material and sand papers. Sintered bauxite is also used as a proppant in oil fields in order to maintain oil pressure during the drilling process. Alumina is used as filler in plastics because of its chemical inertness and white color.
View More Details About Alumina and Bauxite Market With Toc:
Alumina is also used as an industrial catalyst in a host of reactions and also as a purification agent. The other applications of alumina include paints, composite fibers and abrasive among others. The bauxite and alumina market can be segmented as metallurgical and non metallurgical products. A metallurgical segment includes the bauxite and alumina used for extraction of aluminum and is the largest product segment. The non metallurgical segment includes the applications mentioned above and was a relatively smaller market in 2012. The key driver for the market is the growing demand for automotive and infrastructure in countries of Asia Pacific. India and China have witnessed high growth in these sectors resulting in increased demand for aluminum which in turn has increased the demand for bauxite and alumina.
This research report provides comprehensive market statistics and forecast for key segments, and provides complete industry landscape including drivers, restraints, regulatory scenario, technology trends and future opportunities. The report also provides detailed competitive landscape with company market share analysis and in-depth profiles of key market participants.
Key regional markets analyzed and reported in this study include:
· North America
· Europe
· Asia Pacific
· RoW
View All Market Reports Of This Category: About Hexa Research:
Hexa Research is a market research and consulting organization, offering industry reports, custom research and consulting services to a host of key industries across the globe. We offer comprehensive business intelligence in the form of industry reports which help our clients obtain clarity about their business environment and enable them to undertake strategic growth initiatives.
Contact Us:
Michelle Thoras
Felton, California 95018
United States
1-800-489-3075 | 3,156 | 1,460 | 2.161644 |
warc | 201704 | Worldvoice Business Resources, Inc.
Our
projects make a small difference! BIG
© Worldvoice Business Resources, Inc.
Customer Service
Program Success Solutions
Home
Structure Your Customer Service Program for Profits
A successful customer service program consists of more than just being pleasant to your customers when they contact your organization. It is a statement of your organization's character, values and ethics.
Your customer service program is a window into the quality of management, employee competence, technical expertise and policy judgment of your organization.
Organizations that have a strong commitment to customer service excellence have an ever expanding customer base, a good public reputation, committed employees and a healthy profit margin.
It makes no difference if your business is a brick and mortar, walk-in establishment or an online business concern. A successful customer service program will always distinguish your organization as being in a class that supersedes all others within the same industry.
Unlike advertising, a successful customer service program costs progressively less money to maintain and it generates measurable business benefits throughout the life of the business.
Organizations that foster weak customer service programs tend to use that department to simply “handle” the expected customer complaints for mediocre products or services offered. The business model will appear, to the consumer, to be ' we will do as little as possible to get the most money for you.'
Businesses that embrace low quality customer service programs tend to compete on low price and inferior quality products and/or services. The result is that they attract bargain-hunting consumers who complain excessively that the organization's results are consistently below expectations.
Creating a successful customer service program for your organization requires research, a re-alignment of priorities, coordinating departmental policies, updating resources and tools, arranging for proper support and educating both lower management and staff.
They don't show any interest in me or what I do anymore...
I feel alone and abandoned. | 2,192 | 1,043 | 2.10163 |
warc | 201704 | Water may be safely obtained from a variety of
plants.
The primary consideration is in selecting the correct,
non-poisonous plants. Here is a partial list of plants from
which water may be safely obtained:
grapevines
thistles
maple tree sap
birch tree sap
Another consideration is to be certain that the plant is not
growing in contaminated soil. Plants tend to take up whatever is
in the soil, so if the soil contains harmful substances, then
these may end up in the plant that you are wanting to harvest
for water.
As well, it is a good idea to become well acquainted with the
look-alikes of any plant that you are wanting to use as a water
source. For example, Canada Moonseed vines resemble grapevines:
get to know the difference! Canada Moonseed is poisonous. | 783 | 436 | 1.795872 |
warc | 201704 | Adult care workers such as home health care workers and certified nursing aides care for elderly adults who need assistance with daily activities such as eating, dressing, housekeeping and bathing. Care is usually provided in the person's home or in a long-term care facility. Adult care workers also work with adults who are chronically ill, disabled, or mentally impaired. Salary for adult care workers depends on the setting, education requirements and other factors.
Home Health Care
Home health workers, also known as caregivers or home health providers, maintain a range of responsibilities to help adults remain in their own homes. Responsibilities include changing bedding, helping adults with showers or baths, dressing, grooming and getting in and out of bed or wheelchairs.In some cases, they perform light housekeeping, run errands, and prepare and serve meals. Home health workers often provide companionship to adults in the form of visiting or reading. Long-term care facilities often hire caregivers to perform duties similar to those of home health care workers. Usually, home health positions require a high school diploma, although additional training is sometimes required.
Certified Nursing Aides
The role of a certified nursing aid is similar to that of a home health worker or caregiver; however, a certified nursing aid completes several weeks of nursing training, often at a community college or vocational school. Upon completion of training, a certified nursing aide must pass a state examination which is renewed periodically, according to the rules in each state. Because a certified nursing aide has more education, he assumes more responsibility and usually earns slightly higher wages than a home health worker. For example, a certified nursing aide can take blood pressure, pulse, temperature and other vital statistics, remove bandages and help with simple exercises. In some cases, certified nursing aides with additional training can dispense oral medications under the supervision of a doctor or registered nurse.
Salary
The U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that median pay for home health workers is $9.70 an hour, and $11.54 for certified nursing aides, as of 2010. O*Net Online reports that, as of 2011, home health workers earn median wages of $9.91 per hour, and for certified nursing aides, median hourly pay is $11.63.
Outlook
The job outlook for home health care workers and certified nursing aides is bright, according to O*Net Online. Because the baby boomer generation is entering their senior years, jobs in the adult care field are expected to increase by 20 to 29 percent between 2010 and 2020. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics presents an even better picture, estimating that the job outlook for home health workers will increase as much as 70 percent between 2010 and 2020. The bureau's outlook for certified nursing aides is lower with an estimated 20 percent increase during the same time period.
Photo Credits Stockbyte/Stockbyte/Getty Images | 3,040 | 1,337 | 2.273747 |
warc | 201704 | STUDY: Cutting salt intake could save a half-million lives
(CBS News) – Researchers at the University of California San Francisco found as many as a half-million lives could be saved over the next decade, if Americans reduced their salt intake to a little more than 2,000 milligrams a day.
That’s less than one teaspoon of salt for daily consumption.
Too much sodium contributes to high blood pressure, which increases heart attack and stroke risks. | 464 | 313 | 1.482428 |
warc | 201704 | Early forecasts predict an active hurricane season along the Atlantic coast.
Researchers at Colorado State University expect 18 named storms this year. They say four of those will likely be major storms at Category 3 or higher.
William Gray, a professor emeritus in Colorado State's atmospheric science department, says this winter's ocean currents follow trends that lead to active storm activity in the tropics.
"This circulation has been especially strong," Gray says.
"It's one of the factors that's led to such a cold winter in Europe. And in those years, we tend to have more major hurricane activity in the Atlantic basin."
Gray says hurricane forecasts are never entirely accurate, but are based on statistics from decades of data. Forecasters at N.C. State say they will issue their own predictions before hurricane season, which runs from June 1st to November 30th. | 886 | 507 | 1.747535 |
warc | 201704 | Doxycycline is an antibiotic used to treat infections like Lyme disease, chlamydia, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and bacterial infections caused by susceptible organisms. Compounding is beneficial in instances where a specific dosage is unavailable or in different forms to make it easier to dose your pet. Doxycycline Compounded requires a prescription from your veterinarian.
Cats and Dogs
Doxycycline is a tetracycline antibiotic that treats bacterial infections. It works by interrupting the production of proteins by bacteria. Its effective against a wide variety of bacteria.
Do not give doxycycline to pregnant or nursing animals. Do not give multivitamins, calcium supplements, antacids, or laxatives within two hours before or after giving doxycycline. These products can reduce the effectiveness of doxycycline.
Throw away any unused doxycycline compounded when it expires or when it is no longer needed. Do not give doxycycline compounded after the expiration date printed on the bottle.
Store this product at room temperature, away from moisture and heat.
A compounded medication is the creation of a particular medication to fit the unique needs of a patient, including changing the form of the medication (e.g., from a solid pill to a liquid) for a variety reasons (e.g., to make it easier to take, to avoid a non-essential ingredient, to obtain the exact dose needed, adding favorite flavors).
If you are having difficulty giving your pet prescribed medication or need to find a discontinued medication, 1-800-PetMeds offers compounding services on select medications. We can prepare the following: (1) custom strength quantities of a medication (as capsules, liquid, chewable tablets, or transdermal (absorbed through the skin); (2) dosage forms to mask bitter or unpleasant taste (such as capsules or chewable tablets that can also be flavored); (3) dosage forms to make it easier to dose your pet such as a transdermal or liquid (that can also be flavored); and (4) discontinued products such as cisapride or DES. | 2,041 | 991 | 2.059536 |
warc | 201704 | In a country with the best available health care available in the world, there is occurring an epidemic in dental care problems. It seems the increase of emergency room dental visits is due to the fact that people tend to neglect their oral health till it's to late and they are in dire pain.
This procrastination of dental care not only costs the patient increased pain and discomfort but the costs to treat their problems is ten times higher than going to your local dentist before the trouble occurs.
Let this be the motivation you need to make an appointment to see your family dentist. I realize how expensive the dentist can be but check out this infographic and see what you're in for by neglecting your teeth.
Source: FrugalDad.com | 744 | 433 | 1.718245 |
warc | 201704 | Font Size:
Evaluating Multi-Agent Traffic Controllers
Last modified: 2010-05-06 Abstract
Many multi-agent traffic control designs have been proposed; each makes different assumptions about the environment, which makes it difficult to compare their performance. In this paper, we present a testbed for flexible and consistent evaluation ofmulti-agent approaches to urban traffic control. The testbed, an extension of the MASON simulator, varies parameters such as traffic load, existence of arterial street and grid size. We instrument the testbed to collect a set of metrics defined in the literature: delay, normal travel time, number of stops, percent stopped, and wait time ratio. We implement three distinct, well known multi-agent traffic controllers and use the testbed to assess the impact of different scenarios by comparing agent performance. The different metrics highlight clear trade-offs between time and flow metrics, but the more challenging scenarios dilute the distinctions. The testbed supports evaluation, comparative analyses and hybridization of the approaches. We use our analyses to suggest modifications to the agents and show that the agent designs can be improved.
Keywords
evaluation; traffic control agents; trade-off analysis
Full Text: PDF | 1,277 | 684 | 1.866959 |
warc | 201704 | Scientists teleport Schrodinger's cat
Updated
Photo:The experiments were conducted on a machine known as "the teleporter" in the laboratory of Professor Akira Furusawa in the Department of Applied Physics in the University of Tokyo. (University of Tokyo)
Researchers from Australia and Japan have successfully teleported wave packets of light, potentially revolutionising quantum communications and computing.
The team, led by researchers at the University of Tokyo, say this is the first-ever teleportation, or transfer, of a particular complex set of quantum information from one point to another.
They say it will make possible high-speed, high-fidelity transmission of large volumes of information, such as quantum encryption keys, via communications networks.
The research appears today in the journal Science.
Professor Elanor Huntington, of the School of Engineering and Information Technology at UNSW's Canberra campus, explains that teleportation - the transfer of quantum information from one location to another using normal, "classical" communications - is a fundamental quantum communication technique.
"It relies on having two things," she said.
"One is the normal fibre-optic internet or even copper cables, and the other is a shared resource between the sender and the receiver, that could have been shared at any time in the past: we call that entanglement."
Professor Huntington says the idea of quantum teleportation has been around for about 10 years, but has been difficult to put into practice.
"There used to be two ways of doing teleportation and both had their limitations," she said.
"One was quite fast, but had a limited probability of succeeding. The other way of doing it was quite slow, but had a very good probability of working.
"What we've done is managed to get it both fast and good quality."
Schrodinger's cat comes back
They did it by teleporting the wave packets of light in a "Schrodinger's cat" state.
In Schrodinger's famous thought experiment of the 1930s, a cat would be placed in a sealed box with a device containing atomic material.
A Geiger counter was included to measure radiation if at some point an atom decayed. Should that happen, the Geiger counter would trigger the release of cyanide gas, which would kill the cat.
The idea was that it was impossible to know whether or not the cat was alive or dead without opening the box and observing it, and that until that happened, both realities existed. This became known as superposition.
Schrodinger is said to have devised the experiment to ridicule the emerging theories of quantum physics, but since then physicists have found many examples of superposition in the quantum world.
"What was funky about Schrodinger's idea was that you could take a normal macroscopic object, which we all think we know and understand fairly well, and you could put it into a quantum superposition - and that's kind of weird," Professor Huntington said.
"Nowadays any kind of system where you do that is known as a Schrodinger's cat.
"So in our case what we've done is take a macroscopic beam of light and put it into a quantum superposition, which is extremely fragile, and teleported that from one place to another.
"One of the ways that we encode digital information is by its phase, so what we've done is created a wave packet that's simultaneously a one and a zero in its phase."
"Superposition is exactly what underlies the power of things like quantum computers. You enable parallel processing because at the same time it's a one and a zero. The point is, we've managed to teleport it from A to B without the one and the zero getting confused."
Professor Huntington says being able to demonstrate this will enable researchers to take the next step in quantum computing.
"[Being able to transfer data packets] is a necessary thing to do in order to build a proper quantum computer or a quantum communications device," she said.
First posted | 3,985 | 1,817 | 2.193176 |
warc | 201704 | Everyone believes that he has fully understood these simple words, and yet there will be but few who have grasped their actual meaning. It is one-sided and wrong to interpret this saying as if it were only meant to teach man to be lenient toward his neighbor. Leniency toward one’s neighbor will follow by itself as a natural consequence of experiencing this statement, albeit only as a secondary consequence. He who searches in the words of Christ in this fashion does not search deeply enough. He thus shows either that he is far from being able to make the words of the Son of God come to life or that he under-estimates the wisdom of His statements from the outset. And in the interpretations of many preachers these words, like everything else, are placed into the same category as the weakness and slackness of
the kind of love which the Church likes to present as Christian love.
However, man can
and must use these words of the Son of God only as a measure for his own faults. If he looks around with open eyes, and also observes himself at the same time, he will soon recognize that the faults which most irritate him in others are present in himself to a particularly high degree and in a way that is annoying to others.
In order to learn to observe properly it is perhaps best if you first closely observe your fellow-men only. There will hardly be anyone who doesn't find this or that fault in another, and who openly or covertly expresses it. As soon as this happens, you should place this person, who is so critical or even indignant about the faults of others, under close scrutiny. Before long you will be surprised to discover that the very faults he so sharply censures in others are present in him to a far greater degree!
This is a fact that will astound you at first, but which will
always reveal itself without exception. When judging people in the future you may safely assume this to be factual without fear of making a mistake. The fact remains that a man who gets upset about this or that fault in another person is sure to have these same faults to a far greater extent within himself.
Approach such examinations calmly. You will be able to do so, and will recognize the truth right away, because you yourselves are not directly involved, and will therefore not attempt to gloss anything over for either party.
Take a person who is habitually sullen and discourteous and who seldom shows a friendly face, a person one would like to avoid. These are the very people who expect to be treated with special kindness, and who become enraged, girls and women to the point of tears, if they meet with but a single reproachful glance, however justified it may be. This strikes a serious observer as so unspeakably ridiculous, yet sad, that he forgets to be indignant about it.
And so it is in a thousand and more different ways. Learning this and recognizing it will be easy for you. Once you have reached that stage, also have the courage to assume that you yourselves are no exception, since you found proof in all the others. Then at last your eyes will be opened about yourselves. This means a great step forward towards your development, perhaps even the greatest one! You thereby cut through a knot that today holds down all mankind! Free yourselves, then joyfully help others in the same way.
This is what the Son of God meant to say with His simple words. Such was the value of the teaching He offered with His plain statements. But man did not honestly seek for their real meaning. Pretentiously as always, he merely wanted to look down upon others leniently. This flattered his disgusting arrogance. The whole wretchedness of his false thinking, the unconcealed hypocritical pharisaism, becomes clearly evident in all his past interpretations. It was transplanted in the identical manner into Christendom. For even those who call themselves seekers have taken, and still take, everything much too superficially under their usual and customary delusion that by reading the words they must also have truly grasped their meaning. They convince themselves of this entirely as they see fit. That is not honest seeking. For that reason they cannot find the real treasure, and therefore progress has not been possible. The Word remained dead for those who were supposed to have called it to life within themselves in order to derive values from it which would uplift them.
And every sentence the Son of God gave to mankind contains such values, which man does not find, but only because he has never sought for them diligently! | 4,567 | 2,146 | 2.128145 |
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BURLINGAME -- Nearly 200 parents of children with a complicated, mysterious brain illness called PANS gathered over the weekend to seek advice and support from each other as they navigate the disease, which triggers psychotic and compulsive behaviors. PANS is believed to be caused by an infection or other trigger that causes the immune system to mistakenly attack the brain and swell it, resulting in extreme obsessive-compulsive disorder, cognitive regression, sleeplessness and other disabling behaviors. a diagnosis of PANS is so new and controversial that most pediatricians across the country haven't even heard of the afflictions, leaving many children locked in psych wards or wreaking havoc at home. A small group of critics suggest the disease doesn't exist and argue that any improvements children see might be caused by the placebo effect But Dr. Susan Swedo from the National Institute of Mental Health, who has been studying the condition since the 1980s, and Dr. Jenny Frankovich, a rheumatologist at Lucile Packard at Stanford who treats Tessa, say the disease is very real. The PANS clinic at Stanford, which Frankovich recently opened with child psychiatrist Kiki Chang, needs funding for research, Frankovich said, and the clinic is seeking donors. | 1,480 | 850 | 1.741176 |
warc | 201704 | Increased regulations and bureaucracy mean that patients are having to wait longer than ever to be able to benefit from modern medicines - and in some cases they may be deprived of them altogether, the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) said today.
The ABPI was responding to comments by the chairman of the National Institute for Clinical Excellence, Sir Michael Rawlins, at the Royal Institute of International Affairs where he said that excessive bureaucracy and an obsession with safety are stifling the development of new medicines.
The ABPI said that there had been an increase in development times in Europe over the past few years. This had affected medicines research in many areas, and one example is that of the development of new anti-biotics to deal with the threat of resistance to established medicines.
"This area is a very important one, but it is now so complex in regulatory terms that many major companies have had to pull out of this area of research," said Dr Trevor Jones, Director General of the ABPI.
The number of clinical trials required before the launch of a new medicine has increased dramatically over the past five years so that the average development time for a new medicine has risen to about 13 years.
"This is bureaucratic over-caution, and the result is that it is delaying the latest advances in medicines research from reaching patients," said Dr Jones.
Yet the fact remains that the true value of medicines cannot be known at launch. Medicines need to be used in a wide population of patients over a longer period of time before all their risks and benefits can be fully known.
While it is important to assess the safety of a medicine as early as possible, this has to be balanced against the need to provide genuine advances to patients quickly. An example of an area where this has proved a particular problem is that of the development of anti-cancer medicines.
However, the ABPI stressed that, while there were causes for concern, there was no question of a medicines "drought", and that the low number of new chemical entities registered in 2002 was not a reflection of the industry's overall success in developing new medicines.
"A steady flow of new medicines is still being produced by an industry that ploughs nearly £9 million a day into research and development in the UK alone," said Dr Jones. "But it is taking longer and costing more, and that is our concern."
For further information, please contact: ABPI Press Office 020 7747 1410 | 2,538 | 1,240 | 2.046774 |
warc | 201704 | The International Accounting Standards Board has introduced a new hedge accounting model as a major step forward in the financial instruments project on which it has been collaborating with the Financial Accounting Standards Board.
The amendments to IFRS entail a substantial overhaul of hedge accounting to enable entities to better reflect their risk management activities in the financial statements. Some of the changes would address the so-called “own credit” issue that were already included in IFRS 9 “Financial Instruments” to be applied in isolation without the need to change any other accounting for financial instruments. In addition, the changes would remove the Jan. 1, 2015 mandatory effective date of IFRS 9, to provide sufficient time for preparers of financial statements to make the transition to the new requirements.
The new hedge accounting model introduced by the IASB on Tuesday, along with corresponding disclosures about risk management activity for those applying hedge accounting, came in response to concerns raised by preparers of financial statements about the difficulty of appropriately reflecting their risk management activities in the financial statements. The changes also address concerns raised by users of the financial statements about the difficulty of understanding hedge accounting.
“This package includes several, long-awaited reforms to financial instruments accounting,” said IASB chairman Hans Hoogervorst in a statement. “First, we have introduced a new hedge accounting model. This is a significant change in accounting that enables companies to better reflect their risk management activities. This change has received strong support from corporates around the world. Second, we have provided a mechanism to enable entities to benefit from the fix to the own credit’ issue before making more comprehensive changes to their financial instruments accounting. Third, we have responded to concerns that the mandatory effective date for IFRS 9 provided insufficient time for companies to adequately prepare.”
Hoogervorst spoke about the new hedging standards Monday during Financial Executives International’s Current Financial Reporting Issues Conference in New York, saying preparers are “wildly enthusiastic” about them (see IASB Adjusts to Changing Relationship with FASB).
“Why is that the case? They think it makes it easier for them to really show their activities to minimize their economic risk,” Hoogervorst said Monday. “It takes out the mathematical bright lines in current hedge accounting and retraces them with more qualitative criteria. It’s more principle-based and will therefore be easier to retain hedge accounting, although this is not a free choice. We do require proper documentation of the hedge strategies. But I think it will be a huge improvement. Preparers around the world are waiting for us to finish this.”
FASB chairman Russell Golden seemed to be in favor of the IASB’s work, noting that FASB had placed its priorities elsewhere in its work on the financial instruments project. “We made a judgment call a few years ago that said we need to think about classification, measurement and impairment first for a couple of reasons,” he said. “We felt that was where the priority for improvement was, and we thought we needed to understand what was going to be the measurement philosophy of the instrument that you might be hedging before we dealt with hedge accounting. I think that today’s hedge accounting in the U.S. is overly proscriptive. I think it prevents companies from actually entering into hedge accounting as something that they think is mitigating their risk, and I think it needs to be improved in the U.S. As we go forward, we will look at what the IASB has finalized to see if it can and should work in the United States, and we will start with that model.”
The new model represents a substantial overhaul of hedge accounting that will enable entities to better reflect their risk management activities in their financial statements. The most significant improvements apply to those that hedge non-financial risk, and so these improvements are expected to be of particular interest to non-financial institutions. As a result of these changes, users of the financial statements will be provided with better information about risk management and about the effect of hedge accounting on the financial statements.
As part of the amendments, the changes introduced by the IASB also enable entities to change the accounting for liabilities that they have elected to measure at fair value, before applying any of the other requirements in IFRS 9. This change in accounting would mean that gains caused by a worsening in an entity’s own credit risk on such liabilities are no longer recognised in profit or loss. The amendments will facilitate earlier application of this long-awaited improvement to financial reporting.
Professional Judgment
The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales saw benefits in the new hedging standard as a way to simplify hedge accounting.
“Hedge accounting is arguably one of the most complex areas of accounting,” said Dr. Nigel Sleigh-Johnson, head of the ICAEW’s Financial Reporting Faculty, in a statement. “The current hedge accounting standard is rules-based, is difficult for companies to use and does not reflect risk management activities well, so it was ripe for replacement. With the new standard, hedge accounting —which is a way for companies to reduce volatility in their reported results stemming from, for example, foreign currency exposure, and is widely used by both financial and non-financial companies—should become more accessible, allowing companies to better align their accounting with their risk management strategies.”
The new standard will require more disclosures because it is more principles-based than the standard it replaces, the ICAEW noted. That brings with it some challenges in itself, and highlights the difficulties involved in reducing the length of IFRS financial statements.
“More judgment means an increased need for disclosures,” said Sleigh-Johnson. “That may be a challenge for some. What is critical is that the longer disclosures don’t result in key information becoming obscured.”
The hedge accounting standard is part of IFRS 9, which will replace IAS 39, the accounting standard that received so much attention in the wake of the global financial crisis. IFRS 9 is not yet complete however, as there are still deliberations on impairment going on.
“Replacing IAS 39 has proved a much slower and tougher task for the standard setters than originally thought,” said Sleigh-Johnson. “That has been a source of huge frustration. They are not there yet, but the hedge accounting standard is an important strand of what has become a rather tangled and complex web of much-needed financial reporting reforms.”
Because the impairment phase of the IFRS 9 project has not yet been completed, the IASB decided that a mandatory date of Jan. 1, 2015 would not allow sufficient time for entities to prepare to apply the new standard. As a result, the IASB has decided that a new date should be decided upon when the entire IFRS 9 project is closer to completion.
The amendments made to IFRS 9 in November 2013 remove the mandatory effective date from IFRS 9. However, entities may still choose to apply IFRS 9 immediately.
A high-level summary of the amendments can be downloaded here. | 7,670 | 3,001 | 2.555815 |
warc | 201704 | The Internal Revenue Services continues to try to find ways to meet its mandated goal of getting 80% of American taxpayers filing tax returns electronically by 2007. The latest stimulus to that plan includes improvements on the IRS's electronic tax payment Web site.
The Web site, EFTPS-OnLine, or Electronic Federal Tax Payment System, gives taxpayers a location on the Internet where they can make tax payments and review their payment history.
The latest improvements to the site include the ability to make more than one payment without logging out and logging in again after each payment. Taxpayers can also schedule multiple payments all at once. For example, if a taxpayer wants to set up a schedule for making a year's worth of quarterly payments online, this can all be accomplished in one session.
Previously the Web site only provided payment history for four prior months. Now the database has been expanded so taxpayers can view payment history online for the past 16 months. In addition, taxpayers can search for their past payment information by date, type of tax, or type of tax form used. Previously there was no search or sort feature available.
Also, taxpayers can now make a phone call and change the information about which bank account the IRS should access when withdrawing authorized payments, without completing a new enrollment form for the bank account. A personal identification number can be designated online, and taxpayers can begin making payments with no waiting period.
The IRS plans to provide direct links to the various state online tax payment Web sites as well. So far, links to Web sites for Arizona, California, Idaho, Iowa, Nebraska, and New Jersey are available. | 1,712 | 871 | 1.965557 |
warc | 201704 | Are you considering a new furnace for your Spokane area home? Call ACI Northwest Inc. to help you select the right size and install it for you. Many contractors will try to sell you an oversized furnace and tell you that it will heat your home better; however, the opposite will occur for many reasons. Not only will you not get better performance, but you could also damage the system or make it less efficient, which means you won’t get the most out of your new investment.
Here are some reasons why an oversized furnace will not perform better than one that is the appropriate size for your home and heating needs.
First, a furnace that produces more BTUs than what you need to heat your home will use up more energy to heat a space that is too small for the output. Secondly, if your ductwork isn’t large enough to deliver the heat with the right amount of airflow, it can set off the limit switch. Constantly tripping the limit switch will needlessly shut down the furnace, and can shorten the life of the system. Lastly, you may need to replace the heat exchanger sooner than is necessary, and this is not a minor cost in the grand scheme of furnace repair or replacement needs.
If you aren’t sure what size furnace you need, call a heating contractor you can trust to help determine how many BTUs you need to properly heat your home. This will depend on the size of your home, where it is located, how much sunlight you get in the winter, and many other factors, including the condition of your ductwork and other components.
The Spokane heating experts at ACI Northwest can help you choose the correct size furnace for your heating needs and your particular home. We have many years of experience in this business, and we want to help all of our customers get the best solutions to all their heating needs. Call us any time if you have questions about furnace size and output. | 1,905 | 942 | 2.022293 |
warc | 201704 | Number: 0811
Aetna considers autologous or allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (ablative and non-myeloablative) for the treatment of any of the following solid tumors in adults experimental and investigational because its effectiveness for these indications has not been established:
* Aetna considers autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplant medically necessary in young adults with primitive neuroectodermal tumors, medulloblastoma, and Ewing sarcoma family of tumors when criteria are met in CPB 0496 - Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation for Selected Childhood Solid Tumors.
See also CPB 0507 - Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation for Breast Cancer, CPB 0617 - Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation for Testicular Cancer, CPB 0634 - Non-myeloablative Bone Marrow/Peripheral Stem Cell Transplantation (Mini-Allograft / Reduced Intensity Conditioning Transplant), and CPB 0635 - Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation for Ovarian Cancer.
Solid tumors (also known as solid neoplasms) in adults represent a heterogeneous group of malignancies that encompass various body systems. While some solid tumors are very chemo-radiosensitive (e.g., Ewing’s sarcoma and gonadal tumors); as a whole they are not curable by chemotherapy. The use of hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) has been investigated for the treatment of selected solid tumors. This approach arose from studies that allogeneic HSCT has been successfully employed for patients with aplastic anemia and hemoglobinopathies. Storb et al (2003) stated that the allogeneic graft-versus-tumor (GVT) effects observed in patients who received HSCT for hematological malignancies have stimulated trials of allogeneic HSCT in patients with refractory metastatic solid tumors. The graft-versus-leukemia (GVL) effect is an important component of the therapeutic effect of allogeneic HSCT. Data from experimental animal models as well as from preliminary clinical trials suggested that a GVT effect, analogous to the GVL effect, may be generated against solid tumors such as breast cancer, renal cell cancer, and other malignancies. The use of non-myeloablative, immunosuppressive conditioning regimens, also known as reduced-intensity conditioning (RIC) regimens, offers the opportunity to achieve full-donor engraftment with reduced transplant-related complications and mortality, thus, enabling also patients of advanced age and with co-morbidities to receive allografting. Bregni and colleagues (2004) stated that advanced renal cell cancer has emerged from pilot studies as a disease susceptible to the GVT effect; and future studies will show if tumor responses observed after allografting will translate into a clinically meaningful survival advantage. Other tumors in which tumor responses have been demonstrated include breast cancer, colorectal cancer, ovarian cancer, soft-tissue sarcoma, and others. In contrast, advanced melanoma may not be amenable to GVT effect.
Non-myeloablative HSCT provides a safer approach to explore the effectiveness of allogeneic HSCT in patients with solid tumors. Initial reports have demonstrated that GVT may occur against several different solid tumors, including breast cancer, ovarian cancer, renal cell carcinoma, and others (Espinoza-Delgado and Childs, 2004). Busca et al (2006) evaluated the feasibility and effectiveness of RIC regimen to achieve complete donor chimerism following allogeneic HSCT in patients with metastatic solid tumors. Seven patients with renal cell carcinoma, 3 with colorectal carcinoma, and 1 with soft tissue sarcoma received allogeneic HSCT after fludarabine (90 mg/m2) and total body irradiation (200 cGy). At day 30, median donor chimerism was 94 %. Regression of tumor metastases was observed in 1 patient with renal cell carcinoma. Eight patients (73 %) died from progressive disease (median progression-free survival of 3.7 months) and 1 (9 %) from treatment-related complications; 2 patients were alive 152 and 862 days after transplantation, respectively. The authors concluded that these preliminary results suggested that allogeneic HSCT with RIC regimen for metastatic solid tumors is feasible, although it may lead to durable responses in only a minority of patients.
Demirer et al (2008) noted that allogeneic transplantation of hematopoietic cells from an HLA-compatible donor has been used to treat hematological malignancies. Allogeneic transplantation not only replaces the marrow affected by the disease, but exerts an immune GVT effect mediated by donor lymphocytes. The development of RIC before allogeneic transplantation has allowed this therapy to be used in elderly and disabled patients. An allogeneic GVT effect is observed in a proportion of patients with breast, colorectal, ovarian, pancreatic, and renal cancer treated with allogeneic transplantation. In general, the tumor response is associated with the development of acute and chronic graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD and cGVHD). The authors stated that further improvements will depend on the identification of the antigen targets of GVT, and on reduction of the toxicity of the procedure.
In a multi-center clinical trial, Aglietta and co-workers (2009) examined RIC regimens for allogeneic HSCT in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). A total of 39 participants with progressing mCRC were treated with different RIC regimens. At the time of transplant, disease status was partial response (PR) in 2 (5 %) patients, stable disease (SD) in 6 (15 %), and progressive disease (PD) in 31 (80 %). All patients engrafted (median donor T cell chimerism of 90 % at day +60). Transplant-related morbidities were limited. Grades II to IV aGVHD occurred in 14 patients (35 %) and cGVHD in 9 (23 %) patients. Transplant-related mortality occurred in 4 patients (10 %). The best tumor responses were 1 complete response (CR) (2 %), 7 PR (18 %), and 10 SD (26 %), giving an overall disease control in 18 of 39 patients (46 %). The authors concluded that allogeneic HSCT after RIC regimen is feasible; the collected results compared favorably in terms of tumor response with those observed using conventional approaches beyond second-line therapies. They stated that investigation of an allogeneic cell-based therapy in less advanced patients is warranted.
A recent review on allogeneic and autologous transplantation for hematological diseases, immune disorders, and solid tumors by the European Group for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (Ljungman et al, 2010) stated that allogeneic HSCT is considered (i) a clinical option (can be performed after careful assessment of risks and benefits) for renal cancer relapsed/resistant to cytokine therapy, (ii) a developmental therapy (further trials are needed) for breast and ovarian cancer, and (iii) a developmental therapy that is not recommended for other solid tumors with the possible exception of colorectal cancer. The authors stated that currently allogeneic HSCT should only be considered in the context of prospective clinical trials.
Autologous HSCT pursuing an immune GVT effect has also been evaluated for patients with advanced and refractory solid malignancies. Neito et al (2004) noted that over the past 20 years, high-dose chemotherapy (HDC) with autologous HSCT has been explored for a variety of solid tumors in adults, especially breast cancer, ovarian cancer, and non-seminomatous germ-cell tumors. The findings of prospective phase II studies seemed superior in many cases to the outcome expected with standard-dose chemotherapy. The authors stated that the value of HDC for adult solid tumors remains, in most instances, a controversial issue; and is currently under the scrutiny of randomized phase III trial evaluation. Pedrazzoli et al (2006) stated that since the early 1980s HDC with autologous HSCT was adopted by many oncologists as a potentially curative option for solid tumors, supported by a strong rationale from laboratory studies and apparently convincing results of early phase II studies. As a result, the number and size of randomized trials comparing this approach with conventional chemotherapy initiated (and often abandoned before completion) to prove or disprove its value was largely insufficient. In fact, with the possible exception of breast cancer, the benefit of a greater escalation of dose of chemotherapy with stem cell support in solid tumors is still unsettled and many oncologists believe that this approach should cease. In this regard, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (2006) noted that there are insufficient data to establish definite conclusions regarding the effectiveness of autologous HSCT for solid tumors (other than neuroblastoma).
Available clinical practice guidelines have not recommended HSCT for the treatment of solid tumors in adults. The Dutch Urological Tumors National Working Group (2006) did not mention autologous or allogeneic HSCT as a therapeutic option for patients with renal cell carcinoma. The Dutch Thyroid Carcinoma Working Group (2007) did not discuss autologous or allogeneic HSCT as a therapeutic option for patients with thyroid carcinoma. Furthermore, the Cancer Care Ontario Program in Evidence-based Care's clinical guideline on stem cell transplantation in adults (Imrie et al, 2009) stated that (i) HDC with autologous HSCT has no proven efficacy in advanced epithelial ovarian cancer, germ-cell tumors, primary breast cancer, or small-cell lung cancer, and (ii) there is also no benefit for HDC with autologous bone marrow transplantation in patients with breast cancer compared with standard-dose chemotherapy alone.
The National Cancer Institute's Physician Data Query on treatment for cervical cancer (2010), colon cancer (2010), endometrial cancer (2010), esophageal cancer (2010), extra-hepatic bile duct (2010), gallbladder cancer (2010), gastric cancer (2010), melanoma (2010), nasopharygeal cancer (2010), non-small cell lung cancer (2010), pancreatic cancer (2010), paranasal sinus and nasal cavity cancer (2008), prostate cancer (2010), rectal cancer (2010), small cell lung cancer (2010), soft tissue sarcoma treatment (2010), thymoma and thymic carcinoma (2010), thyroid cancer (2010), and uterine cancer (2008) do not mention autologous or allogeneic HSCT as a therapeutic option.
Kasper et al (2010) noted that prognosis of patients with metastatic soft tissue sarcoma (STS) remains poor. Whether high-dose chemotherapy (HDCT) with stem cell support improves the long-term outcome for these patients is debatable. These investigators presented a prospective, single-institutional, phase II study that enrolled 34 STS patients with advanced and/or metastatic disease. After 4 courses of chemotherapy consisting of doxorubicin and ifosfamide, responding patients in at least partial response (PR) were treated with HDCT (n = 9); all other patients continued chemotherapy for 2 more cycles. After standard chemotherapy, PR (n = 10), stable disease (SD, n = 6) and progressive disease (PD, n = 14) were attained for the evaluable patients. A total of 29 patients died and 5 are alive with the disease. Median progression free survival (PFS) was 11.6 months (range of 8 to 15) for patients treated with HDCT (n = 9) versus 5.6 months (range of 0 to 19) for patients treated with standard chemotherapy. Median overall survival (OS) was 23.7 months (range of 12 to 34) versus 10.8 months (range of 0 to 39), respectively. The subgroup of patients treated with HDCT gained significant survival benefit. Nevertheless, HDCT as a possible consolidation strategy remains highly investigational.
In a Cochrane review, Peinemann and colleagues (2011) evaluated the effectiveness and safety of HDCT followed by autologous HSCT for all stages of STS in children and adults. These investigators searched the electronic databases CENTRAL (The Cochrane Library 2010, Issue 2), MEDLINE and EMBASE (February 2010). Online trial registers, congress abstracts and reference lists of reviews were searched and expert panels and authors were contacted. Terms representing STS and autologous HSCT were required in the title, abstract or keywords. In studies with aggregated data, participants with non-rhabdomyosarcoma STS (NRSTS) and autologous HSCT had to constitute at least 80 % of the data. Comparative non-randomized studies were included because randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were not expected. Case series and case reports were considered for an additional descriptive analysis. Study data were recorded by 2 review authors independently. For studies with no comparator group, the authors synthesised results for studies reporting aggregate data and conducted a pooled analysis of individual participant data using the Kaplan-Meyer method. The primary outcomes were OS and treatment-related mortality (TRM). These researchers included 54 studies, from 467 full texts articles screened (11.5%), reporting on 177 subjects that received HSCT and 69 subjects that received standard care. Only 1 study reported comparative data. In the 1 comparative study, OS at 2 years after HSCT was estimated as statistically significantly higher (62.3 %) compared with subjects that received standard care (23.2 %). In a single-arm study, the OS 2 years after HSCT was reported as 20 %. In a pooled analysis of the individual data of 54 subjects, OS at 2 years was estimated as 49 % (95 % confidence interval: 34 % to 64 %). Data on TRM, secondary neoplasia and severe toxicity grade 3 to 4 after transplantation were sparse. All 54 studies had a high risk of bias. The authors concluded that due to a lack of comparative studies, it is unclear whether subjects with NRSTS have improved survival from autologous HSCT following HDCT. Owing to this current gap in knowledge, at present HDCT and autologous HSCT for NRSTS should only be used within controlled trials.
There is insufficient evidence regarding the safety and effectiveness of autologous/allogeneic HSCT for the treatment of central nervous system (CNS) tumors (e.g., astrocytoma, choroid plexus tumors, ependymoma, germ cell tumors, gliomas, medulloblastoma, oligodendroglioma, and primitive neuroectodermal tumors).
Baek and colleagues (2013) evaluated the feasibility and effectiveness of myeloablative HDC and autologous SCT (autoSCT) in patients with relapsed or progressed CNS-germ cell tumors (CNS-GCTs). A total of 11 patients with non-germinomatous GCTs (NGGCTs) and 9 patients with germinomas were enrolled. Patients received between 2 and 8 cycles of conventional chemotherapy prior to HDCT/autoSCT with or without radiotherapy (RT). Overall, 16 patients proceeded to the first HDCT/autoSCT, and 9 proceeded to the second HDCT/autoSCT. CTE (carboplatin-thiotepa-etoposide) and cyclophosphamide-melphalan (CM) regimens were used for the first and second HDCT, respectively. Toxicities during HDCT/autoSCT were acceptable, and there were no treatment-related deaths. Twelve patients experienced relapse or progression; however, 4patients with germinomas remain alive after subsequent RT. Therefore, a total of 12 patients (4 NGGCTs and 8 germinomas) remained alive with a median follow-up of 47 months (range of 22 to 90) after relapse or progression. The probability of 3-year OS was 59.1 ± 11.2 % (36.4 ± 14.5 % for NGGCTs versus 88.9 ± 10.5 % for germinomas, p = 0.028). Radiotherapy, particularly craniospinal RT, was associated with a better tumor response prior to HDCT/autoSCT and a better final outcome. The authors concluded that HDCT/autoSCT was feasible, and survival rates were encouraging. Moreover, they stated that further study with a larger cohort of patients is needed to ascertain the role of HDCT/autoSCT in the treatment of relapsed or progressed CNS-GCTs.
Samuel et al (2013) noted that choroid plexus carcinomas (CPCs) are rare epithelial CNS tumors. Choroid plexus carcinomas occur mainly in infants and young children, comprising approximately 1 to 4 % of all pediatric brain neoplasms. There is very limited information available regarding tumor biology and CPC treatment due to its rarity. There have been various case reports and meta-analyses of reported cases with CPC. Surgical resection is often challenging but remains a well-established treatment option. Chemotherapy is often reserved for recurrent or refractory cases, but the goal of treatment is usually palliative. These investigators presented a case of recurrent, adult CPC with disseminated lepto-meningeal involvement treated with salvage chemotherapy including high-dose ifosfamide, carboplatin, and etoposide; once a remission was achieved, this response was consolidated with a syngeneic stem cell (bone marrow) transplant after a preparative regimen of HDC with carboplatin, etoposide, and thiotepa. Although the patient tolerated the transplant well and remained disease-free for 12 months, she subsequently succumbed to relapsed disease 18 months post-transplant. The authors believed that this was the first report of using syngeneic stem cell transplant in CPC to consolidate a remission achieved by salvage chemotherapy.
Kostaras and Easaw (2013) stated that medulloblastoma accounts for almost 1/3 of pediatric CNS cancers, but is very rare in the adult population. As a result, adult patients with medulloblastoma are often treated according to therapies developed for children with similarly staged disease at diagnosis, based on the assumption that adult and pediatric tumors have similar properties. These researchers summarized the evidence and made recommendations for the management of recurrent disease in adult patients with medulloblastoma. These investigators conducted a systematic literature search to find publications addressing treatment of recurrent medulloblastoma in adults. Current treatment strategies for adult patients with relapsed medulloblastoma are based on the results of retrospective case series and published consensus recommendations, and include maximal safe re-resection where possible, combined with chemotherapy and/or re-irradiation. They described the results of 13 publications involving 66 adult patients treated with HDC plus SCT for recurrent medulloblastoma. The authors concluded that HDC with SCT may be a treatment option for a small proportion of adult patients who are unlikely to benefit from conventional chemotherapy and who are fit and have their disease recurrence contained within the CNS. Moreover, they stated that potential cases in which SCT is being considered should be discussed at a multi-disciplinary tumor board that includes involvement by hematologic oncologists and transplant specialists.
An UpToDate review on “Overview of the management of central nervous system tumors in children” (Lau and Teo, 2013) does not mention the use of stem cell transplant as a therapeutic option. Furthermore, the National Comprehensive Cancer Network’s clinical practice guideline on “Central nervous system cancers” (Version 2.2013) states that although evidence of its advantage over conventional treatment is lacking, the panel included HDC-autoSCT as a category 2B option for progressive or recurrent primary CNS lymphomas. Moreover, there is no recommendation regarding HDC-SCT for other types of CNS tumors.
Uehara et al (2015) stated that an increasing number of children with advanced malignancies have recently received HDC with HSCT, followed by surgery. These investigators reviewed their experience with surgery after HDC and autologous (auto) or allogeneic (allo) HSCT to elucidate the problems associated with this treatment and establish the optimum surgical management strategy. They retrospectively reviewed the cases of 24 children with advanced malignancy treated with HDC and HSCT before tumor resection at the authors’ institution. The tumors included 18 neuroblastomas, 5 soft tissue sarcomas, 2 hepatoblastomas, and 1 Wilms tumor. The source of hematopoietic stem cells was auto-HSCT in 19 patients and allo-HSCT in 5 patients. To be able to undergo surgery, it was necessary that the patient's general condition, including hemostasis, should be fairly good and that the results of hematological examinations should include a white blood cell (WBC) count of greater than 1,000/µL, hemoglobin level of greater than 10 g/dL and platelet count of greater than 5 × 10(4)/µL. The mean duration before WBC recovery after HSCT was 14.5 ± 1.4 days after auto-HSCT and 23.8 ± 1.2 days after allo-HSCT, respectively (p < 0.01). The mean duration before platelet recovery after HSCT was 46.5 ± 5.2 days for auto-HSCT and 48.6 ± 5.5 days for allo-HSCT (not significant). The mean interval between allo-HSCT and surgery was significantly longer (92.8 ± 6.2 days) than that between auto-HSCT and surgery (57.0 ± 3.9 days) (p<0.01), likely because of the use of steroids and immunosuppressants after HSCT. The tumors were completely resected in all cases without severe complications. All the patients treated with allo-HSCT had an acute graft versus host (aGVH) reaction at 2 to 3 weeks after HSCT, and specifically required the administration of steroids and immunosuppressants to prevent aGVH. The post-operative complications included paralytic ileus in 2 cases and a tacrolimus-associated encephalopathy in 1 case involving allo-HSCT. In 50 % of the patients, the WBC count was not elevated after surgery, whereas the post-operative serum C-reactive protein (CRP) level was elevated in all cases. The authors concluded that these findings indicated that surgical treatment can be safely performed even after HDC with HSCT if attention is paid to myelosuppression and the adverse effects of both chemotherapeutic agents and immunosuppressants.
Jahnukainen et al (2015) noted that high-dose therapy (HDTx) with autologous stem cell rescue has been widely applied in very-poor-risk pediatric solid tumors. Promising data have become available with the use of high-dose busulfan, whereas high-dose (HD) thiotepa is less commonly used. These investigators reported retrospectively their single-institution experience from 1986 to 2012 of single and tandem HDTx with special emphasis on HD-thiotepa as the backbone of HD regimen in Ewing family tumors, including all 24 patients in the Helsinki University Hospital referral area in population-based fashion (Ewing sarcoma, n = 9; Askin tumor, n = 9; and peripheral neuro-ectodermal tumor, n = 6). The 10-year OS for the entire cohort was 0.73 ± 0.01; 13 out of the 24 underwent HDTx (10 single, 3 tandem). The HDTx regimen consisted of HD-thiotepa (900 mg/m), VP16, and carboplatin. Additional HD-melphalan and total body irradiation (TBI) were used in the tandem regimens. There was no toxic mortality; the 5-year event-free survival (EFS) was 0.73 ± 0.16 for high-risk cases transplanted in 1CR. In the relapse group, 1 out of the 3 survived. Radiotherapy to axial sites was given safely in combination with HD-thiotepa in all 3 patients. Thiotepa-based HDTx approach resulted in an encouraging outcome without toxic mortality for high-risk patients. The authors concluded that HD-thiotepa merits further studies in larger controlled series.
An UpToDate review on “Overview of treatment approaches for hepatocellular carcinoma” (Abdalla and Stuart, 2016) does not mention hematopoietic stem cell transplant as a therapeutic option. Also, National comprehensive Cancer network’s clinical practice guideline on “Hepatobiliary cancers” (Version 2.2016) does not mention hematopoietic stem cell transplant as a therapeutic option.
National comprehensive Cancer network’s clinical practice guideline on “Neuroendocrine tumors” (Version 2.2016) does not mention hematopoietic stem cell transplant as a therapeutic option.
National comprehensive Cancer network’s clinical practice guideline on “Occult primary (Cancer of unknown primary [CUP])” (Version 2.2016) does not mention hematopoietic stem cell transplant as a therapeutic option.
National comprehensive Cancer network’s clinical practice guideline on “Ovarian cancer (Including fallopian tube cancer and primary peritoneal cancer)” (Version 1.2016) does not mention hematopoietic stem cell transplant as a therapeutic option for fallopian tube cancer.
CPT Codes / HCPCS Codes / ICD-10 Codes : Information in the [brackets] below has been added for clarification purposes. Codes requiring a 7th character are represented by "+" CPT codes not covered for indications listed in the CPB: 38204 Management of recipient hematopoietic progenitor cell donor search and cell acquistion 38205 Blood-derived hematopoietic progenitor cell harvesting for transplantation, per collection; allogenic 38206 autologous 38207-38215 Transplant preparation of hematopoietic progenitor cells; cryopreservation and storage 38230 Bone marrow harvesting for transplantation; allogenic 38232 autologous 38240 Hematopoietic progenitor cell (HPC); allogeneic transplantation per donor 38241 autologous transplantation 38242 Allogeneic lymphocyte infusions Other CPT codes related to the CPB: 86813 HLA typing; A, B or C multiple 86817 DR/DQ, multiple antigens 86821 lymphocyte culture, mixed (MCL) 86822 lymphocyte culture, primed (PCL) HCPCS codes not covered for indications listed in the CPB: S2142 Cord blood-derived stem cell transplantation; allogeneic S2150 Bone marrow or blood-derived stem cells (peripheral or umbilical), allogeneic or autologous, harvesting, transplantation and related complications; including: pheresis and cell preparations/storage marrow ablative therapy; drugs, supplies, hospitalization with outpatient follow-up; medical/surgical diagnostic; emergency, and rehabilitative services, and the number of days of pre- and post-transplant care in the global definition ICD-10 codes covered if selection criteria are met (not all-inclusive): C41.0 - C41.9 Malignant neoplasm of bone and articular cartilage of other and unspecified sites [Ewing sarcoma] C70.0 - C70.9 Malignant neoplasm of meninges C71.0 - C71.9 Malignant neoplasm of brain [medulloblastoma] C72.0 - C72.9 Malignant neoplasm of spinal cord, cranial nerves and other parts of central nervous system ICD-10 codes not covered for indications listed in the CPB (not all-inclusive): C11.0 - C11.9 Malignant neoplasm of nasopharynx C15.3 - C15.9 Malignant neoplasm of esophagus C16.0 - C16.9 Malignant neoplasm of stomach C18.0 - C18.9 Malignant neoplasm of colon C19 - C21.8 Malignant neoplasm of rectosigmoid junction, rectum, anus and anal canal C22.0 Liver cell carcinoma C22.1 Intrahepatic bile duct carcinoma C23 - C24.9 Malignant neoplasm of gall bladder and other and unspecified parts of biliary tract C25.0 - C25.9 Malignant neoplasm of pancreas C31.0 - C31.9 Malignant neoplasm of accessory sinuses (paranasal) C33 - C34.92 Malignant neoplasm trachea, bronchus, and lung C37 Malignant neoplasm of thymus C43.0 - C43.9 Malignant melanoma of skin C46.1 Kaposi's sarcoma of soft tissue C47.0 - C47.9, C49.0 - C49.9 Malignant neoplasm of peripheral nerves, autonomic nervous system, connective and soft tissue C50.011 - C50.929 Malignant neoplasm of female and male breast C53.0 - C53.9 Malignant neoplasm of cervix uteri C54.0 - C54.9 Malignant neoplasm of corpus uteri C57.00 - C57.02 Malignant neoplasm of fallopian tube C61 Malignant neoplasm of prostate C64.1 - C66.9
C68.0 - C68.9
Malignant neoplasm of kidney and other and unspecified urinary organs C73 Malignant neoplasm of thyroid gland C7A.1 - C7A.8 Malignant poorly differentiated neuroendocrine tumors C80.0 - C80.1 Malignant neoplasm without specification of site D00.00 - D09.9 Carcinoma in situ | 27,745 | 10,493 | 2.644144 |
warc | 201704 | When a recession hits a nation, the effects are felt at all levels of society. Relationships, governments, and institutions are all subject to radical change. And no institution is more subject to being deeply affected by a recession than that of the family, and specifically the role of a father. How do men fight for their role as provider when the times are so economically difficult? On today’s program, Dr. Moore discusses the effects of a recession on the role of family’s provider, with his guests Michael Gerson and Brad Wilcox. Through the hard times and the easy, the role of provider displays the character of God to a culture ready to give up on those who are most in need. | 697 | 408 | 1.708333 |
warc | 201704 | Compare book pricesat 110 online bookstoresworldwide for the lowest price for new & used textbooks anddiscount books! 1 click to get great deals on cheap books, cheaptextbooks & discount college textbooks on sale.
Real Beer and Good Eats: The Rebirth of America's Beer and Food Traditions (Knopf Cooks American Series)
A cookbook for beer lovers -- and much, much more. In Real Beer & Good Eats, Bruce Aidells and Denis Kelly take you on an exhilarating beer and food odyssey into the heart of America, tasting the rich new full-bodied beers and ales that are being produced by small breweries today and sampling delicious foods that go with good suds. Along the way, they tell you the story of American beer, from the founding fathers (who refused to tax what they called "liquid bread") and Washington and Jefferson (who both brewed their own) to the heyday of beer gardens and neighborhood saloons.
The renaissance of good beer-making that is sweeping the country brings with it a new interest in foods that go well with beer. The 175 recipes that Aidells and Kelly bring together here reflect the great American regional dishes and traditional saloon fare, as well as the cooking of brewpub chefs who are creating a new beer cuisine.
To wit...
Typical of brewing days in early America -- Pickled Oysters, Smoked Trout Pate, Chestnut-Stuffed Quail with Sweet Stout Gravy
A sampling of the pub grub of old-time saloons -- Edy's Soft Pretzels, Beer and Onion Soup, Deviled Oxtail
From the Northwest, an ale lover's paradise -- Bainbridge Island Smoked Fish Chowder, Cornish Hens in Stout, a Chocolate Porter Cake
From California, with its Steam Beer and new Dark Ale -- Duck and Roasted Walnut Salad, Beef Brisket with Lemon and Spices
From the Midwest, to go with its new, richer lagers -- Wisconsin Cheese and Beer Soup, Pork Shoulder Braised in Bock, Hungarian Lecso
From the Northeast, to go with, perhaps, a Samuel Adams or a Vermont Catamount -- a Friday-night fish fry, Lobster Rolls, Cotechino Sausage with White Beans
From the Deep South, where they're producing a Blackened Voodoo Lager -- Shrimp Boiled in Beer and Spices, a Fried Eggplant Muffuletta
From the Southwest -- Adobo Chicken Wings, tamales, quesadillas
With every dish, the authors recommend specific good local beers and ales, both for imbibing and for cooking, describing the character of each and its affinity for a particular food. At the back of the book you'll find an explanation of exactly how beer is made, definitions and examples of beer styles the world over, and instructions for brewing beer at home.
Beer is the beverage of celebration in America -- from picnics and block parties to baseball games and clambakes. And it is always tied to food, as Aidells and Kelly make abundantly clear in this delightful book.
Beer is the beverage of celebration, of the shared harvest and communal prosperity. It's what we drink at town festivals and picnics in the park, beach parties and block parties, family reunions and friendly get-togethers. From the Goddess of Beer to Spuds McKenzie, on Oktoberfest or the Fourth of July, at Sunday afternoon baseball or Alderman Riley's reelection, beer is the drink of parties and holidays, the ritual substance that unites us all.
And beer in America is always tied to food. A hot dog at the stadium or clambake on Cape Cod, a barbecue with the neighbors or the Sheboygan bratwurst festival: all are incomplete without foaming mugs of beer to accompany the feast.
Beer itself is, after all, a form of food. When asked about taxing beer, one of our founding fathers objected, "Sirrah, it is liquid bread!" And indeed it is: the first food purity laws date from the Babylonian lawgiver Hammurabi's time and condemn brewers who make bad beer to be thrown into the river. The Bavarian Rheinheitsgebot (Purity Law) of 1516 is still in effect and ensures that only grain, yeast, hops, and pure water be used to brew beer.
Beer is basically fermented grain and is nourishing in and of itself. Early sailors carried it aboard ship to drink in place of foul water and to prevent scurvy. It is said that beer, bread, and onions built Egypt's pyramids. The Vikings brewed a special Portage Ale to give them strength for the great portage around Kiev. Beer was an essential part of the diet of the European peasant from time immemorial. And it was, especially in northern Europe, England, and early America, the beverage of choice at the table.
In colonial America beer was drunk at breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and a ration of beer was part of the everyday wages of the agricultural laborer. Beer accompanied everything from the plowman's simple lunch of bread and cheese to the most elaborate banquet menus in New York, Boston, and Philadelphia.
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Please visit Help Page for Questionsregarding ISBN / ISBN-10 / ISBN10, ISBN-13 / ISBN13, EAN / EAN-13, and AmazonASIN | 6,674 | 3,295 | 2.025493 |
warc | 201704 | AI Sports Nutrition Cycle Support 2.0 - Chocolate
Product Overview
AI Sports Nutrition Cycle Support 2.0 - Chocolate AI Sports Nutrition Cycle Support 2.0 - Chocolate Sport Performance Supplement 60 Servings
AllegroMedical.com presents The AI Sports Nutrition Cycle Support 2.0 - Chocolate Sport Performance Supplement. Cycle Support 2.0 is a highly beneficial product for both the athlete and those that are just looking to ensure that they provide a healthy support to their internal organs and body processes. Today there are a lot of factors that can contribute to toxins entering your body. To make matters worse, the constant stress that we are under can create many negative issues in our lives. High blood pressure, cholesterol, hormone imbalances, water retention, and others are all health factors we need to keep an eye on. Cycle Support 2.0 is the weapon you need in your health arsenal. Both men and women can be confident adding Cycle Support 2.0 to their daily routine!
Directions:
As a dietary supplement, take 1 scoop twice a day mixed with 8 fl. Oz. of water or favorite beverage. Cycle Support 2.0 can also be mixed into food (applesauce, oatmeal, etc.).
Ingredients:
Natural and Artificial flavors, cocoa, acesulfame potassium, Sucralose, maltodextrin
Warnings:
Not for individuals under the age of 18. Do not use if pregnant or nursing. Consult a physician before using this or any product if you have, or have a family history of, including but not limited to high blood pressure, cardiac arrhythmias, heart, liver, kidney, thyroid or psychiatric disease, phenochromacytoma, diabetes, asthma, recurrent head aches, anemia, nervousness, anxiety, depression or other psychiatric condition, peptic ulcers, Parkinson's disease, glaucoma, difficulty in urinating, prostate enlargement or seizure disorder, or if you are using a monamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI) or any other dietary supplement, prescription drug, or over-the-counter drug containing ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, or pheylpropanolamine (ingredients found in certain allergy, asthma, cough or cold, and weight control products). Do not exceed recommended serving. Exceeding recommended serving may cause serious adverse effects, including heart attack and stroke. Discontinue use and call a physician or licensed qualified health care professional immediately if you experience rapid heartbeat, dizziness, severe headache, shortness of breath, or other similar symptoms.
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Part Number(s): 171 582531 01 Mfg Part Number(s): 4960049 Scrip Part Number(s): 171 582531 01
Because our price on this item is lower than the manufacturer's suggested retail price, the manufacturer does not allow us to show you our price until you place the item in your shopping cart. Retailers like Allegro Medical have the legal right to sell products at prices we set. However, adding the item to your cart allows us to show you our lower price consistent with our promise of always offering you the lowest possible prices on the widest selection of medical supplies, medical equipment and life enhancing products.
Adding this item to your shopping cart won't require you to buy it. However, our prices do change. If you decide to purchase this item now you are guaranteed the price now displayed in your shopping cart. Complete your purchase by clicking on the "checkout" button or simply remove the product from your cart if you decide not to make your purchase at this time. | 3,879 | 1,844 | 2.103579 |
warc | 201704 | I can help you cook and eat delicious foods without the "bad" fats. I am particularly experienced in vegetarian cooking, especially tofu, but I am also experienced with fish and chicken (not as much with red meat). I particularly enjoy the heavily spiced foods of Asia. I feel you can avoid frying in a pool of oil and leave out those extra hunks of butter, and still enjoy wonderful food.
I've been cooking low-fat ever since I started cooking, about 30 years ago. Long-time subscriber to Cooking Light Magazine, which I highly recommend.
B.A. Sociology; M.A. International and Intercultural Communication. Technical writer, indexer, and adjunct professor of English Composition
User Date K C P Comments swan 05/16/16 10 10 10 Thank you for your input. Jona 04/18/16 9 10 10 Thank you, Ellen Sue. For the record ..... Brooke 06/13/15 10 10 10 Thank you for answering my question! I ..... Susan 03/24/15 10 10 10 Sue 02/08/15 10 10 10
Hello, Jona Cooking chicken in wine (I'd use white) will have more of a poaching effect, that is, it won't brown. Fish is often done thus way. Good, but a different result. Without the oil, the breadcrumbs
Hello, Brooke: I've seen some disagreement about canola oil. Some people feel it's a great oil for frying (better than olive oil, which has a low smoking temperature) and others feel the processing
Hello! I oppose any sort of "fake" product, such as a fake buttter as it tends to introduce more health problems than it solves. . I've heard of people sprinking on a bit of parmasean cheese, or herbs
Hello! Are you having "cravings" (like, I just gotta have a burger) or are you actually hungry (stomach growling)? If it's the latter, maybe you're not eating enough or not getting enough protein. If
Congratulations on your weight loss, Sue. I'm surprised that decreasing carbs and gluten (which I interpret as decreasing the high glycemic "white carbs" that are so bad for us and that most of us eat | 1,958 | 1,120 | 1.748214 |
warc | 201704 | Employers! What To Expect From Your Recruitment Companies
Recruitment and staffing agencies can be excellent resources in your quest for top candidates.
As business dynamics are changing with time, companies today understand the utility of quality resources within an organization that will provide them a competitive edge. Today, there are numerous companies who are investing in recruitment companies for providing them with quality hires that will help them gain a positive presence in the marketplace.
With the changing trends in the recruitment industry and the emergence of
on-demand staffing requirements, the employers should have a fair idea of what should be expected from a recruitment partner. Typical Work Process of Recruitment Consultants:
Recruitment consultants are often worked as the connecting bridge between the client companies and candidates. Attracting candidates and matching it with most recent temporary, permanent openings with the client is their primary job responsibility.
Doing a great job indeed!
Now from an Employer or Clients perspective what could be expected from any recruitment agency or firm? In terms of deliverables, skill sets, work experience, expertise and more.
What is Expected from a Recruitment Company? Deliverables The quality of hire:The foremost deliverable is the quality of candidates they hire or suggest. It is one of the most important KPI’s for businesses. Branding:Recruitment consultants should work as the brand promoters of their clients companies. Time & Cost-savings:Handling the overall recruitment task such as filtering CV’s and screening candidates, scheduling interviews, and notifying unsuccessful applicants makes a recruiter perfect. Streamlining the Hiring Process:It is the most important factor for partnering with a recruitment company. Streamline Recruitment Process:They should specialize in streamline the overall recruitment process for their clients. That’s why they are employed! to take the pain out of the recruitment process. In-depth Industry Knowledge:It is expected to have in-depth industry-specific knowledge means a clear understanding of market trends, salary levels, benefits, and the latest skill sets needed to be successful in your niche. Support & Advice:Work closely with the client as an advisor and partner for your business. Strong Network of Candidates:Will be able to get you the access to most fit candidates as per current openings from their strong network of candidates in short turnaround time. Cross-functional priority:Use of social media, as well as other networks on professional importance in the online sphere, is gaining in significance. Major brands in talent acquisition are looking to share efforts of employer brand with partners in marketing that is the key for excelling the brand in all aspects. Retention and internal mobility:Retention of employees is on the top of the mind of leaders in talent acquisition. Although internal hiring is still at a disorganized state and happens only on a case to case basis, it is becoming increasingly important for the businesses to implement the right strategies in it for staying ahead of the game in all accounts and recruiting partners can play an important role in it. Skill Sets:
Recruiters of a successful recruitment agency process the following skills which help them find performers for their client companies.
Excellent interpersonal and communication skills; Goal oriented approach; Ability to set priorities; Ability to meet deadlines and target; Self-motivated and confident team; Efficient time management skill is must; Knowledge of different tools, technologies, and trends;
Recruitment agencies also realize the innate needs that the business world is looking for and the challenges that they are facing with a dearth of quality employee repository in place. The recruitment trends today rely more on quality than on quantity due to the project based aptitude and skill set that is in vogue today.
Work Experience:
This is something you gain working with a variety of clients and candidates from different niche and industrial verticals. It is recommended to choose a fairly experienced recruitment partners to help you with your recruitment process.
Expertise: Interviewing skills; Knowledge of employment law; Knows how to run a payroll; Business planning; Negotiation and sales techniques; Headhunting; Designing an assessment center. Employers! Still Not Sure how to plan and meet recruitment challenges of your industry?
Companies in sourcing provide a plethora of recruitment solutions to industries irrespective of their vertical. The talent hunters in sourcing firms constantly look out for the right fit for an organization and infuse their specialized skill sets that are often missing with an in-house team of a business looking for the right talent resource. | 4,882 | 2,178 | 2.241506 |
warc | 201704 | Belying some earlier reports, a new study finds that grafted dopamine cells continue to innervate neural networks years after transplantation.
Head injury increases one’s chances of future dementia by 60 percent, according to a study in veterans.
Engaging in cognitive activities throughout life staves off decline. It also delays Aβ accumulation, two studies report.
The largest meta-analysis done to date confirms dramatic variability in age at onset of autosomal-dominant Alzheimer's disease overall, but finds mutation type and parental age at onset to be strong predictive modulators.
Some macrophages use their dying breath to emit a distress signal that could spell trouble for their neighbors.
Could astrocyte neurotransmission explain memory loss in Alzheimer's disease?
Aβ aggregates can assume a variety of structures that appear to have unique properties.
Blocking calcium-dependent protease normalizes lifespan in mouse tauopathy model.
While mice sleep, neurons sprout synapses to solidify fresh skills, according to a new study. The brain also keeps amyloid-β levels low while we snooze.
Allosteric γ-secretase modulator binds an extracellular pocket on presenilin, changing the active site.
A small molecule inhibitor kills all microglia in the brain, but the cells rapidly repopulate from a previously unidentified progenitor cell.
Allegations of scientist misconduct led to the retraction of one high-profile stem cell paper and put two others in doubt.
A new study charges that, contrary to previous studies, seeding the mouse brain with aggregated α-synuclein does not trigger a toxic spread of PD-like inclusions in wild-type mice.
Nucleotide repeat expansions in the C9ORF72 gene occur in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia. Now researchers find the same repeats in patients with two other neurological disorders.
New research suggests that dendritic tau may participate in synaptic plasticity, and that Aβ disrupts this function. | 2,026 | 1,123 | 1.804096 |
warc | 201704 | Making the Most of Mealtimes for People With Alzheimer’s Family Members Provide 100 Hours a Month of Unpaid Care for Alzheimer’s Alzheimer’s Caregivers Should Be Screened for Depression Alzheimer’s Care Costs Far More Than Heart Disease or Cancer Care Obesity at Midlife May Speed Alzheimer’s Onset Hello from my mom Easing the Behavior Problems of Alzheimer’s Without Drugs When Alzheimer’s Leads to Legal Wrangles Coordinated Care Lets Alzheimer’s Patients Stay at Home Longer Alzheimer’s Care FOR MORE ARTICLES CLICK HERE Memory Complaints May Precede Alzheimer’s By Decades Alzheimer’s Brain Changes May Start Early in Life Getting a Clinical Diagnosis of Alzheimer’s May Have Safety Benefits Could Alzheimer’s Be Caused by a Brain Infection? Gene May Increase Risk for Both Alzheimer’s and Heart Disease Stress May Increase Your Risk of Developing Alzheimer’s Disease A Sniff Test for Alzheimer’s? Rapid Weight Loss After 70 May Be an Early Sign of Alzheimer’s Obesity at Midlife May Speed Alzheimer’s Onset Low Vitamin D Tied to Memory Problems FOR MORE ARTICLES CLICK HERE Could Treatments for Diabetes Help Treat Alzheimer’s? Pharmacists Can Aid in Alzheimer’s Care Two-Drug Combo May Ease the Agitation of Alzheimer’s Are New, More Effective Alzheimer’s Drugs on the Horizon? Insulin Nasal Spray Shows Promise as Alzheimer’s Treatment Inflammation Holds Clues to Alzheimer’s Progression, and Possible Treatment Common Allergy and Sleep Drugs Tied to Higher Alzheimer’s Risk Promising Drug, Gantenerumab, Fails to Prevent Alzheimer’s Onset Blood Test Offers Hope for Early Diagnosis of Alzheimer’s Brain ‘Pacemaker’ Is Being Tested for Alzheimer’s Disease FOR MORE ARTICLES CLICK HERE A Healthy Lifestyle May Mean a Healthy Brain Group Counseling Benefits People With Early Alzheimer’s Swim, Jog or Dance: Any Activity Is Good for the Brain Exercise May Slow Brain Aging by 10 Years Eating Seafood Lowers Risk of Alzheimer’s Brain Changes Stress May Increase Your Alzheimer’s Risk Walking Aids the Brain in Seniors at Risk for Alzheimer’s Red Wine Ingredient, Resveratrol, Shows Hints of Promise for Alzheimer’s A Heart-Healthy Diet That’s Good for the Brain A Brisk Walk May Help Keep the Mind Sharp FOR MORE ARTICLES CLICK HERE Dementia Rates Are Slowing, but Alzheimer’s Cases Continue to Rise Fisher Center Scientists Create a Novel Imaging Technology Allowing the 3D Visualization of Brain Defects That Cause Alzheimer’s Disease Negative Beliefs About Aging Could Prime the Brain for Alzheimer’s Recognizing Faces Is a Challenge for Those With Alzheimer’s Fisher Center Scientists Discover Pathway That may Lead to Alzheimer’s Disease Brain Scans Move Closer to Early Alzheimer’s Diagnosis Can Vitamin E Slow Alzheimer’s Decline? World Alzheimer’s Month British Prime Minister David Cameron Visits Rockefeller University to Discuss Advances in Dementia Research News Briefs: Alzheimer’s Disease and Brain Health FOR MORE ARTICLES CLICK HERE Newly Inducted Into the Basketball Hall of Fame, Shaquille O’Neal, Joins the Fisher Center for Alzheimer’s Research Foundation to Raise Funds for Groundbreaking Research in the Quest for a Cure Pat Summitt, legendary women’s basketball coach, dies at 64 Celebrating the life of Nancy Reagan for her Impact on the Fight to end Alzheimer’s WRNN Interview Fisher Center’s 20th Anniversary Celebration and recent activities Featured on NASDAQ’s Billboard Online Chat on Reddit.com with Nobel Laureate Dr. Paul Greengard Dr. Manny TODAY Show Window Display Reveal FOR MORE ARTICLES CLICK HERE
November 7, 2005
Is it okay to sign a loved one up for a research study testing a new drug or treatment for Alzheimer’s disease, even if he or she does not really understand the potential risks and benefits involved? This ethically fraught question is becoming increasingly common, thanks to a growing number of clinical trials involving potentially risky new therapies and the swelling ranks of people with Alzheimer’s disease in our aging population. A new study in
Neurology, the journal of the American Academy of Neurology, sheds light on the delicate issues involved and reveals that family members are often willing to give their consent to new treatments and procedures, even for potentially risky therapies in loved ones who are incapacitated and unable to make rational choices for themselves.
“As potential new therapies such as vaccines, gene therapy, and new drugs are being tested, the need for research must be balanced with the need to protect vulnerable adults,” said study leader Scott Y. H. Kim, M.D., Ph.D., of the University of Michigan Medical School in Ann Arbor. “This continues to be an area with unsettled policy, and there is little data to guide policymakers. It doesn’t seem ideal to leave these important ethical questions solely to politics. This study shows that it’s possible to learn the views of key stakeholder groups, and they can provide important insights.”
For their study, the Michigan researchers enlisted 229 people at heightened risk for Alzheimer’s disease. All were age 70 and up and had at least one close relative with the disease. Participants were given 10 research scenarios and asked if the research portrayed was acceptable when it involves people with Alzheimer’s who cannot give their own informed consent and are enrolled with a family member’s permission.
The study volunteers were asked to consider the question of study participation from three perspectives:
1) Is the research acceptable from a broad societal perspective?
2) Would you want a loved one to make the decision for you? (a personal perspective) 3) How would you make a decision for a loved one? (a surrogate’s perspective)
The 10 scenarios ranged from low-risk studies involving observation of a patient’s behavior or routine blood tests to higher-risk studies like testing a potential new vaccine or gene-transfer experiments involving brain surgery. The survey participants were told about the risks and any potential benefits to subjects or to society.
More than 90 percent of the participants felt that minimal risk studies as well as randomized clinical trials of new medicines should be allowed for people with Alzheimer’s who cannot make competent decisions, provided that family members give permission. A smaller proportion, but still a majority, felt that even high-risk research studies, such as those involving potentially fatal brain surgery, were acceptable.
In general, participants endorsed family consent for research most strongly when applied to themselves as future research subjects and least strongly when placing themselves in the position of the surrogate having to decide for a loved one. For example, for a study that would involve a lumbar puncture (also known as a spinal tap), family consent for research was endorsed by 69 percent when applied to themselves as future subjects, by 65 percent from a social policy perspective, and by 61 percent as something they would allow for a loved one.
Participants were more likely to find the research scenarios acceptable if they had a generally supportive attitude toward biomedical research. The study participants were already taking part in an Alzheimer’s disease anti-inflammatory prevention research study. The researchers note that the participants could be more supportive of research than the typical person at risk for Alzheimer’s. “However, those taking part in the study were fairly typical demographically to people taking part in other studies of Alzheimer’s disease, so they may be quite similar to those likely to be considered for future research studies,” Kim said.
Still, the researchers note, a substantial minority of those surveyed would not endorse high-risk experimental treatments for themselves, and even more would not accept it for a loved one with advanced Alzheimer’s disease. The findings highlight the delicate ethical issues involved in making a decision for a loved one with dementia and underscore the importance of discussing such issues among family members, health professionals, and researchers.
Choosing to participate in a research study is an important personal decision. For more information about clinical trials, including answers to frequently asked questions, visit the www.ALZinfo.org. In addition, it is often helpful to talk to your healthcare provider, family members, or friends about deciding to join a trial. After you have identified some trial options, the next step is to contact the study research staff and ask questions about specific trials. Search the National Library of Medicine’s clinical trials database to locate clinical trials investigating Alzheimer’s disease.
By www.ALZinfo.org, The Alzheimer’s Information Site. Reviewed by William J. Netzer, Ph.D., Fisher Center for Alzheimer’s Research Foundation at The Rockefeller University.
Sources:
Scott Y.H. Kim, M.D., Ph.D., Hyungjin Myra Kim, D.Sc., Colleen McCallum, M.S.W., and Pierre N. Tariot, M.D.: “What do people at risk for Alzheimer’ disease think about surrogate consent for research?”
Neurology, Noveber (1 of 2) 2005, Volume 65: pages 1395-1401.
The American Academy of Neurology (press release). | 9,573 | 4,022 | 2.380159 |
warc | 201704 | Mohan has investments in real estate, gold & fixed deposits. However, experts often advise him to invest in equity. Let’s see why:
Unlike Fixed Deposit, Gold & Real estate, you can enter the equity market with a much smaller capital.
It is historically proven that Equity offers better returns in comparison to FD, Gold & Real-estate.
Equity can be bought & sold very easily & converted to cash pretty fast.
Equity increases your wealth faster over a long time due to compounding effect, capital appreciation & dividend income.
For example if in 1993, Mohan would have invested Rs.10,000/- in FD & Infosys Shares, today, they would be worth Rs.66,500/- & Rs.1.25Cr respectively.
Make your own online share market investment plan & Benefit from these advantages by investing in equity with Angel Broking. | 816 | 508 | 1.606299 |
warc | 201704 | Before the Senate passed the FY 2006 Energy and Water Development Appropriations Bill in November, senators discussed the negative impacts that a reduction in funding for the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Nuclear Physics program will have on two key facilities. As it now stands, the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) at Brookhaven National Laboratory and the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility will have to reduce operating times, and, at least at RHIC, reduce staffing.
When the Bush Administration sent its FY 2006 budget request to Congress, it sought an 8.4% reduction in the Nuclear Physics program budget, from $404.8 million to $370.7 million. The Administration acknowledged this cut would result in a 29% reduction in run time at the Jefferson Accelerator Facility and a 61% reduction in run time at RHIC.
Going into the conference to settle on the final version of the FY 2006 bill, it appeared that the Administration’s suggested cut in the Nuclear Physics program budget would be rejected. The House’s initial version of the bill had recommended FY 2006 funding a bit higher than what was then the current level. The Senate bill came in even higher, at almost $420 million. A DOE senior official called the outlook “very encouraging” at a meeting of the DOE/NSF Nuclear Science Advisory Committee in early September.Despite this promising outlook, the final appropriations bill funded the Nuclear Physics program at the level requested by the Administration, cutting the budget by 8.4% to $370.7 million.
Laboratory officials are still grappling with the projected impacts of the reduced budget. RHIC’s next scheduled run has been delayed until late in FY 2006. It will be combined with the run for 2007 to afford the longest possible time for experimentation. Brookhaven’s current hiring freeze will be extended, and officials estimate there could be as many as 100 scientific and support position layoffs between now and next October 1.
There is language in the FY 2006 Energy and Water Development Appropriations bill allowing DOE to reprogram, or shift, money from one program to another, as confirmed in a discussion that took place on the Senate floor. Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) led the November 14 discussion, highlighting the severe impacts of the reduced funding levels. She was joined by Senator John Warner (R-VA), who expressed concern about the reduced funding level, stating, “At the Jefferson Lab we need to invest in the 12GeV upgrade necessary to sustain the pace of scientific discovery, not cut programs.” Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) and Senator George Allen (R-VA) expressed similar concerns.
Courtesy of FYI, the American Institute of Physics Bulletin of Science Policy News ( http://aip.org/fyi ).
Editor: Alan Chodos
©1995 - 2017, AMERICAN PHYSICAL SOCIETY APS encourages the redistribution of the materials included in this newspaper provided that attribution to the source is noted and the materials are not truncated or changed.
Associate Editor: Jennifer Ouellette
Staff Writer: Ernie Tretkoff | 3,125 | 1,568 | 1.992985 |
warc | 201704 | Wickes is a small town in Polk County in the foothills of the Ouachita Mountains. From Hot Springs , you are looking at around a 2.5 hour venture. So getting there and back is going to be a bit more than a tank of gas. But you can get there on one!
If you are into rugged beauty, the
Cossatot River State Park-Natural Area extends for 12 miles along one of the most rugged river corridors in the central U.S. The state park-natural area includes rugged wooded slopes, geological features and clear waters of the river. Class III and Class IV rapids attract experienced floaters during the season. The river, the word “Cossatot” is an Indian word meaning “skull-crusher.”- ouch!, was designated a National Wild and Scenic River by Congress in 1992.
Preserved within the park are the Cossatot Falls, where the river snakes over and between upturned Ouachitas strata to create challenging stretches of whitewater. The area’s rocks are polished smooth by the river and are among the state’s most scenic geological creations.
Two species of fish, the Ouachita Mountain shiner and the leopard darter,have been found nowhere on earth except in streams of the Ouachita Mountains. The darter, in fact, has been found in only three of those. Like many minnow-like species, they are susceptible to changes in their habitat and both require the kind of clean, moving water found in the upper stretch of the river. Waterfall’s sedge and Ouachita Mountain twistflower, found only in a few counties in the Ouachita Mountains, and a number of other sensitive plant species, thrive within the park’s five natural plant communities.
Snorkeling tours are available at the park all summer. Fishing is also a draw. From start to finish there are also 20 –miles of different diverse hiking trails. The 14-mile River Corridor Trail extends between the Ark. 246 and U.S. 278 areas. The Harris Creek Trail is a four-mile loop starting near U.S. 278. Waterleaf Trail begins at the east end of the visitor center parking lot. Brushy Creek Nature Trail, located at the Brushy Creek Recreational Area, has an ADA accessible portion that allows access to the pedestrian bridge over the river just south of the Highway 246 Bridge. The total trail is three- fourths of a mile in length and connects the east side of the recreational area with the west.
There is also a
visitor center with nature exhibits, picnic sites, and campsites ( be aware that there are no hookups and no running water). Though renowned for its whitewater(the river is a big draw for kayakers and canoeists) be aware that the Cossatot is not consistently at floatable levels. And water levels are normally too low for paddling during the summer. Floatable river levels are usually limited to late-fall, winter and spring. For river stage information (in feet) from the Highway 246 access, call 870- 387-3141. If you go to the park’s website, you can click on the real time data link and go to the U.S.G.S. site for river stage information as well Due to flow levels dependent upon rainfall, no floater services are provided on the river. Also remember that the Cossatot is only for very experienced floaters as sporting rapids rate up to Class V in difficulty. Park interpreters also provide guided kayak tours in the months of May June and October when water levels are between 2.3 & 3.5 feet. Nearby attractionsalso include Black Fork Wilderness, part of the Ouachita Trail, Shady Lake Recreational Area, Bard Springs Recreational Area, and the Wolf Pen Gap ATV Trails.
For more information, contact Stan Speight at 870-385-2201 or check out ArkansasStateParks.com/cossatotriver/. Stan is a very knowledgeable contact at the park so if you visit, be sure to try and tell him hello. Enjoy! | 3,791 | 1,866 | 2.031618 |
warc | 201704 | If you are or a loved one is in need of a hearing aid, here are 10 facts about them that might be able to help you understand them and their uses more.
1. Hearing aids vary in power, circuitry, and size. There are many models and sizes of hearing aids to help the hearing impaired. Today, a lot of digital hearing aids have been developed which generally offer more features and convenience for users. 2. An older type of hearing aid would be the body-worn hearing aid. This model was first designed by Harvey Fletcher who used to work at Bell Laboratories. However, with the advent of more advanced technology, this model of hearing aid is no longer frequently used. This type of hearing aid consists of a case that contains various components of application as well as an ear mold that is connected to the case with a cord. The said case is usually the size of one pack of playing card, worn on a belt or in a pocket. Since they are large in size, body-worn aids usually are capable of larger amounts of amplification. 3. Thereís also Behind the ear aids or BTE which contains a small plastic case fitting behind the ear. It provides sound through air conduction via a short length of tubing. Delivery of sound is made possible by an custom made earmold, or a similar pliable fixture which contours to the ear of an individual. 4. Another type of hearing aids would be the in-the-ear aids, or ITE, which fits in the ear bowl. These hearing aids are at times visible when a user stands face to face with another person. ITE hearing aids are normally custom-made, allowing it to fit to the individualís ear. 5. Yet another hearing aid would be the Receiver In the ear type or RITE. While this type is mistaken for a BTE aid, its speaker however is situated in the inner portions of the ear canal, while thin electrical wires take the place of the acoustic tube in a BTE aid. 6. Another type are the In the canal or ITC type; the mini canal or MIC; and the completely in the canal (CIC) type. The ITC type is smaller, fitting just the lower half of the ear. MIC and CIC aids on the other hand are not visible unless another person looks directly to the ear of the user. 7. "Open-fit", also known as "Over-the-Ear" or OTE hearing aids, meanwhile, are smaller types of behind-the-ear devices. 8. Bone Anchored Hearing Aids or BAHA, meanwhile, can be implanted through surgery. It makes use of the skull in allowing the sound to travel going to the inner part of the ear. Eyeglass aids became popular from the 1950s to the 1970s. It was built to support the temple pieces of spectacles. 9. Just recently, a new kind of eyeglass aid was put into the market. These hearing glasses have directional sensitivity, wherein four microphones located on each part of the frame efficiently work and serve as a couple of directional microphones. This allows discernment of sound from the sides, back, and front of the user. 10. Hearing glasses are able to significantly improve signal-to-noise ration through the amplification of the sound from the front, as well as the direction the user is facing, and the use of active noise control for noise from the back or the sides.
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Take care of your aging family by looking into hearing aids ( hearingaidscentral.com/index.asp ). There are many online hearing aids ( hearingaidscentral.com/products.asp )stores that have been choices to pick from.
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warc | 201704 | Vomiting kittens.
Species: Cat
Breed: domestic short hair Age: 3-6 months
I have two kittens, 6 mo. today. Both have received all vaccinations/shots. We had some dietary changes with them and I thought this to be the cause but am worrying it may be a larger issue. They've had some bouts of vomiting, their stools are runny, decreased appetites, weight loss. They are still playful, but sometimes less so and I can tell their tummies may be bothering them. They still drink water. I've seen them eating some grass. I've recently added some digestive enzymes to their food. But they aren't eating much. They seem to have a normal day, then a not so normal day. Been going on for about a week. I know they were dewormed with their first vet visit. Should I be taking them in for blood tests? Is this something minor to just watch?
Need help finding a veterinarian in your area? Click here for Dr. Marie's advice on finding a good veterinarian near you.
Dr. Marie replied:
This is a tough question to answer. If your kittens both have vomiting and diarrhea, and you have recently changed their food then the food change may be the culprit. But, it's a little bit unusual for these symptoms to be going on for a week.
Another thought to consider is the possibility of some type of parasite. If this were my case, the first thing that I would be doing is a fecal exam to see if there are any parasites present. Some parasites can be treated with over the counter dewormer
s, but there are others such as coccidia or giardia that need prescription medicines.
A virus is possible, but less likely given that they are vaccinated.
Another possibility is some type of toxin or gastric irritant. Do you have any new plants in the house? Is it possible that they have been nibbling on them? Some plants like poinsettias are not poisonous but can cause vomiting or diarrhea. Others, like some lilies can be quite toxic.
I am always concerned when I see a cat who doesn't want to eat. If it's only a day I wouldn't be worried. But,if this has been going on for a week then these cats really should be seeing a vet.
I hope things look up soon.
Dr. Marie.
QUIZ: Is your cat secretly planning to murder you? Disclaimer: Although Dr. Marie is a qualified veterinarian, the information found on this site is not meant to replace the advice of your own veterinarian. AskAVetQuestion.com and Dr. Marie do not accept any responsibility for any loss, damage, injury, death, or disease which may arise from reliance on information contained on this site. Do not use information found on this site for diagnosing or treating your pet. Anything you read here is for information only. Have you tried the Purr Pillow? This is one of Dr. Marie's top recommended pet products for 2016.
Search for similar questions: | 2,802 | 1,388 | 2.018732 |
warc | 201704 | 2 February 2011
A research team from Aston University in Birmingham, UK has completed The Pharmacy Education and Accreditation Reviews Project (PEARS), which reviewed professional pharmacy education as a whole in Ireland.
The Project was led by Professor Keith Wilson and Dr Chris Langley, who are based in the School of Life & Health Sciences at Aston.
The report has been approved without modification by the Council of the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland and has also received endorsement from Irish politician Mary Harney, who is former Minister for Health and Children.
An implementation group has now been set up by the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland (PSI), which will implement the recommendations in the Aston report by the 2012/2013 academic year.
The Aston team were also responsible for the biggest UK study examining pharmacy education which took place in 2005. This looked at the four year MPharm programme across the UK, and the results of this study are currently informing a review of pharmacy education in the UK.
Dr Chris Langley explained: ‘In the PEARS Project, we assessed the strengths and weaknesses of the current system of pharmacy education in Ireland, gathered the views of key stakeholders and also made recommendations for the best ways to take undergraduate pharmacy education and training forward in Ireland. We made six major recommendations, with the most important being that the current ‘4 + 1’ model (where students spend four years at university and one year pre-registration) be replaced with a five year, fully integrated programme.’
Professor Paul Gallagher, who is Head of Pharmacy at The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) and Chair of the Professional Development and Learning Committee of the PSI, said: ‘The importance of this report cannot be over-stated. It was most important that an evidence based approach was adopted to the structure of pharmacy education going forward in the Republic of Ireland.
‘This report will enable policy and decision makers within the Irish Government to place pharmacy education at a point where it can be placed amongst the highest internationally benchmarked systems. Improvements in the education and training of pharmacists will also allow for significant enhancement to be made to the delivery of pharmacy services in Ireland as we move to expand the scope of clinical services that pharmacists will lead on though their participation in integrated care pathways.
‘It must be with a great sense of pride that the Aston team realise that they have chartered the course of pharmacy education in an entire jurisdiction for decades to come.’
Download a podcast about the PEARS Project.
For further press information please contact Sally Finn on 0121 204 4552 or email s.l.finn1@aston.ac.uk. | 2,836 | 1,378 | 2.058055 |
warc | 201704 | [Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index] Re: Implicit human echolocation I did o&m training to be a trainer but never bothered to pay the certification
etc. That gave me a much better handle than just having had o&m training myself
as to the kinds of things you must consider. It seems the ideal would be for
someone with o&m training, a blind person, and a psychoacoustics expert to work
together to design such experiments and run them on blind people, preferably
congenitally blinded people. Of course, any time you're doing environmental
testing you have the problem of uncontrolable variables but that's a bit of what
the real world is all about when we echo locate.
I've also done some work with hearing aid clients and echo location and have
found some frequency issues and that, in general, once you get above a moderate
loss you're not likely to be able to do anything useful with echo location no
matter how good the training. For truly good passive location you really pretty
much need to have no hearing loss.
My wife just had her eyes removed on Valentine's Day this year. That has really
made me wonder about research concerning echo location in such cases and its
changes. Obviously there is an extremely small population to work with.
Spacial issues would also be interesting to investigate. She and I both found
major alterations in our spacial worlds after surgery and mine has never gone
back to what it was. Dee's is too new but other blind folks I've talked to who
have had some form of removal of the eyes (filling with oil is a different
issue) have had varying degrees of spacial alteration and all who use it have
reported to me changes in echo location mapping and how they use the information
they obtain.
Tom
Tom Brennan KD5VIJ, CCC-A/SLP
web page http://titan.sfasu.edu/~g_brennantg/sonicpage.html | 1,887 | 1,029 | 1.833819 |
warc | 201704 | Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH)
Author: ANCP Date Posted:9 September 2014
Around 50% of all men over 50 years old and 80% of those aged over 80 years experience symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia (sometimes referred to as benign prostatic hypertrophy).
With these statistics in mind, it’s in your best interest to look after your prostate health, so in this article we explain what BPH is and how complementary medicines may be able to help.
What is the Prostate?
The prostate is a small gland the size of a walnut, responsible for producing prostatic fluid, which forms part of semen. It is located directly below the bladder and in front of the rectum, with the urethra passing through the centre of it.
What is BPH?
The inner layers of the prostate begin to slowly and progressively enlarge from around the time a man enters his 40s. This enlargement (or ‘hypertrophy’) may lead to obstruction of the urethra and retention of urine. BPH is a consequence of normal hormonal changes related to ageing, such as lowered testosterone, increased dihydrotestosterone and increased oestrogen.
Symptoms of BPH:
Although almost all men over 45 years have some degree of BPH, symptoms often do not become an issue before the age of 60.
Symptoms may include: Urinary urgency and frequency. Hesitancy and dribbling when urinating. Reduced volume and force of urinary flow. Multiple visits to the toilet at night. Sensation of incomplete bladder emptying. Uncontrolled overflow incontinence - where the bladder continues to drip for some time after urination.
Some of the symptoms of BPH are similar to those of other, more serious prostate conditions, so if you are experiencing any of the symptoms described, please see your doctor for a proper diagnosis.
Natural Support for your Prostate
Herbs and nutrients that may support prostate health include:
Saw Palmetto: The dark red berries of the saw palmetto plant have been traditionally used in western herbal medicine to help maintain prostate health. Numerous scientific studies have shown that saw palmetto extract helps reduce symptoms of BPH such as needing to get up repeatedly during the night to urinate and weakened urinary flow. In mild to moderate cases of benign prostatic hypertrophy, benefits may be experienced in as little as four to eight weeks. Saw palmetto appears to work by reducing the formation of dihydrotestosterone and inhibiting its binding to receptors on prostate cells Epilobium: Epilobium has a long history of use in traditional herbal medicine as a male tonic and to assist reduced urinary flow. Clinical studies seeking to understand its actions in improving symptoms of BPH suggest that it may work by reducing the formation of dihydrotestosterone Lycopene: Lycopene is a red-coloured carotenoid found in foods such as tomatoes, guavas, ruby grapefruit and watermelon. It is a powerful antioxidant that is stored by the body in the prostate gland and may help to maintain prostate health via a number of mechanisms. Cooked tomato products (including tomato sauce) are the best dietary sources of lycopene, but it is also available in supplement form. Pumpkin Seed Oil: When taken alone or in combination with saw palmetto, pumpkin seed oil has been shown to reduce symptoms of BPH and improve the quality of life of men affected by the condition. These effects may start to become noticeable after just three months of treatment, with additional improvements noted in subsequent months Zinc: The prostate contains a higher concentration of zinc than any other body tissue and maintaining adequate zinc levels is important for overall prostate health and functioning. Some evidence suggests that men with BPH and some other prostate conditions have lower zinc levels in their prostates and prostatic secretions than men without prostate disease.
Researchers have hypothesised that zinc deficiency may contribute to these health problems by increasing oxidative stress (free radical damage) | 4,005 | 1,893 | 2.115689 |
warc | 201704 | The formation of cancer is a relatively straightforward biological process. In our bodies, cells are constantly dieing and new cells regrown to replace those lost. Within the cell are instructions that tell the cell when it should die. This process is known as apoptosis. Cancer occurs when the cells mutate so that apoptosis does not occur and cells continue to grow in an unregulated fashion.
Cancer treatments work by removing the mutated cells. This can be done physically, such as with surgery where the cancerous tumour is cut from the body, by use of radiation to destroy the tumour or chemically, using specific chemotherapy drugs.
Nanotechnology and Cancer Treatment
A great deal of research is underway into using nanotechnology for the treatment of cancer. The cancer treatments can be divided into two main categories:
• Targeted drug delivery
• Physical destruction
This article deals with the physical destruction of cancer.
Physical Destruction
Unlike surgical removal of tumours, nanotechnology can be used to destroy cancer cells in situ and non-invasively. The key to this are nanoshells or coreshells.
Nanoshells
Nanoshells are miniscule hollow spheres with a wall thickness of only a few nanometers. Nanoshells are commonly made from gold due to the biocompatibility and inert nature of pure gold. Gold is also an excellent absorber of light and the optical properties of gold nanoshells can be customised by altering the shell nanoshell size and thickness. Throughout parts of Europe nanoshells are known as coreshells.
Cooking Cancer With Nanoshells
The surface of nanoshells can be tailored with antibodies that will attach to the surface of a cancerous tumour. Laser light at a frequency corresponding to that of the nanoshells can pass harmlessly through tissue and be absorbed by the nanoshells. When the nanoshells are activated by the laser light, the nanoshells heat up causing the cancer cells to be “cooked”. | 1,973 | 942 | 2.09448 |
warc | 201704 | Microdermabrasion, also known as microderm, is one of the easiest and most effective anti-aging treatments you can get. Its benefits are many: microderm softens fine lines and wrinkles, helps to smooth coarsely textured skin, decreases the appearance of scarring, decreases pore size, and reduces superficial hyper-pigmentation, also known as age spots.
Microdermabrasion also makes it easier for high-tech skin care products to penetrate into the deeper layers of the skin and help build collagen, which gives skin its youthful appearance.
The Changing Technology of Microdermabrasion
Microdermabrasion is essentially powerful mechanical exfoliation with an expensive machine, generally either the original crystal microdermabrasion technology or the newer diamond-tip microdermabrasion.
Both work by removing the uppermost layer of dead skin cells from the face, chest and hands.
True microdermabrasion is usually done in a day spa, medical spa or specialized skin care studio. It gives results you can’t achieve with a home microdermabrasion kit, which is basically a scrub for the face that is often too abrasive and can even irritate skin.
The original microdermabrasion technology, which has been around since the’80s, is called crystal microdermabrasion, uses a wand to both spray and vacuum up aluminum oxide crystals, also known as corundum, the second hardest mineral after diamonds. Crystal microdermabrasion might also appear on a spa menu as particle resurfacing, power peel, derma-peel or Parisian peel. Other types of crystals that are used in some machines, including salt and baking soda, but they are not very common.
Growing in popularity is the newer diamond-tip microdermabrasion. It achieves the same results but with less discomfort and without the crystal residue at the end of the treatment. However, some women still prefer the more aggressive feel of the crystal microderm machines because they can tell something is “happeningâ€.
The latest technology to hit the market is the HydraFacial, which uses water to exfoliate and extract while infusing the skin with serums.
How Microdermabrasion Works
The crystal microdermabrasion device consists of a compressor that draws in air through a hand-held wand. When the wand touches the skin, a vacuum is created. Aluminum oxide crystals, also known as corundum (the second-hardest mineral next to diamonds) blast across the skin’s surface, picking up dead surface skin cells along the way. The crystals and dead skin cells are quickly sucked up through a different tube in the same wand and go to a disposal bag.
When you put lotions or creams on your skin, some of the moisture passes through the stratum corneum, but not all of it. This layer is home to many minor skin imperfections like fine wrinkle lines blemishes.
All of the action in microdermabrasion takes place at the level of the stratum corneum. Since it only really targets the epidermis (and not the dermis), it is more accurate to call it micro-epi-dermabrasion. Affecting deeper layers of skin would be painful and harmful, and it would risk permanently embedding the tiny grains into the skin.
The Benefits of Microdermabrasion
Microdermabrasion can achieve dramatic results, but it is highly dependent on the skill of the esthetician. In general, it’s best if you get it from an esthetician you already know and trust.
For the best results, it is generally recommended get a series of treatments. Your esthetician should be able to recommend the number that is appropriate for your skin type and condition. A typical protocal is six treatments about 10 to 14 days apart.
Because the machine can be adjusted depending on skin type and condition, even people with sensitive skin can get a treatment from a skilled esthetician. Doctors with medical spas can own more powerful machines, but more is not always better with microderm.
It is important to realize that you have taken off the outermost layer of the skin, which is also its protection, so this is not the time to go to the beach. Be careful with your skin a few days after the microdermabrasion treatment: don’t do vigorous exercise and don’t expose your skin to the sun. Wear a gentle physical sunscreen, even if its a cloudy day.
Don’t expect to get the same results with a home microdermabrasion kit, which works more like a scrub. In fact, you can easily overdo it and irritate your skin.
References:
Elizabeth Whitaker, MD. Microdermabrasion Clinical Assistant Professor, Division of Facial
Plastic Surgery
Mahuzier, Francois, M.D. Microdermabrasion in Practice, (English Translation). SOLAL, 1995
Tsai, et al., “Aluminum Oxide Crystal Microdermabrasion.†Dermatologic Surgery. Vol. 21,
1995. p.539-542
Article by Laura Root, a CIDESCO Diplomate and editor of the ASEM report.
***
DAHL BRAVO is a Registered Nurse who also specializes in aesthetics and dermatology. Trained by the American Association of Aesthetic Medicine & Surgery, Dahl is also a member of the American Dermatology Nurses Association, International Dermal Institute. The Dalh Aesthetic Skin Care clinic in the San Fernando Valley is lcoated at 20944 Roscoe Blvd., Canoga Park, CA 91304. To schedule an appointment, please call 818.824.2361. â– | 5,434 | 2,483 | 2.188482 |
warc | 201704 | WASHINGTON — Although the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission is primarily concerned with past events that caused the housing collapse, members of the panel challenged two top regulators Thursday over whether the recently enacted regulatory reform law had eliminated the possibility of future government bailouts.
At a hearing on "too big to fail" institutions, commissioners questioned if the new systemic risk council would have the political will to break up risky firms, raised concerns about "living wills," and wondered whether regulators will eventually be forced to provide assistance to large troubled companies.
"Why should we believe that this Council is going to be uniquely different and keep us out of trouble?" asked John Thompson, a commissioner on the panel.
Although they testified separately, both Federal Reserve Board Chairman Ben Bernanke and Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. Chairman Sheila Bair had the same message: the days of bailouts are officially over.
Bair insisted that the Financial Stability Oversight Council, which was formed by the Dodd-Frank law enacted July 21, will be held accountable.
"If there is a systemic crisis, we can't go and say, 'Well the Fed had the bank holding companies, the OCC had national banks, and SEC had the investment banks,' we are all put together in the same room," she said. "It's our job to manage systemic risk and make sure there are no regulatory gaps. We have accountability. We have ownership. If we don't do our job, we should be held strongly accountable."
But it was clear not everyone was convinced. Douglas Holtz-Eakin, a former economic advisor to Sen. John McCain's 2008 presidential campaign, suggested the administration already had access to systemic council of sorts.
"Isn't the new stability council just the President's Working Group with a coat of paint?" he said, referring to the now defunct informal group of regulators formed after the stock market crash of 1987.
But Bair insisted it was different, saying it has "specific responsibilities with specific timetables for jobs."
"I think it will be a more robust, comprehensive effort," she said.
Both Bair and Bernanke highlighted some of the council's powers, including the ability to break up an institution if it is deemed systemically risky. Regulators also can order the divestiture of an institution that does not submit an adequate living will, essentially a guide for how to break up an institution.
Under the law, the council is tasked with setting higher capital, liquidity and leverage standards and recommending ways to ensure proper management of systemically important companies.
But commissioners questioned whether regulators would really have the guts to, for example, break up a company — and if other policymakers would support them if they did.
"Do you believe there is the political support both in the executive branch and in the Congress to implement these available powers to begin the process of restraining the growth of these large institutions?" asked former Sen. Robert Graham, a member of the panel.
Bernanke acknowledged that without a willingness to follow through, the prospect of avoiding another crisis was bleak. "If there's a lack of political will, there's probably no solution that is sustainable," he said.
But he said regulators will try to follow through.
"We have both the living will requirement, but in addition we also have the authority — the regulators, collectively — to break up firms, if necessary," he said. "You may ask if there's political will to do that, and I don't know the answer to that question. But certainly, that's the charge that Congress has given the regulators and we take very seriously that charge."
Bair said regulators have to act if they want to guard against future crisis.
"Regulators must have the courage to act on the Council's recommendations if we are to address systemic risk before they result in damage to our economy," said Bair. "We're certainly forging ahead and I think everybody else is just as committed."
Asked whether large, complex firms should be broken up, Bernanke reiterated that size itself was not the problem, but whether a firm had the ability to properly manage the institution.
"It's our responsibility to make sure their management is effective," he said. "If we are persuaded that they cannot manage the risks of the organization because it is too complex, we have the ability to change their structure."
He said regulators would take action in such a scenario.
"Where there is a failure of risk management or business management because of business complexity, it's very important regulators work to address the problem, and I assure you that we will," he said.
While rules for developing living wills are not due until 18 months after the enactment of the law, Bair said she is hoping to get the rule out much earlier. She has also set a target of setting up a general framework for resolution authority in the interim and providing a detailed plan within the next several months.
"Markets in the United States are very resilient, and I think if they understand what the rules are, they will be able to live with the rules," said Bair.
Commissioners pressed regulators on whether the financial crisis would have gone differently had Dodd-Frank already been in place.
"What would be different now?" asked Holtz-Eakin. "How would it play out for Bear [Stearns], Lehman, AIG, if those authorities were in place?"
Bernanke said all three would have been seized and unwound by the government.
"In all three cases, they would have been appropriate candidates for use of the resolution authority," Bernanke said. "I don't know what the alternative would have been unless we could have stopped the [liquidity] runs with cheery words. But I don't know how to do that."
Bair said the FDIC would have had a detailed resolution plan for Wachovia Corp. before it needed a government intervention in September 2008.
"We would have had better information about its structure and risk profile," Bair said. "And we would have faced fewer impediments to effecting its orderly resolution. In short, Wachovia, or Lehman for that matter, could have been resolved without a bailout and without disrupting financial markets."
Both said that the government will no longer bail out financial firms.
"Changes in the bill have eliminated the ability of the Fed to lend to an individual institution," Bernanke said. "Barring some midnight session of Congress that rewrites the law, I don't think it would be feasible for us to bail out firms the way we did during the crisis."
Bair agreed that "bailouts are just not acceptable going forward."
"We pushed for this line," she said. "The statute specifically prohibits any kind of open institution assistance. So if it happens, it's going to have to be Congress doing it. The regulators have no authority to do bailouts anymore, and that's a good thing." | 7,033 | 3,151 | 2.23199 |
warc | 201704 | One of the biggest changes your pitchers will see in the game as they get older is the importance of the set position. As you get older and the threat of a runner stealing bases becomes more and more present, your pitcher is going to have to be able to assess the infield and make a decision from the set position before proceeding.
By teaching them to work the set into their throws from a young age, we help prepare them, so that as they get older they have a level of comfort with the set position, where their peers are still just learning it.
Today were focusing on how to work the pickoff out of the set position, but I’ve also written a post about how to fix the most common set position mistakes.
The key to remember is that you can’t become predictable. If you always wait the same amount of time before pitching, your basically giving the runner a bag – don’t let him anticipate, make him react.
To avoid this, our pitcher needs to come to the set position and vary the amount of time until the pitch is thrown. Come set. 1001, 1002. Now he throws. We don’t want to get in and become a creature of habit, where we walk up, set, throw.
Also, sometimes a good movement to keep him in check is just to step off. He comes set and then he just steps off for the heck of it. But once he steps off, we don’t want to make a throw over because he knows we’re not going anywhere.
Another thing we want to do is when we decide we’re going to go for our total pick-off move, we’ll set him up with the long arm action. As you bring the pitch back extend your arm fully, trying to bait him into taking off early to see if we can get the runner to get off. And then once we get ready for the kill, we’re just going to pivot, get the arm up, make a snap throw, and if it’s nice and accurate we’re going to get him.
When your pitcher goes for the pick-off, we’re going to do is ask him to throw at the first baseman’s right knee. By throwing at the first baseman’s right knee, the runner’s coming right back into it. We get tired of having throws all over the general area. If we focus and pick up the right knee, he comes right back into the tag.
What we’ll do is have him simulate some more then we’ll work on the actual pick-off with the first baseman, so that they can get some reps as well.
But what about actually throwing at home plate? If your looking to help your pitcher expand their pitch arsenal as well, check out this great post on how to throw the changeup!
That’s it for today! And if you’ve got any other questions or comments, jot them down below, or come check out our Facebook page for daily updates! | 2,725 | 1,261 | 2.160983 |
warc | 201704 | Pre-Law Courses college of arts and sciences Useful courses
Boston College doesn't offer a specific pre-law program of studies nor require specific courses for students planning on attending law school. Moreover, law school admissions officers have informed us that no one major is any more attractive of gaining admission than another and since legal careers cover all fields, they recommend only that students pursue challenging courses in an area of interest to them. They also suggest that applicants include in their undergraduate program, upper-level courses in areas other than their major, as well as writing-intensive (not necessarily English) courses. Instructors in these courses could provide beneficial law school references, since they can comment directly on specific examples of the student's analytical and writing abilities. With this in mind, BC does offer a variety of law-related courses (below) that may be useful for students considering law school.
Useful skills
In addition to analytical and writing skills there are a variety of abilities that pre-law students might develop more fully. These include analytical thinking; public speaking and debating; the study of Latin, which helps train students in structured memorization and expand their familiarity with the legal principles which are expressed in Latin; and the principles of accounting and finance, which define the concepts of property on which most of civil law is based.
Substantive areas of law and legal reasoning
There are a variety of courses that focus on specific substantive areas of law and legal reasoning. These include topics from Ethics and Constitutional Law, to Advertising Law and Federal Taxation.
Courses about law and the legal system
There are also courses that analyze law, the legal system, legal problems, and the legal profession from philosophical and social science perspectives. These can contribute to a more sophisticated understanding of what the law actually does and how it behaves, and can be useful in placing law in a larger social and human context.
Once again, none of the courses in the above categories are more impressive to an admission committee than any other challenging course in the curriculum, however, the courses most frequently chosen by undergraduates interested in law school are: "American Constitutional Law" (Political Science), and "Logic" (Philosophy). | 2,409 | 1,149 | 2.096606 |
warc | 201704 | Seven (7) residents of Texas have filed lawsuit against Merck Pharmaceuticals claiming that the drug, Fosamax, which is used to treat osteoporosis, is defective. The claimants allege that instead of the drug helping with treating thinning bones, it instead, is causing permanent bone decay.
The lawsuit claimants claim that as a result of taking the drug, they developed osteonecrosis of the jaw. "Jaw death," or osteonecrosis of the jaw is a disfiguring and disabling condition in which the jaws of the bone die from infection. Apparently, this condition is not listed on Merck Pharmaceuticals' website for the drug as a possible side effect.
The lawsuit further alleges that Merck Pharmaceuticals marketed the drug without providing the proper warnings. It also claims that Merck Pharmaceuticals went so far as to bribe doctors to prescribe Fosamax despite the known possible dangers.
Legal actions are being brought across the country not only against Merck Pharmaceuticals but also against manufacturers of other similar drugs.
The Plaintiffs in this action have requested a jury trial. They are are claiming damages for pain and suffering, lost wages, mental anguish, medical costs, impairment and disfigurement, and punitive damages. | 1,247 | 643 | 1.939347 |
warc | 201704 | No matter how you practice Judaism, one thing is certain—you can change the world. Not only can you find wisdom in the Torah, but you can follow the leaders, who made a difference in society and for those around them. Jews have a special calling in their lives they are not to hide it from others. Call it the light that God gives us. God said in Genesis "Let there be light." He separated the light from darkness for a reason. “God saw that the light was good, so God separated the light from the darkness. And it was evening, and it was morning, one day.” This light has can be used to change society, spread a positive message and to expel the darkness of human suffering, and to make a difference. God would not had opened with these words, if it was not important to have the distinction of light and dark without a purpose. He's inviting us to take part. The question is, are we listening?
Do you know what hineini means? Hineini is an ancient Hebrew phrase that means “Here I am.” It is a call by God sometimes within silence to walk out in faith to make a difference. It can be a feeling or a nudge to act on something that you feel is wrong, or where there is injustice. This is a call, a light, within you that needs to be activated. What has been on your heart, do you feel God calling you to contribute your talents, or your time to the world? We hope the following people will help you respond and help you become a light so you may declare: “Here I am” to make a difference. Here 6 Jewish leaders who answered the call in their lives. May you become inspired as well.
Ze’ev Jabotinsky
Ze’ev Jabotinsky was an author, poet, and a soldier. He was one of the founders of Zionism as we know it today. The founder of the Jewish Self-Defense Organization guided many leaders (first Prime Minister of Israel David Ben-Gurion) to be a light for their people. In this instance, it was for the Jews to have their own homeland. Jabotinsky taught that unity was key in protecting people and to have a Jewish nation. “I devote my life to the rebirth of the Jewish State, with a Jewish majority, on both sides of the Jordan,” he wrote. This was not without sacrifice. He gave up his dreams of being a journalist and a person already assimilated in society. Yet, he wanted the Jews to have their homeland and freedoms. He created the first modern Jewish army.
Clara Lemlich
Known as the “Uprising of the 20,000,” Lemlich called for a massive strike against the New York's garment industry. On Nov. 22nd in 1909 she roused fellow working women to stand up against the deplorable conditions a the Gotham shirtwaist factory, where “women worked 11 hours a day, six days a week, for starting wages of $3 a week,” said Lemlich who was arrested 17 times. She faced police and mobsters hired by the factory to stop her. The strike lasted two months and started a movement that ended up saving people’s lives. We can credit her with safety regulations in the workplace.
Elie Wiesel
He knew one day that there would be deniers of the Holocaust. Elie Wiesel made it his mission to make sure the world does not forget what happened to the Jewish people. He said he worked to keep the memory alive for those who won’t forget. There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest. “I have tried to keep memory alive. I have tried to fight those who would forget,” he said. In 1986, Wiesel was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, and considered the messenger for mankind. If we didn’t have people like Wiesel, where would we be? He felt compelled to plant seed to make sure we never forget the facts of that terrible time in world history.
Ruth Messinger
The President of American Jewish World Service is a visionary and a global ambassador. Ruth Messinger has mobilized faith-based communities along with leading rabbis through the U.S. to help promote human rights. The amount of money she has helped gross for charity is something special and extraordinary. Messinger has raised $270 million for human rights, including raising money to end the genocide in Darfur. Her tireless work has been applauded by the Jewish community where 5 major American rabbinical seminaries have given her honorary degrees. Messinger works for the State Department’s Religion and Foreign Policy Working Group, and is a member of the World Bank’s Moral Imperative working group, which fights poverty.
Michael Oshman
You might have never heard of the Green Restaurant Association (GRA), but it's transforming the restaurant industry by making it more environmentally friendly. It was a novel concept said founder Michael Oshman, who founded the nonprofit in 1990. Restaurants can become environmentally sustainable in several key areas in water, in energy, in food waste, and in chemical disposal. It took time to root, but restaurant owners started taking an interest and now there are over 40 states that have green restaurants in the U.S. “Back then, having a green business was a novel concept, but thankfully, it's part of our culture now,” Oshman said according Presentense.org. GRA operates in the U.S. and in Canada. | 5,285 | 2,540 | 2.080709 |
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